BEIJING, April 7 (Xinhua) -- As this year's World Health Day falls on Friday under the theme of "Health for All," China has been sparing no efforts in achieving that goal. Over the past decades, the world has witnessed China's accomplishments in building a healthy China. Average life expectancy, a key gauge of the health level of a country's residents, has increased from 35 years in 1949 to 78.2 years in 2021 in China. Its basic medical insurance covers over 1.3 billion people. Severe infectious diseases, including smallpox, polio, and malaria, were eradicated in the country. In the meantime, China has been sharing its public health successes with the globe, staying true to the initiative of building a global community of health for all. HEALTHCARE AT DOORSTEP For this year's World Health Day, China set a domestic theme of "channeling quality medical resources down to the community level to ensure health for all," aiming to facilitate people's convenient access to health services. Receiving medical services used to be difficult for many Chinese people living in isolated areas. "It'd take me a whole day to go to the county by boat and bus to see a doctor and return," said Lin Zhongsu, an elderly citizen from a small island in east China's Zhejiang Province. Things could not be more different now. At the medical facility on the island, a pair of glasses with 5G and AR technologies have enabled people like Lin to receive diagnosis and treatment from doctors based in big cities. Such were the cases with numerous other citizens in the province where medical experts from higher-level hospitals were regularly dispatched and stationed in hill or island counties -- an epitome of what has been transpiring in China's healthcare picture recently. The phenomena were supported by many state-level policies, not least after the country modified its approach to cope with COVID-19, as medical resources are ever more accessible to people at all levels. In late February, a guideline on the development of the healthcare system in rural areas via deepening reforms was released by the general offices of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council, highlighting the overall planning of resources at the county level as well as the medical personnel and medical insurance in rural areas. In late March, another guideline was issued by the general offices on further improving the healthcare service system, underscoring the capacity of public healthcare services, especially at the primary level. Even when it comes to a plan for the application of robots, released by 17 state departments in mid-January, medical care was noted as an area where robots should play a more significant role, which would allow robots to conduct surgeries on patients under the watch of remote doctors. These stroke with the efforts dedicated to the Healthy China Initiative, as achieving health for all is the fundamental goal of building a healthy China, said Mao Qun'an, an official with the country's National Health Commission (NHC). The points of strength should apply to the health of all groups and the whole lifecycle to provide fair, accessible, systematic, and consistent healthcare services, Mao said. PUSHING FOR GLOBAL HEALTH Over the past six decades, the country has sent medical teams consisting of 30,000 members to 76 countries and regions across five continents, providing 290 million diagnoses and treatments for local people. Chinese medical teams are currently working at 115 sites in 56 countries. Nearly half are in remote areas with harsh conditions. Yang Yi was among the 27th Chinese medical aid team who went to Africa in 2021. Yang's rich experience in acupuncture over 30 years has earned her a loyal following in remote Algeria. "Behind the local people's trust in Chinese doctors is the legacy of the country's medical aid team members for generations," she said. Besides relieving patients' pain with acupuncture, Yang has two Algerian students. She said that even if the Chinese doctors leave, acupuncture has taken root there. In the face of the challenge of COVID-19, China has always acted on the vision of a global community of health for all, standing with the rest of the world while overcoming domestic difficulties. China has timely shared relevant information, data and experience, provided medical supplies for other countries, and carried out international cooperation. China is also the first country to propose COVID-19 vaccines as a global public good, support a vaccine intellectual property rights exemption, and champion cooperation on vaccine production with developing countries. While maintaining pragmatic cooperation with international organizations, the country co-organized the Ninth Global Conference on Health Promotion with the WHO in 2016. China officially received a malaria-free certification from the WHO in 2021. "These represent China's proposals and strength for promoting global health," said He Zhaohua, an official with the NHC.
The Republic of Azerbaijan is located at the "heart of Eurasia" and has been dubbed as a "keystone of Caspian". It holds 75-80 per cent of GDP of South Caucasus region which has further enhanced its strategic importance and utility for achieving the dreams of greater Eurasian region. It has rich energy resources which are contributing to further strengthening and "diversification" of its socio-economic development, transformation towards green journey, modernization and qualitative development in the country. Moreover, it is a key territory for regional integration projects.

The latest high level political consultations, economic integration, social cooperation and security coordination between Azerbaijan and Central Asian countries mainly Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Turkic organizations have become a "paradigm shift" in the region which would be "instrumental" for further strengthening of Eurasia region in the days to come. Interestingly, Azerbaijan has now become a "preferential" energy partner of the European Union and exporting its energy resources to it via Turkiye which has further increased its trans-regional "outreach" and vividly reflects persuasions of a "balanced" and pragmatic foreign policy.

Furthermore, Azerbaijan has also enhanced its bilateral relations with Pakistan which is a "connecting hub" between South Asia and Central Asia. The volume of trade, investment, tourism, culture, agriculture, energy (oil & gas), renewables, education, science & technology and last but not the least, military cooperation is getting momentum which has become a "balancing act" in the socio-economic integration, greater regional connectivity and security, peace and stability of South Caucasus region.

In this connection, "innovative" means of Azerbaijan foreign mission in Islamabad is brightening the scope of greater energy & food security mechanism, infrastructure development, aerial connectivity, trading capacity and cultural cooperation. Inauguration of Azerbaijan & CIS desk in Rawalpindi and Islamabad Chambers of Commerce and availability of easy business and tourism visas have succeeded to disseminate "good-will" gesture in the business community and potential businessmen in the country which would hopefully pay its dividends in the days to come.

Azerbaijan since its independence in 1991, its government has sought to make it a bridge between Europe and Asia. It has invested millions of dollars in commercial infrastructure and transport projects over the last decade, aiming to position Azerbaijan as a "reliable" regional link between Central Asia, the South Caucasus and Europe and increasing bilateral relations with China and inauguration of the "One Belt & One Road" has further enhanced Azerbaijans status of "connecting hub" and "powerhouse" of regional integration.

Baku understands the importance of implementing diversification strategies ahead of the depletion of the countrys hydrocarbon reserves and has already started massive "diversification drive" in the country by developing other key sectors of its macro-economy mainly, service, green energy, tourism, real estate, banking & finance, agriculture, organic production, health, and last but not least, hospitality sectors which are gradually inching towards further economic stability and sustainability.

According to official data around 70 percent of its trade came from oil and gas transport between Georgia and Azerbaijan. Baku and Tbilisi benefited most from this corridor, which was also good for Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. Both Astana and Ashgabat used the corridor extensively to bypass Russia when transporting oil. During the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict the "alternative route" has been further flourished and matured, befitting to all the stakeholders and regional countries economies.

It is hoped that the Chinese investments help to further widen Azerbaijans strategic plan, allowing many projects to go ahead. In August 2015, the first container to take the BRI route, or Silk Road, travelled time more than 4,000km from China in a record six days, arriving at the newly constructed Baku International Sea Trade Port. It signalled a new era in regional transport links.

China, together with partners from Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, was a major player in implementing the project. It demonstrated to Chinese partners that cargo could reach Europe much faster via the Silk Road than by sea or by transiting through Russia. Both Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan used the project to encourage Chinese establishments to begin infrastructure in their territories so they could reap the benefits. Azerbaijani authorities believe that by 2030 some 300,000-400,000 containers will be transported via this route, bringing billions of profits.

Obviously, the ties between Central Asia and the Caucasus have been strengthened. Especially with the Ukrainian War, the destabilization of the Northern Corridor, especially, has pushed Eurasian countries, including China, to look for new routes. The rapprochement process between the countries in the east and west of the Caspian Sea, where the Middle Corridor is located, has accelerated. Undoubtedly, the will of Azerbaijan, brought peace to the Caucasus by winning an important victory in the Second Karabakh War which has now brightened the prospects of the opening of the Zangezur Corridor. Now, the possibility of regional cooperation and integration between the countries of the Turkish world has further strengthened strategic role of Azerbaijan in the region and beyond.

In this regard, an agreement was signed between Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan in February 2021, and the states agreed on the disputed regions in the Caspian Sea. Afterwards, various developments took place in the relations between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan. Both states agreed to deepen strategic partnership and expanding comprehensive cooperation. A consensus has been reached in areas such as defence, foreign policy, trade, economy, investment, industry, oil, gas, chemistry, textile, construction, food and agriculture. The issues of development of transportation corridors and the improvement of transportation tariffs were also discussed between the governments. An agreement was reached on Uzbekistans utilization of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars Railway. Afterwards, an agreement was reached between the Ministries of Energy of Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan on a road-map the goals and plans of which will be determined until the end of 2023. According to this agreement, joint projects will be carried out in the fields of renewable energy, oil, gas and petrochemicals.

It is also known that the parties have agreed on issues such as developing joint projects for the exploration and production of hydrocarbon resources of JSC Uzbekneftegas and SOCAR, as well as sharing of experience, encouraging mutual investment and privatizations. In addition, it is claimed that cooperation will be made in Karabakh-based projects. At this point, the strongest possibility is the possibility of Uzbekistan using the Zangezur Corridor to open up to the West. The role of Azerbaijan in Central Asia, South Caucasus, Middle East, and South Asia has further enhanced its constructive role in the further strengthening of Eurasia region.
The logo of car manufacturer Tesla is seen at a branch office in Bern, Switzerland October 28, 2020. Reuters-Yonhap



Tesla will build a new facility in Shanghai to make its Megapack batteries, Chinese state media reported on Sunday.



The factory, which will have an initial capacity of 10,000 Megapack units per year, is expected to "start production in the second quarter of 2024", according to the Xinhua News Agency.



The U.S. electric car maker says its Megapacks are intended to store energy and stabilize supply for power grids, with each unit able to store more than 3 megawatt-hours of power.



The plant will be Tesla's second factory in the Chinese city after its massive Shanghai Gigafactory, which broke ground in 2019.



Lu Yu, a local official, said the new battery factory was expected to create an "industrial cluster" worth more than $14 billion, according to Xinhua.



The announcement comes after Tesla chief Elon Musk presented a vague but ambitious plan to investors to turbocharge growth.



Tesla has hit its stride after years of losses, scoring an impressive string of earnings records as it has added factories and ramped up production.



The company has also acted as a major catalyst for a revolution in transportation, with much of the automobile sector's innovation efforts moving away from the internal combustion engine towards EVs.



Even with that success, Musk has fallen short of some of his outsized goals.



Tesla's lowest-priced vehicle, the Model 3, begins at $43,000 in the United States  too pricey for many consumers for a vehicle that had been pitched at the mass market.



Musk has also missed his own deadlines for a fully autonomous vehicle, with Tesla driver-assistance technology spurring U.S. regulatory probes.



Musk's ties to China have also raised eyebrows in Washington, with U.S. President Joe Biden saying in November the executive's links to foreign countries were "worthy" of scrutiny. (AFP)


OKLAHOMA CITY  Although a recent court decision determined that Oklahomas constitution includes an inherent right for a woman to seek an abortion when its necessary to save her life, access to the procedure remains extremely limited in the state.

But abortion rights advocates hope and GOP elected officials fear that the opinion could set the stage for the Oklahoma Supreme Court to further expand abortion access at a later date.

Planned Parenthood Great Plains is reviewing the state high courts opinion from March 21 to see if local clinics could provide abortion care in rare, medically necessary situations, said Emily Wales, the groups CEO and president.

Planned Parenthood stopped performing abortions in Oklahoma after Republican elected officials last year implemented a series of laws banning the procedure.

While the opinion gives health care providers greater clarity on when they can perform the procedure, abortion access in the state will not change dramatically, Wales said in an interview.

Now we have this extremely narrow right to abortion care under the Oklahoma Constitution that has been recognized, but will it be at all accessible? she asked. I dont know that people are going to find many situations where it is.

A divided Oklahoma Supreme Court last month gave abortion rights advocates a narrow victory when it overturned part of the states near-total ban on the procedure. The court tossed out a recent state law banning most abortions but left in place a 1910 state law that bans all abortions except those necessary to preserve the life of a pregnant woman.

The court did not weigh in on whether Oklahomas constitution includes the right to an elective abortion.

Wales said she remains optimistic that the court could revisit that question as litigation continues. Legal challenges remain pending to two Texas-style anti-abortion laws that are enforced through the threat of civil lawsuits against anyone who helps a woman obtain an abortion.

Im hopeful that they will go back and find that a right to bodily autonomy doesnt begin at the moment you know your life is in danger, Wales said in a recent interview.

The court opinion angered some of the states Republican elected officials. Several say the decision shows the need for judicial reform.

Days after the decision, Senate President Pro Tem Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, said he was pleased that the court let stand the states 1910 anti-abortion law, which was reinstated after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade. That Oklahoma law makes it a felony to perform an abortion.

The part Im not happy about is leaving the door wide open potentially on the elective abortion side, Treat said. The concurring opinion that some of the justices wrote was pretty offensive language in a lot of ways about the intent of the Legislature, and so that disturbs me about what their intent is going forward.

Ive been warning the Legislature and the public for the past four or five years that I worry that the Oklahoma Supreme Court could read into the constitution some right to abortion that does not exist.

Wales said a state question to expand abortion access could be an option in Oklahoma if legal efforts are unsuccessful. Last year, voters in Kansas, Michigan, Kentucky, Montana, Vermont and California approved ballot initiatives to protect abortion rights.

Ballot measures are costly and require extensive organizing, said Alexis McGill Johnson, who leads the Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

Planned Parenthoods four Oklahoma clinics are still open and providing pregnancy services, testing for sexually transmitted diseases, and offering birth control, hormone therapy and other medical services.

After a recent tour of the Oklahoma City clinic, Johnson said she was stunned at the stillness of the abortion care wing of the facility.

The thing that took my breath away was walking into the surgical side of the clinic and being in an empty recovery room, she said.

A longtime proponent of judicial reform, Sen. Julie Daniels, R-Bartlesville, said the unfortunate court opinion underscores the need for the Oklahoma Legislature to change how state Supreme Court justices are selected. Some conservative lawmakers have sought such reforms in the past while accusing justices of overstepping their power and legislating from the bench.

The Supreme Court over these past several years has made several decisions that, I think, put them in the role of legislators, Daniels said. This one is really the straw that breaks the camels back for me.

June 2022 video: Gov. Kevin Stitt and Oklahoma AG celebrate Roe v. Wade being overturned
Details, details: A member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives admitted recently that he gets a little punchy about the middle of the session. Its easy to understand why. More than 3,000 bills have been filed each session in recent years for sessions that last less than four months.

Put another way, on some days it is not unusual for the House and Senate to churn through more bills than their federal counterparts do in a year.

Two major reasons for this are the Oklahoma Constitutions single-subject clause, which prevents the sort of log-rolling that seems to be the only way Congress gets anything done, and the Oklahoma Legislatures tradition of micromanaging every aspect of state government.

Almost everything is subject to legislation. For instance:

The margin for documents produced by county clerks is set by statute at a minimum of 1 inch on the top and a half-inch on the sides.

For years, county clerks have wanted to double that. So every year a bill is introduced for that purpose, and every year it fails to make it through the sausage factory on the fourth floor of the Capitol.

This years attempt, SB 57, by Sen. Dave Rader, R-Tulsa, looks like it has a chance.

State law prohibits fences, utility poles, or other structures in state and county rights-of-way. It does not, however, explicitly provide for the removal of such objects from county rights-of-way. So Sen. Jack Stewart, R-Yukon, a former county commissioner, is running a bill to remedy that.

Most folks put off paying taxes as long as they can, but according to Rep. Jeff Boatman, R-Tulsa, some of his constituents would like to pay their property taxes in advance, in multiple installments.

But state law forbids that, and most county treasurers, truth be told, dont want to mess with the bookkeeping. Nevertheless, Boatman is offering House Bill 2003, which would allow treasurers to accept advance tax payments. The bill has passed the House but hasnt been heard in a Senate committee.

Judicial appointment: Tulsa County District Judge Jim Huber was named to the Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals by Gov. Kevin Stitt.

Huber became a special judge in 2019 and a district judge in 2020. He was chief judge of the Family Court Division at the time of his appointment to the appeals court.

Huber was in private practice for 25 years, specializing in employment and commercial litigation.

He succeeds Judge W. Keith Rapp, who retired.

The Court of Civil Appeals consists for 12 judges divided into four panels of three each, with two panels in Tulsa and two in Oklahoma City. Huber is filling one of the Tulsa slots.

Members of the court are chosen by the governor from three finalists submitted by the Judicial Nominating Commission.

Trump factor: Oklahomas devotion to former President Donald Trump may be cooling just a bit, polling by Oklahoma City-based Cole Hargrave Snodgrass and Associates suggests.

In a survey taken at the end of March, Trumps overall favorable rating among all Oklahomans was 54%, compared to 66% just before the 2020 election. Unfavorable went from 32% in 2020 to 40% in 2023, making a net swing of 20 percentage points.

According to the survey, Trump remains highly regarded among Oklahoma Republicans  70% view him favorably  and a majority say they would probably vote for him if the Oklahoma primary were today, but they also seem ready to move on if hes perceived to be a drag on the party.

Asked if it is more important to nominate someone who can defeat Joe Biden in the 2024 general election or to keep the Republican Party aligned with Trump, only 25% chose the latter.

Under the dome: The Oklahoma Legislative Black Caucus came out against House Bill 1397, by Rep. Mark Lepak, which last week moved within a Senate floor vote of Gov. Kevin Stitts desk.

The bill would require the State Department of Education to develop curriculum for an optional civil rights history course that would focus on the period 1954-1968 and the career of Martin Luther King Jr., and particularly his strategy of nonviolence.

Lepak says the course would provide context for current race relations, but opponents say they see it as an attempt to minimize racism and misinterpret Kings career and legacy.

An initiative by state Sen. Kevin Matthews, D-Tulsa, to create an Oklahoma Civil Rights Trail that would include African American and American Indian sites of significance passed the House Tourism Committee and is only a House floor vote away from the governors desk.

SB 1040, by Sen. Darcy Jech, R-Kingfisher, which would allow for electronic voter registration in connection with drivers license renewal by U.S. citizens, made it through the House Elections and Ethics Commission and is also only a House floor vote away from the governor.

With Oklahomas Legislature and governor determined to pass some sort of taxpayer-supported subsidies for private schools, the Institute for Taxation and Economic Policy reported that a study of such programs in Arizona, Louisiana and Virginia found that the large majority of benefits went to households with more than $200,000 in annual income, while virtually none went to those earning $50,000 or less.

Suiting up: A second lawsuit has been filed against the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services over the incarceration of people with several mental illness.

The Oklahoma Appleseed Foundation filed suit in Tulsa County District Court last week, alleging violation of the state Open Records Act. That follows a March 1 federal lawsuit petition on behalf of four people held in county jails because the states only facility for handling such inmates is full with a long waiting list.

Last weeks suit demands that the Department of Mental Health turn over records related to the treatment of mentally ill county jail inmates and disputes the agencys claim that all such persons are receiving appropriate care.

Next stop: Corporation Commissioner Bob Anthony said evidence of wrongdoing here is growing after he got the other two commissioners, Todd Hiett and Kim David, to delay action on $3 billion in fuel costs claimed by the states two largest electric utilities during the February 2021 cold snap.

Never known for mincing words, Anthony had accused Hiett and David of trying to sneak through acceptance of the claims, which ultimately are to be paid by OG&E and PSO customers through a financing instrument devised by the state.

With the vote scheduled for Tuesday delayed, Anthony continued berating his colleagues, especially Hiett, for not investigating allegations of market manipulation by natural gas traders selling fuel for electric generation to PSO and OG&E before accepting the utilities expenses as fair, just, reasonable and prudently incurred.

Commissioner Hiett even said he intends to bring these orders forward for approval again soon, Anthony said in a written statement. In fact, he answered one of my questions from yesterday: Is Commissioner Hiett really proposing that this Commission declare some $3 billion of ONG and PSOs 2021 fuel costs to be prudent before his own consultants new review of those costs has even begun? Yes, that is exactly what he is proposing. Its official: Weve just crossed over into the Twilight Zone.

SNAP decision: Oklahoma will be one of five states to pilot mobile contactless Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program transactions, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced.

Still widely known as food stamps even though the program transitioned from paper coupons to electronic benefits transfer cards 20 years ago, SNAP now wants to make the next technological step. The USDA and the Oklahoma Department of Human Services say accessing accounts through mobile devices will be more secure, a particular issue of late in light of revelations that more than $730,000 in benefits have been stolen from Oklahoma recipients accounts recently.

Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts and Missouri are the other states chosen to test the mobile technology, which is expected to take at least a year to implement fully.

Labor market: Oklahoma non-farm payrolls grew by almost 11,000 workers from January to February, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. Metro Tulsa employment grew by about 1,500, while Oklahoma Citys soared by 8,000. For the previous 12 months, Oklahoma City and Tulsa accounted for 33,900 of the 43,000 jobs added statewide.

Meetings and events: The Legislative Black Caucus annual A.C. Hamlin Dinner will be April 18 at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City.

Tamya Cox-Toure, executive director of the ACLU of Oklahoma, and Sarah Adams-Cornell, co-founder of the nonprofit organization Matriarch and vice president of the Sovereign Community School Board, will be honored as this years Oklahoma Democratic Partys Leading Ladies during an 11:30 a.m. luncheon at the Capitol View Event Center, 5201 N. Lincoln Boulevard in Oklahoma City.

The city of Tulsas Flood Preparedness Expo will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. May 2 in the Central Center at Veterans Park, 1028 E. Sixth St.

U.S. Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana will be the keynote speaker for the Oklahoma Republican Party Convention on May 5 at the Renaissance Hotel, 6808 S. 107th East Avenue.

See okgop.com for ticket details.

Bottom lines: Those who think the Oklahoma Legislature operates without rhyme or reason were proved half wrong last week when state Rep. Tammy West, R-Oklahoma City, read poetry on the House floor in observance of National Poetry Month.  Gov. Kevin Stitt will be Oral Roberts Universitys commencement speaker on May 6.  The former Kate Barnard Correctional Facility for women in Oklahoma City, which closed in 2021, has reopened as the Department of Corrections training academy.  The Oklahoma Department of Human Services launched a new child care locator at childcarefind.okdhs.org/.

 Randy Krehbiel, Tulsa World
A calculation error created a months-long delay in the 2022 school report cards, which still have not been released to the public.

The error caused some schools to receive inaccurate letter grades late last year. The Oklahoma Department of Education corrected the scores and gave school leaders until Monday to review.

Grades are expected to be public after the review period, but what parents see may not be the corrected version.

In an email to district leaders, the department said it will honor the original letter grade.

Some school leaders say they arent sure if that means theyll automatically get the original letter grade or the higher one, and Education Department officials wouldnt clarify to Oklahoma Watch.

Department Press Secretary Justin Holcomb did not respond to questions sent by email Tuesday. Neither Holcomb nor Superintendent Ryan Walters answered Oklahoma Watchs phone calls.

The error occurred before Walters took office. The department planned to announce the new grades in December but held off once the mistake was discovered. Individual student test scores were released in September.

Here we are about to test this years kids, and we still dont have our A-F grades from last year. Theyre kind of irrelevant at this point, said Rick Cobb, superintendent of Mid-Del Public Schools.

The states A-F school grading system has been disrupted multiple times since it was adopted by the Legislature in 2011. There was a two-year hiatus in 2016 and 2017 while the Department redesigned the system to comply with the federal Every Student Succeeds Act. There were no letter grades in 2020 or 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Its intended to provide high-quality data to parents and school leaders about how schools are performing in several key areas: academic performance and growth, student absenteeism, English language proficiency, postsecondary opportunities and graduation rates. The U.S. Department of Education requires states to assess schools annually and make the data public.

Under Oklahomas system, schools are graded on a bell curve. Five percent of schools receive an A, 25% receive a B, 40% receive a C, 25% receive a D and 5% receive an F. Schools given an F receive extra funding for added resources.

Some administrators say delays and inconsistencies devalue the whole grading system.

There hasnt been a lot of consistency, which is what you really need, said Shannon Woodson, dean of academics for Moore Public Schools. If you really want to track a schools growth, much less a students growth, you need consistent measures and consistent timing. Because when the target moves, its hard to aim at the target.

Sean McDaniel, superintendent of Oklahoma City Public Schools, said hes been looking forward to celebrating schools whose letter grades improved, but the extended delay has caused some uncertainty.

State results are an important piece that we need and so we look forward to receiving our final data, he said.
Vietnam has emerged as one of the top four Asian beneficiaries as the U.S. has significantly shifted its chip imports away from traditional markets since the beginning of the year, according to data released by the U.S. Census Bureau. The list of the four Asian winning markets includes Thailand, Vietnam, India, and Cambodia. The U.S. chip imports rose 17 percent year on year in February to US$4.86 billion, of which imports from Asia accounted for 83 percent, according to Bloomberg. Most notably, imports from India saw unprecedented growth, with the turnover increasing 34 times to reach $152 million. Imports from Cambodia also climbed impressively by nearly seven times to achieve a figure slightly higher than the import turnover of $166 million from Japan, the traditional chip manufacturing market. Vietnam and Thailand, which both have much growing slices of the chipmaking market, increased their U.S. trade in the sector by 75 percent and 62 percent, respectively. Vietnam has made up over 10 percent of U.S. chip imports for seven straight months. These signs indicate that the U.S. has been diversifying its electronics supply chain by shifting manufacturing from traditional markets to emerging ones. This explains why while Malaysia, one of the worlds leading factories in chip packaging, continues to top the list of chip suppliers to the U.S. after its market share fell to 20 percent of total U.S. imports in February. Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh tasked the Ministry of Planning and Investment with drafting a resolution and a program on chip production while presiding over the cabinet meeting in Hanoi on Monday. Vietnam has become a center of the semiconductor industry as Samsung announced a plan to produce semiconductors at its factory in northern Thai Nguyen Province from July next year, pouring in an additional $920 million. The country is also home to Intels largest assembly and testing factory with an investment of $1.5 billion. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

Vietnam has emerged as one of the top four Asian beneficiaries as the U.S. has significantly shifted its chip imports away from traditional markets since the beginning of the year, according to data released by the U.S. Census Bureau.

The list of the four Asian winning markets includes Thailand, Vietnam, India, and Cambodia.

The U.S. chip imports rose 17 percent year on year in February to US$4.86 billion, of which imports from Asia accounted for 83 percent, according to Bloomberg.

Most notably, imports from India saw unprecedented growth, with the turnover increasing 34 times to reach $152 million.

Imports from Cambodia also climbed impressively by nearly seven times to achieve a figure slightly higher than the import turnover of $166 million from Japan, the traditional chip manufacturing market.

Vietnam and Thailand, which both have much growing slices of the chipmaking market, increased their U.S. trade in the sector by 75 percent and 62 percent, respectively.

Vietnam has made up over 10 percent of U.S. chip imports for seven straight months.

These signs indicate that the U.S. has been diversifying its electronics supply chain by shifting manufacturing from traditional markets to emerging ones.

This explains why while Malaysia, one of the worlds leading factories in chip packaging, continues to top the list of chip suppliers to the U.S. after its market share fell to 20 percent of total U.S. imports in February.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh tasked the Ministry of Planning and Investment with drafting a resolution and a program on chip production while presiding over the cabinet meeting in Hanoi on Monday.

Vietnam has become a center of the semiconductor industry as Samsung announced a plan to produce semiconductors at its factory in northern Thai Nguyen Province from July next year, pouring in an additional $920 million.

The country is also home to Intels largest assembly and testing factory with an investment of $1.5 billion.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
The administration of Lam Dong Province in Vietnams Central Highlands region said on Friday it is processing procedures to break ground on the Tan Phu-Bao Loc expressway project in September this year. The 67km-long expressway will start from an intersection with the Dau Giay-Tan Phu expressway in neighboring Dong Nai Province and end in Lam Dongs Bao Loc City. The project requires VND17.2 trillion (US$735 million) in investment. Of this, the state budget accounts for VND6.5 trillion ($277 million), while the remainder is covered by investors and other sources. The route is slated for completion in June 2026. A consortium of Deo Ca Group JSC, Hung Thinh Corporation, and Nam Mien Trung Group JSC will serve as the project investor, according to the Lam Dong administrations report sent to the prime minister. The project will need some 455 hectares of cleared land, with a majority in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong. The localities through which the expressway will pass already worked on site clearance issues and zoned resettlement areas for affected households. It usually takes over 20 years for expressway project developers to recoup investment, while credit institutions set a loan term of 15 years, said the Peoples Committee of Lam Dong Province. The provincial government, therefore, proposed the prime minister ask the State Bank of Vietnam to issue policies and mechanisms helping remove obstacles hindering investors from accessing bank loans. Earlier, an interdisciplinary appraisal council said that the projects pre-feasibility study is eligible to be submitted to the prime minister for consideration and approval. Pham S, vice-chairman of the Lam Dong Peoples Committee, said the provincial government will carry out procedures to send bidding invitations. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

The administration of Lam Dong Province in Vietnams Central Highlands region said on Friday it is processing procedures to break ground on the Tan Phu-Bao Loc expressway project in September this year.

The 67km-long expressway will start from an intersection with the Dau Giay-Tan Phu expressway in neighboring Dong Nai Province and end in Lam Dongs Bao Loc City.

The project requires VND17.2 trillion (US$735 million) in investment. Of this, the state budget accounts for VND6.5 trillion ($277 million), while the remainder is covered by investors and other sources.

The route is slated for completion in June 2026.

A consortium of Deo Ca Group JSC, Hung Thinh Corporation, and Nam Mien Trung Group JSC will serve as the project investor, according to the Lam Dong administrations report sent to the prime minister.

The project will need some 455 hectares of cleared land, with a majority in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong.

The localities through which the expressway will pass already worked on site clearance issues and zoned resettlement areas for affected households.

It usually takes over 20 years for expressway project developers to recoup investment, while credit institutions set a loan term of 15 years, said the Peoples Committee of Lam Dong Province.

The provincial government, therefore, proposed the prime minister ask the State Bank of Vietnam to issue policies and mechanisms helping remove obstacles hindering investors from accessing bank loans.

Earlier, an interdisciplinary appraisal council said that the projects pre-feasibility study is eligible to be submitted to the prime minister for consideration and approval.

Pham S, vice-chairman of the Lam Dong Peoples Committee, said the provincial government will carry out procedures to send bidding invitations.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
TUNIS - At least 23 African migrants were missing and four died on Saturday after their two boats sank off Tunisia as they tried to cross the Mediterranean to Italy, a judicial official said, amidst a sharp rise in migrant boats from the North African country. The coast guard rescued 53 others off the southern city of Sfax, two of whom are in critical condition, Sfax court Judge Faouzi Masmoudi said. He added that four bodies were recovered. In recent weeks, dozens have gone missing and died in repeated drowning accidents off the Tunisian coast. Tunisia has taken over from Libya as a main departure point for people fleeing poverty and conflict in Africa and the Middle East in the hope of a better life in Europe. Crackdowns on human trafficking in Libya have made Tunisia a more accessible option. The National Guard said on Friday that more than 14,000 migrants, mostly from sub-Saharan Africa, were intercepted or rescued in the first three months of the year while trying to cross into Europe, five times more than figures recorded in the same period last year. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Friday that Europe risks seeing a huge wave of migrants arriving on its shores from North Africa if financial stability in Tunisia is not safeguarded. Meloni called on the IMF and other countries to help Tunisia quickly to avoid its collapse. Tunisian Foreign Minister Nabil Ammar said last week the country needed funding and equipment to better protect its borders. Tunisia had received equipment from Italy in the past years, but Ammar said it was outdated and not sufficient.

TUNIS - At least 23 African migrants were missing and four died on Saturday after their two boats sank off Tunisia as they tried to cross the Mediterranean to Italy, a judicial official said, amidst a sharp rise in migrant boats from the North African country.

The coast guard rescued 53 others off the southern city of Sfax, two of whom are in critical condition, Sfax court Judge Faouzi Masmoudi said.

He added that four bodies were recovered.

In recent weeks, dozens have gone missing and died in repeated drowning accidents off the Tunisian coast.

Tunisia has taken over from Libya as a main departure point for people fleeing poverty and conflict in Africa and the Middle East in the hope of a better life in Europe. Crackdowns on human trafficking in Libya have made Tunisia a more accessible option.

The National Guard said on Friday that more than 14,000 migrants, mostly from sub-Saharan Africa, were intercepted or rescued in the first three months of the year while trying to cross into Europe, five times more than figures recorded in the same period last year.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Friday that Europe risks seeing a huge wave of migrants arriving on its shores from North Africa if financial stability in Tunisia is not safeguarded.

Meloni called on the IMF and other countries to help Tunisia quickly to avoid its collapse.

Tunisian Foreign Minister Nabil Ammar said last week the country needed funding and equipment to better protect its borders. Tunisia had received equipment from Italy in the past years, but Ammar said it was outdated and not sufficient.
Thousands of households have relocated and resettled for the big-ticket Long Thanh International Airport project in Dong Nai Province, a neighbor of Ho Chi Minh City, but a few are standing firm. A video captured by a Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reporter on Saturday showed that in the middle of the construction site of the giant airport project appear some houses left. Among them, a few seem to fall into deep holes. Cloaked in dust from the construction site Along the two sides of a route to the construction site were thousands of vehicles, machines, and workers that were doing the leveling work. Two households are still living in Suoi Trau 1 Hamlet in Binh Son Commune. The area has land reclaimed to implement the airport project. Meanwhile, some residents moved out of their houses, but declined to hand over their land. Le Minh Quang, one of the two households left at the construction site, said that he is facing difficult living conditions due to dust from the site and degraded roads. Luckily, he is still provided with water and electricity. He goes out to get hired for a living every day, Quang said, adding that in the past, his family had two land lots with 600 square meters of residential land. The land lot attached to a house was registered under his wifes name. In 2021, he and his wife got divorced. Via the project, his ex-wife and children were compensated and resettled. Meanwhile, Quang, who has no house, is staying temporarily at his ex-wifes old house despite receiving compensation. He also wrote to the grassroots authorities asking for a resettlement slot as his land lot registered under his name was reclaimed. My marriage ended in divorce, but I have no houses. Therefore, I am still staying here pending the consideration from the authorities. I expect officials to promptly handle my request so that I can move out of the construction site, he said. Three other households which are not far from Quangs residence have yet to hand over their land to the local authorities. Their houses are surrounded by the leveled surface of the project and covered in the dust. A photo shows Ngo Quang Hanhs house that seems to lie in a hole at the Long Thanh International Airport project in Dong Nai Province, a neighbor of Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Tuoi Tre Striving to convince residents to move Explaining why some households have yet to move, Duong Ngoc Duc, vice-chairman of the Binh Son Commune Peoples Committee, said that commune- and district-level officials had repeatedly called on residents to leave and hand over their land to the authorities. We have given adequate explanation and replied to their complaints, but these households failed to follow regulations on compensation and resettlement that were approved by the province. They have demanded more compensation than the regulated levels, he said. Citing the cases of Le Van Thanh and Hoang Thi Thuy, whose houses are affected by the airport project, the representative of the Binh Son Commune Peoples Committee said that as per the provinces approved resettlement plan, all residents must draw for land replacements. Residents whose land lot covers an area of 250 square meters or more will draw for an equal or larger land piece. All, except Thanh and Thuy, have cooperated and followed the regulations. The two requested a land lot of 300 square meters. This does not match the approved plan. Officials have encouraged them to relocate from the construction site many times, and sent them five announcements for the draw. However, they refused to follow suit. The commune has reported the problem to the higher-level authorities to proceed with the site clearance, vice-chairman Duc affirmed. Speaking of the case of Le Minh Quang, who asked for a resettlement slot, Duc said that he and his wife divorced in May 2021 after the announcement on site reclamation had been issued in late December 2018. As such, their joint assets had previously been reviewed and calculated for compensation and resettlement. The commune explained that after handling the resettlement for all affected residents, officials would report his case to the province for consideration, but Quang disagreed and said that he would only relocate after drawing for a land lot. As for Do Thi Yen, as her family is listed as a poor household, while she has lived in the commune since 1975 and is a single mother, the commune decided to propose the province offer her a basic land lot at a resettlement area. Le Van Tiep, chairman of Long Thanh District, where Binh Son Commune is located, told Tuoi Tre that the Long Thanh Peoples Committee had repeatedly persuaded these residents to move out of the construction site, but the efforts were in vain. Officials will continue to encourage them to relocate and hand over their land. If they fail to cooperate, the district will take coercive measures. The Long Thanh International Airport project, some 40 kilometers from Ho Chi Minh City, will span an area of 5,000 hectares of land in Binh Son Commune, Long Thanh District upon completion. The airport, a key national project, carries a price tag of over VND336.6 trillion (US$14.4 billion) and has an annual capacity of 100 million passengers and five million tonnes of cargo. The first phase of the airport project, which can handle 25 million passengers and 1.2 million tonnes of cargo a year, is slated for completion in 2025. The airport project, which got off the ground in 2021, is expected to ease pressure on the overcrowded Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City. Electric devices are removed from a house at the Long Thanh International Airport project in Dong Nai Province, a neighbor of Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Tuoi Tre A house is empty and dirty. Photo: Tuoi Tre A power meter at a household is not used any more. Photo: Tuoi Tre A corner of a household that refused to move out of the construction site of the Long Thanh International Airport project in Dong Nai Province, a neighbor of Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Tuoi Tre Le Minh Quang sent a request to officials proposing offering him a resettlement land lot for his reclaimed lot that was registered under his name. Photo: Tuoi Tre Hoang Thi Thuy has her residential land lot with an area of 300 square meters reclaimed, so she is entitled to draw for a land lot covering an area of 250 square meters or more. However, Long Thanh District has sent her five announcements to make the draw and she failed to follow suit. Photo: Tuoi Tre Thousands of households have received compensation and built their houses at the Loc An - Binh Son resettlement area in Dong Nai Province, southern Vietnam. Photo: Tuoi Tre Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

Thousands of households have relocated and resettled for the big-ticket Long Thanh International Airport project in Dong Nai Province, a neighbor of Ho Chi Minh City, but a few are standing firm.

A video captured by a Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reporter on Saturday showed that in the middle of the construction site of the giant airport project appear some houses left.

Among them, a few seem to fall into deep holes.

Cloaked in dust from the construction site

Along the two sides of a route to the construction site were thousands of vehicles, machines, and workers that were doing the leveling work.

Two households are still living in Suoi Trau 1 Hamlet in Binh Son Commune. The area has land reclaimed to implement the airport project.

Meanwhile, some residents moved out of their houses, but declined to hand over their land.

Le Minh Quang, one of the two households left at the construction site, said that he is facing difficult living conditions due to dust from the site and degraded roads. Luckily, he is still provided with water and electricity.

He goes out to get hired for a living every day, Quang said, adding that in the past, his family had two land lots with 600 square meters of residential land.

The land lot attached to a house was registered under his wifes name. In 2021, he and his wife got divorced.

Via the project, his ex-wife and children were compensated and resettled.

Meanwhile, Quang, who has no house, is staying temporarily at his ex-wifes old house despite receiving compensation.

He also wrote to the grassroots authorities asking for a resettlement slot as his land lot registered under his name was reclaimed.

My marriage ended in divorce, but I have no houses. Therefore, I am still staying here pending the consideration from the authorities. I expect officials to promptly handle my request so that I can move out of the construction site, he said.

Three other households which are not far from Quangs residence have yet to hand over their land to the local authorities. Their houses are surrounded by the leveled surface of the project and covered in the dust.

A photo shows Ngo Quang Hanhs house that seems to lie in a hole at the Long Thanh International Airport project in Dong Nai Province, a neighbor of Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Striving to convince residents to move

Explaining why some households have yet to move, Duong Ngoc Duc, vice-chairman of the Binh Son Commune Peoples Committee, said that commune- and district-level officials had repeatedly called on residents to leave and hand over their land to the authorities.

We have given adequate explanation and replied to their complaints, but these households failed to follow regulations on compensation and resettlement that were approved by the province. They have demanded more compensation than the regulated levels, he said.

Citing the cases of Le Van Thanh and Hoang Thi Thuy, whose houses are affected by the airport project, the representative of the Binh Son Commune Peoples Committee said that as per the provinces approved resettlement plan, all residents must draw for land replacements.

Residents whose land lot covers an area of 250 square meters or more will draw for an equal or larger land piece.

All, except Thanh and Thuy, have cooperated and followed the regulations. The two requested a land lot of 300 square meters. This does not match the approved plan.

Officials have encouraged them to relocate from the construction site many times, and sent them five announcements for the draw. However, they refused to follow suit. The commune has reported the problem to the higher-level authorities to proceed with the site clearance, vice-chairman Duc affirmed.

Speaking of the case of Le Minh Quang, who asked for a resettlement slot, Duc said that he and his wife divorced in May 2021 after the announcement on site reclamation had been issued in late December 2018. As such, their joint assets had previously been reviewed and calculated for compensation and resettlement.

The commune explained that after handling the resettlement for all affected residents, officials would report his case to the province for consideration, but Quang disagreed and said that he would only relocate after drawing for a land lot.

As for Do Thi Yen, as her family is listed as a poor household, while she has lived in the commune since 1975 and is a single mother, the commune decided to propose the province offer her a basic land lot at a resettlement area.

Le Van Tiep, chairman of Long Thanh District, where Binh Son Commune is located, told Tuoi Tre that the Long Thanh Peoples Committee had repeatedly persuaded these residents to move out of the construction site, but the efforts were in vain.

Officials will continue to encourage them to relocate and hand over their land. If they fail to cooperate, the district will take coercive measures.

The Long Thanh International Airport project, some 40 kilometers from Ho Chi Minh City, will span an area of 5,000 hectares of land in Binh Son Commune, Long Thanh District upon completion.

The airport, a key national project, carries a price tag of over VND336.6 trillion (US$14.4 billion) and has an annual capacity of 100 million passengers and five million tonnes of cargo.

The first phase of the airport project, which can handle 25 million passengers and 1.2 million tonnes of cargo a year, is slated for completion in 2025.

The airport project, which got off the ground in 2021, is expected to ease pressure on the overcrowded Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City.

Electric devices are removed from a house at the Long Thanh International Airport project in Dong Nai Province, a neighbor of Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Tuoi Tre

A house is empty and dirty. Photo: Tuoi Tre

A power meter at a household is not used any more. Photo: Tuoi Tre

A corner of a household that refused to move out of the construction site of the Long Thanh International Airport project in Dong Nai Province, a neighbor of Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Le Minh Quang sent a request to officials proposing offering him a resettlement land lot for his reclaimed lot that was registered under his name. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Hoang Thi Thuy has her residential land lot with an area of 300 square meters reclaimed, so she is entitled to draw for a land lot covering an area of 250 square meters or more. However, Long Thanh District has sent her five announcements to make the draw and she failed to follow suit. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Thousands of households have received compensation and built their houses at the Loc An - Binh Son resettlement area in Dong Nai Province, southern Vietnam. Photo: Tuoi Tre

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What you need to know today in Vietnam: Politics -- Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue received a delegation of the U.S. Congress led by Senator Jeff Merkley in Hanoi on Saturday, the Vietnam News Agency reported. Society -- Police in Quang Nam Province, central Vietnam conducted administrative inspections at nine branches of the F88 pawnshop on Saturday to assess their compliance with laws on business operations. -- The investor of the Long Kieng Bridge project in Nha Be District, Ho Chi Minh City on Saturday promised to put the project into use on the occasion of Vietnam's National Day on September 2 this year after nearly 23 years of construction. -- A tractor-trailer turned over and knocked over a power pole on the approach road of the Cam Lo-La Son Expressway in Quang Tri Province in north-central Vietnam on Saturday, causing a power outage for over 2,000 households in the area. -- A cleaner of a company in Binh Chanh District, Ho Chi Minh City was arrested on Saturday for stealing assets worth VND3.5 billion (US$149,272) from the companys director, who is from Hong Kong. Business -- Vietnam is among the four Asian countries that have led an increase in semiconductor chip exports to the U.S. market this year. The country has accounted for over 10 percent of U.S. semiconductor chip imports for seven consecutive months. Lifestyle -- Saigon Railway JSC launched a safe, clean, green, and eco-friendly railway corridor model on Saturday, planting flowers at stations and along railways. -- The Vietnam Festival in Japan, themed 'Hope,' opened at Ikebukuro Park in Tokyo on Saturday, initiating a series of activities of Vietnamese people in Japan on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the two countries diplomatic ties. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

What you need to know today in Vietnam:

Politics

-- Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue received a delegation of the U.S. Congress led by Senator Jeff Merkley in Hanoi on Saturday, the Vietnam News Agency reported.

Society

-- Police in Quang Nam Province, central Vietnam conducted administrative inspections at nine branches of the F88 pawnshop on Saturday to assess their compliance with laws on business operations.

-- The investor of the Long Kieng Bridge project in Nha Be District, Ho Chi Minh City on Saturday promised to put the project into use on the occasion of Vietnam's National Day on September 2 this year after nearly 23 years of construction.

-- A tractor-trailer turned over and knocked over a power pole on the approach road of the Cam Lo-La Son Expressway in Quang Tri Province in north-central Vietnam on Saturday, causing a power outage for over 2,000 households in the area.

-- A cleaner of a company in Binh Chanh District, Ho Chi Minh City was arrested on Saturday for stealing assets worth VND3.5 billion (US$149,272) from the companys director, who is from Hong Kong.

Business

-- Vietnam is among the four Asian countries that have led an increase in semiconductor chip exports to the U.S. market this year. The country has accounted for over 10 percent of U.S. semiconductor chip imports for seven consecutive months.

Lifestyle

-- Saigon Railway JSC launched a safe, clean, green, and eco-friendly railway corridor model on Saturday, planting flowers at stations and along railways.

-- The Vietnam Festival in Japan, themed 'Hope,' opened at Ikebukuro Park in Tokyo on Saturday, initiating a series of activities of Vietnamese people in Japan on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the two countries diplomatic ties.

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The investor of the Long Kieng Bridge project in Nha Be District, Ho Chi Minh City on Saturday promised to put the project into use on the occasion of Vietnam's National Day on September 2 this year after nearly 23 years of construction. The promise was made during vice-chairman of the Peoples Committee of Ho Chi Minh City Bui Xuan Cuong's inspection of some incomplete projects in the city, including the Long Kieng Bridge. The city in 2001 approved the project whose investor is the Transportation Works Construction Investment Project Management Authority of Ho Chi Minh City. The 318-meter-long bridge project with two approach roads measuring 661 meters in length requires an estimated investment of VND589 billion (US$25.1 million). Until 2007, only some households had handed over their land for the project. Work on it did not start until August 2018 and the bridge was expected to be completed at the end of November 2019. However, site clearance bottlenecks slowed down the progress. The Peoples Committee of Nha Be District handed over the entire cleared site for the project in September last year. After six months, the project is now 70 percent complete. Ho Chi Minh City vice-chairman Cuong required the bridge to be completed on June 30 and the approach roads on July 30 at the latest. Other facilities can be completed later. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

The investor of the Long Kieng Bridge project in Nha Be District, Ho Chi Minh City on Saturday promised to put the project into use on the occasion of Vietnam's National Day on September 2 this year after nearly 23 years of construction.

The promise was made during vice-chairman of the Peoples Committee of Ho Chi Minh City Bui Xuan Cuong's inspection of some incomplete projects in the city, including the Long Kieng Bridge.

The city in 2001 approved the project whose investor is the Transportation Works Construction Investment Project Management Authority of Ho Chi Minh City.

The 318-meter-long bridge project with two approach roads measuring 661 meters in length requires an estimated investment of VND589 billion (US$25.1 million).

Until 2007, only some households had handed over their land for the project.

Work on it did not start until August 2018 and the bridge was expected to be completed at the end of November 2019.

However, site clearance bottlenecks slowed down the progress.

The Peoples Committee of Nha Be District handed over the entire cleared site for the project in September last year.

After six months, the project is now 70 percent complete.

Ho Chi Minh City vice-chairman Cuong required the bridge to be completed on June 30 and the approach roads on July 30 at the latest.

Other facilities can be completed later.

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A cleaner of a company in Binh Chanh District, Ho Chi Minh City was arrested on Saturday for allegedly stealing assets worth VND3.5 billion (US$149,272) from the companys director, who is from Hong Kong. The Ho Chi Minh City criminal police joined hands with police officers in Binh Chanh District to apprehend Vo Thi Ngoc Quyen, a 47-year-old resident in District 7 and a cleaner of the company headquartered in the Him Lam Residential Area in Binh Chanh. There was a small safe in an unlocked wooden cabinet in the directors room, Quyen declared. Believing that the safe contained valuable assets, Quyen hatched a plot to steal the safe after her boss said he would go on a business trip. She later bought a hack-sawing machine and brought it to the company. She used the hack-sawing machine to saw the bottom of the cabinet and took the safe to her residence in District 7 on Wednesday. She later returned to the company and worked normally. Quyen purchased a new SIM card at 3:00 pm on the same day to learn about the safe on the Internet before calling a locksmith who opened the safe on Thursday. The assets stolen by Vo Thi Ngoc Quyen, a 47-year-old resident in District 7, Ho Chi Minh City, and a cleaner of a company headquartered in the Him Lam Residential Area in Binh Chanh. Photo: Supplied The safe contained a Rolex watch, a Geneve watch, four golden rings, a golden necklace, four gemstones, and two yellow metal pieces from a watchband. She later got rid of the hack-sawing machine and the SIM card prior to deleting her call and search history on her mobile phone. Quyen sold the necklace at Hoa Binh Market in District 5 for VND30 million ($1,279) at 2:00 pm on the same day and used VND20 million ($852) to pay debts. The company reported the theft to police on Friday. Police officers later launched an investigation into the case and determined Quyen as the suspect. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

A cleaner of a company in Binh Chanh District, Ho Chi Minh City was arrested on Saturday for allegedly stealing assets worth VND3.5 billion (US$149,272) from the companys director, who is from Hong Kong.

The Ho Chi Minh City criminal police joined hands with police officers in Binh Chanh District to apprehend Vo Thi Ngoc Quyen, a 47-year-old resident in District 7 and a cleaner of the company headquartered in the Him Lam Residential Area in Binh Chanh.

There was a small safe in an unlocked wooden cabinet in the directors room, Quyen declared.

Believing that the safe contained valuable assets, Quyen hatched a plot to steal the safe after her boss said he would go on a business trip.

She later bought a hack-sawing machine and brought it to the company.

She used the hack-sawing machine to saw the bottom of the cabinet and took the safe to her residence in District 7 on Wednesday. She later returned to the company and worked normally.

Quyen purchased a new SIM card at 3:00 pm on the same day to learn about the safe on the Internet before calling a locksmith who opened the safe on Thursday.

The assets stolen by Vo Thi Ngoc Quyen, a 47-year-old resident in District 7, Ho Chi Minh City, and a cleaner of a company headquartered in the Him Lam Residential Area in Binh Chanh. Photo: Supplied

The safe contained a Rolex watch, a Geneve watch, four golden rings, a golden necklace, four gemstones, and two yellow metal pieces from a watchband.

She later got rid of the hack-sawing machine and the SIM card prior to deleting her call and search history on her mobile phone.

Quyen sold the necklace at Hoa Binh Market in District 5 for VND30 million ($1,279) at 2:00 pm on the same day and used VND20 million ($852) to pay debts.

The company reported the theft to police on Friday.

Police officers later launched an investigation into the case and determined Quyen as the suspect.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Pope Francis arrives in a wheelchair in St. Peter's Square at The Vatican where he will celebrate the Easter Sunday mass, Sunday. AP-Yonhap





In an Easter message highlighting hope, Pope Francis on Sunday invoked prayers for both the Ukrainian and Russian people, praised nations which welcome refugees and called on Israelis and Palestinians wracked by the latest surge in deadly violence to forge a "climate of trust."







Francis, along with dozens of prelates and tens of thousands of faithful, celebrated Easter Mass in a flower-adorned St. Peter's Square, affirming the Christian belief that Jesus rose from the dead days after his crucifixion.







The 86-year-old pontiff topped the celebration with a traditional speech about troubled places in the world. Encouraging "trust among individuals, peoples and nations," Francis said Easter's joy "illumines the darkness and gloom in which, all too often, our world finds itself enveloped."







The pope's Easter message is known by its Latin name, "Urbi et Orbi," which means "to the city and the world."







Since Russia invaded neighboring Ukraine in February 2022, Francis has repeatedly called for the fighting to end and sought prayers for the "martyred" Ukrainian people.







Ukrainian diplomats have complained that he hasn't come down hard enough in his statements on Russia and particularly Russian President Vladimir Putin as the Vatican tries to avoid alienating Moscow.







"Help the beloved Ukrainian people on their journey towards peace, and shed the light of Easter upon the people of Russia,'' Francis implored God in his Easter speech, which he delivered while sitting in a chair on the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica facing the square. "Comfort the wounded and all those who have lost loved ones because of the war, and grant that prisoners may return safe and sound to their families."







He urged the international community to work to end the war in Ukraine and "all conflict and bloodshed in the world, beginning with Syria, which still awaits peace."







Francis also prayed for those who lost loved ones in an earthquake that struck Syria and Turkey two months ago, claiming tens of thousands of lives.







With a renewal in deadly violence affecting both Israelis and Palestinians in recent days, Francis called for a "resumption of dialogue, in a climate of trust and reciprocal respect, between Israelis and Palestinians, so that peace may reign in the Holy City and in the entire region,'' a reference to Jerusalem.







But Francis also noted progress on some fronts.







"Let us rejoice at the concrete signs of hope that reach us from so many countries, beginning with those that offers assistance and welcome to all fleeing war and poverty," he said, without naming any particular nations.







How to care for asylum-seekers, migrants and refugees, and whether to allow them entrance, is a raging political and social debate in much of Europe, as well in the United States and elsewhere.







Francis also prayed that national leaders "ensure that no man or woman may encounter discrimination" and that there would be "full respect for human rights and democracy."







With migrants risking their lives in smugglers' unseaworthy boats in hopes of reaching Europe, the pope lamented that Tunisia's people, particularly the young, struggle with social and economic hardship.







In the last two weeks, dozens have died or were left missing after attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea from Tunisia.







The pope included Lebanon and two African countries he visited this year  South Sudan and Congo  among the nations in need of ending divisions and building reconciliation.







Speaking about Haiti, he appealed to "political actors and the international community to seek a definitive solution to the many problems that afflict that sorely tried people."







The bloody conflicts cited by Francis contrasted with a riot of bright colors lent by orange-red tulips, yellow sprays of forsythia and daffodils, hyacinths and other colorful seasonal flowers that decorated St. Peter's Square. The blooms were trucked in trucks from the Netherlands.







By the end of the pope's appearance, some 100,000 people had flocked to the square in time for the pontiff's speech, according to the Vatican's crowd count.







A canopy on the edge of steps on the square sheltered the pontiff, who was back in the public eye for the Mass 12 hours after a 2.25-hour long Easter vigil ceremony in St. Peter's Basilica the night before.







Francis was hospitalized March 29-April 1 for treatment of bronchitis. Still recovering, he skipped the traditional Good Friday procession at Rome's Colosseum due to unseasonably cold nighttime temperatures.







Near the end of the more than two-hour-long Easter Sunday appearance, Francis seemed to run out of steam. His voice grew hoarse and he interrupted his speech at one point to cough.







He nonetheless made several laps through the square in the popemobile after the Mass, waving and smiling at cheering well-wishers. (AP)


Officials are getting into a fight against a huge volume of styrofoam waste floating on the waters off Ha Long Bay, a famously beautiful tourist site in Quang Ninh Province, northern Vietnam. Styrofoam is a kind of light soft plastic used to make buoys, containers, and boxes. Many pieces of styrofoam buoys have been scattered in the waters of Ha Long Bay, disappointing visitors, so local authorities must initiate a crusade to collect the waste. The Ha Long Bay management board said that most of the floating styrofoam waste came from seafood farming households. They dumped used styrofoam buoys in the waters after removing or relocating fish cages. Boats and barges were also mobilized to the styrofoam collection campaign in Ha Long Bay, Quang Ninh Province, northern Vietnam. Photo: Hoang Quynh / Tuoi Tre It is very hard to discover and penalize the illegal waste disposal, said the board. The huge amount of styrofoam waste has seriously ruined the natural beauty of bay and disrupted waterway traffic there. The bay was recognized by UNESCO as a World Natural Heritage Site twice in 1994 and 2000. To address the pollution, the Ha Long Bay management board mobilized 25 boats and barges along with 100 workers to fish out the trash. Bulky styrofoam buoys made it tough for cleanups in Ha Long Bay, Quang Ninh Province, northern Vietnam. Photo: Hoang Quynh / Tuoi Tre Nguyen Ba Can, deputy director of the conservation center No. 2, a unit of the management board, said that the center already called on its employees, Green Tree Park Company, and owners of vessels and boats in the bay to collect styrofoam waste, but the work has yet to finish due to a massive amount of the garbage. The boats have been transporting the waste nonstop to the shore, Can said. Tons of styrofoam waste was collected each day. It took much time and money spent on the cleanup owing to the bulky styrofoam buoys. Tons of styrofoam buoys are collected and transported to the shore in Ha Long City, Quang Ninh Province, northern Vietnam each day. Photo: Hoang Quynh / Tuoi Tre Extensive styrofoam collection campaign The Ha Long City Peoples Committee launched an extensive styrofoam collection campaign on Saturday, with the participation of police officers, soldiers, young volunteers, locals, and representatives of enterprises. On the day, eight boats, 20 barges, and dozens of people joined the crusade to remove trash stretching from Dam Bac Islet to the area of Ho Dong Tien Cave, Luot Mountain, Chan Voi, and Tung Lam. Huge amounts of floating styrofoam waste have disappointed tourists to Ha Long Bay in Quang Ninh Province, northern Vietnam. Photo: Hoang Quynh / Tuoi Tre Nguyen Tuan Minh, vice-chairman of Ha Long City, said that the city had asked seafood farming households to proactively clean the waters of the bay after they removed and relocated fish cages. After the cleanup program, the city will roll out a long-term maritime environmental protection campaign, starting from April 21. We expect the campaign to raise awareness of environmental protection among fish farmers, Minh said. Apart from the cleanup, the city ordered officials to remove illegal fish cages in the bay prior to April 15. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

Officials are getting into a fight against a huge volume of styrofoam waste floating on the waters off Ha Long Bay, a famously beautiful tourist site in Quang Ninh Province, northern Vietnam.

Styrofoam is a kind of light soft plastic used to make buoys, containers, and boxes.

Many pieces of styrofoam buoys have been scattered in the waters of Ha Long Bay, disappointing visitors, so local authorities must initiate a crusade to collect the waste.

The Ha Long Bay management board said that most of the floating styrofoam waste came from seafood farming households. They dumped used styrofoam buoys in the waters after removing or relocating fish cages.

Boats and barges were also mobilized to the styrofoam collection campaign in Ha Long Bay, Quang Ninh Province, northern Vietnam. Photo: Hoang Quynh / Tuoi Tre

It is very hard to discover and penalize the illegal waste disposal, said the board.

The huge amount of styrofoam waste has seriously ruined the natural beauty of bay and disrupted waterway traffic there.

The bay was recognized by UNESCO as a World Natural Heritage Site twice in 1994 and 2000.

To address the pollution, the Ha Long Bay management board mobilized 25 boats and barges along with 100 workers to fish out the trash.

Bulky styrofoam buoys made it tough for cleanups in Ha Long Bay, Quang Ninh Province, northern Vietnam. Photo: Hoang Quynh / Tuoi Tre

Nguyen Ba Can, deputy director of the conservation center No. 2, a unit of the management board, said that the center already called on its employees, Green Tree Park Company, and owners of vessels and boats in the bay to collect styrofoam waste, but the work has yet to finish due to a massive amount of the garbage.

The boats have been transporting the waste nonstop to the shore, Can said.

Tons of styrofoam waste was collected each day.

It took much time and money spent on the cleanup owing to the bulky styrofoam buoys.

Tons of styrofoam buoys are collected and transported to the shore in Ha Long City, Quang Ninh Province, northern Vietnam each day. Photo: Hoang Quynh / Tuoi Tre

Extensive styrofoam collection campaign

The Ha Long City Peoples Committee launched an extensive styrofoam collection campaign on Saturday, with the participation of police officers, soldiers, young volunteers, locals, and representatives of enterprises.

On the day, eight boats, 20 barges, and dozens of people joined the crusade to remove trash stretching from Dam Bac Islet to the area of Ho Dong Tien Cave, Luot Mountain, Chan Voi, and Tung Lam.

Huge amounts of floating styrofoam waste have disappointed tourists to Ha Long Bay in Quang Ninh Province, northern Vietnam. Photo: Hoang Quynh / Tuoi Tre

Nguyen Tuan Minh, vice-chairman of Ha Long City, said that the city had asked seafood farming households to proactively clean the waters of the bay after they removed and relocated fish cages.

After the cleanup program, the city will roll out a long-term maritime environmental protection campaign, starting from April 21.

We expect the campaign to raise awareness of environmental protection among fish farmers, Minh said.

Apart from the cleanup, the city ordered officials to remove illegal fish cages in the bay prior to April 15.

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The Dong Thap Peoples Committee in southern Vietnam signed a cooperation agreement with the International Crane Foundation and the Vietnam Zoos Association on Saturday to revive red-crowned crane flocks at the Tram Chim National Park in the Mekong Delta province. The Tram Chim National Park in Dong Thap Province has been one of the destinations for red-crowned cranes, an endangered bird species listed in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)s Red List of Threatened Species, to forage for food over the past more than three decades. However, the number of red-crowned cranes descending on the park is seen declining every year. In 2021, a mere three cranes returned to the park, while no cranes perched at the provinces park last year. Under the deal, the Dong Thap Peoples Committee will manage and finance the crane recovery program at the Tram Chim National Park. Meanwhile, the International Crane Foundation and the Vietnam Zoos Association will provide consultation services and offer training courses to crane keepers. The Zoological Park Organization of Thailand will provide the Tram Chim National Park with red-crowned baby cranes each year, apart from training employees at the park to take care of cranes and recover the habitat of the red-crowned cranes. During the five-year life of the agreement, experts will help Dong Thap Province implement a red-crowned crane recovery program. Nguyen Phuoc Thien, vice-chairman of the provincial Peoples Committee, said that the provinces tourism development plan factors in the crane recovery program, moving toward restoring the ecosystem at the Tram Chim National Park. A census taken in Cambodia and Vietnam in 2022 showed that the number of red-crowned cranes fell to fewer than 160. The Zoological Park Organization of Thailand has successfully raised and released over 150 red-crowned cranes into nature over the past four years. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

The Dong Thap Peoples Committee in southern Vietnam signed a cooperation agreement with the International Crane Foundation and the Vietnam Zoos Association on Saturday to revive red-crowned crane flocks at the Tram Chim National Park in the Mekong Delta province.

The Tram Chim National Park in Dong Thap Province has been one of the destinations for red-crowned cranes, an endangered bird species listed in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)s Red List of Threatened Species, to forage for food over the past more than three decades.

However, the number of red-crowned cranes descending on the park is seen declining every year.

In 2021, a mere three cranes returned to the park, while no cranes perched at the provinces park last year.

Under the deal, the Dong Thap Peoples Committee will manage and finance the crane recovery program at the Tram Chim National Park.

Meanwhile, the International Crane Foundation and the Vietnam Zoos Association will provide consultation services and offer training courses to crane keepers.

The Zoological Park Organization of Thailand will provide the Tram Chim National Park with red-crowned baby cranes each year, apart from training employees at the park to take care of cranes and recover the habitat of the red-crowned cranes.

During the five-year life of the agreement, experts will help Dong Thap Province implement a red-crowned crane recovery program.

Nguyen Phuoc Thien, vice-chairman of the provincial Peoples Committee, said that the provinces tourism development plan factors in the crane recovery program, moving toward restoring the ecosystem at the Tram Chim National Park.

A census taken in Cambodia and Vietnam in 2022 showed that the number of red-crowned cranes fell to fewer than 160.

The Zoological Park Organization of Thailand has successfully raised and released over 150 red-crowned cranes into nature over the past four years.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Since joining Farmer Wants a Wife on Seven, Sam Armytage admits there are two things she keeps getting asked every year.

The first is from women wanting her to play matchmaker.

So many women come up to me, of all ages, and will grab my arm in the supermarket and say, Could you please find me a farmer?' she explains.

Its a real thing. Particularly post-Covid, a lot of people want to move out to the regions. Theres the romance of falling in love with a man who tends to the land. Its a real thing. So creating a show around that is a no-brainer. And its had so much success over the years, so I was actually quite thrilled to be part of it.

The second is around the shows cookie-cutter cast or, to put it more bluntly, a lack of diversity. Producers maintain it is the Farmers who choose the women to appear, although casting necessarily begins with the Farmers themselves (last season included a female farmer).

Armytage acknowledges there is room for improvement, but hurdles to overcome.

That does come up every year. We know it, we see it, obviously, and the thing is were completely open to it. I get asked every year, Why isnt there a gay farmer on there? Good question. If you know any, and they want to be on TV, let us know, we would love that! she reveals.

Theres certain areas along the east coast with macadamia farmers, or Griffiths has different nationalities whove moved to Australia and started farming. I think the producers would love to have more diversity on the show. But the trick is getting them to agree to appear on television. Its not just about finding a farmer, its finding a farmer whos willing to go on television, which is a big thing to do.

I mean, I take my hat off to them. Its huge to do this on camera. So look, were unbelievably open to having more diversity on the show. But its just tricky. I mean, we put the call out all the time: If youre interested and you want to do it, wed love to have you! But so far no one has agreed to be on.

Big Brothers Farmer Dave Graham came out on national television in 2006, leaving big shows to fill.

Farmer Dave is the first bloke that you think and it shouldnt be like that. Theyre out there somewhere. Weve just got to get them to agree to come on television, says Armytage.

This season has the unusual boast of all 5 farmers finding romance by seasons end. While it isnt clear how many partnerships have endured since filming ended, its still a first feat across the 13 seasons which have screened across Australian television.

Armytage maintains the shows enduring popularity is due to the shows authenticity compared to other dating shows.

When I think of the reality dating shows on television these days its a very genuine show. The word wholesome keeps coming up around it, which you dont hear in TV that often these days, she continues.

The farmers are genuinely there to find partners and theyre all good blokes, and I enjoyed meeting them all.

Were very proud about our agricultural industry in this country as we should be. So I think people really like farmers to do well. Theyre the heroes of our story.

That said, there is still TV conflict to be found.

Love in the real world has drama. Theres ups and downs, so you have that in the show, over the 15 weeks (of production), but I guess thats what reality shows do. she suggests.

(Executive Producer) Janine Cooper is fantastic. She comes from The Bachelor so you can see how some of the themes and ideas do overlap. But I think they do try to keep Farmer very separate. They lean away from from some of the more dramatic dating shows, where perhaps peoples hearts arent in it for the right reasons.

This season Armytage also takes on the central hosting role with Natalie Gruzlewski reportedly wanting to step back from production.

Having made her own tree-change, after marrying horse breeder Richard Lavender in 2020, Armytage says the show was a TV marriage itself.

When I left Sunrise, Kerry Stokes called me and said, This is not the end, this is just sort of goodbye for now. Well see you soon, which was very decent of him. They called me a few months down the track after Id done a little bit of horse racing for them, which was great fun working with Bruce (McAvaney) and the team, she recalls.

Farmer is very on brand for me, I can see where theyre coming from. I used to stick up for the regions all the time on Sunrise. I think country people love that because theres not that many people in the big smoke on television, you know, sticking up for them. So it was a perfect fit.

This season Armytage and husband Richard were even able lend a hand when weather conditions impacted some of the locations.

We still shoot around the Hunter Valley, although the weather the time was just atrocious. Weve been battling La Nina. Some it we actually had to shoot at our place down near Bowra because we just couldnt get it was done in the Hunter. The Southern Highlands is not known for having good weather, but we had to shoot some bits in our paddocks, with our horses in the background, she adds,

Im sort of glad I could offer!

Farmer Wants a Wife airs 7:pm Monday, 7:30pm Tuesday, Wednesday on Seven.
Westminster Magistrates' Court (Image: Google Street View)

A BRADFORD woman is to be kicked out of the UK for an offence in her home country.

Giovanna Rafaelova, 41, of Falcon Street, in Little Horton appeared before Westminster Magistrates' Court on Wednesday.

She was sent to jail to await extradition to Slovakia and was not granted bail because she was "likely to abscond" and due to the "nature and seriousness of the offence", according to court records.

The 41-year-old was brought before the courts because she failed to surrender to its custody, police, a designated custom official, or other appropriate person, as ordered on March 17 this year when Rafaelova's extradition was confirmed.

A certificate for Rafaelova to be sent back to Slovakia - where she is a national - was issued under Section 2 of the Extradition Act 2003.

This related to a theft or forcible entry in the country.

Rafaelova first appeared before Westminster Magistrates Court on March 6 this year.

The case was adjourned until March 13 and Rafaelova was remanded on bail with a number of conditions.

This included: not entering any international travel hub; police retaining her ID card; her mobile phone to be kept switched on, fully charged and on her person, answering all texts and calls, and to reply within two hours in relation to the proceedings if there were any missed calls.

Rafaelova was also required to live and sleep each night at her home in Bradford and was forbidden from applying for international travel documents, or be in possession of any.

The reason for these conditions was to ensure her appearance at the next case date, according to court records.

The hearing on March 13 was also adjourned - to four days later (March 17) - so medical evidence could be provided, with Rafaelova remanded on bail again, under the same conditions.

Rafaelova did not turn up to that next hearing and the magistrate decide they were "satisfied that the offence specified in the part 1 warrant are extradition offences", according to court records.

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The records said: "The person is unlawfully at large."

A warrant was issued for Rafaelova' arrest, as she did not appear in answer to bail.

She was then brought before the court on April 4.
With the trial of John Carter, whos been charged in the cold case murder of his fiancee, Katelyn Markham, scheduled to begin in the summer of 2024, the victims father said he hoped a conviction would close a dark chapter in his life.

That has been a huge and very hard time of my life for 12 years," David Markham told ABC News. "The relief that I think I am going to feel will be so welcomed and grateful."

Carter, who is now 35, reported Katelyns disappearance to police in Ohio in 2011. Her remains were found in rural Indiana two years later. Carter's trial is expected to begin next summer, with an opening date scheduled for June 24, 2024.

MORE: Fiance arrested in womans cold case murder

In an interview days after her disappearance, Carter told ABC Cincinnati affiliate WCPO he hoped to see Katelyn again.

Im terrified, Im absolutely terrified, he said at the time. I just want to find Katelyn and celebrate her birthday with her.

Butler County Prosecutor Michael Gmoser included in court documents a typed poem that his office said was found in Carters home.

PHOTO: John Allen Carter was arrested on March 22, 2023, in connection with the 2011 death of his then-fiancee Katelyn Markham, in Ohio. (Butler County Sheriff's Office)

Deep down I love her. You want to kill her, it said in part. But I love her. She must die. I cant kill her. Yes you can. No. Yes.

Gmoser and his team took over the cold case two years ago and said they were able to gather enough information through interviews and documents to lead to Carters arrest.

Markham said he was blindsided when notified by the prosecution that Carters arrest was imminent.

I had no indication that they were going to arrest him, Markham said.

A few minutes later, he found out Carter was in police custody, he said. His phone started buzzing with messages from reporters, friends and family, he said.

It took me a few hours to kind of let it sink in, Markham said. The biggest feeling was relief and it's about time."

Carter's defense attorney, Chris Pagan, did not respond to ABC News' request to comment.

MORE: Sweet potato helps solve cold case murder

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Carter posted a $1 million bond, but was still being held in Butler County Jail as of Friday, according to the Sheriffs office.

He is expected to wear a GPS monitor as he awaits his trial under Honorary Judge Daniel E. Haughey, according to Butler County Clerk online records.

A support rally for Katelyn was held at Creekside Park in Fairfield on Saturday with family and friends attending as they continue to honor her and hope for closure in this cold case.

Trial date set for John Carter, suspect in fiancee Katelyn Markham's cold case murder originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
The chairman of the House Select Committee on China said Saturday the US must take seriously the threat posed to Taiwan, as Beijing launched military drills around the island in the aftermath of the Taiwanese president's meetings with American lawmakers.

Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., who attended the meeting with President Tsai Ing-wen in California last week, told The Associated Press that he plans to lead his committee in working to shore up the island government's defenses, encouraging Congress to expedite military aid to Taiwan.

I think it all just points to what is obvious, Gallagher told the AP, arguing that Chinese President Xi Jinping is intent on reunifying Taiwan with the mainland.

"We need to be moving heaven and earth to enhance our deterrence and denial posture so that Xi Jinping concludes that he just cant do it," Gallagher said.

China conducted drills with warships and dozens of fighter jets around Taiwan on Saturday, the Taiwanese government said, in what was viewed as retaliation for the meeting between the U.S. lawmakers and the president of the self-ruled island democracy claimed by Beijing as part of its territory.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy hosted Tsai in a bipartisan session at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, with more than a dozen members of the US House for what was the most sensitive stop during her transit through the US.

Chinas response to Tsais transit through the US has not, so far, been as intense as its reaction last year after then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan.

While both McCarthy and Tsai spoke in measured remarks after the meeting about maintaining the status quo between their countries, which have no formal diplomatic ties, the daylong meeting enraged China.

The Chinese military announced the start of three-day combat readiness patrols as a warning to Taiwanese who want to make the islands de facto independence permanent.

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In this photo released by the Taiwan Presidential Office, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas, left, and Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen, centre, - AP/AP

Taiwan split with China in 1949 after a civil war, and the United States broke off official ties with Taiwan in 1979 while formally establishing diplomatic relations with the Beijing government.

The U.S. acknowledges a one China policy in which Beijing lays claim to Taiwan, but it does not endorse Chinas claim to the island and remains Taiwans key provider of military and defense assistance.
HA NOI  Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien and Minister of State for Foreign Trade Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have signed a Ministerial Declaration on starting negotiations on a comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA) between the two nations right after Viet Nam completed its procedures.

The signing took place after a meeting between Dien and Al Zeyoudi during the Vietnamese minister's working visit to the UAE last week.

During the meeting, the Vietnamese official said the two countries can start their negotiations on CEPA after the draft terms of reference (TOR) of the agreement is agreed and approved by authorised agencies.

Dien spoke highly of opportunities that the CEPA can bring for both countries, in the context of Viet Nam having become a manufacturing hub for many important commodities in the region and the world, while the UAE has many strengths as a transshipment port and financial and logistics centre. The combination of strengths of the two sides will create a momentum for growth in their trade and investment ties in the coming time, he said.

The minister affirmed that the UAE is Viet Nam's largest trading partner in the Middle East - North Africa regions, noting that ample room remains for the two countries to tap the potential of their economies that have complementary strengths.

He suggested the two countries strengthen the exchange of all-level delegations and business delegations to explore cooperation opportunities, especially in the field of trade and investment.

Dien also proposed management agencies of Viet Nam and the UAE study and promote the establishment of a cooperation mechanism for Halal certification to facilitate the trade in agricultural products between the two countries.

Agreeing with the proposals of the Vietnamese official, Al Zeyoudi said his country wishes to expand economic cooperation with Viet Nam and always considers Viet Nam its important economic partner.

The UAE's leaders have also given instructions on starting negotiations on the CEPA as soon as Viet Nam completes procedures, he noted, adding not only the Ministry of Foreign Trade, but many ministries and sectors in charge of fields such as energy, industry, and logistics services of the UAE have all backed the negotiation, signing and implementation of the CEPA.

Also during the visit, Minister Dien held a meeting with the UAE's Minister of Energy and Infrastructure Suhail bin Mohammed Al Mazrouei.

Dien informed his host on Viet Nam's wish to cooperate more closely with the UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure in not only traditional energy, but also new and renewable energy development.

He proposed that the two sides sign a new MoU on energy cooperation, adding that Viet Nam will create favourable conditions for UAE partners to cooperate with Viet Nam in oil and gas exploitation. He suggested considering the possibility of investing in building a centre for transshipment and storage of crude oil and petrochemical products in Viet Nam to provide for the Asian region.

Dien also asked the UAE side to study investment opportunities in power transmission infrastructure in Viet Nam and support Viet Nam in training human resources in this field.

Agreeing with Diens proposals, Al Mazrouei stressed that there is great potential for the two countries to step up their cooperation.

The UAE has been researching, negotiating and signing many FTAs with important partners like Viet Nam, he said, adding that the UAE government hopes the two countries can sign an FTA this year.

The UAE wants to partner with Viet Nam in the fields of power transmission, power generation, food security, healthcare, infrastructure, construction, and port management, the official said.  VNS
HA NOI  Viet Nam always considers the US one of its top important partners, National Assembly Chairman Vuong inh Hue told a delegation of members of the US Congress led by Senator Jeff Merkley during a reception in Ha Noi on Saturday.

NA Chairman Hue stressed that Viet Nam wishes to develop a stable and long-term strategic partnership with the US in a substantive, trustworthy and extensive manner to set aside the past and look toward the future while respecting independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and the political regime of each other.

He spoke highly of the USs consistent message of supporting a strong, independent and prosperous Viet Nam.

The US Congress members hailed bilateral cooperation programmes and activities over the past years, especially in dealing with war consequences, supporting people disabled by war and Agent Orange/dioxin remediation.

They emphasised the importance of DNA analysis to support the search for the remains of US and Vietnamese soldiers missing in action. This important activity will continue in the future.

They expressed a wish to continue building a deeper and stronger relationship between the two peoples and vowed to exert further efforts to upgrade bilateral ties in the coming time.

Speaking highly of Viet Nams commitments at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of Parties (COP-26), the guests said the US wants to cooperate with Viet Nam via specific actions, including in clean energy transition, adding that US firms want to access clean energy like solar and wind power and seek markets with high labour standards.

Both sides underlined the importance of building legal frameworks and suitable mechanisms to deliver on commitments at COP-26.

The top Vietnamese legislator wishes to further reinforce cooperation between the two legislatures in all areas and via all channels. He hopes both sides would set up a cooperation framework, consider building a mechanism for exchanges and official working sessions between their agencies, and strengthen ties among parliamentarians groups.

He called on the US Congress to soon set up the US-Viet Nam Friendly Parliamentarians Group.

On regional and global issues of shared concern, including the South China Sea issue, the host and guest highlighted the need to maintain peace, stability and cooperation, ensure freedom of navigation and overflight, refrain from using or threatening to use force in international relations, and abide by international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

The US Congress members expressed their hope for the early signing of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) while reiterating the importance that the US attaches to the ASEAN and its support for ASEAN's central role.

They also pledged to continue promoting ASEAN-US relations to address common issues such as climate change.

Regarding the IPEF, Hue said Viet Nam is actively considering the pillars of cooperation within the IPEF, adding that Viet Nam is ready to hold discussions with partners based on international law, respect for countries' independence, sovereignty and national security, equality and mutual benefit.

The Vietnamese NA leader said that Viet Nam always respects and protects human and citizens' rights following its Constitution and laws.

He added that the country also respects and fully follows international conventions on human rights that it has signed and joined.

Chairman Hue invited young members of the US Congress to attend the ninth Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians, which will be hosted by the Vietnamese NA in September.  VNS
HA NOI  Viet Nam always considers the US as one of the most important partners in its foreign policy, and highly appreciates the US government and political circles' support for a strong, prosperous, self-reliant and independent Viet Nam, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh told a delegation of the US Congress led by Senator Jeff Merkley in Ha Noi on Saturday.

In his reception for the delegation in Ha Noi, the Vietnamese government leader said the delegation's working visit to Viet Nam helps tighten cooperation between the legislative bodies and the governments of the two countries, contributing to promoting the Viet Nam-US comprehensive partnership in a substantive and effective manner.

PM Chinh expressed his pleasure at the remarkable development of the bilateral relations, and the results of Viet Nam-US cooperation over 28 years after the normalisation of diplomatic ties, and 10 years of establishing comprehensive partnership, stressing that economic-trade ties are a pillar and a motivation of the two countries' relations.

He said that Viet Nam is willing to work with the US to continue promoting the bilateral relations in an effective and practical manner, on the basis of respecting each other's independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and political institutions; serving the interests of the two peoples, and contributing to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region as well as in the world.

Chinh suggested the US Congress continue to pay attention to the allocation of resources and budget to support Viet Nam in handling war consequences, including bomb and mine clearance projects and assistance for Agent Orange/dioxin victims.

The PM also called on the US Congress to support the two countries governments in strengthening cooperation in trade-investment, defence-security, education-training, science-technology and innovation, energy transition and response to climate change.

Senator Merkley affirmed that the US Congress considers Viet Nam as one of the most important partners in the region. He agreed on the importance of promoting meetings and exchange of delegations between the governments and the legislatures of the two countries, especially on the occasion of the 10th founding anniversary of the comprehensive partnership in 2023, as well as maintaining bipartisan consensus in the US to support the relations with Viet Nam.

He pledged to continue supporting Viet Nam in areas of mutual benefit, and wished the two side to upgrade their relations to a strategic partnership.

The US Congress delegates said that priority will be given to addressing war consequences such as supporting people affected by war, clearing mines, decontaminating dioxin, searching for missing soldiers; combating climate change; promoting cooperation in investment, trade, energy transmission; and create favourable conditions for the Vietnamese community in the US.

Regarding regional and international issues, the two countries agreed that they have cooperated more effectively within the framework of multilateral institutions, especially ASEAN and related regional mechanisms.

The US side asked Viet Nam to back the US in strengthening responsible cooperation with the Asia-Pacific region, thus contributing to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world.

For the South China Sea (known in Viet Nam as the East Sea) issue, the two sides affirmed their stance on maintaining freedom and safety of navigation and aviation in the sea; peacefully solving relevant disputes on the basis of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS); fully implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) and working towards the building of a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC).  VNS
IEN BIEN  Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on Sunday had a meeting with the leadership of ien Bien Province to review the socio-economic situation in 2022 and the first quarter of 2023 and discuss measures to accelerate development and sustainable poverty reduction in the northern border locality.

According to reports, ien Bien's GRDP in 2022 expanded by 10.19 per cent, higher than the national average of 8.02 per cent and the second biggest growth in the northern mountainous region.

The number of tourists to the province rose ten times compared to the same period last year, with the number of foreigners increasing 11 times.

Rice and cassava production witnessed increased outputs at 3.09 and 16.6 per cent, respectively.

The province also planted 475.6ha of new forests last year, an increase of 68.21 per cent compared to the same period. The aquaculture industry developed towards raising high-value economic fish species such as catfish, basa fish, tilapia, and single-sex tilapia.

The industrial production index increased by 22.2 per cent in 2022.

The first quarter of 2023 also saw ien Bien's GRDP growing higher than the national average (6.7 per cent against 3.32 per cent), with public investment disbursement rate reaching 24.67 per cent, among the localities with high rates in the country, along with a year-on-year increase of 21.8 per cent in social investment, 12.3 per cent in State budget collection.

PM Chinh underlined the several advantages the provinces hold, including the famous historical site of ien Bien Phu, the potential for renewable energy, a diverse tapestry of ethnic culture, and the 456km borderline with China.

The large reserves of coal and mineral water, with huge swathes of unused fertile land and unexplored forestlands, and diverse water resources that are still not subject to pollution, could also help turn ien Bien into a developed border locality

However, despite the great potential, PM Chinh said there are still limitations in policy mechanisms, weak infrastructure (particularly in transportation, telecommunications, electricity, healthcare, and education), ien Bien's average income per capita being still less than half of the national average, low budget revenues, and a rather high poverty rate.

PM Chinh urged ien Bien to value practical lessons and models in its development strategy, persist in principled matters and remain flexible in leadership while identifying the resources for development should come from innovative thinking and motivation for development come from the people.

The PM called on ien Bien to focus on developing tourism as a key economic sector, with attention to crafting high-quality and unique tourism products associated with its people's natural beauty and cultural and historical traditions.

The province must also ensure the harmony between socio-economic development and environmental protection in tandem with national security and defence and not sacrifice social justice and equity for pure economic growth.

Infrastructure, especially in terms of transport, culture, education, healthcare, telecommunications and power, must be prioritised, the Government leader said.

The province should also push ahead with the restructuring of industrial production towards reducing the proportion of extractive industries and increasing the proportion of processing and manufacturing industries, especially in processing agricultural products.

PM Chinh urged ien Bien to carry out well the policies to help the impoverished groups people and improve the healthcare and education situation (especially in vocational training) in remote, ethnic minority areas for sustainable poverty reduction.

A contingent of professional, dedicated public workers that serve the interests of the people as well as stronger efforts in administrative reforms and improving the business environment, will be necessary for the development of the province, he stressed.

At the meeting, the PM also gave his feedback on several proposals from the local leadership, including the Son La-ien Bien-Tay Trang Border Gate Highway project, and upgrading of highways connecting the province with the neighbouring Laos and China, using the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.

PM Chinh also agreed with the proposal to increase the total capacity of renewable energy projects in the province and assigned the Ministry of Industry and Trade to study and evaluate the plan.

In the future, ien Bien must also focus on preparing for the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the ien Bien Phu victory, the PM said, agreeing with its request for the Government's support in preserving and restoring the relic sites within the project to preserve and develop values of the special national relic site of ien Bien Phu battlefield until 2030.

Earlier in the day, PM Chinh and his entourage also offered incense to martyrs at the shrine dedicated to soldiers who died at the ien Bien Phu battlefield and at the A1 martyrs' cemetery. He also visited the ien Bien Phu victory museum in ien Bien.

During the visit on Saturday, the Government leader paid visit to the ien Bien ethnic minorities boarding high school, ien Bien General Hospital, inspected the progress of a project to expand the ien Bien airport, presented scholarships to 300 children in difficult circumstances in ien Bien and witnessed the hand-over of 200 bicycles to poor children. VNS
Ambassador of the Netherlands to Viet Nam Kees van Baar grants an interview to Vietnam News Agency on the 50th anniversary of the Viet Nam-Netherlands diplomatic relationship.

How do you evaluate the relations between Viet Nam and the Netherlands since the establishment of the bilateral diplomatic ties 50 years ago and what should the two countries do to further promote their relations?

I think our relations are multifaceted and strong and continue to develop and grow. The Netherlands and Viet Nam have supported each other in good and in bad times and became trusted partners. 50 years ago, we started as your development partner and now the Netherlands is the biggest trade and investment partner of Viet Nam in Europe.

Viet Nam and the Netherlands have a lot in common. Both our countries depend on international trade and investment, have large deltas, face serious water and climate challenges, and are home to an export oriented agriculture sector. Being small, we both have learned to build on the international rule of law and the multilateral system.

Our cooperation does not stop at the government level (with the most recent high-level visits of the Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte to Viet Nam in 2019 and Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh to the Netherlands in 2022), but it is strong and deep between universities/research institutions, businesses and CSOs. I am proud to see the sustainable and significant Dutch footprints in different areas, from the flagship Ha Noi Amsterdam High School to cooperation in water, agriculture and climate between universities in Ha Noi, Mekong provinces, and HCM City, and those in the Netherlands, from the inspirational Dutch delta plan to Viet Nam Governments Resolution 120 and later the Mekong Delta Regional Master Plan.

Dutch companies also bring quality investment to Viet Nam, such as six Heineken Vietnam breweries and its circular waste water system, animal feed factories and research centre of DeHeus Vietnam, the worlds first fully electric tug from Damen Song Cam, not to mention Friesland Campina Vietnam and its famous milk brand Co gai Ha Lan (Dutch Lady).

The year 2023 marks 50 years of bilateral relations between Viet Nam and the Netherlands. In this special year, we wish to celebrate our strong relationship by exploring how we can further cooperate  both in terms of innovative technological solutions in the fields of agriculture, water and logistics, high tech, green energy and circular economy as well as in terms of cultural exchanges and people-to-people ties.

Do you have any recommendations for the two countries to utilise opportunities that the EU-Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) brings to boost their trade and investment ties?

The Netherlands is the largest export destination of Viet Nam in the EU, where Viet Nam enjoys a large trade surplus. And the two-way trade continues to grow thanks to the favourable conditions offered by the EVFTA and EVIPA. Viet Nam and Singapore are the only two countries in the ASEAN region could be the signatories together with the EU in such trade and investment agreements, which are the modern and ambitious instruments to fostering sustainable trade and investment, as well as advancing human rights, and environmental and labour standards.

On top of that, other EU regulations are about to enter into forces which require exporters to comply with the ESG (Environmental  Social  Governance) criteria. So to say, the wellbeing of the environment and employees should be taken into account, and not only in your own factory, but also in your value chain. That is an important factor. That might not always be easy. The Dutch Business Association in Viet Nam, supported by the Netherlands and Vietnamese government, implements the Ready to Export programme to enhance the capacity of Vietnamese SMEs to do business in Europe.

In terms of investment, the Netherlands currently is the largest European investor in Viet Nam with total projects worth US$14 billion. Dutch companies, as I mentioned, bring sustainable innovations and solutions to contribute to Viet Nam's green economic transformation. For Viet Nam to capitalise on new ties of investment, it is crucial that Viet Nam could offer favourable business climate to foster sustainable foreign investors as well as develop green mechanisms such as the DPPA or the domestic carbon trading market soon to be in line with the international carbon trading market.

In 2010, Viet Nam and the Netherlands established a Strategic Partnership in Climate Change Adaptation and Water Management. In 2014, the two countries established a Strategic Partnership in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security. How do you evaluate cooperation projects between the two countries in these fields in the past and prospects in the future?

Like Viet Nam, the Netherlands faces numerous water challenges such as too much, too little, too dirty and too salty water and is severely affected by the rising sea levels as a result of climate change. Our economies for an important part rely on a backbone of agriculture sector and hardworking farmers. The SPAs are commitments of Viet Nam and the Netherlands to work together in response to water and climate challenges and to jointly develop sustainable agriculture. I am a proud Dutch ambassador to see the Mekong Delta Plan, which was developed with support of Dutch experts and is a source of inspiration to the establishment of Viet Nam's Government Resolution 120 and later the Mekong Delta Regional Master Plan. These directives and governing documents present the Vietnamese Governments strong commitment to employ the nature-based and integrated solutions and call for the coordination of the national and local government to develop a healthy and sustainable Mekong Delta.

I think it is also important to make more use of nature-based solutions. By working with nature instead of against it, our solutions are more sustainable in the long run. Coastal erosion in the Mekong Delta is a very good example. You know, if you want to protect the coast, then you should actually cut back of what you took away. These are the mangrove forests, and you should get the shore and the forest back. And the mangrove forest is an ideal and effective environment for shrimp farming. And a great way to store carbon and to achieve your climate targets at the same time.

The cooperation between our two countries continues to grow and develop and goes way beyond just agro-water nexus, connecting other dots such as smart logistics, circular solutions, waste treatment, inland waterway transport, seaport development to enable better and faster access for products from the Mekong Delta to other parts of Viet Nam and international markets. On top of that, Viet Nam will need to develop its own mechanism to finance the resilience of the Mekong Delta, and the Netherlands is willing to inspire Viet Nam by its examples on financing and to collaborate with the government to improve public funding and attract private funding.

What are major events in the series of activities celebrating the 50th anniversary of the bilateral diplomatic ties this year?

The celebration of the 50th anniversary of the diplomatic ties between our countries started since last year, with the visit to Viet Nam of the Netherlands Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation Liesje Schreinemacher and the visit to the Netherlands of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, along with the large trade missions. We will continue our full and meaningful economic agenda with activities and events in water and waste management, aquaculture, horticulture, high tech, logistics, green energy, to name just a few.

Naturally, our relationship comprises a lot more than just trade and investment. There has also been a lot of cultural exchanges between Viet Nam and the Netherlands, most notably in the fields of music and photography. One of our flagship projects in recent years has been the World Press Photo exhibition. We hope to be able to continue our cooperation with Vietnamese partners in bringing such important exhibitions to Viet Nam in the future. Naturally, in the framework of celebrating 50 years of bilateral relations, we hope to further strengthen and deepen these cultural ties.

We have very interesting and exciting years ahead in our bilateral cooperation. We look forward to working together with Viet Nam to the benefit of our countries and peoples. To do so, we will continue to engage and work with each other, involving our government agencies, our businesses, our knowledge institutes and, most importantly, our citizens. I feel privileged to be able to contribute to that in the years to come.  VNS

Viet Nam's Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his Dutch counterpart Mark Rutte on April 8 exchanged letters of greetings on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries (April 9, 1973-2023).Prime Minister Rute wrote: Viet Nam and the Netherlands have a lot in common. Both are delta countries, for instance. We also share an open, outward-looking, enterprising spirit. Furthermore, both our countries recognise the value of the rules-based international order and are committed to its protection.The 50th anniversary of the long-standing and constructive partnership is a major milestone, he said, adding that this it is "an opportunity for us not only to reflect on the past but also to look ahead to the future. The global challenges of our time require even closer and more comprehensive cooperation."I look forward to seeing what the next 50 years will bring," the Netherlands leader noted.
HA NOI  President Vo Van Thuongs selection of Laos as the first country to visit in his new position affirms Viet Nam's consistent policy of treasuring and giving the highest priority to the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation with Laos, said Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs o Hung Viet.

Viet said that amid the complicated developments in the region and the world, the visit also demonstrates Viet Nams strong and comprehensive support for socio-economic renewal, recovery and development, and global integration of Laos.

He made the comments during an interview granted to the press on the occasion of the Presidents visit to Laos from April 10-11 at the invitation of General Secretary of the Lao Peoples Revolutionary Party Central Committee and President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith.

President Thuong is scheduled to hold talks and witness the signing of cooperation agreements with the Lao Party General Secretary and President, meet with the Lao Prime Minister and the Chairman of the Lao National Assembly, and receive the Chairman of the Central Committee of the Lao Front for National Construction and the President of the Viet Nam-Laos Friendship Association and meet representatives of the Vietnamese community in Laos.

These important activities will create a new impetus for Viet Nam-Laos cooperative ties via all channels and fields, contributing to the effective implementation of high-level agreements between the two Parties and countries, including the Viet Nam-Laos cooperation strategy agreement for 2021-2030 and the Viet Nam-Laos Bilateral Cooperation Agreement for 2021-2025, Viet said.

He added that President Thuong would also lay wreaths at the Monument of Unknown Soldiers and the statue of President Kaysone Phomvihane, and call on former high-ranking leaders of Laos, showing gratitude for the significant contributions made by generations of leaders, officials, soldiers, and people of Laos to the special relationship between Viet Nam and Laos.

He noted that these activities would certainly contribute to developing great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Viet Nam and Laos. VNS
HA NOI  Minister of Defence General Phan Van Giang hosted a reception for a delegation of members of the US Congress led by Senator Jeff Merkley in Ha Noi on Saturday.

Minister Giang said the visit of the US Congress delegation is significant in the context of the two countries preparing to mark the 10th anniversary of their comprehensive partnership.

He affirmed that Viet Nam always considers the US one of its important partners and wants to promote relations with the US on the basis of respecting each others independence, sovereignty and political institutions, for the interest of both countries and for peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world.

According to Giang, bilateral defence cooperation has been rolled out in alignment with the sound development of the comprehensive partnership between the two countries, producing positive outcomes in terms of dialogue-consultation, delegation exchange, war aftermath settlement, training, search-rescue, UN peacekeeping work and military medicine.

He highlighted the joint work in overcoming war consequences. Through the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the two sides have cooperated effectively in such projects as dioxin clean-up at Bien Hoa airbase and support for people with disabilities in provinces severely affected by Agent Orange/Dioxin.

Minister Giang took the occasion to thank US Congress members for their contributions to the cooperation on war aftermath settlement, particularly those made by Senator Patrick Leahy.

He proposed that members of the US Congress push for the Congresss continued support of defence cooperation between Viet Nam and the US, focusing on addressing war legacies, training, military medicine and UN peacekeeping.

Senator Merkley pledged to work to promote collaboration with Viet Nam, particularly in the field of surmounting war aftermath.

On the occasion, Merkley presented the Vietnamese Defence Ministry a set of documents containing information on Vietnamese soldiers going missing during the war in Viet Nam.

Minister Giang, on his part, sent to Senator Patrick Leahy a film on the senators contributions to the two countries relations.  VNS
THE Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) will not tolerate any form of indiscipline within its ranks and file and will not hesitate to punish anyone caught on the wrong side of the law, Commander Zimbabwe National Army, Lieutenant-General David Sigauke has said.

He made the remarks during the pass-out parade of 808 members of the armed forces at 5 Infantry Brigade on Thursday after they completed the Civil Military Relations course. Lt-Gen Sigauke reminded the graduates that discipline was key, saying the oath of allegiance that they took to uphold the Constitution of Zimbabwe and abiding by the rules, regulations and attendant statutes that govern the country, should be adhered to.

He reiterated that the ZNA was a disciplined force which does not tolerate cases of indiscipline, adding that there would not be any lenience on rogue elements.

Be informed that there is not going to be lenience on members who commit offences such as being absent without official leave (Awol), theft, robbery, illegal panning, extortion, drug and substance abuse, among others.

Once involved in indiscipline cases, you will face the full wrath of the law spelt out in the Defence Act Chapter 11:02 and related statutory instruments, he said.

He said members of the armed forces should be vigilant and alive to the dangers of social media platforms where there was disinformation aimed at subverting the general populace and soldiers have also become a target. Of the 808 graduates, 661 were males while 147 were females.

Lt-Gen Sigauke said pursuant to the gender mainstreaming thrust, the passing of 147 graduands, was a clear testimony that the ZNA continues to give equal opportunities to the girl child.

You are aware that Zimbabwe is a signatory to the international conventions that call for gender equality in all spheres. In this regard, the ZNA will continue to recruit and train the girl child as they have proven to be dedicated, competent and determined to serve Zimbabwe, he said.

He also applauded the increasing number of female recruits which he said was an indication that women were breaking barriers into the previously male dominated profession.

The Civil Military Relations course which the soldiers underwent, was in line with the determination to cultivate patriotic, loyal, disciplined and cohesive force that understands the countrys history.

The understanding of the history of our nation starting from where we came from, where we are and where we are going is a major undertaking which requires an oriented force to uphold the fine legacy left to us by our forebears, said Lt-Gen Sigauke.

The graduates, drawn from across the countrys 10 provinces, underwent an eight months training period where they covered a number of curricula meant to foster key attributes of loyalty, patriotism and sacrifice which are key attributes of a soldier. Sunday News
By Cong Thanh

Born and bred in Bao Vinh  an 18th-century port town just 8km east of Hue City  Phan Nu Phuoc Hong, a college lecturer, revived her childhood memories by regaining her ancestral house that had sheltered her three-generation family for 62 years.

Hong, 45, sold her owned house in downtown Hue to rebuy the old house 16 years after it was sold to someone by her uncle.

"It was really a crazy idea to regain the old house with my own money," she said.

The Hue Teachers College lecturer said the old house, which was first bought by her grandparents in 1943, had accommodated the family until 2005 when her youngest uncle sold it.

My grandparents, parents with uncles, had lived in the house since 1943. My youngest uncle inherited the house, but later he sold it, she said.

My parents bought a house in the ancient town to pay more regular visits to my grandparents in the old house in previous years.

Bao Vinh Town, which stretches across a one-kilometre lane along the Huong River, previously had a river port for trading boats exchanging commodities with craft villages on the river banks in the 18th and 19th centuries.

About 20 kiosks and piers were built for trade exchange among boat merchants and river-based communities. The town gathers craft villagers from Minh Huong, La Khe, Tien Non, Sia and Sinh on both river banks and boat traders from different provinces, Hong said.

Large vessels docked at Thanh Ha major port, while Bao Vinh handled smaller boats unloading rice, fuel, ceramics, silk and necessaries. Boats got craft products from villages for long-day trading journeys.

My grandmother was a rice trader on the Hue-Quang Tri boat route, while my grandfather made Buddhist costumes. We enjoyed the well-off life of a trading family in the port town in my childhood.

Hong has redecorated the house as a cafe offering traditional crafts and promoting the traditional culture of the township. The cafe, named Mas House, reminds her of the happiness that three generations of her family enjoyed together.

Part of her journey includes reviving old trades and crafts by introducing traditional cake-making skills at the cafe.

The cake, which is made from fruit jam and formed in a brass frame, was originally given as an offering to the royalty in previous centuries, according to Hongs mother, Ton Nu Minh Trang.

I learnt housework and cuisine since I was a young girl, as in most families in Hue that educate girls in the household arts, Trang said.

Now I make the cake again for tourism business, but it is joyful to see the handicrafts being restored. Most of the elderly of the town are now 60 or 70, and enjoy the old style crafts that had been faded from the town for decades.

Trang said the old locals liked to share stories about the old lifestyle of the town and introduce wickerwork, traditional cakes and other exquisite handiwork to tourists.

"Visitors pay from VN40,000 to VN80,000 each to learn cake-making with us, and they bring home their self-made cakes," she said.

The local market also offers a chance to explore crafts from the surrounding villages, including household ironwork, potteries, paper flowers, conical hats and wooden sculptures.

The business of the port faded in the 19th century when the ong Ba Market was built under the reign of King Thanh Thai.

Despite efforts to preserve the old wooden architecture of the Hue style, 75 per cent of old houses were ruined from 1991 to 2014.

Le Quang Chat, the owner of a 100-year-old house, said it needed emergency restoration as the wooden structure had been seriously damaged due to time and flooding.

He said he refused to sell the wooden structure of the house for 12 taels of gold (worth US$24,000) to a collector.

Chat said the family wanted to preserve the house for longer use, but the restoration needed money and old-style carpentry support.

The Thua Thien Hue province authorities had planned a restoration project for the township, but it has yet to come up with an action plan.

A report from Huong Tra Towns authorities said that 10 one-storey roof-tiled houses, six timber structure houses and four French-style brick houses are still in good use in the town.

A boat tour connecting downtown Hue and the old township has been planned to expand tourism space and destinations outside the UNESCO-recognised Hue Monuments complex.

In promoting craft tours in the town, Hong hosts cake-making trips for her college and school students as field education courses on culture and lifestyle.

I intentionally create a space for school students to explore tradition and culture by making cakes, trying knitting and folding paper. It inspires youngsters' love of culture and crafts. They will have an interesting time in the town with their parents at the weekend.  VNS
A delegation from the HCMC Computer Association visited the U.S. from March 18 to March 27, 2023, as part of the program, Creativity in Startups and Collaboration in Educations Development. During the trip, Ph.D. Nguyen Thanh Hai, a renowned expert and leader in the STEM THRIVE education project at the University of Missouri, shared his insights based on his 10-year work experience in the U.S.

When it comes to education, people usually talk about how to make preparations for the youth in the future. Most schools in Vietnam follow the slogan: For the sake of ten years, we must plant trees, for the sake of 100 years, we should cultivate people.

So what will future generations need? What should they prepare for? Those questions are difficult to answer without carefully considering their core values, scientific analysis and computational models.

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education has been brought up recently. Simply put, it is to equip learners with the necessary abilities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics in order to adapt to the demands of future jobs.

It is not a specialized or vocational program that only trains engineers or doctors but a preparation for all new global citizens. Whatever profession citizens work in, they still need to know the basics of STEM, the impact of STEM on the economy and the applications of STEM at work and in daily life.

Why is STEM so important? Based on statistics and forecasts, three basic reasons have been pointed out. First, a competent STEM workforce will be essential for an economy to stay competitive among many countries worldwide in the future. Second, STEM-related occupations have higher average incomes compared to non-STEM occupations. Third, STEM encourages other professions in society to develop toward technology application and digital transformation.

When drafting a book about STEM education five years ago, I wanted people to understand the concept of STEM education. The book pointed out seven common misconceptions about STEM, one I still often encounter in discussions at many schools: STEM education is only an extracurricular activity or a passing trend. That is completely not true. In fact, STEM education has already become an important term in the economic development policies of many countries, including the U.S., the UK, Australia, Canada, South Korea, and Singapore.

Science and technology are of great importance to society. They serve as a driving force for economic development, offer tangible values in daily life and play a crucial role in addressing global challenges. We rely on technology daily, from chip-based identity cards, food safety, healthcare and medicine, to solutions for climate change and alternative energy sources. These elements are integral to both current and future life, as science and technology have become deeply ingrained in every aspect of human society.

The stories of attaching identification codes to coconuts, digitizing artworks with blockchain technology, and shopping online are not uncommon. They are all the direct result of advances in STEM research.

Certainly, it requires knowledge and experience from other fields, such as sales, marketing, and management, to turn an invention into a product and bring it to the market. Nothing is unique, but some things serve as motivation and the starting point for change.

Given the demand for a knowledge-based, green and sustainable economy in Vietnam, STEM education must be considered a priority. It does not mean focusing on textbooks but investing in teachers who can effectively teach STEM subjects.

Delaying education by one year would lead to many years of economic backwardness in the future. Instead of mitigating the consequences, lets prepare for positive changes.

During the trip to Plug and Play, the worlds largest startup accelerator in Silicon Valley, where over 30 companies valued at over US$1 billion were born and raised, we heard a story about investing in innovative ideas based on technology rather than investing in real estate.

To foster innovative changes, we should start by creating an educational environment that encourages creativity. When visiting an elementary school in Downey, Los Angeles County, California, we saw students learning through games and engaging in science exploration and engineering design projects. Their teachers talked about the curriculum instead of textbooks. They encouraged students to come up with new ideas and design creative learning activities themselves.





In those schools, the students roles are both as subjects of learning and as co-authors of the curriculum. Students are empowered to come up with new experiential activities and ideas. Teachers discuss those raw ideas with professional learning communities, align them with standards (NGSS, Common Core Standards), create relevant educational ideas, and seek funding from local educational institutions or business communities to bring them to life.

The high school curriculum there not only adheres to the states standards but also provides necessary flexibility for students and teachers to actively cultivate their creativity skills. By empowering both groups to propose and execute new experiential activities, the fundamental pillars of STEM education in the modern era, including Autonomy, Adaptivity, and Entrepreneurship, are being fully leveraged.

What have we done to encourage a genuinely creative educational environment in Vietnam? This is an open-ended question seeking appropriate responses from education leaders in the country.

(*) Ph.D. Nguyen Thanh Hai is currently the head of the STEM THRIVE education research team at the University of Missouri, U.S. He is also the founder and CEO of Searinet Education Consulting Company, U.S. He received a VEF scholarship and was one of the first Vietnamese to earn a Ph.D. in STEM education.
Vietnam is approaching the population aging period from 2036, with over 23 million people in the age range of 30-40 set to become elderly. As a result, the healthcare and treatment system for elderly patients will face several challenges.

During six years of pursuing a career in nursing at the Thu Duc General Hospital in HCMC, Do Thi Hang Nhi had to spend five traditional Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday occasions living far from her hometown in Dak Lak Province. Speaking at the webinar, Nursing: A career in which machines could not replace human beings held by the Center for Healthcare Improvement Research (CHIR) in late February, Hang Nhi said that nurses did a lot of work on normal days and public holidays but suffered excessive pressure post-pandemic due to a mass resignation of medical workers.

The pressure Nhi mentioned also came from understaffing after the Covid-19 pandemic. A survey of 1,000 nurses in Vietnam conducted in December 2022 by CHIR showed that over 70% of nurses faced financial pressure due to their unsatisfactory income. Some 50% of nurses said they did not have sufficient money to study and improve their workmanship.

An unsatisfactory income was one of the four reasons that the Ministry of Health mentioned in a conference essay sent to the 2022 Vietnam Socio-Economic Forum in September 2022. The essay explained the reasons for the resignation or job shifting of nearly 10,000 public medical workers within 18 months, of which nurses accounted for 30%. Besides, other pressures may result from a lack of infrastructure for professional work and pressures caused by their families and relatives.

Challenges to change

According to a survey by CHIR, 60% of nurses said the community has yet to realize the role of nurses, usually considered assistants to doctors, leading to an inaccurate view of the position and responsibilities of nurses.

Truong Thi Mai Quyen, a master of Nursing cum Chief of Project CHIR, said that for a long period of time, nurse training programs in Vietnam had been conducted in a way wherein doctors designed lessons and provided training for nurses. Therefore, nurses were trained to deal with patients rather than care for them and help them recover. In practice, doctors and nurses have different functions and tasks. Nurses protect patients, take care of them physically and mentally and help them recover. Meanwhile, doctors concentrate on disease diagnosis, treatment and giving prescriptions.

After many years of teaching nursing at Dalat Yersin University and conducting a good clinical practice at leading hospitals, Quyen said that care must be given by a contingent of professional staff.

To improve the effectiveness of nursing, specialized training with lecturers in nursing instead of doctors is needed. Nurses need to understand their roles and not just act as assistants to doctors. The relationship between nurses and doctors is based on support and cooperation.

Preparation for the future

Given that the country will see an aging population by 2036 when over 23 million citizens in their middle ages ranging from 30 to 40 will become elderly, the nursing sector is forecast to be short of staff if the Government does not implement a practical solution.

Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan said at the National Peoples Congress of the Vietnam Nurses Associations held on October 22, 2022, that nursing had been developed below expectations and lacked synchronization and efficiency in training and the use of personnel.

The nursing rate is now 16.5 nurses per 10,000 people. To meet the residents demand for medical services, Resolution 20/NQ-TU the 6th Congress of the 7th Central Committee on boosting protecting, caring and improving residents health in a new condition set a target to have 25 nurses per 10,000 people in 2025 and 33 nurses per 10,000 people in 2030.

With a population of over 100 residents now, by 2025, Vietnam is estimated to need an additional 85,000 nurses. Statistics given by Thuan showed that there were 182 facilities nationwide providing nursing training from the intermediate to the university level, with 54,800 students. With an average of nearly 18,000 graduates each year, given the stability of the sectors human resources, Vietnam will still face a shortage of nurses in 2025.

Meanwhile, Vietnam is one of the worlds fastest-aging countries. Citizens above 60 years old accounted for 11.9% of the total population in 2019 and the figure will rise to over 25% in 2050, according to the United Nations Population Fund. By 2036, Vietnam will shift from an aging society to an aged society. The demand for elderly care services will be huge in the future.

Nowadays, Vietnam has been sending nursing staff and caregivers to Japan. However, with the golden population structure, Vietnams nursing staff can meet the local demand. Given the soon-to-be-aging population, Vietnam may face the same situation as the Philippines and India, which might worsen. Thus, priority should be given to improving the effectiveness of the nursing workforce. At the same time, enhancing the quality of their lives and jobs to attract more workers to get involved in nursing is also an urgent issue.
The importance of HCMC does not solely rest on the proportion of the citys GRDP in the nations GDP, but also on the dispersion of the end demand and production of the city to other localities in the country.

The Government has issued Resolution 38/NQ-CP proposing the formulation of a National Assembly resolution on piloting a new special mechanism for HCMCs development.

To measure the importance of a region or a province, an inter-regional input/output analysis is deemed a necessary scientific measure. This study is based on an inter-regional input/output analysis to dig deep into the internal sectoral or inter-sectoral structure as well as the regional and inter-regional structure of HCMC and the rest of the country.

In theory, in any country, there are always certain sectors with relative importance compared to other sectors measured via the indexes of dispersion power and sensitivity of dispersion. The concept of inter-regional analysis was introduced by Isard in 1951, and concretized by Harry W. Richardson (1973) and Miyazawa, K. (1976), which is deemed an important tool to study a regional economy. Similar to a sector, a region or a province has its own importance, and a certain region may have greater importance of dispersion to the national economy than other regions/provinces.

The importance of HCMC does not solely rest on the proportion of the citys GRDP in the nations GDP, but also on the dispersion of the end demand and production of the city to other localities in the country.

The study on Vietnams inter-regional IO shows that the end demand and production of HCMC exert very strong dispersion to other regions. HCMCs index of dispersion is 1.5 times higher than that of northern provinces, 1.7 times over that of central provinces, and 1.9 times that of southern provinces. Investment in HCMC also has strong dispersion effects on other localities. Especially, the exportation of made-in-HCMC products has a dispersion effect on other localities twice as strong as that of exports in other localities on HCMC. Among all the eight regions in the country, HCMC boasts the most sectors or industries with the highest index of dispersion power. Such figures indicate that HCMC is home to many spearhead industries vital not only for the city itself but for other localities and the entire country as well.

Calculations from the IO model also show that investment in most other regions is not as cost-effective as in HCMC. The citys economic structure shows that all factors in the demand have impressive impacts on production value and added value, more so with exports and investment by the Government.

A noteworthy point is that State-funded investment in HCMC has a stronger dispersion power to production than that in other localities. This index of dispersion power in HCMC is 1.51, far ahead of the second-placed Hanois index at 1.304. The index of dispersion from private investment in HCMC is also the highest in the eight regions, at 1.25, though it is much lower than the index of State investment in the city. Regarding the accumulation of movable assets, HCMC boasts a dispersion index much higher than 1.0 while all other regions have an index under this threshold.

In addition, calculations show that when the internal end demand (comprising peoples final consumption, investment and export) rises by a unit, its internal dispersion rate reaches some 89% while its dispersion rate to other localities is 11%. Especially, the final consumption of HCMC residents spurs the added value in other regions by 17% while investment and export of HCMC have a dispersion effect of 8.8% and 8.7% on other regions, respectively. This is a very high dispersion power, indicating the importance of the citys economy on the entire country.

If the proportion of a province or regions GRDP in the nations GDP is high but its indexes of dispersion power and sensitivity are low, such a structure is not beneficial on one hand, and reveals inappropriate allocation of resources on the other hand.

When investment in HCMC increases by 10%, it will result in its GRDP rising by an extra 1.5 percentage points and the nations GDP growing by an additional 0.8-1.0 point. Therefore, from an economic perspective, HCMC can be seen as a highly pivotal region, and a locomotive for the national economy. If the citys economic growth slows down, the impacts are not limited to the loss of a few percentage points in its growth rate, but also the knock-on effect on other regions and the entire national economy in subsequent production cycles.

In short, the Governments decision to propose the formulation of a National Assembly resolution on piloting a new special mechanism for the development of HCMC is a right approach.
In 2015, Lang Sen Wetland Reserve was recognized as the 2,227th Ramsar site in the world and the 7th in Vietnam. The Ramsar Site is a wetland of international importance for conservation and biodiversity. So what will tourists come here to experience? Lets explore Vinlove Travel!

Where is Lang Sen Wetland Reserve?

Lang Sen Wetland Reserve, also known as Lang Sen for short, is a unique landmark of the Long An tourism map. Lang Sen owns an area of more than 5,000 hectares, stretching over the territory of 3 communes, including Vinh Dai commune, Vinh Chau A commune and Vinh Loi commune, in Tan Hung district, Long An province.







Lang Sen Wetland Reserve, also known as Lang Sen for short, is a unique landmark of Long An tourism map.



Lang Sen Nature Reserve is only about 30km from Ho Chi Minh City, very suitable for backpackers or day trips.



When should I go to Lang Sen Nature Reserve?

Lang Sen Wetland Reserve possesses green nature all year round. Therefore, coming here at any time of the year, you can also enjoy the beautiful painting here.







Floating water season, from early August to November is considered the best time to visit here



However, the floating season, from early August to November is considered the best time to visit here. Because, at this time, the luxuriant trees, plants and animals also became more abundant than ever.



Discover the beautiful nature in Lang Sen Nature Reserve

Lang Sen Nature Reserve is considered a miniature Dong Thap Muoi, attracting a large number of tourists every year. This place owns a larger area, more than 5,000 hectares. Therefore, possessing a variety of natural landscapes, from Melaleuca forests, swamps, grasslands to islands and rivers.







Visitors can not only see the majestic natural scenery but also have the opportunity to witness the diverse flora and fauna with their own eyes.



Coming to Lang Sen conservation area, visitors not only have the opportunity to see the majestic natural scenery but also have the opportunity to witness the diverse flora and fauna with their own eyes. In it, there are many rare species of flora and fauna, which are included in the Red Book. It is estimated that there are more than 149 types of vertebrates and 156 types of wild plants.



Sightseeing, virtual living in the pink lotus field

Lang Sen Wetland Reserve has a large wetland area. In it, planted a lot of gentle and extremely sweet pink lotus varieties. Pink lotus in season will bloom beautifully. With a large area, the pink lotus field becomes extremely brilliant. Pink lotus mixed with green foliage, creating a scene that is both sweet and poetic.







Lang Sen Wetland Reserve owns a large wetland area, planted with many gentle and sweet pink lotus varieties.

Coming here, visitors will be able to sit on dinghys, weave their way into the middle of the pink lotus forest to see and check-in virtual life. Not only having a brilliant virtual living scene, visitors also have moments of gentle relaxation, immersing themselves in a quiet natural space.



Explore the vast primeval melaleuca forest

Melaleuca is one of the popular trees in Lang Sen nature reserve. This plant is home to a wide variety of birds. At the same time, it is also a shield, preserving the living space for a variety of individuals living in the water.







Sailing under the melaleuca trees, visitors will enjoy the cool space and have extremely rare moments of relaxation.



In the Lang Sen wetland conservation area , Melaleuca is planted in a large area. In the flood season, the melaleuca leaves are greener. In the blooming season of Melaleuca flowers, an area of the sky will be dyed brilliantly yellow. Sailing under the melaleuca trees, visitors will enjoy the cool space and have extremely rare moments of relaxation.



Explore the flooded grasslands

The flooded grasslands are considered typical of the western provinces when the flood season comes. Sitting on a boat, down the water, visitors will be able to see the vast and charming scenery of the river. Below is a green color of grass. The water is clear blue, visitors can also see schools of fish swimming. This is one of the extremely interesting experiences that visitors should not miss when coming to Lang Sen wetland conservation area in the flood season.









See the rich fauna

Sitting on a boat, going down the water, visitors will be able to see the vast and charming scenery of the river

When walking or sitting on dinghy boats in Lang Sen Wetland Reserve , you will have the opportunity to encounter many different types of animals. Fire herons, gray herons, herons, howlers or storks,  fly right above your head, chirping and chirping. While enjoying seeing the rich, diverse fauna here, dont forget to bring up your camera to capture these wonderful moments.









Ticket price for Lang Sen Wetland Reserve?

When you walk or sit on dinghy boats in Lang Sen nature reserve, you will have the opportunity to encounter many different kinds of animals.

For children under 1m2, entering the Lang Sen Wetland Reserve will be free of charge. As for adults and children over 1m2 tall will be charged 50,000/ticket.

In addition, the Lang Sen conservation area is open from 7 am to 6 pm, every day of the week.

Lang Sen Nature Reserve is one of the must-visit destinations when traveling to Long An. Coming here, visitors seem to be lost in another world, being immersed in and discovering a large, majestic and beautiful natural space.

Above is some information about Lang Sen Wetland Reserve that Vietnam Travel provides to you. Hopefully, this information will help you have more travel suggestions when coming to the West in general and Long An in particular. Wish you will have moment to visit Lang Sen conservation area with many interesting experiences!

Photo: Internet
Blake DeMaria runs a barbecue joint on Elm Avenue that dates its founding to 1946. Some customers call it a hole in the wall, a description DeMaria does not beef about. What he wont abide is actually running such a place.

To address his restaurants shortcomings, DeMaria has secured $55,046 in grants from a city of Waco-created pot called We All Win Small Business Support Program. So far, 40 small businesses that proved they took a financial beating from COVID-19 or from nearby street work have qualified to receive almost $1.2 million between them. They asked for $3.7 million, but rules and monetary limits cut total approvals by two-thirds. Ten times that many businesses have applied for more than $16 million, with many applications still pending.

The grants are not handouts but give small, sometimes mom-and-pop shops financial breathing room, DeMaria said. They get a chance to survive, maybe do something with their place they long dreamed of doing.

Appearances and ambience matter, even when the grub de rigueur comes served on butcher paper with white bread on the side. DeMaria, like other business owners and operators on Elm Avenue, has had mankind and machinery perched outside his front door, or nearby, for months going on years. Crews continue to busy themselves giving the street a facelift from Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard nearly to Interstate 35.

Combine infrastructure work with COVID-19s lingering impact, and some Elm Avenue merchants have suffered bottom lines slipping from black to red.

DeMaria said he knows the feeling, though patronage runs so deeply at DeMarias that customers never abandoned the place. They simply dodged the cones, detours and debris as they created new paths to its door.

The work has gone on so long now, I cant remember what things were like without it, before 2019, DeMaria said.

He said the current iteration of the family business, Tony DeMarias Bar-B-Que, arrived on Elm Avenue in 1995, well before momentum turned in favor of returning the street to a semblance of its former prominence. Private investment has built apartments and hotels, created demand for restaurants and shops, even returned banking to Elm Avenue, with TFNB Your Bank For Life placing a branch there.

Public money, meanwhile, has built sidewalks, installed and repaired water and sewer infrastructure, and made grants available to business owners suffering financial hardship at worst, inconvenience at least.

DeMarias is among the businesses approved to tap the fund Waco created from federal American Rescue Plan Act money, local property taxes designated for Tax Increment Financing zones and local sales tax revenue designated for the Barriers to Success Grant Program. About $3.6 million comes from the American Rescue Plan, $1 million from TIF Zone 1, $250,000 from TIF Zone 4 and $350,000 in sales tax revenue.

DeMaria will use his approximately $55,000 to make his facade more attractive, install windows, remodel his dining room and raise the ceiling.

We want to make it more modern, DeMaria said. People may call it a hole in the wall, but we want to create a nice experience.

DeMaria repeated his view that business owners are not bilking the system.

I wasnt just asking for money for the sake of it. Were trying to make our places nice for the street, for the city and for ourselves.  Were doing something we wouldnt be able to do otherwise, he said. The application process includes providing receipts and cost estimates, which proves what were doing with the money. It is proof were not taking handouts.

DeMaria said he worked closely with the city during the application process. He said he believes officials felt incentivized to assist business owners due to COVID and the years of no one being concerned about Elm Street.

Galen Price, who tracks Wacos We All Win program for the city, said a committee considers each application. Committee members include representatives of the Cen-Tex Hispanic and Cen-Tex African American chambers of commerce; Startup Waco, which provides office space and business counseling; banks, including TFNB Your Bank For Life; and City Center Waco, a nonprofit dedicated to city planning and economic development.

Price said the committee assigns scores on factors such as gross revenue, business type, years of operation and location. He said applicants may be asked to provide tax returns or other verifying information. The pandemic and work on Elm Avenue are considerations.

Waco City Council must consider grant awards exceeding $50,000, and on Tuesday approved four falling into that category. Grantees in that group include Tony DeMarias, $55,046; Boardwalk on Elm, 904 Elm Ave., $99,750; Revival Eastside Eatery, 704 Elm Ave., $64,498; and Craig Childers, sole proprietor doing business as Brylders Trucking, 1712 Colcord Ave., $51,816.

Boardwalk on Elm is a mobile food park selling fast food. Its $99,750 award includes $20,000 from ARPA and $16,000 from Barriers to Success already allocated, according to paperwork in the council agenda packet. DeMaria gets $51,000 from ARPA, $4,046 in TIF money for its facade; and Revival Eastside Eatery gets $38,000 from ARPA, $26,498 from TIF for facade upgrades.

Childers, 46, said his is a one-person, one-vehicle trucking company. He will use his $51,816 in ARPA money to maintain and buy fuel for his rig.

Merchants on Elm Avenue are well represented on the list of 40 small businesses so far approved to receive funding.

Others include Nappy Roots, OTB Cyclery, Elegant You, Jockey Club Beauty & Barber Shop, Marilyns Gift Gallery, GGs Flower Hut, Carrs Beauty Supply, 310s Kitchen and Jockey Club barber and proprietor Miles Adanandus, according to a list provided by the city of Waco.

Marilyn Banks, whose Marilyns Gift Gallery is among the oldest shops occupying Elm Avenue, said her grant helped to replace her roof.

The 40 so far approved to receive funding requested grants totaling $3.7 million. They will receive $1.19 million between them.

The program has received 414 requests valued at $16.1 million. They are in various stages of processing, with 71 pending review by city staff; 48 working to submit requested documentation; and 29 being processed by staff.
Health district blood drive

The Waco-McLennan County Public Health District is partnering with Carter Bloodcare to host a blood drive from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Thursday at the Health District, 225 W. Waco Drive.

Every donor will receive an insulated water bottle, while supplies last. Participants need to register for an appointment at carterbloodcare.org.

Dr Pepper Museum scholarships

The deadline is 5 p.m. Friday to apply for two $5,000 Free Enterprise Scholarships from the Dr Pepper Museum and Free Enterprise Institute.

The scholarship supports students studying business, management, entrepreneurship, marketing and related fields.

Eligible high school students must be graduating this spring from McLennan County or Dallas County schools and attending a two-year or four-year college to study one of the relevant fields.

To submit an application, go to drpeppermuseum.com/fei-scholarship. For more information, email Joy Summar-Smith at joy@drpeppermuseum.com or call 254-757-1024, ext. 130.

Parkinsons support group meeting

The Heart of Texas Parkinsons and Caregivers support group will meet at 3 p.m. Tuesday at Holy Spirit Episcopal Church, 1624 Wooded Acres Drive.

Carol Jackson, a physical therapist with Baylor Scott & White, will speak.

For more information, call Ida McBride at 254-716-4402.

Bellmead Family Dog Day

The third annual Bellmead Family Dog Day will run from 2 to 5 p.m. April 15 at 1100 Hogan Lane.

The event is a pet friendly day in the park with free microchipping available, a discounted vaccine clinic, food, vendors, corn hole tournament, dog show and activities for kids.

For more information, call 254-424-8455.

Youth Council hike

Waco Youth Council will have a free hike through Cameron Park from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Saturday, starting at Redwood Shelter, 2300 Cameron Park Drive.

Participants should bring water and wear shoes appropriate for hiking. The hike is open to anyone 12 and older. Advance registration is required at waco-texas.com/Events-Activities.

Compassionate Friends meeting

The Compassionate Friends of Central Texas will hold its monthly group support meeting at 6:30 p.m. April 20 at Grace Church, 4610 Bosque Blvd. The group is for people who have lost a child.

The meeting is open to parents, grandparents and siblings.

Theater camp registration

Waco Childrens Theatre summer camp registration will run from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, April 16, at Lee Lockwood Library and Museum, 2801 W. Waco Drive.

For more information on the camp and program, call Linda Haskett at 254-776-0707 or go to https://www.wacochildrenstheatre.org.

Registration deadline is May 5. Camp dates are June 5 through July 1.

Waco tree walk

Waco Walks will hold a Huaco Heights Tree Identification Walk starting at 9:30 a.m. Saturday at the corner of 29th Street and Waco Drive, near the Lee Lockwood Library.

The Huaco Heights neighborhood was first developed in 1913 and has a wealth of mature trees.

Kids Night Out Friday

South Waco Community Center, 2815 Speight Ave., will have a Kids Night Out event from 5:30 to 10 p.m. Friday.

The event is open to kids ages 5 to 13. The cost is $25 per child, and a meal is included.

Parents can treat themselves to some time off while kids enjoy a safe and fun evening of activities.

To register, call 254-750-8650.

Rotary wine fundraiser

Together by the Brazos, Lake Brazos Rotary Clubs annual wine pairing dinner fundraiser, will start at 6 p.m. Saturday at DiamondBacks, 217 Mary Ave.

All funding stays in the Waco community and helps to feed low-income children over the weekends when school meals are not available, promotes perfect attendance at public schools with bicycle drawings, and beautifies Waco by planting trees in community spaces.

Individual tickets are $150. The event will include dinner, live music and a silent auction. Tickets available at tinyurl.com/tbtb2023rotary.

West explosion exhibit

The History of West Museum is presenting a temporary exhibit, West Fertilizer Plant Explosion  10 Years After, through May 27.

The museum, at 112 E. Oak St. in West, is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Admission is free.
Easter is being observed around the world today as a day of hope, joy and salvation. In the Cedar Valley, the faithful are flocking to churches to celebrate the culmination of the Passion of Christ.

Commemoration of Jesus Christs suffering, death and resurrection began earlier during Holy Week when seven metro churches united to read aloud the entire New Testament. The event, organized by Waterloos First Congregational United Church of Christ, was meant to recapture a love for public Scripture reading.

The Easter Holy Week readings were preceded by Palm Sunday, as well as Lent, a 40-day period of prayer, penance and fasting, and Ash Wednesday, which took place Feb. 23.

Greg Holt, a member of First Congregational fine arts committee, originally mentioned the daunting idea of reading aloud the entire Bible. But that was a bit ambitious, considering how long it would take. So I thought, why not read the New Testament? Public scripture reading used to be something people did a long time ago. I liked the idea of creating an experience, something interactive, said Holt, director at the Cedar Falls Community Theatre.

Fellow committee member Paul Greene determined it would take about 18  hours to read the second part of the Bible, depending on the readers speed. The New Testament shares the life and teachings of Jesus and his followers, including the four Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, 21 epistles by St. Paul and others, and the book of Revelation.

Holt sent an invitation to local churches to join the oral reading project.

Connecting with others, especially during Holy Week, and working together allows a little more ownership from each congregation. Their members could step forward, maybe outside their comfort zones, to become active participants during Holy Week, Holt said.

Life is about attempting things, and this was something fresh and new and meaningful, he added.

The response was overwhelming. We thought it was a good idea. It sends a message to the wider community that it is a good thing to work with other denominations and faith traditions because we are an ecumenical community, said the Rev. John Janssen, associate pastor of Christian education at Cedar Heights Presbyterian Church in Cedar Falls.

It sends a positive message to the world about what God intends the world to be.

Readings began April 3 with Matthew through Mark 9 at First Baptist Church in Waterloo, followed April 4 by Mark 10 through Luke 22 at First United Methodist Church in Cedar Falls.

On April 5, six readers at Cedar Heights Presbyterian Church devoted 30 minutes each to reading aloud Luke 23 through Acts 10. Four volunteers from the congregation read five chapters each, while the Rev. Dave Kivett, head pastor, read six chapters and Janssen read seven chapters. It took about three hours to complete the reading.

A few hours after her reading, one of the congregation members said to me, Johnny, that was the greatest spiritual experience Ive had in 30 years. Reading those chapters aloud for 30 minutes was more influential than 30 years being in church. She got to see the bigger picture and see how the story flowed together, and that was so meaningful for her, Janssen explained.

On Maundy Thursday (April 6), six volunteers at St. John Lutheran Church in Cedar Falls, read Acts 11 through 1 Corinthians 9. Each person read for 30 minutes each, said the Rev. Brian Julin-McCleary.

His congregation enjoys collaborating with other congregations, a big draw for participating in the Holy Week project. I appreciate the ingenuity and creativity of the idea. It was cool to put together and a great demonstration that everybody can read the Bible, and its something we can do together, the senior pastor said.

Pronouncing some Biblical names can be challenging, particularly when reading aloud, Julin-McCleary noted, but the readers opened themselves up. Its OK to take a risk, to be imperfect.

On Good Friday, the Rev. Abraham Funchess gathered readers from his Jubilee UMC Freedom Center congregation to read 1 Corinthians 10 through Titus. On Saturday, the Rev. Darrell White, lead pastor at Cedar Valley Church in Waterloo, and his congregation completed the New Testament reading with Philemon through the book of Revelation.

The Holy Week readings sent a powerful message, and how the readings fell on the appropriate days  Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, it felt like the stars were aligned for us, Janssen said.

Most of the churches live-streamed their readings which can be accessed at their individual websites. Readings also are available at www.youtube.com/@HolyWeekinTheCedarValley-fj9qm.
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DES MOINES  The Iowa Attorney Generals Office has paused its practice of paying for emergency contraception  and in rare cases, abortions  for victims of sexual assault, a move that drew criticism from some victim advocates.

Federal regulations and state law require Iowa to pay many of the expenses for sexual assault victims who seek medical help, such as the costs of forensic exams and treatment for sexually transmitted infections. Under the previous attorney general, Democrat Tom Miller, Iowas victim compensation fund also paid for Plan B, the so-called morning after pill, as well as other treatments to prevent pregnancy.

A spokeswoman for Republican Attorney General Brenna Bird, who defeated Millers bid for an 11th term in November, told the Des Moines Register that those payments are now on hold as part of a review of victim services.

As a part of her top-down, bottom-up audit of victim assistance, Attorney General Bird is carefully evaluating whether this is an appropriate use of public funds, Bird Press Secretary Alyssa Brouillet said in a statement. Until that review is complete, payment of these pending claims will be delayed.

Victim advocates were caught off guard by the pause. Ruth Richardson, CEO of Planned Parenthood North Central States, said in a statement that the move was deplorable and reprehensible.

Birds decision comes as access to the most commonly used method of abortion in the U.S. plunged into uncertainty following conflicting court rulings on Friday over the legality of the abortion medication mifepristone. For now, the drug the Food and Drug Administration approved in 2000 appeared to remain at least immediately available in the wake of separate rulings issued in quick succession.

U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in Texas, an appointee of former President Donald Trump, ordered a hold on federal approval of mifepristone. But that decision came at nearly the same time that U.S. District Judge Thomas O. Rice in Washington, D.C., an appointee of former President Barack Obama, essentially ordered the opposite.

The extraordinary timing of the competing orders revealed the high stakes surrounding the drug nearly a year after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and curtailed access to abortion across the country. President Joe Biden said his administration would fight the Texas ruling.

In Iowa, money for the victim compensation fund comes from fines and penalties paid by convicted criminals. For sexual assault victims, state law requires that the fund pay the cost of a medical examination of a victim for the purpose of gathering evidence and the cost of treatment of a victim for the purpose of preventing venereal disease, but makes no mention of contraception or pregnancy risk.

Sandi Tibbetts Murphy, who served as director of the victim assistance division under Miller, said the longtime policy for Iowa has been to include the cost of emergency contraception in the expenses covered by the fund.

She said that in rare cases, the fund paid for abortions for rape victims.

My concern is for the victims of sexual assault, who, with no real notice, are now finding themselves either unable to access needed treatment and services, or are now being forced to pay out of their own pocket for those services, when this was done at no fault of their own, she said.
EVANSDALE  In its heyday, the Pony Express fundraiser for Easterseals Iowa & Camp Sunnyside could count on around a dozen riders and horses making the trip across Northeast Iowa.

This year, there were no guests riding into Black Hawk County, no ponies and few volunteers. But there was one volunteer on the final stretch of the journey who wouldnt have missed it for the world.

Held every year on Easter weekend to raise funds for Easterseals Iowa & Camp Sunnyside, a camp in Des Moines for children with disabilities, the route goes from Calmar to Evansdale then into Waterloo and Hudson. However, Past President Darrell Ludwig said its become increasingly difficult to find volunteers and horses in recent years, resulting in a ponyless Pony Express.

We have normally had 12 to 15 horses and riders here along with  a horse-drawn trolley cart, Ludwig said. And because of the fact there are not as many horses as there used to be and different things just didnt happen this year, its the first year Ive never had at least one horse here.

What Pony Express did have was retired John Deere engineer and longtime volunteer Larry Scura. Despite being born with cerebral palsy, Scura, 79, has been a part of the Pony Express team for 44 years. This year, a neck surgery kept him off his horse, but he wasnt about to miss out on a chance to participate in any way that he could. With the saddle out of the question, he opted to ride shotgun in his van.

Growing up in upstate New York, Scura struggled with the symptoms of his condition. But while working in Virginia, he took up horseback riding. It was an experience that changed his life.

I learned to do a lot more things with my hands, and my tremors reduced quite a bit, Scura. And I was much more comfortable doing other things.

The lessons encouraged Scura to buy his first horse, and more than 50 years later hes still riding. While the tremors have lessened, they remain a reality in his life, which can confuse a horse when hes hold the reins. He compensates by riding with a special bridle that goes around the horses face instead of in its mouth, allowing him to guide the horse without confusing it.

Scura brought his love of horses with him to Iowa, and when he found out about Camp Sunnyside he saw a way to use his passion to give children the opportunities he never had.

I did not grow up in Iowa, and basically I never had a camp like Camp Sunnyside to go to when I was a child, and I saw the facilities at Camp Sunnyside and it just blew me away, Scura said. And I heard about Pony Express and what it could mean to all these Iowa people, and my greatest honor then was to ride my horse for the people less fortunate than I am.

Past President Bill Ludwig  Darrells son  has seen Scuras dedication firsthand.

Most of the horse people here know Larry, Bill said. Hes ridden horses for many years and is very much an influence to a lot of the people on  not making excuses on why you cant do so something.

While he couldnt ride horseback this year, Scura said he has clearance to try to riding again, meaning that hopefully next year, there will be at least one pony on the Pony Express ride.

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WAVERLY  The Waverly Chamber of Commerce held its 47th annual Awards Celebration on March 30 at Wartburg Colleges Saemann Student Center to recognize the recipients and celebrate the years accomplishments.

Chamber of Commerce Main Street Executive Director Travis Toliver welcomed almost 120 attendees from Waverlys business community to the event before introducing 2022 Board Chair Chris Knudson, who highlighted the chambers achievements over the past year and talked about the organizations new strategic plan.

2023 Board Chair Kristin Vowell also spoke about the organizations future under her leadership. Award recipients included:

Wartburg College Community Service Award: Don Meyer for his unexpected two terms as board chair for the Waverly Chamber Main Street Program and leading the organization through the COVID -19 pandemic.

Signs & Designs Distinguished Small Business Award: Thompson Shoes for their unprecedented 50 years of business in the Waverly community.

Waverly Health Center Distinguished Large Business Award: Nestle for the many years of dedication and service to both the Chamber and Waverly community

The United Equipment Accessories Distinguished Nonprofit Award: Waverly Health Center Foundation for their fundraising efforts to help with completing the Centers recent expansion project.

First Bank Lifetime Achievement Award: Dan McKenzie for his lifelong dedication to the community of Waverly.
BEIJING  Furious at U.S. efforts that cut off access to technology to make advanced computer chips, Chinas leaders appear to be struggling to figure out how to retaliate without hurting their own ambitions in telecoms, artificial intelligence and other industries.

President Xi Jinpings government sees the chips that are used in everything from phones to kitchen appliances to fighter jets as crucial assets in its strategic rivalry with Washington and efforts to gain wealth and global influence. Chips are the center of a technology war, a Chinese scientist wrote in an official journal in February.

China has its own chip foundries, but they supply only low-end processors used in autos and appliances. The U.S. government, starting under then-President Donald Trump, is cutting off access to a growing array of tools to make chips for computer servers, AI and other advanced applications. Japan and the Netherlands have joined in limiting access to technology they say might be used to make weapons.

Xi, in unusually pointed language, accused Washington in March of trying to block Chinas development with a campaign of containment and suppression. He called on the public to dare to fight.

Despite that, Beijing has been slow to retaliate against U.S. companies, possibly to avoid disrupting Chinese industries that assemble most of the world's smartphones, tablet computers and other consumer electronics. They import more than $300 billion worth of foreign chips every year.

The ruling Communist Party is throwing billions of dollars at trying to accelerate chip development and reduce the need for foreign technology.

Chinas loudest complaint: It is blocked from buying a machine available only from a Dutch company, ASML, that uses ultraviolet light to etch circuits into silicon chips on a scale measured in nanometers, or billionths of a meter. Without that, Chinese efforts to make transistors faster and more efficient by packing them more closely together on fingernail-size slivers of silicon are stalled.

Making processor chips requires some 1,500 steps and technologies owned by U.S., European, Japanese and other suppliers.

China wont swallow everything. If damage occurs, we must take action to protect ourselves, the Chinese ambassador to the Netherlands, Tan Jian, told the Dutch newspaper Financieele Dagblad.

Im not going to speculate on what that might be, Tan said. It wont just be harsh words.

The conflict has prompted warnings the world might decouple, or split into separate spheres with incompatible technology standards that mean computers, smartphones and other products from one region wouldnt work in others. That would raise costs and might slow innovation.

The bifurcation in technological and economic systems is deepening, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of Singapore said at an economic forum in China last month. This will impose a huge economic cost.

U.S.-Chinese relations are at their lowest level in decades due to disputes over security, Beijings treatment of Hong Kong and Muslim ethnic minorities, territorial disputes and Chinas multibillion-dollar trade surpluses.

Chinese industries will hit a wall in 2025 or 2026 if they cant get next-generation chips or the tools to make their own, said Handel Jones, a tech industry consultant.

China will start falling behind significantly, said Jones, CEO of International Business Strategies.

Beijing might have leverage, though, as the biggest source of batteries for electric vehicles, Jones said.

Chinese battery giant CATL supplies U.S. and Europe automakers. Ford Motor Co. plans to use CATL technology in a $3.5 billion battery factory in Michigan.

China will strike back, Jones said. What the public might see is China not giving the U.S. batteries for EVs.

Japan recently increased pressure on Beijing by joining Washington in imposing controls on exports of chipmaking equipment. The announcement didnt mention China, but the trade minister said Tokyo doesnt want its technology used for military purposes.

A Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman, Mao Ning, warned Japan that weaponizing sci-tech and trade issues would hurt others as well as oneself.

Hours later, the Chinese government announced an investigation of the biggest U.S. memory chip maker, Micron Technology Inc., a key supplier to Chinese factories. The Cyberspace Administration of China said it would look for national security threats in Microns technology and manufacturing but gave no details.

The Chinese military also needs semiconductors for its development of stealth fighter jets, cruise missiles and other weapons.

Chinese alarm grew after President Joe Biden in October expanded controls imposed by Trump on chip manufacturing technology. Biden also barred Americans from helping Chinese manufacturers with some processes.

To nurture Chinese suppliers, Xis government is stepping up support that industry experts say already amounts to as much as $30 billion a year in research grants and other subsidies.

Chinas biggest maker of memory chips, Yangtze Memory Technologies Corp., or YMTC, received a 49 billion yuan ($7 billion) infusion this year from two official funds, according to Tianyancha, a financial information provider.

One was the governments main investment vehicle, the China National Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund, known as the Big Fund. It was founded in 2014 with 139 billion yuan ($21 billion) and has invested in hundreds of companies.

The Big Fund launched a second entity, known as the Big Fund II, in 2019 with 200 billion yuan ($30 billion).

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DALLAS  The story was a blockbuster: A former Texas voting official was on the record detailing how nearly three decades earlier, votes were falsified to give then-congressman Lyndon B. Johnson a win that propelled the future president into the U.S. Senate.

The audio recordings from Associated Press reporter James W. Mangan's interviews for the 1977 story were recently posted on the LBJ Presidential Library and Museum's archival website, Discover LBJ. After Mangan's death in 2015 at the age of 87, his family found the labeled cassette tapes at his San Antonio home and donated them last summer to the library on the campus of the University at Texas at Austin.

Luis Salas, the former South Texas election judge, told Mangan for the story: Johnson did not win that election; It was stolen for him. And I know exactly how it was done.

The story, which made front pages across the country, pulled back the curtain on the razor-thin victory that had drawn suspicions ever since election officials in rural Jim Wells County announced the discovery of uncounted votes in a ballot box known as Box 13 in the days after the 1948 Democratic primary Senate runoff. And now, at a time when election fraud is rare but former President Donald Trump and his allies amplify baseless allegations blaming it for his 2020 loss, the tapes and story show what compelling evidence of actual fraud looks like.

Mangan's son, Peter, said listening to the tapes was like getting a little window into history."

On one cassette, he said, it sounds like his father is in his car, reciting what he'd just been told.

You can hear cars going by and hes kind of, you can tell hes a little excited, because I think he finally got the goods, Peter Mangan said.

Mark Lawrence, the library's director, said the recordings are deeply connected to one of the big mysteries and controversies thats hung around LBJ for decades. In a 1984 oral history that Salas gave to the library, he said one of the reasons he finally decided to talk was because he had been quite ill.

Mangan said in a 2008 AP story that as he worked to convince Salas to go on the record, he told him: If you die, history will never know what happened.

Lawrence said much is now known about Box 13, thanks to both Mangan's 1977 story and research done later by LBJ biographer Robert Caro, who essentially reaffirmed Mangan's story and built on it.

The kinds of irregularities we can see were at work in the 1948 Senate race in Texas were, I think its fair to say, pretty widespread across American history and all regions of the country to one extent or another but certainly in the South and along the Mexican borderlands, as recently as the 1940s, Lawrence said.

Salas told Mangan that the powerful South Texas political boss George B. Parr  who wielded control with favors and coercion  ordered that some 200 votes be added to Box 13. Salas said he then watched as the fraudulent votes were added in alphabetical order, with the names coming from people who hadnt voted in the election.

The new votes gave Johnson the primary victory over then-Gov. Coke Stevenson by an 87-vote margin. Johnson  subsequently bestowed with the nickname Landslide Lyndon  went on to easily defeat the Republican in the general election, long before the GOP became the dominant force in Texas politics.

Johnson, elected to the U.S. House in 1937, had run for U.S. Senate in 1941 and lost to then-Gov. Wilbert Lee Pappy O'Daniel in an election widely accepted by historians to have been corrupt, Lawrence said.

The standard story that gets told, and I think theres an awful lot to it, is that when LBJs second chance comes along in 1948, hes determined not to have the election stolen from him again," Lawrence said.

Lawrence said the 1948 Senate victory catapults" Johnson to national attention. Johnson became then-President John F. Kennedy's vice president and was sworn in as president Nov. 22, 1963, after Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. Johnson was elected president in 1964. He decided not to run again in 1968 and died of a heart attack in 1973 at the age of 64.

Lawrence said that while the Box 13 incident shows that LBJ was willing to do what he had to do to maintain political power," he was also a man who, when he had the opportunity, he was more inclined to act on principle. Lawrence noted Johnson's efforts to ensure that people were able to vote in fair and equitable elections.

In 1965, Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act, which outlawed practices designed to disenfranchise Black voters by banning literary tests and poll taxes. The act also gave the federal government the authority to take over voter registration in counties with a pattern of persistent racial discrimination, although that is no longer the case after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the requirement in 2013.

James Mangan retired from AP on Jan. 1, 1989, after a 36-year career with the company that took him to cities across the U.S. and to Europe. With each move, Peter Mangan said, his father held on to the Box 13 tapes.

He always kept these," he said, "so I know they must have been important to him.

Photos: US presidents and Queen Elizabeth II through the years
The concept of workers compensation did not originate in the United States, it arose in Germany in the second half of the 19th century under the leadership of Prussian Chancellor Otto von Bismark. It then spread across most of Europe as a consensus arose that if an employee was physically injured while working for their employer then he or she was entitled to monetary reimbursement. This theory did not reach our shores until the start of the 20th century and, it is fair to say, it was not well received.

The American workforce was found on the railroads, in tunnels mining silver, gold, coal, and in factories. None of these places were particularly safe, because safety was not the concern. The results were frequently serious injuries to the employees body. Denied a statutory remedy, those who worked for a living sought compensation in the courts. The workers sued and the employers defended, advancing three theories of why it was really the workers fault: First, he or she was careless (negligent) and caused the accident; a fellow employee caused the harm; and, lastly, the person knew it was dangerous when they took the job, and therefore assumed the risk.

These were good legal arguments, but unfortunately for the employers, these cases were tried in the mining towns, communities where railroads were important to the local economy, or places where factories were located. The fellow workers and their families were far more sympathetic to the injured than to the owner. Lawyers like Clarence Darrow, he of the Scopes Monkey Trial fame, and many others made it readily apparent, by obtaining large damage verdicts, that maybe an organized system of compensation would be better. Insurance carriers like The Hartford slowly convinced state legislatures to adopt workers compensation statutes. The law we have today was based on this foundation.

In recent years our Legislature has undertaken to reform the so-called work comp rules by making recovery for certain injuries worth less in value. For example, line workers in the meat processing industry often develop problems with their shoulders. The solution was not to stop the injuries, but to make the damage worth less. Lump sum settlements rather than periodic payments were allowed, but for all practical purposes, those have been eliminated. Damages will be paid in dribbles rather than forward passes. Still, the framework is there, and what has been changed can be restored in future.

But weakening work comp laws and making unemployment compensation harder to obtain has not, for some unknown reason, convinced workers to stay in the state or new workers to arrive. We face a problem of worker shortage, and we have a new solution to address this situation. We will put our children to work by changing child labor laws. Under a proposal the Legislature is considering, children 14 years of age and older could go to work in our factories, replace their mothers and fathers as waiters, hotel clerks or other similar positions. They will be allowed to work up to 30 hours a week, which with 40 hours in school, will require 70 hours a week to be both the student and the factory worker.

Here is an even bigger bonus: They will be designated as trainees, which means their wages can be less than what the adult working next to them is earning. Even more important to this development is that the employer will not have to cover them with workers compensation insurance or health insurance. If a child is injured it will be up to his parents to cover the medical expenses. If the youngster suffers a serious and life-altering injury, so be it. Life is hard, and it is important children learn that at a young age.

The governor and the Republican Legislature have promised to change the face of Iowa, and our children working in factories certainly will do that. For myself, I always wondered where they got the title for the movie that was made about the Scopes Monkey Trail. Turns out it was based on Proverbs 11:29, which states: Those who trouble their household inherit the wind, and fools become slaves to the wise of heart.
Weather Alert

.Near record high temperatures Thursday through Sunday will bring significant streamflow rises, especially for snow covered terrain below about 8000 feet. Rises will likely increase daily through the weekend following a diurnal melt cycle with the highest flows often in the evenings and overnight. ...FLOOD WATCH FOR SNOWMELT IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH MONDAY MORNING... * WHAT...Flooding caused by snowmelt is possible. * WHERE...Portions of California and western Nevada, including the following areas, in California, Greater Lake Tahoe Area, Lassen-Eastern Plumas-Eastern Sierra Counties, Mono County and Surprise Valley California. In western Nevada, Greater Lake Tahoe Area, Greater Reno-Carson City-Minden Area and Mineral and Southern Lyon Counties. * WHEN...From Thursday afternoon through Monday morning. * IMPACTS...Creeks and streams will be running high and fast. Low-water crossings may be flooded. Minor mainstem flooding is currently forecast along the Forks of the Carson River beginning late Friday. The Susan and Walker Rivers will also need to be closely monitored as flooding cannot be ruled out. Anyone participating in outdoor recreation this weekend should use caution as water will be running high, fast, and potentially out of banks for some creeks and streams. The water will be extremely cold as well, quickly causing shock. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS... - http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... You should monitor later forecasts and be alert for possible Flood Warnings. Those living in areas prone to flooding should be prepared to take action should flooding develop. &&
The following is an edited excerpt from a longer story: Devastation lingers one year since spark that lit Hermits Peak blaze

Antonio Lovato, a volunteer firefighter in Ledoux  a small community in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of northern New Mexico  remembers the explosions.

It was late April 2022, and the Calf Canyon/Hermits Peak Fire raced 15 miles over the course of a day. The blaze would eventually become the largest in New Mexicos history.

The wind blew over the mountain, Lovato said, and day turned into night. The sky just turned black, the wind, the smoke  you could just hear  the propane tanks blowing up.

Lovato said at the time much of the communitys firefighting resources were battling the Cooks Peak blaze, another fire that ravaged northern New Mexico last spring.

You could just see the fire coming down the mountain, just creeping toward the houses, he said.

It was the beginning of an exhausting few weeks for Lovato, assistant chief at the Ledoux Volunteer Fire Department, and his daughter, Krystle Garcia, who also works for the department.

It was total chaos  like the world was ending, Lovato said.

State Police went door to door telling people to evacuate.

There were some people who just left without anything, Garcia said.

As firefighters, she and Lovato sprayed water on homes and cared for animals left behind.

The experience gave them an unusual perspective. They helped fight the fire but  unlike out-of-state crews  now live with its aftermath.

Aid has been slow to reach their community, they said, and whats come in so far is nowhere near whats needed.

Its just disheartening to see how little has been done to this point, Garcia said.

Garcia, a Mora County employee, said she is taking a grant-writing class as she aims to help small communities like hers compete for resources against better-funded cities and counties.

Some residents, Garcia said, remain on edge as New Mexico enters another fire season  afraid even to warm themselves by burning wood in a stove or fireplace.

Another round of fire and flooding is on the forefront of everyones mind, for sure, Garcia said. Theres still that anxiety that lingers.
CATCHES OF THE WEEK

Alex Hernandez of Hobbs caught a 5.35-pound walleye at Brantley Lake using a chatterbait April 1.

At Cochiti Lake, Aaron Keske of Taos caught a 6.38-pound largemouth bass using an 8-inch swimbait April 1.  Ensley Aguilar of Kewa Pueblo caught two pike over 30 inches long using a gizzard shad-pattern swimbait April 1.  Nicole Geba of Batangas, Philippines, caught and released an 18-inch smallmouth bass using a blue Googan jerkbait March 29.  Tom Gutierrez of Albuquerque caught a 34-inch pike using a hot dog March 29.  Joseph Miera of Albuquerque caught and released a 16-inch walleye using a Rapala lure March 28.

Mario Garcia of Rio Rancho caught a 20-inch rainbow trout at Morphy Lake using worms April 2.

Josiah Sedillo of Algodones caught a 24-inch, 6-pound brown trout at Santa Cruz Reservoir using green garlic PowerBait on March 25.

Eric Chavez of Albuquerque caught two 15-inch walleye at Santa Rosa Lake using 5-inch, curly tail grubs March 25.

At Tingley Beach, Kace Jaxon, 3, of Albuquerque caught his first fish, a 15-inch rainbow trout, using turbo dough PowerBait on March 29.  Cruz Martinez, 10, of Albuquerque caught a 17-inch rainbow trout using a spinner March 22.

If you have a catch of the week story, send it to funfishingnm@gmail.com.

NOTES FROM GAME & FISH

Northeast fishing report

Cabresto Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Charette Lakes had no reports from anglers this week.

Streamflow on the Cimarron River near Cimarron on Monday morning was 5 cubic feet per second (cfs).

Fishing for trout at Clayton Lake good using worms and PowerBait. Fishing for walleye was fair using curly-tail grubs and crankbaits.

Conchas Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

At the Costilla Creek, the Valle Vidal is closed to fishing until July.

Cowles Ponds had no reports from anglers this week.

Coyote Creek had no reports from anglers this week.

Eagle Nest Lake is open to shore fishing and is closed to all watercrafts including canoes, kayaks, inflatables and all types of motorboats. For updated lake conditions, visit the parks webpage or call the park office at 575-377-1594.

Eagle Rock Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

National Forest closures have been in place restricting fishing access on the Gallinas River. Visit the Santa Fe National Forest webpage or call the Santa Fe National Forest office at 505-438-5300 for the latest closure information.

Hopewell Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Lake Alice is closed due to unsafe ice conditions.

Lake Maloya had no reports from anglers this week.

Los Pinos River had no reports from anglers this week.

Maxwell Lake 13 had no reports from anglers this week.

Monastery Lake had no reports from anglers this week. The Benedictine Monastery Lake is part of the Departments Open Gate Program. Please visit our website for more information about this property.

Fishing for trout at Morphy Lake was good using pink-lemonade PowerBait, worms and Thomas spoons.

Streamflow on the Pecos River near Pecos on Monday morning was 116 cfs. Fishing for trout was fair to good using streamer flies and worms.

Streamflow on the Red River below the Red River Hatchery on Monday morning was 49 cfs.

Streamflow on the Rio Grande below the Taos Junction Bridge on Monday morning was 510 cfs. Fishing for trout was fair using Panther Martin spinners and nightcrawler worms. Fishing for pike was slow to fair using brown trout-pattern lures and Woolly Bugger flies south of Pilar.

Streamflow on the Rio Hondo near Valdez on Monday morning was 20 cfs.

Streamflow on the Rio Mora near Terrero on Monday morning was not measured due to ice.

Streamflow on the Rio Pueblo near Penasco on Monday morning was not measured due to ice. Fishing for trout was good using pink and purple nymph flies.

Fishing for trout at the Santa Cruz Reservoir was good using green garlic PowerBait and Pistol Pete spinner flies.

Shuree Ponds is closed to fishing until July.

Springer Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Storrie Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Stubblefield Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for walleye at Ute Lake was good using suspending Smithwick Rogue lures, Rapala X Rap jerkbaits and Keitech swimbaits. Fishing for white bass was good using 6-to-10 foot diving Bomber Model A lures and Bandit 200 and 300 model lures. Fishing for smallmouth and largemouth bass was fair using Strike King crankbaits, Bandit 100s, vibrating jigs and spinnerbaits. Fishing for crappie was fair to good using live minnows in 15-20 feet of water. The main lake water surface temperature was in the low 50s, and the water was clear.

Northwest fishing report

Abiquiu Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Streamflow on the Animas River below Aztec on Monday morning was 349 cfs.

Albuquerque Area Drains had no reports from anglers this week.

Bluewater Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Brazos River had no reports from anglers this week.

Canjilon Lakes had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for pike at Cochiti Lake was good using gizzard shad-pattern swimbaits, lipless crankbaits and 8-inch swimbaits, jerkbaits and hotdogs. Fishing for walleye was fair using Rapala lures. Fishing for smallmouth and largemouth bass was fair to good using jerkbaits and swimbaits. Fishing for catfish was good using cut carp bait.

El Vado Lake is closed due to dam construction project. For more information, visit El Vado Lake State Parks webpage or call 575-588-7247.

Due to deteriorating and dangerous ice conditions, Fenton Lake is now closed for ice fishing. Going onto the ice or throwing objects onto the ice is strictly prohibited. The park will remain open for day use and camping. For updated lake conditions, visit the parks webpage or call the park office at 575-829-3630.

The city is in the final stages of repairs at Grants Riverwalk Pond and stocking will resume soon.

Heron Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

At the Jemez Waters, streamflow near Jemez on Monday morning was 174 cfs. Due to the rising popularity of fishing in Valles Caldera National Preserve, the National Park Service will begin charging a fee for its fishing permits starting April 1 to support the management of its fishing program. The new fee schedule will be $20 for an annual pass ($10 for youth 12-17) and $5 for a 7-day pass ($3 for youth 12-17). A State of New Mexico fishing license is also required to fish within Valles Caldera. For more information visit nps.gov/vall.

Laguna del Campo had no reports from anglers this week.

Lagunitas Lakes had no reports from anglers this week.

Lake Farmington had no reports from anglers this week.

Stocking efforts have been suspended at McGaffey Lake due to extremely low water levels and unstable ground conditions. Lake conditions will be monitored and stocking will resume once conditions improve.

Fishing for pike at Navajo Lake was fair using large streamer flies and jerkbaits.

Streamflow on the Rio Chama below El Vado Lake on Monday morning was 405 cfs; streamflow below Abiquiu Lake Monday morning was 204 cfs. Anglers reported the water clarity below El Vado Lake was murky. Fishing for trout below Abiquiu Lake was good using Panther Martin spinners. Please remember, from the river-crossing bridge on U.S. Highway 84 at Abiquiu upstream 7 miles to the base of Abiquiu Dam is special trout waters with a bag limit of two trout only.

Rio Grande had no reports from anglers this week.

Riverside Park Pond (Aztec Pond #1) had no reports from anglers this week.

San Gregorio Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Streamflow on the San Juan River near Archuleta on Monday morning was 284 cfs. Fishing for trout in the quality waters was slow to fair using San Juan worm flies, leech-pattern flies and red annelid flies. Fishing for trout in the bait waters was fair using orange PowerBait.

Fishing for trout at Seven Springs Brood Pond was fair to good using PowerBait.

Tiger Park Reservoir had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for trout at Tingley Beach was fair to good using Turbo Dough PowerBait, spinners and pink-cheese PowerBait. Fishing for trout in the catch-and-release pond was good using midge-pattern flies.

Trout Lakes had no reports from anglers this week.

Southwest fishing report

Fishing for trout at Alumni Pond was fair to good using salmon eggs, Velveeta cheese, salmon-peach PowerBait and black midge flies. Fishing for bass was fair to good using white lures and small spinners.

Bear Canyon Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

The department is conducting a boater and angler improvement project at Bill Evans Lake from February to April. Improvements include the installation of a new concrete boat ramp and dock; improvements to the existing boat ramp; the installation of rock, fishing jetties; road improvements; and re-grading the north camping access area. Anglers should expect road and lake closures during construction. For current conditions, contact the departments Fisheries Management Division at 505-476-8055. Anglers are encouraged to visit surrounding lakes such as Bear Canyon Lake, Lake Roberts and Trees Lake for alternate fishing locations.

Fishing for catfish at Caballo Lake was good using cut bait. Fishing for walleye was fair to good using crankbaits.

Fishing for largemouth bass and smallmouth bass at Elephant Butte Lake was good using shad-pattern jerkbaits, square-billed crankbaits and silver-and-blue Rapala lures. Fishing for white bass was fair to good using small, chartreuse jig heads with soft plastic baits. Fishing for crappie was good using small, dark-colored jigs and live minnows. Fishing for catfish was good using live minnows and cut bait.

Escondida Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for trout at Estancia Park Lake was fair using PowerBait.

Streamflow on the Gila River near Gila on Monday morning was 379 cfs.

Fishing for trout at Glenwood Pond was good using salmon eggs and orange PowerBait.

Fishing for trout at Lake Roberts was good using rainbow-pattern spoons, yellow-and-black Panther Martin spinners, crawdad-pattern lures and nymph flies from a boat. Fishing for trout was fair to good using cheese PowerBait from the shore.

Percha Dam had no reports from anglers this week.

Quemado Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for all species was slow at Rancho Grande Ponds.

Streamflow on the Rio Grande below Elephant Butte Dam on Monday morning was 0 cfs. Fishing for walleye was fair to good using cut bait near Elephant Butte Lake.

Snow Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for trout at Trees Lake was good using PowerBait and worms.

Fishing for trout at Young Pond was fair to good using salmon eggs, Velveeta cheese, corn, salmon-peach PowerBait and black midge flies.

Southeast fishing report

Fishing for trout at Alto Lake was good using PowerBait.

Bataan Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Please visit the Open Gate webpage for more information on Berrendo Creek.

Streamflow on the Black River at Malaga on Monday morning was 10 cfs.

Blue Hole Park Pond had no reports from anglers this week.

Bonito Lake is closed until further notice by the City of Alamogordo due to fire damage.

Bosque Redondo Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for trout at Bottomless Lakes was fair to good using green PowerBait.

Fishing for walleye at Brantley Lake was fair to good using chatterbaits.

Fishing for trout at Carlsbad Municipal Lake was fair to good using lime-green PowerBait.

Chaparral Park Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Corona Pond had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for trout at Eunice Lake was fair to good using corn-flavored PowerBait.

Fishing for trout at Green Meadow Lake was good using worms fished beneath a bobber.

Greene Acres Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for trout at Grindstone Reservoir was good using garlic PowerBait and salmon-peach PowerBait.

Fishing for trout at Harry McAdams Park Pond was good using homemade dough bait. Fishing for bass was fair to good using purple, plastic worms and creature baits.

Fishing for trout at Lake Van was good using PowerBait.

Fishing for trout at Ned Houk Ponds was good using salmon-peach PowerBait.

Fishing for trout at Oasis Park Lake was good using PowerBait.

Streamflow on the Pecos River below Sumner Lake on Monday morning was 96 cfs.

Perch Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Rio Bonito had no reports from anglers this week.

Streamflow on the Rio Ruidoso at Hollywood on Monday morning was 35 cfs.

Rock Lake Hatchery Kids Pond had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for walleye at Santa Rosa Lake was fair to good using 5-inch curly tail grubs.

Sumner Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Timberon Ponds had no reports from anglers this week.
Tom Anstiss knows it takes work to tell a good story.

As the executive producer of My Grandparents War, he and his crew come together to tell the personal stories of some of the most dramatic moments of World War II.

The series returns for a second season at 8 p.m. Tuesday, April 11, on New Mexico PBS, channel 5.1. The four-part series airs Tuesdays through May 2.

My Grandparents War takes a fascinating journey into the past to understand the extraordinary impact of global conflict on the families of four British international stars.

Kit Harington, Keira Knightley, Toby Jones and Emeli Sande each host an episode that explores their familys unique stories.

Anstiss worked on the second season for more than a year. He says the most difficult part of the series is locking down the talent to interview.

Anstiss worked on the second season for more than a year.

He says the impetus behind the series came from a personal place as well as marking the 80th anniversary of World War II.

My own grandfather served and never talked about it, Anstiss says. It wasnt until he passed away that we discovered letters and it felt very universal. This was the last truly global war and it felt like an accessible way to explore history. I think many of us have special relationships with our grandparents, but we dont know everything about their lives.

Anstiss was surprised most by Haringtons family story.

The actor has been cast as a soldier, a spy and, in Game of Thrones, a warrior, discovers that his grandparents played comparable roles in their real lives during World War II.

His maternal grandparents, Mick and Pippa Catesby, fell in love during a bombing raid in a hospital where she was a nurse and he was a patient. Awarded a military cross for bravery, Captain Catesby never talked about his experiences.

His paternal grandparents, John and Lavender Harington, were stationed in the Caribbean, where they met and then married a few days later. John Harington served in the British Intelligence Services, keeping an eye on Edward, the Duke of Windsor, who was the former king of England and a rumored Nazi sympathizer.

Harington is delighted to learn author Ian Fleming was also serving in Jamaica at the time, and speculates that perhaps his grandfather might even have inspired the character of James Bond.

Im so proud of all four of my grandparents, says Kit Harington. Across the globe, they put their lives on the line during World War II. There was a huge war effort on their part, what they risked. And they did it for a greater good for their country and for a cause.

Anstiss says the story arc follows the talents grandparents.

With Kit, we had really tough choices because he had four grandparents that all were involved in the war, Anstiss says. There was so much to choose from but we were able to capture an amazing story.

ON TV

The second season of My Grandparents War premieres at 8 p.m. Tuesday, April 11, on New Mexico PBS, channel 5.1
Sisterhood remains powerful in Lauren Gundersons The Revolutionists.

A story of wit, beauty and strong women set during the tumult of the French Revolution, the show is based on four powerful real-life women who took on that revolution during the 1793 Reign of Terror.

The play opens at the Adobe Theater on Friday, April 14, running on weekends through May 7.

The Reign of Terror was a period of the French Revolution when, following the creation of the First Republic, a series of massacres and numerous public executions took place in response to revolutionary fervor, anticlerical sentiment, and accusations of treason by the Committee of Public Safety.

Even though the four women never actually met, they were real and they included the playwright Olympe de Gouges, assassin Charlotte Corday, former queen Marie Antoinette and Haitian rebel Marianne Angelle (a composite of Haitian revolutionaries.)

The heroine Olympe de Gouges was also a social activist for causes like abolitionism and womens rights. She is best known for penning the pamphlet Declaration of the Rights of Woman and the Female Citizen.

She wanted to write a play about the revolution.

De Gouges was executed by guillotine for attacking the regime of the Revolutionary government.

She went before them with her Declaration of the Rights of Woman,  director Georgia Athearn said. She was watched after that. The generals arrested her for being sympathetic to Marie Antoinette.

De Gouges old friend Marianne Angelle is from the Caribbean, an activist for freedom from slavery. Marianne shows de Gouges little sympathy, saying, Being ripped from your country, stuffed in the belly of a ship, carted across the world and forced to break your back to make sugar for French pastries is a tragedy.

The two are joined by the soon-to-be-infamous Charlotte Corday, obsessed by her drive to kill the sick, fundamentalist, political pundit who has caused the deaths of thousands of innocent people, the journalist and politician Jean-Paul Marat.

She carries a knife.

The former queen wants a rewrite to correct the inflammatory accusations that scapegoated her for the failings of her husbands regime.

They all went to the guillotine around the same time, Athearn said, insisting this feminist play is at least partly comic.

All of the women enter as if in a dreamscape. Its part reality, fantasy and dream fugue, she said.

Its a comedy in that theyre brought together in a light way, Athearn continued, Yes, theres a guillotine, yes, theres death. But theyre brought together in a very feminine, sisterly way. The dialogue doesnt let you slip into deep drama. This is a universal story told in the heart and bodies of women.
Readers should move carefully but steadily through the book Nuclear Nuevo Mexico. No fear of radiation between the covers. Just an abundance of information to digest, with the dominant focus on Hispanics vis-a-vis Los Alamos.

During World War II the federal government created the top-secret Manhattan Project that developed the atomic bomb behind the fenced-in hilltop community renamed Los Alamos.

The book explains that the government used the power of eminent domain to take over the hilltop  Pajarito Plateau  for the wartime project, offering unfair or no compensation to homesteaders. That resulted in the eviction of Hispanic (Nuevomexicano) ranchers who grazed their cattle on the steep-canyon plateau and the Pueblo Indians who considered parts of it sacred land.

The author of the book is Myrriah Gomez, born and raised in El Rancho, an area in the Pojoaque Valley down the hill from Los Alamos. Valley residents worked on the project and many more worked at the subsequent Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Gomez writes that she has familial ties to the plateau. A great-grandfather was one of the 30 evicted ranchers and a number of other family members have worked at the lab. Two of them  a grandfather and a cousin  died of cancer because of their jobs at Los Alamos, Gomez contends in the books introduction.

She further states that starting in the 1940s, Los Alamos officials told Pojoaque Valley residents to bury contaminated everything in the Los Alamos canyon and nearby along the Rio Grande. The soil and the water that nuevomexicanas/os once used to irrigate crops is now polluted with toxic chemicals and remnants of nuclear materials.

Three of the five chapters deal with Los Alamos, including one about the TV series Manhattan. Gomez declares the show contained racist and sexualized portrayals of New Mexican women and place.

Chapter 4 (Environmental Racism in the Tularosa Basin) addresses the radioactive fallout from the first atmospheric atomic bomb test at Trinity Site in July 1945 and efforts by the Tularosa Basin Downwinders Consortium seeking government apology to the communities in and around the Trinity Site.

Chapter 5 takes the reader to southeastern New Mexico where, Gomez writes, a campaign led by Nuevomexicanas/os is still resisting the dumping of low-level transuranic waste at the Waste Isolation Pilot Project and is fighting a proposal by Holtec International to bring high-level nuclear waste to the Carlsbad/Lake Arthur area.

The books subtitle denotes an overarching subject  Colonialism and the Effects of the Nuclear Industrial Complex on Nuevomexicanos.

Actually, nuclear colonialism, not simply colonialism, is the books operative phrase. Gomez provides a centuries-long historical perspective: If Spanish colonialism brought Spanish colonizers and U.S. colonialism brought U.S. colonizers, then nuclear colonialism brought nuclear colonizers  scientists, military personnel, atomic bomb testing and nuclear waste among others.

She said in a phone interview that she starting doing research for the book in 2006 and continued on and off for the next 15 years. Her doctoral dissertation formed the basis of the book.

The book contains a number of concepts in English and some in Spanish that may be unfamiliar to readers. The ones in English are extensively defined. Those in Spanish are translated and defined; among these concepts are facultad, testimonio and querencia.

Gomez said she wrote the book with the general reader in mind. For the most part, she succeeds. However there are passages and obscure words that give the reader pause. Raise your hand if you know what a geographical palimpsest is. Historically, Los Alamos has been a geographical palimpsest, Gomez writes, noting the phrase can be described as a place that has shifted purposes over a vast period of time.

Part of a sentence in the introduction brings nuclear colonialism to the present:  New Mexico is now a cradle-to-grave nuclear industrial complex, where everything from uranium mining to nuclear waste repositories occupies this place 

The books conclusion encourages a call to action, asking scholars to find new voices about nuclear colonialism and activists to find new paths of resistance.

Gomez is an assistant professor in the University of New Mexicos Honors College. She considers herself a nuclear safety advocate.

The image on the front cover of the book is by Albuquerque artist Paloma Paz Nava.

Nuclear Nuevo Mexico. by Myrriah Gomez

Readers should move carefully but steadily through the book Nuclear Nuevo Mexico. No fear of radiation between the covers. Just an abundance of information to digest, with the dominant focus on Hispanics vis-A -vis Los Alamos.

During World War II the federal government created the top-secret Manhattan Project that developed the atomic bomb behind the fenced-in hilltop community renamed Los Alamos.

The book explains that the government used the power of eminent domain to take over the hilltop  Pajarito Plateau  for the wartime project, offering unfair or no compensation to homesteaders. That resulted in the eviction of Hispanic (Nuevomexicano) ranchers who grazed their cattle on the steep-canyon plateau and the Pueblo Indians who considered parts of it sacred land.

The author of the book is Myrriah Gomez, born and raised in El Rancho, an area in the Pojoaque Valley down the hill from Los Alamos. Valley residents worked on the project and many more worked at the subsequent Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Gomez writes that she has familial ties to the plateau. A great-grandfather was one of the 30 evicted ranchers and a number of other family members have worked at the lab. Two of them  a grandfather and a cousin  died of cancer because of their jobs at Los Alamos, Gomez contends in the books introduction.

She further states that starting in the 1940s, Los Alamos officials told Pojoaque Valley residents to bury contaminated everything in the Los Alamos canyon and nearby along the Rio Grande. The soil and the water that nuevomexicanas/os once used to irrigate crops is now polluted with toxic chemicals and remnants of nuclear materials.

Three of the five chapters deal with Los Alamos, including one about the TV series Manhattan. Gomez declares the show contained racist and sexualized portrayals of New Mexican women and place.

Chapter 4 (Environmental Racism in the Tularosa Basin) addresses the radioactive fallout from the first atmospheric atomic bomb test at Trinity Site in July 1945 and efforts by the Tularosa Basin Downwinders Consortium seeking government apology to the communities in and around the Trinity Site.

Chapter 5 takes the reader to southeastern New Mexico where, Gomez writes, a campaign led by Nuevomexicanas/os is still resisting the dumping of low-level transuranic waste at the Waste Isolation Pilot Project and is fighting a proposal by Holtec International to bring high-level nuclear waste to the Carlsbad/Lake Arthur area.

The books subtitle denotes an overarching subject  Colonialism and the Effects of the Nuclear Industrial Complex on Nuevomexicanos.

Actually, nuclear colonialism, not simply colonialism, is the books operative phrase. Gomez provides a centuries-long historical perspective: If Spanish colonialism brought Spanish colonizers and U.S. colonialism brought U.S. colonizers, then nuclear colonialism brought nuclear colonizers  scientists, military personnel, atomic bomb testing and nuclear waste among others.

She said in a phone interview that she starting doing research for the book in 2006 and continued on and off for the next 15 years. Her doctoral dissertation formed the basis of the book.

The book contains a number of concepts in English and some in Spanish that may be unfamiliar to readers. The ones in English are extensively defined. Those in Spanish are translated and defined; among these concepts are facultad, testimonio and querencia.

Gomez said she wrote the book with the general reader in mind. For the most part, she succeeds.

However there are passages and obscure words that give the reader pause. Raise your hand if you know what a geographical palimpsest is. Historically, Los Alamos has been a geographical palimpsest, Gomez writes, noting the phrase can be described as a place that has shifted purposes over a vast period of time.

Part of a sentence in the introduction brings nuclear colonialism to the present:  New Mexico is now a cradle-to-grave nuclear industrial complex, where everything from uranium mining to nuclear waste repositories occupies this place 

The books conclusion encourages a call to action, asking scholars to find new voices about nuclear colonialism and activists to find new paths of resistance.

Gomez is an assistant professor in the University of New Mexicos Honors College. She considers herself a nuclear safety advocate.

The image on the front cover of the book is by Albuquerque artist Paloma Paz Nava.
For nine years, the city of Albuquerque Police Department (APD) has been under the thumb of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) via a settlement agreement. Citizens of our city have paid an extraordinary price both in terms of the millions of dollars spent on federally mandated monitoring and overwhelming reforms to every aspect of how APD operates as well as the more tragic price of skyrocketing crime in the Duke City.

The DOJ settlement agreement micromanages APD: the word shall appears in it 630 times and applies in nearly every instance to APD. Moreover, the settlement agreement mandates bureaucracy, allocating responsibility to 11 different committees, boards or task forces. The agreement has resulted in such poor morale at APD that, despite a record budget and compensation, recruitment is so hard Mayor Tim Keller recently admitted the city will not hit its target number of police officers despite his promises during two campaigns. Meanwhile, homicides have hit record levels year after year, culminating in a high mark of 120 in 2022.

As DOJ dominance over APD continues to exacerbate the crisis of lawlessness in Albuquerque, citizens wonder in desperation whether our DOJ overlords will ever leave and let our community have its police department back. Sadly, a look at similar DOJ oversight of other law enforcement organizations around the United States suggests the end may never come.

Over the past three decades, the DOJ has conducted more than 70 investigations of local police departments, and many of those investigations have resulted in agreements like that in place in Albuquerque. Oakland, California, leads the pack with DOJ oversight that has been in place for 20 years. Seattle is at 11 years  check out the YouTube documentary Seattle is Dying. New Orleans is at 10 years.

Each of the long-suffering communities under DOJ supervision has something in common: Their government leaders have perpetually sought to appease the DOJ through continual concessions regarding their police operations. Albuquerque itself has amended its settlement agreement with DOJ nine times. But these cities, including Albuquerque, never challenged the DOJ investigation results in court. Albuquerque did not even make the DOJ file a lawsuit; the city just threw up its hands and abdicated control of APD.

Meanwhile, Maricopa County, Arizona, pushed back against the DOJ and ended up with a settlement agreement that never yielded control.

It is time for Albuquerque to push back, too. A mechanism exists in the current agreement: Section 343 lets the city motion the court when it determines it is in full and effective compliance with the agreement. Absent the DOJs concurrence with that motion, perhaps the court will agree with the city. Or maybe an appellate court, all the way through the United States Supreme Court, will agree. Our leaders owe it to our citizens to try. Beyond those measures, the city could simply ignore the agreement and let DOJ take over our police department. The city and our county could then simply terminate our funding of APD and turn over all law enforcement responsibility and APDs former budget to the Bernalillo County Sheriffs Department, which is not subject to a federal overlord but instead, rightly, is governed by the people it serves.
On Feb. 12, just two days after the creation of the University Area Command, officer Calabaza noticed a vehicle in an area near University and Gibson boulevards SE. Calabaza discovered the vehicle was involved in an incident one day prior where the driver attempted to run over an Isleta Police officer. Calabaza initiated a high-risk traffic stop and successfully arrested two occupants of the vehicle.

Officers obtained a search warrant for the vehicle and discovered two firearms, 91 fentanyl pills, 6 Alazopram pills and methamphetamine.With the establishment of the University Area Command, officers were assigned to the area where the officer witnessed the vehicle. Without the separation of the two area commands this vehicle would have most likely never been located, and the criminals involved in this incident would still have the ability to victimize the community.

For years the Southeast Area Command has taken a massive portion of the city from Interstate 25 east to Eubank, Interstate 40 south to the city limits  which is why Mayor Tim Keller and Chief of Police Harold Medina moved to separate the Southeast Area Command into two area commands.

The split of the Southeast Area Command provides officers working west of San Mateo in the new University Area Command an opportunity for more proactive policing and community engagement. Often residents in the University area experienced longer-than-normal police response times due to how busy the Southeast Area Command was, which prompted the pilot project. The Southeast will now be separated down San Mateo Boulevard. The University Area Command will consist of the area from I-25 to San Mateo, I-40 to Mesa del Sol. The area is approximately 30 square miles and encompasses the University of New Mexico main campus, University of New Mexico Hospital, Central New Mexico Community College, Presbyterian Hospital, Isotopes Park, the PIT, and many other amazing Albuquerque destinations.

APD and UNM collaborated to bring the University Area Command its police substation. The substation will be at 1009 Bradbury SE and be a fully functional police substation. Those who live and work in the area can come by to file a police report, citizen complaint or any other law enforcement-related concern.
In New Mexico, our fiscal house has been fueled by oil and gas. This resource was pumped out from underneath our feet and is part of the structure. It put a lot of people to work and helped put a roof over our heads  but now the foundation is unsteady. The ceiling is sagging, the floors are sloped, and the walls are full of chemicals. So, when it comes time to renovate, what should we do: tack on an oily addition? Or get out our tools and fix the underlying issues?

With a historic budget surplus, New Mexico has the opportunity to rebuild our house  and a hearing happening April 12 could jumpstart construction. Through the Opportunity Enterprise Fund there is now $70 million available to increase economic activity in the state by providing financing for new or existing commercial facilities to attract businesses to New Mexico communities and allow existing businesses to expand their operations. In other words, its an opportunity to roll up our sleeves and build out a new structure  one that opens new doors to a thriving and resilient economy for all New Mexicans.

The people in charge of how this money gets used form the Opportunity Enterprise Review Board (OERB), a 12-member body that is designing the application process, creating rules and choosing which projects to fund. This Wednesday, the board will meet to make these decisions, which include choosing whether or not to review a projects environmental impact, its community benefits including agreements with local workers and its potential to diversify the state economy before funding it with taxpayer money.

In deciding how to roll out this fund, the OERB has the opportunity to repair some of the cracks in New Mexicos foundation and weatherize our house for the storms, and the sunshine, ahead. With the right definitions and guidelines in place, the board can help refurbish the financial ecosystem for New Mexicos future. Without them, they risk letting our house crumble. Our state has an unprecedented budget this year partly due to oil and gas revenues, but this is a tipping point.

Financial experts, energy agencies and our Economic Development Department have been warning for years that our dependence on the oil and gas sector for revenue is a dangerous long-term strategy. The state may be overestimating its 15-year projected revenue by $26 billion to $36 billion according to a report released by PFM Group Consulting in January. Since 2020 alone, New Mexico has experienced a sped-up version of the typical boom-and-bust cycle of oil and gas, with crude prices swinging from $115 a barrel to -$38 a barrel. The states economic diversification plan recognizes this, saying, In the long run, as the world transitions from fossil fuel to renewable energy, the need for New Mexico to develop new drivers of economic growth will become ever-more urgent. This plan emphasizes that environmentally sustainable development is a key driver for economic growth and lays out a 20-year strategy for diversifying New Mexicos economy away from its over-reliance on oil and gas.

How the state uses economic development funds, like the opportunity enterprise revolving fund, must align with this strategy. In designing the application and review process for which projects to fund, the OERB has the power to help secure the states jobs base and long-term fiscal health, protect its environment and expand resources to historically disadvantaged individuals and communities. With these common goals, we can shore up our foundation, put lots of people to work fixing the cracks, and open new doors all over our beautiful state.

We urge the Opportunity Enterprise Review Board to build for New Mexicos future by adopting policies that prioritize economic diversification, strengthen our economy and provide our families shelter for many generations to come.
Access to pre-K education in New Mexico will grow by 40%, were told. Taxpayers have been promised more than $110 million of new early childhood education state funding will expand the number of seats for children in pre-K classrooms, increase the number of instructional hours in some programs and bump the pay for early childhood workers.

And more broadband connectivity is on the way as well. New Mexico has received $40 million of federal grants for rural broadband projects, we learned last week.

But what is the actual return on investment for either? Every single year New Mexico school districts return between $2 million and $4 million in pre-K funding because the demand was just not there. And a 2020 Legislative Finance Committee report found not one of the states nine broadband goals of 2014 had been completely achieved despite the influx of public dollars. LFC analysts said the state and federal governments had funded about $325 million in broadband projects in New Mexico over a recent four-year period but it was hard to track the money and ensure accountability.

We certainly do not need a repeat of either.

Pre-K

The more than $110 million annually in new pre-K funding comes from a disingenuously written, voter-approved constitutional amendment that increases distributions from the Land Grant Permanent Fund. Lawmakers can throw all the money they want at early childhood education, but that doesnt mean programs will actually be available. About 15,700 N.M. children currently get pre-K services, which take infrastructure and staffing, as well as parental interest. Early Childhood Secretary Elizabeth Groginsky said at a news conference Tuesday we need 600 to 800 more childcare professionals to be able to grow pre-K access by 40%. Yet last year the state was begging for volunteers from the National Guard to work in child care.

Grants providing financial support to college students pursuing early childhood degrees and planned pay increases for early childhood education workers may help, but weve got a long way to go before we have a pre-K seat for every child under 5.

And that doesnt answer the question of whether every family wants/needs a seat. As we have argued before, there are only around 24,000 4-year-olds in New Mexico. Many are already in federally funded Head Start programs. Many are in private programs that get state funding from the Children, Youth and Families Department. (In fact many more kids in Farmington and Los Lunas go to Head Start or CYFD pre-K than state pre-K). Many are in programs in churches, homes and private businesses that families are able to pay for. And not every family believes their child needs pre-K.

So it is essential Groginsky and company are transparent with where this $110 million goes each year, and how many children it serves.

Broadband

Meanwhile, the $40 million of federal broadband grants announced last week will fund just three projects: Western New Mexico Telephone Company Inc. will get $24 million to provide high-speed internet to 206 people, five businesses and five farms in Catron County; Penasco Valley Telephone Cooperative Inc. will get $13.9 million to provide high-speed internet to 550 people, 11 businesses and 48 farms in Chaves, Eddy, Lincoln and Otero counties; and E.N.M.R. Telephone Cooperative will get $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.

As Martin Leahy of Rio Rancho notes in a letter to the editor Saturday, the $40 million will fund a little over 850 broadband connections, amounting to almost $47,000 per connection  costs per connection that could never be replicated on a wide scale. And letter writer Robert Trapp of Espanola adds its great if youre one of those 27 people in eastern New Mexico, but what is the true cost?

It also begs the question of whether we are spending money on technology that could be outdated in a few years. The New Mexico Economic Development Department has put up $5 million to expand internet access through airships, but that didnt come up when our congressional members and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack held a news conference in Albuquerque on Monday touting the federal funding.

The EDD finalized a contract in 2021 with Moriarty-based Sceye Inc. to study the viability of distributing high-speed internet from unmanned dirigibles 65,000 feet in the air. The stratospheric platforms essentially suspend cellphone tower equipment. Sceye launched its maiden 24-hour flight from Roswell last June.

With five ships floating in the stratosphere, Sceye could expand broadband to 100% of the state, EDD Secretary Alicia J. Keyes told the Journal in June. It could offer a much more progressive alternative for future development of high-speed internet than trying to build out ground-based infrastructure in rural areas. And HAPSMobile Inc.  a joint venture between Japanese telecommunications firm SoftBank Inc. and aircraft development company AeroVironment  is working at Spaceport America to also develop solar-powered, unmanned aerial vehicles to provide internet connection from the stratosphere, unimpeded by mountains and buildings and even the curvature of the earth.

And yet here we are literally pouring $40 million into the ground for about 850 people. State officials estimate expanding high-speed internet to rural areas via buried cables will take years and cost upward of $5 billion. Piecemeal efforts like $2.6 million to get broadband to 28 people are neither cost-efficient nor forward-thinking.

Vilsack says oversight of the broadband millions will come from regular reports and deadlines for specific projects, but that LFC report proves weve heard that one before.

The money always seems to come first, the accountability later, if at all. Even some state lawmakers concede the state has a long history of throwing money at problems without achieving measurable results.

New Mexico is a vast state with huge needs, so it is important to get bang for bucks and make every dollar count. A public accounting of the return on investment for pre-K and broadband is more essential than ever to ensure the millions of dollars actually go where intended and improve New Mexicans lives, rather than to a handful of people or back to the general fund.

Because politicians wont hold a news conference about that.

This editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by members of the editorial board and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers.
Last November, a man named Trapper Killsmany walked into the Catron County Clerks Office and filed a $20 million lien against the property of seven employees of the Social Security Administration.

It was a case of paper terrorism, because the lien was bogus and retaliatory, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office in New Mexico. And, prosecutors contend that constitutes a federal crime.

Last week the 67-year-old Killsmany was facing a federal felony charge of retaliating against a federal employee by making a false claim. If convicted, he faces up to a 10-year prison sentence. He is being held in federal custody pending trial.

His attorney, Gia McGillivray of Las Cruces, didnt respond to Journal requests for comment, but on March 23 filed a motion seeking an evaluation to determine Killsmanys mental competency. Kilsmany has pleaded not guilty.

The purpose of filing fraudulent liens is to exact revenge against public employees, prosecutors say. Such liens have the potential to harm victims credit ratings and impede their ability to engage in routine financial transactions, such as getting a loan or refinancing a mortgage.

Federal prosecutors in court records describe Killsmany as a serial filer of fraudulent liens against the real or personal property of federal employees dating back to 2014. He has a particular grievance against Social Security Administration employees he believed were involved in the termination of certain benefits he was receiving, the court records state.

To date, hes filed nearly $1 billion in such liens, including $950 million in Alaska. This appears to be his first criminal charge related to the activity.

Federal prosecutors say Killsmany harbors sovereign citizen ideology and considers himself to be a private attorney general.' Those who subscribe to the ideology do not believe in the legitimacy of the U.S. federal government and consider themselves to be beyond the jurisdiction of federal law.

32 firearms at his home

In New Mexico, theres no proof required to show the debts alleged in the liens are valid, but the lien must be notarized and a $25 filing fee paid, said Catron County Deputy Clerk Jill DOlive. She told the Journal last week such liens can remain active and listed in the public record indefinitely, or until a release of lien is filed.

After Killsmanys Feb. 22 indictment by a New Mexico federal grand jury, a federal magistrate agreed to keep Killsmany in custody pending trial. Federal prosecutors contended he was dangerous and a flight risk.

Killsmany, who changed his name from David Goldsmith, follows an ideology that seriously calls into question Killsmanys ability to comply with court orders and appear at future court proceedings as required, stated a U.S. Attorneys Office motion seeking his detention.

Killsmany in the past decade has lived in Alaska, Arizona and most currently in Datil, N.M. A federal motion to temporarily detain him states he also has ties to the states of Michigan, Missouri, West Virginia and Maine.

Killsmany came to the attention of the FBI in New Mexico last August after the agency received information that Killsmany may be in possession of multiple firearms and had made statements expressing a willingness to use firearms and shoot it out with law enforcement officials, the motion to detain states.

The information was passed on to the FBI after the Catron County Sheriffs Office responded to a domestic incident at Killsmanys residence. It doesnt appear from court records that he was charged in that incident, but the detention motion states the woman involved has repeatedly expressed the sentiment that Killsmany was a threat to her life.

After his arrest Feb. 23, agents seized 32 firearms from Killsmanys home, including an AR-15, handguns, hunting rifles and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. The majority of the firearms were located inside a gun safe, but other weaponry, including ammunition, was located outside the safe.

Prosecutors also noted that in 2012, Killsmany was convicted of assault related to an incident in which he pointed a loaded shotgun at Alaska state troopers. He pleaded guilty to third-degree assault, and received a 20-month suspended sentence and two years probation.

Federal employees targeted

Two years later, a federal judge prohibited him from filing liens without prior court approval. That came after the judge voided his liens in Alaska that claimed a group of federal employees owed him $950 million in damages. But Killsmany has continued to file fraudulent liens in violation of the federal court order, states the U.S. Attorneys Office in New Mexico.

Killsmany filed the $20 million lien in Catron Country on Nov. 28, listing the names of seven Social Security Administration employees.

The lien is false in that the listed debtors  have absolutely no financial relationship with Killsmany and therefore have no debt or other obligation owed to (him), states the detention motion filed by prosecutors. One of those listed on the lien would testify at trial about his involvement in the termination of certain benefits that Killsmany was receiving from the Social Security Administration, as well as his belief that Killsmanys fraudulent liens were filed in retaliation for the denial of those benefits, prosecutors say.

According to the Southern Poverty Law Center website, the number of sovereign believers nationwide could be as high as 300,000, but the exact number is unknown.

The weapon of choice for sovereign citizens is paper. When sovereigns are angry with government officials, their revenge most often takes the form of paper terrorism  Sovereigns file retaliatory, bogus property liens that may not be discovered by the victim until they attempt to sell or mortgage their property or take out a loan. These liens can be for millions, billions or even quadrillions of dollars, states the website.

Assistant federal public defender, McGillivray, asked on March 23 for a psychological or psychiatric examination of Killsmany and a federal district judge agreed to stay the criminal proceedings until his mental competency can be ascertained.

Reasonable cause exists to believe that Mr. Killsmany presently may be suffering from cognitive issues, mental disease or defect rendering him mentally incompetent, McGillivray wrote in a motion. The undersigned has concerns that Mr. Killsmany may be unable to understand the nature and consequences of the proceedings against him and to assist properly in his defense.
At least one person was killed in a crash Sunday on Interstate 40 near 98th Street in Albuquerque.

The Bernalillo County Sheriffs Office said on Twitter on Sunday afternoon that deputies had responded to a fatal crash in the eastbound lanes.

The agency said deputies were assisting New Mexico State Police.

No other information was immediately available about the wreck.
Cover Images/Ron Sachs/CNP Celebrity

The Republican politician allegedly looked upbeat while DJ-ing at his member-only resort despite launching into an angry rant online following his arraignment.

Apr 9, 2023

AceShowbiz - Donald Trump allegedly put on a DJ set a day after his historic arraignment. The former "The Apprentice" judge, 76, made history as the first ex-US president to face criminal charges when he was arraigned on Tuesday, April 4 at a Manhattan courthouse on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, and despite fuming about it online, sources said he was back looking happy and partying a day later.

"He was back on his iPad last night for his regular DJ gig. Trump told members he is 'back on track' and that he will be found not guilty," a source told Page Six about how Trump has been having a laugh at his Mar-a-Lago estate since Wednesday.

The insider added he was also DJ'ing at the resort on Thursday and "telling people that he is resuming his normal life and schedule - including playing his weekly (DJ) session." They said, "He loves playing ringmaster - he played music from his seat (on Thursday) while he ate ice cream. Things are more upbeat at the club - members were surprised at how happy he was."

Sources previously told Page Six "Trump is officially DJing every Thursday night" at the members-only club. One added, "Members know this, and when they invite guests they say, 'Let's have dinner on Thursday, because Trump DJs every Thursday,' as an event... of course he works the room for votes."

Trump is known for playing Broadway tunes and 1980s hits from his iPad, with his favourites said to include "Phantom of the Opera", Celine Dion's "Titanic" theme, and "YMCA".

Trump delivered a rant against his arraignment at Mar-a-Lago on Tuesday, saying the real "criminal" in the case is Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. He added, "The only crime that I've committed is to fearlessly defend our nation from those who seek to destroy it."

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IPL on TV sees 40% drop in number of advertisers during opening match

The number of advertisers on the opening day telecast of the Indian Premier League (IPL) this year was 40% less than the number of advertisers on the opening day last year with the usual big spenders giving TV a miss this time around.

While there were 52 advertisers on board for IPLs opening fixture on TV last year, this year that number for the opening fixture was 31 for live matches only (all channels). The advertisers data has been verified through BARC numbers. The data is for all TV feeds where IPL is being telecast.

The absence of some big spenders on TV from last year's IPL, such as Byjus, Cred, Muthoot, Netmeds, Swiggy, Flipkart, Phone Pe, Meesho, Samsung, OnePlus, Vedantu, Spotify, Havells among others are notable.

The total number of advertisers on TV for IPL last year was around 100. TVs viewership during IPL is also struggling as the official TV broadcasters has been recording low numbers, as per BARC.

TV ad rates have also seen a steep fall for IPL according to senior industry sources. And the number of TV sponsors has sharply decreased from 16 last year to 13 this year.

Disney Star is the TV broadcasting rights holder of Indian Premier League. The international media giant spent $3 billion on TV rights for the period between 2023-2027.
NCP chief Sharad Pawar may have broken ranks with other opposition parties on the Adani issue, but his friendship with Gautam Adani dates back nearly two decades, when the businessman was exploring expansion into the coal sector.

In his 2015 Marathi autobiography, Lok Maze Saangati published in 2015, Pawar lavished praise on Adani, describing him as hard-working, simple, down to earth, and with ambition to make big in the infrastructure sector.

The veteran leader also wrote that it was at his insistence that Adani ventured into the thermal power sector.

Pawar recounts in the book how Adani built his corporate empire from scratch, starting as a salesman in Mumbai and dabbling in small ventures before trying his luck in the diamond industry.

He was earning well in the diamond industry, but Gautam was not interested in that. He had ambitions to enter the infrastructure sector. He had good relations with Gujarat Chief Minister Chimanbhai Patel and had submitted a proposal to develop a port at Mundhra, the NCP chief wrote.

He recalled that Patel had warned Adani about the port being closer to the Pakistan border and in an arid region. Despite the adversities, he accepted the challenge.

Pawar wrote that later Adani made his foray into the coal sector, and it was at his suggestion that the businessman ventured into the thermal power sector.

Pawar, who was the then Union Agriculture Minister, said he had made the suggestion to Adani during a function to mark the death anniversary of NCP leader Praful Patels father at Gondiya in Maharashtra.

Gautam acknowledged my suggestion in his speech. Usually, nothing much happens on statements made from the podium, but Gautam pursued the matter and established a 3,000 MW thermal power plant in Bhandara, the former Maharashtra chief minister said.

In the book, Pawar recounts how he developed close ties with several businessmen as he sought to usher in development in Maharashtra during his decades-long political career.

The NCP chief said he remained in regular touch with business leaders who could meet him without an appointment daily between 2 pm and 4 pm during his tenure as chief minister.

Pawar recounted his arrangement with the then Gujarat chief minister, Chimanbhai Patel, who would divert big projects to Maharashtra. Pawar said he reciprocated the gesture by sending some small projects to Gujarat, an arrangement that ensured the two states scaled greater heights on the economic front.

Pawar has also written about how he helped Hyundai Motors set up a manufacturing plant in Tamil Nadu after the Korean carmaker faced some hurdles in setting up business in Maharashtra during the Shiv Sena-BJP rule.

Amid a strident opposition campaign demanding an investigation into the Adani Group by a Joint Parliamentary Committee, Pawar surprised his fellow opposition leaders by favoring a probe into the dealings of the Gujarat-based business house by a Supreme Court-appointed panel.

Pawar also came out in support of the Adani Group and criticised the narrative around Hindenburg Researchs report on the conglomerate, saying that he felt that the business group was targeted and that he was not aware of the antecedents of the US-based short-selling firm.

Pawar has charted a different course than the Congress on issues such as criticism of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar and the Adani Group.
Christians worldwide today celebrate their holiest day, Easter, which commemorates the Resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth.

Some start their observance as early as 6:30 a.m. with Easter sunrise services, where they worship as the sun rises, remembering the Sunday morning nearly 2,000 years ago when Jesus followers found an empty tomb, then later encountered a risen savior.

He suffered in shame so that we would have not only peace here but life eternal, forgiveness of sins, said Becky Webster, a member of Riddles Bend Baptist Church in Rainbow City, who sat meditating beneath the crosses on a hillside at Jefferson Memorial in Trussville at 6:30 a.m.

We dont serve a dead God, said her son, Ben Webster. He is alive. That brings a lot of power.

Easter has long been a mix of the secular and the sacred, of candy, flowers, colored eggs and bunnies, symbols of spring and of church and family tradition.

Across Alabama, Easter celebrates family, renewal and redemption. Many will share baskets of seasonal candy, then attend church wearing their Easter dresses and Sunday best.

I always try to have something new, think of it as a new day, Becky said.

I have a lot of pastel shirts in the closet, Ben said.

For devout Christians, there is a message to proclaim that supersedes decorated Easter eggs, which are symbols of spring and renewal. We dont really emphasize all that as much, Becky said.

Christianitys humble beginnings trace to a moment when Jesus of Nazareth was crucified in Jerusalem, then part of the Roman Empire, about 33 A.D. The Resurrection startled even Jesus own followers, according to the Gospels. The disciples were skeptical, as is evident in Matthew 28:16-17. That the most ardent followers couldnt believe their eyes when they saw the risen Jesus gives an indication how difficult the central doctrine of the Christian faith can be for modern believers.

One argument made for the reality of the Resurrection is the astonishing growth of Christianity from a few followers who scattered, frightened, when Jesus was crucified. At the time, the Apostle Paul wrote his letters, about 54 A.D., he said that more than 500 witnesses who had seen Jesus resurrected were still alive.

Easter celebrates that God offers meaning beyond death.

For Christians, the resurrection of Jesus after his crucifixion means he paid for their sins and resurrection is available to all believers.

According to the Gospel of Luke, Jesus was crucified with two criminals, one on each side of him. One mocked Jesus.

Arent you the messiah? he said. Save yourself and us!

The other criminal asked for mercy. Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.

Jesus answers the penitent thief, Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise. (Luke 23:43, NIV)

In Eastern Orthodox tradition, which celebrates Easter next week on April 16, the holiday is called Pascha, from the Jewish Passover, since the events of Jesus death occurred at Passover.

The monk Bedethe Venerable, an important early Medieval Christian scholar who lived from 673 to 735 A.D., wrote that the Christians of England called it Easter after Eostre, a pagan goddess of spring and fertility who was celebrated in April. The Christian tradition layered in rituals celebrating the resurrection atop existing traditions celebrating, spring and renewal.

Dying Easter eggs red is a major part of the Orthodox Easter, with its symbolism.

The egg white represents the tombstone, the yolk is the life and the red dye represents the blood of Jesus.

On Easter Sunday morning, Orthodox Christians hold out eggs out and tap them together, with one person saying, Christ is Risen! and another responding, Indeed He is Risen!

The Council of Nicea in 325. A.D. based its calculations for Easter on the Julian calendar and said it must come after the Jewish Passover, and the Orthodox still follow that formulation.

A schism between Catholics and the Orthodox took place in 1054 A.D., ending the unity of the Christian church. The Gregorian calendar in use today through most of the world was established in 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII, and the Orthodox refused to adopt it, which is why the Orthodox celebrate Pascha a week later if Passover has not concluded.

See also: Why is it called Good Friday?

Good Friday procession, steeped in tradition, recalls Jesus carrying cross

What is Maundy Thursday?
An Alabama teen wanted on a murder charge in the death of his father was arrested Saturday morning in Colorado.

The Colorado Springs Fugitive Task Force was able to take Ethan Stuckey, 18, of Enterprise into custody without incident, according to a news release from the Enterprise Police Department.

Russell Stuckeys body was found in an Enterprise residence around 6 p.m. on April 7 when local firefighters responded to a gas leak call in the 300 block of Daleville Avenue. Authorities later discovered that the 42-year-old man had been shot, and his death was ruled a homicide.

The teen was developed as a person of interest in the case, and investigators were able to obtain an arrest warrant. No motive has been given in the case.

EPD detectives are working on the extradition process to bring Ethan Stuckey back to Alabama.

The Enterprise Police Department would like to thank the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA), Elba PD, Colorado Springs PD, Colorado Springs Fugitive Task Force and the ATF for their assistance in this investigation, Enterprise Capt. Billy Haglund said in the news release.
By now, Alabama is familiar with the toothy Texas-born beaver smiling over interstates in various parts of the state.

But a mere seven years ago, Lee Lawson was sitting at his desk when Stan Beard showed up carrying beef jerky and beaver swag, plunked it on his desk and announced, We are building a gas station larger than a Walmart that would hire 70 to 100-plus people and has 120 gas pumps and will not allow a single truck.

We looked at him like he had two heads, recalled Lawson, president & CEO with the Baldwin County Economic development Alliance about his first meeting with Beard, vice-president of real estate with Buc-ees.

Fast forward (to 2019), and some of us were skeptical how they would operate outside of Texas, Lawson said. I think the facility in Loxley has given them confidence to expand in Alabama and outside the state of Alabama. In a lot of ways, weve been a proving ground for them.

Related stories:

Buc-ees, a Texas-based institution that started in 1982, opened its first travel station outside the Lone Star State at Interstate 10 and the Baldwin Beach Express on January 21, 2019. It will open its fourth Alabama travel station off Interstate 85 in Auburn on Monday. Once that happens, Alabama will officially become the No. 2 state for Buc-ees travel stations outside of Texas.

Expansions continue and new Buc-ees are launching beyond the Deep South, where there are travel stations with the red-and-yellow beaver logo in seven states. Travel stations are under development in Missouri, Colorado, Wisconsin, and Virginia.

A look at the Buc-ee's travel station in Loxley, Ala., on Thursday, April 6, 2023. The first non-Texas Buc-ee's to open was in Loxley in January 2019. Since then, Buc-ee's has opened travel stations throughout the South and is continuing with an expansion plan into the Midwest and West. (John Sharp/jsharp@al.com).

Venky Shankar, director of research at the Center for Retailing Studies at the Mays Business School at Texas A&M University, said Buc-ees expansion is rapid, relatively speaking and growing by one to two locations per year.

Thats nothing to sneeze at, Shankar said, when considering the massive footprint of a Buc-ees: The travel stations are considered the largest convenience stores in the world, ranging from 50,000 to 75,000 square feet in size; gasoline pumps that sprawl out like a farm field, typically ranging over 120 in numbers; bathrooms that are sparkling clean; and plenty of beef brisket, fudge, jerky and other goodies that has helped create a cult-like following for the spunky brand.

Buc-ees is a road trip destination, a roadside attraction, so it benefits from being a unique stop on most interstate routes, said Greg Lindenberg, editor of Convenience Store Petroleum CSP News. And its huge. Its sites require large real estate footprints that, to a great extent, do not exist elsewhere.

Learning about Buc-ees

At the Loxley Buc-ees, on a given day, the scene is akin to a busy airport terminal with visitors rushing off to the worlds cleanest bathrooms or stopping at an electronic kiosk to place a food order before hopping back into their car to continue their road trip.

Its almost as big as Mickey Mouse, said Tucker Dorsey, a former Baldwin County Commissioner. Its crazy.

But a mere seven years ago, Dorsey and fellow commissioner Chris Elliott were unfamiliar with the world of Beaver Nuggets when they sat down with local developer, Joe Corte, at a roadside eatery in Robertsdale for breakfast.

At the time, the talks were about offering tax incentives to lure the company to Alabama. And the commissioners were skeptical.

He said, I want to talk to you about a tenant coming to Baldwin County, said Dorsey, a Baldwin County Commissioner. He said, its convenience store but its like a Walmart. I said, Joe, I dont do incentive money for a convenience store. Hes like, you got to see this. Its not like anything youve seen before.

Alabama state Senator Chris Elliott. (John Sharp/jsharp@al.com).

Elliott, also a county commissioner at the time, recalled, I was like, we are not giving you an economic incentive for a gas station. They were like, its a big gas station. I said, oh, its a truck stop? (They said), no its not a truck stop. I didnt know what we were getting. They said it had 120 gas pumps. I thought, thats huge.

Few in Alabama knew much about the allure of Buc-ees in 2016 and 2017, unless they had traveled through Texas. The company, which remained solely a Texas institution for over three decades, was eyeing a prime spot at Interstate 10 and the Baldwin Beach Express for its first non-Texas travel station.

The site offered a unique opportunity for Alabama: Its location would be at an intersection that had only existed since 2014, when the Baldwin Beach Express first opened and offered an alternative route for beach-bound motorists than Alabama State Route 59.

Buc-ees executives were trying to convince public officials to remove trees along I-10 leading up to their future location, according to Elliott. They were having difficulty in getting a meeting with state officials, including Alabama Department of Transportation Director John Cooper, and were working with the county commissioners to set something up.

Elliott said he and Dorsey traveled to Houston to learn more about the travel stations, and experience one firsthand.

We spent an hour in one of the stores, had a barbecue sandwich and I had no idea, said Elliott, still recalling his shock over encountering the bustling travel station for the first time. I called Cooper and told him, It has 120 gas pumps and no trucks. Its not a rest stop. He said, I never heard of it.

Pick-up truck summit

A look at the Buc-ee's travel station in Loxley, Ala., on Thursday, April 6, 2023. The first non-Texas Buc-ee's to open was in Loxley in January 2019. Since then, Buc-ee's has opened travel stations throughout the South and is continuing with an expansion plan into the Midwest and West. (John Sharp/jsharp@al.com).

Dorsey said the county officials were trying to connect Buc-ees officials, including owner and cowboy-hat-wearing Arch Beaver Aplin III, with Cooper and others at ALDOT.

Back in Alabama, the Buc-ees executives including Aplin met with Cooper, Elliott, and former ALDOT Southeast Region Engineer Vince Calametti to discuss the future of the site.

The meeting did not take place inside a stuffy office or a government building, but it occurred outdoors over the hood of a pick-up truck near the travel stations future home at the Beach Express.

It wasnt a fancy meeting or at a conference table, it was over the hood of a pickup truck, and we were talking about the plans on how to enter and exit an interstate, said Elliott.

Buc-ees, according to an ALDOT spokesman, wanted to cut trees on the opposite side of the interstate to increase visibility to the future travel station. Cooper then told them they could instead install signage to help with visibility.

We had this good ole South Alabama meeting, a deal and a handshake to accommodate their interest to make sure they had the visibility they needed, said Elliott, now a state Senator representing much of Baldwin County.

Buc-ees declined to comment for this story.

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There was a concern about westbound traffic not knowing where they are, Elliott said, adding that the addition of a billboard helped with visibility and was a much better solution than cutting down a bunch of trees.

The Loxley Buc-ees, four years after their opening, has had few problems with visibility. Though statistics are unavailable on how much revenues individual travel stations bring in, Shankar said its likely substantial.

It could be $100 million to $200 million in economic impact collectively in locations they are in, he said. Each Buc-ees may employ 200, 300 people. That, in itself, is a good employment generator.

Annexation and incentives

A look at the Buc-ee's travel station in Loxley, Ala., on Thursday, April 6, 2023. The first non-Texas Buc-ee's to open was in Loxley in January 2019. Since then, Buc-ee's has opened travel stations throughout the South and is continuing with an expansion plan into the Midwest and West. (John Sharp/jsharp@al.com).

The allure of that revenue boon was among the reasons why Loxley, shortly after Buc-ees opened in 2019, voted to annex the business.

And the incentives for Buc-ees followed, even if they did not come from the county commissioners.

Loxley, which was angling on aggressive growth, voted to annex Buc-ees. As part of the arrangement, the city council offered the company 37.5% of their sales tax proceeds, and 25% of fuel tax proceeds during each fiscal quarter for 20 years. A fiscal quarter refers to the three-month periods beginning in October, January, April, and July.

Incentives for a Buc-ees is nothing new, and agreements are often offered to the company in the cities where they locate. Auburn, for instance, offered sales and fuel tax breaks as part an agreement voted on in 2021 to land a Buc-ees. The city, two years ago, estimated the Auburn Buc-ees will bring in an estimated $2 million annually in property, sales, use and fuel taxes.

In Loxley, the agreement was arranged by the late Mayor Billy Middleton, who met with Aplin to discuss annexation. Officials argued, at the time, the agreement represented a good opportunity for a growing community.

Loxleys population was already accelerating by the time Buc-ees arrive. It was just over 1,600 in 2010, and rose a whopping 127% to 3,710 in the 2020 census. By this year, the population was estimated by the U.S. Census at close to 5,000.

The growth has been so impactful that the Town of Loxley officially became the City of Loxley last year.

They like being part of a municipality and participating in one, said Shawn Alves, an attorney who represents the City of Loxley.

As part of the incentive deal, Loxley  which has seen its population and budget grow in recent years - got $25,000 each year from Buc-ees for community development.

The money goes directly to the citys General Fund where it is used to support a number of city-wide projects, according to Jonathan Smith, the citys director of community development. Examples of projects that money has funded includes a comprehensive plan and zoning ordinance rewrite, hiring additional staff, software purchases, design work for the Loxley City Center complex, and the addition of a horticulturist who is overseeing a city-wide beautification project.

A look at the Buc-ee's travel station in Loxley, Ala., on Thursday, April 6, 2023. The first non-Texas Buc-ee's to open was in Loxley in January 2019. Since then, Buc-ee's has opened travel stations throughout the South and is continuing with an expansion plan into the Midwest and West. (John Sharp/jsharp@al.com).

Alves, who helped oversee the agreement between Loxley and Buc-ees, said he remembers his earliest meetings with Beard that were similar to others in Baldwin County.

He said, these gas stations are the Disney World of gas stations, Alves said. And hes right. Its like going to Disney World. Stan was a straightshooter.

Said Alves, Ill travel (to other parts of the country) and stop off at a fast-food restaurant and see people wearing a Buc-ees T-shirt and its amazing to me, that people buy a T-shirt from a convenience store. That shows you the brand they have. You dont see people wearing a Shell Station shirt, or an Exxon shirt. Its a great business idea.
A locomotive and 11 train cars derailed in Jasper on Saturday night, briefly trapping and injuring two crew members, Norfolk Southern and Jasper police said in statements released today.

The locomotive rolled on its side, spilling diesel fuel and engine oil. The two injured crew members were briefly trapped in the engine room, according to Jasper police. The crew members were taken to a hospital, treated and released, Norfolk Southern said.

Last night, 11 cars and the lead locomotive derailed from a train traveling through Jasper, Alabama, the statement from Norfolk Southern said.

The railroad said the derailment did not involve hazardous materials and there is no danger to the community.

There are no reports of a hazmat situation or danger to the public, Norfolk Southern said.

Our two crew members were transported to the hospital and have since been released, the statement said.

Crews have been on the scene for cleanup.

During the derailment, the locomotive rolled onto its side and as a result spilled some diesel fuel and engine oil, the railroad said. Norfolk Southern crews have responded and have been working through the night on cleanup, and all of the involved cars have been cleared from the track. Wed also like to thank the first responders who quickly arrived on-scene and took care of our crew.

Jasper Police, in their statement, said the accident happened near 1350 Old Russvelville Road.

Jasper Police were notified of a train derailment earlier tonight in the area of 1350 Old Russelville Road, the statement said. According to Norfolk Southern, the train crew was briefly trapped in the engine room because the engine tilted over. There were no major injuries, but RPS was called to the scene to evaluate the crew and transported two crew members as a precaution. Per Norfolk Southern personnel, there were no hazardous materials involved in the derailment or released into the area. Jasper Fire called all personnel in to assist the crew in getting out of the train and managing the scene, along with Jasper Police. Norfolk Southern and Walker County EMA are remaining on the scene to return the track to service.

A month ago, Norfolk Southern had another derailment in Calhoun County. Several train cars went off the tracks on March 9 in a rural area between Iron City Motorway and Angel Road in the eastern part of the county.

Norfolk Southerns CEO apologized before Congress last month and pledged millions of dollars to help East Palestine, Ohio after a Feb. 3 toxic train derailment there. Were looking at all these incidents and figuring out how we can become an even safer railroad, said Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw. Safety remains a No. 1 priority and well make sure we learn from this.

The National Transportation Safety Board said last month it will begin a broad look at the companys safety culture  the first such investigation within the rail industry since 2014.

The board said it has sent investigation teams to look into five significant accidents involving Norfolk Southern since December 2021.

There is a long history of train derailments in Alabama. There was also a 10-car train derailment in Walker County in May 2010.

See also: Train derails in Calhoun County

Train derails in Walker County in 2010
Authorities are on the scene of shooting on Interstate 65 in Homewood.

Homewood Sgt. John Carr said a shooting took place at 7:43 p.m. on I-65 southbound near Oxmoor Road.

Carr said it appears that a suspect fired multiple rounds into the male victims vehicle, striking the victim multiple times. The victims vehicle then crashed into another vehicle.

The motorist in the vehicle struck by the victim was shaken up but not injured.

This appears to be a targeted attack,' Carr said of the shooting.

The victim was transported to UAB with life threatening injuries.

No arrests have been made.

Birmingham police are assisting with traffic. The southbound lanes were closed.

This is a developing story and will be updated.
A Saturday shooting in Homewood left one woman dead and another behind bars.

The injured victim was found about 11:42 a.m. Saturday in the breezeway of an apartment complex in the 200 block of Robert Jemison Road, said Sgt. John Carr.

Police said the woman, whose name has not been released, was shot twice in the lower abdomen. She was taken to UAB Hospital where she was pronounced dead about 1 p.m.

The suspect, also a woman, was taken into custody by Homewood police shortly before 4:30 p.m. The arrest was made at a residence in the 1200 block of Circle Trail in Birmingham.

The suspect is in the Homewood City Jail and will undergo questioning.

The victim is Homewoods first homicide this year.

This story will be updated if more information becomes available.










English News Asian economies inject strong impetus into global recovery

Alwihda Info | Par peoplesdaily - 6 Avril 2023



It is the solidarity and cooperation between Asian countries and their peoples that leads Asia to prosperity. The "Asian Miracle" calls for the endogenous impetus of Asia's development. As the largest Asian economy, China will continue providing new opportunities for the continent's progress with its own development.

By Xu Xiujun The Boao Forum for Asia (BFA)'s annual conference, held from March 28 to 31 in Boao, a coastal town in China's island province of Hainan, has attracted global attention.



As world recovery remains sluggish, Asia, the world's most dynamic and promising region, is seeing greater endogenous growth momentum and will inject a strong impetus into the recovery of the global economy.



The BFA Asian Economic Outlook and Integration Progress Annual Report 2023 points out that as a major engine of the world economy, Asia is expected to accelerate its pace in overall economic recovery in 2023. This report estimates that the weighted real GDP growth rate of Asia in 2023 would be 4.5 percent, an increase from 4.2 percent in 2022, making it a standout performer in view of the global economic slowdown.



China will unquestionably be the largest driver of Asia's economic growth this year. After the country optimized its COVID-19 response measures, it has witnessed a rapid recovery of its economic and social vitality.



The Chinese government has launched a series of policies that accelerated the pace of economic pickup and boosted market confidence. Many international organizations have lifted their forecast on the growth of the Chinese economy, which they believe will also spur the growth of Asia as a result.



Given the uprising of unilateralism and protectionism, the global trade dependence on Asia has remained stable overall, with trade dependence between Asian economies standing at a relatively high level.



Trade and economic relations between Asian economies have become closer with the active participation and promotion of China.



According to statistics released by the General Administration of Customs of China, the country's total trade in goods hit a record high of 42.07 trillion yuan ($6.11 trillion) in 2022, topping the world for six consecutive years.



The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) remained China's largest trading partner, with bilateral trade in goods reaching 6.52 trillion yuan, up 15 percent from a year ago. South Korea, Japan, India and other Asian economies were important trading partners of China as well.



China is accelerating the establishment of a new development paradigm with domestic circulation as the mainstay and domestic and international circulations reinforcing each other. This provides new impetus and opportunities for strengthening China's economic and trade cooperation with other Asian economies.



The country's high-quality implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership also creates more dividends of institutional opening up for regional economic integration.



Last year, the 17th Group of 20 Summit and the 29th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Economic Leaders' Meeting were held in Indonesia and Thailand, respectively. This mirrored a more active leading role played by Asia in global economic governance.



In terms of trade and investment governance, Asian countries proactively safeguard multilateralism, advocate trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, support the multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization at its core, and work for positive progress in the reform of the system.



In monetary and financial governance, Asian countries actively promote the construction of regional and global financial security networks, push for the settlement in local currency and currency swap within the region, and support the reform of international financial institutes.



With regard to improving global development governance, Asian countries have actively responded to the Global Development Initiative, promoted the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative through joint efforts, and implemented the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, to steer global development toward a new stage of balanced, coordinated and inclusive growth.



It is the solidarity and cooperation between Asian countries and their peoples that leads Asia to prosperity. The "Asian Miracle" calls for the endogenous impetus of Asia's development. As the largest Asian economy, China will continue providing new opportunities for the continent's progress with its own development.



(Xu Xiujun is a senior research fellow with the National Institute for Global Strategy and Institute of World Economics and Politics at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences)



Dans la meme rubrique : < > Chinese young blood devote to Great Wall protection International passenger service adds new vitality to China-Laos Railway Democracy a common value of humanity, not prerogative reserved to few Pour toute information, contactez-nous au : +(235) 99267667 ; 62883277 ; 66267667 (Bureau N'Djamena)










English News Chinese online literature embraces prosperous development

Alwihda Info | Par peoplesdaily - 6 Avril 2023



There are hundreds of thousands of overseas writers like her writing on the international versions of Chinese online literature platforms. So far, overseas platforms operated by relevant Chinese enterprises have published more than 300,000 literary works and gained over 145 million readers. Over 200,000 foreign readers have started writing novels online of various subjects in multiple languages. A development path that exports Chinese literary works, copyrights, as well as production models and culture has been preliminarily taken shape.

By Shi Fang, Chen Yuanyuan, People's Daily The revenue of the Chinese online literature market surged from 2.45 billion yuan ($356.7 million) in 2012 to 26.72 billion yuan in 2021, said a report released by the China Audio-Video and Digital Publishing Association at the sixth China Online Literature + Conference recently held in Beijing.



According to the report, the number of online literary works expanded from around 8 million to over 32 million during the same period, and the number of registered authors from 4.19 million to 22.78 million.



IP licensing revenue of the Chinese online literature industry grew from less than 100 million yuan to more than 4 billion yuan, and the industry gained over 2.9 billion yuan from the overseas market in 2021, up from 400 million yuan in 2018.



Online literature is a literary form whose creation and communication are internet-based. Most authors of online literary works are young people.



When the industry just emerged, its subjects were mostly fantasy, mystery and xianxia, also known as spirit cultivation. It was later developed into more than 200 sub-categories under some 30 subjects, such as urban, history, sci-fi, industry, education and traditional culture. There are many online literary works that well depict the modern society and mirror the development of the times.



He Changzai is a member of the national committee of the Chinese Writers Association and vice chairman of Hebei Network Writers Association. A trip to Shenzhen, the forefront of China's reform and opening up, inspired him to portray the great journey of the economic reform of the country in the past four decades, and later he published the novel Haodang, which literally means magnificence in Chinese. The novel soon earned him awards and became a hot seller.



"The great time we live in must be recorded by someone. Only by living in a down-to-earth manner can we create fantastic contemporary works that keep the common touch," He said.



Online literary works enjoy huge development potential as they can be made into a number of peripheral products such as TV series, animations, reality shows, games, documentaries, stage shows, online performance, among others.



Miu Juan, who writes literary works online, said she enjoys the creation of online literature as she can get immediate feedback from her readers as she updates her works.



In 2021, over 32 million online literary works were published in China, and the number of registered online authors were five times more than that 10 years ago.



Insiders believe that online literature can be transformed into multiple business forms thanks to the diversity of authors and content.



Online literature is a mirror of people's mentality in today's world, which is an advantage enjoyed by online literary works when being transformed into other products.



"Interactivity is the biggest difference between online literature and traditional literature. Interaction with readers enriches authors' creation and makes authors more responsive in portraying the reality," said Huang Jie, deputy editor-in-chief of Tencent Video.



According to her, online literary works tell stories about workplace, youth and hot topics that are closer to people's life.



"I never thought that I'd be an author. It was under the advice from my husband that I started to write stories I wanted to read," said a Philippine woman who names herself TheBlips online and is a fan of Chinese online literature. Having been writing on the international site of a Chinese online literature platform for four years, she is of some renown among local readers.



There are hundreds of thousands of overseas writers like her writing on the international versions of Chinese online literature platforms. So far, overseas platforms operated by relevant Chinese enterprises have published more than 300,000 literary works and gained over 145 million readers. Over 200,000 foreign readers have started writing novels online of various subjects in multiple languages. A development path that exports Chinese literary works, copyrights, as well as production models and culture has been preliminarily taken shape.



Online literature is an important way for many foreign readers to understand China. In 2021, more than 300,000 Chinese online literary works were exported.



"I started to know China as a child watching TV dramas like The Legend of the Condor Heroes and Justice Pao," said the head of an online reading platform in Thailand. Now the online literature is a window for him to learn about China.



According to Xiao Jinghong, deputy head of the institute of internet literature of the China Writers Association, Chinese sci-fi, romance and comedy literature, dramas and movies were popular overseas, and online literature is bringing Chinese stories to more overseas readers.



Dans la meme rubrique : < > Chinese young blood devote to Great Wall protection International passenger service adds new vitality to China-Laos Railway Democracy a common value of humanity, not prerogative reserved to few Pour toute information, contactez-nous au : +(235) 99267667 ; 62883277 ; 66267667 (Bureau N'Djamena)
In a 107-page split opinion, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia may well have torched the outrageous overcharging of hundreds of people who peacefully walked through the Capitol, a public building, on January 6, 2021.

The question before the court was whether the phrase obstructing, influencing, or impeding an official proceeding, in violation of 18 U.S.C.  1512(c)(2) warrants charging those who peacefully walked through the Capitol with felonies.

The decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia means that the charge -- the obstruction of an official proceeding before Congress -- can continue to be used in the Justice Departments prosecutions related to the Jan. 6 riot. It could also ultimately be used against Mr. Trump should the special counsel, Jack Smith, decide to file a case against him related to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election. But even though the three-judge panel, in a 2-1 ruling, left in place the status quo and temporarily avoided crippling hundreds of Jan. 6 cases by invalidating the obstruction count, it still presented a serious challenge to the Justice Department moving forward. A provision of the law requires proving that any interference with a congressional proceeding be done corruptly. Two of the judges said they were inclined to define that term in a narrow way as receiving a personal benefit -- even though the panel as a whole put off a final decision on the issue. The split decision left wiggle room for defense lawyers to try a flurry of complicated new efforts to invalidate the charge in all of the cases in which it has been used. A future ruling that narrowed the definition of corruptly could have significant effects on the Jan. 6 prosecutions.

The three defendant appellees were not among the hundreds of demonstrators who engaged in nothing but walking through: each was charged with some form of physical encounter with law enforcement. The lower court held that assaultive conduct is not covered by this statute because the conduct must have included what was defined in a prior subsection, which requires action relating to a document, record, or other object.

The higher court, in a 2-1 decision, disagreed, two of the three court panel holding that  1512(c)(2) applies to all forms of corrupt obstruction of an official proceeding, other than the conduct that is already covered by  1512(c)(1)."

So why does this case pose a very substantial problem for the prosecution?

Judge Florence Pan, who wrote the majority opinion, went beyond the meaning of overt conduct sufficient to meet the statutory test to the question of a partys motive; that is, was the conduct engaged in with corrupt intent which the statute requires. And here is a split that may doom cases already decided and others still on the docket. Judge Justin Walker concurred in part, and he and the dissenting judges discussion describe the rickety foundation of the ruling for future challenges.

I do not join Section I.C.1 of the lead opinion -- which declines to decide the scope of (c)(2)s corrupt[] mental state -- because I believe that we must define that mental state to make sense of (c)(2)s act element. If (c)(2) has a broad act element and an even broader mental state, then its breathtaking scope is a poor fit for its place as a residual clause in a broader obstruction-of-justice statute. See Van Buren v. United States, 141 S. Ct. 1648, 1661 (2021) (reasoning that breathtaking scope underscores the implausibility of the Governments interpretation). Instead, I would give corruptly its long-standing meaning. It requires a defendant to act with an intent to procure an unlawful benefit either for himself or for some other person... The defendant must not only kn[ow] he was obtaining an unlawful benefit, it must also be his objective corruptly makes sense of (c)(2)s place in the statutory scheme and avoids rendering it a vague and far-reaching criminal provision.

He cites numerous criminal case opinions in which this is the standard. But he held that even under his reading of the term corruptly, the appellants met the statutory test and the judgment should stand.

Judge George Katsas dissented. He contends that the governments reading of the statute is both overly broad and unconstitutional. Aside from disputing the correct means of interpreting the statute, he notes how much harder the punishment is should the two parts of the law be treated as one: By collapsing most of section 1512 into its subsection (c)(2), the governments interpretation would lump together conduct warranting up to three decades of imprisonment with conduct warranting at most three years -- a distinction reflected in the broader structure of section 1512. 

(Doubtless the prosecutions lumping the two sections together maximizes the pressure on defendants to plead guilty, which is surely why the government chose to blur the distinction.) Moreover, he contends that the governments interpretation renders other sections of the law redundant:

Here, the governments interpretation of subsection (c)(2) would swallow up all of the immediately preceding subsection (c)(1), most of section 1512, and much of the entire chapter 73, reaching dozens of offenses covering much narrower acts and authorizing much lower penalties. I am unaware of any case resolving ambiguity in favor of such wholesale redundancy.

Generally speaking, I tend to believe Congress meant each section to have some independent meaning or, at a minimum, must be held to that standard. Continuing with his assertion that to read the statute as the government and Judge Pan would leads to anomalous results to the detriment of defendants:

Rudimentary forms of obstruction, such as picketing, receive the lowest penalty. And the most sophisticated or pernicious forms, such as shredding documents or fabricating evidence, receive the highest. The governments interpretation would collapse all of this, making any form of obstructing an official proceeding a 20-year felony."

He also notes that this section of the law had been in effect for two decades and was used in thousands of cases, but not once before these January 6 prosecutions did the government claim it covered conduct so broadly as to not require impairment of evidence.

He takes issue with the concurring opinion in several respects, but most importantly respecting the consequences of following it:

The concurrences approach is driven by a laudable goal -- narrowing what the concurrence recognizes would otherwise be the breathtaking and untenable scope of the governments interpretation of section 1512(c). But even with the concurrences torqued-up mens rea, section 1512(c)(2) still would have improbable breadth. It would continue to supercharge comparatively minor advocacy, lobbying, and protest offenses into 20-year felonies, provided the defendant knows he is acting unlawfully in some small way. The concurrence imagines a protestor unaware that federal law prohibits picketing outside the home of a judge to influence his or her votes. 18 U.S.C.  1507. But even that hypothetical protestor would be protected only until the jurist, a neighbor, or the police told the protestor what the law is. After that, the concurrences position would expose the protestor not only to the one-year sentence set forth in section 1507, but also to the twenty-year sentence set forth in section 1512(c).

In sum, he argues forcefully that his colleagues are wrong -- that the only proper way to view this provision of law is to limit its application to those whose conduct impairs the integrity or availability of evidence, and while he finds that the defendants conduct violated several laws, obstruction of Congress is not among those.

This statute was used by the prosecution against 300 defendants so far, and Julie Kelly has tweeted that she believes in none of those cases did the jury instructions require the government to prove the defendant had an unlawful or personal benefit to commit obstruction of an official congressional proceeding.

The Department of Justice can seek an en banc hearing on the subject, but unless it does and its reading of the statute is upheld by the full court, you can expect a flurry of motions to dismiss cases against those charged with obstruction and similar efforts to reverse convictions of those who, unlike the defendants in these three cases, engaged in no independent violations of law.
The Easter Bunny is back. However, during this un-American period, when J6 political prisoners are locked up for their beliefs and President Trump is persecuted for threatening the Deep State's permanent power, another bunny story leaps to mind: Richard Adams's adventure novel, Watership Down, about a warren of anthropomorphized rabbits fighting for their survival. Among the many trials along their journey, the rabbits must escape an idyllic warren that belies its true purpose as a meat farm where our furry friends are kept tranquilly happy before being skinned and eaten. The parallel to Marxism's alluring but deadly Utopia is unmistakable. In order to secure future peace and prosperity, they must also defend themselves from a vicious tyrant ruling a powerful but despotic bunny police state. Fighting those who insist on their subjugation, the rabbits of Watership Down put their lives on the line time and again for the chance to be free. With warrantless surveillance, State-sanctioned censorship, and endless media propaganda all strangling America today, this beloved tale is an allegory worth re-reading.

Adams's novel is also filled with heroes. There are prophets, warriors, thinkers, and true leaders. There are moments when great personal sacrifices from the unlikeliest of heroes end up saving the whole group. Every rabbit has a purpose, a destiny that aids in the warren's survival.

That's an important message that is often lost in today's postmodern world. It is tempting to become so discouraged with current events that life feels meaningless. Nothing could be farther from the truth. You are not a "clump of cells." You are not an "accident." You have been brought into this world for an important reason. Whether you realize it yet or not, you have a personal calling. Some people are teachers or healers or builders. Some are parents and grandparents. Some are meant to fight, some are meant to counsel restraint, some are meant to lead, and some are meant to spread wisdom. When you seek out your purpose and pursue it to the best of your abilities, you become a hero to those who learn and prosper from your presence. Heroes give others hope and create new heroes in the process.

For Christians, Easter is a time for hope. It is a time for reflection about the meaning of sacrifice, forgiveness, and redemption. It is an opportunity to concentrate on the eternal blessing of being saved. It is a chance to put the chaos of this life into proper perspective.

What does it mean to be saved? Imagine the earth collapsing all around, an immense hole opening up beneath your feet, and the startling recognition that you have begun to fall. Your arms and legs flail, your mind races, and you grab at every tree root or jagged rock within reach. You find something to grip, clutch desperately, but it will not hold. You can feel yourself slipping and realize that you will soon fall away. Then, out of nowhere, a hand reaches down, grabs you, squeezes you with strength you no longer possess, and lifts you to safety. That's what it feels like to be saved.

For some, it comes when all seems lost and that last fingerhold is about to give way. For others, it happens in the most unexpected time or place. In every case, though, there is a moment  sometimes inexplicably long in the shortest space  when you realize that you are not alone, that Christ is with you, and that all will be okay. And being pulled up to solid ground for perhaps the first time in your life, you are left with the unmistakable revelation that nothing going forward will ever be the same.

When that hand reaches for you and you take it, nothing else matters. It is Christ's embrace alone that grips the mind from that instant. You don't take a breather, thank the hero, and walk away. You find yourself entranced deep in your soul with an overwhelming sense of having been redeemed. Whatever path you had been treading fades away, and out of nowhere, a new path appears. Heroic sacrifice delivers hope and brings new heroes to life.

Does this seem too miraculous to be true? In an age when science is worshiped like "settled" dogma and religious teachings are rewritten to meet "woke" demands, God's miracles are often ignored. Craige McMillan recently wrote an essay, entitled "Are You Reticent about the Supernatural?," in which he tells the story of four children with life-threatening injuries who were inexplicably healed at a hospital one evening. The local newspaper never ran a story about the event. People who heard the story, but did not witness it firsthand, chose to forget it. Yet it happened. It was a miracle. And as with so many other miracles that happen all around us, people looked quickly and then turned the other way.

Will you turn the other way? Or would you be willing to open your eyes and see what God is doing? Will you believe  in miracles, in heroes, and in redemption? Because if you can find the courage to recognize that there are great forces guiding us today, then you will also come to the realization that, though the ground may be falling all around us, there is a steady hand within reach.

There's a wonderful scene in Steven Spielberg's Lincoln when Daniel Day-Lewis pushes back against his advisers' pessimism about ever passing the Thirteenth Amendment by exclaiming: "We're whalers! ... We've been chasing this whale for a long time. And we finally placed a harpoon in the monster's back. ... We finish the deed now. ... Or with one flop of his tail, he'll smash the boat and send us all to eternity."

Every time current events threaten to spoil my mood, those lines echo in my head. We're whalers! What we are doing in this life is not easy. Defending American liberty from those who would oppress us is hard work. Resisting State censorship and groupthink comes with dire costs. Opposing immoral government policies when the whole news media apparatus embraces Deep State goals is not for the faint of heart. But that is always the way things are when men choose to leave the safety of home, embark upon dangerous adventure, survive on tiny boats, float adrift in vast seas, and slay an enormous beast.

However bad today might look, tomorrow could be tremendous. All it takes is a little bit of faith and determination to find out.

No matter how great the waters around us or how choppy the waves, not one among us will drown if we refuse to lose our way. Part of staying on the right path includes recognizing the difference between living the good life and living a good life. Those who meekly follow woke scripture and the politically correct doctrines of the State may certainly be rewarded with money and titles, but those who embrace truth, defend life, and act with conviction will always be wealthy. No matter how ruthless tyrants can be, they still pale in comparison to the strength and blessings of an Almighty God.

So I ask again: do you believe in miracles? Do you believe that God reaches down to catch us when we fall? Do you believe He makes heroes out of those least likely to be so? Do you believe living well is more important than being well rewarded?

If so, then no trial in this world is too daunting. No adversity can best perseverance. No tyranny can conquer those who insist on freedom. No villain can steal the hero's faith. Believe, and you will find an outstretched hand when you least expect it. Save others, and you, too, will one day be saved.

Image: FeeLoona via Pixabay, Pixabay License.
While we strive to understand how three beautiful 9-year-olds and three adults could be blasted away by transgender murderer Audrey Hale in Nashville, its truly difficult, if not impossible, to attribute a single cause and a single cure to prevent such horrors. In addition to the usual attack on guns, leftists (and some conservatives) have frozen their target: Hales parents, but thats simplistic and, therefore, wrong.

With her manifesto kept secret, we know just a few things about the Nashville shooter: She was a mentally disturbed individual, confused about her gender, and suicidal. We can guess she was taking a cocktail of hormones and psychotropic antidepressants. Leftists, though, blame her (Christian) parents for being unsupportive of her LGBTQI+ status. They ignore that, while it can be isolating and emotionally disturbing when ones transition isnt supported by family, school, or community, most LGBTQI+ with similar backgrounds, many even bullied and abused, do not haul an arsenal to shoot up a school.

Some conservatives also blame parents. Rush heir Clay Travis thinks Hales parents are to blame for not knowing their 28-year-old was harboring seven deadly weapons in their house. As a parent of three, he explained, hed know if his kids spent money on guns and hid them in his house.

Image: Parent and older child by bearfotos.

This focus on the parents is common with mass shootings. The Sandy Hook murderers mother was posthumously blamed after reports that she tried to bond with her son by taking him shooting. In Uvalde, blame was placed on a mother on drugs, an absent father, and grandparents who werent paying attention.

Law enforcement must investigate the parents of a mass murderer to ensure they havent been abusive or directly facilitated the murders, or indirectly provided aid and comfort to their murderous child. But absent credible evidence of parental complicity, abuse, or neglect, blaming parents whose lives were also destroyed is wrong.

Clays kids are much younger than the 28-year-old Hale. Those who have already raised kids in loving, intact homes, know that older kids mean less control. Good kids go bad; healthy kids crack up; loving kids become hateful; honest kids begin to lie.

These are the painful lessons from Life 101 and the inexactitude of parenting. Even the best parents have children who are flawed, inclined to disgrace, and sometimes downright evil.

You might have control over your little kids, but once theyre in high school, you have less control over them and their money than you think. There are hiding spots in attics, crawl spaces, basements, and sometimes in plain sight. And what parent hunts for guns in the hidden recesses of their home, anyway?

Clay intimated that good or involved parents would know if an adult kid was having suicidal or murderous thoughts, but he is misguided. While ObamaCare mandates that parents must finance their childs medical care until the age of 26, other laws shut parents out once the children are 12. School districts across America also have affirmative policies keeping secrets from parents. Short of witnessing your child violently act out, threaten violence, or express disturbing thoughts in online rants or a diary, even good or involved parents are often oblivious.

If your child needs mental health counseling or medication in college, parents might be the last to knowor never know, as they are forced to trust a childs care to strangers. All you know is what your kids tell you through their filter of fear and confusion or the tidbits doctors and therapists can share without violating HIPAA.

A parent may never know that a child experienced suicidal ideation or contemplated self-harm or harm to others. Moreover, theres no guarantee that children shared their thoughts with a trusted and well-meaning therapist. Not all therapists have your childs best interests at heart. Many have a training-driven agenda and can skillfully manipulate your medicated child, rewriting his/her upbringing to the point of being unrecognizable.

Often, these tragedies are the result of an amalgam of multiple individual and societal ills. The best we can do is identify factors (including breakdowns in societal norms) that appear to drive an individual to commit such horrors and come up with a list of deterrents to minimize risk.

Outside the home, our culture is sick and slouching toward Gomorrah. We need to reassert morality and the rule of law, bring back G-d and family, raise people out of poverty, blow up and rebuild the educational and mental health systems, and protect children from harmful parenting and sickening propaganda. Tall orders. We can lower risks, but there is no quick fix for these deep, societal problems.

We also must be mindful of overreacting and punishing the student who makes a gun with his fingers, threatens a fellow student or teacher because he/she is having a bad day, or is just an odd duck. Adolescents push buttons and say and do stupid things. We need fair and just processes to distinguish isolated incidences from serious threats.

Clay Travis believes armed guards at schools will serve as a deterrent. Maybe. But the individuals who do this are suicidalby cop or their own hands. They dont care about deterrence, only the havoc they can cause, the fame they can garner, and the destruction they seek. Theyll kill the guards first.

We cannot police all internet speech and outlaw all potential weapons, without creating a police state. And, while it sounds cool to use technology that locks the perpetrator between doors as soon as a gun is spotted or fired, the killer will simply kill our children outside during recess.

We rarely have advanced notice that someone is prepping to do something gruesome like this. Mental health professionals will speak out only when there is an imminent and credible threat. A manifesto online, a warning email to a friend, or acting out in school, are mere crumbs of evidence that dont always lead to prevention. Maybe our systems dont talk to each other; maybe its timing; maybe patients successfully hide their plans; maybe its too hard to find the breadcrumbs and make the connections; or maybe, we just want to believe in the best and not the worst in our young ones.

No matter how weird, awkward, or troubled a child is, our default setting is not to suspect our children of the unthinkable.

But the left wants you to believe that Hales Christian parents created this monster and bear the blame because they couldnt accept her transition. Apart from parents like Jamie Lee Curtis, who thinks her sons transition is celebratory, most parents struggle when a child embarks on an LGBTQI+ journey.

Yes, we can do better preventing these massacres, but that starts with honest conversations about mental health treatments for those experiencing gender dysphoria who do not have a medically-diagnosed intersex condition; and the deleterious effects of hormone therapy mixed with mood-altering medications.

The left refuses to go there but, as they encourage increasingly younger children to undergo radical transitions and thrust normal, well-adjusted children into the tizzy of selecting their gender from a dizzying list of choicessomething children never had to and never should have to donervous breakdowns, suicide, and violent responses will become the norm.

Locuta is a pseudonym.
In one of my favorite songsWorlds Apart by Jars of Claysinging of the death of Jesus, the lyrics ask (at about the 2:29 mark in the linked video) Did you really have to die for me? The answer, of course, is a resounding Yes!

One of the most important questions in the history of the universe is Why did Jesus have to die? This is especially the case as we are in the throes of what some are referring to as the Negative World era, where Everybody Wants to Rule Their World.

Aaron Renn describes the Negative World (2014the present) as a period when a culture adopts a negative view of Christianity, particularly in the elite domains of society. Mr. Renn adds that, in the Negative World:

Christian morality is expressly repudiated and seen as a threat to the public good and the new public moral order. Subscribing to Christian moral views or violating the secular moral order brings negative consequences.

Of course, this is exactly what we see in America today, especially where the woke rule. Much of the disdain for Christianity that we see todayand throughout timeis due to what God has had to say and do about sin. Far too many Americans today have refused to close their minds on matters that have been settled for all time, and instead have decided to adopt their own moral code (especially on matters within the sexual realm).

We are a nation littered with those who are deciding for themselves what is good, what is truth, and what is sin. We have largely abandoned the notion that we are sinners in need of a Savior. Thus, unsurprisingly, few Americans truly understand the reasons behind the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

The late-great Oswald Chambers provides one of the best descriptions of why Jesus went to the cross:

The Cross of Christ is the revealed truth of Gods judgment on sinThere is nothing in time or eternity more absolutely certain and irrefutable than what Jesus Christ accomplished on the Cross He made it possible for the entire human race to be brought back into a right-standing relationship with God. He made redemption the foundation of human life; that is, He made a way for every person to have fellowship with God. The Cross was not something that happened to Jesus He came to die; the Cross was His purpose in coming. He is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8). The incarnation of Christ would have no meaning without the Cross. Beware of separating God was manifested in the flesh from He made Himto be sin for us (1 Timothy 3:16 ; 2 Corinthians 5:21). The purpose of the incarnation was redemption. God came in the flesh to take sin away, not to accomplish something for Himself. The Cross is the central event in time and eternity, and the answer to all the problems of both.

One of my favorite Scriptures that explains the death of Jesus is near the end of the first chapter of the book of Colossians. Colossians 1:19-20 reads:

For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him [Jesus], and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

In other words, Jesus was, in the words of C.S. Lewis, The Perfect Penitent. As Lewis puts it:

We are told that Christ was killed for us, that His death has washed out our sins, and that by dying He disabled death itself. That is the formula. That is Christianity. That is what has to be believed.

Christ dying for our sins is an amazingand necessaryact of love and sacrifice, but it is not the end of the matter. Just as important as Christ dying for our sins is His resurrection. The physical resurrection of Jesus is the cornerstone of Christianity. British theologian Michael Green said it well when he noted, Without faith in the resurrection there would be no Christianity at all.

The facts of Jesuss birth, life, death, and resurrection all are, of course, central to Christianity. For millennia, each of these events has been celebrated, studied, taught, and preached. Most everyonefrom the fervently faithful, to the lukewarm, to the near Christian, to those outside Christianityat least admire the loving life, work, and words of Jesus. However, for a complete understanding of the events of Jesuss lifeespecially His death and resurrectionone must seek to understand sin and its sorrowful, destructive, and deadly effect upon humanity.

Unless you have a proper understanding of sinespecially the sin in your own lifeyou dont really understand why Jesus came into this world, why He said the things He said, why He did the things He did, and why He died and rose to life again. The first act of Jesuss public ministry was His baptism by John. As Jesus came to the Jordan River, John declared (John 1:29), Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

Since the first humans decided that they wanted to be like God, the world has been plaguedliterally cursedby sin. More so than any other human who has walked this planet, Jesus knewand knowswhat we need most. He understood perfectly the sin-sickness of humanity and that He alone hadand still hasthe cure.

People dont like hearing that things in their life need to change: that they are on the wrong path; that the things they are currently enjoying are really quite evil and deadly. In other words, people dont like being told that they need to repent.

As I noted several years ago, the greatest lie ever told is that there is no God. The second greatest lie ever told is that the devil does not exist. The third greatest lie ever told is that your (and my) sin is not really sin. One of the greatest debates within the church today surrounds the question of what is sin. If we cant answer that question well and accurately, then we will fall short of understanding and appreciating all that Jesus did for us.

As Oswald Chambers reveals above, Jesus came for no other reason than to redeem us, to save us. Save us from what? From the sin that leads to death, hell, and eternal separation from God. We dont get to come to God and accept Jesus on our own terms. It must be unconditional surrender. We must be willing to lay down everything that is an affront to God. He created us, He sustains us, and He alone can save us.

The ministry of Godfeeding the hungry, clothing the naked, healing the sickshould never be separated from the message of Godto repent of our sin and believe that Jesus was who He claimed to be: the Son of God and the savior of the world. The ministry of God and the message of Godboth together complete the mission of God. In other words, God became man not simply to improve us, or to help us out of a jam, or to give us what we ask for, or to make us feel better, but to make us into new creatures.

Happy Resurrection Day!

Trevor Grant Thomas

At the Intersection of Politics, Science, Faith, and Reason.

www.trevorgrantthomas.com

Trevor is the author of the The Miracle and Magnificence of America

tthomas@trevorgrantthomas.com

Image: Free image, Pixabay license, no attribution required.
Colonel Paul Linebarger's Psychological Warfare introduces the Propaganda Man, who represents the audience one is trying to persuade to one's point of view. It is a general PsyWar principle that the instant the Propaganda Man wakes up to the fact that you are lying to him and abusing his trust, it's all over for you. The Canada Palestine Association just published an article that, if it were a move in a chess game, would get a "???" from most annotators. To put this in perspective, "??" is defined as a move that "usually results in an immediately lost position."

The Canada Palestine Association's "Statement regarding Israeli attack on Palestinian worshippers at al-Aqsa Mosque" did exactly that by proving that this organization is not only a collective liar, but an incompetent liar in the bargain. The organization states, "As solidarity organizations with the Palestinian people, we condemn in the strongest terms the brutal Israeli attack on Palestinian worshippers at the al-Aqsa mosque on April 5, 2023." It supports this statement with a picture of men lying face-down in the mosque with their hands and feet tied, apparently by Israeli law enforcement.

Please take a look at the picture to see if there is anything unusual about it. That's right: all of the "worshippers" are wearing shoes.

The pro-Israel movement needs to take this viral. This scandal is "game over" for the "Free Palestine" fraud. It gets even better, or worse, depending on whose side you are on, with Middle East Eye's "Israeli forces beat and detain Palestinians in al-Aqsa prayer hall." The Palestinians in question were all wearing shoes, and were therefore doing something totally unrelated to Ramadan and Islam. The Canada Palestine Association told a flat-out lie to the effect that Israel detained "worshippers," and Middle East Eye told a literal truth (that Israel detained Palestinians) intended to deceive  i.e., with the implication that they were in the mosque to pray rather than cause trouble.

This picture, albeit from Israel, reinforces the obvious fact that the violence at the Al Aqsa Mosque was started not by Israel, but rather by terrorists who were there to harm Jews and profane and defile Ramadan for genuine Muslims. Ramadan is a time for fasting and reflection (similar to Lent for Christians and Yom Kippur for Jews), and its observance does not require pre-positioned supplies of rocks large enough to cause death or serious injury.

The U.K. Telegraph, meanwhile, published a YouTube video called "Israeli police raid Al-Aqsa Mosque as worshippers fight back with fireworks." When last I heard, fireworks have no role in the observance of Ramadan, so why were they present in the first place? Not only is the Telegraph lying about Israel attacking "worshippers," but it is not even lying intelligently. Its own video doesn't show worshippers. It shows people in terrorist masks and shoes yelling, "Allah akbar" and throwing explosives. The video also stipulates that rocks and explosives were present in the mosque. Guardian News makes this accusation: "Israeli police attack Palestinians at al-Aqsa mosque in eviction protests." While some of the loud explosions could have come from Israeli tear gas grenades, the pyrotechnic ones came from fireworks thrown by the Palestinians.

Falsus in Uno, Falsus in Omnibus

Falsus in Uno, Falsus in Omnibus means "false in one thing, false in everything." When somebody lies about something to which his or her listener is entitled to honest information, in this case whether Israelis attacked peaceful Muslims who were observing Ramadan in a mosque, the individual is a liar and cannot be trusted about anything.

The accusation of lying was so serious a couple of hundred years ago that it required satisfaction, otherwise known "grass before breakfast" because duels often took place on grassy fields. But now it's 2023 rather than, let's say, 1823, and we can address this problem by proving with objective evidence that the other party to the conflict is lying. The Canada Palestine Association published the accusation that Israel attacked worshipers in a mosque, while stipulating as a fact with its own picture that the individuals were wearing shoes in the mosque and were therefore not worshipers. Their readers can form their own opinions as to whether anything else they say is believable.

The same goes for NYU Law Students for Justice in Palestine, which leads to questions about the character and integrity of this organization. "Only days ago, the Israeli military stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque and attacked worshippers for the fifth time this month, injuring more than 150 people." Their hyperlink cites Al Jazeera, which YouTube points out is owned by the Qatari government. This Qatari propaganda organ is, like the Canada Palestinian Association, so incompetent at lying that it includes a video that shows rioters hurling rocks. There is, meanwhile, growing concern that Al Jazeera has failed to register as a foreign agent pursuant to the Foreign Agents Registration Act.

If the pro-Israel movement takes this ball and runs with it, it should be the end of the world for the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement.

Civis Americanus is the pen name of a contributor who remembers the lessons of history and wants to ensure that our country never needs to learn those lessons again the hard way. The author is remaining anonymous due to the likely prospect of being subjected to "cancel culture" for exposing the Big Lie behind Black Lives Matter.

Image via Max Pixel.
Like Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco, where big political poobahs have fallen suddenly to various corruption and sex harassment charges in their one-party cities and states, blue San Diego now has a tumbling political bigshot, too. Board of Supervisors chair Nathan Fletcher, who had been seen as the most powerful politician in the county, is going down as hard as Andrew Cuomo on sex harassment charges. Some have compared him to now-former Mayor Bob Filner, the pervert who couldn't keep his hands off women while in office who was eventually given the boot.

According to the News10, the local ABC News affiliate:

SAN DIEGO COUNTY  Cries for an immediate resignation are getting louder more than a week after a lawsuit was filed accusing the San Diego County Supervisor for District 4, Nathan Fletcher, of sexual harassment and assault on a colleague at MTS. On Friday, Congresswoman Sara Jacobs (CA-51) told ABC 10News she wants Fletcher to step down from the Board of County Supervisors "effective immediately." Her statement read in part: "I regret that Nathan was able to garner my and others' support while these women were suffering." Congresswoman Sara Jacobs Congresswoman Jacobs is echoing the same sentiment as Supervisor Jim Desmond (District 5), who released a video on Twitter stating, "He should not be getting paid by the taxpayers and he should not be receiving medical treatment on the taxpayer's dime," referring to the treatment for PTSD and alcohol abuse Fletcher has said he is receiving. Of the four remaining County Supervisors, three of them have voiced their approval of Fletcher's resignation.

Which is strange stuff, given the left establishment's utter indifference to what they had to have known was going on for years. Apparently, in Fletcher's case, it wasn't just one woman, it was a lot of them, and they are coming forward now for big city payouts. And like Hillary Clinton, Fletcher has a charming Hillary Clinton-style wife who spent her time in the run-up to this scandal threatening the women who vowed to come forward with details on hubby's sex harassments. She's politician-turned-labor boss Lorena Sanchez, who famously bellowed "F*** you!" to Elon Musk when he vowed to pull his auto-manufacturing business out of California to take to Texas.

These are truly disgusting leftists.

Which is just perfect for the political climate in California, so it's something a matter of mystery as to why they care now about sex harassment and are calling for Fletcher to leave office immediately, and not wait around until May when he promises to leave. According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, in a subscription report here, the exit of Fletcher leaves a city administrator's job to be appointed by an evenly divided Republican-Democrat board of supervisors and Fletcher would have tipped the board Democrat. Fair enough, but that disadvantages Democrats. So it can't be that.

More likely, the press should have been doing its job about this guy and it didn't.

The only reason this is obvious is because I've recently discovered a little Hispanic publication and website that has one doozy story after another about Fletcher, and the rest of the San Diego power elites. They've been doing their job for years.

La Prensa is a tiny publication that has at least an English version (I can't see if it's published in Spanish on its website, and the English seen is not machine-translation English, but top-grade English) loaded with the lowdown on these characters running the city into the ground, a true independent press that isn't into the boosterism and propping up of the power establishment that we see in the mainstream press and among many of the local broadcasters. I am amazed it is not better known.

Look at the quality of this analysis by publisher Arturo Castanares:

For years, Fletcher has benefited politically and financially from convenient connections and relationships that propelled him rapidly from a combat US Marine in the desert of Iraq to shaking hands with presidents and other dignitaries just a few years later. Fletcher first married well-connected George W. Bush staffer Mindy Tucker and became a rising star in Republican politics before switching Parties, divorcing her, and moving on to marry Lorena Gonzalez, one of the most powerful Democratic women in the state, then transformed himself into a liberal, woke, union-loving progressive within a span of just a few years. Many political observers recall Fletchers 2012 speech at the San Diego Republican Party when he sought their endorsement for his first run for Mayor, when he said he hated labor unions, bragged that he walked precincts for Ronald Reagan as a kid, and claimed to be a better Republican than his rival in the race, Carl DeMaio. After the Party endorsed DeMaio, Fletcher threw his lollipop in the sand and dropped his Republican registration, and lost the race. Fletcher promised his values wouldnt change on the political spectrum, only his party affiliation. Then Fletcher got a high-profile job at QUALCOMM, the local tech giant founded by one of his biggest supporters; billionaire Dr. Irwin Jacobs. The position gave Fletcher, who had left the State Assembly early to run for Mayor, an income and landing place while he planned his next move. The following year, when Lorena Gonzalez joined other powerful women in pushing Mayor Bob Filner to resign over allegations of sexual harassment against him, Fletcher ran for Mayor in a special election to replace Filner, this time as an Independent, but lost again. A few months later, Fletcher registered as a Democrat and was welcomed with open arms by the liberal elite who barely questioned his curious transformation from Republican firebrand to staunch union-loving Democrat.

After that Fletcher got a professorship at UCSD, same way now-ousted Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas in Los Angeles, another seemingly invincible power poobah, got such a post at USC for his sex-harassing son who got booted from the state assembly. Neither the junior, nor Fletcher, had significant qualifications or even degrees. Ridley-Thomas just got convicted in his corruption case a few days ago. As for Fletcher, he got both his QUALCOMM sinecure and his UCSD sinecure through the good graces of Irwin Jacobs, the QUALCOMM billionaire father of sitting San Diego congresswoman Sara Jacobs, aged 31, who's underqualified for her congressional office in her own right. Fletcher apparently got into sex-harassing the students while there, according to the La Prensa analysis.

Jacobs the congresswoman is kind of a pathetic character, latching onto failed "perennial candidate" Ammar Campa-Najjar in a romance that involves paying his bills and housing him in her ritzy downtown Bankers Hill condo, while he seeks office after office unsuccessfully, his defense of his own infamous grandpa, who was a Palestinian PLO terrorist leader during the PLO's infamous 1972 Munich massacre of Israeli Olympics athletes surely figuring in why he's not popular with voters. Campa-Najjar called the terrorist chieftain "a legend." Most recently, he ran for mayor of Chula Vista while living with Jacobs - and in a city where Democrats outnumber Republicans three to one, lost to a Republican. But the romance between the two -- moocher and moochee -- seems to be continuing. He also asked for a SDSU sinecure - specifically, one like Fletcher got, from a Chula Vista city councilman within this same circle of Democrats and would have gotten it except that La Prensa got word out about that sweetheart deal.

La Prensa seems to have the receipts on just how interconnected and corrupt these Democrat blue-city and state establishment hacks are, with one lurid story after another about their bad behavior on all of their pages. I have not even hinted at some of the eye-bleach details of some of the stuff I've read there. There is a corrupt establishment in every one-party blue city and thank goodness there is La Prensa to shine a light on what's happening.

It's still unknown what ripped the lid off Fletcher's vaunted career, but it's clear that there's a Jacobs machine and at least one other one, and neither involve conservatives.

To return to the gross story of Filner, California's then-attorney general, one Kamala Harris, got "Filthy Filner" off from his sex harassment charges in 2013 with a slap on the wrist. Apparently, Fletcher is looking for that same kind of sweetheart deal and who is to say he won't get it?

Image: John Koster, via Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 2.0
When Henry VIII broke with the papacy, he did not break with Christianity. Instead, the Church of England became a Protestant-Catholic hybrid, with the monarch in place of the Pope. Englands institutions reflected the nations ardent Christianity. This was especially true of Oxfords and Cambridges myriad individual colleges that, for hundreds of years, produced leaders steeped in their countrys Anglo-Christianity. Exhibit A is Oxfords Magdalen College.

In 1458, William of Waynflete, the Bishop of Winchester, founded Magdalen College, naming it after St. Mary Magdalene (whos always shown in iconography crying, hence the transformation of her name into the word maudlin via the French pronunciation of Madelaine). It has long been one of Oxfords wealthiest and most prominent colleges.

As the colleges name suggests, it was intended to operate under the umbrella of the Catholic faith. This was reflected in other terms from the 1458 founding charter, which dedicated the college to Mary Magdalene, as well as to the Virgin Mary, St. John the Baptist, and the Apostles Peter and Paul. The seal on the charter was Waynfletes own seal, which shows the bishop at the bottom humbly kneeling below a group of saints. This was a Christian institution.

Image: Magdalen College by Remi Mathis. CC BY-SA 3.0.

Nowadays, though, thats not the case anymore. The latest news from Englands rejection of her Christian past is that Magdalene, rather than celebrating St. Georges Day, in honor of Englands patron saint, will be celebrating Eid al-Fitr, the holiday marking the end of Ramadan:

In an email sent out to students obtained by the broadsheet, the vice president of the college, Professor Nick Stargardt invited students and guests to celebrate Eid with a festive dinner in the Hall, and said that the meal will follow Muslim customs: the meat dish will be halal and no alcohol will be served. The college has denied that it had an annual tradition of having a dinner to mark St Georges Day, which, unlike Eid, actually falls on the 23rd of this year. However, the Telegraph claimed to have seen evidence of the dinner being held in at least each of the four years preceding the Chinese coronavirus crisis. Magdalen was accused of attempting to cancel the Christian holiday, including a don at the college speaking on condition of anonymity, who said: The cancelling of St Georges Day is yet another example of the deep antipathy that the leaders of so many of Britains academic institutions seem to feel towards the country that built and maintains them.

This is not the first time England has turned on its own traditions or officially celebrated Muslim ones. Its notable only because the college was once a bastion of British Christian tradition. But in many ways, Great Britain, aside from being a victim of the leftism that was an undercurrent beginning at the turn of the last century and became official government policy starting after World War II, is also being colonized by its former empire.

By the height of the Victorian Empire, Great Britain straddled the world. The sun never set on that Empire, and world maps were awash in the red used to show British colonies. Most of these colonies were in the Muslim and Hindu world. Beginning after WWII and, with increasing speed for the remainder of the 20th century, and now, into the 21st century, Great Britain has had an open door policy (whether de facto or de jure) for people who lived in those former colonies.

Islam is the second largest religion in Great Britain, with Muslims making up around 5% of the total population. Additionally, unlike Englands nominal Christians, most of whom are irreligious, the Muslims take their faith very seriously.

It passed mostly unnoticed in America, but its quite symbolic that Englands top political leader is Rishi Sunak, a Hindu member of the Conservative Party, while Scotlands top political leader is Humza Yousaf, a Muslim member of the Scottish National Party.

Once, Great Britain went to other countries in her empire and imposed her values on them. Now, citizens of those former parts of the empire have come to Great Britain and, institution by institution, are imposing their values on heror at least the Muslim immigrants are. It is, in a very real way, a case of The Empire Strikes Back.
When Anne Frank was 13, she and her family, along with four other people, went into hiding in Amsterdam to escape the Nazi transports. Two years later, the Nazis captured them. Of the eight people, only Annes father survived. After the war, he discovered and then published Annes diary. It became and has remained a worldwide bestseller. For almost as long, leftists have attempted to coopt it for their own purposes, none of which have to do with fighting the genocidal antisemitism that still exists today. The latest battle is playing out in Florida, where anti-DeSantis leftists are falsely claiming that conservatives have canceled Anne Frank.

At my blog, Ive written about the way in which the left is coopting Anne Frank for its own ends. This post sums up what the left has been doing to Anne Franks legacy, which is to erase her Jewishness and attack Israel. (Had Anne Frank and her family made it to British-mandate Palestine, the only true refuge in the world for Jews, they would have survived WWII.)

Image: Anne Franks passport photo. Public domain.

The latest use to which leftists have put Anne Frank is to place her in the service of the gay pride movement. Thus, in Anne Franks Diary: The Graphic Adaptation, some illustrations focus on Annes nascent sexuality, providing truly graphic images of Anne viewing sexually explicit nude statutes or focusing on her appreciation for the nude female body. These concepts were in Annes unexpurgated diary, but they were also the ruminations of a precocious young woman from a European progressive household (by the standards of the day), who clearly wrote her diary with an eye to future publication and was experimenting with ideas.

In any event, they were mature content and are not meant to be presented in full graphic form for a very young audienceyet that was precisely what was happening in Florida:

Leftists will tell you: patriots are a bunch of book-burning neo-Nazis who are busy even now trying to control what people think by taking books out of the hands of our young people who are thirsting for knowledge. And so the headline of the Wednesday report from Tampa Bays WFLA was downright ominous: Florida school district removes book about Anne Frank from libraries. Heavens to betsy! Even Anne Frank! Do these right-wingers want another Holocaust? Will they stop at nothing? But the truth, as is usually the case with establishment media reports, was quite a different matter. WFLAs lead paragraph is just as misleading as its headline: A book about Anne Frank was removed from a Florida school library after a new policy was approved. What was removed was not her famous diary, but a graphic novel entitled Anne Franks Diary: The Graphic Adaptation. In this case, graphic is used in both senses of the word. In one graphic scene in the book, WFLA informs us, Frank asks a friend to expose themselves to one another. And in another, Frank walks along nude statues that are sexually explicit. The book also portrays Anne Frank as a budding lesbian; the caption on the page where she walks among the nude statues is: I must admit, every time I see a female nude, I go into ecstasy. If only I had a girlfriend! It was this marginally pornographic book that was removed from school libraries in Indian River County after complaints from a group of parents.

Moms For Liberty (a group to which I belong in South Carolina) wasnt protesting Anne Frank or her diary. The organization and its members were protesting the graphic novelization of the diarythat is, a cherry-picked rendition that used some of Annes words and provided illustrations from the imaginations of Ari Folman and David Polonsky. Indeed, when you go to the Amazon page for the book, Anne Frank is designated, not as the books author, but as a Contributor.

This is a comic book, not Anne Franks diaryand Haaretz has acknowledged that its edgy. When it comes to Anne Franks actual book, Moms For Liberty is fine:

The parents group in question, Moms For Liberty, of course has no problem with the real Anne Frank book. Jennifer Pippin of Moms For Liberty explained, We think true history absolutely needs to be taught, the Holocaust, the Anne Frank diary. And Dr. Kyra Schafte of the Indian River County school district pointed out that the real Diary of Anne Frank is still available in school libraries there. Cristen Maddux, a spokesperson for the district, said that the graphic novel, on the other hand, was not age appropriate. She added: Thats not the actual diary of Anne Frank. Its a fictional novel that has some inappropriate content in it. It was removed, she said, due to minimization of the Holocaust. Echoing Schafte, Maddux concluded, Library spaces in the district currently have factual accounts of The Diary of Anne Frank.

For the left, nothing is sacred. Everything is simply a vehicle for passing along its valuesor, more accurately, its values of the moment. The leftist goal is power, and it will use anything (race, sexuality, children) to achieve that goal. Anne Franks diary is just another weapon in the long war.
There is an old saying that revolutionaries never really succeed because they never stop being revolutionary. When power changes hands to new tyrants, the revolutionaries are eliminated, and the process starts all over again. That cycle changes with the elimination of tyranny, but like Tolkien's missing ring, it never seems to really go away even when dormant.

People who remember the '60s and '70s know that there were real gun-toting, bomb-throwing revolutionaries on the march back then. They killed people and robbed banks. These were new groups that were starting to focus on things like civil rights and equal rights for women, new fertile ground. The older Marxist narrative of uniting the working class had been abandoned. People like carpenters and electricians were buying homes and sending their kids to college. What did they want with a revolution?

So the new groups had to find another field to plow. These groups were the Weather Underground and the Symbionese Liberation Army and others with characters like Donald DeFreeze and Bill Ayers, Bernardine Dohrn, Kathy Boudin, and more. It is quite amazing to know that several of these people are still around. Boudin was picked up by Columbia University as an adjunct professor after serving 23 years in prison. That should tell you something about academia. Her son Chesa became San Francisco's D.A. until 2022, when he was finally unelected.

Today, BLM, Antifa, the LGBT+ cohort, and radical feminists are all allied as victims of the "system." The Democrat party, today heavily immersed in the left, along with the MSM, Hollywood, and academia  basically your wannabe-good-guys white people  strive to portray themselves as the protectors of society's victims against those other "evil" white people, whom they regularly refer to as racists, homophobes, misogynists, and xenophobes. They would love to add illegal aliens to their ranks, hence the open border situation, but I doubt that will go the way they think. Criminals are now portrayed as victims and the police as the problem. It is on the one hand a childish narrative and on the other hand a serious threat to our country. I don't think most of the participants in this narrative even see it for what it is, but the direction couldn't be more clear. It is all about revolution.

Alvin Bragg, NYC's elected public accuser, could not epitomize this new narrative more. As D.A. he has, in his zeal for social justice, dismissed whole classes of felonies and misdemeanors, arrested people for defending themselves against murderers and thugs, and made it his piece de resistance to bring trivial and obscure charges against a former president and running candidate in what one can only imagine he sees as a strike against the head of those evil white people. He is not alone in this quest. Reports are that the presiding judge is similarly biased.

The case of the Russian collusion hoax has shown us how the Democrat party has extended its corrupting influence to the FBI, the DOJ, and numerous organizations throughout the government and media. It is clear in seeing the way the party has been able to collectivize its attacks on Trump that no single person is going to restore law and order and human rights in this country. So now Trump is going to court, where it will be incumbent on him yet again to prove his innocence, as Nancy Pelosi has so flippantly exclaimed.

How this is going to play out is a burning question. If history is our road map, we may be looking forward to the blood, chaos, and tyranny of a French-style revolution. If so, the elites and instigators who now embed themselves in the causes of the "victims" will eventually be found out as tyrants and eliminated, as was Robespierre following the Thermidorian Reaction.

The American revolution was without doubt the most deliberate and focused transformation to representative government and the establishment of human rights in history. Its primary objective has always been to avoid tyranny by its constitution. Let's hope we don't get dragged into following the French model to get back on our path.

Image: Don Hankins via Flickr, CC BY 2.0.
It seemed like a quiet Saturday afternoon in Stafford County, Virginia on the 1st April, also known as April Fools Day in some parts of the world.

Three Marines, namely Cpl. John Darby, Cpl. Bradley Feldkamp, and Lance Cpl. Nicholas Dural, who had stepped out to get their haircuts, decided to stop by the nearby Chick-fil-A for a meal.

The men had finished their training to become Marine Security Guards at Marine Corps Base Quantico a few weeks ago and were awaiting their visas and flights to their posts overseas.

US Marine Corps photo

At the Chick-fil-A outlet, they noticed a man being confronted by two young men. What began as an argument devolved into an altercation resulting in one of the assailants colliding with a woman standing nearby.

This caused one of the Marines, Dural, to approach the woman to make sure she was unharmed.

By that time, one of the young assailants had pulled out a knife.

When Dural saw the weapon, his Marine Security Guard training on defensive tactics and combat kicked in. He immediately grabbed the base of the assailants hand in which he held the knife. As Dural was twisting the assailant's wrist, he was able to overpower him and seize control of the weapon.

The pressure applied by Dural was so considerable that the knife snapped into two pieces; the handle, and blade flew into the air and then slid across the floor.

Dural then signaled his fellow Marine, John Darby, to seize the blade.

Darby, who was speaking to the woman who was pushed during the scuffle, immediately stepped on the blade and kicked it away from the two attackers.

In parallel, the third Marine, Bradley Feldkamp, prevented a fourth person from joining the ensuing brawl between Dural and the two teenagers.

Realizing that they had been overpowered and outmaneuvered, the two miscreants fled from the scene, but they managed to steal their victim's mobile phone.

All of this occurred in a matter of minutes and was covered by a military news outlet called Task and Purpose.

Law enforcement officials arrived at the location almost immediately to gather descriptions of the assailants from all witnesses.

After a detailed survey of the area, the police observed two males matching the description provided by witnesses. In time, the two suspects were apprehended.

They identified as juveniles aged 17 and 14.

The stolen phone was recovered from one of the assailants and returned to the victim.

Criminal complaints for assault, battery, robbery, and attempted felony wounding were filed against the 17-year-old.

Criminal complaints for assault, battery, and robbery were filed against the 14-year-old.

Both were detained at the Juvenile Detention Center and their court appearances were scheduled later.

But for the three brave Marines, the victim would probably be either dead or very seriously injured with a possible life-altering wound.

The Stafford County Sheriffs lauded the three Marines for their valor.

The three heroes received the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal at a ceremony held at the Marine Corps Embassy Security Groups headquarters in Quantico, Virginia. They were also lauded by their superiors and colleagues.

Like most heroes, the Marines made no fuss about their acts of bravery. They said they didnt deserve medals or blandishments. since they were doing their duty like any other Marine would in a similar situation.

Now a bit about the heroes.

Feldkamp said he decided to become a Marine Security Guard because he wanted to help people in other countries during natural disasters and other emergencies. A trip to earthquake-ravaged Haiti during his school days made him realize that helping people brought him satisfaction.

Darby, who joined the Marine Corps in 2018, said that graduating from Marine Security Guard training made him feel that he was part of the good fight.

Dural, who was initially in the infantry, said being a Marine Security Guard will allow him to be the calm face of the Marine Corps during crises overseas. He noted that whenever there is an emergency in a foreign country, Marines are often the first U.S. service members that locals encounter.

I want to be that strong person that anybody can trust. I was like that for my sisters when I grew up with them and I would love to do that for the rest of the world, said Dural.

Darby and Feldkamp are expected to leave for the U.S. Embassy in Abuja, Nigeria; while Dural is to be posted at the U.S. Embassy in Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo.

The heroes managed to turn April Fools Day into Bravehearts Day.

This incident will remind everyone of the occurrences last March when two restauranters Louie Suljovic and Cazim Suljovic endured serious injuries while saving a 61-year-old woman from being attacked and robbed outside their NY pizzeria.

It will also remind everyone of the brave Army veteran Richard Fierro whose fearless actions saved lives at the nightclub in Colorado late last year.

Lets not forget the bravery of security guards Manny Resto and Danny Baham last month that prevented what could have been a deadly shootout at a Florida nightclub.

What was remarkable these heroes didn't seek the spotlight, nor did they overstate their acts of real courage.

In an era of the self-centered and the self-absorbed, the conduct and attitude of these men are exemplary

The consequence depiction in action films is that in such situations the focus often lies solely on valor and heroism. What is often forgotten is at the core of heroism is compassion -- i.e., empathy for the defenseless in peril.

The actions of the men saved time, money, and most importantly considerable hardships for a victim. It is said that if you touch one life, you have touched several. This is exactly what the Marines did.

We must hence celebrate these men as humanitarians as much as heroes

It is commendable that the heroes were honored by the Marine Corps. Perhaps the elected leaders in Virginia and in D.C. and join in to honor the Bravehearts.

It would be remarkable if these real-life heroes are celebrated, rewarded, and awarded like the stars of showbiz or sports.

The coverage across all media needs to be more extensive and commemorative.

Perhaps this celebration of bravery and selflessness will lead to some form of unification and elevation of its spirits in these divisive times.

Above all, a society that celebrates and incentivizes heroism and altruism encourages and perpetuates heroism and altruism.
More than one in 10 teachers have been physically assaulted by a pupil in the last year, a survey suggests.

Nearly half (48%) of teachers surveyed said they do not feel that their schools behaviour policy is effective and fit for purpose, according to a poll by the NASUWT teaching union.

The survey, of 8,466 NASUWT members in the UK in March, suggests that 13% of teachers have been physical assaulted by a pupil in the last year.

More than one in four (28%) teachers said they have been subjected to verbal abuse by a parent or carer during the last year, the poll found.

Teachers reported to the union that they had been kicked at, bitten, punched and slapped by pupils, while NASUWT members also said parents had screamed and shouted at them.

The findings have been released during the unions annual conference in Glasgow over the Easter weekend.

Delegates at the NASUWT conference are due to debate a motion on Sunday which suggests that assaults are seen as a normal part of teaching in too many schools.

Teachers have been subjected to pushing/shoving (22%), threats of physical assault (19%) and verbal abuse (58%) by pupils during the last year, according to the survey.

A teacher who responded to the survey said: I regularly had a child that would throw chairs at me, threaten to kill me and my family. Say he was going to stab me.

Another said: I was upskirted. I have had an unknown substance sprayed in my face. I have been verbally abused and shoved several times.

Another respondent said: Ive been spat at, swore at, pushed, punched, kicked. Ive been called a hole for the lads to shove their dicks in. Ive had two Year 11 boys trap me in my room and threaten to go through my things.

Among the teachers who said they had experienced abuse from a parent or pupil, more than one in three (36%) said they did not feel their school dealt with the issue satisfactorily.

The motion, which delegates will vote on, says the union is worried that employers are failing in their duties to protect teachers by either not completing risk assessments or seeing them as a paper exercise.

It adds that the union is concerned that many school leaders are not given sufficient guidance in the completion of risk assessments for violent pupils.

Patrick Roach, general secretary of the NASUWT, said: No teacher should have to go to work expecting to suffer from physical or verbal abuse by pupils.

Employers have a statutory duty to carry out effective risk assessments  they cannot simply choose to ignore or underestimate the dangers of violent pupils.

Where employers do fail to protect our members from aggression and violence, we will take them on and act to support and protect our members by any means necessary.

A Department for Education (DfE) spokesperson said: No teacher should feel unsafe or face violence in the workplace and we are taking action to improve pupils behaviour to ensure every school has a safe and respectable environment.

Our ongoing 10 million Behaviour Hubs programme aims to support up to 700 schools between 2021 and 2024 in improving their behaviour by partnering them with selected exemplary lead schools and multi academy trusts.

Our updated Behaviour in Schools guidance provides advice on creating whole-school cultures which explicitly sets out what good behaviour looks like. This is so pupils can understand and uphold high expectations of behaviour, which in turn establishes calm and safe environments.
Police have named a 15-year-old girl who was killed in an east London fire as Tiffany Regis.

Tiffany died in the fire on Thursday at a block of flats in Beckton, the Metropolitan Police said.

Police were called at about 5.28pm on Thursday to the fire in Tollgate Road, which detectives are treating as arson.

While identification was not conclusive, police said they believed that Tiffany died in the fire. A post-mortem found that the cause of death was smoke inhalation.

A 16-year-old boy was arrested on Thursday on suspicion of murder following the fire.

He was later bailed pending further inquiries.

Five others at the address were injured. They have since been discharged from hospital.

Chief Superintendent Simon Crick, who leads the North East Command Unit, said that his thoughts were with Tiffany and her family and friends.

He added: My thoughts at this time are with Tiffany and her family and friends. Incidents such as these send shockwaves through our communities and I dont underestimate the impact this will have in the local area and beyond.

Your officers will be on patrol in the immediate vicinity over the Easter Weekend, please talk to them if you have any concerns.

Mayor of Newham Rokhsana Fiaz said: Tiffanys parents are going through unimaginable pain at the loss of their much loved 15-year-old daughter who brought so much joy. I am deeply upset by this tragic loss of a young life, as is everyone in Newham.

My thoughts and prayers are with Tiffanys parents, family and friends at this very difficult and heart-breaking time. I am urging anyone with any information to contact the police incident room.

Our priority is to support Tiffanys parents grieving the loss of their child; and all those young people who have lost a dear friend.
A rediscovered photo album which provides a fascinating glimpse into separate visits made by Prince Philip, the late Duke of Edinburgh, and Princess Margaret to two cable ships in the 1960s is to go under the hammer.

The commemorative corporate album contains 14 black and white 6in by 8in photographs of Philips visit to CS Mercury at Tortola in the British Virgin Islands on February 23 1966, and 14 of Margarets visit with her then-husband, the Earl of Snowdon, to CS Enterprise in Hong Kong on March 5 that same year.

Prince Philip visited CS Mercury in the British Virgin Islands in February 1966 (Charles Miller/PA)

The album contains 14 black and white photos of Prince Philip (Charles Miller/PA)

Prince Philip appears to be listening attentively to staff as he is given a tour of the ship (Charles Miller/PA)

In many of the images, Prince Philip appears to be listening attentively to staff as he is given a tour of the ship.

Photos of Princess Margaret show her looking equally interested in finding out more about how the vessel she visited operates.

She is often pictured smiling, wearing a top with a matching hat, paired with a knee-length skirt and handbag.

Pictures of Princess Margaret on board CS Enterprise often show her smiling (Charles Miller/PA)

Princess Margaret looked very interested in learning more about the cable ship (Charles Miller/PA)

Princess Margaret wore a top with a matching hat, paired with a knee-length skirt (Charles Miller)

The album is to go under the hammer with auction house Charles Miller  a maritime specialist  in London on April 25, and is expected to sell for between 300 and 500.

Charles Miller said: Albums such as these always offer a fascinating glimpse into such important visits.

In addition, it is rare to see photographer Antony Armstrong-Jones accompanying the princess on official duties.

The album was recently rediscovered after spending many years in a UK private collection.
Rishi Sunak is focusing on fulfilling the promise of the Good Friday Agreement as he prepares to host Joe Biden in Northern Ireland to mark 25 years of the peace deal.

The Prime Minister said making good on the pledge of a better future for the nation is first and foremost on his mind ahead of the anniversary.

The commemorations come amid a heightened terror threat in Northern Ireland and powersharing in Stormont remaining collapsed amid post-Brexit tensions.

Signed on April 10 1998, the Good Friday Agreement ended the 30-year conflict of the Troubles, during which more than 3,500 people were killed.

Mr Sunak will meet the US president off Air Force One when he arrives on Tuesday evening.

Mr Biden, intensely proud of his Irish heritage and the USs role in the peace accord, will take part in a series of engagements in Belfast including a formal meeting with the Prime Minister.

In a statement, Mr Sunak said the signing of the Good Friday Agreement was an incredible moment in the history of the UK.

It was a powerfully rare example of people doing the previously unthinkable to create a better future for Northern Ireland, he said.

It is that promise of a better future that we offered to everyone in Northern Ireland that I will be thinking of first and foremost over the coming days.

It is my responsibility as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom to ensure we are making good on that promise.

Mr Sunak said he is relentlessly focused on delivering economic growth for Northern Ireland, which he said is crucial to improving living standards.

He is expected to use Mr Bidens visit to drum up long-term investment for the nation, and announce that the UK will host a Northern Ireland Investment Summit in September.

Rishi Sunak will meet President Joe Biden off Air Force One when he arrives on Tuesday (Phil Noble/PA)

The Prime Minister will address the Agreement 25 conference at Queens University on Wednesday before hosting a gala dinner.

A major policing operation costing around 7 million and backed up by around 300 officers travelling from other parts of the UK will be under way around the anniversary.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has warned of the potential of dissident republicans launching attacks on police officers in Londonderry on Easter Monday.

MI5 recently raised the terrorism threat in Northern Ireland level to severe, meaning an attack is highly likely.

Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, has insisted the political vacuum in the nation caused by his partys refusal to re-enter Stormont is not to blame.

In February last year the DUP withdrew its support for the powersharing institutions formed by the Good Friday Agreement as it protests against post-Brexit trading arrangements.

Mr Biden will leave Northern Ireland on Wednesday for the Republic, where he will visit Dublin, Co Louth and Co Mayo.
Thousands of members of the Sikh community in Glasgow took part in the first celebration of Vaisakhi since the Covid-19 pandemic.

The traditional nagar kirtan procession, which celebrates the birth of the Sikh nation, began at the Gurdwara Granth Sahib on Albert Drive in the southside of the city around 9.30am on Sunday before making its way across the River Clyde to the Central Gurdwara on Berkeley Street in the west end.

It ended at the Guru Nanak Gurdwara on Otago Street.

People taking part in the annual procession in Glasgow as part of the Sikh Vaisakhi celebration to celebrate the Birth of the Sikh Nation (Jane Barlow/PA)

Vaisakhi falls on April 14 and is a Sikh celebration of the spring harvest as well as the beginning of the solar new year.

Vaisakhi also marks the birth of the Khalsa order by Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th Guru of Sikhism, on April 13, 1699.

There are estimated to be around 10,000 Sikhs living in Scotland, with Glasgow being the area with the most significant population.
TAIPEI (Reuters) -China's military simulated precision strikes against Taiwan in a second day of drills around the island on Sunday, with the island's defence ministry reporting multiple air force sorties and that it was monitoring China's missile forces.

China, which claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, began three days of military exercises around the island on Saturday, the day after Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen returned from a brief visit to the United States.

Chinese state television reported that the combat readiness patrols and drills around Taiwan were continuing.

"Under the unified command of the theatre joint operations command centre, multiple types of units carried out simulated joint precision strikes on key targets on Taiwan island and the surrounding sea areas, and continue to maintain an offensive posture around the island," it said.

A source familiar with the security situation in the region told Reuters that China had been conducting simulated air and sea attacks on "foreign military targets" in the waters off Taiwan's southwestern coast.

"Taiwan is not their only target," the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to speak to the media. "It's very provocative."

Taiwan's defence ministry said that as of Sunday midday (0400 GMT) they had spotted 58 Chinese aircraft, including Su-30 fighters and H-6 bombers, as well as nine ships, around Taiwan.

The ministry said they were paying particular attention to the People's Liberation Army's Rocket Force which is in charge of China's land-based missile system.

"Regarding the movements of the Chinese communists' Rocket Force, the nation's military also has a close grasp through the joint intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance system, and air defence forces remain on high alert," the ministry said.

It reiterated that Taiwan's forces will "not escalate conflicts nor cause disputes" and would respond "appropriately" to China's drills.

The security source said about 20 military ships, half from Taiwan and half from China, were engaged in a stand-off near the Taiwan Strait's median line, which has for years served as an unofficial barrier between the two sides, but did not behave provocatively.

China's aircraft carrier Shandong, which Taiwan has been monitoring since last week, is now more than 400 nautical miles off Taiwan's southeast coast and is carrying out drills, the source said.

Zhao Xiaozhuo of China's Academy of Military Sciences told the Chinese state-backed Global Times newspaper this was the first time China had openly talked of simulated attacks on targets in Taiwan.

Key targets would include infrastructure such as runways, military logistics facilities and mobile targets "to annihilate them in one fell swoop if necessary", the report cited Zhao as saying.

'COMFORTABLE, CONFIDENT' U.S. MONITORS DRILLS

Life in Taiwan has continued as normal, with no sign of panic or disruption from the Chinese drills.

Last August, following a visit to Taipei by Nancy Pelosi, then the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, China staged war games around Taiwan, including firing missiles into waters close to the island. It has not announced similar drills this time.

While in Los Angeles last week, on what was officially billed a transit on her way back from Central America, Tsai met the current speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy, despite Beijing's warnings against it.

The de facto U.S. embassy in Taiwan said on Sunday the United States was monitoring China's drills around Taiwan closely and is "comfortable and confident" it has sufficient resources and capabilities regionally to ensure peace and stability.

U.S. channels of communication with China remain open and the United States had consistently urged restraint and no change to the status quo, said a spokesperson for the American Institute in Taiwan, which serves as an embassy in the absence of formal diplomatic ties.

Washington severed diplomatic relations with Taipei in favour of Beijing in 1979 but is bound by law to provide the island with the means to defend itself.

China, which has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under its control, says Taiwan is the most important and sensitive issue in its relations with the United States, and the topic is a frequent source of tensions.

Beijing considers Tsai a separatist and has rebuffed her repeated calls for talks. Tsai says only Taiwan's people can decide their future.

CHINESE FIGHTERS, WARSHIPS

China has over the past three years or so stepped up its military pressure against Taiwan, flying regular missions around Taiwan, though not in its territorial air space or over the island itself.

Taiwan's defence ministry said earlier on Sunday that in the previous 24 hours it had spotted 71 Chinese air force aircraft and nine navy vessels around Taiwan.

The ministry published a map showing around half of those aircraft, including Su-30s and J-11s, crossed the strait's median line.

Chinese state media said the aircraft were armed with live weapons. Taiwanese air force jets also typically carry live weapons when they scramble to see off Chinese incursions.

(Reporting by Yimou Lee and Ben Blanchard in Taipei and Josh Horwitz in Shanghai; Writing by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Leslie Adler, William Mallard and Gerry Doyle)
Juice, a European Space Agency (ESA) spacecraft, is getting ready for its journey to Jupiter in a mission to find out if any of the giant planets three ocean-bearing moons are habitable.

Scientists in the UK have led the development of one of the 10 instruments on the spacecraft, while the UK Space Agency provided 9 million of funding for the 1.4 billion project.

Juice, which stands for JUpiter ICy moons Explorer, is due to blast off on April 13 from French Guiana, with an eight-year journey ahead.

Experts from Imperial College London led the development of the magnetometer, known as J-MAG, which will measure the characteristics of the magnetic fields of Jupiter and its largest moon, Ganymede.

It will also play a key role in detecting moving salts in the oceans beneath the icy crusts of Ganymede as well as exploring Jupiters other moons, Europa and Callisto.

"[J-MAG] can sense magnetic fields five million times smaller than the Earths and is built to withstand the extreme temperatures and harsh radiation environment around Jupiter." pic.twitter.com/XXwsM92FBn  Imperial Sciences (@ImperialSci) April 5, 2023

The data will help characterise the depth and salt content of Ganymedes ocean, to see if it may hold the conditions for life.

Professor Michele Dougherty, head of the Department of Physics at Imperial College London and principal investigator for J-MAG, said: With our instruments measurements, we are almost looking inside these worlds.

What were doing however is extremely difficult, as the signals were trying to detect are extremely small.

Its like trying to find lots of needles in a haystack, and those needles are changing shape and colour all the time.

But we think the results are going to be spectacular.

Prof Dougherty and her team will be collaborating with experts from the University of Leicester as well as the University College London (UCL).

Juice spacecraft being prepared for launch (ESA/CNES/Arianespace)

Professor Emma Bunce, director of the Institute for Space at the University of Leicester and co-investigator on J-MAG, said: After many years of hard work from science, engineering, and industry teams, we are so excited that the Juice mission is finally ready to launch and start its long journey to the Jupiter system.

We will patiently await the incredible data that we expect to receive from 2031, and we are confident that it will absolutely be worth the wait.

As well as J-MAG, Leicesters scientists will also collaborate with other experts on two other instruments on Juice: MAJIS (the Moons and Jupiter Imaging Spectrometer)  which will observe cloud features and atmospheric constituents on Jupiter; and UVS (UV imaging spectrograph)  which will characterise the composition and dynamics of the exospheres of the icy moons.

Meanwhile, the UCLs Mullard Space Science Laboratory (MSSL) has provided particle detectors for Juices PEP (Particle Environment Package) instrument, which will gather data on the soup of ions, electrons, and atoms surrounding Jupiter and its moons.

Professor Geraint Jones, of MSSL and a co-investigator on the PEP instrument, said: This data will help us, for instance, to understand how particles around Jupiter reach such high energies  energies that could be fatal for an astronaut.

#ESAJuice will use its unique instruments to study Jupiter's atmosphere and answer questions such as: What's the weather & climate like?How does an atmosphere work with no solid surface?What makes the upper atmosphere so hot? pic.twitter.com/6ZTzS5Qf3n  ESA's Juice mission (@ESA_JUICE) April 3, 2023

We are excited that the mission will shed new light on worlds that could potentially host life.

The MSSL, along with the Open University, also have science roles in Juices optical camera system called Janus.

Dr Chiaki Crews, research fellow at The Open University, said: The Juice mission aims to answer many exciting questions, including whether the ocean worlds beneath the surfaces of Jupiters icy moons could potentially harbour life.

One of the many instruments needed to make detailed scientific observations to help answer such questions is a camera.

A large part of our work was to irradiate test sensors with high doses of radiation, just like it is expected to experience during the Juice mission lifetime, to check that Janus will still be able to take images without too much degradation.
National Developmental Housing Corporation (Sakan) has announced that it has secured over SR1 billion ($266 million) through the Jood Eskan Charitable Campaign within 13 days of its launch.

The Jood Eskan platform is one of the initiatives of Sakan, a non-profit arm of the Ministry of Municipal, Rural Affairs and Housing, which aims to engage society members in community development programmes and achieve social solidarity, based on a mechanism that ensures the delivery of charitable donations to those who need them.

Through this charity IPO-style campaign, Sakan aims to provide residences to 3,500 needy Saudi families.

Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Crown Prince and Prime Minister HRH Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz had kicked off the Jood Eskan Housing Charity IPO-Style Campaign on the first day of Ramadan with SR150 million donation, said a statement from Sakan.

These initial contributions, given through the Jood Eskan platform, further demonstrate the leaderships commitment to supporting all efforts and initiatives that provide housing for needy families, it stated.

Soon leading Saudi organisations including the General Authority of Awqaf, the National Housing Company, Al Rajhi Bank, stc group, mbc group, Al Arabiya channel, Ajlan & Brothers Group, Sumou Real Estate Company, Khuzam Real Estate Company and Al Arabiya Outdoor Solutions Provider lent their support to this not-for-profit endeavour.

The campaign also witnessed remarkable interaction from government officials, business community as well the locals in addition to both the main stream media and social media platforms, said the statement.

It featured a dedicated location hosting a nightly event welcoming all visitors to witness the daily progress of the campaign, it added.

Sakan said the "Evergreen Stock", Jood Eskan's charitable creative campaign, was an IPO simulation that targets Saudi Arabia's most prominent corporations, institutions, individual investors and the public.

Inspired by the financial markets, the campaign's creative concept turns on the IPO fundraising method by selling "stocks" through goodwill and charitable contributions, to encourage community members and private sector players to "invest" in their community.

The "Evergreen Stock" campaign began on the first day of Ramadan, offering 100 million stocks at SR10 per share; it is designed to raise awareness about the importance of investing in community-driven social initiatives, it added.

On the overwhelming response, Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing and Sakan Board Chairman Sakan Majid bin Abdullah Al Hogail said: "We, in KSA, are grateful for the Saudi leaderships generous sponsorship for the IPO-Style campaign, and for the donations of the campaign partners and community members, which played a key role in achieving this record amount."

This noble getsure will help bring a major change in the lives of these Saudi families and we are moving forward aspiring to achieve higher targets by the end of Ramadan, he added.-TradeArabia News Service
From Big Hot Dog Energy to Pimp My Pasta, theres a growing wave of restaurants in the U.S. that are luring patrons with clickbait names and glossy imagery. But you cant dine in them, because in the physical world they dont exist.

Theres no signage, no seating, no cute walk-up window, said Jean Chick, a senior consultant specializing in food and beverage at consulting firm Deloitte. Unlike full-service restaurants, these virtual endeavors prioritize delivery and pick-up. They can be ghost kitchens  which operate out of trailers or commercial warehouses  or, increasingly, alter egos for existing restaurants known as virtual restaurants.

In New York City, a sample of 1,656 Uber Eats listings showed that more than 1 in 5 appear to be virtual, a trend repeated across each of the 12 cities NBC News examined, according to an analysis of restaurant listings. Data shows there are now tens of thousands of virtual restaurants, flooding the marketplace and prompting at least one delivery app company to make plans to rein in some restaurants.

While these online listings drive business revenue through exposure and often bring in new customers, experts warn that unoriginal listings can crowd the dining landscape.

The prevalence of virtual restaurants varied among the cities analyzed, ranging from 1 in every 10 in Cleveland to nearly 1 in every 3 restaurants in Nashville, Tennessee.

This data comes from a sample of restaurant listings on Uber Eats platform, drawing from listings shown under each of the platforms cuisine categories  fast food, ice cream, barbecue  for a given city.

Uber declined to comment when asked if the numbers in NBC News analysis align with Ubers internal metrics.

According to one restaurant owner, the motivation for opening virtual restaurants whittles down to economics.

Rich, the owner of Spinners Pizza on Bleecker Street in Manhattan, operates more than 60 virtual brands across Uber Eats, DoorDash, Grubhub, Menufy, Seamless, Slice and Too Good to Go. Rich asked that his last name not be published, citing threats from customers and competitors about his virtual kitchens, and said that the multiple listings are what keeps his business afloat.

Its supposed to be the best street in the world for pizza, Rich said. But thats only on Friday and Saturday nights, and, he said, the rest of the week isnt enough to support the rent, the workers, the electric.

During a reporters visit on a Thursday night in March, fewer than five customers set foot inside Spinners.

As a restaurant owner, Rich is part of an industry with 5% profit margins and where nearly 9 in 10 operators say they are less profitable than they were pre-pandemic, according to the National Restaurant Association.

For restaurants, how visible these online listings are can lead to a 5% increase in revenue, said Abhishek Nagaraj, an associate professor in the Haas Business School at the University of California, Berkeley, who specializes in the digital economy.

Richs virtual brands operate under names such as Paulies Pizza and New York Thin Crust Pizza. These eateries exist only on the internet and the majority, like Spinners, serve pizza.

While these additional listings can bring in new customers, Nagaraj said that restaurateurs with dozens of listings can also take customers from other businesses. Rich said one of his virtual brands has a name thats very similar to a nearby brick-and-mortar competitor, which has prompted angry calls from confused customers.

Virtual restaurants are a boon to businesses that are struggling in some kind of way, said David Henkes, a senior consultant at Technomic, a business-focused market research company that specializes in the food service industry. Customers of delivery platforms tend to prioritize cost and speed, both of which are easier to provide than a one-of-a-kind in-person experience.

Virtual brand identities are easier to shape, which provides advantages, Henkes said.

Rich found that people were ordering from his virtual restaurants based on name alone. You know, I want pepperoni pizza, he said. Wow, Pepperoniville, they must specialize in pepperoni. Lets do that.

If they like the name, they order.

Snappy names and convenience helped convince Ryan Benson, a marketer who lives in Los Angeles Sherman Oaks neighborhood, to order from The Meltdown.

It was called the Giddy Up Melt and had things like burnt brisket tips; it sounded like a premium hipster joint, Benson, 25, said. I thought it was a hole-in-the-wall diner or a food truck that was selling on an app. I was not envisioning a Dennys.

In fact, the sandwich so enamored Benson that he only discovered the restaurants true identity after he made plans to eat there in person. While putting together a Yelp list of his favorite restaurants, Benson couldnt find The Meltdown, so he searched the address from the app and was startled to see Dennys listed there.

I feel like I got catfished by my sandwich  everything I knew was a lie, Benson said.

[Virtual restaurants are] stealing attention from what I thought was a new or locally owned business, Benson added. Its almost like theyre masquerading as a new small business  is this ethical?

When asked for comment, a Dennys spokesperson said the company prioritized transparency and disclosed its connection with The Meltdown on the virtual resturants About Us page. The spokesperson also noted, however, that individual partners choose what to display on their page and can opt not to show the hosted by Dennys messaging.

From Bensons perspective, there are other issues with virtual restaurants: Do they have their own kitchen ratings, health ratings?

His concern is not unwarranted: An address on Hudson Street in Manhattan is associated with nine different virtual restaurants, including Baozilla NYC and Chopped Cheese Factory, but searches on the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygienes website for all nine restaurants at that address returned zero results.

A call to the business revealed that its physical dine-in location is neither a Baozilla nor a Chopped Cheese, but instead a small deli selling packaged snacks and a variety of prepared foods. In early March, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene issued the deli inspection violations for filth flies as well as conditions conducive to rodents, insects, or other pests. A worker at the store didnt answer repeated questions about health inspections.

Nagaraj suggested that these additional identities, while potentially offering positive paths to reinvention, might also offer a restaurant a way to avoid accountability. If you kill a [virtual] restaurant and start a new one with a new name, what do identity and reputation mean? Nagaraj said.

These questions are driving delivery platforms to think carefully about their engagement with virtual restaurants.

On DoorDash, virtual restaurants are labeled and customers can access details about the physical location of the kitchen. Virtual brands are required to maintain documentation of their compliance with local health and safety regulations. In December, DoorDash also rolled out brand quality guidelines for operators, which emphasize high-quality, differentiated [menu] selection.

Uber Eats announced new guidelines for virtual kitchens in late March, tightening requirements and offering restaurants help to improve their listings. These changes include the removal of virtual brands that offer identical or near-identical menu items and increasing the customer rating needed to exist on the platform.

The space has been a wild Wild West, said John Mullenholz, who heads the virtual kitchens program at Uber Eats. While Mullenholz acknowledged that Uber Eats has been supportive of virtual brands and will continue to be supportive, he characterized the new guidelines as a pivot from quantity to quality.

Those changes could be a problem, Rich said last week. As of Friday he had not heard from Uber Eats.

Thatd be detrimental, Rich said. If they did that, Id definitely be out of business.

Its the only way I can compete.
Tax refunds are about 10% smaller than a year ago, according to the latest data from the Internal Revenue Service, and slightly fewer have been distributed this year with just over a week left in the filing season.

The average refund amount was $2,910 as of March 31, down 9.8% from $3,226 the same period last year, the IRS reported. Thats based on just over 62.9 million refunds the agency has disbursed this year versus nearly 63.4 million refunds sent out last year.

Since the beginning of this tax season, the average refund has come in lower than last year's based on the weekly filing statistics, underscoring how the loss of several pandemic-era tax breaks has translated to a smaller, key windfall for many American households.

This year, the biggest change was the Child Tax Credit being lowered back to the normal amount, Rus Garofalo, founder and president of BrassTaxes, told Yahoo Finance.

Credit: Getty Images

Loss of pandemic breaks

The average refund last year was 14.3% more than in 2021, with the increase largely due to temporary enhancements to the Child Tax Credit (CTC), Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), and Child and Dependent Care Credit. Those credit amounts are now back to pre-COVID levels.

For example, the CTC declined to $2,000 per child dependent versus $3,600 last year. Its also not fully refundable anymore, meaning taxpayers wont receive the full credit if it exceeds the amount of tax they paid  a change that hurts the lowest-earning families the most.

The maximum EITC amount that single filers with no children are eligible for is $500 this year. Last tax season, these filers got as much as $1,502 for the credit, which also had a higher income threshold then.

The Child and Dependent Care Credit  which covers out-of-pocket expenses for child care and day camps  was reduced this year to $2,100 compared with last years $8,000.

The loss of the above-the-line charitable deduction and the expiration of the mortgage insurance premium deduction also could factor into lower refunds.

A smoother tax season

Of the 168 million individual tax returns the IRS expects this year, the agency has received 90.1 million so far, almost on track with the nearly 91.3 million received last year at this time.

The IRS also appears to be on top of the returns coming in. As of March 31, the agency had processed over almost 89.7 million tax returns, or 99.5% of those received. Slightly more taxpayers are also e-filing their returns and choosing direct deposit for their refunds, heeding the agencys earlier advice to get a faster refund.

Another sign that its been a relatively smoother tax season this year? Visits to the IRS website are down 17.4% versus last year.

Gabriella Cruz-Martinez contributed to the article.

Ronda is a personal finance senior reporter for Yahoo Finance and attorney with experience in law, insurance, education, and government. Follow her on Twitter @writesronda

Read the latest personal finance trends and news from Yahoo Finance.

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Matt Cardy - Getty Images

On March 11, 2011, Japans Fukushima prefecture experienced a devastating earthquake and tsunami, which killed upwards of 20,000 people.

One of the lasting legacies of the earthquake is the extensive damage to the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant that experienced meltdowns in three of its six nuclear reactors.

Twelve years later, the clean up and decommission of the plant continues, and new evidence suggests that at least one reactor could be vulnerable to future earthquakes

On March 11, 2011, at 2:46 p.m. local time, Japan experienced a 9.1 magnitude earthquakethe biggest earthquake in the countrys recorded history80 miles off the coast of Sendai. The shaking lasted six minutes, but the earthquake and the resulting 50-foot tsunami caused immense devastation and death, killing upwards of 20,000 people.

Twelve years later, Japan is still recovering from this historic earthquake, and nowhere can this be seen more plainly than at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. Although the plant, equipped with six nuclear reactors, terminated fission reactions automatically once it detected the earthquake, the resulting tsunami that arrived less an hour later breached the plants seawall and damaged the back-up generators needed to pump coolant to dissipate decay heat. This caused three of the six reactors to experience a meltdown over the next 72 hours.

Because of the immense radiation inside these reactors, engineers still dont know the exact extent of the meltdowns. But for years, robotic rovers have investigated these highly irradiated zones to get a better understanding of each reactors status andcruciallyability to withstand another earthquake.

Earlier this week, the Associated Press reported that one of these robotic sojourns, conducted by an underwater remotely operated vehicle named ROV-A2, uncovered something troubling: exposed steel bars in the main support structure of Unit 1, along with missing pieces of its external concrete wall.

Located right under the nuclear core of Unit 1, this support structure wasnt in jeopardy of failing on its own, but experts worried about its ability to withstand another earthquake if one were to strike. Because decommissioning and cleaning up Fukushima Daiichi will likely take decades to fully complete, the plant experiencing more earthquakes is likely. Just last year, the region was hit by another earthquakethankfully the tremor was some 63 times less powerful than the devastating disaster in 2011.

Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (TEPCO), which operates Fukushima Daiichi, says that it will analyze the video taken by the underwater drone, along with other data, in the coming months to figure out ways to improve the units earthquake resistance. This a priority, as 880 tons of melted nuclear fuel remains inside the three failed reactorsthats about 10 times the fuel removed during the Three Mile Island clean up after the 1979 meltdown, according to the Associated Press.

Although nuclear disasters like Chernobyl, Three Mile Island, and Fukushima grab headlines, nuclear energy as a whole is actually a safer source of energy than its fossil fuel alternatives, eliminating mining deaths and helping to lower the number of people who die from pollution every year. The U.S. Department of Energy recognizes the need for nuclear to address climate change, and everything scientists and engineers can learn from this disaster will only make future nuclear reactors safer.

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A police pursuit of a vehicle with a 13-year-old boy behind the wheel ended with one person dead and nearly a dozen injured in a fiery crash in California, police said Saturday.

The happened around 4:25 p.m. in Woodland, California, a city 20 miles northwest of Sacramento, police said.

An officer noticed a vehicle, later determined to be stolen, being driven erratically, tried to stop it, and ended up in a short vehicle pursuit, the Woodland Police Department said in a statement.

WOODLAND: Weve learned at least one person has died after a wreck involving three vehicles. Were awaiting a spokesperson from Woodland PD to share additional information. Absolutely awful. More via @kcranews: https://t.co/xjMA1vtKKy pic.twitter.com/P3bMWPo3nI  KCRA Lee Anne Denyer (@KCRALeeAnne) April 9, 2023

The pursuit came to a deadly conclusion at an intersection, the department said. The car collided with two other vehicles causing two cars to catch fire, it said.

A woman died, and three juveniles, including the 13-year-old, were among approximately 10 people hospitalized, Woodland police Sgt. Victoria Danzl told NBC affiliate KCRA of Sacramento.

The 13-year-old was the only person in the vehicle at the time of the crash, Danzl said.

A woman was killed after a car crashed into her and six others were hit and rushed to the hospital. (KNBC)

It wasnt clear what preceded the chase. The conditions of the 10 injured werent immediately available.

The identity of the woman who was killed hasnt been publicly released.

The California Highway Patrol, which police say is leading the investigation, didnt immediately respond to a request for information.

This story originally appeared on NBCNews.com.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com
A bill proposed by state Sen. Susan Talamantes Eggman would make it easier to detain against their will people who are in extreme psychological distress. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)

When lawmakers, mayors, psychiatrists and mental health advocates gathered last month to unveil a bill that would enact major changes to Californias behavioral health law, they put into motion an annual ritual in Sacramento.

Updating the Lanterman-Petris-Short Act has long been the goal of critics who say the landmark 1967 law has become an impediment to providing mental health treatment for those most in need.

The author of the newest effort is state Sen. Susan Talamantes Eggman (D-Stockton), and her bill  SB 43  arrives at a time when untreated mental illness is both a heartache and a frustration for families and communities throughout the state.

Eggmans bill would expand the criteria by which people in extreme psychological distress can be detained against their will by police, crisis teams and mental health providers. It is among recent attempts by lawmakers to make it easier to help individuals, many of them homeless, who are suffering from potentially life-threatening psychoses.

The amount of work we have done since 2020 is huge, but it has not made a huge dent in helping the most ill, Eggman said in an interview. We cant do it all through voluntary care. We need the full continuum of care  from prevention to early intervention, all the way to conservatorships  so the sickest of people dont fall through the cracks and splatter on the sidewalks.

Eggmans commitment to the bill, which includes a provision that makes it easier for medical records to be used in conservancy hearings, is informed by her experience as a social worker and seeing firsthand the outcomes of untreated mental illness. Last year, she introduced similar legislation  SB 1416  that failed to get through the Assembly Judiciary Committee.

She says SB 43 is even more ambitious.

If were going to fix a broken law, then were going to go all the way, she said.

Previous efforts to amend the LPS Act have failed amid opposition from disability and civil rights advocates who argue that changes to the law violate equal protection rights under the state Constitution. They have expressed similar concerns about SB 43.

Calling the bill overly broad and an unprecedented expansion of involuntary treatment and conservatorship, a nonprofit group representing behavioral health directors argues that SB 43 "would further stigmatize behavioral health conditions and frustrate our clients and the public.

Disability Rights California, which advocates for people with disabilities, has denounced the bill as highly speculative, saying it would lead to more people being deprived of fundamental rights and liberty.

The language of SB 43 will undoubtedly change in the months ahead. Last month, the Senate Health Committee made a few recommendations, and later this month, the Senate Judiciary Committee will conduct its own analysis.

The process can lead to a death by a thousand cuts, said Dr. Roderick Shaner, former medical director of the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health. Its difficult to categorically oppose a bill like this when the suffering of people with untreated severe mental illness is so apparent. So instead, you continue to narrow the language of the bill so that in the end it is rendered ineffective.

Eggman is determined not to let that happen.

I will not deliver something that is so watered down that it will do no good, she said, optimistic that her work will benefit from the momentum of other related initiatives.

Family members of those with severe mental illness gather in 2022 at the Capitol in support of Gov. Gavin Newsom's CARE Court proposal. (Anita Chabria / Los Angeles Times)

In March, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced plans for a $3-billion bond measure for the construction of mental health campuses, residences and permanent supportive housing. He also proposed reallocating $1 billion from a special mental health funding initiative to operate the facilities.

This push comes as eight California counties work to put the CARE Act in place by fall. That legislation, currently being challenged by Disability Rights California and other groups, will create special judicial courts designed to increase pressure on individuals with the hardest-to-treat behavioral conditions.

Though SB 43 is still in its formative legislative stage, it is a guidepost for understanding the ethical and philosophical implications of bringing mental health treatment to those who resist it.

We hear so much talk about balancing civil liberties against the need for treatment, as if they are trade-offs, Shaner said. We have to figure out how to provide for both. We cant destroy personal liberty in the name of mental healthcare, or the other way around. We cant have one without the other.

'Gravely disabled'

In its attempt almost 60 years ago to address severe mental health crises for those who need immediate assistance and treatment, the LPS Act laid out three conditions for detaining someone against their will. An individual needs to be a danger to self, a danger to others or gravely disabled.

Eggman and her coauthors have targeted their effort on that singular phrase "gravely disabled."

So what does it mean?

The authors of LPS defined "gravely disabled" as the inability to provide for the most essential aspects of life  food, clothing or shelter  or being mentally incompetent.

Some argue that this definition today is too narrow and that an individual living in a doorway and subsisting on donations of meals and clothing might not be considered gravely disabled.

SB 43 would change that. The legislation preserves the original 1967 definition but adds a new set of criteria that will be carefully analyzed and debated in the weeks ahead  a little more than 200 words that likely will determine its fate.

Unlike the old definition, which looked specifically at existing circumstances, such as the inability to provide for food, clothing and shelter, Eggman's bill considers the substantial risk" of "deterioration, debilitation or illness for someone with a mental illness or substance use disorder if it is ignored or untreated.

But proposing legislation based on future outcomes is a challenge, according to Alex Barnard, assistant professor of sociology at New York University.

This is saying that courts can determine whether you are gravely disabled based on a prediction that you will do something  or something will happen to you  that puts you at risk of harm, he said, and it is really hard to predict someones decline.

This language raises the possibility of continued detention for those who get better under treatment but whose ability to care for themselves is still questioned, Barnard added.

SB 43 also adds substance use disorder as an indicator of grave disability, expanding on the LPS authors' concern about the role that addiction plays in mental illness. Their focus in 1967 was on chronic alcoholism; one section of the law was titled Detention of Inebriates for Evaluation and Treatment.

By incorporating addiction to street drugs like methamphetamines, SB 43 has drawn pointed opposition from the County Behavioral Health Directors Assn., a nonprofit advocacy group.

In a letter to Eggman and the Senate Health Committee, Michelle Doty Cabrera, the group's executive director, argued that coerced and involuntary treatment for substance abuse disorder is counterproductive and that effective outcomes arise from voluntary compliance.

In addition, Cabrera wrote, detaining and conserving individuals under such criteria would constitute an enormous, gross overreach of the states power  [threatening] Californias progress addressing equity and disparities for Black, Latinx, Indigenous, LGBTQ+ and other historically marginalized populations.

But Eggman says her bill does not take away from existing protections.

Were changing nothing in terms of due process, only the criteria that is applied, she said.

Critics have also seized on a section of SB 43 that cites the inability to attend to necessary personal or medical care and to self-protection or personal safety as evidence of grave disability.

What constitutes personal care? asked Elyn Saks, a professor of law at USC. And how do we distinguish mental illness from eccentricity or neurodiversity? Who makes that determination?

Barnard has similar concerns: How do you know whether its the environment or the person themselves thats contributing to their vulnerability?

The answers are not difficult, according to Eggman, who often cites examples of individuals she has seen in the streets and in hospitals who, without detention or treatment, are at risk of dying.

James Mark Rippee died of an infection, she said, referring to a homeless Bay Area man with schizophrenia whose death last year from pneumonia might have been prevented. Rippee had been the subject of numerous media reports for the efforts of his sisters to get him off the streets.

Perhaps SB 43s most controversial interpretation of being gravely disabled is a persons inability to understand their disorder and whose decision making is impaired due to their lack of insight into their disorder.

USC law professor Elyn Saks, shown in 2012, cautions against loosening the limits on forced confinement, saying, "When we think about competency or capacity standards  and how we balance liberty and paternalism  I come down on the side of liberty." (Damian Dovarganes / Associated Press)

In a 2013 article in the Review of Law and Social Justice, Saks argued that denial of mental illness is not proof of a patients incompetency  that it can be a rational attempt to avoid negative consequences, such as the negative side effects associated with medications.

By including lack of insight without further definition, Shaner said, this provision of SB 43 runs the unnecessary risk of being seen as a Kafkaesque return to the pre-LPS days when the more a person protested against treatment, the more they seemed to demonstrate their illness.

Insight is too easily mischaracterized as the extent that a patient agrees with the examiner, he said.

A case against involuntary commitment

Eggman has described SB 43 as being specifically intended to provide treatment for individuals against their will if need be. Critics fear that the practice, however well-intentioned, could mean a return to the past.

Prior to LPS, involuntary commitment in California was as simple as a decision made by a psychiatrist, with no means for review or appeal. As a result, state mental hospitals were flooded with patients  37,000 by 1955  who languished in psychiatric wards. Many were poor and indigent and subjected to treatments that were misguided, unscientific and cruel.

LPS meant to change that practice by ending the inappropriate, indefinite, and involuntary commitment of persons with mental health disorders, developmental disabilities, and chronic alcoholism, and to eliminate legal disabilities.

The trauma of involuntary commitment for those with severe mental illness requires nothing less, Saks said.

When we think about competency or capacity standards  and how we balance liberty and paternalism  I come down on the side of liberty, she said. I found it so toxic and painful to be treated involuntarily.

In the 1980s, Saks was treated for a psychotic break related to schizophrenia while a student at Yale Law School. In her memoir, she recounts how a medical team examined her and decided to bind both my legs and both my arms to the metal bed with thick leather straps.

Coercion is counterproductive, Saks said.

We can either increase the amount of involuntary care, she said, or we can help people so that they want to take care of themselves. We should try to talk to them in a way that is meaningful for them and makes them feel understood, not humiliated or degraded.

Dr. Margot Kushel, who directs the Center for Vulnerable Populations at UC San Francisco, is similarly concerned that expanding the definition of "gravely disabled" might lead to biases that further erase the dignity and autonomy of those with disabilities. She wonders if the problem is less about the definition than about our collective inability to help people with severe mental illness receive the services and support they need.

The bigger problem, she said, is we dont have the right resources to allow people to live with the most independence. I suspect there isnt any amount of tinkering with the definition that will get to the heart of that problem.

Address the need for more psychiatric beds and staffing, she said  then we can decide if we have the wrong definition.

Is it constitutional?

As SB 43 makes its way through committees to floor votes in the Senate and the Assembly, the debate and challenges will undoubtedly become more fierce.

If you thought the challenges to CARE Court were intense, Barnard said, well, this is much more coercive than that. Civil liberties groups will go ballistic.

But the fate of the legislation ultimately will lie with the California Supreme Court, said former state Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson. While serving as chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee until 2020, Jackson reviewed similar legislation that would amend LPS.

Unless  and until  the California Supreme Court determines that expansion of the definition of 'gravely disabled' does not constitute a violation of the Equal Protection Clause or any interpretation of either the state or federal Constitutions, legislative changes to the definition are likely to be struck down as unconstitutional, she said.

Still, Eggman is optimistic, pointing out that whats at stake is more than just a legal battle. People are dying with their rights on, she frequently says.

We might think that we live in an ideal world where everyone can take care of themselves, she said. But there are always going to be those among us who need extra help. We dont live in an ideal world. To pretend otherwise is a travesty.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Johnson was deceptive in his dealings with unionists (Getty/The Independent)

Interesting fact as we reach the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement: there is no actual reference to a hard border or soft border, or anything like that, to be found in the famous text.

It is certainly a matter of hard political reality, though, that the GFA relies on there being no hard land-border between Ireland (ie the EU) and Northern Ireland (ie the UK). That is why we have a partial trade border down the Irish Sea between Great Britain and Northern Ireland instead.

The border had to go somewhere. If it was to be on the island of Ireland it would be unacceptable to nationalists and republicans, and most unionists.

But if it was plonked down the Irish Sea, then, as we see now, unionists will find it irksome, alienating and equally unacceptable. The origins of the present troubles, and the (thankfully still slight) risk of a return to the Troubles, lies in Brexit and its impact.

Reconciling Brexit with the Irish peace process is a frankly insoluble problem, like a Rubiks Cube that someone has secretly sabotaged. The best you can do is to get it mostly right, which is where Rishi Sunaks Windsor Framework is superior to Boris Johnsons original Northern Ireland protocol.

But the protocol, with all its flaws, was what Johnson signed without understanding it, so the legend goes. Hence his culpability. Sunaks Framework is flawed, but hes got a lot further than Johnson ever did. Thats because he was bothered about Northern Ireland in a way Johnson never seemed to be.

So, if you want to rely on the GFA as a sort of latter-day holy writ to sustain some argument or other, then you will not find it in the original document. What you have instead is the adamant and (mostly) sincere commitment from virtually everyone involved that a hard border is simply unacceptable.

It is, by dint of constant repetition by successive taoiseachs, British prime ministers, leaders of all the Northern Ireland mainstream parties and even Eurosceptics, a political imperative, an obligation.

An anti-Brexit billboard seen from the Dublin road in Newry, Northern Ireland (AFP/Getty)

Some of the more insouciant Brexiteers sometimes suggest that the British could just refuse to put a border up anywhere. The attitude is that if the EU insists on one, they can have one in Ireland, but thats their business.

However, as well as being puerile and insensitive, thats against World Trade Organisation rules; and policing a curly 515km- (320 miles) land border is impractical. Brexit is in any case a problem of British creation.

The problem that has always been nascent, and became distressingly real, is that the GFA, and with it the imperceptible border, power sharing and peace, is simply incompatible with Brexit.

It is the UK leaving the EU that has brought this tension, and there is one man who bears a heavy degree of responsibility for the fact of Brexit and its implementation  and thus the undermining of the GFA to the point of near-destruction  Boris Johnson. It was his reckless and dangerous act of deception that the border wasnt a problem, when it plainly was and is. It stands today as another regrettable, to say the least, legacy of his dismal premiership.

The reason why the border was never mentioned in the GFA, of course, is that back in 1998 everyone made the perfectly reasonable assumption that the UK and Ireland would continue to be member states of the European Union. It didnt occur to anyone that a few in the Tory party, then almost moribund, could somehow get the UK out of its central international partnership, one which had delivered much prosperity. By coincidence, the year 1998 marked the 25th year of both countries EU membership.

Boris Johnson delivers an address at Stormont in January 2020 (Getty)

One of the more overlooked but useful benefits of being in the same customs union and, latterly, single market, was that many of the usual border controls had become redundant and long disappeared across the EU, and in Ireland. In their place, however, came an ugly infrastructure of police and military forts and watchtowers.

The GFA swept all those hulking reminders of British rule away, and the new, practically invisible border on the island of Ireland was a huge factor in enticing Republicans to adopt peace and join, with fits and starts, the power-sharing assembly, then the executive and, now, to have their leader Michelle ONeill chosen by the people as the first minister-elect of the province.

Despite the current Democratic Unionist Party boycott and the drumbeat of a return to violence, that is a remarkable journey. Hence the cautious celebrations attended by the King, President Biden and others.

Still, 800 years of history tell us that theres no room for complacency for anyone contemplating peace in Ireland, and its worth contemplating exactly why Northern Ireland finds itself being menaced by the forces of nihilistic violence again.

Mr Johnson meets with then-DUP leader Arlene Foster at Stormont in July 2019 (Getty)

Brexit is indeed the underlying cause. One original sin, still too often forgotten, is that Ulster says Remain to borrow a phrase, but was ignored. In the 2016 referendum Northern Ireland voted by 56 per cent to 44 per cent to stay in the EU. Four of the five main parties in Northern Ireland  the Ulster Unionists, Alliance, the SDLP and Sinn Fein campaigned for Remain. Only the Democratic Unionist Party, wary of any dilution of their British identity via the EU, wanted out.

Yet the erroneous impression persists that the DUP speaks for the whole of the people of the province and the unionist community. This is partly down to Sinn Feins absence at Westminster, and the absence of Alliance and SDLP MPs at Westminster during the crucial debates and votes between 2017 and 2019.

It was also because Sinn Fein had collapsed the institutions over the role then-first minister Arlene Foster had played in a disastrous green energy scheme, so there was no devolved administration to speak up for the province. For much of the time, the extreme positions the DUP adopted gained and outsized influence, which Boris Johnson encouraged, but then betrayed. It was even by his standards, dishonourable conduct.

Johnson once posed as the staunchest ally of the unionist community. This has only served to add to the general suspicion of Westminster among Northern Ireland politicians. Johnson resigned as foreign secretary in Theresa Mays government in 2018. She had worked hard to craft the Chequers Agreement, which minimised the extent of border frictions by keeping the UK in the EU customs union and parts of the single market, with a special status for Northern Ireland  but no hated border in the Irish Sea.

Johnson rejected it, and offered instead a typical piece of cakeist fantasy in his resignation statement: With goodwill and common sense, we can address concerns about the Northern Irish border and all other borders. That was the sum total of his policy; goodwill, and the typical Johnsonian idea that if we just ignore it, the issue will evaporate of its own accord.

Once liberated from collective responsibility he continued to ingratiate himself with the DUP and their allies in the Tory party  promising the impossible just as he did in the EU referendum, and with the same insincerity and purely selfish motivations.

Left to right: Northern Irelands then-deputy first minister Michelle ONeill, Boris Johnson, the UKs then-Northern Ireland secrmetary, Brandon Lewis, and then-first minister Arlene Foster at Hillsborough Castle in Belfast in August 2020 (AFP/Getty)

In 2018, when May was still trying to get her deal through the Commons, he even travelled to the DUP conference in Belfast to tell jokes about the Titanic and to warn them about the perils of Mays doomed deal: If we wanted to do free-trade deals, if we wanted to cut tariffs or vary our regulation then we would have to leave Northern Ireland behind as an economic semi-colony of the EU and we would be damaging the fabric of the union with regulatory checks and even customs controls between GB and NI  on top of those extra regulatory checks down the Irish Sea that are already envisaged in the Withdrawal Agreement.

No British Conservative government could or should sign up to anything of the kind and so our answer at the moment is rather desperately to make sure the whole UK stays in the backstop with the EU having the power to decide whether or not we can ever leave and why should they?

Yet a little more a year later, Johnson was ready to do precisely what he had accused May of doing, and sell out the Unionists by agreeing to the Northern Ireland protocol as part of his UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement.

It was a dramatic U-turn, and it would in time come to jeopardise peace in Ireland; but the charm of it for Johnson was that it wouldnt come into actual effect for many months, way after the 2019 election, at which point hed have his own large Commons majority and the DUP and their more loyal Eurosceptic friends could do nothing about the fait accompli. It was the biggest case of political misselling in modern history  but the cakeist delusion could not last forever.

Thus, in November 2019, the election out of the way and his 80-seat majority secured, Johnson was still telling worried Northern Ireland businesses they could put customs declarations forms in the bin because there will be no barriers of any kind to trade crossing the Irish Sea. As late as August 2020, Johnson was still telling anyone whod listen that: There will be no border down the Irish Sea  over my dead body.

Johnson addresses supporters during a rally for the Vote Leave campaign in 2016 (Getty)

Even though that was precisely and obviously what was being implemented, with new customs facilities being built and EU officials stationed at the port of Larne. It was one of his more extravagant exercises in political dishonesty.

When, late in his premiership, he found that he could no longer pretend there was no problem, and the DUP had collapsed the Stormont administration, Johnson published a bill that would, in the words of the then-Northern Ireland secretary, Brandon Lewis, break international law in a very specific and limited way. It infuriated the EU, and the mild-mannered Irish foreign minister, Simon Coveney, told the Dail, the lower house of parliament: It is surely not too much to ask for the UK to implement the withdrawal agreement which it agreed to.

Johnsons gamble poisoned relations with Ireland and the EU still further; the evidence suggests that there was never any serious intent to use it, because it would have invited retaliatory tariffs to be slapped on UK exports to the bloc.

Paused in parliament, it survived Liz Trusss brief premiership before being quietly jettisoned by Rishi Sunak. To be replaced by the Windsor Framework. In a quixotic and highly hypocritical gesture, Johnson (and Truss) joined a revolt of Eurosceptics against the Framework; it flopped and the rebels numbered all of 22.

The most galling aspect of Johnsons attitude to Northern Ireland is the private contempt in which he seems to have held the interests of the province, in sharp contrast to his Churchillian public pronouncements.

In June 2018, for instance, at a private function organised by the Thatcherite think-tank, Conservative Way Forward, Johnsons frustrations spilled over in remarks that were later leaked: Its so small and there are so few firms that actually use that border regularly, its just beyond belief that were allowing the tail to wag the dog in this way. Were allowing the whole of our agenda to be dictated by this folly.

According to a memoir written by Gavin Barwell, Mays chief of staff, in his internal cabinet discussions, Johnson regarded the Northern Ireland issue as a gnat, and Mays elaborate safeguards for the GFA as mumbo jumbo. So much for the passionately unionist Johnson.

Northern Ireland didnt figure much in the debate on Brexit in the rest of the UK in 2016, but it should have done. Like other Brexiteers, Theresa Villiers, the Northern Ireland secretary at the time, expressed a breezy confidence that thered be no real problems  and its all too plausible to suppose that Johnson devoted even less effort than did Villiers to seriously thinking through the consequences of Brexit on this corner of the union (or, indeed, its equally malign impact on Scotland and its place in the UK).

It cannot, however, be said that there were no warnings. Back in 2016 John Major and Tony Blair, who helped keep the peace process alive in the 1990s, spoke out in a joint intervention. Major warned the union would be weakened, and Blairs words were even more portentous.

He declared, seven years ago, that it would be profoundly foolish to risk those foundations of stability created by the GFA. He added: I say, dont take a punt on these people. Dont let them take risks with Northern Irelands future. Dont let them undermine our United Kingdom.

He knew, and we know, exactly who he was referring to. He was right.
House Oversight and Accountability Committee hearing about Twitter's handling of 2020 New York Post story about Hunter Biden and his laptop, in Washington

By Kanishka Singh

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said on Sunday she wants Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas to be impeached and his advisers probed after a media report described luxury trips he has taken over decades, funded by a Republican donor.

"It is the House's responsibility to pursue that investigation in the form of impeachment," she told CNN in an interview. However, she acknowledged progress was unlikely since the House of Representatives has a Republican majority that would not want to take action against a conservative justice.

Ocasio-Cortez said the timeline of Thomas's relationship with Republican donor and real estate magnate Harlan Crow revealed a conflict of interest since it started after Thomas began serving on the Supreme Court in 1991.

ProPublica reported on Thursday that Thomas accepted expensive trips from Crow over decades despite federal law requiring the disclosure of most gifts.

Thomas defended the trips, saying in a statement on Friday that he had been advised he was not required to report that type of "personal hospitality," and has always sought to comply with disclosure guidelines.

He said he would now follow new rules brought in by the Judicial Conference responsible for financial disclosure requirements for the entire federal judiciary.

Crow told ProPublica he had "never sought to influence Justice Thomas on any legal or political issue."

(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Daniel Wallis)
Angels adorn windows at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in downtown L.A. (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

Easter Sunday services are underway in much of Southern California, marked by sunrise Masses and free meals for homeless individuals.

The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels is marking the holiday with a 10 a.m. service in English by Msgr. Antonio Cacciapuoti, the churchs new pastor. Archbishop Jose H. Gomez will lead the 12:30 p.m. Spanish service.

The Masses are streamed online on the Archdiocese of Los Angeles website and Facebook page.

The Midnight Mission is serving nearly 2,000 people with a traditional Easter meal and hygiene items in front of its building in downtown L.A.'s skid row. Actor Mr. T is among those preparing and serving food.

There is also an Easter Village where children can meet play with the Easter Bunny, who will present candy and other treats to the youngsters.

Some celebrated the holiday bright and early, with a 6 a.m. sunrise Mass by Our Lady of Guadalupe Church south of the Hermosa Beach Pier. Revive L.A. Church held a sunrise service at 6:30 a.m. at Will Rogers State Beach in Pacific Palisades.

City News Service contributed to this report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Two British-Israeli sisters killed in a gun attack in the occupied West Bank have been pictured for the first time as their mother fights for her life.

Rina and Maya Dee were shot dead in an attack on their car near an Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank on Friday.

Naming the sisters in a tweet on Saturday evening, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: On behalf of all the citizens of Israel, I send my condolences to the family for the murder of the two wonderful sisters, Rina and Maya, in the severe attack in the Bekaa.

Rina and Maya Dee were killed in an attack on their car (Family handout)

In these moments, if the family is fighting for its life, and together with the entire nation of Israel, I pray for its safety, and we all send our condolences and strength to this dear family in this moment of great sorrow.

The two sisters 45-year-old mother was seriously wounded in the crash and is still in hospital. Their father, Rabbi Leo Dee, was driving in a separate car ahead of them when a relative called to ask if he knew about the shooting and if the family was OK.

Speaking to The Mail on Sunday, he said: I said everyone was fine, but when I called my wife and two daughters there was no answer.

Panicked, he turned on a Google tracking device that allows parents to follow their childrens mobile phones. It led him to Hamra, a settlement 30 miles north of Jerusalem, where he saw his wife being airlifted from the wreckage.

Rabbi Dee said: My daughters were friends of each other as well as sisters. Now we are diminished. Maya was doing national service in the south, and was passionate about helping others. Rina is what you would call an A* pupil. We were proud of them.

My wifes condition is very serious. We are praying, and people around the world are praying, that she will get better.

He added: I dont blame the terrorists as they will be brought to justice. I am more worried about the tensions between Jews in Israel.

In a statement released to The Telegraph, Rabbi Dee said the family was saddened by the current political situation in Israel, referring to fears over the presence of several religious, ultra-nationalist politicians in Israels new government, which was formed under Mr Netanyahu in January.

Israeli security forces patrol outside the Dome of the Rock shrine in Jerusalems al-Aqsa Mosque compound (AFP/Getty)

Some people think that a religious government will suppress minority rights and become totalitarian, he said.

But this is not a risk in Israel as religious Jews simply believe in balancing love and justice. For our part, we have felt a warm hug of love from Jews in Israel and beyond and we are confident that justice will be done.

The family lived in the Efrat settlement, near the Palestinian city of Bethlehem, according to the settlements mayor Oded Revivi. Reports said the family moved back to Israel in 2014, having left there for Britain in 2008.

According to The Telegraph, Rabbi Dee works at the Zait Ranaan synagogue in Efrat, and was formerly a senior rabbi at Radlett United Synagogue in Hertfordshire and assistant rabbi in Hendon, north London.

The paper also reported that Palestinian gunmen are said to have chased the car containing the three women off the road before firing on it, with some 22 bullet casings found at the scene.

The murders triggered an outpouring of grief in Efrat, a Jewish settlement near Bethlehem in the southern West Bank, and young residents held an impromptu vigil on Friday afternoon.

Israeli police stand at the scene of the attack in Tel Aviv (AP)

Fridays attacks came after Israel launched retaliatory airstrikes at Lebanon and the Gaza Strip.

Tensions have been heightened by days of fighting at Jerusalems most holy site during the rare convergence of Ramadan, Passover and Easter, sparked by an Israeli police raid on the sacred compound home to the Al-Aqsa mosque.

That outraged Palestinians marking the holy fasting month of Ramadan and prompted militants in Lebanon  as well as Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip  to fire a heavy barrage of rockets into Israel. In retaliation, Israeli war planes struck sites allegedly linked to the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza and southern Lebanon.

The Israeli military said on Saturday that three rockets were launched from Syria toward Israeli territory, a rare attack from the countrys northeastern neighbour.

Palestinian Muslim devotees perform an evening prayer known as Tarawih outside the Dome of the Rock shrine in Jerusalems al-Aqsa Mosque compound (AFP/Getty)

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the rocket launches, which caused no damage or casualties. Only one rocket managed to cross into Israeli territory and landed in a field in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights.

Also on Saturday, Israeli security forces shot and killed a 20-year-old Palestinian in the northern occupied West Bank, Palestinian health officials said. The Israeli military said it opened fire at Palestinians hurling stones and explosive devices at troops. The Palestinian Health Ministry identified the Palestinian killed in the West Bank town of Azzun as Ayed Salim.

Meanwhile, a few hundred Palestinian worshippers barricaded themselves in Al-Aqsa mosque, which sits on a hilltop in the heart of Jerusalems Old City sacred to both Muslims and Jews.

Late on Friday, an Italian tourist was killed and five other Italian and British citizens were wounded when a car rammed a group in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv.

Foreign secretary James Cleverly held a call on Saturday with his Israeli counterpart Eli Cohen to discuss the appalling attacks.

Middle East minister Lord Ahmad said: I condemn yesterdays attacks in the West Bank.

People gather and lay flowers at the site where Alessandro Parini, an Italian tourist, was killed (AP)

British Ambassador to Israel Neil Wigan added: My thoughts are with those affected by another horrific terror attack last night in Tel Aviv ... We are in touch with the hospital and will offer our support.

The Hamas militant group that rules Gaza praised both incidents as retaliation for Israeli raids earlier this week on the Al-Aqsa mosque.

Foreign affairs committee chair Alicia Kearns said it was incredibly difficult to see how the raid earlier this week was legitimate as she urged the government to increase its efforts to bring peace to the Middle East.

The Tory MP told BBC Radio 4s Today programme there has been too much silence from the Foreign Office in recent weeks.

We need to step up, she said. We really need to re-engage, we need to make sure that our Arab partners know that we are here and listening and we need our Israeli friends to know we stand completely behind their security.

She added that the UK must be a critical friend to both sides.

Israeli medics and policemen check a damaged car at the scene of a shooting attack, in the Jordan Valley in the Israeli-occupied West Bank (REUTERS)

The Foreign Office released a statement saying it was saddened to hear about the deaths of the two British-Israelis and the serious injuries sustained by a third individual.

The UK calls for all parties across the region to de-escalate tensions, it added.

Shadow foreign secretary David Lammy said: I am shocked by reports of the killing of two British sisters in an appalling and cowardly attack in the West Bank.

My thoughts are with their family and loved ones. More civilian victims of this cycle of violence show the urgent need for diplomatic efforts to de-escalate.

The Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon came after militants fired nearly three dozen rockets from there.
Israels military attacked targets in Syria after it launched six rockets in two batches towards Israel.

The rare attack from Israels northeastern neighbour comes amid tension after Israeli forces stormed one of Jerusalems most holy mosques in a raid during the holy month of Ramadan, sparking anger in the Arab community.

In the first attack, on Saturday, one rocket landed in a field in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights. Fragments of another destroyed missile fell into Jordans territory near the Syrian border, according to the countrys military.

In the second barrage, which was launched early Sunday, two of the rockets crossed the border into Israel, with one being intercepted and the second landing in an open area, the Israeli military said.

After the second barrage of three rockets, Israel initially said it responded with artillery fire into the area in Syria where the rockets were fired from.

The military later said Israeli fighter jets attacked Syrian army sites, including a compound of Syrias 4th Division and radar and artillery posts.

There were no reports of casualties.

A Damascus-based Palestinian group loyal to the Syrian regime claimed responsibility for launching the three missiles on Saturday, as per Beiruts Al Mayadeen TV.

The report quoted Al-Quds Brigade, a militia different to the larger Palestinian Islamic Jihads armed wing with a similar name, as saying it fired the rockets to retaliate for the police raid on Al-Aqsa Mosque.

The silhouette of an Israeli soldier is outlined in the sky by a flare fired to search for a rocket that landed near Kibbutz Meitsar (AFP/Getty)

The Israeli Defence Forces released a statement and said it sees the state of Syria responsible for all activities occurring within its territory and will not allow any attempts to violate Israeli sovereignty.

The cross-border attacks come amid tension in Lebanon, Gaza, occupied East Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank.

The raid of the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, during the rare convergence of Ramadan, Passover and Easter, has heightened tension and led to attacks in the country.

On Friday, two British-Israeli sisters were killed in a gun attack near an Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank, allegedly by Palestinian gunmen.

The attack had come after Israel launched retaliatory airstrikes at Lebanon and the Gaza Strip.

Jewish men, wearing traditional Jewish prayer shawls, take part in Passover at the Western Wall (AFP/Getty)

In Syria, an adviser to president Bashar Assad described the latest rocket strikes as part of the previous, present and continuing response to the brutal enemy.

Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes in parts of Syria controlled by the government in recent years, something the former has rarely acknowledged, reported the Associated Press. The attacks have been carried out in a bid to clear Iranian entrenchment.

Syria claimed Israel has carried out 10 attacks in the country so far this year.

Meanwhile, the US Navy has deployed a guided-missile submarine capable of carrying up to 154 Tomahawk missiles to the Middle East, a spokesperson said on Saturday.

The USs move appears to be a show of force towards Iran following recent tensions.

Additional reporting by agencies
With former President Donald Trump now formally charged, a majority of Americans (53%) believe he intentionally did something illegal, according to a new ABC News/Ipsos poll.

An additional 11% say he acted wrongly but not intentionally. Only 20% believe Trump did not do anything wrong, and 16% say they don't know, per the ABC News/Ipsos poll conducted using Ipsos' KnowledgePanel.

As part of the Tuesday charges against the former president, Manhattan prosecutors alleged that Trump engaged in a "scheme" to boost his election chances during the 2016 presidential race through a string of hush money payments made by others to boost his campaign, and then "repeatedly and fraudulently falsified New York business records" to conceal that criminal conduct.

A "statement of facts" paired with the 34-count indictment alleges that Trump discussed the scheme while he was in the Oval Office and made reimbursement payments to his lawyer for a year while in office.

Trump pleaded not guilty to all 34 felony counts and has long denied any wrongdoing.

Democrats are largely convinced of Trump's culpability, with 87% saying he intentionally did something illegal, and a majority of independents (57%) agree.

Of note, the former president is enjoying weaker-than-usual support from his own partisans with only a plurality of Republicans (45%) thinking Trump did nothing wrong, and the rest of the party split among the belief he intentionally did something illegal (19%), he was wrong but it was unintentional (18%) or they simply do not know (17%).

ABC News/Ipsos asked nearly identical questions of the American public in polling conducted last week immediately following the historic indictment and once again after the charges were made public and Trump was formally arraigned.

Between the weeks, some modest but clear trends have emerged.

The announcement of formal charges has nudged public opinion slightly against Trump, particularly among independent voters. As of April 1, exactly half of the public said the charges against Trump were either very or somewhat serious, and 36% said they were not. Now, after the indictment has been unsealed and the public has heard Trump's condemnation of the investigation, 52% find the charges very or somewhat serious, and 39% deem the charges not too serious or not serious at all.

MORE: Trump's attacks on judge and prosecutor raise complex issue of gag order: Experts

But either way, more Americans are making up their minds -- While 14% of the public did not know how they felt about the severity of the charges as of April 1, that figure has shrunk to 8%.

Independents had an 11-point point shift in their views of the severity of the views, the polling showed. Last week, 43% of independents found the charges very or somewhat serious. This group, a critical voting bloc for the once-again presidential candidate, has swung against him, as 54% now say the same.

More Americans believe this week that Trump should have been charged with a crime, with 50% saying he should have been, 33% saying he should not, and 17% not knowing. Roughly the same percentages say that the charges are politically motivated, with 50% saying they are, 36% saying they aren't, and 13% not knowing.

Slightly more Americans (48%) also believe Trump should suspend his bid for the White House, compared to the 43% who suggested so in the last ABC News/Ipsos poll. Again, independents were most likely to shift on this question, going from 41% saying he should suspend his campaign on April 1 to 52% now.

Views of Trump overall have taken a hit too, with only 25% thinking favorably of him, down 10 points since right before the last presidential election. In comparison, President Joe Biden's favorability rating currently stands at 34%, according to the poll.

In a speech at his Mar-a-Lago estate Tuesday night, Trump claimed the "fake case" was brought "only to interfere with the upcoming 2024 election" and said it should be "dropped immediately."

Joe Tacopina, a Trump attorney, said the indictment "shows that the rule of law died in this country."

"While everyone is not above the law, no one's below it either," Tacopina said. "And if this man's name was not Donald J. Trump, there is no scenario we'd all be here today."

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg in a press conference claimed Trump and his associates engaged in a "catch-and-kill scheme."

"These are felony crimes in New York state, no matter who you are," Bragg said. "We cannot and will not normalize serious criminal conduct.

MORE: Who are the members of the Manhattan DA's team prosecuting Trump?

This ABC News/Ipsos poll was conducted using Ipsos Public Affairs' KnowledgePanel April 6-7, 2023, in English and Spanish, among a random national sample of 566 adults. Results have a margin of sampling error of 4.4 points, including the design effect. Partisan divisions are 26-25-40 percent, Democrats-Republicans-independents. See the polls topline results and details on the methodology here.

ABC News' Dan Merkle, Ken Goldstein, Aaron Katersky, Katherine Faulders and John Santucci contributed to this report

Majority of Americans believe Trump did something illegal: POLL originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Practical Move and jockey Ramon Vazquez, inside, nose out Mandarin Hero and jockey Kazushi Kimura at the finish line Saturday in the $750,000 Santa Anita Derby. (Benoit Photo)

The dream continues.

Practical Move, purchased in part by a New Mexico couple for a mere $230,000, etched his name near the top of the Kentucky Derby favorite's leaderboard with a thrilling win in the $750,000 Santa Anita Derby on Saturday.

The 3-year-old colt dug down through a stirring stretch duel to hold off the Japanese-bred Mandarin Hero by a nose to get the 100 Kentucky Derby qualifying points, upping his total to 160. Only Forte, winner of the Florida Derby, has more with 190. They are likely to be the top two favorites in the May 6 race at Churchill Downs.

It was the second straight Santa Anita Derby win for trainer Tim Yakteen and the third consecutive first-place finish by Practical Move. Yakteen won last years race with Taiba, a horse that was transferred from the Bob Baffert barn just before the race. Practical Move has been his horse since he started seven races ago with a second-place finish at Del Mar.

Hes still an improving horse and he showed another dimension where he really dug deep and fought off the other horse, Yakteen said. I think its another forward step where hopefully its something we can put in our bag of experience thats going to help him in his next race.

Yakteens thoughtful response seemed in contrast to sheer exuberance of the colts owners, Pierre and Leslie Amestoy.

Weve never felt [such a high] before in this sport, Pierre Amestoy said. Weve had some quarter horses win a Grade 1, but its not like this. This is the ultimate for us.

A lot of owners passed on the horse last year because he was foaled on April 30, making him the youngest horse in the race. Owners prefer horses born in January and February because they are older and considered more mature.

The fact that the horse won the 1 1/8-mile race was not a surprise as the crowd of 31,289 sent him to post as the even-money favorite after his win a month ago in the San Felipe Stakes.

Practical Move broke alertly and settled into third behind One In Vermillion and Low Expectations. As the leaders started to fade, Practical Move went to the lead at the top of the stretch. Mandarin Hero was running mid-pack in the eight-horse field and also started to gather momentum. The two battled stride for stride with Practical Move never giving up the lead.

Practical Move paid $4.00, $3.00 and $2.20. Mandarin Hero was followed by Skinner, National Treasure, One In Vermillion, I Dont Get It, Dazzlemesilver and Low Expectations. Geaux Rocket Ride was scratched because of a fever.

What a thriller, said Pierre. It was thriller and a half. Im just glad we stayed ahead in front. He fought him off the last 16th of a mile and showed how brave he is.

Ramon Vazquez rode the horse for the third straight time and will be making his second trip to the Kentucky Derby. He finished 13th aboard Mr. Z in 2015.

I moved my horse to the outside to take a new position, made him relax a little bit and when I asked him the last quarter he responded really well, Vazquez said. You feel amazing when you ride a good horse like that. Your dream is always to go to the Kentucky Derby.

It was the colts first Grade 1 win to go to with two Grade 2 victories.

Leslie explained the long-term benefit to this victory.

Stallion, she said, meaning that Grade 1 winners are usually prime candidates for stallion duties after their racing career is over.

The Amestoys, who also have Roger Beasley as a partner, havent grasped the magnitude of their improbable journey to the Kentucky Derby, admitting they dont know when it will hit them.

My phone has been buzzing for 15 minutes, Pierre said in the winners circle shortly after the race. I dont know who has been calling or texting but Im guessing all my friends are. Well come out and see the colt in the morning. See if hes OK and pet him and thank him.

California currently has only two entrants in the Kentucky Derby and both are trained by Yakteen. Reincarnate, who was moved from the Baffert barn, will join Practical Move in Louisville. Baffert is serving the second year of a two-year ban from Churchill Downs after Medina Spirit tested positive for a medication and was stripped of the win. The case is still in litigation.

Skinner, trained by John Shirreffs, is currently 21st on the list with 45 points and just needs one horse to drop out to make the field.

Saturday was essentially the end of Kentucky Derby qualifying with three 100-point races as most of the 20-horse field is set and will be adjusted as horses are pulled out, usually for injury or illness. Next Saturday is a 20-point race at Keeneland, which will be the final race. Its mostly used by horses that are on the cusp of making the field and need just a couple more points. Thats how Rich Strike, winner of last years Kentucky Derby, was eventually allowed to make the starting field.

In Keeneland on Saturday, Tapit Trice rallied late to beat Verifying to win the $1-million Blue Grass Stakes for trainer Todd Pletcher, who also trains qualifiers Forte and Kingsbarns, who won the Louisiana Derby.

The other qualifier Saturday was the $750,000 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct, where long shot Lord Miles won a three-horse blanket finish and paid $120.50 to win. Lord Miles beat Hit Show by a nose, who beat Dreamlike by a head.

Faiza and jockey Flavien Prat pull away from the field to win the $400,000 Santa Anita Oaks on Saturday. (Benoit Photo)

In the Santa Anita Oaks, the filly counterpart to the Santa Anita Derby, Baffert-trained Faiza romped to a win by 6 1/2 lengths. The horse did not collect any Kentucky Oaks qualifying points because the horse remained with Baffert instead of being moved to another trainer.

I talked with [owner] Michael [Lund Petersen] and he doesnt want his horse with anyone else, Baffert said. He said thats why he hired me. I told him we could nominate [Faiza] but he said he didnt want to do it.

Santa Anitas 12-race card was dramatically changed after the fifth race when Midnight Jostar slipped on the turf course and fell, sending jockey Kent Desormeaux to the ground.

The horse was OK and got up and continued running but Desormeaux, mostly scratched up, was taken off his mounts for the rest of the card. Santa Anita officials took the three remaining turf races, including the Grade 3 Monrovia Stakes, off the grass, causing a multitude of scratches.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
A wide variety of packaged salads triggered recalls and a public health alert after two state agencies found listeria in testing of finished salad kits.

Listeria kills about 260 of the 1,600 Americans infected each year, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. Senior citizens, pregnant women and children under 5 are the most vulnerable to listerias worse effects. Listeria can cause stillbirths and miscarriage. Listeria symptoms include nausea, diarrhea, high fever, severe headaches, stomachaches, stiffness, confusion and poor balance.

The largest of the recalls involved all date codes of 14 Revolution Farms salads sold in retail stores and 10 Revolution Farms salads sold to food service outlets. Two varieties of Fresh Express bagged salads and one kind of Publix bagged salad got yanked. The USDA issued a public health alert about Bells Bistro and Fruit Ridge Farms salads that used lettuce from Revolution Farms.

Heres the breakdown of whats been recalled.

Fresh Express and Publix

Fresh Express Inc. recalled three salads Friday already past their use-by dates after the Georgia Department of Agriculture found listeria in a salad with a March 31 use-by date. All have product code G075.

 Fresh Express Caesar Chopped Salad Kit, 9.4-ounce package, use by 4/2/2023, sent to Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina.

Fresh Express Caesar Chopped Salad Kit

 Fresh Express Chopped Salad Kit Chipotle Cheddar, 11.3-ounce package, use by 4/2/2023, sent to Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia.

 Publix Makoto Honey Ginger Salad Kit, 8.75-ounce package, use by 3/31/2023, sent to Florida, North Carolina and Georgia.

Publix Makoto Honey Ginger Salad Kit

Return the salads to the store for a refund or call Fresh Express at 800-242-5472, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Eastern time.

READ MORE: Listeria recall of salmon sold in Publix stores

Bells Ridge and Fruit Ridge Farms

A public health alert by the USDAs Food Safety Inspection Service says the salads below, distributed out of Michigan to Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee, and Wisconsin, used recalled lettuce from Revolution Farms. The salads went to retail stores in Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee and Wisconsin.

 Fruit Ridge Farms White Chicken Caesar Salad and Bells Bistro White Chicken Caesar Salad, 5.5-ounce packages with sell by dates 03/10/23 through 04/14/23.

The label for Bells Bistro White Chicken Salad

 Fruit Ridge Farms Chef Salad with Ham and Bells Bistro Chef Salad with Ham, 4.6-ounce packages with sell by dates 03/10/23 through 04/14/23.

The label for Fruit Ridge Farms Chef Salad with Ham and Ranch Dressing

If you have any questions about this recall, call or email Alicia Richards at 616-399-7084, ext. 416, or arichards@russrestaurants.com.

Revolution Farms

After the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development found listeria in a package of Revolution Farms Green Sweet Crisp with a best by date of April 2, Revolution initiated a recall then expanded it on Thursday. They went to stores and distributors in Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan and Wisconsin, such as Meijer; Fresh Thyme Market; Horrocks Market; Kingmas Market; Doorganics; Cherry Capital Foods; Sysco; Gordon Food Service; Van Eerden Foodservice; Vine Line Produce; Pearson Foods; and, as mentioned above, Russ Restaurants Commissary.

In the Whole Head Clamshell: Buttery Bibb, Mini Romaine, Green Sweet Crisp and Growers Choice.

Revolution Farms Green Sweet Crisp salad in a Whole Head Clamshell

 In the 5-ounce retail plastic trays: Michigan Spring Mix, Great Lakes Gourmet, Robust Romaine, Romaine Lettuce Boats, Sweet Crisp Deli Leaf and Whole Leaf Romaine.

 In the 6-ounce salad kits: Traverse City Cherry, Zesty Southwest, Sesame Ginger Crunch and Crisp Kale Caesar.

Revolution Farms Zesty Southwest salad kit

 In 3-pound bulk bags for food service: Farmers Mix, Great Lakes Gourmet, Green Sweet Crisp, Michigan Spring Mix, Robust Romaine and Red/Green Romaine.

 In 14-whole head cardboard boxes: Green Forest Romaine, Green Sweet Crisp and Mini Romaine.

 In 36-whole head cardboard boxes: Buttery Bibb.

If you have any of these, return them to the seller for a full refund. If you have questions, contact Revolution at 616-965-6802 or info@revolutionfarms.com (put recall in the subject line), Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Eastern time.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, is seeking testimony from the senior counsel to the Manhattan District Attorney who previously worked at the Department of Justice.

In a Friday letter to Matthew Colangelo, Manhattan District Attorney senior counsel, Jordan asked for his voluntary cooperation in relation to the committee's investigation into the indictment of former President Donald Trump.

"Given your history of working for law-enforcement entities that are pursuing President Trump and the public reporting surrounding your decision to work for the New York County District Attorneys Office, we request your cooperation with our oversight in your personal capacity," Jordan wrote in the letter.

"According to news reports, District Attorney Alvin Bragg hired you in December 2022 to jump-start his offices investigation of President Trump, reportedly due to your 'history of taking on Donald J. Trump and his family business.' You had previously served in senior positions in the U.S. Department of Justice and the New York Attorney Generals Office, both of which had competing investigations related to President Trump," the letter adds.

MANHATTAN DA SAYS HOUSE GOP SEEKING TO 'WEAKEN' LAW ENFORCEMENT: 'ABUSE OF POWER'

Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, conducts the House Judiciary Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government hearing titled The Twitter Files, in Rayburn Building on Thursday, March 9, 2023.

Jordan is also requesting that Colangelo hand over documents dated between June 22, 2021 and December 5, 2022 relating to any communication with the New York County District Attorneys Office discussing Trump or the Trump organization.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

"You are uniquely situated to provide information that is relevant and necessary to inform the Committees oversight and potential legislative reforms. Your recent employment has largely been focused on investigations surrounding President Trump," the letter states.

FORMER PROSECUTOR: TRUMP TRIAL JUDGE'S POLITICAL DONATIONS ARE 'PROBLEMATIC,' 'TROUBLING OPTICS'

Donald Trump exits Trump Tower, April 4, 2023. The former US President will head to Manhattan Criminal Court for his arraignment following an indictment last week.

Jordan's letter comes days after Bragg harshly criticized the committee for issuing a subpoena for a former prosecutor in his office.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
If youre among those of us who wonder how California could have spent so much to solve the problem of homelessness and yet have so little to show for it, the sight of the 100 tiny homes that have been sitting, unused  guarded around the clock and behind a security fence  sums it up as well as any one snapshot could.

This Safe Stay Community, which was approved in June of 2022, is on a vacant lot where there used to be a grocery store at the corner of Florin and Power Inn roads in Sacramento County. But so far, the county has done more to keep the huts on that lot safe from homeless people than it has done to keep the unhoused people living just beyond the perimeter of the security fence safe.

Bernabe Mier, an unhoused resident of south Sacramento, collects garbage on March 22 near the vacant tiny homes that were installed last summer. The project was initially delayed due to community pushback and miscommunication.

Initially, there was some neighborhood opposition to the project. But now, the neighbors dont understand whats taking so long, either. Theres some frustration from the community that it hasnt opened yet, said county spokeswoman Janna Haynes.

It only took a week last summer for the Sacramento Regional Conservation Corps to assemble the simple, mostly prefabricated huts. The sheds are built to last just five or 10 years, so by the time a single person spends a single night in one of them, 10% to 20% of their usefulness will have been wasted.

They have been there since July and were supposed to be ready to be occupied in November, and then in March.

Opinion

In mid-March, Haynes said the county hoped to welcome people by late spring. Now, thats been pushed back yet again. Were thinking June at this point, she said. I only know what they tell me, but Im pretty confident. Getting the actual work done will be a pretty quick process. The infrastructure is going in any time now, in the projects homestretch, she said.

Though I certainly believe that, as Haynes says, shes as anxious as anyone to see that happen, no one will be surprised if it doesnt, because Sacramento Countys deadlines just dont seem all that serious.

There is, however, a serious human cost to this lack of urgency. Almost 200 homeless people died in Sacramento County last year, so all that could go wrong in the meantime is more needless loss of life.

The homeless people who sleep every night just beyond the new security fence definitely do not understand the delays.

And why should people who have to figure out how to do all sorts of things just to stay alive day after day be at all understanding about why our community leaders cant figure out how to get this job done as if lives depended on it?

Natasha Howard sweeps trash where she camps Wednesday just outside the walls of a tiny homes village that was installed last summer by Sacramento County called the Safe Stay Community. By June they said they would be open. We dont have until June, she said.

Homeless people outside looking in

Though Sacramento County does have reasons  supply chain issues and problems lining up contractors  these dont seem reason enough to keep the 125 people who could be living in these tiny homes outside instead, through storm after storm this winter.

Those who think the homeless deserve the bare minimum from the rest of us will not be able to claim that these units offer too many frills.

The place looks like a prison camp to me, but it looks like safety to those who can only peek inside from outside the fence.

So what were the holdups, exactly?

A couple of fence contractors fell through, Haynes said. Only, the fence has been up for two months. Erecting it was a big improvement, she says, because it has cut down on the number of people coming by to ask when oh when the place is going to open.

They will soon be running in electricity, putting in a sewage system for communal bathrooms and then bringing in the trailers that will be used as communal eating areas and for storage.

Theres not yet a list of those who will get to move in because we dont want to get people on a list too soon, Haynes said.

Im not trying to be glib or ghoulish when I say that given the dangers of living outside, some of those whod like to be on that list wont still be with us then.

Eventually, the homeless folks living in the immediate area will be prioritized for housing on the other side of the fence.

Arianne Hawkins of Sacramento hugs a stuffed animal Wednesday while resting against a fence in front of Safe Stay Community, a tiny homes village set up by the County near Florin and Power Inn roads. Hawkins is one of the homeless residents that have been staying near the shelter for the past year, waiting for it to open.

One of them, Andrew Shroeder, wraps himself in a blanket and then in plastic he pokes a hole in so he can sleep on the grass outside the Safe Stay Community and still stay dry.

Another, Debbie Kafka, who stays in a tent with her boyfriend just outside the lot, says, I would love to be in one of those tiny homes instead of being blown away by the windstorms, but they wont even let us look.

A third, Chantal Hader, just had the car shed been living in for three years towed away. Shes grieving the recent death of her dog and doesnt even have a tent or anything else to protect her from the elements, so has been counting on other homeless people to help her until she figures something else out.

The night before I spoke to her, shed stayed with Debbie. That next night, she said, she didnt know where shed be, and every evening, she is afraid for her safety in a way that she wasnt in her car.

While I was talking to Hader, a small, clearly unwell woman none of the others knew came up and started hitting my arms and back.

Hader and the others told her to leave and not come back, but if this is what happens in the middle of a sunny afternoon, how safe can people feel here at night?

And of course, the woman who had no idea why she was hitting me is at risk, too, and is in desperate need of the services that the Safe Stay Community is supposed to offer.

Elaine Cain, a Sacramento homeless resident, sits in her car looking at her phone as her husband sorts recyclables near the Safe Stay Community at Florin and Power Inn roads Wednesday. Driving by here, you have everyone in the fields behind it, in front of it, on the side of it, she said. Its very discouraging.

All I want is to be safe

Hader, like others, is both critical of the tiny homes and wishing she could move into one.

They said these would be little houses, and with no bathroom or place to either warm food or keep it cold, the tiny homes arent really that, she said. But they would offer more protection from violence as well as from the weather.

Ive almost been raped out here, and its scary, Hader said. All I want is to be safe. I cant even remember the last time I took a real shower and cant go looking for a job without a place to clean up.

Are they ever going to open this place to homeless people, she wonders.

Spanky Arteaga and his girlfriend Debbie Kafka take shelter from the rain in a tent last month just outside the vacant tiny home village that was constructed last summer by Sacramento County.

They said November, and then they said March and while the sheds still sit unused, look at how much theyve spent on security to keep anyone from going in.

Each unit has a narrow bed suspended from the wall, a low-wattage power source, a tiny air conditioner and heating unit.

The cabins are arranged in rows, all facing the front instead of in circles, which is what other tiny home communities have found facilitates real community. But while that design shows a lack of empathy, its not a today problem.

Recently, the place got the permits it needed, Haynes said, and now, we know which contractors to hire.

The county has learned a lot through this process, she said, so that subsequent tiny home communities will be put together far faster.

So whats been the biggest thing the county has learned that will help things go better next time?

The hardest thing is managing expectations and explaining the complexity of what looks so simple, Haynes said. Everyone in the community, just wants to see change, and we do, too. Because the fence was see-through until the more secure version went up, she said, people could see inside and thought they would surely be able to move in soon.

I hope the lesson wasnt to put the fence up first, so that no one would know what was happening on the other side of the barrier.

Recently, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said the state would make sure there were soon 350 more new tiny homes for unhoused residents in Sacramento.

We need to focus more energy and precision on addressing encampments, he said.

We do, of course, because its been hard to locate much energy or any precision at all. There are tiny home communities around the country that have worked well. Yet so far, this Sacramento County site is not a model, but a cautionary tale.
Twitter has dropped the state-affiliated media label from NPRs account and replaced it with a government funded label, after facing backlash over the decision.

The label first appeared on NPRs account on Tuesday, leading the news organization to halt its posts on the social media platform.

We were disturbed to see last night that Twitter has labeled NPR as state-affiliated media, a description that, per Twitters own guidelines, does not apply to NPR, President and CEO John Lansing said in a statement on Wednesday.

NPR and our Member stations are supported by millions of listeners who depend on us for the independent, fact-based journalism we provide, he continued, adding, It is unacceptable for Twitter to label us this way.

NPR has since updated its Twitter bio to read, NPR is an independent news organization committed to informing the public about the world around us. You can find us every other place you read the news.

According to NPRs website, less than 1 percent of its annual operating budget comes from grants from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and federal entities.

The state-affiliated media label placed NPR in the company of Russian state-owned news agency TASS and Chinas official state news agency Xinhua, both of which have received such a label.

Twitter CEO Elon Musk acknowledged on Thursday that the state-affiliated media label might not have been accurate in an email exchange with an NPR reporter.

The operating principle at new Twitter is simply fair and equal treatment, so if we label non-US accounts as govt, then we should do the same for US, but it sounds like that might not be accurate here, Musk said in one email, per NPR.

The government funded label appears to have also been applied to PBS, as of Saturday evening.

The label links back to Twitters guidelines on government and state-affiliated media, which does not include a definition for the government funded label.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The BJP has set the bar of communalism so high, armed with Hindutva, that all parties must keep a steady gaze on the Hindu vote & cajole it

To hold the Hindutva hurricane within constitutional lines, rather like Atal Behari Vajpayees BJP, a cursory look at past equations. There was a time when even the Congress was divided in its perception of a milder BJP, such as in the days of P.V. Narasimha Rao. Raos ace adviser, Kerala CM K. Karunakaran, had an understanding with the RSS which he made full use of in his battles with the Godless Communists, when the CPI(M) and the Congress had almost the same vote share. In contrast was Arjun Singhs direct conflict with the BJP in Madhya Pradesh. P.V. and Karunakaran were more in harmony, which is why Rao preferred to hand the baton over to Vajpayee, not Arjun Singh.

The events which helped consolidate Hindutva as the force it is today should be touched briefly, lest the perspective is lost. V.P. Singhs implementation of the Mandal report opened up reservations in government jobs for OBCs. This boost to the avarna, or lower castes, was resented by the savarna, or upper caste oligarchy, with the BJPs L.K. Advani assuming charge. To neutralise Mandal, the Ram Mandir issue was raised to fever pitch.

By launching the Ram Janmabhoomi rathyatra in 1990, the BJP was only catching up. Rajiv Gandhi had already opened the locks in Ayodhya in 1985 and announced a Ram Rajya. Rajiv presumably did not realise that Ram Rajya was fanciful and incompatible with the Constitution. The Hindutva urge to have the Sanatan Dharma as a frame of reference for the Constitution is an audacious real step towards Ram Rajya.

Around this time, V.N. Gadgil, one of the AICCs more sensible general secretaries, took me into confidence on an astonishing assessment by the Congress that a feeling was growing among Hindu masses that Muslims were being appeased. In 2005, the Sachar Commission said Muslims were lowest on the socio economic-ladder.

The Congress Partys internal assessment in 1984 was likewise skewed. These election results which brought Rajiv Gandhi to power with a three-fourths majority set the party on a communal slope. Many naively thought it was a massive sympathy wave because of Indira Gandhis assassination. But the Congress divined the 1984 electoral windfall was actually Hindu consolidation against minority communalism. Though the immediate focus was Punjab, what resonated in the pan-Indian frame as a minority were Muslims. That was the official, but unstated, othering of Muslims by the Congress. To make up with Muslims, it bungled into the Shah Bano, reversing a Supreme Court judgment which the conservative Muslim clergy were unhappy with.

The reality, of course, was never so straightforward. To oppose the BJP, the Congress found it expedient to wear the badge of secularism. But, ironically, to keep the Hindu vote, it decided not to be seen in the company of Muslims. I am a witness to this. During the Gujarat election of 2017, Rahul Gandhi exerted every muscle in the campaign. He did not fare badly -- 77 seats, against the BJPs 99. To come this far, he avoided Muslim areas during the campaign. To be seen in the vicinity of Muslims would give the BJP a handle to polarise the vote. In fact, he went one better: during a crucial press conference at Radisson Blu Hotel, senior Congress leader Ahmad Patel was asked to hide himself in a room in one of the hotels lower floors. Rahul had Ashok Gehlot by his side. I could spot Rajiv Shukla too, who makes a cheerful guest appearance everywhere, rather like Hitchcock in his own movies. Later, in the 2022 elections, the Congress did much worse because the AAP walked away with 12 per cent of the vote, leaving the Congress with 27 per cent. The BJP surged with 52 per cent. Congressmen have not stopped cursing the AAP for its spanner in the works. In Delhi, the picture changes. Congress leaders grin from ear to ear every time the BJP at the Centre blocks reasonable AAP initiatives or throws its senior leaders into jail without any proven case.

This being the equation between the Congress and AAP, what does one make of the AAP leaping to its feet in anger when the government crossed the red lines in expelling Rahul Gandhi from Parliament?

Mamata Banerjees anger can be seen in a similar frame. The Congress and the CPI(M) are in a three-legged hobble in West Bengal. They want their Bengal jagir back. Last month there was some joy for them when they wrested the Sagardigha Assembly seat from the TMC. Not only did the Congress candidate Bayron Biswas win, he was feted by the BJP locally. With such enemies, who needs friends?

The BJP has set the bar of communalism so high, armed with Hindutva, that all parties (Congress is only one) must keep a steady gaze on the Hindu vote and cajole it, lest the party become an electoral invalid. By way of tactics, all parties must wear spectacles with varying shades of communalism. Will the parties dilute their communal content as and when the BJPs power wilts?

Theres no sign of that happening. A strategy the Opposition may consider is to curb the desire to defeat the BJP because that raises an insoluble issue: that of agreeing on an Opposition leader. Supposing they lower their sights and think of containing the force on a roll by weaving coalitions in the regions, or in any turf of their strength. They can jointly transform the runaway force into a manageable one. The halo that Rahul has been gifted with can give him a head start in the west-to-east Bharat Jodo Yatra to be launched on October 2 -- all geared towards containing the BJP. The results may be surprising.
In his Urbi et Orbi message, Francis prayed for the martyred Ukrainian people, calling for the paschal light to touch the Russian people. He entrusted war-torn Myanmar as well as Jerusalem, once again shaken by violence, to the intercession of the Risen One. Sustain, Lord, the Christian communities" that "are prevented from freely and publicly professing their faith.

Vatican City (AsiaNews)  Pope Francis today addressed the traditional Urbi et Orbi message on the occasion of Easter. In it, he said that with the Easter, the Pasch (Passage) of Jesus, the destiny of the world was changed. At a time wounded by so many conflicts, Let us hasten to pursue paths of peace and fraternity.

The popes exhortation to bring the novelty of the Risen One to the martyred Ukraine, scarred by war for more than a year, also extends to the hearts of the Russian people, to the Holy Land struggling once again with violence, to the troubled lands of Myanmar, Tunisia, Haiti, Africa and all those places where Christians are prevented from freely professing their faith.

Francis delivered his Easter message together with Albanian Card Ernest Simoni, 94, who was subject to penal labour under the communist regime of Enver Hoxha.

Before going up to the Loggia of Blessings, Francis presided over the Easter Mass in St Peters Square, overflowing with worshippers under the bright sun.

A prayer in Chinese was recited that the Church may forcefully proclaim the Resurrection and preserve hope even in pain and death.

This is at the heart of the pope's Urbi et Orbi message, for in Jesus the decisive passage of humanity has been made: the passage from death to life, from sin to grace, from fear to confidence, from desolation to communion in him. In him, the Lord of time and history, I would like to say to everyone, with heartfelt joy, Happy Easter to all!

May this Easter be for each of you, dear brothers and sisters, and in particular for the sick and the poor, the elderly and those experiencing moments of trial and weariness, a passage from affliction to consolation.

Noting that 9 April, according to some scholars, is the most likely the date of the Resurrection of Christ, the pontiff underlined a trait that the Gospels identify in all the witnesses at Easter, namely haste" to go to the tomb and then announce to everyone what they had seen.

At Easter, then, the journey quickens and becomes a race, since humanity now sees the goal of its journey, sees the meaning of its destiny, Jesus Christ, and is called to make haste to meet him, who is the hope of the world.

And so May we too make haste to progress on a journey of reciprocal trust: trust among individuals, peoples and nations.

The Easter proclamation also illuminates the darkness and the gloom in which, all too often, our world finds itself enveloped. Thus, Let us make haste to surmount our conflicts and divisions, and [. . .] open our hearts to those in greatest need.

Let us hasten to pursue paths of peace and fraternity. Let us rejoice at the concrete signs of hope that reach us from so many countries, beginning with those that offer assistance and welcome to all fleeing from war and poverty.

Our haste towards the Risen One still finds many stumbling blocks along the way. This Easter, Francis addressed his supplication for the wounded world, starting with the war in the heart of Europe.

Help the beloved Ukrainian people on their journey towards peace, and shed the light of Easter upon the people of Russia. Comfort the wounded and all those who have lost loved ones because of the war, and grant that prisoners may return safe and sound to their families. Open the hearts of the entire international community to strive to end this war and all conflict and bloodshed in our world, beginning with Syria, which still awaits peace.

Speaking about Syria, which, together with Turkey, is dealing with the aftermath of the earthquake in February, Francis also said: Let us pray for all those who have lost family and friends, and for those left homeless. May they receive consolation from God and assistance from the family of nations.

The pontiff expressed concern for Jerusalem, the first witness to the Resurrection. May there be a resumption of dialogue, in a climate of trust and reciprocal respect, between Israelis and Palestinians, so that peace may reign in the Holy City and in the entire region.

For a country like Lebanon, still in search of stability and unity, he expressed hope that divisions will be overcome and all citizens cooperate for the common good of the country.

Francis entrusted to the Risen One the beloved people of Tunisia, and in particular the young and those suffering from social and economic hardship, so that they may not lose hope and may work together to build a future of peace and fraternity.

About for Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, he urged support [for] the efforts of political actors and the international community to seek a definitive solution to the many problems that afflict that sorely tried people.

Turning to Africa, the pontiff called for the strengthening of the peace process in Ethiopia and South Sudan, an end to violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and mentioned the victims of international terrorism in Burkina Faso, Mali, Mozambique and Nigeria.

He asked the Lord to support the Christian communities that today celebrate Easter in particular circumstances, as in Nicaragua and Eritrea, and remember all who are prevented from freely and publicly professing their faith.

Turning to Myanmar, he said, may the Risen One help this country pursue paths of peace, and enlighten the hearts of leaders, so that the deeply afflicted Rohingya may encounter justice.

Likewise, may he Comfort refugees, deportees, political prisoners and migrants, especially those who are most vulnerable, as well as the victims of hunger, poverty and the dire effects of the drug trade, human trafficking and all other forms of slavery.

Lord, inspire the leaders of nations to ensure that no man or woman may encounter discrimination and be violated in his or her dignity; that in full respect for human rights and democracy these social wounds may be healed; that the common good of the citizenry may be pursued always and solely; and that security and the conditions needed for dialogue and peaceful coexistence may be guaranteed.

Francis quoted Saint Isaac of Nineveh who wrote that the greatest sin is not to believe in the power of the resurrection.

Finally, We believe in you, Lord Jesus. We believe that, with you, hope is reborn and the journey continues. May you, the Lord of life, encourage us on our journey and repeat to us, as you did to the disciples on the evening of Easter: Peace be with you!
The writer (dukeofdanforth@gmail.com) is a founder of the Aspen Daily News. His column appears here on Sundays.
Photo: Bad Land

The very lucrative Softail range of Milwaukee bikes had many representatives over the years. Plenty of them are no longer being made, but still make the headlines as incredible custom projects put together by shops from all over the world.Take the Night Train , for instance. Having arrived on the motorcycle scene in 1998, it was pulled by the American company in 2009. It was available mostly on markets outside the U.S. (more specifically Europe), so its kind of an exotic appearance for Americans. Especially when tweaked to create a model called Graphite.The bike is the work not of some European custom shop, but of the Japanese from Bad Land . The earliest records we can find of it date back to 2017, so this isnt exactly a brand-new custom. It is, however, timeless, and a perfect bike to revisit this spring Sunday.As usual when it comes to the motorcycles it modifies, Bad Land seems to have cut no corners and spared no expense to transform the Night Train into something more impressive. And thats more than visible in the way the lines of the bike flow, the materials and parts used, and of course, the paint sprayed all over it.Starting from the ground up, we get Ricks Motorcycles wheels sized 21 inches at the front and 18 inches at the rear, with this one boasting a drive-side braking system. Both wheels are wrapped in Avon Cobra tires, with the front one held in the embrace of an SJP Engineering fork.The Graphite is dressed in custom-made bodywork, including in the form of a front and rear fender, the fuel tank, and various covers. The headlight on the bike is unique to it, and so is the handlebar.The engine of the Night Train is likely the stock one, with mention of what was made to it, aside from the fitting of a new, exclusive exhaust system. Elsewhere, Kens Factory supplied the turn signals, while Performance Machine is responsible for the foot controls and braking hardware for the front wheel. At the back, a custom seat is there to support the rider.There is no mention as to where the Harley-Davidson Graphite lives its life now, and we have no indication of how much the custom cost to make. For reference, a used Harley-Davidson Night Train can go for as much as $15,000.
EV

The reason is as simple as it could be, CEO RJ Scaringe says. It all comes down to giving in control of essential vehicle features to the likes of Google and Apple. Rivian says it wants to be in charge of the infotainment experience, so adopting Android Auto and CarPlay is not part of its plans.Apple claims that CarPlay has become a feature customers are specifically looking for when buying a new car. The companys data indicates that 79 percent of new-car buyers wouldnt even consider a model that doesnt come with CarPlay.As such, ignoring this trend and not jumping on the Android Auto and CarPlay bandwagon could look like a missed growing opportunity. Rivians CEO says this isnt the case. The company wants to be in charge of its software, and this is why updates are released regularly.The Rivian founder also revealed that his company is always listening to feedback by keeping an eye on the main social channels. Rivians head of software development spends a lot of time on reddit, Scaringe explained, and content posted on YouTube and other social networks also plays a big role in the way new software releases are developed.Themaker says its primary goal is to control the software stack entirely. By allowing Android Auto and CarPlay in its vehicles, the infotainment experience is handed over to Google and Apple. The two companies would essentially become in charge of the way users interact with navigation software and audio apps.Interestingly, Scaringes statements seem to indicate that adding Android Auto and CarPlay is out of the question right now. However, given the company is particularly listening to feedback, integrating smartphone mirroring in Rivian vehicles could still be back on the table in the long term depending on customer demand.For the time being, however, its pretty clear that neither Android Auto nor CarPlay is part of Rivians software strategy. Scaringe explained on the Waveform Podcast that adding new features based on the received features sometimes takes only a few weeks.Rivian isnt alone in this strategy of maintaining control of the infotainment unit. Other carmakers have already confirmed similar plans, and Tesla is presumably the top dog on this front.General Motors made the news earlier this month with a rather controversial decision , as the company will block Android Auto and CarPlay in its EVs starting in 2024. The announcement was received with much criticism from potential customers, proving that Apples statistics are very likely to be accurate. GM will use Android Automotive in its zero-emission vehicles beginning next year.
10. Mercedes-Benz 260 D (W138)

9. Mercedes-Benz 300 Adenauer (W186 and W189)

8. Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.5-16 Evolution II (W201)

AMG

7. Mercedes-Benz 500 E (W124)

6. Mercedes-Benz C 63 AMG (W204)

5. Mercedes-AMG C 43 (W206)

4. Mercedes-Benz EQS (V297)

3. Mercedes-Maybach S-Class (Z223)

SOHC

2. Mercedes-Benz W123 with a diesel engine

1. Mercedes-Benz 600 (W100)

Mercs first post-war sedan was the so-called Ponton, a series of mid-sized cars internally referred to under many codenames. The base 180 model with either gasoline or diesel mills, for example, is known as the W120. At the other end of the spectrum, six-cylinder sedans include the W105, W180, as well as the W128.Enthusiasts understand how daunting it is to grasp how many excellent sedans came out of Stuttgart in the past century, but every single one of them shaped Mercedes into the Stuttgart-based automotive colossus that prides itself on delivering the best or nothing despite a turn for the worse in terms of quality and reliability since the middle of the 1990s with the inception of the M-Class.This ranking isnt about the M-Class or any other sport utility vehicle produced at MBUSI, though. Only four-door sedans like the segment-defining Mercedes S-Class and iconic Grosser are eligible, which brings us to number 10 of our 10 best Mercedes sedans of all time.The automakers media website presents the W138 as the worlds first series-production car, although different sources beg to differ. Revealed in 1936, the 260 D was preceded by the Citroen Rosalie 11UD three years earlier. Not long after, Hannoversche Maschinenbau AG launched a 1.9-liter oil burner in the mid-sized Rekord.In any case, the 260 D is one of the first series-production cars to feature a diesel powerplant. The 260 prefix stands for 2.6 liters even though 2,545 cubic centimeters are rounded to 2.5 liters. The OM 138 engine is nothing like the diesels we have today, beginning with the overhead valves. Just over 5,700 units of this lump were built from 1935 through 1940, although more than 3,750 of the bunch were used in trucks rather than cars.Just under 2,000 units of the 260 D were finished through 1939, the year the German Reich repeated the mistakes of the German Empire by starting a world-encompassing war out of petty reasons. Also offered as a landaulet and cabrio, the 260 D was indirectly succeeded in the 1970s by the W116 with the OM 617.Five years after World War II came to a screeching halt with Japans capitulation, Daimler-Benz revealed the 300 series to positive reception at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1951. Initially codenamed W186, then W189 between 1957 and 1962, the full-size luxobarge was the closest thing to the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud back then.Rather than codenames, the Adenauer received this nickname due to a gentlemans love for the W186 and W189 during his tenure as chancellor. Konrad Adenauer led the federal government of Germany from 1949 to 1963. In this period, he used a whopping six cars from the 300 series, cabrio and landaulet versions included.His first 300 is currently exhibited in Bonn at the Haus der Geschichte. Another 300, namely a 300 d from 1959, is displayed in the Mercedes-Benz Museum . Succeeded by the 600 series in 1963, the 300 also paved the way for the incredibly pretty W198 300 SL gull-winged coupe.made a name for itself at the 24 Hours of Spa in 1971 with the Red Pig, a modified 300 SEL 6.8 that won its class and second place overall against purpose-built racecars. The first collaboratively developed vehicle from the Affalterbach-based company and Mercedes came out in 1993 in the guise of the C 36. Between them, the German automaker collaborated with Cosworth for the four-cylinder mill of the 190 E 2.3-16 from 1984.Based on the W201 that eventually morphed into the C-Class, the 190 E 2.3-16 received a tremendous update with the introduction of the Evolution in 1989 at the Geneva Motor Show. One year later, the Evolution II launched with an aggressive body kit. Designed to increase downforce and reduce drag, said body kit allegedly prompted BMW to redesign its wind tunnel.Only 502 examples of the Evolution II were produced, split between 500 units in blue and black and two units in astral silver. Essentially a touring car for the road, this variant of the W201 belts out 232 horsepower (235 ps).Another high point in the history of high-performance Mercedes sedans is the 500 E from the W124 generation. One of the ultimate sleeper cars of its era, together with the LT1 small block V8-engined Buick Roadmaster Estate station wagon and Volvo 850 T-5R, this fellow isnt a bonafide Merc. Believe it or not, Zuffenhausens very own Porsche was commissioned to redesign the W124 to fit the naturally-aspirated V8 of the SL 500.Manufactured between 1991 and 1995, the 500 E originally numbered less than 10,500 units. The last 120 examples were last-request vehicles produced by Porsche alongside the Audi RS 2 Avant, a high-performance wagon with some Porsche DNA as well.The M119 engine of the 500 E develops a stout 322 horsepower (326 ps) and 354 pound-feet (480 Nm). Electronically limited to 155 miles per hour (250 kilometers per hour), the Porsche-infused Mercedes sedan held its own against the contemporary E34 M5 Unleashed in 2007, the C 63 AMG from the W204 generation of the C-Class was designed from the ground up to be a corner-carving thriller. Very different from its understeery predecessors, the 63er boasted the quickest and most responsive steering of any road-going Merc.As with every other V8-powered AMG, the 63 from the W204 generation is a tire-smoking machine. 63 stands for 6.3 liters only if you take advertising and press materials at face value. The free-breathing V8 actually displaces 6,208 cubic centimeters, yet Mercedes preferred to use 63 as a nod to the 6.3-liter variant of the M100 engine introduced by the Grosser in the 1960s.More powerful and torquier compared to its Audi and BMW rivals, the C 63 came exclusively with a two-pedal transmission based on the 7G-Tronic. The AMG Speedshift MCT doesnt use a torque converter, but a wet start-off clutch for better launches off the line and double clutching. The W205 switched to a force-fed V8, whereas the W206 adopted a plug-in hybrid powertrain based around a hand-built AMG 2.0-liter turbo lump.The W204 C 63 AMG launched with 451 horsepower (457 ps) and 442 pound-feet (600 Nm) of torque to its name. Fast forward to the W206 generation, and the C 43 promises 402 horsepower (408 ps) and 369 pound-feet (500 Nm) from merely a third of the displacement.Pretty much the Mercedes-AMG equivalent to the M340i xDrive from BMW M, the C 43 is a true AMG . The M139l is assembled in Affalterbach under the one man, one engine principle. Formula 1 technology is present in the guise of an electric turbocharger assisted by a 48-volt electric system. Two-stage fuel injection, a belt-driven starter generator, and the Nanoslide cylinder coating technology are highlights in their own right.The elephant in the room is pretty obvious, though. With four cylinders arranged in a line, the 2024 Mercedes-AMG C 43 sadly doesnt have the aural qualities of the M340i xDrive and the equivalent sedan from Audi.Mercedes has a long history of EVs. The EQS stands out for three reasons, beginning with being the first all-electric luxury sedan from the EQ sub-brand . Its also the first electric vehicle designed from the ground up by the German automaker. Last but certainly not least, the S-Class of EVs has a considerable bit of cachet to it.Many sensors and clever software enable Level 3 autonomy in the EQS, which can take over the drivers duties at speeds of up to 60 kilometers per hour (37 miles per hour). Drive Pilot was launched in Germany in May 2022, and it's coming to the U.S. market for MY2024.Gifted with five doors rather than four, the EQS also happens to be the first all-electric performance vehicle from the go-faster division in Affalterbach. Imposing outside and technologically intense on the inside, this liftback-styled model is one of the most aerodynamic series-production vehicles out there. As opposed to the 0.197 Cd of the Lucid Air, the EQS flaunts a 0.2 Cd.No top 10 of the best Mercedes sedans is complete without a representative of the S-Class. The one picked by autoevolutions editorial team is  of course  the plushest of the bunch. Codenamed Z223 as opposed to W223 for the S-Class with Benz branding, the Maybach is 18 centimeters (7 inches) longer than its forerunner.Most of that extra length converts to extra legroom for the rear occupants, which are presented with the highest quality of leather upholstery and a plethora of more or less useful goodies. The Maybach was also chosen for being the only 223 series offered with a V12 motor, namely the M279 introduced by the R231-gen SL 65 The M279 isnt 11 years old at the time of writing, though. Its actually much older because its derived from the M275, itself derived from the M137. All three rock three valves per cylinder andvalvetrains, which is a bit amiss by modern standards. On the other hand, remember that the M275 from which the M279 was born also birthed the M158 of the Pagani Huayra.Following the fall of Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu in 1989, one of the most popular foreign cars imported to my home country was the 123 series. Diesel-engined models were especially popular, with the 123 series being nicknamed Cobra in this part of the world.As I grew up and my interest in cars kicked into overdrive, I also learned that the Cobra is one of the toughest series-production cars out there. There are lots of examples with more than a million kilometers on the clock, which is a testament to the engineering excellence and sheer reliability of Mercedes diesels from that era, as well as the 123 series. Nearly 2.4 million W123 sedans were manufactured between 1976 and 1986.Still popular in many African countries, the 123 isnt impossible to kill. But when something inevitably goes south, as it does with every combustion-engined vehicle, the repair is often reassuringly simple and affordable.The Grosser still takes the cake after so many decades since the last example of the breed rolled off the assembly line. A little under 2,700 were built in the period between 1963 and 1981. Compared to every other Merc  and every other car in existence for that matter  the W100 was extremely popular with nefarious peeps.Wikipedia contains a tremendous list of authoritarian politicians and full-on dictators who fielded the Grosser in their personal fleets, including the infamous Idi Amin. Also popular with royalty, musicians, tycoons, and fashion designers, the 600 paved the way for the failed Maybach reboot from the late 1990s and the far more commercially successful Maybach reboot from 2015.The replacement for the Adenauer mentioned a few paragraphs earlier also premiered the first series-production V8 from Mercedes. Codenamed M100, this engine was built by hand and tested on a bench for 265 minutes to ensure that everything works as intended. As the saying goes, they dont make them as they used to.
Photo: Tesla

Photo: AI Addict/YouTube

EV

Photo: via Miaopai

Photo: Tesla

Full Self-Driving

Business Insider broke the news about the lawsuit on April 8, reporting that Henry Yeh hired the Fitzgerald Joseph LLP law firm to represent him and all people who owned a Tesla from 2019 until now. That may make it a class action if the judge considers that to be applicable. The lawsuit states that the number of affected customers is so large that this is the only remedy that could protect them all. It also reputes that the compensations would be too small individually for them to pursue legal action on their own.Apart from Reuters, Business Insider managed to confirm that former Tesla employees shared embarrassing videos from customers in the companys internal messaging system. The videos and images were taken in traffic situations  which is not that surprising, considering Teslas dashcam  and also inside the clients garages. It is not clear if the videos and images were taken when customers activated Sentry Mode or if the vehicles recorded them regardless of any feature being turned on.Yehs lawyers said it is not unlikely that these former Tesla employees have shared the intimate images elsewhere, eventually on social media. At this point, there is no proof that this was the case. However, the longer it takes to verify that, the more unlikely it will be to confirm if that is true or not. This must be the reason for such a quick lawsuit.So far, the only evidence that anything happened is what former Tesla employees told Reuters and Business Insider. If the only documentation that these guys shared private videos and images is on Mattermost, the sooner it is requested, the better. The question now is whether Tesla still has a backup showing these videos and pictures were shared. If it is legally required to keep them, they must still exist. If that is not the case, all this may be long lost.In such a scenario, all the lawyers could have would be testimonials from people who worked for Tesla at the San Mateo data labeling office. Although Reuters and Business Insider were lucky to contact people willing to speak about that, the law firm going after that info may fail to obtain it. The press has the constitutional right to protect its sources, especially if they asked for anonymity and were afraid of retaliation.That said, suing Tesla as fast as possible was the best way to ensure access to evidence. The court in charge of this judgment may demand themaker to present files, documents, hard drives, and anything else that may confirm the data privacy breach Reuters revealed. Tesla may try to escape that by proposing a deal, which was how the EV maker avoided presenting evidence in another class action.After some Model S units caught fire, especially one in Shanghai in April 2019, Tesla released over-the-air (OTA) updates that capped the voltage of cells in thousands of vehicles. Their owners started a class action that would have forced Tesla to disclose why it capped the voltage of these vehicles. Unfortunately, Tesla proposed a deal that the owners accepted and which ended the lawsuit in exchange for a compensation of $625 for each of them. Many are now being surprised by errors and the information that they need to replace the battery packs in their cars.If this new lawsuit against Tesla gets class-action status, it may follow a similar script, crowned by Elon Musk stating that Tesla policy is never to give in to false claims, even if we would lose, and never to fight true claims, even if we would win. It took his company two years with the voltage cap situation to realize it was not supposed to fight because the customers were right to complain. Ironically, Musk never cared to explain why they were right and why Tesla capped the voltage in their vehicles.Any blow for Tesla in the new data privacy lawsuit will seriously interfere with Autopilot,, and even Park Assist . Musk insisted only cameras were necessary despite Tesla engineers arguing that the company should not ditch ultrasonic sensors. It did not work, and clients now complain about how unreliable Park Assist now is after being unavailable for months.If a verdict restricts the use of cameras, Tesla may have to review its strategy. I would not be surprised if it started to include sensors like LiDAR to achieve its autonomy goals. One thing is for sure: data privacy regulations in the U.S. will become more stringent, perhaps even close to those adopted in the European Union.
Photo: Venus Aerospace

Photo: Venus Aerospace

Photo: Venus Aerospace

To do so it will use jet engines the likes of which we already know. After a while, when the plane clears populated areas, the rocket engine powering it will be switched on. This will push the Stargazer to altitudes of 32 miles (51 km) and on to speeds of Mach 9.Now, the official title of the contraption is Venus Stargazer Spaceplane, but, by all accounts, 32 miles into the air is no way near the agreed-upon limit to space, the Karman line. So, spaceplane is not exactly a suitable name for it.On the other hand, the highest point an aircraft taking off under its own power was able to reach was 23 miles (37 km)  that would be a Russian MiG E which hit that height in 1977  so the Stargazer is not exactly your everyday airplane either.No matter how one chooses to call it, the Stargazer should be a spectacular sight, if youre fast enough to catch it in the sky, that is. Its secret is the rocket engine, a rotating detonation ( RDRE ) piece of hardware that at the point of writing is insufficiently detailed.This type of engine works on the principle of detonation waves. In a nutshell, it means that fuel and oxidizer are thrown into a channel in the engine assembly and are detonated in such a way that these small explosions become self-sustaining. Its the supersonic pressure waves generated by the detonations that help push the machine using RDRE forward.It's an idea NASA itself is considering, and, together with a company called IN Space, conducted hot fire tests of an RDRE design back in 2022. After all, if this concept proves its merits, it may very well become a means of propulsion for spaceships going to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.In Venus case, were told the RDRE passed its first milestone in October last year (video below this text). It was then that the crew claimed it became the first company in the world to get room temperature storable liquid fuels to operate in a Rotating Detonation Rocket Engine (RDRE). Three months' worth of tests of the hardware were performed, but we are given very few details of what the exact findings were. It's also unclear what type of fuel the Venus RDRE will use.As for the Stargazers design, the renderings shown last year reveal a wave rider approach and a delta wing configuration, with all engines, both the jet and RDRE, mounted at the rear.The cabin, which should be capable of holding a total of 12 passengers, rises above the plane of the wings with their protected leading edges, and two large stabilizers can be seen at the rear. In all, the plane measures 150 feet (45 meters) long and 100 feet (30 meters) from wing tip to wing tip. The takeoff weight is estimated at 150,000 pounds (75 tons).It's unclear what the Stargazer will be made of, but we are told it will feature a heat transfer system meant to help it cope with the high temperatures resulting from hypersonic travel. The plane will also use gliding to move through the thin air at those altitudes.Those worrying a hypersonic plane flying over their heads will be a constant source of sonic booms can rest assured it will not, as the altitude where this thing operates makes it all but impossible to hear.All of the above sounds incredibly exciting, but the reality is the Stargazer will not come about for a very long time. No timeline has been provided when it comes to its development, and the $33 million in investments received so far seem not nearly enough to see a project of this scale taken to a palpable result. But one can only hope
Diehard YouTube Music users certainly know that the music streaming service lacks essential functionality on this front. Lyrics are indeed available in the mobile app, but they are only displayed as a block of text when a new song starts playing.The static lyrics arent necessarily everybodys cup of tea, especially because following the progress of the song is pretty much impossible.For comparison, Spotify has been offering live lyrics for many years. The Spotify apps display lyrics and highlight the text you should sign if youre that much into karaoke.Google is following in the footsteps of Spotify. The search giant has reportedly kicked off the rollout of live lyrics in YouTube Music. The feature is gradually becoming available on both iPhone and Android.The most recent version of YouTube Music on Android is 5.51.50, but the availability of live lyrics has nothing to do with the installed updates. Google is using a phased rollout model, which means users arent getting the new feature when installing a specific version.Instead, the company enables live lyrics in waves, and its all controlled with a server-side switch. As such, users cant do anything to activate the feature but wait for Google to do it on their devices. The company hasnt released any official announcement on this, so for now, the availability of live lyrics continues to be very limited.On Android Auto, YouTube Music is the successor to Google Play Music . The transition to YouTube Music wasnt at all smooth, especially because of the missing functionality. YouTube Music didnt originally come with a free tier, blocking users from listening to music they purchased on Google Play Music. As such, many users ended up jumping ship, switching to the likes of Spotify for more advanced car integration.The phased rollout model is likely to cause more frustration in the YouTube Music user base. This approach gives Google more time to monitor feedback and determine the reliability of a new feature. The same strategy is also being used for Coolwalk, the Android Auto redesign that was announced back in January.Google enables the new experience in stages only for a very limited number of users. The company then monitors reliability data and determines whether the availability of an update should be improved or not. Eventually, the rollout gains more pace up to the point when the general availability is reached. In the case of Coolwalk, the search giant plans to bring the new interface to all Android Auto users by the end of this year. The rollout is still underway at the time of writing.
9 April 2023 09:00 (UTC+04:00)

Elnur Enveroglu Read more

Committing terrorist acts and attempting to kill people is extremely inhumane act, which is far from religion, humanity and Islamic values. Unfortunaltely, in the month of Ramadan, when the Holy Qur'an was revealed, and it is considered a month of fasting and spiritual purification for Muslims, the country called Iran has further activated its savage aggression; it seems that the mullah regime in Iran, which presents itself as the defender of Islamic values in the world, does not refrain from its evil deeds even in such a holy month.

Iran is applying the principle of diplomats , " the enemy of my enemy is my friend , " In this sense , al  Qaeda and many other Iran-finaced terrorist groups and proxies are working against the countries thatoppose the Tehran regime.

It is believed that Hezbollah is the first and greatest supporter of the terrorist organizations that are run by Iran, as it began its work in 1986 as it governs Lebanon, which is the main force inside Syrian territory executing the policy and targets of Tehran. Besides that, Iran finances many small terrorist groups that are linked to its large networks and some of which attempts to carry out its dirty mission in our country under the guise of religion.

Those who carry out the orders of this bloodthirsty regime are thugs and national traitors.

In a nutshell, the bullet fired at MP Fazil Mustafa in Ramadan is a bullet fired at the people of Azerbaijan and the hostility of the mullah regime against the people of Azerbaijan. Similarly, the attack on the embassy of Azerbaijan in Tehran and the martyrdom of our officer was a treacherous attack by the evil mullah regime on our country and our people.

Implementing countermeasures

After the Iranian revolution, Iran and its people have become interpolated with anti-American, anti-West sentiments and all its allies in the region.

The former US ambassador to Saudi Arabia James Smith stressed that Iran was able to get away from punishment since 1979, despite the proven involvement in the Beirut bombings in 1982 and the involvement of the Iranians in bombing of the US embassy in Africa, and their silence on the bombing of the US Cole warship.

Many official documents confirm that Iran was behind the killing of thousands of people, especially government officials, diplomats and even civilians that have been obstacles for its secret operations.

However, Iran has not received any punishment for its actions, which created a feeling that it can exercise its aggressive terrorist acts and impunity, and this policy towards Iran made it to continue to its terrorist policy, and continuing efforts to expand its interventions in the countries of the region.

As regards the regime's threat in our country, the society and the state of Azerbaijan should mobilize against these marginal and evil forces and raise our voice of protest. In this matter, well-known figures of Azerbaijan, representatives of the public, culture, art, and science should not be silent and should express their position openly. Just as during the 30-year Armenian occupation, during the days of the Patriotic War, we should not allow the Mullah regime's attempts to turn Azerbaijan into Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen by demonstrating national solidarity.

The Mullah regime cannot bear with the strengthening of Azerbaijan as a state, fearing the struggle of our brothers and sisters from South Azerbaijan. Independent Azerbaijan is an eyesore for the mullah regime, so they want to divide us from the inside and weaken us as a state.

It is with the blessing of the mullahs that drug addiction is instilled in our society and our youth in order to destroy the national gene pool of the Azerbaijani people. This enriches the generals of the mullah regime and finances the dirty deeds of the Iranian network and terrorist groups in our country. The facts also show that Iran's exposed agency network funded itself with the proceeds of the illegal drug trade.

Carrying out the orders of the evil mullah regime of Iran and cooperating with its special services means supporting the aggression and occupation of Armenia against our people. It is no longer a secret that the regime transferred the intelligence information it collected through national traitors to Armenia, and this work is still being continued. The mullahcracy and these creatures who call themselves socalled muslims have a hand in the blood of our martyrs. Cooperation with them is a disrespect to the spirit of our martyrs and their mothers.

Iran's threat in the field of information

Today, the regime carries out disinformation and moral terror against Azerbaijan not only in practice, but also in the information space. Therefore, it is extremely important be vigilant in social networks. Azerbaijan is a strong and powerful country with its robust intelligence and defence systems, which is determined to defeat the mischief of the regime in Tehran just as we shattered perillous dreams of world Armenians and Armenia as a whole.

The mullahcracy has rotted from within, and the country has been engulfed in protests. The people, who are fed up with the rule of the mullahs, no longer want to live under this pressure and speak out. The regime constantly creates the image of a foreign enemy in order to divert attention from its internal problems and tries to mobilize the people to fight against this enemy. But Iranian citizens have already understood that these seditions have no end and cannot continue like this. Surely, the end of the regime is nigh.

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9 April 2023 12:10 (UTC+04:00)

Turkish BOTAS and Azerbaijani SOCAR (State Oil Company of Azerbaijan) have established a new company to sell gas to Europe, Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Fatih Donmez said in an interview with CNN Turk, Azernews reports.

"We have announced the goal of becoming a gas trading center, and Azerbaijan also supports us in this matter. The Balkan countries request gas from us and Azerbaijan. Well act on this issue together," the minister said.

Previously, Donmez said that the Turkish Parliament has started the process of amending legislation which is necessary for the start of the international gas trade center (gas hub).

"The first legislative decisions in the framework of the gas hub passed through the parliament. Due to these decisions, BOTAS Petroleum Pipeline Corporation, the state-owned crude oil and natural gas pipelines and trading company and other companies will be able to work much faster and easier. With the launch of the gas trade center, prices will also decrease, which is essential for Europe. Turkiye will become one of the markets defining the benchmark," the minister said.

Donmez also noted that the country is considering options for cooperation with other countries for the transportation and sale of gas to Europe. In particular, there are agreements regarding Azerbaijan on the establishment of a joint venture.

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9 April 2023 12:40 (UTC+04:00)

A delegation of the Azerbaijan Industrial Corporation OJSC, Azeraluminium LLC and CHALIECO company of China have discussed prospects for cooperation, Azernews reports.

CHALIECO company is one of the world's leading companies in engineering and construction contracting and equipment manufacturing. The company has implemented more than 250 international projects so far.

The meeting focused on increasing the production capacity of the aluminum plant, joint development of projects to be implemented with respect to raw materials required for aluminum production.

The companies agreed on an action plan and decided to prepare certain information on the mentioned issues and hold new meetings.

As part of the business trip to Azerbaijan, the management and technical staff of "CHALIECO" company, visited the Ganja aluminum factory complex to discuss further improvement of the production process.

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9 April 2023 15:50 (UTC+04:00)

Azerbaijan`s Minister of Economy Mikayil Jabbarov has met with the Executive Vice President, Head of Region & Sales Europe of Airbus Wouter Van Wersch.

Access to paid information is limited

Find the plan that suits you best.
9 April 2023 01:30 (UTC+04:00)

Azerbaijans Minister of Foreign Affairs Jeyhun Bayramov has held telephone conversations with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir Abdollahian.

During the telephone conversations, the ministers expressed mutual respect to the territorial integrity and sovereignty of both countries.

The parties held detailed discussions on disagreements and misunderstandings between the two countries. The importance of continuing negotiations to eliminate misunderstandings was emphasized.

The sides expressed agreement on the implementation of existing projects between Azerbaijan and Iran.

FM Bayramov stressed the importance of respecting the independent foreign policy of Azerbaijan, pursued in accordance with countrys national interests, and bilateral relations with countries of the region.

The FMs underlined the importance of continuing mutual contacts.

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9 April 2023 08:12 (UTC+04:00)

North Korea conducted two tests of a nuclear-capable underwater attack drone, state media said on Saturday, the latest in a show of force against the US and South Korea.

The country tested another kind of a nuclear-capable unmanned underwater attack weapon called Haeil-2, over a week after it disclosed a new underwater drone system dubbed Haeil-1, which translates to tsunami in Korean, designed to make sneak attacks in enemy waters.

Analysts say North Korea is displaying its diverse nuclear delivery capabilities against Washington and Seoul, though they are skeptical whether the underwater vehicle is ready for deployment.

During the underwater strategic weapon system test from April 4 to April 7, state media KCNA said that the drone cruised 1,000 km (621.37 miles) of underwater distance for 71 hours and 6 minutes and successfully hit a simulated target.

The test perfectly proved the reliability of the underwater strategic weapon system and its fatal attack ability, KCNA said.

North Korea has ramped up its military activities in recent weeks, protesting that the United States and South Korea conduct joint military exercises.

It unveiled new, smaller nuclear warheads and fired an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of striking anywhere in the United States.

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CBS's @EdOKeefe SLAMS the Biden WH & John Kirby for releasing a report on the Afghanistan withdrawal was sent to us "about 10 minutes before the briefing began, with little notice": "It's the very definition of a modern major holiday news dump...after months of requests" pic.twitter.com/GaZpssi6Ck  Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) April 6, 2023

CBS's @EdOKeefe: Biden "'received & accepted the unanimous advice of his top security officials to end the evacuation on August 31'...What is the definition of top officials b/c...Gen. McKenzie...said he objected to...this?"Kirby: "I am loathe to get into the individual advice" pic.twitter.com/PCjwJcVcOK  Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) April 6, 2023

Since only about 20% of the News Media has any shred of Journalistic Integrity remaining: How does our Constitutional Republic continue without a "Free Press"? Demand real information, using real sources, backed up by facts. Promote real journalist entities only, and admonish those that prostitute their profession. We Democratic Socialists are doing just fine, thank-you, by promoting lies while having very little real knowledge about so much. 226 total vote(s) What's your Opinion?



CBS White House correspondent Ed O'Keefe put the screws to retired Admiral John Kirby during a Thursday briefing, pressing him on the administration's decision to release a long-awaited assessment of the chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal just before a holiday weekend.Kirby, who is currently serving as the strategic communications coordinator for the National Security Council, claimed that the timing of the report was coincidental and that the multiple agencies that had worked to compile the report had just happened to get it together at this specific time.Noting that the information had been requested months earlier, O'Keefe pointed out that reporters had only received it 10 minutes before the briefing that preceded the Easter holiday.he asked, calling the moveKirby objected, explaining that the full reports from those agencies were classified and that the Biden administration had put together the assessment that was sent out to reporters and leaders on Capitol Hill.O'Keefe continued to press, however, noting that according to the administration's assessment, President Biden hadO'Keefe asked.Kirby pushed back, saying that he wasto address specific bits of advice that Biden may or may not have gotten from individual advisors.O'Keefe concluded with the observation that the Biden administration's assessment included four pages of blame leveled at the previous administration - and no real admission of accountability from the Biden White House.he asked.Skirting the direct question regarding whether or not Biden would hold himself accountable, Kirby claimed that the agencies doing voluntary after-action reviews - rather than waiting until they were forced to do so by Congress - was proof that they were holding themselves to account.
Soros backed prosecutors around the country are well known for letting actual criminals including many felons walk, with either outright release or a slap on the wrist with a minor misdemeanor plea bargain. However, if a law abiding citizens dares defend themselves from a criminal, they become a major target for prosecution. That is, if they are not busy prosecuting political opponents of the left. The latest case of a Soros backed DA prosecuting a law abiding citizen for self defense is in Austin, Texas.

Two cases of this travesty have gotten national attention. During the BLM / Antifa insurrection, a BLM mob stromed a gated community in St. Louis, Missouri and attacked houses. A husband and wife, both lawyers, stood on their front porch holding firearms to deter the BLM mob that had broken through their gate from attacking their house. It worked, and the violent mob backed off. The Soros DA in St. Louis, however, charged them with felonies for defending their home. Those charges got thrown out, and ultimately so did the Soros DA herself, as she was removed from office by the state Attorney General.

The other case that got national attention was when Manhattan's Soros DA Alvin Bragg tried to prosecute the victim of an armed robbery. A bodega owner was robbed by a career criminal armed with a deadly weapon, and when the criminal threatened the bodega owner with his weapon, the bodega owner shot him with his own gun. Bragg ultimately dropped the charges against the bodega owner after a national outcry of outrage at Bragg's charges. The Republican candidate for NY Governor pledged to fire Bragg for this travesty if he were elected, and he almost won.

The latest travesty in Austin, Texas also arose from the BLM / Antifa insurrection. An Uber driver, who is also an Army sergeant, was going about his business when he unexpectantly found his vehicle surrounded by a BLM / Antifa mob. Suddenly, a BLM thug appeared and pointed an AK-47 rifle directly at him. The Uber driver did not wait for the BLM thug to pull his trigger, but grabbed his own gun in self defense and shot him. Despite a clear case of self defense against an armed thug who had a deadly weapon trained on him with his finger on the trigger, the Soros DA in Austin charged him with murder and has fully prosecuted him. Unfortunately, Austin is a liberal island within Texas, and thus has left wing juries, like Manhattan.

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2023-04-07/anarcho-tyranny-texas

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/04/breaking-travis-county-jury-finds-texas-soldier-guilty-of-murder-for-shooting-armed-blm-antifa-protester-in-self-defense-during-2020-riots/

Soros DA's are a threat to America justice and need to be run out of office by whatever means possible.

Fortunately, the governor of Texas has already said he plans to pardon the wrongfully chatged and convicted citizen.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11953427/Texas-Gov-Greg-Abbott-says-hes-working-swiftly-pardon-Fort-Hood-soldier-convicted-murder.html

https://redstate.com/bonchie/2023/04/08/greg-abbott-takes-first-step-in-pardoning-man-convicted-of-murder-for-shooting-blm-protester-in-self-defense-n728437

https://www.breitbart.com/border/2023/04/08/texas-governor-plans-to-pardon-army-sgt-convicted-in-austin-blm-protest-shooting/
Taken from VA Newsletter

Have you seen television commercials, social media posts, or other advertisements from companies telling you to act now to claim your Camp Lejeune or PACT Act benefits? Are you wondering if youre eligible for the new presumptive benefits and need their legal representation? Heres the information you need to know to protect yourself from predatory third-party companies.

How to safely file for and claim your PACT Act benefits

VA wants you to know there are some predatory companies, not recognized by VA, that are targeting you by offering to assist you with your VA benefit claim. These companies charge absurd fees or require you to pay a portion of your VA benefits. VA will never charge you to apply for the benefits you may be entitled to. If you think youre entitled to benefits, please review the following preventive measures to help guard against fraud and scams.
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Earlier this month, Deonna's Dance World held its First Easter Egg Hunt.

The event consisted of dancers from three to 14 years old. The Easter Egg hunt came after special performances from the dancers. This was the dance team's first year participating in an event to give back to the community through dance and fun activities for children.

Deona Bruno, founder of Deonna's Dance World, has led the dance team for about two years. Bruno was born and raised in Beaumont and first started her dance career at Smith Middle School in the seventh grade. She was the captain of her Pep Squad and attended Clifton J. Ozen High School, where she served as lieutenant her junior year and captain her senior year.

Bruno was involved in several competitions and after graduating from high school, dancing as a Motion of the Ocean majorette for a year at Texas Southern University.

"I moved back to Beaumont in 2018 and started training dancers for their school dance teams. That inspired me to start Deonna's Dance World in 2021," Bruno said. "In my program, I train dancers from the of ages three to 14, who have a passion for dancing just as much as I do."

Most of the girls she teaches may have never danced before, and she makes it her goal to not only teach them, but also relate to them the art of dancing.

"I really encourage the girls that no matter what level they are on, to try and give it their absolute best," Bruno said. "My goal is to take them out of their comfort zones and try new skills that will help them advance with their dancing."

Bruno's hopes the program help builds participants' confidence, relationships and find interest in being a dancer at the school they attend.

Bruno wanted to give back to her community with the Easter dance performance and egg hunt.

"I wanted Deonna's Dance World to show our community that we care about them and we want to always support the children in everything they do," Bruno said.

Mary Ekene/ Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc./ Beaumont NAACP/ Author and Activist for Bring Positivity Back/ Advocate for Mental Health/ Top Ladies of Distinction Beaumont Chapter, Inc.
A 23-year-old Louisiana resident is dead after an early-Sunday morning vehicle crash.

Skylah Grimshaw was killed after crashing into a tree, according to Beaumont police.

Around 2:30 a.m., a 2014 Toyota Corolla driven by Grimshaw was eastbound in the 1000 block of Interstate 10 when it hit a 20155 Dodge Dart from behind, police said.

Grimshaw, who was not wearing a seatbelt, lost control of the vehicle and hit a tree. She was killed on impact, police said.
Sir David Attenborough will explore Jurassic predator the giant pliosaur in forthcoming documentary Attenborough And The Giant Sea Monster (BBC/Paul Williams/PA)

With a working title of Attenborough And The Giant Sea Monster, the hour-long programme will see the 96-year-old broadcaster and naturalist explore the history of prehistoric marine reptile the pliosaur.

Speaking about the forthcoming documentary, which follows the success of BBC Ones Wild Isles, Sir David said: Pliosaurs were the biggest and most formidable hunters in the Jurassic seas  the marine equivalent, you might say, of T Rex.

The skull of this one is, by itself, over two metres long and armed with massive fangs.

Frustratingly, skulls, which can tell us most about an animal, are only too easily smashed before fossilisation but this one is virtually undamaged and promises to reveal all kinds of new details about these terrifying hunters that preyed on Lyme Regiss better known ichthyosaurs.

The new programme follows the success of Sir David Attenboroughs Wild Isles series (BBC/Silverback Films/Alex Board/PA)   BBC/Silverback Films/Alex Board

The new film will see Sir David joined by a team of expert scientists and palaeontologists as they work to better understand the Jurassic predator, which fossil experts believe to be a completely new species of the pliosaur.

The discovery of the skull will aid the team in working out how the creature looked and behaved, as well as help them understand its hunting methods.

The documentary, which is filmed on location across the UK, will combine ground-breaking science with gripping storytelling and state-of-the-art CGI to tell the tale of this most phenomenal predator of the Jurassic world.

The BBCs head of commissioning of specialist factual, Jack Bootle, said: David has filmed some of the worlds very best fossil animals, so the fact hes so interested in this skull makes me unbelievably excited.

This film promises to be a thrilling trip through time to a moment when monsters ruled the seas around Britain. I cant wait for viewers to experience it.

The programmes executive producer, Mike Gunton, said: Its wonderful to be back on location with David  his eyes absolutely lit up when we told him about this amazing find. He couldnt wait to join the dig and get a first look at the fossil bones for himself.

 Attenborough And The Giant Sea Monster is made by BBC Studios Natural History Unit and co-produced by PBS and the WNET Group.
Two men armed with a suspected axe smashed up an apartment during a frightening Easter Sunday raid in Co Tyrone.

Armed police responded to the incident in Strabane and at one stage items were thrown at officers.

Other occupants of the building were told to lock themselves in for their own safety.

The incident happened early on Sunday morning.

It was reported that two men forced their way into the apartment in the Main Street area of the town at around 7.30am, armed with what appeared to be an axe.

The suspects were reported to have damaged communal areas in the building and forced the front door of the property before throwing items at police from the apartment windows, which they subsequently smashed. They also damaged a number of personal items in the apartment.

Local response officers attended along with armed response units. The men appeared to be armed with further weapons they had obtained inside the apartment, and made threats towards police.

The other occupants of the building were advised to keep their doors locked and stay away from these and windows for their own safety.

Just before 8.30am, the two men surrendered to police.

Chief Inspector Luke Moyne said: "The two men were detained at the scene.

A 26-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of burglary, criminal damage, assault on police and breach of licence conditions.

A 36-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of burglary.

Both men are currently receiving medical attention.

"This was a serious incident which was frightening for local residents and caused disruption in the area on what should have been a peaceful Easter Sunday morning.

We are working hard to obtain a full picture of, and establish a motive for, the circumstances surrounding the crime.

As our officers continue with their enquiries we would appeal to anyone who was in the Main Street area this morning who may have witnessed two men acting suspiciously, or who has any other information which may be important to our investigation, to get in touch with us.

The number to call with information is 101, quoting reference number 452 of 09/04/2023.

You can submit a report online using the non-emergency reporting form via http://www.psni.police.uk/makeareport/ or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at http://crimestoppers-uk.org/.
Joe Austin and John Finucane join supporters and marchers of the main stream Republican movement including Sinn Fein take part in an Easter parade on the Falls Road, Belfast. Photo by Press Eye.   Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye

Pacemaker Press 09/04/23 Supporters of the Irish Republican Socialist Party take part in a Easter Sunday parade on the Falls Road in West Belfast. Pic Pacemaker

IRSP hold an Easter commemoration event in west Belfast on April 9th 2023 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph)   Kevin Scott

IRSP hold an Easter commemoration event in west Belfast on April 9th 2023 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph)   Kevin Scott

IRSP hold an Easter commemoration event in west Belfast on April 9th 2023 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph)   Kevin Scott

IRSP hold an Easter commemoration event in west Belfast on April 9th 2023 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph)   Kevin Scott

Some participants involved in an Irish Republican Socialist Parade on Easter Sunday are being reviewed as part of an investigation into potential offences under the Terrorism Act 2000.

Commenting on todays Easter commemoration parades, Assistant Chief Constable Bobby Singleton said: Police have been and continue to be present at a series of notified parades across Northern Ireland today, Sunday, April 9th.

"The vast majority of the parades were lawful and passed off without incident.

"There was however a masked colour party at the head of the Irish Republican Socialist Party parade on the Falls Road in Belfast.

"Police issued warnings to participants and using evidence-gathering resources, obtained footage which will now be reviewed as part of an investigation into potential offences under the Terrorism Act 2000.

"As is normal for notified parades, we will also prepare a report to the Parades Commission on the conduct of the parade.

IRSP hold an Easter commemoration event in west Belfast on April 9th 2023 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph)   Kevin Scott

The news comes after it was revealed that police have uncovered a New IRA bomb plot aimed at eclipsing US President Joe Bidens visit to Belfast to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.

Searches of land in Derry by the PSNIs Terrorism Investigation Unit (TIU), which led to the recovery of an old firearm, were connected to the planned attack.

A number of well-known dissident republicans have taken to the streets of west Belfast in multiple parades over the Easter weekend.

Pacemaker Press 09/04/23 Supporters of the Irish Republican Socialist Party take part in a Easter Sunday parade on the Falls Road in West Belfast. Pic Pacemaker

Meanwhile, in a completely separate, mainstream commemoration event to mark the 107th anniversary of the Easter Rising in Belfast today, Sinn Fein MP John Finucane said: The Ireland of 2023 is vey different to the Ireland of 1998.

Last year's historic Assembly election marked another seismic moment in our journey.

An Irish republican woman became First Minister Designate committed to working for all in a state designed to ensure it could never happen.

The North Belfast MP also commented on the peace agreements opportunity to provide a peaceful, democratic path to Irish unity.

He added: The eyes of the world are once again on Ireland as this week we celebrate 25 years since the signing of the historic Good Friday Agreement and we have the visit of US President Joe Biden.

This is a golden opportunity to strengthen the economy and create good jobs. We need an Executive up, running and working for all the people of the North.

The democratic outcome of last year's historic election must be respected.

Joe Austin and John Finucane join supporters and marchers of the main stream Republican movement including Sinn Fein take part in an Easter parade on the Falls Road, Belfast. Photo by Press Eye.   Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye

Read more DUP man suspended over tweets directed at Sinn Feins John Finucane returns to council

The onus is on the British and Irish governments and the political parties, not least the DUP, to get back to business and form a government to deal with the issues facing all our people.

A key element of the Good Friday Agreement was that, for the first time, it provided a peaceful, democratic path to Irish Unity. The only thing standing between us and a united Ireland is our ability to convince others that it will be a better Ireland for everyone.

The conversation about Irish Unity is growing, and a Citizens Assembly is urgently required to prepare for constitutional change.

Unity referendums can be won and won well, but we will have to reach out, and create space for others across Irish society to come on board.

The opportunities for moving to a United Ireland have never been so great  to build a stronger Ireland. A fairer Ireland. An Ireland fit for all her people.
Familes laying wreaths in the Republican plot at Milltown Cemetery in Belfast, during a parade organised by Sinn Fein to mark the anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising. Picture date: Sunday April 9, 2023.   Liam McBurney

Sinn Fein took aim at the DUP and the Irish governments ending of the eviction ban during an event held to mark the anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising.

Speaking at a republican plot at Milltown Cemetery in Belfast, MP John Finucane noted the 25th anniversary for the Good Friday Agreement, which he said was an historic, international success story and should never ever be taken for granted.

He accused the DUP of using the protocol as an excuse to boycott an Executive that would see Sinn Fein take up the role of First Minister of Northern Ireland for the first time, as per the results of the 2022 Assembly election.

He said that health workers could not wait any longer for pay rises, and people who rely on voluntary organisations dont have the luxury to wait while the DUP naval gazes.

He also said that the visit by US president Joe Biden was a golden opportunity to strengthen Northern Irelands economy and to create jobs.

Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald and vice-president Michelle ONeill attended the Irish governments official 1916 Rising ceremony at the GPO in Dublin.

Mr Finucane said during his speech: I want to salute the republican activists of Belfast who continue to assert the demand for Irish freedom, and I also want to acknowledge the pain and trauma that many families from all backgrounds carry as a result of tragic loss during the conflict by all armed groups.

Today, we live in a different place. This Easter, we mark 25 years since the people of this island voted for the Good Friday Agreement. That peace accord brought to an end three decades of conflict, and it stands as an historic international success story in peacemaking.

We must continue to work to protect our hard-won peace and our hard-won progress.

Reenactors at Beechmount Avenue near the Falls Road, Belfast (Liam McBurney/PA)   Liam McBurney

Mr Finucane said that the Windsor Framework offered a huge competitive advantage by giving Northern Ireland access to both British and EU markets.

He added: We know that many within the DUP saw Brexit as an opportunity to harden the border and Ireland. They have failed.

They must know recognise that they failed and get on with the business of representing those who elected them within the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement.

He also accused Fine Gael and Fianna Fail of coalescing to keep Sinn Fein out of government, and said Irelands housing crisis had gotten worse under their watch.

Fine Gael and Fianna Fail, supported by the Green Party, have taken the cruel and inhumane decision to make thousands of families homeless by ending the eviction ban.

Sinn Fein is on the rise across Ireland, he said towards the end of his address.

Danny Morrison and Gerry Adams enter Milltown Cemetery in Belfast (Liam McBurney/PA)   Liam McBurney

Meanwhile, the PSNI said that it was investigating a parade held in west Belfast on Easter Sunday.

Assistant Chief Constable Bobby Singleton said police had attended a series of notified parades across Northern Ireland as republican groups mark the 1916 Easter Rising.

The vast majority of the parades were lawful and passed off without incident, Mr Singleton said.

There was, however, a masked colour party at the head of the Irish Republican Socialist Party parade on the Falls Road in Belfast.

Police issued warnings to participants and using evidence-gathering resources, obtained footage which will now be reviewed as part of an investigation into potential offences under the Terrorism Act 2000.

As is normal for notified parades, we will also prepare a report to the Parades Commission on the conduct of the parade.
A 24-year-old man who was arrested on numerous drug-related offences has been released on bail pending further enquiries.

In the early hours of Easter Sunday, officers said they located the suspect in the Howard Street area.

Police carried out a search of a nearby property and discovered a quantity of Class A and Class C drugs, with an estimated value of 4,000, along with various drugs paraphernalia.

A police spokesperson said: The investigation continues.
President Michael D Higgins during a ceremony at the GPO in OConnell Street in Dublin to mark the anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising (Brian Lawless/PA)   Brian Lawless

Irish President Michael D Higgins and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar have led a ceremony to mark the anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising in Dublin.

The ceremony took place outside the GPO in OConnell Street at noon, and was attended by Tanaiste Micheal Martin, Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald and Sinn Fein vice president Michelle ONeill.

Relatives of the Irish rebels who were in the GPO during the 1916 Rising were also present.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar during a ceremony at the GPO in OConnell Street in Dublin to mark the anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising (Brian Lawless/PA)   Brian Lawless

The tricolour flag on top of the GPO was lowered and the 1916 proclamation was read out by an Irish soldier.

President Higgins then laid a wreath to commemorate those who died in the Irish rebellion, and a minutes silence was observed.

The flag was then raised again before the national anthem, Amhran na bhFiann, was played by the Defence Forces brass and pipe band.

The ceremony concluded with an Air Corps flyover as the national anthem was playing.

Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald and vice president Michelle ONeill attended the ceremony (Brian Lawless/PA)   Brian Lawless

At the end of the ceremony, President Higgins and his wife, Sabina, shook hands with wheelchair uses who were at the event, as well as other members of the public.

Mr Martin, housing minister Darragh OBrien, Ms McDonald and Ms ONeill were also seen shaking hands with people as the event ended.

During the event, a man was removed from the area reserved for members of the public by several gardai.

Gardai said in a statement that a man was arrested for public order offences and has since been charged.
Easter Sundays front pages cover a variety of stories from strikes, to the Coronation and a woman who believes her ghost husband has turned into an evil spirit.

The Kings approach for a more diverse Coronation has put him at logger heads with the church over the role other faiths should play in the ceremony, the Mail on Sunday reports.

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The Sunday Telegraph leads with the leader of the Scottish Conservatives urging supporters to vote for Labour at the next election rather than the Scottish National Party which has London Conservatives furious.

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The Observerreports on the junior doctor strikes that have caused hospitals into a frantic search to fill the gaps.

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Sunday People leads with a Royal Range Rover safety alert with up to six vehicles potentially unsafe.

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The Sunday Mirrorhas an exclusive interview with the mother of murdered schoolgirl Oliva Pratt-Korbel who vows to fight against gang violence and is campaigning for criminals to be forced to appear at sentencings.

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The Daily Star Sunday is led by a woman who married the ghost of a Victorian soldier claiming that her supernatural husband has turned into an evil spirit.

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The Independent calls on readers to help Afghan war veterans to stay in England with half of Britons thinking not enough is being done to help them.

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TheSunday Express reports the King will save Rishi Sunak from embarrassment as his Coronation will eclipse a Tory council whitewash, as the party could lose 1000 seats as voters revolt.
Pope Francis bestows the plenary Urbi et Orbi (to the city and to the world) blessing from the central lodge of St Peters Basilica at the Vatican at the end of the Easter Sunday Mass (Alessandra Tarantino/AP)   Alessandra Tarantino

In an Easter message highlighting hope, Pope Francis has invoked prayers for both the Ukrainian and Russian people, praised nations which welcome refugees, and called on Israelis and Palestinians wracked by the latest surge in deadly violence to forge a climate of trust.

Francis, along with dozens of prelates and tens of thousands of faithful, marked Christianitys most joyful day with Mass in a flower-adorned St Peters Square.

Easter proclaims the Christian belief that Jesus rose from the dead after crucifixion.

The 86-year-old pontiff topped the celebration with a traditional speech about troubled places in the world.

Encouraging trust among individuals, peoples and nations, Francis said the joyful expression of Easter illumines the darkness and gloom in which, all too often, our world finds itself enveloped.

The popes Easter message is known by its Latin name, Urbi et Orbi, which means to the city and the world.

Since Russia invaded neighbouring Ukraine in February 2022, Francis has repeatedly called for the fighting to end and sought prayers for the martyred Ukrainian people.

Ukrainian diplomats have complained that he has not come down hard enough in his statements on Russia and particularly Russian President Vladimir Putin as the Vatican tries to avoid alienating Russia.

Help the beloved Ukrainian people on their journey towards peace, and shed the light of Easter upon the people of Russia, Francis implored God in his Easter speech, which he delivered while sitting in a chair on the central balcony of St Peters Basilica facing the square.

Pope Francis arrives in a wheelchair in St Peters Square at the Vatican to celebrate the Easter Sunday Mass (Gregorio Borgia/AP)   Gregorio Borgia

Comfort the wounded and all those who have lost loved ones because of the war, and grant that prisoners may return safe and sound to their families.

He urged the international community to work to end the war in Ukraine and all conflict and bloodshed in the world, beginning with Syria, which still awaits peace.

Francis also prayed for those who lost loved ones in an earthquake that struck Syria and Turkey two months ago, claiming tens of thousands of lives.

With a renewal in deadly violence affecting both Israelis and Palestinians in recent days, Francis called for a resumption of dialogue, in a climate of trust and reciprocal respect, between Israelis and Palestinians, so that peace may reign in the Holy City and in the entire region, a reference to Jerusalem.

But Francis also noted progress on some fronts.

Let us rejoice at the concrete signs of hope that reach us from so many countries, beginning with those that offer assistance and welcome to all fleeing war and poverty, he said, without naming any particular nations.

St Peters Square at the Vatican during the Easter Sunday Mass celebrated by Pope Francis (Gregorio Borgia/AP)   Gregorio Borgia

How to care for asylum seekers, migrants and refugees, and whether to allow them entrance, is a raging political and social debate in much of Europe, as well as in the United States and elsewhere.

Francis also prayed that national leaders ensure that no man or woman may encounter discrimination and that there would be full respect for human rights and democracy.

With migrants risking their lives in smugglers unseaworthy boats in the hopes of reaching Europe, the pope lamented that Tunisias people, particularly the young, struggle with social and economic hardship.

In the last two weeks, dozens have died or were left missing after attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea from Tunisia.

The pope included Lebanon and two African countries he visited this year  South Sudan and Congo  among the nations in need of ending divisions and building reconciliation.

Pope Francis, left, stands on the altar in St Peters Square at the Vatican during the Easter Sunday Mass (Alessandra Tarantino/AP)   Alessandra Tarantino

Speaking about Haiti, he appealed to political actors and the international community to seek a definitive solution to the many problems that afflict that sorely tried people.

The bloody conflicts cited by Francis contrasted with a riot of bright colours lent by orange-red tulips, yellow sprays of forsythia and daffodils, hyacinths and other colourful seasonal flowers that decorated St Peters Square.

The blooms were brought in trucks from the Netherlands and set up in planters to decorate the Vatican square.

Some 45,000 people had gathered by the start of the mid-morning Mass, according to Vatican security services, but the crowd swelled to some 100,000 ahead of the noon appointment for the pontiffs speech from the central balcony of St Peters Basilica overlooking the square.

A canopy on the edge of steps on the square sheltered the pontiff, who was back in the public eye 12 hours after a 2.25-hour long Easter vigil ceremony in St Peters Basilica the night before.

Still recovering from bronchitis, Francis, 86, skipped the traditional Good Friday procession at Romes Colosseum due to unseasonably cold night-time temperatures.

Francis has generally rebounded following a three-day stay last week at a Rome hospital where he was administered antibiotics intravenously for bronchitis.

He was discharged on April 1.

But near the end of the more than two-hour-long Easter Sunday appearance, Francis seemed to start running out of steam.

His voice grew hoarse and he interrupted his speech at one point to cough.

Pope Francis waves from his popemobile to the faithful gathered in St Peters Square at the Vatican at the end of the Easter Sunday Mass (Alessandra Tarantino/AP)   Alessandra Tarantino

He nonetheless made several laps through the square in the popemobile after the Mass, waving and smiling at cheering well-wishers.
Local residents stand near a crater left by a Russian missile in Zaporizhzhia , Ukraine (Kateryna Klochko/AP)   Kateryna Klochko

Weekend shelling by Russian forces killed at least seven civilians, Ukrainian officials reported on Sunday as Pope Francis and Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby used their traditional Easter messages to highlight the war in Ukraine and other conflicts around the world.

While Russia continued to concentrate on seizing all of Ukraines industrial east, two other provinces  Kharkiv in the north east and Zaporizhzhia in the south east  came under missile, rocket and artillery fire, the Ukrainian military reported.

The governor of the Kherson region, Oleksandr Prokudin, said two communities there were hit by bombs from warplanes late on Sunday, but he did not immediately report any casualties.

Kharkiv governor Oleh Syniehubov said two men died on Sunday in shelling in Kupiansk, a city that Russia held before Ukrainian forces regained control of almost all of the province.

The city remained under attack later on Sunday as Russian forces targeted residential areas with multiple rocket launchers, Mr Syniehubov said.

A Ukrainian MSLR BM-21 Grad fires towards Russian positions, at the front line in the Donetsk region, Ukraine (Evgeniy Maloletka/AP)   Evgeniy Maloletka

Elsewhere in the province, a 30-year-old man was admitted to hospital in a serious condition after Russian shelling of the city of Chuhuiv, he said on Telegram.

Shelling also killed two people overnight, one of them a child born in 2012, in the city of Zaporizhzhia, the capital of that province, according to city council secretary Anatoliy Kurtev.

The Zaporizhzhia regions governor, Yurii Malashko, said 18 communities in all were shelled.

Three people were killed and five were wounded on Saturday, Mr Malashko said.

Zaporizhzhia is home to Europes largest nuclear power plant and one of four Ukrainian provinces that Russian President Vladimir Putin illegally annexed in September.

Since then, Russias military has sought to oust Ukraines troops from those areas, especially Luhansk and Donetsk provinces, which make up the industrial region known as the Donbas.

Bakhmut, a city in Donetsk, has seen the 13-month wars longest battle.

Western analysts have said Russian forces recently made it into the centre of the city.

Ukrainian servicemen sit on their vehicle, on the front line in the Donetsk region, Ukraine (Evgeniy Maloletka/AP)   Evgeniy Maloletka

Seizing Bakhmut after more than eight months would give the Kremlin a badly wanted victory and a path to push on towards bigger Ukrainian-held cities.

The Russian army is moving elite units to Bakhmut, Colonel Serhiy Cherevaty, a spokesperson for Ukraines Eastern Group of Forces, said on Sunday.

Col Cherevaty said the Wagner Group, a private Russian military company whose fighters have spearheaded the offensive on Bakhmut, was incurring heavy losses, making it necessary to move in regular army units from the regular army, including paratroopers and motorised riflemen.

The vast majority of Ukrainians with a religious affiliation identify as Orthodox Christian, a faith that observes Easter on April 16 this year.

Some Catholics celebrated Easter on Sunday, while Orthodox churches marked Palm Sunday this weekend.

While delivering his Easter address from the central balcony of the Vaticans St Peters Basilica, Pope Francis implored God to help the beloved Ukrainian people on their journey towards peace, and shed the light of Easter upon the people of Russia.

Pope Francis waves from the central lodge of St Peters Basilica at the Vatican at the end of the Easter Sunday Mass (Gregorio Borgia/AP)   Gregorio Borgia

Comfort the wounded and all those who have lost loved ones because of the war, and grant that prisoners may return safe and sound to their families, Francis said.

Easter affirms the Christian belief that Jesus rose from the dead days after his crucifixion.

Mr Welby, who as Archbishop of Canterbury is the ceremonial head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, said the occasion provided hope that true peace is no aimless daydream, but a reality offered because Christ was raised from the dead.

Injustice and brutality may seem to triumph in our short lives on earth, cruel and oppressive rulers might look as though they only get stronger, he said during a sermon delivered in Canterbury, England.

Yet they will vanish. The power of the resurrection is infinitely greater than they are.

Between Saturday and Sunday mornings, Russian forces launched 40 air strikes, four missile strikes and 58 attacks from multiple-rocket launchers on various parts of Ukraine, the General Staff of the Ukrainian armed forces reported.

The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby delivers his sermon at Canterbury Cathedral in Kent (Gareth Fuller/PA)   Gareth Fuller

According to the General Staff, Russia focused attacks on the Donetsk province communities of Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Marinka.

Donetsk regional governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said on Sunday morning that two civilians were wounded on Saturday.

Officials in Kherson province, where Ukrainian forces forced a partial Russian retreat in November, said the southern region also received numerous attacks.

They did not report any casualties.

The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, said late on Saturday that it thinks Russias overall offensive is approaching culmination.

The institute cited Ivan Tymochko, the head of the Ukrainian Council of Reservists for the countrys ground forces, as reporting that recent Russian attacks appeared designed to distract and disperse Ukrainian troops preparing for a potential counter-offensive.

Tymochko stated that Russian forces are not making serious advances anywhere on the front line, the think tank said.

Noting that Russia has made heavy use of artillery to offset key shortcomings in combat capability, the institute said reported ammunition shortages would undermine the Russian militarys ability to continue offsetting its other weaknesses and limitations.
Blue Lights star says his generation got used to bombs exploding

Blue Lights actor Richard Dormer says his generation suffered post-traumatic stress disorder from hearing bombs explode during the Troubles.

The Portadown-born Game Of Thrones star (53), who plays PC Gerard Gerry Cliff in the BBC One cop drama, says he and his pals got so hardened to hearing explosions they could tell where they had been set off.

He said: The glass would wobble and you could tell how far away the bomb was: Oh thats eight miles away, thats in Dunmurry  that one was in Finaghy  it became that normalised.

A lot of people of my generation actually have  and I dont say this lightly  post-traumatic stress disorder, yknow?

Because we lived constantly on our nerves and we became used to it.

Tommy Foster (Nathan Braniff) and Gerry Cliff (Richard Dormer) in Blue Lights   BBC/Gallagher Films/Two Cities T

Blue Lights follows three rookie police officers  Grace Ellis, Tommy Foster and Annie Conlon  working in Belfast, and the challenges they face.

Richard, who has been living in Belfast for the last 20 years, added about wanting to show the humanity behind his character: I really wanted it to come across that hes a man who happens to be in a costume, the police uniform.

Hes not an uber-cop. Hes the uncle who comes out at Christmas and does fart jokes.

His character Gerry is given the responsibility for training the greenest of the PSNIs new recruits on the show, including Tommy, played by Nathan Braniff.

Richard, who also starred in Fortitude and Good Vibrations, is probably best known for playing the knight Beric Dondarrion in Game Of Thrones, also famously shot in Northern Ireland.

But the actor joked about the differences between the roles: Well, for one, Gerry doesnt have a flaming sword.

Richard Dormer   Getty Images

Jokes aside, Richard went back to recalling his time living through the Troubles, and said he remembered thinking of the RUC as having to be tougher than the PSNI.

He said: I remember the RUC 30 years ago and, because it was a civil war, they were a lot tougher.

They were very scary guys with machine guns. Nobody wanted to be anywhere near them.

But he said he would never have agreed to do Blue Lines unless it had a progressive message about police work in Northern Ireland.
Anger should be directed at people in power, not people displaced by war: Joby Fox

Renowned musician and charity worker Joby Fox says street protests against refugees are wrong and need to stop.

Demonstrations outside shelters and some hotels  including in Bangor last month  have emerged recently while a row over refugees saw Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker temporarily hauled off air by the BBC.

Belfast man Joby (60) found fame with Belfast rockers Energy Orchard in the 1990s and later set up his own charity which rescues refugees in the Mediterranean Sea. The former bassist says the anger and frustration people feel is being directed at the wrong people.

What people need to recognise here is were talking about human beings, were not just talking about numbers, he said.

The situation they are in doesnt forfeit their humanity, Ive seen where these people have been and theyve went through some horrendous stuff.

Were talking about slavery, human trafficking, child sex trafficking and more, its awful what is happening in these war zones.

To have people engaging in so-called protest outside where they are being housed is not the way to go about dealing with any issues they might have on the systemic end. They should take it up with the authorities not with these beleaguered people. To be ignorant is one thing but to be actively protesting against vulnerable people is something different altogether.

Its wrong, I dont have all the answers but I know thats not right,

Joby Fox

Joby, from Andersonstown, west Belfast, co-founded Refugee Rescue in 2015 after being moved by shocking coverage of migrants drowning in the Mediterranean Sea. Since then the small but dedicated team have raised enough money to fund their own boat, MoChara (my friend in Irish), and plucked well over 15,000 stricken people from the perils of the Med.

Joby believes if people had a better understanding of what refugees were escaping they might be less likely to be hateful.

He said: The problem is people dont ever imagine the journey these people have been on, they dont get it.

If someone has refugee status they have been through the process and been classed as a refugee by that process. If people only knew some of the conditions they would have experienced in the place they fled from.

Refugee Rescue has plucked some 15,000 stricken people from the Med

Refugee Rescue works out in the Mediterranean, for example, and conditions in Libya are still hell on earth, complete hell.

Last month us and a similar German organisation called CI4 were involved in a really difficult rescue with 32 people in a boat.

They had been there for six days when we arrived and they were just floating around on this little tin boat, theyd already had two fatalities on board.

Subsequently another one of the passengers died in hospital after we rescued them, this is one example of rescues that happen all the time and are barely covered in the news.

You pray for these people, you know? I was getting updates of the fella who was hospitalised afterwards and I was aware of his condition, it was very sad when he passed away.

Joby Fox

So inspired is Joby by his charity work it has even informed some of his new music released earlier this year.

The single No Home, from album I Once Was A Hawk Now Im A Dove, explores the plight of an Irish family during the Famine.

He added: Myself and my partner have spent several years delving in to Irish history and even more so during the pandemic. This song felt almost like a visitation from our ancient ancestors, Im being completely genuine, it was a spooky sorta feeling that came upon me.

More information on Refugee Rescue including how to donate can be found at refugeerescue.org
Crowbar attacker, who left man for dead, nears end of sentence for attempted murder

A notorious violent offender and jewel thief is due back on the streets next month after more than seven years in jail.
Arthur Strong / Wikipedia Commons

While C.S. Lewis died comparatively young a week before his 65th birthday, he left behind enough words to fill two lifetimes. He published over 40 books, including classics like Mere Christianity and the Chronicles of Narnia. After his death, between 20 and 30 books of new material (letters, poems, essays) were published, including God in the Dock and Letters to Malcolm.

With the recent C.S. Lewis biopic The Most Reluctant Convert out on DVD and streaming platforms and plans for two more movies about Lewis, its a good time to revisit Lewis work. Here are some of his many thought-provoking words about faith, some things you probably didnt know about his life, and a few things other people have said about him.

C.S. Lewis Quotes About God

1. The place for which He designs them in His scheme of things is the place they are made for. When they reach it their nature is fulfilled and their happiness attained: a broken bone in the universe has been set, the anguish is over.  "The Problem of Pain"

2. For it is a dreadful truth that the state of (as you say) having to depend on God is what we all dread most. And of course that just shows how very much, how almost exclusively, we have been depending on things.  "Letters to an American Lady"

3. To be God  to be like God and to share His goodness in creaturely response  to be miserable  these are the only three alternatives. If we will not learn to eat the only food the universe grows  the only food that any possible universe can ever grow  then we must starve eternally.  "The Problem of Pain"

4. But there is a difficulty about disagreeing with God. He is the source from which all your reasoning power comes: you could not be right and He wrong any more than a stream can rise higher than its own source. When you are arguing against Him you are arguing against the very power that makes you able to argue at all: it is like cutting off the branch you are sitting on.  "Mere Christianity"

5.  if it shall please God that I write more books, blessed be He. If it shall please him not, blessed be He.  "The Latin Letters of C.S. Lewis"

C.S. Lewis Quotes About Christianity

1. I couldnt believe that ninety-nine religions were completely false and the remaining one true. In reality, Christianity is primarily the fulfillment of the Jewish religion, but also the fulfilment of what was vaguely hinted in all the religions at their best. What was vaguely seen in them all comes into focus in Christianity  just as God himself comes into focus by becoming a man.  "The Grand Miracle"

2. Christianity really does two things about conditions here and now in this world: (1) It tries to make them as good as possibly, i.e., to reform them; but also (2) It fortifies you against them so far as they remain bad.  "God in the Dock"

3. All people, whether Christian or not, must be prepared to live a life of discomfort. It is impossible to accept Christianity for the sake of finding comfort: but the Christian tries to lay himself open to the will of God, to do what God wants him to do.  "God in the Dock"

4. I hope no reader will suppose that mere Christianity is here put forward as an alternative to the creeds of the existing communionsas if a man could adopt it in preference to Congregationalism or Greek Orthodoxy or anything else. It is more like a hall out of which doors open into several rooms When you have reached your own room be kind to those who have chosen different doors and to those who are still in the hall.  "Mere Christianity"

5. Of course we have been taught what to do with sufferingoffer it in Christ to God as our little, little share of Christs sufferingbut it is so hard to do.  "Letters to An American Lady"

C.S. Lewis Quotes About Being Human

1. These, then, are the two points I wanted to make. First, that human beings, all over the earth, have this curious idea that they ought to behave in a certain way, and cannot really get rid of it. Secondly, that they do not in fact behave in that way. They know the Law of Nature; they break it. These two facts are the foundation of all clear things about ourselves and the universe we live in.  "Mere Christianity"

2. It is the law of the natural universe that no being can exist on its own resources. Everyone, everything is hopelessly indebted to everyone and everything else.  "The Grand Miracle"

3. no natural feelings are high or low, holy or unholy, in themselves. They are all holy when Gods hand is on the rein. They all go bad when they set up on their own and make themselves into false gods.  a character in "The Great Divorce"

4. For change is not progress unless the core remains unchanged. A small oak grows into big oak: if it became a beech, that would not be growth, but mere change.  "The Grand Miracle"

5. You dont know in advance whether God is going to set you to do something difficult or painful, or something that you will quite like; and some people of heroic mold are disappointed when the job doled out to them turns out to be something quite nice. But you must be prepared for the unpleasant things and the discomforts.  "God in the Dock"

C.S. Lewis Quotes About Apologetics

16 We are to defend Christianity itselfthe faith preached by the Apostles, attested by the Martyrs, embodied in the Creeds, expounded by the Fathers. This must be clearly distinguished from the whole of what any one us may think about God and man When we mention our personal opinions we must always make quite clear the difference between them and the faith itself.  "The Grand Miracle"

17 We must attack the enemys line of communication. What we want is not more little books about Christianity, but more little books by Christians on other subjects  with their Christianity latent. You can see this most easily if you look at it the other way round. Our faith is not likely to be shaken by any book on Hinduism. But if whenever we read an elementary book on Geology, Botany, Politics, or Astronomy, we found that its implications were Hindu, that would shake us.  "The Grand Miracle"

18 I have come to the conclusion that if you cannot translate your thoughts into uneducated language, then your thoughts were confused. Power to translate is the test of having really understood ones own meaning. A passage from some theological work for translation into the vernacular ought to be a compulsory paper in every ordination examination.  "The Grand Miracle"

19 When I began, Christianity came before the great mass of my unbelieving fellow-countrymen either in the highly emotional form offered by revivalists or in the unintelligible language of highly cultured clergymen. Most men were reached by neither. My task was therefore simply that of a translator  one turning Christian doctrine, or what he believed to be such, into the vernacular, into language that unscholarly people would attend to and could understand.  "God in the Dock"

20 It is absolutely disgraceful that we expect missionaries to the Bantus to learn Bantu but never ask whether our missionaries to the Americans or English can speak American or English. Any fool can write learned language. The vernacular is the real test. If you cant write your faith into it, then either you dont understand it or you dont believe it.  "God in the Dock"

10 Things You Didn't Know About C.S. Lewis

1. He wrote poetry. Lewis hoped in his twenties that he would become known as a poet and published two books of poetry. Spirits in Bondage is a series of poems he wrote while serving in World War I, making him a minor member of the war poets movement. Dymer is a book-long epic about authoritarianism, adventure, and magic. Ultimately, Lewis put away his hope of becoming a well-known published poet, although he kept writing poetry and routinely criticized modernist poet T.S. Eliot. Late in his life, Lewis befriended Eliot when they were both on a committee to revise the Church of England Psalter.

2. He was a great academic. Readers discovering Lewis many books for the first time may not realize that Lewis wrote them while working full-time at Oxford University, teaching subjects like philosophy and medieval literature. Lewis released several important academic books, including English Literature in the Sixteenth Century Excluding Drama.

3. He didnt mind friends disagreeing with him. Lewis had many lifelong friendshipsparticularly with his brother Warren, also known as Warnie. An interesting feature of his many friendships (with fellow academics like J.R.R. Tolkien, with college friends like Owen Barfield, with fellow writers like Charles Williams) was that he didnt mind friends disagreeing with him. He relished a good debate where friends who respected each other could give opposing views, pushing each other to think better.

4. He wrote with a pen. Given how many books Lewis wrote (and the many sermons and lectures he gave over the years), youd think he used a typewriter to get words out as fast as possible. In fact, Lewis wrote with a nib pen, which requires routinely putting the pen in an inkwell. Writing with a pen slowed him down, but scholars like Devin Brown have noted it gave Lewis time to think carefully about what he was communicating.

5. He wasnt stuffy. Lewis was unquestionably a smart man who read very widely, yet he never became fussy or snobbish. In The Fellowship, Philip Zaleski and Carol Zaleski describe Lewis conversation with Oxford student Alaister Fowler on what is lifes greatest pleasure? After considering classic options like great art and mystical ecstasy, Lewis said the answer was finding a bathroom after a long country walk.

6. He wrote science fiction. Most readers familiar with Lewis fiction know the Chronicles of Narnia and The Screwtape Letters. Fewer readers know about the Space Trilogy, three science fiction books Lewis wrote in the 1930s-1940s that involve space travel, paranormal servants of God (and darker forces), and scientists trying to change humanity or earth into something more mechanical.

7. His faith hurt his career. Although Lewis had a substantial academic career at Oxford, he neither received a professorship. Warnie and Tolkien both mention surprising animosity when Lewis was up for promotionsWarren remembered someone saying he couldnt recommend the author of The Screwtape Letters for a professorship. Scholars like Philip and Carol Zaleski explain the issue was that Oxford academics were expected to stick with their academic specialty. Lewis broke that rule with his radio talks, speeches, and books about Christianity. Ultimately, Cambridge offered a professorship to Lewis, which he accepted in 1954.

8. He gained a wife and children later in life. Although he never had children, Lewis entered a civil union with Joy Davidman, a divorced American writer with two sons, in 1956. What began as a civil union so Davidman could maintain residency in England led to a romance, and they were married by an Anglican priest in 1957. Their surprising marriage story (and Davidmans 1960 death from cancer) was dramatized in the film Shadowlands. Lewis stepson Douglas plays an important part in promoting Lewis legacy, including co-producing Disneys three Narnia movies.

9. He died the same day as two other famous people. Lewis passed away on November 22, 1963, less than an hour before John F. Kennedy was shot in Dallas. Aldous Huxley also passed away that day. Peter Kreeft used this interesting fact as the basis for Between Heaven and Hell, which imagines the three men meeting after death and talking about their views before being called into the final judgment room.

10. He wasnt the only writer in the Lewis family. Lewis father, Albert, wrote several stories which werent published during his lifetime; one was recently published in the CS Lewis academic publication Sehnsucht. Warnie made a lifetime career out of the British Army, but after retiring, he wrote several books on 17th-century France.

What Other People Say About C.S. Lewis

1. He was for long my only audience. Only from him did I ever get the idea that my stuff could be more than a private hobby. But for his interest and unceasing eagerness for more I should never have brought The [Lord of the Rings] to a conclusion.  J.R.R. Tolkien, in "The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien"

2.  And that was Lewiss genius: his ability to take the vast and sometimes complicated claims of Christianity, boil them down and express them in a way that nearly everyone can understand--whether theyre driven to their knees by them or not.  Eric Metaxas, Breakpoint column

3. Jack (C.S. Lewis) was a man whose extraordinary scholarship and intellectual ability isolated him from much of mankind. There were few people among his peers who could match him in debate or discussion, and those who could almost inevitably found themselves drawn to one another in a small, tight-knit group which became known as The Inklings, and which has let us with a legacy of literature.  Douglas Greshams introduction to "A Grief Observed"

4. The question asked of Aslan could also be asked of a book like The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. Is it safe? A fairy tale about talking animals and witchcraft? Written by a pipe-smoking, beer-drinking Oxford don who hints at all sorts of peculiar doctrine in books like The Screwtape Letters and The Great Divorce? Is it safe? Of course it isnt. But you know as well as I do that its good. In fact, some of its goodness derives from the fact that Lewis was not in the least concerned with writing a safe book. Safe isnt a word we associate with greatness, any more than we do with God.  J. Mark Bertrand, quoted in a speech by Simon Morden

5. But Lewis is magnificently ruthless with the people who do set out to produce what purports to be a logical argument and then fake the premises, or beg the question, or leave their middles undistributed, or use ambivalent terms, or smuggle the concept of time into an argument about eternity, or ignorantly confuse efficient causes with final causes and attribute the resulting absurdity to St. Thomas. He is down on the thing like a rat; he is Gods terrier and I wouldnt be without him for the world.  Dorothy L. Sayers, 1947 letter to Brother George Every, quoted in Dorothy and Jack
If youre unfamiliar with Lauren Daigle, shes a multiplatinum-selling artist who has taken the mainstream and Christian music worlds by storm. Her joy-filled expression and soulful voice draw in fans worldwide. A bluesy combination of zydeco and gospel makes her music alluring to a large audience. Still, the authentic lure of Lauren Daigle is her music that fills the empty spaces in her listeners hearts with hope, love, and truth.

Who is Lauren Daigle?

Lauren Ashley Daigle was born on September 9, 1991, in Lafayette, Louisiana, growing up in a nurturing family. When she was five, Daigle wrote her first song lyrics, singing a childhood poem that compared chocolate milk and muddy raindrops. At that point, her mother branded her the music box. Throughout her childhood, Daigle watched her parents love and serve people in need. Their ministry deeply impacted and inspired her to develop similar meaningful connections with others in the future.

Daigle didnt consider a career in music until she was 15 when she contracted cytomegalovirus. The virus weakened Daigles immune system, forcing her into seclusion from the public for two years. However, Daigles mother arranged for her to take voice lessons to fight the depression that accompanies prolonged isolation. This decision proved therapeutic and provoked a passion in Daigles heart that came from the Lord, according to Daigle.

In an interview with J Maxwell at Z100 New York, Daigle told Maxwell that the voice lessons helped her find out what God had in store for her. Daigle said she started dreaming about stages, tour buses, Billboard charts, and award shows. At that point, Daigle began to question if she had cabin fever or if this was real. God told her that this was what He had in store for her, so she started pursuing music.

When Daigle got better, she hit the ground running. She started leading worship services at her church while attending a charter school. When she graduated, she went on a mission trip to Brazil, then came home to pursue a degree in Child Family Studies at LSU. In 2012, Daigle auditioned for American Idol, making it to the Hollywood Weeks rounds.

She got a no from Simon Cowell, which sent her home, but that didnt stop her from going after her dream. Daigle started singing cover songs with a local band which led her to take a leap of faith. Daigle dropped out of LSU and moved to Nashville, where she signed with Centricity Music in 2013. Here are some Lauren Daigle songs that everyone loves.

"Light of the World"

Daigle released her first single, Light of the World, in 2013 through Centricity Music. Her debut single initiated her fanbase by introducing her to the Christian music market. That experience led to Aaron Shust and Mikeschair inviting her on their fall tour. Light of the World moves a worshippers heart with Christmas truth. It celebrates the Prince of Peace, Emmanuel, and relates the modern believers desire for God with the reverberations of ancient Israel, who also yearned for their Messiah.

"How Can it Be"

First

Daigle released her first album, How Can it Be, in 2015, and it quickly rose to number one on the Billboard Christian Album chart. It was also nominated for a Grammy, causing Daigle to win the New Artist of the Year award. The albums first single of the same name received accolades and acclaim from mainstream markets and the Christian music industry. How Can it Be is about Christs redemptive power , as shown to the woman in John 7 who was caught in adultery. Daigle was brought to tears when she first heard the lyrics, written by Jeff Johnson, Jason Ingram, and Paul Mabury. The words struck a nerve of humility and gratitude in her heart for everything Christ had done for her. The song hit the same nerve for millions of listeners, which is why it won the Dove Award for Best Song of the Year in 2015.

First, also from the How Can it Be album, reached the top of the Billboard Christian Airplay chart and stayed there for seven weeks. The idea for First came to Daigle when she was riddled with anxiety and called out to God, who reminded her of His promise and command in Matthew 6:33. In a Behind the Song with Kevin Davis interview, Daigle said the song is about seeking God first over everything else and letting Him reign over all things.

Come Alive (Dry Bones)

After the success of her first album, Daigle released a deluxe edition of How Can it Be in 2016 with two new tracks on top of the albums original songs. A new song, Come Alive (Dry Bones), was nominated for Song of the Year at the 48th Annual Dove Awards and peaked at number five on the Billboard Christian Airplay chart. The inspiration for the song came after Daigle read Ezekiel 37. Before reading that chapter, she grieved over the dilemma of a nonbelieving friend. Through His word, God showed Daigle that nothing was impossible and allowed her to persevere in prayer for the lost world and her friend. Realizing that the world is filled with people like her friend, Daigle wrote this song as a reminder that no one is a lost cause because Christ can redeem anyone.

Rescue

Rescue is on Daigles second album, Look Up, Child. When it was released, Rescue topped the charts in the U.K. and the United States. In 2020, the song went platinum and won the Dove Award for Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year in 2020. Rescue was inspired to be a lifeline to one of Daigles hurting friends. She didnt know that the lyrics would impact a global audience by conveying the truth of the shepherds pursuit of one lost sheep, described in Matthew 18:10-14.

Since Lauren Daigles debut in 2013, her music has impacted the world, crossing lines of division. Some critics condemn her music for not being Christian enough, but they should explore her persona and realize that her music is an invitation to what God can do in your life.
Shutterstock.com

Experiencing Jesus love encourages us to share that love with those around us. We realize Jesus called us to spread the gospel, but evangelizing can be difficult. How can we share our faith using methods that inspire people to pay attention? Here are some new ways to spread the gospel.

Spreading the gospel means sharing the good news: a loving God gives people a chance to enjoy true love through relationships with their Creator forever. Gospel means good news, so when we spread the gospel, we share the news of how Jesus sacrificed Himself so eternal salvation is possible for all souls who believe in Him, as described in John 3:16.

Jesus wants everyone who believes in Him to assist others with believing in Him by sharing the gospel message. Mark 16:15-16 tells us to go into the world and share the gospel with everyone. Whoever is baptized and believes in God will be saved. However, those who dont believe will be condemned.

The Bibles message on spreading the gospel.

The call from Jesus to preach the gospel to all creation is called the Great Commission, the assignment that Jesus gave people before His ascension to heaven. The Great Commission is in several places in the Bible, like Matthew 28:19-20, Luke 24:47, and John 20:21. In Acts 1:8, Jesus illustrates sharing the gospel as His witness to others, saying that well get power when the Holy Spirit comes to us. Well be His witnesses in Judea, Jerusalem, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

The Bible explains that Christians are ambassadors for Jesus as we interact with others. 2 Corinthians 5:20 reminds us that we are Christs ambassadors, as if God were making His appeal through His people. Therefore, we should be settled with God. This idea means that God is counting on us to share the gospel. We can do that by setting an example of what faith in action is.

Numerous people are looking for the hope that Jesus can give, but not enough people are sharing the gospel to reach them all yet. In Matthew 9:3-38, Jesus told His disciples that the harvest was bountiful, but there were few workers. Still, we should ask the Lord for the harvest to send out workers into the harvest field. We dont have to be concerned about anything but sharing the gospel message faithfully. When we do that, we can trust God to bring positive outcomes from our efforts.

2 Timothy 2:15 inspires us to do our best to be present to God because workers dont need to be ashamed if they correctly handle the truth. Romans 1:16 also encourages us to keep the power of the gospel in mind. When thinking about the best way to spread the gospel to people you know, it may be best to start with prayer. We should ask the Holy Spirit to help us on a daily basis with knowledge on how to share the gospel and bring people into our lives who need to hear His message. Here are some new ways to spread the gospel.

Allow Gods love to flow through your life.

Allowing Gods love to move through your life and into others lives is the best way to share the gospel because, at His core, God is love. Whenever people feel love by intermingling with you, those feelings will point them toward God. Being intentional about loving someone can open your heart and mind to make that love a reality. Choosing to love others can lead us to experience more happiness, less stress, and awe. Once you love people, theyll feel comfortable talking with you, and you can tell them about how God loves them.

Pay attention to peoples stories.

Everyone has valuable stories. You can display your adoration for others by paying attention and listening to their stories. It would be best to listen more than you talk. After youve gotten to know them, tell them how you see God working in their lives. Then, you could ask them to consider how their stories mesh with the more significant narrative of Gods actions in their lives and the world. God made our minds to react to stories. Because of this, Jesus used to speak in stories, or parables, to share spiritual truths. Stories connect our emotions and intellect. You can connect with people on both levels and help them connect to the gospel by listening to their stories.

Accept people for who they are.

Sometimes, people are frightened to talk about God with others because they fear that others will judge them. However, we should remember that only God can judge someone, as described in Romans 2. If we judge others, we will also be judged, as stated in Mathew 7. You could help people relax around you by trying not to judge them, no matter how much you disagree with their choices. Like God meets you where you are, try to meet others where they are and show them unconditional love. If people know they can open up to you, theyll be open to discussing the gospel message with you.

Encourage questions instead of giving answers.

Its crucial to answer peoples spiritual questions, but dont stop there. You can help them engage on a deeper level with the gospel by inspiring them to ask more questions and motivating them to seek God more. Spark peoples curiosity and challenge them to try praying, even if they dont know if God exists or if Hell answer their prayers. It may help to ask them to try studying the Bible and ask if they want you to help. It may also be best not to limit conversations to topics youre comfortable with, but be willing to discuss whatever interests them. If you dont have an answer, tell them the truth instead of giving a pat answer. Help them uncover more about what they want to know.

The hope God gives is too good to keep to ourselves. Jesus wants all believers to spread the gospel to others, so dont hesitate when you have the opportunity to do so. Do your best and trust God with the outcome. As you share the gospel with people in new ways, Gods love will move through you into their lives.
BENNINGTON  Results from the state Department of Health's drug overdose report lay out a sad and sadly familiar litany: Overdose deaths rose in 2022, and fentanyl was involved in all but a few of those deaths, often in combination with heroin, cocaine, opioid prescription pills and other drugs.
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Timeline

Key events in the long-running dispute over a possible commercial solar farm on a mostly residential site in Lenox:

2018: Proposed $10 million commercial solar project for 383 Housatonic St. is abandoned by a previous developer amid local opposition.

June 2020: The 46-acre hilltop property at the same location is sold to PLH Vineyard Sky, the real estate subsidiary of Allco Renewable Energy, for $575,000, a steep discount from the original $10 million asking price.

October 2020: Because of wetlands issues, the Lenox Conservation Commission denies a requested second curb cut for PLH Vineyard Sky to access the agricultural land at the site.

November 2021: Parent company Allco and affiliate Ecos Energy sue the Conservation Commission in Berkshire Superior Court.

March 2022: PLH Vineyard Sky files a variance application with Lenox ZBA for the second curb cut.

July 2022: The ZBA approves a second curb cut, but access is limited to agricultural use of the land. For any future solar project, Allco or its subsidiaries would have to return to the zoning board.

January 2023: PLH Vineyard Sky applies for a variance to operate a solar facility on the farmland. Following several postponements, the Lenox ZBA schedules a hearing for May 3.

Source: Eagle files.
Maybe God really doesnt exist.

There was a day when Hien Pham, a native of Vietnam who had become a devoted Christian in 1970 after an American soldier handed him a Bible, would never have entertained thoughts like that.

But Hien Pham was in prison now, a brutal re-education camp under the authority of the Viet Cong. After the Vietnam War ended, Hien had been convicted of aiding and abetting the Americans by acting as an interpreter for American missionaries and evangelists and chaplains who had been in the country during the war years. Now he was in prison, being re-educated each day about the dangers of democracy and the Christian faith and the benefits of socialism. He was not permitted to read anything in English and was restricted to Communist propaganda in the French or Vietnamese language.

At first, Hien remained steadfast in his faith. And then he began to falter under the weight of the daily indoctrination of his captors. What if it is all really just a lie? What if Jesus was just a man and not the Son of God? What if the Christian faith is false? What if religion is just a man-made crutch? A superstition?

Finally, Hien Pham came to a conclusion. The next day he would discontinue to pray to a God he was not sure even existed.

The following day, to make matters even worse, Hien was given the dreaded duty of cleaning out the latrines. On his hands and knees in that miserable putrid place, Hien noticed something familiar in the large tin can that was used for the soiled paper. There was something written in English. Instead of disposing of the paper, he quickly cleaned it off and put it in his pocket.

Later that night under his mosquito net, when he knew his roommate was asleep, Hien retrieved the paper and used his flashlight to view the words.

He was intrigued to find out what it said.

And then he was amazed.

He discovered it was a page from the New Testament book of Romans, chapter 8, and the words he read burned directly into his soul.

We know that all things work together for the good for those who love God works and have been called according to his purpose (verse 28).

Hien Pham paused. Was it really possible that God in His love and goodness had providentially permitted him, in the midst of these relentless assaults on his beliefs, to come upon this very chapter in scripture in the most unlikely of places with this particular verse that spoke so directly to what he was going through and enduring?

Hien continued on:

If God be for us, who can be against us? (vs. 31);

What shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or nakedness or danger or sword? (vv. 35);

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us (vs. 37).

Hien Pham knew God was indeed reaching out and speaking to him through this passage of scripture. What a great feeling to realize the God of Heaven had not abandoned him. The God of Heaven to whom Hien had pledged his life and for whom he was suffering in this brutal prison communicated His love in an unmistakable way.

Yes, Im with you in the midst of all the filth and the persecutions and the hardships. Ill give you the strength and grace and help you need to endure each day. And your reward will be great.

Hien Pham was ultimately released from the prison and, over time, made his way to America. Today he is a successful businessman who still testifies of the grace of God and shares his experiences with Gods remarkable intervention in the prison.

Hien Pham is well-qualified to testify because he understands the grace of God on a deeper level than many.

He lived out the practical reality of Easter during his time in the prison.

When Jesus died on the cross, it says in Matthew 27 the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. That meant flawed sinners like us now had access to a relationship with God where we could call Him our Father. There was now a New Covenant between God and fallen mankind.

The greatest benefit of this relationship with God is access into Heaven when we die, experiencing our own personal resurrection provided by our Savior through His sacrifice on the cross.

But theres more. We also have the benefit of knowing were not alone in this sinful world. He is with us< and that makes all the difference. He will cause the broken path we trod and the hard lessons we learn and the sacrifices we are called to make and the hardships we endure to somehow work together for our good and subsequently for the good of others.

Thats His promise to each of us.

There was a brief time when Gods beloved child Hien Pham doubted that promise and even doubted Gods existence. And then, on his hands and knees in a wretched latrine in a remote prison seemingly isolated from hope, the wonderful life-changing truth that nothing can separate us from His love came shining through.
This time the leak appears more expansive: "A new batch of classified documents that appear to detail American national security secrets from Ukraine to the Middle East to China surfaced on social media sites on Friday, alarming the Pentagon and adding turmoil to a situation that seemed to have caught the Biden administration off guard," The New York Times reported Friday evening.

AP file image

"The scale of the leak  analysts say more than 100 documents may have been obtained  along with the sensitivity of the documents themselves, could be hugely damaging, U.S. officials said," the report continues.

One senior intelligence official was quoted in the report as saying the leak is "a nightmare for the Five Eyes" - in reference to the intelligence-sharing nations of the US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Like the Ukraine war plans earlier reported on by the Times, some of these latest documents appeared on Twitter and other social media platforms, and they include reports labeled with one of the highest classification ratings of "Secret/NoForn" - which means they are sensitive enough to not be shared with even foreign allies.

Interestingly, the NY Times notes that one intelligence slide which is circulating features "an alarming assessment of Ukraines faltering air defense capabilities." But these leaks, some of which actually appeared on a Discord server devoted to discussing Minecraft and other unusual places, include more than the initial content on Ukraine war planning:

But the leaked documents appear to go well beyond highly classified material on Ukraine war plans. Security analysts who have reviewed the documents tumbling onto social media sites say the increasing trove also includes sensitive briefing slides on China, the Indo-Pacific military theater, the Middle East and terrorism.

The report quotes one analyst who warns this is likely "the tip of the iceberg" and that more major leaks are coming, or possibly have already happened, in something which could begin to rival the 'Pentagon Papers' of the Vietnam war era.

Not quite. The Pentagon leak also reveals the Kiev regime is a money-and-weapons black box.



Further, the Pentagon has no real idea of the losses on the UA sideexcept what Kiev tells them.



Its like that girlfriend who abuses your credit card, and you have no real idea on what. https://t.co/RDbZbWitDn  Gonzalo Lira (@GonzaloLira1968) April 7, 2023

A former senior Pentagon official, Mick Mulroy, was also quoted as saying this could possibly hinder Ukrainian military planning given that "many of these were pictures of documents" and thus "it appears that it was a deliberate leak done by someone that wished to damage the Ukraine, U.S., and NATO efforts."

This assessment suggests a leak from inside allied forces, and not from a foreign adversary, even though US officials are accusing Russian-linked entities online of being the chief spreaders of the leaked documents.

What're the odds these leaks are connected to Biden bombing Nord Stream and fucking his own allies.https://t.co/JkNmaQ0YD6  Mark Ames (@MarkAmesExiled) April 8, 2023

US officials are also warning that some of the documents may have been digitally altered to fit a more pro-Kremlin narrative, as we detailed earlier. Twitter has acknowledged that US officials are requesting that it act to scrub classified materials from the platform.

There's growing concern that the leaks could be coming from within the Ukrainian military...

Ukraine sought to prevent military leaks after NATO assistance plans reportedly appeared on social media. A Ukrainian official told @Reuters the documents contained a 'very large amount of fictitious information' https://t.co/EMu3ft8oSb pic.twitter.com/E0mBY5SRmT  Reuters (@Reuters) April 8, 2023

Pentagon and US intelligence officials are also scrambling to discover the source of the leak in an ongoing investigation. Likely this is to result in greater scrutiny on Kiev and how its chain-of-command handles sensitive data shared from the Pentagon.
Last spring, the Biden administration and a Democratic House approved a policy that would kick 15 million people off of Medicaid. States are now set to begin dropping people from the rolls, reversing the record-low uninsured rate reached early last year. But if you were watching TV news, you might have missed it.

Adam Johnson, a former FAIR contributor and co-host of the media criticism podcast Citations Needed, analyzed the coverage in an article for his Substack (The Column, 4/3/23). As Johnson notes:

None of the agenda-setting Sunday morning showsNBCs Meet the Press, CBSs Face the Nation and ABCs This Weekmentioned the expiration of Medicaid coverage for the poorest, most vulnerable Americans in recent weeks.

He did find scattered mentions on TV news: MSNBC ran a two-minute segment that mentioned it, ABC News aired a minute-and-a-half segment, and CBS Evening News spent all of 19 seconds on it. But reporting on the Medicaid cuts was almost nonexistent compared to the mountains of coverage given to Trumps indictment and arraignmentthe top media story of the week.

One analysis from Media Matters (4/3/23) found that over an hour-and-a-half period before Trumps arraignment, CNN aired 48 minutes of B-roll of the idling Trump plane and motorcade, along with shots of Trump Tower and Mar-a-Lago. MSNBC aired 66 minutes of similar footage. As Media Matters noted, this kind of coverage is similar to when networks regularly aired footage of Trumps empty podiums (FAIR.org, 3/16/16).

The reader can decide whats more important: A Democratic administration taking healthcare from 15 million, or a con-man war criminal being indicted for some of the least important of his crimes.

Writing in Current Affairs (3/30/23), Rhode Island state Sen. Sam Bell pointed the finger at progressives who didnt even try to make this a central issue:

A few brave policy experts did speak up, but there was no real, organized campaign. Progressive lawmakers didnt send out a flood of tweets, speeches and op-eds. They didnt even threaten to vote no and then cave. They made no noise. The big progressive advocacy groups didnt run campaigns. Even Representative Ocasio-Cortez, the only Democrat to vote no, didnt discuss the Medicaid and SNAP cuts at all in her statement on her no vote.

While Trumps arraignment is historic news, it has almost no effect on the lives of ordinary Americans. Stories that affect millions of lives deserve far more than a few collective minutes of coverage. Media have long privileged sensational news over important policy shifts, leaving audiences in the dark about the forces that shape their lives. This, like many other instances, demonstrates the importance of alternative and adversarial media organizations and outlets.
Negotiations for a proposed U.N.Cybercrime Treaty commenced in 2017 but began to take shape in 2022and theres a lot at stake. The draft treaty has the potential to rewrite criminal laws around the world, possibly adding over 30 criminal offenses and new expansive police powers for both domestic and international criminal investigations.

Given that existing cybercrime laws are, as stated by the U.N.General Assembly, in some instances misused to target human rights defenders and endanger their safety in a manner contrary to international law, these widened parameters amplify the potential implications for billions of peopleparticularly stifling free speech, increasing government surveillance, and expanding state investigative techniques.

Restrictions on Free Speech

Rather than focusing on core cybercrimes like network intrusion and computing system interference, the draft treatys emphasis on content-related crimes could likely result in overly broad and easily abused laws that stifle free expression and association rights of people around the world.

For example, the draft U.N.Cybercrime Treaty includes provisions that could make it a crime to humiliate a person and group, or insult a religion using a computer. This potentially makes it a crime to send or post legitimate content protected under international law.

Governments routinely abuse cybercrime laws to criminalize speech, claiming to combat disinformation, religious, ethnic or sectarian hatred, terrorism, the distribution of false information, and many other harms. But in practice, these laws are used to stifle criticism, suppress protests and dissent, and clamp down on free expression and association. This is despite the right to free expressionincluding the right to insult and offendbeing protected under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)of which the U.N.Member States negotiating the new treaty are parties to.

Governments may only limit these rights in very narrow circumstances. But the draft U.N. Cybercrime Treaty ignores these permissible limitations, which may lead to the criminalization of legitimate uses of technology that promote access to information and freedom of speech. The U.N.General Assembly has also made it clear that States should refrain from imposing restrictions on discussions about government policies and political debate; participation in election campaigns; peaceful demonstrations; expressing opinions and dissent; and being associated with particular religions or beliefs, including by persons belonging to minorities or vulnerable groups.

A cybercrime law is no place for speech laws. Governments must not be given a framework to exploit and abuse laws to stifle lawful speech and free expression in the UN Cybercrime Treaty. eff.org/treaty

Threats to Privacy and the Right to a Fair Trial

Checks and balances on government use of surveillance laws are essential to avoid abuses of power and human rights like freedom of expression and association. We saw how the COVID-19 pandemic incentivized authorities to institute intrusive forms of surveillance without appropriate checks and balances, such as using surveillance technology to track individuals in public and monitoring private communicationsall without legal authorization or oversight. And these laws disproportionately restrict the rights of those already marginalized and targeted in society, with personal data on religious beliefs, political affiliations, and other sensitive information collected in mass without guardrails against abuses.

Transparency is vital to ensuring that human rights are respected in communication surveillance, and people should be able to learn if their data was handed over to government authorities. However, the draft treaty allows authorities to impose gag orders even when disclosure would not pose a demonstrable threat to ongoing investigations.

The circumstances upon which police are permitted to access personal data during criminal investigations should always be subject to robust human rights safeguards and overseen by an impartial and independent oversight mechanism to ensure that individuals human rights are not at risk and to prevent police abuse of power.

However, the draft U.N.Cybercrime Treaty introduces vague provisions that will compel states to pass laws authorizing the use of overly broad spying powers without these safeguardsplacing people at an increased risk of harm, and curtailing civil liberties and defendants fair trial rights. Even worse, during draft treaty negotiations, countries including India, Russia, China, Iran, Syria, and Tonga proposed amendments to remove Article 5, a general clause that emphasizes respect for human rights and references international human rights obligations. Rubbing salt into the wound, Egypt, Singapore, Malaysia, Pakistan, Oman, Iran, and Russia requested the deletion of even the most modest limitations on government spying powers, Article 42, on conditions and safeguards.

Some other countries wanted to keep Article 42, but proposed removing references to "principles of proportionality, necessity, and legality" and the "protection of privacy and personal data." These countries argued that privacy protection was already covered by the general reference to human rights in Article 5. Other countries, including the United States, argued that personal data protection is not recognized as a right at the U.N. level.

Don't Silence Transparency Reports. People deserve to know if their data was shared with authorities. The draft U.N. Cybercrime Treaty permits gag orders, even when disclosure wouldn't harm ongoing investigations. Learn more: eff.org/treaty

Lack of safeguards in government surveillance leads to unchecked police power and abuse, putting privacy rights and our fundamental freedoms at risk. Strong surveillance powers must come with robust and detailed legal safeguards. eff.org/treaty\

Broadened Surveillance Powers

On top of government attempts to keep human rights safeguards out of the draft treaty, negotiators have proposed a variety of broad, vague provisions that expand surveillance powers across borders as well as within each country. EFF is calling for the exclusion of provisions that compel governments to adopt domestic laws authorizing very intrusive surveillance powers. Such powers must be narrowly and clearly defined and subject to strong human rights safeguardsneither of which the current treaty language does. Weve proposed to exclude provisions addressing the interception of content, real-time collection of data, admission of digital evidence, spontaneous information, and special investigative techniques.

Some of the most wide-ranging surveillance powers mentioned abovereal-time collection of traffic data, interception of content, and admission of digital evidencehave been controversial enough among negotiators that they are currently sidelined in informal consultations. This step is likely because of a lack of consensus on safeguards and may be because of concerns about rule of law, democracy, and lack of impartiality and independence of the judiciary affecting many prospective treaty signers. We hope these articles stay out of the main treaty unless and until meaningful and comprehensive human rights safeguards are applied to them, and there is an effective compliance mechanism monitoring states human rights obligations.

But many other powers are still part of the draft treaty. The general expansion of surveillance powers in the draft includes squishy language that law enforcement could use to argue authorize hacking into our devices without further public debate. That language should be clarified to remove ambiguities about which powers are intended.

The draft treaty also oddly refers to allowing authorities to use special investigative techniques, again without ever defining what those are. The current language, indeed, could allow any type of surveillance technologyfrom malware to IMSI catchers, machine learning prediction, and other mass surveillance toolsas well as any tool or technique that may exist in the future. The use of new surveillance technologies must always be subject to public debate; we must not give law enforcement a permanent blank check to spy on people with methods that havent even been invented yet.

Click to Tweet: The use of new surveillance technologies must always be subject to public debate. We must not give law enforcement a permanent blank check to spy on people with methods that have not even been invented yet. eff.org/treaty

Too often, vaguely worded surveillance laws are misused by governments to restrict free speech, target dissenters, and stifle protest. The proposed U.N. Cybercrime Treaty must prevent States from cooperating in open-ended, ill-defined cross-border investigations. eff.org/treaty

Governments Need More Than a Whim to Share Personal Information With Other States

We also call for the withdrawal of the spontaneous information provision, which poses a significant risk to individual rights. It provides that governments may voluntarily share the products of their electronic surveillance with other governments, whenever domestic law permits it. While similar voluntary disclosure among governments already happens, adding this option to the draft Treaty would expand and make it more common to implement such voluntary practice even with countries with poor human rights track records.

Moreover, as we fight to ensure that the proposed treaty imposes strong human rights safeguards, spontaneous information ignores whatever safeguards exist in the rest of the draft treaty whenever law enforcement authorities feel theyd like another country to have access to certain evidence.

Most of the safeguards in the draft treaty, in the context of cross border cooperation, are based on the scenario of formal requests for information, which must be assessed according to legal criteriaincluding human rights standards. We should aim for clear legal rules for sharing information, rather than simply having law enforcement decide to do so unilaterally. This is especially concerning when information obtained from country A can be given voluntarily to country B without adequate human rights safeguards, for example, for the purposes of disclosing the identity to prosecute journalists, human rights defenders, pro-democracy activists, and others.

Governments need clear rules to give personal info to other countries, not just a whim, in particular to those countries with offenses that are in violation of international human rights law. Learn more about the problems in the U.N. Cybercrime Treaty: eff.org/treaty

Security is Hard Enough: Open-Ended Technical Assistance Mandates May Harm Security

Another surveillance provision in the current draft requires governments to take certain actions. They must adopt laws empowering authorities to order anyone familiar with a computer system's functions and security features to cooperate. This includes providing the necessary information for authorities to get ahold of the users private information in the system.

This appears to be closely resembling controversial efforts to force tech companies and software developers to assist in circumventing the security measures they have created. The necessary information to enable access to secured computers and data could be argued be to include assistance in breaking encryption or other security measures. It could also be interpreted to include government demands for vulnerability disclosures (to be made confidentially to government authorities) or even for disclosure of private keys or issuance of false digital certificates.

The measure doesnt seem to go as far as explicitly requiring tech developers to create backdoors in their security systems, but it should precisely define the limits of technical assistance and make clear that it is not authorizing the creation of backdoors or the weakening of encryption or other security measures.

Security is hard enough without a U.N. Cybercrime Treaty that requires states to adopt open ended laws that could weaken encryption or security measures. eff.org/treaty

Next steps

Cybercrime is not a new phenomenon, and we have already witnessed far too many examples of anti-cybercrime laws being used to prosecute individuals, chill human rights, and bring spurious and disproportionate charges against LGBTQ communities, journalists, activists, and whistleblowers.

While we dont think the U.N. Cybercrime Treaty is necessary, weve been closely scrutinizing the process and providing constructive analysis. Weve made clear that human rights must be baked into the proposed treaty so that it doesnt become a tool to stifle freedom of expression, infringe on privacy and data protection, or endanger vulnerable people and communities.
Israel edged closer to civil war over the weekend than at any point in its history. By Monday night, in a bid to avert chaos, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to put a temporary halt to his plans to neuter the Israeli courts.

By then, city centers had been brought to a standstill by angry mass protests. The attorney general had declared Netanyahu to be acting illegally. Crowds had besieged the parliament building in Jerusalem. Public institutions were shuttered, including Israels international airport and its embassies abroad, in a general strike. That was on top of a near-mutiny in recent weeks from elite military groups, such as combat pilots and reservists.

The crisis culminated with Netanyahu sacking his defense minister on Sunday evening after Yoav Gallant warned that the legislation was tearing apart the military and threatening Israels combat readiness. Gallants dismissal only intensified the fury.

The turmoil had been building for weeks as Netanyahus so-called judicial overhaul moved closer to the statute books.

At the end of last week, he managed to pass a first measure, which shields him from being declared unfit for office  a critical matter given that the prime minister is in the midst of a corruption trial.

But the rest of his package has been put on pause. That includes provisions giving his government absolute control over the appointment of senior judges and the power to override Supreme Court rulings.

It is hard to see a simple way out of the impasse. Even as Netanyahu bowed before the weight of the backlash on Monday, the pressure began mounting on his own side.

Far-right groups launched a wave of angry counter-demonstrations, threatening violence against Netanyahus opponents. Itamar Ben-Gvir, the police minister and leader of the fascist Jewish Power party, initially vowed to bring down the government if Netanyahu did not press ahead with the legislation.

But in the end, his acquiescence to a delay was bought at a typically steep price: a National Guard will be established under Ben-Gvirs authority. In practice, the settler leader will get to run his own fascist, anti-Palestinian militias, paid for by the Israeli taxpayer.

Lack of democracy

Fancifully, coverage of the protests continues to frame them simplistically as a battle to save Israeli democracy and the rule of law.

The brutality of whats happening is overwhelming, one protester told the BBC. But if the protests were chiefly about democracy in Israel, the large minority of Palestinians living there, a fifth of the population, would have been the first on the streets.

They have a highly degraded form of citizenship, giving them inferior rights to Jews. They overwhelmingly stayed home because the protests werent advancing any conception of democracy that embraces equality for them.

Over the years, international human rights groups have slowly come to acknowledge this fundamental lack of democracy, too. They now describe Israel as what it always was: an apartheid state.

In fact, it is only because Israel lacks built-in democratic controls and human rights safeguards that Netanyahu was in any kind of position to bulldoze plans through for the judiciarys emasculation.

Israels political system permits  by design  tyrannical rule by government, without decisive checks or balances. Israel has no bill of rights, or second chamber, or provision for equality, and the government can invariably call on a parliamentary majority.

The lack of oversight and democratic accountability is a feature, not a bug. The intent was to free Israeli officials to persecute Palestinians and steal their land without needing to justify decisions beyond a claim of national security.

Netanyahu has not been trying to destroy Israeli democracy. He has been richly exploiting the lack of it.

The only flimsy counterweight to government tyranny has been the Supreme Court  and even it has been relatively supine, fearful of weakening its legitimacy through interference and attracting a full-frontal political assault. Now that moment may be just around the corner.

Culture war

A superficial reading of events is that the growing protests are a response to Netanyahus weaponizing of the law for his own personal benefit: to stop his corruption trial and keep himself in power.

But though that may be his primary motivation, it is not the main reason his far-right coalition partners are so keen to help him get the legislation passed. They want the judicial overhaul as badly as he does.

This is really the culmination of a long-festering culture war that is in danger of tipping into a civil war on two related but separate fronts. One concerns who has ultimate authority to manage the occupation and control the terms of the Palestinians dispossession. The second relates to who or what a Jewish society should answer to: infallible divine laws, or all-too-human laws.

There is a reason the streets are awash with Israeli flags, wielded equally fervently whether by Netanayhus opponents or his supporters. Each side is fighting over who represents Israel.

It is about which set of Jews get to play tyrant: law by the generals, or law by religious street thugs.

For decades, Israels military-security establishment, backed by a deferential secular judiciary, has set the brutal agenda in the occupied territories. This old guard is only too well-versed in how to sell its crimes as national security to the international community.

Now, however, a young pretender is vying for the crown. A burgeoning theocratic, settler community believes it finally has enough muscle to displace the institutionalized power of the military-security elite. But it needs the Supreme Court out of the way to achieve its goal.

First, it views the security-judicial establishment as too weak, too decadent and too dependent on western favor to finish the job of ethnic cleansing the Palestinians  both in the occupied territories and inside Israel  begun by an earlier generation.

Second, the Supreme Court is certain to block the rights efforts to ban a handful of Arab parties that run for the Knesset. It is only their participation in general elections that prevents a combination of the far-right and religious right from holding permanent power.

Unfinished business

Israels political tectonic plates have been grinding noisily together for decades. This is why the latest turmoil has echoes of events in the mid-1990s. That was when a minority government, led by a veteran military commander of the 1948 war, Yitzhak Rabin, was trying to drive through legislation supporting the Oslo accords.

The sales pitch was that the accords were a peace process. There was an implication  though no more  that the Palestinians might one day, if they behaved, get a tiny, demilitarized, divided state whose borders, airspace and electromagnetic spectrum were controlled by Israel. Not even that materialized in the end.

The current upheaval in Israel can be understood as unfinished business from that era.

The Oslo crisis was not about peace, any more than this weeks protests are about democracy. On each occasion, these moral posturings served to obscure the real power play.

The violent culture war unleashed by the Oslo accords ultimately led to Rabins murder. Notably, Netanyahu was the principal player then, as he is now  though 30 years ago he was on the other side of the barricades, as opposition leader.

He and the right were the ones claiming to be victims of an authoritarian Rabin. Placards at the rights demonstrations even showed the prime minister in a Nazi SS uniform.

The political tailwind blew strongly enough in the religious rights favor even then that Rabins murder weakened not the opponents of Oslo but its supporters. Netanyahu soon came to power and eviscerated the accords of their already limited ambitions.

But if the secular security establishment got a bloodied nose during the Oslo skirmish, the upstart religious right could not quite deliver a knockout blow either. A decade later, in 2005, they would be forced by Ariel Sharon, a general they viewed as an ally, to withdraw from Gaza.

They have been mounting a fightback ever since.

Biding time

During the Palestinian uprising through much of the 2000s, following Oslos failure, the military-security establishment once again asserted its primacy. So long as Palestinians were a security threat, and so long as the Israeli military was saving the day, the rule of the generals could not be seriously challenged. The religious right had to bide its time.

But todays circumstances are different. In power for most of the past 14 years, Netanyahu had an incentive to avoid inflaming the culture war too much: its suppression served his personal interests.

His governments were an uncomfortable mix: representatives from the secular establishment  such as ex-generals Ehud Barak and Moshe Yaalon  sat alongside the zealots of the settler right. Netanyahu was the glue that held the mess together.

But too long in power, and now too tainted by corruption, Netanyahu has come unstuck.

With no one in the security establishment willing to serve with him in government  now not even Gallant, it seems  Netanyahu can count only on the theocratic settler right as reliable allies, figures such as Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich.

Netanyahu has already given both unprecedented leeway to challenge the security establishments traditional management of the occupation.

As police minister, Ben-Gvir runs the Border Police, a paramilitary unit deployed in the occupied territories. This week he can start building his National Guard militias against the large Palestinian minority living inside Israel  as well as the pro-democracy demonstrators. No doubt he will make sure to recruit the most violent settler thugs to both.

Meanwhile, Smotrich has hands-on control of the so-called Civil Administration, the military government that enforces apartheid privileges for Jewish settlers over native Palestinians. He also funds the settlements through his role as finance minister.

Both want settlement expansion pursued more aggressively and unapologetically. And they regard the military establishment as too craven, too deferential towards diplomatic concerns to be capable of acting with enough zeal.

Neither Ben-Gvir nor Smotrich will be satisfied till they have cleared the only significant obstacle to a new era of unrestrained tyranny from the religious settlers: the Supreme Court.

Theocratic rule

Were Palestinians  even Palestinian citizens of Israel  likely to be the only victims of the judicial overhaul, there would barely be a protest movement. Demonstrators currently enraged at Netanyahus brutality and his assault on democracy would have mostly stayed home.

The difficulty was that to advance his personal interests  staying in power  Netanyahu also had to advance the religious rights wider agenda against the Supreme Court. That relates not just to the occupied territories, or even to the banning of Arab parties in Israel, but to Israels most fraught internal Jewish social questions too.

The Supreme Court may not be much of a bulwark against the abuse of Palestinians, but it has been an effective limit on a religious tyranny taking over Israeli life as varieties of religious dogmatism grow ever more mainstream.

Netanyahus mistake in seeking to weaken the court was to drive too many powerful Jewish actors at once into open defiance: the military, the hi-tech community, the business sector, academia and the middle classes.

But the power of Jewish religious extremism is not going away  and neither is the battle over the Supreme Court. The religious right will now regroup waiting for a more favorable moment to strike.

Netanyahus fate is another matter. He must find a way to revive the judicial overhaul promptly if his young government is not to collapse.

If he cannot succeed, his only other recourse is to seek an accommodation with the generals once again, appealing to their sense of national responsibility and the need for unity to avert civil war.

Either way, democracy will not be the victor.

Jonathan Cook is the author of three books on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and a winner of the Martha Gellhorn Special Prize for Journalism. His website and blog can be found at www.jonathan-cook.net. This originally appeared in the Middle East Eye.
Via: Daily Mail

Two couples from Indiana were killed when their plane crashed off the coast of Venice, Florida after they flew in to have dinner with friends.

The single-engine plane crashed near the Venice Fishing Pier soon after takeoff on Wednesday evening on its way back to St. Petersburg, Florida.

Jeff Lumpkin, 64, an associate director at Raytheon, and his wife Patty Lumpkin, 68, of Fishers, Indiana, died in the crash.

Rick Beaver, 60, and and his wife Bethe, 57, of Noblesville, Indiana, were also killed when the plane went down.

Emergency personnel responded to the scene just after 9:30 p.m. following several 911 calls from witnesses who saw the crash.
Belgian Psychologist Steve Van Herreweghe has received a two-year suspension for his statements on social media about The Great Reset and the World Economic Forum. Van Herreweghe intends to appeal the decision made by the disciplinary board of the Psychologists Commission, which is an independent body responsible for protecting the title of psychologist and has the authority to take disciplinary action.

Van Herreweghe took to Twitter to express his opposition to the suspension, stating that the issue is not about his title but rather the perceived injustice of the decision and the rejection of his right to free speech. He believes that everyone should have the right to express their opinions on matters related to public health and well-being without fear of political or commercial interference.

Van Herreweghe used his social media platform to voice his concerns about The Great Reset and the World Economic Forum (WEF), which he believes are components of a larger effort to establish a New World Order. He has singled out virologists Steven Van Gucht and Marc Van Ranst in his posts, referring to them as ordinary, well-paid, narcissistic hostages commissioned by WEF puppet governments.

Van Gucht is a Belgian virologist who has been a key figure in the countrys controversial Covid response, while Van Ranst is a prominent epidemiologist who has been outspoken about the pandemic and its impact on society. He has strongly advocated for lockdowns and other measures to control the population, which has earned him massive criticism for hurting the economy and citizens freedoms.

The Great Reset, a global initiative proposed by the WEF, is a sinister plot to establish a new world order of global governance. Klaus Schwab, the founder and executive chairman of the WEF, has openly stated that crises, such as the Covid pandemic, present special opportunities for the establishment of a new global order. This has led many to realize that the Great Reset aims to undermine national sovereignty and individual freedoms in the pursuit of a technocratic vision of the future.

Van Herreweghe has also made statements on other topics, linking the energy crisis, the financial-economic crisis, the war against Putin, the climate crisis, and the gender identity propaganda to the Great Reset. He describes the transgender movement as a prime example of how alienated humanity is from its deeper nature. He warns that the trivialization of sexuality is a dangerous trend that could lead to the normalization of pedophilia.

Activist Medical Boards and Associations

Steve Van Herreweghe is not the only healthcare professional to be targeted by his respective medical boards for expressing views that differed from the mainstream narrative. Candian doctors Mary OConner and Jordan Peterson both faced and have had to fight to keep their licenses.

Dr. Mary OConners situation began when Covid hit, and requests for exemptions from masks, PCR tests, and experimental gene therapies flooded in. Dr. OConner started writing exemptions but was eventually noticed by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO), who demanded that she turn over the names of all the patients for she had written exemptions, along with their charts. When she refused, the CPSO sent a team of investigators to seize her patient charts, but they could not find anything as Dr. OConner had already moved everything out of her office.

Despite being ordered by the college to cease writing exceptions, Dr. OConner persisted in doing so until her license was suspended on December 23, 2021. However, Dr. OConner did not receive the notice to stop writing exemptions in time to meet the deadline. She now wonders if this was intentional, as the notice arrived in her email after the deadline had already passed. Consequently, Dr. OConner was summoned to Ontario Superior Court on January 7, 2022.

Jordan Peterson, a Canadian clinical psychologist and professor of psychology, has also faced scrutiny from his professional association, the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA). Petersons public statements on topics such as gender identity and political correctness were criticized by the CPA, which released a statement condemning his views. Peterson has also faced protests and backlash from students and faculty at various universities where he has been invited to speak.

In each of these cases, the left-wing activist medical boards and associations involved have taken issue with the views expressed by the healthcare professionals. These situations highlight the challenges faced by those who wish to speak out against the mainstream narrative in their respective fields and the potential and personal consequences they may face for doing so.
President Michael D Higgins and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar have led a ceremony to mark the anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising in Dublin.

The ceremony took place outside the GPO in OConnell Street at noon, and was attended by Tanaiste Micheal Martin, Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald and Sinn Fein vice president Michelle ONeill.

Relatives of the Irish rebels who were in the GPO during the 1916 Rising were also present.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar during a ceremony at the GPO in OConnell Street in Dublin to mark the anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising. Photo: Brian Lawless/PA

The tricolour flag on top of the GPO was lowered and the 1916 proclamation was read out by a soldier.

President Higgins then laid a wreath to commemorate those who died in the rebellion, and a minutes silence was observed.

The flag was then raised again before the national anthem, Amhran na bhFiann, was played by the Defence Forces brass and pipe band.

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The ceremony concluded with an Air Corps flyover as the national anthem was playing.

Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald and vice president Michelle ONeill attended the ceremony. Photo: Brian Lawless/PA

At the end of the ceremony, President Higgins and his wife, Sabina, shook hands with members of the public.

Mr Martin, Minister for Housing Darragh OBrien, Ms McDonald and Ms ONeill were also seen shaking hands with people as the event ended.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said he plans to intensify engagement with British prime minister Rishi Sunak over the Windsor Framework and powersharing in Northern Ireland.

The Taoiseach said history showed that political stability in the region depended on the Irish and British governments working hand in hand.

Mr Varadkar made the comments on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, a diplomatic feat that brought peace to Northern Ireland after 30 years of bloodshed.

The 1998 peace deal, brokered by the US, paved the way for powersharing between nationalists and unionists.

Despite the peace accord serving as a blueprint for other conflicts globally, there has been a powersharing stalemate at Stormont for almost as long as it has been functioning.

The latest hiatus is over the DUPs opposition to the implementation of the post-Brexit trading arrangement known as the Northern Ireland Protocol.

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In a push to revive the executive and assembly, a new agreement was struck between the EU and UK that sought to amend the protocol and resolve the concerns raised by businesses and unionists.

Although the British parliament and EU have formally signed off on the Windsor Framework, the DUP and former prime ministers Boris Johnson and Liz Truss have voted against a key element and the Democratic Unionists are yet to commit to returning to Stormont.

Speaking on Sunday, Mr Varadkar said part of the reason the framework was struck was to encourage the DUP to return to the powersharing institutions.

On Monday I announced the Windsor Framework.



This was a landmark moment for the people of Northern Ireland delivering:



Smooth flowing trade for the whole UK



Protection of Northern Ireland's place in the Union



Sovereignty for Northern Ireland and its people pic.twitter.com/09h6IEng5l  Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) March 3, 2023

Weve put a huge amount of effort in the last few months into getting an agreement on revisions and reforms to the protocol, he told RTEs This Week programme.

And that culminated in the Windsor Framework, which was agreed only in the past few weeks. That took a lot of engagement with the different political parties in Northern Ireland, with the British government, with the European Commission.

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And one of the reasons why we did that, aside from making sure we avoid a return to a hard border, was that the agreement could potentially reopen the possibility of the DUP coming back into the executive.

Ireland Tanaiste rejects suggestion that Biden is snubbing... Read More

So weve done that piece now, and the next piece now is deep engagement with the British Government and also with the five parties in Northern Ireland to try and get the institutions up and running again.

Certainly over the next few weeks, Ill be intensifying my contacts with prime minister Sunak and the British Government in particular, because what we know from history is that Northern Ireland only really works when the two governments work hand in hand.

On Tuesday, Mr Sunak will travel to Northern Ireland as part of US president Joe Bidens much-anticipated visit to the island of Ireland for the Good Friday Agreement milestone.
Our priorities can quickly change when your world gets turned upside down. 22-year-old Brendan Mariani was a budding jazz drummer in Canada when the death of his older sister made him re-evaluate his direction in life.

After finishing up the intensive drumming course in 2015, he took a trip to Belfast where his mother is from and says quickly he felt connected to the place.

It was the first time when I didn't have to go back because I didn't have a job, house, girlfriend, or car.

I didn't have school the next year, so I ended up staying with my family, Brendan says.

Straight away he noticed a difference between where he grew up in Oak Ridges, about 40 minutes north of Toronto, and Ireland.

There is a lot of community here, even big families, everyone is always calling to each other's houses and meeting up.

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That sense of community was something he focused on as he was still grieving his sister.

It was so strange. I didn't take the flight back to Canada. My mom was there, and we were talking and all of a sudden, we see the plane I'm supposed to be on in the air.

Eventually he was also able to get an Irish passport and ended up working on tour buses in Belfast city centre.

That creative spark never left him though and this time he turned first to photography first and then to making videos.

Tunnel vision

His uncle from Belfast bought him a camera. Little did he know that gesture would change his life.

With drumming I became obsessed over it, and it was like tunnel vision. When I got the camera, it was freeing. I got a really good feeling from it," he says.

Slowly it morphed from photography to making videos which he would post on TikTok.

It (TikTok) was just a place where you could just make anything, like whatever you were thinking of whatever the idea was. I wanted to try to practice the actual craft of putting something together, he says.

It started off by just trying to make a video every day.

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Initially it was more about practising making videos and there was no narration. He started becoming more creative though and adding random facts to the videos which he brought with him from his tour bus days.

He also started getting feedback from people on his videos which gave him the impetus to do more.

The first video which really blew up for him was when he visited Omeath in Co Louth. He begins the video with a light up to his face telling the story of how the village was founded.

He then stops off at the local cafe for lunch, shows off the local fishmonger's catch and highlights the rugged landscape around the Cooley Peninsula.

Unlike a tourism Ireland video, there is a distinct style with its quick cuts and close-ups. People quickly compared it to one of the great contemporary American directors Wes Anderson.

He was incredibly flattered by the comparison "I was like, holy crap. Someone said it reminded them of a Wes Anderson movie. I was freaking out because I was actually watching his movies on repeats every day for almost a year."

After that he had a formula to go off, and he continued to go around rural towns across Ireland showcasing hidden gems.

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Some of the towns he has documented include: Athlone, Skerries, Bray, Slane, Doolin and Carlow town to name a few. Each video not only showcases the locals but also the more quirky elements of each place.

The Dingle video mentions the well-known Murphy's ice-creams but also the lesser know falconry and butterfly sanctuary. It is this focus on the more eccentric nature of Irish life that has made his videos so popular with not only Irish viewers but an international audience as well.

The locals in the videos have become stars in themselves and as someone who sees himself as a real people person, Brendan enjoys getting to know them.

"The worst experience I ever had making one of these videos was in Canada. They were all like, yeah, talk to these people. Give this person a call. It's all bureaucracy."

He prefers the more laid back nature of Irish people who are more than willing to get involved.

"There is something so cool about meeting a family butchers that has been there for over 100 years. Then the business is past down from generation to generation. Canada is very different to that."

Brendan has seen such success with his videos he is now doing sponsored ones for various organisations. From promos for the Allianz Leagues games to a video showcasing the secluded Lambay Island off the Dublin coast.

It is a fair cry from the early days when he was spending all his money travelling around Ireland and making videos.

"The big one for me, which was I thought someone was playing a joke on me, was Bentley Motors.

I had no money in my account, and I was driving around a Bentley!

"It ended up being the funniest thing. I had no money in my account, and I was driving around a Bentley!"

Now aged 31-year-olds he travels around the world making videos. He is currently in southern Spain where his girlfriend is from shooting for a video.

During the day when it is too warms he tells me he watches movies from some of his favourite directors like Andrei Tarkovsky.

Even though he is now to make a living from his work, he is still fully committed to always learning and improving his craft.
A harpist is on a mission to break her own Guinness World Record  this time on Mount Kilimanjaro  alongside a woman with cystic fibrosis who hopes to encourage others with the condition to achieve the impossible.

Siobhan Brady is to travel to Tanzania on July 17th with a team of roughly 19 others, as she attempts to break a Guinness World Record (GWR) for the highest altitude harp performance on Mount Kilimanjaros summit  a record she previously achieved in 2018 at Singla Pass, India, at more than 16,000ft.

The upcoming challenge was inspired by late fellow musician Desmond Gentle, whom Ms Brady achieved the 2018 GWR with, alongside a British woman called Anna Ray.

(from left to right) Stephen Lappin, Sean Brady, Siobhan Brady and Caroline Heffernan (Stephen Lappin)

Back in 2018, I went to London for a harp competition and was introduced to Desmond Gentle who ran a piano shop in Camden Market, said the 24-year-old who lives in Limerick.

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He had done the deepest concert in a salt mine in Romania and was planning on doing the highest concert with a piano and he wanted me to come with a harp as a back-up because a piano could be easily broken.

Then 10 days after we came back from India, Desmond died from thrombosis at the age of 69  but the week before he died, he said he wanted to do this on Kilimanjaro, so were doing it in his memory.

While on the seven-day hike, two 10kg harps will be carried by team members, in case one gets damaged, and while Ms Brady will be the only performer, the others on the team will be able to get a participation GWR if they reach the top.

Funds for the upcoming challenge are to go to Cystic Fibrosis Ireland and for Caroline Heffernan, a patient advocate at the charity, she wanted to do more than just support the cause through words of appreciation.

(from left to right) Caroline Heffernan, Sean Brady (Siobhans father) and Siobhan Brady (Cystic Fibrosis Ireland)

To be honest, it was a no-brainer deciding to actually take part in the climb because Im a firm believer that if something is offered to you and is in any way within you capabilities, do it and so I did, the 52-year-old who lives in Galway said.

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Ms Heffernan  who has lived with cystic fibrosis (CF) since the age of 13  also wanted to encourage younger people with CF to try and achieve the seemingly impossible.

My mum and dad were told that I would not live until I was 20 and here I am, she said.

Even if I have to crawl on all fours, I will do my best to reach the summit of Kilimanjaro, but I know it may not happen.

I want the younger generation of people with cystic fibrosis to know that  even if youre given a diagnosis or youre given a life expectancy  its not tattooed on your arm or anywhere else on your body.

Its okay to try and go out and achieve the impossible and have the gumption to stand up and say, lets have a go.

Ms Heffernan said training can sometimes be reminiscent to the movie Groundhog Day.

I can train really well and then get a setback and have to try again, so its a bit like the movie Groundhog Day.

Training hike with the fake harp (Stephen Lappin)

The team have regularly taken part in monthly hikes organised by their fitness trainer and photographer Stephen Lappin over the course of 18 months, where they try to scale as many mountains as they can.

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When asked if they have trained using harps, Ms Heffernan quipped: We have both said from the very beginning that we are not carrying any harps.

Im carrying my backpack and after that well see how high we can go.

Ms Brady added: We have a fake harp, which some team members bring up a lot of the time.

Weve brought the harp up Carrauntoohil, the highest mountain in Ireland.

Ed Sheerans song Little Bird is to be played by Ms Brady when the team reach the summit  a song and artist close to a woman who died from cystic fibrosis in 2014 called Triona Priestley.

Croagh Patrick summit (Stephen Lappin)

Ms Heffernan, who met Ms Priestleys mother Bernie, said: When [Triona] was sick in hospital and before she passed away, she used to write letters to Ed Sheeran, not necessarily expecting replies, but she got a few.

Trionas friends were all texting and trying to get the attention of Ed Sheeran when she was in hospital and the phone rang and Colm (Trionas brother) answered it.

It was Ed and he sang Little Bird which was her favourite song and after the song was finished, the doctor put the stethoscope to her chest and said shes passed.

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Ms Heffernan said it was important for Ms Priestleys memory to also be honoured as part of the climb as she always wanted CF to stand for cure found.

Ms Heffernan has been granted permission by the President of Ireland, Michael D Higgins, to recite his poem The Prophets Are Weeping at the summit, something Mr Gentle did in 2018.

Carrautoohill drone shot (Stephen Lappin)

Having raised over 37,000 out of their 100,000 target so far, the pair hope more will continue to support their slightly crazy challenge.

Pascale Harvie, president and general manager at JustGiving, said: This challenge reflects on every level the difficulties that people with cystic fibrosis face every day.

Im in awe of Siobhan, Caroline and their teams commitment to raise vital funds for Cystic Fibrosis Ireland. They are an inspiration to us all.

The challenge is part of the charitys 65 Roses Day campaign, which takes place on April 14th, and encourages people to do something involving the number 65, whether it be eating 65 Easter eggs or walking 65 steps.

65 roses comes from the way children often pronounce cystic fibrosis.

The fundraising link can be found at justgiving.com/fundraising/Highest-Harp
Weekend shelling by Russian forces killed at least seven civilians, Ukrainian officials reported on Sunday as Pope Francis and Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby used their traditional Easter messages to highlight the war in Ukraine and other conflicts around the world.

While Russia continued to concentrate on seizing all of Ukraines industrial east, two other provinces  Kharkiv in the north east and Zaporizhzhia in the south east  came under missile, rocket and artillery fire, the Ukrainian military reported.

The governor of the Kherson region, Oleksandr Prokudin, said two communities there were hit by bombs from warplanes late on Sunday, but he did not immediately report any casualties.

Kharkiv governor Oleh Syniehubov said two men died on Sunday in shelling in Kupiansk, a city that Russia held before Ukrainian forces regained control of almost all of the province.

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The city remained under attack later on Sunday as Russian forces targeted residential areas with multiple rocket launchers, Mr Syniehubov said.

A Ukrainian MSLR BM-21 Grad fires towards Russian positions, at the front line in the Donetsk region, Ukraine (Evgeniy Maloletka/AP)

Elsewhere in the province, a 30-year-old man was admitted to hospital in a serious condition after Russian shelling of the city of Chuhuiv, he said on Telegram.

Shelling also killed two people overnight, one of them a child born in 2012, in the city of Zaporizhzhia, the capital of that province, according to city council secretary Anatoliy Kurtev.

The Zaporizhzhia regions governor, Yurii Malashko, said 18 communities in all were shelled.

Three people were killed and five were wounded on Saturday, Mr Malashko said.

Zaporizhzhia is home to Europes largest nuclear power plant and one of four Ukrainian provinces that Russian President Vladimir Putin illegally annexed in September.

Since then, Russias military has sought to oust Ukraines troops from those areas, especially Luhansk and Donetsk provinces, which make up the industrial region known as the Donbas.

Bakhmut, a city in Donetsk, has seen the 13-month wars longest battle.

Western analysts have said Russian forces recently made it into the centre of the city.

Ukrainian servicemen sit on their vehicle, on the front line in the Donetsk region, Ukraine (Evgeniy Maloletka/AP)

Seizing Bakhmut after more than eight months would give the Kremlin a badly wanted victory and a path to push on towards bigger Ukrainian-held cities.

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The Russian army is moving elite units to Bakhmut, Colonel Serhiy Cherevaty, a spokesperson for Ukraines Eastern Group of Forces, said on Sunday.

Col Cherevaty said the Wagner Group, a private Russian military company whose fighters have spearheaded the offensive on Bakhmut, was incurring heavy losses, making it necessary to move in regular army units from the regular army, including paratroopers and motorised riflemen.

The vast majority of Ukrainians with a religious affiliation identify as Orthodox Christian, a faith that observes Easter on April 16 this year.

Some Catholics celebrated Easter on Sunday, while Orthodox churches marked Palm Sunday this weekend.

While delivering his Easter address from the central balcony of the Vaticans St Peters Basilica, Pope Francis implored God to help the beloved Ukrainian people on their journey towards peace, and shed the light of Easter upon the people of Russia.

Pope Francis waves from the central lodge of St Peters Basilica at the Vatican at the end of the Easter Sunday Mass (Gregorio Borgia/AP)

Comfort the wounded and all those who have lost loved ones because of the war, and grant that prisoners may return safe and sound to their families, Francis said.

Easter affirms the Christian belief that Jesus rose from the dead days after his crucifixion.

Mr Welby, who as Archbishop of Canterbury is the ceremonial head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, said the occasion provided hope that true peace is no aimless daydream, but a reality offered because Christ was raised from the dead.

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Injustice and brutality may seem to triumph in our short lives on earth, cruel and oppressive rulers might look as though they only get stronger, he said during a sermon delivered in Canterbury, England.

Yet they will vanish. The power of the resurrection is infinitely greater than they are.

Between Saturday and Sunday mornings, Russian forces launched 40 air strikes, four missile strikes and 58 attacks from multiple-rocket launchers on various parts of Ukraine, the General Staff of the Ukrainian armed forces reported.

The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby delivers his sermon at Canterbury Cathedral in Kent (Gareth Fuller/PA)

According to the General Staff, Russia focused attacks on the Donetsk province communities of Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Marinka.

Donetsk regional governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said on Sunday morning that two civilians were wounded on Saturday.

Officials in Kherson province, where Ukrainian forces forced a partial Russian retreat in November, said the southern region also received numerous attacks.

They did not report any casualties.

The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, said late on Saturday that it thinks Russias overall offensive is approaching culmination.

The institute cited Ivan Tymochko, the head of the Ukrainian Council of Reservists for the countrys ground forces, as reporting that recent Russian attacks appeared designed to distract and disperse Ukrainian troops preparing for a potential counter-offensive.

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Tymochko stated that Russian forces are not making serious advances anywhere on the front line, the think tank said.

Noting that Russia has made heavy use of artillery to offset key shortcomings in combat capability, the institute said reported ammunition shortages would undermine the Russian militarys ability to continue offsetting its other weaknesses and limitations.
Dubai Aviation City Corporation (DACC), has announced that in 2022, it witnessed an 86% decrease in workplace injury frequency rate and the safety culture in Dubai South is improved year by year.

The DACC OHSE Department also announced that 2,052 near misses were reported in 2022, which is positively indicating that a testament to the overall enhanced OHSE culture at the entity.

The department focused on implementing a strong, effective, positive OHSE governance system, including Covid-19 compliance management to enhance the key results in OHSE performance. Other key milestones last year included receiving the ISO 45001/14001 SMS certification, the delivery of 3,245 services, all paperless, and a successful fire safety campaign with the support of DCD, featuring 55 companies at DACC that helped promote fire safety culture throughout the community.

Dubai South is Dubais largest single urban master development focusing on an aviation and logistics ecosystem that houses the worlds largest airport when fully operational complemented by a multi-modal transport infrastructure connecting air, land and sea.-- TradeArabia News Service
Israeli warplanes and artillery struck targets in Syria following rare rocket fire from the countrys north-eastern neighbour, as Jewish-Muslim tensions reached a peak on Sunday at a volatile Jerusalem shrine with simultaneous religious rituals.

Thousands of Jewish worshippers gathered at the citys Western Wall, the holiest place where Jews can pray, for a mass priestly benediction prayer service for the Passover holiday.

At the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, a walled esplanade above the Western Wall, hundreds of Palestinians performed prayers as part of observances during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Hundreds of Jews also visited the Al-Aqsa compound under heavy police guard, to whistles and religious chants from Palestinians protesting at their presence.



Palestinian worshippers perform the tarawih Ramadan prayer, next to the Dome of Rock at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in the Old City of Jerusalem (Mahmoud Illean/AP)

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Such tours by religious and nationalist Jews have increased in size and frequency over the years, and are viewed with suspicion by many Palestinians who fear that Israel plans one day to take over the site or partition it.

Israeli officials say they have no intention of changing long-standing arrangements that allow Jews to visit, but not pray in the Muslim-administered site.

However, the country is now governed by the most right-wing government in its history, with ultra-nationalists in senior positions.

Tensions have soared in the past week at the flashpoint shrine after an Israeli police raid on the mosque.

On several occasions, Palestinians have barricaded themselves inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque with stones and firecrackers, demanding the right to pray there overnight, something Israel has in the past only allowed during the last 10 days of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Police removed them by force, detaining hundreds and leaving dozens injured.

The violence at the shrine triggered rocket fire by Palestinian militants from the Gaza Strip and southern Lebanon, starting on Wednesday, and Israeli air strikes targeted both areas.

In Lebanon, Hezbollahs media office announced that the militant groups chief, Hassan Nasrallah, received a delegation headed by Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh on Sunday.

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Israeli police escort Jewish visitors marking the Passover to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound (Mahmoud Illean/AP)

The two discussed the most important developments in occupied Palestine, the course of events at al-Aqsa Mosque, and the escalating resistance in the West Bank and Gaza, in addition to general political developments in the region, the readiness of the resistance axis and the co-operation of its parties, the statement said.

Haniyeh, who arrived in Lebanon last week shortly before rockets were launched at Israel from south Lebanon, had been scheduled to make a public appearance in Beirut on Friday.

But it was cancelled for security reasons following the exchange of strikes between Lebanon and Israel.

No group has officially claimed responsibility for the rocket attacks, but Israel has accused Hamas of being behind them.

Late on Saturday and early on Sunday, militants in Syria fired rockets in two salvos towards Israel and the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights.

A Damascus-based Palestinian group loyal to the Syrian government claimed responsibility for the first round of rockets, saying it was in retaliation for the Al-Aqsa raids.

In the first salvo, one rocket landed in a field in the Golan Heights.

Fragments of another destroyed missile fell into Jordanian territory near the Syrian border, Jordans military reported.

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Palestinians burn tyres during a protest over an Israeli police raid on the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalems Old City (Adel Hana/AP)

In the second round, two of the rockets crossed the border into Israel, with one being intercepted and the second landing in an open area, the Israeli military said.

Israel responded with artillery fire into the area in Syria from where the rockets were fired.

Later, the military said Israeli fighter jets attacked Syrian army sites, including a compound of Syrias 4th Division and radar and artillery posts.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed the violence in a telephone call with Israeli counterpart Isaac Herzog late Saturday, telling him that Muslims cannot remain silent about the provocations and threats against the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and said the hostilities that have spread to Gaza and Lebanon should not be allowed to escalate further.

In addition to the cross-border fighting, three people were killed over the weekend in Palestinian attacks in Israel and the occupied West Bank.

Hundreds of people, including national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, attended the funeral for two British-Israeli sisters, Maia Dee, 20, and Rina Dee, 15, who were killed in a shooting on Friday in the West Bank.

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Their mother, who was also shot in the attack, remains in hospital in a critical condition.

They were buried following an emotional ceremony in the Jewish settlement of Kfar Etzion in the West Bank.

As the two bodies were brought into the room, one of their sisters threw herself down and hugged the covered bodies.

May we and no-one else in the whole world ever know so much sorrow. Amen, said their father, Lee Dee.



People lay flowers at the site in Tel Aviv, Israel, where Italian tourist Alessandro Parini was killed in a Palestinian attack (Oded Balilty/AP)

Italian tourist Alessandro Parini, 35, a lawyer from Rome who had arrived in the city a few hours earlier with some friends for a brief Easter holiday, was killed in a suspected car-ramming on Tel Avivs beachside promenade on Friday.

More than 90 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire so far this year, at least half of them affiliated with militant groups, according to a tally by the Associated Press.

Palestinian attacks on Israelis have killed 19 people in that time, all but one of whom were civilians.
Almost half the ABCs forecasted $67 million budget to relocate staff to a new office in western Sydney will be spent on refurbishing its existing Ultimo headquarters just minutes from the citys Central Station.

The ABC announced last year it would relocate up to 300 staff from its offices in Ultimo to a new space in Parramatta Square to get its staff out of the inner city and better reflect Australia. But a newly released breakdown of the Sydney Accommodation Project shows $27.8 million will be spent on the modernisation and refurbishment of the ABCs inner-city headquarters.

The ABC has released the financial breakdown of its Parramatta Square relocation program.

Reinvestment in the Ultimo site will improve the working environment and facilities available to remaining teams and importantly will provide an opportunity for the ABC to sub-lease some of its facilities and gain an ongoing revenue stream, the ABC said in a statement. There will be no additional cost to the taxpayer in delivery of the project, as the costs for delivery are supported via the sale of ageing assets and the sub-leasing of seven floors of the ABCs Ultimo facility.

The projects budget was released in response to questions on notice from a Senate committee and shows how the ABC plans to spend the $95 million it received from selling its former television studios at Gore Hill, on Sydneys north shore, earlier this year.
Within hours of being fitted with the Essure, in November 2000, Sacqualini, who had the coil on her left side removed in 2020, remembers being on the bathroom floor passing giant blood clots, about the size of a cigarette packet. I was in that much pain, I thought my uterus was inverting, she said. I thought I was bleeding to death. In the following years, hundreds of thousands women worldwide were implanted with the device, first manufactured by Conceptus Inc, which was bought by pharmaceutical multinational Bayer in 2013. Accounts of the implant piercing the womb or breaking, metal poisoning, extreme hair loss, chronic pain, fatigue and bleeding, repeated miscarriages and pregnancies and a feeling of despair are among the many dozens of adverse event reports lodged with Australias medical devices regulator.

Slater and Gordon Lawyers is representing about 1000 women in the court action against Bayer and other related companies. Because the procedure was irreversible, more than half of these women had to resort to hysterectomy (removal of the uterus) or removal of fallopian tubes to get the device out of their bodies, according to the law firm. The remaining women plan to have the device removed. While Bayer paid out about $2.4 billion to settle lawsuits in the United States, the company continues to deny there were widespread problems with Essure. In a statement, a spokesperson said the company had confidence that the evidence in the upcoming Australian case would demonstrate it was not responsible for the alleged injuries. Bayer stands behind the safety and efficacy of Essure which is supported by an extensive body of research (including 10 clinical trials and over 70 real-world observational studies), undertaken by Bayer and independent medical researchers, involving more than 270,000 women over the past two decades, the spokesperson said. It is important to understand that adverse reports do not make any determination or conclusion about whether a medical device had any relationship to, or caused, the injury.

Slater and Gordon senior associate Kylie Trounson said the initial clinical trials concentrated on whether the device was effective to prevent pregnancy and were not sufficiently focused on whether the device was safe. Trounson said Essure underwent no randomised controlled trial, the gold standard for testing medical devices, and it was released to the market in Australia before sufficient long-term data on its safety was available. She said that for a device that you could only remove by taking out a womans organs, this was unacceptable. We question why it was developed in the first place. Monique Emmett, from Yarrawarrah in Sydney, said that after she was fitted with the Essure in 2007 following the birth of her third child, she was in so much pain she was sometimes unable to walk.

Monique Emmett said she suffered extreme pain after she was fitted with the Essure contraceptive device. This photo was taken after it was removed. I would have to crawl if someone was at the front door because I just couldnt get up, Emmett recalled. Emmett, 43, said she endured such heavy bleeding she was unable to leave the house some days and would go through an entire box of heavy-duty tampons in an hour. She had no sex drive, lost a lot of hair, developed severe depression and her marriage broke down. It wasnt until 2020, when she had her fallopian tubes containing the Essure devices removed, that the worst of her symptoms disappeared. I dont have brain fog. I havent had migraines, I can help my children  take them to sport and run around. I feel like Im a completely different person, Emmett said.

But to get to that point that youve got to get body parts taken out, thats not right. A hazard alert was issued by the Therapeutic Goods Administration related to the Essure in 2017 after a study ordered by the US Food and Drug Administration found that patients tended to have a higher rate of pain and abnormal bleeding compared to those who had their tubes tied. But for many Australian women, it wasnt until later, when they heard about legal action in the media, or joined social media groups, that they came to learn other women fitted with Essure were also complaining of side-effects. In 2018, after almost a decade trying to get answers from doctors about what was causing her crippling pain and fatigue, Tasmanian mother-of-two Allison Rosier was startled to see a television segment about the Essure class action.

Allison Rosier says she feels like a new person after having the Essure removed. In 2009, as an energetic hairdresser she had been sold Essure, she said, as a less invasive option to having her tubes tied, otherwise known as tubal ligation. She would be quickly back on her feet, she was told, an attractive proposition for someone running their own salon. A year after that I was getting this excruciating bloating and pain in my abdomen. I was swelling up and not being able to stand on my feet for the whole day ... The bleeding was through the roof. I couldnt even sleep. Rosier received a hysterectomy to remove the coils in 2018. She said life is so much better now, but she feels robbed of the lost years when her children were young. She recently found a Mothers Day card written by one of her sons when he said that he loved her, and he knew that she loved shopping and sleeping.
Queensland police have released chilling footage of a gunman firing a semiautomatic weapon during a dispute just north of Brisbane on Thursday.

It was the start of an alleged crime spree by the armed man, who police are desperately trying to locate.

CCTV footage allegedly showing Mitchell James Wilson firing a gun at a Brendale business on Thursday. Credit: Queensland Police Service

Detective Superintendent Andrew Massingham said Mitchell James Wilson, 27, was armed, dangerous, irrational and particularly unpredictable.

Massingham alleged Wilson, who had strong connections to the Redcliffe area, was involved in a string of violent incidents that culminated in a Sunnybank home being set on fire about 9.15pm on Thursday.
Green shoots in Queenslands devastated tourism industry have continued to sprout, but while domestic visitors are going strong, the international market is proving a more difficult nut to crack.

Data released on Easter Sunday shows high occupancy levels across the states accommodation this long weekend, with Agnes Water and Seventeen Seventy at 85 per cent, the Whitsundays at 90 per cent, and the Gold and Sunshine coasts both at 75 per cent.

Tourism bosses hope Brisbane Airports international arrivals hall will get busier soon. Credit: Jorge Branco

Brisbane Airport expected 1.4 million travellers this holiday period, while Gold Coast Airport expected 240,000, and Cairns Airport 70,000. But most of that was due to domestic travel.

Tourism Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said international tourism was still at about a quarter of pre-COVID levels, with a shortage of seats driving up prices.
Fourteen ageing portables run in two facing rows. Poky, poorly insulated and full of asbestos, they are where two-thirds of the schools 550 students learn each day.

But at the rear end of the school, its a much more modest scene.

Students at Brighton Primary School learn in ageing portables. The school community, led by council president Andrew Campbell (centre), has developed a master plan for a rebuild. Credit: Eddie Jim

A grand heritage building faces the street, built from sturdy brick almost 150 years ago, Gothic windows flanking the arched entranceway.

Brighton Primary School presents an impressive facade to the community.

The classrooms closest to the Sandringham railway line are also regularly disturbed by train noise.

Parents rock up and think, This is nice, wonderful old buildings, but the reality is that for most of their schooling kids are in these tiny, crummy portables, school council president Andrew Campbell says.

Like all state schools, Brighton Primary depends on government funding for capital works.

But come state budget time, it has been overlooked year after year, despite what it believes is a compelling case.

The school communitys frustration is compounded by the fact that every other government primary school in Melbournes bayside region has received capital funding in the past six years.
Ardern never courted fame, but she would have been mad to shun the global spotlight after the horror of the Christchurch attack, specifically the attention she received for responding to the moment with grace and high decency. Loading Ardern famously appeared on the cover of Time magazine in 2020, looking serene in white, ahead of the anniversary of the Christchurch killings. She was also on the covers of British and American Vogue, and the Australian Womens Weekly. Her popularity among magazine editors led to a 66-year-old Christchurch bricklayer, Colin Wilson, starting the Turn Ardern movement, which urged New Zealanders to turn over magazine covers featuring the then prime minister when they saw them on display. People are sick and tired of all the fluff articles  people want a prime minister and not a fashion model, Wilson told the New Zealand Herald in 2019. A lot of us feel she spends a lot of time doing photo shoots instead of running the country.

Arderns biographer Michelle Duff was scathing of the movement. The fact that a group of men are so threatened by the image of a powerful woman that they cant even bear to look at her face is not really all that funny, she said at the time. Loading It is hard to see any politician, male or female, turning down the opportunity to be featured in positive, beautifully shot media coverage. But with Ardern, you got the distinct impression that her good looks were held against her when it came to this sort of media coverage. It probably didnt help that she was of particular interest to womens magazines  fluff, in the words of Colin the bricklayer from Christchurch. In the profile accompanying the Time cover, Ardern was described as a Millennial woman whose style of leadership embodies strength and sanity, while also pushing an agenda of compassion and community. The article said that she has given New Zealand a new kind of soft power and asserted that world leaders were eager to be associated with her. Now her challenge is to prove this new style of leadership can get meaningful results, the journalist wrote. By the time she stepped down from the leadership in January, the people of New Zealand had begun to doubt she could. Polling showed support for her Labour Party was at the lowest it had been since she took office in 2017.

Ardern, who gave birth to baby Neve in office in 2018, said she was quitting because she no longer had enough in the tank. In an outgoing interview last week, she gave a one-word reason for leaving politics. She was, she said, tired. Her resignation came after an exponential increase in violent harassment, including death threats, and abuse against her, from extremists, including anti-vaxxer groups. Ardern said the violent hostility did have an impact on her, but that it was not the basis of her decision to step down. The departures of Germanys Angela Merkel and Scotlands Nicola Sturgeon leaves few female leaders around the world. Across the globe, Marin left office at the will of the Finnish people, when she lost to right-wing rivals at the general election. Marins party, the centre-left Social Democratic Party, increased its vote share and its parliamentary numbers, but it gained the lowest share of the vote compared to its two right-wing rivals. The more centrist conservative National Coalition party won 20.8 per cent of the vote, the populist, right-wing Finns party claimed 20.1 per cent, and Marins party took 19.9 per cent. In other words, the vote was split nearly evenly between three parties, a result reflective of both the increasing fragmentation of European politics, and the march to the right of many electorates there.

Marin was the most popular prime minister Finland has ever had, and like Ardern, she achieved the impossible  gaining global recognition and outsized attention for her small nation. In Finlands case, this was extremely useful when it came to Marins campaign for her country to join the NATO alliance, to buffer against an expansionist Russia. Loading But coverage of her prime ministership, and her election loss, has largely focused on the fact that her global fame didnt help her when it came to voter support at home.Voters didnt seem to trust her on the economy. Marin is also young and cool, and notoriously did a young cool person thing when she went out dancing with her friends last year. The images of her night out were published around the world. Many of the people in my circle called her the hot Finnish PM. The recently elected NSW Premier Chris Minns has just announced a 50 per cent female cabinet, and federally there are now as many women as men on the government benches. The Liberals lag on female representation, but it is acknowledged by anyone sensible that they need to address this to become electable again.
He warned against Europe becoming Americas followers. Loading If the tensions between the two superpowers heat up  we wont have the time nor the resources to finance our strategic autonomy and we will become vassals, Macron told the travelling journalists. The paradox would be that, overcome with panic, we believe we are just Americas followers. The question Europeans need to answer  is it in our interest to accelerate [a crisis] on Taiwan? No. The worse thing would be to think that we Europeans must become followers on this topic and take our cue from the US agenda and a Chinese overreaction.

Europeans cannot resolve the crisis in Ukraine; how can we credibly say on Taiwan, Watch out, if you do something wrong we will be there? If you really want to increase tensions thats the way to do it, he said. France has long held out an ambivalence for US power and influence over Europe. France, for example, forced the withdrawal of NATO headquarters from Paris in 1967 over fears of US political sway over the continent. Macron has also supported the creation of a European army that could function in place of NATO. Politico said that Macron conducted the interview in the stateroom of his A330 aircraft wearing a hoodie with the words French Tech written across the front. A short time later, he released on his social media channels a video of his visit to China that showed him being swarmed by Chinese citizens who would have been carefully selected by the CCP.

That carefully engineered interaction is in stark contrast to scenes at home following weeks of strikes and fires in Paris, following major protests over his plan to raise the pension age. Macrons comments on Taiwan are more conciliatory to Beijing than those made by EU Commission boss Ursula von der Leyen, who has taken a tougher stance on China, and whom Macron invited to accompany him on parts of his visit to Beijing. The trio held a meeting in which Xi gave talking points on all topics except for two. He went off script when Ukraine and Taiwan were raised, according to a source in the room. After the meeting, von der Leyen told reporters that security in the Taiwan Strait was of paramount importance and that the threat of force to change the status quo was unacceptable.

Macrons comments sparked widespread dismay and anger across Europe and in the United States, where Republican senator Marco Rubio urged European countries to clarify pretty quickly if Macron spoke for Europe or France alone. We need to ask Europe does he speak for them, because were pretty heavily involved in Ukraine right now, were spending a lot of our taxpayer money on a European war, he said in a video statement. And Ive supported that because I think thats in the national interest to the United States to be allies to our allies. But if our allies position, if in fact Macron speaks for all of Europe, and their position now is theyre not going to pick sides between the US and China over Taiwan, maybe we shouldnt be picking sides either?

Maybe we should say were going to be focusing on Taiwan and the threats that China poses and you guys handle Ukraine on your own? Loading German foreign policy scholar and China-watcher Ulrich Speck said Macrons comments vindicated Australias decision to tear up its contract for French-made submarines in favour of the AUKUS pact. Malcolm Davis from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute described Macrons comments as ill-conceived at best, and poorly timed given the situation in Ukraine, and the need for Europe and the US to work together to support Kyiv. Hes dramatically weakened trans-Atlantic unity in the face of a determined challenge from Moscow and Beijing, by promoting his concept strategic autonomy for Europe (with France leading of course  I wonder what the Germans must think?) and in doing so weakened NATO.
A European intelligence official worried that if Washington restricts allies access to future intelligence reports, it could leave them in the dark. Many of the leaked documents are labelled NOFORN, meaning they cannot be released to foreign nationals. But others were cleared to be shared with close US allies, including the Five Eyes alliance of the United States, Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. US intelligence about British and Canadian activities is contained in some of the documents, suggesting that the fallout from the leaks will not be limited to the United States. We need to manage this well both internally and externally, a second defence official said. There are lot of institutions and agencies involved. Ukrainian servicemen sit on their vehicle, on the frontline in Donetsk region on Saturday. Credit: AP The Justice Department has opened an investigation into the leak. A spokeswoman for Discord, where the earliest known copies of the images were posted, declined to comment. The full extent of the leak was unclear. The second defence official said that what had appeared online was likely the result of a single disclosure from one tranche of documents, but officials were not yet certain of that.

The 50 pages reviewed by The Washington Post involved nearly every corner of the US intelligence apparatus. The documents describe intelligence activities at the National Security Agency, the CIA, the Defence Intelligence Agency, law enforcement agencies and the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) - arguably the most secretive intelligence agency in the government, responsible for a multibillion-dollar constellation of spy satellites. US inside the Russian military The documents primarily concern the war in Ukraine and demonstrate how the United States is making assessments about the state of the conflict and where its headed. That analysis informs major policy decisions by the Biden administration, including what weapons to provide Ukraine and how to respond to Russias battlefield strategy. For instance, a February 23 overview of fighting in Ukraines Donbas region forecasts a grinding campaign of attrition by Russia that is likely heading toward a stalemate, thwarting Moscows goal to capture the entire region in 2023. That confident statement, which is printed in boldface type, is supported by information obtained from NRO-collected and commercial imagery, a new generation of infrared satellites, signals intelligence and liaison reporting, a reference to intelligence from a friendly government, about the high rate of Russian artillery fire, mounting troop losses and the militarys inability to make significant territorial gains over the past seven months.

The fact that the United States bases its assessments on many sources is no secret. But US officials said these more detailed disclosures could help Moscow thwart some avenues for collecting information. For example, the February 23 battlefield document names one of its sources as LAPIS time-series video. Officials familiar with the technology described it as an advanced satellite system that allows for better imaging of objects on the ground and that could now be more susceptible to Russian jamming or interference. They indicated that LAPIS was among the more closely guarded capabilities in the US intelligence arsenal. The documents also demonstrate what has long been understood but never publicly spelled out this precisely: The US intelligence community has penetrated the Russian military and its commanders so deeply that it can warn Ukraine in advance of attacks and reliably assess the strengths and weaknesses of Russian forces. rainian soldiers fire a mortar at Russian positions on the frontline near Bakhmut. Credit: AP A single page in the leaked trove reveals that the US intelligence community knew the Russian Ministry of Defence had transmitted plans to strike Ukrainian troop positions in two locations on a certain date in February and that Russian military planners were preparing strikes on a dozen energy facilities and an equal number of bridges in Ukraine. The documents reveal that US intelligence agencies are also aware of internal planning by the GRU, Russias military intelligence agency. One document describes the GRU planning a propaganda campaign in African countries with the goal of turning public support against leaders who support assistance to Ukraine and discrediting the United States and France, in particular. The Russian campaign, the report states, would try to plant stories in African media, including ones that tried to discredit Ukraine and its president, Volodymyr Zelensky.

Ukrainian vulnerabilities The documents point to numerous intelligence successes by the United States. But they also show how depleted Ukrainian forces have become after more than a year at war. Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during the US presidents surprise visit to Kyiv in February. Credit: AP A senior Ukrainian official on Saturday said the leaks had angered Kyivs military and political leaders, who have sought to conceal from the Kremlin vulnerabilities related to ammunition shortages and other battlefield data. The official said he was also concerned that more revelations of classified military intelligence were forthcoming. In the meantime, some of the now public intelligence could ignite diplomatic controversies.

The documents show that the United States has gained access to the internal plans of Russias notorious Wagner Group, a private military contractor that has supplied forces to Russias war effort, and that Wagner has sought to purchase arms from Turkey, a NATO ally. Loading In early February, Wagner personnel met with Turkish contacts to purchase weapons and equipment from Turkey for Vagners efforts in Mali and Ukraine, one report states, using a variation on the spelling of the groups name. The report further states that Malis interim president, Assimi Goita, had confirmed that Mali could acquire weapons from Turkey on Vagners behalf. Its unclear from the report what the Turkish government may have known about the efforts by Wagner or if they proved fruitful. But the revelation that a NATO ally may have been assisting Russia in its war on Ukraine could prove explosive, particularly as Turkey has sought to block the addition of Sweden into the ranks of the trans-Atlantic military alliance. A spokesperson for the Turkish government declined to comment. Malis Embassy in Washington didnt respond to a request for comment.

Two other pages from the leaked intelligence file speak to Wagners plans for hiring Russian prisoners to fight in Ukraine and note that the Russian military has become dependent on the private soldiers. Like the report on meetings involving Turkey, these cite their sources as coming from signals intelligence, a reference to electronic eavesdropping and communications intercepts. Officials generally view those as among the most productive forms of intelligence-gathering, but they are potentially perishable if they are exposed. Other intelligence reports among the leaked trove reflect on the geopolitical ramifications of the war in Ukraine. A summary of analysis from the CIAs World Intelligence Review, a daily publication for senior policymakers, says that Beijing is likely to view attacks by Ukraine deep inside Russian territory as an opportunity to cast NATO as the aggressor, and that China could increase its support to Russia if it felt the attacks were significant. Russian businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner mercenary group. Credit: AP US and European officials have eyed warily the alliance between Moscow and Beijing. So far, officials have said there is no indication that China has granted Russias request for lethal military aid. However, a Ukrainian attack on Moscow using weapons provided by the United States or NATO would probably indicate to Beijing that Washington was directly responsible for escalating the conflict and provide possible justification for China to arm Russia, the analysis concludes. The documents also show that Washington is keeping a close eye on Irans pursuit of a nuclear weapon. One briefing from February succinctly notes that in recent days Iran had conducted tests of short-range ballistic missiles. Another takes stock of a newly published report by the International Atomic Energy Agency on Irans efforts to expand its facilities for enriching uranium.

Those reports appear offered as routine updates to policymakers. But another, which purports to derive from signals intelligence and diplomatic reporting, offers a dim assessment on behalf of the US intelligence community of the IAEAs ability to carry out its nuclear security mission. Other reports provide updates on North Koreas nuclear weapons program, including missile tests. And in a reminder that the United States also spies on its allies, another document reports that South Koreas National Security Council in early March grappled with a US request that the country provide artillery ammunition to Ukraine, without unduly provoking Moscow. South Koreas national security adviser suggested possibly selling the munitions to Poland, which controls the main weapons supply routes, since it was the US goal to get the material to Ukraine quickly, the report said, citing signals intelligence. The original source of the leak remains unclear. The Post identified the user that shared the images in February and March who, according to a review of previous social media posts, is based in Southern California. A Twitter account using the same handle and avatar image as the Discord account wrote on Friday they had found some info from a now banned server and passed it on. A man who answered the door at a house registered to the Discord users father on Friday evening declined to comment. Im not talking to anyone, he said, closing the door of the familys home at the edge of a cul-de-sac. About three miles away, at a townhouse registered to the users mother, a knock at the door went unanswered. The parents did not respond to calls or messages.
By Elizabeth D Samet



THE LONG RECKONING: A Story of War, Peace, and Redemption in Vietnam Author: George Black

Publisher: Alfred A Knopf Pages: 478 Alfred A Knopf

Such stories typically end with the heroic relief of a starving garrison or the just-in-time resupply of fuel and munitions to keep an army rolling along. But what of the tragic coda: The hazardous mess an army leaves behind to be incinerated  in the toxic burn pits of Iraq and Afghanistan, for example  exploded or salvaged by the local population?



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Black focuses his attention largely on Vietnams Quang Tri and Thua Thien provinces along the Laotian border, home to a vital stretch of the Ho Chi Minh Trail  from the DMZ south into the A Shau Valley. All the worst legacies of the war were concentrated here, he writes, an area smaller than the state of Connecticut. The United States sprayed 750,000 gallons of chemicals (so-called rainbow herbicides, of which Agent Orange is the most notorious) on Quang Tri and more than 500,000 on the A Shau, in Thua Thien. The nation also unleashed more bombs on Quang Tri alone than had been dropped on Germany during World War II.

This is one of the questions addressed in George Blacks new book about the legacy of American involvement in Southeast Asia. In The Long Reckoning, Black, a British journalist living in New York and the author of several books on foreign policy, unites his areas of expertise in international affairs and the environment to explore a landscape littered with the detritus of war: Scrap metal, unexploded ordnance, soil and water contaminated by herbicides Americans sprayed, spilled and dumped over swaths of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.



The Long Reckoning comprises three parts: War, Peace and Redemption. In the first section Black sets the stage for post-war stories involving individual and communal suffering, diplomatic manoeuvring and geopolitical complexity.

A massive defoliation campaign to reduce cover for Vietnamese ambushes, known as Operation Ranch Hand, began in 1961. Soon, the US government began to authorise crop destruction as well. Black describes Ranch Hand as without precedent in history, using all the tools of science, technology and air power to lay waste to a countrys natural environment. By contrast, when the destruction of Japans rice crop had been proposed in 1944, Adm William Leahy, President Franklin D Roosevelts chief of staff, vetoed the idea, saying it would violate every Christian ethic I have ever heard of and all known laws of war.



It took longer for the United States to acknowledge potential damage done to the health of the Vietnamese, who were expected to meet an impossible burden of proof that had not been asked of American veterans. Among the most riveting of the books interconnected narratives is a forensic detective story in which scientists try to figure out how and where the contamination of soil and water occurred in Vietnam and Laos and assess the likelihood of its causing large clusters of birth defects.

Black periodically shifts the scene to the United States to explore two of the most bitter legacies of the war: The fate of POW/MIAs and Agent Orange, each a surrogate for emotions about the war itself. Regarding the contentious politics of the latter, Black reminds us that for years American officials were prohibited from even speaking the words Agent Orange in public, with their insinuation of war crimes, reparations and corporate liability. Efforts to secure compensation for Americans were also complicated by the scientific challenge of proving causation. The Agent Orange Act, which made ailing veterans eligible to apply for benefits by presuming the link between chemical exposure in theatre and subsequent illnesses, was passed in 1991.



In his fascinating description of life on the perilous Ho Chi Minh Trail, Black includes a vignette about a North Vietnamese porter. The unnamed man fortified his spirit against hunger, brutal labour, poison clouds of defoliant sprayed from C-123s, napalm and bombs by reciting poems from a volume of Walt Whitman he carried in his rucksack. When his unit captured an American soldier, the porter eagerly sought out the prisoners thoughts on Song of Myself.

Spurred by the findings of researchers, the consciences of politicians such as Senator Patrick Leahy and Vietnams emergence as a valuable strategic partner, the United States has undertaken the cleanup of some former bases. Yet, as Black acidly observes, the ribbon-cutting ceremony that launched the remediation project at Bien Hoa in 2019 made for a simple, stripped-down moral parable. America had done wrong; America had made it right; the story had a happy ending.



The reviewers most recent book is Looking for the Good War: American Amnesia and the Violent Pursuit of Happiness The episode is reminiscent of an ancient story about the survivors of Athens catastrophic expedition to Sicily (415-13 B.C.). Starving and dying in stone quarries, the invaders were in some cases offered their freedom in exchange for reciting the verses of Euripides for their Sicilian captors, who were great admirers of the Athenian tragedian. But theres a twist to Blacks story. The Vietnamese porter seeks the GIs opinion in vain: The man had never heard of Whitman. It seems an apt emblem for a war that alienated Americans from their country and themselves.

2023 The New York Times News Service

$35The lore of American military logistics celebrates triumphs of sustainment. Take the Civil War Cracker Line, a network of wagon roads and pontoon bridges opened in October 1863, which supplied the besieged federal forces at Chattanooga, Tennessee; the Red Ball Express, a truck convoy system established in France in 1944, which moved approximately 12,000 tonnes of materiel a day for 82 days to supply the Allied advance during World War II; or the monumental staging of the 1991 Gulf War, which the general in charge deemed the largest logistical move in history.


"APL announces the commissioning of its first 800 Mw ultra-super-critical thermal power generation unit at Godda in the Jharkhand state of India and begins supplying Bangladesh with 748 Mw of power," said the company in its statement. Adani Power Limited (APL), has started supply of electricity from the Godda power plant in Jharkhand to Bangladesh, the company said in a statement on Sunday.



The Godda Power Plant is a strategic asset in India and Bangladeshs long-standing relationship. It will ease the power situation in Bangladesh, making its industries and ecosystem more competitive," said S B Khyalia, CEO, APL. Godda was to commence power supply this March. However, the key beneficiary of the project, Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDP) had asked for relief from escalating imported coal prices. Godda power plant will source coal from the Carmichael mine in Australia, owned and operated by Adani Mining.



APL is expected to commission its second 800 Mw unit soon, the company said. In November 2017, BPDB signed a long-term Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with APLs wholly-owned subsidiary Adani Power Jharkhand Ltd (APJL) to procure 1,496 Mw net capacity power from the 2x800 Mw ultra-supercritical power project at Godda.

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Given the geopolitical tensions impacting global coal prices, the cost of coal from Carmichael has also escalated. Adani Power however said BPDB asked for a discount on coal cost. This February, BPDP sought for temporary relief in the cost of coal supplied for the plant, Business Standard reported.

BPDB has written to us to consider discounting the variable energy costs on a temporary basis given the current high thermal-seaborne coal prices, which is under consideration, said the emailed response to this paper.
Confirming the development, Ajay Jalan, founder and managing partner of Next Orbit, said the company is going to sell its entire stake in ISMC to the B C Jindal group in Delhi.



Next Orbit, an investment company based in Mumbai, says it made the move after the Indian Semiconductor Mission or ISM  the body which scrutinises the fab proposals  suggested that it should rope in a strategic investor for the project to be considered.


The airline will be paying a premium of $30 million (Rs 246 crore) for the financial year beginning April 1  same as the previous financial year. Tata AIG General Insurance and other insurance companies have won the mandate to provide insurance cover worth $10 billion to Air India and its subsidiary Air India Express fleet.



The leader will take home a higher share of the premium (around 36 per cent of premium) and also take a higher risk when compared to other members of the consortium. Tata Sons, which is now the new owner of the airline, has picked up its own subsidiary Tata AIG General Insurance, a joint venture with AIG of United States, as the lead insurer for the airline by giving it a larger share of insurance premium as compared to New India Assurance  the previous leader of the consortium.



Air India is planning to add more aircraft in the ongoing financial year and hence it has increased its cover to $10 billion as compared to $8 billion cover taken for the financial year ending March 2023. The insurance cover will be provided to Air India's 140 aircraft and Air India Express' 26 narrow-body aircraft. An industry source said, despite the war in Ukraine, the airline managed to get good insurance rates for its entire fleet.

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An email to Tata and Air India did not elicit any response. Apart from Tata AIG and NIA, other insurers in the consortium are GIC Re, United India Insurance, Oriental Insurance Company, and ICICI Lombard General Insurance. According to international practice, the local insurance companies will pass on 95 per cent of the premium and risk to the foreign reinsurers. AIG is one of the largest players in the aviation reinsurance market.



Besides, the merger of AirAsia India and Air India Express and Air India and Tata SIA is giving more negotiating power to the Tatas. The airline has ordered 470 new planes and the insurance cover will depend on the delivery schedule over the next few years. The airline also has the option to buy another 370 planes thus taking the order size to 840 planes.





Air India is undergoing a merger with Tata SIA Airlines which would help the airline to negotiate a better deal with the insurance companies in future as more aircraft will be added to the cover, said a source close to the development. Tata SIA Airlines, which operates under the Vistara brand, has a fleet of 54 aircraft.



The airline on Thursday said it onboarded more than 3,800 staff across crew and other functions, and rolled out more than 29 new policies for employees in the last six months as part of the initiatives under its five-year transformation plan. In the 2023-24 renewal policy, Air India has added a few aircraft on lease and hence its sum assured of the policy has gone up to $10 billion.



Flight path Air India is putting in $200 million in information technology systems and is also committed to investing $400 million to completely refurbish existing aircraft.


The development comes in the backdrop of some WTO member-nations, mainly by Australia, Canada, and the US, raising questions over Indias minimum support price (MSP) programme for food grains, particularly rice, since the subsidy has breached the suggested limit thrice. Even as some developed nations raised questions that Indias highly subsidised public stock holding (PSH) programme is affecting food security of other countries, India stood firm in its position at a World Trade Organization (WTO) meeting stating that it is the other way around.



We have ensured the food security of other countries by ensuring our own food security, the person cited above said. Under the trade norms, a WTO members food subsidy bill should not breach the limit of 10 per cent of the value of production. India has invoked the peace clause under WTO norms to protect its food procurement programme against any action from member-nations in case the limit is breached. In a recent meeting of the WTOs committee on agriculture in Geneva, India defended its position stating that Indias requirement for rice is much more than the overall global export of the food grain. Had we not been maintaining adequate stocks (during the time of crisis), we would have been dependent on the rest of the world. The global exports of rice were 56 million tonnes (mt) in 2021. India distributed 58 mt rice to its 800 million beneficiaries. If we required 58 mn of rice from other nations, then prices of rice in the global markets would have skyrocketed, a person aware of the discussions said. That would then have adversely impacted the food security of the less developed nations, the person added.



In the committees previous meeting on agriculture during the last week of March, India countered the questions raised and made a presentation on Indias food security programme. India also clarified that food grains procured under MSP are not exported. Even though countries cannot take India to any dispute, they can have consultations with developing countries and pose them with queries regarding breaching the limits. India, on its part, notifies its domestic support to the WTO.

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In this section

take two

More than 408.2 mn loans amounting to Rs 23.2 trn sanctioned under PMMY

India's coal imports rise 32% to 148.58 mn tonnes in Apr-Feb: Report

Real estate institutional investment up 37% to $1.65 bn in Jan-Mar: Report

Govt to set up 16th Finance Comm in 2023 for Centre-state tax devolution

India imported more Russian crude oil than ever in January, shows data

Why India may have to rework Russian oil purchase if a price cap is imposed

As Russia becomes India's premier oil supplier, Saudi is not losing sleep

Russia pulls off revolution in India's overall crude oil basket

Analysts see pressure on RIL, OMC's profitability amid firm oil prices

Over the past year, cheap Russian crude has proved to be a Sanjeevini, a wonder herb, for Indian refiners, which, on one hand, were hemmed in by directions to keep pump prices flat, and, on the other, faced surging crude levels. Russia is now the biggest supplier of crude to India, accounting for around 37 per cent of total crude shipments in March, and sold at sizable discounts compared to the rates India pays its traditional West Asian suppliers.

But in a surprise move last week, the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) put pressure on this cheap source of crude. Led by Saudi Arabia, Opec announced that it would slash output, threatening to send crude prices higher to $100 a barrel levels this year, analysts say. High crude prices will create further obstacles for Indian refiners to procure discounted Urals crude after the December round of G-7 sanctions set a price cap for sales of Russian oil at $60 a barrel.

The risks to In

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In this section

Centre notifies committee on pension schemes for govt employees

Panel to review pension scheme: Difference between NPS and OPS explained

BoM strengthens ease of banking for customers; launches new products

Banks sanction Rs 23.2 trn to about 400 mn beneficiaries under Mudra Yojana

RBI Monetary Policy: Repo rate up by 25 bps, FY23 inflation pegged at 6.5%

NBFCs' share in India's lending pie fell to 5-year low of 19.8% in H1FY23

MPC lowers projection for inflation, raises growth outlook a bit in FY24

RBI MPC: Here is what experts have to say about the policy announcement

RBI hikes repo rate by 35 bps to 6.25%, cuts FY23 GDP forecast to 6.8%

Last year, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das did some plain speaking at the third edition of the Global Fintech Fest in Mumbai in September 2022, cautioning that it was imperative for fintech firms to obey traffic rules, for their own safety and that of others. And pay attention to governance, business conduct, regulatory compliance and risk-mitigation frameworks, he warned.

Yet two months later, an internal survey by the Fintech Association for Consumer Empowerment  in collaboration with the Center for Financial Inclusion, an American think-tank  saw governance risk being ranked as low as 19 by non-lenders, and another three spots lower by lenders. If fintechs are not getting the message from Mint Road (or worse still, ignoring it), what explains this state of affairs, given the billions of dollars in private equity (PE) and venture capital (VC) money riding on them?

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The proposed Rs 10,000-crore project in Greater Noida has twice failed to attract bidders ostensibly due to the massive investment requirement and prohibitive bidding terms. Noida Film City, the ambitious 1,000-acre project conceived by Uttar Pradesh (UP) Chief Minister (CM) Yogi Adityanath, will get another chance to see the light of day, with a third round of global bidding expected soon.



Though the Yogi 2.0 government revised the bidding terms last year for the second round of tendering, the project failed to enthuse prospective bidders with the final deadline of March 31  which was interestingly extended several times  coming to nought. Noida Film City was envisioned to rival the Mumbai film industry by providing a one-stop world-class filmmaking ecosystem, along with modern air and road connectivity.



Following the bidding fiasco, the state government is now looking to provide more incentives and possibly tweak the contract terms, dividing the project into two to three phases and floating separate bids. This would considerably pare the investment basket, allowing more private parties to bid. The first round of global bidding was floated by the nodal agency Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) in November 2021. It attracted a single bidder against the minimum mandate of three private bidders.

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The CM (Yogi) wants to develop a Film City that would provide the entire value chain of filmmaking services and infrastructure in one place, he said, adding that the state government is expected to decide on the new model to be adopted to kick-start the project. Meanwhile, Jewar Member of Legislative Assembly, Dhirendra Singh, told Business Standard that the authority owned nearly 70 per cent of the required land and the rest would be acquired from farmers.



K C Bokadia had come in connection with the Film City project. I also met with Madhur Bhandarkar and other filmmakers in Mumbai. The state government will take a call on giving more incentives in this regard, Singh said, adding that the strategic location of the project makes it enviable for filmmakers. According to reports, noted filmmaker K C Bokadia has also sought 250 acres of land to develop a portion of the Noida Film City with an initial investment of Rs 500 crore. He met YEIDA Chief Executive Officer Arun Vir Singh and visited the site of the proposed Film City in Sector 21, which falls in the vicinity of the Yamuna Expressway.



Moreover, the government is aware of the popularity of over-the-top media streaming platforms. Therefore, a high-capacity data centre along with pre-production and post-production infrastructure, processing labs, VFX and digital technology at the international level will be set up in Film City. In September 2020, the Yogi government 1.0 announced plans to develop a state-of-art Noida Film City spanning 1,000 acres in the National Capital Region. The site is an hour away from New Delhi and is close to Jewar International Airport, which is now under construction.



A subsidy of 25 per cent, capped at Rs 50 lakh, would be given for setting up studios/laboratories (labs) in the state. If studios/labs are set up in the relatively backward areas of Purvanchal, Vindhyachal, and Bundelkhand regions, the subsidy would be 35 per cent, with a ceiling of Rs 50 lakh. Meanwhile, this February, the Yogi Cabinet approved the new UP Film Policy 2023 whose provisions apply to films made in the proposed Noida Film City as well. The new policy promises a 50 per cent subsidy on the cost of films made in local dialects of Awadhi, Braj, Bundeli or Bhojpuri. For films in English, Hindi or other languages, the subsidy will be 25 per cent.
The Congress on Sunday came out in support of veteran party leader and Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot after his former deputy Sachin Pilot claimed that the senior Congressman did not act on any complaint against BJP leader Vasundhara Raje over corruption allegations, and announced holding a one-day fast on April 11 as a mark of protest.

In a statement, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh said: "The Congress government in Rajasthan with Gehlot as chief minister has implemented a large number of schemes and taken many new initiatives that have impacted the people profoundly. This has given the state a leadership position in governance in our country."

He said the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Rajasthan was an outstanding success made possible by the dedication and determination of the party organisation in the state.

"Later in the year, the Congress will seek a renewed mandate from the people on the strength of these landmark achievements and the collective efforts of our organisation," he added.

Earlier, hitting out at Gehlot, former Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot said: "No action was taken on corruption in the Vasundhara government. While being in the opposition, we had promised that an inquiry would be conducted. As 6-7 months are left for the election, questions could be raised if there was any alliance between Gehlot and Raje. Action will have to be taken soon to prove that it is not. Congress workers should also feel that there is no difference between our words and action."

"While in the opposition during the Vasundhara Raje-led government, we had raised our voice about scams worth Rs 45,000 crore and had promised that our government would come and investigate these scams," Pilot said.

Also Read As Cong prez poll nears climax, focus to shift on Gehlot-Pilot duel in Raj Cong walks factionalism tightrope during Bharat Jodo Yatra's Rajasthan leg Gehlot vs Pilot: Groups fight for dominance in Bharat Jodo Yatra hoardings Cong fully united, focused on making Bharat Jodo Yatra historic: Pilot Gehlot's interview: Congress says he shouldn't have used certain words Congress in search for next big idea as Budget session gets washed out Triple-engine govt must for state's rapid development, says Adityanath Will file defamation case against Rahul over 'Adani' tweet: Assam CM Ration cards of 230,000 families reissued after verification: CM Khattar Challenges galore in tiger conservation in India: Status Tiger-2022 report

--IANS

miz/pgh
Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday attended the Mega Bihu programme at Tezpur organized by the Sonitpur district administration.

Speaking on the occasion, CM Sarma said, "Assam is going all out its effort to set a Guinness World Record for the world's largest performance of Bihu dance on April 14 in Guwahati in presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi."

"On April 14 during the Rongali Bihu celebration, over 11,000 folk dancers and musicians will gather at Guwahati's Sarusajai Stadium and will perform the Bihu dance," he added.

Preparations for the largest performance of Bihu are underway across the state.

Earlier, the Assam government launched a publicity campaign in the national capital to celebrate the upcoming Rongali Bihu on April 14, where the largest demonstration in a single venue with about 11,000 Bihu dancers will perform, in presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Observed in the first week of the month Bohag (mid-April) every year, Rongali or Bohag Bihu heralds the Assamese New Year and is widely celebrated among the community. The Assamese celebrate Bihu thrice a year, which signifies the distinct cycles of farming - Bhogali or Magh Bihu in January, Bohag or Rongali Bihu in April, and Kongali Bihu in October.

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On the day of Bihu, various traditional delicacies prepared coconut, rice flour, sesame, and jaggery, among others. Singing, feasting, exchanging gifts, seeking blessings from elders, donning new attire, and performing the traditional Bihu dance in open fields and on stage are part and parcel of the Bihu celebrations.

The Himanta Biswa Sarma-led Assam government is leaving no stone unturned to make the upcoming Bihu festival in Guwahati the greatest spectacle in terms of the congregation, and to make an entry into the Guinness Book of World Records.

Chief Minister Sarma is closely monitoring the preparations for the upcoming event and making it a roaring success.
With Karnataka Assembly elections scheduled to be held next month, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will hold its Central Election Committee meeting on Sunday, said sources.

According to sources, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP chief JP Nadda, party general secretary B L Santhosh and members of the party's Central Election Committee will be present at the meeting.

Earlier on Saturday, Shah held a meeting at BJP president Nadda's residence in the national capital to discuss and finalise the list of candidates for the May 10 polls.

Karnataka BJP president Nalinkumar Kateel, former Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa, Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and other leaders were also present at Nadda's residence.

Party sources said the core group of the BJP in Karnataka have shortlisted three names for each Assembly seat, which will be placed before the Central Election Committee. The party's central leadership will brainstorm these names before locking the candidates.

On April 4, the BJP's core group in Karnataka drew up a shortlist of candidates in a meeting with the party's national general secretary Arun Singh, state election in-charge Dharmendra Pradhan, co-in-charge Mansukh Mandaviya, Central Election Committee member Annamalai, former chief minister Yediyurappa and his successor and incumbent Basavaraj Bommai.

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The BJP emerged as the largest single party in the last Assembly elections, winning 104 seats, with the Congress winning 80 and the JD(S) 37 seats.

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar had on March 29 this year announced the poll schedule for the election of the 224-member Karnataka Legislative Assembly. The counting of votes for the Assembly will be held on May 13.

The term of the current Karnataka Legislative Assembly is set to end on May 24, this year.

Earlier, speaking to reporters, Bommai said a discussion over the selection of candidates for 224 Assembly constituencies will take place at the core committee meeting of the BJP.

"Today, an important meeting is to be held under the guidance of BJP national president JP Nadda. During this meeting, a discussion over candidate selection for 224 assembly seats will be done. And tomorrow Parliamentary board of the party is also meeting," the Karnataka chief minister said.

BJP is yet to declare its candidates for the polls.

Congress MP Surjewala on Friday, at a press briefing in Delhi, said his party had announced most of the seats, "but the BJP could not declare a single seat. I want to ask JP Nadda, why are you scared? Do JP Nadda, PM Modi, Amit Shah and CM Bommai think that announcement of seats will lead to issues in the party?"

Chief Minister Bommai hit back saying that the principal Opposition party in Karnataka could not find candidates for many seats and eventually got them from other parties.

Former Karnataka chief minister and BJP leader BS Yediyurappa on Friday said the party would soon finalise the list of candidates for the Assembly elections.

The only southern state where the BJP is in power, Karnataka is currently witnessing a high-pitched poll campaign as the saffron party bids to retain their hold of the state.

A top BJP source said the ruling party has planned to carpet-bomb the state with campaigns featuring heavyweights.

"The names of 40-star campaigners have also been decided for Karnataka. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, former Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Goa CM Pramod Sawant, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, and several Union ministers like Rajnath Singh, Smriti Irani, Nirmala Sitharaman have been included in the list. All have been asked to give two weeks' time in the poll-bound state," he added.

Congress and Janata Dal-Secular have announced 166 and 93 candidates respectively, so far, for the Karnataka polls.
A meeting of senior Congress leaders regarding the selection of candidates for the Karnataka elections will be held at party president Mallikarjun Kharge's residence this evening, said party sources.

Party sources said that Rahul Gandhi is also likely to attend this meeting. Congress is yet to announce the names of candidates for 58 seats in Karnataka.

With the Karnataka Assembly polls drawing near, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday appointed a fifth working president of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee in the form of former Lok Sabha BN Chandrappa.

While Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar is the KPCC president, the party already has 4 other working presidents in the form of Ramalinga Reddy, Eshwar Khandre, Saleem Ahmed and Satish Jarkiholi.

Chandrappa was elected a Lok Sabha member from Chitradurga in 2014-19.

Elections in Karnataka are slated to be held in a single phase on May 10 and the counting of votes will be held on May 13.

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The ruling BJP currently holds a majority in the Assembly with 119 seats while the Congress and the JD(S) have 75 and 28 seats respectively.

All three key political players in the state -- BJP, Congress and the JD(S) -- have been exchanging barbs as their poll campaign moves through the gears.


Technicians are conducting over 60,000 more tests a day now than they were a month ago. On Sunday, health ministry data showed a slight dip in the number of positive cases at 5,357, though both daily and weekly positivity rates are still above three per cent. A day before hospitals across states get ready for a mock drill, there has been a pick-up in testing numbers for Covid. Over the past month, the number of daily tests conducted rose by 84 per cent to 137,412 on a seven-day moving average basis as on April 8, shows the latest data from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).









The seven-day moving average of daily tests was 74,678 on March 8 (chart 1). The seven-day moving average corrects for any anomalies because of lower testing on the weekend.



According to experts, the high rate of positivity is also due to lower levels of testing in states, with most people either going for home tests or not testing at all. The health ministry called for expeditiously raising the rate of testing and the sharing of RT-PCR in overall tests in 23 states where testing levels were found to be below the national average. At the current rate, India is conducting 100 tests per million.

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The number of cases detected have remained over the 5,000 mark for four days in a row. Current numbers remain close to what was seen in September 2022. There were 34,011 cases detected in the week ending Sunday. The figure on the previous Sunday was 18,458. The weekly number of cases has been above the 10,000 mark since March 28th, shows an analysis of data from the World Health Organisation and the latest government numbers (chart 2).
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal will hold a series of meetings with leaders and top CEOs of France and Italy next week during his three-day visit to these two countries to further boost trade and investment ties.

The minister will be on an official visit to France (Paris) and Italy (Rome) on April 11-13. He will be accompanied by a delegation of top Indian CEOs.

In France, Goyal along with Olivier Becht, Minister delegate of Foreign Trade, Attractiveness and French Nationals Abroad, Government of France, will co-chair the India-France Business Summit on April 11, the commerce ministry said in a statement on Sunday.

The summit will focus on various themes, including building a green future, emerging technologies, defence cooperation and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific regions, it added.

Goyal is also scheduled to meet with French business leaders across various sectors and will attend a CEOs roundtable.

Both Indian and French ministers will participate in an event that will showcase India's cultural heritage and soft power and are expected to witness the participation of over 600 dignitaries from the French government, the Indian business diaspora in France and members of the French business community.

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Goyal will also be interacting with members of the Indian community in Paris.

In Rome, the statement said, Goyal would meet Antonio Tajani, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

"He is scheduled to meet top Italian CEOs for bilateral meetings followed by CEOs Interactive Business Session, where 35 CEOs are likely to participate," the ministry said, adding this would be followed by a meeting with Adolfo Urso, Minister of Enterprises and Made in Italy, who would also interact with Indian CEOs.

There are over 1,000 French businesses in India in different sectors, such as defence, ITES, consulting, engineering services, and heavy industry.

France is the 11th largest foreign investor in India, with a cumulative FDI of USD 10.5 billion between April 2000 and December 2022. It accounts for about 1.7 per cent of the total FDI (USD 625.3 billion) that India has received during the period.

India-France bilateral trade stood at USD 12.42 billion in 2021-22. During April-January 2022-23, India's exports to France stood at USD 6.5 billion, while imports aggregated at USD 4.36 billion. The trade gap is in favour of India.

In 2021, a dedicated desk was set up by Invest India for investor queries for French businesses.

Italy is among India's top 5 trading partners in the EU.

India-Italy bilateral trade stood at over USD 13 billion in 2021-22. During April-January 2022-23, India's exports to Italy stood at USD 7.15 billion, while imports aggregated at USD 4.6 billion. The trade gap is in favour of India.

Italy is the 17th largest foreign investor in India, with a cumulative FDI of USD 3.25 billion between April 2000 and December 2022. It accounts for about 0.52 per cent of the total FDI India received during the period.

The main items of Indian exports to Italy are ready-made garments, leather, iron ore, motor vehicles, textiles, chemicals, gems and jewellery. Main imported items include machinery, machine tools, metallurgical products and engineering items.

Around 140 large Italian companies are active in India. Some of the major Italian companies that have invested in India are FIAT Auto, Heinz Italia, Italcementi, Necchi Compressori, Perfetti, Lavazza, ENI, SAI India, Isagro (Asia) Agrochemicals and Piaggio.

Indian companies present in Italy are in sectors such as IT, electronics, pharmaceuticals, automobile, textile and engineering.

The prominent Indian companies operating in Italy include Tata, TCS, Wipro, Engineers India Limited, L&T, Mahindra & Mahindra, Ranbaxy, and Raymonds. SBI has a representative office in Milan. Six Italian banks have representation in India.

The top sectors attracting FDI inflows from Italy are the automobile industry/ transportation, food processing, metallurgical industry, textiles, electrical equipment and others.
India's Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu has said that Khalsa is a uniting and not a dividing force, days after instances of violence at the Indian missions by a small group of pro-Khalistan supporters.

Sandhu, who comes from an illustrious Sikh family, made the remarks on Saturday at an event where he was presented with the prestigious Sikh Hero Award from Sikhs of America along with several other eminent Sikh Americans.

Khalsa, which was created on the Baisakhi day, by Guru Gobind Singh is a uniting and not a dividing force, Sandhu said in his keynote address at the event, which was attended by eminent Sikh Americans from across the country.

The Khalsa tradition was initiated in 1699 by the tenth Guru of Sikhism, Guru Gobind Singh.

The important concepts and fundamentals in the Sikh religion and history include universality, unity, equality, honest living, seva, meditation, peace of mind, and harmony between people, he said.

The Khalsa flag -- which flies at the Akal Takht and Nishan Sahibs -- is a flag of unity, peace and universal love, the Indian diplomat said, asserting that Sikhism is a religion of inclusion, brotherhood, love, equality and dive



We must keep these cardinal virtues in mind and not what a couple of mischievous characters spin using virtual media, Singh said in an apparent reference to the instances of violence by a small group of separatists in the US, Canada, UK and Australia.

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In his speech, Sandhu shared with the Sikh diaspora the rise of India and some of the key accomplishments of the country in key sectors of economy, digitisation, health and entrepreneurship.

In such a scenario, Punjab and the youth in Punjab need to be connected with the economic, financial, tech and digital revolution happening in India, Sandhu said.

The government, people and in particular the youth must take advantage of the expanding partnership with the US in various fields that Prime Minister Modi and President Biden are trying to put in place, he said.

Noting that youth and their parents are spending millions of dollars for sending their children to the US and Canada, Sandhu said the New Education Policy that has been put in place, and the efforts of the Prime Minister will ensure that such education is available in India as well as Punjab.

Delighted to receive Hero Award from Sikhs of America. Spoke about imp tenets of Sikhism: seva, brotherhood, equality, inclusion & honesty, Sandhu said in a tweet after the event. Highlighted the strengthening of US India partnership and tech and infra transformation taking place in India and huge opportunities for the youth, he tweeted.

In his welcome address, Jasdip Singh Jassee, chairman of Sikhs of America highlighted the role played by awardees in their respective fields. He said that violence has no place in the community.

Others who received the prestigious Sikh Hero Award included entrepreneur and philanthropist Darshan Singh Dhaliwal; Gurbir Singh Grewal, former New Jersey Attorney General; former Hoboken Mayor Ravi Singh Bhalla, and entrepreneur Manraj Singh Kahlon. Slain Sikh police officer Sandeep Dhaliwal was presented the award posthumously.
India logged 5,357 new coronavirus cases, while the active cases rose to 32,814, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Sunday.Amid rising Covid-19 cases, a nationwide mock drill to take stock of hospital preparedness will be held on April 10 and 11 in which both public and private facilities are expected to participate. Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya will visit AIIMS, Jhajjar on April 10 to oversee the mock drill, officials said on Sunday.Meanwhile, the BJP Central Election Committee met today to finalise the party's candidates for the Karnataka assembly polls scheduled for May 10.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union ministers Rajnath Singh and Amit Shah, BJP president J P Nadda and other members of the CEC were joined by senior party leaders, including Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, as they deliberated on the names of probable candidates.
Firing a fresh salvo at the government, the Congress on Sunday pointed to Adani Group's alleged China links and asked why the conglomerate is still being permitted to operate ports in India.

Attacking the Centre, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh cited a media report which claimed that the government denied security clearance in 2022 to a consortium of APM Terminals Management and Taiwan's Wan Hai Lines after agencies discovered a connection between a Wan Hai director and a Chinese firm.

This blocked the consortium's bid to operate a container handling terminal at the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority, Ramesh said in a statement, pointing out that it is a government policy to prevent Chinese firms and entities with Chinese connections from operating ports and terminals in India.

"This raises fresh questions about the Adani Group's China links. As we have repeatedly pointed out in our Hum Adani ke Hain Kaun (HAHK) series of questions to PM Narendra Modi, Chinese citizen Chang Chung-Ling is closely associated with the Adani Group," Ramesh alleged.

"His son owns PMC Projects, a firm that has constructed ports, terminals, rail lines, power lines and other infrastructure assets for the Adani Group. The Adani Group and PMC were alleged to be involved in a Rs 5,500 crore power equipment over-invoicing scam by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence," he claimed.

Ramesh also said the Adani Group has been known to have operated at least two Shanghai-based shipping companies, one of which was involved in the "illegal sale of petroleum products to the close China ally North Korea".

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Given these close China links, why is the Adani Group being permitted to operate ports in India, Ramesh asked.

"Why is it being permitted to buy up port after port, in some cases after raids on previous owners, with no thought to the serious security implications?" he said.

The opposition led by the Congress has been seeking a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe in the Adani issue after the Hindenburg Research made a litany of allegations, including fraudulent transactions and share-price manipulation, against the Group.

The Gautam Adani-led group has dismissed the charges as lies, and said they comply with all laws and disclosure requirements.
Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Sunday accused Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena of claiming credit for the work done by the city government to clean the Yamuna river.

Earlier in the day, Saxena visited the supplementary drain in Wazirabad and said, "We are not working for credit but to give clean Yamuna to the people."



Following his remark, Bharadwaj alleged that Saxena did not have the constitutional power to allocate money for projects and only the Delhi government could do that.

Addressing a press conference, the minister also shared a list of various initiatives taken by the Delhi government to clean the Yamuna.

"His job is not to visit drains but various police stations that come under him. There are 350 police stations in Delhi. He should visit them. But he visits drains where work is going on and claims credit for the work being done by the government," he said.

"Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has never raised the issue but this has been happening," Bharadwaj added.

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Delhi's Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena, on Sunday set June 30 as the deadline to clean the river Yamuna in National Capital, and said he will have no objection if any minister wants to take credit for their work.

"River Yamuna will be cleaned in Delhi by June 30. I have no objection if any minister wants to take credit for our work," LG VK Saxena said without naming anyone.

"The cleaning of Yamuna is going on at a fast pace. Najafgarh drains are being cleaned. 15-16 drains have also been fixed. We will clear the 22 km stretch of Yamuna in Delhi by that time. The work of cleaning the filth on the banks of the Yamuna is also going on in mission mode. We cleaned the Qudsiya Ghat in 15 days," he said.

Previously in March, VK Saxena chaired a meeting to devise ways for the revival of the Najafgarh Lake on the Delhi-Haryana Border, which is pivotal to the overall cleaning of River Yamuna in the national capital, an official release said.

"The major sources of pollution in the Najafgarh Lake, including the huge quantity of domestic and industrial effluent coming from Gurugram and the possible ways to overcome the pollution in the lake and preserve the aquatic life, were discussed threadbare in the meeting that coincided with the World Water Day," the statement had added.

"We are not working for taking credit but trying to provide a good environment to the people of Delhi. Even the Supreme Court has monitored Yamuna cleaning operations for 28 years. I want everyone to work together and clean the Yamuna," LG told ANI.

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The Delhi government have decided to set up an ammonia removal plant to treat polluted Yamuna water coming from Haryana. The decision was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by CM Arvind Kejriwal in March, who gave instructions to set up the plant within six months.

Delhi Jal Board is trying to set up an in-situ treatment plant near the pond itself. DJB has started work on this. It is our endeavour to reduce the pollution level of ammonia present in the water by installing an in-situ treatment plant near the pond.

Through the in-situ treatment plant, the amount of ammonia will be reduced in the water to such an extent that when the treated water is sent from there to the water treatment plant, that water can be completely treated there and become potable. Delhi Jal Board aims to get rid of this problem within 6 months, a press note from the Delhi government stated earlier.

As a matter of fact, the water that Delhi gets from Haryana through the Yamuna is treated in the Wazirabad and Chandrawal water treatment plants of the city. Officials said that since December 11, Delhi is getting almost zero river water from Haryana. The water that is visible in the Yamuna near the Wazirabad Water Treatment Plant is not actually of the Yamuna, but the industrial waste from Panipat and Sonipat, which is coming into the Yamuna through their drains.

The amount of pollutant elements in this water is so high that it is very difficult to cure it with a water treatment plant. Officials said that several letters have also been written by the Delhi Jal Board to the Haryana government on the issue of polluted water coming into the Yamuna. But the Haryana government has not taken any cognizance of those letters.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, along with fellow Shiv Sena MPs and MLAs, will visit Ayodhya on Sunday.

This is Shinde's first visit to the temple town since being sworn in as Maharashtra chief minister in June last year.

Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also left for Ayodhya from Mumbai on Sunday.

Shinde and other Shiv Sena leaders flew down to Lucknow on Saturday. Shinde was welcomed by his Uttar Pradesh counterpart Yogi Adityanath at the Lucknow airport, amid fanfare.

The Maharashtra CM will perform 'aarti' on the banks of the Saryu River. He will also visit the ongoing construction site of Ram Mandir.

"This is not a political visit. I keep visiting Ayodhya but this is the first time I have come here as the chief minister. All our party leaders wanted to take the blessings of Lord Ram. I want to thank Yogi-ji and his ministers who were here to welcome us," Shinde told ANI.

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To welcome Shinde, the Shiv Sena put up big banners with his image, in Ayodhya.

Before leaving for Lucknow, CM Shinde said in a press conference, "We will be going to Ayodhya to seek Lord Ram's blessings on April 9. The call of faith and belief prompted us to undertake this visit. We will perform the Aarti. I still remember that Dharmveer Anand Dhigana (Anand Dighe, who the Maharashtra CM considers his mentor) had sent a Karsevak to Ayodhya with a silver brick. So, we have old bonding with Ram Lalla and will be visiting the temple also."

He said the Shiv Sena leaders wanted to go to Ayodhya after getting the Bow and Arrow symbol.

"We will take part in programmes that the seers have organised in Ayodhya.

In a dig at his predecessor Uddhav Thackeray, Shinde said, "Earlier, seers were killed in Palghar, but now we will protect them."

The Palghar incident happened during the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government headed by Uddhav.
Ahead of the upcoming assembly elections in Rajasthan, former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot on Sunday opened a new front against the Gehlot government and announced a day-long hunger strike demanding action over alleged corruption during the BJP rule in the state.

The development assumes significance in view of the state elections due later this year. At the same time, it also reflects further deterioration of already souring relations between Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Pilot.

"No action was taken (by the Gehlot government) on corruption by the previous Vasundhara Raje government. While in opposition, we had promised that an inquiry would be conducted in the mines scam of Rs 45,000 crore, Pilot said at a press conference at his residence here.

With six-seven months left for the elections, the opponents can spread illusions that there is some collusion. Therefore, action will have to be taken soon so that the Congress workers feel that there is no difference between our words and actions, he said.

To press for the demand, I will observe a day-long fast at Shaheed Smarak on April 11, Pilot said.

April 11 is the birth anniversary of Mahatma Jyotiba Phule, who belonged to the Saini community, the same community which Gehlot represents.

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Gehlot and Pilot have been at loggerheads ever since the Congress formed the government in Rajasthan in December 2018 over the post of chief minister.
In an apparent attack at the Uddhav Thackeray faction, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who arrived in Ayodhya on Sunday, said that "some people" are allergic to Hindutva, saying only PM Modi has fulfilled Balasaheb Thackeray's dream of Ram Mandir.

"Some are not happy with our Ayodhya Yatra. Some are allergic to Hindutva... Shiv Sena and BJP have the same ideology...," CM Eknath Shinde said while addressing the reporters in Ayodhya.

He further criticised the Opposition for not contributing for the construction of Ram Temple.

"Nobody did anything for the Ram Mandir only PM Modi did...He has fulfilled Balasaheb Thackeray's dream of Ram Mandir. Uddhav Thackeray went against his father's legacy for the greed of power,"he added.

Shinde expressed satisfaction that the dream of "Hindu Hriday Samrat" Balasaheb Thackeray and crores of Ram bhakts is being fulfilled.

"Construction of a grand divine Ram temple in Ayodhya was the dream of millions of Ram devotees' which has been made true by the PM. After becoming CM, I came here for the first time. With the blessings of Lord Ram, we got our symbol of bow & arrow and the name of our party. Ram Temple is not a political topic for us, it's our faith."

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Earlier in the day, CM Shinde said his faction of Shiv Sena got the symbol of 'bow and arrow' as the blessings of Lord Ram are with them.

"Lord Ram's blessings are with us and that is why we have got the symbol of bow and arrow," Shinde told reporters in Lucknow while leaving for the temple town.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, along with fellow Shiv Sena MPs, arrived in Ayodhya on Sunday.

This is Shinde's first visit to the temple town since being sworn in as Maharashtra chief minister in June last year.

Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also arrived in Ayodhya on Sunday.

Both CM Shinde and his deputy Fadnavis were accorded a warm welcome on their arrival to the temple town.

"I am very happy that I am going to Ayodhya to take blessings from Lord Ram," Fadnavis said after reaching Lucknow on Sunday.

Shinde and other Shiv Sena leaders flew down to Lucknow on Saturday. Shinde was welcomed by his Uttar Pradesh counterpart Yogi Adityanath at the Lucknow airport, amid fanfare.

CM will visit the ongoing construction site of Ram Mandir.

To welcome Shinde, the Shiv Sena put up big banners with his image, in Ayodhya.
Youth Congress workers took out 'Mashal Julus' in Jaipur on Saturday protesting against the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi as Lok Sabha MP.

Rahul Gandhi was disqualified as a member of the Lok Sabha, a day after a Surat court sentenced him to two years imprisonment in a defamation case filed against him over his 'Modi surname' remark.

Congress leader and former Rajasthan deputy chief minister, Sachin Pilot also participated in the 'Mashal Julus' (march).

Talking to the media, Sachin Pilot said, "We are protesting against the undemocratic behaviour of the Central Government."

"The opposition is not allowed to speak in the Parliament. The maximum number of ED and CBI raids have been conducted against the leaders of the opposition," he added.

He further said, "They (BJP) are trying to suppress our voice, but we'll definitely keep our points and raise our voice against their ego and pride."

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Earlier on Friday, the Youth Congress in Shimla held a torch protest march against the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi as a Lok Sabha MP.

The protest was led by the National President of Youth Congress Srinivas Bhadravathi Venkata and Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu also participated in the protest.

While participating in the protest, CM Sukhu said, "This is important that all need to come together to save the democracy which is being throttled by the central government in India".

"The membership as parliamentarian of the biggest leader of the principal opposition party has been disqualified, the youth Congress has organised this torch March to save the democracy," he added.

Rahul Gandhi's disqualification from Lok Sabha triggered a massive political row with the BJP stating that the Congress leader was "a habitual loose cannon" and the Congress alleging that he was got "deliberately disqualified".

Meanwhile, on Monday a Surat Sessions Court granted bail to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who had filed an appeal following his conviction in a criminal defamation case over his "Modi surname" remark during a political campaign in April 2019.

The court in Gujarat's Surat granted bail till the disposal of the appeal to Rahul Gandhi in the defamation case.

The court will hear Rahul's application seeking suspension of conviction on April 13.
The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Monday a batch of pleas seeking the identification of minorities at the state level.

A bench of justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Ahsanuddin Amanullah will take up for hearing the petitions raising various issues related to the identification of minorities, including challenging the constitutional validity of the National Minority Commission Act, 1992 and the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutes Act, 2004.

The pleas include the one filed by advocate Ashwini Upadhyay who has sought directions for framing guidelines for the identification of minorities at the state level, contending that Hindus are in minority in 10 states.

On January 17, the top court had expressed displeasure over six states and Union Territories (UTs), including Jammu and Kashmir, not submitting their comments to the Centre on the issue of identification of minorities at the state level.

"We fail to appreciate why these states should not respond. We give the last opportunity to the central government to obtain their responses failing which we will presume that they have nothing to say," the top court had said.

Attorney General R Venkataramani, appearing for the Centre, had referred to the status report filed by the Ministry of Minority Affairs which said that 24 states and six UTs have so far furnished their comments on the issue.

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The status report, filed in the apex court on January 11, 2023, said that comments from six states and UTs - Arunachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Lakshadweep, Rajasthan and Telangana - are still awaited.

On November 22 last year, the Centre told the top court that it has held consultative meetings with all state governments, UTs and other stakeholders on the issue of identification of minorities at the state level and 14 states have furnished their views so far.

In its status report, the ministry has said that the "last reminder" was sent on December 21 to these six states and UTs which have so far not given their comments.

It said in one of the petitions, "the petitioner has prayed to put restrain on the Government of India from placing reliance/acting upon and implementing the Sachar Committee report, submitted on November 17, 2006, for running/initiating any scheme/s in favour of Muslim community or for any other purpose".

The status report said that a petition with the same subject matter is pending adjudication before the apex court.

The ministry has said that apart from state governments and UTs, it held consultative meetings with other stakeholders including the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Law and Justice, the Ministry of Education, the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) and the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions (NCMEI).

"All the ministries/departments have sent their views/comments," said the status report which also annexed the copy of replies received from these ministries or departments.

The ministry said 24 state governments including Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Manipur, Odisha, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Nagaland and Himachal Pradesh have furnished their views.

Others are Haryana, Gujarat, Goa, West Bengal, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and six Union Territories namely Ladakh, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, Chandigarh, NCT of Delhi, Andaman & Nicobar islands and Puducherry.

During the earlier hearing, Upadhyay had told the bench that he has challenged the validity of section 2(f) of the National Commission for Minority Education Institution Act, 2004.

Terming section 2(f) of the Act, which empowers the Centre to identify and notify minority communities in India, as "manifestly arbitrary, irrational, and offending", his plea has alleged that it gives unbridled power to the Centre.

Upadhyay had earlier referred to a 2007 judgement of the Allahabad High Court on a plea seeking the quashing of the May 2004 order passed by Uttar Pradesh recognising 67 madrassas for grant-in-aid.

He had said the high court verdict of 2007 has not been challenged.

"Can minority status be decided district-wise? How can that be done," the bench had earlier observed during the hearing.

On May 10 last year, the apex court expressed displeasure over the Centre's shifting stand on the issue of identification of minorities, including Hindus, at the state level and directed it to hold consultations with the states within three months.

In supersession of its earlier stand, the Centre had told the apex court that the power to notify minorities is vested with the Union government and any decision about the issue will be taken after discussion with states and other stakeholders.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday exhorted people of Uttar Pradesh to vote for the BJP in the upcoming urban local body polls, saying a triple-engine government is a must for uninterrupted and rapid development of the state.

He also appealed to people to make the lotus -- the BJP's poll symbol -- bloom in municipal and Lok Sabha polls in 2024.

Adityanath was speaking at a programme at Hindustan Fertilisers and Chemicals Limited ground where he inaugurated and laid foundation stones of 258 development projects worth Rs 1,046 crore.

The chief minister inaugurated 56 development projects worth Rs 333.85 crore and laid foundation stones of 202 projects worth Rs 711.81 crore. These projects include a mini-stadium, roads, flyovers, educational institutes and hospitals, an official statement said.

Addressing the gathering, Adityanath appealed to people to vote for the BJP in the forthcoming urban local body polls and said a triple-engine government is a must for ensuring uninterrupted and rapid development of the state and prosperity of its people.

The country is scaling new heights under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and has emerged as an ideal nation for the world where heritage is respected and benefits of welfare schemes reach every poor person and farmer, he said.

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"In Uttar Pradesh also development is taking place in every field. Infrastructure has improved by leaps and bounds in the last six years. Today no criminal can walk with his head held high. Mafia and gangsters are getting the treatment they deserve under law," he said.

The venue of today's programme is a factory that was shut down in 1990. It is running at its full capacity today, he said.

The development seen in Gorakhpur today could have happened earlier as well but there was a lack of will on the part of the erstwhile government, he added.

Hitting out at previous governments, Adityanath said, "Before 2017, there was a riot in the state every two-three days. No businessman, no daughter and no village was safe. Land mafia, sand mafia and organised gangs were operating freely. Besides, there was widespread corruption in government schemes and people were deprived of their benefits.
Criticising the previous governments for selling sugar mills at throwaway prices in the state, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday said that his government wants to give jobs to thousands of youths by developing sugar complex.

While laying the foundation stone of 223 development projects worth Rs 480 crore in Deoria, the Chief Minister spoke about his connection with the district.

He said, "The common people and workers used to visit me without any hesitation even when I was a member of parliament. For the public issues in Deoria, Kushinagar, and Maharajganj, I did not hesitate to come here either."

"These are all of our people, whose issues need to be resolved. When the previous governments ignored issues, the public and I organized agitations to press for solutions", he added.

The Chief Minister lauded the able leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and said, "India has become a model for the world. UP is developing a model of good governance. Six years ago, you knew about the circumstance at UP."

"Under the leadership of PM Modi, the development schemes have reached every youth, poor, farmer and woman. Deoria also benefitted from these welfare schemes," he added.

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CM Yogi said, "The state has received an investment of Rs 35 lakh crore. Within two-three years, one crore youth will be given jobs. Skill mapping is being done to make the youth technically competent and we are also opening ITI, polytechnic, and nursing colleges."

He further also stated that malaria used to be a problem in the state, but not it has been eliminated.

"Malaria used to be a problem in this region. After malaria was eliminated, encephalitis wreaked havoc. In Deoria, Kushinagar, and Maharajganj, encephalitis has been completely eradicated, we have also controlled the Covid-19 pandemic", he said.

Hitting out at the previous governments, CM Yogi said, "They used to divide in the name of caste. Today the double-engine government gives every person the right to live."

Listing the achievements of his government, CM said, "Till now we have given houses to 54 lakh families, toilets to 2.61 crores poor, free electricity connections to 1.55 crore, Ujjwala connections to 1.75 crores poor and ration to 15 crore people of UP and 80 crore people of the country continuously for three years."

Taking a dig at the situation in Pakistan, Yogi said, "On the one hand, no one will go to bed without food in India, which has a population of 140 crores, while on the other, in Pakistan, which has a population of 22-23 crores, people are struggling for two proper meals."

CM also talked about the benefits of the flyover of Deoria and said that it'll be built to solve the traffic problem.

"The flyover of Deoria will also be built to solve the traffic problem. An application has been given in the Supreme Court to hand over the Baitalpur Sugar Mill to us which is an identity of this area."

"Now that the distillery, coal, ethanol, mill, and sugar complexes are being built, thousands of young people will have training facilities and employment", Yogi added.

The CM went on to say that not even a single sugar mill was shut down during Covid. Agriculture and Technology University is going to be built in the name of Mahatma Buddha in Kushinagar. Money has also been arranged in the budget. Money cannot be a hindrance in any work.

He also appealed to the people to vote for the Bharatiya Janata Party in the upcoming municipal elections.

"No one will have to wander in the tehsil for caste, income, or residential certificates as the online facility is being made available in the municipal body itself. By constructing a village secretariat in the gram panchayats, we want to offer this facility," said CM Yogi.

"We also provided health ATMs at remote health centres where as many as 60 tests can be done," he added.

"The government thinks about development, and that's why it is happening. While some people used to exploit the youth, farmers in the name of caste", Yogi remarked.

During this, the CM also performed 'Annaprashan' of children, and tricycles were also provided to the 'divyangs'. Along with this, cheques, keys and sewing machines were also given to the beneficiaries of various schemes including PM Swanidhi Yojana, PM Awas Yojana (Urban/Rural), and Mukhyamantri Awas Yojana (Rural).

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated the Primary Health Center in Bahor Dhanoti village of Bhaluani development block in Barhaj (Deoria). The ribbon-cutting was done by schoolgirls. The CM inspected the health centre and took the information. During this, he also worshipped Lord Hanuman and planted saplings.


The total assets under custody (AUC) from Mauritius declined nearly 42 per cent to Rs 3.25 trillion at the end of March 2023, from Rs 5.55 trillion a year ago. Overseas flows into Indian capital markets originating from tax-haven Mauritius witnessed the sharpest decline, while Norway and Singapore gained favour in 2022-23 (FY23), reveals data furnished by the National Securities Depository.



Norway and Singapore saw a 13 per cent and 5 per cent increase in AUC, respectively, during FY23 when the benchmark S&P BSE Sensex and the National Stock Exchange Nifty indices ended little changed. Experts observe that the renegotiation of the India-Mauritius tax treaty and greater scrutiny of flows have dimmed the appeal of the island nation as a preferred destination for overseas capital flowing into India.



Besides Singapore, Mauritius will also face tough competition from Gift city, where investment rules are being liberalised. However, Mauritius wont concede the turf so easily. It is strengthening its variable capital company (VCC) regime and further improving anti-money laundering standards to remain a preferred jurisdiction amongst investors that set up their shop, said Neha Malviya Kulkarni, chief growth officer, SuperNAV, an international fund setup advisory. Singapore now is the second biggest jurisdiction for foreign portfolio investor (FPI) flows after the US. Meanwhile, Mauritius ranking has dropped to 4 (from 2) at the end of 2021-22.

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Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan will be presenting a white paper against the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government's performance over the last three years, Pakistan-based ARY News reported.

According to sources, Khan will via a video link address, issue a white paper on the country's economic situation.

He will then compare his government's performance with that of the PDM setup, which he blames for the looming threat of default.

According to ARY News, the PTI is highly critical of the economic performance of its rivals, the parties in the coalition government, accusing them of derailing the country ever since it was ousted from power in April last year.

The party has continuously lashed out at the ruling alliance for making the wrong economic decisions.

Yesterday, Khan criticised the PML-N supremo, saying that a coward cannot become a leader but becomes Nawaz Sharif.

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The PTI chief while addressing party workers, and activists who had gathered at Zaman Park for iftar, stated that he is not an Islamic scholar and has learned everything from his life.

Khan said that no country in the world has experienced a revolution comparable to the one brought by the Prophet Muhammad. He cited the Battle of Badr and Khalid Bin Waleed's leadership as proof that only free people, not slaves, stand for freedom, ARY News reported.

Imran Khan on Friday expressed his concern about the government's actions, stating that they are making a mockery of Pakistan abroad.

"The dangerous ruling buffoons don't realise the damage they are doing to Pak's image abroad by sham FIRs & absurd sedition charges against a former PM for using terms 'Dirty Harry' & 'psycopath'! They are making a mockery of Pakistan," tweeted Khan.

He also warned that foreign investors may be getting a troubling message after the Pakistani government's decision to not accept the Supreme Court's decision in the Punjab polls delay case.

"Also, what msg is being sent to foreign investors when govt itself is not accepting SC decisions? Investors need security of contracts & that means faith in judicial system. What confidence can they have when govt itself casting aside SC orders? This happens in a banana republic," he tweeted.

Khan's comments came after the federal government demanded that Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial step down, claiming that his position had become "controversial" after Justice Athar Minallah's note in the case.

Justice Minallah stated that the Supreme Court's suo motu notice over the delay in the announcement of provincial assembly elections was dismissed by a majority 4-3 ruling.
The Jordanian armed forces said in a statement that a rocket exploded in the air over Jordanian territories near the border with Syria, and no injuries were reported.

The army said around 10:25 p.m. local time on Saturday, a rocket exploded in the air over Wadi Aqraba Valley in Irbid governorate, which led to its shrapnel falling on the ground in the same area, Xinhua news agency reported.

The army said no loss of lives or properties was reported, adding that the Royal Engineering Corps' teams headed to the site to deal with the incident.

The army added that they are closely following up on the situation in the area.

--IANS

int/sha

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In the era of economic security, it is essential to strengthen supply chain and science and technology cooperation with India, said Foreign Minister Park Jin, who was on a two-day visit to India that began Friday. Park said India shares universal values such as democracy, possesses enormous growth potential, and is a crucial partner for South Korea, according to a foreign ministry statement on Sunday.

South Korea plans on strengthening cooperation with India as Seoul attempts to align with a US-led push to diversify the global supply chain away from China.
Ukraine's First Deputy Foreign Minister Emine Dzhaparova will begin a four-day visit to India on Sunday, the first official visit from the East European country since the Russian invasion began last year.

Dzhaparova will hold talks with Sanjay Verma, Secretary (West) in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

It is expected that the Ukrainian deputy foreign minister may extend an invitation for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Ukraine.

The MEA announced Dzhaparova's visit to India in a statement on Saturday.

The First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Emine Dzhaparova will be on an official visit to India from April 9 to 12," it said.

It said Dzhaparova will hold talks with Verma, during which both sides are expected to discuss bilateral relations, exchange views on the current situation in Ukraine and global issues of mutual interest.

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Dzhaparova will also call on Minister of State for External Affairs and Culture Meenakshi Lekhi and meet Deputy National Security Adviser Vikram Misri.

Since the Ukraine conflict began in February last year, Prime Minister Modi spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin as well as Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy a number of times.

In a phone conversation with President Zelenskyy on October 4 last year, Modi said there can be "no military solution" and that India is ready to contribute to any peace efforts.

India has not yet condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine and it has been maintaining that the crisis must be resolved through diplomacy and dialogue.

The MEA said India shares warm and friendly relations and multifaceted cooperation with Ukraine.

"Over the last 30 years of establishing diplomatic relations, bilateral cooperation between the two countries has made significant progress in the areas of trade, education, culture and defence," it said.

"The visit will be an occasion to further mutual understanding and interests," it added.
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The Central Recruiting Agency that administers the SSC MTS exam is the SSC. It is a national-level exam held by the SSC to recruit applicants for non-gazetted, non-ministerial posts in various ministries, departments, and offices of the Government of India. Staff Selection Commission hires applicants for several co-positions (SSC) According to the most recent SSC Calendar, the SSC MTS Tier 1 exam is set from May 2, 2023, to May 19, 2023, and from June 13, 2023, to June 20, 2023. On March 29, 2023, the precise SSC MTS exam dates were revealed on the official website.

The SSC MTS 2023 examination was initially planned to be held in April as per the SSC exam schedule 2023, however, it has now been rescheduled to May and will be held on the dates set by the Commission. The SSC MTS 2023 announcement was made available online on January 18, and applications were due by February 24.

The Commission modified the examination syllabus and pattern for the SSC MTS 2023 exam, eliminating paper 2 and amending the syllabus. The candidate should begin SSC MTS 2023 study due to the limited time left in the exam and the marks obtained in Paper 1 will solely determine the candidate's selection in the SSC MTS 2023 exam.

Overview of the Examination

Name of the Exam SSC MTS (Staff Selection Commission-Multi Tasking

(Non-Technical) Examination Conducting Body Staff Selection Commission (SSC) Exam Level National Category Govt Jobs Vacancies 12523 Mode of the exam Online

Eligibility

Only candidates who are Indian citizens are qualified to submit applications for the exam.

To be eligible for the examination, candidates must have passed the class 10 examination from a recognised board.

Aspirants for the SSC MTS Examination 2023 must be between the ages of 18 and 25.

Exam Center for SSC MTS 2023

Every year, the SSC MTS Exam is held at various locations around the country. While filling out the application form, candidates have the option of selecting the centre of their choosing. SSC determines the final allocation of the centre depending on the candidate's preference. If there are no seats available in the selected Centre, SSC will alter the site according to space availability.

Exam Pattern

The SSC MTS examination is held once a year. The SSC MTS exam schedule is available on the official website. The first paper's examination mode will be online, while the second paper's examination format will be offline. You can examine the paper's format. The SSC MTS exam will last 90 minutes for paper one and 30 minutes for paper two.

Result

The Staff Selection Commission will publish the SSC MTS result from 2023 online on the SSC official website, alongside the SSC MST 2023 cutoff. Applicants who pass the SSC MTS 2023 Computer-Based Test will be qualified to take the SSC MTS 2023 PET/PST exam. The final SSC MTS 2023 result and merit list will be based on marks achieved by the candidates in the SSC MTS CBE and PET/PST
Peggy Kate Ingram, 86, passed away on March 28 after a long battle with Alzheimers disease.

Peggy was born on May 17, 1936, to the late Lyda and Nellie Hall. She graduated from Cloudland High School in Roan Mountain, Tn., and then moved to Chattanooga to attend Baroness Erlanger Hospital School of Nursing. Peggy worked as an registered nurse at various Chattanooga hospitals before retiring from Erlanger in 2003.

She is survived by her loving husband of 52 years, Julian Ingram.



Peggy was a longtime member of St. Jude Catholic Church and was active in many ministries over the years. Besides her devotion to her faith, she was a proud cat mother to many cats throughout her life, from whom she received much joy and affection.



A memorial mass will be celebrated at St. Jude Catholic Church, 930 Ashland Terrace, in Chattanooga on Wednesday, April 12, at 11 a.m. Burial will be at the National Cemetery immediately following the service.

Memorial contributions can be made to St. Jude Catholic Church, McKamey Animal Center, The Pet Placement Center, or a charity of your choice.



Arrangements are entrusted to Covenant Funeral & Crematory, Crox family-owned and operated, www.CovenantFuneral.com.


Chattanooga Elks Lodge presented the first JROTC Award to Cadet Private Anika Perry of the JROTC at Central High School. This award program is part of the Grand Lodge activities to promote and recognize Americas outstanding youth in our communities by Honoring the Past-Embracing the Future and truly demonstrate that Elks Care-Elks Share.

Exalted Ruler/President of the Chattanooga Elks Lodge David Thompson said, We are very proud to present this award from the Chattanooga Elks Lodge to local JROTC cadets for outstanding accomplishments. This is the first JROTC Award ever presented in the Chattanooga area. Cadet Private Perry is a dedicated future leader in our community.

To receive this award from any Elks Lodge the JROTC cadets must accomplish the following criteria:

 A current academic GPA of 2.75 (B-),

 Has developed as a leader in the JROTC program,

 Is of high moral character and encourages other cadets/students to do the same,

 Has a record without disciplinary action by the school system and disciplinary action inside the JROTC system should be at a minimum, qualified by the Senior Area Instructor,

 Has participated in community service projects, and

 Has maintained high standards of performance in all fields of endeavor.

According to Major David Spencer, JROTC Director at Central High School, Cadet Private Anika Perry meets and exceeds all the criteria for this award and is an example of an outstanding cadet and future leader in our community.

The JROTC Awards program was first introduced at the 2018 Grand Lodge Convention as a new program to give local Lodges the opportunity to recognize our future leaders by focusing the publics attention on outstanding cadets from their communities.

Chattanooga Elks Lodge #91 is one of the oldest Elks Lodges in the state of Tennessee. With 700 active members, Chattanooga Elks Lodges annually contributes over $100,000 to local and area charities and provides more than 75,000 hours in volunteer services. The mission of the Elks Lodge is to instill the principles of Charity, Justice, Brotherly Love and Fidelity; to recognize a belief in God; to promote the welfare and enhance the happiness of its Members; to quicken the spirit of American patriotism; to cultivate good fellowship; to perpetuate itself as a fraternal organization and to provide for its government. The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks of the United States of America will serve the people and communities through benevolent programs, demonstrating that Elks Care and Elks Share. For more information, go to www.chattanoogaelks91.com.
Kate Middleton is one of the most stylish members of the British royal family. Heres a look at some of her most expensive clothing and accessory items so far this year.

Teal St. Patricks Day shoes

Prince William and Kate Middleton | Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Price: $675

The Princess of Wales wore a teal outfit for St. Patricks Day 2023. Her ensemble included a calf-length teal coat (from designer Catherine Walker & Co) and teal heels. This was a meaningful day because it was her first time as honorary Colonel of the Irish Guards. King Charles bestowed this title upon her back in December 2022.

One detail you might be curious about is the price of Kates shoes. Her teal heels are reportedly from Gianvito Rossi. As of this writing the shoes cost $675.

Navy floral suit

Prince William and Kate Middleton | Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images

Price: $4,190

As of this writing, the floral Erdem suit retails for $4,190. The jacket is $2,495, and the skirt is $1,695. Kates suit is from Erdems 2023 pre-fall collection, so it wont be available to the public until August.

The jewelry Kate wore during the Commonwealth Day service has special meaning. She wore the Three Feathers Brooch, which has been part of the royal familys jewelry collection for many generations. The feather design is a symbol for the Prince of Wales, and it represents the ties to the royal family. The brooch, which features diamonds, emeralds, and sapphires, was given to Princess Alexandra by the Ladies of North Wales in 1863.

Bahrain pearl drop earrings

Estimated worth: $10,500

The Bahrain pearl drop earrings have an estimated worth of $10,500. Kate has worn the earrings during many royal engagements. She was first seen wearing the earrings in 2016 during a Remembrance Sunday service. The following year, she wore them during the opening day of Royal Ascot. Kate has also worn the earrings during the 2019 Trooping the Colour, Prince Philips funeral in 2021, and Queen Elizabeths funeral in 2022.

Queen Marys emerald choker

Kate Middleton | Samir Hussein/WireImage

Estimated worth: $20 million

Kate wore her green choker for the first time during the Earthshot Prize Awards ceremony. The piece of jewelry, known as Queen Marys Emerald Choker, has an estimated worth of $20 million. Each diamond in the choker is about 10 carats.

The late Princess Diana wore the choker before Kate. Diana received the stunning piece as a wedding gift from Queen Elizabeth II. Before this, the choker was a gift to Queen Mary from the Delhi Durbar in 1911, reports Criss Cut magazine.

Kate Middletons diamond leek brooch

Estimated worth: $30,000

The Princess of Wales leek brooch is worth approximately $30,000, according to diamond expert Maxwell Stone (via Crisscut Magazine). Stone says Princess Diana also owned a replica of the leek brooch. Wearing the brooch was a way for Kate to honor the memory of both Queen Elizabeth and Princess Diana during the St. Davids Day celebrations.

The leek brooch was designed for the late queen in 1960 and was presented to her by the Welsh Guards. She usually wore the brooch during royal engagements that included the Welsh Guards.

Follow Sheiresa Ngo on Twitter.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have yet to confirm if they will attend King Charles coronation. One royal expert believes Charles is in a no-win situation, facing a predicament whether they come to the event or not.

King Charles | Samir Hussein/WireImage

King Charles faces a no-win situation with coronation, expert says

In an article for the New Zealand Herald, Daniela Elser explained the tricky situation Charles faces with his coronation in regards to Prince Harry and Meghans attendance.

For His Majesty, he is damned if the Sussexes do come, and equally damned if they dont, Elser wrote.

She continued, Should Harry and Meghan front up in their best bib and tucker and with their bravest faces plastered on, their presence back in the royal midst will be the only story people really care about.

Elser noted how its likely that Harry and Meghan will receive a lot of attention if they are at the coronation, stealing the limelight from the king. Sure, Charles official crowning is a historic moment, but of the billions of eyes likely to tune in to watch the ceremony, how many will be on the septuagenarian reciting some old oath and how many busy watching out for any Sussex/Wales drama?

She added, Every blink, twitch and cough from the Sussexes and the Prince and Princess of Wales will be scrutinized and dissected like satellite photos of Russian troop movements.

Elser explained, Which is to say, Charles will be in obvious danger of having his august moment overshadowed by his pouty, lip-jutting son and his couture-clad daughter-in-law.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markles absence would also create an issue for Charles, according to expert

On the other hand, if Prince Harry and Meghan dont attend the coronation, he is equally stuffed, Elser wrote. Their absence inside Westminster Abbey would only really drive home how badly broken things are inside the House of Windsor.

She continued, The sovereign is meant to be a unifying figure. How can His Majesty try to bring a divided Britain still smarting from Brexit together when he cant even get his younger child to turn up for the most important day of his life?

Elser added, It would make the whole thing ring distinctly hollow.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle could overshadow the kings coronation, expert notes

In an article published on SkyNews.com, royal expert and Sky News Australia contributor Nigel Jones shared his thoughts on how Prince Harry could overshadow his fathers coronation by attending.

The timing of Harrys recent visit to the UK for a court case coincided with King Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles visit to Germany, something Jones found interesting.

His day in court should make us apprehensive as to whether he intends to try and pull a similarly self-absorbed stunt at his fathers coronation next month, Jones wrote.

He added, Approaching the age of 40, Harry really does need to grow up and appreciate that the world has other priorities than the wounded pride of a privileged princeling.
Race to Survive Alaska reality TV competitor Hunter Leininger described a night from hell during the first race, vomiting blood and bile for eight hours, leaving his father, Jeff Leininger extremely worried.

The first challenge of the series kicked off with a bang, which included Esther Sunderlins terrifying medical rescue, but also Hunters extreme reaction to shellfish during the first night of the competition. Race to Survive Alaska viewers saw Hunter vomit, but he revealed how serious his condition was and how much weight he ultimately lost during the six-week race.

While Hunter dropped some serious weight, it was Jeff who had production worried because his weight loss became extreme.

Hunter vomited nonstop on his first Race to Survive Alaska night

Hunter and Jeff explained that if production or medics intervened, it ultimately disqualified competitors from winning the $500,000 prize. But despite being a highly trained, longtime racer, Hunter said the night he spent nonstop vomiting was nothing he had ever experienced. Hunter is a vegetarian, but the main source of provided sustenance was canned clams.

Hunter Leininger and Jeff Leininger | Patrik Giardino/USA Network

Hunter choked down the food  in fact, he inhaled it to build strength. That move ended up completely backfiring.

It was way worse than it even seemed. Eight hours of nonstop throwing up, Hunter described to Showbiz Cheat Sheet. Throwing up blood, throwing up neon green, stomach bile. It was really bad. And thats a thing like even an adventure racer, that were used to that happening. You just take some Pepto-Bismol, take some electrolytes, and youre good to go.

The only option I had was to eat more clams or drink some unfiltered water, he shared. There wasnt any medicine I could use. So it was definitely the lowest of lows Ive had ever in a night of a race. And that was the first night of a 40-day race. Like, how are we going to bounce back and keep going from that?

Jeff describes where Hunter went wrong with the food

Hunter recalled feeling full and happy after he ate the clams. But woke two hours later with the worst stomach ache of his life. I just started throwing up. And then I would lay down for 20 minutes and get right back up and throw up. Continued for eight hours nonstop, Hunter recalled.

Jeff was in an interesting position because he was a competitor and Hunters team member, pushing to win the money. But he is also Hunters father, who became concerned about his son.

I only took two bites and I stopped. Im not going to eat any more of that, Jeff recalled. So he finished the rest of the clams. And I think that was the problem. It was just a little bit of a shock to the system. And again, we have encountered injury, weve encountered sickness during other races. Weve drunk bad water before, weve all gotten sick.

And pretty much we just rally around each other and support each other, whoever is the sick one, he continued. And hopefully we can get through it. Its not a game changer or stopping that race because of the illness.

Was Jeff worried they could be disqualified from Race to Survive Alaska?

Seeing how sick his son was became extremely concerning for Jeff. But at that point, I was kind of in father mode, he recalled. After the first hour, I started getting really, really worried because he didnt have anything else left in his body. And I kept making him drink more, drink more, drink more. So at least he had something.

"It's hardcore because you have to race, but also survive"  Wilson



We couldn't have summed up #RaceToSurvive: Alaska better if we tried! The competition continues next Monday after #WWERAW on USA! ?? pic.twitter.com/m2aNvMyR1Q  USA Network (@USANetwork) April 4, 2023

But when we got to about four hours of just nonstop [vomiting], I then started to become seriously worried that this is day one and were going to be out of this race because Hunters not going to be able to recover from this, he said.

Theres no way losing all of that bodily fluid and then the next morning, being able to get up without being dizzy or just ill to the point you cant even get up, he said. It was just one of those things that I kind of started really worrying about. But Hunter woke up. He said I dont care. Lets go. Well, alright. I guess were going to continue to race.

How much weight did they both lose?

Hunter ultimately lost about 25 pounds during the six weeks. But Jeff joked that he did Race to Survive Alaska as a weight loss program. We ate so well the week before. We were eating three meals a day plus desserts plus pancakes  Jeff recalled.

Jeff Leininger | Patrik Giardino/USA Network

I looked at it as a weight loss program for my daddy belly, he said. But that went away in the first week. And then a couple of weeks in, the medical [team] was kind of really concerned that I had lost 30 pounds. And then ultimately it was about 35 total pounds that I lost.

Hunter said his father resembled Tom Hanks in the movie Castaway.

Race to Survive Alaska is on Monday at 11 pm ET on USA Network.
Greg Laurie explains why its ridiculous to blame Jews for Jesus crucifixion

Pastor Greg Laurie of Harvest Christian Fellowship addressed the long-debated question of whether Jews were responsible for Jesus crucifixion and explained why it's ridiculous to blame them.

In a recent episode of The Glenn Beck Podcast, Laurie said the devil entered Judas heart, leading him to do the work of Satan, and emphasized that the crucifixion was a part of Gods plan for Jesus to bear the sins of the world.

Thats why its so ridiculous for people to say, Well, Jewish people are responsible for the crucifixion of Jesus. I am responsible for the crucifixion of Jesus. My sins put Him on the cross, said the evangelist and pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship which has locations in California and Hawaii.

Laurie said it was God who orchestrated the crucifixion, and the event represented a weird moment in history where the devil and the Father were working toward the same goal, albeit with different objectives.

The question of who was responsible for Jesus death also gained traction in 2004 when Mel Gibsons The Passion of the Christ was released in theaters. The film sparked concerns among Jewish people that it could fuel anti-Semitism.

In response to these concerns, the Rev. Mark H. Creech wrote in an op-ed published by The Christian Post that the rise of European anti-Semitism at the time was largely tied to the Palestinian/Arab-Israeli conflict and had no connection to a fervent zeal for Christianity.

Citing the Bible, he wrote that God, in his sovereignty, had foreordained Jesus death not only for Israels redemption but also for the salvation of the world.

Creech quoted Hal Lindsey, who said, Now as to the question, Who is guilty of the death of Jesus? Since Jesus, the Messiah, came to die to atone for the sins of all mankind, all mankind must be responsible for His death.

Creech added: What is more, if you would know the grace of God in His plan of redemption, you must accept the indictment of your own culpability in Christ's death. You must see it personally. The suffering He endured was the punishment you deserved. You must come to the place where you recognize your own utter spiritual bankruptcy  that it was your sin that drove Jesus to the cross. You must realize your soul's filth is so hideous in the sight of God that only by the provision of Christs sacrifice in your stead could you be saved.

During Glenn Beck's interview with Pastor Laurie, the two also explored the possibility of another Jesus Revolution in modern times.

The new movie Jesus Revolution portrays the life of Laurie in the 1970s, during a time when many young people on the West Coast were seeking truth and meaning, giving rise to a countercultural movement that continues to influence the American Church today.

In a recent op-ed for the CP, Laurie reflected on the great spiritual awakening of 1970, known as the Jesus Movement, and its miraculous impact on American history. The parallels he drew between the movement's time and the present day suggest that another transformative spiritual awakening might be on the horizon.
Travel: In Englands Bishop Auckland, religious heritage anchors an urban renewal

A recent trip across the pond took me to a town in northeast England that until recently didnt have much to offer tourists.

As with other towns and villages around Durham, the shire town or seat of County Durham, it reminded me of the Rust Belt back home. Basically, the places where mining and other working-class jobs that once defined entire communities no longer exist.

While Durham with its 930-year-old cathedral gets a good number of mostly day trip tourists, few venture the 12 miles to Bishop Auckland.

The town is undergoing a multi-stage urban renewal project that started after the Church of England sold a centuries-old official residence of the bishop of Durham more than a decade ago.

The state church status of the Anglican church has given certain privileges to many of the 42 diocesan bishops. The best example is the Durham bishopric, which ranks fourth in the hierarchy behind only the archbishops of Canterbury and York and the bishop of London.

If the predominantly Norman or Romanesque cathedral in Durham wasnt enough grandeur, the bishops also had Auckland Castle  a relic from when the bishops of Durham werent just bishops.

From 1076 until 1836, the Roman Catholic and later Anglican bishops of Durham were prince-bishops. Basically, they acted as feudal lords with authority and power well beyond ecclesiastical affairs. Their golden age was before the 1603 union of the English and Scottish crowns under King James I of King James Bible fame, when the diocesan territory served as a buffer state between two countries with a history of wars and border incursions.

Flash forward to today and the former residence is only open to tourists because Jonathan Ruffer, a self-described Evangelical, bought everything of value for the equivalent of more than $21 million. His purchase included 13 paintings by renowned Spanish artist Francisco de Zurbaran that have hung on the walls of the state dining room since 1756.

Instead of taking the best pieces for display in his house or donating everything to a museum far away in London, Ruffer used a significant share of his own personal fortune for philanthropy.

The nonprofit Auckland Project was created to preserve all of the history and heritage, provide locals and tourists alike with access to world-class art and, importantly, revitalize once-prosperous Bishop Auckland.

With Ruffers seed money, money from other donors and contributions through assorted government programs or grants, the project is now a mini-theme park with the castle, an observation tower inspired by a medieval siege tower, two art museums and a seasonal, open-air theatrical performance of 2,000 years of English history.

The latest addition, a highly anticipated museum dedicated to the story of faith and religion in Britain from ancient times through the present day, is slated to open sometime in the fall. Future plans envision the conversion of empty buildings in the quaint Market Place, which is anchored by Bishop Aucklands Victorian-era Town Hall, to hotels and restaurants.

The last vestige of the prince-bishops still used for its intended purpose is the Chapel of St. Peter.

The late 12th century banqueting hall was repurposed into an ornately appointed private bishops chapel after the original chapel was destroyed during the English Civil War. Retained by the church after the sale of everything else, the bishops chaplain celebrates a service of holy communion every Wednesday.

If you go

As I discovered, Bishop Auckland stands poised to become the next big place to visit for tourists who have done London or York.

Auckland Castle, the art museums (the Spanish Gallery and Mining Art Gallery) and observation tower are open 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. An annual pass costs 25 (about $31) for adults or 62.50 (about $77) for families of two adults and up to four children. Access to the vast grounds of the castle, known as Deer Park, is free every day from dawn to dusk.

Stay at the Park Head Hotel. While geared toward the Auckland Project, the newly opened hotel makes a good base for day trips to Durham and other places in northeast England. Be sure to visit the nearby Bowes Museum.

The closest airport, Newcastle International Airport, is about 45 minutes by car from Bishop Auckland. While there are no nonstop flights to and from the United States, getting here is possible through a single connection via London on British Airways.

Dennis Lennox writes a travel column for The Christian Post.
Where to find hope after a life of despair

When Christ died on the cross for us, he was buried in the tomb and the stone was sealed. Hope was nowhere to be found. It was historys darkest day.

But on the third day, the resurrection power of Christ was revealed. Jesus emerged from the grave, conquering sin and death  exactly as He said he would. As a result of this miracle two thousand years ago, we have a new lease on life, and we no longer have to fear death.

Jesus gave us the chance to start again. And that promise isnt just for the afterlife. Its for today. Victory over death can start right now.

The chance to claim victory today is the type of hope Ive seen change countless lives over more than 25 years at the Los Angeles Dream Center. Every family and individual that our team meets that comes through our doors, bears hurt, trauma, fear, guilt, addiction, and pain that breaks my heart.

But alas, their story isnt ending when they walk through our doors. A bright future is just over the horizon, thanks to the incomprehensible and miraculous power that God extends to His children, if theyll only just receive it with humble hearts and minds. Indeed, we certainly prescribe practical steps and regimens to overcome addiction, abuse, and self-destructive behavior. But we know that lasting redemption and restoration are only possible with the supernatural help provided by our good and loving Father.

A young woman named Daisy came to us one day and shared the unfathomable darkness she endured at a very young age that led her to seek out love and acceptance in all the wrong places.

I thought my life was normal, Daisy told us, until I was 12 years old and I found out that the man I had believed was my dad my whole life, wasn't. For the first time, I felt I was not worthy enough and questioned why my biological dad didn't want to be part of my life.

As I grew older, I seemed to lean more and more on men, Daisy shared, searching for that missing fatherly love. This was the beginning of a painful and heartbreaking path of toxic relationships.

Daisy went on to explain that when she was just 14, a relative sexually abused her. On top of that, she blamed herself, and for many years she carried guilt and shame that know human being should ever be left to cope with.

When a friend in school introduced me to crystal meth, her story continues, I spent the next 11 years on a destructive path chasing that high. There was a growing void in my life that I was filling with drugs and the wrong kind of love.

I left my home for that love when I was 16, she recalls with sadness. In that relationship, she was verbally and sexually abused all over again, and yet felt trapped with no way out. Whats more, she was now the mother of three beautiful girls at the age of 21, and the pressures of life continued to build.

In 2014, she decided to finally leave the father of her girls. In anger, he opened a Department of Child and Family Services (DCFS) case to take away her girls, and he succeeded.

I lost my kids, she lamented. After that, I got my first eviction and lost my apartment. From there she fell deeper into addiction. She eventually managed to get her kids back, but they lived in multiple hotels, friends and families living rooms, and even in a tent for a while. Sometimes we had to spend long days at the park until we got money to pay for a room to sleep, said Daisy.

One day she heard about the Dream Center through a friend of hers. Out of money, out of options, and at the end of her rope, she came to us downtrodden, but eager to finally find hope when everything else  and everyone else  had failed her.

This has been the biggest blessing my family and I have ever received, Daisy said after several months of help here. With a roof over our heads, beds to sleep in, and food provided, my kids finally have a place to call home. Daisy also has had the opportunity to pursue her GED while at the Dream Center, she meets with a case manager regularly, and she and her kids are receiving Christ-centered therapy. And now, she is surrounded by the love and fellowship of a church family.

Most importantly, I am finding my identity in Christ and surrendering my will to Him, she exclaimed recently. I believe that I will break my familys generational curse. I put my trust in Jesus for my life and for my kids every day, because I know His vision is greater than mine.

Only the unfailing, unwavering love of a heavenly Father could provide such a drastic shift in Daisys life. He was, is, and always will be the recipe for lasting hope after a life of despair.

The one who has the power to overcome the grave is the only one who has the power to overcome the vicious cycles and generational curses that Daisy refers to. Yes, theres certainly a lot we can do on our own to pick up the pieces and leave a destructive lifestyle. But ultimately, the forever cure is in our Makers hands. All He asks of us is to accept it.
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Award-winning Texas chef Stephan Pyles is excited to tap into his creative side and elevate Calder Woods menu items for its senior residents.

Known as the father of Southwest cuisine, the Big Spring native previously worked as Buckner Retirement Services chief culinary advisor to help improve facilities food choices. Calder Woods is among six Texas retirement homes Buckner oversees.

That successful collaboration has now led to his new, expanded role.

Typically, people think of retirement communities as having sort of bland food that can be a bit industrial like hospitals or something like that, and were trying to really turn that notion on its head, Pyles said.

Pyles has already stopped by Buckner Villas in Austin and Parkway Place in Houston, and now he will provide insight on ways Calder Woods can implement restaurant-quality cooking, something he said previously seemed to be missing.

What Ive learned is that these communities have very specific needs and desires, he said.

In Calder Woods case, Pyles recognizes Beaumont straddles the line being in Cajun Country and enjoys dishes like jambalaya and gumbo. He looks to add a bit of Southern twist to the menu while working with the regions natural seasonings and flavors.

I think the people at Calder Woods have spice in their blood. So, Im going to be doing foods that will satisfy that need, Pyles said.

He said theres a way to widen Cajun food items, which typically includes cayenne peppers, by incorporating chilis such as bacia, guajillo and chipotle into recipes.

RELATED: Seniors celebrate spring with bourbon and bbq

We always want to be stimulated and kind of experience new flavors, new techniques and new food and dishes in general, Pyles said.

Hes also looking into adding beef tenderloin, perhaps with an Ecuadorian potato cakes, also known as llapingachos.

These are signatures of mine, he said.

Pyles said he has four Texas-savvy cookbooks that help give him the rundown of creating a specific cuisine for a specific area.

He also had a 26-part television series on PBS that aired around the year 2000, even filming an episode in Beaumont during that time. The purpose of that particular episode was to highlight Cajun creoles importance to the Beaumont area, he said.

RELATED: How to cook crawfish like a Cajun chef

We spent two or three days there, and I just remember it so well and fondly, Pyles said.  I kind of know what Beaumonts about.

Pyles said hes aiming to get things rolling at Calder Woods by late May, with a July 6 event called Taste of Calder Woods geared toward introducing prospective residents to Pyles' food and culinary influence.

Pyles said because food has taken on larger role in community gatherings over the last generation or so, he wants to provide the best possible experience "in that realm."

"It's not just about feeding people. It's about feeding not just bodies, but feeding souls, too," he said.
Crafting a story, be it a novel or short story, is a daunting process. From plotting to developing characters to selecting themes, it can be hard to choose where to begin.

To help writers on their journey, celebrated author and creative writing professor Peter Turchi has published his latest book on the craft of fiction writing. (Dont) Stop Me If Youve Heard This Before is now available from Trinity University Press, combining personal narratives with examinations of published stories to reveal how writers create the fiction that matters to us.

I thought this would probably be my last book about writing and what I wanted to do is try to write a book that would be useful to people who either had been through a graduated program in writing and wanted more of that kind of conversation, Turchi said, or who would not got to a graduate program but were interested in developing their writing beyond any kind of introductory text and kind of add to the conversation about maybe more sophisticated techniques that wouldnt necessarily come up as youre just beginning to think about how to craft a novel.

Turchi, a professor at the University of Houston, grew up outside of Baltimore and studied creative writing at Washington College in Maryland and the University of Arizona in Phoenix. Prior to coming to Houston, he worked at Appalachian State University, Northwestern University, and directed the MFA Program for Writers at Warren Wilson College in Ashville from 1993 to 2008.

Turchi joined the staff at Houston to reunite with Robert Boswell, Antonya Nelson, and Tony Hoagland, who he studied with at Arizona. He has been with Houston for 10 years now and splits his time between Houston and Arizona, where his wife works.

Courtesy of Trinity University Press

Inspired by writers like Mark Twain and Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Turchi has predominantly been a short story and non-fiction writer. His biggest advice to aspiring writers is to write what you care the most about and read the books you love as carefully as you can to see how they work.

I think the key to crafting a story or novel, any narrative really, is to engage the reader on some level and then find a variety of ways to move that forward, Turchi said. Its hard to reduce and thats one of the wonderful things about it, there are so many different kinds of narratives that work well.

For his latest book, Turchi combines a series of essays that use personal narratives with excerpts from classic writers like Charles Dickens, Anton Chekhov, and J.D. Salinger to contemporary authors such as Toni Morrison, Alice Munro, and Colson Whitehead.

The collection is meant to illuminate insights into the inner workings of fiction as well as practical advice for writers looking to explore their craft from a fresh angle beyond the fundamentals of character and setting, plot, and scene.

In this book I talk primarily about realistic fiction. Thats not all I talk about but in this book I talk primarily about realistic fiction and my interest is trying to make realistic fiction that reflects the complexity of the world we actually live in. Because so much of commercial fiction is reductive in that way. I wouldnt have devoted so much of my life to fiction if I didnt find it important. So thats the kind of fiction that Im talking about in that book. But Im also not interested in art removed from life. So, with all those personal anecdotes, Im trying to demonstrate that the techniques Im talking about in these stories and novels are techniques that we use every day when we tell stories or we listen to people tell stories. We just might not think about them in these terms.

(Dont) Stop Me If Youve Heard This Before is available now from Trinity University Press. San Antonio writers will be able to hear from Turchi in person during a presentation at Dickie Hall in Trinity Universitys Mabee Auditorium. The free event kicks off at 6 p.m. on Thursday, April 13.

Turchi will also be presenting at the San Antonio Book Festival on Saturday, April 15.
It's Crawfish Week at Chron! For four days, the food team will be dropping fun stories about Houston's favorite crustacean. Read all our crawfish coverage here.

Crawfish season is upon us, but one villain could threaten the well-being of Texas' naturally harvested crustaceansand we don't just mean the giant boiling pot in the backyard. Last year, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) put out an ominous message warning Texans to be on the lookout for a new, invasive arrival: the Australian Redclaw Crayfish.

The main threat they could pose stateside is by altering native habitats and vegetation, competitively excluding native crawfish from food and shelter, and preying upon native fish. But are they really cause for concern?

As the name implies, Australian Redclaw Crayfish come from the land down under. They look similar to our native crawfish found around here, except for a few major features. For one, they're much, much bigger. An adult male can weigh up to 2 pounds and grow to 9 inches in length, compared to native crawfish like White River or Red Swamp, which grow up to 4 inches and weigh only a 10th of a pound. Redclaws also have bright green coloring in places, four distinct ridges on the top of their heads and large left claws with a red patch on the outer edgehence, "redclaw."



TPWD isn't sure when these crayfish first made their way to Texas. A female Australian Red Crayfish and its brood were spotted in Texas in 2013. In January and February 2022, three were collected at a Brownsville apartment complex pond, then more were found in that same pond in July 2022, prompting TWPD's warning to Texans to keep an eye out. But we don't need to worry too much about foreign crawfish overtaking our beloved yearly boils just yet.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Texas Parks and Wildlife Department The Australian Redclaw Crayfish looks quite different than the native Texas species. (Photos courtesy of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department)

Texas Parks and Wildlife aquatic biologist Dr. Archis Grubh says they received "seven or eight" reliable reports after that callout, all of Australian Redclaws in South Texas.

"I got responses from a lot of locals, from game wardens and other people that were interested in knowing more about it and also had noticed (Redclaws) out there," Grubh said. "It seems like these guys have been around for quite a while now."

It's hard to know how they got hereGrubh guesses perhaps the aquaculture and aquarium trade industriesbut TPWD is still researching to see just how big of a threat Australian Redclaw Crayfish pose to native wildlife and their habitats. Right now, it's too early to tell.

"We're interested in knowing how far this species has spread and what is its effect on the native crayfish and fish species that are in rare numbers," Grubh said. "We are in the process of working on certain projects with university partners to push research in that direction."

Australian Redclaw Crayfish have only been spotted in South Texas and California so far, Grubh says, which is more good news for those who might be concerned about an invasive species taking up resources and ultimately creating a lighter boil season. And most of the crawfish we eat is sourced from Louisiana anyway.

"(As far as an) immediate threat, I cannot say, but the only thing we do know is that it definitely alters the habitat," Grubh said. "We have not figured out what the threat to the native species is yet, and we will be evaluating that soon in the next few years now."

If you somehow come across an Australian Redclaw Crayfish while buying bait or creatures for your aquarium, remember that they are a prohibited exotic species in Texas and cannot be legally purchased, sold, or kept in aquariums in the state. It's also illegal to release these crayfish into a public body of water. TPWD is asking the public to report any sightings by emailing photos and location information to aquaticinvasives@tpwd.texas.gov.

"Release of aquarium life is unfortunately a key means by which invasive species such as these crayfish are introduced," said Monica McGarrity, TPWD senior scientist for aquatic invasive species, said in TPWD's first warning about Australian Redclaw Crayfish. "Well-meaning, uninformed aquarium owners sometimes release their pets thinking they're doing the best thing for them, but if they do survive, they can become invasive and harm the native aquatic species and ecosystem. Aquarium owners should research alternatives to aquarium dumping and help prevent introductions of the next invasive species."

But if one happens to slip into your boil pot, there's great news: You can eat an Australian Redclaw. Just be sure to take a picture of it firstnot just for the 'gram, but to send to TPWD too, of course.

"That's one of the biggest questions I've been getting: 'So can we eat it?' Yes, you can eat it. 'Can we catch it?' Yes. As long as you have a fishing license, you can legally catch it," Grubh said. "(But) it would be awesome if y'all can report it to us so that I can put a pin on my map to see how far it's spread."
The Port of Laredo just went from the No. 1 inland port in the country to the No. 1 international trade port overall, beating large cities like Chicago and Los Angeles.

Recent U.S. Census Bureau data shows that the city gained the No. 1 spot among the nations 450 international gateways for trade in February. The distinction comes after three years of the Port of Laredo falling down two places to third, and it was the first time since February 2020 that the city was the top trade port in the U.S.

Data shows the ports of Chicago OHare International Airport ranked No. 2 and reported $22.8 billion in trade while the Port of Los Angeles ranked No. 3 with $17.2 billion.

More than a designation, it means that our relationships with our Mexican counterparts are even more vital to sustaining the continuous prosperity on both sides of the border, Laredo Mayor Dr. Victor Trevino said. We have steady communication with our neighboring states of Tamaulipas and Nuevo Leon and collaborate as a region.

The data suggests Laredo recorded $24.6 billion in two-way trade overall, and Mexico commerce represented a large majority of that trade. A total of $23.9 billion came via trade with the southern neighbor, signaling the huge ties there is between Laredo and the Mexican economy.

Trevino said he has never lost sight of this major relationship that helps both countries continue to prosper and their respective border states.

We sustain our relationship with our Mexican trade partners through a foundation of open communication and mutual respect because this foundation will be tested during difficult times like we have seen during the pandemic and other cross-border challenges, he said.

One of the main reasons why the distinction was provided was because a 12% increase in trade was seen just this past year with Mexico, which contributed to that growth.

A report by Freight Waves suggested one of the main increases that helped the city was the fact that produce imports and exports grew with cold storage warehouses having a successful first few months of the year. Trevino said that although they were a factor there were increases across the board when it came to international trade.

The mayor is not the only one excited by the news. Local custom brokers like Ruben Bazan III applauded the information.

Im excited to know that we have regained the No. 1 spot, as it is a clear indication that we are the leaders in the industry, Bazan said. This recognition sends a message to importers and exporters that Laredo is a solid place to do business, and that in turn will boost our economy and strengthen our workforce.

The mayor said it shows how all commerce starts at the border. Trevino believes the two main things that will help sustain this level of trade growth will be the future World Trade Bridge expansion and Colombia bridge improvements, which he considered essential to future growth.

The relationship between the mayors of our sister cities, Nuevo Laredo and Laredo, is uniquely strong, Trevino said. This is essential and primarily due to having a pre-existing respect and working collaboratively prior to being elected as mayors of our respective communities. Laredo has to continue to invest in our bridges and be innovative in how we can create a business-friendly environment. This starts with our binational leadership and our ability to work together with Customs and Border Patrol, private enterprise and our community at large.

Bazan agreed that having open lines of communication, like-minded goals and a genuine desire for mutual success with Nuevo Laredo and Nuevo Leon is incredibly necessary in order to sustain a healthy relationship.

We will continue to increase trade by being experts in the field and complying with and understanding the law, Bazan said. Laredo and Nuevo Laredos customs brokers and logistics partners are known to be constantly learning and adapting to whats new, and that cements us as reliable partners in the world of international trade. We must continue being innovators and trailblazers. I firmly believe that continued growth can only happen with continued learning. Therefore, its important to never lag and always be willing to expand our expertise.

Trevino said that the news helps showcase and show proof to leaders in Washington, D.C. of how important the city is when it comes to international trade and how they should continue investing money in the area to better the infrastructure that already exists and make new bridges and roads that allow trade to flourish.

Our strategic dominance in trade always helps Laredo with requests for more infrastructure dollars from our federal and state agencies, Trevino said. But we need more to do more. Laredo as the No. 1 inland port of entry, is not just an important commercial lane for Texas, it is an invaluable strategic asset for the entire country. Therefore, the commercial stress on our local infrastructure needs to be alleviated with more state and federal investment.

Bazan said there is no question that the name of the city is heard in the halls of Washington, and with the recognition, he believes it is safe to say that the city is being seen as a force to be reckoned with.

Chicago and Los Angeles are in second and third place, respectfully, and knowing that Laredo took first place should stir up feelings of pride for the citizens of our growing community, Bazan said. Our congressman, Henry Cuellar, understands the importance of international trade in Laredo, and he has always been a friend of the industry, successfully advocating for us in D.C.

Bazan thanks both his colleagues in Laredo and Nuevo for the distinction and hopes that the land port will only continue to grow and showcase the might of international trade in such a geopolitical and strategic area like Laredo.

Although the news is good for the city and the industries that work in the area, the mayor did state that continued work needs to be done to maintain the status and allow for trade to continue in the area, as there are many opportunities to take advantage of.

Laredo finds itself in a unique position as the United States continues to benefit from near-shoring growth along the Mexican-U.S. border, Trevino said. But this growth and prosperity has to be nurtured and cultivated by exercising mutual respect and investment by our respective governments. Only then can we sustain the growth that we have been seeing and predicting.
wera Rodsawang/Getty Images

HARRISONVILLE, Mo. (AP)  A 78-year-old woman with two past bank robbery convictions faces new charges after authorities allege she handed a teller a note that said I didnt mean to scare you during a recent Missouri heist.

Bonnie Gooch is jailed on $25,000 bond after she was charged with one count of stealing or attempting to steal from a financial institution in the holdup Wednesday in Pleasant Hill, The Kansas City Star reports. No attorney is listed for her in online court records.
The risks of severe complications during pregnancy, childbirth or postpartum can vary drastically depending on where the person lives, a new study suggests.

Among people with Medicaid insurance in the United States, rates of severe maternal morbidity  life-threatening complications during pregnancy, delivery or after childbirth  range dramatically from about 80 cases for every 10,000 live births in Utah to more than 200 per 10,000 in Washington, D.C., according to the study published Thursday in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology.

That means rates of severe complications were about 2.5 times higher in Washington, D.C., than in Utah.

We expected some variation at the state level. We didnt necessarily think it was going to be a three-fold difference. So that was a pretty striking finding, said lead study author Dr. Lindsay Admon, an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Michigan Medical School and obstetrician-gynecologist at U-M Health Von Voigtlander Womens Hospital.

In the United States, attention is growing on maternal death rates and the fact that the nation has the highest rate of mothers dying in pregnancy or childbirth than other high-income countries. Just last month, data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed that the rising US maternal death rate climbed significantly yet again in 2021, reaching 32.9 deaths per 100,000 live births, up from 23.8 in 2020.

But maternal morbidity remains a public health issue too, Admon said.

Maternal morbidity is 70 times more common than mortality, she said. These are severe adverse events as well, and I think these are the first time weve really had broad scale data at the state level about what the leading factors are in individual states.

Where severe maternal morbidity is highest

The study authors  from the University of Michigan, Boston University, Columbia University and the University of Minnesota  analyzed Medicaid data on 4.8 million live births across 49 states and Washington, D.C., from 2016 to 2018. They examined overall and state-level rates of severe maternal morbidity, occurring within 42 days before or after delivery.

The data that we were able to put together reflects nearly half of all births occurring during the study period, Admon said. Medicaid finances 41% of births in the United States.

The data showed that the overall rate of severe maternal morbidity among pregnant Medicaid patients, that did not involve blood transfusions, was 146.2 cases for every 10,000 deliveries  and those rates ranged depending on where the person lived.

The five states with the lowest rates of severe maternal morbidity, according to the data, were Utah, with a rate of 80.3 per 10,000; Maryland at 81.3; Rhode Island at 84.4; Nebraska at 88; and New Hampshire at 91.1.

The jurisdictions with the highest rates were Washington, D.C., at 210.4 per 10,000; California at 190.5; Nevada at 187.1; New Jersey at 180.6; and New York at 174.6.

The most frequently identified cause of complications for patients was eclampsia, a serious condition involving high blood pressure during pregnancy, which can lead to seizures. Other leading causes of complications were acute respiratory distress in which fluid collects in the lungs, abnormal blood clotting and sepsis, a serious complication of an infection.

For states where sepsis or severe infection is a leading indicator of maternal morbidity, an intervention might be to really focus their resources on early treatment of sepsis, on patient and community awareness of what sepsis is, and what the signs and symptoms are to look out for to seek care, Admon said.

In many states, eclampsia, which is a severe complication of hypertension in pregnancy resulting in a seizure, was a leading cause of morbidity, and in those states, I would hope that folks would think, OK, we really need to educate our population, our clinicians about hypertension in pregnancy,  she said. We know that complications from chronic conditions are the leading causes of maternal morbidity and mortality, and individuals in the U.S. have been giving birth at older ages  with more chronic conditions, with more severe chronic conditions  for the last couple of decades.

Theres a huge racial disparity

The types of complications that can happen during pregnancy or childbirth also appeared to vary when the data was analyzed by race.

When we looked at the leading causes of morbidity among the Black and white populations among Medicaid beneficiaries, basically, eclampsia was leading among the non-Hispanic Black population and sepsis among the non-Hispanic White, Admon said. However, Black patients still had a higher rate of sepsis than white patients.

There are six things that occur at higher rates among the non-Hispanic Black population, Admon said: eclampsia, heart failure, acute kidney failure, respiratory distress, sepsis and disseminated intravascular coagulation, which causes blood clotting.

In states where race and ethnicity data were available, the researchers found that the overall rate of severe maternal morbidity was 2.1 per 100 live births among Black patients with Medicaid, compared with 1.3 per 100 live births among white patients.

The research really highlights that we have a long way to go still towards achieving maternal health equity in the U.S., Admon said. I think its structural racism and that theres a great deal of implicit and explicit bias that happens with health care, and those are really important issues that we need to tackle.

The findings came as no surprise to Dr. Zsakeba Henderson, senior health adviser for the nonprofit National Institute for Childrens Health Quality in Boston, an expert on maternal and infant health inequities.

The main reason why Im not surprised is that we already know that there are significant racial and ethnic disparities in maternal morbidity and mortality in our country, with Black women three to four times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes, said Henderson, who was not involved with the new research. And the main disparities that we see in mortality, we also see in morbidity.

In other words, the factors behind racial disparities seen in maternal mortality could be some of the same factors driving state-by-state differences in severe maternal morbidity rates.

For example, the area with the highest morbidity rates in the new study was Washington, D.C. According to a report released last year by the D.C. Maternal Mortality Review Committee, nearly all of the pregnancy-related deaths in D.C.  90%  were among Black mothers, even though they constitute roughly half of all births there.

So to see that D.C. had the highest morbidity was not surprising to me at all, Henderson said.

We cant deny the fact that theres a huge racial disparity, and so I suspect that states that have higher populations of Black pregnant moms, who tend to have a higher risk of morbidity and mortality, are likely to have higher numbers of severe morbidity, she said.

The new findings can help guide discussions around what needs to be done to reduce rates of maternal morbidity in the United States, as well as the disparities by state and race, said Dr. Sarosh Rana, section chief of maternal-fetal medicine at the University of Chicago Medicine, who was not involved in the new study.

Its nice to have this data for people who are policymakers at the level of the state but also physicians and institutional leaders like myself. This data will help guide implementation of quality improvement initiatives and provide equitable care, Rana said.

The new study is eye-opening and can begin to inform clinical care, quality improvement, and policy change with regard to maternal morbidity and mortality, Dr. Doee Kitessa, a general obstetrician and gynecologist at the University of Maryland Medical Center and an assistant professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, said in an email Thursday.

This study can help hospitals and states target quality improvement initiatives toward the leading indicator of severe maternal morbidity, said Kitessa, who was not involved with the research.

While the data is based on billing codes and not patient charts, its an excellent start to understanding the causes of maternal morbidity by state and the disparities that exist, she said. This can help states and health care institutions begin to address and work to decrease the rates of severe maternal morbidity that are affecting the patients they care for.

It is important to listen to patients

Some policies have been introduced to tackle the United States maternal health crisis. At the federal level, the Black Maternal Momnibus Act of 2021, a sweeping bipartisan package of bills, aims to provide pre- and post-natal support for Black mothers, such as by extending eligibility for certain benefits postpartum.

Yet within individual health care systems, its important for physicians and leaders to pay attention to disparities in obstetrical care, Rana said, and among other factors that can lead to disparities, a key component is implicit bias in the care of Black women.

I think it is important to listen to patients when they raise concerns and for expecting mothers to be aware of the signs and symptoms of pregnancy or childbirth complications. There are actually lots of signs that doctors should be talking about and that patients should be aware of, Rana said, adding that common warning signs of preeclampsia and eclampsia, for instance, are headache, blurred vision, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and swelling of the hands or face.

What I feel is, sometimes theres a gap between a patient complaining and the doctor listening. There is so much data showing that patients, especially African American Black patients, are not always listened to, she said. Thats another barrier that a lot of our patients face, and it contributes to racial disparities.
Sam Altman made the decision that set Silicon Valley on fire all by himself.

Engineers at OpenAI, the artificial intelligence company of which Altman is chief executive, had built a series of powerful AI tools that could generate complex texts and write computer code. But they weren't sure about releasing it for public use as a chatbot fearing it wouldn't resonate and wasn't ready for prime time.

Decisions at the company are usually made by consensus: employees debate, experts are consulted and eventually a joint conclusion is reached. But when the question of the chatbot's release cycled up to Altman he said he made a rare "contentious unilateral decision."

"Doing ChatGPT was something that I pushed for that other people at the time didn't really want to do," he said. Employees asked, "'Is the model good enough? Are people going to use it? Does anyone want to chat?'"

People did, it turns out. ChatGPT launched in November, and now millions are using it and similar tools from other companies, a development that has reinvigorated Silicon Valley and set off an arms race to control a technology that industry insiders predict will be as transformative as the invention of the internet itself. Generative AI tools could completely change the way people find and synthesize information, replace or disrupt hundreds of millions of jobs and further cement the power Big Tech companies wield over society.

At the center of that race is Altman's OpenAI, which has become the dominant player in the space by first launching its technology to the public while bigger rivals dither on the sidelines. Microsoft has spent billions to get OpenAI's tech into its own products, helping it beat rival Google earlier this year to market with a chatbot.

For Altman, 37, the rise of OpenAI and the explosion of interest in ChatGPT has catapulted him from his role as a prolific investor and protege of more powerful men, to a central player among the most powerful people in tech. It's also made him a key voice in the heated and globe-spanning debate over AI, what it's capable of and who should control it.

"He's an unbelievable entrepreneur," said Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. "He has this ability to bet big and be right on multiple fronts."

It's a strange position to be in. Altman is one of the driving forces pushing AI tech forward and into the public's hands, while also being vocal about the potential dangers of the technology, like the risk of AI displacing human jobs or rogue actors using it to supercharge misinformation campaigns.

While Altman says he isn't sure he's naturally suited to be a CEO, he does believe he's the right person to shepherd the development of a technology that he argues will have world-changing consequences.

"You do whatever it takes, even if it's not your first choice," Altman said.

As part of that job, he's planned a round-the-world goodwill tour to talk with politicians and people using OpenAI's technology. The month-long campaign - which will take him to Canada, Brazil, Nigeria, Europe, Singapore, Japan, Indonesia and Australia, among other stops - comes as debate over AI's impact on the world is heating up. Regulators in multiple countries are scrutinizing OpenAI's technology, asking questions about everything from copyright infringement to the risk of new and more sinister forms of misinformation. The Italian government temporarily banned OpenAI in March, citing concerns about privacy and data collection.

Altman has long said public use of the technology presents potential dangers. But he argues that OpenAI is the right steward, a company able to strike a balance between releasing the technology for public testing and keeping enough details secret to prevent the AI from being used for hacking or misinformation campaigns.

A growing faction of technologists is begging Altman to slow down, arguing that the technology could rapidly become smarter than people and begin to oppress humanity. Skeptics say such fantastic claims distract from the more concrete problems AI is already creating, such as the propagation of sexist and racist biases.

Altman insists the company's ultimate goal is to benefit all of humanity. But he has many naysayers, and some say he is endangering the world by launching untested technology. AI ethicists have warned of the decision to put the technology into the public's hands.

Altman says he wants more government regulation, but for now that regulation doesn't exist. So he's forging on, believing that the path he's set is the best one.

"It all comes down to what they think 'benefiting all of humanity' means," said Alberto Romero, an analyst at AI research firm CambridgeAI who writes a newsletter about the industry. "Not everyone agrees with OpenAI's definition."

Many, too, have criticized Altman's management of OpenAI. Since taking over in 2019, he's played a major role in changing the company's mission from a nonprofit meant to provide a counterweight to Big Tech companies. Under Altman, the company became free to take on investors and make money, though its board of directors is still part of a nonprofit that technically controls the company. And OpenAI also has reduced the amount of information it openly publishes, such as the types of data that go into training its AI models.

Perhaps most notably, OpenAI has signed a series of deals with Microsoft, which used underlying ChatGPT technology to launch its Bing chatbot. In exchange, OpenAI gets access to Microsoft's cloud - huge data servers that give it the computing power to train and run AI programs.

Despite the contradictions, Altman said his company's approach to getting the technology into the public's hands while it is still early and imperfect will help society prepare for whatever changes AI brings. He argues that being scared about the technology's potential makes him cognizant of its risks.

"People talk about AI as a technological revolution. It's even bigger than that," Altman said. "It's going to be this whole thing that touches all aspects of society."

Altman hasn't always been one of the most powerful men in tech. By his own admission, his first start-up, Loopt, was a bust.

Born in St. Louis, Altman got into coding as a kid and enrolled at Stanford to study computer science. He dropped out in 2005 to start Loopt, which offered a mobile app that was supposed to help people locate their friends. It resembled Apple's Find My Friends feature, but came out before fullscreen smartphones were commonplace. After seven years, he sold it to a payment processing company, which took the technology but shut Loopt down.

"I failed pretty hard at my first start-up--it sucked!," Altman said in a February tweet. "Am doing pretty well on my second."

Altman speaks in measured, steady sentences, sometimes taking long pauses to formulate his answers. He wears a nondescript Silicon Valley uniform - single-color t-shirts, hoodies, sneakers. And he wants you to know he's open to feedback.

"Feel free, truly, to ask anything. I won't be offended," he said mid-interview.

Loopt was in the first cohort of the tech start-up program Y Combinator started by a group of four well-known Silicon Valley entrepreneurs that helped founders get off the ground. Y Combinator grew, becoming one of the best-known programs of its type, and helping launch companies including Airbnb, DoorDash, Reddit and Stripe. Altman returned in 2011 as a partner, and in 2014 founder Paul Graham named him the new president.

"He's one of those rare people who manage to be both fearsomely effective and yet fundamentally benevolent," Graham said in a blog post announcing the change.

Altman quickly moved to expand the company's horizons. He invested in more companies per year, and raised a new $700 million fund to invest more in companies that had already graduated from the program. He also started a research lab for Y Combinator that would focus on bigger, fundamental questions in science, tech and society. That included developing a project looking at Universal Basic Income, an idea that is popular among those who think AI will take over millions of jobs, leaving people without work and dependent on government payments.

But the first project it launched was OpenAI.

Instead of investors, it had donors, including Twitter and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Palantir co-founder and conservative donor Peter Thiel, and Altman himself. When it was founded in 2015, Google, Amazon, Microsoft and Facebook had been busy hiring the world's best AI researchers, putting them to work making sure Big Tech would be in the driver's seat of AI development. The universities that had funded AI research for decades couldn't compete.

OpenAI planned to do things differently, running as a nonprofit and encouraging its researchers to share their code and patents with the world so that the potentially revolutionary technology wouldn't be monopolized by the tech giants. In a blog post announcing its formation, OpenAI's founders said its purpose was to "benefit humanity as a whole, unconstrained by a need to generate financial return."

When LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman agreed to join OpenAI's board, Altman suggested he come meet the company's employees. He interviewed Hoffman in front of the team, grilling him on what he would do if Altman failed as CEO.

"'Well, I'd work with you," Hoffman said. Altman pressed him, "And what if I continued to not do it well?" "We'd fire you," Hoffman finally responded.

Altman had made his point: He was not an autocrat.

In the same way he pushed Y Combinator to change and grow, Altman did the same at OpenAI. In 2019, he left the incubator to focus full-time on OpenAI. That was the year the company launched GPT2, and when Altman saw what the technology was capable of he realized it was time to double down on it.

"This is really going to take over my whole life," he recalls thinking at the time. The same year, OpenAI stopped being a nonprofit and did its first big deal with Microsoft so it could use the company's warehouses full of computer servers to allow it to train bigger and more energy-intensive AI programs.

As the tech progressed, Altman realized he needed help. Training the large language models that are the backbone of OpenAI's technology on trillions of words scoured from the internet requires an immense amount of computing power. To compete with the big companies who already owned their own server farms, OpenAI needed hard cash, and to get it they needed to offer investors the potential for big returns.

Shortly after Altman took over, the company dropped its nonprofit status and switched to what it called a "capped profit" structure. Investors are entitled to earn 100 times their investment, but everything over that flows to the company's nonprofit arm.

AI researchers and some of OpenAI's own employees were leery of the company's transition. Months before the switch, it announced a new language model called GPT2 trained on 10 times as much data as the company's previous version. The company showed off the software's ability to generate full news stories about fictitious events based on one-sentence prompts, but didn't release it publicly, citing the risk of people using it for malicious purposes.

Today, in contrast to its original mission, the company releases few details about what goes into the most powerful versions of its AI models, the most recent of which is GPT4. The heavyweight tech billionaires attached to the project in its early days - Musk, Thiel and most recently Hoffman - have stepped aside, leaving Altman as the dominant personality running and representing OpenAI.

The company has already defied the natural laws of business. After OpenAI cut a deal with Microsoft, it sold the same underlying technology to Microsoft's direct competitors, including Salesforce.

Musk has tweeted his frustration about donating money to a nonprofit that has suddenly become a for-profit enterprise. "I'm still confused as to how a nonprofit to which I donated ~$100M somehow became a $30B market cap for-profit. If this is legal, why doesn't everyone do it?" Musk said. (He is working on starting his own AI company, according to the Information.)

In late March, venture capitalists and AI company founders gathered at the Cerebral Valley AI conference, a select event for AI industry insiders. While some attendees expressed fear that AI will soon take over the world, most were focused on finding ways to quickly build businesses around a technological shift viewed as the biggest thing since the advent of mobile phones.

Several panelists called the OpenAI-Microsoft partnership the dominant force in the industry, and some said it would make them hesitant to partner with OpenAI going forward.

"Their deal with Microsoft just gives Microsoft an advantage," Amjad Masad, CEO of Replit, a coding collaboration platform that features an AI to help with programming tasks. His company originally used OpenAI's technology, but switched to building its own after coming to the conclusion they needed more independence.

"If you want to compete with Microsoft, you can't use OpenAI," he said.

Altman said the company is still much more transparent than its Big Tech competitors. It published 18 papers last year alone, detailing the company's findings on topics from new techniques to train large language models, to the potential economic impact of chatbots that can write computer code. Letting anyone have access to its technology would cause bigger problems, making it easy for bad actors to use generative AI for cyberattacks and misinformation, Altman said.

Still, OpenAI could have done a lot to benefit people and stay true to its original mission without trying to compete directly with the Big Tech players, Romero, the AI analyst said. It may have been less ambitious.

"I think OpenAI execs were honest about their original vision and mission: Creating a nonprofit, focused on open source and free from financial ties," he said. "However, when they found out they needed more money to continue the path they deemed most promising, they didn't hesitate to change their principles."
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP)  A gang near Haitis capital ambushed and killed three police officers on Sunday in the latest attack against an under-resourced and underfunded police department that has reported nearly two dozen officers slain so far this year, according to authorities.

The killings occurred in Thomassin, a largely upper-class neighborhood just south of the capital of Port-au-Prince that is controlled by a gang called Ti Makak, which translates to Little Macaques.

The details of the killings were provided by an officer who survived the attack, according to the National Union of Haitian Police Officers, which said it was saddened by the news.

Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry condemned the killings and extended his condolences.

Our police brothers have today, once again, fallen under the murderous bullets of lawless thugs. We deplore these barbaric acts, he tweeted.

He added that his government is doing everything possible to create a climate of security and stability in a country too bruised and bereaved.

At least 21 police officers have been killed so far this year as gangs continue to fight over territory and grow more powerful since the July 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moise.

The Ti Makak gang also was blamed for killing another three officers in September in nearby Laboule. In addition, two journalists were fatally shot and set on fire in that area last year, as well as a former senator and his nephew.

In October, Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry and other top officials requested the immediate deployment of foreign troops to help fight relentless gangs, but so far, the U.N. Security Council, along with the U.S. and Canada, have opted to impose sanctions. The international community also has provided equipment, training and other resources for Haiti's National Police.

As of mid-March, gangs were blamed for killing at least 531 people and kidnapping 277 others in the capital of Port-au-Prince and nearby areas. Another 160,000 people in the country of more than 11 million people have been displaced by violence, according to the U.N.

Chronic instability and gang violence have contributed to surging prices and food insecurity. Half of the population does not have enough to eat, the U.N.s Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner warned last month. We are gravely concerned that extreme violence continues to spiral out of control in Haiti.

The U.N. estimates that gangs now control up to 80% of Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas.
AP

BEIRUT (AP)  A deadly land mine explosion in Syria killed at least six people on Sunday, according to state media.

News agency SANA said the explosion hit civilians who were foraging for truffles in the countryside, and blamed the incident on a land mine planted by the Islamic State group in the southern Deir Ez-Zor province. The area is a former stronghold of the militants.
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CAIRO (AP)  Saudi officials were in Yemen's capital Sunday for talks with the Iran-backed Houthi rebels, as part of international efforts to find a settlement to Yemens nine-year conflict, officials said.

Saudi Arabias delegation, chaired by the kingdoms ambassador to Yemen, Mohammed bin Saeed Al-Jaber, met with Mahdi al-Mashat, head of the Houthis supreme political council, which runs rebel-held areas in Yemen, according to the Houthi-run SABA news agency.

An Omani delegation, which arrived in Sanaa on Saturday, joined the talks, the agency reported. It said al-Mashat hailed Oman's efforts to bridge the gap between different sides in the war to achieve peace in Yemen. SABA did not give further details.

Mohammed al-Bukaiti, a Houthi leader, said earlier on Twitter that Saudi and Omani officials would discuss ways to achieve a comprehensive and lasting peace in the region.

He said achieving an honorable peace between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia would be "a triumph for both parties, and urged all sides to take steps to preserve a peaceful atmosphere and prepare to turn the page of the past.

There was no immediate comment from Saudi Arabia on the trip, the second of its kind in 2023, according to a Saudi official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to brief reporters.

In comments to The Associated Press, Hans Grundberg, the U.N. envoy for Yemen, described the ongoing efforts, including the Saudi and Omani talks in Sanaa, as the closest Yemen has been to real progress towards lasting peace since the war began.

This is a moment to be seized and built on and a real opportunity to start an inclusive political process under U.N. auspices to sustainably end the conflict, he said.

The talks in Sanaa are part of international efforts led by Oman to settle Yemens conflict, which began in 2014. That's when the Houthis seized Sanaa and much of the countrys north, ousting the internationally recognized government that fled to the south and then into exile in Saudi Arabia.

The Houthi move prompted a Saudi-led coalition to intervene months later in a bid to restore the internationally recognized government to power. The conflict has in recent years turned into a regional proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Saudi Arabia and the Houthis reached a draft deal last month to revive a cease-fire that expired in October. The deal is meant to usher in a return to Yemeni political talks, according to Saudi and Yemeni officials.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss closed-door negotiations.

They said the Saudi-Houthi understandings include a six-month truce with a cessation of all military activities across Yemen. The Houthis have committed to coming to the table with other Yemeni parties to negotiate a political settlement to the conflict, they said. The United Nations is meant to facilitate the political negotiations, they added.

Both parties also agreed to further ease restrictions by the Saudi-led coalition on Sanaas airport and the Houthi-controlled Red Sea ports in Hodeida, the officials said. The Houthis would lift their yearslong blockade on Taiz, Yemens third largest city which is held by government forces, they said.

The phased roadmap also includes payment for all state employees  including the military  from oil and gas revenues. In return, the rebels agreed to allow exporting oil from government-held areas after a monthslong hiatus because of Houthi attacks on oil facilities, the officials said.

Yemens internationally recognized presidential council was briefed on the Saudi-Houthi understandings at a Thursday meeting in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, with Prince Khalid bin Salman, the Kingdoms defense minister, a Yemeni official said.

The Saudi-backed council, which was appointed a year ago, has given its initial approval to the draft deal, the official said.

Commenting on the Saudi-Houthi talks, Yemeni Foreign Minister Ahmed Awad Bin Mubarak said there were positive signals that a cease-fire deal would be announced, along with addressing other humanitarian and economic issues.

The (regional) circumstances are different, he told an Egyptian satellite channel Al-Qahera in an interview aired on Friday. It pushed towards achieving a solution.

Bin Mubarak, however, said there are many fundamental issues that Yemen's warring sides need to address before reaching a settlement to the conflict.

The Oman-brokered talks have aimed at preventing both sides from resuming full-fledged fighting. The efforts gained momentum in recent weeks after Saudi Arabia reached an agreement with Iran to restore diplomatic ties after a seven-year rift. Iran, the main foreign backer of the Houthis, has said its deal with Saudi Arabia would help end Yemens conflict.

Ahmed Nagi, a Yemen expert at the International Crisis Group, a Brussels-based think-tank, said the Iran-Saudi Arabia rapprochement has given a boost to Saudi-Houthi negotiations, and that both sides are close to announcing the cease-fire's renewal.

However, the second track of the Houthi-Saudi negotiations  a potential roadmap to reach a permanent settlement to the conflict  would be a major challenge when discussed by Yemeni parties, he said.

Each party has different interpretations and expectations, he said. Given the complexities of the situation, it is hard to see progress on this track very soon.
KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  The head of a Ukrainian rescue organization said Saturday that the organization has brought back 31 children from Russia, where they had been taken during the war.

Mykola Kuleba said at a news conference in Kyiv that the children were expected to arrive in the capital later in the day. Kuleba is the executive director of the Save Ukraine organization and is the presidential commissioner for children's rights.
If you missed it, there's a viral Boerne home making waves on social media due to its massive foundation that has left many puzzled online. The developers told MySA that the giant cement slab isn't just for show and that there's a big reason behind the design.

The home is located in a charming neighborhood just outside of San Antonio. The community is called Esperanza, which features an on-site elementary school and is zoned for schools in Boerne Independent School District. The Lookout Group is the master developer of Esperanza, while the home builder agency is Coventry Homes.

Mike Siefert, the president of The Lookout Group, said the main reason the house is configured that way is to accommodate the severe Hill Country topography found on the lot. He added that it's not to achieve any better view. However, the house does have a nice Hill Country view.

Reddit: space3130

It may look confusing now during the construction process, but soon the tall foundation will turn into an inviting and grand entrance, according to Siefert. He said the lot-specific custom design of the home was thoughtfully designed to allow the owners to drive into their wrap-around garage at the rear of the home and walk into the house without dealing with a ton of steps to get into the house.

"I would say this lot was more challenging than some of the other 10,000 plus lots we have developed," Siefert said. "But we encounter design constraints like this on a daily basis. Developing in the Hill Country is challenging due to significant topography changes and unique obstacles every day and we work hard to provide creative solutions."

Reaching a viral level and piquing the interest of many, Siefert said the main feedback they have received from residents is the mob of people coming to see the home and overtaking the streets to take selfies and make TikToks.

The Lookout Group

"The confusion from the general outside public is coming from social media and pictures of the home under construction without the benefit of seeing what the final product will look like," Siefert said. "We weren't named community of the year in Texas without paying attention to details like this. The home just needs to get completed to the thoughtful design shown in the rendering for folks to visualize what the final product will look likenot just the partially completed home they see today."

The home is currently unsold. As the home gets closer to completion, Coventry Homes said it will price the home and list it on its website.
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CLEVELAND, Ohio  The woman didnt want to go into the details.

The bottom line was she did something that led to the death of someone in her family.

A friend told me this story.

I know God has forgiven me, she said. But I cant forgive myself.

I talked about it with Kevin James, pastor of New Community Bible Fellowship in Cleveland Heights.

Ive heard that a lot over the years, said James. Sometimes, its a husband who left his wife and kids, then looks back and wonders if anyone will ever forgive him.

There are people who were addicted. They have become clean and sober, but in the rearview mirror of life they see years  even decades  of destruction. They stole money from their parents. There were expensive trips to rehabilitation centers, time in jail, lots of legal fees.

Sometimes, we tell ourselves, The only person I hurt is myself.

But we know better. Thats why we end up thinking, I know God has forgiven me, but I cant forgive myself.

Thats also why Easter is important.

When we don't feel forgiven, it can feel as if the sun is setting on any hopes we have for the future. Photo By Terry Pluto / Cleveland.com

GOD FORGIVES, BUT WHAT ABOUT ME?

Christians believe the death on the cross and the resurrection of Jesus on Easter is about the power for forgiveness.

Thats one of the hardest things, said Father Tom Haren of St. Michael Catholic Church in Independence. If God can forgive me, why cant I understand that means Im forgivenand to forgive myself?

Its through Gods power that we can forgive ourselves. Its the same God whose son Jesus looked down from the cross at those who crucified him and said, Father, forgive them. They know not what they are doing.

What angered some of the religious elite at the time was Jesus forgiving people. Some of those people didnt deserve forgiveness, according to the uptight religious types.

Haren talked about how the concept of Gods forgiveness is so wonderful, its illogical. Its a form of spiritual healing that cant be explained in medical terms.

So why do some of us struggle with the concept?

When unforgiven, it seems the sun is gone, all roads are closed. That's not true. Photo By Terry Pluto / Cleveland.com

THERE IS SHAME

We have a moral compass, said James. When weve hurt people, it can be hard to get beyond the guilt and shame.

Thats especially true because sometimes we have people in our lives who wont let us get beyond our worst moment.

A friend works in retail. She told about someone who came up to her and said, You were such a spoiled brat!

She admitted she was a bit spoiled as a kid  but that was more than 50 years ago! Some person from the old neighborhood, and those are the first words from his mouth? Really???

The (spiritual) enemy uses shame and things from our past to condemn us in the present, said James.

Ive had discussions with people who confuse God with those in their lives who refuse to forgive them.

The fact is, there may be some people in your life who wont forgive you  regardless of how many times and how youve apologized, I say. Dont confuse them with God  and dont let them become the God in your life.

During Easter, flowers come out of the thorns of life. Photo By Terry Pluto / Cleveland.com

A FRESH START

Why did Jesus go to the cross? Some of us memorized the answer: To die for our sins. It can sound almost meaningless unless there is some historical context.

In the time of Jesus, something had to die for sins to be forgiven. Animals were killed. Blood was spilled. Sometimes, crops were burned.

But Easter doesnt end in the grave. Jesus rose from dead so we can have a supernatural form of healing and forgiveness.

Part of Easter is once we believe in Jesus rising from the dead, we have the spiritual power to live differently. We can look at the windshield of life and whats ahead. We no longer approach life with our eyes fixated on the rearview mirror and the poor decisions weve made.

We check the rearview mirror to avoid accidents and bad driving decisions. But we dont stare at it, unless we want to cause even a bigger wreck.

The older I get, the more I preach about Gods love for us, said Haren. A lot of people dont feel loved. That love and forgiveness allows us to keep moving forward.

Then Haren mentioned how we are willing to do a favor ... buy a gift ... make a sacrifice ... for someone we love.

But we wouldnt do it for ourselves, said he said. In those situations, we value the other person over ourselves. Thats how it is with us and God on Easter. We need to accept that gift, in the same way the person we helped accepts it from us -- only forgiveness and eternal life are the biggest gifts of all.

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Beyon Cyber, part of the Beyon group, has been recognised at the 8th annual Cyber Security Excellence Awards, as the gold winner of the best Cyber Security start up in the Middle East for 2023.

The Cybersecurity Excellence Awards recognise and honour the worlds best cybersecurity organisations that demonstrate excellence, innovation, and leadership in the information security industry.

Nominees are awarded based on the strength of ratings and comments from members of the 600,000+ Information Security Community, which is one of the largest cyber security groups of certified security professionals on LinkedIn. This years winners include organisations such as Forescout, BlackBerry, CyberArk, Imperva among others.

Business success

Beyon Cyber was chosen as the Gold Winner largely due to its business success and the strategic vision that differentiated it from many other leading companies that were competing for the same award.

Holger Schulze, CEO of Cybersecurity Insiders and founder of the 600,000-member Information Security Community which organised the 8th annual Cybersecurity Excellence Awards, commented: "We congratulate Beyon Cyber for the recognition as an award winner in the 2023 Cybersecurity Excellence Awards. With over 800 entries, the 2023 Cybersecurity Excellence Awards programme is highly competitive. Beyon Cyber reflects the very best in innovation and excellence in defending against today's evolving cybersecurity threats."

Beyon Cyber CEO, Dr Shaikh Khalid bin Daij Al Khalifa said: We are honoured to be recognised as the best cyber security startup in the Middle East. This award validates our commitment towards innovation and demonstrates our ability to lead in the cybersecurity space in the region.

Although we have been in operation for only a short while, we are proud to be serving some of the major financial entities in Bahrain and in the Middle East. The award further demonstrates our commitment towards delivering world class services and globally recognised capabilities to our clients. The credit of this success is due to the dedicated efforts of the Beyon Cyber team, with the support of our industry leading advisors and partners, Dr Shaikh Khalid added.-- TradeArabia News Service
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If an Ohioan wants to know how legislative gerrymandering works, dont bother looking up the word in the dictionary. Just watch the General Assemblys antics.

In theory  in theory  the Ohio House of Representatives and the Ohio Senate speak for geographic pools of Ohioans (about 119,000 Ohioans for each of 99 state representatives; about 356,000 Ohioans for each of 33 state senators).

And also in theory, elections to those General Assembly seats are decided in the November of even-numbered years by voters in each legislative districts general election.

Thats the fantasy. In fact, because of the way Statehouse Republicans have drawn those General Assembly districts, Republicans voting in Republican primary elections can decide who will go to the Statehouse. And voters in GOP primaries tend to be in the partys right wing.

Also because of the way Statehouse Republicans drew todays districts, Democrats voting in Democratic primary elections can decide who will go to the Statehouse. And voters in Democratic primaries tend to be in the partys left wing (or what passes for one in Ohio).

Of course, Republicans made sure there are many more districts that skew Republican than skew Democratic. So, of the Ohio Houses 99 seats, Republicans hold 67, Democrats 32.

That is, Republicans hold two-thirds of the Ohio House seats  and 79% of the state Senates seats  in a state that cast 53% of its presidential votes for Donald Trump in 2020.

And people ask why the General Assembly is so red-hot partisan, and embroiled in social issues, albeit with ruling GOP majorities? Its because the legislatures makeup isnt really decided in the fall by a cross-section of Ohios people, but by a narrow pool of committed partisans  Republican or Democratic  in springtime primaries. Thats not representation. Thats a recipe for hyperpartisanship.

And thats what Ohio is getting from a General Assembly that is now so busy trying to make nice with Ohios Republican right that it ignores Ohioans who are middle-of-the-road (as a plurality of Ohioans are).

And before anyone starts citing 20-year Democratic House Speaker Vern Riffe, of Scioto Countys Wheelersburg, and his dexterous legislative mapmakers, keep this is in mind: The last apportionment (district-drawing) that Ohio Democrats controlled was 42 years ago, in 1981.

True, there is such a thing, even to committed partisans, as a caucus thats too big to manage. Good example: The Houses 67 Republicans (65 for now, because of two GOP vacancies) are split between Speaker Jason Stephens, a Kitts Hill Republican, elected speaker with House Democrats help, and a Stephens foe, Rep. Derek Merrin, a suburban Toledo Republican.

The net result, in effect, of electing General Assembly members in primary elections is to drive candidates to the right (among Republicans) or to Ohios left (among Democrats).

Party loyalists listen to other party loyalists, not rank-and-file Ohioans.

Thats why some General Assembly Republicans devise such tone-deaf measures as House Joint Resolution 1, to require a supermajority of Ohio voters to amend the Ohio Constitution. The GOPs goal: To make it harder for Ohioans to place in the state constitution a right for women to choose abortion. Specifically, HJR 1would require a 60% majority to ratify amendments. Now, and since 1912, the requirement has been 50% plus 1.

(If the anti-abortion lobby and allied legislators would think strategically, perhaps theyd twin their opposition to abortion with abolition of Ohios death penalty.)

Still, the overarching problem remains politically skewed General Assembly districts. They must be redrawn for 2024s election, and the gerrymandering that has created such currently lopsided GOP majorities isnt good for Ohio or (given factional splits in the House GOP caucus) isnt really good for the GOP itself.

Another ballot issue that may be in the offing may seek to reform how Ohio draws its state Senate and House districts. Because about all that the status quo does is, yes, reinforce the status quo. And thats the very last thing that Ohio needs.

Correction: House Speaker Jason Stephens hometown, Kitts Hill, is in Lawrence County (seat: Ironton). Last weeks column erroneously said Kitts Hill is in Gallia County (seat: Gallipolis).

Thomas Suddes, a member of the editorial board, writes from Athens.

To reach Thomas Suddes: tsuddes@cleveland.com, 216-408-9474

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* Email general questions about our editorial board or comments or corrections on this opinion column to Elizabeth Sullivan, director of opinion, at esullivan@cleveland.com.
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Pope Francis presides over the Easter Vigil Mass in St. Peter's Basilica on April 8, 2023 in Vatican City, Vatican.

Pope Francis led the world's Roman Catholics into Easter at a Saturday night vigil Mass in St. Peter's Basilica, decrying the "icy winds of war" and other injustices.

The 86-year-old Francis skipped an outdoor event on Friday night because of unseasonably cold temperatures in Rome. His doctors ordered prudence after he was hospitalized last week for bronchitis.

Francis appeared to be well during the Easter Vigil service, during which he baptized eight adult converts to Catholicism.

After starting the service in the rear of the church with the traditional lighting of a large paschal candle, he was taken in a wheelchair to the front to preside at the Mass.

Easter is the most important day in the Christian liturgical calendar because it commemorates the day the Bible says Jesus rose from the dead.

In his homily, read before about 8,000 people in Christendom's largest church, Francis spoke of the bitterness, dismay and disillusionment many feel today.

"We may feel helpless and discouraged before the power of evil, the conflicts that tear relationships apart, the attitudes of calculation and indifference that seem to prevail in society, the cancer of corruption, the spread of injustice, the icy winds of war," he said.

Francis has called for an end to all wars, and since Russia invaded Ukraine in February, 2022, he has repeatedly referred to Ukraine and its people as being "martyred".

Reading his homily in a strong and confident voice, Francis said that even when people felt the wellspring of hope had dried up, it was important not to be frozen in a sense of defeat but to seek an "interior resurrection" with God's help.

Francis concludes Holy Week celebrations on Sunday by presiding at an Easter day Mass in St. Peter's Square and then delivering his twice-annual "Urbi et Orbi" (to the city and the world) blessing and message from the central external balcony of St. Peter's Basilica.
Gabriel Quezada, 17, is a senior at Early College High School in Costa Mesa, California. Gabriel Quezada

As college costs soar and enrollment falters, there's an alternative to a pricey four-year degree that's been largely under the radar, until recently. But Gabriel Quezada, 17, was reluctant to try it. His father, Humberto Quezada, said he first heard about the Early College High School in Costa Mesa, California, when Gabriel was in third grade. But when Gabriel got older, it was hard to convince him to go. So they made a deal: Gabriel would start as a freshman, but if he didn't like it, he could switch to his local public school. More from Personal Finance:

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These 4 moves can help you save big on college costs "Early college" programs are a type of dual enrollment that allows students to complete college-level coursework while they are still in high school. Ultimately, Gabriel stuck it out. This June, he will graduate with his high school diploma and an associate degree in business under his belt. "That's 60 or so credits done," he said. Already, he has been accepted to the University of California, Los Angeles and half a dozen other schools, but is still waiting on several scholarship opportunities, including one from the Angels Baseball Foundation, which would cover all four years of college. "I am hoping I won't have to take out many loans or any loans at all," he said.

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Completing some coursework at a community college and then transferring to a four-year school is a proven pathway to getting a degree for significantly less money. After enrollment in two-year colleges nosedived during the pandemic, a number of students are now catching on, according to a new report by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, which showed a jump in dual enrollment. "It's encouraging to see this second straight year of growth in spring freshmen and dual-enrolled high school students," said Doug Shapiro, the research center's executive director.

How 'early college' programs work

Unlike Advanced Placement, another program in which high school students take courses and exams that could earn them college credit, dual enrollment is a state-run program that often works in partnership with a local community college. These programs are not restricted to high school students on a specific  and often accelerated  academic track, as many AP classes are. Not all students graduate high school with an associate degree, but most finish with at least one year of college credit, which gives them the option to enter college as a transfer student. At least 35 states have policies that guarantee that students with an associate degree can transfer to a four-year state school as a junior.

Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards

That shaves two years off the cost of a bachelor's degree, effectively cutting the tab in half, as well as the student loan debt. Early college students are also more likely to enroll in college and earn a degree compared with their peers who were not enrolled in early college programs, according to one study by the American Institutes for Research. "Our research shows that early colleges are an effective way to increase rates of college-going and college completion, and that the return on the investment in these programs is positive for both the student and society at large," said Kristina Zeiser, AIR's principal researcher. Although there are up to 900 early college programs nationwide, according to Zeiser, not that many people know about them.

'A very smart way to start your higher education'

"The culture is different from your average high school," said David Martinez, principal of the Early College High School. The high school is a Title I school in the Newport-Mesa Unified School District of Orange County, California, which means there is a high percentage of low-income students. Funding is provided by the district and the state. "Parents don't pay a dime," Martinez said. Students take a mix of high school- and college-level courses, shortening the time it takes to complete a high school diploma and one to two years of college coursework. "Families need a 21st century approach to prepare their kids for college, and this is one of the ways to do it," Martinez said.

Families need a 21st century approach to prepare their kids for college, and this is one of the ways to do it. David Martinez principal of Early College High School, Costa Mesa, California
Israeli soldiers take part in a military exercise near Moshav Kidmat Tsvi in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights on April 3, 2023.

Israeli jets hit Syrian military targets on Sunday in response to rockets launched towards Israeli controlled territory overnight, Israel's military said, as violence flared again following cross-border exchanges of fire during the week.

State media in Syria reported explosions in the vicinity of the capital Damascus as Israel said its forces continued to hit Syrian territory after six rockets were fired overnight towards the Golan Heights.

Israel said artillery and drone strikes hit the rocket launchers and were followed by airstrikes against a Syrian army compound, military radar systems and artillery posts.

The Israeli military "sees the State of Syria responsible for all activities occurring within its territory and will not allow any attempts to violate Israeli sovereignty," the Israeli Defense Forces said in a statement.

The Syrian defense ministry said its air defenses had responded to the Israeli attacks and intercepted some Israeli missiles. It said no casualties had been reported with only material damage caused by the strikes.

Sirens had sounded earlier near towns in the Golan Heights as rockets were launched from Syrian territory, but no damage or casualties were reported. Israel seized the Golan Heights in the 1967 Middle East war and annexed the 1,200-square-km (460-square-mile) territory in 1981, a move not recognised by most of the international community.

Only three of the rockets crossed into Israeli-controlled territory, with two falling on open ground and a third intercepted by air defense systems, the military said.

Lebanon-Based Al Mayadeen TV said the rocket salvoes were claimed by Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of the Iranian-backed Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement.

On Thursday, more than 30 rockets were fired towards Israel from southern Lebanon, drawing cross-border counterstrikes from Israel on sites linked to the Islamist movement Hamas in Lebanon and Gaza.

The cross-border exchanges came amid sharply increased tensions between Israel and Palestinian groups following Israeli police raids in recent days on Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, which caused outrage across the Arab world.
If you think that raising capital is the best way to get your business off the ground, you're wrong, according to Mark Cuban.

You should actually do the complete opposite, the billionaire entrepreneur said during a panel at SXSW last month, and opt to start a business "with as little money as possible."

Cuban, of course, has invested in hundreds of startups, including some on ABC's "Shark Tank." But those companies often already have momentum, and need external funding to achieve a specific goal.

"People get this mindset that, 'OK, I'm starting a business. Now, I've got to go raise money,'" Cuban said, adding: "Just remember raising money, whether it's from me, on 'Shark Tank' [or] anywhere, that's an obligation. There's somebody who wants that money back."

Instead, Cuban recommends using your own personal savings to get any business off the ground. That way, you're "controlling your own destiny," he said. "The more of your equity that you can retain and control, the more the upside."

That's "where the big bucks are made," he added.

Cuban started his first company, a computer systems company called MicroSolutions, on his own dime. He sold the startup to CompuServe for $6 million in 1990.

Four years later, Cuban and his friend Todd Wagner invested $10,000 in a small startup called Cameron Audio Networks. Later, sensing potential, they offered the company's ownership a buyout  ultimately assuming a large majority of its equity and turning it into Cuban's second company, Broadcast.com.

That company sold to Yahoo! for $5.7 billion in 1999.

"If you look at people with a B next to their name, it's because they own all that equity in their company," Cuban said.

An examination of the world's richest people shows this to be at least partially true. Elon Musk, who has an estimated net worth of $187.9 billion, owns about 23% of Tesla and 74% of Twitter, according to Forbes. Jeff Bezos  whose estimated net worth is $125.1 billion  now owns "a bit less than 10%" of Amazon, Forbes reports.

Still, holding onto your company's equity until you have no other option is a smart move, Cuban said.

"I've sat next to people who have sold companies for billions of dollars and they did OK," he said. "But they own 2% of the company, when it was all said and done."

Disclosure: CNBC owns the exclusive off-network cable rights to "Shark Tank," which features Mark Cuban as a panelist.

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Wall Street has some favorite stocks in mind as the second quarter kicks into full swing. The S & P 500 ended the shortened trading week  the first of the new quarter  down 0.1% . That marks a turn from the prior quarter, when the broad index gained 7% as investors re-entered the stock market after 2022's selloff. As investors position themselves in the early innings of the quarter, CNBC Pro found the most liked S & P 500 stocks on Wall Street. To find these, CNBC Pro screened the index for stocks with buy ratings from at least 65% of analysts and have an average upside of at least 30%, according to FactSet. Here are the stocks that passed the screen: E-commerce giant Amazon made the list, with 75% of analysts rating the stock a buy and the average one expecting the stock to rise by more than 30%. That would mean a continuation of the stock's rally, as Amazon has jumped 21.5% year to date. The gain in shares comes as the company has reduced its workforce, announcing 9,000 cuts in March . That's in addition to the more than 18,000 workers laid off in the previous round. Morgan Stanley analyst Brian Nowak said last month that the latest round of cuts should help profitability. He reiterated his decision to name Amazon a top stock pick. "We believe a majority of reductions are from AWS/Advertising, which should help protect AWS EBIT through near-term deceleration and drive better long-term leverage," he said in a note to clients. Toymaker Hasbro also made the list. Around seven out of 10 analysts rate the stock a buy, with the average price target implying a nearly 34% upside. The company set modest guidance for 2023 , but pointed to bright spots tied to new releases and its growing game company Wizards of the Coast, which is the parent of the Dungeons and Dragons brand. Back in January, Hasbro announced plans to cut 1,000 jobs, or about 15% of its workforce, as the company grappled with weak sales in the holiday quarter. Hasbro shares are down nearly 15% in 2023. Airline stocks Alaska Air Group and Delta Air Lines both passed the screen, with each garnering buy ratings from more than 8 out of 10 analysts. Both are also expected to rally more than 50% over the next 12 months. These airline shares are still recovering from last year's sell-off. Delta has gained a modest 2.5% this year after tumbling almost 16% in 2022. Alaska, on the other hand, has continued to slide, shedding slightly over 2% this year after dropping 17.5% in 2022.  CNBC's Fred Imbert contributed to this report.
Weekend shelling by Russian forces killed at least seven civilians, Ukrainian officials reported Sunday as Pope Francis and Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby used their traditional Easter messages to highlight the war in Ukraine and other conflicts around the world.

While Russia continued to concentrate on seizing all of Ukraine's industrial east, two other provinces  Kharkiv in the northeast and Zaporizhzhia in the southeast - came under missile, rocket and artillery fire, the Ukrainian military reported. The governor of the Kherson region, Oleksandr Prokudin, said two communities there were hit by bombs from warplanes late Sunday, but he did not immediately report any casualties.

Kharkiv governor Oleh Syniehubov said two men died Sunday in shelling in Kupiansk, a city that Russia held before Ukrainian forces regained control of almost all of the province.

The city remained under attack later Sunday as Russian forces targeted residential areas with multiple rocket launchers, Syniehubov said. Elsewhere in the province, a 30-year-old man was hospitalized in serious condition after Russian shelling of the city of Chuhuiv, he said on Telegram.

Shelling also killed two people overnight, one of them a child born in 2012, in the city of Zaporizhzhia, the capital of that province, City Council Secretary Anatoliy Kurtev said.

The Zaporizhzhia region's governor, Yurii Malashko, said 18 communities in all were shelled. Three people were killed and five were wounded on Saturday, Malashko said.

Zaporizhzhia is home to Europe's largest nuclear power plant and one of four Ukrainian provinces that Russian President Vladimir Putin illegally annexed in September. Since then, Russia's military has sought to oust Ukraine's troops from those areas, especially Luhansk and Donetsk provinces, which make up the industrial region known as the Donbas.

Bakhmut, a city in Donestsk, has seen the 13-month war's longest battle. Western analysts have said Russian forces recently made it into the center of the city. Seizing Bakhmut after more than eight months would give the Kremlin a badly wanted victory and a path to push on toward bigger Ukrainian-held cities.

The Russian army is moving elite units to Bakhmut, Col. Serhiy Cherevaty, a spokesperson for Ukraine's Eastern Group of Forces, said Sunday.

Cherevaty said the Wagner Group, a private Russian military company whose fighters have spearheaded the offensive on Bakhmut, was incurring heavy losses, making it necessary to move in regular army units from the regular army, including paratroopers and motorized riflemen.

The vast majority of Ukrainians with a religious affiliation identify as Orthodox Christian, a faith that observes Easter on April 16 this year. Some Catholics celebrated Easter on Sunday, while Orthodox churches marked Palm Sunday this weekend.

While delivering his Easter address from the central balcony of the Vatican's St. Peter's Basilica, Pope Francis implored God to "help the beloved Ukrainian people on their journey towards peace, and shed the light of Easter upon the people of Russia.

"Comfort the wounded and all those who have lost loved ones because of the war, and grant that prisoners may return safe and sound to their families," Francis said.

Easter affirms the Christian belief that Jesus rose from the dead days after his crucifixion. Welby, who as archbishop of Canterbury is the ceremonial head of worldwide Anglican Communion, said the occasion provided hope that "true peace is no aimless daydream, but a reality offered because Christ was raised from the dead."

"Injustice and brutality may seem to triumph in our short lives on earth, cruel and oppressive rulers might look as though they only get stronger," he said during a sermon delivered in Canterbury, England. "Yet they will vanish. The power of the resurrection is infinitely greater than they are."

Between Saturday and Sunday mornings, Russian forces launched 40 air strikes, four missile strikes and 58 attacks from multiple-rocket launchers on various parts of Ukraine, the General Staff of the Ukrainian armed forces reported.

According to the General Staff, Russia focused attacks on the Donetsk province communities of Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Marinka. Donetsk regional Gov. Pavlo Kyrylenko said Sunday morning that two civilians were wounded Saturday.

Officials in Kherson province, where Ukrainian forces forced a partial Russian retreat in November, said the southern region also received numerous attacks. They did not report any casualties.

The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, said late Saturday that it thinks Russia's overall offensive "is approaching culmination."

The institute cited Ivan Tymochko, the head of the Ukrainian Council of Reservists for the country's ground forces, as reporting that recent Russian attacks appeared designed to distract and disperse Ukrainian troops preparing for a potential counteroffensive.

"Tymochko stated that Russian forces are not making serious advances anywhere on the front line," the think tank said. Noting that Russia has made heavy use of artillery "offset key shortcomings in combat capability," the institute said reported ammunition shortages would "undermine the Russian military's ability to continue offsetting its other weaknesses and limitations."
Two Chinese military helicopters fly past a PLA Navy tugboat, as seen from Pingtan island, the closest point to Taiwan, in China's southeast Fujian province on April 7, 2023. The U.S. says it's closely monitoring China's drills around Taiwan after Beijing began three days of military exercises around the island.

China began a second day of drills around Taiwan on Sunday as the island's defence ministry reported multiple air force sorties and said it was monitoring the movement of China's missile forces, as the United States said it was watching too.

China, which claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, began three days of military exercises around the island on Saturday, the day after Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen returned from a brief visit to the United States.

While a security source told Reuters most of Saturday's activities ended by sundown, Taiwan's defense ministry said they had resumed on Sunday and the island's military had spotted multiple aircraft including Su-30 and J-11 fighters, as well as ships.

"Regarding the movements of the Chinese communists' Rocket Force, the nation's military also has a close grasp through the joint intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance system, and air defense forces remain on high alert," the ministry said.

The People's Liberation Army's Rocket Force is in charge of China's land-based missile system.

Last August, following a visit to Taipei by then U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, China staged war games around Taiwan including firing missiles into waters close to the island, though it has yet to announce similar drills this time.

While in Los Angeles last week, on what was officially billed a transit on her way back from Central America, Tsai met the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy, despite Beijing's warnings against it.

The de facto U.S. embassy in Taiwan said on Sunday that the United States was monitoring China's drills around Taiwan closely and is "comfortable and confident" it has sufficient resources and capabilities regionally to ensure peace and stability.

U.S. channels of communication with China remain open and the United States had consistently urged restraint and no change to the status quo, said a spokesperson for the American Institute in Taiwan, which serves as an embassy in the absence of formal diplomatic ties.
Ether rose last week as investors looked ahead to the Ethereum network's next big tech upgrade. The second-largest crypto asset by market cap hasn't had the kind of rally it did leading up to its migration from a proof-of-work to proof-of-stake protocol in September. This week it added more than 4%, outperforming bitcoin, which gained less than 1%, and the major stock indexes. It gained 12% in March, though that was upstaged by the various forces that pushed bitcoin up 22%. Last year it rallied in the weeks leading up to the upgrade. ETH posted a 70% gain in July alone. It fell about 20% shortly after the upgrade was complete . The upcoming change, known both as the "Shanghai" upgrade and, more recently, the "Shapella" upgrade, is scheduled to take place April 12 and will allow investors to withdraw staked ether from the network for the first time ever. It's meant to strengthen Ethereum's proof-of-stake consensus mechanism, which it migrated to in September's "Merge" event, which ultimately would allow more liquidity to ether investors and stakers. "The upgrades represent a significant step for the Ethereum network, and while tough to say what ETH flows may look like post-upgrade, more liquidity will exist all else equal," said Alex Markgraff, analyst at KeyBanc. "Greater liquidity could be a catalyst for a change in institutional participation while simultaneously presenting commercial opportunity for staking providers." It's also meant to extend the migration that took place in September, meaning it should make the network faster, more scalable and more energy efficient than if it was a proof-of-work protocol. "This upgrade is a significant milestone in Ethereum's shift to proof-of-stake," said Andrew Ballinger, head of staking solutions at Canadian investment fund manager 3iQ. "The liquidity that comes with it will allow for greater participation in staking and as a result enhanced network security." ETH.CM= 1M mountain Ether (ETH) Here's what investors need to know about the next Ethereum update: Withdrawing your 'locked up' ETH While the Merge turned Ethereum into a proof-of-stake network and gave investors a bigger opportunity to earn passive yield on their ETH holdings through staking  which includes locking tokens up on the network for a period of time  Shapella will make it possible for investors to "unstake," or withdraw, their ETH. "Up until this point, staked assets were locked up indefinitely, and those who wanted to participate in the network and generate yield on their ETH holdings often had to get comfortable with an indefinite timeline for liquidity," Ballinger explained. There are several reasons someone might want to unstake their funds at any given point. Investors who may want to engage with other parts of the network, like buying NFTs or participating in a decentralized finance protocol, may be unable to with their funds locked up. Some staked their ETH before the emergence of liquid staking protocols emerged, Ballinger pointed out. Owen Lau, an analyst at Oppenheimer, noted that short-term traders may simply want to unstake their ETH to sell it  especially at a time like now, when crypto prices including ether have been rising. However, he added, they're more likely to get an even bigger return by keeping their funds locked up. (When you stake your crypto, you contribute to the proof-of-stake system that keeps decentralized networks like Ethereum running and secure; you become a "validator" on the blockchain, meaning you verify and process the transactions as they come through, if chosen by the algorithm. The lock-up of your funds serves as a sort of collateral that can be destroyed if you as a validator act dishonestly or insincerely. For more, check out our staking primer here .) "Providing liquidity for staked ETH will allow a significant group of institutions and traders, who have been sitting on the sideline, the ability to finally participate in the network," Ballinger said. "And greater participation in ETH staking strengthens the security of the Ethereum network as a whole." Potential ETH selling pressure Many market participants have speculated that there will be a wave of negative sell pressure on the market as previously locked funds on Ethereum are released. Data from CryptoQuant suggests any sell pressure would be low, however. Typically, selling pressure emerges when market participants are sitting on extreme profits. Currently, however, the majority of the ETH staked (54%, or 9.7 million ETH) is currently at a loss, the firm said. The average depositors of the largest staking pools are also currently at a loss, according to the data. Ballinger pointed out that unlocking won't happen on day 1 of the update either. It could take as long as 30-60 days for participants to exit, due to the two-day "unbonding" period (the amount of time a blockchain delegator waits before they can move or sell their tokens) and a variable exit queue that changes based on the number of participants in line, he said. "Given there's a limited amount of participants that can exit in a day, this sell pressure will not be as instant or violent as advertised by some commentators," he said. "We still may see some sell pressure on the price of ETH, but it will come over a period of weeks  a much healthier resolution for the Ethereum network."
For the past year, it's been harder and more expensive for Russians to travel abroad. But some say that's only the beginning of their concerns. With anti-Russian sentiment on the rise, several Russian citizens spoke to CNBC Travel about their worries, how they're treated when they travel, and what goes through their minds when people ask where they are from.

How traveling has changed for Russians

Julia Azarova, an independent journalist, said she left Russia a year ago. She said she fled Moscow for Istanbul after the invasion of Ukraine, before eventually settling in Lithuania. "I had to leave my own country" or risk imprisonment, she said. "We had to pack our things in a day and go."

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Since then, Azarova said she's been to Latvia twice, but she can't go to Ukraine, where she has relatives. Her Russian friends have encountered problems getting into Poland, while her colleagues have been prevented from entering Georgia, the latter likely in a show of loyalty to Putin, she said. Anna  who asked that we not use her real name over fears of "unpredictable consequences"  has the opposite problem. She said she's in Moscow and doesn't know when she will leave Russia again.

Traveling somewhere abroad seems like something unimaginable and impossible. Anna resident of Moscow

"Normally, I'd visit one to two countries a year," she said. But now "traveling somewhere abroad seems like something unimaginable and impossible." Traveling, especially airfare, is very expensive, she said. Also, "Russian credit cards are blocked almost everywhere and buying foreign currency in Russia is so difficult." As for when she plans to go abroad again: "Probably when the war ends." Another Russian traveler, Lana, also asked that we not use her full name over fears of retaliation from Russian authorities. She lives in Asia and was planning to go home last summer for the first time since the pandemic started, she said. But she canceled the trip after the invasion of Ukraine, she said, despite her parents not having seen her child in years. "I didn't know what was going to happen," she said, adding that the risk of border closures or flight cancellations prompted her decision.

What it's like meeting other people

Rather than returning home, Lana traveled around Asia  to places like Thailand and Japan. It's "really hard to go abroad and meet new people thinking that you are the person from Russia  and how people will respond to that," Lana said. She said when people ask where's she from, there's an "anticipation moment" that didn't exist when she was young. "Back then, when you say 'I'm from Russia,' the first thing people say is vodka, bears, Matryoshka [dolls], and all that innocent stuff," she said. "You kind of feel like yeah, I'm from Russia  it's cool."

Lana told CNBC Travel being from Russia used to elicit comments about ballet, vodka and Matryoshka dolls. Bo Zaunders | Corbis Documentary | Getty Images

But it's different now, she said. While traveling, she braced for negative comments. Yet so far none have come, she said. Rather, people have offered words of sympathy and concern, she said. Lana may have been lucky. A wave of anger at Russia has blanketed parts of the world, from Europe to the United States, in incidents which the Russian government has used to stoke nationalism in the country. "Not everyone understands that the government, the country and the people, it's not always the same thing," she said. "Let's say you're from  [the United] States, I mean, you might not support Trump after all, right? The same thing's been happening in Russia for the past, probably, 10 years." Anna said telling new people she's Russian has "always been tricky, to be honest, even before the war." She said there's a "prejudice and stigma about Russians," describing instances in Polish restaurants where waitstaff refused to serve her after spotting her Russian guidebook. After that, she began hiding her nationality more, she said. She said being asked where she's from will be even harder once she starts traveling abroad again. "After the war, I guess, I'll be afraid of the question even more, because I'll instantly feel the need to start explaining myself, fearing a negative and aggressive reaction." Azarova agreed it's hard to meet foreigners, especially as she wrestles with her own feelings of "guilt." "You understand that you personally haven't done anything wrong, but you can't get rid of the idea that something's wrong with you personally," she said.

After the invasion, Russian journalist Julia Azarova fled Moscow with her husband, who is also a journalist. She said she welcomes people asking her about the war. "I'm honestly very, very glad to say what I think about that." Source: Julia Azarova

Since leaving Russia, Azarova said she's not had any confrontations over her nationality. However, like Anna, she said she often feels the need to quickly say how she feels about the war. She said her conversations with foreigners have helped her because "you get the feeling that nobody's blaming you." Now she's now no longer afraid to say she's Russian, she said, namely because she can't do anything about it. "But I can do something to show the face of Russians who are not for Putin, who are not for that war ... and who tried to do something to stop it." She now covers the war for the news channel Khodorkovsky Live, a YouTube channel backed by the exiled Russian businessman and prominent Kremlin critic, Mikhail Khodorkovsky.

What they wish people knew about Russians

"People are just people," Lana said, "regardless of nationality, your passport, your citizenship. I've lived in a few countries. I've traveled a lot. From my experience, most of the time stereotypes just don't stand." Anna said she wants the world to know that not all Russians are "crazy scary." Rather, they are friendly, warm-hearted, ready to help and eager to be good friends, she said. "Many of us are trying hard to change something but people should know that it is difficult and very dangerous indeed to do ... People should know, that behind scary news about Russia, there are millions of Russians, who suffer, who are scared and who are trapped, and who pray for peace every single day." Azarova said she wishes the world understood that sanctioning the Russian people, as opposed to the government and ruling elite, won't influence Putin.

Lana said of recent trips to Thailand and Japan: "When you talk to people on a personal level, they do not perceive you as a representative of a country ...you're just a human being with your own thoughts and feelings." Tomosang | Moment | Getty Images

That's because their opinions don't affect change, like in a democracy, since "Putin is not an elected leader. This is a very, very important point. He hasn't been elected in a fair and free election," she said. Plus, Putin doesn't care what happens to Russian people, she said  their difficulties won't change anything. What will? "If Putin is removed by force" she said. But "Russian people don't have  weapons."

The future
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Its not at all surprising that the public school workplace comedy Abbott Elementary appeals to the real-life teachers of Philadelphias schools  its appalling, however, that they think Abbott isnt absurd enough.

On Friday, NPRs All Things Considered released their roundtable discussion with a group of Pennsylvania teachers who were asked to opine on the authenticity of Quinta Brunsons astonishingly awarded sitcom. The watch party yielded a near-unanimous consensus: Abbott doesnt only capture the struggle and strangeness of teaching the children of one of metropolitan Americas most under-resourced districts, it also validates the efforts of the real-life educators who deal with crumbling school infrastructure, ignorant, out-of-touch administrators and any number of bathroom-related catastrophes on a daily basis.

Though Abbott Elementarys antics have sometimes been criticized as over-the-top, inaccurate representations of life in a public school, Philadelphias Nicole Wyglendowski disagrees. If anything, I feel like its not exaggerated, she said, the words of a woman who has dealt with too many carpet-pissers in her time.
After directing movies about the Iran hostage crisis, Boston crooks and whatever it was Live by Night was about, Ben Affleck is back in the directors chair for Air, which, in case you werent aware, is a full-length feature film all about a fucking shoe.

Play

Should Afflecks chronicle about the creation of the Air Jordan prove successful, well no doubt soon get an Oscar-baiting drama about the invention of the Reebok Pump, or maybe a $200 million blockbuster about those sneakers with wheels and lights  you know, the kind you see kids zipping around the mall in, while their parents seem to be slowly dying inside.

Well, it turns out that Air isnt the first example of a movie focused primarily on footwear. Weve collected and ranked some of the most notable examples, shockingly none of which were directed by Quentin Tarantino.

5 The Christmas Shoes The Rob Lowe-starring TV movie The Christmas Shoes has more sap than a maple tree farm run by Hallmark. It will make you hate concepts of both Christmas and shoes. Play Really, youre far better off listening to Patton Oswalts routine about the NewSong tune of the same name. Play
Cancer strikes when you least expect it. You may imagine cancer as a disease of older people, but as a physician who treats patients with cancer, I meet young people with cancer diagnoses every day. Cancer at an early age comes along with a unique set of complications; one question we physicians always have to ask is this: How will cancer treatment impact these patients future ability to have children?

Many of the treatments we use to cure cancer can cause infertility. In Connecticut, thanks to coverage guaranteed by the 2017 passage of HB 5968, young patients with private insurance who are diagnosed with cancer can freeze their eggs or sperm before starting chemotherapy; their insurance pays for these fertility preservation procedures. But this state law only applies to people with private insurance. Patients on Connecticuts public Medicaid insurance, also known as HUSKY, were left out of this bill. My patients with HUSKY must pay out of pocket for the same medical care their peers with private insurance have covered. Most patients with HUSKY are not able to afford fertility preservation.

I have seen the devastating effects that lack of choice over decisions about fertility preservation can have on my patients cancer treatment and their quality of life. A patient who was diagnosed with breast cancer in her 20s refused the recommended chemotherapy because she was worried that treatment would affect her fertility. Tragically, her cancer came back when she was in her early 30s and she passed away a year later.

I cared for another young woman, a chef with HUSKY insurance, diagnosed with breast cancer who was not able to freeze her eggs because it was too expensive. Today she is cancer-free but heartbroken that she is not able to get pregnant. What makes her anguish especially difficult for me is knowing that if she had had private insurance she would have been able to preserve her eggs and today she might not be suffering so deeply.

I have also seen the positive impact that fertility preservation can have on patients who have been able to freeze their eggs or sperm before starting treatment for their cancer. I met a nurse who was diagnosed with acute leukemia when she was 24 who was able to freeze her eggs before starting chemotherapy. She is now cancer-free for more than 10 years and has two healthy children. I have also taken care of a 19-year-old college freshman diagnosed with lymphoma who required emergency treatment; because he had private insurance, he was able to freeze his sperm hours before starting chemotherapy in the ICU. He wants to have children someday and was grateful and relieved to be able to freeze his sperm emergently.

Other medical conditions besides cancer can cause infertility. Diagnoses like endometriosis, recurrent ovarian torsion which cuts off blood supply to the ovaries, Turner syndrome, and a family history of premature ovarian insufficiency, also called early menopause, threaten fertility in young people. Because of Connecticuts 2017 bill, people with private insurance who have conditions like these are able to access medically necessary fertility preservation procedures. People with HUSKY cant.

Thankfully, this painful health care disparity is being addressed by a Connecticut state bill, House Bill 6617: An act to promote equity in coverage for fertility healthcare. This bill would allow HUSKY to cover fertility preservation procedures for Connecticut residents with cancer and other medical necessity. Since only several hundred young people each year require these medically necessary fertility preservation procedures, the additional cost to the annual HUSKY budget would be small - only 0.01 percent.

If you want to right this health care wrong, please help turn House Bill 6617 into law. Email or call both your state legislators. New Havens Rep. Toni Walker is the chair of the Appropriations Committee, where this bill is currently being discussed, and New Haven representatives Juan Candelaria, Patricia Dillon, Robyn Porter, and Gary Winfield also sit on this committee. Ask them to vote yes on House Bill 6617: An act to promote equity in coverage for fertility health care. Then next year when I diagnose a young person with cancer they will have the option of preserving their fertility no matter which insurance they have. And they wont have to choose between curing their disease or risk dying because they dream of having children.

Dr. Kristina Fanucci is an oncologist in New Haven and is affiliated with Yale New Haven Hospital.
As Sikorsky and Lockheed Martin mull whether to seek a reversal in federal court of a massive Army contract to rival Bell, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal said Friday in Hartford that Congress could apply pressure as well by limiting funding for the procurement of the Bell aircraft if it deems it to be the wrong choice from a fiscal perspective.

Sikorsky took a major hit Thursday after the Government Accountability Office declined to overturn a U.S. Army decision last December to award Bell a contract estimated at an initial $7.1 billion to produce the V-280 Valor. The Bell tilt-rotor would take on missions performed today by the Sikorsky Black Hawk helicopter, which has been in the Army fleet for more than a half-century.

With Sikorsky having produced more than 5,000 Black Hawk helicopters and variants, it is a major loss for Lockheed Martin and Connecticut where Sikorsky is among the five largest employers with roughly 8,000 workers at last report. Late last year, an Army official estimated at $70 billion or more the value of the Future Long Range Assault Aircraft program, and possible derivative aircraft for other military branches.

For the time being, Sikorsky's Stratford plant has steady work in the next decade and beyond making Army Black Hawks and variant helicopters for the U.S. Air Force and Navy, and the new CH-53K King Stallion helicopter for the Marine Corps.

But Lockheed Martin had counted on the Sikorsky-Boeing Defiant-X to pick up the slack from there, with a possible added boost if Sikorsky and Lockheed Martin land an Army contract for a new armed scout helicopter.

Speaking Friday on the steps of the Connecticut State Capitol in Hartford, Blumenthal said there was precedent for Congress using its purse strings to influence the Department of Defense during prior administrations to reconsider major decisions on strategic or tactical weapons programs. While Blumenthal said there is a need for "robust" defense spending in the current age, he suggested that spending needs to go to systems that provide the best bang for the buck.

"We have an oversight responsibility," said Blumenthal. "We go through the defense budget literally line by line. The National Defense Authorization Act is approved by Congress only after a really exacting process. And make no mistake  defense budgets are going to have to be subject to even higher level of scrutiny."

While acknowledging the possibility of Sikorsky winning the armed scout helicopter contract, Blumenthal said that if Sikorsky disputes the methodology for the V-280 Valor procurement, it should pursue a claim in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims.

The armed scout helicopter program has been pushed back a year to 2024 as GE Aviation develops the engine that will be installed on either the Sikorsky or Bell model the Army picks. Bell has proposed a traditional helicopter design for that program, with Sikorsky sticking with a coaxial rotor model similar to the Defiant-X it proposed as the Black Hawk replacement in partnership with Boeing.

Blumenthal told CT Insider keeping the Stratford workforce intact is a significant strategic consideration as well for the U.S. military and its allies. While Bell has a solid commercial helicopter business  it built more than 150 last year  Sikorsky is dependent on government sales.

"The trained workforce that is at Sikorsky right now, frankly, are the best helicopter makers in the world, and it's potentially endangering that defense industrial base by going with Bell," Blumenthal said. "This decision on the future of vertical-lift aircraft has ramifications across the globe  not just to our NATO allies, but to partners who depend on American helicopter manufacturing, whether it's in the Middle East or the Far East."

In a written statement Friday, Gov. Ned Lamont referenced "additional competitions coming down the road" for Sikorsky.

While the Army deliberated on the V-280 Valor versus the Defiant-X, NATO has a similar competition under way for a new helicopter or tilt-rotor fleet, which would be smaller than the Army's Future Long Range Assault Aircraft program won by Bell, but still significant. Sikorsky and Bell have signaled interest with their respective aircraft for the NATO program, as have European manufacturers Leonardo and Airbus.

Defiant-X features dual sets of rigid rotor blades that spin in opposite directions, providing vastly improved maneuverability compared to traditional helicopters like the Black Hawk. Sikorsky and Boeing have played up those capabilities for both the Future Long Range Assault Aircraft program won by Bell, and the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft program for the Army scout helicopter, with Sikorsky calling that prototype Raider-X.

Lockheed Martin and Sikorsky have yet to indicate whether they will pursue a challenge of the Army FLRAA decision in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, the last avenue to get a second chance at the program. Sikorsky has an existing case in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, alleging the U.S. government underpaid it for research and development expenses by applying a cost-accounting standard improperly.

In their GAO protest, Lockheed Martin and Sikorsky claimed the Army did not properly factor factor the higher cost of the Bell V-280 Valor in the selection. GAO asserted that Sikorsky fell short on "architectural detail" the Army required, without providing immediate specifics.

Lockheed Martin and Sikorsky have yet to indicate whether they will pursue a last remaining option  a lawsuit challenging the Bell award in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims.

Sikorsky has an existing case in the court against the U.S. government, claiming it was underpaid for research and development costs it incurred over 10 years through 2017, with Sikorsky having prevailed in a U.S. Court of Federal Claims lawsuit filed in 2012 after the government levied an extra $64 million charge on a dispute over accounting assumptions.

Cost-accounting rules are at the center of the more recent dispute as well, with court documents redacting the specific amounts Sikorsky claims it should have received. Programs covered in the lawsuit include the Black Hawk, the CH-53K and the new Jolly Green II rescue helicopter Sikorsky is now building in Stratford for the U.S. Marine Corps, as well as the "Future Vertical Lift" effort that produced the Defiant-X prototype.

Sikorsky landed the Jolly Green II contract after a successful GAO protest from 15 years ago that allowed to wrest away the program from Boeing, which had proposed a modernized version of its tandem-rotor Chinook helicopter that is still used by the Army today.
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BRIDGEPORT  After caterer Nate Smith's Southern and Caribbean eatery, Uncle Joe's, opened four years ago in the Hollow neighborhood, developer Anthony Stewart became a regular customer.

So when Stewart was wooing various tenants, including a restaurant operator for his Honey Locust Square retail/office project in the East End, he approached Smith, who agreed to come aboard.

Smith has been working on the menu  "barbecue-infused, more on the tapas side, like a pulled-pork slider, stuff like that"  and is aiming to make the spot a dining destination in an area that has seen better days, economically.

He just needs the building to finally be completed. Honey Locust has experienced delays and financial issues over the past few years.

"It has been a little bit frustrating," Smith acknowledged. "Hopefully we'll get to open this fall."

That became more of a possibility Thursday when Connecticut's bond commission, an arm of Gov. Ned Lamont's budget office, awarded the city $3.5 million to complete Stewart's development.

"It's a big, big thing for me," Stewart said of the aid, which is being provided through the new Community Investment Fund that state lawmakers established in 2021. "If you listen to my voice, you see I'm in a much better mood. I don't feel as much pressure as I did."

That pot of money  $875 million total, spread out through 2030  was set up to funnel financial support to projects/initiatives that will benefit underserved and marginalized communities; people who live in rural areas; and people otherwise adversely affected by persistent poverty or inequality.

"This (Honey Locust Square) fits almost perfectly what we envisioned this fund to be  critical investment in areas that have needed it for decades," said state Rep. Antonio Felipe, D-Bridgeport.

Felipe has a seat on the nearly dozen-member board of legislators and other state officials that oversees the CIF and had initially rejected Bridgeport's application for Honey Locust last fall. The city successfully reapplied over the winter and the project was part of the latest recommended round of CIF recipients announced in mid-March.

The bond commission, which votes on state borrowing for various projects around Connecticut, then played its role in the CIF process Thursday.

Stewart is an East End native whom Mayor Joe Ganim's administration selected in late 2018 to revitalize the dilapidated commercial block on Stratford Avenue between Newfield and Central avenues. But, following delays attributed to the global COVID-19 pandemic that struck in early 2020, as of last summer he had run out of money, a situation Stewart also blamed on the health crisis' impact on the supply chain and prices.

Stewart said the $3.5 million from the state, combined with a nearly $1 million bailout he received from the Ganim administration and City Council in early January, could have Honey Locust on track to open in "Octoberish."

"The big issue is the lead time on things," Stewart said, arguing some of the key equipment he needs has been ordered, but it will be several months before it arrives for installation.

Smith's new restaurant  he said he sold Uncle Joe's during the pandemic  has been intended as one of the major anchor tenants, feeding not only locals but out-of-towners. He said he turned down other business opportunities because he is committed to the project's success.

Smith said his establishment will have a section for casual and one for finer dining, plus an events space.

"We're trying to get a rooftop lounge," he added.

Another key tenant is Gala Foods, which already has two other grocery store locations in Bridgeport. East End community leaders have long complained about the lack of a nearby supermarket. And when Lamont's office Thursday announced the bond commission's approval of the $3.5 million, the release specifically referred to the neighborhood as a "food desert."

Alex Pena's family runs Gala Foods. He said that despite the delays  the Penas were announced as a tenant in 2018  they too are still looking forward to opening up in Honey Locust, "Hopefully before Thanksgiving."

"We're anxious of going in and making it work. It's just a waiting game now, I guess," Pena said. "It's been a long project."

Pena said the operation, which is in addition to Gala's other Bridgeport addresses, will be "an all-shop destination" and "full, blown-out store with everything in it."

Stewart said some of the equipment needed for the supermarket is taking the longest to order and arrive. For example, he said, a special rooftop unit that recycles cold air from the coolers "is almost five months out."

"I wanted to try to pay for that back in September, October or November but I didn't have the money," he said. "So the grocery store can't open without it. That's the one critical piece."

Stewart said his tenant roster is rounded out with Optimus Health Care, a Medical Arts pharmacy, a salon and a woman's clothing store. He was working on getting a bakery shop "but because it took me so long to open, she opened up another place."

"I have another I'm in talks to get," Stewart said.

And he is still trying to lure a bank. As previously reported, Ganim and other city elected officials have been urging M&T Bank, the new owner of Bridgeport-headquartered People's United, to open an East End branch at Honey Locust.

M&T Chief Executive Officer Rene Jones last month wrote Ganim, "I want to assure you that the importance of the East End is a priority that we share" and the company has been holding "listening sessions" with the community "to make sure that we're showing up in the most impactful way possible."

An M&T spokesperson declined to comment when asked for an update.

Getting Honey Locust completed and opened has even political rivals like Ganim and state Sen. Marilyn Moore, who is again challenging her fellow Democrat's re-election after losing their close 2019 mayoral primary, working on the same side.

Ganim and his aides stepped in when the initial CIF grant application was denied last fall and Stewart's lenders stopped the cash flow to offer Stewart $588,000 in city dollars and $400,000 of Bridgeport's $110 million share of federal pandemic relief.

The East End is one of the many communities weve been working to revitalize," Ganim said in a statement last month after the CIF board approved the $3.5 million. "The residents of that neighborhood deserve to have a local grocery store nearby, along with other essential services."

Moore with Felipe also sits on the CIF board. She said she prioritized getting the $3.5 million approved because Stewart "was doing everything he could to get that project done and he just needed a little lift."

"All of us were rooting for that," Moore said. "That community deserves to have that project finished"

"To a certain extent we are taking a chance," Smith acknowledged of opening his new restaurant in the East End. "The goal is to make Honey Locust Square a destination within the city. And we can only do that by taking chances. It's not just gonna happen."
File Photo

FAIRFIELD  A woman was struck and killed by a train in Fairfield on Sunday afternoon, according to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

Aaron Donovan, an MTA spokesperson, a westbound Metro-North train fatally struck an unauthorized individual on the tracks east of the Fairfield Station around 12:15 Sunday afternoon. He said the MTA Police are investigating it as a non-criminal incident.
OPEC Anticipates Lower (QoQ) Global Oil Demand in Q2

According to revised forecasts in OPECs monthly report for March, Q2 remains likely to see a drop in global oil demand compared to Q1, although the group now sees a slight improvement of an additional 70,000 barrels per day (bpd) compared to last months figures. In Q2, OPEC anticipates global oil demand of 100.77 million barrels per day (mbpd), down from the Q1 figure of 101.28 mbpd.

This article delves into the fundamental factors surrounding oil. For a full technical forecast, see our guide below

Recommended by Richard Snow Find out what key technical levels are in store for oil Q2 Get My Guide

OPEC World Oil Demand Forecast  March Update

Source: OPEC

The drop in global oil demand is less concerning when considering we are entering a period of seasonally lower usage as winter comes to an end and there is a sizeable gap before the start of the summer driving period.

Supply Outpaces Demand as Bearish Factors Accrue

Continuing with OPECs March monthly report, the cartel makes reference to the fact that it is pumping about 28.92 mbpd, which is around 300,000 bpd more than it anticipates will be required in Q2. Furthermore, the actual surplus could be even more if Russian production continues to show signs of resiliency despite heavy sanctions. Recent diplomatic discussions between Chinese President Xi Jingping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, have solidified relations between the two nations as China has been seen increasing its share of global oil purchases from Russia. OPECs output forecasts assume a large decline in output for Q2, opening the door to an even larger oversupply.

China Expected to do all the Heavy lifting to Boost Oil Demand Growth

World oil demand growth for 2022-2023 reveals a sizeable drop off in non-OECD, non China regions along with a decline in OECD Americas. Global oil demand growth would certainly have suffered if it were not for the reopening of the Chinese economy as the zero-covid policy came to an end in 2022. However, even with the massive increase in Chinese demand, overall demand growth lags behind that witnessed in 2022. Thus far, the effect of the Chinese reopening has done little to bring about higher oil prices even at a time when OPEC implemented a planned 2 mbpd cut in production with varied success. Despite this, OPEC estimates that global consumption will reach a record of 101.9 mbpd this year.

Source: OPEC Monthly Report (March)

Recommended by Richard Snow Understanding the Core Fundamentals of Oil Trading Get My Guide

WTI Pseudo Support at Risk on Recent SPR Admission

Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm told US representatives at a congressional hearing that it could take years to refill the countrys Strategic Petroleum Reserves (SPR). The desired level to refill greatly diminished oil reserves was said to be between $67 and $72, or when prices were seen to be trading below $70 for an extended time. Therefore, this level has held up consistently whenever WTI prices dipped, as markets foresaw the possibility of mass buying from the US government. That has now been removed.

Despite persuading congress to cancel further sales of 140 million barrels between 2024 through to 2027, the Department of Energy is still due to sell 26 million barrels from the SPR to help with the federal budget.

The chart below showing the current level of reserves almost looks identical to levels we saw in last quarters update, confirming that such large-scale purchases to replenish diminished stocks are yet to take place

Weekly Chart of US Crude Oil Inventories in the SPR

Source: EIA
I think that I shall meet my fate somewhere upon a London street, splatted on a pavement or a pedestrian crossing by an electric bike or an electric scooter. I used to think I would probably be killed while riding my bicycle, and it is still a risk, but you can take precautions against that. It is far harder to guard against this silent speedy danger.

I experience or witness more and more near misses involving these horrible vehicles. Recently I was walking through the City of London and instinct caused me to jump aside before a hundredweight of e-bike, doing about 30mph, came tearing by from behind, zig-zagging on the pavement.

There were no police officers to be seen, as usual.

If you try to lift an e-bike from the heaps in which they often lie, you will find them enormously heavy. The e-scooters, which are lighter, can weave into any corner and are the ideal getaway vehicle for the mugger or the fleeing pickpocket.

If you try to lift an e-bike from the heaps in which they often lie, you will find them enormously heavy. Pictured: Self-service e-scooters parked in Paris

Up till now, Britain took the view that vehicles with engines could only be used by people with licences, and would carry proper number plates and be strictly regulated. Suddenly, these things appeared and that wise rule was dropped. Why? Perhaps we actually have a secret Cabinet Committee devoted to getting us into the Third World.

I made a fuss when they first appeared. I tried to get the attention of MPs, but, as usual, they were not interested. It looked as if someone had lobbied the Transport Department, and the supposed experiments with e-vehicles were bound to be pronounced a success. Politicians rode them. Actors rode them in major BBC dramas. A weird, unsafe, abnormal and widely-unwanted form of transport was quickly made normal by spin.

I was sneered at on social media. Isnt there anything more important for you to write about?, people said, as if I did not also write all the time about education, the police, Ukraine, the Covid panic and who knows what else.

A week ago, many people in Paris voted for a partial ban on e-scooters, which have spread fear there for quite a while now

PR bilge was spread about how they would get people out of cars. Who would swap the warmth and comfort of a car for a battery-powered tin tray bouncing and leaping among the potholes on tiny wheels, unprotected from collisions, wind or rain? Roughly nobody. But such things do appeal to those who have lost driving licences or never had them, people high on drink or drugs, and people too lazy to walk half a mile.

Surely it is important that we can walk freely in our cities and suburbs without the risk of being crunched from behind by a drugged-up lout. Dont make me laugh by telling me these things are restricted to safe speed limits. Everyone knows how to tweak them.

Even the legal speeds are fast enough to be dangerous, as dozens of people all over the world with broken bones of various kinds can attest. That is why, a week ago, many people in Paris voted for a partial ban on e-scooters, which have spread fear there for quite a while now.

I doubt this will have much effect, alas, and, here, as usual, we shall have many years to regret another stupid, irreversible mistake.

Maintenance a bridge too far for railways

My daily train journey to London has become a nightmare of diversions and replacement buses for weeks, possibly months to come  because a rail bridge over the Thames is no longer safe.

Railway rumour says this is because of a huge crack in the brickwork. Trains had been crossing it at walking pace for weeks. This is not some lightly-used branch line. In normal times dozens of heavy, fast passenger and goods trains rumble across it every day.

The present bridge, steel coathangers on brick piers, is about a century old. Part of the brick structure dates from 1856. In many years of travelling, I have never seen anybody doing major work on it. Network Rail, who are now in charge of looking after it, are vague about when it was last properly maintained. They told me it has undergone regular intrusive and visual inspections since a stepped-up inspection regime was implemented in 2012. But when asked how regular they couldnt say. They told me monitoring equipment was installed five years ago, which rather suggests they knew something was up. They plead as an excuse that this has been the wettest March for 40 years. I suspect that much of this country relies on the high standards and hard work of long-dead men, who designed and built thousands of such bridges so well we thought they would last forever. Well, they dont.

Governments are wildly keen on huge, grand projects to build high-speed lines and new motorways. But what about the basic, unflashy work of maintenance  which all house-owners know is so essential?

I suspect that if the railways were still nationalised, this would not have happened.

I cannot work out what the sinister and pagan Green Man is doing on King Charless Coronation invitation. Has someone perhaps mistaken him for a symbol of the Green movement? If you think he is just a charming survival from our ancient woodland past, then read Kingsley Amiss brilliant, gripping novel The Green Man, in which such a figure is brought to life.

King Charles's Coronation invitation featured a picture of the green man at the bottom

New religion of the mask believers...

Yet another survey, this time from St Georges Hospital in South-West London, undermines the view that facemasks prevent the spread of Covid. Researchers reported that high risk wards, including ones treating cancer patients and intensive care units, retained the mask obligation.

But removing the mask policy in phase two did not produce a statistically significant change in the hospital-acquired Covid infection rate. Equally, they did not observe a delayed effect in the Covid infection rate once the policy was removed.

This was despite transmission of the virus spiking within the community. Those in high-risk wards  the control group  who continued wearing masks, also found no immediate or delayed change in the infection rate.

Despite all this, we are told: That doesnt mean masks are worthless against Omicron.

If you say so. We have now had three surveys, the Danish mask study, the Cochrane Review and this one, all pointing the same way  but still the mask fanatics wont give up. This is surely politics, not science.

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Amanda Owen and her ex-husband Clive became familiar faces thanks to their Channel 5 programme Our Yorkshire Farm.

But it wasn't only the parents-of-nine who were popular with audiences at home, since for many, their children - aged from 21 to six - proved to be the real stars of the show.

This was especially true of their eldest son Reuben, 18, who delighted viewers with his farming knowledge and enthusiasm, so much so, that after five seasons on Our Yorkshire Farm, he joined father Clive, 67, on a spin-off show.

The father-and-son duo appeared on Channel 5's Beyond The Yorkshire Farm, which saw them embark on a digging business venture; it charted the challenges Reuben faced, supported by his father Clive, best friend Tom and girlfriend Sarah Dow.

Reuben and Sarah - who are thought to have started dating in December 2021 - often share snaps with one another on their Instagram accounts to the delight of fans.

Reuben, 18, (pictured with his partner) delighted viewers with his farming knowledge and enthusiasm, so much so, that after five seasons on Our Yorkshire Farm, he joined father Clive, 67, on a spin-off show

In June, Reuben marked their six-month anniversary by posting a series of sweet images of them together. He captioned the photographs: 'Cant believe you have put up with me for 6 months... #ily.'

Meanwhile, in February, newly-released audience figures revealed that Amanda's new Channel 4 show attracted less than half the viewers of Clive and son Reuben's Yorkshire Farm spin-off.

An industry insider described the figures for the first episode of Amanda Owen's Farming Lives as 'solid.'

Viewing peaked at 610,000, with 329,000 watching the show live on More 4 when it aired on January 25.

The show topped the ratings for More 4, almost doubling the audience share of the channel's next most popular airing that week, Grand Designs.

However it was still a long way behind the 1.7m who tuned in to watch Beyond The Yorkshire Farm in December.

A source in the Dales farming community said: 'This is not what was expected. Amanda is the TV star and Clive is a farmer who somehow ended up on the telly.

'I don't think anyone expected his and Reuben's show to do better of the two, least of all Amanda.'

Amanda and Clive (pictured with their children) - who were married in 2000 - met in 1996 when he was already divorced with two children, after she arrived at his farm as a 21-year-old trainee shepherdess

The father-and-son duo appeared on Channel 5's Beyond The Yorkshire Farm, which saw them embark on a digging business venture; it charted the challenges Reuben faced, supported by his father Clive, best friend Tom and girlfriend Sarah Dow (pictured together)

Reuben and Sarah - who are thought to have started dating in December 2021 - often share snaps with one another on their Instagram accounts to the delight of fans

Clive and Reuben's show was based around the teen's new contract digging business and was a surprise ratings hit for Channel 5.

During Our Yorkshire Farm viewers saw Reuben, who was raised on the farm, helping birth lambs, plough fields and hand-feed cows since a very young age, gain an apprenticeship to learn how to fix tractors.

During their 21-year marriage, Amanda, 48, and Clive, 67, welcomed Raven, 21, Reuben, 18, Miles, 16, Edith, 14, Violet, 12, Sidney, 11, Annas, nine, Clemmy, seven, and Nancy, six.

Most the youngsters help out on the family's 2,000-acre Ravenseat Farm in the Yorkshire Dales, where they take care of a thousand sheep, forty cows, several dogs and four horses.

But eldest Raven has started carving out her own career, away from the spotlight, by gaining a degree in biology with First Class Honours.

In February, Amanda welcomed her eldest daughter back to her family farm after years of living away during her time at university.

In June, Reuben marked their six-month anniversary by posting a series of sweet images of them together

He captioned the photographs: 'Cant believe you have put up with me for 6 months... #ily.'

Meanwhile, in February, newly-released audience figures revealed that Amanda's new Channel 4 show attracted less than half the viewers of Clive and son Reuben's Yorkshire Farm spin-off. Pictured, Reuben and his girlfriend

Father and son duo Clive and Reuben Owens now have their own Channel 5 series Beyond the Yorkshire Farm

The TV shepherdess took to Instagram to share the exciting news that Raven had returned after recently graduating from York St John University.

Raven - who is now helping out with the animals, especially lambing season - celebrated her graduation back in November with both her parents, who confirmed their split last June.

Amanda's rise from farmer to household name 2000 - Clive and Amanda get married 2011 - Clive and Amanda appear in The Dales Amanda begins making more media appearances, offering interviews about giving birth on the farm and motherhood in remote Yorkshire 2014 - Amanda releases her first book The Yorkshire Shepherdess. It reached the bestseller top ten and the film rights were sold 2015 - The family appeared in an episode of New Lives In The Wild UK with Ben Fogle, a Channel 5 programme 2017 - Amanda releases a A Year in the Life of the Yorkshire Shepherdess. She also appeared on BBC Radio 4's The Museum of Curiosity 2018 - Couple land their own TV show, Our Yorkshire Farm. It's an immediate hit, with over three million viewers watching each episode. 2019 - Amanda released a third book Adventures of the Yorkshire Shepherdess and was the subject of Radio 4's On Your Farm. Meanwhile she also appeared on the podcast Trees A Crowd with David Oakes. 2020 - Our Yorkshire Farm becomes a runaway hit in lockdown, with millions tuning into each episode on Channel 5. Amanda begins making solo appearances on a variety of TV shows, becoming a regular guest on programmes such as Lorraine and This Morning to offer comment on parenting and life on the farm 2021 - Channel 5 broadcast the first episode of series 14 of Ben Fogle: Return to the Wild, which saw Fogle back at Ravenseat Farm. Meanwhile Amanda was featured as one of the four celebrities travelling with a 360 degree camera in series two of BBC 4's Winter Walks. She also released two further books Tales From the Farm and Celebrating The Seasons, both of which she spent time heavily promoting. November - Neighbours told MailOnline Amanda and Clive had been living apart for months after she 'got caught up in the spotlight' of her Channel 5 programme June 2022 - Amanda and Clive announce their break up July - Amanda makes her first TV appearance since the break up Advertisement

She wrote: 'Raven is back in the thick of it this weekend. Everyone's hands-on getting the yows [ewes] through the pens for ultrasound pregnancy scanning.

'A lot of hands make light work. It didn't take long to get the sheep through the pens and scanned. A smooth operation with little stress for everyone.'

In the first picture, Raven and her sister checked on a cow while they were seen holding a sheep for an ultrasound pregnancy scan in another.

In August 2022, Amanda revealed that Raven was working as an NHS volunteer in a post shared to Twitter.

Sharing a gorgeous photo of the 21-year-old proudly displaying her certificate for the camera while looking chic in a light blue floral mini dress, Amanda wrote: 'Considerate and kind.  Thatll do. #NHS #nationalvolunteersweek #proud.'

The certificate from her local NHS trust read: 'Thank you for your dedication to both our staff and patients. Please find enclosed a special volunteering pin to recognise and thank you for your contribution to our Trust.'

Raven - who wants to be a vet - also regularly updates her 39.6K followers on Instagram, often sharing monthly highlights to the delight of her fans.

For November, she posted snaps of her graduation, alongside other pictures of her day-to-day life - including a psoriasis flare-up.

'November = busy. A graduation, work and a psoriasis flare up, nothing much else to report,' Raven wrote in her post caption.

One photograph showed the 21-yer-old taking a selfie at home, with a septum ring and fishnet tights.

Raven also shared a glimpse of what living with psoriasis is like, with a snap taken at home showing her arms and legs as she suffered a flare up from the skin condition.

Many of the Owen children help out on the farm when they are not at school - or travelling to and from as the journey takes an hour and a half each way.

'In order to make a big family work they all need to tow the line. It's not about child labour - it's about pulling together,' Amanda told the Daily Mail in an article in 2018.

The Owens are both still working at Ravenseat in Swaledale, North Yorkshire, but are no longer living as a couple.

Amanda and Clive - who were married in 2000 - met in 1996 when he was already divorced with two children, after she arrived at his farm as a 21-year-old trainee shepherdess.

After first appearing on ITV's The Dales, the couple shot to fame in 2018 when they bagged their own series Our Yorkshire Farm on Channel 5.

The show - which ran for four seasons - followed the family-of-11 in their day-to-day running of the remote farm.

In June last year, the couple left fans of the hit series stunned when they announced their split.

Amanda has since been accused of 'living a lie' by the jilted wife of her 'businessman lover' Robert Davies.

Yasumi Davies, 56, discovered the affair only a year ago when a love letter from the Yorkshire Shepherdess was found inside a paper bag in the boot of Mr Davies' car as she cleaned it.

Amanda and Clive Owen shot to fame in 2018 when their series Our Yorkshire Farm debuted on Channel 5

Amanda Owen and her ex-husband Clive (pictured on their eldest daughter's graduation day) became familiar faces thanks to their Channel 5 programme Our Yorkshire Farm

The wife, an investment banker from Tokyo, recognised the handwriting from a signed copy of Owen's new book.

According to The Sun, 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.

Details of the shocking affair came out almost a year after Amanda and her co-star husband Clive announced their unanticipated split.

In an interview with The Sun, Yasumi said: 'He rang Amanda in front of me and told her I knew about their affair and that it was over. He said they'd been having an affair for a few years.

'But instead of acknowledging the pain I was suffering, he was more concerned about protecting her TV career. She didn't care how I felt and didn't show any compassion.

'I'd watched Our Yorkshire Farm and couldn't help but be impressed by her. She portrayed herself as a wife and a mother, devoted to family, hard-working and an inspiration to others. But she's been lying to the British public and living a double life.'

Mr Davies then ended the phone call and seemingly his relationship with Amanda, but was seeing the shepherdess again within a month.

The father has since moved away from his family home with Yasumi in Malton, North Yorkshire, and was pictured with Amanda at an event in Folkestone, Kent.
Expert reveals how Fergie seems to have looked to Meghan for inspiration

When Meghan Markle quit the Royal Family in January 2020, the Duchess of Sussex left behind her beloved SussexRoyal Instagram along with her life at Frogmore Cottage.

It was the second time the Duchess of Sussex had been forced to abandon an social media account - having previously boasted three million followers on her personal Instagram when she was still starring in Suits.

And it seems as though Sarah Ferguson is doing all she can to step into the vacancy of the Royal Family's Instagram Queen.

In recent months, the Duchess of York has upped her social media game - sharing glamorous photos of herself to promote her new book A Most Intriguing Lady.

Alongside this, the mother-of-two appears to have been leaning into all things British by posting images of afternoon teas against the backdrop of stately homes.

Sarah Ferguson (pictured in March 2023) recently hit the 500,000 follower mark on Instagram after undergoing a rebrand of her feed

Meghan Markle (pictured before she married Prince Harry) once boasted three million followers on her personal Instagram page

However, she has also delighted followers by sharing some heartwarming throwback pictures of her daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie.

Now that Fergie has hit the 500k follower mark, Adeline St John - Digital Director of PR firm Media Snug - has revealed how the Duchess of York has built her loyal online fanbase (and even taken some notes from her nephew's wife along the way!)

Clear and concise bio

Earlier this year, Sarah Ferguson deleted all her old Instagram posts and started afresh.

As part of the switch-up, the mother-of-two also updated her bio - which now reads 'Mum, Granny, Bestselling Author, Creative Founder at Sarah's Trust.'

Commenting on the switch, Adeline said: 'Introducing her family roles in her bio indicates to her audience that she always puts family first.

'Nowadays, we see social media users favouring real content and genuine personalities.

'The odd image of her family, and this foremost impression of a mum and granny helps to reinforce that there is a real human at the heart of her account.'

The expert noted how Sarah Ferguson's bio has been clearly divided into four categories as part of her rebrand

In contrast, Meghan also outlined her charity work and acting career in a similar fashion on her now deleted account

Before Meghan deleted her personal account, her bio referenced her charity work and professional career.

It simply read: 'UN World Vision. One Young World. Suits. The Tig.'

Highlighting the similarity between the two, Adeline added: 'By carefully splitting her bio into these categories, Sarah is telling new visitors what they can expect; family, her books, and charity work. And thats exactly what they get.'

Considered colour theme

What's more, the expert also noted how Sarah's new Instagram follows a green theme - just like the SussexRoyal account had its signature blue branding.

Before Meghan Markle and Prince Harry left the Royal Family, they used a navy blue template for their posts

The expert noted how Sarah has adopted a dark green colour theme for her feed as part of the rebrand

The expert continued: 'The green colour scheme fits with her profiles Regency theme, and extends to the linktree in her bio, her Twitter and Facebook pages, and also the promotional material for her book.

'Branding guidelines have likely been established as part of this new campaign and launch [of her new book], ensuring a cohesive theme across platforms.

'Sarah is establishing herself as a professional author with a consistent, cohesive brand behind her and her work.

'Sarah is following a similar standard through her own green story highlights, which are much like the consistent blue theme of SussexRoyal.'

Copying Sussexes' social strategy with revealing family photos

In the lead-up to her book launch, Adeline says it's likely that Sarah and her team looked to Sussex Royal for some Instagram inspiration.

The expert highlighted how both Sarah and Meghan and Harry's account feature professional images of themselves with images from their family photo album.

In 2019, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex shared the heartwarming images on their Sussex Royal Instagram page, including this one of Harry walking towards a large elegant in the bush

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex marked World Elephant Day in 2019 by sharing a photo from their own private family album

Adeline added: 'Sarahs carefully considered, professional approach is more in-keeping with the royal standard.

'For example, the now defunct SussexRoyal page, which was carefully branded with official photography, charity appeals and well-planned content.

'SussexRoyals engagement with awareness days (such as #WorldWildlifeDay) may well have inspired content such as Sarahs #womenshistorymonth post.

'As her new bio suggests, Sarahs putting her role as a mum and a granny first, which includes sharing photos of her beloved daughters.

'For Womens History Month, she celebrated a number of inspirational women who she was close to, including royals Princess Diana and Her Majesty the Queen. Its well documented that she was good friends with Princess Diana, and very close with the Queen during the last years of her life.

Sarah Ferguson paid tribute to the important women in her life on International Women's Day last month

The Duchess of York included her daughters, sisters, her late mother, The Queen and Princess Diana in her post

Last month, she also opened the family photo album by sharing this sweet image of Princess Eugenie

The doting mother-of-two described her youngest child as her 'magical and beloved' daughter

'These references to the royal family, while clearly carefully planned and well thought out, are simply an appreciation for friends and loved ones. I think its less about them being royal, and more about them being family.'

Last month, Sarah Ferguson paid tribute to her daughter Beatrice on her 33rd birthday by sharing an old private family photo.

She wrote in the caption: 'Happy Happiest of birthdays, my Eugenie .. Spring flowers always tells me the excitement of your birthday is soon and here we are. You are my magical beloved daughter and I am so proud of you.

Similarly, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry also delighted followers also adopted a similar approach to their Instagram in 2019 when they shared a never-before-seen picture of baby Archie to mark the Duke of Sussex's first Father's Day.

The sepia-toned photo showed six-week-old Archie can be seen clutching the Duke of Sussex's finger.

Encouraging followers to fall in love with monarchy again

The styling of some of Sarah's recent photographs appear to have taken inspiration from the Regency period - which Adeline says is something the marketing team have definitely leaned into.

She continued: 'The Regency period was significant for its historical shift from the King to the Prince Regent. This had an impact on the eras art, literature, and fashion, which we now romanticise when looking back on the royal family.

The expert noted how some posts on Sarah's Instagram are reminiscent of the Regency era and leaning heavily into British culture. Pictured: The late Queen cutting a cake to celebrate 100 years of the Women's Institute

As part of her book promotion, Sarah shared photos of lavish afternoon teas set against a country house backdrop

'Much like the events of the Regency, our more recent monarchy has had a tumultuous few years. From Prince Andrew, to Harry and Meghan, to the deeply sad passing of Her Majesty the Queen, many members of the British public long for that patriotic, romantic and familiar air of regality similar to the regency times, and Sarahs social media team is definitely aware of this.

'Sarahs new Instagram content promotes that quintessential Britishness that made us fall in love with the monarchy.

'Afternoon teas, fancy tableware and regency-era clothing all work to attract fans who are seeking a classic royal icon. Plus, the pea greens and rose pinks seen across her Instagram page were very popular colours during the Regency period.

'Very cleverly, these references to a heavily romanticised time in Britain tie in nicely with the historical romance genre of her new novel.

'Though set in the Victorian era, those who appreciate her historical British homage will most likely become readers of A Most Intriguing Lady, as well as new followers of her Instagram.'

Rebranding with a clean slate

In order to pull off this polished rebrand, Sarah deleted all her old Instagram posts and started from fresh in February.

Describing how this played into the Duchess of York's wider social media approach, Adeline explained: 'This is not the first time a celebrity has wanted to change their brand with a social media refresh.

The Duchess of York (pictured this week) deleted all her old Instagram posts in February and started again

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle pictured attending the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey in May 2018

'In 2018, Miley Cyrus cleared out her old Instagram posts to prepare for her new music. Blake Lively also had a social media clear out to promote her new movie.

'Whether they need to detach themselves from controversy, are rebranding themselves, or are using it for a promotion, its a dramatic way that celebrities can attract attention.

'Sarahs relaunch has been designed to promote Sarah as a relatable person - a mum, an author, and a charitable career woman - reaching new audiences who have an appreciation for all things Regency, royal and romantically British.

'Her team has designed this campaign to reflect Sarahs rebrand, which in turn helps her to distance herself from any past controversies or unpopular connections.'

Earlier this week, Sarah Ferguson said royal family members 'can't have it both ways' if they choose to leave The Firm amid ongoing tensions with the Sussexes.

The Duchess of York, 63, spoke candidly in an interview amid speculation whether Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who stepped down as senior members of the royal family, will attend the King's coronation next month.

Speaking to The Independent, she discussed her own experience of divorcing Prince Andrew.

In the interview, in which she did not directly refer to Harry and Meghan, she said: 'Well, you can't have it both ways. You can't sit on the fence and keep one foot in and one foot out. You're either in or out.'

And appearing on Loose Women today, she repeated her comments - saying she doesn't expect an invite to the coronation because 'you can't have it both ways'.

When asked directly about Prince Harry at the end of the interview with the Independent, she said she 'doesn't believe in judging anyone' and asked for 'a little more kindness.'
Five years ago I put a relatively unknown model on the cover of a magazine I was editing. The magazine was Cosmopolitan. The model was Tess Holliday, a 300lb young woman from Mississippi.

We had chosen to put her on the cover for no other reason than I had met her at a conference a few months previously. She had made a room full of young women slack-jawed with her tale of making it in the fashion world, despite having zero contacts, being 5ft 4in and a size 24.

Here, I thought, was an interesting role model for our snowflake times. And so we photographed her, let her loose with a bunch of clothes we had called in, stumbled upon a brilliant picture of her in a jade green body suit and that was it. We sent it to the printers.

Since monthly magazines work roughly three months ahead of schedule, we thought no more of it until, 12 weeks later, while out at a meeting, I got an email from my features director. We just socialed the Tess Holliday cover, it read. And its all kicking off.

She wasnt joking. In the back of a cab on my way back to the office I opened up Cosmos Instagram page  generally a place of benign commentary. But not that day. Or the day after. Or even many weeks after that.

Five years ago I put a relatively unknown model on the cover of a magazine I was editing. The magazine was Cosmopolitan. The model was Tess Holliday, a 300lb young woman from Mississippi (pictured)

THIS is what the world needs to see! Bravo. Disgusting - unsubscribing NOW! It went on and on: a see-saw of high emotion. Raging sides with no middle ground.

This, it turned out, was just the beginning. Over the following weeks the magazine found itself caught between the jubilation of the body positivity movement and the fury of everyone else.

I was hauled in front of the nation to explain myself on Good Morning Britain, while word reached me that a very senior executive at the company I worked for was appalled by what I had done. Four days later a sinister handwritten letter arrived at the office instructing me that I needed to watch my back, since Id chosen to put a whale on the cover of a magazine.

I was bewildered. The truth was, this cover was in no way an attempt to force a belief system on anyone. It had merely been an opportunity to open up debate about something the world seemed nervous to talk about: womens bodies. But heres the thing: no one wanted a debate. What they wanted was winners on one side; losers on the other.

This season larger models were noticeably absent from most of the fashion shows. Just a few years ago, big brands such as Fendi made plus-size models a firm feature of their runway shows. Now, however, they all look distinctly leaner

For a while it looked like the body positivity movement was making progress. The 2019 catwalk shows started to fill with models who had juicy bottoms and breasts that wobbled  Ashley Graham, Paloma Elsesser, Alva Clare. The same year, mass fashion brands such as Reformation, Anthropologie and Veronica Beard introduced real plus-size ranges for women who went beyond a size 14.

Celebrities talked about finally loving and accepting their bodies

US store Old Navy made a whole song and dance about it with a million-dollar campaign, Bodequality, to launch its plus-size range. Celebrities came out in support, talking about finally loving and accepting their bodies, just the way they were.

Finally there were poster girls  Mindy Kaling, Amy Schumer, Chrissy Teigen  for a movement that ten years earlier had had no name. It looked as though there had been a victory. Then things went quiet.

This is in stark contrast to just a few seasons ago. In spring 2021, for example, plus-size model Precious Lee (pictured) was the face of Versace. This season it is actress Emily Ratajkowski

This season, actress Emily Ratajkowski (pictured) will model as the face of Versace, whereas in 2021 it was plus-size model Precious Lee

This season larger models were noticeably absent from most of the fashion shows. Just a few years ago, big brands such as Fendi made plus-size models a firm feature of their runway shows. Now, however, they all look distinctly leaner. Out of 49 major spring/summer campaigns for this season, only one (St John) featured a midsize (10 to 14) model.

This is in stark contrast to just a few seasons ago. In spring 2021, for example, plus-size model Precious Lee was the face of Versace. This season it is actress Emily Ratajkowski.

But its not just fashion that appears to have forgotten the body positivity movement. Half of Hollywood seems to be shrinking, thanks to a self-administered diabetic injection called Ozempic, which leads to rapid weight loss. Whats more, the latest cosmetic surgery fad  buccal fat removal (which essentially involves having fat hoovered out of your cheeks) is on the rise.

A recent image of actress Lea Michele suggests she may have had the procedure done, while others suspect supermodel Bella Hadid and actress Zoe Kravitz have also undergone buccal fat removal. Youve got to hand it to Chrissy Teigen: at least she has admitted to having had it.

And then theres the literal vanishing act of the body positivity movements most prominent role models. Amy Schumer recently admitted to having had liposuction; Mindy Kaling just lost 40lb, while Rebel Wilson, Melissa McCarthy and Adele all appear to be disappearing with each passing day.

As for Old Navys all-singing, all-dancing Bodequality campaign? The brand quietly cut back its inclusive sizing in store during the pandemic.

The 2019 catwalk shows started to fill with models who had juicy bottoms and breasts that wobbled  Ashley Graham (pictured), Paloma Elsesser, Alva Clare

Out of 49 major spring/summer campaigns for this season, only one (St John) featured a midsize (10 to 14) model

This is not how it should have gone. Because heres what happens with movements. Slowly, bit by bit, they seep into the everyday. Movements that are conducted not with rage or venom or the desire to enact vengeance, become, over time, the norm. Yet the problem with the current strand of activism is that it leaves no room for debate or individual expression.

It is all rage and anger and jostling for power. You are either on the right side of history or the wrong side. Its that simple. And so, with no room or time to gather your own beliefs, individuals and particularly corporations cling to that side which roars the loudest. In doing so, they smother their own personal interpretation of the matter in hand.

The body positivity movement (and yes, I know, you are supposed to call it the body neutrality movement now, which further underlines my point about the rigidity of todays activism) was one of the loudest and most cage-rattling campaigns of our times.

Did we really change anything at all? Or was it all one big fat lie to the world  and to ourselves?

And yetit seems to have disappeared without so much as a whimper. When I look back at that Cosmo cover almost half a decade later, I still wonder why Tess never became the face of a major beauty brand.

I also wonder why that issue of the magazine, which had more public support and press coverage than any magazine of the past ten years, in the end sold less than the issues with reality TV stars on the front.

Did we really change anything at all? Or was it all one big fat lie to the world  and to ourselves?
They call it the Horizon moment. The day after BBC Two aired a Horizon documentary in March 2007 showing the science behind a new serum by Boots No7 called Protect & Perfect, five months worth of stock flew off the shelves in a single day.

More than 50,000 people applied to be on the waiting list and queues snaked down high streets across the land.

Sixteen years on, there is a new No7 skincare range that promises to reverse skin damage and has all the science to back it up. Is Boots looking at its next Horizon moment?

The range - called Future Renew - began with a simple question posed by Dr Mike Bell, head of science research at No7: why do skincare products containing peptides work?

Three universities, 37 studies, 4,200 consumer tests across the world, AI, assorted robots and tens of millions of pounds later, he has an answer  and No7 has its most promising anti-ageing product yet.

The range - called Future Renew - began with a simple question posed by Dr Mike Bell, head of science research at No7: why do skincare products containing peptides work?

First, the science

Twenty years ago, the peptide Matrixyl started being used in skincare products.

It consists of a short string of five amino acids. Compare and contrast little peptides with their big cousins, proteins, which are made up of chains of thousands of amino acids.

Peptides are now found in many skincare ranges, and objective measurements show that they are doing something  for instance, making the dermis, the pillow-like underpinning of skin, thicker.

But exactly why they work has long been a mystery.

Your skin is a wonder: its the biggest organ of the body, its a major player in your immune system, it stops water coming in and you drying out and it gives you pleasure when it is stroked.

The part you can touch is the top of the epidermis, which is comprised of layers and layers of cells arranged like tightly packed bricks in a wall. Beneath this is something that looks a bit like the bottom of an egg carton, which has festoons of a protein called fibrillin hanging beneath it.

Underneath this is that pillow-like dermis, the stuffing of which contains surprisingly few cells by comparison, sitting in a collagen- and elastin-rich gloop called the extracellular matrix.

The extracellular matrix is a feature not only of the skin but of all connective tissues in the body, including cartilage, lungs and blood vessels. There is a wide range of connective tissue problems, from rheumatoid arthritis to skin becoming thin and fragile as we age.

Heres where Professor Mike Sherratt of the Division of Cell Matrix Biology and Regenerative Medicine at the University of Manchester makes an appearance. His team are famous for basic science in this area, including how connective tissue repairs itself.

The University of Manchester is also home to another Boots partner, the world-leading dermatology group led by Professor Chris Griffiths.

Skin ageing is partly down to genetics but less about years passing than you might suppose. A lot of skin damage is environmental: smoking, pollution, poor nutrition and, above all, light exposure, even at winter day levels.

Twenty years ago, the peptide Matrixyl started being used in skincare products. But exactly why they work has long been a mystery

Its now recognised that all parts of the UV spectrum cause damage, not just the UVB rays that give us sunburn. If you want proof, look at lorry drivers or office workers whove worked by a window for years  the side of their face that is more exposed will be more wrinkled.

So sensitive are the cells of the dermis to UV that the skin deploys all sorts of tricks to protect them. Remember those festoons of fibrillin? Professor Sherratt and his team discovered that they contain substances that take a hit for the dermis, absorbing UV but breaking up in the process.

And when the fibrillin has gone, so the theory goes, damage in the dermis is inevitable.

Professor Sherratt explains the mechanics. Its the biological equivalent of Pac-Man roaming the extracellular matrix, chopping up its important proteins, like collagen and elastin, into little fragments  peptides. Some of them then act as what are called matrikines, which talk to the cells, prompting them to rustle up more collagen and other goodies to repair the matrix.

Or not  because with age, the cells begin to ignore the siren calls of the matrikines, the Pac-Men become more numerous and destruction exceeds repair.

Thus it is that the cushion loses its bounce, the eggbox layer becomes flattened and the dermis becomes thinner. All these are signs of skin damage, which manifests itself in loss of firmness and elasticity, dryness, uneven skin tone and wrinkles. Often people speak about products being anti-ageing, but No7s Dr Mike Bell thinks we should think differently: Its about prolonging the healthspan of skin.

So, heres the multimillion-dollar question that the two Mikes found themselves discussing with their teams: could you find the peptides that would best prompt repair and use them to trick the skin, making it believe repair was urgently required?

And then could you not only prove that they work but also produce them synthetically in the sort of lorry-load quantities that No7 would demand? The answer turns out to be yes, but achieving this was a truly mammoth task involving some outstanding science.

There are tens of thousands of peptides in the skin. Finding and testing them all would take decades of work. But using high-speed computing and AI, the teams have developed a peptide prediction model.

So (and Im paraphrasing here) first you find out all the proteins produced in the skin. Then you whittle the number down using knowledge of which proteins are involved in repair and where on the chains the Pac-Men typically strike, which gives you an idea of the peptides that might be generated.

This takes you from thousands to 893, then less than 100, then to eight possibles. Finally, an intriguing thought: might two  a super-peptide blend of two teeny tetrapeptides (four amino acids long)  work better together than alone, providing a rocket-boosted repair trigger?

The research teams predictions said yes, but all of this so far was in theory. They first had to test it in living skin cells in the lab.

Dr Roboh Borke is the cell culture manager at the No7 labs in Nottingham. The precious cells are kept under robustly controlled conditions to maintain them in tip-top shape. Dr Borke, rigorous scientist though she is, confessed to me that she sometimes finds herself talking to them. The cell work was encouraging but only the beginning. Would it work in real humans?

When senior scientist Dr Ellie Bradley joined the No7 labs, she admits that she didnt believe cosmetic products worked. Her specialism involves understanding how skin cells talk to each other.

They call it the Horizon moment. The day after BBC Two aired a Horizon documentary in March 2007 showing the science behind a new serum by Boots No7 called Protect & Perfect, five months worth of stock flew off the shelves in a single day

Fascinatingly, they have a different language depending on ethnicity  which brings her to a very important strand of No7 research: more inclusiveness. Skin ages in different ways dependent on your heritage and your skins experience, yet anti-ageing products have a one-size-fits-all Caucasian focus.

We need to move away from the anti-ageing narrative, says Dr Bradley. Its not about looking X years younger, its about embracing your age, having skin thats as healthy as possible. There is something you can do to reverse damage.

She looked at the outcomes of the clinical trial, patch testing the super-peptide blend using volunteers at Salford Royal hospital. Each person submitted before and after skin biopsies, in which little plugs of skin were taken, deep frozen and then sliced super thin for forensic examination by Dr Bradley. Now the team got really excited.

Next, the art

Bev Elms has worked for Boots on its vast Nottingham campus for 32 years. Shes the potions supremo - actually a formulation scientist, a highly specialist profession that is as much an art as a science.

Normally new active ingredients are dropped into existing high-performing bases. But Future Renew was designed from scratch, starting with those peptides, each modified slightly (thanks to computer prediction) to penetrate the skin better, along with a whole lot of other superhero ingredients.

I was looking for something that had elegance and wow factor, says Elms, showing me a pot containing a glistening gel. Typically, she mixes about three formulations a day. For Future Renew, she mixed 40 potential products a day and it still took months to achieve what she was after. Why so long?

Some ingredients behave badly, causing random splitting or graininess, or strange colours and textures if the proportions are wrong. Also to be factored in is this: it must go on like a dream, not turn lumpy on the skin, keep at ambient temperatures for years and not cause any untoward reaction.

I try some of the gel on the back of my hand. See how it changes texture as you press on it, says Elms, and the way that it leaves no oily residue. Shes rightly thrilled to have achieved it.

And the verdict?

Arne Akbar, professor of immunology at University College London, is familiar with this work but offers an independent view. This is a team with impeccable credentials. Theyve developed a very interesting concept [the peptide prediction]. Its innovative, robust work that is the first exciting step on a long journey. Theyve shown that in terms of skin, you can reconstitute parts of it.

Skin ageing is partly down to genetics but less about years passing than you might suppose. A lot of skin damage is environmental: smoking, pollution, poor nutrition and, above all, light exposure, even at winter day levels

What really interests him is seeing whether this approach could be used in the future to restore function, for example within the immune machinery of the skin, which fades with age.

You could also cite the American Academy of Dermatology, with its rigorous peer-reviewed quality control, that has just included this work on the programme of its latest meeting in New Orleans. Whats also interesting is the reaction of the people who regulate claims for TV advertising.

Theyve allowed No7 (having been provided with the evidence) to use the damage reversal claim in terms of the appearance of skin. Thats a significant step.

As for me, this is evidence-based science as well as a fascinating health story, showing how basic research, funded by taxpayers through the governments Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, can be developed with industry partners (Boots in this case) who pile in huge cash and expertise.

The result is a product with a worldwide sales potential for the UK  and the debut of a peptide prediction model that is likely to bring further advances for the sector.

And yes, after two weeks use Im getting those youre looking well comments. That says it all.

No7 Future Renew is now available in stores and online.
By SA Commercial Prop News

Malibongwe Ridge is an extension to Cosmo City and will incorporate the informal settlement of Itsoseng and will be a mixed use, sustainable integrated development.



Basil Read Developments a division of JSE-listed construction group Basil Read, on 11 March 2013 broke ground on a R1,85 billion Malibongwe Ridge mixed-use development, close to Cosmo City in northwest Johannesburg.

The mixed-use development, adjacent to the groups Cosmo City development, would comprise affordable housing for over 5 500 families, as well as churches, clinics, parks, schools, commercial and retail opportunities.

The entire development is expected to be completed within five years.

The R1.85 billion affordable housing project is being developed for the Gauteng department of local government and housing and the City of Johannesburg by Codevco, a Basil Read subsidiary.

Codevco's scope of work includes constructing 3,240 low-income housing units with rental rooms, as well as 244 low-income freestanding houses, 669 finance-linked, partially subsidised houses, 604 bonded houses and 754 rental or "social" housing units.

In February, Basil Read Developments concluded another major sale at its Klipriver Business Park for R15 million to Chinese Investor, New Hope South Africa (Pty) Limited.

The R390 million Klipriver Business Park is located on the farm Waterval and comprises a gross land size of 143ha and development land size of 118.9ha with 96 saleable erven which will be developed in four phases.



The Klipriver Business Park covers the entire R59/R550 interchange and is accessible to all major road networks (N1 and N3) and rail network. It is considered to be the new major growth node of Gauteng



Basil Read was awarded a road contract worth R279m by the South African National Roads Agency Limited, to rehabilitate the national route 5, section 4, between Vaalpensspruit and Winburg in North West.
Anderson Cooper is taking his family's drama to the small screen with a television adaptation of his book about the Vanderbilt dynasty after saying their scandalous history is like 'The Crown on steroids.'

The CNN anchor, 55, teamed up with historian and novelist Katherine Howe to write about his ancestors' legacy in Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty, which was published in 2021.

Amazon Prime Video is developing a drama series based on the book, titled Vanderbilt, Deadline reported on Wednesday. Patrick Macmanus, who created the shows Dr. Death and The Girl from Plainville, will write the script and executive produce.

Anderson will also executive produce the project, which is being billed as 'an epic drama chronicling four hundred years of the rise and fall of one of Americas most powerful dynasties.'

Anderson Cooper's book about his family history - Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty - is being developed into a drama series for Amazon Prime Video

The CNN anchor, 55, is the great-great-great grandson of shipping and railroad tycoon Cornelius Vanderbilt and the son of fashion designer Gloria Vanderbilt (pictured in 2010)

The journalist is the great-great-great grandson of Cornelius Vanderbilt, a poor farmer from Staten Island who became the richest self-made man in America with a 'pathological obsession for money.'

The magnate's vast shipping and railroad empire launched his family and multiple generations into stratospheric wealth, cementing their position as American royalty. By the time Cornelius died in 1877, he had amassed a $100 million fortune  roughly $2.8 billion in today's money  more than the entire U.S. Treasury at the time.

But within a few generations, the money was all but gone, depleted by heirs who only knew how to 'live well, marry well' and spend lavishly.

As Anderson is set to turn his family's history into a scripted television series, FEMAIL has taken a look back at his depiction of his larger-than-life relatives in his book, from his great-great-great maternal grandfather, Cornelius, to his mother, Gloria.

From rags to riches: How a shrewd and money-hungry Cornelius 'Commodore' Vanderbilt built his empire

Cornelius 'Commodore' Vanderbilt (pictured) was an upstart from Staten Island who quit school at the age of 11 and began working in his father's ferry business. Born into hardscrabble rural obscurity, he turned his small-scale ferry business into a transportation empire. When he died in 1877, he had amassed $100 million - more than the entire U.S. Treasury at the time

By 1873, Cornelius had taken control of what was then known as the Harlem Railroad and merged it with the Hudson River and New York Central Railroad companies. This led him to commission a new station that united all three railroads under one roof. The Grand Central Depot, which would later be finished by his son, is the iconic Grand Central Terminal of today

Anderson Cooper's earliest ancestor was an undistinguished indentured farmer named Jan Aertsen, who arrived in the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam (modern-day New York City) during the 1650s. Aertsen was from the village of Bilt in the Utrecht region of Holland and his name was recorded 'van der Bilt,' or 'from the Bilt'  which evolved later to 'Vanderbilt.'

The family fortune wasn't made until the nineteenth century when Cornelius 'Commodore' Vanderbilt, an upstart from Staten Island who quit school at the age of 11, began working in his father's ferry business. He was born into poverty in 1794 and known as a headstrong, stubborn, and manipulative child who was willing to risk almost anything to make money.

When he was 15, Cornelius used a $100 loan from his mother to buy his own boat for piloting passengers through the rough currents between Staten Island and Manhattan. Within six months, he had run his own father out of the ferry business.

'The wharves were the crucible in which Cornelius Vanderbilt's acquisitive hunger was forged,' Anderson wrote in his book. 'He drank and whored and didn't stand down from a fight.'

Cornelius married his first cousin Sophia Johnson Vanderbilt when he was 19 years old, and together, they had 13 children, 12 of whom would survive into adulthood.

'His rise was dizzying,' Anderson wrote of his great-great-great grandfather. 'He possessed a genius and a mania for making money, but his obsession with material wealth would border on pathological, and the pathology born of that wealth would go on to infect each successive generation in different ways'

He expanded into steamboats and made a fortune in shipping by monopolizing the waterways around New York during the 1830s. Then he shifted attention to trains when he bought up local railroads and merged them into a vast transportation network that stretched across the United States.

'His rise was dizzying,' Anderson said of his great-great-great grandfather. 'He possessed a genius and a mania for making money, but his obsession with material wealth would border on pathological, and the pathology born of that wealth would go on to infect each successive generation in different ways.'

Despite his enormous wealth, money did not buy Cornelius respectability among the old guard in Washington Square Park. The Knickerbockers, Schermerhorns, and Lorillards found the tobacco-chewing, philandering, profanity-prone, illiterate to be vulgar.

'Money was his sole concern: making it, spending it, and making more. New York society could ignore him, but in the end, they couldn't ignore his money. No one could,' Anderson wrote.

Cornelius was a notoriously terrible family man. He disregarded his nine daughters because they wouldn't be able to carry on the Vanderbilt name and had always wanted more than three sons.

In 1846, he committed his long-suffering wife to an insane asylum by claiming that she was unstable during her 'change of life.' In truth, he was having an affair with his children's governess and wanted to enjoy her company freely.

A month after Sophia's death, Cornelius carried out a complex and absurd relationship with two clairvoyant sisters that would last several years. They were famous for their beauty and 'magnetic healing' powers and Cornelius took particular interest in the nubile 22-year-old sister named Tennessee Claflin. By then he had already developed a serious interest in spiritualism and began attending regular seances.

When Cornelius died on January 4, 1877, he left his entire fortune  estimated to be $100 million  to his oldest son, William 'Billy' Henry Vanderbilt.

On his deathbed, Cornelius gave William one last haunting instruction: 'Keep the money together.' Nobody could have expected then, how far the Vanderbilt family would collapse under its pathology for greed.

Family drama: An inheritance feud after the Commodore's death leads to a scandalous court case and suicide

Cornelius left his entire fortune to his oldest son, Willian Henry Vanderbilt (pictured), effectively disinheriting his ten other children. The controversial will led to a sensational trial that aired all the Vanderbilt's dirty laundry. His siblings accused him of fraud, claiming he wrongly manipulated their ailing father on his deathbed

William Henry settled with his wayward brother Cornelius 'Cornie' Jeremiah Vanderbilt (pictured) for a pittance sum of $1 million. But the trial had all but broken Cornie, who killed himself at the Glenham Hotel on Fifth Avenue in 1882

Cornelius Vanderbilt's controversial decision to disinherit his nine daughters and other living son, Cornelius 'Cornie' Jeremiah Vanderbilt, set the stage for one of the most salacious trials in the century.

The backstabbing family drama resulted in a court case that played itself out in tawdry headlines that exposed the sordid happenings behind the curtains at the late Cornelius' home at 10 Washington Place.

Cornie was a perpetual disappointment from the moment he was born. He suffered from epilepsy, which the Commodore took to be a sign of weakness from a young age. As an adult, Cornie proved to be just as much of an embarrassment when he didn't share his father's hunger for moneymaking, nor his talent for it.

Always in financial straits, Cornie repeatedly leaned on his famous last name to procure loans, which he squandered on his fondness for drinking, gambling, and prostitutes. The Commodore had him institutionalized twice for 'weakness of character' at the same asylum he had also committed his wife years before.

The jilted siblings charged their older brother, William Henry Vanderbilt, with fraud, claiming that he wrongly influenced their ailing father to his own advantage.

One shocking eyewitness testimony alleged that William paid a phony clairvoyant to evoke his deceased mother during a trance session with the Commodore on his deathbed and declare that he should be the sole inheritor of the estate.

Another stunning allegation against William claimed that he attempted to soil Cornie's reputation by having him impersonated by a depraved lookalike and followed by detectives that reported his debauched habits at brothels to the Commodore.

Meanwhile, Cornie's vices and multiple stints in debtors' jail were laid bare for the public to see and feast upon. In the end, William settled with his wayward brother for a pittance sum of $1 million.

But the trial had all but broken Cornie. In April 1882, Cornelius Jeremiah Vanderbilt took his own life at the Glenham Hotel on Fifth Avenue with his male 'companion' in the room next door.

'It was almost as though the Vanderbilt fortune itself was Cornie's affliction  the access to it, the lack of access to it, the assumption of it, the theft of it, his father's affection for it,' Anderson wrote. The money a 'contagion,' he said, 'preying upon Cornie's body and on his mind.'

William Henry Vanderbilt doubles the family's wealth and builds their first mansion on Millionaire Row

As the inheritor of Cornelius' $100 million estate, William Henry assumed control of his father's shipping and railroad interests. He was the only family member to double the Vanderbilt fortune with his vast transportation monopoly. By the time he died in 1885, he had amassed a staggering $200 million

William Henry built the 'Triple Palace, the family's first mansion on Fifth Avenue. The property featured three grand and sprawling connected houses with interiors so ornate, it took between 700 workmen to complete. The mansion was later inherited by his grandson, who auctioned off the 'outdated' priceless 19th-century furniture in 1942 to Warner Brothers Studios, and the home was demolished in 1945

Cornelius Vanderbilt's son William 'Billy' Henry Vanderbilt would go on to double the Vanderbilt fortune  the only descendant to add to the wealth they'd been handed.

However, Anderson noted in his book that 'he also initiated its fall, by inaugurating the Vanderbilt siege on the gilded gates of New York society that ushered in the truly astonishing excess for which the Vanderbilts would become famous.'

William was a frail youth and didn't seem to be ambitious as his father, who initially dismissed him as being unfit to run the family business.

Cornelius was also displeased that his oldest son wanted to get married at 19 and shipped him off to run one of the family's farms in Staten Island in 1840. To the surprise of the Commodore, William made the farm profitable.

William was interested in railroads and convinced his father to put him in charge of the bankrupt Staten Island Railroad. He once again surprised Cornelius when he restructured the organization and made it profitable in just a few years.

In the 1860s, he became vice president of both the New York and Harlem Railroad and the Hudson River Railroad, which were owned by his father, and continued to expand the railroad business.

By the 1870s, the beating heart of New York City society that was once Washington Square Park had decamped uptown. Fifth Avenue became the new vanguard for the same social elites that previously shunned the Commodore downtown.

William was the first in the family to build a sumptuous mansion on Millionaire's Row. The famed 'Triple Palace' was made up of three sprawling houses connected by interiors so lavish, it took between 700 workmen to complete.

He also established the Vanderbilt family as a philanthropic entity, giving sizable gifts to a number of recipients, including the Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons and Vanderbilt University, which was named after his father, who provided its initial $1 million endowment.

When Cornelius died in 1877, William took full control of the company and greatly expanded its railroad business with a number of acquisitions. He was forced to retire in 1883 due to poor health.

By the time he died in 1885, he had amassed a staggering fortune of $200 million, the rough equivalent of $6.2 billion today.

William and his wife, Maria Louisa Kissam, had eight children, four sons and four daughters. Unlike his father, he divided his fortune amongst them and left his family's stake in the company to his oldest sons, Cornelius Vanderbilt II and William Kissam Vanderbilt.

Keeping up with the Astors: The third generation of Vanderbilts claw their way into high society with lavish spending

William Henry Vanderbilt's oldest son, Cornelius Vanderbilt II (pictured), succeeded him as president and chairman of the New York Central Railroad after his death. Cornelius II was considered to have a strong work ethic, but he did little to increase the family's wealth amid their lavish spending

Cornelius II's wife, Alice Vanderbilt reveled in his wealth and wasted no time throwing it into the creation of enormous palaces on Fifth Avenue. She made a dazzling entrance at her sister-in-law Alva's legendary costume ball dressed as a lightbulb (pictured). The dress used hidden batteries to light the torch during a time when almost all houses were still illuminated by gas lamps and candles

Cornelius II built a sumptuous palace on the corner of 58th Street and Fifth Avenue in 1883. The mansion had over 100 rooms and covered an entire city block. His wife, Alice, lived in the house alone with the 37 servants needed to keep it running after his death in 1899. The home was demolished in 1926 to make way for the Bergdorf Goodman flagship store, but it still holds the record for the largest private residence ever built in New York City

William Henry Vanderbilt's oldest son, Cornelius Vanderbilt II, succeeded him as president and chairman of the New York Central Railroad after his death.

He was considered to have a strong work ethic, but he did little to increase the family's wealth as he and his siblings built opulent homes in their attempt to shed their 'new' money status and be accepted into New York society.

This started in the 1870s when William Henry leveraged his enormous wealth to land himself and his children on New York's social map. But first, he had to go through the grand dame of polite society, who kept him at arm's length.

Society in the Gilded Age was itself, still, a new invention presided over, primarily by Caroline Astor as its reigning queen and self-appointed gatekeeper.

Third-generation Vanderbilts were keen to join Caroline's renowned'Four Hundred'  New York's most exclusive and illustrious social circle that was nicknamed after the maximum number of people she could fit in her ballroom.

Invitations were limited to only the most elite. Eventually, the Four Hundred list was published in the form of a 'blue book,' which persists today as the Social Register.

Caroline recognized early on the importance of money in a country without a landed aristocracy. She wielded her social influence as a kingmaker and arbiter of taste with liveried servants, French art, French chefs, and imported china.

The Vanderbilts had the money, but they didn't have the politesse, which they attempted to make up for with their real estate holdings.

Cornelius II's behemoth construction of 1 West 58th Street featured over 100 rooms and filled an entire city block. After his death in 1899, his wife, Alice, lived in the house alone with the 37 servants needed to keep it running. (It was demolished in 1926 to make way for the Bergdorf Goodman flagship store, but the home still holds the record for the largest private residence ever built in New York City.)

Cornelius II and Alice had also commissioned a lavish summer retreat, The Breakers, in 1895. It is known today as 'one of the greatest representations of the Gilded Age,' but at the time, the resplendent Newport mansion was 'just a small summer cottage' in comparison to the New York City palace on 58th Street.

'The sheer size of The Breakers is hard to contemplate,' Anderson wrote. The sprawling summer home is made up of 70 rooms and is three times as big as the White House. The morning room walls are paneled in platinum. The first corridor is built on a scale more suited to grand city hotel lobbies than to a weekend getaway house. The great hall displays sculptural personifications of Art, Science, and Industry with a painted trompe l'oeil ceiling. The music room features a dazzling gilded ceiling while the dining room is designed to seat thirty-four guests.

Anderson noted that 'there is something uniquely American about this faux palace, with its decor and fixtures ripped out of the ancient homes of European royalty.' He likened it to Versailles, saying, 'The Breakers was the center of attention, the center of fame.' But unlike its French counterpart, The Breakers was 'the center of envy without being a center of power.'

William Kissam Vanderbilt (pictured) was a known party boy who indulged in the finer pleasures that wealth afforded him. He and his wife, Alva, would change the entire face and trajectory of New York society in one evening with an extravagant costume ball in 1883

Alva was brilliant and 'utterly ruthless' in her quest to challenge Caroline Astor's iron rule over New York's aristocracy. Dressed as a Venetian princess at the costume ball, she received her guests wearing a rope of pearls that belonged to Catherine the Great wrapped around her waist (pictured)

Next to the family's Triple Palace stood William Kissam and Alva's 'Petit Chateau' at 660 Fifth Avenue. Determined to upstage her sister-in-law Alice, Alva designed her grandiose mansion after the gothic castles she saw during her childhood in France. In its place today stands a 41-story office building that was owned by Jared Kushner until 2018

Next door to the family's Triple Palace stood William 'Willie' Kissam and his wife Alva's 'Petit Chateau' at 660 Fifth Avenue. Determined to upstage her sister-in-law down the street, Alva designed her grandiose mansion after the gothic castles she saw during her childhood in France. The palatial residence made of limestone featured pointed turrets out of a fairy-tale castle.

'The Vanderbilts must have homes which represent originality, art, and beauty,' Alva said. 'My house was the death of brown stone fronts,' she boasted of the Petit Chateau, she said. (A developer would later buy the house in 1926 and bulldoze it within a year. In its place today stands a 41-story office building that was owned by Jared Kushner until 2018.)

The social war between the Vanderbilt and Astor houses played out in grandiose mansions and lavish parties hosted at Delmonico's downtown (an important venue for the newly minted blue bloods of the Gilded Age).

One such fete in 1883, hosted by the Commodore's grandson William Kissam and his wife, Alva, would 'change the entire face and trajectory of New York society in one evening.'

Alva Vanderbilt, nee Smith, was brilliant but 'utterly ruthless' in her quest to challenge Caroline Astor's iron rule over New York society. She was the spoiled daughter of a rich Kentucky cotton family who moved into a Fifth Avenue mansion (with slaves in tow), just before the Civil War.

Her family's fortune evaporated in the postbellum stock market, leaving the homely 17-year-old with nothing but her unrelenting ambition. 'Her task was clear: get married  and make sure he was rich.'

Alva and Willie wed married in April 1875, and two years later, she had a daughter named Consuelo, who would later go on to captivate the public with her marriage to the 9th Duke of Marlborough, a first cousin of Winston Churchill.

Her husband was a known party boy who indulged in the finer pleasures that wealth afforded him. His primary purpose in life, Anderson said, 'was to consume.'

With Willie's wealth, Alva would lay siege to the cloistered world of New York society. Her opening gambit was a grandiose costume ball 'that would seize the imagination of the public, dominate talk of the social world, and most importantly, bring the queen of New York into her camp.' More than 1,300 invitations were hand delivered to the creme de la creme of American aristocracy.

Revelers dressed in showstopping costumes were helped out of their carriages by footmen dressed in white powdered wigs and eighteenth-century-style maroon livery. They ascended the steps to the grand front doors of 'Petit Chateau' via a thick, gold-edged maroon carpet under an awning that crossed the sidewalk.

The newly completed French gothic-inspired house at 660 Fifth Avenue was set ablaze with music, tiny electric lightsn and paper lanterns. 'Every surface exploded with dangling orchids, palm fronds, and walls of roses' that cost $11,000 (roughly $330,000 today). The party was entertained by two orchestras and four quadrille dances.

By 11:30 p.m. a bouillabaisse of kings, queens, fairies, toreadors, and gypsies bejeweled and bedecked in silks and furs and ropes of diamonds had descended upon Fifth Avenue. Only two men appeared not in costume: William Henry Vanderbilt and his friend Ulysses S. Grant, who opted for simple tuxedos.

Others were costumed as Christopher Columbus, Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette, Queen Elizabeth I in a bright red wig, the goddess Diana, Daniel Boone, and Joan of Arc, complete with solid silver chainmail.

In 1895, Cornelius II and his wife, Alice, spent $7 million building The Breakers in Newport, Rhode Island. In its 77 years of existence, The Breakers saw the equivalent of nearly $218 million evaporate into thin air. Though small in comparison to their gargantuan New York City home, the sprawling summer retreat is three times as big as the White House and made up of 70 rooms with sumptuous interiors. The Breakers is the grandest and most opulent of Newport's Gilded Age mansions, and it remains the most popular tourist attraction in the state

Using the inheritance from his father, William Henry's youngest child, George Washington Vanderbilt II, built a colossal 175,000-square-foot retreat in Asheville, North Carolina. 'The Biltmore' remains America's largest home to this day. With 250 rooms, 35 bedrooms, and 43 bathrooms, the French Renaissance chateau and its 8,000-acre property are still family owned and operated by George's relatives

Unlike the Commodore who despised ostentation, his grandchildren and subsequent generations squandered their fortune in an effort to break into society by building opulent homes, 'all which were built and torn down within a span of 60 years,' Anderson explained. Alva's 'Marble House' in Newport, Rhode Island (left), cost $11 million to build, while Frederick William Vanderbilt's mansion in Hyde Park, New York (right), served as a hunting lodge

Alva received her guests dressed as a Venetian princess, most notable was the string of pearls that belonged to Catherine the Great wrapped around her waist.

At 2 a.m., an eight-course dinner catered by the chefs from Delmonico's was served on the third-floor gymnasium that had been festooned by a lush tropical forest. In all, the legendary Vanderbilt ball cost $250,000, equivalent to $7.4 million in today's money.

Alva's rival for reigning Vanderbilt hostess was her sister-in-law, Alice, who came costumed as an electric light bulb during a time when all homes were still lit by gas lamps and candles. The ensemble was renowned for its cutting-edge technology, using batteries hidden in the folds to light a bulb when Alice held it in her hand like the Statue of Liberty.

'Wittingly or not,' Anderson wrote in his book, 'the Vanderbilts paid homage to the past while single-mindedly lighting the path of the future of society  her torch and tiara preceded the Statue of Liberty by three years.'

Still in the grips of a society power struggle, Alva endeavored to build a summer 'cottage' (as she called it), that would outshine Caroline Astor's Newport mansion with 500,000 square feet of imported Italian marble. The home would come to be known as The Marble House. Completed in 1888, the mock Petit Trianon cost $11 million to build, (roughly $330 million in today's money).

Perhaps the greatest temple to Vanderbilt ambition and excess is the Biltmore estate in Asheville, North Carolina. Using the inheritance from his father, the Commodore's youngest grandchild, George Washington Vanderbilt II, built a colossal 175,000-square-foot retreat in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

The Biltmore remains America's largest home to this day. With 250 rooms, 35 bedrooms, and 43 bathrooms, the French Renaissance chateau and its 8,000-acre property are still family owned and operated by George's relatives.

However, the Vanderbilts were proof that money didn't couldn't buy happiness.

In 1895, Willie and Alva scandalized high society when they divorced following her accusations of adultery, which was largely unheard of at the time. A year later, Alva remarried divorcee, Oliver Belmont, who was her ex-husband's good friend.

Willie took over the New York Central Railroad system after his brother Cornelius II's death. In 1903, he married his second wife, Anne Harriman Sands Rutherford, and moved to France.

Before he died in 1920, he told the New York Times, 'My life was never destined to be quite happy. . . . Inherited wealth is a real handicap to happiness. It is as certain a death to ambition as cocaine is to morality.'

Reginald Claypoole Vanderbilt squanders away his inheritance and dies months after the birth of his daughter Gloria

By the time Cornelius II and his wife, Alice, welcomed their Reginald Claypoole Vanderbilt (pictured) in 1880, the family's fortune was spread thin among the many descendants. Reggie, a philandering drinker and gambler, married Cathleen Neilson in 1903, and they had one daughter, Cathleen Vanderbilt, before they divorced in 1920

At the time of his divorce, Reggie had taken an interest in his daughter Cathleen's teenage friend Gloria Morgan (pictured) from the debutante circuit. The night before announcing his engagement to Gloria Morgan, he hosted a costume ball for young Cathleen at which his bride-to-be appeared as Marie Antoinette

In 1823, Reggie married 18-year-old Gloria Morgan, who was 24 years his junior (pictured on their wedding day). Gloria Morgan gave birth to their daughter, Gloria Laura Morgan Vanderbilt, in 1924. Reggie died months later from cirrhosis of the liver

By the time Anderson's grandfather Reginald Claypoole Vanderbilt was born on January 14, 1880, the family's fortune was spread thin among the many descendants. Meanwhile, the railroad empire built by Cornelius was changing, and the Vanderbilts' role would continue to dwindle until the 1970s when it would go bust.

Reggie, the profligate son of Cornelius II and Alice Vanderbilt, was a philandering drinker and gambler who frittered away his $7.3 million inheritance.

In 1903, he married Cathleen Neilson, and they had one daughter, Cathleen Vanderbilt, before they divorced in 1920.

At the time, Reggie had taken an interest in his daughter Cathleen's teenage friend Gloria Morgan from the debutante circuit. The night before announcing his engagement to Gloria Morgan, he hosted a costume ball for young Cathleen at which his bride-to-be appeared as Marie Antoinette.

In 1823, he married 18-year-old Gloria Morgan, who was 24 years his junior. His daughter resented their nuptials, and she wasn't the only one who disagreed with the May-December romance.

Reggie's mother, Alice  'a walking contradiction with her extravagant consumption and her Puritanical comportment'  worried that Gloria Morgan had 'been around.' Her fears were assuaged when Gloria agreed to be examined by Alice's physician who attested to her 'intact virginity.'

On February 20, 1924, Gloria Morgan gave birth to Gloria Laura Morgan Vanderbilt, Anderson's mother. 'It is fantastic how Vanderbilt she looks,' beamed Reggie. 'See the corners of her eyes, how they turn up?' He would be dead within months from cirrhosis of the liver.

'Reggie hemorrhaged blood so explosively out of his mouth at the moment of his death that when his wife arrived two minutes too late to see him, Alice wouldn't let her in the room. It was painted with Reggie's blood,' Anderson wrote.

He was flat broke by the time he died and owed money all over town to lenders who had been all too willing to give him credit because of his famous name.

In an age when a newspaper cost pennies, he owed $269 to his local newsstand, $4,000 to B. Altman booksellers, $712 to a laundress, $9,000 to Tiffany and Company, and thousands in back taxes.

The end of an era: How Gloria Vanderbilt overcame a traumatic childhood only to suffer more tragedy

Reggie had frittered away his $7.3 million inheritance and left his young wife in debt when he died. Gloria Morgan (pictured with her husband and daughter) was forced to auction their New York City townhouse, his Sandy Point Farm, all his horses, all their cars, the furniture, linens, and even a stuffed elephant belonging to her baby

Gloria Morgan left her daughter in the care of her nanny and spirited away to Europe and stayed up all hours of the night attending dinner parties, nightclubs, and glamorous cocktail events, pilfering her daughter's $2.5 million inheritance to fund her extravagant lifestyle

Gloria's aunt Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney disagreed with Gloria Morgan's carefree gallivanting lifestyle and conspired to prove she was an unfit mother. She sued for custody of little Gloria citing the 'neglect and immoral influence' of her mother as the cause. Gloria was 10 years old at the time of the scandalous court case (pictured)

Gloria Vanderbilt's mother, Gloria Morgan, became a widow and a single parent at the age of 20. She was also legally (and emotionally) still a minor.

To cover her late husband's debts, she was forced to auction their plush New York City townhouse, his Sandy Point Farm, all his horses, all their cars, the furniture, linens, and even a stuffed elephant belonging to her baby.

The only value left in his estate was the $5 million trust fund that Cornelius II, Reggie's father, had established for the benefit of Reggie's children. That sum would be split between little Gloria and her half-sister Cathleen.

Gloria Morgan filed a petition to be awarded an allowance from her daughter's trust. These expenses amounted to $4,160 per month (about $73,000 today). This included $925 for servants, plus an additional $250 for the servants' food. 'Baby Gloria was now the piggy bank for her entire household, and she couldn't even talk.'

Leaving her daughter in the care of her governess, Gloria Morgan spirited away to Europe and stayed up all hours of the night attending dinner parties, nightclubs, and glamorous cocktail events, pilfering her daughter's $2.5 million inheritance to fund her extravagant lifestyle.

According to Anderson's book, Gloria Morgan's twin sister, Thelma, became the 'fast friend' and 'favorite dancing partner' of Edward, the Prince of Wales. His circle of friends known as 'the Palace set' were a cast of fast-living, decadent aristocrats. Thelma is also credited with (or blamed for) introducing the prince to Wallis Simpson after asking her to 'take care of him' while she was away.

'My mom would see her as this very glamorous figure disappearing down the hallway,' Anderson said of his grandmother. 'It sounds very elegant now, on the outside, but she's an eight-year-old child being moved from hotel rooms, and her mother's going out to parties every night and having all sorts of people through the house. It really was not a stable upbringing.'

In 1934, 10-year-old Gloria became the center of a sensational custody lawsuit that was heard and reported around the world, it was dubbed, 'The Trial of the Century.'

Salacious details from behind the curtain of America's richest family captivated the poverty-stricken public during the Great Depression. Newspapers dubbed Gloria (pictured with her aunt) 'the poor little rich girl'

Custody was eventually awarded to Gertrude and her nanny was fired. Gloria was left traumatized and even more isolated from the event. The New York Journal American composed the ditty: 'Rockabye baby/Up on a writ/ Monday to Friday, Mother's unfit/As the week ends she rises in virtue/Saturdays, Sundays, Mother won't hurt you'

Gloria's heartbreaking letters to her maternal grandmother, Laura Kilpatrick Morgan (pictured), were introduced as evidence during the court case

As Gloria (pictured with her mother in 1939) grew up, she socialized in Manhattan and charmed film and play directors until she made connections in Hollywood. She had a string of epic romances with some of the 20th century's most celebrated men: Howard Hughes, Frank Sinatra, Errol Flynn, and Marlon Brando

Gloria's aunt Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney (founder of the Whitney Museum), disagreed with Gloria Morgan's carefree gallivanting lifestyle and conspired with her niece's maternal grandmother and beloved nanny, Emma Sullivan Kieslich, to prove she was an unfit mother.

She sued for custody of little Gloria citing the 'neglect and immoral influence' of her mother as the cause.

Salacious details from behind the curtain of America's richest family captivated the poverty-stricken public during the Great Depression. Newspapers dubbed Gloria 'the poor little rich girl.'

Gloria Morgan's French maid testified that she saw 'Mrs. Vanderbilt was in bed reading a paper, and there was Lady Milford Haven beside the bed with her arm around Mrs. Vanderbilt's neck and kissing her just like a lover.' (Lady Milford Haven was the daughter of a Russian grand duke and was married to a Mountbatten, cousin to the king of England.)

The nanny claimed that she found graphic pornography books: 'Flogging, and nuns, and naked men with women's tongues  left out where the child could easily see them.'

Gossip columnists decried that Gloria Morgan was 'a cocktail-crazed dancing mother, a devotee of sex erotica, and the mistress of a German prince.'

Meanwhile, the defense argued that Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney's work as a celebrated sculptor featured nudes. It's true that Aunt Gertrude wasn't so virtuous either. She had two lives: one as a respectable pearl-laden grand-dame of society and the other as a bohemian downtown artist 'who took whatever lovers she wanted, men or women,' Anderson wrote.

Custody was eventually awarded to Gertrude and her nanny was fired. Gloria was left traumatized and even more isolated from the event. The New York Journal American composed the ditty: 'Rockabye baby/Up on a writ/ Monday to Friday, Mother's unfit/As the week ends she rises in virtue/Saturdays, Sundays, Mother won't hurt you.'

As Gloria grew up, she socialized in Manhattan and charmed film and play directors until she made connections in Hollywood. She had a string of epic romances with some of the 20th century's most celebrated men: Howard Hughes, Frank Sinatra, Errol Flynn, and Marlon Brando.

In 1941, a 17-year-old Gloria married Hollywood agent Pat DiCicco, a decision she instantly knew was a mistake, according to her son Anderson. The pair was together for four years before they divorced

Gloria wed her second husband, the conductor Leopold Stokowski, in 1945, when she was 21. He was 63 and she described it as love at first sight, despite the age gap. They had two children together, Stanley and Christopher, and were married for 10 years before divorcing. While raising her children, Gloria acted in films and plays (pictured in The Swan)

In 1956, she tied the know with her third husband, the famous director and producer Sidney Lumet. They were together until 1963. Her fourth marriage, to Anderson's father, Wyatt Cooper (pictured), began four months after her divorce from Lumet

Together, Gloria and Wyatt had Anderson and his brother Carter, who was two years older. In the 1970s, she made a name for herself in the fashion industry with her line of denim, Gloria Vanderbilt Jeans. Wyatt died during heart surgery in 1978

In 1941, a 17-year-old Gloria married her first of four husbands, Hollywood agent Pat DiCicco, a decision she instantly knew was a mistake, according to Anderson. The pair was together for four years before they divorced.

She wed her second husband, the conductor Leopold Stokowski, in 1945, when she was 21. He was 63 and she described it as love at first sight, despite the age gap.

They had two children together, Stanley and Christopher, and were married for 10 years before divorcing.

In 1956, she tied the know with her third husband, the famous director and producer Sidney Lumet. They were together until 1963.

Her fourth marriage, to Anderson's father, Wyatt Cooper, began four months after her divorce from Lumet. Together, they had Anderson and his brother Carter, who was two years older.

While raising her children, Gloria acted on Broadway and in films, wrote poetry and novels, and produced wildly popular art.

In the 1970s, she made a name for herself in the fashion industry with her line of denim  Gloria Vanderbilt Jeans  which were emblazoned with a swan and her name.

'My mom had a very fractured relationship with the family she was born into,' Anderson told CNN. 'She never really connected to any of them, so she never told me stories about her childhood growing up, she never really spoke about it.'

In 1978, Gloria's husband, Wyatt, died during heart surgery. Ten years later, her son Carter leaped to his death in front of her from her apartment terrace.

Gloria remained close with Anderson and Stanley throughout their lives, but she and Christopher became estranged in 1978 when he accused her therapist of meddling in his love life.

In 1988, Gloria's son Carter (pictured with his mother and brother in 1976) leaped to his death in front of her from her apartment terrace

Like her ancestors, Gloria spent lavishly, 'almost heedlessly, on anything that might bring pleasure: on houses and furnishings, gifts for friends, charities, and fine clothes.' When she died in 2019, the mother of four left the majority of her estate to Anderson, who has devoted his life to honoring his mother's legacy

'I think of my mother as the last Vanderbilt,' Anderson explained in his book. 'She was the last living Vanderbilt who'd slept at The Breakers when it was still a private home, owned by her grandmother Alice...She was the last child to ride in cars driven by liveried chauffeurs, guarded by private detectives in overcoats and fedoras'

Like her ancestors, Gloria spent lavishly, 'almost heedlessly, on anything that might bring pleasure: on houses and furnishings, gifts for friends, charities, and fine clothes.'

When she died in 2019, the mother of four left the majority of her estate to Anderson, who has devoted his life to honoring his mother's legacy.

The journalist reportedly inherited all of his mother's belongings except for her co-op apartment at 30 Beekman Place in Manhattan, which went to Stanley.

Gloria did not leave anything in her will for her estranged son Christopher.

'I think of my mother as the last Vanderbilt,' Anderson explained in his book. 'She was the last living Vanderbilt who'd slept at The Breakers when it was still a private home, owned by her grandmother Alice...She was the last child to ride in cars driven by liveried chauffeurs, guarded by private detectives in overcoats and fedoras.'

'She was the last to be born before the Depression, when the Vanderbilt riches seemed as limitless and eternal as the stars in the sky,' he wrote.
When Cathy walked into her sons room and saw the way he dropped his phone, she knew instinctively that something was seriously wrong. Jack was 13, one of four brothers.

They werent a prudish family and Cathy considered herself pretty unshockable.

But her sons panic was enough for her to insist he hand over his phone. She took it downstairs, Jack following, begging, Please dont read it. To her surprise, Cathy found she was shaking.

Downstairs, with her husband, they saw a letter open on the phone, written on the Notes app. You can find the same letter online, says Cathy, now 42. Its a template the kids share and copy to give their parents. It was along the lines of, I hope you will still love me but I am transgender Ive always known. I want to take steps to transition.

I remember reading it, trying to stay calm and feeling really confused. Had I imagined the past 13 years? Jack had shown no signs of being gender nonconforming.

Cathy saw a letter open on the phone, written on the Notes app. She said: Its a template the kids share and copy to give their parents. It was along the lines of, I hope you will still love me but I am transgender Ive always known. I want to take steps to transition"

This was 2016 and, for Cathy and her husband, it marked the start of a seven-year nightmare that reduced them to despair and left her contemplating suicide. At the beginning, Cathy - a college lecturer from the Midlands, happily married for 20 years - knew little about gender ideology.

She didnt know that the number of UK children identifying as trans was rocketing - in 2009, the UKs only NHS clinic for gender nonconforming children, the Tavistock Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS), had 72 referrals.

By 2018, the number was 2,590 - and this has risen by another fifth since lockdown. Figures from March 2022 revealed 5,500 on the waiting list.

Until recently, there had been no formal, evidence-based policies in place to respond to this increase. However, the policy practised at the Tavistock was almost always immediate affirmation of a childs chosen gender. In a new book, Time to Think, by BBC journalist Hannah Barnes, whistle-blowing insiders - Tavistock clinicians, social workers and child safeguarding leads - have confirmed that gender-questioning children would present with complex histories including depression, anxiety, autism, bullying and abuse.

And yet still they would be prescribed hormone blockers after just one appointment. The vast majority - about 90 per cent - went on to transition fully. However, when children are not affirmed or given blockers, the opposite is the case  up to 88 per cent lose their desire to transition. For most its a phase, which is why new NHS guidelines recommend the watch and wait approach. Tavistock GIDS will be closing its doors sometime this spring.

Back in 2016, Cathy knew none of this - but as a parent, she certainly knew that taking Jacks declaration at face value was not the right path. When we found that note, Jack was crying, his father was crying, says Cathy. It didnt make any sense but we both hugged him and said wed talk about it tomorrow.

Jack had been a happy child, highly intelligent, a boyish boy who played well with his brothers, the youngest of whom has autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Jack didnt enjoy sport, but he was obsessed with anything he could collect and categorise  Thomas the Tank Engine, dinosaurs, Pokemon, says Cathy.

I STUMBLED OUT OF THE DOOR, FEELING LIKE I WAS ON A TOTALLY DIFFERENT PLANET, THEN SOBBED MY HEART OUT

He had always rejected girls toys. One of his brothers wanted dolls for Christmas and Jack wouldnt have anything to do with them. Now 13, he was a pupil at a large comprehensive where class allocation had separated him from his old friends. Maybe he was isolated, says Cathy. Maybe the school had noticed.

When Cathy approached Jacks head of year, the response was blase. She said, Its fine! Weve dealt with trans children before! and made an appointment for me with the school counsellor. Cathy will never forget that appointment. I told her I was shocked because Jack had never shown any signs. She wasnt interested. She just told me it was really exciting, and I should get a referral to this clinic in London that was really progressive and have his puberty paused.

(A report published last month by the Policy Exchange think tank found that 40 per cent of the 150 English secondary schools surveyed allow pupils to change gender without parental consent.)

The counsellor gave Cathy the website address for Mermaids, the trans charity currently under investigation by The Charity Commission. She told Cathy that her son was going to be a girl and asked how she felt about it. I remember saying Id always love my child, says Cathy. I cringe now but I parroted the line that we were hearing in the media: Id rather have a happy daughter than a dead son.

In 2009, The UKs only NHS clinic for gender nonconforming children, the Tavistock Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS), had 72 referrals. By 2018, the number was 2,590 - and this has risen by another fifth since lockdown

This was based on the widespread belief that trans children were likely to attempt suicide if not affirmed, which has since been traced back to a study of 27 self-selected volunteers.

Although Cathy said the right things, inside her head there was turmoil. I stumbled out of the door, feeling like I was on a completely different planet, she says. I sat in the car and sobbed my heart out.

Strangely, in the weeks that followed, Jack looked uncomfortable when Cathy gave him a hug and asked if he wanted a new name or to dress differently. Instead he said hed made a mistake and didnt want to talk about it. However, the boy Cathy had known now became a moody, absent teen who never went out, except to school, and spent all his time in his room. Cathy worried.

She checked Jacks phone but found nothing concerning and installed time limits and parental controls with their internet provider. I hoped it was just puberty, she says. Jacks elder brother had been through that stage - though not as bad - but hed come through.

Jack was in his first year of sixth form when Covid and lockdown hit. Now he barely left his room at all. One day Cathy and her husband returned from the shops and their youngest son announced, Jacks been shaving all day! I looked at Jacks hairless legs - he was wearing shorts - and my heart sank, says Cathy. Jack, now 17, just said, I told you I wanted to be a girl. I want to start on hormones now.

That night, Cathy went online in search of information and quickly found support groups and hundreds of parents, many with sons who sounded just like Jack - quiet, sensitive - whod shown no signs of gender nonconforming in the past and often had neurodiverse traits such as obsessive compulsive disorder or ASD.

Another shared interest was that they were all obsessed with watching anime, the Japanese animation.

All these parents were loving, kind, confused, and knew their sons well enough to believe this wasnt something organic that had come from within them. They had learned about trans ideology from school or online then gone on to forums and asked, Am I trans? The reply is always, If youre asking the question, then you must be.

Cathy needed to understand Jacks online activity so, while he was sleeping, she took his phone and, as a lecturer in computer science, had a much closer look. You wouldnt believe the lengths he had taken to hide his activity, she says. Jack had an app that hid his other apps, and a VPN - a virtual private network - to circumvent all parental controls.

ONLINE, JACK WAS ADVISED HOW TO GET DIY HORMONES, DECEIVE HIS PARENTS AND ESTRANGE THEM

Now Cathy could see that hed been on a Reddit trans thread since he was 13.

Online, he identified as an anime character called Raine. On that thread was kid after kid, all the same, says Cathy. The girls post pictures of themselves looking like anime boys and the boys post pictures looking like anime girls. Online Jack had asked questions like, What can I do to look more feminine? He was given advice on how to get DIY hormones, how to deceive his parents and how to estrange them. That word broke my heart into a million pieces.

Cathy vowed that if Jack was going to take puberty blockers or cross-sex hormones, he would do so with his eyes open. We sat down and I told him I loved him and Id be here for him no matter what, she says.

But I also told him that I thought this was a result of social contagion and that he needed to get out into the world and have some life experience, maybe socially transition first before taking medical steps.

Cathy downloaded patient-consent documents, the small print listing side-effects that come with these drug treatments: osteoporosis and brittle bones, increased risk of heart disease, sterility, the loss of sexual function and ability to orgasm. He hated me for it, says Cathy.

To him, I was the most transphobic person in the world, but if he made a decision he came to regret, I wanted to know Id told him the facts.

Jacks response was to leave home to live with a neighbouring family who had a son of a similar age. Cathy tried to talk to the parents but they were hostile and uncooperative.

They believed we were transphobic and abusive, says Cathy. In September 2021, having done well at school, Jack left to start at university, blocking all contact with his family. His brothers saw that he had various social-media accounts, which showed him dressed as Raine, with a long dark wig, short, checked skirt and knee socks. After three months away, he messaged Cathy to say he was starting drugs to transition - then blocked her again. For nine months, they were estranged.

I cant describe how heartbroken we were, says Cathy. I had to stay strong for my other kids but I cried every single day. My husband and I were a pair of walking zombies. I used to fantasise about hanging myself from a rafter in the garage.

In May 2022, Jack texted out of the blue about some belongings he had left at home. I pushed my luck and asked him to visit, says Cathy. He did. On Cathys birthday, Jack knocked on the door.

He was pale and so thin, he looked like he was returning from war, says Cathy. Immediately, I started crying. Id missed him so much. I hugged him and told him I was so glad hed come.

Jack didnt hug Cathy back and said he was only stopping for half an hour, but he ended up staying longer  he played with the dogs, hung out with his brothers, ate a birthday takeaway then finally took the last train back. Afterwards, he and Cathy texted regularly. In the summer, having dropped out of university, he moved home.

He has woken up from it all, says Cathy. He has left the Reddit sites, cut out all the anime. He no longer believes hes trans. If he did begin to medically transition I cant see any physical changes. I almost dont want to know. Cathy has chosen not to bombard Jack with questions but to wait for him to open up about his journey.

He has mentioned that seeing comments online on Twitch - a livestreaming gaming platform he followed - about feminised boys addicted to anime somehow resonated, made him think about social contagion and his part in it. He now has a place on a competitive corporate apprenticeship scheme.

Hes going to the gym and out to the bar with his brothers. He has a new friend  male  who he plays Pokemon with. Hes a world away from where he was. I sometimes feel like Im dreaming.

For Jack, it was a phase. But that phase stole seven years of his life, says Cathy. Im just truly grateful that something made him wake up.
Wild cats roam the mountainous ranges of the Americas alone, hunting their prey and generally staying out of the way of people.

This makes them hard to find, even for expert guides who spend their lives tracking the pumas down.

And photographer Greg Harvey, 51, decided to challenge his guides with a series of photographs of the elusive big cats.

Taken in Patagonia, in Chile, the stunning pictures depict the pumas in their natural habitat.

And while the images posed little challenge for the eagle-eyed wildlife experts, the mountain lion hiding in this picture is almost impossible to spot.

Can you spot the pumas?

Can you find the big cat hiding in this image? Taken in Patagonia, Chile, in the mountainous landscape pumas prefer

When hunting, a puma moves around six miles per night, mixing travelling bouts with rest breaks

The endangered species has been the subject of fierce public debate in the U.S. on how best to conserve them and their habitats.

The Chumash, Tataviam and Gabrielino (Tongva) tribes recently buried South California's most famous mountain lion, P-22, in the Santa Monica mountains the big cat once roamed.

The big cat lived in the urban Griffith Park, home to the Hollywood sign, and P-22 has become a symbol of California's endangered mountain lions.

When he was euthanised in 2022 after being captured to assess his health, officials burst into tears as they announced the decision. His obituary ran on the front page of the LA Times.

The death of the cougar set off a debate between the tribes in the Los Angeles area and wildlife officials over whether scientists could keep samples of the mountain lion's remains for future testing and research.

There it is! The mountain lion was taking shelter from the freezing weather under a rocky crag
An 'optical illusion' that tests your intelligence has left people scratching their heads as they struggle to solve it in just 13 seconds.

The viral image was published by JoshJargan and the website stated that only 'a genius' could spot the hidden deer in the photo in the allocated time.

It shows a photo of a pair of hunters inside a forest.

Within the forest, there is a hidden deer.

An 'optical illusion' that tests your intelligence has left people scratching their heads as they struggle to find the hidden deer it in just 13 seconds

You will need to look closely if you want to spot the animal.

'Two hunters have been hunting a deer. It showed up in the woods before and then suddenly disappeared,' JoshJargan stated.

'The hunters ran after it but lost it. However, the deer isn't far away.

'So, the trickier part of this optical illusion is to spot the deer hidden inside the forest.'

If you are struggling to spot the deer, look to the right side of the photo.

Look at the top right tree and what appears to be branches.

You will be able to see the animal's antlers that have been camouflaged by the tree.

To help you out, they're circled in the image below.

If you are struggling to spot the deer, look to the right side of the photo

'It has been claimed that if you manage to identify the hidden deer inside the picture in just 13 seconds, it could be a sign of your extraordinary intelligence,' according to the website.

'Studies show that the more you exercise your brain with difficult puzzles, the smarter you tend to be.'

This is not the first time this viral image has appeared, with Bright Side publishing it previously.

It surfaced again in 2022, with news outlet Infobae reporting only two per cent of people trying to spot the deer ended up finding it.
He's known for his animated expressions during royal gatherings - and Prince Louis didn't disappoint as he attended his first Easter Sunday service in Windsor today.

The four-year-old held back a grin as he joined his parents, the Prince and Princess of Wales, and his siblings Prince George, nine, and Princess Charlotte, seven, at St George's Chapel.

He held onto his mothers hand and glanced cheekily at the waiting media, while Kate, 41, dressed in a recycled Catherine Walker outfit, offered a brief smile and a greeting.

Louis looked sharp in a suit jacket, bicycle-print tie, and powder blue shorts, while Kate paired her blue dress with a custom 825 pill box hat and matching clutch bag, and opted for a pair of pointed, nude heels.

She completed her Easter ensemble with a pair of statement gold, lapis and moonstone earrings, and kept her make-up soft and neutral for the morning service.

Kate, 41, looked radiant in a bright blue dress as she walked hand-in-hand with four-year-old Prince Louis, who wore a sharp suit jacket, tie, and powder blue shorts

Louis appeared deep in thought as he arrived at St George's Chapel with Princess Charlotte

The youngest Wales child is known for his antics while at public royal engagements

However, in a departure from the very well co-ordinated royal blue, Kate had her nails painted a bright red.

Her husband Prince William, 40, wore a classic dark blue suit and pink tie, while Prince George, nine, and Princess Charlotte, seven, wore complimentary colours.

Charlotte was dressed in her Amaia navy blue coat - a favourite in her wardrobe - and powder blue tights, with a blue bow in her hair, while her older brother matched Louis in a navy suit and tie.

After the Sunday service, Charlotte stepped out of St George's Chapel in a light blue, floral dress, having taken off her coat as the warm spring day settled in.

Today's service marks the first since the death of the Queen last September.

The late monarch did not attend last year's Easter service due to the mobility issues she was suffering at the time, and she was instead represented by senior royals.

The Wales family were in a group of younger royals at back of the party walking down from Windsor Castle to St George's Chapel on Sunday morning.

That group included the King's niece Princess Beatrice and her husband Edo Mapelli Mozzi, and Mike and Zara Tindall with their two eldest children, Mia and Lena.

The King and Queen Consort - also in royal blue - led the party. Behind them were his brother and sister, Prince Andrew and Princess Anne.

The mother and son held hands as they approached St George's Chapel in Windsor today

Four-year-old Prince Louis looked on at the crowd in curiosity as he held his mother, the Princess of Wales' hand

Princess Charlotte wore a navy blue dress and light blue tights for her Easter Sunday outing

After the Sunday service, Charlotte stepped out of St George's Chapel in a light blue, floral dress, having taken off her coat as the warm spring day settled in

The young royal waved to those watching on and as she and her mother headed back home

Her husband Prince William, 40, opted for a classic suit, while Prince George, nine, and Princess Charlotte, seven, wore complimentary colours

The Wales family were joined by other members of The Firm at today's service, with King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla both spotted outside St George's Chapel

Prince George, nine, matched his parents in a navy suit, tie and patterned tie for Easter Sunday

Next in line were the new Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and their eldest son, James, now the Earl of Wessex. Their student daughter Lady Louise was absent.

Also present in the party was Princess Annes husband, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, who was walking with Queen Elizabeth's niece Lady Sarah Chatto and her husband Daniel.

They were followed by a heavily pregnant Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank, who are expecting their second child together.

The family group was notably missing the estranged Duke and Duchess of Sussex who have not yet confirmed whether they will even attend the kings coronation.

Today will no doubt be a bittersweet moment for the Royal Family, as they celebrate yet another family occasion without the Queen.

Princess Charlotte looks back as she and Kate make their way out of St George's Chapel

Princess of Wales receives flowers from eight-year-old Samuel after the service today

Charlotte and Louis were well co-ordinated in their Easter Sunday outfits

Camilla was was leaving ahead of the royal party for a private engagement elsewhere and was greeted by young Harriet

Queen Consort Camilla was handed a bunch of posies by Harriet, ten, as she exited St George's Chapel on Sunday

The Queen Consort looked over the moon with her flowers as she left the Easter Mattins Service at St George's Chapel

The King and Queen Consort looked in good spirits as they waved hello to the crowds of people watching on as the royals walked into St George's Chapel

Also in attendance on Sunday is Prince Andrew, who walked alongside his sister Princess Anne who wore a cream double-breasted coat and a decorated navy blue hat

Zara Tindall is pictured arriving at St George's Chapel on Sunday morning with her daughter

Elizabeth II is buried in the church's tiny King George VI Memorial Chapel, alongside Prince Philip, the late Duke of Edinburgh, and her late parents George VI and the Queen Mother, with their four names inscribed on a new black stone slab set in the floor

Sunday also marks the second anniversary of the death of the late monarch's beloved husband, Prince Philip. He passed away at Windsor Castle on April 9, 2021.

After this morning's service, it is thought the royals will keep with tradition and gather inside Windsor Castle for the holiday weekend.

It is thought that King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla - who are preparing for their coronation - will join the family, as well as the Prince and Princess of Wales.

The Royal Family are expected to enjoy a roast dinner together after gathering at St George's Chapel, with menu items - such as venison and spring vegetables - sourced from the royal estates.

Prince Louis was clearly distracted by something as the family left St George's Chapel today

The mother-of-three paired her Catherine Walker dress - which she has worn before - with a matching hat and clutch bag, and opted for a pair of nude heels for the occasion

Prince Louis, four, looks solemn as he enters St George's Chapel with his mother

Prince William opted for a dark pink tie, while his two sons stuck with the royal blue theme

It is also likely to be a moving moment for the royal family, with the 15th century chapel being the late Queen's final resting place and the Easter Sunday service the first to take place since her death (Zara and Mike Tindall are pictured on Sunday with their family)

But while some traditions will likely be upheld, it's been reported that now Charles is monarch, he may be hosting a more relaxed event than the late Queen, who was believed to have some strict dinner rules in place.

Royal expert Ingrid Seward told The Sun that there is one specific dinner rule of the late Queen's that Charles might choose to relax.

She said: 'They will all have dinner together but not the young children they will eat in the nursery dining room.

Princess Beatrice arrived hand-in-hand with her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi on Sunday

Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh with Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh and James, Earl of Wessex attends the Easter Mattins Service

Pregnant Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank walked hand-in-hand as they arrived on Sunday

'The Queen always said until they could hold a knife and fork properly they could not eat at the table, but Charles might have relaxed that rule a bit. But dinner is only for grown-ups.'

Meanwhile, mother-of-three Kate, 41, was reportedly planning to organise an Easter egg hunt for the royal children.

According to Ingrid: 'Kate is a great organiser and will almost certainly organise an Easter egg hunt  the children can also go to the royal mews and see the horses there and there is an indoor pool for swimming and ponies for them to ride.'
She's not often thought of as someone to make a fashion statement - and yet the Duchess of Edinburgh seemed to pull out all the stops when attending today's Easter Sunday service alongside other royals.

Mother-of-two Sophie, 58, commanded attention in a cream Philip Treacy hat, which boasted a wide brim and an eye-catching height as she arrived at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle.

She teamed her statement headpiece with a pink Catherine Walker coat and cream knee-high boots, as well as a matching clutch bag.

Attending the royal event alongside her husband Prince Edward, 59, and their 15-year-old son James, Earl of Wessex, Sophie looked effortlessly elegant for her first appearance at the annual service since gaining the title of Duchess of Edinburgh.

It's unclear why Sophie and Edward's daughter Lady Louise, 19, wasn't at today's occasion.

She's not often thought of as someone to make a fashion statement - and yet the Duchess of Edinburgh seemed to pull out all the stops when attending today's Easter Sunday service alongside other royals (pictured with Prince Edward and James, Earl of Wessex)

Edward and Sophie, previously the Countess and Earl of Wessex, were given their new titles in February, some six months after the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September.

Today's service will likely be bittersweet for members of the Firm, as it marks the first without the late Queen - and the second anniversary of the death of Prince Philip.

Mother-of-two Sophie was particularly close to the late monarch, with whom she spoke daily, and called 'Mama'.

Other royals making an appearance in their Sunday best today include the Prince and Princess of Wales, who brought their children Prince George, nine, Princess Charlotte, seven, and Prince Louis, four, to the event.

Also in attendance were the Tindalls, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, and Princess Anne, who was accompanied by her husband Vice Admiral Timothy Laurence.

Following in the footsteps of his late mother, Queen Elizabeth, who always held Easter Court at her beloved Berkshire residence, Charles was accompanied by his wife, the Queen Consort, today.

A staple in the royal calendar, last year's event saw the now-Prince and Princess of Wales attend in the spring sunshine with their two eldest children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte.

The Princess of Wales and the Queen Consort both opted for royal blues as their outfit of choice for Easter Sunday, with the mother-of-three arriving hand-in-hand with her youngest son Prince Louis, who was joining the family at the service for the first time.

Mother-of-two Sophie (pictured left), 58, commanded attention in a cream Philip Treacy hat, which boasted a wide brim and an eye-catching height as she arrived at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle. Pictured right, Zara Tindall, who also opted for a pink look

The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh with the Earl of Wessex attending the Easter Mattins Service at St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle in Berkshire

Members of the Royal Family ;eave the Easter Sunday Service at St. George's Chapel, Windsor

The Prince and Princess of Wales have arrived with all three of their children at St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle for the first Easter Sunday service of King Charles's reign

The King and Queen Consort looked in good spirits as they waved hello to the crowds of people watching on as the royals walked into St George's Chapel

It is likely to be a moving moment for the royal family, with the 15th century chapel being the late Queen's final resting place and the Easter Sunday service the first to take place since her death (Zara and Mike Tindall are pictured on Sunday with their family)

He held onto his mothers hand and glanced seriously at the waiting media, while the Princess offered a brief smile and a greeting.

While the Sunday service has long been a tradition for the royals, it is thought that Easter Sunday may be slightly different for the family now that Charles is King.

According to reports, the monarch may host a less formal gathering than his mother, who was believed to have some very strict dinner rules in place.

Royal expert Ingrid Seward told The Sun that there is one specific dinner rule of the late Queen's that Charles might choose to relax this weekend.

She said: 'They will all have dinner together but not the young children - they will eat in the nursery dining room.

'The Queen always said until they could hold a knife and fork properly they could not eat at the table, but Charles might have relaxed that rule a bit. But dinner is only for grown-ups.'

Sophie's appearance today follows the royal being snapped in Windsor yesterday, where she went for a carriage ride.

The 58-year-old shared a love of the sport with her late father-in-law, Prince Philip, who took it up in his fifties.

Now, the Duchess is sometimes spotted driving one of Philip's carriages in Windsor, which is near the Edinburgh's Bagshot family home.
Princess Charlotte was the Princess of Wales's mini-me as they left the Easter Sunday service at Windsor Castle together.

Looking ready for Spring in a 65 blue patterned dress from Rachel Riley, the seven-year-old royal walked alongside her mother after the morning service at St George's Chapel.

Kate, 41, could be spotted waving to crowds waiting outside the chapel, with an adorable Charlotte soon following suit and offering her own goodbye in a form of a shy wave.

The Princess of Wales - who could be seen holding her daughter's coat as the pair left together - put on an elegant display in a marine blue Catherine Walker coat and matching pill-box hat by Lock & Co.

The King, Queen Consort and other senior royals turned out in force in the grounds of the castle, enjoying the bright sunshine ahead of the first Easter Sunday service of Charles's reign.

Princess Charlotte was the Princess of Wales's mini-me as they left the Easter Sunday service at Windsor Castle together

Charles and Camilla arrived wearing matching royal blue outfits, with the King in a suit and the Queen Consort wearing a coat dress by Anna Valentine with a Philip Treacy hat. They were followed by the Duke of York and the Princess Royal.

The Prince and Princess of Wales were joined by their three children, Prince George, nine, Princess Charlotte, seven, and four-year-old Prince Louis.

William and Prince George walked side-by-side wearing matching navy suits, while Princess Charlotte held her father's hand upon their arrival.

Prince Louis, attending the service for the first time, wore a suit jacket and light blue shorts.

The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh arrived with their son James, the Earl of Wessex.

Princess Beatrice and her husband, Eduardo Mapelli Mozzi, also attended the service, a staple in the royal calendar, as did her sister Princess Eugenie and her husband, Jack Brooksbank, and Zara and Mike Tindall and their two daughters, Mia and Lena.

It was likely to have been a moving moment for the royal family, with the 15th century chapel being the late Queen's final resting place and the Easter Sunday service the first to take place since her death.

Elizabeth II is buried in the church's tiny King George VI Memorial Chapel, alongside Prince Philip, the late Duke of Edinburgh, and her parents, George VI and the Queen Mother, with their four names inscribed on a new black stone slab set in the floor.

Looking ready for Spring in a blue patterned dress, the seven-year-old royal walked alongside her mother after the morning service at St George's Chapel

Kate, 41, could be spotted waving to crowds waiting outside the chapel, with an adorable Charlotte soon following suit and offering her own goodbye in a form of a shy wave

Princess Charlotte wore a navy blue dress and light blue tights for her Easter Sunday outing

After the Sunday service, Charlotte stepped out of St George's Chapel in a light blue, floral dress, having taken off her coat as the warm Spring day settled in

Kate and Prince Louis held hands as they approached St George's Chapel in Windsor today

Charles, as monarch, has succeeded his mother to become the Supreme Governor of the Church of England.

In less than a month's time, he will be crowned alongside Camilla in a religious service in Westminster Abbey.

The family attended Mattins at historic St Georges Chapel, where Queen Elizabeth was interred last September.

Today makes The King and Queens 18th wedding anniversary and the second anniversary of Prince Philips death.

The King and Queen Consort looked in good spirits as they waved hello to the crowds of people watching on as the royals walked into St George's Chapel.

Today will no doubt be a bittersweet moment for the Royal Family, as they celebrate yet another family occasion without the late Queen Elizabeth.

Kate's husband Prince William, 40, opted for a classic suit, while Prince George, nine, and Princess Charlotte, seven, wore complimentary colours

The King and Queen Consort looked in good spirits as they waved hello to the crowds of people watching on as the royals walked into St George's Chapel

It is also likely to be a moving moment for the royal family, with the 15th century chapel being the late Queen's final resting place and the Easter Sunday service the first to take place since her death (Zara and Mike Tindall are pictured on Sunday with their family)

Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh with Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh and James, Earl of Wessex attends the Easter Mattins Service

Pregnant Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank walked hand-in-hand as they arrived on Sunday

After this morning's service, it is thought the royals will keep with tradition and gather inside Windsor Castle for the holiday weekend.

It is thought that King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla - who are preparing for their coronation - will join the family, as well as the Prince and Princess of Wales.

The Royal Family are expected to enjoy a roast dinner together after gathering at St George's Chapel, with menu items - such as venison and spring vegetables - sourced from the royal estates.

But while some traditions will likely be upheld, it's been reported that now Charles is monarch, he may be hosting a more relaxed event than the late Queen, who was believed to have some strict dinner rules in place.

Royal expert Ingrid Seward told The Sun that there is one specific dinner rule of the late Queen's that Charles might choose to relax.

She said: 'They will all have dinner together but not the young children they will eat in the nursery dining room.

'The Queen always said until they could hold a knife and fork properly they could not eat at the table, but Charles might have relaxed that rule a bit. But dinner is only for grown-ups.'

Meanwhile, mother-of-three Kate, 41, was reportedly planning to organise an Easter egg hunt for the royal children.

According to Ingrid: 'Kate is a great organiser and will almost certainly organise an Easter egg hunt  the children can also go to the royal mews and see the horses there and there is an indoor pool for swimming and ponies for them to ride.'
It's expected to fetch at least 300 when it goes on sale in London on April 25

A rediscovered photo album which provides a 'fascinating glimpse' into separate visits made by Prince Philip and Princess Margaret to two cable ships in the 1960s is to go under the hammer.

The commemorative corporate album contains 14 black and white 6in by 8in photographs of Philip's visit to CS Mercury at Tortola in the British Virgin Islands on February 23 1966.

It also includes 14 images of Margaret's visit with her then-husband, the Earl of Snowdon, to CS Enterprise in Hong Kong on March 5 that same year.

The album is to go under the hammer with auction house Charles Miller - a maritime specialist - in London on April 25, and is expected to sell for between 300 and 500.

In many of the snaps, Prince Philip appears to be listening attentively to staff as he is given a tour of the ship.

Princess Margaret is pictured being shown around the vessel by a staff member as he speaks to her

Photos of Princess Margaret show her looking equally interested in finding out more about how the vessel she visited operates.

The images are thought to have not been in the public domain before, as they were only produced for in-house purposes.

Princess Margaret is smiling in many of the pictures, wearing a necklace, a matching hat and short-sleeved top - both in a geometric print.

She paired her matching outfit with a slim fit midi skirt and a sleek handbag.

The album includes 14 images of Margaret's visit with her then-husband, the Earl of Snowdon, to CS Enterprise in Hong Kong on March 5 that same year

The then Duke of Edinburgh is having a piece of machinery explained to him. He is pictured with his hands behind his back as he listens

Princess Margaret is pictured smiling, wearing a top with a matching hat, paired with a knee-length skirt and handbag

The album is expected to fetch around 300 and 500 and will go up for sale on April 25 in the hopes to find a new owner

Princess Margaret is pictured with her husband Antony Armstrong-Jones, as they have a go at steering the ship

Prince Philip, dressed in a smart suit, smiles as he shakes the hand of one of the men working on the vessel

Princess Margaret is snapped looking interested as she speaks to a staff member about how the vessel operates

Princess Margaret is pictured arriving on the vessel, to which one of the staff members salutes her by putting his hand to his forehead

In the photo album, details of the trip are printed. It says the then Duke of Edinburgh visited C.S Mercury in 1966

The album is a navy blue leather, with 'Royal Visitor's printed in gold, alongside the name of the vessel

Whereas the then Duke of Edinburgh was pictured in a smart matching suit as he greeted staff members.

Charles Miller said: 'Albums such as these always offer a fascinating glimpse into such important visits.

'In addition, it is rare to see photographer Antony Armstrong-Jones accompanying the princess on official duties.'

The album was recently rediscovered after spending many years in a UK private collection.
It is thought late Queen had preferred royals to wear skin-coloured nail polish

Kate Middleton had her nails painted dark red for Easter Mattins in Windsor

The Princess of Wales added an unusual splash of colour to her fingertips as she attended the Easter Mattins in Windsor today.

The mother-of-three had her nails painted dark red - a far cry from the neutral or clear shades she typically wears for public appearances with the Royal Family.

It is widely thought there were rules around coloured nails in the late Queen's reign, which ended last September, with skin coloured nail polish colours preferred.

William Hanson, an expert in royal etiquette, told The Sun that 'hot red and bright pink, for example, are not correct, especially for official occasions and particularly during mourning'.

Permitted colours, he said, included 'translucent or dusky pink'.

The Princess of Wales added an unusual splash of colour to her fingertips as she attended the Easter Mattins in Windsor today

The mother-of-three had her nails painted dark red - a far cry from the neutral or clear shades she typically wears for public appearances with the Royal Family

Kate was spotted with the brightly-coloured nails when attending an Easter Sunday service with the Royal Family at St George's Chapel this morning.

She was joined by Prince William and the couple's three children, with four-year-old Prince Louis attending the traditional service for the first time.

The family all dressed in blue, with Kate rewearing a long, Catherine Walker coat paired with a custom 825 pill box hat, matching clutch bag and nude, pointed heels.

Her red nails added another pop of colour to the spring ensemble, and royal watchers were a huge fan of her decision.

One Twitter user said: 'Royals in blue at Easter services today in Windsor. And more colour than usual on Kate's nails.'

Another added: 'Are you seeing what I'm seeing? Look at the princess' finger nails... surprising.'

A third said: 'Loving Catherine's dark nail polish.'

Kate has previously been spotted with painted toe nails in open-toe shoes, but colourful finger nails are a rare occurrence for members of the Royal Family.

It is widely thought there were rules around coloured nails in the late Queen's reign, which ended last September, with skin coloured nail polish colours preferred

Kate was spotted with the brightly-coloured nails when attending an Easter Sunday service with the Royal Family at St George's Chapel this morning

Her red nails added another pop of colour to the spring ensemble, and royal watchers were a huge fan of her decision

Prince Harry's wife Meghan Markle caused a stir in 2018 when she attended the British Fashion Awards with darkly-coloured nails.

Experts claimed at the time this had broken the Queen's longstanding rule about coloured nails, which the late monarch was said to have found 'vulgar'.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were predictably absent from today's gathering at St George's Chapel.

Those in attendance included the Wales family, the new Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, and Zara and Mike Tindall - who were accompanied by their daughters.

Those in attendance included the Wales family, the new Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, and Zara and Mike Tindall - who were accompanied by their daughters

Today will no doubt be a bittersweet moment for the Royal Family, as they celebrate yet another family occasion without the Queen

The mother and son held hands as they approached St George's Chapel in Windsor today

It comes after reports suggested Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis will star in the Kings Coronation procession at Westminster Abbey on May 6

The King and Queen Consort - also in royal blue - led the party in Windsor. Behind them were his brother and sister, Prince Andrew and Princess Anne.

Next in line were the new Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and their eldest son, James, now the Earl of Wessex. Their student daughter Lady Louise was absent.

Also present in the party was Princess Anne's husband, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, who was walking with Queen Elizabeth's niece Lady Sarah Chatto and her husband Daniel.

They were followed by a heavily pregnant Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank, who are expecting their second child together.

Today will no doubt be a bittersweet moment for the Royal Family, as they celebrate yet another family occasion without the Queen.

Sunday also marks the second anniversary of the death of the late monarch's beloved husband, Prince Philip. He passed away at Windsor Castle on April 9, 2021.
At a birthday party recently, I was waiting at the bar when a man, mid-40s maybe, came over and said, 'I've been watching you, you have the most incredible structure to your face.' I was taken aback.

I can't describe how completely random this was. My response was, 'Are you serious?' No one has ever said that to me. Then a woman on the other side, younger, probably in her early 30s, said, 'I was thinking that, too.'

Perhaps it was some elaborate grift and they planned to flatter me into emptying my bank account or joining their bizarre sex cult (neither happened, in case you were worried.) I walked home with a spring in my step feeling rather wonderful. It's a long time since anyone paid me a compliment about my face.

I can only put this down to the five sessions of a new cosmetic medical treatment called EMface, which I had between November and early January. I was told the full results would not kick in until spring.

Well, the proof of the pudding is not just in clinical studies and academic papers. It is in other people's comments.

Kate Spicer investigates whether the 'first machine facelift' really does work. Pictured during the procedure

My Emface journey started months ago when a machine somewhere in size between a vacuum cleaner and a dishwasher was wheeled into the treatment room. The clinic's owner, Dr Rita Rakus, paid about 200,000 for this piece of beauty engineering. You'd hope it works at that price.

For the client, the outlay is about 2,500 for four or five sessions, and 3,000 for six 20-minute sessions. This is Emface, and it is described as the first machine facelift. No knife, no needles, no lasers or harsh acids and no pain, yet noticeable, satisfying lifting results.

The company's earlier moves into the cosmetic market included EMsculpt, which used muscle-building, skin-toning and fat-melting technology on specific body areas. One session is the equivalent of 20,000 sit-ups or squats, apparently.

Before my facial session starts, I have to be plugged in to the mains. A cold, sticky pad with conductive materials is attached to my back, and a cable runs out of my jumper down to plugs in the machine.

The pad on my back creates a circuit so that the other three pads placed on my forehead and cheeks can conduct the electricity required to pass radiofrequency (RF)  a pleasant and intense 40-degree heat  deep in my dermis, and something called high-intensity focused electrical stimulation (HIFES), which feels like spiders in electric stilettos crawling over my face. This is not pleasant, but neither is it painful.

Dr Rakus says: 'What you'll get is a little bit of a cheekbone lift. That's the biggest bit of scaffolding on your face that holds a lot up. You'll have more collagen, it tightens the skin and it rejuvenates while the muscle is strengthened.'

Clinical studies carried out by the manufacturer say the treatment increases muscle density by 30 per cent, reduces wrinkles by 36.8 per cent and gives 23 per cent more lift.

How does it deliver these results? The RF heats the dermis to stimulate the production of collagen and elastin fibres, which improves the look and texture of the skin. Electro stimulation sends thousands of pulses per session to contract specific 'elevator' muscles under the pads  namely the frontalis, which smooths the forehead and elevates the eyebrows, as well as the two zygomaticus muscles, which plump up the cheekbone, lift the cheekline and jawline and raise the corners of the mouth.

The UK writer praises the EMface treatment, which she had five sessions of. Pictured after the transformation

Emface has modest results compared to invasive methods but, to be honest, that's exactly what I want: subtle enhancement.

I hadn't even had my final session when I was sent to Germany to write about a pricy private doctor they call the King of Health. Dr Konig fixes up the rich and famous (and hence the heavily Botoxed and tweaked). Several A-listers who I can't name like to check in with him every year.

When Dr Konig was taking my medical history, he reached the cosmetic medicine bit of his questioning and mumbled to himself, 'Botox, yes'. He went to tick the box on the forms, my expected agreement a mere formality.

'No. I don't have Botox,' I said. I haven't had it for years. I frowned hard to show him how impressive my '11 lines' are between my eyebrows, forged with a combination of stress, reading in bad light so I don't upset the grumpy sod next to me in bed and always forgetting my reading glasses.

Dr Konig looked suspicious, and reassured me it was OK to have work done and I did not need to lie. I insisted I had nothing in my face because that was the truth. He reluctantly complimented me on my line-free forehead (then said I'd look better with a blepharoplasty operation to remove excess skin on my eyelids).

Emface has modest results compared to invasive methods, which is perfect for those who want a subtle touch. Kate pictured in March

So while Emface can't attack the muscles that form the 11s, or remove excess skin on my eyelids, or the crows' feet round my eyes, it has given me an incredible result overall, considering it is a non-invasive, pain-free treatment.

It's the result I have been longing for since I decided to move away from needles (I once had filler to lift up the corners of my mouth but ended up with a duck face. My sister-in-law laughed out loud, my rather kinder sister said, 'It's not so bad, you look like someone from TOWIE.')

At the end of my fifth and final session with Dr Rakus, she looks at my face with an expert gaze and says the machine has done the work of about four syringes of filler and Botox, in terms of its improvement to my face.

I mention a few things that still bother me  faint marionette lines beside my mouth and those 11s. The crows' feet I can live with. She reckons she could fix them up with one syringe of Botox.

She describes a similar machine, Juvena, that uses the same technology but can work on different parts of the face. I decide to say no, for now. Not least because I've run out of budget.

Clinical studies carried out by the manufacturer say the treatment increases muscle density by 30 per cent, reduces wrinkles by 36.8 per cent and gives 23 per cent more lift. Kate pictured getting the treatment at the clinic

Dr Rakus  who has been called 'the London Lip Queen' for her skill with a syringe  is so convinced these pain-free, needle-free facelifts are the future. She uses nothing else herself. 'I just have the machine treatments now,' she says.

Waiting in reception I meet another cosmetic doctor in the practice (who prefers not to be named as she also works in the NHS). She, too, says she only ever uses the machines, despite, like Dr Rakus, administering gallons of Botox and fillers over the years.

So how do I choose to measure my results? Well, the before and after is a fairly brutal metric, if a little underwhelming. And then there were my admirers at the party. Or the woman at a funeral who said, 'Damn, how is your skin so silky.'

The biggest test for me is always how I feel, not how I look. When I look at myself in the mirror in the morning, or catch sight of myself in a shop-window reflection, do I (a) wince, or feel mild shock or distress, or (b) feel at best pleasantly surprised or nothing at all, or (c) so pleased and excited by marked improvements that I have to stop and pout fetchingly in every reflective surface?

As a grown-up of 53, these days it's the second option: (b) is my favourite, and that's absolutely what I got.

Kate Spicer received her treatments at Dr Rita Rakus's clinic in South-West London (drritarakus.co.uk). Prices for Emface start at 2,500.
While West Bengal continues to be an economic backwater of India and is not showing much intent to tap into the opportunity, dramatic improvement in infrastructure and investment readiness of NER over the last decade has ushered new opportunities.

by Arpita Hazarika

Bangladesh, India and Japan are going to hold an event in Tripura of India on April 11-12 on connectivity initiatives to harness the commercial potential of the region.

Asian Confluence, a think tank from North East India, is organising the meeting in collaboration with Indias Ministry of External Affairs, according to India-based news outlets.

Bangladesh State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam is expected to join the event to represent Bangladesh. Indias deputy foreign minister and Japanese ambassador to India will also join the programme.

The State of Tripura is predominantly a hilly region [Photo: tripuratourism.gov.in]

A recently conducted study suggested that both Northeast India and Bangladesh need to scale up their multi-modal connectivity, which would not only help the region to raise its competitiveness but also narrow the development gaps in the region.

In parallel, both entities should work together to bring synergy in trade facilitation and build express corridors for the transhipment and transit of goods from Northeast Region to Chattogram Port of Bangladesh, the study further suggested.

The study also suggested the creation of industrial value chains to create a win-win situation for all stakeholders in India and Bangladesh and Japanese companies in the region. It was also suggested to establish Japan-Northeast India Chamber of Commerce to promote Japanese investment in NE India, and a NE India-Bangladesh-Japan CEO Forum so that it can provide the required business leadership.

The Northeast-Bangladesh economic corridor may add a significant geo-economic component to the regional geopolitics. The involvement of Japan in creating an industrial value-chain between Northeast India and Bangladesh and connecting the northeastern region (NER) to the Bay of Bengal, may well lead to significant results on the regional geopolitical front vis-a-vis China.

Depending on the level of participation by the three countries, there is potential that the initiative may create a thriving and sustainable NER-Bangladesh economic corridor (lets call it, NBEC), triggering mutual interest to attract private investments by harnessing natural advantages.

Viewing Bangladesh and other areas to the south as a single economic zone, we will promote the Bay of Bengal-Northeast India industrial value chain concept in cooperation with India and Bangladesh to foster the growth of the entire region, Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio said during his recent visit to Delhi.

The proposal is part of the ongoing collaboration between India and Japan to build a free and open Indo-Pacific (FOIP), and is an extension of the discussion that took place at the Japan-India Summit in 2022.

The Prime Ministers reaffirmed the significance of collaborative projects  in the Indo-Pacific region. They acknowledged the progress in ongoing projects in Bangladesh They appreciated the importance of their continued collaboration through the Act East Forum (AEF) for the sustainable economic development of Indias North Eastern Region and for enhancing the Regions connectivity with Southeast Asia, the 2022 the joint statement said.

The Economic corridor

The initiative is a win-win for both countries. From less than $3.5 billion in 2010, India-Bangladesh trade reached nearly $16 billion in 2021. The trade logistics improved and more projects are under implementation. But the regional value chain creation suffered. Lack of complementarity; traditional weaknesses of the border economies of West Bengal and the northeastern region (NER) in India; and, political-economic realities in Bangladesh, were three major reasons behind this failure.

While West Bengal continues to be an economic backwater of India and is not showing much intent to tap into the opportunity, dramatic improvement in infrastructure and investment readiness of NER over the last decade has ushered new opportunities.

Add to that the opening of Padma Bridge in a fast-growing Bangladesh- thereby ensuring easy connectivity between the northern and southern parts of the country  and, two major structural hurdles in creating a cross-border value chain being removed.

That takes us to Bangladeshs political-economic realities which are tilted in favour of China. Considering its goodwill in Bangladesh, Tokyo can act as a neutralizing factor and may create new opportunities for both economies.

The far east Asian nation is building a deep-sea port at Matarbari in Coxs Bazar, Bangladesh. The project, located close to Sabroom border in Indias Tripura, is expected to be completed in 2026.

A deep-sea port is costly. Since eastern India has multiple such facilities, access to NER may improve the viability of Matarbari. Similarly, a full-fledged port access will improve northeast Indias attractiveness to the investor community.

In 2018, Bangladesh granted NER access to Chattogram port but only for the movement of goods to the rest of India. The port is in the same area as Matarbari and is barely 80 km from the Sabroom border in Tripura.

What makes the Japanese proposal great is that India and Bangladesh are already building necessary transport infrastructure connecting Tripura and NER to Chattogram port. The Indian side of the project  including a state-of-the-art cargo and passenger terminal, linked by both rail and road at Sabroom  is in advanced stage of completion and will be ready in 2023. Related infrastructure is under construction in Bangladesh but at a delayed pace.

Considering dramatic improvement in rail and highway connectivity between NER and the rest of India over the last decade, the restricted access to Chattogram port barely justified the huge investments in cross-country connectivity. A full port access through Matarbari will solve that problem.

Huge opportunity

The Northeast has changed dramatically over the last nine years. It will change more. Huge investment in infrastructure and energy sectors is converting it into a cost-competitive, modern economy.

The region now has access to low-cost transport options for both intra and inter-region movement of goods. Guwahati emerged as the regional logistics hub, thereby removing the dependence of far-flung states like Tripura on Kolkata.

From the electricity deficit, NER will be electricity-surplus by June this year as 2000MW Subansiri (Lower) project will start coming into operation in phases. Over the next few years, it will be a hydroelectricity generation hub.

Completion of the Paradip (Odisha)-Numaligarh (Assam) crude pipeline, operationalisation of nine million tonne per annum (mtpa) Numaligarh Refinery (NRL) and, implementation of the sprawling Indradhanush Gas Grid connecting every state in NER, will open a vista of opportunities by 2024.

First, NER will have a huge exportable surplus of petro-products including diesel and cooking gas (LPG), which are imported by the neighbouring economies. Second, the refiners in landlocked Northeast India will surely look for a market in close proximity.

The case for the regional value chain will be stronger over the next four-five years, as a substantial part of the 15 mtpa refining capacity in NER will be converted into petrochemicals. Ideally, it should usher investment opportunities in downstream units in the neighbourhood.

A beginning was made by the recently inaugurated India-Bangladesh diesel pipeline, which may replace one-fifth of Dhakas fuel import through the sea route and will meet the entire fuel requirement of northern Bangladesh.

Pipeline transportation will remove an average 30-day time lag from the middle-East to the consumption point in Bangladesh, the related capital block and, the associated risks from foreign exchange volatility.

Geoeconomics and geostrategy

India and Japan established the Act East Forum in 2017. Since then, the two countries are in dialogue for sustainable growth of NER and connectivity in the region.

Delhi and Tokyo have also been in dialogue on potential connectivity projects between NER and Southeast Asia through Myanmar. Successful implementation of NBEC will, therefore, be important to showcase the benefits of this collaboration.

The ultimate gainer will be regional peace and security, which has been the cornerstone of the India-Japan relationship over the last decade.

A lot has been written on why Japan needs India as a security provider vis-a-vis rising military threats from China. The first three pages of the seven-page joint statement, issued last year were dedicated to strategic issues.

Though there is no direct mention of China, highlighting the need to ensure a code of conduct in the South China Sea, the need for a rule-based order that respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity and, protection against attempt to unilaterally change status quo, leaves very little to the imagination.

Japan and South Korea have already advised their industry to relocate from China. Also, as part of QUAD (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue), there is an active discussion to secure the supply chain in critical areas.

The collaboration, therefore, might prove a unique opportunity for both Northeast India and Bangladesh to attract a part of the relocated supply chain.
A young customer service worker diagnosed with blood cancer by text message at work in December after noticing a small lump on her collarbone.

Kadi Watson's world came crashing down after finding out she had Hodgkin's lymphoma on December 29. She had no obvious symptoms besides the painless pea-sized bump.

The 24-year-old, from Adelaide, was feeling fit and healthy but noticed the tiny mass a few weeks previously that seemed to appear out of nowhere.

Little did she know that the tiny symptom was a sinister warning sign of the devastating cancer growing around her heart and shoulder.

After doctors conducted tests, Kadi was bizarrely notified of the results via text.

'The text was a copy of my biopsy results along with the paragraph "I want to see you next week to check your recovery and we will contact the haematologist to get you booked in to be seen and make a treatment plan",' Kadi told FEMAIL, who was at work at the time.

'I knew what it meant... a phone call would've been nice.'

Kadi Watson's (pictured) world came crashing down after being diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma on December 29 last year, despite not experiencing any symptoms besides a lump on the collarbone

After doctors conducted tests, Kadi received a text message alerting her about the cancer

The lump itself didn't hurt, but her right shoulder did for 'no apparent reason', which was enough to encourage her to visit a GP.

The doctor reassured Kadi she has 'nothing to worry about' because she was young, has no family history of cancer and no other symptoms.

At first the physician thought she had a cervical rib which grows from the base of the neck just above the collarbone - but something far more sinister was at play.

Kadi had an ultrasound, CT scan and X-ray all in the same day, which turned the 40-minute appointment into a 4.5-hour appointment.

The following week she received the devastating text message.

'I didn't feel unwell but out of the blue a Wednesday a lump appeared on my collarbone which prompted me to go to the GP,' Kadi said (pictured before diagnosis)

What is Hodgkin's Lymphoma? Hodgkin lymphoma is a rare form of cancer that starts in a type of white blood cells called lymphocytes. The disease begins in a lymph node, usually in the neck, then spreads through the lymphatic system from one group of lymph nodes to another. Hodgkin lymphoma represents roughly 0.5 percent of all cancers diagnosed in Australia. About 11 percent of all lymphomas are types of Hodgkin lymphoma, while the remainder are non-Hodgkin. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma may arise in lymph nodes anywhere in the body, whereas Hodgkin lymphoma typically begins in the upper body, such as the neck, chest or armpits. Hodgkin lymphoma is often diagnosed at an early stage and is therefore considered one of the most treatable cancers. Approximately 600 people in Australia are diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma every year, most commonly younger people aged 15  29 and older people over the age of 65. It is more common in men than women. Source: Lymphoma Australia Advertisement

After receiving the text, Kadi took the rest of the day off, went home and called her parents and sister.

'I have a pretty strong mindset, and was just trying to process how I can get through it. At the time I assumed the worst and didn't know if it was curable,' she said.

A few days later, she sat down with the doctor who confirmed she had cancer and a PET scan determined it was stage two, located around her neck, shoulder and heart.

To this day doctors cannot determine what causes this type of cancer, and approximately 800 people will be diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma each year.

Kadi required six months of chemotherapy but doctors decided against radiotherapy because there would've been 'too long-term side effects' - such as breast cancer or heart problems.

She is currently halfway through treatment.

A PET scan confirmed the Hodgkin's lymphoma was stage two and located around her neck, shoulder and heart

She has experienced a number of debilitating side effects from treatment, but has continued to work as much as she can. She's lost her hair, feels nauseous and fatigued.

'I still go for walks, still work when I can and live relatively normal life - I thought I would be bedridden all day everyday,' she said.

Kadi also has strong shooting pains around her shoulder and extreme heart burn from time to time.

Kadi required six months of chemotherapy but doctors decided against radiotherapy because there would've been 'too long-term side effects' - such as breast cancer or heart problems. She'll finish treatment in a three months

For Kadi, the shocking truth about the diagnosis wasn't exactly the cancer itself, but the fear of a lack of meaning to life.

'When I was told the news I felt stressed I hadn't done anything with my myself,' she said.

'I would work, go home, work, go home - and I would ask myself "Okay is this all there is there is for me?"'

'I kind of lost myself in a way. I had to rediscover who I was.'

When she finishes treatment, Kadi is determined to change and refresh her 'old routine'.

For more information on Hodgkin's lymphoma and other types of blood cancer, please visit Lymphoma Australia or the Australian Cancer Council.
Cosmetic surgery doctors in Istanbul continued to do 'a roaring trade' this week despite the reported deaths of two British women who had flown to Turkey for procedures.

MailOnline visited a hotel full of body-conscious British women recuperating after undergoing surgery for everything from tummy tucks to breast reduction or enhancement.

Donna Clancy, 42, was happy to have paid 13,000 for a so-called 'mummy makeover' with a Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL), liposuction on her arms and saggy skin removed from her eyelids.

Despite having extensive bruising on her arms and around her eyes with a drainage tube attached to her stomach, she insisted: 'It all went brilliantly.

'I can tell that my fat has gone from my tummy. It used to be so loose that I had an apron hanging down. I can now see it is all gone. I can also feel the difference in my breasts.

Donna Clancy, 42, paid 13,000 for a 'mummy makeover' after struggling with her self-confidence since having children

Ms Clancy, from Suffolk, said just days after the surgery that she was pleased with the results, despite significant bruising

'I know it can take six months to a year to see the full results from surgery, but I can already feel I am a different shape.'

Ms Clancy of Lowestoft, Suffolk, who has three children and five grandchildren said she was aware of the risks of surgery, but felt 'it was a risk worth taking'.

She added: 'From what I have seen here, the hospitals are cleaner than ours. I am really impressed with the nursing care.

'It is the same with any surgery. Anything is a risk. You hear horror stories everywhere. There are horror stories in England as well as here.

'But I have been feeling very insecure and self-conscious about my body for years. When you have had three children, your whole body goes south.

'I didn't really have breasts before. They were just sags of skin. I decided to do something about it for me, and I am glad that I did.'

Pictured with her surgeon before her procedure. Ms Clancy, who has three children and five grandchildren, said she was aware of the risks

A 28-year-old Scottish woman, Shannon Bowe, reportedly died last Saturday after flying to Turkey for gastric band surgery

Ms Clancy spoke out after Shannon Bowe, 28, of Denny, near Falkirk in Scotland, reportedly died last Saturday after flying to Turkey for gastric band surgery.

MailOnline also revealed for the first time last week how grandmother Carol Keenan, 54, had died in Turkey last April, just six days after BBL surgery.

The mother-of-three collapsed as she walked to a taxi with her fiance outside the Volley Hotel in Istanbul where she had been recuperating after her procedure.

Ms Clancy is staying at the same hotel, along with other recovering patients on 'cosmetic surgery tourism' packages which include surgery, accommodation and transfers between airports, hotels and hospital appointments.

She initially agreed to pay 8,000 for a tummy tuck, breast implants boosting her to Size C/D, and a BBL.

But she decided to add extra treatments to her arms and eyelids at a 50 per cent discount on the normal rate.

Ms Keenan, right, who died after complications following Brazilian Butt Lift surgery in Istanbul, Turkey, last year. Pictured with her daughter Leonie

Ms Clancy said: 'I decided it was worth getting everything done in the same go. Everything would have been double the price in the UK'

Ms Clancy arrived in Istanbul with a friend for five days break before undergoing her surgery on Monday and spending two nights in hospital.

Read more: European clinics see rise in UK health tourists paying knock-down prices for hip and knee replacements - as NHS battles record waiting times The in rise UK health tourists: How struggling NHS and sky-high prices to go private are driving Brits aboard for routine surgeries like knee and hip replacement Advertisement

She returned to the Volley Hotel on Wednesday and is having her dressings checked every day by a visiting nurse before she flies home next Tuesday after a final hospital check-up.

As she sipped a bottle of water outside her room, she said: 'I decided it was worth getting everything done in the same go. Everything would have been double the price in the UK.'

Known for its beautiful beaches and architectural wonders, Turkey has become one of the world's leading centres for plastic surgery in recent years with nearly 950,000 aesthetic procedures carried out in 2020 alone.

The UK's Office for National Statistics estimated that 248,000 Britons travelled abroad for medical treatment in in 2019.

Many seek out Turkey as their destination of choice to get perkier bums, better breasts, hair implants, flatter noses or so-called Turkey Teeth.

But while most patients return unscathed, data from the Foreign Office reveals that 23 British citizens have died after taking medical tourism trips to Turkey since January 2019.

The Foreign Office website cautions would-be patients to 'carry out their own research' and consult their doctors, dentists or specialists in the UK before flying out.

It also warns of 'an outbreak of botulism cases linked to weight loss treatments performed in Istanbul and Izmir in February 2023'.

Lucy Gorji, 34, from Bristol headed off to her hospital from the Volley Hotel on Thursday morning this week to have a BBL operation as part of a package costing her 3,550.

Lucy Gorji, 34, travelled to Turkey with her eight-year-old son Kasper and a friend for her procedure

Ms Gorji works as an aesthetics practitioner providing botox and lip fillers and said she was undertaking what she regarded as 'safe' type of BBL procedure

She arrived in Istanbul on Tuesday with her son Kasper, eight, and best friend Ellie Quirke, 29, in time for pre-surgery checks on Wednesday.

Ms Gorji who works as an aesthetics practitioner providing botox and lip fillers said she was undertaking what she regarded as 'safe' type of BBL procedure, having fat injected on the top of the muscle in her buttocks instead of underneath.

She said: 'I know it can cause problems having injections under the muscle, but I think this way is really safe. I wouldn't have it done if I thought it was dangerous.'

Ms Gorji spent two or three months carrying out research, before choosing to buy her treatment package from the Clinic Center agency which arranges 'advanced surgical methods at affordable costs in Turkey', according to its website.

She said: 'I looked at the Instagram sites for different companies and I ended up with this one because their online reviews were all positive.

She researched clinics for two to three months before deciding to take the trip, having read reviews on Instagram

Ms Gorji said when she travelled abroad to Spain and Dubai she saw many women who had undergone procedures

She said she had struggled to lose weight from her stomach after giving birth to her son, Kasper

'Since having a child, I cannot lose wight from my stomach. I also want to improve the look of my hips. I know it will give me more confidence. When you go to places like Spain or Dubai, you see a lot of girls who have had work done on them.'

Emma Jackson, 42, who teaches sport and exercise science at a college in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, was recovering at the Volley Hotel after paying 3,800 through the Clinic Centre for breast enhancement to boost her bust size from a small to a B to a D.

She said: 'I had been thinking about getting it done for four years or so to improve my confidence. I did look at prices in the UK  but they were pathetic. One price I saw was for 11,500.

Emma Jackson, 42, was recovering at the Volley Hotel after paying 3,800 through the Clinic Centre for breast enhancement

Ms Jackson who was accompanied by ex-partner Daniel Harrison (left), 40, had to pay a 300 online deposit in the UK

She had her procedure on Wednesday while under a general anaesthetic for nearly an hour before spending a night in the hospital

'I decided to come to Turkey because I know a few people who have been here for things and they have all had positive experiences.

Read more: From half-price boob jobs (with a 5-day hotel stay included) to 4,000 cheaper 'designer vagina' treatment: How price of Turkish ops compare to private UK clinics Cosmetic procedures in Turkey often go at bargain basement prices compared to their British counterparts. Turkey and UK prices have been sourced from multiple websites Advertisement

'This is the only thing I would have. I would never have a tummy tuck or anything like that.'

Ms Jackson who was accompanied by ex-partner Daniel Harrison, 40, had to pay a 300 online deposit in the UK and was asked to pay the remaining 3,500 in cash when she arrived at the Goztepe Hastanesi hospital.

She had her procedure on Wednesday while under a general anaesthetic for nearly an hour before spending a night in the hospital and leaving with antibiotics, pain killers and scar cream.

Ms Jackson said: 'The hospital staff were really good.

'They were constantly waking me up for checks. I had people taking my blood pressure and temperature all through the night.

'The Clinic Centre was dearer than other places, but they have promised me 12 months after care which is one of the reasons I chose to go with them.

'I was made aware that there are risks with any procedure.

'They did not hold back and I had to sign paperwork, saying that I was aware about things going wrong.

'This is a nice hotel and the staff are brilliant.

'There are people here who had all sorts of procedures like nose jobs and hair transplants. It looks like there is a roaring trade going on.'

Human resources worker Sandi Kay who is a married mother-of-two from Crystal Palace, south London and aged in her 40s said she 'felt fine' after returning to the hotel from having breast reduction surgery and spending a night in hospital.

Sandi Kay, a married mother-of-two from Crystal Palace, south London and aged in her 40s, said she 'felt fine' after returning to the hotel from having breast reduction surgery

Mrs Kay, who underwent surgery to reduce her bust size from a GG to a D after experiencing discomfort, said she was confident in her surgeon

Ms Kay, who has had her bust size reduced from GG to D, said: 'I have someone very close to me back home who used the same surgeon and was pleased with their results, so I was confident I was in safe hands.'

She said she ended up paying a cut price of 2,100, less than the normal rate of 3,500, after the Clinic Centre agency honoured a price originally agreed with her in 2020 before Covid.

Ms Kay insisted that she underwent the operation because the size of her breasts made her feel uncomfortable.

She said: 'I used to need massages and had to go to the osteopath for my shoulders  so there were medical reasons for coming here. I am still swollen, but I feel so much lighter now.

She said she ended up paying a cut price of 2,100, less than the normal rate of 3,500, after the Clinic Centre agency honoured a price originally agreed with her in 2020

Sandy Kay, from South London, recovering from her breast reduction surgery earlier this week with her best friend and chaperone Emma Mclean

'I had hoped to get it done years ago on the NHS, but I didn't get anywhere. I was referred to a Clinical Commissioning Group and told that there were a lot of people who need the same treatment and I should lose weight first.

'So I looked into doing it privately, but I was shocked to find out that it would cost 8,000 to 9,000 in the UK. I didn't want it done on finance, and I didn't have the money to pay that much.

'I knew there were risks to having surgery like anything else  but I think the risks of what I had done were smaller than when you start dealing with internal organs.'

Mother-of-two Val Rees, 58, who has five grandchildren and is a support worker for people with learning difficulties in Pontypool, south Wales, paid 5,200 to have a facelift and a neck lift in a six hour operation on Wednesday.

Val Rees, 58, who has five grandchildren and is a support worker for people with learning difficulties, had a neck and face lift

Clineca Health Tourism main office in Istanbul. Cagatay Alorvorfor, a patient experience manager with the Clineca health tourism agency, said the agency could not answer health questions because they are not doctors

Speaking on her return to the hotel after her operation and overnight stay, she said: 'It seemed to go OK  but some things were a bit misleading.

Read more: EXCLUSIVE Heartbroken family reveal British grandmother, 54, collapsed and died six days after undergoing 7,000 Brazilian butt lift and tummy tuck in Turkey - as they battle to get results of her autopsy 11 months on Carol Keenan of Glenrothes, Fife, collapsed and died before she was due to have a final check up and fly home, just six days after her surgery Advertisement

'When I was at home and looked at the details for the hospital, it appeared to be quite posh. But when I got my transfer from here to have my surgery, I found it was a different place in a side street.

'It made me have second thoughts about going ahead, although it was clean and clinical, but I decided to anyway.

'They were very keen to take my money in cash. I had to sign paperwork in Turkish. The agency had someone there to translate it for me, but their English was not very good.

'I have been conscious for a long time about my looks. I am just getting old and my face was drooping. I have a had a lot of stress over the years.'

As she puffed on her vape in the spring sunshine on a terrace at the front of the hotel with drainage tubes still embedded behind her ears, she added: 'I always wanted a facelift, but it would have cost 10,000 in the UK.'

Cagatay Alorvorfor, a patient experience manager with the Clineca health tourism agency which arranged Ms Keenan's treatment admitted there had been delays in getting autopsy results after she died, but he was unable to comment on the reasons.

Speaking from the agency's plush offices with panoramic views of Istanbul on the 12th floor of the Akasya office suites building, he said: 'We are like an agency linking doctors and patients.

'The doctors have their own clinics and use us to find patients for them. We arrange for patients to meet doctors, and get operation dates and hotels. We stay in touch with patients after surgery on WhatsApp.

'We cannot answer health questions because we are not doctors.'

He said that his agency was 'one of many' in Istanbul and organised operations for around 45 patients every month.

He added: 'Most of them are from the UK. They find out about us on Instagram.

'All patients sign papers explaining what the risks of an operation are. Every operation is a risk, no matter how small.'
The vast scale of the pothole crisis blighting Britain's roads is laid bare today - UK drivers face 100,000 dangerous craters that could shred tyres and cause accidents.

MailOnline sent an Freedom of Information request to every local authority in England, Scotland and Wales to find out the number of claims motorists have lodged for pothole damage since 2016.

We also sought the amount of money paid out by the council in terms of compensation and legal costs, as well as the number of potholes that currently need repairing.

Since 2016, councils across England, Scotland and Wales have paid out more than 43 million in damages and legal costs to motorists whose vehicles have been damaged by a pothole.

The figures collated by MailOnline suggest there are at least 100,000 potholes across the country in need of urgent attention.

The live pothole figure changes every day, but this snapshot provides an indication of just how serious the problem is.

How bad is the pothole situation near YOU? To use our interactive map, click on the 'play' icon to begin scrolling around. Clicking on a dot in your

Your browser does not support iframes.

Local authorities across Britain have spent more than 43m in compensation payments to road users after their vehicles were damaged by potholes

Also, cyclists and motorcyclists face being thrown from their bikes causing major injury. In March 2020, the government announced its 'biggest ever pothole-filling programme', committing 500m each year between 2021 and 2025 to rectify the problem.

Despite filling one pothole every 27 seconds, local councils are seeing roads under their control continuing to deteriorate - leaving motorists facing huge risks.

An vehicle's impact with a pothole can destroy a tyre, buckle a wheel rim and even cause extensive suspension damage costing thousands of pounds to repair - leading to further compensation claims.

The dangerous holes are even harder to spot when it is raining heavily, because they can quickly fill with water, camouflaging their tyre-shredding depth.

Figures obtained by MailOnline suggest councils have spent an estimated 3.3million on legal advice on the issue.

Many councils use temporary repairs to fix potholes to allow the road to remain open until they have the funds in place to resurface a larger section of the carriageway.

However, in bad weather, these temporary fixes soon break down and cause other issues when the chippings are washed along the gullies to block nearby drain pipes leading to flooding.

Seawick Road in Seawick, St Osyth, Essex is described as Britain's worst road due to the rutted carriageway

In Deptford, south east London, emergency services were forced to slow down while the road surface awaited an urgent repair

The road surface on Church Street in Deptford disintegrated over the winter

With the local elections rapidly approaching, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was out canvassing in Darlington and cheerily inspected into a moderately-sized pothole.

But for 416 motorists in the town, road defects are no laughing matter, especially for the 41 who have received 49,721 in compensation - while when MailOnline did its snap-shot survey, there were a further 312 potholes that still needed repair.

Last month, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced a further 200m to repair the estimated 100,000 potholes across the road network. Also the government is planning to fine rogue utility companies who dig up a road and fail to repair it correctly.

While in Darlington, the PM said: 'Today were announcing more money for potholes.' Though, Downing Street later confirmed there was no additional funds than already committed in the budget.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, centre, stands over a pothole in Darlington, where motorists have received almost 50,000 in compensation for damage caused to their cars by the poor road surface

Shadow transport secretary Louise Haigh, accused the Government of 'playing catch up after its own failures have left UK roads crumbling'.

She said: 'In 2021 the Prime Minister vowed to make potholes a thing of the past, but his decisions have left millions of them on our roads.

'This is too little too late for the communities across the country paying the price for his broken promises.'

Lib Dem local Government spokeswoman Helen Morgan said the announcement 'has more holes in it than Britains roads'.

'This is nothing new and just a complete re-hash. The blunt truth is the Government has starved councils of funding to fix roads, and this latest sticking plaster is too little too late,' she said.

'Conservative run rural councils have let their roads fall apart, causing damage to cars across the country. Rishi Sunak should visit those areas to see the problem for himself.'

An AA spokesperson said: 'The rise in the number of pothole-related incidents is a source of concern for drivers, motorbike riders and cyclists. Persistent cold and wet weather means problem roads are undoubtedly getting worse and potholes complaints will not go away until the roads are properly fixed.

'Our patrols attend around 20 percent more pothole-related breakdowns in heavy rain, as many potholes are covered by standing water. If a vehicle strikes a pothole, the cost of wheel, tyre or suspension damage can run into thousands of pounds, placing further strain on already stretched family budgets.

'Many modern vehicles do not have a spare wheel, so if potholes damage the tyre or wheel, it becomes a bigger problem to fix before you can get on your way. We would encourage drivers to check they have sufficient breakdown cover in place.'

The Asphalt Industry Alliance criticised the level of funding available for the upkeep of the road network.

STAFFORDSHIRE -- Pothole repairs are carried out on a road in Stoke-on-Trent on March 3

They claim that local authorities are only receiving two-thirds of the amount they need to clear the pothole backlog.

In an annual survey, the AIA said it would take 11 years to clear the backlog of road defects across the network.

AIA chair Rick Green said: 'Highway engineers can only do so much with the resources they are given and should be applauded for the steps they take to keep roads safe.

'Potholes and the condition of our local roads remain key issues for the public and the Chancellor went someway to recognising this in his Spring Budget. But the additional 200m one-off payment for local roads in England, while welcome, is just not enough.

'We all appreciate that there are difficult choices to make with demands and pressures on the public purse coming from every area, but not investing in local road maintenance only leads to worsening conditions, which impact on other locally provided public services, a rising bill to fix the problem and more road user complaints.'

The total number of potholes filled reported in this year's survey has decreased by 16 per cent from 1.7million reported for the last two years to 1.4million in England and Wales

Only half of UK roads are deemed to be in a good structural condition while 100,000 miles of carriageway - without major remedial action - will need rebuilding.

Around 37,000 miles of roadway has less than five years' structural life remaining.

Mr Green added: 'To really improve conditions and create a safe, resilient and sustainable network, whats needed is a longer-term funding horizon from central government with more highway budget ring-fencing. This would help local authority engineers to plan effectively and implement more efficient works to protect and enhance the resilience of the local road network.'
Almost three million people describe themselves as vegan in the UK. The rest of us are happy to tickle our taste buds with meat, fish, eggs and dairy produce.

And, while the vegan movement advances over here, most parts of the world are moving in the opposite direction. They are eating more animal produce, not less, and likely to continue doing so for many years to come.

In 2022, meat production rose 5 per cent to 345 million tons and independent research suggests this figure will increase by around a third over the next 20 years. That means an awful lot of animals will need to be fed and looked after, even as questions mount about their impact on the environment and our health.

Ocean Harvest Technology may have some of the answers. Founded in 2005, the company spent years collaborating with top universities to see how and whether seaweed could be used in animal feed.

Boost: Ocean Harvest Technology's seaweed-based feed ingredient makes animals healthier and more productive

Results were conclusive. Adding seaweed to the mix makes cattle, poultry and even fish healthier and more productive.

Last week, Ocean Harvest listed on the stock market, one of only a handful of firms to opt for a public listing this year  and succeed in its endeavours. The shares were 16p on admission, rose to 17.6p by the end of the week and should continue to gain ground.

Seaweed is an abundant resource. Millions of tons can be found in oceans around the world and the amount is increasing annually, not least because fertiliser used on land finds it way into the sea and makes the weeds grow faster.

Many animal feed additives are either chemical or introduce dubious elements, such as antibiotics, into the human food chain. Some are costly too. Seaweed is natural and highly nutritious, enhancing gut health in animals and the end-consumer.

Because seaweed has such a beneficial effect on animals, they need to eat less than they otherwise would, they grow more and there is a marked decrease in premature death.

Dairy cattle and egg-laying hens are also significantly more productive, with recent studies showing increased yields of up to 10 per cent. Seaweed can even improve fertility among stallions and mares, reduce methane emissions from cattle and help pets to digest their food more easily.

Ocean Harvest has developed a network of harvesters from South East Asia, East Africa and closer to home to gather the seaweed from the ocean. Plants are dried and shipped to the company's own processing facility in Vietnam, close to where most of the harvesting is carried out. Using a range of seaweeds, Ocean creates pellets, meal, powder and granules all designed for different animals and their needs.

The farming market is inherently conservative but, under former banker turned animal nutrition specialist Mark Williams, Ocean Harvest has been making significant progress. The company sells its wares to more than 30 large-scale animal feed producers around the world, has never lost a major customer and expects to take on many new ones this year and next.

Across the world, farmers spend more than 30 billion a year on animal feed additives. The figure is rising at around 6 per cent annually and natural products are increasingly popular.

Ocean Harvest is a minnow in the market but it is expanding fast, with revenues up 67 per cent to 2.5 million in 2022 and further hefty growth expected this year.

Having invested heavily in the business, Williams delivered a loss last year, but the company should soon move into profit.

Figures are reported in euros because Ocean Technology was founded in Ireland, but it is now based outside Reading and results should switch to sterling, following the decision to list in London.

Midas verdict: Demand for meat and fish is rising and demand for animal feed is growing in sync. Natural additives help farmers to do more with less and seaweed is up there with the best of them, making animals healthier, happier and more productive. Ocean Harvest Technology is a true pioneer in this field and the shares, at 17.6p, should go far.

Traded on: AIM Ticker: OHT Contact: oceanharvesttechnology.com or Camarco on 020 3757 4991
Advice: Dinah Wolf learned from her father about how to grow a nest egg

Setting a young family member on a sound financial footing can be an expensive business, but new research suggests one of the best ways may involve handing over no money at all.

Simply talking to young people about saving and investing can help embolden them to take the first step themselves.

The Association of Investment Companies (AIC) asked a panel of young investors what prompted them to get started in the first place. The most common trigger  for 39 per cent of those surveyed  was a discussion or recommendation from a family member.

Other motivators included a build-up of savings (36 per cent); low rates on savings accounts (24 per cent); and seeing something online that sparked their interest (24 per cent). Three quarters of young investors said they knew someone else who invests.

Annabel Brodie-Smith, communications director of the AIC, says: 'Friends and family who invest have a key role to play in encouraging the under-40s to start investing.

'Friends, family and financial advisers are also the main sources of information for younger investors. It's encouraging that these investors are engaged and interested, with two-thirds holding individual stocks and shares.' Wealth & Personal Finance spoke to three young people about what helped them to get started investing.

Dinah Wolf, 23, invested her 2,000 savings four years ago, after conversations with her father throughout her childhood piqued her interest.

Dinah, from London, said that even as a child she would often rather hear her father share tales about investing than listen to a bedtime story. That was because money feels like a taboo subject  which made it sound like a secret world she wanted to learn more about. Dinah prefers to invest in things she knows about and thinks show great potential.

So far, she has invested in a watch company and an investment platform through a crowdfunding company, Crowdcube.

She also plans to put some money in investment trusts to invest in a wider group of companies. 'I am a believer in investing for the long-term and not get-rich-quick  nor putting money into something I do not understand, such as biotechnology,' says Dinah.

Dinah, who writes a lifestyle blog on kneadyourdough.uk, adds: 'One of the great lessons I have learned from my family is compounding  how drip feeding money over time can turn a small nest egg into a substantial investment pot.'

Kieran Ayre, from Shaftesbury in Dorset, is thinking about investing, thanks to the encouragement  but not the funds  of his parents.

Kieran, 18, was given a 250 Child Trust Fund by the Government when he was born. His parents invested it on his behalf and he now has 790. Kieran has been discussing with his mother, Maggie, how to grow his money further still. He is looking at investments that align with his own interests.

Kieran, who is hoping to study physics at the University of Bristol, is considering funds that invest in new types of energy.

'Friends, family and financial advisers are also the main sources of information for younger investors,' according to the AIC's Annabel Brodie-Smith

'My thought is that nuclear fusion will help as an energy in the future  so that fossil fuels will no longer have to be relied upon,' he says.

'Many think of atom bombs, which involved nuclear fission where atoms get split. But nuclear fusion is where atoms combine  and in the last year scientists have had some exciting breakthroughs.'

Investing in fusion is still quite challenging as it is a relatively new innovation for creating energy. But, Kieran is biding his time and is looking at environmental funds that also hold other energy stocks.

Kieran's mum, Maggie, works for the charity Young Enterprise, which provides financial education support for schools  so knows the power of talking to young people about money.

Saira Pandhal, 11, used to spend her pocket money on things like chocolate. 'But then my mum told me I could afford an iPad if I saved towards a goal, and that changed my thinking,' she says.

Saira, who lives with her parents and two siblings in Rugby, Warwickshire, started saving through financial education app GoHenry three years ago. Every time she was rewarded with 5 for completing chores around the house, she added it to her pot until she had enough money for the iPad.

'Now I want to move on to the next step and invest my savings,' says Saira.

'But rather than putting my money into stocks and shares funds run by others, I want to put it towards starting up my own business.'

Saira is a budding actress and has had roles in three films. 'I want to start a business that helps other young people who want to act, with tips and support material posted out as a subscription service,' she says. 'My mum is a real entrepreneur and this has inspired me.'
Wealth manager Hargreaves Lansdown is cutting the cost of regular investing by dropping some of its charges for buying and selling investments, Wealth & Personal Finance can reveal.

From Tuesday, customers who invest regularly by direct debit will no longer be charged 1.50 for buying and selling shares, investment trusts and exchange-traded funds. Regular investing into funds is already free of charge.

The wealth platform is also removing fees for reinvesting dividend income into shares. Reinvesting dividends currently carries a one per cent fee, with a 1 minimum and up to a maximum fee of 10.

Holly Mackay, founder of financial website Boring Money, says: 'Hargreaves Lansdown has a reputation for being one of the more expensive online brokerages  but also for offering a good quality service.

> How to choose the best (and cheapest) stocks and shares Isa and the right DIY investing account

Cutting the cost: Customers who invest regularly by direct debit will no longer be charged 1.50 for buying and selling shares, investment trusts and exchange-traded funds

'Although it still has a relatively expensive initial 0.45 per cent annual management charge, the move to cut regular trading fees is a positive step towards attracting investors to drip feed a small amount of money on a regular basis, which can be an appealing way to build up a long-term nest egg.'

Competition has been heating up among investment platforms in recent months, with several cutting fees for customers. Last month, Hargreaves Lansdown removed charges on its Junior Isas and cut the fee on its Lifetime Isa from 0.45 to 0.25 per cent.

In February, rival Interactive Investor launched its Investor Essentials product, to allow customers with up to 30,000 to invest for a competitively priced flat fee of 4.99 a month.

> What's a fair price to pay for DIY investing? On average 25 a month say investors but many want to pay much less

Keeping fees in check is essential to successful investing. While investors cannot control stock markets, how much they hand over to their investment platform and fund managers is in their power.

Hargreaves Lansdown has a 0.45 per cent management charge for fund investors up to 250,000, which falls to 0.25 per cent above this level up to 1 million.

Rival AJ Bell has an annual charge from 0.25 per cent, which drops to 0.1 per cent for those with more than 250,000 in their portfolio. Interactive Investor charges a 9.99-a-month fee for investors with over 30,000, which includes a 'free' trade each month.

Wealthify and Nutmeg charge an annual fee of around 0.76 and 1.03 per cent a year respectively, including trading charges.

Ruchir Rodrigues, commercial officer at Hargreaves Lansdown, says: 'Cutting the cost of regularly saving is a commitment to support those at the start of their investment journey as well as passing on savings to loyal clients with a better value service.'
Commodities giant Glencore has been told by an influential investor to dump its environmentally unfriendly coal mining business without delay.

The FTSE 100 firm had been planning to shed its controversial coal division as part of an 18 billion takeover swoop on a Canadian rival, Teck Resources.

Under the proposed deal, Glencore wanted to merge its coal business with Teck's, hive off the combined operation into a separate company and then float it on the New York Stock Exchange.

That idea was thwarted when Teck rejected Glencore's overtures. Canadian mining magnate Norman Keevil, the controlling investor in Teck, says he will not sell to Glencore at any price.

But Glencore is now being urged by activist investor Bluebell Capital Partners to ditch its coal interests as soon as possible  even if the Teck deal falls apart.

Lucrative: Glencore made billions of dollars last year off the back of surging prices following war in Ukraine

Coal has been highly lucrative for Glencore, which made billions of dollars last year off the back of surging prices following war in Ukraine.

However, Giuseppe Bivona, a partner at Bluebell, said Glencore could command a higher valuation if it got rid of coal and concentrated on its interests in copper, which is in demand for renewable energy technology as the world moves away from fossil fuels.

Glencore's current market value is around 58 billion.

'The Teck deal is the first time the management has acknowledged its needs to spin off coal,' Bivona said. 'The share price is at a discount because of the coal business. Lots of investors would love to own Glencore but the coal arm stops them,' he added. 'Glencore should spin it off and focus on becoming a leading player in copper instead.'

Bluebell believes Glencore has let the 'cat out the bag' on coal and needs to dispose of the division quickly.

Previously, the strategy was to gradually run down the coal operations. Gary Nagle, Glencore's chief executive, indicated last week he had no desire to dispose of the coal business if the Teck takeover falls through. He has not yet conceded defeat and analysts expect Nagle to table a higher offer.

Thermal coal, which is burned in power stations to generate electricity, is the world's most polluting fossil fuel  and shunned by investors who increasingly claim to espouse green views.

Glencore mines a range of metals and minerals  including cobalt, copper, nickel and iron ore  as well as being one of the world's biggest commodity trading houses.

It produces thermal coal in Australia, South Africa and South America.

London-based Bluebell has never disclosed the size of its investment in Glencore despite saying it is one of its largest bets. It first spoke out against the company's coal strategy in 2021.

The activist has an influential voice despite managing just 160 million of assets, making it a minnow in City terms. It has previously waged campaigns against drugs giant GlaxoSmithKline, French media group Vivendi and luxury goods group Richemont.
A merger of Vodafone with its rival Three is set to be finalised within weeks, The Mail on Sunday understands, in a deal that will change the landscape of Britain's mobile phone market.

Talks between FTSE 100 giant Vodafone and Three's owner, CK Hutchison  led by Hong Kong tycoon Li Ka-Shing  have been going on for more than six months. A deal would see Vodafone, the UK's third biggest mobile network, join forces with the number four player.

Last month, Three's finance boss, Darren Purkis, said discussions were 'moving in the right direction', sparking speculation a formal announcement could be made by the end of April. Vodafone is still on the hunt for a permanent chief executive, following the ousting of Nick Read at the end of last year.

Signing up: A deal would see Vodafone, the UK's third biggest mobile network, join forces with the number four player

Margherita Della Valle, the firm's chief financial officer, took over as interim boss. She promised to 'do better' and revive Vodafone's flagging share price, which has fallen 30 per cent over the past 12 months. Some in the industry fear she will not be able to provide a decisive change in direction, given her long history at the business.

But a City source lambasted Jean-Francois van Boxmeer, former chief executive of Heineken, who has chaired Vodafone since November 2020. He has been branded 'incredibly conservative' and accused of being behind 'a lot of the problems at Vodafone'.

The source also pointed to a 'very arrogant conglomerate attitude' at the company.

'A lot of people at the top of Vodafone are invested in keeping the group alive,' the source added.

'Once you start divesting businesses and saying they can perform better alone, questions will start being asked like, 'What is the point of Vodafone?' and then they are out of a job.'

Sticking points for the merger are thought to include separate network sharing agreements, as well as having to disentangle Vodafone UK's connections with its parent group.

But Three is likely to be more set on a deal than ever after its chief executive, Robert Finnegan, admitted that the company's investment plans for its network would become unsustainable if a deal was not agreed.
Britain's biggest investment platforms have thrown their weight behind a campaign led by Marks & Spencer chairman Archie Norman to boost shareholder democracy.

It follows last week's exclusive Mail on Sunday report that Norman, one of the City's most respected bosses, had written to Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch urging changes to company law to propel a new wave of popular capitalism.

Richard Wilson, chief executive of Interactive Investor, the UK's second biggest investment site, last night hailed Norman's campaign as a 'tipping point' for shareholder democracy.

A good sign: Richard Wilson, chief executive of Interactive Investor, the UK's second biggest investment site, hailed Norman's campaign as a 'tipping point' for shareholder democracy

He said: 'While the rise of investment platforms such as ours have made investing cheaper and easier, it also means that UK plc has lost a direct connection with its shareholders. That does not have to be the case.'

He added that private investors 'shouldn't be inhibited by red tape or time-consuming bureaucracy, especially in today's world where technology provides simple, time-saving solutions'.

His comments were echoed by Danny Cox of Hargreaves Lansdown, the UK's largest retail stockbroker, who said: 'We are engaging with this initiative and supportive of its sentiment.'

The most radical proposal in Archie Norman's 'Share Your Voice' campaign is for online-only annual meetings. Under current rules, companies must declare a physical venue for their meetings, but only need to have two or more shareholders present in person.

Norman also wants to improve links between companies and small shareholders who use nominee accounts on platforms such as Interactive Investor, where their holdings are pooled with those of other savers. These are a popular, low-cost way of owning shares, but companies do not know the identity of nominee investors and cannot communicate with them directly.

Instead of letters, Norman wants digital to be the default way of contacting shareholders and to require them to provide an email address before buying shares.

Share Your Voice welcomed the brokers' support but said there was still 'a long way to go'. A spokeswoman said: 'Supposed solutions remain complex and often costly sticking plasters. We need businesses, all platforms and registrars to be required to work together to make change happen.'

City grandee Sir Douglas Flint is leading a taskforce looking at bringing the UK's antiquated shareholding rules into the digital age.

A Department for Business and Trade spokesman said it looked forward to its recommendations.
Probe: Tony Danker has stepped down as CBI boss while he is investigated

The future of Britain's biggest business lobby group hangs in the balance as members await the outcome of an investigation into alleged sexual misconduct. The Confederation of British Industry (CBI), which claims to speak for 190,000 businesses, has been plunged into turmoil over allegations of rape, sexual harassment and drug abuse.

Questions about whether the organisation is fit for purpose are being asked by officials at No 10, The Mail on Sunday can reveal. Discussions have taken place over the possibility of disbanding the CBI, with a new group to represent business formed in its place.

Although the talks are at an early stage, the organisation will be alarmed that they are taking place at all. The problems at the CBI, whose director general Tony Danker is the subject of one of the complaints, go right to the very top. He stepped down last month while law firm Fox Williams looks into his conduct. Its investigation is expected to conclude as early as Tuesday.

A number of companies have said they are reviewing their links with the group. High-profile names including Rolls-Royce, EY and Marks & Spencer have raised concerns about the allegations.

The CBI offers firms access to a wide business network and promises to represent their interests to government. It also hosts high profile conferences and dinners.

Even before the latest scandal, however, membership was shrinking dramatically. In the late 2000s, it had about 240,000 members. This number has shrunk by 50,000 leaving it with 190,000 subscribers. If more leave en masse it will threaten the status of the CBI, which was founded by Royal Charter in 1965.

Critics say the organisation looks increasingly outmoded and is a relic from an industrial era that does not cater to new sectors such as tech.

When Silicon Valley Bank suddenly went bust last month, tech entrepreneurs mounted a highly effective lobbying effort that totally bypassed the CBI. One senior City source said: 'The CBI has been on the wrong side of every argument since the 1940s.

'From supporting nationalisation, to state planning, joining the European Exchange Rate Mechanism and the euro, the CBI has a distinguished history in being wrong. Every member of the CBI would be better off spending the membership fee on something else.'

The organisation backed Remain in the 2016 referendum.

Going further back, its predecessor, the Federation of British Industries (FBI) was a fervent supporter of appeasement in the 1930s.

When Hitler's tanks rolled into Prague in March 1939, the FBI went ahead with a trade mission to Dusseldorf, claiming 'political differences have nothing to do with industrialists'.

Outcry: Prime Minister David Cameron is heckled at the CBI in 2015

John Longworth, former head of rival business body the British Chambers of Commerce, said: 'The CBI is really yesterday's trade association, not tomorrow's. If the CBI is to be relevant and survive it needs to be headed by someone who has experience of enterprise, has an impeccable reputation and wants to embrace the opportunities of Brexit.'

The latest allegations are likely to horrify Danker's predecessor, Dame Carolyn Fairbairn, a champion of women in the boardroom. She was the organisation's first female director general, and served from 2015 to 2020, when she took aim at the macho culture of boozy dinners and old boys' clubs.

'I really believe Carolyn did everything to open up the CBI and bring it into the 21st Century,' said one source. They will have to get another woman in to clean up this mess.'

Cutting ties: Baroness Helena Morrissey

Another former insider said the recent difficulties 'could prove fatal', adding the CBI had 'diminished in size' and influence, and claiming the number of respondents taking part in its regular surveys had fallen sharply.

Some senior women are already urging members to quit. Baroness Helena Morrissey, founder of the 30 Per Cent Club that pushes for better gender balance in the boardroom, declared 'enough is enough'.

She said: 'We can't just stand by and wait for the next scandal to happen.' The crisis began when a junior member of staff was said to have complained about 'unwanted contact' from Danker, which she regarded as sexual harassment. It deepened last week when fresh accusations surfaced, unrelated to those against Danker.

One woman said she was raped at a CBI staff party on a boat on the Thames. There were also claims of widespread cocaine use.

Ministers have already cut ties to the CBI and the organisation has cancelled all external events.

So far no major firms have publicly cancelled their membership, with many said to be waiting to see the findings of the investigation into Danker.

He has apologised for any unintentional offence and has promised to co-operate with the Fox Williams inquiry. The CBI was contacted for comment.
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Sales of ebooks plunged last year following bumper sales during the height of the pandemic.

Digital sales slumped 10 per cent in 2022, while sales of physical books fell by just 3 per cent, according to industry tracker Nielsen BookData.

A good read: Industry experts had worried for years that ebooks would kill off their paper rivals, but those fears proved misplaced

British shoppers bought 348 million books, worth 2.5 billion, last year. However, this was lower than in 2020 and 2021, when lockdowns boosted sales among readers stuck at home.

Industry experts had worried for years that ebooks would kill off their paper rivals, but those fears proved misplaced.

Audiobooks remained popular last year as eager listeners snapped up self-help and sci-fi titles. But growth has been slowing after the explosion of sales during the pandemic, which has been difficult to maintain.

Hit audiobooks included The Sandman Act III by Neil Gaiman, and Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? by Julie Smith.
Details of the miracle recovery of a former Neighbours star diagnosed with stage four cancer are shrouded in mystery after well-wishers gave her more than $37,000.

Kate Keltie - who played Michelle Scully on the soap from 1999 as onscreen sister of Holly Valance's character Flick Scully - revealed her shock diagnosis in November.

A fundraiser in her name, by her cousin Ebony Gilbert, revealed she had been diagnosed with 'extremely aggressive' stage four breast cancer which had 'spread to other parts of her body, including her lymph nodes, blood and hip bones'.

Stage four cancer which has gone metatastic and spread to other areas of the body is often, but not always, terminal - especially if caught late.

A Gofundme appeal for Ms Keltie, 37, said she had just been given the 'unimaginable' diagnosis and faced the 'fight of her life' as she started chemotherapy.

But just four months later, Kate posted an update to the GoFundme appeal in February to 'share some incredible news' that she was now 'cancer-free'.

Details of the miracle recovery from stage four cancer by of former Neighbours star Kate Keltie are shrouded in mystery after well-wishers gave her more than $37,000

Kate Keltie - who played Michelle Scully (pictured left with her on-screen family) on the soap from 1999 as sister of Holly Valance's character Flick Scully (second from right) - revealed her shock diagnosis in November

Kate Keltie was pictured on social media on Christmas Eve, in the midst of her treatment, attending a performance of The Phantom of the Opera musical with relatives in Melbourne

'I recently received results of my latest scan and was told that there had been a complete metabolic response to diseased areas,' she added.

'In other words, it seems I am cancer-free.'

However Kate's update was later deleted from the Gofundme appeal, and the fundraiser itself was deactivated and deleted from public view last month.

It had raised $37,362 before it vanished, easily beating its initial $25,000 target, and a Gofundme spokesman confirmed the cash had been passed on to Ms Keltie.

But details of the amazing recovery - which could give hope to many women in a similar position - have proved elusive.

Ms Keltie - who has now given up her showbiz career and works as a recruitment consultant - has not responded to requests to discuss her amazing story of survival.

Her PR twice promised to set up an interview with Ms Keltie to reveal her amazing survival story but did not follow through and then stopped replying to emails on the subject.

Ms Keltie's cousin, who set up the Gofundme for her, has also not responded to questions from Daily Mail Australia.

Ms Gilbert's father - and Kate's uncle - Michael Keltie, said his daughter's job as head of digital experience at finance firm Vanguard Australia meant she was too busy to talk.

But he relived the incredible moment the family found out the good news.

'All I know is that she qualified for a particular type of treatment and had it,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

'When she went back with her mother and father, the doctor said, "It's gone - it's completely gone."

'They didn't know what they were hearing when they were told. They said, "What do you mean, it's gone?"

'He said, "It's completely gone."

'So that is a really positive story what happened with Kate.'

A fundraiser in Kate Keltie's name, by her cousin Ebony Gilbert, revealed she had been diagnosed with 'extremely aggressive' stage four breast cancer which 'has spread to other parts of her body, including her lymph nodes, blood and hip bones'

FROM CHILD STAR TO RECRUITMENT EXPERT Kate Keltie joined Neighbours as a fresh-faced teenager in 1999 Kate Keltie first hit screens as a five year old when she appeared in ABC kids show More Than Words, before roles in TV commercials and a series of bit parts as various characters in Blue Heelers from 1994. She returned to television in 1996 in an episode of Rebecca Gibney's drama series, Halifax FP, at the age of 10. And aged 13, she starred in 50 episodes of apocalyptic children's sci-fi series Thunderstone as Becky Daniels. But it was her role in Neighbours which made her globally famous as Michelle Scully, the spoilt brat little sister of pin-up co-star Holly Valance's character, Flick Scully. Kate joined the show as a fresh-faced teenager in 1999 who was 'occasionally petulant but always lovable' and remained a fan favourite for the next four years until 2003 when she left the show to return to school after Holly Valance also left the show. She made a brief return the following year, but after her final exit from the soap, she only took one more screen role, in an episode of Rodger Corser's crime-drama Rush in 2008, before quitting showbiz for good. She moved into the business world, first as legal support with a law firm before shifting to recruitment with roles at people2people and Denovo. She is said to have been set to start with a new company when she was given her shock cancer diagnosis, putting the new job on hold while she fought the disease. Advertisement

Kate's now deleted update added: 'The nature of my cancer having travelled through the blood stream means that I will receive monthly infusions indefinitely, with no side effects.

'Surgery is also off the table at this point. Life begins again.'

She added: 'I also want to thank the amazing team at Peter Mac in Melbourne, and my beautiful family and friends. You are incredible.'

The Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre declined to comment on Ms Keltie's recovery.

The initial Gofundme appeal revealed Kate would be on chemotherapy for the rest of her life.

'Given the severity of the chemotherapy that Kate requires, her oncologist advised that working and maintaining her job during this time is not an option,' it added.

'She will lose her gorgeous hair and cannot carry children in the future. This is devastating news for anyone, let alone at the age of 36, with no family history of breast cancer.

'Kate will then require chemo infusions every three weeks for the rest of her life, and potentially radiotherapy and surgery too.'

She was pictured on social media on Christmas Eve, in the midst of her treatment, attending a performance of The Phantom of the Opera musical with relatives in Melbourne.

The picture was later removed from public view.

Oncology expert Professor Ian Olver told Daily Mail Australia the description of her diagnosis in the Gofundme appeal had raised questions with him, but he said it was not impossible to survive stage four cancer.

'People don't talk about breast cancer metastasised into the blood,' said the Adelaide University professor. 'You don't usually talk about it spreading to the blood.

'I can understand the lymph nodes. Clearly, to get to the hip, it has to spread through the blood. It may have been spread by the blood, but not to the blood.

'That's a bit odd. It's not like leukaemia or lymphomas and things where the blood can be full of cells. Breast cancer usually spreads to the liver, lungs and bones.'

And he warned: 'Stage four breast cancer is not curable, so it will come back at some stage. It's never considered curable.

'You can live for many years, but it's not considered curable once it's spread beyond the breast and surrounding tissues.

'But if she had appropriate therapy for her primary and local spread, and then she had radiotherapy, she could be pronounced to be in remission.

'There are a lot of new treatments around and if her disease was responsive to hormones, she'd go on to have indefinite hormone therapy.

'If it was just in the hip, and it could fit into a radiation field, yes, you could get rid of that bit. If there's nothing anywhere else, then the nodes would have shrunk with the original treatment and you might be rendered "no evidence of disease".

'If there was no detectable cancer on the scan, it doesn't make you cancer-free because the scan can only detect a certain level of disease.

'But I think it would be reasonable for a lay-person to say they were cancer-free.'

Kate Keltie's update revealing she was now 'cancer-free' was later deleted from the Gofundme appeal, and the fundraiser was deactivated and deleted from public view (Pictured, Kate with former co-star Ryan Maloney, who played Toadfish in the soap, at the Logies in 2000)

Details of Kate Keltie's amazing recovery - which could give hope to many women in a similar position - have proved elusive. She is now hosting a Breast Cancer benefit on March 31 with tickets costing $55 'for a night of live music, dancing, finger food and great prizes to be raffled from our sponsors'

Kate's uncles and her brother Luke shared details of the fundraiser for the former child star on social media after she was given the shocking diagnosis in November but have not publicly followed that up with details of her amazing recovery.

Kate's PR representative said: 'It is such a wonderful outcome for her and her family.'

After initially offering an interview with Kate, she later declined to address questions because they were of a personal nature.

Kate hosted a Breast Cancer benefit on March 31 with tickets costing $55 'for a night of live music, dancing, finger food and great prizes to be raffled from our sponsors'.

Participants were asked to dress in pink for the event in Mordialloc, in Melbourne's south-east, with 'all proceeds donated to the National Breast Cancer Foundation'.
Warsaw is set to enjoy a much-needed tourism boost after getting the royal seal of approval from Prince William.

The vibrant Polish capital, often overlooked by UK tourists for its more popular neighbour Krakow, was visited by Prince of Wales last month.

William visited the city a few weeks ago to thank Polish and British troops for their service during the Ukraine conflict  and inadvertently provided a service himself.

The future King delighted crowds as he was spotted posing for selfies, dining at a funky LGBT restaurant with staff and tucking into some treats at the hipster Koszyki food market in the heart of the city.

Tourism officials, previously concerned crowds could steer clear of Poland due to its proximity and involvement to the Ukraine war, have been heartened by the visit and could boost numbers. They hope this, along with a glitzy social media campaign launched last year, will show the world that Poland and particularly Warsaw, is very much open for business.

The Prince of Wales was all smiles as he posed with royal fans outside of the hall on the second day of his visit

Royal fans and wellwishers patiently waited with signs ahead of the Prince's visit to the food hall

Locals are very proud of the fact their hometown has risen from the rubble - a particular marvel is the old town where expert architects recreated 90 per cent of the area brick-by-brick

Dorota Huk-Krolikowska from the Polish Tourism Board told MailOnline: 'I believe the visit of the British heir to the throne was of great importance to the positive image of Warsaw.

'Young British people who followed the trip through TV, newspapers and social media had a chance to see a small but authentic picture of the capital of Poland.

'Warsaw is a city of warm-hearted residents.

'They are tolerant and open to everyone, regardless of skin colour, country of origin or sexual orientation.'

William is the modern face of the monarchy so it was fitting that he visited Warsaw - a city desperate to show that it can be both cutting edge and vibrant with an affection for its tradition and history.

While the Polish city is the birthplace of Chopin and Marie Curie, it will also be recognised by movie lovers as the setting of Roman Polanski's The Pianist, or Netflix's The Witcher, starring Henry Cavill.

Polanski's 2003 Hollywood hit starring Adrian Brody was filmed in the city's Praga district, which acted as a backdrop to mimic the Jewish ghetto.

But it hasn't always been a city open to tourists and filmmakers.

Film buffs will recognise the city as the setting of Roman Polanski's The Pianist (pictured)

Warsaw is enjoying a new lease of life; from young crowds savouring Polish vodka to enjoying strolls along the riverbank

From June to September every Sunday the public can enjoy free outdoor concerts dedicated to Warsaw's most famous son, composer and pianist Chopin, in the Royal azienki park

The Instagram-friendly viewing platform of the Palace of Culture and Science (pictured)

The Prince of Wales met British troops and thanked them for 'defending our freedoms' during a surprise visit to Poland  just miles from the Ukrainian border

READ MORE: Prince William lays a wreath at Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Advertisement

For 123 years, Poland disappeared from the maps of Europe between Russia Prussia, before 1918 when it reappeared on the map  and when Warsaw regained its independence.

During World War Two the Nazis razed the city to the ground and some 85 per cent of Warsaw had been destroyed by the end of the war.

But locals are very proud of the fact their hometown has risen from the rubble - a particular marvel is the old town where expert architects recreated 90 per cent of the area brick-by-brick.

Then came Covid, when Warsaw, like every city globally, suffered massive economic losses amid a series of crippling lockdowns.

The city was just starting to enjoy a return to normal, when Russian hostilities began in Ukraine  sparking a rise in cancellations for trip to the country.

Travel bosses last year launched a social media campaign to attract tourists back and convince visitors it was safe to visit despite troubles in neighbouring Ukraine.

Now, Warsaw is enjoying a new lease of life; from young crowds savouring Polish vodka and Instagram-friendly viewing platform of the Palace of Culture and Science, to the trendy Koszyki Market food hall where, like Prince William, diners enjoy everything from authentic Polish cuisine to burritos or a portion of fries.

From June to September every Sunday the public can enjoy free outdoor concerts dedicated to Warsaw's most famous son, composer and pianist Chopin, in the Royal azienki park  and see an exact replica of the Chopin monument - the first of which was destroyed by the Nazis because they believed his music would inspire Polish uprisings.

Locals are very proud of the fact their hometown has risen from the rubble - a particular marvel is the old town where expert architects recreated 90 per cent of the area brick-by-brick

On the second day of his visit, he arrived in Warsaw where he visited the tomb, which is dedicated to Polish soldiers who lost their lives in conflict

The prince was greeted by dignitaries and a guard of honour which was made up of members of the Army, Navy and Air Force
A teacher has been recorded launching into a foul-mouthed tirade and hurling verbal abuse at his students.

The high school teacher had been leading his lesson at Nayland College in Nelson, on New Zealand's south island.

A student then secretly filmed the moment he erupted with the teacher heard swearing at least nine times in the space of 40 seconds.

He was heard complaining about how long it had taken students to complete a task and even mocked them at one point saying it 'isn't even hard'.

Local parents were left outraged by the footage and demanded the school sack the teacher.

A toxic teacher from New Zealand's has been caught out hurling abuse at his students when one of them secretly recorded him.

A toxic teacher has been caught out hurling abuse at his students when one of them secretly recorded him on his iPhone

The clip begins with the teacher berating a female student for talking about something other than the task that had been set for the class.

'So hurry up and sort your s*** out,' he said.

He is seen quickly shifting his focus to the other students, shouting and swearing at them too for not performing at the level he expected.

He is heard mocking the students several times as 'useless'.

'You guys have been useless today, actually f***ing useless,' he said.

'It's taken an hour to do f***ing nothing. Actually f***ing nothing. You've glued four straws to four bits of f***ing paper. Useless!'

The teacher became increasingly visibly upset claiming they would struggle with an upcoming test if they couldn't complete the simple task.

'When it comes time to do the assessment you guys are gonna be f***ing about...' he said.

'Then you guys are gonna want my help and I'm gonna go what did you do last time? And you're gonna go 'well I f***ed about.' Quit f***ing about!!

'This is simple s***, this isn't even hard.'

An appalled mother shared the footage to Facebook following the incident.

'I don't send my child to school to be abused and apparently this is not a fire-able offence? So wrong!' she said.

'[Here is the] Video of said teacher abusing his class two weeks ago'

'It's appalling behavior from someone who is ment to be educating our children we don't send them to school to be abused.'

Daily Mail Australia understands that the child no longer attends Nayland College.

The college's principal Daniel Wilson emailed parents to explain the school was working through policies and processes in response to the teacher's behaviour.

Wilson said the matter had been addressed through the school board, as well as the Professional Standards for Secondary Teachers and the Code of Professional Responsibility.

He told Daily Mail Australia the school took the matter 'very seriously' and while he is personally 'disgusted' with the teacher's behaviour, it did not meet the level required for dismissal.

'Both myself and the board took legal advice throughout the process,' he said.

Nayland College principal Daniel Wilson emailed parents to explain that the school has to work through policies and processes to respond to the teacher's behaviour

'The staff member was found guilty of misconduct, but all the advice we had was that it did not meet the level required for dismissal, although he is now on a final warning and has other conditions on his continued employment.'

He said the matter was being handled by Nayland College's Board of Trustees.

One furious mum called the teacher's behaviour 'absolute bulls***'.

'He seriously needs some treatment. Why is he a teacher?' she wrote on Facebook.

'He ain't teaching those kids anything except that he's showing them how to be abusive.

Several social media users used the word 'disgusting' to describe his rant.

One mum said he should have been immediately fired.
Here Dailymail.com takes a look at the dark side of the trend as millions of Americans discover they're not quite who they thought they were

Many are taking to social media to reveal their jaw-dropping family secrets such as that they have 30 siblings or even married a cousin

Two in ten Americans have taken mail-order DNA tests, according to YouGov

The explosion in popularity of at-home DNA testing kits has led to dozens of Americans uncovering shocking family secrets - including a man who discovered he had 30 siblings, and another who found out her husband was actually a relative.

Around two in 10 Americans have taken a mail-order test, according to data from survey site YouGov, while the global gene-testing market is now worth around $14 billion.

And experts say the trend is being driven by the availability of cheap and accurate tests, with the two major providers - 23andMe and AncestryDNA - offering them for just $99.

But there may be a darker reason for the growing interest: a harrowing documentary recently laid bare the damaging health consequences of incestuous families through the eyes of the deformed, inbred Whittaker family in West Virginia.

From the wife who discovered she married her cousin to the daughter who realized her late father had been swapped at birth, here Dailymail.com rounds up the most jaw-dropping family surprises to come from tracing your roots.

Andy Torrey believed he was an only child until an AncestryDNA test revealed he had at least 30 siblings due to him having a sperm donor father

'I found out I had 30 siblings'

Andy Torrey had always believed he was an only child before ordering an AncestryDNA test for Christmas.

But the results started to ring alarm bells when it came back 14 percent French and 11 percent English. He believed his father was 'mostly' English and French so he had expected his own DNA count to be higher.

That's when Torrey - from Atlanta, Georgia - discovered his mother had actually used a sperm donor - whose donations had been used to create at least 30 other children.

Torrey has been finding his siblings and going to meet them all over the US. He has been documenting the experience on TikTok.

'I woke up two days ago thinking I was an only child and now I find out I'm the second oldest of 31,' he wrote on the video-sharing platform.

He added: 'What's crazy is that I bought these kits for me and my parents for Christmas and they didn't give me a head's up.'

'My dad was switched at birth'

Alice Plebuch hit headlines in 2017 after she discovered her father had lived his whole life in the wrong family.

Plebuch's dad was fiercely proud of his Irish heritage - so much so he had the Irish song 'Danny Boy' played at his wake.

So she was expecting her test to show a 100 percent Irish family tree. Instead she discovered she was half Jewish.

After more digging she realized her father and his sister - her so-called aunt - were not related at all.

After scouring hospital records she realized her Jewish dad had accidentally been taken home by an Irish family.

Plebuch managed to connect with the family of the man whom he had been swapped with at birth.

'I really lost all my identity. 'I felt adrift. I didn't know who I was  you know, who I was,' she told the Washington Post at the time.

Alice Plebuch discovered her dad had been switched at birth - years after he passed

'Rare condition meant I wasn't related to the children I birthed'

Single mother Lydia Fairchild was 26, unemployed and looking for state support in 2002 when she was asked to take a DNA test to prove her family was all related.

But the results suggested Fairchild had no genetic link to the two children she had birthed - prompting alarm from social services.

'I knew that I carried them, and I knew that I delivered them. There was no doubt in my mind,' Fairchild, from Washington, said at the time.

She gave birth for a third time and again DNA tests said she was not related to the newborn - despite carrying it for nine months.

Lydia Fairchild is pictured for the 2005 documentary 'The twin inside me'

It later transpired the mismatch was due to an ultra-rare condition called 'chimerism.'

It meant she had technically been a twin in the womb but the other embryo died early on meaning she 'absorbed' her sibling's cells.

The condition meant she had two cell lines - with only one matching that of her children.

Her case was relayed in the 2006 documentary 'The twin inside me.'

'I married my cousin'

The results of DNA testing can be so surprising it has spawned its own hashtag on TikTok '#ancestrysecrets.'

Influencer Celina Quinones had been married to her husband Joseph for ten years and had three of his children when she discovered they were actually related.

Celina, from Denver, Colorado, decided to take a DNA test in 2016 from Myheritage.com.

@realestatemommas Replying to @lonely.est91 got my filter on because its early in the morning ma  Spongebob Theme - Unay

Celina Quinones had been married to husband Joseph for ten years and shared three children with him before realizing they were related. She now jokingly calls him her 'cousband'

It indicated they had a genetic match of 62 centimorgan - a unit of measuring genetic linkage - meaning they share ancestors eight generations back.

But the couple now make light of the news, with Celina jokingly referring to Joseph as her 'cousband.'

'I wouldn't change it for the world... Cousband and wife for life!' she explained on TikTok.

'There is a reason why good couples look alike. I am just over here raising awareness.'

The couple, from Denver, Colorado, share ancestors eight generations back

Anita Foeman, an expert in DNA at West Chester University told Dailymaill.com that Hill's story is common.

'Research shows that we are attracted to people that share similarities with us,' she said.

'That's what a lot of people worry about when they discover they have all these relatives they didn't know about. What if I had met that person at a bar?'

Foeman adds that she expects DNA testing will soon be mandatory at birth and will simply become a standard part of their medical records.
Australians are being warned about the dangers of using digital wallets because facial recognition software is not completely foolproof.

Cyber security expert Benjamin Britton has disputed assurances from the Australian Payments Network, an industry body, that its systems were safe, arguing biometrics technology had flaws.

'Biometrics are highly flawed, especially facial recognition ones,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

'We've seen incidences of facial recognition technology being bypassed by people simply having a monitor screen in front of them - the face of the person who is supposed to be used for the facial recognition - and actually holding the phone up to it, from the front camera, like it's the person looking at it and it's actually passed in some cases.'

The warning about biometric technology is being issued following an international police investigation into stolen account data on individuals, also known as a digital fingerprint, being sold on the dark web Genesis Market.

This has led to the arrests of 10 Australians in three states.

Mr Britton, who works with defence contractors and provides advice on IT hacking, warned artificial intelligence could potentially be used to hack into digital wallets - with a third of Australian in-person transactions now done this way.

'A lot of attacks these days are automated and done by AI,' he said.

'Give AI the problem of finding a way to rob every digital wallet on Earth, and it will come up with a solution and be able to potentially implement it.'

The Australian Payments Network - also known as AusPayNet - said, in a blog, it was 'impossible' to steal a credit card from a digital wallet and make payments because every transaction had a unique cryptogram that was cross checked by the online card issuer.

'This cryptogram is checked by the card issuer's systems, making replay attacks (where card data is listened to in-flight and then reused in a separate payment) impossible,' it said.

Mr Britton said it was arrogant to suggest a system was completely secure, saying the worst criminals - known as black hat hackers - were often very determined.

'There is a sense of arrogance coming out from them,' he said.

'They think their system is foolproof - the fact they said in there 'impossible', that's something that you'd never, ever, ever, ever say, especially in the hacking field.

Australians are being warned about the dangers of using digital wallets because facial recognition software is not completely foolproof

'To have arrogance in the cyber security world always leads to getting breached by black hat hackers who are all super arrogant and cocky people - it becomes almost a taunt to the cyber gifted to challenge them.

Apple's digital Wallet design features Every Apple Pay purchase has to be authenticated with Touch ID or Face ID. No information can be sent without the user authenticating. Actual card numbers are not stored on the device or on Apple servers. A unique Device Account Number is created, encrypted in such a way that Apple can't decrypt it. It is stored in an iPhone, Apple Watch or iPad. Apple says it doesn't share a consumer's card numbers with merchants. Advertisement

'Nothing is ever impossible, it's virtually impossible but it's not impossible and that's only with today's computing.'

Mr Britton suggested the payments industry offer a $1million reward, as part of a controlled test, for any ethical hacker able to steal a credit card from a digital wallet, noting how messaging app Telegram offered $US300,000 as a reward nine years ago.

'It's one thing to have a theory that you're secure, you must test it,' he said.

'If they are so confident that no one can steal this and that it's incredibly secure, then they should put up a $1million bounty to any hacker in the world who can steal a card and do payments.'

AusPayNet said cards stored in digital wallets did not have the data stored alongside a primary account number - the 14 to 19-digit credit card number usually on the front of a card.

'Cards stored in digital wallets operate differently, and those differences make them more secure, not less,' it said.

The industry group argued credit card details were instead stored via a token, which had to be authenticated with a fingerprint or a facial biometric for any information to be sent.

'The token itself is a surrogate, non-sensitive value, unique to that device and stored in its secure element, which has no use if stolen,' it said.

The Australian Federal Police on Thursday announced the arrest of 10 Australians, in three states, in connection with a criminal network selling online user fingerprints on the Genesis Market.

The Australian Federal Police on Thursday announced the arrest of 10 Australians, in three states, in connection with a criminal network selling online user fingerprints on the Genesis Market

The AFP's assistant commissioner on cyber command Scott Lee said Australians needed to be mindful about having their banking details sold on the dark web (pictured is one of the arrests)

Investigators have identified 36,000 compromised Australian devices available for sale on the Genesis Market, with more than 600 reports to the federal government's ReportCyber website that matches stolen information sold on the dark web.

The American FBI, Europol and the Netherlands Police have been conducting a large-scale international investigation.

The AFP's assistant commissioner on cyber command Scott Lee said Australians needed to be mindful about having their banking details sold on the dark web.

'For a small cost, individuals with nefarious intentions could purchase a packaged dataset that would allow them to gain access to a victim's government services and online banking,' he said.

The Reserve Bank of Australia's Financial Stability Review for April warned against complacency with online payments.

'Recent operational and cyber incidents, both domestically and internationally, highlight the importance of financial market infrastructures continually assessing and improving their operational resilience and security,' it said.

'Cyber risk is one of the key risks facing the global financial system.'

Mr Britton said 3D imagery was already able to generate realistic photographs of people, pointing to deep fakes of former U.S. president Donald Trump and Australian media personality Richard Wilkins being arrested.

'This is only the tip of the iceberg on what AI can do,' he said.

Cyber security expert Benjamin Britton has disputed assurances from the Australian Payments Network, an industry body, that its systems are safe, arguing biometrics technology has flaws

'If you look at AI, how it's generating all these new photographs and all these new videos and even stealing people's voices - now the deep fakes are to the point where they can actually make the mouth move the same, they can make the words coming out of the mouth sound identical to the person.'

Cyber criminals could also potentially teach AI how to be a better hacker than a human.

'A black hat hacker who makes their millions illegally, they can actually teach that AI all of their own tricks that they know - the AI will improve on those tricks,' Mr Britton said.

'Because it's learnt those tricks, it thinks up its own tricks and then they give it problems to solve like, 'How do I steal every card in the country and how do I get to payments and how can I move the money around and not get caught?'.'

Then there is the issue of realistic silicon masks, available in China, that could be used to fool the facial recognition software on smartphones if a criminal was able to create a fake version of someone's face using 3D printing.

'It's not too far off: they already have realistic masks that you can put on your face and you cannot tell,' Mr Britton said.

'The potential is there with 3D printing - it would be very difficult to do but it's not impossible to happen.'

The payments industry described biometrics as 'something you have' but Mr Britton said even biometric tokens could be stolen and copied - from fingerprints to facial recognition - because this information had to be stored in a server.

'They can still be stolen, they are not foolproof,' he said.

'It's stored a copy of it somewhere, and whilst it's stored usually very secure, the point is, if it's there, it's like a password hash - it can be stolen and it can be cracked.'

The American FBI, Europol and the Netherlands Police have been conducting a large-scale international investigation (pictured is a seized smartphone in Australia showing a crypto currency transaction)

Australians are increasingly using their smartphones to pay for goods with Reserve Bank data showing a third a payments last year were made this way, with cash making up just 13 per cent of transactions

Apple designed the Wallet app so credit card details aren't stored in a server or on the device itself.

But Mr Britton said a hacker could still potentially access details in the Wallet, even if this was extremely difficult.

'Even if the device has pin codes and biometrics set to access apps, those details are stored somewhere on the device - usually encrypted - and it is possible to extract and crack those credentials,' he said.

Devices can also potentially be cloned.

'A device ID and details can be cloned and spoofed in order to impersonate that device,' Mr Britton said.

'If someone gains remote access to a device like a phone, they essentially have administrator rights to access any app they wish and exchange information with the device at will even if the device is not jail broken.'

Australians are increasingly using their smartphones to pay for goods with Reserve Bank data showing a third of in-person payments last year were made this way, with cash making up just 13 per cent of transactions.

Cards still make up two-thirds of transactions, mainly via the tap-and-go method with a very small proportion of consumers still preferring to insert their card.
A convicted murderer obsessed with Hannibal Lecter has appealed against his life sentence after being found guilty of hacking off a teacher's head and stuffing her body parts in a bag.

In a crime that sent shock waves across Poland, Kajetan Poznanski was jailed in 2021 after telling judges he murdered the woman as part of a 'self-improvement plan'.

Now his lawyers are saying his sentence should be overturned.

Dubbed the 'Hannibal of Zoliborz' after the wealthy Warsaw district where he lived and his fascination with the fictional serial killer, in 2016 Poznanski went to the home of language teacher Katarzyna Jaroszynska under the pretence of wanting to learn Italian.

In what prosecutors called a premeditated killing, once inside he pulled out a knife and launched a frenzied attack on the unsuspecting 30-year-old.

In a crime that sent shock waves across Poland, Kajetan Poznanski (pictured) was jailed in 2021 after telling judges he murdered the woman as part of a 'self-improvement plan'

In 2016 Poznanski went to the home of a language teacher Katarzyna Jaroszynska (pictured) under the pretence of wanting to learn Italian

Poznanski being escorted by police onto an aeroplane after he was caught

Dismembering the woman's body with a saw and putting the remains inside a suitcase he then ordered a taxi back to his rented apartment.

When the taxi driver asked him why blood was dripping out of the suitcase he is reported to have said that he was transporting the carcass of a wild boar.

Initially planning to eat the woman's remains, when he arrived home the 27-year-old instead set the apartment on fire to hide the evidence.

The teacher's body parts were found by firefighters called to put out the blaze.

Her head was found inside a backpack.

According to local media, Katarzyna had planned to fly to Bologna in Italy later that day to meet her boyfriend.

Originally from the Polish city of Radom, the experienced Italian language teacher had studied the history of art before moving to the Polish capital to study applied linguistics at the University of Warsaw.

The killer later justified the slaughter by saying he 'had to kill someone to get rid of the belief that a human life was worth more than a pig or a fly'.

A high-flying student whose grandfather had been a respected journalist and whose parents were an architect and a prosecutor, Poznanski had been doing an internship at one of Poland's biggest current affairs magazines.

Whilst there he pitched a number of articles about cannibalism.

One was called 'Famous gourmets - between Rome and Hannibal Lecter' in which he proposed to 'expose my palate to the true classics of the culinary field'.

Another was titled 'About Hannibal Lecter (21st century)' where he asked: 'What is the moral difference between eating a chicken and eating a human? None.'

In another under the heading 'How to be a good carnivore?' he wrote: 'Lede: Hey carnivores! Shouldn't we kill our dinner at least once in our lives to be morally compatible with each other?

'We go to fancy shops and know nothing of the dirty work that was done before, and the vegetarians keep bringing out the heavy guns against us!'

In yet another named 'A word on cannibalism', he wrote: 'The first season of "Hannibal" came to an end, but it did not leave me without valuable reflections. Namely: what is so wrong with eating human flesh?

'Attention! Those who associate cannibalism only with wild tribes from Africa or other Papua are wrong. Europe has three words here! And I will justify them.'

Following his arrest, the magazine said: 'We did not accept any of the proposals, and the trainee moved to another department, where he wrote two unaccepted texts.'

Poznanski then found work at a library in the same district where Katarzyna lived.

Whilst there he began writing poetry about killers he admired who had carried out premeditated murders.

In one poem entitled 'Hannibal Lecter's Feast' he wrote: 'Assembling here for the feast of the Holy Muse. My feasting of slaughter!'

Poznanski was once listed by Europol in its 'most wanted fugitives' section, saying that he was wanted for 'murder and grievous bodily injury'

Poznanski dismembered the woman's body and putting the remains inside a holdall, and then returned to his rented apartment and set it on fire to hide the evidence

Described by friends as being 'social and intelligent' one said that they noticed a change during his studies.

Talking to local media, the friend said: 'He was was always carrying books and was always deep in thought. But he also came to parties.

'But then he went weird and started talking about being possessed.'

Following the grizzly murder, the 27-year-old fled the capital.

First returning to his home town of Poznan, he then took a train to Berlin before getting on a flight to Bologna in Italy where his victim's boyfriend lived.

According to a guide who showed him around the Italian city, he wanted to visit the Anatomical Theatre of the Archiginnasio where the dissection of humans and animals used to take place.

Putting out an international arrest warrant, Polish cops tracked him down to Malta 11 days later.

He was seized by armed police 'in possession of a knife and several thousand euros in cash'.

Whilst being escorted to a plane, he attacked one of the policemen.

At trial his lawyers said the straight-A student who had a degree in classical philology and journalism had been of 'limited sanity'.

But judges ruled that the murder had been 'planned and calculated'.

Criminologists argued that Poznanski had been planning the crime for a long time and that he had 'probably been watching his victim, getting to know her habits and interests'.

During a pre-trial psychological examination, Poznanski attempted to strangle the remand centre's psychologist.

As she got up to leave, he grabbed her by the neck and began throttling her before a guard stepped into help.

Poznanski then produced a piece of broken glass from his pocket and attacked the guard.

Classified as a dangerous prisoner, the head of remand centres forensic psychiatry team ordered for him to be 'restrained by straight jacket'.

Referring to the murder of the teacher, forensic psychologist Teresa Gens told local media at the time: 'In these types of crimes, there is never a single motive. Perhaps the leading motive was self-improvement, consisting in overcoming a certain taboo about deprivation of human life.

'His friends said that at some point they noticed his transformation, both physical and mental. They mentioned that there were elements of isolation and a very strong identification with the figure of Hannibal Lecter can be seen in his literary works.

'There are two options. One is that some fantasy world or idea has begun to develop that has arisen as a result of a personality disorder. The second possibility is that a psychotic process began to develop, culminating in this crime.

'These are two very important directions that expert psychiatrists will certainly explore. This will have a very large impact on the assessment of his sanity.'

Psychologists eventually decided that Poznanski he did not have 'a mental illness limiting the ability to control his behaviour.'

Prosecutor Przemysaw Nowak said: 'He was looking for a victim. He decided that it should be a stranger, that it should be a language teacher.

'A complete accident decided that Katarzyna J. was the victim. He found her phone number on a website with advertisements for language tutoring.

'The victim was completely accidental, they had never met before. They talked on the phone to arrange classes.'

Poznanski was seized by armed police 'in possession of a knife and several thousand euros in cash'

The teacher's body parts were found by firefighters called to put out the blaze

Criminologist Brunon Holyst said: 'He could have been obsessed with murder and wanted to transfer the crime from the ancient world to reality.

'He is a man with two faces. On one hand, he is educated and intelligent, on the other hand, he was obsessed with murder.'

The court found him to be of sane mind when carrying out the killing.

Now his lawyers are appealing against the sentence and asking for it to be overturned.

Defence lawyer Piotr Dakowski said: 'The defence did not agree with this verdict.

'We questioned it both in terms of determining the sanity and the amount of the penalty.'

He added that Poznanski 'was in a state that precluded conscious decision-making at the time of the act.'

Judges reviewing the case are expected to reach a verdict next month.
They were discovered living in isolation and squalor in a filthy remote block deep in the countryside without any running water, sanitation or electricity.

The 40-strong Colt family, a pseudonym surname, enjoyed being socially remote and were extremely difficult to access - often moving location to avoid detection.

They were finally discovered by authorities living on a farm near the town of Boorowa, 150km north of Canberra in New South Wales, Australia, in 2012.

It came following a chance remark in a schoolyard by one of the family's young children, most of whom rarely or did not attend school at all, were severely malnourished and could not speak intelligible English.

A court case involving an uncle found guilty of raping his then 17-year-old niece, who was also his sister, would expose further shocking details of rampant incestuous activity and neglect conducted in secret over decades.

The siblings were the parents of June Colt, who would go on to marry Tim Colt (pictured) in 1966 before the couple emigrated to Australia

The 40-strong Colt family enjoyed being socially remote and were extremely difficult to access

The family are understood to have descended from a brother and sister in New Zealand, according to the New South Wales Children's Court.

The siblings were the parents of June Colt, who would go on to marry Tim Colt in 1966 before the couple emigrated to Australia.

They would have seven children together but Tim also fathered up to 16 children with two of his five daughters.

Incestuous activity continued down the generations, with Tim's other daughters and granddaughters having sex with their brothers, uncles and cousins.

The children subsequently grew up with deformities including low-slung ears, misaligned eyes and appeared to look much older than they should.

Despite girls and women often falling pregnant, the Colt family never sought the attention of doctors.

The family would move between rural parts of Victoria, Western Australia, South Australia and New South Wales to avoid the detection of social services.

Betty Colt, who is mother to a number of children with her father Tim, pictured being led out of Moss Vale Local Court in November 2014

Inside the tents were thin mattresses to sleep on, where the children said they would be raped by family members

The 38 members of the 'Colt' clan were found crammed into rundown caravans, sheds and tents

Authorities removed 12 illiterate and malnourished children from the camp, including five of Betty Colt's children, and placed them into care

Following the death of patriarch Tim in 2009, they began living at a remote farm on a New South Wales bush block in 2012.

Authorities would later find it contained an uninsulated shed, old caravans and tents with no toilets or shower facilities.

Inside the tents were thin mattresses to sleep on, where the children said they would be raped by family members.

Local police chief inspector Stephen Radford described smelling urine and faeces in living areas, adding that there were no toilets or showers on the 'commune-style living arrangement'.

Nurses, doctors and social workers were also left shocked and traumatised as they assessed conditions at the site.

Living on the squalid farm were seven adults and more than 30 children, sleeping in a series of tents, sheds and lean-tos draped with electrical wires hooked up to a generators.

A Plasma TV was found within the family shed along with pegs used to hang the children's backpacks.

The family kept animals at the farm including ponies, rabbits, cats and dogs - but many were mutilated.

Martha Colt with three of her sons and one daughter fathered by her brother Charlie who she openly shared a marital bed with at the Boorowa farm

Derek Colt, who is one of Betty's sons with her father Tim, had four children with his own sister Tammy, one of whom died of the genetic disorder Zelleweger syndrome

A dozen children were handed over to social services in 2013 following a ruling from a children's court, which heard evidence that all but one were products of incest.

Authorities found the related children were themselves allegedly involved in rampant sexual activity, according to court records.

They were found to have stunted speech and were years behind at school, with some having never attended at all.

However, some still tried to escape and spoke of their desire to be reunited with their mothers, saying they were unable to fit into regular society.

Each child has since been given court-issued pseudonyms to conceal their identities.

Further details of the family came to light when Frank Colt, a pseudonym, was accused of sexually abusing his niece and half-sister, the same person, in 2018.

The attack had taken place during a visit to the family farm near Yass in February 2010 - two years before the farm was discovered by authorities.

Both Frank and the victim were children of their father Tim and sister Betty.

The victim told police she was living in a cult where 'all my aunts, uncles and cousins have been sleeping together.'

She also claimed she had never been to school, was legally blind and was physically abused by members of her family.

The family tree, meanwhile, shows there were four known generations who were living together, including four children who would have been the great-grandchildren (and grandchildren) of patriarch, Tim.

Ruth Colt, now aged about 19, has taken to TikTok to dance to songs and has questioned her uncle on Facebook as to whether he is her real father

Ruth posted on her 'uncle' Charlie's Facebook page asking him about the identity of her father and if he and her mother were brother and sister

Frank was found guilty of rape in June 2020 - more than two years after his initial arrest.

Once the children were in care, they told officials of horrific sexual abuse by adults and by siblings on the isolated farms, on children as young as 12.

Many did not know how to brush their teeth, slept in dirty beds among cigarette butts and rotting food, couldn't wash their hair or use toilet paper and had facial deformities.

But after they were placed in foster care, matriarch Betty was found guilty of two charges relating to the attempted kidnapping of two of her children from authorities and served time in jail.

Martha was more recently reunited with her three sons once they had reached adulthood and has posted photographs of herself with them on Facebook.

The true extent of the family's incestual activity is unlikely to ever be fully known.

It appears this is also the case for some of the younger members of the family, who have started asking questions about their heinous past on social media.

This month, Ruth, one of the youngest members of the family and now about 19, has surfaced on social media, posting about her loneliness, how she misses her siblings and directly questioning the man believed to be both her father and uncle.

Writing to a man she believed to be her father, she said: 'Hi. Are you and mum brother and sister?'

She then wrote, 'do you know who my dad is?' and 'hi uncle how are you'.

Ruth's mother Martha and her aunt Betty were the matriarchs of the clan. The young woman was just nine when her family's terrible secret was uncovered.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis's stalling 2024 campaign has been hit by a triple threat - his perceived coldness, fundraising issues - and a resurgent Donald Trump.

While DeSantis is still widely-hailed as an exceptionally-capable lawmaker, his apparent inability to connect with voters on the campaign trail outside Florida has some GOP bigwigs wondering if he has the sparkle necessary to win a presidential race.

Longtime Republican strategist Mike Murphy is among those fearful over the Florida governor's struggles with so-called 'grip-and-grin' politics.

'There are questions in Republican circles about DeSantis's candidate skills - can he make the transition from being the governor of a Republican state, where you exist on people's TV screens, to the microscope of New Hampshire and Iowa?' Murphy said to The New York Times.

And there's two other issues facing DeSantis.

The 44 year-old lawmaker is an exceptional fundraiser with a $110 million war chest.

But $80 million of that is tied to the Sunshine State, and cannot be transferred to a presidential campaign. DeSantis has yet to announce his intentions, although it seems all-but-certain that he will.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump has enjoyed a huge polls bump in the wake of his indictment over hush money charges, and subsequent arraignment.

As Florida Governor Ron DeSantis ponders a 2024 presidential campaign his ability to raise money from wealthy donors is seen as one of his main strengths

DeSantis's poll numbers look to have have slumped against Trump in recent weeks with 58 percent supporting Trump compared with just 21 percent backing DeSantis

Trump, until recently-seen as an also-ran, has had his campaign turbocharged by Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg's indictment and is once-again raising huge sums of cash.

Many grassroots Republicans and independents have also been reminded of the former president's sheer charisma and scrappiness, which even Democrats concede is a force to be reckoned with.

DeSantis has so far kept many donors at arm's length while touring the country.

His aloofness is said to have raised doubts about his ability to campaign on a national level among some senior Republicans and engage in 'grip-and-grin' schmoozing.

But DeSantis' defenders point to his competence as a lawmaker, and say the Florida governor has always prioritized hard work and getting results over networking.

When it comes to fundraising, he would be prohibited by law from transferring Florida state-raised dollars into a national presidential campaign.

Any attempts to move the money over to a super PAC called Never Back Down would almost certainly raise red flags among campaign finance watchdogs.

'Governor DeSantis isn't even an announced candidate and supporters from all 50 states have already stepped up and donated to the Never Back Down movement. Should he decide to run for president, he will be a grass-roots-fueled force to be reckoned with,' spokesperson for the super PAC Erin Perrine said.

DeSantis' recent remarks on Ukraine have also caused concern among Republican supporters, and his poll numbers have suffered as a result, with a Reuters/Ipsos poll putting Trump's support at almost three times that of DeSantis.

'I think he's had a wobbly few weeks in communicating to donors,' said Rob Stutzman who worked for former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and on Mitt Romney's 2008 presidential campaign.

'Donors keen to move on from Mr. Trump might start to imagine  maybe this isn't the way,' he told the New York Times.

Trump has repeatedly taunted DeSantis painting the governor as a puppet of wealthy Republican elites

Trump appears to enjoy trolling out his poll numbers against DeSantis and President Joe Biden

DeSantis's poll numbers look to have have slumped against Trump in recent weeks with 58 percent supporting Trump compared with just 21 percent backing DeSantis.

Last month, DeSantis characterized Russia's war in Ukraine as a 'territorial dispute'.

He has since walked back the comments following criticism from a number of fellow Republicans who expressed concern about such a dismissive description of the conflict.

That said, his remarks fall in line with many regular voters, who have become increasingly concerned over the $112 billion - and counting - the US has so-far given to Ukraine, with bipartisan support.

The remarks may serve to show how DeSantis still has some way to go when it comes to developing his political skills in order to make the transition from being a state governor to a presidential candidate.

While Trump has been officially in the presidential race since November, DeSantis as his highest profile competitor has yet to officially announce any White House bid.

DeSantis won another term in the Florida governor's mansion in November by a margin of nearly 20 points in a state that has in the past been a toss up between Democrats and Republicans.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is pictured making his first trip to the early voting state of Iowa in March. It would be hard for him to use dollars raised in Florida on a national GOP campaign

Trump has repeatedly taunted DeSantis painting the governor as a puppet of wealthy Republican elites.

Such attacks by Trump bring home the political reality that no matter how much money DeSantis has, he will still have to overcome the enthusiasm among supporters the former president still holds.

So popular is Trump's appeal that his campaign announced it had managed to raise $12 million following the news of his indictment over the last week.

DeSantis will also now have to foster relationships with millionaire donors and fund-raisers in Republican politics across the country.

Although it is still exceptionally early in the campaign cycle, DeSantis has opted for rallies instead of fund-raising dinners where he sometimes appear uncomfortable.

Although DeSantis's nine-figure $110million haul sounds impressive, big-dollar fundraising does not always translate to victory.

Donors and strategists cite the examples of former Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin and former Gov. Jeb Bush of Florida as warnings.

Bush was an early front runner having raised more than $100 million prior to his 2016 run only for his race to fall flat early on.

There are many months before the primaries kick off in early 2024, but DeSantis will need to make a decision before Trump runs away with the GOP nomination for a third time.
A massive leak of classified Pentagon documents that revealed how the U.S. is infiltrating Russian intelligence could give Putin's war effort in Ukraine a huge boost.

The intelligence breach could do damage to Ukraine's war effort, by exposing what the U.S. knows about the Russia war machine, giving the Kremlin a potential opportunity to cut off the sources of information.

The documents - while up to several months old - offer detailed insights into which Russian intelligence agencies have been most compromised, and clues as to how the United States has gleaned so much secret Kremlin information.

US intelligence on Russia is said to have been so good that Ukraine was given two days notice of a strike on a drone depot. American spies are also said to have deeply-infiltrated Russia's GRU intelligence agency - the successor to the KGB - and discovered how poorly Putin's war effort is going.

Officials say it may be impossible to track the original source of the leak because possibly thousands of U.S. government officials have the security clearances needed to access the documents.

Pentagon officials are said to be launching a huge probe into the leak. The leaked documents shared online - at least some of which are believed to be genuine - consist of photographs of printed sheets of paper.

Classified documents can only normally be printed using a secure process, which may make it easier for officials to find the source of the leak.

A massive leak of classified Pentagon documents that revealed how the U.S. is infiltrating Russian intelligence could give Putin's war effort in Ukraine a huge boost

In recent days, photos that were posted to several social media platforms showed the documents as if someone had taken them from a secure area, unfolded them from their pocket and quickly took pictures of the papers, an official said.

Aric Toler, head of research and training at the Bellingcat investigative consortium, said Saturday that the photos were posted by the Thug Shaker Central on Discord, but DailyMail.com was unable to find the group on on the platform Saturday.

A probe was launched Friday by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Justice Department as investigators are trying to quickly identify the source of the breach.

The documents, which included reports from late February to early March, also unearthed spying against allies including South Korea, Israel, Ukraine and the UK, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The CIA kept tabs on Israel intelligence service Mossad's encouragement of antigovernmental protests in Israel. And the US also learned that South Korea was nervous about arming Ukraine, suggesting the CIA is receiving information from foreign diplomats about high-level private chats taking place among their governments.

The intelligence breach could actually help Putin, and do damage to Ukraine's war effort, by exposing what the U.S. knows about the Russia war machine, giving the Kremlin a potential opportunity to cut off the sources of information

While the breach underscored America's ability to infiltrate Moscow's upper echelons, it has also sparked fears that Russian intelligence may now have a clearer understanding of exactly what the US does and does not already understand, providing an opportunity to cut off sources of information. The documents are said to offer exceptional levels of detail on Russian strategy, plans as well as on casualty numbers, suggesting the leak was not shared by Russia itself. They're said to have provided invaluable insights into Putin's planned targets, giving Ukraine advance warning of which assets the Russians would seek to attack or destroy. According to the documents, Russia has suffered 199,500 to 223,000 casualties, and 43,000 troops killed in action. The severity of the other casualties' injuries is unclear. Meanwhile, Ukraine has suffered between 124,500 to 131,000 casualties, with 17,500 fighters dying in battle. Officials did temper those figures by saying they had 'low confidence' in their accuracy. The leak comes amid speculation that a wave of classified document breaches could be being orchestrated by Russia, in what was described by a senior intelligence official as 'a nightmare for the Five Eyes' - a reference to the intelligence sharing agreement between the United States, Britain, Australia, New Zealand and Canada.

Andriy Chernyak, a spokesman for Ukrainian military intelligence, described the leaked documents as an 'operation by Russia's special services,' according to the WSJ.

'This will in no way affect our continued cooperation with allies,' he said.

However, some experts who have studied the documents expressed doubt that the breach is part of a Russian disinformation campaign.

Toler, whose investigative consortium has done several probes of Russian intelligence operations, said he believed he had traced the posting back to Thug Shaker Central on Discord, which was then reposting by users to a bigger group.

He explained that the original group has since been wiped clean, along with a bigger trove of documents.

'I really doubt this is some Russian op, so there's a good chance only a few internet weirdos saw the hundreds of documents,' Eliot Higgins, the founder of Bellingcat, told the WSJ. 'It's really only something you'd find if you were terminally online.'

The documents, which included reports from late February to early March, also unearthed probes in several other nations, including South Korea, Iran and the UK

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Friday that Kyiv decided to adopt new measures to prevent unauthorized disclosure of its military plans ahead of the counteroffensive

Now, US military officials are able to provide real-time warnings to their Ukrainian counterparts about impending strikes in exact locations, indicating exhaustive intelligence gathering in the region.

Notably, the documents covered intimate details about the spread of US military spying across the globe. Per multiple reports, this included classified information about Iran's nuclear program and North Korea's missile systems.

In Ukraine, the documents suggested a misalignment between US and Ukrainian military strategies, with intelligence reports appearing to show the US continues to spy on top military and political leaders in the region.

American officials told the New York Times that while the leak underscores the Pentagon's capacity to collect information on Russia's strategies, it remains to be seen whether their sources of information will be hampered by the revelations.

Officials told the outlet that the Pentagon has issued a swift lock down of sensitive briefing documents following the leak.

However, the scandal is already being noted as one of the most damaging national security breaches in recent memory, which may have further implications into the legitimacy of US espionage into the future.

Per the outlet, a senior Western intelligence official said the release could curb intelligence sharing between agencies, as trust over secretive information collaborations could be lost.

The intelligence breach could have a drastic impact upon the landscape of the conflict in Ukraine. US President Biden, left, is pictured meeting Ukrainian President Zelensky in February

Joe Biden, seen in Washington DC on Tuesday. His administration confirmed the leaked documents were real, but said some aspects had been doctored

Assurances over the validity of the US military's spying apparatus is set to be further disrupted by revelations that America's focus extends far beyond its Russian enemies.

Allied nations, such as South Korea, have also reportedly been the subject of spying by the Pentagon, raising questions as to the diplomatic impact the leak could have at a time of deteriorating global ties.

The documents, which were posted on social media sites including Twitter, Discord and Telegram, have also highlighted the devastating impact the war in Ukraine has had on both sides of the conflict.

Despite the Biden administration pouring almost $200 billion into the Ukrainian military, the leak revealed that its stockpiles are severely depleted and it is low on air defense ammunition.

But with Russian forces also found to be struggling, reports indicate a renewed push backed by western forces in the coming months.

One of the leaks, reportedly posted to Telegram, detailed 'a secret plan to prepare and equip nine brigades of the Amed Forces of Ukraine by the US and NATO for the spring offensive.'

The Biden administration has not denied the legitimacy of the leak, but it did claim that certain documents had been doctored.

An FBI probe was launched Friday to determine the source of the leak, however a senior official told The New York Times that tracking down the perpetrator could prove difficult because a large number of officials have the security clearances needed to access the information.

The document leak indicates that the US has been spying on Ukrainian allied officials. Pictured: A Ukrainian serviceman in training exercises in Donetsk

The documents have revealed the efficacy of US efforts to infiltrate Russian intelligence. Pictured: Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, April 6, 2023

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin pictured at the Pentagon on March 30, 2023

According to the Wall Street Journal, US officials scrambled Saturday to assess the potential fallout of the scandal.

A wide-ranging, multi-agency investigation into the intelligence breach is set to be escalated, with officials reportedly fearing that US national security matters could be significantly compromised.

On Friday, a series of documents were posted on controversial message board 4Chan that covered both the war efforts in Ukraine as well as operations in China and the Middle East.

The reports included photographs of charts of weapons that are set to be transported to Ukraine, alongside determinations into the strength of ground troops in the region.

Among the documents leaked Friday was a map depicting the impact of the war in the Ukrainian town of Bakhmut, which has been the center of fierce fighting for six months.

It was not clear if the map had been altered, as American authorities have claimed about some of the leaked information.
In September 2o22 Russia declared that four Ukrainian provinces (Luhansk and Donetsk in the east, plus Kherson and Zaporizhzhia to the south) were now Russian territory. This was a violation of international laws and agreements that Russia had agreed to. Another problem with this annexation effort was that Russia only controlled some of the territory in these four provinces. There is a fifth province, Crimea, that Russia occupied in 2014 and several years later annexed. Despite not controlling four provinces completely, all this Russian occupied territory amounts to a quarter of Ukrainian territory. .For Russia, that is bad news because Russian occupation forces are suffering from poor morale, lack of training and inability to deal with Ukrainian partisan or the Ukrainian troops massing to stage another offensive to drive the Russians out of Ukraine.

There was more bad news with the four newly annexed provinces was that the Russians still have not managed to extend their national electronic media (radio, TV and Internet) monitoring and censorship system into the annexed territories. The government agency responsible for getting this done, or not, is the MRFC (Main Radio Frequency Center). This organization is responsible for Internet monitoring and censorship as well as doing the same for radio and TV stations. The Russian occupied areas are supposed to be free of Ukrainian commercial media, like cellphones, Internet, TV or radio. Any Ukrainian caught violating this edict is subject to punishment. That did not suppress the continued use of Ukrainian media, nor did efforts to outlaw the use of Ukrainian currency and passports. Meanwhile over a million Ukrainians have been exiled to Russia and over 50,000 children sent to Russia, some to be adopted by Russian couples. Out of all this grew a growing number of armed Ukrainian partisan groups in the occupied territories, making life difficult for Russia officials and Ukrainians who work for the Russians.

MFRC tasks included changing the designation of occupied Ukrainian territory as Russian in the Russian national weather reports. That took months to take care of. Progress in other areas has been equally slow. Getting Russian state-controlled radio and TV service into the annexed territories was not only difficult but not much used by local Ukrainians. The reality is that most Russians in Russia seek some access to Ukrainian media, usually via the Internet, for more accurate news on whats really happening in Russian occupied areas of Ukraine. The MFRC efforts to impose censorship on media in occupied Ukraine was seemingly accomplished. The reality was that most of the Ukrainians were getting their information from unoccupied Ukraine. Russian censors monitor messages sent via the Internet inside Russia and in other Russian speaking areas. This indicates what popular attitudes are (especially regarding the Russian government) and indicates what censorship or disinformation should be used to deal with that. This sort of thing has been going on in Russia long before the Internet came along, as have disinformation operations. Similar tactics are used against web sites or pages on the Russian portion of the Internet. Implementing this in the occupied territories has proved a challenge. Much of this illegal behavior was taking place in closed (you had to apply for entry)) chat rooms and the dark web (sites that dont show up in search engines like Google). Manu Ukrainians in the occupied territories preferred to spend much of their time in these difficult-to-censor area. MFRC and affiliated censorship and disinformation bureaucracies were having a lot of problems with these difficult Ukrainians.
A pub-goer has been left outraged after he was charged $15.70 for a schooner of beer.

The patron bought a round of two beers while visiting El Loco at Slip Inn, in Sydney, on Good Friday without asking the price first.

He went to tap his card on the eftpos machine to pay for the drinks and thought nothing of it. He then realised after paying that he had been charged $31.55

The high price was due to a 15 per cent public holiday surcharge.

A pub-goer was left in shock after realising he'd been charged over $15.70 for a beer on Good Friday

Had he ordered the same two drinks outside of the Easter long weekend he would have paid $13.70 for each beer.

The man vented his frustration to reddit drawing a mixed reaction from social media users.

Many people said the punter shouldn't be surprised by high prices on the public holiday.

'You went to an expensive bar on a public holiday and you're shocked, shocked! at the price?' one person wrote.

'The whole weekend is public holiday rates for workers,' a second wrote.

Workers rostered on over Easter confirmed it was a good weekend for them to be working.

'Pretty glad to be working this long weekend, no temptation to go out and over-pay [for] drinks, [I get] double time plus half pay,' one wrote.

Another added: 'Same here, 16 hours at $87 an hour. Laughing all the way to the bank, well anyway, smiling after paying the tax man.'

A raft of social media users slammed the prices as too high.

'That is loco!' person wrote.

'Did you get there for unhappy hour? Prices are double,' another wrote.

'I'd be to embarrassed to admit to paying that,' a third wrote.

One person claimed they were cancelling a visit to El Loco after hearing about the prices.

'Was planning on going there tonight, but not anymore. F*** those prices forever,' they wrote.

The venue is run by Merivale, a hospitality company run by billionaire Justin Hemmes.

Several slammed the company saying its venues were known for its overpriced food and drinks.

'Its what to expect from a Merivale venue,' one wrote.

'These prices are straight out extortion. Boycott these f***ing establishments and watch them close down,' a second added.

Daily Mail Australia approached Merivale for comment.

The patron bought a round of two beers while visiting El Loco at Slip Inn, in Sydney, on Good Friday without asking the price first
Colleagues say he could resign after May budget

Former Prime Minister Scott Morrison is expected to resign from politics this year, which would leave the opposition to face another by-election for his seat of Cook.

Six Liberal party members have claimed that Mr Morrison will likely quit parliament sometime between the May budget and the end of this year.

'He [Morrison] has told people in the [Sutherland] Shire he is going after the budget,' one MP, who asked not to be named, told The Sydney Morning Herald.

Former Prime Minister Scott Morrison (pictured) is expected to quit politics before the end of this year, according to a number of Liberal MPs

Another MP said Mr Morrison would be around for the budget but leave before the end of the year.

Mr Morrison's resignation would trigger a by-election for the safe Liberal seat of Cook, which he held at last year's federal election when he lost the prime minister race to Anthony Albanese.

He held onto the seat with 62.4 per cent of the two-party preferred vote, with a 8.2 per cent swing against him.

It would be the second safe Liberal seat Peter Dutton would have to fight for after the Liberals shockingly lost the Victorian seat of Aston to Labor last week.

The previously safe outer east suburban seat in Melbourne was vacated by former Minister Mr Alan Tudge when he retired in February.

It ended with Liberal candidate Roshena Campbell conceding defeat to Labor's Mary Doyle.

It was the first time in over a century where a federal government has claimed a by-election win in a previously Opposition-held seat.

One MP has predicted a Cook by-election would eventuate soon and reveal how much the country's political arena had changed.

'If Tudge had just waited six more months on the backbench it would have been different,' they told the publication.

'After this budget the political landscape will be different, the Cook by-election will show us to what extent.'

Mr Morrison hasn't ruled out leaving politics sometime this year but says he is currently focused on his seat and supporting Mr Dutton for the time being.

'I am focused on doing my job in my local electorate, helping the parliamentary party and supporting the leader,' he told The Sunday Age and The Sun-Herald.

Daily Mail Australia contacted Scott Morrison's office for comment.

Mr Morrison's resignation would trigger another by-election for Cook, which would be the second safe Liberal seat Peter Dutton (pictured) would have to fight for after the Liberals lost the Victorian seat of Aston last week
The last living prosecutor from the Nuremberg trials - who charged 22 Nazis with murdering a million people in the largest murder trial of all time - has died aged 103.

Ben Ferencz died Friday evening in Boynton Beach, Florida, an an assisted living facility according to St. John's University law professor John Barrett.

Ferencz's death also was confirmed by the U.S. Holocaust Museum in Washington.

'Today the world lost a leader in the quest for justice for victims of genocide and related crimes,' the museum tweeted.

Ferencz's passing has cast a light on his astonishing career, which saw him take on one of the worst Nazi war crimes as his first case at the age of just 27.

Born in Transylvania, Romania, in 1920, Ferencz immigrated as a 10-month-old with his parents to New York to escape rampant anti-Semitism.

Benjamin Ferencz, the last surviving prosecutor from the Nuremberg trials in Germany that brought Nazi war criminals to justice after WWII has died at 103. Ferencz is pictured at the podium at the Einsatzgruppen Trial, Nuremburg

Ferencz, a Harvard-educated lawyer, secured the convictions of numerous German officers who led roving death squads during the war

Jews from Vinnitsa, Ukraine executed by an unknown Einsatzgruppen solider in 1941

He grew up poor in 'Hell's Kitchen.' After graduating from Harvard Law School in 1943, he joined the U.S. military and fought in Europe just in time to take part in the Normandy invasion before joining the U.S. Army's newly formed war crimes section.

Using his legal background, he became an investigator of Nazi war crimes against U.S. soldiers as part of a new War Crimes Section of the Judge Advocate's Office.

When U.S. intelligence reports described soldiers encountering large groups of starving people in Nazi camps watched over by SS guards, Ferencz followed up with visits, first at the Ohrdruf labor camp in Germany and then at the notorious Buchenwald concentration camp.

At those camps and later others, he found bodies 'piled up like cordwood' and 'helpless skeletons with diarrhea, dysentery, typhus, TB, pneumonia, and other ailments, retching in their louse ridden bunks or on the ground with only their pathetic eyes pleading for help,' Ferencz wrote in an account of his life.

Benjamin Ferencz, Romanian-born American lawyer and chief prosecutor of the Nuremberg war crimes trials, speaks during an opening ceremony for the exhibition commemorating the Nuremberg war crimes trials in Nuremberg, Germany, in 2010

Benjamin Ferencz with his wife Gertrud eating Sunday breakfast at home in Berlin, 1946

He was just 27 years old when he served as a prosecutor in 1947 at Nuremberg where Nazi defendants faced a series of trials for their crimes. He is pictured here in July of that year

Benjamin Ferencz with his wife Gertrude. Ben and Gertrude at a Hitler lookout in Berchtesgaden in Bavaria, Germany, October 1946

After graduating from Harvard Law School in 1943, he joined the U.S. military and fought in Europe just in time to take part in the Normandy invasion before joining the U.S. Army's newly formed war crimes section. Ferencz is pictured in 1943 in his Army portrait

'The Buchenwald concentration camp was a charnel house of indescribable horrors,' Ferencz wrote. 'There is no doubt that I was indelibly traumatized by my experiences as a war crimes investigator of Nazi extermination centers. I still try not to talk or think about the details.'

At one point toward the end of the war, Ferencz was sent to Adolf Hitler's mountain retreat in the Bavarian Alps to search for incriminating documents but came back empty-handed.

After the war, Ferencz was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army and returned to New York to begin practicing law. But that was short-lived.

Because of his experiences as a war crimes investigator, he was recruited to help prosecute Nazi war criminals at the Nuremberg trials, which had begun under the leadership of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Robert Jackson.

Before leaving for Germany, he married his childhood sweetheart, Gertrude.

At the age of 27, with no previous trial experience, Ferencz became chief prosecutor for a 1947 case in which 22 former commanders who led mobile paramilitary killing squads known as Einsatzgruppen that were part of the notorious Nazi SS.

The squads carried out mass killings targeting Jews, gypsies and others - primarily civilians - during the war in German-occupied Europe and were responsible for more than a million deaths including Jews, Romani and other enemies of the Third Reich in Eastern Europe.

Ferencz was in charge of overseeing the investigators examining documents in the German Foreign Ministry.

It was then when one of his researchers discovered top-secret reports from Einsatzgruppen, detailing the towns and cities that the killing squads passed through and the horrors they visited upon them.

One was marked up as a dispatch from Kyiv.

'The city's Jews were ordered to present themselves. About thirty-four thousand reported, including women and children. After they had been made to give up their clothing and valuables, all of them were killed, which took several days,' the document read.

Speaking to the Guardian, Ferencz recalled how defendant had ordered his troops: 'If the mother is holding an infant to her breast, don't shoot the mother, shoot the infant because the bullet will go through both of them, and you'll save ammunition.'

Benjamin B. Ferencz, former Chief Prosecutor for the United States Army at the Nuremberg Trials for Nazi war crimes after World War II, at his home in March 2016 in Delray Beach, Florida

Ferencz became a world renowned advocate for the establishment of an international rule of law and of an International Criminal Court

Nazi defendants including Hermann Goring faced a series of trials for crimes against humanity including the genocide known as the Holocaust in which six million Jewish people and millions of others were systematically killed.

Rather than depending on witnesses, Ferencz mostly relied on official German documents to make his case.

He seized documents and record evidence at Nazi death camps such as Buchenwald after their liberation by allied forces, surveying scenes of human misery including piles of emaciated corpses and the crematoria where untold numbers of bodies were incinerated.

'It is with sorrow and with hope that we here disclose the deliberate slaughter of more than a million innocent and defenseless men, women, and children,' Ferencz said in his opening statement at the trial.

'This was the tragic fulfillment of a program of intolerance and arrogance. Vengeance is not our goal, nor do we seek merely a just retribution. We ask this court to affirm by international penal action man's right to live in peace and dignity regardless of his race or creed. The case we present is a plea of humanity to law,' Ferencz added.

Ferencz told the court that the accused officers methodically carried out long-range plans to exterminate ethnic, national, political and religious groups 'condemned in the Nazi mind.'

'Genocide - the extermination of whole categories of human beings - was a foremost instrument of the Nazi doctrine,' Ferencz said.

All the defendants were convicted, and 13 were sentenced to death by hanging even though Ferencz hadn't asked for the death penalty.

It was Ferencz's first career case.

Einsatzgruppen Massacre: Members of a SS Einsatzgruppe (Special Task Forces) are seen forcing Jews to undress prior to their execution in 1941. Pictured, Max Epstein and his sister Lea (left of center). Skede near Liepaja, Latvia. The photo was taken by Carl Sturm

Babi Yar is a ravine in the Ukrainian capital Kiev and the site of a series of massacres carried out by German forces and local Nazi collaborators during their campaign against the Soviet Union. The most notorious and the best documented of these massacres took place on 29A30 September 1941, wherein 33,771 Jews were killed in a single operation

33,771 Jews were killed in a single operation. The decision to kill all the Jews in Kiev was made by the military governor, Major-General Kurt Eberhard, the Police Commander for Army Group South, SS-Obergruppenfuhrer Friedrich Jeckeln, and the Einsatzgruppe C Commander Otto Rasch. It was carried out by Sonderkommando 4a soldiers, along with the aid of the SD and SS Police Battalions backed by the local police

The Einsatzgruppe massacre was the largest single mass killing for which the Nazi regime and its collaborators were responsible during its campaign against the Soviet Union and is considered to be the largest single massacre in the history of the Holocaust up to that particular point in the war of September 1941 - although worse was to tome

The Einsatzgruppen massacres began in June 1941, shortly after Germany invaded the Soviet Union. The Einsatzgruppen followed the German army into Soviet territory and were tasked with identifying and killing perceived enemies of the Reich, including Jews, political commissars, and Soviet officials

'At the beginning of April 1948, when the long legal judgment was read, I felt vindicated,' he wrote. 'Our pleas to protect humanity by the rule of law had been upheld.'

With the war crimes trials winding down, Ferencz went to work for a consortium of Jewish charitable groups to help Holocaust survivors regain properties, homes, businesses, art works, Torah scrolls, and other Jewish religious items that had been confiscated from them by the Nazis.

He also later assisted in negotiations that would lead to compensation to the Nazi victims.

The trials were controversial at the time but ended up being hailed as a milestone on the path toward establishing international law and holding war criminals accountable in even-handed trials.

'What was most significant about it was it gave us and it gave me an insight into the mentality of mass murderers,' Ferencz said in a 2018 interview with the American Bar Association.

'They had murdered over a million people, including hundreds of thousands of children in cold blood, and I wanted to understand how it is that educated people - many of them had PhDs or they were generals in the German Army - could not only tolerate but lead and commit such horrible crimes.'

After the Nuremberg trials, Ferencz worked to secure compensation for Holocaust victims and survivors.

In later decades, Ferencz championed the creation of an international court which could prosecute any government's leaders for war crimes, a goal realized with the establishment of an international tribunal that sits in The Hague, Netherlands.

In 1998, 120 countries adopted a statute in Rome to establish the International Criminal Court in The Hague, which came into force in 2002, though its effectiveness has been limited by the failure of countries like the United States to participate.

At age 91, he took part in the first case before the court by delivering a closing statement in the prosecution of accused Congolese warlord Thomas Lubanga Dyilo, who was convicted of war crimes.

Benjamin Ferencz attends an award ceremony to honor World War II veterans in New York City in July 2015

Benjamin Ferencz speaks during a remembrance ceremony to honor the victims of the Holocaust and Nazi persecution, at the US Capitol in April 2018

Over the years, Ferencz was critical of actions by his own country including during the Vietnam War. In January 2020, he wrote an opinion piece in the New York Times calling the U.S. killing of a senior Iranian military leader in a drone strike an 'immoral action' and 'a clear violation of national and international law.'

'The reason I have continued to devote most of my life to preventing war is my awareness that the next war will make the last one look like child's play,' he told the bar association in 2018. '... 'Law, not war' remains my slogan and my hope.'

Ferencz was also a significant donor to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum established in Washington.

'Today the world lost a leader in the quest for justice for victims of genocide and related crimes. We mourn the death of Ben Ferencz-the last Nuremberg war crimes prosecutor. At age 27, with no prior trial experience, he secured guilty verdicts against 22 Nazis,' the U.S. Holocaust Museum said in a post on Twitter.

Ferencz is survived by a son and three daughters. His wife died in 2019.

Ferencz is survived by a son and three daughters. His wife died in 2019
A controversial Labour Party attack advert claiming Rishi Sunak does not think child sex abusers should go to prison was hatched in an attempt to neutralise headlines describing Sir Keir Starmer as Sir Softy for his record on crime, insiders have told The Mail on Sunday.

Senior Labour figures were today still trying to defend the tweet in which an image next to a picture of the Prime Minister read: Do you think adults convicted of sexually assaulting children should go to prison? Rishi Sunak doesnt.

Deploying Ministry of Justice data, it said that under the Tories, 4,500 adults convicted of sexually assaulting children under-16 served no prison time. Despite a chorus of disapproval from Labour and Conservative MPs, Shadow Attorney General Emily Thornberry said critics of the social media post were wrong.

Last night, it was reported that Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper had not been informed or consulted about the advert  despite being in overall charge of crime policy.

Labour sources told The Observer that Ms Cooper and most of the Shadow Cabinet had been caught unawares when it was released on social media.

The controversial Labour Party attack advert claiming Rishi Sunak does not think child sex abusers should go to prison was hatched in an attempt to neutralise headlines describing Sir Keir Starmer as Sir Softy

The image next to a picture of the Prime Minister read: Do you think adults convicted of sexually assaulting children should go to prison? Rishi Sunak doesnt

Insiders said the poster had been produced as part of a policy push by Shadow Justice Secretary Steve Reed. Ms Coopers intervention triggered fury within Labour.

A Labour insider said: This is sheer cowardice from a serial failure who should have left frontline politics long ago. If Yvette disagrees so strongly with pointing out the Tories dismal record on crime, she knows where the door is. She still has delusions of being leader, but leaders dont stab people in the back.

This newspaper understands that senior party figures were enraged by stories last month about the Labour leaders career as a lawyer, which overshadowed a speech by him on anti-social behaviour.

One report highlighted the case of Tajay Thompson, 26, who served half of a 15-month sentence for drug dealing and was set to be deported back to Jamaica in early 2020.

But after his flight was grounded by a legal challenge, when the future Labour leader campaigned against it, Thompson went on to beat two women. In one case in South London, he threw a 27-year-old woman with learning difficulties to the ground, then stamped on her, breaking her ribs before robbing her of 10.

The victims mother was quoted as saying: Keir Starmer should be ashamed of himself. If that man had been deported he could never have done this to my daughter.

It is understood senior Labour figures were so furious about the stories  and Sir Softy headlines  they decided to go on the front foot with the child abuse tweet.

Labour MPs are pointing the finger at Morgan McSweeney, Labours campaign director, for the campaign. He is seen as Sir Keirs most influential adviser and has devised the Operation Trident strategy, a triple-pronged approach to getting him into No 10 that has three distinct phases  changing the Labour Party, introducing Sir Keir personally to the public, then setting out Labours agenda.

Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper had not been informed or consulted about the advert  despite being in overall charge of crime policy

Shadow Ministers have also expressed concern about the role of Deborah Mattinson, Sir Keirs director of strategy, arguing that she is overdependent on focus groups. Labour former Home Secretary David Blunkett told the Mail: My party is better than this... when baseless allegations and spurious slurs replace fair and robust political debate, the foundations of our democracy are compromised.

But Ms Thornberry told the BBC: I heard a lot of people who I like and respect saying they felt very uncomfortable about it. Some people said that they thought it was racist. I think theyre wrong.

Asked if she genuinely thinks Mr Sunak held these views, Ms Thornberry said: If he believes that everyone responsible for child abuse should get a custodial sentence, why are so many not getting a custodial sentence? He is the Prime Minister and that is a legitimate question for the Opposition to ask.

Tory MP Laura Trott questioned Sir Keirs integrity, calling him a political opportunist whos just not fit to lead the country.

In 2012, when Sir Keir was Director of Public Prosecutions, he admitted that a generation of girls had been betrayed by the justice systems flawed approach to sexual exploitation.

A Labour source said: The adverts were signed off collectively above staff level.
Grandparents barred from seeing their grandchildren during Covid-19 lockdowns were twice as likely to suffer depression as a result, a major new study shows.

Researchers found the lack of access doubled the chances of a decline in mental health compared to those allowed to stay in touch with their families.

The findings, by researchers from University College London, highlight the enormous psychological toll lockdown measures had on fractured family units.

Lonely older couples unable to see or hug grandchildren had worse mood, poorer quality of life and lower life satisfaction scores.

Many had been providing regular childcare before the pandemic struck. But more than a third of those forced to stop looking after grandchildren reported high rates of depression as a result.

Grandparents barred from seeing their grandchildren during Covid-19 lockdowns were twice as likely to suffer depression as a result, a major new study shows

The charity Age UK last night said the research confirmed that the sudden loss of contact had a huge emotional impact on tens of thousands of grandparents.

We know grandparents and grandchildren thoroughly enjoy spending time with each other, said director Caroline Abrahams.

It was a big blow when direct contact had to be restricted for fear that children would pass the virus on to their grandparents.

Getting the balance right between protecting their physical health and their mental health was a constant struggle.

The study, which looked at how lockdown affected about 2,500 grandparents across England, focused on the first nine months of the pandemic, in 2020.

In March that year, then Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered the country to stay at home and grandparents were told not to look after their grandchildren or have any contact with them.

Although some rules were relaxed that summer, restrictions still meant many grandparents were denied contact. Some went several months without being able to enjoy their grandchildrens company.

In September 2020, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said in a radio interview aimed at a young audience: Dont kill your gran by catching coronavirus then passing it on.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered the country to stay at home and grandparents were told not to look after their grandchildren

But fears that the measures would harm mental wellbeing appear to be supported by the latest study, published in the Journal of Gerontology. Researchers quizzed grandparents across England to first assess how lockdown policies had affected their involvement in childcare. They then assessed their mental health.

More than half those taking part in the study had been providing regular care for their grandchildren before Covid-19 struck.

About 10 per cent had to stop completely during the first nine months of the pandemic. Another 22 per cent had to cut back due to government-imposed restrictions.

Those with no contact at all were twice as likely to show signs of depression, 40 per cent more likely to report a decline in their quality of life and 56 per cent more at risk of lowered life satisfaction.

In a report, researchers said: If physical distancing remains a core strategy to protect higher-risk individuals in future pandemics, attention should be paid to the mental health of older people who may suffer from the loss of their roles.

Ms Abrahams said: The pandemic brought home to many of us that we are social animals and the bonds between grandparents and their grandchildren are incredibly precious.
All state schools in England could close in the biggest series of strikes on record, as a fourth teaching union rejected a Government pay offer.

Millions of pupils face months of turmoil after the NASUWT teaching union voted to turn down the deal yesterday. It became the final union to reject the offer  and vowed to re-ballot members in a bid to launch fresh strikes.

The rejection sets the stage for the biggest series of summer-term walkouts to hit the education sector since the 1980s.

Five days of strike action have already been announced by the National Education Union (NEU) in the summer, with the first to take place on April 27 and May 2.

Patrick Roach, NASUWT general secretary, said all state schools in England would close if unions were to launch coordinated strike action.

All state schools in England could close in the biggest series of strikes on record, as a fourth teaching union rejected a Government pay offer. Pictured: The picket line outside St. Andrew's RC Secondary School, in Glasgow, March 1

I think it is inevitable, in terms of teaching staff, he said.

Asked if it could be the biggest on record, Mr Roach said: Together with the four days already taken, yes. Nine days... Thats a lot of action.

He added: The Governments pay offer failed to come close to addressing the concerns over pay and working conditions of teachers and this has rightly been rejected by our members.

[Education Secretary] Gillian Keegan has said that she is willing to negotiate. She must now demonstrate that she means what she says by getting back around the negotiating table to find a resolution to our dispute.

The union, which represents 280,000 teachers across the UK, said 87 per cent of members rejected the deal and 77 per cent said they would back industrial action.

After a period of intensive talks with education unions, the Government offered teachers a 1,000 one-off payment for the current school year and an average 4.5 per cent rise for staff next year.

The deal also included Ofsted reforms which would have given heads greater clarity on when to expect their next inspection.

Patrick Roach (pictured), NASUWT general secretary, said all state schools in England would close if unions were to launch coordinated strike action

The offer was labelled insulting by the NEU, while unions ASCL and NAHT also rejected the deal. The NEU is also preparing for strikes in the autumn, if it secures a mandate from members for six more months of industrial action.

Last week, Ms Keegan said: After costing children almost a week of time in the classroom and exams approaching, it is extremely disappointing that the NEU have called more strike action.

A Department for Education spokesman added: The decisions to reject this offer will simply result in more disruption for children and less money for teachers today.
Eco-activists from two militant campaign groups are plotting to disrupt the King's Coronation, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

An undercover investigation has exposed vegan extremists at Animal Rebellion who are planning to target next month's Coronation as part of a summer of chaos.

Separately, a Government source last night warned of alarming intelligence that a second plot is being hatched by activists at the larger Extinction Rebellion group.

It is believed to involve hurling green paint at King Charles III and the Coronation procession.

Police and security agencies are understood to have held a series of meetings in recent weeks in a bid to thwart demonstrators.

An undercover investigation has exposed vegan extremists at Animal Rebellion who are planning to target next month's Coronation as part of a summer of chaos. Pictured: Activists are detained after they jump in front of the Trooping Colour Parade last year

'We're assessing all contingencies and we are aware that environmental protesters are seeking to disrupt the King's Coronation,' a Government source told the MoS.

'We will ensure that all necessary measures are taken to stop their disreputable action.'

The threat posed to the historic event  which will be watched by TV viewers around the world  comes after the MoS last week exposed a plot by more than 100 Animal Rebellion activists, who claim horse racing is 'animal abuse', to sabotage the Grand National next weekend.

An undercover reporter secretly filmed activists as they explained how they would use ladders and boltcutters to storm security fences before the race at Aintree, in Liverpool, then glue themselves together and sit on the course.

But during the training day in East London, senior activist Rose Patterson also revealed the Grand National was just the first of a series of events, including the Coronation, that the group will target.

She said: 'There are some other big cultural events throughout the summer that basically we're going to be disrupting', adding: 'I think the Coronation as well.'

The group has a track record of targeting the Royals. At last year's Trooping the Colour  held during the Platinum Jubilee celebrations  at least eight activists ran into the path of the Massed Bands of the Household Division.

Animal Rebellion ringleaders have vowed to press ahead with their bid to derail the Grand National  despite the MoS passing its evidence of their conspiracy to Merseyside Police Pictured: Animal Rebellion training session in March

Government sources believe fanatics at Extinction Rebellion  a much larger group notorious for closing major roads  have also drawn up 'sophisticated' plans to disrupt the Coronation weekend on May 6, 7 and 8.

It is believed details of the plot were leaked to the authorities by a whistleblower within the group. The protesters are understood to be planning to target Royals directly in a bid to grab global headlines. This comes despite Extinction Rebellion's promise to end its disruptive demonstrations.

Organisers of the Coronation are planning a series of processions through Central London involving members of the Royal Family on the Saturday.

This will be followed by a 'big lunch' and concert at Windsor Castle on the Sunday, and a day of volunteering events on the bank holiday Monday. John O'Connor, a former Metropolitan Police commander, last night said police face an 'impossible' task.

'To know that it is going to happen and to know where it is going to happen are two different things. I think they have got a big problem on their hands,' he added.

Police officers remove people who ran into the path of the royal procession on The Mall, London, in June last year

Dai Davies, a former head of Royal protection for Scotland Yard, last night urged the Met to target the ringleaders of the plots before the Coronation. 'We've got to look at legislation to see if there are any preventative strategies that we could do to take some of the leaders out, if there is evidence,' he said.

Meanwhile, defiant Animal Rebellion ringleaders have vowed to press ahead with their bid to derail the Grand National  despite the MoS passing its evidence of their conspiracy to Merseyside Police.

The group held a Zoom meeting last Wednesday, with activists urged to protest outside Aintree from 9.30am on Saturday.

One of the ringleaders, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said activists would be 'attempting to come between them [horses] and harm on the track'.

In a tweet on Friday, the group said it is 'going to cancel the Grand National'.

Merseyside Police last night said it would respond 'robustly' to any disorder at the course.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: 'People can be confident the Met has in place a proportionate policing plan for the Coronation.'

An Extinction Rebellion spokesman said: 'Extinction Rebellion has no plans to disrupt the Coronation, so we're intrigued how this rumour came about.

'Everyone in Extinction Rebellion is flat out planning for a four-day protest outside the Houses of Parliament starting on April 21 so no one in our ranks has time to focus on the Coronation.'
It was probably inevitable that the King would eventually disagree with the bishops about his laudable desire to be a broad 'Defender of Faith'. And the Coronation was always likely to be the issue over which the difficulties would arise.

In general, Christians and non-Christians wish to welcome and honour the other religions that have grown so greatly in this country. We have much to learn from them, and we have much in common with them. That is why their followers have prospered and risen to high office there.

There is no point in strife and antagonism, and every point in tolerance and generosity. So far, so good. But, despite a growing number of non-believers, and the collapse of many church congregations, this remains a Christian country in several important respects. Our law is founded on Christian precepts. A stone figure of Christ stands on top of the Law Courts in London. Our music, education, literature and architecture are rooted in Christian ideas. Perhaps above all these things, the thousand-year-old rite by which the King will be crowned is steeped in the Christian religion. It would be foolish and crabby to refuse any change in this mighty ritual, and the inclusion in the congregation of a much wider cross-section of the population is obviously right and good.

The representatives of non-Christian faiths, likewise, should most certainly be welcomed prominently among the congregation and in the procession.

But their participation in the actual prayers, apparently the subject of a dispute between Church and King, is a much larger issue.

It was probably inevitable that the King would eventually disagree with the bishops about his laudable desire to be a broad Defender of Faith' (pictured at York Minster on April 6)

Different faiths exist among us because their adherents wish them to be different.

It could be argued that the successful tolerance of this country  rightly encouraged by the King  is a direct consequence of its continuing Christian nature. If we cease to be Christian, for whatever reason, will that tolerance survive?

Labour's poisonous tactics are proof it's the Nasty Party

Has Sir Keir Starmer's Labour Party chosen to become the Nasty Party? Its use of American-style attack advertisements  especially one accusing Rishi Sunak personally of being soft on paedophiles  is a dangerous and worrying development.

Absurdly portraying itself as the 'party of law and order', which it absolutely is not, Labour has taken a very low road. Even its own top deck are shocked, with several leading Labour thinkers attacking the advertisements, including figures on the hard-Left such as John McDonnell.

One of Labour's wisest and most senior grandees, Lord Blunkett, wrote in yesterday's Daily Mail that 'it is deeply offensive to get down in the gutter to fight politics in this way'. He has also pointed out the ignorant absurdity of suggesting that the Prime Minister has personal direct control of the sentences passed on convicted criminals in the courts. Nobody who understands the deep separation of powers between politicians and judges could seriously make such a claim. There is no excuse for this foolishness among educated people, especially when the party leader is a former Director of Public Prosecutions, who knows these things better than most.

Absurdly portraying itself as the 'party of law and order', which it absolutely is not, Labour has taken a very low road. Even its own top deck are shocked

There are signs that the campaign may be rooted in Labour anger, and perhaps actual personal fury on the part of Sir Keir, over media attacks on his own career as a lawyer. This could explain why the Shadow Attorney General, Emily Thornberry, tried to defend this ugly propaganda on Friday night.

As we see so often in the US, the temptation to go negative is strong, especially when you are in trouble and you are slipping in the polls. But experience shows that it is just as likely to blow up in your face as it is to work.

Sir Keir has done himself and his party grave damage. He has poisoned the wells of debate. He should withdraw the campaign and admit his error.
A master's degree in "Queer Performance" offered by a higher education college in Kent has divided opinion with critics calling it a 'Mickey Mouse degree'.

The Rose Bruford College in Sidcup, known for star acting alumni including Gary Oldman and Tom Baker, plans to run the postgraduate course from September 2023, charging 11,000 for the 15-month course.

The course is billed as the 'first and only MA of its kind to focus on queer performance, [offering] broad training in a range of queer performance practices, delivered by renowned queer artists, theatre-makers, academics, and researchers'.

The hybrid course, which will cost international students 18,000, asks for 'good Honours Degree (usually a 2.1)' in a related area to apply, and welcomes students with an interest in making performances, or as a researcher, critic, facilitator or producer.

Conor Holohan, campaign manager at the Taxpayers' Alliance, told The Telegraph the degree would not offer young people the skills needed in the job market: 'Far too many Brits are taking up Mickey Mouse courses like these with few economic prospects.'

Danny La Rue as the Merry Widow Twanky in Aladdin at the London Palladium

The course is broken up into four modules, including "Thinking Queerly", "Creatures of the Night", "Queer Dramaturgies" and an independent research project.

'Acclaimed scholar of drag' Stephen Farrier, who has much experience in PhD supervision in the areas of gender, sexuality, queerness and identity, according to his profile, will take a leading role on the course.

The Common Sense Group of Tory MPs warn the degree would be a waste of money. Sir John Hayes, who heads the group, said: 'Danny LaRue, Paul O'Grady and my particular favourite Barry Humphries didn't need a degree to know how to dress and perform as a woman'.

Actor David Cann warned that specialising in a 'particular style of work' would limit career opportunities when the styles evolved or 'went out of fashion'.

The exact value of different courses is hard to measure.

In 2021, the Conservative party approved a 50% funding cut for arts and design courses, promising to rechannel money towards STEM subjects.

The same year, the party announced a 4m Latin Excellency Programme to increase uptake at GCSE level.

But student loan debt has been a costly challenge for the government. 140bn was owed pre-pandemic and different initiatives have been pitched to push students into jobs that will put them above the minimum repayment threshold.

This was made worse by the pandemic, after which three quarters of recent grads noticed a fall in the number of available opportunities.

Just before the pandemic, nearly a fifth of 2017/18 graduates surveyed studied subjects in the creative arts.

They were more likely to be unemployed than the general population of graduates, with 5.4 per cent still unemployed 15 months after graduation - compared to 5.1 per cent on average.

The Rose Bruford College is a renowned performing arts institution in Sidcup, Kent

Gary Oldman, Rose Bruford alum, attends the premiere of Slow Horses in London in 2022

MailOnline reached out to the college for comment.
A terrace house in London was yesterday revealed to be at the heart of a $1.2 billion sanction-busting sales business to Russia.

Financial records appear to show shipments of laptops, mobile phones and microchips have been repeatedly sent from a business registered at the unassuming property in Enfield, North London, since Vladimir Putins illegal invasion of Ukraine began last year.

The exports, made by Mykines Corporation LLP, include brands ranging from Huawei to Intel, Apple and Samsung. Last night, the man who rents the 350,000 two-storey house said he wasnt even aware the modest property had been used as a business address.

Giving his name as Mickey, he told The Mail on Sunday: I have been renting this address for around 11 months, so this is a bit of a shock.

The house is owned by a Cyprus-based entrepreneur and the company at the centre of the scheme is controlled by a 53-year-old Ukrainian man.

Tech shipments: The modest property in Enfield, North London at the heart of a $1.2 billion sanction-busting sales business to Russia

At least 32 active or inactive companies have been registered at the address, with one even named Russian Trading Company Ltd.

The shipments were discovered by a Madrid-based expert on analysis of customs flows who passed his findings on to the Financial Times.

They show that a large volume of high-end microchips, telecoms equipment and servers, which have the potential to support Russian infrastructure, have been shipped through other countries, largely China, avoiding sanctions.

According to the FT, Mykines appears to have arranged the sale of about $1.2 billion of electronics into Russia since the invasion of Ukraine.

Records show Mykines is also closely linked to a company called Merlion group, which is one of the largest tech firms in Russia with an annual turnover of more than 4 billion.

Merlion is owned by three Russian oligarchs who appear in Forbes list of 200 wealthiest Russians with a combined net worth of 1.6 billion. Two of them have been sanctioned by Ukraine for material or financial support for the war.

Yesterday, a UK Government spokesman said: All businesses registered in the UK are bound by law to comply with the Russia Sanctions regime. We take potential breaches very seriously, but do not discuss the details of how we enforce trade sanctions for specific cases.
A trove of classified documents leaked this week have revealed that a Russian mercenary group is operating in Haiti - under the United States' nose.

The terrifying group went viral in 2022 after a video of members beating a deserter to death with a sledgehammer spread online, has allegedly offered to help Haiti's embattled government take on violent gangs, the documents detailed.

The Wagner group has already established a foothold for Russia in at least half a dozen African countries in addition to ties in Turkey and Syria.

While the Kremlin's depleted military capacity was exposed in the intelligence breach, the mercenary group appeared to remain a powerful force.

Officials say it may be impossible to track the original source of the leak because possibly thousands of U.S. government officials have the security clearances needed to access the documents.

A trove of classified documents leaked this week have revealed that a Russian Wagner mercenary group is operating in Haiti - under United States' nose

Founder of Wagner private mercenary group Yevgeny Prigozhin admitted that he founded, led and financed the group last year after he denied it for years

For years, Yevgeny Prigozhin, a close confidant of Russia's President Putin, denied any connection to the Wagner Group. But in September, he admitted that he founded, led and financed the group.

He has since been the face of the group, which was had established a reputation for its extreme brutality and ruthlessness.

In November 2022, a video surfaced online that showed a former Wagner contractor Hamadi Bouta, a Syrian army deserter, getting beaten to death with a sledgehammer after he allegedly fled to the Ukrainian side and was recaptured.

The leaked documents claim that Prigozhin created an army of 22,000 of recruited freed Russian convicts in the area of Bakhmut.

The group also entered NATO territory and secretly met with 'Turkish contacts' in February, in search of weapons for the fight against Ukraine. It is not clear if they collected any weapons.

Hamadi Bouta was a Syrian deserter who was executed by the Wagner group in 2022

Wagner group has already established a foothold for Russia in half a dozen African countries

But the documents pointed to the West African nation of Mali being an outpost to acquire the weapons from Turkey.

A Wagner employee was cited in the documents as revealing there are more than 1,645 Wagner personnel in Mali.

'This is a very interesting sign that there's a degrading of their capabilities,' Candace Rondeaux, an expert on Wagner who is a senior director at New America, a Washington think tank, told the New York Times.

'Going further afield certainly suggests impact U.S. and European sanctions are starting to have on degrading the pipeline.'

WHO OWNS THE WAGNER GROUP?

Yevgeny Prigozhin, who received a 12-year prison term in 1981 on charges of robbery and assault, started a restaurant business in St. Petersburg following his release from prison. It was in this capacity that he got to know Putin, who served as the city's deputy mayor in the 1990s.

Prigozhin, 61, used his ties with Putin to develop a catering business and won lucrative Russian government contracts that earned him the nickname of 'Putin's chef.'

He later expanded to other businesses, including media outlets and an infamous 'troll factory' that led to his indictment in the U.S. for meddling in the 2016 presidential election.

Prigozhin denied any link to the Wagner Group before he acknowledged owning the company in September.

Prigozhin is a close confident of Russian President Vladimir Putin

The documents, which included reports from late February to early March, also unearthed probes in several other nations, including South Korea, Iran and the UK

WHERE HAS WAGNER WORKED?

The Wagner Group was first spotted in action in eastern Ukraine soon after a separatist conflict erupted there in April 2014, weeks after Russia's annexation of Crimea.

While backing the separatist insurgency in the Donbas, Ukraine's eastern industrial heartland, Russia denied sending its own weapons and troops there despite ample evidence to the contrary. Engaging private contractors in the fighting allowed Moscow to maintain a degree of deniability.

Prigozhin's company was called Wagner after the nickname of its first commander, Dmitry Utkin, a retired lieutenant colonel of the Russian military's special forces.

It soon established a reputation for its extreme brutality and ruthlessness.

Along with Ukraine, Wagner personnel deployed to Syria, where Russia supported President Bashar Assad's government in the country's civil war. In Libya, they fought alongside forces of Libyan commander Khalifa Hifter.

The group also has operated in the Central African Republic and Mali.

Prigozhin has reportedly used Wagner's deployment to Syria and African countries to secure lucrative mining contracts.

U.S. Undersecretary of State Victoria Nuland told members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Thursday that the company was using its access to gold and other resources in Africa to fund its operations in Ukraine.

Some Russian media have alleged Wagner's involvement in the July 2018 killings of three Russian journalists, who were shot dead in the Central African Republic while investigating the group's activities there. The slayings remain unsolved.

WHAT IS THE GROUP'S REPUTATION?

Western countries and United Nations experts have accused Wagner Group mercenaries of committing numerous human rights abuses throughout Africa, including in the Central African Republic, Libya and Mali.

In December 2021, the European Union accused the group of 'serious human rights abuses, including torture and extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions and killings,' and of carrying out 'destabilizing activities' in the Central African Republic, Libya, Syria and Ukraine.

Some of the reported incidents stood out in their grisly brutality.

A 2017 video posted online showed a group of armed people, reported to be Wagner contractors, torturing a Syrian man, beating him to death with a sledgehammer and cutting his head before mutilating and then burning his body. Russian authorities ignored requests by the media and rights activists to investigate the killing.

WHAT IS WAGNER'S ROLE IN UKRAINE?

The Wagner Group has taken an increasingly visible role in the war in Ukraine as regular Russian troops suffered heavy attrition and lost control over some previously captured territory in a series of humiliating setbacks.

Prigozhin claimed full credit this month for capturing the Donetsk region salt-mining town of Soledar and accused the Russian Defense Ministry of trying to steal Wagner's glory. He said Wagner was spearheading the attack on the city of Bakhmut, a nearby Ukrainian stronghold that Russian forces have tried to win for months.

Prigozhin has toured Russian prisons to recruit fighters, promising inmates pardons if they survived a half-year tour of front-line duty with Wagner. He posted a video in which he congratulates the first group of convicts that received official pardons and the right to leave the company.

The U.S. estimates Wagner has about 50,000 personnel fighting in Ukraine, including 10,000 contractors and 40,000 of the convicts the company enlisted.

The U.S. assesses that Wagner is spending about $100 million a month in the fight and has taken delivery of weapons from North Korea, including rockets and missiles.
Sara Pascoe feared that she would ruin her career when she reported a male celebrity for the alleged rape of a fan, it has emerged.

The comedian, 41, made the 'risky' decision to notify her bosses after a fan told her that the celebrity was 'my rapist'.

Sara told The Mirror she wants to feel 'positively' about speaking up, despite having feared the report could make her 'unemployable'.

The 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown star added that alleged victims of sexual assault or harassment should be 'listened to and respected', adding that she wants comedians to 'be a team' so that everyone can 'feel safe enough' to speak up.

Sara Pascoe (pictured) feared that she would ruin her career when she reported a male celebrity for the alleged rape of a fan

The comedian (pictured) , made the 'risky' decision to notify her bosses after a fan told her that the celebrity was 'my rapist'. She said she wants to feel 'positively' about speaking up, despite having feared the report could make her 'unemployable'

Sara claims she reported the allegations after a fan informed her that an unnamed male celebrity had raped her.

She said speaking up against alleged assault is a 'risk' for anyone because it forces one to question 'what if I make myself unemployable?

The comedian also feared that bosses may choose keep employing the alleged rapist 'instead of the women who have complained about him'.

'I want to feel positively about it,' she said of the incident, adding that following the 'official channels' of reporting should lead to a 'sensible solution'.

She acknowledged that victims may stay silent because they are worried about 'causing a problem', but instead urged them to report any accusations.

Sara claims that, in theory, when an incident is reported properly officials can 'respond correctly'.

'I think what everyone in comedy would want is for everyone to feel safe enough to speak to other comedians  to ask, Has this happened to you?  then were a team,' she added.

Sara said she feared that bosses may choose keep employing the alleged rapist 'instead of the women who have complained about him'

The star also shared how when officials procedures are not followed 'you end up with a little channel of whispers' in which women warn other women to avoid an alleged perpetrator.

She noted that warning each other is the 'only little bit of safety' women have 'until official action is taken', adding that it is 'quite easy' to isolate someone who is 'not playing by the rules'.

Sara's latest remarks come just days after she opened up on her fertility issues impacting her stand-up comedy and her fear of turning down work after her baby was born.

Sara welcomed her son in February 2020, with her husband Steen Raskopoulos, through IVF. But before giving birth, she had struggled to conceive and centred a lot of her comedy around being infertile.

After having her baby, she then changed her material to reflect being a mother, admitting to being 'complex'.
There is unlikely to be much in the way of ceremony, but at the end of this month a hugely significant moment in our national story will occur.

A lorry will deliver the very last sack of traditional house coal to a British home. Then, from May 1, it will be illegal to sell that oldest, dirtiest energy source to households.

This won't quite mean the end of 'real' home fires, as it will still be legal to sell anthracite  the least-polluting and highest grade of coal  along with smokeless fuels manufactured from coal.

But, in many ways, that last coal delivery will mark the final chapter in the story of an industry that has been central to British history.

Writer George Orwell said that 'our civilisation is founded on coal'. How true. Coal fuelled the Industrial Revolution, underpinned the British Empire and powered the Royal Navy.

The fuel that has kept Britons warm since at least the 2nd Century  according to analysis of the hearths of Roman villas in Northumberland  has quietly been all but removed from our national life. Undated photo shows a little boy helping his father to deliver coal

A lorry will deliver the very last sack of traditional house coal to a British home. Then, from May 1, it will be illegal to sell that oldest, dirtiest energy source to households. Pictured: A truck losing its load in London in an undated photo

It will also for ever be associated with miners and their communities, who endured the dangers and appalling nature of the job.

Disasters such as Aberfan, as well as Margaret Thatcher's fight against Arthur Scargill's striking miners in the 1980s, are seared into our collective memories.

Now, King Coal no longer reigns supreme. Last Friday, none of the electricity produced in this country derived from coal, and the last coal-fired power station is due to be closed next year.

The fuel that has kept Britons warm since at least the 2nd Century  according to analysis of the hearths of Roman villas in Northumberland  has quietly been all but removed from our national life. There is no other example in history of a fuel experiencing such a rapid and complete demise.

However, no one should mourn its passing too much. It isn't just the carbon emissions, which for coal-burning power stations are twice as high, kilowatt hour for kilowatt hour, as for gas-fired ones. Coal always was a filthy fuel, spewing out clouds of airborne soot and sulphur dioxide.

No one should mourn coal's passing too much. It isn't just the carbon emissions, which for coal-burning power stations are twice as high. Coal always was a filthy fuel, spewing out clouds of airborne soot and sulphur dioxide

The switch from coal-burning to gas, oil and electric heating in British homes has led to sulphur dioxide levels in the air falling by 98 per cent since 1970, and fewer soot particles no more than 2.5 micrometres in diameter by more than three-quarters.

While householders today worry about the environmental damage committed by cars and wood-burning stoves, the air was filthier back in the 1950s, before air-pollution records were kept, when London smogs blotted out almost all light. The worst, in 1952, cost at least 4,000 lives.

With less coal-burning, blackened buildings have been allowed to gleam again, and we no longer have Norway complaining that acid rain blown on the wind from Britain is killing its fir trees.

By the time I was born in the 1960s, oil, followed by natural gas, had become the mainstay of home heating. But still a pall of smoke hung over the older houses in Canterbury, where I grew up. I still associate visits to my grandparents in a Nottinghamshire mining town with an acrid smell that pervaded the countryside for miles.

Whenever we left, we would reach the A1 and realise that the grass had suddenly become green again, rather than having a rim of black powder.

A Charrirngtons lorry unloading coal onto the pavement in London. Undated photo

Yet for all the pollution, we should be thankful for coal. Whatever people say now, it transformed our lives immeasurably over the past couple of centuries.

Without it, industrialisation would rapidly have stalled as Britain ran out of water power for its mills and charcoal for its iron production. While coal picked up on the foreshore in County Durham had been shipped to London since medieval times, it was the greedy furnaces of the industrial North in the late 18th Century that really sparked off the industry.

At that time, five-sixths of the world's coal was mined and used in Britain. At the industry's peak in 1913, there were 3,024 deep mines in operation which produced 292 million tons of coal and employed 1.1 million miners.

It wasn't just providing heat and making steel  the streets and homes of Victorian Britain were illuminated by 'town gas' produced from coal.

Trains, ships and barges were almost all coal-powered until well into the 20th Century. The last mainline steam train service ran until 1968. Throughout the 20th Century, coal was the mainstay of electricity generation. And as late as 2012, it still provided nearly half of our electricity.

London housewives queue up to receive their supply of coal from the roundsman. The coalman has been supplied with an army lorry to make his deliveries during the Second World War February 1945

It is equally hard to explain to those under the age of 40 what a central role coal once played in our national political life.

The three-day week of 1973 / 74 came about because, at that time, whoever controlled the coal controlled the UK economy  and, as we found out, it wasn't Prime Minister Edward Heath.

In 1974, there were still a quarter of a million miners employed in Britain. A decade later, it was down to 130,000, when Arthur Scargill made his fateful decision to take on a much better prepared Conservative government led by Mrs Thatcher.

The stockpiling of coal at power stations, initiated by Nigel Lawson  who died last week  helped to keep the lights on throughout the year-long strike. And with gas flowing in from the North Sea, coal was suddenly in retreat.

Climate change forced former supporters of the industry into a rapid about-turn, to the point that some now see coal-mining as a crime against humanity, rather than the beating heart of the working class.

Our last deep-coal mine, Kellingley in North Yorkshire, produced its final wagon-full in December 2015. There are still a few 'free miners' in the Forest of Dean, scratching a living from digging coal from the ground, but they are never going to put the lights out.

A coalman doing his rounds in his horse-drawn cart in the Gorbals area of Glasgow circa 1960

By 2021, coal was being used to produce just two per cent of our power  and most of that was from imported stocks.

While we should be pleased that Britain no longer runs on filthy coal, there is no reason to stamp the industry into the ground and dance on its grave.

A proposed coal mine at Whitehaven, Cumbria, which was granted the go-ahead by the Government in December, was bitterly opposed by climate-change protesters, in spite of the fact it will not be producing coal for power stations or open fires, only coking coal for steel-making. At present, coal is the only commercially proven means we have for producing steel.

Mrs Annie Berry takes in her coal, which is delivered in a heap in the street. Stanleytown, Rhondda Cynon Taf,Wales, 1st March 1954

Our heritage railways, too, have been warning that they risk running out of coal as so little is now produced in Britain, and that their other main source  Russia  has been cut off.

An open-cast Welsh mine, Ffos-y-Fran, which has been producing coal for heritage railways, was due to close last autumn but won a nine-month reprieve. Another open-cast mine that could have supplied the fuel, at Dewley Hill in Northumberland, was refused permission.

Yet the quantities of coal involved in keeping heritage trains running at 25mph are tiny and of negligible importance to carbon emissions, so why put a tourist industry at risk?

Coal-mining precipitated the bang of the Industrial Revolution, but it is going out with a whimper.

We should, at least, recognise Old King Coal and its contribution to our national story and to the transformation of living standards around the world.

To catch a whiff of coal on the platform of a heritage railway is to be reminded of the singular substance that made Britain.

lRoss Clark is author of Not Zero: How An Irrational Target Will Impoverish You, Help China (And Won't Even Save The Planet), published by Forum Books at 20.
The former financial controller of the now liquidated Australian fashion brand Alice McCall has been accused of stealing more than $340,000 from the company.

Maurice Egbert, 52, is facing three charges after police accused him of making 290 payments from the firm to his own bank account in less than three years.

Police claim Egbert used false invoices to suppliers to disguise the payments made from Alice McCall, which once had 14 stores in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

The former financial controller of the now liquidated Australian fashion brand Alice McCall allegedly stole around $340,000 from the company. Alice McCall is pictured

At the time of his alleged theft, the firm was accumulating the huge debts that eventually brought it down.

The Australian fashion label went into liquidation in February owing more than $1million to its creditors.

The alleged payments were uncovered when the company's general manager Brett Robbins reviewed its expenses in April 2022, police claim.

Court documents alleged Mr Robbins saw Alice McCall's spending on stock was far higher than expected and that those suppliers were not actually being used by the company.

An internal investigation allegedly revealed the money had been paid to three bank accounts belonging to Egbert, police allege in the documents.

Court documents allege part of Egbert's job was to pay suppliers using an online portal connected to the company's bank accounts.

Ms McCall, Mr Robbins and the firm's head of operations questioned Egbert about the payments on May 5, 2022.

Egbert allegedly told them he used the money to 'support a gambling addiction' and was 'paying someone off', the Daily Telegraph reported.

Egbert was charged by the South Sydney Proactive Crime team in December and faced Downing Centre Local Court on February 13.

His lawyer Omar Juweinat told the court the police claims would need to be closely scrutinised.

'The facts are somewhat complicated and will require an analysis of the banking records together with the material available to the liquidators to determine whether the quantum is properly established,' he said.

Alice McCall suffered financially with Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns and went into administration in November 2020.

Its financial position failed to improve and the company was subsequently put into liquidation with reported debts of $1.1million.

More than half of that, $677,000, was owed to the Australian Taxation Office.

When her fashion brand was liquidated Ms McCall said: 'It is time to close the doors, making space for a new chapter in my life.

'I want to say thank you and acknowledge all the people that have worn, supported and loved the brand,' she wrote on social media.

Egbert is due to return to court in May.
The deadlocked row over the extradition to America of Wikileaks publisher Julian Assange has finally moved on with a prison visit from the Australian High Commissioner to London.

Assange, 51, who is on remand in maximum-security jail HMP Belmarsh, is an Australian national.

The move suggests Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will raise his imprisonment with US President Joe Biden at a summit in Sydney next month.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese could raise the issue of the extradition to America of Wikileaks publisher Julian Assange (pictured in 2017) with US President Joe Biden at a summit in Sydney next month

Assange is wanted in the US for 17 offences under the Espionage Act and one of conspiracy to commit computer intrusion. All relate to the leaking of 700,000 classified documents by former US intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning in 2010.

If found guilty, the father of two could face 175 years in prison. He has applied for leave to appeal the British Governments decision to extradite him.

In a separate move, more than 30 MPs and members of the Lords will tomorrow write to American Attorney General Merrick Garland warning that his extradition would have a chilling impact on journalism.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has said he is seeking to pardon a U.S. Army sergeant who was convicted of murder in the 2020 fatal shooting of a Black Lives Matter protester who pointed his AK-47 at him.

The GOP lawmaker tweeted that because the state constitution limits him to a pardon only on a recommendation by the state Board of Pardons and Paroles, he is asking the board to recommend a pardon and to expedite his request in order to pardon Sgt. Daniel Perry.

'I look forward to approving the board's pardon recommendation as soon as it hits my desk,' Abbott wrote.

Perry was convicted Friday by a Travis County jury of fatally shooting 28-year-old Garrett Foster during a July 2020 protest in Austin over George Floyd's murder. He faces up to life in prison when sentenced.

The Fort Hood Army Sgt was driving his car as an Uber that evening to earn extra cash, when he tried to get through a crowd of Black Lives Matter protesters.

One of those protesters - 28 year-old Garrett Foster - pointed his AK-47 in the window of Perry's car, with the serviceman opening fire in response and killing Foster.

Both men's guns were legally-obtained, with jurors in Austin claiming Perry had other, non-deadly means of self-defense available to him.

'Texas has one of the strongest 'Stand Your Ground' laws of self-defense that cannot be nullified by a jury or a progressive District Attorney,' Abbott said.

U.S. Army Sgt. Daniel Perry, center, and his attorney Doug O'Connell are seen walking out of the courtroom during jury deliberations in his murder trial, on Frida. Perry was convicted of murder on Friday for fatally shooting Garrett Foster, an armed protester in 2020, during nationwide protests against police violence and racial injustice

Garrett Foster is seen at the driver's window. The barrel of the rifle is pointed towards the ground, while his right arm is high with his hand seemingly placed on the grip of the weapon. His weapon and Perry's were both legally-obtained

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has said he is seeking to pardon a U.S. Army sergeant who was convicted of murder in the 2020 fatal shooting of an armed protester during nationwide protests against police violence and racial injustice

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has instructed the Board of Pardons and Paroles to recommend a pardon and to expedite his request

U.S. Army Sgt. Daniel Perry is comforted by his attorney Doug O'Connell after he was convicted of murder in the killing of Garrett Foster

Perry killed Garrett Foster, 28, who is pictured with his wife Whitney Mitchell, a quadruple amputee who uses a wheelchair

Daniel Perry, a 37-year-old Uber driver and Army sergeant, was found guilty of murder

Perry's attorneys argued that the shooting was self-defense as Foster approached Perry's car with an AK-47 rifle.

Prosecutors said Perry could have driven away before firing his revolver and witnesses testified that Foster never raised his rifle at Perry.

Foster attended the protest with his wife Whitney, a quadruple-amputee who uses a wheelchair.

The jury deliberated 17 hours over two days to reach its decision, after an eight-day trial. He sobbed when the guilty verdict was read out, and hugged his attorney. Perry faces up to life in prison.

Perry, who was charged in 2021, was stationed at Ft. Hood about 70 miles north of Austin in July 2020 when he was working for as an Uber driver and turned onto a street straight into a large crowd of BLM demonstrators in downtown Austin.

In video streamed live on Facebook, a car can be heard honking before several shots ring out and protesters begin screaming and scattering.

Garrett Foster and and his girlfriend, Whitney Mitchell, are seen at the July 2020 protest

Garrett Foster was caught on camera earlier in the evening explaining why he felt the need for an AK-47

First responders were seen preparing to transport Foster to a local hospital where he was later pronounced dead in a photograph from July 25, 2020

Witnesses said during the trial that Foster never raised his rifle at Perry - but a photograph taken at the time appears to suggest otherwise.

On Friday, a jury found Perry guilty of murder, but not guilty of aggravated assault.

Perry's defense attorneys, in their closing arguments, insisted that he had no choice but to shoot Foster five times as he approached Perry's car with an AK-47 rifle.

Prosecutors said Perry had plenty of choices, including driving away before he fired his revolver.

Although Texas is known as a conservative, staunchly-pro Second Amendment state, its three big cities - Austin, Dallas and Houston - are all very liberal.

Austin in particular is known for its progressive politics, and played host to large Black Lives Matter protests and riots during summer 2020.

Guillermo Gonzalez, prosecuting, said Perry's posts on social media showed he was vehemently opposed to protesters.

Perry also said that in Texas you could get away with shooting them.

'This is an age-old story about a man who couldn't keep his anger under control,' said Gonzalez. 'It's not about police, and it's not about protest marchers.'

Foster had been crossing 4th Street on Congress Avenue with Mitchell and hundreds of other demonstrators when a motorist sped towards the crowd and began blaring its horn. Cell phone footage captured the moment the fatal shots rang out

The scene of Foster's shooting in Austin, Texas on July 25, 2020

Gonzalez said Perry drove angrily into the crowd even though he could clearly see the protesters marching from three different angles.

The state argued Perry sped into the crowd, but that was disputed by the defense's expert witnesses who used science and data to track the speed of his car. The expert testified he was slowing down when his car entered the demonstration.

Doug O'Connell, defending Perry, said prosecutors wanted the jury 'to believe (Perry) had this evil plan when he turned right.'

'The protesters didn't know anything about Perry when they attacked the car and boxed it in,' he said.

'And Daniel had no choice, and that could have happened to anyone.'

Activists are pictured on July 26, 2020 holding a vigil for Foster, the day after he was killed

O'Connell argued that Foster was dressed for battle at the protest, including wearing a neoprene vest under his T-shirt and carrying an AK-47, a club and a knife.

Perry was wearing a T-shirt, shorts and flip-flops.

'Garrett Foster is dressed for war,' O'Connell said. 'Daniel Perry is dressed for the beach.'

When Foster was killed, demonstrators in Austin and beyond had been marching in the streets for weeks following the police killing of George Floyd.

Floyd died May 25, 2020, after a Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee against the black man's neck for more than nine minutes. Floyd, who was handcuffed, repeatedly said he couldn't breathe.

Floyd's killing was recorded on video by a bystander and sparked worldwide protests as part of a broader reckoning over racial injustice.
Actor Sophie Winkleman said she twice took her children out of school when she learned they were going to be given iPads to use from the age of six.

Speaking to The Times, the former Peep Show actress and half-sister to Claudia Winkleman revealed her concerns that devices handed out from a young age were affecting how children learned.

She said she 'immediately started looking for different schools' when she learned pupils were 'going to be given tablets, all of them from Year One to Year Six'.

Her children, Maud and Isabella, attended the exclusive 20,000-a-year Thomas's Battersea with their cousins, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, who have since left for a co-ed prep school in Berkshire.

She praised the south London institution, which charges more than 8,000 a term in some cases, but said it did not suit her children and raised concerns the use of online learning is becoming normalised in UK schools.

Sophie Winkelman (right) and her husband, Lord Frederick Windsor. Winkleman was concerned use of screens in schools is becoming 'normalised'

Prince George and Princess Charlotte also previously went to the exclusive Thomas's Battersea school - but have since left to attend another in Berkshire

'The internet is a toxic wilderness were letting children stumble through without protection,' the actor said, concerned about the accessibility of extremist content online.

Winkleman, who is married to Lord Frederick Windsor, the son of Prince Michael of Kent, rallied against the adoption of digital learning in UK schools, which she said she believed was driven by parents.

She said her elder daughter was allowed to use a tablet for a limited period on Sundays, and said that she supported a parent group lobbying to outlaw smartphones for under-16s.

UNICEF has warned too much screen-time for young people reduces empathy, as children need face time without FaceTime to develop an understanding of complex social cues.

The organisation noted exposure to screens reduces infants' ability to read human emotion and control their frustration.

A meta-analysis of studies looking at how young people watched TV and played games found the screentime was 'modestly associated' with later ADHD symptoms.

And a study of pre-schoolers found more screen time was associated with worse inattention problems. The study claimed pre-schoolers spent an average of two hours a day in front of screens.

Winkleman said in an ideal world she would combat this by setting up a school for young people in London, outlawing screens altogether - except in IT lessons, of course, and in some maths classes.

School principals Tobyn Thomas and Ben Thomas told parents in a statement: 'I do not for a minute underestimate the shocking and deeply concerning nature of this news.'

The school was informed on November 7 their new hire - who only started in his role in September - was being investigated by the National Crime Agency

The pandemic spurred research on the effectiveness of devices in class, but parents still have differing views

Others have shrugged off the worries.

The jury is out on the effectiveness of digital tools in classroom environments, though the pandemic provided a wealth of new research.

When classrooms moved online, the students who suffered the worst learning gaps were those without suitable learning environments at home or the technology to work as well as they could in the classroom.

Pre-pandemic, researchers found that there was 'no significant difference' in student outcomes - so long as students had all the resources needed.

MailOnline reached out to Thomas's for comment.
Barefoot Investor Scott Pape has given some stern advice to homeowners who were left devastated after the collapse of major building firm Porter Davis.

The building company went into liquidation last week, leaving more than 1,700 Victorian and Queensland homes in the lurch.

Liquidators Grant Thornton held a webinar for Porter Davis customers on Tuesday telling them they were trying to get new builders to take over their contracts.

Barefoot Investor Scott Pape (pictured) has recommended customers focus on 'things you can control' such as income and expenses

Thousands of families have been left devastated and questioning their future and whether they will ever be able to live in their dream homes.

One distraught customer, Colleen, wrote to the Barefoot Investor desperately asking for advice after she was left at her wit's end.

She said the experience has left her 'shocked, devastated, heartbroken, numb'.

Mr Pape shared some advice that would be difficult for some homeowners to hear warning them they will experience a difficult year ahead.

'Expect it to suck for a good year, and possibly longer,' he wrote.

'You'll be hit with increased rent, increased debt repayments, and increased costs to complete your home.'

'And it's going to take way too much time: it'll take a few months to process your insurance warranty claim, but the real time-killer will be finding another builder to take over your project.'

Mr Pape said the pain would be amplified by the rising expenses and recommended homeowners to focus on 'things you can control'.

'So, focus on the things you can control: your income, your expenses, and the most important thing of all - your relationship - in what is going to be a very tough year for the both of you,' he wrote.

He then referred to a comment from Hutchinson Builders chairman, Scott Hutchinson, about the dire situation for the nation's building industry.

'Current conditions are terrible. It's ridiculous. I have never seen it like this,' Mr Hutchinson told News Corp.

'There will be more builders going broke. There's nothing governments can do. People simply should not buildI don't think there should be any private building.'

Mr Pape responded to the alarming comment, writing, ' That's a bloody big call! Buyer (and builder) beware!'

Major building firm Porter Davis went into liquidation last week, leaving more than 1700 homes in the lurch (pictured, a partly finished home in Brisbane)

Grant Thornton liquidator Said Jahani urged customers in the webinar to be patient, saying the organisation would know within the week if Porter Davis would be sold.

'The plan was to find a builder or builders who could step in and take over contracts,' he said.

'The reality is, we just don't have the luxury of this process dragging out for weeks and months.'

Liquidators hoped they could get customers' homes built quicker if they went through insurers, with both Queensland and Victoria having state-backed warranty insurance schemes.

But Mr Jahani added that there was 'no guarantee the process could be expedited'.

To add to customer pain, he added that some people didn't have insurance and could lose their deposit.

'They fell into a gap between paying Porter Davis a deposit and not having an insurance policy until weeks or months later when a permit was obtained,' he said.

'At its extreme, it means you do not have any insurance cover, and it means that the deposit you have paid has been lost.'

About 240 customers have properties essentially ready to be handed over and liquidators were looking to quickly sort out any remaining work and receive a certificate of occupancy.

'Remaining customers whose homes were either not yet started or at lock-up stage would have to get other builders,' Mr Jahani said.

He added that Grant Thornton were looking into whether Porter Davis traded while insolvent and 'if that meant they did wrong by customers'.
A huge trove of leaked Pentagon documents suggests the US knows far more about Russia's war campaign than Ukraine's - despite funding the latter to the tune of $200 billion.

The documents, which were leaked online in recent days, portray the Russian military as struggling in their war with Ukraine, which has killed hundreds of thousands.

Intelligence agencies are believed to have comprehensively infiltrated Russia's military and its leading spy agencies, offering considerable knowledge of upcoming maneuvers, as well as insights into how badly Putin's war is going.

But the same cannot be said for Ukraine, according to the New York Times. The paper reported that 'The United States has a clearer understanding of Russian military operations than it does of Ukrainian planning.'

US officials have allegedly resorted to spying on Ukraine itself to try and get an idea of their military plans.

America also remains unsure of the total number of Ukrainian casualties - with the documents stating only that Zelensky's forces have suffered 124,500 to 131,000 casualties, and 17,500 dead.

Even then, intelligence officials say confidence in the accuracy of those figures are low.

And it's also unclear if American intelligence gathering helped Ukraine after it flagged Kremlin plans to bomb a drone depot in Odesa, days before the strike eventually took place.

Leaked documents suggest the U.S. knows more about Putin's war operations than Zelensky's, which raises questions over the $200 billion in military aid that has been sent to Ukraine

The United States has devoted most of its considerable spying resources to hindering Putin's efforts and helping Ukraine.

But its spies have also been eavesdropping on allies, including Ukraine itself, the United Kingdom, South Korea and Israel.

The Times reported that Ukraine is being spied on in the hopes of getting a clearer picture of its military strategies, to try and help maximize the effectiveness of its army against Putin.

That comes despite the US spending $200 billion on advanced military hardware and spying equipment for Ukraine, with the cash credited for helping the country successfully hold-off Russian advances far longer than anyone thought necessary.

And while support for funding Ukraine continues to have bipartisan support, news that US officials are often in the dark could raise questions over the sheer amount of resources that the White House continues to send to Eastern Europe.

Russia flagship Moskva was blown up by Ukrainian missiles last April and sunk in the Black Sea, leading to deaths of hundreds of servicemen. It was seen as a huge coup for Ukraine, whose forces have been given a steady stream of accurate intelligence on Russia that has proved devastating for Putin's war effort

The documents offer detailed insights into which Russian intelligence agencies have been most compromised, and clues as to how the US has obtained so much Kremlin information

The 100 pages of documents, at least some of which are believed to be accurate, were leaked on a Discord server earlier this year.

They've triggered panic at the Pentagon, and a huge effort to work out where the leak is coming from.

Ukraine has suggested they're not real, but Pentagon officials are said to be treating them as genuine, exposing another schism between the US and its costly ally.

They also appear to show that the intelligence services have been compromised as some reports contain daily real-time warnings on the timing and targets of Moscow's strikes - which has enabled the U.S. to warn their Ukrainian counterparts.

The documents - while up to several months old - offer detailed insights into which Russian intelligence agencies have been most compromised, and clues as to how the United States has gleaned so much secret Kremlin information.

US intelligence on Russia is said to have been so good that Ukraine was given two days notice of a strike on a drone depot. American spies are also said to have deeply-infiltrated Russia's GRU intelligence agency - the successor to the KGB - and discovered how poorly Putin's war effort is going.

While American officials have previously estimated Russian losses at about 200,000 soldiers, one of the reports indicated that there have been 189,500 to 223,000 casualties, including up to 43,000 killed in action.

Losses are believed to be lower in Ukraine, although US officials are reluctant to commit to a firm figure.

Pentagon officials are said to be launching a huge probe into the leak. The leaked documents shared online - at least some of which are believed to be genuine - consist of photographs of printed sheets of paper.

Classified documents can only normally be printed using a secure process, which may make it easier for officials to find the source of the leak.

Despite the Biden administration pouring almost $200 billion into the Ukrainian military, the leak revealed that its stockpiles are severely depleted and it is low on air defense ammunition

The documents, which were posted on sites such as Twitter, are labeled secret and resemble routine updates that the U.S. militarys Joint Staff would produce daily but not distribute publicly.

They remain online, with Twitter owner Elon Musk saying there was little point in banning information which has already been widely circulated, and which will be easily-found elsewhere even if his moderators remove it.

They are dated ranging from February 23 to March 1, and provide what appears to be details on the progress of weapons and equipment going into Ukraine with more precise timelines and amounts than the U.S. generally provides publicly.

They are not war plans and they provide no details on any planned Ukraine offensive. And some inaccuracies  including estimates of Russian troops deaths that are significantly lower than numbers publicly stated by U.S. officials  have led some to question the documents authenticity.

Assurances over the validity of the US military's spying apparatus is set to be further disrupted by revelations that America's focus extends far beyond its Russian enemies.

Allied nations, such as South Korea, have also reportedly been the subject of spying by the Pentagon, raising questions as to the diplomatic impact the leak could have at a time of deteriorating global ties.

The documents, which were posted on social media sites including Twitter, Discord and Telegram, have also highlighted the devastating impact the war in Ukraine has had on both sides of the conflict.

Despite the Biden administration pouring almost $200 billion into the Ukrainian military, the leak revealed that its stockpiles are severely depleted and it is low on air defense ammunition.

But with Russian forces also found to be struggling, reports indicate a renewed push backed by western forces in the coming months.

One of the leaks, reportedly posted to Telegram, detailed 'a secret plan to prepare and equip nine brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine by the US and NATO for the spring offensive.'

The Biden administration has not denied the legitimacy of the leak, but it did claim that certain documents had been doctored.

An FBI probe was launched Friday to determine the source of the leak, however a senior official told The New York Times that tracking down the perpetrator could prove difficult because a large number of officials have the security clearances needed to access the information.
A man is on the run after allegedly firing a gun and setting fire to a house with police warning the public to not approach him as he may be 'armed and dangerous'.

Mitchell James Wilson, 27, who is also an accused drug trafficker, allegedly threatened several people with a semi-automatic firearm in three separate incidents across Brisbane on Thursday.

Queensland Police's Detective Superintendent Andrew Massingham released photos and footage on Sunday as police desperately search for the man's whereabouts.

'I consider this man armed, dangerous, irrational but particularly unpredictable,' he said.

Queensland Police allege Mitchell Wilson, 27, threatened several people with a firearm during three separate incidents across Brisbane on Thursday. They also allege he burned down a house

Det Supt Massingham said CCTV of the incident was disturbing, and appeared to show two men in a 'life or death' struggle for the weapon

Mr Wilson is alleged to have fired a gun into the ground during an altercation with a man he knew at a business at Brendale, north Brisbane, at 2.45pm on Thursday.

Det Supt Massingham said CCTV of the incident was disturbing, and appeared to show two men in a 'life or death' struggle for the weapon.

'How no-one was shot during that incident is a big surprise to me,' he said.

Police became aware shortly afterwards that Mr Wilson's ankle monitoring bracelet had been left in Bracken Ridge, also in north Brisbane.

He had been wearing the device as part of his bail conditions related to alleged drug trafficking offences, police said.

Mr Wilson is then alleged to have ordered a woman to get into his grey Audi after he drove to a business at Mount Gravatt, south of Brisbane, later that night at 8.55pm.

Police said he approached two women, both known to him, as they left the building before he instructed one of them to come with him.

'She refused. He then returned to the vehicle, obtained the firearm and threatened both women with that firearm,' Det Supt Massingham said.

'Fearing for their lives, both women fled on foot, hiding in nearby bushes.'

Mr Wilson then allegedly fired his gun as the pair fled. Neither woman was injured.

Mr Wilson later allegedly arrived at a house at Sunnybank, south of Brisbane, with a gun and jerry can of fuel.

Police allege he threatened a resident before setting the house on fire and fleeing the scene at 9.15pm.

'How no-one was shot during that incident is a big surprise to me,' Det Supt Massingham said

Police further allege that while at the Sunnybank home, he was searching for one of the women from the Mount Gravatt incident.

The home was destroyed and a pet was killed in the blaze. No persons were injured.

Extensive searches have failed to locate Mr Wilson and police are urging him to surrender.

'I urge Mr Wilson, if he hears my message today, to make contact with police and safely negotiate his surrender,' Det Supt said.

He is described as Caucasian, about 185cm tall with a solid build, light brown hair and hazel eyes.

He is believed to be armed and should not be approached. Anyone who sees him should call triple zero.
Within the framework of the annual autism awareness campaign, which was launched earlier this month with the slogan "Towards an Autism-friendly Community", the Autism Murals initiative has been inaugurated.

This came during a live mural painting event performed by children of the Dubai Autism Centre, in which a number of government officials participated in the presence of the students parents and a number of the Board of Directors of the Dubai Autism Centre.

The Autism Murals initiative, launched by the Dubai Autism Centre under the supervision of a group of local, Arab and foreign artists, aims to transform the walls of buildings into artistic paintings that carry awareness messages about autism and reveal the talents and creativity of people with autism.

Community awareness

As an expression of support for this initiative, Hessa Buhumaid, Director General of the Community Development Authority in Dubai, said that the annual campaign for autism awareness is an important occasion to enhance community awareness of the needs of people with autism and how to respect and provide these needs, allowing them opportunities for development and better integration into society in line with the leaderships vision and direction for a friendly and empowering community for people of determination.

She affirmed that people with autism have many distinctive and exceptional abilities and talents that make them able to express their differences and desires, which gives the Autism Murals initiative a special position, because it provides us with the opportunity to listen to them and communicate with them in a way we love.

"We are participating in the initiative today in the presence of a group of children with autism from the Dubai Early Child Development Centre, which is affiliated with CDA, in addition to a number of talented and distinguished people with autism in various fields, along with their parents, confirming that they are the best ones who can efficiently carry awareness messages, and that we, as individuals and institutions, shall develop ourselves and our work methodologies to provide them with everything that would guarantee their rights to inclusion and empowerment, she added.

Unique language

Hala Badri, Director General of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), affirmed that art is a unique language that allow community members to communicate with others expressively, saying: The mission of the arts is no longer limited to the aesthetic aspect only, but its role expands to treatments as it has become integrated and accredited into different such programmes and methods that contribute to enabling individuals to unleash their creativity.

Badri added: The Autism Murals initiative reveals the importance of art and its therapeutic role. Such murals are unique in their ability to elevate societal taste, and are distinguished by their ideas and awareness messages about autism. Besides their psychological and societal effects, these murals help discover distinguished autistic talent to enable them to express themselves creatively and imaginatively to our society.

Badri expressed her happiness at the cooperation between Dubai Culture and the Dubai Autism Centre, highlighting the Authority's support for the activities of the annual campaign aimed at raising awareness of autism. The initiative also has the support of Al Jalila Cultural Centre for Children and Dubai Cultures Culture & Heritage Sector as awareness partners, embodying the Authority's commitment to its social responsibility, and contributing to strengthening its humanitarian message and supporting all community members.

Innovative means

Mohammed Al Emadi, Director General of the Dubai Autism Centre said: Since its establishment, Dubai Autism Centre has sought to enhance community awareness of autism by using innovative educational means. Our new Autism Murals initiative aims to highlight the creative skills of children with autism with the support of a group of volunteer painters who harnessed their skills and tools to participate in drawing with children with autism.-- TradeArabia News Service
Former President Donald Trump was greeted with huge cheers in Miami Saturday night as he took his seat in the front row of UFC 287 alongside organization president Dana White.

The recently indicted presidential candidate was spotted in a prized ringside seat at the Kaseya Center Saturday evening.

He joined other celebrities including Kid Rock and Mike Tyson to watch not only the main event between Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira, but also the battle between MAGA supporter Jorge Masvidal and Gilbert Burns.

Trump and White have, over the years, developed a close relationship with the UFC chief even endorsing the former Apprentice host at the 2016 Republican National Convention. The former president also has a friendship Masvidal, who retired Saturday night after his third in a recent string of losses.

Notably absent from the fight was Melania Trump, 52, who has not been seen since March 30, the night the former president was indicted.

Donald Trump poses with Dana White, Kid Rock and Mike Tyson at Saturday night's UFC fight in Miami

This is the last time Melania was seen in public, on Thursday March 30 - the evening it was announced Trump was going to be indicted by Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg

Don Trump Jr. was also in attendance at the fight night and was spotted at various points chatting with his father.

Previous reports indicate that Melania will stand by her husband, despite lingering anger at her husband for the hush money he allegedly paid to porn star Stormy Daniels to quiet a one night stand she claims they had, which Trump denies.

Melania was not, however, by his side when he handed himself over to authorities last Tuesday, nor was she there during the speech he delivered from Mar-a-Lago later in the evening.

Back in the octagon, after knocking out Santiago Ponzinibbio, Kevin Holland walked over to speak with Trump. Holland also appeared to exchange words with the 76-year-old through the cage between rounds.

Last Tuesday, Trump pleaded not guilty to 34 felony charges related to falsifying business records around hush payments, mostly made to porn star Stormy Daniels, during the 2016 presidential campaign.

The Former First lady now faces up to a year and a half of having her dirty laundry aired in public, with the world repeatedly reminded of her husbands infidelity as the New York criminal case drags on.

Nonetheless, Melanias no-show came in stark contrast to last week, when a picture emerged of the couple together with friends at Trumps Palm Beach resort, despite the recent news of his indictment and imminent arrest.

Memorably, in January 2018, days after Trumps alleged affair with Stormy Daniels was outed by The Wall Street Journal, the First Lady cancelled plans to accompany her husband to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. She blamed scheduling and logistical issues.

Donald Trump Jr. is seen chatting with his father at the fight on Saturday night

Trump was also spotted ringside with mike Tyson

Kid Rock whispers something in Donald Trump's ear

The recently indicted former president looked happy and relaxed at the rowdy event

The crowd gave the current presidential candidate a huge round of applause at the beginning of the evening

Former President Donald Trump at the UFC fight in Miami on Saturday night

#UFC287 Jorge Masvidal leads the LETS GO BRANDON chant after he announces his retirement. pic.twitter.com/EhtodCzG1I  Paint The Trump (@paint_the_trump) April 9, 2023

Last Wednesday night at the ballroom of Mar-a-Lago, three of Trump's five children - Don Jr, Eric and Tiffany - sat in the front row with their significant others: Kimberly Guilfoyle, Lara Trump, and Michael Boulos.

But Melania Trump, his wife of 18 years, and Ivanka Trump, his eldest and some say, favorite child, were noticeably absent.

Ivanka has said she's done with politics, and wishes to concentrate on raising her son and daughter with husband Jared Kushner, who was recently treated for thyroid cancer.

Trump's youngest son Barron was also missing, but the 17-year-old, who is still in high school, rarely makes public appearances with the rest of the family.

Curiously, Viktor Knavs, Melania's father, sat between the former president's two sons in the front row, a prominent perch that put him directly in the eye of the cameras.

Melania and Donald married in that ballroom in 2005. But when the former president stepped out from behind the curtains to speak to his devoted faithful, he was surrounded by security and aides, not his tall, glamorous wife.

It's unclear why she wasn't there. She's reportedly hurt and angry about the allegations that Trump had an affair with porn star Stormy Daniels but is said to be willing to support him.

'Still she isn't leaving him. This is a transactional marriage, she knew what she was getting into when she married Donald. Her means of survival is to just act like it never happened,' a former aide said of Melania's position

The former first lady's ex aide claimed Melania is indeed furious about the Stormy Daniels sex claims once again rearing their head

It starkly contrasted to last week, when, hours after the indictment was announced, Melania, wearing a bright red dress, was by her husband's side in a public show of strength. The couple dined with friends at their usual, highly visible table at Mar-a-Lago.

But Melania was left out of her husband's speech on Tuesday, in which he sang the praises of his other family members for their support. He name-checked Ivanka and Barron, his son with Melania, but not his wife of 18 years.

She was present in November when Trump announced he would seek a second term in the White House. She was never a fan of the campaign trail and is not expected to be out glad-handing voters.

Before the indictment was announced last week, a source told PEOPLE that Melania, 52, 'is leading her own life' and 'still feels happy' at Mar-a-Lago, but 'remains angry and doesn't want to hear' about the alleged $130,000 in hush money to Daniels.
Teachers ignored a five year-old boy as he lay dying in a school playground because they thought he was just playing dead for fun, a lawsuit filed by the youngster's parents claims.

Romeo Pierre Louis died at Charter Oak International Academy in West Hartford, Connecticut, in April 2022 after collapsing with a rare heart condition.

Last week, his grieving parents filed a lawsuit against the school, claiming the youngster may have survived had it not been for their negligence.

School friends of Romeo Pierre Louis attempted to alert their teachers at Charter Oak International Academy in West Hartford, Connecticut, after the little boy fell to the ground while playing freeze tag.

He appeared motionless, but staff thought the pupil was just taking part in a game called playing dead, which was popular among kids there, it's claimed.

Romeo suffered from a condition called Brugada syndrome, which can cause an irregular heartbeat. It can be treated in hospital. Romeo's parents say he could have survived if given prompt treatment, although the school's defense lawyers have yet to offer a counter-argument on the youngster's chances of survival after collapsing.

Romeo's autopsy revealed the cause of death was cardiac channelopathy brugada syndrome. The syndrome is a rare but potentially life-threatening cardiac condition that affects the normal electrical function of the heart

The parents of a five-year-old boy who died after collapsing on the playground of a school have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the school and its teachers

But that there was a critical nine minute delay between little Romeo collapsing and staff finally going over to check on him.

Only then was medical assistance summoned with 911 being called and an ambulance arriving more than half an hour later.

Earlier this week parents, D'Meza Shultz Pierre Louis and Chantel Pierre Louis, filed a wrongful death lawsuit claiming staff at the school simply ignored the situation which happened last April.

The civil lawsuit claims three teachers who were out patrolling the playground believed Romeo to be simply 'playing dead' and as a result did not react fast enough to his medical emergency.

Five-year-old Romeo Pierre Louis fell to the ground while playing tag on the school playground

Despite his friends alerting teachers, they allegedly believed he was play-acting and that they did not react fast enough

The suit for more than $15,000 in damages holds the town of West Hartford and West Hartford Board of Education liable for the school staff's inaction, suggesting that more timely intervention might have saved the boy's life, however it is unclear if this is the case.

'Romeo was allowed to collapse and lay on the ground for nearly 10 minutes without any assistance or medical treatment  despite several teachers ... being in close proximity,' the complaint states.

'By the time the teachers ... realized that Romeo was not playing dead and needed emergency medical treatment  it was too late, and Romeo's life could no longer be saved,' the lawsuit reads.

The lawsuit contends that if employees followed the town's own policies and procedures, 'Romeo would have received the necessary medical attention he needed and would have survived.'

Surveillance video footage seen by the school shows a teacher approaching Romeo and checking for a pulse almost nine minutes after he fell to the ground.

In an incident report a teacher told police how 'she was approached by students who stated to her that (Romeo) was acting strangely/playing funny/teasing.'

The report also stated 'officers were advised that the child was found by other children whom stated they at first believed the child to be pretending to sleep. The children later suspected he was not pretending to sleep and was unconscious.'

The child was then carried from the playground into the nurse's office where first aid was performed including CPR and the use of a defibrillator.

Around 35 minutes after the initial collapse an ambulance arrived and took Romeo to Connecticut Children's Hospital where he died two days later.

Romeo's father, D'Meza Shultz Pierre Louis, teared up as he told how the Lord's Prayer was his son's favorite prayer

Interim Superintendent Andrew Morrow said in a statement that Romeo's death has 'deeply affected' the school community

An autopsy revealed the cause of death was cardiac channelopathy brugada syndrome.

The syndrome is a rare but potentially life-threatening cardiac condition that affects the normal electrical function of the heart.

It leads leads to abnormal heart rhythms, which can cause sudden cardiac arrest, particularly during sleep or while at rest.

People with Brugada syndrome may have no symptoms or experience symptoms such as fainting, palpitations, or cardiac arrest but may be diagnosed following a routine electrocardiogram (ECG) or after experiencing symptoms.

'Romeo finally passed away due to heart complications. Some of his classmates and friends noticed his collapse and asked for help,' a memorial website set up by the parents explains.

'This is why we stand by the mantra, Listen to our children! We are heartbroken that because of such a delay in care after his fall, Romeo's life was ultimately taken.

Tragically, Romeo collapsed and lay dying in playground for nine minutes because his teachers thought he was playing game called 'play dead'

Loved and never forgotten Romeo Pierre Louis "Listen to our children " Posted by Sedwhyde Dumont on Wednesday, April 5, 2023

'All of our children deserve better. As a community, we must stand together to fight for their rights to safety, health, and care! We should be able to trust the individuals and institutions educating and caring for our children.'

Interim Superintendent Andrew Morrow said that Romeo's death has 'deeply affected' the school community.

'The death of a child is a devastating and unimaginable loss, and our thoughts are with the family and friends of Romeo Pierre Louis,' Morrow said in a statement.

'This tragedy has deeply affected the Charter Oak International Academy community, and the school district continues to make grief support and emotional assistance available to any student or educator who needs it.'

Earlier this week a tribute was held by Romeo's parents, family and friends on the one year anniversary of his death.

Some carried signs with the little boy's picture on while others held signs stating 'Pay attention' and 'Listen to our children.'

'We know that nothing will bring our son back,' said Romeo's mother, Chantel. 'All we can do is keep his memory in our hearts and do what we can so this doesn't happen to another child. Listen to our children.'
Victorian MPs could be paid to look for new job

A payment scheme could see departing state politicians be paid almost $300,000 as they search for a new job - with taxpayers forking out millions to fund it.

The proposal, which is before the Victorian Remuneration Tribunal, would see Victorian MPs who resign or lose an election receive a generous payout.

They would be eligible for an initial resettlement payment of $96,000 - the equivalent to six months of their annual $192,000 salary, the Herald Sun reported.

State MPs who are successful in finding work within that six month period would be responsible in advising parliament to have their payment cut off.

Those who are unable to land a new job in six months can apply for two more rounds of $96,000 payments provided they are actively looking for work.

Victorians MPs who resign or are voted out could receive up to $300,000 as they search for a new job under a payment proposal (pictured, Victorian Parliament)

There are exemptions in place for MPs who have 'medical, mental health or caring responsibilities that preclude them from obtaining employment'.

In total, a former MP could gain up to $288,000 under the proposed scheme over 18 months.

The submission was made by Deakin University to the Renumeration Tribunal, which sets the pay for politicians.

The university were commissioned by former MPs and the Victorian parliament to assess the transition out of public life for politicians.

Researchers found that state politicians struggled to get work after they resigned or were voted out.

To support them, the university recommended the payment proposal during the transition period.

Deakin's modelling suggests that if there were a high number of departing MPs in any given election, the cost to the taxpayer could add up to more than $4 million in 'separation' payments.

However, if at least 20 per cent of those waited the full six months to find a new job, it would cost taxpayers up to $4.29 million.

A separation payment system already exists, which is only provided to dependants of an MP who dies in office; an MP who does not seek re-election; or otherwise ceases to be an MP provided there is not corrupt conduct.

In their submission, Deakin researchers used interviews with former MPs to strengthen their argument for the payments.

'I was unemployed. I was the family's main income earner. All of a sudden, things that you take for granted...like paying for the mortgage...all becomes a bit shaky, so it was hard,' one former MP recounted.

The submission also detailed how mentally draining losing a seat could be.

Backbench MPs get about $192,000 per year, while Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews (pictured) is paid about $465,000 - the highest of any state leader in Australia

Departing state MPs would be eligible for a resettlement payment of $96,000. If they don't secure a job within six months, they can apply for two more rounds of payments (stock image)

'I was in such a terrible headspace that I probably wasn't applying as much as I should have been, but I don't think I was getting interviews for that reason,' one former MP told the researchers.

'I've had friends that have been in this position before over the years, when you're depressed and at a low ebb, you kind of don't get traction with potential employers, because I think there's a vibe around that,' one former MP told the researchers.

It comes as the Renumeration Tribunal considers salary increases for state politicians this year.

State MPs received a 2.75 per cent pay rise last year - the equivalent of $5000.

Backbench MPs currently get about $192,000 per year, while Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews is paid about $465,000 - the highest of any state leader in Australia.

The Remuneration Tribunal is accepting submissions until the end of this month, before it makes any decisions regarding MPs pay.
A manhunt has been launched for an escaped psychiatric patient after he allegedly doused a woman in petrol and attempted to set her alight.

Bartholemew Griffith, 25, allegedly went into a wellness centre on Salisbury Grove in Northcote, Melbourne, at 1.30am on Saturday.

Police will allege he turned the gas on in the kitchen before then leaving and later returning with jerry cans to douse the property in petrol.

Mr Griffith allegedly 'pushed past' a 52-year-old woman living at the property and she managed to lock a security door.

A search is underway for Bartholemew Griffith, an 'unpredictable' escaped psychiatric patient who allegedly doused a woman in petrol and attempted to set her alight during a burglary

Police will allege he splashed the door and the woman with petrol before flicking matches at her in a failed attempt to ignite the petrol.

He then fled the scene after allegedly failing to set the house alight.

Darebin Crime Investigation Unit Senior Constable Cameron Ashworth said his actions may have been motivated by a grudge he holds against the premises.

'Police believe that he has a perceived wrong with that location,' Sr Const. Ashworth said on Sunday.

Police later said Mr Griffith and the woman had previously attended workshops at the wellness centre although they did not believe Mr Griffith was personally targetting her.

Police allege Mr Griffith tried to set fire to the premises a day after 'absconding' from the Austin hospital at Heidelberg, in Melbourne's north-east, on Friday evening.

Police further allege Mr Griffith is an 'involuntary patient' at the Austin hospital at Heidelberg, in Melbourne's north-east, and that he 'absconded' on Friday evening

Mr Giffith was an 'involuntary patient' who may have jumped a fence at the facility to make his escape.

'His behaviour is unpredictable and we do need him to be returned tot he care facility,' Sr Const. Ashworth said.

Darebin Crime Investigation Unit detectives are searching for Mr Griffith in relation to an aggravated burglary.

They do not believe Mr Griffith is a danger to the public but urged members of the public not to approach him and instead contact triple zero.

He was last seen wearing the red jacket seen in the photos issued by police, as well as blue pants.

He was also described as 'quite disheveled with a beard'.

The search for Mr Griffith includes several outdoor locations in the Darebin area as he was known to 'sleep rough'.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Triple Zero (000).
A Melbourne family that has endured years of hardship has been struck by an unimaginable tragedy - the loss of 30-year-old Stacey Singharaj, whose young son has been left an orphan.

Having already lost his father and grandmother, the grieving family has now turned to the community to help protect the future of 14-year-old Bailey.

Stacey Singharaj, who friends described as 'the main character', had been out with friends at the Pink Hill Hotel in Beaconsfield on April 1 when the car she was a passenger in crashed into a tree on Old Princes Hwy.

Two other passengers were treated for injuries and the driver, a 30-year-old Pakenham man, was arrested at the scene. He has been charged with dangerous driving causing death.

At the time of the 'freak accident', Ms Singharaj's 14-year-old son Bailey was at the footy with his grandfather eagerly rooting for his team, the Tigers.

Friends of the family say Bailey and his mother were 'best friends'

Following her mother's passing in 2015 Stacey Singharaj was 'the rock' for her father Singh, younger brothers Jordan and Troy, and Bailey

Ms Singharaj's friend of 18 years, Lauren Ross, has since launched a GoFundMe to raise funds for funeral costs and Bailey's future care following the passing of his only surviving parent.

Upon the duo's return home, police informed them of the devastating news.

Bailey's father Zack Nicoll had tragically passed away back in 2016.

'Stacey was the one you would go to for everything, she was someone you always listened to,' Ms Ross told NCA NewsWire.

'She had an infectious laugh, was the fashionista of the group, and even after everything she'd been through she offered nothing but kindness.'

Ms Singharaj and her son also lived with her brother and father, the latter of whom was forced into retirement after receiving a cancer diagnosis in 2018.

Bailey and his grandfather Singh (second and third from left) were at the Collingwood v Richmond game at the time of the accident

Stacey Singharaj was 30 years old when she was tragically killed on April 1, leaving behind her 14-year-old son Bailey

Her mother Donna was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in 2010 and passed away in 2015, at which time Ms Singharaj 'was forced to step up and run the household'.

Ms Ross remembers the 'open and honest' relationship Ms Singharaj and her son shared.

'They were two best friends, they had such a strong relationship,' she said.

'Obviously with all the heartache that's happened in that family over the years they've had to talk about those big things.

'She was the best mum.'

The family has been doing their best to rally and support one another in the wake of the devastating news, leaning on friends and their local community for support.

Bailey's father Zack Nicoll tragically passed away in 2016

'We plan to keep Bailey in the family home with his grandfather and uncles,' Ms Ross said.

'There's a whole village around to make sure everything happens for him.

'He's a little jokester but with all the tragedy he's had in his life he holds back.

'We want to make sure Bailey doesn't have to worry about anything financially.'

So far the family's GoFundMe page has received 294 donations, raising $30,825 of its $50,000 goal.

Those wishing to donate can find the Singharaj Family's page on the GoFundMe website.
The Conservatives are locked in a major row over Scotland today after the leader of the party there told voters to back Labour at the next election.

Douglas Ross risked a split with Tory leader Rishi Sunak as he said people should 'do what's best for the country' in areas where the party is weak to help loosen Scottish National Party's grip on Scotland.

With the SNP in crisis under new leader Humza Yousaf the polls have tightened with Labour, suggesting Anas Sarwar could make major inroads.

But a Labour resurgence in Scotland could also open the door to Keir Starmer taking power as prime minister.

Last night the Westminster party slapped down Mr Ross's comments, with a spokesman saying tactical voting was 'emphatically not the view of the Conservative Party' and that voters should support the Tories 'wherever they are standing'.

Mr Ross's remarks, in an interview with the Telegraph, came at a time of crisis for the SNP in the wake of Nicola Sturgeon's resignation as first minister and party leader.

Douglas Ross risked a split with Tory leader Rishi Sunak as he said people should 'do what's best for the country' to help loosen Scottish National Party's grip on Scotland.

With the SNP in crisis under new leader Humza Yousaf (pictured) the polls have tightened with Labour, suggesting Anas Sarwar could make major inroads.

Her husband, former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell, was arrested in the investigation into the spending of around 600,000 that was earmarked for an independence campaign.

In her first public comments since the arrest on Wednesday, Ms Sturgeon said she would 'fully cooperate' with the police if they ask to interview her.

'I haven't, but I will fully cooperate with the police as and when they request that, if indeed they do,' she told reporters outside her Glasgow home, when taking questions after giving a brief statement.

SNP president Mike Russell told The Herald newspaper the party was in the 'most challenging crisis we've ever faced' during his 50 years involved.

In many seats in Scotland, it will be Labour or the Lib Dems who are seen as the most likely challengers to the SNP at the next general election.

In an interview with the Telegraph, Mr Ross said: 'The public know how to tactically vote in Scotland.

'I will always encourage Scottish Conservative voters to vote Scottish Conservatives, but I think generally the public can see and they want the parties to accept that where there is a strongest candidate to beat the SNP you get behind that candidate.

'If parties maybe look beyond their own narrow party agenda and do what's best for the country and for me as Scottish Conservative leader what would be best is if we see this grip that the SNP have on Scotland at the moment is loosened.'

But a Tory spokesman in Westminster stressed tactical voting was not the official position south of the border.

'This is emphatically not the view of the Conservative Party,' he said.

'We want people to vote for Conservative candidates wherever they are standing as that's the best way to keep Labour and the SNP out.'

Meanwhile, former prime minister Liz Truss will accuse a 'cartel of complacency' of advocating for higher taxes as she takes aim at the OECD global economic body.

Ms Truss beat Mr Sunak in the last summer's Tory leadership contest on a tax-cutting agenda before her botched economic plans spectacularly sunk her premiership, handing him the keys to No 10.

Delivering the Margaret Thatcher Lecture for the right-wing Heritage Foundation think tank in the US, Ms Truss will urge conservatives around the globe to 'mount a fight back for freedom'.

'Not content with high taxes in their own countries, we now see governments seeking to agree high taxes around the free world. I'm talking about the OECD minimum tax agreement, which will stop countries lowering things like corporation tax and becoming more competitive,' she is expected to say.

'It's nothing short of a global cartel of complacency.'
Britain's Chief Rabbi has paid tribute to the two 'much loved' British sisters who were murdered in a drive-by shooting in the West Bank on Friday afternoon.

Sir Ephraim Mirvis said that 'no words can describe the depth of our shock and sadness at the heart-breaking news'.

Sisters Maya, 20, and Rina, 16, were fatally shot as they drove to the Sea of Galilee for a family holiday from their home near Jerusalem, while their mother Lucy, 48, remains in a critical condition in hospital.

Father and husband Leo Dee, 51, who quit his job as a City investment banker to become a rabbi and move to Israel, believes that the killers will be 'brought to justice' as he prepares for his daughters' funeral today in the West Bank settlement of Efrat, where the family are based.

Paying tribute to the sisters on Twitter, Chief Rabbi Mervis said: 'No words can describe the depth of our shock and sadness at the heart-breaking news of the murder by terrorists in Israel of Maya & Rina Dee, daughters of Rebbetzen Lucy, who is in a critical condition & Rabbi Leo Dee, my dear colleagues.

'They were much loved in the Hendon and Radlett communities in the UK as well as in Israel, and well beyond. We pray for a refuah shelema for Rebbetzen Lucy and also for those injured in the terrorist attack yesterday on the promenade in Tel Aviv.'

Britain's Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis (pictured) has paid tribute to the two 'much loved' British sisters who were killed on Friday

British sisters Maya, 20, and Rina, 16, were murdered in a West Bank drive-by shooting on Friday

Sir Ephraim Mirvis said that 'no words can describe the depth of our shock and sadness at the heart-breaking news'

Mr Dee, who was formerly a senior rabbi at the Radlett United Synagogue in Hertfordshire, revealed that he traced the car down with a tracking device, where he saw his wife being airlifted to hospital but his daughters were already dead.

Speaking from his wife's hospital bedside, Rabbi Dee told The Mail on Sunday that he was travelling with other family members in a car some distance ahead when a relative called to ask if he knew 'about the shooting and if the family was OK'.

'I said everyone was fine, but when I called my wife and two daughters there was no answer.'

In panic, he turned on a Google tracking device which allows parents to follow their children's mobile phones. It led him to the Hamra settlement, 30 miles north of Jerusalem, where he saw his wife Lucy being airlifted from the wreckage.

London-born Rabbi Dee said: 'My daughters were friends of each other as well as sisters. Now we are diminished. Maya was doing national service in the south, and was passionate about helping others. Rina is what you would call an A* pupil. We were proud of them.

'My wife's condition is very serious. We are praying, and people around the world are praying, that she will get better.'

He added: 'I don't blame the terrorists as they will be brought to justice. I am more worried about the tensions between Jews in Israel. Some people think that the new religious government will suppress minority rights and become totalitarian. But this is not a risk as Judaism is about balancing love and justice.'

The Dee family left Britain in 2014, having returned there from Israel in 2008. They then moved back to Jerusalem, where Rabbi Dee is a highly respected author and academic. On leaving the Radlett United Synagogue in Hertfordshire he said: 'It has been a tremendous honour for Lucy and I to have lived in this warm and friendly community. We will cherish this period of our lives.'

Friends described the sisters as 'beautiful, kind and happy young women'.

Some 50 teenagers linked arms in Efrat, with one saying they were 'mourning and sending love and strength to the family of their friends'.

Rabbi Dee said he had lived in Israel prior to returning to Britain in 2008, but the family had missed it 'intensely' and decided to return.

'We love the Jewish state, the huge array of Jewish learning institutions, the fact that the buses stop on Shabbat, the ability to buy kosher food at any supermarket and a culture that is fully in tune with our own,' he added.

The funeral for the sisters will be held in Efrat today. Pictured: Israeli medics and police check a damaged car at the scene of a shooting

Israeli forces gather near the Hamra junction in the northern part of the Jordan valley in the occupied West Bank following a shooting attack on April 7, 2023

Israeli soldiers are seen near the scene where a shooting attack occurred in the Jordan Valley, on April 7, 2023

Israeli medics and policemen check a damaged car at the scene of a shooting attack, in the Jordan Valley in the Israeli-occupied West Bank April 7, 2023

After the attack, the Israeli Prime Minister wrote a personal tribute on Twitter for the sisters killed in the attack: 'On behalf of all the citizens of Israel, I send my condolences to the Di Mafart family for the murder of the two wonderful sisters, Rina and Maya.'

He added: 'In these moments, if the family is fighting for its life, and together with the entire nation of Israel, I pray for its safety, and we all send our condolences and strength to this dear family in this moment of great sorrow.'

READ MORE: British holidaymakers are confirmed wounded in Tel Aviv terror attack when driver ploughed into pedestrians after father watched his two British daughters get shot dead in front of him in separate horror Advertisement

In London, the Foreign Office confirmed the deaths of the two sisters and appealed for all sides in the Israel-Palestine dispute to de-escalate a situation which has seen violence flare up in recent days.

Shadow foreign secretary David Lammy said: 'I am shocked by reports of the killing of two British sisters in an appalling and cowardly attack in the West Bank.

'My thoughts are with their family and loved ones. More civilian victims of this cycle of violence show the urgent need for diplomatic efforts to de-escalate.'

The attack came amid escalating violence between Palestinians and Israeli factions in response to clashes at the Al-Aqsa mosque in East Jerusalem earlier this week.

The Israeli military initially reported that the Hamra shooting was caused by a collision between Israeli and Palestinian drivers.

Troops then said that they had found bullet holes in the Israeli vehicle and deemed it a deliberate attack.

Kan, an Israeli public broadcaster, said that 22 bullet casings were found.

In response, Israel Police commissioner Kobi Shabtai called on all Israelis with firearms licences to start carrying their weapons.

Israeli Major General Yehuda Fuchs said they were reinforcing in all sectors and would find those responsible.

Soon after the attack, a car in Tel Aviv mounted the pavement and drove into pedestrians, killing one and injuring several.

Security measures were again ramped up in response.

The Times of Israel reported that the IDF was planning to bolster the police forces as police prepared for unrest at Al-Aqsa.

An unspecified number of air force reservists including fighter pilots and drone operators were also called up yesterday.

A car in Tel Aviv overturned after driving into pedestrians and losing control on Friday

One was killed and seven were injured in the attack which took place this evening in Israel

Rockets hit Bezet and Shlomi in the north of Israel on Thursday as regional violence worsens

The attacks on Friday followed on from the Israeli bombing of Gaza and Tyre on Thursday night as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised an 'aggressive response' to rockets fired from Lebanon into northern Israel that afternoon.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the rocket attack, but an IDF spokesperson blamed Hamas, the de facto governing authority of the Gaza Strip.

The barrage, in turn, followed Israeli police storming the holy Al-Aqsa mosque compound with tear gas and stun grenades on Wednesday morning.

Violent scenes showed police using weapons to beat worshippers barricaded in the mosque, who retaliated by shooting fireworks and throwing stones.

The Israeli bombing of Gaza reportedly damaged a children's hospital, further fomenting tensions ahead of the two outbursts on Friday.

Al-Araby al-Jadeed reported yesterday that in response to the attacks Israeli forces had 'closed all entrances to Jericho with military checkpoints, and are searching all vehicles' to find those responsible for the shooting in Hamra.

The outlet, founded by a former Israeli MP, cited local sources claiming that settlers under protection of the Israeli army were pursuing revenge attacks, 'burning houses and farm machinery' in Faroush and 'beginning to mount further attacks on local residents'.

Hamas did not claim responsibility for the attack but said it was a 'natural response to [Israel's] ongoing crimes against the Al-Aqsa mosque and its barbaric aggression against Lebanon and the steadfast Gaza.'

Fire and smoke rise following an Israeli airstrike in central Gaza Strip, Friday, April 7, 2023

The Israeli military struck targets in the Gaza Strip, pushing the region toward a wider conflagration after a day of rocket fire along the country's northern and southern borders

The IDF have stressed Israeli warplanes targeted infrastructure belonging to Palestinian armed groups, as opposed to civilian infrastructure.

Hamas targets in the city of Tyre in the south of Lebanon were also hit in the assault.

There were no reports of serious casualties, but residents in Qalili, Lebanon, were injured in the bombardment.

The Palestinian health ministry said 'partial damage' was done to the Al-Dorra children's hospital in Gaza City during the strikes.

Hecht said the IDF was aware of the allegation and was looking into it as the local UN forces urged restraint.
Labour is continuing its attacks on the Tories over law and order as one of Sir Keir Starmer's most senior frontbenchers distanced herself from a 'gutter politics' campaign holding Rishi Sunak personally responsible.

Yvette Cooper, the shadow home secretary, was blindsided by a Twitter ad campaign accursing the PM of personally going easy on paedophiles, it was reported today.

Labour has refused to remove the advert, despite anger from its own MPs and supporters, and followed it up with another suggesting Mr Sunak was failing to tackle gun crime.

Today the party accused the Conservatives of handing nearly 4,000 rapists 'shockingly short' jail terms, as the party continued to attack personally the PM's handling of sentencing.

However the Observer reported that Ms Cooper and other members of the shadow cabinet had been unaware of the campaign before it launched.

It is the latest sign of a schism in the party over the hardline attacks. Shadow attorney general Emily Thornberry defended the campaign as she said the many critics, including those who described it as 'racist', are 'wrong'.

A party source also told the Sunday Times the attacks would continue, and vowed to 'fight fire with fire' after Mr Sunak accused Sir Keir, a former head of the CPS, of failing to prosecute notorious paedophile Jimmy Savile.

Labour has been criticised over an advert claiming Prime Minister Rishi Sunak does not believe adults convicted of sexually assaulting children should be jailed. It followed it up with another targeting gun crime

Yvette Cooper, the shadow home secretary, was blindsided by a Twitter ad campaign accursing the PM of personally going easy on paedophiles, it was reported today.

A party source also told the Sunday Times the attacks would continue, and vowed to 'fight fire with fire' after Mr Sunak accused Sir Keir, a former head of the CPS, of failing to prosecute notorious paedophile Jimmy Savile.

In its bid to be seen as tough on crime, Labour published analysis showing 3,876 adult rapists have received a prison sentence of less than seven years since 2010.

The Opposition has vowed to introduce a seven-year minimum sentence for rape.

Shadow justice secretary Steve Reed said: 'Rape has effectively been decriminalised, with barely one in every 100 reported rapes resulting in a charge.

'Now we find that those few rapists who are convicted may receive shockingly short jail terms, or might not end up jailed at all.'

Separate research from the party suggested almost 6,000 criminal cases involving drug trafficking last year were dropped without a suspect being found.

Ms Cooper claimed the 'gangs are getting away' following the Conservatives' 'huge cuts to neighbourhood policing' as she pledged stronger action.

Critics on Labour's left joined Conservatives last week in criticising the campaign claiming Mr Sunak does not think adults convicted of sexually assaulting children should be jailed.

But Ms Thornberry said it is a 'legitimate question' to ask.

She told BBC Radio 4's Any Questions: 'I heard a lot of people criticising it, and a lot of people who I like and respect criticising it and saying they felt very uncomfortable about it. Some people said that they thought it was racist.

'I have to say, I think they're wrong. I just disagree with that. I think the truth is we do need to have a debate in this country, and Rishi Sunak is the Prime Minister and he is responsible for a broken justice system.'

Judges and magistrates, rather than the prime minister of the day, are responsible for handing out sentences.

The figures Labour highlighted cover the period since 2010, five years before Mr Sunak entered Parliament. He did not become Prime Minister until October.

Former shadow chancellor John McDonnell has urged his party to climb down, saying: 'This is not the sort of politics a Labour Party, confident of its own values and preparing to govern, should be engaged in.

'I say to the people who have taken the decision to publish this ad, please withdraw it. We, the Labour Party, are better than this.'

The Conservative Party used the row to attack the record of Sir Keir, a former director of public prosecutions.

A spokesman said: 'Since Sir Keir Starmer left the sentencing council, the average sentence for rape has increased to nearly 10 years imprisonment compared to eight years in 2010.

'Rapists also spend more of their sentence in prison now because the Government ended automatic halfway release for serious sexual and violent offenders. Of course, being a human rights barrister, Sir Keir voted against this change.'
A teenager has tragically died after his car crashed into a tree on Easter Sunday morning.

Police and emergency services rushed to the scene on Lake Plains Rd, near Langhorne Creek, 64km southeast of Adelaide, about 2.35am after a Honda station wagon came off the road.

The driver, 16-year-old Johnny Howieson from Strathalbyn, died at the scene.

The teenager, who had been on his L-plates, has been remembered as a talented student and skilled athlete.

One classmate at Eastern Fleurieu School said he was shocked to hear about Johnny's death, describing him as 'a nice bloke' who was 'always down for a chat'.

Johnny Howieson, 16, from Strathalbyn was killed when his car crashed into a tree on Sunday morning

Police and emergency services rushed to the scene on Lake Plains Rd, near Langhorne Creek, southeast of Adelaide, about 2.35am on Sunday

'He was one of the brightest kids at school,' the classmate told The Advertiser.

Other students said Johnny's death had sent shockwaves through the community.

'He was good in class and he would help with anything,' one said.

Mayor of Alexandrina Council Keith Parkes expressed sympathy for relatives and friends of the teen.

'I can't imagine the grief and sadness the family and friends must be experiencing,' Mr Parkes said.

'Very sad to lose a young life at anytime.'

The boy's is the 43rd death on South Australian roads this year, compared to 20 at the same time last year.

On Good Friday, four people died and another was taken to hospital following a horrific car crash involving a Mitsubishi Triton ute and a Ford Ranger ute.

Four people were killed on Good Friday in a horror crash about 30km southeast of Yass

Police were called at around 6:45am after reports of a crash during heavy rain on the Barton Highway near Casuarina Lane at Jeir, about 30km southeast of Yass and halfway between the ACT village of Hall and the NSW town of Murrumbateman.

Police said the driver of the Mitsubishi, a 52-year-old woman, and the front passenger, a 54-year-old man, died at the scene.

Emergency services from the ACT and NSW - including three rescue helicopters - arrived shortly after the collision.

The driver of the Ford and his rear-seat passenger were trapped in the wreckage and treated at the scene by paramedics.

They were eventually freed from the vehicle with the help of NSW Fire and Rescue, however both unfortunately died at the scene.
The service is first to take place at St George's chapel since the Queen's death

The King and Queen Consort wished the public 'Happy Easter' as they attended St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle for the first Easter Sunday service of Charles's reign.

The royal family were out in force in the grounds of the castle, enjoying the bright spring sunshine before the morning service.

Charles and Camilla wore matching royal blue outfits, with the King in a suit and the Queen Consort wearing a coat dress by Anna Valentine with a Philip Treacy hat.

They left the service separately, with Camilla stopping to receive a bouquet from Harriet, 10. Camilla waved to members of the public and wished them a 'Happy Easter', before getting into a waiting car.

Charles also greeted the crowd, receiving a round of applause as he left the Easter Mattins Service at St George's Chapel, in the shadow of Windsor Castle, a few minutes later.

The Prince and Princess of Wales attended with their three children, George, Charlotte and Louis. Four-year-old Prince Louis made his debut, holding the hand of his mother, the Princess of Wales. He glanced seriously at the waiting media as he entered and later left the service, while the Princess offered a brief smile and a greeting. His elder sister Charlotte gave a sweet hello to well wishers watching on.

The Prince and Princess of Wales have arrived with all three of their children at St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle for the first Easter Sunday service of King Charles's reign

The King and Queen Consort looked in good spirits as they waved hello to the crowds of people watching on as the royals walked into St George's Chapel

Also in attendance on Sunday is Prince Andrew, who walked alongside his sister Princess Anne who wore a cream double-breasted coat and a decorated navy blue hat.

READ MORE: Royal blue! Princess of Wales stuns in a recycled Catherine Walker dress The Royal Family attend Easter Sunday Church at St Georges Chapel , Windsor Castle. Advertisement

A smiling Princess Charlotte, seven, in a coat and smart dark shoes with blue tights, held onto the Prince of Wales' hand with Prince George, nine, standing behind her.

The Wales family were in a group of younger royals at back of the party walking down from Windsor Castle to St George's Chapel.

That group included the king's niece Princess Beatrice and her husband Edo Mapelli Mozzi, and Mike and Zara Tindall with their two eldest children, Mia and Lena.

The King and Queen Consort - also in royal blue - led the party. Behind them were his brother and sister, Prince Andrew and Princess Anne.

Next in line were the new Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and their eldest son, James, now the Earl of Wessex. Their student daughter Lady Louise was absent.

Also present in the party was Princess Anne's husband, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, who was walking with Queen Elizabeth's niece Lady Sarah Chatto and her husband Daniel.

They were followed by a heavily pregnant Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank, who are expecting their second child together.

The family group was notably missing the estranged Duke and Duchess of Sussex who have not yet confirmed whether they will even attend the king's coronation.

The family attended Mattins at historic St George's Chapel, where Queen Elizabeth was interred last September.

Today makes The King and Queen's 18th wedding anniversary and the second anniversary of Prince Philip's death.

He held onto his mother's hand and glanced seriously at the waiting media, while the Princess offered a brief smile and a greeting

The Wales family were in a group of younger royals at back of the party walking down from Windsor Castle to St George's Chapel

A smiling Princess Charlotte, seven, in a coat and smart dark shoes with blue tights, held onto the Prince of Wales' hand with Prince George, nine, standing behind her

It comes after reports suggested Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis will star in the King's Coronation procession at Westminster Abbey on May 6

Also in attendance on Sunday is Prince Andrew, who walked alongside his sister Princess Anne who wore a cream double-breasted coat and a decorated navy blue hat

Zara Tindall is pictured arriving at St George's Chapel on Sunday morning with her daughter

Princess Charlotte flashes a cheeky grin at the media and public watching on as the family arrived for Easter Sunday service

Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh with Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh and James, Earl of Wessex attends the Easter Mattins Service

Pregnant Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank walked hand-in-hand as they arrived on Sunday

The Princess of Wales is pictured with her youngest son Prince Louis, who is joining the royals on their Easter Sunday Service for the first time

Prince Louis looked smart in his blue shorts, checkered shirt and tailored navy blazer while walking hand-in-hand with his mother the Prince of Wales on Sunday

The royal family will be out in force at St George's Chapel in the grounds of the Berkshire castle for the traditional Easter Day Mattins

The Queen Consort looked elegant in the royal blue dress and she matched it with a leather top-handle handbag

The King was relaxed as he arrived for his first Easter Mattins Service on Sunday while waving hello to well-wishers nearby

The King and Queen Consort looked in good spirits as they waved hello to the crowds of people watching on as the royals walked into St George's Chapel.

The royal party were met by the Dean of Windsor at the Galilee Porch and invited inside the chapel for the hour-long Easter Sunday Mattins service which started at 10.45am.

Also present was Princess Anne's son, Peter Phillips, who did not have his daughters with him.

Afterwards the Queen Consort departed separately as she had a private engagement to attend, stopping to take an Easter posy from a young member of the Castle community, ten-year-old Harriet.

She told her: 'A very, very Happy Easter. What a beautiful day!'

The other members of the Royal Family were invited to the Deanery for refreshments, leaving at around 12.20pm.

First out were Mike and Zara Tindall with their two daughters. former England rugby captain Mike had the small crowd laughing when he remarked out loud: 'You're quiet. What have we done? Happy Easter!'

It warmed the crowd up as they were followed by Princess Beatrice and her husband, Edo, who also wished the crowd Happy Easter.

The King was loudly clapped and smiled and waved as he left, followed by Princess Eugenie, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and Princess Anne.

The royal party were met by the Dean of Windsor at the Galilee Porch and invited inside the chapel for the hour-long Easter Sunday Mattins service which started at 10.45am (The King is pictured leaving on Sunday afternoon)

King Charles greets onlookers as he leaves the Sunday service this afternoon, left. Right, the Queen Consort departing the service separately to head on to a private engagement

Prince William held onto little Louis' hand, while Kate brought up the rear with Princess Charlotte

She was carrying her daughter's coat in the warm spring sunshine and the pair waved to crowd and wished them Happy Easter

The Wales family all sported shades of blue - from the Princess' eye-catching coat and hat, to Charlotte's tights and little Louis' shorts, which his mother had paired knee high socks, a jacket and blue shirt and tie

Prince Louis looked on at the media and the well-wishers after leaving St George's Chapel on Sunday afternoon

Prince George says his goodbyes as he leaves St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle on Sunday alongside his siblings and parents

Princess Charlotte politely shakes hands after attending the Easter Mattins Service at St George's Chapel

The Princess of Wales is pictured holding her daughter Princess Charlotte's jacket as they head out from the service for Easter Sunday

Cheeky Prince Louis looks back at the crowd as he leaves with father Prince William after the Easter Sunday service, left, and the Princess of Wales holds hands with Princess Charlotte, right

Mike Tindall holds hands with his youngest daughter Lena as they leave the Easter Sunday service with their family

Zara Tindall looks pretty in pink as she leaves St George's Chapel to a sunny Windsor alongside her family members

King Charles thanks those involved in the Easter Mattins Service on Sunday at St George's Chapel

Princess Margaret is pictured in front of Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh as they all leave the service together

The Wales' were among the last to leave, Prince George shyly striding ahead, looking so much like his father at the same age.

Prince William held onto little Louis' hand, while Kate brought up the rear with Princess Charlotte.

She was carrying her daughter's coat in the warm spring sunshine and the pair waved to crowd and wished them Happy Easter.

The Wales family all sported shades of blue - from the Princess' eye-catching coat and hat, to Charlotte's tights and little Louis' shorts, which his mother had paired knee high socks, a jacket and blue shirt and tie.

Samuel, eight, who also lives in the castle community with his family, gave a posy to the Princess of Wales.

The Queen Consort also wore a royal blue coat dress by Anna Valentine and hat Philip Treacy with Queen Elizabeth's diamond love knot brooch.

It is also likely to be a moving moment for the royal family, with the 15th century chapel being the late Queen's final resting place and the Easter Sunday service the first to take place since her death.

It is also likely to be a moving moment for the royal family, with the 15th century chapel being the late Queen's final resting place and the Easter Sunday service the first to take place since her death.

Elizabeth II is buried in the church's tiny King George VI Memorial Chapel, alongside Prince Philip, the late Duke of Edinburgh, and her late parents George VI and the Queen Mother, with their four names inscribed on a new black stone slab set in the floor.

The Windsors gathered at St George's in September for the monarch and royal matriarch's televised committal service and then private burial following her state funeral in Westminster Abbey.

The late Queen missed last April's Easter Sunday service due to mobility problems.

Charles, as monarch, has succeeded his mother to become the Supreme Governor of the Church of England.

In less than a month's time, he will be crowned alongside the Camilla, the Queen Consort in a religious service in Westminster Abbey.

As the Prince of Wales, Charles often released an Easter message and last year highlighted the millions of displaced people 'wounded by the past, fearful of the future', but this year has not, likely to be a reflection of his new role as head of state.

It comes after reports suggested Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis will star in the King's Coronation procession at Westminster Abbey on May 6.

The Prince of Wales's children are expected to join their parents in a carriage behind Charles and Camilla, who will be in the Gold State Coach, according to rehearsal documents seen by The Times.

Harry and Meghan still have not officially indicated whether they will attend the Coronation. Even so, staff are making plans so that Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet will be able to join the celebrations if they do.

Queen Consort Camilla was handed a bunch of posies by Harriet, ten, as she exited St George's Chapel on Sunday

Camilla was was leaving ahead of the royal party for a private engagement elsewhere and was greeted by young Harriet

The Queen Consort looked over the moon with her flowers as she left the Easter Mattins Service at St George's Chapel

It is also likely to be a moving moment for the royal family, with the 15th century chapel being the late Queen's final resting place and the Easter Sunday service the first to take place since her death (Zara and Mike Tindall are pictured on Sunday with their family)

Zara rearranges her dress while walking beside her husband Mike Tindall, and their two daughters Mia Grace Tindall (left) and Lena Tindall (right)

The Tindall family are closely followed by Princess Beatrice, pictured in the baby pink dress with a black belt tie

Princess Beatrice arrived hand-in-hand with her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi on Sunday

Prince George, pictured, has had a busy Easter weekend as only yesterday he cheering on Aston Villa with his father Prince William at the match against Nottingham Forest

Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis held their parents hands as they arrived for the Easter Mattins service on Sunday

Prince Louis had a typically cheeky look on his face as he walked on to St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle with his family

Princess Charlotte gives her little brother Prince Louis a warm smile as he arrives for his first ever Sunday Service at St George's Chapel, aged four

Princess Charlotte arrived for her second Easter Sunday Service, leading the way for her little brother Prince Louis who looked curious for his first one

The Princess of Wales looked elegant as always as she proudly arrived at the Sunday Service with her family

Four-year-old Prince Louis looked on at the crowd in curiosity as he held his mother, the Princess of Wales' hand

The King and Queen Consort arrive for the Easter Mattins Service for the first time as Monarch and Consort

Elizabeth II is buried in the church's tiny King George VI Memorial Chapel, alongside Prince Philip, the late Duke of Edinburgh, and her late parents George VI and the Queen Mother, with their four names inscribed on a new black stone slab set in the floor

Vice Timothy Laurence is pictured walking closely behind his wife Princess Anne on Sunday

The King and Queen Consort - also in royal blue - led the party. Behind them were his brother and sister, Prince Andrew and Princess Anne

The monarch, the Queen Consort are followed by the rest of the royal family on Sunday morning

The royal family head into St George's chapel for the Easter Sunday Service at Windsor Castle

It should not come as a surprise that the young Wales' are participating in the procession, especially since George, 9, and Charlotte, 7, both accompanied the royal family during the Queen's funeral procession. Louis, 4, was deemed 'too young'.

Rehearsal plans show that Prince and Princess of Wales and their three children will process out of the abbey, the newspaper reported.

They will be joined by the Princess Royal, her husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke of Kent and Princess Alexandra.

Prince Andrew, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Harry and Meghan are not expected to participate.
Ten ships from China and another ten from Taiwan have been involved in a stand-off near the Taiwan Strait's median line.

It comes as Chinese fighter jets and warships simulated strikes on Taiwan Sunday as they encircled the island during a second straight day of military drills that were launched in response to its president, Tsai Ing-Wen, meeting the US House speaker.

Taiwan's defense ministry said it had spotted 58 Chinese aircraft, including Su-30 fighters and H-6 bombers, as well as nine ships, around Taiwan.

The exercises sparked condemnation from Taipei and calls for restraint from Washington, which said it was 'monitoring Beijing's actions closely'.

Dubbed 'Joint Sword', the three-day operation - which includes rehearsing an encirclement of Taiwan - will run until Monday, the People's Liberation Army's (PLA) Eastern Theatre Command said.

'I am a little worried; I would be lying to you if I say that I am not,' said 73-year-old Donald Ho, who was exercising in a park on Sunday morning in Taipei, in the far north of the self-ruled island.

A pilot is photographed operating an aircraft of the Air Force under the Eastern Theatre Command of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) during a combat readiness patrol and 'Joint Sword' exercises around Taiwan

'I am still worried because if a war broke out both sides will suffer quite a lot,' he told AFP.

China's war games saw planes, ships and personnel sent into 'the maritime areas and air space of the Taiwan Strait, off the northern and southern coasts of the island, and to the island's east', the army said as it launched the exercises, engineered to flex Beijing's military muscles in front of Taiwan and the world.

A report from state broadcaster CCTV on Sunday said drills had 'simulated joint precision strikes against key targets on Taiwan island and surrounding waters', adding that forces 'continued to maintain the situation of closely encircling the island'.

The write-up went on to say the air force had deployed dozens of aircraft to 'fly into the target airspace', and ground forces had carried out drills for 'multi-target precision strikes'.

Tsai Ing-wen immediately denounced the drills, which come after she met with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California.

Taiwan Air Force Mirage 2000 fighter jets approach for landing inside the airbase in Hsinchu, Taiwan

She pledged to work with 'the US and other like-minded countries' in the face of 'continued authoritarian expansionism'.

In Washington, a State Department spokesperson said the United States had 'consistently urged restraint and no change to the status quo', but noted it had ample resources to fulfil its security commitments in Asia.

The United States has been deliberately ambiguous on whether it would defend Taiwan militarily, although for decades it has sold weapons to Taipei to help ensure its self-defense.

Exercises on Monday will include live-fire drills off the rocky coast of China's Fujian province, about 80 kilometres (50 miles) south of Taiwan's Matsu Islands and 186 kilometres from Taipei.

'These operations serve as a stern warning against the collusion between separatist forces seeking "Taiwan independence" and external forces and against their provocative activities,' said Shi Yin, a PLA spokesman.

Military vehicles of the Ground Force under the Eastern Theatre Command of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) take part a combat readiness patrol and 'Joint Sword' exercises around Taiwan

A Taiwan Air Force F-16 aircraft flies over Hualien, Taiwan April 9, 2023

'The operations are necessary for safeguarding China's national sovereignty and territorial integrity.'

AFP saw no immediate signs of enhanced military maneuvers on the northern coast of Pingtan, a Chinese island across the strait from Taiwan where the live-ammunition exercises will kick off on Monday.

A smattering of tourists wandered the golden sands on Sunday morning, as fishing boats bobbed in the wharf beyond.

China views democratic, self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory and has vowed to take it one day, by force if necessary.

Taiwan's defence ministry said on Sunday it had detected nine Chinese warships and 58 aircraft around the island. On Saturday the same number of ships were tracked, along with more than 70 aircraft.

The ministry said it was monitoring Chinese military 'movements through (a) joint intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance system', adding the warplanes detected until 12 pm local time (0400 GMT) included a mix of fighter jets and bombers.

The number of aircraft crossings into Taiwan's southwestern air defense identification zone (ADIZ) on Saturday was the highest recorded in a single day this year, according to data collected by AFP.

'The CCP (Chinese Communist Party) has continued to conduct military exercises around the Taiwan Strait and since this morning it has successively dispatched multiple batches of aircraft... as well as a number of ships in the area,' the defense ministry said on Sunday.

'The military has been closely monitoring the situation for relevant developments, and tasked aircraft, ships and ground missile systems to respond accordingly,' it added.

The drills came hours after the departure from Beijing of French President Emmanuel Macron, who was in China to urge his counterpart Xi Jinping to help bring an end to the war in Ukraine.

In August last year, China deployed warships, missiles and fighter jets around Taiwan in its largest show of force in years following a trip to the island by McCarthy's predecessor, Nancy Pelosi.

Tsai returned to Taiwan on Friday after visiting her island's dwindling band of official diplomatic allies in Latin America, with two US stopovers that included meetings with McCarthy and other lawmakers.
More than 60 firefighters rushed to the scene of a huge fire that erupted at the top of a high-rise apartment block where 200 panicked residents fled the building as flames and black smoke billowed into the air.

Firefighers were forced to use a huge cherry-picker to combat the exterior of the blaze that broke out in the Park Apartments building at the corner of Oxford and Liverpool Streets in the inner-east suburb of Darlinghurst just after 5pm on Sunday.

Inside the building firefighters told residents to stay on their balconies and wait to be evacuated as it was too dangerous to open their doors with suffocating levels of smoke coming from the apartment on the 15th floor.

One brave firefighter is being hailed a hero after staying with a couple in a unit next to the raging inferno until it was safe to evacuate them.

A major fire has broken out on the 15th floor of an inner-Sydney apartment block

He suffered smoke inhalation and was treated at the scene by ambulance crews before being take to hospital for observation in a non-serious condition.

A firefighter at the scene told Daily Mail Australia the apartment appeared to be gutted.

'There is extensive fire damage to the exterior of the apartment so I would say the inside has been destroyed,' he said.

Sixteen fire vehicles attended the scene and firefighters were able to bring the blaze under control by around 6.30pm.

The residents of the building were left huddled on the sidewalk as firefighters began to clear the smoke from the building.

In the resulting chaos Oxford Street, a main thoroughfare for Sydney, was closed to just one lane of traffic.

Fourteen firetrucks attended the fire at the corner of Oxford and Liverpool Streets in inner-east Sydney

Sydney firetrucks race to the scene of a blaze that broke out on the top floor of an inner-city apartment building

A cherry-picker was used to elevate firefighters to fight the blaze on the top floor of the building

Fire and Rescue NSW have released a statement on the incident as investigation as to what caused the blaze get underway.

'Crews, from multiple stations across the city, were initially alerted by an automated fire alarm before multiple witnesses called Triple Zero (000) to report the fire,' the statement said.

'Firefighters quickly gained access to the burning unit and contained the fire.

'One firefighter remained with two occupants inside a neighbouring unit and, when it was safe to do so, assisted them out of the building.

'Those residents have since been assessed and cleared by NSW Ambulance paramedics, while the firefighter who helped them is being taken to hospital for further observation.'

'Due to the extensive spread of smoke throughout the building's common areas, residents on other floors were instructed to remain inside their units to protect them against potential smoke inhalation.'

The cause of the fire remains unknown.
Israeli forces have struck multiple military targets in Syria in retaliation to six rockets being launched into territory it controls overnight.

In a rare attack from its north-eastern neighbour, Syria fired the rockets at Israel's Golan Heights in two batches, but only three of the missiles fell within Israeli territory and no one is believed to have been injured.

The attack from Syria comes after Israeli forces stormed one of Jerusalem's most holy mosques during Ramadan - with videos purportedly showing Israeli police officers beating Palestinians with batons and rifle butts at the mosque.

Following the second round of overnight rockets, Israeli forces confirmed they had responded with artillery fire into the Syrian territory where the rockets had been launched from.

Later, the military said that Israeli fighter jets attacked Syrian army sites, including a compound of Syria's 4th Division and radar and artillery posts.

Israeli military forces have confirmed they have retaliated to six rockets being fired from Syria overnight. Pictured: Israeli soldiers on alert after the rocket launches

The six rockets, which were fired in two different batches, were aimed at Israel's Golan Heights (pictured)

The Israeli military 'sees the State of Syria responsible for all activities occurring within its territory and will not allow any attempts to violate Israeli sovereignty'.

Damascus-based Palestinian group Al-Quds Brigade, who are loyal to the Syrian regime, claimed responsibility for launching the three missiles on Saturday, according to Lebanese channel Al-Mayadeen TV.

The report quoted the Al-Quds Brigade as saying it fired the rockets in retaliation for the police raid on the sensitive holy site Al-Aqsa Mosque.

An adviser to Syria President Bashar Assad described the rocket strikes as 'part of the previous, present and continuing response to the brutal enemy'.

The cross-border attacks come amid heightened tension in Lebanon, Gaza, East Jerusalem and the West Bank - which coincides with the crossover of Ramadan, Passover and Easter.

The raid of the Al-Aqsa mosque has led to increased violence in the country and on Friday, two British-Israeli sisters, Maya and Rina Dee, were shot dead in the occupied West Bank, allegedly by Palestinian gunmen.

In the first rocket attack, on Saturday, one rocket landed in a field in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights. Fragments of another destroyed missile fell into Jordanian territory near the Syrian border, Jordan's military reported.

In the second attack, two of the rockets crossed the border into Israel, with one intercepted and the second landing in an open area.

Israel, which has vowed to stop Iranian entrenchment in Syria, has carried out hundreds of strikes in government-controlled parts of that country in recent years, though it rarely acknowledges them.

Before the latest strikes, Syrian officials had attributed 10 attacks to Israel this year, some of which put Damascus and Aleppo airports temporarily out of service and killed civilians as well as Syrian soldiers and Iranian military advisers.

The rocket firings came after days of escalating violence on multiple fronts over tension in Jerusalem and an Israeli police raid on the city's most sensitive holy site. An image on social media appeared to show worshippers with their hands cuffed behind their backs and laying the ground after Israeli forces stormed the Al-Aqsa mosque

British sisters Maya, 20, and Rina, 16, were murdered in a West Bank drive-by shooting on Friday

Meanwhile, in the occupied West Bank, Israeli security forces killed a 20-year-old Palestinian, named as Ayed Salim, in the town of Azzun, Palestinian health officials said.

The Israeli military said its troops were firing at Palestinians who were hurling stones and explosive devices.

More than 90 Palestinians and have been killed by Israeli fire so far this year, at least half of them affiliated with militant groups, according to a tally by the Associated Press.

Palestinian attacks on Israelis have killed 19 people in that time, all but once of them civilians, including the British sisters and an Italian tourist killed by a suspected car-ramming in Tel Aviv.

Late on Saturday, tensions ran high in Jerusalem as a few hundred Palestinian worshippers barricaded themselves in the mosque, which sits on a hilltop in the heart of Jerusalem's Old City sacred to both Muslims and Jews.

Israeli police efforts to evict the worshippers locked in the mosque overnight with stockpiled firecrackers and stones spiralled into unrest at the holy site earlier this week.

The latest escalations prompted Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant to extend a closure barring entrance to Israel for Palestinians from the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip for the duration of the Jewish holiday of Passover, while police beefed up forces in Jerusalem on the eve of sensitive religious celebrations.

In a separate incident in the northern West Bank city of Nablus late on Saturday, a leader of a local independent armed group known as the Lion's Den claimed the group executed an alleged Israeli collaborator who had tipped off the Israeli military to the locations and movements of the group's members.

Israeli security forces have targeted and killed several of the group's key members in recent months.

The Israeli military 'sees the State of Syria responsible for all activities occurring within its territory and will not allow any attempts to violate Israeli sovereignty'. Pictured: Israeli soldiers on alert after rocket launches

The cross-border attacks come amid heightened tension in Lebanon, Gaza, East Jerusalem and the West Bank - which coincides with the crossover of Ramadan, Passover and Easter. Pictured: A flare fired to search for a rocket

The accused man's killing could not be immediately confirmed, but videos in Palestinian media showed medics and residents gathered around his bloodied body in the Old City, where the Lion's Den holds sway.

'Traitors have neither a country nor a people,' Lion's Den commander Oday Azizi said in a statement.

More than 2,000 police were expected to be deployed in Jerusalem on Sunday - when tens of thousands of Jews are expected to gather at the Western Wall for the special Passover priestly blessing.

The Western Wall is the holiest site where Jews can pray and sits next to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, where large crowds gather each day for prayers during Ramadan.

Jerusalem police chief Doron Turgeman met his commanders on Saturday for a security assessment. He accused the Hamas militant group, which rules the Gaza Strip, of trying to incite violence ahead of Sunday's priestly blessing with false claims that Jews planned to storm the mosque.

'We will allow the freedom of worship and we will allow the arrival of Muslims to pray,' he said, adding that police 'will act with determination and sensitivity' to ensure that all faiths can celebrate safely.
A dissident republican terror group in Northern Ireland has been plotting a major attack to overshadow President Joe Biden's visit to the region this week, according to local reports.

The president is due to land in Belfast on Tuesday amid a major security operation.

Officials recently raised the security alert to 'severe' from 'substantial' as the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom prepare to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement which ended decades of violence, known as 'the Troubles.'

However, dissident terror groups opposed to the peace deal have stepped up activity in recent weeks.

Against that backdrop, the Police Service of Northern Ireland reportedly conducted searches in the city of Derry, one of the focal points of violence during the Troubles.

President Joe Biden is due to arrive in Belfast, Northern Ireland, on Tuesday evening amid heightened warnings of terror attacks despite a 25-year-old peace deal

A republican mural on a side wall of Saoradh offices in the city center of Derry, Northern Ireland in May earlier this year. The group is close to dissident republicans

An insider told the Belfast Telegraph that the British Army bomb squad was on the scene last weekend.

'They were looking for parts to make a bomb,' said the source.

'The belief is that the New IRA was planning some sort of attack to coincide with Biden's visit, similar to the mortar attack on the cops in Strabane last November.'

The New IRA formed around a decade ago, from a merger of other dissident republican groups committed to a united Ireland.

Two police officers were wounded in last year's attack in Strabane, Co. Tyrone.

The renewed violence is a reminder that Biden arrives in a divided Ireland. Although the Good Friday Agreement saw most paramilitary groups lay down their arms and embrace a new powersharing political system, a tiny minority continue to wage war.

The biggest police operation for a decade in Northern Ireland is under way to protect Biden. Some officers will be working 12-hour shifts so they can take on front-line roles.

Biden is expected to take part in events on Wednesday marking the anniversary before crossing the border into the Republic of Ireland.

PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Bobby Singleton said the force had received 'strong' intelligence that dissidents plan to launch terror attacks against officers on the holiday

Biden arriving in County Mayo in 2016 during his last visit to Ireland in an official capacity. The then vice president spent six days in the country, visiting Dublin, Mayo and Louth

He will arrive a day after another flashpoint, Easter Monday. It is a time when republicans, who believe in a united Ireland, mark the 1916 Easter Rising against British rule with parades.

Last week, PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Bobby Singleton said the force had received 'strong' intelligence that dissidents are planning to launch terror attacks against officers on the bank holiday.

And it comes after MI5 recently raised the terrorism threat level in Northern Ireland to severe, meaning an attack is highly likely. This followed the gun attack in Co Tyrone on senior detective John Caldwell, who was left with life-changing injuries. Police have blamed the New IRA for the attack.

Biden himself has played down the fear.

The Good Friday Agreement ended decades of violence. This file photo shows the aftermath of a car bomb detonated by the IRA in London in 1973. But dissident republicans have stepped up attacks on police in recent weeks and there is high security ahead of Biden's visit

When asked by DailyMail.com recently whether the heightened alert would disrupt his travel plans, he said: 'No, they can't keep me out.'

He is due to follow Belfast with a visit to Co. Louth, from where his ancestors set sail for America in the mid 19th Century.

Then it is on to the capital Dublin, where he will deliver a speech to the Irish parliament, before traveling to Ballina, Co. Mayo, to visit distant relatives on Friday.

There he will deliver a major set-piece speech before an audience that is expected to number 20,000.
They were staying a the four-star Rio Park hotel in the Medplaya hotel chain

The woman, who is also British, is said to be in critical condition at the hospital

A British holidaymaker arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after his wife plunged from their sixth-floor Benidorm hotel balcony has been released from custody by a judge.

The 40-year-old was held in the early hours of yesterday morning.

His 36-year-old partner, who is also British, remained in hospital today in nearby Villajoyosa. Her condition when she was taken to hospital had been described as 'critical'.

Sources close to the investigation were not able to say whether the incident at the four-star Rio Park was now being treated as an accident or attempted suicide, or whether it could be crime-related.

Rio Park hotel (pictured) where a 36-year-old woman is said to be fighting for her life after falling six floors from a balcony

The woman's 40-year-old husband has been held on suspicion of attempted homicide by police [File image of Rio Park hotel]

The same sources said the unnamed British man had been released after appearing before a judge in a closed court hearing in Benidorm.

He was freed without any protective measures such as the obligation to sign on at court or a ban on leaving the country, suggesting he was not being treated as a suspect.

Court workers could not be reached to provide an official statement.

A spokesman for Spain's National Police said after the incident: 'Officers have arrested a British man on suspicion of attempted homicide after his wife who is also British plunged from the sixth-floor balcony of their hotel in Benidorm.

'The arrest is a preventative measure and it will be up to a judge to decide what happens next after the man appears before him in the next day or so.

A look at the pool area of the Rio Park resort

Levante Beach (pictured) is only a five minute walk away from Rio Park

'The couple were sharing the same room and we are talking about a foreigner who has no ties to Spain so we are under an obligation to make the arrest as we try to determine what happened.

Local reports said witnesses had told police the man was in their hotel room and the woman on the balcony when she went over the edge.

The hotel where the incident happened is set in a quiet area of Benidorm just five minutes walk from the Costa Blanca resort's famous Levante Beach.

Scots holidaymaker Kirsty Maxwell died in a hotel plunge in Benidorm in April 2017.

Five British men were cleared of any involvement in her death after a long-running probe, with a regional court rejecting an appeal by her parents in July 2020 to persuade judges it was not an accident and overturn an earlier court decision to shelve the investigation.
Voters could be given the chance to scrap an extension of Sadiq Khan's green Ulez vehicle tax if the Tories take power in London.

Samuel Kasumu, a former adviser to Boris Johnson who wants to be the Tory candidate at the next mayoral election, has said he would allow outer boroughs to hold referenda on staying in the scheme.

Mr Khan plans to extend the Ultra Low Emission Zone to all 32 boroughs of London in August, meaning owners of older and more polluting vehicles will have to pay a 12.50 daily charge to travel around the capital.

But the plans have sparked a furious fightback from political opponents and campaigners who say it will unfairly hit small businesses.

Mr Kazumu, 35, said the issue would be a 'key battleground in the next mayoral election in 2024 - which could take place on the same day as a general election.

He told the Telegraph: 'You've got to do things in a responsible manner, and you have to be able to take people with you. You can't just impose your will on folks who don't want it...

'I will promise within the first 12 months to have a local referendum for every outer London borough so they can be empowered with the choice about how they respond to what Sadiq has done.'

Samuel Kasumu, a former adviser to Boris Johnson who wants to be the Tory candidate at the next mayoral election, has said he would allow outer boroughs to hold referenda on staying in the scheme.

Mr Khan plans to extend the Ultra Low Emission Zone to all 32 boroughs of London in August, meaning owners of older and more polluting vehicles will have to pay a 12.50 daily charge to travel around the capital.

A YouGov poll last week put the Tories on just 18 per cent, 40 points behind Labour. It could see the party lose 12 of its current 19 Westminster seats in London if replicated at the next election.

However, Mr Kasumu faces an uphill task to get elected, with new polling showing Tory support in freefall in the Capital.

A YouGov poll last week put the Tories on just 18 per cent, 40 points behind Labour, whose lead is the largest since the company started polling the city in 2010.

It could see the party lose 12 of its current 19 Westminster seats in London if replicated at the next election.

Mr Kasumu was a special adviser to the Prime Minister on civil society until April 2021. The stepped down when a Government-backed review said Britain is no longer a country where the 'system is deliberately rigged against ethnic minorities'.

He later said some Conservatives believe the path to victory at the next election includes exploiting division and warned a 'culture war' will lead to murder on Britain's streets.

He is currently a councillor on Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council in Hertfordshire. He is originally from Barnet and studied business and management accounting at Brunel University - where he was student president. He graduated with a 2:1 and later received a postgraduate degree in Ethnicity, Migration, & Policy from Birkbeck, University of London.

During the 2011 London riots he acted as a community representative calling for peace, particularly in the Tottenham area in the north of the capital. That same year the political adviser also featured in a campaign called Operation Black Vote, where he was presented as a leading entrepreneur and future political figure.

Last month Mr Khan claimed Nazis have infiltrated protests against the expansion of Ulez.

The Mayor of London said that 'anti-vaxxers, Covid deniers, conspiracy theorists and Nazis' had joined 'decent Tories' in opposing the extension of the Ultra Low Emission Zone across the capital.

Mr Khan had sparked fury after branding some Ulez opponents 'far-Right' at a public meeting earlier this month.

Asked about his earlier comments, he told The Daily Telegraph: 'I'm quite clear, outside Ealing Town Hall there were people holding up swastika banners. My worries are they are latching on to decent Tories, to decent people, who oppose the Ulez expansion.

'You need to understand that their opposition has been latched on to by anti-vaxxers, by Covid deniers, conspiracy theorists and Nazis.'
Fed-up local fear it's only a matter of time before vigilantes start taking the law into their own hands, as a terrifying crime wave grips their town.

Roaming youth gangs have become increasingly brazen in Townsville, with a surging number of violent crimes, thefts, break-ins and acts of vandalism.

Restaurant owner Allan Pike revealed his business had been targeted multiple times, including a large rock thrown through a window.

He said his frightened local community has been pushed to its limit and is now at breaking point.

'People aren't going to just sit back and take it anymore,' he told The Project on Sunday.

'They're going to start dishing out their own justice.'

Roaming youth gangs have become increasingly brazen in Townsville, with a surging number of violent crimes, thefts, break-ins and acts of vandalism. Pictured: A youth is seen trying to break into a car

Last year, Townsville saw its highest crime rates in two decades, with more than 43,000 offences recorded.

A year-long police operation saw 1322 offenders charged, with close to 1000 being minors.

Sonia, who works at a Townsville convenience store, said she had been held at knifepoint by a young man who came into the shop.

'A person approached me with a large boning knife,' she said

'I thought: I can't believe I'm going to die at the back of this shop.

'I ran for my life, I left my car keys, handbag and phone and just abandoned the shop.'

Sonia, who is still off work recovering from the attack, said youth weren't being held accountable for their actions.

'They know they're untouchable so they just keep doing what they're doing,' she said.

Restaurant owner Allan Pike (pictured) said his business had been targeted by criminals multiple times

Youth gangs have angered and frightened Townsville residents

Locals have been sharing their concerns on the Townsville Crime Alerts and Discussions Facebook page, which has amassed more than 37,000 members.

Frustrated members have posted footage of young people who are accused of committing crime, sometimes not blurring out their faces, and calling for them to be identified.

Acting Chief Superintendent Chris Lawson said police were taking action on the scourge of crime gripping the Queensland town.

'The police can do stuff and we do do a lot of work in the background,' he said

When asked about images of children being posted and shared, Acting Chief Superintendent Lawson said people sharing any footage or information needed to also provide it to police to assist in investigations.

A youth is accused of allegedly stealing shoes from a property in Townsville

Frustrated locals have been sharing footage of young people accused of committing crime to Facebook

Some young people engaging in unlawful behaviour were also sharing their activities online.

Acting Chief Superintendent Lawson said this was 'encouraging' those who have been involved in committing offenses.

Kamara Thompson, from The Lighthouse Youth After Hours Diversionary Service, said people might not be aware of the circumstances of the lives of young people who commit crime.

'There are a lot of underlying issues,' she said.
The daughter of Raoul Moat believes that the new ITV drama about the crazed gun killer will 'bring the horror back' as she reveals her shame that he was her father.

Katelaine Fitzpatrick, 24, fears that she will be haunted by the dark memory of her 'police-hunting' and murderer father Moat.

A three-part series called The Hunt for Raoul Moat - airing this month - will tell the story of one Britain's most infamous manhunts, in which the shotgun-wielding brute killed his ex-girlfriend's lover before shooting her and a police officer.

Ms Fitzpatrick has said that the manhunt against her father led to her being 'so badly bullied' that she is too scared to send her own children to school.

In an interview with The Sun, prior to next Sunday's airing of the show, she explained how she is ashamed to have to call Moat her father.

She said: 'This TV series is going to bring the horror back.

Raoul Moat's daughter Katelaine Fitzpatrick (pictured with mother as a child) says a new ITV drama about the crazed gun killer will 'bring the horror back'

Caroline Fitzpatrick with daughter Katelaine Fitzpatrick, 16, who was fathered by Raoul Moat

'For many it will just be a crime drama on telly, but for me and his victims, and the family of his victims, this is our life.

'He was a monster. He ruined so many lives and I don't think it will ever stop affecting my life.'

Raoul Moat, who shot dead Chris Brown, 29, who was in a relationship with Moat's ex-girlfriend, Samantha Stobbart

Following his release from an 18-week jail sentence for assault in July 2010, Moat arrived at his ex-girlfriend Samantha Stobbart's mother's house with a sawn-off shotgun, mistakenly thinking his ex was dating a police officer.

He killed her new boyfriend, karate instructor Chris Brown, outside before firing at, and injuring, Samantha through a window of the house in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear.

Samantha's sister Kelly Stobbart, 40, has also criticised the programme, claiming ITV 'doesn't understand the impact' its new series will have on people involved.

After the attack, ex-bouncer Moat then boasted he was 'hunting' police officers, phoning to say: 'I will keep killing police until I am dead. They've hunted me for years, now it's my turn.'

Within 24 hours he had shot PC David Rathband at point-blank range in the face, blinding him.

The officer took his own life in February 2012, aged 44, because he could not cope with his disability.

Images of notorious gunman Raoul Moat, who died in 2010 following a shooting spree in which he killed Chris Brown

Police officers negotiate with fugitive Raoul Moat shortly before his death. It was an extraordinary manhunt that ended with the crazed gunman shooting himself in the head after a tense six-hour stand-off with armed police.

His attacks triggered a 1.4million manhunt, involving 160 armed officers - with the town of Rothbury in Northumberland placed on lockdown.

He was cornered days later and killed himself during a six-hour stand-off with police - which saw England football legend Paul Gascoigne making a bizarre appearance to try and save the killer.

The Hunt For Raoul Moat, starring actor Matt Stokoe as the killer, is set to be a TV ratings winner.

Katelaine, whose mother Caroline Fitzpatrick, a counsellor, escaped from Moat after years of abuse when their daughter was small, will be one of the viewers.

She said: 'My mum left my dad before I could remember but I knew who he was.

'I was 11 when he did what he did and we were taken to a safe house in case he tried to kill us too. We watched it on the TV, it didn't feel real that it was my dad on the TV.

'When he killed himself we hugged each other. I didn't hate him then, I didn't want him to be dead. But it was over, a relief.'

She added: 'I was bullied constantly because I look like him. I have his light skin and blue eyes and physically we are very similar.

'Kids would yell, 'Moaty!' at me in the street and try to provoke me to fight back, as though pushing me to be like him.

Matt Stokoe, best known for his roles as Alex in Misfits on Channel 4 and Luke Aikens in ITV thriller Bodyguard, will be staring as the crazed killer for ITV's Hunt For Raoul Moat, which is released later this month. Stokoe is pictured as Moat

Gazza's arrival at the police stand-off holding a loaf of tiger bread, lager, chicken and a fishing rod after convincing himself Moat was his 'brother' during a cocaine bender was a bizarre twist in the July 2010 Northumberland manhunt

'I was picked on the whole time. I was very shy and to begin with I ignored it, but I ended up fighting to defend myself.'

At her dads inquest it was revealed he suffered from bipolar disorder. He was brought up by his grandmother because his mother had the same condition.

The series follows ITV dramatizing two other notorious manhunts in recent history - the search for the brutal killer of French student Amelie Delagrange in 2004, which led to the eventual arrest and conviction of Levi Bellfield, and the operation to catch the infamous 'Night Stalker', serial rapist Delroy Grant.

The Hunt for Raoul Moat will air on three consecutive nights on ITV1, starting at 9pm next Sunday.
Rapist Met police officer David Carrick is being investigated over an alleged sex attack when he was 13 and another five women have come forward since he was jailed - as his mother says she has no plans to visit him in prison.

Carrick, 48, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 30 years in February after carrying out a string of 'violent and brutal' sex attacks against at least a dozen women over more than two decades as a police officer.

But detectives are now understood to also be probing an alleged sex attack committed when Carrick was a 13-year-old - potentially widening the known timeline of his heinous crimes.

It comes as his mother has said she 'still loves him', but admitted: 'I just dont know why he has done it'.

She told The Times that, although Carrick is 'still my boy', she has no plans to visit him in prison and has not seen him for ten years.

Carrick, 48, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 30 years in February after carrying out a string of 'violent and brutal' sex attacks against at least a dozen women

Carrick pictured performing a martial arts pose while he was serving in the army as a 19-year-old

Detectives are now understood to be probing an alleged sex attack committed when Carrick was a 13-year-old

Jean said: 'I just dont know why he has done it. He should have been caught a long time ago. I know he has let himself down but the Met didnt support him very well.

'They gave him a gun and put him in that position. Why would they do that? Now he has lost everything.'

READ MORE: Moment furious sex monster cop David Carrick complains as he is arrested while naked at home Advertisement

She recalled how Carrick was 'a normal' and 'good boy' in school, but even as a child he 'liked to get his own way'.

He became increasingly distant after his parents split, while his mother's new partner would regularly beat her.

Carrick developed a passion for martial arts, enjoyed skateboarding and was described as 'popular' with 'plenty of girlfriends' by one schoolfriend.

But he grew to become increasingly cocky and, aged 16, mved out of the family home in Salisbury to nearby Amesbury.

He worked in a Co-op before serving in the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment and the Royal Logistics Corps aged 16.

Prior to joining the Metropolitan Police, Carrick was reported to the forced over alleged burglary and theft at his ex-girlfriend's home, but the matter was dropped when he agreed to return the items and pay for the damage caused to the property.

The same partner then reported him over alleged malicious phne calls, but Carrick was not arrested.

Despite both incidents having been reported, he passed the Met's vetting system and became a police officer in August 2001.

During his probationary period, Carrick faced further allegations that he harassed and assaulted an ex-girlfriend, but no action was taken other than being spoken to abut his behaviour.

Between 2002 and 2008, he worked as a response officer for Merton in south west London - his first posting.

The Met received five complaints from the public regarding his conduct, including unnecessary use of CS spray, unprofessional behaviour and aggression during a stop and search.

Carrick, who routinely carried firearms as an officer, threatened at least two of his victims with guns

David Carrick, pictured here in a court sketch at Southwark Crown Court on February 6, 2020, ahead of the prolific rapist's sentencing

Friends believe Carrick enjoyed the power of being a police officer and recall how he would often flash his warrant card during nights out.

'Im a police officer, youre safe with me' would also became an integral part of his patter, something he could trip out as part of his charm offensive when he met a woman for the first time.

His first known rape took place in 2003, two years after joining the Met, when he invited a 20-year-old woman to his flat after telling her a housewarming party was taken place.

When they arrived, there was no such gathering and he held her against her will for hours - including putting a gun to her head.

It was nearly 20 years until the victim felt the courage to approach police after seeing his name in the media in connection with another alleged sex attack.

One of Carrick's victims was a female officer after being assigned to a traffic patrol team.

The woman, now an experienced detective, recalled attending Carrick's flat share in south London to find a messy bedroom and photographs from his time in the army.

She consented to having sex, but was instead anally raped and felt scared he would become increasingly violent.

She reported the rape in 2021 and revealed how she felt ashamed for not having done so sooner.

David Carrick, pictured, was jailed for a minimum of 30 years after admitting to rapes and sexual offences against multiple women

Following the rape of his colleague, Carrick met a barmaid in 2008. She later joined the police and they purchased a house together, but he would rape her multiple times during their relationship.

The following year, Carrick was assigned to the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection unit, where he would boast to friends that he had protected the prime minister  a lie.

Within months of being given a firearm, he was accused of abusing a girlfriend, but the case was dropped when the victim and a third party no longer wished to proceed.

Later the same year, Carrick attempted to rape a married school friend following a school reunion event, before meeting a further two victims at a martial arts club.

In 2015, he raped another schoolfriend he became reacquainted with via a dating app - sometimes within earshot of the woman's young daughter.

Two years later, he underwent another vetting process, but only declared a single incident - that he had been given three points on his driving licence for speeding.

Between March 2017 and January 2019, he continued to work as a police officer and raped and abused a mental health nurse he was in a relationship with.

Carrick was a serving police officer at the time of all of the offences and was working for the Met at the time of his arrest

Images were released for the first time showing a tiny cupboard that Carrick locked one of the woman in as a form of punishment, as well as a whip he used on the victim.

Carrick set up surveillance cameras which he used to monitor some of his victims at his home

A court would later hear how he hit the woman with a whip and shut her in a small cupboard as punishment while 'whistling at her as if she was a dog'.

Carrick raped a cleaner in 2018 and a further two victims he met on dating websites.

He was arrested in July 2021 after one of the woman contacted Hertfordshire Police, but no further action was taken when she dropped the complaint.

It would not be until October later the same year when a victim , inspired by the words of Sarah Everard's mother after she was raped, kidnapped and murdered by another Met officer Wayne Couzens, that Carrick would finally be charged with an offence.

As the incident was reported and his name appeared in the media, a further five women came forward reporting abuse.

As detectives probed the incident, they became 'staggered' at the enormity of his offending.

Carrick was placed on remand at HMP Belmarsh after being charged and was interviewed in prison by two female detectives.

They said that, initially, he appeared a 'very charming person', but became more 'controlling' as the interviews progressed.

Since the sentencing, a further five women have come forward with allegations of sex crimes

Carrick would eventually plead guilty to 49 offences including rape, coercive and controlling behaviour, sexual assault and false imprisonment at Southwark Crown Court.

Justice Cheema-Grubb slammed Carrick for taking 'monstrous advantage of his position' while serving as a Metropolitan Police officer for more than 20 years.

She told Carrick that he 'behaved as if you were untouchable', adding it was a 'spectacular downfall for a man charged with upholding the law' having lost his liberty, job and status.

Following his sentencing, Home Secretary Suella Braverman branded his crimes a 'scar on our police', while Met Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said: 'David Carrick's crimes were unspeakably evil. The detail is harrowing.'

Since the sentencing, a further five women have come forward with allegations of sex crimes.

Detective Chief Inspector Iain Moor, of the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshires major crime unit, said he beliees more victims are yet to come forward.

Police are working with the Crown Prosecution Service to explore more criminal charges.

The handling of complaints made to police during Carrick's career is also under review.

A spokesman for Hertfordshire Police said: 'Since David Carrick pleaded guilty and was sentenced at court in February, more than ten people have contacted their local forces or the investigation team directly, to either report further offences, including sexual assault, or to share information relating to him.

'The team are now working with the CPS and investigating all of these new allegations.'
Evil killers Wayne Couzens, Levi Bellfield and Ian Huntley will reportedly be among a host of prisoners who will have phones installed in their cells, sparking fury from MPs and former detectives.

Inmates at HMP Frankland are said to be ecstatic with the news that they will be able to privately make phone calls from the comfort of their own prison cells.

The Category A prison in Durham, which is regarded as one of the UK's toughest jails, is where the likes of Sarah Everard's killer Couzens is incarcerated.

Couzens is currently serving a whole life term for the abduction, rape and murder of Ms Everard, 33, in March 2021, while Bellfield - who is known to have killed at least three people including Milly Dowler - also faces life behind bars.

Huntley - who murdered ten-year-olds Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman in Soham, Cambridgeshire, in 2003 - faces two life terms, with a minimum 40-year tariff at the maximum security prison.

Sarah Everard's murderer Wayne Couzens and serial killer Levi Bellfield (right) are among inmates at HMP Frankland who could have phones installed in their cells

Ian Huntley (pictured) - who murdered ten-year-olds Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman in Soham, Cambridgeshire, in 2003 is also at the notorious jail

But in a shocking revelation, cells are set to be fitted with phones over the next few months so that prisoners no longer have to queue up to make calls, The Sun reports.

A source told the paper: 'The prisoners are really excited. It seems like a massive project with loads of workmen on site. They seem to be spending a lot of on what could be seen as a luxury.'

Last month, it also emerged that Bellfield was set to take legal action against the Government to try and force it to let him get married while behind bars.

News of his proposed nuptials with the woman, who is in her 40s, sparked outrage when they were revealed last year, and Dominic Raab has vowed action to stop it happening.

Former Met Police detective Peter Bleksley condemned the decision to allow prisoners phones, arguing that it is 'beyond the pale' that 'monsters like Huntley' would be able to make calls from their own cells.

He said that he anticipates that inmates at the notorious prison will 'abuse' their access to the phones.

Tory MP James Daly, who is also a member of the Home Affairs select committee, branded the move as 'appalling', adding that both victims of the crimes and taxpayers would be 'sickened' by the schedules luxuries.

Sources told The Sun that inmates will have restricted access to the phones - and that their calls will be monitored.

Inmates at HMP Frankland are said to be ecstatic with the news that they will be able to privately make phone calls from the comfort of their own prison cells

Convicts at HMP Frankland have single cells with a TV, sink and toilet, while well-behaved inmates are allowed Xboxes and DVD players.

A Prison Service spokesman said: 'Phone use in prisons is subject to strict time limits, risk assessments and monitoring.'

Prison chiefs faced serious questions in November last year after one of Stephen Lawrence's jailed killers David Norris was found in possession of a mobile phone for the second time in two months at HMP Dartmoor.

It was found weeks after a 'furious' Brandon Lewis, who was justice secretary at the time, vowed that the ex-gangster's son would face 'consequences' after he was caught illegally using a smartphone in prison in September.
Of the 45,755 migrants who crossed the Channel by small boat last year, 215 have been deported.

More than 25,000 of those were found to be refugees, despite Government claims the majority of those crossing by small boat are economic migrants.

The figures, based off Home Office data, also show one in five channel migrants are children.

Last year saw record numbers arrive into Dover - 1,104 boats with an average of 41 people each day.

Data obtained through a Freedom of Information request showed just 0.47 per cent of the total migrant arrivals have been deported, including seven who were found to be criminals.

About fourty people thought to be migrants board a boat before they attempt to cross the Channel to Britain, near the northern French city of Gravelines on July 11, 2022

A group of people thought to be migrants are brought in to Dungeness, Kent, onboard the RNLI Life Boat following a small boat incident in the Channel on April 4

Of the 45,755 migrants who crossed the Channel by small boat last year, 215 have been deported

And Conservative MP for Dover Natalie Elphicke said deportation rates are so low they are no longer a deterrent to those travelling to the UK by small boat.

She also urged Home Secretary Suella Braverman to 'get a grip' on processing migrant arrivals, by stopping boats leaving France so they can't reach the UK.

Priti Patel, as home secretary in 2021, claimed that '70% of individuals on small boats are single men who are effectively economic migrants'.

But the Home Office has now admitted, via a Freedom of Information request, that it had no evidence to support this claim. The statement has not been corrected.

READ MORE: More than 4,500 migrants have now crossed the Channel this year after 77 came in two boats yesterday Advertisement

Asylum figures are taking longer to process, while a Refugee Council report based on the same figures found most of those arriving by small boat are people fleeing war-torn or oppressive countries where no safe and formal routes such as refugee visas exist for making an asylum claim in the UK.

A Home Office spokesman said the increase in dangerous and 'illegal' journeys into the UK puts 'greater pressure on the asylum system, slowing down the processing of individual cases who could face deportation or removal'.

However, the UK has an international legal duty to not criminally penalise anyone seeking protection as a refugee.

Enver Solomon, CEO of the Refugee Council said: 'The majority of the men, women and children who cross the Channel do so because they are desperate to escape war, conflict and persecution.

A group of people thought to be migrants are brought in by an RNLI Dungeness lifeboat

A group of people thought to be migrants are brought in to Dover, Kent, from the RNLI Dover Lifeboat following a small boat incident in the Channel on April 6

'They have a genuine and urgent need of help and support  and have no other options.

'The government has promised to look at more safe routes, but at the same time has proposed inhumane legislation to detain anyone who crosses the Channel in a small boat, removing the right to claim asylum.

'This would leave tens of thousands being locked up and treated like criminals. It's unfair and highlights yet again the lack of a clear process in the UK for most people seeking asylum.'
Keir Starmer is facing pressure from within Labour to soften his opposition to controversial Scottish gender reforms and approve changes if he wins the next election.

Anas Sarwar, the leader of the Scottish arm of the party, said the Westminster leader should 'learn the lesson' from the law introduced by the SNP last year.

Backed by Scottish Labour, the Gender Recognition Reform Bill would allow teens to legally change their sex from the age of 16.

The law was blocked by Rishi Sunak under devolved powers, a move backed by Sir Keir, whose party is massively divided on the issue of trans rights.

Speaking to the Telegraph, Mr Sarwar, who was among those who voted for the GRR law, said: 'I think there's a way that you can build a consensus where you can protect trans communities, give them greater dignities in the process of obtaining a GRC (gender recognition certificate), while at the same time reassuring women and protecting single sex spaces based on biological sex.

'I think there is a way forward here as long as you look to build the consensus. At this moment in time, I don't see either of our governments trying to do that.

Anas Sarwar, the leader of the Scottish arm of the party, said the Westminster leader should 'learn the lesson' from the law introduced by the SNP last year.

Backed by Scottish Labour, the Gender Recognition Reform Bill would allow teens to legally change their sex from the age of 16.

'My recommendation would be: learn the lesson from Scotland. Look to build a consensus, look to see what more you can do within the existing legislation to give greater protections and greater reassurance.

'Find that more consensual way forward over a longer period of time rather than rushing to something that is going to just further divide people across the country.'

Last week Sir Keir sought to clarify his stance on transgender issues by stating that 99.9 per cent of women 'of course haven't got a penis'.

The Labour leader is under pressure to define his party's position on gender identity following the fierce row in Scotland over legal reforms.

He has been warned by party strategists that he risks losing the next general election if he continues to face questions about how to define a woman.

He last month appeared to shift his position on gender self-identification in the wake of the SNP's woes and hinted he could ditch a past commitment to introduce self-declaration for trans people.

Sir Keir has previously been reluctant to say whether a woman can have a penis - which has been branded 'dystopian' by one critical Labour MP.

He also said in 2021 that it is 'not right' to say only women have a cervix.
A young mum has been left with no savings after she was conned into buying a used car that ended up needing 'everything' repaired.

Two days after Andy Hansen spent $4,000 on a serviced Holden Commodore in the Adelaide Hills, the motor conked out and she discovered it's convincing paperwork had been fabricated.

Ms Hansen bought the car off of Facebook marketplace, where the seller had claimed it had recently been serviced with minimal defects.

The mother-of-four has now been forced to launch a GoFundMe after pouring 'all the money' she had left into dodgy red sedan.

South Australian police have since confirmed that an Adelaide Hills man has been reported for dishonestly dealing with documents and has been charged.

Andy Hansen was conned into buying a $4,000 lemon off of the Facebook Marketplace

Ms Hansen says that she poured all of her family's savings into the car, which was supposed to get her to work & her four kids to school

Ms Hansen claims the seller wound back the kilometres on the car to make it appear in better condition.

'This guy just assured us that it was a good car - the advertisements, the paperwork, everything,' she told 9News.

'He sold it to me for all the money that I had left.'

After taking the car to a mechanic, the long list of problems became apparent.

She was also informed the invoice provided to her, showing that a recent $1,055 service had been done on the car, was fake.

'The more they delved, the more they found that it was deeper and basically now, and basically now I'm in line for a new motor.

'It has a busted motor we have no funds left to fix it and no way out in sight.'

Ms Hansen also says that she's lost her job after being unable to reliably drive herself there.

The seller said that the car had just been serviced, providing fake documents to show that $1,055 had been spent on it

Ms Hansen says that she's now lost her job after not being able to sustain reliable transport to and from her workplace

Ms Hansen says that she was talked out of requesting an RAA check on the vehicle prior to the purchase.

'I should've waited - I should've gone and got the complete check,' she said.

'We try so hard, and when someone does this without a care it's not fair.'

Ms Hansen's children, two of whom are disabled, require reliable transport between the three separate schools they attend.

The Adelaide hills man facing charges of dishonestly dealing with documents is expected to he's expected to be summonsed to appear in court at a later date
Were you on the cruise ship? Email milo.pope.mol@mailonline.co.uk

Cruise passengers forced to fly home just days into their dream holidays are set to launch legal action against travel company TUI.

Refunds and compensation is expected to total more than 1 million when lawyers at a top London firm act on behalf of a large group of passengers left furious after being forced to cut short their Caribbean cruise after just three stops.

Notes were slid under cabin doors in the dead of night citing problems with catering equipment.

With no further explanation from officials or the ships Captain, passengers say their experience was traumatic.

The legal action involves customers from all over the UK including at least 35 groups from Scotland and 80 families from England including Keith Palmer and his wife Nicki from Cornwall.

Passengers who joined the Marella Discovery 2 at Jamaica were shocked to be told the cruise was cancelled [File image]

Keith Palmer and his wife Nicki, from Cornwall, are one of the 80 English families taking legal action against travel company TUI

He is spearheading the group of English passengers and gathering information to pass on to the lawyers acting on theire behalf.

On a 26 hour journey home that was exhausting and uncomfortable passengers Dawn Clarke and her husband Ian were flown back to Manchester and bussed back to Glasgow.

Mrs Clarke, from Balloch, Dunbartonshire, has back problems and had paid to upgrade their seats for comfort on the flight home but instead spent six and a half hours on a bus.

The couple are part of the Scots group who have also instructed David Greene of Edwin Coe to take action against TUI.

Last night Mr Greene, a senior partner at the firm, said: For many a cruise round the Caribbean starting in Montego Bay is the holiday of a lifetime for which they have saved over years.

These are special events often afforded out of savings at these difficult times. It makes it distressing when the whole thing goes wrong and is then cancelled with hurried flights home.

The blame for this lies squarely with TUI. Its a disgrace that those affected have not had all their money refunded plus compensation which TUI should pay.

Time for TUI to hold its hand up, accept the wrong and pay these people back their money.

On an exhausting 26 hour journey home passengers Dawn Clarke and her husband Ian were flown back to Manchester and bussed back to Glasgow

Passengers boarded the Marella Discovery 2 cruise ship on January 24 at Montego Bay port in Jamaica for a two week voyage.

It was to stop at the Cayman Islands, Cuba, Mexico and Jamaica then sail to Colombia, Panama and Costa Rica.

On average couples on board paid between 6,000 and 9,000 for their package deals.

However five days into the trip and only three stops on the itinerary everyone received a note under the door with the news that the rest of the cruise was cancelled due to a technical issue.

Mr Palmer, 63, and his 60 year-old wife paid 6,000 for their luxury Caribbean Cruise.

Having been on previous voyages they knew the standard they expected when they embarked on their trip. This holiday was to locations they hadnt visited before and were excited to see.

However their dream turned into a nightmare when the holiday was cancelled without any warning or proper explanation.

Instead they were informed by a letter slid under their cabin door that there was technical issues to do with the catering on board, and left with no alternative but to leave without details.

Mr Palmer said: I just cant for the life of me see how this has happened.

A cruise liner doesnt just come across problems like this, it should be prepared for a two week voyage with all passengers.

And the Captain was very absent throughout all of this and left to junior staff to deal with it, some of them clearly had very little experience.

They were offered 300 vouchers each to spend with TUI which was rejected and legal action was decided on with their fellow Scottish passengers.

Mr Palmer has volunteered to gather details on behalf of those who travelled from England to pass on to Mr Greene.

He said: People have been so badly let down and so many were away celebrating special occasions and big birthdays, 40th birthdays, 60ths and wedding anniversaries.

To have their holiday cut short and left inconvenienced and out of pocket, its awful and we will fight to get our money back.

Mrs Clarke, 53, booked a 7,000 two week package holiday from Glasgow and was shocked to wake up to the letter posted during the night.

She said: We woke up to find a note under the door saying the cruise was being cancelled and we were going home.

Faith Scott, 50, and Andrew Coull, 60, from Midlothian, are also fighting to have all of their holiday refunded

I was devastated and there was only the young girl at reception to speak to - there was no senior staff.

The captain made an announcement but that was just what was in the letter, he was nowhere to be seen.

There was no officers, not a white shirt in sight. We were told we could stay in a hotel in Mexico and we could be refunded but I didnt trust them at that point.

Confused and upset by the circumstances and unsure of what to expect they were flown back to Manchester.

Mrs Clarke added: I had even paid extra for premier seats on our flights because Ive got a bad back.

By the time I got off the plane at Manchester and everyone got their sandwiches for the journey and back on to a bus and we were another six and a half hours to Glasgow, I was crippled.

I only live 30 minutes from Glasgow airport

On their return they were partially refunded, receiving money for the days of the luxury trip they werent able to enjoy but not for the changes to their holiday including changes on the ship and the flight home.

TUI also offered them 400 each in vouchers to spend with them although later changed their proposal to cash - which was rejected.

This newspaper understands passengers have been offered varying amounts of vouchers by way of compensation.

Some have accepted this as remuneration while others have not been refunded any of their money yet at all.

Faith Scott, 50 and 60 year-old Andrew Coull from Dalkeith, Midlothian, were celebrating milestone birthdays when they flew from Glasgow and boarded the ship at Montego Bay.

They too are fighting to have all of their holiday refunded.

Ms Scott said: We were absolutely gutted this happened, we were celebrating special birthdays.

We were really looking forward to the second week in particular, it was the part of the itinerary we were most excited about.

Everyone we met had been on several cruises before, this was our first, and they kept saying they had never heard of anything like it before, we couldnt believe it and left a really sour taste.

Another passenger, who didnt want to be name but was also celebrating a special occasion, said the ship was like Fawlty Towers.

The pensioner from Glasgow said: It was actually a traumatic experience that left everyone mentally and physically exhausted.

A spokesperson for TUI said: We understand how frustrating the cancellation of the Pride of Panama cruise on Marella Discovery 2 has been for customers.

The cancellation was due to a technical issue with our catering facilities, which impacted our ability to provide our usually high service standards onboard the ship.

As this is now a legal matter, we cannot comment any further.
There have been 140 people evacuated in Hamburg as the cloud drifts towards

A cloud with possible 'chemical components' has drifted towards Hamburg city centre, sparking an 'extreme danger' warning.

Police have advised people to close their windows after a large fire that engulfed several warehouses sent black, chemical-laden smoke drifting over the city.

The fire broke out at around 4.30am at a storage facility, in the Rothenburgsort district, forcing 140 people to evacuate, according to German news agency DPA.

Smoke drifted from there towards the city centre, with national railway company Deutsche Bahn halting long-distance trains between Hamburg and Berlin and other cities.

A public safety alert has been sent through a mobile phone app, advising people to close windows, turn off ventilation and air conditioning.

Huge flames rise from a fire in Hamburg, Germany, sparking an 'extreme danger' warning and the evacuation of 140 people

Heavy smoke rises during a major fire in Hamburg-Rothenburgsort, as police have advised people to close their windows after a large fire that engulfed several warehouses sent black, chemical-laden smoke drifting over the city

Residents are also being told to avoid the area, with police classifying the smoke as 'extreme danger'.

Public broadcaster NDR said the fire involved containers with hydrogen sulphide and a toxic and foul-smelling substance.

This forced firefighters and police officers in the area to wear breathing apparatus.

There are no reports of casualties as a result of the possible chemical-carrying cloud.

Some 140 people were evacuated, and it is not yet possible to say exactly how dangerous the situation is, a police spokesperson said.

Police officers stand at the Hamburg-Rothenburgsort train station in Hamburg as residents are also being told to avoid the area, with police classifying the smoke as 'extreme danger'

A spokesperson for the fire department said they had reduced the threat level somewhat, even though the fire is still burning, but that people should remain indoors with windows closed.

Multiple police, fire and other emergency workers were at the scene as a thick cloud of dark smoke billowed upwards.

The police spokesperson said the sky had darkened as a result, but the weather made it difficult to determine how much was smoke and how much was clouds.
A woman has allegedly been stabbed to death in a horrific domestic violence incident which has left neighbours horrified.

Police were called to an unit block on Church Avenue in Sydney's Mascot about 6.10pm on Easter Sunday, where a woman believed to be in her 50s was found with knife wounds.

Paramedics tried desperately to revive the woman but she sadly died at the scene.

A woman has allegedly been stabbed to death in a horrific domestic violence incident which has left neighbours horrified. Pictured: The alleged victim's Mascot apartment

Police were called to an unit block on Church Avenue in Sydney's Mascot (pictured) about 6.10pm on Easter Sunday, where a woman believed to be in her 50s was found with knife wounds

'Police established a crime scene, which will undergo examination by specialist forensic police, and commenced an investigation,' NSW Police said in a statement.

'A 61-year-old man was arrested at the scene and taken to Mascot Police Station where he is assisting police with their inquiries.'

The alleged victim is yet to be formally identified.

'I live on the corner and I saw lot of police cars,' one local resident said.

'I feel so nervous and sad for the family. It's so bad and it's really scary.'
The Texas attorney general has slammed 'Soros backed' prosecutor Jose Garza after a jury convicted a Fort Hood soldier of murdering a BLM protester who aimed AK-47 at him.

Attorney General Ken Paxton lashed out at Travis County DA Jose Garza, saying he had 'weaponized the judicial system' and cowed to the 'racial agenda' of liberal mobs and extremists groups.

On Friday a jury in Garza's district convicted Sgt. Daniel Perry of murdering 28-year-old Garrett Foster in downtown Austin on the night of July 25, 2020. Perry could face life in prison for the conviction.

Paxton also railed on Garza for funding he'd received from billionaire George Soros, and said he had criminalized personal freedoms like the 'God-given right' to self defense.

It comes as Governor Greg Abbott has said he is seeking to pardon Perry, saying he asked the Board of Pardons and Paroles to expedite his request for a pardon so he could sign it as 'soon as it hits my desk.'

U.S. Army Sgt. Daniel Perry, center, and his attorney Doug O'Connell are seen walking out of the courtroom during jury deliberations in his murder trial, on Frida. Perry was convicted of murder on Friday for fatally shooting Garrett Foster, an armed protester in 2020, during nationwide protests against police violence and racial injustice

Garrett Foster is seen at the driver's window. The barrel of the rifle is pointed towards the ground, while his right arm is high with his hand seemingly placed on the grip of the weapon. His weapon and Perry's were both legally-obtained

Perry killed Garrett Foster, 28, who is pictured with his wife Whitney Mitchell, a quadruple amputee who uses a wheelchair

In a statement to Fox News, Paxton delivered a strongly worded rebuttal to Garza's conviction of Perry.

'Self-defense is a God-given right, not a crime. Unfortunately, the Soros-backed DA in Travis County cares more about the radical agenda of dangerous Antifa and BLM mobs than justice,' he said.

'This week has shown us how rogue prosecutors have weaponized the judicial system. They must be stopped!'

The Fort Hood Army Sgt. was driving his car as an Uber that evening to earn extra cash, when he tried to get through a crowd of Black Lives Matter protesters.

Part of the crowd of protesters was Foster, who pointed his AK-47 in the window of Perry's car, with the serviceman opening fire in response and killing him.

Both men's guns were legally-obtained, with jurors in Austin claiming Perry had other, non-deadly means of self-defense available to him.

'Texas has one of the strongest 'Stand Your Ground' laws of self-defense that cannot be nullified by a jury or a progressive District Attorney,' Abbott said.

Garza told Fox News he thought Paxton should focus on his own 'own legal troubles,' referring to his ongoing indictment over 2015 securities fraud charges.

'The Texas Attorney General is currently under felony indictment and under a federal criminal investigation. He should focus on his own legal troubles instead of attempting to interfere with the work of a Travis County jury,' Garza said.

Texas attorney General Ken Paxton said Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza had 'weaponized the judicial system' to follow liberal agendas

Sgt. Daniel Perry was stationed at Fort Hood and driving Uber at night to earn extra cash

Garrett Foster and and his wife, Whitney Mitchell, are seen at the July 2020 protest

Jose Garza, DA from Travis County, Texas

After the Friday ruling, Garza issued praised the prosecution's efforts.

'I'm grateful to our dedicated career prosecutors and victims' counselors who tried this case,' he said. They worked hard to make a complete and accurate presentation of the facts to the jury. Our hearts continue to break for the Foster family. We hope this verdict brings closure and peace to the victim's family.'

Garza is one of numerous district attorneys across the country whose campaigns received millions in funding from Soros, leading directly to wave of liberally-minded judicial policies and decisions.

He received about $600,000 from the Soros-backed Texas Justice and Safety PAC during his campaign, leading to his appointment in 2021.

Garza vowed to end 'over-prosecution' of minorities and impoverished residents.

He has also drawn ire from the Austin Police Department for arresting officers for incidents which had been handled through department's internal process.

Other Soros-backed DAs include Alvin Bragg, who led effort to indict former president Donald Trump over hush-money payments made to pornstar Stormy Daniels.

The billionaire's DAs have stripped away bail laws and opted to forgo prosecuting crimes like theft and reckless driving, effectively giving criminals a free pass and leading to the breakdown of law and order across the United States.

As a direct result, crime has skyrocketed in major cities overseen by Soros's DAs. In 2021 under Kim Foxx's reign, Chicago had the most murders it's seen since 1994. And in Philadelphia, drug use and violent crime has seen a surge since Larry Krasner took office.

Soros has funded the campaigns of dozens of liberal prosecutors across the US. He has defended it, saying America needs to invest less in prisons and more in other strategies that he claims will reduce crime

Daniel Perry, a 37-year-old Uber driver and Army sergeant, was found guilty of murder

Perry's attorneys argued that the shooting was self-defense as Foster approached Perry's car with an AK-47 rifle.

Prosecutors said Perry could have driven away before firing his revolver and witnesses testified that Foster never raised his rifle at Perry.

Foster attended the protest with his wife Whitney, a quadruple-amputee who uses a wheelchair.

The jury deliberated 17 hours over two days to reach its decision, after an eight-day trial. He sobbed when the guilty verdict was read out, and hugged his attorney. Perry faces up to life in prison.

Perry, who was charged in 2021, was stationed at Ft. Hood about 70 miles north of Austin in July 2020 when he was working for as an Uber driver and turned onto a street straight into a large crowd of BLM demonstrators in downtown Austin.

In video streamed live on Facebook, a car can be heard honking before several shots ring out and protesters begin screaming and scattering.
There's $1.8million in cash lying in a police lock up for someone to claim but it is likely to come with a substantial jail term.

Police discovered the staggering sum in vacuum-sealed plastic bags stowed away in a Toyota HiAce that was pulled over late last year.

The vehicle was stopped in the western Sydney suburb of Abbotsbury at 10.50pm on October 27 by officers from the organised crime-busting NSW Raptor unit.

Investigators discovered the bags of cash stashed in a pallet and seized it using new powers that give the money's owner 60 days to come forward or it will be forfeited.

The HiAce's driver remained tight-lipped about who owned the money and has been released pending further investigations.

NSW police have seized $1.8million in cash that stowed away in Toyota HiAce pulled up in Western Sydney last October

A second vehicle was also pulled over during the same operation in Sydney and it yielded drugs as well as $92,547 in cash.

Police will allege the vehicles are used by a cross-border crime syndicate from Western Australia that sends drivers with cash to the eastern states to buy drugs and ferry them back.

Five men in Western Australia, aged between 27 and 36, have been arrested in connection with the seizures to face drugs and money laundering charges.

The seizure of the cash is the first under new proceeds of crime confiscation laws by the NSW Crime Commission.

NSW police will allege that the money was sent by a West Australian-based crime syndicate to buy drugs in the eastern states and ferry back

The laws, which took effect on February 1, allow the commission to seize money or other assets suspected of being the proceeds of crime and hold them until either claimed for they become forfeit.

'This mechanism will save court time and reduce the work Crime Commission staff members need to undertake to confiscate crime derived proceeds when nobody wants to lay claim to the property,' Crime Commission boss Michael Barnes told the Daily Telegraph.

'There are safeguards to ensure no one with a legitimate interest in lawfully acquired property is disadvantaged, but in many cases where large amounts of cash are found, those connected with it are more interested in denying any knowledge of it.'
More than one in 10 teachers have been physically assaulted by a pupil in the last year, a poll suggests.

Nearly half of the surveyed teachers said they do not feel that their school's behaviour policy is effective and 'fit for purpose', according to research by the NASUWT teaching union.

From 8,466 NASUWT members in the UK in March, 13% of teachers answered that they have been physically assaulted by a pupil in the last year.

More than one in four teachers also said they have been subjected to verbal abuse by a parent or carer during the last year.

Teachers reported to the union that they had been kicked at, bitten, punched and slapped by pupils, while NASUWT members also said parents had screamed and shouted at them.

Out of 8,466 NASUWT teacher respondents in the UK in March, 13% said they have been physically assaulted by a pupil in the last year

Nearly half of the surveyed teachers also said they do not feel that their school's behaviour policy is effective and 'fit for purpose'

The findings have been released during the union's annual conference in Glasgow over the Easter weekend.

Delegates at the NASUWT conference are due to debate a motion on Sunday which suggests that assaults are seen as 'a normal part of teaching' in too many schools.

Teachers have been subjected to pushing/shoving (22%), threats of physical assault (19%) and verbal abuse (58%) by pupils during the last year.

A teacher who responded to the survey said: 'I regularly had a child that would throw chairs at me, threaten to kill me and my family. Say he was going to stab me.'

Another said: 'I was upskirted. I have had an unknown substance sprayed in my face. I have been verbally abused and shoved several times.'

One of the other respondents added: 'I've been spat at, swore at, pushed, punched, kicked. I've been called a hole for the lads to shove their dicks in. I've had two Year 11 boys trap me in my room and threaten to go through my things.'

Among the teachers who said they had experienced abuse from a parent or pupil, more than one in three (36%) said they did not feel their school dealt with the issue satisfactorily.

The motion, which delegates will vote on, says the union is worried that employers are 'failing' in their duties to protect teachers by either not completing risk assessments or seeing them as a paper exercise.

Dr Patrick Roach, the general secretary of the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT)

It adds that the union is concerned many school leaders are 'not given sufficient guidance in the completion of risk assessments for violent pupils'.

Patrick Roach, general secretary of the NASUWT, said: 'No teacher should have to go to work expecting to suffer from physical or verbal abuse by pupils.

'Employers have a statutory duty to carry out effective risk assessments - they cannot simply choose to ignore or underestimate the dangers of violent pupils.

'Where employers do fail to protect our members from aggression and violence, we will take them on and act to support and protect our members by any means necessary.'

A Department for Education (DfE) spokesperson said: 'No teacher should feel unsafe or face violence in the workplace and we are taking action to improve pupils' behaviour to ensure every school has a safe and respectable environment.

'Our ongoing 10 million Behaviour Hubs programme aims to support up to 700 schools between 2021 and 2024 in improving their behaviour by partnering them with selected exemplary lead schools and multi academy trusts.

'Our updated Behaviour in Schools guidance provides advice on creating whole-school cultures which explicitly sets out what good behaviour looks like. This is so pupils can understand and uphold high expectations of behaviour, which in turn establishes calm and safe environments.'
He says two men assaulted him and A friend

A gay man claims he was the victim of a brutal homophobic attack in the heart of a Perth's nightlife district, which left him with a fractured nose.

Adrian Lea, 37, says he and friends were walking from an event to Connections Night Club at around 12am in Northbridge on Saturday morning when two men approached.

Mr Lea said he had a short conversation with one them while they were standing near the Perth Cultural Centre.

The stranger asked if Mr Lea was gay and he answered yes.

Then the man called his friend over to begin a vicious assault.

Adrian Lea was left with a broken nose after a vicious assault by two men in the heart of Perth's nightlife district

'Both of them jumped on me and started hitting me in the face,' Mr Lea told Channel Nine.

'Then I was on the ground. As I got up literally my nose was running blood.'

'It completely blindsided me, I was just in a daze and I was like 'what the hell is going on?'

'They were yelling out to 'kick him in the head'.'

Mr Lea said another male friend was also assaulted.

The attackers only let up when Mr Lea's female friend 'stepped in between and stopped it'.

This caused the two men to flee.

Even with a fractured nose Mr Lea felt he may have got off lightly.

Mr Lea said he was 'blindsided' by the unprovoked attack with the two men jumping on him

'I could have ended up a lot worse than what it was,' he said.

'I could have ended up not being here, you never know.'

WA police are searching for the men.

They are reviewing CCTV footage taken in the vicinity of the attack in the hopes of identifying the pair.
A New York woman who was more than six months pregnant has claimed that a March traffic stop caused her to have a miscarriage.

Quashaia Oranchak said she was pulled over by an unmarked vehicle while returning from her grandmother's house on March 20 in Binghamton and was body slammed against the hood of her vehicle as she was taken into custody.

The stress of the arrest, she claimed, caused her to have a miscarriage just moments after she was brought to the Broome County Correctional Facility.

But New York State troopers have refuted her version of events, saying that Oranchak refused to pull over and struck an officer's vehicle as she tried to flee.

They also claim that Oranchak had traces of fentanyl and methamphetamine in her body at the time, and have released body camera footage they say proves their innocence.

Quashaia Oranchak was pulled over and arrested by New York State Police officers in Binghamton on March 20. She was six months pregnant at the time

The body camera footage shows an officer getting out of his vehicle and approaching Oranchak's Range Rover, where two other cops had guns drawn on her and told her to get out of the vehicle.

Oranchak then steps out of the car with her hands raised, at which point an officer handcuffed her as she stood against the car's side door  seemingly refuting Oranchak's claim that she was slammed against the hood of the car.

As she was arrested, an officer could be heard acknowledging that he realized that Oranchak was pregnant, and asking her if she was OK.

'Ultimately, at the end of the day, like I told you before, I'm a reasonable guy,' he says.

'I see that you're pregnant. If you're not good, you need to let me know because you're in my custody now. Your well-being is part of my responsibility.'

Oranchak then replies: 'I'm OK for right now.'

Another cop could also be heard telling the arresting officer, 'She kept running away from me,' and when Oranchak asked what the problem was as she was being led into a police vehicle, the arresting officer replies: 'The issue is you ran.'

She, however, claimed she was simply trying to find a safe place to pull over.

Following the arrest, police told FOX News Digital, they found drugs in her car and traces of fentanyl and methamphetamines in her body.

'A quantity of fentanyl and methamphetamine was located secreted in her body,' a spokesperson said.

Oranchak was then charged with criminal possession of controlled substances, criminal use of drug paraphernalia and fleeing an officer in a motor vehicle.

She later became unresponsive at the Broome County Correctional Facility and was transported to a hospital, where she ultimately miscarried.

Oranchak could be seen in police body camera footage stepping out of the car with her hands raised after she allegedly fled a traffic stop

An officer handcuffed her behind her back as she stood against the car's side door  seemingly refuting Oranchak's claim that she was slammed against the hood of the car

At one point, the arresting officer acknowledges that she is pregnant and asks her if she is OK, to which she replies: 'I'm OK for right now.'

The body camera footage now seems to dispute many of Oranchak's claims.

She and her family had said earlier this month they were considering bringing legal action against the department and the New York State Department of Justice for 'infringing upon her rights.'

'When people look at all of the facts and circumstances of what happened here, that you will be able to infer that if this car had white people, it would not have happened,' her attorney, Ron Benjamin, said at a news conference earlier this month.

'They wouldn't have stopped her car.'

He further claimed that the cops 'unleashed such violent conduct because she's black.'

And despite the recently released body camera footage, Benjamin continues to claim that Oranchak was unlawfully stopped by the state troopers.

'There's no doubt that the police's stop and the arrest were unlawful, and we will pursue the violation of her rights vigorously,' he said in a statement to FOX News.
A youth has been arrested after a medical professional was critically injured at a Tasmanian hospital.

Police were called to the North West Regional Hospital in Cooee, on the state's northwest coast, following reports someone had been wounded.

They took a youth into custody a short time later.

Police were called to the North West Regional Hospital in Cooee (pictured), on the state's northwest coast, following reports someone had been wounded

A youth has been arrested after a medical professional was critically injured at a Tasmanian hospital

The victim has been airlifted to the Royal Hobart Hospital in a critical condition.

Police say the incident was isolated and there is no threat to the wider community.

Investigators remain at the scene.

Daily Mail Australia reached out to Tasmanian Police for comment.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez doubled-down on her call for the Biden administration to ignore a Texas judge's ruling that bans the abortion pill.

Meanwhile, Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra suggested Sunday morning that the administration could recommend that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) not heed the recent ruling.

A Trump-appointed judge in Texas ruled on Friday to halt distribution of a pill that has become the most common method of abortion in the United States.

Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk issued the ban by citing safety concerns regarding the pill that has been in use since 2000. The ruling does not immediately go into effect, and it is still unclear what impact it will cause.

'That is a pretty stunning position if you think about it,' CNN State of the Union host Dana Bash pushed back on AOC regarding her position on simply ignoring the ruling.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in demanding that the Biden administration ignore a recent judge's ruling in Texas that bans one of the United States' most popular abortion pills

'I want to take a step back and dig into the grounds around ignoring this preliminary ruling as well,' Rep. Ocasio-Cortez told Bash on Sunday morning.

The New York progressive lawmaker assured: 'There is an extraordinary amount of precedent for this.'

'And for folks saying this is a first, that this is precedent setting  it is not,' AOC added. 'The Trump administration also did this very thing, but also it has happened before. The idea of consistency in governance until there is a higher court ruling is not an unprecedented thing to happen.'

Before AOC's interview, HHS Secretary Becerra also told CNN that the administration wants the courts to overturn this decision and for the abortion pill to remain available for all women.

Bash asked Becerra if he is 'taking it off the table' the potential of recommending that the FDA ignore a ban on the pill.

'Everything is on the table  the president said that way back when the Dobbs decision came out,' Becerra replied.

'Every option is on the table.'

Trump-appointed Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk ordered last week a halt on mifepristone over fears surrounding its safety - although the pill has been in use since 2000

HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra suggested that the administration could recommend that the FDA ignore the ruling

"We want the courts to overturn this reckless decision."



US Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra explains the Biden administration's plan after a federal judge issued a ruling that could prevent access to an abortion-inducing medication. @CNNSotu #CNNSOTU pic.twitter.com/HnJi5J5M90  CNN (@CNN) April 9, 2023

The abortion drug Mifepristone has been widely used in the U.S. since 2000 and is one of two drugs used for medication abortion in the United States, along with misoprostol, which is also used to treat other medical conditions.

There is also essentially no precedent for a lone judge overruling the medical decisions of the FDA.

Kacsmaryk, a Trump administration appointee in Amarillo, Texas, signed last week an injunction directing the FDA to stay mifepristones approval while a lawsuit challenging the safety and approval of the drug continues. His 67-page order gave the government seven days to appeal.

'Simply put, FDA stonewalled judicial review - until now,' Kacsmaryk wrote.

He didnt go as far as the plaintiffs wanted by withdrawing or suspending the approval of the chemical abortion drug and removing it from the list of approved drugs. But he put a 'stay' or hold on approval of the drug.

Federal lawyers representing the FDA are expected to swiftly appeal.

AOC said that she deesn't believe judge's have a right to assert authority over FDA decisions and called the ruling a crisis.

'I think one of the things that we need to examine is the grounds of that ruling,' the lawmaker said Sunday morning.

'But I do not believe that the courts have the authority over the FDA that they just asserted,' she added. 'And I do believe that it creates a crisis.'

Clinics and doctors that prescribe the two-drug combination have said that if mifepristone were pulled from the market, they would switch to using only the second drug, misoprostol. That single-drug approach has a slightly lower rate of effectiveness in ending pregnancies, but it is widely used in countries where mifepristone is illegal or unavailable.

Mifepristone is part of a two-drug regimen that has long been the standard for medication abortion in the U.S. Clinics and doctors that prescribe the combination say they plan to switch to using only misoprostol. The single-drug approach is slightly less effective at ending pregnancies.

Boxes of the drug mifepristone sit on a shelf at the West Alabama Women's Center in Tuscaloosa, Ala., March 16, 2022. A federal judge in Texas on Friday, April 7, 2023, ordered a hold on the U.S. approval of the abortion medication mifepristone

The lawsuit was filed by the Alliance Defending Freedom, which was also involved in the Mississippi case that led to Roe v. Wade being overturned. At the core of the lawsuit is the allegation that the FDAs initial approval of mifepristone was flawed because it did not adequately review its safety risks.

Courts have long deferred to the FDA on issues of drug safety and effectiveness. But the agencys authority faces new challenges in a post-Roe legal environment in which abortions are banned or unavailable in 14 states, while 16 states have laws specifically targeting abortion medications.

Abortion has once again become a hot-button topic since Roe v. Wade was overturned last year.

Earlier this week, Idaho - which already completely bans abortion - enacted a law banning minors from traveling out of state for terminations.

Some conservatives have warned the strictest bans are turning off centrist conservatives and independent voters.

Commentators including Ann Coulter - known for her hardline right politics - have urged liberals to pare back their pro-life abortion ambitions, and instead get behind middle-ground legislation banning abortion from 15 weeks onwards.
Criminals in the South of the country get softer treatment than those in the North, according to analysis of sentences challenged for being unduly lenient.

Convicted offenders in the south are nearly a third more likely to have their cases referred to the Court of Appeal because victims, members of the public or the Attorney General believe they may be too lenient.

Data compiled by the Labour Party shows that in the south of England, 23.9 per cent of eligible cases are referred by the Attorney General, compared with 18.6 per cent in the North.

In Wales, the judges are considered to be the toughest, as only nine per cent are thought to be potentially too lenient.

That number is nearly a third of the rate of that in the South of England.

Blackfriars Crown Court London, Britain

The Midlands us just above the North, with 19.3 per cent being referred.

Dame Vera Baird, the former victims' commissioner and a former solicitor general, suggested that judges in the North were more likely to be 'getting it right' and were 'tougher and harder' on criminals.

'There may be better judges in the North who get it right and who are not unduly lenient. They might be tough and hard, being northerners,' she said.

Police & Crime Commissioner for Northumbria of Victims' Commissioner Vera Baird QC

Despite the fact that anyone can ask Attorney General Victoria Prentis to consider a referral of a case to the Court of Appeal, she and her legal advisers will only do so if there is objective evidence of a serious error in the judge's sentencing.

It is not enough to provide subjective evidence that a case might be too lenient.

The Inner London Crown Court had the highest rate of referrals for unduly lenient sentences - half of these are passed to the Attorney General to the Court of Appeal to be reconsidered.

Other courts in the top 10 with the highest 'unduly lenient' sentence referral rates included Winchester at 44.4 per cent, Woolwich in London at 41.2 per cent, Portsmouth at 36 per cent, Guildford at 35.3 per cent, Bristol at 47 per cent, and Cambridge at 31.8 per cent.

Emily Thornberry, the shadow attorney general, said the huge variation in referral rates across different regions was 'turning the public's last hope of justice into a postcode lottery'.

She added: 'For the victims, families and communities who put their faith in this scheme, it is unacceptable that their chances of success are being affected by where in the country they live.

'They already felt let down by the courts, and they will now rightly feel let down by government ministers themselves.'
The family of one of the heroes of Rorke's Drift which inspired the film Zulu is trying to buy back his lost medals after they saw them put up for auction.

At just 20 years of age Alfred Saxty was one of 150 British and colonial troops who defended the station of Rorke's Drift in South Africa against 4,000 Zulu warriors.

The battle - in which a record 11 Victoria Crosses (VC) and five Distinguished Conduct Medals were awarded to the survivors - is commonly recognised as one of the most famous in British Military history.

Next month Saxty's medals he was awarded are to be auctioned and it is expectefd they will be worth up to 20,000.

His 'shocked' ancestors had no idea their relative's medals were still in existence until reading about them.

The medals of Anglo-Zulu war veteran Alfred Saxty (pictured far left with other Rorke's Drift survivors) will go on sale and are expected to fetch up to 20,000

Saxty's campaign medals from his South African and Burmese campaigns will go on sale

His great-great-grandson even says he used to ask his parents which of the characters in the classic film Zulu, starring Sir Michael Caine, was his relative.

Now the 'proud' family is campaigning to raise the money necessary to purchase the medals before they go to auction next month.

Saxty's ancestors say they plan to display the medals in a museum so future generations can learn about their brave relative and his comrades' story.

The campaign medals from Saxty's South African and Burmese campaigns will go on sale at auction house Noonans of Mayfair's sale of Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria next month.

David Saxty, Alfred's great-grandson, believes the medals should be in the possession of him and his family.

The 70-year-old, who is a father of two and grandfather of three himself, explained the family were surprised to learn the medals were still in existence.

The retired lorry and cherry-picker operator, who lives in Canvey Island, Essex, with his wife Jan, said the first the family knew of the medals was from a 2006 book called Legacy Heroes of Rorke's Drift, by author Kris Wheatley.

The book describes Alfred Saxty as having 'stood his ground' against the Zulu warriors despite 'knowing that the garrison was hopelessly outnumbered' and that his chances of survival were 'slim'.

Sir Michael Caine (right) played Lt Gonville Bromhead in the 1964 film Zulu (Pictured left: Stanley Baker)

READ MORE: Sir Michael Caine hits out at 'bull***t' suggestion his 1964 movie Zulu incites extremism Advertisement

On their surprise discovery of the existence of the medals, David said: 'We are very proud of him in our family; not many survived from Rorke's Drift.

'The last we had heard about the medals was in the book, which said he'd lost the medals in Burma and had had to apply for replacements.

'It would be nice to keep and have the medals in a museum; then everyone could see them and learn the story.

'I think that's a nice idea because the Battle of Rorke's Drift is such a big part of British history. I'm surprised a collector has got them. I feel the medals belong to the family.'

Saxty, who served as a Corporal in 'B' Company of 2nd Battalion, 24th Foot, was one of the last survivors of the battle.

He was posted to the 2nd Battalion, 24th Foot at Brecon and served in South Africa from 1 February 1878 to 12 January 1880 during the Anglo-Zulu War.

Britain, which instigated the war in an effort to emulate the previous century's forming of a federation in Canada, eventually emerged victorious from the conflict - ending Zulu dominance in the region of southern Africa.

Saxty, along with 150 fellow British and colonial comrades, successfully defended the mission station of Rorke's Drift, on the border of the Zulu kingdom and the then-colony of Natal, against sustained attacks from between 3,000 and 4,000 Zulu warriors over 12 hours of fierce fighting.

Documentation relating to Alfred Saxty, who had a military career spanning from 1876 to 1895

The battle saw the death of around 500 Zulu warriors and 17 defenders, with one of the awards going to Lt Gonville Bromhead - played in the 1964 film Zulu by Sir Michael Caine.

Saxty was quickly promoted to the rank of Sergeant the day after the battle and later served in Burma and India before eventually being discharged in February 1895.

He died in Newport, Wales, where he lived with his sister, in 1936, aged 77.

The Legacy Heroes book also details Alfred's chequered and adventurous life as well as his not-so-heroic exploits, such as when he was caught drunk on duty in 1881 and imprisoned.

Julian Farrance, from the National Army Museum in London, explained that the awarding of the record number of Victoria Crosses given in history was an attempt by the government to 'deflect attention' from the 'disastrous' action at Isandlwana earlier the same day.

The Battle of Isandlwana was the first major encounter in the Anglo-Zulu war, when 1,300 British and colonial troops perished at the spears, shields and rifles of some 20,000 Zulu warriors.

Mr Farrance added: 'The most important reason that it retains its significance is due to the almost mythic nature of the action: a small band of defenders faced with overwhelming odds but somehow winning through, still speaks to us to this day, because it is a stirring story.'
Mourners gathered for the funeral at a cemetery in Kfar Etzion this afternoon

The father of two British sisters who were murdered in a drive-by shooting in the West Bank on Friday broke down in tears as he paid tribute to his 'beautiful angels' at their funeral this afternoon.

Siblings Rina and Maya Dee, aged 15 and 20, were shot dead as they travelled to the Sea of Galilee for a family holiday from their home near Jerusalem.

Their mother Lucianne, 48, who was also in the car, is fighting for her life in hospital after undergoing surgery to remove bullets from her neck and spine.

Attending the funeral at a cemetery in the settlement of Kfar Etzion, Rabbi Leo Dee, 51, said: 'How will I explain to Lucy [his wife] what has happened to our two precious gifts?'

In tribute to his 'beautiful and perfect' daughter Maya, he said: 'You will always be an angel and you will always be our guardian angel.

British sisters Maya, 20, (left) and Rina, 16, were murdered in a West Bank drive-by shooting on Friday

Rabbi Leo Dee, 51, (pictured) the father of two British sisters who were murdered in a drive-by shooting in the West Bank on Friday broke down in tears as he paid tribute to his 'beautiful angels' at their funeral this afternoon

Speaking at his daughters' funeral, a grief-stricken Rabbi Dee said: 'How will I explain to Lucy [his critically injured wife] what has happened to our two precious gifts?'

Heart-breaking images showed Rabbi Leo Dee (right) mourning the loss of the two sisters with relatives

Many of those who attended the funeral were teenagers - including some of Rina's school friends

Songs of grief filled the cemetery as mourners gathered to pay their respects to the 'much loved' British sisters

Rabbi Dee, who was formerly a City investment banker, believes that the killers will be 'brought to justice'

'You wanted to sign up for another year of national service, where you could really make a difference. But mummy and I wanted you to start your studies and maybe meet a special boy.

'But you insisted that girls like you always do two years of volunteering so we waited to see what and where this would be.'

The heartbroken father then turned to Rina and said: 'You were such a great student. Such a great friend. You dreamed of travelling the world, now you are travelling to heaven.'

The girls' mother Lucianne, 48, who was also in the gunned-down car, is fighting for her life in hospital after undergoing surgery to remove bullets from her neck and spine

Friends and relatives of the dead girls are comforted during the moving service in tribute to the dead teenagers

Heart-breaking pictures from the funeral service showed mourners screaming out in pain and embracing one another

The BBC reports that songs of grief filled the cemetery as hundreds of mourners, many of whom were teenagers, paid their respects to the two sisters

Relatives lean over the shrouded bodies of the dead sisters in grief at their funeral on Easter Sunday

The bodies of Maya and Rina were brought out together, one draped in black cloth and another in blue - both embroidered with a star of David in gold and silver.

Rabbi Dee embraced his daughters' wrapped bodies before sitting back and holding onto his remaining three children.

The BBC reports that songs of grief filled the cemetery as hundreds of mourners, many of whom were teenagers, paid their respects to the two sisters - including some of Rina's school friends.

Heart-breaking pictures from the funeral service showed mourners screaming out in pain and embracing one another as they try to process the shock death of the sisters which came amid soaring Israeli-Palestinian tensions.

The car that the victims were travelling in crashed after coming under fire, before the gunmen continued to shoot at close range, according to Israeli media.

Rabbi Dee, who gathered with relatives at the front of the prayer hall next to a low podium, moved to Israel from London with his family nine years ago and had been living in the West Bank settlement of Efrat.

Mr Dee was formerly a senior rabbi at the Radlett United Synagogue in Hertfordshire and before that he was an assistant rabbi in Hendon, north London.

Mordechai Ginsbury, senior rabbi at Hendon United Synagogue, who is still in touch with the family said he was feeling 'absolute devastation, pain, grief and shock'.

Speaking to Sky News, he said: 'To think that in a few moments, so senselessly and painfully, this has happened, such a tragic loss of life, of goodness, is just devastating.'

Britain's Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis (pictured) paid tribute to the two 'much loved' British sisters who were killed on Friday

Sir Ephraim Mirvis said that 'no words can describe the depth of our shock and sadness at the heart-breaking news'

Distraught mourners attend the funeral of the two British-Israeli sisters who were shot dead in an attack on Friday

Rabbi Ginsbury said he spoke to Rabbi Dee last night, where the father and husband admitted that 'one of the things that is sustaining him is the blanket of warmth and love which is enveloping them within Israel and around the world'.

Last night, Britain's Chief Rabbi has paid tribute to the two 'much loved' sisters, adding 'no words can describe the depth of our shock and sadness at the heart-breaking news'.

Paying tribute to the sisters on Twitter, Chief Rabbi Mervis said: 'No words can describe the depth of our shock and sadness at the heart-breaking news of the murder by terrorists in Israel of Maya & Rina Dee, daughters of Rebbetzen Lucy, who is in a critical condition & Rabbi Leo Dee, my dear colleagues.

'They were much loved in the Hendon and Radlett communities in the UK as well as in Israel, and well beyond. We pray for a refuah shelema for Rebbetzen Lucy and also for those injured in the terrorist attack yesterday on the promenade in Tel Aviv.'

Mr Dee, who quit his job as a City investment banker to become a rabbi, believes that the killers will be 'brought to justice'.

He previously revealed that he traced the car down with a tracking device, where he saw his wife being airlifted to hospital but his daughters were already dead.

Speaking from his wife's hospital bedside, Rabbi Dee told The Mail on Sunday that he was travelling with other family members in a car some distance ahead when a relative called to ask if he knew 'about the shooting and if the family was OK'.

'I said everyone was fine, but when I called my wife and two daughters there was no answer.'

In panic, he turned on a Google tracking device which allows parents to follow their children's mobile phones. It led him to the Hamra settlement, 30 miles north of Jerusalem.

London-born Rabbi Dee said: 'My daughters were friends of each other as well as sisters. Now we are diminished. Maya was doing national service in the south, and was passionate about helping others. Rina is what you would call an A* pupil. We were proud of them.

'My wife's condition is very serious. We are praying, and people around the world are praying, that she will get better.'

He added: 'I don't blame the terrorists as they will be brought to justice. I am more worried about the tensions between Jews in Israel. Some people think that the new religious government will suppress minority rights and become totalitarian. But this is not a risk as Judaism is about balancing love and justice.'

The Dee family left Britain in 2014, having returned there from Israel in 2008. They then moved back to Jerusalem, where Rabbi Dee is a highly respected author and academic.

On leaving the Radlett United Synagogue in Hertfordshire he said: 'It has been a tremendous honour for Lucy and I to have lived in this warm and friendly community. We will cherish this period of our lives.'

The funeral for the sisters was held in Efrat today. Pictured: Israeli medics and police check the damaged car at the scene of a shooting

Israeli forces gather near the Hamra junction in the northern part of the Jordan valley in the occupied West Bank following the shooting

Israeli medics and policemen check a damaged car at the scene of a shooting attack

Cars line up next to the Hamra junction, in the northern part of the Jordan valley in the occupied West Bank after the April 7 attack

Friends described the sisters as 'beautiful, kind and happy young women'.

Rabbi Dee said he had lived in Israel prior to returning to Britain in 2008, but the family had missed it 'intensely' and decided to return.

'We love the Jewish state, the huge array of Jewish learning institutions, the fact that the buses stop on Shabbat, the ability to buy kosher food at any supermarket and a culture that is fully in tune with our own,' he added.

READ MORE: British holidaymakers are confirmed wounded in Tel Aviv terror attack when driver ploughed into pedestrians after father watched his two British daughters get shot dead in front of him in separate horror Advertisement

After the attack, the Israeli Prime Minister wrote a personal tribute on Twitter for the sisters killed in the attack: 'On behalf of all the citizens of Israel, I send my condolences to the Di Mafart family for the murder of the two wonderful sisters, Rina and Maya.'

He added: 'In these moments, if the family is fighting for its life, and together with the entire nation of Israel, I pray for its safety, and we all send our condolences and strength to this dear family in this moment of great sorrow.'

In London, the Foreign Office confirmed the deaths of the two sisters and appealed for all sides in the Israel-Palestine dispute to de-escalate a situation which has seen violence flare up in recent days.

Shadow foreign secretary David Lammy said: 'I am shocked by reports of the killing of two British sisters in an appalling and cowardly attack in the West Bank.

'My thoughts are with their family and loved ones. More civilian victims of this cycle of violence show the urgent need for diplomatic efforts to de-escalate.'

The attack came amid escalating violence between Palestinians and Israeli factions in response to clashes at the Al-Aqsa mosque in East Jerusalem earlier this week.

The Israeli military initially reported that the Hamra shooting was caused by a collision between Israeli and Palestinian drivers.

Troops then said that they had found bullet holes in the Israeli vehicle and deemed it a deliberate attack.

Kan, an Israeli public broadcaster, said that 22 bullet casings were found.

In response, Israel Police commissioner Kobi Shabtai called on all Israelis with firearms licences to start carrying their weapons.

Israeli Major General Yehuda Fuchs said they were reinforcing in all sectors and would find those responsible.

Soon after the attack, a car in Tel Aviv mounted the pavement and drove into pedestrians, killing one and injuring several.

Security measures were again ramped up in response. The Times of Israel reported that the IDF was planning to bolster the police forces as police prepared for unrest at Al-Aqsa.

An unspecified number of air force reservists including fighter pilots and drone operators were also called up yesterday.

A car in Tel Aviv overturned after driving into pedestrians and losing control on Friday

One was killed and seven were injured in the attack which took place this evening in Israel

Rockets hit Bezet and Shlomi in the north of Israel on Thursday as regional violence worsens

The attacks on Friday followed on from the Israeli bombing of Gaza and Tyre on Thursday night as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised an 'aggressive response' to rockets fired from Lebanon into northern Israel that afternoon.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the rocket attack, but an IDF spokesperson blamed Hamas, the de facto governing authority of the Gaza Strip.

The barrage, in turn, followed Israeli police storming the holy Al-Aqsa mosque compound with tear gas and stun grenades on Wednesday morning.

Violent scenes showed police using weapons to beat worshippers barricaded in the mosque, who retaliated by shooting fireworks and throwing stones.

The Israeli bombing of Gaza reportedly damaged a children's hospital, further fomenting tensions ahead of the two outbursts on Friday.

Al-Araby al-Jadeed reported yesterday that in response to the attacks Israeli forces had 'closed all entrances to Jericho with military checkpoints, and are searching all vehicles' to find those responsible for the shooting in Hamra.

The outlet, founded by a former Israeli MP, cited local sources claiming that settlers under protection of the Israeli army were pursuing revenge attacks, 'burning houses and farm machinery' in Faroush and 'beginning to mount further attacks on local residents'.

Hamas did not claim responsibility for the attack but said it was a 'natural response to [Israel's] ongoing crimes against the Al-Aqsa mosque and its barbaric aggression against Lebanon and the steadfast Gaza.'

Fire and smoke rise following an Israeli airstrike in central Gaza Strip, Friday, April 7, 2023

The Israeli military struck targets in the Gaza Strip, pushing the region toward a wider conflagration after a day of rocket fire along the country's northern and southern borders

Palestinian mourners carry the body of 20-year-old Ayed Azzam, who was reportedly shot dead by Israeli forces on Saturday

The IDF have stressed Israeli warplanes targeted infrastructure belonging to Palestinian armed groups, as opposed to civilian infrastructure.

Hamas targets in the city of Tyre in the south of Lebanon were also hit in the assault.

There were no reports of serious casualties, but residents in Qalili, Lebanon, were injured in the bombardment.

The Palestinian health ministry said 'partial damage' was done to the Al-Dorra children's hospital in Gaza City during the strikes.

Hecht said the IDF was aware of the allegation and was looking into it as the local UN forces urged restraint.
Hospital officials say the contract is 'under review' and that it would still hold Catholic Easter services

The Catholic Archdiocese for the Military Services is accusing Walter Reed National Military Medical Center of violating patients' First Amendment right to freedom of religion by terminating a contract with Catholic priests ahead of Holy Week.

The archdiocese claimed on Friday that Walter Reed  the nation's preeminent military hospital that also serves congressmen and presidents  issued a 'cease and desist order' against the Holy Name College Friary, a Franciscan community of priests that had served at the center for nearly 20 years.

As part of the order, the archdiocese said, the Catholic priests were directed to halt religious services at the hospital ahead of the Church's commemorations of Holy Thursday, Good Friday and the Easter Vigil, and Easter Sunday.

It instead contracted with a for-profit secular firm that Archbishop Timothy Broglio says will not be able to provide Catholic patients with adequate care.

But executives at Walter Reed said their contract with Holy Name is just 'under review,' and claimed that it would still hold Easter services with an ordained Catholic priest.

Walter Reed Army Medical Center is being accused of violating patients' First Amendment rights to freely express their religion

Archdiocese for the Military Services officials say the hospital issued a 'cease and desist' order to the Holy Name College Friary, a Franciscan community of priests that had served at the center for nearly 20 years

In a statement to the Church's followers, Broglio slammed Walter Reed's decision to kick out the Catholic priests as 'incomprehensible.'

'It is incomprehensible that essential pastoral care is taken away from the sick and the aged when it was so readily available,' he said, adding: 'This is a classic case where the adage, "If it is not broken, do not fix it" applies.

'I fear that giving a contract to the lowest bidder overlooked the fact that the bidder cannot provide the necessary service,' he continued, claiming that Walter Reed's decision infringes on the free exercise of religion guaranteed by the First Amendment.

He noted that only ordained Catholic priests can carry out certain practices  like the celebration of Mass and the administration of Confession.'

Archbishop Timothy Broglio slammed the move as 'incomprehensible'

'Especially during Holy Week, the lack of adequate Catholic pastoral care causes untold and irreparable harm to Catholics who are hospitalized and therefore a captive population whose religious rights the government has a constitutional duty to provide for and protect,' the archdiocese said.

'I earnestly hope that this disdain for the sick will be remedied at once and their First Amendment rights will be respected,' Broglio added.

He said that an attorney for the archdiocese has reached out to the hospital 'numerous times throughout Holy Week asking for the Franciscans Catholic ministry to be reinstated at least through Easter,' but have not received a response.

As a result, the church officials say, there is only one Catholic Army chaplain assigned to the hospital, 'but he is in the process of separating from the Army.'

Officials at Walter Reed have said they will continue to hold Catholic Easter services

Officials from Walter Reed, however, say they are continuing to meet their patients' spiritual needs, noting that the hospital is a 'welcoming and healing environment that honors and supports a full rang of religious, spiritual and cultural needs.'

In a statement on Saturday, hospital officials said 'Catholic Easter services will be provided to those who wish to attend.

'Services will include a celebration of Mass and the administration of Confession by an ordained Catholic priest,' it noted, adding: 'For many years, a Catholic ordained priest has been on staff at WRNMMC providing religious sacraments to service members, veterans and their loved ones. There has also been a pastoral care contract in place to supplement those services provided.'

But, the statement said, officials are now reviewing the pastoral care contract 'to ensure it adequately supports the religious needs of our patients and beneficiaries.'

'Although at this time, the Franciscan Diocese will not be hosting services on Sunday, parishioners of the Diocese while patients at our facilities may still seek their services,' the hospital administrators said.
An inquest jury has slammed the Metropolitan Police for failing a 17-year-old boy who took his own life after officers treated his threats as 'attention seeking'.

Samuel Howes, the youngest of four siblings, died after being struck by a train at South Croydon station on September 2, 2020.

A jury-led inquest into his death at South London Coroner's Court heard the teenager had been admitted to A&E more than 40 times and had contact with the police on 178 occasions in the three years prior to his death.

Samuel last had contact with police just two days prior to taking his own life, with a jury concluding that the way he had been treated by officers, along with poor communication between agencies, contributed to his death.

The jury outlines a number of failures, including the lack of steps taken to seek an assessment of his mental health, an inadequate approach of staff and the Met's inadequate response to missing persons reports after officers made 'zero' steps to find him.

Samuel Howes, the youngest of four siblings, died after being struck by a train at South Croydon station on September 2, 2020

Speaking after the inquest, Samuel's mother Suzanne said losing her son was 'a crushing heartbreak', adding the missed opportunities to save his life would 'haunt us forever'

Jurors also detailed how agencies including the Met and the British Transport Police (BTP) 'identified Covid as an obstacle to justify their inadequate responses'.

Speaking after the inquest, Samuel's mother Suzanne said losing her son was 'a crushing heartbreak', adding the missed opportunities to save his life would 'haunt us forever'.

Inquest jury slams Met Police over handling of teenager who took his own life The jury found the following factors possibly contributed to his death: - The inadequate response of mental health and or social care services in relation to Samuels dependency on alcohol and the possibility of a rehabilitative placement - The failure to adequately share risk information by social services and/or mental health services with each other and with the police. - The sharing of risk information by the Met and/or BTP with partner agencies. - Steps taken by the MPS to seek an assessment of Samuels mental health by a Liaison and Diversion practitioner whilst he was in custody on August 30 and 31, 2020. - The inadequate approach of staff and the safeguarding processes within Croydon Custody Suite. - Failures by multiple agencies and the inadequate response to the 'missing persons' investigation conducted by the MPS. - Samuel's interactions with his girlfriends Advertisement

Samuel, who had a history of OCD, anorexia and self-harm, was arrested by BTP officers while under the influence of alcohol on August 30, 2020.

While in custody he repeatedly banged his head and had his clothes confiscated.

He was left naked on a cell floor, with an officer subsequently describing his behaviour as 'attention seeking' and 'fairly normal'.

Neither a custody nurse or a psychiatric liaison nurse saw Samuel while he was in custody. Instead, the latter was informed Samuel was 'well known and violent' and did not need to be seen.

He was later released with no mental health assessment and police did not inform his family of the incident.

Two days after his arrest, Samuel failed to return to the semi-independent accommodation he was living in under the care of Croydon Councils safeguarding team.

He was recorded as a missing person by the Met on September 1, 2020, and contacted the London Ambulance Service himself from a friend's house in tears and expressed suicidal thoughts.

Police officers attended the address, but did not find Samuel there.

They did not notify his family, nor carry out an active search, the inquest heard. His level of risk was deemed 'medium', despite a history of vulnerability.

Samuel was found dead the following day.

The jury recorded a narrative verdict of 'suicide was probably contributed to by his mental health and use of drugs and/or alcohol'.

A statement from jury said: 'There was an inadequate approach of staff and safeguarding process within Croydon custody suite.

'Samuel's actions were regarded as attention seeking The [forms] were not completed.

'The limited collaboration between the Met Police and British Transport Police led to a lack of recognition of Samuel's mental health needs resulting in inadequate care.'

Speaking after the inquest, Mrs Howes said: 'Losing Samuel has been a crushing heartbreak, traumatic beyond our comprehension. Every day and each new experience that we encounter as a family is impacted by his loss. We are changed forever by his death.

'Samuel needed and deserved to be safeguarded. He was spiralling, frequently in crisis and returned to self-harming. I along with many professionals feared for his life. He said he wouldnt live to be 18.

Samuel last had contact with police just two days prior to taking his own life, with a jury concluding that the way he had been treated by officers, along with poor communication between agencies, contributed to his death

'Measures should have been put in place to protect him and provide wrap-around care to manage his safety. Croydon Childrens Services, as his corporate parent, should have led this response.

'The Metropolitan Police and British Transport Police should hang their heads in shame. Samuel was crying out for help in custody and severely self-harming. Multiple police officers labelled him "attention seeking". The culture of casual indifference and lack of accountability of both police forces is shocking.'

The Met referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct following Samuels death.

A probe later found five officers should receive 'informal management action'.

Detective Superintendent Fi Martin said: 'The death of a young person is all the more tragic when it becomes apparent that they have come into police contact and not received the high level of service we strive for day in day out.

'We will now take some time to carefully consider the findings of the jury and seek to learn any lessons.'

Debbie Jones, chair of Croydon Safeguarding Children Partnership, said it has launched a review.

She added: 'There is much we as a partnership can learn from Samuel.'
Missing mother-of-two Madeline Kingsbury was exchanging humorous texts with her sister the morning she disappeared from her Minnesota town.

The 26-year-old failed to show up to work on March 31 after she was last seen at around 10 a.m. at her house on Kerry Drive, Winona - around an hour and 45 minutes after sending her final text to sister, Megan, at 8:15 a.m.

Madeline was last seen by the father of her kids after dropping their five-year-old girl and two-year-old boy off at daycare at around 8 a.m.

The co-parent, whose name wasn't disclosed, told authorities he left the home and when he returned, Madeline was gone.

She didn't show up to work, and her loved ones said she didn't respond to several calls and messages. Madeline also didn't pick up her children later that day.

Madeline Kingsbury sent a last funny text message to her sister the morning she disappeared on March 13 from her Winona, Minnesota home

The mother-of-two's sister Megan Kingsbury (above) revealed the last message she received from Madeline at 8.15am, hours before she went missing out of the blue

'We were chuckling about a funny photo exchange between us, and that was the last communication with me, or with any of my family or her other friends,' Megan told Fox News of her sister's final message.

Shortly after sending the text, Madeline was last seen by the father of her children after dropping their kids off at daycare and returning home.

Madeline's family wasn't concerned about her until the evening when her mother raised awareness that she hadn't heard from her daughter.

'For years, since her first child was born, which is five years ago now, I talked to her multiple times daily - FaceTime, phone, texts,' Megan said.

'She's in communication with us about every minute detail.

'Concern really started the evening of Friday, March 31. My mom messaged me asking if I had heard from my sister that day because my mom had sent some messages that had no response', she said.

Madeline left her phone, wallet and ID inside her home and it's unclear whether she left the house of her own volition.

'This is very unlike her. She's not the type of person who would want to take a break and not tell anybody.

'If she had a problem and wanted to get away, she would come to my house,' Megan said.

Megan added her sister had plans to go over to her home the next morning with her five-year-old daughter.

Madeline's disappearance sparked a mass search in Minnesota. Pictured: people searching for her

The 26-year-old dropped her two kids off at daycare and returned home with the father of her children, who told authorities he left the home at 10am

At around 10am, the father of the kids left their house in a dark blue 2014 Chrysler Town and Country minivan, he told authorities. Pictured: Madeline's home

Madeline's family wasn't concerned about her until the evening when her mother raised awareness that she hadn't heard from her daughter

Police Chief Tom Williams said last week they believe Madeline's disappearance is 'involuntary' and are 'concerned for her safety'.

Using surveillance video, police determined a van matching the description of the one the father of her children said he was driving in Fillmore County between 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Friday, according to the La Crosse Tribune.

'Based on the investigation, we know that the children were dropped off at the day care and that the van returned home,' said Williams.

They did not confirm who was driving the van at the time. They are asking residents in both counties to check their own security cameras to see if they noticed the minivan.

'The investigation is still open and ongoing as to what happened upon returning home,' he added.

Winona Police have not offered a suspect but have told residents to check their own surveillance cameras for a dark blue minivan 'driving by or stopping' in the City of Winona, Wilson Township, and Hillsdale Township between 8 a.m. March 31 and 4 pm on April 1.

It's unclear that she left her home of her own volition because she left her phone, wallet and ID inside her home

Winona Police Chief Tom Williams (pictured center) said that based on their investigation, Kingsbury's disappearance is suspect

Kingsbury's family spoke at a press conference Wednesday, offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to her return, according to ABC News.

'Please help us find Madeline,' said her sister, Megan Kingsbury. 'Her children need their mother. We need our daughter, our sister, our aunt and our best friend back.'

She's described as 5 feet 4 inches, weighing about 135 pounds, with brown hair and hazel eyes.

Megan Kingsbury described her sister as a 'hard-working and dedicated mother' who doubles up her job at the Mayo Clinic with graduate studies.

'Our hearts go out to Kingsbury's family and we are asking everyone to help us bring her home safely,' Winona police stated Monday.
Hotels and Airbnb hosts in Liverpool have rocketed up prices for stays during the Eurovision Final in the city.

Some hosts have been accused of quadrupling prices when they realised people were coming for the musical competition - with one guest saying his landlord wanted a whooping 2,046.

Airbnb said it had 'zero tolerance' for the price-gouging behaviour and will stop hosts cancelling and relisting pre-existing stays.

Hundreds of thousands of people will flock to Liverpool for the May 13 concert, which will see countries from Europe and beyond compete for the grand prize.

The UK is hosting the event after Sam Ryder finished second behind the Ukrainian act last year. The UK always has a free ticket to the final as one of the 'big 5', who make large financial contributions to the event.

The UK is hosting the event after Sam Ryder (pictured) finished second behind the Ukrainian act last year

The iconic song contest will take place in Liverpool and the grand final will be held on Saturday May 13

Roy Henry told the BBC that he had secured a five-night stay in Liverpool during Eurovision for a bargain 465.

But when the landlord realised his party were coming for Eurovision, Mr Henry received an email from the host asking him to cancel and rebook his stay.

The Eurovision fan was shocked when the host specified the new price - more than his monthly mortgage in London.

'If the host had said, look, I made a genuine mistake, can I increase it by a small amount, say 50 a night, I would have been fine with that,' Mr Henry said.

Mr Henry got in touch with Airbnb, who allowed him to cancel his stay and helped him cover the costs of finding alternative accommodation.

The host is not allowed to relist his property for Eurovision and faces full cancellation penalties.

In a statement, Airbnb said: 'We take a range of actions to deter Host cancellations, including applying fees, penalties and blocking Hosts from accepting a new booking for the same dates.

The hosting site said it had seen an increase in bookings in Liverpool and that it would prove 'an economic lifeline' for people struggling with the cost-of-living crisis.

'The average price per night of a booked stay during Eurovision is 260, providing affordable accommodation for guests and helping local families boost their income.'

Hotels and hosts are cashing in on the 150,000 people expected to travel to the city for the event.

Performers dressed as jellyfish on roller skates skate around the Beatles statue at the launch of Eurovision EuroFestival in Liverpool (March 28)

Hotel prices have stabilised at around 200 to 300 per night during the event, Simon Bennett, secretary of the Eurovision Fan Club OGAE UK, said.

And many will choose to dance the night away and return via the early trains to accommodation in nearby Manchester, Warrington or Southport.

Spending the weekend at some of the best hotels in the city will certainly burn a whole in your pocket.

There are only 84 hotels in the city centre, meaning there is a strong demand for accommodation.

The Adelphi Hotel in Liverpool, where a woman died in 2022 after being crushed by a wardrobe, is charging 549 for a night's stay during the European extravaganza.

Luxury studio apartments in the city centre are on the market for up to 8,840 for the Saturday night. A week later the same apartment would cost just 416.

One central Liverpool apartment that sleeps four is charging up to 748 a night during the competition.

Another waterfront luxury flat is listed at 1,169 for a night over the Eurovision weekend.
Four people have been rushed to hospital after more than 1,000 revellers gathered for an illegal rave at an industrial estate where witnesses described seeing semi-conscious bodies lying in the road.

Police said they were called to reports of a loud event in Bridgend, South Wales, on Saturday night and ordered the crowds to disperse.

By lunchtime today there were still hundreds of revellers at the site.

Officers said more than 70 cars were also at the 'unlicensed music event' at Kenfig Industrial Estate.

South Wales Police said in a statement: 'At 11:40pm on Saturday 8 April South Wales Police were called to reports of an unlicensed music event, occurring at Kenfig Industrial Estate.'

Four people have been rushed to hospital after more than 1,000 revellers gathered for an illegal rave last night

Pictured are revellers at the rave at the Kenfig Industrial Estate in Margam, South Wales

Assistant Chief Constable Mark Travis said: 'Initial reports indicated that in excess of 1,000 people and 70 vehicles are in attendance. A number of officers have been deployed. We are urging people to leave the site safely and stay away from the event.

'The Welsh Ambulance Service has attended in response to calls from the scene. Currently three people have been taken to hospital, none of those persons are seriously injured.'

In a further statement on Sunday afternoon South Wales Police said: 'Emergency services and local partners remain at the scene of an unlicensed music event at Kenfig Industrial Estate.

'One further person has been taken to hospital with non-serious injuries. A small number of vehicles and people remain.

Assistant Chief Constable Mark Travis commented: 'We are engaging with those present at the scene to ensure they make their way from the site safely whilst respecting local residents. The event is now dissipating and those attending have been leaving throughout the afternoon.

'We have worked with partner agencies to ensure those who need help have been supported. It is disappointing that on one of the busiest days of the year that so many resources have been diverted from supporting local communities manage an illegal event.

'I would like to thank the local community for their patience and support.'

One reveller Nigel travelled from Hampshire with his three friends in a van.

South Wales Police said more than 1,000 people were in attendance, with hundreds still there this afternoon

Police arrived at the scene at around 11.40pm and closed off the road to the industrial estate

He said they arrived in the early hours and do not worry about when they have to head home and they go to these sorts of events most weekends.

This weekend, according to Nigel, was a significant event on the rave scene as it is EggTech or EggTek, which is a celebration of techno music at Easter.

The annual event is part of the Peace Love Unity Respect (PLUR) and 'free rave movement', which originated in the US in the 1990s.

Free raves intend to offer revellers an opportunity to 'escape' and freely dance in a safe space among like-minded people.

Nigel said: 'It's a class event and this is a good place for it. Last year we had it in Dorset. 100% worth the trip.'

Local resident Chris Davies said: 'I started work at 6am this morning and I thought it was a concert or something. You could hear it at the bottom of the hill. They're not much trouble.

'There were people walking down this morning and I stopped a guy and asked: 'What's going on? Is it a concert.' He just went 'Uuuhhh'. I wasn't getting much out of him.'

Another participant, Chris, travelled four hours to get here today and said it's been 'completely worth it'.

Explaining how they find these raves, he said: 'Basically they come out about a week before. Everyone sends their numbers in on the social media group and then everyone gets a group text saying: 'Ring this number on this day.'

'Then on the phone line it gives you a general area to go to. Last night it said 'head to Bristol area'. So everyone in the country going was heading to Bristol last night.

'Then that changed to Cardiff as we were driving through the night. That's the best thing. It's an adventure. Eventually you find out where you're going. I've been going to them for years and you get to know so many people. It says on all texts: 'Respect the land and respect the police.'

'It's just a bit of fun getting loads of people together and having a party.. I've always found as long as you're nice to the police they're decent.'

Ahead of the bank holiday weekend the Welsh Ambulance Service urged people not to 'waste vital resources'.

The service said: 'The Welsh Ambulance Service is urging the public to protect their resources over the four-day Bank Holiday weekend.

'The Trust is reminding people to collect any medication, including prescriptions and stock up on first aid supplies to treat minor injuries and illness as home.

'Along with the four-day weekend comes an improved weather picture, and we are asking the public to please drink responsibly and treat our emergency workers with respect.'

Sonia Thompson, Assistant Director of Operations (Emergency Medical Service), said: 'We always see a rise in demand in our services over a long weekend, and this weekend is expected to be no different.

'Improved weather usually means more people are out and about socialising or travelling to visit family and friends, so it's important that they collect their prescriptions, keep a stocked first aid kit in their homes and cars and know what services to use should they become ill or suffer an injury.'
Two ousted Tennessee lawmakers who protested on the state's House floor said the legislature has 'always been toxic' and accused the Republican Speaker of treating it like his 'personal palace.'

Democratic former State Reps. Justin Jones and Justin Pearson were voted to be expelled from the Tennessee House of Representatives by their colleagues after using a bullhorn to protest gun violence on the floor.

It came following the latest shooting that left six dead at a Christian elementary school in Nashville, Tennessee.

'The Speaker, you know, I mean, he runs the Capitol like it's his private palace and so there is no democracy in Tennessee. Tennessee is the most undemocratic state in the nation,' former Rep. Jones told NBC News' Meet the Press host Chuck Todd.

He also accused Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton of being an 'autocrat.'

Former Tennessee state Rep. Justin Jones accused the state's House Speaker Cameron Sexton of running the place like his own 'palace' and being an 'autocrat'

Fellow ousted Tennessee state lawmaker Justin Pearson said Sunday that he never felt welcome in the legislature in the deep red state. 'It has always been a toxic work environment to work in the Tennessee State Capitol,' he said in an interview with NBC

Jones, 27, previously represented Nashville  and the city's Metropolitan Council is now tasked with selecting who will take his now-vacant seat.

But now, lawmakers in the state are looking to reinstate him after he led chants from anti-gun activists in the public gallery.

Twenty-three members of the 40-seat chamber confirmed last week that they will hold an emergency meeting Monday where they plan to vote him back to the House.

Republican leadership said they would work with Jones if he is returned to the body, just as any other member. But warned that they must observe 'decorum'.

Pearson told Todd during their joint interview on NBC Sunday morning: 'It has always been a toxic work environment to work in the Tennessee State Capitol.'

'When you have people who make comments about hanging you on a tree and hanging black people on a tree as a form of capital punishment. When you wear a dashiki on the House floor and a member gets up and they talk about your dashiki saying it's unprofessional,' he listed. 'They're really sending signals that you don't belong here and that is what the underlying and undergirding comment and responses that we heard on the House floor and the comments to myself and my brother, Representative Jones, was really about.'

'It's about us not belonging in the institution because they are afraid of the changes that are happening in our society and the voices that are being elevated,' the former state lawmaker added.

Legislative leaders cannot stop an ousted member from running for office again, and they cannot expel them for the same offense if they are reelected.

Jones earlier said he would be back at the Capitol on Monday to continue his protesting for gun reform - action which was sparked last week after trans shooter Audrey Hale killed three children and three adults at a Christian school in Nashville.

Justin Jones (left), a Democrat representing Nashville, and Justin Pearson (right), who represented Memphis, were both expelled from their seats on Thursday - a week after the two 27-year-olds joined Rep. Gloria Johnson in a protest over gun laws on the state's public House floor

Knoxville Rep. Gloria Johnson (center back) commented that she believed she retained her seat because it came down to the fact that she is a '60-year-old white woman and they are two young black men'

'I'll be back at the Capitol on Monday with those protesting,' Jones said.

He was the first to be voted out followed by Justin Pearson, also 27, who represented Memphis, while Rep. Gloria Johnson, who represents Knoxville, retained her seat by one vote.

Johnson commented that she believed it came down to the fact that she is a '60-year-old white woman and they are two young black men.'

It comes amid online posts from supporters who have threatened calls for arson at the House of Rep. several saying: 'Burn it down.'

Speaking to CNN's Don Lemon, Jones said that he hadn't slept since the vote but won't let it compromise his dissidence.

'What they're trying to do is to bring us back to days that we don't want to go to,' he said.

'If I didn't know this happened to me I would think this was 1963 instead of 2023.

'We'll continue to lift up the issue and we'll continue to speak truth to power and I'll be back at the Capitol on Monday with those protesting - demanding action from my former colleagues.'

Tennessee Republicans accused the protestors and the Democratic House members of disruption when they interrupted House proceedings March 30 with a bullhorn.

The resolution to expel the lawmakers said that they brought: 'disorder and dishonor to the House of Representatives through their individual and collective actions.'

The trio had joined hundreds of protestors who marched to the State Capitol last week calling for stricter gun laws in the wake of the grisly massacre at the Covenant School in Nashville at the hands of twisted gunman Hale, 28.

Johnson, who also spoke to the broadcaster said she believes she was spared because the issue came down to race.

'I'm a 60-year-old white woman and they are two young black men listening to the questions and the way they were talked to,' she said.

'I was talked down to as a woman mansplained to but it was completely different from the questioning that they got.'

Supporters lashed out at the House of Rep. with many threatening online to 'burn it down.'

Among those citing violence following the historic vote was University of North Carolina at Charlotte associate professor Anita Blanchard.

Gloria Johnson, 60, representing Knoxville, is seen standing with Johnson and Pearson. She was spared expulsion, while the two 27-year-old black men were kicked out

Until Thursday, only two people had been expelled from the Tennessee state legislature since the Civil War.

U.S. president Joe Biden called the vote 'shocking, undemocratic, and without precedent'.

He tweeted: 'Three kids and three officials gunned down in yet another mass shooting. And what are GOP officials focused on? Punishing lawmakers who joined thousands of peaceful protesters calling for action.

'It's shocking, undemocratic, and without precedent.'

Jones said after the vote that it showed Tennessee was 'on a path toward authoritarianism,' and his lawyers were analyzing whether the expulsion vote was legal.

'This should sound the alarm across the nation, that we are entering some very dangerous territory,' he said.

He said that the three 'are in this together', and he was heading to the public gallery to support the other two as he is no longer allowed to enter the House floor.

Jones said: 'We are multiracial, intergenerational - we represent Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville. We stand united. Because this is not the end.

'But if we don't act, we lose our democracy. Today was a signal that we have lost democracy in Tennessee and we are on a path toward authoritarianism, to be quite honest.'

He said he was not sure if he would run for office again, but would 'stand with the people', and added: 'We were saying, let's pass an assault weapons ban. And they assaulted democracy.'

He said expelling him from the House was 'unconstitutional', and said he is consulting his legal advisers for the next steps.

Tennessee State Troopers blocked the stairwell leading to the legislative chambers on Thursday

Tennessee State Representative Justin Pearson, Gloria Johnson and Justin Jones link arms as they walk in the State House

Protesters gathered calling for the ban of 'assault weapons' as the House of Reps. prepared to vote

The House was shown video of the March 30 demonstration, with the three Democrats joined by protestors.

They used a bullhorn to lead supporters in the public gallery in chants for gun reform, and as a result were accused of 'disorderly behavior' in the Tennessee House of Representatives.

The three Democrats raised their fists in the air as video of the disruption played, during the vote to expel them. Cheers and applause were also heard as the video played.

All three progressive representatives were seen speaking with one another as the short clip ended.

Heavy security was present as the vote was held.

Tennessee Republicans accused the protestors and the Democratic House members of disruption when they interrupted House proceedings March 30.

The resolution to expel the lawmakers says that they brought: 'disorder and dishonor to the House of Representatives through their individual and collective actions.'

The trio had joined hundreds of protestors who marched to the State Capitol last week calling for stricter gun laws.

Six people, including three nine-year-old children, were killed when Nashville shooter Audrey Hale opened fire at The Covenant School on March 27.

Tennessee State Troopers stand guard at the outside the House chamber

Protestors and Democrats accused of 'disorderly behavior' in the Tennessee House of Representatives salute with their fists in the air as video of 'disruption' is played during vote to expel the three members

Footage from the House floor showed protestors, Democratic members - Reps. Justin Jones, and Justin Pearson - all saluting in support of their behavior when they used a bullhorn to lead supporters in the public gallery in chants for gun reform last week

Heavy security was present at the House of Representatives in Tennessee as they prepare to vote on a resolution filed by Republican leadership to expel three Democratic leaders for 'disorderly behavior'

Three adults - Cynthia Peak, 61, Katherine Koonce, 60, and Michael Hill, 61 - were killed, along with three nine-year-old students: Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs and William Kinney.

Hundreds of people invaded the Capitol on March 30, demanding that the Republican-led Statehouse pass gun control measures.

House leadership later described it as an 'insurrection,' aping language used around the attack on the U.S. Capitol by Donald Trump's supporters in January 2021.

Jones and Johnson were stripped of their committee assignments in the aftermath by Republican leadership.

Pearson, however, did not serve on a committee.

Expulsion votes are rare and in Tennessee.

The House of Representatives has only voted to expel a member twice since the Civil War.

One vote was to expel a sitting lawmaker who was convicted of soliciting a bribe, and another for a majority whip who was facing allegations of sexual misconduct.

Two-thirds of the House needed to vote in favor of the expulsion in order for it to pass.

Rep. Justin Jones speaks at the statehouse, as Republicans who control the Tennessee House of Representatives prepare to vote on whether to expel him and two others

Rep. Justin Pearson gestures while entering the statehouse on Thursday

A demonstrator holds a placard while protesters gather ahead of the Republican vote to expel three Democratic members

On Monday, three Republicans filed resolutions that the three Democrats be expelled and they successfully asked for an expedited process with a vote Thursday.

The resolutions claim the three 'did knowingly and intentionally bring disorder and dishonor to the House of Representatives,' according to the Tennesseean newspaper.

The result was fresh chaos on Monday when the first resolution, targeting Pearson, was introduced.

Protesters shouted from the galleries and Pearson raised his fist in salute, while other Democrats raised their hands to object.

Members of the public chanted: 'Fascists! Fascists!' and wagged their fingers and fists at members.

Instead of taking a vote, the speaker called for state troopers to clear the House galleries.

On Monday, Reps. Gloria Johnson, Justin Jones, and Justin Pearson used a bullhorn to lead supporters in the public gallery in chants for gun reform as they face expulsion

Johnson with protesters inside the state Capitol building last week demanding gun reform

Protestors last week as they gathered at the Tennessee State Capitol Building to demand action from lawmakers on gun control after The Covenant School shooting

Johnson later said she would consider a lawsuit if expelled, saying their protest was constitutionally protected.

'We're going to push back, and we're going to fight this because it's unprecedented and utterly ridiculous,' she told the Tennessean.

She accused Republicans of double standards.

'We had a child molester on the floor for years, they helped him get reelected and did nothing to expel him,' she added.

'We've had members pee in each other's chairs and nothing happened. But talk on the floor without permission, and you'll get expelled.'

House Democrats said they stood behind the three.

Tennessee, Kentucky, Florida, all around the country we see Democrats standing up against the GOPs new reign of authoritarianism. And theyre fierce. I love it.  pic.twitter.com/oRdOWcOhjd  Michelle (@LivingBlueTX) April 4, 2023

Lawmakers leaving on Monday evening after protests in the chamber

Tonight as Tennessee House Republicans push forward to schedule vote on our expulsion, Speaker Sexton orders the gallery cleared as crowd chants fascists.



Media forced out at as well.



Then, Rep. Lafferty (R-Knox) pushes me and grabs my phone.



This is a sad day for Tennessee. pic.twitter.com/Lh08Ma5kdS  Rep. Justin Jones (@brotherjones_) April 4, 2023

'The Democratic Caucus has unanimously, formally voted to oppose the baseless resolutions for expulsion and will zealously oppose them should they come up for a vote on the House floor,' they said in a statement.

The Tennessee Black Caucus of State Legislators also protested the resolutions.

'This political retribution is unconstitutional and, in this moment, morally bankrupt,' it said.

'The people who elected us are calling for meaningful action to end gun violence and the people have a right to be heard through their duly elected representatives.'

Democrats and Republicans have strongly disagreed about how to respond to the Nashville massacre.

Biden reiterated his call for a ban on assault weapons.

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, a Republican, proposed $155m to place an armed security guard at every public school in Tennessee and to boost security presence at both public and private schools.
Elon Musk has risked a row with the BBC by labelling it as 'government-funded media' on Twitter.

The Corporation is mainly funded by British taxpayers, who pay a 159-a-year licence fee.

Although the government sets how much the licence fee is, not everyone has to pay it, and households pay directly.

When someone clicks on the BBC's new label, it brings them to a page about government accounts and state-affiliated media accounts. Twitter described state-affiliated media accounts as: 'Outlets where the state exercises control over editorial content through financial resources, direct or indirect political pressures, and/or control over production and distribution.'

The page does not include a definition for its 'government-funded media' label.

Elon Musk has risked a row with the BBC by labelling it as 'government-funded media' on Twitter (pictured)

Since Elon Musk, 51, (pictured) bought Twitter last October he has fired top executives, started layoffs aiming to cut the company's 7,500 staff by around a half, and has also allowed people to buy blue ticks

Although the government sets how much the licence fee is, not everyone has to pay it and households pay directly. Pictured: BBC offices of Broadcasting House

A BBC spokesperson said: 'We are speaking to Twitter to resolve this issue as soon as possible. The BBC is, and always has been, independent. We are funded by the British public through the licence fee.'

Musk, 51, has cut down on the social media company's communications department in the last few weeks, and since March the press email has automatically replied with a poo emoji, as it did today when MailOnline approached Twitter for comment.

Since Musk bought Twitter last October he has fired top executives, started layoffs aiming to cut the company's 7,500 staff by around a half, and has also allowed people to buy blue ticks.

Last week, Musk was dethroned from the top spot of Forbes' annual billionaire list following his decision to purchase Twitter for $44billion.

He had earned the number one spot on Forbes World Billionaires list last year, when he had an estimated net worth of $216billion, overthrowing Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.

Musk is now the second richest billionaire in the world, falling to Bernard Arnault, the chairman of French luxury goods giant LVMH  which owns brands like Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior and Tiffany & Co.

Tesla founder Elon Musk lost the top spot on Forbes' annual list of billionaires due to his $44billion purchase of Twitter. He was superseded by Frenchman Bernard Arnault, the chairman of French luxury goods giant LVMH  which owns brands like Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior and Tiffany & Co.

The two had been trading places on the outlet's daily Real-Time Billionaires list over the past few months, CNN reports, but Arnault was able to supersede Musk in the annual list after his net worth grew more than $50billion to $211billion.

At the same time, Musk's net worth fell to just $180billion  $39billion less than it was last year, according to Forbes' calculations.

The outlet explains that Musk's standing plummeted after he purchased Twitter for $44billion  funded by Tesla shares.

Investors in the electric car giant worried at the time about its share value plummeting as Musk took over the social media giant.

Tesla eventually gained back much of its losses, but is still selling at about half of what it was before Musk took over Twitter in October.

'Musk has mostly tweeted himself out of the top spot on the ranks,' Forbes writes, apparently referring to his controversial tweets about Twitter's actual value and subsequent decisions to change the company.

He was able to keep much of his wealth, however, as SpaceX valuation increased from $13billion to $140billion in just the past year.

Still, that proved to not be enough to compete with Arnault, 74, who had a 'banner year' in 2022 due to record-high profits at his conglomerate.
A 600-year-old Chinese teapot made for a Ming Dynasty Emperor has sold for 11million.

The nine-inch imperial blue and white ewer was made for Yongle Emperor Zhu Di during his reign between 1402 and 1424.

It sparked a bidding war between a telephone and online buyer at auction house Sotheby's Hong Kong and sold for 9.3million rising to 11million with fees.

The pot, decorated with a 'five-clawed dragon', was made for Zhu Di's 'personal use' and is the most valuable ewer ever sold at auction. It is one of the most 'important pieces' from the period as it was made by China's 'imperial kilns' and was used in Beijing's imperial palace, according to Sotheby's.

The nine-inch imperial blue and white ewer was made for Yongle Emperor Zhu Di during his reign between 1402 and 1424 and has sold for 11million in Hong Kong

The porcelain pot, decorated with a 'five-clawed dragon', was made for Zhu Di's 'personal use' and is the most valuable ewer ever sold at auction

A Sotheby's Hong Kong spokesman said: 'This superb blue and white ewer is absolutely unique and ranks among the most important pieces of blue and white from this seminal period in the history of Imperial porcelain, as it was made not just by the Imperial kilns, but for the personal use of the Emperor.

'The five-clawed dragon design is the most potent symbol of Imperial power, well-known from the following reign of Emperor Xuande and standardised throughout the rest of the Ming and Qing dynasties.

'But it appears for the first time during the Yongle period and this elegant ewer is among the very few examples known to be decorated with the blue-print of this important design.'

Nicholas Chow, specialist at Sotheby's Hong Kong, added: 'This is one of the most iconic imperial porcelains that we have sold in the last 50 years.

It is one of the most 'important pieces' from the period as it was made by China's 'imperial kilns' and was used in Beijing's imperial palace, according to Sotheby's

'This superb ewer decorated with a five-clawed dragon, a masterpiece of blue and white porcelain, was produced for the personal use of the Yongle Emperor during the very pinnacle of the Ming dynasty.

'The ewer graced the cover of the T.Y. Chao auction in 1987, itself one of the most celebrated collections of Chinese art ever to have been presented at Sotheby's, and has not been seen on the market for almost 40 years.'

Zhu Di was the third Emperor of the Ming dynasty, reigning from 1402 to 1424.
Twins Brittany and Briana Salyers celebrate every milestone together, including taking their twin husbands and sons to celebrate Easter with their mom's side of the family for the first time.

The two women, both 37, haven't traveled to their family's home in Delaware since 2016 - a year before they met their husbands Jeremy and Josh, both 39.

Brittany tied the not to Josh and Briana to Jeremy in a joint 2018 ceremony. Less than three years later in 2021, Brittany gave birth to Jett and Briana to Jax within four months of each other. They are known as quaternary twin siblings rather than cousins.

Now, they decided to make a return home to introduce their family to their two kids and make Easter with their family a tradition.

The six live together in a mansion in Virginia where they base several of their viral social media posts that share their lives together.

Brittany and Briana Salyers, both 37, packed up their family for an Easter celebration in Delaware for a holiday extravaganza with their mom's side

Brittany gave birth to Jett and Briana to Jax within four months of each other in 2021. They are known as quaternary twin siblings rather than cousins

About 60 relatives from their mom's side of the family gathered on Easter for their annual egg hunt extravaganza.

To prepare the two-year-olds for the festivities, they practiced hiding eggs around their mansion.

'I am so excited to introduce Jeremy and Josh to this side of the family for the holiday...and to have them be part of the Easter tradition,' Briana told People.

Along with the married couples, their two kids tend to dress in the same attire.

She revealed that Jett and Jax would be wearing matching pink shorts paired with a blue shirt and vest for the day.

'The babies are very excited about the trip,' Briana said.

Briana added they were a tad worried about how their children would react in a long four-hour car ride. They hoped a car-sized television would keep them calm.

About 60 relatives from Brittany and Briana's mom's side of the family gathered on Easter for their annual egg hunt extravaganza

The twin couples have shared their lives closely together since meeting at an Ohio Twins Day Festival in 2017.

Before meeting the sisters, Jeremy said he and his twin brother Josh had made a vow that they would only marry another set of twins.

'Me and Josh always knew we had to find our twins if we were going to get married  and we told each other that we'll never be able to unless we find a set of twins that we could fall in love with and marry,' Jeremy previously said.

'We got lucky enough to find them, we couldn't be happier.'

They couples took their close relationship a step further when they announced they were pregnant months apart from each other in 2020.

In the epic announcement, the sisters both wore red one-pieces with 'Baby Watch' printed on them, while the Salyers twins struck identical poses in their matching red outfits.

'We are so grateful to experience overlapping pregnancies and to be able to raise children of the same age together,' the couples previously told DailyMail.com.

'Our children will not only be cousins, but full genetic siblings and quaternary multiples!'

The twin couples have shared their lives closely together since meeting at an Ohio Twins Day Festival in 2017. Pictured: the couple wearing matching swim suits for Fourth of July festivities

The couples have earned attention for their unique story, especially after the men proposed to the women with identical custom rings by Jerrick's Fine Jewelry, which each had double infinity symbols coated in diamonds

They couples took their close relationship a step further when they announced they were pregnant months apart from each other in 2020

The couples have earned attention for their unique story, especially after the men proposed to the women with identical custom rings by Jerrick's Fine Jewelry, which each had double infinity symbols coated in diamonds.

The brothers proposed at the same moment, getting down on one knee together in front of their matching brides-to-be  who, naturally, had similar reactions, smiling and holding their hands to their chests.

The women later said 'I do' in Twinsburg, Ohio while wearing identical dresses, and the men in matching tuxedos, with two sets of twins acting as ring bearers.

There were plenty of other twins at their wedding, with 17 total  including them  posing for a picture together in Twinsburg Township Square.

The event later aired in a TLC special called Our Twinsane Wedding in February of 2019.
Its celebrations began on Friday and are set to continue to Monday

Hundreds of brides walked down the aisle on Easter Sunday in one of the biggest mass wedding ceremonies in South Africa since the Covid pandemic.

The International Pentecost Holiness Church blesses polygamous unions, which are common in some African communities, and the church says are authorised by the Bible.

Its mass nuptials take place three times a year at Easter, in December, and also during the celebrations in September of the church's founding in 1962.

Lebogile Mamatela, 38, a government employee who became the second wife to the father of her child on Sunday, told Reuters after the ceremony: 'It's a special day, I am very happy. I really, really appreciate this moment of being part of the Mahluku family. It's a great feeling.'

A group of brides are seen waiting at the International Pentecostal Holiness Church in Zuurbekom, south of Johannesburg, as they take part in a mass wedding ceremony

A bride and groom stand side by side as other women are pictured getting ready in the background

Her new husband, Roto Mahluku, 40, joined the church in 1993 and married his first wife, Ditopa Mahluku, 16 years ago. They have three children.

Ditopa, 37, said her husband's second marriage was 'fulfilling what God has created for us, fulfilling the scripture that says women will be leaning towards one man'.

Current wives wore colourful attire to the ceremony at the International Pentecost Holiness Church's Jerusalem congregation, 62 miles north of Johannesburg. First-time brides wore traditional white dresses.

The celebrations were a respite from a long-standing row over the leadership of the church, which has a membership of around three million, making it one of the biggest congregations in South Africa.

A bride and a groom pose outside of the Church in Zuurbekom next to two green and white vintage cars

A bride walks into the International Pentecostal Holiness Church with a bright bouquet in front of the huge crowd

A group of brides are seen waiting patiently for their turn in the mass wedding ceremony today

A group of brides are seen waiting for their big moment during the Easter Sunday service

A shot taken from outside of the church shows the brides sat in orderly rows in anticipation of their turn

The succession battle between three brothers began after the death in 2016 of the church's leader, Glayton Modise.

In 2020 five people were killed in a shooting at another congregation of the church, but a court last year dismissed the case against the 42 accused.

Security was tight at Sunday's ceremony, which was policed by armed guards and metal detectors were used to screen the congregation.
An ex-coal miner who constructed a 6ft wall around his house for his 'privacy and security' was ordered by a council to knock it down after he failed to get planning permission for it.

Mark Roberts, from Caerphilly, Wales, paid 5,000 in 2020 to build the wall after complaining about antisocial behaviour in the area, including missing items and 'syringes'.

A year later he received a letter from Caerphilly County Borough Council demanding that the structure be demolished.

He tried to put in a retrospective planning application for the grey slate wall and was rejected.

But Mr Roberts appealed the decision to government department Planning and Environmental Decisions Wales (PEDW) and will be allowed to keep his wall, provided that he makes it shorter.

Mark Roberts, a homeowner from Caerphilly, Wales, paid 5,000 in 2020 to build the grey slate wall

'The wall is three years old this month and I had a huge conifer hedge there,' Mr Roberts told Wales Online.

'I took it all down because the wall was coming apart and it was getting dangerous. So I then built the wall - a nice strong wall, didn't think anything of it, and then we had a letter from the council that someone had reported it.

'I was really shocked because the wall had been up for some time. I'm not the only one with a wall like this either.

'I've walked around the estate and there are a lot of walls like that and they've never had a problem.'

He said he'd built it to protect his privacy and security of his home, having found bottles and syringes in the old hedge.

He'll have to reduce the height of the wall but won't have to knock it down completely after appealing the council's decision

Mr Roberts said he must have been reported by another neighbour and that he wouldn't have done that to others.

'Another wall has been built across the road - a beautiful wall but a similar height to mine. But because no-one reported him he's fine. If I reported all the people with high walls by here they'd go through the same thing, but I'd never do that, that's not me,' he said.

A PEDW inspector concluded that the council had been 'excessive' in demanding that the wall come down.

'I see no purpose in requiring the demolition of the wall in its entirety, only for a lower wall constructed using the same materials as those used on the main dwelling to be immediately erected under development rights,' they said.

'Therefore, and within the context that the enforcement process should be remedial rather than punitive, I find that the requirements of the notice are excessive in this case. I shall therefore vary the requirements of the notice to include the option of reducing the height of those elements of the wall.'

Mr Roberts said he was slightly disappointed with the outcome but 'not as gutted as I thought I'd be'.

'We now have two months to alter it. I've got to reduce it to a metre in height, so I've nearly got to half it. I feel like I've won but I also feel like I've lost a bit.'

MailOnline has contacted Caerphilly County Borough Council for comment.
The Archbishop of Canterbury has insisted that Christ and not 'ambivalent wokery' prompted the Church of England to set up a 100 million fund to help those affected by its involvement in slavery.

In his Easter message, the Most Rev Justin Welby addressed plans to set aside a social impact fund to help local and international communities affected by the Church's past investment in slavery.

Rev Welby, 67, told the congregation at Canterbury Cathedral he received a 'large' volume of complaints regarding the Church Commissioner's decision to start the multi-million-pound fund.

But Welby insisted: 'It's not post-colonial guilt, ambivalent wokery, it is the living presence of Christ that compels us to consider and respond to those actions.'

He added: 'We believe it because although the global church has shown its sin and foolishness and although the global church has been a place of suffering again and again since its birth 2,000 years ago, it has found renewal and new courage.'

The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby delivered his sermon as he led the Easter Sung Eucharist at Canterbury Cathedral in Kent, on Sunday April 9

The 76-year-old addressed plans to set aside a social impact fund to help local and international communities affected by the Church's past investment in slavery

The Archbishop's sermon was largely aimed at hailing examples of facilitating worldwide peace.

He praised the recent Windsor Framework in which the UK Government and the EU plan to mitigate many of the difficulties caused by the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Rev Welby said it was a reminder that reconciliation and peace are not 'one-off events' but 'long journeys that require determination, stamina and faith.'

The Archbishop highlighted the Good Friday Agreement signed 25 years ago and the 'extraordinary and courageous work' of those involved in reaching it.

Rev Welby told the congregation at Canterbury Cathedral he received a 'large' volume of complaints regarding the Church Commissioner's decision to start the multi-million-pound fund

The Church's work in Mozambique was also touched upon in the sermon.

He said: 'Christians worked with the UN to set up 200 peace clubs in partnership with Muslim leaders to provide a force of life and hope against the death cult of Isis operating in Cabo Delgado, the northern part of Mozambique.'

Reflecting on the war in Ukraine, as well as other conflicts around the world, the archbishop told congregants that 'we must not lose heart' in the face of conflict.

He said: 'Even in our lifetimes, as we are surrounded by fears, even by evil, we know that those who oppress and subjugate others will face divine justice.

'We know with certainty that policies that cause suffering and pain will fall away.'
Sources said he was born one of 13 kids in a small town in Michigan

Billionaire David Geffen's rumored new husband has a 'super secretive' past which includes numerous name changes and a career as a go-go dancer.

Donovan Michaels, 30, is believed to have met the 80-year-old while serving as his personal trainer in 2020, but now his former friends have come forward to provide conflicting tales about his past - including online cam-shows, nude pool parties at gay clubs and ambiguous descriptions about his sexual preferences.

He and Geffen - who is worth about $9 billion - were reportedly wed at a private ceremony in Beverly Hills last month. The pair were spotted arriving at a New York City helipad together in April, and Geffen could be seen wearing a gold wedding band on his finger.

It was unclear whether Michaels was wearing a wedding band, too. The pair have not publicly acknowledged any nuptials.

Geffen made his fortune as co-founder of DreamWorks and as a record executive. Michaels' career has consisted of stringing together odd-jobs while socializing in NYC modeling circles, sources told The New York Post.

Donovan Michaels flashes his abs while posing with a drag queen. Michaels reportedly worked as a go-go dancer at gay clubs in Florida around 2014

Geffen was pictured wearing a band on his ring finger last week after arriving in NYC

It was unclear whether Michaels was wearing a wedding band, too. The pair have not publicly acknowledged any nuptials

Michaels was born in small town Michigan with the name David Armstrong, a friend told The Post, saying he came from 'very humble beginnings' in a family of 13 kids.

He changed his name to Brandon Foster by the time he moved to Florida in 2014, and began working as a dancer and promoter at Miami gay clubs.

Friends told The Post he was frequently seen 'along with plenty of other hot sexy guys,' and attending 'clothing optional' swim parties.

His social media posts included numerous shirtless shots where he flaunted his fit body, including one from that year that said he would be 'doing a little camming tonight.' He noted that for paying customers he would 'put on a good show.'

Sometime between 2016 and 2017 he moved to New York City and started going by Donovan Michaels.

A former girlfriend said she only knew of him dating women, but that she 'wouldn't be surprised' if he were with men.

I mean, he's very attractive,' she told The Post. 'He would tell me people just assumed that he was into guys from what he posts on Instagram.'

'I know that he was getting comments like that from gay men, that he was really attractive and in really good shape.'

A friend of Michael's said he wouldn't be surprised if he'd married Geffen, noting he was 'always looking for his next adventure and was really determined to improve his life.'

A modeling consultant recalled Michaels as being a talented model in a 2016 photoshoot

Michaels shows off his abs, one of many raunchy photos that can be found on his social media

Another friend said Michaels was 'super secretive' about his life.

'It took a while to really get to know him because he was really private about his past,' they told The Post, adding he was 'always searching for something to help him understand his past and what he experienced.'

'I think he rebelled a lot when he was younger, and that was a big part of why he left.'

A modeling consultant recalled that working with Michaels in 2016, saying he was a 'great model,' but did not get selected for further work.

'One thing I noticed was he was really into training and fitness, but as for modeling, I haven't seen him around in years... and we work with a lot of different brands,' they told The Post.

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.

Michaels reportedly met Geffen while working as his personal trainer on his yacht

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. 'David and Donovan opted for a simple but special ceremony to mark their union, and they were surrounded by close family and friends.'

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 did not respond to DailyMail.com requests for comment.
Two bodies have been found in the rubble of a building that collapsed in the French city of Marseille following a major explosion, the fire department announced on Monday morning.

More than 100 firefighters worked to extinguish flames deep within the rubble of the five-storey building, but more than 17 hours later 'the situation is not yet stabilised', Marseille prosecutor Dominique Laurens told reporters.

The discovery of the two bodies came about 24 hours after the blast caused the collapse of the four-story building in the Mediterranean port city. An official had said earlier on Sunday evening that rescue workers were looking for eight missing people who not responding, and were presumed to be in the rubble.

Earlier in the day, officials had thought that between four and 10 people may have been trapped. Police have yet to confirm the apparent disappearance of a ninth person who lived in a building next door.

Five people suffered minor injuries from the collapse, which occurred shortly before 1am on Sunday.

Marseille mayor Benoit Payan said two buildings that share walls with the one that collapsed were partially brought down before one later caved in, another complication in the search and rescue operation. The buildings were among evacuated structures.

Eight people are feared to be trapped under rubble after the building they lived in exploded

More than 100 firefighters worked to extinguish flames deep within the rubble of the five-storey building

Drones and probes have been used to examine the scene for signs of life

Drones, probes and sniffer dogs have been used to examine the scene for signs of life.

'We cannot intervene in a very classic way,' interior minister Gerald Darmanin said during a morning visit to the site.

He added that the fire was burning a few metres under the mounds of debris and that both water and foam represent a danger to victims' survival.

A gas explosion is among one of the theories being explored, Ms Laurens, the prosecutor said. But the start of the probe also was limited by the heat of the blaze.

'The flames weren't pink. They were blue,' Mr Payan said.

The explosion occurred near the port of Marseille in the south of France

More than 17 hours later 'the situation is not yet stabilised', Marseille prosecutor Dominique Laurens told reporters

The building that collapsed is located on a narrow street half a mile from Marseille's old port, adding to an array of difficulties for firefighters and rescue workers

Firefighters, with the help of urban rescue experts, worked through the night and all day on Sunday in a race against time.

'The delicate operation aimed to keep firefighters safe, prevent further harm to people potentially trapped in the rubble and not compromise vulnerable buildings nearby, already partially collapsed.

Some 30 buildings in the area were evacuated, Mr Darmanin said.

Rescue personnel working at the scene late last night. Plumes of dust were seen coming off the debris

Rescue vehicles struggled to reach the building, navigating narrow roads

French Minister of the Interior Gerald Darmanin visited the site of the explosion today

An excavator removing rubble at 'rue Tivoli' after the building collapsed

Dust and smoke filled the air on the Marseille street

Firefighters, with the help of urban rescue experts, worked through the night and all day on Sunday in a race against time

The building that collapsed is located on a narrow street half a mile from Marseille's old port, adding to an array of difficulties for firefighters and rescue workers.

The prosecutor said the building and those next door 'are not at all substandard buildings'.

French President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne both said in tweets that their thoughts were with people affected, and gave their thanks to the firefighters.

TV footage showed clouds of smoke and dust rising from the levelled building.
A Spirit Airlines flight attendant has gone viral after ranting about her employer's penchant for charging customers for every little item.

Video posted to TikTok in mid-March shows the unnamed flight attendant during her pre-flight announcement informing customers on board an aircraft from Dallas, Texas to Los Angeles that if they wanted something extra  like power outlets or a reclining seat  the airline will make them pay for it.

It has now gained more than 278,800 views, with more than 25,600 likes and over 200 comments.

Many TikTokers who commented on the now famous video posted by @cali.style.trucking supported the flight attendant for her humor and honesty.

But some online slammed her conduct as 'unprofessional.'

Video posted on TikTok shows the unnamed flight attendant informing customers on board an aircraft from Dallas, Texas to Los Angeles that if they wanted something extra, the airline will likely make them pay for it

In the video, the flight attendant says that if Spirit Airlines offered extra items like blankets or outlets  or even if the seats reclined  the airline would charge a fee.

'No, we do not have sockets for you to charge up your phones because if we did, we will charge you,' the flight attendant said. 'No we do not have blankets for you because if we did, this is Spirit and we will charge you.

'No your seats do not recline. If they did, again, this is Spirit and we will charge you,' she continued. 'And no, we do not have earplugs for you because if we did, because if we did, y'all know this is Spirit, and we will do what?'

'Charge you!' an amused passenger shouted.

'Come on y'all, if we had them we would charge you and give you something else to complain about,' the flight attendant agreed.

She then went on to say that she 'wishes' she could give the passengers everything they needed, but cited company policy as to why she couldn't.

The flight attendant finished her spiel by saying that Spirit Airlines will not accept cash, only cards or Apple or Google Pay.

'One way or another we want you to pay,' she said.

The video text said: 'Gotta love the honesty, this s*** is comedy,' with a caption reading: 'Omfg. Spirit employee is the s***.'

Spirit Airlines is known for being a low-cost, budget-friendly airline that charges for extra items

Many online found the flight attendant's comments amusing, but some said her conduct was 'unprofessional'

Many online also found the flight attendant's comments amusing, with some even saying 'she needs a promotion.'

'This is why I love Spirit, love their sense of humor,' one user wrote.

Others, though, suggested the unnamed employee must be fed up with her job.

'LMAO she tired of Spirit too,' one user commented, with Alicia Douglass agreeing, writing she is tired 'of y'all asking like 'Let me gone get this out of the way.''

'This is quiet quitting,' Erika Jade added, with Jacob Duke writing that this is what happens 'when the airline you hate is the only airline that will hire you.'

But some users found the flight attendant's speech unprofessional.

'So [ghetto] and unprofessional,' one user wrote. 'Regardless of them being low cost doesn't mean their workers have to act so ghetto and low cost.'

Another suggested that the flight attendant would likely be fired from the airline for her speech.
Crowd gave them standing ovation as they walked into ballroom, videos posted to social media show

Melania Trump stepped out of hiding and joined her husband for Easter brunch at Mar-a-Lago on Sunday, sitting at Donald Trump's side to mark the holiday occasion.

She and the former president walked into Mar-a-Lago's ornate ballroom to a standing ovation from the crowd, videos posted online showed. The couple sat alone together with red velvet ropes blocking off their large table from the rest of holiday goers.

Melania was seen chatting with Donald Trump, leaning in close to talk with him as they ate. Easter brunch is at Mar-a-Lago is a tradition for the couple. Even during Trump's presidency they would spend the holiday together at the 'Southern White House.'

Social media users posted pics of the couple in the ballroom together. Mar-a-Lago puts on a lavish Easter brunch for its members with a massive buffet that includes oysters, shrimp and champagne. There's also an Easter Egg hunt on the club's grounds for the kids with figures dressed up as the Easter Bunny and other children's characters.

It was the first time Melania was seen at Donald Trump's side since her notable absent at his speech on Tuesday at their Palm Beach home. In his remarks, he railed against the indictment he faces on charges of falsifying business records in relation to hush money payments he allegedly made to porn star Stormy Daniels and a former doorman.

Melania Trump joined Donald Trump for Easter brunch at Mar-a-Lago

Former President Donald Trump and Melania received a standing ovation when they came into the ballroom

Melania had not been seen in public since March 30 - the evening it was announced Trump was going to be indicted by Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg

The former first lady earlier broken her radio silence online by tweeting a simple 'Happy Easter!' message.

For the Easter holiday, she wore a white dress with what appeared to be a flower pattern on its shoulders and down its center. The former president sported a pink tie with his dark suit.

Their table had pink and orange tulips on it. Mar-a-Lago was decorated for the holiday with paper mache bunnies and pink roses.

Donald Trump appeared to have worked the ballroom. Several users on social media posted selfies with the former president.

But the sighing of Melania, 52, was remarkable after she was careful to stay away during the most public parts of Donald Trump's indictment.

She did not join him in New York last week when he turned himself over to authorities and pleaded not guilty to 34 felony charges.

Nor was she at his rally at Mar-a-Lago in the aftermath when the former president gave a speech that included a special shoutout to all of his children  but made no mention of his wife.

Her father Viktor Knavs was present for speech, sandwiched between the former president's two eldest sons, while the former first lady was mysteriously absent. It He was in a prominent position in the front row that put him directly in the eye of the cameras.

Instead she's been captured by users of social media, who post and tag when they see the Trumps at Mar-a-Lago, which doubles as a private club in addition to the couple's Florida residence.

On the night the indictment was announced, Melania was by Donald Trump's side in a very public show of strength that was captured by social media users.

The couple dined together with friends at their usual, highly-visible table, at Mar-a-Lago.

The former first lady wore a bright red dress, making her easy to spot by his side.

Melania and Donald Trump ate Easter brunch alone together at their table

It remains unclear why she skipped his speech, but sources previously told DailyMail.com she is hurt and angry about the allegations that Trump had an affair with porn star Stormy Daniels.

The former first lady faces up to a year and a half of having her dirty laundry aired out in public as the New York criminal case drags on.

Those who know her well now say that she is choosing to stay out of the spotlight to protect herself from the news of her husband's infidelity.

Before the indictment was announced last week, a source told PEOPLE that Melania 'is leading her own life' and 'still feels happy' at Mar-a-Lago, but 'remains angry and doesn't want to hear' about the alleged $130,000 in hush money to Daniels.

Lauren Wright, a political scientist at Princeton University, also told DailyMail.com she is 'not surprised Melania was nowhere to be found at her husband's post-indictment speech.

'Throughout Trumps presidency, when the Stormy Daniels issue came up, Melania would assert her independence in one way or another, either avoiding the topic or, most famously, contradicting those who claimed to know her feelings about the alleged extramarital dalliance, she noted.

And Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, a former aide and friend, said she believes that Melanias recent silence and disappearance from the scene is deliberate.

Its her weapon of choice and her protective armor, she says.

In contrast, Donald Trump has been out and about. He was greeted with huge cheers in Miami Saturday night as he took his seat in the front row of UFC 287 alongside organization president Dana White.

He joined other celebrities including Kid Rock and Mike Tyson to watch not only the main event between Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira, but also the battle between MAGA supporter Jorge Masvidal and Gilbert Burns. Melania Trump was not present for that event.

The Mar-a-Lago resort hosted an Easter brunch with activities for kids

Some of the holiday decorations at Mar-a-Lago

Melania, 52, had noticeably not followed her husband to New York City last week when he turned himself over to authorities and pleaded not guilty to 34 felony charges. The couple are pictured here in 2017

Melania had previously gone missing in action in January 2018, days after Trump's alleged affair with Stormy Daniels was outed by the Wall Street Journal.

Daniels was paid just before the 2016 election to keep quiet about an affair that she said she had had a decade earlier with Donald Trump  when the Trumps were newlyweds and soon after Melania had given birth to their son, the report said.

Then-President Trump promptly denied everything.

At the time, Melania Trump, then the first lady, canceled her plans to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos with Trump. She had been scheduled to go.

Instead she visited Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington D.C. with her mother and then flew to Mar-a-Lago, taking time to enjoy herself in the on-site spa.
Donald Trump's lawyer representing him in the case involving classified documents found at his Mar-a-Lago estate ensured the ex-president no longer has any copies of these materials.

James Trusty also defended his client against reports claiming that Trump helped unpack these boxes of the sensitive materials.

There is heightened scrutiny involving chief executives' handling of presidential materials after documents with classified markings were found at the homes of Trump, his former Vice President Mike Pence and President Joe Biden.

Trump is also coming under more criticism from adversaries now that he has become the first president indicted in U.S. history after a grand jury moved to charge him in the Stormy Daniels hush money payment case at the end of last month.

James Trusty, Donald Trump's attorney in the classified documents case, assured that his client does not have any copies of the classified materials that were removed from Mar-a-Lago over the summer

WATCH: There have been reports that classified documents were found at Trump's Florida home on a laptop and thumb drive.@chucktodd: "Can you guarantee that no copies of these classified documents still remain at Mar-a-Lago?"@TrustyLawyer: "Yeah for sure." pic.twitter.com/eYKx51Noxj  Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) April 9, 2023

The former president insists that there was no wrongdoing in him taking documents to his residence at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida  despite the Presidential Records Act requiring all materials are handed over to the National Archives for preservation.

'Can you guarantee that no copies of these classified documents are -- still remain at Mar a Lago? Do you know this for a fact that they're right now  they're no more classified documents at Mar-A-Lago right now?' NBC Meet the Press host Chuck Todd questioned Trump's attorney during an interview Sunday morning.

'Yeah, sure,' Trusty brushed off.

'I can tell you the leak about what happened with this additional document or several documents that were found in the thumb drive is absurd,' he added. 'We actually have a federal prosecutor that was in court that completely mischaracterized that.'

'It's been the same mischaracterization that the media has run with to suggest that President Trump is just sitting on a mountain of documents. It's not true at all. It was a completely innocuous situation.'

He also dismissed claims from other reports that somehow Trump was directly involved in packing up and and unpacking boxes of these documents that were recovered in the FBI raid of his Florida estate over the summer.

'Do you know for sure whether the former president got involved with the unpacking and moving of the boxes or not?' Todd posed.

'I mean, can you imagine?' Trusty replied. 'I mean, does anybody in their right mind really think that Donald Trump came down to Mar-a-Lago while still president, I guess, in January and said, 'Hey, these are the boxes I packed. Let's be careful with those. That goes in the dining room. That goes in the closet'?'

The FBI conducted an unprecedented raid of Trump's Florida estate to recovered classified documents he took after his presidential term was up. In the months following, sensitive documents were also found at President Joe Biden and former Vice President Mike Pence's homes

Trusty said that while Trump said during an interview with Fox News' Sean Hannity that he 'had a right to' do that, he didn't actually engage in that activity.

'He didn't pack the boxes,' Trusty insisted. 'Come on. I mean, that's like absurd to think that.'

After a terse back-and-forth with Todd, Trusty said Trump was 'making the point that it's not illegal for a president to possess documents like this.'

'The bottom line isI'll make it clear to you since you seem to be struggling with itPresident Trump didn't sit there with masking tape and Sharpies and say, 'Hey, let's sit down Indian style and start packing these boxes and send them to Mar-a-Lago.'
A third suspect was arrested on Saturday in connection with the 'gang related' murders of three teenagers which shook Florida last week.

Police vowed to find Tahj Brewton, 16, after his suspected accomplices Christopher Atkins, 12, and Robert Robinson, 17, were arrested on Friday in connection with the slayings outside Ocklawaha.

The US Marshals teamed up with the Lake County Sheriff's Office to help capture Brewton after Layla Silvernail, 16, Camille Quarles, 16, and an unidentified 17-year-old boy were found shot dead and discovered over three days dumped in separate places within a 5-mile radius.

Brewton was arrested on several charges, including grand theft, carjacking with a firearm, attempting to elude a law enforcement officer and tampering with an electronic monitoring device, according to the sheriff's department.

The three teenagers arrested in connection to the murders all face additional charges and first-degree murder.

Tahj Brewton, 16, was arrested on Saturday in connection to the triple teen death in Central Florida last week

Layla Silvernail, 16, was found shot in the head and left in a dumpster, but still alive. Silvernail (left) later died in hospital, before police found two more teenage victims - one 17-year-old boy, and another 16-year-old girl named Camille Quarles (right)

Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods explained at a Friday press conference that the victims and the alleged killers were all 'associated in some way with a gang' that was involved in a spate of robberies and burglaries.

Detectives were able to determine that the three teenage victims were together prior to their murders in a vehicle owned by Silvernail, before they were dumped in different locations over a three-day period.

According to an arrest affidavit filed against 12-year-old Atkins, Silvernail's body was discovered in a garbage dumpster after a vehicle crashed into it soon after residents heard several gunshots.

Sixteen-year-old Silvernail was shot in the head and was still alive when she was discovered near Forest Lakes Park, however she later succumbed to her injuries and died in hospital.

The discovery was followed hours later when an unnamed 17-year-old victim was found less than a mile away on the side of a road.

A third victim, 16-year-old Camille Quarles, was found Saturday inside Silvernail's car, which was partially submerged in a pond.

After revealing that Quarles was in the trunk of the car, Sheriff Woods said cellphone evidence suggested that she was in the vehicle 'of her own free will'.

The arrested suspects confessed to shooting Quarles in the vehicle, Woods said. They obtained guns from car thefts, he explained but he declined to comment on the number of weapons used in the killings.

Asked about the motive, Woods said: 'We have nothing to say that it was any rivalry or anything to such that cause.

'However, each and every one of them was associated in some shape or form was associated in some way with a gang.  There is no honor among thieves, and at some point, these individuals turned on our three victims and murdered them.'

Christopher Atkins, 12, and Robert Robinson, 17, remain in custody on charges related to the killings of three teenagers in Florida

Silvernail was found, still alive, inside this dumpster in Marion, County Florida

Camille Quarles, 16, was found Saturday inside Silvernail's car, which was partially submerged in a pond

Silvernail was described by her friends and relatives as a talented softball player

This is the location where a schoolgirl found one of the 17-year-old victims while on her way to school

Woods said that the alleged killings by the three young teenagers were messy and that they had left evidence littered across the scene.

The arrests come after the close proximity of the victims' bodies had initially sparked fears that a serial killer may have been on the loose in the small town of Ocklawaha, however police were quick to rule out that theory.

An urgent investigation was launched following the grisly discoveries, with law enforcement describing the killings as an 'isolated incident'.

After Silvernail and Quarles were identified as the victims, the identity of the third victim has not been released because their family have enacted their right of Marsy's Law, which allows crime victims or their families to request their names be withheld from public documents.

The unidentified victims was later revealed to have been wearing all black clothing with a black mask covering his face when he was found dead.

The 17-year-old boy was sprawled on the side of a dirt road where a female student says she stumbled over the horror on her way to catch a school bus early Friday morning.

'I was walking with my brother and I found the guy he was not breathing,' the student, who would only give her name as Khatia, told DailyMail.com.

'He was laying on his side and was wearing a black hoodie, black shirt, black pants and black shoes. He had the hoodie over his head and he had a black mask up over his face. I couldn't see his face. You could only see his eyes.'
Sir Keir Starmer has said he will make 'absolutely zero apologies' for his party's adverts attacking Rishi Sunak.

Labour provoked Tory fury with posters which claimed the Prime Minister does not think child sex abusers or thieves should go to prison.

Critics, including hardliners in his own party, described it as gutter politics. But the Opposition leader is standing by his party's stance, writing in the Mail tomorrow that he backs 'every word Labour has said' on crime, 'no matter how squeamish it might make some feel'.

His comments, in an exclusive article, sparked a fresh backlash last night. In his article Sir Keir says: 'I make absolutely zero apologies for being blunt about this. I stand by every word Labour has said on the subject. When 4,500 child abusers avoid prison, people don't want more excuses from politicians  they want answers.'

Sir Keir also says the Tories are 'insulated' from the effects of crime, adding: 'Rishi Sunak and successive Tory governments have let criminals get away with it because they don't get it.

Sir Keir Starmer's comments saying he would not apologise for the campaign sparked a fresh backlash last night

Labour came under fire from its own supporters on Thursday when it posted the first of its attack adverts on Twitter (pictured here)

'They have never lived in those neighbourhoods... they have never walked in those shoes. I have. I know exactly who suffers when government goes soft on crime: not those insulated from its effects, but ordinary, decent people.'

His decision to back the posters is set to provoke fresh anger among senior figures in the party. It emerged yesterday that Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, who is in charge of Labour's crime policy, was not informed about the campaign.

But her intervention triggered a briefing war, with an insider telling the Mail on Sunday: 'If Yvette disagrees so strongly with pointing out the Tories' dismal record on crime, she knows where the door is. She still has delusions of being leader but leaders don't stab people in the back.'

Referencing Ms Cooper's comments, a Tory source told the Mail tonight: 'If Sir Keir Softie can't even control events in Labour HQ, how could he possibly be trusted to run a country?'

The source added that the leader's refusal to apologise for the attack ads was 'yet another example of Starmer's Labour saying what they think is politically convenient in any given week'.

'All Labour has achieved is drawing attention to Sir Softie's activist lawyer past where he campaigned for terrorists and paedophiles. Only the Conservatives can be trusted to keep this country safe,' they added.

Last night The Times reported that Labour will launch further attacks on Rishi Sunak this week in more 'provocative and aggressive' adverts that blame him for crashing the economy.

Labour will claim Sunak thinks it's 'acceptable' for council tax to rise above 2,000 and he 'thinks its right' for people to pay higher housing costs and mortgage rates.

Labour came under fire from its own supporters on Thursday when it posted the first of its attack adverts on Twitter.

Alongside a photo of the Prime Minister, the image read: 'Do you think adults convicted of sexually assaulting children should go to prison? Rishi Sunak doesn't.' The poster also added below: 'Under the Tories, 4,500 adults convicted of sexually assaulting children under-16 served no prison time.'

It emerged yesterday that Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper (pictured with Sir Keir last week), who is in charge of Labour's crime policy, was not informed about the campaign

Pictured here is another one of the attack adverts posted on Thursday by the Labour Party

However, judges and magistrates, rather than prime ministers, are responsible for handing out sentences. And the figures highlighted cover the period since 2010  yet Mr Sunak only entered Parliament in 2015 and did not become Prime Minister until October last year.

In fact, Sir Keir was on the Sentencing Council for some of the period referred to in the ads as the director of public prosecutions. He sat on the council in 2012 when it was agreed child sex abusers should not get an automatic prison sentence, although a maximum of 14 years in custody was set.

The poster was branded 'one of the worst political adverts in recent UK history' with critics  including those on the Left  urging Labour to take it down.

But the next day, the party posted another image  this time suggesting Mr Sunak believes adults convicted of possessing a gun with intent to harm should not go to prison.

And on Saturday, Labour shared another which suggested Mr Sunak does not believe thieves should be punished.

Some party insiders think the furore plays well for Labour's electoral prospects but a host of senior figures have lambasted the tactic.

The party's former home secretary Lord Blunkett wrote in the Mail that the 'gutter' attacks left him 'close to despair'  and that Labour is 'better than this'.

And shadow culture secretary Lucy Powell sought to distance herself from the posters, saying: 'I didn't design the graphic, it's not my graphic.' But shadow attorney general Emily Thornberry defended the ads  though admitted that some people 'felt uncomfortable about it'.

Labour is said to have held talks with political allies in America and Australia, including Paul Erickson who masterminded Anthony Albanese's general election victory last year. A source told the Mail tonight that the party is 'determined to take the fight to the Tories'.

'They may not be used to a Labour Party that wants to campaign on law and order but it's important to Keir Starmer and he wants voters to be in no doubt that we're on their side,' they added.
Zara Aleena was a young woman with her whole life ahead of her. Last summer, as she walked home from a night out with friends, she was brutally murdered by a violent thug  a hardened criminal not fit to walk the same streets as her.

He should have been in prison. Zara should still be alive. But something has changed in Britain over the last decade. For the first time in my lifetime, everywhere you look  from the economy to the NHS to the chaos on our streets  we have been set on a path of decline.

As a former director of public prosecutions, my life's work has been about making our country safer and more secure, building a better Britain for families everywhere. But over the last decade, we have become a country where thugs, gangs and monsters mock our justice system and make decent people's lives a misery.

I refuse to just stand by or avoid calling this what it is. When fewer than two in every 100 reported rapists see the inside of a court room, it means victims are being told their bravery means nothing by the Tories. When just 4 per cent of burglaries and thefts ever result in a criminal charge, those who break into your home do so believing they won't get caught. When we have the largest court backlog on record, victims wait years for justice. And it is not just the most egregious crimes. Older people are more likely than ever to lose their money to fraudsters. Fly-tipping has risen to unacceptable levels, turning neighbourhoods into junkyards. This cannot go on.

Pictured: Labour leader Keir Starmer during a visit to Burnley College in East Lancashire

The image next to a picture of the Prime Minister read: 'Do you think adults convicted of sexually assaulting children should go to prison? Rishi Sunak doesn't'

Rishi Sunak and successive Tory governments have let criminals get away with it because they don't get it. They have never lived in those neighbourhoods, they don't understand people's lives, they have never walked in those shoes. I have. I know exactly who suffers when government goes soft on crime: not those insulated from its effects but ordinary, decent people.

But our soft on crime government is only part of the problem. Too many people treat this as trivial, unimportant or something Labour shouldn't talk about. Working people suffer when crime is left unchallenged, crime will always be a Labour issue. Try telling the people I meet who are scared to go out at night because their communities suffer the brunt of failures to tackle crime, that law and order doesn't matter. They will give you short shrift.

I make absolutely zero apologies for being blunt about this. I stand by every word Labour has said on the subject, no matter how squeamish it might make some feel. When 4,500 child abusers avoid prison, people don't want more excuses from politicians  they want answers.

My answer has been to make Labour the party of law and order once again. We will choose a different path to the Tories, reforming police contracting so we can have 13,000 more police and PCSOs on our streets and removing bureaucracy so we have more prosecutors working to clear the backlog in our courts.

We will increase minimum sentences for rapists and stalkers and create a law to tackle those who harass women on our streets. We will make it our mission to halve the levels of violence against women and girls. Labour will have zero tolerance for crime. But it will also have zero tolerance for those who tolerate crime.

It's time to get serious. Time for the excuses to end. Time for change.
Rishi Sunak has urged Northern Ireland's political parties to redouble their efforts to break the Stormont deadlock on the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.

As he prepares to welcome President Joe Biden to Belfast tomorrow, the Prime Minister said the promises made in the deal must be fulfilled.

Mr Sunak called on Stormont leaders to accept compromise and show leadership, bravery and political imagination in the spirit of those who secured the peace agreement.

Today marks the 25th anniversary of the signing of the deal  a diplomatic feat that created power-sharing in the province and brought 30 years of bloodshed largely to an end.

But Northern Ireland has been without a fully functioning executive since February 2022 after the Democratic Unionist Party withdrew its first minister in protest at post-Brexit trade rules.

As he prepares to welcome President Joe Biden to Belfast tomorrow, Rishi Sunak said the promises made in the deal must be fulfilled

Joe Biden will take part in a series of engagements in the city including a formal meeting with the Prime Minister

Mr Sunak urged the parties to use today's anniversary to work together to get the executive up and running 'as soon as possible'.

In a statement, he said that while the agreement was 'born of partnership between the British and Irish governments' it was based most importantly on 'compromise in Northern Ireland itself'.

He added: 'As we look forward, we will celebrate those who took difficult decisions, accepted compromise, and showed leadership  showing bravery, perseverance, and political imagination.

'We commemorate those who are no longer with us and the many who lost their lives by trying to prevent violence and protect the innocent.

'And we give thanks to them as we reflect on the new generations that have grown up and continue to grow in a world in which peace and prosperity has prevailed.'

Mr Sunak hailed the 'solid progress we have made together', but added: 'We must also recommit to redoubling our efforts on the promise made in 1998 and the agreements that followed.

'One of economic opportunity, prosperity, and stability, it is a promise we must continue to fulfil. So we must get on with the business of governance.'

Mr Sunak will greet the President off Air Force One in Belfast tomorrow evening ahead of a day of commemorations.

Mr Biden, intensely proud of his Irish heritage and the US's role in the peace accord, will take part in a series of engagements in the city including a formal meeting with the Prime Minister.

U.S. President Biden and British PM Sunak at Naval Base Point Loma in San Diego on March 13, 2023

But his visit comes amid a heightened terror threat in Northern Ireland, as well as the political stalemate.

On Thursday, Police Service of Northern Ireland Assistant Chief Constable Bobby Singleton said the force had received 'strong' intelligence that dissidents are planning to launch terror attacks against officers in Londonderry on the bank holiday.

MI5 recently raised the terrorism threat level in Northern Ireland to severe, meaning an attack is highly likely. This followed the gun attack on senior detective John Caldwell in County Tyrone, who has been left with life-changing injuries.

Police have blamed the New IRA for the shooting.

Easter Monday is the day dissident republicans traditionally mark the anniversary of the Easter Rising rebellion against British rule in 1916, with a parade set to take place in Londonderry.

DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has insisted the political vacuum caused by his party's refusal to re-enter Stormont is not behind the recent violence.
Ron DeSantis has been taken aback by how quickly a resurgent Donald Trump has started attacking him and is furious the former president expects fealty while hurling personal slurs, a member of his inner circle has said.

But the Florida governor will continue trying to take the high road as the 2024 race for the White House heats up, the aide revealed.

After he did eventually criticize Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg who brought the case against Trump, he directly referred to 'porn star hush money' to show he was 'not going to be bullied' by the former president, the insider told the Washington Post.

The source also said they expect the governor to push back on Trump more aggressively when he formally announces he will run for president.

When he does he will take 'the high road' and engage with Trump on policy rather than name-calling, they said.

Last month Trump said that DeSantis cried when asking for his endorsement in the 2018 governor's race in Florida and that he would be working at a pizza parlor if he didn't get the ex-president's backing.

Ron DeSantis was trying to avoid a bloody battle of personal smears with Donald Trump, those in his inner circle told the Washington Post

Trump has been relentless in his personal attacks on the Florida governor, who currently his largest threat and last month said that DeSantis cried when asking for his endorsement in the 2018 governor's race in Florida

When it emerged last month that Trump was going to be charged over 'hush money' payments made to porn star Stormy Daniels a number of Republicans and Trump loyalists were quick to attack the Manhattan prosecutor for a 'political prosecution'.

DeSantis, however, was curiously silent and dealt with Trump's indictment cautiously. That appears to have cost him, according to recent polls, which indicate Trump has is now more than twice as popular among other Republicans and independents.

Those familiar with his thinking have now said it was part of a balancing act between avoiding bloody confrontation that might damage his presidential ambitions and appearing strong in the face of an aggressive and antagonistic Trump.

Appeasing Trump, the Florida governor declared his state would 'not assist in an extradition request,' even after Trump's team had indicated he would surrender.

Trump has seemingly had his campaign turbocharged by Bragg's indictment and is once-again raising huge sums of money.

Many grassroots Republicans and independents have also been reminded of the former president's sheer charisma and scrappiness, which even Democrats concede is a force to be reckoned with.

DeSantis's poll numbers look to have have slumped against Trump in recent weeks with 58 percent supporting Trump compared with just 21 percent backing DeSantis

Trump told Fox News' Sean Hannity last month that he only knew DeSantis because he was one of the many GOP lawmakers that defended him during his impeachment investigations when he was president.

'So what happened with Ron is the following,' Trump told Hannity in an interview. 'He came to see me, he was getting killed, he was being crushed. Adam Putnam it was over.'

'Ron came to see me, tears in his eyes,' the ex-president continued. 'He said, 'I need you to do me a big favor.' I said, 'What's the favor?' 'Would you endorse me? I fought for you.''

Trump has repeatedly said DeSantis would not have won his primary race against former Rep. Adam Putnam if he did not get his backing. Trump also claims that if DeSantis does run for president in 2024 it would be very 'disloyal' to him.

DeSantis's poll numbers look to have have slumped against Trump in recent weeks, with 58 percent supporting Trump compared with just 21 percent backing DeSantis.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is pictured making his first trip to the early voting state of Iowa in March. It would be hard for him to use dollars raised in Florida on a national GOP campaign

Last month, DeSantis characterized Russia's war in Ukraine as a 'territorial dispute'.

He has since walked back the comments following criticism from a number of fellow Republicans who expressed concern about such a dismissive description of the conflict.

That said, his remarks fall in line with many regular voters, who have become increasingly concerned over the $112 billion - and counting - the US has so-far given to Ukraine, with bipartisan support.

The remarks may serve to show how DeSantis still has some way to go when it comes to developing his political skills in order to make the transition from being a state governor to a presidential candidate.

While Trump has been officially in the presidential race since November, DeSantis as his highest profile competitor has yet to officially announce any White House bid.

DeSantis won another term in the Florida governor's mansion in November by a margin of nearly 20 points in a state that has in the past been a toss up between Democrats and Republicans.
Afghan refugees who were rescued and brought back to the US have been accused of being racist and sexist towards those helping them, a bombshell report has found.

Some of them are said to have launched verbal abuse at staff and even turned their noses up at accommodation they were given.

The claims emerged in a State Department report that looked at the resettlement of around 73,000 Afghan evacuees brought in last year and in 2021.

It found agencies were battered by an influx of challenges including the speed of arrivals, the pandemic as well as housing, staffing and cultural orientation.

'[Resettlement agency] officials told OIG that the [Afghan Placement and Assistance Program] involved some of the most significant challenges that they had ever faced,' the report, as seen by Fox News, stated.

Afghan passengers board a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III during the Afghanistan evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan in August 2021

Families are seen walking towards their flight during the evacuations from Kabul in August '21

The agencies also identified 'inappropriate behavior' from some, which they attributed to a lack of cultural awareness.

Inspector General of the US Department of Health and Human Services Christi Grimm is pictured. She took on the role last February

'For example, some RA staff reported experiencing racism and sexism from Afghan clients unaccustomed to the norms of U.S. society,' the report explained.

Some also refused to work case managers if they were women or those from minority groups.

'A few local offices had issues of verbal abuse from Afghans, mostly those who were upset or frustrated by the process,' one agency reported,

'Many parolees had very high expectations and did not understand the role of local affiliates and would become frustrated with services and housing,' the report detailed.

Some of them also appeared to have 'unrealistic expectations over how the resettlement process might work.

For example, some groups had been told they would receive 'welcome money' when they on U.S. soil.

Others also had unrealistic expectations over housing and would reject offers of homes that they deemed insufficient or of inferior quality.

Hundreds of people are seen gathered near a U.S. Air Force C-17 transport plane at the perimeter of the Kabul airport

Hungarian coalition forces escort evacuees to a Hungarian Air Force plane at Hamid Karzai International Airport during the chaotic evacuation in August 2021

Some who had good jobs working as professionals in Afghanistan or had advanced degrees from the country 'often believed that they would be set up in positions within their chosen field.'

The agencies have recommended various measures, including 'standardized minimum requirements for cultural orientation that emphasize self-sufficiency, manage expectations, and convey U.S. societal expectations for behavior regarding gender, race, and sexual issues.'

The report noted that the resettlement was 'an unprecedented and demanding effort that presented substantial challenges for the nine nine resettlement agencies that implemented the program.'

This latest reports is more positive that previous ones which faulted the vetting process for the Afghan evacuation and even went onto suggest that 'bad actors' or national security threats may have entered the country under the scheme.

A retired marine who saved countless civilians in Afghanistan is incensed by National Security Council spokesman John Kirby's characterization of the 2021 US withdrawal from Afghanistan calling the presentation a 'national tragedy'

The report on the evacuees came as retired marines revealed how they were incensed by National Security Council spokesman John Kirby's characterization of the 2021 US withdrawal from Afghanistan calling the presentation a 'national tragedy.'

Kirby held a controversial and often confrontational press briefing on Thursday in which he defended the Biden administration's withdrawal as largely successful and noting that the after-action report's purpose was 'not accountability.'

'For all this talk of chaos. I just didn't see it. Not from my perch,' Kirby said later in the presser, adding that at one point in the evacuation, planes were departing Hamid Karzai International Airport every 48 minutes with Afghans and Americans alike aboard.

'Not one single mission was missed. So I'm sorry. I just don't buy the whole argument of chaos,' he said.

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo criticized attempts to shirk blame and point the finger at former U.S. president Donald Trump's administration saying Biden made a 'political decision' to announce the withdrawal date despite advice to the contrary.

Kirby said the after-action report could now be reviewed by Congress which will 'lay out things that could have gone better.'

'Nobody is saying that everything was perfect, but there was a lot that went right. And a lot of Afghans are now living better lives in this country and other countries around the world because of the sacrifices and the work of so many American government officials,' he said Thursday.

'The review process isn't over,' Kirby added. 'This is the next muscle-movement in what will be a long process to better understand and comprehend and adjust to what we learned and what we did in Afghanistan.'

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby defended the Biden administration's actions in Kabul during the disastrous withdrawal in August 2021, after releasing a report detailing the reasons why they think it unfolded

Thirteen American service members died when the suicide bomber detonated explosives packed with ball bearings amid the chaos of the city's airport

Last week, the White House said that the disastrous Afghanistan evacuation that led to the death of 13 U.S. service members and hundreds of civilians was Donald Trump's fault - and the scenes of Afghans falling from planes and the Taliban shooting people in the streets was not chaotic.

Kirby defended the Biden administration's actions in Kabul during the disastrous withdrawal in August 2021, after releasing a report detailing the reasons why they think it unfolded.

Kirby said the administration was 'proud' of how U.S. forces carried out the withdrawal, as the Taliban toppled the American-backed Afghan government the U.S. spent trillions over 20 years to keep stable.

He also said that no member of the administration would be fired for what happened, insisting the investigation was not about 'accountability'.

Their findings follows relentless pressure from veterans and Republicans for answers for the horrific scenes that unfolded more than 18 months ago.

The US Marine Corps posted a photo to Twitter of the flag-draped caskets of their fallen brethren killed in the suicide bomb attack in Kabul, after the coffins arrived back on home soil on August 29, 2021

'All this talk of chaos, I just don't see it,' Kirby said in a White House briefing. 'I just don't buy the whole argument of chaos'

'All this talk of chaos, I just don't see it,' Kirby said in a White House briefing, referring to the withdrawal that culminated in a suicide bombing at the Kabul airport that 13 Americans and some 170 others dead. 'I just don't buy the whole argument of chaos.'

Kirby said the president is 'proud' of the service personnel involved and no operation 'ever goes perfectly according to plan.'

'Nobody's saying that everything was perfect,' Kirby said. 'But there was a lot that went right. And a lot of Afghans are now living better lives in this country and other countries around the world, because of the sacrifices and the work of so many American government officials. So yeah, there's a lot to be proud of,' he added.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin echoed the sentiment of being 'proud' of U.S. servicemembers in a statement he released Thursday afternoon.

'Even on the hardest days, including August 26, 2021 when we tragically lost 13 of our finest, our force performed admirably under incredibly challenging conditions,' Austin noted.

Kirby noted that even though the 'mission changed' it 'doesn't mean that anybody who served in Afghanistan doesn't have something to be proud of.'

'Doesn't have ..., ' he said, briefly finding his words and then adding, 'Sorry, doesn't have, doesn't have service to this country that they can take with them the rest of their lives and feel honorable about it.'

Both Kirby and the White House document characterized the decision-making process around the withdrawal as being 'deliberate, intensive, rigorous, and inclusive.'

'President Biden's choices for how to execute a withdrawal from Afghanistan were severely constrained by conditions created by his predecessor,' the White House report read.

The administration said most of the after-action reviews were classified but would be transmitted privately to members of Congress.

Afghan people climb atop a plane as they wait at the Kabul airport in Kabul on August 16, 2021

Some hundreds of people run alongside a U.S. Air Force C-17 transport plane as it moves down a runway of the international airport, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, Aug. 16. 2021

Vargas-Andrews recalled the 'surreal' scenes at the airport which included Afghans trying to kill themselves on the razor wire because they didn't want to face Taliban 'torture'
A Texas man who was exonerated for a 2010 stabbing outside a bar after serving over seven years in prison is now accused of shooting another man dead during a road rage incident.

Houston police say Lydell Grant, 46, and an unidentified woman were leaving a corner store on Thursday at around 11.50pm when he ran a stop sign, causing a Toyota to hit him.

Grant then allegedly got out of the car and fired multiple shots through the windshield of the Toyota, before getting back in his car and driving off.

The driver of the Toyota, 33-year-old Edwin Arevalo, was pronounced dead at the scene, and Grant is now being held on a $1million bond as he faces murder charges.

The suspect had previously been released from prison in 2019 for the murder of 28-year-old Aaron Scheerhoon, for which he was ultimately found innocent.

Lydell Grant, 46, has been arrested for allegedly shooting a man in a road rage incident in southwest Houston Thursday night

Authorities say Grant ran a stop sign, causing a Toyota to hit him. He then allegedly got out of the car and fired shots at the Toyota, killing 33-year-old Edwin Arevalo

Authorities are pictured at the scene of the shooting near the intersection of Hiram Clarke Road and Brentwood Park Drive

Grant was convicted in 2012 of stabbing Scheerhoorn outside a Montrose bar after six eyewitnesses to the stabbing two years earlier positively identified him as the attacker and testified against him in court.

Police said Scheerhoorn was turned away from the club and witnesses at the time told investigators they saw Grant stab him several more times before fleeing. Grant was convicted in 2012.

But he was released from prison in 2019, nearly eight years into his life sentence, after the Innocence Project of Texas analyzed DNA evidence found on the victim's fingernails  that did not point to Grant as the perpetrator.

Police then arrested Jermaico Carter for Scheerhoorn's killing, tracking him down in Atlanta, Georgia, where he confessed to the murder.

'The highest responsibility of a prosecutor is to see that justice is done and insuring that we have the correct individual charged is a baseline responsibility,' Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said in a statement at the time.

Grant's attorney, Mike Ware, who also serves as the executive director of the Innocence Project also said: 'We are relieved that Lydell's wrongful conviction has had this important breakthrough.'

Grant was ultimately declared innocent in May 2021 by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, while Carter pleaded guilty to the murder of Scheerhorn last year.

Grant was freed on bond in 2019 after a new analysis of DNA found on the victim's fingernails pointed to his innocence in the killing of 28-year-old Aaron Scheerhoorn

Grant (center), his mother Donna Poe (second from left) and his brother Alonzo Poe (right) celebrated after he was released in 2019

Jermarico Carter (left) later confessed to killing Aaron Scheerhoorn (right)

But investigators now say surveillance footage from the crash near the intersection of Hiram Clarke Road and Brentwood Park Drive helped them identify Grant as the suspect in the shooting, and he was arrested on Friday.

His defense is now arguing that Grant has been running his own home cleaning business for the last six months and is helping to support his mother.

The last time there were any charges on his criminal record, they argued in court, was in 2009.

A spokesperson for the Innocence Project of Texas, meanwhile, told ABC 13 in a statement: 'We are saddened by the news of this tragic event and our thoughts and sympathies go out to the victim's family.

'As this is an ongoing investigtion, we cannot comment on the specifics of this incident,' the spokesperson added.

But, he noted: 'We stand behind Mr. Grant's previous exoneration, which was granted by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals.'
Nearly 80 years later, Ben Ferencz could still recall watching in horror as concentration-camp prisoners, days after their liberation, captured an SS guard and burned him alive in one of the Nazis' own ovens.

'Not all of the inmates were helpless,' he told me. 'They caught one of the guards and they beat him with their fists. Somebody brought from the crematorium one of the trays they used to shovel people into the furnace. They tied him to it and put him in the oven, just enough to warm him up.

'Then they pulled him out again, beat him up again, put him in again, burned him up again  about two or three times until he was well-cooked.'

Ferencz added: 'It was, of course, a horrible experience to watch this. But I didn't dare try to stop it because they would have turned on me.'

Few had such a vivid perspective on man's inhumanity to man than Ben Ferencz, last surviving prosecutor from the Nuremberg war crimes trials, who died on Friday aged 103. His remarkable and at times harrowing life taught him lessons that he went to great lengths to ensure were not lost to history.

The last surviving Nuremberg prosecutor, Ben Ferencz, died on Friday aged 103

Benjamin Ferencz at the podium at the Einsatzgruppen Trial, Nuremburg, in 1947

Although he passed away peacefully in his sleep at a care home in Delray Beach, Florida, he remained extraordinarily active right up until his death. After he got to 100, he boasted he could still do 100 press-ups every morning.

'Today the world lost a leader in the quest for justice for victims of genocide and related crimes,' said the U.S. Holocaust Museum.

Ferencz had been awarded the U.S. Congressional Gold Medal in January but was unable to attend the ceremony due to declining health  although even in his last years he was still fighting for justice by ensuring that war criminals were tried in court.

The horrific fate of the SS guard  Ferencz could not remember which camp it was, as he visited many as a Holocaust investigator for the U.S. Army  taught him a 'very important' lesson, he told me in 2021 in one of his final interviews. 'I learned that vengeance is not a way to settle any of our disputes. Because if you turn loose the vengeance, everybody is going to kill everybody.'

It was the same message  'Vengeance is not our goal' that he delivered in his memorable opening statement at the Nuremberg trials in 1947. There, as a 27-year-old U.S. Army sergeant who, at 5ft 2in, was so small he needed to stand on a pile of books to reach the lectern, Ferencz was chief prosecutor of the commanders of the notorious Einsatzgruppen.

These were the SS death squads that rounded up and murdered at least two million men, women and children including Jews, Gypsies and other 'undesirables' as the Nazis advanced through Europe. Many of the victims were shot so they fell into mass graves or were herded into vans to be gassed.

It was described by the military tribunal as 'the biggest murder trial in history'. The 22 defendants were 'not charged with sitting in an office hundreds and thousands of miles away from the slaughter . . . these men were in the field, actively superintending, controlling, directing and taking an active part in the bloody harvest.'

As a Jew whose family had fled anti-Semitism in Transylvania when Ferencz was only a few months old, he and his relatives would themselves have been exterminated without compunction by the men he was prosecuting.

Benjamin Ferencz pictured next to the Hotel Waldorf during World War II

And yet, talking to Ferencz, I  like many who met this incredible man  was taken aback by his feelings about the Nazis so many years on.

'The main lesson I learned about the Holocaust is that war will make mass murderers out of otherwise decent people,' he said.

His oft-repeated mantra was 'law not war', and he believed passionately that mankind should try to sort out its differences in the courtroom rather than on the battlefield.

Many might see this as painfully idealistic, but then they hadn't seen the horrors witnessed by Ferencz. He was raised in poverty in New York  his one-eyed father was a cobbler  and his family were forced to live in the crime-ridden Hell's Kitchen neighbourhood, where Ferencz developed a lifelong commitment to upholding the rule of law.

He won a scholarship to Harvard Law School and sat his legal exams. When the U.S. joined World War II, Ferencz was desperate to fight but too small to be a bomber pilot, as his feet wouldn't reach the pedals.

Other arms of the military also rejected him but he was eventually allowed to join an anti-aircraft artillery unit. He saw action in Normandy and the Battle of the Bulge.

As the Allies discovered the true extent of Nazi atrocities, Ferencz was transferred to a war crimes investigation unit.

He helped liberate the Buchenwald, Mauthausen and Flossenburg concentration camps. Ferencz, armed and driving a Jeep, arrived at some camps even before the medical teams, reaching the front entrance of one camp as the SS guards fled out the back, the crematorium ovens still burning.

Pictured: Ben Ferencz at the closing of Lubunga Trial with Angelina Jolie in 2009

'My most vivid memories are the piles of bodies on the ground that might have been dead or alive, the stacks of skeletal bodies piled up like firewood in front of the crematoria, the inmates behaving like rats in garbage, crawling for a bite to eat,' he said.

'And the crematoria going full blast. The stench of the burning bodies . . . I can't talk about it much either because it flashes back into my mind.'

Decades later, small human stories from that terrible time could still affect him. His voice caught as he told me about a boy whose father had died of starvation just as Ferencz entered a camp. The boy told him how his father had routinely smuggled him a piece of his measly bread ration, hiding it under his arm at night so the other inmates wouldn't steal it.

Honourably discharged from the Army in December 1945, Ferencz returned to New York and married his wife Gertrude three months later. They went on to have four children and she died aged 99 in 2019.

A chance encounter on a street corner with a former Harvard classmate who was connected to efforts to bring the Nazi leaders to justice sent him back to Germany in 1947.

In Berlin, he was given a team of investigators who were charged with delving through Third Reich offices and archives.

The Nazis were sometimes scrupulous about documenting their vilest work and Ferencz's team found an almost complete set of secret reports describing the monstrous activities  including precise numbers of victims killed  of the Einsatzgruppen.

He used this bombshell evidence to persuade his superiors they needed a new Nuremberg trial for the Einsatzgruppen commanders. They initially refused, citing staffing and budgetary pressures, but Ferencz persevered. The evidence was all on paper, he pointed out.

Pictured: Inmates of the German concentration camp Buchenwald near Weimar, Germany, march to receive treatment at an American hospital after the camp is liberated

Despite having never prosecuted a case before, he was made chief prosecutor. Although Ferencz had identified 3,000 Nazis who deserved to be tried, there was room in the court only for 22.

Not interested in pursuing the mindless thugs who simply followed orders, Ferencz selected the most educated and 'civilised' Nazis, keen to make a point about the brutalising nature of war.

Of the 14 sentenced to death, only four were hanged. Ferencz visited one of the commanding officers, Otto Ohlendorf, a former academic, in his cell before he was executed. Ohlendorf, who admitted killing 90,000 people, had instructed his troops to save ammunition if a mother was holding a baby to her breast by shooting the baby: the bullet would pass through both of them.

'He was a father of five children and happily married,' Ferencz told me. 'And I said in German: 'Can I do something for you?' I had in mind he was going to say: 'Tell my wife I love her, tell my children I'm sorry.' Not a word. He said: 'You'll see I was right.' '

That said, Ferencz believed that most of the Nazis were not simply 'evil', a simplistic assumption trotted out in decades of Hollywood films. He says they genuinely believed Hitler's insistence that Russia would attack Germany, reasoning that killing anyone  including the Jews  who might help the Soviets was a justified act of self-defence.

What he'd seen in the camps and heard at Nuremberg changed Ferencz's life. Working as a lawyer back in New York, he led efforts to return property to Holocaust survivors and ensure Germany agreed to permanently look after its Jewish cemeteries. In 1970, he stopped practising law and devoted himself to promoting peace.

His ideas for an international legal body like the Nuremberg tribunals became the basis for the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

When, in 2012, the court delivered its first verdict  convicting Congo warlord Thomas Lubanga Dyilo of using child soldiers  it invited Ferencz, then 92, to make the closing remarks.

Describing himself jovially as 'a little guy dealing with war criminals', Ferencz said he still tended to weep when he recalled what he saw in the camps  though he had little time for sentimentality.

His son Don, an academic living in Wales, told me in 2021 that he believed his father's commitment to the cause was 'what keeps him going, keeps him young'.

Don said yesterday: 'As children growing up, my dad admonished us, 'Don't leave a place the way you found it; leave it the way you would like to have found it.' I think that's a lesson that all of humankind ought to take to heart as far as our dear old planet goes.'

Ferencz was 'deluged' with cards and emails on his 100th birthday. Unlike British centenarians who receive a card from the monarch, the U.S. president doesn't offer the same honour. 'I'd rather skip that one,' said Ferencz archly, in reference to then White House incumbent Donald Trump.

He was far more touched to receive one out of the blue from a German woman who is the great-niece of one of the men he prosecuted at Nuremberg. She wanted him to know she had appreciated what he'd done, showing the Nazis there was a 'better way  one of justice, tolerance and truth', as she put it.

With Ben Ferencz's death, the world has lost a vital witness to the most barbaric period in humanity's recent past. The lessons he espoused, however, will hopefully resonate long after him.
Private schools will lose a fifth of pupils if Labour's plan to levy VAT on annual fees is enacted in government, a survey has found.

Research from the Independent Schools Council (ISC) showed 20 per cent of parents would 'definitely' withdraw their children from their private school if another 20 per cent was added to their fees.

And 40 per cent would try to keep them in their school but are not optimistic, the poll of 16,000 parents at 332 schools found. Just one in ten would not be affected.

Julie Robinson, ISC chief executive, told The Sunday Telegraph: 'These figures clearly show that a punitive tax on parents will have a very real effect on parents' rights to choose the school that best suits their children's needs.'

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer plans to raise 1.7billion with the VAT levy, with another 104million from making schools fully liable for business rates.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer plans to raise 1.7billion with the VAT levy, with another 104million from making schools fully liable for business rates

Pictured: One of the United Kingdom's most well-known private schools, Eton College, in Berkshire, England

Head teachers have warned it would cost the taxpayer 400million a year in part due to the state educating the displaced pupils.

Heads have warned against the measure in the past, with reports suggesting they may set up charitable foundations to bypass the scrapping of their own charitable status.

They say it would actually cost the taxpayer 400 million a year in part due to the extra cost of having to state-educate the displaced pupils, and warned the move impact the one third of pupils at their schools who receive fee assistance through bursaries - amounting to a total of 480 million across the sector.

Last year Sir Keir was criticised after taking aim at Rishi Sunak's former 45,000-a-year independent school during Prime Minister's Questions.

But Mr Sunak said: 'Whenever he attacks me about where I went to school, he is attacking the hard-working aspiration of millions of people in this country, he's attacking people like my parents.'
Olivia Pratt-Korbel's killer Thomas Cashman is a 'dead man walking' who will give up other crooks for police protection after a 250,000 bounty was put on his head, it was reported last night.

The murderer, 34, is currently being kept in isolation for his 'own protection' after his abhorrent crime made him 'public enemy number one in Strangeways Prison'.

Cashman was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 42 years after a jury found him guilty of shooting and killing the schoolgirl in her home in Dovecot, Liverpool, on August 22 last year.

A gang insider previously revealed that a 250,000 bounty had been placed on his head as police urge him to share details of illegal activity.

Officers hope that the child killer will give up names when he is quizzed over a string of violent offences and drug conspiracies across the North West in the coming weeks.

Police are expected to pressure Thomas Cashman, 34, to give up details about his gang activities in exchange for heightened protection in prison

The murderer was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 42 years after a jury found him guilty of of shooting and killing nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel (pictured)

A source told The Sun that if Cashman wanted continued protection, he would have to talk.

'They know he realises he's a dead man walking,' they added.

The prisoner has been kept isolated from the general prison population for his own protection following his sentencing earlier this month.

The cowardly murderer refused to face the family of the schoolgirl he brutally killed at Manchester Crown Court and instead whined about CPS lawyers turning his trial into a 'circus' because they had celebrating putting him behind bars.

A gang insider previously said: 'There's fears he will grass to get an easier life in prison as an informer. And also there's people out for revenge. Cashman is a real target. The 250,000 bounty will entice people.'

Thomas Cashman (court image) has been kept isolated from the general prison population for his own protection following his sentencing earlier this month

News of the bounty was publicised on encrypted messaging app Telegram, the source said.

Those who ordered the hit are understood to be worried that Cashman will turn over information about gang executions and unsolved murders in an attempt to improve the terms of his imprisonment.

There is concern his testimony would cause a 'world of pain' for several big organised crime bosses who 'do not want their activities being looked at'.

'He has nothing to lose - he is cornered,' the source said.

'There's lifers who will be mixing with him in months and years to come who will not think twice about carrying it out.'

The insider added that Cashman 'knows everything there is to know about organised crime, drugs and violence' in Merseyside.

The two guns used by Cashman on the day he chased drug dealer Joseph Nee into the schoolgirl's home and killed her have not been recovered, sparking fears they could be used in other crimes.

The 34-year-old has also been linked to the unsolved murder of Karl Bradley, who was found covered in snow in 2013, as well as three other unsolved gangland shootings in Liverpool.

His gangster brother Kirk Bradley, who is currently serving a life sentence for various violent crimes in Liverpool, has 'a lot of friends' within the prison community.
Back in 1992, Cassandra Gentry was working full time and trying to finish her Master's degree, so she could get ahead in her career and lay the groundwork for a comfortable retirement.

Life had other plans. Her daughter, Michelle, was murdered in a domestic-violence attack, leaving behind six-month-old Justin and two-year-old Julien. The father went to prison, nobody else could look after them.

'I just ended up with two babies,' Gentry, now 70, told DailyMail.com.

'I was working and going to school, trying to complete my education. I had to stop school, it was just too much. That's the hand that I was given. So I just played it.'

Further tragedies befell the family, and Gentry took on responsibility for more children. She moved from Detroit to Washington, DC, and low nurtures her great-granddaughter Jada, 12, and 17-year-old Tay Sean.

'That's the hand that I was given. So I just played it,' says Cassandra Gentry, 70, pictured here with Tay Sean, in the latest incarnation of her long-running grandfamily

The US Census Bureau says more than 2.4 million grandparents are raising at least one grandchild under the age of 18

'By the time I thought I had caught up, I had to go backwards again,' she added.

She's not alone. The US Census Bureau says more than 2.4 million grandparents are raising at least one grandchild under the age of 18. The COVID-19 pandemic and opioid epidemic made things worse.

Grandparents are thrust into the role for many reasons. In some cases, parents have died, become incapacitated by illness or injury, overdosed on opioids, or been locked in prison for committing a crime.

In other cases, parents have lost custody of their children due to abuse or neglect. On occasion, parents simply cannot afford to raise their kids alone and turn to relatives to pick up the slack.

'It's often when something hits the country, like the opioid epidemic, or the Covid pandemic, and people have to turn to relatives,' said Donna Butts, executive director of Generations United, an advocacy and support group.

'It's almost always sudden, it can be in the middle of the night. They're often in a state of trauma or shock, and they don't know what services or support they can access to help their children.'

Many grandparents eschew the idea of turning grandkids over to the state, where long-term outcomes are poor and brothers and sisters are frequently separated from each other, added Butts.

Grandparents who care for their grandkids are a mixed bag. About half are 60 years or above, more than two thirds are married, and a little more than half are still working.

Some have it hard: about a fifth live below the poverty line, a quarter have a disability, and 14 percent cannot speak English well.

They are disproportionately black or brown and living in the South.

Some take responsibility for a child as a stopgap, but it can become much more than a Band-Aid  45 percent of the grandparents have looked after a grandkid for more than five years.

It's frequently a challenge. Many are thrust back into full-time child caring when they had been getting ready to wind down for relaxing years of hobbies and holidays.

'They lose that retirement dream, what they thought their life was going to be,' said Butts.

Grandparents who take responsibility for a grandchild are advised to let them open up, and to stay up to date on the issues facing their lives

Donna Butts (left), executive director of Generations United, an advocacy and support group, and Bob Casey, a Democratic Senator from Pennsylvania and chair of the aging committee, say grandfamilies need a helping hand

Grandparents are thrust into the role for many reasons. In some cases, parents have died, become incapacitated by illness or injury, overdosed on opioids, or been locked in prison for committing a crime

Parenting again in Loveland, Colorado Gail Engel was willing to help out by raising her grandson, Bryson, but says grandfamilies like hers in Colorado need some extra assistance themselves. The mother-of-two, and her husband Joe, took responsibility for Bryson because her daughter, who floundered with mental health problems and an eating disorder for years, could not cope with motherhood. Gail Engel and her grandfamily. 'When I took on Bryson, I had such a struggle of finding resources, finding support, finding that person who understood what we were going through,' Engel said in a recent video testimonial. 'And there was nothing. There was nothing at all.' She describes Bryson as a 'smart young man' who could 'go so far,' but acknowledges it has been a challenge to raise a child who was born with fetal alcohol syndrome and has Asperger syndrome, a type of autism. The Covid pandemic, and the subsequent shuttering of workplaces, schools and other services, made life even harder for grandfamilies, she says. She heads a support group called the Grand Family Coalition to help them. 'I think this system was not built to help us seniors, raising children, grandparents, raising their grandchildren are taking on these kids,' she added. Advertisement

They often have to juggle work, childcare, and other responsibilities. Some must grapple with the emotional trauma of their grandchildren's parents' absence.

This was the case for Gentry. Three of her charges were uprooted because of a murder.

'Most of our children have suffered a traumatic experience,' she said.

'When my boys got to second or third grade, they started realizing 'Oh, where's my mom and where's my dad and why they don't love me?'

The Covid-19 outbreak orphaned more than 140,000 American children, leaving grandparents or other family members to care for them, according to data from the Senate Committee on Aging.

The pandemic was especially tough  many grandparents lost their jobs or had working hours cut at the same time schools and daycare centers shuttered, and children had to study from home.

America's opioid epidemic has deepened the crisis. The drugs are killing more than 100,000 people every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, many of them parents who leave behind kids that need to be looked after.

The federal government is a fan of grandfamilies  it says they save taxpayers some $4 billion each year on money that would be needed for the child welfare system.

Their generosity is not always repaid. Washington is currently paring back the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, food stamp and other schemes that many depend upon.

Butts says some grandparent carers could lose SNAP money because they have saved up for retirement  and that nest egg could potentially disqualify them from the scheme, under plans being considered.

In the group's latest annual report, they warned that a quarter of grandparent-headed households were unable to always put enough food on the table  that's more than twice the national rate.

'Grandfamilies are at greater risk of hunger,' said Luis Guardia, president of the Food Research and Action Center, a national anti-poverty charity, which contributed data for the report.

Grandparents should not be 'forced to choose between paying the rent, affording needed medications, or feeding themselves and the children in their care,' added Guardia.

Last month, Bob Casey, a Democratic Senator from Pennsylvania and chair of the aging committee, introduced two bills to streamline the benefit system so that grandfamilies and millions of older Americans could get support.

'We must ensure older Americans are given the support and protection they need to be economically secure,' Casey said in a statement.
A 26-year-old man has appeared before a Belfast court charged with the murder of a woman in Limerick city.

Geila Ibram, 27, from Romania, was found dead at a residence in Dock Road in Limerick on Tuesday.

Habib Shamel, an Afghan national, appeared before the court via videolink charged with her murder.

Belfast Magistrates' Court heard he had been in Ireland since October 2020, and had applied for asylum.

When asked whether he understood the charge against him, he confirmed through an interpreter that he did.

A detective sergeant told the court that Ms Ibram had been stabbed 'numerous times' and that the attack resulted in the defendant injuring his hand.

Geila Ibram, 27, from Romania, was found dead at a residence in Dock Road in Limerick on Tuesday (Niall Carson/PA)

The detective said that evidence gathered shows a conversation between the defendant and the victim, between 11.20am and 12.40pm on April 4, which was 'arranging a sexual exchange'.

At the end of the conversation, the victim provided her address, the court heard.

The detective said that CCTV footage shows the defendant entering the flat just before 1.30pm, and leaving 'approximately one minute 52 seconds later'.

He said that the victim was stabbed numerous times in the neck, face and abdomen during this period, in what the court heard was a 'vicious and frenzied attack'.

The detective said the defendant made attempts to try to treat his hand, including attending Limerick University Hospital.

On April 5, he arrived in Belfast after travelling by bus with a friend before being arrested on April 6.

The detective said the defendant made 'numerous admissions' during his interview with police about 'his actions within the flat', his injured hand and his travel to Belfast.

When charged by police, the court heard that the defendant replied 'I've said everything.'

Mr Shamel's legal team argued that he should be granted bail, telling the court that the prison service would not be able to accommodate his religious requests and that there were concerns for his mental health.

The district judge refused the defendant bail, calling the charge 'a very grave offence' and there being 'far too high' a flight risk or risk of further offending.

Legal aid was granted and he is next due to appear before court via videolink on May 2.

The charge is contrary to common law and section one of the Criminal Jurisdiction Act 1975.

Under that legislation, it is understood that the justice process can take place in Northern Ireland if a suspect has fled from a different jurisdiction where a serious criminal offence has taken place.
It's the most spectacular collection of royal regalia in the world whose history is entwined with that of the monarchy.

And what makes the Crown Jewels so unique is that they are still a 'working' collection.

On May 6, viewers around the world will see the biggest show of pomp and majesty in 70 years when much of the collection is taken from its home in the Tower of London and used for the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla.

From St Edward's Crown, which has been placed on the head of every British monarch since 1661, to the sceptres which will be placed in Camilla's hands, each plays a crucial part in the making of majesty.

The Mail was invited last week to the Jewel House at the Tower to view Their Majesties' Coronation Regalia with experts who revealed some of the fascinating detail behind the Royal Collection gems.

CORONATION REGALIA AND CUSTOMS

THE CROWNING

Named after Edward the Confessor when it was created for Charles II, this is used only for the moment of crowning

ST EDWARD'S CROWN

Named after Edward the Confessor when it was created for Charles II, this is used only for the moment of crowning.

Weighing nearly 5lb and measuring 12 inches in height, it boasts two simple arches with an orb and cross on the top  the former a symbol of the Christian faith.

Made from a solid gold frame set with 444 gems  including rubies, amethysts and sapphires  the crown also has a velvet cap with an ermine band.

When it was made shortly after the Restoration, it was decided to rent the gemstones and remove them straight after the coronation as a cost-cutting measure. Today, all of the gems in the crown are permanently fixed.

THE IMPERIAL STATE CROWN

After the St Edward's Crown is removed, King Charles III will wear the Imperial State Crown as he departs the Abbey.

The crown, which is worn each year for Parliament's State Opening, was made in 1937 and is based on Queen Victoria's.

Predominately set with 2,868 diamonds in beautiful silver mounts, it also features Cullinan II  the second largest stone from the Cullinan set, weighing 317.4 carats.

The crown also includes the Black Prince Ruby which has been part of the collection since the 14th century.

After the St Edward's Crown is removed, King Charles III will wear the Imperial State Crown as he departs the Abbey

Henry V was said to have worn the stone in his helmet at the Battle of Agincourt with a feather plume at the top.

It also has King Edward's sapphire inside the cross at the top, which was said to have been taken from a ring on his hand when he was re-buried at the Abbey in the 13th century.

The Sword of Temporal Justice (pictured) represents the King's role as Head of the Armed Forces, the Sword of Spiritual Justice his role as Defender of the Faith

THE SWORDS

THREE SWORDS

Three silver gilt swords will be carried in by peers before Charles and Camilla each representing an aspect of the king's powers and duties.

The Sword of Temporal Justice represents the King's role as Head of the Armed Forces, the Sword of Spiritual Justice his role as Defender of the Faith, while the blade on 'Mercy' is blunted to symbolise that the monarch should be merciful.

THE SWORD OF STATE

King Charles II had two Swords of State made for him, one in 1660 and one in 1678.

The first vanished, but the second was found in the Tower of London and has been used in processions ever since.

It measures more than 47 inches and has a steel blade etched with intricate foliage and a wooden scabbard covered in velvet and wrapped round with silver gilt mounts.

The hilt is particularly elaborate with handles in the form of the lion and the unicorn.

THE ANOINTING

THE AMPULLA

The Holy  or Chrism  oil used by the Archbishop of Canterbury to anoint the King is carried in a vessel shaped like an eagle, known as the ampulla.

The ampulla was supplied in 1661 by the royal goldsmith Robert Vyner. According to legend, it was inspired by a dream in which the Virgin Mary appeared to Thomas Becket and presented him with an eagle-shaped vessel and vial of oil for coronations.

In fact it is more likely to have been based on a medieval French vessel, also in the shape of an eagle. There is a small aperture in the beak of the bird which is used to pour oil into the Coronation Spoon.

The ampulla was supplied in 1661 by the royal goldsmith Robert Vyner. According to legend, it was inspired by a dream in which the Virgin Mary appeared to Thomas Becket and presented him with an eagle-shaped vessel and vial of oil for coronations

THE CORONATION SPOON

The Coronation Spoon is the oldest object in the collection and dates back to the 12th century.

As the one great survivor of the medieval era, little is known about its exact origins. It was listed among the regalia in 1349 but stylistically dates much earlier than that, possibly Henry II or Richard I.

Consecrated oil is poured into the bowl of the spoon, which is divided into two halves. The Archbishop of Canterbury will then dip his fingers into it.

The Coronation Spoon is the oldest object in the collection and dates back to the 12th century

THE MACE

Like most of the Crown Jewels, the mace that is carried in before the King and Queen Consort dates back to the 17th century.

The original medieval regalia were traditionally kept at Westminster Abbey and were relics associated with Edward the Confessor.

THE CONSORT'S REGALIA Queen Camilla will undergo a coronation of her own albeit slightly reduced in ceremony from that of her husband. She has selected to use Queen Mary's Crown (below), made for the consort of King George V, which is the first modern instance of a consort using an existing crown rather than having one made to her own tastes. Although more 'pared down' than the King's crown, it is still mounted with 2,200 diamonds. It also contains two stones from the great Cullinan diamond  Cullinan III, a 94.4-carat pear-shaped drop and Cullinan IV, a square-cut stone of 63.6 carats. The Queen will also be presented with two sceptres, both made for James II's consort, Mary of Modena in 1685. Like the King's, one features a cross as a symbol of temporal power. Jewelled iris leaves hold the monde at the top and it boasts an intricate jewelled sleeve. The second sceptre is the Queen Consort's Ivory Rod with Dove, made of three lengths of elephant ivory joined by two gold collars. There had been speculation that the item might not be used because it contains ivory  which the Prince of Wales has campaigned to ban. Camilla will also be presented with a ruby ring made for Queen Adelaide, wife of King William IV. Queen Camilla has selected to use Queen Mary's Crown, made for the consort of King George V Advertisement

But in 1649, during the English Civil War, they were destroyed by parliamentarians shortly after the execution of King Charles I.

The entire collection was then recreated by Charles II in 1660.

Maces, originally weapons in the early medieval period, have been a symbol of royal authority for more than 1,000 years.

This one is made from silver gilt and is one of several that have survived from the 17th century and been kept at the Tower.

ST EDWARD'S STAFF

This is one of the more enigmatic objects in the collection.

Almost certainly associated with Edward the Confessor, when King Charles II came to re-create his Coronation regalia no one was quite sure what it was for  or whether it was even needed.

But the new king decided he wanted the 'full set' and a new staff was made to be carried in before him as he entered the Abbey.

THE INVESTITURE OF THE MONARCH AND QUEEN CONSORT

In medieval and Anglo-Saxon coronations, the services would have been in Latin, meaning many of those present wouldn't have understood what was being said or were too far away to hear.

This is one of the reasons that the presenting of objects is so important  the gesture could be seen and understood by all.

THE SPURS

The spurs are presented to the monarch as a symbol of knightly values.

English kings have been invested with them since at least the inauguration of Richard the Lionheart in 1189.

This particular pair were made for King Charles II in 1661 but to an earlier design.

Even in the 17th century the spurs, which are without rowels (the small wheels at the back), would have looked deliberately archaic. They are fixed to the royal feet immediately after a ceremonial sword is fastened to their waist.

THE ARMILLS

Taking their name from the Latin armuli  arms these are known as the Bracelets of Sincerity and Wisdom.

The originals were adorned with pearls and rubies and weighed around 7oz, but Charles II commissioned replacements with the emblems of the 52 kingdoms over which the kings of England claimed sovereignty in enamel.

Placed on by the Archbishop of Canterbury as he offers a blessing, they symbolise the monarch's bond with his people.

THE SWORD OF OFFERING

This bejewelled sword is carried in the procession and presented to the monarch as a symbol of knightly virtues.

The current Sword of Offering was made for King George IV in 1821 and he paid 6,000 for it out of his own purse.

His coronation was one of the most opulent and expensive in history (in fact his successor William IV was so horrified that he insisted on his own being a far smaller affair).

Breathtakingly decorated with thousands of jewels, the scabbard is set with large emeralds, rubies and sapphires, as well as 2,000 diamonds arranged to form repeating devices of roses, thistles and shamrocks as well as a brilliant turquoise.

On its hilt there are diamond oak leaves and large emerald acorns. Two lions' heads form the handles, with rubies for their eyes.

The blade is decorated with gilt-edged heraldic devices, flowers of the nations and royal crowns.

In medieval times the monarch would donate their sword to abbey as a gesture of chivalry.

As the weapons became more and more decorative and valuable, the monarch began to symbolically buy it back for a price of 100 shillings. It is expected this will happen in May, too.

THE ORB

Representing the globe, the hollow sphere is divided into three segments  two at the top and one at the bottom  depicting the three continents that were known in medieval times.

Made for the coronation in 1661, the orb, (far right), weighs a hefty 2 1/2lbs. The royal goldsmith purchased a special set of jewels to set into it including 365 diamonds, 18 rubies, nine emeralds and nine sapphires.

The join of the orb is 'the equator' and covered with a band of gems in white enamel settings. However the most prominent  and precious  gem is the large amethyst that forms the 'monde', measuring more than an inch in each direction.

Representing the globe, the hollow sphere is divided into three segments  two at the top and one at the bottom  depicting the three continents that were known in medieval times

On it rests a cross featuring an emerald on one side and a sapphire on the reverse.

The orb symbolises the sovereign's worldly and Christian powers and is traditionally placed into the right hand of the monarch before being moved to the High Altar.

THE RING

A symbol of faith and dignity, the ring represents the monarch's bond to his people and the Church.

The current ring dates back to William IV, who commissioned it in 1831, and features a stunning sapphire with rubies in the shape of St George's Cross surrounded by 14 diamonds  a copy of an earlier one made for Charles II.

It is put on the fourth finger of the king's right hand by the Archbishop of Canterbury and has been resized to fit Charles III.

THE SCEPTRE WITH CROSS

One of two sceptres presented to the monarchy, this symbolises temporal power. It will be placed in the King's right hand during the service and retained throughout the crowning and enthronement, before being processed out of the Abbey.

The current Sceptre with Cross, (right), dates back to Charles II but with one very obvious addition: the Cullinan I diamond on the top.

Coronation: The Queen wearing the Imperial State Crown and holding the Orb and Sceptre in 1953

Also known as the Star of Africa, this is the largest colourless cut diamond in the world. It was placed in the sceptre in 1910 and made its first appearance at the coronation of King George V and Queen Mary. The diamond is so large that Crown Jeweller, Garrard, had to reinforce the sceptre to take its weight.

Costing 1,025 in 1661, the sceptre is the single most expensive individual item in the Crown Jewels other than the crowns.

It also boasts an amethyst and gold cross nestled in an emailed fleur-de-lys.

THE SCEPTRE WITH DOVE

Symbolic of the monarch's spiritual power, it will be placed in the King's left hand and retained throughout the ceremony. On the top is a distinctive enamelled dove with spread wings representing the Holy Spirit.

Made for Charles 11, it is three foot seven inches in height and is encircled in four separate places with jewelled collars with many originals stones. It cost 440 in 1661 and remains largely unaltered.

THE ALTAR PLATE

Of the 23 pieces of altar plate in the Crown Jewels, a selection will be placed on the High Altar at Westminster Abbey, along with its own altar plate.
Most of us make basic cybersecurity errors every single day, an expert warns.

These include knowing your password by heart, allowing junk mail to clutter your inbox and not using two-factor authentication.

The threat of hackers and other bad actors in the cyberverse is large, with one in three homes with a computer estimated to have a device infected with malware.

Overall, 47 percent of American adults have had their personal information exposed by cyber-criminals.

This week the FBI smashed the world's biggest criminal online marketplace, where hackers were flogging bank, eBay, Amazon and Facebook log-ins for as little as 50 cents.

Zane Bond, head of product at cybersecurity firm Keeper Security, warned that millions of Americans are making mistakes daily putting themselves and their information at risk. They are:

Memorizing passwords

Memorizing passwords could be a fatal error (file photo)

Most of us make basic errors with cybersecurity says Zane Bond, head of product at Keeper Security

If your password is easy enough to remember, its easy for cybercriminals to crack, Mr Bond warns.

Bond also says that using one strong password across multiple accounts is 'setting yourself up for failure'.

He says: 'The best way to ensure you have strong, unique passwords is through a password manager that can create and store them for you.

'With a secure password manager, you only have to remember one master password and can rest assured your other passwords are too difficult for a cybercriminal to hack.'

Not unsubscribing from junk email

Failing to unsubscribe from junk email can make you easy prey for phishers (file photo)

Cybercriminals rely on us making a mistake and clicking on the wrong link - so you should ensure youre not inundated with promotions and marketing materials, the expert said.

Unsubscribing from junk email (such as marketing emails you receive after buying something online) can help keep you safe, he says.

Bond says: 'Unsubscribing every time you see the option will help prevent email overload.

'Less junk cluttering your inbox means fewer opportunities for mistakes, and more time and energy available to keep an eye out for phishing attacks.

Users should also use built-in defenses to avoid clicking risky links.

He says: 'Dont click any link that you dont have to. Instead, you should navigate to and open the website yourself through a browser.

'You can also hover over the link to ensure its bringing you where it claims it is.'

Failing to set up a 'guest' network for visitors to your house

Have you set up a guest network for your home? (file photo)

Most of us neglect to take basic security measures to protect our home Wi-Fi  such as setting up a separate 'guest' network.

A guest network means that guests cant accidentally introduce malware into your house  and cant access your devices.

It will show up as 'your network name  guest' and has a separate password, and is enabled from your router's menu.

Bond says: 'Simple precautions you take to secure your home Wi-Fi network will help prevent cybercriminals from accessing your phones, tablets, computers and IoT devices.

'You can secure your Wi-Fi network by ensuring it has a strong and unique password, setting up a separate guest Wi-Fi network, turning on your router's encryption, using a VPN, and keeping your router's software up to date.'

Failing to plan your digital afterlife

One of the biggest cybersecurity mistakes we all make is failing to plan for death, Bond warns.

When you die, your loved ones will need to access your information  and far too few of us bother to plan for it.

Bond says: 'Two things are guaranteed in life: death and taxes. One we have to deal with, the other we try to avoid even thinking about.

'Our lives are increasingly migrating to the digital realm, and we need to consider how our loved ones are going to access the information they need when were no longer here.

The process involves taking a digital inventory of your online presence, assets and liabilities; designating a digital heir to receive your credentials and assets; and coming up with a plan such as storing credentials and personal documentation in a secure password manager that can be passed on to your digital heir.'

Ignoring two-factor authentication

Two factor authentication can help keep you safe online (file photo)

Using two-factor authentication can make your accounts 99.9 percent more secure, Microsoft research shows.

Two-factor authentication is offered by most online accounts (as well as a password, you are protected by requiring a code from an app or sent via SMS.

Bond says: 'Add multi-factor authentication (MFA) where you can, starting with your most important accounts: email, social media, banks, crypto, etc.

'You can also integrate MFA into a password manager's autofill feature, so the password manager takes that second step for you.'
It's the closest planet to Earth, yet humans are still yet to venture the 34.8 million miles to Mars.

Elon Musk recently predicted that humans will first set foot on the Red Planet in 2029, while NASA is a little more conservative with its estimated timeline, predicting a landing in the late 2030s or early 2040s.

Thankfully, there's an easy way to explore Mars now, from the comfort of your home here on Earth.

NASA has released a new interactive map that lets you explore Mars' many cliffsides and craters.

'I wanted something that would be accessible to everyone,' said Jay Dickson, the image processing scientist who led the project. 'Schoolchildren can use this now. My mother, who just turned 78, can use this now. The goal is to lower the barriers for people who are interested in exploring Mars.'

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NASA has released a new interactive map that lets you explore Mars's many cliffsides and craters

The interactive map of the Red Planet was made at Caltech using 110,000 images snapped by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.

How to explore Mars To explore the map yourself, use your mouse's rollerball to zoom in and out, or click and drag to rotate Mars. If you want to explore any particular features, click on the name of the feature in the boxes at the bottom of the screen. The map will then automatically zoom into that feature, whether it's Olympus Mons, Zunil or Eberswalde. Advertisement

These images cover nearly 270 square feet (25 square metres) of surface per pixel - large enough to cover the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California if printed!

The resulting map captures a range of stunning geological features in incredible detail, including cliffsides, impact craters and dust devil tracks.

To explore the map yourself, use your mouse's rollerball to zoom in and out, or click and drag to rotate Mars.

If you want to explore any particular features, click on the name of the feature in the boxes at the bottom of the screen.

The map will then automatically zoom into that feature, whether it's Olympus Mons, Zunil or Eberswalde.

Laura Kerber, a Mars scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), provided feedback on the new mosaic as it took shape.

'I've wanted something like this for a long time,' she said.

'It's both a beautiful product of art and also useful for science.'

The interactive map of the Red Planet was made at Caltech using 110,000 images snapped by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

The images cover nearly 270 square feet (25 square metres) of surface per pixel - large enough to cover the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California if printed

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. It is one of the most explored planets in the solar system and the only planet humans have sent rovers to explore. 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: 55.91 million mi Distance from Sun: 145 million miles Gravity: 3.721 m/s Radius: 2,106 miles Moons: Phobos, Deimos Advertisement

Ms Kerber has used the map to explore Mars's Medusae Fossae - a dusty region about the size of Mongolia.

While scientists remain unclear how it formed, Ms Kerber has theorised that it might be a pile of ash from a nearby volcano.

With the new map, she is able to zoom in to the region and explore ancient river channels winding through its landscape.

Other key regions highlighted on the map are the Gale Crater and Jezero Crater, which are both being explored by NASA's Curiosity and Perseverance Rovers for signs of ancient microbial life.

Olympus Mons - the tallest volcano in the solar system - can also be traversed.

'For 17 years, MRO [Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter] has been revealing Mars to us as no one had seen it before,' said the mission's project scientist, Rich Zurek.

'This mosaic is a wonderful new way to explore some of the imagery that we've collected.'

The release of the map comes shortly after NASA's Perseverance Rover 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.

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.
Your smartphone is not listening to you around the clock  but it's collecting so much information that it does not even need to.

It has long been speculated that Apple, Google, Samsung and other popular phone makers are recording users 24/7 to collect information for advertising purposes.

Most of us have seemingly randomly been promoted an advert for a product that we could have sworn was only talked about in private.

To test this, we set up a freshly-factory-reset Samsung phone, using a new Google account on the Android device.

We tried saying advert catchphrases to a phone for several days

We created a fictitious person named Robin, 22, and made a fake a Facebook account for him to use.

After spending several days trying to bait the device into giving us ads for European vacations and floor sealant, the device would not react to our buzzwords.

Jordan Schroeder, who manages network security at Barrier Networks, told DailyMail.com that these devices would not even need to record you, as they collect all the information they need via other means anyways.

After two days of saying the names of products near the phone  without typing them in or entering them through the device's voice assistant, it was clear it was not recording me to use for advertising.

Despite my attempts, I could not generate advertisements for vacations or home improvement goods.

This is because the costs of secretly recording millions of people to hear what they are talking about would be enormous, Mr Schroeder said.

The data would also be worthless, he added  particularly with the huge amount that companies such as Google already know about you.

In 2022, Google's advertising revenue was $224.47billion.

But Mr Schroeder said that voice assistants on phones have made the matter more complex - as they are constantly listening, so they can hear the 'wake words' such as 'OK Google' or 'Hey Siri.'

He went on to say: 'Yes, Google, Apple, and Amazon listen to you all the time if you have the virtual assistant enabled to listen to 'keywords'.

'Samples of sounds are regularly sent to their servers for analysis to improve their algorithms. And sometimes these samples go to people first to better classify the sounds before sending them to an algorithm for analysis.'

But Google, Apple and Amazon deleted these samples (although there was an incident in 2019 where 1,000 private conversations leaked).

Google is very transparent about its 'surveillance capitalism' - offering a page where you can see everything it is logging about you (we tested with a Google account on an Android phone, both made by Google).

Your page can be accessed here, and signing in with your Google account shows you what the search giant knows about you.

Collected data includes what you do in apps that use Google advertising, YouTube videos watched, searches performed, what you click on and what you say to Google's voice assistance feature.

On that page, there is no sign of recording from the phone's microphone.

But the huge amount of other data from apps, the phone and PC highlights just how much Google (and other companies such as Facebook) can know about you.

In his book The Industries of the Future, Alec Ross suggests that companies trade 75,000 data points on each American consumer - but this is probably now a gross underestimate, as the book was written in 2016.

So after several days of saying things in front of the phone, there are no personalized adverts anywhere in 'Robin's' internet experience (we tested by visiting web pages with adverts).

That changes as soon as 'Robin' searches for 'luxury car' and 'expensive bed' using Google voice assistant and Google search.

From that point on, adverts for bed companies and expensive cars appear everywhere.

With a few more searches, Google has created a page with brands 'Robin' might be interested in.

You can see yours here. It's worth noting you can customize this, switching off app tracking, website tracking - or even switching off personalized adverts altogether.

The real risk comes from rogue apps which users might have downloaded, Schroeder said.

He said: 'Phones have implemented controls to prevent apps from accessing microphones and cameras. They need to ask the user for permission first.

'But there's the problem. This permission is asked for on download, and maybe for legitimate reasons, but any subsequent use of the mic could be for any reason.'

Phone companies have implemented measures to stop such 'rogue' apps, Schroeder said, such as removing permissions from apps that have not been used in a while.

He said: 'A determined app maker would still get windows of time to do what they wanted with the permissions they were granted.'

Even then, it's unlikely any app maker would try and record the general public - and it's much more likely that such 'rogue' apps would be used in targeted attacks against individuals.

Using Google Assistant feeds Google with data. Just talking in front of your mic doesn't

This is an example of the data Google stores on you, minute by minute (Google)

After a few searches for beds and Warhammer figures, 'Robin's page looked like this (Google)

He said, 'Recording and sending all that recorded audio from millions and millions of arbitrary people is not a trivial task and the costs are high to do so.

'Considering much of the information would be completely useless to anyone, it is very unlikely that someone would make or modify an app to blanketly record audio from the publics' phones and all the other devices that everyone is slowly gathering.

'The real risk is when individuals are targeted for a specific purpose.

When there is value of knowing everything that an individual is doing, then this type of targeted surveillance makes more economic and technical sense.

Pegasus spyware - which can listen to calls, track location and 'watch' app activity - was used to target human rights activists, journalists and politicians in several countries.

Mr Schroeder said, 'If someone is a government employee or a member of the military, then the risks of being personally targeted are much higher too.

But that is why governments and militaries have strict cybersecurity controls on how devices should be configured and what kind of use is acceptable on a personal device.'

He said that the broader issue is around how much data is being collected on all of us - from where we go, to the buttons we press in apps, to what we say to personal assistants.

By 2025, IDC forecasts that the world will generate 175 zettabytes of data (1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 bytes).

The danger of this is not to individuals - but to society as a whole, Schroeder said.
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Never-published photos of the doomed USS Thresher have surfaced, showing what the interiors of the submarine looked like before it tragically sank 60 years ago. It was deemed the worlds worst submarine disaster, with 129 lives lost.

The archived images, taken in August 1961 during an unveiling ceremony at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Maine, showcase the confined living spaces aboard the $45 million nuclear attack vessel, SSN 593.

One photo, shared exclusively with DailyMail.com, shows the compact stateroom of Thresher's then 35-year-old commanding officer Lieutenant Commander John Wesley Harvey complete with a rotary phone and small desk area, while another captures the crew mess, where the submariners would eat and relax with checker and chess boards inlaid into the tables.

A third image sheds light on the officers' wardroom, where the commissioned personnel would dine. Other photos show the tiny coffin-like bunks aboard the submarine, with some folding down from the wall to maximize space while others were stacked three high.

The submarine, which was built at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard but based in Connecticut, was out for a routine practice drill about 220 miles off Massachusetts' Cape Cod when it ran into trouble on April 10, 1963

Long-lost photos of the doomed USS Thresher have resurfaced, showing what the interiors of the submarine looked like before it tragically sank 60 years ago. Pictured, the officers' wardroom where commissioned personnel would dine

The crew mess, where the submariners would eat and relax with checker and chess boards inlaid into the tables

One photo shows the compact stateroom of Thresher's then 35-year-old commanding officer Lieutenant Commander John Wesley Harvey complete with a rotary phone and small desk area

Archived photos show the bunk areas where the crew would sleep in between shifts

Some of the sub's beds folded out from the walls to maximize space

Lockers can be seen next to the bunks for crew to store a small stash of possessions in

Almost two years after the photos were taken at the grand ceremony, the USS Thresher met its end

Lockers can be seen next to the bunks for crew to store a small stash of possessions in.

Gary Hildreth, the deputy public affairs officer at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, says that the archive photos 'really capture the essence of the spaces in the ship's operations compartment where the sailors spent the bulk of their off-watch time when not sleeping.'

After working as a submariner himself for 29 years, Hildreth said that he was also 'amazed at how remarkably similar these spaces look' to those found inside 'today's most technology-advanced nuclear-powered submarines.'

He added that some of the identical features include 'paneled bulkheads and naugahyde (faux leather) covered benches.'

Almost two years after the photos were taken at the grand ceremony, the USS Thresher met its end. Naval specialist Stephen T. Walsh told DailyMail.com that 'that is why very few photos of the sub exists... interior shots are even more scarce.'

The submarine, which was built at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard but based in Connecticut, was out for a routine practice drill about 220 miles off Massachusetts' Cape Cod when it ran into trouble on April 10, 1963.

The first sign of trouble was a garbled message about a 'minor difficulty' after the 279-foot submarine descended to more than 800 feet.

The crew indicated it was attempting to empty ballast tanks in an effort to surface.

Sailors on an accompanying rescue ship heard something about the 'test depth.'

Then the sailors listened as the sub disintegrated under the crushing pressure of the sea.

The Thresher was the first of a new class of attack submarines that could travel farther and dive deeper than any previous sub.

But an investigation around its demise found that its capabilities outstripped the Navy's best practices based on older-generation subs.

For example, the ballast system used to surface in an emergency was a legacy system that was never tested at greater depths, and proved to be inadequate, documents showed.

There were known problems with the silver-brazed joints in pipes throughout the sub.

Gary Hildreth, the deputy public affairs officer at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, said the archive photos 'really capture the essence of the spaces in the ship's operations compartment where the sailors spent the bulk of their off-watch time'

Naval specialist Stephen T. Walsh told DailyMail.com that very few photos of the sub exist because it sank so soon after it launched and 'interior shots are even more scarce'

In this July 9, 1960 file photo the 279-foot-long nuclear powered attack submarine is launched bow-first at the Portsmouth Navy Yard in Kittery, Maine

The first sign of trouble was a garbled message about a 'minor difficulty' after the 279-foot submarine descended to more than 800 feet. The crew indicated it was attempting to empty ballast tanks in an effort to surface

The Thresher was the first of a new class of attack submarines that could travel farther and dive deeper than any previous sub

An underwater photograph shows a portion of the sunken nuclear-powered submarine

The wreck of USS Thresher, showing an external portion of a sonar dome photographed in August 1963

And training was inadequate for a nuclear reactor shutdown at depth.

The Navy believes the Thresher's sinking was likely caused by a burst pipe and electrical problems that led to a nuclear reactor shutdown.

Retired Capt. James Bryant, commander of a Thresher-class submarine, agreed that a series of events led to the sinking: The sub descended far too quickly without stopping to assess for leaks from previous shock testing months earlier; there were training concerns because the location of valves had changed while in dock; and ice buildup prevented the crew from effectively blowing the ballast tanks to resurface.

The main cooling pumps eventually stopped, followed by the nuclear reactor, robbing the submarine of the ability to stop its fatal descent, he said.

No one will know for sure exactly how the disaster played out. But it's clear that precious minutes went by as the crew became aware of their dire situation.

At one point, a message from the submarine to a rescue ship referred to '900 north' suggesting the sub was 900 feet beyond its test depth, according to documents.

The test depth was redacted but previously declassified documents indicated it was 1,300 feet, said Norman Friedman, a naval analyst and author of more than 30 books on naval topics.

The documents reveal many of the submarine's safety systems were based on operations in shallower depths from previous-generation submarines, and were inadequate in the unlikely scenario of a loss of nuclear propulsion while deep underwater, Bryant said.

That World War II mindset during the nuclear age proved fatal for the Thresher crew, he said.

At the time, the Navy's resources and personnel were strained as it pushed to get ballistic missile-equipped submarines deployed quickly to counter the Soviet missile threat, Friedman said.

That contributed to veteran crew members being reassigned and new officers and sailors coming aboard who were less familiar with the Thresher's complicated system of pipes and valves before the fatal dive, he said.

'It's almost a wartime situation and you might consider them casualties of the Cold War,' he said of the Thresher's crew.

The Navy believes the Thresher's sinking was likely caused by a burst pipe and electrical problems that led to a nuclear reactor shutdown

The emblem adopted in 1960 for the USS Thresher. The circles represent her sonar capability, while the motto 'Vis Tacita' describes the overall characteristics of the ship, 'Silent strength'

The sub's destruction caused the Navy to accelerate safety improvements and to create a program called SUBSAFE, an extensive series of design modifications, training and other improvements

The sub's destruction caused the Navy to accelerate safety improvements and to create a program called SUBSAFE, an extensive series of design modifications, training and other improvements.

One submarine has sunk since then, the USS Scorpion in 1968, and it was not SUBSAFE-certified, the Navy said.

Tim Noonis, whose father, a radio operator, perished on the Thresher, said the loss remains painful for families like his, but he finds comfort that the Navy corrected mistakes for the sake of future sailors.

'No one wants to lose a family member, but if other families have benefited, well, theres some solace in that,' Noonis said.

Noonis was born at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, where the Thresher was built.

Meanwhile Don Wise Jr of Plaistow, New Hampshire, who lost his dad, said the Thresher crew members were doing something special, serving on what was a technological marvel, the Navy's fastest and deepest-diving nuclear submarine.

'They were going deeper and faster than anyone. I always considered my dad a hero and an adventurer,' Wise said.

Lynne Lawrence of Alexandria, Virginia, who also lost her father Richard DesJardins to the Thresher, said she was sad he didn't get to see his children become adults or meet his grandchildren.

'It's a profound loss that affects you forever, but you grow from it and move on,' she said. 'Because you don't really have any other choice.'

Frank DeStefano of Orange Park, Florida, said he owed his life to a three-day assignment to Washington that took him away from the submarine during the fateful sea trials.

The vessel, which was found a year after it sank, remains resting at a depth of 8,500 feet with the debris spread over a mile on the ocean floor. The bodies were never recovered.
Modern walkers are increasingly discovering the best routes trodden by ancient pilgrims. Now, more and more of these sacred treks are available to enjoy as holiday packages.

In part, this is due to the success of the Camino de Santiago, which has sparked a revival in exploring spiritual trails.

Travellers are finding that these opportunities for slow travel adventures are all the better because of their inspiring historical back-stories.

Increasingly, hikers like to ponder as they plod. We picked the traditional pilgrim routes that are a step ahead of the others.

A slice of Olde England

The Pilgrims Way is an ancient track from Winchester to Canterbury Cathedral (above) in Kent

Walking one of Englands most historic and holy trails, The Pilgrims Way, provides a medieval pilgrims view of classic downland countryside between St Swithuns Shrine, Winchester, and the major pilgrimage site of Canterbury Cathedral.

Highlight: Start by claiming free traditional wayfarers dole  rations of beer and bread  at Winchesters Hospital of St Cross.

Dont miss: Much of the 150-mile route to the murdered St Thomas Beckets tomb follows that described in Chaucers Canterbury Tales, written more than 600 years ago.

How to do it: A two-week self-guided walk along the entire route costs from 1,875pp with responsibletravel.com. This includes staying in historic inns, with breakfast and luggage transfers.

Irish inspiration

Celebrate Irelands patron saint by trekking St Patricks Way across lush farmland and misty mountains between Northern Irelands ecclesiastical capital, Armagh, and Patricks simple tombstone outside Downpatrick Cathedral.

Highlights: The best stretches wind along the spectacular coastline right beneath the beautiful Mourne Mountains.

Dont miss: The landscapes around Rostrevor and Carlingford Lough inspired C. S. Lewis to create the Narnia fantasy world of The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe.

How to do it: Spend eight days on this 80-mile pilgrim trail through some of Northern Irelands most spectacular landscapes, staying in small hotels and B&Bs. Waterproof maps and notes, luggage transfers and 24-hour phone support are included. It costs from 835 with thenaturaladventure.com.

Saxon trail to Holy Island

Walkers cross the tidal sands on the Holy Island of Lindisfarne in Northumberland

The 63-mile St Cuthberts Way from Melrose Abbey in the Scottish Borders to Lindisfarne commemorates a much-venerated seventh-century Saxon hermit monk and saint who inspired thousands of medieval pilgrimages.

Highlight: The path across tidal sands to Lindisfarne Priory on Holy Island is a memorable finale.

Dont miss: Ancient ramparts stretch for three miles around the summit of Eildon Hill and offer the most acclaimed views in the Scottish Borders.

How to do it: Spend four days descending from the Cheviot Hills along the Northumberland coast to Holy Island, with your luggage helpfully transferred between your overnight B&Bs. With five nights accommodation, it costs from 565 via brigantesenglishwalks.com.

En route to the Vatican

Best foot forward: The hill town of Orvieto, Italy, is on the Via Francigena, a pilgrimage route to Rome

The ultimate British Christian pilgrimage in the Middle Ages was trekking 2,000 miles from Canterbury to Rome. The truly dedicated then continued this Via Francigena by boat to Jerusalem. Thankfully, todays operators offer shorter sections, mostly between the Alps and the Vatican.

Highlight: The best stretch leads from the glorious Umbrian hills to a memorable finish at the Vatican in Rome.

Dont miss: Collect the official Testimonium pilgrimage certificate from a special office in St Peters Square  if you complete the last 60 miles of Via Francigena.

How to do it: A ten-day self-guided pilgrim walk from the Umbrian hill town of Orvieto to Rome costs from 945 with utracks.com. It includes luggage transfers, a dedicated phone app, route book and emergency hotline in case you get lost. Youll stay in family-run farm accommodation or small hotels, with all breakfasts and many meals included.

Fairytale castle in the bay

For centuries, pilgrims have followed footpaths through Normandys flat farmland to the spectacular fortified island abbey of Mont Saint Michel in the middle of a tidal bay.

Highlight: The first awe-inspiring glimpse of the Monts fairytale silhouette as you approach across marshy fields.

Dont miss: Ancient pilgrims without tide tables trusted God to protect them crossing the vast muddy bay. Many drowned as tides raced in. Today its easy to take safe but spectacular pilgrimage day walks across the bay using official guides.

How to do it: Spend eight days walking from Granville in Normandy to the Mont in Normandy on centuries-old pilgrim trails known as Les Chemins du Mont Saint Michel. They pass along beaches, round headlands and through pretty wooded valleys to end at the abbey on Mont St Michel. The cost is from 780pp with innwalking.com and includes B&B in small hotels, maps and notes, daily luggage transfers  and an official guide across the tidal mudflats.

Crossing Cornwall

St Michaels Mount makes a rewarding spiritual finale to a coast-to-coast walk across Cornwall

Britains version of Mont Saint Michel sits in Mounts Bay, Penzance  and makes a rewarding spiritual finale to a coast-to-coast walk across Cornwall. Modern pilgrims choose to start St Michaels Way from Padstow (45 miles) or Lelant (14 miles).

Highlights: Bathe tired toes in four holy wells that still stand on this once-busy pilgrim route.

Dont miss: The British Pilgrimage Trust advises you walk a traditional clockwise circuit of the outside of Lelant church, to properly ritualise the pilgrimage.

How to do it: Follow St Michaels Way from Padstow harbour to St Michaels Mount with six nights B&B included. With baggage transfers, maps and notes, the holiday costs from 975 pp with macsadventure.com.

Trek to the fjords

St Olav's Way is a 400-mile trek from Oslo north to St Olavs shrine at Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim (above)

Beautifully maintained, carefully signed paths wind through woods, lush valleys and rocky hills for 400 miles from Oslo north to St Olavs shrine at Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim, almost in the Arctic Circle. The whole St Olavs Way is a real undertaking  small sections of it make easier holidays.

Highlight: Authentic historical wooden pilgrim hostels are great value accommodation for Norway.

Dont miss: The owner rows guests across a river to stay at his Sundet Gard hostel  and serves traditional pilgrim fare of potato and meatball soup, while dressed in period costume.

How to do it: The best stretch is descending from the Dovre Mountains to the end in the fjord city of Trondheim. A nine-night holiday covering this last 100 miles, with simple pilgrim accommodation and most meals supplied, costs from 800 with nordicpilgrim.com (luggage transfer are an extra 300).

Evergreen favourite

Hikers on the Camino de Santiago in Spain, 'Europe's favourite pilgrimage route'

Europes favourite pilgrimage route is a network of St James paths starting in Portugal or France and collectively called the Camino de Santiago.

They converge on the apostles shrine in the far north-western corner of Spain and range from arduous Pyrenean hikes to easier coastal stretches.

Highlight: Celebrate your achievement with a unique daily pilgrims Mass at Santiago de Compostelas Gothic cathedral.

The city of Camino de Santiago and its Gothic cathedral marks the end of the Camino

Dont miss: Mix with a fascinating range of Camino walkers, from celebrities such as Martin Sheen to the one Belgian prisoner who is released each year on condition that they walk the route.

How to do it: Pilgrimage experts say the route through forests and valleys from Tui on the Portuguese border to Santiago is the most historically authentic. Worldwalks.com offers a six-night holiday walking this stretch from 595, with B&B in two or three- star hotels, luggage transfers and route notes.

Apostles footsteps

Paths still trace St Pauls Trail, which was taken through Turkey by the missionary apostle 2,000 years ago. The full arduous trail covers 300 miles from Antalya on the Med to rocky gorges and pine forests in southern Turkeys Taurus Mountains. That takes a month  but thankfully much smaller sections are available.

Highlight: Walk on authentic Roman roads via the ruins of classical buildings that have existed since St Pauls journey.

Dont miss: Views of the sparkling 30-mile-long Lake Egirdir from the mountain path.

How to do it: A knowledgeable local guide can lead you from Selge to Sagalassos along sunny mountain paths as part of a group walking holiday. Seven nights en-suite accommodation in local pensions, all meals, entry fees and daily luggage transfers are included. It costs from 1,445, including flights from London and transfers, with ramblersholidays.com.

Alpine delights

Maria Plain (above), a 400-year-old baroque pilgrim church high above Salzburgs towers and spires, is a highlight of the St Jacob's Way trail

Pilgrims have walked the gentle Alpine foothill paths of St Jacobs Way around Salzburg for 1,000 years. Its a chance to follow beautiful trails through Austrian and German landscapes of lakes, mountains and wildflower pastures.

Highlight: Walk up to Maria Plain, a 400-year-old baroque pilgrim church high above Salzburgs towers and spires. Its acclaimed as a spot for spiritual contemplation (and good for picnics).

Dont miss: For 1,100 years, Salzburg was an independent church state that attracted pilgrims from all over. It is still packed with beautiful churches and abbeys.

How to do it: A self-guided walking trail covers the traditional 70-mile pilgrimage from Seekirchen to St Johann. A seven-night holiday costs from 569 with pilgrimroutes.com, including B&Bs, luggage transfers and route notes.
Paul O'Grady's radio producer and friend Malcolm Prince has shared a tribute to the late star after his sudden death, saying they all felt 'robbed'.

The legendary presenter and radio star's partner Andre Portasio shared that he had passed away 'unexpectedly but peacefully' last month at the age of 67.

On Sunday, Boom Radio broadcasted a repeat of the Lily Savage star's Christmas Day 2022 show, in a slot originally scheduled for a special Easter broadcast from Malcolm and Paul.

Introducing the show, Malcolm said: 'Hello, Im Malcolm and Im usually referred to as Paul OGradys long-suffering radio producer.

'Right now you should be hearing the song Stop Me If Youve Heard It All Before by Billy Ocean.

Devastated: Paul O'Grady 's radio producer and friend Malcolm Prince has shared a tribute to the late star after his sudden death, saying they all felt 'robbed'

Tragic: The legendary presenter and radio star's partner Andre Portasio shared that he had passed away 'unexpectedly but peacefully' last month at the age of 67

'It would have been the opening track of the Team POG (Paul OGrady) Easter day show but sadly, thats not to be.

'Pauls sudden death on March the 28th shocked us all, his family, friends and fans.

'We all feel robbed. But I think we should count ourselves lucky because Paul OGrady will never really leave us.

'We have his award-winning books, we can still watch his hilarious chat shows and sitcoms, learn from his travelogues and documentaries, and remember thousands of his live performances on stage  and then theres Miss Savage.'

He added: 'Its an enormous and unique legacy and part of that was his radio show  Paul loved it, pure and simple.

'Thats why he did it for so many years, and there was one programme in particular that Paul knew was just as important for his other listener.

'Yes, he joked he couldnt stand the run-up to the big day, but he knew it was a privilege to be there on Christmas Day with you.

'So by popular demand, heres his first show for Boom Radio. It was supposed to have been the start of a brand new adventure for him, me and you.

'Its Christmas Day 2022 all over again and regular Team POG listeners will know it wont be the first time weve played festive music in April.'

He poignantly concluded: 'And that description of me being his long-suffering producer Well, dont believe a word of it. I loved every minute.'

It comes after, writing in the Radio Times, Malcolm spoke about Paul's partnership on Radio 2 but admitted that his friend had become disillusioned with the BBC by the time of his show's end.

He revealed that Paul was originally so 'proud' to work for the BBC but was 'disappointed' by the way he was treated when he quit the station in August 2022.

Claiming Paul didn't even get a 'leaving party', he wrote: 'When I pitched the Radio 2 show to him and he said yes, he was so proud to be working for the BBC.

'But by the end of it, when Radio 2 told us the show was coming to an end, he was so disappointed with the way he was treated.

'He fulfilled his contract, did as he was asked and then, in August last year, he politely left.

'There was no hamper or leaving party, or any of that. He told me recently that Radio 2 wasn't what it was when he joined.'

'Disappointed': Malcolm spoke about Paul's partnership on Radio 2 but admitted that his friend had become disillusioned with the BBC by the time of his show's end

Paul quit his BBC Radio 2 show last August after hosting the Sunday evening 5-7pm slot since 2009, before a shake-up saw him regularly swapping with comic Rob Beckett, each for 13 weeks at a time.

In the past three years, BBC Radio has also lost big-hitters Graham Norton, who quit the station just before Christmas in 2020 but whose talk show is broadcast on BBC One, and Simon Mayo.

Malcolm went on to pay tribute to his close friend and revealed that he was with him just hours before his death.

He said: 'On the day that Paul died, I was at his home, having a cup of tea. We were meant to be making plans for our new show, due to launch on Boom Radio, but really we were laughing, reminiscing, plotting, doing what we always did.

'It was the perfect afternoon. When I left, he gave me a hug and said, 'I'll talk to you tomorrow.' I said, 'Go inside, I don't want you watching me try to reverse the car down the drive.' We'd had two hours of fun, and two hours later he was gone.'

Malcolm reminisced on Paul's wit calling it his 'superpower' and expressed his gratefulness for having the star's friendship for so many years.

Paul became a household name in the early noughties, known for his wit and love of animals, and hosted a string of television programmes including his self-titled daytime chat show, The Paul O'Grady Show, which began airing in 2004.

He also took over the reins from Blind Date's long-running presenter and his close friend Cilla Black, who died in 2015, to host the Channel 5 reboot of the show in 2017. And he fronted Blankety Blank, as well as ITV's award-winning For The Love Of Dogs.

The father-of-one's cause of death wasn't immediately known, but he had previously spoken of surviving heart attacks in 2002, 2006 and 2014, and also kidney failure . He also had a debilitating Covid battle that left him unable to work for two months.

Paul married Portuguese lesbian barmaid Teresa Fernandes in 1977 to stop her deportation. They divorced in 2005 and he married ex-ballerina Mr Portasio in 2017.

Decades earlier in 1974, he had his only child, a daughter called Sharyn Mousley, with his dear friend Diane Jansen.

Paul is also a grandfather to Sharyn's son Abel, who was born in 2006 and is now aged 16, and Sharyn's daughter Halo, born in 2009.

Portasio said: '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.'

Iconic: The TV star was best known for his drag alter-ego Lily Savage, hosting the beloved game show Blankety Blank

Tribute: Paul's death was announced by his partner Andre Portasio, who he married in 2017 (the couple are pictured here at the Royal Opera House in London in 2018)

Paul and Portasio were married during a low-key wedding ceremony in 2017 .

During his career, he hosted The Paul O'Grady Show, Blind Date and Blankety Blank, as well as ITV's multi-award-winning For The Love Of Dogs. He also hosted ITV celebrity game show, Paul O'Grady's Saturday Night Line Up.

Paul took over the reins from Blind Date's long-running presenter and his close friend Cilla Black, who died in 2015, as he hosted the Channel 5 reboot of the show in 2017.

Last year he was joined by the Queen Consort in a special one-off episode of For The Love Of Dogs to mark 160 years of Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, an organisation for which he was an ambassador.

In August last year he presented his final BBC Radio 2 show having hosted the Sunday afternoon programme for nearly 14 years, later saying the station's drive for younger listeners 'doesn't make sense' .

Paul had been set to return to the airwaves next month to host a one-off Easter Sunday radio show on Boom Radio.

And he was performing right until the end - taking to the stage as Ms Hannigan in Annie at the Edinburgh Playhouse.

In a statement, Battersea Dogs and Cats Home paid tribute to Paul as a 'devoted animal lover' and a 'champion for the underdog'.

Screen favourite: During his career, he hosted The Paul O'Grady Show (pictured with his dog Olga), Blind Date and Blankety Blank, as well as ITV's For The Love Of Dogs

The organisation's chief executive, Peter Laurie, said: 'Battersea will forever remember Paul as a devoted animal lover with the biggest heart, who fell head over heels in love with every dog he met at our centres.

'Paul will always be associated with Battersea and we are truly saddened to have lost such a true friend and huge part of our charity.'

Paul's love for animals was well-known, and he had lived in a farmhouse in Kent with Portasio along with a menagerie of animals including four dogs, goats, sheep, chickens and barn owls.

During the coronavirus lockdown, he wrote his debut children's book, Eddie Albert And The Amazing Animal Gang, which was published in September 2021.
More than 25 years on from starring as a doomed drug addict in cult movie Transpotting, Kevin McKidd will lead a new crime thriller series on ITV.

The actor, 49, moved to Los Angeles following the success of the 1996 film and has played Dr Owen Hunt in the hugely popular medical drama Grey's Anatomy for 15 years.

But McKidd has used a three-month summer break from filming to return to his native Scotland as Detective Constable Chris O'Neil in ITVX's Six Four.

Filmed largely in Edinburgh and Glasgow, the drama will follow the disappearance of O'Neil's daughter, whose investigation leads him to fear that her the case may be linked to that of another missing girl years earlier, potentially exposing a police cover-up.

Despite his appearances as the hapless Tommy in Trainspotting, Six Four will be McKidd's first British TV series for more than 15 years.

McKidd (pictured attending PaleyFest LA 2023 on Sunday) has used a three-month summer break from filming to return to his native Scotland as Detective Constable Chris O'Neil in ITVX's Six Four

Jonny Lee Miller, Ewan McGregor, Kevin McKidd, Ewen Bremner pictured during filming for Trainspotting in 1996

A movie poster for Trainspotting, which saw its lead actors go on to force hugely successful careers

But a lot has changed since on-screen death of AIDS-related toxoplasmosis in the 1996 film, with the actor now playing former army surgeon Dr Owen Hunt with an American accent in Greys Anatomy.

He now lives in Los Angeles and has surprised many viewers with an appearance as buff as any Hollywood actor, contrary to his role as Tommy, and has also directed 30 episodes of the medical drama.

He made the decision to move to the US after work surprisingly dried up from Trainspotting, having had to borrow a suit for the premiere.

McKidd, a father-of-four, split from wife Arielle Goldrath in December after five years due to irreconcilable differences.

It came after he divorced from wife of 17 years, Jane Parker, in December 2017.

So, as McKidd's new police drama is released, MailOnline has takes a look at the lives of his Trainspotting co-stars since the megahit movie was released 27 years ago.

Ewan McGregor

The actor, then 24, played role of heroin addict Mark Renton in Danny Boyle's iconic film.

McGregor, now 52, shot to stardom following the movie, going on to play leading roles in British film Little Voice and 2001's Moulin Rouge opposite Nicole Kidman.

He then clinched the coveted role in one of the decade's biggest franchises, playing young Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars prequels from 1999.

Ewan McGregor playing Mark Renton (left) and pictured attending You Sing Loud, I Sing Louder premiere last month

McGregor clinched the coveted role in one of the decade's biggest franchises, playing young Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars prequels from 1999

McGregor, now 52, shot to stardom following the movie, going on to play leading roles in British film Little Voice and 2001's Moulin Rouge opposite Nicole Kidman

A keen motorcyclist, McGregor filmed an international journey from London to New York for a documentary series Long Way Round with best friend Charley Boorman in 2004.

He has also featured in Black Hawk Down, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen and Last Days in the Desert during a distinguished career.

McGregor reprised his role in T2 Trainspotting alongside some of his co-stars from the original film in 2017.

He married French production designer Eve Mavrakis in 1995, but the couple split in 2017 before their divorce was finalised in 2020.

The actor tied the knot with Mary Elizabeth Winstead in April last year.

Ewan Bremner

Bremner played the starring role of Renton in the 1995 stage play, but starred as Daniel 'Spud' Murphy in the film.

The Edinburgh-born actor, 51, went on to feature alongside McGregor in Black Hawk Down before also playing a leading role in Pearl Harbour alongside Ben Affleck and Kate Beckinsale.

Ewan Bremner starred as Daniel 'Spud' Murphy in the film (pictured alongside Ewan McGregor)

Ewan Bremner pictured during filming for T2 Trainspotting, the sequel to the 1996 film, in which he plays Spud

The Edinburgh-born actor, 51, went on to feature alongside McGregor in Black Hawk Down (pictured)

His versatility saw him also play roles in Around the World in 80 Days, Alien vs Predator and Fool's Gold after following McKidd in making the move to the US.

More recently, Bremner played Charlie in 2017 Hollywood movie Wonder Woman alongside Gal Gadot and Chris Pine.

Bremner has a daughter Harmoney Rose from his relationship with actress Marcia Rose, whom he met on the set of short film Skin a year prior to Trainspotting.

Jonny Lee Miller

The strikingly peroxide-blonde haired Sick Boy in Trainspotting, Miller embarked on a career that included a short-lived marriage to Angelina Jolie.

He most recently gained heartthrob status playing former Prime Minister John Major in The Crown, looking completely unrecognisable from his Sick Boy role.

Jolie and Miller, meanwhile, were married from 1996 to 1999 after first meeting onset of their nineties thriller Hackers in 1995.

He married American actress Michele Hicks after they began dating in 2006 and had a son together, but the couple divorced in 2018.

The strikingly peroxide-blonde haired Sick Boy in Trainspotting, Miller embarked on a career that included a short-lived marriage to Angelina Jolie

Miller (pictured as Sick Boy) starred as Sherlock Holmes in the US series Elementary and also featured in the popular thriller Dexter

Angelina Jolie and Miller were married from 1996 to 1999 after first meeting onset of their nineties thriller Hackers in 1995

Miller's parents were both actors and his grandfather Bernard Lee played M in the early James Bond movies.

He has forged a successful career after leaving school at 17 to pursue acting, with his Trainspotting success boosting him into roles on small screens in the US.

Miller starred as Sherlock Holmes in the US series Elementary and also featured in the popular thriller Dexter.

Robert Carlyle

Carlyle's sociopathic character Francis 'Franco' Begbie was the villain of the piece and said he would wind up the other actors on set to keep a rougher side to his personality.

The actor, 61, had already gained some fame after he appeared in crime drama Cracker as a serial killer and Ken Loach film Riff-Raff.

But his role in Trainspotting kickstarted his career and he went on to star in popular hit The Full Monty, for which he won a BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role.

His career continued from strength to strength starring as arch villain Renard in James Bond film the World Is Not Enough in 1999 and also playing a lead role in zombie sequel 28 Weeks Later in 2007.

Robert Carlyle (second from the right) played the sociopathic character Francis 'Franco' Begbie

The actor, 61, had already gained some fame after he appeared in crime drama Cracker as a serial killer and Ken Loach film Riff-Raff

Carlyle went on to play the lead role in zombie sequel 28 Weeks Later in 2007

He also starred as Prime Minister Robert Sutherland in the Sky series Cobra, which began in January 2020

More recently he's been a regular in US shows Once Upon a Time, playing Rumpelstiltskin and Stargate Universe.

Carlyle has been married to make-up artist Anastasia Shirley since 1997 and split his time between the US and Scotland, but moved to Vancouver with his family for Once Upon a Time.

In his glittering career on the big and small screen he's become known for his commitment to authenticity in roles, often losing or gaining weight and changing his lifestyle to fit a character including moving house to live where it is set.

While filming T2, he decided to live in Edinburgh, rather than with his family in Glasgow, because he felt like his violent psychopath character Begbie, was too much 'in his head'.

Kelly MacDonald

MacDonald landed the role of schoolgirl Diane after attending an open audition, despite being just 19 and working in a bar with no acting experience.

After her role as the teenage seductress who becomes Renton's girlfriend, her next major role was in Gosford Park as an aristocrat's maid in 2001.

MacDonald received a Golden Globes nomination for her performance in The Girl In The Cafe, a Richard Curtis directed drama, before secure a supporting role in the Academy Award-winning No Country For Old Men in 2007.

She provided the voice for Merida, the lead character in Disney's Pixar animation Brave in 2012.

Kelly MacDonald pictured alongside co-star Ewan McGregor in the 1996 film Trainspotting

After her role as the teenage seductress who becomes Renton's girlfriend, her next major role was in Gosford Park as an aristocrat's maid in 200

More recently, MacDonald starred as the shady DCI Joanne Davidson in the hit BBC series Line of Duty

From 2010 until its ending in 2014, she starred in the crime drama Boardwalk Empire as Margaret Thompson, the wife of Prohibition-era Atlantic City crime boss. She appeared in all five seasons of the series.

Her credits also include Nanny McPhee, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows  Part 2 and Finding Neverland.

More recently, though, she starred as the shady DCI Joanne Davidson in the hit BBC series Line of Duty.

Away from the screen, she married her partner Travis guitarist Dougie Payne in August 2003 and the couple have two children.
Sylvester Stallone's 90s movie Demolition Man featured a star-studded cast and was a huge hit with viewers at the time.

And the 1993 sci-fi film has taken on a new lease of life in recent years as eager fans re-watching the epic are convinced it predicted the future.

Viewers have noticed a whole host of eerie similarities between the futuristic pacifist utopia San Angeles - formerly Los Angeles - and the 2020s.

The action movie sees John Spartan (Sylvester) and crime lord Simon Phoenix (Wesley Snipes) sentenced to frozen incarceration known as 'CryoPrison' in 1996.

But 36 years later in 2032, Phoenix is revived on parole and goes on a killing spree, with Spartan then teaming up with police officer Lenina (Sandra Bullock) to catch him.

Eagle-eyed fans noticed a disease spreading in San Angeles bears more than one similarity to the Covid-19 pandemic, while its tech advancements were also very accurate.

From a lack of toilet paper to the use of video calls and no hand shaking, MailOnline looks at all the reasons fans think Demolition Man predicted the future.

Smash hit: Sylvester Stallone's 90s movie Demolition Man featured a star-studded cast and was a huge hit with viewers at the time

Predictions: But the 1993 sci-fi film has since taken on a new lease of life in recent years as eager fans re-watching the epic are convinced it predicted the future

NO HAND SHAKING

Demolition Man sees the spread of a disease in San Angeles which saw the fictional city ban all forms of physical contact to stop the spread.

Instead of the traditional handshake, one scene sees two characters instead do a contact-free high-five.

The grinning pair enthusiastically go forward to high-five but halt their hands before making contact, instead moving them around in a circle in the air.

In another scene, Spartan attempts to shake someone's hand, but is warned by Lenina: 'We're not used to physical contact greetings.'

The lack of physical contact eerily mirrored present-day society, when public health experts urged people to stop shaking hands early on in the Covid-19 pandemic.

The guidance was given in an effort to combat the spread of the virus and people instead starting adopting elbow bumps as a polite greeting instead.

Contact: Demolition Man sees the spread of a disease in San Angeles which saw the city ban all forms of physical contact to stop the spread, seeing people adopt a contact-free high-five

Covid: It eerily mirrored present-day society, when public health experts urged people to stop shaking hands early on in the Covid-19 pandemic and elbow bumps were instead used

NO TOILET PAPER

One scene in the comedy movie also sees Spartan hilariously question Lenina on why there is no toilet roll in the bathroom.

He whispers in her ear: 'Look, I don't know if you guys know it but you're out of toilet paper.'

But after another character shares his confusion, Lenina confirms that they no longer have toilet paper, but instead use three seashells.

A laughing Lenina tells her colleagues: 'They used handfuls of wadded paper back in the 20th.'

Though toilet paper has not been eradicated from society, viewers pointed out that it bore similarities to the toilet paper shortages amid the Covid crisis.

Early on in the pandemic, people began panic buying toilet paper in bulk amid fears supermarkets would run out during lockdown, leaving shelves completely bare.

Toilet roll? One scene in the comedy movie also sees Spartan hilariously question Lenina on why there is no toilet roll in the bathroom, but they instead use three shells in the 2032 society

Shortages: Though toilet paper has not been eradicated from society, viewers pointed out that it bore similarities to the toilet paper shortages amid the Covid crisis (pictured in Melbourne)

USE OF VIDEO CONFERENCING

Demolition Man also introduced the use of video conferencing, and it is used as a regular form of communication in San Angeles.

One scene sees Dr. Raymond Cocteau (Nigel Hawthorne) talking to a group of people at a board meeting but is communicating with them through a video call.

He is seen sitting at the head of the table while large grey computers are placed where the members of the meeting would normally sit.

The computers turn around the room to follow Dr Cocteau as he speaks, with the participants faces being shown on the screens.

It also predicted the use of iPads and iPhones as Lenina is seen appearing on a video call on a silver tablet-like computer, hinting at the technological advancement to come.

Though the movie's version of video conferencing is slightly bulker than real life, it eerily predicted the use of the technology in everyday communication.

During the Covid pandemic, businesses became reliant on video conferencing software, such as Zoom, to communicate with its employees.

As staff were forced to work-from-home during lockdown, bosses instead turned to video calls as a way to still host team meetings and speak face-to-face with staff.

Doctors appointments and school lessons were also hosted via video conferencing during the pandemic, with the technology still being very present in society.

Video calls: Demolition Man also introduced the use of video conferencing, and it is used as a regular form of communication in San Angeles

Tech: It also predicted the use of iPads and iPhones as Lenina is seen appearing on a video call on a silver tablet-like computer, hinting at the technological advancement to come

Lockdown: During the Covid pandemic, businesses became reliant on video conferencing software, such as Zoom, to communicate with its employees

SELF-DRIVING CARS

Another technological advancement that proved very accurate was the introduction of self-driving cars.

In the movie, Lenina is seen sitting in her self-driving police car as it navigates itself, while she is on a video call to her colleagues.

Though the introduction of such an invention might have seemed very futuristic at the time, it is now a concept not so far out of reach.

Google has led the way with self-driving cars after launching spin-off Waymo, which has been working on building self-driving minivans and testing out the vehicles.

Waymo started working on autonomous vehicles in 2009, and launched a trial of the technology in Phoenix, which has already been marred by attacks on its vehicles.

Meanwhile, Elon Musk's company Tesla have also built an array of self-driving vehicles with 'autopilot functions' and many have taken to the road.

By the end of last year, Tesla had rolled out the 'full self-driving' feature to over 285,000 people in North America, according to the company.

However, Teslas accounted for almost 70 per cent of 329 crashes in which advanced driver assistance systems were involved, as well as a majority fatalities and serious injuries associated with them.

Though it might be years before the use of such cars are widespread, it is an invention that has been heavily invested into and tested out in recent years.

Futuristic: Another technological advancement that proved very accurate was the introduction of self-driving cars

Autopilot: Elon Musk's company Tesla have also built an array of self-driving vehicles with 'autopilot functions' and many have taken to the road

ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER'S POLITICAL CAREER

Arnold Schwarzenegger was a popular actor in the 1990s but Demolition Man successfully predicted his future political career.

In a scene from the film, Spartan is seen riding in a car with Lenina when she reveals she had been looking at some newsreels from the Schwarzenegger Library.

To which Spartan replies in shock: 'The Schwarzenegger Library?'

And Lenina confirms: 'Yes the Schwarzenegger Presidential Library. Wasn't he an actor when you were-'

But interrupting, Spartan asks: 'Stop he was President?'

Lenina says: 'Yes! Even though he was not born in this country, his popularity at the time caused the 61st amendment which-,' but Spartan interrupts her again, saying he doesn't 'want to know'.

Though Arnold has not become President of the United States, he did pursue a career in politics just years later in 2003.

He served as the 38th governor of California between 2003 and 2011 and has previously shared his desire to run for President.

Arnold, an Austrian native, became a naturalized citizen in 1983 and said he would have run against Hilary Clinton instead of Donald Trump if he could have.

'If I'd been born in America, I would've run,' he told Adweek in 2016. 'Because now? This was a very good time to get in the race.'

President: Arnold Schwarzenegger was a popular actor in the 1990s but Demolition Man successfully predicted his future political career as it envisions him becoming president

'If I'd been born in America, I would've run': He served as the 38th governor of California between 2003 and 2011 and has previously shared his desire to run for President

VOICE-ACTIVATED TECHNOLOGY

In the fictional futuristic society, a whole host of appliances from lights to cars use voice-activated technology.

Residents are able to turn their lights on and off and work an array of technology using only their voices, much like our own present-day society.

Now, virtual assistant Siri and the Amazon Alexa both listen to voice commands before delivering audio responses for the user.

They are just two flashy devices that use voice commands to function and are sure to be the first in a long line of such inventions.
Married At First Sight's 10th season featured plenty of surprises and bombshell moments.

But according to one rogue cast member, the best bits were left on the cutting room floor.

From steamy dinner party sex confessions to shocking cheating allegations and even dramatic walkouts, these never-before-seen incidents will leave you gobsmacked.

A bride who appeared on this year's season has come forward to dish the dirt on all the scandalous antics that took place behind the scenes.

'It was like living in a madhouse,' the source told Daily Mail Australia on Thursday.

'Emotions were running high, and that led to some truly insane moments.'

From steamy dinner party sex confessions to shocking cheating allegations and even dramatic walkouts, according to one rogue cast member, the best bits didn't make it to television

Dinner Party Bombshells

According to our rogue informant, the infamous dinner parties were way more explosive than what shown on TV.

'There were sex confessions flying all over the place,' the source dished.

'Harrison and Bronte were revealing their most intimate bedroom secrets, and things got very heated. Some people were loving it, while others were cringing in their seats.'

According to our rogue informant, the infamous dinner parties were way more explosive than what shown on TV. 'There were sex confessions flying all over the place,' the source dished

At one dinner party, Bronte played down rumours the pair were having regular sex and were in a good place.

Harrison reportedly called Bronte out for lying and told his co-stars that the pair had many different sexual experiences.

And if that wasn't enough, the dinner parties also witnessed some wild allegations of infidelity.

'There were shouting matches, tears, and accusations being hurled around. Sandy accused Dan of cheating on her with another woman two days before having sex with her at the reunion and none of it was shown on TV.'

Dramatic Walkouts

Melissa Sheppard (pictured) stormed out after she felt like she was 'slut-shamed'

Melissa Sheppard made a dramatic exit at the reunion after feeling 'slut-shamed' while watching her experience play back.

According to the spy, Melissa was 'inconsolable' and couldn't believe her edit.

'Melissa was a mess. She was crying and inconsolable. Jesse [Burford] was there with her trying to calm her down until a producer walked over to try and talk to her,' they said.

The source dished that Bronte and Melinda Willis both walked out of several different dinner parties, but none of it was shown.

'Everyone always laughed at how Bronte would just exit the room when things weren't going her way, but Melinda was just as bad.'

According to the spy, Melissa was 'inconsolable' and couldn't believe her edit

Producers in Panic Mode

The rogue bride said: 'Cast members were just screaming at each other, they all went in wanting time in front of the camera and were desperate to have the final say.'

With so much drama unfolding behind the scenes, it's no wonder that producers were in panic mode.

'The show's producers were constantly trying to put out fires, managing the fallout from these wild moments. They certainly had their hands full,' the source explained.

So why didn't these jaw-dropping moments make it to air?

'I think the producers were worried about how the audience would react,' she speculated.

'They wanted to maintain a certain image for the show and didn't want to risk alienating viewers.'
Johnny Depp is allegedly eyeing a $1.2 million UK pub owned by Paul Hollywood's fiancee, according to The Sun.

The Pirates of the Caribbean star, 59  who recently abandoned Los Angeles for a quiet life in the English countryside  is reportedly very intrigued by the idea of buying the Chequers Inn.

The quaint establishment sits in the village of Smarden and is reportedly being sold by Melissa Spalding, 38, who is engaged to The Great British Bake Off judge, 57.

Sources for The Sun said that Depp is 'a huge fan' of the inn, which is 'right up [the] street' from his $16.2million Downton Abbey-style estate.

The Alice in Wonderland star allegedly received some encouragement from his close friend, and pub regular, illustrator Ralph Steadman.

New pub master? Johnny Depp, 59, is allegedly eyeing a $1.2 million UK pub owned by Paul Hollywood's fiancee, according to The Sun; seen in 2021

Baking up a deal: The Pirates of the Caribbean star is very intrigued by the idea of buying the Chequers Inn. The quaint establishment sits in the village of Smarden and is reportedly being sold by Melissa Spalding, 38, who is engaged to The Great British Bake Off judge, 57

'Depp adores the pub and has done for years,' claimed a source. 'Johnny loves the history and has spoken before about wanting to buy a pub. It's right in the heart of the English countryside.'

Despite its folksy exterior, the Chequers Inn is actually quite 'posh,' serving pricy upscale fair that has reportedly turned off the locals.

One disappointed customer told The Sun: 'It's not what village folk want. And it's got so dear in there now.

'They've just got a new menu out which is a really top-notch posh menu  the likes of carrots done in charcoal, etcetera. They've hired a new chef and he brought his whole team with him.'

Perhaps Depp can turn the inn around with his star power, as the embattled icon is poised for a comeback after winning his brutal defamation trial against his ex-wife Amber Heard, 36.

The official trailer for Johnny's upcoming movie Jeanne du Barry dropped earlier this week.

In the French biographical film, Depp makes his grand return to the big screen by playing King Louis XV  starring alongside actress and director Maiwenn, 46, who was recently accused of assaulting a journalist by 'spitting in his face.'

The comeback vehicle just received a major boost as it was selected to open the Cannes Film Festival.

A-list innkeeper: Sources for The Sun said that Depp is 'a huge fan' of the inn, which is 'right up [the] street' from his $16.2million Downton Abbey-style estate

From film to pints: 'Depp adores the pub and has done for years,' said a source. 'Johnny loves the history and has spoken before about wanting to buy a pub. It's right in the heart of the English countryside'

Comeback vehicle: The official trailer for Johnny's upcoming movie Jeanne du Barry dropped earlier this week. In the French biographical film, Depp makes his grand return to the big screen by playing King Louis XV

Depp's financial trigger finger is notoriously impulsive when it comes to buying random big ticket items.

The A-lister's infamous money troubles imploded in 2020 when it became public knowledge that he had squandered a staggering $650 million in movie earnings.

Johnny's penchant for priceless art, wine, mansions, islands, yachts and private jet travel reportedly contributed to the tragedy of his bank account.

But things are looking up for the Edward Scissorhands star, as he has been mounting a major reinvention in both music and film.
Vogue magazine has come under fire from dog lovers over a fashion shoot featuring a doberman with mutilated ears.

The photographs in the current edition appear to show the animal's ears have been 'cropped'  a procedure causing dogs' ears to grow upright.

The practice is outlawed in the UK  but the dog features in a New York shoot, alongside Russian supermodel Irina Shayk.

Last night, animal welfare group Peta accused Vogue of promoting pet mutilation.

A Peta spokesman told The Mail on Sunday: 'It's totally out of touch to encourage people to acquire dogs who have been subjected to painful mutilation of their sensitive ears, which is illegal in the UK, except when medically necessary.

Dog ear 'cropping' is outlawed in the UK  but the dog features in a New York shoot, alongside Russian supermodel Irina Shayk (pictured)

'Peta asks Vogue to address this misstep by apologising for the error and letting readers know that dogs 'talk' with their ears, and that cutting parts of them off not only is traumatic, but also robs them of a vital means of expression, communication and balance.'

The spokesman added that the photoshoot sent 'a message that animals are mere fashion accessories, rather than living, feeling beings to be respected'.

An image also features in editor Edward Enninful's monthly letter to readers.

This is not the first time his decisions have fallen foul of animal rights campaigners  an advert in the magazine from the International Fur Federation caused an outcry.

Ear cropping was outlawed in England and Wales in 2006 but animal charities have logged a increase in it in recent years.

The photographs in the current edition appear to show the animal's ears have been 'cropped'  a procedure causing dogs' ears to grow upright (pictured)

The RSPCA said reports of the mutilation had risen by 1,243 per cent from 2015 to 2021.

Experts believe a reason for the trend is celebrities sharing photographs of their own ear-cropped dogs on social media.

'It's become a fashion statement on Instagram,' said Jordan Shelley, an animal behaviourist.

A spokesman for British Vogue said: 'We thank Peta for raising this issue with us and for the work they do protecting animals around the world. The photoshoot took place in New York City and is a feature shared with British Vogue from the US, where the practice is legal.'
Ekin-Su Culculoglu was reportedly left furious after finding messages and pictures from two models on boyfriend Davide Sanclimenti's phone.

The reality star, 28, who won Love Island with Davide, also 28, last summer is said to have been 'fuming and upset' as she suspected Davide had a romantic rendezvous with the pair, who are said to be regulars on the Manchester party scene.

Actress Ekin-Su allegedly messaged one of the girls to ask what had gone on after the reality star returned from a trip to Belfast last week.

A source told The Sun: 'It all exploded last Sunday after she found messages on Davides phone discussing their time together.

'He had been messaging both of the girls and she suspected they had all met up one night.

Unimpressed: Ekin-Su Culculoglu, 28, was reportedly left furious after finding messages and pictures from two models on boyfriend Davide Sanclimenti's phone

Suspicions: The reality star is said to have been 'fuming and upset' as she suspected Davide, 28, had a romantic rendezvous with the pair

'Ekin-Su contacted one of the girls to tell them she knew about things. She was furious and really upset.'

A representative for Ekin-Su declined to comment on the story. MailOnline have also reached out for comment from Davide who is yet to respond.

Television personality Ekin-Su posted a number of cryptic social media messages, including a tweet which appear to mock Harriet's Instagram snaps.

The post, which has since been deleted, read: 'No man will ever take u seriously with just half naked pictures of u in a bikini and lingerie,' while she also liked two posts from another user which mentioned 'disrespect' and the need for 'distance', according to the publication.

She also shared some words on Instagram which read: 'A girl can be just as sexy without showing some skin.'

The couple, who recently sparked engagement rumours, were enjoying a trip together in Amsterdam this weekend.

They moved in together after winning Love Island last year but earlier this year were forced to dismiss claims their relationship was a showmance.

It comes after Davide was seen leaving a party with two Icelandic beauties in London in August, whilst his girlfriend Ekin-Su Culculoglu was away in Los Angeles.

Night out: It comes after Davide was seen leaving the KSI v Swarmz and KSI v Pineda fights at the O2 Arena in London with two females in August

Pals: The Love Island star was joined by Anita Gunnarsdottir (left) and Matthildur Ylfa orsteinsd (right) - who sat next to him during the fight

The Italian hunk was joined by a pal as they hopped into a taxi with the girls after watching the KSI v Swarmz and KSI v Pineda fights at the O2 Arena.

Davide was joined by Anita Gunnarsdottir and Matthildur Ylfa orsteinsd - who sat next to him during the fight.

He was spotted chatting and laughing with the duo as they departed the venue before sharing a cab together.

Davide was seen laughing in the back seat of the cab with one of the girls, as the other leaned forward.
Claudia Schiffer looked stunning as she stepped out in Santa Monica on Friday evening.

The 52-year-old supermodel put on an elegant display in a pastel yellow bohemian-inspired maxi dress paired with rhinestone-encrusted brown sandals for dinner at Giorgio Baldi.

For her night out on the town, the actress  who enjoyed a meal at E. Baldi with her husband Matthew Vaughn and a couple of their famous pals just two days earlier  opted for a natural look.

The Love Actually alum wore her silky, voluminous tresses in an effortless and casual straight style.

For makeup, she seemingly forewent any heavy glam to showcase her natural beauty and glowing skin.

Dazzling: Claudia Schiffer, 52, looked stunning in a natural look as she stepped out in Santa Monica on Friday evening

To attend the extravagant dinner with her family and friends, she wore a pastel yellow maxi dress with light-reflecting threads.

The garment featured a same-color belt around her waist and a tiered skirt to highlight her figure.

Paired with the eye-catching dress, she donned a pair of camel brown sandals adorned with studs on the straps.

To match the brown tones in her shoes, she carried a woven bucket bag with similar leather details.

For jewelry, she sported a single dainty necklace with a delicate pendant as well as a couple understated rings on her hands.

She also displayed a classic, bright red manicure and pedicure introduce a fun pop of color to her look.

The King's Man star is a mother of three children she shares with her longtime partner  who she married in 2002.

The German model and the English filmmaker, 52, share one son  Caspar, 20  and two daughters  Clementine, 18, and Cosima, 12. It's unclear if her family members attended dinner with her on Friday.

Radiant: The supermodel put on an elegant display in a pastel yellow bohemian-inspired maxi dress paired with rhinestone-encrusted brown sandals for dinner at Giorgio Baldi

Longtime couple: In 2002, the German model and the English filmmaker, Matthew Vaughn, 52, exchanged vows at a lavish and star-studded wedding at Skibo Castle in Scotland

The couple originally met at a dinner party in Los Angeles when she was still engaged to the magician David Copperfield.

In 2002, the pair exchanged vows at a lavish and star-studded wedding at Skibo Castle in Scotland.

Shortly after tying the knot, the '90s fashion icon welcomed their first child  son Caspar  in 2003.

Two years later, they had their daughter Clementine and their third child six years later in 2012.
Sunrise host David 'Kochie' Koch provided a big hint on Sunday that he is looking to life beyond the popular breakfast show.

The veteran presenter, 67, told the Herald Sun that after two decades in the role he is looking to scale things back.

'I have been doing it almost 21 years. I love it, I still have a passion for it, but I want a bit more flexibility in my life,' he said.

'My wife Libby and I want to enjoy our lives and Channel Seven are happy to help.'

Kochie signed a two-year contract extension with Seven last year that will see him staying on Sunrise until at least 2024 - although he negotiated for 'greater flexibility' with his working commitments.

Sunrise host David 'Kochie' Koch, 67, (pictured) provided a big hint on Sunday that he is looking to life beyond the popular breakfast show

The veteran presenter told the Herald Sun that after two decades in the role he is looking to scale things back. (Pictured with co-host Natalie Barr)

'Everything has to come to an end. I have got the flexibility to do it on my terms and I am incredibly grateful I have that opportunity,' he said.

It comes after Sunrise viewers were left scratching their heads over the last few days as Kochie was notably absent from the show.

Kochie was replaced by fill-in presenter Matt Shirvington.

On Tuesday Natalie Barr and Shirvington hosted a special edition of the morning show covering Donald Trump's court ruling.

Kochie has been away from the breakfast chair since Friday week.

Kochie signed a two-year contract extension with Seven last year that will see him staying on Sunrise until at least 2024 - although he negotiated for 'greater flexibility' with his working commitments

Natalie and Matt failed to address Kochie's disappearance, however it's been revealed he is in Perth for the Resources Technology Showcase.

Back in October, Kochie inked the extension deal at a meeting with Seven Network CEO James Warburton, during which he expressed his interest in retiring.

Warburton was able to convince Koch to put off his retirement plans for another two years, but agreed to draw up a contract allowing the long-serving anchor 'to take more breaks from the show according to his requirements', reports The Australian.

This is in addition to Koch's already relaxed work schedule that sees him host Sunrise four days a week, taking Fridays off.
This Morning has enlisted a number of presenters to stand in for usual hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield this month, while they enjoy the Easter break.

And after Alison Hammond and Dermot OLeary took to the screens for a whole five days of fun last week, the duo have signed off back to their usual spot.

Set to front the show this week is Josie Gibson and Craig Doyle, who have proved popular amongst fans during previous stints.

Irish presenter Craig garnered a wave of praise after appearing on the show last summer alongside Alison, while Josie is a fan favourite amongst viewers.

It comes as regular host Phillip reportedly held crisis talks with This Morning bosses over his break from the show, after his brother's child sex abuse trial.

Time off: This Morning has shaken up their presenter line-up for the Easter break as Alison Hammond and Dermot OLeary have been replaced - after hosting the show during all of last week

They're back: Set to front the show this week is Josie Gibson and Craig Doyle, who have proved popular amongst fans during previous stints

Craig confirmed his return to the show via Instagram this week, sharing a snap with his co-host Josie and writing: 'Reunited on the This Morning sofa all next week'.

The pair are taking over from Alison and Dermot's successful week-long stint, which saw fans begging for them to become more regular fixtures - in addition to their usual schedule of hosting to a Friday.

Alison shared a post to Instagram while rounding off the week of presenting on Friday where she praised close pal Dermot and wished fans a happy Easter.

And many followers were quick to take to the comment section, begging to see more of the pair.

'We need you two every day not just Fridays or Holiday cover xxx,' suggested one fan.

Others agreed, with a second writing: 'Breath of fresh air and nothing is forced. Wish you two were permanent hosts.'

'These 2 should be the permanent hosts of the show,' wrote a third fan. Another said: 'Going to miss you guys, wish you were on more. Happy Easter.'

And fans may not be too far off course, as Alison is reportedly top choice to take over from Holly on the show, if she were to ever step down.

The bubbly presenter could be headed for a promotion if Holly ever jumps ship. While bosses appear to be keen to keep longstanding presenter Holly at the ship's helm, this back-up plan is said to be in place for any circumstance.

Getting ready to return: Craig confirmed his return to the show via Instagram this week, sharing a snap with his co-host Josie and writing: 'Reunited on the This Morning sofa all next week'

Downtime: The presenters are standing in for usual hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield this month, while they enjoy the Easter break

Following Josie and Craig's week of hosting, Holly and Phil are set to return to their usual positions on the couch.

But reports this week have claimed that the latter has had 'crisis talks' with ITV over the break, following his brother's child sex abuse trial.

The TV star took the break ahead of his brother Timothy's trial for sexually assaulting a young boy. Timothy was found guilty last week and will be sentenced next month.

It was thought that while Phil's management are said to be keen for him to return, ITV bigwigs wanted more time for the dust to settle after the trial.

Popular: The pair are taking over from Alison and Dermot's successful week-long stint, which saw fans begging for them to become more regular fixtures

Hiatus: PIt comes as regular host Phillip reportedly held crisis talks with This Morning bosses over his break from the show, after his brother's child sex abuse trial (pictured on the show last month)

A representative for This Morning has insisted to MailOnline that Phillip will return as planned on April 17.

Phillip has distanced himself from his brother in the wake of the latter's conviction, having also served as a witness in the recent trial.

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.'

He continued: '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.'
Teen Mom alum Ryan Edwards was arrested on Friday, April 7 by the Chattanooga State police.

The 35-year-old longtime MTV personality was confronted by law enforcement after 'harassing' his estranged wife, Mackenzie Edwards, 27, according to a new report by The U.S. Sun.

The troubled star was supposed to be on probation for one year, but last month he entered rehab for drug abuse.

It came after he pleaded guilty to a harassment charge and was ordered to complete treatment and halt contact with his ex-spouse.

A judge also ordered Edwards to keep a GPS monitor on his person and refrain from posting about Mackenzie online.

In cuffs: Teen Mom alum Ryan Edwards was arrested on Friday by the Chattanooga State police

Last month Ryan was arrested for stalking after he texted estranged wife Mackenzie Edwards, which was a violation of order of protection.

Us Weekly reported that the former reality star was arrested on Wednesday, March 1, for stalking, which is a violation of an order of protection in Hamilton County, Tennessee.

According to legal documents, Edwards texted his estranged wife Mackenzie Edwards (nee Standifer) on more than one occasion after being alerted on February 10 that he could not legally have any contact with her.

'My god I don't haven't to live my life without you! Sorry!' he wrote in one text on February 19.

The father-of-three then reached out to her again in a text February 23, writing, 'For what its worth, I'm sorry and I do miss you.'

That arrest came days after MacKenzie filed for divorce, obtained a restraining order against him, and was granted temporary custody of the couple's children, Jagger, five, and Stella, two, as reported by E! News.

The 35-year-old longtime MTV personality was confronted by law enforcement after 'harassing' his estranged wife, Mackenzie Edwards, 27 (pictured)

Arrested again! Former Teen Mom star Ryan Edwards, 35, was arrested on Wednesday, March 1, for breaking an order of protection issued to his estranged wife Mackenzie Edwards in Hamilton County, Tennessee;

Ryan was previously served with an Order of Protection by Hamilton County Sheriff's Office personnel on February 9, ordering him to immediately leave the residence where his wife was currently living, police said in a press release.

The following day Mackenzie went to the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office to report that her estranged husband posted revealing photos of her and accused her of cheating on his Instagram account.

'If you guys have never seen a spineless s*** this is one,' Edwards was alleged to have written along with a picture of his estranged wife topless.

He added: 'They take your money sleep with anything that looks at them. But they must have a wife to [sic]. God what a joke. It's sad really.'

Authorities then discovered that Ryan had violated the order of protection by contacting his father-in-law.

While investigating the violation, the deputies discovered that Ryan had a warrant for harassment, filed by MacKenzie, from the Chattanooga Police Department.

Police would then arrest him at his place of employment for the harassment warrant and the violation of an order of protection, along with possession of drug paraphernalia and a controlled substance.

Following the social media post, Mackenzie, 26, reported to the police multiple instances of domestic violence Edwards has been involved in since they wed in 2017 after meeting at a gym in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Mackenzie told police her estranged husband 'punched holes in the walls and doors' and held her up by her 'neck to the wall' during a fight last month.

She also accused Edwards of throwing her 'down in hallway and said if he could not have me no one could' and 'opened [his] pocket knife' and put it to her 'back like he was going to kill' her.

And what's worse: Mackenzie maintained that the entire incident played out in front of their children.

'I tried to leave, he smashed my phone, took my car keys,' Mackenzie said, adding that a co-worker contacted the authorities in the wake of the incident.

Busted: According to legal documents obtained by Us Weekly, Edwards texted Mackenzie (nee Standifer) on more than one occasion after being alerted on February 10 that he could not legally have any contact with her

Earlier this year: Edwards, who has been accused of domestic violence by his estranged wife, was also arrested in February on charges of stalking and violating an order of protection

The Chattanooga, Tennessee native told police that a week later, Edwards was violent with her again. This time she claimed Edwards 'came into bedroom where [she] was laying down ... pretending like he's going to punch [her] face' while yelling at her.

She added that after Edwards broke the bed she was lying in at the time, she 'went to get [her] kids and leave,' but he wouldn't let her.

Mackenzie then said he 'threw [her] down in [the] living room' and 'threw menthol nicotine in [her] eyes.'

Mackenzie was granted a temporary protective order.
Model Barbara Palvin stepped out to buy groceries on Friday and her engagement ring was missing from her finger.

The 29-year-old catwalk sensation has been dating Dylan Sprouse, 30, for nearly five years and last month it was reported that the couple had become engaged.

But as she went for a food run ahead of the weekend, there was no sign that she's a wife-to-be.

Palvin was seen pushing a cart full of food items at a Gelson's Market in Los Angeles.

She was dressed casually in a black crew neck sweatshirt and a pair of Alo lounge pants.

Ring-free: Model Barbara Palvin stepped out to buy groceries on Friday and her engagement ring was missing from her finger

Life update: The 29-year-old catwalk sensation has been dating Dylan Sprouse, 30, for nearly five years and last month it was reported that the couple had become engaged

The beauty pulled her brown locks back and secured them with a claw clip and she wore a pair of blue, white, and black sneakers.

On March 21 it was reported she and the actor got engaged, but they've yet to publicly confirm the news.

It came after Barbara was pictured sporting a sizable diamond ring on her left ring finger earlier in March.

She sported a gold band with a large diamond while hanging with Dylan and mutual friends during the Mammoth Film Festival on Thursday, March 2.

A source told ET that the Hungarian supermodel has 'been showing off her ring to people' since the former child star popped the question.

The insider added that the lovebirds 'are so happy.'

The person continued: 'They're always very in love with one another and by each other's sides, but they're even happier than usual. They can't wait to start this new chapter together.'

The couple began dating in June 2018 after meeting at a party the previous year.

Engaged: Dylan Sprouse and Barbara Palvin are engaged after nearly five years together, according to a new report; seen on March 3

Sparkler: Though they've yet to publicly confirm their engagement, Barbara was pictured sporting a sizable diamond ring on her left ring finger in March

Speaking to W Magazine in 2019, Dylan recalled messaging the beauty on Instagram after she randomly followed him on the app.

'She followed me, so I was like, I guess I'll give her something. And I slid into her DMs,' he told the outlet.

He tried to organize a meetup with the Victoria's Secret model but it took longer than expected for her to respond.

'I was like, "Hey, I don't know if you're in New York for very long, but we should hang out if you want to. Here's my number." And she didn't message me for six months,' he recalled.

But Barbara made a major move by flying out to China in 2018, where Dylan was having six-month movie shoot, in order to have their first official date.

She told PEOPLE that Dylan was instantly ready to go steady, but that she had some reservations.

'And then I was like, "OK, let's do it."  I just sat down, took a deep breath, and I'm like, "What am I waiting for? There's no other guy I would love more than I love him, and he's got everything that I need,"' she recalled to the outlet.

Barbara later admitted to PEOPLE that she knew she was in love with Dylan the 'first minute we met.'

They made their relationship Instagram official in August 2018 and made their red carpet debut during New York Fashion Week that September.

They reportedly moved in together in January 2019 and Barbara was introduced to Dylan's twin brother Cole the following month.

Barbara and Dylan have not been shy about showing their love for one another on social media, as well as at the number of events they've attended together over the years.

The Disney Channel alum has also been an avid supporter of Barbara's modeling career, which includes being crowned a Victoria's Secret Angel in March 2019.

Pictured: She sported a gold band with a large diamond while hanging with Dylan and mutual friends during the Mammoth Film Festival on Thursday, March 2

In love: A source told ET that the Hungarian supermodel has 'been showing off her ring to people' since the former child star popped the question; seen in 2022

He sat front row as she walked the runway for the lingerie brand in 2018 and even brought her a post-show treat.

'He is bringing Shake Shack burgers for me,' Barbara revealed to PEOPLE as she hung out backstage with her fellow models.

Prior to dating Barbara, Dylan was in a long-term relationship with Dayna Frazer - who is also a model.

The former couple were together from approximately 2013 until 2017. It was reportedly an on/off romance.
Gwyneth Paltrow shared a rare snap of her son Moses on Saturday when she posted an Instagram tribute wishing him a happy 17th birthday.

The lifestyle guru, 50  who recently launched Goop Sex  treated her 8.3 million followers to a seaside picture of her and Moses enjoying a relaxing afternoon by the water.

Captioning the post, Paltrow wrote: 'Happy 17th birthday to the boy that fills my soul up every time I look at him. @mosesmartin you are the most exceptional, kind, loving human being.

'You keep us all laughing with your perfect impressions and you inspire us with your harmonies. I deeply adore you more than you could ever imagine! Love, mama'

Gwyneth's sweet shoutout to Moses  whom she shares with ex-husband Chris Martin  comes on the heels of him helping his A-list mother achieve victory in her highly-publicized ski crash trial that captivated pop culture these past few weeks.

Lookalike son: Gwyneth Paltrow, 50, shared a rare snap of her son Moses on Saturday when she posted an Instagram tribute wishing him a happy 17th birthday

Legal eagle: The lifestyle guru's sweet shoutout to Moses comes on the heels of him helping his A-list mother achieve victory in her highly-publicized ski crash trial that captivated pop culture these past few weeks

Paltrow's viral courtroom battle saw her attorney read statements from Moses and her 18-year-old daughter Apple that supported their mother's version of events when it came to the 2016 collision with retired optometrist Terry Sanderson, 76.

Moses Martin's court testimony: 'I saw my mother and a person behind her who had crashed,' his statement, also read by the legal teams, said. 'I was standing around (and) I realised it was my mother  when I skied over I heard my mom yelling at the guy. She was saying something along the lines of 'what the f word'. 'I believe she was on the ground lying down.' Asked if his mother had got up after the collision, Moses answered: 'Yes, but not for a while two minutes.' Moses added that his instructor Eric Christiansen was 'not at all' angry and 'not yelling', as has previously been claimed during the trial. Asked why he remembered this, Moses responded: 'Because I remember him addressing the situation very calmly. 'He tried to find out what was going on and how he could help people He tried to get everyone out of the situation safely.' Advertisement

The resort where she allegedly hit Sanderson 'covered up her bad conduct because of her celebrity, it was claimed at the proceedings.

Attorneys for Sanderson  who attempted to sue Paltrow for $300,000  accused Deer Valley Resort in Utah of pandering to the actress because she was a 'big spender who blew $8,980 on ski lessons for her children.

They claimed in court that the resort gave a wink and a nod to her hitting Mr Sanderson by saying it was his fault in a report from the crash scene.

The allegations were denied by a manager for Deer Valley, and the ski instructor who was first on the scene.

The retired optometrist claimed he suffered four broken ribs and a permanent brain injury that has dramatically changed his personality for the worse.

Moses, who was nine at the time of the incident, said he recalled seeing his mother on the ground for 'a while' and heard her swearing at Mr. Sanderson.

His statement asserted: 'I saw my mother and a person behind her who had crashed. I was standing around (and) I realized it was my mother  when I skied over I heard my mom yelling at the guy.'

'She was saying something along the lines of 'what the f word. I believe she was on the ground lying down.'

Asked if his mother had got up after the collision, Moses answered: 'Yes, but not for a while  two minutes.'

Support system: Paltrow's viral courtroom battle saw her attorney read statements from Moses and her 18-year-old daughter Apple that supported their mother's version of events when it came to the 2016 collision with retired optometrist Terry Sanderson

Conscious co-parenting: Paltrow's daughter and son were 11 and 9, respectively, at the time of the incident. She shares both children with ex-husband Chris Martin, 46; pictured in 2017

Good sport about it: Paltrow was eventually found not liable, with the jury awarding her a symbolic 1$ in her countersuit against Sanderson. At the end of their battle royale, the Oscar winner passed the defeated optometrist as she exited the courtroom and whispered 'I wish you well' in his ear

Moses added that his instructor Eric Christiansen was 'not at all' angry and 'not yelling,' as was previously claimed during the trial.

Asked why he remembered this, Moses responded: 'Because I remember him addressing the situation very calmly. He tried to find out what was going on and how he could help people He tried to get everyone out of the situation safely.'

Paltrow was eventually found not liable, with the jury awarding her a symbolic 1$ in her countersuit against Sanderson.

At the end of their battle royale, Paltrow passed the defeated optometrist as she exited the courtroom and whispered 'I wish you well' in his ear  capping the outlandish trial with an iconic moment.
Bindi Irwin has shared adorable footage of her daughter Grace Warrior celebrating Easter in a Star Wars themed top.

The youngster, two, was seen wearing a pink top that featured characters baby Yoda and R2-D2 with bunny ears.

Getting encouragement from Bindi, 24, Grace looked to be enamoured with the classic characters as she pointed to her shirt and said: 'R2-D2 and baby Yoda.'

Bindi, who shares Grace with husband Chandler Powell, 26, took the opportunity to wish fans a happy Easter, writing: 'Happy Easter from the Irwin Powell family.'

Her online fans were quick to coo over adorable Grace.

Bindi Irwin, 24, shared adorable footage of her daughter Grace Warrior, two, (pictured) celebrating Easter in a Star Wars themed top on Sunday

'I got 27 cavities from this sweetness,' one fan wrote. 'Aghhhhhh so cute!!! Happy Easter Fam xoxox,' another wrote.

In a separate post, Bindi's brother Robert, 19, shared a photo of himself sitting at the dining table alongside Grace and his brother-in-law, Chandler Powell.

'I'm one lucky uncle,' Robert wrote.

Getting encouragement from Bindi, Grace looked to be enamoured with the classic characters as she pointed to her shirt and said: 'R2-D2 and baby Yoda'

'I got 27 cavities from this sweetness,' one fan wrote. 'Aghhhhhh so cute!!! Happy Easter Fam xoxox,' another wrote

The adorable clip comes just weeks after Bindi and Chandler celebrated Grace Warrior's birthday at Australia Zoo on March 25.

Bindi posted the invite on Instagram alongside a photo of her toddler daughter next to a wombat and echidna.

In the caption, she listed all the things visitors can expect when they attend the special event, including free cupcakes and a live Bluey and Bingo performance.

'Our beautiful Grace Warrior is turning two. Were sharing the birthday celebrations with you at Australia Zoo. Sat, March 25,' she wrote.

Some other perks include free entry for children aged 14 and under, a safari obstacle course, party hat creation, pot planting and clay workshops.

In a separate post, Bindi's brother Robert, 19, (right) shared a photo of himself sitting at the dining table alongside Grace and his brother-in-law, Chandler Powell (left)

The announcement comes just a few weeks after Bindi revealed she had to fly to the United States to undergo major surgery for endometriosis.

The daughter of the late Steve 'the Crocodile Hunter' Irwin spoke for the first time about her decade-long struggle with the disease in a lengthy Instagram post.

Posting a confronting photo of herself in a hospital bed after the surgery, she said she had spent ten years 'torn apart [by] the pain' and knew she had to have surgery because she 'couldn't live like I was'.

The adorable clip comes just weeks after Bindi (left) and Chandler celebrated Grace Warrior's birthday at Australia Zoo on March 25

She explained how the surgeon from the Seckin Endometriosis Center in New York City had removed a total of thirty-seven lesions and a 'chocolate cyst' - a term for a cyst filled with menstrual blood.

The practitioners at the Seckin Endometriosis Center typically perform surgeries at Lenox Hill Hospital, on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.

Endometriosis is an often painful condition in which the tissue that lines the uterus also grows outside the uterus.
Alessandra Ambrosio showed off her toned abs on a gorgeous sunset beach in Brazil over the weekend with her lookalike daughter Anja Louise and stunning sister Aline.

The 41-year-old supermodel  who recently rocked a very skimpy bikini  glowed in her vibrant midriff-baring ensemble that utilized blue, yellow, red and purple to create an ombre effect.

Ambrosio finished off her look with beaded necklaces, posing alongside her mini-me teenager and gorgeous sibling.

Anja, 14, exhibited her mother's fashion sense in a pretty pink sundress while Aline donned a crimson dress of fringed tiers.

The Victoria's Secret Angel has been enjoying some quality time in her native Brazil with her family, living it up at Lollapalooza last week.

Gorgeous: Alessandra Ambrosio, 41, showed off her toned abs on a gorgeous sunset beach in Brazil over the weekend. The supermodel glowed in her vibrant midriff-baring ensemble that utilized blue, yellow, red and purple to create an ombre effect

Stunners: Alessandra posed with her lookalike daughter Anja Louise, 14, and stunning sister Aline. Anja exhibited her mother's fashion sense in a pretty pink sundress while Aline donned a crimson dress of fringed tiers

Alessandra and Anja recently commanded attention as they arrived at a glitzy soiree for Gucci in Sao Paulo, posing up a storm and having a blast.

The pair look like carbon copies of each other with their radiant complexions, light brown hair, almond eyes and high cheekbones.

Anja  full name Anja Louise Ambrosio Mazur  is the daughter Alessandra shares with her ex, photographer-turned-designer Jamie Mazur.

Splitting up in 2018, the former couple also have a 10-year-old son named Noah Phoenix, who Ambrosio recently spent some quality time with at the beach.

Anja is very active on Instagram, often sharing selfies and photos from family vacations.

The mother-daughter duo made a TikTok during their evening out in Sao Paulo, posting a selfie video of them dancing together at the Gucci party.

Speaking to Harper's Bazaar last year, Alessandra spoke about wanting her kids to dress however they like in order to develop their own sense of style.

'I want them to feel happy and comfortable in their own skin,' said the Brazilian beauty. 'So I would gently guide them if I felt they were trying to be someone they're not. But I'm happy for them to take their own journey. It's the only way.'

Twinning: Anja - full name Anja Louise Ambrosio Mazur - is the daughter Alessandra had with her ex, photographer turned designer Jamie Mazur

Good genes: Alessandra took her mini-me teenager to Lollapalooza 2023 in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Sunday

Fun with friends: Alessandra and Anja recently commanded attention as they arrived at a glitzy soiree for Gucci in Sao Paulo, posing up a storm and having a blast

She went on to say that her status as a fashion icon has not affected her private life, explaining that she prefers to 'keep things simple.'

'In my personal life, I keep things simple. I'm a Brazilian girl, even though I now live in LA, so swimsuits and simple beachwear is my style. I love fashion but I don't have to go crazy with buying items. I'm happy with what makes me comfortable.'

Alessandra went on to name her top style icons: 'Brigitte Bardot, Grace Kelly, Marilyn Monroe, because they carried themselves with confidence and a sense of fun. They also embraced a timeless look.'

And the leggy lady shared some style advice: 'I think the best advice would be to remain authentic. You can be playful and follow your instincts. You can't abandon yourself entirely; you have to stay true to who you are, even when you're wearing something that you wouldn't normally choose.'
Tekashi 6ix9ine was seen in a Miami parking lot on Saturday  the first time he has been sighted since the savage attack in a gym bathroom last month that left him badly beaten.

The Goomba hitmaker concealed his 'non-life-threatening' injuries under a balaclava and bundled up in a black Dolce & Gabbana puffer.

He donned a distressed pair of black skinny jeans and sported bright white crocs.

The controversial rapper stepping out in public comes on the heels of a newly released 911 call which revealed that Tekashi 6ix9ine refused medical attention when he was beaten up in the bathroom of an LA Fitness in Lake Worth, Florida.

The March 21 assault left the Trollz rapper, whose real name is Daniel Hernandez, with injuries to his jaw, ribs and back, officials said.

Tekashi 6ix9ine, 26, was seen in a Miami parking lot on Saturday  the first time he has been sighted since the savage attack in a gym bathroom last month that left him badly beaten

The March 21 assault left the rapper, whose real name is Daniel Hernandez, with 'non-life-threatening' injuries to his jaw, ribs and back, officials said

The Goomba hitmaker concealed his 'non-life-threatening' injuries under a balaclava and bundled up in a black Dolce & Gabbana puffer. He donned a distressed pair of black skinny jeans and sported bright white crocs

A female staffer at LA Fitness in Lake Worth, Florida, spoke in a calm voice when she made the 911 call as she told the dispatcher: 'There's blood all over the place.'

She then could be heard asking Tekashi if he needed a paramedic. He responded in the background: 'Nah, nah, I'm good.'

Last week, the alleged attackers - Rafael Medina Jr., 43, Anthony Maldonado, 25, and Octavious Medina, 23, were arrested on robbery and assault charges.

In the call obtained by Page Six, the unidentified woman can be heard calling 911 just two minutes after the assault.

'Some, I think, guys, they just jumped one of the members in the bathroom and there's, like, blood all over the place,' the woman says.

The dispatcher asks if a paramedic is needed, which the caller then relays to Tekashi, who is heard in the background: 'Nah, nah, I'm good.'

When asked if any weapons are involved, she says no and tells the dispatcher that three men beat up the rapper and had left but were in the parking lot.

The caller was not able to give a clear description of the attackers but told the dispatcher that they had security cameras.

A newly released 911 call has revealed that Tekashi 6ix9ine refused medical attention after he was beaten up inside a bathroom at an LA Fitness in Florida on March 21

A female staffer at the LA Fitness spoke in a calm voice when she made the 911 asked the rapper if he needed a paramedic, but he's heard saying: 'Nah, nah, I'm good'

Rafael Medina, Jr. (left) and Octavious Medina (pictured right) - were arrested last month

Anthony Maldonado (pictured), 25, was also arrested for the assault

Security footage released a few days later showed the minutes just before a group of men ambushed and attacked the rapper

The caller told the dispatcher: 'We have security cameras too, so we can look at them and see if we can see them but I don't know if you can actually see how they look.'

Tekashi was transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Security footage released a few days later showed the minutes just before the group of men ambushed and attacked the rapper.

Three men dressed in black approach the front desk employee who they briefly chat with before they walk directly toward the bathroom where the brutal attack took place.

The group of men who beat him later boasted about the attack on social media.

In videos circulating online, they called him a 'rat' who wouldn't be tolerated in their 'hood.'

While kicking and punching him, one could be heard yelling to another: 'Take a picture, take a picture - I am going to be famous now.'

The alleged attackers were arrested on March 31 and Tekashi took to social media to call his assailants 'nothing but cowardly.'

Views of LA Fitness in Palm Beach Florida, where Rapper Tekashi6xine9 was beaten 'to a pulp'

'For 2 years I been walking around with no security,' he captioned a video of the attack. 'Not saying I promote that BUT now you see I really never hid from anything.'

Tekashi 6ix9ine, known for his rainbow-colored hair and '69' tattoo on his forehead, previously faced decades in prison as part of a racketeering case in which he was accused of using a violent gang as a 'personal hit squad.'

Instead, his sentence was reduced to about two years after his testimony against the Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods, earning him a label as a 'snitch.'

It was part of a widespread crackdown on gangs in New York, during which nine members of the same gang were taken into custody.

He quickly abandoned his co-defendants, cutting a deal with the prosecution instead and agreeing to be their star witness.

In court, he took the stand to describe the inner workings of the gang and his own ascent through it.

'We participated in a lot of crimes. Robberies, assaults, drugs,' he said.

As a result, Anthony Ellison - one of his co-defendants - was sentenced to 24 years in prison.

Tekashi 6ix9ine, known for his rainbow-colored hair and '69' tattoo on his forehead, has done little to keep a low profile, even showing off stacks of cash on Instagram

Tekashi previously faced decades in prison as part of a racketeering case in which he was accused of using a violent gang as a 'personal hit squad'

Tekashi was sentenced to two years in prison in December 2019. By then, he had already completed 13 months.

He was released early in April 2020 and allowed to serve the remainder of his term on house arrest.

He had pleaded with corrections officials to be released, saying he was afraid of contracting COVID behind bars. Since then, he has done little keep a low profile.

He continues to boast about money and women on social media, where he has more than 24million followers, and is still making music.
The Kyle and Jackie O Show's MAFS reunion in Sydney on Sunday turned into a nightmare when Harrison Boon and Dan Hunjas were ambushed by angry locals.

Kyle and Jackie O producer Joshua Fox, who was filling in for the hosts over Easter, revealed they arranged for the stars to visit a haunted house at the Easter Show.

However, things took an unexpected turn when stars Harrison Boon, 32, and Dan Hunjas, 42, were sworn at by a local 'Karen'.

'Things got super tense as I was walking down the street with Harrison and Dan and a random woman sees them, stops and screams in their faces, calling them c***s,' he said.

Fox then revealed Harrison told the woman he and Dan were 'the nice guys this year' and were made out to be villains through an unflattering edit.

The Kyle and Jackie O Show's MAFS reunion in Sydney on Sunday turned into a nightmare when Harrison Boon and Dan Hunjas were ambushed by angry locals. Pictured: Harrison Boon with new girlfriend Gina in the haunted house

Kyle and Jackie O producer Joshua Fox, who was filling in for the hosts over Easter, revealed they arranged for the stars to visit a haunted house at the Easter Show. Pictured: Bride Janelle Han

Dan then told her: 'It takes one to know one. This is the first time I have ever come across a Karen in the flesh'.

Adding to the drama, bride Evelyn Ellis, 27, refused to enter the haunted house with Dan.

'Apparently we're going together,' Evelyn told Dan before walking away from him.

The producer also said he asked series lovebirds Ollie Skelton and Tahnee Cook to attend and while they both initially said yes they ended up cancelling.

However, things took an unexpected turn when stars Harrison Boon, 32, and Dan Hunjas (centre) were sworn at by a local 'Karen'

Evelyn Ellis (pictured) shocked her co-star Dan Hunjas by refusing to enter the haunted house with him

'They are so wholesome that I knew they would be able to keep the peace... But they both pulled out at the last minute.'

Fortunately, things took a positive turn when Harrison arrived with his new girlfriend, Gina, and talked about finally finding love.

'There's a silver lining to every cloud and Gina is mine. I should probably thank Nine because now I have so many opportunities to show who I am, beyond their s***tty edit,' he said.

Harrison had some choice words when Fox said he read an article saying he was 'Australia's Andrew Tate'.

'No, he wishes he could be America's Harrison Boon,' he sniped.
She was dubbed 'the hottest bride ever' during her stint on this year's season of Married At First Sight.

And on Wednesday, Evelyn Ellis turned heads as she was spotted leaving a photoshoot in Sydney in full glam.

The 27-year-old model and advertising manager was dressed in a grey bodysuit that clung to her killer curves and showcased her sizzling figure.

The bombshell beauty paired her figure-hugging bodysuit with a chic striped grey blazer, adding a touch of sophistication to her smoking hot look.

Evelyn strutted her stuff like a true goddess as she sashayed down the sidewalk with a female friend, flaunting her fabulous physique.

Married At First Sight's 'the hottest bride ever' Evelyn Ellis turned heads as she was spotted leaving a photoshoot in Sydney in full glam on Wednesday

The 27-year-old model and advertising manager was dressed in a grey bodysuit that clung to her killer curves and showcased her sizzling figure

She completed her look wearing a black and gold chain Chanel bag over her shoulder, while pushing a suitcase.

An insider source dished to Daily Mail Australia that the photoshoot was for an upcoming high-end fashion magazine, with Evelyn set to grace the cover.

Her soaring popularity since appearing on Married At First Sight has sent her career skyrocketing, as she continues to make waves both on and off the screen.

The bombshell beauty paired her figure-hugging bodysuit with a chic striped grey blazer, adding a touch of sophistication to her smoking hot look

Evelyn strutted her stuff like a true goddess as she sashayed down the sidewalk with a female friend, flaunting her fabulous physique

She completed her look wearing a black and gold chain Chanel bag over her shoulder, while pushing a suitcase

Evelyn broke up with shy electrician Rupert Bugden after growing tired of the lack of effort he was putting into their relationship.

While there was nothing particularly scathing about her final vows, many viewers found the brevity of her speech amusing.

Fans flocked to Twitter to praise Evelyn for saying her vows quickly then getting out of there, comparing it to someone dropping off their dry cleaning.

An insider source dished to Daily Mail Australia that the photoshoot was for an upcoming high-end fashion magazine, with Evelyn set to grace the cover

Her soaring popularity since appearing on Married At First Sight has sent her career skyrocketing, as she continues to make waves both on and off the screen

'Mother Evelyn came and did what she had to do and then left immediately. God, I love her so much,' one fan said.

'Evelyn just striding in and out as if she is dropping off her dry cleaning,' another added.

'That has to be the quickest vow speech of all time,' one viewer tweeted.

Evelyn broke up with shy electrician Rupert Bugden after growing tired of the lack of effort he was putting into their relationship

She broke up with the shy electrician after growing tired of the lack of effort he was putting into their relationship

While there was nothing particularly scathing about her vows, many viewers found the brevity of her speech amusing

Evelyn said her vows first because Rupert was too nervous. She told him he should have fought for her throughout the experiment, and she was disappointed he didn't.

'When I saw the kindness in your eyes I wanted to give it a shot... I have developed genuinely strong feels for you, but your words and actions have been hard for me to comprehend,' she said.

'It took you six weeks to take me on a single date and that's when I asked you.'

She continued: 'Someone who sees my worth would have put their ego aside and fought for me... so for that reason I choose not to continue with this relationship.'
Alisha Aitken-Radburn has held her second hen party.

The reality star is due to marry Glenn Smith in April, who she met on the last season of Bachelor In Paradise in 2020, and she decided on double the celebrations.

In a series of posts to Instagram this weekend, the 30-year-old detailed her latest shindig, during which she and her hens enjoyed cocktails and drinking games.

The women gathered at a bar, where a cake emblazoned with the words, 'Horny for Glen' was served.

'Just the best night. Girls went above + beyond THE DETAILS!!!' she wrote in the caption alongside the images.

Alisha Aitken-Radburn (pictured) has held her second hens party

The reality star is due to marry Glenn Smith in April, who she met on the last season of Bachelor In Paradise in 2020, and she decided on double the celebrations

The women gathered at a bar, where a cake emblazoned with the words, 'Horny for Glen' was served

Even Glen found the second party a tad excessive, writing in the comments below: 'Two bachelorette/hens parties... it's about time we got married'.

Alisha replied below her fiance's comment: 'Youre not wrong'.

The former star of The Bachelor held her first hens party a month earlier aboard a boat in Sydney.

The girls hit the town and drank on a boat with the stunning scenery of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House in the background.

In a series of posts to Instagram this weekend, the 30-year-old detailed her latest shindig, during which she and her hens enjoyed cocktails and drinking games

'Just the best night. Girls went above + beyond THE DETAILS!!!' she wrote in the caption alongside the images

Even Glen found the second party a tad excessive, writing in the comments below: 'Two bachelorette/hens parties... it's about time we got married'

Alisha replied below her fiance's comment: 'Youre not wrong'

It's the third celebration Alisha has held ahead of her wedding - she and Glen hosted a lavish engagement party in November.

Alisha and Glenn fell in love in front of the cameras on the last season of Bachelor In Paradise in 2020.

They announced their engagement in October, 2021 and will marry in April this year.

Alisha starred in season six of the Bachelor with Nick Cummins, while Glenn starred in season five of the Bachelorette with Angie Kent.

The former star of The Bachelor held her first hens party a month earlier in Sydney

It's the third celebration Alisha has held ahead of her wedding - she and Glen hosted a lavish engagement party in November. Both pictured
MBABANE - The recent arrest of the three men, who have been charged with terrorism, allegedly quelled an operation to attack four MPs and disrupt the ongoing EBC civic voter education exercise.

On Thursday evening, the police arrested the three men, including the son of former Siphofaneni MP Mduduzi Gawuzela Simelane, Zweli Brian Simelane. The others were Economic Freedom Fighters Swaziland member Siphosethu Malinga and Swaziland Liberation Movement (SWALIMO) member Mxolisi Simelane. According to an impeccable source, one of the men was arrested along the borderline by soldiers, who found him in possession of a firearm.

Interrogation

After the soldiers handed him over to the police, during interrogation, he allegedly revealed the plot to attack the Members of Parliament (MPs) and further disrupt the ongoing civic voter education exercise being conducted by the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC). He is also alleged to have revealed the identity of their handler or the person who had sanctioned the operation. The man, who was later to make disclosures to the investigators, was arrested at Lundzi on his way to Eswatini. Lundzi is located close to the border with South Africa, 25 kilometres west of the capital city, Mbabane. It is alleged that during interrogation by the law enforcement agents, he further disclosed how the plan was to be carried out. The insider alleged, the man also divulged that he was in constant communication with others who were part of the operation who were in Eswatini.

He disclosed that the targeted MPs were those who were seen not to be supporting the call for democratic reforms. During the interrogation, he also revealed how with others, they previously attacked a police post and how they staged other operations, which saw the shooting of law enforcement agents, among others and burning of certain institutions, alleged the source. Through their intelligence, the police, according to the impeccable source, then traced and located some of the people who were part of the plan. During the arrest, it was reported that one of the men was found in possession of a number of cellphones, which were suspected to have been taken from some of the members of the underground forces during their training.

It was previously reported that one of the alleged members of the Swaziland International Solidarity Forces, upon arrest revealed to the investigators that during their training in the Republic of South Africa, their cellphones were taken by a person whom they referred to as the commander so that they did not communicate or share information with anyone. The commander was later unveiled to be Thabo Kunene, a former senior police officer. Notably Malinga, who was a pupil at Mhubhe High School, was out on bail during his arrest, after he was found in possession of a slingshot during the unrest in 2021. The trio is expected to make its maiden appearance at the High Court this week, where the number of charges they are facing would be disclosed in an indictment to be presented by the prosecution. The arrest of the trio brings the number of those arrested and charged under the Suppression of Terrorism Act to eight. Others are Musa Clement Kunene and Msindiso Ntshalintshali.

The pair was allegedly found in possession of two grenades, 20 live rounds of ammunition and an Umbutfo Eswatini Defence Force (UEDF) pair of trousers. Kunene and Ntshalintshali were arrested by members of the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) on November 8, 2022 at Mbhuleni, Matsapha. Another case, wherein the accused are charged under the Suppression of Terrorism Act, is that of the three men who are alleged to have killed members of the security forces. The accused in this matter are; Ncamiso Mabuyakhulu, who is a member of the Swaziland Youth Congress (SWAYOCO), Philani Sihlongonyane, a member of the Swaziland Liberation Movement (SWALIMO) and their co-accused, German Robert Dlamini, whose political home is uncertain. They are facing 29 counts under the Suppression of Terrorism Act. Three men who are accused of burning the Ngudzeni Inkhundla centre were also slapped with a charge of terrorism. These are Bongani Goodman Mamba, Bongumusa Kenneth Kunene and Sibongiseni Hoshoba Shongwe.

Charged

A number of the accused persons who had been charged under the Act are facing over 38 charges emanating from the different incidents where either property was burnt or there was a loss of life. Mostly, a number of the incidents are where members of the law enforcement agencies were killed. In most of the cases, the prosecution had filed indictments, which is an indication that it was ready to prosecute them. Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintendent Phindile Vilakati declined to be drawn to comment about the matter, stating that it was still under investigations. However, she confirmed that the trio would appear at the High Court today.
Myleene Klass will reportedly recreate her iconic I'm A Celebrity shower scene in the All Stars spin-off show.

The 45-year-old former pop star, fashion designer and radio host famously set pulses racing in 2006 by sporting a white two-piece in the outside shower.

It's been reported that she will be revisiting the look as she joins the South Africa show as a latecomer.

Speaking to The Sun, a source said: 'Myleene couldnt wait to have her moment again and bring out the white bikini.

'She knows the impact it had last time and wanted to do a cheeky nod to it.

Iconic: Myleene Klass will reportedly recreate her iconic I'm A Celebrity shower scene in the All Stars spin-off show

Wow! It's been reported that she will be revisiting the look as she joins the South Africa show as a latecomer

'Shes proud of her body 16 years on from the original show and wants to show women they can be body confident and strong in their 40s.'

Myleene has become synonymous with white bikinis ever since her appearance on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here in 2006.

The nation's attention was grabbed when the star went for a shower in the jungle while sporting a tiny two-piece, which showcased her incredible frame.

The source adds that Myleene will allegedly be launching a Next swimwear range as the show airs so that fans can recreate the iconic look.

The famous tiny white bikini was auctioned for charity for 7,500 and Myleene later revealed it was a last-minute purchase.

She explained she had spent just 20 on the skimpy two-piece after producers informed her the striped number she had originally packed would not look good on film.

Back in 2020, she reflected on the swimwear that helped to make her a household name on I'm A Celebrity.

She penned: 'It feels like I was in the jungle only yesterday! Every time I see this pic pop up, I can't believe how fate handled it all.

Wow! It comes after Myleene harked back to the famous shower scene last week, by sporting a very similar white two-piece for a sensational new snap

'I remember one of the shows producers looking at my bikinis in the hotel before I went to camp. One was covered in stripes. ''We'll have to stop at the shops as that's probably going to strobe on camera''.

'I ran into the shop en route to the jungle, asked the shop assistant for the plainest bikini she had. Best $40 I ever spent....especially as it raised so much for charity.'

Since her appearance, a slew of female stars have tried to recreate her iconic shower scenes during their time in camp.

Myleene ultimately finished on second place, behind Matt Willis, and is heavily tipped to be one of the surprise latecomers to the All Stars camp, alongside Georgia Toffolo and Joe Swash.

Icon Gillian McKeith - who was renowned for her dramatic fainting scene, Dean Gaffney and Andrew Whyment could also be among those making a return.

They will allegedly join previously announced stars Helen Flanagan, Carol Vorderman, Amir Khan, Janice Dickinson, Paul Burrell, Jordan Banjo, Shaun Ryder, Fatima Whitbread and Phil Tufnell.

It comes after Myleene harked back to the famous shower scene last week, by sporting a very similar white two-piece for a sensational new snap.

She penned a caption reading: '45 be like Thank you for all your lovely HBD messages, for your support and love.

'Heres to the next 45 years my friends. Im off for a bike ride, a swim and some cake!'

Yay! She penned an accompanying caption and was met with well-wishes from friends and fans

The stunner was flooded with birthday messages from superstar pals and fans alike, as she rang in the day with a lavish mini-break.

She highlighted her cleavage in the simple triangle top and flaunted her taut stomach with the low-slung bottoms, while wearing her hair in a slick down do.

Ensuring she was ready for action, Myleene sported a pair of Sketchers trainers while she also wore a chunky gold watch and stacks of gold chains.

In the caption, she revealed the swimsuit was her own design from her Next collaboration while the trainers were also part of a brand partnership.
Iggy Azalea sent temperatures soaring as she took to Instagram on Saturday to share some sizzling snaps.

The rapper, 32, flashed her underboob in a tiny pink bikini as she sprawled out on a plastic chair against an idyllic ocean backdrop.

She framed her face with a pair of coordinating sunglasses and tied her bleached blonde locks into a messy bun while posing up a storm on her balcony.

In her caption, the Work songstress wrote, 'Recharge Mode,' followed by a sun emoji, although it's unclear where she has jetted off to for her getaway.

She recently fired back at critics of her OnlyFans venture after some said her content wasn't raunchy enough to justify the $25-per-month subscription fee.

Wowzers: Iggy Azalea sent temperatures soaring as she took to Instagram on Saturday to share some sizzling snaps

Hot stuff: The rapper, 32, flashed her underboob in a tiny pink bikini as she sprawled out on a plastic chair against an idyllic ocean backdrop

Having fun: In her caption, the Work songstress wrote, 'Recharge Mode,' followed by a sun emoji, although it's unclear where she has jetted off to for her getaway

Addressing a fan on Twitter, the musician said she does pose nude on the platform, but that subscribers need to pay a lot more than the $25 entry fee to see it.

'Iggy, baby, please show more on your OnlyFans,' the fan tweeted. 'I'm tired of people complaining about your platform.'

The Fancy hitmaker responded: 'Anyone saying that is broke and hasn't unlocked the paid content because I pose nude.'

'It's $25 entry, not $25 for full access. They thought wrong,' she added, before tweeting out a photo of herself baring her famous derriere in lingerie.

Iggy is currently one of Australia's wealthiest music artists after selling her entire music catalogue for an eight-figure sum to a private equity firm.

She's also rumoured to be earning millions from her OnlyFans account, although she has publicly refused to reveal her exact income from the site.

Daily Mail Australia can confirm that Iggy's OnlyFans feed contains a number of racy images and short clips of the hip-hop star, although there is no explicit nudity.

To see Iggy topless, subscribers need to cough up a lot more cash to unlock exclusive pay-per-view messages in their DMs.

Good for her: She recently fired back at critics of her OnlyFans venture after some said her content wasn't raunchy enough to justify the $25-per-month subscription fee

They can also pay an extra $250 for a 'VIP subscription' which gets them access to extra content that regulars subscribers can't get.

One fan, who seemed disappointed with some of Iggy's content, asked her if it was worth joining her VIP tier.

'If I pay for the VIP will I get more content? Asking cause you haven't been posting that much lately and I just have the standard version,' they tweeted.

'Will there be more than hot pics in the future?'

Iggy originally touted her OnlyFans account as a year-long multimedia project that would encompass photos, videos, music, illustrations and poetry.

However, so far the content seems to mostly be sexy photo shoots.

Subscribers do get access to exclusive merchandise, including skateboard decks that feature one of Iggy's OnlyFans photos.

In January, some fans complained that the Black Widow hit-maker wasn't showing enough skin on her account.

Making money: Addressing a fan on Twitter, the musician said she does pose nude on the platform, but that subscribers need to pay a lot more than the $25 entry fee to see it

'Don't waste your time, fellas,' commented one, while another wrote: 'Yall know damn well it's a tease.'

'Y'all really gonna pay that sub when she posts the same s**t on her Insta?' added a third unhappy customer.

'We just want full-length twerk videos. We don't care about the project,' said a fourth.

'Hope there's not loads of overpriced PPV, that makes it so hard for people to trust normal creators after getting burned by celebrities,' added another.

Iggy recently opened up about her shock decision to join OnlyFans after previously vowing to never join the racy platform.

While reflecting on selling raunchy images of herself on the High Low with EmRata podcast, the Australian rapper explained how she 'made records labels so much money off of her body.'

'I've made a lot of people so much money off my body, and I got the smallest cut off my own f**king body,' she told the model, 31. 'And my own work, and my own ideas.'

The former hitmaker (born Amethyst Amelia Kelly) proceeded to note that she does not have to 'say sorry about the fact that' she wanted to 'commodify' her own 'sh**.'

'It's been commodified and I wasn't even the main f**king benefactor of it. So, f**k this,' Azalea told listeners.

Ratajkowski interjected to say she probably also wanted 'control' over her image.

'I enjoy it. I'm going to do it anyway. That's the thing. I'm doing it anyway. I'm going to do it anyway. I'm going to post pictures like that anyway,' the performer responded.
Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness enjoyed a very chilly Easter Saturday swim at Hampton Beach in New York.

The married couple took a dip on what was a cold day, with the actor ever the gentleman as he helped his wife exit the waves while holding onto her arm.

Deborra-Lee, 67, kept warm in a long-sleeved black shirt over a pair of matching bikini bottoms.

She shielded her eyes with a pair of sunglasses while wearing her blonde hair piled high in a loose bun.

The youthful actress appeared to go makeup free for the occasion and also took her reading glasses into the ocean.

Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness enjoyed a very chilly Easter Saturday swim at Hampton Beach in New York. Both pictured

The married couple took a dip on what was a cold day, with the actor ever the gentleman as he helped his wife exit the waves while holding onto her arm

Deborra-Lee, 67, kept warm in a long-sleeved black shirt over a pair of matching bikini bottoms

Hugh meanwhile went shirtless, showing off his muscular form, along with a pair boardshorts in various tones of blue.

The 54-year-old gave Deborra-Lee a hand as they made their way out of the water before they towelled themselves off on the shore.

Before the couple left the beach, Hugh stopped to film himself on his smart phone, holding it a aloft as he spoke to the camera.

They had earlier arrived in puffer jackets before stripping off to brave the freezing water.

It comes days after Hugh shared a positive update on his recent skin cancer scare.

She shielded her eyes with a pair of sunglasses while wearing her blonde hair piled high in a loose bun

The youthful actress appeared to go makeup free for the occasion and also took her reading glasses into the ocean

The 54-year-old gave Deborra-Lee a hand as they made their way out of the water

Hugh meanwhile went shirtless, showing off his muscular form, along with a pair boardshorts in various tones of blue

Deb appeared to have a little trouble navigating the waves

He revealed on Tuesday he had undergone two biopsies after his doctor noticed 'little things' that could potentially be Basal Cell Carcinoma - the most common form of skin cancer.

On Thursday, the Wolverine star said he was relieved to announce the biopsies had returned with a negative result.

'My biopsies came back,' he shared to his Instagram Stories. 'Negative!!! Thank you ALL for the love. I feel it!'

Hugh and Deborra-Lee have one of Hollywood's most enduring marriages and are as in love as ever after 27 years together.

The actress had earlier strolled to the water in a pair of white sandals

She seemed to be feeling a little chilly ahead of the swim

Hugh recently revealed he and his wife had 'very different ideas' about parenting when they first adopted kids.

The actor shares adopted children Oscar, 22, and Ava, 17, with the fellow Aussie, who he wed in 1996.

Speaking to The Radio Times Hugh said: 'You fall in love with someone and you work out your relationship, it's great! All of a sudden, we had kids'.

'The way I was parented, the way she was parented all of a sudden whoosh! And it wasn't just Deb and I, it was somehow our pasts coming together'.

After their swim, the couple towelled themselves off on the shore

Hugh appeared very refreshed after his brisk dip

Before the couple left the beach, Hugh stopped to film himself on his smart phone

He was holding the device a aloft as he spoke to the camera

Hugh and Deborah married just one year after meeting on the set of Australian drama Corelli in 1995

'We had really different ideas about being a parent. And we never really pre-discussed it.

'We just assumed: we love each other, we don't argue, that's going to be fine!' the star added.

Hugh and Deborah married just one year after meeting on the set of Australian drama Corelli in 1995.

The actor previously said he knew he was going to spend the rest of his life with his beloved after just two weeks of knowing her.
Gok Wan enjoyed a dog walk with a handsome male companion, on Friday,

The fashionista, 48, rocked khaki combats and a casual black jacket for the sunny outing with his beloved bulldog Dolly.

DJ Gok - also known as Kowkhyn Wan - strolled along in a pair of white trainers while shielding his eyes with a stylish pair of sunglasses.

His male companion was dressed similarly in a light grey pair of combats and a cream jumper, with box-fresh Nike pumps.

The mystery man also had an adorable pet pooch on a leash for the walk with Gok and Dolly.

Fun in the sun: Gok Wan, 48, enjoyed a dog walk with a handsome male companion, on Friday

Dapper: His male companion was dressed in a light grey pair of combats and a cream jumper, with box-fresh Nike pumps, and had an adorable pet pooch on a leash for the walk

Gok was previously linked to Holby City star David Ames, who played Dr Dominic Copeland in the BBC medical drama.

The pair were rumoured to have been together for three years, until they split in 2019.

Back in 2017, Gok told The Sun: 'I do intend to be married at some point in my life because I want the wedding.

'But whether I end up marrying one of my girlfriends  just to have the day  or whether it's a love marriage, I have no idea.

'I'm c**p at relationships. I'm definitely of the school of thinking: ''If you're not very good at something, then don't f***ing go near it.''

'If relationships come along then they come along. And if they're not there, I don't tend to miss them too much.'

Back in 2012, Gok told The Mirror how his French bulldog, Dolly Albertine Dishcloth, who leaves hair everywhere, became a surprisingly important part of his life.

Dog walk: fashionista Gok rocked khaki combats and a casual black jacket for the sunny outing with his beloved bulldog Dolly

He said: 'I suffered quite severely with it [OCD] when I was younger. Hygiene was a massive problem. It was difficult to have people round because of causing mess, sitting on the sofa and stuff like that.'

Gok said that thanks to Dolly he's had to get over that and learn to relax, adding: 'I've reduced my working hours during the day, and now I don't feel like I'm letting anyone down if I don't work as many hours as I possibly can.

'I've had to focus on the projects I'm doing. I try not to book ahead, whereas 18 months ago I was booked 18 months down the line.'
Roxy Jacenko never spares any expense when it comes to her children.

And the PR maven has spent up big for Easter, gifting her young children luxury items from Hermes and flying them to a chocolate egg hunt via helicopter.

In a series of Instagram posts on Sunday, Roxy and her daughter Pixie, 11, documented the lavish day out.

In the first photo, Pixie and her little brother Hunter, eight, sat on the floor opening boxes from the high end designer.

'Eeeeek thank you Easter Bunny' she wrote in the caption, and Roxy shared the same image, writing, 'My kind of Easter'.

Roxy Jacenko never spares any expense when it comes to her children. Pictured with her daughter Pixie and son Hunter

Further photos showed Pixie and Hunter boarding a helicopter in Hobart, Tasmania before heading to the fancy Stillwater Restaurant for lunch.

The table was decorated with personalised Easter treats, flowers and glittering bunnies.

Last week, Pixie showed off her latest shopping spree.

The entrepreneurial pre-teen, who pocketed millions selling fidget spinners and hair accessories, enjoyed a designer shopping spree on Sunday sharing a glimpse at her purchases on Instagram.

In her video, Pixie unpacked shopping bags filled with expensive cosmetics, designer fashion items and luxury candles.

The PR maven has spent up big for Easter, gifting her young children luxury items from Hermes and flying them to a chocolate egg hunt via helicopter

In a series of Instagram posts on Sunday, Roxy and her daughter Pixie, 11, documented the lavish day out

Further photos showed Pixie and Hunter boarding a helicopter in Hobart, Tasmania before heading to the fancy Stillwater Restaurant for lunch

The youngster splashed out a tube of Too Faced 'lip injection' plumping gloss worth $27, and a Mecca Max bronzing stick worth $19.

She also splurged on a $61 bottle of fragrance mist by Sol de Janeiro, and two luxury candles by Byredo, each costing $107.

Finally, Pixie visited luxury athleisure outlet Style Runner to update her autumn wardrobe with a pair of $125 Ugg boots.

Back in 2021, Pixie's mother Roxy revealed her daughter will be able to retire at 15.

The family enjoyed an egg hunt once they landed

The table was decorated with personalised Easter treats, flowers and glittering bunnies

The PR queen has helped the ten-year-old to establish two successful business ventures - accessory line Pixie's Bows and toy range, Pixie's Fidgets.

The tot is on route to retire before she even finishes high school - with estimates that she'll earn $21million over the next decade.

'You won't need to worry; you can retire at 15 the way you're going,' Roxy said to her daughter in a joint interview in Stellar Magazine at the time.

In May 2021, Pixie's line of fidget toys alone sold a mammoth $200,000 worth in their debut month across Australia.

In 2018, it was reported that Pixie could be worth $21million by the time she turns 18, after department store Myer agreed to stock her bow range.
Married At First Sight star Booka Nile has welcomed her first child, a baby boy.

The 33-year-old took to Instagram on Sunday to announce the good news, and share a gallery of photos of the newborn.

In one photo, Booka can be seen cradling her little boy while laying in her hospital bed.

In another photo, Booka's partner is seen tenderly holding the newborn.

'Cant believe its possible to love someone this much. Welcome to the world my little Easter baby,' she captioned the post.

Married At First Sight star Booka Nile has welcomed her first child, a baby boy. The 33-year-old took to Instagram on Sunday to announce the good news, and share a gallery of photos of the newborn. Pictured with partner

In one photo, Booka can be seen cradling her little boy while laying in her hospital bed

Fans and fellow MAFS stars alike were quick to hop on the comments section and shower the little one with love and warm wishes.

'Congratulations, how exciting! Welcome to the parent club,' wrote father-of-two Bryce Ruthven

'Congratulations booka  enjoy every second its a blessing,' added Chris Jensen who also appeared on her season of MAFS.

In another photo, Booka's partner is seen tenderly holding the newborn. Pictured

Booka announced she was pregnant with an unnamed male friend in September.

She told fans on Instagram at the time that while the news was unexpected, she's looking forward to the challenge.

'Motherhood was not something I ever thought I'd experience,' she wrote.

'It just didn't feel like it could or would ever happen for me.'
Gabi Grecko has made a return to social media to show off her new hairdo.

In images posted to Instagram Stories, the 33-year-old debuted her haircut, a cropped pink bob.

The flapper style hairdo sat straightened alongside her cheekbones, highlighting the beauty's features.

Gabi wore a retro T-shirt with a boho print in muted blue, orange and white tones, which she wore unzipped to show off her cleavage.

She added a pair of blue jeans, and had on a glamorous makeup look with a soft pink lipstick.

Gabi Grecko (pictured) has made a return to social media to show off her new hairdo. In images posted to Instagram Stories, the 33-year-old debuted her haircut, a cropped pink bob

The rapper and model had previously had long, flowing locks in an ash blonde colour.

Gabi was previously married to late businessman Geoffrey Edelsten.

The couple, who were 46 years apart in age, married in June 2015 but separated in 2019.

For the last three years of Edelsten's life, the couple - who were separated but, according to Grecko, not legally divorced - lived in different countries, with Edelsten based in Australia while Grecko resided in New York City.

US-based Grecko, real name Gabriella Rose Curtis, was estranged from Edelsten yet claims she was still technically married to him when he died.

The rapper and model had previously had long, flowing locks in an ash blonde colour

The flapper style hairdo sat straightened alongside her cheekbones, highlighting the beauty's features

Gabi recently made a legal bid for what remains of the late businessman's ragged estate.

Edelsten died a virtual pauper in June last year, leaving behind an estate valued at just over $1million, despite the disgraced businessman's desperate attempts to portray an image of extreme wealth in his final years.

In his will, Edelsten gave his son Matthew Beard $50,000, leaving nothing to his second wife, American socialite Brynne Gordon, and third wife, former escort Grecko.

As reported by the Herald Sun, Grecko's lawyers filed a claim contesting the will in the Victorian Supreme Court in December, just months after Beard and Gordon lodged their own respective papers.
Victoria Beckham looked incredible as she celebrated Easter Sunday on her family's 5m superyacht in Miami.

The fashion designer, 48, sent temperatures soaring as she kicked out her legs while sporting a black strappy top and matching hot pants.

She accessorised with a dazzling silver watch and sunglasses, while keeping refreshed with a beverage in a flask, in her latest Instagram Story.

It follows reports she and her husband David will join their eldest son Brooklyn and his wife Nicola Peltz for an Easter dinner over the weekend, quashing their 'rift'.

The married couple are said to be reuniting with their daughter-in-law's billionaire family at their 76M Palm Beach mansion for the dinner, which is being described as a 'peace summit'.

Hot stuff: Victoria Beckham looked incredible as she celebrated Easter Sunday on her family's 5m superyacht in Miami

Happy families: The fashion designer, 48, posted to celebrate Brooklyn's wedding anniversary with Nicola Peltz, quashing their 'rift'

Following their lavish wedding last year, Brooklyn and Nicola appear keen to celebrate their first year of marriage with both sides of the family around.

And the occasion could end any rumours of a feud within the family once and for all, after they all appeared united last month for Brooklyn's 24th birthday - but left some fans still questioning whether there was a rift.

In the year since the aspiring chef and his heiress wife's lavish nuptials, the family has been plagued with rumours of a fallout between the latter and mother-in-law Victoria.

And now, according to The Sun, it'll be a big family Easter for the Beckham brood as they join the Peltz's over the weekend, with Brooklyn and Nicola returning from their trip to Tokyo for the holiday.

An insider told the publication: 'The couple have spent the last few days in Tokyo but wanted to gather both families in Palm Beach for a low-key Easter Sunday dinner to commemorate their first year as a married couple.'

MailOnline contacted a representative for the Beckhams at the time.

Victoria and David have been spending time in the US over recent weeks, joined by their two youngest children, Cruz, 18, and Harper Seven, 11.

And with their eldest son based so near, the celebration appears to work out perfect for the clan.

Happy memories: Victoria later took to social media to share a throwback snap from her 2021 Easter break in Miami (clockwise L-R: son Brooklyn, daughter Harper, Romeo, Victoria, Cruz and husband David)

Hosts: It follows reports she and her husband David are to join their eldest son Brooklyn and his wife Nicola for an Easter dinner over the weekend, quashing their 'rift'

Reunion: The married couple are said to be reuniting with their daughter-in-law's billionaire family at their 76M Palm Beach mansion for the dinner, which is being described as a 'peace summit'

United: And the occasion could end any rumours of a feud within the family once and for all, after they all appeared united last month for Brooklyn's 24th birthday - but left some fans still questioning whether there was a rift

Families together: Following their lavish wedding last year, Brooklyn and Nicola appear keen to celebrate their first year of marriage with both sides of the family around ( Brooklyn and Nelson Peltz)

All together: According to The Sun , it'll be a big family Easter for the Beckham brood as they join the Peltz's over the weekend

Squashed: The occasion could end any rumours of a feud within the family once and for all

They last reunited in March for Victoria's catwalk show during the city's Fashion Week, which also coincided with Brooklyn's birthday later that week.

Celebrating as a family, the fashion designer was supported by her husband and children for the show. While they enjoyed a day out in the French capital for Brooklyn's birthday celebrations.

The united few days came after months of feud speculation between Victoria and her daughter-in-law.

Nicola tied the knot with Brooklyn in a lavish ceremony back in April 2022, sporting a beautiful custom Valentino dress.

But the designer choice raised a few eyebrows as many questioned why the bride didn't wear a design by her mother-in-law, and rumours began to circulate that there was a rift between Nicola and Victoria after the multi-million dollar wedding took place.

The dress has since been the source of much controversy, as Nicola claims she was planning on wearing a dress made by Victoria, before the designer said that her atelier could not make it in time.

A number of reports claim that this is where tension between the pair began, with Nicola denying this during an interview with The Times last year.

Nicola said: 'It's not a feud! I keep seeing everywhere that word, 'feud, feud, feud!?' I mean, maybe they picked up on something? And now they're labelling it feud?'

Rocky: In the year since the wedding, Victoria and Nicola have been plagued by rumours of a feud

Sharing the video to Instagram, Nicola's followers questioned if the clip was aimed at her mother-in-law.

'I think it all started, and I've said this before, because I didn't end up wearing Victoria's wedding dress, but the real truth is, I really, really wanted to wear it and I thought it was so beautiful that Brooklyn's mom got to make that for me!

'And I was really excited to wear it! And I didn't end up wearing it.'

She added: 'But I, truthfully, was really excited to wear her dress. It makes me sad when I read things that people say I was never planning on wearing it. That's just not true.'

But despite brushing off the rumours with recent shows of support, some fans have still been speculating that there is a feud after Nicola uploaded a sassy clip of her miming the lyrics to Lola Young's Don't Hate Me - just days after their reunion at Paris Fashion Week.

The model could be seen as she mimed the lyrics: 'You said that I'm really f***ing boring, well, that's rich coming from you. 'Cause when you rain your f***ing pouring. I can't win, I can't lose.'

In the comments section, one person questioned: 'Is this for your mother-in-law?'

Another added: 'I think the problem is, you and Vicky are both more alike than you would like to admit.'

'Ping this to Victoria Beckham?' a third fan wrote beneath the clip.
Former child star Amanda Bynes continues to remain in 5150 psychiatric hold three weeks after her shocking hospitalization in Los Angeles on March 19.

The retired SAG Award-nominated actress - who celebrated her 37th birthday last Monday - reportedly hopes she will be 'well enough' to depart next week, however there has been 'no set release date', according to TMZ.

Insiders told the outlet Bynes is not being 'forced' to remain at the facility, however she does not yet feel ready to leave. Sources say Bynes and the medical staff are currently taking her time at the facility week by week.

As she prepares for her release, Bynes has been working with medical staff to make sure she has the support she needs once she departs.

Once she leaves, she will enroll in an outpatient mental health treatment which will help 'keep her on track.'

Seeking help: Former child star Amanda Bynes continues to remain in 5150 psychiatric hold three weeks after her shocking hospitalization in Los Angeles on March 19 (pictured March 17)

Celebrated her 37th birthday last Monday: The retired SAG Award-nominated actress reportedly 'hopes she'll be well enough to get out in the next week' but there's 'no set release date' (pictured in 2009)

While Amanda's parents Rick and Lynn Bynes 'have not been by her side in the hospital' they 'still support her in any way they can.'

This, after Bynes' parents reportedly banned her ex-fiance Paul Michael from having any contact with her following the end of their four-year relationship in January.

'They do not want her ex-fiance around her, and he has been instructed to have no contact with her,' an insider told DailyMail.com on March 28.

'He does not seem to have her best interests in mind and her family has nothing good to say about him.'

The SoCal native famously got engaged to the healthcare worker on Valentine's Day 2020 mere months after staying at the same sober living facility.

Amanda was hospitalized after reportedly spending four straight days wandering the streets in a manic state, sometimes naked and alone, after her car was towed in Long Beach on March 15.

TikTok user @kaitlynhotfox shared a 10-second video of herself walking on Hollywood Boulevard on March 17 alongside Bynes, who politely uttered 'What's up' to the camera.

It's been a year since Ventura County Superior Court Judge Roger L. Lund agreed to finally end the All That alum's nine-year legal conservatorship controlled by her mother.

Amanda's conservatorship began in 2013 when she was involuntarily committed to a Pasadena psychiatric treatment facility following a public meltdown involving a string of bizarre run-ins with the law dating back to 2012.

A source told TMZ on Sunday: 'She's not being forced to stay at the facility but doesn't quite feel ready to leave yet. When she is, though, she'll enroll in an outpatient mental health treatment program'

Amanda's parents Rick and Lynn Bynes 'have not been by her side in the hospital' but they 'still support her in any way they can' (pictured in 2004)

'He does not seem to have her best interests in mind': This, after Bynes' parents reportedly banned her ex-fiance Paul Michael (L, pictured in 2021) from having any contact with her following the end of their four-year relationship in January

Worrying: The SoCal native was hospitalized after reportedly spending four straight days wandering the streets in a manic state, sometimes naked and alone, after her car was towed in Long Beach on March 15

Among Bynes' offenses were two hit-and-runs and a DUI in 2012, as well as a 2013.

As recent as October, the Fairfax rapper was enrolled in a cosmetology course learning how to become a nail technician.

Amanda was also said to be pursuing a bachelor's degree at Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising after earning her her associate's degree there in 2019.

'[I'm] majoring in creative industry studies with a core in beauty marketing and product development,' Bynes told E! News a year ago.

'I am traveling to New York in June to work on developing a fragrance which will be ready to launch near the holidays.'

'She can make her own medical decisions': It's been a year since Ventura County Superior Court Judge Roger L. Lund agreed to finally end Amanda's nine-year legal conservatorship controlled by her mother (L, pictured in 2004)

Troubled: Bynes' conservatorship began in 2013 when she was involuntarily committed to a Pasadena psychiatric treatment facility following a public meltdown involving a string of bizarre run-ins with the law dating back to 2012 (pictured in 2013)

Derailed: As recent as October, the All That alum was enrolled in a cosmetology course learning how to become a nail technician
Priyanka Chopra is celebrating Easter with her adorable daughter Malti.

The actress, 40, who shares the tyke with her husband Nick Jonas, shared an adorable snap of her baby girl sitting in an Easter basket to her Instagram Stories on Sunday.

'Happy Easter to all celebrating,' she wrote in the post. The Quantico actress included a celebratory emoji along with a heart and prayer hands emoji.

In the photo, young Malti sat inside the basket wearing a yellow dress and white floral headband. A beautiful arrangement of colorful followers sat beside her.

This comes after Priyanka visited Mumbai's Siddhivinayak Temple with Malti during the toddler's first trip to India.

Happy Easter! Priyanka Chopra is celebrating Easter with her adorable daughter Malti

The Quantico star was in her native country and hometown to promote her new Amazon Prime series Citadel.

While there, the mom of one took time to introduce her one-year-old daughter to the Indian side of her heritage.

The Bollywood-turned-Hollywood star was dressed in traditional Indian dress in the colors of red, light blue, orange and green.

A bindi adorned her forehead and her long brown hair was parted in the middle and tumbling down her back.

Malti Marie looked adorable in a multi-colored pastel dress with a delicate headband on her head as she took in the Hindu temple with her mother.

The Love Again star captioned the snaps: 'MMs first trip to India had to be done with Siddhivinayaks blessings,' followed by a praying hands emoji and heart emoji.

Siddhivinayak Temple was built by Laxman Vithu in 1801 and funded by a rich, childless woman named Deubai Patil who believed that the temple would lead Ganesha to grant the wishes of other women who haven't had a child yet.

The new science fiction series, Citadel, drops its first two episodes on Prime on April 28, followed by a new episode released weekly on Fridays.

Holy Temple: Priyanka Chopra and her daughter Malti Marie Chopra Jonas visited Mumbai's Siddhivinayak Temple during the toddler's first trip to India

Her hometown: The Quantico star, 40, is in her native country and hometown to promote her new Amazon Prime series Citadel

Blessings: Siddhivinayak Temple was built by Laxman Vithu in 1801 and funded by a rich, childless woman named Deubai Patil who believed that the temple would lead Lord Ganesha to grant the wishes of other women who haven't had a child yet

The actress, who is married to Jonas Brother Nick Jonas, plays the character of Nadia Sinh.

Citadel marks the first time Priyanka will be receiving equal pay as the male lead, with the actress previously revealing she got the same fee as Richard.

It comes after Priyanka opened up about her decision to leave Bollywood, admitting she had 'beef' with people in the industry.

The actress started out as a Bollywood star in the aughts but moved to America in 2015 when she took on a leading role in Quantico.

Discussing her decision to move to Hollywood, the mother-of-one confessed that while she enjoyed working on Bollywood projects she struggled with the people.

Behind-the-scenes: Chopra shared several images from her daughter's first Easter to her Instagram account on Sunday

Two of a kind: In one of the snaps, the actress and her daughter wore matching pajamas

Interested: The Quantico star included a shot of her baby girl playing with a chocolate egg

Sweet treat: Chopra's daughter appeared to have taken a liking to the confectionery

Four-legged friends: Malti was also seen while spending quality time with a pair of dogs in one of her mother's snaps

Papa: In this picture taken on April 1, Chopra is seen with Nick Jonas

Speaking on Dax Shepard's Armchair Expert podcast she confessed: 'I've never said this so I'm going to say it because you'll make me feel safe.'

'I was being pushed into a corner in the industry. 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.'

The former Miss World made her Bollywood debut in 2003's The Hero: Love Story of a Spy, with her breakout role coming the following year in romantic thriller Aitraaz, which she followed with her roles in Fashion, Barfi! and Mary Kom.

New project: The new science fiction series, Citadel, drops its first two episodes on Prime on April 28, followed by a new episode released weekly on Fridays

Co-star: The actress plays the character of Nadia Sinh. Citadel marks the first time Priyanka will be receiving equal pay as the male lead, with the actress previously revealing she got the same fee as Richard Madden; seen on April 4

'It would require groveling and I had worked a long time by then that I didn't feel like I wanted to do it.

She made a few more Bollywood films while she searched for an American agent which eventually led to a deal with ABC that led to her career-making role on Quanitco.

The series premiered in 2015 on ABC, with Priyanka making history as the first South Asian to headline an American network drama series.

Her Hollywood film debut came in 2017 in Baywatch where she starred alongside Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron.

While she still takes on the occasional Bollywood project, her home base is in Los Angeles where she lives with her husband and their daughter.
Work on the Sitra Mall Refurbishment Project in Bahrain is moving at a steady pace with over 51% of Phase I completed, thus paving the way for its transformation into a modern community shopping centre and lifestyle destination in the kingdom.

The mall, which is a subsidiary of Bahrain Development Bank (BDB), is being managed by Amana.

The three-phase renovation project, being implemented at a cost of $12 million, aims to enhance the customer experience and create a family-friendly neighbourhood recreational space which will serve residents of the Sitra community and the surrounding areas.

It will unlock the propertys full potential and contribute to the local economy by attracting new business and investment opportunities to the area, said a statement from BDB.

Following the Phase I work completion by September, the Sitra Mall will get a new mall entrance with a full facade enhancement, which will provide a modern and inviting space for visitors.

The new frontage will feature updated lighting and signage, as well as new exterior cladding and glazing, giving the mall a fresh, contemporary look that reflects the latest design trends, and forms a key part of the strategy to recirculate footfall to higher value areas of the property, it stated.

This phase also includes a complete refurbishment of the malls air conditioning and lighting systems, and replacement of the malls flooring all over the main corridors, it added.

According to BDB, six new retail units, and four F&B units will expand the malls shopping and dining offerings, including two new drive-thru restaurants, which have been leased out to McDonalds and Costa Coffee.

"The former is already operational, while the latter is set to begin serving customers in April 2023. Taking advantage of the malls unique seafront views are new sea-facing restaurants and cafes, now available for leasing," said a company spokesman.

In support of the project, consultation is ongoing with the Ministry of Works, which will manage the enhancement of the road networks surrounding the mall, he stated.

Earlier this year, the Ministry tendered the road enhancement package, which is expected to be awarded and completed with the delivery of Phase 1 of Mall works completion.

According to BDB, the Sitra Mall renovation project is in line with its strategy to provide ongoing support for the kingdoms private sector.

This project aims to support the SME ecosystem in Bahrain that is aligned with the Economic Vision of 2030. The refurbishment is expected to be completed by 2024, he added.-TradeArabia News Service
Motorcity, the exclusive distributor of Jetour vehicles in Bahrain, launched Jetour Dashing, the automotive brands first ever A-Class SUV in the Kingdom.

Featuring a modern look, the Dashing adopts a new-generation design language that incorporates pioneering technology and mechanical aesthetics.

The car represents a new era of hi-tech SUVs, bringing together the comfort of SUV space, the convenience of highly user-friendly design, and the power of intelligent computing. Voice recognition, Bluetooth connectivity, and remote start is standard in the Dashing.

Waleed Kanoo, Motorcity Director, said: Motorcity is dedicated to bringing the best that the international market has to offer to its customers. The Dashing is the latest addition to our growing portfolio, and its predicted to be a game changer for Jetour. Its striking appearance and humanized technologies combine to deliver an unparalleled SUV experience. We are excited to see what this new model has to offer and look forward to providing more unique options to drivers in the Kingdom.

The Dashing features two power combinations of 1.6TD-7DCT and 1.5T-6DCT. The new 1.6TD direct-injection engine has a maximum output of 197 HP and a peak torque of 290 Nm, while the 1.5T-6DCT offers a maximum output of 156 HP and a peak torque of 230 Nm. A 15.6-inch super large central control screen replaces the physical buttons of the central console, which is convenient for the driver to read information quickly and accurately. Meanwhile, a small electronic display screen on the doors shows the environment outside the car and PM2.5 pollutants in real time.

The new model is also packed with thoughtful and Generation Z-friendly tech features, such as reminding thd driver if he has forgotten his phone or keys, fast 40W wireless phone charging, and extra USB ports in the back.

The Dashing is one of the latest primary models under Jetour Auto, a fast-growing new SUV brand in China. The car, which has been exported to more than 30 countries has already sold 660,000 units. --Traderabia News Service
Claudia Fogarty showed off her incredible figure in a gold handkerchief crop top as she arrived at the Nudge event at Sakku Samba in Manchester on Sunday.

The Love Island bombshell, 28, looked sensational in the backless woven number which she teamed with a pair of black cargo trousers.

She added inches to her frame in a pair of towering black heels and toted her belongings around in a coordinated bag.

Claudia accessorised with a chic pair of gold hoop earrings and applied a flawless palette of makeup to accentuate her beauty.

The reality star styled her long blonde tresses in a neat braided low bun from a centre parting.

Gorgeous: Claudia Fogarty showed off her incredible figure in a gold handkerchief crop top as she arrived at the Nudge event at Sakku Samba in Manchester on Sunday

Amazing: The Love Island bombshell, 28, looked sensational in the backless woven number which she teamed with a pair of black cargo trousers

Also in attendance was influencer ZaraLena Jackson who made sure all eyes were on her in a black bra and matching hot pants.

She added a coordinated blazer over the number and elevated her frame in a pair of eye catching knee high boots.

The beauty styled her long locks in loose waves leaving her fringe to frame her face and applied a stunning palette of makeup including a dark smoky eyeshadow.

Meanwhile influencer Holly Burns showcased her toned physique in a racy nude PrettyLittleThing co-ord.

She turned up the heat flashing her underboob in a sexy halterneck crop top displaying her toned midriff and wore a pair of matching cargos.

Holly added inches to her frame in a pair of clear heels and toted her belongings around in a designer clutch.

Chantelle Heskey was all smiles in a colourful mini dress which she teamed with towering black heels and a pink crossbody bag.

It comes after Claudia appear to have patched things up with former beau Casey O'Gorman as they went on a double date with co-stars Tom Clare and Samie Elishi in Manchester last week.

Incredible: She added inches to her frame in a pair of towering black heels and toted her belongings around in a coordinated bag

Hot! Claudia accessorised with a chic pair of gold hoop earrings and styled her long blonde tresses in a neat braided low bun from a centre parting

Bold: Also in attendance was influencer ZaraLena Jackson who made sure all eyes were on her in a black bra and matching hot pants.

Wow: She added a coordinated blazer over the number and elevated her frame in a pair of eye catching knee high boots

Claudia and Casey enjoyed a brief romance in the Love Island villa before an epic fallout over a love triangle.

The pair looked in good spirits on the night as they wrapped their arms around each other while heading to the venue.

The outing comes after Claudia and Casey convinced fans they were dating again after Islander Aaron Waters posted a cryptic TikTok video.

The pair were coupled up on the show until the recruitment consultant, 26, told the daughter of Superbike champion Carl Fogarty he wanted to give things ago with Rosie Seabrook, 24.

But earlier that week, Casey revealed he had split from Rosie just two weeks after the couple were dumped from the villa.

Aussie bombshell Aaron uploaded a video to his TiKTok page, which features himself and Casey joking around with a glass of gin.

Eye catching: Meanwhile influencer Holly Burns showcased her toned physique in a racy nude PrettyLittleThing co-ord

Racy: She turned up the heat flashing her underboob in a sexy halterneck crop top displaying her toned midriff and wore a pair of matching cargos

Stunning: Chantelle Heskey was all smiles in a colourful mini dress which she teamed with towering black heels and a pink crossbody bag

Glam: She seemed in high spirits as she styled her long highlighted tresses in loose wave

But fans were quick to notice Claudia was sat alongside Casey in the bar, as she was heard saying off camera: 'Don't get me in it, people will get the wrong idea.'

Fans were quick to comment on the video, with one penning: 'Go Claudia hun, get your man back! She knows what she's doing'

Another wrote: 'Claudia wanted everyone to know she was there! She knows exactly what she's doing legend!'

A third said: 'As a women, I feel Claudia planned that. I'm so here for it though'
She is expecting her second child later this year.

And Ferne McCann revealed she has stopped wearing a bra on Sunday after her boobs quadrupled in size.

The former TOWIE star, 32, took to Instagram to update followers on her pregnancy while enjoying a lavish Easter family getaway in Morocco.

The beauty donned a blue ribbed top and a patterned brown silk headband as she posed for a selfie while on a hike.

She showed off her natural beauty and accessorised with a chunky pair of hoop earrings and layered two long pendant necklaces.

'*Refusing to wear a bra anymore': Ferne McCann revealed she has stopped wearing a bra on Instagram on Sunday after her boobs quadrupled in size

Loved-up: The former TOWIE star, 32, who is expecting her first child with fiance Lorri Haines, seemed more loved-up than ever during lavish Easter family getaway in Morocco

Ferne told fans why she's chosen to ditch her bra as she said she is 'most peaceful when outside in nature'.

She said: '*refusing to wear a bra anymore, my boobs have quadrupled in size! They rest quite nicely on the top of my bump'.

The mum-of-one, who is expecting her first child with her fiance Lorri Haines, also posed for a glowing selfie with her beau.

The pair looked more loved-up than ever as they locked-lips during their lavish getaway.

Ferne also exhibited her growing baby bump as she shared a glowing shot during her sun-soaked Marrakesh getaway earlier this weekend.

'They rest nicely on the top of my bump': Ferne told fans why she's chosen to ditch her bra while posing for a selfie in a blue ribbed top and patterned silk headband

Glowing: Ferne also exhibited her growing baby bump as she shared a glowing shot during her sun-soaked Marrakesh getaway earlier this weekend

She looked incredible while topping up her tan in a snazzy blue bikini, while keeping her stunning visage protected with a bucket hat.

Ferne - who is staying at the 7,000 per night Royal Mansour Marrakech - captioned her poolside snap, 'Happy Easter you lovely lot.

'Typically I would have a roast lamb in the oven & getting ready for an egg hunt but today we are getting ready for another pool day in Marrakech.'

The mum-of-one revealed that she is 'carrying differently' from when she was expecting her daughter Sunday, five.

She said: 'I feel like Im carrying differently to when I was pregnant with Sunday. One morning I wake up and think Im having boy then next I think no its definitely a girl. I cannot wait to see and meet this little one. #marrakech #morocco #eastersundsy.'
Ewan McGregor showed off his smart but casual sense of style as he attended the Obi-Wan Kenobi panel at the Star Wars Celebration in London on Sunday.

The actor, 52, who appeared in the Star Wars prequels, wore a white top with black stripes under a black jacket as he posed up at the event.

He wore a black pair of trousers and opted for some edgy brown boots for his outing.

The star sported a neatly trimmed moustache and stood casually with his hand in his pocket.

Scottish star Ewan appeared in good spirits as he sat on stage and addressed the crowd during the panel discussion at the ExCeL London events centre in the UK capital.

Out and about: Ewan McGregor, 52, showed off his smart but casual sense of style as he attended the Obi-Wan Kenobi panel at the Star Wars Celebration in London on Sunday

In style: The actor, who appeared in the Star Wars prequels, wore a white top with black stripes under a black jacket as he posed up at the event

Chatterbox: Scottish star Ewan appeared in good spirits as he sat on stage and addressed the crowd during the panel discussion at the ExCeL London events centre

Ewan played Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars prequel trilogy and then reprised his role for Disney+ series named after the character.

The performer previously defended the trilogy films and said he thinks it was 'ballsy' for George Lucas to veer away from the beloved originals in the movies.

He starred in The Phantom Menace (1999), Attack Of The Clones (2002) and Revenge Of The Sith (2005) - alongside the likes of Liam Neeson, Hayden Christensen and Natalie Portman.

Although they were seemingly destined for success like the original trilogy, they are the most criticised film in the franchise and have been at the butt of jokes in the Star Wars fanbase for years.

But Ewan, who starred as Obi Wan Kenobi and has returned to the franchise this year for a Disney+ series, has defended the controversial prequels and said he has grown to love them over the years.

Speaking at the GQ Heroes annual summit in association with BMW at Soho Farmhouse on Thursday, Ewan said he thought it was 'ballsy' for director George, who helmed the original trilogy, to do something 'different with the prequels'.

He also admitted that his own relationship with the movies has changed over the years and said he has grown to love them after hearing positive reviews from fans.

Speaking to Adam Baidawi, British GQ's Head of Editorial Content and Deputy Global Editorial Director of GQ, Ewan explained: 'I think [my relationship to the prequels] has changed for me as I've met more people in that generation.

Star quality: Ewan played Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars prequel trilogy and then reprised his role for Disney+ series named after the character

All star panel: Ewan sat with Vivien Lyra Blair, who played Leia Organa in Star Wars streaming show Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Hayden Christensen, who played Anakin Skywalker / Darth Vader

'I admire George [Lucas] for having tried to do something different with them, he didn't just set out to make another three Star Wars films that felt like the original ones, I respected him for that, I think that's ballsy and interesting.'

Addressing the poor critical reception of the films at the time, Ewan said critics wanted to be transported back to their childhoods with the prequels.

He added: 'I think the critics just wanted to feel like they were seven or eight again, and they didn't get that, so I was left with that [reaction] for years and years.'

Ewan is not the first actor to defend the divisive prequels as franchise veteran Mark Hamill, who portrayed the original Luke Skywalker, spoke out in support of the films last year.

'I was impressed the prequels had their own identity,' Mark, 70, said in an interview for film historian J. W. Rinzler's posthumously published book, Howard Kazanjian: A Producer's Life.

He claimed the three prequel films have been criticised over the years, not because they're not good, but instead because they weren't as easily digestible as the others.

'They were criticised because they were exposition-heavy and more cerebral and probably, like he said back in 1976, they weren't as commercial,' he said as reported by IndieWire.

Strike a pose: Ewan was seen posing with fans on stage during the Obi-Wan Kenobi panel at Star Wars Celebration

The actor continued: 'It's a darker story. But in the age of social media, people's voices are amplified, and I'm shocked at how brutal they can be, not just in the case of Star Wars films, but across the board.'

George Lucas' ex-wife Marcia Lucas is among those who have not been shy in sharing their displeasure of the prequels that began with Liam Neeson as Jedi master Qui-Gon Jinn, and had Hayden Christianson star in the final two instalments as Anakin Skywalker.

'I cried,' Marcia Lucas, who was married to George Lucas from 1969 and 1983, said after seeing a screening of Phantom Menace for the first time.

'I cried because I didn't think it was very good.'
Wild Isles viewers were left terrified when the BBC show explored the British coastline for it's final episode on Sunday.

Sir David Attenborough, 96, narrated as cameras documented the underwear wildlife with fans vowing never to venture into the ocean again.

Viewers compared what they saw to a horror film as they witnesses slimy sea slugs as well as meter-long starfish crawling along the sea floor.

With one writing: 'Oh Lord this 7 armed star fish part of Wild Isles is like a horror film'.

While another said: 'Definitely not swimming in the sea again' and 'Oh my god those starfish are creepy'.

Horror: Wild Isles viewers were left terrified when the BBC show explored the British coastline for it's final episode on Sunday

Scary stuff: Viewers compared what they saw to a horror film as they witnesses slimy sea slugs as well as meter-long starfish crawling along the sea floor (1954's Creature from the Black Lagoon pictured)

Gross: Sir David Attenborough, 96, narrated as cameras documented the underwear wildlife with fans vowing never to venture into the ocean again (giant starfish pictured)

Underwater creepy crawlies: Viewers were left hiding their eyes (sea slug pictured)

And a third commented: 'Not gonna lie, most of what they've shown so far tonight on Wild Isles are why i do not go into the sea. It's like something out of [Sci fi show] Doctor Who or [Horror channel] Shudder.

Someone else wrote in horror: '7 armed starfish, half a meter across!'.

And: 'Enough with the slugs now please ...land or sea, a slug is a slug!'.

It comes after it was revealed The BBC won't broadcast an episode of Sir David's Wild Isles series because of fears it would risk a backlash from Tory politicians and the right-wing press, it has been reported.

The episode which focuses of themes of the destruction of nature across the UK and reportedly won't be broadcast to fend off potential critique from the political right.

The documentary, which was part-funded by nature charities WWF and RSPB will not be broadcast with the other five episodes and will only be available on the BBC's streaming service iPlayer.

It comes as the BBC has taken Gary Lineker off air after he reportedly refused to apologise for his tweet comparing the Government's Illegal Migration Bill to 1930s Germany, when the Nazis came to power.

The corporation fears some 'lobbying groups' with 'dinosaurian ways' like the farming and hunting industry would 'kick off' if the show had potential to be too political, according to the Guardian.

Upsetting scenes: With one writing: 'Oh Lord this 7 armed star fish part of Wild Isles is like a horror film'

Slugs: Thousands of slugs could be seen emerging from the sand

What? Another viewers wrote: Not gonna lie, most of what they've shown so far tonight on Wild Isles are why i do not go into the sea. It's like something out of [Sci fi show] Doctor Who or [Horror channel] Shudder

The Telegraph criticised the series this week for taking funding from 'two charities previously criticised for their political lobbying' - the WWF and RSPB.

But in a statement provided after the story was published, a BBC spokesman said: 'This is totally inaccurate, there is no 'sixth episode'.

'Wild Isles is  and always was - a five part series and does not shy away from environmental content.

'We have acquired a separate film for iPlayer from the RSPB and WWF and Silverback Films about people working to preserve and restore the biodiversity of the British Isles.'

Laura Howard, who produced the programme, told the Guardian: 'I think the facts speak for themselves'.

'You know, we've worked really closely with the RSPB in particular who are able to factcheck all of our scripts and provide us with detailed scientific data and information about the loss of wildlife in this country.

Banned: It comes after it was revealed The BBC won't broadcast an episode of Sir David's Wild Isles series because of fears it would risk a backlash from Tory politicians and the right-wing press, it has been reported

'And it is undeniable, we are incredibly nature-depleted. And I don't think that that is political, I think it's just facts.'

Green Party MP for Brighton Pavillion Caroline Lucas struck out at the BBC, slamming its decision as an 'unforgiveable dereliction of its duty to public service broadcasting'.

Mrs Lucas told the Guardian the BBC shouldn't be intimidated by a culture war stoking Government and called for the episode to be televised.
She's known for her impeccable fashion sense.

And Myleene Klass didn't disappoint as she made a stylish arrival for work at Classic FM in London on Easter Sunday.

The stunner, 45, looked gorgeous in a brightly printed midi-dress from her own range at high-street store Next.

Her frock boasted a round-neck and puff sleeves and Myleene cinched her waist with a black leather Chanel belt - costing a cool 500, along with a 2,000 bag from the luxury label.

She strutted her stuff in towering gold heels, a colour story she carried into her accessories.

Fashion: Myleene Klass, 44, didn't disappoint in the fashion stakes as she made a stylish arrival for work at Classic FM in London on Easter Sunday

Strut: The stunner looked gorgeous in a brightly printed midi-dress from her own range at high-street retailer Next

Shielding her eyes behind shades she completed the ensemble with a selection of necklaces and bracelets.

Accentuating her features with a light dusting of make-up Myleene tied her brunette tresses back in a slick ponytail.

It comes after it was reported Myleene will reportedly recreate her iconic I'm A Celebrity shower scene in the All Stars spin-off show.

The former pop star famously set pulses racing in 2006 by sporting a white two-piece in the outside shower.

It's been reported that she will be revisiting the look as she joins the South Africa show as a latecomer.

Speaking to The Sun, a source said: 'Myleene couldnt wait to have her moment again and bring out the white bikini.

'She knows the impact it had last time and wanted to do a cheeky nod to it.

'Shes proud of her body 16 years on from the original show and wants to show women they can be body confident and strong in their 40s.'

Myleene has become synonymous with white bikinis ever since her appearance on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here in 2006.

Pricey: Her frock boasted a round-neck and puff sleeves and Myleene cinched her waist with a black leather Chanel belt - costing a cool 500

Style: She strutted her stuff in towering gold heels, a colour story she carried into her accessories

Style: The dress also boasted a chic backless detail

The nation's attention was grabbed when the star went for a shower in the jungle while sporting a tiny two-piece, which showcased her incredible frame.

The source adds that Myleene will allegedly be launching a Next swimwear range as the show airs so that fans can recreate the iconic look.

The famous tiny white bikini was auctioned for charity for 7,500 and Myleene later revealed it was a last-minute purchase.

She explained she had spent just 20 on the skimpy two-piece after producers informed her the striped number she had originally packed would not look good on film.

Back in 2020, she reflected on the swimwear that helped to make her a household name on I'm A Celebrity.

She penned: 'It feels like I was in the jungle only yesterday! Every time I see this pic pop up, I can't believe how fate handled it all.

Iconic: It comes after it was reported Myleene will reportedly recreate her iconic I'm A Celebrity shower scene in the All Stars spin-off show (pictured in 2006)

Stunner: She has recreated the look many times since her visit to the jungle

'I remember one of the shows producers looking at my bikinis in the hotel before I went to camp. One was covered in stripes. ''We'll have to stop at the shops as that's probably going to strobe on camera''.

'I ran into the shop en route to the jungle, asked the shop assistant for the plainest bikini she had. Best $40 I ever spent....especially as it raised so much for charity.'

Since her appearance, a slew of female stars have tried to recreate her iconic shower scenes during their time in camp.

Myleene ultimately finished on second place, behind Matt Willis, and is heavily tipped to be one of the surprise latecomers to the All Stars camp, alongside Georgia Toffolo and Joe Swash.

Icon Gillian McKeith - who was renowned for her dramatic fainting scene, Dean Gaffney and Andrew Whyment could also be among those making a return.

They will allegedly join previously announced stars Helen Flanagan, Carol Vorderman, Amir Khan, Janice Dickinson, Paul Burrell, Jordan Banjo, Shaun Ryder, Fatima Whitbread and Phil Tufnell.
You know youve made it in Hollywood when you are immortalised as a doll.

And Fleabag star Phoebe Waller-Bridge has officially cemented her status as one of the industrys leading lights thanks to the release of her own action figure ahead of the upcoming Indiana Jones film.

The actress, 37, plays Helena Shaw, the goddaughter of Harrison Fords whip-wielding archaeologist in the films fifth instalment, Dial of Destiny.

The miniature figure sees Miss Waller-Bridge dressed in a white shirt, high-waisted khaki trousers and black boots.

She is carrying a black backpack and sporting the actress signature short brunette bob.

The miniature figure sees Miss Waller-Bridge dressed in a white shirt, high-waisted khaki trousers and black boots

The actress, 37, plays Helena Shaw, the goddaughter of Harrison Fords whip-wielding archaeologist in the films fifth instalment, Dial of Destiny

The doll also comes with a removable replica of a flashlight. In the film Helena and Mr Jones team up to fight off the Nazis in 1969 against the backdrop of the American effort to beat the Russians to the moon.

Shes a mystery and a wonder, Miss Waller-Bridge, who also stars alongside Antonio Banderas in the film told Empire, about her character.

Making the film was everything I could have hoped for, with a chance to work on my own stunts and action sequences, she added.

If the script said throw yourself on to the back of a vehicle, I threw myself on to the back of a vehicle!

Miss Waller-Bridge has enjoyed a meteoric rise to fame since her critically acclaimed 2016 comedy drama series Fleabag became a global hit.

She has gone on to steer a series of high-profile projects, including writing thriller Killing Eve and No Time to Die, Daniel Craigs final outing as 007 James Bond.

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is out on June 30.
Maisie Smith has reportledy landed her first major film role 18 months after leaving BBC soap EastEnders.

The actress, 21, is said to be cast as a 'leading player in a mobster family' in upcoming ganger film Bermondsey Tales: Fall Of The Roman Empire.

According to The Sun she will star alongside Alan Ford from Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels and Kidulthood's Adam Deacon with filming scheduled to begin later this year.

A source told the publication: 'It is an exciting new venture for Maisie and she can't wait to dip her toe into a big new project'.

'She plays Chloe, a leading player in a mobster family, and will be acting alongside Alan Ford from Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels and Kidulthood's Adam Deacon.

Rising star: Maisie Smith, 21, has reportedly landed her first major film role 18 months after leaving the role of Tiffany Baker in EastEnders

Actor: The actress is said to be cast as a 'leading player in a mobster family' in upcoming ganger film Bermondsey Tales: Fall Of The Roman Empire (Maisie pictured in EastEnders)

'Since Strictly and EastEnders she has kept her eyes open for her next on-screen job, and the people behind Bermondsey Tales thought Maisie was the perfect fit'.

MailOnline have contacted Maisie's reps for comment.

Maisie starred in the BBC soap as Tiffany Baker from 2008 when she joined aged just seven, before leaving last year and has since toured with Strictly and in Strictly Ballroom: The Musical.

On Saturday Maisie sent temperatures soaring as she shared a snap from Paris as she continued to holiday with beau Max George, 34, following their recent trip to Abu Dhabi.

The stunner took to her Instagram Stories and shared a selfie in a mirrored lift, looking incredible in a mint green minidress, that hugged her slender figure.

She teamed it with a pair of grey lacy stockings to show off her toned legs and wrapped up in a beige trench coat.

Maisie accessorised with a large silver cross pendant necklace and wore her flame-coloured locks down and straight.

The following day, she took another selfie in the sunshine, posing with the Eiffel Tower behind her.

She wore a green jacket over a grey zip-up hoodie and perched a pair of sunglasses on top of her head.

Co-star: She will star alongside Alan Ford (right) from Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels and Kidulthood's Adam Deacon (left) with filming scheduled to begin later this year

New venture: Maisie starred in the BBC soap 2008 when she joined aged just seven, before leaving last year and has since toured with Strictly and in Strictly Ballroom: The Musical (pictured with co-star Kevin Clifton)

Maisie finished off her stylish look with a full face of glamorous make-up to accentuate her pretty features.

Captioning the flawless photo, she wrote: 'Touristing [cheese emoji]'.

The trip comes after Maisie and Max broke their silence after fans were left fuming over their 'pregnancy' prank.

The Wanted star, 34, appeared to make light of the situation as he shared a photo of the couple sipping on huge milkshakes.

Looking good:On Saturday Maisie sent temperatures soaring as she shared a snap from Paris as she continued to holiday with beau Max George, 34, following their recent trip to Abu Dhabi

Stylish: She took a selfie in the sunshine, posing with the Eiffel Tower behind her and wearing a green jacket over a grey zip-up hoodie, while perching a pair of sunglasses on top of her head

He captioned it: 'Never. Eating. Again' while Maisie reshared the snap.

They faced backlash when Maisie took to Instagram 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'.

Max shared the same teasing post to his Instagram Stories, while adding the caption: 'Look at that lovely belly'.

Oh no: The trip comes after Maisie and Max broke their silence after fans were left fuming over their 'pregnancy' prank

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 she's 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.'
Viewers of ITV's tribute programme For the Love of Paul OGrady were moved by a touching nod to the late star's adoration of animals during the show on Sunday.

Paul was remembered as a 'force for good' by his famous friends including Carol Vorderman, Julian Clary and Michael Cashman during the show this weekend as celebrities paid tribute to the drag queen turned TV and radio star, following his death last month at the age of 67.

During the episode a number of pooches were seen lined up on a sofa as they watched Paul on television.

The star was known for adoring canines, with Paul presenting the series Paul O'Grady: For the Love of Dogs, which was filmed at Battersea Dogs & Cats Home and saw him help rehome more than 300 dogs over the years.

Viewers of the programme on Sunday took to Twitter to share some heartfelt words after they were moved by seeing the dogs watching him on screen.

Farewell: Viewers of ITV's tribute programme For the Love of Paul OGrady were moved by a touching nod to the late star's adoration of animals during the show on Sunday

Sweet: During the episode a number of pooches were seen lined up on a sofa as they watched Paul on television

One person wrote: 'What a beautiful and fitting memorial #fortheloveofpaulogrady was - a fitting tribute for such a warm, caring and hilarious person Paul OGrady was until the end.

'Seeing those dogs staring at the TV I found especially moving as all the amazing tributes by all those who knew him.'

Someone else shared: 'The fact they have a couch of dogs watching the clips on For the Love of Paul OGrady.'

While another person wrote: 'I love For The Love of Paul OGrady having the dogs watching the TV.'

'The idea of various dogs gathering around the telly to watch the tribute to Paul O'Grady is so sweet and sad,' wrote someone else.

A number of stars were featured during For the Love of Paul O'Grady on Sunday as they paid tribute to the late star.

Remembering Paul for his activism, TV personality Carol Vorderman, 62, said: 'He was not only brilliant as an entertainer, he was a force for good.'

Former Labour Party leader Ed Miliband added: 'He wasn't just a fighter for the underdog, somebody who was willing to use his platform to speak up for people who didn't have a platform, didn't have a voice, but he could do it in a totally compelling way, much more compelling than any politician.'

Touching: Viewers of the programme on Sunday took to Twitter to share some heartfelt words after they were moved by seeing the dogs watching him on screen

While 72-year-old actor, politician, and LGBT rights activist Michael Cashman commented on a clip of O'Grady discussing Conservative politicians on TV, saying: 'He goes into a rant about injustice, naming the politicians and that was bold. He could have been taken off air, but you couldn't separate him from his principles.'

Paul, who started out as a social worker while performing on the London nightclub circuit as the acerbic, platinum wig-wearing Lily Savage, died 'unexpectedly but peacefully' on March 28, his partner, Andre Portasio, said in a statement.

For the Love of Paul O'Grady also saw those who knew Paul remember his compassion for animals, with actor Tony Maudsley recalling how 'he used to be feeding sheep at the breakfast table', while actress Amanda Mealing remembered seeing 'a cow in the kitchen eating leftover birthday cake'.

Throughout his career, Paul worked extensively to support south London animal rescue centre Battersea Dogs & Cats Home - both on and off screen - and was well-known for his love of animals.

Elsewhere in the special programme, actress Linda Thorson told viewers of Paul's unique experiences with the late Queen Elizabeth II.

'I know the Queen was very, very at ease with him,' said the 75-year-old.

Tribute: Paul's loved ones, including TV star Carol Vorderman, actress Sally Lindsay (pictured), comedian Julian Clary, and actor and LGBT rights activist Michael Cashman

Amusing: Amanda Mealing remembered seeing 'a cow in the kitchen eating leftover birthday cake' as she recalled Paul's love of animals and his life on his Kent farm

Fond memories: Remembering Paul for his activism, TV personality Carol, 62, said as she laughed at the memories: 'He was not only brilliant as an entertainer, he was a force for good'

Emotional: Paul's fans were left in tears during the programme, with many taking to Twitter to share tributes of their own

'And he would have tea with her, and the reason that the Queen liked talking to Paul is that so few people knew how to talk to her. Paul could talk to anybody.'

Cashman added: 'The Queen loved him. And of course, all they did was talk about animals and farming, and she loved his sense of humour.'

Chat show host Jonathan Ross, actress Sally Lindsay and TV presenter Gaby Roslin also appeared to share their memories of O'Grady during the programme.

Gaby, 58, who found fame co-presenting The Big Breakfast, on which O'Grady's drag persona Lily Savage also starred, commented: 'There's no-one that's ever going to be like Paul, and Lily, ever ever ever.'

Born to perform: For the Love of Paul O'Grady featured highlights of the star's life and career, including when he appeared as drag queen Lily Savage (pictured)

Entertaining the masses: Paul took part in a TV performance as nipple-tassel-twirling Lily with the late Barbara Windsor

Following clips of Paul interviewing the likes of Lady Gaga, Simon Cowell and Cilla Black, Coronation Street star Sally, 49, said: 'He was never like a people pleaser, he didn't give a monkeys who you were, everyone was treated the same. Everyone.'

Paul's friends from his hometown of Birkenhead and Battersea Dogs & Cats Home staff members also featured.

As the programme drew to a close, a message from former professional ballet dancer Portasio, who O'Grady married in 2017, appeared on the screen, reading: 'On behalf of Paul O'Grady, his husband Andre Portasio would like to thank everyone for taking their time to send condolences.

'The family is overwhelmed with everyone's kindness and generosity.'
Dame Emma Thompson and husband Greg Wise took a stroll through Venice, Italy during their Easter Holidays.

The actress, 63, who has been in a relationship with actor Wise, 56 , since they met on the set of Sense And Sensibility in 1995, appeared to be enjoying some well deserved time off work.

The couple visited churches, antique stores and indulged in ice cream among the crowds of tourists on Saturday.

Emma looked effortlessly chic in a grey coat and a brown cap while looking around the historic city.

She completed the look with blue dungaree's and trainers, while accessorising with a neck scarf.

Holiday: Dame Emma Thompson and husband Greg Wise took a stroll through Venice, Italy during their Easter Holidays

Elegant: Emma looked effortlessly chic in a grey coat and a brown cap while looking around the historic city

Meanwhile, Greg cut a casual figure in an electric blue raincoat, jeans and a pair of Nike trainers.

Emma has been happily married to her second husband Greg for 20 years.

Despite their wedded bliss, however, she has described romantic love as a 'myth' that can be quite 'dangerous'.

The Love Actually star said that people should think 'sensibly' about love and how to nurture it.

'It's philosophically helpful and uplifting to remember that romantic love is a myth and quite dangerous,' she told the Radio Times.

'We really do have to take it with a massive pinch of salt. To think sensibly about love and the way it can grow is essential.

'Long-term relationships are hugely difficult and complicated. If anyone thinks that happy ever after has a place in our lives, forget it.'

Emma stars in new rom-com What's Love Got to Do With It? , co-starring Lily James and Shazad Latif, which explores arranged marriages.

The Oscar-winning actress has had her fair share of heartbreak in the past following her very public break-up with first husband, Sir Kenneth Branagh.

The pair wed in 1989 and were the British acting scene's golden couple until Sir Kenneth had an affair with Helena Bonham Carter while directing her in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.

Dame Emma and Sir Kenneth, 62, divorced in 1995 and he continued to date Miss Bonham Carter until 1999.

Fun in the sun: The couple visited churches, antique stores and indulged in ice cream among the crowds of tourists on Saturday

Romance: Emma (pictured right) has had her fair share of heartbreak in the past following her very public break-up with first husband, Sir Kenneth Branagh (left)

Dame Emma said she drew on her real-life heartbreak while playing her Love Actually character, who is betrayed by her husband played by Alan Rickman.

'That scene where my character is standing by the bed crying is so well known because it's something everyone's been through,' she said in an interview in 2018.

Dame Emma has also admitted she still struggles with the 'pressure' of awards ceremonies. 'Both times I had to do the Oscars I got seriously ill. I found the pressure and glare of it too much,' she said.

'It's astonishing  and then afterwards you want to lie down in a dark room. You think, "Please don't ask me any questions or make me talk about myself".'
Love Island star Jessie Wynter has slammed her co-stars for dumping her and boyfriend Will Young before the final.

The Australian reality star, 26, entered the villa as a bombshell and quickly hooked up with farmer Will, 23.

The couple, who were dumped from the ITV2 show days before the final in South Africa, have been inseparable since flying back to London.

Jessie has now claimed the decision was a 'cop out' as many of them wanted to make it to the final.

She told The Sun: 'In the villa, everyone applauded our relationship so when they decided to say we weren't compatible, I think they knew we were very happy. I think it also was a bit of a cop out because they could always use the excuse of Jessie's from Australia.

'It was a bit of a cop out': Love Island star Jessie Wynter has slammed her co-stars for dumping her and boyfriend Will Young before the final

She told The Sun : 'In the villa, everyone applauded our relationship so when they decided to say we weren't compatible, I think they knew we were very happy.'

Jessie continued: 'I personally think it's the opposite because if you're going to move country for someone, you're probably going to spend more time with them instead of a three hour commute between London and Manchester or what not.

'They knew we were compatible. It is sad it happened the way it did. I know how much the other islanders wanted to make the final. I know it meant a lot to them.

'Even though I went on Love Island Australia, I haven't watched Love Island, I don't watch much TV. The other people in the villa are Love Island fans so for them to go to the final is massive for them.'

She ended the chat by claiming she and Will are 'not going to take offence to it' as they believe they are genuine.

It comes after Jessie revealed she tried to quit the show but producers told her she couldn't.

Viewers watched their romance blossom for eight weeks in the Love Island villa, but it wasn't all smooth sailing for the couple, whose relationship was thrown into doubt after Will kissed Layla Al-Momani during the Casa Amor loyalty test.

Jessie confessed to being 'shattered' by Will's actions, while he considered quitting the show if he failed to win her back.

Speaking about the moment she found about Will's infidelity during Casa Amor, she told The Useless Helpline Podcast: 'I was like, 'That's it I'm done. I'm done with Will, I'm done with the villa'.

'And then production were like, 'Er no, that's not happening, you can't do that, you can't just leave.''

However, as seen in previous seasons, producers have ensured if for any reason an Islander does feel they want to leave the Villa then they can.

Jessie, who's a personal trainer from Tasmania and currently lives in Sydney, found fame on the Australian series of Love Island in 2019.

It comes after Will gushed about having found the love of his life on the ITV2 show and how he has big hopes for their future.

He said: 'I wouldn't be with her if I thought she wasn't marriage material. Our plan is to split our time between the UK and Tasmania.'

Love: The Australian reality star, 26, entered the villa as a bombshell and quickly hooked up with farmer Will, 23

Loved-up: The couple, who were dumped from the ITV2 show days before Monday night's final in South Africa, have been inseparable since flying back to London

Will and Jessie missed out on reaching the show's final by one day after failing to secure the public vote after all of the couples were asked to pick which pair they thought was the least compatible.

But that doesn't seem to have deterred any future plans for the pair, with Will being open to travel in order to keep their relationship alive.

After leaving South Africa, the sheep farmer said: 'I think it's very fair to say I would go to Australia.

'A relationship is a two-way thing. It would be unfair for me to rely on Jessie moving here 100%. Australia has always been a place I'd like to go to and travel.'

Yet despite his willingness to fly half way round the world, Will has made sure to show Jessie all the important sights of the UK whilst she's here, including Buckingham Palace and of course, the local Tesco.

Speaking exclusively to MailOnline , they told of their keenness to live and work together on Will's Buckinghamshire farm just in time for lambing season.

Their decision comes after Will revealed veteran Countryfile host John Craven 'slid into his DMs' to congratulate him for endorsing farming to younger audiences.

Will said: 'Jessie is moving to the farm for the next month or two and she will be doing lambing and all of that, which I'm super, super excited about.

'When she visited for the first time this week, I gave her some wellies and she was getting really stuck in and feeding the animals, it made me fall in love with her even more.'

Will and Jessie spent one night apart when they landed on UK soil but the smitten couple, who met eight weeks ago on the dating series, say they found being separated 'horrible.'

Indeed, the frisky pair admit they've barely left the bedroom now the cameras are no longer rolling.

Jessie said: 'It's 100 times better now we're out the villa. It is a million times better, I'll tell you that much.'

'You can't just leave': It comes after Jessie revealed she tried to quit the show but producers told her she couldn't

Speaking about the moment she found about Will's infidelity during Casa Amor, she told The Useless Helpline Podcast: 'I was like, 'That's it I'm done. I'm done with Will, I'm done with the villa'

Love Island viewers crowned schoolteacher Kai Fagan and social worker Sanam Harrinanan winners on Monday after they earned 44 per cent of the public vote, beating Ron Hall and Lana Jenkins.

Will and Jessie believe the right couple won the 50,000 cash prize and say they were focussed on their relationship from the moment they met.

Jessie said: 'They were mature and stayed out of the drama. I'm so happy for them.

'They were there to concentrate on themselves and that's what they did. Perhaps we weren't as close to them, Kai I didn't really get to know but it's good seeing such a pure couple, a teacher and social worker, win Love Island.'
French interior min says 4-10 people can be under rubble of building in Marseille

Paris, Apr 9 (UNI) Between four and 10 people are believed to be under the rubble of the multi-story apartment building that collapsed in Marseille on early Sunday, French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said.

The four-story apartment building collapsed in the center of Marseille overnight. Some reports suggest there was a loud explosion prior to the collapse. Fire raging under the rubble has hampered the search and rescue operation. At least five people were confirmed injured so far. The collapse has reportedly also partially brought down an adjoining building.

"We believe there are between four and 10 people under the rubble," Darmanin told journalists after arriving at the site of the collapse.
Saffron Lempriere confronted Jordan Brook about his dating behaviour after he 'slagged off' two of his ex's.

In a MailOnline exclusive clip from Sunday's episode of The Only Way Is Essex, Saffron put Jordan in his place.

She said: 'How you've behaved with girls I've found a bit funny'

Jordan, who is currently dating Geordie Shore star Sophie Kasaei, quipped: 'Please explain'

Saffron explained: 'Ella and Chloe, whatever went on with them, you then slagged them off to Lauren'

Brutal: Saffron Lempriere confronted Jordan Brook about his dating behaviour after he 'slagged off' two of his ex's

'I think you're an opportunist': In a MailOnline exclusive clip from Sunday's episode of The Only Way Is Essex, Saffron put Jordan in his place

Jordan responded: 'I didn't slag them off, never. I was dating girls, no need to slag them off'

'But you did, Lauren did feel a bit mugged off when you put the picture up of you and Brocket straight away. What I've said to people about you is I think you're a bit of an opportunist,' Saffron added.

Last year, in scenes filmed for TOWIE, Jordan attempted to woo Ella Rae Wise and the couple went on several dates but ultimately, she wasn't interested.

He also romanced Ella's ex-best friend Chloe Brockett, who accused him of only being interested in her during filming to increase his popularity.

Chloe also claimed that co-star Jordan 'came on too strong' during dates between the pair, leading to her feeling 'awkward'.

She explained that Jordan had bought her 'a whole bunch' of roses from someone selling the flowers, describing the gesture as 'really nice' but 'so full on'.

The pair also sparked romance rumours when Jordan shared a snap to Instagram, which showed them holding hands while enjoying some drinks.

In January it was revealed that Sophie is joining TOWIE, in the first ever crossover between the reality shows.

The TV personality is starring alongside her boyfriend in the show's upcoming series, which is being filmed overseas.

Saffron explained to Jordan: 'How you've behaved with girls I've found a bit funny'

Loved-up: In January it was revealed that Jordan's new girlfriend Sophie Kasaei is joining TOWIE, in the first ever crossover between the reality shows

An Essex insider told MailOnline that ITVBe producers are hoping Sophie, who was in the original cast of Geordie Shore and has over two million Instagram followers, will help to resurrect the series, which has lost its popularity in recent years.

A source revealed: 'Sophie has been on reality TV for over 12 years, she knows what makes a good show.

'Producers are really excited that she's joining TOWIE and hopes she will bring some of her fiery Geordie energy to the cast.

'TOWIE is still in talks about Sophie's potential involvement but she can't wait to officially sign on the dotted line and join boyfriend Jordan on the show.

'There's sure to be some drama brewing between Sophie, Ella Rae Wise, and Chloe Brockett, too, who both dated Jordan last year.'

Sophie was an original Geordie Shore cast member when the show first launched in 2011 alongside the likes of Charlotte Crosby, Vicky Pattison, Gary Beadle, and Holly Hagan.

While former Love Island contestants including Olivia Attwood, Georgia Harrison, and Cara De La Hyde and Nathan Massey have all joined TOWIE in the past, no one from Geordie Shore or Made In Chelsea has appeared on the ITVBe show.

Ex: Last year, in scenes filmed for TOWIE, Jordan attempted to woo Ella Rae Wise and the couple went on several dates but ultimately, she wasn't interested

Not feeling it: He also romanced Ella's ex-best friend Chloe Brockett, who accused him of only being interested in her during filming to increase his popularity

She left the MTV series for good in 2019 and has been in a relationship with TOWIE's Jordan since November.

Sophie, who previously dated DJ Joel Corry and stripper Jay Bigz, has called Jordan the 'love of her life' on Instagram and dedicated a heartfelt post to their new romance.

In December, Sophie said: 'Just when I was about to give up on love you came into my life and showed me what a true gent and real love is.

'Thank you for making me the happiest girl in the world. My forever JB, I love you.'
UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The United Nations said the 3,330 Afghan men and women it employs stayed home for a second day Thursday to protest the Taliban's ban on U.N. female staff working in the country as it continued to press for the decision to be reversed.

The U.N. Security Council held an emergency meeting on the Taliban's action and pushed its calls for the ban to be overturned.

U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric reiterated the U.N.'s insistence that all U.N. staff are needed to deliver life-saving aid to millions and stressed again that "Afghan women will not be replaced by men." He also said the United Nations doesnt want to get into a situation where it replaces Afghan women with international women, who are not banned from working in the country.

He explained that culturally it is always better to have nationals from a country delivering aid to their local population. The U.N. has a staff of about 3,900 in Afghanistan, including approximately 3,300 Afghans and 600 international personnel. The total also includes 600 Afghan women and 200 women from other countries.

At the closed U.N. Security Council meeting on the Taliban ban, members were briefed by the secretary-generals special representative for Afghanistan, Roza Otunbayeva, who led talks Wednesday with the Talibans foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, to call for a reversal of its decision.

Russias U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia, the current council president, told reporters afterward that "everybody was appalled by the decision the Taliban made."

FILE - Afghan women chant and hold signs of protest during a demonstration in Kabul, Afghanistan, March 26, 2022. The U.N. said Wednesday, April 5, 2023, that it cannot accept a Taliban decision to bar Afghan female staffers from working at the agency, calling it an "unparalleled" violation of women's rights. (AP Photo/Mohammed Shoaib Amin, File)

"The question is how to approach it, and we agreed to work on a product by the council ... that would be useful and balanced," he said.

U.S. deputy ambassador Robert Wood said the Biden administration sees the ban "basically as another effort by the Taliban to erase Afghan women and girls from society."

The United Nations on Wednesday called the ban an "unparalleled" violation of womens rights, unlawful under international law, and unacceptable to the 193-member international organization.

The Taliban decision drew condemnation from the worlds most recognized organizations and on Thursday more than a dozen U.N. experts also demanded the immediate reversal of the countrywide ban on Afghan women working with the United Nations, including the U.N. special investigator on human rights in Afghanistan.

Despite initial promises of a more moderate rule than during its previous stint in power in the 1990s, the Taliban have imposed harsh measures since taking over the country in 2021 as U.S. and NATO forces were pulling out of Afghanistan after two decades of war.

Girls are banned from education beyond sixth grade. Women are barred from working, studying, traveling without a male companion, and even going to parks or gyms. And women must also cover themselves from head to toe. In December, the Taliban banned female workers for humanitarian organizations.

Ramiz Alakbarov, the U.N. deputy special representative and humanitarian coordinator for Afghanistan, said in a statement Thursday that Afghanistan is the worlds largest aid operation, with a record 28.3 million people in need of assistance this year including 20 million facing severe hunger and six million of them "one step away from famine."

The United Nations appealed for $4.6 billion to provide humanitarian aid for Afghanistan in 2023 but the appeal is less than 5% funded, receiving only $213 million which makes it the lowest funded U.N. aid operation globally, he said.

"The world cannot abandon the people of Afghanistan at this precarious moment," Alakbarov said.
Someone following my articles for long, came with loaded questions about the laws of causation driving the living world: Sir, so far as I have understood from Indian scriptures is that it is through Gods will that the manifest world with all its diversity and enormity has come into place. It is again divine power that holds the key to our dynamic existence with all our functionalities going on. So long as divine power is available to us, we are alive. The moment it becomes unavailable, one becomes dead. Here again, God decides our destiny - rewarding for good deeds and painful for all undesirable acts. Truth remains that it is divine power that drives all actions on our part, but our ahamkara makes us believe that we make choices and are doers. Yet you confidently keep writing that we can make conscientious choice to turn life into a beautiful experience through self-efforts. Would it not mean questioning scriptural authority?

Well, it is usual human tendency to look at all happenings even at the invisible higher dimensions of the universe, the way it works for human beings. That tempts them to believe that God (Creative Matrix) would act human like, who willed and the manifest world came into being. Exposure to Advaita Vedanta as explained by Shankaracharya, the summum bonum of Indian philosophy, however, suggests that the Primal-Source wherefrom creation began is formless and attribute-less. Kashmir Shaivism further elaborates that it is in nature of the Creative Matrix to expand and manifest into the world of names and forms, and it happens spontaneously. In the process a well-orchestrated system came into place, which works in self-automated mode. And that system works on different dimensions of existence and species varied ways. Much before the theory of relativity got discovered, there is a story in Mahabharata, which suggests that time scale operative at different dimensions of the Universe are relative.

All species other than human beings are bound by the nature driven design parameters underlying their existence. They instinctively carry on their cyclic functions. The trees, plants, and the animal world begin and end up the way they are born. They cant evolve further to go beyond their sensory limitations, as they do not have a choice. Human beings, on the contrary, enjoy exclusive privilege to guide their actions by choice and discrimination. But whenever choice option is there, the probability of its use and misuse becomes equal. And there is nothing like a free lunch in this world. You have to own up the responsibility of the choices made and bear with the consequences thereto. The quality and content of the choices made and the actions thereto will decide the quality of life, good or bad, you become due for. This is the premise on which law of causation (destiny) stands. We, thus, become subject to a cause-effect chain. And it acts in self-automated mode. No assumed extraneous authority sits on judgment. The quality and intent of our work gets imprinted in mind. It not simply affects us in immediate terms, but its impressions get carried over to the next life in the form of thought-seeds parked in our memory. As and when these memory imprints get a congenial ground, they come into play. They, thus, keep guiding our life pattern unless otherwise consciously amended.

Here again, if there is choice option in hand, it also enjoins upon us with the capability to self-reflect upon our inner frame of mind, identify its inherent traits - weaknesses as well as potential. Following which, we can make necessary amend through fresh educative inputs, transcend our mental and emotional limitations, expand our vision and evolve. Also, hone indwelling potential to come out with ones best. We, thus, could make a conscientious choice to redefine our course of destiny.

A befitting example is the concept underlying Lord Jagannath. He is shown without arms. The belief is that Lord lent his hands to human beings, for them to perform and accordingly, enjoy the fruits of actions, good or bad. Through good deeds you prepare the ground for a better tomorrow. You could also expand your reach beyond the known limits, and improve your striking power to improve the quality of life. Following this spirit only, science and technology have been evolving. Not simply that, you could raise even your level of consciousness (awareness) and evolve to return back and be one with the divine. Otherwise, you will remain stuck to the labyrinth (chakravyuha) of Maya (illusionary living world).

The writer is an astrologer, vastu consultant and spiritual counsellor. Connect with him at Tel: 91-11-9818037273/9871037272, Email: bharatbhushanpadmadeo@gmail.com
Skeena Resources Limited (SKE.V) (CVE:SKE  Get Rating) had its target price boosted by BMO Capital Markets from C$15.00 to C$16.00 in a report published on Thursday, The Fly reports.

Skeena Resources Limited (SKE.V) Stock Down 5.4 %

Shares of Skeena Resources Limited (SKE.V) stock opened at C$2.62 on Thursday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of C$2.62 and a 200-day simple moving average of C$2.62. Skeena Resources Limited has a 52-week low of C$0.38 and a 52-week high of C$3.12. The firm has a market cap of C$431.26 million and a price-to-earnings ratio of -9.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 8.52, a current ratio of 2.28 and a quick ratio of 1.95.

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Insider Buying and Selling at Skeena Resources Limited (SKE.V)

In other news, Director Walter Coles Jr. sold 35,000 shares of Skeena Resources Limited (SKE.V) stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of C$8.02, for a total transaction of C$280,700.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 809,625 shares in the company, valued at approximately C$6,493,192.50.

About Skeena Resources Limited (SKE.V)

Skeena Resources Limited, a junior mining exploration company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of base and precious metal properties in Canada. The company holds 100% interests in the Snip gold mine covering an area of approximately 1,932 hectares; the Spectrum-GJ copper-gold properties covering an area of 43,500 hectares; and the Porter Idaho silver property that consists of 46 crown-granted mineral claims; and Blackdome gold mine property.

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International Paper (NYSE:IP  Get Rating)  Investment analysts at Jefferies Financial Group raised their Q1 2023 earnings estimates for International Paper in a research report issued on Wednesday, April 5th. Jefferies Financial Group analyst P. Ng now expects that the basic materials company will earn $0.49 per share for the quarter, up from their prior forecast of $0.46. The consensus estimate for International Papers current full-year earnings is $2.91 per share. Jefferies Financial Group also issued estimates for International Papers Q3 2023 earnings at $0.84 EPS, Q4 2023 earnings at $0.44 EPS, FY2023 earnings at $2.72 EPS and FY2024 earnings at $2.27 EPS.

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International Paper (NYSE:IP  Get Rating) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, January 31st. The basic materials company reported $0.87 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.69 by $0.18. The business had revenue of $5.13 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.20 billion. International Paper had a return on equity of 15.81% and a net margin of 7.11%. The companys revenue was up .9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.78 EPS.

International Paper Trading Up 0.9 %

A number of other brokerages also recently issued reports on IP. Truist Financial raised their price target on shares of International Paper from $30.00 to $38.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a report on Wednesday, February 1st. UBS Group raised shares of International Paper from a sell rating to a neutral rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $31.00 to $43.00 in a research report on Friday, February 3rd. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price target on International Paper from $36.00 to $40.00 and gave the company a sector perform rating in a report on Wednesday, February 1st. StockNews.com began coverage on International Paper in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a buy rating for the company. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on International Paper from $32.00 to $38.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 1st. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $38.82.

International Paper stock opened at $35.78 on Friday. International Paper has a one year low of $30.69 and a one year high of $50.23. The businesss fifty day moving average is $36.91 and its 200 day moving average is $35.65. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57, a current ratio of 1.35 and a quick ratio of 0.97. The stock has a market capitalization of $12.50 billion, a PE ratio of 8.79 and a beta of 1.05.

International Paper Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 17th were given a $0.4625 dividend. This represents a $1.85 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.17%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 16th. International Papers payout ratio is 45.45%.

Insider Transactions at International Paper

In related news, SVP Aimee K. Gregg sold 1,862 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $36.05, for a total transaction of $67,125.10. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 4,260 shares in the company, valued at approximately $153,573. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. In other International Paper news, SVP Timothy S. Nicholls sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $38.95, for a total value of $194,750.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 129,261 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,034,715.95. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, SVP Aimee K. Gregg sold 1,862 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $36.05, for a total value of $67,125.10. Following the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 4,260 shares in the company, valued at $153,573. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 93,567 shares of company stock valued at $3,261,447 over the last quarter. 0.51% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of International Paper

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in IP. IFM Investors Pty Ltd boosted its stake in International Paper by 5.5% in the 3rd quarter. IFM Investors Pty Ltd now owns 63,370 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $2,009,000 after purchasing an additional 3,277 shares during the period. Royal Bank of Canada grew its stake in International Paper by 5.4% during the third quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 4,019,663 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $127,424,000 after acquiring an additional 206,004 shares in the last quarter. Thoroughbred Financial Services LLC grew its stake in International Paper by 79.5% during the third quarter. Thoroughbred Financial Services LLC now owns 14,275 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $452,000 after acquiring an additional 6,322 shares in the last quarter. Itau Unibanco Holding S.A. increased its holdings in International Paper by 1,459.0% in the 3rd quarter. Itau Unibanco Holding S.A. now owns 11,864 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $376,000 after acquiring an additional 11,103 shares during the last quarter. Finally, International Assets Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in International Paper in the 4th quarter worth $322,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 83.64% of the companys stock.

International Paper Company Profile

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International Paper Co engages in the manufacture of paper and packaging products. It operates through the following segments: Industrial Packaging, Global Cellulose Fibers, and Printing Papers. The Industrial Packaging segment is involved in manufacturing containerboards, which include linerboard, medium, whitetop, recycled linerboard, recycled medium, and saturating kraft.

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Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft assumed coverage on shares of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts (NYSE:WH  Get Rating) in a report published on Wednesday, The Fly reports. The brokerage issued a buy rating and a $79.00 price objective on the stock.

Other equities analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. Robert W. Baird reduced their price target on shares of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts from $88.00 to $86.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, March 9th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on Wyndham Hotels & Resorts from $87.00 to $90.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 7th. Barclays cut their target price on shares of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts from $88.00 to $85.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 20th. Truist Financial boosted their price target on shares of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts from $95.00 to $96.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 21st. Finally, StockNews.com assumed coverage on Wyndham Hotels & Resorts in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $86.92.

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Wyndham Hotels & Resorts Trading Up 0.2 %

NYSE:WH opened at $66.90 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.14, a current ratio of 1.34 and a quick ratio of 1.34. Wyndham Hotels & Resorts has a one year low of $58.81 and a one year high of $93.86. The company has a market cap of $5.77 billion, a PE ratio of 17.15, a PEG ratio of 1.99 and a beta of 1.39. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $73.20 and a 200-day moving average of $71.41.

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts Increases Dividend

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts ( NYSE:WH Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 15th. The company reported $0.72 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.63 by $0.09. Wyndham Hotels & Resorts had a return on equity of 33.61% and a net margin of 23.70%. The business had revenue of $334.00 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $324.33 million. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.69 EPS. The businesss revenue was down 14.8% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Wyndham Hotels & Resorts will post 3.98 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 29th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 15th were issued a $0.35 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 14th. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.09%. This is an increase from Wyndham Hotels & Resortss previous quarterly dividend of $0.32. Wyndham Hotels & Resortss payout ratio is currently 35.90%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Wyndham Hotels & Resorts news, CMO Lisa Checchio sold 6,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $76.90, for a total value of $461,400.00. Following the transaction, the chief marketing officer now owns 13,692 shares in the company, valued at $1,052,914.80. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 2.29% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Wyndham Hotels & Resorts

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System bought a new stake in shares of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts during the 3rd quarter valued at $1,472,000. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. bought a new position in Wyndham Hotels & Resorts during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $243,000. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System bought a new stake in Wyndham Hotels & Resorts during the 4th quarter valued at about $526,000. Verition Fund Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts by 21.5% during the third quarter. Verition Fund Management LLC now owns 25,693 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,576,000 after buying an additional 4,547 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wedge Capital Management L L P NC purchased a new position in Wyndham Hotels & Resorts in the 4th quarter worth approximately $35,088,000. Institutional investors own 91.13% of the companys stock.

About Wyndham Hotels & Resorts

(Get Rating)

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Inc engages in the franchise and operation of hotels under the Wyndham brand. It operates through the following segments: Hotel Franchising and Hotel Management. The Hotel Franchising segment offers licenses of brand names and associated trademarks to hotel owners under long-term franchise agreements.

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NovaGold Resources (NYSE:NG  Get Rating) and Copper Mountain Mining (OTCMKTS:CPPMF  Get Rating) are both basic materials companies, but which is the superior stock? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their valuation, institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, profitability, dividends, risk and earnings.

Profitability

This table compares NovaGold Resources and Copper Mountain Minings net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

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Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets NovaGold Resources N/A -146.22% -32.95% Copper Mountain Mining 9.14% -10.38% -4.65%

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares NovaGold Resources and Copper Mountain Minings gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio NovaGold Resources N/A N/A -$53.34 million ($0.16) -37.75 Copper Mountain Mining $231.89 million 1.49 $24.58 million $0.11 14.66

Insider and Institutional Ownership

Copper Mountain Mining has higher revenue and earnings than NovaGold Resources. NovaGold Resources is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Copper Mountain Mining, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

53.9% of NovaGold Resources shares are held by institutional investors. 3.3% of NovaGold Resources shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of current ratings and price targets for NovaGold Resources and Copper Mountain Mining, as reported by MarketBeat.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score NovaGold Resources 0 0 0 0 N/A Copper Mountain Mining 0 2 2 0 2.50

Copper Mountain Mining has a consensus target price of $2.78, suggesting a potential upside of 72.66%. Given Copper Mountain Minings higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Copper Mountain Mining is more favorable than NovaGold Resources.

Volatility and Risk

NovaGold Resources has a beta of 0.85, indicating that its share price is 15% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Copper Mountain Mining has a beta of 1.99, indicating that its share price is 99% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Summary

Copper Mountain Mining beats NovaGold Resources on 9 of the 11 factors compared between the two stocks.

About NovaGold Resources

(Get Rating)

NovaGold Resources, Inc. is a mineral exploration company, which engages in the development of the Donlin Gold project in Alaska. The company was founded by Gregory Shawn Johnson, John W. Chisholm, Macisaac G. Angus, Rick van Nieuwenhuyse, and Gerald James McConnell on December 5, 1984 and is headquartered in Salt Lake City, UT.

About Copper Mountain Mining

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Copper Mountain Mining Corp. engages in the exploration, development and operation of mineral deposits. It holds interest in copper mountain mine, Eva Copper, New Ingerbelle and Cameron copper projects. The company was founded on April 20, 2006 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

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StockNews.com upgraded shares of Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras S.A.  Eletrobras (NYSE:EBR  Get Rating) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note released on Thursday.

Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras S.A.  Eletrobras Stock Down 0.6 %

EBR stock opened at $6.51 on Thursday. Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras S.A.  Eletrobras has a 1-year low of $5.67 and a 1-year high of $10.39. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $6.67 and a 200-day moving average price of $7.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47, a current ratio of 1.88 and a quick ratio of 1.83. The stock has a market capitalization of $10.21 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.43, a P/E/G ratio of 0.64 and a beta of 0.78.

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Institutional Investors Weigh In On Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras S.A.  Eletrobras

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Atlas Capital Advisors LLC raised its position in Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras S.A.  Eletrobras by 4.5% in the third quarter. Atlas Capital Advisors LLC now owns 29,851 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $240,000 after acquiring an additional 1,280 shares during the period. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. raised its position in shares of Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras S.A.  Eletrobras by 49.0% during the 1st quarter. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. now owns 4,898 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $39,000 after buying an additional 1,611 shares in the last quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. raised its position in Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras S.A.  Eletrobras by 13.9% during the first quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 13,966 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $110,000 after purchasing an additional 1,699 shares during the period. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. lifted its position in Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras S.A.  Eletrobras by 6.2% in the first quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 29,770 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $235,000 after buying an additional 1,737 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras S.A.  Eletrobras by 40.0% in the 4th quarter. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. now owns 14,000 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $111,000 after acquiring an additional 4,000 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 2.37% of the companys stock.

About Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras S.A.  Eletrobras

Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras SA engages in the production and dissemination of electricity. It operates through the Generation and Transmission segments. The Generation segment refers to the electric power generation including hydroelectric, thermal, and nuclear power plants. The Transmission segment focuses on the transmission of electric power in Brazil.

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China CITIC Bank (OTCMKTS:CHCJY  Get Rating) and Fuchs Petrolub (OTCMKTS:FUPBY  Get Rating) are both finance companies, but which is the superior stock? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their profitability, earnings, institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, risk, dividends and valuation.

Dividends

China CITIC Bank pays an annual dividend of $0.76 per share and has a dividend yield of 8.1%. Fuchs Petrolub pays an annual dividend of $0.18 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.8%. Fuchs Petrolub pays out 35.3% of its earnings in the form of a dividend.

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Earnings & Valuation

This table compares China CITIC Bank and Fuchs Petrolubs top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio China CITIC Bank $55.59 billion 0.41 $9.23 billion N/A N/A Fuchs Petrolub $3.40 billion 1.67 $299.32 million $0.51 19.97

Analyst Recommendations

China CITIC Bank has higher revenue and earnings than Fuchs Petrolub.

This is a breakdown of recent ratings and recommmendations for China CITIC Bank and Fuchs Petrolub, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score China CITIC Bank 0 0 0 0 N/A Fuchs Petrolub 0 0 3 0 3.00

Fuchs Petrolub has a consensus price target of $43.00, suggesting a potential upside of 322.19%. Given Fuchs Petrolubs higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe Fuchs Petrolub is more favorable than China CITIC Bank.

Volatility & Risk

China CITIC Bank has a beta of 0.02, indicating that its stock price is 98% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Fuchs Petrolub has a beta of 1.03, indicating that its stock price is 3% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Profitability

This table compares China CITIC Bank and Fuchs Petrolubs net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets China CITIC Bank N/A N/A N/A Fuchs Petrolub N/A N/A N/A

About China CITIC Bank

(Get Rating)

China CITIC Bank Corporation Limited provides various banking products and services in the People's Republic of China and internationally. The company operates through Corporate Banking, Personal Banking, and Treasury Operations segments. It accepts deposits; offers corporate and personal loans; and provides securities agency, remittance and settlement, and guarantee services, as well as investment banking and international services. The company also engages in the capital markets operations and inter-bank operations, including inter-bank money market transactions, repurchase transactions, investments, and trading in debt instruments; and derivatives and forex trading. In addition, it offers asset management, finance leasing, and other non-banking financial services. The company serves corporations, government agencies, and non-financial institutions; and individual customers and micro and small enterprises. As of December 31, 2021, it operated 1,415 outlets, including 37 tier-one branches, 126 tier-two branches, and 1,252 sub-branches; 1,569 self-service banks; and 5,398 self-service terminals, as well as 9,078 smart teller machines. The company was founded in 1987 and is headquartered in Beijing, the People's Republic of China. China CITIC Bank Corporation Limited operates as a subsidiary of CITIC Corporation Limited.

About Fuchs Petrolub

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Fuchs Petrolub SE engages in the development, production, and sale of lubricants and related specialties. Its products include engine oils, motorcycle lubricants, service fluids, greases, corrosion preventives, cleaners, and concrete release agents. It also provides analytical, technical, open gear, and coating services. The company was founded by Rudolf Fuchs in 1931 and is headquartered in Mannheim, Germany.

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FLC Capital Advisors boosted its stake in NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE:NEE  Get Rating) by 5.5% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 8,499 shares of the utilities providers stock after buying an additional 444 shares during the quarter. FLC Capital Advisors holdings in NextEra Energy were worth $711,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of NextEra Energy by 2.1% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 189,253,007 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $14,839,329,000 after acquiring an additional 3,870,385 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its holdings in shares of NextEra Energy by 1.6% during the third quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 19,626,941 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $1,538,947,000 after purchasing an additional 315,356 shares during the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc increased its stake in shares of NextEra Energy by 0.8% in the second quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 16,099,565 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $1,247,074,000 after buying an additional 124,572 shares in the last quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. raised its holdings in shares of NextEra Energy by 4.8% in the third quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 10,622,137 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $832,882,000 after buying an additional 482,717 shares during the last quarter. Finally, UBS Asset Management Americas Inc. lifted its position in NextEra Energy by 1.4% during the 3rd quarter. UBS Asset Management Americas Inc. now owns 10,087,751 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $790,981,000 after buying an additional 141,691 shares in the last quarter. 76.17% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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NextEra Energy Stock Performance

Shares of NextEra Energy stock opened at $78.97 on Friday. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $74.94 and its 200 day simple moving average is $79.12. The company has a current ratio of 0.51, a quick ratio of 0.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.14. The company has a market capitalization of $159.79 billion, a PE ratio of 37.78, a PEG ratio of 2.80 and a beta of 0.47. NextEra Energy, Inc. has a 12 month low of $67.22 and a 12 month high of $91.35.

NextEra Energy Increases Dividend

NextEra Energy ( NYSE:NEE Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 25th. The utilities provider reported $0.51 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.50 by $0.01. NextEra Energy had a return on equity of 12.51% and a net margin of 19.79%. The company had revenue of $6.16 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.58 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.41 earnings per share. NextEra Energys revenue was up 22.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts predict that NextEra Energy, Inc. will post 3.12 EPS for the current year.

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 28th were given a dividend of $0.4675 per share. This is an increase from NextEra Energys previous quarterly dividend of $0.43. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 27th. This represents a $1.87 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.37%. NextEra Energys dividend payout ratio is currently 89.47%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Amy B. Lane bought 1,000 shares of NextEra Energy stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 6th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $74.86 per share, with a total value of $74,860.00. Following the purchase, the director now owns 41,277 shares in the company, valued at $3,089,996.22. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other NextEra Energy news, CEO Armando Pimentel, Jr. purchased 13,200 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 21st. The stock was bought at an average cost of $75.44 per share, with a total value of $995,808.00. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer now directly owns 129,230 shares of the companys stock, valued at $9,749,111.20. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Amy B. Lane acquired 1,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 6th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $74.86 per share, for a total transaction of $74,860.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 41,277 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,089,996.22. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders have purchased a total of 18,872 shares of company stock worth $1,417,721 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.38% of the companys stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Credit Suisse Group dropped their target price on shares of NextEra Energy from $89.00 to $85.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 26th. Erste Group Bank raised NextEra Energy from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 28th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on NextEra Energy from $110.00 to $100.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, March 2nd. Bank of America lowered shares of NextEra Energy from a buy rating to a neutral rating and reduced their target price for the company from $94.00 to $80.00 in a research note on Thursday, January 26th. Finally, Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on shares of NextEra Energy from $97.00 to $94.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, March 21st. Five 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, NextEra Energy has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $91.58.

About NextEra Energy

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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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Taipei, Apr 9 (UNI) The Taiwanese Defense Ministry said that it had detected 71 jets and nine vessels of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) approaching Taiwan on Saturday as part of the Chinese air and naval military exercises around the island.

Earlier in the day, China announced that its armed forces would be conducting military exercises from April 8-10 in the maritime area and airspace around Taiwan. The drill is a warning to supporters of Taiwan's independence, as well as a measure to protect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of China, according to Beijing. It came a couple of days after Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen met with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and other lawmakers in Los Angeles during a transit visit to the US on her way back from Guatemala and Belize.

"71 PLA aircraft and 9 vessels were detected by 16:00(UTC+8) [08:00 GMT] on April 8th. 45 of the detected aircraft had crossed northern, central, and southern median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered our southwest ADIZ [air defense identification zone]," the defense ministry tweeted.

Taiwan has been governed independently from mainland China since 1949. Beijing views the island as its province, while Taiwan  a territory with its own elected government  maintains that it is an autonomous country but stops short of declaring independence. Beijing opposes any official contacts of foreign states with Taipei and considers Chinese sovereignty over the island indisputable.

UNI/SPUTNIK GNK
International Flavors & Fragrances (NYSE:IFF  Get Rating) had its price target cut by Morgan Stanley from $136.00 to $125.00 in a research note released on Wednesday morning, Benzinga reports. They currently have an overweight rating on the specialty chemicals companys stock.

A number of other research firms have also issued reports on IFF. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered their target price on International Flavors & Fragrances from $120.00 to $110.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 10th. Citigroup boosted their target price on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $100.00 to $114.00 in a research report on Thursday, December 15th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from $123.00 to $110.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 10th. Bank of America raised shares of International Flavors & Fragrances from an underperform rating to a neutral rating and cut their price objective for the company from $121.00 to $106.00 in a research report on Friday, February 10th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their target price on International Flavors & Fragrances from $139.00 to $141.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 24th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $114.73.

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International Flavors & Fragrances Stock Up 1.3 %

Shares of IFF stock opened at $91.45 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $23.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -12.67, a PEG ratio of 4.43 and a beta of 1.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a current ratio of 1.99. The stocks 50 day simple moving average is $93.88 and its 200 day simple moving average is $98.56. International Flavors & Fragrances has a twelve month low of $81.53 and a twelve month high of $135.17.

International Flavors & Fragrances Announces Dividend

International Flavors & Fragrances ( NYSE:IFF Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 8th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.97 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.96 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $2.84 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.89 billion. International Flavors & Fragrances had a negative net margin of 14.81% and a positive return on equity of 7.46%. International Flavors & Fragrancess quarterly revenue was down 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.10 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that International Flavors & Fragrances will post 4.87 EPS for the current year.

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 6th. Investors of record on Friday, March 24th were given a dividend of $0.81 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 23rd. This represents a $3.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.54%. International Flavors & Fragrancess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -44.88%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On International Flavors & Fragrances

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of IFF. SVB Wealth LLC lifted its holdings in International Flavors & Fragrances by 4.0% during the 1st quarter. SVB Wealth LLC now owns 2,077 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock worth $273,000 after buying an additional 79 shares in the last quarter. Covestor Ltd boosted its holdings in International Flavors & Fragrances by 48.8% in the first quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 244 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 80 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. increased its position in International Flavors & Fragrances by 2.4% in the first quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. now owns 3,792 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock worth $498,000 after purchasing an additional 90 shares during the period. Spire Wealth Management raised its holdings in International Flavors & Fragrances by 2.3% during the 4th quarter. Spire Wealth Management now owns 4,249 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock worth $445,000 after purchasing an additional 97 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Riverview Trust Co boosted its stake in shares of International Flavors & Fragrances by 64.1% in the 3rd quarter. Riverview Trust Co now owns 274 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 107 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 88.86% of the companys stock.

About International Flavors & Fragrances

(Get Rating)

International Flavors & Fragrances, Inc engages in the manufacture and supply of flavors and fragrances used in the food, beverage, personal care, and household products industries. It operates through the following segments: Nourish, Health & Biosciences, Scent and Pharma Solutions. The Nourish segment consists of legacy Taste segment combined with N&Bs Food & Beverage division and the food protection business of N&Bs Health & Biosciences division.

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StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Leju (NYSE:LEJU  Get Rating) in a report issued on Thursday. The brokerage issued a buy rating on the financial services providers stock.

Leju Trading Down 3.3 %

Leju stock opened at $1.35 on Thursday. Leju has a 1 year low of $1.03 and a 1 year high of $7.20. The firms 50 day moving average price is $1.26 and its 200-day moving average price is $1.42.

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Leju Company Profile

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Further Reading

Leju Holdings Ltd. engages in the provision of online-to-offline real estate services. It offers electronic commerce, online advertising, and listing services on new residential property sales. The company was founded on November 20, 2013 and is headquartered in Beijing, China.

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MetLife Investment Management LLC trimmed its position in Genesco Inc. (NYSE:GCO  Get Rating) by 6.5% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 7,299 shares of the companys stock after selling 508 shares during the period. MetLife Investment Management LLC owned about 0.06% of Genesco worth $336,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of GCO. Lazard Asset Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Genesco by 41.0% in the first quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 708 shares of the companys stock valued at $45,000 after acquiring an additional 206 shares in the last quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors lifted its holdings in Genesco by 45.2% in the 1st quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 1,227 shares of the companys stock valued at $78,000 after purchasing an additional 382 shares in the last quarter. Mutual of America Capital Management LLC boosted its position in Genesco by 19.6% during the third quarter. Mutual of America Capital Management LLC now owns 2,594 shares of the companys stock worth $102,000 after acquiring an additional 426 shares during the last quarter. Gladius Capital Management LP raised its holdings in Genesco by 69.5% in the 4th quarter. Gladius Capital Management LP now owns 2,824 shares of the companys stock valued at $130,000 after acquiring an additional 1,158 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky purchased a new position in Genesco in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $177,000. 94.27% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently commented on the company. Seaport Res Ptn raised Genesco from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, March 28th. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Genesco in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating on the stock.

Genesco Trading Down 0.6 %

Shares of NYSE GCO traded down $0.23 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $36.17. 108,095 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 241,845. The stock has a market capitalization of $455.74 million, a P/E ratio of 6.21 and a beta of 1.93. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a quick ratio of 0.32 and a current ratio of 1.59. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $42.38 and a 200 day simple moving average of $44.25. Genesco Inc. has a twelve month low of $33.54 and a twelve month high of $71.78.

Genesco (NYSE:GCO  Get Rating) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, March 9th. The company reported $3.06 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $3.02 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $725.00 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $727.43 million. Genesco had a return on equity of 12.23% and a net margin of 3.02%. The companys revenue for the quarter was down .4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $3.48 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts expect that Genesco Inc. will post 5.45 earnings per share for the current year.

About Genesco

(Get Rating)

Genesco, Inc engages in sourcing and design, marketing, and distribution of footwear, apparel, and accessories. It operates through the following business segments: Journeys Group, Schuh Group, Johnston and Murphy Group, and Genesco Brands Group. The Journeys Group segment operates the Journeys, Journeys Kidz, and Little Burgundy retail stores retail footwear chain.

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MYT Netherlands Parent B.V. (NYSE:MYTE  Get Rating) has been given an average recommendation of Moderate Buy by the eight brokerages that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and four have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $12.63.

MYTE has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. TD Cowen cut shares of MYT Netherlands Parent B.V. from an outperform rating to a market perform rating and decreased their price objective for the company from $13.00 to $7.00 in a report on Thursday, March 16th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on shares of MYT Netherlands Parent B.V. from $10.00 to $9.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on shares of MYT Netherlands Parent B.V. from $11.00 to $9.00 in a research report on Monday, April 3rd. Finally, UBS Group decreased their target price on MYT Netherlands Parent B.V. from $14.00 to $10.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Thursday.

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MYT Netherlands Parent B.V. Stock Performance

MYTE stock opened at $7.07 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.66, a current ratio of 2.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09. MYT Netherlands Parent B.V. has a twelve month low of $5.87 and a twelve month high of $15.90. The businesss fifty day moving average is $8.27 and its 200-day moving average is $9.76. The company has a market cap of $600.10 million, a P/E ratio of -78.56 and a beta of 1.07.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

MYT Netherlands Parent B.V. ( NYSE:MYTE Get Rating ) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 23rd. The company reported $0.13 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.19 by ($0.06). The company had revenue of $194.10 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $206.80 million. MYT Netherlands Parent B.V. had a negative net margin of 0.99% and a positive return on equity of 7.83%. Equities research analysts forecast that MYT Netherlands Parent B.V. will post 0.43 EPS for the current year.

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of MYTE. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. raised its position in MYT Netherlands Parent B.V. by 11.2% in the 1st quarter. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. now owns 24,145 shares of the companys stock valued at $295,000 after buying an additional 2,429 shares during the last quarter. Lord Abbett & CO. LLC grew its stake in shares of MYT Netherlands Parent B.V. by 18.1% during the 1st quarter. Lord Abbett & CO. LLC now owns 296,518 shares of the companys stock worth $3,626,000 after acquiring an additional 45,369 shares in the last quarter. Sei Investments Co. lifted its position in shares of MYT Netherlands Parent B.V. by 2.5% in the first quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 67,704 shares of the companys stock worth $828,000 after purchasing an additional 1,675 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. boosted its holdings in MYT Netherlands Parent B.V. by 0.3% during the first quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 1,185,003 shares of the companys stock worth $14,492,000 after purchasing an additional 3,444 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Quantbot Technologies LP acquired a new position in MYT Netherlands Parent B.V. during the first quarter worth $56,000. 21.84% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

MYT Netherlands Parent B.V. Company Profile

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MYT Netherlands Parent B.V., through its subsidiary, Mytheresa Group GmbH, operates a luxury e-commerce platform for fashion consumers in Germany, the United States, rest of Europe, and internationally. It offers womenswear, menswear, kids wear, and lifestyle products. The company sells clothes, bags, shoes, accessories, and fine jewelry through online and retail stores.

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Optas LLC bought a new stake in Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM  Get Rating) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund bought 1,978 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $200,000.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in PM. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in Philip Morris International by 1.1% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 132,480,611 shares of the companys stock valued at $10,997,216,000 after buying an additional 1,451,582 shares in the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. raised its stake in shares of Philip Morris International by 1.0% in the third quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 100,951,462 shares of the companys stock valued at $8,379,979,000 after acquiring an additional 962,801 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp boosted its holdings in shares of Philip Morris International by 0.7% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 57,777,797 shares of the companys stock worth $4,868,937,000 after acquiring an additional 389,746 shares in the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD boosted its holdings in shares of Philip Morris International by 22.7% in the 3rd quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 35,468,228 shares of the companys stock worth $2,944,500,000 after acquiring an additional 6,558,762 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its position in Philip Morris International by 1.7% during the 3rd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 16,050,540 shares of the companys stock worth $1,332,355,000 after acquiring an additional 260,832 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 75.85% of the companys stock.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have issued reports on the company. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded Philip Morris International from a hold rating to a buy rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $86.00 to $118.00 in a research report on Thursday, January 19th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised Philip Morris International from a neutral rating to a buy rating and lifted their price target for the company from $95.00 to $120.00 in a report on Wednesday, January 25th. UBS Group raised shares of Philip Morris International from a neutral rating to a buy rating and increased their price objective for the stock from $106.00 to $116.00 in a report on Wednesday, March 1st. 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 research note on Thursday, February 2nd. Finally, Citigroup reiterated a neutral rating and set a $109.00 target price on shares of Philip Morris International in a research report on Tuesday, December 13th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and seven have given a 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 $110.36.

Philip Morris International Price Performance

Shares of NYSE PM traded up $0.29 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $99.03. The companys stock had a trading volume of 3,469,537 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,766,197. Philip Morris International Inc. has a one year low of $82.85 and a one year high of $109.81. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $98.78 and its 200-day simple moving average is $96.77. The stock has a market cap of $153.71 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.04, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.14 and a beta of 0.68.

Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM  Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 9th. The company reported $1.39 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.29 by $0.10. Philip Morris International had a net margin of 11.22% and a negative return on equity of 127.24%. The firm had revenue of $8.15 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $7.54 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.35 earnings per share. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up .6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Philip Morris International Inc. will post 6.31 EPS for the current year.

Philip Morris International Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 11th. Investors 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.13%. Philip Morris Internationals dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 87.44%.

Insider Activity at Philip Morris International

In other Philip Morris International news, Chairman Andre Calantzopoulos sold 80,000 shares of the firms 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 transaction, the chairman now owns 1,007,048 shares in the company, valued at $101,057,266.80. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. In other Philip Morris International news, Chairman Andre Calantzopoulos sold 80,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $100.35, for a total value 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 transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Stacey Kennedy sold 8,756 shares of Philip Morris International stock in a transaction on Friday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $101.31, for a total transaction of $887,070.36. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 47,731 shares in the company, valued at $4,835,627.61. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 117,064 shares of company stock worth $11,738,763. 0.13% of the stock is owned by insiders.

About Philip Morris International

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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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Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft started coverage on shares of Toast (NYSE:TOST  Get Rating) in a research note released on Thursday morning, The Fly reports. The firm issued a hold rating and a $20.00 price target on the stock.

Other analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. Needham & Company LLC reduced their price objective on shares of Toast from $32.00 to $30.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 17th. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group cut Toast from an outperform rating to a neutral rating and decreased their price target for the company from $26.00 to $23.00 in a research note on Friday, February 17th. Mizuho cut their price objective on Toast from $24.00 to $23.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 17th. Robert W. Baird downgraded shares of Toast from an outperform rating to a neutral rating and decreased their target price for the company from $26.00 to $24.00 in a research report on Tuesday, January 24th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their price target 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. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $23.25.

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Toast Stock Up 1.1 %

Shares of TOST stock opened at $16.55 on Thursday. Toast has a twelve month low of $11.91 and a twelve month high of $26.03. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $19.40 and its 200 day simple moving average is $19.07. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.72 billion, a P/E ratio of -23.99 and a beta of 1.74.

Insider Activity

Toast ( NYSE:TOST Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 16th. The company reported ($0.19) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of ($0.18) by ($0.01). The firm had revenue of $769.00 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $753.13 million. Toast had a negative net margin of 10.03% and a negative return on equity of 24.30%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 50.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted ($0.46) earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Toast will post -0.59 EPS for the current fiscal year.

In related news, insider Stephen Fredette sold 136,364 shares of the stock in a transaction 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 in the company, valued at approximately $80,930,356.74. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In other Toast 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 sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 171,063 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $3,323,754.09. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Stephen Fredette sold 136,364 shares of the 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 completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 3,655,391 shares of the companys stock, valued at $80,930,356.74. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 387,616 shares of company stock worth $8,563,306 over the last quarter. 20.16% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Toast

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. SG Americas Securities LLC grew its stake in shares of Toast by 214.5% in the 3rd quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 28,674 shares of the companys stock worth $479,000 after acquiring an additional 19,557 shares in the last quarter. Lord Abbett & CO. LLC purchased a new position in Toast during the third quarter worth about $3,453,000. Paloma Partners Management Co boosted its holdings in Toast by 215.1% during the second quarter. Paloma Partners Management Co now owns 54,500 shares of the companys stock worth $705,000 after purchasing an additional 37,203 shares during the last quarter. Trinity Financial Advisors LLC grew its position in Toast by 6.4% in the 3rd quarter. Trinity Financial Advisors LLC now owns 22,693 shares of the companys stock worth $379,000 after purchasing an additional 1,365 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Amalgamated Bank increased its stake in Toast by 10.6% in the 3rd quarter. Amalgamated Bank now owns 55,758 shares of the companys stock valued at $932,000 after buying an additional 5,326 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 50.82% of the companys stock.

About Toast

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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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Telangana BJP president and MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar alleged that the police had grabbed his phone during the arrest and handed it over to Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao. (File Photo: Twitter)

Warangal: The ongoing political row between the BRS and the BJP over the SSC Hindi question paper leak case has taken a new turn on Sunday when BJP state president Bandi Sanjay Kumar filed a complaint against Karimnagar Two Town police, alleging that he had lost his mobile phone when they detained him on Tuesday night.

While the police insisted that Sanjay had hidden his phone after the question paper leak and had refused to hand it over to the investigating officers despite being asked to do so, Sanjay filed an online complaint on Sunday appealing to the police officials to find his phone because it contained contact information of important persons.

Sanjay claimed in his complaint that on the intervening night of April 4 and 5, while being transported from Karimnagar town to Bommalaramaram police station, he realised that he had lost his cell phone with the number 768*****00 and informed the police when he was being transported to the Hanamkonda court in a police van.

He stated in his complaint that he was using his sister's SIM card for security purposes. He claimed that he apprised law enforcement officials during his detention at the Kamalapur police station, and that he also informed his advocates about the loss of his mobile phone, who in turn brought the issue to the attention of the Hanamkonda court magistrate during bail arguments.

In his complaint, Sanjay added that when police officers arrested him, the phone was with him but it went missing while he was being taken from Rachakonda to Hanamkonda, and he sought an investigation to be conducted to recover his mobile phone.

Later, speaking at a meeting of the BJP task force on the TSPSC paper leak, Sanjay alleged that the police had grabbed his phone during the arrest and handed over it to Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao. "A few ministers and BRS MLAs had spoken to me on the phone. Noticing the details, KCR must shocked," he said.

"From Karimnagar to Siddipet, my phone was with me. After this, the police took it," he alleged. Sanjay said the Chandrashekar Rao government may harass BJP activists in the coming days.

On the PSC paper leak, Sanjay said, "We will fight till K.T. Rama Rao dismissed from the cabinet for TSPSC papers leakage."
Ayodhya (UP), Apr 9 (UNI) Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday said that though his visit to Ayodhya was entirely religious, but many people were having allergy and pain due to it.

While addressing a press conference after visiting Ram Lala temple at Shri Ram Janmabhoomi and famous Hanuman Garhi, Shinde said, "Our visit to Ayodhya is completely religious but many people are having allergy and pain due to it."

Without taking names, he said that some people are also opposing the visit, but it was done in an auspicious and holy environment. "Today our cabinet ministers from all over Maharashtra came here and had darshan of Lord Ram with us," he said.

The Maharashtra CM said that Maharashtra's Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis had also come and they together visited Ram Lala and the famous Hanuman Garhi temple. He said Fadnavis left for Delhi as he had to attend an important meeting.

He said that he performed Aarti in the Shri Ram temple and took the blessings of the saints. He once again reiterated that the temple is not a political issue but a matter of faith.

Shinde said that some people are allergic to Hindutva, which is the way of life, and spread false rumours, he said that Balasaheb Thackeray led a Hindutva life.

He said that no one should be disrespected, but after Narendra Modi came to power the construction of Ram temple became possible.

Without taking the name of Uddhav Thackeray, he attacked the former Maharashtra CM and said that there was Lord Shriram who spent fourteen years in exile to keep the promise of his father and there is a son who falsified the promise of his father and formed the government.

Shinde said that Uddhav misled the people of Maharashtra. "Respecting the sentiments of Balasaheb Thackeray, we followed his promise and Shiv Sena formed the government with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)," he said.

He said that the BJP and Shiv Sena will emerge victorious in 2024 elections and the BJP government will be formed. He said that before the formation of the government, Uddhav Thackeray had said that first temple and then the government, but he continued to oppose the temple even after forming the government.

Shinde said Uddhav formed the government by falsifying his father's promise out of greed, but respecting the people of Maharashtra, he(Shinde) fulfilled the dreams of Balasaheb. He said that his government is the government of farmers, poor people, students and workers.

He said, "We don't run the government by sitting in AC. Our government is attached to the ground. We have the ability to go door-to-door to compensate farmers for their losses."

The Maharashtra CM said that it was Balasaheb's dream that Article 370 should be abrogated in Kashmir and Ram Mandir should be built there. He said that Article 370 has been abrogated and a grand Ram temple is also being built in Ayodhya after realising the 500 year old dream.

Attacking former Congress president Rahul Gandhi without taking his name, he said that the country is being defamed on the foreign soil. Regarding construction of Maharashtra Bhawan in Ayodhya he said that Samrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Bhawan will be constructed in Ayodhya and they have requested land from Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for the building.

Earlier, Maharashtra CM Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis paid obeisance at the famous Hanuman Garhi temple after offering prayers at Ram Lala Virajman at Shri Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya.

Shinde was accompanied by 12 ministers of Maharashtra government, 13 MPs and 45 MLAs, besides around 70 Shiv Sena leaders.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi caressing an elephant besides Bomman and Bellie who starred in the Oscar-winning documentary The Elephant Whisperers' in Nilgiri Theppakadu Elephant camp during his visit to Mudumalai Tiger Reserves, in Karnataka (AFP)

New Delhi: India does not believe in conflict between ecology and economy but gave importance to coexistence between the two, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday. Launching the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA), which aims to protect and conserve big cats, Modi said protection of wildlife was a universal issue.

Speaking after inaugurating the programme "Commemoration of 50 years of Project Tiger" organised at the Karnataka State Open University, the Prime Minister cited data to show that the tiger population in India stood at 3,167 in 2022, up from 2,967 in 2018, and 1,411 in 2006. "The tiger numbers we have now reached show that this family of ours is growing. This is a moment of pride."

Calling for a standing ovation to celebrate the rise in tiger population, Modi said, "I am confident and I assure the world that in the days to come, we will achieve more."

The Prime Minister noted that India has not only saved the tiger population from declining but also provided an ecosystem for the tigers to flourish.

Speaking about the increasing tiger population in India, which is either stagnating or decling in other countries, Modi said the answer lies hidden in Indias culture and traditions and its natural urge towards biodiversity and the environment.

"India does not believe in the conflict between ecology and economy and gives equal importance to the coexistence of both," he said.

Pointing out that cheetahs had become extinct in India decades ago, the Prime Minister referred to the recent initiative where the big cats were brought to India from Namibia and South Africa and said it was the first successful transcontinental translocation of the big cat. He also talked about the birth of four cheetah cubs in Kuno National Park a few days ago.

Modi also stressed on the importance of international cooperation for the protection and prosperity of biodiversity.

In July 2019, the Prime Minister had called for an Alliance of Global Leaders to obliterate demand and curb poaching and illegal wildlife trade in Asia. Taking the message forward, the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) was launched today.

The IBCA will focus on the protection and conservation of seven major big cats of the world  tiger, lion, leopard, snow leopard, puma, jaguar and cheetah  with a range of countries harbouring these species as its members.

The Sahyadri or Western Ghats have several tribal communities that have worked for wildlife and tigers to flourish, Modi noted as he lauded their contribution to conservation efforts.

"The Oscar-winning documentary The Elephant Whisperers also depicts the traditional bond between nature and creatures," Modi said.

Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister went on a safari at the Bandipur Tiger Reserve in Karnataka as part of programmes to mark 50 years of "Project Tiger".

Dressed in speckled safari clothing and a hat, he covered about 20 km in an open jeep inside the reserve, located partly in Gundlupet taluk of Chamarajanagar district and partly in H.D. Kote and Nanjangud taluks of Mysuru district.

"Spent the morning at the scenic Bandipur Tiger Reserve and got a glimpse of India's wildlife, natural beauty and diversity," the Prime Minister tweeted, along with pictures of the safari.

During his address at the event, the Prime Minister also said that India, with just 2.4 per cent of the world's land area, contributes nearly eight per cent of the known global diversity. It is the largest tiger range country in the world. "With nearly 30,000 elephants, we are the largest Asiatic elephant range country in the world. Our rhino population of nearly 3,000 makes us the largest single-horned rhino country in the world," he stated.

"India is the only country to have Asiatic lions and their population has increased from around 525 in 2015 to 675 in 2020. The leopard population is up by 60 per cent in a span of four years. Also, endangered aquatic species have shown improvement through measures like cleaning of rivers and water bodies."

Highlighting the increase in forest and tree cover, Modi said India added over 2,200 sq km of forest and tree cover by 2021 in comparison to 2019 figures.

"In a decade, the number of national parks and sanctuaries around which eco-sensitive zones were notified, increased from 9 to 468," the Prime Minister added.
Union Minister Pralhad Joshi and Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai arrive to attend BJP's Central Election Committee meeting, ahead of the Karnataka Assembly elections, in New Delhi, (PTI/Kamal Kishore))

New Delhi: The Karnataka BJP will release its list of candidates for the Assembly polls on Monday or Tuesday, after incorporating directions given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said, after a three-hour meeting of the party central election committee.

The Karnataka polls are scheduled for May 10, and the last day to file nominations is April 20. The Congress has finalised 141 names for the 224-seat Assembly.

Prime Minister Modi, Union ministers Rajnath Singh and Amit Shah and BJP president J.P. Nadda and other members of the CEC as well as Bommai deliberated on the names of probable candidates.

Senior party leaders have been holding talks for a couple of days to winnow down the list of probables before the CEC takes a final call. The BJP, which aims to come back to power, has set a target of winning at least 150 seats.
Minister K.T. Rama Rao on Sunday stated that the party leadership had decided to keep the event low-key. (Image Source: Twitter)

HYDERABAD: The Bharat Rashtra Samithi's (BRS) first foundation day, scheduled for April 27, will be held at Telangana Bhavan and will be a low-key event with 300 general body members, contrary to the party's usual practice of holding its plenary outside the party headquarters with over 3,000 delegates, followed by a large public meeting.

Each year, the BRS (formerly TRS) has held its plenary to commemorate the partys foundation day in a grand style at function halls or the LB Stadium or the HICC, but party working president and minister K.T. Rama Rao on Sunday stated that the party leadership had decided to keep the event low-key because of the severe heat conditions. Further, the party will kickstart the Assembly poll campaign with a mega rally in Warangal on October 10.

There have been instances of the party organising its plenaries and public meetings in districts like Warangal, Khammam, among others. Since this will be the first public function held by the party since changing its name from the TRS to the BRS in October of last year in order to enter the national political firmament, party leaders and workers expected the leadership to hold the plenary and public function in a grand manner.

The fact that this year's plenary will be the party's last one before the crucial Assembly elections in December gives it added significance.

According to sources, the CM had proposed to invite national leaders in addition to the CMs of regional-party ruled states, as well as heads of regional parties opposing the BJP, to give the event a "national look". However, the CM dropped his original plans.

According to BRS circles, the CM is waiting for the Karnataka Assembly election results to determine whether he will form alliances or fronts with regional parties against the BJP for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Until the Karnataka results are released on May 13, he will not be able to make any national political moves. In view of this, insiders claim that the CM intends to make the party's plenary a low-key event.

Meanwhile, Rama Rao on Sunday directed party leaders to hold the Assembly constituency-wise party delegates meeting on April 25 as a prelude to plenary on April 27.

Insiders said Rama Rao expressed satisfaction with the BRS Atmeeya Sammelans being held in all constituencies, noting that the sammelans had been successful in uniting party leaders and workers and preparing the party for the upcoming Assembly elections. He asked the party leaders to continue the sammelans until the end of May.

He stated that Chandrashekar Rao had appointed Marri Rajashekar Reddy, Nand Kishore Vyas Bilal and party MP Maloth Kavitha as incharges for the Secunderabad Cantonment, Goshamahal and Bhadrachalam Assembly constituencies for conducting Atmeeya Sammelans and party foundation day programmes because these constituencies are not represented by the party MLAs.
BJP leaders and activists carry party Telangana chief Bandi Sanjay on their shoulders after he arrives at the Parade Grounds for the public meeting held by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Secunderabad on Saturday. DC Image

Telangana BJP president Bandi Sanjay Kumar got a rousing reception on his arrival at Parade Ground for the Modi event and public meeting. BJP cadre promptly picked him up, and carried him on their shoulders amidst loud cheers. MLA Etala Rajendar too was picked up by his supporters briefly, while MLA G. Raghunandan Rao and MP Arvind Dhramapuri received raucous reception by the crowd.

Talasani, the silent spectator

Animal husbandry minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav, the designated minister-in-waiting for Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to Hyderabad, was stoic when Modi flagged off Telanganas second Vande Bharat Express from Secunderabad to Tirupati. Governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan and several others on Platform No. 10 at Secunderabad clapped as the train began moving. Yadav did not join in.

Kishans organisational acumen to the fore

Union minister G. Kishan Reddys stamp was there for all to see at the Parade Ground event of the Prime Minister. Reddy, who heads the ministry of culture, was at the venue a couple of hours before Modis arrival to oversee last-minute arrangements. And to keep the crowd that was increasing by the minute engaged, there was a classical dance performance, a drum team from Maharashtra and students from a Veda Pathashala reciting hymns.

Its Modi mania all the way

The Narendra Modi mania was evident at the public meeting venue. Groups of BJP workers raised slogans and chanted the now trademark "Modi Modi" every time an image of the Prime Minister flashed on the giant screens at the venue. From the first image of him landing at the Begumpet airport to his arrival at Parade Ground, the "Modi Modi" crescendo kept rising, reaching a deafening peak as soon as he walked on to the dais.

Pat for city police for a job done well

The city police really worked hard to keep things going smoothly at the Parade Ground despite tens of thousands of people gathering at the venue. The entire process went off smoothly from the entry to exit. The primary responsibility of organising the public event was that of the South Central Railway which deployed a large number of its staff and officials to assist the police.

Kishan Reddy, lone BJP state leader on the dais

The event at the Parade Ground was an official one. With that being the case, all the BJP leaders, including Bandi Sanjay Kumar, were seated in the VVIP section of the audience. The only BJP leader from Telangana to be on the dais was G. Kishan Reddy, in his capacity as a Union minister from the state.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a special gesture, when he sent one of his cabinet colleagues, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, himself, to welcome King Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck at the Indira Gandhi International Airport as the Druk Gyalpo (Dragon King) of Bhutan landed in New Delhi on April 3 last. Jaishankars predecessor Sushma Swaraj had also personally received the Bhutanese King at the airport when he had last come for a visit to India on October 31, 2017. He had then with him his wife Queen Jetsun Pema and the couples one-and-half-year-old son, Crown Prince Jigme Namgyal Wangchuck, who had of course been the cynosure of all eyes during the visit and had taken with him to his home at the Lingkana Palace in Thimphu many gifts received in New Delhi  including wooden toys from Channapatna in Karnataka presented by then Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

Also Read | Bhutan must hew to Indias line on Doklam

Wangchuck was not accompanied by his family during his recent visit to New Delhi. But, like the one in 2017, his visit this time was also overshadowed by the strategic rivalry between India and China, the two giant neighbours of tiny Bhutan. New Delhi had last hosted the Bhutanese King just a few weeks after the 72-day-long stand-off between the Indian Army and the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) at the Doklam Plateau in western Bhutan had ended with both sides withdrawing troops. And, five years later, he returned last week for an official visit, with not only the armed forces of India and China engaged in another stand-off  much longer and much more widespread than the one in 2017  along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, but also the row over Doklam Plateau coming back into focus.

The King flew from Thimphu to New Delhi just a few days after an interview by Bhutans Prime Minister Lotay Tshering was published in the La Libre newspaper of Belgium. The interview stirred up the pot as it brought to the public domain that the negotiations between Thimphu and Beijing to resolve the protracted Bhutan-China boundary dispute had reached an advanced stage. Tshering said that a delegation of the Government of Bhutan had visited Beijing in February, while a technical team of the Government of China might arrive in Thimphu soon.

The territorial row between Bhutan and China covers an area of about 764 sq kms  269 sq kms in western and 495 sq kms in north-central Bhutan. China in 2020 also staked claim onthe Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary in eastern Bhutan as part of its own territory. Bhutan of course rejected the claim made by China. Thimphu and Beijing had earlier held 24 rounds of boundary negotiations till August 2016. The negotiations, however, had remained stalled after the stand-off between the Indian Army and the Chinese PLA in Doklam Plateau.

The Chinese and the Bhutanese officials, however, had a meeting in Kunming in the southern region of the communist country in April 2021. The meeting led to the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on October 14, 2021 for a three-step roadmap to resolve the Bhutan-China boundary dispute. They had another meeting in the capital city of the Yunnan province of China from January 10 to 13 this year, when it was agreed to expedite the negotiation.

A section of media in India fixated on the Bhutanese Prime Ministers comment on Doklam during the interview to La Libre. He said that the row over Doklam would have to be settled through three-way negotiations among Thimphu, Beijing and New Delhi, as the disputed area was located on the Bhutan-China-India tri-junction boundary point. This statement was in fact not alarming for New Delhi as it was in sync with its 2012 understanding with Beijing that all tri-junction boundary points among India, China and the third countries (Bhutan, Myanmar and Nepal) would be settled through trilateral negotiations. New Delhi had in fact cited the 2012 understanding to justify the Indian Armys June 2017 move to resist the Chinese PLAs bid to build a road well within the territory of Bhutan. The Indian Armys resistance to the Chinese PLAs move had resulted in the two-and-a-half-month-long military stand-off in Doklam.

What, however, caused unease in New Delhi was Tsherings comment that Bhutan and China might be able to demarcate the boundary between the two nations after two or three more meetings. This triggered speculation that Thimphu might be willing to give up its claim over areas in the vicinity of Doklam in western Bhutan in exchange for Beijing narrowing or giving up its territorial claims in the north-central region of the tiny Himalayan Shangri-La.

Tsherings denial of reports about Chinas intrusion into Bhutan and construction of villages in the territory Bhutan also caused unease in New Delhi.

If China gains control over the entire Doklam Plateau, sans the tri-junction point, as well as the nearby areas, it will get a strategic advantage against India. The Chinese PLA will find it easier to conduct military manoeuvres aimed at blocking the Siliguri Corridor  the narrow stretch of land linking Indias North-East with the rest of the country.

As Modi hosted Wangchuck in New Delhi, India subtly reminded Bhutan the intertwined and indivisible nature of the security concerns of the two neighbouring nations.

The Prime Minister and the Bhutanese King reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral cooperation, including issues related to respective national interests, with New Delhi tacitly conveying to Thimphu that India-Bhutan ties were based on mutual respect, trust, close understanding and sensitivity to each other's concerns.

Thimphu sought to allay New Delhis concerns by pointing out that it would not only leave the Bhutan-China-India tri-junction point in Doklam out of the ambit of its negotiations with Beijing, but would also deny China access to the key Zompelri Ridge and would thus deny the Chinese PLA any opportunity to get a commanding view over the Siliguri Corridor of India. New Delhi, however, is not fully convinced though and is expected to cautiously keep tabs on Thimphu-Beijing talks.

The broad message Modi delivered to Wangchuck was that New Delhi would expect Bhutan to continue to be sensitive to the security interests of India while negotiating with China to settle the boundary dispute.

The 1949 Bhutan-China Friendship Treaty had been renegotiated a few months before the erstwhile kingdom had held its first democratic elections in December, 2007 and March, 2008. A clause that required Bhutan to be guided by India in conduct of its external relations had been removed. This had diluted the unique relations between India and Bhutan to a certain extent. But Article 2 of the new treaty also requires Bhutan and India to cooperate closely with each other on issues relating to their national interests. It says that neither government shall allow the use of its territory for activities harmful to the national security and interest of the other.

Beijing has since long been trying to spread its influence over Thimphu, but it could not yet establish formal diplomatic relations between Bhutan and China. It has been trying to drive wedge between India and Bhutan. The Indian Armys continued role in supporting the Royal Bhutan Army in safeguarding the national security interests of Bhutan is obviously an obstacle for long-term strategic planning of China.

Bhutan is likely to continue to receive the largest share of Indias aid with allocation of Rs 2400.58 crore in the Union Budget 2023-24, up from Rs 2266.24 crore in 2022-23. Modi promised Wangchuck that India would step up its support to Bhutan's upcoming 13th Five Year Plan. India also accepted the request of Bhutan to extend an additional standby credit facility to the neighbouring country, over and above the two existing such facilities operating between the two countries.

New Delhi is likely to keep its purse-strings loose for Thimphu to dissuade it from drifting towards Beijing.
Indias Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu has said that Khalsa is a uniting and not a dividing force, days after instances of violence at the Indian missions by a small group of pro-Khalistan supporters.

Sandhu, who comes from an illustrious Sikh family, made the remarks on Saturday at an event where he was presented with the prestigious Sikh Hero Award from Sikhs of America along with several other eminent Sikh Americans.

Khalsa, which was created on the Baisakhi day, by Guru Gobind Singh is a uniting and not a dividing force, Sandhu said in his keynote address at the event, which was attended by eminent Sikh Americans from across the country.

Also Read | Indian envoy to US Sandhu discusses deepening the bilateral partnership with new US Ambassador to India

The Khalsa tradition was initiated in 1699 by the tenth Guru of Sikhism, Guru Gobind Singh.

The important concepts and fundamentals in the Sikh religion and history include universality, unity, equality, honest living, seva, meditation, peace of mind, and harmony between people, he said.

The Khalsa flag -- which flies at the Akal Takht and Nishan Sahibs -- is a flag of unity, peace and universal love, the Indian diplomat said, asserting that Sikhism is a religion of inclusion, brotherhood, love, equality and dive

We must keep these cardinal virtues in mind and not what a couple of mischievous characters spin using virtual media, Singh said in an apparent reference to the instances of violence by a small group of separatists in the US, Canada, UK and Australia.

In his speech, Sandhu shared with the Sikh diaspora the rise of India and some of the key accomplishments of the country in key sectors of economy, digitisation, health and entrepreneurship.

In such a scenario, Punjab and the youth in Punjab need to be connected with the economic, financial, tech and digital revolution happening in India, Sandhu said.

The government, people and in particular the youth must take advantage of the expanding partnership with the US in various fields that Prime Minister Modi and President Biden are trying to put in place, he said.

Noting that youth and their parents are spending millions of dollars for sending their children to the US and Canada, Sandhu said the New Education Policy that has been put in place, and the efforts of the Prime Minister will ensure that such education is available in India as well as Punjab.

Delighted to receive Hero Award from Sikhs of America. Spoke about imp tenets of Sikhism: seva, brotherhood, equality, inclusion & honesty, Sandhu said in a tweet after the event. Highlighted the strengthening of US India partnership and tech and infra transformation taking place in India and huge opportunities for the youth, he tweeted.

In his welcome address, Jasdip Singh Jassee, chairman of Sikhs of America highlighted the role played by awardees in their respective fields. He said that violence has no place in the community.

Others who received the prestigious Sikh Hero Award included entrepreneur and philanthropist Darshan Singh Dhaliwal; Gurbir Singh Grewal, former New Jersey Attorney General; former Hoboken Mayor Ravi Singh Bhalla, and entrepreneur Manraj Singh Kahlon. Slain Sikh police officer Sandeep Dhaliwal was presented the award posthumously.
The AAP on Sunday launched the "Degree Dikhao Campaign" under which party leaders will share with the public their educational qualifications every day.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who studied at the Indian Institute of Technology, and his party have launched a fresh attack on the issue since Gujarat High Court recently quashed a seven-year-old order of the Central Information Commission that had asked the Gujarat University to provide information on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's degree to the AAP chief.

The court also imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on Kejriwal, who had sought information on the prime minister's academic qualifications under the Right to Information Act.

Also Read | Some remain illiterate despite being educated in IIT: L-G on Kejriwal targeting PM over degree

The campaign kicked off with senior party leader and Delhi Education Minister Atishi presenting her undergraduate degree from the University of Delhi and two master's degrees from the University of Oxford at a press conference.

While displaying her degrees to the media, Atishi said, "From today onwards, every day an AAP leader will present his/her degree in front of the country.

"I am starting this by sharing my three degrees. BA (Bachelor of Arts) from the University of Delhi, a Master of Arts from the University of Oxford and another Master of Science from the University of Oxford."

She also appealed to all political leaders in the country to come forward and show their degrees to the public so that citizens can become aware of the educational qualifications of those who are taking decisions for them and the country.

She also appealed to leaders in the BJP and said that if their leaders and senior politicians have degrees, they should present those before the country.

Atishi said, "Whenever we study in a college or university and reach a prestigious or constitutional position, it not only reflects on the college or university but also fills the students of that time with pride that someone among us has achieved such a high position. It also motivates other students."

Atishi said if the country's prime minister has obtained a degree in 'Entire Political Science' from the Gujarat University, then why is the varsity going to court to avoid disclosing it.

"Gujarat University should be proud that their student has become the prime minister of the country," she added.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Sunday said the "united Opposition" feels a probe into the Adani group companies is necessary and his party is in support of such a demand.

Talking to reporters, Raut said he does not wish to get involved in the differences between the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party over the nature of the investigation.

"The united Opposition feels a probe is necessary into the Adani companies and the Shiv Sena (UBT) is part of it (Opposition),'' he said .

A probe monitored by the Supreme Court and an inquiry by a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) can be done together, the Rajya Sabha member said.

Raut said industrialists should be supported but not corruption.

Notably, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar had in an interview to NDTV on Friday said the inquiry committee appointed by the Supreme Court following allegations of stock manipulation levelled against the Adani group by US-based Hindenburg Research would be more useful.

In a JPC, the ruling party (BJP) will have a majority, said Pawar, whose party is an ally of the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress in Maharashtra.

Raut said, "Pawar hasn't opposed an inquiry against Adani. The issue is whether it should the JPC or a Supreme Court-monitored probe.''

Hitting out at Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Raut claimed the CM and the other Shiv Sena leaders who rebelled against Uddhav Thackeray were planning to do so even when Prithviraj Chavan (of Congress) was the chief minister.

"These people had met (Congress leader) Ahmed Patel in Delhi,'' he further claimed.

Chavan served the chief minister of Maharashtra between November 2010 and September 2014.

Raut said Sharad Pawar should take a stand on Opposition leaders being targeted by the Modi government.

''(Gautam) Adani is targeted because he is very close to Modi and his wealth has increased because of his closeness to the prime minister,'' Raut claimed.

Asked about CM Shinde's current visit to Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh, Raut claimed the Maharashtra government has left the state farmers in the lurch and its leaders are on a "religious tourism".

In the last 72 hours, hailstorm and unseasonal rains in several parts of the state have damaged crops. The government had said it will provide relief to farmers after the budget session, the Sena (UBT) leader said.

''This government is indulging in politics over Ayodhya. Lord Ram, who is against falsehood, will never bless them. I only hope God gives them good sense,'' he said.
Wading into Arvind Kejriwal's criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's educational qualifications, Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena on Sunday took a dig at the Chief Minister saying one should not be boastful about one's degree and that some people remain illiterate despite being educated in IITs.

Saxena's remarks came as Kejriwal, who studied in IIT, and his party leaders attacked Modi after the Gujarat High Court recently overturned an order of the Central Information Commission (CIC) providing information on Modi's degree to the Chief Minister. The High Court also fined him Rs 25,000.

Also Read: 'Low level of discourse': V K Saxena dubs Arvind Kejriwal's 'Who is L-G' remarks 'derogatory'

"I have heard the comments made by the Chief Minister in the Assembly. One should never be boastful about their degree. A degree is only a receipt of education but real education lies in your knowledge and behaviour. I have seen the kind behaviour exhibited over the last few days. It has been proved how some people remain illiterate despite being educated in IIT," Saxena said.

Responding to the comments, AAP leader and Delhi Education Minister Atishi asked the L-G and BJP leaders to show their degrees.

"The L-G is raising questions on those IITs, in whose name Indian students become CEOs of big companies and make the nation proud. Those who have to hide their degrees will raise questions over the degrees of others. I would request the L-G to show his degree too and also ask the other BJP leaders to show their degrees," she said.

Stepping up its attack on the BJP and Modi on the education sector on Friday, AAP had alleged that the BJP was getting a municipal-run school near its headquarters demolished. Former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia also shot off a letter from prison claiming that it is "dangerous" for the country if the Prime Minister is "less educated".

"It is very dangerous for the country if the prime minister is less educated...Modi does not understand scienceModi-ji does not understand the importance of education. It is necessary to have an educated prime minister for the progress of India," Sisodia, who is in jail in connection with the Delhi excise policy case, said in the open letter.

Sisodia also alleged that it is unknown how many papers the Prime Minister has signed during his foreign visits "in return for a hug". He also alleged that the Prime Minister may not be in a position to understand the implications of such agreements.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has written a letter to the Union Home Minister Amit Shah calling him to include Tamil as a language for the written test in the recruitment for Central Reserve Police Force(CRPF).

In a statement on Sunday, the Tamil Nadu government said that the Chief Minister had written a letter to the Union Home minister stating that in the notification for the written test to the recruitment for CRPF, it was mentioned that the test could be taken in English and Hindi.

The state government in the statement said that of the 9,212 vacancies in CRPF, 579 have to be filled from Tamil Nadu and the exams are to be held in 12 centres across the state.

Also Read | India will prosper if funds flow to states doesn't falter, says Tamil Nadu CM Stalin

Stalin said that the aspirants from Tamil Nadu will be unable to write the test in their mother tongue in their native place.

The government release said that there was a Hindi comprehension for 25 marks out of the 100 marks and this would be beneficial for only Hindi speaking students.

The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, according to the statement from the state government said that the CRPF notification was against those applying for the post from Tamil Nadu and added that this was not only unilateral but amounts to being discriminatory.

He also said that the notification was against the constitutional rights of the job aspirant.

The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister called upon Union Home Minister Shah and sought his immediate intervention for allowing aspirants in non-Hindi speaking states to write the test in their mother tongue.
The Ayodhya tour of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and the surprise visit of his deputy Devendra Fadnavis has triggered an intense war of words between the ruling Shiv Sena-BJP alliance and the tri-party opposition combine Maha Vikas Aghadi.

The MVA said that it was not the proper time to visit Ayodhya as the farmers are in distress because of bouts of unseasonal rains and hailstorms in some parts of Maharashtra.

Shinde, however, hit back at the MVA saying that he is available 24x7 and does not work from home but in the field.

Also Read | In Ayodhya, Shinde likens Uddhav to 'Ravana', Fadnavis makes surprise appearance



Fadnavis said that the opposition is criticising for the sake of targeting the government as they have no issues in hand.

NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, the chief architect of the MVA lashed out at Shinde saying that while farmers are in distress Shinde and Fadnavis choose to be in Ayodhya.

The visit of the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister to Ayodhya is a matter of their faith. Their faith lies in Ayodhya but our faith lies in farmers. It is related to the loss suffered by farmers. We believe in helping farmers in distress, Pawar said, adding that the opposition is making efforts to wipe out the tears of the farmers.

Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Ajit Pawar said: When I offer prayers anywhere, I do not create such publicity. The CM is visiting there to seek blessings. There is no need for such updates like he has arrived, he is at the airport, his flight has taken off, etc etc..

Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson and Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut described the visit as religious tourism. Farmers in Maharashtra are in problems due to rain and hail storms but ignoring all these issues the govt of the state went to Ayodhya.but will Lord Ram bless them?, he said adding that addressing the farmers issue is the need of the hour.

Congress spokesperson Atul Londhe described the visit as an event. While farmers are in distress, they are visiting Ayodhya, he said.

Speaking to reporters, Shinde, who is the chief leader of Shiv Sena, said that he is in touch with the administration. I am constantly in touch with the Chief Secretary and all concerned departmental secretaries.I am in touch with the district Collectors.we have ordered that panchanamas should be carried out as possible, he said.
Heritage Financial Services LLC boosted its holdings in shares of iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (NYSEARCA:IVV  Get Rating) by 44.7% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 3,342 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 1,033 shares during the period. iShares Core S&P 500 ETF makes up approximately 0.3% of Heritage Financial Services LLCs holdings, making the stock its 21st biggest position. Heritage Financial Services LLCs holdings in iShares Core S&P 500 ETF were worth $1,284,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in IVV. Lcnb Corp raised its holdings in iShares Core S&P 500 ETF by 1.2% during the 3rd quarter. Lcnb Corp now owns 2,156 shares of the companys stock worth $773,000 after buying an additional 25 shares during the period. Capital Market Strategies LLC lifted its position in shares of iShares Core S&P 500 ETF by 1.6% in the 4th quarter. Capital Market Strategies LLC now owns 1,589 shares of the companys stock valued at $610,000 after acquiring an additional 25 shares in the last quarter. Biechele Royce Advisors lifted its position in shares of iShares Core S&P 500 ETF by 4.4% in the 3rd quarter. Biechele Royce Advisors now owns 616 shares of the companys stock valued at $220,000 after acquiring an additional 26 shares in the last quarter. Foster & Motley Inc. boosted its stake in iShares Core S&P 500 ETF by 2.0% in the 3rd quarter. Foster & Motley Inc. now owns 1,362 shares of the companys stock worth $489,000 after purchasing an additional 27 shares during the period. Finally, Wealth Advisory Solutions LLC grew its position in iShares Core S&P 500 ETF by 0.9% during the 3rd quarter. Wealth Advisory Solutions LLC now owns 2,936 shares of the companys stock worth $1,053,000 after purchasing an additional 27 shares in the last quarter.

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iShares Core S&P 500 ETF Stock Up 0.4 %

IVV opened at $411.01 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $309.20 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.43 and a beta of 1.00. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $404.02 and a 200-day moving average of $392.74. iShares Core S&P 500 ETF has a 12-month low of $349.53 and a 12-month high of $452.62.

iShares Core S&P 500 ETF Profile

iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (the Fund) is an exchange-traded fund. The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Standard & Poors 500 Index (the Index). The Index measures the performance of the large-capitalization sector of the United States equity market.

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Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund increased its stake in Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LW  Get Rating) by 228.3% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 35,990 shares of the specialty retailers stock after purchasing an additional 25,029 shares during the period. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Funds holdings in Lamb Weston were worth $3,216,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Raymond James & Associates increased its stake in Lamb Weston by 60.0% in the first quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 31,305 shares of the specialty retailers stock valued at $1,875,000 after acquiring an additional 11,741 shares during the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. increased its position in shares of Lamb Weston by 37.5% during the 1st quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 21,746 shares of the specialty retailers stock valued at $1,302,000 after purchasing an additional 5,933 shares during the last quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Lamb Weston during the 1st quarter valued at about $92,000. MetLife Investment Management LLC lifted its position in Lamb Weston by 28.5% in the 1st quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 41,455 shares of the specialty retailers stock worth $2,484,000 after buying an additional 9,184 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Panagora Asset Management Inc. boosted its stake in Lamb Weston by 158.3% in the first quarter. Panagora Asset Management Inc. now owns 28,927 shares of the specialty retailers stock worth $1,733,000 after buying an additional 17,726 shares in the last quarter. 89.87% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

LW has been the topic of several research reports. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on shares of Lamb Weston from $97.00 to $107.00 in a research note on Thursday. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price target on shares of Lamb Weston from $90.00 to $107.00 in a research note on Friday, January 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of Lamb Weston from $101.00 to $107.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Friday, January 6th. Bank of America lifted their price objective on Lamb Weston from $105.00 to $115.00 in a report on Friday, January 6th. Finally, StockNews.com began coverage on Lamb Weston in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating for the company. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $109.00.

Lamb Weston Price Performance

LW stock opened at $106.86 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $15.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.57, a PEG ratio of 0.81 and a beta of 0.53. The firms 50-day moving average price is $100.42 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $91.64. The company has a current ratio of 2.59, a quick ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.43. Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. has a 12-month low of $60.59 and a 12-month high of $109.70.

Lamb Weston (NYSE:LW  Get Rating) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 6th. The specialty retailer reported $1.43 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.98 by $0.45. Lamb Weston had a return on equity of 110.40% and a net margin of 11.27%. The company had revenue of $1.25 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.16 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.73 earnings per share. Lamb Westons quarterly revenue was up 26.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts predict that Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. will post 4.43 earnings per share for the current year.

Lamb Weston Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 2nd. Investors of record on Friday, May 5th will be paid a $0.28 dividend. This represents a $1.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.05%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 4th. Lamb Westons payout ratio is 29.95%.

Insider Activity at Lamb Weston

In other Lamb Weston news, SVP Michael Jared Smith sold 11,934 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, January 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $98.90, for a total value of $1,180,272.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 74,351 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,353,313.90. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other Lamb Weston news, CFO Bernadette M. Madarieta sold 6,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, January 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $98.40, for a total value of $639,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 25,487 shares in the company, valued at $2,507,920.80. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, SVP Michael Jared Smith sold 11,934 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Monday, January 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $98.90, for a total transaction of $1,180,272.60. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 74,351 shares in the company, valued at $7,353,313.90. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 19,434 shares of company stock worth $1,917,363 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 0.80% of the companys stock.

About Lamb Weston

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Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc engages in the production, distribution, and marketing of value-added frozen potato products. It operates through the following business segments: Global, Foodservice, Retail, and Other. The Global segment includes branded and private label frozen potato products sold in North America and international markets.

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Want to see what other hedge funds are holding LW? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LW  Get Rating).

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Apple could be busy manufacturing iPhone 15 series for its fall event but folks over at 9to5Mac has already released their interpretation of iPhone 15 Pro design. They have created these beautiful renders based on previously sourced CAD models, leaks, and rumours. Have a look:

New things on the Apple iPhone 15 Pro as per the renders

1. First and foremost, our eyes fall on the deep red colour of the iPhone 15 Pro renders. This is supposedly the brand new signature colour of the upcoming iPhone. It looks grand.

2. It is said to come in a titanium clamshell body with flat sides and smoothened edges. The device is slimmer at 70.46mm. It should be a handier device.

3. The bezels are apparently just 1.55 mm and so we could be seeing a larger screen to body ratio. There will be a Dynamic Island also towards the top of the display.

4. On the back, we can see more pronounced camera rings. Inside, the sensors are tipped to capture more light and reduce over and underexposure.

5. Rest, the renders also feature the haptic solid-state buttons on the sides, and a USB-C port at the bottom. The rumour is that Apple would be allowing fast charging through select certified cables only.

For more technology news, product reviews, sci-tech features and updates, keep reading Digit.in or head to our Google News page.
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Louth students were among the more than 1,000 people who graduated from Dublin City University last Friday. Three ceremonies took place in the Mahony Hall in the Helix, featuring students from the universitys five faculties: the DCU Business School, the Institute of Education, the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, the Faculty of Science and Health, and the Faculty of Engineering and Computing.

Speaking on Friday morning, Prof Daire Keogh, President of Dublin City University encouraged the graduates to be active citizens. He said the upcoming 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement was a reminder of the importance of engaged citizenship and of an education which develops civic skills for a new society.

The achievement of the Good Friday Agreement reflects our own commitment in the DCU mission to nothing less than transforming lives and societies. This is a lofty ambition, but this is a time for thinking big. Its not a time for sitting back and being complacent. It's time for a DCU attitude driven by empathy, engagement, and leadership.

Photos: Kyran O'Brien DCU Communications Dept
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Louth Craftmark officially launched its group exhibition, Greater Than >, on Wednesday 29 March, in The Basement Gallery, An Tain Arts Centre, Dundalk.The free exhibition will run until Saturday 15 April, with opening hours from 11am to 4pm, Tuesday to Saturday.

Louth Craftmark is widely recognised as one of the largest, and most respected visual arts collectives in Ireland. The exhibition features 29 members from the extensive Louth Craftmark Designers Network, with a broad range of artistic disciplines on show including ceramics, glass, jewellery, painting, print, mixed media, textiles, and sculpture.

Founded in 2006, Louth Craftmark is a collective of talented Northeast based professional artists, designers, and craftspeople, who have come together to promote and support each other. The network has grown exponentially in recent years, now standing at 68 members in total.

The title Greater Than > is open to interpretation by each of the artists exhibiting. The various themes being explored include inequality, gender, and school days gone by. Each artist takes their own inspiration from the theme to create a dedicated piece of art.

Ceramicist Gillian Callan from Louth Craftmark has commented, Building on from our very successful Connective 22 Exhibition, and the fantastic Winter Weekender events last year, it gives us great joy to present our Greater Than > Exhibition in the Basement Gallery, in An Tain Arts Centre.

"Our members have been working tirelessly on brand new work, which they are very excited to exhibit to the public. I want to encourage anyone with an interest in art to come and see the beautiful pieces that we have on display, all of which have been created by visual artists in the northeast of Ireland.

Paul Hayes, Director, An Tain Arts Centre has said, "Its wonderful to welcome back Louth Craftmark to our Basement Gallery for the first time since the pandemic. We have hosted them a number of times before and they always deliver a selection of work that is of the highest quality and standard and are a wonderful showcase for local craft. For further information please visit: www.louthcraftmark.com.

All photos: Arthur Kinahan
New Delhi, Apr 9 (UNI) The First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Emine Dzhaparova is paying an official visit to India from April 9-12, in the first such visit since the Ukraine conflict began in February last year.

During the visit, Dzhaparova will hold talks with Sanjay Verma, Secretary (West), MEA, where both sides are expected to discuss bilateral relations, exchange views on the current situation in Ukraine and global issues of mutual interest, an official statement said.

Dzhaparova will also call on Minister of State for External Affairs and Culture, Meenakshi Lekhi and meet Deputy National Security Adviser, Vikram Misri.

India shares warm and friendly relations and multifaceted cooperation with Ukraine.

Over the last 30 years of establishing diplomatic relations, bilateral cooperation between the two countries has made significant progress in the areas of trade, education, culture and defence.

The visit will be an occasion to further mutual understanding and interests, the statement added.

India has consistently called for an end to the hostilities and urged both Russia and Ukraine to hold dialogue, and end the conflict through diplomacy.

UNI RN
Victory over Dublin recently would have hoisted Louth to the leagues top division for the third time since 2000. It would also have given the county a chance to lift a seventh title across all grades in the same period, taking on Derry at Croke Park on Sunday last.

And, of course, it would have been history in the making. No county has ever won National League promotion three years in succession.

In addition to six title wins in just over two decades, Louth have shared in another. But theres also been a regular skip up and down the grades, like the proverbial yo-yo.

In his first year in charge, Mickey Harte guided the team to top spot in one section of a divided Division Four, qualifying them for a meeting with Antrim in the final. However, because Covid was still taking a toll, there was no decider. Titles in the other two divisions were also shared.

Paddy Clarke was manager for the 1999/2000 campaign, assisted by Eugene Judge and Stephen Melia. He saw his charges lose their first game to Offaly in Tullamore, but it was plain sailing after that.

Wins, most of them sizeable, followed against Antrim and Limerick before Christmas, and in the new year, London, Wicklow, Westmeath and Leitrim.

There were semi-finals at the time, and after beating Laois in Mullingar, Louth renewed rivalry with Offaly in the final at Croke Park. This was Simon Gerrards game, for in addition to starring at half-back, the Newtown Blues clubman scored the only goal in a 1-13 to 0-13 win. Nicky Malone was captain.

When Louth regained the Division Two title in 2006, Stephen Melia was again part of the management set-up, working with manager, Eamonn McEneaney, and other selectors, Seamus OHanlon and Pat Mulligan. The quartet had their team to the fore, beginning with a win over Cavan in Breffni.

Defeats of Antrim, Sligo, Wicklow, Tipperary and Waterford followed before the only glitch, a loss by Westmeath in Drogheda. This reverse did nothing to damage prospects of a place in the last four, however.

The semi-final resulted in a win over Limerick in Newbridge, and then came the final against Donegal, back in Breffni Park. Two games, both thrillers, were needed to decide the issue. In the second of them, Louth finished on the right side of a 1-12 to 1-9 scoreline.

Among the survivors from 2000 were Aaron Hoey, Christy Grimes, Martin Farrelly and the recently-retired JP Rooney. Paddy Keenan, John OBrien and Colin Goss were beginning to make their presence felt on the county scene.

Keenan was captain when Louth won the Division Three title for the first time in 2011. This was some slight compensation for the Leinster final defeat of the previous year; but it wasnt by any means a very convincing title-win for the Peter Fitzpatrick-managed side.

Three wins were followed by three defeats, and had the 7th round match, away to Waterford, gone to the home team instead of ending in a 1-11 to 0-11 win, Louth would have been relegated. The Reds regrouped to beat Westmeath in the final.

A place in the very lower reaches was eventually Louths lot, the 2016 campaign yielding just two wins. But Colin Kelly and his management team steadied the ship the following year, taking their students back to the third tier and winning the title with a win over Antrim in the final.

There was another promotion the following year, but not a title-win. Tipperary, in the care of the recently-deceased Liam Kearns, followed their All-Ireland semi-final defeat of the previous year to win the Croke Park encounter.

It got bad again before it got better. Come 2018 and Louth were on the slide again, heading back to Division Three. And it didnt end at that: Division Four beckoned.

It was from there where Harte began his odyssey, which would have been a record-breaker had things been better at Croker just over a week ago. Theres reason to believe the bottom half of the league wont be revisited anytime soon.
Nicola Davis in The Guardian:

From squabbling over who booked a disaster holiday to differing recollections of a glorious wedding, events from deep in the past can end up being misremembered. But now researchers say even recent memories may contain errors.

Scientists exploring our ability to recall shapes say people can make mistakes after just a few seconds  a phenomenon the team have called short-term memory illusions.

Even at the shortest term, our memory might not be fully reliable, said Dr Marte Otten, the first author of the research from the University of Amsterdam. Particularly when we have strong expectations about how the world should be, when our memory starts fading a little bit  even after one and a half seconds, two seconds, three seconds  then we start filling in based on our expectations.

More here.
Students from 27 schools across Cork took part in a 'Business in the Community' initiative in recent weeks, with the aim of inspiring students to reach their full potential and recognise the value of their education.

The Business in the Community initiative works with second year students in DEIS schools through the School Completion Programme, partnering the students with a local business.

The programme aims to inspire the students in DEIS schools to reach their full potential by staying in school and recognising the value of completing their education.

Students are given workplace experience, soft skills and sustainability insights, in hopes that, by highlighting the link between education and work, students are more likely to complete their education to Leaving Certificate and beyond.

Students from Davis College Mallow who took part in the Business in the Community initiative. Students partnered with Dairygold to learn about the links between business and education, as well as the roles on offer at the company.

More than 3,500 students are participating in the world of work initiative this year, including 27 Cork secondary schools.

Cork city school, Colaiste Eamann Ris joined Bus Eireann as part of the initiative.

A spokesperson for Bus Eireann said: As part of the Business in the Community 'World of Work' programme, students from Colaiste Eamann Ris had a site tour of our Capwell Garage. Our local managers and supervisors were on hand to answer any questions the students had."

The second years students learned about the role of drivers, inspectors, mechanics and apprentices within the company, and were educated on energy management, the control room and growing passenger numbers.

Pupils of Carrignafoy Community College in Cobh were welcomed to the National Maritime College of Ireland as part of the initiative while second years in Davis College Mallow were given an insight into careers, internships and labs at Dairygold facilities in Lombardstown.

Other schools partnered with Janssen Ireland in Ringaskiddy, including St Aidans Community College.
Calls have been made for increased funding for the refurbishment and repair of playgrounds in Cork.

On Thursday, April 6 the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic OGorman, announced the recipients of this years Capital Grant Scheme for Play and Recreation.

Cork City Council has been allocated 16,793 for the refurbishment of Tory Top Park playground, while Cork County Council has been allocated 18,000 for the construction of a community playground to include mixed ability equipment in Rylane.

However, Sinn Fein TD for Cork North Central, Thomas Gould, said a "fuller" scheme of funding for repair and restoration is required.

We must ensure we are building communities and not just units.

"We need a fuller scheme of funding for repair and restoration. Right across Cork North Central, there are communities where children cannot walk or cycle to accessible, fully equipped playgrounds," he added. "As we come into the summer months, we will once again see children who are unable to access outdoor play in Cork city."

Cork TD Thomas Gould (SF) has called for increased funding for playgrounds in the city. Picture: Cian O'Regan.

I am disappointed that once again the northside loses out, said Deputy Gould. This must change. It is better for the environment, better for child development and better for wellbeing to have playgrounds and outdoor play opportunities located in the heart of communities.

It is time for transformational investment in facilities across the city to make sure that children and adults alike have outdoor spaces they can access using active travel modes, he added.

Labour Local Area Rep in Cork city, Peter Horgan, was also critical of the allocation of funding for Cork city. I secured backing from the Labour Party national conference to seek to amend planning legislation so that playgrounds become a more common occurrence in our city," he said.

"In Australia, the play areas are frequent as it is a condition of planning."

Mr Horgan praised the recent construction of the playground in the Marina, which is due to open soon, but said more needs to be done.

Anyone who walks by the Marina Park will attest to the impressiveness of the work done by Cork City Council. In Blackrock, an area teeming with families of all ages, we still do not have a playground," he added. "There is no playground in Ballintemple and one in Ballinlough, which needs upgrading.

There is no playground in Jacobs Island, Garryduff, Maryborough Hill or Rochestown. There is one in Douglas which is oversubscribed. Why should the onus be placed on committees to do the heavy lifting and fundraise for playgrounds? he asked.
HUNDREDS of people lined the streets of Fermoy on Easter Sunday afternoon as a dozen pipe and drum bands marched through the town on their way to the centennial commemoration of the death of anti-Treaty IRA leader General Liam Lynch.

The parade began just after 2pm, by the Michael Fitzgerald memorial outside the former Wesleyan church where, in September 1919, Lynch had led a daring raid against British soldiers on their way to Sunday service.

A member of County Cork Pipes and Drums band , New York taking part in the parade from Fermoy town. Picture; Eddie O'Hare

Carrying revolvers and hurleys, IRA volunteers had disarmed the soldiers and, in the melee, British soldier Private William Jones, 20, was shot and killed, becoming the first British military casualty of the War of Independence.

One of those involved in the Fermoy raid was local man Michael Fitzgerald, who was subsequently arrested in Cork City Hall on August 8, 1920, alongside Lynch and Lord Mayor Terence MacSwiney.

Lynch gave a false name and was released. Fitzgerald later died, aged 38, after 67 days on hunger strike in Cork Prison, on October 17, 1920, eight days before the death of fellow volunteers Joe Murphy and, in Brixton Prison, Terence MacSwiney.

Cllr Danny Collins, County mayor; Cllr Deirdre O'Brien, chairperson Liam Lynch centenary committee and Dr. Tim Horgan who delivered the oration lead the marching bands and patrons taking part parade from Fermoy town to the Liam Lynch centenary commemoration at Kilcrumper cemetary. Picture; Eddie O'Hare

Yesterdays parade was led by the Mayor of Co Cork Danny Collins and deputy mayor Deirdre OBrien, walking behind a tricolour carried by a relay of relatives of Liam Lynch.

Ms OBrien wore the full service medal of her grandfather, Tomas OKeeffe, who had fought in both the War of Independence and Civil War.

The first of the dozen bands in the parade was the County Cork Pipe Band New York, one of three bands from the United States, and there was an especially warm welcome afforded to members of the Eamon Bulfin Legacy Pipe Band who had travelled to Fermoy from Argentina.

Members of the Eamonn Bulfin legacy pipe band from Bueno Aires. Picture; Eddie O'Hare

The parade went up Patricks Street, past the former J Barry and Sons, where Liam Lynch worked, through Pearse Square, and across the Kent Bridge, where, on May 2, 1916, Lynch, 23, a shop assistant from Anglesboro, had watched aghast as the four Kent brothers, captured after a gun battle at their Castlelyons home, were paraded and humiliated through the garrison town.

That event, and Thomas Kents subsequent execution at Victoria Barracks for the murder of RIC head constable Rowe, served to radicalise Lynch, and to make him the committed volunteer that history remembers.

In April 1921 Lynch was made commandant of the First Southern Division, in command of approximately 31,000 men. Vehemently opposed to the Anglo-Irish Treaty, in mid-1922 Lynch became chief of staff of the anti-Treaty IRA.

On Tuesday April, 10, 1923, Lynch was mortally wounded on the Knockmealdown mountains by the Free State National Army.

Taking part in the parade from Fermoy town to the Liam Lynch centenary commemoration at Kilcrumper cemetary. Picture; Eddie O'Hare

His last wish was that he be buried in the Republican plot in Kilcrumper in Fermoy, beside Fitzgerald, the greatest friend I ever had on this Earth.

Yesterday, more than 1,000 people gathered at Lynchs grave in Kilcrumper on the eve of his centenary to hear an address by chairperson of the Liam Lynch commemoration committee, Cllr OBrien, and an oration by Tralee historian Tim Horgan of the National Graves Association.

The County Cork Pipes and Drums band, New York taking part in the parade from Fermoy town to the Liam Lynch centenary commemoration at Kilcrumper cemetry. Picture; Eddie O'Hare

In her speech, Ms OBrien said it is known that General Michael Collins and General Liam Lynch had both been distraught at the Civil War, Lynch being a reluctant fighter and, she said, Collins hand was forced by British prime minister Lloyd George to quell the attempted rebellion at the Four Courts by the anti-Treaty IRA.

It was Lloyd Georges British machine guns that led to the start of the Civil War, Ms OBrien said.

We cannot deny that we lost two of our greatest leaders, Michael Collins in Beal na Blath in August 1922 and General Liam Lynch, on the Knockmealdowns in April 1923.

In a fiery speech, Mr Horgan said that when Britain realised that Ireland could not be ruled by the crown, it decided that Ireland would be ruled for the crown. England knew the Irish well, they knew that for a little power and privilege, principles would be easily bought, Mr Horgan said.

They guided us towards civil war, Britains standard bequest to all its colonies. They knew that we would do to each other what they had not dared to us. And they were right, he said.

Mr Horgan said Lynch, a man of principle, could never betray his colleagues, living and dead.

To surrender would have been to recant, to renounce those principles, a tacit agreement that there had been justice in the punishments inflicted by the British and the Free Staters on those thousands of patriots who had suffered in Irelands cause."

While others had abandoned their republican ideals and some of his comrades on that final fateful day would, in time, dilute those principles, Liam Lynch would not and did not.

He had declared for a republic and would live under no other law.

The Liam Lynch pipe band taking part in the parade. Picture; Eddie O'Hare

Among the politicians in attendance at the Liam Lynch commemoration were Billy Kelleher MEP, Fianna Fail Cork East TD James OConnor, former Cork East TDs Ned OKeeffe and Kevin OKeeffe, Independent Tipperary TD Mattie McGrath, Limerick Fianna Fail TD Niall Collins, former mayor of Co Cork Cllr Gillian Coughlan, councillors Gearoid Murphy, Sheila OCallaghan, Ian Doyle, William OLeary, Frank OFlynn, and Deirdre Kelly.
Kate Mackenzie and Tim Sahay in Polycrisis:

The maiden flight of a new cargo route between Shenzhen and Sao Paulo took off on Monday as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Frances Emmanuel Macron prepared to travel to Beijing. US Vice President Kamala Harris has just been in Africa, attempting to avoid talking about China. Next week, Brazils President Lula and an entourage of hundreds of local business people will travel to the Chinese capital with plans to sign at least twenty bilateral agreements.

Each of these diplomatic journeys are the result of growing preoccupations with industrial policy, fragmentation, and the energy transition thanks to tensions around China and Russia. Trade flows, supply chains, and entire industries are rapidly being reorganized. Free trade led by cooperative factions in key countries has given way to friend-shoring led by restrictionist factions, largely on grounds of national security. New policies on export controls, visa bans, investment blocks, and sanctions are redirecting the flow of goods and people. US Allies, adversaries, and firms face hard questions: Who can invest in your country? Who can you sell to? What can and cant you sell? Which countries do you risk arrest for trading with?

Table from US-China Technological decoupling: a strategy and policy framework by Jon Bateman (Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 2022).

More here.
It's never been about safety as much as it has control, serving and protecting only to the benefit of the status quo. Clearview AI, PredPol, Shotspotter, they're all Carolyn Bryant Donham's testimony behind a veneer of technological validity  a shiny black box to dazzle the masses while giving the police yet another excuse to fatally bungle their search warrants. In More than a Glitch, data journalist and New York University Associate Professor of Journalism Dr. Meredith Broussard, explores how and why we thought automating aspects of already racially-skewed legal, banking, and social systems would be a good idea. From facial recognition tech that doesn't work on dark-skinned folks to mortgage approval algorithms that don't work for dark-skinned folks, Broussard points to a dishearteningly broad array of initiatives that done more harm than good, regardless of their intention. In the excerpt below, Dr. Broussard looks at America's technochauavnistic history of predictive policing.

MIT Press

Excerpted from More than a Glitch: Confronting Race, Gender, and Ability Bias by Meredith Broussard. Reprinted with permission from The MIT Press. Copyright 2023.

Predictive policing comes from the broken windows era of policing and is usually credited to William Bratton, former New York City police commissioner and LAPD chief. As NYC police commissioner, Bratton launched CompStat, which is perhaps the best-known example of data-driven policing because it appeared as an antagonist called Comstat on season three of HBOs The Wire. CompStat, a management model linking crime and enforcement statistics, is multifaceted: it serves as a crime control strategy, a personnel performance and accountability metric, and a resource management tool, writes sociologist Sarah Brayne in her book Predict and Surveil. Crime data is collected in real time, then mapped and analyzed in preparation for weekly crime control strategy meetings between police executives and precinct commanders. CompStat was widely adopted by police forces in major American cities in the 1990s and 2000s. By relying heavily on crime statistics as a performance metric, the CompStat era trained police and bureaucrats to prioritize quantification over accountability. Additionally, the weekly meetings about crime statistics served as rituals of quantification that led the participants to believe in the numbers in a way that created collective solidarity and fostered what organizational behaviorists Melissa Mazmanian and Christine Beckman call an underlying belief in the objective authority of numbers to motivate action, assess success, and drive continuous organizational growth. In other words: technochauvinism became the culture inside departments that adopted CompStat and other such systems. Organizational processes and controls became oriented around numbers that were believed to be objective and neutral. This paved the way for the adoption of AI and computer models to intensify policingand intensify surveillance and harassment in communities that were already over-policed.

Computer models are only the latest trend in a long history of people imagining that software applied to crime will make us safer. In Black Software, Charlton McIlwain traced the history of police imagining that software equals salvation as far back as the 1960s, the dawn of the computational era. Back then, Thomas J. Watson, Jr., the head of IBM, was trying to popularize computers so more people would buy them. Watson had also committed (financially and existentially) to the War on Poverty declared by President Lyndon Johnson upon his election in 1964. Watson searched for opportunities to be relevant, McIlwain writes. He said he wanted to help address the social ills that plagued society, particularly the plight of Americas urban poor... He didnt know what he was doing.6 Watson wanted to sell computers and software, so he offered his companys computational expertise for an area that he knew nothing about, in order to solve a social problem that he didnt understand using tools that the social problem experts didnt understand. He succeeded, and it set up a dynamic between Big Tech and policing that still persists. Software firms like Palantir, Clearview AI, and PredPol create biased targeting software that they label predictive policing, as if it were a positive innovation. They convince police departments to spend taxpayer dollars on biased software that ends up making citizens lives worse. In the previous chapter, we saw how facial recognition technology leads police to persecute innocent people after a crime has been committed. Predictive policing technology leads police to pursue innocent people before a crime even takes place.

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Its trIcky to write about specific policing software because what Chicagos police department does is not exactly the same as what LAPD or NYPD does. It is hard to say exactly what is happening in each police agency because the technology is changing constantly and is being deployed in different ways. The exact specifications tend to be buried in vendor contracts. Even if a police department buys software, it is not necessarily being used, nor is it being used in precisely the way it was intended. Context matters, and so does the exact implementation of technology, as well as the people who use it. Consider license plate readers, which are used to collect tolls or to conduct surveillance. Automated license plate readers used by a state transportation authority to automatically collect tolls is probably an acceptable use of AI and automated license plate reader technologyif the data is not stored for a long time. The same license plate reader tech used by police as part of dragnet surveillance, with data stored indefinitely, is problematic.

Every time the public has become aware of some predictive policing measure, controversy has erupted. Consider the person-based predictive policing enacted by the Pasco County Sheriffs Office in Florida, which created a watchlist of people it considered future criminals. Tampa Bay Times reporters Kathleen McGrory and Neil Bedi won a Pulitzer for their story about how the Pasco County Sheriffs Office generated lists of people it considered likely to break the law. The list was compiled by using data on arrest histories and unspecified intelligence, coupled with arbitrary decisions by police analysts. The sheriffs department sent deputies to monitor and harass the people on the watchlist. Often, the deputies lacked probable cause, search warrants, or evidence of a crime. In five years, almost 1,000 people were caught up in the systematic harassment labeled Intelligence-Led Policing. Notably, a large percentage of the people on the watchlist were BIPOC.

The Pasco program started in 2011, shortly after Chris Nocco took office as sheriff. Nocco came up with the idea to reform the department with data-driven initiatives. For 10 years, nobody really understood how this worked, and the public wasnt aware of what was going on, said Bedi, explaining the reporting project.8 The sheriff built a controversial data-driven approach to policing. He also built a wide circle of powerful friends, including local and national politicians, who didnt question his actions.

The harassment didnt stop there, however. Separately, the Sheriffs Office created a list of schoolchildren it considered likely to become future criminals. The office gathered data from local schools, including protected information like childrens grades, school attendance records, and child welfare histories. Parents and teachers were not told that children were designated as future criminals, nor did they understand that the students private data was being weaponized. The school systems superintendent initially didnt realize the police had access to student data, said Kathleen McGrory.

Once the investigation was published, civil liberties groups denounced the intelligence programs. Thirty groups formed a coalition to protest, and four of the targeted people brought lawsuits against the agency. Two bills were proposed to prevent this kind of invasion and misuse in the future. The federal Department of Education opened an investigation into the data sharing between the Sheriffs Office and the local school district. Fortunately, as a result, police analysts will no longer have access to student grades.

Many people imagine that using more technology will make things fairer. This is behind the idea of using machines instead of judges, an idea that surfaces periodically among lawyers and computer scientists. We see it in the adoption of body-worn cameras, an initiative that has been growing since LAPD officers brutally assaulted Rodney King in 1991 and the attack was captured on a home camcorder. Theres an imaginary world where everything is captured on video, there are perfectly fair and objective algorithms that adjudicate what happens in the video feed, facial recognition identifies bad actors, and the heroic police officers go in and save the day and capture the bad guys. This fantasy is taken to its logical conclusion in the film Minority Report, where Tom Cruise plays a police officer who arrests people before they commit crimes, on the recommendation of some teenagers with precognition who are held captive in a swimming pool full of goo. Its just like Minority Report, a police officer marveled to sociologist Sarah Brayne, when the two were discussing Palantirs policing software.

What makes this situation additionally difficult is the fact that many of the people involved in the chain are not malevolent. For example, my cousin, who is white, was a state police officer for years. Hes wonderful and kind and honest and upstanding and exactly the person I would call on if I were in trouble. He and his family are very dear to me and I to them. I believe in the law, and I believe in law enforcement in the abstract, in the way that many people do when they have the privilege of not interacting with or being targeted by law enforcement or the courts.

But the origins of policing are problematic for Black people like me, and the frequency of egregious abuses by police is out of control in todays United States. Police technology and machine fairness are the reasons why we need to pause and fix the human system before implementing any kind of digital system in policing.

The current system of policing in the United States, with the Fraternal Order of Police and the uniforms and so on, began in South Carolina. Specifically, it emerged in the 1700s in Charleston, South Carolina, as a slave patrol. It was quite literally a professional force of white free people who came together to maintain social control of black, enslaved people living inside the city of Charleston, said ACLU Policing Policy Director Paige Fernandez in a 2021 podcast. They came together for the sole purpose of ensuring that enslaved black people did not organize and revolt and push back on slavery. That is the first example of a modern police department in the United States. In her book Dark Matters: Surveillance of Blackness, scholar Simone Brown connects modern surveillance of Black bodies to chattel slavery via lantern laws, which were eighteenth-century laws in New York City requiring Black or mixed-race people to carry a lantern if out at night unaccompanied by a white person. Scholar Josh Scannell sees lantern laws as the precedent for todays policy of police using floodlights to illuminate high-crime areas all night long. People who live in heavily policed neighborhoods never get the peaceful cloak of darkness, as floodlights make it artificially light all night long and the loud drone of the generators for the lights makes the neighborhood noisier.

The ACLUs Fernandez draws a line from slave patrols maintaining control over Black people to the development of police departments to the implementation of Jim Crowera rules and laws to police enforcing segregation during the civil rights era and inciting violence against peaceful protestors to escalating police violence against Black and Brown people and leading to the Black Lives Matter movement. Fernandez points out that the police tear-gassed and pepper-sprayed peaceful protestors in the summer of 2020, fired rubber bullets at protestors, charged at protestors, and used techniques like kettling to corner protestors into closed spaces where violence could be inflicted more easily.

The statistics paint a grim picture. Black people are 3.5 times more likely than white people to be killed by police when Blacks are not attacking or do not have a weapon. George Floyd is an example, writes sociologist Rashawn Ray in a 2020 Brookings Institute policy brief about police accountability.14 Black teenagers are 21 times more likely than white teenagers to be killed by police. Thats Tamir Rice and Antwon Rose. A Black person is killed about every 40 hours in the United States. Thats Jonathan Ferrell and Korryn Gaines. One out of every one thousand Black men can expect to be killed by police violence over the life course. This is Tamir Rice and Philando Castile. When Derek Chauvin, the police officer who killed George Floyd, was found guilty, it was remarkable because police are so rarely held accountable for violence against Black and Brown bodies.

Reform is needed. That reform, however, will not be found in machines.

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Cyclone Freddy continued to wreak havoc in Malawi and Mozambique on Tuesday, with powerful wind and torrential rain. More than 100 people have been killed in what is shaping up to be the longest-lasting tropical storm on record, authorities said Monday.

Freddy, barrelled through southern Africa at the weekend for the second time within a few weeks, making a comeback after a first hit in late February.

Malawi bore the brunt, counting at least 99 deaths after mudslides washed away houses and sleeping occupants on Sunday night. Malawi's commercial capital Blantyre recorded 85 deaths.

"We expect the number to rise," Charles Kalemba, a commissioner at the Department of Disaster Management Affairs, told a press conference.

Another 134 people were injured and 16 are reported missing.

Residents used their bare hands to dig through the mud hoping to find survivors.

"The people are overwhelmed. The situation is very difficult," said ambulance driver Honest Chirwa, adding rescuers lacked adequate equipment.

More than 11,000 people were affected by the storm, said the United Nations.

Fear of cholera

The impact of the cyclone has piled more woes on a country grappling with the deadliest cholera outbreak in its history, which has killed over 1,600 people since last year.

"Severe weather events such as these are likely to exacerbate the spread of waterborne diseases like cholera," the UN children's agency UNICEF warned.

President Lazarus Chakwera, currently in Doha attending a Least Developed Countries meeting, declared a "state of disaster in the Southern region" of the nation.

The government was responding to the crisis while appealing for local and international aid for affected families, his office said.

Malawi has ordered schools in ten southern districts to remain closed until Wednesday, with rains and winds expected to keep battering the nation's south.

Second landfall

National carrier Malawi Airlines said all flights to Blantyre have been cancelled until further notice after an inbound plane ran into the bad weather and was forced back to the capital Lilongwe.

The country's energy utility also warned that electricity generation would be unstable, as it would have to temporarily shut down hydropower stations to prevent muddy water from damaging turbines.

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Cyclone Freddy reached landlocked Malawi early on Monday morning after sweeping through Mozambique at the weekend, killing at least 10 and injuring a further 14.

The Mozambique National Institute for Disaster Management (INGC) said the fallout from the storm's second landfall in the country was worse than expected.

Origin in northern Australia

According to the UN's World Meteorological Organization, Freddy, which formed off north-western Australia in the first week of February, was set to become the longest-lasting tropical cyclone on record.

It crossed the entire southern Indian Ocean and blasted Madagascar from 21 February before reaching Mozambique on 24 February.

Following what meteorologists describe as a "rare" loop trajectory, Freddy then headed back towards Madagascar before moving once more towards Mozambique.

In total, Freddy has so far killed at least 136 people -- 99 in Malawi, 20 in Mozambique and 17 in Madagascar.

The last cyclones to cross the entire southern Indian Ocean were Leon-Eline and Hudah in 2000.

(with AFP)
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Hundreds of people crowded into Brackenridge Park to participate in a beloved Easter tradition that is back in full force after the pandemic stalled it three years ago.

Pinatas, both opened on the ground and still awaiting their doom, dotted the green grass and trees where families made their picnics. Tables were dotted with drinks that ranged from iced teas to cold beer, with barbecues up and running, blowing meaty smoke around the park. A batmobile did laps around the congested park roads, blasting music with green lights in the Slingshot SLR. The driver wore a Batman mask with gray flannel and khakis.

Music came from every corner of the greenery, competing for sound space as families competed for the best spots to set up. Many staked out the area days in advance and camped in tents to reserve their places.

READ MORE: With Edwards Aquifer low and waterways drying up, more restrictions could be coming

But Daniel Garza, 58, has a shortcut. He and his family have been coming to the park for many years. For his spot near the intersection of Tuleta and Brackenridge Drive, he cuts the grass himself to make a previously unavailable area perfect for him, his children, nieces, grandkids and pets.

Kaylee Greenlee Beal

He used to come with his dad, he said, but after his dad passed, Garza wanted to keep the tradition alive, and he loves it. So wearing a flamingo-patterned shirt and a tan wide-brimmed straw hat, he was ready to be the life of the party as he started the fire in two charcoal grills.

My husband loves to be a part of the crowd, said Maria Garza.

Maria Garza, 51, said they cherish their Easter spot. Its right next to the train tracks, where every 20 or 30 minutes, a train goes by, whistling at a high pitch. But that doesnt stop their party. The Garzas grandkids hop up to greet it, no matter what theyre doing, with waves and smiles.

Daniel Garza greets the train, too, from his post behind the barbecue. They usually bring more than two grills, said Maria Garza, but their truck broke down, limiting their resources. Still, they had meat, Modelos and more, she said.

Only half of the Garza party goes to church on Easter, she said, because the other half has to set up at the park for their Easter feast.

With an Easter egg pinata, a Spurs flag and fajita ingredients on the way, nothing could get in the way of the San Antonio born-and-raised familys celebration  except the lack of porta potties.

They are really far away, said Maria Garza. Though they wouldnt consider moving from their landscaped spot, they were disappointed that the porta potties arent more equitably distributed around the park.

KAYLEE GREENLEE BEAL 2023

Evelyn Cerda wouldnt let a potty emergency stop her, so she and her family rent and bring their own, marked clearly with a sign Evelyns Party Only, to guard against trespassers.

ALSO ON ExpressNews.com: Funding for construction of embattled park near Hays Street Bridge approved by San Antonio council

Cerda, 31, was there with her group of around 30 family members, with more on the way, and they brought out all the stops.

The Cerdas had a snow cone machine, bouncy house, a life-sized connect four game and plenty of contests for the kids, sack races, coloring contests, musical chairs, tug-of-war and more. Its like a field day every year.

KAYLEE GREENLEE BEAL 2023

They used to have a different spot on the other side of the park  this one is by Red Oak Road and East Mulberry Avenue  but everyone was squeezing in, and it became too crowded for their large party. Instead they chose a grassy, quiet area as their new one, where they can have full reign.

Her husband, Alex Cerda, 38, was operating the grill but shared the duty with his father and brother, he said. The Cerdas have five children, but many more kids were present, all playing together on various games, waiting for a carrot-shaped pinata on its way.

For Evelyn Cerda, also San Antonio born and raised, this tradition means a lot to her. The most important thing is to keep it going year after year.

If they have to rent a porta potty to make that happen, then so be it.
Courtesy of Dunaway Associates

San Antonio is one step closer in the development of a public park next to the historic Hays Street Bridge on the East Side.

The San Antonio City Council this week approved a $2.5 million contract to begin the construction of the Berkley V. & Vincent M. Dawson Park. The park is slated to include two skate parks, a park pavilion and open space that allows for park-goers to see Hays Street Bridge.
Josie Norris/Staff photographer

A hundred shots were fired at a residence and vehicle near Alderete Park on the West Side early Sunday morning, according to the San Antonio Police Department.

Officers were called around 2 a.m. to the 100 block of Loma Park Drive, where they found the spent shell casings in the road and yard. No injuries were reported, but police listed two victims, a 37-year-old man and a 61-year-old woman.
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From Massachusetts to Mississippi and California to Kentucky, state officials in recent decades have increasingly responded to school districts struggling with poor academics or financial woes by usurping local control and pledging to turn around the schools.

But these state takeovers, according to a recent study, are mostly ineffective.

LIVE UPDATES: TEA set to seize control of Houston ISD, Texas largest school district

"The best evidence we have shows that takeovers don't often achieve their intended results, dont improve student achievement and don't yield better outcomes for kids," said Josh McGee, an economist at the University of Arkansas. "There are cases where we have seen improvement  but those are few and far between."

McGee, associate director for the university's education policy office, was referencing a 2021 study by Beth Schueler from the University of Virginia and Joshua Bleiberg at Brown University. In the first cross-state comparison of its kind, the researchers examined all state takeovers from 2011 to 2016 and, on average, found no evidence that takeover generates academic benefits.

The study shows varying results among districts across the country. In general, state takeovers are far from uniform since officials make different policy choices within different contexts. Research shows that some schools appear to have benefited from takeovers while others have tanked.

TAKEOVER TIMELINE: How the battle between Houston ISD, TEA has reached this point

The Texas Education Agency announced Wednesday that it will take over the Houston Independent School District, ousting the elected board representing the largest district in Texas and replacing it with appointed managers. The move comes in response to chronic low achievement at Wheatley High School in Fifth Ward and allegations of misconduct against former HISD board members.

The school board had been fighting the attempted takeover in court for years but last week withdrew from the legal battle.

State officials may have good intentions to correct local disfunction by taking over districts, McGee said. At the same time, he said, state takeovers often disenfranchise local voters and exacerbate political conflict between state and local governments.

The state generally overestimates its ability to step in and have a positive impact  and underestimates the challenges they will face on the ground in trying to make a difference for those students, he said.

Experience in Little Rock, Detroit

In Arkansas, for example, the state took over the Little Rock School District in 2015 and maintained control for more than six years. McGee said the takeover did not improve student outcomes.

And the state ended up handing it back, basically throwing up their hands and giving up, he said.

In Detroit, the state assumed control over the public school system for more than 15 years. An analysis by a law firm released in 2019 found that the state takeover left the schools significantly worse off.

School buildings wasted away from neglect and families fled public schools for charters as the district nearly slipped into bankruptcy, according to the report. Additionally, the takeover failed to have any meaningful impact on student achievement, and countless students have suffered, the report said.

The authors noted that its unclear whether a different governing body, including an elected board, could have avoided these pitfalls.

In Texas, state officials have previously taken over 15 districts, ranging from fewer than a hundred students to 50,000 students. Four of those districts are now closed and two remain under state control.

Teachers, staff and students in those communities had varying perspectives on the takeover outcomes. Some people said they felt a loss of identity when their districts closed and others said the interventions helped improve the quality of education for all students.

COMMUNITY SPEAKS OUT: Elected officials, community members protest possible HISD takeover

In a few cases, meanwhile, researchers documented positive improvements following state intervention.

Schueler, then at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, co-authored a different report in 2017 highlighting a state takeover in Massachusetts.

In 2011, the state took over the 13,000-student Lawrence Public School District due to chronic underperformance. The city was among the poorest in the state, with a median household income below $33,000, according to the report, and a large Latino population from the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.

The state appointed an official whose goals included raising expectations for students and staff, improving teacher and administrator quality, and increasing classroom learning time and targeted small-group instruction.

These efforts delivered promising results within the first two years, according to Schueler's report, with substantial jumps in math achievement and improvement among students with a first language other than English. There were also modest gains in reading.

Positive example in New Orleans

New Orleans stands out as another positive example. Louisiana took over the public school district following Hurricane Katrina and eventually converted nearly all public schools into autonomous charter schools, according to the Education Research Alliance for New Orleans. In the process, all teachers were fired and attendance zones were eliminated, allowing families to choose any school for their child to attend.

These sweeping reforms had big impacts on student achievement, according to the research organization, with test scores jumping by 11 to 16 percentiles, high school graduation rates increasing by 3 to 9 percentage points and college entry rates climbing by 8 to 15 percentage points.

"It went very well if you look at the measurable outcomes like test scores and high school graduation and college going," said Douglas Harris, founding director of the research alliance and an economics professor at Tulane University. "And those gains have been sustained since they turned back control back to the school district."

FIGHTING BACK: Fifth Ward community worries HISD takeover may close their school: 'Stop saying Wheatley is a failure'

At the same time, the research group found that there were far fewer Black teachers in New Orleans schools following the reforms. There were also fewer certified and experienced teachers, and fewer teachers with ties to the local area or state, according to a study conducted by the organization.

Regardless, the New Orleans case is a poor comparison for the potential Houston takeover, said Harris, who warned in his research paper on the subject that such significant results were unlikely in most other school districts.

For one, there is no indication that Texas plans to conduct a massive overhaul similar to the reforms in Louisiana.

Additionally, Harris said, Houston's schools do not appear to be extremely low performing, according to state benchmarks. The district earned a "B" accountability rating last year from the state.

"One thing we know about takeovers is they tend to work better when districts are very low performing," Harris said. A state takeover in Houston, he said, is "very unlikely to have the same effect as it did in New Orleans, and more likely to have the effect that weve seen in other places, which is no effect on student outcomes."

These national research results have concerning implications for Houston students, said Ruth N. Lopez Turley, who directs the Kinder Institute for Urban Research at Rice University.

"I do think that it's a good thing for us as a community to be concerned about student performance," she said. "There is a problem  but research suggests that our response should be a little bit different than what is currently on the table."

'EVERYBODY'S SCARED': HISD parents worry state takeover would deepen inequities, drain funding

Student performance is closely linked with socioeconomic factors, Turley said, and research shows that increased funding can lead to gains in academic achievement among students with limited resources. Nearly 80 percent of the 186,000 students in HISD are economically disadvantaged.

Funding, not 'governance,' expert says

The state can play an important role in education outcomes by investing more in students, she said.

"This is not just a governance issue," she said. "Governance matters but ... what seems to really move the needle for students, especially our most disadvantaged students, is much better funding."

Jonathan Supovitz, a professor at the University of Pennsylvanias Graduate School of Education, said he believes the outcome from the takeover will depend on the resources the state invests in the district. Education reforms are often flawed, he said, because they focus too much on organizational change instead of deeper problems like funding, poverty and classroom dynamics.

READER POLL: What do Houston ISD parents and teachers think of a TEA state takeover? Tell us here.

"The argument for change is academic improvement, but the changes are political changes, not instructional changes," he said. "This is likely to follow in the path of so many others that had aspirations for reform and ended up being disappointed."

McGee, the Arkansas professor, said Texas should proceed with caution in its takeover efforts and understand the challenging terrain that lies ahead.

If the state proceeds with its plans, both state and local stakeholders should work together to find solutions that can "actually lead to better improvements," he said.

"It's going to take collaboration to turn HISD around," he said.

Samantha Ketterer and Hannah Dellinger contributed to this report.
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Local environmental groups have raised concerns after a landowner filed a permit application with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to dump 600,000 gallons of treated sewage a day into a creek that feeds into the Comal River.

The application - which was filed in September - is asking to build a wastewater treatment facility near New Braunfels off State Highway 46. According to the permit, the facility would discharge treated sewage into the West Fork Dry Comal Creek, which moves through to the Dry Comal Creek and eventually lands in the Comal River, which is connected to the Edwards Aquifer.

On average, a typical family dwelling produces 200 to 400 gallons of wastewater a day, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. At that rate, 600,000 gallons of treated sewage could support at most 3,000 homes.

Were just looking to get a public meeting so we can understand whats going on, said David Drewa, director of communications for Stop 3009 Vulcan Quarry. Thats our main goal right now.

READ MORE: San Antonio behind on 2030 emissions target

The property address listed in the application is 1000 Harrison Road in New Braunfels, which is south of State Highway 46. Douglas T. Harrison, the Comal County landowner who submitted the application, owns two tracts of land there, one of 153 acres and another 46 acres, according to the Comal County Appraisal District.

The Dry Comal Creek flows into the Comal River right around Landa Street and Landa Park Drive in New Braunfels.

Harrison said the permit seeks to perform a feasibility study and that he has no immediate plans to develop the property.

Were just getting everything in order and trying to get everything lined up here for what our options are, Harrison said. Just in case we decide to sell someday down the road.

In response to the permit application, the Comal County advocacy organization Stop 3009 Vulcan Quarry sent out a letter alerting residents to the situation and asking the TCEQ for a public meeting before it rules on the application.

RELATED: As avian flu endures, Texas poultry farmers try to protect their flocks

In Texas, public meetings for proposed wastewater projects are not required unless there is significant interest in an application or if a legislator from the area of the proposed project requests one, according to the TCEQ.

The environmental advocacy groups Preserve Our Hill Country Environment Foundation and the Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance both wrote letters to the TCEQ requesting a public meeting. The organizations cited potential dangers to the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone, which is downstream from the proposed facility.

Annalisa Peace of the Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance said that 48 water wells were found to be within a 1.5-mile distance and 21 wells found to be within a mile from the proposed facility, which the organization said could be hazardous for those landowners.

Texas state Rep. Carrie Isaacs office also asked for a public meeting on the proposed wastewater treatment plant.

Elena Bruess writes for the Express-News through Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms. ReportforAmerica.org. elena.bruess@express-news.net
As a political science professor, its hardly surprising that the indictment of former President Donald Trump has been the subject of myriad conversations with my students during the past week. Watching history unfold in real time will do that.

What stands out in these conversations are a deep concern about our nations future, worries about Americas political polarization and fears that Trumps supporters will again engage in political violence. My students are uneasy about the state of American democracy and alarmed there is a rising percentage of their fellow Americans who are happy to embrace nihilism, self-delusion, illiberalism and caudillismo.

But for all of their pessimism regarding the flaws of our democratic republic, my students have also expressed optimism that Trumps indictment is potentially good for American democracy because it demonstrates that no one is above the law. Equal treatment under the law is a basic tenet of our nations democratic ideals  one that we historically have not always upheld.

Trump has been arraigned and will face a trial like any person accused of a crime. The republic wont fall because a former president is facing criminal charges. Some of Trumps supporters  Sen. Ted Cruz, Gov. Greg Abbott and other elected Republican officials  have stated that the unprecedented nature of this event is arbitrary, illegitimate, dictatorial and/or politically motivated. Quite frankly, this is just plain wrong.

I teach a course on democracy and world politics. The nations that face the most issues with legitimacy, dictatorship and politically motivated arrests typically prosecute too few corrupt officials, not too many. Public confidence in the rule of law in these nations is often viewed with tremendous skepticism. Conversely, mature liberal democracies can, and do, prosecute their former and current leaders. Argentina, Brazil, France, Israel, Italy, Portugal and South Korea have prosecuted leaders in recent years and somehow havent devolved into anarchy or civil war. Trumps indictment may strengthen respect for American democracy abroad by demonstrating that even the rich and powerful are not above the law.

More than a few conservative pundits have asserted that Trumps arraignment is proof that if they can do this to Trump, they can do it to you. Of course they can do it to you. And to me. And to Trump. If you are believed to have broken the law, you may get arrested. Its a central theme of American jurisprudence that were all subject to this. As one of Trumps predecessors, John Adams put it best: Were a nation of laws, not men.

To those who argue that Trump shouldnt be arrested and indicted because we just dont do that to high-ranking current or former officeholders, American and Texas history are replete with examples of the indictment, conviction, and even incarceration of government officials at all levels. Fifty years ago, we even indicted and got a nolo contendere plea on tax evasion charges for Vice President Spiro Agnew. The rule of law applies to all. We cant degrade our democratic system by saying that we can somehow never indict a former president.

Some have said that going after Trump will do irreversible damage to American democracy. Dont believe them. Political science research suggests exactly the opposite. Weve had a foreign power invade our country and burn the U.S. Capitol to the ground. We enslaved millions. We endured a bloody Civil War, have had multiple presidents assassinated, had others who engaged in reckless adventurism or corruption. Weve fought two world wars, battled segregation, disenfranchisement and inequality. Well find a way to survive Trumps fraud indictment.

Jon Taylor is a professor of political science with the Department of Political Science and Geography at the University of Texas at San Antonio.
A line of police tape at a shooting in Minneapolis, Minnesota, at night.

The "Islamic State" has claimed responsibility for the attack near Beni, which killed around 20 farmers. North Kivu has been plagued by violence as numerous rebel militias vie for control.

Around 20 people have died in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in an attack on Friday that has been linked to the self-styled "Islamic State" group.

The attack took place near the city of Beni in the east of the country.

"We counted about 20 dead on Friday in the village of Musandaba," said regional military administrator Colonel Charles Omeonga.

Omeonga blamed the attack on a group calling itself the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a militia that has pledged allegiance to Islamic State group.

Meanwhile, the Islamic State group itself claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement on Telegram.

Farmers attacked with machetes

The attack took place in the North Kivu, one of two regions placed under military administration to combat growing violence.

Military spokesperson Anthony Mwalushay said the attackers used machetes "to avoid confrontation with the army."

A video posted to social media showed a crowd surrounding the body of a man tied to a wooden frame with his throat slit. His body was then placed in a tarpaulin and added to a pile of blood-stained body bags.

The footage was confirmed by local civil society leader Patrick Mukohe, who said the victims were farmers who were ambushed.

The ADF and the Islamic State group

The ADF is an Islamist militia that began as insurgents in neighboring Uganda before moving to the Democratic Republic of Congo in the 1990s. In 2019 the rebels pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group.

The Islamist group has been accused of killing thousands of civilians and is among the most deadly of the numerous rebel militias operation in the region.

Last month, members of the ADF torched the nearby village of Mukondi, killing at least 39 people and wounding many more.

The United States recently offered a reward of up to $5 million (roughly 4.5 million) for information concerning ADF leader Seka Musa Baluku.

zc/msh (AFP, Reuters)
I am really tired of our government and citizens. What we see and hear every day are comments from the right criticizing the left or the other way. Democrats after Republicans, or folks after trans folks, or folks against gay or lesbian people.

Why cant we live in a country where folks try to get along, find middle ground on all subjects, if possible, and work toward a peaceful society, without civil disobedience or bills being passed that continue to irritate the public?

Frank L. Burg Jr.

GOP is the real problem

Here we are  again with the GOP at the wheel in Texas. One of our Texas politicians top priorities this session is to attack the LGBTQ and transgender community instead of addressing more important issues such as gun violence, poor education and poor health care.

Why dont our Texas politicians focus on what truly matters and help us be a more inclusive society rather than more divisive? The topics of LGBTQ and transgender are much more important to the GOP politicians while children are being killed in senseless shootings.

Attacking and discriminating against the LGBTQ and transgender community does nothing to address the real problems we face every day. It only further marginalizes and harms a group of people who already face significant barriers and challenges in their lives. Why not let the doctors and medical experts address the transgender issues? Why not try to promote awareness, education and acceptance of gender diversity?

Could it be that our GOP politicians are the real problem by forcing their own beliefs and values on everyone else?

Charles Dove

Indictment is a distraction

The powers at be have allowed the whole Donald Trump travesty to overpower the more critical issues facing this administration like the border crisis, the economy and crime. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg should be ashamed to have brought such a mockery to our justice system with such a weak case.

Its tiresome to keep witnessing hate, anger and vengeance permeating every facet of our society and government.

Viola Moreno

Oath to constitution

Perhaps some of your readers can clearly explain the meaning and requirements of taking the oath to the Constitution when accepting employment that requires this procedure. These are members of Congress, law enforcement officers, judges and many others.

Can a person taking that oath to support the Constitution get a waiver to support only the laws he or she favors? Does raising the right hand while placing the left hand behind ones back and crossing ones fingers give a person a waiver?

I ask this because there are many who do not support our laws.

God bless America.

DM Lopez

If he accepted the truth

According to the Washington Post, Finlands defeated Social Democratic prime minister, Sanna Marin, following Sundays elections, said, Democracy has spoken. The Finnish people have cast their vote, and the celebration of democracy is always a wonderful thing.

Imagine the respect and political capital President Donald Trump could have gained had he accepted the inevitable truth and said something similar. A statement like that might have gone far for him as a candidate in 2024.

Norm Loukinen

More to indictment

Many pundits perhaps trying to add humor to a serious situation say, A grand jury could indict a ham sandwich!

Any indictment by a grand jury will disrupt any sense of humor the person indicted may have. The wheels of justice may grind so slowly but if youre the one being indicted, your life and your free time is in the hands of others. You have been officially accused by citizens who were given the facts, circumstances and laws related to your actions.

Our legal system may be slow, ponderous and may need some improvement, but it is one most of us respect and abide by in an effort to keep America great.

Ruben Zamora
Youth justice advocates, including some Houstonians, are fighting in support of a bill that would see the closure of the states five juvenile detention centers, which they say have been beset by dangerous and inhumane conditions.

The Texas Legislatures Juvenile Justice & Family Issues Committee on Wednesday heard testimony regarding House Bill 4356. Authored by Rep. James Talarico, D-Round Rock, the bill proposes to dissolve the Texas Juvenile Justice Department and replace it with an Office of Youth Safety and Rehabilitation, which would prioritize trauma-informed responses and culturally informed services for children in the criminal justice system.

Committee Chair Harold Dutton Jr., D-Houston, left the bill pending in the committee Wednesday night.

TJJD failed me, said Jernard Brown, 23, of the Houston-based Collective Action for Youth, a member of the youth-led Finish the 5 campaign. We punish (children) and condemn them like theyre wrong, when they were taught those things. It starts at home and we got to do better in the community.

The Texas Juvenile Justice Department has been caught in an endless cycle of crisis and instability since it was created in 2011, following the closure of its predecessor, the Texas Youth Commission, due to sexual abuse within juvenile detention centers, according to a Sunset Advisory Commission report from May 2022. In 2021, the United States Department of Justice launched an ongoing civil rights investigation into physical and sexual abuse allegations at the states youth prisons.

The Texas Juvenile Justice Department declined to comment on HB 4356 and the Justice Department investigation, but issued a statement pointing out that only about 2 percent of the youth in the states criminal justice system are held in state-run detention centers. The other 98 percent are handled by county juvenile probation departments, which are overseen by the Texas Juvenile Justice Department.

Rehabilitation programs, as well as detention, occur at both the county and state level, but with the state facilities serving as a place for the highest-level, highest-need offenders as determined by juvenile probation court judges. We are confident that TJJD has the collective skill, expertise, and experience to serve these youth and operate these rehabilitative programs, the statement reads.

Talaricos bill would phase out use of the states juvenile detention centers by 2030, and establish secure placement options for children in severe cases where a child is found to be a threat to themselves or others. The proposed Office of Youth Safety and Rehabilitation also would be tasked with establishing a plan for alternative services related to delinquency services and intervention by 2026, including evidence-based safe, local, supportive placements for children who cannot stay at home.

The office would be managed by a board of directors, including people who have been locked up in juvenile detention centers, mental health experts and criminal justice advocates, and would be paid for with money saved from the facility closures. Talarico pointed to high recidivism rates  the University of Texas at Austins Hogg Foundation for Mental Health found that up to 75 percent of youth who were imprisoned are re-arrested within three years of release  and previous attempts at reform as evidence that the criminal justice system is fundamentally broken.

There were enormous, widespread sexual abuse violations against kids and we passed major legislation to reform it, and were back here with the same human rights violations. And we will be back here a decade from now with the same violations if we dont do something big to solve this big problem, Talarico said during remarks to the committee.

Other members of the Juvenile Justice & Family Issues Committee, however, appeared skeptical of Talaricos plan, and expressed support for county juvenile probation chiefs who spoke in opposition to the bill. County chiefs argued they needed more resources to hire more staff, which in turn would allow for more rehabilitation programs, and that detention centers were necessary in extreme cases.

We cant fill in these gaps, were chronically understaffed, said Jill Mata, Chief Juvenile Probation Officer in Bexar County. This bill would undermine the work were doing right now. We can do excellent work rehabilitating children in our care, we do it every day, we do it all the time and see success, but theres a group of kids that, if we continue to take care of those kids, it undermines all the other work that we do.

The Sunset Advisory Commission, in its 2022 report, said it found abolishing or transferring TJJD would not meaningfully address any of the issues it must tackle, and that staffing and funding shortages primarily were to blame for the issues plaguing the department. There was a 71 percent turnover rate among juvenile correction officers in fiscal 2021, the report found, often forcing facilities into lockdown and limiting childrens access to rehabilitative programs.

Instead, investment in TJJDs state- and county-level duties is needed to stabilize the agency and help balance its focus between safe facility management and increased regional diversion, the commission stated.

Camille Gibson, executive director of the Texas Juvenile Crime Prevention Center at Prairie View A&M University, said the staffing shortages had effectively turned juvenile detention centers into warehouses for children, and that HB 4356 was a move in the right direction.

She said secure facilities still are necessary in extreme cases, but hopes Talaricos bill will avoid swapping one warehousing setting for another.

I hope that this is a serious effort to prioritize efforts to treat children, because something definitely needs to happen, Gibson said.
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Legislative efforts to increase the supply of affordable housing across Texas comes as homes selling for less than $200,000 have become increasingly scarce.

Various bills aim to speed construction of new houses and apartments by  among other measures  allowing single-family homes to be built on smaller lots, helping builders get local permits faster and making it more difficult for neighborhood groups to block new housing projects, the Texas Tribune reports.

According to data from the Texas Real Estate Research Center at Texas A&M University, the number of homes sold for less than $200,000 has plunged in Texas four major metropolitan areas over the past decade. The number of homes sold in the second-lowest price bracket began declining during the pandemic, as well.

The percentage of homes sold for less than $200,000 from 2011 to 2022 fell to 11 percent from 69.3 percent in the San Antonio area, to 5 percent from 66.4 percent in the Dallas area, to 0.5 percent from 53.6 percent in the Austin area, and to 10 percent from 64.8 percent in the Houston area.

ALSO READ: San Antonios housing inventory grows as market cools

Meanwhile, the number of homes sold that were priced from $200,000 to $299,999, which had been steadily increasing in all four metros, started declining in 2020 as the pandemic took hold. For example, the median sale price of a San Antonio-area home in February was $310,000, up from $240,000 in March 2020.

The supply of lower-priced homes is shrinking because demand is soaring as the states population swells; theres less available land to be developed; and construction, labor, regulatory and financing costs are spiking, researchers say.

The impact isnt just felt on purchases. Rents are soaring, too.

San Antonio rental rates have increased by 20 percent since March 2020, according to home search website Apartment List. The median rent is $1,055 for a one-bedroom apartment and $1,304 for a two-bedroom.

Zillows estimates are slightly higher. In San Antonio, someone earning the minimum wage of $7.25 an hour would have to work 3.1 full-time jobs to afford the typical rent of $1,063 a month for a one-bedroom apartment, according to an analysis by the company. For a two-bedroom rental costing $1,332 a month, theyd need to work 3.8 full-time jobs.

ALSO READ: San Antonio new home prices slip as inventory, days on market increase

Opportunity Home San Antonio, formerly known as the San Antonio Housing Authority, has 59,384 applicants on its public housing waitlist. Another 8,889 applicants are on the agencys waitlist for vouchers, which are supposed to help low-income families find affordable housing in the private market.

Opportunity Home, along with other affordable housing partners in the city, are diligently working to find additional revenue streams to increase the number of affordable units in San Antonio  from congressional community project funding to new local housing bonds to other innovative partnerships, President and CEO Ed Hinojosa said.
Ribs from The Backporch Restaurant in Roundup, Montana (Photo courtesy of Morgan Belveal).

ROUNDUP  If Montana had a barbecue capitol, it makes sense it would be in Roundup  a place known for its historic link to the cattle industry.

For the role that Montana plays in the cattle and ranching industry  its cuisine is often known for steaks and burgers. But Morgan Belveal and his partner, Joey Campanella, believe that Montana should be known for its barbecue as well.

And theyre not the only ones who believe it: The James Beard award committee put Backporch Barbecue on its list of nominees for best new restaurants  an honor that neither Belveal or Campanella had contemplated.

Located at the base of Main Street in Roundup, its among the best locations in Musselshell County. Traffic heading to places like Lewistown or Great Falls has to head by it, while travelers to Billings move in the opposite direction, also passing The Backporch.

Belveals family has owned and managed Big Sky Motel in Roundup for decades. Belveal believed that he would be coming home from the California Bay Area just during the COVID-19 pandemic to help out.

He thought one day hed return to the town where hed grown up  and raised a bit of mischief. Yet the homecoming, the hotel and a small kitchen they opened up in a converted motel room in order to serve hungry guests who couldnt find many restaurants open during the pandemic, has blossomed into a full-scale restaurant with daily specials, a pastry and dessert baker, and family rib rub recipe.

Growing up, this was a small town where I could do what I wanted. It was fun, and the allure of this place was kind of magic and where you could do fun things, Belveal said.

It is the kind of place where his high school math teacher taught his mother, grandmother and she taught him, Belveal said.

The Backporch serves traditional breakfast items in the morning, including biscuits and gravy, while moving to the barbecue fare, including pulled pork and beef brisket, for lunch or dinner. The coleslaw is a twist on the popular barbecue side, relying on a dill and mixed fresh to produce a crunchier, different type of traditional side. Belveal told the Daily Montanan he also wanted to incorporate locally-sourced food, and so created a warm beet salad that he said has taken people off guard in the best possible way.

At first, we had to give a lot of it away because people heard beets and were like, Beets? Ugh. I hate beets, he said. But its maybe our most popular side.

A small bakery display at front also serves a hungry breakfast crowd, including pastries and rolls. In the morning, customers can get fresh prepared breakfasts that mesh well with the lunch and dinner menu, including a special Liege waffle that has the sugar cooked into it for a sweet, slightly caramel taste.

Beveal and Campanella knew that they wanted to use ingredients that were familiar to most people, and it had to be affordable.

The origins of barbecue is that you bring people together for a low-cost meal. Its meant to be enjoyed with others, Beveal said.

The Backporch features six different sauces, all different styles from around the country from the white garlicky Alabama sauce to the espresso-based northeastern sauce, and the homemade recipes allow customers to try different styles or flock toward a familiar favorite. The rib rub came from his fathers catering business that began when Belveal was in high school.

Once we ate ribs 15 times in one week just to get the recipe right, Belveal said.

Now, that rub is incorporated into the restaurant, giving a pedigree that stretches beyond the restaurants recent opening.

This place was a bit of a food desert. I know that if we have fresh produce and food, people will fall in love with it, he said.

Belveal said that he is looking forward to incorporating more Montana-based foods on the menu, including wild game, chokecherries and juniper.

He said hes even proud of the coffee they serve, which has become a town breakfast stable. The coffee is selected and imported from Spokanes Roast House, and its a sustainable, organic blend  something that sounds upscale for coal and cattle.

Belveal said he enjoys the challenge of bringing high-quality foods that are accessible and affordable, two things he knows are necessary to survive in a town where the local drive-in has a for-sale sign on it.

Getting nominated as a semifinalist for best new restaurant by the James Beard Foundation was a huge recognition, and wasnt something Campanella or Belveal had considered. In fact, they heard the news from noted Montana food writer Stella Fong, who they said has been a champion for The Backporch.

Barbecue is the least pretentious of American cuisine, Belveal said. You can come in in a fancy tux and leave with barbecue sauce all over it. Its familiar. Everyone knows how to eat it and what its supposed to taste like. Its also a social thing where you roast the whole hog, feed it to friends. Its down to earth. We do things together and were here together.

He said that vibe fits well with Roundup, a town that was built on two things  coal mining and cattle ranching. His family, which stretches back before Roundup was a town, helped build it.

They built a town that didnt exist, Belveal said. Now, its time for another boom.

The post Roundup restaurant makes Beard Foundations list of best new restaurants appeared first on Daily Montanan.
In a terse, short statement, Chad's Communication Ministry gave the German ambassador 48 hours to leave the country.

Chad has ordered the German ambassador to leave the country due to his "impolite attitude" and "lack of respect for diplomatic customs," the country's Communication Ministry said.

Jan-Christian Gordon Kricke, who has been serving as Germany's ambassador to Chad since 2021, was given 48 hours to leave the central African country on Friday.

The two-line statement posted by the ministry did not expand on the reasons it gave for Kricke's expulsion.

The German Foreign Office said the reasons for the ambassador's expulsion were not clear, adding that it was in contact with the government in Chad.

"The reasons that the government of Chad put forward as a justification for declaring our ambassador in N'Djamena a persona non grata are completely incomprehensible," a spokesperson told DW.

Concern over democracy in Chad

A source in Chad's goverment told the French news agency AFP that Kricke was seen as "interfering too much" and making divisive remarks.

He had been warned on several occasions, the source added.

The country has been ruled by a transitional military government headed by President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno since April 2021.

It had initially promised to hand over power by October last year but has since extended the deadline for another two years.

The government violently put down opposition demonstrations.

The German Embassy joined others, such as France, Spain and the Netherlands, in expressing concern over the delayed return to democracy.

lo/kb (AFP, dpa, Reuters)
Emily Ratajkowski told her unborn son she was scared about his arrival.

Emily Ratajkowski told her unborn son she was scared about his arrival

The model, 31, who had her boy Sylvester, two, with her estranged former husband Sebastian Bear McClard, said she had an emotional chat with her child toward the end of her pregnancy as she was becoming increasingly eager to go into labour.

She told the LA Times she said she told Sylvester  who she calls Sly while sitting on her sofa one night with her hands on her baby bump: Im so scared, and I know youre so scared. But were going to do this together, and I promise to keep you safe. Lets do it. I want to meet you.

A few hours later, Emily started to give birth, and she says the experience gave her faith in her ability to control things.

She added: It feels beautiful, like Ive awoken. Its kind of like the archetype of Pygmalion, the classic story of the mannequin or statue coming alive.

Theres something thats been created in a mans perfect image, and then it takes on its own life.

Emily also told the LA that despite her huge list of achievements and estimated $10 million fortune she fears losing her child in a possible custody battle if she becomes outspoken about the details of her split from film producer Sebastian Bear-McClard.

She filed for divorce from Sebastian  who has been accused by three women of sexual misconduct  in September 2022.

She added about why she doesnt want to go into detail about the horrifying year shes had: Im scared. Im learning that outspoken women dont often get their children.

Sexual misconduct allegations against Sebastian Bear-McClard were made public on March 29, with statements obtained by Variety showing three women accused the filmmaker of non-consensual sex and grooming, some of which allegedly occurred while he was married to Emily.

Variety said the film producer did not comment on the allegations at the time of its report on the accusations.

It added in its report on the allegations against Sebastian Emily is fighting for sole custody of their son and is being represented by heavyweight attorneys Brett Ward and Jackie Combs, whose firm Blank Rome previously handled Tom Cruise in his divorce from Katie Holmes as well as Channing Tatum in his split from Jenna Dewan.
The late Queen is said to have orchestrated a military-style exercise to stand on Buckingham Palaces balcony during her Platinum Jubilee despite feeling frail.

The late Queen is said to have orchestrated a military-style exercise to stand on Buckingham Palaces balcony during her Platinum Jubilee despite feeling frail

Her Majesty, who died aged 96 in September in her Balmoral estate, also apparently hid the wheelchair she had been using during last years celebrations to mark her record 70 years on the throne to please her fans.

New book Our King: Charles III  The Man and the Monarch by royal correspondent Robert Jobson made the claims, and it says in an extract run by the Daily Mail about the Queens efforts to stand and wave to the waiting crowds from the Palace balcony: In considerable discomfort, Her Majesty was taken by wheelchair to the helicopter pad at Windsor.

At the Palace, she was wheeled right up to the balcony doors, then helped to her feet so that she could stand  with the aid of a walking stick  alongside Charles and Camilla, plus William and his family.

After a firework display, the Queen smiled with delight. It was her last salute to her people.

The book adds the late Queen and her husband Prince Philip grew closer to the the-Prince Charles before their deaths.

A source says in the tome: Over the last year of Philips life, they were the closest that they had ever been.

It adds Charles  due to be crowned as King on 6 May at Westminster Abbey  shared a joke with Philip hours before the royals death aged 99 on 9 April 2021, while he sat at his dads bedside talking about plans for the Duke of Edinburghs upcoming 100th birthday.

Charles is said to have told him: We are talking about your birthday, and whether theres going to a reception.

Philip apparently replied: Well, Ive got to be alive for it, havent I?  which is said to have prompted Charles to reply: I knew youd say that!
Since the initial lunar expedition, only male astronauts have had the opportunity to orbit the moon and explore the lunar surface. NASA has announced the next lunar mission, which will take place in 2024. The space agency has named four astronauts to participate in this mission. This marks the first time a female astronaut to be part of the mission to moon. Nasa confirmed a four-person crew consisting of Christina Hammock Koch, Jeremy Hansen, Victor Glover, and Reid Wiseman for a 10-day mission around the moon.This announcement will put humanity one step closer to reclaiming the Moon after the Apollo mission by officially launching the 10-day Artemis-II mission's preparations. Eugene Cernan, the commander of Apollo 17, left his footprints on the Moon in 1972, marking the final time that humans walked on the natural satellite of Earth.Image: Twitter It is an honour to be here. When I think about this mission, it's so awesome in itself. We are going to ride the worlds most powerful rocket and we will reach peaks of thousands of miles and test all the systems and then we will head to the Moon, said Christina, after her name was announced.She started working for NASA in 2013 and worked as a flight engineer on Expeditions 59, 60, and 61 of the International Space Station (ISS). Christina, who is originally from Grand Rapids, Michigan, attended North Carolina State University in Raleigh, North Carolina, and graduated with a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering as well as Bachelor of Science degrees in Physics and Electrical Engineering.With the Soyuz MS-12 spacecraft, she was first sent into orbit in 2019 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. For Expeditions 59, 60, and 61 of the ISS, she worked for NASA as a Flight Engineer. Christina completed six spacewalks totaling 42 hours and 15 minutes, including the first three all-female spacewalks. She has been in orbit for 328 days.
Cambodia's apparel exports to South Korea saw a 14.37 per cent increase, reaching $191.374 million in 2022. The total trade between the two countries was recorded at $780 million, with Cambodia's goods export accounting for $234 million, demonstrating the dominance of apparel exports in their trade relations.

South Korea ranked as the fourteenth largest trading partner for Cambodia last year, as per local media reports.

Cambodia's goods export experienced a 20.4 per cent growth in 2022, while imports increased by 6 per cent to $545 million during the same period. Cambodia benefits from preferential tariff treatment on exports based on various agreements, including a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the two countries.

Cambodia's apparel exports to South Korea increased by 14.37 per cent in 2022, reaching $191.374 million. South Korea was Cambodia's 14th largest trading partner, with total trade at $780 million. Cambodia's goods export grew by 20.4 per cent in 2022, and imports increased by 6 per cent to $545 million. Cambodia benefits from the FTA with South Korea.

Cambodia's outbound shipments to South Korea were valued at $167.151 million in 2021, $169.716 million in 2020, $187.650 million in 2019, and $173.889 million in 2018. Home textile exports from Cambodia to South Korea remained insignificant at $1.484 million in 2022, according to data obtained from Fibre2Fashions market insight tool TexPro.

South Korea held the thirteenth position among Cambodia's largest apparel markets in 2022. The country accounted for 1.39 per cent of Cambodia's total apparel exports of $13.791 billion in 2022.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KUL)
Haripriya Biography

Shruthi, known by her stage name Hariprriya, is an Indian film actress, model, and Bharatanatyam dancer from Chikkaballapura, Karnataka. She works in the South Indian film industry.



Early life



Haripriya was born as Shruthi in Chikkaballapura, Karnataka. She studied at Vidya Mandir and completed her Pre-University Course (PUC). Due to her brother, she moved to Bangalore, where she learned Bharatanatyam and received acting assignments. Her grandfather was a theatre personality, whom she then followed as an actress.



Career



Haripriya used to participate in cultural programs. When she was studying in the 12th grade, director Richard Castelino saw stills of her from the programmes and offered her the female lead role in the Tulu film Badi. She made her Kannada film debut in Manasugula Mathu Madhura (2008), following which she was part of unsuccessful ventures such as Vasanthakala. Her performance in the political satire Kallara Santhe (2009) earned her a Filmfare nomination for best Kannada actress, while her next film, Cheluveye Ninne Nodalu, released to rave reviews, making Haripriya popular in Karnataka. In 2010, she also forayed into the Tamil and Telugu film industries with Kanagavel Kaaka and Bhumika Chawla's maiden production, Thakita Thakita, respectively, with the latter emerging as a moderate success. After that, she becomes busy with Tamil and Telugu projects, working on Cheran's Muran in Tamil and Pilla Zamindar in Telugu. She was also part of the political drama Mukhyamantri I Love You, produced in 2008, which has not been released.



In 2012, Haripriya debuted in Malayalam with Thiruvambadi Thampan. In her third Telugu film, Abbayi Class Ammayi Mass, she played a call girl, and she did a two-week-long workshop to get into the character. In 2014, she returned to Kannada cinema with the gangster film Ugramm. The New Indian Express wrote that it was "a strong performance by Haripriya, who is natural in her act." The film went on to become a major commercial success, and she was said to have made a "sensational comeback to Kannada films." Sify wrote that Ugramm "did wonders for Haripriya" as she subsequently offered more Kannada projects. She accepted to be part of the big banner films, Ranna and Ricky, as well as the comedy film Bullet Basya. In Ricky, she would reportedly play a Naxalite, for which she was instructed to lose half her weight. She has completed filming for Ranathantra, which she signed before Ugramm.



Haripriya's next release after Ugramm was Galata. In Tamil, she has Vaaraayo Vennilaave coming up, while her next Telugu release would be Eee Varsham Sakshiga, in which she plays Seetha Mahalakshmi, who, she said, "is modern yet has a traditional outlook, She was also reported to have signed the Malayalam film Bhadrasanam, a sequel to the popular Anandabhadram, in which she was said to play an air hostess who is also a medical college student.
Allu Arjun, the most stylish star of Tollywood and the iconic star of the country turned 41. The energetic dancer and terrific actor chose to spend his most important day with his wife Sneha Reddy, kids Ayaan and Arha, family, and friends. The Pushpa 2 actor is enjoying all the widespread appreciation, attention, and best wishes that are pouring in for him for the last two days.

Makers of the much-awaited sequel, Pushpa: The Rule, have revealed his first look poster from the movie, which garnered a thumping response. A concept teaser was also released a day before his birthday saying 'Where Is Pushpa?' The concept teaser which was three minutes 17 seconds long became a massive success, amplifying the expectations of Sukumar B's directorial.

Allu Arjuns 41st Birthday Photo Credit: Instagram

Allu Arjun, who is filming for Pushpa 2 has taken a break from work to celebrate his birthday. He came to Hyderabad and began his day by waving to hundreds of fans that gathered outside his jubilee hills residence. He received their best wishes, and bouquets, and shook hands with a few of them. Several directors and producers of the Tollywood industry met the actor at his office and his home to greet him.

While the actor spent time with his family in the afternoon at home, by evening, Allu Arjun's close friends have assembled at the party organized by the actor's wife Sneha. Tens of them attended the do cheering for the bunny boy. Many decadent chocolate and fruit cakes, flowers, mimosas, and cocktails marked the 41st birthday of the Pushpa actor. Wife Sneha Reddy shared several pictures from the celebration on her Instagram handle, giving us a peek into what it looked like.

A year ago, Allu Arjun rang his 40th birthday with cousins and best friends, about 40 people in total, who were flown down to Belgrade in Serbia, for a private bash. The actor decided to throw the party of a lifetime for his friends to mark the massive success of Pushpa and also four decades of his existence.

Ace designer Anushree Reddy, one of the close-knit friends of the actor and his wife posted a picture from yesterday night and wrote, "Can we repeat ur 40th?"

Allu Arjun will immediately head to Visakhapatnam for the filming of Pushpa 2. Reportedly, the actor took off in a chartered plane to touch down in Vizag for the shooting on April 9.
Houston, Texas--(Newsfile Corp. - April 9, 2023) - Metaplexus, a leading business consultancy firm, has a history of supporting business owners in creating a financially independent legacy through education, accountability, and done-with-you sales systems. The company's newest service specializes in creating turn-key done-for-you eCommerce stores to help entrepreneurs achieve financial success. Their new business model is designed to provide comprehensive support and guidance to entrepreneurs looking to succeed in the highly competitive world of eCommerce.





Metaplexus CEO Adam Rodriguez inspires the crowd with his vision for financial independence and his dedication to helping others achieve their goals

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8902/161535_figure1.jpeg

Metaplexus's new turn-key eCommerce store creation service handles the research, creation, and management of the entire online store. This makes it easier for entrepreneurs to focus on building their businesses and achieving financial independence without worrying about the details of eCommerce. By providing comprehensive support and guidance, Metaplexus is empowering entrepreneurs to take control of their financial futures and achieve their dreams.

"We believe that everyone has the potential to achieve financial independence and success through eCommerce," said Adam Rodriguez, CEO of Metaplexus. "Our new business model is all about empowering entrepreneurs to achieve their financial goals and build successful online businesses with our turn-key eCommerce store creation services."





Building a community of successful entrepreneurs, one eCommerce store at a time. Meet the team behind Metaplexus!

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8902/161535_figure2.jpeg

Metaplexus's mission is to empower aspiring entrepreneurs to achieve financial independence and success through eCommerce. CEO Adam Rodriguez's personal journey, after sustaining a traumatic brain injury during his time as a veteran, served as the inspiration for the company's new business model. Adam turned to eCommerce and trial and error to create a business that could support his family with only a few meaningful hours each day to get his work done. He has since built a system that he's used to support hundreds of hopeful entrepreneurs maintain success in the eCommerce industry.

Through Metaplexus's comprehensive suite of services, including turn-key eCommerce store creation, business planning, marketing, and more, they are dedicated to providing entrepreneurs with the tools they need to succeed in the highly competitive eCommerce environment. Their new business model is built on the principles of discipline, integrity, and dedication that Adam learned during his time in the Marines.

Metaplexus is revolutionizing the way new business owners start and grow their online businesses. Aspiring entrepreneurs looking to achieve financial independence and success through eCommerce, Metaplexus can help. Visit their website at Metaplexus.io to learn more about their unique opportunity and suite of eCommerce services.

Media Contact:

Contact Person: Adam Rodriguez

Email: contact@metaplexus.io

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/161535
A little over the past decade, people have understood that burgers arent only junk fast food and hence theyve become way more accepted and even beyond comfort food for many. Its the simplicity of a burger, the emotions it evokes, and the kick of dopamine you get after eating your favourite comfort food that makes burgers popular not only among youngsters but food lovers across all age groups. Burgers are one of the most popular foods in the country today. They are filling, delicious, value for money and easy to eat  which makes it a good choice for any time of the day. These are also the reasons why they are so widely available across the country. Even during the pandemic, the most ordered food has been Biryanis and Burgers, which goes to show just how popular a dish it is.

Honestly, the trick of making a perfect burger is all about balance and quality. Chef Rollin of Smoke House Deli says, To make a perfect burger all you need is a good quality of fresh buns, which is soft enough to bite through effortlessly, while being firm enough to hold the entire filling without falling apart, and compliment the filling too, without overpowering it. The patty or the filling, being just right  well seasoned, charred to perfection, without being burned and still remaining juicy. The toppings including sauces, vegetables, pickles, etc., should complement and not overpower the patty.

The evolving burgers

Burgers have been available in India in some form or the other for a long time. It first came to India in the QSR-Format through Wimpys in Delhi in the 80s, which then led to the entry of McDonalds and others. Five-star hotels and standalone restaurants have always served them. Oberois in the mid-60s used to serve quarter-pound burgers. Nirulas in Delhi introducing a grilled patty version in the mid-to late 70s is just an example of them. Of course, the recent years have seen a rapid rise to a lot of home-grown burger brands which are doing pretty well, especially post-pandemic.

Chef Akriti Malhotra, Co-Founder, AKUs, The Burger Co says, Quality ingredients are the key. From the buns to the sauces, every little ingredient that goes in a burger is a champion and contributes greatly to the taste and mouthfeel of a burger. A burger, just like a car, needs to have a solid build. Its essential to crack the patty-to-bun ratio.

BOSS Burger, Impresario Handmade Restaurants delivery-only burger brand, has been delighting burger lovers since 2020 with their bold, punchy flavours and quirky packaging. In addition to their current hits, BOSS Burger recently premiered two limited edition burgers that are perfect for those who like a blockbuster twist. The Roasted Chicken Shawarma Burger and Hara Bhara Surprise Burger are on the BOSS menu from the 6th of March to the 30th of April. Bringing together the best of both East and West, BOSS Burger is all set to deliver two smashing blockbusters.

The Roasted Chicken Shawarma Burger, produced by BOSS Burger, stars an irresistible hero  tender Chicken Shawarma, roasted low and slow till it almost falls apart. In addition to the star of the show, there is a strong supporting cast of nutty hummus, tahina, and spicy jalapenos, layered between a melt-in-the-mouth Brioche bun.

In the Hara Bhara Surprise Burger, the breakout star is the Hara Bhara patty, a subtle yet spicy character, with a supporting cast of punchy sauces and fresh veggies, adding layers of flavour. The surprise element is a guest appearance by grilled cottage cheese which takes this blockbuster burger to the next level! Of course, theres a melt-in-the-mouth Brioche bun to complete the experience.

During the pandemic too burgers became a part of F&B orders. Talking about the history of burgers Chef Akriti explains, Burgers were popularized among the folks, including myself when Nirulas came along. It was only in the late 1990s that fast food giants started becoming a bigger part of our lives, and before we knew it, burger places were becoming a part of our lives for a pick-me-up, or a casual birthday scene.

Chef Divya of Boss Burgers says, Cloud kitchens are revolutionising the burger delivery game by ensuring the burgers remain fresh and delicious. BOSS Burger is known for its vast variety of burgers that feature bold flavours, freshness of ingredients and unique offerings. These are perfectly complemented by their variety of sides and desserts including Peri Peri Chicken Wings, Cajun Fries, Layered Mousse Cake, Tiramisu, and many more. The secret to making and delivering a perfect burger is in its ingredients, their freshness and the construction of the burger.

Burgers with a healthy twist

Burgers are not just a fast food, its a comfort meal. Making sure ones going to the right places. In many places burgers are made with a salad with the same burger ingredients in a different ratio. And sometimes these ingredients are definitely as good if not better ingredients than what you source at home. Correct sourcing and staying away from preservative-laden stuff is very important to make a healthy sumptuous burger.

With the increasing popularity of burgers, there has been a growing trend towards healthier versions of this classic dish. Chef Divya says, Health-conscious consumers are looking for alternatives that are lower in calories, fat, and sodium, but still taste delicious. One popular trend in traditional burgers is the availability of vegan burgers. BOSS Burger offers a House-Made Black Bean Patty that is a favourite among vegans, vegetarians, and meat-eaters alike. We also offer healthier ingredients and believe in offering something for everyone to enjoy a delicious meal.

Chef Rollin adds that there are a few things that they keep in mind at Smoke House Deli and offer to give it a healthier option, without compromising on quality and taste. We use leaner meat/protein to mince for the burger patty. Have grilled burger patties, instead of crumbed or batter-fried ones. Have the burger as a lettuce wrap or an open burger. Also use a healthier bun  fiber-rich, almond-flour, whole grain, etc are better options than a refined flour bun. Adding healthier toppings and condiments to the burger like avocados, fresh vegetables, sprouts, low sugar or homemade condiments.

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New Delhi: Several states in India have reinstated COVID rules, including making masks mandatory, after most parts of the country witnessed a rapid rise in cases in the past few days.

Earlier this week, Indias Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya held a COVID review meeting where he urged states to stay alert and review their emergency preparedness in case the situation gets worse.

The Health Ministry is also expected to hold mock drills in both public and private hospitals nationwide to assess emergency preparedness in public health institutions.

India logged 5,357 cases, taking the total tally to 32,814 on Sunday. Indias capital Delhi, on the other hand, recorded 535 fresh Covid cases on Saturday with a positivity rate of 23.05 per cent.

States like Kerala, Haryana and Puducherry have made masks mandatory in public places. In addition to this, people have been asked to adopt Covid-appropriate behaviour and hospitals have been asked to be prepared.

In Kerala, most of the Covid-related deaths are mostly reported among the elderly population as well as those with lifestyle diseases like diabetes, said the state health ministry.

With inputs from agencies

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Officials have decried the "despicable and barbaric attack," but did not immediately say who was behind it. The West African country has been fighting militants linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group since 2013.

At least 44 civilians were killed by terrorist groups in northeastern Burkina Faso, a regional governor said on Saturday.

Rodolphe Sorgho, the lieutenant governor of the Sahel region, decried "this despicable and barbaric attack" in the villages of Kourakou and Tondobi in northeast Burkina Faso. The gunmen killed 31 in Kourakou and 13 in Tondobi, and more people are wounded, according to the official.

The Burkina Faso military fought the group, and "actions to stabilize the area are under way," he added.

A resident of Kourakou told the AFP news agency that "a large number of terrorists burst into the village."

"All night long, we heard gunfire. It was on Friday morning that we saw that there were several dozen dead," he added.

Burkina Faso, which witnessed two coups last year, become the epicenter of the security crisis last year in the Sahel.

The more recent coup, in September, put Ibrahim Traore in charge. Traore claimed the military takeover was necessary to counter the country's jihadist insurgency.

France supported the fight against Islamic insurgency in West Africa since 2013 and in Burkinabe soil since 2018. However, deterioration of relations between countries following the September military takeover saw French troops exit the country earlier this year at Ouagadougou's request.

rm/dj (AFP, AP)
Bandipur: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday visited the southern state of Karnataka where he went on a safari at the Bandipur Tiger Reserve.

Sporting camouflage attire, Modi interacted with field staff and Self Help Groups to discuss tiger conservation efforts in India. Sharing a picture of Narendra Modi, the Prime Ministers Office said, PM Narendra Modi is on the way to the Bandipur and Mudumalai Tiger Reserves.

PM @narendramodi is on the way to the Bandipur and Mudumalai Tiger Reserves. pic.twitter.com/tpPYgnoahl  PMO India (@PMOIndia) April 9, 2023

The prime minister has also scheduled a visit to Tamil Nadus Mudumalai Tiger Reserve. He will also interact with field directors of tiger reserves that have scored highest in the recently concluded 5th cycle of the Management Effectiveness Evaluation exercise.

Sharing a picture of Narendra Modi, the Prime Ministers Office said, PM Narendra Modi is on the way to the Bandipur and Mudumalai Tiger Reserves.

Watch the video:

#WATCH | Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives at Bandipur Tiger Reserve in Karnataka pic.twitter.com/Gvr7xpZzug  ANI (@ANI) April 9, 2023

International Big Cats Alliance

During his visit to the tiger reserves, the prime minister launched the International Big Cats Alliance, an initiative that will focus on the protection and conservation of seven major big cats of the world, namely tiger, lion, leopard, snow leopard, puma, jaguar and cheetah.

In July 2019, PM Modi called for an Alliance of Global Leaders to obliterate demand and firmly curb poaching and illegal wildlife trade in Asia. Taking the message of the Prime Minister forward, the IBCA is being launched.

This belief of PM has been integral in the environmental consciousness shown by the Modi government. Wide-ranging efforts have been undertaken, which have together positively impacted the wildlife in the country, said the government in a statement.

Since 2014, there has been an increase in the population of big cats in India, with tiger populations increasing by 33 per cent from 2,226 in 2014 to 2,967 in 2018.

Strong conservation management and robust protection have resulted in a 29 per cent increase in lion population in Gujarat (674 in 2020 compared to 523 in 2015).

The widely distributed leopard population has seen an increase of about 63 per cent (from 7,910 in 2014 to 12,852 in 2018).

With inputs from agencies

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It is not about the political morals of Ukraine having to stand by its western defenders and defence suppliers at the height of the continuing war with Russia. Instead, if it has decided to work on the Chinese proposal for signing a truce (if not a peace pact) with Russia, as it would not be able to meet all of Moscows demands, which are anyway not in its realms from the beginning.

For the war to end and peace to return, Russia would insist on Ukraine taking a no-NATO pledge. In return, Russia will have to withdraw from all Ukrainian territory captured in the war since February last year, if not on earlier occasions. The latter especially is easier said than done, but only by doing so can Moscow reassure the world that its real intent was to take all of Ukraine. Such a course would also send out more wrong signals that President Vladimir Putin is to recreate the forgotten Soviet Union, by annexing all those lost territories that now form separate sovereign nations.

There is a further hitch. Should Russia withdraw from Ukraine, whatever the reason, it would be a verifiable reality on the ground. The expectations are that Moscow would not resort to yet another military adventurism or mis-adventurism. The same cannot be said about Ukraines promise, if any, on not joining NATO, later, if not now. Whoever the facilitator, China, India or another, they should also be looking for Ukraines binding pledges that would make Russia feel safe and secure, now and later.

Sanctions, reparations

It is quite possible, Russia, in the case of ending the war, or withdrawing from Ukraine or whatever term it agrees with the latter, will also expect the US-led West withdraw all sanctions, or at least most sanctions, especially of the economic kind, linked to the Ukraine War as is known for the past one year. After all, many of these sanctions are linked to the Ukraine War of the past year. Hence, if there is no war, rather truce or permanent peace, there should be no sanctions, either. So could be the Russian argument.

The same argument would extend for the West to withdraw all statements and UN resolutions, calling for Russia to pay war reparations to Ukraine. At a personal level and even otherwise, the Kremlin would want the case preferred against Putin before the International Criminal Court (ICC) withdrawn for good, not that Moscow seems to care too much about it just now.

Alternatively, Russia would have to settle for truce or peace with Ukraine first, and address its other concerns separately. The possibility of peace with Moscow would have been enough of a snub from Ukraine to its western backers that Russia and more so China may relish  whether or not its peace proposal becomes the key to an accord between the other two  that the US and its allies just cannot allow it to happen.

It may be too much to anticipate the West, especially the US, imposing sanctions for Ukraine violating the Code. But it would be interesting to watch, if any peace pact involves Ukraine giving a written commitment that it would not seek NATO membership, which has been the bugbear for Russia to launch the war in the first place. Or, what other guarantees of the kind can Ukraine give that would convince Russia for all times to come?

Worst joke or what

It will hence be interesting to see how Russia conducts itself as it takes over as the UN Security Council chair by rotation for this month, April. The Kremlin said that it would exercise all its rights in the role, and it remains to be seen what Moscow has to say if the West were to move some anti-Russia resolution in the UNSC, as it had done through the past year of the war.

Having embarrassed Russia enough through at least two resolutions in the UN General Assembly and two others in the UNSC, which Russias veto-vote alone stalled from approval, the West could be expected to do more of it. It all depends on the signals from Ukraine on war and peace just now, or so it seems. For now, however, Ukraine has described Russia taking over as the monthly president of the UNSC as the worst joke over April Fools Day. Hence, Ukraine wanted UNSC members to block the move.

The US is blowing hot and cold on this issue of Russias presidency. On the one hand, the US urged Russia to conduct itself professionally as UNSC chair for the month. At the same time, Americas Permanent Representative Linda Thomas-Greenfield also said that Russia should not be a permanent member. Her Russian counterpart Vasily Nebenzia, without reference to the US stand, said that he would discuss a new world order that was coming to replace the uni-polar one. It is another matter that Russia chaired what once used to be a 15-member super-cabinet of the world, not any more, while launching the Ukraine War in February last year.

India as a key ally

In the midst of it all, Putin signed a new foreign policy for Russia, prioritising India and China as main allies, and the US as the main instigator of anti-Russian politics in the world. In a 42-page updated foreign policy document, which is mostly a product of the Ukraine War, new foreign policy statement, Putin declared: Russia will continue to build up a particularly privileged strategic partnership with the Republic of India with a view to enhance and expand cooperation in all areas on a mutually beneficial basis and place special emphasis on increasing the volume of bilateral trade, strengthening investment and technological ties, and ensuring their resistance to destructive actions of unfriendly states and their alliances.

In this connection, he declared that the country is also prioritising its capacity and role within international groupings such as BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and the RIC (Russia, India, China). While declaring that the US is the main perpetrator, etc., the document insisted that Moscow seeks peaceful coexistence and a balance of interests with Washington and also for Russia to maintain strategic stability with the US. This raises the question that in the case of a Russo-American detente of the continuing Cold War kind, New Delhi alone may be the only possible facilitator, as Washington cannot accept Beijing in that role.

Incidentally, at the more recent UNHRC session in Geneva, India once again abstained along with 16 other nations, for extending the one-year term of a war crime probe by another year. Coming as it did weeks after Xis Moscow visit, China that had abstained last year, became one of the two nations to vote against the motion. The 47-member council passed the resolution with 28 voting in favour.

Gift of history

As yet another European nation, Finland got admittance into NATO and Chinese yuan became the highest sold international currency, replacing the US dollar, even if only for a month, in February, the current developments may point to a see-change in global affairs, going beyond what individual countries of the yore resolve or promise to be. If the Ukraine War is a European proxy war, whenever it ends, will it trigger a trans-Atlantic fight for political supremacy?

For both the Asian giants- India and China, its a gift of history, just as their past marked a theft by history.

The writer is a Chennai-based policy analyst and political commentator. Views are personal.

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Wisconsin: Two Wisconsin police officers were killed in a shooting during a traffic stop on Saturday, authorities said.

The Wisconsin Department of Justice said in a statement late Saturday that it was investigating the shooting in Cameron, Wisconsin.

An officer from the Chetek Police Department conducted a traffic stop around 3:38 p.m. and at some point gunfire was exchanged with the motorist, the state justice department said.

The Chetek officer and another officer from Cameron were pronounced dead at the scene. The suspect in the shooting was taken to a hospital and later died, the justice department said.

The names of the officers and the suspect were not immediately released.

I am deeply saddened by the tragic loss today of two officers. I am thinking of their families and the Chetek and Cameron Police Departments at this incredibly difficult time, Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul said in a tweet late Saturday.
While todays date i.e., 9 April 2023 can appear like any ordinary day of the year, the date does have a historical significance attached to it and marks several significant global events.

There have been some big events that have changed peoples lives and their surroundings throughout the past few decades. The world has changed significantly and is still undergoing similar occurrences on a regular basis, from wars to technical advances and changes in numerous industries. Lets take a deeper look into history to learn more about these occurrences.

9 April: Historical events

1865  Treaty signed at the Appomattox Court House

Days after the fall of Richmond, the Confederate capital, Ulysses S. Grant and General Robert E. Lee met in the parlour of a house in the Appomattox Court House, Virginia, to sign a treaty to surrender the Army of Northern Virginia. This effectively ended the American Civil War.

1963  Winston Churchill was honored with US citizenship

On 9 April 1963, then-US President John F. Kennedy conferred upon Sir Winston Churchill the honorary citizenship of the United States through an act of Congress. Churchill, one of the most admired leaders of the 20th century was bestowed with US citizenship on this date, but it took quite some time for it to pass.

2001  American Airlines became the worlds largest airline

It was on this date back in 2001 when American Airlines which is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, officially completed its acquisition of Trans World Airlines and further became the worlds largest airline.

2003  Baghdad captured by US-led forces

Around 22 days after the start of the Iraq War, the capital city of Baghdad fell to US-led Coalition forces on 9 April 2003. The event, which came to be known as the Fall of Baghdad, came as a major early victory for the United States.

2005  Prince Charles got married to Camilla Parker Bowles

It was on 9 April 2005 when Prince Charles (now King Charles III) got married to Camilla Parker Bowles in a civil ceremony at Windsor Guildhall. During the wedding, Prince William served as the best man.

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Kabul: With a severe drought ravaging large parts of Afghanistan, farmers in several districts have expressed concerns over the drought and the low yield of their crops. Farmers in drought-prone areas expressed concern about their harvests failing like in previous years.

Following the recent rains in Afghanistan, officials from the Taliban-led Agriculture and Irrigation Ministry voiced optimism that farmers would be able to end the drought. A spokesman for the ministry run by the Taliban claimed that emergency plans had been made because of the drought in Afghanistan.

Droughts are increasing worldwide, but after recent rains in the country, it gave us hope that we would be less vulnerable to this compared to the past, TOLO News quoted Musbahuhddin Mustaeen as saying.

The lack of water management in recent years has been cited by the Taliban-led Chamber of Agriculture and Irrigation as one of the causes of the escalating drought in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan wont experience drought, according to Merwis Haji Zada, deputy of the Chamber of Agriculture and Irrigation, if the Kunar Water Canal, Kamal Khan Dam, and Qosh Tepa Canal are constructed in accordance with specifications.

According to data from the chamber, Afghanistan receives up to 80 billion cubic metres of water annually through precipitation and snowfall, while the country uses 25 billion cubic metres of water annually, according to a report from TOLO News.

Afghanistan requested assistance from the UN earlier in March amid growing worries about drought in the nation beset by war, according to TOLOnews. Afghanistan asked the UN to supply wheat storage facilities.

The Taliban-run Chamber of Agriculture and Livestock has reportedly encouraged the UN to support Afghanistan in this respect, saying that doing so will assist the war-torn country strengthen its economy.

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Taipei: Taiwan will battle to defend and protect its homeland united, according to the countrys National Defence Ministry, after numerous Chinese aircraft encircled the island nation.

Taiwans Ministry of National Defense stated on Twitter, #Taiwan is our homeland, and no matter where we go or what we encounter, she is always charming and beautiful. Every narrative on this place is imprinted in our minds. We, the #ROCArmedForces, are fighting with all of our hearts to preserve and protect our homeland.

Taiwan had detected 71 Chinese military planes and 9 naval ships by 6 am on Sunday. China appears to have begun its second day of drills around Taiwan.

45 of the detected aircraft (SU-30*8, J-11*4, J-10*16, J-16*10, TB-001 UCAV, Y-9EW, Y-8 ASW, H-6K*2, Y-20, KJ-500) had crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwans southwest ADIZ, flight paths as illustrated, the Ministry said.

China, which claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, began three days of military exercises around the island on Saturday, the day after President Tsai Ing-wen returned to Taipei from Los Angeles, where she met with US House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

The ministry also issued a photo taken from the Cheng Kung-class Chang Chien missile frigate showing Navy officers monitoring the movements of Chinas Maanshan frigate, reported Taiwan News.

The military said it tasked aircraft in Combat Air Patrols (CAP) and naval vessels while deploying land-based air defence missile systems to monitor the activities of the Chinese military ships and aircraft.

While accusing China of promoting regional insecurity and instability, the MND stated that the military forces will boost their vigilance and readiness, but would avoid provocations and escalating tensions, according to Taiwan News.

Taiwan has submitted a protest against Chinese military drills in the vicinity of the island, stating that the government will not bow to threats.

With inputs from agencies

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Islamabad: At least 42 cases of atrocities against Hindus were highlighted in the regional news channels in Pakistan in the first two months of 2023. These include incidents of abduction, gang-rape, forced conversion and mob lynching among others.

As per the report by Voice of Pakistan Minority, there were six cases of abduction, forced conversion and marriage reported in local media in the month of January, while five such cases took place in February.

The list further mentions at least nine cases wherein the bodies of Hindu victims were found hanging and at least four cases of murder.

Earlier this year, Hindu rights activist Mahesh Vasu, in a report to the Ministry of External Affairs, noted that as many as 96 cases of abduction, forced conversion, marriage and gang-rape of women belonging to the minority community took place in Pakistan.

Recently, thousands of people from different minority communities in Pakistan took out a protest rally in front of the Sindh Assembly against forced conversions.

During the rally, they raised slogans against forced conversions and put up banners of Hindu girls who had been abducted and forcibly converted to Islam.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine: A Russian attack on a residential building in the southeastern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia killed a 50-year-old man and his 11-year-old daughter on Sunday.

Authorities from Ukraines State Emergency Service said that a 46-year-old woman, believed to be the wife and mother of the victims, was pulled out from the wreckage of the attack and sustained injuries.

Anatoliy Kurtev, City council secretary, said that two Russian missiles struck down one residential building and damaged dozens of others during the overnight strike.

The cursed Russian terrorists attacked Zaporizhzhia again and lost human lives, he wrote on the Telegram messaging app.

The attack is the latest in the series of offensives launched against Ukrainian civilians as the Russian war on Ukraine drags on for a second year.

Earlier today, more than 30 kids were finally reunited with their families after a month-long operation to bring them back home.

Testimonies from the rescued children highlight the hardships faced by them as they were held in Russia against their will. A 13-year-old girl named Dasha Rakk said that she and her twin sister had to overstay in a holiday camp in Crimea, as per the instructions of some Russian officials, after they fled from the now-occupied city of Kherson.

With inputs from agencies

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New Delhi: Indias External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is expected to travel to Uganda and Mozambique from 10 to 15 April in a bid to boost bilateral between India and the two African nations.

Jaishankar will be in Uganda for two days where he will hold discussions with his counterpart General Jeje Odongo, a statement by MEA read.

He will also inaugurate the transit campus of the National Forensic Science University (NFSU) in the Ugandan city of Jinja. Both countries will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on creating the first overseas campus of NFSU, the statement added.

During his visit, Jaishankar will also mark his attendance at the ground-breaking ceremony of a solar-powered water supply project in Uganda. Addressing the trade and business communities in Uganda and interacting with the Indian diaspora is also on Jaishankars to-do list.

Following his two-day visit to Uganda, Jaishankar will make the first-ever trip to Mozambique from 13 to 15 April.

During the visit, he will meet Mozambiques top leadership and co-chair the 5th Session of the Joint Commission Meeting with Mozambican Foreign Minister Veronica Macamo.

The EAM is expected to meet several other Ministers and representatives of the Assembly of Mozambique. He will also interact with the Indian diaspora in Mozambique.

With inputs from agencies

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Paris: Europe must not be a follower of either the US or China on Taiwan, said French President Emmanuel Macron in an interview published on Sunday.

He added that the bloc risks entanglement in crises that arent ours.

Macrons comments risk riling Washington and highlight divisions in the European Union over how to approach China, as the US steps up confrontation with its closest rival and Beijing draws closer to Russia in the wake of its invasion of Ukraine, AFP reported.

The worst thing would be to think that we Europeans must be followers and adapt ourselves to the American rhythm and a Chinese overreaction, Macron said.

Citing his prized ideal of EU strategic autonomy, the French leader said that we must be clear where our views overlap with the US, but whether its about Ukraine, relations to China or sanctions, we have a European strategy.

We dont want to get into a bloc versus bloc logic, he added, saying Europe should not be caught up in a disordering of the world and crises that arent ours.

China views Taiwan as part of its territory and has vowed to take it one day, by force if necessary. Angered by Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wens meeting last week with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Beijing launched massive military exercises around the island immediately after Macron departed for France, including simulated strikes on its territory.

On Friday, Macron discussed Taiwan with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, during a visit in which he was feted but more hawkish EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was kept mostly at arms length.

(With inputs from AFP)

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The Nigeria's National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) is planing to invest about $12.5 billion to secure a 50 per cent equity stake in the $25 billion Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline project.

The investment plan is being made possible after parties in the project have resolved a lingering Production Sharing Contract (PSC).

"The pipeline project, which will connect Nigeria to Morocco, is already at FEED Phase II, undergoing Environmental Impact Assessment and Right of Way Surveys," said NNPCL Group chief executive officer(CEO), Mallam Mele Kyari.

The CEO highlighted that more investment is expected as a result of the recently resolved production sharing contract disputes with partners.

According to the Nigeria's minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, the start date for the construction of the gas pipeline has not yet been set as some administrative issues need to be resolved.

Morocco will host 1,672 kilometers of the pipeline, which is expected to benefit over 400 million people in West Africa.

King Mohammed VI has emphasised the project's significance, describing it as a strategic turning point that will significantly advance the continent's development.

"I want this to be a strategic project that benefits all of West Africa - a region which is home to more than 440 million people. This is a project for peace, for African economic integration, and for co-development: a project for the present and for future generations," the King said during his speech, commemorating the 47th anniversary of the Green March in 2022.

The project was first proposed by King Mohammed VI and Nigerian president, Muhammadu Buhari in 2016, but it has gained substantial traction lately due to rising energy prices and decreasing European gas supplies amid the war in Ukraine.

The pipeline is expected to help Morocco overcome its persistent energy crisis, with the North African country currently importing 90 per cent of its energy needs.

The 5,600-kilometer-long pipeline project will span across 13 countries along the Atlantic coast.

The project gained unwavering support from many countries, including Nigeria, Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Ghana.

The countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Morocco's National office of Hydrocarbons and Mines (ONHYM) in December 2022, reflecting their determination to support the Morocco-Nigeria gas pipeline project, which aims to improve energy infrastructure in the region
Kabul: In an effort to persuade the Taliban regime in Kabul to reverse its decision to ban women from working, the European Union (EU) has linked aid to Afghanistan with several conditions.

According to a report by Tolo News, the European Union (EU) has linked aid to Afghanistan with the removal of the ban imposed on Afghan working women by the Taliban regime in Kabul.

Asserting that the Talibans ban on women working for UN organizations violates international law, the EU said that aid to Afghanistan cannot be delivered regardless of gender and aid activities will be reconsidered.

We urge the Taliban to allow women to equally and meaningfully participate in aid and services delivery so that women can engage fully and actively in the society, as well as remain beneficiaries of aid. Female staff must not be replaced. As the EU stated in the Council Conclusions of 20 March 2023, where activities cannot be continued in line with the EUs principled approach, i.e. providing aid in a non-discriminatory way, regardless of gender, support to those activities will be reconsidered, the EU said in a statement.

The EU underlined its commitment to continuing its involvement and providing aid with a moral perspective for the benefit of the people of Afghanistan.

Not just UN offices, but to the other offices of the government, rights must be ensured for Afghan women employees, to allow Afghan women to return to their jobs, Maryam Marouf Arwin, an activist for womens rights, was quoted as saying by Tolo News.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) also supported the EU stand, asserting that the Afghan Talibans decision to bar women from working will result in a reduction in services and support for all people in Afghanistan.

I am deeply alarmed and strongly condemn this continued assault on womens human rights, which will only have the effect of reducing services and support for all Afghans. Alongside the international community, the United States calls on the Taliban to reverse this reprehensible decision immediately, the USAID said in a statement.

However, the Ministry of Economy of the Taliban regime said that aid to Afghanistan should not be linked to political or cultural issues.

The people of Afghanistan need the assistance of the international community, and helping the people of Afghanistan is a responsibility and international community. So, aid should not be linked to political and cultural issues, Abdul Latif Nazari, the Talibans deputy of the Ministry of Economy, told the media.

According to the United Nations (UN) around 3,300 of its employees  both male and female  have been forced to stay at home since the Taliban banned women from working at UN agencies in Afghanistan.

The plight of women in Afghanistan has gotten worse since the Taliban seized Kabul in August 2021. In Afghanistan, women are not allowed to hold positions of authority and are not permitted to work or travel without a male companion.

On March 23, this year, the Taliban had vowed to restore all schools, but instead, they closed secondary schools for girls.

The reopening of these institutions, their likelihood, and if the prohibition is temporary are all still unknown.

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Marseille, France: A four-story building in the French city of Marseille collapsed in the wee hours of Sunday, leaving two people dead while six people are still missing.

Mayor Benoit Payan said on Monday that theres still hope of finding survivors from the rubble of the collapsed building.

Officials on Sunday said that rescue operations were getting hampered due to a fire in the surrounding area.

Payan told reporters that the building collapsed at 12:40 am (2240 GMT), damaging parts of two buildings in its surrounding.

(The fire) is extremely difficult to control The firefighters are judging minute by minute how best to put out this fire because there are potentially people alive inside, Payan said

URGENT  Une explosion vient de se produire dans un immeuble rue de Tivoli a #Marseille. (@aurelien1335) pic.twitter.com/xJmFFnIzCH  AlertesInfos (@AlertesInfos) April 8, 2023

He warned the authorities to stay prepared to pull out victims from the rubble.

The streets around the collapsed building were cordoned off and choked with dust. Firefighters could be seen attempting to work their way through the building debris.

We are trying to speed up the (search and rescue operations) because time is of the essence, but the search dogs cannot keep up in the heat, said the commander of the Marseille marine firefighters, Lionel Mathieu.

Authorities are however unable to determine the number of residents who were housed in the residential building.

The mayor said, At the moment, we are clearing the buildings next door, taking care not to endanger the people who could be beneath the rubble.

Sounded like an explosion

Apart from residents living in the building, people in surrounding areas also complained of getting affected by the collapse. All the evacuees are currently sheltered in schools and nurseries.

Regional prefect Christophe Mirmand told AFP there were strong suspicions that an explosion caused the collapse, possibly a gas leak.

A street vendor in the nearby area who witnessed the building collapse said that it felt like everything shook.

We saw people running and there was smoke everywhere, he said.

Gilles, who lives on a side street near the fallen building, told AFP the sound of the crash was huge.

It sounded like an explosion, said Gilles, also declining to provide his last name.

With inputs from agencies

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Florida: A psychology teacher at a high school in Florida had to lose his job after he asked his students to pen down their own obituaries during an active shooter mock drill.

Having no remorse, Jeffrey Keene told NBC that even after getting fired he believes that he used the right judgment by asking his students to write an obituary for themselves at Dr Phillips High School in Orlando, Florida.

Defending his lesson, Keene, 63, said that he wanted his 11th and 12th-grade students to reflect on their lives if the worst possible scenario of active shooting ever occurs in their school.

He recalled telling his students, This isnt a way to upset you or anything like that.

It wasnt to scare them or make them feel like they were going to die, but just to help them understand whats important in their lives and how they want to move forward with their lives and how they want to pursue things in their journey, the psychology teacher added.

He further explained, If they died 24 hours from now, what would they do differently than they did yesterday? And thats to get them to get rid of all the fluff and show them whats important in the world.

An inappropriate lesson

Keenes students told him that the school authorities were calling them one by one to inquire about the assignment that he gave his students.

And by the end of the seventh period, he received a notice from the school asking him to end his employment.

He told NBC, When they said you have the option to resign without violating your contract, I said, I didnt do anything wrong. I said, If I did, tell me what it is. They said, We cant do that. I said, In that case, since I dont know what I did wrong, you can go ahead and terminate me without cause.

Later, the school issued a statement to parents saying, Dr Phillips High School families were informed that a teacher gave an inappropriate assignment about school violence. The administration immediately investigated and the probationary employee has been terminated.

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Tunis: Twenty-three African people are feared missing while four died on their way to Italy after their migrant boats sank off Tunisia. A judicial official said that the two migrant boats were trying to cross the Mediterranean to enter Italy.

Fifty-three other migrants were saved by the coast guard off the Tunisian city of Sfax, two of whom remain in critical condition. Sfax court Judge Faouzi Masmoudi added that four bodies have also been recovered.

The Tunisian coast has become a frequent accident spot with dozens of migrants going missing and dying in repeating cases of drowning accidents.

Tunisia has taken over from Libya as a main departure point for people fleeing poverty and conflict in Africa and the Middle East in the hope of a better life in Europe. Crackdowns on human trafficking in Libya have made Tunisia a more accessible option.

More than 14,000 migrants from Sub-Saharan Africa have been rescued or intercepted n the first three months of the year while trying to cross into Europe, five times more than the figures of last year, the National Guard said.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Friday that Europe risks seeing a huge wave of migrants arriving on its shores from North Africa if financial stability in Tunisia is not safeguarded.

Meloni called on the IMF and other countries to help Tunisia quickly to avoid its collapse.

Tunisian Foreign Minister Nabil Ammar said last week the country needed funding and equipment to better protect its borders. Tunisia had received equipment from Italy in the past years, but Ammar said it was outdated and not sufficient.

With inputs from agencies

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Tbilisi: Amid accusations of backsliding on democracy thousands of opposition supporters rallied on Sunday in the Georgian capital Tbilisi against the government.

A rally was organised by the countrys main opposition  United National Movement (UNM)  as demonstrators gathered outside the Georgian parliament to extend support. The party was founded by jailed ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili.

Holding a huge banner that read For European future, protesters waved Georgian, Ukrainian and European Union flags as part of the protest.

The crowd chanted Long live Misha!, referring by his diminutive to Saakashvili, who is serving a six-year jail term for abuse of power  a conviction that international rights groups have condemned as politically motivated.

Doctors have said the pro-Western reformer is at risk of death from a litany of serious conditions which he developed in custody.

The ruling Georgian Dream partys government faces accusations of jailing opponents, silencing independent media, covertly collaborating with the Kremlin and leading the country astray from its EU membership path.

Addressing the rally, UNM chairman Levan Khabeishvili listed protesters demands that included the liberation of political prisoners and implementing reforms demanded by the EU as a condition for granting Tbilisi a formal candidate status.

(The) Georgian government is being controlled from Moscow and our obligation is to save our homeland from Russian stooges, former Georgian president Giorgi Margvelashvili told the crowd.

We are freedom-loving people, part of the European family, we reject Russian slavery.

One of the demonstrators, 27-year-old painter Luka Kavsadze, told AFP: Our struggle will be peaceful but uncompromised and will lead us to where we belong  the European Union.

Last month, tens of thousands took to the streets in Tbilisi after parliament gave initial backing to a draft law on foreign agents, similar to the legislation used in Russia to suppress dissent.

The bill, which has sparked strong criticism from the European Union and the United States, was dropped under pressure from street protests that saw police use tear gas and water cannon to disperse crowds.

The ruling party has insisted it remains committed to Georgias EU and NATO membership bids, enshrined in the constitution, and supported  according to opinion polls  by 80 percent of the population.

But party leaders have stepped up anti-Western rhetoric after Washington last week banned visas for four powerful judges in Georgia over alleged corruption.

The move marked the latest toughening of Washingtons approach towards an ally after concerns of a shift in Tbilisi toward Russia.

Georgia applied for EU membership together with Ukraine and Moldova days after Russia invaded its pro-Western neighbour in February 2022.

In June last year, EU leaders granted formal candidate status to Kyiv and Chisinau but said Tbilisi must implement reforms first.

(With inputs from AFP)

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New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said India did not believe in conflict between ecology and economy but gave importance to coexistence between the two.

Protection of wildlife was a universal issue, Modi said, launching the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA), which endeavours to protect and conserve big cats.

The Prime Minister was speaking after inaugurating the programme Commemoration of 50 years of Project Tiger organised at Karnataka State Open University.

Citing data about the tiger population in India, which stood at 3,167 in 2022, Modi said, The tiger numbers that we have reached shows that this family of ours is growing. This is a moment of pride. Calling for a standing ovation to celebrate the rise in tiger population, he added, Im confident and I assure the world that in the days to come we will achieve more. According to the data, the tiger population was 1,411 in 2006, 1,706 in 2010, 2,226 in 2014, 2,967 in 2018 and 3,167 in 2022.

Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav and Minister of State Ashwini Kumar Choubey were present, among others, at the event.

The Prime Minister said the success of Project Tiger was a matter of pride not only for India but the whole world.

Stating that India had not only saved tigers, but created an ecosystem for them to flourish, he said, India is a country where protecting nature is part of the culture. For wildlife to thrive, it is important for ecosystems to thrive. This has been happening in India, he said, adding that protecting wildlife was not the issue of just one country, but a global one.

Pointing out that cheetahs had become extinct in India decades ago, the Prime Minister referred to the recent initiative where the big cats were brought to India from Namibia and South Africa, and said it was the first successful transcontinental translocation of the big cat.

He also highlighted the fact that four cubs had been born to these cheetahs at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh.

In July 2019, the Prime Minister had called for an Alliance of Global Leaders to obliterate demand for poached articles and to firmly curb poaching and illegal wildlife trade in Asia. Taking that message forward, the International Big Cat Alliance was launched today, officials said.

IBCA will focus on the protection and conservation of seven major big cats of the world  tiger, lion, leopard, snow leopard, puma, jaguar, and cheetah  with range countries harbouring these species being its members.

The Sahyadris or Western Ghats have several tribal communities who have worked for wild life and tigers to flourish, Modi noted as he lauded their contribution in conservation efforts.
New Delhi: With focus on supporting fighter aircraft operations in forward areas, special forces of India and the US carried out wargames, amid ongoing military standoff with China.

Defence sources told news agency ANI that the wargames are being carried out at Special Forces training centres near here.

They further shared that key focus was likely the fighter aircraft operations including designating targets in frontline areas by laser so that the precision-guided bombs can reach their designated target accurately.

The troops of both countries are likely to join up with the larger contingent of both sides including their fighter and transport aircraft at Kalaikunda codenamed Ex CopeIndia, the sources said.

The US Air Force is scheduled to bring in F-15 Strike Eagle fighter jets but there may be some change in the schedule of the drill which was planned to begin on April 10. The war games are happening at a time when Indian forces have been engaged in a military standoff for the last three years.

The Indian Air Force is carrying out multiple wargames and working towards strengthening the Indian military image globally as it has recently held exercises in the UK and the UAE with global powers.

It is also going to go to France with its most potent Rafale fighter jets for multilateral exercise Orion while it will also be in Greece for another wargame with its fighter jets from a frontline command.

The IAF has been the countrys strongest arm along with the ground troops in the conflict with China as on multiple occasions they have deployed in forward areas very close to the border.

The Indian Special Forces troops are also deployed in mountainous peaks along with the Eastern Ladakh sector for supporting fighter aircraft and combat helicopter ops.

(With inputs from ANI)

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Jerusalem: The Israeli army declared early on Sunday that it was currently striking a region in Syria from which missiles had been fired the night before.

The army issued a brief statement in which it stated that the attack was carried out in reaction to rockets fired towards Israeli territory, according to AFP.

It also stated that it used a drone to target the aircraft from which the rockets were launched.

Six rockets were fired from Syria, with some of them landing in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, according to the defence forces, which added that warning sirens were activated in many regions.

Israel seized 1,200 square kilometres (460 square miles) of the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 Six-Day War and later annexed it in a move that was never recognised by the international community.

Saturday and Sundays exchanges of fire come after an escalation in violence in the region.

On Wednesday, Israeli riot police stormed the prayer hall of Al-Aqsa mosque in a pre-dawn raid aiming to dislodge law-breaking youths and masked agitators they said had barricaded themselves inside.

More than 30 rockets were shot into Israel from Lebanese territory on Thursday, which the Israeli army blamed on Palestinian groups.

In response, the army carried out strikes in Gaza and southern Lebanon.

With inputs from agencies

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Poonch/Jammu: An attempt to smuggle in 17 kg of narcotics through the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmirs Poonch district was foiled by the Indian Army, while a Pakistani intruder was killed and two others were arrested, a defence spokesperson said.

The infiltrators were residents of Maidan Mohalla in Chanjal village of Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) and were intercepted by the troops in Shahpur sector, officials said.

Jammu-based Army PRO Lt Col Devender Anand said the troops noticed suspicious movement of a group of three individuals close to the LoC around 10.15 pm on Saturday.

Around midnight, the group crossed the LoC and started infiltrating into this side. The alert troops kept the movement of the infiltrating group under continuous observation. At approximately 2 am, as the group approached the fence, the alert Army troops challenged them, he said.

The official said as the intruders started to run away, they were fired upon. One of them was shot dead while the other two managed to escape into a jungle taking advantage of the thick foliage, darkness and rocky outcrop, he added.

The area was immediately cordoned off to prevent their escape across the LoC and a search operation was launched at first light wherein the body of the slain intruder was recovered at the encounter site, Lt Col Anand said.

As the search progressed into the jungle, he said, the other two intruders were apprehended, including one in an injured condition.

Three bags with 14 packets of narcotics weighing about 17 kg, Pakistani currency, some documents and eatables have been recovered in the operation, the spokesperson said.

Quoting preliminary questioning of the arrested intruders, Lt Col Anand said they have claimed that they are residents of Chanjal village of PoJK.

By their quick action, alert Army troops have thus prevented a major infiltration bid, of a Narco terror group which had the potential of disturbing the peace in Poonch and Rajouri districts through its nefarious designs, the officer said.

The officials identified the slain intruder as Sharief Kohli (45) and his arrested associates as Shakeel Choudhary (32) and Tariq Kohli (40).

(With inputs from PTI)

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Kabul: Pakistan has repatriated at least 208 Afghan detainees from prisons, Afghanistans Foreign Affairs department said.

The department also mentioned that both the Afghan Embassy in Islamabad and the Afghan Consulate General in Karachi worked together to authorise the release.

Their transfer to Kabul was funded by Afghanistans interim government, the statement added.

People in Afghanistan have, for a long time, fled the war-torn country every time it goes into conflict. Cross-border migration has particularly increased after the Taliban took over Afghanistan in 2021.

As per a report by Afghan Diaspora Network, Pakistan has always used refugees from Afghanistan to further its interests in the country and keep Kabul as a strategic backyard.

Last month, more than 2,000 people were sent back to Afghanistan from Pakistan and Iran, according to Khaama Press.

The Refugees, and Repatriation department on Saturday said 1,851 Afghan refugees from Iran and 331 others from Pakistan came home through Spin Boldak and Islamqala crossing points, as per the Khaama Press report. According to the department, of 331 refugees, 70 were released from Pakistani prisons.

Earlier, the Pakistan Human Rights Commission and the United Nations Refugee Agency urged the Pakistan government to treat Afghan citizens decently.
THE Controller and Auditor General (CAG) has identified weaknesses in man- agement of various projects that were implemented by Tanzania Telecommunications Corporation (TTCL) and Tanzania Electric Supply Company Limited (Tanesco).

In an audit report from the financial year 2021/22 CAG Charles Kichere said there were 464 projects worth 10.33bn/- that were completed by TTCL without being closed due to delayed submission of necessary documents by project manager and inadequate monitoring.

He said, failure to close the completed projects poses a risk of misappropriation of funds due to the possibility of expenditure on the non-existing projects.

CAG Kichere said further that Tanesco had a total of 167 projects worth 39.7bn/- without any sign of progress during the year under review.

"No reasons have been provided for lack of movement in terms of costs or not be- ing closed, indicating a lack of monitoring and risk of misstatement in financial statements in case those projects were completed and are in use without being closed and depreciated," he said.

Due to that the CAG recommended that TTCL and Tanesco implement proper mechanisms for monitoring and timely closure of projects to mitigate the risks.

In another development, CAG's audit noted the issuance of 61.99bn/- being advance payment to suppliers without terms and conditions at the Medical Stores Department (MSD) and Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH)-Mloganzila.

"During my inspection at MSD, I found that 22 suppliers received advance payments amounting to 61.81bn/- in the financial year 2021/22 without binding contracts that stipulate the terms of the advance pay- ment.

This, according to him, is in violation of Regulation 164 of MSD's Financial Regulations, 2011.

"Additionally, I found that Muhimbili National Hospital- Mloganzila made advance payments to suppliers between July 2021 and June 2022, amounting to 178.21m/- without bind- ing contracts.

He explained that the defi- ciency might potentially lead to MSD and MNH-Mloganzila providing soft loans to suppliers who may not have the capacity to supply the products, resulting in a loss of benefits from the funds that have been locked as advances to suppliers.

"I recommend that MSD and MNH-Mloganzila strength- en controls and ensure that no advance payment is made to suppliers without having a binding contract that stipulates the terms of the advance pay- ments," he urged.

Meanwhile, a special audit held on the construction of a three-star hotel under Tanzania National Park Authority (Tana- pa) at the Rubambangwe-Chato unveiled the contractor commenced implementation of the construction of the project before completion of the procure- ment process.

According to Mr Kichere, on 5 July 2019, Tanapa signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Suma JKT Company for the construction of the project in the Rubambagwe-Chato area, so that the contractor could be handed over the project site before the con- tract was signed.

He said the MoU speci- fied estimated project costs of 1bn/- since the actual specified estimated project costs were not established at the time.

"Prior to the project commencement on 28 October 2019, TANAPA made an advance payment of 500m/- to SUMA JKT on 2 August 2019, and later on 17 February 2020 made another payment of 500 m/-making a sum of 1bn/-," said CAG Kichere.

He went on to explain that, Tanapa commenced procure- ment for the contractor pro- cesses on 11 July 2019 through Procurement Form No. 2, but the tender board changed the procurement method from national competitive bidding to a non-competitive single-source method.

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The evaluation of the con- tractor showed that Suma JKT had less than five years of ex- perience and lacked an average annual construction turnover of 1bn/- as required by the In- structions to Bidders (ITB).

"Despite these shortcom- ings, on 26 March 2020, the Tanapa Board of Trustees entered into contract number PA/037/2019-20/W/HQ/139 worth 11bn/- with Suma JKT for the implementation of the project for twelve months starting from 14 April 2020," he explained.

Adding; "The project implementation report showed that as of 31 October 2021, Tanapa had paid a total of 4.1bn/- being 37 per cent of the total cost with the implementation of 40 per cent, unprogressively remained the same to the time of this special audit on 20 December 2021.

Mr Kichere recommended the need for Tanapa to adhere to the laws, regulations and public procurement procedures during the implementation of future projects.
Islamabad: A civil court in Pakistan has imposed a fine of $2.48 million on Chinese petroleum firm China National Petroleum Corporation for allegedly violating its contract with a local company.

According to a report by the Dawn newspaper, the court in Pakistan has imposed a penalty of $2.48 million on Chinese petroleum firm China National Petroleum Corporation was penalised for allegedly violating its contract with Petroleum Exploration (Private) Limited.

CNPC arrived in Pakistan in 2001 to offer drilling and rig services to exploration and production businesses. Pakistan experienced a significant influx of international businesses throughout the first ten years of the twenty-first century and was seen as having enormous potential for exploration and production enterprises.

Yet, higher competition results from a large influx of partners, and CNPC found it challenging to create and grow business with such overseas competing enterprises.

In order to save time and acquire a necessary head start, CNPC and the local business in Pakistan had entered into a contract for the local business to assist CNPC in obtaining drilling services in exchange for a commission on each job secured in CNPCs favour.

With the assistance of the local firm, CNPC was able to secure drilling contracts from the beginning and sustain its activity in Pakistan, which has been going on for more than 20 years.

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Lahore: Around 2,500 Sikh pilgrims from India arrived here via Wagah border to attend the Vaisakhi Mela festivities in Pakistan.

In the celebrations of the Sikh festival  Vaisakhi commonly known Baisakhi  2,470 pilgrims arrived here from India under the leadership of Parbandhak Committee Shiromani Gurdwaras Sardar Amarjit Singh, Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) spokesperson Amir Hashmi told PTI.

The ETPB looks after the holy places of minorities in Pakistan. The boards chairman Habibur Rehman Gilani and Pakistan Sikh Gurudwara Bandhak Committee Pradhan Sardar Ameer Singh received the pilgrims at the Wagah border.

The Sikh pilgrims came to Nankana Sahib under strict security where they would perform religious rituals at the birthplace of Baba Guru Nanak, Hashmi said.

The main event will be held on April 14 on Gurdwara Panja Sahib Hasan Abdal in which various political, religious and Sikh leaders will participate, he said.

He said the pilgrims will also visit Farooqabad, Kartarpur, Rohri Sahib, Aminabad before their departure for India on April 18.

Gilani said that all the arrangements for the Sikh yatrees have been made in the best possible way and they will be provided with all other administrative arrangements along with security, medical and travel arrangements.

SGPC leader Amarjit Singh Bhalipur said that Sikh pilgrims expressed his happiness.

He also stressed for ease in visa for pilgrims of both sides.

(With inputs from PTI)

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Islamabad: Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif lambasted President Dr Arif Alvi for returning the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Bill, 2023, unsigned, and referred to him as a member of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), reported Geo News.

Hours after the president sent the Supreme Court Bill back to the legislature, the prime minister issued a scathing tweet, writing, President Alvi returning the Supreme Court Bill duly passed by Parliament is most unfortunate.

The law aims to limit the chief justices authority, including the suo motu and the formation of benches. The PTI has vehemently denounced the effort to adopt the legislation and called it an attack on the judiciary.

The prime minister said the president has belittled his office through his actions as he is beholden to Imran Niazi more than the Constitution and demands of his Office.

In the tweet, Shehbaz said the president has belittled his office through his actions as he follows the PTI chiefs orders rather than fulfilling his constitutional duties, reported Geo News.

Through his conduct, he has belittled the august Office by acting as a worker of the PTI, one who is beholden to Imran Niazi more than the Constitution & demands of his Office, he added.

The bill was approved by both houses of the parliament last month and sent to the president for assent amid a deepening political and constitutional crisis in the country over elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

After Alvis refusal to assent to the legislation, the government is likely to get through this bill from a joint session of the parliament.

The president returned the bill for reconsideration to the parliament as per the provisions of the Article 75 of the Constitution, stating that the bill prima-facie travels beyond the competence of the parliament and can be assailed as colourable legislation.

In his letter to PM Shehbaz Sharif, President Alvi said that he thought it fit and proper to return the bill, in accordance with the Constitution, with the request for reconsideration in order to meet the scrutiny about its validity (if assailed in the Court of Law), reported Geo News.

Since the Pakistan Democratic Movements administration was established in April of last year, the president has refused to give the oath of office to a number of federal cabinet members, including Prime Minister Shehbaz.

On a number of important issues, like as the choice of the chief of army staff, Alvi has consulted PTI Chairman Imran Khan, who was dismissed as prime minister in April of last year.

With inputs from agencies

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New Delhi: Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal will be on a three-day visit to France and Italy next week to hold a series of meetings with leaders and top CEOs to further boost trade and investment ties.

Accompanied by a delegation of top Indian CEOs, Goyal will be on an official visit to France and Italy on April 11-13.

In France, Goyal along with Olivier Becht, Minister delegate of Foreign Trade, Attractiveness and French Nationals Abroad, Government of France, will co-chair the India-France Business Summit on April 11, the commerce ministry said in a statement on Sunday.

The summit will focus on various themes, including building a green future, emerging technologies, defence cooperation and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific regions, it added.

Goyal is also scheduled to meet with French business leaders across various sectors and will attend a CEOs roundtable.

Both Indian and French ministers will participate in an event that will showcase Indias cultural heritage and soft power and are expected to witness the participation of over 600 dignitaries from the French government, the Indian business diaspora in France and members of the French business community.

Goyal will also be interacting with members of the Indian community in Paris.

In Rome, the statement said, Goyal would meet Antonio Tajani, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. He is scheduled to meet top Italian CEOs for bilateral meetings followed by CEOs Interactive Business Session, where 35 CEOs are likely to participate, the ministry said, adding this would be followed by a meeting with Adolfo Urso, Minister of Enterprises and Made in Italy, who would also interact with Indian CEOs.

There are over 1,000 French businesses in India in different sectors, such as defence, ITES, consulting, engineering services, and heavy industry.

France is the 11th largest foreign investor in India, with a cumulative FDI of USD 10.5 billion between April 2000 and December 2022. It accounts for about 1.7 per cent of the total FDI (USD 625.3 billion) that India has received during the period.

India-France bilateral trade stood at USD 12.42 billion in 2021-22. During April-January 2022-23, Indias exports to France stood at USD 6.5 billion, while imports aggregated at USD 4.36 billion. The trade gap is in favour of India.

In 2021, a dedicated desk was set up by Invest India for investor queries for French businesses. Italy is among Indias top 5 trading partners in the EU.

India-Italy bilateral trade stood at over USD 13 billion in 2021-22. During April-January 2022-23, Indias exports to Italy stood at USD 7.15 billion, while imports aggregated at USD 4.6 billion. The trade gap is in favour of India.

Italy is the 17th largest foreign investor in India, with a cumulative FDI of USD 3.25 billion between April 2000 and December 2022. It accounts for about 0.52 per cent of the total FDI India received during the period.

The main items of Indian exports to Italy are ready-made garments, leather, iron ore, motor vehicles, textiles, chemicals, gems and jewellery. Main imported items include machinery, machine tools, metallurgical products and engineering items.

Around 140 large Italian companies are active in India. Some of the major Italian companies that have invested in India are FIAT Auto, Heinz Italia, Italcementi, Necchi Compressori, Perfetti, Lavazza, ENI, SAI India, Isagro (Asia) Agrochemicals and Piaggio.

Indian companies present in Italy are in sectors such as IT, electronics, pharmaceuticals, automobile, textile and engineering.

The prominent Indian companies operating in Italy include Tata, TCS, Wipro, Engineers India Limited, L&T, Mahindra & Mahindra, Ranbaxy, and Raymonds. SBI has a representative office in Milan. Six Italian banks have representation in India.

The top sectors attracting FDI inflows from Italy are the automobile industry/ transportation, food processing, metallurgical industry, textiles, electrical equipment and others.

(With inputs from PTI)

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Vatican City: Pope Francis noted his deep concern on Sunday over a flare-up in tensions between Israel and Palestinians, delivering an Easter Mass in which he denounced the barriers to peace in the world.

He said the renewed violence threatens the desired climate of trust and mutual respect needed to resume dialogue, addressing a crowd of some 100,000 gathered in Saint Peters Square.

The Argentine pontiff, a week after leaving hospital, also cited a string of stumbling blocks to peace in the world during his traditional Easter message, making special mention of the war in Ukraine.

Help the beloved Ukrainian people on their journey towards peace, and shed the light of Easter upon the people of Russia, he said.

Comfort the wounded and all those who have lost loved ones because of the war, and grant that prisoners may return safe and sound to their families.

He drew attention to conflicts around the world, from Syria to the Democratic Republic of Congo, and offered prayers for victims of the earthquake in Turkey and Syria.

Call for peace

This week has seen a surge in violence and unrest between Israel and Palestinians at the same time as the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, Jewish Passover and Christian Easter have coincided.

The pope called for a resumption in dialogue to ensure peace in the Holy City (of Jerusalem) and in the entire region.

On Wednesday, Israeli police stormed the prayer hall of Al-Aqsa mosque, Islams third-holiest site, in a pre-dawn raid aimed at dislodging law-breaking youths and masked agitators they said had barricaded themselves inside.

The next day, more than 30 rockets were fired from Lebanese soil into Israel, which the Israeli army blamed on Palestinian groups, saying it was most likely Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip.

Israel then bombarded Gaza and southern Lebanon, targeting terror infrastructures that it said belonged to Hamas.

On Friday, two separate attacks left an Italian tourist and two British-Israeli sisters dead, and several injured, in Tel Aviv and the West Bank.

On Sunday, Israel launched artillery strikes on Syria in retaliation for rockets the army said were fired from there onto Israeli territory.

Health concerns

The 86-year-old pope has returned to his duties after a recent stay in hospital following a bout of bronchitis.

On Saturday evening, he presided over the Vigil mass in Saint Peters Basilica in the Vatican, a two-and-a-half-hour ceremony performed before 8,000 people.

Francis was discharged from a Rome hospital on April 1 after a three-night stay for a bronchial infection. The pontiff has suffered several health issues in recent years, and it was his second stay in hospital since 2021.

Pope Francis has participated in various events since his hospital release, including washing the feet of 12 young prisoners on Holy Thursday.

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Islamabad: A number of individuals protested in Pakistans Khar area on Saturday, stating that worthy households were refused free wheat flour under the governments scheme, according to Dawn.

The protest was held at Khars Civil Colony, with slogans against the food department, flour mills, and dealers.

Protesters also requested that flour sellers be prosecuted for the irregularity.

The protesters claimed that the Pakistan governments free flour scheme was meant for deserving families, those who really need that commodity, but didnt reach all such people.

They added that more than 2,000 bags had gone missing from distribution centres in the district during the last two days, according to Dawn.

The protesters blamed the irregularity on the district food controller and his subordinates, dealers of free wheat, and flour mills and alleged that political and trader leaders were also involved in the anomaly.

They said the dealers with the support of the management of local flour mills and officials of the district food department have deprived several hundred families of needy and poor people of exercising their rights to free wheat flour.

The protesters urged the district administration, especially the deputy commissioner, to ensure the provision of free flour to all deserving families in the district.

Meanwhile, on Saturday, the residents of Dandai and adjoining village councils in the Shangla district blocked the Karakoram Highway and staged a protest against the unjust distribution of free flour under a government scheme, reported Dawn.

The call for protest was given by village council members.

After blocking the Karakoram Highway, the protesters shouted slogans against the local administration and police.

The demonstrators, led by village council members Maulana Yousaf, Ziaullah Swati, Bashirzada, Shakilur Rehman, and Mohammad Yehya, claimed that the government had assigned five flour distribution locations for a single union council, Maira, but there wasnt a single such point for the Dandai union council.

According to Dawn, Maulana Yousaf said that scuffles at flour distribution sites had become routine as individuals, especially elderly people and women, were forced to line for lengthy periods of time during the current month of fasting.

With inputs from agencies

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London: UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak praised Northern Irelands landmark 1988 peace treaty on Sunday, ahead of US President Joe Bidens visit to commemorate the 25th anniversary of its signing.

Sunak said it was an incredible moment in our nations history. He was just 17 when the Good Friday Agreement was agreed, which ended three decades of violence in the UK province.

He stated, It was a powerfully rare example of people doing the previously unthinkable to create a better future for Northern Ireland.

It is that promise of a better future that we offered to everyone in Northern Ireland that I will be thinking of first and foremost over the coming days, he added.

Sunak will participate in a number of events next week to commemorate the signing on 10 April, 1998, of the US-brokered peace accord, agreed between the governments in London and Dublin, and the Northern Irish political parties.

On Tuesday evening, he will welcome Biden to the province, meeting him on the tarmac as the US leader steps off Air Force One for his first visit there as president.

The pair will undertake a programme of engagements, including a bilateral meeting, Sunaks Downing Street office said.

Remarkable progress

The UK leader will attend a commemorative conference at Queens University in the capital, Belfast, and host a special gala dinner to mark the anniversary, it added.

Noting Washington pivotal role in the peace process, Sunaks office said the US presidents visit would celebrate Northern Irelands successes and encourage further long-term investment.

Britain will also stage a Northern Ireland Investment Summit later this year to encourage inward investment and economic growth, Downing Street announced.

The gathering in Belfast on 12-13 September will focus on financial and professional services, life and health sciences, technology, green manufacturing and the creative services, it noted.

The event is a key part of the UKs overall programme to mark the remarkable progress in Northern Ireland over the last quarter century and will support our vision for a prosperous 25 years ahead, Sunaks office added.

According to the White House, Biden, who is Irish-American, will also visit the neighboring Republic of Ireland during his four-day visit, visiting the capital Dublin, County Louth, and County Mayo.

It was announced this week that he will deliver an address while in Ireland to commemorate US-Irish ties.

With inputs from agencies

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Amman: Jordans army said that a missile exploded on Saturday and its debris fell in Jordanian territory near the Syrian border, causing no injuries or damage.

The announcement came as the Israeli army declared the start of artillery strikes in Syria in response to missile fire from that country that landed in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, according to AFP.

A rocket exploded in the air in the Wadi Aqraba area adjacent to the Syrian border at 10:25 pm (1925 GMT) on Saturday evening, resulting in its debris falling in the same area, a Jordanian army statement stated.

It added that the debris did not cause any casualties or damage, noting that a team from the royal engineering corps was inspecting the site of the incident.

The Israeli army had announced the Saturday-Sunday overnight strikes in response to Syrian rocket fire in the latest escalation of clashes in the region, reported AFP.

The surge in violence and unrest comes as the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, Jewish Passover and Christian Easter coincide.

On Wednesday, Israeli police stormed the prayer hall of Al-Aqsa mosque, Islams third-holiest site, in a pre-dawn raid, drawing widespread condemnation from countries in the region including Jordan.

The following day, more than 30 rockets were shot into Israel from Lebanese territory, which the Israeli army blamed on Palestinian organizations, most likely Hamas, who administers the Gaza Strip.

Israel then bombed Gaza and southern Lebanon, claiming to be targeting terror infrastructure belonging to Hamas.

With inputs from agencies

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New Delhi: In order to ensure that India will own all Intellectual Property (IP), Rolls-Royce has expressed its willingness to co-develop a new engine that will not be based on the Eurojet EJ200, a low-bypass turbofan used as the powerplant of the Eurofighter Typhoon. The EJ200 was developed by four companies under a multi-national engine manufacturing consortium.

Even though the EJ200 engine can be used to create an engine in the 110-120kN class to power Indias 5th Gen AMCA (Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft) programme, EuroJet Turbo GmbH is the owner of the Intellectual Property (IP) rights to this engine.

As Rolls-Royce does not want other jet manufacturers such as Avio, Industria de Turbo Propulsores (ITP), and MTU Aero Engines to participate in the programme, a fresh design proposal was made to India.

The second proposal from BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce is for India to join the Global Combat Air Project, where it intends to work with Italy and Japan to produce a 6th generation fighter jet.

The new jet engine programme, which will be overseen by Rolls-Royce and incorporate cutting-edge engine technology, will give India access to the new engine, which it can then use for its AMCA programme. This technology includes an optimised Thermal Management System, increased electrical power generation capacity, and intelligent power management.

As part of a larger effort to recruit international partners in the development of a combat jet with an in-service date of roughly the middle of the next decade, the Tempest Future Combat Air System programme of Britain, which was launched in 2018, has been the subject of discussions with India for some time.

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Colombo: Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe promised on Sunday that justice would be served to all those who died in the 2019 Easter bombings, which claimed the lives of 270 people, including 11 Indians. He added that the legal proceedings were being handled impartially, independently, and free from any outside interference.

Additionally, President Wickremesinghe vowed that he would do everything in his power to protect national security by ensuring that horrible crimes would never happen again, according to PTI.

270 people were killed and more than 500 were injured in a series of explosions that tore through three churches and as many luxurious hotels in Sri Lanka on 21 April, 2019, carried out by nine suicide bombers who belonged to the local Islamist extremist group National Thawheed Jamaat (NTJ), which is linked to ISIS.

Wickremesinghe said in his Easter Sunday message, The legal proceedings related to this tragic incident are being processed independently and impartially, without any influence. The necessary groundwork towards this end has been laid, to ensure justice for all the victims.

I pledge my unwavering commitment to ensuring the security of our country, by preventing any recurrence of such heinous acts, the President said, according to PTI.

He also said that the Government is dedicated to realising the aspirations of all Sri Lankans regardless of race, religion, party or colour. I strongly believe that we can overcome these challenges in the near future, he said.

The Easter Sunday bombings triggered a political storm as then-President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Wickremesinghe were blamed for their inability to prevent the attacks despite prior intelligence being made available.

Sri Lankas Supreme Court on January 12 ordered Sirisena to pay SLR 100 million as compensation to the victims. The former president stressed the attack took place without his knowledge.

As many as 12 petitioners, including the kin of the victims, the Catholic clergy, and the lawyers body Bar Association of Sri Lanka, filed the fundamental rights petition against the then-president for his negligence in preventing the attacks.

A presidential panel of inquiry appointed by Sirisena after the attacks ironically found the then-president guilty of his failure to prevent the attacks.

Sirisena, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge in the case filed after the panels findings.

Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, the head of the local Catholic Church, has continued to express his displeasure with the investigation, stating that it is a cover-up.

Sirisena disputes the charge and blames the lapse that led to the coordinated strikes on the then-defence establishment.

With inputs from agencies

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THE disbursement of government's funds from the national budget to recurrent and development spending has increased from 9 per cent in 2020/21 to 25 per cent in 2021/22 fiscal year, according to the 2021/22 report of the Controller and Auditor General (CAG).

The CAG report released this week here in Dodoma shows that the disbursement of funds for recurrent ex- penditure to the ministries, departments and agencies was 17.754tri/- in 2021/22 equivalent to 98 per cent against the approved estimates of 18.090tri/-.

But, in 2020/21 the government released 16.3tri/-, which is an increase in exchequer issue by only nine per cent com- pared to the previous year of 2019/20.

On development spending, the government released 11.6tri/- equivalent to 99.5 per cent against the approved estimates of 11.653tri/-.

Compared with the release for 2020/21 of 9.267tri/- there was an increase by 2.3tri/- equivalent to 25 per cent.

However, CAG Charles Kichere noted that 213bn/- of the released funds were not spent and surrendered to Pay Master General (PMG).

"I am of the view that unutilised exchequer release implies a slow pace in imple- menting planned activities or inability of the management to utilise the released funds timely," Mr Kichere argued.

Speaking about revenue collection performance, he said over the past three years, including 2019/20, 2020/21, and 2021/22, there has been a growth in collection perfor- mance.

Unlike the previous two financial years with collections below approved estimates, the 2021/22 collections exceeded the budget by 0.8 per cent.

Domestic collections from taxes, non-taxes, and LGA's own sources totalled 24.546tri/-, while grants and borrowings accounted for 13.8tri/- (1.3tri/- from grants and 12.5tri/- from borrowing).

The CAG went ahead to shed light on the public debt, saying as of 30 June 2022, the public debt stood at 71.3tri/-(which comprises Domestic and External Debt Stock of 24tri/- and 47.2tri/ respectively) against 64.5tri/- re- ported in 2020/21.

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The increase was attributed to loss from the exchange rate and net disbursements (new loans net of principal repayments).

"The public debt is sustainable. The ratio of the present value of public debt (external and domestic debt) to GDP remained below the threshold," he stated.

However, the risk of external debt distress has remained moderate as it was in the previous year.

This was attributed to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, less export and drop of global economy.

"Furthermore, I noted common challenges facing implementation of projects funded by public debt, these include delays for approval of funds through defunding system at all levels, untimely fulfilment of loan conditions for effectiveness and signing loan agreements, delays in procurement planning, execution, and reporting," he added.

The CAG also mentioned that during the audit, he found various irregularities in expenditure management made by several entities.

"I noted mismanagement of funds released by the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Human Settlements Development to councils, amounting to 26.03bn/- for surveying, planning and titling of land," he said.

For instance, Shinyanga Municipal Council, Shinyanga District Councils and Dodoma City Council utilised 2.35bn/- in activities not related to the surveying, planning and titling of land.

On the other hand, Musoma DC, Shinyanga MC, Tabora MC and Mtwara MC, generated a total revenue of 2.02bn/- and utilised 1.37bn/- for other activities while the same were supposed to be refunded to the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Human Settlement Development.
Taipei: As China staged war games for a second day, Taiwans defency ministry informed that it has detected 11 Chinese warships and 70 aircraft around the island on Sunday.

The ministry said it was responding to the Chinese drills in a calm and composed manner.

It futher added that the warplanes detected until 4 pm local time included a mix of fighter jets and bombers, AFP reported.

Earlier, the National Defence Ministry stated that Taiwan will battle to defend and protect its homeland united.

Taiwans Ministry of National Defense stated on Twitter, #Taiwan is our homeland, and no matter where we go or what we encounter, she is always charming and beautiful. Every narrative on this place is imprinted in our minds. We, the #ROCArmedForces, are fighting with all of our hearts to preserve and protect our homeland.

China, which claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, began three days of military exercises around the island on Saturday, the day after President Tsai Ing-wen returned to Taipei from Los Angeles, where she met with US House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

(With inputs from AFP)

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Jerusalem: Israeli warplanes and artillery struck targets in Syria following rare rocket fire from the northeastern neighbor, as Jewish-Muslim tensions reached a peak Sunday at a volatile Jerusalem shrine with simultaneous religious rituals.

Thousands of Jewish worshippers gathered at the citys Western Wall, the holiest place where Jews can pray, for a mass priestly benediction prayer service for the Passover holiday. At the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, a walled esplanade above the Western Wall, hundreds of Palestinians performed prayers as part of observances during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Hundreds of Jews also visited the Al-Aqsa compound under heavy police guard Sunday, to whistles and religious chants from Palestinians protesting their presence.

Such tours by religious and nationalist Jews have increased in size and frequency over the years, and are viewed with suspicion by many Palestinians who fear that Israel plans one day to take over the site or partition it. Israeli officials say they have no intention of changing long-standing arrangements that allow Jews to visit, but not pray in the Muslim-administered site. However, the country is now governed by the most right-wing government in its history, with ultra-nationalists in senior positions.

Tensions have soared in the past week at the flashpoint shrine after an Israeli police raid on the mosque. On several occasions, Palestinians have barricaded themselves inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque with stones and firecrackers, demanding the right to pray there overnight, something Israel has in the past only allowed during the last 10 days of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Police removed them by force, detaining hundreds and leaving dozens injured.

The violence at the shrine triggered rocket fire by Palestinian militants from the Gaza Strip and southern Lebanon, starting Wednesday, and Israeli airstrikes targeted both areas.

Late on Saturday and early Sunday, militants in Syria fired rockets in two salvos toward Israel and the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights. A Damascus-based Palestinian group loyal to the Syrian government claimed responsibility for the first round of rockets, saying it was retaliating for the Al-Aqsa raids.

In the first salvo, one rocket landed in a field in the Golan Heights. Fragments of another destroyed missile fell into Jordanian territory near the Syrian border, Jordans military reported. In the second round, two of the rockets crossed the border into Israel, with one being intercepted and the second landing in an open area, the Israeli military said.

Israel responded with artillery fire into the area in Syria from where the rockets were fired. Later, the military said Israeli fighter jets attacked Syrian army sites, including a compound of Syrias 4th Division and radar and artillery posts.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed the violence in a telephone call with Israeli counterpart Isaac Herzog late Saturday, telling Herzog that Muslims could not remain silent about the provocations and threats against the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and said the hostilities that have spread to Gaza and Lebanon should not be allowed to escalate further.

In addition to the cross-border fighting, three people were killed over the weekend in the Palestine attack in Israel and the occupied West Bank.

The funeral for two British-Israeli sisters, Maia, and Rina Dee, who were killed in a shooting was scheduled for Sunday at a cemetery in the Jewish settlement of Kfar Etzion in the occupied West Bank.

An Italian tourist, Alessandro Parini, 35, a lawyer from Rome, had just arrived in the city a few hours earlier with some friends for a brief Easter holiday. He was killed Friday in a suspected car-ramming on Tel Avivs beachside promenade.

Over 90 Palestinians and have been killed by Israeli fire so far this year, at least half of them affiliated with militant groups, according to a tally by The Associated Press. Palestinian attacks on Israelis have killed 19 people in that time. All but one were civilians.

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After the International Criminal Court (ICC) slapped Russian President Vladimir Putin with an arrest warrant for committing war crimes in Ukraine and unlawfully deporting children to Russia, more than 30 kids were finally reunited with their families after a month-long operation to bring them back home.

It was an emotional moment for parents in Ukraine as mothers hugged their sons and daughters as they crossed the Belarusian border on Friday following a complex rescue operation that involved bringing back children from Russia-occupied Crimea.

Thirteen-year-old Dasha and her twin met their mother after half a year. They are among Ukraines children who were reunited with their families. Kyiv estimates nearly 19,500 children have been taken to Russia or Russian-occupied Crimea since the invasion https://t.co/CyNHBng9HY pic.twitter.com/qdvOuf2WCW  Reuters (@Reuters) April 9, 2023

Testimonies from the rescued children highlight the hardships faced by them as they were held in Russia against their will. A 13-year-old girl named Dasha Rakk said that she and her twin sister had to overstay in a holiday camp in Crimea, as per the instructions of some Russian officials, after they fled from the now-occupied city of Kherson.

She said, They said we will be adopted, that we will get guardians. When they first told us we will stay longer we all started crying.

Dashas mother Natalia recalled the tedious journey she had taken to reunite with her children. She said she had to travel from Ukraine to Crimea via Poland, Belarus and Moscow to get her daughters.

It was terribly difficult but we kept on going, we did not sleep at nights, we slept sitting up, she said.

Natalia added, It was heartbreaking to look at children left behind who were crying behind the fence.

Kyiv estimates nearly 19,500 children have been taken to Russia or Russian-occupied Crimea since Moscow invaded in February last year, in what it condemns as illegal deportations.

However, Moscow has denied the accusations of abducting Ukrainian children and says they were transported to Russia for their own safety.

Mykola Kuleba, the founder of the Save Ukraine humanitarian organisation that helped arrange the rescue mission, said, Now the fifth rescue mission is nearing its completion. It was special regarding the number of children we managed to return and also because of its complexity.

Russian officials took the children to what they called summer camps from occupied parts of Ukraines Kharkiv and Kherson regions.

Kuleba added, There were kids who changed their locations five times in five months, some children say that they were living with rats and cockroaches.

With inputs from agencies

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Taipei: Soon after China deployed fighter jets and warships near the median line of the Taiwan Strait as a response to the meeting that took place between Taiwans President Tsai Ing-wen and the speaker of the US House of Representatives, US said that it is closely monitoring the developments around the country.

The de facto US embassy in Taiwan said in a statement that it is comfortable and confident that US possesses enough resources in the region and is capable of carrying out a peaceful resolution and stabilising the region amid a growing Chinese threat.

The three-day drills were announced by China the day after Tsai returned from the United States. The Peoples Liberation Army said it had started the combat readiness patrols and Joint Sword exercises around Taiwan.

Eight warships and 42 planes were detected near Taiwan on Saturday, 29 of which crossed the middle line of the strait that separates the island from the mainland, the islands Ministry of Defence said.

A spokesperson of the US embassy said, We are monitoring Beijings actions closely. As we have said, there is no reason for Beijing to turn this transit  which was consistent with longstanding US practice and policy  into something it is not or use it as a pretext to overreact.

Speaker Kevin McCarthy held talks with President Tsai Ing-wen on Thursday in California, adding to a series of foreign lawmakers who have met Tsai to show support in the face of Chinese intimidation. Beijing responded Friday by imposing a travel ban and financial sanctions against American groups and individuals associated with Tsais US visit.

With inputs from agencies

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Christiana: Three individuals were hurt in a shooting at a mall in Delaware, and as police looked into it, customers had to leave.

According to Delaware State Police, there is no suspect in custody in connection with the shooting at the Christiana Mall in a town in northern Pennsylvania, reported The Associated Press.

We can confirm that there are 3 victims who were injured by gunfire and transported to an area hospital for medical treatment, police said in a tweet. There are currently no public safety concerns at Christiana Mall and the surrounding area.

Police added in a tweet, We appreciate everyones patience as we continue to gather more details on this shooting.

We can confirm that there are 3 victims who were injured by gunfire and transported to an area hospital for medical treatment. There are currently no public safety concerns at Christiana Mall and the surrounding area. Please continue to avoid the area as DSP gathers more info.  Delaware State Police (@DEStatePolice) April 9, 2023

The mall would remain closed Saturday evening, according to a police statement. People were instructed to stay away as authorities investigated, however a reunification site was established up near the north entrance for those looking for someone.

Additional information was not immediately available.

With inputs from agencies

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EGR, P0404 and FORScan Help Needed

My EGR problems have been going on for a while. Two years ago, (106000 miles) my check engine light went on when I was in Lake Havasu City. Took it to a diesel shop and the mechanic cleaned my EGR valve and it corrected the problem. Ironically, my degas bottle was cracked, so he also replaced it. That seemed to resolve my issues for awhile. Fast forward a year, (123,000 miles) and after replacing a few other parts, my check engine light goes on again and a diesel mechanic in Corpus Christi determined that the EGR was bad, so he replaced it with a genuine Ford EGR. (I know it is a Ford part). Mechanic told me if the light came back on to change the MAF.



Sure enough, pulling my 5th wheel from Corpus to Denver, the light came back on around Amarillo. I purchased an aftermarket MAF Sensor. I would drive the truck for a few hundred miles, then the light comes back on. I have run two different MAF Sensors and Ford replaced the EGR valve, and the light keeps coming back on.



I now am at 129,000 miles after getting the 6.0 studded and I keep getting P0404 and P1335 codes. I recently pulled the almost new EGR and it didnt have a bunch of carbon. I replaced the O rings and gasket on the EGR, but the P0404 wont go away. I downloaded the FORScan software and USB adapter, and now I am only getting P0404. I dont know how to use the FORScan to gather more information, so instead of chasing my tail without getting some ideas and guidance on pulling more data from the FORScan to better diagnose the issue.
AS the Controller and Auditor General (CAG) unveils massive misuse of public funds, President Samia has reacted fiercely by dissolving the Board of Tanzania Railway Corporation (TRC).

The Head of State has also revoked the appointment of Tanzania Government Flight Agency (TGFA) Director Eng John Nzulule, a State House press statement issued on Sunday says.

"Honourable President has also directed Chief Secretary to to ensure that permanent secretaries and other public institution executives go through the CAG report, respond and work on issues raised in their respective areas immediately," the statement says.

President Samia has also directed that all officials who will be implicated in various misconduct including embezzlement to be held accountable.

report unveils massive misuse of public funds, President Samia has reacted fiercely by dissolving the Board of Tanzania Railway Corporation (TRC).

The Head of State has also revoked the appointment of Tanzania Government Flight Agency (TGFA) Director Engineer John Nzulule, a State House press statement issued on Sunday says.

"Honourable President has also directed Chief Secretary to to ensure that permanent secretaries and other public institution executives go through the CAG report, respond and work on issues raised in their respective areas immediately," the statement says.

President Samia has also directed that all officials who will be implicated in various misconduct including embezzlement to be held accountable.








The measure covers districts in the provinces of Huanta and La Mar (Ayacucho region), Tayacaja and Churcampa (Huancavelica region), La Convencion (Cusco region), Satipo, Concepcion and Huancayo (Junin region), as well as the population center of Yuveni in the district of Vilcabamba, within the province of La Convencion (Cusco region).





During this extension, the provisions of Subsection 1 of Article 137 of the Constitution regarding the restriction and suspension of the exercise of constitutional rights relating to the inviolability of homes, freedom of transit across the national territory, freedom of assembly, as well as personal freedom and security included in subsections 9), 11), 12), and 24), paragraph f) of Article 2 contained in Peru's Political Constitution will be fulfilled.





The decree provides that the Armed Forces will assume the control of internal order, while the Peruvian National Police will support the Armed Forces on the achievement of this objective in the areas where the state of emergency has been declared.





Click here for the full list of the districts that will be affected by the extension od the state of emergency.









(END) RMCH/RMB

The Government has extended the duration of the state of emergency in 45 distrists across the regions of Ayacucho, Huancavelica, Cusco, and Junin for 60 calendar days to combat terrorism and other ilitic activities.Published: 4/9/2023
Sweet Homes dining options just got a little more diverse with the opening of Osaka Sushi, the citys first sushi restaurant.

Red paper lanterns hang over the kitchen along with colorful banners. Underneath them, steam rises from plates of fried rice. The sushi chef slices thin fish before rolling them in rice to create uniform pieces.

Minutes before the doors opened, fresh fish was delivered inside.

Waitresses weave in and out of the kitchen and tables. The seats are filling up fast and the parking lot is nearly full. It's opening day on Friday, April 7, and Osaka Sushi has only been officially open for 45 minutes.

We traveled to Sweet Home to bring fresh sushi to people, said manager Alice Lee.

Lee said she and the sushi chef worked together previously in Portland before coming to Sweet Home. Shes worked at several Japanese restaurants, she said.

She's been living in Sweet Home for about a month. Ever since the signs went up, curiosity and excitement among residents about the restaurant has been building, Lee said.

Its an exciting time, since Osaka Sushi, 658 Main St., is Sweet Homes first sushi restaurant.

The space used to be Swan, a Chinese and American restaurant, Sweet Home Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Lagea Mull said.

Since it closed, the community has felt the loss. There arent many sit-down restaurants in Sweet Home, she said.

In fact, there are three, not counting fast food, Mull said.

Altogether, in Sweet Home is home to 20 eateries, three of which are sit-down restaurants. Now, theres a fourth.

Steve Berns of Sweet Home was the first customer to be served at Osaka Sushi. He considers himself a bit of a connoisseur.

I fell in love with sushi 15 years ago, and every time I travel I try sushi wherever I go, Berns said.

As such, hes patronized more than 400 restaurants and has even had some in Japan, he said. Now he wont have to travel too far at all to get some rolls.

Oh yeah, Ill be coming here often, he said grinning as he watched the sushi chef handle a blow torch to sear the salmon on his Osaka roll.

When asked what makes great sushi, Berns said: freshness and quality fish.

Tony Chens hands moved back and forth between slices of avocado, crabmeat and tempura shrimp. He laid out a flat piece of seaweed and rice and began to roll. The orders were coming in fast.

The day before, staff were busy prepping for the grand opening, making sauces but no sushi. That has to wait, in order to be as fresh as possible, Chen said.

Hes been making sushi for about six years, he said. It started when his friend taught him.

The menu has different options for both sushi lovers and people who may be hesitant to try raw fish, Lee said.

The menu offers vegetable rolls, ramen, udon soup along with a variety of sushi.

For Lee, Sweet Home is an ideal place to manage a sushi restaurant.

I love Sweet Home. The people here are friendly, and we are excited to bring sushi here, she said.

Related stories:
In statements to TV Peru, the minister explained that the Government issued a supreme decree last Saturday to mobilize resources from different ministries.

He went on to say that an additional injection (of resources) is expected to be channeled to municipalities (to meet urgent needs) between Sunday and Monday.

For instance, so far this year, Piura's regional government has executed only 11% of its emergency response budget, as is the case of the provincial municipality.

"On average, local governments spend 17% of their budget," the Cabinet member stated.

"However, local governments are expected to have resources available for emergency situations; and they do right now, but we need to make sure. For this reason, a direct transfer will be made between Sunday and Monday, when an urgency decree may be issued," he said.

Contreras also noted that subject of monetary resources is not an issue, but the lack of response by sub-national governments is, and in view of this, more resources are being injected so that municipalities can address the emergency, which, when at level 5, becomes one of the Government's duties.

?? Ahora | Ministro de Economia y Finanzas, @AlexContreras_M , brinda entrevista para informar sobre las acciones que se vienen implementando en materia economica para atender la emergencia por lluvias. ?? Via @tvperupe pic.twitter.com/AX3RYEOmmp

Ministro @AlexContreras_M: Reitero que no hay un problema de recursos, como MEF vamos a seguir atendiendo las necesidades del pais y como Ejecutivo se esta reforzando la capacidad de respuesta de la crisis.
Israel/Palestine: Statement by High Representative Josep Borrell on the escalation of violence

European External Action Service (EEAS)

08.04.2023

EEAS Press Team

The EU is deeply concerned by the grave escalation of violence in recent days in Israel, the Occupied Palestinian Territories and Lebanon.

Last night again, deadly terrorist attacks have occurred in Tel Aviv, one of them killing an Italian tourist. The EU expresses its total condemnation of these acts of violence. This must cease.

This upsurge in violence follows days of tension and clashes at the Holy Sites, including the intervention and the use of force by Israeli police inside the compound of the Al Aqsa mosque.

The EU condemns the violent incidents which have happened in the Holy Sites and reminds that the status quo of all the Holy Sites must be preserved.

We also condemn the indiscriminate rocket attacks on Israel from Gaza and the territory of Lebanon. We condemn unreservedly the terrorist attack which killed two Israelis and left one seriously injured.

Israel has the right to defend itself. At the same time, any response must be proportionate.

The EU calls for an immediate end to the ongoing violence. Everything must be done to prevent the conflict from spreading.

We urge all parties to exercise maximum restraint, to avoid further escalation and promote calm for the ongoing religious holidays.



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Lebanon lodges complaint at UN Security Council over Israeli aggression

Iran Press TV

Saturday, 08 April 2023 4:57 PM

Lebanese caretaker Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib has filed a complaint with the UN Security Council (UNSC) and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres against Israel after the regime said it had struck positions belonging to the Palestinian resistance group Hamas in southern Lebanon.

According to Lebanon's official National News Agency (NNA), Bou Habib held a meeting with caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati on Saturday, after which he instructed the Permanent Mission of Lebanon to the United Nations in New York to submit an official complaint to the UN Security Council and the UN chief regarding the impact of the Israeli bombing and deliberate aggression at Friday dawn in areas in southern Lebanon.

The top Lebanese diplomat called the Israeli aggression a flagrant violation of Lebanon's sovereignty and a deliberate breach of UN Security Council Resolution 1701.

UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which brokered a ceasefire in the war of aggression Israel launched against Lebanon in 2006, calls on Tel Aviv to respect Beirut's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The Israeli bombardment in the early hours of Friday followed a spate of rocket launches from southern Lebanon as tensions soared after Israeli forces stormed the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in the occupied Old City of al-Quds twice this week, and violently attacked Palestinian worshippers marking the holy fasting month of Ramadan.

Hours earlier, there were explosions in the besieged Gaza Strip after the Israeli military launched air raids on several targets in the coastal enclave.

The attacks on Gaza and Lebanon came after the Israeli military said 34 rockets had been fired from Lebanon on Thursday, with 25 allegedly intercepted and at least four landing inside the occupied territories.

They were the first rockets fired from Lebanon towards Israel in a year and the biggest launch since Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah resistance movement fought a war in 2006.

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US deploys guided-missile submarine to Middle East

Iran Press TV

Saturday, 08 April 2023 2:06 PM

The United States says a nuclear-powered American guided-missile submarine is operating in the Middle East in support of the US Fifth Fleet, which is based in Bahrain.

The USS Florida entered the region on Thursday and began transiting the Suez Canal on Friday, Commander Timothy Hawkins said in a statement on Saturday, according to Reuters.

"It is capable of carrying up to 154 Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles and is deployed to US 5th Fleet to help ensure regional maritime security and stability," Hawkins added.

This came after the US Navy relocated a warship in the Mediterranean to the coast near Syria after tensions rose between Tehran and Washington over deadly attacks on Iranian military advisors in Syria.

Iran's envoy to the UN Amir Saeid Iravani earlier on Monday warned that the Islamic Republic will take "decisive measures" to protect its forces and interests in Syria against any threats posed by the United States or others.

Last week, two Iranian military advisers stationed in Syria were killed in an Israeli airstrike near the country's capital Damascus. Following the attack, the IRGC issued a stern warning to the Israeli regime on Sunday, vowing retaliation for the killing of its military advisers in Syria.

The relocation of the US warship came as US President Joe Biden claimed in March that the United States was not seeking a conflict with Iran

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Report: Israel struck Hamas positions in Gaza, Lebanon to avoid wider conflict with Hezbollah

Iran Press TV

Saturday, 08 April 2023 11:05 AM

Two Israeli military officials say the Tel Aviv regime decided to launch air strikes on positions of the Palestinian Hamas resistance movement in southern Lebanon and the Gaza Strip after a spate of rocket attacks against the occupied territories, apparently to avoid a wider conflict with Lebanon's Hezbollah resistance movement.

In discussing their response to a barrage of rockets launched from Lebanon on Thursday, Israeli authorities concluded that the regime didn't have any interest in getting dragged into a war in Lebanon that would risk turning into a regional conflict, the Israeli officials said, according to a report published by US news website Axios on Friday.

One of the officials said in the consultation held by Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and minister of military affairs Yoav Gallant ahead of a security cabinet meeting late on Thursday, the Israeli military and the spy agency Mossad presented different assessments on what Hezbollah's response would be to Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon.

Mossad chief David Barnea argued Hezbollah would likely respond to any Israeli airstrike and therefore Israel should strike the positions of the movement in addition to Hamas and Lebanese targets, the official added.

But the Israeli army's chief of staff, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, said it was in the regime's interest not to engage Hezbollah, and that Israel's response should stay focused on Hamas, the official said.

The official added that Halevi's position ultimately prevailed as the recommendation to take at the security cabinet meeting.

During the Israeli security cabinet meeting, one of the main issues discussed was what the scope of the Israeli response should be in Lebanon, the Israeli officials said.

Israeli military chiefs told the Israeli minters that a wider response against Hezbollah would likely result in the Lebanese resistance movement launching precision missiles toward Israeli-occupied territories, which could escalate into a war.

All the ministers voted in favor of the Israeli military's recommendation to focus the response against Hamas, the two Israeli military officials said.

Political observers say that Israel is most likely not looking to escalate the situation along its border with Lebanon.

"Israel wants to respond but doesn't want a wide-scale war and doesn't want to involve Hezbollah in a war," Wassail Awada, a political analyst based in Lebanon, said.

"There are many reasons [to this] among them its domestic troubles - and Israel doesn't want to disrupt its production of gas," he said.

Lebanese commentator Ibrahim al-Amin, who is close to Hezbollah's leadership, also wrote in the Arabic-language al-Akhbar newspaper that if Israel assassinates Hamas leaders in Lebanon or threatens the security of the people in southern Lebanon, Hezbollah would react.

But he stressed that "local attacks" by Israel in Lebanon are meaningless, and will not necessarily prompt a large-scale Hezbollah response.

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Honduras again extends state of emergency to fight violent gangs

Iran Press TV

Saturday, 08 April 2023 8:40 AM

Honduras on Friday extended the country's existing state of emergency that suspends some constitutional rights, to tackle violent gangs within the country.

Ordered by President Xiomara Castro, in response to the activity of several large criminal organizations, the extension of the state of emergency is the third of its kind that is set to last another 45 days until May 21.

The state of emergency has enabled authorities and the police to make arrests without warrants and hold suspects in preventive detention.

"This legal measure has made it possible for security authorities to capture more than a hundred members of criminal organizations," the government said in a statement.

The state of emergency also enables the authorities to partially suspend constitutional rights in affected areas, while there has been increased security in lower-income neighborhoods.

According to authorities, the gangs have carried out extensive campaigns of extortion against businesses, transport drivers, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), employing violence against entities that do not pay protection money.

Gangs such as the MS-13 and Barrio 18, have an extensive presence throughout Central America, and according to reports, gang violence is the highest in Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula.

Previously, Castro had ordered to deploy soldiers across the nation to fight violent criminal groups.

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Ansarullah urges UAE to withdraw its troops from Yemen after Saudi decision to end war

Iran Press TV

Saturday, 08 April 2023 7:23 AM

A senior member of Yemen's popular Ansarullah resistance movement says the United Arab Emirates (UAE) should withdraw its troops from Yemen after Saudi Arabia informed the so-called Yemeni presidential leadership council of the decision to put an end to the eight-year devastating war in Yemen after eight years of aggression.

Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a member of Ansarullah's political bureau made the remarks late on Friday according to Lebanon's Arabic-language al-Mayadeen television news network.

"We do not accept the presence of Emirati forces even on one inch of Yemeni soil. The UAE made a colossal mistake by joining Saudi Arabia in the Yemen invasion. It should, therefore, learn a lesson and pull out [as soon as possible]," al-Bukhaiti said.

He said, "there is an understanding between Saudi Arabia and Yemen," without going into details.

Bukhaiti said that the understandings as well as initiatives for peaceful settlement of Yemen crisis will be announced in two phases: One before Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, and the other at another time.

"We support any proposals and efforts by Saudi Arabia or other parties to pacify the Yemeni crisis and reach a comprehensive political resolution of the conflict," the senior Ansarullah official pointed out.

"All Yemeni parties and factions are duty-bound to contribute their share in achievement of a home-grown solution. This message is directed at the Yemenis, who participated in the [Saudi-led] aggression, urging them not to squander the available opportunity," Bukhaiti said.

The remarks come amid reports that a Saudi-Omani delegation is planning to travel to Yemen's capital Sana'a next week to hash out a permanent ceasefire deal with officials from the National Salvation Government and end the country's eight-year-old conflict.

Two sources involved in the talks, requesting anonymity, said Yemen's warring parties could announce an agreement before Eid al-Fitr holiday - starting April 20 - if an agreement is reached.

The visit by Saudi officials to Sana'a is an indication of progress in Oman-mediated talks between the kingdom and the Ansarullah movement, which run in parallel to UN peace efforts.

It is also a sign that regional rifts are easing after Saudi Arabia and Iran agreed to restore diplomatic relations last month after years of estrangement.

'Ansarullah to end Saudi aggression, lift siege'

Moreover, Mohammed Abdulsalam, the spokesman for Ansarullah movement, said his group will spare no effort to put an end to the Saudi military campaign in Yemen and lift the brutal blockade against the war-wracked country.

"We will continue our efforts through negotiations to end the aggression and lift the siege. God willing, these ideals will be achieved and the ensuing damage will be repaired. Such efforts will eventually result in a peace agreement that would serve the interests of our dear Yemeni compatriots from Sa'adah to al-Mahrah," he wrote in a tweet.

On Friday Al-Mayadeen television news network, citing informed sources, reported that Saudi officials had recently held a closed-door meeting with the chairman and members of the so-called Yemeni presidential leadership council, which was established last April after the resignation of ex-president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, to inform them about a peace plan for Yemen.

Saudi Arabia's Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman briefed the council on Riyadh's solution to end the crisis in Yemen, sources said, adding that the Saudis' vision is to renew the existing UN-brokered truce for a year in an understanding with the Sana'a government.

Riyadh will pledge to pay the salaries of public servants, open Hudaydah port, and help settle the currency problems of Yemen in exchange for Sana'a's acceptance of the truce, according to the report.

Saudi Arabia launched the bloody war against Yemen in March 2015 in collaboration with a number of its allies and with arms and logistics support from the US and several Western states to reinstall Hadi, who resigned from the presidency in late 2014 and later fled to Riyadh amid a political conflict with the popular Houthi Ansarullah movement.

The war objective was also to crush the Ansarullah movement, which has been running state affairs in the absence of an effective government in Yemen.

However, it has stopped well shy of all of its goals, despite killing tens of thousands of Yemenis and turning the entire country into the scene of the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

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Nigeria and Morocco to Invest $12.5 Billion Each in Gas Pipeline

Sputnik News

20230408

The Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline is among the flagship projects linking the two countries through 11 West African states. Covering approximately 5,600 km, it is expected to set a record as the longest offshore gas pipeline in the world.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPCL) and Morocco's National Office of Hydrocarbons and Mines (ONHYM) are due to jointly finance the $25 billion Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline in equal shares, authorities have announced.

Mallam Mele Kyari, NNPCL managing director, stated that the project is already in Phase II of the preliminary research and is currently undergoing an environmental impact assessment - as well as rights-of-way investigations.

According to him, NNPCL is making use of Nigeria's vast natural gas reserves, which comprise more than 5,6 billion cubic meters. It could grow to around 17 billion cubic meters, he stressed, as an increase in investment is expected after a number of production-sharing contract disputes with partners are resolved.

He claimed that the huge reserve will provide a boost to energy and industrial sectors. Kyari also underlined that it will provide a low-carbon energy alternative and help reduce the carbon footprint, fighting unemployment and poverty.

The managing director also stated that his country's gas infrastructure network is capable of transporting about 195 million cubic meters of gas to enable power generation.

Project at an Advanced Stage

The gas pipeline is one of the projects linking Nigeria and Morocco through several West African countries.

Several memoranda of understanding have been signed in recent months - the first between the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Nigeria and Morocco, and two others between Morocco, Nigeria and Mauritania on the one hand, and Morocco, Nigeria and Senegal on the other. Five more trilateral memoranda of understanding have been signed by Morocco and Nigeria, on the one side, and Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone and Ghana, on the other.

In accordance with the project, the pipeline will run along the West African coast from Nigeria, through Benin, Togo, Ghana, Cote d'Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Gambia, Senegal and Mauritania to Morocco.

It will also supply nearby Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali and will be connected to the Maghreb-Europe gas pipeline and the European gas network.

The project is expected to cover approximately 5,600 km through 11 African countries and set a record as the longest offshore gas pipeline in the world.

 Sputnik

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Russia Supports MONUSCO in DRC, Urges Mission to Listen to Government and Society

Sputnik News

20230408

Gleb Chugunov

Earlier this month, the East African Regional Force (EACRF) in the DRC announced it was planning to conduct joint operations together with the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the DR Congo (MONUSCO) in order to ensure stability in the east of country.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin held consultations on the settlement of the situation in the African Great Lakes region and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) with the UN Secretary General's Special Representative Bintou Keita and the UN Secretary General's Special Envoy for African Great Lakes region Huang Xia, the Russian Foreign Ministry has stated.

"The main topic of discussion was the situation in African Great Lakes region and the problems of settlement in the eastern provinces of DR Congo. The Russian side expressed support for the efforts of the MONUSCO and its leadership, as well as the activities of the special envoy of the secretary general to stabilize the situation in the region," the diplomatic department stated, following the meeting.

According to the Foreign Ministry, much attention was paid to the investigation into the circumstances of the attack on the helicopter of the United Nations (UN) peacekeepers in March 2022, which killed eight people, including Lieutenant Colonel Alexey Mizyura, senior of the group of Russian UN military observers.

At the same time, the ministry stressed that Russia will continue promoting peace processes in the DR Congo and in the African Great Lakes region, including its UN Security Council activities.

The ministry outlined that while assessing the situation, the UN mission should listen to DRC authorities before making the decision to withdraw the mission.

"In the context of considering the issue of the timing of the withdrawal of the mission from the country, the need for a verified account of the situation 'on the ground' is emphasized," Russian Foreign Ministry stated. "At the same time, it was noted that the mission should carefully listen to the opinion of society and the authorities in order to more effectively fulfill its mandate."

More than 120 armed groups are currently operating in major parts of the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, destabilizing the situation in the country and in the nearby territories.

MONUSCO took over from a previous UN peacekeeping operation - the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) - on July 1, 2010. The mission was launched in order to protect civilians, humanitarian personnel and to support the government of the DRC in its peace settlement efforts, according to the UN.

 Sputnik

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Netanyahu Calls Up Army Reservists After Three Killed Amid Surge in Israeli-Palestinian Violence

Sputnik News

20230408

Oleg Burunov

The situation deteriorated earlier this week, when Israeli riot police detained scores of Palestinian worshippers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, claiming they were "violently barricading" themselves inside the religious sanctuary.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced that the government is calling up police and army reservists after three people were killed in two separate attacks in Tel Aviv and the West Bank amid a spike in violence.

On Saturday, Netanyahu instructed the police to "mobilize all reserve border units" and directed the army to "mobilize additional forces."

According to the PM's order, four reserve battalions of border police would be deployed in city centers as of Sunday, in addition to units already deployed in the Jerusalem region and in the central city of Lod, which has a mixed population of Jews and Arabs.

This comes after an Italian tourist was killed, and seven others were injured, when an Israeli Arab rammed his car into pedestrians on the Tel Aviv seafront promenade on Friday before being shot dead. Earlier on Friday, two young British-Israeli sisters were killed, and their mother seriously wounded, when their car was fired on in the Jordan Valley in the West Bank.

The attacks followed the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launching air strikes and an artillery bombardment in the early hours of Friday in retaliation against rocket fire from the Gaza Strip and Lebanon.

The Israeli military said that they specifically hit a number of targets belonging to the Palestinian militant group Hamas in southern Lebanon. According to the IDF, they attacked "infrastructure targets" and other sites which Tel Aviv views as belonging to the terror network.

"The IDF will not allow the terrorist organization Hamas to operate from Lebanon and considers the state of Lebanon responsible for all fire from its territory," the military noted.

Hamas, for its part, said in a statement that they "strongly condemn the blatant Zionist aggression against Lebanon," with Hamas member Basem Naim telling a Qatar-based broadcaster that people in Gaza have "no place to hide" and that rocket fire was a way for the enclave to defend itself from Israel.

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati, in turn, underlined that his government "categorically rejects any military escalation," as well as the use of Lebanon to stage acts that threaten stability.

New Al-Aqsa Mosque Violence

This was preceded by fresh Israeli violence inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem earlier this week, when dozens of Palestinians were injured during clashes with Israeli riot police who used stun grenades, gas, rubber bullets, batons and stocks of rifles.

Israeli police claimed in a statement that "several law-breaking youths and masked agitators" fortified the mosque, allegedly "in order to disrupt public order and desecrate" the facility.

"After many and prolonged attempts to get them out by talking to no avail, police forces were forced to enter the compound in order to get them out with the intentions to allow the Fajr [dawn] prayer and to prevent a violent disturbance. When the police entered, stones were thrown at them and fireworks were fired from inside the mosque by a large group of agitators," the police argued.

Netanyahu, in turn, insisted that the police "had to act to restore order," adding, "Israel is committed to maintaining freedom of worship, free access to all religions and the status quo on the Temple Mount, and will not allow violent extremists to change this."

The Islamic Waqf, which administers the Al-Aqsa site, however, described the Israeli police's actions as "a flagrant violation of the identity and function of the mosque as a place of worship for Muslims alone".

It was echoed by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh, who condemned the raid, describing it as an attack on Muslim worshippers. "We warn the Occupation [Israel] not to cross the red lines in the holy places, which will lead to the big explosion," the spokesman emphasized.

Hamas slammed the incident "an unprecedented crime" and warned Israel that there would be "consequences."

The clashes over the status of the Temple Mount, which houses the Al-Aqsa complex, have been going on for a long time, since the religious sanctuary is considered holy both by Muslim Palestinians and Jews.

Palestinians have repeatedly accused Israel of hindering their access to the Al-Aqsa Mosque and allowing large numbers of Jewish visitors to the site under police escort, claiming it is a violation of the present agreements on the site between the two sides.

Al-Aqsa Mosque-related tensions in May 2021 prompted Hamas to fire scores of rockets towards Jerusalem, triggering an 11-day conflict with Israel, which claimed the lives of at least 256 Palestinians and 13 people in the Jewish state.

 Sputnik

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Billionaire Cash App founder begged for help after being fatally stabbed in San Francisco

A tech billionaire was reportedly ignored by passers-by as he begged for help after he was stabbed in San Francisco.

Bob Lee, a technology executive who created Cash App and was chief product officer of MobileCoin, was attacked early on Tuesday, police have said.

San Francisco Police Department said in a press release that officers responded to a report of a stabbing on Main Street at 2.35am and found a 43-year-old man suffering from apparent stab wounds. He later died in hospital.

While police did not name the victim, MobileCoin confirmed Mr Lees death in response to an email from The Associated Press on Wednesday.

In CCTV footage since obtained by the San Francisco Standard, injured Mr Lee can reportedly be seen approaching a parked car in a bid to get help.

He reportedly lifts his shirt to reveal his stab wounds to the driver - who drove away as Mr Lee collapsed to the floor.

MobileCoin CEO Josh Goldbard said in a statement: Our dear friend and colleague, Bob Lee passed away yesterday at the age of 43, survived by a loving family and collection of close friends and collaborators.

Mr Lee was made for the new world, Mr Goldbard wrote.

From large contributions to Android at google, to being the first CTO of Square, in that time creating CashApp, and working with us here at Mobilecoin, Bob surely had an impact that will last far beyond his short time on earth, he said.

Mr Lee came to MobileCoin as an early stage investor and adviser, then became chief product officer and helped launch the Moby app, Mr Goldbard said.

Mr Lee was the chief technology officer at digital payments company Square in 2013 when it launched a money transfer application now known as Cash App.

The police statement did not provide any details on the circumstances of the stabbing.

This is an open and active investigation. For that reason we are not releasing further information, Officer Niccole Pacchetti, a public information officer, said in an email.

We will provide further details when they become available.
Omani delegation in Yemen's Sana'a to mediate fresh truce between warring sides

Iran Press TV

Sunday, 09 April 2023 12:05 AM

An Omani delegation has arrived in Yemen's capital to broker a fresh truce between the country's Ansarullah popular resistance movement and a military coalition led by Saudi Arabia, which has been waging a war against the impoverished country since 2015.

According to Yemen's official Saba news agency, the Omani delegates arrived on Saturday"to discuss the latest developments in the ongoing negotiations in Muscat with the leadership in Sana'a."

"A delegation from Oman has arrived in Sana'a to hold talks" with Ansarullah's leaders "about the truce and the peace process," a source at the capital's airport was quoted by AFP as saying.

Saudi Arabia and some of its allies began the invasion in March 2015, after Ansarullah took control of Yemen's affairs in the absence of a functioning government. The invaders have been seeking to restore Yemen's power to its former Riyadh-friendly officials.

Although, the coalition has failed to achieve any of its goals, the war has claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of Yemenis and turned the entire country into the scene of what the UN describes as the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

A truce enter into force in Yemen last year, prompting the country to enjoy a six-month-long lull. The agreement, however, was not renewed after it expired on October 2.

The Yemeni news agency added that the Omani delegation was accompanied by Mohammed Abdulsalam, who is the chief negotiator of Yemen's National Salvation Government.

Abdulsalam tweeted that he had arrived in Sana'a with the Omani delegation, but did not give further details.

Abdulsalam said the Yemeni people's demands demands were just and included an end to the Saudi-led aggression, the total lifting of the blockade that the aggressors have been imposing on Yemen, and payment of the salaries of all civil servants using revenues from oil and gas.

He added that Yemen's demands also included "the exit of foreign forces ... compensation and reconstruction."

Another Yemeni source told AFP on condition of anonymity that the Saudis and Ansarullah have agreed in principle on a six-month-long truce to pave the way for three months of talks on establishing a two-year "transition" for the war-torn country.

Saudi Arabia frees 13 Yemeni prisoners

In a related development also on Saturday, Yemen's al-Masirah television network cited Abdul Qader al-Mortada, head of Yemen's National Committee for Prisoners Affairs, as saying that as many as 13 Yemeni prisoners had been freed by the Saudis and arrived in Sana'a in exchange for one Saudi released earlier.

At talks in Switzerland last month attended by the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross, Yemen's Saudi-backed former officials and Ansarullah agreed to free 887 detainees.

"The detainees released today from Saudi prisons are part of the deal agreed via the United Nations, and next Thursday...the deal will be fully implemented," said al-Mortada.

Saudi Arabia and Yemeni officials agreed during talks in Switzerland last month, which was also attended by the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross, to free 887 detainees.

The UN special envoy to Yemen has said the deal was one of several developments reflecting movement towards ending the eight-year conflict.

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Russo-Ukraine War - 08 April 2023 - Day 409

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 Russia's campaign to severely degrade Ukraine's unified energy system (UES) within the 2022-23 winter has highly likely failed. Russia has conducted long range strikes since October 2022, but large-scale attacks have become rare since early March 2023. Smaller scale strikes (with fewer than 25 munitions) continue, but are highly likely having much less impact on the UES.

Ukraine's network operating companies continue to source replacement transformers and other critical components. Transporting and installing these components is a major logistical challenge, especially high voltage transformers which weigh at least 100 tonnes.

Ukraine's energy situation will likely improve with the arrival of warmer weather. Planning and preparations for next winter have likely already begun.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that during the day, Russian forces launched 2x missile and 34x air strikes, more than 36 rounds from MLRS. The probability of launching missile and air strikes remains high throughout the territory of Ukraine.

Russia continues to focus its main efforts on conducting offensive actions on the Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Mar'yinka axes - more than 35x Russian attacks were repelled.

Volyn', Polissya, Sivershchyna and Slobozhanshchyna axes: the operational situation has not changed significantly, and no signs of the formation of Russian offensive groups have been detected. During the day, Russian forces shelled vicinities of Gremyach, Chernihiv Oblast; Seredyna-Buda, Baranivka, Bezsalivka, Volfine, Turya, Vysoke of the Sumy Oblast, as well as the settlements of Veterinarne, Vilkhivka, Ternova, Vovchansk, Karaichne and Chugunivka in the Kharkiv Oblast.

Kupyansk axis: Kolodyazne, Krasne Pershe, Novomlynsk, Dvorichna, Zapadne, Krokhmalne, Kindrashivka, Pischane and Berestov of the Kharkiv Oblast were hit by Russian fire.

Lyman axis: during the day, Russian forces conducted unsuccessful offensive actions in the area south of Kuzmyny and Verkhnyokamyansky. Cherneshchyna of the Kharkiv Oblast was hit by artillery fire; Makiivka, Nevske, Dibrova, Bilogorivka in the Luhansk Oblast and Yampolivka, Torske, Siversk, Spirne in the Donetsk Oblast.

Bakhmut axis: Russia continues to conduct offensive actions, tries to take full control of the city of Bakhmut, battles continue. During the day, Russian forces carried out unsuccessful offensive actions in the area of the Bohdanivka settlement. The units of the Ukrainian defense forces repelled about 10x Russian attacks on the indicated section of the front. Vasyukivka, Minkivka, Zaliznyanske, Orikhovo-Vasylivka, Markove, Hryhorivka, Bakhmut, Khromove, Chasiv Yar, Ivanovske, Stupochki, Bila Gora and Druzhba of the Donetsk Oblast were affected by Russian shelling.

Avdiivka and Mar'yinka axes: Russian forces carried out unsuccessful offensive actions in the Novokalynovoy, Severnoy, Pervomaiskyi and Mar'yinka districts. The fiercest battles on the indicated section of the front continue for Mar'yinka, where more than 10x Russian attacks were repelled. At the same time, Novokalynove, Kam'ianka, Stepove, Orlivka, Avdiivka, Severne, Netaylove, Krasnohorivka, Mary'inka, Pobieda and Paraskoviivka of the Donetsk Oblast were subjected to Russian shelling.

Shakhtars'ke axis: during the day, Russian forces did not conduct offensive operations. Shelled the settlements of Novomykhailivka, Shakhtars'ke, Novoukrainka, Velyka Novosilka, Vugledar, Prechistivka, Zolota Niva, and Novomayorske in the Donetsk Oblast.

Zaporizhzhya and Kherson axes: Russia continues to build up defensive lines and positions. They carried out shelling of settlements bordering the frontline. Among them are Vremivka, Novopil' of the Donetsk Oblast; Novosilka, Olhivske, Malinivka, Chervone, Gulyaipole, Charivne, Mala Tokmachka of the Zaporizhia Oblast; Dudchany, Kachkarivka, Beryslav, Kozatske, Mykolaivka, Ivanivka, Mykilske, Dniprovske of the Kherson Oblast, as well as Kherson.

The Russian invaders continue to suffer heavy losses. To replenish them, the leadership of the armed forces of the Russian Federation decided to hold early graduations from higher military educational institutions of the aggressor country in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kostroma, Penza, Omsk, Tyumen, Kazan, Novosibirsk, Volsk, and Blagoveshchensk on April 29 of this year. At the same time, graduations from High Military Education Facilities, which prepare specialists for military units of strategic missile forces, aerospace forces and naval forces of the armed forces of the Russian Federation, will be held in accordance with the previously planned schedules.

During the day, the Aviation of the Defense Forces of Ukraine carried out 8x strikes on areas where the Russian occupiers were concentrated. A Russian reconnaissance UAV was also shot down.

Units of missile and artillery troops hit 2x areas of concentration of manpower, weapons and military equipment, 1x ammunition depot, 1x position of anti-aircraft defense equipment and 3x radio electronic warfare stations of the Russian enemy.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that, according to information published by military commander Alexander Simonov, in the district center, the fighters of the Wagner PMC, after clearing the area of the boarding school from the enemy, went to the elevator and the nearby railway fork.

At the same time, the Wagnerites captured the Metallurg stadium and entrenched themselves in the Upper Park. The Church of All Saints and the railway station are still held by the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU).

In the area of the Avangard stadium, the defenders were driven out of Bakhmutskaya and Rozhdestvenskaya streets, as a result of which the defense line was leveled.

Fighting also continues in the Bakhmut districts of Aircraft, Vodokanal, Poselok. The enemy continues fierce resistance and until they retreat, the supply route from Clock Yar is under fire, but not cut.

The situation in other directions

The Russian army in a day struck 92 enemy artillery positions and 114 areas of accumulation of manpower and equipment. Three ammunition depots of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were destroyed in Konstantinovka, Berislav, Orekhovo. Air defense assets intercepted seven HIMARS rounds and seven enemy drones.

In the Kupyansky, Limansky and Kherson directions, the Armed Forces of Ukraine lost a total of about 170 people, an armored car, 5 cars, 2 D-20 howitzers, Gvozdika and Akatsia self-propelled guns.

At the same time, in the Donetsk and Zaporizhia sectors of the front, as a result of artillery and bombing attacks, as well as direct clashes, Russian units eliminated up to 425 enemy soldiers, 3 infantry fighting vehicles, 7 armored vehicles, 3 vehicles, as well as a Gvozdika self-propelled artillery mount, and also D-20 and D-30 howitzers.





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Russo-Ukraine War - 09 April 2023 - Day 410

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 on 5 April 2023, Russian President Vladimir Putin chaired a full session of Russia's Security Council, the first such event since October 2022.

The main report was presented by Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev, and discussed reconstruction, law enforcement and public order in the illegally-annexed areas of Ukraine.

The choice of Kolokoltsev as the main speaker is likely an attempt by the Kremlin to portray the situation in those territories as being normalised. In reality, much of the area remains an active combat zone, subject to partisan attacks, and with extremely limited access to basic services for many citizens.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that during the day of April 9, Russian forces launched more than 10x MLRS attacks, 23x air and 4x missile strikes. 2x russian S-300 air defense missiles targeted and hit civilian infrastructure in Zaporizhzhia. The attack killed and wounded civilians, destroyed and damaged residential buildings. Another 2x S-300 missiles were launched at a civilian infrastructure facility in Kostyantynivka (Donetsk oblast).

The likelihood of missile and air strikes across Ukraine still remains high.

Russia continues to focus its main efforts on the offensive operations on Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka, and Mar'inka axes. During the day of April 9, more than 40x Russian attacks were repelled.

Volyn, Polissya, Sivershchyna, and Slobozhanshchyna axes: no significant changes in the operational situation, no signs of the formation of Russian offensive groups were found.

During the day of April 9, the Russian occupants shelled the settlements of Yasna Polyana (Chernihiv oblast), Volfyne, Zapsillya, Popivka (Sumy oblast), Veterynarne, Kozacha Lopan', Mala Danylivka, Hatyshche, Ustynivka, Milove, Velykyi Burluk, and Topoli (Kharkiv oblast).

Kup'yans'k axis: Krasne Pershe, Novomlyns'k, Dvorichna, and Zapadne (Kharkiv oblast) came under Russian fire.

Lyman axis: during the day of April 9, Russian forces conducted unsuccessful offensives to the south of Dibrova. Novoselivs'ke, Makiivka, Nevs'ke, Bilohorivka (Luhansk oblast), Kolodyazi, Tors'ke, Sivers'k, Spirne, and Berestove (Donetsk oblast) were shelled with artillery.

Bakhmut axis: Russia continues to conduct offensive operations, attempting to take full control of the city of Bakhmut. Fierce fighting continues. During the day of April 9, Russian forces conducted unsuccessful offensives to the east of Bohdanivka and near Khromove. The Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled about 20x Russian attacks in this area of the front line. Vasyukivka, Min'kivka, Zaliznyans'ke, Orikhovo-Vasylivka, Markove, Bakhmut, Khromove, Chasiv Yar, Ivanivske, Bila Hora, and Druzhba (Donetsk oblast) suffered from Russian shelling.

Avdiivka and Mar'inka axes: Russian forces conducted offensive operations in the vicinities of Novokalynove, Berdychi, Avdiivka, Sjeverne, and Maryinka (Donetsk oblast). None of them were successful. The fiercest fighting in this area of the frontline is for Avdiivka and Mar'inka, where more than 10x Russian attacks were repelled. At the same time, Russian forces shelled the settlements of Novokalynove, Avdiivka, Lastochkyne, Pervomais'ke, Krasnohorivka, Hostre, Heorhiivka, and Mar'inka (Donetsk oblast).

Shakhtars'ke axis: Russian forces did not conduct any offensive operations during the day of April 9. The Russian invaders shelled the settlements of Novomykhailivka, Bohoyavlenka, Shakhtars'ke, Novoukrainka, Velyka Novosilka, Prechystivka, and Zolota Nyva (Donetsk oblast).

Zaporizhzhia and Kherson axes: Russia continues to improve fortifications at its defensive lines and positions. In particular, the Russian invaders shelled Vremivka, Novopil' (Donetsk oblast), Zatyshshya, Hulyaipole, Zaliznychne, Huliaipilske, Bilohir'ya (Zaporizhzhia oblast), Vesele, Burhunka, Ivanivka, Antonivka, Dniprovs'ke (Kherson oblast), and Kherson.

The Russian invaders do not stop their practice of forced abductions of civilians in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. In particular, Russian occupation forces in Starobil's'k (Luhansk oblast) search the residences of civilians suspected of supporting Ukraine and take the people to unknown destinations they are not returning from.

During the day of April 9, the Ukrainian Air Force launched 6x air strikes on Russian forces concentrations. In the meantime, missile and artillery units hit 4x anti-aircraft missile systems, 11x Russian concentrations of manpower, weapons, and military equipment, 1x ammunition depot, and 5x electronic warfare stations.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that, the New York Times, citing documents published on the Web (raising questions of authenticity), reports that the Ukrainian command began to transfer reserves to the city area, which were being prepared for a potential spring-summer offensive. The publication noted the statement of the Ukrainian General Kirill Budanov, who described the situation here as "catastrophic" for Kyiv.

"Various elite units entered the battle. This has come at a strategic cost to Ukraine, which has sought to retain its most trained and equipped troops for the counter-offensive expected in the coming weeks or months.

At the same time, it is reliably known that the fighters of the PMC "Wagner" took the stadium "Metallurg" and the territory adjacent to it, continuing to move from here to the north-west.

The Bild expert also said today that at least 75% of the city is under the control of Russian attack aircraft. This information also requires clarification from the scene.

The situation on other sectors of the front

War correspondent Sergei Sreda reports on the advance of Russian units in Maryinka. The fortified area of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) at the local tire repair plant was liquidated.

During the day, the Russian army hit 98 enemy artillery positions, 127 areas of accumulation of personnel and equipment, the command post of the Kharkiv grouping in Veliky Burluk. Also, in Orekhovo and Vuhledar, the weapons depots of the 102nd and 72nd brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were destroyed, and in Zaporozhye, a fuel storage facility with 70,000 tons of fuel.

At the same time, ten rockets from the Smerch and HIMARS systems, the Grom-2 missile were intercepted by anti-aircraft weapons. 14 drones shot down.

Meanwhile, in the Kupyansk and Limansk directions, about 90 Ukrainian soldiers, 5 armored vehicles, 11 vehicles, a Gvozdika self-propelled gun and a D-20 howitzer were destroyed in a day. Eliminated two enemy sabotage groups.

To the south, in the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions, as well as in the DPR, about 330 servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, a tank, 4 armored vehicles, 9 cars, 3 Gvozdika and Akatsiya self-propelled artillery mounts, as well as Msta-B and Hyacinth guns were destroyed -B", D-30 and 2 D-20.





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Chinese scientists working on COVID-19 origins-tracing discuss latest findings, address data transparency controversy

Global Times

By Liu Caiyu Published: Apr 08, 2023 11:14 PM

Editor note: Amid waves of heated discussion about the origins of COVID-19 in the international community and China's recent release of new analysis collected at Wuhan's Huanan Seafood Market, the Global Times reporters on Friday conducted an interview with Liu Jun, a researcher from the China CDC who is also a member of the WHO-China joint expert team, and Qian Zhaohui from the Institute of Pathogen Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, on their latest findings and discussions related to the tracing of the origins of COVID-19.

GT: Foreign media reports claimed that your team deleted the data uploaded on GISAID during the process of submitting a paper on the analysis of data collected at the Huanan Seafood Market, is that true?

Liu: We submitted the first draft of the paper to the Nature magazine in February 2022, and during the process of submission and revision, our teams uploaded the original data related to the paper on the GISAID data sharing platform (GISAID) in accordance with international practice for scientific paper publication. The uploaded data was only used for journal review and access, and it was agreed with Nature and GISAID that the data will be released publicly following the official publication of the paper. The data and access link have always been there and have not been deleted.

On March 11 2023, we found the data uploaded to the GISAID platform had been prematurely released by GISAID staff before the paper was published and without the knowledge of our team. Upon learning this, staff from our team called the GISAID platform to confirm the situation. We were told that the release was an error by GISAID staff. Thereupon, the platform shut down the data sharing function but the data remained on the platform. Neither our team nor the platform deleted the data, and the data access links for journal review have always been there.

The latest version of our paper was published online in Nature on April 5, and all the original data has been released across four international and domestic databases simultaneously.

GT: what are the main conclusions of the paper? Have there been any new discoveries or content that contributes to the identification of the virus' origins?

Liu: The nucleic and gene sequencing on 1,380 environmental and frozen animal samples collected at Huanan market from January to March 2020 showed that all 457 animal samples collected in the market tested negative for COVID-19. And 73 out of 923 environmental samples were positive for COVID-19, with three strains of the virus isolated. The sequencing results showed that the genome was 99.9-100 percent homologous to the genome of the early cases, suggesting that these strains of virus were from patients infected with COVID-19.

The gene sequencing of environmental samples showed abundant human gene sequencing fragments, and those from common cold chain goods such as pigs, cows, chickens and ducks sold in the market, as well as a small number of gene fragments of animals such as mice and cats. It once again indicates that the presence of COVID-19 in the market was most likely from early patients. The Huanan market was only an outbreak site, not the origin. The data further supports the origins-tracing report jointly undertaken by the WHO-China expert team.

GT: Based on the data your team uploaded on the GISAID, some international experts reached a different conclusion. Do you think the differences are out of different analysis methods or because of other reasons?

Liu: We cannot rule out the possibility that different analyzing methods, software and parameters may end up with different results, but the DNA barcoding showed the highest abundance of human genes among the environmental samples, indicating the contamination within the market are most likely from early patients. The DNA barcoding also showed the existence of multiple animals including pigs, cows, chickens and ducks at the market before its closure.

Some experts are concerned about the presence of presumed COVID-19 susceptible animal genes in the samples. However, existing research data does not support that animals in the market were infected with COVID-19. Even if animals had been infected, it cannot be ruled out that human-to-animal transmission occurred after humans were infected. Because our sampling time was in January 2020, later than the time when the COVID-19 cases were reported, we believe that the virus was likely to have entered the market through human infections or cold chain products, and the scientific basis for the so-called animal-to-human transmission at the market is obviously insufficient.

GT: Some media reports said the data uploaded on GISAID should have been shared sooner. Why did the expert team not share this data before and is there any more still waiting to be shared?

Liu: Since the COVID-19 outbreak, Chinese scientists have been carrying out a lot of work in an open, transparent and responsible manner to trace the origins of COVID-19, and share them in a timely manner. For example, in early stages of the outbreak, the whole genome sequence of the coronavirus was uploaded to the GISAID database platform, and epidemiological investigations of early cases were also published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).

At the beginning of 2020, experts from China CDC had collected both environmental and animal samples from the market, which showed all animal samples tested negative, and 73 environmental samples were positive. The virus gene sequencing showed they are highly homologous with that of early cases. The results indicated that the virus existed in the environment were from contamination of early cases and the market was an outbreak site in early stages of virus spread.

All data we had at that time was reported to the WHO joint origins-tracing expert team between July 2020 and January 2021and they were fully discussed among experts.

The expert team had also visited the market in January 2021. They recognized the reliability and importance of the methods of sampling and testing, as well as that of the data and the results, and included the results within the WHO phase I origins-tracing report.

The report suggested more investigations need to be undertaken, including the DNA barcoding of samples from the Huanan market. Based on the suggestions, Chinese experts carried out relevant research which showed the DNA barcoding failed to provide any new direct evidence over origins-tracing and proved the previous conclusion of the WHO-China joint origins-tracing report was scientific and objective.

In February 2022, China CDC experts submitted the data of Huanan market to Nature for peer review, while it was also made public through the international preprint platform, and uploaded to GISAID in accordance with international practices. At present, relevant data has been released in four databases at home and abroad, and the paper has been officially published in Nature.

After the phase I joint report, Chinese scientists had carried out a great deal of work relevant to origins-tracing and the research had been published timely. Serological tests on blood donors in Wuhan in the second half of 2019 were published in the journal Protein and Cell. A study of the viral profiles of more than 17,000 bats in China, published in the journal National Science Review, did not find the sequence of novel coronavirus or its related coronaviruses.

GT: Do you have any comment on the newly-released paper published by the China CDC?

Qian: No direct evidence can prove the authentic origins of COVID-19, and the spread of the virus from bats to other animals and then from animals to humans is considered one of the possible origin hypotheses, but exactly where, when, and how the process occurred is not yet clear.

All the animal samples collected in the market as the paper mentioned were negative, and only some environmental samples were tested positive, which most likely came from contamination of human COVID cases. The data from the paper support the notion that Huanan market may have been just an amplifier of COVID-19 transmission, rather than the place where COVID-19 originated.

Chinese experts have been working very hard on studying the origins of the COVID-19, which is an extremely difficult task. Recently several countries also discovered some bat coronaviruses sharing very high homology in the virus genome sequence to SARS-CoV-2, indicating the importance of cooperation among countries to trace the origins of the virus. Currently, exactly where zoonotic transmission of the virus to human remains unknown and requires further study.

GT: Some officials in WHO assumed the lack of transparency from Chinese government over COVID-19 related data and claimed it may have affected global origins-tracing. What is your view on this, and has there been any difficulty in tracing the origins?

Qian: As far as I know, the data referenced in the paper had actually been largely included in the WHO-China joint report in 2021 and the relevant report can be found online. Researchers in China have been working very hard to trace the origins and have continued to work closely with many international experts.

But tracing virus origins is an extremely difficult and complex task. The HIV outbreak began in the 1970s, but its zoonotic origins were only identified in 2014, and the virus jumped into humans around 1920. The Ebola virus was discovered in the 1970s, but it is still not entirely clear how it started. Places where outbreaks occurred often were not where the virus originated, such as the 1918 flu, HIV and so on. Bat coronaviruses highly similar to COVID-19 have been found in many places in the world and tracing the origins requires close cooperation among different countries and regions.

GT: Some media reports claimed that WHO-China joint report on tracing COVID-19 origins received wide criticism because the lack of original data on early cases from China. What is your view on this?

Qian: I noticed the opinion piece in Science mentioning these views, but from what I learned, the data were shared with the WHO team during WHO-China joint investigation. The main conclusions of the WHO-China joint report are that the laboratory origin of the pandemic was considered to be "extremely unlikely," and crossing over from bats to humans from an intermediary species was "most likely." These are largely considered as consensus among mainstream experts in field of virology.

I personally believe that the results of phase I origins-tracing and the professionalism and international reputation of the panel members and WHO should be fully respected. Tracing origins of the virus is an extremely difficult and professional task. We hope that experts at home and abroad can work together to solve this problem as soon as possible.

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China depicts US as 'biggest threat to global cybersecurity' amid tensions

Iran Press TV

Saturday, 08 April 2023 2:33 PM

China has depicted Washington as the "biggest threat to global cybersecurity", saying that Washington "knowingly abuses technology" for spying and a range of other purposes.

The United States is seeking to preserve "hegemony in cyberspace" under the false pretext of "national security", Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told reporters on Friday, urging the US to "stop its global hacking operations."

The development came after US President Joe Biden issued a new executive order, purportedly limiting the use of spyware by the American government. Signing the order late last month, Biden banned the use of commercial spyware like Pegasus and Predator, but left ample room for the US to keep using hacking technologies of all sorts.

Hitting back at the US move, Ning said that the recent White House order to crack down on certain surveillance tech would not change the fact that Washington is the "biggest threat" to global cyber-security.

US agencies have targeted foreign states and companies "under the pretexts of national security and human rights without any evidence," she said, adding that "the US government, in an attempt to maintain its hegemony in cyberspace, knowingly abuses technology for cyber surveillance and theft of secrets."

Earlier this week, a report in the New York Times revealed that the White House signed a "secret contract" with the Israeli cyber surveillance firm NSO Group through a front company in 2021.

The contract allowed officials to use NSO Group's 'Landmark' geolocation tool to covertly track "thousands" of phone users in Mexico.

The deal also "allows for Landmark to be used against mobile numbers in the United States."

Despite language in the executive order urging federal agencies to stop employing tools that have been "misused" by governments abroad, the deal with NSO Group "still appears to be active," the Times reported.

The Israeli firm has come under fire for collaborating with over a dozen foreign governments to target human rights activists, journalists, and lawyers using its powerful 'Pegasus' spyware program, including in Mexico, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The New York Times said in a report last year that the FBI purchased access in 2019 to Pegasus, which invades mobile phones and mines their contents.

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Virus not found in animal samples of Huanan Seafood Market; strains isolated from environment samples most likely from humans: scientists

Global Times

By Global Times Published: Apr 09, 2023 12:03 AM

A Chinese Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) researcher on Saturday said she felt surprised that some officials at WHO accusing China of lack of transparency in COVID-19 origins-tracing, as Chinese scientists have shared all available information and the results have been approved by WHO-China joint mission.

"If such presumptuous accusations persist, WHO's credibility could be undermined," the expert from China CDC said.

The remarks were made at a news conference held by China's State Council's Information Office on Saturday.

At the press conference, Chinese scientists discussed their latest findings in the origins-tracing of COVID-19, which showed that virus strains found in samples from the Huanan Seafood Market are more likely to have come from humans. Additionally, experts stated that no COVID-19 antibodies were detected in the blood of donors in Wuhan prior to the outbreak in December 2019.

The experts also refuted reports of Chinese researchers deleting data from GISAID platform, and provided a detailed summary of the latest research result showing that the COVID-19 was unlikely to have come from animals.

Certain Western media reports quoted a number of WHO officials as saying that China had failed to disclose data over COVID-19 origins-tracing. In response to these claims, Zhou Lei, a researcher from the Chinese CDC said during Saturday's news conference that as a Chinese scientist who had taken part in the China-WHO joint origins-tracing in 2021, she is actually surprised at these remarks.

During the joint origins-tracing, Chinese scientists shared all data and information, including information on more than 76,000 early cases of possible and suspected COVID infections in Wuhan, Zhou said.

"We conducted in-depth joint analysis and research, and the results were collectively approved by the WHO and Chinese experts at that time," she said.

Zhou noted that WHO is a very important organization, an authoritative professional body recognized by the international community, and its scientific nature, rigor and impartiality are beyond doubt.

"I think if such a presumptuous accusation is made, it is the WHO's credibility that risks being damaged," she said.

Offering details of the origins-tracing research, according to genetic sequencing of over 1,300 samples collected at the Huanan Seafood Market from January to March 2020, all animal samples, about 400, tested negative for COVID-19, according to Tong Yigang, dean of College of Life Science and Technology of Beijing University of Chemical Technology and group leader of the Chinese Animals and Environment team of the WHO-China Joint Mission on SARS-CoV-2 origin study.

The three strains of virus isolated from more than 900 environmental samples were almost identical to the patients' virus sequence at that time, suggesting that these strains of virus likely came from humans, Tong said.

Meanwhile China has conducted testing of stored sera from healthy blood donors prior to the emergence of COVID-19 cases in Wuhan, having tested 43,850 blood samples donated by 30,000 people, Zhou noted. The results showed that no antibodies linked to COVID-19 were detected in these blood donors from Wuhan before December 2019.

This results also echo the common finding in the phase I of WHO-China joint origins-tracing mission that no early cases were detected locally in Wuhan prior to December 2019, she said.

Regarding the "laboratory leak theory" that some US politicians and Western media have been hyping, Zhou said that during the previous joint tracing mission, the scientists had studied the possibility of a laboratory leak in a scientific and comprehensive manner.

According to the report jointly released by WHO and China in 2021, a laboratory leak was determined to be highly unlikely.

"We organized a joint expert team to visit a number of laboratories in Wuhan to investigate and study, and also shared all the health monitoring and possible clinical information of all laboratory personnel, and completed an investigation and analysis," Zhou said.

The experts also said that Chinese researchers have never deleted data uploaded on GISAID collected from the Wuhan Huanan Seafood Market, contrary to reporting by certain media outlets. Instead, the data access link has always been in the database, but was prematurely released by GISAID staff to the public.

The CDC research team submitted a draft of a paper to Nature in February and uploaded related data on to the GISAID platform for reviewer access only, explained Shen Hongbing, director of Chinese CDC on Saturday. However, this data was released to the public without the research team's knowledge, which GISAID explained as an operational error.

"We also want GISAID to clarify the situation to the media and WHO," Shen said, adding that the data had been officially released after the paper was published on April 5.

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China: We're Still a Developing Nation. US Lawmakers: No Way

By Lin Yang April 08, 2023

The U.S. House of Representatives has voted unanimously to challenge China's status as a developing nation, a classification made by organizations such as the World Bank and the United Nations that gives the world's second-largest economy special treatment for trade and low-interest loans.

Young Kim, a Republican congresswoman from Southern California who introduced the bill, told lawmakers before the vote that China accounted for 18.6% of the global economy.

"Their economy size is second only to that of the United States. [The] United States is treated as a developed country, so should PRC," Kim said before the March 27 vote on The PRC Is Not a Developing Country Act. Kim, who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Indo-Pacific Subcommittee, introduced the bill with Gerry Connolly, a Virginia Democrat.

China's state-backed media Global Times responded by saying that the U.S. has no right to play referee on China's developing country status.

"Such attempt has only further exposed Washington's sinister intentions to increase China's development cost and force China to assume international responsibilities beyond its ability," it said.

How is China, the world's second-largest economy and home to the most billionaires aChina has 969 while the U.S. has 691 a still categorized as a developing country, which means it enjoys the same special treatment in international trade as nations such as Bolivia and Zambia? When will China graduate and join the U.S. as a developed country?

Developing or developed?

China has long referred to itself as a developing country in its official narrative. Wang Yi, director of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Central Foreign Affairs Office, said when he was serving as China's foreign minister in 2019 that China's per capita GDP was only one-sixth that of the United States.

"Requiring a country that has only been developing for a few decades to shoulder the responsibilities of those industrial countries who have developed for hundreds of years, this itself is unfair," he said at a news conference when meeting with European scholars, according to Xinhua News Agency.

Yet on the world stage, people are watching China's economic power explode. Since 1978, its GDP has increased from less than $150 billion to $18.3 trillion in 2022, making it the second-largest economy after the United States. In 2023, China's military spending will reach $230 billion, ranking second in the world after the U.S., which will spend more than $800 billion in fiscal year 2023.

And China has established a series of international organizations, including the Asian Infrastructure Investment bank and the Shanghai Cooperation Origination, to challenge the international aid order established by the U.S. after World War II.

"A widely adopted understanding for assessing a country's development status is the income per capita, not the size of the whole economy," said Weifeng Zhong, a senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University.

The World Bank uses gross national income (GNI) per capita and categorizes the world's economies into four income groups: low, lower-middle, upper-middle and high income. The high-income countries, which need to have a GNI per capital above $13,205, are commonly considered to be developed countries.

The latest GNI per capita for China, $11,880 in 2021, is $1,325 below the threshold, so it is a developing country by the World Bank standard. Yet experts cautioned that classifying a country's development status is inexact.

"International organizations ... do not always have a clear income threshold for a country to 'graduate' from a developing country status," Zhong told VOA in an emailed response.

The United Nations uses an aggregate indicator called the Human Development Index, which includes but is not limited to income. By this measure, China is a developing country.

The World Trade Organization allows countries to self-declare whether they are a developing country, and China always maintains that it is.

With that self-declaration being approved by other members when China joined the WTO in 2001, Beijing is able to enjoy special treatment, such as higher subsidies and better tariff rates, reserved for developing countries.

Robert Ross, a professor of political science at Boston College and an associate at Harvard's John King Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies, told VOA Mandarin that the WTO classification of China is political rather than economic.

"China lobbies hard to pressure countries not to change China's status because it benefits immensely from the conditions for its exports and tariff levels and other issues. The U.S. has been unable to reach a consensus among WTO membership to change China's status," he said in a phone interview last week.

Why China wants the label

Experts who spoke with VOA Mandarin said there are tangible benefits in international trade to being recognized as a developing country.

When China joined the WTO in 2001, its GDP per capita was less than $1,000. Trading as a developing country meant China could impose an import tariff of 14%, compared with the 7% imposed by developed countries, according to the WTO. Developing countries also enjoy relaxed restrictions on trade subsidies and receive technical assistance from developed countries.

"Being considered a developing country for an unduly long time may allow China to enjoy a host of special and differential treatments that it may no longer fairly deserve," said Zhong of George Mason University.

He said the Chinese government is known for heavily subsidizing preferred sectors to encourage growth. For example, as the world confronts the challenge of over-fishing, being considered a developing country would allow China, a world leader in fishing capacity, to retain more subsidies in negotiations with other countries, making the global over-fishing problem harder to tackle.

James Wen, an emeritus professor of economics at Trinity College in the U.S. state of Connecticut, said that in addition to tariff reductions and subsidies, China also enjoys special treatment in terms of loans from international financial institutions.

"International financial institutions have long been providing low-interest or interest-free loans to developing countries. China is qualified for such preferential treatment as a developing country. There are also many private NGOs offering financial aid to developing countries; China has benefited immensely from them as well," he told VOA Mandarin via phone.

Brian Hart, a fellow with the China Power Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said that apart from material benefits, China is using the label as a political signaling tool.

"I think in places like the WTO, what China really likes to do is to be able to cast itself as the leading developing country. It sees itself as being able to corral developing countries together on certain issues, and that's a place where it really likes to be," he told VOA Mandarin.

Ross from Boston College told VOA Mandarin said that the contradiction between China's developing country status and its economic and political influence worldwide is "frequently frustrating to other countries, because China has these advantages that enable it to have a greater impact than it would otherwise have if we examine its political and economic clout."

Zhong from George Mason University cautioned that the vote in the U.S. House of Representative won't be enough to change China's status.

He told VOA Mandarin, "U.S. representatives at various international organizations would need to work with like-minded countries to challenge China's development status, which, depending on an international organization's rule, may be a bigger undertaking than Washington policymakers think."

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Joint Military Exercise 'Ex KAVACH' concludes at Andaman and Nicobar Command

India - Press Information Bureau

Ministry of Defence

Posted On: 08 APR 2023 7:49PM by PIB Delhi

Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) conducted a large-scale Joint Military Exercise 'Ex KAVACH' involving the assets of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard. The exercise, which began on February 23, 2023, concluded on April 07, 2023.

The exercise was aimed at fine-tuning joint warfare capabilities & Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and enhancing interoperability and operational synergy between the forces. Elements of the 'Shatrujeet Brigade' of the Army, Armed Forces Special Operations Division (AFSOD), Special Forces of the Navy and Amphibious troops of the ANC, participated in the multi-domain exercise involving amphibious landing, air-landed operations, heliborne operations and rapid insertion of the Special Forces from mainland on a remote Island of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

'Exercise KAVACH' demonstrated the capabilities and preparedness of the Armed Forces to safeguard India's maritime interests and ensure the security of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The exercise effectively showcased the professionalism and synergy amongst the different components of ANC while conducting successful joint operations in a complex and dynamic environment.

Impressive demonstrations of rapid response capabilities during the exercise were witnessed by Commander-in-Chief Andaman and Nicobar Command Lt Gen Ajai Singh. He complimented the troops for their professional conduct and successful operations. Through such exercises, the nation continues to strengthen its defence capabilities, whilst promoting peace and security in the region, he said.

ABB/Savvy



(Release ID: 1914940)

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Iran, Russia discuss implementation of INSTC corridor

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Apr 8, 2023

Tehran, IRNA -- Senior officials from Iran and Russia have explored ways to implement the strategically important International North-South Transit Corridor (INSTC).

In a meeting in Tehran on Saturday, Iran's First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber and Igor Levitin, who serves as a special aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin, also reviewed bilateral cooperation on energy and transportation projects as well as trade exchanges between the two countries.

"Fortunately, the implementation of joint projects between the two countries is being carried out in a good manner and the presidents of the two countries are seriously and continuously pursuing the projects to remove the barriers on their way and to speed them up," said Mokhber during the meeting with Levitin.

Speaking during the meeting, Mokhber said that Iran and Russia can be turned into a major hub of exporting food products in the region through the implementation of joint investment projects between the two countries.

Levitin, for his part, voiced Russia's readiness to commit to joint transit projects with Iran that can activate the INSTC, adding that Moscow is also willing to sign agreements with Tehran for engaging in bilateral and multilateral cooperation on such projects.

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Iran denies it suffered any losses in conversion of Iraqi debt to dinar

Iran Press TV

Saturday, 08 April 2023 6:09 PM

The Central Bank of Iran (CBI) has denied reports it suffered any losses because of converting its dollar debts from Iraq to the currency of the Arab country.

"There has been absolutely no conversion of resources outside of the official mechanisms and on irregular rates," the CBI said in a Saturday statement covered by the official IRNA news agency.

The statement came after reports suggested Iran had to forfeit some 40% of the debts it is owed for supply of energy to Iraq because it was forrced to receive payments in Iraqi dinar.

Some unconfirmed reports suggest Iraq's energy arrears to Iran have reached $18 billion. The Arab country has been unable to settle the debts in full because of US sanctions on Iran's access to the international banking system.

Iraq has been looking for alternative mechanisms to pay the debts and to prevent any disruption to imports of natural gas and electricity from Iran that can be caused by its failure to pay.

"In monetary and financial agreements with Iraq ... the arrangements have been implemented in a way that no losses could be incurred on the country's foreign exchange assets," said the CBI statement.

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The Cultural Italian American Organization will host its annual St. Joseph the Worker Feast on Sunday, April 30, and honor a dedicated member at the event.

The annual event at St. Francis of Assisi Church celebrates St. Joseph's Day on March 19. It will include a small procession in St. Joseph's honor with old Sicilian narration, and a feast table blessed by the Rev. Lou Vasile with food by Osteria Salina.

This year's event will honor CIAO member Gina Mironti, who has worked at all the organizations' fundraising events since 2014. Mironti, 94, came to the U.S. in 1970 from Morolo, in the province of Forsinone, Italy, with her family.

The event will begin at 5 p.m. in Nacca Hall at the church, 303 Clark St., Auburn. Tickets are $40, and reservations are required by April 26.

For more information, or to RSVP, email jpalmiotto13021@yahoo.com or call (315) 406-3417 or (315) 406-4859.
Iran, Azerbaijan FMs discuss ways to resolve misunderstandings in ties

Iran Press TV

Saturday, 08 April 2023 3:57 PM

Foreign ministers of Iran and Azerbaijan have held discussions about ways to resolve the existing misunderstandings and issues pertaining to mutual relations amid soaring tensions between the two neighboring countries.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and his Azeri counterpart Jeyhun Bayramov held two rounds of detailed talks on Friday night and Saturday about the developments in Tehran-Baku relations and some regional issues.

They stressed the importance of respecting good neighborliness, national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Amir-Abdollahian warned of the Israeli regime's plots against unity, security and progress of the countries in the region and said, "Only enemies benefit from the existence of differences among regional countries."

The top Iranian and Azeri diplomats also stressed the need to direct media campaign in line with mutual interests.

Azerbaijan's relations with Iran were strained in January following an attack on the Eurasian country's embassy in Tehran.

Azerbaijan closed its diplomatic mission following the incident and evacuated staff over what it called a "terrorist act," with President Ilham Aliyev blaming it on the "Iranian establishment."

This is while an initial investigation pointed to "personal and family-related problems" as the motive of the assailant.

Azerbaijan said on Thursday it has declared four Iranian embassy employees persona non grata, claiming the diplomats conducted "provocative actions" in the latest deterioration of relations between the two neighbors.

The move came hours after Baku said it arrested six men, who it claimed were linked to Iranian secret services and were plotting a coup in the Caspian nation.

In a statement on Friday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kan'ani said Tehran would take "diplomatic countermeasures" in response to Azerbaijan's radical and unconstructive positions against Iranian teachers and diplomats residing in Baku.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran emphasizes the [importance of] observing the principles and basics of the neighborhood policy and paying heed to the sinister goals of the Zionist regime (Israel) in creating differences and tension in the relations among Muslim countries while at the same time, it has diplomatic countermeasure on its agenda," Kan'ani added.

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Iraq condemns Turkey attack on Sulaymaniyah airport, calls on Ankara to apologize

Iran Press TV

Saturday, 08 April 2023 11:26 AM

Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid has condemned the recent shelling of Sulaymaniyah airport in Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region by the Turkish military, calling on Ankara to cease hostilities and apologize for bombarding the area.

Rashid made the remarks in a statement on Saturday saying there was "no legal justification" for such an act.

"Turkish military operations against the Kurdistan region continue to take place, the last being the Friday bombardment against Sulaimaniyah civilian airport," Rashid said, adding that such measures only serve to terrorize civilians.

Turkey "continues its approach of intimidating civilians under the pretext that hostile forces are present on Iraqi soil," referring to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) which has a presence in Iraq's Kurdistan region and is blacklisted as a terrorist organization by Turkey.

Lawk Ghafuri, head of foreign media affairs for the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG), wrote in a Twitter post late on Friday that a drone attack had targeted the vicinity of Sulaymaniyah airport, but caused no damage or delays or suspension of flights.

The attack came a few days after Turkey halted flights to and from Sulaimaniyah until at least July 3, blaming increased PKK activity in and around the airport.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry said at the time that PKK activities were posing a "threat" to the country's air security.

In September, at least four Turkish soldiers were killed after they engaged in fierce exchanges of gunfire with members of the PKK militant group in the northern Iraqi region of Kurdistan.

Militants of the PKK a designated as a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union a regularly clash with Turkish forces in the Kurdish-dominated southeast of Turkey attached to northern Iraq.

In response, the Turkish military has occupied areas in northern Iraq, where it regularly conducts attacks against purported PKK positions without the Arab country's consent. Baghdad has repeatedly condemned Ankara's ongoing military operations there.

Iraqi resistance groups have also time and again warned Turkey of the consequences of its incursions into their country.

Last July, Turkey carried out a strike against the Iraqi hill village of Parakh in the Zakho district of Dohuk province, killing at least nine tourists, including children and women, and wounding more than 20 others.

Authorities in Iraq said the attack was carried out by Turkish forces and that they were responsible for the deaths and injuries of Iraqi civilians, while Ankara said the country's forces did not attack civilians.

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Iraq Demands Apology From Turkiye for Attack on Sulaymaniyah Airport

Sputnik News

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MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Iraq called on Turkiye to formally apologize for what Baghdad believes was Ankara's terrorist attack on the Sulaymaniyah airport in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region, the president's office said on Saturday.

Sulaymaniyah's civil aviation authority said that an explosion and a subsequent fire occurred near the city's international airport on Friday, resulting in no damage or casualties. The blast was allegedly caused by a Turkish drone strike, the Al Hadath broadcaster reported, citing a source. Commander of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, Mazloum Abdi, could have been in the airport's vicinity at the time of the incident.

"While condemning these flagrant attacks on Iraq we reiterate that there is no legal justification that allows Turkiye to continue terrorizing peaceful and civilian populations under the pretext of the presence of anti-Turkish government forces in Iraqi lands. Hence, we call on Turkiye to claim responsibility, make an official apology for these acts, put an end to the aggression as well as find solutions to their internal problems through engaging in dialogue with the relevant parties," the statement read.

Baghdad has pledged to take a firm stance to "never allow such assaults to occur again" if these "acts of aggression" repeat.

Meanwhile, the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces alliance (SDF) has said that the commander of its units, Mazloum Abdi, had been at the Sulaymaniyah airport at the time of the air attack, the El Sharq broadcaster reported.

Earlier on Saturday, First Deputy Speaker of the Iraqi parliament, Muhsin al-Mandalawi, instructed the authorities to form an investigative committee on the Sulaymaniyah airport attack to take measures that would uphold the sovereignty and protect Iraqi citizens from any attacks.

On Wednesday, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said Ankara had closed the country's airspace for three months to planes flying to and from Iraq's Sulaymaniyah airport due to the increased activity of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, labeled as terrorist by Ankara. Turkiye's national flag carrier Turkish Airlines confirmed to Sputnik that there were no flights to Sulaymaniyah at the moment.

A Sputnik

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Tens of thousands of demonstrators protest against Netanyahu's 'judicial reforms' for 14th consecutive week

Iran Press TV

Saturday, 08 April 2023 10:18 PM

Tens of thousands of protesters have rallied across the occupied territories for the 14th straight week, condemning the highly contentious "judicial reforms" proposed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The biggest demonstration was held in the coastal city of Tel Aviv on Saturday, with the participants chanting slogans against the so-called overhaul plan.

Protesters brandished signs reading, "Freedom for all!" and "Netanyahu is leading us to war."

"We're still going to come here and say loud and clear that we will not let this reform pass," one protester told Reuters.

Other smaller demonstrations took place in the cities of Kfar Saba and Haifa, respectively in the central and northern parts of the occupied territories, as well as in the holy occupied city of al-Quds.

Organizers said around 258,000 people attended the protest rallies, but the regime's authorities gave no figures of their own.

Netanyahu paused the reforms last month, which were receiving rubberstamp approval in the Knesset, as the protests showed no sign of abating and were even compounded by a wave of strikes.

The changes seek to give members of the regime's extremist cabinet nearly unchecked power over the Supreme Court by enabling them to easily overrule the court's decisions.

The proposals also seek to give Netanyahu's cabinet effective control over the appointment of the Supreme Court's judges.

The cabinet, however, a coalition between Netanyahu's Likud party and extreme-right and ultra-Orthodox parliamentary allies, argues that the changes are needed to rebalance the power between legislators and the judiciary.

Also last month, Netanyahu announced the firing of his minister for military affairs, Yoav Gallant, who had cited a threat to the regime's security because "the growing social rift" that had emanated from the proposals, had made its way into the army and security agencies.

The latest in a series of protests against the plan came as Israel faces a sharp rise in tensions on several fronts during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

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Bombing of Pakistan Military Vehicle Kills 2 Troops, Injures 4

By Ayaz Gul April 08, 2023

Authorities in northwestern Pakistan said Saturday that a roadside bomb blast had blown up a military vehicle, killing two soldiers and wounding four others.

A military statement said that the attack had occurred in the Khyber district abutting Afghanistan.

The banned Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, also known as the Pakistani Taliban, claimed responsibility for the deadly bombing. The group has lately intensified attacks, including suicide bombings, in the country.

On Friday, Pakistan's national security committee, which comprises top civilian and military leadership, met and approved plans to carry out a nationwide anti-militant operation to stem resurgent terrorist attacks by the TTP and other extremist groups.

"The meeting agreed to launch an all-out comprehensive operation... to rid the country of the menace of terrorism," Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's office said in a statement. It did not say when the military action would proceed, noting that a committee was formed to make recommendations within two weeks to determine details.

Attacks nearly routine

TTP attacks have almost become routine in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where Saturday's bomb blast occurred.

In January of this year, a powerful bomb ripped through a mosque in the provincial capital of Peshawar, killing more than 100 people, mostly police officers. It was one of the deadliest-ever assaults on the country's police force.

Local conflict-monitoring watchdogs documented more than 1,000 deaths of Pakistanis, including nearly 300 security forces, across the country in 2022.

Pakistani authorities say that the TTP's central command is based in Afghanistan and has enjoyed "greater operational freedom" after the Taliban returned to power in the war-ravaged neighboring country in August 2021, leading to the reemergence of terrorism in Pakistan.

"The TTP's operational capacity has grown significantly following the takeover of the Afghan Taliban next door, and it, along with peer militant groups, presents an existential threat to Pakistan's security and the stability of its neighborhood," the Atlantic Council's South Asia Center wrote in a recent commentary.

Group designated global terrorist organization

The Pakistani Taliban, an offshoot and close ally of Afghanistan's Taliban, has also been designated a global terrorist organization by the United States and Britain.

Islamabad has been pressing the Afghan Taliban to evict TTP insurgents or rein in their cross-border terrorism.

The de facto authorities in Afghanistan insisted instead that Pakistan negotiate a peace deal with the militants. They eventually brokered talks in Kabul between Pakistani officials and the TTP. But the dialogue collapsed when the TTP unilaterally ended a cease-fire agreement with the Pakistani government last November.

The surge in terrorism in Pakistan comes amid a lingering political turmoil and severe economic and financial challenges facing the country.

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Russian president's aide in Iran for talks on North-South transportation link

Iran Press TV

Saturday, 08 April 2023 3:56 PM

Russia's State Council Secretary Igor Levitin has launched a two-day visit to Tehran to discuss ways to bolster economic cooperation with high-ranking Iranian officials.

Levitin, who is a senior aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin, is scheduled to hold talks with Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani on Sunday.

During his last trip to Iran in January, Levitin visited a railway project in northern Iran amid talks between the two countries to secure the funding needed to complete the key North-South transportation link.

Once completed, the Rasht-Astara railway will reduce the time needed to transport cargo from Helsinki in Finland via Russia to Iran's southern ports on the Persian Gulf and on the Sea of Oman by 20 days.

Iran is seeking Russia's financial support for the project which is estimated to cost 800 million euros, according to latest estimates by the Iranian government.

The project could also lead to a major increase in cargo transportation from Russia to the Indian Ocean.



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South Africa Outraged After UAE Denies Gupta Extradition

By Kate Bartlett April 08, 2023

South Africa's justice minister has expressed shock after a court in the United Arab Emirates refused to extradite two brothers from the wealthy Gupta family.

The Minister of Justice Ronald Lamola said he was dismayed to learn this week that a United Arab Emirates court held an extradition hearing for Atul and Rajesh Gupta in February. The court denied Pretoria's request, but South Africa was only informed now.

The Indian-born siblings were close friends of former President Jacob Zuma and are suspected of using that connection to influence Cabinet appointments and win lucrative government contracts -- a scandal that's become known here as "state capture."

Zuma is facing charges in a separate corruption case. He and the Guptas deny all allegations.

The Guptas fled South Africa in 2018. They were arrested in the UAE last year on South Africa's request.

Lamola says South Africa will appeal the court's decision, which the UAE court denied on a technicality.

The court said the charge of money laundering related to crimes committed in the UAE as well as South Africa, meaning the UAE has jurisdiction to prosecute it. The court also found the arrest warrant relating to the charge of fraud and corruption had been canceled, which the Justice Ministry called "inexplicable."

"This level of noncooperation is highly unprecedented in the arena of extradition requests," the Justice Ministry statement said.

"South Africans would be justified to believe that they are being denied justice," the statement continued, adding the denial flies "in the face of the assurances given by the Emirati authorities that our requests meet their requirements."

It's unclear if the Guptas are still in the UAE, after recent media reports that they were spotted in Switzerland.

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Saudi delegation in Iran to discuss reopening of diplomatic missions

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Apr 8, 2023

Tehran, IRNA -- A delegation from Saudi Arabia has arrived in Iran to discuss mechanisms for reopening the kingdom's embassy in the Islamic Republic, Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Saturday.

According to the SPA, the delegation will also discuss the reopening of the Saudi consulate in the holy city of Mashhad, northeast Iran.

The visit marks the first by a Saudi delegation to Iran since the two sides agreed to resume diplomatic relations after more than seven years under a deal brokered by China on March 10, 2023.

The agreement was signed by the top security officials of Iran and Saudi Arabia.

Following that and on Thursday, April 6, the foreign ministers of the two countries met in the Chinese capital Beijing for the first formal gathering since the China-mediated deal.

The top diplomats agreed to follow up on arrangements to reopen their diplomatic missions in their respective countries, and to facilitate visas for Iranian and Saudi citizens, among other things.

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Saudi delegation in Iran to discuss reopening diplomatic missions: Report

Iran Press TV

Saturday, 08 April 2023 6:13 PM

A delegation of Saudi technical officials has reportedly arrived in Iran to discuss mechanisms for the reopening of the kingdom's embassy in Tehran and consulate general in the city of Mashhad.

According to the Saudi Foreign Ministry, the team arrived in Tehran on Saturday few days after Tehran and Riyadh officially restored diplomatic relations, which have been severed over the past seven years.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, met in the Chinese capital, Beijing, on Thursday a month after the two countries agreed to restore diplomatic relations under a China-brokered deal.

Following the meeting, the top Iranian and Saudi diplomats issued a statement stressing the need to implement the landmark China-brokered reconciliation agreement in an attempt to enhance mutual trust and help boost regional security.

They expressed readiness to remove all impediments to the expansion of bilateral ties and agreed to develop cooperation in any field that can ensure the security and stability of the region as well as the interests of its nations.

On March 10, after several days of intensive negotiations hosted by China, Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to resume their diplomatic relations and reopen their embassies and diplomatic missions after seven years of estrangement.

In a joint statement after signing the agreement, Tehran and Riyadh highlighted the need to respect each others' national sovereignty and refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of one another.

They agreed to implement a security cooperation agreement signed in April 2001 and another accord reached in May 1998 to boost economic, commercial, investment, technical, scientific, cultural, sports, and youth affairs cooperation.

To the dismay of the US and Israel, the detente has the potential to ease tensions across a region characterized by turbulence for decades.

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Sirens sound in Israeli-occupied Golan Heights after rockets fired from Syria

Iran Press TV

Saturday, 08 April 2023 8:20 PM

The Israeli regime's military says several rockets have been fired from the direction of Syria towards the Arab country's occupied Golan Heights.

The first wave of the rocket fire included three projectiles on Saturday, which was followed by three more rockets early Sunday.

The Israeli military alleged that one of the first three rockets crossed into what it called Israeli-controlled territory "and landed in open areas in the southern Golan Heights."

As for the second wave of rockets, the regime's military claimed that two of them fell in an open area and one was intercepted by the so-called Iron Dome, causing no damage or injuries.

The rockets caused missile sirens to sound in the area.

Israeli military later announced that it has targeted the area in Syria from which rockets were launched with artillery fire. It added that an Israeli drone has also carried out strikes on that areas.

Lebanon's al-Mayadeen television later reported that the al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad resistance movement, has claimed responsibility for firing rockets on the Golan Heights.

The rocket fire came amid ongoing tensions throughout the occupied territories and beyond over several rounds of attacks by the occupying regime against Palestinian worshipers inside the al-Aqsa Mosque compound, which is Islam's third-holiest site, since Wednesday.

The first bout of the attacks saw the regime's forces raiding the compound, beating the Palestinian worshipers before arresting and forcing out hundreds of them. Dozens of Palestinians were wounded as a result of the violence.

Soon afterwards, several retaliatory rocket barrages were fired towards the occupied territories from the besieged Gaza Strip. And a day later, rocket salvos were fired from Lebanon in the same direction.

The Israeli regime responded by launching airstrikes against both the Gazan and Lebanese territories.

The Israeli military seized the Golan Heights from Syria during the Six Day War of 1967, and later annexed the territory in a move not recognized by most of the international community.

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VATICAN CITY  Pope Francis returned to public view on Saturday, presiding over Easter vigil Mass in St. Peter's Basilica, a day after unseasonably chilly weather in Rome convinced the recently ailing pontiff to skip Good Friday's nighttime procession at the Colosseum.

The evening basilica service began in darkness. Then the basilica's cavernous interior was suddenly bathed in light, reflecting the Christian beliefs that Jesus rose from his death by crucifixion and that goodness can triumph over evil.

The 86-year-old pope is recuperating from bronchitis, which saw him hospitalized on March 29 for three days. On Sunday, tens of thousands of faithful are expected to join the pope in St. Peters Square for Easter Mass at the end of Holy Week.

In his homily, Francis sought to spur Catholics to be renewed by Easter.

At times, we may simply feel weary about our daily routine, tired of taking risks in a cold, hard world where only the clever and the strong seem to get ahead,'' Francis said. At other times, we may feel helpless and discouraged before the power of evil."

He cited other sources of discouragement: "the attitudes of calculation and indifference that seem to prevail in society, the cancer of corruption, the spread of injustice, the icy winds of war."

But Easter "motivates us to move forward, to leave behind our sense of defeat, to roll away the stone of the tombs in which we often imprison our hope,'' Francis said.

"The power of Easter, brothers and sisters, summons you to roll away every stone of disappointment and mistrust,'' the pope said.

His stamina appeared to hold during the vigil, which lasts more than two hours, although Francis at times coughed or cleared his throat.

At the start of the Easter vigil, Francis, who arrived in a wheelchair he uses to cope with knee pain, incised in the wax of a tall candle a cross, the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet  alpha and omega  and the numerals of this year. Then the lit candle was carried by a cleric up the basilica's center aisle, past darkened pews filled with some 8,000 faithful. Dozens of cardinals and other prelates followed, each carrying a smaller, lit candle.

"The Church calls upon her sons and daughters, scattered throughout the world, to come together to watch and pray,'' Francis said, beginning the service. Later, the basilica bells tolled, resounding in the night.

The basilica Mass during the vigil of Christianity's most important day has become an occasion for pontiffs to baptize several adults from around the world. Selected to be baptized at this year's vigil were eight believers, from Albania, the United States, Nigeria, Italy and Venezuela, the Vatican said.

One by one, they approached the pope and told him that they wanted to be baptized. Then they leaned over a basin so Francis could pour water over their heads as part of the sacrament's ritual, formally welcoming them into the Catholic Church.
'We will deliver those weapons,' U.S. lawmaker promises President Tsai

ROC Central News Agency

04/08/2023 05:06 PM

Taipei, April 8 (CNA) Visiting U.S. Representative Michael McCaul on Saturday promised President Tsai Ing-wen (ee) that lawmakers in Washington would work to clear a backlog of weapons it has yet to deliver to Taiwan.

"I promise you, Madam President, we will deliver those weapons," said McCaul, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the U.S. House of Representatives, at a luncheon hosted by Tsai in Taipei.

McCaul was likely referring to reports that Washington had run up a backlog of approximately US$19 billion worth of defense articles it had agreed to sell Taiwan as of December 2022.

McCaul told Tsai that U.S. lawmakers "are doing everything [they] can in Congress to speed up these sales."

Part of that effort, as McCaul suggested at a press conference on Friday, would be for the U.S. Congress to re-prioritize the delivery of weapons to Taiwan.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told a House hearing in late March the delay in delivering defense articles to Taiwan had been caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and pressure on supply chains.

At the time, Austin said a special team had been established to work on those issues in the hope of expediting the delivery of the weapons.

Speaking at the luncheon, McCaul, without elaborating, also said the U.S. would provide training for the Taiwanese military in an effort to enhance the latter's defensive capabilities.

"Projecting weakness only invites aggression and conflict," he said. "Projecting strength provides deterrence and promotes peace."

Meanwhile, Tsai thanked the U.S. Congress for being "a key force" in promoting the relations between Taipei and Washington, while stressing that Taiwan would continue working with the U.S. and other nations to defend shared values of freedom and democracy.

"The people of Taiwan love democracy, seek peace, and are keen to fulfill their responsibility in the international community," Tsai said.

McCaul arrived in Taiwan on Thursday for a three-day visit, as part of a wider Indo-Pacific tour that also includes stops in Japan and South Korea.

The eight-member delegation also includes House Republican Chief Deputy Whip Guy Reschenthaler, Young Kim, chairwoman of the Foreign Affairs Committee's subgroup on Indo-Pacific affairs, and the ranking member of that subgroup, Ami Bera.

The delegation has met with Vice President Lai Ching-te (ea), Legislative Yuan Speaker You Si-kun (ea ), as well as executives of Taiwan's semiconductors and defense companies over the past few days.

(By Teng Pei-ju)

Enditem/ASG

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71 Chinese warplanes fly in vicinity of Taiwan Saturday: MND

ROC Central News Agency

04/08/2023 09:47 PM

Taipei, April 8 (CNA) A total of 71 Chinese military aircraft and nine naval ships were detected in the general vicinity of Taiwan on Saturday as of 4 p.m., as China appeared to ramp up its deployment of aircraft missions in the area, according to Taiwan's military.

A total of 45 warplanes either crossed the Taiwan Strait median line or flew into the southwestern part of Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ), the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said, without providing any further breakdown of the routes.

Among the Chinese military planes deployed were J-10 fighters, J-11 fighters, J-16 fighters, Y-20 transport aircraft, H-6K bomber aircraft, and KJ-500 airborne early warning and control aircraft, the MND said.

The ministry noted, as it usually does when talking about incursions by People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft into Taiwan's ADIZ, that the military scrambled combat air and naval patrols and deployed defense missile systems to track the Chinese military aircraft and warships.

The MND also released the photos of Chinese frigate Ma'anshan and destroyer Suzhou, and said it was keeping close tabs on those vessels' movements.

The ministry condemned Beijing for what it described as its irrational act that has jeopardized regional security and stability.

The number of aircraft deployed was far higher than the daily tallies seen in recent weeks, possibly in response to a 10-day overseas trip by President Tsai Ing-wen (ee) that included a meeting with U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California.

The PLA announced Saturday morning that it was launching three days of military exercises around Taiwan, but did not specify what exactly the drills would consist of.

(By Novia Huang and Lee Hsin-Yin)

Enditem/ls



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Taiwan will not answer China's drills with provocations: Premier

ROC Central News Agency

04/08/2023 07:40 PM

Taipei, April 8 (CNA) Premier Chen Chien-jen () on Friday said Taiwan will not respond to China's unspecified "united sword" military drills around Taiwan with provocations, and he called for rationality from Beijing.

Asked to comment on the drills during a visit to Tainan, Chen said the People's Liberation Army (PLA) has used President Tsai Ing-wen's () stops in the United States before and after visiting diplomatic allies in Central America as a pretext for holding the drills.

Taiwan's national security organs and the Defense Ministry are on top of the latest situation and have taken precautions with advance deployments, he said.

He urged Beijing to behave rationally, exercise self-restraint, and refrain from carrying out any unnecessary military actions, while warning that China's ongoing military intimidation will make Taiwanese more resolved to pursue freedom and peace in the Indo-Pacific region.

The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), meanwhile, voiced a "strong protest" and "sternly condemned" China for disrupting peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

Taiwan will not cower or act provocatively in its efforts to monitor Chinese military activity in neighboring waters, the MAC said.

Making stopovers in the U.S. is a practice that dates back several years, the MAC said, urging China to take Tsai's stay in the U.S. in stride.

"Neither side of the Taiwan Strait belongs to the other, and that is an objective fact held by the Taiwanese people that no amount of coercion can change," the MAC said.

Separately, the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) said in response to the drills that it did not want to see any actions that would negatively affect cross-Taiwan Strait exchanges and disrupt regional peace and stability.

Both sides of the Taiwan Strait should do their best to deescalate tensions to promote peace, the KMT said in a statement.

Just hours after the announcement of the "united sword" drills on Saturday morning, China's state-run CCTV uploaded footage to its website it claimed was captured at the scene of the "united sword drills and combat readiness patrol."

The footage showed PLA destroyers, guided-missile frigates, fighter jets, bombers, tanker aircraft, and electronic warfare aircraft in action, but CCTV was apparently deliberately vague about from which drill the footage was shot.

The purpose of the drills, according to CCTV, was to test the PLA's ability to gain sea, air and information supremacy over Taiwan.

Meanwhile, Alexandar Huang (), an associate professor at Tamkang University's Graduate Institute of International Affairs and Strategic Studies, said the PLA had yet to make clear details related to the "united sword" drills.

The PLA has not yet defined the specific maritime zones in which the drills will be conducted or when the drills begin and end, in contrast to the specific details it gave on week-long drills held around Taiwan in August 2022 following former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit, Huang said.

The 42 Chinese military aircraft and eight naval ships detected in areas around Taiwan on Saturday morning were part of the routine "combat readiness patrol" that has been ongoing since 2020, Huang said.

It remains to be seen whether the PLA will announce details on the "united sword" drills in the coming days or whether the drills will be nothing but a "hollow" claim, he said.

Apart from the "united sword" drills, which the PLA said will be held in the Taiwan Strait and in waters and airspace to the north, south and east of Taiwan, several of China's maritime safety administrations (MSA) have announced live-fire drills and navigation restrictions.

The Fuzhou MSA on Friday announced that it will conduct live-fire artillery drills on April 8, 11, 13, 15 and 17 in Luoyuan Bay north of Fuzhou.

The Dalian MSA on Friday put up a notice about two "military operations" to be carried out on Saturday from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Sunday from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the area where the Bohai Sea and the Yellow Sea meet.

The Hainan MSA on Saturday announced that it will conduct live-fire drills in the Beibu Gulf from 8 a.m. on April 13 to noon on April 15.

(By Chang Jung-hsiang and Sean Lin)

Enditem/ls





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PLA starts 3 days of military drills around Taiwan Saturday

ROC Central News Agency

04/08/2023 01:10 PM

Taipei, April 8 (CNA) The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) launched three days of military exercises around Taiwan on Saturday, one day after President Tsai Ing-wen (ee) returned from a 10-day overseas trip that included a meeting with U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California.

Earlier in the day, the PLA's Eastern Theater Command announced in a brief statement on the social media platform Weibo that the "combat readiness patrol" and "united sword" drills would be held in the Taiwan Strait and in waters and airspace to the north, south and east of Taiwan "as planned."

Details about the exercises or their exact locations, however, were not disclosed by the eastern command.

In a statement, Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND) said the nation's armed forces were monitoring the situation, and that they will remain on constant high alert while making every effort to defend the country's sovereignty and national security.

Meanwhile, a total of 42 Chinese military aircraft and eight naval ships were detected in areas around Taiwan Saturday, including 29 warplanes that crossed Taiwan Strait median line or flew into the southwestern part of Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ), the MND said Saturday.

Among the Chinese military planes were Chengdu J-10 combat aircraft, and Shenyang J-11 and Shenyang J-16 jet fighters that crossed northern, central, and southern parts of the median line, the MND said, adding that the maneuvers were detected as of 11 a.m. Saturday

The ministry said it scrambled combat air and naval patrols and deployed defense missile systems to track the Chinese military aircraft.

In addition to the PLA drills, China's Fujian Maritime Safety Administration has also announced that it will hold live-fire exercises in waters near the Luoyuan Bay area in Fujian Province on Saturday, as well as April 11, 13, 15, 17 and 20 from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

(By Chou Hui-ying, Shih Hsiu-chuan and Ko Lin)

Enditem/ASG

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PLA Eastern Theater Command launches patrol, military exercises around Taiwan Island

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 10:46, April 08, 2023

NANJING, April 8 (Xinhua) -- The Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) on Saturday launched combat readiness patrol and military exercises around the Taiwan Island, which will last from April 8 to 10 Beijing time as scheduled.

The patrol and exercises take place in the maritime areas and airspace of the Taiwan Strait, off the northern and southern coasts of the island, and to the island's east, said Shi Yi, a spokesperson for the command.

These operations serve as a stern warning against the collusion between separatist forces seeking "Taiwan independence" and external forces and against their provocative activities, said Shi, adding that the operations are necessary for safeguarding China's national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

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China justified in taking countermeasures against Tsai's U.S. "transit" trip

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 09:09, April 08, 2023

BEIJING, April 7 (Xinhua) -- The leader of China's Taiwan region Tsai Ing-wen made a "transit" trip to the United States, met with U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and openly preached "Taiwan independence." This was another attempt toward creating tension in the Taiwan Strait.

In response, China took strong countermeasures to deter the "Taiwan independence" secessionist forces and sternly warn against interference from external forces. This is a just move to safeguard national sovereignty and peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

The United States called Tsai's transit "private." However, she met with U.S. government officials and congressmen, including Kevin McCarthy, the third-highest-ranking U.S. official, and trumpeted "Taiwan independence" at every opportunity and sought "international support."

These actions prove that by no means it was a "private trip" as claimed by the United States. It is a provocative act by the United States and Taiwan authorities in an attempt to upgrade official interaction and substantive relations, which seriously violates the one-China principle.

In August of last year, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities in Taiwan pushed for a visit by Nancy Pelosi, the predecessor of Kevin McCarthy, and intensified its provocation by colluding with external forces to seek "Taiwan independence." In response, China took firm countermeasures based on solid legal grounds.

It should be noted that the U.S. side has blatantly violated the commitment made by President Joe Biden during a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Bali, Indonesia, last November, and is bent on arranging political activities for Tsai under the guise of a "transit," ignoring China's strong opposition.

This is a bad act that grossly violates the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-U.S. joint communiques, and severely undermines China's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The one-China principle has long been the general consensus of the international community and a basic norm of international relations. To date, 182 countries including the United States have established diplomatic relations with China on the basis of this principle.

The Taiwan question lies at the heart of China's core interests and is the first red line that must not be crossed in Sino-U.S. relations.

China is determined to crack down on "Taiwan independence" secessionist activities with the firmest resolve, and take the strongest measures to eliminate interference by external forces. Robust countermeasures demonstrate China's unwavering determination, firm resolve, and formidable capability to safeguard its national sovereignty.

After assuming office, Tsai actively pursued closer ties with the United States, wantonly played up the so-called "China threat," smeared and attacked the "one country, two systems," disrupted and restricted cross-Strait economic and trade cooperation, and constantly raised the tone against the Chinese mainland. Such actions have undermined the hard-won peaceful development of cross-Strait relations.

The DPP authorities rely on the United States to seek "Taiwan independence," and the anti-China forces in the United States use Taiwan to contain China, posing the greatest threat to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

Given the repeated support to the "Taiwan independence" secessionist forces by the United States, and the DPP authorities' consistent provocation and disruptive behavior, it is necessary that China should take resolute countermeasures to teach these forces a lesson.

The more rampant "Taiwan independence" activities are, the less likely it is to peacefully resolve the Taiwan question. Only by letting those political forces who use Taiwan as a "show ground" for political speculation feel the pain, can we effectively deter "Taiwan independence" secessionist activities, safeguard peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the interests and well-being of compatriots on both sides of the Strait, and promote the realization of complete national reunification.

Any perverse attempt to block the great cause of China's reunification will surely be crushed by the wheels of history, and any attempt to slow down or even block the historical process of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation will only make the Chinese people more united than ever. The Taiwan question arose as a result of weakness and chaos in our nation, and it will be resolved as national rejuvenation becomes a reality.

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Ma Ying-jeou calls for adhering to 1992 Consensus as he returns to Taiwan after mainland trip

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 11:14, April 08, 2023

TAIPEI, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Ma Ying-jeou, former chairman of the Chinese Kuomintang party, said adherence to the 1992 Consensus best serves the interests of Taiwan people as he returned to Taiwan after a trip to the Chinese mainland.

At Taoyuan International Airport in Taipei, Ma said he has proven with action that adhering to the 1992 Consensus, seeking common ground while reserving differences, and respecting each other can lead to having a common political foundation with the mainland.

And by doing so, cross-Strait exchanges and dialogues can be resumed as soon as possible, Ma said, adding that this best serves the interests of the people of Taiwan.

Ma said it has been his long-held wish to go to the mainland to honor his family's ancestors. But it was only his first time, as he was about to turn 73, to visit the mainland.

Ma said he was glad to receive a very enthusiastic response from mainland residents, which left him both surprised and touched.

Ma recalled the successful exchanges between Taiwan students he had brought to the mainland and their mainland counterparts, which gave him great confidence for resuming cross-Strait exchanges.

"Young people are our future," Ma said, adding that the earlier young people across the Taiwan Strait communicate, the better they understand each other and the less likely they are to have conflicts in the future.

"We invited mainland students to visit Taiwan as well," Ma said.

Expressing concern over the present cross-Strait situation, Ma said he would continue to work among the people to ensure that Taiwan can have a future featuring true peace and security.

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Mainland spokesperson vows no room for "Taiwan independence" separatist activities

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 11:03, April 08, 2023

BEIJING, April 7 (Xinhua) -- A spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office on Friday stressed that there will be no room for "Taiwan independence" separatist activities in any form.

Zhu Fenglian made the statement in response to Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen's latest "transit" trip through the United States.

Zhu noted that "complete reunification of our country must be realized, and it can, without doubt, be realized."

She warned the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities, "We will never leave room for 'Taiwan independence' separatist activities in any form, and will definitely take resolute measures to defeat any foreign interference or separatist attempts for 'Taiwan independence' in any form, and safeguard our national sovereignty and territorial integrity."

The spokesperson also urged the U.S. side to earnestly abide by the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-U.S. joint communiques, and to deal with Taiwan-related matters in a prudent manner.

"Regarding this 'transit' trip, we have stated our position clearly on many occasions," Zhu said, noting that Tsai's acts during the trip showed that "transit" was merely an excuse, and it was instead another provocation to seek independence by soliciting U.S. support.

Over a period of time, the DPP authorities in Taiwan have been continuously challenging the one-China principle and willingly acting as a pawn for the United States' anti-China agenda to seek their own political benefits, Zhu said.

They have peddled "Taiwan independence" claims in the international arena and betrayed the interests of the people in Taiwan by cooperating with the decoupling schemes of the United States. They have also intensified their courting and infiltration of the U.S. Congress, squandering Taiwan people's hard-earned money on arms purchases from the United States.

These acts will eventually push the island into a perilous situation under the shadow of war, bringing grave disaster to compatriots on the island, Zhu said.

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China launches major drill after Tsai's US visit, rehearses 'encirclement' of Taiwan

Iran Press TV

Saturday, 08 April 2023 7:23 AM

China has launched a three-day military exercise around Taiwan in what it described as a "stern warning" to the self-ruled island after President Tsai Ing-wen paid a visit to the US, holding talks with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

The drills, dubbed as "United Sharp Sword", commenced on Saturday and will continue until Monday, said the People's Liberation Army's (PLA) Eastern Theater Command in a statement.

The military drills are rehearsing an "encirclement" of Taiwan, state media reported.

"The task force will simultaneously organize patrols and advances around Taiwan island, shaping an all-round encirclement and deterrence posture," state broadcaster CCTV said.

The maneuvers will be carried out in "the maritime areas and air space of the Taiwan Strait, off the northern and southern coasts of the island, and to the island's east", PLA spokesman Shi Yin further declared as quoted in a report by China's state news agency Xinhua.

"These operations serve as a stern warning against the collusion between separatist forces seeking 'Taiwan independence' and external forces and against their provocative activities," Shi emphasized.

The military drills will also include live-fire drills on Monday off the coast of China's Fujian province, which faces Taiwan, the local maritime authority further pointed out in a statement.

The new exercises came on the heels of the provocative meeting held in Los Angeles between Tsai and McCarthy, enraging China, which regards self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory and has vowed to eventually take it over, by force if necessary.

Taipei's defense ministry on Saturday said the drills threatened regional stability.

Tsai returned to Taiwan on Friday after visiting her island's diminishing band of official diplomatic allies in Latin America, with two US stopovers that included meetings with McCarthy and other lawmakers.

Taiwan's defense ministry said eight Chinese warships and 42 fighter jets were detected around the island on Saturday.

Hours before her meeting with McCarthy on Wednesday, China sent its Shandong aircraft carrier through Taiwan's southeastern waters on its way to the western Pacific.

Last August, China deployed warships, missiles, and fighter jets around Taiwan in its largest show of force in years, following a trip to the island by McCarthy's predecessor, Nancy Pelosi.

The drills also follow the departure from Beijing of French President Emmanuel Macron and EU chief Ursula von der Leyen.

US legislator vows military training for Taiwan forces

A senior American lawmaker vowed on Saturday to help provide training for Taiwan's armed forces and to speed up delivery of weapons to the island.

Speaking at a lunch in Taipei hosted by Tsai for his bipartisan delegation, Chairman of the US House Foreign Affairs Committee Michael McCaul underlined that the visit was intended to demonstrate strong support of Taipei.

"As the House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman, I sign off on all foreign military sales, including weapons to Taiwan, and I promise you, Madam President, we will deliver those weapons," the Republican lawmaker emphasized.

"We are doing everything we can in Congress to speed up these sales and get the weapons that you need to defend yourselves," he added.

Taiwan has complained of delays to deliveries of American weapons since last year, as US arms makers turn supplies to Ukraine to support its war effort against Russia.

While a military pact between Taipei and Washington ended in 1979 when the US severed formal diplomatic ties in favor of Beijing, a close military relationship between them endures as the US remains Taiwan's main foreign source of arms.

China describes Taiwan as the most sensitive and important issue in its relations with the US, and the topic remains a constant source of friction between Beijing and Washington.

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China launches war games around Taiwan

Taiwan detects scores of Chinese warplanes, ships around it after Tsai Ing-wen returned from U.S., Central America.

By RFA staff 2023.04.08 -- Seventy-one Chinese warplanes and nine ships were detected around Taiwan on Saturday, officials said, as Beijing launched three days of war games and patrols near the island after the Taiwanese president met with the U.S. house speaker in California.

As of 4 p.m. (local time), 45 of the Chinese air force planes, which included J-10,J-11, J-16, and J-20 fighter-jets as well as H-6K bombers, had crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait - the de facto boundary between Taiwan and mainland China - Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense said.

It marked the largest incursion into Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ) this year. An ADIZ is an area where foreign aircraft are tracked and identified before flying farther into a country's airspace.

China carried out the maneuvers three days after Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen met with U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy near Los Angeles - the first meeting of its kind on American soil, despite angry warnings from Beijing.

The ministry "condemned such irrational actions and will defend Taiwan's security with solid combat readiness," it said.

Also on Saturday morning, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theater Command announced in a statement that "United Sword" drills would take place from April 8 to April 10 "as planned."

The Command's spokesman, Col. Shi Yi, said the exercise would be held in the Taiwan Strait and in the sea and airspace to the north, east and south of Taiwan.

Last August, the Eastern Theater Command held a week-long military exercise around Taiwan right after then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the island.

China considers Taiwan a Chinese province and has repeatedly protested against support extended by "external forces" to the island.

In addition, the Chinese military will conduct live-fire drills for five days in April in waters off Fuzhou, the capital of southeastern Fujian province near Taiwan, according to the provincial coast guard, which issued a navigational warning for the area.

Another live-fire exercise will be held on April 10 at Pingtan island in the Taiwan Strait.

Taiwan's defense ministry said it was monitoring the situation and would respond accordingly "to defend our country."

In recent years, China has "continued to send aircraft and ships to harass the region," the ministry said in a statement.

"It even used President Tsai's visit to the United States as an excuse to conduct military exercises, which has seriously damaged regional peace, stability and security."

Taiwan's military would respond calmly and rationally in order not to escalate tensions, it said.

On Thursday, after the Tsai-McCarthy meeting in California, Beijing promised to take "strong and resolute measures" as it condemned the U.S. for "crossing the line and acting provocatively" against China.

"This [the meeting] is essentially the United States acting with Taiwan to connive at 'Taiwan independence' separatists' political activities in the United States," the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement. "It seriously infringes upon China's sovereignty and territorial integrity."

President Tsai is now back in Taipei. Upon her arrival on Friday, she said her trip proved that "when facing pressure and coercion, Taiwan will only become more unified."

"We will never give in to attempts to hold us down, nor will we shy away from obstacles or cease engaging with the world," Tsai said during remarks at Taoyuan International Airport.

Edited by Imran Vittachi. This report has been updated to revise the number of Chinese military planes and ships detected near Taiwan.

Copyright 1998-2023, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content April not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use.

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Experts from the Finger Lakes Institute at Hobart and William Smith Colleges have been studying Owasco Lake since 2005, and Cayuga County lawmakers need to ensure that the people who live here  and drink the water  will continue to benefit from the knowledge that research provides.

At this point, an agreement between the institute and the county is set to dissolve after legislators voted down an extension of the water monitoring program into 2024. The move makes little sense, and we hope that the decision gets reversed.

The institute conducts water sampling and testing, maintains extensive records and develops conclusions based on its findings. The data also comes with an ability to compare how Owasco Lake is fairing with other Finger Lakes in the region.

That work is far from the only study into the health of the lake, but watershed monitoring provides a critical source of information to help steer state and local policy development aimed at improving water quality. Continuing that work is especially important during the summer months when harmful algal blooms have reached record levels of toxicity and the disinfecting process for drinking water has started causing elevated levels of potentially harmful byproducts.

To eliminate such a program at this juncture would be grossly irresponsible, especially considering that the county chips in about $22,000 year for the research, 0.01% of the county's $170 million budget.

The vote that, at least for now, cancelled the county's participation in the program was also a reminder of why voters last fall authorized Legislature redistricting that will eliminate weighted votes.

Last month's decision came about despite the fact that the resolution had the support of a majority of legislators present but was defeated based on the weighted voting, with final tally of 387 against and 362 in favor of the resolution.

Another problem was that Legislator Aileen McNabb-Coleman, who later said she would have voted in favor, had been attending the meeting virtually but lost her computer connection to the Legislature just prior to the vote.

The responsible thing to do now is for the Legislature to bring the lake monitoring program up for another vote as soon as possible.

The Citizen Editorial board includes executive editor Jeremy Boyer and managing editor Mike Dowd
China Announces Military Drills Near Taiwan After McCarthy-Tsai Meeting

Sputnik News

20230408

Ian DeMartino

The drills come after Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen met with US politicians during a tour of Central America.

The Chinese military said Saturday morning that it will hold three days of military exercises in the Taiwan Strait and around Taiwan.

The announcement comes after Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen met with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and 17 other American politicians. While the announcement did not mention Tsai or the meeting, it came just hours after her 10-day tour, which included Central America and stops in New York and Los Angeles, California.

The People's Liberation Army said it will perform exercises "as planned" in the area and will run additional exercises codenamed "Joint Sharp Sword." The statement says the exercises will run until Monday.

In addition, military exercises are planned off the coast of Fuzhou, Fujian to the northwest of Taiwan, those exercises will continue in the coming weeks, scheduled for April 11, 13, 15, 17 and 20.

This is the second time in less than a year that a US House speaker met with Tsai, causing increasing tensions between the United States, Taiwan and China. In August, Tsai met with McCarthy's predecessor Nancy Pelosi when she traveled to Taipei. China condemned that meeting and held similar military drills around the island.

These exercises are further away from Taiwan's coastline than the previous ones held by China, and the PLA regularly practices live-fire drills off the coast of Fujian.

The United States attempted to present Tsai's visit as a simple layover on her way to Central America, but that assertion came into doubt when Tsai, McCarthy and other US politicians held a public, televised press conference at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. During the conference, McCarthy said the bond between Taiwan and the United States "is stronger now than at any time or point in my life."

The plane Regan used for Air Force One loomed in the background while the two spoke to the press.

Before the drills were announced, both China and the United States sent warships to the area after the Tsai's meeting. The United States and China relations have also deteriorated due to disputes over sea lanes in the South China Sea and alleged surveillance by both sides.

Meanwhile, Tsai's predecessor, Ma Ying-jeou, just returned from a trip to mainland China, where he promoted the one-China framework and criticized the Tsai administration for putting the island's future in jeopardy.

During Ma's administration, relations between China and Taiwan improved, with trade and flights between the two entities increasing during his time in office. Ma was the first former or current Taiwanese president to visit China since the Republic of China government fled to the island after being defeated by the Communist Party in 1949, though Ma did meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Singapore in 2015.

Officially, the United States does not recognize the Republic of China and supports the "One-China" policy; however, the US insists that unification should come through peaceful means. Despite no formal relations with Taipei, Washington has been providing the island with military assistance to fend off any potential invasion by Beijing.

During his visit to China, Ma said it was the responsibility of all Chinese people to encourage peace between the two governments.

"We sincerely hope that the two sides will work together to pursue peace, avoid war, and strive to revitalize China," Ma said while using a Chinese term that refers to ethnicity rather than nationality. "This is an unavoidable responsibility of Chinese people on both sides of the Strait, and we must work hard."

China earlier issued sanctions on the Hudson Institute and the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in response to Tsai's meeting with McCarthy. The sanctions ban senior executives from entering or doing business in China.

A Sputnik

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UPDATE: PLA deploys aircraft carrier, rockets, vessels, fighter jets, missiles in drills around Taiwan island

Global Times

By Liu Xuanzun and Guo Yuandan Published: Apr 08, 2023 03:46 PM Updated: Apr 09, 2023 12:04 AM

Kicking off the encirclement combat alert patrols and "Joint Sword" exercises around the island of Taiwan, the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theater Command on Saturday pressured the island from all four directions by deploying an aircraft carrier, long-range rockets, vessels, fighter jets and conventional missiles.

Upon receiving orders, multiple military services and branches attached to the PLA Eastern Theater Command were quickly mobilized toward target regions and spread out in combat formations, China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Saturday.

The first day of the exercise focused on testing the task force capabilities in seizing the control of the sea, air and information under the support of the joint combat system, as the forces simultaneously pushed forward to encircle the island, creating a suppressive situation in which the island is surrounded from all directions, CCTV reported.

According to a video viewed by the Global Times on Saturday morning, the Army deployed PHL-191 modularized multiple rocket launcher systems, the Navy sent a Type 052C destroyer, Type 22 missile boats and YJ-12B land-based anti-ship missiles, the Air Force sortied J-10C fighter jets, a KJ-500 early warning aircraft and a YU-20 tanker aircraft, and the Rocket Force mobilized DF-11 conventional ballistic missiles in the drills.

Other types of weaponry and equipment, including electronic warfare aircraft and bombers, are also expected to be part of the exercise.

A second video released on Saturday evening showed more details of the drills, including the participation of dozens of J-16 and J-10C fighter jets, the Y-8 anti-submarine aircraft, the H-6K bomber, the Type 054A frigate and the DF-15 conventional ballistic missile.

During the drills, multiple PLA Navy destroyers and frigates quickly approached the island of Taiwan, took advantageous positions and practiced close-in assault, far-range deterrence and air defense, CCTV reported.

Guided and supported by early warning aircraft, electronic warfare aircraft and aerial tankers, Air Force fighter jets, carrying live munitions, conducted medium- and long-range air combat drills, CCTV reported. They used mixed and flexible formations together with tactics including jamming and positioned blocking to quickly search and eliminate opponents, seizing and control air superiority in the target regions.

In order to completely seize the advantage at the sea and in the air, warships and anti-submarine aircraft formed a network and held a successful joint anti-submarine exercise in waters near the island of Taiwan, according to the report.

Multiple artillery brigades of the Army and conventional missile brigades of the Rocket Force coordinated with the naval and air assault forces and carried out simulated attacks on targets in a move to test their rapid-response firepower and long-range precision strike capabilities, CCTV reported.

Zhao Xiaozhuo, a research fellow at China's Academy of Military Sciences, told the Global Times that the exercise is a large-scale, all-element drill featuring all military services and branches under a joint combat system.

The exercise is highly combat-oriented, with all weapons being live and radars turned on, Zhao said.

A clear goal of the drill is to seize control of information, including conducting electronic suppressions on the radar and anti-missile bases on the island of Taiwan, Zhao said.

The first detailed reports on the exercise came out in within only four hours after Senior Colonel Shi Yi, a spokesperson at PLA Eastern Theater Command, announced combat alert patrols and "Joint Sword" exercises in the Taiwan Straits, as well as the sea and air regions to the north, south, and east of the island of Taiwan from Saturday to Monday.

It showed the speed of the PLA's fast deployment as well as streamlined coordination between its different military services and branches, Song Zhongping, a Chinese mainland military expert and TV commentator, told the Global Times on Saturday.

The weaponry and equipment involved in the drills, particularly those capable of delivering long-range strikes, can neutralize opposing forces on the island before they start engaging in combat, as well as deny access of external military reinforcements, Song said.

Zhao confirmed that the Shandong aircraft carrier group, now operating in the West Pacific waters southeast of the island of Taiwan according to the "defense authority" on the island of Taiwan and Japan's Ministry of Defense Joint Staff, is also a part of the exercise.

The drills, coming only one day after Taiwan regional leader Tsai Ing-wen returned to the island of Taiwan on Friday following her meeting with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California on Wednesday local time, are being viewed by experts as a stern warning to "Taiwan independence" secessionist forces and their collusion with external forces, and a necessary move to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

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US ready to go to war with China over Taiwan: Congressman Michael McCaul

Iran Press TV

Sunday, 09 April 2023 1:03 AM

The US Congress would authorize a direct military confrontation with China if Beijing launched an attack on the self-ruled island of Taiwan, said the Republican chairman of the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee.

Insisting during a televised interview on Friday that US lawmakers would consent to put boots on the ground if American people support the measure, the senior congressman from Texas, Michael McCaul, claimed: "If communist China invaded Taiwan, it would certainly be on the table and something that would be discussed by Congress and with the American people."

"If the American people support this, the Congress will follow," McCaul reiterated while speaking to right-wing Fox News from Taipei -- where he is leading a bipartisan delegation to the territory claimed by China.

The Hawkish legislator, however, failed to explain how his murky claim of popular support for a military conflict with China would be derived.

McCaul then went on to insist that a "conflict is always a last resort," describing the US delegation's visit to Taipei as a means to "provide deterrence to China."

Beijing, however, regards the persisting political visits by US officials to Taiwan - which China regards as an inalienable part of its sovereign territory - as highly provocative and the key contributor to deteriorating tensions with Washington.

On Saturday, the Chinese military announced the launch of three days of exercises in the Taiwan Strait. The drills -- held at the same time as McCaul's visit to Taipei and just a day after the Taiwanese president returned from the US -- was designed as a warning to Taiwan and "external forces," the Chinese military said.

The American lawmaker further reiterated during the interview that discussions about a potential US use of force in the Indo-Pacific region would serve as a "deterrent for peace" since "you don't have NATO in the Pacific."

He then obnoxiously claimed that doing otherwise would mean inviting "aggression and war."

Later on Saturday, McCaul also vowed during a luncheon hosted by Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen in Taipei for the American congressional delegation that US lawmakers will help provide training for Taiwan's armed forces and to speed up delivery of weapons to the island.

Speeding up weapons deliveries to Taiwan

"As the House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman, I sign off on all foreign military sales, including weapons to Taiwan, and I promise you, Madam President, we will deliver those weapons," the Republican lawmaker emphasized.

"We are doing everything we can in Congress to speed up these sales and get the weapons that you need to defend yourselves," he added.

Taiwan has complained of delays to deliveries of American weapons since last year, as US arms makers turn supplies to Ukraine to support its war effort against Russia.

Beijing, meanwhile, has repeatedly opposed Taiwan's contacts with the US, with the Chinese Foreign Ministry warning again on Wednesday that the Taiwan issue is "the first red line that must not be crossed in China-US relations."

While a military pact between Taipei and Washington ended in 1979 when the US severed formal diplomatic ties in favor of Beijing, a close military relationship between them endures as the US remains Taiwan's main foreign source of arms.

China describes Taiwan as the most sensitive and important issue in its relations with the US, and the topic remains a constant source of friction between Beijing and Washington.

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Turkiye Embarks on Easing Legislation for Russia-Proposed Gas Hub Project

Sputnik News

20230408

ANKARA (Sputnik) - Turkiye has initiated the process of introducing legislative amendments for the gas hub project proposed by Russia, Turkish Energy Minister Fatih Donmez said on Saturday, adding that the changes are expected to be approved by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

"We have an opportunity to become an important center of [gas] trade to Eastern European countries. We have taken steps to this end. When our president approves changes to the bill passed by the parliament, new legal measures will be established. The old law regulated the domestic market. It was more restrictive. With the new law, we have ensured greater freedom," Donmez said.

The minister estimated that his country has the capacity to import up to 100 billion cubic meters of natural gas, 60% of which will be consumed domestically and 40% can be sold to neighboring countries.

Donmez then stated that Russia covers around one third of Turkiye's demand for natural gas.

"We receive one third, about 30 percent, of the gas we need from Russia. We also receive gas from Azerbaijan and Iran," he said.

On Thursday, Turkish media reported that the country's parliament had approved changing the structure of state-owned oil and gas company Botas with a view to enabling the creation of a Russia-proposed gas hub project. In early March, Donmez said that the gas hub project would need the parliament's approval as it entails legislative changes.

A Sputnik

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TArkiye agrees with Russia to remove obstacles to Russian fertilizer, grain exports

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 10:04, April 08, 2023

ANKARA, April 8 (Xinhua) -- TArkiye agrees with Russia to solve the problems concerning Russian fertilizer and grain exports so that the Black Sea grain deal could be extended, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Friday.

"We attach importance to the continuation of the agreement ... not only for Russia and Ukraine's grain and fertilizer exports but also for stopping the world crisis," Cavusoglu said at a joint press conference with his visiting Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in the capital Ankara, referring to the grain deal named the Black Sea Grain Initiative signed last year.

"We agree that the barriers to Russian grain and exports should be removed," Cavusoglu said.

He said it is also important to implement the parallel memorandum of understanding between Russia and the United Nations signed in July 2022 on the issue of transporting Russian food products and fertilizers, including ammonia, to the world markets.

For his part, Lavrov said while the West has not placed sanctions on Russian grain and fertilizer exports, they were affected by an insurance problem that has hindered Russian vessels from docking in certain ports, and by a lack of access to the SWIFT system -- a messaging network through which international payments are initiated.

He warned that Moscow could abandon the grain deal if obstacles to Russian shipments remained. "If there is no further progress in removing barriers to the export of Russian fertilizers and grain, we will think about whether this deal is necessary."

"If they do not want to approach this matter honestly, they can transport the relevant products from Ukraine by highways and streams," he said.

Lavrov added that if necessary, Russia will work on grain exports through TArkiye and Qatar outside the grain deal.

On July 22, 2022, Russia and Ukraine separately signed a document in Istanbul with TArkiye and the United Nations on grain and fertilizer exports from Ukraine and Russia to ensure supplies to global markets amid the Ukraine crisis.

The deal, initially in effect for 120 days, was extended in mid-November 2022 for a further 120 days to March 18. After that, the deal was extended again, with Russia agreeing to only extend it for 60 days.

On the Ukraine crisis, Lavrov said at the joint press conference that Russia does not refuse peace negotiations with Ukraine, but the talks must focus on creating a "new world order," one "based on UN conditions" rather than "a unipolar world order led by one hegemon."

"Any negotiation needs to be based on taking into account Russian interests, Russian concerns. It should be about the principles on which the new world order will be based," he said.

The two foreign ministers also briefed the media on an upcoming fuel loading ceremony at the Russian-built Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant in TArkiye, as well as on efforts to restore the broken relations between Ankara and Damascus.

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Ukraine-fired missile shot down over Crimea: local Gov.

Iran Press TV

Saturday, 08 April 2023 11:24 AM

A missile fired from Ukraine has reportedly been shot down over the Black Sea town of Feodosia in the Russia-controlled Crimea, local officials have unveiled.

"A missile fired from the direction of Ukraine has been shot down over Feodosia," said the head of the Republic of Crimea Sergei Aksyonov in a post on his Telegram social media account on Saturday.

Russia's TASS news agency further quoted an adviser to Aksyonov, Oleg Kryuchkov, as saying that debris resulting from the strike had fallen in a Crimean town, but no damage or casualties had so far been reported.

The Western-backed government in Kiev as well as the US and the NATO military alliance have not yet reacted to the missile shutdown.

The development came as Kiev forces have been flushed out of the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, which has been the scene of one of the most protracted battles in the Russia-Ukraine war.

It also came amid reports that secret documents, detailing plans by the US and the NATO military alliance to assist Ukraine in launching a spring offensive against Russia, were leaked and released on social media platforms, prompting a Pentagon probe.

The documents marked "top secret" - reportedly containing charts and details on weapons deliveries, battalion strengths, and other sensitive material - were leaked on Twitter and Telegram, the New York Times reported on Thursday, citing Defense Department officials.

According to the US-based daily, one of the documents summarized the training schedules of 12 Ukraine combat brigades and added that nine of them were being trained by US and NATO forces, further pointing out that 250 tanks and more than 350 mechanized vehicles were needed for the effort.

The report stated that information in the documents also details expenditure rates for munitions under Ukraine military control, including for the HIMARS rocket systems, the US-made artillery weapon widely publicized in Western media reports as being highly effective against Russian forces.

The development came amid persisting US-led efforts to send more weapons to Ukraine to further escalate the military campaign against Russia.

Washington announced a new package of military assistance worth $2.6 billion for Ukraine on Tuesday, which includes a wide variety of ammunition from Pentagon stocks, 23 million rounds of small arms ammunition and 200,000 grenades, as well as funding for more high-tech weapons.

The US has so far pledged more than $35.2 billion worth of military aid to Ukraine since February 2021, when Russia launched a "special military operation" in the former Soviet republic, insisting that it was aimed at defending the pro-Russian population in the eastern Ukrainian regions of Luhansk and Donetsk.

Russian officials have repeatedly warned Western countries against supplying weapons to Ukraine, saying it risks prolonging the already protracted war.

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Russian Attacks In Eastern Ukraine Continue With Fate Of Bakhmut Unclear

By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service April 08, 2023

Russian invading forces continued to launch dozens of military strikes in eastern regions of Ukraine, with Kyiv's military reporting its forces had repelled 60 attacks over the past day.

In a statement issued early on April 8, the Ukrainian General Staff said Russia's military continued to target the country's industrial east, focusing on the cities and towns of Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiyivka, and Maryinka in the Donetsk region.

"During the past 24 hours, the enemy launched two missile and 35 air strikes, carried out more than 40 attacks from rocket-launch systems," the military said.

The Ukrainian military also said Russian occupation forces in the regions of Zaporizhzhya and Kherson are making preparations for what Kyiv described as the evacuation of civilians to Russia-occupied Crimea.

In the eastern Crimean town of Feodosia explosions were reported on April 8. A Russia-installed leader on the peninsula said it was a Ukrainian missile and that it had been shot down by Russian forces.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, facing an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court, has ordered his military to gain complete control of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhya, and Kherson, areas he claims Russia has illegally annexed. Ukraine has indicated that it will soon launch a counteroffensive to take back more territory.

The fresh attacks come amid reports that Russian invading forces have advanced in Bakhmut. On April 7, British military officials said in their latest daily report that Russian forces have likely moved into the center of the city and captured the western banks of the Bakhmutka River.

Russia's eight-month campaign to take control of Bakhmut coupled with Ukraine's defense of the city have led to the longest and potentially bloodiest battle of the invasion, which Putin launched on February 24, 2022.

Meanwhile, the British Defense Ministry said Russia's attempt to "severely degrade" Ukraine's energy infrastructure "has highly likely failed."

"Russia has conducted long range strikes since October 2022, but large-scale attacks have become rare since early March 2023," the ministry said in its latest daily intelligence update on April 8.

"Ukraine's network operating companies continue to source replacement transformers and other critical components," the British Defense Ministry said adding, "Ukraine's energy situation will likely improve with the arrival of warmer weather."

At a mosque on the outskirts of Kyiv on April 7, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy met Ukrainian Muslim soldiers to celebrate Iftar, the evening meal marking the end of the Ramadan fast.

Zelenskiy repeated his vow to win back control of Crimea, a historic homeland of the Crimean Tatars, a Muslim ethnic minority.

He noted that Russia began its campaign against Ukraine with the 2014 annexation of Crimea and vowed: "Where the path of evil began, victory awaits us there, I am sure. Victory over this evil. The liberation of Crimea has no alternative."

In his late video address on April 8, Zelenskiy said that Poland will provide 200 Rosomak infantry fighting vehicles to Ukraine, with about 100 of them set to arrive in the immediate future.

Zelenskiy added that Kyiv also expects Warsaw to provide Ukrainian forces with MiG-29 fighter jets, along with additional weapons and missiles, in the near future.

During his April 5 visit to Warsaw, Zelenskiy hailed Poland's role in persuading Western countries to provide battle tanks to Ukraine and suggested that a similar "planes coalition" could be formed.

With reporting by AP

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russian-attacks- bakhmut/32354905.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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Kramatorsk Marks Anniversary Of Deadly Russian Missile Attack On Train Station

By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service April 08, 2023

Residents and officials gathered in the Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk on April 8 to commemorate the dozens of lives lost one year ago when a Russian missile hit the central rail station where thousands of people had gathered to board trains to evacuate the area.

"The horror that swept over the Kramatorsk railway station that day claimed the lives of 61 people, and more than a hundred were injured," the city council said in a statement.

"They fled the war, sought salvation in lands far from home, but a Russian missile cut short their lives, crippled the fate of entire families."

"Last year's events are indisputable evidence of Russia's criminal acts on the territory of Ukraine. The missile strike on the Kramatorsk railway station is one of the bloodiest pages of the criminal case, which, we are sure, will be considered in the court of The Hague. The perpetrators must be punished," it added.

Russia denies that it targets civilian sites despite widespread evidence of such acts since the start of Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

In February 2023, Human Rights Watch, in a joint investigation with the SITU research group, said strong evidence suggested that the missile strike on the Kramatorsk train station in eastern Ukraine was a "clear war crime" by Russia.

The report said the ballistic missile that targeted the train station was loaded with banned cluster munitions that dispersed dozens of small bombs.

"The evidence strongly indicates that the missile that killed and wounded civilians at the Kramatorsk train station was launched from Russian-controlled territory in eastern Ukraine. The attack was a violation of the laws of war and a clear war crime," the report said.

On the first anniversary, a moment of silence was declared at the rail station as residents placed flowers at a small memorial at the site.

Kramatorsk, which had a prewar population of about 157,000, is the administrative center of the Kramatorsk region in the Donetsk Oblast in eastern Ukraine.

On March 31, Ukraine also marked one year since Russian forces withdrew from Bucha, leaving behind hundreds of bodies of murdered civilians on the streets of the commuter town near the capital in what Kyiv said was a massacre and a Russian war crime.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy presided over an official outdoor ceremony in Bucha that was also attended by Moldovan President Maia Sandu and the prime ministers of EU and NATO members Croatia, Slovakia, and Slovenia.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukrainians-kramatorsk- memorial-anniversary/32355193.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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Charity Says 31 Ukrainian Children Return Home After Being Illegally Taken To Russia

By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service April 08, 2023

The Save Ukraine charity said that 31 children illegally taken to Russia following the Kremlin's invasion of Ukraine have been returned to their homeland.

"Children kidnapped by the Russians from the Kherson and Kharkiv regions have finally crossed the border with their relatives and now are safe. After a long separation of several months, they will meet their families," the organization said.

The group, which according to its website provides "evacuation, humanitarian aid, and housing to families and children in war zones," posted a video of what it said showed the children returning to Ukraine.

"Ahead, the children and parents will face psychological and physical recovery. And we will continue to care for them until the families are home," it said.

Mykola Kuleba, the head of the Save Ukraine charity, wrote on Twitter that "the path of Ukrainian children from the territory of the Russian Federation is always difficult. Unforeseen circumstances can arise at any moment on the way, which complicate the rescue. But we don't give up halfway, because we do it for the sake of our children."

The International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague last month issued arrest warrants against Russian President Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, Moscow's commissioner for children's rights, on war crimes charges related to the illegal deportation of Ukrainian children, along with the unlawful transfer of people to Russia from Ukraine since it invaded in February last year.

The Kremlin's alleged deportation of thousands of children from Ukraine to Russia or areas occupied by Russian forces was a major topic at the recent UN Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva.

Moscow has said the transfer of Ukrainian children to Russia was a humanitarian campaign to protect orphans and children abandoned in the war zone.

But the Council was skeptical on April 4 when it demanded that Russia provide access to and information about Ukrainian children and other civilians forcibly transferred to territory under its control.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukrainian-children- returned-illegal-deportations-russia/32355290.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 Air Defense Shoots Down Ukrainian Missile Over Crimea

Sputnik News

20230408

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - A missile launched from Ukraine has been shot down by Russian air defense systems over the city of Feodosia on the Crimean peninsula, Head of the Republic of Crimea Sergey Aksyonov said on Saturday.

Earlier in the day, Aksyonov's adviser, Oleg Kryuchkov, said that air defense systems had engaged in the Feodosia region.

"A missile fired from the direction of Ukraine has been shot down over Feodosia," Aksyonov said on Telegram.

Kryuchkov, in turn, noted that debris of the missile had fallen near one of the settlements of Crimea. There are no casualties or destruction reported yet, he added.

A Sputnik

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Sometime in the 1980s, a large group of migrants from El Salvador fled their warring country to seek asylum in the United States. On this month-long journey, they weathered tropical storms and the rocky slopes of the Sierra Madres, but on the final leg of their trek, they faced the Sonoran Desert: an arid and scorching hot no-mans land that wraps around central Sonora and southern Arizona through the tip of the Baja Peninsula.

Under cover of night, the group began their crossing in Sonoyta with the help of two hired smugglers, but plagued by the relentless heat, the howls of lone coyotes and the bite of chollo cacti, the group slowly began to fracture and succumb to the elements. They drank perfume and urine when they ran out of water, and after four long, wandering days, the smugglers left, sacrificing those who remained to the vast expanse of the desert.

Dora Rodriguez, who was only one of 13 survivors and is now the co-founder of Salvavision, a non-profit group dedicated to aiding asylum seekers, migrants and returnees at and near the border, lived with the trauma and shame of her story for nearly forty years before speaking out in 2016 after seeing the dialogue surrounding immigration take a turn for the worse.

She said, I told myself, Well, you have a story, and it's better that, hopefully, I speak out and someone will change their attitude, their mind, on, you know, who we are [than to not speak out at all].

Rodriguezs story has inspired many to dedicate their lives to the humanitarian crisis on the border, and now, it serves as the foundation of a brand new documentary called Borderlands, which will be screened at the Flagstaff Mountain Film Festival on April 16 between 7 and 9 p.m.

For Mackenzie Baradic, the films young director and recent NAU graduate, Borderlands began as a vague interest in telling a story about immigration, but after reading The Devils Highway by Luis Alberto Urrea, she became incensed by what was happening in her own backyard.

I actually read the book when I was in Rocky Point, Mexico, and oh my god, I felt so horrible, Baradic said. There are complete atrocities happening in the desert literally an hour from my high school. 13 people died an hour away from where I live in the most horrendous way possible. so yeah, I felt guilty.

Through this newfound lensacquired, no less, at a resort located just one hour south of SonoytaBaradic threw herself into research, reading books, watching documentaries and talking to border experts like Robert Neustadt, a professor in Latin American studies at NAU, and James Holeman, founder of Battalion Search and Rescue, an organization dedicated, in the best case, to aiding migrants in duress and, in the worst case, to finding remains and providing closure to loved ones.

Holeman, who eventually connected the team at NAU to Rodriguez, took Baradic out on a couple search missions where they uncovered the skeletal remains of multiple migrants lost to the Sonoran Desert. Images of the remains are featured in Borderlands and are a sobering reminder of the human toll that the desert takes, but to Holeman and other experts, the environment is not liable for the deaths of these migrants.

We have these policies like prevention through deterrence that are pushing the most vulnerable people, our neighbors, Americans, North Americans, you know, to their deaths, hunted like dogs; hunted and tracked like dogs And the desert, the beautiful Sonoran Desert, has become weaponized in this process, Holeman said.

Prevention through deterrence is a border policy that was enacted in 1994 during the Clinton administration. By concentrating Border Patrol resources in the most heavily trafficked points along the border (San Diego, Nogales, El Paso and Brownsville to name a few,) migrants would be forced to traverse the most remote and unforgiving areas in order to avoid law enforcement. Policymakers believed that undocumented immigration would slow down to a trickle once migrants realized how unpleasant and dangerous the journey actually was. They were wrong, but the success of prevention through deterrence was never supposed to be judged solely on the amount of attempted crossings. Deaths were also used as a metric to determine success according to a follow-up report from the United States General Accounting Office.

Before prevention through deterrence, Professor Neustadt said in a conversation over the phone, the number of migrants that would die while crossing the border were usually in the single digits per year, as opposed toin the hundreds [now], and the Border Patrol and often the media will blamedeath on the environment. They'll say the desert killed them; that they shouldn't have been out there; that this terrain is too hostile However, you know, the reason that they're out there [in the first place] is because of prevention through deterrence.

The shadow of this policy lingers throughout Borderlands, and it would have been easy for the film to devolve into a callous and overly-didactic dissertation on the policy's failures. But the honest and artful way that they decided to tell Rodriguezs story holds the film together and communicates their message with poise and empathy.

There is one scene in particular that stands out. About halfway through the film, Rodriguez is telling a particularly traumatic part of her storyone that is, in many ways, is impossible to reenactand Baradic and her team were faced with a unique challenge.

She said, The question became, how do we show Doras story? What do we even put on screen because it is just so horrificand all I could really think about was how, when I would get really upset as a kid, my mom would make me do, like, free movement, free dance. I would have to, like, move the emotions out of my body I sort of just thought, Oh my god. Thats the answer.

Lit by dark red lights and framed by two eclipsed saguaro cacti, a young woman dances to Rodriguezs words. Her words are a vessel for pain and alone, they communicate a horrific yet necessary message about her experience as a migrant, but paired with the films dance, they carve out a path towards healing. The physicality of the dance cuts past the words and penetrates her complex and conflicting emotions without distorting the reality. Its visually jarring in the best way and allows the most horrifying parts of Rodriguezs story to be told with dignity and grace.

Professor Neustadt, an artist and playwright in his own right, says that art is a necessary arrow in our quiver of advocacy.

Once you realize what's going on and you feel a little bit of it, then I think a lot of people feel like they've got to do whatever they can to try to raise awareness and figure out a way to add a grain of sand to stop this situation, he said.

Rodriguez herself has seen the impacts that art can have on a persons life through her experiences with asylum-seekers and returnees over the years. Through Salvavisions artisan program, they are able to empower their borderland community in Sasabe, Sonora economically by selling community members art online and mentally by offering a creative outlet and a space where they can connect and build new relationships.

You know, the more I get into this, she said, the more I learn that art is healinghow it opens your mind and helps your soul.

Through Rodriguezs story, Borderlands offers viewers the opportunity to confront the state-sanctioned atrocities happening in the Sonoran Desert in a way that is artistically engaging and politically motivating, but if you would like to learn more about Rodriguezs inspiring non-profit work or about the making of Borderlands, Rodriguez, Baradic, Neustadt and Holeman will be participating in a panel discussion at Liminal Cafe and Community Center on April 16 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Learn more and get your tickets at flagstaffmountainfilms.org.
Blinken Rules Out Talks Between Russia and Ukraine

Sputnik News

20230408

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that negotiations between Russia and Ukraine are currently off the table, arguing that Moscow has to show its readiness for "constructive" talks.

Blinken claimed during his meeting with German press on Friday that Russia had to demonstrate its willingness to engage in "constructive negotiations" with the goal of a "just and lasting peace."

Although the idea of a ceasefire may be "tempting," it will not contribute to a "just and lasting peace" if it means "ratification" of Moscow's control over the territories that joined Russia after the start of the military operation in Ukraine, Blinken said.

Moscow launched its special military operation in Ukraine in February 2022, amid the Kiev regime's ramped-up attacks on the Donbass republics.

Russian and Ukrainian delegations have engaged in several rounds of peace talks since then, but the negotiations ultimately reached an impasse. Russia has insisted that it is open for talks with Ukraine, even after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree prohibiting negotiations with Moscow in October 2022.

In the meantime, the US and their allies have been supplying military equipment to Kiev and training Ukrainian personnel. Moscow has reiterated that the West's aim is to prolong the conflict, and added that any military equipment in Ukraine would be a legitimate target for Russian forces.

A Sputnik

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Russia must be brought to account for crimes against Ukrainian children - Andriy Yermak in a conversation with human rights lawyer Amal Clooney

President of Ukraine

8 April 2023 - 12:14

Head of Presidential Office of Ukraine Andriy Yermak had an online call with the prominent human rights lawyer and Co-Founder of the Clooney Foundation for Justice Amal Clooney. The interlocutors discussed the issue of protecting the rights of Ukrainian children and holding Russia accountable for crimes committed against them.

Amal Clooney specializes in international criminal law and human rights protection, and is an advocate before international courts including the UN International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court. In April 2022, Amal Clooney gave a speech at the UN Security Council calling for justice as shocking evidence of the crimes and atrocities Russian military had committed within weeks of the full-fledged invasion of Ukraine has emerged.

On behalf of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Andriy Yermak thanked Amal Clooney for her position.

"People in Ukraine know about your support and appreciate it a lot. Many people heard your speech and everything you said about the war and Ukrainians. This is extremely important indeed," The Head of the Presidential Office said.

Andriy Yermak cited an official data, according to which at least 20,000 children had been separated from their parents and forcibly removed by the Russian military from the temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories. Then the children were forcibly transferred to Russian families, while their parents did not know their whereabouts and conditions.

Andriy Yermak emphasized the importance of getting all the deported Ukrainian children back to their homeland and punishing the Russian criminals. According to him, Ukraine is already actively working on the matter. He also emphasized the importance of international support on issues related to international law including children's issues and the need "to develop new mechanisms for protecting children's rights, punishing perpetrators and preventing crimes against children in the future".

Amal Clooney, in turn, accentuated that she supports Ukraine and Ukrainians, shares their pain, understands all the horrors of the crimes committed against Ukrainian citizens and their children. The human rights defender noted that she and her colleagues at the Clooney Foundation for Justice remain committed to continuing their work to promote accountability and deliver justice for victims of international crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine.

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Latest in Ukraine: All Ukrainian Children Must Be Returned, Official Says

By VOA News April 08, 2023

A missile fired from Ukrainian-held territory was shot down over the Black Sea town of Feodosia in Russian-controlled Crimea, the Moscow-installed head of Crimea's administration said Saturday.

Russia's campaign to "severely degrade" Ukraine's energy system this winter has probably failed, Britain's Defense Ministry said in a post on Twitter Saturday.

Thirty-one children "kidnapped by the Russians from Kherson and Kharkiv regions" are back in Ukraine after being separated from their parents for several months.

One day after 31 children were returned to Ukraine, the head of Presidential Office of Ukraine, Andriy Yermak, emphasized in a phone call with Amal Clooney, a prominent human rights lawyer, the importance of returning all the deported children to Ukraine.

Yermak and Clooney, co-founder of the Clooney Foundation for Justice, discussed protecting the rights of Ukrainian children and holding Russia accountable for crimes committed against them, according to the official website of the president of Ukraine.

Clooney, who specializes in international criminal law and human rights issues, has addressed the United Nations Security Council calling for justice as evidence of the crimes and atrocities allegedly committed by the Russian military began emerging weeks after the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

On behalf of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Yermak thanked Clooney.

"People in Ukraine know about your support and appreciate it a lot. Many people heard your speech and everything you said about the war and Ukrainians. This is extremely important indeed," Yermak said, according to the president's website.

Clooney reiterated her support for Ukraine and Ukrainians, adding that she and her foundation colleagues remain committed to their work to promote accountability and deliver justice for victims of international crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine.

Kyiv says thousands taken

Kyiv estimates nearly 19,500 children have been taken to Russia in what Ukraine condemns as illegal deportations since Moscow invaded in February of last year. Moscow claims the children were transported away for their own safety.

Earlier Saturday, the head of a humanitarian group said 31 children were reunited with their families in Ukraine after what he described as was one of the group's most difficult operations to return children from Russia, where they had been taken during the war.

So far, the Save Ukraine humanitarian organization says it has undertaken five missions to return Ukrainian children to their families. The group has helped with the transportation and planning needed to help parents bring their children back.

Mykola Kuleba, the head of Save Ukraine and Ukraine's former commissioner for children's rights, told reporters no one in Russia was trying to find the children's parents.

Missile downed over Crimea

A missile fired from Ukrainian-held territory was shot down over the Black Sea town of Feodosia in Russian-controlled Crimea, the Moscow-installed head of Crimea's administration said Saturday.

"A missile launched from Ukraine was shot down over Feodosia," Sergei Aksyonov said on Telegram, without providing any detail on the kind of projectile in question.

Feodosia, located in the southeastern part of Crimea, is almost 300 kilometers from the nearest Ukrainian-held area. Kyiv did not comment Saturday, and it is not publicly known to possess missiles with that range. U.S.-supplied HIMARS rockets used by Ukraine have a range of 80 kilometers.

Reuters said it could not immediately verify the reports and that it was unclear how Ukraine could have attempted such a strike.

Kramatorsk memorial

Ukrainians placed flowers at a small memorial Saturday to the 61 people killed a year ago when a Russian missile struck the transportation hub as about 4,000 people gathered there to board evacuation trains. Experts said the Tochka-U missile was armed with cluster munitions. More than 160 people were injured.

"What is there to say? My close friend and her daughter and their dog died. What more can be said?" 67-year-old Tetiana Syshchenko told Agence France-Presse, tearing up.

She said she narrowly avoided being killed in the blast.

Residents arrived a few at a time to approach the small plaque topped with flowers and children's toys at the station.

Russia denied responsibility for the attack.

Classified documents leaked

The U.S. Justice Department said Friday it has begun an investigation into the leak of several classified U.S. military documents that have been posted on social media.

"We have been in communication with the Department of Defense related to this matter and have begun an investigation. We decline further comment," a Justice Department spokesperson said Friday.

A new batch of classified documents that appear to detail U.S. national security secrets from Ukraine to the Middle East to China surfaced on social media sites Friday, The New York Times reported.

Russia or pro-Russian elements are likely behind an earlier leak of several classified U.S. military documents posted on social media that offer a skewed, month-old snapshot of the war in Ukraine, three U.S. officials told Reuters Friday.

Tatiana Vorozhko of VOA's Ukraine Service contributed to this report. Some material in this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.

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NEW YORK, April 08, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 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 newaction@pomlaw.com 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 Nationals 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

rswilloughby@pomlaw.com

888-476-6529 ext. 7980
NEW YORK, April 09, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of ZTO Express (Cayman) Inc. (ZTO or the Company) (NYSE: ZTO). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at newaction@pomlaw.com or 888-476-6529, ext. 7980.

The investigation concerns whether ZTO 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 2, 2023, market analyst Grizzly Research published a report on ZTO Express entitled ZTO Express Inc. (NYSE: ZTO): China's Best-in-Class Logistics Company is Really Best in Show; We Believe Financials are Fake and Insiders are Stealing from the Company. The report alleged that ZTO Express has falsified various financial metrics in its Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) filings, including its margins, by understating revenues and overstating net profit. The report further alleges, among other things, that ZTO Express underreports employees to decrease its costs, that it utilizes sham network partner acquisitions to enrich insiders and engages in undisclosed related party transactions. On this news, ZTO Expresss American Depositary Receipt (ADR) price fell sharply during intraday trading on March 2, 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:
NEW YORK, April 09, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, continues to investigate potential securities claims on behalf of shareholders of Trinseo PLC (NYSE: TSE) resulting from allegations that Trinseo may have issued materially misleading business information to the investing public.

SO WHAT: If you purchased Trinseo securities you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement. The Rosen Law Firm is preparing a class action seeking recovery of investor losses.

WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the prospective class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=13711 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action.

WHAT IS THIS ABOUT: On March 27, 2023, The Inquirer published an article entitled Bristol plant that spilled chemicals into Phillys water supply had other mishaps over the last decade. The article reported a chemical plant in Bristol that authorities said caused a toxic spill, threatening Philadelphias drinking water, has a long history of mishaps  including at least four recent contamination incidents. In addition, the article stated over the past decade, the U.S. Coast Guard twice before detected releases of acrylates [commonly used to produce glass-like acrylics] from the Bristol facility into the Delaware. The EPA had separately flagged two other acrylate releases. The article cites, David Salas-de la Cruz, a Rutgers University associate professor of chemistry, worked at the Bristol plant during its Rohm and Haas days. He said the number of incidents over the past decade was unusual.

On this news, the price of Trinseos stock fell $1.09, or 5.26%, to close at $19.62 per share on March 27, 2023.

WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources, or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually litigate securities class actions. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs Bar. Many of the firms attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.

Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/.

Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

-------------------------------

Contact Information:

Laurence Rosen, Esq.

Phillip Kim, Esq.

The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.

275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor

New York, NY 10016

Tel: (212) 686-1060

Toll Free: (866) 767-3653

Fax: (212) 202-3827

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100 years ago

1923: (Single copy 10 cents) A distressing accident that miraculously escaped proving fatal for two young people of Williams occurred there Sunday night. Miss Harriet Lebsch and V.B. Coffey were driving across the tracks east of the depot in a Ford Roadster when No. 7, the fastest train on the Santa Fe, struck the car, demolishing it and badly injuring both occupants. The couple were returning from Easter services at one of the churches and were on their way to the Harvey house for supper. They were carried more than 100 feet by the locomotive, the car twice that distance.

Miss Lebsch, who is one of the most beautiful and popular young women of Williams, was badly cut about the head and face, bruised in many places about her body and her collar bone. One leg and some ribs were broken. Coffey received two fractures of one arm and also was badly cut and bruised about the head and body. He was taken to the local hospital. Miss Lebsch was removed to the home of her parents.

Dr. M. J. Fronske, as a result of running a sliver under a digit nail while opening a door on the south side of the tracks the other day while making a professional call, has a badly infected hand, which is now getting less painful.

75 years ago

1948: (Price 5 cents) A helicopter will deliver a 5,000-pound quonset type church building to the Supai Indians in their isolated canyon home next week. The Indians dwell on the floor of Havasupai Canyon, an offshoot of the Grand Canyon. On each trip into the Canyon, the helicopter will carry 650-pound sections of the building lashed to its landing gear. The craft will hover just above the ground while the bulky cargo is unloaded. Tricky air currents in the Canyon make the project a ticklish task.

A meeting to sound out public sentiment toward a road improvement district for the Sunnyside Farms subdivision will take place tonight at the Arrowhead Grocery in Sunnyside beginning at 7:30 p.m. The meeting has been called by a group of residents in the area after discussion of possible road improvements with the county board of supervisors Tuesday. At the board meeting, it was pointed out that under a 1945 law, the county cannot officially build or improve roads in areas such as Sunnyside. Residents of the area can, however, form improvement districts, bond property and pay for improved roads over a period of years, it was pointed out.

50 years ago

1973: (Price 10 cents) One of the most important buildings in any community is the public library. It is here that an individual can find information about virtually any subject one desires. The books in the library also provide recreation, allowing the reader to escape from the realities of the moment to explore with great authors events of by-gone days. For a time, library services in Flagstaff were in a state of disarray. The condemnation of the old public library building forced the use of a trailer for quite a few months. But for the past year, the Flagstaff City-Coconino County Public Library has been operating from its new facility at 11 W. Cherry Ave. National Library Week starts Sunday and the local library staff is looking forward to seeing many new faces that week.

A meeting between members of Flagstaffs All-Indian PowWow Committee and County Health Director William J. Thomas is now scheduled to be held Monday. The meeting is to present Thomas with a series of sanitation improvements proposed for the campground area of city park, the traditional site of PowWows Indian encampment, in the hope the director will say they meet health standards he set forth in an earlier report to the city council. Acting on the basis of that report, Council in April voted 4-2 to deny PowWow use of the city park facilities for the 1973 show, which was scheduled to have begun on June 29. Since that time, there has been an effort to raise some $25,000 -- which the committee feels is needed to make the improvements outlined by Thomas and to solve other problems.

25 years ago

1998: (50 cents; Sunday, $1.50) In a dark corner of Flagstaffs Pioneer Museum sits a rare piece of history. Between the shadows is hidden a long, iron cylinder, or iron lung, that sustained the lives of more than 640,000 paralyzed, polio-stricken children across the span of two decades. The iron lung, like many other pieces of history in the Pioneer Museum, will rot soon if the museum doesnt get money to improve preservation conditions.

Were trying to preserve these things from our past that todays generation of kids have never heard of but can still learn about, said Joe Meehan, director of the Northern Arizona Division of the Arizona Historical Society. These are some of the only tangible links to the past we have.

These tangible links, which include costumes, uniforms, dolls, dishes, tools, pictures and a hat worn by one of Teddy Roosevelts Rough Riders, are subject to humidity and other weather elements that have the potential to destroy all the living pieces of history in the museum. However, because of a lack of funding from the state, there is nothing the museum can do to preserve the items or restore history. The auditor generals report states that the Pioneer Museum has not made any significant improvements to try to better care for its items since 1995, when another report was issued detailing the problems with the museum and the potential damage to artifacts. The museum would gladly make all the improvements and repairs, including an unfinished attic where artifacts are currently stored, Meehan said, if the state would grant it the funds it needs.
Hans-Joachim Stuck has nothing but praise for the excellent form Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing are in. The former Formula One driver currently sees an "unbeatable combination" of driver and car.

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The 72-year-old German is full of praise for reigning World Champion Verstappen, who leads the standings after victories in the Bahrain and Australian Grands Prix and a second-place finish in Saudi Arabia. Although it cannot yet be said that defending the title is just a formality for the Dutchman, things are looking particularly rosy, according to Stuck.

'Verstappen and Red Bull together unbeatable'

"You can always drop out, that happens very quickly. But purely in terms of driving he is undoubtedly at the top of the field, he just has that little bit more than everyone else at the moment. Of course, not only is he the best driver, but he also has the best car with Red Bull Racing. The combination is unbeatable at the moment," reads the former F1 driver's verdict at Speedweek.com.

He continued: "Red Bull Racing is doing a damn good job. They are really providing him with an excellent car. And Verstappen can implement it perfectly, makes no mistakes. That's sensational, hats off."

Stuck was at the start of a Formula 1 race 74 times and managed to reach the podium twice. After this, he achieved successes in the DTM class, among others, where he became champion in 1990. The 24 Hours of Le Mans also went well for him: he won the race twice in a row in 1986 and 1987 and was the best in the LMGT1 class in 1996.
Kwahu Easter: Abrantie Amakye Dede rocks Rock City

Maclean Kwofi, Zadok Kwame Gyesi & Haruna Yussif Wunpini Showbiz News Apr - 09 - 2023 , 16:21

It was an atmosphere of excitement, shouting, dancing, singing, cheering and 'partying' at the Rock City Hotel night club on Saturday night through Sunday dawn when patrons of this year's Kwahu Easter celebration were entertained by one of Ghana's celebrated highlife musicians, Abrantie Daniel Amakye Dede.

Patrons including President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo were thrilled to the stellar performances by the Iron Boy hitmaker.

The veteran artiste who was in his element performed many songs from his repertoire such as Iron Boy, Odo Da Baabi, Sika Ne Barima, and Dabi Dabi Ebeye Yie which kept most of the patrons on the dance floor throughout his performance.

The veteran artiste appeared on stage at exactly 12:34 am in an all-white kaftan, black shoe, a hat and a golden necklace.

Backed by his band, the Iron Boy hitmaker performed for over two hours nonstop and also interacted with the elated audiences who were capturing iconic moments on phone while dancing to the soul soothing music.

Dubbed Artiste night with Amakye Dede, the event was part of activities marking this years Kwahu Easter Celebration in the Eastern Region.

The event also brought together some bigwigs in the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), including the General Secretary, Justin Frimpong Kodua; and the National Organiser; Henry Nana Boakye also known as Nana B.

Some patrons who interacted with Graphic Online said their expectations were met and that they had so much fun and were looking forward to artiste night again in 2024.
2 policemen interdicted for failing to rescue colleague over 'rat carcass' attack

Enoch Darfah Frimpong Apr - 09 - 2023 , 11:13

Two police men have been interdicted for failing to rescue their colleague when he came under attack by some youth in the Kumawu area of the Ashanti Region last Friday.

Constable Isaac Boiatey and Constable Evans Owusu were on duty with Corporal Sylvester Berhene at the Won Akotosu snap checkpoint near Kumawu in the Ashanti Region last Friday.

Corporal Berhene came under attack in the line of duty.

His colleagues, who were on duty with him have been interdicted for their seeming failure to rescue him, subdue the attackers and get them arrested.

They have been referred to the Police Professional Standards Bureau (PPSB) for investigation into their professional conduct.

The Director of Police Public Affairs, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Grace Ansah-Akrofi made the interdiction known in a press statement issued Sunday morning (April 9, 2023).

Suspects

Meanwhile, a sixth suspect has been arrested for attacking the policeman.

A seventh suspect is on the run.

Related article: Kumawu: 6 suspects who assaulted policeman over alleged 'rat carcass' arrested [VIDEO]

What happened?

On Good Friday, April 7, 2023, at about 4:45 pm, three police men, Constable Isaac Boiatey, Constable Evans Owusu with Corporal Sylvester Berhene [in charge] were on duty at the Won Akotosu snap checkpoint near Kumawu in the Ashanti Region.

According to the police, initial investigation has disclosed that the six suspects, Edward Boateng, Evans Addo, Yaw Kusi, Michael Owusu, Yaw Boateng and Emmanuel Mensah, together with one other suspect who is currently on the run, were in a taxi cab.

They were stopped at a police checkpoint.

The taxi which was overloaded with seven male adults, according to the police caught the attention of one of the three policemen who were on duty at the checkpoint.

The police requested to search the car.

However, according to the police statement, the suspects in an attempt to prevent the police officer from checking the car, pounced on him violently.

A police reinforcement team which was responding to the incident succeeded in arresting six of the suspects.

The attacked police officer - Corporal Berhene who sustained a knee injury, together with one of the suspects who also sustained an injury were sent to the hospital.



A video depicting portions of the incident has been shared on social media. [Watch attached video below]

According to the police account, while Corporal Sylvester Berhene was conducting the search in the boot of the vehicle, some of the occupants became angry and pounced on him.

Video

They reportedly struggled and put him down on the ground.

A video of that part of the incident is what has been shared on social media.

Fight over "rat carcass"

However, other reports quoting an eyewitness account suggest that the fight with the police man was as a result of an attempt by the policeman to take the carcass of a rat from the young men.

The young men were reportedly returning from a hunt and had the carcass in the boot of the taxi.

They reportedly resisted an attempt by the police corporal to take their meat, resulting in the confrontation.

The police man is alleged to have fired a warning shot, which resulted in the youth pouncing on him in an attempt to prevent him from being able to fire more shots.

Reinforcement

The police surveillance team was contacted for reinforcement and when they arrived, the police managed to arrest three of the assailants namely Edward Boateng aged 20 years, Evans Addo aged 20 years and Yaw Kusi aged 22 years.

The others managed to escape but two of them were later arrested.

Watch the video below

Writer's email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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Kumawu: 6 suspects who assaulted police officer arrested https://t.co/cO94DRiGc5 pic.twitter.com/aNHwdpjuZb  GraphicOnline (@Graphicgh) April 8, 2023

Attached below are photos of the six suspects.
Farmerline expands operations to Francophone Africa with launch in Cote d Ivoire

Graphic.com.gh Apr - 08 - 2023 , 12:24

Farmerline - a leading agritech company has announced its expansion into francophone Africa with an official launch of operations in Cote dIvoire.

This is to help deepen partnerships across West Africa and accelerate its commitment to support small scale farmers everywhere.

In line with Farmerlines existing model combining local and global industry stakeholder partnerships, well-trained field agents, farm resources, logistics and award-winning digital tools, the expansion will see Ivorian farmers benefit from access to high-quality fertilizers and seeds; free education on climate-smart farming practices via a shortcode and connections to international markets.

This year marks a decade since Farmerline was launched by co-founders Alloysius Attah and Emmanuel Owusu Addai; delivering daily voice and SMS agronomic messages to 800 farmers in the Ashanti Region in Ghana.

Since 2013, there has been collaboration with over 3000 strategic partners across 48 countries, including government institutions, local agribusinesses, NGOs and food companies who have licensed Mergdata to support and improve the lives of 1.7 million small-scale farmers to date.

We've worked with partners who have been using our technology in Ivory Coast for the past six years, Alloysius explained in a press statement.

The time has come to expand and fully commit to helping Ivorian agribusinesses to drive forward the farmer and agribusiness digitisation agenda, including creating and distributing localised agronomic and farm services to support as many farmers in the country as possible.

Ivory Coast is home to over three million smallholder farmers, and Abidjan is the centre of the francophone Africa region, Alloysius adds. Were very excited about the opportunities we see there and partnerships will be key to realising the possibilities. We don't see this as a winner takes all approach or a zero sum gain. We will continue collaborating with local agribusinesses, farm cooperatives, our existing partners, government and food trading companies aligned with our mission to create lasting profit for small scale farmers and promote sustainable agriculture in the country.

Last year, Farmerline announced a Pre-Series A investment raise of $14.4 million and grew their team across the West African locality. The companys new Regional Manager of Francophone Africa & Country Manager of Ivory Coast, Joel Amani Kouame says: Our team are excited to bring our solutions to Ivory Coast and we look forward to serving the farmers in this region.

Agriculture remains the core of African economies, and by bringing big data management technologies and predictive analytics into farming; alongside providing quality inputs in a timely manner, agronomic support and a marketplace for smallholders, we can make the sector far more efficient. We believe our approach to agriculture can create lasting benefits for small scale farmers and help drive economic growth in the region.

Over 100 industry stakeholders, including H.E Mme Yvette DAOUD, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, joined Farmerline at Sofitel Abidjan Hotel Ivoire in Abidjan on 6th April for the launch announcement, which featured presentations from their existing and forthcoming local partners including Beyond Beans, TechnoServe, Bayer and Locagri.

The rural sector in Cote d Ivoire has grown in recent years thanks - in part - to the sophistication of cooperatives and the greater role they play in farming communities, says Fayelle Ouane, Country Director for TechnoServe in Cote d'Ivoire.

We're thrilled to partner with Farmerline to bring innovative solutions and improved opportunities to farmers in the country. With our combined expertise and innovation, we look forward to reaching close to a million farmers across different regions over the next few years.
Kwame Pianim warns of Ghana's economic recolonisation through reliance on foreign experts and IMF borrowing

GraphicOnline Apr - 09 - 2023 , 09:02

Economist Kwame Pianim has raised concerns about the direction of government activities following an economic crisis in Ghana.

Mr Pianim in an interview with Joy FM criticized the government's trend of ceding control to foreign experts and resorting to constant borrowing from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which he sees as an indication of incompetence.

He expressed disappointment in the leadership of the country, stating that he expected better performance after 66 years of independence.

"We have a Finance Minister who borrowed and Parliament that supported him to borrow. We have now somebody from the US treasury sitting in the Ministry of Finance to hold Ken Ofori-Attas hand. Ken told me once  we went to school with these same white boys  we are just as good as them," he said.

Now he has somebody sitting there, holding his hand, giving him tutorials in what? And we have somebody being paid by a Swiss fund sitting in the Bank of Ghana. Our governor was out giving advice to other countries. And we are being recolonised, he said.

According to Mr Pianim, government projects often cost twice the indicated price due to incompetence and corruption.

As a result, he does not believe that Ghana's debt should be forgiven but rather restructured to compel the government to pay, thereby deterring it from reckless borrowing.

Mr Pianim has recommended that the government focus on creating home-grown solutions to address current economic issues rather than relying on the IMF during times of crisis.

Speaking on the recent approval of three tax bills by Parliament, Mr Pianim expressed indifference to their purpose, stating that they have nothing to do with growth and fiscal sustainability.

This levy has nothing to do with growth, it has nothing to do with fiscal sustainability. Its a lie, he said.

He also advised the government to be transparent with the people of Ghana.
NDC demands Bryan Acheampong's arrest

Enoch Darfah Frimpong Politics Apr - 09 - 2023 , 18:46

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) says the Minister of Agriculture, Bryan Acheampong's comment that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) will not hand over power to the NDC was "treasonable."

The NDC in a press statement signed and issued by its General Secretary, Fifi Kwetey on Sunday night (April 9, 2023) demanded the "immediate arrest" of Bryan Acheampong.

Addressing NPP supporters at Mpraeso in the Eastern Region after a health walk as part of activities marking this year's Kwahu Easter on Saturday morning (April 8), Mr Acheampong, who is also the NPP Member of Parliament for Abetifi said it will never happen that NPP will hand over power to the NDC.

The Minister of Food and Agriculture said the NPP will do anything within its means to retain power in the 2024 general elections.

He added that the NPP will do what it takes to retain power and that "we have the men".

He said the NPP has what it takes to quell any form of ill conduct that the NDC may be planning to use to win the 2024 elections.

However, responding to Mr Acheampong's comment on Saturday, the NDC Communications Officer, Sammy Gyamfi said "Sovereignty resides in the people and not in a man who only served as a mere Airman Basic (the lowest enlisted rank in the United States Air Force immediately below airman) for about 2 years."

For him, the former Deputy National Security Minister has no locus to threaten any NDC member and that the NDC will go into the 2024 elections well prepared.

He expressed the hope that "majority of the Ghanaian electorate will surely vote for change come 2024 and nobody can subvert their will."

Responding on Sunday in the press statement issued by Mr Fifi Kwetey, the NDC condemned the comment and said it was "utterly reckless and treasonable comment in no uncertain terms."

"We note that Bryan Acheampong is the latest of high-ranking officials of the NPP to make such brazen statement that reveals the party's deep-seated determination to subvert Ghana's democratic order.

Below is a copy of the NDC's press statement
Northern Arizona Healthcare (NAH) will be ending its contract with Northern Arizona Pulmonary Associates (NAPA) on July 17, a move that has led to concerns about a lack of care in Flagstaff.

NAH says those concerns are unfounded because it has announced plans to open a new pulmonary care clinic at Flagstaff Medical Center (FMC) around the same time this summer that is meant to expand pulmonary care in Arizona and make up for any gaps, should NAPAs clinic close.

NAPA is a subsidiary of the Critical Care Consultants of Arizona (CCCA), which is the group that has the contract with NAH.

NAPA is dedicated to running an outpatient clinic in Flagstaff, where primary care providers can refer patients with more serious or complicated pulmonary diseases -- having to do with the lungs -- that need in-depth treatment. The clinic currently sees 2,000 patients and has served around 9,000 in the 13 years it has been running.

The agreement since 2009 -- when the clinic opened -- is that the hospital would pay for the salary of the doctor working in the clinic and the associates would cover the cost of running the business.

Dr. Douglas Mapel, a critical care pulmonologist and one of NAPAs founders, said NAH asked them to start a pulmonary clinic at the hospital in 2009, because it did not have pulmonary care options at the time.

Mapel estimated that NAH's support of the clinic, which will be ending with the contract, is about $300,000 a year. It wouldnt be financially possible for NAPA to operate the clinic without that funding, he said.

"On the outpatient side, the overhead is very high -- you have to pay for the clinic space, you have to pay for employees, your computer, the software and on and on. Medicare patients, the payment is low and always getting lower," he said. "So it's a common arrangement, particularly in pulmonary, that your outpatient work is subsidized by your inpatient arrangement where the bigger revenue is."

Moving to an employee model

Both NAH and NAPA said the change in contract comes as part of a larger shift toward an employee rather than contract model of employment at FMC.

When NAPA first set up its clinic, Mapel said, "the mindset of the hospital was they really did not want to employ doctors if at all possible. They preferred that doctors be entrepreneurs. They knew to establish a new program and a new service you need doctors with that kind of mindset, and they knew that in the long run that kind of doctor is more invested and more productive.

Now, he said, he sees NAH shifting to the same model that had caused him to leave Banner Health -- where hed been involved in founding and running a clinic from 2003 to 2006 -- one that prefers doctors as employees.

Josh Tinkle, NAH's interim president and CEO, also said the contract ending was part of a larger move to an employee-based model at the hospital, specifically the intensive care unit (ICU).

NAPA is preceded in this change by Mountain Heart Cardiology as well as the orthopedics and anesthesiology groups, he said.

Moving from a contracted model to an employed model really enables us to have better control of the quality of care we have with the integration and alignment with our patients, Tinkle said.  ... [It] enables us to provide high-quality care and is really a national trend among healthcare systems to bring critical or key strategic services in-house for employment.

The hospital works with three types of providers: employees, contracted groups and, less commonly (between 2% and 5% in northern Arizona, Tinkle said), independent doctors who dont have a contract with NAH or receive support from the organization but are still able to work in the hospital.

What NAH is proposing, Tinkle said, is that the pulmonary associates move from the second category to the first, though the third category is still an option for the group, as FMC is an open hospital.

Tinkle said NAH had three scenarios that it would consider employment for a provider: when the cost of employing the provider or running the practice is equal to or less than the monetary support NAH is giving a group to provide the service, when theres the potential for a service to leave the area or when providing the care is a key strategic initiative.

NAH gave notice in January that it would not be continuing its contract with NAPA, instead offering most of the doctors individual employee contracts.

Its really a national trend across the country to move to a more employed nature as reimbursement from payers continue to decline and expenses continue to increase," Tinkle said. "One of the reasons the hospital has moved to employment is we have a little bit larger scale, so we can absorb some of those higher expenses a little better than an independent practice."

The pulmonary doctors have concerns about what it means to be an employee at NAH, however, with Mapel citing the number of employees who have left and unreasonable contract terms as examples.

He said he's seen the high turnover rates, citing recipients of FMC's Nate Avery Physician of the Year Award as an example. Mapel said only four are still working at the hospital, a number that will be halved this summer with the departure of the two recipients in NAPA.

NAH said eight recipients, including this year's, are currently employed.

Mapel said the employee contracts NAH had offered the NAPA doctors included several unreasonable conditions, including clauses that allow NAH to fire the doctors or cut their pay at any time, and a proposed salary that Mapel said is $200,000 less than what he could make in Phoenix.

Theyre not bargaining in good faith, he said.  ... Its very sad and its very frustrating because NAH administration holds those cards. Theyre the only game in town and they know it and thats how they act.

Tinkle said, however, that NAH had seen a 13% increase in employee engagement and had spent $13 million in labor improvements over the last year and a half. The organization has been seeing lower turnover and attrition, he said, of 24%, compared to a national average of 26% and a rate of 29.5% in July 2022.

He also said NAH pays physicians a market rate that "also is strictly federally regulated" and can be seen in the number of external applicants (20) for the new clinic.

Mapel questioned the timing of the end of the contract, suggesting it might have been influenced by conflicts NAPA had with NAH administration. He said that while NAH calls this being out of alignment, it actually comes from the doctors standing up for other employees.

We come to the defense of our team and the current administration really does not like that," he said. "So after going back and forth on that and other issues last December, Mr. Tinkle was basically badmouthing us publicly -- which is a violation of our contract.

NAPAs attorney had sent a cease and desist letter to the board in response. The letter was sent in late December, Mapel said, and while the group never heard a response from the board, they were notified of the end of their contract on Jan. 18.

NAHs account of the situation is different. It claims a contract dispute between the two was brought up at a physician meeting and Tinkle then asked a CCCA member in attendance for permission to discuss it. Tinkle also said he received the letter after they'd decided to end the contract.

The physician said yes, and the discussion started, an NAH representative wrote in an email. At a point in the conversation, a physician asked for the discussion to stop, which it did. CCCA then sent a cease and desist letter. At all times, NAH acted and spoke with the permission of a physician member of the group.

Care concerns

NAPAs clinic is currently the only pulmonary care provider in Flagstaff, and Tinkle said that is part of why NAH decided to open its new clinic.

He said not having a contract with NAH does not mean NAPAs doctors would be prevented from providing care in Flagstaff or from continuing to operate their clinic. The only thing changing would be the funding provided by NAH.

We are an open medical center, so you can be on medical staff regardless of whether you have a contract with the hospital or youre employed with the hospital, he said.  ... Regardless of whether you have a contract with the hospital, any physician or provider can be an independent group in our community, can provide care to our patients."

To Mapel, however, that lack of funding is itself prohibitive of the clinic continuing in Flagstaff. Clinics such as the one discussed tend to have high costs and little profit, so removing that funding source would make it so it's not financially feasible to keep going.

"We'd still be free to do whatever we want, but it's a financial matter," he said. "Without having some support or collaboration, it's not a viable business."

For current NAPA patients, Mapel said, a few days before NAH announced its new clinic, Phoenix is likely the closest place to get care (while Prescott has a few pulmonologists, he said theyre swamped). Theirs is the only pulmonary clinic serving northern Arizona.

They have to look at their insurance and see what pulmonologists there are in Phoenix who would take them, he said. For quite a few of our patients, the thought of them getting up to Phoenix and back -- they cant carry enough oxygen bottles in their car to do that. ... For the patients off the reservation, who require a tank of gas to even get here to Flagstaff, it can be a challenge for them to go another 120 miles to Phoenix and back.

Flagstaff residents receiving pulmonary care from the clinic also said they are worried about it leaving.

Dr. Mapel has saved my life many times, said Flagstaff resident Jane Mulrooney, who regularly visits the clinic to receive care for chronic asthma.

I cant face trying to find somebody in Phoenix, she said. I know I have to pretty soon, but if I do that, if I look for somebody in Phoenix, then Im saying that theyre going to be ousted. So I am fighting, I am doing my darndest to rally people so people are aware of whats going on.

Steve Merrin, another Flagstaff resident, said hed retired to the city with his wife 19 years ago in part because of its medical options. He sees a different NAPA provider for his asthma, and was worried about the practice closing, as hed seen negative effects from similar shifts at Mountain Heart cardiology and Arizona Oncology.

We have literally gone through nine doctors since the hospital has taken over because nobody stays, he said of his and his wifes experience with the sleep lab formerly run by Mountain Heart, which he said had previously been a tremendous practice that hed used for as long as he'd been in Flagstaff. You try to get an appointment, you try to call, you end up making 30, 35 calls and nobody returns your telephone call.

Dr. Omar Wani, an interventional cardiologist and chairman of the department of internal medicine with NAHs Cardiovascular Institute (CVI), emailed responses to questions about CVI making a similar move from a contract to an employee model.

NAH took over Mountain Heart in April 2020 when its owner retired and the clinic became CVI. He said the employee model gave a better opportunity to build a comprehensive program, noting that the institute had been able to add a transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedure, hybrid operating room and electrophysiology providers since the change.

In my 15 years of experience working in Flagstaff, I have gone from the employed model to the private practice model and back to the employed model, he wrote. The benefits of being in an employed model with the right team is that you have a better opportunity to build a comprehensive program, given better access to resources. What I learned from being in a private practice model was to operate your hospital-based practice as if it is your own practice.

Wani did not say any drawbacks hed seen in either model, or his personal preference between the two.

In general, for the last decade, given the direction healthcare reimbursements have trended, there has been an increased trend towards physicians preferring employed model, particularly new graduates coming into the workforce, he said.

Like Mulrooney and Mapel, Merrin said he was trying to raise awareness with the hope of eventually improving care in Flagstaff.

I just want the people to know, because there are so many people here and there arent that many specialty people that are here, he said.  ... Im still mobile, but there are a lot of people my age that are not mobile that cant go to Phoenix.

New pulmonary clinic

This is a primary reason behind NAHs plans to open a new clinic, Tinkle said -- the possibility the current one would close at the end of the contract, leaving patients without care.

On March 27, NAH announced it would be opening a new pulmonary clinic this July -- which is also when its contract with NAPA ends.

The clinic will be located at 1215 N. Beaver St. (Suite 203) and will offer a range of pulmonary care services similar to those currently provided at NAPAs clinic.

Tinkle also said NAH has plans to develop another pulmonary clinic in the Verde Valley, further expanding care in northern Arizona.

NAHs experienced pulmonary team will offer a full spectrum of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures designed to treat and care for respiratory disorders, including obstructive pulmonary diseases, the announcement said.

Staffing the clinic shouldnt be a problem, Tinkle said, claiming NAH already had 20 applicants. The reason the staff havent been announced yet, he said, is because they are waiting to hear whether NAPAs doctors, who have priority for those positions, would accept employee contracts. He said some, but not all, already had.

According to Mapel, two of the NAPA clinics seven doctors had already accepted work elsewhere and the doctor who'd agreed to work for the new clinic is a critical care doctor with CCCA who does not provide pulmonary care.

Tinkle recommended that patients moving their care to the clinic from another provider contact their current provider to request their medical records -- which will help to ensure a smooth transition of care.

Itd be vitally important if patients are currently receiving care at another clinic -- whether that's here or in the Valley -- that they are entitled to their medical record and that they should request those medical records to ensure seamless transition in care if they choose to move from one service to another," he said.

NAPA is still trying to find a way to continue providing care in Flagstaff, Mapel said.

While Mapel said he and the other pulmonologists have been trying to raise awareness and encouraging their patients to contact NAHs board, he wasnt very optimistic about those efforts creating change.

I feel like its a long shot, he said. Were doing everything possible; were trying to communicate to the board, were trying to get notices out to our patients, were trying to get notices out to the community and were also trying to inform people that were just one symptom in a broader disease. ... Were not the only doctors they treat this way, and weve already lost a breathtaking amount of talent from this system."
Not having access to the Google Play Services or new 5G networks isnt ideal, but some are prepared to live with that. A high price, however, might be a deal-breaker. Were a month away from learning the pricing that Huawei has in mind for its new Mate X3 and P60 Pro and that will be crucial to their success.

Last weeks poll shows that there is a large contingent of people who havent bought into the idea of foldables yet. Those aside, most people are waiting to see the reviews and the price tag of the Huawei Mate X3 before making a decision.

Almost as many people (the difference is a fraction of a percentage point) have already decided, no Google means no, thank you. Unfortunately, thats not something that Huawei has control over or something that is likely to change. For now, the company is focusing on growing its alternative store, the App Gallery.

Its worth mentioning that there are still quite a few people who will seriously consider getting a Mate X3, even with all those limitations and a price that is likely to be high (as is the norm for foldables).

Those who arent into foldables can have a look at the Huawei P60 Pro. However, this poll was nearly evenly split between all four options. 1 in 4 people just dont want a P60 Pro and thats it (some expressed interest in the P60 Art instead, but that probably wont be available globally). Another quarter of the vote lamented the lack of Google services.

The remaining half of voters are interested  some are already saving up the cash, some are waiting reviews. Once upon a time Huawei could top the camera charts with its latest flagship, can the P60 Pro do the same? If yes, there are plenty of people who value camera quality above all else.

There were some complaints about the curved screen and its non-standard resolution. Others wondered when Huawei phones outside of China will switch over to HarmonyOS instead of dragging things along with Android and EMUI.
Going by last year's Xiaomi 12S Ultra release, which happened in July, it's a bit early to talk about the Xiaomi 13 Ultra, but we now have two solid indicators that Xiaomi is ready to release this year's Ultra as early as this month.

The latest info comes from a Chinese online retailer displaying a new Xiaomi event on its home page. The event will be held on April 18 at 7:00 PM local time. And while there's no mention of the 13 Ultra itself, the teaser from Leica the other day makes a strong case for an early release. The teaser said, "See you this month" and April 18 is, well, this month.



Screenshot from the Chinese online store

While this is a Chinese release we are talking about, the device will likely make it to the global market this time around. Perhaps a month or two after the official unveiling in China.

Via
News

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GVB on tourism arrivals: 'It is what it is'

Rick Cruz / Rick Cruz/PDN A couple poses for a photo as they and other tourists visit the Plaza De Espana in Hagatna on March 27, 2023. Rick Cruz / Rick Cruz/PDN A couple poses for a photo as they and other tourists visit the Plaza De Espana in Hagatna on March 27, 2023. Rick Cruz / Rick Cruz/PDN A family gathers for a selfie to celebrate their visit to Guam as they spend part of their day in Tumon Bay on March 27, 2023. Rick Cruz / Rick Cruz/PDN Tourists visiting Guam, and others, spent part of their day enjoying the waters of Tumon Bay on March 27, 2023.

Arrivals to Guam are still about 60% to 70% down from pre-pandemic levels three years later because of factors that are beyond the Guam Visitors Bureaus control, such as the slow easing of Japan and Korea travel restrictions, GVB Vice President Gerry Perez told senators at an oversight hearing that heard much about allegations against former board members.

Thats got nothing to do with what we do other than the source market conditions, Perez said of the total arrivals from Korea, Japan, Taiwan and other markets that are still a fraction of what they were prior to COVID-19.

A fully recovered tourism industry will help save Guams economy once federal pandemic recovery funds run out, in addition to the economic boost brought by military construction even at the height of COVID-19.

Perez said Guam is lagging far behind in meeting Korean and Japanese tourists expectations of using digital cash transactions or cashless payments, as well as Wi-Fi connectivity.

Surveyed Korean tourists, for example, show that hardly anyone brings cash anymore.

Theyre relying on digitized mobile payments and so if a vendor or a store is not able to transact business that way, we all lose out, Perez said. A similar survey two years ago showed 55% of the respondents brought cash to Guam.

While 70% to 80% of tourists from Korea and Japan have now been using customs electronic declaration forms for entry to Guam, only about 20% of Guam residents use them, he said.

The bottom line questions, he said, are whether Guam is delivering the destination experience that includes cultural authenticity, public safety, and clean beaches and parks, and if it is prepared to facilitate cashless transactions.

This is intensifying a lot more quickly than I think our community is adjusting to and so we need to do a better job with that angle, Perez said of cashless transactions.

GVB President Carl Gutierrez, meanwhile, said the bureau has taken upon itself to clean up parks and other sites that are not GVBs responsibility, so that residents and tourists will have a good experience visiting them.

If were inviting people here and they come here and they see that, I mean its egg on our faces, Gutierrez told senators.

Korea has been leading Guams tourism recovery and Japan is expected to follow suit once it reclassifies COVID-19 similar to a seasonal flu by May 8.

So thats kind of the backdrop. Its not like what we can control or not control. It is what it is. Its not necessarily what we want it to be, but it is what we have to deal with. And part of this has to do with a very slow removal of travel restrictions in our source markets, Perez said.

Competing island destinations like Hawaii or the United States and the Middle East have already reached or exceeded their pre-COVID-19 arrival numbers and Europe is expected to also be back to its pre-pandemic tourism level soon.

Perez said international organizations forecast that the Asia Pacific and the Caribbean will reach pre-pandemic tourism levels in 2025.

Guam will be able to see its arrivals coming close to the record-breaking 1.6 million arrivals in pre-pandemic fiscal 2019, by fiscal 2024 and 2025, he said.

GVBs optimistic forecast for 2024 is 900,000 to 1 million arrivals, or about 70% of the pre-COVID levels, Perez said.

For the current fiscal year, 2023, GVB forecasts 670,000 arrivals. Perez said the preliminary arrivals from October to March 25  or about half of the fiscal year  reached 299,906. Thats nearly 45%, with half a year to go.

A little bit of concern here, however, because originally the domestic support for domestic tourism in Japan was to expire in March and we learned that its gonna be extended through the summer so that might have a little bit of a drag but nonetheless were very optimistic that the back end of the fiscal year or the summer months, Japan will start kicking in greater number, Perez told senators.

GVB tourism research and strategic planning director Nico Fujikawa presented the bureaus one village, one attraction project.

At the end of the day, when this plan is solidified, and Im looking to finish this by the end of this year, we would have 19 unique attractions and reasons to visit Guam and theyre all rooted in culture. Theres education involved, theres obviously embracing technology to perpetuate that culture, Fujikawa said.

This replaced GVBs $20 million Ypao smart cultural park project that drew flak from community members over archaeological concerns and worries about maintenance, considering that some existing public parks are not being maintained properly and some public restrooms are either not open or are unkempt.

Elderly tourists

Prior to the legislative oversight hearing on GVB, senators also held a confirmation hearing on the governors nomination of Sinajana Mayor Robert Hofmann to serve once again on the GVB board of directors.





During a question-and-answer with senators, Hofmann said if his nomination is confirmed, he would like to also focus on improving services to elderly tourists, the way Guam also respects its own senior citizens, or manamko.

For example, he said, Guam may put priority lanes for senior citizens at the airport and other retailers.

The silver market, as what the senior citizen tourists are called, are most likely repeat visitors who, Hofmann said, like the fine wine, they are the shoppers, they are not the one off-roading or damaging our ecosystem, so there should also be additional consideration for them.

Hofmann, the vice president of the Mayors Council of Guam, said he also wants to help improve the well-being of tourism industry workers, some of whom, he said, may not even have health care benefits even after working there for several years.

Sen. Telo Taitague, a member of the tourism committee, said after the hearing that other mayors should have been considered to also serve on the GVB board. Other mayors, she said, approached her to share the same sentiment.

Related
Lent is all about giving up for the lord or taking initiative. Lent is once a year and I feel like its something we should commit to since Jesus sacrificed his life for us, said teen Mashae Lizama.

During Lent, Catholics are expected to sacrifice something that they often have on an everyday basis. Whether it be giving up a favorite food or a bad habit, the point of someones sacrifice during this time of year is to reflect in order to prepare for Jesus Christs passion and resurrection. Vibe interviewed teens Mashae Lizama, Dane Santos, Mariqita Rosario and Stephen Lorenzo to share some of the sacrifices they made for this past Lenten season.

Lent allows me to pray more than I did and strengthens my faith, Lizama said. One thing I sacrificed is coffee ... but another thing is I committed to pray more and to attend any church event that is given.

The religion of Catholicism has touched so many hearts of teens that some give deep thought and consideration to what they give up and how. Lent is extremely important in my opinion. The significance of Lent is to allow us to feel what Jesus has been through and all the sacrifices he had made for us. The best way to give back to the Lord is during Lent time, Lizama added.

I sacrificed chips for Lent, Dane Santos said. I think Lent is important in the realm of faith. I dont think Lent should be a thing that we enforce on the other people that dont want to participate in it. But I feel that in the Catholic world, its a big, big, big part of the religion.

Santos believes that the Lenten season gives Catholics an opportunity to reflect on who they are and the blessings they have in their lives.

I think that it gives us kind of a way of reflecting (and) to be more like appreciative of what we have because some people dont have the things we are sacrificing for Lent. So yeah, I really think it opens up our eyes for us to be more thankful, he added.

There are a few things that are expected from Catholics during Lenten season. Catholics are expected to fast starting at the age of 18. They are also expected to abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday and every Friday including Good Friday. Although teens understand this aspect of their Faith, they also understand other factors that may contribute to the participation or the lack thereof.

I believe no meat Fridays are pretty important, Santos said, and although (fasting) is an important part of Lent, I feel like it should be looked at through a case to case basis. Some people ... may have problems with how much they can eat, how much they should be eating, things that they can and cant eat, like whats available throughout the day. If you can do it, then you can do it. But if you cant, or you feel like you cant, then you shouldnt push yourself to.

Teen Mariqita Rosario feels that Lenten seasons are a good way for us to reflect on our priorities and what we can do to better ourselves, she said. Spiritually, I believe it reminds us of the sacrifices God makes for us and by us sacrificing for him we are showing our appreciation for God.

Rosario has taken this opportunity to touch base with her culture. I sacrificed my time and decided to make it a daily habit for me to put aside time to work on my fino CHamoru, she said. Its been going good. I am learning a lot of daily phrases and noticed myself putting together sentences in fino CHamoru on the daily.

I think Lent is important because it reminds us of the sacrifices God has made for us. I think thats the significance so that at least once during the year we can really reflect on Gods love, she added.

Many teens are influenced by their surroundings to help them commit to sacrifice for Lent. Teen Stephen Lorenzo said, You know, growing up around the faith I always saw the old people do a lot in Lent, and they really made me want to also do more. But yeah, just seeing everyone around me doing a lot for Lent made me want to also do more.

Lorenzo took the time to put his phone down and really reflect on his person as he improves his work ethic. This year for Lent I sacrificed Instagram and rice, he said. Im like always on my phone all the time. So I figured if I just tried to lower down my use of Instagram, itll help me out a lot. Lorenzo said he did a lot more homework and it helped out his grades.

His learning environment has had a positive contribution to his sacrificial commitment. His school, Father Duenas Memorial School, offered masses to its student body to help them prepare for the upcoming events of the Catholic church.

Yeah, so FD, they put a lot of emphasis on Lent. And thats one thing I like a lot. So every Thursday, FD offers mass. And you know, when I go to the mass there, I like to reflect a lot on myself, Lorenzo added.

Lent reminds Catholics of the sacrifices that were made for them and as teens grow around their faith, they become consumed by it and learn to love all the aspects of it. As teens experience these aspects, they become passionate about it and they go out and participate as much as they can to show how committed they are to their Church.
Elianna Cuevas

Even though its spring break, there are countless assignments and projects to do that are just too much to handle. When the deadlines are quickly approaching, sometimes I cant help but feel stressed and helpless even if I work on assignments all day.

However, I recently found a remedy that will instantly improve my mood and my mental well-being. That remedy is playing my kalimba! My sister got me a kalimba for Christmas around three years ago and I recently started picking it up again! Now, whenever I need a break, I pick up my kalimba instead of my phone. It not only makes me feel so much better afterward, but it also (literally) brings music to my ears.

Justine Xu

Last week, I flew to Las Vegas for my spring break to see the iconic Taylor Swift at her Eras Tour in the Allegiant Stadium. My best friend and I were amongst the mass of 60,000 people who came to watch her perform, and we were not disappointed to say the least. We were able to buy merchandise as soon as we entered the stadium, and I was able to get t-shirts and jackets for me and my sister.

Once we found our seats, we watched GAYLE and beabadoobee as the opening act. Then, as a clock appeared on the gigantic screens, the whole stadium counted down from 10 to officially start the concert. For over three hours, Taylor Swift entertained us with her singing, dancing and amazing production of it all.

While she took no breaks and sounded just like in her studio recordings, I lost my voice halfway through from screaming like a maniac. It was a night filled with happy tears, moments of jaw-dropping awe and pure fun. Hearing her live and watching as the entire stadium filled with excitement and joy made the entire trip worth it, and it was definitely an experience that I will treasure for a lifetime.

Miwa Gudmundsen

Last week, I was in Tokyo for spring break. I hadnt been back to Tokyo, my mothers prefecture, in three years, so when the plane landed at Narita Airport, I became a little emotional.

While I was there, the emperor had opened a part of his palace grounds to the public for sakura viewing. The opening of the castle was very rare, and it was only open the week that I had gone.

I felt so lucky for this opportunity, and I immediately jumped to go to Sakashitamon, the portion that had been opened to the public, with my friend. Unfortunately, by the time we had gotten there, the grounds had closed. Undeterred, I went alone, bright and early, the next day.

Sakashitamon was lotted with governmental buildings. A lake and some Sakura trees surrounded the buildings.

At this point in the spring, the Sakura were in full bloom, so it looked as if the sky was pink. It was really beautiful and a wonderful homecoming.

Sophia Espaldon

After nearly five years of performing on stage, my musical theater experience on Guam is reaching its curtain call. In just two weeks, I will be performing in GATEs Little Shop of Horrors at Father Duenas Phoenix Center on April 20-23! While Im definitely feeling the laziness towards the end of my senior year, the final preparations for this production have kept me motivated with excitement.

The cast and I have been working tirelessly since November, and now the show is finally coming together! Working with such talented actors from different high schools as well as volunteers from the community has been the best experience I could ask for. These people have become my family, and we cant wait to express our creativity to the public. I highly recommend watching the show to witness the incredible talent Guam has to offer. Tickets can be purchased online on eventbrite.com or at Elevenses Coffee Shop and the Father Duenas business office.
Popular stand-up comedian Jo Koy is looking at the possibility of adding a third show after learning that the tickets for his June 10 and 11 shows on Guam sold out fast after their availability was posted online, but theres no final decision made yet.

Guam, I hear you. I love you, Jo Koy said in a short video clip on social media at https://www.facebook.com/reel/2345943548901913.

Jo Koy, who started out performing in a Las Vegas coffee shop and has worked hard to become a premiere stand-up comedian, filling up stadiums and arenas, said his two Guam show tickets sold out in 20 minutes.

The tickets were made available online Thursday on guamcomedy.com, and some were in queue for a long time until the tickets ran out.

I know you guys are DMing me left and right. Im trying to respond. Lets see what we can do. Maybe we can add, I dont know. Im talking to my people right now, but thank you so much Guam for the love, and Ill see you in June, Jo Koy said in his video message.

Nate Denight, promoter for Jo Koys Guam shows, on Sunday said theres no update yet on the possibility of a third show, considering its also Easter weekend in the states. Updates will be provided if available, he said.

More than 4,000 tickets of $60 to $150 each were sold out  over 2,000 for each night, Denight earlier said.

There will be one show per night at the University of Guam Calvo Field House in Mangilao.

Jo Koy, a half-white, half-Filipino comedian, is currently on his 2023 Jo Koy World Tour, and the Guam leg of the tour has been described by the promoter as the most anticipated comedy event in Guams history.

Jo Koys upcoming shows on Guam, home to a large number of Filipino-Americans and Filipinos, will coincide with the 125th anniversary of Philippine Independence on June 12. His previous Guam shows were always a hit, but this will be the first time he returns after becoming one of the most sought-after stand-up comedians and after having hit Netflix shows.

Jo Koys uniquely relatable comedy pulls inspiration from his colorful family that has reached all kinds of people and has translated into sold-out arenas around the world, the promoter said in a statement.




Haiti - Easter : Despite the insecurity thousands of Haitians made the Way of the Cross





Good Friday April 7, 2023, despite the omnipresent insecurity, several thousand Catholics made the traditional Way of the Cross both in Port-au-Prince and in several provincial towns, praying for the sick, for peace in Haiti and for the most destitute, all the way.



The Way of the Cross is a ritual that Catholics do not negotiate and in which they try to participate every year despite a climate of insecurity marked by the multiplication of kidnappings, armed attacks by gangs, robberies, rapes and assassinations. However, this year in the capital, if the fervor was still there, the assistance had decreased a lot compared to last year...



Religious songs were sung during the journey in the streets of Port-au-Prince, asking among other things to Christ to help in times of great trial.



In Port-au-Prince, the National Police of Haiti (PNH) and soldiers of the Armed Forces of Haiti (FAd'H) ensured the security of the pilgrimage along the road from Christ the King to the Champs de Mars which brought together Catholics from different parishes in the metropolitan area.



At the end of this event, the officials welcomed the celebration which took place without incident "All we ask for is peace. We have to put an end to arms [...]" declared one of the participating priests.



S/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Pantheon : Tribute to Toussaint Louverture, call to Emmanuel Macron





Friday April 7, 2023 in Paris, as part of the 220th anniversary of the death of Toussaint Louverture, several personalities including French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, Pap Ndiaye, Minister of National Education, Isabelle Rome, Minister of Equality and Diversity, Roger Karoutchi, Vice-President of the Senate, Anne-Louise Mesadieu, Regional Councilor of Ile-de-France and Jean Josue Pierre Dahomey, Ambassador of Haiti in France, laid a wreath near the inscription in honor of General Louverture, in the crypt of the Pantheon.



Friday evening, the majestic setting of the Pantheon gave a very solemn tone to the speeches delivered in tribute to Toussaint Louverture, precursor of the independence of the first black Republic in the world.



Dressed in period costume, internationally renowned Haitian actor Jimmy Jean-Louis, who played the role of Toussaint Louverture in the eponymous film, read a letter addressed to President Emmanuel Macron



Referring to the dramatic and frightening situation in Haiti today against a background of indifference from the international community "[...] Today, in Haiti, everything is being done to destroy the roots of the tree of Liberty that Toussaint was talking about [...] The state has collapsed with all the international projects that have accompanied it for the last 40 years. Today, it is terrorist groups of unparalleled ferocity that are holding the country hostage [...] while a macabre ping-pong is being played out internationally around the fate of children, women and men of Haiti, raped, kidnapped and massacred in full view of the whole world daily for at least two years [...]"



Reminding President Macron "[...] France cannot forget the historical ties that unite our two countries and its responsibility in our tragedy, were it only for the ransom of Independence [estimated at more than 30 billion euros today's euros] which has burdened all the economic development of Haiti [...] I think like many of my compatriots, that France has a duty of concrete assistance to a people in danger of death [...]" urging Macron and his Government "[...] It is at this stage that we have to think about aid, of the Marshall Plan type, which is no longer alms but substantial and massive investments in infrastructure, health, education, justice, environment; which will create jobs. This is all that the hardworking people of Haiti are asking [...]" concluding "Let's act when there is still time in the case of Haiti, today."



In his speech Josue Dahomey, the Ambassador of Haiti in France, also evoked the Haitian cause and the urgency to act, launching an appeal for the solidarity of France "[...] I call the memory of Toussaint to witness Louverture to enjoin Republican France to a more active solidarity in favor of the Haitian cause. At this time, the Haitian cause is that of the protection and security of a dignified people, but prey to the blind violence of organized crime [...] My country is hostage to a long series of murderous circumstances. The leaden screed of insecurity that is befalling Haitian society today should not leave us indifferent. Let's ensure that this ordeal does not lead to the agony of this country, Haiti, which has seen all freedoms flourish [...]"



TB/ HaitiLibre






















Protesters from Chinese and other communities as well as peace activists on Wednesday gather in front of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, to oppose the meeting between Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen and US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. [Lia Zhu/China Daily]



For both those seeking independence in Taiwan and their supporters in Western nations such as the United States, the Peoples Liberation Armys patrols and exercises around the island should be a stern warning.

The timing of the three-day military exercises, soon after Taiwan leader Tsai In-wen returned from her transit trip to the US, are justified and necessary countermeasures. The fact that the PLA could hold patrols and exercises in the waters and air in the Taiwan Straits and to the north, east and south of the island - in other words surrounding it totally - demonstrates both the determination and capability of China to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

China has repeatedly stressed that the Taiwan question is its domestic affair while national reunification is its core interests, not allowing any external forces to intervene. However, Tsais transit trip was, in essence, a provocation aimed at seeking Taiwan independence by colluding with US anti-China forces. Its military strength is a testament to its determination that Beijing is ready to honor its words with actions.

The Taiwan question emerged when China was still too weak in its comprehensive capabilities and military strength, and it will be solved as China has become strong enough to protect its core interests.








Haiti - News : Zapping...





FBI interrogations in Haiti

As part of the ongoing investigation into the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise, US Federal Agents (FBI) traveled to Haiti this week where they interviewed (outside the National Penitentiary) 4 Colombian mercenaries accused of having stormed Moise' private residence and shot him dead. The day after the interrogation the FBI visited the residence of President Moise in Pelerin 5 https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-39249-haiti-news-zapping.html accompanied by the Haitian investigating judge Walther Wesser Voltaire, which is conducting its own separate investigation. See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-39256-haiti-news-zapping.html



The PNH recovers stolen hospital gas cylinders

On Saturday April 8, 2023, the Pont Sonde police recovered a van carrying more than twenty gas cylinders for Saint Nicolas hospital, which bandits from Savien had stolen.



44% of houses without water ingress

In Haiti, 44% young people say they have no water at the entrance to their house.



Strengthening of the Hydro-Meteorological Unit

UNDP is pleased to contribute to building the capacity of Haiti's Hydro-Meteorological Unit (UHM) through the establishment of the country's historical hydro-meteorological and climate database. It is a decision support tool for actors in development planning and adaptation to climate change in particular and complements the Environmental Information System (EIS).



Condolences : Death of Mireille Perodin Jerome

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-39260-icihaiti-obituary-mireille-perodin-jerome-a-great-loss-for-the-haitian-artistic-world.html



UNESCO :

UNESCO salutes the memory of Mireille Perodin Jerome, great lady of Haitian culture who died at the age of 70. Teacher, gallery owner, curator, art critic, patron and mentor for many, Mireille Perodin Jerome was an inspiring citizen, committed for more than 40 years to the promotion and development of Art in Haiti and the Caribbean. . Condolences to his family and to the members of Ateliers Jerome and the Culture and Creation Foundation as well as to his collaborators.



Centre d'Art :

The Centre d'Art salutes the memory of Mireille Perodin Jerome, former vice-president of its Board of Directors. The gallery owner to contribute to the revitalization of the Art Center after the earthquake of January 12, 2010. Mireille Perodin Jerome is one of the most remarkable contemporary promoters of Haitian Art. The Centre d'Art presents its sincere condolences to his family, loved ones and the art world.



HL/ HaitiLibre


















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"Spring" by Denise Lajimodiere

In a gust of wind the autumn leaves

skipped across the parking lot

like kids let out for recess, and something

about their sudden brittle rush made me

think of the coming winter and my grief

for all that is dead and dying,

the loneliness of sorrows strung

out on the bitter wind carrying winter's

frayed blanket. How fragile this life,

how easily crushed as we pass through

doing the best we can.

I find hope carried on the wings

of returning wild geese, budding leaves

and melting fields as I gallop toward spring.

Source: His Feathers Were Chains, published in 2020 by NDSU Press.
A recent study by Alexander Denissoff from the University of Turku has found that early cannabis use is associated with a higher risk of hospitalization due to intentional self-harm, depression, and anxiety disorders later in life. Additionally, cannabis use has a negative impact on mental health outcomes, especially for young people who experience mild psychosis-like symptoms. The findings are based on Denissoff's dissertation, which was recently reviewed by the University.

Denissoff's study analyzed data from the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1986. In 2001-2002, cohort members aged 15-16 answered questions about their cannabis and other substance use. The study followed the participants until the age of 33, comparing their responses to diagnostic data collected from national registers.

This is the first population-based study to investigate the link between early cannabis use and hospitalization due to intentional self-harm or bipolar disorder. The study also explored the impact of early cannabis use on the mental health outcomes of young people who experience mild psychosis-like symptoms. Previous research has not used population-based cohort data to examine this connection.

While Denissoff found a link between cannabis use and non-psychotic mental health disorders, he noted that the relationship between cannabis use and bipolar disorder disappeared when accounting for other substance use.

The study's strength lies in its use of diagnostic register data as outcome variables, as well as its careful consideration of confounding factors, particularly other substance use.

Environmental risk factors, such as cannabis use, are particularly harmful to the developing central nervous system of young people. Furthermore, most mental health disorders emerge by the age of 30, making the period under examination in this study essential for investigating the impact of cannabis use on mental health outcomes.

Although the evidence for a link between cannabis use and non-psychotic mental health disorders is still weak, the results suggest that early cannabis use is an unfavorable predictor of mental health outcomes. While the study's findings support the idea that cannabis use contributes to negative mental health outcomes, further research is necessary to understand the complex relationships between cannabis use and various mental health disorders.

HT
Tschick*

Extract

Wolfgang Herrndorf translated from German by xia23

Berlin would be a little bit far away, she said, and where would we have to go now? I explained to her that we would be here to visit our aunt and there was no problem at all  and I should better not have said that. The nurse actually did not ask me where this aunt lived, but she dragged me immediately to the nurses office instead and put me in front of a telephone. Tschick stifled his pain, waved with the crutches and shouted, we could actually also go on foot, and the nurse said: First just try it. Or dont you know the number?

Yes, we know it exactly. I said. I saw a telephone book lying on the table, but I also didnt want to grab it in my hand. So I would choose a number randomly, hoping no one would pick up the phone. Four oclock in the morning.

I heard it ring. The nurse also presumably heard it, since she stood near us. The best thing would have been, to call home, that was a sure thing, that no one would pick it up. But with the Berlin area code there were 11 digits, and the nurse right now already looked suspicious enough. It rang once, twice, three times, four times. I thought, I could slowly hang up the phone and say that our aunt would still be in her sleep and we would go on foot 

Chrr ..ach, Reiber, a man answered.

Oh, hello, Aunt Mona!

Reiber! the man groaned drowsily, No aunt. No Mona.

Did I wake you up? I asked. Yes, sure, dumb question. But there is something. I gave the nurse a signal that all our problems were solved and she could get to work again if there is any problem.

There seemed nothing. With her iron determination she remained standing near me.

Hello, you dialed a wrong number! I heard the voice. Reiber here.

Yes, I know. And I hope, you are notoh yesyes. I said and gave Tschick and the nurse a look of how surprised - and worried - Aunt Mona was, at this hour to receive a phone call from us.

The silence of the receiver was almost more irritating than the puffing earlier.

Yes, no something happened, I continued. Andre had had a small accident, something fell on his foot no no We are in a hospital. They had given him a cast.

I looked at the nurse. She did not move.

From the phone receivers side came an incomprehensible noise and suddenly a voice was there again. This time no more drowsy. I understand, the man said. We are making a fictitious conversation.

Yes, I said, but it doesnt matter. It is really not bad, a hairline fracture or so.

And Im Aunt Mona.

No, I meanyesyes, exactlyyes.

And someone is standing near you and listening to. The man made some noise that I first could not understand. I believe that he laughed quietly.

Yes. Yes

If I shout loudly now, youll have a gigantic problem, right?

Please dont, ah no. You must not really worry. Everything is under control.

Nothing at all is settled, the nurse was miffed and said, She must pick you up.

Do you need help? asked the man.

What?

The nurse looked like, as if she wanted to grab the telephone from my hand at any moment and even wanted to talk to Aunt Mona herself.

You must pick us up, Aunt Mona. Did you get that? Yes? Yes?

I dont understand it at all, whats going on? the man asked, but you called, as if you are in real trouble. Does someone threaten you?

No.

I think, you broke your foot, four oclock in the morning, you faked a phone call, and you called, as if you were thirteen at most. You are in trouble. Or it is you.

Yes. Well.

And you cant really say, in which. So one more time. Do you need help?

No.

Are you sure? My last offer.

No.

OK. Then let me simply listen to, the man said.

In any case, if you could pick us by your car, I did not say it clearly.

If you dont want, he giggled. And that would really throw me off if he had hung up or yelled, that I would have understood, four in the morning. But that he amused himself all the time and offered his help for us  wow. Since I was little, my father had taught me that the world is bad. The world is bad, and people are also bad. Trust no one, do not go with a stranger etc. My parents told me that, my teachers told me that, and TV also told me that. If a man watched news: people are bad. If you watched Spiegel** TV, people are bad. And probably it sounded like that, and 99% of people were bad. But the strange thing was that Tschick and I in our travel almost exclusively encountered the one percent that was not bad. Thus you called a man in bed at four in the morning. Because you wanted nothing from him, and he is super friendly and still offers his help. That was what people in the school probably should also be told, so people should not be completely surprised. I was anyhow so surprised, that I now still stuttered.

And in 20 minutes, good, yes. You pick us up. Good. To the ground finale of performance I walked further to the nurse and asked, What is the name of the hospital again?

Wrong question! the man immediately hissed.

The nurse frowned. My god, Im stupid.

Virchow-Klinik, she said slowly, thats the only hospital within a 50 kilometer radius.

Certainly, said the man.

Ah she also said yes, I said and pointed to the telephone handset.

And you are also not from around here, the man said. You are definitely in trouble. I hope, at least Ill read the morning newspaper, see what happened.

I also hope so, I said. Definitely. We will be waiting for you then.

Hope everything is fine for you.

You too!

The man laughed once more, and I hung up.

Did she laugh? asked the nurse.

It is not the first time we make trouble for her, Tschick said, but she had only understood half of them. She already knows that.

And does she find it funny?

She is cool, Tschick replied, and he emphasized the word cool in such a cool way that not everyone in this room was cool.

We stood by the phone for a while, then the nurse said: you two are probably rascals, und let us go.

______________________________________________________________________________

*: p. 123, Stationen, Ein Kursbuch fur die Mittelstufe, 3rd Edition, Prisca Augustyn & Nikolaus Euba, Cengage Learning, USA, 2015.

*: s. 206, Wolfgang Herrndorf, Tschick, Rowohlt, Berlin, 2010.

**: mirror.

_______________________________________________________________________________

Wolfgang Herrndorf:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolfgang_Herrndorf

Tschick (English translation "Why We TookThe Car" by Tim Mohr):

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Why_We_Took_the_Car

Why We Took the Car (German: Tschick) is a youth novel by Wolfgang Herrndorf first published in German by Rowohlt Verlag in 2010. The English edition, translated by Tim Mohr, was published by Scholastic in 2014.

It deals with the unconventional friendship between a 14-year-old middle class boy and a Russian late repatriate youngster. The novel was awarded with the Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis (German Children's Literature Award) as well as the Clemens-Brentano-Preis in 2011. In 2012, it was also awarded with the Hans Fallada Prize. It was published in over 25 countries and sold over 2 million copies in Germany alone until September 2016.

Ive reread the books of my childhood in 2004, Lord of the flies, Huckleberry Finn, Arthur Gordon Pym, Pik reist nach Amerika and so on. I did this because I wanted to know whether they were really as good as I remembered them, but I also wanted to find out who I was as a twelve-year-old. During that process, I realized that all of my favorite books had three things in common: a quick elimination of the grown-up attachment figure, long journey, wide waters. I thought about how I could integrate these three things into a somewhat realistic youth novel. Sailing down the Elbe with a float seemed ridiculous; to sign on a ship as a runaway in the Federal Republic of Germany in the 21-century: jabberwocky. I only could think of something with a car. Two boys steal a car. The water was missing, but I had figured out the plot in a couple of minutes.

 In a conversation: Wolfgang Herrndorf, FAZ on January 31st 2011

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Olga Dies Dreaming is an award-winning novel by Xochitl Gonzalez, published in 2022. War Against All Puerto Ricans by Nelson A. Denis is a history of the Puerto Rican Independence movements. These books together are palimpsest and mirror. Questions and responses, with more inquiries, contradictions, and doubts. The negative to each other's printed image.

That they are the same books, palimpsest and mirror, is not just a headline. First, that they are the same books is a proposal to check them out together  from the library and with others. Second, Olga Dies Dreaming does not exist  as a story or a written book  without War Against All Puerto Ricans. The comparison is not about historical timelines or inspiration but emphasizes the creativity of people struggling for freedom, dignity, and self-determination, and the creativity of writing about the struggles of people  with themselves, their families, communities, and places of origin, and the culture of the places where life is lived.

"It's 2017, and Olga and her brother, Pedro "Prieto" Acevedo, are boldfaced names in their hometown of New York. Prieto is a popular congressman representing their gentrifying Latinx neighborhood in Brooklyn, while Olga is the tony wedding planner for Manhattan's power brokers.



Despite their alluring public lives, behind closed doors things are far less rosy. Sure, Olga can orchestrate the love stories of the 1 percent but she can't seem to find her own. . . until she meets Matteo, who forces her to confront the effects of long-held family secrets.



Olga and Prieto's mother, Blanca, a Young Lord turned radical, abandoned her children to advance a militant political cause, leaving them to be raised by their grandmother. Now, with the winds of hurricane season, Blanca has come barreling back into their lives.



Set against the backdrop of New York City in the months surrounding the most devastating hurricane in Puerto Rico's history, Xochitl Gonzalez's Olga Dies Dreaming is a story that examines political corruption, familial strife, and the very notion of the American dreamall while asking what it really means to weather a storm."

Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico in September of 2017, causing catastrophic damage that is still being repaired today. To be clear: Puerto Rico is a US colony  "foreign in a domestic sense" as characterized in the Insular cases. Puerto Rico is a colony currently governed by an imposed group of private citizens empowered to make economic, political, and social policy-driven decisions  primarily to privatize the island and make it into another development paradise for wealth oligarchs, aspiring capitalists, and transnational corporations.

The US established the colonial relation with Puerto Rico (and Puerto Ricans) by force and coerced consent in 1898 when Puerto Ricans fought for independence from Spain and the United States. With the support of wealthy Puerto Rican elites, by 1905, English was made the official language and US capitalist and political elites exploited the island for resources and labor  established practices that continue today. Yet, not everyone on the island has historically or contemporarily agreed with this second-class status as a US colony.

War Against All Puerto Ricans: Revolution and Terror in America's Colony provides part of the historical context in which Olga Dies Dreaming is set.

"In 1950, after over fifty years of military occupation and colonial rule, the Nationalist Party of Puerto Rico staged an unsuccessful armed insurrection against the United States. Violence swept through the island: assassins were sent to kill President Harry Truman, gunfights roared in eight towns, police stations and post offices were burned down. In order to suppress this uprising, the US Army deployed thousands of troops and bombarded two towns, marking the first time in history that the US government bombed its own citizens.



Nelson A. Denis tells this powerful story through the controversial life of Pedro Albizu Campos, who served as the president of the Nationalist Party. A lawyer, chemical engineer, and the first Puerto Rican to graduate from Harvard Law School, Albizu Campos was imprisoned for twenty-five years and died under mysterious circumstances. By tracing his life and death, Denis shows how the journey of Albizu Campos is part of a larger story of Puerto Rico and US colonialism.



Through oral histories, personal interviews, eyewitness accounts, congressional testimony, and recently declassified FBI files, War Against All Puerto Ricans tells the story of a forgotten revolution and its context in Puerto Rico's history, from the US invasion in 1898 to the modern-day struggle for self-determination."
Adani Power on Sunday said that it has begun supplying electricity from its plant in Godda in Jharkhand to Bangladesh. The electricity supplied from Godda will significantly improve the situation in Bangladesh.(Bloomberg)

Adani Power Ltd (APL), a part of the diversified Adani Group, has commissioned the first 800 MW ultra-super-critical thermal power generation unit at Godda in Jharkhand. The plant has started with supplying 748 MW of power to Bangladesh, a company statement said.

Also Read| Adani Power agrees to sign supplementary PPA with Haryana

The electricity supplied from Godda will significantly improve the situation in the neighbouring country as it will replace expensive power generated from liquid fuel, bringing down the average cost of power purchased, it stated.

The Godda Power Plant is a strategic asset in the India-Bangladeshs long-standing relationship, said S B Khyalia, CEO of Adani Power, in the statement.

It is the first power plant in the country, which has started its operations from Day One with 100 per cent Flue Gas Desulphurization (FGD), SCR and Zero Water Discharge, it stated.

In November 2017, Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) executed a long-term Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with APLs wholly-owned subsidiary Adani Power Jharkhand Ltd (APJL) to procure 1,496 MW net capacity power from 2X800 MW ultra-supercritical power project at Godda.

It is expected to commission its second 800 MW unit soon, it stated.

Bangladesh has one of the largest liquid fuel-based power generation plants in the Indian sub-continent region. The installed capacity of heavy fuel oil (HFO)-based plants is about 6,329 MW and high-speed diesel (HSD)-based plants is about 1,290 MW, totaling to over 7,600 MW.

Though at present, Bangladesh has long-term PPA ties with three other imported coal-based generators, the total tariff of Godda plant is competitive compared to peers, it stated.
Two Buffalo police officers and a mental health technician who are suing the city say they want the department to change the way it deals with racism or hate speech on the force.

They also want a police captain fired after she allegedly used racial slurs in incidents last May and September.

Its already hard being Black in America. Its very hard being an officer, and its hard being a Black officer, said Katelynn Bolden, a 26-year-old wife and mother of two who has been on the force for about six years. I cant speak for other Black officers, but us, we want to make a change  we want to make Black people in the community comfortable. We want to make them comfortable to call police. We want them to be comfortable with police. We want them to see that not only are not all cops bad, but Black cops are trying to help our own people.

Bolden, fellow officer Brandon Hawkins and clinician Erica Seymour  all African American  jointly filed a federal lawsuit late last year against the City of Buffalo, the Buffalo Police Department and Capt. Amber Beyer, who had been the supervisor of the Behavioral Health Team, which pairs police officers with mental health clinicians to respond to calls regarding people in mental health crises.

The lawsuit alleges Beyer, who is white, used racial slurs in incidents in May and September of last year.

Theres no reason why she should feel this comfortable to come in here and say this to us, said Hawkins, who has been on the force since 2008.

Beyer was suspended without pay on Nov. 30 for 30 days after the September incident.

She then was suspended with pay, per the collective bargaining agreement, said Timothy Richards, special assistant to Police Commissioner Joseph A. Gramaglia. Deputy Alfonso Wright, Gramaglia's designee, has been overseeing the day-to-day operations of the mental health unit, which reports directly to Gramaglia or Wright.

Following an Internal Affairs investigation and an arbitration hearing, Beyer returned to work last week and was temporarily assigned to the commissioner's office. She can now put in for a position on the open transfer list.

In addition to seeking Beyer's termination, the three plaintiffs want BPD's manual of operations updated to include guidelines and policy for what to do in instances of discrimination, racist remarks and hate speech by other officers.

We want something thats clear cut that says, If you speak this you will get suspended or X, Y and Z might happen, whatever the case may be,  said Hawkins, who was not present during the May incident but received a group text message with Beyers statements.

Racial slur with 'power'

In September, the lawsuit alleges, Beyer used a racial slur for Black people while reading aloud to members of her team a Facebook post from a mentally ill resident the behavioral team was to check on. In the post, the resident freely used the slur.

Theres no way that she thought that was OK. You wouldnt read that to the mayor like that, Bolden said.

Seymour, who had been on the behavioral health team for nine months at that point, said hearing Beyer read aloud the slur was super difficult.

I cant believe were in the 21st century and here you are saying this word that you know has power, and you dont care  why do we have to constantly be put in that situation? Why do we constantly have to feel like were being degraded and were 'less than' by another person who is identifying herself as a white woman, said Seymour, 37.

A complaint was filed to Internal Affairs, which opened an investigation. Beyer was removed from involvement with the Behavioral Health Team soon after the investigation began, and Wright has been overseeing the unit.

Last May, the lawsuit alleges, Beyer made a series of inflammatory statements after she was shown a viral video of an incident involving police in another jurisdiction. Two white officers pulled over a Black officer who was wearing his uniform but driving an unmarked car. The video was circulating as an example of racial profiling.

The lawsuit alleges Beyer said she could see "both sides" of what happened in the video. She also is accused of saying that Black men cheat on their wives more than white men, the Black officers she knows are unfaithful, she would be suspicious upon seeing a Black man in her neighborhood, that Black people commit more violent crimes than white people, and that Black officers should try hard to understand why white people are racist.

Bolden said she regrets not speaking up in that moment, but I was baffled. I was speechless. I literally didnt know what to say or do. And if I say something or if I do something, Im the angry Black woman. Shes the victim.

Internal Affairs investigated that incident as well. That case was dismissed with the department finding no misconduct, said John Evans, president of the union that represents Buffalo police officers. However, Beyer was required to undergo training.

Other cops choosing sides

Since filing their lawsuit, Bolden, who comes from a law enforcement family, went back to work for one day on Feb. 14, had a panic attack and was taken to Erie County Medical Center, she said. Bolden is on unpaid leave and has been diagnosed by a physician with anxiety, depression and insomnia since the incidents.

Ive been so scared to go back to work because I dont know whats waiting for me when I get there because you dont know if anyones going to recognize you and try to pick with you because people have made it very clear whether they support us or not. Other officers have made it clear who they support in this situation, and my biggest concern is safety, because how can we trust someone who not only agrees with (Beyer), but they think that way, said Bolden, who wants back pay for her unpaid leave. They dont like what were doing so now, say were on a call and everything starts to go up, how do we know if theyre going to have our back?"

Hawkins, who hasn't been back to work, said he was denied medical leave by the commissioner despite letters from his personal doctor, an ECMC physician and the city's doctor. He is waiting for a ruling from an arbitration hearing last week to get his medical leave approved and recoup the sick and personal time he has been using since November.

Seymour was employed by Endeavor Health Services, which provides mental health technicians to the behavioral health team. She asked to be removed from the team because she did not feel comfortable working there without Bolden and Hawkins, she said.

When you go on a (call) the officers are there to protect me because I dont have a bulletproof vest. So when Im going there Im trusting them to keep me safe from whomever Im dealing with," said Seymour, a licensed mental health counselor with a masters degree from Medaille College. "And the lack of support from our team didnt make me feel comfortable going out with another team. I dont want to go out here and something happens to me because  I dont know if they have those same views (as Beyer),

Seymour said her position was terminated by Endeavor, which did not respond to requests for comment.

It was, to me, another form of me being punished for doing the right thing, speaking out and saying something, Seymour said of her termination. She had been on the team for nine months. It definitely gave me a defeated attitude because it was like nobody cares.

Still, the three say they are prepared for a court battle.

"We're not stopping," Bolden said. "Whatever repercussions and consequences they have waiting for us, we're going to fight it. I don't know what those may be, but we're ready to deal with it."
Foxconn is planning to invest T$25 billion ($820 million) in the next three years in new manufacturing facilities in southern Taiwan to support its electric vehicle (EV) ambitions, the company said on Sunday. The company said the investments in Kaohsiung will include plants for making electric buses and batteries for EVs.(Reuters)

The company, formally called Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd, said the investments in Kaohsiung will include plants for making electric buses and batteries for EVs.

Foxconn, a major Apple Inc supplier and iPhone assembler, has big ambitions in the EV market as it seeks to diversify its revenue base.
Healthcare startup Practo has reportedly laid off 41 employees over performance issues. In a statement, the company said it is not undergoing any restructuring. It said that the company is focused on strengthening its business and is committed to the mission of building healthcare for a billion Indians.



Practo said the company hired over 500 staffers and plans to add another 500 to its team in the next one year, Livemint quoted the company statement. The startup said it had to part ways with 41 employees as per their employment contracts, saying it upheld a high bar of performance and productivity as crucial to maintaining growth. However, the company said it will provide requisite support to the affected employees.



Practo is an integrated healthcare company, funded by 14 investors with CapitalG and Sofina being the latest ones. The company's co-founder and chief executive officer (CEO) Shashank ND said the company is now focusing on building infrastructure for secondary healthcare.



Practo is the latest company to have joined the layoff bandwagon in recent times. Recently, online delivery platform Dunzo announced its plans to lay off 300 workers or 30 per cent of its total staff. Practo said the company hired over 500 staffers and plans to add another 500 to its team in the next one year(File)

Global retail giant Walmart laid off 2,000 workers in its latest round of job cuts. The layoffs include more than 1,000 positions at a warehouse in Texas, Bloomberg reported.

The retail giant is also anticipating a reduction of almost 600 jobs at a Pennsylvania fulfillment center, 400 in Florida and about 200 in New Jersey. On the other hand, FIFA games developer Electronic Arts laid off about six per cent of its workspace and cut office space, Reuters reported.

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Petrol and diesel prices in India continued its stable trend on Sunday since the last fuel price revision was done by the Centre in May 2022. Fuel prices in Delhi hovered around 96.72 and 89.62 for one litre of petrol and diesel, respectively, while in the financial capital Mumbai, petrol is being sold at 106.31 per litre and diesel at 94.27 per litre. In Kolkata, petrol can be bought at  106.03 per litre and diesel for  92.76 per litre.(Reuters)

In Chennai, petrol is being retailed at 102.63 per litre while diesel costs 94.24 per litre. In Kolkata, petrol can be bought at 106.03 per litre and diesel for 92.76 per litre.

Fuel rates, which vary according to a states local taxes, Value Added Tax (VAT) and freight charges, are revised everyday at 6 am by Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) in line with foreign exchange rates and international benchmark prices.

CITY PETROL (Rs/LITRE) DIESEL (Rs/LITRE) BENGALURU 101.94 87.89 BHOPAL 108.65 93.90 PATNA 107.42 94.21 LUCKNOW 96.47 89.66 JAIPUR 108.48 93.72

Previously, fuel prices used to be revised every 15 days. In 2014, the government deregulated the prices and from 2017, the cost of fuel is updated every day.

Meanwhile, the prices of CNG and cooking gas piped to household kitchens in the national capital on Saturday were slashed by up to 6 - the first reduction in two years - after the government changed the pricing formula of natural gas.

CNG in the national capital territory of Delhi will now cost 73.59 per kg, down from 79.56, Indraprastha Gas Ltd (IGL) - the firm which retails CNG and piped cooking gas in the city, said in a Twitter post.

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The Army foiled an infiltration bid along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district by killing one intruder and capturing two other infiltrators on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday. Jammu-based defence spokesperson Lt Col Devender Anand said, On Saturday at 10.15 pm, troops deployed on the LoC in the Poonch sector observed a suspicious movement of a group (three individuals) close to the Line of Control. The Army foiled an infiltration bid along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district by killing one intruder and capturing two other infiltrators on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday. (HT Photo)

At around midnight, the group crossed the LoC and started infiltrating into the Indian side. The troops kept the movement of the infiltrating group under observation. At approximately 2 am as the group approached the fence, the troops challenged the infiltrators. The intruders started to run away but they were engaged by fire, in which one was shot dead while the other two managed to run into the jungle taking advantage of the thick foliage and rocky outcrop, said Col Anand.

The area was immediately cordoned off to prevent their escape across the LoC, he said.

A search operation was launched at the first light on Sunday where the body of one intruder was recovered at the encounter site. As the search progressed in the jungle, one intruder was apprehended alive in wounded condition. In the subsequent search, the third intruder was also apprehended alive, he added.

In the search operation so far, three bags with 14 packets of narcotics weighing nearly 17 kg, Pakistan currency, some documents and eatables have been recovered.

During preliminary questioning, the two intruders, who have been apprehended alive, have claimed that they (all three) are residents of Pakistan-Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (POJK) and belong to Maidan Mohalla in Chanjal Village, said the spokesperson.

On April 3, police seized a cache of arms and ammunition, suspected to have been dropped by a Pakistani drone, in Rakh Barutia village of Vijaypur in the border district of Samba.

The consignment was dropped close to the under-construction All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Vijaypur. Three China-made pistols, six magazines, 48 bullets and four Chinese hand grenades were recovered from the packet.

During the intervening night of March 31 and April 1, the Border Security Force (BSF) fired at a Pakistani drone along the international border in the Ramgarh sector of Samba district.

On March 29 around 9.30 pm there was a powerful IED blast near a border police post in Sanyal of the Hiranagar sector of Kathua district. The blast that took place barely 4 km from the zero line in the Hiranagar sector, around 9.30pm, was heard in four to five villages along the border.

It may be stated that when snow starts melting in the mountain passes, Pakistan shifts its focus to the LoC to push terrorists, drugs, and weapons from traditional routes in Rajouri and Poonch.
In a bid to tackle the ever-increasing chaos at the Bharat Nagar intersection, which is undergoing major construction work, authorities have decided to divert passenger buses onto an alternative route. Buses coming from and heading towards different cities, including Jagraon, Ferozpur and Moga use the Bharat Nagar Intersection which adds to the traffic jams in Ludhiana. (Gurpreet Singh/HT Photo)

The buses going towards and coming from the bus stand will be diverted towards Gill road- Southern bypass- Ferozepur road on a trial basis.

Buses coming from and heading towards different cities, including Jagraon, Ferozpur and Moga use the Bharat Nagar Intersection which adds to the traffic jams. If the trials turn out to be effective, the route for buses will be permanently shifted for the upcoming months, said traffic police officials. The decision was taken at a meeting of Urban Metropolitan Transport Authority (UTMA) held recently, wherein representatives from traffic police, district administration, National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and civil society members participated.

Rahul Verma, member of the Punjab State Road Safety Council, who was also part of the meeting said municipal corporation (MC) has assured that the construction work on Gill road stretch has been completed but some work is still pending. He added that along with the Gill road, the southern bypass also lies in a dilapidated stretch and without improving the situation diverting passenger buses would not be effective.

Under the Elevated Road Project, heavy construction work is underway at the Bharat Nagar chowk which is among the citys busiest intersections.

At the UMTA meeting, MC officers said the civic body is working towards easing traffic bottlenecks in the city.

The officers stated that as many as 18 traffic points have been identified, in collaboration with traffic police and non-governmental organisations in the city for which the required land will be acquired.

Further giving out details, the MC authorities said Pakhowal Railway overbridge, Railway underbridge will be completed by August 15.

It was also said that electricity poles which cause traffic hindrances will be shifted for which the MC has deposited the funds with the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL).

Meanwhile, railway authorities said work at the Dana Mandi Railway overbridge and Dakha Railway under-bridge will be started soon.

They added that the entry and exit points of the Ludhiana Railway Station will be changed for the redevelopment.

In the meeting, DC Surabhi Malik also asked the NHAI to work on the possibility of a cycle track between Sherpur and Dhandari, and the Ladhowal area on NH-44 for the ease of industrial workers. NHAI was also directed towork towards reducing thecongestion at Kohara chowk on the Ludhiana-Chandigarh route.

Moreover, the Regional Transport Authority secretary was also asked to prepare the data on the number of diesel, CNG auto-rickshaws and e-rickshaws plying in the city. Camps for registration of e-rickshaws will also be organised.
Employee of a trader has been booked for embezzling 2.14 lakh in cash from his employer by concocting a story of robbery after collecting the amount from market. The complainant stated that he had hired Lovish Jindal three months ago for collecting payments for the firm from his business associates from Ludhiana, Mullanpur Dakha, Sudhar, Raikot, Bassiyan, Jagraon and Moga (Getty Images)

The accused has been identified as Lovish Jindal of Jagdeep colony of Patiala. The Dakha police lodged an FIR against the accused after two months of the incident.

The FIR has been lodged following the statement of Raghav Goyal of Harpal Nagar, Bharat Nagar Chowk of Ludhiana.

The complainant stated that he had hired Lovish Jindal three months ago for collecting payments for the firm from his business associates from Ludhiana, Mullanpur Dakha, Sudhar, Raikot, Bassiyan, Jagraon and Moga. On February 18, the accused was returning from Moga after collecting payment of 2.14 lakh.

Meanwhile, the accused made a call to Raghavs brother Lovish Goyal stating that when he reached near Mandiani village, two bike borne miscreants intercepted his way, assaulted him and robbed him of the cash.

The complainant stated that he came to know that the accused had concocted a story of robbery to embezzle the money.

Sub-inspector Jaswinder Singh, who is investigating the case, said the FIR was lodged following the statement of his employer. A case under Sections 406 (criminal breach of trust) of the Indian Penal Code has been registered against the accused.
To provide quality veterinary services to the cattle rearers, the Himachal Pradesh government will launch Project Sanjeevani for livestock care and cut expanses on travelling to the point of care and avail quality medicines, a government spokesperson said on Sunday. The rural economy of the state is based on agriculture and animal husbandry is a major component of it. Himachal Pradesh has a total livestock population of about 4.41 million and livestock healthcare is an essential part of every rural household. (AFP File Photo)

The rural economy of the state is based on agriculture and animal husbandry is a major component of it. Himachal Pradesh has a total livestock population of about 4.41 million and livestock care is an essential part of every rural household.

He said that veterinary services like artificial insemination, medicines, vaccination, surgery and infertility testing, etc. are being provided to livestock in the state but to avail these services and ensure proper healthcare of livestock dairy farmers have to take their livestock to the nearest clinic.

This entails expenditure on travel and transport. Sometimes, livestock succumbs to ailment for want of timely treatment. To overcome these shortcomings, mobile veterinary clinics are proposed to be set up under the project. These clinics will deliver veterinary services at the doorstep of farmers.

The government spokesperson said that the Animal Husbandry Department (AHD) has signed an MoU with Bharat Financial Inclusion Ltd. (BFIL), a subsidiary of IndusInd Bank, for the Sanjeevani project. The collaboration under National Animal Disease Control Programme-Mobile Veterinary Van (NADCP-AHD-MVU) will enhance the doorstep delivery of livestock care, making all veterinary services available for farmers at just a phone call away. A toll-free helpline for the project will be operational soon.

This integrated call centre will work like a single contact point for different matters concerning livestock health care and vaccination programmes. It will act as an effective communication platform between government and livestock owners. This platform shall provide personalized assistance to the livestock farmers/owners on various aspects such as tele-medical-consultation, information about government schemes, programmes especially Livestock Health and Disease Control Programme, grievance redressal, query resolution etc.

The call centre will ensure coordination between mobile veterinary clinic vehicles and working livestock clinics, to shorten the time taken for extending livestock care. The initiative will save additional expenses of farmers on travelling to the existing clinic and securing quality medicines for ailing livestock.

The doorstep veterinary services will have curative treatment, vaccination, artificial insemination, preventive care and all animal husbandry-related information. This initiative will serve farmers at 44 blocks located in 12 districts of the state. The centralized Call Centre at the Directorate of Animal Husbandry will be integrated with 44 mobile veterinary ambulances.

Under the initiative animal husbandry departments field veterinary services will be deployed through BFILs integrated telemedicine and service management platform, he said.

The uniqueness of the initiative lies in its ability to connect the doctor and the farmer through a mobile app, which also tracks the efficiency of service delivery, medicines prescribed, and livestock disease-related data in one platform.

Apart from veterinary services, farmers will also be given guidance on nutrition care for their livestock.

Telemedicine and technology contribution will help in reducing the turnaround time of services and arrest outbreaks to one extent. The collaboration will be very beneficial to ensure the farmer with veterinary services in a holistic manner.
Renovation project of three parks in Vijya Nagar and a tubewell in Indra Colony were inaugurated by Ludhiana Central member of legislative assembly Ashok Prashar Pappi on Saturday. While the park renovation project is being taken up at a cost of 83.10 lakh, the tubewell was installed at a cost of 10.80 lakh. The legislator said the authorities have been directed to complete the project within the stipulated time and ensure that there is no compromise with the quality of work. (HT File Photo)

Prashar said that the parks had been in a bad condition for a long time. Pointing out that the residents of the area celebrate Chhath Pooja in these parks, the MLA added that he had raised the matter with the municipal authorities. He ensured that suggestions from the residents of the area are being taken into consideration during the renovation.

The legislator said the authorities have been directed to complete the project within the stipulated time and ensure that there is no compromise with the quality of work.
Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) has adopted cutting-edge techniques to ensure speedy recovery of pregnant patients. The professors from the department of anaesthesia, obstetrics and gynecology, recently shared their insights during a two-day workshop and continuing medical education (CME) event held at PGIMER. They highlighted that these methods have shown promising results in facilitating quicker recovery. The event was organised by the department of obstetrics and gynecology, in collaboration with the Obstetrics and Gynecology Society of northern India. (HT File Photo)

The event was organised by the department of obstetrics and gynecology, in collaboration with the Obstetrics and Gynecology Society of northern India.

The professors said these methods deviate from the traditional practice of keeping patients stomach empty for prolonged periods as it can result in weakness and hinder the recovery process.

Our bundled approach focuses on getting patients back on their feet as soon as possible during pregnancy, as the risk of blood clotting increases. If we do not provide adequate nutrition and hydration, the blood can thicken, which could pose a serious risk to the mother if she attempts to stand or walk after delivery, said Dr Kajal Jain, professor in department of anaesthesia. She further added The motto sip till you send means patient can sip water or fluid till her turn for delivery comes. We aim to minimise the duration of fasting

Our approach has evolved significantly, and now we prioritise nutrition and hydration of patients just six hours after delivery. In the past, patients were kept without food and water for 24 hours after giving birth, Dr Jain added. She also highlighted that pregnancy opioids are not being used for pain relief in postoperative patients.

Dr Jain pointed out that some of the medications contribute to the emission of greenhouse gases and this approach focuses on minimising use of general anaesthesia and reducing plastic consumption.

Dr Minakshi Rohilla, professor in obstetrics department, said that their goal is to prevent maternal deaths during childbirth and emphasised on the importance of prompt action in response to warning signs. The issue arises when there are delays in diagnosis, which can be mitigated by proactively recognising early warning signs and taking swift action.

Over 150 delegated from the across the city participated in the second day of CME event.
Polices special task force (STF) team arrested three persons in two separate cases after recovering a total of 2.88 kg heroin from their possession. The STF also impounded two cars being used by the accused to supply heroin. Two cases under sections 21, 29 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS) Act have been registered against the accused at the STF police station in Mohali. (iStock)

The accused have been identified as Samardeep Singh alias Sam, 21, of Dr Ambedkar Colony, Jatin, 26, of Yamuna Nagar and Gurpreet Singh, 35, of Phase 1 Mohali. The STF has also booked a woman, who is yet to be arrested.

Sharing details, STF in-charge inspector Harbans Singh said one of the teams arrested Samardeep Singh following a tip-off while he was sitting in a Hyundai i-20 car near Shri Balmiki Temple near Ghora Colony. When frisked, the team recovered 1.32 kg heroin from his possession.

The Inspector said that they have also booked Samardeeps wife Simranjeet Kaur in the case, as she is also allegedly involved in supplying drugs.

The inspector said Samardeep has been involved in supplying drugs to city residents for the past two years and is already facing trial in a drugs-related case. He continued to supply drugs even after his marriage and also enlisted his wife in the crime. Samardeep had procured the heroin from a person in Division number 4 area.

The investigation is on to trace more persons involved in the supply chain, the inspector said.

Another team of the STF nabbed two accused, Jatin and Gurpreet, following a tip-off, just as they were heading towards Moga from Chandigarh in a Maruti Alto car. The team stopped them for checking near a private hospital on Chandigarh road and upon checking, recovered 1.56 kg heroin from them.

The accused revealed that they have been selling drugs for around four years and had procured the heroin from a Chandigarh-based woman.

Two cases under sections 21, 29 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS) Act have been registered against the accused at the STF police station in Mohali.
In a March 27 editorial about learning loss, The News rightly called attention to the fact that New Yorks fourth graders are still significantly behind in math and reading. This continues even after the pandemic has been downgraded to an endemic and billions of dollars are being made available by the state and federal government to close the achievement gap among our youngest and most at-risk students.

A recent report from State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli urges school districts to actually invest these billions of additional government dollars into proven programs that support student learning and social emotional development  particularly economically disadvantaged students  to close the achievement gap.

We know for a fact that the low-income achievement gap existed prior to the pandemic. We also know that the pandemic exacerbated the challenges poor children face  taking performance from bad to worse  and not just in Buffalo but in 32 other low-performing districts in Western New York where less than 25% of students were reading proficiently at the end of third grade in 2022.

We also know for a fact that children who are not reading at grade level by the end of third grade are four times less likely to graduate high school, and if these same children are both economically disadvantaged and attend schools with a high percentage of other low-income students, they are 13 times less likely to graduate.

With fourth grade math and reading scores in New York State showing declines that were double the national average in 2022 we cannot afford to wait  and we dont have to. Districts, where nearly 80% of students are not reading at grade level by the end of third grade, must do as the comptroller says and invest these funds immediately into proven, evidence-based programs, like Read to Succeed Buffalos Experience Corps.

Experience Corps is an intergenerational, evidence-based tutoring and mentoring program of the AARP Foundation that harnesses the human and social capital of older adults (retirees age 50+) by training and deploying them to work one-on-one with students in pre-K through third grade who are below grade level in reading. American Rescue Plan and ESSER funds are the perfect vehicle to fund expansion of this high-impact tutoring, mentoring intervention to additional, underperforming students in low-performing schools throughout the region.

If you are a retiree with a few hours a week to spare I urge you to become part of the solution  call Read to Succeed Buffalo today and start the process to becoming a volunteer tutor/mentor. You provide the experience and Read to Succeed Buffalo staff will provide the training and support you need to become a great tutor. You will change a childs life  and the opportunity may even enhance your own.

Mary Jo Hunt is president, Board of Directors, of Read to Succeed.
Union law minister Kiren Rijiju, while inaugurating Legal Aid Defense Counsel in central Kashmir, said that they were ensuring that no innocent was punished and no guilty was spared. Rijiju, quoted by an official spokesperson, said that doors of justice are open to all without any discrimination of rich and poor. Union law minister Kiren Rijiju, while inaugurating Legal Aid Defense Counsel in central Kashmir, said that they were ensuring that no innocent was punished and no guilty was spared. Lauding the role of Jammu and Kashmir Legal Services Authority, the Union minister said that the institute is ensuring the delivery of justice in an efficient and competent manner across the UT. (PTI)

It is being ensured that no innocent is punished and no guilty is spared. The Union government has taken various initiatives to reduce the pendency of cases in all courts ensuring prompt justice delivery, said the law minister.

Rijiju in presence of chief justice of the high court of J&K and Ladakh, Justice N Kotiswar Singh and Justice Tashi Rabstan, executive chairman, JKLSA, inaugurated the office of Legal Aid Defense Counsel at ADR Centre in District Court Complex, Budgam. He also presided over an awareness programme on legal assistance at pre-arrest, arrest and remand stage on the occasion.

The minister said measures have been taken to ensure citizens including those living in the remotest areas of the country have easy access to justice.

He said that the Legal Aid Defense Counsel system would be fruitful in helping the marginalized sections of society, who have no access to justice. He emphasized the importance of such awareness programmes in providing legal assistance at pre-arrest, arrest and remand stage to the downtrodden people of society.

Rijiju said the people of J&K have full faith in justice delivery system.

Lauding the role of J&K Legal Services Authority, the Union minister said that the institute is ensuring the delivery of justice in an efficient and competent manner across the UT.

Rijiju said that the objective of organizing awareness regarding legal aid services is to educate people about their legal rights and easy access to the justice delivery system. The constitutional rights should not only be upheld but also promoted, he said.

Speaking on the occasion, chief justice N Kotiswar Singh, in his keynote address stressed to make the judicial system accessible to every citizen, so that the judiciary comes up to the expectations of the litigants.

The chief justice urged the people to avail the services of legal aid in the most efficient manner. He also enlightened the gathering about the sanctity of the preamble of the Constitution of India, which provides access to justice for all especially the marginalized section of society and that too free of cost. He further emphasized that Legal Services Authorities are playing the role of a bridge between the judiciary and various other departments.
A miscalculated reconnaissance and a case of mistaken identity put paid to a city gangs revenge plan in north-east Delhis Kabir Nagar on Saturday, leading to the arrest of five of its members the same day, police said. Yasin, a member of Chhenu gang, allegedly gathered four of his gang members and decided to fire at jailer Swaraj Singhs home in north-east Delhis Kabir Nagar to scare him. He allegedly gave a couple of dogs as 'landmarks' to pinpoint Singhs house to three members of his gang. (HT photo)

According to police, members of the gang, in order to pinpoint the house of their target, depended on a pair of community dogs that were resting in front of the house. The landmarks however changed their positions and lay down to rest in front of a different house by the time the remaining gang reached the spot, which led to the members shooting at a completely uninvolved persons house, much to his alarm.

Also read: Despite high crime rate, Delhi yet to set up women-only police stations

According to police, the issue began on April 3, when Arbaz, a member of the Chhenu gang, and his friend Akib were allegedly slapped by the head warden of Mandoli Jail for indiscipline on the prison premises.

So, Arbaz and Akib decided to scare the jailer, Swaraj Singh, to deter him from punishing them in the future, deputy commissioner of police (northeast) Joy Tirkey said.

On Friday, another alleged member of the Chhenu gang, Yasin, who was lodged in the same jail, was released on bail. Before Yasin left, Arbaz and Akib told him to seek revenge against the jailer on their behalf, the officer said.

Upon release, Yasin allegedly gathered four of his gang members and decided to fire at Singhs home in Kabir Nagar to scare him. They allegedly arranged four guns and two motorcycles and decided to carry out their plan a little after midnight on Saturday, police said.

Also read: Delhi: Murder convict jumps Covid parole, murders girlfriend; nabbed after two years

Around 1am, the five hopped on to a Bajaj Pulsar and a KTM Duke and rode to Singhs neighbourhood. Two members of the gang entered Singhs street first for a recce. They identified his house based on the address they had and found two community dogs sitting outside the building. They returned to the others and told them to shoot at the house where the dogs sat, the DCP added.

In the meantime, the dogs decided to meander away and sit in front of another house--owned by Asif, who sells jeans for a living.

The assailants shot 10 rounds in the air in front of Asifs house under the misapprehension that it belonged to Singh. Their aim was to frighten rather than hurt, and hence no one was injured, the officer said.

A shaken Asif, at his wits end about the perpetrators or their motive, complained to the police.

Police registered a case under the Arms Act at Welcome police station and investigators found CCTV footage of the men on the two motorcycles, both of which were missing their registration number plates.

Police, while making enquiries at the local level, found a shopkeeper who knew one of the suspects. That led to the arrest of all the five --- Yasin, Abdullah, Juber Alam, Zamir and Zoaib  all aged between 19 and 22. They were subsequently arrested and the guns allegedly used in the crime recovered.

Police are in the process of informing the jail authorities to act against the inmates on whose alleged instructions the attack was carried out.
Delhi lieutenant governor VK Saxena on Sunday set June 30 as deadline for cleaning up the 22-km stretch of the Yamuna floodplain between Wazirabad and Okhlaas he inspected the works to clean the supplementary drain at Wazirabad and Sur Ghat at the river. VK Saxena, Delhi lieutenant governor, inspects the steps being taken by authorities to clean the supplementary drain at Wazirabad on Sunday. (Sanchit Khanna/HT Photo)

Supplementary drain is the second biggest drain in Delhi, which meets the Yamuna at Sur Ghat near the Signature Bridge. Delhis biggest Najafgarh drain also meets the river at the same point.

Smaller drains that dump waste into the Najafgarh drain are being trapped with 16 of them completely cut off from polluting the Yamuna. The process is on full swing and we are hopeful that the June 30 target will be achieved, and people of Delhi will witness Yamuna in a completely different shape, he added.

Saxena said that the clean up of garbage along Yamuna ghats is also being taken up in mission mode and the beautification of ghats will also be completed by June 30.

Agencies have installed aerators, garbage removal conveyor belts, floating islands and check dams in the supplementary drain to control the waste from flowing into the river. Without naming anyone, the LG said, If the ministers of our government want to take credit of our work then I have no objection. We are not doing this work for credit and our goal is to provide good atmosphere and clean Yamuna to people of Delhi. I dont want to talk politics and everyone should work together to clean Yamuna.

Delhi water minister Saurabh Bharadwaj accused Saxena of claiming credit for the work done by Delhi government. Bharadwaj said that Saxena did not have the constitutional power to allocate money for projects and only the Delhi government could do that. He also shared a list of various initiatives taken by the Delhi government to clean the Yamuna.

Yamuna cleaning projects are being taken up by the government and the LG is visiting drains of the city to claim its credit. The work to clean the drains had started in 2017. These projects are being taken up by departments of Delhi government while LG is claiming credit. LG is not empowered to spend a single penny of Delhi governments budget. LG should do his work and if any good work is carried out by us, he can appreciate it, Bharadwaj said at a press conference.

Bhardwaj said that the project to clean drains was started in 2017 through Ghogha drain revival which had been appreciated even by the BJP led central government. Delhi government also received an award for Rajokri lake project. Delhi government has planned these projects, allocated budget for them and directed the departments to initiate the projects. At the final stage, LG is claiming the credit, he added. The minister said that in-situ treatment of the Supplementary drain was also started in 2021. In March 2022, Manish Sisodia in his budget speech allocated 705 for cleaning the drains and this was three months before Saxena was appointed as the LG, he said.

Amidst the power tussle, the Yamuna clean-up has also emerged as new contested space between AAP government and LG Saxena. The new high powered Yamuna cleaning committee headed by the LG was constituted by NGT on January 9, 2023 for cleaning and rejuvenation of Yamuna. The clean-up of Yamuna also remains one of the key promises of the AAP led state government. In November 2021. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal had announced a six-point action plan to clean the river Yamuna by February, 2025. The plan includes improving the citys sewage treatment capacity and network, cleaning major drains, de-silting storm water drains and taking action against industries releasing untreated waste.

The LG office did not comment on the allegations made by the minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on LG taking credit for governments work.

Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva said that the people of Delhi are grateful to the LG of Delhi Vinay Kumar Saxena for cleaning the Yamuna and getting the Yamuna front beautification work done in the last six months. Due to the efforts of the Lt. Governor more than 50% area of the Yamuna front in Delhi has been cleaned and it will be fully cleaned in the next three months. Probably the entire Yamuna front in Delhi will be developed as a tourism location. It is regrettable that in the last eight years Arvind Kejriwal government had limited the work of Yamuna cleaning to announcements and Rs. 6800 crore provided by the central government in the name of Yamuna cleaning had been lost to corruption. If the Kejriwal government had done even partial work on cleaning the Yamuna in the last eight years, then today the Lt. Governor himself would not have to run the Yamuna cleaning campaign.
In a stinging attack on Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi lieutenant governor Vinai Kumar Saxena on Sunday remarked that some people remain illiterate despite being from IIT, with the LG's statement coming at a time when Kejriwal and the chief minister-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have been targeting prime minister Narendra Modi over his educational qualification. Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal with lieutenant governor VK Saxena (ANI/File Photo)

Yes, I heard the statement that the honourable chief minister made a few days back on the floor of the House. I would like to say that one should not boast about their degree. A degree is only a certificate that you are literate, but your real education is reflected in your knowledge and behaviour, Saxena said to ANI while conducting an inspection of river Yamuna in the national capital.

The lieutenant governor continued: I've seen how some people have behaved over the past few days. It only proves they are illiterate despite their IIT degree.

Saxena's comment will, in all likelihood, aggravate the acrimony between him and the ruling party. The LG and AAP have been at loggerheads with each other ever since the former's appointment as the constitutional head of the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, in May last year. A representative of the Union government, the LG is superior to the elected CM as well.

Kejriwal's campaign against PM Modi

In recent days, Kejriwal  a mechanical engineer from Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur  and the Aam Aadmi Party have been on an offensive against PM Modi over the latter's educational qualification.

Also Read: PM Modis degree order set aside, Kejriwal fined

The AAP has launched a Modi hatao, desh bachao (Remove/vote out Modi, save the country) campaign against the prime minister.

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Mukesh Bhakar, the Congress MLA from Rajasthan's Ladnun constituency, has alleged that he received death threats from a man who claimed to be affiliated with gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, police said on Sunday. Gangster Lawrence Bishnoi. (HT file photo)

Bhakar lodged a police complaint regarding the threats on Friday, they said.

In his complaint, Bhakar alleged that he received threat calls on his mobile phone on Monday, Deputy Superintendent of Police (Ladnun) Rajesh Dhaka said.

Also Read: Punjab replaces ADGP Prisons amid row over Lawrence Bishnoi interviews

According to the complaint, the man who threatened Bhakar had identified himself as Rohit Godara.

Godara is a member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, Dhaka said.

The police have begun an investigation after registering a case under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, he said.

Dhaka added that the the police's special and cyber cells are investigating the matter.
In a fresh salvo against his own party government, senior Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Sunday announced a day-long Anshan (sit-in-protest) on April 11 demanding action from chief minister Ashok Gehlot against alleged corruption during the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) tenure in Rajasthan. Rajasthan Congress leader Sachin Pilot (ANI Photo)

The hunger strike will be held demanding action against the corruption (by BJP) which we have not been able to do in over four years, Pilot said.

In a press conference on Sunday, Pilot said he will sit on one-day Anshan at Shaheed Smarak on Mahatama Jyotiba Phule Jayanti on April 11 and attacked Gehlot for not taking any action against then chief minister Vasundhara Raje-led BJP government over corruption cases as promised.

Also Read: Sachin Pilot announces fast against his govt, CM Gehlot on corruption issue

Addressing media persons on Sunday, he said, He has apprised the district administration about this.

Pilot said that he and other Congress leaders raised the issue when Congress was in the opposition and promised to take action when Congress comes to power.

No action has been taken on the corruption in the Vasundhara Raje government, where we being in the opposition had promised that an inquiry would be conducted. Now 6-7 months are left for the election, and we should take before that, he said.

Pilot said, while in the opposition during the previous Raje-led government in the state, Congress had raised voices about scams worth 45,000 crore and promised to investigate these scams in a fair manner and punish the guilty. He said that the Congress government had failed to act against the excise mafia, illegal mining, land encroachment and the Lalit Modi affidavit case.

I have never called for malicious action, but the credibility we have built as the opposition has to be maintained. I had requested CM Gehlot and wrote letters, first on March 28, 2022, and then again on 2 November 2022, but got no reply, he said.

He said that it was necessary to assure people and party workers that the Congress government will deliver the promises made before the 2018 assembly elections.

Ashok Gehlot and I made these allegations together, how will we know until there is a fair investigation? If it comes out in the investigation that no one was guilty, then we will accept that Gehlot Ji and I were liars. But until a case is registered, how will people believe that the allegations made by us are true or false? Pilot questioned.

Moreover, Pilot played over a dozen video clips where Gehlot was slamming BJP over corruption and other issues while being in opposition.

He also shared a letter with the media, dated March 3, 2022, addressing the Gehlot in which Pilot wrote that being in opposition, many issues of corruption, fraud and misuse of the public fund were raised.

You (Gehlot) and I had assured public that action will be taken after impartial probe. The people voted for us in 2018. Its been three years but no concrete step or action has been taken.

In the letter, he mentioned mine scam, carpet theft, and misuse of funds in the Rajasthan Gaurav Yatra etc.

In his follow-up letter dated November 2, 2023, he urged the CM to hold an impartial probe on the corruption charges.

Showing support for Pilot, state cabinet minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas called him an asset to the party and said his opinions and questions should be respected.

He has the right to raise issues and ours is a democratic party. Whats wrong in getting corruption issue probed during BJP tenure? added Khachariyawas.

Also Read: Karnataka polls crucial for Congress to dent BJPs prospects in 2024

Whereas, a senior leader and minister close to Gehlot, on condition of anonymity said, It is unfortunate the way he is creating the drama which is against the partys discipline. When he already raised the issue with party leadership and the CM then what was the need of announcing the Anshanisnt his intention be questioned?

Commenting on the Pilots protest announcement, Congress state in-charge Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa said, He didnt speak to me on the issue. I met him in Delhi and Jaipur but he discussed his grievances and political issues.

It is unfortunate as this is the time everyone should fight unitedly, and such incidents would give opposition a chance to make mockery, said Randhawa.

He added, Pilot raised corruption issues, even I am against it. I will speak to him and visit the state on Tuesday. It needs to be seen why action wasnt taken and when the letter was written.

Political analyst Manish Godha said Pilots action shows his desperation as elections are nearing.

Godha said he is not only showing his relevance but targeting Gehlot on issuesits like a shadow war on the CM, keeping issues in front but settling his own score.

Taking a jibe, BJP MLA and former minister Vasudev Devanani said they are unnecessarily dragging BJP in their infight. Why was Pilot silent for over four years? Its just that he isnt getting the importance in the party, so he is playing the BJP card.

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Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde will reach Ayodhya today on his maiden visit to the temple town after becoming the 20th chief minister of the state to pay obeisance to Ram Lalla. Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde. (PTI)

Shinde will reach Ayodhya by helicopter from Lucknow airport at around 10.30am, which will land at Ram Katha Park. A large number of Shiv Saniks have already reached Ayodhya on Saturday night by two trains to welcome Shinde.

From the helipad, Shinde will leave for a hotel at the citys outskirts where he will stay along with other party leaders.

As part of his day-long visit, Shinde will take part in maha aarti at Ram Janmabhoomi and will also attend aarti on the banks of river Saryu. The Maharashtra CM will also seek blessings of saints at an event to be organised at the Lakshman Tila ground. Champat Rai, general secretary of Shree Ram Janmabhoomi Tirath Kshetra Trust, will welcome Shinde at the Ram Janmabhoomi and will apprise him about the ongoing construction work of the temple.

The Maharashtra CM will also interact with media persons. Shinde will leave for Lucknow by road where he will meet Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath before leaving for Mumbai.

According to political analysts, Shinde is following the footprints of Shiv Sena patriarch late Bal Thackeray, who had mentored him. Shinde had accompanied his predecessor Uddhav Thackeray on the latters two visits to Ayodhya as CM on November 24, 2018 and March 7, 2020. Thackerays son Aditya had come to Ayodhya on a solo visit on June 15, 2022.

Shinde was sworn in as the chief minister of Maharashtra on July 7, 2022 after toppling the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.

Balasaheb Thackerays dream of grand Ram Mandir in Ayodhya is now becoming a reality. For this, I thank PM Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, Shinde told media outside the Lucknow airport. Ayodhya is an issue of pride and bhakti (devotion) for us, he added.

Uttar Pradesh jal shakti minister Swatantra Dev Singh received the Maharashtra chief minister at the Lucknow airport, where Shiv Saniks accorded a warm welcome to him.

Ahead of Shindes visit, director general of police (DGP) Rajkumar Vishwakarma visited Ayodhya on Saturday and reviewed security at Hanuman Garhi temple and Ram Janmabhoomi.The DGP was accompanied by special DG Prashant Kumar and other senior officials. Later, the DGP inspected Naya Ghat where the Maharashtra CM will attend Saryu aarti.

The Ayodhya police have put in place traffic diversions for Sunday which will remain force till the Maharashtra CM leaves Ayodhya by road on Sunday night.
Dhoomanganj police on Sunday named gangster-politician Atiq Ahmeds sister Ayesha Noori and her two daughters accused in the February 24 murders of lawyer Umesh Pal and his two police guards. Police officials said raids were being carried out in search of Ayesha Noori and her daughters who are absconding. (For Representation)

It is alleged that Ayesha Noori and her family helped the assailants financially and gave them shelter. Ayesha and her two daughters are now on the wanted list of police while her husband Akhlaq Ahmad was arrested earlier from his house in Meerut on April 2.

Police officials said raids were being carried out in search of Ayesha and her daughters who are absconding. The role of other relatives of Atiq in helping the assailants was also under scanner, they added. Ayesha had come to defend her brothers and nephews after Shaista Parveen and Asad went underground following murders of lawyer Umesh Pal and his two police guards who were shot dead in Prayagraj.

Ayesha had held a press conference and alleged that Atiq and his family were being framed in the case under a political conspiracy. She had also alleged that a state minister was involved in the conspiracy as Shaista Parveen was planning to contest for the post of mayor in Prayagraj in upcoming local urban bodies polls.

She had also appealed to the court for custody of Atiqs two minor sons who are lodged at a child shelter. Ayesha was active when Atiq Ahmed was being brought from Sabarmati jail to be produced before MP /MLA court of Prayagraj for the judgment in the 2006 Umesh Pal kidnapping case.

She and her lawyer followed the police fleet carrying Atiq raising fear that police might harm her brother on the way. Later, Ayesha was in Prayagraj with her two daughters. A police team raided her home in Meerut and arrested her husband Akhlaq Ahmad, a government doctor. CCTV footages had revealed that Guddu Muslim had come to their home on March 10 and stayed there for 17 hours before leaving for Delhi. Akhlaq also gave 50,000 to Guddu, police officials claimed.

A car registered in the name of Akhlaq was found at Sandeepan Ghat in Kaushambi after the February 24 attack. Police officials said that assailants involved in Umesh Pals murder had used the car to flee the city. Further investigation revealed that Ayesha and her family provided help to the accused in Prayagraj, Lucknow, Bareilly and Meerut districts.
Uttar Pradesh labour and employment minister Anil Rajbhar on Sunday said with public support, the state government will ensure the success of the upcoming G20 summit meetings in Varanasi. A cyclothon was organised in Kashi on April 9 to create awareness among locals about the upcoming G20 events. (HT photo)

A meeting of agriculture working group will be held in the temple town from April 17 to 19 in which chief agriculture scientists of G20 member nations will take part. Rajbhar was speaking to media persons after flagging off a cyclothon organised to create awareness among locals about the G20 event.

He also appealed to people to present a good picture of the traditions and culture of Kashi before the foreign delegates and accord them a grand welcome. The minister also said several G20 summit meetings were scheduled to be held at various places across the country. A few of them will take place in Kashi, he added.

Rajbhar also urged the people of Kashi to actively participate in the event and help in presenting a picture of Kashi equipped with modern facilities while preserving its antiquity. The Varanasi district administration organised the cyclothon for public awareness. Starting from Circuit House on Sunday morning, the event concluded at Beniya Bagh park.

Over 3000 people, including school kids, members of various organisations, district magistrate S Rajalingam and chief development officer Himanshu Nagpal participated in the event.
The Uttar Pradesh local urban body elections will be held in two phases on May 4 and May 11, for a total of 14,684 posts, the State Election Commission (SEC) on Sunday announced. The counting of votes will be done on May 13, while the voting process will take place in 17 nagar nigams using Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) as earlier, the poll body said. A notification for the local body elections was issued on December 5, but several petitions were filed in court against it.(PTI)

The announcement follows SECs meeting last week where it stated the polls would be announced after receiving final information about reservations from the state government.

The election to 760 urban local bodies in the state comes nearly two weeks after the Supreme Court paved the way for the SEC to issue an OBC quota following a report from the UP Backward Classes Commission. In line with this report, the Yogi Adityanath government approved an ordinance on Wednesday to amend the rules of UP Nagar Nigam and Nagar Palika.

Also Read: U.P. urban local body polls: Over 4.23 cr eligible voters this time

A notification for the local body elections was issued on December 5, but several petitions were filed in court against it.

State election commissioner Manoj Kumar had last week told Hindustan Times that a meeting was also convened with top state officials to review security arrangements for the upcoming polls.

Regarding the number of posts that will be contested in the upcoming local urban body polls, Kumar 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.

(With bureau inputs)

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David Shribman, editor emeritus of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, addressed his March 31 column published in The Buffalo News to the boomer generation. He stated, Welcome to another country. This is not the country you grew up in. He couldnt have been more right. We have gone from a country that revered his war heroes (World War II), to ignoring those who fought in Korea, to hating those who fought in Vietnam, back to honoring the service of all veterans and military personnel. But, we have also gone to the extreme in mass shootings, and the ability of those representing us in Congress fearing more for their re-election than for the deaths of innocent children and adults. Growing up, a shooting like Charles Whitman carried out at the University of Texas at Austin, leaving 14 dead, was considered horrific, and an anomaly. The Manson clan murders were attributed to drugs and mentally ill individuals. Now, we just shake our heads and bemoan the fact that no one saw it coming. The governor of Tennessee said, right after the massacre, that Now is not the time to talk legislation. If not now, when? How many more innocent people must die before we do something, anything, to stop this insanity? Those in government, who have the power to put an end to at least a majority of these shootings, do nothing. In case anyone missed it, most of the recent shootings were done with weapons purchased legally, but just a short time before the act. We need better background and mental stability tests to determine who can purchase weapons, and who can not. We have more guns in this country than people, which is saying a lot with a population of over 330 million. Shribman was right, this is not the country I grew up in, and I feel sorry for this generation, that they have to live with the thought that they might be in the next mass shooting.
Mumbai: A 71-year-old man from Andheri was duped of 5 lakh after falling prey to a cyber criminal who posed as the first lady of Afghanistan and asked for help to invest $22 million in India. After waiting for a week or so, Shah again tried to transfer the amount to his Indian account, but it didnt get transferred. At this point, the alleged representative of Ghani said that he would send the amount to the complainants address. On April 4, a black man visited his house and handed him a bag claiming the entire money was in it. When the complainant opened it the next day, it turned out to be stacks of black paper cut into the shape of currency notes. (Image for representation)

The victim  identified as Rameshkumar Shah who works as an accountant in a few firms  told the police that he received an email on February 18 in which the sender identified herself as Rula Ghani, the first lady of Afghanistan. Incidentally, Rula Ghani happens to be the name of the wife of Ashraf Ghani, who was Afghanistans president from 2014 until the Taliban took hold.

Shah responded to the email a couple of days later asking what kind of help was expected of him. The sender replied that they were looking to invest $22 million in India and wanted Shah to manage her affairs here.

She also said the entire investment amount would be sent to my accounts and I could keep 25% of it as commission. Attached with the mail were a copy of her passport, bank documents showing she had the money she wanted to invest as well as her picture. She also told me that her representative from Indonesia would soon contact me, the complainant told the police.

A couple of days later, he received a WhatsApp call from an international number with the country code +62. The caller identified himself as the representative of Rula. He said that I would have to open an account in an Indonesian bank to start the entire process. He asked me to send him documents like my PAN card, passport and some details of my salary account, states the complaint, adding that Shah was also instructed to send $360 to open the said account.

Two days after sending out all the required documents to the caller, Shah was informed that he could now transfer the said amount to his Indian account. However, when he tried to do so, the transaction did not go through. I contacted the caller again who told me there was some technical error that was hindering the funds transfer. He also said that some more processes were needed for making the transfers as it is an offshore account, which, too, I paid, the complainant said in his statement.

After waiting for a week or so, Shah again tried to transfer the amount to his Indian account, but it didnt get transferred. At this point, the alleged representative of Ghani said that he would send the amount to the complainants address. On April 4, a black man visited his house and handed him a bag claiming the entire money was in it. When the complainant opened it the next day, it turned out to be stacks of black paper cut into the shape of currency notes.

An officer from Andheri Police Station said that Shah ended up losing 5,09,000 to the frauds. We have booked the unknown accused for fraud and the relevant sections of the Information Technology Act. Further investigation into the matter is underway, he said.
Friday evening witnessed intense speculation in political circles, as senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar suddenly became incommunicado. The NCP leader was expected to attend a programme in Pune but gave it a miss and remained not reachable on his cell phone, leading to much conjecture. The absence immediately became a talking point since over the last couple of months there have been speculations that Maharashtras BJP leadership is in touch with Ajit as well as a few Congress legislators, should it need to resort to Plan B in case of an adverse verdict in the Supreme Court on the Shiv Sena split and the legitimacy of Eknath Shindes government. Mumbai, India - March 15, 2023: Leader of the Opposition Ajit Pawar step in at Vidhan Bhavan during Budget session in Mumbai, India, on Wednesday, March 15, 2023. (Photo by Satish Bate/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times)

An irked Ajit issued a clarification on Saturday saying that he was unwell and taking rest as advised by his doctor. He also slammed the media for speculating about his whereabouts. But then Ajit and his disappearances do have political context, given the past. In 2019, just as his uncle, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, was putting together an alliance of three parties to form a government in Maharashtra after the BJP-Shiv Sena parted ways, Ajit disappeared with a bunch of MLAs. He appeared the next day at Raj Bhavan to take oath as deputy chief minister with Devendra Fadnavis as chief minister in an early morning swearing-in ceremony. The government was short-lived, as Ajits attempt to split the NCP failed, but his disappearance and the early morning swearing-in became part of the states political history.

Even before that, Ajit had done the disappearing act: in September 2019, the same day that senior Pawar had offered to go to the Enforcement Directorate office himself after he was named in a case related to alleged irregularities in the Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank. Pawar was preparing to go to the ED office when he was requested by the city police chief to drop the plan. The same evening Ajit disappeared, leading to speculation that he was on way to the BJP. He appeared later and told the media that he was pained by the politics and the way they were being targeted.

So, is the latest disappearance an indication of things to come?

What is not being missed is Ajits public statements on Saturday. He praised Prime Minister Narendra Modis leadership at a public function, calling it the magic of PM Modi. He also gave his verdict on electronic voting machines (EVMs), saying there was no truth in the allegations that EVMs could be hacked. Significantly, he contradicted his partys chief spokesperson Mahesh Tapase who, on Saturday, issued a press release pointing out that Bangladesh had stopped the use of EVMs and that political parties and civil society had doubts about EVMs in India.

Anti-corruption activist Anjali Damania on Friday posted a picture of the Fadnavis-Ajit Pawar swearing-in of 2019 with the remarks Nauseating politics and added Fadnavis 2019 election tagline, Mi punha yein (I will be back).

Speculations were rife whether Ajit would do to the NCP what Eknath Shinde did to the Shiv Sena. No wonder NCP chief Sharad Pawar has continued with Jayant Patil as chief of the partys legislative wing. The first thing that Pawar Senior did as soon as Ajit disappeared in November 2019 was to remove him as legislative unit chief and put Patil in his place. Even after Ajit returned to the party fold, Pawar continued with Patil in the post, unlike Uddhav Thackeray who kept Eknath Shinde as the head of Shiv Senas legislative unit even though he was suspicious about him.

Ayodhya, Shinde and the Shiv Sena

As announced by him earlier, chief minister Eknath Shinde visited Ayodhya with his MLAs and MPs on Sunday to seek the blessings of Lord Ram. In addition to the Ram temple issue, Ayodhya and Uttar Pradesh would probably have entered the history of Maharashtras politics in a different context. According to Thackeray faction leaders, Shinde and his colleagues had planned a coup during Aaditya Thackerays Ayodhya visit in June 2022. The MLAs would accompany Aaditya to Ayodhya but would not return with him, and Shinde would announce his rebellion from the temple town. It would have been a perfect setting for the reason he would give for splitting the SenaHindutva. However, it was dropped later, as the Sena leadership got suspicious that something was brewing in the party. The coup happened anyway five days later on June 20 during the election to the legislative council, with most of the Shiv Sena MLAs led by Shinde making their way to Surat.

Hum saath saath hai

Although it was not planned earlier, deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis decided to join chief minister Shinde in Ayodhya on Sunday. As per their plan, Shinde was to be accompanied by his ministers, MLAs and MPs. BJP leader and Shindes cabinet colleague Girish Mahajan was to accompany him. Fadnavis, who was scheduled to go to Delhi to attend the partys central election committee meeting, made a detour to Ayodhya to visit the Ram temple and the new temple construction site with Shinde and later proceeded to the national capital.

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MUMBAI: A day after verbal abuse, slaps and punches were thrown at each other in a dramatic fight that went viral on social media, seven staff members and three customers of Ashish Bar and Restaurant in Dahisar were arrested early on Saturday. The police have lodged cross FIRs in the case and are scanning through the uploaded video and other footage of CCTVs of the bar to find out who started the ruckus as the customers and the staff members have stated different versions of the incident. (HT PHOTO)

The video of the fight had been uploaded on social media Saturday evening after which the police reached the spot and intervened. The footage showed individuals slapping and punching each other, and a man can be seen wielding a chair to hit another person.

The police have lodged cross FIRs in the case and are scanning through the uploaded video and other footage of CCTVs of the bar to find out who started the ruckus as the customers and the staff members have stated different versions of the incident.

According to the police, the incident took place at the entrance of the Bar and Restaurant at 7pm. The customer who was arrested told the police that he had gone to the bar along with his two friends to drink. He said that he was leaning against the table when a glass fell and broke.

A waiter and a manager came charging at me over this and began abusing me, said Vitthal Ghag, a resident of Dahisar East.

Ghag said that then the other staff members joined the two and dragged him outside the bar and began assaulting him. The waiter even picked up a chair and hit me with it, said Ghag.

Ghags friends then intervened and created a ruckus outside the bar and the entire fight scene was recorded by the bystanders.

The 26-year-old waiter Prem Prakash Tiwari, accused of hitting Ghag with a wooden chair, however, told a different story to police. According to Tiwari, he heard the customers fighting in the bar and went outside to solve it. He and the manager then took Ghag outside to calm him down. Instead, he began assaulting us. His friends too joined him in the clash after which the other staff members intervened to help us, Tiwari recalled.

We have arrested all men involved in the fight and are finding out the cause of the clash, said Pravin Patil, senior police inspector of Dahisar police station.
Mumbai: In a pioneering initiative, students from a zilla parishad (ZP) school in the drought-prone Man taluka of Satara district are now proficient in reading, writing, communicating and even doing mathematics in Japanese. Balaji Jadhav, the only teacher at the school, has made it his mission to give rural students a global platform and has successfully taught the Japanese language to 40 students from classes 1 to 4. In the next academic year, these students will appear for official examinations in Japanese. Rural school kids in Satara learn Japanese, will take official exams

While talking about this idea, Jadhav said he believed that learning a foreign language at a young age was crucial, as it opened up a world of opportunities and benefits. Many students in todays society aim to work abroad after graduation, but their lack of knowledge of the language of the country they wish to work in limits their opportunities, he said. With this in mind, I introduced Japanese language lessons in the school, which have proven to be a huge success.

The teaching process began by playing Japanese videos to the students for two to three weeks to help them grasp some basic concepts. After they picked these up, I began showing them dialogues in Japanese, which, too, they developed an interest in, he said. There are three types of scripts in the Japanese language, and we started teaching students the one called Hiragana. After they learned five to six letters of the alphabet, we started reading and writing in our spare time. By creating small words from letters, reading them, and writing small words in the Japanese script, they picked up speed. My students can now reel off the names of animals, birds, months, fruits, flowers, relatives and so on in Japanese. It took them about four months to learn all this.

Jadhavs own initiation into Japanese began when he started reaching out to children during the pandemic lockdown and telling them stories on the phone. Mukund Chaskar, a linguist of Indian origin from Japan, contacted him after reading the news, and told him he was willing to teach him the Japanese language for free. With this email began Jadhavs foreign language learning and teaching journey.

I am hearing and reading about future opportunities in Japan, especially for Indian students, through many videos and conferences. This is one more reason I chose the Japanese language, he said.

Laxman Pise, an education extension officer of the panchayat samiti, Man tehsil, praised Jadhavs initiative and hard work in trying to bring government schools up to the level of private schools. When I visited this school, I was amazed to see the progress of the children, he said. They speak Japanese so beautifully as if it were their mother tongue.

Indira Narale, a mother of Class 4 student Pragat Narale, said she was happy and proud that her child could speak in Japanese. Till today, not a single teacher has made this sort of effort in our village, she said. We are so thrilled about the opportunities that the school and Jadhav Sir are providing to our children.

Jadhav has written to the Japanese consulate in India about his initiative and is waiting for a response on the process of students enrollment for Japanese language examinations. His efforts are opening up a world of opportunities for these students from the rural areas and could pave the way for similar initiatives across the country. He plans to continue teaching different languages to his students alongside their daily studies, providing them with an edge over others in the future.
A massive fire broke out at the Burma Camp in Nagaland's Dimapur district on Sunday, killing a woman and leaving around 900 people homeless, an official said. In 2011, the same area was ravaged by a fire, killing three people.(AP (Representative Image))

The fire broke out at Burma Camp's East Block around 12 pm, he said.

Around 260 kutcha houses, made of thatch, were gutted in the blaze, he said.

A woman, who was in her 70s, was charred to death in the fire, and many others were injured. Several fire services personnel were also injured in the blaze as a large number of gas cylinders exploded, the official said.

Around 900 people, mostly labourers, were left homeless by the fire, he said, adding that the cause of the blaze is yet to be ascertained.

Also Read: Massive fire at worlds largest' Mexico city wholesale market

Some people were also missing, locals said.

Fire tenders from Chumukedima, Dimapur and Central fire stations were deployed to fight the blaze, which could be brought under control after three hours, the official said.

Properties worth lakhs of rupees were destroyed, a Gaon Burah of East Block said, maintaining that the exact losses would be known only after a proper assessment.

In 2011, the same area was ravaged by a fire, killing three people.
Mumbai: Under attack from various quarters over his reservations against a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to investigate Adani Group for financial malpractices, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Sunday resorted to a submissive stand saying that he had no objection if the Congress and other Opposition parties pushed for the parliamentary committee instead of a Supreme Court-monitored probe. NCP chief Sharad Pawar (Photo by Rahul Raut/HT PHOTO)

Pawar on Friday had said that he does not favour JPC to probe into Adani issue and the industrialist was being targeted by the Hindenburg Research report.

Following this, the NCP chief came under fire from other Opposition party leaders and also netizens. However, on Sunday, Pawar said that his suggestion would remain that JPC is not an appropriate medium for probing the allegations as the ruling BJP would have a dominant majority in the committee leaving the opposition in an ineffective minority.

I clearly believe that a probe should be conducted, Pawar stressed and added, But the JPC will be constituted based on the strength of political parties in the Parliament. If a 21-member JPC was formed, 14-15 members would be from BJP as it has over 200 MPs in the Lok Sabha and the remaining six-seven from the Opposition. The question is how effectively can the six people work in a committee? Despite that, if all the opposition parties want the JPC to be formed, I have no objection to it.

With his fresh remarks, the former union minister seems to have slightly softened his stand on the issue.

Pawars statement came soon after Shiv Sena (UBT) took a U-turn and supported the JPC. He said that questions were being raised over Adani Group and truth should come out before the people through probe. It is the demand of the united opposition and Shiv Sena is part of it, Raut said, adding that There should be no objection in having JPC probe into the matter.

The Modi government has put many industrialists behind bars for wrongdoings. Why is the same law and justice not applicable to Adani, Raut asked.

Earlier, Congress was isolated on the issue after Pawar expressed his reservations over the JPC probe. On Saturday, Shiv Sena (UBT) too seconded Pawar. This brought the differences within the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi and the Opposition unity to the fore. However, Congress remained firm on its demand and also objected to Pawars stand.

The grand old party and 15 other parties have been demanding a JPC to probe allegations of financial malpractices highlighted by Hindenburg Research in a report in January this year.

Congress will form govt in Karnataka: Pawar

On Sunday, Pawar also anticipated that the Congress would win the ensuing Karnataka assembly elections. He said that the ruling BJP will have to face defeat because people want change in the state. Based on the information, I am of the view that the BJP is going to face defeat and Congress will form the government, he said.

Pawar also told reporters in Nashik that they are also going to contest six to seven seats in the Karnataka elections. We have been fighting for the cause of Marathi-speaking people residing in the border areas and want them to remain united and contest elections from those areas, he added.

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PRAYAGRAJ A three-storey temple of Shwetambar Jains, proposed to be the biggest in Eastern Uttar Pradesh, will be built in Prayagraj. The Jain community has already started preparation for its construction. The temple will be the centre of attraction for Jain devotees coming to Prayagraj from all over the country and abroad. A model of the proposed new Jain temple. (HT Photo)

The Sangam city already has a 55-year-old Shri Rishabh Dev Shwetambar Jain Temple with centuries old idol of Lord Rishabhdev, also known as Lord Adinath (Lord of the Beginning), who is the first Jain Tirthankar of present time cycle, in Bai Ka Bagh area of the city.

As per the mega renovation project, the new temple structure would be constructed at this very site encompassing the large ground located in front of the existing temple structure, said Munna Lal Tiwari, who is the second-generation priest from his family at this temple.

The idols of the Gods and Goddesses will be installed in all the four directions in the upper floors -- the main idol of the first Tirthankar with smaller idols of other Tirthankars (there are 24 Tirthankars in all) is to be placed on the ground floor. The artisans of Odisha and Rajasthan have been given the responsibility for the construction of the temple. The foundation work of the same will start in April and the official foundation stone is to be laid in May, said the priest. He added that this will be the largest temple of Jains in Eastern Uttar Pradesh.

The temple located in Bai Ka Bagh is considered to be very important by the devotees of the Jain community. We are trying to start the construction work from May 2023 and get it completed at the earliest. It may take three-to-four years to be fully completed. The temple would be built on a land of around 4,000 square yards. A two-storey Dharamshala will also be built in the campus, said Chandrakant Savla, one of the prominent members of the community from the city.

According to the stone inscription, the first Tirthankar Lord Rishabhdev arrived here hundreds of years ago. Back then, Prayagraj was called Purimtaal. It was on this land that Lord Rishabhdev attained Kevalgyan (enlightenment or omniscience roughly translated as complete understanding or supreme wisdom) and it was here that Mata Marudevi, mother of the first Jain Tirthankar. He also attained enlightenment and Moksha here.

The new temple will be constructed in Madhubani style with exquisite carvings. Along with this, there will be artifacts from the entrance to the main building of the temple. In the three-storey building, on every floor, the artwork of cows, goats and elephants will be carved. This will be the center of attraction for visitors, said the priest.
PATNA: After the appointment of Samrat Choudhary as the new Bihar BJP chief in March, all eyes are now on the organisational revamp of the party under the new leadership to add teeth to its ongoing outreach programmes at various levels in the state, said party functionaries familiar with the development. Bihar BJP president Samrat Choudhary. (HT Photo)

The BJP is set to constitute new teams that will take the party to the all-important 2024 Lok Sabha elections and the 2025 state elections under the new state leadership. It is a big exercise that is due after the change of baton. The process for electing district presidents was completed earlier and now teams at the district and Mandal levels as well as state level have to be constituted. The seven frontal organisations of the party, viz. youth, farmers, women, OBC, SC, etc. will also be reconstituted. It is a natural process in BJP with a change of guard and the brainstorming on it is on, said a senior party functionary.

Speculations are rife about the composition of the new teams, as Samrat Choudharys elevation to the top position is seen as a message down the line that the party could further work to blend more youth with experience in view of the emerging social and political equations with an eye on the Grand Alliances vote arithmetic, which showed its prowess in n the 2015 Assembly elections. The GA had swept the elections then.

The BJP has moved ahead and it has the leadership at the national level that has no match. We have proved the false notion about the invincibility of the GA wrong time and again. We won two of the Legislative Council seats to emerge the biggest party and prior to that, we won the Kurhani and Gopalganj by-polls. The myth of GA will be shattered in 2024, as the BJP will strive to further strengthen the organisation to make the party the only reliable choice in Bihar. The people have already shown their support for the BJP with recent victories, said Bihar BJP president Samrat Choudhary, who is in Mumbai to participate in a Bihar Establishment Day-cum-Acharya Chanakya and Emperor Ashok birth anniversary function, organised by Janmanas Vikas Foundation.

Choudhary said that the organisation change would happen soon in consultation with the senior leaders. The objective is to add more teeth to the fight to make GA irrelevant in the state. The people of Bihar are also keenly watching everything, especially the growing helplessness of chief minister Nitish Kumar even as the state is heading towards lawlessness, he said.

Though Bihar has 38 districts, the party has 45 organisation districts for better management. Besides, BJP has around 1,100 Mandals in the state, which operate at the block level. The state working committee has senior leaders and workers.

In BJP, the organisation keeps reinventing itself according to the needs and aspirations of the people and the emerging political situation. What is visible today has not happened suddenly. The changes started soon after the 2014 Lok Sabha election under the then party president Amit Shah and the process continues. It has blended youth right from the Mandal and district level for the gradual generational shift in the party, though social equations have been maintained. This is what makes the BJP different from other parties, said Bihar BJP spokesman and OBC morcha national general secretary Nikhil Anand.

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The Pune Regional Transport Office (RTO) took action against 20,482 vehicles for violating various types of traffic rules in Pune during the fiscal year 2022-23, collecting a fine of 15 crore in the process. The Pune Regional Transport Office (RTO) took action against 20,482 vehicles for violating various types of traffic rules in Pune during the fiscal year 2022-23 (HT FILE PHOTO)

Throughout last year, stringent action was taken against the violators by special squads of RTO inspectors. It was observed that the most frequented offence was not having vehicle insurance, followed by riding a bike without a helmet.

According to information provided by the Pune RTO, specially trained inspector squads carried out random vehicle checks throughout the city every month.

These checks focused on vehicle-related documents, as well as safety measures required as per the Motor Vehicle Act, such as the use of a helmet while riding a two-wheeler and the use of a seat belt while driving a car.

Additionally, commercial heavy vehicles transporting goods were checked to see if they are carrying an overload than the permitted cargo and whether they have the necessary permits for inter-state transport.

This overall action was carried out by the Vayuveg squad, which is made up of RTO inspectors.

The following traffic rule violations are checked and action is taken: not wearing a helmet, not wearing a seat belt, talking on the phone while driving, not having vehicle insurance, jumping the red light, illegal transportation of passengers, overload goods transportation, and other types of violations.

These are specialised squads formed to take action against vehicle owners who violate the Motor Vehicle Act. Four such squads work in shifts around the clock to take action, Sanjeev Bhor, deputy regional transport officer, informed.
The state highway police division of Pune plans to ask the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) and Ideal Road Builders (IRB) infrastructure developers to make available additional halting joints along the busy Pune-Mumbai expressway. The proposal comes as a response to the increasing number of accidents due to illegal halting on the expressway, which is a major artery connecting two of Maharashtras most populous cities. The state highway police have proposed construction of multiple parking lots equipped with proper lighting, security measures. (HT PHOTO)

According to state highway police officials, the current halting or parking spaces on the Pune-Mumbai expressway are related to only food malls, where heavy vehicles generally avoid halting, leading to haphazard parking on the shoulder of the road, posing a significant safety risk to motorists.

Halting or parking on expressway is prohibited. Even as the norms exist, heavy vehicles take illegal halts after frequent intervals to cool down the vehicle engines, which not only disrupts traffic flow bur also poses a serious risk to commuters.

According to state highway police there are only two halting spaces at the food malls.

Lata Phad, superintendent, state highway police said, The Pune-Mumbai expressway is a crucial transportation route that witnesses heavy traffic round the clock. The lack of adequate halting spaces is not only causing safety hazards but also leading to unnecessary delays and inconvenience for the commuters. We decided to request the IRB to take immediate action and make available additional halting spaces at suitable locations along the expressway.

The state highway police have proposed construction of multiple parking lots equipped with proper lighting, security measures, and facilities such as restrooms, food stalls, and fuel stations. The goal is to provide a safe and organised parking environment that can accommodate the high volume of vehicles passing through the expressway, reducing the risk of accidents and traffic congestion.

The proposal has garnered support from various quarters, including commuters, transport associations, and safety advocacy groups. They have echoed the need for more halting spaces on the Pune-Mumbai expressway and have urged IRB and MSRDC to prioritise this issue to ensure the safety and convenience of all road users.

DN Pawar, president of The Poona District Motor Goods Transport Association welcomed this initiative taken by state highway police. Pawar said, Our trucks carry heavy loads and after climbing ghat section, the drivers tend to take halt to cool down the engine. At that time police penalised them. They do not want to voluntarily halt, but that is need of the vehicle otherwise they have to pay heavy maintenance.Hence it is necessary to have at least two -three halting spaces specifically for heavy vehicles.

Traffic expert and programme director of city-based NGO Parisar, Ranjeet Gadgil said, Yes this is definitely a good solution but this is a long or mid-term solution. It will take time to show desired results, because to identify spaces and land acquisition will take time. But as a part of short-term solution police need to strictly implement no halting rule at expressway. To generate challan is not a solution. In addition to that, people should avoid overtaking from left lane and must use a reflector while halting their vehicle on the expressway.
News / Local

by Staff reporter

ZIMBABWE plans to exponentially increase rice production through the assistance of Japan, which has undertaken to facilitate the adoption of hybrid varieties that increase yields.Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA) will help Zimbabwe with rice varieties that thrive under local climatic conditions.Zimbabwe imports over 95 percent of the commodity despite having vast tracts of fertile land that can produce the cereal, whose demand continues to grow.Local farmers produce just about a tonne of rice annually, while imports exceed 250 000 tonnes.JICA rice technical adviser Mr Tatsushi Tsuboi has recommended both lowland and upland rice cultivation, as well as production of the New Rice for Africa (Nerica) variety.Nerica is a cross-breed of African rice species and is known for its resistance to diseases and drought, as well as high yields."There is potential for farmers here (Zimbabwe) to better their yields. The researchers need to be capacitated to impart the knowledge to the extension officers and the farmers. It is about expanding seed production," he said in a recent interview with ZBC TV."Farmers need to breed the seeds, then plant, and after harvesting, that also becomes the seed as well, and farmers can then share the seeds; that way, production will go far."Increased rice imports are reportedly being driven by growing local demand.While a few growers cultivate the cereal adjacent to maize on a commercial scale, communal farmers occasionally plant the crop in wetlands.The Sunday Mail Business understands the Government is working on interventions to reduce the high rice import bill, which has averaged US$80 million per annum in the past three years.In 2022 alone, nearly US$100 million was spent on bulk rice imports.According to Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Deputy Minister Vangelis Haritatos, research is underway on varieties that can give yields of "10 tonnes per hectare".Since 2021, Government, together with other partners in agriculture, has been conducting studies and trials designed to increase domestic rice production.The authorities have previously conducted research, in collaboration with Seed Co, to identify equipment, processes and technologies that can be applied to rice production.Mr Brian Ruzvidzo  a commercial farmer in Macheke, Mashonaland East  said introducing rice as another staple can be important for the Zimbabwean economy."Most of the rice worldwide is cultivated on dry land under irrigation. We must copy such strategies and maximise the benefits. This will reduce our reliance on rice imports," he said.In Zimbabwe, JICA is working with Government on various projects in agriculture, road rehabilitation and technical assistance, among many others.Japan recently extended a grant aid of approximately US$21 million to improve a steep section of the road between Makuti and Chirundu on the North-South Corridor.
The Great Nicobar Project has come to exemplify a fractious ongoing national debate between strategic and economic imperative on one side, and long-term climate and environmental sustainability on the other. The 75,000 crore project, which includes a shipping terminal, power project and township, builds on previously untested economic potential in a geostrategic spot close to major shipping lines, but risks wiping out tropical evergreen forests, mountain ranges and coastal plains that foster rich diversity, and several rare and endemic species. PREMIUM The strategic importance of the project has to be balanced against its potentially dire environmental costs, especially when the climate crisis routinely pummels the country. (AFP)

Last week, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) ruled that it would not interfere with the forest and environment clearances (ECs) accorded to the project but constituted a high-powered committee (HPC) to revisit the ECs. This came in response to a petition that argued against the clearances, saying the impact of the diversion of rainforests on biodiversity, wildlife habitats and tribals was not considered, and that mandatory processes under the forest rights rules were not followed.

It remains unclear whether the order will help. As conservationists argue, the HPC is loaded with government officials and will be headed by the secretary of the same ministry that granted the clearances. Moreover, they say key concerns about the project were not even heard before passing the order and that the tribunal has failed to understand, let alone acknowledge, the scale of the ecological damage this project will cause.

The strategic importance of the project has to be balanced against its potentially dire environmental costs, especially when the climate crisis routinely pummels the country. Instead of focussing on a unidimensional view of the countrys development and strategic requirements, it is advisable to take a holistic view. This is only possible when there is rigorous deliberation of all aspects of the project, and robust oversight to ensure a strict adherence to the rules. Such a strategy will ensure that we dont pay a heavy climate price (which could erode infrastructure gains too) in the future.
Actor Kartik Aaryan and filmmaker Karan Johar might be working on a project together. While nothing about their collaboration has been announced yet, on Sunday the actor and the filmmaker were seen leaving the same building at the same time. The two had a fallout a couple years ago, leading to the actor's exit from Dostana 2. Also read: Rani Mukerji and Bhumi Pednekar hug each other at Mumbai event; Kiara Advani, Janhvi Kapoor pose for paparazzi Karan Johar and Kartik Aaryan met in Mumbai. (Varinder Chawla)

Some visuals of Kartik and Karan Johar leaving the premises have surfaced. It was shared by the paparazzi, and read, KJo and Kartik bury the hatchet Kartik Aaryan and Karan Johar clicked after a professional meeting in Juhu. For the alleged meeting, Kartik kept it simple in a grey t-shirt with jeans. He also sported a cap and sunglasses.

Karan, on the other hand, looked relaxed in a printed white kurta. He paired it with loose black pants and glasses. Reacting to their pictures and videos, social media users started debating on their appearance.

One of them wrote, When is the big announcement? Dostana 2? asked another one. Someone else also said, @karanjohar Please cast @kartikaaryan and @saraalikhan95 together. We're dying to see them together and only you can make this happen Bring the magical couple together with your magic as we all know #sartik things started from you.

Karan Johar's Dharma Productions had announced Dostana 2 in 2019. The filming of the project, like many others, was paused due to the Covid-19 pandemic. While the production house was yet to resume filming, reports about Kartik and Karan's alleged fallout started doing rounds. Rumours of Kartiks unprofessional behaviour upsetting Karan also surfaced at the same time.

However, the two have been cordial when meeting each other at events. When asked about differences with the industry people could cost him work, last year Kartik had told Indian Express, I just focus on my work. Thats all I would like to say on this. Look at my (film) line-up (right now). He was also asked about the rumours about a few industry insiders creating a lobby against him. He replied, What happens, at times, is people make baat ka batangad (make a mountain out of a molehill). There is nothing more to it. No one has so much time (to think so much). Everybody just wants to work, do good work. Other than that, things are just rumours."

Kartik will be next seen in Satyaprem Ki Katha with Kiara Advani. Karan has Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani with Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt.

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Kangana Ranaut has shared a couple of pictures of herself and posted a romantic couplet alongside the pics on social media. Her fans, and internet users are now wondering who is it that she fell for. (Also read: Kangana Ranaut calls Yami Gautam inspiring, says she is 'consistently, quietly delivering most successful films') Kangana Ranaut has shared few pictures of herself.

Kangana shared the pictures that show her close-up shots as she posed for the camera. She wrote alogside, "Ishq wo aatish hai ghalib jo lagane se lagti nahi aur bujhane se bujhti nahi (Love is a spark that does not ignite when you try to, and neither is it extinguished when you try - a slight twist to Ghalib's lines on love)."

Most of her fans flooded the comment section on her post praising her looks, and cheering her for being "brave". One of them also responded with a song, wondering who is it that she fell in love with. Kaun hai jo sapno mein aya, kaun hai jo dil me samaya..Aaj khol dijiye saare raaz (Who features in your dreams, and resides in your heart? Reveal the secret today).

During her visit to the Border Security Force's Frontier Headquarters in Jammu, Kangana spoke about her idea of the perfect partner. She was there to promote Vishal Bhardwaj's Rangoon, in 2017. Kangana had said she finds men in uniform very attractive and full of integrity.

In a 2021 interview with Times Now, Kangana had said, I definitely want to be married and have babies. I see myself as a mother five years down the line and as a wife, and of course as someone who is actively participating in the vision of new India." Asked aout the details of her partner, Kangana had promised you will know soon.

Most recently seen in the action film, Dhaakad, Kangana has an interesting line up of films. With Emergency, Kangana makes her directorial debut and also features in the role of late Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi. The movie also stars Pankaj Tripathi, late Satish Kaushik and Shreyas Talpade. She will be seen as an air force pilot in Tejas and will essay the titular role in Sita The Incarnation.

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Actor Shah Rukh Khan is in cloud nine as his team Kolkata Knight Riders won the Sunday IPL match against Gujarat Titans. In his latest tweet, he heaped praises on KKR player Rinku Singh who became the star of the match with five consecutive sixes. He also went on to call him his baby and shared an edited poster from his recent hit, Pathaan, featuring Rinku in his place. Also read: GT vs KKR: Ranveer Singh screams Rinku Singh's name, Aryan Khan calls him 'beast' after 6-6-6-6-6 wonder Shah Rukh Khan's Kolkata Knight Riders won against against Gujarat Titans on Sunday.

Sharing the edited poster, the actor wrote, JHOOME JO RINKUUUUU !!! My baby @rinkusingh235 And @NitishRana_27 & @venkateshiyer you beauties!!! And remember Believe thats all. Congratulations @KKRiders and @VenkyMysore take care of your heart sir!

Reacting to Shah Rukhs post, excited fans flooded the comment section. One of them wrote, He deserves a dinner today at Mannat. This edit, so cute, added another person. A Twitter user also said, So happy that KKR are doing well!!! 2 games won in a row Well done to a superb innings by Rinku Singh.

KKR needed 9 runs off the last over when Rinku slammed left-arm pacer Yash Dayal for five sixes. It was a three-wicket win over Gujarat Titans. Rinku received the Player of the Match award for his performance. With this win, KKR reached the third position in the points table, winning two of their three matches and losing one earlier.

The match took place at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. In attendance was actor Juhi Chawla, who co-owns the KKR team. She shared a photo of herself from the match as she reached Gujarat to cheer for the team.

Rinkus performance has not only impressed Shah Rukh, but several other celebrities. Ranveer tweeted right after Rinku's five sixes. RINKU !!!!!!!!! RINKU !!!!!!! RINKU !!!!!!! RINKU !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yeh kya tha !?!?!?! #IPLonStar #GTvsKK @KKRiders #rinkusingh @StarSportsIndia, he wrote. Even Aryan Khan, Shah Rukh Khans son, praised Rinku. He called him a beast in his latest Instagram Stories. His sister Suhana Khan called him unreal in her Instagram Stories as well.

Arjun Rampal wrote, Omg KKR #RikuSingh 5 sixes in a row. What a chase incredible, never seen anything like this. Absolutely exhilarating. Congratulations #KKR #Hattrick #IPL2023 #insanity #chase200plus.

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Actor Swara Bhasker is celebrating her first birthday after marrying Samajwadi Party leader Fahad Ahmad. She turned 35 on Sunday. Celebrating it, Fahad took to Twitter and shared their loved up photo with a sweet wish. He also addressed her as bhai (brother) and at the end of the post, shared a clarification about it after they were criticised the last time for Swara calling him the same. Also read: Swara Bhasker's old tweet calling fiance Fahad Ahmad bhai resurfaces ahead of wedding in March Swara Bhasker and Fahad Ahmad opted for a court marriage.

The photo featured Swara smiling and sitting next to Fahad. She had placed her head on his shoulder as both posed for the camera in a low-light area. Sharing the photo, the political leader wrote, Many many happy returns of the day bhai, listening to your suggestion on my birthday I am married, I hope u get to know from twitter.

Thank you for completing me in every aspect, I'm blessed to have a friend and mentor like u. I love you my heart P.S-bhai is gender neutral. Meanwhile, Swara is yet to respond to the post.

Swara and Fahad had a court marriage. They announced that they submitted their papers on January 6 under the Special Marriage Act.

Soon after they held an engagement party before the wedding ceremony, an old tweet of the actor in which she called Fahad bhai' had surfaced. Social media users had mixed reactions to it.

Swara and Fahad met at a protest in Delhi. Announcing their wedding, the Veere De Wedding actor said, "Sometimes you search far & wide for something that was right next to you all along. We were looking for love, but we found friendship first. And then we found each other! Welcome to my heart @FahadZirarAhmad Its chaotic but its yours!" Retweeting her post, Fahad added, "I never knew chaos can be so beautiful. Thank you for holding my hand love @ReallySwara."

After tying the knot, the couple held a wedding reception in Delhi. It was attended by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Shashi Tharoor, TMC leader Derek OBrien and actor Jaya Bachchan among many others. A Walima ceremony was also kept in the city where Swara wore a bridal outfit from a Pakistan designer.

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Couple Bomman and Belli, who were seen as elephant caretakers in the documentary The Elephant Whisperers, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday. This is the first time that the couple met PM Modi. The PM visited the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve in Tamil Nadu and also spent time with Bommi and Raghu at the Theppakadu elephant camp. (Also Read | PM Modi meets Guneet Monga, Kartiki Gonasalves, lauds their Oscar win for The Elephant Whisperers) The Elephant Whisperers' Bomman and Belli with PM Narendra Modi.

In a video shared by news agency ANI, PM Modi was seen feeding sugarcane to an elephant and also petting them. In the clip, Bomman and Belli stood next to the PM and watched him. The PM also interacted with field directors of tiger reserves that have scored highest in the recently concluded 5th cycle of the Management Effectiveness Evaluation exercise.

In several pictures, Bomman and Belli greeted PM Modi with folded hands. The PM was seen smiling as an elephant kept his trunk on his chest as Bomman and Belli looked on. The couple also posed for pictures with PM Modi.

Last month, The Elephant Whisperers director Kartiki Gonsalves and producer Guneet Monga met PM Modi. He congratulated the team on their success and added that they made India proud with their win. The Elephant Whisperers won the Oscar for Best Documentary Short at the 95th Academy Awards.

After the meeting, PM Modi had tweeted, "The cinematic brilliance and success of The Elephant Whisperers has drawn global attention as well as acclaim. Today, I had the opportunity to meet the brilliant team associated with it. They have made India very proud. @guneetm @EarthSpectrum."

President Droupadi Murmu had also met the duo and praised them for showcasing India's tradition of conservation and living in harmony with nature. "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," the Rashtrapati Bhavan tweeted along with pictures of the meeting.

The Elephant Whisperers is a 41-minute short documentary that explores the bond between Raghu, an orphaned baby elephant, and his caretakers - a mahout couple named Bomman and Bellie - who devote their lives to protect him from poachers and raise him.

The project beat four other contenders to clinch the statuette in the Best Documentary Short Category, making it the first Indian documentary and one of only two Indian productions to win an Oscar.

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Love Is Blind star Bliss Poureetezadi has had a wild ride on the Netflix dating show. From finding herself in the middle of a love triangle to getting engaged outside of the pods, Poureetezadi has experienced it all. In a recent interview with Vulture, she reflects on her time on the show and what she has learned about love and relationships. Love Is Blind star Bliss Poureetezadi has had a wild ride on the Netflix dating show. From finding herself in the middle of a love triangle to getting engaged outside of the pods.

The love triangle

Poureetezadi entered the pods with no expectations, but soon found herself in a chaotic situation involving Zack Goytowski, Irina Solomonova, and birthday cupcakes. Goytowski eventually proposed to Solomonova, who was dubbed this seasons villain by the internet, until they ended things during an awkward honeymoon in Mexico. Goytowski was longing to be reunited with Poureetezadi, and Solomonova was longing to be with  her best friends fiance (but thats for another time). Then, in a Love Is Blind first, Goytowski and Poureetezadi started dating back in Seattle and got engaged  outside of the pods.

When asked how she and Irina handled dating the same person in the pods, Poureetezadi revealed that they didnt really talk. I really drew a lot of boundaries with Irina. I had that conversation about Zack with her multiple times, like, Lets just not talk about this. This isnt serving either of us. You do your thing, Ill do mine. Im not into competition. Im never going to compete for a man, thats just not my vibe. And its not how I approached this experience.

Poureetezadi also reflected on how her impression of Zack changed when he chose Irina. I think it was a fear-based decision, and weve all made decisions from that place. It didnt change my perception of him at all. I still thought he was an absolutely respectable person.

The breakup

Despite feeling a connection with Goytowski, Poureetezadi was surprised when he ended things with her. I knew he was my person. I knew that in my soul. When he ended things, I was surprised. Obviously, I was hurt, but I had so much peace with it. What is meant for me is meant for me.

Poureetezadi also shared that she didnt prepare for the possibility of a breakup. I went in like, I am gonna show up and Im just gonna do this. I didnt want to overly plan for it because I felt like it wouldnt be authentic. I didnt expect to fall in love.

The reunion

When Goytowski returned from Mexico and reached out to Poureetezadi, she was initially nervous about seeing him in real life. I fell in love with this person in the pods without seeing them. It was a reveal moment for me in a lot of ways. I was so nervous it was in public. But when we saw each other our eyes just locked. It was this intense chemistry, like truly the most bizarre thing.

Despite the intense chemistry, Poureetezadi took the time to consider whether getting back together with Goytowski was the right decision. He was always so honest with me in the pods. I felt so safe with him. I really, really felt like I knew this person.

Also read | Love is Blind fans on edge as Bliss Poureetezadi's whereabouts remain a mystery

Bliss and owls

In the interview, Poureetezadi also shared her love for owls and how they have played a role in her life. Owls are such majestic creatures. They have this aura of wisdom and grace. When I was going through a tough time in my life, I would always see owls, and it gave me a sense of comfort and hope. Owls represent the idea of being able to see beyond the surface and truly understanding whats happening beneath the surface.

Poureetezadis time on Love Is Blind has been a rollercoaster ride, but she has come out of it with a better understanding of herself and what she wants in a relationship. Her story is a testament to the fact that love is unpredictable and can come from unexpected places. As she continues on her journey, we cant wait to see what the future holds for Bliss Poureetezadi.
Recently Netflix confirmed that the Sarah Shahi starred romantic drama series Sex/Life has been canceled one after its Season 2. An insider from Netflix claimed that the second season delivered a closing to the central characters. Netflix is thankful of the efforts given by the shows cast and crew. Image Credit: Netflix

Sex/Life Season 2 premiered on March 2. And the news of the cancellation came just recently.

A viral naughty shower scene from season one sparked a question of romance between Shahi and her co-star Adam Demos. However, 43 years old actresses addressed their on-screen relationship as easy.

Sex/Life (Image Credit:Netflix)

She said, He still is one of my favorite scene partners because everything becomes very easy with him, whether or not its a scene about loving one another or hating one another. All I have to do is kind of look at him and my work is done. She considered herself lucky for having such a generous costar.

Demos also sings the praises of working with Shahi. He stated, Shes such an incredible actor, and I always feel very lucky to be doing scenes with her, because she definitely makes me better.

I am such a fan of her as an actor and obviously as a person. So if you can mix those two worlds together, more the merrier for me. Shes my favorite person in the world. He added.

Despite she raved about working with Demos, Shahi addressed the titled shows second season very gimmicky on a podcast before the shows cancellation.

Shahi, 40, said, Im not going to put the showdown, but I definitely did not have the support that I did the first season from the people involved in the show. She also added, Never gonna work for Netflix again now after saying all this. The actress was recently associated with ABC legal drama, Judgement as an actor-producer.

Inspired by B.B. Eastons novel 44 Chapters About 4 Men, Sex/Life started premiering on Netflix back in 2021. Season 1 was a blast which followed a love triangle between a woman, her husband, and her past. Its very common for Netflix to cancel a well to do season. Recently the streamer canceled the popular thriller, 1899 from the creator of Dark after Season 1.
Researchers have found that Covid-19 infection can also break into placenta and infect foetuses, causing brain damage to the newborns. The University of Miami study has recently confirmed two cases where babies born to young mothers, who were tested positive to coronavirus' Delta variant in 2020, suffered seizures leading to significant development delays. The report said one of them died at 13 months of age while the other was placed in hospice care unit. Doctors earlier suggested possibilities of infection from pregnant mothers to their infant through placenta but there was no direct evidence until now. (Getty Images)

Also read: Experts urge precaution amid Covid surge, say its common cold like spread indicates endemicity

According to the study, neither of the babies tested Covid positive at birth, however, they had high levels of anitibodies to the virus in their blood. This suggests that the virus had likely transferred from the mother to the baby invading the placenta, Dr Merline Benny, a neonatologist at the University of Miami, was quoted as saying by Reuters. Evidence of virus was discovered in placentas of both mothers.

Traces of the coronavirus was also found after an autopsy was conducted in the brain of the child who died. According to Dr Benny, the presence of the virus suggests its direct infection causing brain injury.

Despite being tested positive for the virus, one of the mothers had only mild symptoms and carried the baby full-term, whereas, the other one fell severely sick which forced doctors to deliver her baby eight weeks early, the study said.

However, the study couldn't work out whether the condition was unique to the coronavirus' Delta variant or there is a possibility of similar medical condition with the Omicron variants.

Also read: State-wise Covid preparedness as India sees over 6,000 cases

Obstretrician and gynaecologist at the University Dr Shahnaz Duara said though such cases are rare, women who were infected during their pregnancies should inform about the situation to their children's paediatricians to check for developmental delays.

Doctors earlier suggested possibilities of infection from pregnant mothers to their infant through placenta but there was no direct evidence until now.

'

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The situation continues to be tense in Biranpur village of Chhattisgarhs Bemetara district on Sunday, a day after a clash between members of two communities left one dead and three policemen injured. So far, 12 people from both sides have been arrested in the case, officials familiar with the matter said. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad has called for a statewide bandh on Monday even as the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party and the kin of the deceased blamed the police for the incident. (Representative Photo)

The violence in Biranpur, located around 60 km away from Bemetara town, allegedly erupted after a fight between schoolchildren. More than 700 police personnel have been deployed in the district to prevent any untoward incident, the official said, adding that all roads leading to the area have also been barricaded.

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad has called for a statewide bandh on Monday even as the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party and the kin of the deceased blamed the police for the incident.

Chief minister Bhupesh Baghel has appealed for peace. The incident is unfortunate and those who are guilty will be punished as per law, he said.

Meanwhile, amid tight security, the last rites of Bhuvneshwar Sahu (24), were performed by his family members and villagers on Sunday.

The final rites of the deceased man were performed peacefully.The law-and-order situation is still not normal in the village for the future. The administration and police officials will review the law-and-order situation following which further action plans to maintain peace in the village, Bemetara collector PS Alma said.

Meanwhile, family members of the deceased Sahu demanded capital punishment for accused.

The murderers of my son should be given death punishment, said Ishwar Sahu, father of the deceased.

He added that the incident could have been averted had the police acted in time. For a long time, they had been planning to target Hindus in the village.
News / Local

by Staff reporter

The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) believes it will this year recover cash and assets valued at over US$1 billion that were acquired through proceeds of crime, it has been learnt.The anti-graft watchdog has since arrested 61 suspects accused of various corruption-related offences and referred 68 cases to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) during the first three months of the year.In an interview with The Sunday Mail, ZACC chairperson Justice Loyce Matanda-Moyo said: "For asset recovery this quarter, investigations into unexplained wealth are at advanced stages and the commission is confident that by the end of the year the commission will have seized assets valued at US$1 billion . . ."The commission is on course and has made 61 arrests and referred 68 completed dockets to the National Prosecuting Authority."ZACC, she said, has already secured two high-profile convictions, with former Zimbabwe National Road Administration (Zinara) chief executive officer Saston Muzenda and Karoi provincial magistrate Felix Chauromwe being sent to jail by the courts.Muzenda (48) was sentenced to 36 months in jail after being convicted of criminal abuse of office.Prosecutors proved, after a full trial, that Muzenda violated tender procedures when he awarded a contract to an undeserving security company to offer its services to the roads authority at the expense of two other firms that had also been awarded the same job.Chauromwe was jailed for his unlawful release from remand of three Vehicle Inspectorate Department (VID) officers in 2021, in contravention of general lockdown instructions from Chief Justice Luke Malaba."We have enhanced cooperation between the NPA and our ProsecutionLiaison Unit to ensure that more cases are brought to trial," she said."The commission has recruited and capacitated more legal officers to assist in the vetting of dockets so as to ensure that watertight cases are referred to court . . ."We look forward to more conviction in cases that are currently before the courts."Justice Matanda-Moyo said ZACC will be taking the fight to the private sector, especially mining, civil society and non-governmental organisations."In 2023, ZACC will be intensifying the fight against corruption to the private sector, civil society organisations and the non-governmental organisation sector," she said."The mining sector will also be under intensified scrutiny from both investigations for prosecution and asset recovery."Leads from various Auditor-General's reports, she added, will be followed up to ensure the alleged culprits are brought to book."We cannot continue to have the same report year after year."Seventy-four institutions have responded to ZACC, outlining the measures they have put in place to ensure compliance (with recommendations from the AG's report)," she said."In addition, the commission will ensure prioritisation of asset recovery involving high values, investigation of high-profile cases to ensure that 400 cases are completed and referred for criminal prosecution and enhancing regional collaboration."
NCP chief Sharad Pawar may have broken ranks with other opposition parties on the Adani issue, but his friendship with Gautam Adani dates back to nearly two decades when the businessman was exploring expansion into the coal sector. NCP chief Sharad Pawar (HT Photo/Uday Deolekar)

In his Marathi autobiography 'Lok Maze Saangati' published in 2015, Pawar has lavished praise on Adani describing him as hard-working, simple, down to earth and with ambition to make big in the infrastructure sector.

Also read: True that my party supports JPC...: Sharad Pawar clarifies Adani remark

The veteran leader also wrote that it was at his insistence that Adani ventured into the thermal power sector.

Pawar recounts in the book how Adani built his corporate empire from scratch starting as a salesman in Mumbai locals, dabbling in small ventures before trying his luck in the diamond industry.

He was earning well in the diamond industry, but Gautam was not interested in that. He had ambitions to enter the infrastructure sector. He had good relations with Gujarat Chief Minister Chimanbhai Patel and had submitted a proposal to develop a port at Mundhra, the NCP chief wrote.

He recalled that Patel had warned Adani of the port being closer to the Pakistan border and in an arid region. Despite the adversities, he accepted the challenge.

Pawar wrote that later Adani made his foray in the coal sector and it was at his suggestion that the businessman ventured into the thermal power sector.

Pawar, who was the then Union Agriculture Minister, said he had made the suggestion to Adani during a function to mark the death anniversary of NCP leader Praful Patel's father at Gondiya in Maharashtra.

Gautam acknowledged my suggestion in his speech. Usually, nothing much happens on statements made from the podium, but Gautam pursued the matter and established a 3,000 MW thermal power plant in Bhandara, the former Maharashtra chief minister said.

In the book, Pawar recounts how he developed close ties with several businessmen as he sought to usher in development in Maharashtra during his decades-long political career.

The NCP chief said he remained in regular touch with business leaders who could meet him without appointment daily between 2 pm and 4 pm during his tenure as the chief minister.

Pawar recounted his arrangement with the then Gujarat chief minister Chimanbhai Patel, who would divert big projects to Maharashtra. Pawar said he reciprocated the gesture by sending some small projects to Gujarat, an arrangement that ensured the two states scaled greater heights on the economic front.

Pawar has also written about how he helped Hyundai Motors set up a manufacturing plant in Tamil Nadu after the Korean carmaker faced some hurdles in setting up business in Maharashtra during the Shiv Sena-BJP rule.

Also read: After Savarkar row, Congress isolated in MVA over Adani issue

Amid a strident opposition campaign demanding an investigation into the Adani Group by a Joint Parliamentary Committee, Pawar surprised his fellow opposition leaders by favouring a probe into the dealings of the Gujarat-based business house by a Supreme Court-appointed panel.

Pawar also came out in support of the Adani Group and criticised the narrative around Hindenburg Research's report on the conglomerate, saying that he felt that the business group was targeted and that he was not aware of the antecedents of the US-based short-selling firm.

Pawar has charted a different course than the Congress on issues such as criticism of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar and the Adani Group.
Indias Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu has said that Khalsa is a uniting and not a dividing force, days after instances of violence at the Indian missions by a small group of pro-Khalistan supporters. Khalistan supporters protest outside Indian Embassy in Washington, US. (PTI file)

Sandhu, who comes from an illustrious Sikh family, made the remarks on Saturday at an event where he was presented with the prestigious Sikh Hero Award from Sikhs of America along with several other eminent Sikh Americans.

Khalsa, which was created on the Baisakhi day, by Guru Gobind Singh is a uniting and not a dividing force, Sandhu said in his keynote address at the event, which was attended by eminent Sikh Americans from across the country.

The Khalsa tradition was initiated in 1699 by the tenth Guru of Sikhism, Guru Gobind Singh.

Also Read| Mr Taranjit Singh Sandhu: Khalistan supporter threatens Indian envoy to US. Watch

The important concepts and fundamentals in the Sikh religion and history include universality, unity, equality, honest living, seva, meditation, peace of mind, and harmony between people, he said.

The Khalsa flag -- which flies at the Akal Takht and Nishan Sahibs -- is a flag of unity, peace and universal love, the Indian diplomat said, asserting that Sikhism is a religion of inclusion, brotherhood, love, equality and dive

We must keep these cardinal virtues in mind and not what a couple of mischievous characters spin using virtual media, Singh said in an apparent reference to the instances of violence by a small group of separatists in the US, Canada, UK and Australia.

In his speech, Sandhu shared with the Sikh diaspora the rise of India and some of the key accomplishments of the country in key sectors of economy, digitisation, health and entrepreneurship.

In such a scenario, Punjab and the youth in Punjab need to be connected with the economic, financial, tech and digital revolution happening in India, Sandhu said.

The government, people and in particular the youth must take advantage of the expanding partnership with the US in various fields that Prime Minister Modi and President Biden are trying to put in place, he said.

Noting that youth and their parents are spending millions of dollars for sending their children to the US and Canada, Sandhu said the New Education Policy that has been put in place, and the efforts of the Prime Minister will ensure that such education is available in India as well as Punjab.

Delighted to receive Hero Award from Sikhs of America. Spoke about imp tenets of Sikhism: seva, brotherhood, equality, inclusion & honesty, Sandhu said in a tweet after the event. Highlighted the strengthening of US India partnership and tech and infra transformation taking place in India and huge opportunities for the youth, he tweeted.

In his welcome address, Jasdip Singh Jassee, chairman of Sikhs of America highlighted the role played by awardees in their respective fields. He said that violence has no place in the community.

Others who received the prestigious Sikh Hero Award included entrepreneur and philanthropist Darshan Singh Dhaliwal; Gurbir Singh Grewal, former New Jersey Attorney General; former Hoboken Mayor Ravi Singh Bhalla, and entrepreneur Manraj Singh Kahlon. Slain Sikh police officer Sandeep Dhaliwal was presented the award posthumously.
One intruder was killed and two others were apprehended along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir as the army foiled an infiltration bid by the armed insurgents during the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday. One intruder was killed and two others were apprehended along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir (ANI)

Confirming the incident, Jammu-based defence spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Devender Anand said, On Saturday, around 2215 hours (10:15 pm), alert troops deployed along the Line of Control in Poonch sector observed a suspicious movement of a group (three individuals) near the area.

Around midnight, the group crossed the LoC and started infiltrating into the Indian side. The troops continuously observed the movement of the infiltrating group. At approx 0200 hours (2 am) as the group approached the fence, the alert troops challenged the infiltrators. The intruders started to run away but they were engaged by fire, in which one intruder was shot dead, while the other two managed to run into the jungle, said Colonel Anand. The area was immediately cordoned to prevent their escape across the LoC, he said, adding, a search operation was carried soon after.

Search operation was launched on Sunday and body of one intruder was recovered from the encounter site. As the search progressed in the jungle, one intruder was apprehended in a wounded condition. Subsequently, the third intruder was also apprehended, he added.

The security forces have also recovered three bags with fourteen packets of narcotics weighing nearly 17kg, notes of Pakistan currency, some documents, and eatables. During preliminary questioning, the two intruders claimed that they (all three) are residents of Pakistan Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (POJK) and are residents of Maidan Mohalla in Chanjal village , said the spokesperson.

Earlier on April 3, police had seized a cache of arms and ammunition, suspected to have been dropped by a Pakistani drone, in Vijaypur villages along the border district of Samba in Jammu.The consignment was dropped close to under-construction All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Vijaypur.

Three China-made pistols, six magazines, 48 bullets and four Chinese hand grenades were recovered from the packet, said police.

During the intervening night of March 31 and April 1, Border Security Force (BSF) had also shot down a Pakistani drone along the international border in Ramgarh sector of Samba.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday said that he will file a defamation case against Rahul Gandhi for a social media post by the Congress leader. Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma (ANI Photo)

Whatever Rahul Gandhi has tweeted, it is defamatory. Once Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to Assam on April 14 is over, we will respond to it and a defamation case will be lodged in Guwahati, Sarma said on Sunday.

Also Read: PM Modi to launch projects worth 8,500 cr in Guwahati on April 14

On Saturday, Gandhi posted a tweet in which he suggested the Assam CM had some links with Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani. Responding to it, Sarma replied that he will meet Gandhi in the court of law.

They hide the truth, thats why they mislead everyday! The question remains the same - who has 20,000 crore benami money in Adanis companies? Gandhi wrote on Twitter in Hindi and attached an image with Adani written as an acronym of sorts with letters of the names of the leaders. Sarmas name is also featured in the image.

Sarma said that he doesnt want to discuss the issue at the moment as the state is gearing up to celebrate Bohag Bihu and steps will be taken after April 14the first day of the Assamese New Year.

The Assam CM further hit out at Delhi chief minister and said he is still waiting for an invitation from Arvind Kejriwal to demystify how the Delhi government can provide 1.2 million jobs when the sanctioned strength of government staff for the national capital is only around 150,000.

Also Read: Rahul Gandhi posts 2013 vs 2023 groceries price with a dash of Adani issue

I want to ask him that question. If Assam government has a sanctioned strength of 400,000 employees, how can he give appointments to 1.2 million people? I want to unravel that mystery, said Sarma.

Addressing a rally in Guwahati on April 2, the Delhi CM had claimed that the Aam Admi Party government had given jobs to 1.2 million people in the past 7-8 years.

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Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday said that he will file a defamation suit against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for a social media post suggesting that the former had links with Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani. Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday said that he will file a defamation suit against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi (PTI)

Addressing a press conference, Sarma said steps will be taken in this regard after Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to Assam on April 14 is over.

On Saturday, Gandhi had posted a tweet which read: They hide the truth, thats why they mislead everyday!

The question remains the same - whose 20,000 crore benami money is in Adanis companies? Gandhi asked in the tweet in Hindi, sharing an image with Adani written as an acronym of sorts with letters of the names of the leaders. He cited the names of Ghulam Nabi Azad, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Himanta Biswa Sarma, Kiran Kumar Reddy and Anil K Antony in his tweet. Responding to it, Sarma had replied that he will meet Gandhi in the court of law.

On Sunday, Sarma said: Whatever Rahul Gandhi has tweeted, it is defamatory. Once Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to Assam on April 14 is over, we will respond to it and a defamation case will be lodged in Guwahati.

Neither Rahul Gandhi nor Congress is afraid of Sarmas threat. If the CM can file a case, we can also take legal recourse. Sarma may show ignorance about his own corruption and scams his name have been linked to, but people of Assam know the truth, said Assam Congress president Bhupen Kumar Borah.

Sarma said that he doesnt want to discuss the issue at the moment as the state is gearing up to celebrate Bohag Bihu and steps will be taken after April 14the first day of Assamese New Year.

Taking a jibe at Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, Sarma said he is still waiting for an invitation from him to demystify how the Delhi government can provide 1.2 million jobs when the sanctioned strength of government staff for the national capital is only around 1,50,000.

I want to ask him that question. If Assam government has a sanctioned strength of 400,000 employees, how can I give appointments to 1.2 million people? I want to unravel that mystery, said Sarma.

Earlier, on April 2, Kejriwal while addressing a rally in Guwahati had claimed that the Aam Aadmi Party-led Delhi government had given jobs to 1.2 million people in the past seven to eight years.

(With PTI inputs)

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Will file defamation suit against Rahul Gandhi over his Adani tweet: Assam CM Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma (ANI Photo)

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday said that he will file a defamation case against Rahul Gandhi for a social media post by the Congress leader. Whatever Rahul Gandhi has tweeted, it is defamatory. Once Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to Assam on April 14 is over, we will respond to it and a defamation case will be lodged in Guwahati, Sarma said on Sunday. Read more

Royals duly respected, says Tripura BJP after row over Ujjayanta Palace

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party ( BJP) in Tripura on Sunday said that the states royal family and their history have been given due respect under the saffron rule, and alleged that their structures were demolished during the previous Left regime. Read more

Watch: Needing 28 off 5, Rinku Singh bludgeons 6, 6, 6, 6, 6 in unbelievable last-ball finish as KKR beat GT

Rinku Singh produced an incredible performance for the Kolkata Knight Riders in the side's 2023 Indian Premier League game against Gujarat Titans on Sunday evening, as he smashed five successive sixes when the side needed 28 to win off the last five balls. Read more

GT vs KKR: Ranveer Singh screams Rinku Singh's name, Aryan Khan calls him 'beast' after 6-6-6-6-6 wonder

Kolkata Knight Riders' Rinku Singh slammed five consecutive sixes to pull off a sensational three-wicket win over Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League here on Sunday. Even Bollywood stars and celebrities are mindblown over this feat. Read more

Seeking optimal anti-ageing results? Combine bio remodeling and hyaluronic acid, says skincare expert

Maintaining a firm, healthy and plump skin can be a tough task, especially as you grow older and when you age, it is quite normal to find that the skin becomes paler, thinner and more translucent along with liver spots or age spots, often regarded as pigmentation, in areas exposed to the sun. Read more

PM Modi's jungle safari at Bandipur Tiger Reserve

Prime Minister Narendra Modi took jungle safari at Karnataka's Bandipur Tiger Reserve on April 9 to mark 50 years of Project Tiger Initiative. Read more

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After weeks of relief, summer heat appears to have finally taken hold in Delhi with the maximum temperature in the city on Sunday touching 34.8 degrees Celsius  the highest so far this year  with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasting a gradual rise in mercury thanks to no rain in the coming week. Mercury in Delhi is now expected to see a steady rise. (PTI)

The air quality in Delhi, meanwhile, deteriorated back into the poor category on Sunday thanks to dry westerly dust-raising winds and clear skies.

While IMD had earlier forecast chances of rain on Sunday and Tuesday, its revised forecast now states that rain is unlikely over the next week.

Also read: Hot summer, above normal temperature in most parts of India from April-June: IMD

With the maximum temperature at 34.8C (within the range of what is considered normal for this time of the year) and clear skies likely over the coming week, forecasts say the mercury in Delhi is now expected to see a steady rise. This should see the maximum temperature touching 36 degrees by Thursday and 37 degrees by Saturday, according to the revised forecasts.

Prior to Sunday, the highest maximum temperature in Delhi had been 34.3C, which was recorded on March 15. On Saturday, Delhis maximum was 34.1 degrees Celsius.

In terms of the minimum temperature, Delhi recorded a low of 15.4C Celsius, which is four degrees below normal. It was 14.1 degrees Celsius on Saturday.

The onset of hot days predicted in coming days follows a period of cooler-than-usual weather through the second half of March and early April, which has meant that so far, Delhi residents were yet to experience the full blast of summer this year.

Temperatures generally cross the 35-degree mark in March in Delhi, as opposed to April, with it touching a high of 39.6C in March itself last year (March 31). In March 2021, the highest maximum recorded was 40.1C (March 30). In April, the maximum generally tends to cross the 40-degree mark, particularly towards the end of the month. Last year, the highest maximum temperature recorded in April was 43.5C (on April 29 and 30), while in April 2021, the highest maximum was 42.2C on April 29.

By this time last year, the maximum in Delhi had already touched 42.4C on April 9. In 2021, the highest maximum till April 9 had been 40.1C  highlighting how different this years start to summer has been.

Earlier, IMD had forecast chances of very light rain in isolated places of Delhi on Sunday, along with a little rain expected on Tuesday as well. However, the forecast has now been changed, with IMD stating that the cyclonic circulation formation which was expected to over south Haryana and northeast Rajasthan over the weekend, is no longer likely.

We were expecting a cyclonic circulation to form, which would have then brought in some moisture to Delhi-NCR, leading to some rain. However, that cyclonic circulation is now not forming and we are seeing dry westerly to north-westerly winds take over. With no active western disturbance likely either in the next seven days, most parts of the country will see clear skies in the coming week, with the maximum to gradually rise, said IMD scientist Kuldeep Srivastava.

Meanwhile, Delhis 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) was recorded at 217 (poor) on Sunday, based on Central Pollution Control Boards national bulletin, while it was 172 (moderate) at the same time on Saturday.

The last time Delhis AQI was in poor was on March 24, when the average AQI was 207. The last time it was higher was on March 16, when it was 259. Experts said while back-to-back western disturbances in March had brought moisture and rain, which improved the AQI considerably, dry weather has once again returned, with the wind direction currently westerly to north-westerly.

The moisture content has reduced considerably, leading to clear skies. The wind direction is also westerly now, which is bringing in dust from Rajasthan, a second met official said.

The 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.

The Early Warning System for Delhi (EWS), a forecasting model under the ministry of earth sciences, says Delhis AQI will remain in the poor category till April 12, due to an increase in the dust concentration.
Right-wing activist Kajal Hindustani was arrested on Sunday in Gujarat's Gir Somnath district for allegedly delivering a "hate speech" on Ram Navami that caused a communal clash in Una town on April 1, police said. Kajal Hindustani (File Photo/Twitter)

Hindustani surrendered before the police in Una on Sunday morning following which she was arrested and produced before a court which remanded her in judicial custody, a police officer said.

Hindustani, who identifies herself as an entrepreneur, research analyst, social activist, nationalist, and a "proud Indian" on her Twitter bio and has more than 92,000 followers including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is a regular at events organised by Vishwa Hindu Parishad. A First Information Report (FIR) was registered against Hindustani under section 295 A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) of the Indian Penal Code on April 2, two days after she allegedly delivered a provocative speech at a Hindu community congregation organised by the VHP on Ram Navami on March 30. Communal tension prevailed in Una for two days after Hindustani's speech which resulted in a clash between two communities and the pelting of stones on April 1 night, police said. Police had registered an FIR against a mob and arrested more than 80 people, most of them from a minority community, for rioting.
Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde, who along with his deputy Devendra Fadnavis visited Ayodhya, on Sunday said those who doubted the construction of a Ram temple in the Uttar Pradesh town were shown their way home as the process has started and the work is in full swing. Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde with deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis and supporters during a visit to Ayodhya on Sunday, (PTI)

On his first visit to Ayodhya as chief minister, Shinde lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi for making Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray's dream come true beginning the construction of the Ram temple.

Everyone would wonder when the construction work would start. Some used to say mandir wahin banayenge, par tarikh nahi batayenge' (the temple will be built there, but the dates will not be told). But Prime Minister Narendra Modi has got the work started and the dream of crores of Ram bhakts is being fulfilled.... Those asking for the dates have also been shown their way home, Shinde told reporters.

After becoming the chief minister, I came here for the first time. With the blessings of Lord Ram, we got our symbol of bow and arrow and the name of our party... Ram Temple is not a political topic for us, it's our faith, Shinde said after paying obeisance to Ramlalla and overseeing the construction work of the temple.

Shinde's supporters were seen carrying saffron flags with the Shiv Sena's election symbol.

At Hanumangarhi, the Maharashtra chief minister was given a mace by temple mahant Raju Das. Fadnavis and BJP MP Brijbhushan Sharan Singh were also present on the occasion, news agency PTI reported.

Hitting out at former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, Shinde said he wants to tell those who used to say this is ravan raaj that this government has been made with the blessings of Lord Ram.

"They put (independent MP) Navneet Rana and her husband in jail for reciting the Hanuman Chalisa. When seers were killed, they kept silent. Now, there will be no atrocities on the poor and seers will be honoured and protected," Shinde said.

Shinde added that "we will take the soil from here to Amravati, where a 111-foot statue of Bajrangbali will be built".

Shinde had visited Ayodhya as a Sena leader on November 25, 2018, a year before the Supreme Court announced its verdict in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute.

(With inputs from PTI)

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News / National

by Staff reporter

1 Peter 5:6-7. Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. pic.twitter.com/jSw8RgNHPF  Nick Mangwana (@nickmangwana) April 8, 2023

PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa, is seeking a second presidential term, yesterday attended a Methodist Church Easter Conference that was held Saturday in Seke, a district of the Mashonaland East province.Mnangagwa, a Methodist church member, was seen on photos distributed by Nick Mangwana knelling before bishops George Mawire and Edmore Chihota who prayed for him.Zimbabwe is standing on a threshold of elections which will be likely held between July and August this year.Mnangagwa is seeking a second presidential term after replacing long-time ruler Robert Mugabe in a military-assisted takeover in 2017 before narrowly winning a disputed election a year later against Nelson Chamisa.The Zanu-PF leader will likely face off against opposition leader Chamisa again in this year's plebiscite.
Amid an ongoing military standoff with China, the Special Forces of the US and India are carrying out wargames with a focus on supporting fighter aircraft operations in forward areas. Indian and US Army personnel take part in the India-US joint military exercise Yudh Abhyas 2023.(File photo)

The wargames are being carried out at Special Forces training centres near here, defence sources told ANI here.

The operations are likely to have focused on supporting the fighter aircraft operations including designating targets in frontline areas by laser so that the precision-guided bombs can reach their designated target accurately, the sources said.

The troops of both countries are likely to join up with the larger contingent of both sides including their fighter and transport aircraft at Kalaikunda codenamed Ex CopeIndia, the sources said.

Also Read| We hope: India on Chinas counter-measures against Indian journalists

The US Air Force is scheduled to bring in F-15 Strike Eagle fighter jets but there may be some change in the schedule of the drill which was planned to begin on April 10.

The Indian Air Force is carrying out multiple wargames and working towards strengthening the Indian military image globally as it has recently held exercises in the UK and the UAE with global powers.

It is also going to go to France with its most potent Rafale fighter jets for multilateral exercise Orion while it will also be in Greece for another wargame with its fighter jets from a frontline command.

The IAF has been the country's strongest arm along with the ground troops in the conflict with China as on multiple occasions they have deployed in forward areas very close to the border.

The Indian Special Forces troops are also deployed in mountainous peaks along with the Eastern Ladakh sector for supporting fighter aircraft and combat helicopter ops.
The army killed a terrorist and captured two others alive as they foiled an infiltration bid by the armed insurgents along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district during the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday, officials said. On the intervening night of 8/9 April 2023, alert troops of Indian Army on the LoC in the Poonch Sector(J&K), detected some suspicious movement of a group of individuals (Representative Image)

On Saturday at around 2215 hours (10.15pm), alert troops deployed on the LoC) in the Poonch sector observed a suspicious movement of a group (three individuals) close to the Line of Control, said Jammu-based defence spokesperson Lt Col Devender Anand.

He added that around midnight, the group crossed the LoC and infiltrated the Indian side. At approx 0200 hours (2am) as the group approached the fence, the alert troops challenged the infiltrators. They engaged in a fire exchange in which one intruder was shot dead, while the other two managed to run into the jungle taking advantage of the thick foliage and rocky outcrop.

Also Read: 54 youths who got Passports travelled to Pakistan for terror training: J&K Police

The area was immediately cordoned off to prevent their escape across the LoC, he said, adding a search operation was launched at the first light on Sunday wherein the dead body of one intruder was recovered at the encounter site.

As the search progressed in the jungle, one intruder was apprehended alive in wounded condition. In the subsequent search the third intruder was also apprehended alive added Lt Col Anand.

In the search operation so far, three bags with fourteen packets of narcotics weighing nearly 17 kgs, Pakistan currency, some documents, and eatables have been recovered, officials said.

During preliminary questioning, the two intruders who have been apprehended alive, informed that they (all three) were residents of Pakistan Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (POJK) and belong to Maidan Mohalla in Village Chanjal, said the spokesperson.

With their quick action, Indian Army troops have prevented a major infiltration bid of a narco terror group that had the potential of disturbing peace in the Poonch and Rajouri districts, said an army spokesperson.

On April 3, police seized a cache of arms and ammunition, suspected to have been dropped by a Pakistani drone, in Rakh Barutia village of Vijaypur in the border district of Samba.

The consignment was dropped close to the under-construction All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Vijaypur. Three China-made pistols, six magazines, 48 bullets and four Chinese hand grenades were recovered from the packet.

Also Read: Along LAC, India might need to bolster its stance

During the intervening night of March 31 and April 1, Border Security Force (BSF) fired at a Pakistani drone along the international border in the Ramgarh sector of the Samba district.

On March 29 around 9.30pm, there was a powerful IED blast near a border police post in Sanyal of Hiranagar sector of Kathua district. The blast that took place barely 4 km from the zero line in the Hiranagar sector, around 9.30pm, was heard in four to five villages along the border.

It may be stated that when snow begins melting in the mountain passes, Pakistan begins shifting its focus to the LoC to push terrorists, drugs, and weapons from traditional routes in Rajouri and Poonch.

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The fertilizer ministry cracked down on networks illegally diverting subsidized farm chemicals for industrial use and marketing substandard products in several states, seizing 66,276 bags of 45kg each in the year ended March 31, official data show. The fertilizer ministry cracked down on networks illegally diverting subsidized farm chemicals for industrial use (Agencies/Representative use)

The ministrys flying squad that seized the material is a crack surveillance team that monitors domestic movement of crop nutrients and tracks illegal sales and diversion of fertilisers.

Authorities raided and shut 94 units selling admixtures of various subsidized fertilizers either for diversion to industrial users or making spurious products, the data showed. Apart from being a valuable crop nutrient, urea is a raw material in various industries, such as resin, plywood, crockery making and moulding powder units.

India relies on imports to meet its domestic demand for fertilisers, which are subsidized for millions of farmers. The countrys food security is closely linked to availability of crop nutrients. Global prices rocketed in 2022 due to the Ukraine conflict, stretching the governments estimated spending on fertilizer subsidies for 2022-23 to an estimated 2.25 lakh crore.

The department of fertilisers in coordination with revenue officials and local police carried out surprise inspections 289 units in 14 states, according to the data. Networks involved in illegal operations were busted in Gujarat, Haryana, Kerala, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Bihar and Maharashtra in 2022-23 financial year, an official said, requesting anonymity.

States have taken action against units found buying cheap urea stocks meant for farmers, repackaging them as industrial-grade urea and selling them as industrial raw materials, defrauding the government. As many as 28 first information reports have been lodged for diversion of urea, the official said.

Of the 66,276 bags, the government disposed of 30,000, the official said. The flying squad also unearthed Goods and Services Tax evasion worth 63.43 crore. Of this, nearly 6 crore has been recovered.

India wont need to make spot imports of urea for the oncoming kharif season, with enough stocks to last six months, fertilizer and chemicals minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on March 22.

The estimated urea demand is 17.9 million tonne, while domestic output is pegged at 13.9 million tonne. An opening balance of 5.5 million tonne will take total availability to a surplus 19.4 million tonne, data from the ministry showed.

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Noted Indian-American statistician Calyampudi Radhakrishna Rao has been awarded the 2023 International Prize in Statistics, often referred to as the Nobel prize of statistics, earlier this week. Noted Indian-American statistician Calyampudi Radhakrishna Rao. (File Photo)

We are delighted to announce that the 2023 International Prize in Statistics has been awarded to C.R. Rao whose work more than 75 years ago continues to exert a profound influence on science, the International Prize in Statistics tweeted on April 3.

The prize is awarded biennially by a collaboration among five leading international statistics organizations and recognizes any major achievement by a person or any team.

Rao will receive the prize, which comes with an $80,000 award, in July at the biennial International Statistical Institute World Statistics Congress at Ottawa in Canada.

Rao, in his research paper published in the Bulletin of the Calcutta Mathematical Society in 1945, had demonstrated three fundamental results that paved the way for the modern field of statistics and provided statistical tools heavily used in science today.

Legendary C.R Rao now 102 has been awarded statistics Nobel. Till 1979 he continued the Mahalanobis legacy at Indian Statistical Institute. His ground-breaking 1945 paper was in Bulletin of Calcutta Mathematical Society, also where Nobel Laureate, CV Raman discovered Raman Effect, tweeted Jairam Ramesh, Congress MP.

Born in Karnataka in 1920, Rao, an Eberly professor Emeritus in the statistics department at Pennsylvania State University, is one of the architects of Indian Statistical Institute in Kolkata, with whom he has been associated since 1941. He has PhD and ScD degrees from Cambridge University.

Immediately after getting the MA degree, Rao joined ISI founded by PC Mahalanobis. He joined the ISIs training section on January 1, 1941 for training in statistics. After the demise of Mahalanobis, Rao worked as secretary and director of ISI from July 1972 to June 1976. He was head and later director of the research and training school at ISI for a period of over 40 years, states the ISIs website.

Apart from being conferred with the Padma Bhusan in 1968 and Padma Vibhushan in 2001, Rao received the SS Bhatnagar prize in 1963 and was elected a fellow of the Royal Society in 1967. He also received the Wilks Medal of the American Statistical Association in 1979 and US National Medal of Science in 2002.

Rao has held positions as Jawaharlal Nehru professor and national professor in India, university professor at the University of Pittsburgh and Eberly professor and chair of statistics and director of the Center for Multivariate Analysis at the Pennsylvania State University.
New Delhi: India is home to at least 3,167 tigers, the 2022 census by the National Tiger Conservation Authority released by Prime Minister Narendra Modi showed on Sunday, an increase of 6.74% from 2,967 in 2018, the previous occasion the big cats were counted in the wild. As many as 3,080 tigers were photographed in 2022, compared with 2,461 captured on camera in 2018. (PTI)

As many as 3,080 tigers were photographed in 2022, compared with 2,461 captured on camera in 2018, according to the Status of Tigers report. India hosts some 75% of the global tiger population living in forests.

Despite the modest increase of 200 in four years, most tiger reserves in the country are like tiny islands of conservation, with areas outside the protected zones showing unsustainable land use, the report said, which could be responsible for localised extinctions in some parts of central India.

The Western Ghats, a global biodiversity hotspot, showed a significant decline in numbers, from 981 in 2018 to 824 in 2022, the report said. Out of the approximately 400,000 sq km of forests in tiger states, only a third are in relatively healthier condition, it said.

Since its inception (in 1973), the project has expanded from nine tiger reserves covering 18,278 km2 to 53 reserves covering 75,796 km2, which account for 2.3% of Indias land area, the report said. Despite this, most tiger reserves and protected areas in India are existing as small islands in a vast sea of ecologically unsustainable land use, and many tiger populations are confined to small protected areas.

Although some habitat corridors exist that allow tiger movement between them, most of these habitats are not protected areas, continue to deteriorate further due to unsustainable human use and developmental projects, and thereby are not conducive to animal movement, the report highlighted.

The increase in tiger population was substantial in the Shivalik hills in the outer Himalayas and the Gangetic floodplains, followed by central India, northeastern hills and Brahmaputra floodplains, and the Sundarbans in the Gangetic delta.

In Shivalik, the number of tigers has increased to 804 from 646 in 2018, in central Indian landscape to 1,161 from 1,033, in northeastern landscape to 219 from 194 and in the Sunderbans to 100 from 88.

We are reaching capacity in some landscapes. Especially in the Terai and central India, we are full, but there is a lot of scope to improve numbers in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Goa and the northeastern states, said YV Jhala, wildlife biologist and former dean of the Wildlife Institute of India, and co-author of the report.

We can easily add 1,000 to 1,500 more tigers there with effective habitat management, Jhala said. More tigers can be added to the Western Ghats region also. We need investments and planning to add tiger numbers in these regions where habitats are not being used fully for tiger conservation.

Tiger numbers cannot keep growing linearly or exponentially in populations where they are already healthy. The increase in tiger numbers this time also may have come from the same states that have done well in the past, said said Anish Andheria, president of the Wildlife Conservation Trust, a non-profit. As a country, India is doing exceedingly well. With 1.4 billion people to increase the population of tigers is no mean feat. No other country has managed this, including African countries.

Tigers in the Shivalik hills and Gangetic plains now number 804, up from 646 in 2018. It is important to repopulate the Shivalik forest division of Uttar Pradesh, along with Kalesar Wildlife Sanctuary of Haryana, and increase protection for tigers in Suhelwa, the tiger conservation authority recommended.

The Terai region of India holds a significant position for the conservation of tigers, as it hosts several key tiger reserves, including Corbett, Rajaji, Pilibhit, Dudhwa, and Valmiki. These protected areas are the only representatives of the rich biodiversity of the Bhabar and Terai regions of the country, the report said.

Linear infrastructure projects such road and railways in the congested corridor between western and eastern Rajaji have left the area functionally extinct for large carnivores and elephant movement, the report said.

In the Western ghats, although tiger occupancy increased in the Anshi-Dandeli landscape, it has declined in the border areas of Goa and Karnataka. A major decline has been observed in the Mookambika-Sharavathi-Sirsi landscape. While wildlife in the human dominated landscape is a cultural part of the Western Ghats, there is increasing tension between humans and mega herbivores & carnivores, the report said. There is utmost need to address this issue if we are to retain one of the worlds biodiversity hotspots.

The northeastern hills and Brahmaputra landscape is secure, the report said, as 194 tigers were captured on camera. The unique wildlife species composition in the northeast makes it ecologically important, coupled with its natural beauty and several indigenous communities, the report said. The region is facing several threats such as habitat loss, poaching and human-wildlife conflict, which needs increased conservation efforts, it said.

The Sundarbans is susceptible to the effects of climate change and the rise of sea levels, which could cause submergence, the report warned. The tiger population, which has increased from 88 to 100, and the landscape are both threatened by biotic interference in the form of forest exploration, fishing, palm and timber extraction and the expansion of waterways, the report said.

The central Indian landscape has seen an increase in tiger population, with 1,161 tigers being photographed compared to an estimated population of 1,033 in 2018. Tigers are occupying new areas in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, but the local tiger population has become extinct in several areas including Sri Venkateswara National Park, Tiger Reserves like Kawal, Satkosia and Sahyadri, the report said.

While the expansion of tiger habitats is a positive development, there is a need to pay attention and act quickly in these areas to reverse the trend of extinction of small populations and avoid negative human-tiger interactions, the report said. Serious conservation efforts are needed to help tiger population recovery in Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh. The small and genetically unique population of tigers in Simlipal is a priority for conservation.

One of the major challenges in tiger conservation is aligning the aspirations of large-scale economic development while safeguarding forests and their wildlife and mitigating human-tiger conflict, the report concluded. Other threats are climate change-related impacts on habitats and the loss of the quality of forests over time.

If we want tiger numbers to go up, we have to make policies to provide livelihoods to the poorest of the poor in these nine tiger states (which are doing poorly in tiger conservation) in industries that are non-injurious to wildlife, Andheria said.
The number of tigers in India have increased by 6.74% from 2,967 in 2018 to 3,167 now, according to the latest census data released by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Karnatakas Mysuru on the occasion of 50 years of Project Tiger on Sunday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Bandipur Tiger Reserve in Karnataka on Sunday. (PTI)

Read here: PM Modi Karnataka visit LIVE UPDATES

There were 1,411 tigers in 2006; 1,706 in 2010; 2,226 in 2014 and 2,967 in 2018. There has been a 124.45% increase in tiger numbers since 2006 according to the estimation results.

PM Modi also released a vision document on Tigers during the Amrit Kaal; a commemorative coin of 50 and the 5th cycle of evaluation of tiger reserves in India. He also launched an International Big Cat Alliance for the conservation of seven big cats which include tigers, leopards, cheetahs, lions, snow leopards, puma and jaguars. Around 97 range countries can be member states of this alliance and it will focus on preventing the extinction of these big cats due to various threats including climate change. It will drive benchmarking of big cat conservation practices and create a corpus of funds for conservation of big cats.

The number of tiger reserves have gone up from 28 in 2006 to 51 today. PM Modi said strong conservation management in India has resulted in a 29% increase of Lion population in Gujarat (674 in 2020 compared to 523 in 2015). The widely distributed Leopard population has seen an increase of about 63% (from 7,910 in 2014 to 12,852 in 2018). The country successfully achieved the worlds first ever wild to wild transcontinental translocation of a big cat (Cheetah) in 2022 and reversed a historic wrong of extinction of Cheetah. India has also achieved zero poaching of one-horned rhinoceros in Assam.

PM Modi called upon international guests from all tiger range countries to pay attention to the unique lifestyles of tribal communities in the Western Ghats who conserve biodiversity and live in harmony with nature in the region. He recollected the Oscar winning documentary, The Elephant Whisperers, which was also based in Mudumalai National Park, which PM Modi visited earlier in the day.

We do not see any conflict between ecology and economy in India, he said in his address while stating that this was borne out by the fact that tiger numbers are consistently increasing in India.

Read here: 3167 tigers in India by 2022: PM Modi reveals the latest census of big cats

India had 2,967 tigers in 2018, or 7 out of every 10 big cats in the wild in the world, according to the All-India Tiger Estimation Results released in 2019.

The number reflects a 33% increase over 2014 when there were 2,226 tigers in the country. That number itself was an improvement over 2010 (1,706) and 2006 (1,411). In the span of 12 years, India had more than doubled its number of tigers, a feat that one expert attributed to sovereign funding and field staff.

Madhya Pradesh had the highest number with 526 tigers (308 in 2014), followed by 524 (406) in Karnataka and 442 (340) in Uttarakhand.
Sitting in a temple compound, the JD(S) candidate CMR Srinath, one of the hundreds of tomato merchants in this town, boasts about his first-mover advantage. Bengaluru, Mar 04 (ANI): Congress leaders Siddaramaiah and Randeep Singh Surjewala and others during a protest against the Karnataka government over alleged corruption, in Bengaluru. (ANI)

The BJP and the Congress havent decided their candidates while I have already covered my constituency. This is an agricultural belt. JD(S) is a local party and is devoted to farmers, Srinath says.

But if the Congress fields (former chief minister) Siddaramaiah, it will be a tough fight, he adds.

At a roadside cold drinks shop, Manjunath, a local BJP supporter, says it is a fight between the JD(S) and the BJP in Kolar, a semi-urban seat with roughly 40% urban population.

Also read: Karnataka polls crucial for Congress to dent BJPs prospects in 2024

If Siddaramaiah is fielded, the entire equation will change. While (former CM) HD Kumaraswamy has a hold on the people of his caste (Vokkaliga), Siddaramaiah is extremely popular among OBCs, SC and Muslims.

The Congress party, which has released two list of candidates for the ensuing Karnataka polls, is silent on Kolar. Siddaramaiah has told the party high command that he wants to contest from both Varuna and Kolar but PCC chief DK Shivakumar is batting for one seat each for all contestants.

As the Kolar issue hasnt yet been settled, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi has twice deferred his rally here. Now, the Congress has announced he will come on April 16. It was Gandhis speech in Kolar at a rally in 2019 that led to his conviction and his disqualification from the Lok Sabha on March 24.

Even as Manjunath maintains that Rahul Gandhis presence will have little impact, he adds that a number of people who are politically aware have sympathy for Gandhi.

Asoka, who runs a mess in the town, said, Many people feel bad about Gandhis disqualification due to a speech made in Kolar. But I doubt if that is an election issue. Leaders will focus on local issues.

A senior Congress leader based in Bengaluru said Gandhis disqualification will be a key plank in the campaign in Kolar and adjoining areas but Srinath rejected the possibility of Gandhi becoming s factor in the Kolar poll. We know very well what are the major issues. We are reaching out to the farmers, SCs, STs and minorities in our door-to-door campaign. Kolars politics is about silk, milk, mango and tomato.

Kolar has remained a tough constituency for the Congress party and it was won only five times in the 14 assembly elections. The current MLA K Srinivas Gowda was elected from JD(U) with 46% votes, in an indication how the JD(S) is strong in this belt. In 2018, the Congress managed less than half of Gowdas votes, at 21.5%.

The Congress MLC from Kolar, ML Anil Kumar, said over the phone that Siddaramaiahs impact will not be confined to Kolar. If he contests from Kolar, which the party must allow him to, the Congress can improve its chances in the neighbouring seats as well.

The battle in Kolar demonstrates the fight in the crucial old Mysuru-Bangalore rural region that has the potential to decide the fate of the election. The parties prospects in the central Karnataka and the old Mysuru belt are likely to decide who will enter the Vidhan Soudha victoriously.

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Thiruvananthapuram: BJP leader and minister of state for external affairs V Muraleedharan visited the Latin Catholic church headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram and met Arch Bishop Mar George Netto. (HT Archives)

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders in Kerala on Sunday visited senior leaders of the Christian community to participate in Easter festivities in what is being seen as a bid to widen the partys reach among the minority community, but the Congress and ruling CPI(M) took pot shots at the party.

While minister of state for external affairs V Muraleedharan visited the Latin Catholic church headquarters in the state capital and met Arch Bishop Mar George Netto, party national executive member P K Krishnadas called on Thalassery Arch Bishop Mar Joseph Pamplany and the party state president K Surendran met Thamarassery Bishop Mar Remijios Inchananiyil. It was a courtesy call and we did not talk politics, said Muraleedharan after his meeting with the Latin Catholic head.

In a related development, head of the Syro-Malabar church Cardinal Mar George Alancherry has lauded the Prime Minister Modis statesmanship and said Christians do not feel insecure in the country any more. But later church spokesman Father Antony Vadakkekara said it was not a political statement, but a general observation.

It was an interview given to an English daily and it was not proper on its part to take out a few sentences and blew them up, Vadakkekara said, adding the church continues to condemn attacks against its institutions and priests in some parts of north India.

But the Congress and CPI(M) cautioned the Christian community against the overtures of the BJP and reminded them about recent attacks against churches by fringe Hindu right-wing groups in north India.

State Congress president K Sudhakaran asked the community to beware of the Dhritarashtra alinganam (King Dhritarashtras wish to hug Bhim soon after Mahabharata battle). He also cited the recent Karnataka minister Muniratnas hate speech against Christians. In an interview the minister had said Christian missionaries were targeting slum population in a big way to convert and they should be handled physically. Later a case was registered against the Karnataka minister.

The ruling CPI(M) said crocodile tears will not fetch much political dividends to the BJP in Kerala. Christians are aware of the true colours of the party. Such dramas will not make any impact, said the party secretariat in a statement.

After victory in north-eastern states recently, in which the BJP and its allies won three out of four states, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said Kerala will be next on the partys agenda and state leaders are desperate to make inroads in Christian heartlands of the state.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is set to officially take over the probe into the Kerala train fire incident, which left three people, including a child dead last Sunday, officials privy to the matter said on Sunday. Thiruvananthapuram: A policeman with a sniffer dog carries out checking at the Central Railway Station in light of the arson attack inside a train near Kozhikode a few days back, in Thiruvananthapuram. (PTI)

The officials close to the probe said they will soon invoke the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) ,terming it a clear case of terror. The central agency is likely to take over the probe on Monday,officials said.

On April 2 accused Shahrukh Saifi, 27, who was arrested on Wednesday from Maharashtras Ratnagiri district and brought to the state two days back, had allegedly sprinkled petrol on his co-passengers and set them on fire after Alapuzha- Kannur Inter-City Express train left Kozhikode station around 9.30 pm, a senior official said, requesting anonymity.

Nine other people had sustained fire injuries during the incident. After the incident, there was a commotion and some passengers, including the accused allegedly jumped from the running train, said police.

Due to the accuseds health condition  as he received burn injuries and later jumped off the train in Ratnagiri  his sustained interrogation was posing a problem, said the police. A team of doctors from the medical college hospital examined him in police custody in Kozhikode on Sunday.

The accused, who is a resident of Shaheen Bagh in Delhi, has confessed to his crime, said the police. Kerala Police on Friday had invoked murder charges against Saifi, a senior police officer said.

The senior official quoted above said that it was a clear case of terror but why did he (Saifi) select Kerala and his motives are still unclear.

The NIA officials camping in Kozhikode have submitted a detailed report to the Union home ministry. It is a clear case of terror involving many states. We will invoke the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) soon. We are sure he was sent to the state by his handlers and he got enough local help also, said another official close to the NIA. He said there was enough planning and conspiracy behind the crime and it was not a single-man mission as confessed by the accused.

The special investigation team (SIT) of Kerala Police probing the case has also identified the petrol pump in Shornor area of Palakkad city from where he bought four litres of petrol in two bottles.

The accused had allegedly told the SIT that he came to Shornur by Delhi-Ernakulam Sampark Kranti Express on April 2 morning.

Talking about the probe, an official from SIT said how did Saifi spent more than 12 hours in Shornur, an important railway junction in the state, and from where did he get freshly- cooked food that was found in his abandoned bag need more investigation. He is trying hard to shield his possible handlers, said the SIT official, on anonymity.

Saifi also denied any role in the death of the three people whose bodies were recovered from the tracks after the fire incident though it is not clear if they were pushed out of the speeding train or they jumped off after the commotion over fire, the SIT officials said.

According to the CCTV visuals recovered from the petrol pump, he came in an auto-rickshaw to procure the petrol, said the police, adding, the auto-rickshaw driver was let off after questioning.

The SIT also found that though there was a petrol pump near the railway station, however, Saifi visited the pump which was 1km away from the station to avoid any suspicion.

The SIT said it was not possible for an outsider to scan the area like this and he may have got local help in executing the crime. According to the SIT, the last number he called was not responding and the address on which the number was registered was quite dubious. Similarly his bank account details also point to a larger conspiracy, the SIT said. A team of the SIT is still camping in Delhi.

During the questioning, Saifi reportedly told the SIT that he jumped off from the moving train after the incident. He had kept the bag near the door planning to come back for it but due to the commotion it fell down and later became a breakthrough leading to his arrest, said the SIT.

His escape from the spot and later boarding another train from Kannur while dodging police will have to be probed, said the SIT official, adding, the investigating agency is probing the possibility of some handlers monitoring his movements.

Meanwhile the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has criticised the states delay in handing over the case to the NIA. People can make out easily it is a case of terror that needs investigation in many states. We have no idea why the state is delaying to handover the case to central agencies, said party state president K Surendran.
CAMERON  A traffic stop on a northern Wisconsin highway descended into a bloody shootout Saturday afternoon that left two police officers and a suspect dead, authorities said.

An officer with the Chetek Police Department had pulled over a vehicle on Highway SS in nearby Cameron just before 3:40 p.m. when police and the motorist exchanged gunfire, the Wisconsin Department of Justice said. The Chetek officer and an officer with the Cameron Police Department died at the scene. Authorities took the gunman to a hospital, where they later died.

The DOJ's Division of Criminal Investigation, which is investigating the incident, did not return a request for comment.

Chetek City Council President Scott Bachowski said the city's officer was a four-year veteran of the force. He declined to confirm her name.

A member of the city's small four-person police department, the officer was "truly truly a wonderful woman, and someone the community and the kids in the community are really going to miss, Bachowski said.

The location of the shooting on County Highway SS is familiar to most local residents as the main road between Cameron and Chetek. Firefighters from the Cameron Area Fire District were at the scene Sunday spraying down the highway with water.

A makeshift memorial with flowers and a candle had been set up Sunday in a snow bank at the Chetek Police Department.

Residents said the officers were well-loved and will be missed.

They were just too young. Great people, said Ashley Elledge from Cameron. A lot of people in this area are very heartbroken.

The Barron County Sheriffs Department shared its condolences as well.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with Cameron and Chetek Police Departments," the Barron County Sheriff's Department said on Facebook.

Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald did not return a request for comment.

Other state leaders shared support and sympathy for the slain officers and the community.

"Our hearts are heavy for the Chetek and Cameron police officers who lost their lives in the line of duty yesterday. Kathy and I are praying for the officers families, colleagues, and the Barron County community mourning this tragic loss," Gov. Tony Evers wrote on Twitter Sunday.

Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul said in a tweet late Saturday: "I am thinking of their families and the Chetek and Cameron Police Departments at this incredibly difficult time."

Upon finishing its investigation, the DOJ will turn over its findings to the Barron County District Attorney's Office.

The cities with the most break-ins and burglaries Cities With the Most Break-Ins / Burglaries Over the past decade burglary and larceny rates have declined Daytime break-ins of homes are most common Southern states experience the most property crime Small and midsize cities with the most burglaries 15. Dallas, TX 14. Houston, TX 13. Las Vegas, NV 12. Columbus, OH 11. Minneapolis, MN 10. Milwaukee, WI 9. Wichita, KS 8. Kansas City, MO 7. Oklahoma City, OK 6. Bakersfield, CA 5. Seattle, WA 4. Baltimore, MD 3. Detroit, MI 2. Tulsa, OK 1. Memphis, TN
A 23-year-old Indian Navy personnel died after sustaining grievous injuries onboard a frontline missile frigate during operations at sea, officials said on Sunday. The Navy personnel Mohit, who was a Hull Artificer 4, was deployed onboard guided missile frigate INS Brahmaputra.

Mohit, who was a Hull Artificer 4, was deployed onboard guided missile frigate INS Brahmaputra. The accident took place on Saturday.

"In an unfortunate accident at sea on April 8, Mohit, Hull Artificer 4, aged 23 years, succumbed to injuries onboard INS Brahmaputra during operations at sea," a senior Navy official said.

"A board of inquiry is being ordered to investigate the cause," he said.

Also Read| Case of 8 former naval personnel detained since Aug comes up in Qatar court: MEA

The Hull Artificer 4 is a rank equivalent to Petty Officer.

The details of the accident is not immediately known.

Chief of Navy Staff Admiral R Hari Kumar and all personnel of the Navy paid tributes to Mohit.

"Adm R Hari Kumar #CNS & all personnel of #IndianNavy pay tribute to Mohit, HA4, who lost his life during an exercise at sea on 08 Apr 23 & extend heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family," the Navy said in a tweet.
In the latest development, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) will take over the Kerala train fire tragedy case, officials said on Sunday. NIA officials inspect the Alappuzha-Kannur Executive Express train after fire incident (PTI Photo)

A senior official said that it was a clear case of terror but why he selected Kerala and his motives were still unclear.

According to the official, on Sunday, he was interrogated at the medical college hospital in Kozhikode while being examined by a team of doctors, where he was brought after the arrest.

The NIA officials camping in Kozhikode submitted a detailed report to the Union home ministry. It is a clear case of terror involving many states. We will invoke the UAPA (Unlawful atrocities prevention act) soon. We are sure he was sent to the state by his handlers and he got enough local help also, said another official close to the NIA.

Also Read: Kerala train fire accused Shahrukh Saifi charged with murder

There was enough planning and conspiracy behind the crime and it was not a single-man mission as confessed by the accused, said the official.

Three people, including a minor girl, were killed and nine others received burn injuries after the accused poured petrol on fellow passengers and allegedly set them afire on a Kannur-bound express train in Kerala last Sunday night.

The accused, identified as one Sharukh Saifi, who also suffered burn injuries, was slapped with murder charges on Friday under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code by a district session court in Kozhikode. He was charged with murder in a case filed by the railway police.

Saifi, 27, a native of Shaheenbagh in Delhi, was arrested by the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of Maharashtra police and Central Intelligence on Wednesday and was brought to Kozhikode on Thursday where he is receiving treatment for the injuries.

At the time of interrogation by a special investigation team (SIT) Saifi provided contradictory statements in which initially, he said he was being used by someone and later retracted saying, everything was planned and executed by him only.

Meanwhile, the SIT has identified the petrol pump in Shornor (Palakkad) from where he bought four litres of petrol in two bottles.

According to SIT officials, Saifi came to Shornur on the morning of the day of the attack on April 2 where he spent more than 12 hours. In Shornur, officials said he also got a freshly-cooked meal which they found in his abandoned bag and this will need more investigation which could lead to others.

He also denied any role in the death of three persons whose bodies were recovered from the tracks after the fire. It was not clear whether they were pushed out of the speeding train or they jumped off after the commotion over the fire, SIT officials said.

CCTV footage recovered from the petrol pump showed he came on an auto-rickshaw to procure petrol which was one km away from the station to avoid suspicion, officials said.

SIT officials also suspect that he may have got local help in executing the crime as they found two cell phones in his bag which he used to make a call three days before the fire incident on March 30. Similarly, his bank account details also point to a larger conspiracy, officials said.

Also Read: Kerala train fire: Suspect held in Maharashtra

SIT officials also feel that he was not alone on the train and some handlers were monitoring his movements. His escape from the spot and later how he boarded another train from Kannur dodging police will have to be probed, said officials.

Upon interrogation, Saifi reportedly told the SIT that he jumped off the moving train after the fire but kept his bag near the door which he planned to come back and pick it but after the commotion, the bag fell off and it became a breakthrough leading to his arrest after it was found by the police.

Following the incident, Delhi police and SIT also questioned Saifis parents, relatives and friends. However, his family members claimed that Saifi has been missing from home since March 30.

Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has criticised the states delay in handing over the case to the NIA. People can make out easily that it is a case of terror that needs investigation in many states. We have no idea why the state is delaying to handover the case to central agencies, said party state president K Surendran.
The Odisha Police on Saturday booked a man for allegedly handing out instant 'triple talaq' to his wife after she lost money to cyber fraud. According to the police, the 32-year-old woman from Odisha's Kendrapara district lodged a complaint on April 1, alleging that her husband divorced her illegally after she confessed to losing 1.5 lakh to cyber criminals, reported PTI. The couple was married for the last 15 years and the accused is currently in Gujarat, the police said. (file)

Also read: 40-yr-old-man arrested for giving triple talaq to wife in Bengaluru

The woman also alleged that she was subjected to dowry-related torture in her complaint, reported PTI citing officials.

Kendrapara Sadar police station Inspector Saroj Kumar Sahoo said that they have registered a case against the accused under the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act, and various sections of the IPC and Dowry Prevention Act.

The couple was married for the last 15 years and the accused is currently in Gujarat, the police said.

Also read: On CMs triple talaq remark, Kerala governor says divorce is everywhere but

Notably, the Supreme Court in 2017 banned the controversial practice of instant divorce - triple talaq - setting it aside on several grounds including that it was against the basic tenets of the Holy Quran and violated the Islamic law Shariat. According to the top court, if practiced, it invites an imprisonment of up to three years.

(With inputs from PTI)

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in programmes to mark 50 years of Project Tiger in Karnataka on Sunday. He visited the Bandipur Tiger Reserve in the morning and interacted with frontline field staff and Self Help Groups involved in conservation activities. He also visited the Theppakadu Elephant camp in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve in Tamil Nadu where he met Bomman and Bellie, the stars of Oscar award winning documentary The Elephant Whisperers. PM Modi had an interaction with mahouts and kavadis in the Elephant camp.

IN PICS: PM Modi's visit to Bandipur Tiger Reserve

During his visit, PM Modi also interacted with Field Directors of tiger reserves that scored the highest in the recently concluded 5th cycle of the Management Effectiveness Evaluation exercise. Additionally, he launched the International Big Cats Alliance (IBCA), a global initiative aimed at protecting and conserving seven major big cat species --Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Puma, Jaguar, and Cheetah. The alliance will have the membership of range countries that are home to these magnificent species.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay foundation stones and inaugurate projects worth nearly 8,500 crore during his visit to Guwahati on April 14, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Sunday. PM Modi will also attend the Bihu dance event during his visit (File Photo)

The PM will also be part of a Guinness World Record attempt where around 11,000 Bihu dancers and musicians will perform together for a new record in the largest folk dance performance category, said the Assam chief minister.

It will be a day of celebration, joy and development for Assam where development projects worth nearly 8,500 cr would be launched. The Bihu performance will be the limelight of the day, Sarma said.

Also Read: India records 6.74% increase in tiger numbers since 2018; PM Modi releases data

Sarma said that on April 14, the Prime Minister will first inaugurate the Guwahati unit of the All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) at Changsari. The unit has been constructed by the central government at a cost of nearly 1,123 crores. It will have 750 beds for patients and 100 new students can enrol for MBBS studies there every year.

PM Modi will also virtually inaugurate three new medical colleges set up by the state government at Nalbari, Nagaon and Kokrajhar. All these medical colleges will have 500 beds each for patients and 100 new students can study medicine in each of these colleges annually, said Sarma.

Along with this, PM Modi will launch the state government scheme of providing 5 lakh as medical insurance to all ration card holders in the state. Nearly 11 million people will be provided with the new cards for the scheme called Ayushman Asom.

Later, the PM will lay the foundation stone of a multi-speciality hospital called Assam Advanced Healthcare Institute, which will be set up in partnership between the Assam government and IIT-Guwahati with a focus on providing engineering research and tools for medical treatment.

Modi will take part in the concluding ceremony of the platinum jubilee celebrations of Gauhati High Court at Srimanta Shankardev Kalakshetra.

Later in the day, Sarma said, PM Modi, will visit the Sarusajai Stadium in Guwahati where he will virtually inaugurate a methanol production unit set up in Namrup by Assam Petrochemicals Limited. The unit has been built jointly by Oil India Limited and the Assam government at a cost of 1700 crore.

This project will be a big step in the Assam industry sector and the first such initiative taken by the Assam government after many years. Methanol produced in the unit would be supplied to other states and neighbouring countries too, said Sarma.

Also Read: The Elephant Whisperers Bomman and Belli meet PM Modi for first time since Oscar win, pose for pics. See here

PM Modi will further launch a 100 crore scheme of the state government to beautify the complex Rang Ghar, the nearly 300-year-old amphitheatre constructed by Ahom kings at Sivasagar, he said, adding the PM will also lay the foundation stone of a new bridge over the Brahmaputra near Guwahati connecting Palashbari and Sualkuchi.

The bridge will be built at a total cost of 3197 crore.

The final event would be a Bihu dance performance by nearly 11,100 dancers and musicians at Sarusajai Stadiumwhich will be an attempt at creating a Guinness World Record in the folk dance category.

It will be a one-of-its-kind event and unique celebration of Assams Bohag Bihu. The performers will dance to Bihu for 15 minutes. The PM will address the gathering after the performance before departing for Delhi, said Sarma.

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BJP's Amit Malviya on Saturday shared a photo of Rahul Gandhi sitting at what looks like a public place and said Rahul Gandhi on Friday was seen at Italian Cultural Centre. "Why is the Congress in a twist after this picture of Rahul Gandhi (from the Italian Cultural Center dated 07th Apr) found its way to the public domain? Because it blows to smithereens his carefully crafted image of being a tapasvi?" Malviya tweeted. Congress's Supriya Shrinate advised Malviya to go and eat at the Italian centre someday. "Take a break from your sad life and go eat there someday," the Congress leader said. Read | Rahul Gandhi posts 2013 vs 2023 groceries' price with a dash of Adani issue Rahul Gandhi in his Adani tweet on Saturday took a jibe at five ex-Congress leaders.

The photo was originally shared by a journalist who came under the attack of the Congress leaders as the television journalist wrote Rahul Gandhi was "trying to find solace at Italian Cultural Centre" after disqualification. Read | 'Like a troll': Anil Antony after Rahul Gandhi's jibe at 5 ex-Congress leaders

On March 23, a Surat Court convicted Rahul Gandhi in the 2019 Modi-surname defamation case. Soon after he was disqualified from the Lok Sabha and asked to vacate his bungalow. The Congress took to the streets in protest along with the opposition parties while upholding their demand for a joint parliamentary committee probe into the alleged Adani scam.

Since his disqualification, Rahul Gandhi addressed a press conference and spoke to media when he went to file an appeal against the Surat court conviction. He has been active on Twitter and on Saturday he tweeted against Adani taking the name of five ex-Congress leaders. Many BJP leaders, including those who have been named, condemned the attack and regretted that Rahul Gandhi was acting like a troll.

Rahul Gandhi was scheduled to address an election rally in Karnataka's Kolar on April 10, but now it has been deferred to April 16. Kolar is the place where Rahul Gandhi made his 'how come thieves have Modi surname common' remark during the 2019 Lok Sabha election campaign.

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Reacting to Sharad Pawar's statement regarding a potential joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe on the Gautam Adani issue, Shashi Tharoor on Sunday said though the NCP chief's reasoning was logical, the party stood with the Congress and fellow opposition parties on the Adani controversy, throughout the recently-concluded Budget session of Parliament. Congress leader Shashi Tharoor addressing the gathering at a function in Ludhiana on Thursday. (Gurpreet Singh/HT)

Also Read | 'If this is his stand...': Who said what on Sharad Pawar's Adani statement

We do get his logicthe rule for JPC states that any such panel will have members from the ruling party as well. This means that even if a JPC is constituted, more than 50% of its members will be from the BJP and NDA (National Democratic Alliance), Tharoor told ANI in Bengaluru.

The senior Congress leader also explained why the opposition was adamant to have a JPC. but opposition members will be able to ask questions. They can also ask for files and documents. Thus far, the government has not accepted our demand, but please don't forget that though he (Pawar) is taking a different stand, the NCP has been with us in Parliament, and when the Budget session was adjourned on April 6, it participated in the opposition's protest march to Vijay Chowk.

What did Pawar say?

The veteran politician made the remark on Friday, while speaking to NDTV, in which the Adani Group is a majority stakeholder. The former Maharashtra CM described allegations of stock manipulation against the conglomerate, and its founder, billionaire Gautam Adani, levelled in January by the US-based short seller Hindenburg Research, as targeted.

Also Read | Pawar's open support for Adani raises doubts on durability of opposition unity

On joint parliamentary panel, the ex-defence minister reasoned that most of its members would be from the government's side and, therefore, he was not 'certain' how much truth would come out. A day later, on Saturday, he clarified he was not against a JPC, which, though he reiterated, would be dominated by the ruling party. He added that the committee set up by the Supreme Court would be in a better position to bring out the truth.

Also Read | Congress reacts to ally Sharad Pawar's remarks on Adani-Hindenburg

Besides the Nationalist Congress Party, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC), too, has said it prefers a court-monitored investigation over a parliamentary panel.

Also Read | His stand is partys stand: Ajit Pawar backs Sharad Pawar on Adani remark

In the 543-seat Lok Sabha, the BJP alone has 303 MPs, and in the 238-seat Rajya Sabha, its current strength is 91, the highest among all the parties.

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Senior Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Sunday announced he will hold a day-long agitation on April 11 against what he said was inaction by the state government, headed by his party colleague Ashok Gehlot, in prosecuting corruption cases involving the erstwhile Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government led by Vasundhara Raje. Congress leader Sachin Pilot in Jaipur on Sunday. (PTI)

The announcement represents yet another flare-up between Pilot and Gehlot, who have had several public spats over the last three years in a simmering rift that threatens to split the Congress open in Rajasthan.

In a press conference on Sunday, Pilot said he will sit on one-day anshan (hunger strike) at Shaheed Smarak on Mahatama Jyotiba Phule Jayanti on April 11 and attacked the Gehlot administration for not taking any action against then chief minister Vasundhara Raje-led BJP government over corruption cases as promised.

Addressing media persons on Sunday, he said he had apprised the district administration about this.

Pilot said he and other Congress leaders raised the issue when Congress was in the opposition and promised to take action when the party came to power. That his target was Gehlot was clear as he played videos of statements by the current CM in the assembly and outside, where the latter levelled corruption allegations against the Raje government, and cited letters that he had written to the CM.

No action has been taken on the corruption in the Vasundhara Raje government, where we being in the opposition had promised that an inquiry would be conducted. Now 6-7 months are left for the election, and we should take action before that, he said.

Pilot said that while in opposition, Congress raised voices about scams worth 45,000 crore and promised to investigate them and punish the guilty. He said the Congress government had failed to act against the excise mafia, illegal mining, land encroachment and on the Lalit Modi affidavit case.

I have never called for malicious action, but the credibility we have built as the opposition has to be maintained. I had requested CM Gehlot and wrote letters, first on March 28, 2022, and then again on November 2, 2022, but got no reply, he said.

He said it was necessary to assure people and party workers that the Congress government will deliver the promises made before the 2018 assembly elections.

Ashok Gehlot and I made these allegations together, how will we know until there is a fair investigation? If it comes out in the investigation that no one was guilty, then we will accept that Gehlot Ji and I were liars. But until a case is registered, how will people believe that the allegations made by us are true or false? Pilot said.

The two leaders have been bitter rivals for years but things came to a head in 2020 when Pilot rebelled against Gehlots leadership. Then, earlier this year, lawmakers considered close to Gehlot defied the party leaderships diktat to allow the high-command to nominate the next CM  at the time, Gehlot was the frontrunner to become the next Congress chief  because there was speculation that Pilot would become the next CM.

Gehlot lashed out at Pilot in an interview to a news channel last November, calling him a traitor who cannot be made CM. The former deputy CM hit back, saying the remarks were unbecoming of a senior leader.

On Sunday, Pilot continued: One of the suggestions I had given to the high command was that action should be taken against the allegations of corruption and scams that we had made while in the opposition. It should not appear that we had made allegations looking to the election.

In the letter he shared with the media, dated March 3, 2022, addressing the CM, Pilot wrote: You (Gehlot) and I had assured public that action will be taken after impartial probe. The people voted us in 2018. Its been three years but no concrete step or action has been taken.

Cabinet minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas backed Pilot, saying he has right to raise issues and ours is a democratic party. What is wrong in getting corruption issue probed during BJP tenure?.

A senior leader and minister considered close to the CM, while asking not to be named, said: It is unfortunate the way he is creating the drama, which is against partys discipline. When he had raised the issue with party leadership and the CM, what was the need of announcing the anshan isnt his intention to be questioned?

Officials in the CMs office did not respond to requests for a comment.

Congress state incharge Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa said: He (Pilot) didnt speak to me on the issue. I met him in Delhi and Jaipur but he discussed his grievances and political issues.

It is unfortunate as this is time everyone should fight unitedly, and such incidents would give opposition a chance to make mockery, said Randhawa.

Political analyst Manish Godha said Pilots action reflected a kind of desperation as election were nearing and none of his demands were being met. Among these demands was a change in guard and disciplinary action on leaders responsible for the boycotting a legislature party meeting on September 25, 2022.

BJP MLA and former minister Vasudev Devanani accused the Congress of unnecessarily dragging BJP in their infight. Why was Pilot silent for over four years? Its just that he isnt getting the importance in the party, so playing the BJP card.

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The Supreme Court last month decided to test the validity of hanging by the neck as the method of executing death sentence in India, stating that the method can be declared unconstitutional if there is scientific material favouring a different method of execution as less painful and more consistent with human dignity. PREMIUM SC has agreed to examine if the mode of executing death sentence meets the requirements of the constitutional right to die with dignity and the test of proportionality.

As the highest court of the land sets about to weigh alternative methods of execution that, it said, may be more consistent with human dignity and significantly reduced a substantial risk of severe pain, a bouquet of intricate questions on the infliction of capital punishment and the procedural necessities come to fore.

Over the years, there has been a constant evolution of jurisprudence on varying aspects of the validity of the capital punishment and the procedure surrounding it, but it is the only second time in the last four decades when the apex court has agreed to examine if the mode of executing death sentence meets the requirements of the constitutional right to die with dignity and the test of proportionality.

This order by the apex court has brought the spotlight on the jurisprudential principles that have guided the constitutional courts in awarding the capital punishment and the mode of executing it.

Imploring the Union government to initiate a discussion on the subject and collect information on executions carried out in the last four decades, the top court on March 21 added that the court is inclined to set up a panel of experts to go into the issue threadbare and examine if there is empirical evidence to suggest hanging may not be the least painful and dignified mode of execution.

The law on death penalty

The term death penalty stands for the most severe form of punishment, which to is to be awarded by the state for the most heinous, grievous and detestable crimes against society and humanity. Under a raft of penal statutes, serious offences such as murder, rape with injuries that may result in the death of a victim and a repeat offender, waging war against the state and terrorism-related offences are some of the major crimes punishable with death under the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Similarly, there are provisions under the Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences Act, Arms Act, Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, Commission of Sati (Prevention) Act, Air Force Act, Army Act and Navy Act prescribing death penalty as one of the punishments for most heinous offences. Now-repealed Prevention of Terrorism Act and Unlawful (POTA) and Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) also contained provisions for death sentence.

Article 21 of the India Constitution lays down that no person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according to procedure established by law. This has been construed in law to mean that if there is a procedure, which is fair and valid, then the state by framing a law can deprive a person of his life.

Section 354(3) of the Code of Criminal Procedure says that when an offence is punishable with death or imprisonment for life, the judgment shall state the reasons for the sentence awarded, and if the sentence is death, special reasons for the sentence.

The validity of the death penalty as a form of punishment has been repeatedly challenged before the Supreme Court but without any success. Through a series of judgments between 1970s and 1980s, the top court has upheld the validity of the capital punishment in exceptional cases.

In Jagmohan Singh vs State of Uttar Pradesh (1973), then in Rajendra Prasad vs State of Uttar Pradesh (1979) and finally, in Bachan Singh vs State of Punjab (1980), the Supreme Court affirmed the constitutional validity of death penalty. It said that if capital punishment is provided in the law and the procedure is a fair, just and reasonable one, death sentence can be awarded to a convict. This will however only be in the rarest of rare cases and the courts should render special reasons while sending a person to gallows, the top court added.

Subsequent judgments of the Supreme Court followed the constitution bench rulings in the Jagmohan Singh and the Bachan Singh cases, affirming the constitutional legitimacy of the sentence of capital punishment even as new judicial norms were consistently being evolved over the last four decades to ensure complete fairness in the procedure before the punishment is executed.

Through a raft of judgments, the Supreme Court laid down various grounds that would entitle a death row convict for the commutation of his sentence to life term. In Shatrughan Chauhan and Anr vs Union of India (2014), the court ruled that inordinate delay in executing a death penalty is a ground for commutation in view of the immense physical and psychological trauma that a death row convict is made to undergo. The delay caused due to a decision on the mercy plea by a convict or owing to any other reason not attributable to the convict will account for legal rationale to seek commutation, it held.

The Supreme Court in 2014 spared 1993 Delhi bomb blast convict Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar from execution, citing his mental illness and lengthy delays in deciding on his plea for mercy. In Lochan Shrivas vs State of Chhattisgarh (2021) and Bhagchandra vs State of Madhya Pradesh (2021), the court held that socio-economic backwardness, mental health, heredity, parenting, socialisation and lack of education can also be the reasons to avert the death penalty.

Last year, the Supreme Court set about to critically examine the routine and abrupt way in which trial judges often impose the death penalty on convicts. It issued a slew of directives making psychological evaluation of the condemned prisoner mandatory, along with seeking a report on the inmates conduct at the time of examining whether the gallows remained the only fitting punishment.

The execution

Under the Indian laws, a capital punishment can be executed either by hanging by the neck till death or being shot by firing squad.

The Code of Criminal Procedure (1898) called for the method of execution to be hanging, and the same mode was adopted in the Code of Criminal Procedure in 1973. Section 354(5) of the CrPC reads: When any person is sentenced to death, the sentence shall direct that the person be hanged by the neck till the person is dead.

The Army Act and the Air Force Act also provide for the execution of the death sentence. Section 34 of the Air Force Act, 1950 empowers the court martial to impose the death sentence for an array of offences relating to the enemy.

Section 163 of the Air Force Act stated: In awarding a sentence of death, a court-martial shall, in its discretion, direct that the offender shall suffer death by being hanged by the neck until he be dead or shall suffer death by being shot to death. Section 166 of the Army Act uses the same language to provide for the manner of execution of a death sentence.

Till date, Deena @ Deena Dayal Etc Vs Union of India (1983) has been the only judgment of the Supreme Court that has directly dealt with the method prescribed under Section 354(5) of CrPC for executing the death sentence and upheld the provision.

Even as the court acknowledged that a condemned prisoner cannot be subjected to barbarity, humiliation, torture or degradation before the execution of that sentence, it noted that the process of hanging does not involve any of these directly, indirectly or incidentally.

The system is consistent with the obligation of the State to ensure that the process of execution is conducted with decency and decorum without involving degradation or brutality of any kind. At the moment of final impact when life becomes extinct, some physical pain would be implicit in the very process of the ebbing out of life. But, the act of hanging causes the least pain imaginable on account of the fact that death supervenes instantaneously, said the judgment.

Clarifying that it is not for the courts to substitute any other method of execution for the method prescribed by law, the three-judge bench relied on a bundle of reports to state that neither electrocution, nor lethal gas, nor shooting, nor even the lethal injection has any distinct or demonstrable advantage over the system of hanging.

The conclusion that the system of hanging is as painless as is possible in the circumstances, that it causes no greater pain than any other known method of executing the death sentence and that it involves no barbarity, torture or degradation is based on reason, supported by expert evidence and the findings of modern medicine, declared the court in 1983.

While there are nine common methods of execution: Hanging, firing squad, shooting, beheading, lethal injection, stoning, lethal gas, electrocution, and a particularly ghastly one that involves throwing people from a height, the most common method of execution is hanging, with at least 50 countries authorising this practice. Apart from India, countries such as Japan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Singapore, Malaysia and Nigeria also have hanging as the method of executing death sentences.

The rekindled debate

Almost four decades later, another three-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud, has expressed its willingness to review the correctness of the 1983 verdict, and decide if a larger bench should commence this exercise. Incidentally, the 1983 judgment was delivered by a bench, led by former CJI YV Chandrachud, the current CJIs father.

Advocate Rishin Malhotra, in a petition filed in 2017, challenged the constitutional validity of Section 354(5) of the CrPC, contending that execution of a death sentence by hanging is an inhuman and cruel act that violates the fundamental right of a convict.

Malhotra relied on Article 21 (right to life) and some previous Supreme Court judgments to argue that a condemned prisoner has the right to have a dignified mode of execution so that death becomes less painful. He also referred to the 187th report of the Law Commission, which advocated the removal of the present mode of execution from the statute.

In 2003, the law commission, under the chairmanship of former Supreme Cout judge M Jagannadha Rao, submitted its 187th Report on Mode of Execution of Death and Incidental Matters, focussed on the method of execution, process of eliminating differences in opinions among Supreme Court judges on passing a death sentence, and need to provide a right of appeal on death sentences. In this report, the Commission recognised the constitutional impossibility of hanging death and recommended that India should consider utilising lethal injections instead.

Malhotra also cited the minority view of justice PN Bhagwati in the Bachan Singh Case when the judge not only did not agree with the majority view on affirming the constitutional validity of the death penalty, but also held that the mode of hanging prescribed by law for executing the death sentences was itself cruel and barbarous.

Responding to Malhotras petition in 2018, the Union government said that hanging remains the safest and quickest method of execution and that it eliminates the possibility of a lingering death. It rejected the suggestion of using lethal injections as an alternative, pointing out that not only were trained medical professionals unlikely to participate in executions, but that the possibility of failure of the chemical used in lethal injections also loomed large. It added that the use of lethal injections has gained the dubious distinction of having the highest rate of botched executions within the United States between 1900 and 2010.

Granting an effective hearing to Malhotras petition after almost three years, the CJI-led bench last month agreed with the 1983 ruling that the court is not going to tell the legislature which method of execution should be in the statute, but added that it could still ascertain the validity of the existing mode of execution (hanging) on the anvil of the constitutional right to dignity in death  both in the process of execution and the manner of it.

According to the bench headed by the present CJI, it would be worthwhile to examine if the 1983 judgment applied the test of proportionality, as most explicitly laid down in the right to privacy case (KS Puttaswamy (2017) and later followed in the in CPIO Vs Subhash Chandra Aggarwal (2019) Case. These judgments stressed that proportionality is an essential facet of the guarantee against arbitrary State action because it ensures that the nature and quality of the encroachment on the right is not disproportionate to the purpose of the law. Further, it is crucial for the standard of proportionality to be applied to ensure that neither right is restricted to a greater extent than necessary to fulfil the legitimate interest of the countervailing interest in question, added the judgments.

During the hearing on March 21, the Supreme Court called it a matter of reflection in the wake of rapid strides in science and technology since the top court in 1983 ruling upholding the validity of hanging as the method of execution, and added: Availability of a better science is a concrete ground for a relook. It directed the Centre to come back with relevant statistics and information on the execution carried out since 1980s, adding if the Centre has not conducted any study in the last few decades, the court can form a committee of experts.

The decision by justice Chandrachud to revisit the validity of the method of execution marks a crucial legal moment that will seek to explore the most humane way of the rule of punishment in death sentence cases, on the touchstones of human rights jurisprudence, constitutional protections and societal sensibility.
Shiv Sena (Uddhav faction) leader Sanjay Raut on Sunday hit out at Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde and his deputy Devendra Fadnavis over their visit to Ayodhya. Raut said that they are visiting Ayodhya at a time when farmers in the state are in distress due to rain and hailstorm. Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut. (HT PHOTO)

They are ignoring all the issues in the state and going to Ayodhyawill Lord Ram bless them? Raut said.

The Shiv Sena leader added, We also believe in Lord Ram. We have also gone to Ayodhya several times. But BJP never came with our party. They are copying us. The public knows who is original and who is the duplicate.

CM Eknath Shinde and Fadnavis who arrived in Ayodhya on Sunday morning, along with fellow Shiv Sena MPs - were welcomed by Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath.

This is Shinde's first visit to the temple town since being sworn in as Maharashtra chief minister in June last year.

Also read: 'Will attend': Sanjay Raut after warning to Rahul Gandhi on Savarkar quip

Shinde said that his faction got the symbol of 'bow and arrow' as the blessings of Lord Ram are with them. This is not a political visit. I keep visiting Ayodhya but this is the first time I have come here as the chief minister. All our party leaders wanted to take the blessings of Lord Ram. I want to thank Yogi-ji and his ministers who were here to welcome us, he added.

Later in the day, the CM is set to perform 'aarti' on the banks of the Saryu River and also visit the ongoing construction site of Ram Mandir.

Meanwhile, deputy CM Fadnavis upon reaching Lucknow, said, I am very happy that I am going to Ayodhya to take blessings from Lord Ram.

(With inputs from agencies)
The news last week that FloydFest will not happen this year  neither on its newly purchased grounds nor an alternative site  was a hard bummer for music fans, local businesses and the performers themselves.

The multiple vendors who basically set up a small town within the music carnival took one on the chin, as well. FloydFest this year would have had about 100 of them, according to Sam Calhoun, the events chief operating officer. They sell food, drinks, clothing, souvenirs and more. Many patrons stay in vendor-provided tents, yurts and other glamping options.

Dancin Daves Festival Camping has been a part of it since the very first FloydFest at the original site, off the Blue Ridge Parkway in Patrick County. The late David Versch brought the event there in 2002 and sold it to his assistant Susan Byer in 2014. Byer said she had increased her inventory by 30% to accommodate the additional people who planned to camp with her this year.

But Byer has had a lot more on her mind recently. Her mother-in-law died earlier this year, and on Sunday, a fire destroyed the rural Middle Tennessee home she shares with her husband and their young son. The family wasnt there at the time. The camping business equipment was stored elsewhere and wasnt affected, Byer said.

Because of the recent personal tragedy, not having to do FloydFest is sort of a relief, Byer said. Its one less thing that I have to worry about. I can roll over peoples reservations. I can give people refunds or whatever. But not doing the physical labor because of everything ahead of us, with the loss of our home, a big part of me is relieved. That was going to be a huge undertaking, going to a brand new venue for the first time.

That being said, it breaks my heart, because thats where we get to go and be with our friends and our families and as much as it is work, it is also enormous fun, and its a tradition, and its going to be really sad. Its the other side of the coin. Were not going to have the work, but were also not going to have the support and the coming together that we kind of need right now as well. Words are hard to find for how we feel about it.

Environmental regulation issues and questions about protected species scuttled work at the new site, and organizers announced on Thursday that they would not host the festival elsewhere.

Western North Carolina-based Toms Sugar Shack has set up on site since the second FloydFest and has been there ever since. Owner Thomas Lee, in a text message exchange, said the event has become a time signature.

Every year end of July we would be on the mountain helping to feed the people, Lee said from northern Vermonts Lamoille County, where he was making the maple syrup he uses and sells from the traveling festival business.

The Sugar Shack will take a big hit this year not having Floydfest, Lee wrote. Floydfest is the biggest festival we do, and having been there for so many years, we are very well received and very busy.

We will also miss seeing all our friends we have met and known all these years.

The Sugar Shack will be at Rooster Walk, by the way, May 25 through May 28, near Martinsville.
The only landscape in India where the tiger population has gone down is Western Ghats, where declaring of the ecologically sensitive zone has been hanging since 2010, according to the latest tiger estimation report released on Sunday by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The estimation was done in five landscapes. The overlap between wildlife and humans because of developmental activities has led to a fall in the tiger population in the areas under the World Heritage Western Ghats landscape. (Representative Image)

The report also said that tiger populations have also declined in the central Indian states of Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, even though tigers have been spotted for the first time in Himachal Pradesh and in new areas in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.

The National Tiger Conservation Authority, which conducts the estimation, has not released state or tiger reserve-wise tiger estimation, but has provided some state-specific insight in the overall report.

India since 2006 has been conducting scientific tiger population estimation once every four years. According to the latest report, the number of tigers has recorded a 6.74% increase from 2,967 in the last census in 2018 to 3,167 now, and the country is home for 75% of the wild tigers in the world. The number was 1,411 in 2006.

Population increase is substantial in Shivalik & Gangetic flood plain which is followed by Central India, North Eastern Hills and Brahmaputra flood plains and Sundarbans while Western Ghats population showed decline with major populations being stable, the report said.

The overlap between wildlife and humans because of developmental activities has led to a fall in the tiger population in the areas under the World Heritage Western Ghats landscape, which is most biodiverse in the country, according to the report.

The Western Ghats tiger landscape is 1,600-km long and covers an area of about 1,40,000 square km. It spans across six states --- Karnataka, Maharashtra, Goa, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana -- and contains 12 tiger Reserves, 20 National Parks, and 68 Wildlife Sanctuaries and is home to several endemic species such as lion-tailed macaque, the Malabar giant squirrel, and the Nilgiri tahr.

As of 2018, the tiger population was estimated at 981 tigers in the region. In 2022, 824 unique tigers were recorded, indicating a decline in some regions and stability in well-protected tiger reserves, the report said.

The Nilgiri cluster that is Nagarahole to BRT Hills in Karnataka is the largest tiger population in the world, and has contributed significantly to colonisation of tigers in neighbouring areas, the survey shows a decline in tiger numbers there.

The report said while tiger populations within the protected areas have either remained stable or increased, the occupancy outside of the reserves significantly decreased in areas such as the Wayanad landscape, BRT Hills, and the tiger areas on Goa-Karnataka border. Most of the decline in tiger population is in Karnataka, where majority of Western Ghats fall.

The Mookambika-Sharavathi-Sirsi landscape and Bhadra have also experienced a substantial decline in tiger occupancy. Beyond the protected area border of Anamalai-Parambikulam complex, a decrease in tiger occupancy was also observed. Although tiger populations in the Periyar landscape have remained stable, tiger occupancy outside of Periyar has decreased. Local extinctions of tiger populations were noticed in Sirsi, Kanyakumari, and Srivilliputhur, the report said.

Despite its UNESCO World Heritage Site status, the Western Ghats face several environmental challenges, such as deforestation, habitat loss, and climate change, that threaten the survival of many species due to invasive species and the overall ecological balance of the region, the report said.

The environment ministrys bid to declare one-third of Western Ghats since 2010 as ecologically sensitive area --- the regulation that prohibits any ecologically damaging activity -- has been opposed by state governments of Karnataka, Kerala and Goa.

Not doing enough for protecting Western Ghats is showing its impact now, said Madhav Gadgil, who headed the first committee set up by the environment ministry to demarcate ecologically sensitive area there.

Vested interests have ensured that the ecology of Western Ghats is not projected. Political parties have rallied around them as they fear loss of vote. In all this, precious ecological value service is being lost. Tiger is the flagship species and if their number has gone down, there is something very wrong with our present approach.

According to forest department officials in Karnataka, they are under a lot of political pressure to prevent animals such as tigers and leopards to move out of forests and have declared at least three leopards as man-eaters in the past six months following protest by locals.

On February 23, 2023, the Karnataka government told the state assembly that 41 persons were killed by elephants, tigers and leopards in the past 10 months with most number of cases reported from Nagarhole tiger reserve. In the past few years, the government has allowed passage of more vehicles through tiger habitats resulting in higher conflict, said a Karnataka forest official.

Of the four other landscapes, the report said the population increase is substantial in Shivalik and Gangetic flood plain, which is followed by central India, northeastern hills and Brahmaputra flood plains and Sundarbans.

In Shivalik, the number of tigers have increased from 646 in 2018 to 804, in central Indian landscape from 1,033 in 2018 to 1,161, in northeastern landscape from 194 to 219 and in Sunderbans (which falls in India and Bangladesh) from 88 to 100.

The report identified Himachal, Suhelwa in Uttar Pradesh and Valmiki in Bihar as new potential tiger areas. Despite the number of tigers increasing in the central Indian landscape, most in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, the report said the local tiger population has become extinct in Sri Venkateswara National Park and tiger reserves in Kawal, Satkosia and Sahyadri. The small and genetically unique population of tigers in Simlipal is a priority for conservation, the report said.

The report also said the tiger occupancy has increased from 100 square kms in 2018 to 1,792 in 2022 and unique tigers photographed in 2022 increased to 3,080 from 2,461 in 2018. The report said of the approximately four lakh square kilometers of forests in tiger states, only one-third are in relatively healthier condition and termed illegal wildlife poaching as a significant challenge.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the Bandipur Tiger Reserve in Karnataka on Sunday, intended to commemorate the 50th anniversary of 'Project Tiger' was referred to as a tamasha by senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, who claimed that it held no value when his government was repeatedly dismantling environment-related laws. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh addresses a press conference on 50 yrs of Project Tiger, at AICC headquarters, in New Delhi.(ANI File)

Ramesh hit out at Modi saying he may get the media attention through the visit but that will not alter the reality.

Today, the PM will take full credit for Project Tiger, launched 50 years ago in Bandipur. He will create a lot of drama while all the laws made to protect the environment, forests, wildlife and tribals living in forest areas are being demolished. Grab the headlines but the reality is quite the opposite the Congress leader tweeted in Hindi.

Also Read: The Elephant Whisperers' Bomman and Belli meet PM Modi for first time since Oscar win, pose for pics. See here

Reacting to the allegations, Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri said the party doesn't need to take such statements seriously. "We don't need to take such statements seriously," Puri told ANI.

Rameshs remarks followed Modis visit to poll-bound Karnatakas tiger reserve in Bandipur where he interacted with frontline field staff and Self Help Groups present there.

During his visit in Mysuru, Modi also released the latest data on tigers, praising the increase in their population from 2,967 in 2018 to 3,167 now. Additionally, he launched the International Big Cats Alliance (IBCA) with the goal of combating poaching and illegal wildlife trade.

Earlier, the Karnataka Congress had asked Modi not to take credit for the initiative which was launched in 1973 when the Congress ruled at the Centre.

It is true that they (Prime Minister and other BJP leaders) got publicity by going on safari. What is the BJP government's contribution to the tiger conservation project? How much is the grant given? Why is the delusional we did it lying by @BJP4Karnataka while not talking about their actual contributions to tiger conservation projects? answer, tweeted the Karnataka Congress.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday visited the Sacred Heart Cathedral Church in Delhi on the occasion of Easter. A video of the visit showed the prime minister being greeted by the Churchs priests and attending prayers along with the worshippers. PM Modi at Sacred Heart Cathedral on Easter in Delhi on Sunday. (PM Modi/ Twitter )

Also Read| The Elephant Whisperers' Bomman and Belli meet PM Modi for first time since Oscar win, pose for pics. See here

The 74-second video also shows the prime minister posing for pictures with the spiritual leaders and children of the choir.

Earlier in the day, Modi extended Easter greetings and hoped the festival would deepen the spirit of harmony in the society.

Happy Easter! May this special occasion deepen the spirit of harmony in our society. May it inspire people to serve society and help empower the downtrodden. We remember the pious thoughts of Lord Christ on this day, he wrote.

On Modis visit, Fr. Francis Swaminathan of the church said it will demonstrate his support for the minorities. "PM Narendra Modi is coming to our church today and we are excited about it. I think this is the first time that a sitting Prime Minister will come to visit a church. The fact that the Prime Minister is coming is, in itself, a big message. We know he cares about all minorities, including the Christians," Fr. Francis Swaminathan told news agency ANI.

"We believe that we will always receive his support and that he will take the country forward by taking people across faiths and communities together," said Swaminathan.

The prime minister also visited Bandipur and Mudumalai Tiger Reserves on Sunday which are situated in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu respectively, and interacted with Bellie and Bomman, the elephant caretakers who featured in an Oscar-winning documentary.
Right-wing activist Kajal Hindustani was arrested on Sunday in Gujarat's Gir Somnath for allegedly delivering a hate speech on Ram Navami that caused a communal clash in Una town on April 1. Kajal Hindustani. (Twitter)

Hindustani surrendered before the police in Una in the morning following which she was arrested and produced before a court which remanded her in judicial custody.

Also Read| Hate speech case: Gujarat Police arrest right-wing activist Kajal Hindustani

Who is Kajal Hindustani?

1. Kajal Hindustani identifies herself as an entrepreneur, research analyst, social activist, nationalist, and a "proud Indian" on her Twitter bio. She has 92,000 followers on the microblogging site.

2. According to a report by Hindustan Times Marathi, Kajal, whose former name was Kajal Shingala, calls herself the 'Lioness of Gujarat. She said on her website, which is currently unavailable, that she changed her name because of strong nationalist views.

3. She has also reportedly mentioned on her website that she spreads awareness about Indian culture and religions and works for the human rights of Hindus.

4. Kajal, who often appears on TV news channel debates, has claimed to have helped Pakistani Hindus to settle in Gujarat. She has also stated to have adopted a village.

5. Media reports claimed that her native is in Rajasthan and she is married to Jamnagar-based businessman Jwalant Shingala for the last 20 years.

What is the case about?

A First Information Report (FIR) was registered against Hindustani under section 295 A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) of the Indian Penal Code on April 2, two days after she allegedly delivered a provocative speech at a Hindu community congregation organised by the VHP on Ram Navami on March 30.

Communal tension prevailed in Una for two days after Hindustani's speech which resulted in a clash between two communities and the pelting of stones on April 1 night, police said.

(With inputs from PTI)
Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday said he will file a defamation case against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his "Adani" tweet on Saturday. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma

Whatever Rahul Gandhi has tweeted is a defamatory tweet, once Prime Minister Narendra Modi goes back from Assam, there will be a defamatory case filed against him (Rahul Gandhi) after April 14, Sarma said at a press conference.

"Definitely, a defamation case will be filed in Guwahati," he added.

On Saturday, Gandhi criticised certain leaders who left the Congress in the past few years, and some of them who joined the Bharatiya Janata Party, while continuing his attack on the government regarding the Adani matter.

Also Read | 'Like a troll': Anil Antony after Rahul Gandhi's jibe at 5 ex-Congress leaders

"They hide the truth, that's why they mislead everyday! The question remains the same - whose 20,000 crore benami money is in Adani's companies?" Gandhi asked in a tweet in Hindi, sharing an image with 'Adani' written as an acronym of sorts with letters of the names of the leaders.

In his tweet, Gandhi mentioned the names of Ghulam Nabi Azad, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Himanta Biswa Sarma, Kiran Kumar Reddy, and Anil K Antony. Azad formed his own party after leaving the Congress, whereas the others joined the BJP, with Scindia now serving as a Union minister and Sarma as the chief minister of Assam.

Sarma responded to Gandhi's tweet, stating that they never questioned him about the alleged concealment of proceeds of crime from the Bofors and National Herald Scams, or how Ottavio Quattrocchi repeatedly escaped Indian justice. He added that they would meet in the court.

Modi is scheduled to visit Guwahati for various events, including the state's attempt to create a record for the largest Bihu performance with over 11,000 dancers and drummers.

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Kareena Kapoor knows how to ace the comfy casual look to perfection. The actor, who is an absolute fashionista, is known for slaying fashion goals like a pro with snippets from her fashion diaries on her Instagram profile on a regular basis. Kareenas sense of sartorial fashion is loved and adored by her fans and for all the right reasons. From acing casual ensembles to showing us how to deck up in festive colours to making sure that she looks like a billion bucks in her formal power suits, Kareena can do it all. The actor is frequently spotted in Mumbai by paparazzi and her casual look for stepping out of home to run personal errands is just on point. Kareena Kapoors shirt and denim look is all about comfort dressing(HT Photos/Varinder Chawla)

ALSO READ: Kareena Kapoors all-denim look is the perfect TGIF mood we need

Kareena knows how to embrace the Mumbai heat in style and comfort. The actor keeps acing the carefully careless casual look to perfection and we cannot have enough of it. On Saturday, Kareena spotted out of home for ticking off weekend duties and gave us all kinds of fashion goals for merging style and comfort effortlessly. The actor looked super stylish in a printed shirt and a pair of blue denims as she walked in Bandra. Kareena wore a white shirt with patterns all over, featuring folded sleeves. She teamed it with a pair of denim trousers with wide legs as she aced the casual weekend look. Kareena walked inside as she got photographed by the paparazzi. Take a look at her ensemble here.

Kareena looked stunning in a casual ensemble.(HT Photos/Varinder Chawla)

Kareena further accessorised her look for the day in a maroon bag in one hand and tinted shades. She wore her tresses into a clean bun as she got photographed in her casual look. The actor decked up in minimal makeup and let her casual ensemble do all the talking. In drawn eyebrows, contoured cheeks and a shade of nude lipstick, Kareena looked effortlessly ravishing.

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Summers are here, and it is time to pull out those breezy dresses from the wardrobe to beat the heat in style. The hotter season also calls for pool days or visiting the beach in your best swimsuit looks. If finding a great beach look has got you in a stitch, Tara Sutaria's latest photo shoot in a turquoise green cover-up and bikini set will sort out your summer plans. Tara's picture set the internet on fire and garnered compliments from her fans on Instagram. Keep scrolling to read our download on it. Tara Sutaria's sizzling beach look in printed bikini and cover-up for a photoshoot. (Instagram)

(Also Read | Alia Bhatt rocks a casual denim outfit and de-glam avatar for weekend movie date with Soni Razdan and Shaheen Bhatt)

Tara Sutaria's sizzling beach look

Tara Sutaria took to Instagram to share a picture from a recent photo shoot with her fans on social media and captioned the post with otter emojis. The image shows Tara serving a sizzling pose for the camera, dressed in a turquoise green cover-up and a bikini set. The actor's ensemble is perfect for beach holidays or chilling by the pool with friends on the weekend. You can either style the outfit like Tara's or opt for minimal accessories, a messy bun and a de-glam look. Check out Tara's post and how she styled the beach outfit below.

Tara's beach-ready cover-up comes in a turquoise green shade. It features a gold leaf pattern, a ribbon tie detail embellished with seashells, an open front, full-length billowy sleeves, a breezy silhouette, a plunging neckline displaying her decolletage, and a short hem length.

Tara wore the silk-satin cover-up with a matching bikini top and low-waisted bottoms. She styled the ensemble with striking accessories, including dangling earrings and several statement rings.

In the end, Tara chose centre-parted open locks with wavy ends, glossy mauve lip shade, sleek eyeliner, heavy mascara on the lashes, shimmering gold eye shadow, darkened brows, rouged cheekbones, dewy base, light contouring, and beaming highlighter for the glam picks.
If it hadnt actually happened, its hard to believe it would have. Even if it were fiction, this would feel like fantasy. And yet it has happened and its certainly left me stunned. Today, three of the most important jobs in Britain are held by people of Indian or Pakistani origin. Five years ago, that would have been impossible to conceive of. Even last summer, when Rishi Sunak was defeated by Liz Truss for the leadership of the Conservative Party, hardly anyone believed the United Kingdom would have a brown-skinned Prime Minister (PM) in our lifetime. PREMIUM British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. (Reuters)

Yet, in October, Sunak, a person of Hindu Indian origin, became PM. Last week, Humza Yousaf, of Muslim Pakistani origin, became First Minister of Scotland. And, since 2016, Sadiq Khan, another Muslim of Pakistani origin, has been mayor of London. Hes now serving his second term. Each of them was elected, not appointed. And the vast majority of the electors who chose them are white. Yet, according to the 2021 census, people of Indian origin are just 2.86% of the United Kingdoms population. People of Pakistani origin are just 1.86%.

This reminds me of the Cambridge Union debate in December 1976, when I took over as president from Peter Fudakowski, the outgoing president of Anglo-Polish origin. With his tongue firmly planted in his cheek, Peter decided that the motion for his presidential debate  which was the occasion when I would succeed him  would be: This House is going to the Wogs! It was meant as a joke. Peter, in fact, thought it a hoot. Fifty years later, its turned out to be the truth!

Long live Blighty. What an incredible country and, I would add, a beacon to the rest of the world. Actually, us in particular. They have elevated second and third-generation immigrants, who are Hindus and Muslims, to some of the highest positions in their government. And the important thing is no one seems to mind. There are no public protests. There are no howls of objection.

In contrast, look at us. We tell our fellow Muslim citizens  whose ancestors were born here centuries ago and who are as Indian as any Hindu  to go to Pakistan. Some of our politicians taunt them in public. Our police bulldoze their houses without due process. We forcefully shut their shops at Ram Navami. We accuse them of love jihad. At times, we even deny their identity, calling them Hindu Muslims instead. Theyve even been called termites.

So, if we call the British racists  which we often do  what adjective is the right one for us? I dont propose to give you the answer. That would be tendentious, if not provocative. But I definitely do intend to raise the question in the hope it will make you think about how were treating our fellow citizens. And, yes, what impact this has on them.

The latter is not an issue many of us think about. Its so easy to insult. We often do it unthinkingly. It causes us no discomfort. Its a lot more difficult to bear the injury and live with it. Even worse, when you know this is the only home you have and there is no escaping from it.

No doubt the Britain I studied in was another country. Brown-skinned people were called wogs, blacks were called worse. The whites were divided by class and accent. How you spoke determined how you were treated. But in half a century, the British have changed. The old country has disappeared. There may be remnants of it at the fringes but at its heart, the United Kingdom has been recreated.

That is the challenge we face in India today. Can we overcome our demons? Can we vanquish them? To a very substantial extent, Britain has. Will we? I wont be around to know the answer. It will take more than a lifetime or two. But will we succeed? At the moment, I can only hear the sound of silence.

Karan Thapar is the author of Devils Advocate: The Untold Story

The views expressed are personal
Elections in India are always notoriously difficult to forecast and comment on, given the vagaries of religion, region, faith, caste and language. But even by those standards, Karnataka presents a difficult case. The state of 61 million people  born by piecing together contiguous regions of four distinct British-era provinces, Mysore, Hyderabad, Bombay and Madras  encapsulates a bouquet of drastic shifts in political equations in each of its six regions, granular caste-based voting patterns, and diverse language and faith dynamics. PREMIUM The state of 61 million people, born by piecing together four distinct British-era provinces, encapsulates a bouquet of drastic shifts in political equations in each of its six regions, granular caste-based voting patterns, and diverse language and faith dynamics. (Arijit Sen/HT Photo/Representative Image)

Karnataka votes for its 224 assembly seats on May 10. This is a particularly crucial election because politics in the state has been mired in chaos over the last five years. In the 2018 assembly elections, the BJP emerged as the single-largest party with 104 seats, followed by the Congress with 78 and the Janata Dal (Secular) with 37  only to find the two smaller parties join hands even before counting was officially over and stake claim to form the government. JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy became the chief minister, presiding over a government that ruled for 14 tumoultous months and which collapsed shortly after the opposition was vanquished in the 2019 general elections. BJP strongman BS Yediyurappa became the chief minister after 15-odd lawmakers resigned from the Congress and JD(S).. But in July 2021, he was asked to step down, and replaced by his one-time protege, Basavaraj Bommai.

How will the May 10 elections go? A lot will, of course, depend on the course the month-long campaign takes, but even in these early stages, the path to the majority mark of 113 is becoming clear. Of course, this is an uphill path  only once in the last two decades has a party crossed the majority mark on its own in the state.

First, the BJP. The party has never had a full majority on its own after any election, and never had a chief minister complete a full five-year term. This is also the first time since the late 1980s that the party is facing an election in the state without Yediyurappa being in the electoral fray, though the veteran leader has said he will campaign vigorously. Yediyurappa is the tallest leader of the dominant Lingayat community, which comprises 17% of the states population and influences the outcome in around 100 seats. It was his desertion from the party in 2013 that gave the Congress a majority government and pushed the BJP to just 40 seats, and his return ahead of the 2018 elections that blanked the Congress in the northern and central Karnataka regions.

The BJPs strategy will be straightforward  protect its Lingayat citadel by leveraging Yediyurappas stature and his excellent ties with the powerful mutts, maximise its gains in the coastal Karnataka region where communal polarisation has deepened due to numerous sectarian conflicts and a simmering row over the hijab, and limit its losses elsewhere due to anti-incumbency and corruption. To this end, it is trying three approaches, all exemplified by its eleventh-hour tweak to the states reservation matrix. The first is an expansion into the old Mysuru region that traditionally witnesses bipolar contests between the Congress and the JD(S), as underlined by aggressive rallies by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah. To this end, it has also increased the quota for the Vokkaligas, the dominant community in the south and a staunch backer of the JD(S). The second is eating into the Dalit communitys support by further slicing an already divided demographic. Its move to increase the scheduled caste quota while recommending internal sub-divisions is an attempt to win over smaller Dalit castes. The third is reminding people of how the Congress treated its Lingayat leaders of yesteryears, such as Veerendra Patil, poorly, while hiking the quota for the community in a symbolic move.

But there are downsides. In 2018, Yediyurappa rallied the Lingayats because he was the clear CM contender. Now with him out of the fray, its unclear whether there will be some fragmentation, especially because Bommai, though also Lingayat, doesnt appear to pull the same weight. It is similarly not clear to what extent widespread corruption allegations against the Bommai government  encapsulated by the suicide of a government contractor earlier this year, and the arrest of a lawmaker who was caught accepting bribes  will damage the party. The reservation strategy is risky in a province where caste and political allegiances run deep, and can trigger counter-polarisation among Dalits, who are already divided between the so-called left-hand (who back the BJP) and right-hand (who back the Congress). And finally, in an otherwise disciplined party, infighting has erupted this time, forcing the party to take time in announcing its candidates.

The Congress has its own issues. The party has a presence across the state, but this is often not a blessing because it routinely polls more votes than it gets seats. But its largely stable 35% vote share  in a state where the winning party almost never crosses 40%  means it is always within striking distance of power. This time, it is upbeat that corruption and anti-incumbency will weigh the BJP down. But for the Congress to swell from its 70-75 seat mark to cross the majority, it needs a fraction of the Lingayat vote to break ranks. This, it believes, is possible due to bubbling discontent among some Lingayat sects over their quota classification (the impact of the quota hike is still not clear). The Congress wants to keep the focus on local governance and corruption because this can hurt the BJP in a state where 40% of the population lives in urban areas. It will hope to steer clear of national issues and avoid targeting PM Modi, whose last-minute campaign blitzkrieg in 2018 was seen as pushing the BJP over the 100-figure mark. And it will hope to pick up a sizable number of seats in areas where it is in direct contest with the JD(S).

But there are risks. Then CM Siddaramaiahs 2018 gambit of minority status for Lingayats came a cropper so its unclear whether the Congress has any backing in the community. The much-vaunted Ahinda (a kannada acronym for Muslims, Dalits and backwards) strategy too failed the last time, mainly because it is too difficult to stitch together a coalition of scores of castes, and because the Hindulidavaru (backward) prong of the alliance collapsed. It risks a rout in the coastal Karnataka region if there is polarisation due to the rivalry between the BJP and newer outfits such as SDPI, the political wing of the now-banned PFI. And finally, with the rivalry between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar still unresolved, it is unclear whether dissension will hobble the campaign.

The JD(S) in many ways is the key to this election. It is an anachronistic party in an era of 24*7 politics, with its dependence on old caste ties, the charisma of one family and a network of local vote-catchers. In the 30-odd seats of the old Mysuru region, the JD(S) is the crucial factor  if it endures, it can emerge kingmaker; if it collapses, it will play spoiler to either of the two national parties. But it will be a mistake to see the JD(S) as only a small player  after all, as HTs analysis showed in 2018, apart from its 37 seats, the JD(S) played spoiler in another 43  the largest in the central and Hyderabad Karnataka regions. It is this ability to pull votes based on local or caste allegiances that makes the JD(S) such an unpredictable factor.

By all accounts, the next 30 days will witness a blockbuster contest. The BJP will want to secure its southern foothold. The Congress will be desperate for a victory in a big, resource-rich state and cement its position as the principal Opposition pole. And the JD(S) will want to continue its tradition of punching above its weight.

letters@hindustantimes.com
My brothers and other family members think they have no future in Pakistan. My Grandfather and his family migrated from Prayagraj & Delhi for a better future in Pakistan. Watt laga di Dada Ji! PREMIUM The ghost of the shadow war Pakistan embraced has now engulfed it. The dream of Quaid-I-Azam MA Jinnah is being destroyed (HT ARCHIVE)

This tweet is from a well-known YouTuber and journalist of Pakistani origin, Arzoo Kazmi. When one sees such remorse, one wonders if the wheel of time has come full circle. While India has advanced economically since the British era, Pakistans decline is ongoing.

Pakistan was created as a result of contradicting coincidences. Muhammad Ali Jinnah said in Lahore in March 1940 that the British, who up until yesterday did not pay close attention to what we had to convey, are now beginning to take Pakistans demand seriously. Ishtiaq Ahmed, a Swedish political scientist of Pakistani descent who has authored credible volumes on Jinnah and the Partition of India, has written extensively on this subject.

According to Ahmed, even before World War II, the British government suspected the Bolshevik Revolution would expand outside the Soviet Union. This is why, in the 1930s, the Northern Command Headquarters in Rawalpindi was tasked with keeping a watch on Soviet border movements. World War II broke out six years later, dividing the world in two.

Berlin, the defeated Germanys capital after the war, was a living illustration of this. The Soviets occupied one part of Berlin, while Western powers occupied the other. According to several accounts, everyone was being spied upon at that time. It is reported that the then prime minister (PM) of Britain, Winston Churchill, warned United States president Franklin D Roosevelt that they should also occupy Moscow. However, the Allies were hesitant to do so.

English army commanders and foreign policy architects were especially sensitive to this threat. According to Ahmed, the report of Richard Stafford Cripps, a British Labour Party politician, barrister, and diplomat who drew the blueprint for Indias Partition, had been presented, but London was in a dilemma. Jinnahs statement cited earlier proves this.

Several British rulers believed that the Indian subcontinent should be kept under British authority for two to three decades more. They thought that doing so would save money for the British forces. They will raise Indian armies with Indian funding and deploy them as needed. The same thing was done during the first and second world wars, but things did not go as intended. Britains economy crumbled, and the democratic transition in the world had begun. The French, Dutch, and Portuguese were also burning their hands in their occupied colonies.

Meanwhile, on May 12, 1947, Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery met PM Clement Attlee, accompanied by senior generals and diplomats, such as Leslie Hollis. They claimed that India was a socialist country by nature. In such a case, if they do not establish a religion-based Pakistan, the Kremlins influence will likely extend to the Indian Ocean. No wonder that viceroy Lord Mountbatten announced the Partition of India on June 3, 1947.

It is known that Pakistans economy was stronger than ours until the 1980s, but then its growth momentum faltered. Pakistan was the only country that was established on the basis of faith. It is no wonder that it remains trapped in the hands of religious fundamentalists. Several rulers were assassinated here; many others were toppled, which has pushed that country to the confusing crossroads of theory and practice.

The army there has dreamed of Ghazwa-e-Hind (a prophecy in some hadiths where an Islamic army invades and conquers the Indian subcontinent as part of events leading to the eventual apocalypse) since the time of General Ayub Khan. The ghost of the shadow war it embraced has now engulfed it. Even bread has become a nightmare for millions of Pakistanis today. The tweet by Kazmi describes the feelings of millions of people who witnessed the dream of Quaid-i-Azam Jinnah being destroyed. This is why some individuals on both sides of the border have begun to construct dreams of unity again. But is it possible?

People like these believe that if East and West Germany can reunite after 45 years, so can India and Pakistan. Nothing is impossible, but there are several obstacles in the way. Between East and West Germany, the wall was one of ideology. The wall that separates us is one built on religion. This is why there is uncertainty about whether violent religious groups will allow this.

Shashi Shekhar is editor-in-chief, Hindustan The views expressed are personal
President Biden just took a massive step on stopping the proliferation of commercial spyware. But recent reporting on a shady government contract with one of the most notorious snooping services raises the question: How can the United States clean up the worlds act on these singularly invasive tools if, so far, it hasnt been able to clean up its own?

Last week, the White House issued an executive order prohibiting federal agencies from using hacking tools that could be harnessed by foreign governments to abuse human rightsforcing firms to stop selling to bad actors or risk losing this countrys valuable business. The rules also block vendors whose products pose national security or counterintelligence risksas well as whose services have already been leveraged against the U.S. government. This scenario is far from hypothetical: The administration has said that an astounding 50 personnel in at least 10 countries have been targeted. The number presumably includes the 11 State Department employees in Uganda whose iPhones were accessed via a tool developed by the NSO Group, an Israeli cybersecurity company also connected to Saudi Arabias efforts to break into the devices of associates of Post contributing columnist Jamal Khashoggi during the months before the journalists murder.

The move is immensely encouraging, and would be even more so if not for an investigation by the New York Times published only days after the announcement that reveals a secret arrangement between a U.S. government front company and a domestic NSO Group affiliate. The deal gave an unnamed agency access to a geolocation tool that can covertly track cellphones: the same tool an adviser to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman used as part of Saudi Arabias dissent-crushing campaign. More troubling still, the agreement was forged only days after the Commerce Department, with much fanfare, placed NSO on a blacklist preventing U.S. firms from selling their technology to it. That action was supposed to send the signal that the United States was ready to take a stand against a company that, time and time again, has facilitated illegal investigations, intimidation and imprisonment. But within a week, one of its federal agencies had inked a contract with representatives of that same firm.

A National Security Council spokesperson told us, We have not yet been able to validate the existence of any such contract, and said that use of the product wouldnt be permitted by the new order. But no one has denied that the contract does exist. The matter of who in the executive branch did know about the arrangement remains unclear. And the lack of knowledge by the NSC is in itself alarming. There are other uncertainties: Which agency purchased the tool, and for what purpose? Has it been deployed? The administration needs to be aware of all procurement and use of spyware. After all, any attempt to box out unscrupulous spyware companies globally falls apart the moment the United States shakes one of their hands.

Today, firms can offer their services for despots without facing any real consequences. NSO has sold to unambiguously authoritarian nations, but its sales to democracies have done the most damage to norms involving surveillance. See, for instance, Mexicos spying on journalists investigating military crimes. Even when these governments go through appropriate legal channels, they contribute to the lawlessness of the larger commercial spyware market simply by buying. NSO and its peers have no incentive to stop selling to the worlds worst actors even if countries that claim to cherish civil liberties continue doing business with them.

Thats the trap the United States risks walking into if it cant get a handle on its own use of spyware. There are legitimate uses for this technology: Infiltrating terrorist networks is an obvious example; so is espionage. But democracies have to do more than just follow those rules when they employ surveillance tools. They also have to deny licenses for export of any tools developed on their soil to any destination with a violating recordor without a framework to prevent violationsand they should refuse imports from the same set of places, and from firms willing to do business with them. Importantly, they need to do all this together if they hope to put a real dent in spyware firms balance sheets.

The White House kicked off a much-needed collaborative regime with this months executive order and with the principles that 11 participating states in this years Summit for Democracy agreed to on the heels of its release. (Israel, notably, wasnt among them.) Ideally, their commitments will evolve to detail what standards countries must put in place and what uses are permissible, as well as to include more types of services than the end-to-end software suites offered by groups such as NSO. Plenty of mercenaries in the global market are hawking less comprehensive surveillance capabilities, or merely disclosing vulnerabilities for a fee so that the purchaser may go off and exploit them. But most important, to make this sort of system work, those who sign on must be strictwith vendors, but also with themselves.
Last Sunday, I visited Bateshwar in the southern parts of Uttar Pradesh (UP)s Agra district. It is a place of pilgrimage, and I was there on the last day of the Chait Navratra. Bateshwar is considered sacred because the Yamuna turns northwards there. A line of small and white temples line the bank where it bends. We were too late to see the Ram Navami deities being immersed in the river, but we did see two processions making their way back peacefully through the main street, crowded with people who had come to celebrate the festival. PREMIUM The Yamuna river front at Bateshwar in Agra district. (Photo HT)

To get a better view of the riverside temples, we crossed the Yamuna on a pontoon bridge. On the other side, we met some young men who told us that former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayees predecessors were born in Bateshwar and there was still a Vajpayee museum.

When I asked whether people living here were proud that it was Vajpayees ancestral place, they said, No he did nothing for us. We are all for [Narendra] Modi because of what he has done for us  bank accounts, loans, bicycles and reliable electricity. School children have even got computers. This was almost exactly the same thing I was told by the guardian of an empty, dilapidated, once-prosperous family house. He insisted we see the family ghats that were being rebuilt. But the only sign of government development we could see was a public ghat being constructed on the rivers bank.

Bateshwar can best be described as a growing place of pilgrimage. Its probably too small to even be called a town. I am sure it will develop into a town. But what sort of town is it going to be? Will its development be higgledy-piggledy, unplanned, unhygienic, and polluting  mirroring a large chunk of the development in India since Independence  or will it emerge as a new example for others to emulate? Speaking very recently at a webinar of experts involved in urban development, the Prime Minister (PM) said budget allocation of 5,000 crore marked a new beginning in two aspects of urban development  developing new cities and modernising old ones. Cities should be garbage-free, water-secure, and climate resilient. To achieve that, the PM said there needed to be a focus on urban planning and governance. Stressing the importance of planned urban development, he said, Well planned cities will determine the future of this country.

On my way back to Delhi, I stopped by one of UPs oldest cities, one that could certainly do with planned modernisation, Mathura. There, I went to see what I was told was one of the few bright spots in the city, the government museum. Bright it was, full of exhibits discovered in and around Mathura, dating from the 3rd century BC to the 12th century AD. Perhaps the most important of the many, many exhibits was the headless life-size statue of the famous first century emperor, Kanishka. He made Mathura the southern capital of his vast empire. Todays Mathura is also sacred because it is believed to be the birthplace of Hindu God Krishna, and the Yamuna, which flows through the city, is believed to be the river where he played with the maidens and met Radha. The museum made me wonder how a city so full of history could be so clearly in need of development.

Because Mathura is so sacred, it is certain to receive funds for urban development but what will happen to Bateshwar? It represents the need to plan the development of rural India, to ensure it no longer suffers the problems that development has already inflicted on it  those long lines of ribbon development along the road sides, and the unplanned development of housing which is neither garbage-free, nor water-secure or climate resilient.

The views expressed are personal
An American scientist has been grabbing attention for his decision to embark on a "record-breaking" 100-day underwater stint. Joe Dituri is an associate professor at University of South Florida an expert in biomedical engineering and a former US Navy diver. Since March 1, Dituri has been residing in a compact, 100-square-foot habitat situated 30 feet below the water's surface at Jules' Undersea Lodge in Key Largo. Dituri's decision to live under extreme water pressure is part of his research. (University of South Florida)

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The existing world record for the longest period spent living underwater is 73 days, which was achieved in 2014 by two professors from Tennessee who also resided at Jules' Undersea Lodge.

Dituri's decision to live under extreme water pressure is part of his research into how the human body responds to long-term exposure to such conditions. Previous studies have shown that cells exposed to increased pressure doubled within five days, indicating that higher pressure may have the potential to increase human longevity and prevent age-related diseases. Dituri's experiment seeks to advance these findings and gain a deeper understanding of the potential benefits of living in high-pressure environments.

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So, we suspect I am going to come out super-human! Dituri said.

Everything we need to survive is here on the planet, he said. I suspect the cure to many diseases can be found in undiscovered organisms in the ocean. To find out, we need more researchers.

What precautions were taken

Throughout the course of his experiment, Joe Dituri will be subjected to a series of psychosocial, psychological, and medical tests that include blood panels, ultrasounds, electrocardiograms, and stem cell tests. A medical team regularly dives to his underwater habitat to perform these tests and document the 55-year-old's physical health.

The prolonged isolation and confinement of Dituri's underwater stay is expected to have a significant impact on his mental health, similar to that experienced by astronauts during long-duration space missions. Consequently, a psychologist and psychiatrist will document the mental effects of the experiment to gain insights into the potential psychological impacts of prolonged underwater living.

What Dituri feels

The human body has never been underwater that long, so I will be monitored closely, Dituri said.

While conducting the study, the scientist plans to explore every aspect of the experience and its potential effects. Despite this, he has also stated that his null hypothesis is that the increased pressure could potentially bring about improvements in his health.

I knew well that hyperbaric pressure could increase cerebral blood flow and hypothesized it could be used to treat traumatic brain injuries. I hypothesize that applying the known mechanisms of action for hyperbaric medicine could be used to treat a broad spectrum of diseases, Joe Dituri has highlighted his concern for individuals who have suffered traumatic brain injuries and expressed his desire to use his research to assist them.

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With the help of Artificial Intelligence or AI technology, these days artists seem to be pushing the boundaries of what is possible in the world of digital creations. A series of images have been making waves on social media, featuring some of the world's most notable billionaires depicted as Slumdog Billionaires. These lifelike portraits, which have gone viral, showcase how artists are leveraging AI tools to produce their works. AI-generated potraits of Microsoft's Bill Gates and former US President Donald Trump.(Instagram/withgokul)

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The portraits depict figures like Donald Trump, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Warren Buffett, Jeff Bezos, and Elon Musk, dressed in the kind of attire typically worn by impoverished individuals, and posed in a slum-like environment. The images are so realistic that they appear to have been taken by the billionaires themselves.

In an Instagram post, digital artist Gokul Pillai shared images created using AI programme "Midjourney" to transform some of the world's richest people into individuals that look as if they are living in poverty.

Also Read | Ever wondered what historical Indian rulers looked like? These AI-generated pictures will stun you

The post quickly gained traction on social media, garnering over 9,000 likes and numerous comments. This serves as yet another example of how artists are leveraging AI tools to produce their stunning works.

Sharing the post, Pillai wrote, "Slumdog Millionaires. (Did I miss to include anyone in the list?)," prompting a flurry of reactions from Instagram users.

One user expressed awe and wrote, "Just amazing they look real...more like slumdog billionaire." Another user exclaimed, "This is epic," revealing their enthusiasm for the digital artwork. In reference to Elon Musk's portrayal, a commenter remarked, "This is gold! But Elon is the only one that still looks rich even when he's poor lol."

In the age of advanced artificial intelligence, generated images are becoming increasingly captivating, to the point where distinguishing reality from fabrication can be a challenge.

Recently, AI-generated images of Pope Francis donning a stylish puffer jacket and a purported image of Donald Trump's "arrest" caused a stir on social media, with many praising the realistic appearance of the pictures.

These digital creations were generated using Midjourney. The platform allows users to produce convincing fake pictures of world leaders, including US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin, among others. However, the pictures of China's Xi Jinping are not permitted to create on the platform.

What is Midjourney?

Midjourney, launched in July of 2022, was founded in San Francisco by co-founder of Leap Motion, David Holz. The AI image generator employs a unique system of generating images through the use of natural language prompts, a technique also employed by OpenAI's DALL-E and Stability AI's Stable Diffusion.

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Three people were injured in a shooting incident at a mall in Delaware, police informed as multiple law enforcement agencies and other emergency responders reached the scene at Christiana Mall where an investigation is underway, CNN reported. Delaware Mall Shooting: Multiple law enforcement agencies and other emergency responders reached the scene.(Representational)

There are currently no public safety concerns at Christiana Mall and the surrounding area. Please continue to avoid the area as DSP gathers more info, Delaware police tweeted. The police evacuated the shoppers in the mall and said that there is no suspect in custody.

Read more: Ukraine pickier with targets while Russia firing thrice more because

We can confirm that there are 3 victims who were injured by gunfire and transported to an area hospital for medical treatment, police said in a tweet.

The mall would remain closed Saturday evening, police said. The three people were shot in the food court area, media reports claimed.

We appreciate everyones patience as we continue to gather more details on this shooting, police said.

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Donald Trump's former aide Omarosa Manigault Newman alleged that negative secrets and tapes about the former US President are collected and kept in an "infamous vault" by the owners of The National Enquirer. Donald Trump: Former US president Donald Trump holds a rally in Youngstown.(Reuters)

Read more: Top Russian officials can't leave country until PM's nod: Report

Omarosa Manigault Newman who served as the director of communications for the Office of Public Liaison during the Trump administration shared her perspective on Donald Trump's legal troubles as the former President pleaded not guilty to 34 charges of falsifying business records in a Manhattan court in case related to hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels.

Reading the indictment confirmed many of the rumors she had heard about Donald Trump, Omarosa Manigault Newman said.

Read more: Man sneaks into Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif's house, arrested: Report

"Fast forward to the indictment. I'm reading it, and a lot of the rumors that I've heard while I worked at the magazine were confirmed in the indictment," she said adding that she had heard that AMI's former CEO David Pecker ordered a staff member to "catch and suppress" negative stories about Donald Trump.

These stories and tapes were stored in an infamous vault, she claimed.

"Allegedly, when you go to the headquarters of AMI, which of course I visited very often while I was working as the West Coast editorthere is supposedly this infamous vault of informationtapes and pictures and secrets that David kept safe for Donald Trump, and they were oversaw by his chief," she said.

"It's time for Donald Trump to be brought to justice for the crimes that he has allegedly committed. It's about time that he faces some consequences for his criminal behavior," she had said earlier.

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The German ambassador to Chad, declared persona non grata by the government for his "impolite attitude", was expelled from the country Saturday evening, officials in N'Djamena told AFP Sunday. German diplomat Jan Christian Gordon Kricke. (Twitter )

On Friday, the government of Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, proclaimed head of state by the army two years ago, asked the German diplomat to leave within 48 hours for "non-respect of diplomatic practices".

"The ambassador of Germany to Chad, Jan Christian Gordon Kricke, took an Air France flight Saturday evening," said Foreign Minister Mahamat Saleh Annadif. His departure was also confirmed to AFP by government spokesperson Aziz Mahamat Saleh.

Officials did not specify the exact reasons for his expulsion.

But a Chadian government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told AFP that N'Djamena was critical of the diplomat for "interfering too much" in the "governance of the country", as well as for "remarks tending to divide Chadians".

A German foreign ministry official on Friday deemed the reasons for expelling their ambassador, who had held the post since July 2021, "absolutely incomprehensible".

Deby Itno, then a young 37-year-old general, was proclaimed president on April 20, 2021, when his father who had led the vast Sahelian country for 30 years was killed by rebels.

The military junta initially promised to hand power to civilians through "free and democratic elections", however in October, Deby's rule was extended for two years.

The move has been boycotted by the opposition and main rebel movements.

The German embassy joined others such as France, Spain and The Netherlands in expressing its concern over the delayed return to democracy.

Main opposition leaders have been in exile or in hiding since demonstrations against the ruling junta in October turned violent, officially leaving 73 people dead, although NGOs claim the number was much higher.
The Israeli military said Saturday that three rockets were launched from Syria toward Israeli territory, a rare attack from the countrys northeastern neighbor that comes after days of escalating violence on multiple fronts. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the rocket launches, which caused no damage or casualties in Israel. (Representative Image)

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the rocket launches, which caused no damage or casualties in Israel. Only one rocket managed to cross into Israeli territory and landed in a field in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights.

Also read: Israeli-Palestinian tensions soar after deadly attacks: What we know so far

The unusual rocket fire from Syria comes against the backdrop of soaring Israeli-Palestinian tensions touched off by an Israeli police raid on Jerusalem's most sensitive site, the sacred compound home to the Al-Aqsa mosque. That outraged Palestinians marking the holy fasting month of Ramadan and prompted militants in Lebanon  as well as Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip  to fire a heavy barrage of rockets into Israel.

On Friday, Israeli warplanes struck sites allegedly linked to the Palestinian group Hamas in Gaza and southern Lebanon. Capping the days of heightened violence, a shooting in the occupied West Bank and an alleged car-ramming in Tel Aviv killed two British-Israelis and an Italian tourist on Friday.

The escalation prompted Israels defense minister to extend a closure on Saturday barring entrance to Israel for Palestinians from the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip for the duration of the Jewish holiday of Passover, while police beefed up forces in Jerusalem on the eve of sensitive religious celebrations.

The moves come after days of violence across the region at a time of heightened religious fervor  with the Muslim holy month of Ramadan coinciding with Passover and Easter celebrations. Jerusalems Old City, home to key Jewish, Muslim and Christian holy sites, has been teeming with visitors and religious pilgrims from around the world.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said that a closure imposed last Wednesday, on the eve of Passover, would remain in effect until the holiday ends on Wednesday night. The order prevents Palestinians from entering Israel for work or to pray in Jerusalem this week, though mass prayers were permitted at the Al-Aqsa Mosque on Friday. Gallant also ordered the Israeli military to be prepared to assist Israeli police. The army later announced that it was deploying additional troops around Jerusalem and in the West Bank.

Over 2,000 police were expected to be deployed in Jerusalem on Sunday  when tens of thousands of Jews are expected to gather at the Western Wall for the special Passover priestly blessing. The Western Wall is the holiest site where Jews can pray and sits next to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, where large crowds gather each day for prayers during Ramadan.

Jerusalem police chief Doron Turgeman met with his commanders on Saturday for a security assessment. He accused the Hamas militant group, which rules the Gaza Strip, of trying to incite violence ahead of Sundays priestly blessing with false claims that Jews planned to storm the mosque.

Also read: EU condemns attacks in Israel, urges 'restraint'

We will allow the freedom of worship and we will allow the arrival of Muslims to pray, he said, adding that police will act with determination and sensitivity to ensure that all faiths can celebrate safely.

The current round of violence erupted earlier in the week after Israeli police raided the mosque, firing tear gas and stun grenades to disperse hundreds of Palestinians who had barricaded themselves inside. Violent scenes from the raid sparked unrest in the contested capital and outrage across the Arab world.
Iranian police will use smart technology in public places to identify and then penalise women who violate the countrys strict hijab rule, authorities informed. Police said that it would take action to identify norm-breaking people by using tools and smart cameras in public places and thoroughfares. It will then send the proof and warning messages to the violators of the hijab law to inform them about the legal consequences of repeating this crime. Iran Anti-Hijab Protests: A woman holds a placard with a picture of Iranian woman Mahsa Amini during a protest against her death.(AP)

Read more: Ukraine pickier with targets while Russia firing thrice more because

Women in Iran continue to defy the hijab rule since a wave of protests gripped the country after the death in custody of Kurdish-Iranian Mahsa Amini for allegedly not wearing her hijab properly.

From next Saturday, people who remove their veil will be identified by using smart equipment, Irans police chief, Ahmad-Reza Radan, said in an interview with state television.

Read more: Top Russian officials can't leave country until PM's nod: Report

People who remove their hijab in public places will be warned first and presented to the courts as a next step, the police chief added, saying that car owners will also receive a warning text if any of their passengers violate the dress code.

Their vehicles will be seized if the offence is repeated, he further said. Mahsa Amini died on September 16, three days after her arrest by the morality police following which a wave of protests swept the country.

In a separate statement, the police said they would not tolerate any individual or collective behaviour and actions that are contrary to the law.

Earlier, Iran's head of the judiciary Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei said, removing hijab amounts to enmity towards values and people who commit such abnormality will be punished.

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Iran is preparing to attack Israel-owned trading vessels to avenge two Revolutionary Guards advisors killed in alleged Israeli airstrikes in Syria last month, The Times of Israel reported on Saturday. Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi. (AFP)

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force is gearing up to launch drone attacks on ships sailing through the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea, according to the report, which cited two anonymous senior Western intelligence officials, The Times of Israel reported.

Also Read| Shunning hijab will lead to persecution of women, says Iran's top cop

An Iranian political strategist linked to the IRGC told the newspaper the planned attacks were in retaliation for the strikes in Syria, The Times of Israel reported.

The report came as the US military announced it had dispatched the USS Florida, a nuclear-powered guided-missile submarine to the Middle East to "help ensure regional maritime security and stability." The show of force comes amid heightened tensions with Iran, which continues to harass shipping and attack oil tankers in the area, including several owned by Israelis.

Washington usually does not disclose the locations of its submarines while they are at sea.

"It is capable of carrying up to 154 Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles and is deployed to US 5th Fleet to help ensure regional maritime security and stability," fleet spokesperson Commander Timothy Hawkins said in a statement.

Tomahawk cruise missiles launched from ships or submarines can hit targets up to 2,500 kilometres (1,500 miles away).

Hawkins said the submarine entered the region Thursday and began crossing the canal on Friday.

The move also comes with heightened tensions between Israel and Iran amid a general spike in violence in Israel, Lebanon, the West Bank and Gaza.

Israel has allegedly launched a series of airstrikes in Syria in recent weeks, including the strike that killed the Iranian military advisers, prompting vows of revenge from Tehran, The Times of Israel reported.

Six rockets were launched from southern Syria at the Golan Heights on Saturday night and early Sunday in two separate barrages hours apart, with three landing in Israeli territory, the military said.

After the second barrage, the Israel Defense Forces said it carried out artillery and drone strikes in southern Syria, targeting the launchers that had been used to fire the rockets. Later, Israeli fighter jets carried out additional airstrikes near the capital Damascus, The Times of Israel reported.

A local Palestinian militia called Liwa al-Quds, or the Jerusalem Brigade, claimed responsibility for the rocket launches, according to the Hezbollah-affiliated Lebanese Al Mayadeen network.

As a general rule, Israel's military does not comment on specific strikes in Syria, but it has acknowledged conducting hundreds of sorties against Iran-backed groups attempting to gain a foothold in the country over the last decade.

The IDF says it also attacks arms shipments believed to be bound for those groups, chief among them Hezbollah. Additionally, airstrikes attributed to Israel have repeatedly targeted Syrian air defence systems.

The escalation of attacks comes after what appears to be a rare bombing in Megiddo by an armed terrorist who infiltrated from Lebanon into Israel.
Meghan Markle's half-sister Samantha will sue the Duchess of Sussex once again after a previous lawsuit was dismissed by a judge. In the previous case, Samantha Markle had claimed defamation and injurious falsehood against Meghan Markle. Samantha made many claims against her half-sister and Prince Harry accusing Meghan of spreading "malicious" lies during her interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021. Meghan Markle: Meghan, Duchess of Sussex watches as the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II is placed into the hearse.(AP)

Read more: Meghan's '3-word reply' to Queen Elizabeth's advice that shocked monarch

But the judge said that Meghan Markle was expressing an "opinion about her childhood", adding, "This upcoming amendment will address certain legal issues that are related to our claims for defamation as it specifically relates to the Oprah interview on CBS."

Samantha Markle had earlier said that Meghan was a "social climber" and claimed that she was ambitious to become a princess. In 2018, following Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding, Samantha called Meghan the "duchess of nonsense" and said Prince Harry was being a wuss.

Read more: Prince William, King Charles decided to never meet Harry alone after

Samantha was not invited to the couple's wedding on which she claimed that Meghan's supposed "embarrassment" of her family is totally reciprocal and her "fake British accent is also ridiculous."

She later claimed that Meghan Markle was "jealous" of Kate Middleton and even referred to her as Cruella Deville and a "narcissist". On Prince Harry's memoir, Samantha said, I think he [Harry] is lacking in empathy, remorse, and shame.

He is showing a clear disconnect with reality and is so emotionally underdeveloped that he can't move on from this stage where he has resentment over a whole host of issues. I don't think he can think like an adult because I don't think emotionally he is one. It's really par for the course that he's behaving in this bitter and delusionary way, she added.

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A backlog in Virginias teacher licensure application system is leaving qualified candidates waiting six months  and in some cases much longer  for the state to process their applications.

At the same time, Virginia is facing a massive teacher shortage with more than 3,500 full-time equivalent vacancies, according to state data.

Mike Forster, a U.S. Army veteran with more than three years of full-time teaching under his belt, is a textbook example of the type of candidate Gov. Glenn Youngkin said he wants in Virginias public school classrooms.

This week marks one year since Forster first mailed in his application for a teaching license, and it has not yet been processed.

Youngkin, who has prioritized K-12 education issues, signed an executive order in September that calls on officials to cut red tape that can discourage retired teachers and teachers licensed in other states from getting the Virginia licenses they need to teach here.

The executive order specifically mentions recruiting more military veterans and career switchers, such as Forster.

Emails from licensure staff at the Virginia Department of Education obtained by the Richmond Times-Dispatch show that theres a backlog of at least six months in processing applications. Various hiccups in the process can prolong that time frame.

When faced with teacher shortages, Governor Youngkin issued the executive directive to ensure we are recruiting and retaining high-quality teachers, said Youngkin spokeswoman Macaulay Porter. The administration has also worked to remove barriers and incentivize teachers with well-deserved bonuses. One of the governors top priorities is to ensure we provide a great teacher for every classroom in every school in Virginia.

Porter deferred to the state education department regarding the backlog in the licensure application system.

Charles Pyle, a spokesman for the Department of Education, said, Delays in processing are due to a combination of challenges the department has encountered over the past few years. All of these challenges were exacerbated by the pandemic.

Snags in the systemA leading cause of the backlog is the number of vacancies and turnover within the state education department over the last few years. The churn of employees affects processing of the assignment of senior licensure specialists to train new employees.

Democratic Del. Schyuler Vanvalkenburg of Henrico, who is also a high school civics teacher, called the backlog another example of the Youngkin administration missing the boat on governing issues because theyre too busy chasing ideological crusades.

Pyle said the overall average processing timeline over the course of an entire year is 25-30 days. But right now, the departments licensure specialists are still working on requests submitted six months ago, in October.

The state education department is working as quickly as possible to return to our normal processing timeline, which is typically 10-12 weeks. Its important to note that in addition to previously mentioned events, there are ebbs and flows to the request cycle.

April through August is one of the busiest times, along with October through November, according to the education department.

The Department of Education pointed to the shift to telecommuting in 2020, which caused the office to rearrange its flow of operations because the licensure request intake is reliant on paper and on the U.S. Postal Service, which experienced delays.

Legislation that allowed for COVID-19 flexibilities increased the amount of time specialists spend on licensure requests, according to the education department. In 2020, the state allowed one-year license extensions.

In 2021 and 2022, legislation the General Assembly passed allowed for two-year license extensions. The legislation, while beneficial to license holders, resulted in increased volume and frequency of the number of times specialists touch the same license.

For Forster, the hang-ups extended beyond pandemic-induced complications.

After mailing in his initial packet last April, staff informed him that he needed to add endorsements, or subjects in which he wanted to be licensed. He sent those in June. Then in December, the education department informed him that he should have applied for a provisional license instead of an initial full license. He resubmitted his application in January, and learned in March that a six-month backlog would further delay his application.

According to the education department, most of the applications we receive are incomplete on the first submission.

Other reasons for the backlog, according to the departments spokesman, include licensure specialists spending their time hosting individual training sessions with specific school divisions and nonpublic schools that request them due to turnover within the central office staff of many divisions.

Only initial applications for a full license and renewal requests can be submitted online. Other license requests must be mailed through the U.S. postal system.

The new budget will fund the initiative to automate the teacher licensure application and intake process, according to Pyle, who said, We are hopeful to have the new system live by January 1, 2024.

Provisional licensesForster is waiting for a provisional license, a short-term license for candidates who have some qualifications but not all of them; for example, a lack of college courses specializing in education.

He holds a bachelors degree from Cornell University with a major in labor economics; and a masters degree from the University of Minnesota. In addition to his seven years in the U.S. Army, he worked for years in the business sector at Altria and Capital One. He was formerly a reporter and editor at the Bedford Bulletin, a newspaper based east of Roanoke in Southside Virginia.

Forster is now in his third year of working full time as a teacher at Benedictine College Preparatory school in Goochland County, where he teaches Advanced Placement macroeconomics and journalism. Most private schools do not require a teaching license issued by the state education department.

The number of provisionally licensed teachers increased by 24% last academic year compared with the pre-pandemic average, according to a study from a state commission that conducts research on state agencies on behalf of Virginias General Assembly.

Local school divisions facing teacher shortages have enthusiastically welcomed provisionally licensed teachers, who are filling vacancies left by droves of teachers who quit.

Addressing the teacher shortage

Virginia allocated more than $2 million of its federal COVID-19 relief funds to make grant funding available to assist public school divisions with recruitment and retention of educators.

The state also spent $1 million of its federal relief dollars on its Become a Teacher campaign. Most of those funds were spent on a two-year contract with a marketing firm for the campaign, materials for educator preparation programs, online advertising, and maintenance of the website for two years.

Pyle said it is difficult to solely link the campaign with application submissions, but anecdotal feedback finds a corresponding increase in applications since the October 2022 launch of the marketing campaign. The BecomeATeacher website receives an average of 350-400 users per day with a record 700 users at the end of January, according to Pyle.

The Hanover County school division proactively addressed the shortage by launching its own program last summer that provides provisionally licensed teachers the training needed to obtain a full teaching license.

The first of its kind in Virginia, the program saves teachers thousands of dollars in the process of procuring their full license by allowing them to bypass the need for paying tuition to a college or university and earn their license while they teach.

The number of provisionally licensed teachers who started teaching and quit before earning their full license is one of the reasons Hanover officials created the program, according to a division licensure specialist.
North Korea has not responded to the regularly-held inter-Korean calls for the third consecutive day, elevating tensions on the peninsula and raising concerns about the stability of the region. North Koreas lack of response to the daily calls may be a precursor to further military exercises by the regime.(AP)

Officials in North Korea were unresponsive to the regular phone communication between the two sides on Sunday, Yonhap News reported, after calls through the military line went unanswered on the previous two days.

The two Koreas typically hold phone calls twice a day though the two lines, including a cross-border liaison channel, during the week, while the military channel is used on weekends.

South Korea defense ministry officials said they reached out to the North through the military hotline at 9 a.m. Sunday but the calls went unanswered, according to Yonhap. The suspension of communication comes amid heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula following North Koreas recent weapons tests, which were seen as a response to joint military drills between South Korea and the US.

North Korean state media reported Saturday that the country staged an underwater detonation test of its Haeil-2 nuclear-capable attack drone last week. The drone cruised off North Koreas east coast for more than 71 hours before its test warhead was detonated underwater, KCNA said Saturday.

North Koreas lack of response to the daily calls may be a precursor to further military exercises by the regime. In August 2017, North Korea did not respond to South Koreas request for inter-Korean military talks a few days before it launched a ballistic missile that flew over Japan.

The inter-Korean hotline was restored in July 2021, after being ignored for about a year by the North in protest of Seoul activists leaflet campaigns critical of Pyongyang. Daily phone call disruptions, however, have not always resulted in elevated tensions. In June 2022, North Korean did not respond to a regular hotline call, apparently due to technical glitches caused by heavy rains.
Pakistan's civil judge imposed a fine of USD 2.48 million on the Chinese petroleum firm, "China National Petroleum Corporation" for allegedly volating the contract it signed with the Petroleum Exploration (Private) Limited, a local company, Dawn reported. The local company petitioned before the court against the alleged violation contractual obligations by CNPC, reported Dawn.(Representative image/ Bloomberg)

Also Read| Man sneaks into Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif's house, arrested: Report

In the judgement, Civil judge Syed Mohammad Zahid Termizi passed a preliminary decree of USD 2.48 million in favour of the local company.

In 2001, CNPC came to Pakistan as a service provider to exploration and production companies in the fields of rigs and drilling. In the first decade of 21st century, Pakistan was deemed a great potential for exploration and production companies and saw a great influx of foreign companies.

But with great influx associates, comes greater competition and CNPC found it difficult to establish and generate business with such foreign competitive companies, reported the Dawn.

Considering the need of time and to get a necessary headstart, CNPC entered into an agreement with the local company to help procure drilling works for CNPC against a commission for each work procured in favour of CNPC.

From its inception to date, CNPC with the help of the local company, procured drilling contracts and was able to maintain its operation in Pakistan, now comprising over two decades.

The local company petitioned before the court against the alleged violation contractual obligations by CNPC, reported Dawn.
A new book called Prince Harry and Meghan Markles interview with Oprah Winfrey a chilling new low in Harrys relationship with Prince William and King Charles. Following the interview, excerpts from royal correspondent Robert Jobsons new book Our King revealed that Prince William devised a drastic strategy because he had lost all trust" in Prince Harry. Royal Family News: Prince William, Prince of Wales at Windsor Castle for The Committal Service For Queen Elizabeth II.(Reuters)

Read more: Queen Elizabeth hid wheelchair during last appearance? In military-style

In the aftermath, William went to his father and told him that the royal family needed a clear strategy in dealing with the renegade royals, the book stated.

Charles agreed," it claimed. With this, the royal family never trusted Prince Harry and decided to not meet him alone.

Not only had Harry heavily implied to Oprah that a member of the family was racist, but hed had the gall to claim that his father and brother knew they were trapped in their royal rolesand I have huge compassion for that, he had added, twisting the knife, the book claimed.

Read more: Meghan's '3-word reply' to Queen Elizabeth's advice that shocked monarch

Both Charles and William had been extremely upset by Harrys arrogance, aghast at his lack of discretion and furious that hed had the audacity to speak about their supposed feelings," it further said.

The book also said that the Windsor Castle walkabout in which Prince William, his wife Kate Middleton, Prince Harry, and wife Meghan Markle that the Princess of Wales said it was one of the hardest things shed ever had to do." The book also said that Queen Elizabeth believed that her grandson Prince Harry was so consumed by his love for Meghan Markle that it was clouding his judgment."

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Late monarch Queen Elizabeth went to an extraordinary effort to give a poignant "last salute" to royal fans that had gathered to celebrate her 70-year reign, a book claimed. The monarch flew by helicopter from Windsor Castle to Buckingham Palace for the celebrations in June last year and her plan which was meticulously designed included her not being seen using a wheelchair on the balcony. Queen Elizabeth II Health Concerns: Britain's Queen Elizabeth II at the Buckingham Palace balcony.(AFP)

Read more: Meghan's '3-word reply' to Queen Elizabeth's advice that shocked monarch

The revelations come in a book by royal correspondent Robert Jobson.

On her insistence, a military-style exercise was put in place so that no one could see she was having to use a wheelchair. In considerable discomfort, Her Majesty was taken by wheelchair to the helicopter pad at Windsor, the book stated.

"At the Palace, she was wheeled right up to the balcony doors, then helped to her feet so that she could stand - with the aid of a walking stick - alongside Charles and Camilla, plus William and his family. After a firework display, the Queen smiled with delight. It was her last salute to her people"," it added.

Read more: Royal family's safety in danger because of cars they are using: Report

Queen Elizabeth was seen in an emerald green outfit on the Buckingham Palace balcony amid last year's Platinum Jubilee following which she issued a moving letter to the nation saying, My heart has been with you all.

After that, she was unable to attend thanksgiving celebrations at St Paul's Cathedral- thus making the balcony appearance her last.

The service was dominated by the attendance of Prince Harry and Meghan, making their first joint royal appearance since quitting their duties.

The Queen had made it clear her presence at events of personal significance, such as the Commonwealth and Cenotaph services, should not come at any cost, it was revealed last year.

In particular, Palace aides were anxious not to replicate a photograph of the Queen's late sister, Princess Margaret, in a wheelchair, six months before she died.

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British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will meet Joe Biden in Northern Ireland next week when the U.S. president flies in to take part in events to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday peace accord. Joe Biden, Rishi Sunak

Having helped broker the 1998 deal, the United States remains an influential voice in Northern Ireland's politics and has sought to protect the peace from the strains caused by Britain's exit from the European Union.

Also read: Rishi Sunak's new test as wife Akshata may benefit from UK policy. Here's why

Sunak will greet Biden on Tuesday evening when Air Force One lands for what will be a closely watched visit to both sides of the Irish border at a time of heightened political uncertainty in Northern Ireland.

Sunak hosts a gala dinner on Wednesday to commemorate the anniversary, his office said in a statement setting out some details of his itinerary.

Biden, who often speaks proudly of his Irish roots, will also spend time in the Irish Republic, where he will visit Dublin and his two ancestral homes.

The Good Friday Agreement - signed on April 10, 1998 - largely ended three decades of sectarian bloodshed that had convulsed Northern Ireland since the late 1960s.

However the anniversary has been overshadowed by a year-long boycott by Northern Ireland's largest pro-British unionist party of the power-sharing devolved government central to the peace deal. The Democratic Unionist Party is angry about post-Brexit trade rules that treated the province differently to the rest of the UK.

In March, Britain's MI5 intelligence agency increased the threat level in Northern Ireland from domestic terrorism to "severe" - meaning an attack is highly likely - though the move was not thought to be linked to the anniversary.

Also read: Proud Rishi Sunak reacts to Sudha Murty's Padma Bhushan

Biden clashed with the British government at times during Brexit talks, but has spoken in support of a recently agreed UK-EU deal to address some of the tensions caused by the original Brexit agreement.

Although that deal has so far failed to restore the devolved government in Northern Ireland, Sunak will seek to bolster his support for the province by announcing a summit later in the year to stimulate international investment.
Luxury cars used by members of the royal family including King Charles and Prince William could have a dangerous technical defect, The Mirror reported citing legal papers filed at the High Court last week. The papers were filed against Jaguar Land Rover which is used by the royal family for official purposes. King Charles: Britain's Prince Louis of Wales (L), Britain's Prince George of Wales (C) and Britain's Prince William, Prince of Wales (rear R) walk behind Britain's King Charles III.(AFP)

Over 500,000 cars built by the UK car maker are faulty which has raised safety questions for the royal family as well, the report claimed. Lawyers said that the fault can cause cars to enter limp mode. Dai Davies, former head of royal protection, said the fault could compromise royals ability to avoid potential threat.

Read more: Meghan's '3-word reply' to Queen Elizabeth's advice that shocked monarch

This is a personal safety issue. Anything that diminishes your ability to get away from a potential attacker is a concern, Dai Davies said. Prince William and King Charles use the same car although the royal family is not joining the claim in the court. The car company Jaguar Land Rover said it had not been notified of the legal action but will contest any claim.

Legal papers said that the cars have defective diesel particulate filter (DPF) systems which are common in diesel vehicles and store exhaust soot to stop the car from pollution.

James Oldnall, lead litigator in the case said, This could happen while motorists are in the middle of a busy roundabout or on the motorway. This strikes us as dangerous."

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Ukraine children who were kidnapped by Russian forces from the regions of Kherson and Kharkiv reunited with their families. The humanitarian organisation Save Ukraine reported that 31 children were reunited with their families in Ukraine this week after a long operation to bring them back from Russia. The children had been taken from occupied areas during the war. Russia-Ukraine War: Yana Shapochko reacts as she embraces her 9-year-old nephew Danyil.(Reuters)

Read more: Ukraine pickier with targets while Russia firing thrice more because

"Now the fifth rescue mission is nearing its completion. It was special regarding the number of children we managed to return and also because of its complexity," Mykola Kuleba, the founder of the Save Ukraine said.

The children who returned from Russia were living with rats and cockroaches, Mykola Kuleba claimed adding that no one in Russia was trying to find their parents in Ukraine.

Read more: 3 injured in shooting at food court of US' Delaware mall: What we know so far

"There were kids who changed their locations five times in five months, some children say that they were living with rats and cockroaches," he said.

The children were taken to what Russians called stays in summer camps from occupied parts of Ukraine's Kharkiv and Kherson regions, he informed. Since Moscow's invasion in February last year, Ukraine estimated that nearly 19,500 children have been taken to Russia. Kyiv has condemned these illegal deportations while Moscow which controls chunks of Ukraine's east and south, denied abducting children, saying that the children had been transported away for their own safety.

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High-ranking Russian officials are only allowed to leave the country after they take from Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, a US-based think tank reported. According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Mikhail Mishustin has restricted international travel to official business. The think tank claimed the decision citing a report from Russian news outlet The Bell. Russia-Ukraine War: Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin(Reuters)

Read more: Ukraine children returned from Russia lived 'with rats, cockroaches: Report

The outlet reported that employees of Vladimir Putin's administration are not subject to the same restrictions. Earlier, the think tank had said that Russian security services were confiscating passports of Russian officials, ex-officials and executives of state companies to stop them from flying out of Russia.

The decision was taken as Russia feared defections from people who oppose the invasion of Ukraine. The Kremlin and its FSB agency fear people could leave because they privately object to the war amid Western sanctions, the think tank said.

Read more: Ukraine pickier with targets while Russia firing thrice more because

Several media reports claimed that security officers were demanding some of Russia's elites to hand over travel documents- a Soviet-era rule that had rarely been applied. UK Ministry of Defence intelligence updated in March that some officials had to give their passports to Russia's security service- a move "likely designed to prevent the flight or defection of increasingly disaffected officials."

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Ukraine has been forced to ration shells amid an acute ammunition shortage, a report claimed. The Washington Post reported that a unit with the 59th motorised brigade of Ukraine's ground forces used to fire more than 20 to 30 shells per day earlier. At present, the unit is shooting one, two, or no shells at all as the forces faces dire shortage. Russia-Ukraine War: A Ukrainian serviceman hides in a trench near the frontline town of Bakhmut amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, Donetsk region.(Reuters)

Read more: Covid panic, no phone and hate for internet: 6 Vladimir Putin's secrets revealed

Ukrainian forces are firing around 7,700 shells per day, the report added which implies one in every six seconds, a Ukrainian military official who spoke anonymously to the Washington Post revealed. Russia may also be conserving shells but is firing an estimated three times as many as Ukraine, the newspaper reported.

Owing to the shortage, the Ukrainian military has become "pickier" with its targets, aiming for equipment over infantry. Ukraine has repeatedly claimed a shortage of ammunition saying that it has limited the country's progress on the battlefield.

Read more: To work in the same room as Vladimir Putin, officials have to do this

Earlier, EU foreign ministers reached a historic deal to supply Ukraine with one million artillery shells over the next year. NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg had warned in February that the alliance was struggling to produce enough ammunition to keep up with Ukraine's "expenditure".

This comes as UK military intelligence said Russia was threatening a key supply route to Bakhmut which has been the major focus of their assault for months while Ukraine said that it is defending before its counter-offensive. The Ukrainian military earlier said it was holding on in the city but the situation was difficult.

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Saudi and Omani delegations held talks with Houthi officials in Yemen's capital Sanaa on Sunday, Houthi-run media said, as Riyadh seeks a permanent ceasefire to end its military involvement in the country's long-running war. The head of the Houthis supreme political council Mahdi al-Mashat , 11th from left and Saudi Arabias Ambassador to Yemen Mohammed bin Saeed Al-Jaber, 10th from left, in Sanaa, Yemen were among the delegates. Saudi officials were in Yemen's capital Sunday for talks with the Iran-backed Houthi rebels, as part of international efforts to find a settlement to Yemens nine-year conflict. (Ansar Allah Media Office)(AP)

The visit indicates progress in the Oman-mediated consultations between Riyadh and Sanaa, which run in parallel to U.N. peace efforts. The peace initiatives have gained momentum after arch-rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran agreed to re-establish ties in a deal brokered by China.

Oman, which shares borders with Yemen, has been trying for years to bridge differences between Yemen's warring parties, and more broadly between Iran and Saudi Arabia and the United States.

The envoys, who landed late on Saturday, met with the head of Houthi Supreme Political Council, Mahdi al-Mashat, in Sanaa's presidential palace, Houthi news agency SABA reported.

President Al-Mashat reiterated the group's position that it seeks an "honourable peace" and that the Yemeni people aspire to "freedom and independence", SABA said.

Both sides will negotiate ending hostilities and the lifting of a Saudi-led blockade on Yemeni ports, it added.

Sources have told Reuters that the Saudi-Houthi talks are focused on a full reopening of Houthi-controlled ports and the Sanaa airport, payment of wages for public servants, rebuilding efforts and a timeline for foreign forces to exit the country.

Yemen's war is seen as one of several proxy battles between Iran and Saudi Arabia. The Houthis, aligned with Iran, ousted a Saudi-backed government from Sanaa in late 2014, and have de facto control of north Yemen, saying they are rising up against a corrupt system and foreign aggression.

They have been fighting against a Saudi-led military alliance since 2015 in a conflict that has killed tens of thousands and left 80% of Yemen's population dependent on humanitarian aid.

A Houthi official said on Saturday the group had received 13 detainees released by Saudi Arabia in exchange for a Saudi detainee freed earlier, ahead of a wider prisoner exchange agreed by the warring sides.

At talks in Switzerland last month attended by the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross, the Yemeni government and the Houthis agreed to free 887 detainees. The 13 prisoners are part of that agreement, Houthi official Abdul Qader al-Mortada said.

The Saudi government media office did not respond to Reuters requests for comment on the prisoner exchange and the delegation visiting Sanaa.

(Additional reporting by Hatem Maher and Mohammed Alghobari in Aden; Editing by Frances Kerry and Barbara Lewis)
Nearly two years after the city of Charlottesville declared the stretch of Fourth Street between West Main Street and Preston Avenue a Black History Pathway in 2021, the community had the opportunity to celebrate the honorary designation on Saturday.

This pathway and celebration are making sure that we maintain and observe history, said Charles Alex Zan Alexander, one of the Charlottesville 12 students who first integrated city schools in 1959 and the organizer of the Black History Pathway and Saturdays celebration. If were not careful, well lose this history. This is why the Black History Pathway and sharing our history is so important.

In 2021, the city approved Alexanders request to honor Fourth Street and erect a sign at the corner of West Main and Fourth. The street cuts through the area formerly occupied by the Hill, one of the Black neighborhoods razed in 1964 when the federal government gave American cities billions of dollars to pursue urban renewal projects. Vinegar Hill, another former Black neighborhood near the Hill in Charlottesville, was also razed that same year.

With the pandemic ranging in 2021, a public celebration and ceremony at the time was impossible, Alexander told The Daily Progress.

About 50 people attended Saturdays celebration at the Carver Recreation Center at the Jefferson School of African American Heritage. The Saturday afternoon event included a vocal performance by 10-year-old Charlottesville resident Zaria Jordan, a performance by the United Worship Dance Ministry, informational and vendor booths with even more Black history lessons and a cake to top off the celebration.

Alexander said on Saturday that, even though the citys historic Black neighborhoods have been replaced with social clubs and office supply stores, it is important to remember the powerful and dynamic history of Black Charlottesville.

While the honorary pathway is one way to memorialize that history, Alexander said it is equally important that young people take the time to speak with their elders about their own history and experiences.

This celebration is really about our elders to give you a historical perspective of where we came from, Alexander said. Hopefully well see more young people on the pathway because this is for the present future generations.

One of Alexanders trademark phrases is Close your mouth or CYM  encouraging younger generations to listen to their elders in the community.

He doesnt just say it; he means it.

So much so that he carved an hour of the celebration to give Black elders in the community the opportunity to tell their stories, their families histories and the obstacles theyve overcome and still face today.

Charlottesville resident Barbara Steppe is a registered nurse and graduate of the Burley High School and UVA Hospital program that trained young nurses from the 1950s to the 1980s. Today, Steppe is one of 11 nurses in her family. Her twin daughters, sisters, aunts and nieces are nurses, but she still worries that there will not be enough newly educated nurses to replace those who are retiring.

The program made becoming a nurse so easy and, even though we dont have that program anymore, our community still needs nurses very badly, Steppe said. I tell the people in my family that they might need a nurse one day and there may not be anyone there who can take care of them.

Stories such as Nurses Eleven, the name Alexander gave to Steppes family of nurses, need to be kept alive by the communitys younger members, Alexander said.

Lucille Smith, the author of Unforgettable Jackson P. Burley, also spoke about the significance of Burley Middle School and the local educator its named after.

Smith, who is a native of Little Rock, Arkansas, said her research on Burley has inspired her and her former classmates to dive deeper into the history of the role that their own public schools played in the larger dynamic of their community.

Burley stands out from other schools across the country and even in the state of Virginia because it wasnt demolished, Smith said. It did not become a center of a park  thats cool. Its now on the Virginia Historic Registry and is a National Historic Landmark. It has a monument wall for all the teachers, faculty, staff and students that attended and were interested in participating. This history is important.

Alexander said on Wednesday that his plans for Charlottesvilles Black History Pathway are not over yet.

Not only would he like to see a mural near where the current sign is standing at West Main and Fourth, but hed also like to see the pathway itself extended.

It s going to go beyond Fourth Street, thats what Id like to see, Alexander said on Wednesday as he prepared for Saturdays celebration. Down around Preston then up to Rose Hill.

Black history, and the Black History Pathway, Alexander said cant and shouldnt be limited to a single stretch of road.
Dacoits stormed a tailor's shop in Pakistan's Gujranwala, and took away 25 suits and other valuables, ARY News reported. A tailor sits at his shop in a market during a nationwide power outage in Pakistan's Rawalpindi.(AFP/ representative image)

As per details, a robbery took place at a tailor's shop located in Rahwali, Gujranwala.

The robbers entered the tailor's shop as a customer and looted him and his students engaged in sewing to complete orders during the Eid-ul-Fitr season by taking them hostage at gunpoint, according to ARY News.

A total of 25 suits that were given to the tailor for sewing, were taken away by the robbers. They also snatched mobile phones from the staff of the shop after subjecting them to torture and fled the scene.

The shopkeeper has demanded the authorities to take immediate action on the matter and provide him with justice, as per ARY News.

Also Read| Man sneaks into Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif's house, arrested: Report

Business Brecorder recently reported that amid the depreciation of the value of Pakistani rupee, street crime increased in Pakistan, especially in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad.

The rise in street crime is a symptom of a deeper malaise in Pakistan's society, stemming from issues of growing inequality, poverty and unemployment.

In Pakistan, there are some gangs who are becoming unchallenged. For instance, Karachi, the country's largest urban centre, where some statistics claim the rate of street crime has come down from its peak some years back. But it is there nonetheless.

According to the Business Brecorder citing the Citizens-Police Liaison Committee (CPLC), Karachi has witnessed an alarming increase in street crime. More alarmingly, people are shot dead by robbers for putting up resistance. During the first three months of the year 2023, more than 21,000 cases were reported, though the number of unreported cases must be much higher.
Taiwan has detected 11 Chinese warships, 70 aircraft around the island, its defence ministry said Sunday. A man stands on a jetty behind a tourist boat and Chinese flags on Pingtan island, opposite Taiwan, in Chinas southeast Fujian province on Sunday.(AFP)

Taiwans statement came as China's military simulated precision strikes against it in a second day of drills around the island on Sunday. The island's defence ministry previously reported multiple air force sorties and that it was monitoring China's missile forces.

The ministry said it was responding to the Chinese drills "in a calm and composed manner", adding that the warplanes detected until 4 pm local time (0800 GMT) included a mix of fighter jets and bombers.

China, which claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, began three days of military exercises around the island on Saturday, the day after Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen returned from a brief visit to the United States.

The ministry said they were paying particular attention to the People's Liberation Army's Rocket Force which is in charge of China's land-based missile system.

"Regarding the movements of the Chinese communists' Rocket Force, the nation's military also has a close grasp through the joint intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance system, and air defence forces remain on high alert," the ministry said.

Also Read| What about science and impartiality: China's clapback to WHO on Wuhan data

It reiterated that Taiwan's forces will "not escalate conflicts nor cause disputes" and would respond "appropriately" to China's drills.

The security source said about 20 military ships, half from Taiwan and half from China, were engaged in a stand-off near the Taiwan Strait's median line, which has for years served as an unofficial barrier between the two sides, but did not behave provocatively.

China's aircraft carrier Shandong, which Taiwan has been monitoring since last week, is now more than 400 nautical miles off Taiwan's southeast coast and is carrying out drills, the source said.

Zhao Xiaozhuo of China's Academy of Military Sciences told the Chinese state-backed Global Times newspaper this was the first time China had openly talked of simulated attacks on targets in Taiwan.

Key targets would include infrastructure such as runways, military logistics facilities and mobile targets "to annihilate them in one fell swoop if necessary", the report cited Zhao as saying.
Beijing urged World Health Organization officials not to be used as political tools after fresh accusations that Beijing delayed releasing key early data on Covid-19 considered by some scientists to be instrumental to understanding the viruss genesis. Covid In China: Security guards wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) amid the Covid-19 pandemic sit at an entrance of a building in Beijing.(AFP)

China shared all material that it had gathered on Covids origin when it conducted a joint mission with experts organized by the WHO in 2020 and early 2021 and has not withheld data on any cases, samples or testing results, Shen Hongbing, director of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said at a briefing in Beijing on Saturday.

Recent remarks by some WHO officials that dismissed the joint missions effort were a crude offense to the scientists around the world who participated in the initial-origin tracing work, he said.

Read more: Iranian women defying hijab law will face first warning, then court

We urge certain people at the WHO to come back to the position of science and impartiality, instead of becoming a tool for politicizing Covids origin by some country, whether voluntarily or forced, Shen said.

Shens remarks come days after the WHOs Covid-19 technical lead Maria D. Van Kerkhove said in an editorial that the sharing of some viral samples from a food market in Wuhan three years after they were collected amounted to a lack of data disclosure that was inexcusable. She said the WHO-China joint mission early in the pandemic was heavily criticized for the lack of access to raw data on early cases in China, which still hasnt been granted.

At the heart of the spat among officials between the WHO and China is a new set of data on specimens collected three years ago at the market in Wuhan that Chinese researchers uploaded to the global genomic database GISAID earlier this year. The data was uploaded to aid peer review of a study conducted by the China CDC but it was released to the public by GISAID staff by mistake, China CDC director Shen said at the briefing.

A group of international scientists found the data last month and their independent analysis showed evidence of the virus along with genetic material from several animals, including raccoon dogs, making it the strongest information yet backing the theory that it could have spilled over from animals to humans at the market.

Chinese researchers, led by the China CDCs former director George Gao Fu, however, argued in their study of the specimens that the samples were insufficient to prove the Covid outbreak started there as a result of the virus jumping from animals to humans.

Chinese officials at Saturdays briefing reiterated that conclusion, saying there isnt enough evidence to prove the virus originated from raccoon dogs and spilled over to humans at the Wuhan market.
When the historic Fife mansion and grounds hit the real estate market in early March, one Charlottesville resident took a particular interest. Veteran museum creator Peter McFarren says the historic house and its 5.2-acre grounds along Cherry Avenue would be ideal for the cultural center he hopes to launch.

Its a great opportunity for the people of Charlottesville and the cultural world to convert this into a world-class cultural and community center, McFarren told The Daily Progress.

His working title for the project is Agora. A Greek word, agora literally means assembly or gathering place. And just as an agora was the central place in each Greek city-state, McFarren said he sees the Fife property as central both to Charlottesvilles past and its future.

Its 5.2 acres in the middle of the city with an 1824 building that would be preserved and would be part of this cultural complex, McFarren said.

In a multipage prospectus, McFarren laid out an ambitious array of components including an ethnohistorical museum of Central Virginia, a museum of humankind, a center for digital arts, a dome theater and planetarium, a concert hall and interactive eco-park.

Part of the project is to tell the story of Charlottesville since the first humans arrived here all the way to the present, said McFarren.

The property itself is intertwined with history. Dubbed Oak Lawn, the property was originally a plantation whose brick big house was constructed for a merchant by James Dinsmore, the master carpenter who rebuilt Thomas Jeffersons Monticello and three of the University of Virginias Lawn Pavilions.

The four Tuscan columns supporting the front portico reflect Jeffersons interest in Palladian classicism, even if Jefferson himself had no known hand in the design. James Fife, an engineer and planter-turned-preacher, bought Oak Lawn in 1847 when the property measured over 300 acres. Fifes descendants sold off tracts and lived there until recently.

Until this property came on the market, we did not see something that was really viable, said McFarren, who noted that hes been trying to find a home for Agora for several years.

A journalist and author who was arrested while trying to interview Nazi fugitive Klaus Barbie  also known as the Butcher of Lyon  McFarren is also a museum creator. In his native Bolivia, he helped found two childrens museums and has worked for the soon-to-open Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo.

But even McFarren conceded that Agora would be a vast undertaking.

Im not sure Ive seen anything like this, he said.

McFarren said he hopes to involve UVa, Piedmont Virginia Community College as well as cultural organizations.

The complex will encourage community engagement, the spirits of innovation, playfulness, and creativity while encouraging shared understanding and dialogue, McFarren wrote in his 15-page prospectus.

I think the proposal is a very strong proposal, and Peter has a lot of experience to make this work, Brenda LaClair, a 28-year Colonial Williamsburg Foundation veteran, told The Daily Progress. Charlottesville prides itself on being an education city, and this would be another component of education.

Realtor Ross Stevens agreed that Oak Lawn has the location, history and land to house Agora.

It certainly sounds like a wonderful place for it, and hes got some background for it, Stevens told The Daily Progress.

Stevens said the property has been drawing interest from developers due to its large footprint and its thoroughfare location less than a quarter-mile from UVa Medical Center. He said hes read the Agora proposal.

Its a great concept, said Stevens, but funding something like that on top of a purchase price is pretty ambitious.

Already, the city of Charlottesville has spent several million dollars subsidizing the rent for three existing cultural centers: the Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society, the McGuffey Art Center and the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center.

Mayor Lloyd Snook told The Daily Progress that he hasnt yet formed an opinion on Agora, but he suggested that McFarren focus on private fundraising.

I have told him that I didnt think there would be City money available for the project, Snook said in an email.

No stranger to creative funding strategies, McFarren said that he started the childrens museums in Bolivia  which he noted is Central Americas poorest nation  by buying some of that nations distressed foreign debt at a discount and then redeeming it for cash.

So Im very practical on what needs to be done, and Ive done it, he said.

McFarren said its too early to provide an estimate of what Agora might cost, and he has not yet formed a board to begin those discussions. He hopes that getting the word out will spark some interest in getting the property before a developer does.

Timing is essential so that this becomes a community and cultural complex instead of being apartments and condos.
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New ownership is now overseeing Clariants North American Land Oil business, which includes a manufacturing facility in Midland.

Dorf Ketal, one of the worlds leading specialty products and services companies, has completed its acquisition of Clariants North American Land Oil assets and founded subsidiary DK Energy Services LLC from the combination of the two entities. The transaction includes a team of more than 170 employees in North America, a technology portfolio of more than 40 patent families and manufacturing units -- not just in Midland but in Bakersfield, California, and Black Hills, Texas -- producing more than 2,000 chemical formulations for drilling, production and stimulation.

Amilton Tronchin, president and chief executive officer of Dorf Ketal, told the Reporter-Telegram by email, The specialty chemical industry is highly dynamic and constantly evolving, requiring companies to stay in the forefront of sustainability as well as innovation and technology. Dorf Ketals dedication to sustainability and ESG, along with our reputation for delivering innovative solutions to our customers, provides for a great fit with what Clariant had established in North America in terms of its footprint and proven technology.

Brad Howell, vice president, North America at Dorf Ketal Energy Services, told the Reporter-Telegram by email, The people and facilities in Midland and across the Permian Basin are core to why this acquisition was so appealing to us. We could not be more thrilled to be part of the community.

Howell added that Midland and the Permian Basin are a key component to the companys future growth plans.

This location serves as a central manufacturing hub to support our North American operations. In addition, we have a fully equipped laboratory in Midland, combined with an experienced technical team, that serves our customers in the Permian Basin, he wrote.

Clariant in 2018 had upgraded its Midland facility in 2018 to include a state-of-the-art laboratory equipped with research and automation equipment, a larger blending plant and tank farm. The upgrade included a new 10-bay fleet maintenance building and sales office.

Lab upgrades included the installation of equipment, such as two inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry units and solids identification units, including X-ray diffraction and X-ray fluorescence. The lab was able to process 7,000 samples per month.

The acquisition allowed Dorf Ketal to further expand its North America foundation to deliver more complete and competitive energy oilfield solutions, Sudhir Menon, chairman of Dorf Ketal Chemicals India Private Limited in a statement.
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Landing at Houston Humane Society in December, the Doberman was dubbed Mistletoe. But with all her health problems, it would take a Christmas miracle to get her adopted.

She had hip dysplasia and early arthritis, despite being only a little over a year old. And she panicked in proximity to people or other dogs.

There were also signs that she had been abused in the past. Attempts at posting her ears and docking her tail left behind scars.

Her left ear is missing completely, and the right one lays flapped down, a permanent line etched where it was perhaps tied with a rubber band.

But all Kymee Bair could see was Mistletoes potential.

Dobermans are Bairs favorite breed. When Misteltoe arrived at the Humane Society, Bair rushed to meet her.

The poor girl had been through a lot in her one year of life, said Bair, the center's behavior and enrichment manager.

Mistletoe was found on the streets of Beaumont, and a good Samaritan brought her to the shelter.

When Bair assessed her behavior, she noticed that just seeing other dogs was a challenge for Mistletoe.

She would start foaming at the mouth and snarling. Her hackles went up, Bair recalled.

Still, Bair was confident that the infrastructure was in place to save Mistletoe. The Houston Humane Society was in the process of building a new Behavior Rehabilitation Center.

Mistletoe is the dog that jump-started this program, Bair said. She was the first one in, but not the first one out.

The timing was right for the shelter to provide the one-on-one attention that would make a difference.

Helping more pets

Bair, 30, grew up with a passion for animals. She knew from a young age that she wanted to build a career caring for them.

She earned a bachelors degree in zoo science at Friends University in Wichita, Kan., then took an internship in her hometown at the Kansas City Zoo.

I worked with polar bears, penguins, elephants, anything under the sun, she said.

Then Bair moved with her husband, Reid Allen, also a zookeeper, to work in California at the Fresno Chaffee Zoo.

Five years ago, the couple moved to Texas. Allen became a zookeeper at the Houston Zoo, where Bair took a job in admissions.

Then she decided to make a change. I still wanted to work with animals, but I didnt know what it would be, she said.

She started working with canine companions. Training is training, Bair said. The same concepts apply to all species.

In April 2021, she earned her certification with the national program Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers and connected with the Houston Humane Society.

I realized I had more fulfillment helping dogs in the shelter get adopted, she said.

When hired as a behavior/enrichment coordinator in March 2022, Bair was charged with providing training and enrichment activities for all of the dogs in the shelter.

Then Houston Humane Society president and CEO Gary Poon approached her with a vision for a rehabilitation center for dogs needing extra attention.

I need your help making it happen, Poon told her.

The two began brainstorming. By November, the Behavior Rehabilitation Center officially launched, complete with a separate, dedicated kennel area for 12 dogs.

In January, a team was assembled with Bair at the lead. Kalli Sandel now serves as behavior and enrichment coordinator, and Kristin Bernard as behavior and enrichment associate.

Now that we have a team, were able to help so many pets, Bair said.

This is just the beginning, she explained.

I dont know of anyone else in the area with a program like this, she said. I want this to become a leader of behavior rehabilitation in Houston. Eventually I want to be the top in Texas and then in the South, she said. Im excited to see where we can grow.

Seeing dogs shine

Before Bair joined, the Houston Humane Society had a consulting behaviorist, and canines could be outsourced for extra care.

They saw a need to have it in-house, Bair said. We could do even more that way.

Macey Staes was hired as assistant marketing manager shortly after Bair arrived.

I heard how much of a difference she was already making in the lives of all the animals of the shelter, Staes said. Not many shelters are able to do this because of resources. Kymee is able to assess dogs and give adopters tools to be successful when they take their dogs home.

Bair is driven to make a difference.

Shes all about animals first, Staes said. Shes taught us all a lot about how to earn a dogs trust and respect their boundaries.

Thinking of all the dogs that they can save is what motivates Bair.

Behavior problems are the number one reason that dogs get returned, she said. People adopt puppies, then the dogs hit adolescence, and they dont want them anymore.

A new volunteer program is starting soon to help socialize the dogs. Once adopted, the behavior rehabilitation team provides counseling to new pet owners on how to continue making progress with their dogs.

Its the best job Ive ever had, Bair said. It's so rewarding. The dogs come into the shelter at their lowest, and then you see them on adoption day, going to a new home. Just seeing them shine, I know, this is what I was meant to do.

About 20 dogs have been through the program, and there are currently nine at the Behavior Rehabilitation Center. One was adopted last week, and two have made their way to the adoption floor.

How long each dog stays in the program depends on their needs.

Some are in there for two weeks, and others need months, like Mistletoe, Bair said.

Magical moment for Mistletoe

To help Mistletoe conquer her fear of other dogs, Bair first introduced her to a large stuffed animal, a black Lab toy.

At first, Mistletoe shied away, but after some time, she began to greet the toy like another dog. She even play bowed to it, Bair said. I thought, Its time to introduce her to another dog.

But she did not want to make Mistletoe uncomfortable and suffer a setback.

We started slowly, introducing her to calm dogs who did not pose a threat, Bair said.

The other dog would remain at a far distance, and Mistletoe would earn a treat for not reacting.

We slowly decreased space in relation to the other dog, Bair said. Eventually, Mistletoe started to show interest and would approach the dog on her own terms and sniff her.

Each time there was a nice greeting, Mistletoe was rewarded. We were on the right track, Bair said. I just wanted her to be able to one day see a dog and not react.

After three months, the trainer more than reached her goal. Last week, Mistletoe played with a dog for the first time.

There were some happy tears, Bair said. It was a really magical moment.

Looking for a forever home

The Houston Humane Society uses positive reinforcement, or reward-based, tactics for training. Its rewarding the behavior you want to see from your dogs  and ignoring the bad stuff, Bair said.

And it works, she said.

Were giving them the tools to be a good pet, Bair said.

After months of patience and hard work, Mistletoe has grown to trust again. She likes to play with toys and show off her tricks.

She even enjoys meeting and greeting new people and playing with small dogs.

Mistletoe is now ready for her forever home.

Bair is prepared for the moment that Mistletoe takes that next step in her journey, one that will be bittersweet.

You build a special connection with these dogs, Bair said. You see them at their worst, and then you help them build to their full potential.

She expects to cry a few more happy tears.

I know Mistletoe is going to make someones family just glow, Bair said. Shes the best girl I know. Shes going to make someone really, really happy.
A man who was found innocent after being sentenced to life in prison for a fatal stabbing in 2010 has now been charged with murder in another case, officials said.

Lydell Ellliott Grant, 46, has been charged with the murder of Edwin Arevalo, 33, Houston Police said in a news release.

Arevalo's Toyota Yaris struck Grant's white Lexus sedan Thursday night at 13000 Hiram Clarke Road.

Grant then allegedly got out of his car, shot Arevalo and then fled in his vehicle, officials said.

MORE ON CRIME: 4 people shot during 'celebration of life' in East Houston

Arevalos body was found by police about 11:45 p.m., authorities said.

Police obtained a warrant for Grants arrest after he was identified as the suspect, officials said. Grant was taken into custody Friday without incident, police said.

In 2021, Grant made national headlines after he was found innocent after being sentenced to life in prison for a 2010 stabbing in Montrose.

Grant was convicted in a 2012 trial in Harris County for the death of 28-year-old Aaron Scheerhoorn on Dec. 10, 2010 outside of Blur Bar. The conviction was made based on testimony by six eye witnesses, at least one of whom later recanted his testimony according to the appeals court.

MORE ON LOCAL: Houstons La Luz del Mundo church leaders enabled sexual abuse for years, former members say

Grant spent years of his murder conviction writing appeal letters, which caught the attention of the Innocence Project of Texas, a nonprofit organization dedicated to aiding inmates with wrongful convictions.

As a result of Grants letters, the Innocence Project of Texas conducted a new DNA analysis, which discovered a new suspect in the stabbing, a 41-year-old Georgia man named Jermarico Carter.

Carter confessed to the stabbing, which ruled out Grant as the suspect and proved his innocence in the crime.

Grant was released from prison on bond in November 2019 while the case was being re-investigated by authorities.

In December 2019, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg announced that authorities managed to track down Carter and arrested him.

Nine years after his conviction and 18 months after his release, Grant received a ruling that officially declared him innocent by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals on Wednesday, May 19, 2021.

Hannah Dellinger and Anna Bauman contributed to this story.
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Police found a dead man with a gunshot wound lying in the middle of a road early Sunday, according to officials from the Houston Police Department.

Two people saw the man lying in the median and called 9-1-1, but the callers had not seen or heard anything that would have explained the situation, Sgt. Mark Wilson told Metro Video Services.
Houston Chronicle

Officers from the Harris County Sheriff's Office reported to a shooting during a celebration of life Saturday night in East Houston.

Sheriff Ed Gonzalez posted on Twitter at 7:33 p.m. Saturday that four people were shot on the 200 block of Uvalde Road.
U.S. Coast Guard

A 93-year-old woman was medically evacuated from a cruise ship Sunday by the Coast Guard 90 miles off the coast of Galveston, authorities said.

A duty flight surgeon recommended the evacuation Saturday night because the woman, a passenger on the Carnival Vista, was experiencing symptoms of respiratory failure, pneumonia and septic shock, the Coast Guard said in a statement.
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Megachurch leader Naason Joaquin Garcia has been sentenced to 16 years and 8 months in a California prison for sexually abusing three minors, which has spurred mixed emotions for former members of La Luz del Mundo, an international institution with ties to Houston.

Naason Joaquin Garcia , 53, who is considered the apostle of Jesus Christ by his 5 million worldwide followers, had vigorously fought charges that included child rape, until abruptly accepting a plea deal on the eve of trial.

Alleged survivors of sexual abuse and other abuse within the church made emotional pleas to authorities in California, where the case has been tried, asking that Garcia receive a longer sentence.

If he is not in prison for life, this man will continue to grow and to be more powerful, said Sochil Martin, an alleged survivor of sexual abuse and trafficking by leaders of La Luz del Mundo.

Sochil has filed a separate lawsuit against La Luz del Mundo, claiming the institution has made the economic and sexual exploitation of children and others a centerpiece of its operations for decades.

The church, known in English as Light of the World, has 18 congregations in greater Houston and has been in the region since the 1960s, according to local Pastor Bigvai Estrada.

Church Shooting: No one injured when shooter fired into La Luz del Mundo church in Houston

"He deserves to be in jail the rest of his life," Houston resident and former church member Raquel Haifa Chantres told the Houston Chronicle.

Chantres calls La Luz del Mundo a cult and said she was smuggled by members of the church into Texas from Mexico in the late 1990s as an 18-year-old. Her extended family has close ties to the church in Mexico.

Chantres also contends two of her family members were sexually abused in their teens by a church leader in the early 1990s in Puebla, Mexico.

She said the sentencing of Garcia is a pivotal moment for the future of the church.

We're seeing the last days of this institution where it's gonna be a very difficult time for everybody involved, said Chantres, who in recent years has watched a growing number of former church members call out abuse and mistreatment on social media and through private conversations.

Though speaking out about the church comes with serious consequences - shes said shes seen as a traitor and has received angry messages from family members, including veiled threats toward her parents, who still live in Mexico in a neighborhood for La Luz Del Mundo church goers.

Chantres said during her childhood she wasnt able to listen to music, watch TV or go to the movies like other kids and was forced to dress modestly in long skirts.

You cannot have friends outside the cult, said Chantres. When she first distanced herself from the church, 25 years ago, her family begged her to return.

My whole family was telling me all the time you're gonna burn in hell, said Chantres, who returned to the church for a short time in the 2010s.

But she said she left the church for good when apostle Naason Joaquin Garcia visited her congregation in Houston.

It was the very same Naason that made me leave, Chantres said. It was a Sunday in 2015.

He started talking about how parents need to educate their kids, and he was saying that we are entitled as parents to hit them, she said. That was the last day she attended church.

On Friday, in Los Angeles, Garcia pled guilty to sexually abusing three girls, which included two counts of forcible oral copulation involving minors and one count of a lewd act upon a child who was 15.

After Wednesdays sentencing, La Luz del Mundo church released a statement arguing that the prosecution has manipulated evidence, forcing the plea deal.

We publicly manifest our support for the Apostle of Jesus Christ Naason Joaquin Garcia; our confidence in him remains intact with full knowledge of his integrity, his conduct and his work, the statement said.

Garcias grandfather founded the Guadalajara-based fundamentalist Christian church in 1926.

Garcia took over as apostle after his father, Samuel Joaquin Flores, died in 2014.

Flores was also the subject of child sex abuse allegations in 1997, but authorities in Mexico never filed criminal charges.

elizabeth.trovall@chron.com
AP

ISLAMABAD (AP)  A roadside bomb exploded in northwest Pakistan, killing two soldiers who were traveling in their vehicle, the military said. The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.

The banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan gave a higher death toll in Saturday's attack in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, saying eight soldiers died. There was no immediate explanation for the discrepancy.
Tanglewood homeowners are at it again. Trekking a few blocks from their Galleria-area enclave, where houses sell for millions, to the Houston Housing Authority (HHA), they are demanding an end to a program that has expanded affordable housing options across the city, including their leafy boulevards.

Its a travesty, they say, that Deerwood Apartments  a four-story luxury complex on Woodway Drive with a poolside courtyard  made a deal in December with the HHA to make half their units affordable.

In 2016, thousands of these Not-In-My-Backyard activists filled an auditorium to denounce the HHAs proposed mixed-income housing on Fountain View Drive. Mayor Sylvester Turner, then at the start of his first term, withdrew support for the 9 percent tax credit application for the project saying it was too expensive. This editorial board said, at the time, we didnt buy his excuse. Neither did the federal government, which concluded Houston had violated the Civil Rights Act, leading the mayor and city council to approve a consent agreement to stop concentrating affordable housing in low-income areas.

Since then, the city's own Housing and Community Development Department has followed through by backing developers applying for a 9 percent tax credit and leveraging disaster recovery money to build mixed-income apartments across Houston. Turner and City Council have often overcome the vociferous objections from nearby residents, though not always: In February, we urged City Council to endorse the application for Felicity Oaks in the Upper Kirby district over NIMBY opposition. Though 15 other proposed developments got the nod, some in prosperous areas, Felicity Oaks did not on the grounds that the developer had not done adequate outreach to nearby residents.

But it's a separate program, run by the HHA without any require approvals from the mayor or City Council, that's drawing the ire of Tanglewood residents in the Deerwood controversy. Enabled by a 2015 state law, the program itself boasts strong results, putting thousands of apartment units on the books classified as "affordable housing" over the past five years with little fanfare or opposition.

Yet, this time, it's hard to dismiss the Tanglewood opposition as mere NIMBYism. Sure, they've used their influence once again to get their way, prompted a Legislative battle and stoked drama with the aid of flame-throwing journalist-turned-media consultant Wayne Dolcefino, who released footage of himself following the HHA chairman into a bathroom trying to ask questions about the project.

Beyond the theater, though, the Tanglewood critics are raising valid concerns about the HHA's quiet deal-making in the newish program and they're sounding the alarm about a lack of accountability and transparency that needs to be addressed.

The program uses a tool called a "public facility corporation." When one of these corporations purchases an apartment complex, it is taken off the tax rolls and then leased back to a developer or private owner in exchange for a promise that half the units will be rented at affordable prices. The deals last for 75 to 99 years. According to figures provided to the editorial board by the HHA in early March, the program has taken more than $4 billion (though some critics estimate $5 billion) of property off of the tax rolls, which comes out to roughly $80 million in annual revenue that the local entities aren't getting to use for such things as schools, roads and public safety, though the city revenue cap and the recapture of school funds by the state complicate matters.

Every complex taken off the tax rolls does shift the burden onto the rest of us. At the same time, the need for affordable housing in Houston is dire and, in the absence of more direct government support, a tax subsidy is justifiable.

We had 39,000 families sign up for our wait list that was open for 30 days for public housing, David Northern, the CEO of HHA, told us.

Its not clear, though, that public facility corporation deals are truly creating more housing at a deep enough level of affordability. When we first wrote about these new affordable housing deals two years ago, we supported reforms that would bring greater accountability and deeper affordability but that would not kill off this tool. Now, the need for reform is urgent.

In February, Turner asked for a pause to the entire program "to get a much better understanding" of the deals but the housing authoritys board pushed through a whole new round of deals in March. Turner sent a stern rebuke.

By design, housing authorities are not directly answerable to the mayor, or local voters. Although board members are nominated by the mayor, the HHA is a federal agency under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. This structure allows the HHA to act independently, and to make decisions deemed good for the community, even when projects are unpopular with NIMBY protesters. That setup makes sense with federally funded projects but it presents an accountability concern in deals involving public facility corporations, which drain local tax revenues.

The mayor wants more information and so do we. Right now it's hard to tell if the results the HHA is boasting are all their cracked up to be. According to the HHA, Houston now has an additional 7,560 units guaranteed to rent at a rate affordable to people who earn 80 percent of the area median income. That sounds wonderful but practically speaking, in many cases, this works out to about the same rent that the apartments go for normally. Right now, rents are already affordable for people at that 80 percent area median income, which is about $51,000 for a single person.

For example, the HHA will take the $37 million property of Cortland Spring Cypress off the tax rolls, but as the Chronicles R.A. Schuetz reports, an affordable one-bedroom can rent for as much as $1,262 there  only $8 less than the market rate of $1,270. One day in the future, rents in Houston could spike while average income stays steady, as it has in other major cities, and we may look back with gratitude at the number of units locked in at affordable rates. Until then, though, there appears to be negligible advantage.

According to the HHA, an additional 5,000 units secured through these deals are reserved for those who earn 60 percent or below the area median income, promising a deeper and more convincing affordability.

Until the recent launch of the affordablehousinghouston.com site by the HHA, though, there was no way to know where the units could be found. In early March, we asked Northern, the HHA CEO, how he knows their partners are following through on offering affordable housing and abiding by the deals.

I called Deerwood  actually, I had one of the staff persons call Deerwood, he told us. Im going to be honest with you, the person that answered the phone did not know or understand affordability, and thats why I called the development partner and said, 'hey you must educate your people.'

He said the HHA checks their partners' rent rolls to check if they are complying with the terms of the agreements.

After that conversation, we looked at the Deerwood website and none of the affordable rates listed on its website correspond to the deep affordability of the 60 percent rate even though, according to the HHA, it should have such 40 units.

Texas lawmakers have proposed substantial revisions to the state law enabling these deals. State Sen. Paul Bettencourt and Rep. Jacey Jetton, both Houston-area Republicans, have filed legislation that includes stronger requirements for public facility corporations including deeper affordability, compliance reports, eviction protections and approval of projects by an elected body.

The HHA says it already meets these standards with one exception  approval by elected officials. In Dallas, these deals do come before City Council and they should here as well.

Bettencourt has not only put forward the reform bill, he's also proposed a total repeal of the law enabling public facility corporations and is holding hearings in the Senate Local Government Committee on Wednesday. He says he's laying both the bills and others simultaneously because he believes the reform bill needs "enforcement provisions" so that the stricter requirements are followed.

We hope to see substantial reform that brings accountability. If that happens, Houston's mayor and city council should set clear targets for securing affordable housing in every part of town and vote on a plan, after substantial public input, that sets boundaries, requirements and clear expectations for new public facility corporation deals. And that plan should, no doubt, include more affordable apartments near Tanglewood.
Gazing out the car window at a roadside blanket of bluebonnets is nice, but my mom wanted selfies. She wanted to get up close and personal with the Texas state wildflower and, like a typical septuagenarian, she wanted documentation, lots of documentation. Shed flown in from North Carolina in part to spend her birthday with her son and his family in Houston. Why shouldnt she blanket her WhatsApp chat chains with pics for friends and family across the U.S. and India?

It was a simple request, really. But I soon realized it wouldnt be easy, in part because she cant trek over difficult terrain and in part because, well, our precious state wildflower mostly grows behind private fence lines.

Id never thought much about it until our family set out for Chappell Hill last weekend in search of the Texas icon, but theres something kind of undemocratic about that bonny blue bloom.

Unlike the truly Western states, where it feels like the federal Bureau of Land Management allows anyone to do just about whatever they want on many thousands of acres of land, Texas is nearly all private. Fence posts these days seem to be sold with no trespassing signs preattached, as if we all need reminding every five feet that Texas may be wide, but the spaces arent necessarily open.

To be clear, the flowers arent the problem. As soon as we broke past the outer rings of Houston and beyond the gravitational pull of its concrete, the slow roll of hill and dale filled with Indian paintbrush and bluebonnets, buttercups and goldeneye phlox. As we neared the Brazos River, the wildflowers intensity only grew.



RELATED: Map: The best places to find bluebonnets and other wildflowers around Houston

We turned off U.S. 290 into Chappell Hill and wound our way along country roads dotted with little white churches and family cemeteries, looking and looking but never touching. As we continued our search for a place to walk among their splendor, the beckoning blooms seemed almost perverse in their comeliness, mocking us with their behind-the-property-line tease. My mom and my son mused about winning the lottery, buying land and opening it up so the flower-loving public could frolic.

Finally, somewhere between Independence and Whitman  even the towns names sing America!  we saw an unfenced field abloom with bluebonnets. We pulled into the driveway of the modest house nearest the field. An older gentleman wearing a cap and red T-shirt was outside the garage.

My wife, Miah, ran out to ask if hed mind if we took some photos. Im glad she did. Shes white and grew up in a small town. I couldnt help but worry that in a rural area people might react differently to me and my brown skin.

From down the driveway I could see the man waving his hands at Miah, like he was shooing us away. Perhaps my caution was justified. Maybe he was yelling: Get off my property! But my wifes smile as she walked back didnt signal traumatic rejection.

He wasnt waving us off. He was waving us on  to an even better field on his property.

We followed his pickup down a gravel drive to a smaller house with a porch and a few sheds.

Thats when we saw our destination  the vista hed wanted us to see, unfolding before us, touching the horizon.

Ive traveled five continents and never seen anything close. It was like living your whole life, thinking youve seen a starry night because youd seen a few sequined sprays of stars on clear, cloudless nights  and then seeing the Milky Way in the backcountry of Utahs high desert, stars so thick they press you back into the earth.

Did you spread wildflower seeds here? I asked our host.

No, I dont want em, he said with a slight grin. He nodded toward his herd, a dozen or so non-certified mutts. I cant raise hay for the cattle until the end of April because of the bluebonnets.

Why, I asked, was his field so much grander than most?

Most ranchers spray for weeds, he said, but I think thats a shame.

When I told him he was kind to share the field he said with a sort of wry twinkle, As long as Im being so kind, why dont you all go take that chair off the porch so your mother has something to sit on.

Vipul Mankad

My teenagers bounced across the field like two pups, and my parents posed like Bollywood stars, my dad holding my moms chin as if hed kiss her (but they never do on screen, at least not in golden oldies). My wife lay in the flowers, her arms stretched up as if she were a human vase for the worlds biggest bouquet.

I felt dizzy and overcome with gratitude to the point that I thought of death and the possibility any day may be the last time we get to spend with a loved one: at least thered be this memory.

Then I remembered Leon Hale, who wrote a column for 65 years that appeared first in the Houston Post and then the Chronicle, and how hed lived his last years somewhere nearby in Washington County. He died at 99 just two years ago. In one of his columns (as Michael Berryhill recalled in an homage), Hale asked his readers to interpret a recurring dream in which he sits on a porch and looks out over rolling terrain that has no trees. But it has wildflowers in great profusion. There are bluebonnets and pink primroses and Indian paintbrushes and half a dozen kinds of yellow-blooming flowers, and theyre so thick the colors blend and make a kind of master color that hasnt any name that I know. When the wind comes, it makes waves of color that roll up and over the slopes and its beautiful.

I didnt have to interpret Hales dream. I was inside it.

Suddenly, I felt an urge to honor the columnists intimate style of inquiry by talking with the man whod opened his field to us. I found him in a shed wearing his cap, which read Houston Strong.

My name is Paul Kramer, he told me. When I showed him my Chronicle ID, he pulled out his badge. At 72, he works part-time as a bailiff, and his wife, Peggy, serves as the Washington County treasurer. The land belonged to Mr. Kramers grandfather, and during long summer visits from Brenham he picked and chopped cotton for 2 cents a pound for school money to buy pens and paper and such.

He took me and my family to a shed where he showed the monument to his grandfather that he and his recently deceased Uncle Wilford made. Artfully mounted on one of the sheds walls were a hay hook, a grazing muzzle for a mule, a cotton scale, glass electric fence insulators and other implements of wood and rusted metal that mystified me.

Vipul Mankad

I told Mr. Kramer he could make hundreds of dollars by charging admission to people who want the perfect bluebonnet photo, or by renting a piece of grass on Airbnb as a camping spot.

Its the most beautiful field in Washington County, he admitted. But he didnt seem interested in monetizing the beauty around him.

He shared it with us, and presumably other passersby, for free. He seemed immensely, quietly pleased to be sharing this world with us. We all felt the drunkenness that kind of kindness begets, a little like the feeling of falling in love. My mom called the farmers field a gift from God. It was a gift, one that shouldnt be so rare.

Bluebonnets ought to be free. Public access to the states official wildflower should be a birthright for Texans. Buc-ees, for all its kitschy wonder, shouldnt be the highlight of a road trip. Bless Mr. Kramer for his generosity, and my wifes willingness to ask him to open his field to us, but we need some big ideas around sharing this heritage.



We Houstonians are bluebonnet-deprived. Our bayou trails, Mercer Arboretum and Rob Fleming State Park in Spring have nice patches, but theyre relatively small. Diana Foss, a biologist with TPWD, told me by email that Houstons flat slopes, excess rainfall, and clay soils arent the best to grow bluebonnets. The wildflower does grow in profusion just west of our metro area, but theres no great spot where the public can behold them. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department lists five state parks for experiencing bluebonnets, but four are west of Austin. The closest, Palmetto State Park, is more than two hours from Houston.

Imagine a big wildflower state park right in the middle of the big cities that form the Texas Triangle  or at least some smart tweak to the agriculture exemption that encourages private owners to temporarily open big swaths of land to their fellow Texans when the bluebonnets bloom.

Yes, weve got the highway medians, thanks to Lady Bird Johnson and TxDOTs 90-year history of sowing wildflower seeds. But taking in the natural beauty of the states flower shouldnt require a death-defying trek along freeways whooshing with 18-wheeler traffic, especially for families with young children. And while almost any homeowner can spread a few bluebonnet seeds in the backyard, that expansive feeling of freedom wildflowers can inspire requires wide-open spaces.

What could proper investment in bluebonnet season mean to a celebrated Texas tradition? I see a newfound pride, a more inclusive community, all our young Texans of so many different backgrounds, bonding amid that multitudinous profusion of colors.

And beaming smiles like the one my mother wore in the first of many bonny-blue-framed selfies.
More than 100 children and their families hopped over to Washington Park in Charlottesville for the first ever Easter Egg Extravaganza recently.

The afternoon began with playtime that included photos with the Easter Bunny himself, face painting, food, games of cornhole and egg painting before children lined up for the much-anticipated hunt.

The hunt was divided into two searches: one for children under the age of 6 and one for children 6 and older. Just as the smaller tykes wrapped their hunt that stretched up the steep hill at Washington Park, the older kids started out on their own half of the extravaganza.

Ten-year-old Milanni and her parents, Cierra and C.J., spent the morning at church before heading over to the park, polka-dotted with colorful Easter eggs, for the Sunday afternoon hunt.

Milanni, who said she hoped to find little toys and candy at the beginning of the hunt, left the park with a wide smile and a basket full of Easter eggs.

In addition to the hundreds of eggs that organizers with Charlottesville-based Little People Big Dreams filled with candy, there were also a select few prize eggs filled with $5, $10 and $15 prizes.

Charlottesville native Cynthia Nichell with Little People Big Dreams said that, after moving back to the city from Houston last year, she realized that Charlottesville and Albemarle County children needed more outlets and activities that encourage them to explore their own potential through sports, hobbies, crafts and more.

Coming back from Texas and seeing how drastically its changed, specifically with all the negative thats happening around here, we want to bring more positivity and show these kids that theres more to Charlottesville and being able to communicate that we want to bring everyone together on positive vibes.

Me and my other half have a lot of free time and we love kids, said Nichell, who has been an employee with Albemarle County Parks and Recreation for over 16 years. So we do a lot of things that their parents arent able to do, free of charge. We take care of everything. When we go to UVa games or any Fun Land trips, we pick them up and drop them off and we dont ask for money from the parents. We pay for everything, so thats the way were hosting our events right now.

Since launching in October last year, Little People Big Dreams has hosted several community events, including a Halloween party and a New Years ball at Fashion Square Mall for children and their parents. Nichell said she also hosts spontaneous events, such as those trips to University of Virginia games and Fun Land in Fredericksburg, for local children throughout the month.

Nichell said that she is in the process of converting Little People Big Dreams from an LLC to a nonprofit, of 501(c)(3) to provide even more opportunities for local children and their families in the future.
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Gov. Greg Abbott said he looks forward to pardoning a U.S. Army sergeant who was convicted of murder Friday in connection with the fatal shooting of an armed protester in 2020, amid a national racial justice movement following the police killing of George Floyd.

Sgt. Daniel Perry, 35, was convicted by a Travis County jury for fatally shooting 28-year-old Garrett Foster during a July protest in Austin. Perry has not yet been sentenced; he faces a minimum of five years or as much as life in prison.

Abbott intends to pardon Perry but can do so only after a recommendation is made by the state Board of Pardons and Paroles, so Abbott already had asked the board to recommend a pardon and to expedite its review, he said in a social media post. Perrys legal team has not filed an appeal.

READ MORE: Army sergeant guilty in fatal Texas shooting of protester

I look forward to approving the boards pardon recommendation as soon as it hits my desk, Abbott wrote on Twitter.

When the shooting occurred July 25, 2020, Perry had been stationed at Fort Hood, about 70 miles north of Austin, while also working as an Uber driver.

On the day of Fosters death, Perry had been driving in downtown Austin and turned onto a street, into a large crowd of people protesting the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. In a video streamed live on Facebook, a car can be heard honking before several shots ring out and protesters begin screaming and scattering.

AFTERMATH: Austin, local activists share memories of slain protester at downtown memorial

Perrys attorneys argued he acted in self-defense because Foster had approached Perrys car with an AK-47 rifle. Prosecutors said Perry could have driven away before firing, and witnesses testified Foster never raised his rifle at Perry.

Jurors deliberated for 17 hours, according to the Texas Tribune, ultimately dismissing the defenses argument Perry had acted in self-defense. And although jurors chose to convict Perry on the murder charge, Abbott Tweeted about the strength of Texas Stand Your Ground self-defense law, saying it cannot be nullified by a jury or a progressive District Attorney.

A former Travis County criminal court judge, David Wahlberg, told the Austin American-Statesman, he thinks the pardon is outrageously presumptuous.

Abbott did not attend any part of the eight-day trial, which featured testimony from dozens of witnesses, the newspaper reported.

Wahlberg said he cannot remember any other time in Texas history when a governor sought a pardon before a verdict was formally appealed.
Northern Long-eared Bat Moves From Threatened to Endangered

MONTPELIER, Vt.  The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's reclassification of the northern long-eared bat from threatened to endangered status came into effect Friday, March 31, 2023.

In Vermont, the northern-long eared bat received a state endangered status in 2011 due to rapid and drastic declines caused by the deadly fungal disease white-nose syndrome. It received federal threatened status in 2015 after the disease had spread throughout the Northeast, but not the entire range of the species.

Following white-nose syndrome's expansion across the United States and Canada, the northern long-eared bat has experienced similarly dramatic population declines throughout most of its range. In Vermont, this once-common species of mature forest habitats has declined by 98 percent in the underground hibernation sites where it overwinters. The USFWS' reclassification comes in response to this trend.

In anticipation of the reclassification to federal endangered status coming into effect, the USFWS released a planning tool and interim guidance earlier this month. These resources cover potential impacts to development, infrastructure, and land management projects in the northern long-eared bat's range that require federal approval, have received federal funding, or are carried out by a federal agency starting in April 2023. Non-federal projects will also be able to evaluate potential impacts to the northern long-eared bat with the USFWS planning tool.

The USFWS is expected to issue final guidance by April 2024. In addition, the reclassification may impact the buffer distances around known northern long-eared bat hibernacula and roosts in Vermont.

The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department and partners have been proactive in tracking the state's northern long-eared bat population and implementing protections like the 2011 state endangered designation. Because of this advance effort, the reclassification to federal endangered status is not expected to have major impacts on Vermont landowners, land managers, or developers.
A student takes total control over the five-piece BAAMS faculty group at Clarksburg School on Friday. The music workshop was made possible by a Mass Cultural Council Pianist Dario Boente helps a student figure out certain chords. Faculty members join in on the arrangement after they helped set up students with directions. Two students wrote lyrics for the tune. William 'Spaceman' Patterson lead the ukulele section. PreviousNext

Residency Brings Music Academy Into Elementary Schools



BAAMS Executive Director Richard Boulger leads the composition with a flugelhorn solo. CLARKSBURG, Mass.  The Berkshires' Academy for Advanced Musical Studies Inc. is bringing its cast of world-class musicians into North County Schools thanks to a grant.

"It allows us to do what we set out to do, which is provide top-tier music instruction from some of America's most accomplished instrumentalists who are also excellent educators," Jane Forrestal, director of development and communications, said on Friday. "One thing we can do differently is reach a wider audience of young musicians from around the region  through the STARS' Residencies."

The academy received a series of grants from the Massachusetts Cultural Council and the Gateway and Pauline Young Music funds administered by the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation equaling nearly $13,000 to fund the "Students and Teachers working with Artists, Scientists, and Scholars" residencies.

Mass Cultural Council STARS Residencies allows experts in the arts and sciences to collaborate with classroom teachers and schools to present learning opportunities not typically available to students during the school year.

The grant is funding a series of workshops at Greylock Elementary School and at Clarksburg Elementary School. Two sessions were held on April 6: one-morning session at Clarksburg Elementary School that included Abbott Memorial School students and a second afternoon session at Greylock Elementary School.

"Faculty and students come together for an introduction and some demonstration and whole-group discussion," said Richard Boulger, founder and executive director of BAAMS. "Then sectional groups will break out by instrument to work on specifics, coming back together to work on their own music project which is the ultimate goal."

Sessions were held on Friday and there will be a second round on April 27 and 28.

The workshops will culminate in a performance in which the students will perform original music created during the sessions. Darren O'Brien from Encore Audio Services, who is providing all the sound engineering for these sessions, plans to record this performance.

In Friday's workshop in Clarksburg, students approached improvisation and music composition. They learned how to write a song organically based on a moment of inspiration. BAAMS faculty set up frameworks and students filled in the gaps.

"There's so much talent here. I'm amazed when I see what these kids can put together," Boulger said.

The faculty first held an open discussion interspersed with impromptu jam sessions.

Opening up their demonstration to the 50 or so Clarksburg and Florida students, woodwind specialist Hernan Jay Rodriguez called one student to the front -- essentially putting them in the conductors chair.

Rodriguez, who among others played with Prince, told the guest conductor that "we work for you now."

When the student pointed to one of the musicians they would solo. When he raised his hands the improviser would increase volume. Swirling his hands above his head unleashed the five-piece who all launched into a collective, weaving improvisation.

Students were then told to grab instruments. Over the cracking of opening guitar cases and unzipping gigbags, guitarist William "Spaceman" Patterson set up his "Uke Arkestra."

He split the dozen or so ukulele players into two parts: one group plucked a set of three notes while the other strummed a chord. Patterson noted the importance of "playing the rests" and feeling the space as they built a groove.

"Feel the rests, play the rests," he said. "It means you play the silence."

Boulger said groove is a hard thing to explain or teach because it is something that needs to be felt.

"Right now we are learning about groove from James Brown's former guitarist so there's a lineage there and a passing of knowledge," Boulger said.

More instrumentation was added to the arrangement. Boulger asked students to sing a melody to build out a chorus.

"All right, everybody focus," he said. "We are going to communicate musically."

Drummer Tony Lewis guided different drummers helping them keep a beat underpinning the whole experiment while pianist Dario Boente helped students shape chords, adding new progressions as they went along.

As the arrangement was pulled closer together, students who were outside at recess abandoned their activities and gathered around the building's envelope, peering into the windows as the groove leaked out of the subterranean gymnasium.

Once all of the parts were in place, the faculty let go of the reins and let the composition exist in its truest form.

"Believe in yourself. Know that you got your part and no one can mess with you. Be yourself," Patterson said.

Finally, lyrics written by two students were pinned to the arrangement, completing the piece.

Forrestal said she hopes the residency helps more students find their musical voice and showcase the kind of work BAAMS does.

"It's essential. Part of our work is to do community outreach and locate funding support for scholarships. Donations and grants, partnerships with other arts organizations, schools, and nonprofits, all make a huge difference," she said. "If a student is motivated to begin learning music at BAAMS, their family's finances should not hinder their ability to join up. Music is for everyone."

Forrestal was happy to say BAAMS has gained even more support from several donors and foundations that will allow BAAMS to expand programming and provide more scholarships for Berkshires' Summer Jazz Band Day Camp this summer.
A panel of community and health leaders discuss the city's participation in a federal study and actions taken locally to address the opioid crisis. The forum was recorded at PCTV.

Pittsfield Officials Convene on Opioid Crisis in PCTV Forum

PITTSFIELD, Mass.  Mayor Linda Tyer says it was a "sad statistic" that brought the federal HEALing Communities initiative to the city.

Now, officials are working to understand the opioid epidemic and reduce its impact on the community.

This past week, a panel discussion hosted by Pittsfield Community Television covered addiction, recovery and treatment, harm reduction, reducing stigma, and Pittsfield's efforts to save lives from overdose deaths.



"We are a community that has a very high rate of overdose and fatalities related to overdose and so the HEALing Communities Initiative wanted to identify those communities that were experiencing those high rates of overdose, substance use disorders, and fatalities related to substance use disorder," Tyer said.



"So it is a sad statistic that brought us to this point and now we have this incredible initiative, bringing all of us together, including the city of Pittsfield, to try to bring as much care and health and well-being to the people of our city."



Panelists included County Ambulance President Brian Andrews, Director of Public Health Andy Cambi, Berkshire Harm Reduction Program Manager Sarah DeJesus, Police Officer Darren Derby, Pittsfield resident with lived experience Raymond Hernandez, and the Brien Center's Medical Director Dr. Jennifer Michaels.

The "Helping to End Addiction Long-term" Initiative is being undertaken by the National Institutes of Health and covers 67 communities in Kentucky, Massachusetts, New York and Ohio. In Massachusetts, it includes both Berkshire cities and about a dozen others such as Greenfield, Lawrence and Springfield. Boston Medical Center's research team is leading the Bay State aspect.

The study aims to reduce opioid overdose deaths by 40 percent over three years in the participating communities.

"It's really more than just a study," Andrews explained. "It's a study and implementing a whole number of initiatives to hopefully come up with evidence-based processes that work to lower the use of opiates in communities and to lower overdose deaths."



Pittsfield is in its first year of the program and he said it has been very successful so far. Currently, the city is initiating processes and gathering data.



In the last year, a community health worker and social worker have been added to the Health Department, a HUB program has been established to assist people in crisis and connect them with services, and efforts are underway to make naloxone, a medication that can immediately reverse an overdose, readily available to anyone in the community.

Public boxes containing the brand Narcan are also in the process of being added to city streets. Narcan is administered nasally and blocks opiate receptors in the nervous system.



"Our next step is really the widespread Narcan distribution in the community," Andrews explained. "To just flood the community with it so everybody has the opportunity to carry it with them."



It was highlighted that Narcan will only address an opioid overdose and will not have an adverse effect on a person if they are not overdosing on opioids.



Tyer was glad to have this clarified to the general public.



"We can still administer Narcan without fear that we are going to cause harm if it's an overdose from some other substance," she said.



"That's a really powerful message for people in the community who might have some trepidation about providing care when they're not trained."



Andrews reported that the number of reversals they see with the medication is "astounding."



"I feel like everybody should carry Narcan," DeJesus said. "And it's very easily accessible."



Michaels said the opioid epidemic has been a 25-year battle that began with Purdue Pharma touting OxyContin, its brand name for painkiller oxycodone, a narcotic, as safe and non-addictive.



"A lot of people don't know this, but it takes about two weeks to become addicted to an opioid. It's a very short time, even less than two weeks of regular taking of a pill," she said.



"Your brain changes, your body changes so that if you stopped taking that pill or heroin or whatever you're taking, you go through excruciating withdrawal. You go through sweating, insomnia, body aches throughout your whole system. You can't concentrate, you can't think straight and so you know that the only thing to alleviate the symptoms is taking an opioid."



Fentanyl, a potent synthetic opioid drug, began to infiltrate the drug supply in the mid-2010s and skyrocketed overdose deaths.



"Actually in the last 25 years, overdose deaths have increased 800 percent," Michaels said.






iciHaiti - Onaville : Several specialized units of the PNH have been deployed





Saturday, April 8, 2023 following the assault attempts by bandits from the Canaan gang, several specialized units of the National Police of Haiti (PNH) were deployed in Onaville (northern entrance to Port-au-Prince) on the orders of Frantz Elbe, Acting Commander of the National Police.



To thwart the bandits who want to terrorize the population at all costs, and to seize this territory, the police accompanied by members of the PNH heavy machinery and armored vehicles section took control of this area to ensure safety.



The population of Onaville welcomed, with a feeling of satisfaction and joy, the arrival of the Police in the area that the members of the Canaan gang seek to control.



The police institution still believes in the frank collaboration of each citizen to locate bandits as part of the fight against large gangs.



IH/ iciHaiti


















Virginia Del. Chris Runion finished the 2023 General Assembly session with some notable legislative achievements and some bills he introduced that stalled he wished had passed.

But as the Rockingham County Republican winds up for a second term in the Virginia House, Runion said it is not about legislative quantity or glory. Instead, he believes Virginia already has too many laws.

My question is, will it [bills] improve the lives of the citizens of Virginia? he said. We need to step back and ask will it [legislation] accomplish something positive. I have no problem with not having a full bucket of bills.

One Runion bill that passed calls for Virginia to make the delivery of funds more available to citizens with developmental disabilities. Runion said the legislation took multiple years to accomplish and required a partnership with the Arc of Virginia, statewide advocacy organization made up of people with developmental disabilities, their family members and their allies.

And another successful bill pertained to the delegates Old Order Mennonite constituents in both Rockingham and Augusta counties. That Runion bill allows the religious group to purchase firearms with a special identification card provided by Department of Motor Vehicles. They also must submit to state police background checks at gun shows.

Under previous legislation, firearm purchase was limited to persons providing photo identification. Old Order Mennonites prohibit images of themselves and typically dont have drivers licenses. While the legislation only affects a small group of people, Runion said it should never be a question of which rights cannot be exercised.

Disappointment is expected in the General Assembly and comes with the territory.

Runion proposed legislation requiring drug dealers trafficking in the opioid fentanyl to be charged with first-degree murder. The bill passed the House but died in the Democrat-controlled Virginia Senate.

Im extremely disappointed that the Senate killed that legislation, Runion said. I dont understand why we are not holding people accountable. This is a crisis that is killing kids and adults. It is devastating to the community.

Police civilian oversight boards are becoming more commonplace in Virginia and nationwide, particularly after the killing of George Floyd in Minnesota three years ago. Runion proposed legislation that would have required members of those boards to receive hands-on training from law enforcement to serve.

Runion said Virginia law enforcement told him that the oversight board members lacked the requisite knowledge they need. They [law enforcement officials] felt the members should have some expertise, he said.

The civilian oversight board bill is legislation Runion could introduce again if he is elected to his new House district in the fall. The delegates new 35th District includes a more significant portion of Augusta County and part of Rockingham County, and all of Bath and Highland counties.

Runion is unopposed in the June primary for the seat. And there is no announced Democratic opposition in the fall as of yet.
Last fall, Virginia Techs enrollment surpassed 38,000 students, the largest in school history. The Blacksburg university has grown dramatically in the past two decades, increasing its student body by a third.

But most colleges arent enjoying such success. At Radford University, the number of incoming freshmen has crashed almost 40% in the past decade. At Longwood University, freshman enrollment is down almost 30%.

When selective schools such as Virginia Tech take more students, they reach into James Madison Universitys pool. That forces JMU to reach into the pockets of Radford, Longwood or Mary Washington.

The growth of the large colleges in the state has caused an imbalance, and state leaders havent decided how to respond. Without a plan, some public and private colleges could be forced to close, said Walter Curt, a member of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia.

We are not walking into the future with our eyes open, he said.

Theres no reason to believe the problem will correct itself. In the next decade, the number of high school graduates in the state is expected to declineits being called an enrollment cliffleaving colleges to fight over fewer applicants. The percentage of men attending college has dropped in the past decade, and more people are questioning the value of a college education.

After decades of growth, Virginia colleges are entering a new era of significant change. Schools may be forced to lay off faculty and cut programs. The states most competitive schools, such as the University of Virginia and the College of William & Mary, might become even harder for Virginia students to access.

The issue is how can we as a state afford to keep them in business? Curt said. This is survival.

10,000 empty seats

Almost all of the states large colleges are growing, including George Mason, Virginia Tech, UVa, JMU and Old Dominion. The states largest college, Liberty University, boasts 130,000 students, with about 115,000 of them fully online.

UVa and Tech have received record application numbers, and George Mason has grown alongside its Northern Virginia community. (VCU is an outlierits the states only large college that is shrinking. Its enrollment has slipped in each of the past four years.)

But the ripple effects of that growth have hurt small colleges throughout the state. Among public schools, Radford, Longwood and Mary Washington have experienced the largest drops.

Private schools are feeling the pinch, too. There are about 10,000 empty seats at private colleges in the state, Curt said.

Not every small college is contracting. The most selective schools, such as William & Mary, Washington & Lee and the University of Richmond, are still filling their seats.

To rein in UVa and Virginia Tech, Sen. Tommy Norment, R-James City, proposed a bill this year to cap each public colleges growth at 2% every two years.

The measure was rejected because of concerns that it would drive students to out-of-state colleges and hold back colleges that need to grow.

Make UVa, W&M harder to get into

Longwoods president, Taylor Reveley III, has another ideamake UVa and Virginia Tech more selective by allowing the schools to take more out-of-state students.

Virginia law allows the two colleges to grow their out-of-state population by just 1 percentage point each year if the new students are enrolled in a high-demand field, such as computer science.

Thirty-two percent of UVa students come from outside Virginia, and they pay $54,000 annually for tuition and fees, triple what an in-state student pays. At William & Mary, 38% of students are from out of state, and they pay roughly $47,000 in tuition, or about double what in-state students pay.

Those percentages are low compared with other flagships, including the University of Alabama (58% out of state), Purdue University (53%) or the University of Michigan (50%).

Eliminating the cap is a win-win, Reveley said. UVa and William & Mary would rake in more revenue, improve their academic profile and rise in the rankings. (UVa placed 25th, and William & Mary 41st among all U.S. colleges in the most recent ranking from U.S. News & World Report.)

The states small schools, such as Longwood, would receive a larger pool of applicants.

But not all Virginia residents want already elite schools to become more difficult to access. UVa offered acceptance to 26% of in-state applicants this year, according to a consulting firm. Some believe that number is low enough already. Others say the primary mission of Virginia public colleges is to educate Virginia students.

The move would serve the state as a whole, Reveley said, calling Virginias group of colleges the best in the country.

The other problem with Reveleys suggestion is that it might not work. Peter Blake, head of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, said students who are rejected from UVa dont necessarily go to Virginia Tech or JMU. They might attend South Carolina or Clemson.

Reveley called that notion overstated, saying most students would stay in state. UVa and William & Mary did not respond to requests for comment.

More affordable, more relevant</&h1>

The state could take a number of other measures to correct the imbalance between large colleges and small.

Virginia could follow North Carolina, which recently picked four small colleges and pumped them with more state funding, allowing them to lower their tuition prices and attract more students.

Another idea is to add more relevant programs that match the needs of students, including short-term workforce credentials.

But in the end, colleges might be forced to reduce their faculty and staff and cut the number of programs and services they offer. Some community colleges, which have suffered large enrollment losses, already did this.

It wouldnt be unprecedented for a Virginia college to close. Saint Pauls College, a private historically Black college in Lawrenceville, shuttered in 2013. Virginia Intermont College, a private college in Bristol, ceased operation in 2014. Both schools were more than 100 years old.

In 2015, the board at Sweet Briar College in Amherst County voted to permanently close, but alumnae at the all-womens school rallied to save it. Closing a school would mean cutting hundreds of jobs and significantly impacting the local economy.

Reveley says its not likely that another college closes, because Virginia isnt losing high school graduates as dramatically as other states.

The demographics are very much in Virginias favor, he said.

For years, state policies encouraged colleges to grow. But as colleges enter a new era, it might be time to revisit those policies, Blake said.

The need for highly educated workers isnt going away, he said. To meet the economys needs, colleges will have to cast a larger net for students. They have to become more accessible, more affordable and more relevant in order to survive.

Theres a reality you need to own up to, Blake said.
The idea of Labour and Tory strategists working together at the next general election  plotting over tactics and where to place their resources  sounds like an SNP attack line.

Indeed, the SNP has used it as an attack line. The nationalists have mocked recent reports of an electoral pact north of the border as a reunion of the Better Together band which saw unionists team-up for the independence referendum of 2014.

But its an idea that Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross is determined to push. He seems willing to defy Rishi Sunak and Conservative Campaign Headquarters (CCHQ) by arguing in favour of tactical voting.
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Amy Schumers interview about why she turned down the role of Barbie, after being sent a pair of shoes, has resurfaced, following the release of the films new trailer.

The comedian addressed why she opted not to star in Sonys live-action movie during a March 2022 interview with The Hollywood Reporter. Her comments also came five years after she announced that she was pulling out of the film due to scheduling conflicts.

Speaking to THR, she pointed out some of the specific reasons why she dropped out of the gig. They definitely didnt want to do it the way I wanted to do it, the only way I was interested in doing it, Schumer said.

Schumer told that publication that her initial plan for the film was for her Barbie character to be an inventor. She noted that the studio then asked her if Barbie could be the inventor of high-heels made out of Jello.

From there, Schumer said that it was even clearer their ideas didnt match, as the studio sent her a pair of Manolo Blahnik shoes to celebrate the announcement of her casting.

The idea that thats just what every woman must want, right there, I should have gone, Youve got the wrong gal, the Trainwreck star explained.

As noted on the brands website, Manolo Blahnik sells a range of shoes, from heels to boots to pumps. However, they can all be a bit pricy, included a pair of heels that cost $1,195.

Back in 2017, she first issued a statement about how she was no longer able to commit to Barbie due to her schedule. The film has so much promise, and Sony and Mattel have been great partners. Im bummed, but look forward to seeing Barbie on the big screen, she said.

A spokesperson for Sony also issued a statement about Schumers choice, explaining: We respect and support Amys decision. We look forward to bringing Barbie to the world and sharing updates on casting and film-makers soon.

Ryan Gosling as Ken and Margot Robbie as Barbie in Barbie, directed by Greta Gerwig (Copyright: 2023 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

In 2019, it was announced that Margot Robbie would be replacing Schumer, with the I, Tonya actor producing and starring in the live-action movie.

Schumers interview with THR about Barbie also resurfaced one day after a new trailer for the Greta Gerwig film was released. The plot follows Barbie, who gets expelled from Barbie Land for being a less-than-perfect doll. She sets off for the human world to find true happiness.

Viewers went on to praise the trailer, with many noting that some of the plot was still being kept largely under wraps, and predicting that a major twist in the story is on the cards.

The film also announced the cast, which surprised some fans. More specifically, some of the cast updates that fans were not expecting included Dua Lipa, Nicola Coughlan, and Michael Cera.
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Queen Camilla will use an ivory sceptre during her and King Charles IIIs coronation ceremony in May, despite reports suggesting it might be avoided.

The ceremony traditionally features deeply symbolic objects that represent the royal duties and responsibilities of the new monarch and his wife.

It is understood that Camilla will hold a gold sceptre surmounted by a cross and a second staff made of ivory and topped by a dove during the coronation at Westminster Abbey on 6 May.

The ivory sceptre, which has been used by ever Queen Consort at previous coronations since 1685, is part of the crown jewels and regalia held in trust by the monarch for the nation.

They form part of the Royal Collection and have traditionally been held at the Tower of London, which is managed by Historic Royal Palaces.

But previous reports claimed that Camilla may choose to reject the traditional sceptre due to an anti-ivory campaign headed by the Prince of Wales.

Last August, Prince William hailed a landmark illegal wildlife trade sentencing that saw a man jailed for five years for conspiring to traffic millions of dollars worth of rhinoceros horns and elephant ivory.

Britain is at the forefront of global conservation efforts after the Ivory Act 2018 was brought in, from 6 June last year. The act is a near-total ban in the dealing with items containing elephant ivory.

But a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said: As with any historical collection of its size, it is to be expected that the Royal Collection includes items that contain ivory as this reflected the taste at the time.

Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the Sovereigns Sceptre with Cross which will feature during the Coronation of King Charles III at Westminster Abbey (PA)

It comes after the Palaces announcement that the Queen will wear Queen Marys crown for the ceremony, but the controversial Koh-i-noor diamond nor its replica will feature in the crown.

Kathryn Jones, senior curator of decorative arts at the Royal Collection, said of previous coronations: The Queen is also presented with two sceptres... this is again this symbol of temporal power  so with the cross.

The second sceptre, like the Kings sceptre, has the dove on the top, (and is) symbolic of equity and mercy. [With] this one the wings are folded, rather than spread, it has the same symbolism  so its the Holy Spirit.

Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the Sovereigns Sceptre with Cross which will feature during the Coronation of King Charles III at Westminster Abbey (PA)

The ivory staff which Camilla will hold was made in 1685 for Queen Mary of Modena, wife of James II. She was the first Queen Consort to participate in a coronation ceremony following the restoration of the monarchy in 1660.

The original coronation regalia was destroyed by order of parliament after King Charles I was executed during the Civil War, which briefly led to a republic. It was melted down into gold coins, with the jewels sold.

Camillas coronation outfit will be designed by her friend Bruce Oldfield, who was a favourite designer of the late Diana, Princess of Wales.

Traditionally, monarchs and their consorts have worn lavish robes for their coronation events, but whether or not Charles and Camilla will don robes remains in question as the monarch is understood to be opting for a more modern ceremony.

Additional reporting by Press Association
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Heartbroken friends and relatives have paid tribute to a 15-year-old girl killed in an east London fire.

Tiffany Regis is believed to have died in the suspected arson on Thursday at a block of flats in Beckton, the Metropolitan Police said, though identification was not conclusive. A post-mortem found that the cause of death was smoke inhalation.

Police were called at about 5.28pm on Thursday to the fire in Tollgate Road, which detectives are treating as arson.

Tiffany Regis, who family and friends say had a heart of gold (Metropolitan Police)

A 16-year-old boy was arrested on Thursday on suspicion of murder following the fire. He was later bailed pending further inquiries.

Five others at the address were injured. They have since been discharged from hospital.

Vasee Ahmed a family friend, who saw the blaze take hold, told the Evening Standard: Tiffany was loving and caring and was very close to my daughter and wife.

Tiffany was living with her gran near the Asda as her gran was elderly. That flat was Tiffanys friends I think the school friends got together and met up in the flat to just have a chat and enjoy their holidays.

Ahmed added: We have lived in Beckton since 1988 and have seen kids and families grow up over the years.

My daughter is in the same class as Tiffany in Kingsford Community School. We always saw Tiffany she was so generous and humble and has a heart of gold.

My daughter is very distressed since yesterday as she is trying to come to terms with this tragedy.

Tiffany died in the fire on Thursday at a block of flats on Tollgate Road in Beckton (PA)

A woman who said she was Tiffanys aunt posted on social media: This cant be real this was my niece.

RIP beautiful you were gone to soon. The world is so horrible may your beautiful soul rest at peace now. Love you baby girl.

One man who said he was a family friend described the teenager as an angel.

The man, who gave his name only as Godfrey, 30, said: Ive even got videos of her from when she young.

She spent some time with my little nephews. Those memories with her I will never forget.

Chief Superintendent Simon Crick, who leads the North East Command Unit, said that his thoughts were with Tiffany and her family and friends.

Emergency responders at the scene on Thursday (PA)

He added: My thoughts at this time are with Tiffany and her family and friends. Incidents such as these send shockwaves through our communities and I dont underestimate the impact this will have in the local area and beyond.

Your officers will be on patrol in the immediate vicinity over the Easter weekend, please talk to them if you have any concerns.

Mayor of Newham Rokhsana Fiaz said: Tiffanys parents are going through unimaginable pain at the loss of their much loved 15-year-old daughter who brought so much joy. I am deeply upset by this tragic loss of a young life, as is everyone in Newham.

My thoughts and prayers are with Tiffanys parents, family and friends at this very difficult and heartbreaking time. I am urging anyone with any information to contact the police incident room.

Our priority is to support Tiffanys parents grieving the loss of their child; and all those young people who have lost a dear friend.
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Thousands of members of the Sikh community in Glasgow took part in the first celebration of Vaisakhi since the Covid-19 pandemic.

The traditional nagar kirtan procession, which celebrates the birth of the Sikh nation, began at the Gurdwara Granth Sahib on Albert Drive in the southside of the city around 9.30am on Sunday before making its way across the River Clyde to the Central Gurdwara on Berkeley Street in the west end.

It ended at the Guru Nanak Gurdwara on Otago Street.

Vaisakhi falls on April 14 and is a Sikh celebration of the spring harvest as well as the beginning of the solar new year.

Vaisakhi also marks the birth of the Khalsa order by Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th Guru of Sikhism, on April 13, 1699.

There are estimated to be around 10,000 Sikhs living in Scotland, with Glasgow being the area with the most significant population.
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The Home Office has been accused of blocking MPs from helping desperate asylum seeker constituents despite backlogs within the department.

Labour MP Kate Osamor has been seeking to help a family of five, including a newborn, facing imminent homelessness in her Edmonton constituency.

They submitted an asylum application last September but until it is dealt with, the parents are unable to work, have no access to public funds and their children cannot attend school.

But Ms Osamor says when she contacted the Migrant Help charity on their behalf, she was told they were unable to deal with MPs directly.

Migrant Help runs a guidance and advice helpline to assist asylum seekers in the UK as they move through the process. The charity is not part of the Home Office but is the advice, issue reporting and eligibility (AIRE) provider appointed by the department.

In an email sent to Ms Osamor and seen by The Independent, a Migrant Help adviser said: I am afraid Migrant Help are not contracted to respond to MPs correspondence and have forwarded the attached to the MP correspondence team. However one of our call handlers will reach out to the service user to see if there is any further support they can provide.

I would like to clarify that not responding to MP enquiries is not a Migrant Help policy but a directive given to us by the Home Office as part of our work under the advice, issue reporting and eligibility (AIRE) contract. I have expressed concerns regarding this process.

Because of the urgency and severity of the case, Migrant Help said it raised it with the Home Office to be granted permission to directly contact the asylum seekers and provide support.

The government argues the Home Office is better placed to deal with such queries from MPs.

Home secretary Suella Braverman faces criticism over the backlog (PA)

However, Ms Osamor claimed the department was putting more barriers in the way of vulnerable people seeking help. She argued that the approach is ridiculous given current backlogs for asylum seekers are at a record high.

The backlog topped 160,000 for the first time since records began at the end of last year. A total of 160,919 people were waiting for an initial decision on their claim at the end of December  up 60 per cent for the same period in 2021. The number of people waiting more than six months for an initial decision has also soared, with 109,641 of those cases outstanding at the end of 2022  a 77 per cent year-on-year jump.

Its bizarre that the Home Office appears to have ordered Migrant Help not to respond to MPs, Ms Osamor told The Independent. With Home Office delays out of control many MPs like myself have been inundated with constituents who need help with immigration issues. To do that I often need to speak to organisations like Migrant Help.

This feels like the Home Office have stepped in to sabotage MPs and prevent us from doing our jobs.

Clare Moseley, founder of Care4Calais also criticised the approach, claiming it lacked transparency.

Whats the difference between an MP getting in touch with Migrant Help and us getting in touch with Migrant Help to support an asylum seeker? Ms Moseley asked. Its a lack of transparency, its like they dont want MPs to know whats going on  or not going on and that is concerning. There are no excuses left for not clearing this backlog.

The question is what are they hiding? What dont they want MPs to know.

A Migrant Help spokesperson said: Migrant Help has been directed by the Home Office to forward any MP enquiries related to the advice, issue reporting and eligibility (AIRE) contract to their MP correspondence team, who will investigate and respond to the MP.

In all cases, we would contact the constituents/people referred to by the MP in the enquiry directly, to offer our assistance and to ensure were supporting them in a timely manner.

A Home Office spokesperson said: Queries from MPs about constituents with asylum and migration-related issues are directed to the Home Office.

Often the department is better placed to respond to these queries and this helps ensure MPs get the fastest and most comprehensive response.
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The mother of a nine-year-old girl shot dead in her home in Liverpool has spoken of the joyful final hours she spent with her daughter before she was murdered by drug dealer Thomas Cashman.

In her first interview since Olivia Pratt-Korbel was gunned down in August last year, Cheryl Korbel told how she shared a meal with her daughter and some friends hours before the shooting that rocked the nation.

We went to the Toby Carvery in Queens Drive for tea, she said. I went with my best friend and her daughter, who was Livs best friend. We had a really good time  the kids were sitting there laughing and joking.

We had a roast but Liv was very picky, she didnt eat meat. Shed have potatoes.

Later that night Olivia would be killed as Cashman relentlessly pursued his intended target, convicted drug dealer Joesph Nee.

He fired shots at Ms Korbels home as Nee tried to enter following a chase on foot. A bullet went through the front door of the Liverpool home, hitting Ms Korbels wrist before striking Olivia in the chest and killing her.

Nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel (PA)

In her interview with the Daily Mirror, Ms Korbel also vowed to campaign against gun crime and gangs in the city, as well as pushing to change the law forcing criminals to face the courts for sentencing.

Cashman, 34, refused to appear in the dock at Manchester Crown Court on 3 April when he was sentenced to life with a minimum of 42 years behind bars for Olivias murder.

Cheryl Korbel (centre) outside Manchester Crown Court after Thomas Cashman was sentenced (PA)

His defence lawyer told the court Cashman was concerned the matter was turning into a circus and said he wished to be sentenced in his absence.

Ms Justice Yip said she regarded his lack of attendance as disrespectful to not only the court but also those interested in proceedings, including the family of the deceased.

The non-appearance of the murderer in court was branded a disgrace by Labours shadow justice secretary Steve Reed, who has previously called for new laws to make sure this cannot happen.

Campaigners and victims are calling on the justice secretary to close a loophole that allows criminals not to be present for their sentencing.

Cashman was sentenced to a minimum term of 42 years (PA)

Dominic Raab has pledged to make non-attendance an aggravating factor in sentencing, which would give judges the power to hand out harsher punishment.

He is coming under pressure to fast-track the new laws in the aftermath of Olivias murder.

The aunt of Zara Aleena , who was murdered as she walked home last June, said criminals should have their prison terms extended if they refuse to face victims, adding that there are other ways to implement the proposals than dragging defendants kicking and screaming into the dock.

Ms Aleenas killer Jordan McSweeney refused to attend his sentencing in February, something her family described as a slap in the face.

Surely the judgment is part of the punishment ... we need to see that the process will deter further crime and how can the process feel like a punishment if the convict actually exercises their bit of power? Farah Naz, aunt of Ms Aleena, told BBC Breakfast. Its the last bit of power that needs to be taken away, certainly in our eyes.

I think there are other ways to make the convict come to face their judgment and that would be to add time to their sentencing or there can be other ways.
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The father of two British-Israeli sisters killed in a gun attack in the occupied West Bank has said he is confident that justice will be done.

Rina and Maia Dee were shot dead in an attack on their car near an Israeli settlement in the West Bank on Friday.

The attack, by Palestinian assailants, came after Israel launched retaliatory air strikes at Lebanon and the Gaza Strip.

Tensions have been heightened by days of fighting at Jerusalems most holy site during the rare convergence of Ramadan, Passover and Easter.

In a statement released by the girls father, Rabbi Leo Dee, to the Telegraph, he said that the family was saddened by the current political situation in Israel.

Some people think that a religious government will suppress minority rights and become totalitarian, he said.

But this is not a risk in Israel as religious Jews simply believe in balancing love and justice. For our part, we have felt a warm hug of love from Jews in Israel and beyond and we are confident that justice will be done.

According to The Telegraph, Rabbi Dee was formerly the senior rabbi at Radlett United Synagogue in Hertfordshire and assistant rabbi in Hendon, north London.

The sisters were born in London, before the family moved to Israel in 2014.

The family lived in the Efrat settlement, near the Palestinian city of Bethlehem, according to the settlements mayor Oded Revivi.

The sisters 45-year-old mother was seriously wounded in the attack.

Their father witnessed the incident from a separate car following behind, local officials said.

Late on Friday, an Italian tourist was killed and five other Italian and British citizens were wounded when a car rammed a group in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv.

Reacting to the news of the sisters death, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: On behalf of all the citizens of Israel, I send my condolences to the Di Mafart family for the murder of the two wonderful sisters.

In these moments, if the family is fighting for its life, and together with the entire nation of Israel, I pray for its safety, and we all send our condolences and strength to this dear family in this moment of great sorrow.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly held a call on Saturday with his Israeli counterpart, Eli Cohen, to discuss the appalling attacks.

Middle East minister Lord Ahmad said: I condemn yesterdays attacks in the West Bank, killing two British-Israeli nationals and injuring one other, and in Tel Aviv where an Italian national was killed and British nationals were injured.

British Ambassador to Israel Neil Wigan added: My thoughts are with those affected by another horrific terror attack last night in Tel Aviv, including one Italian tourist killed.

British people are amongst the injured. We are in touch with the hospital and will offer our support.

The Hamas militant group that rules Gaza praised both incidents as retaliation for Israeli raids earlier this week on the Al-Aqsa mosque.

The Foreign Office released a statement saying it was saddened to hear about the deaths of the two British-Israelis and the serious injuries sustained by a third individual.

The UK calls for all parties across the region to de-escalate tensions, it added.

Shadow foreign secretary David Lammy said: I am shocked by reports of the killing of two British sisters in an appalling and cowardly attack in the West Bank.

My thoughts are with their family and loved ones. More civilian victims of this cycle of violence show the urgent need for diplomatic efforts to de-escalate.

The Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon came after militants fired nearly three dozen rockets from there.
For one night in late January, more than 230 people in Linn County had no walls to hide them from the cold or locks to secure the contents of their lives.

And those are just the people in the initial count.

A family might have settled in to sleep in their car in Lebanon, where 50 were noted without shelter. Or someone likely made the trek into the woods above Sweet Home to stay warm and stay out of sight.

They almost certainly were missed in the 2023 point-in-time count, the survey advocates and volunteers conducted over a day or two, meant to find everyone in a community without permanent housing or shelter. They're typically conducted in January when it's thought cold weather will make people easier to find.

Still, volunteers arent trained to knock on vehicle windows in smaller mid-Willamette Valley cities or just dont know where to look for all of the camps where people try to rest when they have no other place to go.

Not nearly as rigorous as a census, Melissa Egan, who coordinates housing services at a mid-Willamette Valley community action agency, called point in time an obscene parade around homelessness.

For the rest of the year, its not an average or even thorough count but more of a glance at a vast population which informs housing advocates and policymakers who rely on the January tally.

That makes a point-in-time count a frustration for folks like Egan when theyre trying to reach those who grant funding or write laws.

A nearly 50% rise

Experts, volunteers, policymakers and folks who live without permanent shelter tend to agree that the number of people living on the streets in the mid-Willamette Valley is growing.

Point in time results tends to back that up but likely undercounts people without shelter. And the count definitely reflects trends in volunteer availability as much as it does housing needs.

Linn County saw 413 without any residence to permanently stay, an about 47% increase over 2022. Of those, 235 had no shelter of any kind, according to raw figures from the 2023 point-in-time count.

And 286 of the total were from Albany.

Benton Countys count was 347 without housing  143 without shelter. The vast majority were from Corvallis.

That will be included in whats supposed to be the official count of every person in the United States without permanent shelter, mandated by the U.S. Housing and Urban Development Department, and sometimes called the homeless census.

Except the workers of the U.S. decennial census receive a year of training and are paid for their time.

People dont want to volunteer, Egan said.

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Instead, the place-in-time count asks people to do their best to find and count their unhoused neighbors. In the mid-Willamette Valley, figures improved under the aid of trained outreach workers.

Community Services Consortium, a "community action agency" dedicated to helping people out of poverty, oversees the count in Benton, Lincoln and Linn counties. Its a semi-governmental agency overseen by elected officials from all three local governments.

It coordinates with community outreach teams to find where people without shelter will congregate over the course of two or three days each January.

Those are the people who know where to find camps and can knock on the windows of vehicles.

Dina Eldridge, housing services manager at Community Services Consortium, said the large change from the last point-in-time count shows an increase in access to the folks meant to be included in the tally.

Its not an aberration. There just didnt used to be a street outreach team, Eldridge said.

Action agency staff said there are about 50 volunteers to cover the mid-Willamette Valley in one night, plus Lincoln County.

Linn County's count was about as accurate as theyve ever had, Eldridge estimates, led by in-person checks from Community Outreach Assistance Team.

Higher than zero

Oddly, and likely inaccurately, in all of the space between the cities, the number of people recorded frequently totals zero.

Egan and Eldridge said social service providers know that is not the case, but its the number that is reported to the federal government because no one is available to count those without shelter in outlying parts of Oregon.

We are settling for the number zero instead of a number higher than zero, and a number higher than zero is more accurate, Egan said.

Accuracy is important because the numbers affect funding. Some applications for federal housing money are scored based on how much need a region has for shelter.

Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Corvallis Gazette-Times.

Regions are grouped together in administrative blocs called "continuums of care." Benton and Linn join 24 other counties in a broadly rural swath of Oregon labeled "balance of state," as in, outside of metropolitan areas.

Because the numbers of those counted across the "balance of state" are averaged, it muddies reality. So, when no volunteers are available to count unhoused people in truly remote parts of Oregon, the numbers counted in more urban Albany and Corvallis are artificially lowered when averaged out across the state.

HUD scores applications from regions with 10,000 or more unhoused people with 30 points. Those regions with 5,000-plus get 20 points; 10 points for 1,000 or more people.

The mid-Willamette Valley competes against far more concentrated metropolitan areas around Eugene, Portland and Salem.

In January, elected leaders in each of Benton, Lincoln and Linn counties attempted to capture some of the state funding made available in a series of executive orders from just-sworn-in Gov. Tina Kotek.

Oregon freed up $40 million to find housing for some of the states thousands who live without permanent shelter when Kotek made the emergency declaration Jan. 10.

But Benton, Linn and Lincoln counties werent included in the governors response to what she called a man-made disaster because the state housing authority lumps the counties unhoused populations together with 23 others, skewing mid-Willamette Valley numbers.

This is a humanitarian crisis, Kotek told reporters in early January.

The governors office rejected Lincolns request and Benton never filed its request after elected leaders reconsidered the language they had drafted in a formal letter.

Housing production

Only two states see a higher number of residents without shelter, California and Vermont.

At the same time, the average price for housing in Oregon is higher than 41 other states. And the state scored among the lowest for housing production.

Those things go together, Egan said.

Oregon had one of the fastest tightening housing markets in the country with fewer homes available to buy. Oregon was among eight states with a 2.5% decline in homeowner vacancy, meaning more owned homes were occupied.

Slightly fewer than one in 100 homes were vacant in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, about 0.9% on average. Oregon was 0.8% with the lowest around 0.2% and the most vacancies making up about 1.5% of the overall inventory in Washington, D.C., and Mississippi.

Advocates have long known that having sufficient housing, first as immediate shelter then long-term housing, is vital to moving people off the streets.

In Sweet Home, a 14-unit shelter that opened in 2022 revealed more people than had been counted at the start of the year.

As many as a couple dozen had been formally accounted for in the area.

But the shelter has a waiting list of at least 35, Egan said.

No one can find these folks who are hiding for a reason. They dont want to be obvious because they get run off, she said.

Related stories:
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Rishi Sunak is focusing on fulfilling the promise of the Good Friday Agreement as he prepares to host Joe Biden in Northern Ireland to mark 25 years of the peace deal.

The Prime Minister said making good on the pledge of a better future for the nation is first and foremost on his mind ahead of the anniversary.

The commemorations come amid a heightened terror threat in Northern Ireland and powersharing in Stormont remaining collapsed amid post-Brexit tensions.

It is that promise of a better future that we offered to everyone in Northern Ireland that I will be thinking of first and foremost over the coming days Rishi Sunak

Signed on April 10 1998, the Good Friday Agreement ended the 30-year conflict of the Troubles, during which more than 3,500 people were killed.

Mr Sunak will meet the US president off Air Force One when he arrives on Tuesday evening.

Mr Biden, intensely proud of his Irish heritage and the USs role in the peace accord, will take part in a series of engagements in Belfast including a formal meeting with the Prime Minister.

In a statement, Mr Sunak said the signing of the Good Friday Agreement was an incredible moment in the history of the UK.

It was a powerfully rare example of people doing the previously unthinkable to create a better future for Northern Ireland, he said.

It is that promise of a better future that we offered to everyone in Northern Ireland that I will be thinking of first and foremost over the coming days.

It is my responsibility as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom to ensure we are making good on that promise.

Mr Sunak said he is relentlessly focused on delivering economic growth for Northern Ireland, which he said is crucial to improving living standards.

He is expected to use Mr Bidens visit to drum up long-term investment for the nation, and announce that the UK will host a Northern Ireland Investment Summit in September.

The Prime Minister will address the Agreement 25 conference at Queens University on Wednesday before hosting a gala dinner.

A major policing operation costing around 7 million and backed up by around 300 officers travelling from other parts of the UK will be under way around the anniversary.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has warned of the potential of dissident republicans launching attacks on police officers in Londonderry on Easter Monday.

MI5 recently raised the terrorism threat in Northern Ireland level to severe, meaning an attack is highly likely.

Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, has insisted the political vacuum in the nation caused by his partys refusal to re-enter Stormont is not to blame.

In February last year the DUP withdrew its support for the powersharing institutions formed by the Good Friday Agreement as it protests against post-Brexit trading arrangements.

Mr Biden will leave Northern Ireland on Wednesday for the Republic, where he will visit Dublin, Co Louth and Co Mayo.
Irish premier Leo Varadkar has said he plans to intensify engagement with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak over the Windsor Framework and powersharing in Northern Ireland.

The Taoiseach said history showed that political stability in the region depended on the Irish and British governments working in lock-step.

Mr Varadkar made the comments on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, a diplomatic feat that brought peace to Northern Ireland after 30 years of bloodshed.
Interesting fact as we reach the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement: there is no actual reference to a hard border or soft border, or anything like that, to be found in the famous text.

It is certainly a matter of hard political reality, though, that the GFA relies on there being no hard land-border between Ireland (ie the EU) and Northern Ireland (ie the UK). That is why we have a partial trade border down the Irish Sea between Great Britain and Northern Ireland instead.

The border had to go somewhere. If it was to be on the island of Ireland it would be unacceptable to nationalists and republicans, and most unionists.
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Labour has accused the Tories of handing " shockingly short" prison sentences to 4,000 rapists, as the party continued to attack Rishi Sunaks handling of sentencing.

Sir Keir Starmers party has vowed to crack down on rapists by giving criminals convicted of the offence a minimum sentence of seven years behind bars.

Labour published analysis showing 3,876 adult rapists have received a prison sentence of less than seven years since 2010.

The figures come as Labour ramps up its attacks on the Conservative governments record on crime ahead of the local elections in May and a national poll next year.

On Friday Labour was widely condemned after releasing an attack ad claiming that the prime does not think child sex offenders should go to prison.

Figures on the left of the party joined Conservatives and others in expressing unease over the campaign ad but frontbencher Emily Thornberry defended it, saying Mr Sunak is responsible for the justice system.

Based on analysis of Ministry of Justice figures, Labour said its research also found that tens of thousands dangerous criminals including gunmen, kidnappers, child abductors and child sex offenders have been handed community or suspended sentences since 2010.

The analysis found that 10 rapists have dodged jail every year since the Conservatives came to power in 2010. Labour has pledged to make Britains streets safe by halving the level of violence against women and girls within a decade.

If it wins the general election, expected in the autumn of next year, Labour has also pledged to:

Open specialist rape courts: listing rape cases as a priority and fast-tracking them  to bring down the three-year average wait. The party will use existing space at every crown court location in England and Wales to establish a specialist courtroom for dealing with rape trials.

Double the number of prosecutors to put rapists behind bars: by lifting the restrictions on the 117 associate prosecutors employed by the Crown Prosecution Service, Labour would increase the 240 staff currently working as crown prosecutors by a half and set them all to work on tackling the record backlogs across Magistrates and Crown Courts.

Put 13,000 extra neighbourhood police and police community support officers on streets.

Labour said England and Wales now face the longest trial delays on record with over 62,000 outstanding cases in the third quarter of 2022, with lawyers warning that the record courts backlog means many criminals are being given more lenient sentences.

The government has tried to blame the pandemic for the backlogs, but figures show that the courts backlog skyrocketed before 2020 with the closure of 245 crown and magistrate courts after 2010, Labour said.

High reoffending rates mean that prisons are often overcrowded, forcing senior judges to urge courts to spare convicted offenders from jail even if their crimes would usually warrant a custodial sentence.

Last month, the Court of Appeal quashed a six-month jail sentence imposed on a man who assaulted an emergency worker.

Steve Reed, the shadow justice secretary, said: After 13 years under the Conservatives, women and girls do not feel safe.

Shadow justice secretary Steve Reed said rape has effectively been decriminalised under the Tories (PA Wire)

Rape has effectively been decriminalised, with barely one in every 100 reported rapes resulting in a charge.

He added: Now we find that those few rapists who are convicted may receive shockingly short jail terms, or might not end up at jailed at all.

Crime will be a key concern for voters at next months local elections and the issue of rape featured heavily in the final two sessions of Prime Ministers Question before the Easter break, with Sir Keir and Angela Rayner, Labours deputy leader, attacking the government on low conviction rates.

In a clash with Mr Sunak, Sir Keir accused the government of sheer negligence as he pressed the prime minister over the low rate of rape charges.

The Labour leader told MPs that on his watch rape charges are 1.6 per cent. Mr Sunak responded by saying that his government was on track to double the number of rape cases that reached court.

A week later Ms Rayner, standing in for the Labour leader, accused Dominic Raab, the justice secretary, of failing to tackle the issue.

She called on him to apologise to victims for the charge rate which she said had collapsed to 1.6 per cent under his watch. Mr Raab said tackling rape was one of the governments top priorities.

A Conservative Party spokesperson said: Labour voted against tougher sentences for rapists. Keir has distinguished himself only by seeking to keep more foreign sex offenders in Britain by blocking deportation flights.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer is facing a furious backlash from his own MPs about the ugly and degrading attack ads that claim Rishi Sunak does not think child sex abusers should go to prison.

Labour MPs told The Independent they had personally complained to their leader about the Twitter ads  warning him that it will damage the partys standing in blue wall seats in the south of England.

It comes as shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper distanced herself from the Twitter graphic on child sex abusers  with her team making clear she was not consulted about the ad devised by Labour strategists.
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The leader of the Scottish Conservatives has sparked a major Tory row after he suggested Tory voters should vote Labour at the next election if their candidate is best placed to beat the SNP.

Douglas Ross risked a rift with Rishi Sunak as he said Scottish voters should do whats best for the country to help loosen the nationalists grip on power north of the border.

A Tory spokesperson in Westminster fired back by insisting that tactical voting was emphatically not the view of the Conservative Party and that voters should support the Tories wherever they are standing.

Mr Rosss remarks, in an interview with TheTelegraph, came at a time of crisis for the SNP in the wake of Nicola Sturgeons resignation as first minister and party leader.

In many seats in Scotland, it will be Labour or the Lib Dems who are seen as the most likely challengers to the SNP at the next general election.

Mr Ross said: The public know how to tactically vote in Scotland. I will always encourage Scottish Conservative voters to vote Scottish Conservatives.

He added: But I think generally the public can see and they want the parties to accept that where there is a strongest candidate to beat the SNP you get behind that candidate.

Mr Ross said: If parties maybe look beyond their own narrow party agenda and do whats best for the country and for me as Scottish Conservative leader what would be best is if we see this grip that the SNP have on Scotland at the moment is loosened.

But the Tory spokesperson stressed: We want people to vote for Conservative candidates wherever they are standing as thats the best way to keep Labour and the SNP out.

Grilled on the strategy on Sunday, Mr Ross denied he was asking Scots to vote Labour  emphasising that he wanted to encourage Labour and Lib Dem voters to back the Tories in rural Scotland.

He told GB News: If people want to move on from the decade of division  the voting Scottish Conservative, and that means in some places Liberal Democrats and Labour voters backing the Scottish Conservative candidate, then we can see the SNP lose their grip on power.

Sir Keir Starmer and Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar (PA)

But any formal or even informal tactical voting pact would need to be agreed with Labour to avoid the Tories ceding seats in Scotland and getting nothing in return.

And such an arrangement would put Mr Sunak under pressure among Tory MPs south of the border, as they face an uphill struggle to hold off Keir Starmers Labour Party at the election expected in 2024.

It comes amid turmoil for the SNP as Ms Sturgeon husband, former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell, was arrested in the investigation into the spending of around 600,000 that was earmarked for an independence campaign.

A luxury campervan, which can sell for around 110,000, has reportedly been seized by police investigating the SNPs finances.

A Niesmann + Bischoff motorhome was taken from a house in Fife at the same time police searched the home of Ms Sturgeon and her husband, according to the Mail on Sunday.

In her first public comments since the arrest on Wednesday, Ms Sturgeon said she would fully cooperate with the police if they ask to interview her.

I havent, but I will fully cooperate with the police as and when they request that, if indeed they do, she told reporters outside her Glasgow home, when taking questions after giving a brief statement.

SNP president Mike Russell told The Herald the party was in the most challenging crisis weve ever faced during his 50 years involved.
Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper was not told about the release of controversial advert attack claiming Rishi Sunak does not think child sex abusers should go to prison.

The strategy has sparked a backlash from party figures in despair about the move into gutter politics after a series of Twitter ads which accuse the PM of being soft on crime.

The Independent understands that Ms Cooper was not told or consulted about the wording of the ad devised by the Labours strategy team, despite being related her home affairs brief.
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The father of two British-Israeli sisters killed in the West Bank has asked how he will tell their mother what has happened to them when she regains consciousness.

Rabbi Leo Dee spoke at the funeral for his daughters, Rina, 15, and Maia, 20, held in a cemetery in the Jewish settlement of Kfar Etzion in the West Bank.

The sisters were shot dead in an attack on their car near an Israeli settlement in the West Bank on Friday.

Their mother Lucy, 45, was seriously wounded in the attack and remains in a coma.

In footage from the funeral, broadcast on Sky News, Rabbi Dee asked: How will I explain to Lucy what has happened to our two precious gifts?

During an emotional speech, Rabbi Dee said: Maia and Rina, you have loved us, you have inspired us, and in turn we will love you forever.

May your souls be bound in the bond of eternal life.

And may we, and no-one else in the world, ever know so much sorrow.

Rabbi Dee was in the car behind his wife and daughters, and witnessed the attack.

The attack, by Palestinian assailants, came after Israel launched retaliatory air strikes at Lebanon and the Gaza Strip.

Tensions have been heightened by days of fighting at Jerusalems most holy site during the rare convergence of Ramadan, Passover and Easter.
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The mother of a 10-year-old girl killed in the Uvalde shooting was shoved by a Texas trooper when she tried to pick up her son so he could participate in a pacific protest against gun violence.

Ana Rodriguez was attempting to check her son out from Flores Elementary on 5 April when the unidentified trooper grabbed her by the arm and shoved her out of the building, NBC News reported.

Ms Rodriguez intended to pick up her son from school so he could join a protest on national gun violence walkout day. Other parents had arrived at the elementary school to remove their children from class and have them join the walkout.

Footage captures the moment the trooper tries to remove Ana Rodriguez from the school (Brett Cross)

During the altercation, Ms Rodriguez was holding a large picture of her daughter Maite, who was killed along with seventeen other students and two teachers after a gunman stormed inside Robb Elementary School on 24 May 2022.

Bodycam of the incident was released to ABC News on Friday following demands by Democrat San Antonio state Senator Roland Gutierrez. An investigation by the Texas Department of Public Safety is now underway.

When your daughter is murdered on school grounds, then you talk to me sir, Ms Rodriguez is heard saying in the footage.

The incident sparked outrage online after Brett Cross, the father of another Uvalde fatal victim, posted cellphone footage of the moment the trooper forcibly removed Ms Rodriguez from the school lobby.

Pictures also shared by Mr Cross show Ms Rodriguezs bruised arm, reportedly as a result of the confrontation with the state trooper.

Maite Yuleana Rodriguez was one of the children killed during the May 2022 mass shooting (Family photo)

She [Rodriguez] had went in and they wouldnt let her get her child, so she yelled for her son to walk out because they would not let her get her child and they pushed her out. And that is when I started filming, Mr Cross told NBC News.

He added: These children wanted to walk out because they are tired of being afraid to go to school ... she was trying to get her son. She was trying to get her son and they wouldnt let her.

I think he should issue a public apology to her, Mr Cross said. She is left with bruises all over her arms and everything and he didnt have to react that way.

It comes as Uvalde law enforcement have faced backlash for their delayed response to the 2022 shooting.

According to an investigation from the Texas Tribune, police officers hesitated to enter the classroom where gunman Salvador Ramos was barricaded because they were afraid they were outgunned by his AR-15-style rifle.

The city of Uvalde said in a statement that the information in the Tribune report is incomplete and hasnt been shared by the Uvalde County District Attorney with other city officials.

It took police more than an hour to locate and kill Ramos. They didnt open a door into the classroom where gunman Salvador Ramo was hiding, believing it was locked.

The decision not to swiftly confront the shooter may have potentially delayed medical care to some of the survivors, and left Ramos in a classroom of panicked children for more than an hour before a Border Patrol SWAT team was able to arrive, then neutralise the gunman.

In August of 2022, Uvalde school police chief Pete Arredondo was fired. State officials had previously called Mr Arredondos leadership an abject failure.
 Close Bob Lee, former Square chief technology officer and Cash App founder, killed in San Francisco

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Cash app founder Bob Lee was allegedly stabbed following an argument about his suspected killers sister, according to court papers.

Nima Momeni, 38, is accused of stabbing the 43-year-old tech executive three times with a four-inch kitchen knife, including twice in the chest, the documents state, according to NBC News.

Prosecutors say that at some point during the incident, Mr Momenis sister sent a text to Lee, which stated, Just wanted to make sure your doing ok Cause know nima came wayyyyyy down hard on you.

Nima Momeni appeared in court for the first time on Friday after the case sparked a furious debate about public safety in San Francisco.

The suspect was wearing an orange sweatshirt and sweatpants as his sister and another woman held up their hands in the shape of a heart as the suspect smiled at them.

The facts will come out, whats basically in the press is inaccurate, Mr Momenis stand-in lawyer told the press.

In a press conference announcing Mr Momenis arrest for murder on Thursday, San Francisco officials confirmed that the two men knew each other but declined to provide details.

Lees family friend later told The San Francisco Chronicle that the two tech executives are thought to have known each other through Mr Momenis sister, who Lee had recently gotten to know.

The two men were hanging out together on the night of the fatal stabbing, the friend said.
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Two police officers were shot dead during a routine traffic stop in Wisconsin on Saturday, authorities have said.

Shots were fired after a Chetek Police Department officer attempted to conduct a traffic stop in the village of Cameron around 3.38pm local time, according to a statement from the Wisconsin Department of Justice.

The Chetek officer and a Village of Cameron Police Department officer were both pronounced dead at the scene, the state law enforcement agency said.

A suspect was taken to hospital and later died from injuries, according to the statement.

The identities of the slain officers and the suspect have not yet been released.

No further details were immediately available about the circumstances of the traffic stop or what led to the shooting.

In a post on Twitter, Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul wrote: I am deeply saddened by the tragic loss today of two officers. I am thinking of their families and the Chetek and Cameron Police Departments at this incredibly difficult time.

The Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI), within the Wisconsin Department of Justice, is leading an investigation into the fatal shooting.

It is continuing to review evidence and determine the facts of this incident, the news release stated. DCI will submit a report to the Barron County District Attorney when the investigation concludes.

Cameron has a population of just under 2,000 people and is about 95 miles (150kms) east of Minneapolis.
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Police in Northern Ireland have reportedly disrupted an IRA bomb plot ahead of Joe Bidens visit to Belfast on Tuesday.

According to a report on Sunday in The Belfast Telegraph, members of the republican paramilitary group, the New IRA, had been seeking to plant a bomb in Derry.

They were looking for parts to make a bomb, an unnamed source told the newpaper. The belief is that the New IRA was planning some sort of attack to coincide with Bidens visit, similar to the mortar attack on the cops in Strabane last November.

A republican source also told the newspaper that Thomas Mellon, the leader of the New IRA, demanded a spectacular way to eclipse Mr Bidens visit.

He wanted to have a spectacular, but with all the PSNI [Police Service of Northern Ireland] raids and Brit searches its likely he will have to settle for a riot on Easter Monday, the source said.

The New IRA is the continuation of the IRA paramilitary group which disbanded nearly two decades ago. Mr Mellon is on the terror watchlist of MI5, the UK counterintelligence agency.

President Biden will arrive in Belfast on Tuesday to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, the historic deal which largely ended decades of conflict in Northern Ireland, known as the Troubles.

A major security operation is underway for Mr Bidens visit during which he will also visit Dublin and meet Irish premier Leo Varadkar and Irish president Michael D Higgins.

In recent weeks, MI5 raised the terrorism threat in Northern Ireland to severe.

The PSNI has warned that dissidents could also plan an attack on Easter Monday as two illegal parades have been organised in Derry.

The Independent has contacted the White House for comment.
 Close Police: Winona mother's disappearance appears to be 'involuntary' and 'suspicious'

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Madeline Kingsbury was planning on moving out of the home she shared with the father of her children before she went missing, according to her sister.

Ms Kingsbury and Adam Fravel, the father of the children, were no longer in a romantic relationship and Ms Kingsbury was looking to move, Megan Kingsbury told KARE 11 over the weekend.

Megan said her sister was looking for a place to live in the area to remain close to Mr Fravel so her children could see him as often as possible.

Mr Fravel does not have custodial rights to his children.

Ms Kingsbury was last seen on 31 March after dropping their two children off at daycare with Mr Fravel.

Megan said she last heard from her sister the morning she went missing, the two were exchanging text messages. But later that day, when Ms Kingsburys family could not reach her, they became concerned.

The Kingsbury family, people in the community, and law enforcement have spent the past two weeks searching tirelessly for Ms Kingsbury.

Mr Fravel denies any involvement in Ms Kingsburys disappearance.

So far, police have not named any suspects.
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A woman who spent a week adrift with her husbands corpse was forced to eat raw fish to survive.

Maria das Gracas Mota Bernardo had to fight off vultures which landed on the vessel.

The 68-year-old, who was on her first fishing trip with her husband, Jose Nilson de Souza Bernardo, also saw killer caimans in the water.

The alligator-type creatures can grow up to 4ft long and have been known to kill humans.

Jose fell ill and suffered a fatal heart attack at around midnight on 29 March, the first day of their excursion.

Their daughter, Cristiane told reporters: After dinner, he went to lie down in the hammock, but the rope snapped and he was startled.

He got up and hit his knee. He sat down again and started fanning himself, telling my mother that he was feeling hot.

She said he then stood up, screamed, and fell over. She caught him, lifted his head, and he took his last breath.

Cristianes mother then tied the canoe to the tree and went to seek help in the other boat, however, the engine suddenly stopped a short while later.

She went to the bow and started paddling. She spent all those days paddling.

She said: They planned this trip for months. He wanted her to take lots of pictures. It was going to be their moment.

(Jam Press)

Cristiane said her mother spent the first days eating raw fish and flour they had on the boat.

She added: One day she only drank water. On another day, she only ate flour with water and drank pure lemon juice.

On the third day, a man passed by in a rabeta, a canoe with a motor.

She asked for help, but he didnt give it, he just kept going.

While adrift on the river, Maria banged pots and pans and screamed for help.

According to Marias daughter, she screamed and screamed and no one answered.

She said Maria decided to move to the other side of the boat and covered her airways with a cloth when her husbands body started to decompose.

Cristiane stated: She couldnt sleep anymore. All her strength went into bringing his body home, for the family to give him a dignified burial.

(Jam Press)

The elderly woman had to defend her husbands body from the harsh Amazonian elements, including blistering sunshine, tropical storms, and even predatory animals.

Cristiane said: My mum said vultures started to perch on top of the vessel.

She hit them and they screamed. She took the tarp off the top of the awning and put it over the body because bees and mosquitoes were already sitting on his corpse.

Cristiane also stated that caiman, mini alligators, prowled the vessel.

She said: My mum knew she could fall into the water at any moment and she doesnt even know how to swim.

After being rescued and receiving medical treatment, Maria is still struggling to come to terms with her ordeal.

She was released from the hospital on 5 April.

Cristiane said: She is shaken and weak. She cant sleep.

Maria and Jose, also 68, set off on 28 March.

A search operation was launched when they failed to arrive home.

The couple had taken two vessels with them on the trip down an Amazonian river called Rio Negro in Brazil.

They had a fishing boat and a smaller canoe for exploring flooded forests.

Worried family members alerted the authorities when they discovered the couples canoe tied to a tree.

Rotting fish was found inside and a net was still stretched out in the water.

On 4 April, the Brazilian Navy found the couples vessel adrift in Iranduba, about 100 miles (161 km) from their departure point, a week after they set off.

A Navy helicopter rescued Maria from the scene and officials administered first aid and support for the bereaved woman.

She was then flown to Manaus for medical checks.

The Amazonas State health department said Maria is receiving clinical and psychological care at this time.

Meanwhile, the Brazilian Navy confirmed that an investigation is underway.
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Donald Trump became the first president in American history to be charged with a crime on Tuesday 4 April 2023 when he appeared before a judge at Manhattan Criminal Court accused of falsifying business records.

The arraignment came in response to a grand jury indictment announced by New York County district attorney Alvin Bragg over a hush money payment Mr Trump is accused of making to porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016 to stay silent about a sexual encounter the pair are alleged to have had a decade earlier.

The former commander-in-chief, who was also the first US president to be impeached twice in his chaotic one-term reign in the White House, denies the affair with Ms Daniels (real name Stephanie Clifford) and any wrongdoing and has, predictably, insisted the episode is just another witch hunt concocted by his numerous political enemies to discredit him in the eyes of the public and thwart a political comeback.

Prior to the arraignment itself, Mr Trump was busy using the indictment to whip up his base by insisting he was the innocent victim of a justice system with a deep-rooted liberal bias being weaponised against him and to raise campaign donations in support of his 2024 presidential run off the back of that spurious claim.

On the Monday beforehand, he jetted into New Yorks La Guardia Airport in his personal Boeing 757 and stayed overnight at his Trump Tower complex in Manhattan, spending the evening unwisely venting his spleen on Truth Social, his own social media platform, suggesting angrily that District Attorney Bragg should indict himself after leaking details of the arraignment illegally.

Flanked by police when he finally set out for the courthouse  to be greeted by competing rallies gathered outside to deplore his treatment or call for his imprisonment  Mr Trump was not handcuffed, photographed for a mugshot or placed in a jail as he appeared briefly before Judge Juan Merchan, the spectacle failing to live up to the AI-generated preview images that went viral in advance of the big day.

He was represented in the case by a new lead counsel, former federal prosecutor and white-collar criminal defence attorney Todd Blanche, a lawyer who has previously represented his former campaign manager Paul Manafort and the ex-Rudy Giuliani associate Igor Fruman, among many others, and it was he who did most of the talking before the Trump entourage departed.

Documents released by Mr Braggs office immediately after the arraignment revealed that Mr Trump was being accused of 34 counts of falsifying business records in order to conceal the alleged hush money payments, including $130,000 to Ms Daniels, from his attorney Michael Cohen, who was then reimbursed.

Back at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, that evening, Mr Trump delivered a prime-time televised address in which he lashed out at both Mr Bragg and Judge Merchan.

The criminal is the district attorney because he illegally leaked massive amounts of grand jury information for which he should be prosecuted or, at a minimum, he should resign, he said to loud applause.

He also targeted Mr Braggs wife and the Trump hating-judge with a Trump-hating wife and family whose daughter work for Kamala Harris, all of which came despite Judge Merchan having specifically warned him to stop making threats that might inflame tensions or incite violence.

But the big question many will want answered after all of that is whether Mr Trump could ultimately face prison time if he is found guilty of an offence.

Danya Perry, a former deputy attorney-general for the state of New York, told Reuters in advance that Mr Trump would be released on recognisance  a term for an agreement a defendant makes with a court to observe certain conditions, like returning when summoned, for instance.

Donald Trump (AP)

New York abolished the need for bail in most cases involving misdemeanours and non-violent felonies, as was the case in this instance, in 2019.

As to the outcome for Mr Trump longer term, the charge of falsifying business records in the first degree is regarded as a low-level felony but does carry a typical sentence of up to four years in prison, so it is theoretically possible.

That said, a conviction would represent a first offence for a non-violent crime, making the prospect of jail less likely.

The defendants age, 76, might also provide grounds for a compassionate sentence.

Former Brooklyn prosecutor Arthur Aidala told Insider: I cant say for absolute 100 per cent certainty there cant be jail because on the books, he can go to jail [But] I do not see a scenario where Donald Trump spends one minute in jail.

The case is expected to be a drawn-out affair and may not be resolved before the American public goes to the polls for the next presidential election in November 2024, so, without a resolution one way or the other, it need not necessarily prohibit Mr Trump from continuing his latest quest to secure the Republican nomination.

Interestingly, even if the former president were to be charged, there is actually nothing in the US Constitution that disqualifies a candidate from running with a criminal record, although he and his party may nevertheless be forced to conclude that the support for him is no longer there if he is seen to be tarnished by the scandal, as almost any other politician around the world would be.

Whatever the outcome of the hush money case, it is only the beginning of Mr Trumps legal problems, with several other active criminal and civil cases concerning him currently being investigated.

E Jean Carroll (AP)

First up, E Jean Carroll  the writer and former advice columnist for Elle magazine who has accused Mr Trump of raping her in a department store dressing room in the mid-1990s, which he denies  will appear as the plaintiff in a pair of civil lawsuits against him that will be presented in a New York City federal courtroom beginning on Monday 24 April, when a jury will be chosen under the supervision of US district judge Lewis Kaplan.

Ms Carroll is suing Mr Trump for defamation after he accused her of lying to boost sales of a forthcoming book when she first came forward with her accusation in 2019 and is also bringing a lawsuit against him over the alleged rape itself under New Yorks Adult Survivors Act, which was signed into law by state governor Kathy Hochul last year.

Other legal cases facing the former president include a fraud lawsuit brought by New York attorney general Letitia James alleging that his Trump Organization knowingly overestimated the value of its real estate assets by billions of dollars in order to obtain more favourable loans from banks, a Department of Justice (DoJ) investigation into the removal of classified documents from the White House following the completion of his term in office and a grand jury probe into his attempt to influence vote counting in the crucial swing state of Georgia in the aftermath of the 2020 election.

It also remains to be seen whether the four criminal charges recommended by the congressional committee investigating the Capitol riot of 6 January 2021 will be taken up by the DoJ after the panel concluded in its 845-page report published in December that Mr Trump and his allies had conceived a multipart plan to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
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An attorney for Donald Trump claimed on Sunday that the former president would not be treated fairly if his criminal trial proceeds in Manhattan, and would seek to have it moved.

The issue with venue is that Manhattan was like 87 per cent pro-Joe Biden in the last election. Its a real stronghold of liberalism, of activism, and that infects the whole process, Jim Trusty told ABCs morning show, This Week.

However, Mr Trusty said the legal teams top priority was filing a motion to dismiss the charges against Mr Trump.

Under New York law, a judge can decide to move proceedings if defense lawyers successfully argue that their client wouldnt receive a fair trial in the jurisdiction where the crime allegedly occurred.

Mr Trump demanded that criminal proceedings be moved out of Manhattan to Staten Island ahead of his court appearance on Tuesday.

The former president posted on his social media site, Truth Social, that the case was being brought in a VERY UNFAIR VENUE, WITH SOME AREAS THAT VOTED 1% REPUBLICAN.

Staten Island is the only New York borough that voted in favour of Mr Trump in the 2016 and 2020 elections.

The former president was charged with 34 counts of falsifying business documents on Tuesday by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

The charges stem from a catch-and-kill scheme which Mr Trumps former attorney Michael Cohen alleges that he carried out on his behalf to suppress damaging allegations during the 2016 campaign.

Porn star Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal, have both alleged extra-marital affairs with Mr Trump. Ms Daniels allegedly accepted $130,000 from Cohen to sign a non-disclosure agreement barring her from sharing her story. Ms McDougal sold the rights to her story to American Media Inc, whose Trump-allied CEO David Pecker allegedly buried it.

Mr Trump plead not guilty to the charges in the Manhattan courtroom on Tuesday.

He has characterised the prosecution as part of a supposed effort by his political enemies to block his campaign for the presidency in 2024.
 Close Trump claims NYC courthouse staff were crying when he was arrested

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Donald Trumps civil rape trial is about to get under way in a courtroom in New York.

Former Elle magazine columnist E Jean Carroll has claimed that the former president raped her in a dressing room at the Bergdorf Goodman department store in Manhattan in the mid-1990s.

She first spoke out about the allegations in 2019, when Mr Trump was president.

He denied the incident took place and infamously retorted shes not my type.

Now, Ms Carroll is about to get her day in court after filing a new lawsuit  her second  in November, suing him for both the alleged sexual assault and for then defaming her by denying it took place.

The trial comes after New York passed its Adult Survivors Act, giving sexual abuse victims a one-year window to sue attackers for historic assaults.

Jury selection begins on Tuesday morning before US District Judge Lewis Kaplan.

Mr Trump is not expected to attend the trial, whereas Ms Carroll has vowed to attend.
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Ten people are feared trapped under the rubble of a building that collapsed following a suspected explosion in the French city of Marseille.

Gerald Darmanin, the French interior minister, was unable to confirm if there were any fatalities or what triggered the large blast.

Five people were injured in the collapse at the five-storey block and taken to hospital, with 33 others moved by emergency services.

The explosion happened at around 12.40am on Sunday on rue Tivoli in the central La Plaine district, with locals reporting a loud bang.

We have to be prepared to have fatalities in this terrible tragedy, the Marseille mayor, Benoit Payan, told journalists.

More than 100 firefighters, aided by specialists, worked through the night to access and extinguish the fire, which the minister said was burning a few metres (feet) under the debris.

Some 30 buildings in the area were evacuated, Mr Darmanin said.

The building that collapsed is located on a narrow street in the centre of Marseille, adding to an array of difficulties for firefighters and rescue workers.

Emergency services at the scene (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

France Marseille Building Collapse (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

The intense heat made it impossible to send in dog teams to search. Robots were reportedly being deployed.

Mr Payan said that two buildings that share walls with the one that collapsed were partially brought down before one later caved in. It was among the evacuated buildings

"Were trying to drown the fire while preserving the lives of eventual victims under the rubble," Lionel Mathieu, commander of the Marseille fire brigade, said during a televised briefing.

"Firefighters are gauging minute by minute the best way to put out the fire," Mr Payan said. "We must prepare to have victims.

An explosion was the "probable" cause of the building collapse, Mr Payan said, but later stressed that "no conclusions can be drawn" without an investigation.

The collapsed building is located in an old quarter in the centre of Frances second-largest city.

The noise from the explosion resounded in other neighbourhoods and nearby streets were blocked off.

French President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne both tweeted their thoughts for people affected and thanks to the firefighters.

Mr Macron said his thoughts were with those affected by the incident and their loved ones.

He said significant resources had been deployed to help with the rescue operation and thanked firefighters and other emergency service crew for their work.
 Close Related: Putin visits Russian troops in Ukraines Kherson and Luhansk regions

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An ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that the world was probably on the verge of a new world war as the risks of a nuclear battle escalate.

The world is sick and quite probably is on the verge of a new world war, former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev told a conference in Moscow.

He said such a new world war was not inevitable but said the risks of a nuclear confrontation were growing - and more serious than concerns about climate change.

It comes as Russia has started to use its new T-14 Armata battle tanks to fire on Ukrainian positions but they have not yet participated in direct assault operations, the RIA state news agency reported, quoting a source close to the matter.

Meanwhile, Ukraine accused Russian forces of deploying the kind of war tactics used in Syria to level Bakhmut, as heavy fighting for control of the salt mining city continues.

Using the so-called Syrian tactics of total destruction of buildings and structures, the enemy in some places has [made] progress at the expense of destroyed objects, Ukraines deputy defence minister Hanna Maylar said last night.
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Irans authorities are installing cameras in public places to identify women defying the countrys compulsory dress code.

On Saturday, local police said cameras will be installed in public places to penalise women not wearing veils.

The violators will receive warning text messages as to the consequences, said the police statement. The move is aimed at preventing resistance against the hijab law, it said.

Ever since the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while in the custody of Irans morality police last September, scores of women around the country have ditched the hijab.

The backlash against Aminis custodial death sparked widespread protests. Accounts have since emerged over how women protesters have been treated by the Iranian administration, sparking anger and calls for repealing the controversial hijab law.

Irans official law dictates that women and girls as young as seven must wear a hijab, placing approximately 40 million under constant surveillance since its introduction after the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Earlier this month, footage of a man attacking two women in Iran with yoghurt  apparently for not covering their hair in public  went viral.

In the video, the two women are approached by the man in a shop. After talking to them briefly, he takes a tub of yoghurt from a nearby shelf and throws it over their heads in anger.

The two women were arrested, with the Iranian judiciary confirming that they were detained for failing to cover their hair in public. The man was also arrested for disturbing public order.

In January, an Iranian chess player took part in an international tournament without a hijab, becoming the latest of several Iranian sportswomen to appear for competitions without a head covering since the anti-government protests in Iran.

In November 2022, Iranian officials had arrested two prominent actors, Hengameh Ghaziani and Katayoun Riahi, for removing their headscarves and publicly supporting anti-government protests.
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Juice, a European Space Agency (ESA) spacecraft, is getting ready for its journey to Jupiter in a mission to find out if any of the giant planets three ocean-bearing moons are habitable.

Scientists in the UK have led the development of one of the 10 instruments on the spacecraft, while the UK Space Agency provided 9 million of funding for the 1.4 billion project.

Juice, which stands for JUpiter ICy moons Explorer, is due to blast off on April 13 from French Guiana, with an eight-year journey ahead.

Experts from Imperial College London led the development of the magnetometer, known as J-MAG, which will measure the characteristics of the magnetic fields of Jupiter and its largest moon, Ganymede.

It will also play a key role in detecting moving salts in the oceans beneath the icy crusts of Ganymede as well as exploring Jupiters other moons, Europa and Callisto.

The data will help characterise the depth and salt content of Ganymedes ocean, to see if it may hold the conditions for life.

Professor Michele Dougherty, head of the Department of Physics at Imperial College London and principal investigator for J-MAG, said: With our instruments measurements, we are almost looking inside these worlds.

What were doing however is extremely difficult, as the signals were trying to detect are extremely small.

Its like trying to find lots of needles in a haystack, and those needles are changing shape and colour all the time.

But we think the results are going to be spectacular.

Prof Dougherty and her team will be collaborating with experts from the University of Leicester as well as the University College London (UCL).

Professor Emma Bunce, director of the Institute for Space at the University of Leicester and co-investigator on J-MAG, said: After many years of hard work from science, engineering, and industry teams, we are so excited that the Juice mission is finally ready to launch and start its long journey to the Jupiter system.

We will patiently await the incredible data that we expect to receive from 2031, and we are confident that it will absolutely be worth the wait.

As well as J-MAG, Leicesters scientists will also collaborate with other experts on two other instruments on Juice: MAJIS (the Moons and Jupiter Imaging Spectrometer)  which will observe cloud features and atmospheric constituents on Jupiter; and UVS (UV imaging spectrograph)  which will characterise the composition and dynamics of the exospheres of the icy moons.

Meanwhile, the UCLs Mullard Space Science Laboratory (MSSL) has provided particle detectors for Juices PEP (Particle Environment Package) instrument, which will gather data on the soup of ions, electrons, and atoms surrounding Jupiter and its moons.

Professor Geraint Jones, of MSSL and a co-investigator on the PEP instrument, said: This data will help us, for instance, to understand how particles around Jupiter reach such high energies  energies that could be fatal for an astronaut.

We are excited that the mission will shed new light on worlds that could potentially host life.

The MSSL, along with the Open University, also have science roles in Juices optical camera system called Janus.

Dr Chiaki Crews, research fellow at The Open University, said: The Juice mission aims to answer many exciting questions, including whether the ocean worlds beneath the surfaces of Jupiters icy moons could potentially harbour life.

One of the many instruments needed to make detailed scientific observations to help answer such questions is a camera.

A large part of our work was to irradiate test sensors with high doses of radiation, just like it is expected to experience during the Juice mission lifetime, to check that Janus will still be able to take images without too much degradation.
The president of the United States is visiting the UK next week, but it will not be the state visit headlined in many British media reports at the start of the Easter holiday weekend. It is rather a single days visit to Belfast to join events marking the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.

Joe Biden and his wife, Jill, will then spend three days in the Republic of Ireland, partly in connection with the anniversary, partly discussing bilateral relations, and partly  in the time-honoured tradition of Irish-American politicians  celebrating the Biden familys ancestral roots in the counties of Mayo and Louth.

Now you might think, and I would not disagree, that visits north and south of the border to commemorate the agreement that brought an end to the 30 years of armed conflict known as The Troubles make very good sense. After all, the agreement, also known as the Belfast Agreement, was brokered by the United States, in the person of the lawyer and retired senator, George Mitchell. And if the president and first lady are going to cross the Atlantic for the anniversary, then it also makes sense for them to combine official events with that largely personal journey.
Conviction could result in up to three years in jail or a maximum fine of 500,000

Former diplomat David O'Sullivan was appointed to head the EUs efforts to push for tighter international enforcement of sanctions

Financial sanctions include a ban on public financing or investment in Russia. Photo: Steve Humphreys

An Garda Siochana has filed a report with the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) over an alleged breach of financial sanctions introduced in response to Russias invasion of Ukraine.

In response to questions from the Sunday Independent, a garda spokesman said The Garda National Economic Crime Bureau (GNECB) had sent the file to the DPP following an investigation into the alleged sanction breach.

This newspaper first reported on the alleged financial sanction breach in September last year, when gardai were reviewing the report. It is believed to be the first report of an alleged financial sanction breach since Russias war in Ukraine started in February 2022.

The Garda spokesman added that another alleged financial sanction breach is also under review by the GNECB.

Former diplomat David O'Sullivan was appointed to head the EUs efforts to push for tighter international enforcement of sanctions

Financial sanctions include a ban on public financing or investment in Russia, restricted access to European Union (EU) primary and secondary capital markets for certain Russian banks and companies, and a prohibition on transactions with the Russian Central Bank.

The Department of Finance imposed a maximum penalty of three years in jail and a maximum 500,000 fine for breaches of the sanctions in Ireland.

The EU has implemented 10 rounds of sanctions since Russia invaded Ukraine in February last year. Talks on an eleventh round began last month.

O'Sullivan will work closely with EU financial services chief Mairead McGuinness

Last month, Bloomberg reported that the EU was planning to launch a project with nine member states to identify gaps in the sanctions regime against Russia. The bloc is reportedly seeking to improve coordination between national authorities when enforcing penalties.

David OSullivan, a former diplomat from Ireland, was appointed to head the EUs efforts to push for tighter international enforcement of sanctions.

He is expected to work closely with Commissioner Mairead McGuinness, who has sanctions implementation as part of her brief as chief of financial services.
A man puts a sign on the door of the Silicon Valley Bank as an onlooker watches at the banks headquarters in Santa Clara, California. Photo: Reuters

A Goodbody analyst note saw most upside in AIB, with 44pc upside compared to Bank of Ireland with 40pc upside. Photo: Clodagh Kilcoyne/Reuters

Despite the woes that have emerged at Silicon Valley Bank and US regionals  as well as the challenges that afflicted Credit Suisse  stockbroker Goodbody is still feeling good about the Irish banks, thanks in part to general inertia.

Last week, a Goodbody analyst note said it was predicting further outsized returns.

The note said it saw most upside in AIB, with 44pc upside compared to Bank of Ireland with 40pc upside.

The stockbroker also modelled dividends at PTSB in 2025, saying there has been a build-up of investor interest in the bank.

The note also said Irish banks were insulated from the problems that had affected Silicon Valley Bank, US regionals and Credit Suisse.

Goodbody described the problems as as idiosyncratic and contained to those institutions.

We do not see any material, direct read-across for the Irish banks and a few points are worth highlighting in this respect, the note said.

Irish banks are biased towards retail deposits, which are proving very sticky (as are their corporate deposits to be clear) given limited optionality for customer migration and general inertia (as well as high tax rates on interest income).

The note added it felt concerns over the financial health of banks had been completely overblown.

German supermarket plans to bag Wexford site

German discount supermarket Lidl continues to shop around for new sites.

According to a planning notice, Lidl Ireland is intending to apply for planning permission to Wexford County Council for a new discount supermarket on the Rosslare Road at Kerlogue.

German discounter is applying for planning permission

In January, the supermarket chain said it saw room for another 50 stores across Ireland.

The following month, Lidl announced plans to create 700 shop-floor and office-based jobs between now and the end of the year.

It would bring the total employed here to more than 6,000.

Chips ahoy as IDA calls on legal eagles for advice

Scrapping for the foreign direct investment that keeps an economy like Irelands humming is a tough business and it is interesting to see the IDA looking to beef up its legal resources. It has issued a tender seeking the provision of legal services from firms with the experience and qualifications to advise on European State Aid Law.

Interestingly, the tender states that, amongst other issues, it will seek advice on interpreting the European Chips Act. This will see a fund of over 45bn divvied up between EU member states to try to double the production of chips.


Goodbody Stockbrokers has sold its Goodbody Fund Management (GFM) subsidiary to Dutch professional services firm TMF Group for an undisclosed amount.

For the TMF Group, a multinational provider of compliance and administrative services, the acquisition of GMF represented a strategic step in its expansion in the Irish market.

In operation since 2013, GFM provides tailored fund solutions to Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs) and Undertakings for Collective Investment in Transferable Securities (UCITS), as well as property investment management services. GFM provides portfolio management, risk management and governance roles to its clients, as well as oversight of local regulatory and compliance requirements for funds.

GFM is extremely proud of the company weve built over the past 10 years and the strong customer franchise we have established, said GFM chief executive Phelim Keogan.

Our highly experienced fund management team is excited to join such a global, trusted leader in the professional services industry, affording us the opportunity to rapidly grow our market profile and enhance our customer offering.

Daniel Max, head of global solutions at TMF Group, said that the transaction, which is subject to regulatory approval, added high quality funds capability to TMF Groups portfolio of services in Ireland, helping it to increase its share of this growing market.

The acquisition is a fundamental part of a continuing growth story for TMF Group and a strategic intent to develop and grow its global fund services business. GFM adds high quality funds capability to TMF Groups portfolio of services in Ireland, helping it to increase its share of this growing market, he said.

This deal comes as part of a drive by TMF to grow its fund services business and follows a series of acquisitions in Luxembourg, Brazil and the US. Following the deal, the Dutch group will administer more than $225bn (206m) worth of assets its global client base.
Housing Minister Darragh OBrien and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar visit a new housing project in Delgany, Co Wicklow, last Thursday. Photo: Damien Storan

There are fields just north of Balbriggan in which are to be found some of the tangled roots of the many stemmed housing crisis.
World News

Breaking | A battle for the soul of America  Joe Biden officially launches 2024 bid for US presidency
Up to 16 additional UK state pension years can be purchased before July deadline  and experts say its a bargain

You can top up your UK pension for far less than you stand to get out of it. Joe Giddens/PA

Hundreds of thousands of people crossed the Irish Sea in the 1980s and after the 2008 financial crash in search of a new life, building roads and cities, teaching in schools, nursing in hospitals, or working in finance. Many of them returned to Ireland in the belief they had left their UK state pension behind them.
The Eufaula High School Theatre Department will present Grease.

After approximately 100 hours of practice and three weeks to complete the set, Grease will be performed at the Eufaula City Auditorium on April 14 at 7 p.m. and April 15 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 and are available on GoFan in the Performing Arts section for Eufaula High School. Look for Grease: School Edition.

Liane Martin and Luke Herndon are co-directors. Danny Salter is the technical director, and Dillon King is the music director.

We are excited about the upcoming performance of Grease and cant wait to see everyones hard work come to life. The directors have done a wonderful job continuing to revive our theatre department and providing new learning opportunities for students. Also, we are thankful for the parent and community volunteers who have helped make this performance possible, said Emily Jackson, EHS principal.

Parents have volunteered time to help with power tools and lumber to build revolving triangle set pieces. Troy Davis, an owner of the Eufaula Hardware Co., choreographed two numbers and loaned poodle skirts from his dance company. Additionally, Shelle Cooper altered costumes, and Buster Padgett constructed the car for the set.

The EHS Theatre department thrived under its previous director, Mitzi Yarborough, for many years. Unfortunately, after Yarboroughs retirement, the department became dormant for a few years. The department was revived in 2021 with the 2022 production of High School Musical, Jr. Tiger Theatre has almost doubled in size since the previous year, increasing from 30 members to close to 60 on the roster.

Grease: School Version is presented by special arrangement with Samuel French Inc., a Concord Theatricals Company. Its roster includes the work of Irving Berlin, Agatha Christie, George & Ira Gershwin, Marvin Hamlisch, Lorraine Hansberry, Kander & Ebb, Kitt & Yorkey, Ken Ludwig, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Dominique Morisseau, Cole Porter, Rodgers & Hammerstein, Thornton Wilder and August Wilson.

Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey created the script, music and lyrics for Grease. In 1971, Grease opened at the Kingston Mines Theatre in Chicago. A year later, Grease made it to Broadway and is one of the longest-running shows in Broadway history. The 1978 movie became one of the highest-grossing movie musicals of all time.
Technology

Can Stripes next decade match its previous one for growth? Can the Collisons take the next step into a global ultra-elite tier of tech founders (as opposed to the mere standard elite shelf theyre on right now)?

Last weeks public letter from the two Limerick brothers about the health of their company, as well as its goals, context and challenges, gave us an insight into some of the things theyre thinking about, as well as a clue to some of the things they may not consider to be a threat.

The big issue, addressed up front, was the significant deceleration in the growth of payment-processing it has seen from its clients. This growth rate fell from 60pc in the 12 months from 2020 to 2021 to 26pc in the following 12 months.

Allied with a funding round that cut the firms valuation almost in half, to a paltry $50bn (46bn), and 14pc staff layoffs, is this a sign that the companys best growth days are behind it?

No, say the brothers, for a few reasons.

First, that 60pc growth rate from 2020 to 2021 was, to quote the Collisons themselves, breakneck. The growth spurt that the tech industry saw in the first year of the pandemic was, the letter intimates, unsustainable. It was based on a rush to online systems and processes that, while possibly part of a long-term transition, was also temporary. You cant keep growing by 60pc when youre a company of Stripes size: its not natural. The current growth rate of 26pc, the letter suggests, is more normal.

A similar rationale applies to the companys reduced valuation and its staff layoffs. At the time of its $95bn value tag, venture capital was sloshing around like never before. The tech industry was at the peak of its pandemic hype cycle  March 2021. And because of the massive growth in business, the company  like almost everyone else in the industry  took on hundreds more people than a more normal growth trajectory could sustain.

Other than that, its business as usual: $817bn in 2022 with more than 1,000 new ventures launched using the companys platforms every day last year. In all, 100 companies now handle more than $1bn in payments with Stripe every year. And a huge number of the companys startup clients go on to use the companys other products and services, such as subscriptions, sales tax (developed in Dublin) and revenue recognition, expanding their embedded business with the company.

So its doing fine. As much as ever applied, its boat rises with the ongoing adoption of online services and payments. And thats still only going one way.

But 2023 is turning out to be a tense one

Even still, what about other stuff?

While the letter addressed developments in AI, cyber-attacks and payments tech, it didnt specifically address some of the other big things that could yet have an impact on the industry sector that Stripe operates in, if not the company, narrowly, itself.

Successive banking messes and scandals of the last four or five months  including Silicon Valley Bank, Credit Suisse and others  have the potential to linger, either dragging wider economic indices down or seeping into regulatory trends, either of which could affect Stripes industry growth.

The Collisons dont appear to believe the current fiascos bear much of an equivalence to 2008s meltdown. Contagion isnt, apparently, feared. While this fits with a general consensus among most in the financial sector on these matters, the risks of jittery behaviour among, and toward, tech-adjacent financial businesses are still worth keeping in mind as 2023 plays out. One interesting side-issue that wasnt addressed, but that has been on the Collisons minds before, is immigration. Patrick, in particular, has taken strong pro-immigration stances in the US before, not just in the context of companies being able to recruit the best people, but also as an issue of human decency.

But 2023 is turning out to be a tense one in this regard. All across Europe, populist demonstrations and political parties are gaining support for what they see as excessive immigration. This could lead, as were starting to see in the UK, Italy and other big countries, to stricter rules on who gets to enter countries and for what purpose. Eventually, this has to affect companies like Stripe, which recruit from all over the world for their bases in San Francisco and Dublin.

The Collisions position, supporting pro-immigration frameworks, is unlikely to have shifted much in recent years. But the environment in which they recruit may have done so.

Overall, theres still no shortage of faith in the Collisons in Silicon Valley or anywhere else. Over the last 10 years, few individual founders have created growth as consistently and reliably as they have.

There is no real whiff of anything unsavoury, unwise or unfortunate, either about them or their company.

That doesnt guarantee them a place on top. But it should see them there or thereabouts for the foreseeable future.
Alcohol

Thin Lizzy and the Philip Lynott Estate are set to launch a new whiskey brand in collaboration with West Cork Distillers.

The Thin Lizzy whiskey was created when band members Scott Gorham and Brian Downey and the family of Lynott  wife Caroline and daughters Sarah and Cathleen  went to the distillery in Skibbereen to develop the new brand.

New product development marketing manager Joey Shore spearheaded the project at West Cork Distillers.

A spokesman for Thin Lizzy  known for their cover of Whiskey in the Jar  said the band and Lynotts family were delighted to announce the global launch of its whiskey brand.

The band and Lynott family asked Dublin artist Jim Fitzpatrick, creator of many of Thin Lizzys iconic album covers, to come on board and work with the West Cork Distillers branding team to produce a label for the bottle.

West Cork Distillers director John OConnell spoke with the Sunday Independent and said he hoped to roll out the Thin Lizzy whiskey brand immediately.

It is a nice credible brand with genuine authenticity  they were all heavily involved in it and are lovely people.

The collaboration is not the first time West Cork Distillers has teamed up with a band to launch a whiskey.

Thin Lizzy whiskey

In 2015, West Cork Distillers and The Pogues, which counted famous frontman Shane MacGowan, released a whiskey brand. In 2019, The Pogues and West Cork Distillers released a second whiskey  a single malt.

According to West Cork Distillers results for 2021, the company  which produces a range of whiskies, gin and vodka at its distillery in Skibbereen  reported a pre-tax profit of more than 4.5m, up from 1.3m the previous year. Gross margin as a percentage of revenue was 56.7pc in 2021, up from 38.3pc.

The average monthly number of employees in 2021 also increased to 113.

Based in Skibbereen, West Cork Distillers was founded in 2003 by childhood friends John OConnell, Denis McCarthy and Ger McCarthy.

The company has a core range of products, including West Cork Irish Whiskey, Two Trees Vodka and Garnish Island Gin.

The companys whiskey is distilled, matured and bottled on-site and sells in more than 70 countries. It also distils for other brands.

The Skibbereen distillery opened in 2020.
The North American division of the drinks giant filed notice to Marylands Department of Labor on March 31 that it intends to close the plant in Relay, Baltimore County, on June 9. Diageo expects 97 roles to be affected.

"After careful consideration and analysis of our supply footprint, we have made the difficult decision to permanently close our manufacturing facility in Relay, Diageo said in a statement. In order to ensure long-term sustainable growth for Diageo, we are optimising our existing operations across North America to meet evolving consumer preferences.

Guinness acquired the Relay site in 2001 and in 2018, invested $90m (82.4m) in the brewery to produce Baltimore Blonde and to develop a 10-barrel small-batch brewhouse for the Guinness Open Gate Brewery & Barrel House, modelled on the St Jamess Gate experimental brewery in Dublin. The latter was the first US Guinness brewery in more than 60 years. The brewing of experimental beers and hospitality services at the Open Gate Brewery in Relay will be unaffected by the closure of the larger plant. Another Open Gate Brewery is due to open in Chicago this summer.
Failure of Richard Bransons rocket firm hits hopes for burgeoning industry

What goes up.... Richard Branson's Virgin Orbit Holdings has filed for bankruptcy. Photo: Bloomberg

The bankruptcy filing by Richard Bransons Virgin Orbit Holdings has dealt a blow to Japans hopes of building a domestic space industry, with plans for a Kyushu-based spaceport designed to attract tourism on hold for lack of funding.

Oita prefecture, home to Japans largest number of hot springs, partnered with Virgin Orbit in 2020 to create its first Asian spaceport at Oita Airport using a Boeing 747 for horizontal rocket launches.

Founded by British billionaire Branson, Virgin Orbit had marketed itself as a military and intelligence satellite launch platform for the US and its allies, including Japan, at a time when both Washington and Tokyo see Chinas rise as a space power as a concern.

The original aim was to launch small satellites from Oita as early as last year, but that never occurred, in another setback in Japans attempt to become a player in the crowded market for commercial satellite launches after two recent rocket launch failures.

Two Japanese companies, ANA Holdings unit All Nippon Airways Trading Co and little-known Japanese satellite development start-up iQPS Inc, emerged among the top six creditors when Virgin Orbit filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Tuesday.

ANA, owed $1.65m, had been a key partner for the Oita spaceport, entering a provisional deal with Virgin Orbit in 2021 for 20 flights of its LauncherOne rocket there. ANA said it was hopeful Virgin Orbit would be able to restructure and resume business.

Local businesses created alien-related souvenirs, from alien passports to E.T. bicycles

Fukuoka-based iQPS had paid a $5.2m deposit to launch its small, lightweight constellation satellites weighing under 100kg, representing a major portion of the $17.2m Series A funding it had raised in 2017.

We were disappointed when we heard the announcement as we had hoped the situation would improve, iQPS said of the bankruptcy filing. We pray that Virgin Orbit will resume its business for the development of the global space industry.

Oita prefecture had estimated the spaceport, similar to Virgin Orbits Cornwall, England facility, would produce economic benefits worth about 10.2 billion yen (70.9m) in the region over the five years from the initial launch.

With expectations of about 240,000 tourists visiting the site, local businesses created alien-related souvenirs, from alien passports to E.T. bicycles.

Locals are still hopeful that a spaceport will eventually emerge. It is possible that some other company will buy Virgin Orbit. Also, there are other companies and competitors besides Virgin Orbit that are considering horizontal launches, so Oita still has many options to re-enter into a contract with them, said Kunio Ikari, an economics lecturer at Oita University. Oita prefecture said that its efforts to attract a spaceport remains unchanged, while declining to comment on Virgin Orbit or the current status of the project. Oita Airport also declined to comment.

While Japan has big ambitions for space  Tokyo has said it hopes to put one of its astronauts on the lunar surface in the latter half of the 2020s  it has also had some other recent setbacks.

Japans medium-lift H3 rocket failed in March following an aborted launch the month before, in a blow to its efforts to cut the cost of accessing space and compete against Elon Musks SpaceX.

The Japanese space agencys solid-fuel Epsilon rocket, which was to carry iQPS small satellites, also failed after launch in October.

Some experts are now urging Japan to shift its focus.

Japan is concentrating too much on launches, said Jun Nagashima, cyber and space expert and adviser at Nakasone Peace Institute. With SpaceX coming out with affordable rockets that can be used repeatedly, it would be better for Japan to compete in different activities and areas.
The singer also revealed how the former members plan to mark the groups 20th anniversary.

Kimberley Walsh has said she and her former Girls Aloud bandmates are as tight as weve ever been following the death of Sarah Harding.

Harding, who was a member of the early Noughties girl band, died in 2021 at the age of 39 after revealing she had breast cancer which had spread to other parts of her body.

Speaking to the Sun on Sundays Fabulous magazine, Walsh said her relationship with her former bandmates has deepened since Hardings tragic death.

It is a long friendship. Its really nice. I feel close to all of the girls  its genuinely a close friendship where we text daily. We are in each others lives, we know whats going on, said the 41-year-old.

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She added: Obviously with everything thats happened, were really as tight as weve ever been at the moment. You just have to lean on each other, dont you?

The band  which consisted of Walsh, Harding, Cheryl, Nadine Coyle and Nicola Roberts  hosted a charity ball last year to raise money for Cancer Research in honour of Harding.

The Primrose Ball was held at The Londoner hotel in central London in October and featured performances from the likes of Olly Alexander along with a live auction which included an original portrait of Harding by artistic duo The Connor Brothers.

The event had been organised at the stars request before she died, and was named after lyrics from the Girls Aloud hit The Promise where Harding sings the line Here I am, walking Primrose.

Speaking about The Primrose Ball, Walsh said: The gala felt like the perfect way to put all our energy into something positive together, and it helped her mum, Marie, to have something to focus on.

We raised over 1 million for all the research she wanted. So we did what we promised her.

Girls Aloud performing on The Graham Norton Show in December 2012 (Ian West/PA)

Ahead of the bands 20th anniversary, Walsh also confirmed that they will not be reuniting in the same way they did to mark 10 years.

We dont feel like we want to celebrate the 20 years in the way we might have done, but we have tried to do some things, Walsh said.

We are doing some re-releases of the singles with different versions of us singing different parts.

Its just some fun stuff so they can feel we are making something of it, because 20 years is massive. I cant believe it, to be honest.
Hit Irish TV crime show Kin has been given the green light for a fourth series.

Last summer we reported how cast and crew filmed seasons two and three back-to-back, given the success of the first series.

And with an average of more than 600,000 viewers tuning in each Sunday night and the show proving popular abroad in several countries, RTE has commissioned a fourth season.

Insiders say the filming of the next episodes will begin in September.

The drama is Irish TVs biggest crime series since the hugely successful Love/Hate, which ran for five seasons from 2010 to 2014. Kin was created by Peter McKenna and Ciaran Donnelly.

The show charts the lives of the Kinsellas, a tight-knit crime family who were embroiled in a war against powerful drug kingpins.

The series has been sold to several foreign TV stations, with AMC+ screening it in north America, Australia, Latin America and the UK.

Brendan Bren Kinsella, played by Francis Magee, has become the breakout star of series two.

He was first spotted in a short but explosive prison scene towards the tail end of season one, and then at the beginning of season two was released from his sentence early, much to the surprise of most of his family, and has been wreaking havoc ever since.

Father to Michael and Jimmy and brother to Frank and Birdy, Brens return spells only fresh disaster and reawakened trauma for all in his wake.

Kin continues tonight on RTE One at 9.30pm
Actors Matthew McConaughey and Nick Frost also took to social media share Easter messages.

Sir Paul McCartney and Tess Daly were among the famous faces wishing their social media followers a happy Easter on Sunday.

Actors Matthew McConaughey and Nick Frost and soap star Adam Thomas also got involved in sharing their Easter festivities over the weekend.

Former Beatle Sir Paul, 80, shared an adorable picture of his black and white dog to Instagram, which showed the pet sporting a pair of shiny pink rabbit ears.

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Sir Paul captioned the post with: We all wish you a very Happy Easter  Paul, followed by a rabbit emoji.

British actress Suranne Jones also shared a picture of her dogs with her followers, which she mentioned was taken by her son.

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Alongside the picture of herself and two dachshunds, Jones, 44, wrote: Easter sausages by 7yr old Easter child.

While 54-year-old Strictly Come Dancing presenter Daly gave her followers a glimpse of how she spent her Easter Sunday  riding bikes and petting horses.

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Alongside a gallery of images from her day outside, Daly wrote: Hope youre all having a lovely Easter Sunday, followed by a chick emoji and a yellow heart.

Elsewhere, 53-year-old McConaughey shared a picture of himself and a friend donning pink and white rabbit ears while playing the bongos and captioned the post: bongos, bunny ears and blessings #happyeaster.

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Star of the Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy of films Frost, 51, also opted for rabbit ears, in the form of a paper pair decorated with a colourful Easter-themed design, and wished his Instagram followers a happy Easter.

Meanwhile American model and cookbook author Chrissy Teigen gave her 41.4 million Instagram followers a look at her Easter getaway in Venice with her Grammy-award-winning husband John Legend and their three children.

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Former Waterloo Road and Emmerdale actor Thomas, 34, shared a glimpse of his Easter Sunday spent with his wife Caroline Daly and their young children.

Alongside a picture of the family, Thomas wrote: Happy Easter from our family to yours. Thank you for an amazing day and being the best host as always xxx @carolinethomas23.

Former Made In Chelsea star Binky Felstead wished her followers a happy Easter and revealed the Easter bunny had been very generous in her household.

The 32-year-old, who is currently pregnant with her third child, shared a selection of pictures of her eldest daughter India enjoying an Easter egg hunt, with the caption: Happy Easter Sunday you lovely lot! Our easter bunny was VERY generous this year! Hope you all had eggcelent weekends.
Emergency services at the scene of an incident involving a Ryanair aircraft at Dublin Airport. Photo: Damien Storan

The south runway at Dublin Airport remains closed tonight after an incident involving a Ryanair aircraft this afternoon.

Airport operator DAA declared a full emergency after the aircraft, which was arriving from Liverpool at around 5.30pm, experienced a problem with its nose landing gear.

DAA said in a statement: "A full emergency was declared at Dublin Airport this afternoon following the arrival of Ryanair flight FR5542 from Liverpool.

"The Dublin Airport Fire Service responded, and the passengers disembarked the aircraft normally once the all-clear was given by the Airport Fire Officer.

It said there were no injuries, although one person was treated for shock. National Ambulance Service personnel and medics met passengers on arrival inside the terminal.

It said flights into the airport were suspended during the incident.

"The south runway remains closed with the north runway in sole use this evening due to the emergency, it added.

A spokesman for Ryanair said the aircraft had experienced a minor technical issue with its nose landing gear upon landing.

"Passengers and crew disembarked normally and the aircraft will shortly be towed back to the hangar for further inspection by Ryanair engineers," he added.
Political satirist Adam Doyle is happy the controversy has got people talking about housing crisis

Spice Bag stands in front of the mural of his controversial reworking of The Eviction. Photo: Mark Condren.

Artist Adam Doyles appearance on Virgin Medias The Tonight Show last week was his first time on television. In the aftermath, a clip of an interaction between Doyle  who is also known as Spicebag  and Irish Independent Ireland editor Fionnan Sheahan went viral on Twitter.
Beaten down by constant rejection, a generation is finding it impossible to find somewhere to live

One by one, prospective renters file through an apartment in Drumcondra, hoping this is the one. Some share awkward glances and wonder: Are they a better candidate than me?
Dothan Police are investigating a shooting that left a person with one gunshot wound to the upper torso and one to the arm.

At approximately 3 p.m. Saturday, the Dothan Police Department was notified of a firearm assault that had occurred inside the Family Dollar located at 1061 S. Oates St.

Officers arrived and found one victim with two gunshot wounds. The victim was transported to a local hospital where he underwent surgery for his injuries.

Police said in a news release that this was an isolated incident that did not involve the business.

All persons involved have been identified by law enforcement, the release says. This is an ongoing investigation that remains pending.
Greens want separate standalone legislation to go to the Oireachtas justice committee for scrutiny.

Gardai want to use facial recognition technology to help them comb through CCTV more quickly

Justice Minister Simon Harris could be forced to scrap plans to give An Garda Siochana powers to use Facial Recognition Technology (FRT) as part of new body camera legislation as the Green Party escalates its opposition to the plan.

The Greens now believe that  in what would amount to a significant climbdown  Mr Harris will have to bring standalone legislation to introduce the legal right for gardai to use FRT software in limited circumstances to probe murder, missing person and child sex abuse cases.

This would likely delay the use of the software which Mr Harris had hoped to incorporate in legislation to give gardai the power to use body cameras before the summer recess.

However, in a sign of a potential Coalition stand off over the issue, sources in Mr Harriss camp claimed last night there has been no change to plans amend the Garda Siochana (Recording Devices) Bill to introduce FRT.

The issue was discussed by the three Coalition leaders last Monday when Green Party leader Eamon Ryan outlined his partys position on FRT.

The Greens have long standing serious concerns and the Sunday Independent understands the party is now not willing to allow FRT to be introduced by way of amendment to the body cams legislation.

The party believes that such a major policy shift should instead be brought in through separate standalone legislation that would go to the Oireachtas justice committee for closer scrutiny.

Green Party ministers, along with Fianna Fails Health Minister Stephen Donnelly, previously expressed opposition to the FRT plan when it was first mooted by Justice Minister Helen McEntee last year before she went on maternity leave.

The Greens want to explore it more, theyre not against it but want safeguards, said a senior Coalition source, who also said no decision had been taken on whether to pursue plans to amend the body-cam legislation or introduce a separate bill.

But another Coalition source claimed that to introduce FRT by way of amendment was not going to be a runner.

Mr Harriss difficulty in progressing FRT through existing draft legislation is compounded by the chair of the Oireachtas justice committee, Fianna Fail TD James Lawless, saying this week that stand-alone legislation should be introduced to enable gardai to use FRT.

Im very open to embracing new technologies and driving efficiencies in policing and crime prevention. However we have to tread carefully or it will be one step forward, two steps back, as has been seen in other jurisdictions already, Mr Lawless told the Sunday Independent.

A happy medium is to introduce it slowly, with checks and balances, and I think the justice committee could play a very useful role in analysing the whole area of FRT and A.I. [artificial intelligence] in policing, as a prelude to legislating for it.

I think the alternative, of dropping into a separate bill at a late stage, does not sufficiently mitigate the risks and could open up problems down the line.

The use of FRT is controversial, with one independent report in the UK finding 81pc of suspects flagged by the London Metropolitan Polices FRT were innocent.

Proponents of its use argue that the technology is already being used by Europol and Interpol and that there are 18 EU member states that either have it or are proposing to start using it.

A spokesperson for Mr Harris said he was continuing to engage with his Government colleagues on this issue and that he intends to bring amendments to the Bill on the use of Facial Recognition Technology, which will greatly assist An Garda Siochana as an evidence management tool.

The Minister said it has potentially transformational benefits in regard to certain specific areas of police work, in particular retrospectively examining CCTV which is already in the possession of An Garda Siochana, the spokesperson said.

The accurate and efficient identification of suspects and, equally, the elimination of individuals from inquiries are key pillars to ensure that An Garda Siochana meets its statutory obligations.

The ability to automate searches on legally held images and footage would allow the organisation to operate more efficiently and effectively.

The current process of long manual searches which potentially involves a team of gardai manually going through CCTV footage for months to find a short few clips which may be relevant to an investigation, is well outdated and extremely inefficient.

This tool would also assist a member of An Garda Siochana in finding the perpetrators of child sexual abuse and to finding and protecting the children who are subjected to this heinous crime.

It would assist gardai to identify missing persons and victims of kidnapping. It would also help to identify suspects in serious crimes, a process which is currently done manually.

It would be particularly necessary where time is of the essence and for the preservation of life.
Pa Daly said she deserved a chance but he would not have voted for her

Sinn Feins new justice spokesperson Pa Daly had previously proposed nominating Gemma ODoherty, the far-right activist and conspiracy theorist, to run for president.

The Kerry TD, who was appointed the partys justice spokesperson last week, led the partys efforts on Kerry County Council to nominate Ms ODoherty, a former Irish Independent journalist, as a candidate to contest the presidential election in 2018.

She failed to gain a nomination from the council and was not on the ballot paper. Ms ODoherty has in recent years become a prominent far-right activist and conspiracy theorist who was last November convicted and fined for breaching Covid-19 regulations by attending an anti-lockdown protest.

She has described the virus as a hoax and was banned from YouTube for breaching its hate speech policies. In more recent times Ms ODoherty has falsely claimed former Sunday Independent journalist Veronica Guerin was murdered by the State and that Aaron Brady, the man convicted of murdering Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe outside a credit union in Co Louth 10 years ago, is innocent.

Mr Daly told the Sunday Independent this weekend that in no way do I endorse any of her views.

Five years ago, while a Kerry county councillor for Tralee, Mr Daly told a council meeting that while he would be canvassing and voting for Sinn Feins candidate Liadh Ni Riada, he wanted to propose Ms ODoherty for nomination by the council.

Minutes of the meeting record Mr Daly describing Ms ODoherty as a woman who has exposed many things and upset many of the higher echelons within An Garda Siochana. He also reportedly told councillors that Ms ODoherty was fearless and brave in highlighting injustice in her 20 years as a journalist.

Kerry County Council ultimately voted to nominate businessman Peter Casey, who ended up on the ballot paper and finished a distant second to President Michael D Higgins.

Contacted yesterday, Mr Daly told the Sunday Independent he would not nominate Ms ODoherty again and did not endorse her views.At that time I emphasised that I would be campaigning, voting for Liadh Ni Riada the Sinn Fein candidate, he said.

But he said Ms ODoherty had campaigned over issues such as sex abuser John McClean and murder victim Fr Niall Molloy so we felt she should be given a chance to run and the electorate could make up their minds but I wouldnt be voting for her.

Given some of her subsequent articles, her endorsement of some conspiracy theories and some other strange articles she has written I wouldnt do so again. At the time I remember some Fine Gael and some Fianna Fail councillors endorsed Peter Casey who had some other views. It was in that context. I wouldnt do it again, he said.

Certainly she has very strange views in relation to Covid lockdowns and the case that was taken and in no way do I endorse any of her views.

Mr Daly was appointed to the frontbench in place of Sligo-Leitrim TD Martin Kenny who has been given the communications and transport portfolio.

Mr Daly was elected to the Dail in 2020, having been chosen by Sinn Fein to replace Martin Ferris, who retired.

A native of Tralee, Mr Daly qualified as a solicitor in 1996 and worked in the US before returning to Ireland. In 2002 and 2003 he travelled to Colombia to act as an independent legal observer for the trial of Colombia Three, the three Irishmen accused of training Farc rebels.

Mr Daly said yesterday he had been asked to attend the trial by some of the families of the three men, all of whom were or had been members of Sinn Fein. He said he was not a member of the party at that time.
Sinn Feins property empire revealed: Irelands richest party discloses the 19 buildings and offices it owns nationwide

Sinn Fein has disclosed its significant property haul for the first time, but there are curious omissions from the list

Gerry Adams and Arthur Morgan at Sinn Fein's Drogheda office. Photo: Jenny Matthews

Maeve Sheehan Sun 9 Apr 2023 at 03:30
The detective garda who was arrested last month in a corruption probe was allegedly paid a fee of several thousand euro to have a tenant with links to a crime gang evicted from a business premises.
Our motoring editor answers your questions on the 2030 ban of new petrol and diesel cars

"Demands were made by Germanys transport minister, Volker Wissing, that he would not support plans to effectively ban new cars with internal combustion engines from 2035 unless Brussels exempted vehicles running on synthetic fuels."

Will the sale of new petrol and diesel cars be banned from 2030? In 2019, as part of the Climate Action Bill, the Government announced it intended to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030 in order for Ireland to meet its carbon emissions targets. Despite the ambitions of the Government, though, the ban was never going to be possible without a change to EU law, as the implementation of any legislation banning the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030 is not currently permissible. An EU-wide ban would need to be implemented primarily for a ban to be introduced in Ireland.

When is the EU ban? In order to achieve climate neutrality in Europe by 2050, the EU Parliament backed the European Commissions proposal of zero emissions from new cars and vans by 2035. However, while consensus on the issue had been reached and the final vote should have been a mere formality, demands were made by Germanys transport minister, Volker Wissing, that he would not support plans to effectively ban new cars with internal combustion engines from 2035 unless Brussels exempted vehicles running on synthetic fuels. A deal was stuck between Brussels and Berlin and the ban was given final approval last month. The EU Commission has yet to outline how the sales of cars running on synthetic fuels will continue after 2035.

What are synthetic fuels? Synthetic fuels are fuels that are created from renewable energy sources or other carbon-neutral resources. They are designed to provide a cleaner and more sustainable alternative to traditional fossil fuels.

What will happen to current petrol and diesel cars if a ban is introduced? Any ban that is introduced will only affect new cars, not existing cars. If you buy a new petrol or diesel car now, you can drive it until the end of its lifespan. However, given the average lifespan of a car is around 15 years, if all cars are to be CO2-neutral by 2050, then a ban would need to be in place by 2035.

Top Tip: When the EU-wide law to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars is introduced it will still be possible, as the proposals stands, to buy and sell second-hand petrol and diesel cars and to fuel them

Got a question for our motoring editor? Contact Geraldine: email sundaymotors@independent.ie
Actor Brendan Gleeson has said the kind of relentless professionalism that he sees in the hospice sector should be the norm across all State services.

The Oscar nominee is supporting the construction of a new 24-bed in-patient unit at St Francis Hospice in Raheny. Both of his parents passed away at the facility.

Gleeson described as miraculous the hospice staffs commitment to kindness and sharing the common human experience of death and how it can be alleviated.

He argued that the lack of faffing about when things are not working at the hospice should be replicated by those running the country.

I mean it, like nobody goes in there and starts faffing around in the place because they're enjoying the notion of working in the hospice. It won't be tolerated, you'll be out, he said.

They don't tolerate situations whereby people have been neglected, people have been left. That is so anathema to what they've committed to.

Ive been to too many hospitals where the staff are absolutely out on their feet, exhausted. The situations where people have been left for hours, where staff cannot cope anymore. It would not be tolerated in a hospice situation because thats not what theyre there to do.

Speaking on RTEs Sunday Miriam, the actor said he does not want to see people sacked for no reason but nonsense should not be accepted.

He argued that a ruthlessness is required to ensure that our welfare and the commitment to it is prioritised.

Everybody knows theres something starting to go awry here and has been going for a while and if we dont learn from it and start saying. Okay whats missing at that is, what should be at the top of the tree. In the end are we minding ourselves, he said.

Thats where the strength of mind and will comes from, where you say. Right, if there has to be collateral damage where people are neglecting other people, get them out of there. Thats what I believe, and thats what happens in the hospice and thats why Im hoping people will contribute to this new extension where people are trying to make, from a beautiful place in St Francis in Raheny, theyre trying to make it even better.

Gleeson travelled to Hollywood for the Oscars last month, where he was nominated for his role in Martin McDonaghs The Banshees of Inisherin.

The Dubliner was nominated alongside his co-stars Colin Farrell, Kerry Condon and Barry Keoghan as well a writer/director McDonagh. He did not win the award, but Gleeson said being nominated is the thing really and a real thrill.

I wouldn't sit through the Oscars watching it to be honest, he said.

But being there was one of the brilliant memories and it was very celebratory.

Gleeson said elements of the Academy Awards are overdone, but sitting in the auditorium he felt a genuine sense of generosity.

It really did overcome any sense of flatness when you don't win, he added.

Gleeson also spoke glowingly of his friend Colin Farrell, saying he: I've huge admiration for the way that he saw light and dark in his life and he chose the light in a very, very unashamed way. He just made a decision and followed it, and he has a huge heart. I think it takes real bravery to make that kind of decision.
A woman who died following a horse riding incident in Co Galway earlier this week will be laid to rest in the UK.

The woman has been named locally as mother-of-one Heather Hewitt. Ms Hewitt  of Knockanarra, Williamstown  was originally from Crowborough, East Sussex, but she had been living in the north Galway area for some time.

Ms Hewitt tragically died following the incident on Thursday evening. She was aged in her 40s.

It is understood Ms Hewitt was mounting a horse at the Glenamaddy Equestrian Centre when she fell from the animal.

Emergency services were called to the scene, but she was pronounced dead a short time later.

Her body was removed to Galway University Hospital for a post-mortem examination.

Read more Woman dies in horseriding incident in Co Galway

An investigation into the incident is ongoing and staff from the Health and Safety Authority attended the scene yesterday afternoon.

Glenamaddy Equestrian Centre said it did not want to comment on the incident but said their thoughts were with those affected by the tragedy.

Ms Hewitt was Treasurer of local Glenway Riding Club and tributes have been paid to her from riding clubs across the west.

The Burren Riding Club show has been postponed today as a mark of respect.

In a condolence message posted online, a spokesperson for the Western region of the Association of Irish Riding Clubs said: Our hearts shocked and saddened on hearing of the untimely passing of Glenway Riding Club member, Heather Hewitt.

On behalf of AIRC West Regional Committee, may we express our sincerest condolences to Heather's family, friends and fellow club members.

Our thoughts are with you all and we would like you to know that we are here to support you in any way.

A death notice for Ms Hewitt on RIP.ie says:  Forever remembered by her loving husband Kieran, daughter Beth, parents Clive and Tracy, sister Andrea, stepchildren Conor, Jack and Millie, extended family and friends.

"Heathers funeral will take place at a later date in the U.K.  arrangements will be posted here when available.

Ms Hewitts family said they would like to convey their gratitude to those who helped following the accident and also to everyone for their kindness and support at this time.
The trailer for the new Barbie film has just been launched and the entire internet, it seems, is here for it. I cant remember the last time a movie project generated so much excitement. In the age of streaming, and its fragmented, individualised delivery of popular culture, its rare for a cinema release to feel like such an audience-unifying event.
Never in the 102 years of partition has it been easier to not only work across the Border, but also for people to play the Border to their advantage, in a perfectly legal way. This is in part the land that the Good Friday Agreement made possible, but it is far more than that.
If Ireland were a US state, our colour would be deep blue. We would vote for the Democratic presidential candidate every time and return Democrats to the Senate and the House of Representatives like clockwork. It would be so predictable it would hardly be worth the while of Democratic candidates to campaign here at all because our vote would already be wrapped up.
ENTERPRISE  An arrest has been made in Colorado Springs in connection with the death of an Enterprise man, found shot in the chest Friday in a home in the 300 block of Daleville Avenue here.

Ethan Stuckey, 18, son of the shooting victim, was arrested by members of the Colorado Springs Fugitive Task Force Police Department and the Alabama Fugitive Task Force in Colorado early Saturday morning, according to Enterprise Police Department Public Information Officer Capt. Billy Haglund.

Russell Stuckey, 42, of Enterprise was found dead at about 6 p.m. Friday by the Enterprise Fire Department during its response to the call of a gas leak at the home in the 300 block of Daleville Avenue.

Haglund said that EPD detectives discovered the victims cause of death was due to at least one gunshot wound to the upper body, Haglund said. EPD detectives are actively investigating this homicide.

In the early morning hours on Saturday, EPD detectives obtained an arrest warrant on Ethan Stuckey of Enterprise for the murder of Russell Stuckey, Haglund said.

EPD detectives worked through the night with our law enforcement partners to assist in the coordination of this apprehension, Haglund said. Members of the Colorado Springs Fugitive Task Force were able to take the suspect into custody without incident. EPD detectives will begin working on the extradition process to bring the suspect back to Enterprise.

The Enterprise Police Department would like to thank the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA), Elba PD, Colorado Springs PD, Colorado Springs Fugitive Task Force, and the ATF for their assistance in this investigation, Haglund said.

Haglund said no further information will be released at this time.
For this weeks 25th anniversary of the signing of the Good Friday Agreement, it briefly crossed my mind that I should write about my personal memories of that historic occasion. It appears to be all the rage for the week thats in it.
The storm around Juno Dawsons books shows childrens reading may need a classification system similar to cinema releases

The point of these books for teens and young adults is not sex - the point is empathy.

Troubled by what I was reading on Twitter this week about protests at libraries and allegedly pornographic material in childrens books, I asked my 15-year-old if he had heard of the author at the centre of it all, Juno Dawson. I have one of her books, Whats the T?, he said.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair and An Taoiseach Bertie Ahern signed the Good Friday Agreement as the co-guarantors of the accord.

Now, 25 years on, the Belfast Agreement is being celebrated for its milestone birthday with politicians from home and abroad recalling their own memories from that time, including Bill Clinton, the former US president, describing it "a miracle" that the agreement survived Brexit.

But for those of us living here, has the Agreement achieved what it set out to do?

In today's episode of the BelTel, presenter Ciaran Dunbar is joined by solicitor and commentator, Sarah Creighton, and political scientist and commentator, David McCann, both of which grew up in the society it created, while Andrew Madden, Belfast Telegraph reporter, explains what the agreement actually set out.
A groom walks behind his first wife and his new bride, as more than 800 couples take part in a mass wedding ceremony in Kgabalatsane, South Africa. Photo: Reuters/Siphiwe Sibeko

A bride and a groom wait during the mass wedding ceremony in Kgabalatsane, South Africa. Photo: Reuters/Siphiwe Sibeko

More than 800 couples walked down the aisle on Easter Sunday in one of the biggest mass wedding ceremonies in South Africa since the Covid-19 pandemic.

The International Pentecost Holiness Church blesses polygamous unions, which are common in some African communities, and the church says are authorised by the Bible.

Its mass nuptials take place three times a year  at Easter, in December, and also during the celebrations in September of the church's founding in 1962.

Lebogile Mamatela (38), a government employee who became the second wife to the father of her child on Sunday, told Reuters after the ceremony: "It's a special day, I am very happy. I really, really appreciate this moment of being part of the Mahluku family. It's a great feeling."

Her new husband, Roto Mahluku (40), joined the church in 1993 and married his first wife, Ditopa Mahluku, 16 years ago. They have three children.

Ditopa (37) said her husband's second marriage was "fulfilling what God has created for us, fulfilling the scripture that says women will be leaning towards one man".

Current wives wore colourful attire to the ceremony at the International Pentecost Holiness Church's Jerusalem congregation, 100km north of Johannesburg. First-time brides wore traditional white dresses.

The celebrations were a respite from a long-standing row over the leadership of the church, which has a membership of around three million, making it one of the biggest congregations in South Africa.

The succession battle between three brothers began after the death in 2016 of the church's leader, Glayton Modise.

In 2020 five people were killed in a shooting at another congregation of the church, but a court last year dismissed the case against the 42 accused.

Security was tight at Sunday's ceremony, which was policed by armed guards and metal detectors were used to screen the congregation.
Siobhan Brady hopes to break a GWR she set in 2018 for the highest altitude harp performance.

A harpist is on a mission to break her own Guinness World Record  this time on Mount Kilimanjaro  alongside a woman with cystic fibrosis who hopes to encourage others with the condition to achieve the impossible.

Siobhan Brady is to travel to Tanzania on July 17 with a team of roughly 19 others, as she attempts to break a Guinness World Record (GWR) for the highest altitude harp performance on Mount Kilimanjaros summit  a record she previously achieved in 2018 at Singla Pass, India, at more than 16,000ft.

The upcoming challenge was inspired by late fellow musician Desmond Gentle, whom Ms Brady achieved the 2018 GWR with, alongside another British woman called Anna Ray.

(from left to right) Stephen Lappin, Sean Brady, Siobhan Brady and Caroline Heffernan (Stephen Lappin)

Back in 2018, I went to London for a harp competition and was introduced to Desmond Gentle who ran a piano shop in Camden Market, the 24-year-old who lives in Limerick, Ireland, told the PA news agency.

He had done the deepest concert in a salt mine in Romania and was planning on doing the highest concert with a piano and he wanted me to come with a harp as a back-up because a piano could be easily broken.

Then 10 days after we came back from India, Desmond died from thrombosis at the age of 69  but the week before he died, he said he wanted to do this on Kilimanjaro, so were doing it in his memory.

While on the seven-day hike, two 10kg harps will be carried by team members, in case one gets damaged, and while Ms Brady will be the only performer, the others on the team will be able to get a participation GWR if they reach the top.

Funds for the upcoming challenge are to go to Cystic Fibrosis Ireland and for Caroline Heffernan, a patient advocate at the charity, she wanted to do more than just support the cause through words of appreciation.

(from left to right) Caroline Heffernan, Sean Brady (Siobhans father) and Siobhan Brady (Cystic Fibrosis Ireland)

To be honest, it was a no-brainer deciding to actually take part in the climb because Im a firm believer that if something is offered to you and is in any way within you capabilities, do it and so I did, the 52-year-old who lives in Galway told PA.

Ms Heffernan  who has lived with cystic fibrosis (CF) since the age of 13  also wanted to encourage younger people with CF to try and achieve the seemingly impossible.

My mum and dad were told that I would not live until I was 20 and here I am, she said.

Even if I have to crawl on all fours, I will do my best to reach the summit of Kilimanjaro, but I know it may not happen.

I want the younger generation of people with cystic fibrosis to know that  even if youre given a diagnosis or youre given a life expectancy  its not tattooed on your arm or anywhere else on your body.

Its okay to try and go out and achieve the impossible and have the gumption to stand up and say, lets have a go.

Ms Heffernan said training can sometimes be reminiscent to the movie Groundhog Day.

I can train really well and then get a setback and have to try again, so its a bit like the movie Groundhog Day.

Training hike with the fake harp (Stephen Lappin)

The team have regularly taken part in monthly hikes organised by their fitness trainer and photographer Stephen Lappin over the course of 18 months, where they try to scale as many mountains as they can.

When asked if they have trained using harps, Ms Heffernan quipped: We have both said from the very beginning that we are not carrying any harps.

Im carrying my backpack and after that well see how high we can go.

Ms Brady added: We have a fake harp, which some team members bring up a lot of the time.

Weve brought the harp up Carrauntoohil, the highest mountain in Ireland.

Ed Sheerans song Little Bird is to be played by Ms Brady when the team reach the summit  a song and artist close to a woman who died from cystic fibrosis in 2014 called Triona Priestley.

Croagh Patrick summit (Stephen Lappin)

Ms Heffernan, who met Ms Priestleys mother Bernie, said: When [Triona] was sick in hospital and before she passed away, she used to write letters to Ed Sheeran, not necessarily expecting replies, but she got a few.

Trionas friends were all texting and trying to get the attention of Ed Sheeran when she was in hospital and the phone rang and Colm (Trionas brother) answered it.

It was Ed and he sang Little Bird which was her favourite song and after the song was finished, the doctor put the stethoscope to her chest and said shes passed.

Ms Heffernan said it was important for Ms Priestleys memory to also be honoured as part of the climb as she always wanted CF to stand for cure found.

Ms Heffernan has been granted permission by the President of Ireland, Michael D Higgins, to recite his poem The Prophets Are Weeping at the summit, something Mr Gentle did in 2018.

Carrautoohill drone shot (Stephen Lappin)

Having raised over 37,000 euro (32,000) out of their 100,000 euro (87,500) target so far, the pair hope more will continue to support their slightly crazy challenge.

Pascale Harvie, president and general manager at JustGiving, said: This challenge reflects on every level the difficulties that people with cystic fibrosis face every day.

Im in awe of Siobhan, Caroline and their teams commitment to raise vital funds for Cystic Fibrosis Ireland. They are an inspiration to us all.

The challenge is part of the charitys 65 Roses Day campaign, which takes place on April 14, and encourages people to do something involving the number 65, whether it be eating 65 Easter eggs or walking 65 steps.

65 roses comes from the way children often pronounce cystic fibrosis.

The fundraising link can be found here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Highest-Harp
Ben Ferencz, the last living prosecutor from the Nuremberg trials, who tried Nazis for genocidal war crimes, has died after 103.

Mr Ferencz, who died on Friday in Florida, was among the first outside witnesses to document the atrocities of Nazi labour and concentration camps.

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington tweeted: Today the world lost a leader in the quest for justice for victims of genocide and related crimes.

President Michael D Higgins paid tribute to the prosecutor saying: "Ben Ferencz was a generational figure. His career proved that it is possible for peace and justice to be turned into a tangible reality. He will be sorely missed by all who believe in the universal support and application of human rights."

Born in Transylvania in 1920, Mr Ferencz immigrated as a very young boy with his parents to New York to escape rampant anti-semitism. After graduating from Harvard Law School, he joined the US Army in time to take part in the Normandy invasion during World War II.

Using his legal background, he became an investigator of Nazi war crimes against US soldiers as part of a new War Crimes Section of the Judge Advocates Office.

When US intelligence reports described soldiers encountering large groups of starving people in Nazi camps watched over by SS guards, Mr Ferencz followed up with visits, first at the Ohrdruf labor camp in Germany and then at the notorious Buchenwald concentration camp.

At those camps and later others, he found bodies piled up like cordwood and helpless skeletons with diarrhoea, dysentery, typhus, TB, pneumonia, and other ailments, retching in their louse ridden bunks or on the ground with only their pathetic eyes pleading for help.

The Buchenwald concentration camp was a charnel house of indescribable horrors, Mr Ferencz wrote in an account of his life. There is no doubt that I was indelibly traumatized by my experiences as a war crimes investigator of Nazi extermination centres. I still try not to talk or think about the details.

At one point toward the end of the war, he was sent to Adolf Hitler's mountain retreat in the Bavarian Alps to search for incriminating documents but came back empty-handed.

After the war, Mr Ferencz was honourably discharged from the US Army and returned to New York to begin practicing law. But that was short-lived. Because of his experiences as a war crimes investigator, he was recruited to help prosecute Nazi war criminals at the Nuremberg trials, which had begun under the leadership of US Supreme Court Justice Robert Jackson.

Before leaving for Germany, he married his childhood sweetheart, Gertrude.

At the age of 27, with no previous trial experience, Mr Ferencz became chief prosecutor for a 1947 case in which 22 former commanders were charged with murdering over one million Jews, Romani and other enemies of the Third Reich in Eastern Europe.

Rather than depending on witnesses, Mr Ferencz mostly relied on official German documents to make his case. All the defendants were convicted, and more than a dozen were sentenced to death by hanging even though Mr Ferencz hadn't asked for the death penalty.

At the beginning of April 1948, when the long legal judgment was read, I felt vindicated, he wrote. Our pleas to protect humanity by the rule of law had been upheld.

With the war crimes trials winding down, Mr Ferencz went to work for a consortium of Jewish charitable groups to help Holocaust survivors regain properties, homes, businesses, art works, Torah scrolls, and other Jewish religious items that had been confiscated from them by the Nazis. He also later assisted in negotiations that would lead to compensation to the Nazi victims.

In later decades, he championed the creation of an international court which could prosecute any governments leaders for war crimes. Those dreams were realized in 2002 with establishment of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, though its effectiveness has been limited by the failure of countries like the US to participate.

Mr Ferencz is survived by a son and three daughters. His wife died in 2019.
Slovakian MiG-29 fighter jets given to Ukraine are faulty and cant fly combat missions because Russian technicians sabotaged them, Slovakias defence minister has said.

Jaroslav Nad, the minister, said that the only broken parts in the warplanes had been installed by Russian technicians who worked at the Slovakian air force base until last year.

They are able to fly but that doesnt mean they are also capable of combat, he said in parliament, according to local media. The police are investigating based on our suspicions.

Slovakia joined Nato in 2004, 11 years after Czechoslovakia split up, and the admission that Russian technicians have tampered with its air force planes will be hugely embarrassing.

Slovakias pro-West government last month became the second country in central Europe after Poland to donate fighter jets to Ukraine.

It pledged to send all its remaining 11 MiG-29s to Ukraine and had been promised a boost in aid from the EU and additional military supplies from the US as compensation.

General Lubomir Svoboda, the deputy head of the Slovak military and the former head of its air force, said the technicians had been based in Slovakia under a long-term deal with Russia because they possessed greater know-how of the Soviet-designed fighter jet.

Until the collapse of the Iron Curtain in 1989 and the Soviet Union in 1991, Czechoslovakia was under the de facto control of Russia, and much of its military hardware reflects that heritage.

Mr Nad said he hoped Ukraine would be able to fix the faulty warplanes and fly them in combat missions against Russia.

They have pilots, spare parts, and a company that has worked on MiGs since the Soviet times, he said.

Ukraine has begged its neighbours to send it more fighter jets, primarily modern Western planes, but also MiG-29s, which its air force already uses.

In March, US General James B Hecker, the commander of the US air force in Europe and Africa, said Ukraine had so far lost 60 warplanes in the war and Russia had lost 70.

The Soviet Union designed MiG-29s to counter the USs F-15s during the Cold War. They are considered the workhorse of air forces in central Europe.

The US has ruled out sending F-16s to Ukraine. In February, Rishi Sunak commissioned the UK ministry of defence to look into which warplanes Britain could donate to Ukraine.

 Telegraph Media Group Ltd (2023)
Three murders in a week leave residents fearing a return of 1980s mob violence

In the last six months there have been around 20 homicides in Rome and 15 gang-related shootings

Luigi Finizio was at the petrol station close to his home in the rough Rome suburb of Torpignattara late one night last month. As the 51-year-old filled up his car, two motorcyclists pulled up next to him and within seconds had fired eight bullets, killing him instantly.

Five days earlier another man had been gunned down in a hail of bullets by masked men on a scooter in a similar execution-style killing.

It was the third mob-style murder in this corner of the city in a week  a wave of killings that has left residents fearing a return of mafia violence that rocked Rome in the 1980s.

Though these three killings had seemingly little connection, police believe they are linked to a bloody struggle between organised crime families to control the Eternal Citys burgeoning cocaine market. There is no doubt that it was the work of some professional hitmen, one police source told a local paper, pointing to links uncovered between Mr Finizio and the powerful Sienese gang.

The brazenness of the killings, coupled with the point that Rome had not experienced such events for several decades, led Roberto Gualtieri, Romes mayor, to sound the alarm.

There is a criminal escalation with the third murder in Rome in a few days, he wrote on Twitter. We must fight this organised crime and drug trafficking.

The newspaper Il Corriere della Sera made a calculation: in the last six months alone, there have been around 20 homicides in the Italian capital, on top of 15 suspected gang-related shootings.

One judge said he believed the police round-up in recent months of some of the biggest crime lords, including the Cosa Nostras Matteo Messina Denaro, has left an unprecedented power vacuum and sparked a street war to control the lucrative drug market.

Rome is increasingly resembling Naples, where clans that make up the Camorra mafia fight each other to control neighbourhoods, and where there is no overarching criminal power structure, Judge Alfonso Sabella said.

People havent really woken up to what is going on in Rome, and I fear attention will only be paid when a passer-by is hit by a stray bullet, he added.

Writing in the daily La Repubblica newspaper, Massimo Lugli, an expert on criminal gangs, wondered if his city was seeing a return of the bad old times when the Magliana, the Pesciaroli or the Marsigliesi gangs effectively ran Rome.

Federica Angeli, an investigative journalist for La Repubblica who has been under police protection for the last decade for her reporting on the Spada clan, told The Sunday Telegraph of what happened after she published an explosive investigation into the family.People in my community did not want to know me, she said. People here in (the seaside town) Ostia were frightened. There were bars where they wouldnt even serve me coffee.

She has seen a real change in public attitude towards mafia gangs in recent years, however.

Today residents who were once frightened to report anything, have raised their heads in what she calls a sort of cultural revolution.

Falcone [the leading Sicilian mafia investigator killed by Cosa Nostra in 1992] used to say the mafia is not unbeatable, that it is a human enterprise and that, as such, it has a beginning and it will have an end.

 Telegraph Media Group Ltd (2023)
The data, some at the very highest classification level, passed through obscure corners of the internet

The United States is facing possibly its worst intelligence leak since Edward Snowdens 2013 flight to Moscow as a new batch of classified documents appeared on social media.

More than 100 classified documents on Ukraine, China, the Middle East, and terrorism are now believed to be in the public domain after they were posted in an obscure internet forum last month.

Last Thursday, White House officials said they were investigating the appearance of highly classified briefing documents on Twitter, and the Justice Department has launched an investigation into the leak.

American officials said Russia or pro-Russian elements were likely behind the leak, but did not give further details.

Phillip Ingram, a retired senior British military intelligence officer, said the leak was very significant and potentially deeply damaging.

It shows a failure at the very highest levels of classification, he said. These are top secret or above top secret. They are daily briefing documents for senior US decision makers at joint chiefs  or potentially presidential  level.

If it is genuine, the Americans have a very serious problem. The biggest since Edward Snowden.

The initial leak was of documents dated March 1 and marked secret and top secret, which began to appear on Twitter and Telegram on Thursday.

These included battle maps, casualty estimates, and a timeline for the integration of Western equipment into the Ukrainian army. Some had been crudely doctored to increase Ukrainian casualties and reduce Russian ones.

One of the slides says the Ukrainian security service believed its own agents may have disobeyed orders and carried out the drone attack on a Russian A-50 aircraft at a Belarusian air base on February 26. The attribution suggests it was sourced from a signals intercept, which in turn suggests the US is eavesdropping on Ukrainian communications.

A new tranche began to circulate on social media channels on Friday. As well as more Ukraine papers, these included an assessment of Chinese diplomatic pressure on Jordan, and other issues in the Middle East and Pacific regions.

Both sets of documents carry designations that mean they should have been accessible only to a very small group of people. Some are marked NOFORN, or not releasable to foreign nationals, which is reserved for intelligence the Americans do not want to share even with their Five Eyes intelligence allies Australia, Britain, Canada, and New Zealand.

Others are labelled ORCON, or originator controlled, meaning the agency that provided the intelligence retains full control of who can see it or which parts are replicated or disseminated.

A CIA spokesperson said the agency was aware of the posts, but would not comment on the source.

Although the leaks are likely to trigger fears of a highly placed Russian spy in the US, it would be unusual to burn such a valuable mole by releasing their intelligence online.

Aric Toler, a researcher with the Dutch investigative group Bellingcat, established the first batch of more than 30 documents appeared to have been posted on an obscure chat server on March 1 and 2  within a day of these being created.

The user who put them there, who goes by the user name Lucca, told Mr Toler he found the files on a now-deleted Discord server called Thug Shaker Central, and that there were many more of them.

He and some friends were in a tiny Discord server and one of the guys was posting hundreds upon hundreds of leaked documents, said Mr Toler.

The leaks cover only a short time, but include information Russia may find useful. One revealed Ukraine is running low on medium- to high-altitude air-defence missiles and could run out of them by early next month.

It also gives names and training times for nine brigades being prepared to lead Ukraines spring offensive, and reveals which units are receiving advanced Western kit, including British Challenger II tanks. It says the offensive will begin at any time from April 1, but does not say where the main blow might fall.

One bizarre aspect of the leak is the improbable corners of the Internet the files passed through before they came to public attention last week. The Discord server Mr Toler tracked the leaks to belongs to a YouTube channel called Wow Mao, which creates meme videos with titles such as Which Communist would you smoke with? and Who is the better philosopher? Diogenes versus Jordan Peterson.

A few days later, some of the files were reposted to a Discord server for players of the video game Minecraft.

Last Wednesday, three files were reposted from the Minecraft server to 4Chan, a message board about Japanese animation that is notorious for spawning far-right memes. It was at this point the crude adjustments to the casualty figures were added to one of the files.

The images were then picked up by pro-Russian war bloggers who posted them on Telegram and Twitter.

The convoluted path makes tracing the original poster difficult. It also suggests the leak was obtained opportunistically, perhaps by hacking, rather than by a highly placed mole.

Commentators, including pro-Russian war bloggers, cautioned the initial leak could be false information released by the US to mislead Russia ahead of Ukraines spring offensive.

Mykhailo Podolyak, an advisor to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, said the leaks were probably a Russian fabrication to sow confusion between Ukraine and its allies.

But Mark Galeotti, an expert on the Russian security services, said the US reaction suggested the papers were genuine, saying: If it was a total fabrication, the Americans would have dismissed it as such. As far as I know they havent  theyre saying things like, We dont comment on this sort of thing.

The main value to the Russians is in embarrassing the Americans and raising questions about their security.

 Telegraph Media Group Ltd (2023)
Women at an Iranian traditional local bazaar in the village of Malat, in Gilan province, 354km northwest of Tehran. Photo: Getty Images

Surveillance cameras are being installed in Iran to catch and punish women walking in public without a headscarf as Tehran cracks down on those defying dress codes.

The authorities want to rein in an increasing number of women who are defying the rule on mandatory head coverings after the death of a young woman in police custody last year ignited a nationwide protest movement against the regime.

Cameras will be installed in public places and thoroughfares to identify and penalise unveiled women, the notorious morality police said yesterday.

After they have been identified, violators will receive warning texts as to the consequences, they added. 

It became compulsory for women and girls over nine to wear a headscarf in public two years after the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Under Hassan Rouhani, the former president, rules were relaxed, but since the ultra-conservative Ebrahim Raisim came to power in 2021, the morality police have taken a harder line against women who flout the rules, demanding a complete hijab.

Videos of unveiled women resisting the morality police have flooded social media since the death of Mahsa Amini (22) last September. Women have been increasingly seen unveiled in malls, restaurants, shops and streets.

But last month, describing the veil as one of the civilisational foundations of the Iranian nation, the interior ministry said there would be no retreat on the issue.

It urged citizens to confront unveiled women, which in the past has emboldened hardliners to attack women. 

It happened as Irans judiciary chief threatened to prosecute women who defy the countrys strict rules on head coverings.

Authorities issued arrest warrants for the women for committing a forbidden act by removing their headscarves.

The police arrested nearly 20,000 people and killed 500 since the protests started, according to the Human Rights Activists News Agency.

One woman recently told the BBC she was shot deliberately in the eye. The PhD student was protesting in a north-eastern city near Mashad in September when the bullet struck her and lodged in her head.

You aimed at my eyes but my heart is still beating, she said. Thank you for taking the sight from my eye which has opened the eyes of so many.
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The international terminal at Da Nang airport in Da Nang City. Photo by VnExpress/Nguyen Dong

Okay Airways and Pacific Airlines will begin their flights connecting Da Nang with Hunan (China) and Muan (the Republic of Korea) from late April.

The services will increase the number of airlines restarting operations at the Da Nang International Airport to 28.

A source from the Da Nang International Terminal Investment and Operation JSC said Okay Airways plans to reconnect Da Nang and Hunan, China, from May 2 with three regular flights per week, while Pacific Airlines will restart chartered flights between Muan (the RoK) and Da Nang with 30 flights from April 28 to October 9.

The national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines will resume Da Nang-Guangzhou flights from April 24 to October 27 with two flights per week on Monday and Friday.

The airlines will reconnect Da Nang-Shanghai and Da Nang-Chengdu on Thursday and Sunday between April and October.

Vietnam Airlines has already resumed four flights, from Da Nang to Bangkok, Thailand and daily Da Nang-Incheon (RoK).

It reopened the Narita (Japan)-Da Nang route on March 28.

Da Nang has 24 direct air routes, of which 16 are internationals, hosting an average of 100 and 112 flights per day since last March.

The Da Nang International Airport, which is designed to handle 28 million passengers and 200,000 tonnes of cargo by 2030, has earned the four-star standard by the SkyTrax  a consult on airline and airport star rating  making it the only airport in Vietnam in the list of top 23 four-star airports in Asia.

Do Trong Hau, Deputy General Director of the airport operation company, said the terminal has drastically improved service quality as well as speeding up digitalization of procedure since 2021.

The company, in cooperation with Hoi An Art Troupe, introduces traditional art performance in serving passengers at the boarding lobby on Friday evening.
Israeli officials at the scene of the attack in Tel Aviv on Friday. Photo: Nir Elias/Reuters

An Italian tourist was killed and seven other people wounded in a suspected car ramming attack in Tel Aviv.

The 30-year-old Italian man was among a group of Italian and British citizens who were hit by a car near a beach late on Friday.

Israels rescue service said a 74-year-old man and a 17-year-old girl were receiving medical treatment for mild to moderate injuries.

Police said they shot and killed the driver of the car and identified him as a 45-year-old Palestinian citizen of Israel from the village of Kafr Qassem.

A video circulating on social media showed the car hurtling along a sidewalk for several hundred metres before crashing out of control.

Italian premier Giorgia Melonis office expressed closeness to the family of the victim and solidarity with the Israel for the vile attack. She identified the man killed as Alessandro Parini from Rome.

In a separate incident, two British-Israeli women were shot to death near a settlement in the occupied West Bank.

The two women in their 20s, who were sisters, were killed while their 45-year-old was seriously wounded.

The family lived in the Efrat settlement, near the Palestinian city of Bethlehem, said Oded Revivi, the settlements mayor.

The girls father was driving in a car behind his wife and daughters and witnessed the attack.

Medics said they dragged the unconscious women from the smashed car, which appeared to have been pushed off the road.

No groups claimed responsibility for either attack. But the Hamas militant group that rules Gaza praised both incidents as retaliation for Israeli raids earlier this week on the Al-Aqsa mosque  the third-holiest site in Islam.

On Tuesday, police arrested and beat hundreds of Palestinians there, who responded by hurling rocks and firecrackers at officers.

The attack came against the backdrop of heightened tensions after Israeli air strikes on Palestinian militant targets in both Lebanon and Gaza, as well as a shooting attack in the occupied West Bank that killed two people.

That followed days of violence and unrest in Jerusalems most sensitive holy site, the compound of the Al-Aqsa mosque in the Old City.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was calling up all reserve forces in Israels border police to confront the terror attacks.

The Hamas militant group that rules Gaza praised the attack in Tel Aviv as a response to Israels crimes against Al-Aqsa Mosque and worshippers.

Even as quiet returned to Israels northern and southern borders, the early morning Israeli strikes on Lebanon  which analysts described as the most serious border violence since Israels 2006 war with Lebanons Hezbollah militants  threatened to push the confrontation into a new phase.

Israeli strikes came in retaliation for a major barrage of rockets from Lebanon the day before, after Israeli police raids at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem spiralled into unrest and sparked outrage across the Arab world.

Although the Israeli military was quick to emphasise that its warplanes struck sites belonging to only Palestinian militant groups, the barrage risks drawing in Israels bitter foe Hezbollah, which holds sway over much of southern Lebanon and has in the past portrayed itself as a defender of the Palestinians and the contested city of Jerusalem.

Israeli missiles had earlier struck an open field in the southern Lebanese town of Qalili, near the Palestinian refugee camp of Rashidiyeh, killing sheep and inflicting minor injuries on residents.
Francis marked Christianitys most joyful day with Mass in a flower-adorned St Peter

Pope Francis bestows the plenary Urbi et Orbi (to the city and to the world) blessing from the central lodge of St Peters Basilica at the Vatican at the end of the Easter Sunday Mass (Alessandra Tarantino/AP)

In an Easter message highlighting hope, Pope Francis has invoked prayers for both the Ukrainian and Russian people, praised nations which welcome refugees, and called on Israelis and Palestinians wracked by the latest surge in deadly violence to forge a climate of trust.

Francis, along with dozens of prelates and tens of thousands of faithful, marked Christianitys most joyful day with Mass in a flower-adorned St Peters Square.

Easter proclaims the Christian belief that Jesus rose from the dead after crucifixion.

The 86-year-old pontiff topped the celebration with a traditional speech about troubled places in the world.

Encouraging trust among individuals, peoples and nations, Francis said the joyful expression of Easter illumines the darkness and gloom in which, all too often, our world finds itself enveloped.

The popes Easter message is known by its Latin name, Urbi et Orbi, which means to the city and the world.

Since Russia invaded neighbouring Ukraine in February 2022, Francis has repeatedly called for the fighting to end and sought prayers for the martyred Ukrainian people.

Ukrainian diplomats have complained that he has not come down hard enough in his statements on Russia and particularly Russian President Vladimir Putin as the Vatican tries to avoid alienating Russia.

Help the beloved Ukrainian people on their journey towards peace, and shed the light of Easter upon the people of Russia, Francis implored God in his Easter speech, which he delivered while sitting in a chair on the central balcony of St Peters Basilica facing the square.

Comfort the wounded and all those who have lost loved ones because of the war, and grant that prisoners may return safe and sound to their families.

He urged the international community to work to end the war in Ukraine and all conflict and bloodshed in the world, beginning with Syria, which still awaits peace.

Francis also prayed for those who lost loved ones in an earthquake that struck Syria and Turkey two months ago, claiming tens of thousands of lives.

With a renewal in deadly violence affecting both Israelis and Palestinians in recent days, Francis called for a resumption of dialogue, in a climate of trust and reciprocal respect, between Israelis and Palestinians, so that peace may reign in the Holy City and in the entire region, a reference to Jerusalem.

But Francis also noted progress on some fronts.

Let us rejoice at the concrete signs of hope that reach us from so many countries, beginning with those that offer assistance and welcome to all fleeing war and poverty, he said, without naming any particular nations.

How to care for asylum seekers, migrants and refugees, and whether to allow them entrance, is a raging political and social debate in much of Europe, as well as in the United States and elsewhere.

Francis also prayed that national leaders ensure that no man or woman may encounter discrimination and that there would be full respect for human rights and democracy.

With migrants risking their lives in smugglers unseaworthy boats in the hopes of reaching Europe, the pope lamented that Tunisias people, particularly the young, struggle with social and economic hardship.

In the last two weeks, dozens have died or were left missing after attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea from Tunisia.

The pope included Lebanon and two African countries he visited this year  South Sudan and Congo  among the nations in need of ending divisions and building reconciliation.

Speaking about Haiti, he appealed to political actors and the international community to seek a definitive solution to the many problems that afflict that sorely tried people.

The bloody conflicts cited by Francis contrasted with a riot of bright colours lent by orange-red tulips, yellow sprays of forsythia and daffodils, hyacinths and other colourful seasonal flowers that decorated St Peters Square.

The blooms were brought in trucks from the Netherlands and set up in planters to decorate the Vatican square.

Some 45,000 people had gathered by the start of the mid-morning Mass, according to Vatican security services, but the crowd swelled to some 100,000 ahead of the noon appointment for the pontiffs speech from the central balcony of St Peters Basilica overlooking the square.

A canopy on the edge of steps on the square sheltered the pontiff, who was back in the public eye 12 hours after a 2.25-hour long Easter vigil ceremony in St Peters Basilica the night before.

Still recovering from bronchitis, Francis, 86, skipped the traditional Good Friday procession at Romes Colosseum due to unseasonably cold night-time temperatures.

Francis has generally rebounded following a three-day stay last week at a Rome hospital where he was administered antibiotics intravenously for bronchitis.

He was discharged on April 1.

But near the end of the more than two-hour-long Easter Sunday appearance, Francis seemed to start running out of steam.

His voice grew hoarse and he interrupted his speech at one point to cough.

He nonetheless made several laps through the square in the popemobile after the Mass, waving and smiling at cheering well-wishers.
Pope Francis and the Archbishop of Canterbury used their traditional Easter messages to highlight the war in Ukraine and other global conflicts.

Weekend shelling by Russian forces killed at least seven civilians, Ukrainian officials reported on Sunday as Pope Francis and Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby used their traditional Easter messages to highlight the war in Ukraine and other conflicts around the world.

While Russia continued to concentrate on seizing all of Ukraines industrial east, two other provinces  Kharkiv in the north east and Zaporizhzhia in the south east  came under missile, rocket and artillery fire, the Ukrainian military reported.

The governor of the Kherson region, Oleksandr Prokudin, said two communities there were hit by bombs from warplanes late on Sunday, but he did not immediately report any casualties.

Kharkiv governor Oleh Syniehubov said two men died on Sunday in shelling in Kupiansk, a city that Russia held before Ukrainian forces regained control of almost all of the province.

The city remained under attack later on Sunday as Russian forces targeted residential areas with multiple rocket launchers, Mr Syniehubov said.

Elsewhere in the province, a 30-year-old man was admitted to hospital in a serious condition after Russian shelling of the city of Chuhuiv, he said on Telegram.

Shelling also killed two people overnight, one of them a child born in 2012, in the city of Zaporizhzhia, the capital of that province, according to city council secretary Anatoliy Kurtev.

The Zaporizhzhia regions governor, Yurii Malashko, said 18 communities in all were shelled.

Three people were killed and five were wounded on Saturday, Mr Malashko said.

Zaporizhzhia is home to Europes largest nuclear power plant and one of four Ukrainian provinces that Russian President Vladimir Putin illegally annexed in September.

Since then, Russias military has sought to oust Ukraines troops from those areas, especially Luhansk and Donetsk provinces, which make up the industrial region known as the Donbas.

Bakhmut, a city in Donetsk, has seen the 13-month wars longest battle.

Western analysts have said Russian forces recently made it into the centre of the city.

Seizing Bakhmut after more than eight months would give the Kremlin a badly wanted victory and a path to push on towards bigger Ukrainian-held cities.

The Russian army is moving elite units to Bakhmut, Colonel Serhiy Cherevaty, a spokesperson for Ukraines Eastern Group of Forces, said on Sunday.

Col Cherevaty said the Wagner Group, a private Russian military company whose fighters have spearheaded the offensive on Bakhmut, was incurring heavy losses, making it necessary to move in regular army units from the regular army, including paratroopers and motorised riflemen.

The vast majority of Ukrainians with a religious affiliation identify as Orthodox Christian, a faith that observes Easter on April 16 this year.

Some Catholics celebrated Easter on Sunday, while Orthodox churches marked Palm Sunday this weekend.

While delivering his Easter address from the central balcony of the Vaticans St Peters Basilica, Pope Francis implored God to help the beloved Ukrainian people on their journey towards peace, and shed the light of Easter upon the people of Russia.

Comfort the wounded and all those who have lost loved ones because of the war, and grant that prisoners may return safe and sound to their families, Francis said.

Easter affirms the Christian belief that Jesus rose from the dead days after his crucifixion.

Mr Welby, who as Archbishop of Canterbury is the ceremonial head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, said the occasion provided hope that true peace is no aimless daydream, but a reality offered because Christ was raised from the dead.

Injustice and brutality may seem to triumph in our short lives on earth, cruel and oppressive rulers might look as though they only get stronger, he said during a sermon delivered in Canterbury, England.

Yet they will vanish. The power of the resurrection is infinitely greater than they are.

Between Saturday and Sunday mornings, Russian forces launched 40 air strikes, four missile strikes and 58 attacks from multiple-rocket launchers on various parts of Ukraine, the General Staff of the Ukrainian armed forces reported.

The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby delivers his sermon at Canterbury Cathedral in Kent (Gareth Fuller/PA)

According to the General Staff, Russia focused attacks on the Donetsk province communities of Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Marinka.

Donetsk regional governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said on Sunday morning that two civilians were wounded on Saturday.

Officials in Kherson province, where Ukrainian forces forced a partial Russian retreat in November, said the southern region also received numerous attacks.

They did not report any casualties.

The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, said late on Saturday that it thinks Russias overall offensive is approaching culmination.

The institute cited Ivan Tymochko, the head of the Ukrainian Council of Reservists for the countrys ground forces, as reporting that recent Russian attacks appeared designed to distract and disperse Ukrainian troops preparing for a potential counter-offensive.

Tymochko stated that Russian forces are not making serious advances anywhere on the front line, the think tank said.

Noting that Russia has made heavy use of artillery to offset key shortcomings in combat capability, the institute said reported ammunition shortages would undermine the Russian militarys ability to continue offsetting its other weaknesses and limitations.
Image Credit: PIB

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday released the results of the 5th cycle of India's Tiger Census, which showed that the population of tigers in the wild has grown to 3,167 as of 2022.

This marks an increase from the 2018 Tiger Census, which had reported the presence of 2,967 tigers in India and signifies a growth of 6.7 percent or 200 tigers over the past four years.

During the 2006 Tiger Census, the tiger population in India was recorded at 1,411. This number increased to 1,706 in the 2010 cycle and further to 2,226 in the 2014 evaluation.

Prime Minister Modi released the figures of India's Tiger Census during the inauguration of the International Big Cat Alliance in Mysuru, Karnataka, on Sunday.

The conference, which is being held to commemorate 50 years of Project Tiger, is the first of its kind in India and will focus on the protection and conservation of seven major big cat species, including tigers, lions, leopards, snow leopards, pumas, jaguars, and cheetahs.

Before launching the conference, the Prime Minister visited the Bandipur Tiger Reserve as well as the Theppakadu Elephant camp in the Mudumalai tiger Reserve.

Imagecredit:pixabay

It has been 50 years of Project Tiger. The success of Project Tiger has been an achievement not only for India, but for the entire world. India has not only saved the tiger, but has given it a great ecosystem in which to flourish. It is a matter of great happiness for us that at a time when we have completed 75 years of Independence, that nearly

75 per cent of the worlds tiger population can now be found in India and tiger reserves in the country span 75,000 square kilometres. This has been possible because of everyones efforts, he said, addressing the international conference.

Why is it that while in other parts of the world, as the tiger population remains stable or declines, it is actually increasing in India? Because the connection with biodiversity and environment is woven into our traditions and our culture, he added.

During his speech at the International Big Cat Alliance conference in Mysuru, PM Modi highlighted the long-standing connection between tigers and the people of India, dating back thousands of years, as evidenced by 10,000-year-old cave paintings in Madhya Pradesh.

He also highlighted the special bond between tribal communities in India and tigers, and how these communities revere the big cat as a symbol of power and strength.

Further, PM Modi noted that the populations of other big cats in India, including lions, leopards, elephants, and single-horned rhinos, have also increased. India has the largest number of Asiatic elephants and single-horned rhinos in the world, and is the only country where the Asiatic lion is found.

The population of Asiatic lions has increased by 28.6%, from 525 in 2015 to 675 in 2020, thanks to various conservation efforts. Meanwhile, leopards have seen a 60% increase in population over the past four years.

The National Mission for Clean Ganga has also helped to revive the population of some endangered aquatic species.

Prime Minister Modi attributed these successes to people's participation in conservation and the culture of preservation.

He stressed the importance of establishing an emotional and economic bond between human communities and wildlife, saying that there is no conflict between ecology and economy and that such a bond is essential for successful conservation efforts.
Jammu/UNI: The Indian Army troops have neutralized one terrorist and successfully foiled an infiltration bid along the Line of Control in the Poonch Sector of Jammu and Kashmir .

Jammu-based Defence Spokesman, Lt Col Devender Anand said that on the intervening night of April 8-9, alert troops of the Indian Army on the LoC in the Poonch Sector detected some suspicious movement of group individuals.

"The individuals were challenged by Indian Army troops on their own side of LoC, close to the fence," a spokesperson said.

On being intercepted, he added that in the ensuing operations, one dead body has been seen and the other intruders ran into the forest area.

"Cordon of the area has been established and a search operation is in progress," he said.
Image Credit: Facebook/Jacqueline Fernandez

New Delhi: Jailed conman Sukesh Chandrasekhar has penned yet another emotional letter to actor Jacqueline Fernandez, declaring his love and how much he misses her, on Easter, media reports said.

Lodged at Delhi's Tihar Jail in a multi-crore extortion case, Chandrashekhar wrote he thought about her while seeing the Lux Cozy ad.

"My Baby my Bomma, Jacqueline, Baby I wish you a very Happy Easter! It's one of your favourite festivals of the year and your love for Easter eggs," Sukesh's letter read, reported India Today.

Sending her his wishes on the occasion, the conman said that he missed seeing her breaking into a smile like a child.

"Do you have any idea how pretty and beautiful you are my baby. There is no one as pretty as you in this planet. My bunny rabbit, I love you, my baby. You and me forever come what may, mine forever," his letter to the actress read.

He then "promises her the world" and said, "this phase is gonna be over for good and all are gonna see."

He went on to write that the "next Easter" would be the best Jacqueline Fernandez has ever had but doesnt hint at anything specific.

"I also was thinking a lot about you when I was hearing the new version of Tu mile, aur dil kile, aur Jeene ko kya chahiye," he wrote.

At the end of the letter, he thanked her for loving him crazy and extends his regards for her parents too.

The conman had also wished Jacqueline Fernandez on Holi and his own birthday.

While on one occasion he promised to bring back colours to their lives, on his birthday he wrote that he misses 'her energy' around him and he was aware of her never-ending love for him.

The suspected fraudster was arrested in connection to a money laundering case involving Rs 200 crore, and the police have interrogated Bollywood actresses Jacqueline Fernandez and Nora Fatehi regarding the matter.
In image: Amritpal Singh from Wikimedia commons and videograb of his supporters hitting the street

Chandigarh: Punjab Police has arrested an NRI near Fagwada, media reported citing police sources that the arrest is linked to the case of pro-Khalistani leader Amritpal Singh's escape from Hoshiarpur.

Amritpal Singh has been declared a fugitive by the Punjab Police after he escaped the cops during a crackdown against him and his aides on March 18.

Amritpal's whereabouts have been since unknown, but reports stated that he was last traced to Maranaia village in Hoshiarpur on March 28.

The arrested individual is identified as Jaswinder Singh Pangli an NRI, who is said to be a resident of Jagatpur Jatta village near Fagwada, India Today reported.

As the radical preacher fled the Hoshiarpur Police, a massive manhunt has been launched to catch him.

Punjab Police had made their first arrest since Amritpal Singh's escape from Maranaia village.

Several other people have been taken into custody in connection with this case, and the police are currently conducting a thorough investigation into them.

Furthermore, the police have reportedly found critical evidence against Amritpal Singh and his accomplice, Pappal Preet Singh, who also fled from Maranaia village.

As per the available information, the police are expected to make significant breakthroughs in the coming days regarding this case, said the report.

The case is believed to be linked to a drug-related gathering that occurred in Jagatpur Jatta village.

The police are continuously questioning anyone who was present at that gathering for further information.

Amritpal Singh and his accomplice Papalpreet Singh had escaped from Maranaia village at approximately 8:00 pm on March 28th.

However, the fact that the Punjab Police has failed to nab Amritpal Singh even after 22 days has raised doubts about its efficiency.

Amritpal Singh's second escape on March 28th has worsened matters for the police, adding to the concerns and criticisms over its credibility.
UNI

Jammu: Indian Army troops shot dead one intruder and captured two others alive and successfully foiled an infiltration bid along the Line of Control in Poonch Sector of Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday.

Jammu based Defence Spokesman, Lt Col Devender Anand said that at around 2215 hours, alert troops deployed on the Line of Control in the Poonch Sector observed a suspicious movement of a group (three individuals) close to the Line of Control.

"At around midnight the group, crossed the Line of Control and started infiltrating on to own side," he said.

The spokesman added that alert troops kept the movement of the infiltrating group under continuous observation and at around 2 am as the group approached the fence, the Indian Army troops deployed on the fence challenged the infiltrators.

"The intruders started to run away, were engaged by fire, in which one intruder was shot dead, while the other two managed to run into the jungle taking advantage of the thick foliage and rocky outcrop. The area was immediately cordoned to prevent their escape across the Line of Control," he said.

The spokesman added that search operation was launched at first light wherein the dead body of one intruder was recovered at the encounter site.

"As the search progressed in the forest, one intruder was apprehended alive in wounded condition. In the subsequent search the third intruder was also apprehended alive," he stated.

In the search operation, he said that so far three bags with fourteen packets of Narcotics weighing approx 17 kgs, Pakistan currency, some documents, and eatables have been recovered.

During preliminary questioning, the two intruders, who have been apprehended alive, have claimed that they (all three) are residents of Pakistan Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (POJK) and belong to Maidan Mohalla, village Chanjal.

By their quick action, alert Indian Army troops have thus prevented a major infiltration bid, of a Narco terror group which had the potential of disturbing the peace in Poonch and Rajouri Districts through its nefarious designs, he added.

(With UNI inputs)
Representative image/ credit: Pixabay

Moscow/UNI: An unknown individual has opened fire from a Kalashnikov assault rifle at a store in Kyiv , Ukrainian media report.

According to security camera footage, a resident of the Ukrainian capital entered into a verbal skirmish with another man in front of a store in Kyiv, according to Ukrainian news portal Strana.ua.

Following the verbal altercation, the man opened fire at the store building with a Kalashnikov rifle and left.

There have been no reports of injuries following the incident.
Image: Harry Twitter page

Hamburg: Residents of Hamburg city of Germany have been warned of heavy smoke and possible toxins in the air after a fire broke out at a warehouse, media reports said.

Video circulating on social media shows the warehouse engulfed in flames early Sunday morning, with smoke billowing into the sky, reports CNN.

Smoke gases and chemical components in the air caused by a warehouse fire can affect breathing. The cloud of smoke is moving towards the city center! an alert from the Hamburg fire department said as quoted by the newspaper.

The cause of the fire is still not known.
Hoi An will not collect an entry fee from tourists until it draws up a plan that has wide public support, a top local official said.

Tran Anh, Party secretary of Hoi An, said Saturday that he has ordered the Peoples Committee to postpone a plan to collect entry fees from all tourists from May 15 by setting up lanes to differentiate between tourists and locals.

Anh said Hoi An will meet with local residents and businesses to come up with the most efficient and acceptable solution. Once it reaches a consensus, the local government will host a press conference to announce the plan.

He said the town will try to make sure it can collect money from tourists for conservation without disturbing them, adding that it is looking at similar models at other tourist places in Vietnam and overseas.

"We will not collect fees from May 15 as we will not be able to come up with a plan by then," Anh said.

Hoi An, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has been collecting VND120,000 ($5) from foreign tourists and VND80,000 from domestic ones, only when they visit certain special places inside the town and are accompanied by a guide. Tourists who are not accompanied by a tour guide do not have to pay any fee.

Hoi An on Monday announced plans to impose such fees on all tourists to raise a stable revenue for conservation, but it received objections from both tourists and local businesses.

Some people said the town could use money from taxes it collects from local businesses, while others said the fees would be too much if they were applied per trip, which will discourage tourists from touring the town several times a day as many are doing now.

Some readers of VnExpress International suggested the fee be added to a tourists hotel charge, which will minimize the tourists' discomfort and save the town from having to distinguish between tourists and people who are in town for other purposes.
Image: Pixabay

A Chinese man was sentenced to prison on Tuesday after he allegedly sneaked into the neighbors property to scare thousands of the mans chickens to death as part of a deranged revenge scheme, media reports said.

A man surnamed Gu in Hengyang county, Hunan province, was sentenced to six months' imprisonment with one year of probation on Tuesday by the People's Court of Hengyang County in Hunan province after causing the deaths of 1,100 chickens, reports China Daily.

The dispute commenced when defendant Gu and the chicken owner, surnamed Zhong, began in April 2022 when Gu chopped down Zhong's trees without notifying the owner.

Zhong's wife discovered this and towed the trees away, which made Gu resentful towards Zhong's family.

Later one night, out of retaliation, Gu snuck into Zhong's chicken farm and used a flashlight to scare the chickens. The large flock of chickens was scared and crowded into a corner, causing 460 of them to be trampled to death, reports China Daily.

After being caught, Gu was forced to pay Zhong 3,000 yuan ($436) in compensation, which made his resentment towards Zhong even more intense.

Gu, later, managed to carry out the same trick again, causing around 640 more of Zhong's chickens to be killed in the same way.

Authorities said 1,100 dead chickens were worth 13,840 yuan.
Image: Pixabay

Pakistan Rangers Sindh on Sunday claimed its personnel have arrested two suspects belonging to Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

They were reportedly associated to an extortion racket and targeted killings in Karachi city.

A press release said that a joint operation was conducted with Karachi police, which resulted in the arrest of two suspects belonging to the TTP who were allegedly involved in extortion and targeted killings in the citys Saddar, Manghopir and Banaras areas, reports Dawn News.

The statement said a trader had submitted a complaint that he was receiving calls demanding extortion money from different Afghan and Pakistani phone numbers.

It said that the suspects, identified as Abdul Qadir and Muhammad Kamal Khan, were involved in extortion and targeted killings at the directives of TTP terrorist officer Khan alias Arshad residing in Afghanistan.


Image: Pixabay

Karachi: A McDonalds fast-food restaurant manager was shot at and injured in Pakistan's Karachi city on Sunday.

The incident happened following a heated argument in the early hours of the day.

In a statement, Darakhshan police said that 32-year-old Imran Ali was shot and injured at McDonalds Seaview due to the firing of unknown suspects for unknown reasons. The statement added that he was moved to the hospital for medical attention, Dawn News reported.

Meanwhile, South Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Syed Asad Raza told Dawn News that the injured man was the restaurant manager and was shot in the foot.

The officer said that four suspects travelling in a SUV arrived at the restaurants drive-thru with the intention of ordering food.

However, staff informed them that they were no longer serving customers and were having Sehri, Raza said.

The police official said that this enraged one of the suspects, who was reportedly intoxicated.

The SSP said the suspect took out a rifle and started firing.

He said that the glass doors of the restaurant, which were closed, shattered due to the firing.

He said that Ali, who had come outside to see what had happened, was shot in the foot during this time.

Meanwhile, police registered a first information report (FIR) on the victims complaint under Section 324 (attempted murder) of the Pakistan Penal Code at the Darakshan police station.
The abductors of a former Deputy Governor of Nasarawa State, Prof Onje Gye-Wado, have reportedly demanded a N70 million ransom for his release.

Recall that Gye-Wado was kidnapped by gunmen in Gwagi village of the Wamba Local Government Area of the state on Friday, April 7, 2023.

READ ALSO: Gunmen Abduct Former Deputy Governor Of Nasarawa

A family source who confirmed the development to Punch in Lafia on Saturday, April 8, said the family members pleaded with the abductors to accept N2m instead of the N70m that was requested because of the unavailability of cash occasioned by the Easter holiday.

The kidnappers are in touch with the family of (the) prof and they have demanded the sum of N70m, but we are appealing to them to collect N2m because we can not raise anything more than that due to the public holidays declared by the Federal Government for the Easter celebration, the source said.
The Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF) has named a member of the House of Representatives, James Faleke, as its preferred choice for the position of Chief of Staff in the incoming administration of president-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Yerima Shettima, the groups president who disclosed this in a statement on Sunday revealed its reasons for narrowing down to Faleke, also described him as a very loyal associate of Tinubu.

The group said: Hon James Faleke is a very loyal Tinubu supporter and associate who has proven to be reliable as ambassador to the President-elect any day.

Nigeria has had serious challenges caused by the communication gap between the President, ministers and even State governors. This is an opportunity for the President-elect to get someone with good skills of managing the relationship between him, officials of government and the rest of Nigerians.

READ ALSO: Ogun APC Welcomes Adebutus Petition Against Abioduns Re-Election

Faleke, being a highly-experienced lawmaker can build a very cordial relationship between the Executive and legislative arms of government in the new dispensation.

Honorable Faleke represents the new generation of Nigerian political class, politically savvy and intellectually vibrant. We are in a new, ideas-driven world and Nigerias Presidency therefore, needs a Chief of Staff in tune with modern system of democratic governance.

The group its expectation that Tinubu is currently fully aware of the consequences of past mistakes in the choices of Chiefs of Staff and would not allow a repeat of the inglorious past.

In view of the forgoing, we urge the President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu to make sure he makes an informed choice of his Chief of Staff with loyal, proactive progressive and hale and hearty parliamentarian like Hon James Faleke, the AYCF added.
The Coalition of South-East Youth Leaders, (COSEYL) have requested apology from Femi Fani-Kayode (FFK), former Minister of Aviation and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), for asking the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, to leave Nigeria and never come back.

Recall that Peter Obi had raised an alarm over plots to pressure him to flee Nigeria or risk arrest by security agents.

But responding to Obis statement, Fani-Kayode had in a tweet asked him to leave the country and never come back, adding that the sooner the better.

Owing to this, on Saturday, Goodluck Ibem, COSEYLs president-general in a statement, gave Fani-Kayode a seven-day ultimatum to apologise to the former Anambra State governor.

The youth leaders however described Fani-Kayodes utterance as unguarded, stressing that the former Minister speaks recklessly and carelessly.

The group said: Who is FFK to tell Mr Peter Obi, a bonafide indigene of Nigeria to leave his country and never come back. What gave him such audacity to make such unguarded statement.

READ ALSO: Taraba APC Expels Senator-Elect, Jimkuta Over Alleged Anti-Party Activities

We give him (FFK) 7 days to retrieve that statement and apologise to Mr Peter Obi for making such stupid comment.

If there is anyone that should leave this country to a far away place and never come back, it is Femi Fani-Kayode whose utterances have brought serious embarrassment to the nation.

Nigeria has been a laughing stock in the international space because of people like FFK who speaks carelessly and recklessly because of what to eat.

It is high time we separated those who are making a statement and those who are making noise from our political and media spaces. FFK is one of those whose noise is very unwholesome and an embarrassment to the nation.

We call on Mr Peter Obi to remain resolute, focused and courageous while pursuing to retrieve his mandate freely given to him by Nigerians through the most legitimate means, which is the court.

People like Femi Fani-Kayode, Lai Mohammed whose job is to lie at all times, Festus Keyamo and the All Progressive Congress, APC, are distractions that should be ignored and not taken seriously because they dont mean well for our nation.

The job of retrieving our nation from criminals is a task that must be accomplished no matter the spanner they are throwing at the wheel of progress. Nigeria must be liberated. Enough said!
The Labour Party (LP) has plunged into fresh crisis as a former deputy national chairman of the Party (South), Callistus Okafor, declared himself the authentic national chairman.

Okafor, at the weekend while speaking to journalists, stated that the suspended national chairman, Julius Abure, and the Partys acting national chairman, Lamidi Apapa are illegal occupants of the seat.

He claimed to be the right national chairman of the LP because he was positioned as the Partys deputy national chairman when the late national chairman, Abdulkadir Abdulsalam, was in office.

According to Okafor, Abure was acting national secretary when Abdulsalam died in 2020, adding that Abure announced himself as the national chairman without recourse to the provisions of the Partys constitution.

READ ALSO: APC Not Responsible For Abures Criminal Conduct  Felix Morka

His words: Both Abure and Apapa are all illegal occupants of the seat. Abure, as acting national secretary, can never be a national chairman of the party unless there is a dissolution and a new convention takes place.

Apapa that took over can also not preside over any meeting because he is illegal.

Blaming LPs presidential candidate, Peter Obi, for allowing the crisis in the party to fester for long, Okafor lamented the potential impact the crisis could have on the upcoming legal battle to challenge the results of the 2023 presidential election.

He however called on the former Anambra governor to take swift action to resolve the crisis and prevent it from escalating further.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 34-year-old South American man from Suriname, Dadda Lorenzo Harvy Albert, for drug trafficking.

The Director, Media and Advocacy (NDLEA), Mr Femi Babafemi, revealed this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.

Babafemi said that the suspect was arrested at the Port Harcourt International Airport (PHIA), Rivers state, for bringing into Nigeria 117 parcels of cocaine.

READ ALSO: NDLEA Arrests 352 Drug Peddlers In Kano

He said that the drugs were concealed in extra-large latex condoms factory packed inside bottles of 100ml body spray.

He also said that the suspect claimed he departed his country, Suriname, located in the North Eastern coast of South America on April 2 for Sao Paulo, Brazil.

He added that he departed from Sao Paulo to Nigeria on Friday on April 7, on board Qatar Airways flight in search of his long-lost Nigerian father whom he called Omini.

In the same vein, NDLEA officers at Tincan seaport in Lagos intercepted 110 parcels of Colorado.

Babafemi said that the strain of cannabis, weighing 55kg, were hidden in a container, marked MSCU 4972769 from Toronto via Montreal, Canada.

He said that the illicit consignment was discovered in the container bearing five units of used vehicles, during a joint examination of the cargo by NDLEA and other port stakeholders.

The seizure was part of a total of 1,559.3 kilograms (1.5 tons) of the psychoactive substance seized during interdiction operations in five states in the past week,he said.

Meanwhile, two suspects: Nura Ibrahim, 40, and Habibu Sadiq, 38, were arrested with 120 blocks of cannabis, weighing 148.7kg, along Zaria-Kano road on Sunday, April 2.

Babafemi said that not less than 418.5kg of the same substance and a sienna space bus used in conveying it were recovered on Thursday, April 6, at a notorious drug hub, Patey, Lagos Island.

A suspect, Azi Solomon, was arrested same day at Ojota garage while attempting to move 23kg cannabis to another state, he said.
The Ogun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) says it welcomes the filing of a petition by the defeated governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the State, Oladipupo Adebutu.

The APCs reaction was contained in a statement issued by its publicity secretary, Tunde Oladunjoye, on Saturday.

Information Nigeria reports that Adebutu filed his petition challenging the outcome of the March 18 election at the Ogun State Elections Petitions Tribunal in Abeokuta, the state capital, on Thursday.

Oladunjoyes statement read: Now that Mr. Adebutu has seen reason and decided to toe the path of civility and honour as we advised him, we hope that he will desist from his antics of cheap blackmail, sponsored protests, incitements, false claims and propaganda.

READ ALSO: Ogun Guber: Protect INEC Officials, Election Materials From Adebutus Thugs  APC Tells Security Agencies

We also took cognisance of his claims when he went to file the petition and wish to advise that he should not intimidate/stampede the tribunal with his immoral and unethical boasts as if the Honourable Justices are pliable and/or in his pockets.

His lawyers should be professional enough to advise him against this ignoble attitude, knowing full well that a case is determined by the relevant laws, facts and evidence and not based on the fantasies, whims and caprices of any of the parties, no matter how plausible.

They have stated their claims. They should expect our response. But suffice it to say that the same Adebutu who said he won the election and should be so declared is in another breath, according to reports in the media, asking the court to disqualify His Excellency, Prince Dapo Abiodun, from the rerun if his prayer that election should be held in certain polling units and wards is upheld. So, we ask: Who is really afraid of a contest?

While we leave our team of lawyers to do justice to the jejune issues raised in the petition, we advise Adebutu to be decorous and conduct himself as a citizen of Ogun state under the leadership of Prince Dapo Abiodun, who, by the grace of God and the benevolence of the good people of Ogun state, remains the Governor of our dearly beloved state.
Operatives of Ogun State Police Command have arrested a 43-year-old man, Hassan Yusuf, for allegedly setting the apartment of his ex-lover, Busayo Falola, ablaze.

The suspect reportedly burnt down the whole building situated at no 127, old Schorlar Palace Igan road Ago-Iwoye in the Ijebu-North Local Government Area of the state to protest the ex-lovers refusal to reconcile with him.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, SP Abimbola Oyeyemi, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday.

READ ALSO: Fire Razes Buildings, Destroys Property Worth N38.8m In Kwara

Oyeyemi said the suspect was arrested, following a report lodged at Ago Iwoye divisional headquarters by the 62-year-old landlady of the house, Adejoke Salau.

The PPRO said the landlady reported that she heard a noise from one of her buildings within her compound situated at about 1:15 am on Tuesday, and when she came out she discovered that the building was on fire while the tenants in the house were trapped in there.

He explained further She stated further that it was a quick intervention of neighbours that rescued the three tenants, but the house got burnt completely.

Upon the report, the DPO Ago Iwoye, CSP Noah Adekanye, led his men to the scene from where the occupants of the house were invited to the station for interrogation in order to know the possible cause of the inferno.

On interrogation, one of the tenants, Falola Busayo informed the police that she saw her ex-lover Yusuf Hassan at the back of her window at about 12:30 am of the fateful day.

She explained further that she was scared to see him at that hour which made her scream and ran out of her room to the room of another tenant.

This made other tenants come out in order to check what Yusuf was up to, only for them to discover flame coming out from Busayos room.

Upon the information, Yusuf Hassan was hunted for and was subsequently apprehended.

He initially denied knowing anything about the incident, but when the DPO ordered detectives to go to his house and find out whether he was at home at the time of the incident, he decided to open up and confessed being the person who set the house ablaze.

He confessed further that he intended to burn his ex-lover in her own apartment because he had tried his possible best to reconcile with her but all to no avail, and that was the reason he bought N500 petrol, poured it into her room through the window and set it on fire.

Oyeyemi, however, said the Commissioner of Police, Frank Mba, has directed that the suspect be transferred to State Criminal Investigation Departments for further investigation and possible prosecution.
Foreign tourists get off Spectrum of the Seas cruise ship in Phu My Port in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province, February 26, 2023. Photo by Quang Anh

The number of international tourists arriving in Vietnam by sea in January-March period reached over 33,000, up 936 times year-on-year as the country witnessed an influx of luxury cruise ships.

In March alone, the number of tourists arriving by cruise ships was up 2.8 times from the previous month, according to a report from the General Statistics Office (GSO). Most tourists came from Europe and Asia, it added.

Since early this year, the cruise tourism industry has seen positive signs with a series of luxury cruise ships carrying thousands of international tourists to popular tourist hotspots such as Nha Trang, Da Nang, Vung Tau, Ho Chi Minh City, and Ha Long.

In February, Spectrum of the Seas, Asia's most luxurious cruise ship, docked at Phu My Port in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau, carrying 3,500 European and American tourists.

Khanh Hoa, home to famous resort town Nha Trang, has received five international cruise ships with nearly 2,000 foreign tourists so far this year.

In 2019, Vietnamese ports received 7.5 million passengers arriving on cruise ships, up 8% from the previous year.

According to Vietnam's tourism development strategy with a vision to 2030, the country will give priority to developing cruise tourism.

Vietnam has a network of 2,360 rivers with a total length of more than 41,900 kilometers. In recent years luxury river cruises have become popular among international visitors.

The country earned over $5.65 billion in tourism revenues in the first quarter of 2023, welcoming 2.7 million foreign visitors.
President-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu has congratulated mixed martial artist, Israel Adesanya on his knockout win over Alex Pereira to reclaim the middleweight crown at UFC 287 in Miami.

Adesanya downed the Brazilian in the second round in what he described as a sweet revenge at his only UFC defeat at middleweight to the same opponent in November 2022.

Reacting to his victory, Tinubu lauded the Stylebender for always believing in himself and for making Nigeria proud.

He wrote, Congratulations to Isreal Adesanya on reclaiming the UFC Middleweight Title. He never stopped believing in himself and we did not stop believing in him.

READ MORE: Israel Adesanya Reclaims UFC Title With Spectacular Knockout Of Pereira

Recalled that INFORMATION NIGERIA reported that Israel Adesanya didnt take long after defeating Alex Pereira to send a warning to other middleweights.

During the post-fight interview, the Nigerian-born star turned his attention to a fellow African middleweight, though he didnt mention him by name.

Adesanya said he didnt want to give the fighter any clout by mentioning his name, but that he needed to choose his words more wisely when referring to those who paved the way for him.
The spokesperson for the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council, Festus Keyamo has queried Nigerians regarding the owner of the alleged stolen mandate arising from the outcome of the 2023 presidential election.

Keyamo, who is also the minister of State, Labour and Employment posited on Saturday that in criminal law, stealing of a property cant arise unless there is first of all, an owner.

He, therefore, asked the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) counterpart, Atiku Abubakar who has the mandate that was allegedly stolen.

Taking to Twitter on Saturday Night, Keyamo wrote: In criminal law, there can be no stealing unless the property has an owner. SIMPLE QUESTION: Between Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, who has the mandate that was allegedly stolen? Check the comments below to see those who cannot answer a simple question.

Recall the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress as the winner of the February 25 presidential poll.

Atiku of the PDP placed second while LPs Peter Obi came third in the polls respectively.

READ ALSO: Datti Baba-Ahmed Will Not Debate Wole Soyinka  LP Spokesman, Tanko

However, both Atiku and Obi have rejected the outcome of the election and vowed to reclaim their stolen mandate through the election petition tribunal.

In another tweet, the Senior Advocate of Nigeria said despite the winner declaration by the INEC, the opposition have continued in propagating unfounded claims aimed at delegitimising the mandate of the President-elect. We have countered these unfounded claims at every point in time and this is what they have interpreted as campaigning after our victory.

No, it is not campaigning. It is defending our mandate against these lies. In reality, they want us to be quiet whist they run amok with their lies. They have found us hard nuts to crack!

Speaking on the alleged leaked audio involving Obi and Bishop David Oyedepo of the Living Faith Church he said, Peter Obi waited for 5 GOOD DAYS to observe whether the yes-daddy audio would be very damaging or not to him before commenting on it and when he confirmed it had ended his political career, he tweeted a very WEAK DENIAL.

Before then, he used to tweet every day or every other day, but this time he did not tweet about the audio for 5 DAYS. On the 4th day, he first avoided it and tweeted about the accusation Lai Mohammed made THAT SAME DAY in Washington DC, without commenting on the yes-daddy audio that was already four days old on that day. It was when there was an avalanche of criticisms by Nigerians of ducking the main issue that he then tweeted his weak denial on the fifth day. Wayo man!Nigerians are not fools!
Daniel Bwala, spokesman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has said Nobel laureate, Wole Soyinka, should debate with novelist, Chimamanda Adichie not Labour Partys (LP) vice presidential candidate, Datti Baba-Ahmed.

Recall Datti in a Channels Television interview, said the country has no president-elect despite the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), announcing Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the election.

He had said Tinubu would be leading an unconstitutional government if sworn into office because the APC candidate has not met requirements of the law.

Information Nigeria had reported that Soyinka said he was willing to engage the LP vice-presidential candidate on the recent contentious interview or any of his nominees, if the station was willing.

Soyinka who disclosed this on Friday while condemning the five million naira fine imposed on Channels by the National Broadcasting Commission said, May I seize this opportunity, by the way, to condemn the sanctions imposed on Channels Television which anchored the performance of the LP candidate. As stated, I watched the programme keenly  saw the valiant efforts of the interviewer to ensure fair hearing.

READ ALSO: Datti Baba-Ahmed Will Not Debate Wole Soyinka  LP Spokesman, Tanko

I fail to understand just where the station could be faulted, except from a disposition for injustice. To sustain that penalty is to give joy to others who turn Internet into a soakaway for their rancid emissions, yet feel that others should be silenced.

If Channels TV feels up to it, I offer myself willing to engage Mr Datti  or any nominee of his  on its platform on this very bone of contention  one-on-one  without the malodorous intervention of media trolls, and with the same interviewer as mediator. That should be taken as a serious offer.

However, Bwala reacting in a Twitter post on Sunday said Soyinka was not a politician, hence, should challenge the international novelist, Chimamanda.

Recall also that Adichie in an open letter to United States President, Joe Biden urged him not to congratulate president-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu, because according to her, the electoral process was flawed by a number of irregularities

Adichie alleged widespread reports of violence, ballot box snatching, voter intimidation, and other malpractices which marred the February 25 poll as reasons the United States president should not recognize Tinubus victory.

Tweeting, Bwala wrote: Am told Prof. Soyinka asked to debate Datti. No, he should ask to debate Chimamanda Adichie.

Datti is a politician, Soyinka is not, so it will be an unfair debate.

But both Soyinka and Chimamanda trade on literature and grammar. #Soyinkadebatechimamanda.

When he tries Chimamanda, he will understand the phrase nobody has the monopoly of knowledge. It will certainly be the case of David v Goliath.
Protests took place in January in the wake of a school board vote that banned Pride flags and other "advocacy" materials from classrooms. More than 800 alumni of the Central Bucks School District signed a letter to the districts school board condemning actions they said had discriminated against LGBTQ students. Read more

More than 800 alumni of the Central Bucks School District signed a letter to the districts school board condemning actions they said had discriminated against LGBTQ students, along with reports of rife bullying inadequately addressed by the district.

As proud alumni of the Central Bucks School District, we are horrified by the discriminatory and dangerous policies that you and some school administrators have implemented or allowed to happen in the district over the past year, alumni said in the letter, which was sent to the school board Wednesday.

Our schools must be a welcoming and nurturing environment for all students. Schools should also be a marketplace of ideas that challenge students to grow and flourish their intellect. But your recent actions dramatically undermine both of these goals.

The letter cites a number of policies and allegations also contained in a federal complaint against the district by the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania  a suspension of a teacher who tried to help a bullied student file a complaint; a requirement that teachers ignore students preferred names and pronouns without parental permission; a cancellation of in-person sex education classes after a nonbinary student sought to participate in a girls class; a ban on sexualized content in library books; and a policy prohibiting Pride flags and other advocacy in classrooms.

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A few board members should not be imposing their political views on thousands of students and teachers by telling them what they can and cant read or talk about in class, the letter said. It also took issue with the hiring of the Duane Morris law firm and former U.S. Attorney Bill McSwain, saying he criticized the mere existence of a middle school GSA  a Gender-Sexuality Alliance  during his campaign for governor.

A district spokesperson did not respond Thursday afternoon to a request for comment.

Rotimi Adeoye, a 2014 graduate of the district who works for the ACLU in Washington, D.C., and helped organize the letter, said he was alarmed to hear about the anti-LGBTQ accusations, and saddened when he then read stories online about the district, including anecdotes from students about negative experiences.

Seeing it just regress made us want to do something, stand up and make our voices clear, said Adeoye, whose family immigrated from Nigeria and ended up in Central Bucks because of its reputation for good schools.

He said it took him and Christina Maida, a 2010 graduate, about a month to collect the signatures, which span decades of alumni dating back to 1959.



The letter with the 800 signatures

The letter also includes a list of comments from many of the signers. Numerous read simply: Do better.

Others described how they had lost pride in having attended the district; some said they regretted having moved back to the community, and accused the board of pushing a dangerous political agenda.

Inclusivity costs nothing and means everything to people who are already struggling to find their place in the world, wrote one person who said they were a current social studies teacher with students who identify as non-binary and LGBTQ.

Another said: You are ruining lives! You cant possibly understand what its like to grow up queer unless youve done it.

Adeoye said he hopes the board takes note of the pain and frustration in the letters comments.

A lot of people are hoping to see change, he said.
City Council hoped that a long-stalled nondiscrimination bill would die quietly, ideally behind closed doors, in the winter of 1975. But a group of radical lesbians newly calling themselves Dyketactics! had a different plan.

For 20 months, the bill  which would have banned discrimination based on sexual orientation in housing, public accommodations, and employment in Philly  had languished. Now another year was ending. Without any progress, lesbian, gay, and transgender Philadelphians could still be legally fired from their jobs and evicted from their homes.

Free 1275! Dyketactics members and other gay activists shouted during City Councils meeting on Dec. 4, referring to the bill they wanted passed. They held up handwritten signs reading Dykes Ignite! and kissed and embraced while Council President George Schwartz pounded his gavel.

The Dyketactics protest, and the violence that would unfold in response, garnered national attention and inspired similar civil disobedience across the country. A few weeks later, Dyketactics would become the first LGBTQ group in the nation to sue a city for police brutality against queer people.

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But Dyketactics is not widely known today. Neither is much of Phillys dramatic lesbian history, such as the police raid on the lesbian bar Rustys in 1968, a year before Stonewall.

We are denied a history. Its almost like we were individuals, we popped out of the sky. Youre the only one, said Paola Bacchetta, a founding member of Dyketactics who is now the groups archivist, and a professor of gender and womens studies at the University of California, Berkeley.

Many of the countrys LGBTQ archives primarily document white gay male history, said Bob Skiba, curator of Phillys William Way archives, which has been working in recent years to expand its collections.

A new Philly project called Ephemera: A Lesbian Memory Hotline is trying to fill in the gaps. The collective, public archive is seeking stories from and about lesbian identity to add to the incomplete record of lesbian culture in Philadelphia. People are encouraged to call in and share their short stories on the projects voice mail at 215-252-0742. The hotline was launched at the end of 2022 by Nia Benjamin, director of creative projects at Intercultural Journeys, a performing arts organization.

Benjamin was at the William Way archives conducting research for a play when they saw the words lesbian hotline in the 1970s feminist magazine WICCA. Inspired by the phrase and aware of how much history remained undocumented, Benjamin designed lavender fliers featuring a landline (part of Benjamins broader fascination with vintage tech equipment) and tear-off tabs. The fliers are now posted in coffee shops, bars, and museums across the city; peoples stories will ultimately be shared online.

I think its abundantly clear now that government and legislature wont protect us, said Benjamin, 28. The goal of this is to remind people in the lesbian community and in the queer community at large that we have channels of communicating with each other and being together and remembering.

That 1975 day at City Hall remains seared in the minds of those who were there. While the activists chanted, the sergeant-at-arms forcibly kicked them out of City Council chambers, dragging one woman by her hair, according to Sherrie Cohen, a founding Dyketactics member who was at the protest and is currently running for an at-large City Council seat.

Dyketactics and their allies regrouped in the hallway, where they raised a 13-foot witch puppet that belonged to the Bread and Puppet Theater and continued chanting, according to news reports. But then the Philadelphia Civil Disobedience squad, a unit of plainclothes police officers tasked with surveilling and disrupting activist groups at the time, surrounded them. Cohen said the officers pushed her group towards the top of the fourth floor stairwell.

[They] started pushing and kicking us, Cohen said. And many of us said, stop kicking, well walk, well walk  And we would try to get up and then they would kick us again, all the way down four flights of stairs, until they literally kicked us out of City Hall.

Bruised and in shock, the group went directly to the emergency room. Later that day, Bacchetta, Cohen, and four other members of the group, who came to be known as the Dyketactics 6 decided to file a federal lawsuit against the city. Their trial a year later garnered enormous publicity.

The citys lawyers asked us, the DYKETACTICS! plaintiffs, to state whether or not we were lesbians, Bacchetta wrote later. In 1976, that simple question was probably the most effective way to discredit our testimony in advance. The media began fairly early on to construct us as insane.

Ultimately, Dyketactics lost at trial. Philadelphia did not pass a sexual orientation nondiscrimination bill until six years later, in 1982.

Bacchetta worries that not having access to a full history cuts off todays queer movement from some of its most radical and creative elements. Dyketactics members saw gay and trans rights as part of a broader struggle for equality, Bacchetta said.

I got up early for the revolution (as I was convinced it would arrive any morning sometime soon), she wrote.

Dyketactics members continue to stay in touch almost daily in a private Facebook group. Recently the group unanimously agreed to donate its archives, including position papers, trial transcripts, personal photos, and song lyrics, to Yale University, with a digital version finding a home at William Way. Both Cohen and Bacchetta are eager to see what the lesbian memory hotline uncovers.

If you dont find ways to tell your own story and get it out there, Cohen said, then it might not be told.
Shaina Moore, center, with her children, Princekaimir Thompson, left, and his sister Suhara Moore, right, at their home in Philadelphia. Moore and two-year-old Suhara Moore were struck by gunfire in Strawberry Mansion in February. Read more

Shaina Moore was pushing her daughter in a stroller as she walked her 8-year-old son home from school on a winter afternoon when shots rang out behind them and a bullet struck her leg.

Run! she yelled to her son, urging him to race ahead, away from the gunfire, as she struggled to steady the stroller and limped along the sidewalk, blood rushing down her leg.

Just feet away, on the corner of North 31st and Norris Streets in Strawberry Mansion, five teens were shot in a chaotic burst of gunfire that unfolded within seconds.

And as Moore would later learn, her 2-year-old daughter, Suhara, was also shot in the leg, struck by the same bullet that pierced her mothers thigh.

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On that February day, police said, three shooters were lying in wait inside a stolen silver Hyundai to ambush a group of teenagers. What happened next was captured on surveillance video from a nearby beer distributor: As the teens rounded the corner, the shooters jumped out of the car and sprayed at least 30 bullets in different directions.

In 13 seconds flat, seven people were shot as the teens ran and dove for cover before the gunmen piled back into the car and sped away.

In addition to Moore and Suhara, a 13-year-old boy was shot in the hand; a 16-year-old boy was shot in the arm and leg; another 16-year-old boy was struck in the arm; a 17-year-old boy suffered a graze wound to his thigh; and a 15-year-old boy was shot twice in the chest.

Police have made no arrests, and the motive for the crime remains unclear.

Moore, for one, is angry at the shooters who launched the broad daylight attack.

My first question to them would be: Why? When you saw us, when yall saw us ... why? Why did you continue to do what you were doing? she said.

After spending days in the hospital, Moore, 31, now undergoes physical therapy several times a week to regain the strength in her leg. She has yet to return to her job as a support professional for people with intellectual disabilities. Suhara still has a bullet lodged in her leg, and the toddler cries and fusses when her mother changes the dressing on her wound.

In the rush of pain and confusion after Moore was shot, she said, she didnt know her child had been hit. She didnt find out until after she was rushed to the hospital, leaving her children in a friends care.

Moore says she hopes it haunts the three people who fired their guns that day to know that one of their bullets struck a child.

I hope that its eating at them, she said. I hope that theyre losing sleep behind it. Because theres no way you can walk around comfortable, happy, feeling OK with yourself knowing that in a crime that you committed, a baby was injured.

Despite her injuries, Suhara is bubbly and happy, her mother said, even as she stays close to her mom and brother, Princekaimir. Although he was not physically harmed, the boy is at once clingy and protective, Moore said.

She still remembers how he looked at her when she told him to run. It was clear he wanted to rush to her side, but he did as she said and raced off in the other direction, his school backpack strapped to his shoulders as he ran.

The Feb. 18 shooting was one of 422 in the city so far this year amid a gun violence crisis that has claimed the lives of 89 people and left 361 others injured. The gunfire has primarily affected communities of color and people living in poverty.

In Moores case, the shooting happened just blocks from her Strawberry Mansion home. These days, she said, she goes out of her way to avoid the street where her daily routine was shattered by what she at first thought was the sound of firecrackers.

Even at 2, she said, Suhara recalls the shooting whenever the family is near the block where it happened. She can ride past and shell say what happened, Moore said. A 2-year-old should not have to say things like that. A 2-year-old shouldnt be able to articulate that something like that happened and actually be able to remember that thats what happened in that very spot. She shouldnt understand that.

Loud noises startle her daughter, Moore said. Shell say Whats that? or shell say You hear that, mom? You hear that? Moore said, on a recent afternoon as she sat with her children in the living room of her cozy, two-story home.

Still, she said, the children are resilient. On this day, Suhara, wearing a pink sweat suit emblazoned with the words You are so amazing, smiled at her mother and brother as she laughed and played with her toys, then sat in a pink fuzzy chair to draw.

Ive never witnessed somebody be that strong, Moore said, tearfully, as she looked over at her daughter. And to this day shes still herself. Everyday I draw strength from her.

As Moore spoke, Princekaimir was playing a video game on a cellphone as he sat beside his mother on the couch. Every once in a while, without words and without looking up, hed wrap his arm tightly around his mothers, drawing her close and leaning his head against her shoulder.

Moore recalled how when she first came home from the hospital, her son almost never left her side, sleeping on the floor next to the couch where she rested when she couldnt make it up the steps to her bedroom.

She said shes inspired by her children, pushing forward for them, amid uncertainty and still-tender wounds. But the feeling of safety she once had in her home and in her neighborhood has disappeared.

As soon as she can, Moore said, she hopes she can move her family to another part of the city to escape all that reminds her of the shooting.

Im just ready to move, she said. I want to get from around here. Honestly, its a little uncomfortable being in the house knowing it happened around the corner.

Ive always felt like I wanted to be able to get away from here, she said. But now its like I feel like I need to, in order for me to feel comfortable or that I dont have to worry about my child being worried about things.
Victoria Brownworth at not quite 16, before she got expelled from Girls' High in the 1970s for being gay. Read more

I wasnt quite 16 in the 1970s when I was expelled from the Philadelphia High School for Girls  Girls High  for being a lesbian.

As I sat next to my father across the desk from the principal, she said that I was a bad moral influence on the other (more than 2,000) girls at the school. She held up newspaper clippings from the Village Voice about a group called Radicalesbians and said I was spreading controversial political views about gay liberation. The principal also claimed I was engaging other girls in reading obscene materials. On this, she had a point: I had purloined some (now classic) lesbian pulp novels Id discovered on a high shelf in the library of a married couple from our church that I babysat for, and was passing them around to my friends.

Driving home after our meeting with the principal, my father, rarely at a loss for words, said: I dont understand. Youre pretty and boys like you.

My grandmother, mother, and sister all graduated from Girls High. When I was expelled, I became a family scandal. My mother and father  socialist civil rights workers and graduates of Seven Sisters and Ivy League colleges, respectively  were educated leftists, not religious fanatics. Yet they decided the best course of action to deal with this familial crisis was to have me involuntarily committed to a nearby mental institution for conversion therapy to de-gay me, a popular treatment for adolescents in the 1970s.

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Conversion therapy is the now largely discredited, pseudoscientific practice of attempting to change a persons sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.

The adolescent unit of the Eastern Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute was not unlike scenes from the film Girl Interrupted or even One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest. It was a psychiatric hospital, stripped bare of warmth and niceties. Daylight filtered through windows covered in chicken wire. Patients in various states of zombified medicalization meandered around or just sat, staring blankly. You are not there to be comforted  you are there to get better from your illness and, with luck, leave.

 READ MORE: Im a trans teen in Central Bucks. Here, it doesnt get better.

My illness was lesbianism and I was told every day in myriad increasingly more brutal and soul-crushing ways that I was not a lesbian. I was not who I thought I was. I did not love my girlfriend. I was not attracted to other girls.

One day I was told that my obsession with other girls was not normal. I was told that this was a phase that some girls go through. I was told that I would naturally outgrow it but that this therapy would speed up the process. There were a dozen other girls undergoing this therapy with me.

We were medicalized, we were traumatized, we were lied to and berated and mimicked and brutalized. We were made to cry and vomit and want to peel our own skin off. Yet we were meant to leave the program fully de-gayed and ready to embrace the heterosexual selves we were told we were  and who our parents had paid for us to become.

After several weeks, I left the hospital sick, despondent, rageful, and just as lesbian as when I went in. I started cutting myself soon after  something I did for more than a dozen years, a packet of razor blades in my pocket or purse. Decades later, the fine scars are still there on my inner arms and thighs. I ran away from home several times, once landing in Philadelphias juvenile justice center. I attempted suicide and was forced back into therapy.

How to find help If you or anyone you know is thinking of suicide, help is available 24/7: The National Suicide Prevention Talk Line offers help in over 150 languages. Call 1-800-273-8255 or text HELLO to 741741. En Espanol , marca al 1-888-628-9454. If you're deaf or hard of hearing, call 1-800-799-4889.

offers help in over 150 languages. Call 1-800-273-8255 or text HELLO to 741741. , marca al 1-888-628-9454. If you're call 1-800-799-4889. The Philadelphia Suicide and Crisis Center offers guidance and assessment about depression, self harm, hopelessness, anger, addiction, and relationship problems, at 215-686-4420.

offers guidance and assessment about depression, self harm, hopelessness, anger, addiction, and relationship problems, at 215-686-4420. Veterans Crisis Chat is available at 1-800-273-8255 or by text at 838255.

is available at 1-800-273-8255 or by text at 838255. The Trevor Project offers crisis support to LGBTQ+ youth 25 and under. Call 1-866-488-7386, text START to 678678, or start a chat.

At no point did I stop being lesbian.

Psychiatric conversion therapy is still legal everywhere in the United States for adults and only banned in fewer than half the states for minors. (Not Pennsylvania, which has only banned the use of taxpayer funds for conversion therapy, a measure that doesnt cover private and faith-based providers.) At least 700,000 adults living in the United States have undergone conversion therapy.

I left the hospital sick, despondent, rageful, and just as lesbian as when I went in.

In the 1980s, I became an activist against conversion therapy, appearing frequently on local and national television and radio programs to challenge these programs and their deleterious impact.

I never thought, when conversion therapy radicalized me as a queer activist at 16, that decades later I would still be fighting this dangerous practice, that it would still be legal everywhere, or that a major political party would be incorporating it into its platform under the guise of parental rights.

Yet here we are.

The Republican Party now believes gay and trans people like me can be legislated out of existence. Since Donald Trump took office in 2017, there has been an escalating movement toward legislation that restricts LGBTQ civil rights and civil liberties. Along with the various dont say gay bills that prevent teachers from discussing sexual orientation, at the recent Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) there were calls to eradicate transgenderism. Make no mistake: Thats a call for a mass conversion-therapy event.

For non-queer people, it may be hard to imagine what it is like to be under constant threat because of your sexual orientation or gender identity. Its likely impossible to envision being told as a teenager that you are not who you know yourself to be  that you, the real you, doesnt exist and shouldnt exist. Yet this has been happening for decades, long before I was kicked out of Girls High, and its still happening everywhere in this country, as legislation tries to eradicate gender-affirming care for trans teens and end any discourse about sexual orientation that is not strictly heterosexual for LGBTQ kids.

And that discrimination doesnt end in adulthood  far from it. LGBTQ elders face ongoing barriers, with a significant percentage of queer and trans seniors facing homelessness and food insecurity. Im a recent widow. Along with mourning the death of the woman I first dated when we were students at Girls High, I am fighting for spousal benefits, which would be less of a struggle if we had been straight. And if some of the Supreme Courts conservative justices have their way, Obergefell v. Hodges  the 2015 ruling that legalized gay marriage  will be overturned.

The teenage lesbian that I was never fully recovered from the trauma of conversion therapy. It didnt  couldnt  cure me. But conversion therapy left me with literal scars. Its unconscionable that, after that experience turned me into a queer activist so many years ago, Im still fighting to protect another generation of kids from the same attempts to deny them their identity.

Yet here we are. Still.

Victoria A. Brownworth is a Philadelphia writer and author of nearly 20 books, including the award-winning Too Queer: Essays From a Radical Life and Coming Out of Cancer: Writings From the Lesbian Cancer Epidemic. @VABVOX
Former Rep. Justin Jones (D., Nashville), Rep. Gloria Johnson (D., Knoxville), and former Rep. Justin Pearson (D., Memphis) raise their hands outside the House chamber after Jones and Pearson were expelled from the legislature Thursday in Nashville, Tenn. Read more

It was the highlight reel of what should have been a banner week for American democracy  scores of down vest-wearing, smartphone-gazing students at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in a line that snaked around every corner of a campus building as they waited to cast a ballot for an open seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

When the votes were tallied at the end of the night, some 883 people had cast ballots at the campus polling place  more than any other precinct in Eau Claire, and nearly six times as many as voted there in a similar election four years earlier. And 87% of the students had voted for Democrat Janet Protasiewicz  perhaps a rejection of her Republican opponent Dan Kellys lifelong opposition to abortion and his work trying to overturn Joe Bidens 2020 election victory.

The surge in young-voter turnout was a key reason why Protasiewicz won a landslide, 11-point victory in a key swing state that Biden had only won by just over 20,000 votes three years earlier. Overall, the turnout for a race to decide the balance of power on the Badger States highest court set a record for a nonpresidential year, but the GOPs Kelly wasnt hearing the chimes of freedom. He all but called the Democrats victory illegitimate.

I wish that in a circumstance like this, I would be able to concede to a worthy opponent, Kelly told his supporters on election night. But I do not have a worthy opponent to which I can concede. He claimed without evidence that Protasiewicz is a serial liar and that the Democrat who defeated him doesnt believe in the rule of law but the rule of Janet.

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It would be easy to dismiss Kellys election denial as unusually sour grapes, except that some lawmakers in the GOP majority in the Wisconsin legislature are  and this is hard to believe  already talking about impeaching Protasiewicz even before she takes the oath of office. A new state senator who won a special election to give Republicans a supermajority in Madison said hed seriously consider impeaching the new justice, citing the flimsy pretext of her record as a circuit judge in failing Milwaukee.

It should have been a banner week for democracy. But it wasnt.

Anyone doubting Republicans impeachment bluster in Wisconsin could take a look around to Nashville, Tenn., where white GOP lawmakers stunned the nation by expelling two Black colleagues and disenfranchising their roughly 140,000 predominantly African American constituents because the men had, from the floor of the Capitol, joined a thousand or so young people protesting gun violence. (A white female Democrat who also protested kept her seat by one vote.)

The Tennessee expulsions, tinged with a racism that echoed from 1960s civil rights protests with deep roots in Nashvilles once-segregated lunch counters, showed America just how far Republicans are willing to go to hold power  by nullifying the votes of Black and brown voters and drowning out the voices of young people who thoroughly reject Republican dogma around AR-15 assault rifles, transgender athletes, or banning abortion.

 READ MORE: Republicans are taking over stuff run by Black people because the GOP hates democracy

That movement has in 2023 already brought a flurry of moves including state takeovers of Democratic school boards in large red-state cities like Houston and legislation in states from Georgia to Missouri aiming to sharply curtail power and potentially remove progressive district attorneys elected by urban voters, such as the impeachment of Philadelphias twice-elected prosecutor Larry Krasner. Even Congress got in on the act with legislation to nullify a sweeping criminal justice overhaul that Washington, D.C.s majority-Black city council had approved 12-1.

Whats more, this political counterrevolution in legislative corridors is taking place right as the conservative movements grand project of the last half-century  a ruthless, multimillion-dollar crusade to install unaccountable, lifetime right-wing judges across the federal bench  is coming to full fruition. Good Fridays decision by Amarillo, Texas-based federal Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, a Donald Trump appointee rooted in ultraconservative networks, seeking to undo approval of the abortion drug mifepristone after 23 years on the market is a huge end run around democracy in a nation where a majority of voters support abortion rights. Conservatives routinely file lawsuits in Amarillo because Kacsmaryk is that districts lone judge.

Now his ruling  another huge blow to reproductive rights in a nation still reeling from the U.S. Supreme Courts 2022 overturn of Roe v. Wade, clearing the way for red-state abortion bans  heads to that same high court, which is reeking from the stench of billionaire corruption. Last weeks blockbuster report from ProPublica that Justice Clarence Thomas has accepted and not reported hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of luxury travel from a Texas billionaire with a right-wing agenda shows the moral depths of an unaccountable Supreme Court  lacking an ethics code and apparently for sale  that is thwarting the popular will on issues ranging from abortion to climate change.

The tumultuous events of the last week call to mind Vladimir Lenins famous observation that there are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen. Decades, indeed. Over these seven days in April, we watched the right-wing dead-enders of the 1980s Reagan Revolution mount legislative and judicial coups against the rising youth of the 2020s in a battle waged with all the moral intensity of the 1960s. But we should also see it as a moment of clarity for a chaotic America  revealing exactly what we are fighting for, and the massive stakes.

Democrats are waging conventional warfare on the political front lines  at the ballot box, trying to get votes with the power of their ideas  and in much of America, they appear to be winning. It happened on Tuesday, with the coalition that produced the Protasiewicz landslide in Wisconsin, and with Chicago voters rejecting the reactionary, cop union conservatism of Paul Vallas to elect progressive upstart Brandon Johnson as their new mayor. But then, its happened on the bigger stage since 1992, as Democrats have won the national popular vote in seven of eight presidential elections, as the United States grows more diverse and less in thrall to the conservative hierarchies around race, gender, sexuality, and intolerance.

Republicans are responding with an asymmetrical civil war against democracy, constantly looking for the weak points to deploy their IEDs of autocracy, determined to blow up the American Experiment if thats what it takes to retain power by any means necessary. Their tactics are working well, unfortunately. Darth Vaders Death Star had just one opening to exploit, but U.S. democracy has many  gerrymandering, the filibuster, the Electoral College, the undemocratic makeup of the U.S. Senate, statehouse power plays against home rule for Black or brown or progressive-minded communities, a take-no-prisoners hijacking of the judiciary. The only shock of Thursdays next-level expulsion of two duly elected Black lawmakers in Nashville was the proof that  as Republican ideas become more unpopular  there is no bottom to how low this movement will go.

And the targeting of these two young Black activists  Reps. Justin Jones of Nashville and Justin Pearson of Memphis  should have removed any lingering doubts around what the GOPs war on democracy is ultimately all about: white power. Increasingly, state legislatures are using the pandemic-era uptick in urban crime as their shallow justification for antidemocratic assaults on the will of big-city voters who believe in criminal justice reform, not the GOPs preferred method of warrior cops with roots going back to the 1800s slave patrols. In Tennessee, the white Republican majority is triggered over who can own assault rifles, the ultimate social control.

The conservative movement doesnt really believe in the liberties laid out in the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. It believes in the divine right of its preordained hierarchies  white supremacy, patriarchy, homophobia, xenophobia, etc.  and will stop at nothing to maintain them. The story of America has been the fight for democracy against slavery, Jim Crow, pervasive sexism, mass incarceration, and more. Today, the forces of repression are running out of room, so they would rather win by fascism than lose elections.

Its fitting that the dramas from Nashville to Amarillo played out against the weeks other huge story  the arraignment of Donald Trump in a Manhattan courtroom. Rather than depart the stage after his own election defeat in 2020, Trump has survived to become the Great Orange Whale of American neofascism. The fact that the 45th president has so far managed to evade any accountability for mounting an attempted coup against the peaceful transfer of power to Biden, and is running for a second term to pardon the insurrectionists of Jan. 6, 2021, cannot be overstated here. His survival is the symbol that has emboldened the expellers, the impeachers, the judicial dictators  the guerilla fighters against our freely cast votes.

The Nashville travesty made clear that the next 19 months, between now and the 2024 presidential election, in which Trump remains the front-runner for the GOP nomination, are likely to be the most fraught time for America since 1860-1861, and perhaps even more perilous than that prelude to our Civil War.

Its not impossible to see an immediate future in which more and more democratically elected officials like Jones and Pearson are impeached or expelled, with a Supreme Court that serves an oligarchy and not the 99% of U.S. citizens continuing to strip our basic freedoms  perhaps even ruling that the same state legislatures now disenfranchising Black voters can also award presidential electors to the candidate with fewer votes in 2024. The citizens who cling to it cant happen here need to look at what is happening right now.

And yet there is also reason for great hope. Americas young people  the ones who left their classrooms last week and overran the state capitol in Nashville to plead for real action against gun violence, the ones fighting book bans in their schools and speaking out for radical action on climate  are the bravest and boldest generation this nation has seen in some time. Their moral authority, and their rising power at the ballot box from Eau Claire to Memphis, is why a decrepit GOP is lashing out. History will surely remember what happened in Tennessee as an affront to democracy  and the last throes of a dying movement.

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Tesla will build a new battery factory in Shanghai, increasing investment in China at a time of brewing tensions between Beijing and Washington.

Tesla, which is led by eccentric entrepreneur Elon Musk, will manufacture its Megapack large-scale energy-storage unit in the new facility, which adds to its factory for electric vehicles in Shanghai.

Construction is scheduled to begin in the third quarter of this year and the plant will commence production in the second quarter of 2024, the company said in a statement.

Teslas deepening China investment comes shortly after Frances Airbus announced plans to double its production capacity in the country for one of its top-selling jets. The European planemaker will add a second final assembly line for A320 narrow-bodies at its existing factory in Tianjin, under a deal signed by CEO Guillaume Faury in Beijing on Thursday.

The new manufacturing projects give a boost for Chinese industry as other firms like Apple rethink production in the nation amid heightened tensions with the US over everything from an alleged Chinese spy balloon being shot down over American skies to Beijings partnership with Russian president Vladimir Putin.

The Megapack is intended as a massive battery to help stabilise energy grids, with the company saying each unit can store enough energy to power an average of 3,600 homes for one hour.

Tesla currently has a factory in Lathrop, California, capable of manufacturing 10,000 Megapacks per year.

The new factory will initially produce 10,000 Megapacks every year, equal to around 40 GWh of energy storage, and the products will be sold worldwide.

China, home to rising global electric vehicle star BYD, is an extremely important market for Tesla.

Its existing car factory on the outskirts of Shanghai, which the US firm owns outright, produced almost 711,000 cars last year, or 52% of its worldwide output, even with production being disrupted by Chinas now-abandoned zero-covid policy.

EV sales growth in China slowed to 20.8% in the first two months of 2023, from 150% in the same period a year ago.

Bloomberg, with additional reporting by Reuters
Increasing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from transport have led to calls for immediate bans on SUVs, cars in cities, and private jets in Ireland. Similar calls are emerging in other countries.

Check out our Sustainability and Climate Change Hub where you will find the latest news, features, opinions and analysis on this topic from across the various Irish Examiner topic desks and their team of specialist writers and columnists.

In Germany, a government proposal to ban new oil and gas heating systems from 2024 was leaked to the public, which, following a public outcry was substantially, amended.

Having to resort to a ban is a sign of having failed to convince people of the need to change decisions and behaviours, but the calls we have seen recently may end up being counterproductive to the aim of reducing emissions and deflect from the implementation of effective non-coercive policies.

Take a proposed ban of cars in cities. There is certainly scope to extend pedestrian areas in many cities, but is public transport available to make a wider ban feasible?

Does it mean banning taxis, which are important for many people who are less mobile? Are there enough park and ride facilities for people from outside cities? Would it not end up pushing traffic to out-of-town shopping centres and end up hollowing out city centres?

Home heating

In the wake of the leaked plan to ban oil and gas heating systems where old systems in Germany need replacement from 2024, a range of issues emerged. For example, the cost of alternative systems, principally heat pumps, is much higher than an oil or gas boiler.

Households might not be able to afford that higher cost, and especially in the case of elderly persons the substantial cost of such an investment might not be worthwhile.

There might not even be enough heat pumps available to install, and the electricity grids might not be able to accommodate the additional load. This highlights the fact that bans would typically need to be accompanied by other measures, but these are often ignored in the discussion.

Another effect of the potential ban was increased inquiries for new oil and gas boilers by people who expect to have to replace theirs in the near future.

Motor fuel

This is an effect that is also possible in response to the ban of petrol and diesel powered cars in the EU from 2035.

This ban could lead to older cars being repaired rather than replaced. This is sometimes referred to as the Havana effect, with reference to the large number of American cars from the 1950s in Cuba where, due to an export embargo, newer US models were not available. Both the Havana effect and a pre-ban increase in sales of less sustainable products would of course have negative environmental effect and would thus constitute a counterproductive effect of a ban in the absence of other measures.

Bans can also be counterproductive in another way.

Bans can provoke resistance

Forcing people to make changes that they would not chose themselves could increase resistance to further measures. People may also worry that if you can ban one thing then other things can be banned too.

The fact that calls for bans are typically made by people who would be unaffected by their proposals is important, as it shows a lack of care about other peoples circumstances.

People prefer to make their own choices, but these choices must be based on the correct information, and an important dimension to this is the prices they face. For motorists the cost of running their car includes the purchase costs and the running costs, including various taxes. The total cost to society includes these costs and additional wider societal costs from congestion, emissions and road damage.

Economists have shown that, by adjusting taxes so that the wider costs are reflected in the private costs, more efficient decision-making takes place, and this will in most cases have fewer additional complications than an outright ban.

Reducing emissions is neither optional or costless and does imply significant change. Inevitably, there is resistance to change for a variety of reasons, which might well be amplified with bans. By making the full costs of decisions explicit so that people can make an informed decision is a much better policy in most cases.

Edgar Morgenroth is professor of economics at Dublin City University Business School
ELKO  A 28-year-old man being chased by law enforcement following a report of a stabbing crashed his pickup into the front doors of the Elko County Sheriffs Office and Jail building on Saturday afternoon, the sheriffs office reported.

Deputies were called to a residence in Kittridge Canyon and were en route when they learned that the suspect had fled in a tan Ford pickup.

Officers from the Elko Police Department noticed the vehicle traveling westbound on Idaho Street and attempted to affect a traffic stop on the vehicle. The driver of the vehicle began to elude the officers and a vehicle pursuit was initiated, sheriffs Lt. Doug Fisher reported.

Law enforcement from the Elko Police Department, Nevada State Police and Elko County Sheriffs Office pursued the vehicle, which the driver ultimately chose to ram into the main entrance doors of the Sheriffs Office.

The driver was identified as Zachary Pawlik.

He was arrested on charges of felony eluding police, driving under the influence, domestic violence with a deadly weapon, assault with a deadly weapon, battery with a deadly weapon, malicious destruction of government property, and multiple traffic violations.

Further information on the ongoing investigation will be posted when it is available.
It's Easter: The shop shelves are overflowing with chocolate eggs and sweet treats and kids big and small are enjoying an opportunity to indulge their sweet tooth.

However, while eggs are the go-to treat for the season, theres another chocolate-centred food that we as a nation have been making to perfection  hot chocolate.

You may think a hot cup of cocoa is more of a winter drink, but I would argue a creamy sip of hot chocolate on a chilly spring day is the perfect pick-me-up for young and old, an ideal family excursion at any time, but particularly over the Easter holidays.

I recently posted on Instagram looking for recommendations for Corks best hot chocolate and I was not disappointed by the responses.

I made a list and started a taste test tour ahead of the school holidays. With the cost-of-living crisis really bedding in, I was keen to ensure the pricier recommendations were worth the extra cash, be it for taste or overall atmosphere and experience.

Below you will find a mixture of humble hot chocolate only and some more photogenic concoctions, but all have one thing in common: They were all delicious and worth the splurge.

Hot chocolate at Lab 82

Hot Chocolate at Lab 82, Lower Glanmire Rd, Cork City

Is there a more colourful spot to enjoy some hot chocolate than Lab 82? Located across from Kent Station, Lab 82 is the perfect pitstop for a family en route to the train for Fota Wildlife Park or beyond.

I popped in on a Saturday morning for breakfast, one of the busiest days in a spot also known for its brunch menu, and washed down my meal with hot chocolate.

Denise O'Donoghue enjoying a hot chocolate at Lab 82

As well as the tasty food menu, Lab 82s interiors alone are worth a visit. A variety of statues and wall art adorn the cafes walls. We were lucky to get a table and while being served, one member of staff told me the hot chocolates are as popular as ever  the comforting classic is a treat we can still justify to ourselves, it seems.

I ordered the hot chocolate for 4.50 and it was a happy medium between classic hot chocolate and a more ornate Insta-friendly offering.

The clear mug was covered with chocolate sauce on the inner surface, filled with hot chocolate and topped with cream, three large marshmallows and another drizzle of chocolate sauce, but nothing that made physically drinking it difficult.

Despite the richness of the ingredients, Lab 82s hot chocolate tasted light, creamy, and was gone in a flash. Its easy to see why it remains popular among customers.

XL hot chocolate at The Workshop

XL Hot Chocolate at The Workshop, Ballygarvan, Co Cork

Nestled at the end of Cork Airports runway is a quaint and popular tea room that you will rarely find empty.

The Workshop has become an institution for breakfast, lunch, and coffee, and its hot chocolate menu is a thing of beauty. Prices start at 3 for a kids hot chocolate or 4 for a regular, all served with cream and marshmallows, and its specialist varieties include popular flavours like Terrys Chocolate Orange, After 8, and Snowball. On a Sunday afternoon, I opted for the largest choice on the menu: An XL Hot Chocolate for 5.50. Go big or go home, right?

I was presented with a huge mug piled high with cream and small marshmallows. All of The Workshops hot drinks are served in eclectic, mismatching mugs and teacups. The Workshop takes pride in their vintage collection, opting for pre-loved ware instead of new crockery as a sustainable choice and it adds to the experience.

My hot chocolate was housed in an hourglass-shaped mug that reminded me of a large jug. The hot chocolate itself was creamy and a little on the sweet side compared to others featured here, likely due to the cream. It certainly had the most cream on top of any I tried but it wasnt an obstacle.

Despite the size of the mug, this hot chocolate vanished surprisingly quickly. It was not too heavy and was a lovely post-lunch treat. The surrounds too deserve a mention. The Workshop houses a range of cabinets and curiosities that are a welcome backdrop to any dining experience and quite a few mementos within are available for purchase too.

Hot chocolate at COCOA, Winthrop Arcade

Proper Hot Chocolate at COCOA, Winthrop Arcade, Cork City

The Winthrop Arcade is one of my favourite places to walk through in Cork City. Located between Winthrop St and Oliver Plunkett St, it is Irelands oldest covered shopping arcade and it dates to 1926. Nestled within its walls is COCOA, which, after I asked for suggestions, was one of the most frequently recommended hot chocolates.

Due to its petite location, it doesnt seat a huge number of guests but we were lucky to find a table outside (outside the shop but still covered by the arcades roof). Although it is beside one of the busiest streets in the city, its a peaceful spot and a great location for a quiet cuppa.

Its Proper Hot Chocolate costs 3.50 (3), or 4.20 for a large cup, making it one of the more affordable options I tried. A childs hot chocolate is 3, with cream costing an additional 10c. I opted to go without cream (it was my third hot chocolate of the day, I was fit to burst) and what I received was a straightforward and traditional cup of cocoa  much like the name suggests. It tasted more like dark chocolate than the others I tried elsewhere but it was a rich and enjoyable flavour.

Fellini Hot Chocolate

Fellinis Hot Chocolate at Fellini Cafe, Careys Lane, Cork City

Corks oldest tea room is more than deserving of a visit to sample their hot chocolate  and its probably the best value one I tried. Located just off St Patricks St, visiting Fellinis is like stepping back in time to Corks golden age. A refuge from the hustle and bustle of Pana, Fellinis boasts a high ornate ceiling and is a beautiful cafe to spend some time in.There are three hot chocolates on the menu: Viennese Hot Chocolate (4), Dark Aztec Chocolate, and their signature Fellinis Hot Chocolate, which I opted for.

A Viennese hot chocolate at Fellini's Cafe

While some hot chocolates on this list fill large mugs, this is the only one that had enough for two. Placed on the table before me were an empty mug a small dish of marshmallows and chocolates, and a full-to-the-top glass jug filled with creamy and delicious hot chocolate. My first pour filled the cup, with enough left in the jug for a second full cup of hot chocolate. The drink was a comforting and classic hot chocolate and certainly the best value I tried, practically two for the price of one.

Meanwhile, my companion chose a Viennese Hot Chocolate, also 5, which came with a dollop of cream on top. Though it did not match the Fellini Hot Chocolate in volume, it was more than satisfying. He described it as basically liquid Nutella and a much thicker formula than expected. It was a delicious and decadent option and reminded me of the hot chocolates Ive seen on Tiktok from Parisian cafes.

Honourable mentions

As I mentioned above, I received a huge number of recommendations for hot chocolate on social media but I was unable to visit them all. Here are five of the most-mentioned places in Cork and beyond that remain on my must-visit list.

Wundercaffee, Farran, Co Cork.

O Conaill Hot Chocolate at Dinky Donuts, Marina Market, Cork City.

Laduree, Dawson St, Dublin City.

The Sweetest Thing Chocolate Cafe, Bachelors Walk, Dublin City.

Jack Mondays Coffee House, Thomondgate, Limerick City
A 26-year-old man has appeared before a Belfast court charged with the murder of a woman in Limerick city.

Geila Ibram, 27, from Romania, was found dead at a residence in Dock Road in Limerick on Tuesday.

Habib Shamel, an Afghan national, appeared before the court via videolink charged with her murder.

Belfast Magistrates Court heard he had been in Ireland since October 2020, and had applied for asylum.

When asked whether he understood the charge against him, he confirmed through an interpreter that he did.

A detective sergeant told the court that Ms Ibram had been stabbed numerous times and that the attack resulted in the defendant injuring his hand.

The detective said that evidence gathered shows a conversation between the defendant and the victim, between 11.20am and 12.40pm on April 4, which was arranging a sexual exchange.

At the end of the conversation, the victim provided her address, the court heard.

The detective said that CCTV footage shows the defendant entering the flat just before 1.30pm, and leaving approximately one minute 52 seconds later.

He said that the victim was stabbed numerous times in the neck, face and abdomen during this period, in what the court heard was a vicious and frenzied attack.

The detective said the defendant made attempts to try to treat his hand, including attending Limerick University Hospital.

On April 5, he arrived in Belfast after travelling by bus with a friend before being arrested on April 6.

The detective said the defendant made numerous admissions during his interview with police about his actions within the flat, his injured hand and his travel to Belfast.

When charged by police, the court heard that the defendant replied Ive said everything.

Mr Shamels legal team argued that he should be granted bail, telling the court that the prison service would not be able to accommodate his religious requests and that there were concerns for his mental health.

The district judge refused the defendant bail, calling the charge a very grave offence and there being far too high a flight risk or risk of further offending.

Legal aid was granted and he is next due to appear before court via videolink on May 2.

The charge is contrary to common law and section one of the Criminal Jurisdiction Act 1975.

Under that legislation, it is understood that the justice process can take place in Northern Ireland if a suspect has fled from a different jurisdiction where a serious criminal offence has taken place.
Rishi Sunak is focusing on fulfilling the promise of the Good Friday Agreement as he prepares to host Joe Biden in Northern Ireland to mark 25 years of the peace deal.

The British prime minister said making good on the pledge of a better future for the nation is first and foremost on his mind ahead of the anniversary.

The commemorations come amid a heightened terror threat in Northern Ireland and powersharing in Stormont remaining collapsed amid post-Brexit tensions.

It is that promise of a better future that we offered to everyone in Northern Ireland that I will be thinking of first and foremost over the coming days

Signed on April 10 1998, the Good Friday Agreement ended the 30-year conflict of the Troubles, during which more than 3,500 people were killed.

Mr Sunak will meet the US president off Air Force One when he arrives on Tuesday evening.

Mr Biden, intensely proud of his Irish heritage and the USs role in the peace accord, will take part in a series of engagements in Belfast including a formal meeting with Mr Sunak.

In a statement, Mr Sunak said the signing of the Good Friday Agreement was an incredible moment in the history of the UK.

It was a powerfully rare example of people doing the previously unthinkable to create a better future for Northern Ireland, he said.

It is that promise of a better future that we offered to everyone in Northern Ireland that I will be thinking of first and foremost over the coming days.

It is my responsibility as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom to ensure we are making good on that promise.

Mr Sunak said he is relentlessly focused on delivering economic growth for Northern Ireland, which he said is crucial to improving living standards.

He is expected to use Mr Bidens visit to drum up long-term investment for the nation, and announce that the UK will host a Northern Ireland Investment Summit in September.

Rishi Sunak will meet President Joe Biden off Air Force One when he arrives on Tuesday (Phil Noble/PA)

Mr Sunak will address the Agreement 25 conference at Queens University on Wednesday before hosting a gala dinner.

A major policing operation costing around 7m and backed up by around 300 officers travelling from other parts of the UK will be underway around the anniversary.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has warned of the potential of dissident Republicans launching attacks on police officers in Derry on Easter Monday.

MI5 recently raised the terrorism threat in Northern Ireland level to severe, meaning an attack is highly likely.

Jeffrey Donaldson, the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, has insisted the political vacuum in the nation caused by his partys refusal to re-enter Stormont is not to blame.

In February last year the DUP withdrew its support for the powersharing institutions formed by the Good Friday Agreement as it protests against post-Brexit trading arrangements.

Mr Biden will leave Northern Ireland on Wednesday for the Republic, where he will visit Dublin, Co Louth and Co Mayo.
Sinn Fein took aim at the DUP and the Governments ending of the eviction ban during an event held to mark the anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising.

Speaking at a republican plot at Milltown Cemetery in Belfast, MP John Finucane noted the 25th anniversary for the Good Friday Agreement, which he said was an historic, international success story and should never ever be taken for granted.

He accused the DUP of using the protocol as an excuse to boycott an Executive that would see Sinn Fein take up the role of First Minister of Northern Ireland for the first time, as per the results of the 2022 Assembly election.

He said that health workers could not wait any longer for pay rises, and people who rely on voluntary organisations dont have the luxury to wait while the DUP naval gazes.

John Finucane speaking at Milltown Cemetery in Belfast (Liam McBurney/PA)

He also said that the visit by US President Joe Biden was a golden opportunity to strengthen Northern Irelands economy and to create jobs.

Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald and vice-president Michelle ONeill attended the Governments official 1916 Rising ceremony at the GPO in Dublin.

Mr Finucane said during his speech: I want to salute the republican activists of Belfast who continue to assert the demand for Irish freedom, and I also want to acknowledge the pain and trauma that many families from all backgrounds carry as a result of tragic loss during the conflict by all armed groups.

Today, we live in a different place. This Easter, we mark 25 years since the people of this island voted for the Good Friday Agreement. That peace accord brought to an end three decades of conflict, and it stands as an historic international success story in peacemaking.

We must continue to work to protect our hard-won peace and our hard-won progress.

Reenactors at Beechmount Avenue near the Falls Road, Belfast (Liam McBurney/PA)

Mr Finucane said that the Windsor Framework offered a huge competitive advantage by giving Northern Ireland access to both British and EU markets.

He added: We know that many within the DUP saw Brexit as an opportunity to harden the border and Ireland. They have failed.

They must know recognise that they failed and get on with the business of representing those who elected them within the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement.

He also accused Fine Gael and Fianna Fail of coalescing to keep Sinn Fein out of government, and said Irelands housing crisis had gotten worse under their watch.

Fine Gael and Fianna Fail, supported by the Green Party, have taken the cruel and inhumane decision to make thousands of families homeless by ending the eviction ban.

Sinn Fein is on the rise across Ireland, he said towards the end of his address.

Danny Morrison and Gerry Adams enter Milltown Cemetery in Belfast (Liam McBurney/PA)

Meanwhile, the PSNI said that it was investigating a parade held in west Belfast on Easter Sunday.

Assistant Chief Constable Bobby Singleton said police had attended a series of notified parades across Northern Ireland as republican groups mark the 1916 Easter Rising.

The vast majority of the parades were lawful and passed off without incident, Mr Singleton said.

There was, however, a masked colour party at the head of the Irish Republican Socialist Party parade on the Falls Road in Belfast.

Police issued warnings to participants and using evidence-gathering resources, obtained footage which will now be reviewed as part of an investigation into potential offences under the Terrorism Act 2000.

As is normal for notified parades, we will also prepare a report to the Parades Commission on the conduct of the parade.
A harpist is on a mission to break her own Guinness World Record  this time on Mount Kilimanjaro  alongside a woman with cystic fibrosis who hopes to encourage others with the condition to achieve the impossible.

Siobhan Brady is to travel to Tanzania on July 17 with a team of roughly 19 others, as she attempts to break a Guinness World Record (GWR) for the highest altitude harp performance on Mount Kilimanjaros summit  a record she previously achieved in 2018 at Singla Pass, India, at more than 16,000ft.

The upcoming challenge was inspired by late fellow musician Desmond Gentle, whom Ms Brady achieved the 2018 GWR with, alongside another British woman called Anna Ray.

(from left to right) Stephen Lappin, Sean Brady, Siobhan Brady and Caroline Heffernan (Stephen Lappin)

Back in 2018, I went to London for a harp competition and was introduced to Desmond Gentle who ran a piano shop in Camden Market, the 24-year-old who lives in Limerick, told the PA news agency.

He had done the deepest concert in a salt mine in Romania and was planning on doing the highest concert with a piano and he wanted me to come with a harp as a back-up because a piano could be easily broken.

Then 10 days after we came back from India, Desmond died from thrombosis at the age of 69  but the week before he died, he said he wanted to do this on Kilimanjaro, so were doing it in his memory.

While on the seven-day hike, two 10kg harps will be carried by team members, in case one gets damaged, and while Ms Brady will be the only performer, the others on the team will be able to get a participation GWR if they reach the top.

Funds for the upcoming challenge are to go to Cystic Fibrosis Ireland and for Caroline Heffernan, a patient advocate at the charity, she wanted to do more than just support the cause through words of appreciation.

(from left to right) Caroline Heffernan, Sean Brady (Siobhans father) and Siobhan Brady (Cystic Fibrosis Ireland)

To be honest, it was a no-brainer deciding to actually take part in the climb because Im a firm believer that if something is offered to you and is in any way within you capabilities, do it and so I did, the 52-year-old who lives in Galway told PA.

Ms Heffernan  who has lived with cystic fibrosis (CF) since the age of 13  also wanted to encourage younger people with CF to try and achieve the seemingly impossible.

My mum and dad were told that I would not live until I was 20 and here I am, she said.

Even if I have to crawl on all fours, I will do my best to reach the summit of Kilimanjaro, but I know it may not happen.

I want the younger generation of people with cystic fibrosis to know that  even if youre given a diagnosis or youre given a life expectancy  its not tattooed on your arm or anywhere else on your body.

Its okay to try and go out and achieve the impossible and have the gumption to stand up and say, lets have a go.

Ms Heffernan said training can sometimes be reminiscent to the movie Groundhog Day.

I can train really well and then get a setback and have to try again, so its a bit like the movie Groundhog Day.

Training hike with the fake harp (Stephen Lappin)

The team have regularly taken part in monthly hikes organised by their fitness trainer and photographer Stephen Lappin over the course of 18 months, where they try to scale as many mountains as they can.

When asked if they have trained using harps, Ms Heffernan quipped: We have both said from the very beginning that we are not carrying any harps.

Im carrying my backpack and after that well see how high we can go.

Ms Brady added: We have a fake harp, which some team members bring up a lot of the time.

Weve brought the harp up Carrauntoohil, the highest mountain in Ireland.

Ed Sheerans song Little Bird is to be played by Ms Brady when the team reach the summit  a song and artist close to a woman who died from cystic fibrosis in 2014 called Triona Priestley.

Croagh Patrick summit (Stephen Lappin)

Ms Heffernan, who met Ms Priestleys mother Bernie, said: When [Triona] was sick in hospital and before she passed away, she used to write letters to Ed Sheeran, not necessarily expecting replies, but she got a few.

Trionas friends were all texting and trying to get the attention of Ed Sheeran when she was in hospital and the phone rang and Colm (Trionas brother) answered it.

It was Ed and he sang Little Bird which was her favourite song and after the song was finished, the doctor put the stethoscope to her chest and said shes passed.

Ms Heffernan said it was important for Ms Priestleys memory to also be honoured as part of the climb as she always wanted CF to stand for cure found.

Ms Heffernan has been granted permission by the President of Ireland, Michael D Higgins, to recite his poem The Prophets Are Weeping at the summit, something Mr Gentle did in 2018.

Carrautoohill drone shot (Stephen Lappin)

Having raised over 37,000 out of their 100,000 target so far, the pair hope more will continue to support their slightly crazy challenge.

Pascale Harvie, president and general manager at JustGiving, said: This challenge reflects on every level the difficulties that people with cystic fibrosis face every day.

Im in awe of Siobhan, Caroline and their teams commitment to raise vital funds for Cystic Fibrosis Ireland. They are an inspiration to us all.

The challenge is part of the charitys 65 Roses Day campaign, which takes place on April 14, and encourages people to do something involving the number 65, whether it be eating 65 Easter eggs or walking 65 steps.

65 roses comes from the way children often pronounce cystic fibrosis.

The fundraising link can be found here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Highest-Harp
Thousands of people have attended a commemoration to mark the centenary of the death of anti-Treaty forces leader General Liam Lynch in the town where he is buried.

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A number of his relatives joined those who paraded through Fermoy, Co Cork, and visited the Republican plot at Old Kilcrumper Cemetery where he is interred.

Liam Lynch centenary committee chairwoman Deirdre OBrien, County Mayor Danny Collins, and historian Tim Horgan leading the parade from Fermoy to the commemoration at Old Kilcrumper Cemetery. Picture: Eddie OHare

A dozen pipe bands took part, including three from the US and one from Argentina.

The graveside oration was given by historian Tim Horgan who said Lynchs decision to join the fight for freedom was decided in the very same town when on a May morning in 1916 he would witness bare-footed Thomas Kent being marched [by British troops] along the well-trodden path to a patriots death.

On that day, the torch of freedom was passed on, he said.

Members of the Eamon Bulfin Legacy Pipe Band from Buenos Aires, Argentina, taking part in the Liam Lynch commemoration in Fermoy, Co Cork. Picture: Eddie O'Hare

Lynch was a soldiers soldier, who shared all the danger, discomfort, and pain of his men as they waited in ambush, slept in damp dugouts, and sheltered in humble homes.

While others would be heroes imposed from above, Liam Lynch was a hero who emerged from within.

God grant you rest, brave Liam Lynch. Your people remember, Dr Horgan said.

The Liam Lynch pipe band taking part in the parade from Fermoy to the Old Cemetery at Kilcrumper. Picture: Eddie O'Hare

Deirdre OBrien, chairwoman of the General Liam Lynch National Commemoration Committee, said Lynch is buried alongside his friend, Commandant Michael Fitzgerald.

He died after 67 days on hunger strike during the War of Independence.

Ms OBrien said the commemoration committee was founded shortly after Lynchs death by his former comrades in Fermoy Company of the Cork No 2 IRA Brigade.

As they died, it passed to their children and the Lynch family to carry on the remembrance.

Margaret Ui Shiochain and her daughters Una, Mairead, and six-week-old Eibhlin, at the Liam Lynch centenary commemoration on Sunday. Picture: Eddie O'Hare

To coincide with the commemoration, a special exhibition about Liam Lynch and the War of Independence in Cork was held at the towns youth centre.

It included a history of the Liam Lynch Commemoration in Fermoy, which was compiled by Neil Donovan.

Participants in the Liam Lynch centenary commemoration in Fermoy and Kilcrumper Old Cemetery. Picture: Eddie O'Hare

Another exhibition, commissioned by Cork County Council, is on display in the Coal Shed in Blackwater Shopping Centre, Fermoy, where it continues until April 12.

Dolores Lyne, a grandniece of Liam Lynch, created the show, titled To The Letter, which is inspired by letters written to the IRA chief of staff by his brother, Tom, from 1917 to 1923.

The County Cork Pipes and Drums band, New York, taking part in the parade from Fermoy to the Liam Lynch commemoration at Kilcrumper. Picture: Eddie O'Hare

Further commemorations are planned tomorrow in Newcastle, Co Tipperary, where Lynch was taken after being mortally wounded by pro-Treaty troops on the Knockmealdown mountains, and in Anglesborough, Co Limerick, where he was born.

At 9am, a wreath-laying ceremony will take place at the Liam Lynch monument in the mountains to coincide with the time of his shooting.

At 11.30am, there will be a parade in nearby Newcastle where a plaque will be unveiled at Nugents pub.

Ophthalmologist and historian Tim Horgan delivering the oration at the Liam Lynch commemoration at Kilcrumper Old Cemetery. Picture: Eddie O'Hare

This is where Liam Lynch was held until taken to Clonmel where he later died. An oration will be given in Newcastle by Eamon OCuiv TD.

Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald will be guest speaker at the commemoration in Anglesborough.

A parade will leave the community centre at 1pm to march to the monument at Barragurra, close to the house where Lynch was born.
The Israeli military said three rockets were launched from Syria toward Israeli territory, a rare attack from the countrys north-eastern neighbour that comes after days of worsening violence.

The military said the rockets caused no damage or casualties. Only one rocket crossed into Israeli territory and landed in a field in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights.

The rocket launch comes just a day after Israeli warplanes struck alleged Palestinian militant targets in both Lebanon and the Gaza Strip following an unusual burst of rocket fire from southern Lebanon.

Israeli police stand at the scene of an attack in Tel Aviv on Friday (AP)

Tensions are also running high in the contested capital of Jerusalem, where Palestinian worshippers have scuffled with Israeli police in the most sensitive holy site, the compound home to Al-Aqsa Mosque.

On Friday, separate attacks in the occupied West Bank and in Tel Aviv, Israels commercial hub, killed two British-Israeli sisters and an Italian tourist.

Israels defence minister has extended a closure barring entrance to Israel for Palestinians from the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip for the duration of the Jewish holiday of Passover, while police beefed up forces in Jerusalem on the eve of sensitive religious celebrations.

The moves come after days of violence across the region at a time of heightened religious fervour  with the Muslim holy month of Ramadan coinciding with Passover and Easter celebrations.

Jerusalems Old City, home to key Jewish, Muslim and Christian holy sites, has been teeming with visitors and religious pilgrims from around the world.

People gather and lay flowers at the site where Alessandro Parini, an Italian tourist, was killed in a Palestinian attack, in Tel Aviv (AP)

Defence minister Yoav Gallant said that a closure imposed last Wednesday, on the eve of Passover, would remain in effect until the holiday ends on Wednesday night.

The order prevents Palestinians from entering Israel for work or to pray in Jerusalem this week, though mass prayers were permitted at the Al-Aqsa Mosque on Friday.

Mr Gallant also ordered the Israeli military to be prepared to assist Israeli police.

The army later announced that it was deploying additional troops around Jerusalem and in the West Bank.

Two Israeli border police officers are deployed to keep the order while Palestinians cross from the West Bank into Jerusalem (AP)

More than 2,000 police were expected to be deployed in Jerusalem on Sunday  when tens of thousands of Jews are expected to gather at the Western Wall for the special Passover priestly blessing.

The Western Wall is the holiest site where Jews can pray and sits next to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, where large crowds gather each day for prayers during Ramadan.

Jerusalem police chief Doron Turgeman met with his commanders on Saturday for a security assessment.

He accused the Hamas militant group, which rules the Gaza Strip, of trying to incite violence ahead of Sundays priestly blessing with false claims that Jews planned to storm the mosque.

Palestinians cross from the West Bank into Jerusalem, for the third Fridays Ramadan prayers at the Al Aqsa mosque compound (AP)

We will allow the freedom of worship and we will allow the arrival of Muslims to pray, he said, adding that police will act with determination and sensitivity to ensure that all faiths can celebrate safely.

The current round of violence erupted earlier in the week after Israeli police raided the mosque, firing tear gas and stun grenades to disperse hundreds of Palestinians who had barricaded themselves inside.

Violent scenes from the raid sparked unrest in the contested capital and outrage across the Arab world.

Palestinians inspect damage from overnight Israeli air strikes in Gaza City on Friday (AP)

Palestinian militants fired rocket barrages from the Gaza Strip and in an unusual step, from southern Lebanon as well.

Israel responded with air strikes in both locations. Then on Friday, Palestinian assailants killed three people in a pair of attacks  in Tel Aviv and in the West Bank.

In Tel Aviv, people laid flowers and candles on Saturday next to photos of Alessandro Parini, an Italian tourist killed in the Friday night car ramming attack.

Israels foreign minister, Eli Cohen, spoke to his Italian counterpart, foreign minister Antonio Tajani, to express his condolences and later visited victims of the attack in a hospital with Italys ambassador to Israel.

              ,    ,   .



      ,        ,          . pic.twitter.com/QU52HpTl2M  Benjamin Netanyahu -   (@netanyahu) April 8, 2023

Later, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu named two British-Israeli sisters killed in a separate gun attack in the occupied West Bank on Friday.

The attack, by Palestinian assailants, came after Israel launched retaliatory air strikes at Lebanon and the Gaza Strip.

Naming the sisters for the first time, Mr Netanyahu said: On behalf of all the citizens of Israel, I send my condolences to the Di Mafart family for the murder of the two wonderful sisters, Rina and Maya Zakharan, in the severe attack in the Bekaa.

In these moments, if the family is fighting for its life, and together with the entire nation of Israel, I pray for its safety, and we all send our condolences and strength to this dear family in this moment of great sorrow.

The sisters mother was seriously injured in the shooting.

The family lived in the Efrat settlement, near the Palestinian city of Bethlehem, according to the settlements mayor Oded Revivi.
The Israeli military said three more rockets were launched from Syria toward Israel early on Sunday, raising to six the number of missiles fired within hours in a rare attack from Israels north-eastern neighbour.

Israels army said it was retaliating with artillery strikes on the area in Syria from where the rockets were fired at Israel.

The rocket firings come after days of escalating violence on multiple fronts over tension in Jerusalem and an Israeli police raid on the citys most sensitive holy site.

People lay flowers and candles next to photos showing Alessandro Parini, an Italian tourist who was killed in a Palestinian attack, in Tel Aviv on Saturday (Oded Balilty/AP)

In the second barrage, two of the rockets crossed the border into Israel, with one being intercepted and the second landing in an open area, the military said.

In the first attack, one rocket landed in a field in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights.

Fragments of another destroyed missile fell into Jordanian territory near the Syrian border, Jordans military reported.

There were no reports of casualties.

Israeli police stand at the scene of an attack in Tel Aviv on Friday (AP)

Meanwhile, a Damascus-based Palestinian group loyal to the Syrian regime claimed responsibility for launching the three missiles on Israel on Saturday, reported Beirut-based Al-Mayadeen TV.

The report quoted Al-Quds Brigade, a militia different than the larger Palestinian Islamic Jihads armed wing with a similar name, as saying it fired the rockets to retaliate for the police raid on Al-Aqsa Mosque.

In Syria, an adviser to President Bashar Assad described the rocket strikes as part of the previous, present and continuing response to the brutal enemy.

In the occupied West Bank, Israeli security forces fatally shot a 20-year-old Palestinian in the town of Azzun, Palestinian health officials said, stirring protests in the area.

The Israeli military said troops fired at Palestinians hurling stones and explosive devices. The Palestinian Health Ministry identified the Palestinian killed as Ayed Salim.

People gather and lay flowers at the site where Alessandro Parini, an Italian tourist, was killed in a Palestinian attack, in Tel Aviv (AP)

His death came at a time of unusually heightened violence in the West Bank.

Over 90 Palestinians and have been killed by Israeli fire so far this year, at least half of them affiliated with militant groups, according to a tally by The Associated Press.

Palestinian attacks on Israelis have killed 19 people in that time  including on Friday when two British-Israeli women were shot to death near a settlement in the Jordan Valley and an Italian tourist was killed by a suspected car-ramming in Tel Aviv. All but one of the 19 killed were civilians.

The rocket fire from Syria comes against the backdrop of soaring Israeli-Palestinian tensions touched off by an Israeli police raid on Jerusalems most sensitive site, the sacred compound home to the Al-Aqsa mosque.

That outraged Palestinians marking the holy fasting month of Ramadan and prompted militants in Lebanon  as well as Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip  to fire a heavy barrage of rockets into Israel.

Two Israeli border police officers are deployed to keep the order while Palestinians cross from the West Bank into Jerusalem (AP)

In retaliation, Israeli warplanes struck sites allegedly linked to the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza and southern Lebanon.

Late on Saturday, tensions ran high in Jerusalem as a few hundred Palestinian worshippers barricaded themselves in the mosque, which sits on a hilltop in the heart of Jerusalems Old City sacred to both Muslims and Jews.

Israeli police efforts to evict the worshippers locked in the mosque overnight with stockpiled firecrackers and stones spiralled into unrest in the holy site earlier this week.

The latest escalations prompted Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant to extend a closure barring entrance to Israel for Palestinians from the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip for the duration of the Jewish holiday of Passover, while police beefed up forces in Jerusalem on the eve of sensitive religious celebrations.

Palestinians cross from the West Bank into Jerusalem, for the third Fridays Ramadan prayers at the Al Aqsa mosque compound (AP)

In a separate incident in the northern West Bank city of Nablus late on Saturday, a leader of a local independent armed group known as the Lions Den claimed the group executed an alleged Israeli collaborator who had tipped off the Israeli military to the locations and movements of the groups members.

Israeli security forces have targeted and killed several of the groups key members in recent months.

The accused mans killing could not be immediately confirmed, but videos in Palestinian media showed medics and residents gathered around his bloodied body in the Old City, where the Lions Den holds sway.

Traitors have neither a country nor a people, Lions Den commander Oday Azizi said in a statement.

The moves come at a time of heightened religious fervour  with Ramadan coinciding with Passover and Easter celebrations.

Jerusalems Old City, home to key Jewish, Muslim and Christian holy sites, has been teeming with visitors and religious pilgrims from around the world.

Palestinians inspect damage from overnight Israeli air strikes in Gaza City on Friday (AP)

Mr Gallant said that a closure imposed last Wednesday, on the eve of Passover, would remain in effect until the holiday ends on Wednesday night.

The order prevents Palestinians from entering Israel for work or to pray in Jerusalem this week, though mass prayers were permitted at the Al-Aqsa Mosque on Friday.

Mr Gallant also ordered the Israeli military to be prepared to assist Israeli police. The army later announced that it was deploying additional troops around Jerusalem and in the West Bank.

Israeli police and emergency services work around a car involved in an attack in Tel Aviv on Friday night which killed at Italian tourist (Ariel Schalit/AP)

Over 2,000 police were expected to be deployed in Jerusalem on Sunday  when tens of thousands of Jews are expected to gather at the Western Wall for the special Passover priestly blessing.

The Western Wall is the holiest site where Jews can pray and sits next to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, where large crowds gather each day for prayers during Ramadan.

The current round of violence erupted earlier in the week after Israeli police raided the mosque, firing tear gas and stun grenades to disperse hundreds of Palestinians who had barricaded themselves inside. Violent scenes from the raid sparked unrest in the contested capital and outrage across the Arab world.
In an Easter message highlighting hope, Pope Francis has invoked prayers for both the Ukrainian and Russian people, praised nations which welcome refugees, and called on Israelis and Palestinians wracked by the latest surge in deadly violence to forge a climate of trust.

Francis, along with dozens of prelates and tens of thousands of faithful, marked Christianitys most joyful day with Mass in a flower-adorned St Peters Square.

Easter proclaims the Christian belief that Jesus rose from the dead after crucifixion.

The 86-year-old pontiff topped the celebration with a traditional speech about troubled places in the world.

St Peters Square at the Vatican during the Easter Sunday Mass celebrated by Pope Francis (Gregorio Borgia/AP)

Encouraging trust among individuals, peoples and nations, Francis said the joyful expression of Easter illumines the darkness and gloom in which, all too often, our world finds itself enveloped.

The popes Easter message is known by its Latin name, Urbi et Orbi, which means to the city and the world.

Since Russia invaded neighbouring Ukraine in February 2022, Francis has repeatedly called for the fighting to end and sought prayers for the martyred Ukrainian people.

Ukrainian diplomats have complained that he has not come down hard enough in his statements on Russia and particularly Russian President Vladimir Putin as the Vatican tries to avoid alienating Russia.

Help the beloved Ukrainian people on their journey towards peace, and shed the light of Easter upon the people of Russia, Francis implored God in his Easter speech, which he delivered while sitting in a chair on the central balcony of St Peters Basilica facing the square.

Pope Francis arrives in a wheelchair in St Peters Square at the Vatican to celebrate the Easter Sunday Mass (Gregorio Borgia/AP)

Comfort the wounded and all those who have lost loved ones because of the war, and grant that prisoners may return safe and sound to their families.

He urged the international community to work to end the war in Ukraine and all conflict and bloodshed in the world, beginning with Syria, which still awaits peace.

Francis also prayed for those who lost loved ones in an earthquake that struck Syria and Turkey two months ago, claiming tens of thousands of lives.

With a renewal in deadly violence affecting both Israelis and Palestinians in recent days, Francis called for a resumption of dialogue, in a climate of trust and reciprocal respect, between Israelis and Palestinians, so that peace may reign in the Holy City and in the entire region, a reference to Jerusalem.

But Francis also noted progress on some fronts.

Let us rejoice at the concrete signs of hope that reach us from so many countries, beginning with those that offer assistance and welcome to all fleeing war and poverty, he said, without naming any particular nations.

St Peters Square at the Vatican during the Easter Sunday Mass celebrated by Pope Francis (Gregorio Borgia/AP)

How to care for asylum seekers, migrants and refugees, and whether to allow them entrance, is a raging political and social debate in much of Europe, as well as in the United States and elsewhere.

Francis also prayed that national leaders ensure that no man or woman may encounter discrimination and that there would be full respect for human rights and democracy.

With migrants risking their lives in smugglers unseaworthy boats in the hopes of reaching Europe, the pope lamented that Tunisias people, particularly the young, struggle with social and economic hardship.

In the last two weeks, dozens have died or were left missing after attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea from Tunisia.

The pope included Lebanon and two African countries he visited this year  South Sudan and Congo  among the nations in need of ending divisions and building reconciliation.

Pope Francis, left, stands on the altar in St Peters Square at the Vatican during the Easter Sunday Mass (Alessandra Tarantino/AP)

Speaking about Haiti, he appealed to political actors and the international community to seek a definitive solution to the many problems that afflict that sorely tried people.

The bloody conflicts cited by Francis contrasted with a riot of bright colours lent by orange-red tulips, yellow sprays of forsythia and daffodils, hyacinths and other colourful seasonal flowers that decorated St Peters Square.

The blooms were brought in trucks from the Netherlands and set up in planters to decorate the Vatican square.

Some 45,000 people had gathered by the start of the mid-morning Mass, according to Vatican security services, but the crowd swelled to some 100,000 ahead of the noon appointment for the pontiffs speech from the central balcony of St Peters Basilica overlooking the square.

A canopy on the edge of steps on the square sheltered the pontiff, who was back in the public eye 12 hours after a 2.25-hour long Easter vigil ceremony in St Peters Basilica the night before.

Still recovering from bronchitis, Francis, 86, skipped the traditional Good Friday procession at Romes Colosseum due to unseasonably cold night-time temperatures.

Francis has generally rebounded following a three-day stay last week at a Rome hospital where he was administered antibiotics intravenously for bronchitis.

He was discharged on April 1.

But near the end of the more than two-hour-long Easter Sunday appearance, Francis seemed to start running out of steam.

His voice grew hoarse and he interrupted his speech at one point to cough.

Pope Francis waves from his popemobile to the faithful gathered in St Peters Square at the Vatican at the end of the Easter Sunday Mass (Alessandra Tarantino/AP)

He nonetheless made several laps through the square in the popemobile after the Mass, waving and smiling at cheering well-wishers.
Weekend shelling by Russian forces killed at least seven civilians, Ukrainian officials reported on Sunday as Pope Francis and Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby used their traditional Easter messages to highlight the war in Ukraine and other conflicts around the world.

While Russia continued to concentrate on seizing all of Ukraines industrial east, two other provinces  Kharkiv in the north east and Zaporizhzhia in the south east  came under missile, rocket and artillery fire, the Ukrainian military reported.

The governor of the Kherson region, Oleksandr Prokudin, said two communities there were hit by bombs from warplanes late on Sunday, but he did not immediately report any casualties.

Kharkiv governor Oleh Syniehubov said two men died on Sunday in shelling in Kupiansk, a city that Russia held before Ukrainian forces regained control of almost all of the province.

The city remained under attack later on Sunday as Russian forces targeted residential areas with multiple rocket launchers, Mr Syniehubov said.

A Ukrainian MSLR BM-21 Grad fires towards Russian positions, at the front line in the Donetsk region, Ukraine (Evgeniy Maloletka/AP)

Elsewhere in the province, a 30-year-old man was admitted to hospital in a serious condition after Russian shelling of the city of Chuhuiv, he said on Telegram.

Shelling also killed two people overnight, one of them a child born in 2012, in the city of Zaporizhzhia, the capital of that province, according to city council secretary Anatoliy Kurtev.

The Zaporizhzhia regions governor, Yurii Malashko, said 18 communities in all were shelled.

Three people were killed and five were wounded on Saturday, Mr Malashko said.

Zaporizhzhia is home to Europes largest nuclear power plant and one of four Ukrainian provinces that Russian President Vladimir Putin illegally annexed in September.

Since then, Russias military has sought to oust Ukraines troops from those areas, especially Luhansk and Donetsk provinces, which make up the industrial region known as the Donbas.

Bakhmut, a city in Donetsk, has seen the 13-month wars longest battle.

Western analysts have said Russian forces recently made it into the centre of the city.

Ukrainian servicemen sit on their vehicle, on the front line in the Donetsk region, Ukraine (Evgeniy Maloletka/AP)

Seizing Bakhmut after more than eight months would give the Kremlin a badly wanted victory and a path to push on towards bigger Ukrainian-held cities.

The Russian army is moving elite units to Bakhmut, Colonel Serhiy Cherevaty, a spokesperson for Ukraines Eastern Group of Forces, said on Sunday.

Col Cherevaty said the Wagner Group, a private Russian military company whose fighters have spearheaded the offensive on Bakhmut, was incurring heavy losses, making it necessary to move in regular army units from the regular army, including paratroopers and motorised riflemen.

The vast majority of Ukrainians with a religious affiliation identify as Orthodox Christian, a faith that observes Easter on April 16 this year.

Some Catholics celebrated Easter on Sunday, while Orthodox churches marked Palm Sunday this weekend.

While delivering his Easter address from the central balcony of the Vaticans St Peters Basilica, Pope Francis implored God to help the beloved Ukrainian people on their journey towards peace, and shed the light of Easter upon the people of Russia.

Pope Francis waves from the central lodge of St Peters Basilica at the Vatican at the end of the Easter Sunday Mass (Gregorio Borgia/AP)

Comfort the wounded and all those who have lost loved ones because of the war, and grant that prisoners may return safe and sound to their families, Francis said.

Easter affirms the Christian belief that Jesus rose from the dead days after his crucifixion.

Mr Welby, who as Archbishop of Canterbury is the ceremonial head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, said the occasion provided hope that true peace is no aimless daydream, but a reality offered because Christ was raised from the dead.

Injustice and brutality may seem to triumph in our short lives on earth, cruel and oppressive rulers might look as though they only get stronger, he said during a sermon delivered in Canterbury, England.

Yet they will vanish. The power of the resurrection is infinitely greater than they are.

Between Saturday and Sunday mornings, Russian forces launched 40 air strikes, four missile strikes and 58 attacks from multiple-rocket launchers on various parts of Ukraine, the General Staff of the Ukrainian armed forces reported.

The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby delivers his sermon at Canterbury Cathedral in Kent (Gareth Fuller/PA)

According to the General Staff, Russia focused attacks on the Donetsk province communities of Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Marinka.

Donetsk regional governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said on Sunday morning that two civilians were wounded on Saturday.

Officials in Kherson province, where Ukrainian forces forced a partial Russian retreat in November, said the southern region also received numerous attacks.

They did not report any casualties.

The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, said late on Saturday that it thinks Russias overall offensive is approaching culmination.

The institute cited Ivan Tymochko, the head of the Ukrainian Council of Reservists for the countrys ground forces, as reporting that recent Russian attacks appeared designed to distract and disperse Ukrainian troops preparing for a potential counter-offensive.

Tymochko stated that Russian forces are not making serious advances anywhere on the front line, the think tank said.

Noting that Russia has made heavy use of artillery to offset key shortcomings in combat capability, the institute said reported ammunition shortages would undermine the Russian militarys ability to continue offsetting its other weaknesses and limitations.
In its East Asia and the Pacific Economic Update for April 2023, titled "Reviving Growth," the World Bank forecast that the projected slowdown in growth in advanced economies may be largely offset by signs of revival in China's economy.

This was reflected in the fact that heads of state and chief executives of global corporations have been visiting China one after the other, united in the belief that China and its market are not an option, but a need.

PRODUCTIVE BUSINESS TIES

The essence of China-European Union (EU) economic and trade relations is complementarity and mutual benefit.

In 2022, China-EU trade and economic cooperation remained resilient and dynamic, and the high-level dialogues set the course for China-EU trade and economic cooperation. The total bilateral trade in goods between China and the EU was valued at 5,646.798 billion yuan (about 821.24 billion U.S. dollars), up 5.6 percent year-on-year.

People visit the BYD stand during the Paris Motor Show in Paris, France, Oct. 18, 2022. (Xinhua/Gao Jing)

German corporations invested a record 11.5 billion euros (about 12.5 billion dollars) in China in 2022, according to the German Economic Institute report released on March 29. For German executives, the growth prospects in the Chinese sales market are simply "too attractive."

"For most companies, withdrawing from the Chinese market is not an issue at the moment," said a recent study by the German Association of Materials Management, Purchasing and Logistics, adding that establishing alternative supplier structures to the existing business in China is complex and resource-intensive.

"We have enjoyed very strong and productive relationships with local partners in China for many years and all the communication channels. We would just like to continue that," said Ola Kaellenius, chairman of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG, in his latest interview with Xinhua.

Looking back into the last 20 to 30 years, Kaellenius said China has been opening up its economy to become an integral part of the global economy. He considered China's opening-up a success story that enabled Chinese start-ups and big companies to grow their businesses and facilitated foreign direct investment, adding that China's further opening-up would likely prompt Mercedes-Benz to increase its investments.

This photo taken on Nov. 6, 2022 shows a new energy vehicle of German automaker Mercedes-Benz at the automobile exhibition area of the fifth China International Import Expo (CIIE) at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai) in east China's Shanghai. (Xinhua/Jin Haoyuan)

Kaellenius said that what should not happen, however, is protectionism because if economic regions fall into protectionism, it will ultimately slow down growth.

"So we want to make our voice heard and remind everybody that it is opening-up around the world that has led to economic growth," he said.

Fabrice Megarbane, president of L'Oreal North Asia Zone and CEO of L'Oreal China told Xinhua that his group was overall optimistic and ambitious in the short and long term about China.

Since China optimized its COVID response, "we have already seen potential opportunities in the market which makes us even more bullish about China's economic outlook and prospects," said Megarbane in a recent interview with Xinhua.

Photo taken on July 26, 2022 shows the booth of cosmetics giant L'Oreal in the French pavilion at the second China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province. (Xinhua/Guo Cheng)

The French cosmetics giant was preparing for the beauty market rebound. From the first week of February, consumer traffic and purchases have revealed positive signs and L'Oreal expects a progressive rebound from Q2 and consumer enthusiasm to bounce back in all categories, said Megarbane.

His boss, L'Oreal's chief executive Nicolas Hieronimus, who visited China last month, shared his enthusiasm.

"Activity and consumption are gradually picking up, with good prospects in sight. I came back super energized and very confident for the market," Hieronimus told the French daily Le Figaro. "It's the group's second-largest market and things are changing very fast there."

A good number of French bosses have "jumped on the plane" to resume contact in person with their business partners in China and returned with full confidence in the potential of the Chinese market, according to a front-page article published by Le Figaro Economie on Monday.

Franck Lebouchard, head of the French acoustic engineering company Devialet, was among those who couldn't wait to go to China.

Now back in France after a two-week stay in China where he met with some of the managers of BYD, the leading Chinese manufacturer of electric vehicles, Lebouchard told the French daily: "We fell into each other's arms, even though we had never seen each other."

All the French bosses came back from China with the certainty that the country still has a lot of potential, Le Figaro wrote, and "all of them intend to continue their investments there."

MORE THAN BUSINESS

In Greece where the tourism industry accounts for one-fourth of its gross domestic product (GDP), Chinese people hold a special place in the local tourism stakeholders' planning and the hearts of local people.

A passenger poses for a photo with an airport mascot at Athens International Airport in Athens, Greece, on Dec. 22, 2022. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)

"We have historical ties with the Chinese people. We are all waiting for them with love from the bottom of our hearts, true love, to host them, and to offer our services. All the restaurants are eager to see the Chinese coming because they are good customers, and we all love them very much," Spiros Bairaktaris, owner of a popular restaurant in the center of Athens founded 144 years ago, told Xinhua.

Greek Tourism Minister Vassilis Kikilias told Xinhua in an earlier interview that the return of Chinese tourists will contribute to the Greek tourism industry's good performance despite the adversities of recent years.

"They're deeply involved in finding out about our culture and our civilization since in both countries culture and civilization go many centuries back. We are getting prepared to be able to have them in Greece," he said.

After the relaxation of travel restrictions, the Chinese market will be again one of the fastest developing markets for Greece, Ioanna Papadopoulou, director of communications and marketing of the Athens International Airport (AIA), told Xinhua.

The direct flight between Athens and Beijing commenced in 2017. In just two years, it helped to double the number of Chinese arrivals at the Athens International Airport, from 108,613 to over 217,600 in 2019. The launch of the direct air link between the Greek capital and Shanghai on Dec. 22, 2022, in addition to the Athens-Beijing line, is a very good start for 2023, she said.

"We are ready to welcome our Chinese travelers back again, which we have tremendously missed all these three years of the pandemic," she said.

Italy, one of the most visited destinations among Chinese travelers, is expecting more of them.

People walk past tourist information in various languages including Chinese near the Colosseum in Rome, Italy, on March 26, 2023. (Xinhua/Jin Mamengni)

Cristiano Varotti, chief representative of the Italian National Tourist Board in China, considered Sicily and the islands, ski resorts in the Alps, and some small towns as the new attractions for Chinese travelers. Many Chinese travel agencies are focused on providing their clients with higher-level travel plans that satisfy their more sophisticated needs, Varotti said.

In 2019, China was the 11th market for Italy in terms of total international arrivals. There is great room for growth, even concerning the composition of Chinese tourists' spending abroad, as it is a market that has yet to reveal its full potential, he said.

"We plan a roadshow in China in the coming months to meet Chinese companies in person and make ourselves available to them," Varotti said.




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.
Performance at the event (Source: VNA)

The event was held by the authorities of Bac Ninh and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) to update the country's socio-economic achievements, and promote Vietnamese culture to the international community.

The event was this years edition of the ministrys annual Learning about Vietnam Session, first held in 2015.

Nearly 150 foreign and domestic diplomats gather to study Bac Ninhs charms (Source: baovanhoa.vn)

In his opening speech, Secretary of the provincial Party Committee Nguyen Anh Tuan said Bac Ninh wishes to receive support from the delegates in promoting its image, cultural value, and business climate to the world.

He asked for support toward the provinces efforts to make the local Dong Ho folk painting profession a part of the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding in 2024.

The delegation watched water puppetry on the campus of Dong Ho Painting Conservation Center (Source: baovanhoa.vn)

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ha Kim Ngoc said the ministry will continue accompanying Bac Ninh in preserving its cultural quintessence and introducing such value to international friends.

Earlier, the delegates were treated to a series of cultural activities, such as touring the Dong Ho folk painting conservation centre in Thuan Thanh town, tasting local culinary delights, and enjoying the performance of Bac Ninhs Quan ho (love duet) singing  an UNESCO intangible cultural heritage of humanity./.
Vietnamese rice export prices highest in Asia this week (Photo for illustration/ Source: VOV)

Its 5% and 25% broken rice cost US$473 and US$453 per tonne respectively at the end of this week, up about US$10 per tonne from the previous week.

Currently, Thailand's export price of 5% broken rice was sold at between US$480 - 482 per tonne, representing a slight rise from the US$475 - 482 price range recorded at the end of last week.

The upward trend of both Vietnamese and Thai rice prices can be attributed to the fact that Indonesia plans to import two million tonnes of rice this year in order to ensure their own domestic supply.

According to the Vietnam Food Association, the export of Vietnamese rice will continue to be given a boost in the second quarter of the year thanks to high export rice prices fueled by rising demand for food reserves.

At present, the major markets of Vietnamese rice such as China, the Philippines, and Africa are all ramping up food reserves.

Furthermore, under the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), Vietnam is granted a duty-free quota for 80,000 tonnes of rice per year, which is anticipated to create a wealth of opportunities for Vietnamese rice exporters seeking to penetrate the EU market.

Statistics show Vietnam's rice exports in the first quarter of the year edged up by more than 19% in volume and 30% in turnover against the same period last year.

The export price of 5% broken rice throughout the reviewed period averaged about US$450 per tonne while that of 25% broken rice reached roughly US$430 per tonne, higher than the export price of rice of the same grade from Thailand and India./.
Today

Partly cloudy this morning, then becoming cloudy during the afternoon. High 63F. Winds light and variable.

Tonight

Partly cloudy. Low around 40F. Winds light and variable.

Tomorrow

A mix of clouds and sun early, then becoming cloudy later in the day. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 67F. Winds light and variable.
A Yemeni clan leader grants clemency to the murderer of his son just before the execution.

On February 20th, 2023, a murderer who was sentenced to death in Yemens central Marib region was granted clemency due in large part to the intervention of his mother.

The news of the pardon has quickly spread across social media and is being praised as a symbol of hope and resilience amidst the countrys nine-year-long war.

In 2016, Rabae Al-Demasi killed his friend Sadam Al-Quhati and was subsequently convicted and sentenced to death.

However, just before the scheduled execution, Rabaes mother camped out at the victims tomb and begged for forgiveness from the victims father, who is the chief of the Murad tribe.

The pardon was granted, following a tradition in Yemens tribal culture, and has inspired respect and enhanced the chiefs stature.

Yemeni tribes have been settling their own disputes and helping to reduce the impact of the war on civilians by protecting public buildings and keeping roads open so that goods can be transported.

This is a vital service in a conflict that has caused the worlds worst humanitarian crisis, according to the UN.
Thousands of Israelis have come together for a weekly protest against the governments judicial overhaul plans, despite concerns over security due to a rise in Israeli-Palestinian violence.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has paused his plans after public backlash against the proposal, which has united a large portion of the Israeli population in resistance against a series of bills aimed at reducing the powers of the Israeli Supreme Court.

The Tel Aviv protest, a commercial center of Israel, was located just under a mile from an attack on Friday causing the death of an Italian tourist and injury of five Italian and British citizens when a car drove into a tourist group. In another event, two British-Israeli women were fatally shot near a settlement in the West Bank.

The rise of violence in Israel and the West Bank has ignited fears of an even greater escalation while the holy Muslim month of Ramadan, Jewish Passover, and Easter are taking place.

Organizers of the grassroots protest movement resisting the judicial overhaul called for people to attend Saturdays planned protest, which marks a fourteenth consecutive week with tens of thousands attending.

They portrayed this anti-government protest as an act of solidarity with victims of Fridays attacks as well as with Israelis living near Lebanon and Gaza borders who were recently affected by Palestinian rocket fire.

During the Tel Aviv protest, a moment of silence was held for the victims. Leaders of the protest movement argue that these overhaul plans have weakened Israels national security by disrupting the military and weakening the countrys position against its enemies.

Although Netanyahus announcement of postponing the proposed changes in Israels legal system appeared to calm tensions which fueled months of protests, it has failed to address crucial issues that have caused division within the nation.

Netanyahu claims that he will revive the plan if talks with the opposition party do not lead to a compromise.

The proposed plans would allow Netanyahu and his allies to have the final say in appointing judges and enable the parliament, under his allies control, to overrule Supreme Court decisions and limit the courts ability to review laws.

Supporters of Netanyahu believe that such reforms are necessary in curbing unelected judges powers.

However, opponents believe that these changes would destroy the balances of power and place too much authority in Netanyahus and his allies hands, while also questioning Netanyahus conflict of interest as he is being investigated for corruption charges.
Police and army reservists called up as rockets are launched from Syria in response to Israels action.

Rockets were fired from Syria late Saturday after Israel began calling up police and army reservists following attacks that killed three people, including an Italian tourist, and earlier rocket fire from Lebanon.

Despite appeals for restraint, violence has surged since Israeli police stormed the Al-Aqsa mosque on Wednesday after they said Palestinians barricaded themselves inside.

Israel bombarded both Gaza and Lebanon in response to rocket fire by Palestinian militants. Late Saturday three rockets were fired from Syria, the Israeli army said.

One of the rockets crossed into Israeli territory and landed in open areas in the southern Golan Heights which are occupied by Israel, the army said.

The unrest comes as the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan, Jewish Passover, and Christian Easter coincide.

It is the latest in escalating Israeli-Palestinian violence since the new government of veteran Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took power in December, a coalition with extreme right and ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties.

The Italian was killed and seven other tourists wounded when an Israeli Arab ploughed a car into pedestrians on the Tel Aviv seafront on Friday evening.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni named the dead man as Alessandro Parini, 36. The car flipped over before the driver was shot dead, police and emergency services said. Police identified the driver as a 45-year-old from the Arab town of Kfar Kassem in central Israel.

The terrorist was neutralised, a spokesman told AFP. Three of the injured were still in hospital on Saturday as passers-by left flowers and lit candles at the scene.

Italian President Sergio Mattarella condemned in a press release a despicable terrorist act.

The Rome public prosecutors office has opened an investigation. Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, called the attack a natural and legitimate response to Israels aggression in the Al-Aqsa mosque.

Earlier Friday, two British-Israeli sisters aged 16 and 20 were killed and their mother seriously wounded when their car was fired on in the Jordan Valley in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

After the Tel Aviv attack, Netanyahu instructed the police to mobilise all reserve border police units and directed the army to mobilise additional forces, his office said.

Police said four reserve battalions of border police would be deployed in city centres from Sunday.

The defence ministry confirmed late Saturday it had mobilised soldiers to support the police, and that it would tighten entry restrictions into Israel for Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza, in particular workers.

Earlier, an Israeli military post came under fire in a drive-by shooting in the northern West Bank town of Yabad overnight Friday-Saturday, the army said.

Soldiers returned fire and hit one person in the vehicle, the army said. Fridays attacks came after Israel launched air strikes and an artillery bombardment before dawn in response to rocket fire from the Gaza Strip and Lebanon.

It was the heaviest rocket fire from Lebanon since Israel fought a 34-day war with Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah in 2006, and the first time Israel has confirmed an attack on Lebanese territory since April 2022.

Israel struck targets, including terror infrastructures, belonging to the Hamas terrorist organisation in southern Lebanon, the army said.

In Gaza, Israels military said it had hit two tunnels and two weapon manufacturing sites in response to the security violations of Hamas. It said air defences had intercepted 25 rockets from Lebanon on Thursday, while five had hit Israeli territory.

Israel will not allow the Hamas terrorist organisation to operate from within Lebanon, it said. The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), which patrols the area along the border, urged restraint, noting: Both sides have said they do not want a war.

 On Friday evening, the army said it had shot down a drone that entered Israels airspace from Lebanon.

On Wednesday, Israeli riot police stormed the prayer hall of Al-Aqsa mosque in a pre-dawn raid, aiming to dislodge law-breaking youths and masked agitators they said had barricaded themselves inside.

Ramadan coincided with the Jewish Passover holiday this year, raising tensions with the tens of thousands of Palestinians who pray at Al-Aqsa during the Muslim fasting month.

The Palestinians fear Netanyahus hard-right government may change longstanding rules that allow Jews to visit but not pray in the mosque compound, despite his repeated denials.

The upsurge of violence drew condemnation from the European Union and the United States. A Qatari official said Doha was mediating between Israel and the Palestinians.
President Vo Van Thuong receives former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet (Photo: VNA)

Throughout her political career, Bachelet has always had special affection for President Ho Chi Minh and the Vietnamese people. She served as the President of Chile twice in 2006-2010 and 2014-2018 terms and has made significant contributions to the friendly and cooperative relationship between Chile and Vietnam.

Sharing the memories of her youth when she joined thousands of Chilean students in demonstrations in protest against the Vietnam war, Bachelet said in Chile in the 1960s, young people, especially members of several political organisations, closely followed the war situation in Vietnam. They repeatedly took to the streets to protest the war and express their feeling for President Ho Chi Minh and solidarity with the Vietnamese people.

She noted that she was accompanied during the current trip to Vietnam by a delegation from Cerro Navia district, where a park was named after President Ho Chi Minh in 1969, to show the Chilean people's love for Uncle Ho and the Vietnamese people.

According to her, the young people then showed their solidarity with the Vietnamese people in many different ways. There was a very famous march where Chilean youth walked 200km from the port city of Valparaiso to the capital Santiago, to protest the war in Vietnam and express admiration for the brave spirit of the Vietnamese people who dared to face the US army.

Former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet in an interview with Vietnam News Agency (Photo: VNA)

In 1970, when Salvador Allende was elected President of Chile, and even in the following years, Chilean people continued to take to the streets to express their solidarity with the Vietnamese. Bachelet recalled that at an international forum called "Supporting Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia", delegates strongly denounced the war and young people from all over the world at that time issued a joint statement expressing their solidarity and support for the just struggle of the Vietnamese nation.

Asked about her feelings about the upcoming 48th anniversary of southern liberation and national reunification of Vietnam (April 30), the former Chilean leader recalled that in 1975, her father died from torture under the dictatorship rule in Chile, and she, together with her mother and elder brother, had to flee to Australia. They were captured, but eventually made it to Australia, where they, along with Australian friends who were involved in the movement against the Vietnam war and those who supported democracy in Chile, celebrated the victory day of April 30 together. She said it was a truly wonderful moment, and they sang together and celebrated the victory of the Vietnamese people.

In her view, it is the experiences that Vietnam gained during the war and the persistent negotiation efforts that led to the signing of the Paris Peace Accords 50 years ago, have helped Vietnam maintain a flexible and dialogic foreign policy which is crucial in today's world. She affirmed that threats to peace still exist, so it is necessary to engage in more dialogues. And it is important that Vietnam, based on its own experience, continues to contribute to the global peace.

As regards to what the two countries should do to further strengthen their traditional friendship and cooperation, Bachelet said it is an important mission that Chilean Ambassador Sergio Narea will continue to undertake. According to her, Narea has worked in Vietnam for five years, and he has a deep understanding of Vietnam, a country that he loves dearly.

She noted that during a political consultation last year, the two countries ministries and agencies took stock of their existing cooperation areas and explored new fields for collaboration such as national defence and security.

She suggested that the two sides could expand coordination in other fields, such as student exchange and scientific research, adding that Vietnam has achieved great success in economic development, and the two countries could learn from each other.

She said during the trip, representatives from Cerro Navia district held a working session with leaders of Vietnams southern Binh Duong province who pledged to support the upgrade of the Ho Chi Minh statue at the park named after him.

Her delegation also held a working session with leaders of the central Nghe An province on the possibility of building an iconic structure dedicated to President Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam and the Vietnam-Chile relations, and digitalising images to be displayed on screens at train stations in Cerro Navia district, a hub connecting Santiago with other locations. Chilean people will learn more about Vietnam through the images displayed, Bachelet said.

Former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet speaks at the UN (Photo: AP)

Confirming that there remains huge room to further expand economic and trade ties, the former President said The Chilean Embassy will work in this direction.

In conclusion, she hoped that the Chilean Presidents visit to Vietnam will be arranged this year, contributing to reinforcing solidarity, friendship and multifaceted cooperation between the two nations./.
Protesters in Tunisia demand release of President Saieds opponents in the hundreds.

On Sunday, hundreds of people protested in the Tunisian capital demanding the release of around 20 opponents of President Kais Saied who were arrested since February.

The main opposition coalition, the National Salvation Front, organised the rally where approximately 300 demonstrators from opposition parties waved Tunisian flags and carried signs with the images of detainees.

Since February 2022, North African authorities arrested over 20 political opponents, personalities, politicians, former ministers, businessmen, trade unionists, and the owner of Mosaique FM, Tunisias most popular radio station.

Local and international rights groups have criticised these arrests. During the rally, Samir Ben Amor, an official with the Al-Joumhouri (Republican) party, called for a national dialogue in order to draw up a roadmap to save Tunisia and return to the democratic path.

President Saied, who froze parliament and sacked Tunisias government in July 2021, claimed that those arrested were terrorists involved in a conspiracy against state security.

However, his opponents accuse him of reinstating autocratic rule in the only democracy to emerge from the Arab Spring uprisings in the Middle East region over a decade ago.

Amnesty International criticised these arrests and urged authorities to release the detainees on unfounded charges.

Tunisias mounting debt and rising prices, worsened by Russias invasion of Ukraine, add to the countrys turbulent political situation.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned last month that Tunisia urgently needs to reach a deal with the International Monetary Fund, adding to the European Unions warnings about the future of the country.
Scores of civilians killed in northeastern Burkina Faso by groups of terrorists armed with weapons.

According to the regional governor, armed terrorist groups have killed 44 people in the northeastern region of Burkina Faso near the Niger border.

The villages of Kourakou and Tondobi were targeted, with 31 people killed in Kourakou and 13 in Tondobi.

An army offensive was launched against these groups, and the governor ensured that efforts to stabilize the area are underway.

Burkina Faso has been facing a seven-year-long insurgency campaign by jihadists associated with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group.

The villagers said that Kourakou was attacked in retaliation for the lynching of two jihadists a few days earlier.

The countrys army has recently acquired drones, and Burkina Fasos new military chief has vowed to increase attacks against jihadists in the upcoming days.
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( Middle East Monitor )  Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid on Friday accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of causing a disaster by assigning National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir responsibility for Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Maan News Agency disclosed that Lapid accused Netanyahu of knowing that giving the National Security portfolio to Ben-Gvir, which made him responsible for Al-Aqsa Mosque, would lead to disaster.

There are irresponsible people sitting in the Ministerial Council, Lapid criticised, commenting on the ongoing tension in the occupied territories and Jerusalem.

In the last two days, Israeli occupation police raided Al-Aqsa Mosque and forcefully pushed Palestinian worshippers out to make way for Israeli settlers to desecrate it during the Jewish Passover holiday.

More than 420 worshippers were detained during the aggression on Al-Aqsa Mosque. Most were released on condition of not entering the holy site.

Following two days of violent Israeli attacks on worshippers at Al-Aqsa Mosque, around 140,000 Muslim worshippers attended Isha and Taraweeh prayers on the 16th day of Ramadan, Wafa News Agency reported.

This came despite the tightened restrictions and amplified military deployments at the holy site gates and across the Old City of Jerusalem.

Article continues after bonus IC video

Islam Channel: Palestinians protest at Al-Aqsa Mosque

On Tuesday, Israeli occupation forces raided Al-Aqsa Mosque and assaulted worshippers. Shocking scenes of the attacks were widely shared on social media, sparking international outcry.

The heavily-armed police officers were seen pushing peaceful Muslim worshippers off their prayer mats, including elderly men, forcing them to leave the site.

READ: Al-Aqsa worshippers paying price of Arab states normalisation with Israel

In other scenes, police were filmed beating worshippers with batons and rifle butts while they appeared to be lying on the floor and firing tear gas inside the mosque, while women were heard screaming in protest.

The Israeli occupation claims that Muslim worshippers desecrated Al-Aqsa Mosque and, therefore, they wanted to evacuate them.

Witnesses from Jerusalem refuted the claims of the Israeli police and said they were evacuated from the holy site during the settler raids in the days of the Jewish Passover.

Via Middle East Monitor

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License Two reports have been combined.
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Ann Arbor (Informed Comment)  John Hudson and Louisa Loveluck at the Washington Post report that a leak of Pentagon documents reveals that the U.S. is intensively spying on Israel and concludes that Israels intelligence service, Mossad, has encouraged both its own employees and the Israeli public to join protests against Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahus attempt to gut the Israeli courts. Mossad is denying the report.

They quote the document as saying that the intelligence agency leaders

advocated for Mossad officials and Israeli citizens to protest the new Israeli Governments proposed judicial reforms, including several explicit calls to action that decried the Israeli Government, according to signals intelligence.

Hudson and Loveluck surmise that this document draws the curtain on the kind of pressures Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant was getting from the officer corps and intelligence chiefs, such that he publicly announced his opposition to Netanyahus plans to weaken the courts. Netanyahu orally fired Gallant, but has not submitted the paperwork necessary actually to remove him, leaving Israel in limbo regarding the head of its ministry of defense.

Mossad is headed by David Dadi Barnea, 58. He did his BA and MBA in the United States and worked in an Israeli investment bank before joining Mossad in 1996.

Barnea had already been reported by the Times of Israel to be allowing low-level Mossad employees to participate in the anti-Netanyahu rallies. It is an old intelligence trick to release a little damaging information to cover up a big piece of damaging information. Apparently the TOI report was actually a cover-up of a widespread Mossad commitment to the protests that may have involved encouraging civilians to join them as well. Like any foreign intelligence-gathering outfit, Mossad is not supposed to operate domestically, particularly in opposition to the policies of the sitting prime minister.

Former Mossad head Danny Yatom has been vocal against Netanyahus project, calling it a judicial coup, and warning that if it is enacted there could be a revolt among top military and intelligence officials, as France 24 English reported a month ago::

Mossad, established in 1949, means Institute, and is short for Mossad Merkazi le-Modiin ule-Tafkidim Meyuhadim, (Central Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations). It specializes in espionage abroad and covert operations, including dirty tricks and assassinations. The internal espionage agency is Shin Bet.

Benzinga.com reports that investors are fleeing Israel because of the uncertainties introduced by Netanyahus attempt to weaken the judiciary. Investors need to know that laws and legal rulings are stable so as to make decisions about where to put their money for the best future returns. If you are going to have parliament overrule the Supreme Court with a simple majority and have the ruling party put its cronies on the court, everything is now up for grabs. There is no settled case law. If you had a few million dollars to invest, would you put them into an unsettled legal environment like that? Even Israeli firms are instead investing in the US. One acquired $100 million of American real estate recently. Israeli high tech firms are also leaving.

Given Barneas strong ties to the investment community, he may be concerned that Netanyahu is fatal to the Israeli economy, which is known for its dynamism and start-ups.

The WaPo report suggests that Mossads behavior here is unprecedented. That may be, but Israels security establishment has long viewed Netanyahu as loony as the day is long, and as a security threat to their country.

In the period 2010-2012, Netanyahu and his defense minister, Ehud Barak, seriously contemplated launching an attack on Iran no less than three times, as I discussed at Informed Comment in 2015.

As I pointed out then, this step was vetoed by other cabinet members and the then Israeli chiefs of staff, first Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi until 2011 and then Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz. Gantz is now a major opposition leader who has joined in the rallies against Netanyahu. It was also vetoed by then Mossad chief Meir Dagan (d. 2016). Netanyahu then forced out of office not only Dagan but also Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi as well as some other key security personnel.

Dagan then took the unprecedented step of coming out against Netanyahu and his war plans in public and calling them the stupidest idea in an interview with Leslie Stahl on 60 Minutes in 2012.

As I discussed in 2011:

The back story that has emerged in the Israeli press is that Barak, who is a notorious war-monger and adventurist, had gotten Netanyahus ear and pressed for a military strike on Iran. Dagan and all the other major security officials stood against this foolhardy plan, and managed to derail it. But Dagan is said to be concerned that virtually all the level heads have gone out of office together, and that Netanyahu and Barak may now be in a position to revive their crazy plan of attacking Iran. Moreover, they may want to attack in September, as a way of creating a crisis that will overshadow Palestinian plans to seek membership in the United Nations. Dagan and other high Israeli security officials appear to believe that Iran has no present nuclear weapons program. That is what Military Intelligence Director, Brigadier General Aviv Kochavi, has told the Israeli parliament.

So Dagan opposed Netanyahus wild ideas while in office and then once out of office went around expressing concern for the fate of Israel as long as Netanyahu was in power, clearly implying that the PM was unbalanced and erratic, and could easily drag the small Levantine state into a conflagration it could not win.

All I am saying is that it just isnt new that Israels intelligence and military establishment thinks Netanyahu is off his rocker and that they are opposed to his wilder ideas. They also appear to think that he has never missed an opportunity to miss an opportunity for peace with the Palestinians.

Mobilizing the entirety of Mossad and also covertly encouraging civilians to join massive rallies against him is no doubt a novel way of expressing that opposition. The opposition itself, however, is hardly new.
Theres no real reason to get rid of it except to inhibit access to a standard of care. And for folks that are advocates of banning abortion, that means not getting the standard of care for an abortion, but the unintended consequence is for miscarriage management as well.  Dr. Loren Colson, Idaho primary care doctor

Additionally, doctors worry this ruling could have serious health consequences for women experiencing miscarriage, which can be life-threatening. Already providers around the country have reported that their states restrictive abortion laws have forced them to turn away pregnant patients even if theyre experiencing, or at risk for, serious health complications.

Ruling has implications for miscarriage management, doctor says

In a friend of the court brief filed in the lawsuit in February, leading medical and public health societies that include the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, and the American Medical Association wrote: Recent research has shown that prescribed mifepristone, in conjunction with misoprostol, improves safety outcomes for patients experiencing pregnancy loss.

Mifepristone blocks the hormone progesterone, which a pregnancy needs to progress. Its followed by the drug misoprostol, which has other indications but also causes the uterus to expel the embryo or fetus. The FDA has recommended it be used up to 10 weeks in pregnancy; the World Health Organization says 12.

Dr. Loren Colson, a primary care physician in Idaho who is also a fellow with national advocacy group Physicians for Reproductive Health, is among those concerned for his miscarrying patients. Idaho has a near-complete ban on abortions at any stage of pregnancy. Doctors who provide abortions must prove they were trying to save the pregnant persons life. (Similarly, survivors of rape and incest who want an abortion have to first file a police report.)

Colson said he has seen many patients at his clinic seeking care for miscarriages since the ban went into effect, and while the clinic has had difficulties securing mifepristone, the doctors have been able to use it to help those patients.

When a pregnant person miscarries, which happens in as many as 26% of all pregnancies, the pregnancy often does not completely end for weeks if not months, Colson said. According to his estimates, about 80% of patients pregnancies will resolve within one month, while the remaining 20% could take six weeks or longer. Mifepristone and misoprostol taken in combination after an early miscarriage has a success rate of completing miscarriages by day two in 84% of Colsons patients, according to his data.

Misoprostol alone  which is what many doctors currently prescribe for an early miscarriage, depending on the situation  will still be faster for some patients than using no drugs at all, Colson said, but by itself, the number of prescribed doses would increase, which creates more cramping and other side effects. The ruling bothers him because the medicine now pulled from shelves has fewer side effects than misoprostol and creates a better outcome for patient comfort.

(Mifepristone is) an incredibly safe medication, and theres no real reason to get rid of it except to inhibit access to a standard of care, Colson said. And for folks that are advocates of banning abortion, that means not getting the standard of care for an abortion, but the unintended consequence is for miscarriage management as well.

Adapting to new challenges

Abortion-rights advocates and providers have been preparing for this legal outcome since plaintiffs sued the FDA last November. Some advocates have been forming an underground network of abortion pills and helping people access the medication outside of the U.S. legal system.

Some abortion clinics have already promised to keep offering medication abortion, regardless of Kacsmaryks ruling.

Some doctors, like Colson, plan to recommend misoprostol alone for patients who want or can only access abortion via medication  something OB-GYNs sometimes did before the FDA approved mifepristone in 2000.

Dr. Deborah Nucatola, chief medical officer for Planned Parenthood Great Northwest Hawaii, Alaska, Indiana and Kentucky, has practiced abortion care in nine states for more than 25 years, which includes a stretch of about five years before mifepristone. When the drug was introduced, effectiveness and speed to complete an abortion rapidly increased, she told States Newsroom.

Losing access means patients still have access to options, but it takes longer, and the risk of failure is higher, she said.

Nucatola expects more patients will have incomplete abortions and will need to return for the surgical procedure, called aspiration, which involves using suction to empty whatever tissue remains in the uterus.

Time is the most important factor when it comes to optimizing womens recovery from spontaneous or induced abortion, Nucatola said. Medication abortion works quickly, and has a low infection rate. She expects infection rates will remain low with misoprostol-only, but the longer it takes for a pregnancy to fully end, the higher the chances of infection and other complications.

Misoprostol is still a safe and effective medication, she said, but the higher doses cause more side effects, such as chills, nausea, vomiting, gastrointestinal distress and fever. The recommendation is 12 misoprostol pills, as opposed to four for medication abortions before eight weeks.

(Patients are) just going to have a lot more discomfort for longer, Nucatola said, underscoring that providers will continue to support patients amid the coming challenges. We trust our patients to do the best thing for themselves, and were going to do everything we can to support them, whether or not we have access to mifepristone.

But for anti-abortion lobbying groups, today is a huge victory, years in the making.

Students for Life of America (SFLA)  a national group that fights against abortion and birth control access on college campuses  has for years campaigned against mifepristone and against the FDAs loosening of restrictions, which most recently included allowing retail pharmacies to dispense the medication abortion regimen directly to patients.

SFLA president Kristan Hawkins said on a recent webcast. When I launched Students for Life more than 16 years ago, we knew we were going to need a trained army, ground troops ready to go in states and communities around the country the moment Roe versus Wade was reversed. And we began looking at this issue of chemical abortion five years ago.

Like the plaintiff anti-abortion medical groups in this lawsuit, Students for Life uses the number 28 to argue that mifepristone should be banned. Its the same number the FDA uses to argue that its safe: 28 deaths out of an estimated 5.6 million people in 23 years have been associated with the FDAs abortion regimen, which is a markedly lower rate than many common FDA-approved drugs, like Tylenol and Viagra. And as the FDA notes, that small number includes fatal cases regardless of causal attribution to mifepristone, including people who died from homicide, suicide, and pulmonary emphysema.

But Hawkins did acknowledge that the procedure her movement is trying to ban terminates pregnancies early, in the first trimester  which is something most Americans favor, in public opinion polls.

We became very concerned that there were legislative advances to make chemical abortion pills the preeminent type of abortion thats offered in our country, Hawkins said. Because the abortion industry reads the same polls that we read. They know that the majority of Americans oppose second- and third-trimester abortions.

A recent Public Religion Research Institute poll contradicts Hawkins, finding that 52% of Americans oppose restrictions that make it illegal to obtain an abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy.

Asked via email if SFLA expects an increase in second- and third-trimester abortions if this ruling makes first-trimester abortions harder to access and what the impacts of banning abortion drugs will be, Hamrick said, Lives will be saved.

Many doctors across the country disagree with her.

Making mifepristone unavailable nationwide  even in states where abortion remains legal  will impose a severe, almost unimaginable cost on pregnant people throughout the United States, write the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the other medical and public health societies in its brief.

Medication abortions relative availability makes it more accessible to patients who otherwise face challenges to access medical care, including low-income patients and patients of colorthe very people who are most likely to experience severe maternal morbidity and more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications.
COEUR D'ALENE, ID / ACCESSWIRE / March 22, 2023 / Timberline Resources Corporation (OTCQB:TLRS) (TSXV:TBR) ("Timberline" or the "Company") is pleased to announce its 2023 plans for exploration, engineering, and baseline environmental work at its 100%-controlled Eureka Project in Nevada (Figure 1). The program includes the first drilling of the carbonate replacement deposit (CRD) type gold-silver targets at New York Canyon and a return to several surface oxide gold targets at the Lookout Mountain Deposit. The Company also plans to test for extensions of the Carlin-type gold system at the Water Well Zone (WWZ).

The plan to drill several different areas in 2023 is a reflection of the different stages of discovery and development at the multiple targets across the 70 km2 project. Timberline geologists are very excited to conduct the first drilling on the newly acquired patented claims in New York Canyon, within the heart of the Eureka CRD district where i80 Gold and Paycore Minerals have been focusing (Figure 2). The opportunities at Lookout Mountain and the WWZ involve offsetting known mineralization, filling in gaps, and testing for downdip extensions.

An important aspect of this year's work will be to update the operational and permitting plan with state and federal regulators. Timberline initiated metallurgical, engineering, and environmental work between 2012 and 2014. The 2023 plan includes several near-term tasks, longer lead time items, and baseline monitoring to build out the key project development databases, these include:

Review metallurgical data and initiate additional testing by rock type and particle size

Update waste rock and geochemical characterization studies Revisit studies from 2012 - 2014 and augment as necessary Drill core samples for additional environmental test work

Drilling for additional geotechnical studies to aid in pit design

Biological surveys (vegetation and wildlife) according to a prescribed seasonal schedule

Surface & groundwater study, including piezometers and monitoring wells

Completion of the cultural and archaeological survey

Patrick Highsmith, Timberline's President and CEO commented, "This will be an exciting year at our Eureka Project as we combine high priority exploration targets with material work on the Lookout Mountain gold resource. The large Eureka CRD district is yielding high-grade silver at the Ruby Hill Mine and Fad Shaft projects, and we will kick off our 2023 drilling at New York Canyon where we have recently confirmed high-grade gold and silver at surface from what appears to be overlapping CRD and Carlin-type gold systems. Realizing that there are higher-grade gold targets in and around the Lookout - WWZ trend, we shall also be looking to fill in and grow the resource with drilling this year. We also intend to add value to that resource by completing key metallurgical, engineering, and environmental work that will be required for economic studies and permitting."

First Drilling at the New York Canyon Target

Some of the historical patented claims at New York Canyon date back to the earliest days of the Eureka mining district when high grade silver CRD-type mineralization sparked a boom that led to one of America's biggest silver districts. The recent drill success from i80 Gold, Paycore Minerals, and Timberline's 2021-2022 drillholes northeast of the WWZ suggest that the full extent of that silver-rich system is not yet known. Timberline recently reported surface sampling from newly acquired claims in New York Canyon that included very high silver and gold values over a significant area (see Company news release dated February 2, 2023).

The 2023 drill season will begin at New York Canyon. As highlighted in Figure 2, the initial drill target lies on the patented claims that are cut by a high-quality gravel road that intersects US Highway 50 approximately 1 kilometer to the north. The high gold and silver samples occur in the Hanson Creek formation at surface, but Timberline geologists believe that the high grades are controlled by northwest-striking faults as shown on the map. There is also a deeper target where favorable rocks from the Pogonip group are projected to dip beneath the high-grade surface showing and should also be cut by the faults.

The geochemistry of the New York Canyon mineralization differs from the recently drilled WWZ because it contains evidence of both silver-dominant CRD's and Carlin-type gold. In addition to the lead, zinc, and copper, the high-grade samples reported here are commonly high in arsenic, antimony, thallium, mercury, barium, and sometimes bismuth and molybdenum. Such complex geochemistry may represent overprinting mineral systems, wherein the earlier CRD mineralization enriched the rocks in silver, base metals, arsenic, antimony, bismuth, and molybdenum, and the later Carlin-type gold bearing fluids used the same structures to infuse more arsenic, antimony, thallium, barium, and mercury.

Timberline plans to drill several reverse circulation (RC) holes across the controlling structures and beneath outcropping veins and alteration. Since this is the first drilling into this target, the program will also include one or two core holes in order to better understand the geological controls on the high-grade. The easy road access and patented claim holdings will facilitate a rapid start to the 2023 drill season at New York Canyon.

New Exploration Targets along the Lookout Trend

The Lookout Mountain gold resource comes to surface and includes significant oxide mineralization. After its acquisition of Staccato Gold in 2010, Timberline advanced the resource with initial metallurgical, environmental and geochemical test work, as well as preliminary geotechnical and mine design studies before publishing its NI 43-101 technical report in 2013. The Company intends to move forward with additional test work, engineering, and environmental studies during 2023 before updating the mineral resource late in the year. The resource is summarized in Table 1, and the complete NI-43 101 Updated Technical Report on the Lookout Mountain Project by Mine Development Associates, Effective March 1, 2013, can be found on SEDAR, where it was filed on April 12, 2013.

Table 1 - Summary of Lookout Mountain Gold Resource

Resource Category Tonnage

(million short tons) Grade

(oz/ton) Grade

(grams/tonne) Contained Au

(troy oz) Measured 3.04 0.035 1.2 106,000 Indicated 25.90 0.016 0.6 402,000 Inferred 11.71 0.012 0.41 141,000

During late 2020, Timberline drilled several holes within the resource that confirmed and upgraded a thick zone of oxide mineralization in the northern portion of the Lookout Mountain resource area (See Company news releases dated December 1, 2020 and January 7, 2021). The highlights of that drilling included BHSE-176, which yielded 15.24m averaging 10.09 g/t gold, beginning at 21.34m downhole depth, including 9.14m of 16.31 g/t gold, and BHSE-186, which intercepted 6.10m of 5.21 g/t gold from 4.57m depth. Of particular interest was a high-grade zone of oxide mineralization beneath the historical open pit that was in need of more drilling to better define its shape.

The Lookout Trend is defined for more than six kilometers in a roughly north-south direction (Figure 3). The discovery history in the area has shown that when higher grades of gold cluster in drill holes, there are opportunities to offset along structural or lithologic targets and identify significant new mineralization. This model led to the discovery of the WWZ, and during 2023, Timberline will address several new target areas, including the historical Lookout Mountain Pit, South Lookout, Rocky Canyon, and the North Gap.

Several historical drill holes in the South Lookout target area offer encouragement that the zone of thicker +1 g/t oxide mineralization may be more extensive than previously thought (See Figure 3). An example from historical drilling was drill hole BHSE-096, which intercepted 61m of 1.54 g/t gold hosted primarily in oxidized Hamburg formation. This drill hole dated to approximately 2011, and it was included in the resource calculation, however, the drill spacing is very wide in this area. This type of thicker higher grade oxide mineralization may have a positive impact on the resource once better tested and defined.

There is very little drilling north of the Lookout Resource, perhaps because of major faulting in the area that presents different rocks at the surface. However, there is considerable alteration at surface, and the younger rocks in the area are known to be important hosts at the Ruby Hill Mine to the north. There are several high-grade intercepts in the Rocky Canyon area that warrant returning to this corridor with inexpensive RC drilling to test Timberline's improved geologic model.

Timberline's 2021 and 2022 drilling to the east of the resource intercepted numerous significant intercepts of higher-grade gold down dip in the Water Well Zone (see Company news releases dated October 27, 2021, February 24, 2022, and March 9, 2022). The geologic model for the Lookout mineral system now clearly illustrates the presence of major faulting that both localizes higher grades of gold and offsets the rocks down to the east. The deeper high-grade sulfide Carlin-type mineralization in the WWZ remains open to the east and south. Later in the year, the Timberline team expects to return to that target to test an area called Water Well East, which is associated with important faults in the area and a strong IP chargeability anomaly.

All of these new targets combined with the significant historical resource development work at Lookout Mountain necessitate moving forward with additional metallurgical, engineering, environmental, and permitting work.

Advancing the Resource with Metallurgy, Engineering, and Environmental Work

Timberline expects to update its mineral resource at the Eureka Project late in the year. Earlier work on the metallurgy, design, and waste rock management of the Lookout Mountain resource has laid a good foundation to advance the project towards economic studies, but the Company will be filling in gaps and adding to those databases commencing in Q2 of this year. Timberline has been working with its lead permitting consultant, Westland Resources of Reno, Nevada, for a number of years. The team will update its permitting operating plan with state and federal regulators.

Some of the drilling in 2023 will serve the dual purpose of providing material for gold leach testing and increasing the density of drilling within the resource. The metallurgical program will include consulting with metallurgical testing labs in Nevada to design additional test work aiming to optimize the gold recovery from a potential future mine. Earlier reports noted improved gold recoveries after finer crushing or with crushing alternatives, such as high-pressure grinding rolls, and the Timberline team will continue this test work, which is likely to include more column leach tests.

A restart of surface mining at Eureka would require a rigorous plan for management of waste rock. This is accomplished with targeted geochemical analyses, acid/base accounting, and longer-term humidity cell tests. Some of this testing was conducted in the period between 2012 and 2014, but there will be additional testing and analysis of the historical data.

In order to secure the data needed for key permits, Timberline will also commence a number of biological surveys during the year, including vegetation and wildlife. Large areas of the project have been subjected to archeaological and cultural surveys as part of its current Plan of Operations with the Bureau of Land Management. Some areas in the western part of the project may see additional cultural survey work because of their potential use in hosting mine facilities in the future.

The path to permits also includes extensive study of ground and surface water resources in the project area. While any early stages of mining are likely to operate above the water table, Timberline will install a network of piezometers to confirm water table conditions. The project will also require several additional monitoring wells during the upcoming field season. Consultants have already recommended sites for surface water monitoring and baseline sampling.

Steven Osterberg, Ph.D., P.G., Timberline's Vice President Exploration, is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the technical contents of this release. Dr. Osterberg is not independent of the Company as he is an officer.

About Timberline Resources

Timberline Resources Corporation is focused on delivering high-grade Carlin-type gold discoveries at its district-scale Eureka Project in Nevada. The Eureka Property includes the historical Lookout Mountain and Windfall mines in a total property position of approximately 27 square miles (70 square kilometers).

The Company is also operator of the Paiute Joint Venture Project with Nevada Gold Mines in the Battle Mountain District. These properties lie on the prolific Battle Mountain-Eureka gold trend. Timberline also controls the Seven Troughs Project in northern Nevada, which is one of the state's highest-grade former gold producers. Timberline controls over 43 square miles (111 square kilometers) of mineral rights in Nevada. Detailed maps and mineral resources estimates for the Eureka Project and NI 43-101 technical reports for its projects may be viewed at http://timberlineresources.co/.

Timberline is listed on the OTCQB where it trades under the symbol "TLRS" and on the TSX Venture Exchange where it trades under the symbol "TBR".

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

"Patrick Highsmith"

President and CEO

Tel: 208-664-4859

Forward-looking Statements:

Statements contained herein that are not based on current or historical fact are forward-looking in nature and constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Act of 1934. Such forward-looking statements reflect the Company's expectations about its future operating results, performance and opportunities that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. These statements include but are not limited to: statements regarding the Eureka Project resources, exploration targets, and discovery potential, as well as statements regarding future extraction operations. When used herein, the words "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "upcoming", "plan", "target", "intend", "growth", and "expect" and similar expressions, as they relate to Timberline Resources Corporation, its subsidiaries, or its management, are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on information currently available to the Company and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause the Company's actual results, performance, prospects, and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, risks related to exploration projects, risks related to mining activities, risks related to potential future transactions, risks related to the Company continuing as a going concern, risks related to the ability to finance any payments due, risks related to project development decisions, risks related to mineral resource estimates and other such factors, including risk factors discussed in the Company's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Except as required by Federal Securities law, the Company does not undertake any obligation to release publicly any revisions to 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) accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
At the event (Photo: VNA)

Speaking at the event, Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan reiterated Vietnam's policy of making public health care a top task. She said the event aims to convey the message on health improving practices for disease prevention and control, for changing lives and for a healthier Vietnam.

WHO Representative in Vietnam Angela Pratt said Vietnam, like other countries in the world, is currently facing serious challenges to community health, including the increasing demand for healthcare services, an aging population, infectious diseases, climate change affecting human health, and non-communicable diseases such as cancer, heart diseases, illnesses caused by smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, unhealthy eating habits and lack of physical activity.

To address these challenges, she underlined the importance of multilateral cooperation and the role of young people in the cause of public health, towards the goal of achieving better health for everyone.

At the event, delegates joined in a mass dance performance and a walk for health.

On the occasion, thousands of people in Hanoi were screened for diseases and received advices on treatment using a health care app by more than 150 doctors from hospitals across the city./.
National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue (R) and Senator Jeff Merkley (Photo: VNA)

NA Chairman Hue stressed that Vietnam wishes to develop a stable and long-term strategic partnership with the US in a substantive, trustworthy and extensive manner in the spirit of setting aside the past and looking toward the future, and respecting independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and political regime of each other.

He spoke highly of the USs consistent message of supporting a strong, independent, and prosperous Vietnam.

The US Congress members hailed bilateral cooperation programmes and activities over the past years, especially in dealing with war aftermath, supporting people made disabled by war, and Agent Orange/dioxin remediation. They emphasised the importance of DNA analysis to support the search for the remains of US and Vietnamese soldiers missing in action, which is an important activity that will continue in the future.

They expressed wish to continue building a deeper and stronger relationship between the two peoples, and vowed to exert further efforts to upgrade bilateral ties in the coming time.

Speaking highly of Vietnams commitments at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of Parties (COP-26), the guests said the US wants to cooperate with Vietnam via specific actions, including in clean energy transition, adding that US firms want to access clean energy like solar and wind power and seek markets with high labour standards.

Both sides underlined the importance of building legal frameworks and suitable mechanisms to deliver on commitments at the COP-26.

The top Vietnamese legislator wished to further reinforce cooperation between the two legislatures in all areas and via all channels. He hoped both sides will set up a cooperation framework, consider building a mechanism for exchanges and official working sessions between their agencies, and strengthen ties among parliamentarians groups. He wished that the US Congress would soon set up the US-Vietnam Friendly Parliamentarians Group.

On regional and global issues of shared concern, including the East Sea issue, host and guest highlighted the need to maintain peace, stability, cooperation, ensuring freedom of navigation and overflight, refrain from using or threatening to use force in international relations, and abide by international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

The US Congress members expressed their hope for the early signing of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) while reiterating the importance that the US attaches to the ASEAN and its support for ASEAN's central role. They also pledged to continue promoting ASEAN-US relations in the future to address common issues such as climate change.

Regarding the IPEF, Hue said Vietnam is actively considering the pillars of cooperation within the IPEF, adding that Vietnam is ready to hold discussions with partners on the basis of international law, respect for countries' independence, sovereignty and national security, equality, and mutual benefit.

The Vietnamese NA leader affirmed that Vietnam always respects and protects human rights and citizens' rights in accordance with its Constitution and laws. The country also respects and fully follows international conventions on human rights that it has signed and joined, he added.

On the occasion, Chairman Hue extended an invitation to young members of the US Congress to attend the ninth Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians which will be hosted by the Vietnamese NA in September./.
Lim Ji Yeon continues to accumulate achievements as she topped the April 2023 Drama Actor Brand Rankings, outshining her "The Glory" co-star.

Continue reading to know who among your favorite stars made it to the list!

Lim Ji Yeon & Lee Do Hyun Dominate April 2023 Drama Actor Brand Reputation Rankings

The Korean Business Research Institute named the stars who made it to this month's brand reputation rankings for drama actors.

Earning the top spot is the trending actress Lim Ji Yeon, while next to her is her real-life boyfriend Lee Do Hyun. The two have been making headlines after confirming their relationship.

According to collected data, Lim Ji Yeon recorded a brand reputation index of 3,030,012, while Lee Do Hyun had a close count with an index of 2,742,908.

The high-ranking phrases in Lim Ji Yeon's keyword analysis are composed of "Yeon Jin," "Lee Do Hyun," and "Song Hye Kyo."

Meanwhile, her highest-ranking related terms are "Dating," "Let's live kindly," and "sign a contract with."

Lim Ji Yeon Surpasses 'The Glory' Co-Star Song Hye Kyo in Brand Rankings for the First Time

"Taxi Driver 2" lead star Lee Je Hoon took the third place with a reputation index of 2,511,782.

Occupying the fourth spot is "Divorce Attorney Shin" protagonist Cho Seung Woo, who recorded a reputation index of 2,415,501.

"The Glory" lead star Song Hye Kyo came in at a close fifth, with an index of 2,415,501. This is the first time Lim Ji Yeon surpassed her co-star in the brand reputation rankings.

Top 30 of April 2023 Drama Actor Brand Reputation Rankings

1. Lim Ji Yeon

2. Lee Do Hyun

3. Lee Je Hoon

4. Cho Seung Woo

5. Song Hye Kyo

6. Cha Joo Young

7. Shin Ye Eun

8. Seol In Ah

9. Shin Jae Ha

10. Jang Dong Yoon

11. Baek Jin Hee

12. Park Sung Hoon

13. Yeom Hye Ran

14. Han Sun Hwa

15. Lee Ji Ah

16. Jeon So Nee

17. Pyo Ye Jin

18. Woo Do Hwan

19. Park Hyung Sik

20. WJSN's Bona

21. Lee Cha Young

22. Chu Young Woo

23. Kim Min Seok

24. Ryeo Un

25. Han Suk Kyu

26. Lee Jang Woo

27. Baek Sung Hyun

28. Choi Yoon Young

29. Kim Sung Kyun

30. Oh Chang Suk

The rankings were based on the data analysis of the media coverage, interaction, participation, and community indexes of fifty actors who appeared in series that aired from March 6 to April 6.

Brand reputation big data analysis measures the positive and negative evaluation of a brand, the source and interest of the media, communication of consumers, the communities' engagement in the issue, and the reaction and popularity of the content.

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Dan Small from Outdoor Wisconsin to speak in Kenosha

KENOSHA  The Kenosha Sportfishing and Conservation Association will hold its general meeting on Monday, April 10, at 7 p.m. at Kenosha Moose Lodge, 3003 30th Ave.

Dan Small will be the featured speaker. Small currently produces and hosts a weekly radio show, Outdoors Radio with Dan Small, which airs on 22 stations across Wisconsin. He was also host and producer of Outdoor Wisconsin, a production of Milwaukee PBS, from its premier in November 1984 until 2020. Small will share his experiences over the last half-century of exploring and reporting on outdoor recreation and natural resources.

We are so excited and honored to have Dan Small speak at our general meeting. We have been watching and listening to him for decades, and his knowledge of natural resources, wildlife and outdoor pursuits in Wisconsin is second to none, said Walter Kreuser, president of the Kenosha Sportfishing and Conservation Association.

The meeting is free to members and $10 to non-members. Members will be required to show their membership cards at the door. Non-members can pay at the door or purchase their tickets ahead of time at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/dan-small-wisconsin-outdoors-speaker-tickets-600710299677.

Shalom Center to Celebrate HOPE at annual event

KENOSHA  The Shalom Centers annual celebration will be held on Thursday, May 4 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at the Italian American Club in Kenosha. The theme of this years event is Celebrate HOPE to honor the unwavering spirit and dedication that has propelled the growth of the local nonprofit.

Shalom Center was founded in 1982 by a small group of individuals who hoped to do one simple thing: feed those in need. Today we continue that mission of HOPEHelping Other People Every day, said Tamara Coleman, Shalom Center executive director.

The event will feature food, cocktails, live music, raffles and more. Tickets are $40 each and are available in advance only and may be purchased online at www.shalomcenter.org/events. Sponsorship opportunities are also available and are listed at the same link on the website.

Shalom Center is hoping to raise $41,000. All proceeds benefit ongoing food and shelter programs including the opening of the new Community Resource Center in July.

Free document shredding event set

TOWN OF WHEATLAND  The Town of Wheatland will hold a free document shredding event from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, April 22, between the firehouse and transfer station on 341st Avenue in New Munster.

Residents can bring any documents they need to have shredded on site and paper clups, rubbr bands, CDs and diskettes can be intermixed with the office paper.\ Not accepted will be three-ring binders, hanging file folders, binder clips, tools, vinyl, plastics and x-rays, or other general waste/garbage products.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 9. Chisinau is interested in attracting Azerbaijani investors and diversifying gas supply sources with the help of Baku, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Moldova Nicu Popescu said, Trend reports.

Nicu Popescu held a meeting with Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Khalaf Khalafov.

"I stressed Moldova's interest in attracting as many Azerbaijani investors as possible to the republic for the implementation of joint projects. Our country is interested in diversifying the sources and routes of natural gas supplies," Popescu wrote in the Telegram channel after the meeting.

The Moldovan PM highly appreciated the results achieved since the establishment of Moldovan-Azerbaijani diplomatic relations, and also declared Chisinau's openness to the development of cooperation with Baku in the energy, economic and agricultural spheres.

Moreover, they also discussed the interaction between Moldova and Azerbaijan as part of international and regional organizations.
Coillte, Irelands semi-state forestry company and Duiske College, in Graignamanagh, have recently completed the second year of participating in the Business Action on Education initiative, a nationwide scheme co-ordinated by Business in the Community (BITCI), which aims to develop partnerships between schools and businesses in Ireland in support of educational progression and inclusion.



Through the BITC World of Work programme, Coillte is collaborating with Duiske College to introduce its second-year students to the diverse career roles within Coillte and the wider Irish forestry sector.

Over a series of visits, the students have been introduced to the working world of Coillte and met with Coillte staff first-hand.



The class have visited Coilltes OSB board manufacturing plant at Smartply Co. Waterford and also got to experience Coilltes new recreation offering at Beyond the Trees in Avondale Forest Park in Co. Wicklow.

Both Coillte sites are interconnected, with boards made in the Smartply plant being used to create the new facilities at Avondale.

This partnership aims to offer students an insight into the forestry industry in Ireland, while also introducing topics such as sustainability to the students.



The Duiske College students were particularly interested in the operational side of Coilltes business. The visit to the Smartply plant showed how Coillte wood is processed and turned into panel board products.



At Beyond the Trees, in Avondale Forest Park, the students also had plenty of fun and got to meet the operational team who manage the facility and who maintain the forest park.



Throughout their time at both sites, the students learned about the multiple benefits of forests for climate, nature, wood, people and their local community.

We see this as a new and exciting innovation for our students to complement their education, Kevin Chesty, teacher at Duiske College, said.



The programme provides them with an opportunity to learn transferable skills. It also promotes the idea of sustainability on a practical level. Overall, it helps the students see future options that would be available to them. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Coillte.



Second year student at Duiske College, Lucy Kennedy said she loved doing the Coillte programme. I really enjoyed our visits to Smartply and Beyond the Trees, Avondale. The Coillte and Medite Smartply teams were very nice and shared loads of information with us.



I also enjoyed doing the workshops because while being educational, they were also fun and interesting. The programme opened my eyes about the various roles involved in an organisation like Coillte. Overall, I really enjoyed the whole experience and I am glad that Coillte has chosen to get schools involved like this.



Alice Kavanagh, BITC Regional Coordinator said, As regional coordinator I am delighted to see this dynamic partnership continue.

 It has been wonderful to partner with Coillte to provide these students with an opportunity to see beyond the book learning, and learn all about sustainability in their own local area and the various career opportunities that are on their own doorstep.
Last week, Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Saudi Arabia Berik Aryn met with Mr. Bander Al-Mohanna, the CEO of Flynas in Riyadh, Kazinform learned from the press office of the Kazakh MFA, Trend reports.

Berik Aryn briefed the Saudi side on the recent political and socio-economic transformations launched in Kazakhstan, in particular, on the results of the parliamentary elections and the formation of a new government , which became the final stage of a complete reset of key state institutions as part of the implementation of initiatives and reforms of the Head of State in building New Kazakhstan.

In addition, the parties discussed the launch of direct regular flights between Kazakhstan and Saudi Arabia.

The Ambassador informed Bander Al-Mohanna about the Kazakh Government's measures on simplifying business and tourist trips of the two coutnries' citizens, including the resumption of a visa-free regime for Saudi citizens and the possibility of using fifth freedom of the air at the airports of Kazakhstan.
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BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 9. The German Welthungerhilfe (WHH), an organization for development and humanitarian aid, has currently 11 ongoing projects in various stages of implementation in Tajikistan, Country Director for Welthungerhilfe in Tajikistan Johannes Kaltenbach told Trend.

"The projects focus on community action in the field of food and nutrition security including irrigation water supply, drinking water, renewable energy and energy efficiency, vocational education, and orchard management," the director said.

He noted that all projects are implemented by local civil society organizations. In total, WHH currently work with 6 partner organizations.

Kaltenbach added that WHH plans to continue their engagement with Tajikistan for the foreseeable future.

WHH has been active in Tajikistan since 1994 and has an office in Dushanbe.

German Welthungerhilfe is a major non-governmental aid organization in Germany. Its objective is to eradicate hunger completely by 2030. Over the last 60 years, it has supported over 10,895 projects in 70 countries, providing financial assistance of 4.46 billion euro. In 2021, WHH's 526 projects in 36 countries benefited approximately 16.6 million individuals.
The fallout from the leak of what appears to be classified US military documents on the war in Ukraine took a bizarre turn on April 7 as evidence surfaced that versions of the documents had been posted over a month ago to a video game-focused chatroom on social media.
Compass Capital Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Accenture plc (NYSE:ACN  Get Rating) by 1.1% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 172,851 shares of the information technology services providers stock after purchasing an additional 1,888 shares during the period. Accenture makes up approximately 3.8% of Compass Capital Management Inc.s holdings, making the stock its 19th largest position. Compass Capital Management Inc.s holdings in Accenture were worth $46,124,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in ACN. Tsfg LLC grew its stake in shares of Accenture by 108.7% in the third quarter. Tsfg LLC now owns 96 shares of the information technology services providers stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 50 shares during the last quarter. Affiance Financial LLC purchased a new stake in Accenture during the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. My Personal CFO LLC bought a new stake in Accenture during the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Norwood Financial Corp purchased a new position in Accenture in the third quarter worth about $32,000. Finally, Ten Capital Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Accenture by 61.8% in the third quarter. Ten Capital Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 123 shares of the information technology services providers stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 47 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 73.97% of the companys stock.

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Accenture Stock Up 0.1 %

NYSE:ACN traded up $0.37 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $281.70. 2,125,329 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,310,500. The stocks fifty day moving average price is $272.66 and its 200-day moving average price is $274.20. Accenture plc has a one year low of $242.80 and a one year high of $344.81. The firm has a market cap of $178.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.56 and a beta of 1.25.

Accenture Announces Dividend

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 (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.49 by $0.20. Accenture had a return on equity of 30.73% and a net margin of 11.00%. The company had revenue of $15.81 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.59 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.54 EPS. The firms revenue was up 5.1% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts predict that Accenture plc will post 11.57 EPS for the current year.

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 13th will be given a dividend of $1.12 per share. This represents a $4.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.59%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 12th. Accentures payout ratio is currently 41.25%.

Insider Transactions at Accenture

In other Accenture news, insider James O. Etheredge sold 5,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $286.11, for a total value of $1,430,550.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 13,930 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,985,512.30. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other Accenture news, CEO Julie Spellman Sweet sold 10,296 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, January 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $280.93, for a total transaction of $2,892,455.28. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 44,158 shares in the company, valued at $12,405,306.94. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider James O. Etheredge sold 5,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $286.11, for a total transaction of $1,430,550.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 13,930 shares in the company, valued at $3,985,512.30. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 36,475 shares of company stock valued at $10,225,149. 0.08% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on ACN shares. Cowen boosted their price objective on shares of Accenture from $295.00 to $300.00 in a report on Monday, December 19th. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price target on Accenture from $335.00 to $340.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Friday, March 24th. William Blair reiterated an outperform rating on shares of Accenture in a report on Monday, March 20th. BMO Capital Markets upped their target price on shares of Accenture from $310.00 to $327.00 in a research note on Friday, March 24th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of Accenture from $289.00 to $294.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research note on Friday, March 24th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and twelve have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Accenture presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $314.00.

About Accenture

(Get Rating)

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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International Assets Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of The Gabelli Utility Trust (NYSE:GUT  Get Rating) by 141.3% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 355,734 shares of the investment management companys stock after acquiring an additional 208,335 shares during the period. International Assets Investment Management LLCs holdings in The Gabelli Utility Trust were worth $2,672,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in GUT. MAS Advisors LLC acquired a new position in The Gabelli Utility Trust in the 1st quarter worth $78,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of The Gabelli Utility Trust by 17.0% during the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 22,015 shares of the investment management companys stock worth $157,000 after buying an additional 3,200 shares in the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of The Gabelli Utility Trust during the second quarter worth about $196,000. Private Advisor Group LLC lifted its stake in The Gabelli Utility Trust by 19.3% in the 3rd quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC now owns 13,592 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $94,000 after acquiring an additional 2,196 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in The Gabelli Utility Trust by 6.5% in the 3rd quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 68,075 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $470,000 after acquiring an additional 4,131 shares in the last quarter.

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The Gabelli Utility Trust Stock Up 1.2 %

Shares of GUT opened at $7.34 on Friday. The Gabelli Utility Trust has a twelve month low of $6.41 and a twelve month high of $8.05. The company has a 50 day moving average of $7.13 and a 200-day moving average of $7.16.

The Gabelli Utility Trust Announces Dividend

The Gabelli Utility Trust Company Profile

The firm also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 21st. Investors of record on Friday, April 14th will be given a $0.05 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 13th.

(Get Rating)

The Gabelli Utility Trust is a closed-ended equity mutual fund launched by GAMCO Investors, Inc It is managed by Gabelli Funds, LLC. The fund invests in the public equity markets across the globe. It makes its investments in stocks of companies providing products, services, or equipment for the generation or distribution of electricity, gas, water, telecommunications services, and infrastructure operations.

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MONECO Advisors LLC cut its stake in iShares Russell 2000 ETF (NYSEARCA:IWM  Get Rating) by 2.0% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 11,518 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after selling 234 shares during the period. iShares Russell 2000 ETF makes up approximately 0.7% of MONECO Advisors LLCs investment portfolio, making the stock its 28th biggest position. MONECO Advisors LLCs holdings in iShares Russell 2000 ETF were worth $2,008,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Mine & Arao Wealth Creation & Management LLC. boosted its stake in iShares Russell 2000 ETF by 8.7% during the 2nd quarter. Mine & Arao Wealth Creation & Management LLC. now owns 1,703 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $288,000 after purchasing an additional 136 shares in the last quarter. Kingsview Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of iShares Russell 2000 ETF in the second quarter valued at $3,411,000. Triumph Capital Management bought a new position in iShares Russell 2000 ETF during the third quarter valued at about $2,953,000. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC grew its holdings in iShares Russell 2000 ETF by 4.8% during the third quarter. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC now owns 3,761 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $620,000 after acquiring an additional 172 shares during the period. Finally, First Manhattan Co. grew its holdings in iShares Russell 2000 ETF by 21.0% during the third quarter. First Manhattan Co. now owns 1,026 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $169,000 after acquiring an additional 178 shares during the period.

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iShares Russell 2000 ETF Price Performance

Shares of NYSEARCA IWM opened at $173.89 on Friday. iShares Russell 2000 ETF has a twelve month low of $162.50 and a twelve month high of $204.80. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $183.84 and a two-hundred day moving average of $180.09.

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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Riley Exploration Permian (NYSE:REPX  Get Rating) is scheduled to release its earnings data on Monday, April 10th.

Riley Exploration Permian (NYSE:REPX  Get Rating) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, March 8th. The company reported $1.64 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.23 by $0.41. The company had revenue of $78.05 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $66.01 million. Riley Exploration Permian had a net margin of 36.68% and a return on equity of 41.38%. On average, analysts expect Riley Exploration Permian to post $9 EPS for the current fiscal year and $11 EPS for the next fiscal year.

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Riley Exploration Permian Price Performance

Riley Exploration Permian stock opened at $43.33 on Friday. The companys 50 day simple moving average is $33.57 and its 200-day simple moving average is $30.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a quick ratio of 0.55 and a current ratio of 0.67. Riley Exploration Permian has a 1 year low of $15.91 and a 1 year high of $45.00. The company has a market capitalization of $873.53 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.23 and a beta of 1.36.

Riley Exploration Permian Dividend Announcement

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 8th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, January 25th were given a $0.34 dividend. This represents a $1.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.14%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, January 24th. Riley Exploration Permians payout ratio is 22.70%.

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on REPX shares. Roth Capital reaffirmed a buy rating on shares of Riley Exploration Permian in a research note on Thursday, March 2nd. Truist Financial lifted their target price on Riley Exploration Permian from $39.00 to $43.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 7th.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Riley Exploration Permian

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. BlackRock Inc. boosted its holdings in Riley Exploration Permian by 248.5% in the first quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 531,585 shares of the companys stock valued at $13,332,000 after purchasing an additional 379,047 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Riley Exploration Permian by 106.0% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 243,229 shares of the companys stock valued at $4,617,000 after buying an additional 125,164 shares during the period. State Street Corp grew its position in shares of Riley Exploration Permian by 137.3% during the first quarter. State Street Corp now owns 105,398 shares of the companys stock worth $2,643,000 after buying an additional 60,981 shares in the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp grew its position in shares of Riley Exploration Permian by 231.1% during the first quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 76,592 shares of the companys stock worth $1,920,000 after buying an additional 53,457 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Riley Exploration Permian during the first quarter worth approximately $1,269,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 51.14% of the companys stock.

Riley Exploration Permian Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Riley Exploration Permian, Inc is an independent oil and natural gas company. The firm is focused on the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids in Texas and New Mexico. Its activities also include the horizontal development of the San Andres formation, a shelf margin deposit on the Northwest Shelf of the Permian Basin.

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Raymond James upgraded shares of Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC) from an outperform rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note published on Thursday morning, MarketBeat.com reports. Raymond James currently has $47.00 price objective on the financial services providers stock, down from their previous price objective of $52.00.

Several other analysts have also commented on WFC. Jefferies Financial Group lowered shares of Wells Fargo & Company from a buy rating to a hold rating and cut their target price for the company from $49.00 to $46.00 in a research note on Tuesday, January 17th. Odeon Capital Group lowered Wells Fargo & Company from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Monday, March 13th. Citigroup boosted their target price on Wells Fargo & Company from $48.00 to $52.00 in a research report on Tuesday, January 17th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on Wells Fargo & Company from $58.00 to $47.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut their price objective on Wells Fargo & Company from $60.00 to $50.00 in a report on Friday, January 6th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Wells Fargo & Company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $50.88.

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Wells Fargo & Company Stock Performance

WFC opened at $37.90 on Thursday. Wells Fargo & Company has a 1-year low of $35.25 and a 1-year high of $50.19. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.08, a current ratio of 0.84 and a quick ratio of 0.84. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $43.03 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $43.53. The company has a market capitalization of $143.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.07, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.77 and a beta of 1.12.

Wells Fargo & Company Announces Dividend

Wells Fargo & Company ( NYSE:WFC Get Rating ) last released its earnings results on Friday, January 13th. The financial services provider reported $0.67 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.63 by $0.04. Wells Fargo & Company had a return on equity of 9.28% and a net margin of 15.91%. The firm had revenue of $19.66 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $20.04 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.38 earnings per share. Wells Fargo & Companys revenue was down 5.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts predict that Wells Fargo & Company will post 4.72 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 1st. Investors of record on Friday, February 3rd were given a dividend of $0.30 per share. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.17%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 2nd. Wells Fargo & Companys payout ratio is presently 38.22%.

Insider Activity

In other Wells Fargo & Company news, EVP Kleber Santos sold 34,698 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $46.27, for a total value of $1,605,476.46. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 19,590 shares of the companys stock, valued at $906,429.30. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 0.07% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Wells Fargo & Company

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Norges Bank bought a new position in Wells Fargo & Company in the 4th quarter worth $2,049,693,000. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Wells Fargo & Company by 129,312.1% during the 4th quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 26,287,479 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $1,085,410,000 after purchasing an additional 26,267,166 shares during the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD boosted its stake in Wells Fargo & Company by 20.9% during the 3rd quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 105,621,983 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $4,248,626,000 after purchasing an additional 18,252,701 shares during the period. Renaissance Technologies LLC boosted its stake in Wells Fargo & Company by 1,478.6% during the 1st quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 8,390,611 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $406,609,000 after purchasing an additional 7,859,100 shares during the period. Finally, Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board acquired a new stake in Wells Fargo & Company in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $345,861,000. 72.24% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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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BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 9. The Embassy of Uzbekistan in Japan held talks with CEO of the Japanese SBI Holdings, Inc. Yoshitaka Kitao during which the further development of financial cooperation was discussed, Trend reports with reference to Uzbek media.

According to the information, during the meeting, the parties discussed issues of further development of the financial and banking sector, the insurance services market, the dynamics and structure of GDP and basic industrial sectors of Uzbekistan, development of information and communication technologies, internet and online banking systems.

At the same time, issues of possible cooperation of the holding in Uzbekistan were discussed, in terms of supporting startup projects using information and communication technologies in the financial sector, providing online banking services.

SBI Holdings, Inc. It was founded in 1999 and was originally part of the SoftBank Group.

The holding, which operates in 25 countries, is a group of companies providing financial services in a wide range of categories, including securities, asset management, banking and insurance.
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], April 9 (ANI): Union minister Jitendra Singh, who holds Atomic Energy and Space portfolio among others, on Sunday said that nearly one-tenth (9 per cent) share of electricity is likely to be from nuclear sources by the year 2047 -- when India celebrates 100 years of its Independence.

This, he said, would help in getting closer to the commitment of achieving the net zero target by 2070.

Also Read | Odisha FC vs East Bengal Hero Super Cup 2022-23 Live Streaming Online: Watch Free Telecast of Indian Football Match on TV and Online.

Minister Singh made these remarks after holding a review meeting with a group of senior scientists from the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Department of Atomic Energy, in Mumbai.

At the COP26 summit in Glasgow in late 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi committed to an ambitious five-part "Panchamrit" pledge, including India's commitment to net-zero emissions by 2070.

Also Read | Australia: Fisherman Lucky to Be Alive After Deadly Crocodile Attack in Queensland.

India also committed to reaching 500 GW of non-fossil electricity capacity, generating half of all energy requirements from renewables, and reducing emissions by 1 billion tons by 2030.

Further, the Minister said that the other target laid down by the Department of Atomic Energy is achieving a 20-gigawatt capacity of nuclear power generation by the year 2030, which according to him will be a major milestone placing India as the third-largest producer of atomic energy after the US and France.

Citing applications of atomic energy, Minister Singh said one hallmark of the PM Modi-led government is that for the first time, it is being used for applications in sectors like, for example, for increasing the shelf life of fruits like apples and agriculture products, for using latest technologies in the treatment of cancer and other diseases.

By doing so, he said India had shown the world how to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. (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 9 (ANI): Over 2,000 rules and laws were scrapped by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government in the last nine years for ease of governance and ease of business, said Union Minister Jitendra Singh.

Speaking at an event organised by the Yashraj Research Foundation (YRF), Jitendra Singh said that, unlike the earlier governments which found comfort in the status quoist approach, PM Modi had demonstrated the courage to do away with such rules which were causing inconvenience for the citizens and many of which he said had persisted since the time of British Raj.

Also Read | Iqbal Singh Atwal, SAD Leader and Former MLA, Joins BJP in Delhi.

The ultimate aim of good governance is to bring ease of living to the citizens, he added at the event.

The Minister recalled that soon after the Government came to power in May 2014, the practice of getting certificates attested by gazetted officers was done away with within two to three months.

Also Read | Hyderabad FC vs Aizawl FC Hero Super Cup 2022-23 Live Streaming Online: Watch Free Telecast of Indian Football Match on TV and Online.

After that within a year, Singh said Prime Minister spoke from the ramparts of Red Fort about the abolition of interviews in job recruitment so that a level playing field could be provided. Most of the functioning was converted online and in order to bring in transparency, accountability and citizen participation, the human interface was reduced to the bare minimum.

Further, talking about grievance redressal, Singh said that the grievance redressal mechanism was shifted to Centralized Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) as a result of which about 20 lakh grievances are received every year in comparison to just 2 lakhs every year before this government came in. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Gir Somnath, April 9: Right-wing activist Kajal Hindustani was arrested on Sunday in Gujarat's Gir Somnath district for allegedly delivering a "hate speech" on Ram Navami that caused a communal clash in Una town on April 1, police said.

Hindustani surrendered before the police in Una on Sunday morning following which she was arrested and produced before a court which remanded her in judicial custody, a police officer said. Hate Speech: Supreme Court Asks Delhi, UP, Uttarakhand Police To Take Suo Moto Action Without Looking at Religion of Accused.

Hindustani, who identifies herself as an entrepreneur, research analyst, social activist, nationalist, and a "proud Indian" on her Twitter bio and has more than 92,000 followers including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is a regular at events organised by Vishwa Hindu Parishad.

A First Information Report (FIR) was registered against Hindustani under section 295 A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) of the Indian Penal Code on April 2, two days after she allegedly delivered a provocative speech at a Hindu community congregation organised by the VHP on Ram Navami on March 30. Azam Khan Hate Speech Case: Supreme Court Seeks Replies From Uttar Pradesh Govt, EC on Plea Against SP Leader's Disqualification From State Assembly.

Communal tension prevailed in Una for two days after Hindustani's speech which resulted in a clash between two communities and the pelting of stones on April 1 night, police said. Police had registered an FIR against a mob and arrested more than 80 people, most of them from a minority community, for rioting.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia and Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus addressed "the closest topics" when they met in the Russian leaders official apartment in the Kremlin earlier this week, the Pul Pervogo Telegram channel close to the press service of the Belarusian president said on Sunday, Trend reports citing TASS.

In an interview with the Moscow.Kremlin.Putin program Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov answered in the affirmative to the question whether President Putin had invited his Belarusian counterpart to his apartment in the Kremlin.

"After the talks and a working dinner in the Kremlin, the leaders continued communication in the Kremlin apartment. Naturally, they discussed the closest topics," Pul Pervogo said.

On April 5, the two presidents held one-on-one talks in the Kremlin and attended a meeting of the Supreme Council of the Union State of Russia and Belarus on the following day.

The informal part of Putins talks with visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping in March was held in Putins official apartment in the Kremlin. As Putin said later, they continued their discussion after the dinner in a comfortable, private atmosphere.
New Delhi [India], April 9 (ANI): The bell installed on the first INS Vikrant which was part of the Indian Navy from 1961 for 36 years, has now been returned to the country's latest and first 'Made-in-India' aircraft carrier of the same name commissioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year.

The bell was on the first INS Vikrant in 1961 after India bought a British-origin aircraft carrier HMS Hercules and gave it an Indian name.

Also Read | Earthquake in Andaman and Nicobar: Another Quake of Magnitude 5.3 on Richter Scale Strikes Nicobar Island.

"The bell was on the first INS Vikrant which served till 1997 before getting decommissioned. The bell was later out from there and put up at the earmarked residence of Indian Navy Vice Chief 5, Motilal Nehru Marg," the Navy officials told ANI.

Traditionally bells have played an important role on both warships as they help in indicating the time to the sailors and officers performing different duties and also during emergencies, the officers said.

Also Read | Madhya Pradesh: 15 Tourists Trapped on Rocks Rescued From Narmada River in Khandwa (Watch Video).

The bell was returned to the INS Vikrant by retired Vice Chief of Navy Vice Admiral SN Ghormade on March 22 last month.

The officials said the previous Vice Chief decided to return the bell as the force has got its maiden 'Made-in-India' indigenous aircraft carrier and would serve a better purpose there to motivate youth about the rich history of their ship and the Indian Navy.

The traditional bell has been part of a glorious history as it was there on the warship when it played a crucial role in bombarding Pakistan in 1971 and blockading the Karachi harbour.

The warship was very active during the wars India fought against Pakistan and was deployed at key locations to further the security of the nation.

The new warship INS Vikrant was commissioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 2, last year at Kochi making it the first indigenously built aircraft carrier for the country.

The warship is carrying out trials for the operations of the fighter aircraft from its deck and is likely to get fully operational anytime soon now. (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 9: After the end of the BJP Chief Election Committee (CEC) meeting on Sunday, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavraj Bommai said that the party will announce the list of candidates for the assembly polls in a day or two.

CM Bommai also announced that he is contesting from the Shiggaon constituency. Talking to the media persons, Basavraj Bommai said, "We discussed the overall list for the Karnataka elections and probably we will sit again tomorrow. The list will be announced tomorrow or the day after that. I am contesting from the Shiggaon constituency". Karnataka Assembly Elections 2023: BN Chandrappa Appointed As State Congress Committee Working President Ahead of Polls.

Senior BJP leaders on Sunday attended the CEC meeting for the Karnataka Assembly elections scheduled to be held next month at the party headquarters in the national capital. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP Chief JP Nadda, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, and Union Minister Pralhad Joshi came to attend the meeting.

Earlier, on Saturday, Amit Shah held a meeting at BJP president Nadda's residence in the national capital to discuss and finalise the list of candidates for the May 10 polls. Karnataka BJP president Nalinkumar Kateel, former Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa, Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and other leaders were also present at Nadda's residence. Karnataka Assembly Elections 2023: CM Basavaraj Bommai Says 'BJP to Announce Candidates List After a Week'.

In the 2018 Assembly elections, the BJP emerged as the largest single party in the last Assembly elections, winning 104 seats, with the Congress winning 80 and the JD(S) 37 seats. The elections for the 224-member Karnataka Legislative Assembly will be held on May 10, and the counting of votes for the Assembly will be held on May 13.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Bandipur, April 9: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Bandipur Tiger Reserve on Sunday and interact with frontline field staff and Self Help Groups involved in conservation efforts.

He will also visit the Theppakadu Elephant camp in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve where he will interact with mahouts and kavadis of the elephant camp. He will also interact with field directors of tiger reserves that have scored highest in the recently concluded 5th cycle of the Management Effectiveness Evaluation exercise. PM Narendra Modi Posts Special Selfie With Thiru S Manikandan, a Specially-Abled BJP Karyakarta From Erode (See Pics).

"PM Narendra Modi is on the way to the Bandipur and Mudumalai Tiger Reserves," tweeted Prime Minister's Office (PMO). According to PMO, Prime Minister Modi will launch the International Big Cats Alliance (IBCA).

In July 2019, Prime Minister Modi had called for an Alliance of Global Leaders to obliterate demand and firmly curb poaching and illegal wildlife trade in Asia.

IBCA will focus on the protection and conservation of seven major big cats of the world -- Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Puma, Jaguar and Cheetah, said the PMO statement. PM Narendra Modi Celebrates 125th Anniversary of Sri Ramakrishna Math in Tamil Nadu's Chennai (Watch Video).

PM Modi will also inaugurate the programme 'Commemoration of 50 years of Project Tiger'. During the programme, he will release the publications 'Amrit Kaal Ka Vision for Tiger Conservation', a summary report of 5th cycle of Management Effective Evaluation of Tiger Reserves, declare tiger numbers and release a summary report of All India Tiger Estimation (5th cycle). A commemorative coin on the completion of 50 years of Project Tiger will also be released by Prime Minister Modi.

(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 9 (ANI): With the Karnataka Assembly polls drawing near, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday appointed a fifth working president of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee in the form of former Lok Sabha BN Chandrappa.

"Hon'ble Congress President has appointed Shri B.N. Chandrappa as Working President of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee, with immediate effect," read an official release from the party on Sunday.

Also Read | Another COVID-19 Wave To Hit India Soon? India's Population-Level Immunity Waning, May Trigger New Waves of Coronavirus Cases, Says WHO South-East Asia Chief Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh.

While Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar is the KPCC president, the party already has 4 other working presidents in the form of Ramalinga Reddy, Eshwar Khandre, Saleem Ahmed and Satish Jarkiholi.

Chandrappa was elected a Lok Sabha member from Chitradurga in 2014-19.

Also Read | Madhya Pradesh Shocker: Brother-Sister Tied to Tree, Brutally Thrashed After Villagers Doubt Them As Lovers in Khandwa; Three Arrested After Shocking Video Goes Viral.

Chandrappa's appointment follows the demise of KPCC working president and former MP R Dhruvanarayana.

Dhruvanarayana was a Parliamentarian from the Chamarajanagar Lok Sabha constituency. He served as a member of the Lower House from 2009 to 2019.

Earlier, on April 4, Kharge said the Congress will hold an extensive discussion on the selection of candidates for the remaining 100 Assembly seats in the state.

The Congress, on March 25, announced its first list of 124 candidates for the Assembly polls. The list included former chief minister Siddaramaiah and the party's state president DK Shivakumar.

"There is a meeting of our selection committee in which we will hold discussions on the selection of candidates for the remaining 100 seats. People on the committee will give present their opinions after which a decision will be taken," Kharge said.

Elections in Karnataka are slated to be held in a single phase on May 10 and the counting of votes will be held on May 13. Siddaramaiah will be contesting from the Varuna constituency DK Shivakumar has been fielded in Kanakapura.

Siddaramaiah had expressed his interest to contest from the Kolar constituency but the Congress High Command instructed him to drop the plan following disagreements between the party's local leaders in the constituency. The party has fielded M Roopakala from the Kolar Gold Field constituency.

The ruling BJP currently holds a majority in the Assembly with 119 seats while the Congress and the JD(S) have 75 and 28 seats respectively.

All three key political players in the state -- BJP, Congress and the JD(S) -- have been exchanging barbs as their poll campaign moves through the gears. The latter are attempting to corner the ruling BJP on the issue of corruption.

The model code of conduct is currently in force in the state. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], April 9 (ANI): Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs V Muraleedharan on Sunday visited Latin Diocese Bishop House on the occasion of Easter in Thiruvananthapuram.

During his visit, the BJP leader was welcomed and felicitated by the Christian delegates.

Also Read | Aadhaar Update After Death: No Mechanism Available To Deactivate UIDAI of Deceased Persons, Says Government.

Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also extended greetings to people on the occasion of Easter and wished for harmony in society.

"Happy Easter! May this special occasion deepen the spirit of harmony in our society. May it inspire people to serve society and help empower the downtrodden. We remember the pious thoughts of Lord Christ on this day," PM Modi said in a tweet.

Also Read | Another COVID-19 Wave To Hit India Soon? India's Population-Level Immunity Waning, May Trigger New Waves of Coronavirus Cases, Says WHO South-East Asia Chief Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh.

Easter is celebrated to commemorate the glorious resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Midnight Easter prayers were held at various churches in the country. People gathered at decorated churches and offered prayers on the holy occasion of Easter.

Various people assembled at Mount St. Thomas, the headquarters of the Syro-Malabar Church in Kochi on the night of Easter.

Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church, Cardinal George Alencherry lead the midnight mass.

While addressing the mass, Alencherry said, "The Messiah rose for mankind. The resurrection of the Messiah is the triumph of mankind." "The ministry of the Lord is the ministry that gives life and that is what we must continue".

Praying for peace and harmony, Alencherry said, "Along with the Messiah comes the gift of God. Christians should think about glory. We should be able to cultivate a culture of purpose and life."

"May there be peace in the church, in the family, and in the world," he added.

People often witness Easter as a day of chocolate eggs, lambs and bunnies that celebrate spring's coming. These are folk traditions, the day celebrates the resurrection of Jesus.

According to the Bible, it marks the third day after Jesus was crucified when he rose from the dead. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Ayodhya, April 9: Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, along with fellow Shiv Sena MPs and MLAs, will visit Ayodhya on Sunday. This is Shinde's first visit to the temple town since being sworn in as Maharashtra chief minister in June last year.

Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also left for Ayodhya from Mumbai on Sunday. Shinde and other Shiv Sena leaders flew down to Lucknow on Saturday. Shinde was welcomed by his Uttar Pradesh counterpart Yogi Adityanath at the Lucknow airport, amid fanfare. Eknath Shinde Ayodhya Visit: Hotels in City Booked to Capacity to Accommodate Thousands of Shiv Sainiks.

The Maharashtra CM will perform 'aarti' on the banks of the Saryu River. He will also visit the ongoing construction site of Ram Mandir. "This is not a political visit. I keep visiting Ayodhya but this is the first time I have come here as the chief minister. All our party leaders wanted to take the blessings of Lord Ram. I want to thank Yogi-ji and his ministers who were here to welcome us," Shinde told ANI. To welcome Shinde, the Shiv Sena put up big banners with his image, in Ayodhya. Before leaving for Lucknow, CM Shinde said in a press conference.

Eknath Shinde Way to Ayodhya

#WATCH | Mumbai: Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde along with Shiv Sena MPs and MLAs leave for Ayodhya, UP. pic.twitter.com/vNQ9LyIYvD  ANI (@ANI) April 8, 2023

"We will be going to Ayodhya to seek Lord Ram's blessings on April 9. The call of faith and belief prompted us to undertake this visit. We will perform the Aarti. I still remember that Dharmveer Anand Dhigana (Anand Dighe, who the Maharashtra CM considers his mentor) had sent a Karsevak to Ayodhya with a silver brick. So, we have old bonding with Ram Lalla and will be visiting the temple also." Savarkar Gaurav Yatra: Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde Takes Part in BJP-Shiv Sena's Rally in Thane (Watch Video).

He said the Shiv Sena leaders wanted to go to Ayodhya after getting the Bow and Arrow symbol. "We will take part in programmes that the seers have organised in Ayodhya.

Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde in Uttar Pradesh

#WATCH | This is not a political visit, I keep visiting Ayodhya but this is the first time I've come here as a CM. All party leaders wanted to take blessings from Lord Ram. I want to thank Yogi ji & his ministers who were present here to welcome us: Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde pic.twitter.com/yLGoQlWmM5  ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) April 8, 2023

In a dig at his predecessor Uddhav Thackeray, Shinde said, "Earlier, seers were killed in Palghar, but now we will protect them." The Palghar incident happened during the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government headed by Uddhav.

(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 9: Midnight Easter prayers were held at various churches in the country. People gathered at decorated churches and offered prayers on the holy occasion of Easter. Easter is celebrated to commemorate the glorious resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Various people assembled at Mount St. Thomas, the headquarters of the Syro-Malabar Church in Kochi on the night of Easter. Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church, Cardinal George Alencherry lead the midnight mass. Easter 2023 Images & HD Wallpapers for Free Download Online: Wish Happy Easter With WhatsApp Messages, Quotes and Greetings to Family and Friends.

While addressing the mass, Alencherry said, "The Messiah rose for mankind. The resurrection of the Messiah is the triumph of mankind." "The ministry of the Lord is the ministry that gives life and that is what we must continue".

Praying for peace and harmony, Alencherry said, "Along with the Messiah comes the gift of God. Christians should think about glory. We should be able to cultivate a culture of purpose and life."

Midnight Easter Prayers in Thiruvananthapuram

#WATCH | Kerala: Devotees gather to offer #Easter midnight prayers at a church in Thiruvananthapuram. pic.twitter.com/7SgBAOTq6g  ANI (@ANI) April 8, 2023

Midnight Prayers in Mumbai

#WATCH | Maharashtra: Devotees gather to offer #Easter midnight prayers at a church in Mumbai. pic.twitter.com/cwl6Pzurq7  ANI (@ANI) April 8, 2023

Midnight Easter Prayers at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Delhi.

"May there be peace in the church, in the family, and in the world," he added.

Easter prayers were also held at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Delhi. The cathedral was decorated with lights giving an appearance as if the entire holy structure is glowing with a hue of orange and red. Devotees also burned candles and offered prayers. Easter 2023 Wishes: PM Narendra Modi, Nitin Gadkari, Devendra Fadnavis and Other Leaders Extend Greetings on Christian Holiday Commemorating Resurrection of Lord Jesus From the Dead.

The celebrations were also held at a church in Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh. Here devotees could be seen holding candlelight inside the church and offering prayers. Prayers were also offered at a church in Mumbai on the holy occasion. Father Walter De Sa from a church in Goa explained the significance of Easter candles.

"We celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is the event we celebrate at late night. The new fire symbolizes our purification and newness of life. With this new fire we will light the candles which we call the Easter candles representing the Lord as He has said I am the Light of the World," he said. Easter 2023 Date: Know Meaning, Traditions, History and Significance of Resurrection Sunday, Christian Festival and Cultural Holiday.

People often witness Easter as a day of chocolate eggs, lambs and bunnies that celebrate spring's coming. These are folk traditions, the day celebrates the resurrection of Jesus. According to the Bible, it marks the third day after Jesus was crucified when he rose from the dead.

(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 9: Amid rising COVID-19 cases, a nationwide mock drill to take stock of hospital preparedness will be held on April 10 and 11 in which both public and private facilities are expected to participate. Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya will visit AIIMS, Jhajjar on April 10 to oversee the mock drill, officials said on Sunday.

In a review meeting held on April 7, Mandaviya had urged state health ministers to visit hospitals and oversee the mock drills. He had also advised them to review the preparedness with district administrations and health officials on April 8 and 9.

In the meeting with state health ministers, and principal and additional chief secretaries held virtually, Mandaviya had stressed the need to identify emergency hotspots by monitoring trends of influenza-like illness (ILI) and severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) cases, ramping up testing and vaccination, and ensuring readiness of hospital infrastructure. Another COVID-19 Wave To Hit India Soon? Indias Population-Level Immunity Waning, May Trigger New Waves of Coronavirus Cases, Says WHO South-East Asia Chief Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh.

Besides enhancing genome sequencing and ramping up whole genome sequencing of positive samples, he had emphasised creating awareness about following Covid-appropriate behaviour.

During the meeting, states and union territories were informed that currently the World Health Organisation (WHO) is closely tracking a variant of interest (VOI), XBB.1.5, and six other variants are under monitoring (BQ.1, BA.2.75, CH.1.1, XBB, XBF and XBB.1.16), a health ministry statement had said.

It was highlighted that while Omicron and its sub-lineages continue to be the predominant variants, most of the assigned variants have little or no significant transmissibility, disease severity or immune escape.

The prevalence of XBB.1.16 increased from 21.6 per cent in February to 35.8 per cent in March. However, no evidence of an increase in hospitalisation or mortality has been reported, the statement said.

Nationwide Mock Drills To Begin From Today To Check Preparedness Of Hospitals

During the meeting, it was observed that 23 states and union territories had average tests per million below the national average. Mandaviya had said that irrespective of the new variants, the five-fold strategy of 'Test-Track-Treat-Vaccinate and adherence to Covid-Appropriate Behaviour' continues to remain the tested strategy for Covid management. COVID-19 Surge in India: List of States That Made Wearing of Mask Compulsory Again Amid Rapid Spike in Coronavirus Cases.

States and union territories were also requested to expeditiously increase the rate of testing from 100 tests per million as on the week ending April 7. They were further advised to increase the share of RT-PCR in tests.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Poonch (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], April 9 (ANI): Security forces killed one terrorist during an encounter in Shahpur in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday.

"One terrorist killed and two others were injured in an operation conducted by Indian Army at Shahpur, officials said.

Also Read | Earthquake in Andaman and Nicobar: Another Quake of Magnitude 5.3 on Richter Scale Strikes Nicobar Island.

More details are awaited.

Earlier in the day, the Army foiled a major infiltration bid in the Poonch sector along the Line of Control (LoC), the Defence PRO informed through a statement.

Also Read | Madhya Pradesh: 15 Tourists Trapped on Rocks Rescued From Narmada River in Khandwa (Watch Video).

According to the statement, on the intervening night of April 8-9, Army troops posted on the LoC, in the Poonch sector of J-K, detected suspicious movements of some individuals.

"The individuals were challenged by Indian Army troops on their own side of LoC, close to the fence. On being intercepted, in the ensuing operations, one dead body has been seen and the other intruders ran into the forest area," the defence statement added.

The area where the suspected infiltrators were sighted was cordoned off and a manhunt was launched, the statement added.

Previously, in March, the Army, in a joint operation with Jammu and Kashmir Police, foiled an infiltration bid along the LoC in the Tangdhar sector and neutralised a terrorist.

"Based on credible inputs received from intelligence agencies, regarding likely infiltration of terrorists, several ambushes were laid in Tangdhar sector in the intervening night of March 23-24," a defence release said.

More than 200 rounds of AK rifles rounds, three magazines, two China-made grenades and medicines, and food items were recovered from the spot. (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, Apr 9 (PTI) Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Sunday accused the BJP of indulging in "politics of convenience", as he hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his remarks on dynasty in Telangana and cited past instances of the party aligning with dynastic political families in various states.

Addressing a public meeting in Hyderabad, Prime Minister Modi took a swipe at Bharat Rashtra Samithi chief and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and urged the state government to not allow any hindrance in the works related to the development.

Also Read | COVID-19 Wave Looms As India's Population-Level Immunity Wanes, Says WHO South-East Asia Chief Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh.

In a tweet, Sibal said, "PM Takes swipe at KCR: Says corruption and dynasty go hand in hand. Why did BJP join: 1) Punjab (Akalis) 2) Andhra (Jagan) 3) Haryana (Chautalas) 4) J&K (Muftis) 5) Maharashtra (Thackerays)...Not dynasties when BJP joined them!"

"It's called politics of convenience!" the former Union minister said.

Also Read | Madhya Pradesh Shocker: Brother-Sister Tied to Tree, Brutally Thrashed After Villagers Doubt Them As Lovers in Khandwa; Three Arrested After Shocking Video Goes Viral.

In another tweet, Sibal said, "PM: Takes a swipe at KCR, says dynasty and corruption go hand in hand. BJP makes allegations of corruption against AAP. No dynasty there. Need not be dynasty to allege corruption."

"You say BJP not dynasty. Is BJP corrupt?" he said.

In his remarks in Telangana, Modi said his government has attacked the real root of corruption of dynastic forces who want to keep their control over every system.

"Should we fight against corruption or not? Should we fight against the corrupt or not? Should the country be liberated from corruption or not? Should legal steps be taken against the corrupt however big or not. Should the law be allowed to work against the corrupt or not," he asked the gathering.

That's why "these people" are upset and they are doing anything out of anger, Modi said.

Modi, who said corruption and 'parivarvaad' (dynasty) are not different from each other, maintained that every type of corruption begins to grow where there is 'parivarvaad'.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Huawei Technologies Co. is looking to make Riyadh its headquarters for the Middle East amid a push by the Saudi government to position itself as a regional business hub and growing diplomatic and business ties with China, according to people familiar with the matter, Trend reports citing Al Arabiya.

The Chinese company, which already has offices in the Saudi capital and other cities across the Middle East, is in talks with Riyadh authorities to upgrade its presence in the country, the people said, asking not to be identified as the information is private.

A final decision hasnt yet been made by Huawei, the people said. A spokesman for Huawei declined to comment. The company currently has headquarters for the region in Dubai and Bahrain.

Saudi Arabia announced that from the beginning of 2024 government entities will be restricted from doing business with foreign firms that dont have regional headquarters in the country, as it looks to limit leakage out of its economy and attract foreign investment.

Huawei has been boosting its presence in Saudi Arabia even as the US pushes allies to avoid the Chinese technology firm.

Government officials said about 80 companies had applied for licenses to move their headquarters to Riyadh at the end of last year.

Ties between Saudi Arabia and China have been growing. After a visit to Riyadh last year by Chinese President Xi Jinpings the two countries signed $50 billion worth of agreements.
Poonch/Jammu, Apr 9 (PTI) Army troops on Sunday engaged a group of terrorists in a gunfight after they made an attempt to sneak into this side from across the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district, officials said.

The infiltration attempt was foiled in Shahpur sector when army troops guarding the LoC picked up movement of terrorists and challenged them in the early hours of the day, the officials said.

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They said an exchange of fire broke out between the two sides which continued for quite some time.

The whole area has been cordoned off and a massive search operation is on, the officials said.

Also Read | Tej Pratap Yadav Has To Leave Varanasi Hotel After Staff Shift Bihar Ministers Belongings to Reception; Case Registered (Watch Video).

(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 9: A 30-year-old woman who had suffered a miscarriage after allegedly being shot at by her neighbour in outer Delhi's Siraspur died at a city hospital, police here said on Sunday.

Ranju was allegedly shot at by her neighbour, identified as Harish, on April 3 after she objected to loud music being played during a function at his home, they said. Uttar Pradesh Shocker: Pregnant Woman Shot at by Blue Duck Hunters in Mahoba.

"The woman's condition was stated to be critical. She was undergoing treatment at a city hospital. We received information from the hospital on Saturday that she had succumbed to her injuries," a senior police officer said.

Following her death, the police have added Section 302 (murder) to the FIR, he said. Harish and his friend Amit, whose gun was used to commit the crime, have been arrested, the police said.

The police received a PCR call regarding a firing incident in Siraspur on April 3. After reaching the spot, it was found that Ranju had been admitted to Max Hospital in Shalimar Bagh. Doctors at the hospital told the police that she had suffered a gunshot injury in her neck and was unfit to give a statement, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer North) Ravi Kumar Singh had said. The doctors informed that she had a miscarriage, the victim's mother had later said. Delhi Shocker: Woman Shot Dead on Road in Paschim Vihar While Returning Home.

Later, the police recorded the statement of an eyewitness -- Ranju's sister-in-law. According to the eyewitness statement, Harish, who worked as a delivery person, had organised for his son a 'kuan pujan' ceremony where a DJ was playing.

During the programme, Ranju came out to her balcony and asked Harish, who lived across the street, to stop the music. Following that, Harish took a gun from Amit, who worked at a mobile repair shop, and fired at her and Ranju was hit by a bullet, the eyewitness told the police.

A case under sections 307 (attempt to murder) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 27 of the Arms Act was registered against them, the police had said. The woman's husband works as a labourer. The family hailed from Bihar and lived in a rented accommodation here.

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Jaipur (Rajasthan) [India], April 9 (ANI): Youth Congress workers took out 'Mashal Julus' in Jaipur on Saturday protesting against the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi as Lok Sabha MP.

Rahul Gandhi was disqualified as a member of the Lok Sabha, a day after a Surat court sentenced him to two years imprisonment in a defamation case filed against him over his 'Modi surname' remark.

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Congress leader and former Rajasthan deputy chief minister, Sachin Pilot also participated in the 'Mashal Julus' (march).

Talking to the media, Sachin Pilot said, "We are protesting against the undemocratic behaviour of the Central Government."

Also Read | Tej Pratap Yadav Has To Leave Varanasi Hotel After Staff Shift Bihar Ministers Belongings to Reception; Case Registered (Watch Video).

"The opposition is not allowed to speak in the Parliament. The maximum number of ED and CBI raids have been conducted against the leaders of the opposition," he added.

He further said, "They (BJP) are trying to suppress our voice, but we'll definitely keep our points and raise our voice against their ego and pride."

Earlier on Friday, the Youth Congress in Shimla held a torch protest march against the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi as a Lok Sabha MP.

The protest was led by the National President of Youth Congress Srinivas Bhadravathi Venkata and Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu also participated in the protest.

While participating in the protest, CM Sukhu said, "This is important that all need to come together to save the democracy which is being throttled by the central government in India".

"The membership as parliamentarian of the biggest leader of the principal opposition party has been disqualified, the youth Congress has organised this torch March to save the democracy," he added.

Rahul Gandhi's disqualification from Lok Sabha triggered a massive political row with the BJP stating that the Congress leader was "a habitual loose cannon" and the Congress alleging that he was got "deliberately disqualified".

Meanwhile, on Monday a Surat Sessions Court granted bail to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who had filed an appeal following his conviction in a criminal defamation case over his "Modi surname" remark during a political campaign in April 2019.

The court in Gujarat's Surat granted bail till the disposal of the appeal to Rahul Gandhi in the defamation case.

The court will hear Rahul's application seeking suspension of conviction on April 13. (ANI)

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Kanniyakumari, April 9: A case has been registered after the Chhatrapati Shivaji statue in Kanniyakumari was allegedly vandalised on Saturday night, police said.

On Sunday morning, when the villagers saw this, they reported it to the police.

The Shivaji statue has been covered with a cloth and a police investigation is underway. Mahatma Gandhi's Statue Vandalised in Bathinda.

While talking to ANI over call, Kanniyakumari Superintendent of Police (SP) Hari Kiran Prasad said, "We don't know whether it's vandalised or not. It is in a private place. The statue was slightly damaged. We have put up teams and will have to check on all angles. We have registered a case."

"We have formed a team to find out whether there are miscreants involved in the incident or what exactly happened. We are continuously telling people to install CCTV and proper lights. We are investigating the matter further," the SP added. According to Kanniyakumari Police officials, "Investigation is on and a case has been registered on this." Victoria: India Condemns Mindless Act of Vandalism on Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandelas Statues at Peace Park in Seychelles.

The nine feet Chhatrapati Shivaji statue was installed 15 years ago near Thothathumadam Navaneethakrishnan temple, in the Kuzhitharai area in the Kanniyakumari district of Tamil Nadu. Meanwhile, security has been beefed up in the area to maintain law and order.

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Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], April 9 (ANI): Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Sunday wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah seeking his intervention on Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) recruitment examination.

The DMK leader has complained against the 25 per cent marks allocated for the 'Basic Hindi Understanding' section in the exam and urged that Tamil and other regional languages should also be included in it.

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Addressing the letter to the Home Minister, Stalin stated, "CRPF has announced that out of 9,212 vacancies, 579 vacancies would be filled in Tamil Nadu. This exam is going to be conducted in 12 exam centres in the state. But whoever applied for this exam from Tamil Nadu can't even write this exam in their own mother tongue."

He also added in the letter that this system would "steal" the opportunities of Tamil Nadu youths willing to work in CRPF.

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"Out of 100 total marks, 25 marks were allocated for basic Hindi understanding which would benefit only Hindi speakers. This CRPF announcement is totally against the goodwill of Tamil Nadu applicants. This is not only arbitrary and also discrimination," he added in the letter.

He further urged the Home Minister to allow candidates to write the exams in Tamil and other languages as well.

"Announcement like only in English and Hindi languages computer exams would be conducted against basic constitutional rights of Tamil Nadu applicants. So I request Union Minister Amit Shah's intervention allowing candidates to write exams in Tamil and other regional languages," Stalin added in the letter.

It is pertinent to note that MK Stalin has been quite active and vocal in accusing the centre of "Hindi imposition" and has said that DMK will continue to resist any such attempts. (ANI)

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Hazaribag, Apr 9 (PTI) A trainee police constable was arrested on Sunday for allegedly raping a seven-year-old girl in Jharkhand's Hazaribag district, police said.

Kora police station in-charge Uttam Kumar Tiwari said the accused was staying at a rented house adjacent to the girl's.

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"The incident happened on Saturday when the girl was alone at home, as her parents were out on some work. Taking advantage of this, the accused knocked at the door and the girl opened it. The man entered and allegedly committed the crime," Tiwary said.

The police said when her parents returned home, she narrated the incident. Then, they lodged a complaint against the accused.

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The girl was sent to Sheikh Bhikhari Medical College and Hospital at Hazaribag for the medical examination and the doctors there confirmed about the crime, Tiwary said.

The accused was produced before the chief judicial magistrate on Sunday at Hazaribag and later he was forwarded to jail, he said.

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Deoria (Uttar Pradesh) [India], April 9 (ANI): Criticising the previous governments for selling sugar mills at throwaway prices in the state, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday said that his government wants to give jobs to thousands of youths by developing sugar complex.

While laying the foundation stone of 223 development projects worth Rs 480 crore in Deoria, the Chief Minister spoke about his connection with the district.

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He said, "The common people and workers used to visit me without any hesitation even when I was a member of parliament. For the public issues in Deoria, Kushinagar, and Maharajganj, I did not hesitate to come here either."

"These are all of our people, whose issues need to be resolved. When the previous governments ignored issues, the public and I organized agitations to press for solutions", he added.

Also Read | Tej Pratap Yadav Has To Leave Varanasi Hotel After Staff Shift Bihar Ministers Belongings to Reception; Case Registered (Watch Video).

The Chief Minister lauded the able leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and said, "India has become a model for the world. UP is developing a model of good governance. Six years ago, you knew about the circumstance at UP."

"Under the leadership of PM Modi, the development schemes have reached every youth, poor, farmer and woman. Deoria also benefitted from these welfare schemes," he added.

CM Yogi said, "The state has received an investment of Rs 35 lakh crore. Within two-three years, one crore youth will be given jobs. Skill mapping is being done to make the youth technically competent and we are also opening ITI, polytechnic, and nursing colleges."

He further also stated that malaria used to be a problem in the state, but not it has been eliminated.

"Malaria used to be a problem in this region. After malaria was eliminated, encephalitis wreaked havoc. In Deoria, Kushinagar, and Maharajganj, encephalitis has been completely eradicated, we have also controlled the Covid-19 pandemic", he said.

Hitting out at the previous governments, CM Yogi said, "They used to divide in the name of caste. Today the double-engine government gives every person the right to live."

Listing the achievements of his government, CM said, "Till now we have given houses to 54 lakh families, toilets to 2.61 crores poor, free electricity connections to 1.55 crore, Ujjwala connections to 1.75 crores poor and ration to 15 crore people of UP and 80 crore people of the country continuously for three years."

Taking a dig at the situation in Pakistan, Yogi said, "On the one hand, no one will go to bed without food in India, which has a population of 140 crores, while on the other, in Pakistan, which has a population of 22-23 crores, people are struggling for two proper meals."

CM also talked about the benefits of the flyover of Deoria and said that it'll be built to solve the traffic problem.

"The flyover of Deoria will also be built to solve the traffic problem. An application has been given in the Supreme Court to hand over the Baitalpur Sugar Mill to us which is an identity of this area."

"Now that the distillery, coal, ethanol, mill, and sugar complexes are being built, thousands of young people will have training facilities and employment", Yogi added.

The CM went on to say that not even a single sugar mill was shut down during Covid. Agriculture and Technology University is going to be built in the name of Mahatma Buddha in Kushinagar. Money has also been arranged in the budget. Money cannot be a hindrance in any work.

He also appealed to the people to vote for the Bharatiya Janata Party in the upcoming municipal elections.

"No one will have to wander in the tehsil for caste, income, or residential certificates as the online facility is being made available in the municipal body itself. By constructing a village secretariat in the gram panchayats, we want to offer this facility," said CM Yogi.

"We also provided health ATMs at remote health centres where as many as 60 tests can be done," he added.

"The government thinks about development, and that's why it is happening. While some people used to exploit the youth, farmers in the name of caste", Yogi remarked.

During this, the CM also performed 'Annaprashan' of children, and tricycles were also provided to the 'divyangs'. Along with this, cheques, keys and sewing machines were also given to the beneficiaries of various schemes including PM Swanidhi Yojana, PM Awas Yojana (Urban/Rural), and Mukhyamantri Awas Yojana (Rural).

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated the Primary Health Center in Bahor Dhanoti village of Bhaluani development block in Barhaj (Deoria). The ribbon-cutting was done by schoolgirls. The CM inspected the health centre and took the information. During this, he also worshipped Lord Hanuman and planted saplings. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Gorakhpur (Uttar Pradesh) [India], April 9 (ANI): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday listened to the complaints of around 500 people during the 'Janata Darshan' held in front of the Mahant Digvijaynath Smriti Auditorium at Gorakhnath Temple for the second consecutive day.

CM assured needy people that no eligible person will be deprived of the benefits of the welfare schemes of the government, emphasising that the government is working dedicatedly to ensure this.

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CM Yogi also directed the administration officials and police officers present to ensure time-bound, fair and satisfactory redressal of their complaints.

CM Yogi patiently listened to all the complaints of the visitor one by one while collecting their prayer letters from them and at the same time referring them to the relevant officers for their prompt and satisfactory disposal.

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During his interaction with people, a woman narrated her financial problems to the Chief Minister and he immediately instructed the officers concerned to ensure that the woman was given the benefits of the necessary pension scheme as per her eligibility, in addition to benefits of all the schemes of the government.

Several women had come to the Janata Darshan to plead for housing facilities. When a woman from the city area told CM Yogi that she neither had a house, nor land, he assured her that she would be provided with a house under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban).

Chief Minister Yogi also directed officials to make arrangements for housing under the Pradhan Mantri-Chief Minister Awas Yojana for all the eligible people who are deprived of housing facilities.

Besides, many people requested the Chief Minister for financial assistance for the treatment of serious diseases. CM told them to meet administration officials and get the estimation of the cost of treatment completed so that funds could be released. He assured them that no one's treatment will be hindered for lack of money and full financial support will be provided.

In matters related to revenue and police, he instructed the officers to take quick, quality and satisfactory action in all cases. He also directed the officers to take action against the mafia encroaching on people's properties.

CM Yogi also gave chocolates to children accompanying women, enquired about their studies and blessed them. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Lucknow, Apr 9 (PTI) Welcoming the State Election Commission's notification for urbal local body polls in Uttar Pradesh, Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya on Sunday urged voters to give their blessings to the BJP.

The Uttar Pradesh State Election Commission on Sunday announced urban local body polls in the state in two phases, on May 4 and 11, three months after Allahabad High Court quashed the state government's draft notification providing OBC reservation in the civic elections.

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Issuing the notification, State Election Commissioner Manoj Kumar told reporters, "The voting for the urban local body polls will be held on May 4 and 11. The counting of votes will take place on May 13."

Following the announcement, Maurya tweeted in Hindi, "I welcome the announcement of municipal elections! Every worker of the BJP is preparing for victory in the elections since the assembly elections!

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"I have full faith that people will give their blessing to form a triple-engine government of the BJP."

In the same tweet, he coined a slogan -- "Opposition issueless, far away from the public  (choose) lotus flower (the BJP's election symbol) for good governance".

In a series of tweets welcoming the announcement, Maurya said the BJP's double-engine government has done all-round development in the last six years through various schemes across the Uttar Pradesh with the policy of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas'.

He also urged the electorate to bless the BJP with their votes for the development of their respective areas.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Israeli officials work at the scene of an attack in Tel Aviv. (Photo Credit - Reuters)

Tel Aviv [Israel], April 9 (ANI): Three rockets were fired from Syria late Saturday after Tel Aviv beefed up Israel Defense Forces following attacks that killed three people, including an Italian tourist, and earlier rocket fire from Lebanon, reported Jerusalem Post.

One of the Syria rockets landed in Israeli territory and fell in "an open area in the southern Golan Heights," the IDF said.

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On Saturday night the focus shifted to Jerusalem's Old City as security forces fear further unrest could break out on Sunday when Jewish worshipers are expected to flock to the Western Wall for the priestly blessings that take place on Passover, reported Jerusalem Post.

Jewish visitors are also expected to ascend the Temple Mount, known to Muslims as al-Haram al-Sharif. An additional 2,300 police troops have been deployed throughout the city.

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"Israel is taking every measure to ensure that Muslims, Jews and Christians can celebrate Ramadan, Passover and Easter peacefully," the Foreign Ministry said.

Despite appeals for restraint, violence has surged since Israeli police stormed the Al-Aqsa mosque on Wednesday after they said Palestinians barricaded themselves inside.

Israel bombarded both Gaza and Lebanon in response to rocket fire by Palestinian militants.

The unrest comes as the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramzan, Jewish Passover, and Christian Easter coincide.

By Saturday night, it appeared as if an uneasy calm had been restored, with security forces still braced not just for violence along those borders as well as increased Israeli-Palestinian violence, reported Jerusalem Post.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant briefed US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on the security situation on Saturday night, detailing efforts to "thwart terrorism and respond effectively to any threat toward Israeli citizens and troops," his office said.

"Minister Gallant also raised the defence establishment's efforts to enable freedom of prayer at the Temple Mount, which is hijacked by groups of extreme rioters," his office added

President Isaac Herzog said Israel was "firmly committed to preserving the status quo at the holy sites in general and on the Temple Mount in particular" in a telephone conversation he had with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Netanyahu has in the past week said that Iran is behind much of the violence levelled at Israel, a point Herzog underscored in his conversation with Erdogan.

"Iran, by means of its proxies, including Hamas, is leading a campaign on several fronts with the aim of undermining regional stability and is using terrorism based on religious incitement, focusing on the situation in Jerusalem," Herzog said.

Meanwhile, Lebanon's Prime Minister Najib Mikati issued a statement condemning any military operations from its territory that threatened stability but there was no immediate comment from Hezbollah, reported Jerusalem Post. (ANI)

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British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will meet Joe Biden in Northern Ireland next week when the U.S. president flies in to take part in events to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday peace accord, Trend reports citing Reuters.

Sunak will greet Biden on Tuesday evening when Air Force One lands for what will be a closely watched visit to both sides of the Irish border at a time of heightened political uncertainty in Northern Ireland.

Sunak hosts a gala dinner on Wednesday to commemorate the anniversary, his office said in a statement setting out some details of his itinerary.

Biden, who often speaks proudly of his Irish roots, will also spend time in the Irish Republic, where he will visit Dublin and his two ancestral homes.

The Good Friday Agreement - signed on April 10, 1998 - largely ended three decades of sectarian bloodshed that had convulsed Northern Ireland since the late 1960s.
Ouagadougou [Burkina Faso], April 9 (ANI): At least 44 civilians have been killed in two separate attacks on villages in northern Burkina Faso, authorities there said, CNN reported.

Burkina Faso is a landlocked country in West Africa.

Also Read | Australia: Fisherman Lucky to Be Alive After Deadly Crocodile Attack in Queensland.

A local governor, Rodolphe Sorgho, blamed terrorists for the "despicable and barbaric" attacks, without naming a specific group.

Sorgho in a statement gave his "sincere condolences to the grieving families and wished a rapid recovery to the wounded."

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Burkina Faso is one of the world's poorest counties and has become the epicentre of violence carried out by Islamist terrorists linked to al Qaeda and the Islamic State, according to CNN.

A resident of one of the villages said that "a large number of terrorists" attacked late on Thursday, with gunfire sounding throughout the night.

The violence began in neighbouring Mali in 2012 but has since spread across the arid expanse of the Sahel region south of the Sahara Desert.

Large areas in Burkina Faso's north and east have become ungovernable since 2018. Millions have fled their homes, fearing further raids by gunmen who frequently descend on rural communities on motorbikes. Thousands have been killed. (ANI)

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London, April 9: British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is set to meet US President Joe Biden in Belfast, Northern Ireland next week when the US president flies in to take part in events to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday peace accord, reported Sky News. Biden, who will arrive in Air Force One on Tuesday evening, is intensely proud of his Irish heritage and the US's role in the peace accord.

He will give a key address at Ulster University's newly opened campus on Wednesday and will have a formal meeting with Sunak, reported Sky News.

Sunak is expected to use the visit to drum up long-term investment for the nation. PM Narendra Modi Makes India Shine at World Stage, Tops List of Most Popular Leaders Beating US Prez Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak!.

A major policing operation costing around Pound 7 million and backed up by around 300 officers will be underway around the anniversary after the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) warned of the potential of dissident republicans launching attacks, reported Sky News.

MI5 recently raised the terrorism threat level in Northern Ireland to severe, meaning an attack is highly likely. Biden will leave Northern Ireland on Wednesday for the Republic, where he will visit Dublin, Co Louth and Co Mayo, reported Sky News.

Meanwhile, Sunak on Sunday praised Northern Ireland's landmark 1988 peace accord. He was 17 when the Good Friday Agreement was agreed, largely ending three decades of violence in the UK province.

In a statement released by Downing Street, Sunak said the signing of the Good Friday Agreement was an "incredible moment" in the UK's history.

The agreement ended the 30-year conflict in Northern Ireland which claimed more than 3,500 lives, reported Sky News.

"It was a powerfully rare example of people doing the previously unthinkable to create a better future for Northern Ireland," the prime minister said. "It is that promise of a better future that we offered to everyone in Northern Ireland that I will be thinking of first and foremost over the coming days.

"It is my responsibility as the prime minister of the United Kingdom to ensure we are making good on that promise." Sunak was "relentlessly focused" on delivering economic growth in Northern Ireland, which he said is crucial to improving living standards, the statement added. Good Friday 2023: US President Joe Biden To Visit UK and Ireland, Mark 25th Anniversary of Good Friday Accord.

Sunak will participate in a number of events next week to commemorate the signing on April 10, 1998, of the US-brokered peace accord, agreed between the governments in London and Dublin, and the Northern Irish political parties.

The pair will "undertake a programme of engagements", including a bilateral meeting, Sunak's Downing Street office said.

Notably, the US president's visit comes amid a heightened terror threat in Northern Ireland, and with power-sharing in Stormont still on hold because of post-Brexit tensions.

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Kumarakom (Kerala), April 9 (ANI): The 2nd Meeting of the G20 Development Working Group (DWG) concluded successfully at Kumarakom, Kerala on Sunday.

Over 80 delegates from G20 Members, 9 invitee countries, and various international and regional organizations participated in the meeting being held from April 6 to 9.

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The meeting was chaired by India's DWG Co-Chairs, Ministry of External Affairs Joint Secretaries Nagaraj K Naidu and Eenam Gambhir.

The agenda for the DWG meeting included discussions on G20's role in accelerating progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE), Digital Principles and Capacity Building for data for development, green transitions that are globally just, women-led development and enhancing international coordination and partnerships.

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The discussions of the DWG meetings would feed into the deliberations of the G20 Development Ministerial Meeting which will be held in June this year.

The formal proceedings were inaugurated by Secretary (Economic Relations) of the Ministry of External Affairs, Dammu Ravi. Welcoming delegates to the DWG meeting, Ravi mentioned that India has made efforts to bring the developmental agenda to the centre stage, and as the key track in G20 responsible for development issues, DWG should try to find collective solutions to address the diverse global development challenges.

Countries conveyed broad support for India's ambition and priorities for the DWG including the G20 Action Plan on accelerating progress on the SDGs, High-level Principles for LiFE, and Capacity Building Network on Data for Development.

Countries appreciated India's efforts in creating the political momentum needed to help developing countries at a time when the world is facing multiple crises.

There was consensus on the urgency for multilateral efforts and the key role of the G20 in addressing contemporary developmental challenges. There was a shared understanding of the need for promoting bold and targeted actions aimed at achieving the development and environment including climate agenda in a balanced manner.

There was broad agreement on the need for collective efforts in contributing to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and acceleration of SDGs.

Countries also deliberated on data as an enabler for sustainable development, women's empowerment and their role in achieving holistic development and the role of G20 in harnessing opportunities from green transitions that are globally just.

India emphasized the need for achieving consensus on these ambitious deliverables.

Delegates, experts from national and international organizations and representatives from think tanks and civil society, also participated in the side event on 6th April, with panel discussions on data for development, lifestyle for environment, and just green transitions, held on the sidelines of the formal DWG meeting.

During the course of the meeting, delegates also witnessed cultural immersion experiences including traditional performances, dance forms and local culinary traditions that provided them with a glimpse into the rich cultural heritage and culinary variety of Kerala. Delegates were also treated to the musical renditions of Swathi Thirunal's classical compositions.

The delegates also had an opportunity to experience the picturesque backwaters through a boat cruise. (ANI)

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Tehran [Iran], April 9 (ANI): Iran is preparing to attack Israel-owned trading vessels to avenge two Revolutionary Guards advisors killed in alleged Israeli airstrikes in Syria last month, The Times of Israel reported on Saturday.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force is gearing up to launch drone attacks on ships sailing through the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea, according to the report, which cited two anonymous senior Western intelligence officials, The Times of Israel reported.

Also Read | Dubai Car Number Plate 'P7' Sold for Record Rs 122.6 Crore at 'Most Noble Numbers' Auction (Watch Video).

An Iranian political strategist linked to the IRGC told the newspaper the planned attacks were in retaliation for the strikes in Syria, The Times of Israel reported.

The report came as the US military announced it had dispatched the USS Florida, a nuclear-powered guided-missile submarine to the Middle East to "help ensure regional maritime security and stability." The show of force comes amid heightened tensions with Iran, which continues to harass shipping and attack oil tankers in the area, including several owned by Israelis.

Also Read | Israel Launches Retaliatory Airstrikes Against Syrian Military Targets After Several Rockets Fire From Syria.

Washington usually does not disclose the locations of its submarines while they are at sea.

"It is capable of carrying up to 154 Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles and is deployed to US 5th Fleet to help ensure regional maritime security and stability," fleet spokesperson Commander Timothy Hawkins said in a statement.

Tomahawk cruise missiles launched from ships or submarines can hit targets up to 2,500 kilometres (1,500 miles away).

Hawkins said the submarine entered the region Thursday and began crossing the canal on Friday.

The move also comes with heightened tensions between Israel and Iran amid a general spike in violence in Israel, Lebanon, the West Bank and Gaza.

Israel has allegedly launched a series of airstrikes in Syria in recent weeks, including the strike that killed the Iranian military advisers, prompting vows of revenge from Tehran, The Times of Israel reported.

Six rockets were launched from southern Syria at the Golan Heights on Saturday night and early Sunday in two separate barrages hours apart, with three landing in Israeli territory, the military said.

After the second barrage, the Israel Defense Forces said it carried out artillery and drone strikes in southern Syria, targeting the launchers that had been used to fire the rockets. Later, Israeli fighter jets carried out additional airstrikes near the capital Damascus, The Times of Israel reported.

A local Palestinian militia called Liwa al-Quds, or the Jerusalem Brigade, claimed responsibility for the rocket launches, according to the Hezbollah-affiliated Lebanese Al Mayadeen network.

As a general rule, Israel's military does not comment on specific strikes in Syria, but it has acknowledged conducting hundreds of sorties against Iran-backed groups attempting to gain a foothold in the country over the last decade.

The IDF says it also attacks arms shipments believed to be bound for those groups, chief among them Hezbollah. Additionally, airstrikes attributed to Israel have repeatedly targeted Syrian air defence systems.

The escalation of attacks comes after what appears to be a rare bombing in Megiddo by an armed terrorist who infiltrated from Lebanon into Israel. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Islamabad, Apr 9 (PTI) An emergency meeting of the federal Cabinet on Sunday decided to take up in Parliament the matter of providing funds to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for holding the polls in politically crucial Punjab province on May 14 as directed by the Supreme Court, according to a media report.

The decision was taken after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired the cabinet meeting on the weekly holiday (Sunday) to deal with the "current political and constitutional crises" in the country, the Express Tribune newspaper reported.

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A three-member bench of the apex court led by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial on Tuesday fixed May 14 as the new date for elections to the Punjab Assembly, as it quashed the Election Commission of Pakistan's (ECP) decision to extend the polls date from April 10 to October 8.

Despite the apex court's order, the federal cabinet opted for debating the matter in Parliament before approving and issuing funds for the provincial elections, the paper said, citing its sources.

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The meeting also held legal consultations and discussed the coalition government's strategy in view of the apex court's verdict ordering elections in Punjab on May 14.

The cabinet also deliberated on tabling the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Bill, 2023  which aims to curtail the powers of the Chief Justice of Pakistan to take suo motu notice and constitute benches on his own  in the joint session of Parliament for approval as President Dr Arif Alvi has returned it for reconsideration without signing it, the paper said.

The prime minister has summoned another federal cabinet meeting on Monday at the Parliament House in Islamabad to discuss the issue, it added.

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has separated itself from the Sharifs' demand that Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial should step down. But, according to sources, the party may review its stance at the last minute on whether to support its senior coalition partner's decision to reject the apex court's order on Punjab polls.

Earlier, a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) insider told Dawn newspaper that the release of funds for Punjab elections, President Dr Arif Alvi's decision to return the Supreme Court Bill, and Justice Athar Minallah's judicial note in the case of the election  which PML-N sees grossly in favour of its stance  would come under discussion during the meeting.

He said the Sharifs were in a complete mood to defy the CJP-led three-member bench's decision to hold elections in the province on May 14 and there was no secret in it.

Be it Nawaz Sharif, Shehbaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz...all in one voice have rejected the three-bench verdict and the parliament is also standing behind the PML-N's stance, he said and added that the party was also unanimous on this point.

Federal Finance Minister Ishaq Dar earlier also did not give any hint that the government would be releasing funds to the ECP for the Punjab polls.

The Supreme Court's order for the federal government is to give Rs 21 billion for elections in Punjab by April 10. Of course, the finance ministry and the cabinet have an important responsibility in this, and I am a part of it, he said but did not indicate the amount his ministry would release by April 10.

The Dawn report showed that Maryam Nawaz declared that the party was ready for disqualification.

The SC had disqualified Nawaz Sharif and if it decides to issue a contempt notice to Prime Minister Shehbaz we don't care as we have rejected the three-member bench decision on Punjab polls which in fact was 4/3, she had said.

The rift between the government and the top judiciary is proof that Pakistan's political and economic woes are not going to end any sooner and instability will continue to haunt the country.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Islamabad [Pakistan], April 9 (ANI): Pakistan's civil judge imposed a fine of USD 2.48 million on the Chinese petroleum firm, "China National Petroleum Corporation" for allegedly volating the contract it signed with the Petroleum Exploration (Private) Limited, a local company, Dawn reported.

In the judgement, Civil judge Syed Mohammad Zahid Termizi passed a preliminary decree of USD 2.48 million in favour of the local company.

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In 2001, CNPC came to Pakistan as a service provider to exploration and production companies in the fields of rigs and drilling. In the first decade of 21st century, Pakistan was deemed a great potential for exploration and production companies and saw a great influx of foreign companies.

But with great influx associates, comes greater competition and CNPC found it difficult to establish and generate business with such foreign competitive companies, reported the Dawn.

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Considering the need of time and to get a necessary headstart, CNPC entered into an agreement with the local company to help procure drilling works for CNPC against a commission for each work procured in favour of CNPC.

From its inception to date, CNPC with the help of the local company, procured drilling contracts and was able to maintain its operation in Pakistan, now comprising over two decades.

The local company petitioned before the court against the alleged violation contractual obligations by CNPC, reported Dawn. (ANI)

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Kathmandu, Apr 9 (PTI) A chopper belonging to private helicopter service provider Heli Everest that had gone out of contact on Sunday morning was found crashed in West Central Nepal's Dhaulagiri without any casualty as the pilot and the lone passenger onboard were rescued, officials said.

The chopper, which flew at 11.1 am on Sunday, had gone out of contact after it was hit by strong winds.

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According to Phurwa Sherpa of Heli Everest, the wreckage of the helicopter was located at 12:40 pm, and the pilot was safely rescued and transported to Kathmandu for medical treatment.

"The chopper was flown by Priya Adhikari, the only female helicoptor pilot of Nepal. The pilot and a Nepali Sherpa passenger who were on board the chopper have been rescued from the site unhurt. They were flown to Kathmandu after first aid treatment," he said.

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The chopper was carrying goods for Italian mountaineers around Dhaulagiri base camp, when the accident occurred.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal has formed a committee to investigate into the incident.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Riyadh [Saudi Arabia], April 9 (ANI): A Saudi Arabian diplomatic delegation arrived in Tehran on Saturday to discuss the reopening of its diplomatic missions since 2016, according to Riyadh's Foreign Ministry.

The focus of the discussions is expected to be on the resumption of official relationships, the reopening of embassies and consulates, and mutual interests.

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Saturday's visit is part of "implementing the tripartite agreement" reached on March 10 between the two regional powers, brokered by China, to restore relations ruptured in 2016, the Saudi foreign ministry said, cited by the official Saudi Press Agency.

The visit follows an unprecedented meeting between the foreign ministers of both countries in China this week after they agreed last month to restore diplomatic ties after a seven-year gap.

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The UAE downgraded relations with Iran after Saudi Arabia severed ties with Iran in January 2016 after Iranian protesters stormed the Saudi embassy in Tehran following Riyadh's execution of a prominent Shiite cleric, reported Dawn.

The animosity between Iran and Saudi Arabia had previously threatened stability and security in the Gulf, and fuelled conflicts in the Middle East from Yemen to Syria.

However, in a significant breakthrough last month, Riyadh announced that it would re-establish ties with Tehran in a China-brokered deal, marking a step-change in years of hostility between the two nations.

In the first high-level meeting between Iran and Saudi Arabia in over seven years, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian of Iran and Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud of Saudi Arabia signed an agreement to reopen embassies and consulates in their respective countries.

Iran released a statement saying that the two sides expressed their willingness to overcome any obstacles to expanding cooperation between their nations. The embassies will be located in Tehran and Riyadh, while the consulates will be established in Mashhad and Jeddah.

The two longtime Middle East rivals have now pledged to work together.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian met in Beijing on Thursday and vowed to bring "security and stability" to the turbulent Gulf region.

On Saturday, a Saudi "technical delegation" met Iran's chief of protocol at the foreign ministry in Tehran, SPA said. (ANI)

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Amritsar (Punjab) [India], April 9 (ANI): A Sikh Jatha comprising 1052 pilgrims under the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) will leave from Amritsar for Gurdwara Panja Sahib in Pakistan on Sunday to celebrate Baisakhi.

"We received visas for 1052 people. They will also visit Nankana Sahib, Kartarpur Sahib and other Gurdwaras in Pakistan," Partap Singh, Secretary of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee said.

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He further stated, "It is a matter of great regret that every year the central government does not give visas to many of the pilgrims from Batch who want to go to Pakistan for Guru's place. When they find out got refused their visa. They felt so sad and upset. Government should not be done this."

The Secretary of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee also stated that they have appealed to the devotees that the batch will remain under the protocol.

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"If we talk about Pakistan's economic condition is going on nowadays, we want to help them in some way, but No help was sought from their government," he added.

One of the devotees, leaving for Pakistan, Avtar Singh said, "This was our long-time wish. We should go to Pakistan and go to our Gurudawara and place of our Guru and take obeisance and have a glimpse (Darshan) We are going for the first time. We are very excited and very happy."

Meanwhile, another devotee said that Last year, they also applied for a visa on Guru Nanak Dev's birthday but at that time the central governmnet didn't issue visas. Due to this, they were very sad and disappointed.

One of the devotees requested the government that no one's visa should be refused because every human being has a feeling that they should go to the Guru's place and bow their heads and have a glimpse (darshan). "Appeal to the government that the process of granting visa should be easy and visa on arrival facility should also be there," devotees said.

Every year, a large number of Sikh pilgrims from India visit Pakistan to observe various religious festivals and occasions. The visas issued from New Delhi are in addition to the visas granted to Sikh pilgrims participating in these events from other countries. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Austin (US), Apr 10 (AP) Texas Governor Greg Abbott said Saturday that he is seeking to pardon a US Army sergeant who was convicted of murder in the 2020 fatal shooting of an armed protester during nationwide protests against police violence and racial injustice.

Abbott tweeted that because the state constitution limits him to a pardon only on a recommendation by the state Board of Pardons and Paroles he is asking the board to recommend a pardon and to expedite his request in order to pardon Sgt. Daniel Perry.

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"I look forward to approving the board's pardon recommendation as soon as it hits my desk," Abbott wrote.

Perry was convicted Friday by a Travis County jury of fatally shooting 28-year-old Garrett Foster during a protest in Austin. He faces up to life in prison when sentenced.

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"Texas has one of the strongest 'Stand Your Ground' laws of self-defense that cannot be nullified by a jury or a progressive District Attorney", Abbott said.

A phone call to District Attorney Jose Garza's office on Saturday was not answered.

Perry's attorneys argued that the shooting was self-defense as Foster approached Perry's car with an AK-47 rifle. Prosecutors said Perry could have driven away before firing his revolver and witnesses testified that Foster never raised his rifle at Perry.

Perry, who was charged in 2021, was stationed at Ft. Hood about 112 kilometers north of Austin in July 2020 when he was working for a ride-sharing company and turned onto a street and into a large crowd of demonstrators in downtown Austin.

In video streamed live on Facebook, a car can be heard honking before several shots ring out and protesters begin screaming and scattering.

When Foster was killed, demonstrators in Austin and beyond had been marching in the streets for weeks following the police killing of George Floyd.

Floyd died May 25, 2020, after a Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee against the Black man's neck for more than nine minutes. Floyd, who was handcuffed, repeatedly said he couldn't breathe.

Floyd's killing was recorded on video by a bystander and sparked worldwide protests as part of a broader reckoning over racial injustice. (AP)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Israels military said its artillery was striking Syria after three rockets were launched toward Israeli territory in the early hours of Sunday, Trend reports citing Al Arabiya.

Three rockets were fired from Syria toward the Golan Heights on Sunday, one of which crossed into Israeli-controlled territory and landed in open ground, the Israeli military said, without giving details.

Earlier it said a rocket alert was sounded in the area.
Kyiv [Ukraine], April 9 (ANI): More than 30 Ukrainian children who were allegedly deported to Russia during the war were reunited with their families on Saturday, reported Radio Free Europe/RadioLiberty.

The Save Ukraine charity said that 31 children illegally taken to Russia following the Russia-Ukraine war have been returned to their homeland.

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"Children kidnapped by the Russians from the Kherson and Kharkiv regions have finally crossed the border with their relatives and now are safe. After a long separation of several months, they will meet their families," the organization said.

The group, which according to its website provides "evacuation, humanitarian aid, and housing to families and children in war zones," posted a video of what it said showed the children returning to Ukraine.

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Kuleba told a Kyiv briefing on Saturday that all 31 children brought home said no one in Russia was trying to find their parents.

"There were kids who changed their locations five times in five months, some children say that they were living with rats and cockroaches," he said.

Over 19,000 children were abducted to Russia, according to a Ukrainian national database, while thousands remain not accounted for, reported Kyiv Independent.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague last month issued arrest warrants against Russian President Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, Moscow's commissioner for children's rights, on war crimes charges related to the illegal deportation of Ukrainian children, along with the unlawful transfer of people to Russia from Ukraine since it invaded in February last year.

The Kremlin's alleged deportation of thousands of children from Ukraine to Russia or areas occupied by Russian forces was a major topic at the recent UN Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva, reported RFE.

Moscow has said the transfer of Ukrainian children to Russia was a humanitarian campaign to protect orphans and children abandoned in the war zone.

But the Council was sceptical on April 4 when it demanded that Russia provide access to and information about Ukrainian children and other civilians forcibly transferred to territory under its control.

Save Ukraine has helped people fleeing war zones since 2014. Over the past year, it launched a program to return taken children back to Ukraine. Over the past year, the NGO said it rescued 95 children, reported Kyiv Independent. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Wisconsin [US], April 9 (ANI): Two Wisconsin police officers were killed while exchanging gunfire with a driver on Saturday, Fox News reported.

According to the Wisconsin Department of Justice, a Chetek Police officer conducted a traffic stop just before 3:40 p.m. local time in the village of Cameron, Wisconsin.

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During the traffic stop, gunfire was exchanged, striking the Chetek Police officer and a Cameron Police officer. Both officers were pronounced dead at the scene.

The Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) said in a press release that there was no threat to the public following the shooting.

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According to the release, the Wisconsin Department of Criminal Investigation is leading the investigation into the shooting with the assistance of the Barron County Sheriff's Office, Rusk County Sheriff's Office, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Wisconsin State Patrol, Wisconsin State Crime Lab and a DCI Crime Response Specialist, Fox News reported.

After the probe is concluded, investigative reports will be turned over to the Barron County District Attorney.

Other law enforcement agencies in Wisconsin have expressed their condolences following the deaths of the two police officers. The Hudson Police Department, Oconto County Sheriff's Office, Milwaukee Fire Honor Guard and Village of East Troy Police Department all posted messages of support on social media.

"It is with heavy hearts, we send our thoughts and prayers to the Village of Cameron Police Department, the City of Chetek Police Department, the Barron County community, and the families of two officers lost in the line of duty today. Rest easy, we have the watch from here," the Hudson Police Department wrote in a tweet, Fox News reported. (ANI)

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Hanoi [Vietnam], April 9 (ANI): Vietnam may ban TikTok if it did not remove toxic, offensive, false and superstitious content, VN Express reported citing the country's information ministry.

On Thursday, Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Thanh Lam said, "Vietnamese law has enough provisions to ensure cybersecurity, and is not limited to banning or removing violating apps."

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Meanwhile, the head of the Authority of Broadcasting and Electronic Information, Le Quang Tu Do said the authorities have economic, technical and diplomatic tools to act against international platforms.

Economic measures include cutting off money flows, with platforms being cut off from advertisers, banks and e-commerce, according to VN Express.

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On the technical side, the government can block domains and servers if platforms do not remove violating contents on authorities' request.

Earlier, on Tuesday, Le Quang Tu Do said Vietnam will begin an inspection of TikTok next month to deal with harmful content and false information.

He also said recently a lot of toxic, offensive, false and superstitious content has been appearing on the social media app TikTok in Vietnam.

The inspection, to be conducted by the communications ministry, seeks to ensure that the social media complies with Vietnam's regulations, both in content and operations, reported VN Express.

"TikTok, Facebook and YouTube are all cross-border social media with international standards," Do said. "But when entering Vietnam, they need to comply with Vietnam's laws, which include regulations on content management and tax, payments and commercial policy," he added.

Outside Vietnam, TikTok has been banned in countries like India and Pakistan due to privacy, security and content concerns.

Others like the US and Australia have made the app off-limits for government employees. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Bengaluru: In a setback for Gujarat-based dairy giant Amul, a hotels body in Karnataka has decided to use only Nandini milk to "support the state's (dairy) farmers". The decision by Bruhat Bengaluru Hotels Association comes on the heels of the ruling BJP and the Opposition Congress and the JD(S) engaging in a war of words over Amul's announcement of foraying into the Bengaluru dairy market.

In a statement, the Bruhat Bengaluru Hotels Association, without naming Amul, said Kannadigas should only promote Nandini milk products. "We are all proud of Karnataka's Nandini milk produced by our farmers and it should be encouraged. In our city, clean and delicious coffee stands as the backbone of snacks. And we encourage it with great pride. It is being heard that milk from other states is being shipped to Karnataka recently. We are all Nandini," read a statement from Bruhat Bengaluru Hotels Association. Amul vs Nandini: We Want to Protect Our Farmers, Says DK Shivakumar on Karnataka Milk Row (Watch Video).

Earlier, the Congress accused the BJP of hatching a conspiracy to kill the state's formidable dairy brand, Nandini. On Friday, Congress leader and former chief minister Siddaramaiah said "all Kannadigas should pledge not to buy Amul products". His statement followed speculations of a merger between the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) and Gujarat's Anand Milk Union Limited (Amul).

"All Kannadigas have to unanimously resist the usurpation of the KMF, which has been built for the welfare of the farmers of the country. All Kannadigas should pledge not to buy Amul products", Siddaramaiah said.

He added, "In addition to language treason by the imposition of Hindi and land treason by trespassing within the state borders, now the BJP government is going to betray the farmers by shutting down Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF), which is the livelihood of millions of dairy farming families in the country."

Siddaramaiah also called on Chief Minister Basavaraja Bommai to immediately intervene in the matter and stop Amul from "entering (the state's dairy market) through the back door." Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who also handles the Cooperation ministry, should hold a referendum in the state in this regard, he added. No Need for Amul, as Nandini is a Better Brand, Says Karnataka Congress Chief Shivakumar.

The former CM also hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mr Shah, alleging that it was the weak BJP leadership in the state that has resulted in the KMF's slump in business.

On Wednesday, Amul tweeted that a wave of freshness in coming to Bengaluru from Kengeri to Whitefield -- from the west end of the city to the east -- with the hashtag "LaunchAlert." The cooperative said in a following tweet that quick commerce platforms will be used to facilitate milk and curd delivery.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 09, 2023 01:16 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
Mumbai, April 9: The Mumbai Police's Special Investigation Team (SIT) has arrested a batchmate of IIT Bombay student Darshan Solanki in connection with the alleged abetment of his suicide, an official said on Sunday.

The accused, identified as Arman Khatri, and Solanki stayed on the same floor of a hostel of the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay and both were batchmates, he said. IIT Bombay Student Suicide Case: SIT Probe Confirms Deceased's Handwriting on Suicide Note.

In a purported suicide note recovered by the SIT on March 3, Solanki had mentioned that "Arman has killed me", the official said. Solanki, who hailed from Ahmedabad in Gujarat and was a first-year student of the B Tech (Chemical) course, allegedly committed suicide by jumping off the seventh floor of a hostel building located on the IITB campus in suburban Powai on February 12 this year.

The Mumbai police's SIT recently received a report from a handwriting expert, which said the handwriting in the purported suicide note recovered from the institute's hostel matched the writing samples of the deceased, confirming that it was written by him, an official earlier said. Student's 'Suicide' at IIT-Bombay: Probe Transferred to Crime Branch as Kin Allege Foul Play.

The Maharashtra government had formed the SIT to conduct a probe into Solanki's death. His family had claimed that he faced discrimination at the premier institute for belonging to a Scheduled Caste (SC) community and suspected foul play in his death. However, the inquiry committee set up by the IITB had ruled out caste-based discrimination and hinted at deteriorating academic performance as a possible cause of suicide.
In an unfortunate accident, Navy officer Mohit Hull Artificer 4, aged 24, lost his life on Saturday (April 8). He was onboard INS Brahmaputra during operations at sea. Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar shared condolences to his family on behalf of all Navy personnel. The reason for the accident will be investigated. Passing Out Parade of the First Batch of Agniveers To Take Place at INS Chilka on March 28, Says Indian Navy.

Indian Navy Officer Mohit Hull Artificer 4 Dies

In an unfortunate accident at sea on 8th April, Mohit Hull Artificer 4, aged 23 years, succumbed to injuries onboard INS Brahmaputra during operations at sea. A board of Inquiry is being ordered to investigate the cause of death of the Indian Navy sailor: Indian Navy pic.twitter.com/2HLitR5IzP  ANI (@ANI) April 9, 2023

(SocialLY brings you all the latest breaking news, viral trends and information from social media world, including Twitter, Instagram and Youtube. The above post is embeded directly from the user's social media account and LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body. The views and facts appearing in the social media post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY, also LatestLY does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.)
Times Staff Writer

When you grow up the way Regina Louise grew up -- abandoned by her parents, physically abused by caretakers, shuttled from foster home to foster home -- you learn to doubt your memories. Even the good ones, especially the good ones, come with a disclaimer: Maybe they never happened.

Louise remembered that a woman once wanted to adopt her. The woman took Louise to the ballet and opera, taught her to believe in herself, and made her a beautiful blue dress with rainbows and hearts stitched on the front.

Then the woman disappeared from her life.

By the time Louise, the successful owner of two Bay Area hair salons, sat down to write her memoir in 1999, she was 37, and none of the adults from her childhood who could corroborate her stories could be found.

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The scars on her body told her she had been beaten. But did the blue dress ever exist? Was the love that deep? Maybe myth had mixed with memory. Maybe it never happened.

This is the inheritance sometimes left to children who leave foster care with no lasting bonds with adults: There is no one around to tell the kinds of stories that seed memories, stories that start with Remember when you ... ?

What she could recall, and what she felt, she wrote down. In the summer of 2003, Louises memoir, Somebodys Someone, arrived in bookstores. Though she did not know it then, writing about her dark past would alter her future in ways she had only dreamed about as a child.

Louise was a toddler when her biological mother left her in Austin, Texas, in the care of a woman who took in kids. Her father only vaguely knew she existed.

Louise was often mistreated. At the age of 11 she ran away to North Carolina to rejoin her mother, who did not want her. She was sent to Richmond, Calif., to be with her father, who also rejected her. She ended up in the foster care system.

In 1975, on the eve of her 13th birthday, Louise arrived at a childrens shelter in the Bay Area city of Martinez. Jeanne Taylor worked at the shelter, and where others saw bad behavior in Louise, Taylor saw potential.

She nourished it with trips to the opera and ballet and by demonstrating to Louise her potential for good. When Louise showed up with Converse sneakers that she had stolen, Taylor made her return them. But mostly she made the girl want to behave.

Taylor wanted to adopt the girl, and Louise wanted more than anything to be adopted by her. But some social workers -- and the National Assn. of Black Social Workers -- preferred to place black children with black families, believing those homes to be more suitable settings. Taylor was white, single and 31.

The court denied her petition to adopt.

Running Away

That denial meant Louise would spend the rest of her childhood moving: She lived in at least 30 homes and facilities in all. She became an expert at running away, figuring that if she kept leaving places she did not want to be, a social worker would put her in the one place she felt at home -- with Taylor.

Instead she was sent to a restricted treatment facility for severely disturbed youth. It was bad enough to feel alone, but now her keepers treated her as if she were mentally ill, medicating her.

Taylor sometimes visited Louise, but with restrictions. The two could not leave the facilitys grounds; the best they could do for privacy was to drive around the parking lot talking. Eventually, Louise stopped hearing from Taylor. She did not understand why. And the question would trouble her for years.

But the fact that Taylor had wanted her, had believed in her, sustained Louise; it made her want to make something of herself. She did well enough in school to be accepted to seven colleges.

With all her belongings stuffed in a garbage bag, she left her last group home for San Francisco State, as alone as when she had entered the foster care system. There would be no family to turn to, no home to visit during the holidays, no one to say, I am so proud of you, sweetheart.

Louise studied social work and theater but did not graduate from college. At 23 she had a son. She married and divorced and for several dreary years she floundered. She worked for a temp agency, had a paper route, ended up for a time at a womens shelter.

A turning point came when Louise revisited a childhood dream of becoming a hairstylist. After cosmetology school she landed an apprenticeship at a Vidal Sassoon salon. She and a business partner then opened a salon of their own, and then another.

Even as life got better, the past continued to dog Louise. She decided that writing a book was the best way to let go.

Stunning Discovery

When her editors asked for people who could be contacted to corroborate her story, she requested her file from the social services department.

There she found something she never expected: letters Taylor had sent years ago. Nobody back then had bothered to give them to Louise.

Some things we must face alone, but I am always with you in spirit, Taylor wrote in 1976. You are always in my heart.

Instead of resolving questions of doubt, the old letters revived them:

If she loved me then, Louise asked herself, where is she now? Did she forget me?

Louise never forgot Taylor. Again and again she asked: Where is she? What happened?

Louise started trying to find her, searching the Internet, checking marriage records, even putting up posters in their old neighborhood.

As her book was nearing publication, a friend produced a list of potential addresses for Taylor. Louise, who was living in Berkeley at the time, went to all of the local addresses, hoping Taylor would answer the door with a Hi, pumpkin.

No luck.

She wrote letters to the addresses out of town. Then, as she remembered, she had an angry talk with God.

OK, Im done, God.... Ive spent my life looking for this woman, bettering myself for that moment when I knew we were going to meet [again]. I knew it. And you mean to tell me I was following my heart, and this is what its about?

After her book was released, Louise gave an interview to a Bay Area paper and, in her frustration, used Taylors real name. (Taylor had been given a pseudonym in the book.) A woman who had worked at the Martinez shelter 25 years ago read the article and tracked down Taylor, who was living in Alabama.

During the first week of her book tour, an e-mail landed in Louises laptop with the message line, I am so proud of you, sweetheart.

Louise opened it and thought, Somebodys playing a trick on me. The words were guarded, not effusive, but the message was clear: The woman Louise had been looking for wanted her to call. The e-mail was signed Jeanne.

It was too much to fathom. Louise closed the computer.

At Long Last

Days later, she called the number, expecting to hear a recorded message. Instead she heard Taylors sing-song voice.

Hello-o-o?

Louise tried to catch her breath. Then she stammered, May I speak to ... is Jeanne....

Then it was Taylors turn to need air.

Is that you? she said. Is that my baby girl? You were my first child. I never stopped loving you. I wanted you.... I tried.... 

Louise had to pull the phone away from her ear to mask the sound of her tears.

Learning the Truth

In the conversations that followed, the women filled in the lost decades.

After her adoption petition was denied, Taylor had tried to stay in touch, but her letters went unanswered. She thought the girl had outgrown their relationship, and Taylor couldnt shake the view of social workers and the court -- that she was not suitable to be Louises mother.

Taylor, whom Louise had known as Jeanne Kerr, had married a man in the military, taken his last name and left the Bay Area. They had a son, and lived in various towns.

Finding each other was like finishing a sentence interrupted a lifetime ago. Taylor wanted to give Louise a birthright that should have been claimed a long time ago. First Taylor called her husband, who was stationed in Iraq, and discussed her plan. Then, during the second phone call, she made Louise an offer.

Would you like to be adopted?

Louise told her she would call back. She hung up, headed to a mirror and practiced folding her lips into a word she had preserved for just such a moment. Then she called with her answer.

Hi, Mommy, she said.

Face to Face

Louise was still on her book tour, so they finally met a few weeks later at New Yorks LaGuardia Airport. The plane was delayed for hours, and as Louise waited, she thought of the days when they had to drive around the parking lot because she could not leave the care facility.

Now there was no social worker or anyone else to say they were wrong for choosing to be family. Instead Louise had a town car and a driver and she had brought gifts: Godiva chocolates and a cashmere shawl.

When the plane landed, it was easy for Louise to spot Taylor. She was the slender woman with long salt and pepper hair, running toward her. The women embraced, cried, laughed, admired the changes and the sameness the years had brought.

Taylor handed Louise a small photo album. There she was with Taylor at a performance of The Nutcracker, then at an amusement park. Then there was the blue dress, the one with rainbows and hearts that Taylor had hand-stitched across the front.

Louise now knew that the hope she had built her life on was not a fable invented by a needy child. The dress was real. Taylor had come back into her life, bearing her past like a gift.

On Nov. 20, 2003, in the same Contra Costa County courthouse where a judge had denied Taylors request to adopt Louise decades ago, Taylor, 59, adopted Louise, 41.

Adult adoptions are not rare. Often it happens to bequeath money or an estate. But this was for something more.

The women stood before Judge Lois Haight, who said that their mother-daughter relationship would be irrevocable, that they would be responsible for each other. The judge explained to Taylors husband and son, Christopher, then 23, and to Louises son, Michael, then 17, that they were all family. The women raised their right hands and swore to abide.

Then the judge took a gavel and declared them kin.

Making a Difference

Louise, whose last name is now Kerr-Taylor, is committed to sparing children in foster care the experiences she endured and is writing a book about reuniting with Taylor. She travels the country speaking out on adoption, hoping to remove the kinds of impediments that kept her and Taylor apart. Today, some social workers and agencies remain opposed to transracial adoption, while others embrace it as a way to provide families for children.

Others have endorsed Louises message

Nationwide there is a movement afoot to ensure that foster children have some lasting connection with an adult before they leave the system.

Louise and others know that such children need a constant presence in their lives, someone to share good times and bad. As mother and daughter, Louise and Taylor share not just memories, but regrets.

If only I had done something different, maybe she could not have gone through all that pain, Taylor said, her eyes welling with tears.

I was ripped from the only person willing to love me, Louise said.

Now Louise is the beneficiary of the everyday gifts that mothers give their daughters. One day, while her mother was visiting, Louise returned home to find that dirty clothes she had left were washed and folded neatly. It baffled her for a moment, then she realized her mother had done it for her. That pile of folded laundry took Louises breath away.

Since the adoption, they have shared a series of firsts: Thanksgiving, Christmas, holiday get-togethers. This holiday season there was one more.

Louise, her mother and Christopher began living together as a family. They spent their first Christmas in the home they recently purchased in Pleasant Hill. But first mother and daughter returned to the Martinez shelter where they met nearly 30 years ago.

Louise told the children about her childhood, that she survived it and succeeded in life and that they could do the same. She spoke with the certainty of someone who knows that her past -- its pleasure and its pain -- happened just the way she remembered.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that he reached an agreement with Poland on the delivery of 200 Rosomak armored vehicles, Trend reports citing TASS.

"There are new agreements on armored personnel carriers - over 100 vehicles. As for the armored vehicles - 200 Rosomak vehicles. One hundred now and one hundred later," he said during his evening address.

Additionally, Ukraines Ukroboronprom state concern reported that the Bumar-Labedi arms manufacturer in Polands Gliwice would repair and service Ukrainian T-64 tanks, citing an agreement concluded between the two parties.
Windish immigrants found their way from Slovenia to Bethlehem more than a century ago in search of new jobs and a better life.

The Lutheran church they dedicated in 1916 has weathered a century of change. But its run will come to an end in two weeks.

Leave-taking services for St. Johns Windish Lutheran Church are scheduled for Sunday, April 23.

The church at 617 E. Fourth St. is one of three Lutheran churches in Bethlehem consolidating due to declining enrollment. Theyll form a new congregation: Blessed Trinity Lutheran Church.

Church spokeswoman Carol Henn said St. Johns congregation expects a packed house from folks who grew up in the community but stopped coming to church or who moved away and want to return for the final service.

We hope that people who maybe during the pandemic stopped coming to church will come back for this last service, she said.

Henn will bring her grandparents. Theyre deceased, but Henn will prop their photos up in the windowsill near her pew. Others are invited to make similar gestures.

Were bringing them there so they can be part of the service, she said.

Lehigh University has an agreement to buy St. Johns Lutheran Church and its parking lot, which encompasses roughly a city block. Lehigh is also buying St. Peters Lutheran Church at 474 Vine St. and Light of Christ Lutheran Church at 2020 Worthington Ave.

Leave-taking services are Sunday, April 30, for St. Peters church. Services will start at 10 a.m. for each church, preceded by an open house at 8:30 a.m.

Light of Christ Church will remain open, Henn said, until the group finds a site to open the Blessed Trinity church. That search is expected to take six months to a year, Henn said. Henn said Lehigh University will allow the congregants to remain at Light of Christ Church for $1 a month.

Lehigh University didnt respond to a request for comment.

When the church congregations agreed in February to sell to Lehigh, the universitys spokeswoman said We are pleased with the outcome of the vote and would like to thank the congregations leadership and members for their acceptance of Lehighs offer, a demonstration of their confidence in the university to be thoughtful owners of the properties.

Church leaders said any sale of the St. Johns parking lot would take Southside Bethlehems parking needs into consideration. The city parking authority leases 150 spaces in the lot. The lease runs through 2026.

The final services at St. Johns and St. Peters will include communion and will feature music by soloists and the Southside Brass Band.

Red carnations, a symbol of Slovenian national pride, will be featured at the St. Johns service, Henn said.

St. John's Windish Evangelical Lutheran Church at 617 E. Fourth St. in BethlehemCourtesy of Eugene Novak

Who are the Windish?

The Windish people of Bethlehem trace their ancestry to Prekmurje, a mountainous region in eastern Slovenia. The Windish dialect can be traced back 1,500 years.

Many Windish people joined eastern Europeans emigrating to Bethlehem in the early 20th century in search of economic opportunities. The city offered jobs at Bethlehem Steel, cigar factories and dress factories.

Source: St. Johns Windish Lutheran Church website

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Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com.
IndyCar had been absent from Pocono Raceway for decades. In preparation for its return, the local racing dynasty got the first go 10 years ago this week.

But when Marco Andretti  son of Michael, grandson of Mario, who hail from the Nazareth area  burned out of the pit and into turn 1 on April 10, 2013, it wasnt for a race.

It was tire testing. And it still drew hundreds of fans. The Express-Times and lehighvalleylive.com reported the next day:

First Andretti  and then the others [Dario Franchitti, Will Power and Simon Pagenaud] were the first to run Indy cars on the track since Danny Sullivan took the checkered flag in the 1989 Quaker State 500.

Marco, who was 2 years old when the legendary Emerson Fittipaldi set the tracks one-lap record of 211.715 mph in 1989, sang the praises of the track where his grandfather played a prominent role.

Marco heard many tales over the years from his grandfather and father 

IndyCar driver Marco Andretti rides the track at Pocono Raceway in April 2013 during Firestone tire testing for the upcoming Pocono IndyCar 400. It marked the first Indy car runs on the track since 1989.Matt Smith | lehighvalleylive.com file photo

This place was built for Indy cars and was my favorite track to race on, said Mario Andretti, who was in his grandsons pit area when Marco was on the track. Weve been waiting for this moment. We belong here. This facility is fabulous.

Marco compared Pocono to the nearby defunct Nazareth Speedway, where he never got the chance to race.

Its like Nazareth on steroids, he said.

That days tests helped developed tires for IndyCars official return for the Pocono 400 that July. Marco Andretti won pole by setting a new track lap-speed record, though the race itself was a letdown for the family  Marco came in 10th after leading 88 of 144 laps.

MORE LEHIGH VALLEY HISTORICAL HEADLINES THIS WEEK

 10 YEARS AGO | In 2013, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair speaks at Lafayette College, opining on world issues and reflecting on the life of fellow former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, who had died that same day.

 25 YEARS AGO | In 1998, the producer of The Florentine, a star-studded movie that filmed primarily in Easton the previous fall, expresses hopes of a film-festival tour for the flick. The Florentine eventually released direct to video.  U.S. Rep. Paul McHale, D-Lehigh Valley, decides not to accept a post as Secretary of the Navy, instead choosing to head home to jobs with an Allentown law firm and Muhlenberg College.

 100 YEARS AGO | In 1923, Pennsylvania State Police raid half a dozen Southside Bethlehem hotels for selling liquor during Prohibition.

This story is part of Lehigh Valley Then, a periodic series that recalls historical headlines from lehighvalleylive.com, The Express-Times and their predecessors from 10, 20, 25, 50 and 100 years ago. Stories are pulled from microfilm at the Easton and Bethlehem area public libraries.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com.

Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@lehighvalleylive.com.
Laois communities are being invited to tap into a multi-million euro fund raised from criminality to make the places they live safer.

The Community Safety Innovation was established in April 2021, it uses money seized by the Gardai and the Criminal Assets Bureau as the proceeds of crime to fund new projects to support community safety.

Last year a total of 2 million was granted across 22 projects, with the fund increasing to 3 million in 2023. Grants will range from 20,000 to 150,000.

The Department of Justice says the aims are to:

Allow proceeds of crime to be directed into community projects to support community safety

Ensure that the most appropriate proposals to improve community safety will access the funding they need

Encourage the development of innovative ways in which to improve community safety from those people who best understand local community safety needs

Allow best practice on community safety and youth justice to be shared with other partnerships and communities nationally as new proposals are developed

Reflect and highlight the success of An Garda Siochana and the Criminal Assets Bureau in seizing the proceeds from criminal activity

The Minister for Justice Simon Harris TD opened the fund for applicants in recent weeks.

The Fund is open to bodies involved in community safety and will support them in addressing local needs and opportunities for innovation not provided for in other funds managed by departments and agencies, he said.

Completed Application Forms are to be returned by 5pm on 19 May 2023 to CommunitySafetyInnovationFund@justice.ie

For more information visit: https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/a5d23-2022-community-safety-innovation-fund-funding-call/

The call for applications for the Fund runs from 27 March until Friday 19 May 2023.

Applications are assessed against stated criteria outlined in the call for proposals. This ensures funding is allocated to encourage the development of innovative ways in which to improve community safety from those people who understand local community safety needs best.
Laois-based Niamh Cahill is a teacher, brain injury survivor, and Board Member of Acquired Brain Injury Ireland who experienced a long journey back to health and independence after a brain injury in 2008 when aged 19 due to a rare auto immune triggered encephalitis - she tells her story.

I dont think anyone would sit down and have a chat with me today and know I had a brain injury. My injury was always invisible. But to those who know me best, my struggles werent invisible.

Back in 2008, more than 10 years ago, I became very ill out of the blue. I was just 19 years old and it started with a jerk in my leg. This was the first sign of a seizure which put me in Portlaoise Hospital on and off for weeks. I suffered multiple seizures and was transferred to Beaumont Hospital in Dublin. I was treated for many different neurological illnesses, but nothing worked. With every seizure, I was losing a part of myself and coming closer to death.

I even received the last rites twice. Doctors were fast running out of options. As a last-ditch effort to save me, I was blindly treated for an autoimmune-triggered Encephalitis (brain swelling), all while in a medically induced coma. Eventually, with treatment, I started to come back to life. But I was a shadow of the person I once was. I was seriously compromised. My vocabulary was non-existent, and the psychotic effects of the illness meant I was hallucinating a lot.

Recovery was not going to be easy. I received intense speech and language therapy as well as occupational therapy at the NRH. I could express myself and do things for myself again.

When I came home to Laois, I was lucky to get help and support with Acquired Brain Injury Ireland through their community keyworker, Sinead. My aim was to go back and pursue the second year of my degree. Sinead was someone I could talk to, who understood my confusion and frustration with my situation. My friends lives were moving on while I was struggling to keep control of mine.

My ability to learn had changed too. Short term memory problems meant I had to change my approach to learning in order to get through college. Sinead helped me use different approaches to learning; the most helpful of which was mind-maps. I could approach learning visually and this tool helped me graduate from Maynooth with a 2:1 degree and saw me go on to pursue a Masters. My meetings with Sinead happened over the course of months leading up to my return to college. Without her support both psychologically and practically, I dont think that return would have been possible.

I was so conscious of my speech for years after my brain injury and my confidence took a huge knock. I also struggled emotionally, and I suffered terribly with fatigue. Id hit a wall and nothing would bring me back, only a long sleep. Simple things were overwhelming to me. Over-catastrophizing was one of my favourite hobbies

The first day of my Masters, I missed my bus in Dublin and the tears came. A 22-year-old standing at a bus stop crying, thinking nothing worse could have happened, that my day was completely ruined and nothing could fix it. It was a small thing, but I remember how the anxiety that runs through you makes nothing else matter in that moment.

Brain injuries can be invisible and the stories and struggles behind them can be too. As a person living with an acquired brain injury, the support I received from Acquired Brain Injury Ireland was invaluable to me. In so many ways, if life deals you a brain injury, the odds are stacked against you, because the whole area is under-serviced.

But Acquired Brain Injury Ireland has been helping people to get back their lives all over Ireland for so long.

They have given a voice to a group of people who may be otherwise voiceless.

Reproduced with permission of Acquired Brain Injury Ireland

Dont Save Me, Then Leave Me  give me a pathway home is a new campaign launched for improved rehabilitation services for brain injury in Ireland launched by Niamh Cahill with Acquired Brain Injury Ireland CEO and Co-Founder Barbara OConnell at 14th World Congress

Speaking at the event organised by the International Brain Injury Association (IBIA) in partnership with Acquired Brain Injury Ireland, Ms O'Connell called for an investment of 6 million per annum to meet urgent need to help people like Niamh.

19,000 people in Ireland acquire a brain injury each year, and many of these end up unnecessarily in nursing homes long-term. This must end. The slogan of our campaign is Dont Save Me, Then Leave Me  give me a pathway home.

The truth is, in Ireland, there is no clear pathway for survivors of brain injury. Once theyre discharged from hospital, their future is in the hands of a geographic lottery  the system is under-resourced and under-funded. Assessment Teams and specialist brain injury Case Managers can play a key role in addressing these issues at minimal cost to the State, she said.

ABII is calling for 2m to establish a nationwide brain injury Case Management service and 4m for three National Assessment Teams for young survivors living inappropriately in nursing homes.

This would enable survivors to move much more effectively from acute hospital care, through specialist in-patient rehabilitation if needed, and on to community-based services. Doing so also avoids delayed discharges from acute hospitals, frees up beds in our National Rehabilitation Hospital, reduces the burden of care on families and creates significant cost savings to the State, said Ms O'Connell.

ABOUT Acquired Brain Injury Ireland

Acquired Brain Injury Ireland says it is an internationally accredited provider of community-based neuro-rehabilitation services for people with an acquired brain injury and their families. The organisation says it works in communities across Ireland to support and empower people to rebuild their lives, as well as campaigning and advocating for the rights and needs of this hidden group in society. More at www.abiireland.ie
North Korea has not responded to the regularly-held inter-Korean calls for the third consecutive day, elevating tensions on the peninsula and raising concerns about the stability of the region, Trend reports citing Al Arabiya.

Officials in North Korea were unresponsive to the regular phone communication between the two sides on Sunday, Yonhap News reported, after calls through the military line went unanswered on the previous two days.

The two Koreas typically hold phone calls twice a day though the two lines, including a cross-border liaison channel, during the week, while the military channel is used on weekends.

South Korea defense ministry officials said they reached out to the North through the military hotline at 9 a.m. Sunday but the calls went unanswered, according to Yonhap.

The suspension of communication comes amid heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula following North Koreas recent weapons tests, which were seen as a response to joint military drills between South Korea and the US.
There is a profound sense of sadness throughout the county today with the news that 'beautiful and courageous' Longford woman Laura Gilmore Anderson has passed to her eternal reward following her brave cancer fight.

Laura, who resides in Edinburgh, Scotland, with her husband Paul, was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer in July 2020 and she died peacefully in her home at 11:11 this morning (Saturday, April 8), surrounded by her family.

Just last month, speaking to the Longford Leader, Laura revealed how doctors effectively informed her to go home and spend her final days with her family after all preventative treatments used to stop the spread of neuroendocrine tumours which have ravaged her body over the last three years had failed.

Fighting back tears, Laura, said, If only love and kindness could cure me, I would be cured right now. I am too young to die, I am only 35 and I dont want to give up.

Laura, daughter of Brendan and Anne Gilmore, received the heartbreaking news just days after enjoying a once in a lifetime trip to Disneyland in Paris with her husband Paul.

A number of high profile fundraisers were organised to assist Laura, who turned 36 on Thursday, in her fight against her illness.

Caption: Paul and Laura pictured in May 2022 Picture: Shelley Corcoran

In a Facebook post, Paul Anderson paid tribute to his wife. "We are all so proud of her strength and determination in her battle these last few years.

"Laura has shown us all what an amazing, strong, wonderful, beautiful and courageous woman she was, especially in the past week, not giving up the fight until her final breath."

He added, "I will miss her so much, she was my soul mate, my best friend and my pillar of strength during the hardest of days and I am so full of love and admiration for her.

"Laura touched the hearts of so many of you and has been an inspiration for those who need it most."

Caption: The Gilmore Family

Paul thanked everyone who supported Laura throughout her cancer fight.

"Id like to thank you all for the love you have shown Laura and I throughout her fight and you will forever be in my heart."

Deepest sympathy is extended to the Gilmore and Anderson families. May Laura Rest in Peace.

Caption: The Gilmore family pictured on in August 2021 ahead of Susan Ryan (Laura's sister) completing her 1,000km Longford challenge in aid of the Help Laura Heal fund Picture: Shelley Corcoran

Caption: At the 2016 Longford Assocation in London dinner dance; Longford GAA County Board Chairperson Brendan Gilmore, his wife Anne, daughter Laura and Paul Anderson.
Sinn Fein took aim at the DUP and the Irish governments ending of the eviction ban during an event held to mark the anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising.

Speaking at a republican plot at Milltown Cemetery in Belfast, MP John Finucane noted the 25th anniversary for the Good Friday Agreement, which he said was an historic, international success story and should never ever be taken for granted.

He accused the DUP of using the protocol as an excuse to boycott an Executive that would see Sinn Fein take up the role of First Minister of Northern Ireland for the first time, as per the results of the 2022 Assembly election.

He said that health workers could not wait any longer for pay rises, and people who rely on voluntary organisations dont have the luxury to wait while the DUP naval gazes.

He also said that the visit by US president Joe Biden was a golden opportunity to strengthen Northern Irelands economy and to create jobs.

Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald and vice-president Michelle ONeill attended the Irish governments official 1916 Rising ceremony at the GPO in Dublin.

Mr Finucane said during his speech: I want to salute the republican activists of Belfast who continue to assert the demand for Irish freedom, and I also want to acknowledge the pain and trauma that many families from all backgrounds carry as a result of tragic loss during the conflict by all armed groups.

Today, we live in a different place. This Easter, we mark 25 years since the people of this island voted for the Good Friday Agreement. That peace accord brought to an end three decades of conflict, and it stands as an historic international success story in peacemaking.

We must continue to work to protect our hard-won peace and our hard-won progress.

Mr Finucane said that the Windsor Framework offered a huge competitive advantage by giving Northern Ireland access to both British and EU markets.

He added: We know that many within the DUP saw Brexit as an opportunity to harden the border and Ireland. They have failed.

They must know recognise that they failed and get on with the business of representing those who elected them within the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement.

He also accused Fine Gael and Fianna Fail of coalescing to keep Sinn Fein out of government, and said Irelands housing crisis had gotten worse under their watch.

Fine Gael and Fianna Fail, supported by the Green Party, have taken the cruel and inhumane decision to make thousands of families homeless by ending the eviction ban.

Sinn Fein is on the rise across Ireland, he said towards the end of his address.

Meanwhile, the PSNI said that it was investigating a parade held in west Belfast on Easter Sunday.

Assistant Chief Constable Bobby Singleton said police had attended a series of notified parades across Northern Ireland as republican groups mark the 1916 Easter Rising.

The vast majority of the parades were lawful and passed off without incident, Mr Singleton said.

There was, however, a masked colour party at the head of the Irish Republican Socialist Party parade on the Falls Road in Belfast.

Police issued warnings to participants and using evidence-gathering resources, obtained footage which will now be reviewed as part of an investigation into potential offences under the Terrorism Act 2000.

As is normal for notified parades, we will also prepare a report to the Parades Commission on the conduct of the parade.
Learn How to Open a Coffee Shop in Minnesota from Coffee Shop Startup Experts at Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea





Learn how to open a coffee shop in Minnesota from Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea! The award-winning coffee roaster, which has helped start over 300 independent coffee shops in 30 states, recently published an online coffee shop startup guide for The North Star State.

COLUMBUS, Ohio, April 9, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Want to learn how to start a coffee shop in Minnesota? Get tips on opening a profitable business in The North Star State from coffee shop startup experts at Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea.

Through its 7 Steps to Success coffee shop startup program, Roast magazine's 2016 Macro Roaster of the Year has taught over 300 entrepreneurs in 30 states how to open their own independent coffee shops.

Now, the company's 7 Steps coffee shop startup consulting team has added to its series of state-level coffee shop startup guides with, "How to Start a Coffee Shop in Minnesota."

"Minnesota is a terrific place to start a coffee shop!" said Crimson Cup Founder and President Greg Ubert.

"In fact, Minnesota ranks 28th among the states in the number of coffee shops per capita, with fewer than one coffee shop for every 6,193 residents. That leaves many Minnesotans without a local coffee shop, especially in the smaller cities and towns."

The program is based on Ubert's book, Seven Steps to Success: A Common-sense Guide to Succeed in Specialty Coffee, which he wrote to help coffee shop owners develop profitable businesses by mastering all aspects of successful coffee shop operations.

"We help entrepreneurs with little or no coffee experience become owners of thriving coffee shops serving their local communities," he said.

"From choosing a terrific location and writing a strong coffee shop business plan to buying and laying out equipment, hiring and training staff and more, our team is here to guide you."

To hear about the book in Ubert's own words, download a free recorded introduction on Soundcloud.

Besides the Minnesota guide, Crimson Cup recently published guides on How to Start a Coffee Shop in Texas, Ohio, North Carolina, Michigan, Illinois, Tennessee, Georgia, Indiana, Massachusetts, Virginia, Missouri, Wisconsin, Connecticut, New Jersey, Iowa, Alabama, Maine, Arkansas, Vermont, Rhode Island, Utah, Colorado, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Wyoming, South Dakota, Oklahoma, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Maryland and South Carolina.

The roaster will continue to post a state-level guide each week until all 50 states are covered.

"Although the fundamentals of coffee shop operation remain the same from state to state, the economic opportunities, business formation and licensing requirements vary widely," Ubert said. "We're excited to share information and resources to help entrepreneurs expedite their startup journey."

He invited anyone who is thinking of opening a coffee shop in any state to call Crimson Cup for guidance.

"If you run into any roadblocks or just want to discuss your vision with a coffee expert, you can reach our startup team by calling 1-888-800-9224."

About Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea

Founded in 1991, Crimson Cup is at the forefront of the coffee industry. Its attentive roasting, startup support and global partnerships are consciously designed for the greater good of communities around the world. Among other national recognitions, the company has earned 2020 and 2017 Good Food Awards, the 2019 Golden Bean Champion for Small Franchise/Chain Roaster and Roast magazine's 2016 Macro Roaster of the Year.

Crimson Cup travels the world searching for the perfect cup ? driven by meaningful relationships, honesty and a shared vision for the future. Its Friend2Farmer initiatives foster respect and decency through mutually beneficial collaboration across local and global communities.

Through its 7 Steps to Success coffee shop startup program, the company teaches entrepreneurs how to open and run independent coffee houses in their local communities. By developing a coffee shop business plan, entrepreneurs gain insight into coffee shop startup costs.

Crimson Cup coffee is available through over 350 independent coffee houses, grocers, college and universities, restaurants and food service operations across 30 states, Guam and Bangladesh. The company also owns several Crimson Cup Coffee Shops and a new CRIMSON retail flagship store. To learn more, visit crimsoncup.com, or follow the company on Facebook and Instagram.

Media Contact

Cheryl Claypoole, Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea, 614-361-5023, [email protected]

Twitter, Facebook

SOURCE Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea

9 april 2023 at 08:30

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Georgian opposition supporters rally in the center of Tbilisi on April 9, 2023. VANO SHLAMOV / AFP

Thousands of opposition supporters rallied Sunday in the Georgian capital Tbilisi as the Black Sea nation's government faces mounting accusations of backsliding on democracy. Demonstrators gathered outside the Georgian parliament for a rally organized by the country's main opposition force, the United National Movement (UNM), founded by jailed ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili.

Protesters waved Georgian, Ukrainian and European Union flags and held a huge banner that read "For European future." The crowd chanted "Long live Misha!", referring by his diminutive to Saakashvili, who is serving a six-year jail term for abuse of power  a conviction that international rights groups have condemned as politically motivated. Doctors have said the pro-Western reformer is at risk of death from a litany of serious conditions which he developed in custody.

The ruling Georgian Dream party's government faces accusations of jailing opponents, silencing independent media, covertly collaborating with the Kremlin and leading the country astray from its EU membership path.

Addressing the rally, UNM chairman Levan Khabeishvili listed protesters' demands that included the "liberation of political prisoners and implementing reforms" demanded by the EU as a condition for granting Tbilisi a formal candidate status.

' Save our homeland from Russian stooges'

"[The] Georgian government is being controlled from Moscow and our obligation is to save our homeland from Russian stooges," former Georgian president Giorgi Margvelashvili told the crowd. "We are freedom-loving people, part of the European family, we reject Russian slavery." One of the demonstrators, 27-year-old painter Luka Kavsadze, told AFP: "Our struggle will be peaceful but uncompromised and will lead us to where we belong  the European Union."

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Last month, tens of thousands took to the streets in Tbilisi after parliament gave initial backing to a draft law "on foreign agents", similar to the legislation used in Russia to suppress dissent.

The bill, which has sparked strong criticism from the European Union and the United States, was dropped under pressure from street protests that saw police use tear gas and water cannon to disperse crowds. The ruling party has insisted it remains committed to Georgia's EU and NATO membership bids, enshrined in the constitution, and supported  according to opinion polls  by 80 percent of the population.

But party leaders have stepped up anti-Western rhetoric after Washington last week banned visas for four powerful judges in Georgia over alleged corruption. The move marked the latest toughening of Washington's approach towards an ally after concerns of a shift in Tbilisi toward Russia.

Georgia applied for EU membership together with Ukraine and Moldova days after Russia invaded its pro-Western neighbor in February 2022. Last June, EU leaders granted formal candidate status to Kyiv and Chisinau but said Tbilisi must implement reforms first.

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COUNCILLORS want to see equality among local authority tenants when it comes to buying their home.

People who live in council homes can qualify to purchase it if theyve lived there over a decade, and meet other criteria.

However, this is not the case for people living in so-called Approved Housing Body (AHB) houses, which work hand-in-hand with council to provide affordable rented homes for people who cannot afford to pay private sector rents.

At this months council meeting, councillors called for this difference to be addressed, with a motion from councillors in the Adare/Rathkeale district unanimously adopted. Housing director Caroline Curley said the only way this can be changed is to lobby government to alter the existing laws.

She explained that if an AHB is in receipt of public funding, it must comply with terms and conditions. One of these is that the provider is legally required to make the property available for social renting for the duration of the leasing agreement.

She did say that if a property is owned outright by an AHB, and not subject to public funding, the company may choose to sell the unit by private treaty.

Fine Gael councillor Stephen Keary said: Under the current regime, a tenant can never become an owner. Id ask that we write to the Housing Minister to change the regulation on this.

He added he would have concerns that once an AHBs contract with council is up, the unit might be sold to a vulture fund.

Fianna Fail councillor Bridie Collins said: If youre a tenant, youre a tenant and you should have equal rights regardless of who you are renting from.

City East member Sarah Kiely said shes 100% behind this motion. She pointed out the inequity which already exists in the city.

It is shocking that on one side of Bloodmill Road and Condell Road you have council properties, and on the other side you have AHB properties. It means one group can buy their home while the other cant, she said. She also expressed concern at a lack of succession rights in AHB homes meaning they cannot be handed down through families, often the case in council homes.
SIX PATCHES of land in Limerick city have been identified to build up to 4,600 affordable homes on.

The Land Development Agency (LDA), charged with delivering affordable and social housing on State-owned lands has highlighted six sites in and around the city which it believes can be used for homes which are subsidised to allow people on moderate incomes the chance to own their own property.

Land at the gasworks site at O'Curry Street/Dock Road junction, currently owned by Ervia, the State-owned firm delivering water, gas and other resources, is on the list.

A few yards away, the city's docklands are being primed for housing, according to the LDA's report.

Land currently home to the Limerick fire station at Mulgrave Street has also been identified - this is owned by the local authority.

Housing could also be developed on the site of University Maternity Hospital Limerick and the neighbouring LPYMA field at Ennis Road.

The long-term plan is to close this facility and to co-locate a new maternity hospital on the current University Hospital Limerick campus in Dooradoyle.

The ESB site at the junction of Rosbrien Road and Clarina Park is also expected to be sought, by the LDA, for accommodation.

And the possibility of land around Colbert bus station being used for housing has previously been broached before by the agency.

It's predicted all these sites could deliver between 3,440 and 4,600 houses.

The LDA said its sites were chosen and have been assessed based on their potential ability to deliver affordable housing, facilitate the creation of new sustainable communities, and add to existing ones.

The report will now be subject to further consideration by government and the LDA.

John Coleman, chief executive of the LDA, said: The publication of the Report on Relevant Public Land is an important milestone for the LDA. It identifies State-owned land that has the potential to be repurposed to deliver a pipeline of affordable homes into the future.

"This report and subsequent updates will greatly assist the LDA, government and State agencies to locate affordable housing and public facilities in the optimum locations. The LDA is committed to working closely with the public bodies involved to find common ground for the release of land for affordable housing purposes and for the common good.

Housing Minister Darragh OBrien added: I intend to review the report closely and work with the LDA and the public bodies involved to identify high potential sites that could be prioritised as part of the LDAs ongoing delivery pipeline."

Dearbhla Lawson, LDAs head of strategic planning said the report identifies land which will contribute to the creation of sustainable communities and support the vitality and viability of our cities and towns.
A LONG and distinguished career of public service to the farmers of Limerick and Clare was celebrated in the South Court Hotel on Friday night by a large gathering of staff of the Department of Agriculture, past and present, along with many appreciative farming and veterinary practice clients.

Geraldine O'Brien, Castleconnell, is well deserving of all the accolades and words of thanks given to her, both in prose and poetry, following a career of over 40 years in the department.

Like many of those brass and yellow tagged creatures that she traced and recorded over her years of duties in Limerick DVO, Geraldine has now been let out to grass with a skip and a jump and the promise of many long and pleasant days ahead, in the company of her beloved family and friends.

Farming community representatives as well as department colleagues, many who became life-long friends, expressed their appreciation to Geraldine for her kindness, sincerity and humour over the years, in solving problems and ensuring her work was always completed to the highest standard, in a pleasant and unassuming manner.

Geraldine wished to thank all who attended and her colleagues, friends and family.

I want to thank Linda Delohery who put in so much hard work behind the scenes to make the night so special. Linda will now take over from me. She already is such a great asset with her great work ethic and is so liked and respected so Im leaving it all in good hands, said Geraldine, who gave a special mention to her good friend and mentor Brendan Walsh who joined them virtually.

Brendan retired in January and is so missed in the office. It was not so much my night but also yours, Brendan. I would also like to thank Frank Reidy for doing a great job as MC and all who made speeches for their kind words. Finally, I want to thank the farmers of Limerick and Clare  it was my pleasure to have dealt with you all down through the years, she said.
Amid the growing passenger market of India, there has been a constant question about the rising cases of car accidents on roads and the low safety standards of Indian cars. India is yet to come up with its car safety assessment programme. The UK-based Global NCAP, tested dozens of Made-in-India cars since 2014. Shockingly, most of them failed miserably in the tests, whereas some were able to perform well.

What is G-NCAP?

The Global New Car Assessment Programme (GNCAP) was formed by a UK-based charity Towards Zero Foundation. The program aimed to make people aware of the importance of safety in cars. It conducts crash tests of different cars and rates them based on their performance.

Also Read: Union Minister Kiren Rijiju's car meets with accident in Jammu and Kashmir

The ratings are given on two parameters, ie Adult Occupant Protection(AOP) and Child Occupant Protection(COP). AOP measures the impact of the car crash on an adult driver and an adult co-driver. Whereas, COP measures the impact of the collision on children secured using a child restraint system.

Also Read: New Mercedes-Benz E-Class unveiling on April 25 with impressive upgrades.

Based on the testing of GNCAP, these are the safest cars that are made in India.

Skoda Kushaq and Volkswagen Taigun

Skoda Kushaq and Volkswagen Taigun are the latest entrants in the list of top scorers in the Global NCAP rankings. The two SUVs secured 29.64 points out of 34 in AOP and 42 points out of 49 in COP. The two SUVs were able to perform well even in more stringent norms implemented recently.

Also Read: 2023 Suzuki Hayabusa unleashed with OBD2 compliance and three new colours

Volkswagen Virtus and Skoda Slavia

Recently, Volkswagen Virtus and Skoda Slavia secured all five stars ratings in AOP and COP in their NCAP tests. These two sedans secured 29.71 points out of 34 in AOP and 42 points out of 49 points in COP. The testing was done as per the new and more stringent norms, that are implemented recently.

Mahindra XUV 700

Retaining its brand value and high safety standards, Mahindra's XUV 700 was rated 5 stars in GNCAP ratings under the less stringent ratings. Notably, it is the only SUV in its category with a top Global NCAP rating. It received 16.03 points out of 17 points in AOP and 41.66 points out of 49 points in the COP category of ratings.

Tata Punch

Tata Punch secured a full five rating in the GNCAP test in the adult category. The SUV-style hatchback scored four ratings in the children category. The car was rated as per less stringent protocols that were used earlier. The prime vehicle was able to score 16.45 points out of 17 points in AOP and 40.89 points out of 49 points in the COP category.

Mahindra XUV 300

Mahindra XUV 300 was the first car to bag five ratings in the NCAP test. XUV 300 scored five ratings in the adult safety category of NCAP testing performed under less stringent protocols. The car scored 4 stars in the child occupant protection score. The car scored 16.42 points out of 17 points under the AOP category and 37.44 points out of 49 in the COP category.
The corporate brand custodian and head of corporate affairs of Adani Group, Aman Kumar Singh, resigned from NDTV Ltd board due to other preoccupations. A former Indian Revenue Services officer, Aman Kumar Singh, is also facing corruption charge in Chhattisgarh.

His resignation came into effect after the business hours on 1 April, 2023, said the company in a stock exchange filing.

Also Read: Names of Ambani-Adani are being taken to Sharad Pawar

"Aman Kumar Singh has tendered his resignation from the position of non-executive director of the company, with effect from close of business hours on April 1, 2023, due to his preoccupation with other engagements," said New Delhi Television Ltd in a stock exchange filing.

Aman Singh used to be a powerful Indian Revenue Service Officer during the Raman Singh-led BJP government in Chhattisgarh and also held the position of the principal secretaru to the chief minister.

Also read: Adani Power's Jharkhand unit begins operations, to supply power to Bangladesh

In 2022, he resigned from the government service and joined the Adani group in November 2022 as the Corporate Brand Custodian and Corporate Affairs head. Soon after the Adani-takeover of NDTV, Aman Kumar Singh was one of the first board of directors of the media firm, who were appointed by the Adani group.

Second exit of Adani leadership from NDTV

Notably, this is the second exit of top leadership nominated by the Adani group in NDTV. Earlier, then additional non-executive independend director of the company, Sunil Kumar resigned from his post on March 9, said NDTV in a stock exchange filing. Sunil Kumar was also an IAS-officer of 1979 batch. He was the chief secretary of Chhattisgarh from 2012 to 2014.

ALso Read: Top investor betting $2 billion on Adani Group stocks sees over 100% return

Corruption charges against Aman Kumar Singh

In February 2020, an FIR was registered against Aman Kumar Singh and his wife Yasmeen Singh in an alleged disproportionate assets case by the Chhattisgarh's Economic Offences Wing (EOW).

Later, the FIR was quashed by the High Court, but reversed by the apex court last month. The SC set aside the High Court order expressed its opinion that the High Court was expected to not quash corruption case FIRs against government offiials at the investigation stage, even on the doubt that the case has been registered by a new government against officers of the previous government.

Aman Singh appeart before the EOW on March 6 after the Supreme Court order. A week later, his anticipatory bail plea was rejected by an additional district and sessions judge court in Raipur.
Apple has leased several floors of a commercial building in Bengaluru with a starting monthly rent of 2.43 crore. The premises of the commercial building on Cubbon Road - built by Prestige Estates Projects - will reportedly be used as a global capability centre.

According to reports citing registration documents made available by data analytics firm Propstack, the tech giant will occupy the entire seventh, eighth, and ninth floors as well as a part of the fourth and sixth floors of the office building.

The company will be paying a per feet rental of 195 as well as a monthly car parking fee of 16.56 lakh. The lease agreement was signed by Apple India and the private Musa Sait Wakf, with the rent commencing from July 1 this year.

ALSO READ: These iPhone users might not be able to access App Store. Heres why

Under the terms of the lease agreement, Apple is bound by a lock-in period of five years and will face a 15% increase in rent every three years. The company also has the option of renewing the lease for up to three additional terms of five years each. The lease also stipulates that no competitors of Apple will be granted space in the building. According to reports, the company had provided a long list of names - including Alphabet, Microsoft, Samsung, Xiaomi, and Amazon.

The development comes mere days after the company revealed the look of its first retail store in India. Apple has signed a 133 month lease for a store in Mumbai's Jio World Drive mall with an option to extend it by 60 months. As per reports, the 20,806 sq ft store com

es with a hefty monthly rent of 42 lakh - adding up to a little more than 5 crore per year. It will increase by 15% after every 36 months s per data shared by CRE Matrix.

ALSO READ: Tim Cook says he loves THIS trick of Steve Jobs as Apple CEO
Russias COVID-19 case tally rose by 8,008 over the past day to 22,714,988, the anti-coronavirus crisis center reported on Sunday, Trend reports citing TASS.

As many as 602 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 in Russia over the past day. The number of hospitalized patients declined in 63 regions, while in 13 other regions the figure increased. A day earlier, 1,221 people were rushed to hospitals.

Moscows COVID-19 cases surged by 887 over the past day against 1,317 a day earlier, reaching 3,488,599, according to the anti-coronavirus crisis center. St. Petersburgs COVID-19 cases increased by 820 over the past day, reaching 1,926,092.

Russias COVID-19 recoveries rose by 7,307 over the past day, reaching 22,088,256, the anti-coronavirus crisis center told reporters. A day earlier 9,956 patients recovered.

Russias COVID-19 death toll increased by 36 over the past day and reached 397,570, the crisis center announced. A day earlier 37 COVID-19 deaths were registered.
NEW DELHI : Homegrown IT services firms are likely to close the last financial year on a sombre note, with analysts predicting three-year lows for the sector on various metrics such as deal bookings and revenue growth.

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and Infosys, the top two IT services firms, are slated to report March quarter earnings this week. This would be followed by HCLTech, Wipro, Tech Mahindra and others during this month.

The March quarter performance could also set the tone for FY24, in which experts expect deferred deals for the industry leading to slower revenue realization and slowdown in new deal bookings. Omkar Tanksale, equity research analyst at Axis Securities, said the March quarter will offer crucial guidance on how long will global tech spending stay weak.

The industrys woes are chiefly driven by a slowdown in business from the banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) sector, which contributes nearly 30% of revenues for large-cap firms. Experts said persistent staff costs weighing down on margins is another reason for the slowdown.

For instance, a forecast note by Mukul Garg, research analyst at financial services firm Motilal Oswal pegged four of the top six firms, TCS, Infosys, HCLTech and Wipro, to post less than 1% sequential revenue growth in the March quarter. The recently merged entity of LTIMindtree is the sole firm projected to post revenue growth of 1.6%, while Tech Mahindra is tipped to post revenue decline of 0.7%.

Weak revenue growth at these firms could be further combined with a marginal 1.2% sequential growth in earnings before interest and taxes (Ebit) due to slower pace of deal realization, Garg said in a note to investors. Further, brokerage HDFC Securities Institutional Research note to investors on 6 April also painted a similar picture, pegging TCS and Infosys to post marginal revenue growth, and HCLTech, Tech Mahindra and Wipro to post declines. The range of change in revenues of the large-cap IT firms would be within a drop of 2%, to a growth of 1% sequentially from the December quarter.

Apurva Prasad, vice president at HDFC Securities said firms with market caps of over 20,000 crore are likely to be the worst hit in Q4FY23 due to cutbacks in billing timelines by long term clients. He added that uncertainty created in the banking sector with the collapse of western banks such as Silvergate Bank, Silicon Valley Bank and Credit Suisse is likely to force firms across industries to consolidate their discretionary tech spends.

Deal closures may come through this quarter, but if deals are not being realized right now, then they will not make any difference to the financials of the sector in the immediate two quarters of FY24," Tanksale at Axis said.

Prasad added that the March quarter could offer the sharpest decline the domestic IT services industry is likely to see in CY23, and lead to a consolidation of revenue growth rate in FY24 after three sustained years of double-digit growth.

On 3 April, Mint reported that the domestic IT services industry could see a drop of 700 basis points in revenue growth rate, which could fall to mid-single digit for the first time since the onset of the pandemic.

One basis point is one-hundredth of a percentage.

Furthermore, the slowdown may also lead to midcap IT firms outperforming the top six (TCS, Infosys, HCL, Wipro, Tech Mahindra and LTIMindtree) in terms of revenue growth in this quarter. Motilal Oswal projected that Cyient, Coforge and Persistent Systems will post over 3% sequential revenue growth, while Mphasis and Zensar may report 1.1% sequential revenue decline.

Midcap companies will have a clear edge over the large companies in terms of surpassing the growth figures, because of their lower revenue and deals base. Their project sizes are also much smaller, and midcap firms are likely to continue with their periodical billings from clients, instead of seeing client spending deferred. They are also not primary vendors for outsourced projects, so project tenders are much smaller. Hence, their deal churn rate is very high," Axis Tanksale said.

To be sure, most IT services firms have seen a consolidation in their share prices in the past one year. At market closing on April 6, the BSE IT index closed at 28,670.37  down 20% from 35,955.15 a year ago.

Consolidated market data from all four quarters of FY23 shows that the price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of the domestic IT services industry has dropped from an average of over 34x in March last year, to around 24x at the end of March this year. A falling P/E ratio typically signifies a bear market.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Shouvik Das Shouvik Das is a science, space and technology reporter for Mint and TechCircle. In his previous stints, he worked at publications such as CNN-News18 and Outlook Business. He has also reported on consumer technology and the automobile sector. Read more from this author
Weeks after a slew of western nations cracked down on TikTok usage, Vietnam might also follow suit. Hanoi may ban the popular video-sharing app if it fails to remove toxic, offensive, false and superstitious content in the coming days. Officials indicated that they would begin an inspection of TikTok next month for such posts.

According to local media reports citing the country's information ministry, a lot of toxic, offensive, false and superstitious content has recently begun appearing on the social media app. The Ministry of Communications is now set to conduct an inspection to verify whether the content and operations of social media platforms adhere to the country's regulations.

Vietnamese law has enough provisions to ensure cybersecurity, and is not limited to banning or removing violating apps," VN Express quoted Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Thanh Lam as saying.

ALSO READ: UK's data regulator fines TikTok $15.9 million for flouting under-13 age limit

TikTok, Facebook and YouTube are all cross-border social media with international standards. But when entering Vietnam, they need to comply with Vietnam's laws, which include regulations on content management and tax, payments and commercial policy," ministry representative Le Quang Tu Do added.

Officials indicated that they have a slew of have economic, technical and diplomatic tools to act against international platforms in case of violations. Economic measures include cutting off money flows, with platforms being cut off from advertisers, banks and e-commerce.

ALSO READ: #QuitTok, live streaming resignation is the latest trend. Explained

In recent months a slew of countries have imposed curbs against TikTok over privacy and security concerns. While some such as India and Pakistan have imposed an outright ban - making the app and website unavailable to all - others such as the the US and Australia have made the app off-limits for government employees.

(With inputs from agencies)
New Delhi: India defended its minimum support price programme for procuring domestic foodgrain at a World Trade Organization (WTO) meeting, saying it not only ensured food security but also kept global food prices from surging in the backdrop of the Ukraine war.

Large foodgrain exporters including the US and Canada last month challenged Indias public stockholding (PSH) programme on the grounds that it is highly subsidized, especially for rice, and that this is affecting food security of other countries. India has invoked the peace clause several times at the WTO for breaching the prescribed 10% subsidy ceiling on rice procurement.

They are saying that Indias PSH program is highly subsidized which is affecting the food security of other countries. But we have argued that it is the other way round. Since we were maintaining these stocks, when the crisis hit, we were able to feed our 800 million plus population. Had we not been maintaining these stocks, we would have been depending on the rest of the worldespecially because they were talking about rice," an official stated, requesting anonymity.

The official explained that the global exports of rice in 2021 were 56 million tonnes, while India distributed 58 million tonnes to its 800 million beneficiaries, which meant Indias requirement goes beyond the overall exports of rice in the globe.

India argued at the WTOs Committee on Agriculture that it does not export common paddy which it procures under the MSP programme. It mainly exports premium quality rice that is in demand the world over, the official added.

Had we required 58 million tonnes from elsewhere, the price of rice would have skyrocketed. Everyone would have hiked the prices and the food security of smaller countriesthe Least developed countries (LDCs)would have been in grave danger. We have rather ensured the food security of other countries by ensuring our own food security," the official added.

The official said Indian rice prevented traditional exporters from jacking up their prices during the food crisis and that is the reason large exporters such as Australia, US, Canada and Japan are unhappy with Indias presence in the international market.

Earlier, India had informed the WTO that the value of its rice production in 2019-20 stood at $46.07 billion and that it gave subsidies worth $6.31 billion, or 13.7%, which is above the 10% limit. In case of wheat, though, the ceiling has not been breached. India banned wheat exports last year amid rising domestic prices.

India along with the G-33 grouping and African nations had proposed a permanent solution for public stockholding of foodgrains that would give them flexibility to give out higher farm support.

The G-33, African Group, and the ACP (Africa, Caribbean, and Pacific) had also submitted a joint proposal to the Committee on Agriculture.

The Committee on Agriculture oversees the implementation of the Agriculture Agreement and provides a forum for members to raise and address related questions and concerns. Its key responsibility is to monitor how WTO members are complying with their commitments. The committee, made up of all WTO members, usually meets three or four times a year.

Officials explained that some WTO members create an impression that India has created large stocks and is exporting the surplus. But it is important to note that when open market operations all the bidders are compulsorily asked to give an undertaking that they would not export it.

So we have checks and balances in place. If you look at the data, the maximum offtake from the Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS) is by the state governments, not the private players or the exporters or traders," the official added.

Queries sent to the commerce ministry, US, Canada, Japan and Australia remained unanswered till press time.
NEW DELHI : Adani Power Ltd has announced the commissioning of its first 800 MW ultra-super-critical thermal power generation unit at Godda in the Jharkhand district of India and begins supplying Bangladesh with 748 MW of power.

A company statement said that the electricity supplied from Godda will significantly improve the situation in the neighbouring country as it will replace expensive power generated from liquid fuel, bringing down the average cost of power purchased.

The Godda power plant is a strategic asset in the India-Bangladeshs long-standing relationship," said S.B. Khyalia, CEO, Adani Power.

It will ease the power supply in Bangladesh, making its industries and ecosystem more competitive. It is going to be the most efficient and environment-friendly thermal power plant installed in India and entire South-East region and also one of the best in class in the world. It is the first power plant in the country, which has started its operations from Day One with 100% Flue Gas Desulphurization (FGD), SCR and Zero Water Discharge."

In November 2017, Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) executed a long-term Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with APLs wholly-owned subsidiary Adani Power Jharkhand Limited (APJL) to procure 1,496 MW net capacity power from 2X800 MW ultra-supercritical power project at Godda.

Indias largest power producer in the private sector is expected to commission its second 800 MW unit soon. The project was, however, delayed amid the pandemic and non-completion of the transmission infrastructure in Bangladesh.

The company statement noted that Bangladesh has one of the largest liquid fuel-based power generation plants in the Indian sub-continent region. The installed capacity of heavy fuel oil (HFO)-based plants is about 6,329 MW and high-speed diesel (HSD)-based plants is about 1,290 MW, totaling to over 7,600 MW.

As per BPDBs annual report for the financial year 2021-22, the total tariff of HFO-based plants is around BDT 22.10/kWh (USC 21/KWh) and total tariff of HSD-based power plants is around BDT 154.11/kWh (USC 149/KWh), which is far higher than the tariff of Godda Power Plant (Energy cost estimated to be around 9 cents/KWh). Though at present, Bangladesh has long-term PPA ties with three other imported coal-based generators, total tariff of Godda TPP is competitive compared to peers, the Adani Power statement said.

In an exchange filing, the company said: This is to inform that Unit 1 of 800 MW capacity of the 2x800 MW ultra-supercritical power project of Adani Power (Jharkhand) Limited (APJL), situated in Godda district in Jharkhand, has achieved commercial operations. APJL, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Adani Power Limited, will supply power under a 25-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) for corresponding net capacity of 748 MW from Unit 1 to the Bangladesh Power Development Board."

Pursuant to the above, APJL has started processing its claims under the PPA with effect from April 6, 2023," it said.

The company statement said that despite several challenges, including unprecedented waves of Covid-19, Adani Power Jharkhand Limited had successfully synchronized the first unit with the power grid of Bangladesh on 29 November 2022 through a dedicated transmission line from Godda to Bangladesh in the presence of representatives from the government of Bangladesh.

Subsequently, the requisite transmission evacuation system on the Bangladesh side was commissioned in March 2023. Accordingly, APJL again synchronized the unit 1 on 20 March 2023.

The Reliability Run Test, including Commercial Operation Tests, was completed on 5 April 2023 in the presence of competent authority from BPDB and Power Grid Corporation of Bangladesh (PGCB) officials, it said.

The Godda Power Plant comprises two units of the latest technology available in the world, which is Ultra Super Critical Technology" with latest techniques for controlling emissions and consumption of coal and water.

The Flue Gas Desulphurization (FGD) and Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) have been installed in the plant to minimise the emission and meet the latest environment norms of the ministry of environment, forest and climate change (MoEF). This plant is going to be one its kind in India and in Bangladesh, operating on the latest environment emission norms.

Adani Power has an installed thermal power capacity of 13,610 MW spread across seven power plants in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh, apart from a 40 MW solar power plant in Gujarat.
Tata Motors Ltds British unit, Jaguar Land Rover Automotive Plc (JLR), seems to be turning the corner on the volume front. For the March quarter (Q4FY23), JLRs wholesale volume is ahead of guidance. Recall that JLRs performance in the first half of FY23 was a letdown, with the company missing the volume target in Q2 by 16%. Since then, volume picked up pace, helped by easing supply chain constraints, resulting in outperformance for the full year.

JLRs FY23 volume, excluding the joint venture with China, represents nearly 4% beat versus guidance even as it doesnt fully offset the miss seen in Q2. The company is now likely to clock a positive free cash flow of over 500 million pounds in FY23. Prior to this, it expected to break even at this level. The measure is still lower than JLRs estimate of over 1 billion pounds set at the beginning of the financial year.

View Full Image Graphic: Mint

The improvement in the supply chain situation means better use of inventory, which would lead to the release of working capital, said Himanshu Singh, an analyst at Prabhudas Lilladher. As such, this could be one reason for the increase in JLRs free cash flow when compared to its guidance after the Q3 results, he added.

JLR would now see a drop in net debt levels to about 3 billion pounds as of March-end from almost 4 billion pounds as of December-end.

Considering JLRs better-than-expected performance in Q4, Motilal Oswal Financial Services analysts have raised consolidated revenue and Ebitda estimates by 6% and 21%, respectively.

To be sure, JLRs order book dropped sequentially by 7% to 200,000 units at the end of Q4. This is due to the companys focus on fulfilling backlog over new orders, as indicated by the management in the Q3 earnings call. It augurs well that 76% of the order book is inclined towards Range Rover, Range Rover Sport and Defender. However, a potential recession in Europe is a looming risk to JLRs sales. Also, the recovery in the Chinese economy is crucial as the country accounted for nearly 14% of FY23 volume.

Meanwhile, Tata Motors domestic business commercial vehicles and passenger vehicles is on a strong footing. Both segments saw sequential improvement in Q4 wholesale volume.

Now, all eyes will be on the margin performance across JLR and the domestic business in Q4. So far in CY23, Tata Motors shares are up nearly 13%. In the long run, sustained sales growth and positive surprises on the margin front are key triggers for the stock.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Vineetha Sampath Vineetha Sampath is a chartered accountant and is experienced in the field of research analysis. She joined Mint's Mark to Market team recently and this is her first stint in journalism. Read more from this author
The dividend yield is among the key factors to consider when investing in dividend-paying stocks. Reliance Broking explains that dividend yields are an indicator of the return that the investors are earning on their shares. In general terms, the dividend yield of a share is the ratio of dividends paid per equity share to shareholders on the current price of the equity share.

In its report, the brokerage said, "We have filtered the list of top dividend-paying companies based on their fundamental strength and selected 10 stocks. Investors, interested in dividend income, can consider these stocks for investments."

The brokerage has listed the top 10 PSU stocks that are paying high dividends. These are:

As per the brokerage, Indian Oil Corp tops the list in PSU stocks with a dividend yield of 10.9%, followed by Steel Authority of India (SAIL) which has a yield of 10.6%. REC is also in the top three list with a dividend yield of 10.2%.

NMDC and PTC India are among the top five dividend-paying stocks in PSUs, with a yield of 9.5% and 9.2% respectively.

NALCO holds a dividend yield of 8.3%, and Coal India with a yield of 8%. Other stocks are -- Power Finance Corp with a 7.9% yield, ONGC with a 7% yield, and Power Grid with a 6.5% yield.

In the brokerage's lists, the metal and mining sector tops with four stocks, while 2 stocks each were in the oil & gas, finance, and power sectors.

View Full Image Top 10 PSU stocks paying high dividends. (Religare Broking)

Stocks with high dividend yield compared to benchmarks like Sensex and Nifty 50 are referred to as high dividend yield stocks. The high dividend yield also gives a fair understanding of the share's price value. Simply put, high dividend yield stock hints that the stock is typically under-priced by the market and has more potential ahead.

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The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Sunday launched the Show your Degree campaign, just a week after a Gujarat Court fined the party leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal 25,000 for seeking details of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's degrees.

The campaign was launched by Delhi education minister Atishi in a press conference. The AAP leader also urged Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders to do the same.

AAP from their official Twitter account posted a video from the press conference held by Atishi on Sunday. In the video posted, Atishi is seen flaunting her degree certificates for the reporters to see.

In the tweet, AAP mentioned Atishi holds an undergraduate degree from Delhi University and a dual Post graduate degree from Oxford University.

Delhi University, St Stephen College will proudly attest to the fact that Atishi has studied in the institution", AAP tweeted.

Delhi University, St Stephen College     Atishi     



Allahabad University  Ex PM Chandra Shekhar   



Gujarat University       PM Modi    

   Degree    Uni. Court  



-@AtishiAAP pic.twitter.com/KfHfttyoRP  AAP (@AamAadmiParty) April 9, 2023

"We are starting a campaign today. Your leaders will show their degree everyday to you. I have a BA degree from Delhi University and two Master's degree from Oxford. All of them are original," Atishi told reporters in Delhi today.

"I want to ask all leaders to show their degrees, especially BJP leaders," she said, adding AAP leaders will show their degree as part of the campaign.

On 31 March, a Gujarat court imposed a 25,000 fine against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, asserting that information on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's academic degrees was not needed. The single judge bench also set aside an earlier order by the Chief Information Commission calling for the data to be furnished by the relevant universities.

The CIC had earlier directed the public information officer of the PM's office and the PIOs of Gujarat University and Delhi University to furnish details of Modi's graduate and postgraduate degrees.

In April 2016, then CIC M Sridhar Acharyulu had directed the Delhi University and the Gujarat University to provide information to Kejriwal on the degrees that Modi received. Three months later, the Gujarat High Court stayed the CIC order after the varsity approached it against that order.
With India seeing a surge in Covid-19 cases, several states have issued guidelines and also made masks mandatory. India witnessed a single-day rise of 10,158 coronavirus cases , highest in nearly eight months, while 19 more deaths were recorded including four reconciled by Kerala on Thursday. According to the latest Union Health Ministry data the number of active cases has increased to 44,998.

Also Read: COVID symptoms changed again amid XBB.1.16 surge! Experts warn of signs not seen' in earlier waves

The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS)-Delhi has issued an advisory for its staff to follow Covid-19 appropriate behaviour after a few of them were tested positive for the infection.

Here are list of precautions imposed by states to keep Covid in check:

Kerala: Kerala Health Minister Veena George on Saturday said that mask has been made mandatory for pregnant women, the elderly and people with lifestyle diseases. Health Minister George also added, "Testing has been increased. Admission cases are increasing slightly. However, only 0.8 per cent of the total patients required oxygen beds and only 1.2 per cent required ICU beds". Most of the results sent for genomic sequencing have been found to be Omicron. The health minister said that the mock drill is being conducted as per the central government's instructions. According to the statement, Covid-19 deaths are mostly reported in people above 60 years of age and those with lifestyle diseases such as diabetes and hypertension.

Haryana: In view of rising cases, the Haryana government made wearing face masks mandatory in public places. "It has decided that wearing of face mask by the general public at all the public places, where there is a gathering of more than 100 people, government offices, malls, etc. is mandatory", reads the statement. The district administrations and panchayats have been instructed to ensure that it is implemented in all parts of Haryana. Also, the general public be motivated to adopt COVID-appropriate behaviour in public places, the statement said.

Tamil Nadu: The Tamil Nadu government said that it will ramp up RT-PCR testing. State Health Minister, M Subramaniam said that the health department will raise the number of tests from 4,000 to 11,000 daily. Subramaniam also said that the health department was carrying out two percent random sampling of international travellers.

Odisha: Odisha's Bhubaneswar has ramped up testing in line with the government's COVID norms. Dhananjay Das, Deputy Superintendent, Capital Hospital, Bhubaneswar told ANI, As the Covid-19 cases increased, Capital Hospital has ramped up RT-PCR and antigen testing against Covid-19. Hospital is having ten Covid observation beds with all initially required health facilities against Covid-19. We have all facilities including oxygen, and medicines. If a patient tests positive, we keep them under observation, and then refer to Cuttak as we do not have ICU facilities for the COVID patients at the moment." "We should comply with the COVID norms as per the guidelines, failing which, there are chances of the cases rising. We should remain cautious and wear masks. Testing is necessary if there are symptoms, he added.

Jharkhand: Health Minister Banna Gupta urged the Centre to provide at least 50,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses to continue with the immunisation drive in the state. The state minister also sought Mandaviya's intervention for approval of four RT-PCR laboratories at Khunti, Lohardaga, Koderma and Pakur from Indian Council of Medical Research.

Gujarat: State minister Rushikesh Patel appealed to people to wear masks and go for a test if they experience COVID-19 symptoms. "Though most people are found to be infected with the XBB.1.16 variant at present, it is not lethal. The hospitalisation as well as mortality rate of those infected with this variant is very low. However, people with co-morbidity and elderly persons need to take extra precaution," said Patel.

Puducherry: The Puducherry government issued an advisory and made face masks mandatory for people in public places. "Wearing face masks in public places is mandatory in Puducherry," District Collector E.Vallavan said.

Delhi: On 30 March, the Delhi government issued a new advisory stating that people with flu-like symptoms and those visiting hospitals should wear masks. The directive came after a COVID review meeting which was in the city amid the sudden rise in the number of infections. The Health department authorities in Delhi has instructed these facilities to test anyone who exhibits influenza-like illness (ILI) symptoms, such as fever, cough, and body ache

Maharashtra: Amid spike in COVID-19 and influenza cases in Maharashtra, the Satara district administration made wearing of mask compulsory for employees and officials working in government and semi-government offices, colleges, and banks, news agency PTI reported. The collector also appealed to residents in the district to use masks and maintain social distancing, and hand hygiene in crowded places such as weekly markets, bus stands, congregations, and weddings.
Outrage over Amul's possible entry into Karnataka continues to grow, with opposition leaders lashing out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other members of the BJP. The Congress and JD(S) has dubbed the company's launch alert a "threat" to Karnataka Milk Federation's famed dairy brand Nandini. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai alleged that the other party was attempting to politicise Amul's entry into Karnataka.

"Is your (PM Modi's) purpose of coming to Karnataka to give to Karnataka or to loot from Karnataka? You have already stolen banks, ports and airports from Kannadigas. Are you now trying to steal Nandini (KMF) from us?" Siddaramaiah tweeted.

He also touched upon rumours about a possible merger between the two companies, contending that the state's milk production had been affected since Home Minister Amit Shah spoke about the possibility.

It was Gujarat's Baroda Bank that subsumed our Vijaya Bank. Ports and Airports were handed over to Gujarat's Adani. Now, Amul from Gujarat is planning to eat our KMF (Nandini). Mr Narendra Modi, Are we the enemies for Gujaratis?" he asked.

State's milk production is affected since the day union cooperative minister @AmitShah spoke about the possibility of KMF & Amul merger.



What is your role in this, Mr @narendramodi?#SaveNandini#AnswerMadiModi  Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) April 9, 2023

The former Chief Minister had also called on CM Bommai earlier this week, asking him to immediately intervene into the matter and stop Amul from entering through the back door".

A new wave of freshness with milk and curd is coming to Bengaluru. More information coming soon. Launch Alert. From Kengeri to Whitefield, wishing everyone a Taaza day," Amul had tweeted three days ago, prompting outrage from several quarters.

As politicians fumed Siddaramaiah also called for Kannadigas to pledge not to buy Amul products.

ALSO READ: Why Amul brand is facing backlash from opposition, locals in K'taka? Explained

Another former CM - JDS leader HD Kumaraswamy - alleged that there was a systematic conspiracy to destroy the local Nandini brand.

Amul is desperate to disrupt its only competitor Nandini in Karnataka. 'One country, one Amul, one milk, one Gujarat' is the official policy of the central government. KMF is strangling Amul. Now Amul is intruding through the back door," he tweeted.

He also urged people in the state to 'use only Nandini products on priority to save the lives of the famers' accusing Amul of 'stealthily coming through the backdoor at the insistence of the Centre'.

"It is clear that Amul is doing unnecessary competition with KMF and trying to trample Nandini day by day.It is clear that the BJP double-engine government is trying to push the milk producers of our state to the streets and make them slaves of Gujaratis. Despite all this, the state's BJP government's silence and KMF's inaction have led to many doubts," he tweeted.

(With inputs from agencies)
With mere weeks left for the Karnataka Assembly elections, the BJP and Congress both held meetings with top leaders on Sunday. The ruling party has indicated plans to reveal its list of candidates within the next couple of days while the Congress is currently mulling its third list of nominees.

Top leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi were in attendance at the BJP Chief Election Committee meeting on Sunday evening. Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP Chief JP Nadda were also in attendance at the party headquarters in the national capital. Following discussions, Chief Minister Basavraj Bommai said that the party will announce the list of candidates for the assembly polls in a day or two. The CM will be contesting from the Shiggaon constituency.

We discussed the overall list for the Karnataka elections and probably we will sit again tomorrow. The list will be announced tomorrow or the day after that," Bommai told the media.

ALSO READ: Amul vs Nandini takes on political hue in poll-bound Karnataka as Cong slams PM

Meanwhile, Congress leaders - including recently ousted MP Rahul Gandhi - assembled at party chief Mallikarjun Kharge's residence this evening to discuss the selection of candidates. The party is yet to announce the names of candidates for 58 seats.

"In our meeting, there were discussions regarding the electoral strategy for the Karnataka elections. Bommai government has failed miserably in Karnataka and they would not be able to come to power again. Congress is the only alternative now," explained Congress leader Randeep Surjewala.

(With inputs from agencies)
The meeting of the foreign ministers of Russia, Iran, Turkiye, and Syria has been postponed to early May, Russian Ambassador to Damascus Alexander Efimov said in an interview with the Al Watan newspaper, Trend reports citing TASS.

"The meeting, which was scheduled for Monday, has been rescheduled for early May. Contacts and consultations continue between the parties to achieve positive results on this issue," he said.
Ahead of Karnataka polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Bandipur Tiger Reserve in Karnataka today i.e. on 9 April released the latest tiger census data marking the completion of 50 years of Project Tiger. While releasing the census population of tigers, PM said that India's tiger population as of 2022 is 3,167. As per 2022, This is PM Modi's eighth visit in the poll bound state.

During the inaugural session of commemoration of 50 years of Project Tiger Project, PM Modi said tiger leads the way in the protection and conservation of big cats. It is part of Indian culture to protect nature.

"The success of Project Tiger is a matter of pride not only for India but for the whole world. India has completed 75 years of independence; and at the same time, 75 percent of the world's tiger population is in India, he said.

PM Modi will also release the government's vision for tiger conservation during 'Amrit Kaal', and also launch the International Big Cats Alliance (IBCA). IBCA will focus on protection and conservation of seven major big cats of the world -- Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Puma, Jaguar and Cheetah, with membership of the range countries harbouring these species.

What is Project Tiger?

Project Tiger, an ongoing Centrally Sponsored Scheme, was launched by the Government of India on 1 April 1973 in nine reserves of different States Assam, Bihar, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal over an area of approximately 14,000 sq. km.

The country aims to sustain a viable tiger population based on a scientifically calculated carrying capacity of habitats while maintaining a balance between development and wildlife conservation.

As per National Tiger Conservation authority (NTCA) website, Tiger is an umbrella species which ensures viable populations of other wild animals (co-predators, prey) and forest, thereby ensuring the ecological viability of the entire area and habitat, which also ensures the water and climate security of the region.

Initially, the project covered nine tiger reserves spread over 18,278 sq km. Now, the project includes 53 tiger reserves sprawling over around 75,000 sq km of the region.

The country has around 3,000 tigers, more than 70 percent of the global wild tiger population, and the number is increasing at a rate of 6 percent per year.

Additional Director General of Forests S P Yadav said that even though there has been a significant reduction in tiger poaching due to better technology and protection mechanisms, it remains to be a big threat to the big cats besides habitat fragmentation and degradation.

Yadav, who is also the member secretary of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), a statutory body tasked with managing tiger habitats in India also stressed the need to strike a balance between development and conservation activities.

When asked about Project Tiger's objective for the next 50 years, Yadav said, The goal would be to have a viable and sustainable tiger population in tiger habitats based on a scientifically calculated carrying capacity. I'm not putting a number (to it) as we cannot increase the tiger population of the country at the same pace because that will result in an increase in conflict with human beings."

The senior forest official told PTI that Project Tiger generates more than 45 lakh man-days of employment for local people annually. Besides, the government is supporting eco-development committees and self-help groups.

Importance of Bandipur Tiger Reserve

In 1973 when Project Tiger was launched, Karnataka's Bandipur was among the first nine reserves that were brought under the flagship programme, a report by DNA has stated.

According to the state forest department, the National Park was formed by including most of the forest areas of the then Venugopal Wildlife Park established under the government notification dated February 19, 1941 and the area was enlarged in 1985 extending over an area of 874.20 Sq.Km and named as Bandipur National Park.

As per the report, The Bandipur Tiger Reserve holds great environmental significance as it includes the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and is India's first biosphere reserve.

Subsequently, some adjacent reserve forest areas were added to the reserve extending to 880.02 Sq. Km. The present area under the control of Bandipur Tiger Reserve is 912.04 Sq. Km.

An area of 39.80 sq km of KFDC (Karnataka Forest Development Corporation) plantation area was handed over to this division during 2007-08.

During 2010-11, the Nugu Wildlife Sanctuary was handed over to the Wildlife Division, Mysuru, the state department said.

The Bandipur Tiger Reserve is located amidst the picturesque surroundings of the towering Western Ghats on the Mysuru-Ooty highway in Karnataka and is an important part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve that constitutes Karnatakas Rajiv Gandhi National Park (Nagarahole) to its Northwest, Tamil Nadus Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary to its South, and Keralas Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary to its Southwest.

Once the private hunting grounds of the erstwhile Maharajas, and nestled in the foothills of the Nilgiris, Bandipur has had a long tryst with tigers.

One of the thirty reserves identified across the country to save the Tiger and its habitat, its also one of the last refuges of the endangered Asiatic wild elephant, according to the state Tourism department.

Apart from the two famed residents (tigers and elephants), a number of other endangered species such as sloth bears, gaurs, Indian rock pythons, jackals, muggers, and four-horned antelopes can be spotted in this national park.

Over 200 species of birds and a diversity of flora add to its attraction. Bandipur also supports a wide range of timber trees including teak, rosewood, sandalwood, Indian-laurel, Indian Kino tree, giant clumping bamboo.

(With inputs from agencies)
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal will hold a series of meetings with leaders and top CEOs of France and Italy next week during his three-day visit to these two countries to further boost trade and investment ties, the ministry of commerce said on Sunday.

The minister will be on an official visit to France and Italy on April 11-13 and will be accompanied by a delegation of top Indian CEOs.

In France, Goyal along with Olivier Becht, Minister delegate of Foreign Trade, Attractiveness and French Nationals Abroad, Government of France, will co-chair the India-France Business Summit on April 11, the commerce ministry said in a statement on Sunday.

The summit will focus on various themes, including building a green future, emerging technologies, defence cooperation and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific regions, it added. Goyal is also scheduled to meet with French business leaders across various sectors and will attend a CEOs roundtable.

Both Indian and French ministers will participate in an event that will showcase Indias cultural heritage and soft power and are expected to witness the participation of over 600 dignitaries from the French government, the Indian business diaspora in France and members of the French business community.

Goyal will also be interacting with members of the Indian community in Paris.

In Rome, the statement said, Goyal would meet Antonio Tajani, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
After Queen Elizabeth II's death in September, there were talks of reconciliation between Prince Harry and wife Meghan and the rest of the royal family, after a reported rift and their relocation to the United States. Prince Harry and Meghan who were visit to Britain when the queen died, reunited with Harry's brother William and wife Kate at Windsor Castle. It was their first joint public appearance since they moved stateside in early 2020. All were dressed in mourning black and together they looked at the growing banks of flowers left by the public before greeting well-wishers as separate pairs, giving little away about the state of their relations.

Now a book on the royals has claimed that the Windsor walk with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle was according to the Princess of Wales one of the hardest things she ever had to do". The claims were made in Royal commentator Robert Jobson's book titled Our King Charles III: The Man and the Monarch Revealed. Sources had told Jobson that the image of unity portrayed during the walk was an illusion.

In the book he wrote, Catherine later admitted to a senior royal that, such was the ill feeling between the two couples, the joint walkabout was one of the hardest things she'd ever had to do, he writes as quoted by the Dailymail.

In the book, the royal author wrote that walk was suggested by next to the throne Prince William to present a united front after the death of the long-reigning Queen.

Since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, stepped back as "senior" royals in 2020, the rumours of soar relationship with the family surfaced. They had announced that they would work to become financially independent. The couple resides in California, with their two children- Archie Mountbatten-Windsor and Lillibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor. Later in 2021 came the Oprah Winfrey interview, where Prince Harry talked about the racist articles written about Meghan and how his family didn't help. The most damaging claim, however, was that an unnamed royal had speculated about the skin colour of mixed-race Meghan's future child.

William reacted later by telling a journalist that the royals were "very much not" a racist family.

Also Read: How rich is the British Royal Family, funded by taxpayers? You may not know it in your lifetime; heres why

Their relationship turned further low after the Netflix documentary Harry and Meghan was released followed by Prince Harry's memoir Spare.

In the documentary, Prince Harry spoke about his relationship with Meghan and said, She sacrificed everything she ever knew, the freedom that she had, to join me in my world. And then pretty soon after that I ended up sacrificing everything that I know to join her in her world." He also spoke about the Royal commentators and said that "Press pack of royal correspondents is essentially just an extended PR arm of the royal family. On the royal rota system: It's like this family is ours to exploit. Their trauma is our story and our narrative to control." Speaking about the women in the royal family, he said that he had learnt "the pain and suffering of women marrying into this institution". "I remember thinking how can I ever find someone who is willing and capable to be able to withstand all the baggage that comes with being with me." In one of the episode, Meghan also recreated an intimate moment when she met Prince Harry's grandmother Queen Elizabeth II. Markle was seen pointing fun at herself when she curtseyed the longest reigning monarch of British history.

In his book "Spare", Harry divulges that he had begged his father not to marry his second wife Camilla, now the queen consort. In his book, Harry also referred Camilla as "the other lady" and "wicked stepmother".

Apart from this, his book also delivered numerous other revelations, including that elder brother and heir to the throne William had knocked him over during a heated argument. He also used promotional interviews to double down on his claims that some royals, including Camilla and William, and their aides had leaked damaging stories to tabloid papers about him or his American wife Meghan in order to protect themselves or enhance their reputations

He also wrote about Kate's relationship with his wife Meghan. The Suits actress and Harry exchanged vows in May 2018. Days before her wedding, it was widely reported that Meghan had made Kate cry. However, Meghan claimed later on what happened was exactly opposite. In fact, it was Kate who did something that made Meghan cry. She also claimed that Kate had apologised and Meghan forgave her. In the memoir, he had said that both were driven apart by fights over bridesmaid dresses, Easter gifts, and other issues.

Meanwhile, as Prince Charles coronation is around the corner, there has been many speculations if Prince Harry and Meghan would attend the coronation ceremony. Recently a former palace butler claimed that Prince Harry alone will attend his father's coronation ceremony as Meghan Markle isn't brave enough to be there. He also added that he doesn't think Meghan is strong enough to attend the ceremony as he said, she'd have to look in the eyes of a family she's pushed under the bus."

Another Royal commentator Dr Ed Owens recently told The Express that if Duke and Duchess of Sussex attend the coronation ceremony, "they will have no control over how this event plays out, the Royal Household will have complete control over this event." Another royal expert also claimed that if Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend the King Charles' Coronation, they would turn it into a "soap opera." They said the couple's primary motivation for attending the event would be monetary, and that they would likely film it for profit. "They would film this. They would turn it into some kind of monetary event," royal commentator Neil Sean had told Fox Business
New Delhi: Italy will send a naval patrol vessel, the Morosini, to the Indo-Pacific this August, Italian Ambassador to India Vincenzo de Luca said, in a sign of growing western interest in the strategically important region.

Italy will also convene a high-level seminar at that time to sketch out its approach to the Indo-Pacific and issues surrounding maritime connectivity. Following from the groundwork laid by prime minister Giorgia Melonis visit to India in March 2023, Italy will also step up its defence engagement with India in technologies like unarmed aerial vehicles, torpedoes, flight control systems and electronic defence equipment. Economic engagement, de Luca said, would also be a key focus. At the next Joint Economic Commission meeting in Italy, the two sides will explore cooperation in advanced technologies. Edited excerpts:

Are there any specific technologies that the two sides are looking into?

In the defence sector, the expectation on both sides for an effective revival of cooperation is alive, through joint training initiatives and from the industrial point of view, where Italy is ready to showcase its advanced technological solutions. On that, interest in India from our industry is more tangible than ever. Not only are major Italian companies involved (such as Leonardo, Fincantieri and Elettronica) but also innovative small and medium Italian companies. The range of feasible technologies and products is wide, from torpedoes to UAVs, from flight control systems to electronic equipment for defence, from vessels and shipbuilding to aircraft.

With maritime security a key focus, will we see a greater Italian defence and military presence in this region?

The enhancement of our relationship to strategic partnership is part of a common vision of an Indo-Pacific based on respect for international law, freedom of navigation, and territorial integrity. From this point of view, a connection was also identified between the Indo-Pacific, in which India plays a leading role, and the enlarged Mediterranean where Italy is a front line actor in terms of energy security, investments and commerce. The link between the two areas will be able to increasingly substantiate in the field of maritime and digital connectivity and security. On those themes, we are planning a high level seminar on the occasion of the visit of the Italian offshore patrol vessel Morosini, next August.

How does Italy hope to take advantage of the India-EU free trade agreement thats under negotiation?

This is part of a framework of general deepening of the partnership between the EU and India, which we cannot leave out of consideration. Despite negotiations on three agreementsfree trade, investment protection and geographical indicationscoping with current issues that seem to keep back a rapid conclusion, we deem their progress of utmost importance in order to provide a key tile in the mosaic of the economic partnership with India.

Our bilateral trade has over the last two years has recorded a more than encouraging milestone of 14.9 billion euros in 2022, with a 42% growth over 2021, which already recorded an all-time high.

What plans do India and Italy have in the digital technologies sector? Are certain proposals like linking Indias UPI payments system with Italys digital payments systems on the cards?

The economic systems of India and Italy are well integrated and complementary. This trend is also confirmed by the growing number of investments in the two directions. In the framework of the re-configuration process of global value chains, Italy is increasingly looking to India as an important partner in pursuing its strategy of supply chain consolidation and diversification, especially with regard to advanced and tech manufacturing. Moreover, in scientific research and technology, the partnership between the two countries has registered the launch of 13 new joint projects and I am confident that the fintech sector could play an emergent role in the near future.

Next Autumn, Italy will host the Joint Economic Commission, chaired by the Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy, Antonio Tajani, and the Minister of Commerce and Industry of India, Piyush Goyal. On that occasion, further opportunities of economic collaboration and investments could be seized in several strategic sectors.
Minister Jaishankars visit will begin with a three-day visit to Uganda.

During the visit, he is expected to hold delegation level talks with his counterpart Foreign Minister of Uganda General Jeje Odongo, call on the leadership of the country and meet other Ministers. EAM will also inaugurate the transit campus of the National Forensic Science University (NFSU) in Jinja. A bilateral MoU between the Government of India and Government of Uganda, on setting up of the first ever campus of NFSU outside India, is likely to be signed during the visit. EAM will participate in the ground-breaking ceremony of a solar powered water supply project in Uganda. He will also address the trade and business community of Uganda and have an interaction with the Indian diaspora," according to the Ministry of External Affairs.

Both countries have a history of high-level political visits. Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Uganda in 2018 for a state visit, where he addressed Ugandas parliament. Ugandas leader, President Yoweri Museveni, has had two state visits to India in 1992 and 2008. He also made an official visit to the country during the third India-Africa Forum Summit in 2015.

Following his visit to Uganda, EAM Jaishankar will proceed to Mozambique. This will be the first visit of an Indian Foreign Minister to that country.

During the visit EAM will call on top leadership and also co-chair the 5th Session of the Joint Commission Meeting with Mozambican Foreign Minister Ms. Veronica Macamo. He is also expected to meet several other Ministers and representatives of the Assembly of Mozambique. EAM will also interact with the Indian diaspora based in Mozambique," according to the Ministry of External Affairs.
South Korea plans on strengthening cooperation with India as Seoul attempts to align with a US-led push to diversify the global supply chain away from China.

In the era of economic security, it is essential to strengthen supply chain and science and technology cooperation with India," said Foreign Minister Park Jin, who was on a two-day visit to India that began Friday. Park said India shares universal values such as democracy, possesses enormous growth potential, and is a crucial partner for South Korea, according to a foreign ministry statement on Sunday.

Also read: Itll be nuclear war' anytime; North Korea blames reckless military drills by US, South Korea

Business entrepreneurs who are investing and operating in India must play a crucial role in realizing this," Park told business leaders in Chennai. In response, delegates highlighted the importance of fostering stronger human and cultural exchanges between the two countries to boost economic cooperation.

Also Read: North Korea claims to test underwater nuclear attack drone Haeil-2

President Joe Bidens administration has been seeking help from allies including South Korea in reducing the global supply chains dependence on China, while also imposing sweeping curbs on the sale of advanced semiconductor equipment.

India has been one of the beneficiaries in the broader shift, as companies such as Apple Inc. increase manufacturing capacity in the South Asia nation.

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text.
Days after a meeting between US officials and Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, China has undertaken extensive military drills around the island. Taipei detected 11 Chinese warships and 70 aircraft around the island as the war games continued on on Sunday. Beijing's fighter jets and warships simulated strikes against Taiwan as they encircled the island during a second straight day of drills.

According to an update by the Taiwanese defence ministry, 11 Chinese warships and 70 aircraft had been detected around the island on Sunday. The warplanes detected until 4 pm local time included a mix of fighter jets and bombers. Officials said that they were responding to the Chinese drills "in a calm and composed manner".

Meanwhile, fishing crews plying the narrow waterway continue to fret about their livelihood. Chinese fishermen trawling for fish, shrimp and crab have played cat and mouse with Taiwanese authorities for years as officials closely track boats that near the median line of the Taiwan Strait.

ALSO READ: US sounds alarm bells as China's military flexes muscles in drills around Taiwan

The drills began soon after Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen met US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California. China had earlier leveled largely symbolic sanctions against Taiwans envoy to the US, two think tanks, and the venue that hosted Tsai in California.

As Beijing flexes its military muscles, planes, ships and personnel have been sent into the maritime areas and air space of the Taiwan Strait, off the northern and southern coasts of the island, and to the island's east". A report from state broadcaster CCTV on Sunday said drills had simulated joint precision strikes against key targets on Taiwan island and surrounding waters".

It said that forces continued to maintain the situation of closely encircling the island". The write-up went on to add that the air force had deployed dozens of aircraft to "fly into the target airspace", and ground forces had carried out drills for "multi-target precision strikes".

(With inputs from agencies)
Chinas recent military drills around Taiwan have prompted a call for restraint from the United States. The US State Department called on Beijing to maintain the status quo and not escalate tensions.

A spokesperson for the department emphasised that the US was prepared to meet its security commitments in the region and was confident that it had sufficient resources to ensure peace and stability. The US has long-standing military ties with Taiwan, which is claimed by Beijing. However, the US has not been clear on whether it would militarily defend Taiwan.

The US has treaty-bound commitments to protect allies in the area, most notably Japan, whose waters were affected during Chinas last round of military exercises near Taiwan in August. China announced its latest military drills as a stern warning" to Taiwan, whose president, Tsai Ing-wen, recently met with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California.

Also Read: Simply benefit China, ex-Google CEO Eric Schmidt rejects AI research pause

US officials have described Tsais visit as a routine transit" to and from Latin America, and have called on China to remain calm. The US State Department spokesperson reiterated that there was no reason for China to overreact or to turn Tsais visit into something it was not.

Although China initially responded in a more muted fashion than it did in August, McCarthy, whose meeting with Tsai was seen as a way to avoid more serious repercussions from China, later took to Twitter to voice his defiance.

Also Read: China applicants make up 95% of Hong Kong talent visa approvals

McCarthy said that, as the Speaker of the House, he was not going to allow China to dictate where he could travel to or whom he could communicate with.

The US has a complicated relationship with Taiwan, which has been self-ruling since the end of a civil war in 1949. Beijing considers the island to be a part of its territory and has not ruled out the use of force to bring it under its control.

(With agency inputs)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Sounak Mukhopadhyay Sounak Mukhopadhyay, who also goes by the name Sounak Mukherjee, has been producing digital news since 2012. He's worked for the International Business Times, The Inquisitr, and Moneycontrol in the past. He's also contributed to Free Press Journal and TheRichest with feature articles. He covers news for a wide range of subjects including business, finance, economy, politics and social media. Before working with digital news publications, he worked as a freelance content writer. Read more from this author
New Delhi: My brothers and other family members think they have no future in Pakistan. My Grandfather and his family migrated from Prayagraj & Delhi for a better future in Pakistan. Watt laga di Dada Ji! "

This was a tweet from well-known YouTuber and journalist of Pakistani origin Arju Kazmi. When one sees such remorse, one is bound to wonder if the wheel of time has come full circle. While India has advanced economically from the time it was ruled by the British, Pakistans decline is ongoing.

Pakistan was created as a result of contradictory coincidences. Muhammad Ali Jinnah said in Lahore in March 1940 that the British, who up until yesterday did not pay close attention to what we had to convey, are now beginning to take Pakistans demand seriously". Ishtiaq Ahmed, a Swedish historian of Pakistani descent who has authored credible volumes on Jinnah and the partition of India, has written extensively on this subject.

According to Ahmed, even before World War II, the British government suspected that the Bolshevik revolution would expand outside the Soviet Union. This is why, in the 1930s the Northern Command Headquarters in Rawalpindi was tasked with keeping a watch on Soviet border movements. Six years later, World War II broke out, dividing the world in two.

Berlin, the defeated Germanys capital, right after the war was a living illustration of this. The Soviets occupied one part of Berlin, while Western powers occupied the other. According to several accounts, everyone was being spied upon at that time. It is reported that the then prime minister of Britain, Winston Churchill, warned US president Franklin D. Roosevelt that they should also occupy Moscow. However, the Allies were hesitant to do so.

British army commanders and foreign policy architects were especially sensitive to this threat. According to Ahmed, the report of Sir Richard Stafford Cripps, a British Labour Party politician, barrister, and diplomat who drew the blueprint for Indias partition, had been presented , but London was in a dilemma. Jinnahs statement cited earlier proves this.

Several among British rulers believed that the Indian subcontinent should be kept under British authority for two to three decades more. They believed that doing so would save money for the British forces. They would raise Indian armies with Indian funding and deploy them as needed. The same thing was done during the first and second world wars, but things did not go as intended. The UKs economy crumbled, and the democratic transition in the world had already begun. In their occupied colonies, the French, Dutch and Portuguese were also burning their hands.

Meanwhile, on 12 May 1947, Field Marshal Montgomery met with prime minister Clement Attlee, who was accompanied by senior generals and diplomats such as Sir Leslie Hollis. They claimed that India was a socialist country by nature. In such a case, if we do not establish a religion-based Pakistan, Kremlins influence is likely to extend all the way to the Indian Ocean, they argued. No wonder, then, that viceroy Lord Mountbatten announced the partition of India on 3 June 1947.

It is a known fact that Pakistans economy was stronger than ours only until the 1980s, but then its growth momentum faltered. Pakistan was the only country that was established on the basis of faith. It is no wonder then that it remains trapped in the hands of religious fundamentalist. A number of rulers were assassinated here, many others were toppled repeatedly, and all this has pushed that country to the confusing crossroads of theory and practice.

The army there has dreamed of Ghazwa-e-Hind (a prophecy in some hadiths where an Islamic army invades and conquers the Indian subcontinent, as part of events leading to the eventual apocalypse) since the time of Gen. Ayub Khan. The ghost of the shadow war" it embraced has now engulfed it. Even bread has become a nightmare for millions of Pakistanis today. The tweet by Arju Kazmi cited earlier describes the feelings of millions of people who witnessed the dream of Quaid-e-azam Jinnah being destroyed. This is why some individuals on both sides of the border have begun to construct dreams of unity again. But is it possible?

People like these believe that if East and West Germany can reunite after 45 years, so can India and Pakistan. Nothing is impossible, but there are several obstacles in the way. Between East and West Germany, the wall was one of ideology. The wall that separates us is one built on religion. This is why there is uncertainty on whether violent religious groups will allow this to occur.

Shashi Shekhar is editor-in-chief, Hindustan. Views are personal.
Covid and its long time effects are no surprise to human kind. However, at a time when India has been reporting an alarming surge in cases, a study has confirmed that two infants babies suffered brain damage because they were born to mothers who contracted Covid-19 when they were pregnant.

This study by University of Miami has proven that Covid may break into placenta and infect foetuses, causing brain damage in infants.

The study noted that the pregnant women has contracted the fatal Delta variant of coronavirus infection during the second wave in 2020. During pregnancy they had suffered seizures leading to significant development delays.

The report said one of the children died at 13 months of age while the other was placed in hospice care unit.

The study also informed that neither of the babies had tested positive for Covid-19 at birth, but, the babies had developed high levels of anitibodies to the coronavirus in their blood.

This means that the virus had likely transferred from the mother to the baby invading the placenta, Dr Merline Benny, a neonatologist at the University of Miami, was quoted as saying by Reuters. Evidence of virus was discovered in placentas of both mothers.

Traces of the coronavirus was also found after an autopsy was conducted in the brain of the child who died. According to Dr Benny, the presence of the virus suggests its direct infection causing brain injury.

Despite being tested positive for the virus, one of the mothers had only mild symptoms and carried the baby full-term, whereas, the other one fell severely sick which forced doctors to deliver her baby eight weeks early, the study said.

However, the study couldn't work out whether the condition was unique to the coronavirus' Delta variant or there is a possibility of similar medical condition with the Omicron variants.

Obstretrician and gynaecologist at the University Dr Shahnaz Duara said though such cases are rare, women who were infected during their pregnancies should inform about the situation to their children's paediatricians to check for developmental delays.

Meanwhile, India reported a slight drop in cases with 5,357 new Covid cases in 24 hours, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on 9 April. This slight drop came a day after the country reported 6,155 cases yesterday.
The Treasury and Finance Ministry has said it raised $2.5 billion in a green bond issuance maturing in 2030, Trend reports citing Hurriyet Daily News.

The ministry earlier this week mandated Bank of America, ING, J.P. Morgan, and Standard Chartered for the U.S. dollar-denominated green bond.

The transaction was finalized with a nominal amount of $2.5 billion. The proceeds of the issue will be transferred to the Treasury accounts on April 13, the Treasury said in a statement.

The seven-year green bond has a coupon rate of 9.125 percent and a yield of 9.30 percent to investors.

The offering attracted an order book of more than three times the actual issue size from approximately 200 accounts, the statement said.

Some 31 percent of the issue has been sold to investors in the U.K, 19 percent in Turkiye, 18 percent in the U.S., 16 percent in the Middle East, 15 percent in other European countries, and 1 percent in other countries.

This green bond is the Turkish Treasurys first environmental, social and governance (ESG) bond issuance in the international capital markets.

With this transaction, the amount of funds raised from the international capital markets in 2023 has reached $7.5 billion, the Treasury said.
The most famous crucifixion in the world took place when, according to the New Testament, Jesus was put to death by the Romans. But he was far from the only person who perished on the cross.

In antiquity, thousands upon thousands of people were crucified, which at the time was considered to be one of the most brutal and shameful ways to die. In Rome, the crucifixion process was a long one, entailing scourging (more on that later) before the victim was nailed and hung from the cross.

How did this terrible death sentence begin? And what types of people were usually crucified? Here's a look at the history of this savage practice. [Proof of Jesus Christ? 6 Pieces of Evidence Debated]

Crucifixion most likely began with the Assyrians and Babylonians, and it was also practiced systematically by the Persians in the sixth century B.C., according to a 2003 report in the South African Medical Journal (SAMJ). At this time, the victims were usually tied, feet dangling, to a tree or post; crosses weren't used until Roman times, according to the report.

From there, Alexander the Great, who invaded Persia as he built his empire, brought the practice to eastern Mediterranean countries in the fourth century B.C. But Roman officials weren't aware of the practice until they encountered it while fighting Carthage during the Punic Wars in the third century B.C.

For the next 500 years, the Romans "perfected crucifixion" until Constantine I abolished it in the fourth century A.D., co-authors Francois Retief and Louise Cilliers, professors in the Department of English and Classical Culture at the University of the Free State in South Africa, wrote in the SAMJ report.

However, given that crucifixion was seen as an extremely shameful way to die, Rome tended not to crucify its own citizens. Instead, slaves, disgraced soldiers, Christians, foreigners, and  in particular  political activists often lost their lives in this way, Retief and Cilliers reported.

The practice became especially popular in the Roman-occupied Holy Land. In 4 B.C., the Roman general Varus crucified 2,000 Jews, and there were mass crucifixions during the first century A.D., according to the Roman-Jewish historian Josephus. "Christ was crucified on the pretext that he instigated rebellion against Rome, on a par with zealots and other political activists," the authors wrote in the report.

When Rome's legions crucified its enemies, however, local tribes wasted no time in retaliating. For instance, in 9 A.D., the victorious Germanic leader Arminius crucified many of the defeated soldiers who had fought with Varus, and in 28 A.D., Germanic tribesmen crucified Roman tax collectors, according to the report.

What did crucifixion entail?

In Rome, people condemned to crucifixion were scourged beforehand, with the exception of women, Roman senators and soldiers (unless they had deserted), Retief and Cilliers wrote. During scourging, a person was stripped naked, tied to a post, and then flogged across the back, buttocks and legs by Roman soldiers.

This excessive whipping would weaken the victim, causing deep wounding, severe pain and bleeding. "Frequently the victim fainted during the procedure and sudden death was not uncommon," the authors wrote. "The victim was then usually taunted, then forced to carry the patibulum [the crossbar of a cross] tied across his shoulders to the place of execution." [In Photos: A Journey Through Early Christian Rome]

The cruelty didn't stop there. Sometimes, the Roman soldiers would hurt the victim further, cutting off a body part, such as the tongue, or blinding him. In another heinous turn, Josephus reported how soldiers under Antiochus IV, the Hellenistic Greek king of the Seleucid Empire, would have the victim's strangled child hung around his neck.

The next step varied with location. In Jerusalem, women would offer the condemned a pain-relieving drink, usually of wine and myrrh or incense. Then, the victim would be tied or nailed to the patibulum. After that, the patibulum was lifted and affixed to the upright post of the cross, and the feet would be tied or nailed to it.

While the victim awaited death, soldiers would commonly divide up the victim's clothes among themselves. But death didn't always come quickly; it took anywhere from three hours to four days to expire, the professors wrote. Sometimes, the process was sped up by additional physical abuse from the Roman soldiers.

When the person died, family members could collect and bury the body, once they received permission from a Roman judge. Otherwise, the corpse was left on the cross, where predatory animals and birds would devour it.

To investigate crucifixion (without actually killing anybody), German researchers tied volunteers by their wrists to a cross and then monitored their respiratory and cardiovascular activity in the 1960s. Within 6 minutes, the volunteers had trouble breathing, their pulse rates had doubled, and their blood pressure had plummeted, according to the 1963 study in the journal Berlin Medicine (Berliner Medizin). The experiment had to be stopped after about 30 minutes, because of wrist pain.

That said, victims could have died from various causes, including multiple-organ failure and respiratory failure, Retief and Cilliers wrote. Given the pain and suffering entailed, it's no wonder that crucifixion spawned the word "excruciating," which means "out of the cross."

Originally published on Live Science.
Amid the rain and cold weather Friday, the residents of El Cenizo did get to celebrate some early Easter celebrations as brought forward by the city before the actual holiday.

El Cenizo elected officials, along with various community-wide partners and sponsors from across Webb County, helped make the event possible. Dozens of children and adults lined up to take pictures with the Easter Bunny at the community event.

We hosted the first El Cenizo Easter Egg Hunt today for the children of our community, said City of El Cenizo Mayor Carina Hernandez. Unfortunately, the weather didnt permit us from having the egg hunt, however, we were able to distribute a little over 150 baskets to children in our community. We had various agencies partner and provide vital information on the services they provide to the community.

Hernandez said the event was done to provide toys to children and some items for adults, as well as providing some festive time with residents as they continue to support those who are the most in need.

We do these types of activities to celebrate the Easter holiday, and so that they can enjoy a great time with their elected officials, Hernandez said. As community leaders, it is important to have that direct access and interaction with our residents. They appreciate that of their leaders. We want our people to know that we are here for them and that we want to ensure that they feel a sense of pride when it comes to calling El Cenizo home.

She said events like these bring the community together in celebration and provide goodwill and pride to the community.

After the last four years of our community being abandoned and neglected by the previous administration, this is a time of rebirth for our community and to strive toward greatness, Hernandez said. That is our primary goal and what the voters elected us to do.

The mayor also said this event comes on the heels of the end of the pandemic -- or at least the public health emergency surrounding the matter -- and said that events like these will now become more common for the community. She hopes that it shows the people that they can continue coming together in efforts to celebrate the holiday.

As we slowly drift away from the COVID-19 pandemic, it is refreshing to interact with each other once again as a united community, Hernandez said. Watching the smiles on our childrens faces and seeing their eyes light up with joy makes everything worthwhile.

The mayor said some of the agencies and organizations that participated in the event were: Planet Dental, Las Promesas de Laredo, Texas A&M Colonias Program, Imagine Dental, MET Team Inc., Twisted Toyz and District III Councilmember Melissa Cigarroas office.

The city also had various sponsors who allowed them to get toys for the Easter baskets and other items. These included: The office of Webb County Treasurer Raul Reyes, Pct. 2 Constable Miguel Mike Villarreal, Vix Medical Equipment, JP Pct. 3 Salvador Johnson, County Clerk Margie Ibarra, Pct. 4 Constable Harold Devally, El Cenizo Judge Maximilian Zapata, CIGNA Medicare and Sheriff Martin Cuellar.

For Hernandez, she said the true essence of Easter is about celebrating the Christian faith and acting in ways that Christ would.

The story of Jesus Christ's resurrection symbolizes for us all that no matter the level of pain you experience, there is a chance to rise again, Hernandez said. We all know that we get what we focus on, and Easter is an opportunity to focus on rebirth.

We wish our families a blessed Easter holiday in the company of their loved ones, and we look forward to providing more community events that bring us closer together.
A motion by Laredo Mayor Dr. Victor Trevino to restrict campaign finances from individuals or groups involved in open negotiations with the City of Laredo failed this week, but a motion to consider a revised version of the idea based on research from the citys legal council passed.

Trevino said the goal of his motion was to enhance transparency and to avoid the implication of impropriety whether it exists or not.

It is not to say that accepting campaign contributions means you are going to vote a certain way, he said. It is more of an issue of public trust, so that when we are in contract considerations or negotiations that we are not receiving money from entities that we are negotiating with, creating the appearance of influence.

The motion from Trevino was to restrict campaign contributions to both councilmembers and the mayor from Political Action Committees, campaign committees, unions and vendors while they are in open contract negotiations with the city.

As we are looking to reform different departments within the city, we can also look to reform ourselves and set the example, Trevino said.

One question asked about the motion was from District V Councilmember Ruben Gutierrez Jr. He said he had no issue with placing constrains on donations, but he wasnt sure how the rule would be regulated regarding the private sector.

I dont have any idea when the city is in negotiations with a private vendor, private citizen or private company, Gutierrez said. If I should receive a check for a contribution in the mail tomorrow, and the city was in talks with them about a contract that they may be working on, how am I privy to that information? I certainly dont want to be in any type of an issue or for me to be brought up here or anywhere else saying that I violated an ordinance or whatever this motion may bring up.

Laredo City Attorney Doanh Zone Nguyen said they could place language into any ordinance basing it on a knowing violation. This means it would be a violation if you knew about it. If you didnt, they could establish a policy such as being required to return the contribution once it is brought to your attention.

Nguyen also responded to a question from District IV Councilmember Alberto Torres Jr. about whether existing ethics code language addressed the issue by saying, ethics code says there should be no contact if there is an appearance that contact is to influence a particular contract. Here we are talking about campaign contributions making that implied influence. It is going a step beyond.

Torres suggested that if they are already going a step beyond, they should consider going several steps. He raised concerns about how the timing of any restrictions could potentially be worked around, and he suggested diving deeper into many aspects of campaign financing.

It is stretching it to a grey area, because if that were the case then I think we should engage in a workshop to also cap how much you receive as a contribution, how much you invest of your personal money, how much you get in loans from a financial institution, Torres said. We really want to bring reform and transparent government, but  if were going to reform then lets reform from top to bottom. Because some of us would not be able to fund our own campaigns, or anybody out there for that same matter. If we are talking about reform, then it should be done in its entirety and not just cherry picking.

District II Councilmember Daisy Campos-Rodriguez agreed with the idea of looking into other aspects of campaign financing saying, What about the ones who have the ability to self-loan thousands of dollars? If you go into campaign reports, you have certain councilmembers where they can self-loan thousands and thousands to themselves and then pay it back from the same campaign.

District III Councilmember Melissa Cigarroa suggested several ideas such as scheduling all contract negotiations to occur in off-election years. She also stressed the importance of transparency.

The perception of malfeasance by councilmembers is a real issue, Cigarroa said. What we need is for the public to be able to see the amount, the expenditure, the purpose so that there is a procedure that is transparent for the expenditure of these campaign donations. If you look at this last round, this last campaign, there were people who didnt fill it out. There were people who left blank many parts of the information.

Cigarroa suggested having someone locally monitoring the campaign finance paperwork and identifying issues, but Torres spoke against the idea. He said there are remedies for these issues via the Texas Ethics Commission and that it is up to candidates to police their own campaigns and report violations.

District VII Councilmember and Mayor Pro Temp Vanessa Perez said the intention of the motion was good but expressed concern over other methods of influence which it wouldnt address.

This is not going to be a one-size-fits-all to address every situation and every scenario for every person, Perez said. You can have somebody influence your decisions on council and never give them a dollar. Its not always tied to money. You could be good friends with somebody.

Ive spoken to somebody about an issue, then afterwards, Oh, Id like to support your campaign. It was just too soon of the timing that I knew it could be seen as support in favor of a decision. But how do you track that when there is no monetary contribution? It is up to the candidate and up to the person, and I think that we just have to continue being transparent and ethical and have a strong ethics code that we all agree to and follow.

District VIII Councilmember Alyssa Cigarroa suggested adopting a system similar to San Antonio which imposes blackout periods on contributions from anyone involved in contracts with the city. Nguyen said it could be a viable idea.

The overriding law is the First Amendment right. If you want to curtail that, it has to be narrowly tailored, Nguyen said. San Antonios instance hasnt been challenged by somebody, but it seems to pass muster in that they have a municipal campaign finance code provision that has a blackout period 10 days after a high-profile contract and 30 days after the completion of that high-profile contract.

After a few minutes deciding the semantics of how to incorporate Cigarroas suggestion into the overall motion, City Council voted on the original motion as amended with the suggestion to explore the feasibility of blackout periods. The motion failed as Alyssa Cigarroa, Melissa Cigarroa and District VI Councilmember Dr. Tyler King voted in favor, while Campos-Rodriguez, Gutierrez, Perez, Torres and District I Councilmember Gilbert Gonzalez voted against.

After opposing the motion, Torres suggested an alternative idea to have legal council come back with a recommendation encompassing everything. He proposed holding a workshop to cover the original motion, Cigarroas amendment and any other input that could benefit the reform.

Have a workshop. Lets give everybody an opportunity, start the conversation with what other cities do, he said. Lets review blackout periods. Lets review everything that is available out there. Lets see what works best for cities, limitations, caps, lets really look into everything and take it from there.

The motion from Torres passed, and City Council will revisit the idea after the completion of a workshop.
The spring season for the Gateway City began with some rainfall as many have noticed the Rio Grande's increase in its water supply.

According to data from the United States Geological Survey, the Rio Grande's water levels have risen by about four feet -- from a low reported at 2.3 feet gage height on March 29 to now a reported gage height of 6.53 feet as of April 8.

The water levels of the Rio Grande are rising and the water can already be seen close to the top of the soil levels on both the American and Mexican side of the border from The Outlet Shoppes at Laredo parking lot.

The river has risen, and it has risen partly because of the rain but more because of the releases that have been happening in the Amistad Reservoir over by Del Rio, which has caused the river to rise, said Martin Castro, the watershed science director for the Rio Grande International Study Center.

According to the Amistad Reservoir site, the reservoir was formed in 1969 by the construction of Amistad Dam. The dam and lake are managed jointly by the governments of the United States and Mexico through the International Boundary and Water Commission.

According to Castro, the amount the river has risen is not yet known, but the releases being done by the reservoir point to the U.S. and Mexico collectively releasing about 240 cubic meters per second of water as of Thursday, as the organization does not report during holidays.

Castro said this means that in Laredo the river is experiencing about 230 meters per second of flow through the downtown river.

However, Castro did state that the amount of releases do not qualify to quantify the crest of the Rio Grande. The science director said the crest of the river is not something that should alarm people who live or have businesses near the river downtown. He said the current flow of extra water being released is higher than normal, but it is not prone to cause major flooding. In fact, the release of the water levels is normal, as the river has entered its peak irrigation season which sees more agricultural growers using it to help grow produce.

Currently, this flow is not dangerous as high-level flooding is usually at much higher elevations and at much higher flow rates, Castro said. These river level increases were expected due to the releases from upstream. What would be worrisome is anything above 1,000 cubic meters per second.

Castro said something similar to what the Amistad Reservoir is doing to the Rio Grande in the Laredo sector can be seen in The Valley, as the Falcon International Reservoir -- which holds much of the reservoir water for the parts south of the lake -- is now releasing water as well. So there is more water for any irrigation systems needed along Mission, McAllen, Hidalgo and other border areas of The Valley.

To compensate for those releases coming out of that reservoir, as that level of the Falcon Reservoir does not go any lower, the releases that are happening at Amistad have to occur to augment the demand that is coming out of Falcon, Castro said.

Even though the Rio Grandes water levels are rising, he said this does not translate to the drought being over, as the water releases are just temporary and are done to substitute the water already being released downstream. He believes that sustainable rainfall like the one seen this week is needed in efforts to continue helping end the drought.

The drought is far from over, Castro said. We are in D3 (extreme drought), which is severe drought according to the Texas Drought Monitor. So no, the drought is far from over as we would have to see so much more sustained rainfall for longer periods of time to really get us out of this drought, so drought conditions are unfortunately going to continue this year. If we dont get any more significant rainfall later this year, we are going to be in trouble sometime next year when it comes to our reserves in our reservoirs.

He states that if rain totals do not continue to be sustainable then the reservoirs might not have even enough water to release, at least at todays volumes, to help the irrigation season of next year.

Castro also points out water conservation by people is key to reversing or at least mitigating the great effects of the drought seen in the area.

Water conservation is something that needs to be practiced year-round, and not just during the drought or dry days, Castro said. Many times, we tend to focus on water conservation when times are tough and there are water restrictions in place, but water conservation is something that we advocate strongly for, and it is something that has to be practiced all year.
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AUSTIN, Texas (AP)  Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Saturday that he is seeking to pardon a U.S. Army sergeant who was convicted of murder in the 2020 fatal shooting of an armed protester during nationwide protests against police violence and racial injustice.

Abbott tweeted that because the state constitution limits him to a pardon only on a recommendation by the state Board of Pardons and Paroles he is asking the board to recommend a pardon and to expedite his request in order to pardon Sgt. Daniel Perry.

I look forward to approving the board's pardon recommendation as soon as it hits my desk, Abbott wrote.

Perry was convicted Friday by a Travis County jury of fatally shooting 28-year-old Garrett Foster during a protest in Austin. He faces up to life in prison when sentenced.

Texas has one of the strongest 'Stand Your Ground' laws of self-defense that cannot be nullified by a jury or a progressive District Attorney, Abbott said.

A phone call to District Attorney Jose Garza's office on Saturday was not answered.

Perrys attorneys argued that the shooting was self-defense as Foster approached Perrys car with an AK-47 rifle. Prosecutors said Perry could have driven away before firing his revolver and witnesses testified that Foster never raised his rifle at Perry.

Perry, who was charged in 2021, was stationed at Ft. Hood about 70 miles (112 kilometers) north of Austin in July 2020 when he was working for a ride-sharing company and turned onto a street and into a large crowd of demonstrators in downtown Austin.

In video streamed live on Facebook, a car can be heard honking before several shots ring out and protesters begin screaming and scattering.

When Foster was killed, demonstrators in Austin and beyond had been marching in the streets for weeks following the police killing of George Floyd.

Floyd died May 25, 2020, after a Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee against the Black mans neck for more than nine minutes. Floyd, who was handcuffed, repeatedly said he couldnt breathe.

Floyds killing was recorded on video by a bystander and sparked worldwide protests as part of a broader reckoning over racial injustice.
If you haven't seen a total solar eclipse, the thought of someone spending thousands of dollars to fly halfway across the world only for an experience barely two minutes long seems a bit absurd. But if you have seen one, you know why some people live their lives longing for the next one - like the one that will visit the United States next year.

Monday, April 8, 2024, will feature a midday nightfall for tens of millions of Americans. Residents in major cities including Austin, San Antonio, Dallas, Little Rock, Indianapolis, Cleveland, Buffalo and Rochester will see day turn to night for up to four minutes as the moon transits the sun and extinguishes its light. Astrotourists from all around the world will flock to the path of totality, the narrow swath of Earth where the sun is completely blocked, desperate to catch a glimpse of the otherworldly.

It will be the first total solar eclipse to sweep across the country since Aug. 21, 2017, when one traced a path from Oregon to South Carolina. Next year's will be longer in duration and cover a wider track, making for a darker nightfall and more-spectacular colors.

Before the total solar eclipse next year, there will be an annular solar eclipse on Oct. 14, 2023. The annular eclipse will track from Oregon to Texas and will be visible where skies are clear. An annular eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and Earth while farthest away from Earth. Because the moon doesn't completely obscure the sun (as it does during a total solar eclipse), the periphery of the sun remains visible creating a "ring of fire" effect.

- - -

Where to see the eclipse next April

Amid the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024, the path of totality will begin nearly 1,000 miles east-northeast of Samoa but, unless you own a yacht, odds are you won't be watching from there. It arcs across the equatorial Pacific before swinging ashore in Mazatlan in the Mexican state of Sinaloa. It passes over Durango and Coahuila before traversing the Rio Grande and reaching the Edwards Plateau of Texas.

San Antonio and Austin are on the eastern fringe of the path of totality and will experience just a few tens of seconds of darkness. In fact, downtown San Antonio will not experience totality, whereas the city's northwestern suburbs will experience several minutes of it. SeaWorld San Antonio will luck out with 2 minutes 7 seconds of totality.

The edge of the path of totality is sharp, and subtle movements deeper into the path will nab you more time to enjoy the show. Consider San Antonio's airport, for example. The east end of the northwest to southeast runway will experience only a partial eclipse, but the other end will get almost a minute of totality. Choose your location wisely.

From there, Dallas will see 3 minutes 50 seconds of totality shortly after lunchtime, and Little Rock is slated for 2 minutes 20 seconds. Indianapolis is also looking at 3 minutes 50 seconds of totality, which will begin shortly before 1 p.m. Central time. Dayton, Toledo and Cleveland are up next, but Columbus is just outside the path.

Erie and Buffalo will be immersed in darkness for roughly 3 minutes 40 seconds each, as will Rochester and Watertown, N.Y. Then the shadow passes over the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, northern New Hampshire and rural northern Maine. On the Canadian side of the border, Montreal will see totality for 1 minute 20 seconds.

A few lucky places that saw the August 2017 total eclipse will see one again in 2024 - notable among them Carbondale, Ill., which has been dubbed the eclipse capital of the United States.

If you're planning a trip to see the eclipse, consider the weather. Historically, regions farther south and west, like remote parts of Texas, are most predisposed to clear skies. In New England and the Ohio Valley, the weather has historically proved tenuous in early to mid-April, with clouds a real concern.

A much larger area outside the path of totality, encompassing much of North America, will experience a partial solar eclipse. But anyone who has witnessed a total solar eclipse will tell you the difference between the two is - night and day.

- - -

Stages of the eclipse

Partiality occurs when the moon only partially obscures the sun. You cannot look at the sun without proper eye protection (ISO-certified eclipse glasses, or welding goggles of shade 14 or higher). There won't be much noticeable change in luminosity (brightness) of the landscape until about 80 percent of the sun is covered by the moon.

Bailey's beads will appear moments before totality, right before the moon fully covers the sun. The last hints of sunlight peeking through the valleys of the moon will make for pinpricks of brilliance. They'll eventually congeal into a single lone beacon known as the diamond ring. Only when that disappears is it safe to remove your protective eyewear - totality has begun.

- - -

What makes it special?

Totality is the only time the corona of the sun, or the sun's atmosphere, can be seen from earth. It resembles an elegant lion's mane, diaphanous and glowing a delicate white. Each hairlike filament is solar material tracing the sun's magnetic field. It is breathtaking to see.

The corona is hot - close to 2 million degrees Kelvin. That makes it an order of magnitude hotter than the surface of the sun. It isn't very dense, though, and is made of ionized gases. In fact, it is only about one ten-billionth the density of Earth's atmosphere at sea level.

The brightness of the sun ordinarily prevents direct observation of the solar corona. That's why solar eclipses are such a great opportunity for scientists. Science aside, few sights are as spectacular as the solar system splayed out in front of you. There are times it's difficult not to believe the universe is a sentient being; during a total solar eclipse, one gets to stare it in the eye.

- - -

More total solar eclipse viewing opportunities, but not for decades

If you miss the total solar eclipse in 2024, there won't be another in the contiguous United States until August 2044. The path of totality will cross only a small section of the northern-central part of the Lower 48 - from western North Dakota into Montana - before curving northward into Canada.

The good news is there will be a more widely seen total solar eclipse the following year. On Aug. 12, 2045, a total solar eclipse will traverse the country from coast to coast, similar to August 2017, but wider and farther south, stretching from northern California to central Florida.

The 2045 eclipse will be the United States' last coast-to-coast total solar eclipse this century. However, five other total solar eclipses will cross smaller sections of the country - in 2052, 2078, 2079, 2097 (visible in Alaska only) and 2099.

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The Washington Post's Justin Grieser and Jason Samenow contributed to this report.
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The new Traditionnelle tourbillon watch appearing in a 41 mm-diameter platinum case features a majestic sunburst green dial. This original colour obtained by galvanic treatment endows the model with depth and intensity, enlivening the gleaming whiteness of the noble metal with brightly shimmering reflections. The contrast is further enhanced by the white gold baton-type hour-markers and Dauphine-style hands, while the deep green strap picks up the dial colour.

Traditionnelle tourbillon  Vacheron Constantin

A traditional calibre

The intrinsic elegance of this new Traditionnelle tourbillon also stems from the slenderness of the case, itself enabled by ultra-thin self-winding in-house Calibre 2160/1 measuring only 5.65 mm thick. This thinness is the result of perfect technical mastery, especially since this calibre incorporates a tourbillon regulator mechanism designed to compensate for the effects of gravity on the isochronism of the balance spring.

To clearly understand how it operates, this regulator has been set to a frequency of 18,000 vibrations per hour (2.5 Hz). This relatively slow tempo often found in historical pocket watches provides an opportunity to appreciate at leisure the tourbillons mechanical ballet. The show that can be admired through the sapphire crystal caseback is enhanced by the movements structure incorporating a peripheral rotor. The latter reduces the thickness of the calibre as well as ensuring a comfortable 80-hour power reserve.

Traditionnelle tourbillon  Vacheron Constantin

The movement finishing reflects the same quest for perfection, with a circular-grained baseplate appearing on the dial side and hand-bevelled bridges adorned with Cotes de Geneve on the caseback. The tourbillon, with its Maltese cross-shaped carriage bearing the small seconds indicated by a blackened screw, demonstrates the same attention to detail. Its suspension bar has been delicately polished in an entirely hand-crafted operation consisting of filing and then polishing the material to obtain a conical and semi-cylindrical shape.
Annual Easter commemoration this Easter Sunday, April 9, will be held at the grave of Captain Patrick Murphy Carra Granard at 3pm.

Patrick Murphy and his two brothers Sean and William from Trumra in Abbeylara parish were active during the War of Independence and all three took the anti Treaty side in the Civil War.

In early 1923 there was strong resistance in the Granard area and the Free State forces were trying to round up anti treaty men. On January 23 Pat Cook was in charge of a group of men who staged an attack or raid on armed members of the secret service returning from holding a meeting near Granard.

In the ensuing gun battle Patrick Murphy was hit by a bullet in the side of the head. Seriously wounded he was removed to the Mater Hospital Dublin and died the following day.

The Longford Leader reported the incident as follows: A national volunteer named Owen Donohoe and a young man named Reynolds from Abbeylara were called upon to halt at Springtown by two or three men. Shots were exchanged and Donohoe fell wounded and his companion, it is stated, threw a bomb at the men, who made their escape. Donohoe believes that his fire took effect and that one of the men was wounded. Donohoe was removed to Longford hospital and made a full recovery but the man he shot died the following day.

Patrick Murphy's coffin was draped with the tricolour and a volley of shots was fired as he was laid to rest in Carra Cemetery. He was laid out and buried in a uniform worn by Michael Drumm, Granard when he travelled to Dublin to take part in the Easter Rising.

In his honour Republican commemorations are held at regular intervals at his grave. Significantly, Murphy was the only fatality on the anti treaty side.
A group of Ardscoil Phadraig Granard students were among the winners at the Relove Fashion awards on March 23 at the Rediscovery Centre.



Erin Flynn, Rachel Higgins, Siobhan McDonagh and Lauren Murtagh were the winners of the Best Casual entry as students from around the Eastern, Midlands and Dublin region created outfits using discarded textiles and reimagining them into wearable clothing.



The award-winning Relove Fashion Competition encourages students to take a deeper look at how their clothing is made. This years competition featured twenty two finalists who made wearable outfits from materials such as curtains, bed sheets, bike tubes, discarded packaging and accessories made from coconut shells.



The overall winner was announced as Beth Brady from St Joseph's Mercy Secondary School in Co Meath. Beth created her outfit from old seat belts, an old bomber jacket, torn lining from the family linen basket, an old cot sheet, donated fabric and zip once destined to be used for a bridesmaids dress, a pair of her dads old jeans and scrap fabric. The top was also dyed using onion skins and her accessories were made from the shell of an eaten coconut.



The Relove Fashion Competition judges were Arran Murphy Rediscover Fashion Programme Manager at the Rediscovery Centre, Lorraine Keane broadcaster and founder of Fashion Relief, Aisling Duffy Sustainable Fashion Designer and Dr. Joanne Rourke Environmental Scientist from the Eastern-Midlands Region Waste Management Plan Office.

Eleven local authorities came together, with the Rediscovery Centre, to create the Relove Fashion competition. The competition is funded by the eleven participating local authorities Dublin City, Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown, Fingal, Kildare, Longford, Louth, Meath, South Dublin, Westmeath, Offaly and Wicklow.
A MAN who married, and then buried, the love of his life in the space of a week has paid an emotional tribute to the woman who has left a hole in my heart that will never be filled.

I had to organise a wedding and a funeral in a week, said heartbroken Dave McLoughlin, aged 35, who married his childhood sweetheart Michelle Crowe, 33, in a rare wedding ceremony in the chapel in University Hospital Limerick (UHL) on Monday, March 20.

Michelle passed away from an extremely aggressive form of breast cancer at 2.23am on the following Saturday.

Dave bravely spoke to the Limerick Leader/Limerick Live as he wants as many people as possible to know what an amazing human being Michelle was.

We got married on a Monday and we had her wake on the following Monday. I never thought it was possible to feel pain like I feel it now. As the days go on the pain gets worse, said Dave.

The couple were together for almost 19 years and have two children - Cillian, aged 13, and Oisin, 14-months-old. They met outside Cappawhite Church by chance when they were teenagers and have been inseparable ever since.

Coincidentally, Dave's late mother Noreen and father Jimmy met when he came to Cappawhite to help build the church. Dave and Michelles family and many friends said a final farewell to the young mother in the very same church on Tuesday, March 28.

She was small and unassuming but she had the biggest heart in the world - she had so much love for so many people and she never had a bad word to say about anybody. She would be there for you in a heartbeat if you called her at 5am but, above all, she was my best friend in the whole world.

"She has left a hole that will never be filled. I will never look at someone the same way as I looked at Michelle for as long as I live. No matter how bad things got, we always had each other's backs, said Dave, from Cappawhite.

The couple endured many dark days. Tragically, their baby John James was stillborn and Michelles parents passed away within six months of each other - Nora had a brain aneurysm while John had esophageal cancer.

Throughout that time my mam, Noreen, was undergoing treatment for lung cancer. Michelle gave up her life to look after my mam as well as helping her grandfather. She spent so much time looking after everybody else. Over the last seven years we have had a funeral a year.

Last September, Michelle, originally from Dundrum, went to her doctor due to a concern over a cyst. She was immediately sent to the emergency department in UHL.

Michelle was diagnosed with a very aggressive form of breast cancer. Chemotherapy commenced and Michelle underwent surgery on Valentines Day which was successful. However, in the following weeks her bloods and a CT scan showed that the cancer had spread to her liver.

It was so aggressive that nobody could understand how fast it was progressing. I fell apart. I couldn't handle it at all. Michelle shed a couple of tears here and there but she never let it get to her. She said, I will do as much as I can with whatever time I have left. There was no why me? She was more concerned about everybody else.

The couple had been engaged for seven years and had always planned on getting married. Dave mentioned it to a nurse on the Thursday before he would wed Michelle.

The nurse quickly put the wheels in motion - a Limerick court service employee had a judge signing paperwork on the Saturday evening, the county registrar was taking phone calls and overseeing paperwork while at the Ireland v England rugby match in the Aviva Stadium and staff in St Camillus completed paperwork and gave Dave the marriage certificate on the Sunday. The next day Dave and Michelle got married in UHL

Everybody did all they could to organise it. Nurses had decorated the chapel and organised a speaker to play our song (Everything I Do) I Do It For You by Bryan Adams. Nurses brought Michelle down in her wheelchair but she walked up the aisle with her brother Darren. It was beautiful. She had such a lovely day. I could tell it was taking a lot out of her but she never complained. The nurses booked a meal in the Unicorn and when I went up to pay, the Mid Western Cancer Society had left 300 with the barman.

When we got back to the room in UHL the nurses had decorated it with lights and balloons and had a table with non alcoholic champagne. We slept in the same bed and had some of the nicest cuddles we had in a long time.

Dave said from the moment they walked into the oncology unit and breast clinic in UHL they could not have done more for Michelle.

It is a debt I will never be able to repay to all the staff in 6b. The day after the wedding, Michelle was transferred to Milford where she went to her eternal reward in the early hours of Saturday morning, March 25.

The staff were so kind and caring - I dont know how they do that job. They make it as much like home as possible. They looked after her with so much with love. They have my undying gratitude.

Dave also wishes to thank his and Michelles family and many, many friends for their support before and after her passing. If it hadnt been for them I would be lost. They organised a Go Fund Me which we wouldnt have survived financially without. She was so beloved by everybody, literally the entire village where we live is heartbroken. I dont think she realised how loved she was.

Friends and family of Michelle and Dave will gather together for a fundraiser this Saturday night in Armshaws bar in Cappawhite called Go Pink for Michelle.

One of Michelles wishes when she got better was to pick baby Oisin up and give him a big cuddle.

Michelle loved them both so much. She set a great example for our two boys. Im going to make it my mission to honour her memory every single day and do as good a job with those two lads as she would want me too.
A MOTHER and daughter who were refused permission to collect 4 order from Brown Thomas in Limerick as they were not wearing face masks have lost a discrimination case.

Elizabeth Torneria-Fuentes and her daughter, Victoria Torneria-Fuentes - who both have disabilities - entered the store in the city centre on October 5 2021 to pick up their click and collect item.

However, the two were prevented from collecting the item as they were not wearing Covid-19 masks and did not provide security staff details of their disabilities in order to demonstrate that they were exempt from mask-wearing.

The two subsequently lodged discrimination claims on the grounds of disability under the Equal Status Act against store owner, Brown Thomas Arnotts Ltd.

Following a day of evidence at a Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) hearing in Ennis, Adjudicator, Moya de Paor found the pairs discrimination claims were "not well founded".

Ms de Paor stated that she was satisfied that Brown Thomas Arnotts Ltd was not made aware of the nature of the mothers and daughters disabilities on the date in question.

She stated that, therefore, she found that there is no evidence to support a finding that the two were treated less favourably by the retailer on the grounds of their disabilities.

'He was my whole life', says heartbroken fiancee of tragic Longford man knocked down and killed by bus The distraught fiancee of a young Longford man who was knocked down and killed after being struck by a Bus Eireann bus last night has told of how the pair had planned to get married just three weeks before tragedy struck.

Ms de Paor also found that there is no evidence that the Brown Thomas store failed to provide the two with reasonable accommodation for such disabilities.

The Adjudicator said she was satisfied that the two failed to establish a prima facie case of discrimination on the grounds of their disabilities.

Ms de Paor stated that she was satisfied, based on the evidence, of the two complainants that Brown Thomas staff were not made aware of the nature of their disabilities, nor did they offer to provide proof of their medical conditions to substantiate the basis of her request for reasonable accommodation.

Ms de Paor stated that this finding is supported by the evidence of Brown Thomas security man Gary OSullivan who stated that on the date, the two did not advise him of why they could not wear a face mask. He added that they did not provide him with any proof to explain the basis of their exemption.

Furthermore, she stated that Brown Thomas Arnotts Ltd - represented in the case by David ORegan BL, instructed by Corrigan & Corrigan Solicitors - must be aware of what a persons disability is in order to fully assess the most appropriate measures to provide reasonable accommodation.

The Adjudicator said she accepted the evidence of Brown Thomas Health and Safety Manager, Lorraine Bedford that BT had put in place various measures to accommodate customers who were unable to wear a face mask while shopping and outlined various options.

In evidence, former Security Officer with BT, Gary OSullivan told the hearing that it was very hard to speak to either woman on October 5, 2021 as both were speaking over him and were telling him about their human rights and constitutional rights to be in the store without a face mask.

Victoria Torneria Fuentes denied that she spoke over Mr OSullivan as alleged while Elizabeth Torneria Fuentes told the hearing that she told Mr OSullivan that BT Face Coverings policy didnt trump the law of the land and that people with disabilities were exempt from wearing masks.

Mr OSullivan said that he was shown a lanyard by the two which referred to hidden disabilities and which stated face mask exempt.

Elizabeth Torneria-Fuentes told the hearing that she has numerous disabilities including chronic bronchitis and is on medication for it and uses two inhalers. She stated that she cant wear a mask and finds it difficult to breathe, which triggers her to cough.

Victoria Torneria Fuentes told the hearing that she also has numerous disabilities including chronic pain from a back injury.

She stated that as a result of the pain she suffers from her breathing can get shallow and she finds it difficult to wear a mask.

During the hearing, Mr ORegan stated that the 4 item Elizabeth Torneria Fuentes had purchased could have been delivered to her house.

Elizabeth Torneria Fuentes also confirmed that she didnt contact BT in advice to warn them that she was coming into the store, nor did she warn any other store in advance when she went shopping.

In reply to a question from Ms de Paor, Elizabeth Torneria Fuentes confirmed that the lanyard can be purchased from the Hidden Disabilities website at the cost of 7 or 8 and that medical evidence is not required to buy one.

Victoria Torneria-Fuentes confirmed that they were contacted by BTs customer service officer who advised them as they hadnt collected their online order that it would be sent in the post which they received in November 2021.

Victoria Torneria-Fuentes stated in evidence that she didnt tell Mr OSullivan what disabilities she had as she didnt feel that a Security Officer was in a position to interpret medical data.
Model Bella Hadid attends Dior Beauty celebrates The Art of Color with Peter Philips on October 25, 2016 in New York City. (Photo : Getty Images for Dior Beauty/Nicholas Hunt)

Bella Hadid, Chrissy Teigen, and Cara Delevingne have candidly discussed their struggles with alcohol and how they found a path to recovery and peace amid their chaotic lives.



A Wake-Up Call and the Road to Recovery Last September, 30-year-old model Cara Delevingne was captured in photographs looking disheveled and behaving erratically outside California's Van Nuys Airport. "I hadn't slept. I was not OK," she later admitted to Vogue, revealing that she had been partying excessively to avoid facing her issues.



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In retrospect, she saw those viral photos as "something to be grateful for"-the wake-up call she desperately needed. Three months later, Cara secretly entered rehab. A source close to her confirmed that the British model, who had her first experience with alcohol at the age of seven, spent December and January at Utah's Cirque Lodge getting sober with the support of friends such as Selena Gomez and Margot Robbie.



"She was tired of lying. She called a few close pals and broke down. There were a ton of tears, but she knew treatment was the only answer because the suffering in silence kills you," the source explained. Now committed to the Alcoholics Anonymous 12-step program and weekly therapy, Cara remains thankful and lives by the AA mantra: one day at a time.



Battling Anxiety and Alcohol Dependency For years, supermodel Bella Hadid would wake up "hysterical, in tears, alone," go to work, cry during lunch, cry again at night, and then repeat the cycle the next day. In early 2021, she spent two and a half weeks at a Tennessee treatment center, but soon found herself in a downward spiral, tormented by "crippling anxiety." The 26-year-old "often found herself medicating with alcohol," says an insider. "It was a horrible cycle that left her feeling shame, disappointment, and self-loathing afterward."



Bella eventually recognized how drinking affected her, particularly when it came to waking up with anxiety over something she had said years prior. She decided that the "pain and stress over those few drinks" simply wasn't worth it. In March, she announced on TikTok that she was "5 months alcohol-free." The insider notes, "Bella seems happier than she's been in years."


Music, Movies & Entertainment, Pets & Animal, Arts & Culture

By Catherine Eve Published: April 09 2023

The Cinema Arts Centre screens short dog films from around the world on April 17.

The Cinema Arts Centre in Huntington is going to the dogs as it screens the 2022-2023 New York Dog Festival on Monday, April 17 at 7 p.m. This traveling film festival features a collection of short films that celebrate the love between dogs, their people, and the animal welfare groups that bring them together. Guests will view music videos, short documentaries, animated stories, and more, including:

The Walkers. A quirky 8-minute documentary from French co-directors Giulia Dussollier and Clara Benoit-Jacoby that follows the relationships between a few women and their dogs, seen only from the canine perspective.

Super Pup. 14-year old director Nathaly Orrego explores the misconceptions about Pit Bulls as she shares the positive experience living with Cocoa, an adopted Staffordshire Bull Terrier.

Desperado Dingoes. An animated tale from Connecticut director Phair Elizabeth Hardin about two cowboy dogs who get into an altercation in a saloon after one accuses the other of taking his bone.

The Cinema Arts Centre is located at 423 Park Avenue in Huntington. Film festival admission is $15 for the public and $10 for members. Visit the theatres website for more information and to purchase tickets online.
Theres nothing like having the convenience of hands-free use of your iPad. Whether youre in the kitchen, streaming a film, or working at your desk, a stand becomes an essential tablet accessory.

Of course, those using their iPad for work may also want to pair the iPad with a keyboard (here are some of the best ones).

An iPad stand will help your posture and viewing comfort, or make typing or using a stylus much easier.

Weve rounded up some of the best iPad stands out there for every budgetfrom the lightweight and portable, to the adjustable, to the ones that just look great, and one that will turn your iPad into a desktop workstation.

Some are basic, some are stylish or super-bendy, one comes with an array of handy ports, and one looks like a cuddly toy.

For more hands-free gadgetry, also see our round-up of the best iPhone car holders and mounts.
Vatican CityPope Francis noted his deep concern on Sunday over a flare-up in tensions between Israel and Palestinians, delivering an Easter Mass in which he denounced the barriers to peace in the world.

URBI ET ORBI. Pope Francis waves from the loggia of St. Peters basilica after delivering the Urbi et Orbi message and blessing for Easter on April 9 in The Vatican. AFP

He said the renewed violence threatens the desired climate of trust and mutual respect needed to resume dialogue, addressing a crowd of some 100,000 gathered in Saint Peters Square.

The Argentine pontiff, a week after leaving hospital, also cited a string of stumbling blocks to peace in the world during his traditional Easter message, making special mention of the war in Ukraine.

Help the beloved Ukrainian people on their journey towards peace, and shed the light of Easter upon the people of Russia, he said.

Comfort the wounded and all those who have lost loved ones because of the war, and grant that prisoners may return safe and sound to their families.

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He drew attention to conflicts around the world, from Syria to the Democratic Republic of Congo, and offered prayers for victims of the earthquake in Turkey and Syria.

Call for peace

This week has seen a surge in violence and unrest between Israel and Palestinians at the same time as the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, Jewish Passover and Christian Easter have coincided.

The pope called for a resumption in dialogue to ensure peace in the Holy City (of Jerusalem) and in the entire region.

On Wednesday, Israeli police stormed the prayer hall of Al-Aqsa mosque, Islams third-holiest site, in a pre-dawn raid aimed at dislodging law-breaking youths and masked agitators they said had barricaded themselves inside.

The next day, more than 30 rockets were fired from Lebanese soil into Israel, which the Israeli army blamed on Palestinian groups, saying it was most likely Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip.

Israel then bombarded Gaza and southern Lebanon, targeting terror infrastructures that it said belonged to Hamas.

On Friday, two separate attacks left an Italian tourist and two British-Israeli sisters dead, and several injured, in Tel Aviv and the West Bank.

On Sunday, Israel launched artillery strikes on Syria in retaliation for rockets the army said were fired from there onto Israeli territory.

Health concerns

The 86-year-old pope has returned to his duties after a recent stay in hospital following a bout of bronchitis.

On Saturday evening, he presided over the Vigil mass in Saint Peters Basilica in the Vatican, a two-and-a-half-hour ceremony performed before 8,000 people.

On Friday evening however, he stayed away from the Good Friday Way of the Cross service as a precaution because of the intense cold, the Vatican said. It was the first time he had missed the ceremony during his papacy, which began in 2013.

Francis was discharged from a Rome hospital on April 1 after a three-night stay for a bronchial infection. The pontiff has suffered several health issues in recent years, and it was his second stay in hospital since 2021.

Pope Francis has participated in various events since his hospital release, including washing the feet of 12 young prisoners on Holy Thursday.

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The Department of National Defense insisted Sunday that the proposed four military sites under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) with the United States will not threaten the countrys sovereigntydespite potentially drawing the country into a conflict with China over Taiwan, a US ally.

In a statement, the DND reiterated that the agreed locations for the new EDCA sites were by invitation of the Philippines and are by no means unhampered or unimpeded.

But the Defense department remained silent over Chinas military drills around Taiwan, which stretched into a second day yesterday, even as opposition lawmakers voiced concern over two of the EDCA sites being placed in Luzon near Taiwan, just 400 kilometers away to the north.

Defense analysts also claimed the US would use the sites to deter Chinas advance into Taiwan.

The new sites definitely will be used against Chinas operations around Taiwan, said Prof. Hu Bo of the SCS Strategic Situation Probing Initiative in a GMA News TV interview.

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The Philippines may be passive but involved in the Taiwan issue That a big thing for China, Hu said.

Filipino experts disagreed, saying the EDCA sites were for defense.

Thats a calculated risk we have to take. The other option for us to take if we dont prepare is the possibility of a Chinese invasion because China will take control of Northern Luzon when push comes to shove over Taiwan, said Prof. Renato de Castro, a security analyst with ADR Stratbase.

We are being deterred by the adversary we are defending against,maritime expert Prof. Jay Batongbacal said. We might as well just dismantle the Armed Forces and turn the entire AFP into the PNP. Its like we are going to be afraid of defending ourselves from external threats.

ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro said EDCA expansion is practically transforming the Philippines into an American colony once again.

In truth, the EDCA is worse than the MDT, MBA, VFA and SOFA combined because this EDCA appears to be turning us once again into a colony of the US, and its the government that let them in, said Castro, referring to past military treaties between Washington and Manila.

With these new EDCA sites and the ones to follow, the whole Philippines is turning into a US base, added the Makabayan bloc lawmaker.

Although Cagayan province, on the northeastern tip of Luzon, will soon host a massive, multimillion-dollar construction programme under EDCA, its governor Manuel Mamba is not pleased.

I personally oppose this, and I disagree with it and for me, this is inimical to the interest of our province and the Cagayanons, he said in an interview.

Mamba said on March 23 the presence of EDCA forces would make Cagayan the primary target of China should the Sino-US conflict escalate over Taiwan, but later conceded his view was in the minority.

But the DND said there is no gross violation of national sovereignty as claimed by the allegations from the opposition, stressing that the EDCA itself was deemed constitutional by the Supreme Court.

It emphasized that EDCA sites were the countrys first step in securing the safety of its citizens and it will boost the nations response during calamities and in safeguarding the Philippines territory.

We call on the public to approach and understand the issue beyond the myopic perception that strengthening the militarys capabilities means inviting war or conflict, the statement said.

Time and again, the Armed Forces of the Philippines assets and facilities have been utilized to respond to various threats to the security and safety of the Filipino people. Allocating resources for the development of the countrys defense capabilities and the enhancement of the skills of its troops is a part of the functions of a state such as the Philippines, it added.

The EDCA Agreed Locations are not permanent basing facilities for theUnited States but will be jointly operated by the two sides, and the use of its ally is subject to the countrys permission and mutual agreement, the statement added.

The EDCA sites primarily consist of storage facilities that will onlybe utilized during exercises and emergencies, the Defense department noted.

DND also said that the construction and development of the new bases were being funded by Washington and it helped in creating jobs andboosting the local economies of the local communities, where the sites are located.

But Chinas Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Mao Ning claimed the additional EDCA bases may place the country into a whirlpool of conflict.

The comments on the locations of the new military bases also speak to the concern shared by many insightful people in the Philippines, who worry that this may draw their country into the whirlpool of a potential conflict in the Taiwan Strait, Mao said during a news conference.

Mao said that Beijing is not the one stirring the pot but Taiwans independence forces on the island and certain countries that support these forces.

We hope regional countries could see clearly who is fueling tensions across the Taiwan Strait for what purpose and will not pull someone elses chestnuts out of the fire at their own expense, Mao added.

The AFP earlier showed its support in building four additional Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement sites in the country.

AFP Spokesperson Medel Aguilar said in a statement that fully backed the decision of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to add new sites in the country citing it would help the countrys disaster response capability and strengthen its capacity to protect the people and the state.

The new EDCA sites are strategic in the AFPs thrust to strengthen its capacity to protect the people and the state, advance our national interests, and enhance the countrys disaster response capability, said Aguilar.

EDCA will give us the needed infrastructure to develop our force in line with our acquisition of modern equipment, he added.

The new EDCA sites will rise in the following areas: 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.

Aguilar also said that coordination with our US counterpart is vital in bringing hope and needs to local communities in the country.

We shall closely coordinate with our US counterpart to realize these objectives. We also appreciate the US commitment to prioritize the needs of our local communities and hope to do our share of bringing our alliance closer than ever to the benefit of the Filipino people, said Aguilar.

The United States also assured that Washington is not seeking permanent bases in the Philippines following the announcement of the locations that may be accessed by US forces under the EDCA.

In a media briefing in Washington, Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh stressed that the new EDCA sites would be for regional readiness and response against threats and disasters.

Well, this is more about regional response, regional readiness. This is an arrangement that we have with the Philippines that goes back many years. And in  is an investment in our cooperation with the Philippines for better interoperability, Singh said.

Again, we do not seek permanent basing in the Philippines and this is just one additional aspect that will increase training between our two countries, she added. With Rey Requejo and Macon Ramos-Araneta

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Christopher Paris Lacson with his Banatti Green Falcon

A Filipino-designed electric bike brand-named Banatti that uses innovative, environmentally sustainable bamboo is seen to elevate the Philippines status as a globally known producer of world-class bamboo products.

Speaking in an Usapang Kawayan bamboo forum, Christopher Paris Lacson, Banatti EBs creator, said the trendy motorcycle was just the beginning of a highly promising sector that has the potential to catapult Philippines to industrialization.

A bike like this can inspire the young, the leaders, the countrymen, and the industries to say Kaya pala yan (It can be done!), said Lacson. Its not (just) about making money. Its about making us proud. We can have our own. Were creative. Were smart. Were intelligent.

The team that developed Banatti Green Falcon chose to use bamboo as it is the mandate of the country.

This God-given supergrass is one of our tickets out of poverty. When people see a picture of Banatti Green Falcon, it brings an incredible feeling. Something goes on to their mind, something shifts, said Lacson.

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The dream of using bamboo as a jump-off point for Philippines development of rural-based industries is a much practical vision due to the abundance of bamboo in the Philippines, said Philippine Bamboo Industry Development Council (PBIDC) vice chairman Deogracias Victor Savellano.

Through his Kilusang 5K (Kawayan: Kalikasan, Kabuhayan, Kaunlaran, Kinabukasan), Savellano has hosted Usapang Kawayan since 2010 to sustain brain storming on bamboo development as envisioned by Executive Order 879.

If you analyze, kawayan is not like other plants as jatropha that government once asked us to grow. We have taken kawayan. You see it in every barangay, but no one plants, Savellano said. Thats why were fighting for kawayan. Its not that we dont want other plants. But lets prioritize kawayan because planting it brings results.

The equivalent of a P20 million worth of farm-to-market project makes for a big expansion in bamboo planting. For one, the 20-hectare plantation project of Kilusang 5K in Karugo, Montalban just costs P1.5 million, even initially.

What will you plant? The hardwood that you will harvest in 10-20 years, or the bamboo that you can harvest in 3-4 years? And we already have many existing clumps. With the proper management, you can benefit economically immediately.

Durable body shell

The Banatti Green Falcon, crafted by Lacson in 2017, has a body shell made of highly durable, elegant-looking, light-weight (four kilo only versus 2-3x more weight in metal ) bamboo.

Its body shell made of bamboo may just be worth P5,000. But using bamboo in sophisticated, industrial products can bring about tremendous multiplier effect on the economy.

The bamboo that created the body shell of the motorcycle may just be worth P5,000. But someone has to plant it. Someone has to cut it. Someone has to bring it to the place where we bought it from. Just this, and there are four levels of job across spectrum, said Lacson.

In industries like furnishing or automotive, there are so many tentacles, many roots involved in the design of the product.

An advantage of bamboo body shell to complement an electric motorcycle as in Banatti is it can install a good sound system that can enable one to hear music very well, unlike gasoline-run ones.

Filipino Antonio de Leon designed a single-engine, light experimental aircraft XL-14-MAYA. It used a type of woven bamboo called WOBEXwoven bamboo experimental.

Another product is the bamboo mobile, a type of jeepney spearheaded by the Department of Transportation of long ago. Its body is made of bamboo. Bambu Batu (House of Bamboo) cites many other modern, fashionable furniture and clothing products made of bamboo.

Now that climate-related disasters have shown Philippines vulnerability, much more should Philippines tap now what is native and ecologically sustainable.

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Several Egyptian human rights groups that are set to participate in the National Dialogue, which will start on 3 May, stressed on Friday the need for legal amendments that would protect their freedom to work across the country.
One person is dead and another has been hospitalized after a two-alarm. house fire in Hopkinton early Sunday morning, officials say.

At 1:12 a.m., dispatchers received multiple 911 calls about a fire at a one-story ranch house at 69 Hayward St.

Upon arrival, firefighters could see heavy fire coming from the building. They learned that two people were still in the house and immediately began searching inside.

A senior man was found in a hallway, while a senior woman was found in a bedroom. Both were taken to Milford Regional Medical Center, where the man was pronounced dead. The woman was brought further to a Boston hospital for treatment.

A dog also died in the fire, official said.

No working smoke detectors were found in the home.

Firefighters from Ashland, Milford, Westborough, Southborough, Upton and Hopedale provided mutual aid at the scene of the fire, while firefighters from Medway provided station coverage.

Read more: Holyoke house fire takes the life of one person

The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Hopkinton Fire Department, Massachusetts State Police, the State Fire Marshals Office and the Middlesex District Attorneys Office.
NORTHAMPTON  After 45 years of fighting for the worldwide elimination of nuclear weapons, a local physician believes the solution could be no more than 10 years away.

Dr. Ira Helfand, a retired doctor who most recently worked at the Family Care Medical Center in Springfield, is the recipient of Morehouse Colleges Gandhi-King-Ikeda Community Builders Award for his creation and activist work with the Back from the Brink.

While honored by the award, which is designed to recognize someone who promotes peace and social transformation in a positive and non-violent way, Helfand said he is hoping the prize will help call attention to the effort to end nuclear weapons. He will be the keynote speaker at the April 13 awards ceremony at the college in Atlanta.

Nuclear weapons dont make us safe. They are the greatest threat to security and we have to get rid of them, he said. Our message is the problem never went away after the Cold War.

The issue has returned to the forefront this year with the Russian invasion of Ukraine. A week ago, President Vladimir Putin announced he would move nuclear weapons close to the border of Belarus and in February he delivered a warning to the West over Ukraine by suspending a landmark nuclear arms control treaty.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has made it clear that we can no longer afford to deny the danger of nuclear war, Helfand said. We have a very short window of opportunity to eliminate these weaponsbefore they eliminate us. But we can do that. We made these weapons with our own hands. We know how to take them apart. We just need to create the political will to do that.

A precedent has already been set. Negotiations over nuclear weapon disarmament, even among hostile countries, have had successes in the past, he said.

The threat of nuclear war in the 1980s initiated Russian President Mikhail Gorbachev to propose talks with U.S. President Ronald Regan. More than two years of negotiations and ups and downs led to the historic 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty that had both countries reduce nuclear arms.

The 2017 International Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons was signed, bringing the world another step toward eliminating nuclear weapons.

The world has about 13,000 warheads across nine countries. Leaders have already destroyed 50,000 over different treaties, he said.

But that simply isnt enough. There have been at least six different real threats to nuclear war in the past that are known and the consequences of one will be horrific and felt worldwide, he said.

Helfand said the two biggest threats to the planet are climate change and nuclear weapons, which has a much simpler solution.

I think we can absolutely do it in 10 years, he said. It will take two to three years of talks and six to seven years to dismantle the weapons.

The talks would require all nine countries which currently have nuclear weapons to agree to universal disarmament, and could be done with the leadership of the United States, Russia and China.

Nuclear weapons dont make us safe. They are the greatest threat to security and we need to get rid of them, he said.

A Northampton resident, Helfand thanked many area politicians who have worked with Back from the Brink, noting U.S. Rep. James P. McGovern, who represents Northampton, has introduced a resolution into the U.S. House to support the effort to eliminate nuclear weapons. It is co-sponsored by U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield, and 12 others.

Helfand is now hoping that Massachusetts Sens. Edward Markey and Elizabeth Warren will introduce a companion resolution to the U.S. Senate.

Local politicians have also joined the effort. He thanked state Sen. Jo Commerford and state Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa for their support in getting resolutions through the state legislature. In addition 63 cities and towns across the country, including major cities such as Baltimore, Washington, Philadelphia, Chicago and Los Angeles, have supported resolutions.

Statewide, Boston, Worcester, Springfield, Northampton, Holyoke, Easthampton and 14 other cities and towns have endorsed nuclear disarmament as well, he said.

Back from the Brink was started in Northampton in 2017 shortly after the adoption of the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons Treaty. It grew from a conversation between Helfand and Sean Meyer, then working for the Union of Concerned Scientists.

Helfand is also a long-term member of the International Steering Group of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, which received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2017. He was also the co-president of International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War which received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1985.

Helfand, who worked as the chairman of the department of emergency medicine at Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton before moving to the Family Center, said he now spends about 45 hours a week on nuclear disarmament activism. He lives with his wife Deborah Smith.
Kenyan investigators on Tuesday exhumed 10 more bodies from mass graves linked to a starvation cult, bringing the total number of victims to 83, an AFP journalist at the scene said, as fears grow of the toll spiking even further.
The World Health Organization is tracking XBB.1.5, the variant of interest (VOI), and six other variants BQ.1, BA.2.75, CH.1.1, XBB, XBF and XBB.1.16 respectively.

Why Is VOI XBB.1.5 COVID-19 Important?

It was also informed that while India has achieved over 90 percent coverage of primary vaccination, the coverage of precaution dose is very low.



Source: IANS

During a review meeting on the COVID-19 situation, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya virtually interacted with the health ministers of the states and union territories and advised them to ramp up vaccination of all eligible population, especially of the elderly and vulnerable population group.It was highlighted that while Omicron and its sub-lineages continue to be the predominant variant, most of the assigned variants have little or no significant transmissibility, disease severity or immune escape.
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VATICAN CITY (AP)  In an Easter message highlighting hope, Pope Francis on Sunday invoked prayers for both the Ukrainian and Russian people, praised nations which welcome refugees and called on Israelis and Palestinians wracked by the latest surge in deadly violence to forge a climate of trust.

Francis, along with dozens of prelates and tens of thousands of faithful, celebrated Easter Mass in a flower-adorned St. Peters Square, affirming the Christian belief that Jesus rose from the dead days after his crucifixion.

The 86-year-old pontiff topped the celebration with a traditional speech about troubled places in the world. Encouraging trust among individuals, peoples and nations," Francis said Easter's joy illumines the darkness and gloom in which, all too often, our world finds itself enveloped.

The pope's Easter message is known by its Latin name, Urbi et Orbi," which means to the city and the world.

Since Russia invaded neighboring Ukraine in February 2022, Francis has repeatedly called for the fighting to end and sought prayers for the martyred Ukrainian people.

Ukrainian diplomats have complained that he hasn't come down hard enough in his statements on Russia and particularly Russian President Vladimir Putin as the Vatican tries to avoid alienating Moscow.

Help the beloved Ukrainian people on their journey towards peace, and shed the light of Easter upon the people of Russia,'' Francis implored God in his Easter speech, which he delivered while sitting in a chair on the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica facing the square. Comfort the wounded and all those who have lost loved ones because of the war, and grant that prisoners may return safe and sound to their families."

He urged the international community to work to end the war in Ukraine and all conflict and bloodshed in the world, beginning with Syria, which still awaits peace.

Francis also prayed for those who lost loved ones in an earthquake that struck Syria and Turkey two months ago, claiming tens of thousands of lives.

With a renewal in deadly violence affecting both Israelis and Palestinians in recent days, Francis called for a "resumption of dialogue, in a climate of trust and reciprocal respect, between Israelis and Palestinians, so that peace may reign in the Holy City and in the entire region,'' a reference to Jerusalem.

But Francis also noted progress on some fronts.

Let us rejoice at the concrete signs of hope that reach us from so many countries, beginning with those that offers assistance and welcome to all fleeing war and poverty," he said, without naming any particular nations.

How to care for asylum-seekers, migrants and refugees, and whether to allow them entrance, is a raging political and social debate in much of Europe, as well in the United States and elsewhere.

Francis also prayed that national leaders ensure that no man or woman may encounter discrimination and that there would be full respect for human rights and democracy.

With migrants risking their lives in smugglers unseaworthy boats in hopes of reaching Europe, the pope lamented that Tunisia's people, particularly the young, struggle with social and economic hardship.

In the last two weeks, dozens have died or were left missing after attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea from Tunisia.

The pope included Lebanon and two African countries he visited this year - South Sudan and Congo - among the nations in need of ending divisions and building reconciliation.

Speaking about Haiti, he appealed to political actors and the international community to seek a definitive solution to the many problems that afflict that sorely tried people.

The bloody conflicts cited by Francis contrasted with a riot of bright colors lent by orange-red tulips, yellow sprays of forsythia and daffodils, hyacinths and other colorful seasonal flowers that decorated St. Peter's Square. The blooms were trucked in trucks from the Netherlands.

By the end of the pope's appearance, some 100,00 people had flocked to the square in time for the pontiff's speech, according to the Vatican's crowd count.

A canopy on the edge of steps on the square sheltered the pontiff, who was back in the public eye for the Mass 12 hours after a 2.25-hour long Easter vigil ceremony in St. Peters Basilica the night before.

Francis was hospitalized March 29-April 1 for treatment of bronchitis. Still recovering, he skipped the traditional Good Friday procession at Romes Colosseum due to unseasonably cold nighttime temperatures.

Near the end of the more than two-hour-long Easter Sunday appearance, Francis seemed to run out of steam. His voice grew hoarse and he interrupted his speech at one point to cough.

He nonetheless made several laps through the square in the popemobile after the Mass, waving and smiling at cheering well-wishers.
A Kuwaiti court on Sunday annulled the results of a parliamentary election held last year, saying it would reinstate the previous slate of lawmakers elected in 2020, according to the state news agency.

"The Kuwaiti Constitutional Court issued a verdict on Sunday annulling the results of the 2022 National Assembly elections," due to discrepancies in the decree dissolving the previous parliament, the official KUNA news agency said.

In its decision, the court cited discrepancies in the decree dissolving the 2020 parliament for its ruling.

Authorities did not immediately explain what this meant for Kuwait's parliament. Kuwait has the freest and most active assembly among the Gulf Arab states.

The squabbling has prevented the assembly from passing basic economic reforms, including a public debt law that would allow the government to borrow money, leading to the depletion of its general reserve fund despite its vast oil wealth.

Kuwait, which borders Saudi Arabia and Iraq, has the worlds sixth-largest known oil reserves.

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WASHINGTON  The chairman of the House Select Committee on China said Saturday the U.S. must take seriously the threat posed to Taiwan, as Beijing launched military drills around the island in the aftermath of the Taiwanese president's meetings with American lawmakers.

Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., who attended the meeting with President Tsai Ing-wen in California last week, told The Associated Press that he plans to lead his committee in working to shore up the island government's defenses, encouraging Congress to expedite military aid to Taiwan.

I think it all just points to what is obvious, Gallagher told the AP, arguing that Chinese President Xi Jinping is intent on reunifying Taiwan with the mainland.

"We need to be moving heaven and earth to enhance our deterrence and denial posture, so that Xi Jinping concludes that he just cant do it," Gallagher said.

China conducted drills with warships and dozens of fighter jets around Taiwan on Saturday, the Taiwanese government said, in what was viewed as retaliation for the meeting between the U.S. lawmakers and the president of the self-ruled island democracy claimed by Beijing as part of its territory.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy hosted Tsai in a bipartisan session at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, with more than a dozen members of the U.S. House for what was the most sensitive stop during her transit through the U.S.

Chinas response to Tsais transit through the U.S. has not, so far, been as intense as its reaction last year after then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan.

While both McCarthy and Tsai spoke in measured remarks after the meeting about maintaining the status quo between their countries, which have no formal diplomatic ties, the daylong meeting enraged China.

The Chinese military announced the start of three-day combat readiness patrols as a warning to Taiwanese who want to make the islands de facto independence permanent.

Taiwan split with China in 1949 after a civil war, and the United States broke off official ties with Taiwan in 1979 while formally establishing diplomatic relations with the Beijing government.

The U.S. acknowledges a one China policy in which Beijing lays claim to Taiwan, but it does not endorse Chinas claim to the island and remains Taiwans key provider of military and defense assistance.

The ruling Communist Party says the island is obliged to rejoin the mainland, by force if necessary. Beijing says contact with foreign officials encourages Taiwanese who want formal independence, a step the ruling party says would lead to war.

Chinese officials condemned Tsais meetings with lawmakers and announced sanctions on two organizations that hosted her in the U.S., but its immediate response so far has been less forceful than its reaction to Pelosis August trip to Taiwan.

China had warned U.S. lawmakers not to join the meeting with Tsai, Gallagher said. And after the meeting, China urged the U.S. off what it called a wrong and dangerous road

Gallagher, who served as a U.S. Marine with tours in Iraq, said U.S. lawmakers will not be intimidated by the Chinese.

It's an attempt to shift the ideological battle space and, again, an attempt to intimidate us, and make us feel like were changing the status quo and provoking them, when the opposite is true, he said.

Gallagher said he wants Congress to work on stepping up its military commitments to Taiwan. He said the U.S. should be more quickly sending weapon systems to Taiwan for its defense.

One idea that arose from the meeting, he said, was for the U.S. to help Taiwan with technology to manufacture its own defense systems.

In 2022, China responded in the aftermath of Pelosi's visit with its largest live-fire drills in decades, including firing a missile over the island.

Chinese officials gave no indication whether the drills underway now might include a repeat of previous exercises with missiles fired into the sea, which disrupted shipping and airline flights.
The Padres placed outfielder David Dahl on the 10-day injured list due to a right quad strain, with a retroactive placement date of April 7. Brandon Dixon was called up from Triple-A in the corresponding move.

San Diego signed Dahl to a minor league deal during the offseason, and he broke camp with the team and appeared in four games for the Padres before this latest injury setback. Manager Bob Melvin said yesterday that Dahl was hurt while running sprints in the outfield prior to Saturdays game, and that an IL stint seemed possible.

Dahl is unfortunately no stranger to the injured list, as several health problems (including a lacerated spleen, a stress fracture in his rib, and various back and shoulder issues) have hampered his career. It seemed like hed finally broken through with an All-Star season with the Rockies in 2019, but Dahl has hit only .199/.236/.303 over 328 Major League plate appearances since the start of the 2020 campaign. Dahl didnt see any big league action in 2022, spending the year at the Triple-A affiliates of the Nationals and Brewers.

Dixons multi-position versatility will help the Padres address their depth needs in the outfield, but the club is definitely not in an ideal place with both Dahl and Adam Engel on the IL. Juan Soto and Trent Grisham are everyday starters, of course, and Fernando Tatis Jr. will soon be joining the mix once his PED suspension is up, but until then, San Diego has used backup Jose Azocar, Dahl, and converted infielder Rougned Odor in right field. Melvin suggested that Nelson Cruz might be an option for some right field work, even though Cruz hasnt played the outfield since 2018.
The Phillies announced that outfielder Jhailyn Ortiz cleared waivers and has been outrighted to their Triple-A affiliate Lehigh Valley. Ortiz had been designated for assignment earlier in the week.

Ortiz was added to Philadelphias 40-man roster ahead of the Rule 5 draft at the end of 2021, but is yet to appear in the big leagues. A high-profile international signing with a $4MM bonus in 2015, Ortiz moved up the Phillies minor league system as one of their better prospects. His raw power was always his big calling, but that came with a concerning strikeout rate as well.

He slugged 19 home runs in 74 games at High-A in 2021, but took a slight step back last year at Double-A, hitting 17 home runs across 119 games for a .237/.319/.415 line. That line came with 165 strikeouts over his 505 plate appearances. Nonetheless the Phillies started Ortiz in Triple-A this year, and having cleared waivers it appears thats where hell continue.

While the power is intriguing, its clear it wasnt enough to tempt the other 29 clubs to offer him a 40-man roster spot, even though Ortiz has a couple of option years remaining.
OAKLAND COUNTY, MI  Numerous reports of an active shooter at an outlet mall, which had shoppers running from the building, turned out to be false, Auburn Hills police said.

Police confirmed no shots were fired Saturday, April 8, at the Great Lakes Crossing Outlets, at 4000 Baldwin Road. No injuries were reported.

Just before 6 p.m., police were taking an unrelated theft report in the food court at the Auburn Hills-based mall when a group of juveniles started fighting.

An officer deployed their taser to subdue a combative person.

At some point, an unknown person yelled, Shots fired, and people in the mall started to run outside and away from the mall.

Police said social media and 911 calls were inundated with reports of an active shooter inside the mall. The officers handling the assault and battery situation were overwhelmed with the large crowd running.

Several police agencies responded to the scene for backup.

The mall initiated an active shooter warning message to customers and employees in the mall to either evacuate if safe to do so or shelter in place. The entire mall was searched by law enforcement officers.

During the initial fight two individuals were secured in handcuffs. Those individuals fled the mall and have not been located.

Detectives ask anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the Auburn Hills Police Department at 248-370-9444.

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In the spring of 2004, a vice president from Wal-Mart Real Estate Trust signed a development agreement with Houghton city officials that laid out conditions for the retail giant to expand an existing store on the south end of the city into a Walmart Supercenter.

The city would sell Walmart half an acre; give the company $300,000 to offset the costs of wetland mitigation work, including the relocation of Huron Creek; and agree to provide long-term environmental monitoring of the surrounding wetlands and drain systems.

Walmart, for its part, agreed to a $1.95 million increase in the taxable value of the property.

Except that, 13 years later, the retailer decided it was paying too much.

Walmart asked the Michigan Tax Tribunal in 2018 to reduce the stores taxable value to less than $4 million, a $700,000 decrease that would put the valuation lower than it had been in 2005 when the Walmart Supercenter opened. In 2021, with the case still pending, it filed another petition, asking for a taxable value of just over $3 million.

It offered up a now familiar and tremendously successful argument from big box retailers: that the store was best assessed not as the site of a successful business but as what it would be worth empty.

The so-called dark store argument has saved retail giants hundreds of millions of dollars in property taxes in Michigan alone over the last decade. It has cost cities, counties, libraries and fire departments and other units of local government the same amount, prompting cuts in staff and services.

It has survived a decade of complaints from municipal leaders, court challenges and multiple attempts by lawmakers to address the issue through legislation.

But the Houghton case has a difference from other cases, the signed development agreement that specified a property tax increase, and the case could be a test of the limits of the dark store theory.

The city is not only fighting the reassessment but has filed a lawsuit against Walmart Real Estate Business Trust in federal court, alleging breach of contract.

You see this time and time again throughout the state, where these communities with these big box stores, they welcome them into the community, they look to them for jobs and shopping experiences and economic development and they build roads, and they put water lines and sewer lines, and they do all these things, said Houghton City Manager Eric Waara. And then another arm of that company comes in and says, Well, you know, were going to exploit this loophole in Michigan tax law.

Its wrong, he said.

Walmart, for its part, said in a statement that its committed to the Houghton community, but added that like any property owner, we believe our property should be valued just like everyone elses. When we get a property tax bill, it should reflect the value of the land, brick, and mortar rather than the value of our business operations.

Dark store theory

The dark store theory was born, in part, out of the 2008 recession.

Big box stores closed. The massive buildings that housed them had few other obvious uses and, in some cases, restrictions on selling the buildings to competitors put in place by the companies themselves reduced the pool of potential buyers. They often sold for far less than theyd cost to build.

Michigan law allows assessors to determine the value of a property in three ways: based on replacement cost minus depreciation, based on the income a property generates and based on the sales of similar properties.

Retailers began to argue that sales of empty stores were the best indicator of what their properties were worth. The Michigan Tax Tribunal generally agreed.

What else are you going to use? said Carl Rashid Jr., a property tax lawyer with Dykema who has represented big box retailers. These buildings are not sold while theyre open and operating.

I certainly dont fault any assessor for trying to assess these properties at values above and beyond the market, he added. I mean, they, they look at it and they say, It costs x million dollars to build these things. How could it only be worth this much on resale?

But retailers have won cases arguing that even brand-new stores are worth less than they cost to build.

Menards held a grand opening for a new store outside of Kalamazoo in the fall of 2015, complete with a chainsaw carver, former players for the Detroit Lions and the brother of the chains founder.

But before the store had even opened, the company filed a petition with the Michigan Tax Tribunal arguing that the property, assessed at more than $12 million in 2015 based on land and construction costs, was worth only $5.6 million. The two sides ultimately settled on a value just under $7.5 million.

Menards has filed two additional petitions since, the most recent seeking to reduce the assessed value to $6.75 million.

Menards near Gull Road and North Sprinkle Road in Kalamazoo, Mich. Junfu HanJunfu Han

Escanaba

Menards was at the center of a key lawsuit that addressed the limits of the dark store argument. The retailer filed a motion in 2014, seeking to reduce the assessed value of its Escanaba store by roughly 60 percent for the previous three years.

The tribunal gave Menards most of what it wanted, despite complaints from the city that the companys assessor had compared the property to older buildings and buildings with deed restrictions, which the Escanaba store didnt have.

But the state Court of Appeals found some of the citys arguments convincing. It ordered the tax tribunal to gather more information on how deed restrictions impacted the price, if it couldnt find sufficient evidence, to eliminate deed-restricted properties from the analysis. It told the tribunal to give more consideration to value calculations based on the cost of construction minus depreciation.

This time around, the tribunal came back with values nearly $2 million higher. And roughly $3 million less than the citys original appraisal.

Menards argued the second time around that the stores building was largely obsolescent, that it would have required significant renovations to be used by another retailer.

And the way that they substantiated this obsolescence was with sales of vacant dark store properties, said James McNeil, Escanabas city manager and assessor. So even though [the tribunal] sort of listened to the Court of Appeals and did not consider the sales-comparison approach to value, they ended up using the sales-comparison approach to substantiate obsolescence in the cost approach and as a result, the dark store theory continued.

In an unpublished ruling last year, the Court of Appeals upheld the tribunals second round of assessments.

Settlements

These days, most municipalities choose to negotiate rather than wait for a ruling from the Tax Tribunal.

Of the 110 cases brought before the tribunal by Walmart and its subsidiaries since 2018, 93 have resulted in lower taxable values, often millions of dollars lower. All but one was a negotiated settlement. Eleven of the 110 cases are ongoing.

Local governments have watched the Tribunals past decisions, said Judy Allen, director of government relations with the Michigan Townships Association. They realize theyre often up against multinational companies.

Many of them are finding its better to try and work out a settlement than go through the costly appeal process of appealing and maybe not come out any further ahead, she said.

Michigan State Sen. Ed McBroom (R) during session in Lansing, Michigan on Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023. (Joel Bissell | MLive.com)Joel Bissell | MLive.com

State Sen. Ed McBroom represents the western portion of the Upper Peninsula, where dark store reassessments have hit local governments particularly hard.

He has proposed legislation in the past that would change the way property taxes are assessed on large retail stores, though the bills died in committee.

Now hes proposing what would essentially be an end run around the Michigan Tax Tribunal. Two bills that McBroom introduced in January would create county boards of revision, which would be responsible for review of property taxes for commercial and industrial properties valued at $600,000 or more.

Their decisions would be appealable to circuit courts, not the tribunal.

There seems to be nobody whos happy with the way the tribunal is handling these cases, McBroom said. The tribunal doesnt have the level of expertise, makes inconsistent rulings that are sometimes even contradictory to other judges on the tribunal, and it just seems clear that these high-value property tax cases are beyond the scope of the tribunal.

Several cities and counties in the Upper Peninsula have passed formal resolutions backing the legislation.

The Michigan Retailers Association and Michigan Chamber of Commerce have lined up against the bills.

Maintaining the states Tax Tribunal for these cases only makes sense, said Leah Robinson, the Chambers director of legislative affairs and leadership programming. They have the expertise in property tax issues, and it avoids a scattered, patchwork approach. Beyond that, moving to a new local system would likely add burdensome, costly delays that negatively impact both businesses and communities  not to mention inconsistency across the state.

Houghton

Houghton city officials have made a point of telling the public what they do for Walmart. Among other things, the store accounts for nearly 10 percent of the citys police calls.

Theyve also made a point of talking about what the city will lose if the reassessment the retailer is asking for goes through.

If the Michigan Tax Tribunal orders their lowered valuation, weve got over a million dollars to pay back retroactively to them, because theyre suing us back to 2018 Waara said. The city itself would owe them over $300,000, the school system nearly a half-a-million dollars, our local veterans organization, our senior citizen medical care facility, our public library, our intermediate school district, all have to pay Walmart back.

Other states have addressed the issue, he said. Maine and New York have both passed laws in recent years laying out alternate means of assessing big commercial properties.

For some reason, he said, Michigan just doesnt have the stomach to do it.
MONROE COUNTY, MI -- Police have made three arrests -- with potentially more to come -- in connection to the death of a woman found wrapped in a tarp in an abandoned detention center.

Troopers from the Michigan State Police have arrested three people suspected in the homicide of Kayla Sedoskey, police announced in a news release Saturday.

Sierra Bemis and Brian Smith were both arraigned April 7 on charges of open murder and conspiracy to commit homicide in the First District Court, police said.

A third suspect was arrested in Ohio the same day and faces the same charges as Bemis and Smith, police said. This womans name is being withheld pending her arraignment.

Sedoskeys body was found March 2 tied up and wrapped in a tarp at the abandoned Boysville Juvenile Detention Center north of Monroe, as reported by Fox 2 Detroit.

The Monroe County Prosecutors Office is still reviewing the incident for possible charges on other suspects, police said.

Anyone with further information relating to Sedoskeys death is asked to call Sgt. Michael Peterson at 734-242-3500.

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MONROE, MI -- A combative suspect left two deputies with minor injuries after a violent arrest Thursday night, police said.

At about 11:05 p.m. April 6, deputies from the Monroe County Sheriffs Office attempted a traffic stop on a stolen vehicle in the area of Stewart Road and North Telegraph Road, north of Monroe.

The driver of the suspect vehicle did not immediately stop, prompting a short pursuit that came to an end on North Macomb Street near Oakwood Street, police said.

The driver -- a 38-year-old Monroe woman -- was arrested as soon as the vehicle was stopped, police said. The front-seat passenger -- a 30-year-old man, also of Monroe -- quickly exited the vehicle and refused to cooperate, police said.

The man became violent and assaulted two deputies before he was subdued and arrested, police said.

Both deputies suffered minor injuries for which they were treated and released from a nearby hospital.

The vehicle -- a 2007 Pontiac SUV -- had been previously reported stolen out of Detroit. An 18-year-old passenger was released from the scene after being found to be uninvolved in the theft, police said.

The driver and 30-year-old man have been lodged at the Monroe County Jail facing criminal charges related to the theft and assault, police said.

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ANN ARBOR, MI - The downtown Ann Arbor Main Street resurfacing project is bringing a new set of closures. And progress on a new segment of the Washtenaw County Border-to-Border Trail will shutter a road along the Huron River.

Heres a list of road work that could affect commute times and travel across Washtenaw County for the week beginning Sunday, April 9.

ANN ARBOR

South Main Street: The street is closed between William and Liberty streets until Friday, May 5, for the first phase of a major resurfacing project. The Liberty and Main street intersection also is closed.

Local businesses will remain open, and pedestrians can still access the businesses in the Main Street commercial district. Crews will replace a water main, make crosswalk improvements and put new pavement on the crumbling downtown street.

The project will progress between Liberty and Huron streets between May and July, with additional sewer work at the Main and Huron intersection in July and August.

Read more: Expect closures for $8M project to fix Main Street in downtown Ann Arbor

Whats that under Ann Arbors Main Street? Mysterious bricks spark theories

William Street: The westbound street is closed at South Main Street as part of the resurfacing project, with the protected bike lanes at the intersection closed in both directions.

A subsequent closure of the eastbound lane of William at Main streets will also be necessary as part of the project, and officials say they will announce the traffic restrictions in advance.

Read more: Drivers and cyclists will be affected by new closures for Ann Arbor Main Street project

South State Street: The downtown street is closed to vehicle traffic between North University Avenue and Huron Street until Friday, Sept. 1, for the second phase of a major overhaul extending curb-less design in the area near the University of Michigan Diag.

The intersections on either side of the work zone will remain open. Regular updates can be found online from the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority.

Read more: 6-month closure coming as State Street overhaul resumes in downtown Ann Arbor

South Ashley and West Jefferson streets: South Ashley Street is closed to southbound traffic between Jefferson and William streets, while West Jefferson Street is completely closed between Ashley and First streets.

The closures are for a city sewer-lining project slated to conclude on Wednesday, April 12.

Read more: Sewer project shutting down Ann Arbor streets near downtown through Apri

East Hoover Avenue: The street is closed until Monday, May 8, in the westbound direction between State and South Division streets for a city sewer-lining project.

Platt Road: The road on the citys east side is reduced from four lanes to two between Packard Road and Huron Parkway until Friday, Aug. 1.

The restrictions will allow for crews to replace an existing water main, as well as replace curb, sidewalk and ramps while resurfacing Platt Road. Traffic will be reduced to one lane in each direction.

Read more: Traffic restrictions coming for 2 Ann Arbor water and sewer projects

Scio Church Road: A section of the road between South Seventh Street and South Maple Road is closed until May for a resurfacing project, bringing improvements for pedestrians and cyclists.

Construction on the first phase of the project is set to run through Friday, May 26, when Scio Church Road will reopen in the eastbound direction, and officials will notify residents of a new traffic pattern.

During the project, the Maple Road intersection will remain open to traffic turning left onto Maple or right onto Scio Church to ease congestion because of the damage to the Liberty Road I-94 overpass.

Read more: $3.58M resurfacing project set to begin, bringing closures to southwest Ann Arbor road

North Main Street: Northbound North Main Street from Huron Street to Ann Street will see a single-lane closure daily Monday through Saturday through Friday, April 14, for permit work.

University of Michigan Big House 5K closures: The race beginning on South State Street and ending at the Michigan Stadium will bring street closures between 5:30 and 10 a.m. Sunday, April 16. A course map is available here.

The closures include:

State Street from Dewey to North University avenues

Monroe Street from State to Tappan streets

Tappan from Monroe to South University Avenue

South University from Tappan to Church streets

Church from South University to Geddes Street

Geddes from Church to Fletcher Street

Fletcher from Geddes to Washington Street

Washington from Fletcher to Thayer Street

Thayer from Washington to North University

North University from Thayer to State

Madison from State Street to Division Street

Division from Madison to Hoover Avenue

Hoover from Madison to Greene Street and Keech Avenue (Michigan Stadium)

Long-term projects: North Fifth Avenue from Detroit to Catherine streets will have a lane shift through June 2024 for a new development.

Eastbound South University Avenue traffic between East University Avenue and Church Street is closed long-term for high-rise construction.

The Liberty Road bridge over I-94 is reduced to single-lane traffic, with temporary traffic signals, until further notice after being damaged by a truck on March 13. The Michigan Department of Transportation plans to design and contract for a bridge replacement, officials say, though no timeline has been released for the project.

OTHER WASHTENAW COUNTY PROJECTS:

Pittsfield Township - U.S. 23/Michigan Avenue: A major project widening Michigan Avenue in Pittsfield Township and upgrading the U.S. 23 interchange will cause shoulder closures and intermittent nightly lane closures on a stretch of U.S. 23 south of Ann Arbor.

The construction is scheduled to run through November. Pittsfield Township is posting regular updates here.

Read more: Closures coming to U.S. 23 near Ann Arbor for $69M construction project

York Township - U.S. 23/Willis Road interchange: Willis Road at U.S. 23 is closed in both directions through late June as bridge construction takes place, with a detour route available here.

The eastbound Willis Road ramp to northbound U.S. 23 also is closed during the project. The detour route is here.

Read more: U.S. 23 closing for bridge demolition, ramp construction in Washtenaw County

Pittsfield Township - Michigan Avenue: Michigan Avenue near the I-94 interchange will see daily single-lane closures for permit work.

They will be present Monday through Friday in both directions at Hunt Club Drive until April 17.

Sylvan/Lima townships - I-94: The interstate will see a single lane closure in the westbound direction between Freer Road and the Washtenaw/Jackson county line for construction Monday through Saturday between Monday, April 10 and Thursday, April 20.

Lyndon/Sylvan townships - Various roads: Several roads in the townships will see intermittent lane restrictions through July for a Consumer Energy natural gas pipeline replacement project. A project map is available here.

Pittsfield Township - Morgan Road: The road between Carpenter Road and U.S. 12/Michigan Avenue is closed for sanitary sewer installation until June 30. A detour map is available here. This project has been extended.

Pittsfield Township - Intersection of Morgan Road and Platt Road: The intersection will see intermittent lane closures until April 14 for a private road installation.

Pittsfield Township - Platt Road: The road will see intermittent lane closures between Bemis Road and Michigan Avenue through September for construction of a non-motorized pathway.

Pittsfield Township - Crane Road: The road between Textile Road and Michigan Avenue will be closed April 10 through Wednesday, May 26 for sanitary sewer installation. A detour map is available here.

Pittsfield Township - Intersection of Packard Road and Woodland Hills Drive: The intersection will see lane restrictions through Friday, April 21 for utility work.

Pittsfield/Ypsilanti townships - Textile Road: The road will see intermittent lane closures running through April 21 between Crane Road and Rawsonville Road for forestry and drainage improvements. This project has been extended.

Saline Township - Lindsley Road: The road between Hack and Arkona roads will see intermittent lane restrictions through April 14 for forestry work.

Scio Township - Huron River Drive: The road will be closed between Zeeb and Wagner roads for culvert work happening alongside construction of a new segment of the Washtenaw County Border-to-Border Trail between April 10 and April 16.

Read more: Road closing for Washtenaw County Border-to-Border Trail construction

Superior Township - Intersection of MacArthur Boulevard and Harris Road: The intersection will see intermittent lane restrictions for pedestrian improvements between April 10 and April 21.

York Township - Hack Road: The road between Maple and Ridge roads will see intermittent lane restrictions through April 21 for forestry work. This project has been extended.

York Township - Judd Road: The road will see intermittent lane restrictions through April 14 for forestry work between U.S. 23 and Carpenter Road and also between Platt Road and U.S. 23.

York Township - Moon Road: The road between Stony Creek Road and Saline-Milan Road will see intermittent lane closures beginning Monday and running through April 14 for forestry work.

Ypsilanti - Clark Road: The road will see intermittent lane restrictions west of Leforge Road until April 30 for forestry work.

Ypsilanti Township - Ruth Avenue: The avenue will see daytime lane closures between Georgina Street and Hull Avenue for DTE Energy gas line replacement.

An updated list of Ann Arbor city street closures is available online here. The weekly Washtenaw County Road Commission schedule is here. And the MDOT road closure map is here.

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FLINT, MI  A Flint native was recognized as a top high school jazz bassist in the nation after being selected to Music for Alls Jazz Band of America.

Peyton Gaddis, born in Flint and now a student at Taylor High School in Kokomo, Indiana, was the sole bass player selected among 18 students from across the country.

It is a prestigious jazz band that selects the best performing high school students from across the country for one honors ensemble festival from March 30 to April 2.

The Jazz Band of America performance can be viewed at this YouTube link.

Gaddis, 18, originally started playing because he wanted to get involved with his schools band programs and liked music. He started taking bass lessons, working on skills with his instructor and learned quickly how to navigate the instrument through videos online.

While (the bass) is not necessarily a leading instrument, as a supporting instrument, it tends to be a pretty versatile one because of its ability to play through chords, outline chords and harmony, Gaddis said. Because the notes are so low, theres an almost rhythmic aspect to each thing that you do on it.

Gaddis gave credit to his fellow band members that helped his music sound so good. He said he plays better when he is surrounded by other musicians.

Music is very temporal. It happens over a period of time, and it can grow and sort of develop and warp and mold itself into all kinds of things, Gaddis said. It can be incredibly interactive, especially in the context of jazz.

Gaddis father, Omar, is glad that his son found something that hes passionate about  music.

For him to be selected for this honor, I would say Im just blown away, Omar said. ... He learned a good work ethic from me and his mom and hes applying it in a positive way.

Gaddis was born and raised in Flint but moved out of the state when he was about 14 years old.

The bassist is heading to Indiana University Bloomington to join the Jacobs School of Music next year.

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GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- Children got a chance to hunt for Easter eggs and pet kitties at Second Chance Cats of West Michigans inaugural spring egg hunt.

Families were encouraged to come and bring children of all ages to participate in the Friday event at the nonprofit, located at 1120 Knapp St NE, Suite B.

My biggest thing is that we want to be a welcoming environment for children, said Laura Moody, director of Second Chance Cats of West Michigan, who said approximately 40 people attended the April 7 hunt. It turned out really well.

Moody said the event went so well they ran out of eggs. She said they initially started with around 200 eggs before getting more.

The cats really benefit from our events because of all the attention they get, Moody said. The shyer cats come out of their shell.

She said during the egg hunt they also showed children how to interact with cats.

For information about adopting a cat, visit the nonprofits website here. Follow Second Chance Cats of West Michigan on Facebook, Instagram and Tik Tok for updates on new events.

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A seemingly never-ending political crisis is plunging oil-rich Kuwait's economy into the mire, affecting basic services and causing mounting public concern.

Despite its large oil reserves, Kuwaits hospitals and educational services are falling through as the wealthy Gulf region's only fully elected parliament struggles.

Ahmed al-Sarraf, a businessman and newspaper columnist, says his concerns are growing as the country falters.

"I feel great anxiety for my family, for the future of my grandchildren, for their education, and for my health," the former banker told AFP.

"This situation is generating great misery."

Kuwait, which borders Saudi Arabia and Iraq, is home to seven percent of the world's crude reserves. It has little debt and one of the strongest sovereign wealth funds worldwide.

However, it suffers from constant stand-offs between elected lawmakers and cabinets making it difficult to pass necessary reforms to diversify the economy. While repeated budget deficits and low foreign investment have added to the air of gloom.

The latest twist came last month, when the constitutional court dissolved an opposition-controlled assembly over alleged electoral irregularities and reinstated the previous parliament.

"Political dysfunction"

Kuwait's parliament has now been dissolved around a dozen times in its 61-year history.

In January, Kuwait's government resigned three months after it was sworn in due to disputes with lawmakers. It was the sixth government in just three years.

Kuwait's neighbours the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar have managed to transform their desert nations into booming modern metropolises, largely thanks to oil wealth and foreign investment.

Led by a new generation of rulers, they are stepping up projects to wean their hydrocarbon-centred economies away from oil.

Meanwhile Kuwait, led by 82-year-old Crown Prince Mishal al-Ahmad al-Jaber Al-Sabah, is struggling to implement a reform plan adopted in 2018.

"We were a liberal and innovative country in the 1980s... but we died out while the countries around us developed," the businessman Sarraf said.

According to economist Justin Alexander, "political dysfunction" has kept Kuwait from living up to its full economic potential.

The paralysis "has prevented it from taking painful reforms to control spending growth, generate non-oil revenue, diversify its economy or even invest to maintain its oil production capacity," the Gulf expert said.

Kuwait, which posted large deficits during the Covid-19 pandemic, was buoyed last year by the rise in oil prices, which generate most of the state's income.

But as prices stabilise, the country's budget deficit is expected to widen.

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GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.  As Grand Rapids bolsters its mental-health service network, participants say the successes are reflected in the individuals whose lives are impacted.

Below are stories shared by a Grand Rapids psychiatrist at a new behavioral health urgent care center; a police sergeant now focused on behavioral health crisis intervention and a social worker who works with the homeless.

Related: Grand Rapids major effort to fundamentally reform behavioral health services becoming a model for others

The psychiatrist

Business is brisk at the Pine Rest Psychiatric Urgent Care in suburban Grand Rapids, which opened in 2019.

Dr. Bibhas Singla says hes has seen patients come from as far away as Michigans Upper Peninsula or Indiana.

At a time when most psychiatrists are booked months in advance and finding a therapist with an opening can be difficult, the Pine Rest urgent care offers same-day appointments and accommodates walk-ins  and its open seven days a week.

Related: Psychiatric urgent care in Grand Rapids is drawing people from across the state

That kind of access makes a huge difference for patients, Singla said.

He offered examples of three recent patients  one in acute crisis, one with an escalating condition and the other with a routine request, but all with issues requiring immediate attention.

His first example: A young man with psychosis who finally agreed to get help, as long as he could go to a clinic vs. a hospital emergency department.

The mom told me that they had been trying to bring him somewhere for a couple months, but the kid would not go, Singla said. This was the day that he said, OK, fine, Ill do it, and they got in the car right away because it was a window of opportunity, showing the value of a walk-in clinic.

His second example: A 30-something wife and mother edging towards a mental breakdown.

She had struggled with symptoms of anxiety and depression in the past, she told Singla, but was able to power through without treatment.

But life had gotten more stressful after she had children, she returned to work and then the pandemic hit.

I cant keep doing this, she told Singla. Im not able to be the parent that I want to be. Im the not the spouse I want to be.

As an alternative to inpatient care, Singla got the woman enrolled in a weeklong day program where she could get intensive assessment and treatment.

A third example: A young woman needing authorization to refill a prescription for anxiety medication.

Her doctor had recently retired, she had yet to see a new provider and now she was only taking her medication every other day to make it last. But symptoms of anxiety and depression were returning.

Related: Corewell Health, Pine Rest to partner on behavioral health initiative

No problem, Singla told her. Still, as he filled out the order for the prescription, the patient burst into tears of gratitude.

It showed, he said, the importance of the urgent care even for patients with easy-to-handle needs.

The police sergeant

Sgt. John Wittkowski of the Grand Rapids Police Department has long been interested in the intersection between police work and behavioral health disorders.

About a third of police calls involve a behavioral health issue, he said, from suicide attempts, to people experiencing psychotic breaks, to hoarders, to dysfunctional family dynamics that result in a police call.

Now Wittkowski is leading the police departments work with the citys Homeless Outreach Team and the mental health co-response team. In both programs, police are paired with social workers so that 911 calls or other police work can bring about more effective outcomes.

A recent example, he said, involved two middle-schoolers picked up at a local shopping mall in the middle of the school day.

Clearly, something was up, Wittkowski said. Theyre being very invasive about why theyre there, giving me the song and dance they dont know where they live or whats their phone number.

Wittkowski was patient. I told them youre not in trouble with me. I know youre skipping school. I skipped school. I just want to get your home.

One teen called his mother to get picked up. Wittkowski drove the other teen, a girl, to her house.

He spoke to her mother and found the girl has some significant behavioral issues that are related to everything thats going on her life. The issues were severe enough that the girl already has a probation officer at age 13.

Related: $62M mental-health hospital for children to be built in Grand Rapids area

Wittkowski found out the girl had yet to receive counseling services and provided the mother with information about a program he thought might be helpful.

So, its some complex things that we only learn through discussion and interaction, he said. You just got to keep digging and digging and digging.

The social worker

Victoria Sluga oversees StreetReach, a group of Pine Rest programs that assist homeless individuals in securing appropriate treatment, benefits and permanent housing.

She recalled one client who was living in a rural setting on an island. The man in his 50s had issues with substance abuse and mental illness, including anxiety.

He cautiously befriended members of Slugas team, and gradually began to accept their help.

They got him a tent, some hygiene products, some bus passes. The team then got him enrolled in Medicaid, food stamps and got him a cell phone.

Then Sluga began working with him more intensely, to qualify him for Social Security Disability.

It required months of collecting medical and other records and meeting with a psychiatrist. It was a difficult project complicated by the mans anxiety, which limited his ability to sit long for in-depth conversations about his life history.

Yet the process was not only successful, but it also motivated the man to get treatment as well as permanent housing.

We got to see him move towards recovery and have a lot of his needs met, Sluga said. It wasnt just us; he chose to walk with us. He ended up passing away from a terminal illness, but he was able to be in his home.

It was just a wonderful success story.

Editors Note: This story is part of the Mental Wellness Project, a solutions-oriented journalism initiative covering mental health issues in southwest Michigan, created by the Southwest Michigan Journalism Collaborative. Visit swmichjournalism.com to learn more.

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MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI  A township supervisor is facing recall for his role, including offering up some of his property, in a large and controversial solar energy project in northern Muskegon County.

Recall language aimed at White River Township Supervisor Michael Cockerill was approved by the Muskegon County Election Commission on Monday, April 3.

Cockerill has 10 days to appeal the decision, after which a court hearing would be held within 40 days to determine if the language is appropriate.

The recall cites, in part, an alleged conspiracy by Cockerill to bring the massive solar project to the township that he kept secret. It also states that he failed to disclose his financial interest in the project.

Lakeside Solar LLC, a subsidiary of National Grid Renewables, has proposed a 1,700-acre solar array in the township that initially had the backing of the township board.

However, following public backlash, the board in January enacted a six-month moratorium on any new solar projects. That prompted a lawsuit against the township from Lakeside Solar that is pending in U.S. District Court.

In the meantime, township officials have drawn up zoning ordinance amendments that would limit such commercial solar energy projects to about 500 acres. Those amendments will be the focus of a planning commission public hearing on April 19.

Related: Solar power developer sues township for failing to consider large project in West Michigan

Cockerill has agreed to lease some of this farm property to National Grid Renewables for the Lakeside Solar project, township Attorney Clifford Bloom wrote in a letter to township Clerk Patti Sargent in December 2022.

That resulting financial interest creates a conflict of interest for Cockerill, who should recuse himself from any proceedings related to solar energy facilities, Bloom wrote.

MLive/Muskegon Chronicle was not able to reach Cockerill for comment. His published phone number goes directly to a phone recording that says voice mail has not been set up.

The following is the approved recall language against Cockerill:

Prior to his 2020 re-election Cockerill conspired with others to form Lakeside Solar LLC to bring a massive solar panel project to the Township, representing substantial financial benefits to all founders. In violation of Michigan Ethics Act MCL 15.341 he kept this secret until late 2022. As supervisor he continues to conduct township business presiding at Board meetings, with access to all Planning and Zoning activities without disclosing his financial interest. His involvement has never been formally disclosed to the public nor did he recuse himself over his first two years in office.

The lawsuit against the township notes that Lakeside Solar has been working on the project for three years. In December 2019, White River Township enacted a zoning ordinance governing solar energy systems that it developed in collaboration with Lakeside Solar, the lawsuit states.

But that spirit of working together fell apart after some township officials who were against the project sent out a public opinion survey that prompted organized opposition to begin to develop, the lawsuit says.

Dave Pickard, who submitted the recall language, told MLive/The Muskegon Chronicle that Cockerill conspired with about a dozen other landowners on the solar project.

There has not been on his part, to my knowledge, a confession if you will that I have this interest that will benefit me, Pickard said.

Meanwhile, Cockerill was participating in township activities surrounding the solar project, including development of the solar ordinance, Pickard said. Meeting minutes show that Cockerill abstained from voting when that ordinance was approved.

Related: Large solar energy project proposed for northern Muskegon County topic of upcoming forum

Pickard is opposed to the 1,700-acre proposal, saying it will impact such birds as sandhill cranes, kestrels and other raptors that need open farm fields.

It will affect the general health, safety and general welfare of the people who live immediately adjacent to these fields as theyre going to look out their windows and thats all theyre going to see, he said.

He said team captains are standing ready to circulate the recall petitions. According to MLive calculations, 219 signatures  25% of township votes cast in the last gubernatorial election  will be needed to put the recall question on the Nov. 7 ballot.

While opposition to the solar farm has organized, mainly through the Stop Industrial Solar in White River Township group, so has support for it. The White Lake Area Climate Action Council has embraced solar energy, though it believes some amendments to the Lakeside Solar proposal are needed.

The solar project would produce up to 200 megawatts of energy, according to National Grid Renewables website.

Lakeside Solar submitted a special land use request, required under the new solar ordinance, in November 2022. At first, the township indicated a public hearing on the request would be held in January, the lawsuit states. But that hearing was canceled under the influence of anti-solar citizen-opposition groups and never rescheduled, the lawsuit states.

Instead, the six-month moratorium on solar projects was adopted in order to work on amendments to the townships solar ordinance, according to township meeting minutes.

The lawsuit asks the court to order the township to remove the moratorium and promptly consider the special land use application for the solar project. It also seeks reimbursement of an unspecified amount of attorneys fees, costs and damages.

Lakeside Solar has spent more than $1.6 million on the project for a variety of expenses, including landowner payments, according to the lawsuit.

The proposed solar ordinance amendments for which the planning commission will hold a public hearing include, among other items, limits on solar installations to 5% of township land, or about 500 acres, and requires setbacks for utility-scale solar components and required fencing. Among those are a 600-foot setback from any lot line or road.

The current limit ranges from 15 to 50 feet from property lines and 100 feet from lots of residences that arent part of the solar array.

The proposed amendments also would prohibit any utility-scale solar energy system from prime agricultural soils or areas and require the applicant to ensure impacts on wildlife  including their movement -- and surface and groundwater as well as other environmental concerns are addressed and minimized.

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SAGINAW, MI  Dropping eggs in liquid dye is a tradition in many homes for Easter.

Castle Museum of Saginaw County Historys Chief Curator Sandy Schwan takes the egg dying tradition a few steps further as she shares her Czech roots with the community through a workshop.

I have always loved Easter, I love the colors and spring has always been so much fun for me, Schwan said. Then when I can tie in something that is part of my heritage, even better.

Schwan starts her workshops off by sharing her family history and then talking about how she became involved with Kraslice, the Czech folk style of egg decorating. She is second generation Czech-American as her great grandparents moved to the Saginaw area over 100 years ago.

Schwans parents, Elaine and Arthur Schwan, often attend her classes to support her while also helping out when they can.

Its heartwarming because Ive never done it and never even said I wanted to do it, Elaine said about decorating an egg with a chuckle. But I enjoy the eggs and every time shed bring one home Id say Oh pretty and stick it in my coat.

Elaine said shed move them into a cupboard, but it got too full, so now they have many tubs filled with Schwans delicately decorated eggs.

While the Schwan family didnt participate in Kraslice, Elaine said Schwan showed an interest in their cherished family heirloom eggs her grandparents brought over to the United States as they set behind glass to be looked at, but never touched.

Years later, Elaine showed an article to Schwan that there was a Kraslice class being offered in Midland. When Schwan tried to go, the class was full.

She did attend the following year and fell in love with it. The Czech artist, Betty Kepka Belton, who was out of Kansas, ended up teaching a class at the Castle Museum the following year.

After that, Belton asked Schwan if she wanted to be her apprentice. Schwan spent seven years as Beltons apprentice and 15 years as a close friend before she passed away.

Through her roots, the apprenticeship and friendship, the popular Kraslice workshops hosted by Schwan at the Castle Museum came to fruition.

People come up with some amazing colors; they come up with some amazing designs, Schwan said. Im only jealous that I dont have the time to sit down next to them and work with them.

Kraslice, which translates to beautiful or embellished egg, is a specific technique of using a small tool to drag beeswax on the egg to create designs and then dyeing them.

Each person gets to decorate their own egg and Schwan dyes them. Schwans parents strike up conversations with the participants and helps them pick out their ribbon or fix their decorating tools.

Schwan said the workshops in March this year represented the highest attendance yet.

Its about people coming together and having a good time and creating memories and hopefully an egg they get to enjoy for Easter, Schwan said.

If youre interested in taking the workshop next year, contact Schwan at 989-752-2861 ext. 309 or sschwan@castlemuseum.org.

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Learn Kraslice, the Czech folk style of egg decorating, at the Castle Museum
Hello and happy Easter Sunday to those who celebrate!

The Michigan legislature is set to return to session Tuesday after a two-week hiatus, and with that Im sure well be seeing the usual hustle and bustle return to Lansing.

Interestingly enough, this week in Michigan politics we saw Floridas governor (and a potential candidate for the presidency in 2024) visit the state, a former Michigan House Speaker plead guilty for bribery, the states abortion ban formally repealed and more.

To read more, check out the links below:

Ron DeSantis, eyeing presidency, tests campaign message in Michigan

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis received thunderous applause and a standing ovation after speaking for nearly an hour Thursday, April 6 to a crowd of more than 600 that included a whos-who of Michigan conservative politics.

Our bottom line is we do not surrender to the woke mob, DeSantis said as keynote speaker for the Midland County GOPs annual spring fundraiser. Floridas where woke goes to die.

DeSantis, who was reelected to a second term in November, has been touring his new book, The Courage to Be Free: Floridas Blueprint for Americas Revival. Last month, he visited swing states Georgia and Nevada.

Its fair to say that he might run for president, but lets be honest, hes running for president, said David Dulio, a political science professor at Oakland University. Its the worst kept secret in American politics.

DeSantis visit to Michigan, which includes time at conservative Hillsdale College, was his first stop in this key battleground state after emerging as possibly the best choice to dethrone former President Donald Trump as GOP nominee in 2024.

Ex-Michigan House speaker, 3 others plead guilty in marijuana bribery probe

Rick Johnson, the former chair of Michigans now defunct Medical Marijuana Licensing Board, has pleaded guilty alongside three others as part of a public corruption probe surrounding the states system for regulating medical marijuana.

Johnson, a Republican who also served as speaker of the state House of Representatives from 2001 through 2004, has been charged with accepting bribes as part of his role on the marijuana board, said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten at a press conference Thursday, April 6.

The board itself was responsible for, among other things, granting or denying licenses for a number of roles within the marijuana industry including growers, processors and provisioning centers.

Michigans 1931 abortion ban, defeated by voters in 2022, is formally repealed

A near-total ban on abortions from 1931 was stricken from Michigan law Wednesday, April 5, further protecting access to abortion after voters placed that right in the state constitution last November.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer convened with lawmakers and reproductive rights advocates in Birmingham to sign the bills. Michiganders had enshrined the right to an abortion in Michigans constitution last November by a nearly 14% margin, formally nullifying the law and carrying Democrats to a historic victory.

In November it passed and we spoke with one clear voice: No one is going to restrict our reproductive rights and freedoms in this state. No one, Whitmer said at the bill signing. We saw that abortion is and always will be a kitchen table issue.

LGBTQ child custody case goes before Michigan Supreme Court

The Michigan Supreme Court has heard arguments from attorneys about who can have custody of a child born to an unmarried same-sex couple, based on a Kalamazoo County case.

Carrie Pueblo, the non-biological mother of a child born in November 2008, should be allowed joint custody with her now-ex partner, attorney Reh Starks said during oral arguments on Tuesday, April 4, before the Michigan Supreme Court.

Rachel Haas and Pueblo, both Kalamazoo County residents, had a civil commitment ceremony in 2007 because they could not legally marry. Haas later gave birth to a boy conceived through in vitro fertilization.

The couple broke up before gay marriage was legalized by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2015. In 2017, Haas would not allow Pueblo to have any more contact with the child, according to Pueblo.

There was no option for Pueblo to legally adopt the boy by the time of their breakup.

Tensions with China overshadow rural Michigan battery plant

Gotion announced plans last year to invest $2.4 billion and create 2,350 jobs at two sprawling battery plants in Big Rapids and Green Charter Township.

Intense scrutiny swirling around Gotions Chinese parent company has led to packed public meetings, scrutiny from lawmakers and a reported pause on the Big Rapids plant. Criticism grew louder in recent months as strained relations between U.S. and China frayed over export controls, spy balloons and TikTok.

The latest flashpoint happened when Green Charter Township moved an April 5 panel discussion to an online-only meeting out of security concerns.

This is merely being hosted by Green Township with the intent of trying to get actual information out instead of fearmongering propaganda, said Green Charter Township supervisor Jim Chapman.

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A well-ventilated classroom with appropriate and adequate number of desks and pupils is desired to promote effective teaching and learning. However, for some schools such as Kpalbe Islamic Kindergarten/Primary School, this condition remains an elusive dream.

The Kpalbe Islamic Kindergarten/Primary School, which is located in the capital town of the North East Gonja District of the Savannah Region, currently has a total of 530 pupils, and more than half of the pupils do not have furniture to sit on during classes. Currently, there are 88 pupils in class two, 115 pupils in class three (class divided into two), and 71 pupils in class four, a situation, which is against the Ghana Education Service prescribed 35 pupils per class standard.

Therefore, three to four pupils occupy a dual desk instead of two pupils per dual desk whilst a sizeable number of them sit on the bare floor to study. Those in kindergarten (1) and (2) do not have furniture neither do they have teachers to teach them. Due to the congestion, the classrooms are always hot especially in this dry season when the daily temperatures hover around 40 degrees Celcius.

The situation is not different at Kidenge Presby Kindergarten/Primary School where about half of its total of 152 pupils, do not have furniture to sit on coupled with inadequate number of teachers to handle them. The situation at the Kpalbe Islamic Kindergarten/Primary School and the Kidenge Presby Kindergarten/Primary School reflects the reality at all the 52 public basic schools in the district. As the children sit on the bare floor, their uniforms are always dirty. The situation also discourages some children from remaining in school whilst some parents capitalise on the challenges as a demotivating factor for not sending their children to school. In view of this, school drop-out rate is high in the district coupled with high numbers of out-of-school children in the communities.

Infrastructure deficits, and impact on students performance

According to data on enrollment, furniture, classrooms, and teachers compiled in February, this year by the North East Gonja District Directorate of Education, currently there are 52 public basic schools in the district with a total population of 8,481. Out the figure, 2,671 pupils were in kindergarten, 4,990 pupils were in primary school, and 820 students were in junior high school. However, more than half of the 8,481 pupils and students in the district do not have furniture. On classrooms, the data showed that the district currently has 224 classroom blocks and needs additional 66 classroom blocks to address the challenge of congestion.

In the area of availability of teachers, the data indicated that the district currently has 276 teachers and needs additional 150 teachers to effectively handle the children. This situation is negatively impacting quality basic education delivery in the area. According to the District Directorate of Education, in 2019, out of 256 candidates from the area, who sat for the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), 110 got aggregates from six to 30. Also, in 2020, 296 candidates sat for the BECE and 206 got the pass mark whilst in 2021, 316 candidates sat for the BECE where 179 got the pass grade.

Mr Seidu Tanko, Assemblyman for Kpalbe Electoral Area, in an interview at Kpalbe, said The state of the schools or education in my electoral area is very bad and poor. We are far behind. Teacher problem was facing Kpalbe Islamic Kindergarten/Primary School but now it is better. The upper primary has teachers. It is the Kindergarten (1) and (2) pupils, who are now there without teachers. We are appealing to the District Directorate of Education to try to get teachers for them.

The interventions

As outlined above, the challenges confronting the basic education sector in the North East Gonja District are enormous and therefore, require an all hands-on-deck approach to addressing them. To this end, the Assembly is collaborating with some development partners to respond to the challenges.

Mr Mohammed Musah Tindawu, North East Gonja District Chief Executive (DCE), in an interview at Kpalbe, said even though the Assembly was challenged in terms of resources to respond to the myriad of challenges facing the area, it prioritised quality education for the children.

Mr Tindawu said in view of this, last year, the Assembly procured and distributed 500 dual desks to schools in the area adding This year, we are working to procure and distribute 1,000 dual desks to the schools as part of efforts to address the situation. This is because if the school block is there and the furniture is not there, it still comes to square one.

He said the Assembly was selected to benefit from the Gulf of Guinea Northern Regions Social Cohesion (SOCO) project and as a result of the many education infrastructure deficits, the Assembly had decided to commit more resources from this project into the construction of new classroom blocks and rehabilitation of dilapidated ones to address the issue of congestion in the classrooms in the area.

The SOCO project is a multi-country multi-million dollar initiative to provide support to the northern parts of the Gulf of Guinea countries that suffer instabilities due to food insecurity, climate change, conflict and violence.

Mr Tindawu lauded the activities of the Citizen-led Educational Accountability and Responsiveness in Ghana (CLEAR) project in the district saying it awoken the consciousness of citizen groups especially parents to prioritise their childrens education.

The CLEAR project, which is being implemented in the district by School for Life, an NGO, with funding support from the Global Partnership for Education under the Education Out Loud programme, seeks to mobilise citizens groups, and build their capacities to be able to engage education stakeholders with the aim of addressing the many challenges facing basic education delivery in their communities.

The DCE said a number of citizens groups from the CLEAR project communities had engaged the Assembly on issues of classroom infrastructure and he had committed to support in addressing some of them.

He mentioned that the Kpandu and Jinlo citizen groups had engaged him to request of him to pay attention to their classroom situation assuring that the Assembly would construct a new school block for the people of Kpandu while Jinlo would also get a JHS block.

He added that some of the schools would also receive a face-lift through renovation works.

Mr Richard Achinani Sepaga, North East Gonja District Director of Education, in an interview at Kpalbe, acknowledged that the situation was not the best but added that efforts were being made to address the challenges.

He also touched on the CLEAR Project saying it was sensitising the citizens on their role to support education delivery in the districts while building their capacities to hold the education duty-bearers accountable to deliver on their mandate of providing quality education to the people.

He said the CLEAR approach is helping in shaping the minds of the people to prioritise the education of their children adding It has awoken us the duty-bearers to be more responsive to the issues of the people.

Mr Sayibu Ibrahim, Chairman, School Management Committee, Kpalbe Islamic Kindergarten/Primary School said through the activities of the CLEAR project, parents had started contributing money to clad a pavilion at the school to serve as additional classrooms to reduce congestion at the school.

He said they were working on their action plans gradually and that they would continue to engage the relevant bodies to address their demands.

Governments education sector priorities

The Education Strategic Plan (ESP) 2018-2030 acknowledged the challenges in the countrys basic education sector and set out a strategic goal for the sector, which is Improved equitable access to and participation in quality basic education. According to the ESP 2018-2030, basic education should provide all learners with the foundational skills and confidence to prepare themselves to make informed choices and choose between different learning streams at secondary level. Whilst the country is in the fifth year of the implementation of the ESP 2018-2030, not much has been done to ameliorate the challenges bedeviling the basic education sector in most parts of the country especially rural areas. At the global level, the government is a signatory to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) where SDG (4) emphasises access to quality education. This requires a lot more action on the ground through allocation of resources to address the challenges.

The way forward

There is no denying the fact that it is generally difficult to study under conditions such as what prevails in the North East Gonja District. Even though the District Assembly, and the District Directorate of Education are aware of the challenges bedeviling the basic education sector in the area, and are determined to reverse the trend, they need to double up their efforts to address the situation such that the children will not just go through the school but will receive quality education to prepare them for the future. This is critical to fulfilling the objectives of the countrys ESP 2018-20230, as well as enhancing the countrys efforts at attaining the SDGs (4).
A team of European scientists camped in the Arctic this week started drilling to extract samples of ancient ice before they're melted away by climate change.

The French, Italian and Norwegian researchers travelled to the Holtedahlfonna icefield in Norway's Svalbard Archipelago  a rugged, remote terrain of glaciers and frozen tundra that lies between mainland Norway and the North Pole.

Setting up camp at an altitude of 1,100 metres, the team is tasked with collecting two 125-metre ice cores to better understand Arctic amplification  the phenomenon by which the Arctic is warming as much as four times faster than the rest of the world in recent decades.

Ice steeped in history

The Ice Memory Foundation behind the operation says the team is in a race against time to preserve valuable ice records so they can be used by future generations of scientists to study historic environmental conditions.

This is because melted ice is leaking down and altering the geochemical records dating back three centuries.

While the South Pole lies on the continental land mass that is Antarctica, the North Pole sits squarely in the Arctic Ocean  a delicate landscape of snow and ice that has been undergoing massive changes in recent years.

Satellite images help to track the changes taking place in the Arctic, a vast and remote region where the extreme cold and long periods of darkness make conditions difficult on the ground.

Daunting task

Experts will work for three weeks in temperatures as low as minus 25 degrees Celsius to extract metre-long cylinders of the precious ice.

The Svalbard is the eigth drilling operation for the Ice Memory Foundation, which collects and preserve ice cores around the world, from the polar regions to the Alps and the Andes .

One sample from the Holtedahlfonna icefield will be stored for centuries in an ice memory sanctuary under the snow in the Antarctic, while the other will be subject to immediate study.

The Ice Memory Foundation was founded by the University Grenoble Alpes, the CNRS, the French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development, the French Polar Institute, Ca' Foscari University of Venice, the CNR in Italy and Switzerland's Paul Scherrer Institute.
09.04.2023 LISTEN

National Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Sammy Gyamfi has lambasted former Minister of State at the National Security, Bryan Acheampong.

This was after the new Minister of Food and Agriculture warned the NDC that any attempt to use intimidation and harassment to win the 2024 general elections will be met in equal measure by the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

We will show NDC that we have the men if they want to do intimidate, harass us or do anything foolish during the 2024 elections.

It will not happen that we will hand over power to NDC. We'll use any means for NPP to stay in power, Bryan Acheampong stressed while addressing NPP followers on Saturday, April 8, at the end of a health walk at Mpraeso.

Reacting to these comments, Sammy Gyamfi has described Bryan Acheampong's comment as ludicrous tantrums.

He has urged NDC followers to ignore Bryan Acheampong while teasing the Abetifi MP that he only served as a mere Airman Basic in the US Air Force.

Sovereignty resides in the people and not in a man who only served as a mere Airman Basic (the lowest enlisted rank in the United States Air Force immediately below airman) for about 2 years.

Majority of the Ghanaian electorate will surely vote for change come 2024 and nobody can subvert their will.

If Bryan and his ilk are motivated by getting away with the evil they perpetrated during the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-elections and the 2020 elections, then they are sorely mistaken, for it will not be business as usual. Notice is hereby served, Sammy Gyamfi warned in a post on his Facebook page.

It now appears the battle lines have been drawn for the two largest political parties ahead of the 2024 general elections.

Both the NPP and the NDC are gearing up to elect their flagbearers for the next election by end of this year.
09.04.2023 LISTEN

With joyous congregational services and some processions across the country, Christians in Ghanaare today joining their counterparts worldwide to commemoratethe resurrection of Jesus Christ some 2000 years ago.

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ, hailed as the son of God who accepted to die to atone for the sins of man, is the cornerstone of the Christian faith.

Some accounts in the New Testament reveal that the resurrection occurred on the third day after his burial, which followed his crucifixion by the Romans at Calvary.

This was after he was accused of claiming to be the King of the Jews and the Messiah promised to the Jews in the Old Testament scripture.

Believers celebrate Jesus Christ's victory over death through His resurrection.

According to the Christian faith, his resurrection symbolisesbelievers' anticipation of having their own resurrection to spend eternity with God.

Many Christians, therefore, wear white apparel to signifyChrists victory over death.

Across the globe, the day is also celebrated with special church services, candle light and ringing church bells.

In the Philippines and Spain for instance, processions are held on this day.

Some believers in Ghana also hold processions Sunday dawn, with others visiting cemeteries to symbolically search for their buried saviour.

In the gospel, Mary Magdalene visited the tomb, where Jesus was buried and found it empty.

However, an angel told her that, Jesus had risen as he had prophesied.

Ahead of the Easter festival, preceded by Lent and Palm Sunday, many Christian leaders have emphasised Christ's message ofunconditional love, repentance, forgiveness, reconciliation, peace, compassion, a godly life, humility among others.

Bishop Dag Heward-Mills, the Presiding Bishop of the United Denominations Originating from the Lighthouse Group of Churches, delivering his Good Friday sermon, charged Christians to live a life that was worthy of Christs sacrifice.

Christians must, therefore, eschew vices such as alcoholism, stealing, fornication, adultery and robbery, he emphasised.

To follow Jesus is not easy. It requires sacrifices because you cant follow Jesus and continue to do what you claim you have repented from, he explained.

All the bad things you used to do in your past life are supposed to die with the past life.

The Reverend Dr Lawrence Tetteh, Founder and President of Worldwide Miracle Outreach, also urged Christians to learn lessons from the sacrifice of Jesus Christ to give meaning to His suffering.

He said Jesus Christs humility, service, obedience and selflessness should be our hallmark.

My prayer is that as a people, we will reflect on the mercies of our God and bless others accordingly. May the nations be blessed as we renew our minds to deepen our relationship with our maker, he added.

GNA
The political climate in Ghana has been heating up as the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) are beginning to throw jabs at each other ahead of the 2024 general elections.

A former Deputy Information Minister Felix Kwakye Ofosu and Vice President Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia are arguing over the issue of job creation.

During a recent address to party supporters, Bawumia claimed that the current government had created 2.1 million jobs.

He further criticized the erstwhile Mahama administration for creating unemployment under its regime.

During the NDC administration, there were no jobs, they created unemployment instead of employment but these days there are jobs everywhere. I have been looking at the data lately and we have created 2.1 million jobs, the Vice President said.

In reaction, Felix Kwakye Ofosu accused Dr. Bawumia of spreading "outrageous and ridiculous lies."

In a tweet on Saturday, April 8, the spokesperson for Mr. Mahamas campaign jabbed the Veep for what he described as a "joke after collapsing the countrys economy."

After his cowardly retreat into a rat hole following the destruction of our economy, Bawumia has emerged to tell outrageous and ridiculous lies to the effect that his hopeless goverment has created 2.1million jobs. What a joke! he tweeted.
The Member of Parliament for Abetifi constituency, Bryan Acheampong has declared that the party will use any means necessary to retain power in the 2024 general elections.

Speaking to party members after a health walk through the streets of Mpraeso on Saturday, April 8, 2023, Acheampong stressed that they will not succumb to any intimidation from the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Acheampong, who is also the Food and Agriculture Minister, emphasized that the NPP will match members of the NDC booth for booth if they try anything untoward during the elections.

He made it clear that they are not willing to hand over power to the NDC, and for that matter, they will go all out to ensure that the NPP stays in power.

We will show NDC that we have the men if they want to do intimidate, harass us or do anything foolish during the 2024 elections...It will not happen that we will hand over power to NDC. We'll use any means for NPP to stay in power."

The comments by Acheampong have sparked mixed reactions among Ghanaians, with some expressing concern over the potential for violence during the elections.
Various political parties, including opposition ones, welcomed the announcement by the Board of Trustees of the National Dialogue that the dialogue would start in proper on 3 May.

The board said on Monday the dialogue will commence on 3 May - after the conclusion of the holy month of Ramadan and the holidays of Eid El-Fitr, Sinai Liberation Day, Easter and Labour Day.

Senator Hossam El-Khouly, the deputy chairperson of the Mostaqbal Watan Party, welcomed the announcement, saying "the kick-off of the national dialogue will re-energise political life and contribute to the drawing of a new roadmap for Egypt's political and economic priorities in the next phase.

El-Khouly added that the Mostaqbal Watan Party fully supports the return of complete judicial supervision, meaning there will be a judge for every ballot box. This sends a message that the 2024 presidential and 2025 parliamentary elections will be conducted with integrity, transparency and fairness.

On Sunday, the Board of Trustees of the National Dialogue proposed an amendment to the law governing the work of the National Election Authority (NEA) in order to to extend the authority's mandate to supervise all types of referendums and elections, which is set to expire in January 2024.

President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi directed the government on Monday to study the trustees boards proposal and its implementation mechanisms.

Ahmed El-Sharkawy, a member of the trustees board, explained the board has proposed amending Article 34 of the NEA Law 198/2017 to stipulate that all elections, including presidential, parliamentary and municipal, as well as referendums, shall be supervised by judicial members under the principle of "a judge for every ballot box.

Article 34 of the NEA Law 198/2017 stipulates that voting and counting of votes in referendums and elections are carried out by staff affiliated with the authority under the supervision of its board of directors, and the authority may enlist members of judicial bodies in this process.

The article also mandated, as a provisional measure, full judicial supervision over referendums and elections for a period of 10 years from the time of the adoption of the country's constitution in 2014. According to this 10-year-mandate, full judicial supervision over referendums and elections is set to expire in January 2024.

El-Sharkawy noted that this principle of "judge per ballot box" was applied in Egypt from 2000 to 2010 and its removal was one of the main reasons for the 2011 Revolution against Mubarak.

He added that since 2011, elections and referendums in Egypt have been held under general judicial supervision, but without the application of the principle of a judge for every ballot box.

"This means that judges will not only supervise polling stations but will also supervise every ballot box, including the vote-counting process," said El-Sharkawy.

This should guarantee that all elections in the next few years will be fair and difficult to manipulate in any way or form," he added.

The Nation's Guardians Party also welcomed the announcement.

In a statement on Monday, the party said that "the decision to kick off the National Dialogue on 3 May is a positive development that can help crystallise a new agenda of economic and political reforms."

The liberal Al-Wafd party also welcomed the announcement, saying that it was "a very important step towards political reform.

Meanwhile, the Reform and Development Party, which is led by Mohamed Anwar Esmat El-Sadat, expressed satisfaction with the decision to start the national dialogue.

"They took a lot of time  almost one year. It is good anyway that it comes late rather than never coming at all."

The party hopes the dialogue will usher Egypt into a new era of groundbreaking political reforms and freedoms, read a statement by the party.

The Reform and Development Party also praised the return of the "judge for every ballot box" system.

This system allowed for a healthy political life and created vibrant parliaments when it was in place, said the party.

Meanwhile, the Egyptian Civil Democratic Movement  an opposition movement formed in 2017 that includes various leftist and liberal political parties  said in a statement on Monday that "we have no objection to the proposal that the dialogue kicks off on 3 May. We support any proposal that can lead to a serious and positive national dialogue.

The movement stressed, however, that it wants all political prisoners to be released ahead of the start of the dialogue to create a favourable climate.

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Bawumia has a propensity for lying to the extent that he has repeated it during the month of Ramadan. Many Ghanaians believed that the NPP's incapacity and widespread corruption, which have exposed numerous accusations and statements Bawumia made against the NDC and the former Ghanaian president, John Mahama, would have deterred him from making additional untrue assertions. Unfortunately, the lying-addicted Bawumia has once again generated headlines with the same lies, much like a heroin addict who can't live without his dose.

Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia claims that during the eight years that the NDC ruled Ghana from 2009 to 2017, the leadership of John Mahama created unemployment, while 2.1 million jobs have been generated by the NPP. These are some of the untrue and ridiculous assertions that certain power-hungry politicians would make and when you challenge and prove them wrong, there are still illiterates in the system that will attack and accuse you of being an NPP hater or on the payroll of the NDC.



Ghanaians need an answer, if Bawumia claims that the NPP government has created 1.2 million jobs, then why did the charlatan finance minister, Ken Ofori-Atta impose a ban on employment as one of the measures to rescue the collapsed economy?

On Saturday, April 8, 2023, the Vice President stated in a speech at Mpraeso, in the Eastern Region that out of the 2.1 million employments, 975,000 were in the private sector and the remaining were in the public sector. He made this assertion following a health walk that the NPP had arranged as part of celebrations for Kwahu Easter this year. Bawumia said further that the party's ability to generate jobs was made possible by the strong economic management team that it has put together to handle the nation's business.

I won't waste my time listing all of the fabrications, falsehoods, and accusations that Bawumia and his companion Samira, had made in the past against John Mahama before Ghanaians realized his cunning side of him. However, I will use a recent policy against employment that the phony finance minister made available to Ghanaians to show that Bawumia is someone that any sane person should neither trust as a politician nor vote for him as president because he is insincere and a liar.

Being honest is one of the most crucial things to do when one wants to become president to get support and followers. Politicians and the people they represent lose credibility when they make false or misleading claims, but Bawumia is unable to refrain from doing so.

The most effective way to persuade a reader to accept what you've written is to provide proof or rationale for your assertions. That is why I mentioned John Mahama's accomplishments, including his unfinished projects, in some of my earlier articles about him but like Richard Ahiagbah, the NPP's director of communication, Bawumia has been fabricating information regarding Akufo Addo's accomplishments without providing the public with a list of references.

In November last year, Ghanaians were informed by the country's finance minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, that employment will be frozen. He claims that beginning in January 2023, there would be a ban on hiring for civil and public services. The finance minister emphasized that there will be cuts to hiring costs, including pay freezes, along with the suspension of several perks including housing, electricity, and clothing. In addition, there will be a 2.5% VAT hike.



I want every Ghanaian, educated or not, to ask Bawumia why the finance minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, imposed a ban on hiring if the NPP government, according to him, has produced 1.2 million jobs. According to the finance minister, the government aims to use the employment embargo as one of its numerous attempts to stimulate the economy and ease the extreme economic misery that Ghanaians are now experiencing.

Based on this fact, Bawumia, the assertion that the NPP government has created 1.2 million jobs is a wholly made-up lie devoid of any basis in reality because, if true, the NPP government's creation of such jobs would gradually revive the country's crumbling economy, negating the need for Ken Ofori-Atta to impose an embargo on employment. Can Bawumia recognize the harm he is causing himself by telling several lies during his entire political career?



Is this political liar known as Bawumia the same individual who some people predict would end the eighth cycle and succeed the despot Akufo Addo as president? Anybody who would say something like that, in my opinion, is either not from Ghana, therefore, ignorant of the political problems there, or they have been paid to promote false information in support of the ineffective and the quack economist Bawumia.
Former President John Dramani Mahama, currently an NDC flag bearer-cum-presidential-candidate aspirant, is obviously honestly a man without integrity. His track record as a politician evidently confirms how he is devoid of the characteristics that make one a person of integrity.

He has no ideas of his own to bring to help Ghana but to tow the path of populist sentiments as expressed by many a Ghanaian not familiar with, or abreast of, the changing states of the world economy. He is such a dishonest person overflowing with lies and corruption that in my candid opinion, he should not be offered any further chance to come back to rule Ghana.

I listened to one of his campaign messages on radio on Saturday, 8 April 2023, and could not stop shaking my head in utter disbelief at his statements of falsehoods made. He was telling his audience how their conditions of living were better under him and NDC when they were in government than they are currently under President Nana Akufo-Addo and his NPP government.

He went on and on, telling his assembled audience how President Nana Akufo-Addo has lied to the nation about his programmes and policies for bettering the standard of living of Ghanaians through the provisions of One District One Factory (1D1F); One Village One Dam (1V1D); Free Senior High School education; Free School Dinner, Asphaltic concrete surfacing roads, etc.

His audience, as ignorant and haters of the truth as most of them may be, if not avidly partisan and polarised in their ways, met his statements with rounds of applause and response of eye za to his sayings of eye zu.

I have time to expose former President John Dramani Mahama for his many lies, shallow-mindedness, corruption and his fanatical determination to come back to rule Ghana by hook or by crook, whether Ghanaians like it or not, however, today, I will spare him that worry but to argue that he is not a credible candidate to be elected the NDC flag bearer when dynamic, dedicated, industrious and honest person like Dr Kwabena Duffour is around vying for the same position.

Let it be known to former President Mahama that then presidential-candidate Nana Akufo-Addos promises to realise the much touted programmes if he were elected president of Ghana, were all part of a long term development plan.

It will only take a fool to expect all such programmes, policies and social interventions espoused by a visionary leader to be achieved in a space of four or eight years, especially so in Ghana, a poor developing country.

President Nana Akufo-Addos promises are to be achieved within the context of a long term development plan that may take about twenty years and upwards.

Therefore, for John Mahama who has no vision of his own to mock Nana Akufo-Addo on his failure to achieve all his promises made to Ghanaians is so sad and goes to confirm his lack of understanding of governance and setting development goals for a nation.

Dr Kwabena Duffour will not in a single minute, or day, reason and act so childishly as does John Mahama. He will rather campaign on policies and programmes that will better the lives of Ghanaians and raise the image of Ghana on international level, if successfully implemented.

Was it not John Dramani Mahama who promised his NDC audience in the USA through then National Chairman Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo that if he came to power in 2024, he will create the ministry of No Contribution No Chop to cater for only those that will contribute hugely to bring NDC to power?

Was it not John Mahama who once said to his audience in Volta region that during election campaign, he will tell a bit of truth and some lies if that will potentially turn the hearts of the electorate to vote for him?

I will publish most of the instances where John Mahama has been caught on video camera telling lies by his split tongue.

NDC delegates, are you interested in electing a person who can only help win the presidency for you for its own sake, or a person that can win the presidency as well as develop Ghana for the collective interest of all? The former represents candidate John Dramani Mahama while the latter description is Dr Kwabena Duffour.

I invite all the NDC delegates registered to go to the polls on 13 May 2023, to elect the partys flag bearer-cum-presidential-candidate to critically study the policies and programmes by both John Mahama and Dr Duffour to ascertain which best suit Ghana and the people of Ghana.

During the reign of John Mahama, there were no Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic and Russia-Ukraine war in the world to so badly impact the world economy yet, Ghana suffered four consecutive years of deadly national power outages (dumsor). I should not be the one to tell you the ravages of dumsor as brought upon the nation and the citizens since you witnessed them yourselves and know much better than I do.

In the absence of such worldwide catastrophes during the presidency of John Dramani Mahama and the NDC, the nation witnessed high profile official corruption masterminded and orchestrated by John Dramani Mahama  the Brazil Embraer military aircraft and the European Airbus saga, inflating the cost of the constructions of interchanges on roads, attempting to cede 75% of Nyinahini bauxite mineral deposit to his half-sibling, Ibrahim Mahama, without parliamentary approval, contrary to a relevant clausal requirement of the Ghana Constitution.

NDC delegates, if you have the love of Ghanaians and the nation at heart and without aspiring to achieve your selfish and parochial interests, then I shall plead with you to choose a more serious person with the knowhow to govern the country but not a self-proclaimed prodigal son that still harbours evil in his heart.

VOTE FOR DR KWABENA DUFFOUR!

Rockson Adofo

Sunday, 9 April 2023
09.04.2023 LISTEN

Bangladesh, India and Japan are going to hold an event in Tripura of India on April 11-12 on connectivity initiatives to harness the commercial potential of the region.

Asian Confluence, a think tank from North East India, is organising the meeting in collaboration with Indias Ministry of External Affairs, according to India-based news outlets.

Bangladesh State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam is expected to join the event to represent Bangladesh. Indias deputy foreign minister and Japanese ambassador to India will also join the programme.

A recently conducted study suggested that both Northeast India and Bangladesh need to scale up their multi-modal connectivity, which would not only help the region to raise its competitiveness but also narrow the development gaps in the region.

In parallel, both entities should work together to bring synergy in trade facilitation and build express corridors for the transhipment and transit of goods from Northeast Region to Chattogram Port of Bangladesh, the study further suggested.

The study also suggested the creation of industrial value chains to create a win-win situation for all stakeholders in India and Bangladesh and Japanese companies in the region. It was also suggested to establish Japan-Northeast India Chamber of Commerce to promote Japanese investment in NE India, and a NE India-Bangladesh-Japan CEO Forum so that it can provide the required business leadership.

The Northeast-Bangladesh economic corridor may add a significant geo-economic component to the regional geopolitics. The involvement of Japan in creating an industrial value-chain between Northeast India and Bangladesh and connecting the northeastern region (NER) to the Bay of Bengal, may well lead to significant results on the regional geopolitical front vis-a-vis China.

Depending on the level of participation by the three countries, there is potential that the initiative may create a thriving and sustainable NER-Bangladesh economic corridor (lets call it, NBEC), triggering mutual interest to attract private investments by harnessing natural advantages.

Viewing Bangladesh and other areas to the south as a single economic zone, we will promote the Bay of Bengal-Northeast India industrial value chain concept in cooperation with India and Bangladesh to foster the growth of the entire region, Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio said during his recent visit to Delhi.

The proposal is part of the ongoing collaboration between India and Japan to build a free and open Indo-Pacific (FOIP), and is an extension of the discussion that took place at the Japan-India Summit in 2022.

The Prime Ministers reaffirmed the significance of collaborative projects ... in the Indo-Pacific region. They acknowledged the progress in ongoing projects in Bangladesh... They appreciated the importance of their continued collaboration through the Act East Forum (AEF) for the sustainable economic development of Indias North Eastern Region and for enhancing the Regions connectivity with Southeast Asia, the 2022 the joint statement said.

The Economic corridor

The initiative is a win-win for both countries. From less than $3.5 billion in 2010, India-Bangladesh trade reached nearly $16 billion in 2021. The trade logistics improved and more projects are under implementation. But the regional value chain creation suffered. Lack of complementarity; traditional weaknesses of the border economies of West Bengal and the northeastern region (NER) in India; and, political-economic realities in Bangladesh, were three major reasons behind this failure.

While West Bengal continues to be an economic backwater of India and is not showing much intent to tap into the opportunity, dramatic improvement in infrastructure and investment readiness of NER over the last decade has ushered new opportunities.

Add to that the opening of Padma Bridge in a fast-growing Bangladesh- thereby ensuring easy connectivity between the northern and southern parts of the country - and, two major structural hurdles in creating a cross-border value chain being removed.

That takes us to Bangladeshs political-economic realities which are tilted in favour of China. Considering its goodwill in Bangladesh, Tokyo can act as a neutralizing factor and may create new opportunities for both economies.

The far east Asian nation is building a deep-sea port at Matarbari in Coxs Bazar, Bangladesh. The project, located close to Sabroom border in Indias Tripura, is expected to be completed in 2026.

A deep-sea port is costly. Since eastern India has multiple such facilities, access to NER may improve the viability of Matarbari. Similarly, a full-fledged port access will improve northeast Indias attractiveness to the investor community.

In 2018, Bangladesh granted NER access to Chattogram port but only for the movement of goods to the rest of India. The port is in the same area as Matarbari and is barely 80 km from the Sabroom border in Tripura.

What makes the Japanese proposal great is that India and Bangladesh are already building necessary transport infrastructure connecting Tripura and NER to Chattogram port. The Indian side of the project  including a state-of-the-art cargo and passenger terminal, linked by both rail and road at Sabroom  is in advanced stage of completion and will be ready in 2023. Related infrastructure is under construction in Bangladesh but at a delayed pace.

Considering dramatic improvement in rail and highway connectivity between NER and the rest of India over the last decade, the restricted access to Chattogram port barely justified the huge investments in cross-country connectivity. A full port access through Matarbari will solve that problem.

Huge opportunity

The Northeast has changed dramatically over the last nine years. It will change more. Huge investment in infrastructure and energy sectors is converting it into a cost-competitive, modern economy.

The region now has access to low-cost transport options for both intra and inter-region movement of goods. Guwahati emerged as the regional logistics hub, thereby removing the dependence of far-flung states like Tripura on Kolkata.

From the electricity deficit, NER will be electricity-surplus by June this year as 2000MW Subansiri (Lower) project will start coming into operation in phases. Over the next few years, it will be a hydroelectricity generation hub.

Completion of the Paradip (Odisha)-Numaligarh (Assam) crude pipeline, operationalisation of nine million tonne per annum (mtpa) Numaligarh Refinery (NRL) and, implementation of the sprawling Indradhanush Gas Grid connecting every state in NER, will open a vista of opportunities by 2024.

First, NER will have a huge exportable surplus of petro-products including diesel and cooking gas (LPG), which are imported by the neighbouring economies. Second, the refiners in landlocked Northeast India will surely look for a market in close proximity.

The case for the regional value chain will be stronger over the next four-five years, as a substantial part of the 15 mtpa refining capacity in NER will be converted into petrochemicals. Ideally, it should usher investment opportunities in downstream units in the neighbourhood.

A beginning was made by the recently inaugurated India-Bangladesh diesel pipeline, which may replace one-fifth of Dhakas fuel import through the sea route and will meet the entire fuel requirement of northern Bangladesh.

Pipeline transportation will remove an average 30-day time lag from the middle-East to the consumption point in Bangladesh, the related capital block and, the associated risks from foreign exchange volatility.

Geoeconomics and geostrategy

India and Japan established the Act East Forum in 2017. Since then, the two countries are in dialogue for sustainable growth of NER and connectivity in the region.

Delhi and Tokyo have also been in dialogue on potential connectivity projects between NER and Southeast Asia through Myanmar. Successful implementation of NBEC will, therefore, be important to showcase the benefits of this collaboration.

The ultimate gainer will be regional peace and security, which has been the cornerstone of the India-Japan relationship over the last decade.

A lot has been written on why Japan needs India as a security provider vis-a-vis rising military threats from China. The first three pages of the seven-page joint statement, issued last year were dedicated to strategic issues.

Though there is no direct mention of China, highlighting the need to ensure a code of conduct in the South China Sea, the need for a rule-based order that respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity and, protection against attempt to unilaterally change status quo, leaves very little to the imagination.

Japan and South Korea have already advised their industry to relocate from China. Also, as part of QUAD (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue), there is an active discussion to secure the supply chain in critical areas.

The collaboration, therefore, might prove a unique opportunity for both Northeast India and Bangladesh to attract a part of the relocated supply chain.
The ranking member of the defence and interior committee of parliament, Mr James Agalga, has appealed to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr George Akuffo Dampare, to arrest Abetifi MP Bryan Acheampong for publicly declaring that the governing New Patriotic Party will never hand over power to the main opposition National Democratic Congress in the 2024 elections.

Mr Acheamping, who is the minister of agriculture, and also served as a minister of state in charge of national security, told party supporters after a health march at Mpraeso in the Eastern Region on Saturday, 8 March 2023: NDC party will collapse.

If the NDC dares to use threats, violence and foolishness in the 2024 election we will let them know we have the men, he threatened, stressing: We will show them that we have the men. We have the men.

Mr Bryan then noted: It will never happen that we the NPP will stand on a platform to hand over power to the NDC.

It will never happen! We will make sure NPP remains in government at all cost.

In his view, the government is fixing the economy, which will inure to the NPPs electoral fortunes.

Now with the way things are changing the economy will bounce back again, I am telling you that we are going to come around that curve and we are going to win the 2024 elections hands down.

At the same event, Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia taunted former President John Mahama, saying his only claim to fame are dumsor and guinea fowls under the Savanna Development Authority (SADA) project, flying away to neighbouring Burkina Faso.

According to him, unlike the Akufo-Addo administration, Mr Mahama cannot boast of one transformational achievement in his several decades of politics.

Do you know that John Mahama has been in politics his entire adult life; over 30 years? he told the crowd, adding: He has been an assemblyman, deputy minister to minister then Vice President and then President.

But can you mention a single transformational policy that he has implemented? he asked.

Just mention one, but there is none. Only Dumsor and guinea fowls; thats all, but with the NPP, we have mobile money interoperability, one district-one factory, digital address, Free SHS, zongo constituency fund; there is so much we have done.

Also, Dr Bawumia said the National Democratic Congress (NDC), under President John Mahama, only created unemployment while in office but the Akufo-Addo administration has created 2.1 million jobs so far.

During the NDC administration, there were no jobs; they created unemployment instead of employment but these days there are jobs everywhere.

I have been looking at the data lately and we have created 2.1 million jobs.

He said 975, 000 of those jobs are in the private sector while 1.2 million are in the public sector.

This is verifiable and identifiable data which is available, Dr Bawumia noted.

Dr Bawumia told the crowd: We are not done yet because there are more jobs for us to create.

But when it comes to job creation, no government since independence has created more jobs than the government of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, daring: Anybody can challenge me and I will provide the data.

But we want to do more; we want to get to the Promised Land. We can be a Dubai, we can be a South Korea, we can be a Singapore it is possible, he noted.

Speaking to the crowd, too, the General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Justin Frimpong Kodua, said the government will fix the ravaged economy by the end of the year.

Akufo-Addo has stated that the NPP has the men to turn the economy around. We are confident that by the end of the year, the economy will be in good shape. We just need your support because the alternative is worse, it is empty and hopeless.

Responding to his fellow MPs comment, Mr Agalga said in a statement:  The dishonourable conduct of Bryan Acheampong poses a direct and grave threat to Ghanas democracy and for which reason he must be held accountable.

Consequently, we entreat the Inspector General of Police to, as a matter of urgency, arrest Bryan Acheampong and cause his prosecution for engaging in conduct which has the potential to undermine the peace and security of our country.

Mr Agalga said Mr Acheampongs track record and the behavior of the Akufo-Addo government toward the electoral commission, gives cause for worry.

Read Mr Agalgas full statement below:

Bryan Acheampong  A danger to Ghanas democracy

-

Hon James Agaliga, Ranking Member, Committee on Defence & Interior, Parliament of Ghana.

-

My attention has been drawn to a statement made by Hon Bryan Acheampong, the MP for Abetifi and Minister for Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs on the 8th of April 2023, which statement is captured in a video that has been widely shared on social media.

The crux of the statement is that the NPP, as a political party, will never hand over political power to the NDC and will do anything possible to retain power in 2024.

If one unpacks Bryan Acheampongs statement, two irresistible conclusions will be arrived at: First, the NPP is hell bent on subverting the will of the Ghanaian people in order to perpetuate their stay in power even when they lose the 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections, which is almost certain given its abysmal performance in government and the pain, suffering and hardship they have inflicted upon Ghanaians.

Secondly, the NPP is prepared to use violence to disrupt the impending elections if it becomes apparent that it will lose.

The conclusions drawn from Bryan Acheampongs ominous statement is manifested in the overall conduct of Akufo-Addos governments approach to issues bordering on the impartiality and credibility of the Electoral Commission moving in to the 2024 elections.

The recent appointment by President Akufo-Addo of Dr Peter Appiahene, Hajia Salina Ahmed Tijani and Rev. Ofori Boateng, who are known activists of the NPP, is consistent with Bryan Acheampongs effusion.

Again, the propensity of the NPP to use violence to disrupt elections is echoed in Bryan Acheampongs statement. The disruption of the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election by hoodlums associated with the NPP is still fresh in our minds.

We were not surprised at all that the Emile Short Commission of Inquiry implicated Bryan Acheampong in its findings and recommendations.

The killing of eight (8) Ghanaians during the conduct of the 2020 presidential and parliamentary elections by NPP thugs who infiltrated the security services through back-door recruitment in order to manipulate and to subvert the will of the electorate as was seen in the Techiman North constituency cannot be forgotten.

In view of the above, the dishonourable conduct of Bryan Acheampong poses a direct and grave threat to Ghanas democracy and for which reason he must be held accountable.

Consequently, we entreat the Inspector General of Police to, as a matter of urgency, arrest Bryan Acheampong and cause his prosecution for engaging in conduct which has the potential to undermine the peace and security of our country.

While unequivocally condemning Bryan Acheampong for his unguarded statement, we wish to send a clear message to him and people of his ilk that the NDC shall not leave any stone unturned to ensure that Ghanas current democratic dispensation which was birthed by it in 1992 is safeguarded even in the face of intimidation and adversity.

Signed:

Hon James Agalga

Ranking, Committee on Defence and Interior

Source: ClassFMonline.com
Pope Francis noted his "deep concern" on Sunday over a flare-up in tensions between Israel and Palestinians, delivering an Easter Mass in which he denounced the barriers to peace in the world.

He said the renewed violence "threatens the desired climate of trust and mutual respect needed to resume dialogue", addressing a crowd of some 100,000 gathered in Saint Peter's Square.

The Argentine pontiff, a week after leaving hospital, also cited a string of "stumbling blocks" to peace in the world during his traditional Easter message, making special mention of the war in Ukraine.

"Help the beloved Ukrainian people on their journey towards peace, and shed the light of Easter upon the people of Russia," he said.

"Comfort the wounded and all those who have lost loved ones because of the war, and grant that prisoners may return safe and sound to their families."

He drew attention to conflicts around the world, from Syria to the Democratic Republic of Congo, and offered prayers for victims of the earthquake in Turkey and Syria.

Call for peace

This week has seen a surge in violence and unrest between Israel and Palestinians at the same time as the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, Jewish Passover and Christian Easter have coincided.

The pope called for a resumption in dialogue to ensure peace "in the Holy City (of Jerusalem) and in the entire region".

On Wednesday, Israeli police stormed the prayer hall of Al-Aqsa mosque, Islam's third-holiest site, in a pre-dawn raid aimed at dislodging "law-breaking youths and masked agitators" they said had barricaded themselves inside.

The next day, more than 30 rockets were fired from Lebanese soil into Israel, which the Israeli army blamed on Palestinian groups, saying it was most likely Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip.

Israel then bombarded Gaza and southern Lebanon, targeting "terror infrastructures" that it said belonged to Hamas.

On Friday, two separate attacks left an Italian tourist and two British-Israeli sisters dead, and several injured, in Tel Aviv and the West Bank.

On Sunday, Israel launched artillery strikes on Syria in retaliation for rockets the army said were fired from there onto Israeli territory

Health concerns

The 86-year-old pope has returned to his duties after a recent stay in hospital following a bout of bronchitis.

On Saturday evening, he presided over the Vigil mass in Saint Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, a two-and-a-half-hour ceremony performed before 8,000 people.

On Friday evening however, he stayed away from the Good Friday "Way of the Cross" service as a precaution because of the intense cold, the Vatican said. It was the first time he had missed the ceremony during his papacy, which began in 2013.

Francis was discharged from a Rome hospital on April 1 after a three-night stay for a bronchial infection. The pontiff has suffered several health issues in recent years, and it was his second stay in hospital since 2021.

Pope Francis has participated in various events since his hospital release, including washing the feet of 12 young prisoners on Holy Thursday.

(Agencies)
Sheikh Awal Larry has called on the promoters pushing for the acceptance of LGBTQ+ in Ghana to rethink their decision.

According to him, LGBTQ+ is not natural and it is the reason the promoters are teaching people to openly accept it when sex is not taught.

They know it is unnatural, he said. Why spend huge sums of money coercing countries to accept it?

He posited that conventional sex is natural that is why it is not taught anywhere.

The Nima-based Imam said this speaking in an interview on The Citizen Show with Nana Ama Agyarko, the sit-in host, on Accra 100.5 FM on Thursday, April 6, 2023.

He said it is about time the promoters of gay rights are told bluntly that their acts are unnatural and Ghanaians will not accept it.

He argued: Lock up a girl and a boy in a room, by the time they are about 16 years old, the girl may be pregnant.

Nobody taught these young lads how to have sex so why is LGBTQ+ not the same?

He emphasised that Nowhere in the world have we heard of people being taught how to have sex.

But the promoters want LGBTQ+ to be taught even in kindergarten hence the reason they have to introduce LGBTQ+ in cartoon series children watch.

Why attempt teaching LGBTQ+ when sex is not taught?

This alone should tell the promoters that this is unnatural and sex is natural, he pressed.

He called on the Imams in the Muslim communities to continue preaching against LGBTQ+.

He queried why Imams in recent times have stopped preaching about the non-acceptance of so called gayism.

Im 60 years and in my days of growing up, I saw Imams openly speak about this at the least opportunity but this is not so in recent times, he bemoaned.

Source: Classfmonline.com
A staunch member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Sheikh Awal Larry, has berated President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addos administration for mismanaging the countrys economy.

According to him, he would have been a better president than Nana Addo attending to the needs of Ghanaians.

I believe that going by what Nana Addo has done in the past six years in the government, I can be a better president than he, he said.

In 2008, when some of us spoke about the candidature of Nana Akufo-Addo that he does not have the ordinary man at heart, they called us out.

Yes, called us names  anti-Nana Addo among others, but judging by what is transpiring under the watch of Nana Addo as president, we have been vindicated, he added.

We said earlier that Nana Addo has no sympathy for the poor and clearly, [it has] shown in his governance style, he maintained. The man has never known poverty.

Sheikh Awal Larry, a former Nasara Coordinator for Ayawaso East Constituency on the ticket of the NPP in the Greater Accra Region, berated the administration of President Nana Addo speaking in an interview with the sit-in host of The Citizen Show, Nana Ama Agyarko, on Accra 100.5 FM, Thursday, April 6, 2023

Today are we seeing gross mismanagement and corruption all over his administration?

His supporters told us that Nana Addo is not corrupt and will not be corrupt if voted into power but this [what has happened] is contrary, he charged.

His supporters further argued that Nana Addo was born rich and will not squander a pesewa from the state coffers, which has also turned out not to be the truth.

His government is the worst in history; made up of his family and cronies.

Nana Addo in power after six years has gone contrary to some of the things that were said about him, he went on

Source: Classfmonline.com
09.04.2023 LISTEN

Two police officers have been interdicted for looking on unconcerned for their colleague to be given beatings by thugs at the Wono Akotosu in the Kumawu District of the Ashanti Region.

The thugs were said to have subjected the police officer to severe beatings.

A statement released by the Police read that the incident occurred at a snap checkpoint.

According to the statement, six suspects who are currently in the grips of the Police were in a taxi that was overloaded. After arriving at the checkpoint, a police officer stopped their vehicle and tried to search the taxi.

But for unknown reasons, the passengers in the cab who are now suspects pounced on the officer and started attacking him violently.

The taxi which was overloaded with seven male adults caught the attention of one of the three officers on duty at the checkpoint. He, therefore, stopped them and requested to search the car. However, the suspects in an attempt to prevent the police officer from checking the car pounced on him and violently attacked him, the statement added.

It took the intervention of a police reinforcement team to rescue the police officer who was helpless. He sustained injuries and has since been receiving treatment at the hospital.

During the incident, two other officers, G/Constable Isaac Boiatey and G/Constable Evans Owusu who were on duty with the attacked officer refused to rescue him. They only took his gun and left him in the hands of the suspects.

Two Other officers, no 58741/41 G/Constable Isaac Boiatey and No. 61963 G/Constable Evans Owusu who were on duty with the attacked officer have been interdicted for their seeming failure to rescue their colleague, subdue the attackers and get them arrested. And have therefore been referred to the Police Professional and Standards Bureau, PPSB for investigation, the statement indicated.

The suspects have been identified as Edward Boateng, Evans Addo, Yaw Kusi, Michael Owusu, Yaw Boateng, and Emmanuel Mensah. One other suspect is currently on the run.
09.04.2023 LISTEN

Easter message to NDC USA membership

Happy Easter!!!

Fellow Comrades, as we celebrate the end of Passion Week, often called 'Holy Week', a celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ today all over the world, it is my fervent prayer that this day brings us hope of a new day and a better tomorrow, may it also bring us peace, and fortitude and rekindle our hope for better days ahead, as we continue to prepare for Victory 2024, The Rescue Mission in the upcoming general elections in Ghana. Our motherland Ghana has been mismanaged for far too long, by this inept, corrupt, and incompetent Nana Akufo Addo and Bawumia-led NPP government.

We in the NDC are poised to return to power come 2024. The general citizenry of Ghana is looking up to the NDC to rescue the nation from this over-borrowing NPP government, with nothing to show for it, except for Building generational wealth for their friends and families at the expense of the suffering ordinary Ghanaians.

Comrades on this Easter Day, kindly permit me to thank all those that attended our Reconciliation seminar last weekend and expressed their thoughts and opinions on our Pre and Post Chapter/Branch 2022 elections. We, the current Chapter Executives under my leadership, are fully committed to bringing everyone on board for the daunting task ahead.

Election 2024 is not going to be easy, we, therefore, need everyones efforts and contributions for this rescue mission, we cannot afford to have some of our comrades sit on the sidelines, NDC USA is big enough to accommodate each of us, reconciliation is the only way forward, lets set our differences aside and come together in the spirit of oneness of purpose and agenda for the better and greater good of our dear party, the National Democratic Congress. Dont wait until the next elections to say I can do better, if you can, lets do it together now, not tomorrow. All ideas are wholeheartedly welcome. NDC Victory 2024 Is A Must and Surely, We Shall.

On behalf of myself and the entire executives, I would like to wish you and the entire membership of NDC USA, a Happy Easter. May your day be filled with the joy of the end of Holy Week and the renewal of the hope that Jesus Christ died but has risen again.

Happy Easter.

Maame Aba Dadzie,

Chairman-NDC USA.
It is not enough for Christians to annually commemorate the death of Jesus Christ without sacrificing to others, humans could not die with Christ if they fail to forgive one another, Reverend Samuel Anang Ofoli, the Minister-in-charge of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG) Redemption Congregation in Tema Community nine has said.

He said Christians and mankind as a whole must not let the suffering of Jesus on the cross be in vain and therefore advised them to tune themselves to the things of God.

Rev. Ofoli who was preaching during the church's Good Friday service said dying with Christ meant being thirsty for the works of God, and having a good relationship with one another.

Rev. Ofoli said the death of Christ signified God's love for humanity and also shows the power of God to save man.

He added that it also showed that the love of God was wonderful beyond the comprehension of man.

He said for all these, humans must humble themselves at the foot of the cross since they did not contribute anything towards their salvation.

He urged Christians to die with Christ as they remember his crucifixion.

Meanwhile, the crucifixion was commemorated with a solemn service, as church members attended the service in mourning clothes signifying their mood of grief.

The last seven statements of Jesus Christ on the cross over 2000 years ago when he was crucified, were also read and explained to members.

-CDA Consult || Contributor
Israels defense minister on Saturday extended a closure barring entrance to Israel for Palestinians from the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip for the duration of the Jewish holiday of Passover, while police beefed up forces in Jerusalem on the eve of sensitive religious celebrations.

The moves come after days of violence across the region at a time of heightened religious fervor  with the Muslim holy month of Ramadan coinciding with Passover and Easter celebrations. Jerusalems Old City, home to key Jewish, Muslim and Christian holy sites, has been teeming with visitors and religious pilgrims from around the world.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said that a closure imposed last Wednesday, on the eve of Passover, would remain in effect until the holiday ends on Wednesday night. The order prevents Palestinians from entering Israel for work or to pray in Jerusalem this week, though mass prayers were permitted at the Al-Aqsa Mosque on Friday. Gallant also ordered the Israeli military to be prepared to assist Israeli police. The army later announced that it was deploying additional troops around Jerusalem and in the West Bank.

Over 2,000 police were expected to be deployed in Jerusalem on Sunday  when tens of thousands of Jews are expected to gather at the Western Wall for the special Passover priestly blessing. The Western Wall is the holiest site where Jews can pray and sits next to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, where large crowds gather each day for prayers during Ramadan.

Jerusalem police chief Doron Turgeman met with his commanders on Saturday for a security assessment. He accused the Hamas militant group, which rules the Gaza Strip, of trying to incite violence ahead of Sundays priestly blessing with false claims that Jews planned to storm the mosque.

We will allow the freedom of worship and we will allow the arrival of Muslims to pray, he said, adding that police will act with determination and sensitivity to ensure that all faiths can celebrate safely.

The current round of violence erupted earlier in the week after Israeli police raided the mosque, firing tear gas and stun grenades to disperse hundreds of Palestinians who were participating in "Itikaf," a religious practice of seclusion inside mosques that is commonly observed during Ramadan.

Violent scenes from the raid sparked unrest in the contested capital and outrage across the Arab world. Palestinian militants fired rocket barrages from the Gaza Strip and in an unusual step, from southern Lebanon as well. Israel responded with airstrikes in both locations. Then on Friday, Palestinian assailants killed three people in a pair of attacks  in Tel Aviv and in the West Bank.

In Tel Aviv, people laid flowers and candles on Saturday next to photos of Alessandro Parini, an Italian tourist killed in the Friday night car ramming attack.

Israels foreign minister, Eli Cohen, spoke to his Italian counterpart, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, to express his condolences and later visited victims of the attack in a hospital with Italys ambassador to Israel.

* This story has been edited by Ahram Online

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The 13th ECOWAS Forum of Ministers of Security (FMS) conference has concluded in Niamey, Niger. It was attended by members from ECOWAS Member States' Ministries of Interior, Defense, and Security, as well as ECOWAS Commission employees and INTERPOL.

The objectives of the FMS meeting are to validate the recommendations of the two sessions on the one hand and to provide direction and guidance to the chiefs of security agencies in the region on the other.

Mr. Hamadou Adamou Souley, Minister of the Interior and Decentralisation of Niger, reiterated his government's support for the battle against transnational organised crime in West Africa.

He praised Interpol for its efforts in combating crime and ECOWAS for taking the initiative to organise the summit.

Dr. Alieu Omar Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission, emphasised the importance that this regional institution places on the WAPCCO Annual General Assembly, as well as the value it places on Member States' suggestions.

Professor Abdel-Fatau Musah, ECOWAS Commission Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace, and Security, presented Dr. Touray's remarks.

He stated that the series of sessions had made a substantial contribution to the creation of policies targeted at improving

In a speech read on his behalf, President Mohamed Bazoum expressed Niger's gratitude to the various development partners for their support and encouraged the ECOWAS Commission to continue and intensify initiatives to increase collaboration among Member States in the field of security.

The 13th Meeting of the Forum of Ministers in Charge of Security concluded with the approval of the two previous meetings' reports, the adoption of various proposals, and the selection of Togo to host the 18th WAPCCO AGM.

The FMS meeting of ECOWAS Member States concluded the Annual General Assembly of the West African Police Chiefs Committee (WAPCCO), which examined the findings of the 17th General Assembly and the ECOWAS Committee of Chiefs Security Services (CCSS).

-CDA Consult || Contributor
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has expressed displeasure over the comments of Abetifi Member of Parliament (MP) Bryan Acheampong that the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) will never hand over power.

Speaking to followers of the NPP on Saturday, April 8, at the end of a health walk through the principal streets of Mpraeso, the new Minister for Food and Agriculture warned that if the NDC tries to do anything "foolish" in the next general election, the NPP will show them they have the men to face them.

We will show NDC that we have the men if they want to do intimidate, harass us or do anything foolish during the 2024 elections.

It will not happen that we will hand over power to NDC. We'll use any means for NPP to stay in power, Bryan Acheampong said.

Unhappy with the comments, the NDC has issued a press release to condemn it.

In a release signed by General Secretary Fifi Kwetey Fiavi, the NDC said the comments by Bryan Acheampong are a revelation of the "evil agenda of the NPP" to hold onto power beyond 2025.

The NDC condemns this utterly reckless and treasonable comment in no uncertain terms. We note that Bryan Acheampong is the latest of high-ranking officials of the NPP to make such brazen statement that reveals the party's deep-seated determination to subvert Ghana's democratic order.

These voices led by President Akuffo Addo himself, all but reveal the evil agenda of the NPP to hold on to power by hook or crook, even if the people of Ghana vote otherwise in the 2024 general elections, parts of the NDC release said.

It added, These comments truly demonstrate a patterned, well-rehearsed strategy of the New Patriotic Party going into the 2024 Presidential and Parliamentary elections.

While admonishing the Police to take up the matter, the NDC has assured the Ghanaians that it will do everything that is necessary to protect the democratic will and the sovereignty of the Ghanaian people.

Read the full NDC release below:

PRESS STATEMENT

For Immediate Release

9th April, 2023.

NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS CONDEMNS THE TREASONABLE STATEMENT BY BRYAN ACHEAMPONG, DEMANDS HIS IMMEDIATE ARREST.

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has taken notice of a statement made by Bryan Acheampong, MP for Abetifi and Minister for Food and Agriculture, to the effect that the ruling New Patriotic Party government will never hand-over power to the NDC.

In a viral video at a rally to climax a health walk organised by the New Patriotic Party at Kwahu in the Eastern Region on Saturday, April 8th, 2023, an event which was equally addressed by Vice President Alhaji Mahamudu Bawumia, the Minister is on record to have assured his party supporters of the determination of the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia NPP government to hold on to power NO MATTER WHAT.

The NDC condemns this utterly reckless and treasonable comment in no uncertain terms. We note that Bryan Acheampong is the latest of high-ranking officials of the NPP to make such brazen statement that reveals the party's deep-seated determination to subvert Ghana's democratic order.

At an NPP delegates conference in Kumasi in 2021, President Akufo-Addo expressed his determination to "hand over to an NPP Government in 2025". This eerily reminds everyone of the Nana Addo led desperate attempts to steal the 2008 elections in the strongroom of the electoral commission and other attempts by his desperate party to put dead bodies in water bodies in the Volta region all with a view to subverting the will of the people in that critical election.

At a similar NPP conference in Accra in 2022, Director of Operations at the Presidency, Lord Commey, speaking on behalf of the President stated the grand plan of the NPP, saying "the power I have, I will not hand it over today or tomorrow".

These voices led by President Akuffo Addo himself, all but reveal the evil agenda of the NPP to hold on to power by hook or crook, even if the people of Ghana vote otherwise in the 2024 general elections.

These comments truly demonstrate a patterned, well-rehearsed strategy of the New Patriotic Party going into the 2024 Presidential and Parliamentary elections.

Having plunged our country into an unprecedented economic crisis - one defined by spiraling cost of living and complete insolvency as seen in our debt default, it has become clear that the NPP has decided that having lost the support of the people of Ghana, the only option left to remain in power is to reduce this country into a banana republic by suppressing the will of the people.

In furtherance of the above evil agenda, there has been a systematic bastardization of every single independent state institution under this Akufo-Addo/Bawumia NPP government. The once respected Electoral Commission has recently witnessed a new low, following the appointment of hardline New Patriotic Party activists into very sensitive positions in the Commission. This action by President Akufo-Addo has left many observers worried and helped to confirm that the ultimate agenda of the NPP is to use every desperate scheme to hold on to power at all cost.

The NDC, a party that both in the years 2001 and 2017, handed power to NPP when the people of Ghana voted for the NPP, wants to assure Ghanaians that we SHALL DO EVERYTHING that is necessary to protect the democratic will and the sovereignty of the Ghanaian people. We wish to assure the good people of Ghana of our resolve and readiness to do whatever is necessary to preserve the democratic will of the people- even at the peril of our lives. The supreme will of the Ghanaian electorate will be manifested come Dec 7, 2024.

As the political tradition that ushered in our nation's stable constitutional order, the NDC will do whatever it takes to resist the misrule and machination of the oppressor and thus protect and preserve our democracy.

We urge the Ghana Police Service to act with dispatch in this matter. We recall the alacrity with which it recently apprehended and charged the Suame Constituency Youth Organiser of the NDC for expressing views that were deemed to be inciteful. No one is in any doubt that the statement of Bryan Acheampong is even more incendiary and subversive. We therefore expect the same level of speedy action from the Ghana Police Service in arresting Bryan Acheampong and bringing him to book.

We equally urge voices of conscience in our country to condemn the statement made by not just Bryan Acheampong but also President Akuffo Addo and other officials of the ruling NPP government.

God bless our homeland Ghana and preserve her from the plague that the desperate NPP has become.

Signed.

Fifi Fiavi Kwetey

General Secretary
09.04.2023 LISTEN

Founding member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Nyaho Nyaho Tamakloe has rebuked former Minister of State at the National Security, Bryan Acheampong over comments that the NPP will never hand over power to the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Speaking to followers of the NPP on Saturday, April 8, at the end of a health walk through the principal streets of Mpraeso, the new Minister for Food and Agriculture warned that if the NDC tries to do anything "foolish" in the next general election, the NPP will show them they have the men to face them.

We will show NDC that we have the men if they want to do intimidate, harass us or do anything foolish during the 2024 elections.

It will not happen that we will hand over power to NDC. We'll use any means for NPP to stay in power, Bryan Acheampong said.

Reacting to these comments, Dr. Nyaho Nyaho Tamakloe has described as irresponsible.

In his view, the comments can lead Ghana into destruction beyond what the current President Akufo-Addo government has caused.

I am writing as an elderly citizen of Ghana and a founding member of the New Patriotic Party who cannot sit down unconcerned in the face of such destructive political statement by some recalcitrant elements in the political class. Without doubt, the statement by Bryan Acheampong can lead this nation into destruction beyond the extent the Akufo Addo government has caused, the statesman said.

According to Dr. Nyaho Nyaho Tamakloe, what Bryan Acheampong said is not only irresponsible but also violent and destructive, adding that it is a statement that is senseless and uncalled for.

The NPP founding member further admonishes the Abetifi MP to withdraw his statement and apologise to Ghanaians.

I advise Mr. Bryan Acheampong to as a matter of urgency, withdraw and render an unqualified apology to the good people of Ghana for making such destructive, unlawful, unguided, unnecessary and unintelligent political statement. Our time is for sound argument on bread-and-butter issues, not hooliganism. Thank you, Dr. Nyaho Nyaho Tamakloe said.

Read the full statement below:

PRESS RELEASE

10-04-2023

BRYAN ACHEAMPONG; THE IRRESPONSIBLE CABINET MINISTER

The tantrums over the weekend in Kwahu by Mr. Bryan Acheampong, a supposed member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), a one-time National Security Operative who has recently been confirmed by parliament of Ghana as the Minister for Agriculture is unfortunate and in bad taste.

I am writing as an elderly citizen of Ghana and a founding members of the New Patriotic Party who cannot sit down unconcerned in the face of such destructive political statement by some recalcitrant elements in the political class. Without doubt, the statement by Bryan Acheampong can lead this nation into destruction beyond the extent the Akufo Addo government has caused.

The statement made recently by Mr. Bryan Acheampong during the NPP Unity Walk at Kwahu on the 8th of April 2023 is not only irresponsible, but also violent and destructive; a statement that is senseless and uncalled for. For Mr. Bryan Acheampong, a cabinet minister of the Republic of Ghana, to have said that the NPP government will not hand over power to the NDC even if the opposition wins, and that whichever way we will employ to ensure NPP stays in power beyond 2024, we will employ, is not only directed at the NDC, but it is a dangerous threat to our democracy and the 1992 constitution.

I will like to assure Mr. Bryan Acheampong that some of us will not sit down unperturbed as he seeks to press the destructive button of the 4th Republic. And we are resolved in our determination.

Since the removal of Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Ghanas first president in 1966, this nation has never known peace politically and economically. We have had series of coup detat. The political class comes in for a period and the military takes over. A situation which has retarded our development rather than help it. This has gone on since 1966 until finally through the blood and sweat of gallant soldiers and civilians alike, we had a constitutional rule in 1992.

Mr. Bryan Acheampong with all the properties he has acquired from the Kwahu range to the Akuapem range are known. The question is, can he honestly account for these numerous properties with independent enquiry? Bryan Acheampongs indiscipline and violent tendency has reached legendary levels and it is about time the President and the NPP leadership called him to sanity. Failure to do that will further injure the party and lead it to a total collapse.

Some of us in the NPP will not sit down unconcerned for such irresponsible behaviors alien to the NPP and inimical to national development to continue. Development is what our country greatly requires now, and as a cabinet minister that is what Bryan Acheampong should address on political platforms such as it was offered him last Saturday.

In conclusion, I advise Mr. Bryan Acheampong to as a matter of urgency, withdraw and render an unqualified apology to the good people of Ghana for making such destructive, unlawful, unguided, unnecessary and unintelligent political statement. Our time is for sound argument on bread-and-butter issues, not hooliganism. Thank you.

Signed

Dr. Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe

024-367-7444.
Ade LLC decreased its position in shares of Sprott Physical Silver Trust (NYSEARCA:PSLV  Get Rating) by 7.6% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 37,336 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after selling 3,082 shares during the quarter. Ade LLCs holdings in Sprott Physical Silver Trust were worth $308,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Royal Bank of Canada grew its position in shares of Sprott Physical Silver Trust by 31.4% during the 3rd quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 3,023,356 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $20,015,000 after buying an additional 721,997 shares during the period. National Bank of Canada FI grew its holdings in Sprott Physical Silver Trust by 602.7% during the 4th quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 583,574 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $4,752,000 after acquiring an additional 500,527 shares during the period. Tiedemann Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Sprott Physical Silver Trust during the 3rd quarter valued at $70,000. Barometer Capital Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Sprott Physical Silver Trust by 205.6% in the 3rd quarter. Barometer Capital Management Inc. now owns 152,500 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $1,010,000 after purchasing an additional 102,600 shares during the period. Finally, Truist Financial Corp boosted its position in shares of Sprott Physical Silver Trust by 24,389.0% in the 3rd quarter. Truist Financial Corp now owns 2,988,143 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $19,782,000 after purchasing an additional 2,975,941 shares during the last quarter.

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Sprott Physical Silver Trust Stock Down 0.2 %

Shares of Sprott Physical Silver Trust stock traded down $0.02 during trading on Friday, reaching $8.57. 3,237,193 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,862,537. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $7.65 and a 200-day moving average price of $7.51. Sprott Physical Silver Trust has a twelve month low of $6.16 and a twelve month high of $9.17.

Sprott Physical Silver Trust Company Profile

Sprott Physical Silver Trust is a closed-end investment trust company, which engages in the provision of a secure, convenient, and exchange-traded investment alternative for investors interested in holding physical silver bullion without the inconvenience that is typical of a direct investment in physical silver bullion.

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Sidoti upgraded shares of ALLETE (NYSE:ALE  Get Rating) from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a research note published on Thursday morning, MarketBeat Ratings reports. The firm currently has $74.00 price objective on the utilities providers stock.

Several other analysts also recently weighed in on ALE. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on ALLETE from $67.00 to $65.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, January 30th. Guggenheim cut shares of ALLETE from a neutral rating to a sell rating and increased their target price for the company from $53.00 to $54.00 in a research report on Monday, January 23rd. Mizuho decreased their target price on shares of ALLETE from $66.00 to $64.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 24th. Finally, StockNews.com started coverage on shares of ALLETE in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They set a sell rating for the company. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $64.67.

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ALLETE Price Performance

ALE stock opened at $65.54 on Thursday. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $62.15 and a 200 day moving average price of $60.78. The stock has a market cap of $3.76 billion, a PE ratio of 19.28, a P/E/G ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 0.74. The company has a current ratio of 1.00, a quick ratio of 0.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49. ALLETE has a 12 month low of $47.77 and a 12 month high of $67.45.

ALLETE Increases Dividend

ALLETE ( NYSE:ALE Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 16th. The utilities provider reported $0.90 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.11 by ($0.21). ALLETE had a return on equity of 5.73% and a net margin of 12.05%. The firm had revenue of $425.80 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $404.81 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.18 EPS. ALLETEs quarterly revenue was up 6.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts anticipate that ALLETE will post 3.7 earnings per share for the current year.

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 1st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, February 15th were given a dividend of $0.678 per share. This is a boost from ALLETEs previous quarterly dividend of $0.65. This represents a $2.71 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.14%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, February 14th. ALLETEs dividend payout ratio is currently 79.71%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Royal Bank of Canada raised its holdings in shares of ALLETE by 0.7% in the third quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 136,182 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $6,816,000 after buying an additional 949 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in ALLETE by 10.0% in the 3rd quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 18,548 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $928,000 after buying an additional 1,688 shares in the last quarter. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC grew its stake in ALLETE by 54.0% in the 4th quarter. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC now owns 2,139 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $138,000 after acquiring an additional 750 shares during the period. Barclays PLC lifted its position in ALLETE by 51.2% during the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 10,687 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $536,000 after buying an additional 3,618 shares during the period. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. boosted its stake in ALLETE by 109.8% in the 3rd quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 107,577 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $5,384,000 after buying an additional 56,306 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 77.52% of the companys stock.

About ALLETE

(Get Rating)

ALLETE, Inc engages in the provision of electric and natural gas utility services. It operates through the following business segments: Regulated Operations, ALLETE Clean Energy, and Corporate and Other. The Regulated Operations segment includes regulated utilities, Minnesota Power, SWL&P, and investment in ATC, which regulates utilities that own and maintain electric transmission assets.

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Annex Advisory Services LLC raised its holdings in shares of Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE:LUV  Get Rating) by 6.1% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 163,112 shares of the airlines stock after acquiring an additional 9,343 shares during the period. Annex Advisory Services LLCs holdings in Southwest Airlines were worth $5,492,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Roundview Capital LLC lifted its stake in Southwest Airlines by 21.2% in the first quarter. Roundview Capital LLC now owns 13,336 shares of the airlines stock valued at $611,000 after buying an additional 2,335 shares during the period. Acadian Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in Southwest Airlines during the first quarter valued at approximately $403,000. APG Asset Management N.V. grew its holdings in shares of Southwest Airlines by 16.6% in the 1st quarter. APG Asset Management N.V. now owns 6,335 shares of the airlines stock valued at $261,000 after buying an additional 900 shares during the period. Raymond James Trust N.A. increased its position in shares of Southwest Airlines by 5.3% in the 1st quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. now owns 12,187 shares of the airlines stock valued at $559,000 after buying an additional 615 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cibc World Market Inc. raised its stake in Southwest Airlines by 3.2% during the 1st quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. now owns 40,189 shares of the airlines stock worth $1,841,000 after buying an additional 1,246 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.71% of the companys stock.

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Southwest Airlines Stock Up 0.0 %

LUV stock traded up $0.01 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $31.59. The company had a trading volume of 2,979,659 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,107,765. The company has a market capitalization of $18.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.49, a PEG ratio of 0.45 and a beta of 1.15. Southwest Airlines Co. has a 52 week low of $28.95 and a 52 week high of $50.10. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $33.13 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $34.80. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75, a current ratio of 1.43 and a quick ratio of 1.35.

Southwest Airlines Dividend Announcement

Southwest Airlines ( NYSE:LUV Get Rating ) last released its earnings results on Thursday, January 26th. The airline reported ($0.38) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.03) by ($0.35). Southwest Airlines had a net margin of 2.26% and a return on equity of 6.71%. The firm had revenue of $6.17 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.14 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.14 earnings per share. Southwest Airliness quarterly revenue was up 22.2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts predict that Southwest Airlines Co. will post 2.64 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 29th. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 8th were paid a $0.18 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 7th. This represents a $0.72 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.28%. Southwest Airliness dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 90.00%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

LUV has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Redburn Partners lowered Southwest Airlines from a buy rating to a neutral rating and set a $40.00 price target on the stock. in a research report on Wednesday, February 8th. Melius lowered shares of Southwest Airlines from an overweight rating to a neutral rating and set a $39.00 price target on the stock. in a research note on Wednesday, February 15th. Cowen reduced their price target on shares of Southwest Airlines from $55.00 to $50.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 27th. Citigroup reduced their target price on shares of Southwest Airlines from $40.00 to $39.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research note on Monday, January 9th. Finally, Raymond James dropped their price target on Southwest Airlines from $48.00 to $45.00 and set a strong-buy rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 5th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $47.07.

About Southwest Airlines

(Get Rating)

Southwest Airlines Co engages in the operation and management of a passenger airline. The firm also offers ancillary services such as early bird check-in, upgraded boarding, and transportation of pets and unaccompanied minors. It operates in the United States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Mexico, Jamaica, the Bahamas, Aruba, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Belize, Cuba, the Cayman Islands, and Turks and Caicos.

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Shares of Canadian Natural Resources Limited (TSE:CNQ  Get Rating) (NYSE:CNQ) have received a consensus recommendation of Moderate Buy from the fifteen brokerages that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and five have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12-month price target among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is C$91.07.

Several analysts have weighed in on the company. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on Canadian Natural Resources from C$90.00 to C$87.00 in a report on Monday, March 27th. Stifel Firstegy reissued a buy rating on shares of Canadian Natural Resources in a research note on Thursday, January 12th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of Canadian Natural Resources from C$76.00 to C$82.00 in a report on Friday, March 3rd. National Bankshares lowered their price target on Canadian Natural Resources from C$105.00 to C$100.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, March 3rd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on Canadian Natural Resources from C$92.00 to C$94.00 in a report on Tuesday, March 14th.

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Canadian Natural Resources Trading Down 0.5 %

Canadian Natural Resources stock opened at C$78.93 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 34.01, a quick ratio of 0.54 and a current ratio of 0.82. Canadian Natural Resources has a fifty-two week low of C$58.75 and a fifty-two week high of C$88.18. The stock has a market cap of C$86.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.29, a PEG ratio of 0.53 and a beta of 2.02. The firms fifty day moving average price is C$76.67 and its 200-day moving average price is C$76.44.

Canadian Natural Resources Increases Dividend

Insider Buying and Selling

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 5th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 17th were given a $0.90 dividend. This is a positive change from Canadian Natural Resourcess previous quarterly dividend of $0.75. This represents a $3.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.56%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 16th. Canadian Natural Resourcess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 37.82%.

In other news, Senior Officer Calvin John Bast sold 5,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Monday, January 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of C$80.90, for a total value of C$404,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 40,387 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately C$3,267,308.30. In related news, Senior Officer Troy John Peter Andersen sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of C$81.74, for a total value of C$1,634,892.00. Also, Senior Officer Calvin John Bast sold 5,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Monday, January 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of C$80.90, for a total transaction of C$404,500.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 40,387 shares in the company, valued at approximately C$3,267,308.30. Insiders sold 279,000 shares of company stock valued at $22,625,878 over the last quarter. 2.21% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Canadian Natural Resources Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Canadian Natural Resources Limited acquires, explores for, develops, produces, markets, and sells crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids (NGLs). The company offers synthetic crude oil (SCO), light and medium crude oil, bitumen (thermal oil), primary heavy crude oil, and Pelican Lake heavy crude oil.

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Charles Schwab (NYSE:SCHW  Get Rating) had its price objective lowered by Keefe, Bruyette & Woods from $89.00 to $65.00 in a research note published on Thursday morning, The Fly reports. The firm currently has an outperform rating on the financial services providers stock.

Other equities research analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. Credit Suisse Group upgraded shares of Charles Schwab from a neutral rating to an outperform rating and cut their target price for the company from $81.50 to $67.50 in a research note on Wednesday, March 15th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. assumed coverage on Charles Schwab in a research report on Friday, March 10th. They issued a buy rating and a $97.00 target price for the company. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their price target on Charles Schwab from $98.00 to $75.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, March 14th. Piper Sandler lowered their target price on shares of Charles Schwab from $100.00 to $95.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, March 14th. Finally, Citigroup reduced their price target on shares of Charles Schwab from $75.00 to $65.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, March 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating and twelve have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $78.27.

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Charles Schwab Price Performance

SCHW stock opened at $49.35 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $88.41 billion, a PE ratio of 14.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a current ratio of 0.38, a quick ratio of 0.38 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $68.17 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $74.58. Charles Schwab has a 12-month low of $45.00 and a 12-month high of $86.63.

Charles Schwab Increases Dividend

Charles Schwab ( NYSE:SCHW Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 18th. The financial services provider reported $1.07 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.10 by ($0.03). Charles Schwab had a return on equity of 24.94% and a net margin of 34.60%. The company had revenue of $5.50 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.55 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.86 earnings per share. The businesss revenue was up 16.8% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts predict that Charles Schwab will post 3.81 EPS for the current year.

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 24th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 10th were paid a dividend of $0.25 per share. This is a boost from Charles Schwabs previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 9th. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.03%. Charles Schwabs dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 28.57%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Charles Schwab news, insider Jonathan M. Craig sold 51,144 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated 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 legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In other news, Director Marianne Catherine Brown purchased 5,000 shares of Charles Schwab stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 28th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $53.47 per share, for a total transaction of $267,350.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 9,984 shares in the company, valued at $533,844.48. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider Jonathan M. Craig sold 51,144 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $80.30, for a total value of $4,106,863.20. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have bought 81,000 shares of company stock valued at $4,706,960 and have sold 728,106 shares valued at $58,067,403. 7.50% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Charles Schwab

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in SCHW. Vontobel Holding Ltd. increased its stake in Charles Schwab by 7.5% in the 1st quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. now owns 20,822 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,847,000 after buying an additional 1,452 shares during the period. Moors & Cabot Inc. grew its stake in Charles Schwab by 4.3% in the first quarter. Moors & Cabot Inc. now owns 6,263 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $528,000 after purchasing an additional 259 shares in the last quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Charles Schwab by 25.4% during the 1st quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 13,064 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $1,101,000 after purchasing an additional 2,648 shares in the last quarter. Brighton Jones LLC grew its stake in shares of Charles Schwab by 7.5% in the 1st quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 3,807 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $321,000 after buying an additional 267 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Covestor Ltd increased its holdings in Charles Schwab by 16.6% in the first quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 1,239 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $104,000 after buying an additional 176 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 73.49% of the companys stock.

Charles Schwab Company Profile

(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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Victoria Gold (OTCMKTS:VITFF  Get Rating) had its target price hoisted by CIBC from C$10.00 to C$10.50 in a research note published on Thursday morning, The Fly reports.

Other equities research analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. Stifel Nicolaus initiated coverage on shares of Victoria Gold in a research report on Thursday, March 30th. They set a buy rating for the company. HC Wainwright lowered their price target on Victoria Gold from C$22.00 to C$21.00 in a research report on Friday, February 24th.

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Victoria Gold Stock Up 2.3 %

Shares of Victoria Gold stock opened at $7.68 on Thursday. The businesss 50 day simple moving average is $6.70 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $6.11. Victoria Gold has a one year low of $4.77 and a one year high of $12.28.

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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Suncor Energy (TSE:SU  Get Rating) (NYSE:SU) had its target price lowered by CSFB from C$60.00 to C$56.00 in a research report report published on Thursday, BayStreet.CA reports.

Other analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. Scotiabank downgraded Suncor Energy from an outperform rating to a sector perform rating in a report on Tuesday, March 21st. TD Securities lifted their price objective on Suncor Energy from C$52.00 to C$53.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 15th. BMO Capital Markets reduced their target price on shares of Suncor Energy from C$55.00 to C$54.00 in a research note on Tuesday, December 13th. Eight Capital upgraded Suncor Energy from a sell rating to a neutral rating and upped their price target for the stock from C$43.00 to C$50.00 in a research note on Wednesday, February 22nd. Finally, Raymond James dropped their price target on shares of Suncor Energy from C$53.00 to C$50.00 and set a market perform rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, January 16th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of C$53.77.

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Suncor Energy Trading Down 1.0 %

Shares of SU stock opened at C$42.65 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.83, a current ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 40.72. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of C$44.14 and a 200 day simple moving average of C$43.94. Suncor Energy has a fifty-two week low of C$36.38 and a fifty-two week high of C$53.62. The stock has a market capitalization of C$56.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 6.53, a P/E/G ratio of 0.15 and a beta of 1.66.

Suncor Energy Announces Dividend

About Suncor Energy

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 24th. Investors of record on Friday, March 24th were issued a dividend of $0.52 per share. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.88%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 2nd. Suncor Energys dividend payout ratio is currently 31.85%.

(Get Rating)

Suncor Energy Inc operates as an integrated energy company. The company primarily focuses on developing petroleum resource basins in Canada's Athabasca oil sands; explores, acquires, develops, produces, transports, refines, and markets crude oil in Canada and internationally; markets petroleum and petrochemical products under the Petro-Canada name primarily in Canada.

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Israeli soldiers shot dead a Palestinian man in the north of the occupied West Bank on Saturday, the Palestinian health ministry said.

Ahed Salim, 20, was hit in the chest and belly by live fire in Azzun near Qalqilyah, the ministry said in a brief statement, without giving further details.

AFP has asked the Israeli occupation army to comment.

The shooting follows a surge in Middle East violence since Israeli police stormed the Al-Aqsa mosque on Wednesday after they said Palestinians barricaded themselves inside.

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Duolingo (NYSE:DUOL  Get Rating) had its price objective raised by Bank of America from $105.00 to $160.00 in a research note released on Thursday morning, The Fly reports.

DUOL has been the subject of several other research reports. Barclays increased their price objective on Duolingo from $84.00 to $99.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a report on Wednesday, March 1st. Needham & Company LLC reissued a buy rating and issued a $115.00 price target on shares of Duolingo in a report on Wednesday, March 1st. Raymond James upped their price objective on shares of Duolingo from $109.00 to $117.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Wednesday, March 1st. Piper Sandler lifted their target price on shares of Duolingo from $95.00 to $127.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 1st. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price target on shares of Duolingo from $92.00 to $109.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Thursday, March 2nd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $123.75.

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Duolingo Price Performance

DUOL opened at $136.73 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.56 billion, a PE ratio of -91.15 and a beta of 0.42. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04, a current ratio of 3.84 and a quick ratio of 3.84. The businesss 50-day moving average is $114.13 and its two-hundred day moving average is $91.72. Duolingo has a 1 year low of $60.50 and a 1 year high of $146.40.

Insider Buying and Selling

Duolingo ( NYSE:DUOL Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 28th. The company reported ($0.35) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of ($0.53) by $0.18. The firm had revenue of $103.82 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $99.88 million. Duolingo had a negative net margin of 16.12% and a negative return on equity of 11.22%. The companys quarterly revenue was up 42.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned ($0.46) EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Duolingo will post -0.85 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

In other Duolingo news, insider Severin Hacker sold 2,800 shares of Duolingo stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $75.05, for a total transaction of $210,140.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 72 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,403.60. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other Duolingo news, CEO Ahn Luis Von sold 153,514 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Friday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.34, for a total value of $18,166,846.76. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Severin Hacker sold 2,800 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, January 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $75.05, for a total value of $210,140.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 72 shares in the company, valued at $5,403.60. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 258,907 shares of company stock worth $30,841,910. 22.12% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Duolingo

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its holdings in Duolingo by 112.9% in the first quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 59,291 shares of the companys stock valued at $5,640,000 after acquiring an additional 31,446 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its holdings in shares of Duolingo by 40.7% during the 1st quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 9,201 shares of the companys stock valued at $876,000 after purchasing an additional 2,661 shares in the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Duolingo by 95.6% in the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 822,978 shares of the companys stock valued at $78,275,000 after purchasing an additional 402,222 shares during the period. Lord Abbett & CO. LLC boosted its holdings in Duolingo by 73.8% during the first quarter. Lord Abbett & CO. LLC now owns 216,817 shares of the companys stock worth $20,621,000 after buying an additional 92,031 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board acquired a new stake in Duolingo during the first quarter valued at $342,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 63.16% of the companys stock.

Duolingo Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Duolingo, Inc develops a language-learning website and mobile app in the United States and China. The company offers courses in 40 different languages, including Spanish, English, French, Japanese, German, Italian, Chinese, Portuguese, and others. It also provides a digital language proficiency assessment exam.

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Berenberg Bank reiterated their buy rating on shares of Empiric Student Property (LON:ESP  Get Rating) in a research report released on Thursday, MarketBeat reports. The brokerage currently has a GBX 115 ($1.43) price objective on the stock.

Separately, Royal Bank of Canada raised their price objective on Empiric Student Property from GBX 97 ($1.20) to GBX 100 ($1.24) and gave the company a sector perform rating in a report on Tuesday, March 21st.

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Empiric Student Property Stock Performance

LON ESP opened at GBX 91.40 ($1.14) on Thursday. The firms fifty day moving average price is GBX 87.34 and its two-hundred day moving average price is GBX 86.24. The stock has a market cap of 551.46 million, a PE ratio of 830.91, a PEG ratio of 2.01 and a beta of 1.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 55.34, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a current ratio of 1.32. Empiric Student Property has a fifty-two week low of GBX 74 ($0.92) and a fifty-two week high of GBX 103.80 ($1.29).

Empiric Student Property Increases Dividend

Insiders Place Their Bets

The firm also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 14th. Investors of record on Thursday, March 30th will be given a dividend of GBX 0.88 ($0.01) per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 30th. This is an increase from Empiric Student Propertys previous dividend of $0.63. This represents a yield of 1.04%. Empiric Student Propertys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 3,636.36%.

In other Empiric Student Property news, insider Alice Avis purchased 53,600 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 16th. The stock was purchased at an average price of GBX 86 ($1.07) per share, with a total value of 46,096 ($57,247.89). Insiders own 0.18% of the companys stock.

Empiric Student Property Company Profile

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Empiric Student Property plc is a leading provider and operator of modern, predominantly direct-let, premium student accommodation located in high-demand university towns and cities across the UK. Investing in both operating and development assets, Empiric is a fully integrated operational student property business focused on premium studio-led accommodation managed through its Hello Student operating platform, that is attractive to affluent growing student segments.

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JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) had its price objective lowered by Evercore ISI from $157.00 to $146.00 in a research note published on Wednesday, The Fly reports. Evercore ISI currently has an outperform rating on the financial services providers stock.

JPM has been the topic of several other reports. Credit Suisse Group set a $155.00 price objective on shares of JPMorgan Chase & Co. in a research note on Monday, February 27th. Royal Bank of Canada lowered their price target on JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $150.00 to $132.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Friday, March 24th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft downgraded JPMorgan Chase & Co. from a buy rating to a hold rating and dropped their price objective for the stock from $155.00 to $145.00 in a research note on Friday, January 6th. Piper Sandler lifted their price target on shares of JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $150.00 to $157.00 in a research note on Tuesday, January 17th. Finally, Oppenheimer cut their price target on JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $186.00 to $157.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, March 23rd. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, JPMorgan Chase & Co. presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $149.33.

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JPMorgan Chase & Co. Trading Down 0.1 %

JPMorgan Chase & Co. stock opened at $127.47 on Wednesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. has a one year low of $101.28 and a one year high of $144.34. The companys fifty day moving average price is $135.86 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $130.56. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.12, a current ratio of 0.84 and a quick ratio of 0.84. The company has a market capitalization of $373.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.55, a PEG ratio of 1.99 and a beta of 1.10.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. Dividend Announcement

JPMorgan Chase & Co. ( NYSE:JPM Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 13th. The financial services provider reported $3.57 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.11 by $0.46. The company had revenue of $34.55 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $34.23 billion. JPMorgan Chase & Co. had a return on equity of 14.68% and a net margin of 24.34%. The firms revenue was up 18.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $3.33 earnings per share. On average, analysts forecast that JPMorgan Chase & Co. will post 12.82 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, April 30th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 6th will be issued a dividend of $1.00 per share. This represents a $4.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.14%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co.s payout ratio is 33.11%.

Insider Transactions at JPMorgan Chase & Co.

In other news, General Counsel Stacey Friedman sold 23,148 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $140.31, for a total transaction of $3,247,895.88. Following the transaction, the general counsel now directly owns 48,311 shares of the companys stock, valued at $6,778,516.41. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. In related news, General Counsel Stacey Friedman sold 23,148 shares of JPMorgan Chase & Co. stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $140.31, for a total value of $3,247,895.88. Following the sale, the general counsel now owns 48,311 shares in the company, valued at $6,778,516.41. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Vice Chairman Peter Scher sold 4,399 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $140.32, for a total transaction of $617,267.68. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 36,369 shares of the companys stock, valued at $5,103,298.08. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 37,887 shares of company stock valued at $5,315,762. Insiders own 0.79% of the companys stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Retirement Financial Solutions LLC purchased a new position in shares of JPMorgan Chase & Co. during the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. HBC Financial Services PLLC lifted its stake in shares of JPMorgan Chase & Co. by 61.2% during the 2nd quarter. HBC Financial Services PLLC now owns 237 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 90 shares during the last quarter. Adirondack Retirement Specialists Inc. increased its stake in JPMorgan Chase & Co. by 510.8% in the first quarter. Adirondack Retirement Specialists Inc. now owns 226 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 189 shares during the period. Creative Capital Management Investments LLC bought a new stake in JPMorgan Chase & Co. during the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. Finally, Horizons Wealth Management bought a new stake in shares of JPMorgan Chase & Co. during the second quarter valued at approximately $39,000. Institutional investors own 67.89% of the companys stock.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. Company Profile

(Get Rating)

JPMorgan Chase & Co is a financial holding company, which engages in providing financial and investment banking services. The firm offers a range of investment banking products and services in all capital markets, including advising on corporate strategy and structure, capital raising in equity and debt markets, risk management, market making in cash securities and derivative instruments, and brokerage and research.

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Xcel Energy (NYSE:XEL  Get Rating) and COMPANHIA ENERG/S (NYSE:CIG.C  Get Rating) are both utilities companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their dividends, profitability, earnings, institutional ownership, risk, analyst recommendations and valuation.

Dividends

Xcel Energy pays an annual dividend of $2.08 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.9%. COMPANHIA ENERG/S pays an annual dividend of $0.12 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.5%. Xcel Energy pays out 65.6% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. COMPANHIA ENERG/S pays out 3.9% 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. Xcel Energy has increased its dividend for 20 consecutive years. COMPANHIA ENERG/S is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio.

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Profitability

This table compares Xcel Energy and COMPANHIA ENERG/Ss net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Xcel Energy N/A N/A N/A COMPANHIA ENERG/S N/A N/A N/A

Institutional & Insider Ownership

Earnings & Valuation

77.2% of Xcel Energy shares are held by institutional investors. 0.1% of Xcel Energy shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

This table compares Xcel Energy and COMPANHIA ENERG/Ss top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Xcel Energy $15.31 billion 2.56 $1.74 billion $3.17 22.48 COMPANHIA ENERG/S $34.37 billion N/A N/A $3.12 1.12

Xcel Energy has higher earnings, but lower revenue than COMPANHIA ENERG/S. COMPANHIA ENERG/S is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Xcel Energy, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of recent recommendations and price targets for Xcel Energy and COMPANHIA ENERG/S, as reported by MarketBeat.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Xcel Energy 0 0 0 0 N/A COMPANHIA ENERG/S 0 0 0 0 N/A

Summary

Xcel Energy beats COMPANHIA ENERG/S on 5 of the 8 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Xcel Energy

(Get Rating)

Xcel Energy, Inc. operates as a holding company engaged in the generation, purchase, transmission, distribution, and sale of electricity. It operates through the following three segments: Regulated Electric Utility, Regulated Natural Gas Utility and All Others. The Regulated Electric Utility segment generates, transmits, and distributes electricity primarily in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, North Dakota, South Dakota, Colorado, Texas, and New Mexico. In addition, this segment includes sales for resale and provides wholesale transmission service to various entities in the United States. It also includes commodity trading operations. The Regulated Natural Gas Utility segment transports, stores, and distributes natural gas primarily in portions of Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, Michigan, and Colorado. The All Others segment engages in steam, appliance repair services, nonutility real estate activities, processing solid waste into refuse-derived fuel and investments in rental housing projects that qualify for low-income housing tax credits. The company was founded in 1909 and is headquartered in Minneapolis, MN.

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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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 compare to its competitors? We will compare Forge Global to related businesses based on the strength of its risk, profitability, valuation, dividends, earnings, analyst recommendations 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%

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares Forge Global and its competitors top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio Forge Global $69.38 million -$111.86 million -1.10 Forge Global Competitors $7.42 billion $656.15 million 30.96

Volatility & Risk

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.

Forge Global has a beta of 2.29, indicating that its share price is 129% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Forge Globals competitors have a beta of 1.37, indicating that their average share price is 37% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Institutional & Insider Ownership

13.7% of Forge Global shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 63.7% of shares of all Security & commodity brokers, dealers, exchanges & services companies are held by institutional investors. 20.0% of Forge Global shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 13.0% of shares of all Security & commodity brokers, dealers, exchanges & services companies are held by company 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.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of recent ratings and price targets for Forge Global and its competitors, as provided by MarketBeat.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Forge Global 0 4 2 0 2.33 Forge Global Competitors 146 899 1204 32 2.49

Forge Global currently has a consensus target price of $3.48, suggesting a potential upside of 118.55%. As a group, Security & commodity brokers, dealers, exchanges & services companies have a potential upside of 29.56%. Given Forge Globals higher probable upside, 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

(Get Rating)

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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Finsbury Growth & Income Trust PLC (LON:FGT  Get Rating) insider Simon Hayes bought 3,537 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 5th. The shares were bought at an average cost of GBX 891 ($11.07) per share, for a total transaction of 31,514.67 ($39,138.93).

Simon Hayes also recently made the following trade(s):

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On Wednesday, March 1st, Simon Hayes acquired 3,955 shares of Finsbury Growth & Income Trust stock. The shares were bought at an average price of GBX 880 ($10.93) per share, with a total value of 34,804 ($43,224.04).

On Wednesday, February 1st, Simon Hayes bought 3,978 shares of Finsbury Growth & Income Trust stock. The stock was purchased at an average cost of GBX 875 ($10.87) per share, for a total transaction of 34,807.50 ($43,228.39).

Finsbury Growth & Income Trust Stock Performance

Shares of FGT opened at GBX 894 ($11.10) on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.01, a quick ratio of 0.48 and a current ratio of 0.48. The stock has a 50-day moving average of GBX 880.60 and a two-hundred day moving average of GBX 850.98. The stock has a market cap of 1.86 billion, a P/E ratio of -1,686.79 and a beta of 0.51. Finsbury Growth & Income Trust PLC has a one year low of GBX 731.80 ($9.09) and a one year high of GBX 901 ($11.19).

Finsbury Growth & Income Trust Cuts Dividend

Finsbury Growth & Income Trust Company Profile

The company also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 19th. Investors of record on Thursday, April 6th will be given a GBX 8.50 ($0.11) dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 6th. This represents a yield of 0.97%. Finsbury Growth & Income Trusts dividend payout ratio is currently -3,396.23%.

(Get Rating)

Finsbury Growth & Income Trust PLC is a closed ended equity mutual fund launched Frostrow Capital LLP. The fund is co-managed by Lindsell Train Limited. It invests in public equity markets of the United Kingdom. The fund seeks to invest in stocks of companies operating across diversified sectors.

Further Reading

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Lamb Weston (NYSE:LW  Get Rating) issued an update on its FY23 earnings guidance on Thursday morning. The company provided earnings per share guidance of $4.35-4.50 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of $3.94. The company issued revenue guidance of $5.25-5.35 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $5.15 billion.

Lamb Weston Stock Performance

NYSE:LW opened at $106.86 on Friday. Lamb Weston has a 52 week low of $60.59 and a 52 week high of $109.70. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $100.42 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $91.64. The company has a quick ratio of 1.07, a current ratio of 2.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.43. The company has a market cap of $15.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.57, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.81 and a beta of 0.53.

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Lamb Weston (NYSE:LW  Get Rating) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 6th. The specialty retailer reported $1.43 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.98 by $0.45. Lamb Weston had a return on equity of 110.40% and a net margin of 11.27%. The firm had revenue of $1.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.16 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.73 earnings per share. Lamb Westons revenue was up 26.0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Lamb Weston will post 4.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lamb Weston Announces Dividend

Analysts Set New Price Targets

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 2nd. Investors of record on Friday, May 5th will be paid a dividend of $0.28 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 4th. This represents a $1.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.05%. Lamb Westons payout ratio is 29.95%.

A number of equities analysts recently commented on LW shares. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their target price on shares of Lamb Weston from $90.00 to $107.00 in a research note on Friday, January 6th. Bank of America upped their price objective on Lamb Weston from $105.00 to $115.00 in a research report on Friday, January 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on Lamb Weston from $101.00 to $107.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Friday, January 6th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price target on shares of Lamb Weston from $97.00 to $107.00 in a research note on Thursday. Finally, StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Lamb Weston in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Lamb Weston currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $109.00.

Insider Activity

In related news, SVP Michael Jared Smith sold 11,934 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Monday, January 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $98.90, for a total value of $1,180,272.60. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 74,351 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,353,313.90. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other Lamb Weston news, VP Gregory W. Jones sold 1,000 shares of Lamb Weston stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $97.49, for a total value of $97,490.00. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 6,384 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $622,376.16. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, SVP Michael Jared Smith sold 11,934 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $98.90, for a total value of $1,180,272.60. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 74,351 shares of the companys stock, valued at $7,353,313.90. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders sold 19,434 shares of company stock valued at $1,917,363. Insiders own 0.80% of the companys stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in Lamb Weston by 31.2% during the 3rd quarter. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 4,045 shares of the specialty retailers stock valued at $313,000 after acquiring an additional 963 shares in the last quarter. Vestcor Inc purchased a new position in shares of Lamb Weston during the 4th quarter worth approximately $305,000. Mackenzie Financial Corp acquired a new position in shares of Lamb Weston during the 1st quarter worth approximately $255,000. Angeles Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Lamb Weston in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $239,000. Finally, Chicago Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Lamb Weston in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $221,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.87% of the companys stock.

About Lamb Weston

(Get Rating)

Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc engages in the production, distribution, and marketing of value-added frozen potato products. It operates through the following business segments: Global, Foodservice, Retail, and Other. The Global segment includes branded and private label frozen potato products sold in North America and international markets.

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Main Street Financial Solutions LLC trimmed its stake in Gartner, Inc. (NYSE:IT  Get Rating) by 2.3% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 3,005 shares of the information technology services providers stock after selling 71 shares during the period. Gartner makes up about 1.4% of Main Street Financial Solutions LLCs portfolio, making the stock its 17th biggest position. Main Street Financial Solutions LLCs holdings in Gartner were worth $1,007,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in Gartner by 1.1% in the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 9,198,161 shares of the information technology services providers stock worth $2,736,085,000 after purchasing an additional 102,709 shares during the period. BlackRock Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Gartner by 2.5% in the third quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 6,075,891 shares of the information technology services providers stock worth $1,681,139,000 after buying an additional 148,010 shares during the period. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA raised its holdings in shares of Gartner by 145.1% in the third quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 2,227,844 shares of the information technology services providers stock worth $616,422,000 after buying an additional 1,318,892 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its stake in shares of Gartner by 20.3% during the 1st quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 2,029,738 shares of the information technology services providers stock worth $603,766,000 after acquiring an additional 342,228 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Invesco Ltd. boosted its holdings in Gartner by 7.3% during the 1st quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 1,313,140 shares of the information technology services providers stock valued at $390,606,000 after acquiring an additional 89,707 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 91.86% of the companys stock.

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Gartner Trading Up 0.2 %

Shares of NYSE:IT opened at $313.75 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $24.81 billion, a PE ratio of 31.41, a P/E/G ratio of 5.09 and a beta of 1.28. The company has a current ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 10.77. Gartner, Inc. has a 12-month low of $221.39 and a 12-month high of $358.25. The businesss fifty day simple moving average is $328.96 and its 200-day simple moving average is $324.01.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Gartner ( NYSE:IT Get Rating ) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 7th. The information technology services provider reported $3.70 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.57 by $1.13. Gartner had a net margin of 14.75% and a return on equity of 2,645.96%. The business had revenue of $1.51 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.45 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.99 earnings per share. The firms revenue was up 15.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Gartner, Inc. will post 9.49 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

IT has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on Gartner from $358.00 to $366.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 8th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on shares of Gartner from $370.00 to $387.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 8th. BMO Capital Markets raised their target price on shares of Gartner from $356.00 to $357.00 and gave the stock a market perform rating in a research report on Thursday, February 9th. Finally, StockNews.com began coverage on Gartner in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a buy rating for the company. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $359.00.

Insider Buying and Selling at Gartner

In other news, EVP Scott Hensel sold 3,007 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $355.00, for a total transaction of $1,067,485.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 12,885 shares of the companys stock, valued at $4,574,175. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other Gartner news, CEO Eugene A. Hall sold 16,410 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $351.33, for a total value of $5,765,325.30. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 1,148,281 shares of the companys stock, valued at $403,425,563.73. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Scott Hensel sold 3,007 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $355.00, for a total transaction of $1,067,485.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 12,885 shares in the company, valued at $4,574,175. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 43,031 shares of company stock worth $15,047,172 over the last three months. Corporate insiders own 3.70% of the companys stock.

Gartner Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Gartner, Inc is a research and advisory company, which equips business leaders with insights, advice, and tools that help build organizations. It operates through the following segments: Research, Consulting, and Conferences. The Research segment provides executives with objective insights and advice through reports, briefings, proprietary tools, access to the firms research experts, peer networking services, and membership programs.

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Columbia Advisory Partners LLC cut its stake in shares of Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA  Get Rating) by 11.5% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,512 shares of the credit services providers stock after selling 197 shares during the quarter. Mastercard accounts for 0.5% of Columbia Advisory Partners LLCs portfolio, making the stock its 26th largest holding. Columbia Advisory Partners LLCs holdings in Mastercard were worth $526,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the stock. International Assets Investment Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Mastercard by 27,553.9% in the 4th quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 986,967 shares of the credit services providers stock valued at $1,767,000 after acquiring an additional 983,398 shares in the last quarter. Great West Life Assurance Co. Can acquired a new stake in shares of Mastercard in the third quarter worth $237,635,000. Ensign Peak Advisors Inc grew its holdings in shares of Mastercard by 56.7% during the third quarter. Ensign Peak Advisors Inc now owns 1,925,743 shares of the credit services providers stock valued at $547,566,000 after buying an additional 696,961 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in Mastercard by 0.7% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 77,259,535 shares of the credit services providers stock valued at $21,967,977,000 after buying an additional 568,155 shares during the period. Finally, Barclays PLC lifted its stake in Mastercard by 43.4% in the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 1,310,845 shares of the credit services providers stock worth $372,728,000 after acquiring an additional 396,430 shares in the last quarter. 74.51% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Mastercard Stock Performance

Shares of MA traded down $2.32 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $361.47. The companys stock had a trading volume of 2,357,712 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,152,421. The stocks 50-day moving average is $360.43 and its two-hundred day moving average is $343.95. The firm has a market capitalization of $344.57 billion, a PE ratio of 35.37, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 1.11. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.16, a quick ratio of 1.17 and a current ratio of 1.17. Mastercard Incorporated has a one year low of $276.87 and a one year high of $390.00.

Mastercard Announces Dividend

Mastercard ( NYSE:MA Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 26th. The credit services provider reported $2.65 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.56 by $0.09. Mastercard had a net margin of 44.65% and a return on equity of 158.38%. The firm had revenue of $5.82 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.79 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.35 EPS. The businesss revenue was up 11.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Mastercard Incorporated will post 12.14 EPS for the current year.

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 9th. Investors of record on Friday, April 7th will be paid a dividend of $0.57 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 5th. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.63%. Mastercards dividend payout ratio is 22.31%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Mastercard

In other news, insider Hai Ling sold 8,220 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $356.31, for a total transaction of $2,928,868.20. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 26,496 shares in the company, valued at $9,440,789.76. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other Mastercard news, major shareholder Foundation Mastercard sold 172,548 shares of Mastercard stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $365.62, for a total transaction of $63,086,999.76. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 100,908,187 shares of the companys stock, valued at $36,894,051,330.94. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Hai Ling sold 8,220 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $356.31, for a total value of $2,928,868.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 26,496 shares of the companys stock, valued at $9,440,789.76. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 655,522 shares of company stock valued at $242,724,561 in the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 0.29% of the companys stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MA has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Robert W. Baird lifted their target price on Mastercard from $370.00 to $410.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Monday, January 23rd. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on shares of Mastercard from $365.00 to $405.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Thursday, December 15th. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on shares of Mastercard from $437.00 to $438.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Friday, January 27th. BMO Capital Markets dropped their price target on shares of Mastercard from $427.00 to $414.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 27th. Finally, Susquehanna lifted their price objective on Mastercard from $405.00 to $433.00 and gave the company a positive rating in a research report on Friday, January 27th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and twenty have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $413.41.

About Mastercard

(Get Rating)

Mastercard, Inc is a technology company, which engages in the payments industry that connects consumers, financial institutions, merchants, governments, and business. It offers payment solutions for the development and implementation of credit, debit, prepaid, commercial, and payment programs. The company was founded in November 1966 and is headquartered in Purchase, NY.

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Stephens reaffirmed their overweight rating on shares of MSC Industrial Direct (NYSE:MSM  Get Rating) in a research note published on Wednesday morning, Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a $100.00 price objective on the industrial products companys stock.

MSM has been the topic of a number of other research reports. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of MSC Industrial Direct in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a buy rating on the stock. Loop Capital boosted their price objective on shares of MSC Industrial Direct from $82.00 to $89.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Robert W. Baird raised their target price on shares of MSC Industrial Direct from $95.00 to $104.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $93.33.

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MSC Industrial Direct Price Performance

Shares of NYSE MSM opened at $84.49 on Wednesday. MSC Industrial Direct has a 1 year low of $71.32 and a 1 year high of $90.04. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.00, a P/E/G ratio of 2.77 and a beta of 1.03. The companys 50-day moving average is $84.18 and its 200 day moving average is $81.81. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a current ratio of 2.04 and a quick ratio of 1.15.

MSC Industrial Direct Announces Dividend

MSC Industrial Direct ( NYSE:MSM Get Rating ) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, April 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.45 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.35 by $0.10. MSC Industrial Direct had a return on equity of 26.66% and a net margin of 9.34%. The firm had revenue of $961.60 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $934.76 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.29 EPS. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 11.5% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts expect that MSC Industrial Direct will post 6.23 earnings per share for the current year.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 25th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, April 11th will be paid a dividend of $0.79 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, April 10th. This represents a $3.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.74%. MSC Industrial Directs dividend payout ratio is currently 48.62%.

Insider Transactions at MSC Industrial Direct

In related news, EVP Douglas E. Jones sold 885 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $88.00, for a total transaction of $77,880.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 4,938 shares of the companys stock, valued at $434,544. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. In other MSC Industrial Direct news, EVP Douglas E. Jones sold 23,918 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $89.92, for a total transaction of $2,150,706.56. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 5,823 shares in the company, valued at approximately $523,604.16. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Douglas E. Jones sold 885 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $88.00, for a total transaction of $77,880.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 4,938 shares in the company, valued at approximately $434,544. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 28.39% of the companys stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MSM. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. raised its stake in MSC Industrial Direct by 465.4% during the 1st quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 19,687 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $1,678,000 after buying an additional 16,205 shares during the last quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. increased its position in MSC Industrial Direct by 3.4% during the first quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 13,636 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $1,162,000 after acquiring an additional 447 shares during the last quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. lifted its holdings in MSC Industrial Direct by 115.7% in the first quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 1,514 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $128,000 after acquiring an additional 812 shares during the period. Natixis Advisors L.P. boosted its position in MSC Industrial Direct by 14.1% in the first quarter. Natixis Advisors L.P. now owns 24,042 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $2,049,000 after purchasing an additional 2,974 shares during the last quarter. Finally, MetLife Investment Management LLC grew its stake in shares of MSC Industrial Direct by 34.2% during the 1st quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 30,438 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $2,594,000 after purchasing an additional 7,749 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 73.89% of the companys stock.

MSC Industrial Direct Company Profile

(Get Rating)

MSC Industrial Direct Co, Inc engages in the distribution of metalworking and maintenance, repair, and operations products and services. Its products include cutting tools, measuring instruments, tooling components, metalworking, fasteners, flat stock, raw materials, abrasives, machinery hand and power tools, safety and janitorial supplies, plumbing supplies, materials handling products, power transmission components, and electrical supplies.

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Israeli demonstrators crowded Tel Aviv late Saturday for another protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plans to reform the judiciary, despite the process being put on hold.

Organisers said around 258,000 people attended, but police gave no figures of their own.

The demonstration came a day after a car-ramming attack on the city's seafront killed an Italian visitor and injured seven other tourists.

The current round of violence erupted earlier in the week after Israeli police raided the mosque, firing tear gas and stun grenades to disperse hundreds of Palestinians who were participating in "Itikaf," a religious practice of seclusion inside mosques that is commonly observed during Ramadan.

Israel bombarded both Gaza and Lebanon in response to subsequent rocket fire by Palestinian militants.

Protesters on Saturday brandished signs reading "Save democracy!", "Freedom for all!" and "Netanyahu is leading us to war".

Other, smaller, demonstrations took place in the central city of Kfar Saba, at Haifa in the north and in Jerusalem.

Thousands of protesters, sometimes tens of thousands, have been taking to the streets each week since the reform plans were announced in January by Netanyahu's government, which was formed in December.

On March 27, he announced a "pause" to allow for dialogue on the reforms which were moving through parliament and split the nation.

Netanyahu last month had announced the firing of his defence minister, Yoav Gallant, who cited a threat to national security because "the growing social rift" had made its way into the army and security agencies.

The proposals would curtail the authority of the Supreme Court and give politicians greater powers over the selection of judges.

Opponents have raised fears for Israel's democracy but the government, a coalition between Netanyahu's Likud party and extreme-right and ultra-Orthodox Jewish allies, argues the changes are needed to rebalance powers between lawmakers and the judiciary.

Israel's attorney general had warned Netanyahu, just prior to the pause, against any intervention in changes to the judicial system because of conflicts of interest. The prime minister is on trial over charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust, which he denies.

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MSC Industrial Direct (NYSE:MSM  Get Rating) had its target price increased by Robert W. Baird from $95.00 to $104.00 in a research report report published on Wednesday, The Fly reports. The brokerage currently has an outperform rating on the industrial products companys stock.

Separately, StockNews.com assumed coverage on MSC Industrial Direct in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a buy rating for the company. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $93.33.

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MSC Industrial Direct Stock Performance

Shares of MSM opened at $84.49 on Wednesday. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $84.18 and a 200 day moving average price of $81.81. The company has a quick ratio of 1.15, a current ratio of 2.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. MSC Industrial Direct has a 52-week low of $71.32 and a 52-week high of $90.04. The company has a market capitalization of $4.72 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.77 and a beta of 1.03.

MSC Industrial Direct Dividend Announcement

MSC Industrial Direct ( NYSE:MSM Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.45 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.35 by $0.10. MSC Industrial Direct had a return on equity of 26.66% and a net margin of 9.34%. The firm had revenue of $961.60 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $934.76 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.29 EPS. The firms revenue was up 11.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts predict that MSC Industrial Direct will post 6.23 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 25th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, April 11th will be given a dividend of $0.79 per share. This represents a $3.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.74%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, April 10th. MSC Industrial Directs payout ratio is currently 48.62%.

Insider Buying and Selling at MSC Industrial Direct

In other MSC Industrial Direct news, EVP Douglas E. Jones sold 885 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $88.00, for a total transaction of $77,880.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 4,938 shares in the company, valued at $434,544. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. In other news, EVP Douglas E. Jones sold 23,918 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $89.92, for a total transaction of $2,150,706.56. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 5,823 shares of the companys stock, valued at $523,604.16. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Douglas E. Jones sold 885 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $88.00, for a total value of $77,880.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 4,938 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $434,544. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 28.39% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On MSC Industrial Direct

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of MSM. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. raised its position in MSC Industrial Direct by 465.4% during the first quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 19,687 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $1,678,000 after buying an additional 16,205 shares during the period. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. grew its position in MSC Industrial Direct by 3.4% during the first quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 13,636 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $1,162,000 after purchasing an additional 447 shares in the last quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. increased its stake in MSC Industrial Direct by 115.7% in the 1st quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 1,514 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $128,000 after buying an additional 812 shares during the period. Natixis Advisors L.P. boosted its stake in shares of MSC Industrial Direct by 14.1% during the 1st quarter. Natixis Advisors L.P. now owns 24,042 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $2,049,000 after buying an additional 2,974 shares during the period. Finally, MetLife Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of MSC Industrial Direct by 34.2% during the 1st quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 30,438 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $2,594,000 after acquiring an additional 7,749 shares in the last quarter. 73.89% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

MSC Industrial Direct Company Profile

(Get Rating)

MSC Industrial Direct Co, Inc engages in the distribution of metalworking and maintenance, repair, and operations products and services. Its products include cutting tools, measuring instruments, tooling components, metalworking, fasteners, flat stock, raw materials, abrasives, machinery hand and power tools, safety and janitorial supplies, plumbing supplies, materials handling products, power transmission components, and electrical supplies.

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Eldorado Gold (NYSE:EGO  Get Rating) (TSE:ELD) had its price target raised by National Bank Financial from C$13.50 to C$16.50 in a research report report published on Thursday, The Fly reports.

A number of other research firms have also recently weighed in on EGO. TD Securities cut their price target on Eldorado Gold from $11.00 to $10.50 and set a hold rating on the stock in a report on Monday, February 27th. StockNews.com initiated coverage on Eldorado Gold in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Finally, Bank of America began coverage on Eldorado Gold in a research report on Friday, March 10th. They set an underperform rating and a $8.90 price target for the company. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Eldorado Gold currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $12.58.

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Eldorado Gold Stock Performance

Shares of EGO stock opened at $10.82 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $2.00 billion, a P/E ratio of -5.69, a PEG ratio of 0.60 and a beta of 1.24. The business has a 50 day moving average of $9.56 and a two-hundred day moving average of $8.15. Eldorado Gold has a 52 week low of $5.06 and a 52 week high of $12.49. The company has a quick ratio of 2.06, a current ratio of 3.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Eldorado Gold

Eldorado Gold ( NYSE:EGO Get Rating ) (TSE:ELD) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 23rd. The basic materials company reported $0.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.05 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $246.20 million during the quarter. Eldorado Gold had a negative net margin of 39.92% and a positive return on equity of 0.39%. As a group, analysts anticipate that Eldorado Gold will post 0.43 EPS for the current year.

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in EGO. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. raised its position in Eldorado Gold by 2.0% in the first quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 141,562 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $1,587,000 after acquiring an additional 2,804 shares in the last quarter. Cetera Advisor Networks LLC raised its holdings in shares of Eldorado Gold by 11.7% in the 1st quarter. Cetera Advisor Networks LLC now owns 18,544 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $208,000 after purchasing an additional 1,944 shares in the last quarter. Citigroup Inc. acquired a new stake in Eldorado Gold during the first quarter valued at approximately $1,128,000. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS boosted its holdings in Eldorado Gold by 24.5% during the first quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS now owns 22,921 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $257,000 after buying an additional 4,510 shares in the last quarter. Finally, BlackRock Inc. grew its position in Eldorado Gold by 1.4% in the first quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 10,321,583 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $115,706,000 after buying an additional 141,298 shares during the last quarter. 57.64% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Eldorado Gold

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Eldorado Gold Corp. engages in the mining, development, and exploration of gold. It operates through the following segment: Turkey, Canada, and Greece. The company was founded by Richard J. Barclay, Marco Antonio Romero, and Gary D. Nordin on April 2, 1992 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

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New York Community Bancorp (NYSE:NYCB  Get Rating) had its price target cut by Morgan Stanley from $10.50 to $10.00 in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday morning, The Fly reports. They currently have an equal weight rating on the financial services providers stock.

Several other analysts have also recently weighed in on NYCB. Credit Suisse Group upped their price objective on shares of New York Community Bancorp from $10.00 to $11.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 21st. UBS Group boosted their price objective on New York Community Bancorp from $10.00 to $11.50 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of New York Community Bancorp from $9.50 to $10.50 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 21st. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised New York Community Bancorp from a market perform rating to an outperform rating and increased their price objective for the company from $10.00 to $11.00 in a report on Monday, March 20th. Finally, Stephens raised New York Community Bancorp from an underweight rating to an equal weight rating and set a $8.50 target price on the stock in a report on Friday, December 9th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, New York Community Bancorp currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $10.50.

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New York Community Bancorp Stock Performance

Shares of NYCB stock opened at $8.81 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $6.02 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.05, a PEG ratio of 0.74 and a beta of 1.05. The stocks 50-day moving average is $8.86 and its two-hundred day moving average is $8.96. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.56, a current ratio of 1.22 and a quick ratio of 1.20. New York Community Bancorp has a fifty-two week low of $5.81 and a fifty-two week high of $11.02.

New York Community Bancorp Announces Dividend

New York Community Bancorp ( NYSE:NYCB Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 31st. The financial services provider reported $0.25 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.27 by ($0.02). The business had revenue of $577.00 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $410.71 million. New York Community Bancorp had a return on equity of 9.32% and a net margin of 27.79%. Analysts predict that New York Community Bancorp will post 1.2 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 16th. Investors of record on Monday, February 6th were issued a dividend of $0.17 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 3rd. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 7.72%. New York Community Bancorps dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 54.40%.

Insider Buying and Selling at New York Community Bancorp

In related news, Director Ronald A. Rosenfeld acquired 30,800 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 6th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $24.57 per share, for a total transaction of $756,756.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 30,800 shares in the company, valued at $756,756. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. In other news, Director Ronald A. Rosenfeld bought 30,800 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 6th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $24.57 per share, with a total value of $756,756.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 30,800 shares of the companys stock, valued at $756,756. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Reginald E. Davis sold 4,600 shares of New York Community Bancorp stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $9.97, for a total transaction of $45,862.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 123,033 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,226,639.01. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 1.58% of the companys stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. First Trust Advisors LP increased its position in New York Community Bancorp by 30.2% in the third quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 4,899,761 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $41,795,000 after purchasing an additional 1,135,590 shares during the last quarter. Echo Street Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of New York Community Bancorp during the 3rd quarter valued at $272,000. Intrua Financial LLC boosted its stake in New York Community Bancorp by 32.1% in the 4th quarter. Intrua Financial LLC now owns 76,698 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $721,000 after purchasing an additional 18,633 shares in the last quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc. increased its position in shares of New York Community Bancorp by 1.4% in the 3rd quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc. now owns 136,274 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,162,000 after acquiring an additional 1,910 shares during the period. Finally, Accurate Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in New York Community Bancorp by 76.5% in the 4th quarter. Accurate Wealth Management LLC now owns 32,509 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $298,000 after buying an additional 14,092 shares during the period. 63.17% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

New York Community Bancorp Company Profile

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New York Community Bancorp, Inc is a bank holding company, which engages in the provision of multi-family loans on non-luxury rent-regulated buildings that feature below-market rents. It also offers financial products and services to individuals and businesses. The company was founded on July 20, 1993 and is headquartered in Westbury, NY.

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Optas LLC increased its position in The Sherwin-Williams Company (NYSE:SHW  Get Rating) by 17.2% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 2,649 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock after purchasing an additional 388 shares during the period. Optas LLCs holdings in Sherwin-Williams were worth $629,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Legal & General Group Plc boosted its holdings in shares of Sherwin-Williams by 0.8% in the second quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 1,891,102 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock valued at $423,439,000 after acquiring an additional 15,631 shares during the period. Farallon Capital Management LLC grew its position in Sherwin-Williams by 20.4% during the 3rd quarter. Farallon Capital Management LLC now owns 1,279,492 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock worth $261,976,000 after purchasing an additional 216,900 shares during the last quarter. Chilton Investment Co. Inc. increased its stake in Sherwin-Williams by 1.1% in the second quarter. Chilton Investment Co. Inc. now owns 1,260,134 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock valued at $282,157,000 after purchasing an additional 13,764 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in Sherwin-Williams by 2.2% in the first quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,240,241 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock valued at $309,590,000 after purchasing an additional 27,057 shares during the period. Finally, Sustainable Growth Advisers LP grew its holdings in shares of Sherwin-Williams by 1.6% during the third quarter. Sustainable Growth Advisers LP now owns 1,205,899 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock worth $246,907,000 after buying an additional 19,190 shares during the last quarter. 76.03% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Sherwin-Williams Price Performance

Shares of SHW stock traded up $1.15 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $223.98. The companys stock had a trading volume of 1,366,222 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,507,635. The business has a fifty day moving average of $224.37 and a 200-day moving average of $229.07. The stock has a market cap of $57.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.01, a P/E/G ratio of 2.55 and a beta of 1.07. The company has a current ratio of 0.99, a quick ratio of 0.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.09. The Sherwin-Williams Company has a twelve month low of $195.24 and a twelve month high of $285.00.

Sherwin-Williams Increases Dividend

Sherwin-Williams ( NYSE:SHW Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 26th. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.89 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.84 by $0.05. Sherwin-Williams had a return on equity of 90.04% and a net margin of 9.12%. 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 business earned $1.34 earnings per share. The businesss revenue was up 9.8% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that The Sherwin-Williams Company will post 8.52 EPS for the current year.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 10th. Investors of record on Monday, February 27th were paid a dividend of $0.605 per share. This is an increase from Sherwin-Williamss previous quarterly dividend of $0.60. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 24th. This represents a $2.42 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.08%. Sherwin-Williamss dividend payout ratio is presently 31.35%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Sherwin-Williams news, CEO John G. Morikis acquired 2,207 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 27th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $226.70 per share, for a total transaction of $500,326.90. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer now directly owns 231,344 shares of the companys stock, valued at $52,445,684.80. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. In related news, CEO John G. Morikis bought 2,207 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 27th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $226.70 per share, for a total transaction of $500,326.90. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer now owns 231,344 shares in the company, valued at $52,445,684.80. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, SVP Bryan J. Young sold 2,750 shares of Sherwin-Williams stock in a transaction 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 in the company, valued at approximately $1,756,145.80. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.55% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have weighed in on the company. Barclays lowered their target price on Sherwin-Williams from $245.00 to $220.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, January 30th. Zelman & Associates downgraded shares of Sherwin-Williams from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Friday, January 27th. Mizuho lowered their target price on shares of Sherwin-Williams from $267.00 to $255.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 27th. Citigroup cut their price target on shares of Sherwin-Williams from $270.00 to $251.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 27th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on Sherwin-Williams from $230.00 to $220.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a report on Monday, January 9th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and twelve have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $253.39.

About Sherwin-Williams

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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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Pinnacle Wealth Management LLC lowered its stake in shares of American Express (NYSE:AXP) by 4.9% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 11,510 shares of the payment services companys stock after selling 591 shares during the period. American Express comprises about 2.0% of Pinnacle Wealth Management LLCs holdings, making the stock its 15th largest position. Pinnacle Wealth Management LLCs holdings in American Express were worth $1,701,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Walkner Condon Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of American Express in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $227,000. Legal & General Group Plc lifted its position in American Express by 2.4% during the second quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 4,928,905 shares of the payment services companys stock valued at $683,249,000 after buying an additional 115,738 shares during the period. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of American Express by 4.9% during the 3rd quarter. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. now owns 22,653 shares of the payment services companys stock valued at $3,056,000 after buying an additional 1,052 shares in the last quarter. Gradient Investments LLC grew its position in shares of American Express by 9.4% in the 3rd quarter. Gradient Investments LLC now owns 33,110 shares of the payment services companys stock worth $4,467,000 after buying an additional 2,839 shares during the period. Finally, Hanson & Doremus Investment Management increased its stake in shares of American Express by 38.6% in the 4th quarter. Hanson & Doremus Investment Management now owns 3,480 shares of the payment services companys stock worth $514,000 after acquiring an additional 970 shares in the last quarter. 83.30% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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American Express Stock Down 1.4 %

Shares of American Express stock opened at $158.83 on Friday. American Express has a twelve month low of $130.65 and a twelve month high of $192.42. The company has a quick ratio of 1.62, a current ratio of 1.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.72. The companys 50 day moving average is $170.19 and its 200 day moving average is $156.13. The company has a market cap of $118.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.14, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.97 and a beta of 1.18.

American Express ( NYSE:AXP Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 27th. The payment services company reported $2.07 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.18 by ($0.11). American Express had a net margin of 14.16% and a return on equity of 31.76%. The firm had revenue of $14.18 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $14.25 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $2.18 earnings per share. American Expresss quarterly revenue was up 16.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts anticipate that American Express will post 11.24 EPS for the current year.

American Express announced that its Board of Directors has approved a stock buyback plan on Wednesday, March 8th that permits the company to buyback 120,000,000 outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the payment services company to repurchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are generally a sign that the companys board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

American Express Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 7th will be given a dividend of $0.60 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 5th. This represents a $2.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.51%. This is a positive change from American Expresss previous quarterly dividend of $0.52. American Expresss dividend payout ratio is presently 24.39%.

Insider Transactions at American Express

In related news, insider Monique Herena sold 15,217 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $173.18, for a total transaction of $2,635,280.06. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 13,712 shares in the company, valued at $2,374,644.16. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In other news, insider Monique Herena sold 15,217 shares of American Express stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $173.18, for a total transaction of $2,635,280.06. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 13,712 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,374,644.16. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider Howard Grosfield sold 5,456 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $174.52, for a total value of $952,181.12. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 7,045 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,229,493.40. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 49,361 shares of company stock worth $8,773,678 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.12% of the companys stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have weighed in on AXP. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on shares of American Express from $170.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Thursday, December 15th. Citigroup upped their price target on American Express from $128.00 to $133.00 and gave the stock a sell rating in a research note on Thursday, January 26th. Robert W. Baird lifted their price objective on American Express from $175.00 to $190.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Monday, January 30th. Oppenheimer cut their target price on American Express from $182.00 to $180.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 4th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on American Express from $186.00 to $188.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, American Express has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $175.33.

American Express Profile

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American Express Co engages in the provision of charge and credit card products and travel-related services. It operates through the following segments: U.S Consumer Services (USCS), Commercial Services (CS), International Card Services (ICS), Global Merchant and Network Services (GMNS), and Corporate and Other.

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Tim S.A. (NYSE:TIMB  Get Rating) announced a None dividend on Friday, March 31st, investing.com reports. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 12th will be paid a dividend of 0.2321 per share on Tuesday, April 25th. This represents a yield of 4.97%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 11th. This is an increase from TIMs previous None dividend of $0.08.

TIM Price Performance

TIM stock opened at $12.73 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $6.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.89, a PEG ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.74. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56. TIM has a 12 month low of $10.19 and a 12 month high of $15.27. The stocks 50 day moving average is $11.78 and its 200-day moving average is $11.81.

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TIM (NYSE:TIMB  Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 9th. The company reported $0.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.16 by $0.07. TIM had a return on equity of 7.02% and a net margin of 7.87%. The business had revenue of $1.11 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.12 billion. Equities research analysts expect that TIM will post 0.71 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On TIM

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in TIMB. American Century Companies Inc. raised its stake in TIM by 42.9% in the first quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 74,065 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,074,000 after purchasing an additional 22,230 shares in the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. increased its holdings in TIM by 41.3% in the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 476,740 shares of the companys stock valued at $6,913,000 after buying an additional 139,387 shares during the period. Ariel Investments LLC raised its position in shares of TIM by 4.8% in the 1st quarter. Ariel Investments LLC now owns 396,301 shares of the companys stock valued at $5,746,000 after buying an additional 18,067 shares in the last quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC lifted its holdings in shares of TIM by 0.9% during the 1st quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 680,186 shares of the companys stock worth $9,863,000 after acquiring an additional 6,100 shares during the period. Finally, UBS Group AG boosted its position in shares of TIM by 3.7% during the 1st quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 33,648 shares of the companys stock worth $489,000 after acquiring an additional 1,202 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 3.64% of the companys stock.

Separately, Barclays lowered their price target on shares of TIM from $16.50 to $16.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, December 27th.

About TIM

(Get Rating)

TIM SA (Brazil) engages in providing mobile telephony, internet, and media telecommunication services. It offers modem, tablet, cell phone, and ultra fixed broadband. The company was founded on March 9, 1998 and is headquartered in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

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Watts Water Technologies (NYSE:WTS  Get Rating) had its price objective hoisted by TD Cowen from $120.00 to $130.00 in a research note published on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. They currently have a market perform rating on the technology companys stock.

WTS has been the subject of several other reports. Robert W. Baird upped their price objective on Watts Water Technologies from $144.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Friday, February 10th. StockNews.com cut shares of Watts Water Technologies from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price objective on shares of Watts Water Technologies from $151.00 to $169.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Friday, February 10th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered Watts Water Technologies from a buy rating to a hold rating and dropped their target price for the stock from $155.00 to $150.00 in a report on Tuesday, January 10th. They noted that the move was a valuation call. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price target on Watts Water Technologies from $145.00 to $146.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research report on Friday, January 20th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $145.00.

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Watts Water Technologies Stock Performance

Shares of WTS stock opened at $155.14 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a quick ratio of 1.52 and a current ratio of 2.51. Watts Water Technologies has a 52 week low of $116.31 and a 52 week high of $181.40. The companys 50 day moving average price is $168.95 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $153.04. The company has a market capitalization of $5.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.74, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.83 and a beta of 1.00.

Watts Water Technologies Dividend Announcement

Watts Water Technologies ( NYSE:WTS Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 8th. The technology company reported $1.60 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.54 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $501.90 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $489.21 million. Watts Water Technologies had a net margin of 12.70% and a return on equity of 19.75%. The firms revenue was up 5.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.42 earnings per share. On average, analysts expect that Watts Water Technologies will post 6.96 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 15th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 1st were paid a $0.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, February 28th. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.77%. Watts Water Technologiess dividend payout ratio is 16.04%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Watts Water Technologies

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. American Century Companies Inc. raised its position in shares of Watts Water Technologies by 12.9% in the first quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 4,237 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $591,000 after purchasing an additional 483 shares during the period. US Bancorp DE grew its stake in Watts Water Technologies by 41.6% in the 1st quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 881 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $123,000 after buying an additional 259 shares during the last quarter. Rhumbline Advisers raised its holdings in Watts Water Technologies by 14.8% in the 1st quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 79,951 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $11,160,000 after acquiring an additional 10,288 shares during the period. Vontobel Holding Ltd. acquired a new stake in Watts Water Technologies during the first quarter worth approximately $2,395,000. Finally, Lord Abbett & CO. LLC bought a new stake in shares of Watts Water Technologies during the first quarter worth approximately $14,626,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.85% of the companys stock.

About Watts Water Technologies

(Get Rating)

Watts Water Technologies, Inc engages in the manufacture and provision of products for water conservation, safety, and flow control. It operates through the following geographic segments: Americas, Europe, and Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa. Its services include plumbing and flow control solutions, water quality and conditioning, water reuse and drainage, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning, and municipal waterworks.

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Sri Lanka's Central Bank Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe has said that tough policy measures adopted by the government to overcome the ongoing economic crisis were vital to stabilise the island nation's economy. "The difficult and painful policy measures implemented by the Government and the Central Bank thus far have helped to stabilise the economic conditions, compared to the unprecedented socio-economic tensions witnessed in 2022," Weerasinghe said. Sri Lanka introduced painful economic measures such as tax hikes and utility rate hikes to unlock the $2.9 billion IMF bailout programme to help it overcome its economic crisis and catalyse financial support from other development partners. "Despite these reforms have resulted in significant adjustment costs, causing hardship to the people and businesses in the near term, they were necessary to restore stability, which will accrue benefits to the people and businesses in the period ahead," he said in a statement last week. Trade unions and opposition groups have organised protests against such tough measures and have vowed to carry on with mass-scale agitation to seek personal tax reductions. The IMF, which approved a $2.9 billion bailout on March 20, said in a statement on Saturday that all must join in the recovery effort to pull the country out of the crisis. The IMF further added that Sri Lankan authorities had committed to an ambitious reform program to stabilise the economy. The island nation received $330 million as the first tranche of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout programme, which will pave the way for the country to achieve better "fiscal discipline and "improved governance. Sri Lanka in April last year declared its first-ever debt default in its history as the worst economic crisis since independence from Britain in 1948 triggered by forex shortages sparked public protests. The months-long street protests led to the ouster of the then-president Gotabaya Rajapaksa in mid-July.
A British parliamentary delegation of India (Trade & Investment) All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) will arrive in New Delhi on Sunday for a four-city tour to explore two-way trade and research and development collaborations. The cross-party delegation, being led by Indian-origin House of Lords peer Baroness Sandy Verma, is scheduled to hold meetings with senior ministers and business leaders with the backing of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). The discussions come against the backdrop of the eighth round of negotiations between officials on both sides towards a free trade agreement (FTA). The tour, which will also cover Ahmedabad, Pune and Mumbai, marks a parliamentary visit from the UK to India after a six-year gap. "As President of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on India (Trade & Investment), I am delighted to be co-leading this delegation," said Verma. "It is long overdue as the last Parliamentary delegation to India was six years ago. We are looking forward to engaging with senior Indian ministers to discuss matters ranging from the FTA to green technology, to gender inclusivity. Research and development is a key thematic area of the UK-India relationship and the delegation will explore further ways to enhance it. In particular, new university collaborations and opportunities for technology transfer," she said. The India (Trade and Investment) APPG was created last year to coincide with the 75th anniversary of India's independence and comprises 25 British members of Parliament and peers of different political affiliations. With a stated goal to promote trade and investment between India and the UK for the mutual betterment of their citizens, whilst building an inclusive living bridge between the two countries, the new APPG is geared towards supporting the FTA negotiations and promoting its benefits once concluded. During their first India visit, the group is scheduled to hold talks with the Foreign Secretary, Commerce Secretary and visit IIT Delhi while in the capital. In Ahmedabad, they have scheduled meetings with Gujarat chief minister Bhupendrabhai Patel and a visit to GIFT City before a possible tour to the Serum Institute of India in Pune. The visit will conclude next weekend in Mumbai with the women in leadership event. According to official UK government statistics, the India-UK bilateral trading relationship was worth GBP 34 billion in 2022 - growing by GBP 10 billion in one year. The Confederation of British Industry (CBI), the country's leading industry body, estimates an India-UK FTA could boost trade with India by GBP 28 billion a year by 2035 and increase wages across the UK by GBP 3 billion.
The Uttar Pradesh State Election Commission on Sunday announced urban local body polls in the state in two phases, on May 4 and 11, three months after the Allahabad High Court quashed the state government's draft notification providing OBC reservation in the civic elections. State Election Commissioner (SEC) Manoj Kumar issued the notification in this regard. "The voting for the urban local body polls will be held on May 4 and 11. The counting of votes will take place on May 13," he told reporters here. Model code of conduct across the state has come into force after the issuance of the election notification. "There will be elections for a total of 14,684 posts in 760 urban local bodies in the state," SEC Kumar later said in a statement. Earlier in the day, the state government released the final list of reserved seats for mayors of municipal corporations, chairpersons of city councils and city panchayats. As per the final list, the mayor seat in Agra has been reserved for SC (female), Jhansi for SC, Shahjahanpur and Firozabad for OBC (female), Saharanpur and Meerut for OBC, and Lucknow, Kanpur and Ghaziabad reserved for women. Eight mayor seats of Varanasi, Prayagraj, Aligarh, Bareilly, Moradabad, Gorakhpur, Ayodhya, Mathura-Vrindavan will be unreserved, the government notification said. The Supreme Court on March 27 had paved the way for holding the local body polls as it allowed the SEC 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 state government had moved the top court with its appeal against the December 27 order of the high court, saying the high court cannot quash the December 5 draft notification which provided for reservation of seats in the urban civic body polls for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) apart from those for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and women. After the high court's December 27 order, the government had appointed a five-member commission for going into the entire gamut of issues for providing reservation to the OBCs in the urban local body polls. The Lucknow bench of the high court had ordered that the state government notify the polls "immediately" as the term of several municipalities would end by January 31, while annulling the December 5 draft notification. In his statement on Sunday, SEC Kumar also said elections 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. Kumar had said on April 3 that after receiving the final information of reservation by the state government, the notification of the state's urban body elections would be issued. The local body elections will witness the political parties, including the ruling BJP and principal opposition Samajwadi Party, trying to strengthen themselves ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The politically crucial state sends 80 MPs to the Lok Sabha.
The palace is hosting its first Mawlay experience, offering lavish Iftar and Sohour meals in the palaces grand dining hall accompanied by a live orchestra.

The event has been met with controversy, with some arguing that commercializing such a historic royal landmark is improper. However, others have praised the opulence and ambiance of the experience. The Mawlay dining series operates during Ramadan and hosts meals at some of Egypts most prestigious cultural venues, with private tours of Abdeen Palace also available to book.

Built in 1863 during the reign of Khedive Ismail, Abdeen Palace served as the governmental headquarters and royal residence until 1952. This marks the first time that the public has been allowed to dine within its storied walls, giving visitors a taste of its magnificence while breaking fast.

For a few hours each evening during Ramadan, diners can now soak in that history and grandeur over an opulent Iftar in the company of royalty. The Mawlay experience allows access into the palaces lavish world, if only for the evening. For 1800 EGP, Cairos grandest royal residence has opened wide.

Built in 1863 during the reign of Khedive Ismail, Abdeen Palace served as the governmental headquarters and royal residence until 1952. This marks the first time that the public has been allowed to dine within its storied walls, giving visitors a taste of its magnificence while breaking fast.

The royal palace, that stands today as a museum celebrating Egypts vibrant culture, has borne witness to pivotal moments in the country's history. It was once home to Khedive Ismail and King Farouk, and the site of King Farouks 1938 wedding and 1937 coronation. In 1936, the Anglo-Egyptian Treaty ending Britains occupation of Egypt was signed at the palace. The 1952 revolution which ousted the monarchy also took place on its grounds.

Most significantly, the palace hosted the signing of the 1979 Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty, ending decades of conflict between the two nations. President Anwar Sadat, President Jimmy Carter, and Prime Minister Menachem Begin were present at the momentous occasion.

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Indias tiger population now stands at 3,167, as per the All India Tiger Estimation (AITE) 2021-2022. The once-in-four-year survey, conducted by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) in association with state forest departments and the Wildlife Institute of India, was released by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Mysuru as the country completed 50 years of Project Tiger on April 1. A commemorative coin was also issued to mark the occasion. Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister said, The success of Project Tiger is a matter of pride, not only for India but for the whole world. For wildlife to thrive, it is important for ecosystems to thrive. This is happening in India. India has not only conserved the tiger but has also given them an ecosystem to flourish. India is a country where protecting nature is a part of the culture. This is why it has many unique achievements in wildlife conservation. With only 2.4 percent of the world's land area, India contributes to about 8 percent of the known global diversity. He also credited the coexistence between ecology and economy for the increase in the numbers. Project Tiger was launched in 1973 to protect the big cat and ensure its long-term survival. It remains, till date, the largest species conservation initiative of its kind in the world. Initially, the project covered nine tiger reserves in the country. Today, there are 53 - the Ranipur Tiger Reserve in Uttar Pradesh being the latest one to make the list in 2022. It is also a major source of employment for locals living around these forests and plays a crucial role in funding eco-development activities. In 2006, when the survey was first conducted, the country only had 1,411 tigers. Since then, their population has grown significantly. Their numbers rose to 1,706 in 2010 and 2,226 in 2014. The last census, out in 2018, had recorded 2,967 tigers in the country. Madhya Pradesh topped the list with 526 tigers, and Karnataka followed with 534 striped cats. Incidentally, India, as a part of a 2010 agreement with Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russian Federation, Thailand, and Vietnam, was expected to double the tiger count in the country by 2022. It reached the figure in 2018 itself. The success of Project Tiger also put India on the global map when it comes to wildlife conservation and made the country home to more than 70 percent of the global tiger population. Also read: 50 years of Project Tiger | Remembering Kailash Sankhala, first director of Project Tiger Technology and better protections have resulted in poaching reducing substantially, but it remains a threat, along with habitat fragmentation and degradation. Its why Project Tigers goal for the next 50 years is to maintain a viable and sustainable tiger population in their habitats, bring potential tiger habitats under the conservation programme, actively manage tiger reserves based on their capacity, and strike a balance between development and conservation activities. In Mysuru, the PM also launched the International Big Cats Alliance (IBCA), which will focus on protecting and conserving seven major big cats of the world - tiger, lion, leopard, snow leopard, puma, jaguar and cheetah. It also calls for a full stop to poaching and illegal wildlife trade in India. Also read: 50 years of Project Tiger: Spotting tigers on a jeep safari inside Corbett National Park
Institutional investment in real estate increased 37 percent to $1.65 billion during January-March, driven by higher inflow in office and housing properties, according to Colliers. Inflows stood at $1.2 billion in the same period last year, it added. Foreign investors preferred to deploy funds in office assets, while domestic players put more money into housing. The office sector continued to drive the investment inflows, accounting for 55 per cent of the total inflows during the January-March period, the data from real estate consultant Colliers India showed. The residential segments share was 22 per cent. Institutional investment inflows in the office sector rose 41 per cent to $907.6 million during January-March from $643.6 million in the corresponding period of the previous year. Inflows in residential assets jumped to $361.1 million from $16.5 million. Industrial and Warehousing assets saw a 20 per cent growth in inflows to $216.3 million from $179.9 million. Investments in alternate assets rose sharply to $158.2 million from $39.8 million. Alternate assets include data centres, life sciences, senior housing, holiday homes, and student housing. Retail real estate assets did not receive any investment in the January-March quarter against $257 million in the year-ago period. Inflows in mixed-use projects fell 80 per cent to $15.1 million from $77.3 million. Colliers noted that global investors remained inclined towards office and industrial assets, and dominated the total investment inflows at 76 per cent share. Larger markets, such as Delhi-NCR and Bengaluru, attracted one-third of the total investments during the quarter. However, the majority of the inflows (63 per cent) were through multi-city deals. "In the coming quarters, we shall see some large quality assets traded in office and select logistics assets, said Piyush Gupta, Managing Director, Capital Markets & Investment Services, at Colliers India. Global institutional investors appetite for office assets remains strong owing to Indias growing talent pool, digitisation, enhanced transparency in deal structures and stable returns, said Vimal Nadar, Senior Director & Head of Research, Colliers India. Foreign investments accounted for about 93 per cent of the total investments in office assets during Q1 2023, he said. The institutional flow of funds include investments by families, foreign corporate groups, foreign banks, proprietary books, pension funds, private equity, real estate fund-cum-developers, foreign-funded NBFCs and sovereign wealth funds.
A Pakistani intruder was killed and two more were arrested as Army troops foiled an attempt to smuggle in 17 kg of narcotics through the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district early Sunday, a defence spokesperson said. Officials said the infiltrators, all residents of Maidan Mohalla in Chanjal village of Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), were intercepted by the troops in Shahpur sector. Jammu-based Army PRO Lt Col Devender Anand said the troops noticed suspicious movement of a group of three individuals close to the LoC around 10.15 pm on Saturday. "Around midnight, the group crossed the LoC and started infiltrating into this side. The alert troops kept the movement of the infiltrating group under continuous observation. At approximately 2 am, as the group approached the fence, the alert Army troops challenged them," he said. The official said as the intruders started to run away, they were fired upon. One of them was shot dead while the other two managed to escape into a jungle taking advantage of the thick foliage, darkness, and rocky outcrop, he added. "The area was immediately cordoned off to prevent their escape across the LoC and a search operation was launched at first light wherein the body of the slain intruder was recovered at the encounter site," Lt Col Anand said. As the search progressed into the jungle, he said, the other two intruders were apprehended, including one in an injured condition. Three bags with 14 packets of narcotics weighing about 17 kg, Pakistani currency, some documents, and eatables have been recovered in the operation, the spokesperson said. Quoting preliminary questioning of the arrested intruders, Lt Col Anand said they have claimed that they are residents of Chanjal village of PoJK. "By their quick action, alert Army troops have thus prevented a major infiltration bid, of a Narco terror group which had the potential of disturbing the peace in Poonch and Rajouri districts through its nefarious designs," the officer said. The officials identified the slain intruder as Sharief Kohli (45) and his arrested associates as Shakeel Choudhary (32) and Tariq Kohli (40).
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal will hold a series of meetings with leaders and top CEOs of France and Italy next week during his three-day visit to these two countries to further boost trade and investment ties. The minister will be on an official visit to France (Paris) and Italy (Rome) on April 11-13. He will be accompanied by a delegation of top Indian CEOs. In France, Goyal along with Olivier Becht, Minister delegate of Foreign Trade, Attractiveness and French Nationals Abroad, Government of France, will co-chair the India-France Business Summit on April 11, the commerce ministry said in a statement on Sunday. The summit will focus on various themes, including building a green future, emerging technologies, defence cooperation and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific regions, it added. Goyal is also scheduled to meet with French business leaders across various sectors and will attend a CEOs roundtable. Both Indian and French ministers will participate in an event that will showcase Indias cultural heritage and soft power and are expected to witness the participation of over 600 dignitaries from the French government, the Indian business diaspora in France and members of the French business community. Goyal will also be interacting with members of the Indian community in Paris.In Rome, the statement said, Goyal would meet Antonio Tajani, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. He is scheduled to meet top Italian CEOs for bilateral meetings followed by CEOs Interactive Business Session, where 35 CEOs are likely to participate, the ministry said, adding this would be followed by a meeting with Adolfo Urso, Minister of Enterprises and Made in Italy, who would also interact with Indian CEOs. There are over 1,000 French businesses in India in different sectors, such as defence, ITES, consulting, engineering services, and heavy industry.France is the 11th largest foreign investor in India, with a cumulative FDI of USD 10.5 billion between April 2000 and December 2022. It accounts for about 1.7 per cent of the total FDI (USD 625.3 billion) that India has received during the period.India-France bilateral trade stood at USD 12.42 billion in 2021-22. During April-January 2022-23, Indias exports to France stood at USD 6.5 billion, while imports aggregated at USD 4.36 billion. The trade gap is in favour of India. In 2021, a dedicated desk was set up by Invest India for investor queries for French businesses.Italy is among Indias top 5 trading partners in the EU.India-Italy bilateral trade stood at over USD 13 billion in 2021-22. During April-January 2022-23, Indias exports to Italy stood at USD 7.15 billion, while imports aggregated at USD 4.6 billion. The trade gap is in favour of India.Italy is the 17th largest foreign investor in India, with a cumulative FDI of USD 3.25 billion between April 2000 and December 2022. It accounts for about 0.52 per cent of the total FDI India received during the period. The main items of Indian exports to Italy are ready-made garments, leather, iron ore, motor vehicles, textiles, chemicals, gems and jewellery. Main imported items include machinery, machine tools, metallurgical products and engineering items.Around 140 large Italian companies are active in India. Some of the major Italian companies that have invested in India are FIAT Auto, Heinz Italia, Italcementi, Necchi Compressori, Perfetti, Lavazza, ENI, SAI India, Isagro (Asia) Agrochemicals and Piaggio.Indian companies present in Italy are in sectors such as IT, electronics, pharmaceuticals, automobile, textile and engineering. The prominent Indian companies operating in Italy include Tata, TCS, Wipro, Engineers India Limited, L&T, Mahindra & Mahindra, Ranbaxy, and Raymonds. SBI has a representative office in Milan. Six Italian banks have representation in India.The top sectors attracting FDI inflows from Italy are the automobile industry/ transportation, food processing, metallurgical industry, textiles, electrical equipment and others.
Even as the world continues to tweet/review/discuss/remain in awe of the Christian Dior Fall 2023 collection staged against the backdrop of the Gateway of India, a visible symbol of colonialism, and the Dior x Chanakya Atelier retrospective, a pertinent question being asked by those in the know is  what made Christian Dior choose India for its staging? Or even, what made Dior agree to focus attention on its long-standing partnership with Chanakya Atelier, a global export house of the countrys craftsmanship traditions, under Maria Grazia Chiuri, Dior's Creative Director of Women's Collection? In the past, Dior has faced accusations of cultural appropriation without giving due credit. In 2022, Chinese social media users and protestors outside one of the labels Paris stores claimed that a $3,800 wool and mohair skirt, described by the French fashion house as a hallmark Dior silhouette, was inspired by a centuries-old Chinese garment known as a Mamianqun, or horse face skirt. In 2021, in India, an artisanal design studio, People Tree, took on Dior for plagiarism. Founder Orijit Sens work, a Yogi print design, found its way onto a Dior dress worn by Sonam Kapoor on the cover of Elle Indias January '18 edition. His daughter took to social media to call out the brand, and people who owned People Tree garments with that particular print began posting their own purchased items. As original hand-drawn artwork and hand-carved woodblock of the design made their way to social media, the brand reached an out-of-court settlement with the Delhi design studio. Beyond these controversies, for years, Chanakya and their ustads or master artisans have been quietly working on Dior collections from a beautiful atelier located within the narrow gullies of Byculla (an old-world heritage enclave with a new sheen). But not many outside the tightly-knit artisanal studios and a small fashion clique have been aware of this fact. That the French luxury and fashion brand, owned by LVMH, outsources a lot of the surface ornamentation and embroidery of its womenswear and its bags and shoes to an atelier in India was a well-guarded secret. A journalist who lives in a lane right behind the building housing the Chanakya Atelier commented, They were here all the time and we had no idea! There could be two possible reasons for the showing, and the retrospective, then. Indias time on the luxury stage Christian Diors landmark show signals the robustness of the luxury industry in India. Suddenly, there is a slew of luxury launches. More Indians are buying brands and on the streets, in the airports, restaurants and offices, it is easy to spot Gucci, Dior or Louis Vuitton bags, shoes and accessories. A country that most luxury brands had given up on due to low consumption and high taxes is suddenly looking good. In India, luxury shopping has jumped more than 24 percent between 2019 and 2022, as per a new report by Euromonitors senior research analyst Atul Sareen. Indias number of high networth individuals (HNIs) rose by 11 percent between 2020 and 2022, states the HNI Luxury Report by real estate consultancy Knight Frank. Contrast this with declining luxury consumption in neighbouring China, one of the biggest markets for brands outside of Europe and the US. Chinas personal luxury market contracted 10 percent in 2022 year-on-year, according to Bain & Company, a global management consulting firm. In Europe itself, after a huge dip due to Covid, the luxury industry has seen a V-shaped recovery, growing by 15 percent last year, which is still 11 percent lower than the 2019 level. Giving Indian craftsmanship its due Diors relationship with India is far older than the age of its stores within The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai, and Emporia Mall, New Delhi. Chanakya has worked over decades with Diors Creative Director, Womens Collection, Maria Grazia Chiuri. The two met when Maria Grazia Chiuri was a designer at Fendi and Valentino, before moving to Dior. Beautiful luxury couture has very specific needs. Excellent craftsmanship, whether it exists in Paris, Italy, Japan or India, is driven by attention to detail and the ability to experiment. - Maria Grazia Chiuri, Dior's Creative Director of Women's Collection Diors relationship with India predates her 2016 arrival at the brand. Marc Bohan, who was Diors artistic director from 1960 to 1989, had travelled to Mumbai and Delhi in the early 1960s to create several pieces for Indian customers. Many of the looks in the collection Maria Grazia Chiuri showed were updates of those original Bohan designs. Karishma Swali, co-founder and creative director of Chanakya Atelier and Chanakya School of Craft, says, We built the craft school in collaboration with Maria Grazia Chiuri to save some of the crafts that are disappearing and train women in the art of traditional craftsmanship which, till recently, was the sole preserve of men. The attempt has been to create a beautiful space filled with female creativity and energy. The women get to experiment and approach craftsmanship from different dimensions and interpret contemporary designs through our crafts. While Dior, like most European luxury brands, has often turned to Indian master craftsmen for their exceptional skill with embroideries and surface ornamentation, this relationship has been under the radar. Designer Rahul Mishra says that a significant portion of the international luxury industry's supply chain has always been outsourced to India. But most brands have denied credit to Indian ateliers for their handcrafted work. Indian craftsmanship has long been unfairly spoken about as being too kitschy and European brands have worked hard to preserve the snob value and symbolism associated with being a Made in Europe brand. So, fashion insiders are calling the showing a way for Dior to say thank you for years of collaboration on intricate couture pieces, bags and shoes. The trend for crediting Indian ateliers for their craft and handmade collaboration most likely began with the ultra-glamorous shoe and accessories brand Christian Louboutin, which spoke about their work with Vastrakala, a Chennai-based Indian-French atelier run by Frenchmen Jean-Francois Lesage and Patrick Savouret and Indian Malvika Shivakumar. Besides Louboutin, the Chennai embroidery ateliers work can be found in architect and decorator Robert Couturiers collections to the kings private chambers at the Chateau de Vaux-le-Vicomte near Paris, and the Monte Carlo Opera. But then one could say Vastrakala is helmed by two Frenchmen. The interpretation of traditional craftsmanship at Chanakya lies in fragility. We keep it as light and as weightless as possible to allow the wearer to experience freedom through craft. - Karishma Swali, co-founder and creative director of Chanakya Atelier and Chanakya School of Craft To showcase Chanakyas work on Dior ramp, and to allow a rare peak into the archives of some of the work that the atelier has done for the fashion house is a very new thing and one hopes, more Indian studios that work with global brands get their due. A day before the show, Maria Grazia Chiuri and Karishma Swali spoke to media about the long-standing collaboration. Chiuri says, It is important to celebrate the creativity of artisans and the culture of India while offering them a contemporary flavour. This collection is a result of all the efforts we have put into bringing this (contemporary craftsmanship) language to life. While I believe India must get its due, I dont think every embroidery atelier is at the same level of quality as Chanakya. Beautiful luxury couture has very specific needs. Excellent craftsmanship, whether it exists in Paris, Italy, Japan or India, is driven by attention to detail and the ability to experiment. For Swali, seeing her atelier's creations on a runway in India is a milestone in the countrys creative and cultural history. "For years, we've brought parts of Mumbai to Paris," she says. "The fact that Paris is coming to Mumbai means the world to all of us." Chanakya x Dior retrospective The retrospective at the atelier is a rare opportunity to admire the complex pieces that Chanakya has embroidered and weaved for Dior, as well as the depth and historical significance of the ateliers private archives of rare textiles, antiquities and craft objects from around the world. This is the first time that Chanakya Atelier has opened its doors to visitors from India and across the world. The retrospective features pieces from 50 haute couture and pret-a-porter collections made for Dior, and more significantly, what seems like a living museum of 12th and 13th-generation ustads (master artisans) demonstrating live the savoir-faire from the Dior Pre-Fall 2023 show. It may seem strange to talk about Indian savoir-faire, a word not associated with craftsmanship in the country. But there it was, unfolding like poetry. Master craftsmen, and women, working on aari, zardozi, delicate-as-spider web lace, the weaving and revival of the signature Madras check, rarely-used crochet, and a variety of other embroidery techniques. You can stop, have a conversation with the artisans, understand what the technique is, and explore contemporary garments and artworks made from these embroideries. A stunning work on the atelier walls is a zardozi-embroidered canvas of the solar system. The Dior segment of the retrospective has on display dress after dress, gown after gown, shoes and bags with exquisite embroideries. The Tree of Life motif appears on a coat from Christian Dior Haute Couture Autumn Winter 2022. On display are nuance, flamboyance, and contemporary silhouettes. The several commissioned presentations over the years between Dior and Chanakya have been instrumental in reinventing the role of the atelier, artist and couturier, says Swali, and igniting a force of change and hope for those less privileged than ourselves. Christian Dior Fall 2023 collection Chanakyas work for the Dior Fall 2023 collection is fragile and poetic in comparison to the dense and heavy traditional zardozi or aari embroidery. Many garments are a canvas for the reinterpretation of zardozi, which is transformed into iridescent lace on a skirt-and-sleeveless top ensemble. The interpretation of traditional craftsmanship at Chanakya lies in fragility. We keep it as light and as weightless as possible to allow the wearer to experience freedom through craft, says Swali. On the ramp were Madras check and Benarasi brocade fabrics, mirror work, tie-dye detailing, Nehru collars and tailored kurtas. There were geometric grids with the micro-bullion technique from the Zardozi school, and applique used to recreate Toile de Jouy (fabric of Jouy, a cotton or linen fabric printed with landscape scenes). The adeptness of Indias master craftsmen, and women, at needlework was reflected in straight pants and long skirts adorned with beads and sequins. Indian symbolism was evident in the elephant or banyan tree motifs worked with the applique technique or mirror work in which mirrors were treated like jewels and placed all over jackets and dresses. The moment may be historic but the collection spanned many Indian aesthetic tropes and familiar embroideries on silhouettes that were quintessential Dior. There was some amount of cliche in the form of sari-wrapped skirts and soft jackets with Nehru collars. Colours such as fuchsia, marigold and chartreuse were another attempt to capture a quintessential Indian aesthetic. Whatever the merits and demerits of the collection, Diors Mumbai showing is a giant stride towards focusing attention on Indias never-credited-before contribution to the global luxury industry through its heritage of craftsmanship.
The intra-party feud within the Rajasthan unit of the Congress has come again to the fore again, as former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot announced he would go on a one-day hunger strike on April 11 to seek action in the alleged corruption cases that pertain to the period when the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was in power in the state. Pilot, while addressing the press in Jaipur on April 9, accused senior Congress leader and Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot of adopting inaction in the cases of alleged corruption dating back to the BJP rule. Pilot said he had written to Gehlot over the issue, but has "not received any answer from the chief minister yet". "You all know that the central govt is misusing the central agencies. On one hand where central govt is misusing the agencies to target the leadership of Congress, but in Rajasthan, we are neither using them nor misusing them. This was an important issue because the public should not think that we don't fulfill our promises," news agency ANI quoted Pilot as saying. "On April 11, I will do a one-day hunger strike to mark my words that action should be taken against corruption in the state so that the public does not feel that we are not doing any work or we have not fulfilled any of our promises," he added. The development assumes significance in view of the state elections due later this year. At the same time, it also reflects further deterioration of already souring relations between Gehlot and Pilot. "No action was taken (by the Gehlot government) on corruption by the previous Vasundhara Raje government. While in opposition, we had promised that an inquiry would be conducted in the mines scam of Rs 45,000 crore," Pilot said at the press conference. "With six-seven months left for the elections, the opponents can spread illusions that there is some collusion. Therefore, action will have to be taken soon so that the Congress workers feel that there is no difference between our words and actions," he said. Gehlot and Pilot have been at loggerheads ever since the Congress formed the government in Rajasthan in December 2018 over the post of chief minister. In July 2020, Pilot had launched an open rebellion, and camped with 18 rebel MLAs in neighbouring Haryana. However, the party's central leadership had succeeded in brokering a truce within a few weeks. With PTI inputs
Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde on Sunday said the ideology of his party and that of the BJP is the same and they will unfurl the saffron flag all over the state next year. Our partys role is clear. The Shiv Sena has an alliance with the BJP. Our ideology, which is Hindutva, is the same. We will go to our state with new energy from Ayodhya and serve the people. In 2024, the Shiv Sena and the BJPs bhagva (saffron flag) will be unfurled in the entire state, he said while addressing a press conference here. The Lok Sabha election as well as the Maharashtra Assembly polls are due next year. Shinde is on his maiden visit to Ayodhya after becoming the chief minister in June last year. He has been accompanied to the temple town in Uttar Pradesh by thousands of Shiv Sainiks. Without naming anyone, the Maharashtra chief minister said there are a few people who are allergic to Hindutva, because if it (Hindutva) reaches every household in the country, their shop will be closed. In the evening, there will be aarti on the banks of the Sarayu river and there is a programme of taking the blessings of seers. Many people are a little allergic to this. I will say only one thing  the Ram mandir and Ayodhya are not political issues for the Shiv Sena and the BJP. It is a matter of our faith and belief, he said. Shinde said now that the construction work of the Ram temple has started, Ayodhya will witness rapid progress and lakhs of people will benefit from it. Lakhs of people are happy with our Ayodhya visit. But there are some who are troubled because they are intentionally allergic to Hindutva. They intentionally insulted Hindutva and spread confusion about it. Hinduism is a way of life. There is tolerance in it, it takes everyone along and does not insult anyone. Many are scared that if Hindutva reaches every household, every mind, then their political shop will be closed. Due to this fear, after independence, many people made such attempts, the Shiv Sena leader said. He said that in 2014, when a government based on the idea of Hindutva was installed in the country under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the awakening towards Hindutva, its honour and pride increased. Earlier, Balasaheb Thackeray had thought about Ayodhya. He used to say, garv se kaho hum Hindu hai (say it with pride that we are Hindus). This slogan was coined by Balasaheb Thackeray and the world knows about it. The Shiv Senas ideology is the same as that of the BJP. People are being misguided deliberately, but they are intelligent. I give replies to them through my work, Shinde said. Shinde took a jibe at former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, saying that while Lord Ram suffered 14 years of exile without any objection to keep the promise he had not given to his father, Thackeray against the intentions of his father formed the government in the greed of power along with those people (Congress) who had opposed the Ram Mandir. People whom Balasaheb Thackeray had maintained a distance from, a government was formed with them. (However,) the work of fulfilling the dream of Balasaheb Thackeray has been done by Modiji. Modiji has made the mandir and also told the date. So, who has been proved as a liar? Addressing party workers at the Dussehra rally at Shivaji Park in Dadar in October 2015, the then Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray slammed the BJP and raked up the Ram Mandir issue. He had said, BJP promises to build a Ram Temple but never gives a date. On the formation of his government in a coalition with the BJP, the Maharashtra chief minister said, In 2019, people used to say the Shiv Sena should form the government with the BJP in Maharashtra. But due to some selfishness and greed for the chair, a wrong step was taken. But we rectified it around eight-nine months ago, which was expected by people. To a question about former Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawars remarks on his Ayodhya visit, Shinde said, I have to say to Ajit Pawar that the Ram temple is a matter of faith for millions of Hindus, if you call it frivolous, then the devotees of Ram will show you your place. On a question related to north Indians in Maharashtra, Shinde said, North Indians and Maharashtra have never been separate. They are standing shoulder to shoulder with us. North Indians who have been living there for many years have all become Maharashtrians and they should get all the facilities that are given to Marathi people. Praising UP CM Yogi Adityanath, he said, He is called bulldozer baba here. The states law and order is good, hooligans are scared and development is going on in full swing. Shinde also informed that he has asked Adityanath for land for a Maharashtra Bhavan in Ayodhya and it will be named after Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray. Earlier in the day, Shinde had said those raising doubts about the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya were shown their way home as the process has started and the work is in full swing. After paying obeisance to Ramlalla and overseeing the construction work of the temple, Shinde said he is happy that the dream of Hindu Hriday Samrat Balasaheb Thackeray and crores of Ram bhakts is being fulfilled. At Hanumangarhi, the Maharashtra chief minister was given a mace by temple mahant Raju Das. His deputy Devendra Fadnavis and BJP MP Brijbhushan Sharan Singh were also present on the occasion. I thank you all for being able to see our dream being fulfilled with our own eyes. I thank the prime minister and (Uttar Pradesh) Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The Sagwan wood used in the temple is from Maharashtra and this is our small contribution, Shinde said. Hitting out at former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, he said he wants to tell those who used to say this is ravan raaj that this government has been made with the blessings of Lord Ram. They put (independent MP) Navneet Rana and her husband in jail for reciting the Hanuman Chalisa. When seers were killed, they kept silent. Now, there will be no atrocities on the poor and seers will be honoured and protected, Shinde said. He said the entire atmosphere from Lucknow to Ayodhya has become Ram-mai (filled with slogans of Lord Ram) and he is happy that he has come to the holy town of Ayodhya with the bow and arrow  the Shiv Senas poll symbol. Addressing another public function at Laxman Kila (in Ayodhya), Shinde said, I have definitely become the chief minister by the blessings of Lord Ram. But I have not come here as a chief minister. I have come here as a Ram bhakt (devotee of Lord Ram).
Chairman of the Mahindra Group Anand Mahindra posted a Twitter video on Sunday where he said he was plotting ways to travel in a new train from Mumbai to Pune. The video shared by Mahindra shows a moving train with the hilly terrains in the surroundings and a few passengers taking a video of the view in front of them. "Memories of train rides are in the soul of every Indian. My #sundayvibes today involve plotting a ride on this beautiful new train from Mumbai to Pune," Mahindra wrote on Twitter. Memories of train rides are in the soul of every Indian. My #sundayvibes today involve plotting a ride on this beautiful new train from Mumbai to Pune pic.twitter.com/x920ytRdmy  anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) April 9, 2023 Mahindra also reacted to President Droupadi Murmu taking a sortie on a Sukhoi and requested officials in the government to install one of the photos posted on the Twitter handle of the President of India. These are iconic photos. Theyre symbolic of the India story: From modest beginnings toliterallythe skies. Enormously inspirational for young Indians. I hope in Government offices they will install one of these photos of her rather than the more boring formal one! https://t.co/lMALYtEBo4  anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) April 8, 2023 Also Read: Anand Mahindra on Hanuman Jayanti: As a child, my mother would say.

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Growing up in Lucknow, I did not understand why I was stopped from dressing a certain way. I was mentally and physically abused; I even tried committing suicide but in that one moment, I decided to give my life a second chance. I ran away to Delhi." Uorfi Javed was 17 when she ran away from Lucknow to Delhi to pursue her dreams. The actor and Instagram influencer, known for her bold and creative sartorial choices now, says she was physically abused as a teenager by her father. It has been 10 years since she spoke to him. "Papa was abusive. He once beat me till I was unconscious," Uorfi Javed told Humans of Bombay. Soon after she left home, her father abandoned the family. And it was Uorfi Javed's lack of a safe home while growing up that made her want to buy a house for herself in Mumbai. "I wasn't raised in a safe one, so I am going to create my own safe space," she said, adding that running away from home was the best decision of her life. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Humans of Bombay (@officialhumansofbombay) First, however, the 25-year-old said, tried renting a bigger place than the 1BHK she currently lives in, but it came with a lot of struggle. "First, the housing society people act like they are your parents. They impose so many restrictions. Also, I am single, which makes getting a house all the more difficult. Hindu house owners have a problem with me but so do Muslim owners. They'd say 'She is going to wear clothes like this. This is unacceptable for Muslims'," Uorfi Javed told Humans of Bombay. Fed up with the struggle, she decided to buy herself a house. "I decided that I'll save for a few months and just buy a house. I don't want a 3BHK. I want to directly buy a duplex. I need my 8BHK of which 2 rooms are going to be turned into wardrobes -- one each for my clothes and shoes -- and I'll think later what to do with the rest of the rooms." Currently, the actor said that although her financial situation is stable, she wants more. One of her recent buys was a Jeep Meridian whose prices start from Rs 30 lakh, and the actor is also looking forward to buying a Rolls Royce. "I like money. The more I started getting it, the more I wanted," Uorfi Javed said.
Egypts Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry discussed in a phone call on Sunday with United Nations (UN) Special Envoy to Syria Geir Pedersen the Syrian crisis and ways to push for a political solution, according to the Egyptian Foreign Ministry.

During the call, Shoukry discussed ways to mitigate the suffering of the brotherly Syrian people and stressed Egypt's keenness to alleviate that suffering, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry added.

Shoukry affirmed Egypt's full support for the efforts of the UN envoy to reach a comprehensive political settlement under Syrian ownership, in line with Security Council resolution No. 2254.

He also affirmed the great priority that Egypt attaches to restoring security and stability in sisterly Syria and ending all forms of terrorism and foreign interference.

The two sides agreed to continue consultation and coordination during the coming period.

For his part, the UN envoy expressed his full appreciation for Egypt's role and its continuous support for the United Nations in resolving the Syrian crisis.

Last week, Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry met with his Syrian counterpart Faisal Mekdad and discussed efforts to achieve a comprehensive political settlement to the Syrian crisis.

Mekdads trip to Cairo is the first visit by a top Syrian diplomat to Egypt in over a decade.

The two officials had a one-on-one meeting and then were joined by their respective delegations. They tackled issues of mutual concern, including regional issues.

During the meeting, the Syrian minister discussed various aspects of the Syrian crisis, including past and current economic, humanitarian, and security challenges faced by the Syrian people.

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Should we let machines flood our information channels with propaganda and untruth? asks the open letter from Future of Life Institute that has been all over the news this month for calling for a six-month halt on training new AI systems. 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? Alarmist as it sounds, the letter has over 50,000 signatures, including from Tesla founder (and formerly OpenAI cofounder) Elon Musk, Apple cofounder Steve Wozniac, the historian and author Yuval Noah Harari and professors and intellectuals from universities and think tanks from around the world. The letter arrived on the eve of OpenAI releasing ChatGPT 4, a significantly more powerful chatbot than the ones that came before it. The speed at which ChatGPT has developedit first launched last Novemberis just one of the many reasons that it is raising calls for caution around the world. Also read: AI poses a threat to many programming jobs, we need a strong policy around this, says Zoho's Sridhar Vembu Whats equally, if not more, shocking, is the verisimilitude factor: Just how closely ChatGPT approximates human interaction. Now, ChatGPT can process entire college essays, write covering letters, give relationship advice, code, have philosophical conversations, and make your grocery lists. One of its greatest threats is the loss of jobs. Paradoxically, a reel going around on an Instagram account by a career educator with 176K followers, reveals the biggest job search hack of all time: Go to ChatGPT and enter in the job you want to apply for. The Future of Life Institutes letter basically acknowledges the power flex that OpenAI has demonstrated, and asks for companies in the business to halt and consider the ramificationsin order to make this leap in technology work for us, and not the other way round. As a nearly decade-old nonprofit with a mission to steer transformative technologies away from extreme, large-scale risks and towards benefiting life, it feels it is well-placed to issue such words of caution. Also read: AI needs the equivalent of Asimov's 3 rules of robotics. Here's why The Future of Life Institute wants to mitigate long-term existential risks to mankind that they say might emanate from highly advanced and potentially dangerous technology such as nuclear technology, biotechnology and now artificial intelligence. Whats interesting to note here is that the institute does not call for a ban or an end to any of these technologies. Not quite refuseniks, the Future of Life Institute acknowledges that massive technological advancement has been intrinsic to the human races development. But now, they say, we have entered an era in which life and intelligence will be engineered by life and intelligence, rather than by evolution. To wit, that means incredible power, of which we may not fully understand the ramifications. Recently, in a CNN interview, after the anchor called the claims of the open letter histrionic, Future of Life Institutes president and a Swedish-American cosmologist Max Tegmark clarified that it didnt call for a pause on all AI research, but only on systems more advanced than ChatGPT4. Having to share our planet with smarter entities than ourselves who do not care about us is something that can be quite inconvenient, Tegmark said with a slight smile. Fans of Hollywood sci-fi and people whove engaged with the philosophical aspects of technological development at least know that he was putting it mildly. Also read: AI is coming for your password, and really fast The institute and Tegmark are being called out for furthering the AI hype with this letter. Along with this counterproductive result, the longtermism of their view is also being called into question. The development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race. It would take off on its own, and redesign itself at an ever increasing rate. - Stephen Hawking to BBC, 2014 Longtermism is an ethical stance that gives priority to improving the long-term future, embraced widely in Silicon Valley and by Big Tech, but which many consider dubious for it allows justifications for present-day actions by the uber-wealthy. And yet, Tegmark is another one in a long line of people whove worked closely with Silicon Valley to raise alarm. In 2014, the same year that the Future of Life Institute came into being, the late theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking told the BBC: The development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race. It would take off on its own, and re-design itself at an ever-increasing rate. Elon Musk, virtual reality pioneer Jaron Lanier, philosopher Nick Bostrom, author James Barratt, even John Wick actor Keanu Reeves have been suspicious of AI. People are growing up with these tools: Were listening to music already thats made by AI in the style of Nirvana, theres NFT digital art, Reeves said recently. Its cool, like, look what the cute machines can make! But theres a corporatocracy behind it thats looking to control those things. Culturally, socially, were gonna be confronted by the value of real, or the non-value, Reeves told Wired magazine. And then whats going to be pushed on us? Whats going to be presented to us? Its this sensorium. Its spectacle. And its a system of control and manipulation. AI isnt even the only technology that has detractors. For years, a cross-section of Silicon Valley insiders and employees has been speaking to the influence of the Internet and social media on human behaviour and society. In 2013, Tristan Harris, a former Google employee famously sent out a memo, A Call To Minimise Distraction & Respect Users Attention, to 10 close colleagues. It became a movement, leading to Harris being branded the conscience of Silicon Valley. According to a 2017 piece in The Guardian, Harris insists that billions of people have little choice over whether they use these now ubiquitous technologies, and are largely unaware of the invisible ways in which a small number of people in Silicon Valley are shaping their lives. The same piece also talks about James Williams, also a former Google employee who co-founded the advocacy group Time Well Spent with Harris, Justin Rosenstein, who once helped create G Chat for Google, and now speaks widely about office productivity; and Nir Eyal, the author of Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products and creator of the Habit Summit, a behavioral design conference. The allure of the attention economy to the decline of democracy, it's all related and its all dangerous, from their perspective. Also read: The aliens have landed, and we created them: Niall Ferguson Unlike with the Internet and social media, the noise around responsible AI has been loud for decades. Dozens of organisations around the worldincluding Humanity+, Foresight Institute, Ought, Algorithmic Justice League, AI Now Institute and Electronic Frontier Foundationhave been considering ethical ways for AI to be used. They work to find ways for AI and human life to co-exist, so human civilisation isnt at risk, and so AI doesnt become yet another tool in the hands of a few powerful humans to alter the fabric of society to their will. Undoubtedly, we are on the cusp of the era of artificial intelligence. For now, the rest of us will just have to wait and watch, and pray mankind doesnt regret AI that way Frankenstein did his monster.
A billionaire who has been trying to sell his luxury penthouse in London has met with some disappointment after the property, listed for 28 million (about Rs 285 crore), hasn't attracted a buyer yet. One of the reasons for which, as his real estate agent stated, was that the flat was overpriced by about 30 percent. Ideally, the property price should have been slashed by about Rs 80 crore. Sharing the billionaire's reaction to the lack of buyers, the realtor, who prefers to remain anonymous, told Bloomberg that his client declared over lunch one day: London is over. Its not selling because London is finished." The billionaire lives in Dubai and was in London to meet with lawyers and discuss the sale of his penthouse in Belgravia -- one of the hottest property markets in the city. He used to live in London earlier before his "non-dom" status expired. Short for "non-domiciled individual", the term is used for a UK resident whose permanent home, or domicile, is outside the UK. Those with this status may not have to pay UK tax on foreign income. So, when the billionaire's "non-dom" status expired, he "decamped to Dubai" because he "doesnt like paying" tax. Read more: UKs most expensive house is on the market again "I hear about the billionaires new life in Dubai. Surely one of the joys of money is that it affords choices. But if that choice is pre-empted by where you pay the least tax, is it worth it?" the realtor told Bloomberg. When the billionaire finally asked the realtor for an honest opinion on why he hasn't been able to sell the flat, the realtor said, "Its overpriced. Its a great flat, but 20 million is already a lot of money and thats what I think its worth with a fair wind and the right buyer. Were not in Dubai. The billionaire responded to this with a long "Hmmmmmm and then: Let me think about that. Now, while this reaction made the realtor feel optimistic about the prospect of a sale, whether the penthouse really does get sold or not is a story for another day. Read more: Biggest fall in fortune ever: 30-year-old crypto CEO loses 94% of his wealth overnight
Jailed conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar wrote a "Easter" message, as part of a letter, for Jacqueline Fernandez where he stated that he missed having Easter eggs with the actor and addressed her as his "bunny rabbit". "It's one of your favourite festivals in the year and your love for Easter eggs. I miss having those with you. I miss seeing that pretty child in you breaking the egg and having the candies inside them," the letter, released by his lawyer Anant Malik and reported by NDTV, read. "Do you have any idea how pretty and beautiful you are my baby. There is no one as pretty as you in this planet. My bunny rabbit, I love you, my baby. There is not a moment I don't think about you and I know it's the same with you too, as I know what is in the most beautiful heart of yours, my honey bee," the letter added. He also wrote that he was "thinking a lot" about the actor while listening a popular Bollywood song. "I also was thinking a lot about you when I was hearing to the new version of "Tu mile dil khile, aur jeene ko kya chahiye," he added, referring to the song from the Hindi movie "Criminal". "Love you my baby not just love, but, Veri Thanam love, my Jacky Bomma," Chandrashekhar added. Chandrashekhar has been accused of cheating and extorting money from the wife of former promoter of Religare Enterprises Shivinder Mohan Singh. He is currently lodged in Mandoli jail in New Delhi. Also Read: Conmans letter to Jacqueline Fernandez from jail: Love you my baby
Its a rare traveller who is not at some point besotted with the idea of visiting the pyramids of Egypt. The sheer sight of them is enough to take the breath away. Nearby, the enigmatic and inscrutable sphinx only adds to the sense of wonder and fascination. But Egypt is blessed with historical and cultural riches that are simply stunning; it conjures up images of hieroglyphs and Cleopatra, of majestic Egyptian Gods and graceful feluccas on the Nile, and so much more. Now with Indians having the added advantage of getting a single-entry visa on arrival, valid for 30 days, an Egyptian odyssey is that much more easy. Here are the places to see and things to do beyond the pyramids, from sphinxes to river cruise and ancient temples, library, catacombs, forts and lighthouse: Cairo and Giza: Beyond pyramids, sphinx calls The place to start is at the capital Cairo, a city that straddles several ages with fantastic ancient mosques and museums replete with art and artefacts sitting side by side with glittery high-rises and swanky boulevards. But the best place to get a true glimpse of Cairo is at Khan al Khalili market, a maze of tiny lanes packed with shops and eateries. True, it is a bit of a tourist trap, but it is also a great place to sit at a roadside cafe and watch humanity pass by. Cairo is also just the entry point to the worlds most iconic monuments  pyramids and the sphinx. Head to the other side from the entryway where golden deserts stretch to the horizon amid which sit a set of pyramids and the sphinx, which have all been here for more than 4,500 years. Giza Necropolis is a funerary temple complex with some nine pyramids, but only three are arresting. Up close they are even more breathtaking, the biggest measuring 146m in height. In front of them is the sphinx, even more mysterious in reality. Some of the pyramids, can be visited inside, but it can be a bit of a claustrophobic experience. Luxor: Temples galore Nearly 700 km to the south of Cairo, with the Nile flowing through the middle, Luxor is a fascinating city. On both banks of the river are some of the most magnificent monuments, stupendous in size and incredibly beautiful in design and architecture. On the East Bank is the Luxor temple built by Pharaoh Amenhotep III with its avenue of sphinxes, the stunning obelisk whose twin stands in the Place de la Concorde in Paris, statues of Ramesses II and the gigantic colonnades. Further up is the Karnak temple complex, a dramatic collection of sanctuaries, obelisks, carved colonnades, pylons, the avenue of Ram-headed sphinxes and more statues of Ramesses II. And on the West bank is the Valley of Kings, known more as a valley of death. Overwhelming in a bleak and forlorn sense, it is full of scorching stone cliffs and bare, and the grand location for some 62 tombs belonging to various Theban royals, especially a line of Ramesses from various dynasties. Nearby, in complete contrast, is the Temple of Hatshepsut, carved into the mountain face and standing in dramatic grandeur against the backdrop of rising cliffs. Abu Simbel Almost at the southern border of Egypt, just 40 km from the Sudan, set amid sprawling desserts and an incredibly blue sky, are the Temples of Abu Simbel rising dramatically from Lake Nasser. It is hard not to be awestruck by the four colossal statues of Ramesses towering 65 ft into the sky. Carved out of sheer rock face, these temples were buried, until they were discovered by chance and reconstructed on higher ground. Built by Pharaoh Ramesses II as a tribute to the gods Ra-Harakthy (god of sun and sky), Amun (a local creator god) and Ptah (god of creativity), the colossal structure is nevertheless a deification of himself as is evident by the four gigantic statues. Adjacent is the temple of goddess Hathor (goddess of love and music), dedicated to the Pharaohs loved wife Nefertari. Nile cruise for temple run One of the best ways to include all the monuments is with a three- or a five-day cruise down the Nile since most are situated on the rivers banks. It is also possible to catch other lesser but no-less-spectacular sights along the way. Such as Edfu with its Temple of Horus (falcon-headed God of the pharaohs); Temple of Kom Ombo, a spectacular edifice dedicated to Sobek, the crocodile king; and Isis at Philae, dating back to the 4th century BC, with beautiful pillars, massive walls with inscriptions and majestic sanctuaries. Alexandria: Library, fort, catacombs, lighthouse In complete contrast, Alexandria on the Mediterranean coast is vibrant and much more modern, but has its own colourful history. It was founded by Alexander the Great and ruled by the most famous woman in history  Cleopatra. Sadly, theres nothing to show for either of them, but theres something magnificent  Bibliotheca Alexandrina, which is inspired by the ancient library and contains age-old manuscripts and books. Worth a visit are Catacombs of Kom Ash-Shuqqafa, a Roman burial site and rather creepy, and Fort Qaitbey, a 15th century fort and site of the pharaohs, the ancient lighthouse built in 3rd century BC by the Romans. The journey from the sea-side beauty of Alexandria to the splendour of Abu Simbel feels more like a journey through time, with the weight of history a constant companion. At the end, it is all rather overwhelming, but also deeply satisfying.
Afghan religious scholars Saturday criticised a ban on female education, as a key Taliban minister warned clerics not to rebel against the government on the controversial issue. Girls cannot go to school beyond sixth grade in Afghanistan, with the education ban extending to universities. Women are barred from public spaces, including parks, and most forms of employment. Last week, Afghan women were barred from working at the U.N., according to the global body, although the Taliban have yet to make a public announcement. Authorities present the education restrictions as temporary suspensions rather than bans, but universities and schools reopened in March without their female students. The bans have raised fierce international uproar, increasing the country's isolation at a time when its economy has collapsed and worsened a humanitarian crisis. Two religious scholars who are well-known within Afghanistan said Saturday that authorities should reconsider their decision. Public opposition to Taliban policies is rare, although some Taliban leaders have voiced their disagreement with the decision-making process. One scholar, Abdul Rahman Abid, said institutions should be permitted to re-admit girls and women through separate classes, hiring female teachers, staggering timetables, and even building new facilities. Knowledge is obligatory in Islam for men and women, he told The Associated Press, and Islam allows women to study. My daughter is absent from school, I am ashamed, I have no answer for my daughter, he said. My daughter asks why girls are not allowed to learn in the Islamic system. I have no answer for her. He said reform is needed and warned that any delays are at the expense of the global Islamic community and also weakens the government. Another scholar, who is a member of the Taliban, told the AP there is still time for ministries to solve the problem of girls' education. Toryali Himat cited ministries comprising the inner circle of the supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, who is based in Kandahar. It was on his orders that the government banned girls from classrooms. Himat said there are two types of criticism, one that destroys the system and another that makes corrective criticism. Islam has allowed both men and women to learn, but hijab and curriculum should be considered, said Himat. Corrective criticism should be given and the Islamic emirate should think about this. Where there is no criticism, there is the possibility of corruption. My personal opinion is that girls should get education up to university level. Acting Higher Education Minister Nida Mohammad Nadim said Friday that clerics should not speak against government policy. He made his remarks after another scholar, Abdul Sami Al Ghaznawi, told students at a religious school that there was no conflict over girls' education. He said Islamic scripture was clear that girls' education was acceptable. Al Ghaznawi was not immediately available for comment. Nadim appeared to target Al Ghaznawi by mentioning an honorable scholar at the top of a video statement released on social media. You encouraged the people to rebel, so what is the result? Nadim said. The result is that rebellion against this (ban) is allowed. If people are encouraged to rebel against the system, will it benefit Muslims?" The minister was not immediately available for comment. But his spokesman, Hafiz Ziaullah Hashimi, confirmed Nadim's remarks without giving further details about who they were directed at or the reason behind them.
Beijing urged World Health Organization officials not to be used as political tools after fresh accusations that Beijing delayed releasing key early data on Covid-19 considered by some scientists to be instrumental to understanding the viruss genesis. China shared all material that it had gathered on Covids origin when it conducted a joint mission with experts organized by the WHO in 2020 and early 2021 and has not withheld data on any cases, samples or testing results, Shen Hongbing, director of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said at a briefing in Beijing on Saturday. Recent remarks by some WHO officials that dismissed the joint missions effort were a crude offense to the scientists around the world who participated in the initial-origin tracing work, he said We urge certain people at the WHO to come back to the position of science and impartiality, instead of becoming a tool for politicizing Covids origin by some country, whether voluntarily or forced, Shen said. Shens remarks come days after the WHOs Covid-19 technical lead Maria D. Van Kerkhove said in an editorial that the sharing of some viral samples from a food market in Wuhan three years after they were collected amounted to a lack of data disclosure that was inexcusable. She said the WHO-China joint mission early in the pandemic was heavily criticized for the lack of access to raw data on early cases in China, which still hasnt been granted. At the heart of the spat among officials between the WHO and China is a new set of data on specimens collected three years ago at the market in Wuhan that Chinese researchers uploaded to the global genomic database GISAID earlier this year. The data was uploaded to aid peer review of a study conducted by the China CDC but it was released to the public by GISAID staff by mistake, China CDC director Shen said at the briefing. A group of international scientists found the data last month and their independent analysis showed evidence of the virus along with genetic material from several animals, including raccoon dogs, making it the strongest information yet backing the theory that it could have spilled over from animals to humans at the market. Chinese researchers, led by the China CDCs former director George Gao Fu, however, argued in their study of the specimens that the samples were insufficient to prove the Covid outbreak started there as a result of the virus jumping from animals to humans. Chinese officials at Saturdays briefing reiterated that conclusion, saying there isnt enough evidence to prove the virus originated from raccoon dogs and spilled over to humans at the Wuhan market. Some experts suspect the animal genetic material present in these samples indicated the virus was passed on to humans from there but so far theres no signs of animals getting infected at the market based on all existing evidence, Tong Yigang, a professor specializing in microbiology and bioinformatics who led research in environmental and animal samples during the WHO-China joint origin mission, said at the briefing. Evidence Chain Many people hope to find such an evidence chain. We feel the same and very much hope to find out the source of the virus, Tong told reporters, but these data are insufficient and far from enough. Its like we imagine something happened in certain ways and we constantly make conjectures based on that. Zhou Lei, a researcher from China CDC who also participated in the WHO-China joint mission, told reporters at the briefing that the Covid origin tracing effort should be expanded to other countries, as multiple studies, including the testing of blood donated before December 2019, and the tracing of animal trade supply chains and the testing of bats in China have all failed to yield any traces of the coronavirus. The lack of Covid antibodies in blood collected before December 2021 means theres no Covid before that time, Zhou said. WHO is very important, its professionalism globally recognized and its science, rigor and fairness beyond doubt, but groundless accusations that seek to deny the achievements from our joint mission will only undermine trust in the agency. Zhou said.
Chinas military simulated precision strikes against Taiwan in a second day of drills around the island on Sunday, with the islands defence ministry reporting multiple air force sorties and that it was monitoring Chinas missile forces. China, which claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, began three days of military exercises around the island on Saturday, the day after Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen returned from a brief visit to the United States. Chinese state television reported that the combat readiness patrols and drills around Taiwan were continuing. "Under the unified command of the theatre joint operations command centre, multiple types of units carried out simulated joint precision strikes on key targets on Taiwan island and the surrounding sea areas, and continue to maintain an offensive posture around the island, it said. A Taiwan security source told Reuters that on Saturday the Chinese drills around the Bashi Channel, which separates Taiwan from the Philippines, included simulated attacks on aircraft carrier groups as well as anti-submarine drills. Taiwans defence ministry said that as of Sunday midday (0400 GMT) they had spotted 58 Chinese aircraft, including Su-30 fighters and H-6 bombers, as well as nine ships, around Taiwan. The ministry said they were paying particular attention to the Peoples Liberation Armys Rocket Force which is in charge of Chinas land-based missile system. "Regarding the movements of the Chinese communists Rocket Force, the nations military also has a close grasp through the joint intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance system, and air defence forces remain on high alert, the ministry said. It reiterated that Taiwans forces will not escalate conflicts nor cause disputes and would respond appropriately to Chinas drills. Life in Taiwan has continued as normal, with no sign of panic or disruption from the Chinese drills. Last August, following a visit to Taipei by Nancy Pelosi, then the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, China staged war games around Taiwan, including firing missiles into waters close to the island. It has not announced similar drills this time. While in Los Angeles last week, on what was officially billed a transit on her way back from Central America, Tsai met the current speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy, despite Beijings warnings against it. The de facto U.S. embassy in Taiwan said on Sunday the United States was monitoring Chinas drills around Taiwan closely and is comfortable and confident it has sufficient resources and capabilities regionally to ensure peace and stability. U.S. channels of communication with China remain open and the United States had consistently urged restraint and no change to the status quo, said a spokesperson for the American Institute in Taiwan, which serves as an embassy in the absence of formal diplomatic ties. Washington severed diplomatic relations with Taipei in favour of Beijing in 1979 but is bound by law to provide the island with the means to defend itself. China, which has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under its control, says Taiwan is the most important and sensitive issue in its relations with the United States, and the topic is a frequent source of tensions. Beijing considers Tsai a separatist and has rebuffed her repeated calls for talks. Tsai says only Taiwans people can decide their future. China has over the past three years or so stepped up its military pressure against Taiwan, flying regular missions around Taiwan, though not in its territorial air space or over the island itself. Taiwans defence ministry said earlier on Sunday that in the previous 24 hours it had spotted 71 Chinese air force aircraft and nine navy vessels around Taiwan. The ministry published a map showing around half of those aircraft, including Su-30s and J-11s, crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait, which has for years served as an unofficial barrier between the two sides. Chinese state media said the aircraft were armed with live weapons. Taiwanese air force jets also typically carry live weapons when they scramble to see off Chinese incursions. Late on Saturday, Taiwans Ocean Affairs Council, which runs the Coast Guard, put out footage on its YouTube channel showing one of its ships shadowing a Chinese warship, though did not give an exact location. "You are seriously harming regional peace, stability and security. Please immediately turn around and leave. If you continue to proceed we will take expulsion measures, a Coast Guard officer says by radio to the Chinese ship. Other footage showed a Taiwanese warship, the Di Hua, accompanying the Coast Guard ship in what the Coast Guard officer calls a "standoff with the Chinese warship. Still, civilian flights around Taiwan, including to Kinmen and Matsu, two groups of Taiwan-controlled islands right next to the Chinese coast, have continued as normal. In August, civilian air traffic was disrupted after China announced effective no-fly zones in several blocks close to Taiwan where it was firing missiles.
More than 30 children were reunited with their families in Ukraine this weekend after a long operation to bring them back home from Russia or Russian-occupied Crimea, where they had been taken from areas occupied by Russian forces during the war. Mothers hugged sons and daughters as they crossed the border from Belarus into Ukraine on April 7 after a complex rescue mission involving travel across four countries. Dasha Rakk, a 13-year-old girl, said she and her twin sister had agreed to leave the Russian-occupied city of Kherson last year because of the war and go to a holiday camp in Crimea for a few weeks. But once in Crimea, Russian officials said the children would be staying for longer. "They said we will be adopted, that we will get guardians," she said. "When they first told us we will stay longer we all started crying." Dasha's mother Natalia said she had travelled from Ukraine to Crimea via Poland, Belarus and Moscow to get her daughters. Ukraine's Crimea peninsula has been occupied by Russia since 2014. "It was terribly difficult but we kept on going, we did not sleep at nights, we slept sitting up," she said, describing her journey to the camp. "It was heartbreaking to look at children left behind who were crying behind the fence," she said. Kyiv estimates nearly 19,500 children have been taken to Russia or Russian-occupied Crimea since Moscow invaded in February last year, in what it condemns as illegal deportations. Moscow, which control chunks of Ukraine's east and south, denies abducting children and says they have been transported away for their own safety. "Now the fifth rescue mission is nearing its completion. It was special regarding the number of children we managed to return and also because of its complexity," said Mykola Kuleba, the founder of the Save Ukraine humanitarian organisation that helped arrange the rescue mission. Kuleba told a Kyiv briefing on Saturday that all 31 children brought home said no one in Russia was trying to find their parents. "There were kids who changed their locations five times in five months, some children say that they were living with rats and cockroaches," he said. The children were taken to what Russians called stays in summer camps from occupied parts of Ukraine's Kharkiv and Kherson regions, Kuleba said. The Russian Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. ARREST WARRANTS Three children - two boys and a girl - were present at the media briefing in Kyiv. Save Ukraine said they came home on a previous mission last month that returned 18 children in total. The three said they had been separated from their parents who were pressured by Russian authorities to send their children to Russian summer camps for what was billed as two weeks, from occupied parts of Kherson and Kharkiv regions. The children at the briefing said they were forced to remain at the summer camps for four to six months and were moved from one place to another during their stay. "We were treated like animals. We were closed in a separate building," said Vitaly, a child from Kherson region whose age was not clear. He added that they were told their parents no longer wanted them. The International Criminal Court last month issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russia's children's rights commissioner, Maria Lvova-Belova, accusing them of abducting children from Ukraine. Moscow has not concealed a programme under which it has taken thousands of Ukrainian children from occupied areas, but presents this it as a humanitarian campaign to protect orphans and children abandoned in the conflict zone. Russia rejects the ICC allegations, saying it does not recognise the court's jurisdiction and calling the warrants null and void. Lvova-Belova said earlier this week that her commission acted on humanitarian grounds to protect the interests of children in an area where military action was taking place and had not moved anyone against their will or that of their parents or legal guardians, whose consent was always sought unless they were missing. Kateryna Rashevska, a lawyer from a Ukrainian NGO called Regional Centre for Human Rights, told the briefing they were collecting evidence to build a case that Russian officials deliberately prevented return of the Ukrainian children. "In every story there is a whole range of international violations and it cannot go unpunished," she said.
When reports emerged late last year that South Korea had agreed to sell artillery shells to help the United States replenish its stockpiles, it insisted that their end user should be the U.S. military. But internally, top aides to President Yoon Suk Yeol were worried that their American ally would divert them to Ukraine. Yoons secretary for foreign affairs, Yi Mun-hui, told his boss, National Security Adviser Kim Sung-han, that the government was mired in concerns that the U.S. would not be the end user if South Korea were to comply with a U.S. request for ammunition, according to a batch of secret Pentagon documents leaked through social media. The secret report was based on signals intelligence, which meant that the United States has been spying on one of its major allies in Asia. Both Yi and Kim stepped down last month for unclear reasons. Neither man could be reached for comment. Yoons office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Although U.S. officials have confirmed that the trove of leaked documents appear to be legitimate intelligence and operational briefs compiled by the Pentagons Joint Staff, at least one had been modified from the original at some point. And the apparent authenticity of the documents is not an indication of their accuracy. The documents pertaining to South Korea showed a key American ally torn between Washingtons pressure on Seoul to help supply ammunition to Ukraine and its official policy of not providing lethal weapons to countries at war. Seoul feared that President Joe Biden would call Yoon directly to press the matter. Yi stressed that South Korea was not prepared to have a call between the heads of state without having a clear position on the issue, adding that South Korea could not violate its policy against supplying lethal aid, so officially changing the policy would be the only option, the document said. Yi said that Yoons presidential secretary for national defense, Im Ki-hun, had promised to determine a final stance by March 2. But their boss, Kim, was worried that if the announcement of Yoons state visit to Washington coincided with an announcement of South Korea changing its stance on providing lethal aid to Ukraine, the public would think the two had been done as a trade. Yoons state visit to Washington, which is to take place April 26, was announced March 7. Instead, according to the document, Kim suggested the possibility of selling 330,000 rounds of 155 mm artillery shells to Poland, since getting the ammunition to Ukraine quickly was the ultimate goal of the United States. Yi agreed that it might be possible for Poland to agree to being called the end user and send the ammunition on to Ukraine, but that South Korea would need to verify what Poland would do. It is unclear exactly what he meant by this, since South Koreas export control rules stipulate that its weapons or weapon parts sold to a foreign country should not be resold or transferred to a third country without Seouls approval. South Koreas position has been that it will cooperate with the United States while not clashing with Russia, said Yang Uk, a weapons expert at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul. The documents leaked put South Korea in a more difficult position. And the mere fact of the spying taking place, leaving aside what it might uncover, is a damaging revelation, he said. Its reasonable to suspect that the United States spies on top defense and security officials in Seoul, but its bad news for the general public ahead of the South Korea-U.S. summit, he added. People will ask, We have been allies for seven decades, and you still spy on us? (Author: Choe Sang-Hun)/(c.2021 The New York Times Company)
Ukraine's First Deputy Foreign Minister Emine Dzhaparova will begin a four-day visit to India on April 9, the first official visit from the East European country since the Russian invasion began last year. Dzhaparova will hold talks with Sanjay Verma, Secretary (West) in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). It is expected that the Ukrainian deputy foreign minister may extend an invitation for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Ukraine. The MEA announced Dzhaparova's visit to India in a statement on Saturday. The First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Emine Dzhaparova will be on an official visit to India from April 9 to 12," it said. It said Dzhaparova will hold talks with Verma, during which both sides are expected to discuss bilateral relations, exchange views on the current situation in Ukraine and global issues of mutual interest. Dzhaparova will also call on Minister of State for External Affairs and Culture Meenakshi Lekhi and meet Deputy National Security Adviser Vikram Misri. Since the Ukraine conflict began in February last year, Prime Minister Modi spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin as well as Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy a number of times. In a phone conversation with President Zelenskyy on October 4 last year, Modi said there can be "no military solution" and that India is ready to contribute to any peace efforts. India has not yet condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine and it has been maintaining that the crisis must be resolved through diplomacy and dialogue. The MEA said India shares warm and friendly relations and multifaceted cooperation with Ukraine. "Over the last 30 years of establishing diplomatic relations, bilateral cooperation between the two countries has made significant progress in the areas of trade, education, culture and defence," it said. "The visit will be an occasion to further mutual understanding and interests," it added.
Despite being officially closed three years ago, Alexandria governorates Palm Beach claimed the life of another victim on Saturday, this time a 16-year-old Egyptian boy.

Ahmed Omar Shehata drowned while swimming at the beach, notoriously known as the Beach of Death, in Agami. His body was found on Sunday after being washed ashore by waves.

In 2020, Alexandrias Public Prosecution ordered the closure of the beach following several drowning incidents, especially a mass drowning incident in 2020.

Governor of Alexandria Mohamed El-Sherif has previously explained that openings between barrier rocks at Palm Beach cause dangerous swirls that lead to drowning.

As a result, Egypts Ministry of Irrigations coastal protection department developed solutions to close the openings in the barrier.

The 6th of October Association managed Palm Beach, and was responsible for establishing and financing breakwaters, until 2020 when the Alexandria governorate withdrew its license.

Despite its closure, Palm Beach will be offered in a public auction on 19 April, with some hoping it will be able to reopen this summer.

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The Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine, Emine Dzhaparova, who is in India on a four-day visit from Sunday, will try to gauge the mood of the Indian leadership on inviting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the G20 summit to be held in New Delhi in September. She will also call on India to lend its voice to the international call for peace and bringing an end to the war in Ukraine. This is the first visit of a leader from Kyiv to Delhi since the Ukraine war began in February 2021. India has the current presidency of the G20, which includes the worlds developed and developing economies but not Ukraine. Dzhaparova is likely to extend an invitation to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Ukraine. Modi has spoken to Zelensky a number of times over the phone but not visited the country. She will be in Delhi at a time when another controversial issue  the leaked trove of Pentagon documents, is in the public domain. The documents reveal how deeply Russias security and intelligence services have been penetrated by the United States, allowing Washington to warn Ukraine about planned strikes and provide an assessment of the strength of Moscows war machinery. The leak also reveals Americas assessment of the Ukrainian military, which is in dire straits. Dzhaparova will hold talks with Sanjay Verma, Secretary (West), Ministry of External Affairs, on bilateral, regional, and global issues of mutual interest. Dzhaparova will also call on Minister of State for External Affairs and Culture, Meenakshi Lekhi, and meet Deputy National Security Adviser Vikram Misri. It is interesting that Ukraine has decided to send the junior minister to India and not the Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba. But that may be because Kuleba is preoccupied with his diplomatic engagement with US and European leaders. The Indian Prime Minister has spoken a number of times to both Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart, Zelensky, since the war began two years back. From the early days of the war, India stressed on the cessation of violence and urged the warring parties to resume negotiations to resolve their outstanding disputes. But despite widespread pressure from the United States-led western bloc, India has refused to condemn Russia for the invasion. Since the armed conflict began, Zelensky has used all the international forums to criticise Russia and seek its isolation. America and Europe have strongly rallied behind Ukraine and encouraged organisers of regional and global groupings to provide their platform to the Ukrainian President to put pressure on Moscow. Though India and other G20 members have not yet discussed the issue of Zelenskys inclusion at the forthcoming summit, it is likely to turn into a hot-button topic in the coming days. During its G20 presidency, Indonesia had faced immense pressure from the US and European countries not to invite Russia to the summit. In order to ensure that the Bali summit was not a flop show with Russia boycotting it, Indonesia had accepted a compromise with the western bloc and allowed Zelensky to address the summit on video. This had led Putin to stay away from the summit and though, courtesy diplomatic efforts from India and China, Indonesia finally managed to put out a joint statement, the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, left the meeting early to register his displeasure at the forum being used to corner Moscow. It is quite likely that in the coming weeks similar pressure will be mounted by the west on the Indian leadership to either invite Zelensky or allow him to address the gathering at the Delhi G20 summit remotely. In a phone conversation with President Zelensky on October 4 last year, Modi said there can be no military solution and that India is ready to contribute to any peace efforts. In a statement on the occasion of the Ukrainian ministers visit, the Ministry of External Affairs said that India shares warm and friendly relations with Ukraine. Over the last 30 years of diplomatic relations, bilateral cooperation between the two countries has made significant progress in areas of trade, education, culture, and defence, it said, and added that the visit will be an occasion to further mutual understanding and interests. Reports suggest that the Ukrainian minister may ask for humanitarian aid and equipment to repair energy infrastructure damaged during the war. She may also ask for more pharmaceuticals and medical equipment. The Indian leadership will keep a close watch on the message that comes out of Ukraine at the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan, in May. Often, the G7, a cohesive and assertive bloc within the G20, ensures that issues it wants to be highlighted are prominently included in discussions and statements of the G20. An invitation to Zelensky to address the G20 virtually could be a compromise to ensure that the Delhi summit is not a failure due to strong differences between the anti-Russian western bloc and others. What India says after meeting the Ukrainian minister will be parsed closely by observers in different countries to ascertain the disposition of one of Moscows oldest allies.
April 09, 2023

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President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi praised discipline and commitment of the police personnel at Nasr City First Precinct in east Cairo during a surprise visit on Sunday.

The president spoke with police officers, police personnel and citizens at the precinct.

He was also briefed on the latest integrated electronic data systems used in police stations.

After sunset, the president shared Ramadan Iftar with the staff at the precinct.

Later, in a post on his social media accounts, El-Sisi sent A greeting of appreciation and pride to the Egyptian policemen who exert maximum efforts to serve the citizens and maintain the security and stability of the homeland.

















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U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Clarence Thomas poses during a group portrait at the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., Oct. 7, 2022.
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.
The North Vietnamese didnt know what to make of their prisoner.

Hours upon hours of first abusing him, then pumping him for military information, had produced nothing but a nasty nickname for the young American sailor. To their thinking, he was simply dumb as a rock.

Which was exactly what Petty Officer 2nd Class Doug Hegdahl wanted them to think. Because he was anything but stupid. Indeed, he cleverly used what his captors thought to be idiocy to brilliantly outwit them.

The road that ultimately led Hegdahl to Hanoi started nearly 7,700 miles away in his hometown of Clark, S.D. (population 1,148 in 2020.) The chance to see the world appealed to the innocent small-town boy who had seldom been far from home. So he signed up for a hitch in the U.S. Navy in 1966  just as the Vietnam War was ramping into overdrive.

He found himself onboard the USS Canberra in the Gulf of Tonkin a few months later. Early on April 6, 1967, as the cruiser was blasting away at targets on the North Vietnamese coast, Hegdahl stepped onto the deck, either for some fresh air or for a quick smoke. That was a huge no-no when the big guns were firing because a sailor could be knocked overboard. Which was exactly what happened. He swam for a few hours until being picked up by local fishermen, who promptly handed him over to the North Vietnamese military.

Those who interrogated him didnt buy his tale of being blown into the water. They suspected he was a commando on a secret mission. Hegdahl realized he was in seriously hot water and had to act fast.

So, he decided to play dumb. Really, really dumb. Talking in an exaggerated country accent, he claimed to be a simple farmboy. They beat him for a few days, but he consistently stuck with the bumpkin act until the North Vietnamese came to believe him. When they tried to get him to sign a propaganda statement, he readily agreed  except for the unfortunate fact that he couldnt read or write, he said. It rang true to his captors since most Vietnamese farmers were illiterate.

They brought in a tutor to teach him basic reading and writing. The teacher quit in frustration a few weeks later, saying the prisoner was just too dumb to learn. The North Vietnamese finally threw up their hands in frustration. That was when they started calling him The Incredibly Stupid One.

What they didnt know was Hegdahl was far from stupid. Convinced he was useless, he was allowed to roam around at will inside the prison compound. Yet during those solitary walks, he quietly poured dirt into the gas tanks of military vehicles, disabling five trucks.

With the help of an American Air Force officer, he memorized the names, capture dates, and other important details about more than 250 U.S. prisoners of war. (He committed all that extensive data to memory by singing it to the tune of Old MacDonald Had a Farm.)

When he was transferred to the infamous Hanoi Hilton prison, Hegdahl quickly learned his fellow prisoners had vowed to reject an early release if it became available. They would all leave together or not at all.

Two agonizingly long years later, the North Vietnamese decided to return three POWs as a propaganda measure. Because he was dismissed as such a low-value captive, Hegdahl was selected to be one of them. He initially refused to go. But his cellmate and Navy superior ordered him to accept the offer because of the wealth of critical information he had memorized.

And so Hegdalh was turned over on Aug. 5, 1969, and immediately provided a library of important details to U.S. military officials.

But he had a score to settle with the brutes who were still holding his comrades in Hanoi.

At the secret Paris Peace Talks in early 1970, North Vietnams negotiators denied abusing POWs. So Hegdahl was sent to the meeting, where he looked his former captors in the eye, called out their lies, and helped pressure them into eventually agreeing to release the American prisoners.

It took a while, but on Feb. 12, 1973, the first POWs were let go. By late March 1973, all 591 had been set free.

And The Incredibly Stupid One had played a big part in making it happen.
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SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP)  Illinois' new secretary of state and Democrats in the General Assembly are pushing back against a rise in challenges to books shelved in libraries.

Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, who is also the state librarian, is spearheading legislation that would make state grants to libraries contingent on their establishing a written policy prohibiting the practice of banning books.

At stake is about $61 million annually to 1,600 public and school libraries. The legislation, HB2789, sponsored by Naperville Democratic Rep. Anne Stava-Murray, won House approval 69-39 last month and awaits action by the Democratic-controlled Senate.

Illinois would be the nations first state to adopt such a policy, according to Giannoulias. But its far from the only state dealing with contention among the stacks. The American Library Association compiled 1,200 challenges to books nationally in 2022, nearly double the record number a year earlier. And librarians are receiving violent threats.

These efforts to ban reading materials have nothing to do with books, they are about restricting freedom of ideas that certain individuals disagree with," Giannoulias told The Associated Press. That is very dangerous for a democracy. And thats inherently against freedom of thought.

Libraries could adopt their own pledge or sign one developed by the library association.

Giannoulias, who in January was sworn in as the first new secretary of state in a quarter-century, teamed up with Stava-Murray after parents in the Chicago suburb of Downers Grove complained to the high school board about Gender Queer: A Memoir," by Maia Kobabe.

Kobabe's recollection of a journey of self-identity, which angry Downers Grove parents called a pornographic sketchbook, has been villified in other parts of the country, including Virginia, where a state court judge last summer refused to declare the book obscene and restrict its distribution.

The Downers Grove school board appointed a study committee and last spring the board unanimously voted to keep the book on library shelves.

Its important for people to be able to see themselves on the bookshelves," Stava-Murray said. Its not just someone who is a cisgendered white woman like myself, its someone who could be of a completely different ethnicity, different background, different culture. ... To take that diversity out is a very dangerous type of thinking.

Conservatives wince at the term book ban.

Nobody is in favor of doing that, said Rep. Blaine Wilhour, a southern Illinois Republican and member of the Legislature's Freedom Caucus. Its never been about banning books. Its always been been about age appropriate, especially when were talking public tax dollars on this stuff.

Wilhour doesn't believe a book such as Gender Queer, whose description includes dealing with adolescent crushes, coming out to family and bonding with friends over erotic gay fanfiction, should be in any K-12 school library, but at the very least, local control should prevail on such a decision. That's why there are elected school and public library boards, he said.

Whatever you call them, restrictions on literature in America have been around longer than the Constitution. According to Harvard University's Gutman Library, the government of Quincy, Massachusetts in 1637 banned Thomas Morton's The New English Canaan for apostasy in criticizing Puritan customs and exercise of power.

Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin was banned throughout the Confederacy. After the Civil War, the anti-vice crusader Anthony Comstock won support for laws restricting material that he considered obscene - from anatomy textbooks to The Canterbury Tales.

The First Amendment was viewed anew after a 1933 court case reversed an 11-year prohibition of James Joyce's Ulysses. In subsequent decades, A Catcher in the Rye, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and even Stephen King's Carrie have been targeted.

The extremists are coming after your literature. Theyre coming after your libraries, they are coming after your books under the guise of, Were protecting somebody, Gov. J.B. Pritzker, a Democrat, said. The reality is more information is better. Obviously we all believe in age-appropriate materials, but the reality is our libraries have been able to manage this for years and years and years.

___ Follow Political Writer John OConnor at https://twitter.com/apoconnor
Jacksonville Police

ARRESTS, CITATIONS

 Steven M. Smith, 28, of 1050 N. Fayette St. was arrested at 10:01 p.m. Saturday on a disorderly conduct charge after being accused of threatening to harm someone in the 1000 block of East Morton Avenue.

 A 12-year-old girl and a 13-year-old girl were cited on charges of disorderly conduct after police said they were fighting in the 1200 block of Grandview Avenue about 6:50 p.m. Friday.

 Paul D. Daval Jr., 29, of 320 S. West St. was arrested at 2:31 p.m. Friday in the 1000 block of East Morton Avenue on a charge of unlawful use of a weapon after he was accused of having a firearm during a disturbance.

 Brandon L. Capps, 35, of 607 N. Main St. was arrested at 1:35 p.m. Friday on a Pike County warrant accusing him of failing to appear in court on a criminal trespassing charge.

 Christopher J. Shea, 43, of 1719 W. Northedge Court, Dunlap, was arrested at 7:08 a.m. Friday in the 1000 block of West Morton Avenue on an Illinois Department of Corrections warrant accusing him of violating parole.

ACCIDENTS

 Two bays at Baywash Auto Wash, 1695 W. Morton Ave., had to be closed after a trailer struck the end wall of one of the bays at 2:21 p.m. Friday. Police said a wall was ripped off the building and I-beams on the two bays were sagging as a result.

OTHER REPORTS

 A Jacksonville man told police he was attacked by several people at 12:02 a.m. Saturday at Caseys General Store, 525 E. Morton Ave. Police are looking for those involved.

Murrayville/Woodson Police

ARRESTS, CITATIONS

 Mare Melton, age unavailable, of Winchester was arrested Thursday on a charge of theft over $500. She was accused of taking items March 30 from a Cottage Lane residence, according to a police report.
CAIRO (AP)  Saudi Arabia on Saturday released over a dozen war prisoners to their rivals, the Houthi rebels in Yemen, a Houthi official said. The release came as Omani officials arrived in the Yemeni capital as part of international efforts to end Yemens years-long conflict.

Abdul-Qader el-Murtaza, a Houthi official in charge of prisoner exchange talks in Yemens conflict, said 13 Houthi prisoners arrived Saturday in the capital, Sanaa.

He said the prisoners were released in exchange for a Saudi prisoner the Houthis freed. He did not say when the rebels released the Saudi prisoner.

Saturdays release was part of a U.N.-brokered deal which Yemens warring parties stuck last month and includes the release of nearly 900 prisoners from both sides, el-Murtaza said.

The U.N.-brokered deal is scheduled to be implemented this month.

Yemens conflict began in 2014, when the Houthis seized Sanaa and much of the countrys north, ousting the internationally recognized government that fled to the south then into exile in Saudi Arabia.

The Houthi move prompted a Saudi-led coalition to intervene months later in a bid to restore the internationally recognized government to power. The conflict has in recent years turned into a regional proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran. It has killed more than 150,000 people, including fighters and civilians, and created one of the worlds worst humanitarian disasters.

Omani officials, meanwhile, landed in Sanaa for talks with Houthi officials in the latest efforts to renew a ceasefire deal that expired in October, said Mohammed Abdul-Salam, the chief negotiator of the Houthi rebels.

Oman has for years hosted talks between the Iranian-backed Houthis and Saudi Arabia. The talks have been intensified since the warring sides failed to renew a U.N.-brokered cease-fire in October.

The Houthi-run al-Masirah TV reported that a Saudi delegation, led by the Saudi ambassador to Yemen, Mohammed bin Saeed Al-Jaber, would visit Sanaa on Sunday, also for talks with the Houthis.

The negotiations in Oman's capital, Muscat focused on preventing all-out fighting after the ceasefire collapsed, and laying out a path for a negotiated end to Yemens civil war.

These talks have gained momentum in recent weeks after Saudi Arabia reached an agreement with Iran to restore their diplomatic ties after a seven-year rift. The Iran-Saudi deal, announced in Beijing on March 10, has invigorated hopes of a settlement to Yemens conflict.
Representatives from several Egyptian human rights organisations as well as a number of independent human rights activists met with the National Dialogue general coordinator Diaa Rashwan on Sunday to discuss their concerns and issues ahead of the sessions of the National Dialogue.

The representatives of the human rights organisations presented their vision on issues raised in the sessions of the National Dialogues board of trustees meetings in the past weeks.

They also discussed the concerns of the Egyptian human rights community as well as ideas that allow the human rights community and its members more freedom of action and movement.

The attendees called for facilitating the registration of human rights organisations wishing to regularise their status. They also called for the extension of the official registration deadline for the NGOs wishing to operate under the umbrella of the NGOs law.

The Ministry of social solidarity had already announced that 12 April was the final deadline for NGOs in Egypt to complete the procedures required to legalise their status according to the 2019-law regulating the activities of NGOs and civil society in Egypt.

The representatives of the human rights movement stressed the importance of making legislative amendments to allow freer movement of human rights organisations and allow them to communicate effectively with citizens wishing to work with them or benefit from their services.

Representatives from the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR), the Freedom of Thought and Expression Foundation , the Egyptian Centre for Economic and Social Rights, the Right to Education Centre, the Right to Housing Centre, the Maat Foundation for Peace, Development and Human Rights, the Dialogue Meeting Foundation, the Support for Justice Foundation, the Women's Issues Foundation, the Egyptian Academy for Democracy, and a number of independent human rights activists attended the meeting.

The head of the Technical Secretariat Mahmoud Fawzi, Board of Trustees member Negad Al-Borai, and the Assistant Rapporteur of the Human Rights Committee Ahmed Rageb also attended the meeting.

Diaa Rashwan is expected to hold similar meetings with other human rights organisation representatives that were not able to attend Sundays meeting.

Last month, the dialogues board of trustees proposed to kick-start the national dialogue meetings on 3 May.

President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi had called for the dialogue during the annual Egyptian Family Iftar banquet on 26 April 2022.

The dialogue is set to look into all political, economic, and social issues. In September 2022, the 19-member board of trustees completed its selection of rapporteurs and assistant rapporteurs for the dialogue's three main tracks (political, economic, and social) and their 19 subcommittees.

Recommendations that will be made by the subcommittees will be referred to the board to be sent to the president for a final say, according to previous remarks by the General Coordinator of the National Dialogue Diaa Rashwan.

The president asserted that all intellectuals, syndicates and political forces are welcome to participate in the dialogue. He highlighted that only one faction was to be excluded from the dialogue, a subtle reference to the Muslim Brotherhood.

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South Africa police say prison escapee arrested in Tanzania View Photo

JOHANNESBURG (AP)  A South African convicted murderer who faked his death to escape from prison has been arrested in Tanzania following a two-week manhunt, police have announced.

South African officials are going to Tanzania Sunday to begin to extradite Thabo Bester, 35, dubbed the Facebook Rapist as he used the social media platform to lure at least two women he was convicted of raping. He was also found guilty of killing one.

Bester was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2012 and it was reported in May last year that he died in a fire in his prison cell.

However, reports surfaced of him being seen in Johannesburg and an investigation including DNA samples showed that the body found burned beyond recognition in the cell was not his.

Two weeks ago police said they were chasing Bester and last week they raided a luxurious home he was believed to have been renting in a posh Johannesburg suburb.

Bester was apprehended with his girlfriend Nandipha Magudumana, a well-known celebrity doctor, and a Mozambican national believed to have assisted them to cross borders and evade law enforcement authorities, officials announced.

They were found with several fake passports which were unstamped at the time of their arrest, about 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the Kenyan border.

Authorities have now started the process to extradite the fugitives back to South Africa, where they are expected to face several charges. An official delegation from South Africa, comprising senior officials from the police and the department of justice and correctional services will depart for Tanzania on Sunday, Justice Minister Ronald Lamola said Saturday, announcing Besters arrest.

The South African news outlet GroundUp reported that for nearly a year after his prison escape Bester had lived a lavish lifestyle with Magudumana in Johannesburgs upmarket Hyde Park suburb.

While in prison, Bester used a laptop he had for studies to run an event and production company, GroundUp reported. At one point he addressed a conference from his prison cell, telling attendees that he was speaking from the U.S., it reported.

Besters elaborate escape from prison has raised many questions about the possible involvement of prison officials.

At least three officials have been fired from the Mangaung Correctional Centre from where Bester escaped, according to local reports. The prison was managed privately by the British-based G4S security firm. The South African government has now taken over management of the maximum security prison and has announced that the G4S contract to manage the prison will not be renewed when it expires in 2026.

By MOGOMOTSI MAGOME

Associated Press
Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed vowed Sunday to dismantle regional forces established by some states, warning that law enforcement measures would be taken against any "destructive" opposition.

The initiative first announced on Thursday aims to integrate such forces, which were set up unilaterally by some states, into the federal army, regional police or civilian life.

These forces have sparked controversy in the past, particularly during the brutal Tigray war, with security officials operating in Amhara region accused of severe human rights abuses.

Ethiopia's constitution allows its 11 states, drawn up along linguistic and cultural lines, to operate their own regional police forces.

But over the last 15 years, some states have gradually established separate forces, acting outside these constitutional constraints.

In a statement published on his Twitter account on Sunday, Abiy said "Ethiopia had encountered difficulties... in relation to regional special forces," pointing out the existence of illegal checkpoints, smuggling and banditry.

Regional forces and local militias bolstered support for federal troops in their two-year war against Tigrayan rebels, until a peace deal was signed in November 2022, angering some Amhara residents who have a long history of border disputes with Tigray.

Reports of localised unrest have also emerged in Amhara where regional forces have begun to disarm, with Abiy saying the government would "try to convince and explain (the decision) to those who oppose without understanding."

"Law enforcement measures will be taken against those who play deliberate destructive roles," he warned.

"This decision will be implemented even (if we have to) pay a price, for the sake of Ethiopia's... unity and for the people's peace."

Since war erupted in northern Ethiopia in November 2020, Amhara forces and local militias known as Fano have occupied western Tigray, an area claimed by Amhara and Tigray, which remains inaccessible to journalists.

Following a visit to Ethiopia last month, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Amhara forces had committed "ethnic cleansing" by forcibly transferring people out of western Tigray.

All parties to the conflict have been accused of possible war crimes by UN investigators.

The war began when Abiy sent troops into Tigray after accusing the TPLF, once the dominant party in Ethiopia, of attacking army bases.

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CAIRO (AP)  Saudi Arabia on Saturday released over a dozen war prisoners to their rivals, the Houthi rebels in Yemen, a Houthi official said. The release came as Omani officials arrived in the Yemeni capital as part of international efforts to end Yemens years-long conflict.

Abdul-Qader el-Murtaza, a Houthi official in charge of prisoner exchange talks in Yemens conflict, said 13 Houthi prisoners arrived Saturday in the capital, Sanaa.

He said the prisoners were released in exchange for a Saudi prisoner the Houthis freed. He did not say when the rebels released the Saudi prisoner.

Saturdays release was part of a U.N.-brokered deal which Yemens warring parties stuck last month and includes the release of nearly 900 prisoners from both sides, el-Murtaza said.

The U.N.-brokered deal is scheduled to be implemented this month.

Yemens conflict began in 2014, when the Houthis seized Sanaa and much of the countrys north, ousting the internationally recognized government that fled to the south then into exile in Saudi Arabia.

The Houthi move prompted a Saudi-led coalition to intervene months later in a bid to restore the internationally recognized government to power. The conflict has in recent years turned into a regional proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran. It has killed more than 150,000 people, including fighters and civilians, and created one of the worlds worst humanitarian disasters.

Omani officials, meanwhile, landed in Sanaa for talks with Houthi officials in the latest efforts to renew a ceasefire deal that expired in October, said Mohammed Abdul-Salam, the chief negotiator of the Houthi rebels.

Oman has for years hosted talks between the Iranian-backed Houthis and Saudi Arabia. The talks have been intensified since the warring sides failed to renew a U.N.-brokered cease-fire in October.

The Houthi-run al-Masirah TV reported that a Saudi delegation, led by the Saudi ambassador to Yemen, Mohammed bin Saeed Al-Jaber, would visit Sanaa on Sunday, also for talks with the Houthis.

The negotiations in Omans capital, Muscat focused on preventing all-out fighting after the ceasefire collapsed, and laying out a path for a negotiated end to Yemens civil war.

These talks have gained momentum in recent weeks after Saudi Arabia reached an agreement with Iran to restore their diplomatic ties after a seven-year rift. The Iran-Saudi deal, announced in Beijing on March 10, has invigorated hopes of a settlement to Yemens conflict.

By SAMY MAGDY

Associated Press
Saudi officials visit Yemens capital for talks with rebels View Photo

CAIRO (AP)  Saudi officials were in Yemens capital Sunday for talks with the Iran-backed Houthi rebels, as part of international efforts to find a settlement to Yemens nine-year conflict, officials said.

Saudi Arabias delegation, chaired by the kingdoms ambassador to Yemen, Mohammed bin Saeed Al-Jaber, met with Mahdi al-Mashat, head of the Houthis supreme political council, which runs rebel-held areas in Yemen, according to the Houthi-run SABA news agency.

An Omani delegation, which arrived in Sanaa on Saturday, joined the talks, the agency reported. It said al-Mashat hailed Omans efforts to bridge the gap between different sides in the war to achieve peace in Yemen. SABA did not give further details.

Mohammed al-Bukaiti, a Houthi leader, said earlier on Twitter that Saudi and Omani officials would discuss ways to achieve a comprehensive and lasting peace in the region.

He said achieving an honorable peace between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia would be a triumph for both parties, and urged all sides to take steps to preserve a peaceful atmosphere and prepare to turn the page of the past.

There was no immediate comment from Saudi Arabia on the trip, the second of its kind in 2023, according to a Saudi official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasnt authorized to brief reporters.

In comments to The Associated Press, Hans Grundberg, the U.N. envoy for Yemen, described the ongoing efforts, including the Saudi and Omani talks in Sanaa, as the closest Yemen has been to real progress towards lasting peace since the war began.

This is a moment to be seized and built on and a real opportunity to start an inclusive political process under U.N. auspices to sustainably end the conflict, he said.

The talks in Sanaa are part of international efforts led by Oman to settle Yemens conflict, which began in 2014. Thats when the Houthis seized Sanaa and much of the countrys north, ousting the internationally recognized government that fled to the south and then into exile in Saudi Arabia.

The Houthi move prompted a Saudi-led coalition to intervene months later in a bid to restore the internationally recognized government to power. The conflict has in recent years turned into a regional proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Saudi Arabia and the Houthis reached a draft deal last month to revive a cease-fire that expired in October. The deal is meant to usher in a return to Yemeni political talks, according to Saudi and Yemeni officials.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss closed-door negotiations.

They said the Saudi-Houthi understandings include a six-month truce with a cessation of all military activities across Yemen. The Houthis have committed to coming to the table with other Yemeni parties to negotiate a political settlement to the conflict, they said. The United Nations is meant to facilitate the political negotiations, they added.

Both parties also agreed to further ease restrictions by the Saudi-led coalition on Sanaas airport and the Houthi-controlled Red Sea ports in Hodeida, the officials said. The Houthis would lift their yearslong blockade on Taiz, Yemens third largest city which is held by government forces, they said.

The phased roadmap also includes payment for all state employees  including the military  from oil and gas revenues. In return, the rebels agreed to allow exporting oil from government-held areas after a monthslong hiatus because of Houthi attacks on oil facilities, the officials said.

Yemens internationally recognized presidential council was briefed on the Saudi-Houthi understandings at a Thursday meeting in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, with Prince Khalid bin Salman, the Kingdoms defense minister, a Yemeni official said.

The Saudi-backed council, which was appointed a year ago, has given its initial approval to the draft deal, the official said.

Commenting on the Saudi-Houthi talks, Yemeni Foreign Minister Ahmed Awad Bin Mubarak said there were positive signals that a cease-fire deal would be announced, along with addressing other humanitarian and economic issues.

The (regional) circumstances are different, he told an Egyptian satellite channel Al-Qahera in an interview aired on Friday. It pushed towards achieving a solution.

Bin Mubarak, however, said there are many fundamental issues that Yemens warring sides need to address before reaching a settlement to the conflict.

The Oman-brokered talks have aimed at preventing both sides from resuming full-fledged fighting. The efforts gained momentum in recent weeks after Saudi Arabia reached an agreement with Iran to restore diplomatic ties after a seven-year rift. Iran, the main foreign backer of the Houthis, has said its deal with Saudi Arabia would help end Yemens conflict.

Ahmed Nagi, a Yemen expert at the International Crisis Group, a Brussels-based think-tank, said the Iran-Saudi Arabia rapprochement has given a boost to Saudi-Houthi negotiations, and that both sides are close to announcing the cease-fires renewal.

However, the second track of the Houthi-Saudi negotiations  a potential roadmap to reach a permanent settlement to the conflict  would be a major challenge when discussed by Yemeni parties, he said.

Each party has different interpretations and expectations, he said. Given the complexities of the situation, it is hard to see progress on this track very soon.

By SAMY MAGDY

Associated Press
CHICAGO (AP)  An Indiana school district did not violate a former music teachers rights by pushing him to resign after the man refused to use transgender students names and gender pronouns, a federal appeals court said in an order released Friday.

The decision from the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a prior ruling in the case by a federal judge.

According to court records, John Kluge was hired in 2014 as the music and orchestra teacher for Brownsburg High School about 20 miles (32 kilometers) northwest of Indianapolis. In 2017, district officials began requiring the high schools teachers to use the names and pronouns listed in the schools official student database, where changes were permitted with letters from a students parent and a doctor.

Kluge told the schools principal, Bret Daghe, on the first day of classes for the 2017 school year that he had a religious objection to using transgender students names and pronouns. District officials agreed that Kluge could call students by their last name and would not be responsible for handing out orchestra clothing.

But at least two transgender students reported that Kluges refusal to use their first names singled them out in front of peers and was hurtful. Other students, teachers and counselors also told officials that the issue made Kluges classroom uncomfortable for many.

In January, the district told teachers that everyone would be required to use the names and pronouns listed for students in the database. In response to Kluge questioning whether the rule would also apply to him, officials told him he could abide by it, resign or be fired.

Kluge resigned and then sued the school for religious discrimination.

An Indiana federal judge ruled that Kluges refusal to use transgender students names and pronouns created an undue hardship on the district, which is responsible for educating all of its students.

The appeals court agreed, writing that district officials tried to accommodate Kluges religious objection but realized that letting the music teacher use last names resulted in students feeling disrespected, targeted, and dehumanized, and in disruptions to the learning environment.

Brownsburg has demonstrated as a matter of law that the requested accommodation worked an undue burden on the schools educational mission by harming transgender students and negatively impacting the learning environment for transgender students, for other students in Kluges classes and in the school generally, and for faculty, the opinion read.

Rory Gray, an attorney with the conservative legal group Alliance Defending Freedom, is representing Kluge and said they are considering next steps.

Congress passed Title VII to prevent employers from forcing workers to abandon their beliefs to keep their jobs, Gray said in a statement. In this case, Mr. Kluge went out of his way to accommodate his students and treat them all with respect. The school district even permitted this accommodation before unlawfully punishing Mr. Kluge for his religious beliefs.

By KATHLEEN FOODY

The Associated Press
CLARKSBURG, Mass. (AP)  A 2-year-old boy from Vermont found dead in a brook early Saturday may have been dropped there by his father as he fled the scene of a car crash in northwestern Massachusetts, police said.

Massachusetts State Police troopers were called to the site of the crash in Clarksburg just before 2 a.m. Authorities learned that the child was missing and searched the Hudson Brook. Police and Clarksburg firefighters pulled the child from the brook and took him to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.

A preliminary police investigation concluded that the boys father, later identified as Darel A. Galorenzo, a 35-year-old man from Readsboro, Vermont, likely dropped him into the waterway as he was fled the crash scene on foot.

Galorenzo was found nearby, taken into custody and charged with operating under the influence. He was later charged also with manslaughter, reckless endangerment of a child and negligent operating of a motor vehicle.
Grand Canyon delays opening of North Rim due to snowfall View Photo

NORTH RIM, Ariz. (AP)  The public will have to wait a little longer to visit the North Rim at Grand Canyon National Park this year.

Like other parts of the West, northern Arizona received an abundance of snow over the winter, and park officials say pushing back the opening from mid-May to June 2 will give them more time to plow the main state road that leads to the rim and allow staff to reopen visitor facilities.

We appreciate the patience and cooperation of our neighbors and visitors with this delay as our partners and park staff work to open the North Rim roads, trails and facilities safely, Superintendent Ed Keable said in a statement Friday.

According to park officials, the North Rim has received more than 250 inches (6.35 meters) of accumulated snowfall since October. That marks what is believed to be the second-snowiest on record for the North Rim since 1925, although there are some years of missing data during that time period.

Photos shared by the park showed impassable areas and snow up to the eves of one of the entrances at Grand Canyon Lodge.

The snow depth recorded on Bright Angel Point in March totaled a record 92 inches (2.34 meters). The weather station near the point is situated at an elevation of 8,339 feet (2.54 kilometers).

The North Rim typically receives an average of 126 inches (3.2 meters) of snow each year.

Park officials said the visitor station, backcountry information center and the bookstore will reopen June 2 and daily ranger-led programs will resume. Grand Canyon Lodge North Rim operations also are expected to reopen on that date, while the North Rim Campground will reopen June 9.
Ben Ferencz, last living Nuremberg prosecutor of Nazis, dies View Photo

Ben Ferencz, the last living prosecutor from the Nuremberg trials, who tried Nazis for genocidal war crimes and was among the first outside witnesses to document the atrocities of Nazi labor and concentration camps, has died. He had just turned 103 in March.

Ferencz died Friday evening in Boynton Beach, Florida, according to St. Johns University law professor John Barrett, who runs a blog about the Nuremberg trials. The death also was confirmed by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington.

Today the world lost a leader in the quest for justice for victims of genocide and related crimes, the museum tweeted.

Born in Transylvania in 1920, Ferencz immigrated as a very young boy with his parents to New York to escape rampant antisemitism. After graduating from Harvard Law School, Ferencz joined the U.S. Army in time to take part in the Normandy invasion during World War II. Using his legal background, he became an investigator of Nazi war crimes against U.S. soldiers as part of a new War Crimes Section of the Judge Advocates Office.

When U.S. intelligence reports described soldiers encountering large groups of starving people in Nazi camps watched over by SS guards, Ferencz followed up with visits, first at the Ohrdruf labor camp in Germany and then at the notorious Buchenwald concentration camp. At those camps and later others, he found bodies piled up like cordwood and helpless skeletons with diarrhea, dysentery, typhus, TB, pneumonia, and other ailments, retching in their louse ridden bunks or on the ground with only their pathetic eyes pleading for help, Ferencz wrote in an account of his life.

The Buchenwald concentration camp was a charnel house of indescribable horrors, Ferencz wrote. There is no doubt that I was indelibly traumatized by my experiences as a war crimes investigator of Nazi extermination centers. I still try not to talk or think about the details.

At one point toward the end of the war, Ferencz was sent to Adolf Hitlers mountain retreat in the Bavarian Alps to search for incriminating documents but came back empty-handed.

After the war, Ferencz was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army and returned to New York to begin practicing law. But that was short-lived. Because of his experiences as a war crimes investigator, he was recruited to help prosecute Nazi war criminals at the Nuremberg trials, which had begun under the leadership of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Robert Jackson. Before leaving for Germany, he married his childhood sweetheart, Gertrude.

At the age of 27, with no previous trial experience, Ferencz became chief prosecutor for a 1947 case in which 22 former commanders were charged with murdering over 1 million Jews, Romani and other enemies of the Third Reich in Eastern Europe. Rather than depending on witnesses, Ferencz mostly relied on official German documents to make his case. All the defendants were convicted, and more than a dozen were sentenced to death by hanging even though Ferencz hadnt asked for the death penalty.

At the beginning of April 1948, when the long legal judgment was read, I felt vindicated, he wrote. Our pleas to protect humanity by the rule of law had been upheld.

With the war crimes trials winding down, Ferencz went to work for a consortium of Jewish charitable groups to help Holocaust survivors regain properties, homes, businesses, art works, Torah scrolls, and other Jewish religious items that had been confiscated from them by the Nazis. He also later assisted in negotiations that would lead to compensation to the Nazi victims.

In later decades, Ferencz championed the creation of an international court which could prosecute any governments leaders for war crimes. Those dreams were realized in 2002 with establishment of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, though its effectiveness has been limited by the failure of countries like the United States to participate.

Ferencz is survived by a son and three daughters. His wife died in 2019.

___

Follow Mike Schneider on Twitter at @MikeSchneiderAP

By MIKE SCHNEIDER

Associated Press
A man whose out-of-the-blue confession in 2001 solved the long-dormant case of a San Antonio airman killed 11 years earlier was sentenced Monday to 45 years in prison.

Timothy C. Thomason, 38, avoided prosecution on a capital murder charge by pleading guilty to murder before State District Judge Mickey Pennington on Monday.

Authorities said they are seeking indictments of two others whom Thomason implicated in the slaying of Scott M. Prince.

"I anticipate his continued cooperation in the investigation," Medina County District Attorney Tony Hackebeil said in a story in Tuesday's San Antonio Express-News.

The defendant was jailed in California on a theft charge in 2001 when he told of strangling a young airman in San Antonio years before. Thomason's account contained details that linked him to the disappearance of Prince, 26, on Nov. 9, 1990.

Until then, authorities said, they had no leads in the slaying of Prince, whose skeletal remains were found on a ranch in Medina County 16 months after he vanished.

Prince's parents complained about not being consulted on the plea bargain and called the sentence too lenient.

"I know that he's been helping, but I still think he should get the death penalty. I don't know how you get away with murder," Joan Prince told the newspaper in an interview from Florida.

"Under the circumstances, I thought this is an appropriate plea sentence," Hackebeil said, noting that Thomason voluntarily came to Texas, led officers to the murder scene and provided other useful information.

Thomason's account of Prince's death has changed. He said initially that Prince gave a ride to him and a girlfriend as they hitchhiked on Loop 410 and that they robbed and strangled him as a friend by the name of Mike watched. In a jailhouse interview last fall, Thomason claimed he had wanted to free Prince but that "Mike" stomped him to death.

Thomason's wife, Judith Thomason _ his girlfriend at the time of the killing _ was located in Michigan last fall and charged with capital murder in Prince's death. Officials said she implicated herself during a telephone call to her husband at the Medina County Jail, where she is now being held.

According to court records, she implicated herself in a conversation that was recorded by saying she would not have told what she knows about the murder. Officials said Thomason recently initiated divorce proceedings against his wife.

Information from: San Antonio Express-News
Editor's note: This article was first published in July 2021.

San Antonio astronomers are in planning mode for an event still three years away. That's because it will be centuries until the city experiences this kind of astronomical event again.

The Alamo City will see two eclipse events  an annular eclipse on October 14, 2023 and a total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024. The six month succession makes it a rare occasion, but that's not what has both astronomers and astrologers looking to the future.

The Northwest Side of San Antonio and surrounding Hill Country towns such as Boerne and Fredericksburg are on the 115-mile wide total solar eclipse path crossing Mexico into Texas and up to Maine in three years. Other Texas cities, such as Austin and Dallas will also experience the event.

However, Angela Speck and Chris Packham, both professors of the University of Texas at San Antonio's astronomy department, tell MySA being closer to the U.S.-Mexico border will provide a more unobstructed view. They describe it as a "once-in-a-lifetime" event for the city.

San Antonians will experience a sky "as dark as a full moon night" for up to for four minutes and 24 seconds, Speck says. The time will be 1:32 p.m.

Speck was teaching at the University of Missouri and was co-chair of the National Total Solar Eclipse Task Force when the 2017 "Great American Eclipse" occurred. Her friends joke that her move to San Antonio two years ago has something to do with the upcoming eclipse. She denies it, but says it's time "to get serious" about planning for 2024.

She says the local science community and museums are in informal discussions about prepping for the eclipse. She hopes to embed the event in some of her UTSA teachings while suggesting local school districts make plans to highlight the eclipse in curriculum or work with other campuses to provide viewing areas in the northern parts of town.

Speck is sure the UTSA area will be blanketed in total darkness. Downtown San Antonio will miss the darkness "by a few blocks," she says.

Courtesy, GreatAmericanEclipse.com

In 2017, San Antonians secured special eclipse glasses and maybe ditched an hour of work to get to a location to witness the eclipse. Though interesting, it was only a partial experience that left residents with a feeling that they missed out on the videos and images that were blasted on social media from the maximum point in Missouri.

Speck says residents will finally get their time in the darkness in 2024. She describes it as an experience that activates all of your senses. Other living beings also respond.

"You can see stars, the planets. It also gets colder, because you just blocked out the sun," she adds. "Animals also react and plants too, so bees stop buzzing, cows will actually head home to the barn. It's a really interesting thing, it's something that you sense with not just your eyes. It's all sorts of sensors."

Speck says the happening converts the unfazed into enthusiasts.

"If you've never seen one, it's like, 'Oh, yeah, what's the big deal," she adds. "It's a completely amazing event and most people who have seen them once, see them again."

She says it will be centuries until something like this happens again in the city and is the first time in hundreds of years that the Alamo City has been on the path. According to TimeAndDate.com, which provides maps and times of total solar eclipses, the last time the city was near a total solar eclipse path was May 28, 1900 and even at that, it was a partial experience.

If locals become completely mystified by the 2024 event, they'll be able to witness it again two years later, but will need to hop a plane to Spain or Greenland in time for August 12, 2026.

Packham searched for the next U.S. total eclipse experience while Speck and I chatted. His search spanned a few minutes. Finally, he found the date: Aug 22, 2044. Viewers will have to be near Montana for that one.

While the UTSA team is working to add the eclipse event into their education moving forward, Catherine Urban, a Cleveland-based astrologer is examining how the alignment of these celestial objects will effect people and play a part in the history books.

She ties in historical events, like World War I and the abolishment of slavery, coinciding with the times of total solar eclipses in the past. She also notes the 2017 total solar eclipse happened during a "remarkably divisive time in this country."

Urban adds another layer: the eclipse is happening shortly after the planetary return of Pluto to the United States after 240 years (using July 4, 1776 as America's birth date).

"Considering that these eclipses fall in the wake of the United States' Pluto return, astrologers are suspecting that these eclipses too reflect a highly eventful period in American history," she adds.

The astronomers and astrologer are on the same page about the same thing  the San Antonio area is going to be a travel destination that April and it won't have anything to do with Fiesta.

"The total solar eclipse on April 8th, 2024, however, will be one of the most miraculous events one could ever witness," Urban says via email. "To witness a Total Solar Eclipse is sublimely profound. Definitely have your glasses ready for viewing! And consider staying the week with a friend and AirBnB-ing your place. Total Solar eclipses will attract visitors from nearby. Where will you be when the lights go out?"

Speck agrees. She says another added benefit of being in the San Antonio area is the weather. Folks up north might have their experience soured by cloud cover. As someone who has traveled as far as Argentina to witness a total solar eclipse, she knows a thing or two about eclipse tourism.

"The weather is going to be very iffy as you go further north along the path. So San Antonio and South Texas are going to be the best place from a cloud cover point of view," she says. "So we're going to get a lot of people coming to Texas, because we get the longest time in darkness in the U.S. and we also have the best chance of not having clouds."

Much like in 2017, websites and memorabilia are already popping up, adding to the hype surrounding the 2024 eclipse. There are T-shirts, binoculars, and of course, glasses, promoting the event of a lifetime.

Geographer Michael Zeiler, who provides the graphics for the Great American Eclipse website, sums up the attraction the rest of the world will have with to our part of the country.

"Texas will surely be a magnet for many from North America and around the world," he says.
MERIDEN  Over a thousand families visited the Meriden Green early Saturday afternoon to participate in the Eggstravagant Easter celebration organized by the citys Parks & Recreation division. The sunny weather hovered around the mid 50s and children with pink, white and green bunny ears chased each other around.

Kathy Matula from Parks & Recreation described this years celebration as more of a free for all, compared to last year where the department organized a more structured Easter trail due to lingering COVID-19 concerns. As the divisions self-proclaimed Recreation Superstar, she thanked all the community members and vendors that participated, including the bookmobile from the Meriden Public Library and the Police Department

This gives the different businesses and nonprofits in the community the opportunity to give out goodies and meet with each other, she said.

Over a dozen local businesses, nonprofits and clubs gave out goodies including Meriden Food and Nutrition Services, Girls Inc., the Boy Scouts, Boys & Girls Club of Meriden, Chase bank, the Rotary Club, Meriden Church of Christ, Valentin Karate, Beat the Street, Council of Neighborhoods, United Rhythms and Hunters Ambulance.

The mood at the Green was cheerful as a DJ played feel-good upbeat pop by Lizzo, Farrell, the Jackson 5 and more from the covered mainstage. Kids played tag, drew with chalk, ate candy and even danced to the Cha Cha Slide by DJ Casper.

Saturday marked the second year that the Meriden Hills Baptist Church organized an egg hunt for children ages 0-12. Children collected multicolored plastic eggs that they traded for candy at booths staffed by about a hundred church volunteers who wore black love more, serve more t-shirts.

We are so thankful that Meriden is letting us do this we love Meriden, said Assistant Pastor John Lafreniere.

He added that this is one of 12 events throughout the year where the church gives back to the community, including a family game night, clothing drives and toy giveaways.

Remy Rivera and her daughter Emylee Miranda, 4, are from Middletown, but attended at the invitation of Riveras sister, a member at Hills Baptist

Its awesome, she said. Its a nice little event for the kids and to bring the community together.

Near the bandshell, Judi Jones also known by her hoop name Energizer  danced and shared her hula hoops with kids. Jones came from a social work background, but has been running her own company, Creative Game Parties, for 16 years. She likes hoop dancing because its less paperwork and especially likes teaching adults how to use a hula hoop.

I love hoop dancing, she said. Anyone can do it if they have the right size hoop.

Anthony Igartua played with his son, Isaiah Igartua, 4, while borrowing one of Jones hoops. This is the second year they attended the hunt. Igartua said that the event was great and that Isaiah had a blast. Both are Meriden residents and Isaiah goes to preschool at Midstate Christian academy, run by Meriden Hills Baptist.

[Isaiah] knows Easter is more about Jesus than the eggs, Anthony Igartua said, and added, but he enjoys the eggs, too.

lguzman@record-journal.com,Twitter: @lguzm_n

Latino Communities Reporter Lau Guzman is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms. Support RFA reporters at the Record-Journal through a donation at https://bit.ly/3Pdb0re, To learn more about RFA, visit www.reportforamerica.org.
The German ambassador to Chad, declared persona non grata by the government for his "impolite attitude", was expelled from the country Saturday evening, officials in N'Djamena told AFP Sunday.

On Friday, the government of Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, proclaimed head of state by the army two years ago, asked the German diplomat to leave within 48 hours for "non-respect of diplomatic practices".

"The ambassador of Germany to Chad, Jan Christian Gordon Kricke, took an Air France flight Saturday evening," said Foreign Minister Mahamat Saleh Annadif. His departure was also confirmed to AFP by government spokesperson Aziz Mahamat Saleh.

Officials did not specify the exact reasons for his expulsion.

But a Chadian government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told AFP that N'Djamena was critical of the diplomat for "interfering too much" in the "governance of the country", as well as for "remarks tending to divide Chadians".

A German foreign ministry official on Friday deemed the reasons for expelling their ambassador, who had held the post since July 2021, "absolutely incomprehensible".

Deby Itno, then a young 37-year-old general, was proclaimed president on April 20, 2021, when his father who had led the vast Sahelian country for 30 years was killed by rebels.

The military junta initially promised to hand power to civilians through "free and democratic elections", however in October, Deby's rule was extended for two years.

The move has been boycotted by the opposition and main rebel movements.

The German embassy joined others such as France, Spain and The Netherlands in expressing its concern over the delayed return to democracy.

Main opposition leaders have been in exile or in hiding since demonstrations against the ruling junta in October turned violent, officially leaving 73 people dead, although NGOs claim the number was much higher.

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My Dear People

THE Al Jazeera expose on illicit financial inflows and rampant smuggling of gold out of Zimbabwe by the elite continues to spawn yet more chaos within the dispensation of poverty, darkness and confusion.

After weeks of angry denials steeped in accusations of machinations towards the regime change agenda in its reaction to the expose, Ngwenas administration has now promised to carry out investigations claiming that it takes the gold mafia allegations seriously.

Any person found to have engaged in acts of corruption, fraud or any form of crime will face the full wrath of the law, Information minister Monica said in a total volte-face that is characteristic of the confusion and pandemonium that has taken hold of the party since being left bereft of the telescopic wisdom of Gushungo.

It is in stark contrast to the rant by her husband and Zanu PF spokesman Chris, who called the expose balderdash.

It was also in stark contrast to the threats of imprisonment by Joji to journalists,who reported on the embarrassing revelations by Al Jazeera.

It is no wonder why Ngwena excoriated his communications department, who would struggle to organise a piss up in a brewery kkkk.

However, the promise by Ngwenas administration to apprehend the culprits exposed by the international news organisation should be no cause for celebration as we have been given such promises before with absolutely nothing to show for it.

We were promised during the coup that criminals around Gushungo will be arrested, but nothing of the sort has happened.

As we all knew, this was a load of hot air as has become the norm with anything associated with Ngwena and his coup gangstas.

As expected, the Zanu PF primaries have been farcical and were riddled by accusations of underhand dealings, tampering with ballots and other electoral malpractices.

After the likes of Jenfran Muswere and Ziyambi Ziyambi, who are Ngwenas blue-eyed boys, lost dismally in the partys primaries, Zanu PF is up to its usual skullduggery to change the results in their favour.

Despite boasting of meticulous verification of candidates who participated in the primaries, it suddenly emerged that Moses Ruwona, who humiliated Muswere in the Makoni West primary, did not have his papers in order.

Muswere was of course instrumental in helping Ngwena run away after Gushungo had fired him for his lack of probity.

They also discovered despite this meticulous verification, that one Robert Nyemudzo who had won the Chipinge South primary actually owned an illicit beer manufacturing factory in the town.

In desperation to save Ziyambi, who has been in the forefront of shredding the constitution to suit Ngwenas interests as well as condemning judges, who did not rule to the liking of Ngwenas administration, a rerun has been ordered in Zvimba where he lost.

These are just some of the examples of the total lack of probit, which Ngwena was rightly booted out for by Gushungo.

Yet his regime boasts of democracy in the party. Munopenga!!!

The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) have once again been in the spotlight and as usual not for the right reasons.

As an indication of the paranoia within the police force, it has ordered that those gathered at funerals during elections should clarify so as not to be confused as a political gathering.

If we are at a funeral during elections, its better to report to the officer-in-charge and that will be put on record because some neighbours would lie (that there is a political gathering), ZRP spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said at an all-stakeholders engagement meeting with residents and political parties, among other groupings held in the capital recently.

That even those mourning loved ones cannot do so in peace due to the fear of political gatherings, shows why 92% of Zimbabweans have no confidence in the police force according to the findings of research institute Afrobarometer.

It is a disgrace that while crime has surged by 45% our police force is more concerned about those mourning the dead during polls. Munopenga!!!

Just when you thought you had heard all the crazy stunts Ngwenas administration could conjure to cover up for its dismal failure, Generari came up with a sh0cker.

Stung by the migration of 4 000 health workers to other countries as a result of pathetic working conditions characterised by a lack of basic resources in public hospital, Generari announced at the launch of the 2023-2028 Zimbabwe anti-trafficking in persons national plan of action on Wednesday that his ministry plans to enact a law criminalising the recruitment of its health personnel by other countries.

He said countries recruiting frustrated local health personnel, who could even be arrested for going on strike were committing a crime against humanity.

This is madness on steroids even for the dysfunctional second repubric.

My fellow Zimbabweans, this is the clueless regime and its deranged nonsense that you celebrated when it catapulted into power by guns and tanks in 2017.

Munopengaaaaaaaaaaa!

Gushungo chete chete

Dr Amai Stop it! PhD (Fake)

 The Standard

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THREE National Railways of Zimbabwe crew members suffered injuries when two goods trains were last Saturday involved in a head-on collision at Rutenga in Masvingo Province, leading to one of the trains derailing.

The accident saw one train colliding with a stationary train at Rutenga station. National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) public relations manager, Mr Andrew Kunambura confirmed the accident and said crew members were receiving treatment and recovering well.

I can confirm that there was an accident at Rutenga in Mwenezi District and there were injuries to crew. Those injured are currently receiving treatment and recovering well, he said.

He dismissed reports of looting of goods at the scene of the accident.

Our loss control officers were swift in their response to secure customer goods. There was no looting. Investigations are underway to ascertain the cause of the accident, said Mr Kunambura.

He said such accidents were very rare and as such NRZ takes particular interest in the safe transportation of customer goods.

The accident happened within our station. As you may be aware, accidents of this nature are very rare, which means the NRZ takes particular interest in the safe and secure transportation of customer goods and there we assure our customers that their goods can be transported as securely as ever, said Mr Kunambura.

The train which derailed was reportedly loaded with chrome. The company recently announced plans to install modern signalling and telecommunications systems that will have minimal track-side equipment to replace the old system.

That has been necessitated by the numerous cases of vandalism and theft of track-side equipment that happened in the past. That approach will also reduce the installation costs as minimal cable works will be required.

The communication backhaul systems would be optic fibre based for all the main (major) railway lines with the option of using microwave radio backhaul systems on the branch (minor) lines. Modern wireless voice communication systems specifically developed for railway use are expected to be introduced to replace the current UHF 2-way radio communication systems.

 Sunday News

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THE Tafara community has been left reeling in sh0ck after a 34 year old man stabbed his wife to death in a squabble allegedly emanating from inf!delity suspicions.

Ernest Musanza confronted his wife, Melody Musanza, 30, at around midnight about a man he had spotted her with earlier in the day.

Harare provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Luckmore Chakanza, said Ernest was battling for his life under police guard at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals.

Police arrested a man reported to have stabbed his wife to death following a domestic dispute, said Insp Chakanza.

On Friday afternoon, the accused person saw his wife walking around Tafara township with a man he suspected to be her b0yfriend.

He never confronted them and decided to ask her later at home. At around 11.30pm, the accused asked his wife what was going on between her and the man he spotted her with in the afternoon.

A misunderstanding then ensued and tempers flared at around 1.30am resulting in the now deceased stabbing her husband in the rib cage with an okapi knife.

The husband stabbed his wife several times with the same knife on the left side of her neck and in the chest, said Insp Chakanza.

When Destiny TV visited Tafara, the atmosphere was tense.

According to the neighbours that spoke to Destiny TV the two had a heated argument resulting in Melody stabbing her husband.

It is said Ernest stabbed his wife multiple times repeatedly in a fit of anger resulting in her death.

Mai Sasha lived well with everyone. We heard screams in the wee hours of the morning. We heard another scream and that is when we went there only to find her lifeless body lying on the floor. We then called the police who immediately came, said one neighbour.

Another neighbour said: I was pained by Mai Sashas death. Even if you have wronged your partner, that does not warrant the death of someone. I knew her because she was a hairdresser. It seems its a danger to be around men. Judging by their posts on social media they looked well together. This has left their children in dire straits, said one neighbour.

Ernest is reportedly in hospital nursing injuries sustained from the stab while also under police guard.

Melodys body is in the mortuary as the post mortem process is still underway.

Government should address the issue of domestic violence. Women are no longer safe in the hands of their partners. Men who kill their partners should be jailed for a long time, said one furious Tafara resident.

 NewZimbabwe/HMetro

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Government faces fresh dilemma on how to handle the gold smuggling and money laundering scandal exposed in a corruption busting Al Jazeera documentary after the central bank has also been fingered in the embarrassing crimes.

Following the revelations contained in the documentary titled, Gold Mafia, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwes Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) has frozen the assets of four individuals who are implicated in the scandal.

They are United Kingdom based preacher Uebert Angel, Ewan Macmillan, Simon Rudland, and Kamlesh Pattni.

The culprits nailed themselves when they were filmed by undercover Al Jazeera journalists boasting about their links to Zimbabwes ruling elite and their crafty abilities to move loads of gold and hard cash over borders without being detected.

The freezing of assets coincided with a government order for the name-dropping individuals to be investigated for the crimes.

Observers believe the RBZs move to freeze the culprits assets was an attempt to hoodwink the public into the false belief the Zanu PF led authority was acting on the sh0ck scandal.

However, in a bizarre irony to the saga, the central banks name has featured in the third instalment of the four-part documentary, putting authorities at a loss on how to react.

The episode which aired on Thursday, names RBZ for providing gold export certificates to legitimise multi-million dollar gold and money laundering transactions.

The investigative documentary revealed that the smuggled gold was being refined in Dubai to make it look new, despite the fact that gold refinement is also the mandate of Fidelity Printers, a central bank subsidiary.

 ZimLive

Breaking News via Email
By Lambert Strether of Corrente.

This post will do what it says on the tin, and thats all it will do. Sadly, I actively pursued a state of non-bafflement with genomic software documentation, but after some hours of study, even the rudiments are beyond me. So there will be virtually nothing about genomics in this post (My eyes clade over.) I will focus only on the institutions that enable genomic surveillance to be done. I will first allow CDC to define the relevant terms of art. From CDC, What is Genomic Surveillance?:

Mutation: A mutation refers to a single change in a viruss genome (genetic code). Mutations happen frequently but only sometimes change the characteristics of the virus.

A mutation refers to a single change in a viruss genome (genetic code). Mutations happen frequently but only sometimes change the characteristics of the virus. Lineage: A lineage is a group of closely related viruses with a common ancestor. SARS-CoV-2 has many lineages; all cause COVID-19.

A lineage is a group of closely related viruses with a common ancestor. SARS-CoV-2 has many lineages; all cause COVID-19. Variant: A variant is a viral genome (genetic code) that may contain one or more mutations. In some cases, a group of variants with similar genetic changes, such as a lineage or group of lineages, may be designated by public health organizations as a variant of concern (VOC) or a variant of interest (VOI) due to shared attributes and characteristics that may require public health action.

A variant is a viral genome (genetic code) that may contain one or more mutations. In some cases, a group of variants with similar genetic changes, such as a lineage or group of lineages, may be designated by public health organizations as a variant of concern (VOC) or a variant of interest (VOI) due to shared attributes and characteristics that may require public health action. Genomic Sequencing: Scientists use a process called genomic sequencing to decipher the genetic material found in an organism or virus. Sequences from specimens can be compared to help scientists track the spread of a virus, how it is changing, and how those changes may affect public health.

Scientists use a process called genomic sequencing to decipher the genetic material found in an organism or virus. Sequences from specimens can be compared to help scientists track the spread of a virus, how it is changing, and how those changes may affect public health. Genomic Surveillance: Viruses can be tracked using genomic sequence data collected by CDC and its partners. Effective surveillance does not require the sequencing of a specimen from every COVID-19 case. Instead, scientists rely on collecting enough sequence data from representative populations to detect new variants and monitor trends in circulating variants.

For our purposes (i.e., not pure science) genomic sequencing is what one does to prepare for genomic surveillance. CZ GEN EPI explains further in its Help Center:

To facilitate surveillance efforts, SARS-CoV-2 viruses that are closely related and share signature mutations (genetic changes) are tracked through lineages or variants. A lineage is a group of closely related viruses that evolved from a common ancestor and, thus, share genetic history. A variant refers to a virus with mutations relative to the original SARS-CoV-2 virus detected in 2019. Certain variants with a defining set of mutations can be of more public health importance than others. For this reason, SARS-CoV-2 variants have been named and tracked by Pango, Nextstrain, and GISAID. Each of these platforms has their own nomenclature system that highlights specific virus mutations, but the Pango lineage and Nextstrain clade nomenclatures are the most widely used. When a given variant is demonstrated to be a public health threat, namely variants of concern (VOC), it is named following the Greek alphabet (Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, etc). The World Health Organization (WHO) uses this Greek letter nomenclature system to label VOC, which makes it easier to discuss SARS-CoV-2 dynamics and public health responses with general audiences.

So GISAID, Pango, and NextStrain are the most important institutions. Ill first look at them, in that order, providing a vacuously high-level description of what they do, then pointing to the institutional problems of each. Ill conclude with a brief rant.

GISAID

From the GISAID About page:

The GISAID Initiative promotes the rapid sharing of data from all influenza viruses and the coronavirus causing COVID-19. This includes genetic sequence and related clinical and epidemiological data associated with human viruses, and geographical as well as species-specific data associated with avian and other animal viruses, to help researchers understand how viruses evolve and spread during epidemics and pandemics. GISAID does so by overcoming disincentive hurdles and restrictions, which discourage or prevented sharing of virological data prior to formal publication. The Initiative ensures that open access to data in GISAID is provided free-of-charge to all individuals that agreed to identify themselves and agreed to uphold the GISAID sharing mechanism governed through its Database Access Agreement.

(GISAID stands for Global Initiative on Sharing Avian Influenza Data. Clearly it has moved beyond influenza.)

Its clear that GISAID has served its archival function very well, from the very beginning of the pandemic:

Today is the 1st anniversary when GISAID learned from China CDC: "It is a novel coronavirus." 36 hrs later, the first genome sequence of the virus was sent to GISAID and released to the world. This data sharing enabled diagnostic tests and vaccine dev. at unprecedented speed.  Vaughn Cooper (@vscooper) January 8, 2021

Kudos given, Wikipedia (sorry) describes GISAIDs governance:

GISAIDs administrative affairs are overseen by a board[46] comprising Peter Bogner, and German lawyers Jorg Paura and Christoph Wetzler. Scientific oversight of the initiative comes from its Scientific Advisory Council made up of directors of leading public health laboratories including all six WHO Collaborating Centres for Influenza, and directors of animal health reference laboratories for research on avian influenza for the World Organisation for Animal Health and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

Ive gotta say, after our horrid experience with WHO and aerosol transmission, that Im skeptical of any organization thats WHO-heavy. And a board, any board, with only three people, two of whom are lawyers? I dunno. But the real issues are governance and access. From The Economist:

[This small non-profit organisation is a mighty force in the storage and sharing of genetic data about pathogens. GISAID has received millions of dollars from the Rockefeller Foundation, a philanthropic organisation; the World Health Organisation (who); and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, a foundation that funds vaccine research. It has also received donations from pharmaceutical companies. In the first year of the pandemic, the who gave GISAID $1.7m; pharmaceutical firms gave another $1.7m. Donations have continued to roll in, enabling the platform to scale up. By April 2021, 1m coronavirus sequences had been posted to GISAID. In June 2021 the Rockefeller Foundation gave it another $5.1m.

Thats not very much money, in the great scheme of things. More:

Some funders worry about a lack of transparency in the governance of GISAID, especially over the identity of its board members. One funding organisation which asked to remain anonymous describes GISAID as opaque. Many, though, understand the organisation to be run mostly by one man: Peter Bogner, its founder. Mr Bogner, a former television-studio executive, is understood to be based in California. (GISAID also has an administrative base in Germany run by a charity, Freunde von GISAID. e.V., or Friends of GISAID.)

Nothing sketchy there! (The Economist also says that its Big Pharma thats raising the transparency issue, so, er.) And then theres the question of how open the access really is. Still from the Economist:

On March 21st it emerged that GISAID had revoked the access of a group of international scientists who had been working on Chinese covid data. The argument centred on a dispute over whether they had broken the rules governing use of the database. Their access has since been restored. But the row inspired other scientists to say that they had also had their access to GISAID removed, hampering public-health work.

For example:

Angie Hinrichs, a researcher at the University of California, Santa Cruz, is among those scientists who had her access to GISAID genomic sequences restricted without explanation. Her limited access obliged her to spend 750 hours downloading sequences in tiny chunks during the pandemic, she says.

And:

Bede Constantinides, a senior researcher at the University of Oxford, says that during covid he worked on a system that automated the reporting of lab sequence data. When he asked GISAID if his system could be made to talk to its oneso that data from Britains National Health Service could be shared automaticallyhe received no reply and had his account blocked from uploading to GISAID. GISAID is now mostly useless to him, he says, adding that his emails continue to go unanswered. Many scientists say they fear taking their complaints public in case they lose access to the database.

It would be bad if GISAID were undergoing a proces of enshittificiation, like so many other online platforms:

Here is how platforms die: First, they are good to their users; then they abuse their users to make things better for their business customers; finally, they abuse those business customers to claw back all the value for themselves. Then, they die.

It does seem, from the testimony of Hinrichs and Constantinides, that GISAID is abusing its lockin. If so, can and will another platform arise? We shall see.

Nextstrain

Here is how Nextstrain defines itself:

Nextstrain is an open-source project to harness the scientific and public health potential of pathogen genome data. We provide a continually-updated view of publicly available data alongside powerful analytic and visualization tools for use by the community. Nextstrain provides an open-source toolkit enabling the bioinformatics and visualization you see on this site. Tweak our analyses and create your own using the same tools we do. We aim to empower the wider genomic epidemiology and public health communities.

Here is NextStrains workflow, according to a presentation at CDC:

As you can see, the workflow begins at the left a Covid genetic sequence, generally from GISAID. The sequence is then munged (technical term) into reproducible bioinformatics and displayed to the user. The visualization looks like this:

Remember Angie Hinrichs? Here she is again, performing the key role in the munging:

Time for a long overdue shoutout to one of the unsung heroes of the pandemic@AngieSHinrichs, the keeper of the @NextStrain SARS-CoV-2 phylogenetic tree. 1/9 pic.twitter.com/OMz1QaMNMy  Ryan Hisner (@LongDesertTrain) April 9, 2023

And:

Many sequences are full of errors, some of which are really common, & without these errors being masked by @AngieSHinrichs (& maybe others I don't know about, like @firefoxx66?) , the tree would be riddled with errors and hard to make sense of. 7/9  Ryan Hisner (@LongDesertTrain) April 9, 2023

So the NextStrain SARS-CoV-2 phylogenetic tree is the editorial product of one person, hopefully never hit by a bus and hopefully never succumbing to Covid brain fog. That, to me, is an institutional weakness.

Pango

Pango is a second open source project, although with an entirely different classificaiton system from NextStrain. BMC Genomics:

The Pango dynamic nomenclature is a popular system for classifying and naming genetically-distinct lineages of SARS-CoV-2, including variants of concern, and is based on the analysis of complete or near-complete virus genomes.

I cant find a pretty workflow diagram for Pango, but their software page makes the workflow evident:

Sequence input from (most likely) GISAID; munging in Pangolin; visualization in Pando.

Pango is the system the CDC uses to update its more-or-less weekly variant charts. And Pango has exactly the same institutional weakness as NextStrain. As I wrote back in October 2022:

Now lets look at the institutional set-up for Pangolin (and please note that I have nothing but the utmost respect for the skills of the developers, or the power and beauty of their work). From MIT Technology Review: [the Pangolin project is] a GitHub page staffed by a handful of volunteers around the world, led primarily by a PhD student in Scotland. Those volunteers oversee a system called Pango, which has quietly become essential to global covid research. Its software tools and naming system have now helped scientists worldwide understand and classify nearly 2.5 million samples of the virus. Researchers, public health officers, and journalists around the world use Pango to understand covids evolution. But few realize that the entire endeavorlike much in the new field of covid genomicsis powered by a tiny team of young researchers who have often put their own work on hold to build it . Many of the foundational tools for tracking covid genomes have been developed and maintained by early-career scientists like OToole and Scher over the last year and a half. As the need for worldwide covid collaboration exploded, scientists rushed to support it with ad hoc infrastructure like Pango. Much of that work fell to tech-savvy young researchers in their 20s and 30s. They used informal networks and tools that were open sourcemeaning they were free to use, and anyone could volunteer to add tweaks and improvements. The people on the cutting edge of new technologies tend to be grad students and postdocs, says Angie Hinrichs, a bioinformatician at UC Santa Cruz who joined the project earlier this year. So, just to be clear, CDC has outsourced the essential technology for variant detection to volunteers[5]. (And what is the key characteristic of grad students and postdocs? They need to move on.) CDC has bet thousands of lives, perhaps tens or hundreds of thousands, on volunteers. Does that sound like a sensible approach to you? Why the heck, again, cant CDC get them some kinda budget? What happens when the developer gets a better offer? Or moves to another institution? Do people at CDC think that complex open source software is maintained by little elves? Does this sound like operational capacity to you?

No. It very doesnt.

Conclusion

GISAIDs open access isnt always open, and in fact they shut down access to two scientist for no good reason I can see. And maybe I cant see the reason because GISAIDs operations are opaque. Of the two essential projects downstream from GISAID, Pango depends on a tiny team of volunteers (!!), and Nextstrain depends on the curation efforts of one person (!!!). Weak, weak, and weak. Dangerous, dangerous, dangerous. What happens if when the genomic sequencing tools go down, and genomic surveillance cant happen, when a new variant is multiplying geometrically? If when that happens, we cant afford to lose a week!

So while the PMC moans and wrings its hands because the rentier-servicing labor aristocrats of Silicon Valley wont be getting free massages or truffle-infused vegan stylings any more, or the political class loses its mind because we cant send the Azovs in Ukraine enough tanks to break down for parts and sell on the black market, genuine scientists doing the work on which millions of lives depend should look both ways before crossing the street. What a situation. Meanwhile, some brain genius at the Rockefeller foundation misplaced a decimal point. They said a million, I guess because they looked under the couch cushions, but ten million would buy some redundancy. Maybe a hundred millions would buy tech doc dull normals could use, who knows. Whats wrong with these people?
Readers, Yves sent Matt Taibbi email saying 100+ readers had commented on Why Do Mainstream Democrats Hate Matt TaibbI?, and that it must be terrible to be on the receiving end of sustained bullying. Taibbi responded, saying among other things Thanks for this! It did cheer me up, thank you. Hat tip, NC Commentariat! lambert

Patient readers, I apologize for excessive length and chattiness. I over-compensated for our weird Easter weekend newsflow by gathering too much, and there were some links I couldnt bear to prune. lambert

* * *

See the flamboyant grandeur of the common betta fish National Geographic

Has T. rex lost its bite? Menacing snarl may be wrong AP

The Gambler Who Beat Roulette Bloomberg

Climate

Water

#COVID19

Face-mask rules relaxed as hospitals to take big step away from pandemic era Independent. Ireland. Commentary: It's essentially actively making the decision to send elderly and vulnerable people to their death- because they cannot not access healthcare when they needed. If healthcare cannot be a safe place for the vulnerable, what's left?  Dr. Deepti Gurdasani (@dgurdasani1) April 7, 2023 Some go to Happyville, some go to Pain City. SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant shedding during respiratory activities International Journal of Infectious Diseases. From the Abtract: Compared with patients infected with pre-Omicron variants, comparable SARS-CoV-2 RNA copy numbers were detectable in aerosol samples of patients infected with Omicron despite being fully vaccinated. Patients infected with Omicron also showed a slight increase in viral aerosol shedding during breathing activities and were more likely to have persistent aerosol shedding beyond 7 days after disease onset. So much for vaccination preventing transmission. Also so much for Walenskys 5-days-then-back-to-work guidance; she killed a lot of people when she cut the number from 10 days to five. Bivalent COVID Vaccines; Can the Original Antigenic Sin be Forgiven? (PDF) (viewpoint) The Journal of Infectious Diseases. The good news is that if new variants escape to a point where there is little cross-recognition by pre-existing memory B and T cells, then it should be possible to prime an effective primary immune response against the emerging spike protein. This phenomenon is routinely seen in untreated HIV infection where there is a much higher degree of virologic escape. At this point, hopefully the original antigenic sin will be forgiven. To this layperson, seems like a lucid explanation of original antigenic sin. Readers?

China?

Blinken to visit Vietnam next week, US senator says Channel News Asia

Myanmar

Syraqistan

Abortion

New Not-So-Cold War

Biden Administration

B-a-a-a-a-d Banks

The Supremes

2024

And So It Begins: On the First Charges to Drop Against Former President Donald Trump Lawfare. Appropriate source. Lovin the bio: Scott R. Anderson is a fellow in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution and a Senior Fellow in the National Security Law Program at Columbia Law School. He previously served as an Attorney-Adviser in the Office of the Legal Adviser at the U.S. Department of State and as the legal advisor for the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq. All recommendations, apparently. How a Drawing of Donald Trump at His Arraignment Became the First Courtroom Sketch to Cover The New Yorker Artnet. Counting coup.

Republican Funhouse

Capitol Seizure

Appeals court ruling puts hundreds of Jan. 6 felony cases in limbo Politico. Obama nominee. Worth a read for the issues.

Our Famously Free Press

How Fox Chased Its Audience Down the Rabbit Hole NYT. The Deck:  Rupert Murdoch A. G. Sulzberger built an empire by giving viewers readers exactly what they wanted. But what they wanted  election lies and insurrection RussiaGate and Trump Derangement Syndrome  put that empire (and the country) in peril. Fixed it for ya. Not that the original was incorrect. Just not as self-reflective as it might have been. Dang. Whats that high-pitched warbling sound: Trump-Russia was real. The Twitter Files were fake.  David Frum (@davidfrum) April 8, 2023 WMDs were real. The Afghan War Diaries were fake. Dude, come on. The schtick is getting old.

Herring Watch

Digital Watch

Zeitgeist Watch

Guillotine Watch

Class Warfare

How Zombifying Fungi Became Master Manipulators Scientific American

Antidote du jour (via):

I couldnt find a proper bear to go with the blob (below); so, a cute fox.

Bonus antidote:

Earliest known animal was a half-billion-year-old underwater blob https://t.co/zGwbssHSYc pic.twitter.com/UpFXZwYoF3  New Scientist (@newscientist) September 22, 2018

See yesterdays Links and Antidote du Jour here.
Around 20 people have been killed in an attack in eastern DR Congo, with sources blaming rebels affiliated with the Islamic State jihadist group.

"The enemy ADF (Allied Democratic Forces) ambushed farmers at around 4 pm (1400 GMT) on Friday near the village of Enebula," local civil society leader Patrick Mukohe told AFP by phone.

Mukohe said he had counted 21 bodies of men and women at the site of the killing, some 30 kilometres (20 miles) west of the town of Oicha, in North Kivu province.

Jules Kambale, who works in the Oicha hospital morgue, said it had received 19 bodies.

Charles Ehuta Omeanga, the regional military administrator, confirmed the attack, which he attributed to "ADF terrorists", but said he was not in a position to give a definitive toll.

The ADF, originally insurgents in Uganda, gained a foothold in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo in the 1990s and has since been accused of killing thousands of civilians, becoming the deadliest of scores of outlawed forces in the deeply troubled region.

Since 2019, some ADF attacks in eastern DRC have been claimed by the Islamic State, which describes the group as its local offshoot, the Islamic State Central Africa Province.

In a video shared on social media, and authenticated by Mukohe, a crowd surrounds the body of a man tied to a wooden frame, his throat slit.

When the bodies of victims arrived at the Oicha morgue, some youths tried to block the nearby national road in protest.

They were quickly dispersed by the police who, according to one civil society source, fired bullets in the process.

"The situation here is catastrophic," the source said.

On Thursday, the United Nations mission in the country, MONUSCO, said that more than 30 people had been killed by the ADF in neighbouring Ituri province earlier in the week.

Last month, the United States offered a reward of up to $5 million for information concerning ADF leader Seka Musa Baluku.

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By PTI

NEW DELHI: Firing a fresh salvo at the government, the Congress on Sunday pointed to Adani Group's alleged China links and asked why the conglomerate is still being permitted to operate ports in India.

Attacking the Centre, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh cited a media report which claimed that the government denied security clearance in 2022 to a consortium of APM Terminals Management and Taiwan's Wan Hai Lines after agencies discovered a connection between a Wan Hai director and a Chinese firm.

This blocked the consortium's bid to operate a container handling terminal at the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority, Ramesh said in a statement, pointing out that it is a government policy to prevent Chinese firms and entities with Chinese connections from operating ports and terminals in India.

"This raises fresh questions about the Adani Group's China links. As we have repeatedly pointed out in our Hum Adani ke Hain Kaun (HAHK) series of questions to PM Narendra Modi, Chinese citizen Chang Chung-Ling is closely associated with the Adani Group," Ramesh alleged.

"His son owns PMC Projects, a firm that has constructed ports, terminals, rail lines, power lines and other infrastructure assets for the Adani Group. The Adani Group and PMC were alleged to be involved in a Rs 5,500 crore power equipment over-invoicing scam by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence," he claimed.

Ramesh also said the Adani Group has been known to have operated at least two Shanghai-based shipping companies, one of which was involved in the "illegal sale of petroleum products to the close China ally North Korea".

Given these close China links, why is the Adani Group being permitted to operate ports in India, Ramesh asked.

"Why is it being permitted to buy up port after port, in some cases after raids on previous owners, with no thought to the serious security implications?" he said.

The opposition led by the Congress has been seeking a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe in the Adani issue after the Hindenburg Research made a litany of allegations, including fraudulent transactions and share-price manipulation, against the Group.

The Gautam Adani-led group has dismissed the charges as lies, and said they comply with all laws and disclosure requirements.

NEW DELHI: Firing a fresh salvo at the government, the Congress on Sunday pointed to Adani Group's alleged China links and asked why the conglomerate is still being permitted to operate ports in India. Attacking the Centre, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh cited a media report which claimed that the government denied security clearance in 2022 to a consortium of APM Terminals Management and Taiwan's Wan Hai Lines after agencies discovered a connection between a Wan Hai director and a Chinese firm. This blocked the consortium's bid to operate a container handling terminal at the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority, Ramesh said in a statement, pointing out that it is a government policy to prevent Chinese firms and entities with Chinese connections from operating ports and terminals in India.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); "This raises fresh questions about the Adani Group's China links. As we have repeatedly pointed out in our Hum Adani ke Hain Kaun (HAHK) series of questions to PM Narendra Modi, Chinese citizen Chang Chung-Ling is closely associated with the Adani Group," Ramesh alleged. "His son owns PMC Projects, a firm that has constructed ports, terminals, rail lines, power lines and other infrastructure assets for the Adani Group. The Adani Group and PMC were alleged to be involved in a Rs 5,500 crore power equipment over-invoicing scam by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence," he claimed. Ramesh also said the Adani Group has been known to have operated at least two Shanghai-based shipping companies, one of which was involved in the "illegal sale of petroleum products to the close China ally North Korea". Given these close China links, why is the Adani Group being permitted to operate ports in India, Ramesh asked. "Why is it being permitted to buy up port after port, in some cases after raids on previous owners, with no thought to the serious security implications?" he said. The opposition led by the Congress has been seeking a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe in the Adani issue after the Hindenburg Research made a litany of allegations, including fraudulent transactions and share-price manipulation, against the Group. The Gautam Adani-led group has dismissed the charges as lies, and said they comply with all laws and disclosure requirements.
By Express News Service

BENGALURU: District Election Officer and Chief Commissioner of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Tushar Girinath on Saturday said that the low turnout which has become a trend in the last two elections should be changed.

Speaking at the launch of the Voting Festival in Church Street on Saturday, organised by the Election Commission, Girinath said that the trend can be reversed only if everyone participates and votes. In a democracy, he said, the primary duty of every citizen is to exercise their right to vote. He pointed out that more than one lakh new voters have registered, and they will be exercising their franchise in the upcoming assembly elections, which is a record.

Also, 4,000 electoral literacy clubs have been started in colleges to create awareness about voting. He said that to attract young voters, brand ambassadors have been appointed to encourage them to take part in the exercise, and steps have been taken to prepare a list of those who have attained the age of 18 from the colleges and include their names in the electoral roll.

City Police Commissioner Pratap Reddy, who attended the event, said that Bengaluru is a global city and the target of maximum voter registration has to be achieved. Voter turnout in the city has been low and the voting festival would improve the rate.

The youth were also requested to encourage their neighbours to exercise their right to vote. People are being made aware about voting through various programmes like bike rally, Yakshagana and flash mob which were organised on Church Street on Saturday. City District Collector KA Dayananda, Additional Chief Returning Officer Rajendra Cholan and Special Returning Officer AV Suryasen were also present on the occasion.

BENGALURU: District Election Officer and Chief Commissioner of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Tushar Girinath on Saturday said that the low turnout which has become a trend in the last two elections should be changed. Speaking at the launch of the Voting Festival in Church Street on Saturday, organised by the Election Commission, Girinath said that the trend can be reversed only if everyone participates and votes. In a democracy, he said, the primary duty of every citizen is to exercise their right to vote. He pointed out that more than one lakh new voters have registered, and they will be exercising their franchise in the upcoming assembly elections, which is a record. Also, 4,000 electoral literacy clubs have been started in colleges to create awareness about voting. He said that to attract young voters, brand ambassadors have been appointed to encourage them to take part in the exercise, and steps have been taken to prepare a list of those who have attained the age of 18 from the colleges and include their names in the electoral roll. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); City Police Commissioner Pratap Reddy, who attended the event, said that Bengaluru is a global city and the target of maximum voter registration has to be achieved. Voter turnout in the city has been low and the voting festival would improve the rate. The youth were also requested to encourage their neighbours to exercise their right to vote. People are being made aware about voting through various programmes like bike rally, Yakshagana and flash mob which were organised on Church Street on Saturday. City District Collector KA Dayananda, Additional Chief Returning Officer Rajendra Cholan and Special Returning Officer AV Suryasen were also present on the occasion.
SV Krishna Chaitanya By

Express News Service

CHENNAI: The Arignar Anna Zoological Park, popularly known as Vandalur Zoo, is planning to add more lions and restart the lion safari this summer itself. Lion safari was one of the major attractions at the zoo. The zoological park suspended the safari in 2021 after Covid-19 infected most of the resident lions and two succumbed to the infection. The same year, two more healthy lions died of different ailments bringing down the total count to nine.

Lion safari is one of most sought after experiences visitors look forward to. Plans are afloat to reopen it possibly by this summer itself, which is the peak tourist season. For this reason, we are adding a few more lions to the current stock through an exchange programme, zoo director Srinivas R Reddy told TNIE.

Central Zoo Authority has given approval for bringing two lions from Lucknow and Karnataka. We have already received one lioness from Lucknow zoo and a male lion will be transported from Bengaluru Bannerghatta Biological Park in Karnataka in another 10 days. In exchange, we have given two tigers, he added

Another important aspect of the exchange programme is to improve the genetic variation in the gene pool of the lions. The idea is to introduce different bloodlines in the lion population. The current stock of lions are related to each other as excessive inbreeding is not ideal. There has to be genetic diversity to get healthy offspring, zoo deputy director R Kanchana told TNIE.

Experts had earlier cited lack of genetic diversity among the big cats at the Vandalur Zoo as the reason behind losing so many animals between 2021-22. In 2021, the zoo lost eight big cats, which include four lions, three tigers and a leopard due to various reasons. In 2022, four big cats - a lion, tigress, jaguar and leopard - died. The park has lost 12 big cats in a span of just 15 months, probably the worst period since its inception.

According to sources, the zoo has taken measures under the current leadership to improve animal screening protocols, veterinary care and facilities. Also, several enrichment projects are ongoing to comfort the animals. The zoo hospital has been upgraded with new state-of-art equipment and an additional operation theatre.

CHENNAI: The Arignar Anna Zoological Park, popularly known as Vandalur Zoo, is planning to add more lions and restart the lion safari this summer itself. Lion safari was one of the major attractions at the zoo. The zoological park suspended the safari in 2021 after Covid-19 infected most of the resident lions and two succumbed to the infection. The same year, two more healthy lions died of different ailments bringing down the total count to nine. Lion safari is one of most sought after experiences visitors look forward to. Plans are afloat to reopen it possibly by this summer itself, which is the peak tourist season. For this reason, we are adding a few more lions to the current stock through an exchange programme, zoo director Srinivas R Reddy told TNIE. Central Zoo Authority has given approval for bringing two lions from Lucknow and Karnataka. We have already received one lioness from Lucknow zoo and a male lion will be transported from Bengaluru Bannerghatta Biological Park in Karnataka in another 10 days. In exchange, we have given two tigers, he added Another important aspect of the exchange programme is to improve the genetic variation in the gene pool of the lions. The idea is to introduce different bloodlines in the lion population. The current stock of lions are related to each other as excessive inbreeding is not ideal. There has to be genetic diversity to get healthy offspring, zoo deputy director R Kanchana told TNIE.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Experts had earlier cited lack of genetic diversity among the big cats at the Vandalur Zoo as the reason behind losing so many animals between 2021-22. In 2021, the zoo lost eight big cats, which include four lions, three tigers and a leopard due to various reasons. In 2022, four big cats - a lion, tigress, jaguar and leopard - died. The park has lost 12 big cats in a span of just 15 months, probably the worst period since its inception. According to sources, the zoo has taken measures under the current leadership to improve animal screening protocols, veterinary care and facilities. Also, several enrichment projects are ongoing to comfort the animals. The zoo hospital has been upgraded with new state-of-art equipment and an additional operation theatre.
By Express News Service

HYDERABAD: Students of NALSAR University in Hyderabad have taken an initiative to provide free meals to campus workers, setting an example for other educational institutions.

Around 800 students from all batches have agreed to contribute approximately Rs 200 per month to ensure that 110 campus workers receive two free meals a day from the mess, breakfast, lunch or dinner, depending on their shifts. The workers are divided into four types, and security workers who work at night are given dinner.

The Nalsar Workers Welfare Society, a student-run informal body that looks after the welfare of the workers on campus, started the initiative by revamping the old meal scheme. Prior to the pandemic, meals were provided to the workers at a subsidised cost. The students had to pay Rs 25 for breakfast and Rs 55 for lunch, while the workers were charged Rs 5 only, and the remaining amount was covered by the students. However, with the resumption of physical classes after the pandemic, the students pushed to make the meal scheme completely free by collecting voluntary contributions.

Later, a uniform amount of Rs 200 was fixed, as it was challenging for the administration department to keep track of the individual contributions made by each student.

The new meal scheme has been implemented since October 2022, with workers being given a monthly meal card. After every meal, the workers need to take a signature from a mess staff member, and at the end of the month, the cards are collected, and the amount of food consumed by the worker is counted.

Based on that, an amount from students mess deposit is deducted on a pro-rata basis. Not every student is required to pay Rs 200; the administration may deduct Rs 150 for a month or Rs 130 for another, depending on the consumption. However, Rs 200 is the maximum amount that can be deducted. The university administration in January informed the students that they require consent from the parents of the contributing students to continue allowing this modest amount to be deducted from their deposits. The students initiated and sent mail to all the parents, asking if they had any objections to the scheme.

The meal scheme was also criticised for allowing the workers to eat in the same mess as the students. However, the members of the student society stayed true to their aim of cutting out the differential treatment of different sections of people at NALSAR and building a healthier relationship between the workers, students, staff, and administration.



HYDERABAD: Students of NALSAR University in Hyderabad have taken an initiative to provide free meals to campus workers, setting an example for other educational institutions. Around 800 students from all batches have agreed to contribute approximately Rs 200 per month to ensure that 110 campus workers receive two free meals a day from the mess, breakfast, lunch or dinner, depending on their shifts. The workers are divided into four types, and security workers who work at night are given dinner. The Nalsar Workers Welfare Society, a student-run informal body that looks after the welfare of the workers on campus, started the initiative by revamping the old meal scheme. Prior to the pandemic, meals were provided to the workers at a subsidised cost. The students had to pay Rs 25 for breakfast and Rs 55 for lunch, while the workers were charged Rs 5 only, and the remaining amount was covered by the students. However, with the resumption of physical classes after the pandemic, the students pushed to make the meal scheme completely free by collecting voluntary contributions. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Later, a uniform amount of Rs 200 was fixed, as it was challenging for the administration department to keep track of the individual contributions made by each student. The new meal scheme has been implemented since October 2022, with workers being given a monthly meal card. After every meal, the workers need to take a signature from a mess staff member, and at the end of the month, the cards are collected, and the amount of food consumed by the worker is counted. Based on that, an amount from students mess deposit is deducted on a pro-rata basis. Not every student is required to pay Rs 200; the administration may deduct Rs 150 for a month or Rs 130 for another, depending on the consumption. However, Rs 200 is the maximum amount that can be deducted. The university administration in January informed the students that they require consent from the parents of the contributing students to continue allowing this modest amount to be deducted from their deposits. The students initiated and sent mail to all the parents, asking if they had any objections to the scheme. The meal scheme was also criticised for allowing the workers to eat in the same mess as the students. However, the members of the student society stayed true to their aim of cutting out the differential treatment of different sections of people at NALSAR and building a healthier relationship between the workers, students, staff, and administration.
By Express News Service

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Eyeing the opportunities arising from the Vizhinjam port, the Kattakkada assembly constituency in Thiruvananthapuram is gearing up to become an investment-friendly destination. Attracting investments from different parts of the country and abroad, and handholding prospective local entrepreneurs are the key components of Vision Kattakada, an ambitious development plan being prepared by a team led by legislator I B Satheesh.

The Kattal Industrial Development Council (KIDC), chaired by the MLA, is the key agency entrusted with the commercial development of the constituency.

The KIDC has already prepared a blueprint for local entrepreneurship development. A series of programmes, including a survey to identify prospective entrepreneurs and a professional conclave to identify potential sectors, was held as part of the project.

The survey also covered existing enterprises and we found that many of them are in dire straits due to the pandemic-induced slowdown. The council is devising programmes to rejuvenate them by providing financial and marketing support. The KIDC also plans to introduce skill development programmes in association with government agencies, Satheesh told TNIE.

The MLA said the Vizhinjam port project and the allied Outer Ring Road (ORR) open up a plethora of opportunities for Kattakkada. The ORR is a proposed 62.20km-long six-lane access-controlled national highway that will connect National Highway 66 at Navaikulam with the Vizhinjam port. The road will pass through five of the six panchayats in Kattakada, except Vilavoorkal.

Connectivity with the ORR would be the trump card for Kattakada to attract outside investments, said Satheesh. The KIDC has identified 150 acres of land where the investors can set up enterprises. We promise them uninterrupted power and water supply. A meeting with the trade unions is also on the cards to ensure a hassle-free environment for investors, he said.

The KIDC has scheduled an investor meet titled Investor Summit 2K23 on May 5. It will showcase the investment avenues in the constituency like IT, tourism, trade and industry. The campaign activities in connection with the summit are on and we have already received enquiries. One of them is a Saudi Arabian investor interested in setting up a plant to develop protein from poultry waste. This has boosted our confidence, the MLA said.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Eyeing the opportunities arising from the Vizhinjam port, the Kattakkada assembly constituency in Thiruvananthapuram is gearing up to become an investment-friendly destination. Attracting investments from different parts of the country and abroad, and handholding prospective local entrepreneurs are the key components of Vision Kattakada, an ambitious development plan being prepared by a team led by legislator I B Satheesh. The Kattal Industrial Development Council (KIDC), chaired by the MLA, is the key agency entrusted with the commercial development of the constituency. The KIDC has already prepared a blueprint for local entrepreneurship development. A series of programmes, including a survey to identify prospective entrepreneurs and a professional conclave to identify potential sectors, was held as part of the project.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The survey also covered existing enterprises and we found that many of them are in dire straits due to the pandemic-induced slowdown. The council is devising programmes to rejuvenate them by providing financial and marketing support. The KIDC also plans to introduce skill development programmes in association with government agencies, Satheesh told TNIE. The MLA said the Vizhinjam port project and the allied Outer Ring Road (ORR) open up a plethora of opportunities for Kattakkada. The ORR is a proposed 62.20km-long six-lane access-controlled national highway that will connect National Highway 66 at Navaikulam with the Vizhinjam port. The road will pass through five of the six panchayats in Kattakada, except Vilavoorkal. Connectivity with the ORR would be the trump card for Kattakada to attract outside investments, said Satheesh. The KIDC has identified 150 acres of land where the investors can set up enterprises. We promise them uninterrupted power and water supply. A meeting with the trade unions is also on the cards to ensure a hassle-free environment for investors, he said. The KIDC has scheduled an investor meet titled Investor Summit 2K23 on May 5. It will showcase the investment avenues in the constituency like IT, tourism, trade and industry. The campaign activities in connection with the summit are on and we have already received enquiries. One of them is a Saudi Arabian investor interested in setting up a plant to develop protein from poultry waste. This has boosted our confidence, the MLA said.
The Israeli military said its forces attacked targets in Syria early Sunday after six rockets were launched from Syrian territory in two batches toward Israel in a rare attack from Israels northeastern neighbor.

After the second barrage of three rockets, Israel initially said it responded with artillery fire into the area in Syria from where the rockets were fired. Later, the military said Israeli fighter jets attacked Syrian army sites, including a compound of Syria's 4th Division and radar and artillery posts.

The rocket firings came after days of escalating violence on multiple fronts over tension in Jerusalem and an Israeli police raid on the citys most sensitive holy site.

In the second barrage, which was launched early Sunday, two of the rockets crossed the border into Israel, with one being intercepted and the second landing in an open area, the Israeli military said. In the first attack, on Saturday, one rocket landed in a field in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights. Fragments of another destroyed missile fell into Jordanian territory near the Syrian border, Jordans military reported.

There were no reports of casualties.

A Damascus-based Palestinian group loyal to the Syrian regime claimed responsibility for launching the three missiles Saturday, reported Beirut-based Al-Mayadeen TV.

The report quoted Al-Quds Brigade, a militia different than the larger Palestinian Islamic Jihads armed wing with a similar name, as saying it fired the rockets to retaliate for the police raid on Al-Aqsa Mosque.

In Syria, an adviser to President Bashar Assad described the rocket strikes as part of the previous, present and continuing response to the brutal enemy.

Israel, which has vowed to stop Iranian entrenchment in Syria, has carried out hundreds of strikes in government-controlled parts of that country in recent years, though it rarely acknowleges them. Before the latest strikes, Syrian officials had attributed 10 attacks to Israel this year, some of which put the Damascus and Aleppo airports temporarly out of service and killed civilians as well as Syrian soldiers and Iranian military advisers.

In the occupied West Bank, Israeli security forces fatally shot a 20-year-old Palestinian in the town of Azzun, Palestinian health officials said, stirring protests in the area. The Palestinian Health Ministry identified the Palestinian killed as Ayed Salim.

His death came at a time of unusually heightened violence in the West Bank. Over 90 Palestinians some of them militants have been killed by Israeli fire so far this year, according to a tally by The Associated Press.

Palestinian attacks on Israelis have killed 19 people in that time. All but one were civilians.

The rocket fire from Syria comes against the backdrop of soaring Israeli-Palestinian tensions touched off by an Israeli police raid on Jerusalem's most sensitive site, the sacred compound home to the Al-Aqsa mosque. That outraged Palestinians marking the holy fasting month of Ramadan and prompted militants in Lebanon  as well as Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip  to fire a heavy barrage of rockets into Israel.

In retaliation, Israeli warplanes struck sites allegedly linked to the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza and southern Lebanon.

Late Saturday, tensions ran high in Jerusalem as a few hundred Palestinian worshippers refused to leave the prayer of halls of Al-Aqsa, which sits on a hilltop in the heart of Jerusalem's Old City sacred to both Muslims and Jews. Israeli police efforts to evict the worshippers locked in the mosque overnight spiraled into unrest in the holy site earlier this week.

The latest escalations prompted Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant to extend a closure barring entrance to Israel for Palestinians from the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip for the duration of the Jewish holiday of Passover, while police beefed up forces in Jerusalem on the eve of sensitive religious celebrations.

In a separate incident in the northern West Bank city of Nablus late Saturday, a leader of a local independent armed group known as the Lion's Den claimed the group executed an Israeli collaborator who had tipped off the Israeli military to the locations and movements of the group's members. Israeli security forces have targeted and killed several of the group's key members in recent months.

The moves come at a time of heightened religious fervor  with Ramadan coinciding with Passover and Easter celebrations. Jerusalems Old City, home to key Jewish, Muslim and Christian holy sites, has been teeming with visitors and religious pilgrims from around the world.

Gallant said that a closure imposed last Wednesday, on the eve of Passover, would remain in effect until the holiday ends on Wednesday night. The order prevents Palestinians from entering Israel for work or to pray in Jerusalem this week, though mass prayers were permitted at the Al-Aqsa Mosque on Friday. Gallant also ordered the Israeli military to be prepared to assist Israeli police. The army later announced that it was deploying additional troops around Jerusalem and in the West Bank.

Over 2,000 police were expected to be deployed in Jerusalem on Sunday  when tens of thousands of Jews are expected to gather at the Western Wall for the special Passover priestly blessing. The Western Wall is the holiest site where Jews can pray and sits next to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound -- the third holiest site in Islam -- where large crowds gather each day for prayers during Ramadan.

The current round of violence erupted earlier in the week after Israeli police raided the mosque, firing tear gas and stun grenades to disperse hundreds of Palestinians who had refused to leave the interior of the mosque. Violent scenes from the raid sparked unrest in the contested capital and outrage across the Arab world.

*This story was edited by Ahram Online

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Subashini Vijayakumar By

Express News Service

CHENNAI: "Hey mom, so many homebakers are getting popular nowadays. You too make delicious cakes, why dont you open a home bakery?

U Devis daughters, aged 14 and 11, told her during the first Covid-19-induced lockdown in 2020. Devi, who had just lost her job as a Tamil teacher in a private school in Thanjavur due to the pandemic, thought of giving it a try. Thus was born Fluffy the Creamy World which has now turned into one of the best bakeries in Thanjavur.

This was not the first time that Devi lost her job. Born in Thiruvarur district, Devi worked as a Tamil teacher in a private school before getting married. As she got married to a CRPF personnel, she had to travel to different states and had to leave the job.

When she was in Hyderabad in 2010, she passed the state education departments examination and was posted as a teacher in one of the last Tamil medium schools in Kachiguda in Hyderabad. However, the jobs for non-locals in government institutions were reduced after the state was bifurcated into Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and she lost her job in 2017.

My husband got transferred to North India after that, but I decided to relocate to Thanjavur so that both my daughters could study without changing schools. I started working in a private school in 2019, but I lost my job when the pandemic hit, she says.

That was when my daughters suggested I try my luck in opening a home bakery. When I was in Telangana, I used to attend baking classes at a welfare centre, she says. The bakery offers more than 100 varieties of cakes, many of which are unique and hard to find even in big bakeries. The tender coconut cake and rose milk cake are two of the best sellers from the list.

Her business started to expand when she went to apply for the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) licence and the officer there suggested she list the bakery on food delivery apps. We took his advice and listed it on three different apps. Due to the wide range of cakes that we offer, we started receiving multiple orders, she gushes, adding that the bakery now gets 15 orders per day on average.

On special occasions like Christmas and New Years Eve, the bakery gets over 25 orders, she proudly says. Talking about the method of preparation, she says, I ensure that a quality cake base is used. Condensed milk is used to soften the cake instead of sugar syrup or other preservatives.

She further says that the cakes are available for a reasonable price range of Rs 350-400. As of now, the focus is not profit. I do it out of passion. I felt blank after losing my job as a teacher, but now I am happy again that I am baking. I believe that my customer base will increase gradually, she adds.

CHENNAI: "Hey mom, so many homebakers are getting popular nowadays. You too make delicious cakes, why dont you open a home bakery? U Devis daughters, aged 14 and 11, told her during the first Covid-19-induced lockdown in 2020. Devi, who had just lost her job as a Tamil teacher in a private school in Thanjavur due to the pandemic, thought of giving it a try. Thus was born Fluffy the Creamy World which has now turned into one of the best bakeries in Thanjavur. This was not the first time that Devi lost her job. Born in Thiruvarur district, Devi worked as a Tamil teacher in a private school before getting married. As she got married to a CRPF personnel, she had to travel to different states and had to leave the job.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); When she was in Hyderabad in 2010, she passed the state education departments examination and was posted as a teacher in one of the last Tamil medium schools in Kachiguda in Hyderabad. However, the jobs for non-locals in government institutions were reduced after the state was bifurcated into Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and she lost her job in 2017. My husband got transferred to North India after that, but I decided to relocate to Thanjavur so that both my daughters could study without changing schools. I started working in a private school in 2019, but I lost my job when the pandemic hit, she says. That was when my daughters suggested I try my luck in opening a home bakery. When I was in Telangana, I used to attend baking classes at a welfare centre, she says. The bakery offers more than 100 varieties of cakes, many of which are unique and hard to find even in big bakeries. The tender coconut cake and rose milk cake are two of the best sellers from the list. Her business started to expand when she went to apply for the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) licence and the officer there suggested she list the bakery on food delivery apps. We took his advice and listed it on three different apps. Due to the wide range of cakes that we offer, we started receiving multiple orders, she gushes, adding that the bakery now gets 15 orders per day on average. On special occasions like Christmas and New Years Eve, the bakery gets over 25 orders, she proudly says. Talking about the method of preparation, she says, I ensure that a quality cake base is used. Condensed milk is used to soften the cake instead of sugar syrup or other preservatives. She further says that the cakes are available for a reasonable price range of Rs 350-400. As of now, the focus is not profit. I do it out of passion. I felt blank after losing my job as a teacher, but now I am happy again that I am baking. I believe that my customer base will increase gradually, she adds.
CP Venugopal By

Express News Service

ANANTAPUR : Devastated by his fathers death during the pandemic, 32-year-old Bhuwaneswar Chakravarthi wanted to sell the agriculture fields in his ancestral village in Anantapur. Little did he know there would be a dramatic turn of events and he would have to take up farming on the 16-acre of land. Switching career was replete with challenges. But for Bhubaneswar, he didnt want to live with the regret of not giving farming a shot. As the saying goes, fortune favours the brave, there was no looking back for the 32-year-old. From drawing a meagre five-digit salary as a techie in Bengaluru, he now earns in lakhs.

Bhuwaneswar, who hails from Tagguparthi village in Beluguppa Mandal in Anantapur, started off with traditional farming, which was an arduous task. Traditional crops barely helped him reap any profit. Incurring huge losses, Bhuwaneswar decided to explore alternative options to make farming, a profitable venture. The techie-turned-farmer began his online hunt for an ideal crop that suited black soil. This is when he stumbled upon the bhagwa variety of pomegranate. He brought the saplings from Maharashtra and planted them in six-acre of land in 2020. Later, he grew pomegranate in the entire orchard in a phased manner.

In a period of 11 months, Bhuwaneswar achieved 26 tonne of yield in the first cycle of the harvest and bagged Rs 18 lakh by selling pomegranates for Rs 60,000-Rs 70,000 per tonne. Leaving Rs 4 lakh input costs, he accrued Rs 14 lakh profit from the sale of first cycle of produce.

Adapting to the latest technology not just reduced the input costs but helped the 32-year-old boost his yield to a large extent. In 2022, Bhuwaneswar developed an Android mobile application and sold his produce to those residing in various gated communities in Bengaluru at a cost of Rs 100 per kilo. He sold nearly 16 tonne of the fruit through the mobile app, thus eliminating the intervention by middlemen, & increasing his profit to Rs 16 lakh. He delivered the fruit to customers in Bengaluru through RTC cargo services. He also employed around 10 workers at his farm.

He further installed solar panels in his field generating solar energy required to drip irrigate the farm. He set up solar lights to trap fruit flies from damaging the crop and harvested honey bees within the field for flower fertilisation. He also set up the indigenous FASAL instrument costing Rs 50,000 having 13 sensors with satellite connection in order to learn about rainfall, ground moisture and pests.

To reduce the input costs, he purchased fertilisers and pesticides in bulk from dealers. He also started a YouTube channel to teach and train farmers to earn profits through pomegranate cultivation.

Bhuwaneswars mother Nirmala says, Exploring the new technological methods introduced by her son helped them to get harvest round-the-year and reduce the arduous work of workers.

Meanwhile, he urged the State government to eliminate the middlemen and establish food processing units with farm unions to benefit farmers. He says the companies use middlemen to procure the produce from farmers neither benefitting the consumer nor the farmer.

ANANTAPUR : Devastated by his fathers death during the pandemic, 32-year-old Bhuwaneswar Chakravarthi wanted to sell the agriculture fields in his ancestral village in Anantapur. Little did he know there would be a dramatic turn of events and he would have to take up farming on the 16-acre of land. Switching career was replete with challenges. But for Bhubaneswar, he didnt want to live with the regret of not giving farming a shot. As the saying goes, fortune favours the brave, there was no looking back for the 32-year-old. From drawing a meagre five-digit salary as a techie in Bengaluru, he now earns in lakhs. Bhuwaneswar, who hails from Tagguparthi village in Beluguppa Mandal in Anantapur, started off with traditional farming, which was an arduous task. Traditional crops barely helped him reap any profit. Incurring huge losses, Bhuwaneswar decided to explore alternative options to make farming, a profitable venture. The techie-turned-farmer began his online hunt for an ideal crop that suited black soil. This is when he stumbled upon the bhagwa variety of pomegranate. He brought the saplings from Maharashtra and planted them in six-acre of land in 2020. Later, he grew pomegranate in the entire orchard in a phased manner. In a period of 11 months, Bhuwaneswar achieved 26 tonne of yield in the first cycle of the harvest and bagged Rs 18 lakh by selling pomegranates for Rs 60,000-Rs 70,000 per tonne. Leaving Rs 4 lakh input costs, he accrued Rs 14 lakh profit from the sale of first cycle of produce.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Adapting to the latest technology not just reduced the input costs but helped the 32-year-old boost his yield to a large extent. In 2022, Bhuwaneswar developed an Android mobile application and sold his produce to those residing in various gated communities in Bengaluru at a cost of Rs 100 per kilo. He sold nearly 16 tonne of the fruit through the mobile app, thus eliminating the intervention by middlemen, & increasing his profit to Rs 16 lakh. He delivered the fruit to customers in Bengaluru through RTC cargo services. He also employed around 10 workers at his farm. He further installed solar panels in his field generating solar energy required to drip irrigate the farm. He set up solar lights to trap fruit flies from damaging the crop and harvested honey bees within the field for flower fertilisation. He also set up the indigenous FASAL instrument costing Rs 50,000 having 13 sensors with satellite connection in order to learn about rainfall, ground moisture and pests. To reduce the input costs, he purchased fertilisers and pesticides in bulk from dealers. He also started a YouTube channel to teach and train farmers to earn profits through pomegranate cultivation. Bhuwaneswars mother Nirmala says, Exploring the new technological methods introduced by her son helped them to get harvest round-the-year and reduce the arduous work of workers. Meanwhile, he urged the State government to eliminate the middlemen and establish food processing units with farm unions to benefit farmers. He says the companies use middlemen to procure the produce from farmers neither benefitting the consumer nor the farmer.
JAGTIAL : A farmer in Muthyampet, Mallapur mandal, is using a novel method for pollination to grow healthy and high-yielding crops while avoiding excess chemical usage. Marripalli Srinivas, a 35-year-old who returned from Singapore in 2016, now owns about seven acres of land in which he cultivates a variety of crops including watermelon, muskmelon, vegetables, pulses, and paddy.

In his watermelon fields, Srinivas has erected a stick and arranged a glass filled with toddy mixed with jaggery.

He has placed a small cloth in the jaggery to lure honey bees as their indiscriminate usage of chemicals has led to a shortage of bees and a subsequent drop in pollination and yields.

Srinivas has been following this method for the last five days and is hopeful that it will result in good yields through pollination.

In addition to this method, Srinivas also follows organic farming practices, avoiding the use of fertilisers and installing solar traps for pest management. He advises his fellow farmers to use alternative natural methods to avoid chemicals.

Srinivas has created a WhatsApp group for direct marketing of his fruits and vegetable produces, and he has been using solar traps for the last two years instead of fertilisers, which he claims work really well for pest management.

JAGTIAL : A farmer in Muthyampet, Mallapur mandal, is using a novel method for pollination to grow healthy and high-yielding crops while avoiding excess chemical usage. Marripalli Srinivas, a 35-year-old who returned from Singapore in 2016, now owns about seven acres of land in which he cultivates a variety of crops including watermelon, muskmelon, vegetables, pulses, and paddy. In his watermelon fields, Srinivas has erected a stick and arranged a glass filled with toddy mixed with jaggery. He has placed a small cloth in the jaggery to lure honey bees as their indiscriminate usage of chemicals has led to a shortage of bees and a subsequent drop in pollination and yields.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Srinivas has been following this method for the last five days and is hopeful that it will result in good yields through pollination. In addition to this method, Srinivas also follows organic farming practices, avoiding the use of fertilisers and installing solar traps for pest management. He advises his fellow farmers to use alternative natural methods to avoid chemicals. Srinivas has created a WhatsApp group for direct marketing of his fruits and vegetable produces, and he has been using solar traps for the last two years instead of fertilisers, which he claims work really well for pest management.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: Adani group's corporate brand custodian and head of corporate affairs Aman Kumar Singh, who is facing a corruption charge in Chhattisgarh, has resigned from the board of NDTV Ltd due to other preoccupations.

In a stock exchange filing, New Delhi Television Ltd last week said, "Aman Kumar Singh has tendered his resignation from the position of non-executive director of the company, with effect from close of business hours on April 1, 2023, due to his preoccupation with other engagements".

Singh, a former Indian Revenue Service Officer, was a powerful bureaucrat in the Raman Singh-led BJP government in Chhattisgarh and was the principal secretary to the chief minister.

He resigned from service and joined the Adani group in November 2022 as the Corporate Brand Custodian and Corporate Affairs head.

And when Adani took control of NDTV, Singh was one of the directors the Adani group appointed to the board of the news broadcaster.

In February 2020, the economic offences wing (EOW) of Chhattisgarh registered an FIR against Singh and his wife Yasmeen Singh in an alleged disproportionate assets case.

The High Court quashed the FIR, but the Supreme Court last month set aside the HC order, saying it was desirable that the High Courts do not quash corruption case FIRs at the investigation stage, even if it is suspected that the case has been registered by a new government against officers of the previous government.

After the Supreme Court order, Aman Singh appeared before the EOW on March 6.

A week later, his plea for anticipatory bail was rejected by an additional district and sessions judge court in Raipur.

Singh is the second nominee of the Adani group to have resigned from the NDTV board.

On March 9, NDTV, in a stock exchange filing, stated that Sunil Kumar has resigned as an additional non-executive independent director of the company.

Kumar, a 1979-batch IAS officer, was chief secretary of Chhattisgarh from 2012 to 2014.

NEW DELHI: Adani group's corporate brand custodian and head of corporate affairs Aman Kumar Singh, who is facing a corruption charge in Chhattisgarh, has resigned from the board of NDTV Ltd due to other preoccupations. In a stock exchange filing, New Delhi Television Ltd last week said, "Aman Kumar Singh has tendered his resignation from the position of non-executive director of the company, with effect from close of business hours on April 1, 2023, due to his preoccupation with other engagements". Singh, a former Indian Revenue Service Officer, was a powerful bureaucrat in the Raman Singh-led BJP government in Chhattisgarh and was the principal secretary to the chief minister.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); He resigned from service and joined the Adani group in November 2022 as the Corporate Brand Custodian and Corporate Affairs head. And when Adani took control of NDTV, Singh was one of the directors the Adani group appointed to the board of the news broadcaster. In February 2020, the economic offences wing (EOW) of Chhattisgarh registered an FIR against Singh and his wife Yasmeen Singh in an alleged disproportionate assets case. The High Court quashed the FIR, but the Supreme Court last month set aside the HC order, saying it was desirable that the High Courts do not quash corruption case FIRs at the investigation stage, even if it is suspected that the case has been registered by a new government against officers of the previous government. After the Supreme Court order, Aman Singh appeared before the EOW on March 6. A week later, his plea for anticipatory bail was rejected by an additional district and sessions judge court in Raipur. Singh is the second nominee of the Adani group to have resigned from the NDTV board. On March 9, NDTV, in a stock exchange filing, stated that Sunil Kumar has resigned as an additional non-executive independent director of the company. Kumar, a 1979-batch IAS officer, was chief secretary of Chhattisgarh from 2012 to 2014.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: The Congress has to be at the centre of any coalition that would take on the BJP in the 2024 general elections and all Opposition parties should be more mindful of sensitivities as well as be circumspect in criticising each other's ideologies in order to build a strong alliance, Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal said on Sunday.

Sibal, a prominent voice in the Opposition ranks, gave a clarion call to all political parties opposed to the BJP-led government to first find a common platform which, he said, could also be his newly-launched 'Insaaf' platform for fighting injustice.

In an interview with PTI, the former Union minister said the leadership question of an Opposition coalition for 2024 need not be answered at this stage and also cited the example of 2004 when the incumbent Atal Bihari Vajpayee government was voted out of power despite the Opposition not having a declared face.

He asserted that Congress certainly has to be the fulcrum and at the centre of any coalition of Opposition parties that will take on the BJP in 2024.

Asked if the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo Sharad Pawar's statement backing the Adani Group which is facing allegations jolted Opposition unity, Sibal said, "If you narrow down issues then you will have differences among political parties. If you have a broad collaborative platform which does not deal with narrow issues, the possibility of consensus is much greater."

"If Rahul Gandhi has a point of view in the context of crony capitalism in India, I think Sharad Pawar ji would not be averse to a platform relating to crony capitalism, that subsumes individuals. So what we need is to have these broad platforms on the basis of which we can ensure that the Opposition is united," he said.

He said the moment issues are narrowed down problems arise and gave the example of parties having different points of view on particular legislation.

"You should allow different parties to have different views. We should allow Rahul Gandhi to have a view on an individual and Sharad Pawar also have his point of view. That should not be an example of disunity," said Sibal, who was a Union minister during UPA 1 and 2, and quit the Congress in May last year.

Sibal, who was elected to the Rajya Sabha as an Independent member with the Samajwadi Party's support, recently floated a non-electoral platform 'Insaaf' aimed at fighting injustice.

"Opposition unity will come about only when we have a broad consensus and a platform that elucidates broad issues of that consensus," he said.

Sibal said his message to Opposition parties would be that the bottom line is that great injustices "social, economic and political" are being perpetrated in this country by the diktats of this government.

"In fact the entire Constitution is a narrative of how to achieve justice. So, the fight against injustice can be a common platform," he said.

On whether his newly-floated platform could provide what the Opposition needs, Sibal said "could be", but added that a lot of work needs to be done to bring all political parties on that platform.

Asked if it was practical that the Opposition parties of diverse backgrounds come together and cede parliamentary seats to each other to take on the BJP jointly in 2024, Sibal said parties have to be more generous, more circumspect in criticising each other's ideologies and have to realise that wherever they are weak, they should allow the dominant partner to have a say.

On the strengthened Opposition unity during the second half of the budget session especially after the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi from Lok Sabha, Sibal said as far as the joint protests in Parliament are concerned, that by itself is not a reflection of Opposition unity.

"As far as Opposition unity is concerned this is the first step. We need political parties to be more generous to each other and allow space for each other to have their own ideological moorings but at the same time get together to fight a government which is hell-bent on silencing the people of India and converting this so-called democracy into an autocratic country," he said.

Sibal said having a common minimum programme for a united Opposition was a "tall order" and it would be decided only a few months before the general elections.

On whether the Adani issue and the caste census be the main planks for the Opposition going forward towards 2024, Sibal said he cannot suggest that as he is just an independent member of Parliament.

"I think the caste census issue is a big issue. It is a big issue in many states, in particular, northern India but whether that will be a unifying factor or whether that will be projected as a national issue, I cannot possibly say," he added.

On the Adani matter, Sibal said the issue is not about A, B or C, it is how the state and big conglomerates are collaborating with each other to control resources, media, centres of power and along with that the central agencies.

Rebutting Prime Minister Narendra Modi's charge that the Opposition is coming together as they are afraid of his government's anti-corruption crusade, he asked if the Centre was so concerned about graft why did it not appoint a Lokpal for five years after coming to power.

Why has the Lokpal been inactive and not investigated anybody in government, he asked.

"Is it the premise of our dear prime minister that nobody in government in any BJP-ruled states and in the central government can ever be charged for corruption, and that each one of them is as white as snow," Sibal asked.

He also questioned the prime minister as to why ongoing investigations against those joining the BJP stopped.

"Why is it that the map of India has been divided into two parts, wherever there are BJP-ruled states, the CBI has no access to, while in the Opposition-ruled states, they have complete access," Sibal said.

This narrative of the prime minister is based on a weak premise, he asserted.

NEW DELHI: The Congress has to be at the centre of any coalition that would take on the BJP in the 2024 general elections and all Opposition parties should be more mindful of sensitivities as well as be circumspect in criticising each other's ideologies in order to build a strong alliance, Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal said on Sunday. Sibal, a prominent voice in the Opposition ranks, gave a clarion call to all political parties opposed to the BJP-led government to first find a common platform which, he said, could also be his newly-launched 'Insaaf' platform for fighting injustice. In an interview with PTI, the former Union minister said the leadership question of an Opposition coalition for 2024 need not be answered at this stage and also cited the example of 2004 when the incumbent Atal Bihari Vajpayee government was voted out of power despite the Opposition not having a declared face.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); He asserted that Congress certainly has to be the fulcrum and at the centre of any coalition of Opposition parties that will take on the BJP in 2024. Asked if the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo Sharad Pawar's statement backing the Adani Group which is facing allegations jolted Opposition unity, Sibal said, "If you narrow down issues then you will have differences among political parties. If you have a broad collaborative platform which does not deal with narrow issues, the possibility of consensus is much greater." "If Rahul Gandhi has a point of view in the context of crony capitalism in India, I think Sharad Pawar ji would not be averse to a platform relating to crony capitalism, that subsumes individuals. So what we need is to have these broad platforms on the basis of which we can ensure that the Opposition is united," he said. He said the moment issues are narrowed down problems arise and gave the example of parties having different points of view on particular legislation. "You should allow different parties to have different views. We should allow Rahul Gandhi to have a view on an individual and Sharad Pawar also have his point of view. That should not be an example of disunity," said Sibal, who was a Union minister during UPA 1 and 2, and quit the Congress in May last year. Sibal, who was elected to the Rajya Sabha as an Independent member with the Samajwadi Party's support, recently floated a non-electoral platform 'Insaaf' aimed at fighting injustice. "Opposition unity will come about only when we have a broad consensus and a platform that elucidates broad issues of that consensus," he said. Sibal said his message to Opposition parties would be that the bottom line is that great injustices "social, economic and political" are being perpetrated in this country by the diktats of this government. "In fact the entire Constitution is a narrative of how to achieve justice. So, the fight against injustice can be a common platform," he said. On whether his newly-floated platform could provide what the Opposition needs, Sibal said "could be", but added that a lot of work needs to be done to bring all political parties on that platform. Asked if it was practical that the Opposition parties of diverse backgrounds come together and cede parliamentary seats to each other to take on the BJP jointly in 2024, Sibal said parties have to be more generous, more circumspect in criticising each other's ideologies and have to realise that wherever they are weak, they should allow the dominant partner to have a say. On the strengthened Opposition unity during the second half of the budget session especially after the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi from Lok Sabha, Sibal said as far as the joint protests in Parliament are concerned, that by itself is not a reflection of Opposition unity. "As far as Opposition unity is concerned this is the first step. We need political parties to be more generous to each other and allow space for each other to have their own ideological moorings but at the same time get together to fight a government which is hell-bent on silencing the people of India and converting this so-called democracy into an autocratic country," he said. Sibal said having a common minimum programme for a united Opposition was a "tall order" and it would be decided only a few months before the general elections. On whether the Adani issue and the caste census be the main planks for the Opposition going forward towards 2024, Sibal said he cannot suggest that as he is just an independent member of Parliament. "I think the caste census issue is a big issue. It is a big issue in many states, in particular, northern India but whether that will be a unifying factor or whether that will be projected as a national issue, I cannot possibly say," he added. On the Adani matter, Sibal said the issue is not about A, B or C, it is how the state and big conglomerates are collaborating with each other to control resources, media, centres of power and along with that the central agencies. Rebutting Prime Minister Narendra Modi's charge that the Opposition is coming together as they are afraid of his government's anti-corruption crusade, he asked if the Centre was so concerned about graft why did it not appoint a Lokpal for five years after coming to power. Why has the Lokpal been inactive and not investigated anybody in government, he asked. "Is it the premise of our dear prime minister that nobody in government in any BJP-ruled states and in the central government can ever be charged for corruption, and that each one of them is as white as snow," Sibal asked. He also questioned the prime minister as to why ongoing investigations against those joining the BJP stopped. "Why is it that the map of India has been divided into two parts, wherever there are BJP-ruled states, the CBI has no access to, while in the Opposition-ruled states, they have complete access," Sibal said. This narrative of the prime minister is based on a weak premise, he asserted.
By PTI

GIR SOMNATH: Right-wing activist Kajal Hindustani was arrested on Sunday in Gujarat's Gir Somnath district for allegedly delivering a "hate speech" on Ram Navami that caused a communal clash in Una town on April 1, police said.

Hindustani surrendered before the police in Una on Sunday morning following which she was arrested and produced before a court which remanded her in judicial custody, a police officer said.

Hindustani, who identifies herself as an entrepreneur, research analyst, social activist, nationalist, and a "proud Indian" on her Twitter bio and has more than 92,000 followers including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is a regular at events organised by Vishwa Hindu Parishad.

A First Information Report (FIR) was registered against Hindustani under section 295 A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) of the Indian Penal Code on April 2, two days after she allegedly delivered a provocative speech at a Hindu community congregation organised by the VHP on Ram Navami on March 30.

Communal tension prevailed in Una for two days after Hindustani's speech which resulted in a clash between two communities and the pelting of stones on April 1 night, police said.

Police had registered an FIR against a mob and arrested more than 80 people, most of them from a minority community, for rioting.

GIR SOMNATH: Right-wing activist Kajal Hindustani was arrested on Sunday in Gujarat's Gir Somnath district for allegedly delivering a "hate speech" on Ram Navami that caused a communal clash in Una town on April 1, police said. Hindustani surrendered before the police in Una on Sunday morning following which she was arrested and produced before a court which remanded her in judicial custody, a police officer said. Hindustani, who identifies herself as an entrepreneur, research analyst, social activist, nationalist, and a "proud Indian" on her Twitter bio and has more than 92,000 followers including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is a regular at events organised by Vishwa Hindu Parishad.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); A First Information Report (FIR) was registered against Hindustani under section 295 A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) of the Indian Penal Code on April 2, two days after she allegedly delivered a provocative speech at a Hindu community congregation organised by the VHP on Ram Navami on March 30. Communal tension prevailed in Una for two days after Hindustani's speech which resulted in a clash between two communities and the pelting of stones on April 1 night, police said. Police had registered an FIR against a mob and arrested more than 80 people, most of them from a minority community, for rioting.
By PTI

JAIPUR: A Dalit woman who was allegedly raped and set afire by a man in Rajasthan's Barmer was cremated by her family members on Sunday following assurances of help by the administration, while a BJP delegation visited her residence.

The 30-year-old woman, a mother of two, suffered around 50 per cent burns and died at a government hospital in Jodhpur late Friday.

On Saturday, the woman's family members refused to take the body, alleging that the police misbehaved with them and also threatened them.

They sought the removal of two police officials, including a DSP, demanded Rs 1 crore as compensation and a government job to a family member.

"The woman's family members agreed to the post-mortem examination after they were assured that they will be provided maximum benefits under all government schemes," said Barmer Additional District Magistrate Avnish Panwar.

The autopsy was conducted late on Saturday night at Mathura Das Hospital, Jodhpur.

Later, the woman's mortal remains were taken to Balotra in Barmer where the last rites were held on Sunday morning, he said.

Meanwhile, a three-member BJP delegation comprising Pali MP P P Chaudhary, Deputy Leader of Opposition in Rajasthan Assembly Satish Poonia and Jalore MLA Jogeshwar Garg met the family members of the victim in Barmer and expressed their condolences.

Speaking at a press conference, Jaipur Rural MP Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore said women are not safe in Rajasthan and they cannot expect security from the Congress government.

"If you are a woman and you are alone at home, then you are unsafe. You cannot expect security from this state government. This government is busy pleasing its bosses. This government is not standing with its people," the BJP leader said.

ALSO READ | Deaf-mute girl's rape in Rajasthan: SHRC seeks report from Barmer SP, Collector

Rathore alleged the Congress government is indulging in "appeasement politics" by ignoring the sentiments of the majority community.

The people of Rajasthan are seeing everything and will give a befitting reply in the assembly elections later this year.

The woman was allegedly raped and set ablaze by Shakoor Khan when she was alone at her house on April 6.

Khan, who hails from the same village as the victim, poured an acid-like substance on her before setting her on fire, according to police.

He has been arrested.

JAIPUR: A Dalit woman who was allegedly raped and set afire by a man in Rajasthan's Barmer was cremated by her family members on Sunday following assurances of help by the administration, while a BJP delegation visited her residence. The 30-year-old woman, a mother of two, suffered around 50 per cent burns and died at a government hospital in Jodhpur late Friday. On Saturday, the woman's family members refused to take the body, alleging that the police misbehaved with them and also threatened them.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); They sought the removal of two police officials, including a DSP, demanded Rs 1 crore as compensation and a government job to a family member. "The woman's family members agreed to the post-mortem examination after they were assured that they will be provided maximum benefits under all government schemes," said Barmer Additional District Magistrate Avnish Panwar. The autopsy was conducted late on Saturday night at Mathura Das Hospital, Jodhpur. Later, the woman's mortal remains were taken to Balotra in Barmer where the last rites were held on Sunday morning, he said. Meanwhile, a three-member BJP delegation comprising Pali MP P P Chaudhary, Deputy Leader of Opposition in Rajasthan Assembly Satish Poonia and Jalore MLA Jogeshwar Garg met the family members of the victim in Barmer and expressed their condolences. Speaking at a press conference, Jaipur Rural MP Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore said women are not safe in Rajasthan and they cannot expect security from the Congress government. "If you are a woman and you are alone at home, then you are unsafe. You cannot expect security from this state government. This government is busy pleasing its bosses. This government is not standing with its people," the BJP leader said. ALSO READ | Deaf-mute girl's rape in Rajasthan: SHRC seeks report from Barmer SP, Collector Rathore alleged the Congress government is indulging in "appeasement politics" by ignoring the sentiments of the majority community. The people of Rajasthan are seeing everything and will give a befitting reply in the assembly elections later this year. The woman was allegedly raped and set ablaze by Shakoor Khan when she was alone at her house on April 6. Khan, who hails from the same village as the victim, poured an acid-like substance on her before setting her on fire, according to police. He has been arrested.
By PTI

MUMBAI: The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in Maharashtra on Sunday accused Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and other leaders of the ruling dispensation of going on a visit to Ayodhya while forgetting their constitutional duty especially when farmers in the state were suffering from crop losses due to the inclement weather.

The MVA allies - Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) - said Lord Ram will not forgive CM Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for leaving the people of Maharashtra in the lurch.

Shinde on Sunday reached Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh on a day-long visit to pay obeisance to Lord Ram at the Ram temple.

This is his first visit to Ayodhya after being sworn in as the chief minister of Maharashtra in June last year.

Thousands of his supporters called 'Shiv Sainiks' accompanied him.

Deputy CM Fadnavis also joined him.

The Shiv Sena is planning to highlight Shinde's visit to Ayodhya across the country.

Hitting out at the Shinde government, NCP spokesperson Mahesh Tapase said for the past few days, agricultural produce has been largely damaged in many parts of Maharashtra on the account of unseasonal rains and hailstorms.

Fruits like grapes, cashewnuts, oranges, bananas, and mangoes have been damaged and this has severely "crippled the fortunes of farmers", he said.

ALSO READ | Shinde meets astrologer to know his govts fate, Opposition hits out

Tapase said while the farmers of Maharashtra are devastated, the chief minister, deputy CM, other ministers, MLAs, and workers of their parties have gone to Ayodhya, "leaving behind the distressed farmers with no recourse."

While Maharashtra Chief Minister Shinde exemplifies Lord Rama, he has chosen to forget his duty to stand by those affected by nature's fury and has gone to Ayodhya purely for political reasons, the NCP leader claimed.

If this trip was for personal spiritual reasons, Shinde would have gone alone and the people of the state would have understood, but taking the cabinet, MLAs, MPs and activists with him means the Shinde-led Shiv Sena wants to make a political statement from Ayodhya, Tapase said.

Maharashtra Congress spokesman Atul Londhe said Lord Ram will never forgive the chief minister and the deputy CM for "making an event" of the Ayodhya tour when farmers in the state are in dire straits due to the unseasonal rains and hailstorm.

''Lord Ram will never forgive you for leaving people of the state in the lurch,'' he said.

READ MORE | Farmers stare at huge losses due to rain, hailstorm

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut also claimed the Maharashtra government has left the state farmers in the lurch and its leaders are on a "religious tourism".

In the last 72 hours, hailstorms and unseasonal rains in several parts of the state have damaged crops.

The government had said it will provide relief to farmers after the budget session, he said.

"This government is indulging in politics over Ayodhya. Lord Ram, who is against falsehood, will never bless them. I only hope God gives them good sense," Raut said.

MUMBAI: The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in Maharashtra on Sunday accused Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and other leaders of the ruling dispensation of going on a visit to Ayodhya while forgetting their constitutional duty especially when farmers in the state were suffering from crop losses due to the inclement weather. The MVA allies - Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) - said Lord Ram will not forgive CM Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for leaving the people of Maharashtra in the lurch. Shinde on Sunday reached Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh on a day-long visit to pay obeisance to Lord Ram at the Ram temple.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); This is his first visit to Ayodhya after being sworn in as the chief minister of Maharashtra in June last year. Thousands of his supporters called 'Shiv Sainiks' accompanied him. Deputy CM Fadnavis also joined him. The Shiv Sena is planning to highlight Shinde's visit to Ayodhya across the country. Hitting out at the Shinde government, NCP spokesperson Mahesh Tapase said for the past few days, agricultural produce has been largely damaged in many parts of Maharashtra on the account of unseasonal rains and hailstorms. Fruits like grapes, cashewnuts, oranges, bananas, and mangoes have been damaged and this has severely "crippled the fortunes of farmers", he said. ALSO READ | Shinde meets astrologer to know his govts fate, Opposition hits out Tapase said while the farmers of Maharashtra are devastated, the chief minister, deputy CM, other ministers, MLAs, and workers of their parties have gone to Ayodhya, "leaving behind the distressed farmers with no recourse." While Maharashtra Chief Minister Shinde exemplifies Lord Rama, he has chosen to forget his duty to stand by those affected by nature's fury and has gone to Ayodhya purely for political reasons, the NCP leader claimed. If this trip was for personal spiritual reasons, Shinde would have gone alone and the people of the state would have understood, but taking the cabinet, MLAs, MPs and activists with him means the Shinde-led Shiv Sena wants to make a political statement from Ayodhya, Tapase said. Maharashtra Congress spokesman Atul Londhe said Lord Ram will never forgive the chief minister and the deputy CM for "making an event" of the Ayodhya tour when farmers in the state are in dire straits due to the unseasonal rains and hailstorm. ''Lord Ram will never forgive you for leaving people of the state in the lurch,'' he said. READ MORE | Farmers stare at huge losses due to rain, hailstorm Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut also claimed the Maharashtra government has left the state farmers in the lurch and its leaders are on a "religious tourism". In the last 72 hours, hailstorms and unseasonal rains in several parts of the state have damaged crops. The government had said it will provide relief to farmers after the budget session, he said. "This government is indulging in politics over Ayodhya. Lord Ram, who is against falsehood, will never bless them. I only hope God gives them good sense," Raut said.
By PTI

JAIPUR: Ahead of the assembly elections in Rajasthan, former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot on Sunday opened a new front against CM Ashok Gehlot, announcing a day-long fast to seek action from his government over alleged corruption during the BJP rule in the state.

The development again brings into open the power tussle in the Congress between the Pilot and the Gehlot factions in the state, putting pressure on the central leadership to resolve it before the year-end polls.

"No action was taken (by the Gehlot government) on corruption by the previous Vasundhara Raje government. While in opposition, we had promised that an inquiry would be conducted in the mines scam of Rs 45,000 crore," Pilot said at a press conference at his residence here, announcing a hunger strike on Tuesday.

"With six-seven months left for the elections, the opponents can spread an illusion that there is some collusion. Therefore, action will have to be taken soon so that the Congress workers feel that there is no difference between our words and actions," he said.

Pilot said he will observe a day-long fast at Shaheed Smarak on April 11 to press for his demand.

April 11 is the birth anniversary of Mahatma Jyotiba Phule, who belonged to the Saini community, the same community which Gehlot represents.

Gehlot and Pilot have been at loggerheads ever since the Congress formed the government in Rajasthan in December 2018 over the post of chief minister.

In July 2020, Pilot and a section of party MLAs rebelled openly, demanding a leadership change in the state.

It led to a one-month-long political crisis that ended after assurance by the party high command to look into the issues raised by Pilot.

The former deputy chief minister said Congress leader Sonia Gandhi had given him the responsibility of the party in the state and he, along with other leaders, had opposed the wrong policies of the then BJP government led by Vasundhara Raje.

He said the Congress as a responsible opposition had raised the issue of corruption because of which the BJP was voted out of power.

Pilot also showed videos of statements of Gehlot in the assembly and outside in which he had levelled corruption allegations against the previous BJP government. "When we were in opposition, at that time we had said that we will investigate corruption in the BJP government. I wrote a letter to CM Ashok Gehlot on 28 March 2022 and on 2 November 2022, but did not get any answer," Pilot said.

He said the state government has a "zero tolerance" policy for corruption and to further strengthen it, transparent and effective action should have been taken.

"No action was taken on corruption during the Vasundhara Raje government, where we, in the opposition, had promised that an inquiry would be conducted. Now six-seven months are left for the election, the opponents can spread confusion that there is some collusion," Pilot said.

WEB SCRAWL | Operation Desert Storm time in Rajasthan after Congress' Gujarat debacle and Himachal success?

Rajasthan Congress leader Sachin Pilot speaks to the media on Sunday. (Photo | PTI)

He said that he never called for any malicious action but the credibility that the Congress had built as the opposition party has to be maintained.

"Ashok Gehlot and I had made allegations together, how will we know until there is a fair investigation. If it comes out in the investigation that no one was guilty, then we will accept that Gehlot ji and I were liars. But until a case is registered, how will people believe that the allegations made by us are true or false," Pilot said.

He said that it was one of the suggestions he had given to the party high command that action should be taken over allegations of corruption and scams that we had made while in the opposition.

Pilot has often, though in a subtle manner, kept on demanding from the party leadership to take action on issues raised by him.

On Sunday, the former PCC chief brought up an old issue, which was raised by him and other leaders of the party including Gehlot when the Congress was in opposition from 2013 to 2018 to embarrass the present state government.

Following the revolt by Pilot and 18 other MLAs in 2020, Gehlot had used terms like "Gaddar", "Nakara", "Nikamma" for his former deputy and had accused him of being involved with the BJP leaders in a conspiracy to topple the Congress government.

A few days before Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra entered Rajasthan from Madhya Pradesh, Gehlot had again targeted Pilot, calling him "Gaddar" again, in an interview to a news channel in November last year.

However, Pilot had responded to it gently, saying it was not his (Pilot's) upbringing to use such language.

ALSO READ | Congress steps in to thrash out differences in Rajasthan unit

Pilot's demand to order a probe and take action on the mining scam during the previous BJP government and other corruption issues was supported by Cabinet minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas.

Khachariyawas was the Jaipur Congress president when Pilot was the PCC chief and used to be at the forefront with him in raising the corruption issue.

He was in the Pilot camp but during Pilot's revolt against Gehlot in 2020, Khachariyawas switched to the Gehlot camp.

He said whatever Pilot has pointed out was right, and action against corruption should be taken.

"Sachin Pilot is an asset for the party and Rahul Gandhi has said this. I would also speak to the chief minister and say that we should take action," Khachariyawas said.

While some leaders say that Pilot has raised the right demand, others say that his act would inflict great harm to the party in the upcoming election, particularly when the party is working with a strategy to repeat the government in the state.

Another Congress leader said Pilot's announcement was also a "kind of revolt" against Gehlot and this would certainly harm the party.

"At a time when the Congress government is leaving no stone unturned to retain power in the upcoming elections, Pilot's announcement to sit on 'Anshan' will definitely send a wrong message among the masses. This should be avoided," the Congress leader said.

On the other hand, Pilot supporters said issues raised by the leader before the party high command have not been addressed so far, which has disappointed them.

They said that the party workers wanted Pilot to be the chief minister but no decision was taken by the high command.

"Pilot had a major contribution in bringing Congress to power in 2018. As the PCC chief, he worked hard to revive the party and because of him, the party got a majority of seats in eastern Rajasthan but he was not given the rightful share in the government," a Pilot supporter said.

JAIPUR: Ahead of the assembly elections in Rajasthan, former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot on Sunday opened a new front against CM Ashok Gehlot, announcing a day-long fast to seek action from his government over alleged corruption during the BJP rule in the state. The development again brings into open the power tussle in the Congress between the Pilot and the Gehlot factions in the state, putting pressure on the central leadership to resolve it before the year-end polls. "No action was taken (by the Gehlot government) on corruption by the previous Vasundhara Raje government. While in opposition, we had promised that an inquiry would be conducted in the mines scam of Rs 45,000 crore," Pilot said at a press conference at his residence here, announcing a hunger strike on Tuesday.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); "With six-seven months left for the elections, the opponents can spread an illusion that there is some collusion. Therefore, action will have to be taken soon so that the Congress workers feel that there is no difference between our words and actions," he said. Pilot said he will observe a day-long fast at Shaheed Smarak on April 11 to press for his demand. April 11 is the birth anniversary of Mahatma Jyotiba Phule, who belonged to the Saini community, the same community which Gehlot represents. Gehlot and Pilot have been at loggerheads ever since the Congress formed the government in Rajasthan in December 2018 over the post of chief minister. In July 2020, Pilot and a section of party MLAs rebelled openly, demanding a leadership change in the state. It led to a one-month-long political crisis that ended after assurance by the party high command to look into the issues raised by Pilot. The former deputy chief minister said Congress leader Sonia Gandhi had given him the responsibility of the party in the state and he, along with other leaders, had opposed the wrong policies of the then BJP government led by Vasundhara Raje. He said the Congress as a responsible opposition had raised the issue of corruption because of which the BJP was voted out of power. Pilot also showed videos of statements of Gehlot in the assembly and outside in which he had levelled corruption allegations against the previous BJP government. "When we were in opposition, at that time we had said that we will investigate corruption in the BJP government. I wrote a letter to CM Ashok Gehlot on 28 March 2022 and on 2 November 2022, but did not get any answer," Pilot said. He said the state government has a "zero tolerance" policy for corruption and to further strengthen it, transparent and effective action should have been taken. "No action was taken on corruption during the Vasundhara Raje government, where we, in the opposition, had promised that an inquiry would be conducted. Now six-seven months are left for the election, the opponents can spread confusion that there is some collusion," Pilot said. WEB SCRAWL | Operation Desert Storm time in Rajasthan after Congress' Gujarat debacle and Himachal success? Rajasthan Congress leader Sachin Pilot speaks to the media on Sunday. (Photo | PTI) He said that he never called for any malicious action but the credibility that the Congress had built as the opposition party has to be maintained. "Ashok Gehlot and I had made allegations together, how will we know until there is a fair investigation. If it comes out in the investigation that no one was guilty, then we will accept that Gehlot ji and I were liars. But until a case is registered, how will people believe that the allegations made by us are true or false," Pilot said. He said that it was one of the suggestions he had given to the party high command that action should be taken over allegations of corruption and scams that we had made while in the opposition. Pilot has often, though in a subtle manner, kept on demanding from the party leadership to take action on issues raised by him. On Sunday, the former PCC chief brought up an old issue, which was raised by him and other leaders of the party including Gehlot when the Congress was in opposition from 2013 to 2018 to embarrass the present state government. Following the revolt by Pilot and 18 other MLAs in 2020, Gehlot had used terms like "Gaddar", "Nakara", "Nikamma" for his former deputy and had accused him of being involved with the BJP leaders in a conspiracy to topple the Congress government. A few days before Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra entered Rajasthan from Madhya Pradesh, Gehlot had again targeted Pilot, calling him "Gaddar" again, in an interview to a news channel in November last year. However, Pilot had responded to it gently, saying it was not his (Pilot's) upbringing to use such language. ALSO READ | Congress steps in to thrash out differences in Rajasthan unit Pilot's demand to order a probe and take action on the mining scam during the previous BJP government and other corruption issues was supported by Cabinet minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas. Khachariyawas was the Jaipur Congress president when Pilot was the PCC chief and used to be at the forefront with him in raising the corruption issue. He was in the Pilot camp but during Pilot's revolt against Gehlot in 2020, Khachariyawas switched to the Gehlot camp. He said whatever Pilot has pointed out was right, and action against corruption should be taken. "Sachin Pilot is an asset for the party and Rahul Gandhi has said this. I would also speak to the chief minister and say that we should take action," Khachariyawas said. While some leaders say that Pilot has raised the right demand, others say that his act would inflict great harm to the party in the upcoming election, particularly when the party is working with a strategy to repeat the government in the state. Another Congress leader said Pilot's announcement was also a "kind of revolt" against Gehlot and this would certainly harm the party. "At a time when the Congress government is leaving no stone unturned to retain power in the upcoming elections, Pilot's announcement to sit on 'Anshan' will definitely send a wrong message among the masses. This should be avoided," the Congress leader said. On the other hand, Pilot supporters said issues raised by the leader before the party high command have not been addressed so far, which has disappointed them. They said that the party workers wanted Pilot to be the chief minister but no decision was taken by the high command. "Pilot had a major contribution in bringing Congress to power in 2018. As the PCC chief, he worked hard to revive the party and because of him, the party got a majority of seats in eastern Rajasthan but he was not given the rightful share in the government," a Pilot supporter said.
Namita Bajpai By

Express News Service

LUCKNOW: In a veiled attack on his predecessor Uddhav Thackeray, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde accused him of making a departure from Balasaheb Thackerays ideology over Hindutva conveniently just for the greed of power.

Those who make a claim to the legacy of Balasaheb, mindfully shook hands for power with those who had been allergic to Hindutva since independence and never supported Ram temple in Ayodhya, said Eknath Shinde hinting at the Uddhav Thackarey-led Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress alliance.

He was interacting with the media after the darshan of Ram Lala and Hanuman Garhi along with Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis and his cabinet colleagues in Ayodhya on Sunday.

ALSO READ | Saffron flag will be unfurled all over Maharashtra in 2024: Eknath Shinde in Ayodhya

On his first visit to the temple town as CM, Shinde lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi for making the dream of Balasaheb and millions of Ram devotees across the globe come true by commencing the construction of a grand temple of Lord Ram in Ayodhya.

In a bid to justify the rebellion driven by him in Shiv Sena and forming a government in the state with the BJP as an ally, Shinde claimed that the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly results were a clear mandate in favour of a Shiv Sena- BJP government instead of Maha Agadi government.

Shinde said he wanted to make it clear to those who compared his rule with ravan raaj that this government was made with the blessings of Lord Ram.

ALSO READ | Uddhav Thackeray dares PM Modi, BJP to fulfil Savarkar's dream of 'Akhand Bharat' at MVA rally

After becoming the chief minister, I came here for the first time. With the blessings of Lord Ram, we got our symbol of bow and arrow and the name of our party... Ram Temple is not a political topic for us, it's our faith, Shinde said after paying obeisance to Ram Lalla and overseeing the construction work of the temple.

He claimed that he would take soil from Ayodhya to Amravati, where a 111-foot statue of Bajrangbali (Lord Hanuman) would be built.

Shinde's supporters were seen carrying saffron flags with the Shiv Sena's election symbol. From the helipad, the Maharashtra CM, accompanied by Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis and his cabinet colleagues, held a massive road show on their way to Ram Janmabhoomi premises for the darshan of Ram Lalla.

ALSO READ | CM Bommai's warning to Maharashtra CM Shinde: Withdraw health scheme

At Hanumangarhi, the Maharashtra chief minister was given a mace by temple mahant Raju Das. Fadnavis and BJP MP Brijbhushan Sharan Singh were also present .

Thousands of Shiv Sainiks have also reached Ayodhya. Shinde had earlier visited Ayodhya as a Shiv Sena leader on November 25, 2018, almost a year before the Supreme Court's verdict in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute. He also visited the holy city in March 2020 and June last year.

LUCKNOW: In a veiled attack on his predecessor Uddhav Thackeray, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde accused him of making a departure from Balasaheb Thackerays ideology over Hindutva conveniently just for the greed of power. Those who make a claim to the legacy of Balasaheb, mindfully shook hands for power with those who had been allergic to Hindutva since independence and never supported Ram temple in Ayodhya, said Eknath Shinde hinting at the Uddhav Thackarey-led Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress alliance. He was interacting with the media after the darshan of Ram Lala and Hanuman Garhi along with Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis and his cabinet colleagues in Ayodhya on Sunday.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); ALSO READ | Saffron flag will be unfurled all over Maharashtra in 2024: Eknath Shinde in Ayodhya On his first visit to the temple town as CM, Shinde lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi for making the dream of Balasaheb and millions of Ram devotees across the globe come true by commencing the construction of a grand temple of Lord Ram in Ayodhya. In a bid to justify the rebellion driven by him in Shiv Sena and forming a government in the state with the BJP as an ally, Shinde claimed that the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly results were a clear mandate in favour of a Shiv Sena- BJP government instead of Maha Agadi government. Shinde said he wanted to make it clear to those who compared his rule with ravan raaj that this government was made with the blessings of Lord Ram. ALSO READ | Uddhav Thackeray dares PM Modi, BJP to fulfil Savarkar's dream of 'Akhand Bharat' at MVA rally After becoming the chief minister, I came here for the first time. With the blessings of Lord Ram, we got our symbol of bow and arrow and the name of our party... Ram Temple is not a political topic for us, it's our faith, Shinde said after paying obeisance to Ram Lalla and overseeing the construction work of the temple. He claimed that he would take soil from Ayodhya to Amravati, where a 111-foot statue of Bajrangbali (Lord Hanuman) would be built. Shinde's supporters were seen carrying saffron flags with the Shiv Sena's election symbol. From the helipad, the Maharashtra CM, accompanied by Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis and his cabinet colleagues, held a massive road show on their way to Ram Janmabhoomi premises for the darshan of Ram Lalla. ALSO READ | CM Bommai's warning to Maharashtra CM Shinde: Withdraw health scheme At Hanumangarhi, the Maharashtra chief minister was given a mace by temple mahant Raju Das. Fadnavis and BJP MP Brijbhushan Sharan Singh were also present . Thousands of Shiv Sainiks have also reached Ayodhya. Shinde had earlier visited Ayodhya as a Shiv Sena leader on November 25, 2018, almost a year before the Supreme Court's verdict in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute. He also visited the holy city in March 2020 and June last year.
More than 700 Israeli settlers stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem on Sunday morning, during the fourth day of the Jewish holiday of Passover, according to the Islamic Endowments Department in Jerusalem.

The settlers entered the mosque in successive groups and toured its courtyards, performing Talmudic rituals in the eastern region of the mosque.

The incursion took place under the protection of the Israeli police, who deployed hundreds of their personnel in Al-Aqsa squares and at its gates in preparation for the settlers' arrival.

The presence of Israeli police and settlers at the Islamic holy site is a provocation against the Muslim population of Jerusalem who worship at Al-Aqsa, according to the Jordanian authority in charge of the holy sites in Jerusalem.

Under a longstanding status quo, non-Muslims can visit the site at specific times but are not allowed to pray there.

Israeli police also harassed Muslim worshippers at the mosque, according to the Palestinian Press Agency (Safa).

They restricted the entry of young Palestinian men into the mosque and confiscated identity cards of those entering in through its external gates. The police also stationed members in front of the Dome of the Rock and prevented worshipers from passing through the area.

Palestinians already inside the mosque responded to the settlers incursion with with prayers, chants and shouts of god is the greatest.

The police arrested one young man while removing the rest.

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By PTI

KOLKATA: The blockade of railway tracks at Kustaur station in West Bengal's Purulia district by the Kurmi community to press for its demands, including for ST tag, was lifted on Sunday on the fifth day of the stir.

The blockade of railway tracks at Khemasuli in Paschim Medinipur district, however, continued as of now.

The agitation since April 5 has led to the cancellation of hundreds of express and passenger trains.

Kurmi leader Ajit Mahato said the stir was being withdrawn at Kustaur at present but it may be intensified in the future after discussion among the leadership.

"Our demands have not been accepted as yet, but we are withdrawing the agitation for the time being," Mahato, who was seated on the railway tracks at Kustaur along with other protesters, told reporters.

The blockade at the two railway stations led to the cancellation of nearly 500 express and passenger trains since April 5, causing immense hardship to thousands of passengers, a South Eastern Railway official said.

Agitators at Khemasuli said they were awaiting direction from their leadership about the continuation of the agitation.

Scores of super fast and express trains connecting various destinations in the country with West Bengal, Odisha and Jharkhand have been cancelled over the last five days.

Among those cancelled were New Delhi-Bhubaneswar Rajdhani Express, Howrah-Pune-Howrah Duronto Express, Howrah-Ahmeadabad Express, Howrah-Mumbai-Howrah Mail and Alappuzha-Dhanbad Express.

The Kurmis have been agitating over a string of demands including recognition as a Scheduled Tribe, recognition of Sarna religion and inclusion of Kurmali language in the eighth schedule of the Constitution.

Organisations claiming to represent the interest of the Kurmi people, who are based mainly in the Chotanagpur plateau covering Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal, had in September 2022, also resorted to a five-day long blockade of railway tracks at these two stations over similar demands.

KOLKATA: The blockade of railway tracks at Kustaur station in West Bengal's Purulia district by the Kurmi community to press for its demands, including for ST tag, was lifted on Sunday on the fifth day of the stir. The blockade of railway tracks at Khemasuli in Paschim Medinipur district, however, continued as of now. The agitation since April 5 has led to the cancellation of hundreds of express and passenger trains.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Kurmi leader Ajit Mahato said the stir was being withdrawn at Kustaur at present but it may be intensified in the future after discussion among the leadership. "Our demands have not been accepted as yet, but we are withdrawing the agitation for the time being," Mahato, who was seated on the railway tracks at Kustaur along with other protesters, told reporters. The blockade at the two railway stations led to the cancellation of nearly 500 express and passenger trains since April 5, causing immense hardship to thousands of passengers, a South Eastern Railway official said. Agitators at Khemasuli said they were awaiting direction from their leadership about the continuation of the agitation. Scores of super fast and express trains connecting various destinations in the country with West Bengal, Odisha and Jharkhand have been cancelled over the last five days. Among those cancelled were New Delhi-Bhubaneswar Rajdhani Express, Howrah-Pune-Howrah Duronto Express, Howrah-Ahmeadabad Express, Howrah-Mumbai-Howrah Mail and Alappuzha-Dhanbad Express. The Kurmis have been agitating over a string of demands including recognition as a Scheduled Tribe, recognition of Sarna religion and inclusion of Kurmali language in the eighth schedule of the Constitution. Organisations claiming to represent the interest of the Kurmi people, who are based mainly in the Chotanagpur plateau covering Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal, had in September 2022, also resorted to a five-day long blockade of railway tracks at these two stations over similar demands.
Rajesh Asnani By

Express News Service

JAIPUR: Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday lashed out at the Modi government over the issue of Congress leader Rahul Gandhis disqualification from the Lok Sabha.

Speaking at a rally in Bikaner, he said that Rahul Gandhi had been punished for speaking the truth, and that democracy was alive in the country only because of the Congress.

Political analysts have noted that while the party is on the warpath on the issue in the state, former deputy CM Sachin Pilot is completely missing from action.

Addressing a large gathering, CM Gehlot said that Motilal Nehru and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru had spearheaded the movement that led to Indias independence, while Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi had attained martyrdom for the country.

But the BJP has tarnished the image of the son of that family who took out the Bharat Jodo Yatra and gave the much-needed message of unity in the country, he said.

The ruling partys agenda for the ongoing agitation includes prominent leaders of the Congress party addressing the media on the topic Democracy Disqualified on March 28 and 29. Press conferences will be held in Udaipur, Jodhpur and Kota while Gehlot himself will address the media in Ahmedabad.

Surprisingly, however, Sachin Pilots name is missing from the list of leaders slated to attend these events. Political observers are speculating whether this is due to renewed factionalism in the state unit of the Congress.

Rumors are afloat about Pilot being cross with the Congress high command for not taking any concrete decisions on issues flagged by him.

Reports are also being bandied about that this may be a pressure tactic on part of the Pilot camp to get him appointed as state Congress chief or as head of the campaign committee which will ensure he plays a critical role in ticket distribution.

JAIPUR: Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday lashed out at the Modi government over the issue of Congress leader Rahul Gandhis disqualification from the Lok Sabha. Speaking at a rally in Bikaner, he said that Rahul Gandhi had been punished for speaking the truth, and that democracy was alive in the country only because of the Congress. Political analysts have noted that while the party is on the warpath on the issue in the state, former deputy CM Sachin Pilot is completely missing from action.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Addressing a large gathering, CM Gehlot said that Motilal Nehru and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru had spearheaded the movement that led to Indias independence, while Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi had attained martyrdom for the country. But the BJP has tarnished the image of the son of that family who took out the Bharat Jodo Yatra and gave the much-needed message of unity in the country, he said. The ruling partys agenda for the ongoing agitation includes prominent leaders of the Congress party addressing the media on the topic Democracy Disqualified on March 28 and 29. Press conferences will be held in Udaipur, Jodhpur and Kota while Gehlot himself will address the media in Ahmedabad. Surprisingly, however, Sachin Pilots name is missing from the list of leaders slated to attend these events. Political observers are speculating whether this is due to renewed factionalism in the state unit of the Congress. Rumors are afloat about Pilot being cross with the Congress high command for not taking any concrete decisions on issues flagged by him. Reports are also being bandied about that this may be a pressure tactic on part of the Pilot camp to get him appointed as state Congress chief or as head of the campaign committee which will ensure he plays a critical role in ticket distribution.
Santwana Bhattacharya By

Old Mysore is where they say it will be decided. In recent times, even those who tout paradigm shifts in the world of business management like to put a coating of grand myth on unenlightening boardroom struggles and such like. Mysuru, whose self-definition is framed within the mythical struggle between Mahishasura and Chamunda Devi, lends itself to such talking up. Its the heart and soul of Karnataka, in a way. So what is a dusty, gory assembly election contest can get elevated as a do-or-die battle that will decide the fate and future of Karnataka, the nation and Indian civilisation itself.

To some extent, even such outsize propagandising contains something of the truth. In Ramanagara, closer to Bengaluru on the highway, the famous Channapatna toy-makers do a decent variation of the Russian nesting dolls. One wooden doll within another, going from the biggest to the smallest. In exactly one year, we will be plunged fully into the heat of general elections, and what happens there will surely not be irrelevant to how India shapes up. Working backward from that logic, or taking out the smaller doll each time, we can make our way back to Old Mysuru. But why is it in the eye of the vortex? For one, its the stronghold of three prominent aspiring chief ministersD.K. Shivakumar, Siddaramaiah and H.D. Kumaraswamy. Toss in the film-star son of the last-named, putting some extra garnish into the campaign trail, and you have a battle gladiatorial enough to suit Mysurus storied past.

And how each of the three contesting forces fares herethe incumbent BJP, the challenger Congress and the local turf defender JDSwill surely tilt the balance of numbers in the Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru. Thats why local intellectuals like V.K. Nataraj, former chairman of the Madras Development Institute, and political scientist Muzafar Asadi mostly converge on whats often stated as a straight-up equation, Whoever wins Mysuru will win Karnataka.

Of course there are other determinants. The Lingayats of the north are said to be more of a floating population these days, rather than a fixed bloc wedded to saffron via the good offices of ex-CM B.S. Yediyurappa, and the Congress candidate list clearly evinces an interest on that front. So perhaps a tinge of local pride colours the statements on the primacy of Mysuru. But the triangular contest in this belt does reveal the micro-dynamics of the state polls.

Traditionally, this Vokkaliga-dominated belt used to witness a straight fight between the JDS and Congress. But the concerted inroads by the BJP have upset the logic of that innocent past. Unlike coastal Karnataka, a BJP anchorage point with a sharp communal divide, Mysuru still retains an old-world flavour that still recalls the relatively progressive, egalitarian bent of the Wadiyar Maharajas. Make no mistake though, Narendra Modi is nonetheless popular here.

In Varuna, from where Siddaramaiah is now contesting, a mixed group of youthsurprisingly including many from the Lingayat communityholds forth on how the assembly polls and the 2024 Lok Sabha are unconnected in their minds. Only for the latter, they will reserve their votes for Modifor reasons national and international. The assembly is about local issueshere and now, bread and water, raw and real. Questions of ideals and identity animate that too, but not in a way unconnected to the ground. New Delhi is a remote palace of dreams to which you can still send your contributions, while coping with livelihood issues here.

This inner fluxindividual and collective minds in an unsettled pattern of Brownian motiondoes not make it easy for any of the three claimants to power. The Congress has to wean away a considerable chunk of the 30 per cent Vokkaliga votes from the JDS, while retaining a strong imprint on the Kuruba, Dalit and Muslim vote (9.78 per cent, 24.5 per cent and 8.35 per cent respectively) to have a reasonable shot at the 51 seats in this belt, inclusive of Bengaluru Rural. Depending on how you define the Mysuru belt, others count 70-odd seats. Either way, its a good quarter or more of the 224-seat assembly.

The JDS hit the road first. H.D. Kumaraswamys yatra, which has touched nearly 5,000 villages, is a sort of dogged comeback trailhow well his tough territorial defence holds up one end will make or mar things for the other two. The BJP has tried to consolidate the restive Lingayat votes, its mainstay in Karnataka, through the reservation, added outreach to the Kurubas and a section of the Dalit community. The consolidation for the Congress can only happen if the trio of DKS-Siddaramaiah-Kharge join forces.

The buzz is, if the JDS gets around 30-35 seats, Karnataka may again see a hotchpotch result. If either of the other two does well, the next five years will be theirs. For the BJP, there are other variablesits a test of voter loyalty. Thats why in Central and Bombay Karnataka, its putting its entire mightin the shape of the usual Modi-Shah carpet-bombingto keep its flock together. Stray reports also hint at a slight breach in its coastal bastions, where Congress is showing an uptick. Hyderabad Karnataka is a prestige battle for Kharge, even though it might not be quite the swing factor as Mysuru. And the 28 seats in Bengalurus greater metropolitan area punch way above their weight. The Congress used to have a good footprint here, but the BJP has cracked it of late.

Away from the statistics, Karnataka has always been an arena that yokes the local and the national together and brings them into vexed negotiations. It is a speech in Kolar that has led to Rahul Gandhis disqualification, opening up a debate on democracy and free speech. This is an election where the fading local memory of Nehru-Gandhi loyalties would be put to test perhaps for the last time. This is a state, after all, where its famously recounted that a voter in a Chamarajanagar village had to take the permission of his fellow villagers to vote for the Janata Party and not Indira Gandhiand his was a lone vote. Old anecdotes about Indira and her mesmerising hold over the voter psyche have not disappeared entirely into historys oblivion. This is also the first southern state where Atal Behari Vajpayee and L.K. Advani were hosted and funded by old RSS/Jan Sangh supporters like the Shettys who ran the Thippaiah hotels. One generation of pan-Karnataka leadersBSY, Kharge, Deve Gowdatoo are at their old game, campaigning and strategising, for perhaps the last time. Above all of them, like a hologram, Modi is looming large. As for Nehru, no one talks about him on the ground, except Ram Guha. The sword of Tipu Sultan, with its hilt gripped by the other side now, too makes no cut on the ground he used to rule at one time.

Old Mysore is where they say it will be decided. In recent times, even those who tout paradigm shifts in the world of business management like to put a coating of grand myth on unenlightening boardroom struggles and such like. Mysuru, whose self-definition is framed within the mythical struggle between Mahishasura and Chamunda Devi, lends itself to such talking up. Its the heart and soul of Karnataka, in a way. So what is a dusty, gory assembly election contest can get elevated as a do-or-die battle that will decide the fate and future of Karnataka, the nation and Indian civilisation itself. To some extent, even such outsize propagandising contains something of the truth. In Ramanagara, closer to Bengaluru on the highway, the famous Channapatna toy-makers do a decent variation of the Russian nesting dolls. One wooden doll within another, going from the biggest to the smallest. In exactly one year, we will be plunged fully into the heat of general elections, and what happens there will surely not be irrelevant to how India shapes up. Working backward from that logic, or taking out the smaller doll each time, we can make our way back to Old Mysuru. But why is it in the eye of the vortex? For one, its the stronghold of three prominent aspiring chief ministersD.K. Shivakumar, Siddaramaiah and H.D. Kumaraswamy. Toss in the film-star son of the last-named, putting some extra garnish into the campaign trail, and you have a battle gladiatorial enough to suit Mysurus storied past. And how each of the three contesting forces fares herethe incumbent BJP, the challenger Congress and the local turf defender JDSwill surely tilt the balance of numbers in the Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru. Thats why local intellectuals like V.K. Nataraj, former chairman of the Madras Development Institute, and political scientist Muzafar Asadi mostly converge on whats often stated as a straight-up equation, Whoever wins Mysuru will win Karnataka.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Of course there are other determinants. The Lingayats of the north are said to be more of a floating population these days, rather than a fixed bloc wedded to saffron via the good offices of ex-CM B.S. Yediyurappa, and the Congress candidate list clearly evinces an interest on that front. So perhaps a tinge of local pride colours the statements on the primacy of Mysuru. But the triangular contest in this belt does reveal the micro-dynamics of the state polls. Traditionally, this Vokkaliga-dominated belt used to witness a straight fight between the JDS and Congress. But the concerted inroads by the BJP have upset the logic of that innocent past. Unlike coastal Karnataka, a BJP anchorage point with a sharp communal divide, Mysuru still retains an old-world flavour that still recalls the relatively progressive, egalitarian bent of the Wadiyar Maharajas. Make no mistake though, Narendra Modi is nonetheless popular here. In Varuna, from where Siddaramaiah is now contesting, a mixed group of youthsurprisingly including many from the Lingayat communityholds forth on how the assembly polls and the 2024 Lok Sabha are unconnected in their minds. Only for the latter, they will reserve their votes for Modifor reasons national and international. The assembly is about local issueshere and now, bread and water, raw and real. Questions of ideals and identity animate that too, but not in a way unconnected to the ground. New Delhi is a remote palace of dreams to which you can still send your contributions, while coping with livelihood issues here. This inner fluxindividual and collective minds in an unsettled pattern of Brownian motiondoes not make it easy for any of the three claimants to power. The Congress has to wean away a considerable chunk of the 30 per cent Vokkaliga votes from the JDS, while retaining a strong imprint on the Kuruba, Dalit and Muslim vote (9.78 per cent, 24.5 per cent and 8.35 per cent respectively) to have a reasonable shot at the 51 seats in this belt, inclusive of Bengaluru Rural. Depending on how you define the Mysuru belt, others count 70-odd seats. Either way, its a good quarter or more of the 224-seat assembly. The JDS hit the road first. H.D. Kumaraswamys yatra, which has touched nearly 5,000 villages, is a sort of dogged comeback trailhow well his tough territorial defence holds up one end will make or mar things for the other two. The BJP has tried to consolidate the restive Lingayat votes, its mainstay in Karnataka, through the reservation, added outreach to the Kurubas and a section of the Dalit community. The consolidation for the Congress can only happen if the trio of DKS-Siddaramaiah-Kharge join forces. The buzz is, if the JDS gets around 30-35 seats, Karnataka may again see a hotchpotch result. If either of the other two does well, the next five years will be theirs. For the BJP, there are other variablesits a test of voter loyalty. Thats why in Central and Bombay Karnataka, its putting its entire mightin the shape of the usual Modi-Shah carpet-bombingto keep its flock together. Stray reports also hint at a slight breach in its coastal bastions, where Congress is showing an uptick. Hyderabad Karnataka is a prestige battle for Kharge, even though it might not be quite the swing factor as Mysuru. And the 28 seats in Bengalurus greater metropolitan area punch way above their weight. The Congress used to have a good footprint here, but the BJP has cracked it of late. Away from the statistics, Karnataka has always been an arena that yokes the local and the national together and brings them into vexed negotiations. It is a speech in Kolar that has led to Rahul Gandhis disqualification, opening up a debate on democracy and free speech. This is an election where the fading local memory of Nehru-Gandhi loyalties would be put to test perhaps for the last time. This is a state, after all, where its famously recounted that a voter in a Chamarajanagar village had to take the permission of his fellow villagers to vote for the Janata Party and not Indira Gandhiand his was a lone vote. Old anecdotes about Indira and her mesmerising hold over the voter psyche have not disappeared entirely into historys oblivion. This is also the first southern state where Atal Behari Vajpayee and L.K. Advani were hosted and funded by old RSS/Jan Sangh supporters like the Shettys who ran the Thippaiah hotels. One generation of pan-Karnataka leadersBSY, Kharge, Deve Gowdatoo are at their old game, campaigning and strategising, for perhaps the last time. Above all of them, like a hologram, Modi is looming large. As for Nehru, no one talks about him on the ground, except Ram Guha. The sword of Tipu Sultan, with its hilt gripped by the other side now, too makes no cut on the ground he used to rule at one time.
Makarand R Paranjape By

I am on my way back to Delhi from Karnatakas capital and Indias tech hub, Bengaluru. Not journalistic, let alone political, my trip was aimed at building partnerships and intellectual platforms that this city really needs and deserves. Without going into too many specifics, I found considerable enthusiasm for such a push among a wide range of influential Bangaloreans.

Already an entrepreneurship and innovation hub, Bengaluru should also ramp up its presence as an intellectual and cultural powerhouse. The city is very special to me because I grew up here. My father worked in a company way outside the city limits, in Whitefield. Today it is Indias IT core. So famous, even magical, is its name, that areas dozens of kilometres away are also known as Whitefield. Originally a settlement of our erstwhile white masters, it had its own railway station, with the military owning much of the land in the vicinity. After the departure of the British, only a few Anglo-Indians remained in old colonial bungalows when I was a little boy.

Kids of the companys top management were bussed to schools far away in the city. Mine was Bishop Cotton Boys School, on St Marks Road, founded in 1865. Similar to 19th century colonial institutions, it was meant initially for the children of Europeans. Later, Indians, too, were admitted in large numbers. It is still very well regarded, with its alumni continuing to make significant contributions to the city, country, and the world at large.

We went to school via the Old Madras Road. The entire stretch from Whitefield was deserted till the Indian Telephone Industries or ITI crossing and the K R Puram station. Further up, you had Kissan and NGEF (New Government Electrical Factory), the latter set up with German collaboration. With the wave of industrialisation in the 1970s, many companies such as Graphite India, Bhoruka Steel, Suri and Nayar, established themselves near Hoodi.

After Ulsoor, with its big temple, you came to Lido, famous for screening 70 mm movies. I remember seeing my first movie, The Sound of Music, in 1967, more than a year after its original Hollywood release. Indiranagar, one of Bengalurus most sought-after residential colonies, did not exist. The other way to town, passing Varthur, Marathalli and the old airport, had one of Indias biggest companiesHindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). You passed through miles of military establishments to reach M G Road and Trinity Church.

Though we lived so far away, I never felt like an outsider in Bengaluru. The city had its distinct localities and communities. Apart from Kannada, many languages, including Tamil, Telugu and Deccani Hindi, could be heard on its streets. And, of course, English was widely spoken, especially among the citys educated. Situated on a plateau 3000 feet above sea level, Bengaluru has the best weather of any of Indias biggest metros. In those days we rarely needed fans, except in April.

I left before I was fifteen for further studies to Chennai, Delhi and then the United States. Most of my classmates, whose families were from Bengaluru, remained here. When I visit after so many years, I find them welcoming and hospitable despite the passage of time. The city has grown and expanded in ways that would have been impossible to imagine fifty years ago. But it retains its essential cosmopolitan and relaxed character. What is more, it is now the pivot of Indian innovation and entrepreneurship, a global IT centre, and the nucleus of a large talent pool. Bengaluru is bustling with the young and aspirational. It is a place where they not only start their careers but launch a thousand dreams. Private enterprise, not governmentality, drives growth. No wonder it is the consumer capital of India, the first place where new products and ideas are launched.

Yes, I rode the new metro line from Whitefield to KR Puram inaugurated by PM Modi on March 25. It takes only 19 minutes; in a car you might reach in over an hour, depending on how bad Bengalurus notoriously slow traffic is. I must say that the ride in the squeaky-clean new carriages was bordering on magical. Bengaluru resembled Singapore or Seoul from sights seen along the route.

Wherever I went and whoever I spoke to, politics invariably cropped up. Not surprising considering that Karnatakas Assembly elections are just a month away, on May 10. All the 224 seats in the states Legislative Assembly are up for grabs. The results are expected on May 13. The last elections, held in May 2018, threw up an uncertain, three-cornered mandate, with the Bharatiya Janata Party leading the tally with 104 seats. Though invited to form the government,

B S Yediyurappa, the BJP Assembly leader, resigned ten minutes before the trust vote three days later. The Congress, with 80, and Janata Dal (Secular), with 37, formed a coalition with H D Kumaraswamy of the latter party becoming chief minister. Fourteen months later, 16 MLAs from the coalition crossed over to BJP. Kumaraswamy lost the floor test, mustering only 99 votes to the BJPs 105. On July 26, 2019, a month after Narendra Modi won his second term as Indias prime minister, Yediyurappa was sworn in as the states chief minister for the fourth time. Two years later and after the Covid-19 pandemic, Karnataka got a new chief minister, Basavaraj Bommai, its 23rd. His father, S R Bommai, had been a Janata Dal CM in 1988.

Sociologist and former JNU colleague, Deepak Kumar, contends that three Cs plague our society as nothing else does: corruption, casteism, and communalism. Karnataka, especially during election season, is no exception to this generalisation. Though predictions are hazardous in Indian politics, many believe that it will, once again, be a fractured mandate with no party getting a clear majority.

There is no doubt of some anti-incumbency, with allegations of corruption against the BJP, but on the other side, the Congress with its infighting and factionalism, isnt considered a much cleaner alternative either. If so, the father-son duo of JDS (Deve Gowda and Kumaraswamy), will once again play the kingmakers. With the caste calculus so vital to the outcome, what will happen is anybodys guess. But, as an astute insider told me, Dont forget that Modi and Shah not only know how to win but also how to ensure that their rivals lose.

(Views are personal)

Makarand R Paranjape

Professor of English at JNU

(Tweets @MakrandParanspe)

I am on my way back to Delhi from Karnatakas capital and Indias tech hub, Bengaluru. Not journalistic, let alone political, my trip was aimed at building partnerships and intellectual platforms that this city really needs and deserves. Without going into too many specifics, I found considerable enthusiasm for such a push among a wide range of influential Bangaloreans. Already an entrepreneurship and innovation hub, Bengaluru should also ramp up its presence as an intellectual and cultural powerhouse. The city is very special to me because I grew up here. My father worked in a company way outside the city limits, in Whitefield. Today it is Indias IT core. So famous, even magical, is its name, that areas dozens of kilometres away are also known as Whitefield. Originally a settlement of our erstwhile white masters, it had its own railway station, with the military owning much of the land in the vicinity. After the departure of the British, only a few Anglo-Indians remained in old colonial bungalows when I was a little boy. Kids of the companys top management were bussed to schools far away in the city. Mine was Bishop Cotton Boys School, on St Marks Road, founded in 1865. Similar to 19th century colonial institutions, it was meant initially for the children of Europeans. Later, Indians, too, were admitted in large numbers. It is still very well regarded, with its alumni continuing to make significant contributions to the city, country, and the world at large. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); We went to school via the Old Madras Road. The entire stretch from Whitefield was deserted till the Indian Telephone Industries or ITI crossing and the K R Puram station. Further up, you had Kissan and NGEF (New Government Electrical Factory), the latter set up with German collaboration. With the wave of industrialisation in the 1970s, many companies such as Graphite India, Bhoruka Steel, Suri and Nayar, established themselves near Hoodi. After Ulsoor, with its big temple, you came to Lido, famous for screening 70 mm movies. I remember seeing my first movie, The Sound of Music, in 1967, more than a year after its original Hollywood release. Indiranagar, one of Bengalurus most sought-after residential colonies, did not exist. The other way to town, passing Varthur, Marathalli and the old airport, had one of Indias biggest companiesHindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). You passed through miles of military establishments to reach M G Road and Trinity Church. Though we lived so far away, I never felt like an outsider in Bengaluru. The city had its distinct localities and communities. Apart from Kannada, many languages, including Tamil, Telugu and Deccani Hindi, could be heard on its streets. And, of course, English was widely spoken, especially among the citys educated. Situated on a plateau 3000 feet above sea level, Bengaluru has the best weather of any of Indias biggest metros. In those days we rarely needed fans, except in April. I left before I was fifteen for further studies to Chennai, Delhi and then the United States. Most of my classmates, whose families were from Bengaluru, remained here. When I visit after so many years, I find them welcoming and hospitable despite the passage of time. The city has grown and expanded in ways that would have been impossible to imagine fifty years ago. But it retains its essential cosmopolitan and relaxed character. What is more, it is now the pivot of Indian innovation and entrepreneurship, a global IT centre, and the nucleus of a large talent pool. Bengaluru is bustling with the young and aspirational. It is a place where they not only start their careers but launch a thousand dreams. Private enterprise, not governmentality, drives growth. No wonder it is the consumer capital of India, the first place where new products and ideas are launched. Yes, I rode the new metro line from Whitefield to KR Puram inaugurated by PM Modi on March 25. It takes only 19 minutes; in a car you might reach in over an hour, depending on how bad Bengalurus notoriously slow traffic is. I must say that the ride in the squeaky-clean new carriages was bordering on magical. Bengaluru resembled Singapore or Seoul from sights seen along the route. Wherever I went and whoever I spoke to, politics invariably cropped up. Not surprising considering that Karnatakas Assembly elections are just a month away, on May 10. All the 224 seats in the states Legislative Assembly are up for grabs. The results are expected on May 13. The last elections, held in May 2018, threw up an uncertain, three-cornered mandate, with the Bharatiya Janata Party leading the tally with 104 seats. Though invited to form the government, B S Yediyurappa, the BJP Assembly leader, resigned ten minutes before the trust vote three days later. The Congress, with 80, and Janata Dal (Secular), with 37, formed a coalition with H D Kumaraswamy of the latter party becoming chief minister. Fourteen months later, 16 MLAs from the coalition crossed over to BJP. Kumaraswamy lost the floor test, mustering only 99 votes to the BJPs 105. On July 26, 2019, a month after Narendra Modi won his second term as Indias prime minister, Yediyurappa was sworn in as the states chief minister for the fourth time. Two years later and after the Covid-19 pandemic, Karnataka got a new chief minister, Basavaraj Bommai, its 23rd. His father, S R Bommai, had been a Janata Dal CM in 1988. Sociologist and former JNU colleague, Deepak Kumar, contends that three Cs plague our society as nothing else does: corruption, casteism, and communalism. Karnataka, especially during election season, is no exception to this generalisation. Though predictions are hazardous in Indian politics, many believe that it will, once again, be a fractured mandate with no party getting a clear majority. There is no doubt of some anti-incumbency, with allegations of corruption against the BJP, but on the other side, the Congress with its infighting and factionalism, isnt considered a much cleaner alternative either. If so, the father-son duo of JDS (Deve Gowda and Kumaraswamy), will once again play the kingmakers. With the caste calculus so vital to the outcome, what will happen is anybodys guess. But, as an astute insider told me, Dont forget that Modi and Shah not only know how to win but also how to ensure that their rivals lose. (Views are personal) Makarand R Paranjape Professor of English at JNU (Tweets @MakrandParanspe)
When a delegation of Muslim leaders meets the second most powerful person in the land, as it did last week and gushes about the positivity in the talks later, it should symbolise hope. Worried over the recent cycle of communal violence during Ram Navami processions in Bengal and elsewhere, the delegation comprising Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind leaders and All India Muslim Personal Law Board members shared their concerns with Union home minister Amit Shah. Some Muslim intellectuals raised almost the same hot-button topics when they met RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat in August last year. Yet, nothing on the ground appears to have changed, they recently wrote to Bhagwat disappointedly. There is no kill switch to suddenly shut down hate speech, even if the Hindutva leadership might want to use it.

The BJP appears to be warming up to the Muslims for its electoral interests. It wants to fracture their vote monolith by drawing the Pasmandas, the poor in the community who constitute the vast majority of the population. The delegation that met Shah returned with the impression that he was completely different from his image of a hardliner, as he heard them out, was receptive to ideas and wasnt in denial about hate speech and sporadic incidents of mob lynching. Shah concurred with their concern about the mushrooming of cow vigilante groups and the need to rein them in. The problem with the Bajrang Dal, floated during the height of the Ayodhya movement, is that it had liberally inducted musclemen and indoctrinated them to bully the minorities. After the Babri demolition, while its leaders like Vinay Katiyar got positions of power, its foot soldiers ended up as loose cannons. Many were expelled from the Bajrang Dal, who later went on to create outfits that were far more radical and became self-styled cow vigilantes.

Impartial policing, with the long arm of the law going after such rogue elements with as much ferocity as it sends bulldozers to the properties of perceived anti-social minorities in BJPruled states, is the need of the hour. Going forward, the Hindutva leadership and Muslims must unequivocally condemn incidents that tear our social fabric apart instead of indulging in selective amnesia. Unfortunately, the one thing both sides seem to agree upon is regressiveblocking same-sex unions. Their canvas of convergence needs to be far wider to smoke out Islamophobia, and nurture communal amity and national integrity.

When a delegation of Muslim leaders meets the second most powerful person in the land, as it did last week and gushes about the positivity in the talks later, it should symbolise hope. Worried over the recent cycle of communal violence during Ram Navami processions in Bengal and elsewhere, the delegation comprising Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind leaders and All India Muslim Personal Law Board members shared their concerns with Union home minister Amit Shah. Some Muslim intellectuals raised almost the same hot-button topics when they met RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat in August last year. Yet, nothing on the ground appears to have changed, they recently wrote to Bhagwat disappointedly. There is no kill switch to suddenly shut down hate speech, even if the Hindutva leadership might want to use it. The BJP appears to be warming up to the Muslims for its electoral interests. It wants to fracture their vote monolith by drawing the Pasmandas, the poor in the community who constitute the vast majority of the population. The delegation that met Shah returned with the impression that he was completely different from his image of a hardliner, as he heard them out, was receptive to ideas and wasnt in denial about hate speech and sporadic incidents of mob lynching. Shah concurred with their concern about the mushrooming of cow vigilante groups and the need to rein them in. The problem with the Bajrang Dal, floated during the height of the Ayodhya movement, is that it had liberally inducted musclemen and indoctrinated them to bully the minorities. After the Babri demolition, while its leaders like Vinay Katiyar got positions of power, its foot soldiers ended up as loose cannons. Many were expelled from the Bajrang Dal, who later went on to create outfits that were far more radical and became self-styled cow vigilantes. Impartial policing, with the long arm of the law going after such rogue elements with as much ferocity as it sends bulldozers to the properties of perceived anti-social minorities in BJPruled states, is the need of the hour. Going forward, the Hindutva leadership and Muslims must unequivocally condemn incidents that tear our social fabric apart instead of indulging in selective amnesia. Unfortunately, the one thing both sides seem to agree upon is regressiveblocking same-sex unions. Their canvas of convergence needs to be far wider to smoke out Islamophobia, and nurture communal amity and national integrity.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); });
By Express News Service

VIJAYAWADA: TDP Politburo member Yanamala Ramakrishnudu has asked Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy to answer as to how progress in agriculture is possible when the yield is so low. He expressed surprise how Jagan claimed while he was releasing Rythu Bharosa aid that the yield of foodgrains had gone up by 12 lakh tonnes this year.

Stating that foodgrains yield had fallen drastically this year, the former TDP minister asked why Jagan resorted to issuing such a false statement. Agriculture sector for the past four years has been in doldrums and running in total losses, he pointed out.

In a statement issued on Saturday, Yanamala said farmers were not getting minimum support price for any produce. Crop holiday was declared both in Kharif and Rabi at some places. Jagan seems to have issued the false statement only to win the confidence of farmers, he felt.

Stating that even input subsidy is not being paid properly for the farmers who suffered crop loss, the TDP Politburo member said they were being exploited by millers and officials.

Giving the details of the farm produce in the past four years, Yanamala stated that the statistics were revealed in the socio-economic survey. At least 73% of population in the State has no revenue since the agro economy is badly hit, he said.

VIJAYAWADA: TDP Politburo member Yanamala Ramakrishnudu has asked Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy to answer as to how progress in agriculture is possible when the yield is so low. He expressed surprise how Jagan claimed while he was releasing Rythu Bharosa aid that the yield of foodgrains had gone up by 12 lakh tonnes this year. Stating that foodgrains yield had fallen drastically this year, the former TDP minister asked why Jagan resorted to issuing such a false statement. Agriculture sector for the past four years has been in doldrums and running in total losses, he pointed out. In a statement issued on Saturday, Yanamala said farmers were not getting minimum support price for any produce. Crop holiday was declared both in Kharif and Rabi at some places. Jagan seems to have issued the false statement only to win the confidence of farmers, he felt.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Stating that even input subsidy is not being paid properly for the farmers who suffered crop loss, the TDP Politburo member said they were being exploited by millers and officials. Giving the details of the farm produce in the past four years, Yanamala stated that the statistics were revealed in the socio-economic survey. At least 73% of population in the State has no revenue since the agro economy is badly hit, he said.
By Express News Service

VISAKHAPATNAM : NTPC Simhadri has exported 50,000 metric tonnes of flyash to South Africa, according to head of the plant Sanjay Kumar Sinha. Speaking to mediapersons on Saturday, he said it has been the single largest consignment of flyash exported from the country. About 10,000 MT of flyash was exported to Bangladesh. Negotiations are in progress for export of flyash to the Middle East and the UAE.

He said Simhadri plant achieved 100% utilisation of flyash, a byproduct of the coal-fired power generation. Simhadri has been achieving above 100% flyash utilisation for the last six years and it recorded the highest utilisation of 176% in 2022-23. Tender process for setting up a `40 crore nano brick manufacturing unit using flyash at Simhadri plant is in final stage. The unit will be commissioned within a year, he explained.

As much as 127 lakh MT of flyash was utilised in the last four years. Flyash is being used in the national highway project from Anakapalle to Anandapuram, Anandapuram to Ranastalam and to Bhogapuram international airport connecting road. It is also being used in Raipur-Visakhapatnam economic corridor and this has saved many natural hillocks from sand mining for road construction, he elaborated.

Sanjay said NTPC Simhadri has done exceedingly well in power generation, availability and other parameters. It achieved 12,640 MU of power generation at PLF of 72% with forced outage being less than 2%. The floating solar plant, which has an installed capacity of 25 MW, has also recorded generation of 46.96 MU with CUF of 21.44% in 2022-23. As many as 1.2 lakh customised HDPE floats are used and connected as a grid. The floating solar plant was set up at a cost of `110 crore in 75 acres spread over the raw water reservoir. There is scope for further expanding the plant to add 25 MW power, he highlighted.

AGM EMD of Simhadri V Jayan said green belt development and reduction of carbon footprint has been the main objective of NTPC Simhadri and the same is being carried out on a continuous basis.

As many as 13.80 lakh trees have been planted with a survival rate of more than 90%. Every year 40,000 trees are being planted, in association with the social forestry department of AP. The green belt has been acting as a wind barrier between ash dyke and Pittalavanipalem, he added.

VISAKHAPATNAM : NTPC Simhadri has exported 50,000 metric tonnes of flyash to South Africa, according to head of the plant Sanjay Kumar Sinha. Speaking to mediapersons on Saturday, he said it has been the single largest consignment of flyash exported from the country. About 10,000 MT of flyash was exported to Bangladesh. Negotiations are in progress for export of flyash to the Middle East and the UAE. He said Simhadri plant achieved 100% utilisation of flyash, a byproduct of the coal-fired power generation. Simhadri has been achieving above 100% flyash utilisation for the last six years and it recorded the highest utilisation of 176% in 2022-23. Tender process for setting up a `40 crore nano brick manufacturing unit using flyash at Simhadri plant is in final stage. The unit will be commissioned within a year, he explained. As much as 127 lakh MT of flyash was utilised in the last four years. Flyash is being used in the national highway project from Anakapalle to Anandapuram, Anandapuram to Ranastalam and to Bhogapuram international airport connecting road. It is also being used in Raipur-Visakhapatnam economic corridor and this has saved many natural hillocks from sand mining for road construction, he elaborated.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Sanjay said NTPC Simhadri has done exceedingly well in power generation, availability and other parameters. It achieved 12,640 MU of power generation at PLF of 72% with forced outage being less than 2%. The floating solar plant, which has an installed capacity of 25 MW, has also recorded generation of 46.96 MU with CUF of 21.44% in 2022-23. As many as 1.2 lakh customised HDPE floats are used and connected as a grid. The floating solar plant was set up at a cost of `110 crore in 75 acres spread over the raw water reservoir. There is scope for further expanding the plant to add 25 MW power, he highlighted. AGM EMD of Simhadri V Jayan said green belt development and reduction of carbon footprint has been the main objective of NTPC Simhadri and the same is being carried out on a continuous basis. As many as 13.80 lakh trees have been planted with a survival rate of more than 90%. Every year 40,000 trees are being planted, in association with the social forestry department of AP. The green belt has been acting as a wind barrier between ash dyke and Pittalavanipalem, he added.
By Express News Service

MYSURU: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday visited the elephant camp at Mudumalai in the hilly Nilgiris district.

The PM was accorded a welcome by the pachyderms and he fed sugarcane to some of the elephants at the Theppakkadu camp at the tiger reserve here.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi went on a "safari" at the Bandipur Tiger Reserve in Karnataka amidst the picturesque surroundings of the towering Western Ghats on Sunday, as part of programmes to mark 50 years of "Project Tiger '.

Modi, dressed in a speckled safari clothing and hat, reportedly covered about 20-km distance in the open jeep, during the Safari at the Tiger Reserve, located partly in Gundlupet taluk of Chamarajanagar district, and partly in HD Kote and Nanjangud taluks of Mysuru District.

WATCH:

"Spent the morning at the scenic Bandipur Tiger Reserve and got a glimpse of India's wildlife, natural beauty and diversity", Modi tweeted.

On his arrival at Melukamanahalli helipad, the Prime Minister travelled by road to Forest Department's reception centre at Bandipur, where he paid respects to forest martyrs memorial nearby, before leaving for Safari in the forest department's jeep.

Modi shared pictures of Safari on his twitter account in which he can be seen standing in the open jeep, and with a camera and binoculars. He also shared pictures of elephants, langurs, spotted deers, and baisons.

Spent the morning at the scenic Bandipur Tiger Reserve and got a glimpse of Indias wildlife, natural beauty and diversity. pic.twitter.com/X5B8KmiW9w  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 9, 2023

According to the state forest department, the National Park was formed by including most of the forest areas of the then Venugopala Wildlife Park established under the government notification dated February 19, 1941 and the area was enlarged in 1985 extending over an area of 874.20 Sq.

Km and named as Bandipur National Park. The reserve was brought under 'Project Tiger' in 1973. Subsequently, some adjacent reserve forest areas were added to the reserve extending to 880.02 Sq.Km.

PM Modi who had arrived in Mysuru to commemorate the 50 years of Project Tiger on Saturday night visited Bandipur safari point at around 7.30 am. From the temporary helipad at Oval Ground in Mysuru, PM Modi flew to the temporary helipad at Melkammanahalli at Gundlupet.

Modi visited the forester's martyrs memorial and paid respect to forest staffers who laid their lives to protect the forest and wildlife.

Later PM Modi visited Boldudda Anti Poaching Camp where he interacted with the forest staff. The PM will visit Madumalai Tiger Reserve where he will felicitate Bomman and Belli, the couple who dedicated their life for caring orphaned elephants. The film based on the couple 'Elephant Whisperers' won the Oscar award recently.

(With PTI inputs)

MYSURU: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday visited the elephant camp at Mudumalai in the hilly Nilgiris district. The PM was accorded a welcome by the pachyderms and he fed sugarcane to some of the elephants at the Theppakkadu camp at the tiger reserve here. Prime Minister Narendra Modi went on a "safari" at the Bandipur Tiger Reserve in Karnataka amidst the picturesque surroundings of the towering Western Ghats on Sunday, as part of programmes to mark 50 years of "Project Tiger '.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Modi, dressed in a speckled safari clothing and hat, reportedly covered about 20-km distance in the open jeep, during the Safari at the Tiger Reserve, located partly in Gundlupet taluk of Chamarajanagar district, and partly in HD Kote and Nanjangud taluks of Mysuru District. WATCH: "Spent the morning at the scenic Bandipur Tiger Reserve and got a glimpse of India's wildlife, natural beauty and diversity", Modi tweeted. On his arrival at Melukamanahalli helipad, the Prime Minister travelled by road to Forest Department's reception centre at Bandipur, where he paid respects to forest martyrs memorial nearby, before leaving for Safari in the forest department's jeep. Modi shared pictures of Safari on his twitter account in which he can be seen standing in the open jeep, and with a camera and binoculars. He also shared pictures of elephants, langurs, spotted deers, and baisons. Spent the morning at the scenic Bandipur Tiger Reserve and got a glimpse of Indias wildlife, natural beauty and diversity. pic.twitter.com/X5B8KmiW9w  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 9, 2023 According to the state forest department, the National Park was formed by including most of the forest areas of the then Venugopala Wildlife Park established under the government notification dated February 19, 1941 and the area was enlarged in 1985 extending over an area of 874.20 Sq. Km and named as Bandipur National Park. The reserve was brought under 'Project Tiger' in 1973. Subsequently, some adjacent reserve forest areas were added to the reserve extending to 880.02 Sq.Km. PM Modi who had arrived in Mysuru to commemorate the 50 years of Project Tiger on Saturday night visited Bandipur safari point at around 7.30 am. From the temporary helipad at Oval Ground in Mysuru, PM Modi flew to the temporary helipad at Melkammanahalli at Gundlupet. Modi visited the forester's martyrs memorial and paid respect to forest staffers who laid their lives to protect the forest and wildlife. .@PMOIndia @narendramodi at elephant camp after @Bandipur_TR safari. Interacts with mahouts, kavadis.@NewIndianXpress @XpressBengaluru @KannadaPrabha @santwana99 @Cloudnirad @Amitsen_TNIE @aranya_kfd @KumarPushkarifs @mahesh_ifs @ParveenKaswan @wildmysuru @ifs_yedukondalu pic.twitter.com/CV7UeG9pAU  Bosky Khanna (@BoskyKhanna) April 9, 2023 Later PM Modi visited Boldudda Anti Poaching Camp where he interacted with the forest staff. The PM will visit Madumalai Tiger Reserve where he will felicitate Bomman and Belli, the couple who dedicated their life for caring orphaned elephants. The film based on the couple 'Elephant Whisperers' won the Oscar award recently. (With PTI inputs)
Cynthia Chandran By

Express News Service

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: I joined the BJP without any expectations, says Anil Antony, whose recent move from the countrys grand old party has been a major talking point. Speaking to The New Indian Express, the son of veteran Congress leader A K Antony says the BJP has a vision for the country for the next 25 years, while the Congress has become rudderless, without a road map for even the next 25 days.

Have you been a victim of cyberbullying since joining the BJP?

Cyberbullying has become a regular affair. I was targeted when in Congress. But now that I have left the party, I am in a positive frame of mind. But cyberbullying persists in some quarters. It is understandable when your political opponents do it.



Whats going to be your role in the BJP?

I have had conversations with the state and central leadership. The party understands that I have certain experiences and skill sets. They have a 25-year, long-term plan for the country. The PM has a clear vision to transform India into a developed country by 2048. I was looking for a platform where I can contribute towards nation-building. I joined the party without any expectations.



Will you be accompanying PM Modi to Kochi on April 25?

These decisions will be taken by the party. The state leadership informed me about the Kochi event, where I would be chairing the youth enclave. I will attend the event along with the PM and others. But I do not know about the logistics of the event.



The BJP roped in Christian leaders like Alphons Kannanthanam and Tom Vadakkan. But they did not make an impact. Will you be able to break the jinx?

These are the misconceptions of political opponents. Kannanthanam was a top-performing Union minister who contributed much to Kerala. Vadakkan is an established spokesperson of the party who promotes the PMs vision across the country. He is also a national executive member. I did not join the party for any particular role.



Do you expect minority communities to benefit from your move to the BJP?

I see myself as an Indian youth. Its a country where 60-65% of the population is under 40 years of age. We have a central government that was chosen in 2014 and 2019 with the biggest mandate in modern Indian history.

In Keralas case, its just a matter of time. We saw what happened in the Northeast, West Bengal, Telangana and Tripura. Very soon, the BJP will grow into a significant electoral force in Kerala.



Going forward, do you expect the Congress state leadership to struggle?

People, especially the young, do not see the Congress as the present or the future. This is why election after election, the party is getting rejected. The party has a rudderless leadership that doesnt even have a 25-day vision.



How do you view the emergence of K C Venugopal?

I have known Venugopal since my childhood. He had emerged through grassroots work and is a good man.



You were born with a silver spoon, unlike your father, who had come up the hard way. Has politics been easy for you?

I was lucky to have my background. Ever since my childhood, I interacted with political stalwarts. I have tried to learn, but there are other areas in life including technology, and world affairs. Side by side, I was learning politics. How it came to me is not something I can handle. It is for others to judge.

You said everyone in Congress is working for a family. Within hours, your father reiterated his loyalty to the Nehru family. Has A K Antony disowned his son?

My father and I have political differences and differing perspectives on where the country is now and where its headed. Whatever our differences, I have deep love and highest respect for him. I have learnt a lot from him. I understand where his views come from. He has been in Congress and a parliamentarian for 60-plus years.



Your brother, Ajith, in an interview with TNIE, said he desires your return to Congress.

We are independent individuals, and are free to pursue our independent paths. Politics is politics, but that doesnt affect our relationship in any way.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: I joined the BJP without any expectations, says Anil Antony, whose recent move from the countrys grand old party has been a major talking point. Speaking to The New Indian Express, the son of veteran Congress leader A K Antony says the BJP has a vision for the country for the next 25 years, while the Congress has become rudderless, without a road map for even the next 25 days. Have you been a victim of cyberbullying since joining the BJP? Cyberbullying has become a regular affair. I was targeted when in Congress. But now that I have left the party, I am in a positive frame of mind. But cyberbullying persists in some quarters. It is understandable when your political opponents do it. Whats going to be your role in the BJP? I have had conversations with the state and central leadership. The party understands that I have certain experiences and skill sets. They have a 25-year, long-term plan for the country. The PM has a clear vision to transform India into a developed country by 2048. I was looking for a platform where I can contribute towards nation-building. I joined the party without any expectations. Will you be accompanying PM Modi to Kochi on April 25? These decisions will be taken by the party. The state leadership informed me about the Kochi event, where I would be chairing the youth enclave. I will attend the event along with the PM and others. But I do not know about the logistics of the event. The BJP roped in Christian leaders like Alphons Kannanthanam and Tom Vadakkan. But they did not make an impact. Will you be able to break the jinx? These are the misconceptions of political opponents. Kannanthanam was a top-performing Union minister who contributed much to Kerala. Vadakkan is an established spokesperson of the party who promotes the PMs vision across the country. He is also a national executive member. I did not join the party for any particular role. Do you expect minority communities to benefit from your move to the BJP? I see myself as an Indian youth. Its a country where 60-65% of the population is under 40 years of age. We have a central government that was chosen in 2014 and 2019 with the biggest mandate in modern Indian history. In Keralas case, its just a matter of time. We saw what happened in the Northeast, West Bengal, Telangana and Tripura. Very soon, the BJP will grow into a significant electoral force in Kerala. Going forward, do you expect the Congress state leadership to struggle? People, especially the young, do not see the Congress as the present or the future. This is why election after election, the party is getting rejected. The party has a rudderless leadership that doesnt even have a 25-day vision. How do you view the emergence of K C Venugopal? I have known Venugopal since my childhood. He had emerged through grassroots work and is a good man. You were born with a silver spoon, unlike your father, who had come up the hard way. Has politics been easy for you? I was lucky to have my background. Ever since my childhood, I interacted with political stalwarts. I have tried to learn, but there are other areas in life including technology, and world affairs. Side by side, I was learning politics. How it came to me is not something I can handle. It is for others to judge.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); You said everyone in Congress is working for a family. Within hours, your father reiterated his loyalty to the Nehru family. Has A K Antony disowned his son? My father and I have political differences and differing perspectives on where the country is now and where its headed. Whatever our differences, I have deep love and highest respect for him. I have learnt a lot from him. I understand where his views come from. He has been in Congress and a parliamentarian for 60-plus years. Your brother, Ajith, in an interview with TNIE, said he desires your return to Congress. We are independent individuals, and are free to pursue our independent paths. Politics is politics, but that doesnt affect our relationship in any way.
By Express News Service

KALPETTA: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will visit Wayanad on Tuesday for the first after his disqualification as a Lok Sabha MP. The UDF district committee has decided to accord a grand reception to the former Wayanad MP. Disqualification

A mass public gathering and a road show, in which national and state leaders of the UDF and hundreds of party workers will participate, will be held at Kalpetta as part of the reception.

Rahul will address his voters at a public meeting in front of the MP office in Kalpetta at 3.30 pm. State Congress president K Sudhakaran, AICC members and KPCC leaders will also attend the meeting.

Hundreds of UDF activists from Wayanad, Kozhikode and Malappuram districts and delegates from Palakkad, Kannur and Kasaragod districts will attend the public meeting and the roadshow, said KPCC working president T Siddique at a press conference.

The district committee of the UDF has made all arrangements to welcome Rahul Gandhi and make the event a grand success, said Siddique.

Meanwhile, the party workers have begun the door-to-door delivery of the copy of a letter written by Rahul to the voters in Wayanad. They expect to deliver the letter to each household in the constituency prior to the leaders arrival. In the letter, Rahul repeats his attack against the Union government. He says that his fight against the RSS and the BJP will continue. The former MP also reminds his voters that they should overcome every crisis unitedly.

Rahul last visited Wayanad in February when he came down heavily against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his alleged nexus with business magnate Gautam Adani.

KALPETTA: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will visit Wayanad on Tuesday for the first after his disqualification as a Lok Sabha MP. The UDF district committee has decided to accord a grand reception to the former Wayanad MP. Disqualification A mass public gathering and a road show, in which national and state leaders of the UDF and hundreds of party workers will participate, will be held at Kalpetta as part of the reception. Rahul will address his voters at a public meeting in front of the MP office in Kalpetta at 3.30 pm. State Congress president K Sudhakaran, AICC members and KPCC leaders will also attend the meeting. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Hundreds of UDF activists from Wayanad, Kozhikode and Malappuram districts and delegates from Palakkad, Kannur and Kasaragod districts will attend the public meeting and the roadshow, said KPCC working president T Siddique at a press conference. The district committee of the UDF has made all arrangements to welcome Rahul Gandhi and make the event a grand success, said Siddique. Meanwhile, the party workers have begun the door-to-door delivery of the copy of a letter written by Rahul to the voters in Wayanad. They expect to deliver the letter to each household in the constituency prior to the leaders arrival. In the letter, Rahul repeats his attack against the Union government. He says that his fight against the RSS and the BJP will continue. The former MP also reminds his voters that they should overcome every crisis unitedly. Rahul last visited Wayanad in February when he came down heavily against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his alleged nexus with business magnate Gautam Adani.
Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah met with Ismail Haniyeh, head of the political bureau of Hamas, to discuss ongoing violence in Palestine, according to a statement issued by the Lebanese party on Sunday.

Haniyeh, who arrived in Beirut on Wednesday, met with Nasrallah and reviewed the most important developments in occupied Palestine, the course of events in Al-Aqsa Mosque and the escalating resistance in the West Bank and Gaza Strip."

The two leaders also discussed "the political developments in the region, the readiness of the resistance axis and the cooperation of its parties in confronting all these events and developments."

The exiled Hamas leader has visited Lebanon several times in recent years, where he usually meets Nasrallah.

The impetus for the meeting was the escalation in violence that erupted last week after Israeli police raided the Al-Aqsa mosque on Wednesday, firing tear gas and stun grenades to disperse hundreds of Palestinians who were participating in Itikaf, the religious practice of seclusion inside mosques commonly observed during Ramadan, and arrested 350 of them.

In the aftermath, Palestinian factions vowed to launch revenge attacks, with Haniyeh confirming on Thursday from Lebanon that the factions would not stand "hands tied" in the face of the Israeli aggression on Al-Aqsa Mosque.

On Thursday, at least 34 rockets were fired from southern Lebanon towards Israel. Israel shot down most of them, attributing blame to Palestinian factions, likely Hamas or Islamic Jihad.

On Friday, the Israeli army carried out airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, and a smaller number on southern Lebanon.

On Saturday night, the Israeli army announced that it had launched ground and air strikes on sites in Syria in retaliation for the firing of missiles from Syria towards the occupied Golan Heights.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that the Israeli bombardment targeted Syrian army sites in the southern governorates of As-Suwayda, Daraa and Quneitra.

At the same time, Israel is in the midst of deploying security reinforcements in the wake of two attacks on Friday that killed three people, an Italian tourist and two Israeli-British sisters, in Tel Aviv and the occupied West Bank.

On Saturday, the Palestinian Ministry of Health reported that a Palestinian youth was killed by Israeli forces in the northern West Bank.

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By Express News Service

Cardinal George Alencherry, head of the Syro-Malabar Church, is a prominent face of the Christian community in India. He has the enormous task of navigating through a crisis within the Church while dealing with external challenges. He was quite forthcoming in his views on the internal dispute, political situation in the country and the state, and religious equations during an interaction.

Excerpts:

You are forced to celebrate Holy Mass during Passion Week in the chapel at St Thomas Mount, instead of St Marys Cathedral Basilica, which has remained closed ever since two groups of parishioners fought in the church on Christmas eve.

Its a peculiar situation. A Major Archbishop is supposed to hold the mass in his Cathedral. But there we do not have a convenient atmosphere. So, well have the Holy Mass in the chapel here at St Thomas Mount, which is also my residence. Theres also a plan to have a church in this compound. Im not unhappy, but not very enthusiastic either about having to conduct mass here. Some are violating even Papal orders. But the Church is not going on the offensive as we prefer harmony.

Those visuals of the church violence were quite shocking

Yes, it was shocking to all. Such things should not have happened. Some want to win at all costs  even at the expense of Christian values. Some vested interests in society are encouraging these dissidents to take a stand against the Church. They have financial support from outside. Some extremist elements from other communities could also be behind them.

WATCH:

The dispute is about the way holy mass is conducted. For an outsider, it may seem like an unwanted controversy because what is important is prayer. Is it necessary to be so belligerent about the way it is conducted?

It may seem so. Thats natural. But for those who have gone through the whole process for the last 40-50 years, the debates and all, where it was felt that the Church needs uniformity in the conduct of mass, the decision is important. Besides, its not a good thing to disobey the decision taken by all together. This situation was not created by the Church but by certain sections led by activist-minded priests.

Theres a talk that an attempt is being made to split the Church on the pretext of this dispute.

I also heard that. But people wont support such a move. Those who want to split will not succeed.

Will there be an end to this?

We are in touch with Rome. There will be a solution.

Syro-Malabar Church has made lots of contributions to Kerala society. But now we get to hear statements from certain priests that do not suit priesthood For example in the case of Ecologically Sensitive Zone, a bishop had even threatened bloodshed.

The Church has always been for the betterment of our society. People migrated to high ranges as per the directives of the government. It was indeed Christians who migrated first but now many communities are staying there. If priests talked aggressively, that is for the sake of everyone there; not just Christians.

There has been an increase in instances of mananimal conflicts in these areas

We need forests and wild animals. No species must go extinct. But if the number of animals increases beyond a limit, then culling is a must. There is no doubt that wildlife protection cannot be at the expense of human beings.

You are saying this on the basis of the concept that human beings are at the centre of everything. Isnt coexistence a better way?

Any theory should be about the protection of humans, animals, and nature. There should be a balance. Equity of creation is important. But, the welfare of human beings must be the centre of all policy decisions.

Metropolitan Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Thalassery Joseph Pamplany had said Christians would vote for BJP if it ensured Rs 300 per kg for rubber. Is that the official position of the Catholic Church?

How can it be? Thats his individual opinion. Priests have the freedom to air their views. But the Church has no commitment to any political party. Church has no politics, but people have. Officially, we will never advise our faithful to vote for BJP or any particular party. Bishop Pamplany was echoing the sentiments of farmers. It is for the faithful to take a call.

The BJP was quick to respond to that

Isnt it natural for a political party to try their luck if they see a space for them? Other parties too tried to exploit the situation.

Till recently, the Christian community had some disinclination towards BJP. But now one can sense that it is increasingly getting closer to BJP Isnt it so?

If you look around you will see that it is happening not just in the case of the Christian community alone. The Nair community too had a special consideration towards Congress earlier. But that affinity has come down steadily. A section switched its loyalties towards the Left because that was the only other option. Left parties also failed to meet their expectations in some instances. So, it is natural that people may look for other options. Now, people may be thinking of BJP as an option.

Dont bishops and priests indirectly pass the message regarding political choices?

That message is passed not during election time. People may be observing how we respond and react to certain developments and political overtures. But we never tell people whom to vote for. Also, our people are very politically conscious. They dont need anybodys directives these days.

So you mean to say that the time when bishops used to dictate political choice is over?

Certainly. Even ordinary women have their own opinion now. Earlier, when people were not politically conscious, they needed to be guided. But all that has changed. Our society has entered adulthood. So, no bishop or priest tells the community whom to vote for anymore. But we may help them form their opinion.

As you said earlier, Christians are no longer a vote bank of Congress. What happened?

It happened because of their own doings (chuckles).... Because of their wrong policies. People started thinking why not vote for someone else?

Just as Christians had an affinity towards Congress, they had hatred towards the Left once. But there seems to be a change in that attitude too.

Yes. Communist parties too have changed a lot.

What changes?

Their ideological approaches have changed, especially in matters of faith.

Like?

Earlier they were against going to churches and temples. But now they encourage it (chuckles).

So you mean to say that Church changed its position because CPM changed its position?

It is not the Church that changed its position but the people. I have never ever interfered with anybodys political choices. I am even against issuing pastoral letters during election time.

Does that mean no political party can take the Christian community for granted?

Exactly. We are nobodys vote bank.

Is the Church happy with the communitys representation in the LDF government?

I dont believe that we will get a say only if our community members are ministers. Whether to give representation to our community is a decision thats left to those in power. Sometimes, a non-Christian minister may be more helpful to the community. Also, it is wrong to bargain based on the communitys numerical strength.

Do you think the Church had more say in governance during the UDF rule?

I wont say that. This government too listens to us though every demand may not be met.

The BJP leadership is meeting Christian leaders these dayswhat is your response?

BJP leaders do come and meet me. But nobody has come to me officially. RSS leaders had come and met me. They called me swami ji (chuckles). They said they want to continue the talks.

Christian institutions are being attacked in North India. Did you raise the matter?

During the first tenure of the BJP, many institutions were attacked. We brought up the matter and convinced BJP about the services the Christian community has done for Indian society. We even wrote a letter to the PM.

Are you satisfied with the BJP government?

It is impossible to be completely satisfied with any government. But at least we are happy on certain grounds. The same is the case with the state government. The governments have limitations. People get a state that they deserve. Then there is the talk of corruption. What I say is we are a corrupt society, thats why we get corrupt ministers.

Do you think there is an increasing sense of mistrust between Christians and Muslims these days?

There have been some instances that have hurt the communitys sentiments.

For instance?

Primarily, instances of girls being lured. That has happened.

Do you mean to say love jihad exists?

I dont want to use that term. It is a sensitive term that may provoke others. So I wont use it. But it is a fact that girls are being lured and converted. It is not the policy of the Muslim community as a whole. But, some people in the community are doing it.

Samastha leader Jifri Muthukoya Thangal had said he was ready to hold discussions with the Christian community to clear the misconceptions. Is the Church ready?

We are ready for any discussion. But what is the point when they themselves are scared of these extremist elements in the community?

There is a perception that the prominence of the Christian community in Kerala society has come down while the Muslim communitys clout has increased

Yes, I have heard of that. It may be because political parties look at vote banks. There is no Christian-Muslim divide as such. But a section in the Muslim community wants the uplift of their community only. They are the ones who create the problem. And, it is not just the Christians who are affected.

But the so-called Islamophobia seems to be more among Christians than Hindus

That is because Christians are the most affected ones. One reason is the luring of Christian girls for conversion. The second is the cornering of the benefits meant for minorities, which has been going on for a long time. Third is getting into ministries and working for the benefit of their community alone.

Do you think the migration of Christian youth to the West has a role in the communitys decreasing clout in Kerala?

I dont think so. Our community has a history of migration. We believe in lokame tharavaadu (chuckles).

Have you noticed the growth of Christian groups like CASA which are taking aggressive positions against the Muslim community?

I am not close to any extremist groups. I am against any move which scuttles communal harmony.

There is a move to form a Christian party. Do you think it will be a success?



God only knows (chuckles).

BJP is yet to capture Kerala. For that to happen, it needs the support of Christians here. Do you think that will happen?

Arent Muslims larger in number than us?

But BJP is not expecting the support of Muslims

Why not? You should ask that question to them (chuckles).

BJP is very hopeful about the Christians Do you think their optimism is justified?

I cant answer such a political question. It depends on the people.

But do you think there is a possibility?

Yes, of course. When other political parties disappoint people, they may look at other options. We are not going to stop it. Let people decide.

So, the perception that the community is getting closer to BJP is correct?

Yes Sometimes people come and share with me their disappointment that Congress has no leadership and theres infighting. Similarly, they are unhappy with some policies of the Left government too. BJP won in north India and LDF won in Kerala because they did good to the people. People will get closer to any party which does good things for them.

So BJP has a chance in Kerala?

All three fronts have a chance.

But BJP has never been considered an equal to the other two fronts...

BJP is successful in getting peoples support.

You earlier said Congress is losing support and has leadership issues. But what if Shashi Tharoor leads the party?

I cannot give a political opinion. Tharoor talks like a good leader... is an effective communicator. But there is strong opposition to him within the Congress. So, those who watch the developments from outside will think that Congress will not do well even if Tharoor leads it. That is very disappointing. Congress will grow only if leaders give prominence to the party rather than to themselves. But, I dont think that will happen anytime soon.

How do you assess PM Narendra Modi?

He is a good leader. He makes an effort to be one and is successful at it. He did not go for confrontation with anyone. He has been effective in raising Indias image internationally. When theres a sense of security among the people, other faults tend to be ignored. He is very receptive and open. Thats leadership. Also, there are many things common between Hinduism and Christianity. The concept of harmony in Hinduism is very inspiring to me.

So you mean to say the Christian community does not feel insecure in BJP-ruled India?

Yes. Christians do not have any such insecurity now. But some say if BJP gets absolute power, minorities may become insecure. But I dont know. We cant predict all that.

What could be the reasons for some communities feeling insecure?

Muslims may fear that if Hindus get absolute power they will drive them away. Their fear is probably based on whats happening in Muslim countries, where other communities are suppressed.

BJP claims that terrorist attacks or communal riots have come down during its tenure.

Yes, that is correct and that is a good thing. We dont get to hear any such thing these days. There may be some human rights issues. But then handling terrorists is not an easy task.

The current Pope has a very progressive outlook. Is Kerala Church supportive?

The Kerala Church supports everything that the Pope says. But we dont agree with the wrong interpretation of his words. It is wrong to say Pope approved same-sex marriages. He may not condemn them as he gives value to personal freedom but he will not sanction same-sex marriages. The German Church had demanded the same but he said no.

Will the Pope be visiting India soon?

Both PM Narendra Modi and the Pope want this visit to happen. It was supposed to happen next year. But because of his current health condition, we cant say anything certain. Once he recovers, he will come to India, I hope.

Many nuns, including Sr Jesme and Sr Lucy Kalappurakkal, had raised many issues regarding the Church. Arent their issues genuine? Dont they need to be addressed?

The Church did address the genuine issues raised by them. But all issues that they raise are not genuine. For example, if they want to dress up like other women, why did they become nuns?

An Easter message for our readers?

Jesus did not judge anyone; even those who tortured him. The same is our policy. Peace and harmony is the message of Easter. Always remember that we dont need to worry about anything if our conscience is clear.

Cardinal George Alencherry, head of the Syro-Malabar Church, is a prominent face of the Christian community in India. He has the enormous task of navigating through a crisis within the Church while dealing with external challenges. He was quite forthcoming in his views on the internal dispute, political situation in the country and the state, and religious equations during an interaction. Excerpts: googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); You are forced to celebrate Holy Mass during Passion Week in the chapel at St Thomas Mount, instead of St Marys Cathedral Basilica, which has remained closed ever since two groups of parishioners fought in the church on Christmas eve. Its a peculiar situation. A Major Archbishop is supposed to hold the mass in his Cathedral. But there we do not have a convenient atmosphere. So, well have the Holy Mass in the chapel here at St Thomas Mount, which is also my residence. Theres also a plan to have a church in this compound. Im not unhappy, but not very enthusiastic either about having to conduct mass here. Some are violating even Papal orders. But the Church is not going on the offensive as we prefer harmony. Those visuals of the church violence were quite shocking Yes, it was shocking to all. Such things should not have happened. Some want to win at all costs  even at the expense of Christian values. Some vested interests in society are encouraging these dissidents to take a stand against the Church. They have financial support from outside. Some extremist elements from other communities could also be behind them. WATCH: The dispute is about the way holy mass is conducted. For an outsider, it may seem like an unwanted controversy because what is important is prayer. Is it necessary to be so belligerent about the way it is conducted? It may seem so. Thats natural. But for those who have gone through the whole process for the last 40-50 years, the debates and all, where it was felt that the Church needs uniformity in the conduct of mass, the decision is important. Besides, its not a good thing to disobey the decision taken by all together. This situation was not created by the Church but by certain sections led by activist-minded priests. Theres a talk that an attempt is being made to split the Church on the pretext of this dispute. I also heard that. But people wont support such a move. Those who want to split will not succeed. Will there be an end to this? We are in touch with Rome. There will be a solution. Syro-Malabar Church has made lots of contributions to Kerala society. But now we get to hear statements from certain priests that do not suit priesthood For example in the case of Ecologically Sensitive Zone, a bishop had even threatened bloodshed. The Church has always been for the betterment of our society. People migrated to high ranges as per the directives of the government. It was indeed Christians who migrated first but now many communities are staying there. If priests talked aggressively, that is for the sake of everyone there; not just Christians. There has been an increase in instances of mananimal conflicts in these areas We need forests and wild animals. No species must go extinct. But if the number of animals increases beyond a limit, then culling is a must. There is no doubt that wildlife protection cannot be at the expense of human beings. You are saying this on the basis of the concept that human beings are at the centre of everything. Isnt coexistence a better way? Any theory should be about the protection of humans, animals, and nature. There should be a balance. Equity of creation is important. But, the welfare of human beings must be the centre of all policy decisions. Metropolitan Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Thalassery Joseph Pamplany had said Christians would vote for BJP if it ensured Rs 300 per kg for rubber. Is that the official position of the Catholic Church? How can it be? Thats his individual opinion. Priests have the freedom to air their views. But the Church has no commitment to any political party. Church has no politics, but people have. Officially, we will never advise our faithful to vote for BJP or any particular party. Bishop Pamplany was echoing the sentiments of farmers. It is for the faithful to take a call. The BJP was quick to respond to that Isnt it natural for a political party to try their luck if they see a space for them? Other parties too tried to exploit the situation. Till recently, the Christian community had some disinclination towards BJP. But now one can sense that it is increasingly getting closer to BJP Isnt it so? If you look around you will see that it is happening not just in the case of the Christian community alone. The Nair community too had a special consideration towards Congress earlier. But that affinity has come down steadily. A section switched its loyalties towards the Left because that was the only other option. Left parties also failed to meet their expectations in some instances. So, it is natural that people may look for other options. Now, people may be thinking of BJP as an option. Dont bishops and priests indirectly pass the message regarding political choices? That message is passed not during election time. People may be observing how we respond and react to certain developments and political overtures. But we never tell people whom to vote for. Also, our people are very politically conscious. They dont need anybodys directives these days. So you mean to say that the time when bishops used to dictate political choice is over? Certainly. Even ordinary women have their own opinion now. Earlier, when people were not politically conscious, they needed to be guided. But all that has changed. Our society has entered adulthood. So, no bishop or priest tells the community whom to vote for anymore. But we may help them form their opinion. As you said earlier, Christians are no longer a vote bank of Congress. What happened? It happened because of their own doings (chuckles).... Because of their wrong policies. People started thinking why not vote for someone else? Just as Christians had an affinity towards Congress, they had hatred towards the Left once. But there seems to be a change in that attitude too. Yes. Communist parties too have changed a lot. What changes? Their ideological approaches have changed, especially in matters of faith. Like? Earlier they were against going to churches and temples. But now they encourage it (chuckles). So you mean to say that Church changed its position because CPM changed its position? It is not the Church that changed its position but the people. I have never ever interfered with anybodys political choices. I am even against issuing pastoral letters during election time. Does that mean no political party can take the Christian community for granted? Exactly. We are nobodys vote bank. Is the Church happy with the communitys representation in the LDF government? I dont believe that we will get a say only if our community members are ministers. Whether to give representation to our community is a decision thats left to those in power. Sometimes, a non-Christian minister may be more helpful to the community. Also, it is wrong to bargain based on the communitys numerical strength. Do you think the Church had more say in governance during the UDF rule? I wont say that. This government too listens to us though every demand may not be met. The BJP leadership is meeting Christian leaders these dayswhat is your response? BJP leaders do come and meet me. But nobody has come to me officially. RSS leaders had come and met me. They called me swami ji (chuckles). They said they want to continue the talks. Christian institutions are being attacked in North India. Did you raise the matter? During the first tenure of the BJP, many institutions were attacked. We brought up the matter and convinced BJP about the services the Christian community has done for Indian society. We even wrote a letter to the PM. Are you satisfied with the BJP government? It is impossible to be completely satisfied with any government. But at least we are happy on certain grounds. The same is the case with the state government. The governments have limitations. People get a state that they deserve. Then there is the talk of corruption. What I say is we are a corrupt society, thats why we get corrupt ministers. Do you think there is an increasing sense of mistrust between Christians and Muslims these days? There have been some instances that have hurt the communitys sentiments. For instance? Primarily, instances of girls being lured. That has happened. Do you mean to say love jihad exists? I dont want to use that term. It is a sensitive term that may provoke others. So I wont use it. But it is a fact that girls are being lured and converted. It is not the policy of the Muslim community as a whole. But, some people in the community are doing it. Samastha leader Jifri Muthukoya Thangal had said he was ready to hold discussions with the Christian community to clear the misconceptions. Is the Church ready? We are ready for any discussion. But what is the point when they themselves are scared of these extremist elements in the community? There is a perception that the prominence of the Christian community in Kerala society has come down while the Muslim communitys clout has increased Yes, I have heard of that. It may be because political parties look at vote banks. There is no Christian-Muslim divide as such. But a section in the Muslim community wants the uplift of their community only. They are the ones who create the problem. And, it is not just the Christians who are affected. But the so-called Islamophobia seems to be more among Christians than Hindus That is because Christians are the most affected ones. One reason is the luring of Christian girls for conversion. The second is the cornering of the benefits meant for minorities, which has been going on for a long time. Third is getting into ministries and working for the benefit of their community alone. Do you think the migration of Christian youth to the West has a role in the communitys decreasing clout in Kerala? I dont think so. Our community has a history of migration. We believe in lokame tharavaadu (chuckles). Have you noticed the growth of Christian groups like CASA which are taking aggressive positions against the Muslim community? I am not close to any extremist groups. I am against any move which scuttles communal harmony. There is a move to form a Christian party. Do you think it will be a success? God only knows (chuckles). BJP is yet to capture Kerala. For that to happen, it needs the support of Christians here. Do you think that will happen? Arent Muslims larger in number than us? But BJP is not expecting the support of Muslims Why not? You should ask that question to them (chuckles). BJP is very hopeful about the Christians Do you think their optimism is justified? I cant answer such a political question. It depends on the people. But do you think there is a possibility? Yes, of course. When other political parties disappoint people, they may look at other options. We are not going to stop it. Let people decide. So, the perception that the community is getting closer to BJP is correct? Yes Sometimes people come and share with me their disappointment that Congress has no leadership and theres infighting. Similarly, they are unhappy with some policies of the Left government too. BJP won in north India and LDF won in Kerala because they did good to the people. People will get closer to any party which does good things for them. So BJP has a chance in Kerala? All three fronts have a chance. But BJP has never been considered an equal to the other two fronts... BJP is successful in getting peoples support. You earlier said Congress is losing support and has leadership issues. But what if Shashi Tharoor leads the party? I cannot give a political opinion. Tharoor talks like a good leader... is an effective communicator. But there is strong opposition to him within the Congress. So, those who watch the developments from outside will think that Congress will not do well even if Tharoor leads it. That is very disappointing. Congress will grow only if leaders give prominence to the party rather than to themselves. But, I dont think that will happen anytime soon. How do you assess PM Narendra Modi? He is a good leader. He makes an effort to be one and is successful at it. He did not go for confrontation with anyone. He has been effective in raising Indias image internationally. When theres a sense of security among the people, other faults tend to be ignored. He is very receptive and open. Thats leadership. Also, there are many things common between Hinduism and Christianity. The concept of harmony in Hinduism is very inspiring to me. So you mean to say the Christian community does not feel insecure in BJP-ruled India? Yes. Christians do not have any such insecurity now. But some say if BJP gets absolute power, minorities may become insecure. But I dont know. We cant predict all that. What could be the reasons for some communities feeling insecure? Muslims may fear that if Hindus get absolute power they will drive them away. Their fear is probably based on whats happening in Muslim countries, where other communities are suppressed. BJP claims that terrorist attacks or communal riots have come down during its tenure. Yes, that is correct and that is a good thing. We dont get to hear any such thing these days. There may be some human rights issues. But then handling terrorists is not an easy task. The current Pope has a very progressive outlook. Is Kerala Church supportive? The Kerala Church supports everything that the Pope says. But we dont agree with the wrong interpretation of his words. It is wrong to say Pope approved same-sex marriages. He may not condemn them as he gives value to personal freedom but he will not sanction same-sex marriages. The German Church had demanded the same but he said no. Will the Pope be visiting India soon? Both PM Narendra Modi and the Pope want this visit to happen. It was supposed to happen next year. But because of his current health condition, we cant say anything certain. Once he recovers, he will come to India, I hope. Many nuns, including Sr Jesme and Sr Lucy Kalappurakkal, had raised many issues regarding the Church. Arent their issues genuine? Dont they need to be addressed? The Church did address the genuine issues raised by them. But all issues that they raise are not genuine. For example, if they want to dress up like other women, why did they become nuns? An Easter message for our readers? Jesus did not judge anyone; even those who tortured him. The same is our policy. Peace and harmony is the message of Easter. Always remember that we dont need to worry about anything if our conscience is clear.
Dilip Singh Kshatriya By

AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat government has failed to enforce its own rules on sanitation workers and septic tank cleaning. The rule says a class II officer of the corporation will be held liable if a sanitation worker dies while cleaning the underground drains or septic tank. But no government official has been charged was charged with a crime despite numerous cases, according to a sanitation worker rights activist.

A circular issued by the Gujarat Governments Urban Development and Housing on May 10, 2019 and the Panchayat and Village Development Department on July 11, 2019 stated: If any sanitation worker dies while cleaning the underground drains, septic tank, so make a class II officer of the corporation an accused.

However, no government official was charged with a crime despite 95 sanitation employees dying and 45 incidences happening in Gujarat, said Purshotham Vaghela, the sanitation worker rights activist. In the past 15 days, three different instances in Gujarat resulted in the deaths of seven sanitation employees.

Despite a court ruling against it, in some parts of Gujarat excrement is still manually cleaned from private and public dry toilets and open drains. Three workers died in Bharuch while cleaning the drains, two in Umargam, Valsad, while entering to clean the sewer, and two in Rajkot while cleaning underground drains due to a gas leak.

Even after the Gujarat governments notification, no government official was named in any of the three cases.Purshotham Vaghela, who has been working for the rehabilitation and rights of manual scavengers for more than 30 years, said: The Urban Development and Urban Housing Department Secretariat, Gandhinagar, issued a notification on 28 April 2021 to establish Emergency Response Sanitation Units (ERSU) in the state to prevent manual scavenging in cities and rural areas with a population of more than one lakh.

Vaghela, also the founder of the Ahmedabad-based NGO, Manav Garima Trust, added that the above decision was made in response to a Government of India order to establish a Response Sanitation Unit, but none of the local bodies is aware of this Emergency Response Sanitation Unit (ERSU), and no awareness has been conducted by the state government in this regard.

By order of the Government of India, a helpline number 14420 has been established in Gujarat to stop manual scavenging; however, when you call this number, you are given the general number of the corporation to complain there, and the number provided of the corporation accepts complaints for water and sewerage problems, not to stop manual scavenging, and a helpline has been established, but no staff has been appointed, he said.

Over the past three decades, Gujarat has had the second-highest incidence of cleaning worker fatalities in the nation. A national government survey found that 13,460 people in the nation were employed in drain and septic tank cleaning in 2018, and that number increased to 58,098 people in 2019.

There are 105 labor families working as manual scavengers in Gujarat. Hiren Banker, a spokesperson for the Congress, said The mortality toll from manual scavenging of drains and septic tanks in the state of Gujarat has progressively climbed to 136 in the last three decades due to poverty and a lack of alternative employment possibilities.

7 sanitation employees died in the last 15 days

In the past 15 days, three different instances in Gujarat resulted in the deaths of seven sanitation employees. Despite a court ruling against it, in some parts of Gujarat excrement is still manually cleaned from private and public dry toilets and open drains. Three workers died in Bharuch while, two in Umargam, Valsad, and two in Rajkot while cleaning underground drains due to a gas leak.

AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat government has failed to enforce its own rules on sanitation workers and septic tank cleaning. The rule says a class II officer of the corporation will be held liable if a sanitation worker dies while cleaning the underground drains or septic tank. But no government official has been charged was charged with a crime despite numerous cases, according to a sanitation worker rights activist. A circular issued by the Gujarat Governments Urban Development and Housing on May 10, 2019 and the Panchayat and Village Development Department on July 11, 2019 stated: If any sanitation worker dies while cleaning the underground drains, septic tank, so make a class II officer of the corporation an accused. However, no government official was charged with a crime despite 95 sanitation employees dying and 45 incidences happening in Gujarat, said Purshotham Vaghela, the sanitation worker rights activist. In the past 15 days, three different instances in Gujarat resulted in the deaths of seven sanitation employees.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Despite a court ruling against it, in some parts of Gujarat excrement is still manually cleaned from private and public dry toilets and open drains. Three workers died in Bharuch while cleaning the drains, two in Umargam, Valsad, while entering to clean the sewer, and two in Rajkot while cleaning underground drains due to a gas leak. Even after the Gujarat governments notification, no government official was named in any of the three cases.Purshotham Vaghela, who has been working for the rehabilitation and rights of manual scavengers for more than 30 years, said: The Urban Development and Urban Housing Department Secretariat, Gandhinagar, issued a notification on 28 April 2021 to establish Emergency Response Sanitation Units (ERSU) in the state to prevent manual scavenging in cities and rural areas with a population of more than one lakh. Vaghela, also the founder of the Ahmedabad-based NGO, Manav Garima Trust, added that the above decision was made in response to a Government of India order to establish a Response Sanitation Unit, but none of the local bodies is aware of this Emergency Response Sanitation Unit (ERSU), and no awareness has been conducted by the state government in this regard. By order of the Government of India, a helpline number 14420 has been established in Gujarat to stop manual scavenging; however, when you call this number, you are given the general number of the corporation to complain there, and the number provided of the corporation accepts complaints for water and sewerage problems, not to stop manual scavenging, and a helpline has been established, but no staff has been appointed, he said. Over the past three decades, Gujarat has had the second-highest incidence of cleaning worker fatalities in the nation. A national government survey found that 13,460 people in the nation were employed in drain and septic tank cleaning in 2018, and that number increased to 58,098 people in 2019. There are 105 labor families working as manual scavengers in Gujarat. Hiren Banker, a spokesperson for the Congress, said The mortality toll from manual scavenging of drains and septic tanks in the state of Gujarat has progressively climbed to 136 in the last three decades due to poverty and a lack of alternative employment possibilities. 7 sanitation employees died in the last 15 days In the past 15 days, three different instances in Gujarat resulted in the deaths of seven sanitation employees. Despite a court ruling against it, in some parts of Gujarat excrement is still manually cleaned from private and public dry toilets and open drains. Three workers died in Bharuch while, two in Umargam, Valsad, and two in Rajkot while cleaning underground drains due to a gas leak.
Preetha Nair By

CHENNAI: Democratic Azad Party founder Ghulam Nabi Azad, whose autobiography Azaad has now hit the stands, IN a candid conversation with Preetha Nair, speaks about his former colleagues in Congress, Kashmir, Adani issue, Opposition parties and other key issues.

The just-concluded Budget session was a washout. Do you think the Opposition was justified in their demand for a JPC on Adani row?

Both sides were not ready to budge from their positions. One problem is at the moment the Opposition is not united. What I have seen this past nine years while I was also an LoP (Leader of Opposition) is that BJP is adamant about not setting up a JPC probe, though we demanded it on several issues. They have flatly refused. Their policy is not to have a JPC. If the government is adamant about not having a JPC, then the Opposition should have suggested something like a Parliamentary Committee of 20 or 30 members from both sides, headed by Opposition members. The government cant say no to everything. So, it should have been decided on the floor.

Knowing that the government will never have JPC, why didnt you allow Parliament to function?

If Parliament does not function, it is the government that would be the happiest.

Q) The Opposition, including Congress, says Adani- Hindenburg is a critical issue as public sector companies like LIC, and SBI are involved.

But we have other concerns also. We have to define a difference. Is a poor man in the street bothered about Adani? The Adani issue wont resonate with the voter. How does it affect a farmer in Andhra, Tamil Nadu, or Kashmir?

Why do you think Congress is not doing the right thing by running a campaign against Adani?

I dont have a phobia of individuals. Some people have had a phobia of Modi and Adani for the last nine years. Do you think criticism is allowed in BJP? There is not an iota of democracy in Congress.

Do you blame it on the coterie?

Coterie is everywhere. But ultimately the leader should have his mind.

Do You mean Rahul Gandhi?

Naturally. We were also leaders. Coteries were misleading us also. If the leader is guided by the coterie, that means he is nothing.

But you have written Rajiv Gandhi listened to you while making decisions...

When I was the President of IYC, Indira Gandhi was Prime Minister. She sent me two names to be made the general secretaries. In writing, I refused that they cannot be adjusted. If I had said no to Sonia Gandhi or Rahul Gandhi, the next day I would have not been there. Even Sonia wouldnt have tolerated it if I said no to the people she recommended. I would still say Sonia Gandhi is amiable. Now the consultation process has entirely derailed.

In your book, you said some excesses might have happened during Emergency, but they were conveniently placed at Indiras and Sanjays doorsteps. Are you defending Mrs Gandhi?

Only two things went wrong in the Emergency. The Opposition leaders should not have been jailed. And there should not have been a ban on the media. Otherwise, production went up. There were no strikes. There were positive and negative parts. And the negative aspect went against Ms Gandhi. Sanjay Gandhi was mostly blamed for the forceful sterilisation drive. Ultimately, it all proved a hoax.

You have written about how you handled the situation in Parliament post-Babri Masjid demolition as a Parliamentary Affairs Minister.

The Opposition wanted the PM to go as they held (Narsimha) Rao responsible for the Babri Masjid demolition. The most important thing was that both the PM and HM were not available while the demolition was taking place. So that was something very, very fishy and very suspicious. Ultimately in the evening, the Cabinet was called. Though we all expressed our anger. Unfortunately, in that routine way, they both went to sleep after lunch, and that was not the time to sleep. I took the opposition into confidence and I told them that let the Home Minister go. But I could not fulfill the promise because the PM and HM both dodged me.

In your book you have spoken about how you took on Narasimha Rao and Sitaram Kesari.

During Indirajis time, we could give any suggestions. During Kesaris and Raos time, criticism was tolerated. With the current leadership, if you write one letter, you are out, immediately dropped.

What is your view on abrogation of Article 370?

I would say nothing has been done by the BJP on the Kashmiri Pandits issue. The Congress government has done much more for Pandits. I still hold the view on Article 370 shouldnt have been abrogated.

Is there any possibility of allying with the BJP after the elections in J&K?

There is no question of allying with the BJP. It is all made up of the Congress leaders. Its their brainchild. Congress is helping BJP more than me. BJP is there because of Congress. They are giving BJP a free run by not doing anything. Congress is no different from BJP.

CHENNAI: Democratic Azad Party founder Ghulam Nabi Azad, whose autobiography Azaad has now hit the stands, IN a candid conversation with Preetha Nair, speaks about his former colleagues in Congress, Kashmir, Adani issue, Opposition parties and other key issues. The just-concluded Budget session was a washout. Do you think the Opposition was justified in their demand for a JPC on Adani row? Both sides were not ready to budge from their positions. One problem is at the moment the Opposition is not united. What I have seen this past nine years while I was also an LoP (Leader of Opposition) is that BJP is adamant about not setting up a JPC probe, though we demanded it on several issues. They have flatly refused. Their policy is not to have a JPC. If the government is adamant about not having a JPC, then the Opposition should have suggested something like a Parliamentary Committee of 20 or 30 members from both sides, headed by Opposition members. The government cant say no to everything. So, it should have been decided on the floor. Knowing that the government will never have JPC, why didnt you allow Parliament to function? If Parliament does not function, it is the government that would be the happiest.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Q) The Opposition, including Congress, says Adani- Hindenburg is a critical issue as public sector companies like LIC, and SBI are involved. But we have other concerns also. We have to define a difference. Is a poor man in the street bothered about Adani? The Adani issue wont resonate with the voter. How does it affect a farmer in Andhra, Tamil Nadu, or Kashmir? Why do you think Congress is not doing the right thing by running a campaign against Adani? I dont have a phobia of individuals. Some people have had a phobia of Modi and Adani for the last nine years. Do you think criticism is allowed in BJP? There is not an iota of democracy in Congress. Do you blame it on the coterie? Coterie is everywhere. But ultimately the leader should have his mind. Do You mean Rahul Gandhi? Naturally. We were also leaders. Coteries were misleading us also. If the leader is guided by the coterie, that means he is nothing. But you have written Rajiv Gandhi listened to you while making decisions... When I was the President of IYC, Indira Gandhi was Prime Minister. She sent me two names to be made the general secretaries. In writing, I refused that they cannot be adjusted. If I had said no to Sonia Gandhi or Rahul Gandhi, the next day I would have not been there. Even Sonia wouldnt have tolerated it if I said no to the people she recommended. I would still say Sonia Gandhi is amiable. Now the consultation process has entirely derailed. In your book, you said some excesses might have happened during Emergency, but they were conveniently placed at Indiras and Sanjays doorsteps. Are you defending Mrs Gandhi? Only two things went wrong in the Emergency. The Opposition leaders should not have been jailed. And there should not have been a ban on the media. Otherwise, production went up. There were no strikes. There were positive and negative parts. And the negative aspect went against Ms Gandhi. Sanjay Gandhi was mostly blamed for the forceful sterilisation drive. Ultimately, it all proved a hoax. You have written about how you handled the situation in Parliament post-Babri Masjid demolition as a Parliamentary Affairs Minister. The Opposition wanted the PM to go as they held (Narsimha) Rao responsible for the Babri Masjid demolition. The most important thing was that both the PM and HM were not available while the demolition was taking place. So that was something very, very fishy and very suspicious. Ultimately in the evening, the Cabinet was called. Though we all expressed our anger. Unfortunately, in that routine way, they both went to sleep after lunch, and that was not the time to sleep. I took the opposition into confidence and I told them that let the Home Minister go. But I could not fulfill the promise because the PM and HM both dodged me. In your book you have spoken about how you took on Narasimha Rao and Sitaram Kesari. During Indirajis time, we could give any suggestions. During Kesaris and Raos time, criticism was tolerated. With the current leadership, if you write one letter, you are out, immediately dropped. What is your view on abrogation of Article 370? I would say nothing has been done by the BJP on the Kashmiri Pandits issue. The Congress government has done much more for Pandits. I still hold the view on Article 370 shouldnt have been abrogated. Is there any possibility of allying with the BJP after the elections in J&K? There is no question of allying with the BJP. It is all made up of the Congress leaders. Its their brainchild. Congress is helping BJP more than me. BJP is there because of Congress. They are giving BJP a free run by not doing anything. Congress is no different from BJP.
Ghulam Nabi Azad By

The BJP, under Narendra Modi, created history [in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections] by becoming the first party since 1984 to win a majority on its own. The all-India tally of the Congress was a meagre 44 seats. The magnitude of the loss could be gauged from the fact that the party hadnt even won 10 per cent of the total number of Lok Sabha seats required to nominate the LoP.

With the party relegated to the Opposition benches, I was given a new roleLoP in the Rajya Sabha, a position I held till my retirement from the Upper House in February 2021. It was a new experience from what I had been used to in the earlier years.

My stint as parliamentary affairs minister under three Congress PMs came in handy. I had developed excellent personal contacts with many leading Opposition leaders, and those relations helped me in my new role in many ways. But I had worked in an era in which we still had numerous stalwarts in Parliament across party lines. There existed lot of mutual respect. Attending each others parties and visiting each others houses was common, unlike today.

By 2014 though, much water had flown down the Ganga. The entire composition of MPs had changed in comparison to the mid-1980s and early 1990s, when academicians, literary figures and statesmen would rule the roost. Unfortunately, with the passage of time, the quality of MPs has come down. There are very few who visit the well-stocked Parliament library to collect material and improve their knowledge. Many people have entered Parliament with an aim to further their business interests or the interests of vested groups. There are a number of cases against sitting MLAs and MPs in the country. I wish they were fast-tracked, so that the guilty get punished without delay and the innocent ones are left to do their work.

Thankfully, there were some known faces. Arun Jaitley, an old political adversary but also a personal friend, was leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha. His wife, Sangeeta, is from Jammu, and his father-in-law, Girdhari Lal Dogra, a Congressman, had been Congress minister for almost 30 years in the J&K government. Jaitley was not just articulate but also well-read. He would present his views in a clear and forceful manner. It was a treat to hear him speak. The ruling party also had other good speakers, such as Piyush Goyal and Bhupendra Yadav in the Rajya Sabha. I am happy that Yadav has been made a minister; he is capable and efficient.

*********

Throughout my speeches, I found Modi to be a great listener. Not even once did he rebut my arguments or speak against me, inside or outside Parliament. He would always remain calm, though he would taunt me by making some political references. But he never attacked me personally. This may also have been because, unlike other leaders, I would not call the PM or other members of the ruling party names or abuse them. But some other leaders would only think of pleasing the Congress leadership by abusing the BJP and its leaders without making any substantial contribution or suggestion on the floor of the House that could pin down the government. In the Congress party, some leaders feel that abusing the Opposition and calling names is the only way to fight the political rival. I have always felt that Opposition parties, whether in the Assembly, Parliament or outside, are our competitors and not our enemies. So while speaking, each political party must keep this in mind and not cross the Lakshman Rekha.

*********

On 9 February, my seven-year stint came to an end. I could not be re-elected since the J&K Assembly had been dissolved. Like my colleagues, I too was given a farewell by way of speeches, which is customary in the House of Elders. The chairperson was the first speaker. I am highly obliged to Venkaiah Naidu, who made an excellent speech and said many good words about me. I shall be beholden to him for the observations he made about me.

The second speaker was PM Modi. He praised me for my performance as LoP and for being a good human being. His speech was totally unlike his other speeches. He got very emotional, especially when narrating a particular incident. Everyone had forgotten about it, as it was from 15 years back, when I was the CM. I too had forgotten about it. He went back to 25 May 2006, when militants in Srinagar had hurled a grenade at a tourist bus carrying tourists from Gujarat. The attack took place when the government shifted to Kashmir in the first week of May, and the militants attempted to create a sense of fear and panic in me. They welcomed me by killing innocent people in this horrifying incident.

On the morning of 25 May, I received information that militants had attacked a bus carrying passengers from Gujarat. Some passengers, including two children, were killed and several were injured. The bodies of the dead had been mutilated. The site of the attackin the neighbourhood of Batporawas close to my official residence, so I was able to rush to the site immediately and saw women and children weeping bitterly. I too was moved to tears. It was at this juncture that CM Modi called me. My staff told him that I was in no condition to speak with him since I was completely shattered.

I spoke to him a while later even as I continued to weep. He wanted the dead bodies to be sent immediately to Gujarat. I spoke to Dr Singh and requested an Air Force aircraft to transport the dead and injured. After taking the injured to the hospital, I ensured that the dead bodies were kept safely. By the evening, the aircraft arrived. We were also ready to send the bodies around that time. We knew how methodical Modi was; he and his office kept enquiring on an hourly basis about the injured passengers and the dead bodies so that his government could receive them in Gujarat.

I went to see off the mortal remains and the rest of the tourists at the airport. As I entered the aircraft, they all began weeping. I too was unable to control my emotions. Meanwhile, Modi called again. I choked and could hardly speak. Addressing the tourists, I could only ask for forgiveness. I said, You had come to enjoy Kashmir, and instead I am sending back dead bodies. So, please forgive me.

The media in Gujarat reported this much more than the national media did. Modi had seen all this on TV. I think a similar emotion arose in the PM during this farewell speech. He choked and could not speak; he just saluted. It was kind of him to have remembered a 15-year-old incident and share it at the most appropriate juncture in Parliament. He went to the extent of saying that I had called him as if my own family members had been killed. That was his way of describing me as a good human being. I am thankful to him.

Prime Minister Modis farewell speech, which was given wide coverage by the media, should have been a matter of great pride for the Congress party as well as its leadership, as a senior member of the party was feted by none less than the PM and by the leaders of other Opposition parties. Unfortunately, instead of appreciating my efforts and concern for the people of Gujarat and the tributes that the PM paid to the LoP of the Congress, the party leadership was extremely unhappy and critical. They dubbed me a BJP man. This clearly shows that they have no empathy for human tragedy and cannot think beyond petty politics.

(Excerpt from "Azaad: An Autobiography", by Ghulam Nabi Azad, with permission from Rupa Publications.)

The BJP, under Narendra Modi, created history [in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections] by becoming the first party since 1984 to win a majority on its own. The all-India tally of the Congress was a meagre 44 seats. The magnitude of the loss could be gauged from the fact that the party hadnt even won 10 per cent of the total number of Lok Sabha seats required to nominate the LoP. With the party relegated to the Opposition benches, I was given a new roleLoP in the Rajya Sabha, a position I held till my retirement from the Upper House in February 2021. It was a new experience from what I had been used to in the earlier years. My stint as parliamentary affairs minister under three Congress PMs came in handy. I had developed excellent personal contacts with many leading Opposition leaders, and those relations helped me in my new role in many ways. But I had worked in an era in which we still had numerous stalwarts in Parliament across party lines. There existed lot of mutual respect. Attending each others parties and visiting each others houses was common, unlike today.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); By 2014 though, much water had flown down the Ganga. The entire composition of MPs had changed in comparison to the mid-1980s and early 1990s, when academicians, literary figures and statesmen would rule the roost. Unfortunately, with the passage of time, the quality of MPs has come down. There are very few who visit the well-stocked Parliament library to collect material and improve their knowledge. Many people have entered Parliament with an aim to further their business interests or the interests of vested groups. There are a number of cases against sitting MLAs and MPs in the country. I wish they were fast-tracked, so that the guilty get punished without delay and the innocent ones are left to do their work. Thankfully, there were some known faces. Arun Jaitley, an old political adversary but also a personal friend, was leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha. His wife, Sangeeta, is from Jammu, and his father-in-law, Girdhari Lal Dogra, a Congressman, had been Congress minister for almost 30 years in the J&K government. Jaitley was not just articulate but also well-read. He would present his views in a clear and forceful manner. It was a treat to hear him speak. The ruling party also had other good speakers, such as Piyush Goyal and Bhupendra Yadav in the Rajya Sabha. I am happy that Yadav has been made a minister; he is capable and efficient. ********* Throughout my speeches, I found Modi to be a great listener. Not even once did he rebut my arguments or speak against me, inside or outside Parliament. He would always remain calm, though he would taunt me by making some political references. But he never attacked me personally. This may also have been because, unlike other leaders, I would not call the PM or other members of the ruling party names or abuse them. But some other leaders would only think of pleasing the Congress leadership by abusing the BJP and its leaders without making any substantial contribution or suggestion on the floor of the House that could pin down the government. In the Congress party, some leaders feel that abusing the Opposition and calling names is the only way to fight the political rival. I have always felt that Opposition parties, whether in the Assembly, Parliament or outside, are our competitors and not our enemies. So while speaking, each political party must keep this in mind and not cross the Lakshman Rekha. ********* On 9 February, my seven-year stint came to an end. I could not be re-elected since the J&K Assembly had been dissolved. Like my colleagues, I too was given a farewell by way of speeches, which is customary in the House of Elders. The chairperson was the first speaker. I am highly obliged to Venkaiah Naidu, who made an excellent speech and said many good words about me. I shall be beholden to him for the observations he made about me. The second speaker was PM Modi. He praised me for my performance as LoP and for being a good human being. His speech was totally unlike his other speeches. He got very emotional, especially when narrating a particular incident. Everyone had forgotten about it, as it was from 15 years back, when I was the CM. I too had forgotten about it. He went back to 25 May 2006, when militants in Srinagar had hurled a grenade at a tourist bus carrying tourists from Gujarat. The attack took place when the government shifted to Kashmir in the first week of May, and the militants attempted to create a sense of fear and panic in me. They welcomed me by killing innocent people in this horrifying incident. On the morning of 25 May, I received information that militants had attacked a bus carrying passengers from Gujarat. Some passengers, including two children, were killed and several were injured. The bodies of the dead had been mutilated. The site of the attackin the neighbourhood of Batporawas close to my official residence, so I was able to rush to the site immediately and saw women and children weeping bitterly. I too was moved to tears. It was at this juncture that CM Modi called me. My staff told him that I was in no condition to speak with him since I was completely shattered. I spoke to him a while later even as I continued to weep. He wanted the dead bodies to be sent immediately to Gujarat. I spoke to Dr Singh and requested an Air Force aircraft to transport the dead and injured. After taking the injured to the hospital, I ensured that the dead bodies were kept safely. By the evening, the aircraft arrived. We were also ready to send the bodies around that time. We knew how methodical Modi was; he and his office kept enquiring on an hourly basis about the injured passengers and the dead bodies so that his government could receive them in Gujarat. I went to see off the mortal remains and the rest of the tourists at the airport. As I entered the aircraft, they all began weeping. I too was unable to control my emotions. Meanwhile, Modi called again. I choked and could hardly speak. Addressing the tourists, I could only ask for forgiveness. I said, You had come to enjoy Kashmir, and instead I am sending back dead bodies. So, please forgive me. The media in Gujarat reported this much more than the national media did. Modi had seen all this on TV. I think a similar emotion arose in the PM during this farewell speech. He choked and could not speak; he just saluted. It was kind of him to have remembered a 15-year-old incident and share it at the most appropriate juncture in Parliament. He went to the extent of saying that I had called him as if my own family members had been killed. That was his way of describing me as a good human being. I am thankful to him. Prime Minister Modis farewell speech, which was given wide coverage by the media, should have been a matter of great pride for the Congress party as well as its leadership, as a senior member of the party was feted by none less than the PM and by the leaders of other Opposition parties. Unfortunately, instead of appreciating my efforts and concern for the people of Gujarat and the tributes that the PM paid to the LoP of the Congress, the party leadership was extremely unhappy and critical. They dubbed me a BJP man. This clearly shows that they have no empathy for human tragedy and cannot think beyond petty politics. (Excerpt from "Azaad: An Autobiography", by Ghulam Nabi Azad, with permission from Rupa Publications.)
By Associated Press

JALALABAD, Afghanistan: Afghan religious scholars Saturday criticized a ban on female education, as a key Taliban minister warned clerics not to rebel against the government on the controversial issue.

Girls cannot go to school beyond sixth grade in Afghanistan, with the education ban extending to universities. Women are barred from public spaces, including parks, and most forms of employment. Last week, Afghan women were barred from working at the U.N., according to the global body, although the Taliban have yet to make a public announcement.

Authorities present the education restrictions as temporary suspensions rather than bans, but universities and schools reopened in March without their female students.

The bans have raised fierce international uproar, increasing the countrys isolation at a time when its economy has collapsed and worsenied a humanitarian crisis.

Two religious scholars who are well-known within Afghanistan said Saturday that authorities should reconsider their decision. Public opposition to Taliban policies is rare, although some Taliban leaders have voiced their disagreement with the decision-making process.

One scholar, Abdul Rahman Abid, said institutions should be permitted to re-admit girls and women through separate classes, hiring female teachers, staggering timetables, and even building new facilities.

Knowledge is obligatory in Islam for men and women, he told The Associated Press, and Islam allows women to study.

My daughter is absent from school, I am ashamed, I have no answer for my daughter, he said. My daughter asks why girls are not allowed to learn in the Islamic system. I have no answer for her.

He said reform is needed and warned that any delays are at the expense of the global Islamic community and also weakens the government.

Another scholar, who is a member of the Taliban, told the AP there is still time for ministries to solve the problem of girls education. Toryali Himat cited ministries comprising the inner circle of the supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, who is based in Kandahar.

It was on his orders that the government banned girls from classrooms. Himat said there are two types of criticism, one that destroys the system and another that makes corrective criticism.

Islam has allowed both men and women to learn, but hijab and curriculum should be considered, said Himat. Corrective criticism should be given and the Islamic emirate should think about this. Where there is no criticism, there is the possibility of corruption. My personal opinion is that girls should get education up to university level.

Acting Higher Education Minister Nida Mohammad Nadim said Friday that clerics should not speak against government policy.

He made his remarks after another scholar, Abdul Sami Al Ghaznawi, told students at a religious school that there was no conflict over girls education. He said Islamic scripture was clear that girls education was acceptable. Al Ghaznawi was not immediately available for comment.

Nadim appeared to target Al Ghaznawi by mentioning an honorable scholar at the top of a video statement released on social media.

You encouraged the people to rebel, so what is the result? Nadim said. The result is that rebellion against this (ban) is allowed. If people are encouraged to rebel against the system, will it benefit Muslims?

The minister was not immediately available for comment. But his spokesman, Hafiz Ziaullah Hashimi, confirmed Nadims remarks without giving further details about who they were directed at or the reason behind them.

JALALABAD, Afghanistan: Afghan religious scholars Saturday criticized a ban on female education, as a key Taliban minister warned clerics not to rebel against the government on the controversial issue. Girls cannot go to school beyond sixth grade in Afghanistan, with the education ban extending to universities. Women are barred from public spaces, including parks, and most forms of employment. Last week, Afghan women were barred from working at the U.N., according to the global body, although the Taliban have yet to make a public announcement. Authorities present the education restrictions as temporary suspensions rather than bans, but universities and schools reopened in March without their female students.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The bans have raised fierce international uproar, increasing the countrys isolation at a time when its economy has collapsed and worsenied a humanitarian crisis. Two religious scholars who are well-known within Afghanistan said Saturday that authorities should reconsider their decision. Public opposition to Taliban policies is rare, although some Taliban leaders have voiced their disagreement with the decision-making process. One scholar, Abdul Rahman Abid, said institutions should be permitted to re-admit girls and women through separate classes, hiring female teachers, staggering timetables, and even building new facilities. Knowledge is obligatory in Islam for men and women, he told The Associated Press, and Islam allows women to study. My daughter is absent from school, I am ashamed, I have no answer for my daughter, he said. My daughter asks why girls are not allowed to learn in the Islamic system. I have no answer for her. He said reform is needed and warned that any delays are at the expense of the global Islamic community and also weakens the government. Another scholar, who is a member of the Taliban, told the AP there is still time for ministries to solve the problem of girls education. Toryali Himat cited ministries comprising the inner circle of the supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, who is based in Kandahar. It was on his orders that the government banned girls from classrooms. Himat said there are two types of criticism, one that destroys the system and another that makes corrective criticism. Islam has allowed both men and women to learn, but hijab and curriculum should be considered, said Himat. Corrective criticism should be given and the Islamic emirate should think about this. Where there is no criticism, there is the possibility of corruption. My personal opinion is that girls should get education up to university level. Acting Higher Education Minister Nida Mohammad Nadim said Friday that clerics should not speak against government policy. He made his remarks after another scholar, Abdul Sami Al Ghaznawi, told students at a religious school that there was no conflict over girls education. He said Islamic scripture was clear that girls education was acceptable. Al Ghaznawi was not immediately available for comment. Nadim appeared to target Al Ghaznawi by mentioning an honorable scholar at the top of a video statement released on social media. You encouraged the people to rebel, so what is the result? Nadim said. The result is that rebellion against this (ban) is allowed. If people are encouraged to rebel against the system, will it benefit Muslims? The minister was not immediately available for comment. But his spokesman, Hafiz Ziaullah Hashimi, confirmed Nadims remarks without giving further details about who they were directed at or the reason behind them.
By PTI

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka's Central Bank Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe has said that tough policy measures adopted by the government to overcome the ongoing economic crisis were vital to stabilise the island nation's economy.

"The difficult and painful policy measures implemented by the Government and the Central Bank thus far have helped to stabilise the economic conditions, compared to the unprecedented socio-economic tensions witnessed in 2022, Weerasinghe said.

Sri Lanka introduced painful economic measures such as tax hikes and utility rate hikes to unlock the USD 2.9 billion IMF bailout programme to help it overcome its economic crisis and catalyse financial support from other development partners.

"Despite these reforms have resulted in significant adjustment costs, causing hardship to the people and businesses in the near term, they were necessary to restore stability, which will accrue benefits to the people and businesses in the period ahead," he said in a statement last week.

Trade unions and opposition groups have organised protests against such tough measures and have vowed to carry on with mass-scale agitation to seek personal tax reductions.

The IMF, which approved a USD 2.9 billion bailout on March 20, said in a statement on Saturday that all must join in the recovery effort to pull the country out of the crisis.

The IMF further added that Sri Lankan authorities had committed to an ambitious reform program to stabilise the economy.

The island nation received USD 330 million as the first tranche of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout programme, which will pave the way for the country to achieve better "fiscal discipline" and "improved governance.

Sri Lanka in April last year declared its first-ever debt default in its history as the worst economic crisis since independence from Britain in 1948 triggered by forex shortages sparked public protests.

The months-long street protests led to the ouster of the then-president Gotabaya Rajapaksa in mid-July.

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka's Central Bank Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe has said that tough policy measures adopted by the government to overcome the ongoing economic crisis were vital to stabilise the island nation's economy. "The difficult and painful policy measures implemented by the Government and the Central Bank thus far have helped to stabilise the economic conditions, compared to the unprecedented socio-economic tensions witnessed in 2022, Weerasinghe said. Sri Lanka introduced painful economic measures such as tax hikes and utility rate hikes to unlock the USD 2.9 billion IMF bailout programme to help it overcome its economic crisis and catalyse financial support from other development partners.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); "Despite these reforms have resulted in significant adjustment costs, causing hardship to the people and businesses in the near term, they were necessary to restore stability, which will accrue benefits to the people and businesses in the period ahead," he said in a statement last week. Trade unions and opposition groups have organised protests against such tough measures and have vowed to carry on with mass-scale agitation to seek personal tax reductions. The IMF, which approved a USD 2.9 billion bailout on March 20, said in a statement on Saturday that all must join in the recovery effort to pull the country out of the crisis. The IMF further added that Sri Lankan authorities had committed to an ambitious reform program to stabilise the economy. The island nation received USD 330 million as the first tranche of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout programme, which will pave the way for the country to achieve better "fiscal discipline" and "improved governance. Sri Lanka in April last year declared its first-ever debt default in its history as the worst economic crisis since independence from Britain in 1948 triggered by forex shortages sparked public protests. The months-long street protests led to the ouster of the then-president Gotabaya Rajapaksa in mid-July.
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Yemen govt officials in Saudi Arabia to discuss 3-yr plan to end civil war

Aden, April 8: Yemen government officials have gathered in Saudi Arabia to discuss a comprehensive three-year peace plan to end the country's prolomged civil war, a diplomat said here.

Yemen govt officials in Saudi Arabia to discuss 3-yr plan to end civil war

"Saudi Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman held a meeting on Thursday with Rashad Al-Alimi, chairman of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), and other high-ranking Yemeni government officials in Riyadh, during which he presented the kingdom's plan for peace in Yemen," the diplomat told Xinhua news agency late Friday.The proposed plan, which is based on a series of back-channel negotiations between Saudi Arabia and the Houthi militia in Muscat for the past few months, has three main stages that will be implemented over a period of three years, he said, adding the Yemeni officials have already shown their initial support for the plan.The first phase of the plan, according to the source, is "a six-month truce between warring factions in Yemen, during which hostilities will cease and efforts will be made to rebuild trust and lay the groundwork for peace".The second phase would entail a dialogue to address key issues and grievances among the various Yemeni factions and reopen the closed roads, airspace and seaports.The third stage would be a two-year transitional period during which a new and inclusive government would be established, paving the way for long-term stability and peace in the country, according to the official.A truce agreement between the Yemeni government and the Houthi rebel group is likely to be announced in the coming days, the official added.Meanwhile, another Yemeni government official confirmed to Xinhua that Muhammad Al Jaber, the Saudi Ambassador to Yemen, along with an Omani delegation, is planning to meet Houthi leaders in Sanaa to discuss the "the final arrangements" of the truce.Oman and the UN have mediated previous rounds of negotiations between the Yemeni government, Saudi Arabia, and the Houthi rebels.Muscat's role has been crucial in facilitating talks and maintaining good relations with both parties.Yemeni observers hope that the proposed peace plan will be a viable solution to the ongoing conflict and alleviate the country's humanitarian crisis.The UN has been working to broker a political solution to the conflict, but previous attempts have failed due to a lack of trust between the warring parties and continued violence on the ground.Yemen has been embroiled in a devastating civil war since 2014, with the Houthis fighting against the internationally-recognised government.The Saudi Arabia-led coalition intervened in the conflict in support of the Yemeni government in 2015.IANS08 April 2023

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Israeli warplanes and artillery struck targets in Syria following rare rocket fire from the northeastern neighbor, as Arab-Israeli tensions reached a peak Sunday at a volatile Al-Aqsa Mosque compound with simultaneous religious rituals.

Thousands of Jewish worshippers gathered at the city's Western Wall, the holiest place where Jews can pray, for a mass priestly benediction prayer service for the Passover holiday. At the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, a walled esplanade above the Western Wall, hundreds of Palestinians performed prayers as part of observances during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Hundreds of Jews also visited the Al-Aqsa compound under heavy police guard Sunday, to whistles and religious chants from Palestinians protesting their presence.

Such tours by religious and nationalist Jews have increased in size and frequency over the years, and are viewed with suspicion by many Palestinians who fear that Israel plans one day to take over the site or partition it. Israeli officials say they have no intention of changing long-standing arrangements that allow Jews to visit, but not pray in the Muslim-administered site. However, the country is now governed by the most right-wing government in its history, with ultra-nationalists in senior positions.

Tensions have soared in the past week at the flashpoint shrine after an Israeli police raid on the mosque which saw Israeli forces firing tear gas and beating worshippers with clubs while they were participating in "Itikaf," a religious practice of seclusion inside mosques commonly observed during Ramadan.

On several occasions, Palestinians have refused to leave the prayer hall inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque, demanding the right to pray there overnight, something Israel has in the past only allowed during the last 10 days of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

The violence at the shrine triggered rocket fire by Palestinian militants from the Gaza Strip and southern Lebanon, starting Wednesday, and Israeli airstrikes targeted both areas.

In Lebanon, Hezbollahs media office announced that the militant groups chief, Hassan Nasrallah, received a delegation headed by Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh on Sunday. The two discussed the most important developments in occupied Palestine, the course of events at al-Aqsa Mosque, and the escalating resistance in the West Bank and Gaza, in addition to general political developments in the region, the readiness of the resistance axis and the cooperation of its parties, the statement said.

Haniyeh, who arrived in Lebanon last week shortly before rockets were launched at Israel from south Lebanon, had been scheduled to make a public appearance in Beirut on Friday. But it was canceled for security reasons following the exchange of strikes between Lebanon and Israel. No group has officially claimed responsibility for the rocket attacks, but Israel has accused Hamas of being behind them.

Late on Saturday and early Sunday, militants in Syria fired rockets in two salvos toward Israel and the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights. A Damascus-based Palestinian group loyal to the Syrian government claimed responsibility for the first round of rockets, saying it was retaliating for the Al-Aqsa raids.

In the first salvo, one rocket landed in a field in the Golan Heights. Fragments of another destroyed missile fell into Jordanian territory near the Syrian border, Jordans military reported. In the second round, two of the rockets crossed the border into Israel, with one being intercepted and the second landing in an open area, the Israeli military said.

Israel responded with artillery fire into the area in Syria from where the rockets were fired. Later, the military said Israeli fighter jets attacked Syrian army sites, including a compound of Syrias 4th Division and radar and artillery posts.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed the violence in a telephone call with Israeli counterpart Isaac Herzog late Saturday, telling Herzog that Muslims could not remain silent about the provocations and threats against the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and said the hostilities that have spread to Gaza and Lebanon should not be allowed to escalate further.

Over 90 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire so far this year, some of them militants, according to a tally by The Associated Press. Palestinian attacks on Israelis have killed 19 people in that time. All but one were civilians.

*This story was edited by Ahram Online

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Big Eyes Coin confirms end of presale in June 2023 amid Bitcoin holding Halving Event in April 2024!

New Delhi, April 8: The wait is over for investors and enthusiasts. The coin confirmed its presale will end on June 03, 2023. Meanwhile, Bitcoin's (BTC) halving event is to take place in April 2024. Personally, I believe this will greatly benefit BIG enthusiasts. Read on to find out why!.

Big Eyes Coin confirms end of presale in June 2023 amid Bitcoin holding Halving Event in April 2024!

What does Bitcoin Mean by their "Halving Event"?The method of halving, as used in the crypto world, involves lowering the pace at which new coins are issued. Halving refers to the regular reduction of the block subsidy given to miners. A cryptocurrency asset will be issued at a constant rate until its maximum supply is eventually reached thanks to the halving.A Bitcoin halving event essentially occurs when the reward for mining Bitcoin transactions is cut in half. Halving reduces the rate at which new coins are created and thus lowers the available amount of new supply, making the cryptocurrency more scarce and therefore more expensive.Fun Fact Bitcoin last halved on May 11, 2020, resulting in a block reward of 6.25 BTC. The final BTC halving is expected to occur in 2140 when the number of Bitcoin tokens circulating will reach the maximum supply of 21 million.How will the BTC halving event help Big Eyes Coin (BIG)?If you are curious to find out how the BTC halving event will help Big Eyes Coin (BIG) investors; well the answer is very simple! The scarcity created by Bitcoin will make the coin more expensive and therefore harder to purchase in the run-up to the halving event, meaning that Big Eyes Coin (BIG) will automatically seem and become more affordable!Big Eyes Coin the Must-Invest-In Coin for 2023?Big Eyes Coin (BIG) is an irresistibly cute cat-themed coin new to the cryptocurrency arena, despite having raised over and 33 million in a short time span. The cat-friendly token is committed to preserving the ocean's ecosystem and will store 5 per cent of all tokens in a charity wallet for this purpose.Since mining crypto has a negative environmental effect as well, the move appears apt and timely and will also give Big Eyes Coin the right publicity it deserves to attract environmentally conscious investors prior to its presale ending on June 03, 2023.If you too want to take advantage of their presale and early board offers, remember the bonus code BULLRUN250.With its pre-sale still on, you can Find out more about Big Eyes Coin (BIG)PresaleWebsiteTelegramThis story has been provided by ATK. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/ATK)ANI08 April 2023

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Ukraine minister to visit India on April 9, likely to seek humanitarian aid

New Delhi, April 8: In what would be the first official visit from Ukraine more than a year after the Russian offensive, the country's First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emine Dzhaparova will arrive on a four-day official visit to India on Sunday.

Ukraine minister to visit India on April 9, likely to seek humanitarian aid

Dzhaparova will be on an official visit to India from April 9-12, during which, she is likely to seek humanitarian aid for her country.During the visit, she will hold talks with Sanjay Verma, secretary (West) in the External Affairs ministry, where both sides are expected to discuss bilateral relations, exchange views on the current situation in Ukraine and global issues of mutual interest.She will also call on Minister of State for External Affairs Meenakshi Lekhi and meet Deputy National Security Adviser, Vikram Misri, official sources said."India shares warm and friendly relations and multifaceted cooperation with Ukraine. Over the last 30 years of establishing diplomatic relations, bilateral cooperation between the two countries has made significant progress in the areas of trade, education, culture and defence. The visit will be an occasion to further mutual understanding and interests," an official statement said.IANS08 April 2023

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Kiren Rijiju escapes unhurt after truck hits his car in J&K

Jammu, April 8: Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju escaped unhurt on Saturday after a truck hit his vehicle on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway.

Kiren Rijiju escapes unhurt after truck hits his car in J&K

Police sources said a fully-loaded truck hit the black Scorpio in which the Union minister was travelling in the Banihal area on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway.Reports said the security guards of the minister rushed to Rijiju's vehicle and opened its back door as the minister came out unhurt."No one was injured in this incident," the police said.Earlier on Saturday, the minister had ytweeted, "Going from Jammu to Udhampur in Jammu iamp; Kashmir to attend Legal Services Camp. Many beneficiaries of the Central Govt Schemes are attending the function along with Judges and NALSA team. Now, one can enjoy the beautiful road throughout the journey."IANS08 April 2023

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FM Nirmala Sitharaman to attend Spring Annual Meetings of IMF-World Bank

New Delhi, April 8: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is to embark today on an official visit to the United States where she will attend Spring Annual Meetings of the IMF-World Bank. She will begin her official visit to the US from April 10.

FM Nirmala Sitharaman to attend Spring Annual Meetings of IMF-World Bank

The Union Finance Minister will also participate in G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (FMCBG) meetings besides investor and bilateral meetings with various countries.During the visit, Sitharaman will be attending the 2023 Spring Meetings of the World Bank Group (WBG) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), along with G20 meetings, Investor/ Bilateral meetings, and other associated meetings, which are scheduled to take place from April 10 to April 16, 2023, in the WBG and IMF Headquarters in Washington DC. The Spring Meetings will be attended by Finance Ministers and Central Bankers from across the world.The Indian Finance Ministry delegation will be led by the Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs and will comprise officials from the Ministry of Finance and RBI.Key engagements of the Union Finance Minister will include the followingSpring Meetings of IMF-WB;Hosting the Second G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (FMCBG) meeting under India's G20 Presidency and G20-related side events;World Bank Development Committee and IMF Committee PlenariesInteraction with Global Economists and Think-Tanks,Bilateral engagements with countries and international organisations;Interaction with global business leaders and investors in roundtables; andEngagement with Indian Diaspora.Finance Minister Sitharaman and the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India Shaktikanta Das will jointly chair the 2nd G20 FMCBG meeting on April 12-13, 2023.Around 350 delegates from G20 members, 13 invitee countries, and various international and regional organisations will participate and engage in multilateral discussions centred around a broad spectrum of pressing global issues.The 2nd G20 FMCBG meeting will comprise three sessionsGlobal Economy and International Financial Architecture;Sustainable Finance, Financial Sector and Financial Inclusion; andInternational Taxation.The focus of these sessions will be to deliberate on issues such as addressing food and energy insecurity, managing global debt vulnerabilities, strengthening Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs), mobilising finance for climate action, advancing financial inclusion, and accelerating progress on International Tax and Financial Sector issues. The meeting will take stock of the progress made on outcomes envisaged under India's G20 Finance Track agenda.The 2nd G20 FMCBG meeting will advance efforts towards the preparation of G20 India Finance Track deliverables for the 3rd G20 FMCBG meeting to be held in Gandhinagar, India, in July 2023. These meetings are expected to provide informed Finance Track contributions to the Leaders Declaration for adoption in the New Delhi Summit in September 2023.On the sidelines of the Spring Annual Meetings, the Finance Minister will have bilateral engagements with her respective counterparts from G20 countries and Heads of other delegations, including major international organisations, to discuss issues and areas of mutual interest and cooperation under India's G20 Presidency.In the course of her visit, the Union Finance Minister will also participate in a fireside chat at the Peterson Institute of International Economics (PIIE) on April 10, 2023.In a high-level meeting on April 11, 2023, the Finance Minister will meet the US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen to discuss issues of mutual interest.During the official visit, a meeting of the Global Sovereign Debt Roundtable will be co-chaired by India, International Monetary Fund, and the World Bank on April 12, 2023, to discuss the current global debt landscape and ways to address existing challenges in the debt restructuring. On April 14, 2023, a high-level seminar on "Macro-financial implications of Crypto assets" will be held to review the macro-financial implications of Crypto Assets and discuss policies to leverage benefits and contain risks.Sitharaman will also meet the G20 Expert Group on strengthening MDBs on April 15, 2023, to discuss the need for an updated MDBs ecosystem for the 21st century towards financing sustainable development goals and transboundary challenges.Besides these, the Finance Minister will also participate in a high-level Seminar on 'Stacking up the benefits of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI)' organised by the IMF on April 14, 2023. The Seminar aims to discuss lessons from India and other countries on the transformational power of DPI and ways to maximise its potential.Other side events that will be held on the margins of the IMF-WB Spring Meetings include an event on 'Enhancing the Economic Empowerment of Women as Entrepreneurs and Leaders' (April 13, 2023), 'Life (Lifestyle for Environment) event on Behavioral Change to Tackle Climate Change' (April 14, 2023), and 'Launch of debt restructuring negotiation process on Sri Lanka' (April 13, 2023), among others.ANI09 April 2023

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J-K Addl Chief Secy highlights importance of Farmer Producer Organisations in growth of agriculture sector

Jammu, April 8: Jammu and Kashmir Additional Chief Secretary, Agriculture Production Department Atal Dulloo held a detailed interaction with Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) of Jammu division at Kissan Kendra, Tala Tiloo on Saturday.

J-K Addl Chief Secy highlights importance of Farmer Producer Organisations in growth of agriculture sector

Director Agriculture Jammu, Director Horticulture Jammu, eminent professors and scholars from SKUAST-J, other senior officers of APD, representatives of FPOs as well as CBBOs participated in the interaction programme.Director Agriculture Kashmir, Managing Director JKHPMC and other concerned officers participated in the programme through video conferencing.Speaking on the occasion, Atal Dulloo highlighted the importance of FPOs in the growth and development of the agriculture sector, and how they can help in doubling farmers' income.The ACS further said that the FPOs can play a crucial role in enhancing farmers' income, creating employment opportunities, and ensuring food security in the region. He added the department is committed to providing all necessary support to FPOs.Dulloo enjoined upon the representatives of FPOs to build trust in farmers and mobilise them so that more and more farmers to join them.He also asked them to organise awareness programmes for farmers about the importance of FPOs as well as required training that should be provided to them for the success of these organisations.During the address, Dulloo assured the FPO representatives that their concerns would be addressed, and the government would provide all necessary assistance to FPOs to overcome their challenges.ANI09 April 2023

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All India Institute of Ayurveda hosts walkthrough for Working Group of C20 on Integrated Holistic Health under G20

New Delhi, April 8: Taking forward the legacy of Ayurveda, All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), the apex institute of Ayurveda in India, an Autonomous Institute under the Ministry of AYUSH hosted a walkthrough on Saturday for the Working Group of C20 on Integrated Holistic Health.

All India Institute of Ayurveda hosts walkthrough for Working Group of C20 on Integrated Holistic Health under G20

A large group of over 400 delegates participated in the event and the institute showcased how an integrated approach to health care can be effectively implemented.AIIA signed an MoU with the University of Amrita Vishwa Vidhyapeetham for cooperation and collaboration in the field of Research and Academics in Ayurveda. The MoU was signed by Prof. Tanuja Nesari, Director, AIIA, Ministry of Ayush and Prem Kumar Vasudevan Nair, the Provost, Medical Sciences at Kochi campus of Amrita Vishwa Vidhyapeetham.AIIA already has MoUs with the European Academy of Ayurveda, Bernstein, Germany; Western Sydney University, Australia; Graz Medical University, Austria; College of Medical, UK; London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK and Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.On this occasion, Prof Dr Tanuja Neasri, said "We are happy to co-host the C20 delegates at AIIA, a tertiary care set-up under the Ministry of Ayush. We are honoured to showcase AIIA as a model of integration and holistic healthcare in Ayurveda.""As it is envisioned as health for all, so through this message for holistic healthcare the strength of the Ayush system through MOA should be integrated into the mainstream of medicines for people-centric wellbeing," she added.AIIA launched the millet calendar at the hands of Anita Bhatia, Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN) and Deputy Executive Director of UN Women.AIIA, the apex institute of Ayurveda in India is an Autonomous Institute under the Ministry of AYUSH which aims at bringing a synergy between the traditional wisdom of Ayurveda and modern tools and technology. The Institute has 25 speciality departments, 12 clinics with 8 inter-disciplinary research laboratories and an international collaborative centre for global promotion and research in Ayurveda. Ayurveda is a science of life with a holistic approach to health and personalized medicine that is gaining popularity globally.Ayurveda is the oldest system of medicine and health science dating back more than 3,000 years. The cardinal aim of Ayurveda is to restore the induvial balance between body, mind and spirit. There is a great demand for the science of life not only in India but in other parts of the world.ANI09 April 2023

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Technology Innovation Institute to host 2nd Additive Manufacturing the Future seminar in Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi, April 8: Following the huge success of its inaugural seminar last year, the Technology Innovation Institute (TII), a leading global scientific research centre and the applied research pillar of Abu Dhabi's Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC), has announced that the Additive Manufacturing team within its Advanced Materials Research Centre (AMRC), will host a second edition of the Additive Manufacturing the Future seminar this year.

Technology Innovation Institute to host 2nd 'Additive Manufacturing the Future' seminar in Abu Dhabi

The seminar in its second year is poised to become an annual fixture for Abu Dhabi's manufacturing sector and will take place on April 27 at the W Hotel, Abu Dhabi.Additive Manufacturing the Future 2023 will bring together global additive manufacturing and 3D printing experts, industry giants, and relevant stakeholders for a comprehensive dialogue and expert-level networking on various breakthrough technologies in the field. The seminar will highlight the critical challenges and opportunities for the industry and discuss emerging trends that are shaping and empowering this burgeoning sector.Additive manufacturing, also commonly referred to as 3D printing, has recently become a top contender among traditional advanced manufacturing technologies in sectors including aerospace, automotive, space, biomedical, oil and gas, and tooling, among others.The robust seminar agenda will span four significant topics - design for additive manufacturing, materials for additive manufacturing and their sustainability, manufacturing processes and post-processing, and lastly, industry applications of additive manufacturing that include successful and impactful use cases, standardization, certification, and IP issues related to additive manufacturing.Nesma Aboulkhair, Director, Additive Manufacturing, Advanced Materials Research Centre, will headline the opening session on "Unlocking the potential in laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing". Josefine Lissner, CEO and Founder of Leap 71, UAE, and Lin Kaiser, Founder of Hyperganic, will follow her with a session titled "Creating the Physical Future of Humankind through Computational Engineering and Integrated Digital Manufacturing - or - From code to Aerospike".Among the other eminent speakers confirmed to attend the seminar are Wesley Cantwell, Professor, Aeronautics and Astronautics at Khalifa University, Aijun Hwang, Director, Monash Centre for Additive Manufacturing, Federico Bosio, Senior Researcher, AMRC, TII, and Markus Glassner, Senior Vice President - EMEA at EOS Global. Daniel France, Global Sales and Business Development Director, BEAMIT SpA, Pawan Kumar Chandana, Co-founder, Skyroot Aerospace, and Dr. Alberto Bordin, Additive Manufacturing Technical Lead at ASTM Centre of Excellence, will also host dedicated sessions. Barrie Finnin, CTO and General Manager of AMAERO Additive Manufacturing Australia, a company that is partnering with a UAE-based entity to strengthen the AM landscape here, is also slated to present a session titled "Understanding the cost drivers of Metal AM".Speaking on the expectations from the upcoming seminar, Nesma Aboulkhair said, "Additive manufacturing is a relatively new entrant on the UAE's manufacturing landscape and such events expand our understanding of this unique and fast-paced discipline. In addition, they help accelerate the discovery of transformative solutions that can benefit the UAE and other countries worldwide. This seminar offers a critical platform for strategic synergies in additive manufacturing R and D and will undoubtedly boost TII's credibility as a leading hub of knowledge, collaborations, and technological expertise in additive manufacturing in the UAE and beyond."Hend Alqaydi, Engineer, Material Science, on the AM team, added, "We have a fantastic line-up of speakers whose vast experience and skillsets will certainly add immense value in enabling the attendees to adopt additive manufacturing in their business operations. Furthermore, academicians can jointly explore potential new areas of research collaboration to deepen their additive manufacturing insights to reinforce TII's leadership in shaping innovative solutions to tackle the world's most pressing challenges." (ANI/WAM)ANI09 April 2023

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IPL on TV sees 40 pc drop in number of advertisers during opening match

New Delhi, April 8: The number of advertisers on the opening day telecast of the Indian Premier League (IPL) this year was 40 per cent less than the number of advertisers on an opening day last year with the usual big spenders giving TV a miss this time around.

IPL on TV sees 40 pc drop in number of advertisers during opening match

While there were 52 advertisers on board for IPL's opening fixture on TV last year, this year that number for the opening fixture was 31 for live matches only (all channels). The advertisers data has been verified through BARC numbers. The data is for all TV feeds where IPL is being telecast.The absence of some big spenders on TV from last year's IPL, such as Byjus, Cred, Muthoot, Netmeds, Swiggy, Flipkart, Phone Pe, Meesho, Samsung, OnePlus, Vedantu, Spotify and Havells among others are notable.Disney Star is the TV broadcasting rights holder of the Indian Premier League. The international media giant spent $3 billion on TV rights between 2023-2027.The total number of advertisers on TV for IPL last year was around 100. TV's viewership during IPL is also struggling as the official TV broadcasters has been recording low numbers, as per BARC.TV ad rates have also seen a steep fall for IPL. And the number of TV sponsors has sharply decreased from 16 last year to 12 this year till the opening match.ANI09 April 2023

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Amid row over Amuls foray, Bengaluru hoteliers decide to use Nandini milk to support states farmers

Bengaluru , April 9: In a setback for Gujarat-based dairy giant Amul, the Bruhat Bengaluru Hotels Association has decided to use only Nandini milk to support the state's (dairy) farmers.

Amid row over Amul's foray, Bengaluru hoteliers decide to use Nandini milk to support state's farmers

The development comes on the heels of the ruling BJP and the Opposition Congress and the JD(S) engaging in a war of words over Amul's announcement of foraying into the Bengaluru dairy market.In a statement, the Bruhat Bengaluru Hotels Association, without naming Amul, said Kannadigas should only promote Nandini milk products."We are all proud of Karnataka's Nandini milk produced by our farmers and it should be encouraged. In our city, clean and delicious coffee stands as the backbone of snacks. And we encourage it with great pride. It is being heard that milk from other states is being shipped to Karnataka recently. We are all Nandini," read a statement from Bruhat Bengaluru Hotels Association.Earlier, the Congress accused the BJP of hatching a conspiracy to kill the state's formidable dairy brand, Nandini.On Friday, Congress leader and former chief minister Siddaramaiah said "all Kannadigas should pledge not to buy Amul products". His statement followed speculations of a merger between the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) and Gujarat's Anand Milk Union Limited (Amul)."All Kannadigas have to unanimously resist the usurpation of the KMF, which has been built for the welfare of the farmers of the country. All Kannadigas should pledge not to buy Amul products", Siddaramaiah said.He added, "In addition to language treason by the imposition of Hindi and land treason by trespassing within the state borders, now the BJP government is going to betray the farmers by shutting down Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF), which is the livelihood of millions of dairy farming families in the country."Siddaramaiah also called on Chief Minister Basavaraja Bommai to immediately intervene in the matter and stop Amul from "entering (the state's dairy market) through the back door."Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who also handles the Cooperation ministry, should hold a referendum in the state in this regard, he added.The former CM also hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shah, alleging that it was the weak BJP leadership in the state that has resulted in the KMF's slump in business.On Wednesday, Amul tweeted that a wave of freshness in coming to Bengaluru from Kengeri to Whitefield -- from the west end of the city to the east -- with the hashtag "LaunchAlert." The cooperative said in a following tweet that quick commerce platforms will be used to facilitate milk and curd delivery.ANI09 April 2023

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N.Korea remains unresponsive to military hotline call from S.Korea for 3rd day

Seoul, April 9: North Korea did not answer a routine morning call from South Korea via a military hotline for the third day in a row on Sunday for unclear reasons, officials said.

N.Korea remains unresponsive to military hotline call from S.Korea for 3rd day

The two Koreas are supposed to hold calls twice a day -- once in the morning and the other in the afternoon -- via military and liaison hotlines set up across the border, but the North stopped answering calls from the South on Friday afternoon, Yonhap News Agency reported.On Sunday, the South made a military hotline call to the North at 9 a.m., but it went unanswered again, according to the defence ministry officials. Calls through the liaison hotline do not take place on weekends.Ministry officials said they plan to try to call the North at 4 p.m.It is unclear why the North is refusing to answer the calls.But the suspension comes amid heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula in the wake of North Korea's recent weapons tests in protest of joint military drills between South Korea and the US.IANS09 April 2023

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Thousands of worshippers held tense celebrations in Jerusalem on Sunday, as Christian Easter coincided with Jewish Passover and the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, amid a surge in violence in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Leading Easter mass at the Vatican, Pope Francis expressed "deep concern" Sunday over the flare-up in tensions sparked by an Israeli police raid on Al-Aqsa mosque days ago.

Israel has since struck targets in Gaza, Lebanon and most recently Syria in response to rocket fire mostly blamed on Palestinian militants, while separate attacks in the West Bank and Tel Aviv killed three people including an Italian tourist.

On Sunday, pilgrims crowded into the narrow alleyways of Jerusalem's Old City, flanked by heavily-armed Israeli security forces deployed following the recent deadly attacks.

Churchgoers were ushered through the courtyard of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, built on the site where Christians believe Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected.

"[I had] some doubt, taking into consideration recent events, but still I decided to go," said 50-year-old Paulius Majauskas, visiting from Lithuania.

Near the church, thousands of Jewish pilgrims gathered at the Western Wall for the traditional priestly blessing of Passover.

Judy Green, 60, said the blessing was "beautiful, very uplifting" at the Western Wall, the holiest place where Jews can pray.

"I feel that God will protect us, we're all praying together as one people," she said.

The Western Wall lies in Israeli occupied east Jerusalem and sits below Al-Haram Al-Sharif.

The raised compound is home to Al-Aqsa mosque, the third-holiest site in Islam and the focal point for Ramadan celebrations.

An AFP journalist saw more than 500 religious Jews enter the site Sunday morning under police escort while Muslims prayed nearby, without any clashes.

This year the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has claimed the lives of at least 92 Palestinians, 18 Israelis, one Ukrainian and one Italian, according to an AFP count based on Israeli and Palestinian official sources.

These figures include, on the Palestinian side, combatants and civilians, including minors, and on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, including minors, and three members of the Arab minority.

*This story was edited by Ahram Online

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Saudi delegation arrives in Iran to discuss reopening of diplomatic missions

Riyadh, April 9: A Saudi Arabian diplomatic delegation arrived in Tehran on Saturday to discuss the reopening of its diplomatic missions since 2016, according to Riyadh's Foreign Ministry.

Saudi delegation arrives in Iran to discuss reopening of diplomatic missions

The focus of the discussions is expected to be on the resumption of official relationships, the reopening of embassies and consulates, and mutual interests.Saturday's visit is part of "implementing the tripartite agreement" reached on March 10 between the two regional powers, brokered by China, to restore relations ruptured in 2016, the Saudi foreign ministry said, cited by the official Saudi Press Agency.The visit follows an unprecedented meeting between the foreign ministers of both countries in China this week after they agreed last month to restore diplomatic ties after a seven-year gap.The UAE downgraded relations with Iran after Saudi Arabia severed ties with Iran in January 2016 after Iranian protesters stormed the Saudi embassy in Tehran following Riyadh's execution of a prominent Shiite cleric, reported Dawn.The animosity between Iran and Saudi Arabia had previously threatened stability and security in the Gulf, and fuelled conflicts in the Middle East from Yemen to Syria.However, in a significant breakthrough last month, Riyadh announced that it would re-establish ties with Tehran in a China-brokered deal, marking a step-change in years of hostility between the two nations.In the first high-level meeting between Iran and Saudi Arabia in over seven years, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian of Iran and Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud of Saudi Arabia signed an agreement to reopen embassies and consulates in their respective countries.Iran released a statement saying that the two sides expressed their willingness to overcome any obstacles to expanding cooperation between their nations. The embassies will be located in Tehran and Riyadh, while the consulates will be established in Mashhad and Jeddah.The two longtime Middle East rivals have now pledged to work together.Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian met in Beijing on Thursday and vowed to bring "security and stability" to the turbulent Gulf region.On Saturday, a Saudi "technical delegation" met Iran's chief of protocol at the foreign ministry in Tehran, SPA said.ANI09 April 2023

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UP CM lays foundation stone of 223 development projects worth Rs 480 crores in Deoria

Deoria, April 9: Criticising the previous governments for selling sugar mills at throwaway prices in the state, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday said that his government wants to give jobs to thousands of youths by developing sugar complex.

UP CM lays foundation stone of 223 development projects worth Rs 480 crores in Deoria

While laying the foundation stone of 223 development projects worth Rs 480 crore in Deoria, the Chief Minister spoke about his connection with the district.He said, "The common people and workers used to visit me without any hesitation even when I was a member of parliament. For the public issues in Deoria, Kushinagar, and Maharajganj, I did not hesitate to come here either.""These are all of our people, whose issues need to be resolved. When the previous governments ignored issues, the public and I organized agitations to press for solutions", he added.The Chief Minister lauded the able leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and said, "India has become a model for the world. UP is developing a model of good governance. Six years ago, you knew about the circumstance at UP.""Under the leadership of PM Modi, the development schemes have reached every youth, poor, farmer and woman. Deoria also benefitted from these welfare schemes," he added.CM Yogi said, "The state has received an investment of Rs 35 lakh crore. Within two-three years, one crore youth will be given jobs. Skill mapping is being done to make the youth technically competent and we are also opening ITI, polytechnic, and nursing colleges."He further also stated that malaria used to be a problem in the state, but not it has been eliminated."Malaria used to be a problem in this region. After malaria was eliminated, encephalitis wreaked havoc. In Deoria, Kushinagar, and Maharajganj, encephalitis has been completely eradicated, we have also controlled the Covid-19 pandemic", he said.Hitting out at the previous governments, CM Yogi said, "They used to divide in the name of caste. Today the double-engine government gives every person the right to live."Listing the achievements of his government, CM said, "Till now we have given houses to 54 lakh families, toilets to 2.61 crores poor, free electricity connections to 1.55 crore, Ujjwala connections to 1.75 crores poor and ration to 15 crore people of UP and 80 crore people of the country continuously for three years."Taking a dig at the situation in Pakistan, Yogi said, "On the one hand, no one will go to bed without food in India, which has a population of 140 crores, while on the other, in Pakistan, which has a population of 22-23 crores, people are struggling for two proper meals."CM also talked about the benefits of the flyover of Deoria and said that it'll be built to solve the traffic problem."The flyover of Deoria will also be built to solve the traffic problem. An application has been given in the Supreme Court to hand over the Baitalpur Sugar Mill to us which is an identity of this area.""Now that the distillery, coal, ethanol, mill, and sugar complexes are being built, thousands of young people will have training facilities and employment", Yogi added.The CM went on to say that not even a single sugar mill was shut down during Covid. Agriculture and Technology University is going to be built in the name of Mahatma Buddha in Kushinagar. Money has also been arranged in the budget. Money cannot be a hindrance in any work.He also appealed to the people to vote for the Bharatiya Janata Party in the upcoming municipal elections."No one will have to wander in the tehsil for caste, income, or residential certificates as the online facility is being made available in the municipal body itself. By constructing a village secretariat in the gram panchayats, we want to offer this facility," said CM Yogi."We also provided health ATMs at remote health centres where as many as 60 tests can be done," he added."The government thinks about development, and that's why it is happening. While some people used to exploit the youth, farmers in the name of caste", Yogi remarked.During this, the CM also performed 'Annaprashan' of children, and tricycles were also provided to the 'divyangs'. Along with this, cheques, keys and sewing machines were also given to the beneficiaries of various schemes including PM Swanidhi Yojana, PM Awas Yojana (Urban/Rural), and Mukhyamantri Awas Yojana (Rural).Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated the Primary Health Center in Bahor Dhanoti village of Bhaluani development block in Barhaj (Deoria). The ribbon-cutting was done by schoolgirls. The CM inspected the health centre and took the information. During this, he also worshipped Lord Hanuman and planted saplings.ANI09 April 2023

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Anupam Kher relishes dosa cooked by Anurag Basu on Metro In Dino set

Mumbai, April 9: Filmmaker Anurag Basu showed his cooking skills to veteran actor Anupam Kher by preparing egg dosa for him on the sets of 'Metro.In Dino'.

Anupam Kher relishes dosa cooked by Anurag Basu on 'Metro In Dino' set

On Saturday, taking to Instagram, Anupam shared a video of Basu making the dish while the actor stood next to him.In the video, Anupam asked the filmmaker what is he making and asked everyone to be quiet on the sets.The actor was heard saying, "Cast me in every film of yours," to which Basu responded, "In every film, you will eat the dish prepared by me."Sharing the video, he wrote, "Today's Breaking News Anurag Basu creates egg dosa for Anupam Kher on the sets of #MetroInDino See.... Learn..... Eat it... And have fun!! Anupam praised his affection by eating egg dosa. Gave a good role in the film and Dosa in the plate was also awesome. Hahahaha! Anything can happen. Hail Anurag Babu!!"Earlier, Anupam revealed he has recorded a song under the leadership of composer Pritam for Anurag Basu's directorial.Anupam wrote in the caption, "All dreams come true Maine swapne mein bhi nehi socha tha ke mujhe @ipritamofficial ke music direction main @anuragbasuofficial ki film #MetroInDino mein gana gane ka mauka milega / par me hi toh kehta hu "kuch bhi ho sakta hai"!! meri toh nikal padi! #PritamDa and #AnuragDa are geniuses in their field. It was a matter of pride for me to sing for them. Jai Ho! #Song #Music #Dream.'Metro...In Dino', a film that apparently draws its title from the popular song 'In Dino' from 'Life in a... Metro', will showcase bittersweet tales of human relationships based in contemporary times.Billed as an anthology, the film will feature Aditya Roy Kapur, Sara Ali Khan, Konkona Sen Sharma, Pankaj Tripathi, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Anupam Kher, Ali Fazal and Neena Gupta in the lead roles.Sharing more details about the film, Basu had earlier said, "Metro...In Dino is a tale of the people and for the people! It has been a while since I am working on this one and I am glad to be collaborating with a powerhouse like Bhushan Kumar yet again who has always been like a pillar to me!"He added, "The storyline is very fresh and relevant as I look forward to collaborating with amazing artists who bring that essence of contemporary aura with them. As the music plays a very important role in any film, I couldn't be happier to be collaborating with my dear friend Pritam who has literally added life to the characters and story with his work."ANI09 April 2023

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IPL 2023: Like his captain, Jadeja is absolutely fearless, says Sunil Gavaskar

Mumbai, April 9: Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar feels Ravindra Jadeja, who played a crucial role in Chennai Super Kings' win over Mumbai Indians in an IPL 2023 match, is absolutely fearless like his captain MS Dhoni, saying that no matter how much one praise star all-rounder, it is less.

IPL 2023: Like his captain, Jadeja is absolutely fearless, says Sunil Gavaskar

Jadeja was at his best against arch-rivals as he picked up three wickets (3/20) and took that sensational reflex catch of Cameron Green.The left-arm spinner was brilliant in the execution of his plans as he bowled a fine length and line to claim the prized scalps of Ishan Kishan (32), Cameron Green (12), and Tilak Varma (22) to break Mumbai Indians back and Ajinkya Rahane then slammed the fastest fifty of the 2023 season off 19 deliveries as CSK thrashed archrivals in their own den by seven wickets on Saturday night.Like his captain, Jadeja is absolutely fearless. Green's catch is like making a possibility out of the improbable. No matter how much you praise this player, it is less, Gavaskar told Star Sports, the official TV broadcaster of IPL.On the other hand, former India spinner Harbhajan Singh called Jadeja a superhero.Ravindra Jadeja is a superhero in the true sense. He can turn the match in his team's favour anytime with the ball or the bat. Not everyone can take the catch he took of Cameron Green. He is such a special player, said Harbhajan.Meanwhile, former India coach and noted commentator Ravi Shastri lauded Dhoni, saying that the CSK skipper had every trick up his sleeve as he assessed the pitch well.MS Dhoni made excellent use of Santner and Jadeja against Mumbai Indians batters. He knew that on such wickets these two can turn the tide, and that is why he showed more confidence in them, said Shastri.Four time champions CSK will face Rajasthan Royals in their next IPL 2023 match at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai on Wednesday.IANS09 April 2023

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Ravie Dubey says mental transformation is important to play a complex character

Mumbai, April 9: Actor Ravie Dubey spoke about his look in his upcoming film 'Faraddayy,' where he had to transform himself physically and mentally to get into the skin of his character.

Ravie Dubey says mental transformation is important to play a complex character

The actor shared that he also went through a psychological transformation while shooting for the film.Ravie added "In this character, physical and other kinds of aesthetic transformation are secondary. The most important factor is I have to delve into the psyche and the core ethos of a character like this. So psychological transformation is important for any character but for a character like this it's of utmost priority and importance."On what all he has done to perform the character of Rajan perfectly, Ravie said "I am careful about what I eat. Fitness is a way of life. Getting the specific look was surely a lot of hard work. I took full charge of fitness and diet. When you prepare for a complex character, of course the transformation physical and mental both are important."He added how a character like this takes a toll on his mental and physical well-being and how he is handling it."I'm sure all actors would feel that once they are in the zone of a certain character, time passes quickly. And I'm just happy that people have found it interesting. That is a big step forward, for not just me, but for the entire team that's going ahead with this film, and our production. As a viewer, I would love to see a film like this. And therefore, I decided that we must make this and we must tell the story."Speaking further on producing a film like 'Farradday', he shared "When we actually conceptualised the film, we knew that this is the path we should take. We should also keep in mind that we made it on a shoestring budget. I didn't think the film would have many takers being an abstract film. So we didn't actually go to the process of going to people and saying that, this is a story that we believe in, and would like you to produce it. We decided to just take the leap of faith and do it ourselves."'Fradday' is an Ankur Pajni directorial which is produced by Ravie and Sargun Mehta's Dreamiyata Entertainment. The film will be released in December.IANS09 April 2023

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Upendra Kushwaha decides to stay away from Iftar parties

Patna, April 9: While the politics of Iftar continues in Bihar, Upendra Kushwaha-led Rashtriya Lok Janata Dal (RLJD) has decided not organise such an event this year.

Upendra Kushwaha decides to stay away from Iftar parties

Kushwaha, while interacting with media persons in Patna said "Going for an Iftar party is similar to sprinkling salt on the wounds that happened due to the communal violence during the Ram Navami processions in Sasaram and Bihar Sharif.""The holy month of Ramzan is currently underway and people are organising Iftar parties. Some prominent people invited me for the Iftar parties. A number of members of my party also suggested that I organise an Iftar party. In view of the current situation in Sasaram and Bihar Sharif, I personally believe that instead of organising an event, we have to make it convenient for 'Rozedars (Muslim people who do the fast during the month of Ramzan)'. At present, ointments are needed to fill wounds. Organising events could be viewed as sprinkling salt on the wounds," Kushwaha said.Earlier, the BJP distanced itself from Nitish Kumar's Iftar party after Ram Navami violence. CHief Minister Nitish Kumar had invited every political party, including BJP, LJPR, RLJD and others, but the leaders of these three political parties stayed away.On Sunday, the RJD is organising an Iftar party at Rabri Devi's residence. RJD also invited BJP leaders, Upendra Kushwaha and Chirag Paswan. BJP and Upendra Kushwaha decided not to go in the iftar party of RJD. As Chirag Paswan has close family relations with Lalu's family, he will go for the Iftar party at Rabri Devi residence.IANS09 April 2023

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Akali Dal leader Inder Iqbal Singh Atwal, several others, join BJP

New Delhi, April 9: Prominent Akali Dal leaders Sardar Inder Iqbal Singh Atwal and Sardar Jasjeet Singh Atwal, along with several others from Punjab, joined the Bharatiya Janta party (BJP) in New Delhi on Sunday.

Akali Dal leader Inder Iqbal Singh Atwal, several others, join BJP

They were formally inducted into the saffron camp in the presence of senior BJP leaders at the party's national headquarters in the Capital on Sunday.Further, according to sources in the BJP, AIADMK leader and former Rajya Sabha member, Dr Maitreyan, will also join the saffron party on Sunday.Earlier, on Saturday, CR Kesavan, the great-grandson of India's first Indian Governor-General, C Rajagopalachari, joined the BJP.Kesavan resigned from Congress on February 23, saying that he has not even seen vestiges of the values that made him work for the party with dedication for over two decades.Kesavan shared his resignation letter to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Twitter saying he could no longer concur with "what the party symbolises, stands for or seeks to propagate".His resignation came within a month of the desertion by former Union minister AK Antony's son, Anil Antony, who parted ways with the party after coming out in support of Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the controversial BBC documentary series.Anil Antony joined the BJP on April 6, in the presence of Union Ministers Piyush Goyal and V Muraleedharan. Kerala BJP chief K Surendran and senior party leaders Tarun Chugh and Anil Baluni were also present on the occasion.Earlier on Friday, former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, joined the BJP here in the national capital.Reddy, who served as the last chief minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh, joined the BJP in the presence of Union minister Prahlad Joshi, general secretary Arun Singh and MP K Laxman, at a function organised at the party headquarters.Reddy became Andhra Pradesh's chief minister on November 11, 2010, but resigned on March 10, 2014, to protest against the Congress party's decision to bifurcate the state.The developments come ahead of the next year's Lok Sabha elections.ANI09 April 2023

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Saudi delegation arrives in Yemen to hold ceasefire talks with Houthi rebels

Sanaa, April 9: A Saudi delegation arrived in the Yemeni capital here to hold ceasefire talks with the Houthi militia, the Houthi-run al-Masirah TV reported on Sunday.

Saudi delegation arrives in Yemen to hold ceasefire talks with Houthi rebels

The Saudi delegation arrived along with Omani officials to meet here with Mahdi al-Mashat, chairman of the Houthi's political council, for discussion of arrangements to renew the ceasefire deal that ended in October 2022, said the report, Xinhua News Agency reported."The move came as part of Oman's mediation efforts to bring peace to Yemen," it said.Oman, which borders both Yemen and Saudi Arabia, has actively engaged in brokering a truce in Yemen in coordination with the UN peace efforts.Muhammad al-Bukhaiti, a member of the Yemeni Shura Council and a prominent leader in the Houthi group, told Xinhua that Muhammad Al Jaber, Saudi ambassador to Yemen, arrived on Saturday as the head of the Saudi delegation to Yemen's capital.Also on Saturday, the Houthi group said it had received 13 prisoners of war released by Saudi Arabia in exchange for a Saudi prisoner the group said it released earlier.Peace efforts to end the war in Yemen have been increasing, particularly after recent Chinese efforts to ease tensions and restore diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran.The conflict in Yemen erupted in late 2014 when the Iran-backed Houthi militia seized control of several northern cities and forced the Saudi-backed Yemeni government out of the capital Sanaa.The Saudi-led coalition intervened in Yemen in 2015 to support the Yemeni government.The war has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced 4 million, and pushed the country to the brink of starvation.IANS09 April 2023

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Iran's foreign ministry said on Sunday a delegation will visit Saudi Arabia by Friday to pave the way for reopening its diplomatic missions there following a similar move by Riyadh.

The announcement comes a day after a Saudi delegation arrived in Tehran on a similar diplomatic trip, and follows a historic meeting between the two Gulf countries' foreign ministers in China.

"We are expecting a foreign ministry delegation to visit Saudi Arabia" by Friday, Deputy Foreign Minister Alireza Enayati said in an interview with state television.

"Two separate delegations will go to Riyadh and Jeddah", ahead of reopening Iran's embassy and consulate respectively.

Saudi Arabia severed relations with Iran in January 2016, after its embassy in Tehran and consulate in the northwestern city of Mashhad were attacked by protesters demonstrating over Riyadh's execution of Saudi opposition Shia cleric Nimr al-Nimr.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan met in the Chinese capital on Thursday after Tehran and Riyadh agreed last month to restore diplomatic ties.

In a joint statement, the ministers pledged to bring back security and stability to the turbulent Gulf.

Shia-majority Iran and Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia have backed rival sides in conflict zones across the region, including in Yemen.

Riyadh leads a military coalition that supports the internationally recognised government in the Arabian Peninsula country, while Tehran backs the Huthi rebels who control the capital Sanaa and large areas of the north.

The two Middle East powerhouses had held several rounds of dialogue in Iraq and Oman before reaching the agreement in Beijing, negotiated over five days between Iran's secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani and his Saudi counterpart Musaad bin Mohammad Al-Aiban.

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CDS Chauhan reviews infrastructure development, operational preparedness in North Bengal forward areas

Alipurduar, April 9: Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan visited Air Force Station and forward areas in North Bengal along with General Officer Commanding, Trishakti Corps on April 8-9.

CDS Chauhan reviews infrastructure development, operational preparedness in North Bengal forward areas

He reviewed the progress of infrastructure development and operational and logistics preparedness in the area. The CDS also interacted with the troops deployed in the remote areas and appreciated their high morale and professionalism, said the Ministry of DefenceGeneral Anil Chauhan also visited the Headquarters of Trishakti Corps at Sukna where he was briefed on the operational situation along the Northern borders in Sikkim.He commended the formation for ensuring force preservation while also reaching out to assist the civil administration and local population in times of natural disasters like the recent avalanche in East Sikkim.The CDS asked the formation to focus on training hard and remaining vigilant at all times. He also emphasised that soldiers must keep abreast with latest information technology trends, emerging cyber threats and counter measures.ANI09 April 2023

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Thousands of opposition supporters rallied Sunday in the Georgian capital Tbilisi as the Black Sea nation's government faces mounting accusations of backsliding on democracy.

Demonstrators gathered outside the Georgian parliament for a rally organised by the country's main opposition force, the United National Movement, founded by jailed ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili.

Protesters waved Georgian, Ukrainian and European Union flags and held a huge banner that read "For European future."

The ruling Georgian Dream party's government faces accusations of jailing opponents, silencing independent media, covertly collaborating with the Kremlin and leading the country astray from its EU membership path.

"(The) Georgian government is being controlled from Moscow and our obligation is to save our homeland from Russian stooges," former Georgian president Giorgi Margvelashvili told the crowd.

"We are freedom-loving people, part of the European family, we reject Russian slavery."

One of the demonstrators, 27-year-old painter Luka Kavsadze, said: "Our struggle will be peaceful but uncompromised and will lead us to where we belong -- the European Union."

Last month, tens of thousands took to the streets in Tbilisi after parliament gave initial backing to a draft law "on foreign agents", similar to the legislation used in Russia to suppress dissent.

The draft law, which has sparked strong criticism from the European Union and United States, was dropped under pressure from street protests that saw police use tear gas and water cannon to disperse crowds.

Georgia's president in 2004-2013, Saakashvili is serving a six-year jail term for abuse of power, a conviction that international rights groups have condemned as politically motivated.

Doctors have said the pro-Western reformer is at risk of death from a litany of serious conditions which he developed in custody.

The ruling party has insisted it remains committed to Georgia's EU and NATO membership bids, enshrined in the constitution, and supported -- according to opinion polls -- by 80 percent of the population.

But party leaders have stepped up anti-Western rhetoric after Washington last week banned visas for four powerful judges in Georgia over alleged corruption.

The move marked the latest toughening of Washington's approach towards an ally after concerns of a shift in Tbilisi toward Russia.

Georgia applied for EU membership together with Ukraine and Moldova days after Russia invaded its pro-Western neighbour in February 2022.

Last June, EU leaders granted formal candidate status to Kyiv and Chisinau but said Tbilisi must implement reforms first.

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Champaign, IL (61820)

Today

Rain ending this morning. Remaining cloudy. High 59F. SSW winds shifting to NW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies. Scattered frost possible. Low 31F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph.
Champaign, IL (61820)

Today

Cloudy. Periods of rain this morning. High 59F. SSW winds shifting to NW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch..

Tonight

Some clouds. Scattered frost possible. Low 31F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph.
Good news for Chennai-Bengaluru residents! Several government transport agencies in the cities have been working hard for quite a long time to provide a smooth and hassle-free transport facility to the people. In order to achieve this goal, a wi-fi-enabled hi-tech bus terminus in Chennais Kuthambakkam has been built and almost reached its final stage to open its gate to the public in August, this year.

In order to provide better transport accessibility among locals, the Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (Cumta) proposed Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) expand its service till the upcoming terminus, which is 70 percent ready. Locals from Kuthambakkam also said that it will benefit travelers arriving in or leaving from Bengaluru if CMRL will extend its service till the soon-to-be-opened terminus, which is only away from few kilometers from the proposed metro station in Poonamalee.

Also Read: Odisha CM Approves Metro Rail Project Connecting Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, Puri, Khurda

Officials from Cumta told the media that they have recommended to CMRL that the service be extended till the Kuthambakkam terminus. And for that, they will send a formal letter to the concerned authority shortly.

Meanwhile, the 25-acre Kuthambakkam bus terminus, which is close to Thirumazhisai, is expected to start its operations in August, of this year. There will be 30 private service bays and roughly 70 mofussil government bus bays, all of which will head to western cities like Krishnagiri and Bengaluru.

Apart from this, the project worth Rs Rs 340 crore features food courts, wifi, separate multi-level parking facilities for over 1,680 two-wheelers and 235 four-wheelers, drinking water facilities, passenger lifts and escalators, a vast network of CCTV cameras,

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7th Pay Commission Update: After a 4 per cent hike in DA for central government employees recently effective January 1, the government is likely to raise the dearness allowance by another 4 per cent in July this year, according to media reports. DA and DR are revised twice a year  January and July. The reports also said that the DA hike is likely to be based on a revised formula for calculation.

Dearness allowance is given to government employees, while the dearness relief is for pensioners.

According to the media reports, the labour ministry revised the DA calculation formula and changed the base year of dearness allowance in 2016 and released a new series of Wage Rate Index (WRI-Wage Rate Index). The ministry said the new series of WRI with base year 2016=100 replaced the old series of the base year 1963-65.

How DA is Calculated Currently?

The central government revises the DA and DR for employees based on a formula. Following is the formula:

Dearness Allowance Percentage = ((Average of All-India Consumer Price Index (Base Year 2001=100) for the past 12 months -115.76)/115.76)x100.

For Central public sector employees: Dearness Allowance Percentage = ((Average of All-India Consumer Price Index (Base Year 2001=100) for the past 3 months -126.33)/126.33)x100.

How Much Has Salary Increased After Recent 4% DA Hike?

The 4 per cent hike in DA and dearness relief (DR) will increase the salary of 47.58 lakh central government employees and pension amount for 69.76 lakh pensioners. The DA is given to employees based on the basic pay of the employees.

For example, if a government employees monthly take-home salary is about Rs 42,000 and the Basic Pay is around Rs 25,500; then he/ she must be getting Rs 9,690 as the dearness allowance. Now, this DA amount will increase to Rs 10,710 after the latest 4 per cent DA hike. So, there will be an increase of Rs 1,020 in monthly take-home salary in this case.

The previous revision in DA was done on September 28, 2022, which was effective from July 1, 2022. The Centre had increased DA by four percentage points to 38 per cent based on the percentage increase in the 12-month average of the All India Consumer Price Index for the period ending June 2022.

The DA is provided to employees and pensioners to compensate them for rising prices.

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Egypt announced on Friday a global bid for exploration and exploitation of gold and associated minerals for the first time in 2023 in five Eastern Desert regions through Shalateen Mineral Wealth Company (SMRC), as reported by the Egyptian Mineral Resources Authority.

Shalateen Mineral Wealth Company was established in 2012 to explore and exploit gold and other ores in the area between latitudes 22 to 24 degrees north in the Eastern Desert.

It aims to coordinate uncontrolled gold mining and re-exploit old mines in the area.

The Egyptian Mineral Resources Authority owns 35 percent of Shalateen Mineral Wealth Company.

Other owners include the National Service Projects Organisation (34 percent), the National Investment Bank (24 percent) and the Egyptian Mineral Resources Company (7 percent).

The bidding is open from 10 April until 10 August, and includes blocs in 5 areas in the Egyptian Eastern Desert, namely Fatiri, Umm Ud & Hangaliya, Atud, Barramiya and Hamata.

Egypt is stepping up attempts to increase investment in its mining sector, particularly in gold.

It seeks to attract $1 billion in mining investment by 2030.

The Egyptian Mineral Resources Authority (EMRA) assigned, through an international tender, four local and foreign companies in June 2022 to search for gold and minerals in eight areas in the Eastern Desert.

These four companies are: Lotus Gold, AKH Gold, Marine Logistics Gold Mining, and Ankh Resources.

Despite the ongoing global challenges, including the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine crisis, these tenders have succeeded in attracting new investments.

There are currently 11 international and local companies that own concessions for gold exploration and exploitation in the country.

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Indian Institute of Management Calcutta (IIM-C) on Saturday awarded degrees to 461 students of two-year flagship MBA programme in the 58th annual convocation.

Wunderman Thompsons Executive Director (APAC) Tarun Rai delivered the keynote address.

A total of 461 students of the 58th batch of the 2-year flagship MBA programme were awarded their degrees, along with 78 students who were awarded for the 1-Year MBAEx Programme, IIM-C said in a statement.

The Institute also conferred 40 students with their post-graduate programme for executives for Visionary Leadership in Manufacturing (PGPEX VLM) and 10 students with their PhD degrees.

Recently, the final placement process for the 58th batch of IIM Calcuttas flagship 2-year MBA programme was completed, with a three per cent rise in the average yearly salary offered to candidates this year, the statement said.

The median salary offered also increased by almost nine per cent compared to that of last year, standing at Rs 33.67 lakh.

A total of 573 offers were secured for the entire batch, with the top 25 per cent of students receiving yearly compensation of around Rs 50.86 lakh, an increase of five per cent compared to last year.

The average yearly compensation for the 2021-23 batch was Rs 35.07 lakh, up from Rs 34.20 lakh in the previous year.

The Board of Governors chairperson Shrikrishna Kulkarni and the director of IIM-C, Prof Uttam K Sarkar, were present on the occasion.

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The board of governors (BoG) of the Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode (IIM-K) re-appointed Debashis Chatterjee as the director of the institute, increasing his tenure for five more years. The move was done in accordance with the IIM Act 2017. The IIM-K Board of Governors chairman A. Vellayan made the announcement of the re-appointment at the pre-convocation meeting of the BoG on April 7. Professor Chatterjee began his current tenure in June 2018. His tenure came after IIM-K became the first IIM to appoint its own director independently under the regulations of IIM ACT, 2017.

Debashis Chatterjee has played a significant role in the growth of IIM-K. Under his tenure, the institute admitted over 50 percent of women students to the flagship postgraduate programme, which created a trend among the other IIMs. Prior to this, the Indian Institutes of Management had a low percentage of female students, with only women making up 8-10 percent of students since the institutes were established over five decades ago.

Debashis Chatterjee is a well-known academic and author who has taught at Harvard University as well as the Indian Institutes of Management in Calcutta, Lucknow, and Kozhikode. He received the prestigious Fulbright Fellowship twice at Harvard.

Among his many literary achievements are seventeen books, which include Krishna: The 7th Sense, Invincible Arjuna and Timeless Leadership. He has also served as the dean of an International Business School in Singapore. Debasis Chatterjee has also been an independent director on the boards of numerous multinational and Indian companies.

Accepting the responsibility he has been bestowed for another five years, Debasis Chatterjee said felt humbled by the trust, faith, and confidence placed in him by IIM-Ks board of governors.

In expressing his gratitude to the ministry of education, the state government, the chairman, BoG, and the entire IIM-K community, Chatterjee thanked them for their support. He further talked about the long journey of IIM-K. The institute has come a long way in its 26-year journey and together we aspire to go even further towards realising the Vision 2047 for an India that is not just best in the world but best for the world, he said as reported by The Hindu.

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The Uttar Pradesh Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad (UPMSP) will announce UP Board Class 10, 12 results 2023 date on April 25. Once the result is out, students who have appeared for the UP Board exam 2023 will be able to check their results on the boards official website upmsp.edu.in. Apart from the official website of the Board, the result for Class 10, and 12 can also be checked on upresults.nic.in.

UP Board Result 2023 LIVE Updates

The Uttar Pradesh board exams for both classes began on February 16. The exams for Class 10 ended on March 3 while the exams for Class 12 concluded on March 4. One needs to score at least 33 per cent to pass the UP board exams 2023. Those who fail in one or two subjects in the Uttar Pradesh Board exams, need to appear for the compartment exams.

A total of 58,85,745 candidates registered for the Uttar Pradesh Board High School (Class 10) and Intermediate (Class 12) exams this year. Out of the total, as many as 31,16,487 students had registered for high school while 27,69,258 students enrolled themselves for intermediate.

This year, the UPMSP appointed 1,43,933 examiners to evaluate 3.19 crore answer sheets of students. There were about 1.86 crore answer sheets from Class 10 candidates and 1.33 crore answer sheets from Class 12 students. The evaluation process was scheduled to conclude on April 1, 2023.

The Uttar Pradesh board exams were held in 8,753 centres across the state which included 4,690 unaided colleges, 3,523 private centres, and 540 government centres.

UP Board Results 2023 for Class 10 and Class 12 is expected to be released on the same day like previous years. In 2022, UP Board released the high school and intermediate result on June 18, and the evaluation process was completed on May 5. This year, the process of checking copies was completed on March 31. Hence, the results are expected to be released soon.

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Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Sunday said he will be contesting from the Shiggaon constituency after the BJP Central Election Committee (CEC) held an over three-hour meeting to discuss candidates for the upcoming Karnataka assembly election.

The meeting was attended by the senior party leadership at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP National President JP Nadda, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, general secretary B L Santhosh, and other members of the CEC.

According to reports, the Karnataka BJP core group, including Nadda and Shah, will reconvene tomorrow to reach a final decision. The announcement of the official list of candidates may take place tomorrow evening or the day after.

Sources had said the BJP held discussions on all 224 seats in the upcoming Karnataka election. It has been decided that Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and BJP National General Secretary CT Ravi will contest from their previous seats, Shiggaon and Chikmagalur constituencies respectively. Additionally, BS Yeddyurappas son BY Vijayendra is set to contest from Shikaripura, they said.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting concluded, the chief minister said PM Modi has given some directions" and the candidates names will be announced either on Monday or Tuesday. We discussed the overall list for the Karnataka elections and probably we will sit again tomorrow and the list will be announced tomorrow or the day after," he said.

I am contesting from the Shiggaon constituency," he added.

#WATCH | We discussed the overall list for the Karnataka elections and probably we will sit again tomorrow and the list will be announced tomorrow or the day after. I am contesting from the Shiggaon constituency: Karnataka CM Basvaraj Bommai after the CEC meeting pic.twitter.com/BxmmzgNZO0 ANI (@ANI) April 9, 2023

The BJP has set a target of winning a minimum of 150 out of the 224 seats in the southern state as it seeks to regain power in the region.

Major political parties have intensified their efforts to win votes in the run-up to the polls. In Karnataka, Congress and JD(S) have actively engaged in a massive hunt for votes. However, weeks after the announcement of the date for the assembly elections, the BJP has not yet released its list of candidates for the upcoming polls.

According to a News18 Kannada report, the BJP has reportedly initiated mini-polls throughout the state to select the right candidate for the upcoming May 10 polls. The party has adopted a wait-and-see approach and reserved its tickets for the elections. The aim is to identify and select the most promising candidates who have the best chance of winning, sources said.

The report stated that the BJP had planned to announce its list of candidates closer to the nomination process for the Karnataka elections to avoid defections of disgruntled leaders if they do not receive tickets. By delaying the announcement, the party hopes to carefully consider all options and select the best candidates who have a higher chance of winning, the report stated.

Clean Image

In light of the corruption allegations levelled against the state government, the BJP has stated that it will prioritise candidates with a clean image and no history of corruption cases for the upcoming elections.

Sources said the party will not hesitate to field candidates from rival parties such as the Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) if they are deemed suitable for victory in the upcoming elections.

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data at a mega event to mark the completion of 50 years of Project Tiger in Mysuru.

After Bandipur Tiger Reserve, he visited the Theppakadu elephant camp in Tamil Nadu bordering Chamarajanagar district, and interacted with The Elephant Whisperers couple Bamman & Bellie. He also interacted with mahouts and kavadis of the elephant camp.

Apart from launching the International Big Cats Alliance (IBCA), PM Modi released the governments vision for tiger conservation during Amrit Kaal. IBCA will focus on protection and conservation of seven major big cats of the world  Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Puma, Jaguar and Cheetah, with membership of the range countries harbouring these species, a PTI report said on Saturday.

Notably, the BJPs parliamentary board will meet on Sunday to finalise candidates for the May 10 elections to the 224-member Karnataka assembly.

Before the discussions started, Chief Minister Bommai said, We will discuss about all probable candidates. We have district and constituency wise details and recent survey outcomes. Keeping all that in mind, we will have a detailed discussion with national leaders. The BJP, which aims to come back to power again in the southern state, has set a target of winning at least 150 of the 224 seats.

PM Modi will also interact with Field Directors of tiger reserves that have scored highest in the recently concluded 5th cycle of Management Effectiveness Evaluation exercise.

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Sheezan Khan has been all over the news after he was arrested in Tunisha Sharmas alleged suicide case. The actor was granted bail on March 4 after two months of imprisonment. And now the reports are coming in that actors petition for quashing the FIR against him has been listed for April 11, 2023. His lawyer Shailendra Mishra has also confirmed the same.

Addressing the media, Sheezan Khans lawyer, Shailendra Mishra, said that he feels confident about his preparation. He said, Yes, the matter is listed for Tuesday. I am confident about my preparation. If the matter is heard and argued upon, the FIR shall be quashed against my client, Sheezan. I am reiterating that truth shall prevail." For the unversed, Tunisha Sharma died by suicide on the sets of her show, Ali Baba- Dastaan E Kabul on December 24, 2022.

It is worth mentioning here that after coming out of jail, Sheezan shared a special video with Tunisha Sharma on Instagram, in which he wrote a poem. The video features the beautiful time he spent with the late actress.

After coming out the jail, Sheezan said, I understand the real meaning of freedom today because I can feel it. Im really happy to be back with my family and had tears the moment I saw my mother and sisters.

Take a look at the post here:

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sheezan M Khan BABA (@sheezan9)

Notably, the late actresss mother Vanita Sharma had filed a case against Sheezan under section 306 of the Indian Penal Code. She accused Sheezan of allegedly abetting the suicide of her daughter. She also made allegations that Sheezan was cheating on her daughter which led her to take this step. Both Sheezan and Tunisha were playing the lead role in the show Ali Baba- Dastaan E Kabul. Post the incident, Abhishek Nigam and Manul Chudasama have replaced them in the show.

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On the auspicious occasion of Easter, Malaika Arora, Terrence Lewis and Geeta Kapoor met for a brunch party in town. Malaika was a co-judge for Indias Best Dancer with Geeta and Terrence. The trio were seen having a fun moment together as they posed for the paparazzi. While Geeta kept it comfy in an all-white ensemble, Malaika looked pretty in a yellow frock. Terrence, on the other hand, kept it uber cool in a floral white shirt teamed with white trousers.

Take a look at the photos:

Earlier when Terrence was asked about the bond he shares with Geeta and Malaika, he told Tribune, Geeta and I have been best friends forever. Malaika was my student 20 years ago. Geeta and I have grown together in our careers and it feels very comfortable to share the tag of a co-judge with her as well as Malaika."

Speaking of this years Indias Best Dancer, Sonali Bendre has joined Terrence and Geeta for the same.

On the personal front, Malaika recently made some stunning revelations about her relationship with Arjun Kapoor. In a chat with Brides Today Magazine, the actress expressed her desire to get married again and set up a home with her long-time boyfriend. I feel like I am in my prime right now, and I want to work like this for the next 30 years. I dont want to take a backseat; I want to explore so many businesses, I want to travel, and I would love to set up a home with Arjun and take our relationship to the next level because I think we both are ready for it, she said.

On the work front, Malaika was recently seen in a music video titled Tera Ki Khayal alongside Guru Randhawa. Prior to it, the actress appeared in a show titled Moving In With Malaika, which revolved around her life.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday visited the Theppakkadu elephant camp at Mudumalai in the hilly Nilgiris district and interacted with Bellie and Bomman, the elephant caretakers who featured in an Oscar-winning documentary.

The PM expressed delight over meeting the elephant caretaker couple.

Modi, who reached Mysuru in Karnataka on Saturday evening from Chennai following official engagements there, visited the tiger sanctuary briefly today.

Upon his arrival, the PM was accorded a welcome by the pachyderms and he fed sugarcane to some of the elephants in the Theppakkadu camp at the tiger reserve here.

He later interacted with Bellie and Bomman, who have won accolades after they featured in the Academy award-wining documentary, The Elephant Whisperers." What a delight to meet the wonderful Bomman and Belli, along with Bommi and Raghu (elephant calves)," he said in a tweet.

Modi uploaded pictures of him being with the couple and the young elephants, with one of them being in a playful mood with the PM.

What a delight to meet the wonderful Bomman and Belli, along with Bommi and Raghu. pic.twitter.com/Jt75AslRfF Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 9, 2023

What is the Elephant Whisperers About?

The Elephant Whisperers", in its 39-minute runtime, depicts an unbreakable bond between two abandoned elephant calves Raghu and Amu and their caretakers, Bomman and Belli.

The documentary also highlights the spectacular natural surroundings of the Mudumalai National Park in Tamil Nadu, South India. It investigates how indigenous people coexist with nature, according to a report by Jagran Josh. The film is not only a compelling narrative of an animal-human bond and their capacity to coexist, but it also provides insight into Indian culture and the countrys long tradition of environmental preservation," the report says.

About the Mudumalai National Park

The Mudumalai National Park or Wildlife Sanctuary is located on the northwestern side of the Nilgiri Hills (Blue Mountains) in Nilgiri District, approximately 150 kilometres north-west of Coimbatore in Tamil Nadus Kongu Nadu area, according to a report by Tour My India. The sanctuary is separated into five ranges by its borders with the states of Karnataka and Kerala: Masinagudi, Thepakadu, Mudumalai, Kargudi, and Nellakota.

Some emotions cannot be expressed into words. Gone from his sight, but not from his heart.A #Forestor who was taking care of an injured elephant in masinagudi, @MudumalaiTR, #Tamilnadu, crying after its death.#GreenWarriors@narendramodi @PrakashJavdekar @vijayanpinarayi https://t.co/p9DPC1Yvp8  IFS Association (@CentralIfs) January 20, 2021

Because of its strategic location as a wildlife corridor connecting several other protected areas, the Mudumalai Sanctuary is a vital section of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.

It is bound on the north by Bandipur National Park and Nagarhole National Park, on the west by the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, and on the south by Mukurthi National Park and Silent Valley National Park. These parks, sanctuaries, and reserve forests span about 3,300 square kilometres of forest and maintain a population of 1,800-2,300 elephants.

Flora and Fauna, Best Time to Visit

Though it is open all year, the best months to explore Mudumalai National Park are March to June and September to October, says a report by Travel Triangle.

Mudumalai National Park is home to 55 animal species, including approximately 80 Bengal Tigers, the report says. Deer, gaur, Indian elephant, Bengal tiger, striped hyena, golden jackal, bonnet macaque, leopard cat, and jungle cat are among the creatures that can be seen. The Indian Giant Squirrel, flying squirrel, and rats are examples of rodents found here and among the reptiles are the Asian pit viper, the spectacled cobra, pythons, flying lizards, kraits, and monitor lizards.

Grassland and stream pic.twitter.com/wHOtONaADT Mudumalai Tiger Reserve & Mukurthi National Park (@MudumalaiTR) February 10, 2021

In Mudumalai forest area, bamboo, natural Teak, Aredesia, Rosewood, Sandalwood, Jacaranda, Mango, Jamun, Tamarind, Banyan, Pipal, Cinnamon, Ginger, Wild Rice, Pepper, Turmeric, and Plumeria grow abundantly, the report says.

More About the Elephant Whisperers

The film, directed by Kartiki Gonsalves in her directorial debut, was produced by Sikhya Productions and had its world premiere on November 9, 2022, at the DOC NYC Film Festival, one of the most prestigious documentary film festivals in the United States, the Jagran Josh report says.

Following its successful premiere, the film was distributed globally on Netflix on December 8, 2022, allowing audiences all over the world to see the couples and their beloved elephants poignant narrative. The film has been praised by spectators and critics alike for its gorgeous photography, poignant storyline, and powerful message about the necessity of compassion and understanding in India.

Gonsalves told NPR she wished for people to appreciate and respect elephants as beautiful beasts with intelligence. That awareness, she said, would aid in the protection of their environment, which the Asian elephant is rapidly losing. According to studies, the reasons include encroachment, climate change, and urbanisation.

In The Elephant Whisperers, Bomman and Bellie look after Raghu and another orphaned calf named Ammu. Elephants, like human teens, can go through a phase of stubbornness and refusal to listen as they approach puberty, the report says, as Gonsalves explains that if theyre permitted to keep doing that, it wont end well in the long run."

An elephant calf requires love and compassion as it grows, yet even in a wild herd, adult elephants reprimand the adolescent elephant, according to Gonsalves. Raghu is taken away from Bomman and Bellie by the forest department and given to another caretaker who has more knowledge with teenage elephants. But owing to separation anxiety, Bomman and Bellie miss Raghu terribly.

Moreover, like their human counterparts, the animals are shown to be highly emotional. When Bellie is heartbroken by Raghus departure, baby elephant Ammu wipes away her tears in one scene, the NPR report states. In another scenario, Ammu reaches out and wraps her arm around Bommans, who is preparing to go bring her milk in the early morning hours, drawing him closer. These are some of Gonsalves favourite scenes from the film.

With inputs from PTI

Parts of this story were published on March 13, 2023

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What attracts you to a job? Apart from the basics of good pay and working environment, we also look at the perks a job gives us - everything from medical to the holiday structure. But one thing that must have occurred to you while working on the last day of the week, Friday, is how you just cant wait for work to be over, so the weekend can begin.

And voila! It seems some companies are catching on to this trend and offering to younger generation employees as way to catch their eye. According to a report by the Guardian data gathered by the job market statistics and insights firm Adzuna show that over 1,400 UK job postings mentioned a early-finish Friday" as a benefit for prospective candidates last month.

And its a growing post-pandemic trend. In 2018, only 583 companies advertised an effective weekend extension, five years before Covid-19 obliged many white-collar employees to work from home, the report says.

POETS Day

Its a new take on the so-called Poets Day habit - an acronym for Piss off early, tomorrows Saturday" - in which workers punch out by 3:30pm on Friday afternoon to begin their weekends on Saturday morning.

As per a report by BarryPopick, Friday is also known as POETS Day," which stands for Piss/Punch/Push Off/Out Early, Tomorrows Saturday."

Poets day (piss off early, tomorrows Saturday)" appeared in The Guardian (London, UK) in 1977 as part of a piece about then Calcutta (Kolkata), India. A 1981 newspaper quoted the phrase Push Off Early, Tomorrows Saturday," as well and the term is used by workers in the United Kingdom and Australia, but is largely unknown in the US.

Amid Labour Market Shortage

The benefit has been targeted more aggressively at junior roles, the Guardian report says, implying that firms are attempting to target and compete for Gen Z as they enter the workforce.

Employers are struggling to fill openings in one of the tightest labour markets in the UK in decades, it says, following an exodus of young people from work into study during the pandemic and a steep spike in the number of over-55s taking early retirement.

Because of the labour shortfall, firms have had to battle for employees, and while the number of openings has declined marginally in recent months from all-time highs to 1.1 million, the figure is projected to remain elevated as long as the need persists.

Who all Are Offering the Perk?

According to Bloomberg, a handful of mid-to-large-sized businesses are among those that provide the perk.

Fashion supplier DCK Group also offers an early start to the weekend as among the benefits of a graduate position in merchandising. Raytheon Technologies Corp., an aerospace manufacturer, advertises the same benefit in a job offering for a contracts manager, explains a report by Firstpost.

Most Desired Perk

According to a new survey conducted by employee benefits platform Sodexo Engage, 87.6% of employees said an early Friday finish was their most desired perk, followed by paid holiday allowance (84.1%) and summer hours, which allow employees to work extra hours at the beginning of the week in order to finish earlier at the end (76.8%). Employees stated that they would be willing to contribute at least 3% of their annual salary in order to receive better benefits from their employer.

They would give up up to 5% of their income for food discounts, 4.3% for a health plan, and 3.3% for childcare assistance, says a report by HR Magazine.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached the Bandipur Tiger Reserve in Karnataka on Sunday, where he went on a 20 km long safari" as part of programmes to mark 50 years of Project Tiger ". For the trip, the Prime Minister sported camouflage clothing, with a hat. FOLLOW LIVE UPDATES HERE

PM @narendramodi is on the way to the Bandipur and Mudumalai Tiger Reserves," the Office of the Prime Minister tweeted, with the picture of him in a speckled safari clothing.

A special day, in the midst of floral and faunal diversity and good news on the tigers populationhere are highlights from today pic.twitter.com/Vv6HVhzdvK Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 9, 2023

News agency ANI also tweeted a video of the Prime Minister, along with forest rangers, leaving for the safari. This is Prime Minister Narendra Modis eighth visit to poll-bound Karnataka this year.

#WATCH | Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives at Bandipur Tiger Reserve in Karnataka pic.twitter.com/Gvr7xpZzug ANI (@ANI) April 9, 2023

The Bandipur Tiger Reserve is located partly in Gundlupet taluk of Chamarajanagar district and partly in HD Kote and Nanjangud taluks of the Mysuru District. During his tour, Prime Minister Modi interacted with frontline field staff and self-help groups involved in conservation activities there.

Later, Prime Minister Modi also visited the elephant camp at Mudumalai in the hilly Nilgiris district.

The PM was accorded a welcome by the pachyderms and he fed sugarcane to some of the elephants at the Theppakkadu camp at the tiger reserve there.

About Bandipur Tiger Reserve

According to the state forest department, the National Park was formed by including most of the forest areas of the then Venugopala Wildlife Park established under the government notification dated February 19, 1941 and the area was enlarged in 1985 extending over an area of 874.20 Sq.Km and named as Bandipur National Park.

This reserve was brought under Project Tiger in 1973. Subsequently, some adjacent reserve forest areas were added to the reserve extending to 880.02 Sq. Km. The present area under the control of Bandipur Tiger Reserve is 912.04 Sq. Km.

An area of 39.80 sq km of KFDC (Karnataka Forest Development Corporation) plantation area was handed over to this division during 2007-08. During 2010-11, the Nugu Wildlife Sanctuary was handed over to the Wildlife Division, Mysuru, the department said.

Located amidst the picturesque surroundings of the towering Western Ghats on the Mysuru-Ooty highway in Karnataka, it is an important part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve that constitutes Karnatakas Rajiv Gandhi National Park (Nagarahole) to its Northwest, Tamil Nadus Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary to its South, and Keralas Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary to its Southwest.

Once the private hunting grounds of the erstwhile Maharajas, and nestled in the foothills of the Nilgiris, Bandipur has had a long tryst with tigers. One of the thirty reserves identified across the country to save the Tiger and its habitat, its also one of the last refuges of the endangered Asiatic wild elephant, according to the state Tourism department.

Apart from the two famed residents (tigers and elephants), a number of other endangered species such as sloth bears, gaurs, Indian rock pythons, jackals, muggers, and four-horned antelopes can be spotted in this national park.

Over 200 species of birds and a diversity of flora add to its attraction. Bandipur also supports a wide range of timber trees including teak, rosewood, sandalwood, Indian-laurel, Indian Kino tree, giant clumping bamboo.

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The Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) has announced that banks operating in Egypt will be closed on Sunday and Monday, 16-17 April, to mark the Christian holiday of Easter and the Egyptian spring festival of Sham El-Nessim.

"On the occasion of Easter and Sham El-Nessim holidays, all banks operating in Egypt will be closed on Sunday and Monday, with work resuming on Tuesday, 18 April, 2023," the CBE said in its statement issued on Sunday.

Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly announced on Wednesday that Monday 17 April is an official paid holiday to celebrate Sham El-Nessim.

Next week the Egyptian Coptic Orthodox Church and other Orthodox churches celebrate Easter according to the Julian Calendar.

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India witnessed a slight dip in the daily Covid-19 cases as compared to the day before with 5,357 new infections reported on Sunday. With the addition of new cases, the active caseload in India crossed the 32,000 mark.

Currently, India has 32,814 active covid-19 cases, which comprise 0.07 per cent of the total infections. The Covid case tally of the country has reached 4.47 crore (4,47,56,616) with the addition of new cases, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.74 per cent, according to the Union Health Ministrys latest data.

On Saturday, India recorded 6,155 fresh COVID-19 infections, while the number of active cases increased to 31,194.

The death toll has increased to 5,30,965 with 11 deaths. While three deaths were reported from Gujarat, two were from Himachal Pradesh and one each from Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Odisha and Uttar Pradesh besides one reconciled by Kerala, the data updated at 8 am stated.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 4,41,92,837 while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.19 per cent. According to the ministrys website, 220.66 crore doses of Covid vaccine have been administered in the country so far under the nationwide vaccination drive.

Amid the surge in Covid-19 cases across India, the Uttar Pradesh government has issued a high-priority directive, instructing concerned officials to ensure that international passengers are screened at all airports. Kerala government, after a high-level Covid analysis meeting, made masks mandatory for vulnerable populations including elderly, and pregnant women.

The move followed the Centres direction to the states to identify emergency hotspots and ramp up testing for coronavirus infections, after the country recorded its highest daily case count since September.

In view of the rising cases, states are also exercising caution and are bringing back certain restrictions.

Uttar Pradesh

In view of the rise in the number of Covid-19 cases across the state, the Uttar Pradesh government has made use of masks mandatory for all people in crowded places. As per an order issued by the state government, all samples which test positive for Covid should mandatorily be sent for genome sequencing.

Private and government labs should send all positive Covid samples to the microbiology department at King Georges Medical University (KGMU) for whole genome sequencing," said the directive.

The state government order further states that the integrated Covid command centres should be activated, surveillance teams should be made active, rapid response teams should be sensitised, and nigrani samiti should be formed at the district-level.

At hospitals across the state, doctors and paramedical staff should be sensitised. Besides, the availability of equipment, medicine, and manpower should also be checked at hospitals.

Kerala

Kerala Health Minister Veena George on Saturday stressed on taking caution, saying hospitals in the state will conduct a mock drill as per the directive of the Centre. George said that on Saturday, 1,801 fresh cases were recorded in the state.

Districts like Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam and Kottayam are reporting more cases. Likewise, admission to hospitals of Covid patients are slowly increasing but the saving grace is of those, only 0.8 per cent of them require oxygen beds, while 1.2 per cent are admitted to intensive care unit," said George.

Directions have gone to all districts that in the wake of an increase in positive cases to beef up their Covid facilities according to Surge Plan. A separate meeting of private health care providers will soon be called. All those who work in old age homes, care homes should wear N-95 masks," added George.

She said extreme caution has to be taken by all those who have senior citizens in their homes.

Senior citizens suffering from lifestyle diseases should ensure that they at all times, especially when they go out, wear masks. Pregnant women should also wear masks. Also, those who have to go out should ensure that they wear masks, and once they are back home, ensure that all Covid protocols are followed by using soap and sanitisers appropriately," said George.

Haryana

The Haryana government also made wearing face masks mandatory in public places, said a bulletin issued by the Haryana Health Department on Saturday.

The statement said, It is intimated that in a meeting held under the chairmanship of Honble Health Minister, Haryana on 03.04.2023, it has been observed that there is a significant upsurge in the number of COVID cases with an increased positivity rate of COVID-19 infection in the State of Haryana over past few weeks."

The statement further added that this was decided as a precautionary measure against another possible outbreak of COVID-19.

Delhi

Hospitals, polyclinics and dispensaries in Delhi have been instructed by health department authorities to scale up testing amid an upward trend in COVID-19 cases here in the past several days, sources said on Saturday. More than 3,800 coronavirus cases have been recorded in the city during the March 30-April 7 period.

Delhi logged 535 fresh Covid cases on Saturday with a positivity rate of 23.05 per cent, according to data shared by the city governments health department. The sources said the department has instructed hospitals, polyclinics and dispensaries in the city to increase Covid testing.

Authorities at these facilities have been told that anyone who visits such facilities and exhibits ILI (influenza-like illness) symptoms, such as fever, cough, body ache is to be tested as cases have risen and the daily count is growing steadily," a source said.

Andhra

Coronavirus pandemic is completely under control in Andhra Pradesh with only 267 people exhibiting symptoms out of the total 15,096 people screened, state Health Minister Vidadala Rajini said. The Minister said there was no reason to worry, reflecting on these tests conducted in the past two weeks.

Currently, all these patients are undergoing treatment at their homes. Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy always alerts the health department on Covid tests," said Rajini in a statement on Friday.

Maharashtra

Maharashtra on Saturday recorded 542 new cases of coronavirus infection and one fatality, which raised the tally of infections to 81,49,141 and death toll to 1,48,458, an official from the state health department said. There has been a drop in infections since Friday, when the state had recorded 926 cases and three fatalities.

With 668 patients recovering from the infection in the last 24 hours, the count of recoveries has reached 79,96,323, leaving the state with 4,360 active cases, the official said.

Puducherry

The Puducherry administration on Friday made mask wearing compulsory in the union territory with immediate effect owing to the rise in number of Covid-19 cases. District Collector E Vallavan said with the union territory currently witnessing a surge in coronavirus positive cases, the territorial administration has enforced with immediate effect a slew of precautionary measures to minimise the risk of increase in transmission of Covid-19 in the coming days."

Vallavan, who is Member-Secretary of the Executive committee of the Disaster Management Authority here, told reporters public shall compulsory wear masks in public places, on the beach road, parks and theatres."

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The Delhi High Court will on Monday hear a plea by JNU student Sharjeel Imam seeking bail in connection with a 2020 riots case involving allegations of sedition.

The case, which assails a January 24, 2022 order by the trial court dismissing Imams bail application in the matter, is listed for hearing before a bench of Justices Siddharth Mridul and Talwant Singh.

On January 30, the court had sought to know the stand of the city police as to whether Imams plea for bail could be remanded back to the trial court for adjudication as there was no ground mentioned in the lower courts order rejecting the relief.

The bench had said since section 124A (sedition) of the Indian Penal Code has been kept in abeyance following the directions of the Supreme Court, it will have to examine the trial courts bail rejection order while keeping in mind the other sections framed against Imam.

Last year, the trial court had framed charges against Imam under sections 124A (sedition), 153A (promoting enmity), l53B (imputations prejudicial to national integration), 505 (statements conducing to public mischief) of the IPC and section 13 (punishment for unlawful activities) of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.

As per the prosecution, Imam had allegedly made speeches at Jamia Millia Islamia on December 13, 2019, and at the Aligarh Muslim University on December 16, 2019, where he threatened to cut off Assam and the rest of the northeast from India.

In his petition before the high court, Imam has said the trial court failed to recognise that pursuant to the directions of the top court, the basis for dismissal of his earlier bail plea, i.e. the charge of sedition no longer existed and therefore relief must be granted to him.

On May 11, 2022, the Supreme Court had stayed till further orders the registration of FIRs, probes, and coercive measures for the offence of sedition across the country by the Centre and the states until an appropriate forum of the government re-examines the colonial-era penal law.

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External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will embark on a six-day visit to Uganda and Mozambique beginning Monday to explore ways to expand Indias ties with the two countries.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), announcing the visit, said on Sunday that Jaishankars first destination would be Uganda.

The external affairs minister will visit Uganda from April 10-12. During the visit, he is expected to hold delegation-level talks with his counterpart Foreign Minister of Uganda General Jeje Odongo, call on the leadership of the country and meet other ministers," the MEA said.

It said Jaishankar will also inaugurate a transit campus of the National Forensic Science University (NFSU) in Jinja.

An MoU between India and Uganda on setting up of the first-ever campus of NFSU outside India is likely to be signed during the visit. The MEA said Jaishankar will also participate in the ground-breaking ceremony of a solar-powered water supply project in Uganda.

He will also address the trade and business community of Uganda and its interaction with the Indian diaspora.

The MEA said Jaishankar will visit Mozambique from April 13 to 15, adding it will be the first-ever visit by an external affairs minister of India to Mozambique.

During the visit, he will call on top leadership and also co-chair the fifth session of the Joint Commission Meeting with Mozambican Foreign Minister Veronica Macamo.

Jaishankar is also expected to meet several other ministers and representatives of the Assembly of Mozambique. He will also interact with the Indian diaspora based in Mozambique.

The external affairs ministers visit to Uganda and Mozambique is expected to further strengthen Indias strong bilateral relations with these two countries," the MEA said.

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Bihar Cabinet Minister Tej Pratap Yadav had to leave a hotel in Varanasi late Friday night after the staff shifted the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leaders luggage from his room to the reception, police officials noted.

Police further said the hotel staff was not aware that the room and the luggage belonged to Bihar Minister Tej Pratap Yadav.

Additional Commissioner of Police (ACP) Santosh Kumar Singh spoke to ANI over the matter and said, The matter is related to police station Sigra where Tej Pratap Yadav had booked a hotel on April 6 for one night. The next day Tej Pratap Yadav went for a darshan at a ghat and came back in the evening."

ACP Santosh further informed that another customer, who had a booking for April 7, arrived at the hotel, after which the staff began shifting Tej Pratap Yadavs belongings.

They were unaware that the belongings were of Tej Pratap Yadav, " said ACP Santosh.

Meanwhile, a case was registered after the Bihar ministers assistant Mishal Sinha made a written complaint against the hotel staff at Sigra police station.

Sinha alleged that the hotel manager removed the belongings of the RJD leader and the jawans deployed in his security from the room without informing them.

CCTV footage shows that the general manager of the hotel was also seen shifting the belongings. An FIR has been registered as the matter related to the security of the minister, " another police official told ANI.

Tej Pratap Yadav also registered a complaint with the police before leaving the scene.

Sigra Police Station President Raju Singh informed that the police is questioning the hotel manager in the case. A full-fledged investigation is underway, and action will be taken against those responsible.

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India now has as many as 3,167 tigers in forests, up by 200 from 2018, shows the latest government estimate. While the survey has given a reason to cheer, it has also raised concerns over the falling tiger occupancy in several big states.

The latest estimate photo-captured a total of 3,080 individual tigers (aged over 1 year), which is larger than the ones captured in 2018.

ALSO READ | No More Paper Tiger: Endangered Big Cats Numbers Climb as India Marks 50 Years of Conservation Project

The number of tigers is either stabilising or decreasing in most of the 13 tiger range countries, but India has been able to set an example, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he released the 5th Cycle of All India Tiger Estimation. It is all because of peoples participation and our culture of conservation.

Camera traps were placed at 32,588 locations spread across 174 sites for mark recapture analysis. Over 47 million camera trap pictures were segregated using artificial intelligence (AI), which identified as many as 3,080 tigers.

FALLING TIGER OCCUPANCY IN STATES

While the increase in tiger count remains marginal, the falling occupancy of big cats across vast regions remains disconcerting. The report raises concern over how deteriorating landscapes, deforestation and poaching are threatening the long-term survival of the big cats.

As many as 1,161 of Indias tigers are now in Central India, 824 in the Western Ghats, 804 in the Shivalik Range, 194 in the North-eastern states and 100 in the Sunderbans. The north-western states such as Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh now have more tigers outside reserves, requiring officials to step up habitat conservation.

On the other hand, the Western Ghats, which are home to the largest tiger population in the world, has shown a significant fall in the occupancy of tigers, especially outside the protected areas. The region is not only losing forests at a faster rate, but the increasing human-wildlife conflict is threatening the growth of the endangered cat, says the report.

The big cat occupancy has also declined in the states of Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and Telangana. On the eastern front, too, the number of tigers remained low at 194. Large forest areas and protected reserves continue to remain devoid of Tigers in the North-eastern hills due to traditional hunting practices, habitat loss, fragmentation and poaching threatening their survival. Even though poaching is illegal, the demand for tiger products remains high, and poachers continue to kill tigers for profit, says the report.

A special day, in the midst of floral and faunal diversity and good news on the tigers populationhere are highlights from today pic.twitter.com/Vv6HVhzdvK Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 9, 2023

TIGER MORTALITY

The period covered in the survey  2018 to 2022  also saw 551 tiger deaths, with 208 of them adults. Over the past five years, the average tiger deaths per year has hovered around 110  101 in 2018, 96 in 2019, 106 in 2020, 127 in 2021 and 121 in 2022.

The government recently told Parliament that of the total 121 deaths in 2022, 50% were adults. The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), which maintains the data, said a majority of the deaths were due to natural causes, followed by poisoning, snaring, shooting, electrocution and poaching.

LAUNCH OF BIG CATS ALLIANCE

India takes stock of its population every four years. From just 1,411 tigers estimated to be in the forests in 2006, the country has been able to double the population, reaching 2,967 in 2018, as per the government estimate.

Strengthening the conservation measures, India also launched the International Big Cats Alliance (IBCA), a global pact to curb poaching and illegal wildlife trade and protect the seven major big cats of the world  tiger, lion, leopard, snow leopard, puma, jaguar and cheetah. All 97 range countries harbouring these species will be a part of the alliance.

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As part of programmes to mark 50 years of Project Tiger, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday went on a jungle safari" at the Bandipur Tiger Reserve in Karnataka. Dressed in camouflage clothing, with a hat, the Prime Minister reportedly covered about 20 km distance of picturesque surroundings of the towering Western Ghats in the open jeep.

Spent the morning at the scenic Bandipur Tiger Reserve and got a glimpse of Indias wildlife, natural beauty and diversity", Modi tweeted.

The Bandipur Tiger Reserve is located partly in Gundlupet taluk of Chamarajanagar district and partly in HD Kote and Nanjangud taluks of the Mysuru District. On his arrival at Melukamanahalli helipad, the Prime Minister travelled by road to Forest Departments reception centre at Bandipur, where he paid respects to a forest martyrs memorial nearby, before leaving for Safari in the forest departments jeep.

During his tour, Prime Minister Modi interacted with frontline field staff and self-help groups involved in conservation activities there.

PM Modi shared pictures of Safari on his Twitter account in which he can be seen standing in the open jeep, and with a camera and binoculars. He also shared pictures of elephants, langurs, spotted deers, and baisons.

Later, he visited the Theppakkadu elephant camp at Mudumalai in the hilly Nilgiris district and interacted with Bellie and Bomman, the elephant caretakers who featured in an Oscar-winning documentary.

Upon his arrival at the elephant camp, the PM was accorded a welcome by the pachyderms and he fed sugarcane to some of the elephants in the Theppakkadu camp at the tiger reserve here.

He also interacted with Bellie and Bomman, who have won accolades after they featured in the Academy Award-winning documentary, The Elephant Whisperers."

Following that, the Prime Minister addressed the inaugural session of commemoration of 50 years of Project Tiger in Karnataka at Mysuru University and released the Summary Report of Tiger Reserve in India there.

Top Quotes From PM Modis Speech at Mysuru University

Addressing the inaugural session of commemoration of 50 years of Project Tiger in Karnataka at Mysuru University, the Prime Minister said the success of Project Tiger is a matter of pride not only for India but also for the world. India has not only conserved tigers but has also given them an ecosystem to flourish," he said.

"India is a country where protecting nature is part of the culture. This is why it has many unique achievements in wildlife conservation with only 2.4 per cent of the worlds land area, India contributes about 8 per cent of the known global biodiversity," noted PM Modi.

"When their population is stable or decreasing in many tiger reserve countries, then why is it increasing rapidly in India? The answer is the tradition of India, the culture of India and the bio-diversity in the society of India, and our natural urge for the environment," he added.

The Prime Minister noted that India is the only country in the world to have Asiatic lions. The lion population has increased from 525 in 2015 to 675 in 2020. Our leopard population went up by over 60 per cent in just four years," he said.

He further emphasised that in the last decade, the number of community reserves increased from 43 to over 100. In a decade, the number of national parks and sanctuaries, around which eco-sensitive zones were notified, increased from 9 to 468," PM Modi said.

He further pointed out that due to the presence of big cats, the number of tourists to Tiger Reserves has increased and this has strengthened the local economy. The presence of big cats has made a positive impact on the lives and ecology of the local people everywhere," he said.

Taking about the reintroduction Cheetah, which became extinct in India decades ago, in Indian jungles again, PM Modi said, We have brought this magnificent big cat to India from Namibia and South Africa. This is the first successful trans-continental translocation of a big cat. A few days back, four beautiful cubs have been born in Kuno National Park.

Prime Minister said that a better future for humanity is possible only when our environment remains safe and our bio-diversity continues to expand.

"This responsibility belongs to all of us, it belongs to the whole world. We are continuously encouraging this spirit during our G-20 presidency," he said

"The lifestyle of the tribal society also helps a lot in understanding the vision of Mission Life i.e. Lifestyle for Environment. Thats why I request all of you to definitely take something from the life and tradition of tribal society for your country and society," he added.

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A trainee police constable was arrested on Sunday for allegedly raping a seven-year-old girl in Jharkhands Hazaribag district, police said.

Kora police station in-charge Uttam Kumar Tiwari said the accused was staying at a rented house adjacent to the girls.

The incident happened on Saturday when the girl was alone at home, as her parents were out on some work. Taking advantage of this, the accused knocked at the door and the girl opened it. The man entered and allegedly committed the crime," Tiwary said.

The police said when her parents returned home, she narrated the incident. Then, they lodged a complaint against the accused.

The girl was sent to Sheikh Bhikhari Medical College and Hospital at Hazaribag for the medical examination and the doctors there confirmed about the crime, Tiwary said.

The accused was produced before the chief judicial magistrate on Sunday at Hazaribag and later he was forwarded to jail, he said.

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EASTER 2023: Easter is a Christian holiday that celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is observed on the first Sunday following the first full moon after the vernal equinox around March 21. This year it is being celebrated today on April 9. Easter is celebrated in many different ways around the world, with each culture having its unique traditions and history.

ALSO READ: Happy Easter 2023: Wishes, Images, Status, Quotes, Messages and WhatsApp Greetings to Share

EASTER TRADITIONS AROUND THE WORLD AND THEIR HISTORY

Egg Decorating And Hunting

This tradition is popular in many countries including the United States, Germany, and Australia. The egg represents new life and rebirth, symbolizing the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Decorating eggs with bright colors, patterns, and designs is a way of celebrating new beginnings. In many countries, children participate in Easter egg hunts, where they search for hidden eggs and treats. Easter Bread

In many European countries, Easter bread is a traditional food during the Easter holiday. In Greece, for example, they have Tsoureki, a sweet braided bread with red eggs on top, symbolizing the blood of Christ. In Italy, there is Colomba Pasquale, a dove-shaped bread with candied fruit and almonds, which represents peace and renewal. Easter Bonfires

In some countries, such as Germany, Switzerland, and Austria, Easter bonfires are lit on the night before Easter Sunday. The fire is said to represent the victory of light over darkness, and the warmth and light of the fire is meant to symbolize the hope and joy of the resurrection. Holy Week Processions

In many Catholic countries, such as Spain, Mexico, and the Philippines, there are elaborate processions during Holy Week leading up to Easter Sunday. These processions often involve carrying statues of the Virgin Mary and Jesus, and participants wear traditional clothing and carry candles or flowers. Flying Kites

In some countries, such as Bermuda and Guyana, it is traditional to fly kites on Easter Sunday. This is believed to have originated from a custom in which people flew kites to symbolize Christs ascension into heaven. Easter Witches

In Sweden, it is a tradition for children to dress up as Easter witches, wearing colorful clothes and painting their faces. They go from door to door, trading drawings and paintings for sweets and candy. This tradition is said to have originated from a superstition that witches would fly to a mountain on Maundy Thursday to meet the devil, and then return home on Easter Sunday.

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May this special occasion deepen the spirit of harmony in our society. May it inspire people to serve society and help empower the downtrodden. We remember the pious thoughts of Lord Christ on this day," Modi said.
The BJP government in Goa is under attack from the opposition and has also invited the publics wrath for not fulfilling its poll promise of 3 free LPG cylinders. However, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has now said that the scheme will be only for the low income group.

Sawant admitted that the scheme has been delayed. He said that his government will take the decision to provide cooking gas free to families with low income.

Three cylinders will be provided to those having Antyodaya ration cards. The file is in movement, only a decision has not been taken. I feel that those having low income should get this benefit. However, it is delayed to get financial approval," Sawant said.

But the scheme is not for everyone. We will try to take a decision on this issue," he said.

Raking up the issue of free LPG cylinders promised by the BJP government and the price hike of domestic cooking gas, the Congress in Goa while distributing the letters of its leader Rahul Gandhi during the Haath Se Haath Jodo program, stated that the party will provide a LPG cylinder for only Rs 500 once it comes back to power in the 2024 polls.

Former All India Congress Committee secretary Girish Chodankar speaking to IANS said that it is in the DNA of the BJP to make false promises before elections and then cheat the people.

While promising free LPG, the BJP never said that it is only for low income groups. They have garnered votes by hoodwinking voters on this promise. Now the BJP has taken a U-Turn as usual and has said that the scheme is only for low income groups," Chodankar said.

Even if it is for low income groups, why is the Chief Minister not announcing the exact date to implement the scheme. This means they want to delay it till the next election. Now the people have come to know about the BJPs gimmicks," Chodankar added.

The Goa Forward Party (GFP) has alleged that the BJP government garnered votes by promising to give three free cooking gas cylinders, however, now the people are feeling cheated.

GFP MLA Vijai Sardesai had said that due to the steep rise in the price of cooking gas and the BJP governments failure to provide free LPG cylinders, people in the rural areas of the state are forced to rely on firewood for cooking.

People are burdened due to the steep hike in the price of cooking gas. Many people in rural areas are forced to rely on firewood to meet their cooking requirements," Sardesai said.

Mothers and sisters of Goa voted for you (BJP) so that you could form the government. During the budget (in 2022), the Chief Minister (Pramod Sawant) had said that under the Goa Gramin Urja Yojana, the state government has decided to give three cylinders for free per year for which a provision of Rs 40 crore has been made. But now this scheme has been dropped," Sardesai said.

Today the situation is such that people are storing firewood at their homes," he added.

The fanfare with which this scheme was announced remains only on party leaflets now. The Chief Minister has cheated our mothers and sisters with his false promise," Sardesai said.

GFP vice-president Ashma said that Pramod Sawant should clarify whether the government will give three cylinders free, which were promised.

During the assembly election, BJP promised to give three cylinders free to garner votes and in return cheated the women of the state. Now the Chief Minister should clarify whether this scheme will be implemented or not," she said.

The Lok Sabha elections are just a year away. The time has come for the people to realise the pro-capitalist and anti-poor agenda of the BJP government. It is not possible to defeat the BJP unless the people express their anger against the anti-people policies of the BJP government," Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao said.

The Congress in Goa had agitated against the price hike of LPG and the failure of the government to provide free cooking gas.

The Aam Aadmi Party in Goa has also agitated against the BJP government.

Now after coming to power, the BJP has taken a U-turn over providing free LPG cylinders promised during the election. The Chief Minister now says they will be given only to below poverty line families. Now the people of Goa should understand what hypocrites these leaders are," Surel Tilve, AAP vice president, said.

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Photo: .

A woman was taken to hospital after being struck by an impaired driver early Saturday morning.

The Vancouver Police Department Traffic Unit tweeted that the pedestrian was hit at the intersection of East Hastings and Main streets.

She is currently in hospital in critical condition.

The driver has been charged with multiple impaired driving offences. The tweet notes that his blood alcohol concentration was "over twice the legal limit."

Glacier Media has reached out to the VPD for more information.
Panoramic view of Ponta do Sol, in Madeira, where a small colony of digital nomads has settled (as digital is, obviously, the technopirate flag on the mountain)

Todays digital nomads require special treatment. That is the conclusion reached by Dave Cook, a British anthropologist and writer who has spent the last seven years documenting the evolution of this peculiar urban tribe, to which Cook once felt he belonged.

In 2015, Cook went to Bangkok, Thailand, to attend one of the first international summits of the then-new breed of nomads. There, he came into contact with a collective of open-minded, restless and shrewd millennials who were determined to take the world by storm. They were mostly men who dressed in Bermuda shorts and nautical polo shirts and always toted their laptops around in backpacks. They looked like the young attendees at a Silicon Valley corporate meeting in the lobby of a Florida hotel and had nothing of the hippie aesthetics usually associated with backpackers.

Listening to presentations by the incipient movements leaders, gurus like Fabian Dittrich and Marcus Meurer, Cook found it fascinating that they saw themselves as the drivers of a kind of pragmatic revolution. They did not aspire to overthrow global capitalism but rather to work for it from a comfortable distance. They sought accommodations on the margins, in tropical paradises and unknown corners of the world, where they could still live in a free, relaxed and authentic way without sacrificing immense wealth from investing in cryptocurrency or designing artificial intelligence neural networks. Their lifes project consisted of staying closely connected to the system so they could disconnect from it.

Then and now

According to Cook, the pandemic democratized and trivialized the concept. At least in the popular perception, that first wave of technological and visionary nomads who felt that they were the heirs to precursors like Steve Roberts (who, in the early 1980s, toured the United States designing avant-garde software from the seat of his computerized bicycle) were confused with neo-ruralists, supporters of the Great Renunciation and recent converts to the religion of telework.

Sunset over Ponta do Sol, on Portugals island of Madeira. MATHEISL (Getty Images)

The coronavirus pandemic also provided an ideal situation for the movements plans for global domination. Through a system of visas and tax exemptions, countries such as Estonia, Portugal, Greece and Barbados began to actively court digital nomads  i.e., young, entrepreneurial, cosmopolitan talent with relatively high purchasing power. In theory, cheap rents and optimal internet connections were enough to prompt these new torchbearers of gentrification to settle in picturesque but degraded neighborhoods and godforsaken rural environments, which, in turn, would help regenerate such areas and bring them into the virtuous cycle of rampant modernity.

Websites like Nomad List began to offer up-to-the-minute rankings of the best destinations for digital nomads, and the not-so-incipient tribe became part of the everyday landscape of poor neighborhoods in Lisbon, Buenos Aires, Timisoara, Berlin, Cape Town, Istanbul, Manila, Perth, Warsaw, Nairobi and Belgrade. The more intrepid nomads took their logic of extreme disconnection to less crowded places, such as the beaches of Bali, Croatia, Fuerteventura and the Algarve; the plateaus of Nepal; and the jungles of the Philippines, Cambodia, Thailand and the Mexican Caribbean.

Plumia, a nomadic homeland

As scholar Daniel Schlagwein explains in his comprehensive book The History of Digital Nomadism, theres another novelty in the digital nomad movement. Far from renouncing its ambition, the tribe  as opposed to tourists, backpackers, pandemic refugees and regular expatriates  has radicalized its project. Now more than ever, it aspires to change the world by traveling it from end to end.

The Plumia project  which, according to Lauren Razavi, one of its main promoters, seeks to create a virtual homeland for laptop nomads  is proof of this radicalization. According to Razavi, The nation state is outdated  its based on 19th-century thinking, and we aim to upend all of that. For well over a century, nation-states have fulfilled their function of providing legal and identity protections for the globalizing world; now, she contends, the time has come to store them in the cloud or send them to the dust bin of history.

A shopping street in Chiang Mai, Thailand, another paradise for digital nomads that offers spectacular scenery and low prices. simonlong (Getty Images)

The tribe that Razavi believes she represents does not need borders, passports or citizenship rights. The British nationality that she herself possesses  which has allowed her to travel the world without restrictions  seems unnecessary to her. Were all enrolled into this automatic subscription based on the coincidence of our birthplace or our heritage, and that really doesnt work in the 21st century. Hence, she proposed  not completely frivolously, but also not entirely seriously  that the United Nations recognize Plumia as a sovereign online state with open nationality for all digital nomads who request it; in other words, it is for those who choose to renounce their nationalities of origin to embrace the utopia of living in a world of permeable, flexible borders.

Expatriate luxury in Madeira

In a Wired article, journalist Susana Ferreira masterfully documented the experiences of digital nomads and locals in a Portuguese town on the southern coast of the island of Madeira, which became a colony of the stateless metropole that Plumia aspires to become.

Funchal, Ponta do Sol, is neither a remote wasteland disconnected from the world nor a demographic desert. It is located between Canhas and Tabua, in the warmest part of the island, and it is close to tourist attractions such as Ribeira Brava and Camara de Lobos as well as the capital. Funchal has 8,125 inhabitants (about 5,000 of them live in the town itself and the rest in the surrounding hamlets); an agricultural, fishing and commercial economy; irrigation canals; waterfalls; beautiful beaches; and a small but active port. However, since arriving, the community of digital nomads that settled there during the pandemic, at the initiative of Portuguese entrepreneur Goncalo Hall, has lived in isolation from the rest of the town. The expatriates are entrenched in their coworking spaces and the string of ocean-side homes that the community has bought or rented, and theyve had minimal contact with the local population.

In September 2020, Hall, who grew up in the Lisbon neighborhood of Lapa, requested an interview with the president of Madeiras regional government, Miguel Albuquerque, to propose setting up a nomadic community in Ponta do Sol that was similar to what he had seen in such communities in Thailand (Chiang Mai) and Indonesia (Canggu). As Hall told Ferreira, it only took a couple of beers to reach an agreement and establish a pilot program of selective immigration in the area, a community of expatriate entrepreneurs that Hall and StartMadeira, the local technology project incubator, would manage.

A woman works on her computer at Villingili beach in the Maldives. EyesWideOpen (Getty Images)

Nomadism on the shores of the Atlantic (and away from locals)

Mainland Portugal had already given the green light to similar pilot projects in Porto, Portimao and the Tagus estuary, so it was only a matter of time before the tribe of digital nomads arrived on one of the Portuguese islands. Madeira was the obvious choice because of its proximity to the mainland, beauty, rich social fabric and infrastructure. When the new residential community, Digital Nomad Village, launched in February 2021, it had just five residents: Goncalo Hall and four others.

Today, the Village has several hundred inhabitants. They are mostly young or about to enter middle age. By the standards of their countries of origin (Germany, United Kingdom, United States...), they are not immensely wealthy, but they have the means to rent properties for between 1,000 and 2,000 dollars per month on an island where the minimum wage does not exceed 800 dollars and where more than 5,000 families are on waiting lists for subsidized housing.

Project managers believe that Ponta do Sol offers a space designed specifically for remote employees and freelancers from around the world to live and work in a setting that suits their community and needs. But Ferreira has gathered multiple testimonials from Village residents who expressed a veiled dissatisfaction with the place to which they have come seeking a different life. They are bored; they live as if theyd just landed on a foreign planet, the codes of which they do not understand; they have barely learned any Portuguese; and they try to have some semblance of a social life by inviting each other to beach parties on private messaging channels like Slack.

An aerial view of Ponta do Sol, Madeira, where a group of digital nomads have settled. Roberto Moiola (Getty Images)

The digital nomads have a fraught relationship with locals. One Ponta do Sol resident refers to them as genital nomads because, apparently, their arrival in this corner of the island has triggered activity on Tinder. The schedule for buses to Funchal is the most frequent search on local forums.

Melissa Cabral is one of the few local residents who works for the expat community (she met some of them at a Village cafe and started a conversation out of curiosity and to practice her English; months later, she was offered a part-time job as a community manager in the Village). Even she acknowledges that they live in isolation from the rest of Ponta do Sol because their lifestyle is very different from ours. They dont really [feel] at home; therefore, they tend to retreat and stay disconnected from the village. In the medium term, many of the expats will likely end up leaving the island; that is consistent with the philosophy of digital nomadism, which consists of accumulating experiences and not putting down roots.

Please dont go

Despite all the complaints, however, the towns inhabitants do not want the digital nomads to leave. In an environment where young people flee as soon as they are old enough to seek better career prospects in mainland Portugal or abroad, a new community of residents offers promise for the future, which is hard to give up. Still, many reproach Ponta do Sols new residents for their unwillingness (or inability) to adapt, as well as for their role in making housing prices less affordable for locals.

Sources at StartUp Madeira point out that digital nomads contribute around 1.7 million a month to the local economy. But Ferreira argues that this amount is a ridiculously small fraction of what ordinary immigrants pay to social security. Moreover, she notes that many of these immigrants  who were born in Brazil, Cape Verde, Angola, Nepal, Bangladesh or Venezuela  have not been given the red-carpet treatment, tailor-made communities are not created for them, and they do not receive tax exemptions or preferential visas.

Seven years have gone by since David Cook went to Bangkok and identified the emerging tribe of young nomads who were going to take the world by storm. But instead of representing a groundbreaking new way of inhabiting the planet and dissolving its sclerotic borders, digital nomadism is still an exclusive club made up of a select elite that travels the planet asking for special treatment, perhaps without even realizing it.

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In a big setback to Amul, the Bruhat Bengaluru Hotels Association on Sunday announced that it would choose only Nandini milk to support the states farmers". The Amul vs Nandini milk debate had recently raked up a political slugfest in Karnataka, with the ruling BJP supporting Amuls entry into the state, and the opposition suggesting a threat" to Karnataka Milk Federations famed dairy brand Nandini.

In a statement, the hotels body without naming Amul, said Kannadigas should only promote Nandini milk products. We are all proud of the Nandini milk produced by our farmers and it should be encouraged. In Bengaluru, clean and delicious coffee stands as the backbone of snacks. And we encourage it with great pride," an ANI report quoted the body as saying.

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai had recently asked the opposition to not politicise" Amuls entry into the state. We have absolute clarity with regard to Amul. Nandini is a national brand. Its not restricted to Karnataka. We have popularised Nandini as a brand in other states as well," a PTI report quoted him as saying.

Hashtags like #SaveNandini and #GobackAmul are trending on Twitter ever since the controversy surfaced in Karnataka.

What Sparked the Amul vs Nandini Debate?

The debate over both milk brands was triggered by a twitter post made by Amul some time back. Gujarat-based cooperative society Amul had tweeted: A new wave of freshness with milk and curd is coming to Bengaluru. More information coming soon. #LaunchAlert. From Kengeri to Whitefield, wishing everyone a Taaza day."

In another tweet, the dairy brand said, The #Amul family is bringing in some Taaza into #Bengaluru city. More updates coming in soon. #LaunchAlert. Taaza arriving soon in Bengaluru." While the opposition parties have charged that the BJP government was out to finish Nandini, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said the government is clear on the issue of Amul.

A new wave of freshness with milk and curd is comingto Bengaluru. More information coming soon. #LaunchAlert pic.twitter.com/q2SCGsmsFP Amul.coop (@Amul_Coop) April 5, 2023

Defending Amul, Bommai had said that not only has milk production increased in the state but incentives have also been given to the milk producers. He stressed that several major dairies of KMF in the state have been established during BJP rule.

There is no need to be afraid of Amul. Our Nandini is an established brand. We will take all the steps to give Amul a tough competition," he pointed out.

Why is Opposition Against Amuls Entry to Karnataka?

Ever since news of Amuls possible entry to Karnataka surfaced, the opposition parties including Congress raised an issue with it. Several opposition leaders, including Randeep Surjewala, and DK Shivakumar from Congress, and HD Kumaraswamy from JD(S) spoke against it. Opposition in Karnataka is of the view that Amuls entry would be a threat" to Nandini, its lone competitor in Karnataka.

AICC general secretary and Karnataka party in-charge Randeep Surjewala raised the issue alleging that the BJP was trying to sell off" Nandini. BJP conspiracy to sell off Karnataka Milk Federation to Gujarats Amul is now clear," he said in a tweet.

BJP conspiracy to sell off Karnataka Milk Federation to Gujarats Amul is now clear.1st, Mr. Amit Shah said it openly.Now, Ms. Shobha Karandlje supports it. NANDINI LOSES, AMUL GAINS,BOMMAI GOVT REMAINS MUTE ! Save NANDINI,Vote BJP out ! pic.twitter.com/K6fpxRRyga  Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) April 8, 2023

Former Karnataka CM H D Kumaraswamy also attacked the state government on this issue in a series of tweets. He alleged that Amul has this bad thinking to finish off its lone competitor Nandini in Karnataka itself.

One nation, one Amul, one milk and one Gujarat has become the official policy of the Central government. Hence, Amul is strangulating KMF by standing in its support," Kumaraswamy charged.

Now there is a 3rd plot to finish the lifeline of Kannadigas Nandini. Plot-1: Merger of Nandini with Amul; Union Home Minister Amit Shahs statement. Plot-2: Print the Hindi word Dahi on curd." Both plots failed due to strong opposition from Kannadigas. The central government through Amul is going to make the 3rd plot successful," he said.

Meanwhile, Karnataka Congress Chief DK Shivakumar told ANI, We want to protect our milk and our farmers. We already have Nandini which is a better brand than AmulWe dont need any Amul..our water, our milk, and our soil is strong."

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Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde, on his first visit to Ayodhya after becoming the CM, said he felt energized after receiving the blessings of Ram Lalla and the bow and arrow symbol from the saints and seers. In an interview with News18, he stated that he would take this energy back to Maharashtra.

I have received the blessings of Ram Lalla today and have been given the bow and arrow symbol by the saints and seers. I will take this energy back to Maharashtra. Its an important day, and it has given me a lot of energy," he said.

Shinde, who is on his maiden visit to Ayodhya after becoming the chief minister in June last year, offered prayers at the Ram temple earlier in the day. His deputy Devendra Fadnavis and BJP MP Brijbhushan Sharan Singh were also present for the occasion. Shinde was also accompanied to the temple town in Uttar Pradesh by thousands of Shiv Sainiks.

The chief minister thanked the organisers for the wonderful" event. It feels great to visit Ayodhya for the first time as CM. I had visited this place previously as an organiser, but now its the first time as CM. I have thanked everyone for the wonderful organisation of the event," he said.

In his address to a gathering, Shinde mentioned that Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray had a dream to construct a grand divine Ram Mandir in Ayodhya", a dream that was fulfilled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi through the commencement of the temple construction on the holy land.

Saffron Flag Will be Unfurled all Over Maharashtra in 2024

He further vowed the ideology of his party and that of the BJP is the same and they will unfurl the saffron flag all over the state next year. Our partys role is clear. The Shiv Sena has an alliance with the BJP. Our ideology, which is Hindutva, is the same. We will go to our state with new energy from Ayodhya and serve the people. In 2024, the Shiv Sena and the BJPs bhagva (saffron flag) will be unfurled in the entire state," he said.

Shinde said the entire atmosphere from Lucknow to Ayodhya has become Ram-mai" (filled with slogans of Lord Ram) and he is happy that he has come to the holy town of Ayodhya with the bow and arrow", the Shiv Senas poll symbol.

Shinde expressed his satisfaction after paying his respects to Ramlalla and inspecting the progress of the temples construction and said he was pleased to see the realization of the aspirations of Hindu Hriday Samrat" Balasaheb Thackeray and crores of devotees of Lord Ram.

Ahead of the planned maha arti" in the evening, Shinde had said In the evening, there will be aarti on the banks of the Sarayu river and there is a programme of taking the blessings of seers. Many people are a little allergic to this. I will say only one thing, the Ram mandir and Ayodhya are not political issues for the Shiv Sena and the BJP. It is a matter of our faith and belief," he said.

#WATCH | Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde performs Maha Aarti at the banks of Sarayu River in Ayodhya. pic.twitter.com/YQcWKooWi5 ANI (@ANI) April 9, 2023

According to an earlier report, during the Maharashtra Chief Ministers visit to Ayodhya, logs of sag (teak) wood will be donated as a token of the states contribution to the construction of the Ram temple.

Dinner Diplomacy With Yogi

After his visit to Ayodhya, Shinde will have dinner with his Uttar Pradesh counterpart Yogi Adityanath in Lucknow and then return to Mumbai.

On questions regarding the scheduled dinner diplomacy with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, he said it is a crucial meeting where we will discuss some significant issues."

(With inputs from PTI)

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Rajasthan Food and Civil Supplies Minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas on Sunday endorsed former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilots demand for action against alleged corruption under the former BJP government.

Khachariyawas told a news channel that he agrees with Pilot and it is the responsibility of the government to take action on issues raised by Congress when it was in Opposition.

Earlier in the day, Pilot said he will observe a day-long fast here on April 11 demanding action against alleged corruption under the previous BJP government.

He said the Congress had promised to take action on issues raised by him and other party leaders if it was voted to power. However, no action has been taken so far.

Khachariyawas said he would speak to Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and urge him to take action on the issues raised by Pilot.

Sachin Pilot is an asset for the party and Rahul Gandhi has said this I would also speak to the chief minister and say that we should take action," he said.

Pilot has accused the Gehlot government of not taking action on the alleged corruption committed under the former BJP government led by Vasundhara Raje.

He has alleged that the BJP dispensation was involved in a Rs 45,000 crore mines scam.

The pilot was the PCC chief when Congress had raised the issue and promised to probe the scam after coming to power in the 2018 assembly elections.

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With just a few months to go for the Rajasthan elections, the desert storm is brewing.

On a sleepy Sunday, Sachin Pilot woke up the Congress top leadership in New Delhi when he held a press conference. What appeared to be a routine media interaction ended as a shocker from Pilot, as he asked about an investigation he had sought for allegations of corruption against former Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje Scindia.

In fact, Pilot, without saying it explicitly, set the cat among the pigeons when he said, If there is a delay in investigation, people will wonder if there is a proximity between us and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Pilot may not say it but the whisper campaign which runs in Rajasthan is often the allegation that Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot and Vasundhara Raje Scindia share cordial relations. In fact, one leader close to Pilot said, Thats why no action has been taken against her and no inquiry has begun.

And the BJP is not going to stop pulling its punches in attacking and accusing the Gehlot government.

WHY APRIL 11?

Back to Pilot, who is waiting to get some clarity on his political future in Rajasthan with elections just a few months away. The top Congress leadership is confused as they are also aware that Gehlot has the experience in governance and handling the MLAs. But Pilot is reconciled to take on a bigger mantle for himself and carve a place in the desert.

So on April 11, he will be on a daylong hunger strike to fight what he calls the corruption of the BJP. The day and venue have been chosen carefully. April 11 is the birth anniversary of Mahatma Jyotiba Phule, the social activist who fought against caste discrimination and belonged to the Maali community, the same as that of Gehlot.

Despite the attempts by Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge to end the fight between Pilot and Gehlot, the dust refuses to settle.

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Madhya Pradesh government will take steps to ban objectionable web series," Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday. The Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister made the remark while speaking at a function of religious preacher Devkinandan Thakur in the state capital Bhopal.

Chouhan said Madhya Pradesh is a land of religious and spiritual importance, adding that The state government will take necessary steps" in the direction of the banning of objectionable web series."

Earlier, while addressing the gathering, Devkinandan Thakur talked about the need for banning objectionable web series as the young generation is being alienated from culture due to such content.

Thakur has been vocal against shows/series on OTT platforms, contending that they affect social relations adversely.

Earlier in March, taking a tough stand on complaints against content on OTT platforms, Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur said vulgarity and abusive language was not acceptable in the name of creativity.

Thakur said the government had taken a serious view on complaints of vulgarity and abusive language in the content on OTT platforms and will not hesitate to take tough action to stop this trend.

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.

(With PTI inputs)

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Shiv Sena (Uddhav faction) leader Sanjay Raut rained down on Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his deputy Devendra Fadnavis Ayodhya visit on Sunday. Calling the Shinde-Fadnavis duo a duplicate" for their visit to the holy city, Raut accused them snubbing farmers who are in distress due to rain and hailstorm in the state.

They are ignoring all the issues in the state and going to Ayodhyawill Lord Ram bless them?" the Shiv Sena leader said while speaking to ANI.

Sanjay Rauts remarks came as Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde visited Ayodhya on Sunday. Notably, on his first visit to Ayodhya as a Chief Minister, nearly 3,000 Shiv Sainiks, including ministers of the Maharastra government, party MPs and MLAs, accompanied Shinde.

The Maharashtra CM and his entourage received a warm welcome from Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis offered prayers at the Ramlala temple.

#WATCH | Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis offer prayers at Ram Lala temple in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh pic.twitter.com/BUR4wD8H5x ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) April 9, 2023

Reacting to Eknath Shindes Ayodhya visit, Sanjay Raut said, We also believe in Lord Ram. We have also gone to Ayodhya several times. But BJP never came with our party. When the Babri incident happened they ran awayFarmers in Maharashtra are in problems due to rain and hailstorm but ignoring all these issues the govt of the state went to Ayodhya."

Will Lord Ram bless them? They are copying us. The Public knows who is original and who duplicate," ANI quoted Raut as saying.

#WATCH | Mumbai: We also believe in Lord Ram. We have also gone to Ayodhya several times. But BJP never came with our party. When Babri incident happened they ran awayFarmers in Maharashtra are in problems due to rain and hailstorm but ignoring all these issues the govt of the pic.twitter.com/kv9NZC2tEk ANI (@ANI) April 9, 2023

Eknath Shinde, on the other hand, refused to call it a political visit. This is not a political visit. I keep visiting Ayodhya but this is the first time I have come here as the chief minister. All our party leaders wanted to take the blessings of Lord Ram. I want to thank Yogi-ji and his ministers who were here to welcome us," he was quoted by Hindustan Times as saying.

Notably, the developments came after a Mahant of Ayodhya extended a personal invitation to Eknath Shinde to visit Lord Ram Temple, following the Maharashtra governments move to send the first consignment of prized teakwood from Chandrapur district for the temple construction.

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Amid talks of opposition unity, Congress leaders on Sunday lashed out at Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo Sharad Pawar over his stance on the probe into the allegations against Adani Group, with Alka Lamba calling him scared and greedy". Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis called the response appalling".

Pawar on Saturday said that a Supreme Court-appointed Committee would be more effective as a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) would have more members from the ruling party and fewer from the opposition. I am not completely opposed to the JPC. There have been JPCs and I have been the chairman of some JPCs. The JPC will be constituted on the basis of majority (in Parliament). Instead of a JPC, I am of the opinion that the Supreme Court committee is more useful and effectiveAlthough 18-19 opposition parties have come together on the Adani issue, not all of them will get representation on the JPC as some of them have only one or two members in Parliament. If a JPC has 21 members, about 15 of them will be from the ruling party," he said.

The Congress is firm on its demand for a JPC.

Congress leader Alka Lamba targeted Pawar by tweeting a photograph in which Pawar and Adani can be seen together. Lamba tweeted, Scared - greedy people are today singing the praises of dictatorial power because of their personal interests - only one Rahul Gandhi is fighting the battle of the people of the country - with the capitalist thieves and also with the watchman who saves the thieves.

State Congress Chief Nana Patole said: We want a JPC probe into the allegations. Whatever Sharad Pawar has said is his view. But we are firm on our demand.

Former CM and senior Congress leader Ashok Chavan said, The statement is unlikely to make any difference to the opposition unity in the 2024 elections. But if the opposition takes a decision on any issue unitedly, then all opposition parties and their leaders should show solidarity.

UDDHAV, FADNAVIS TO THE DEFENCE

The Shiv Sena UBT, part of Mahavikas Aghadi (MVA), however, defended Pawar, saying it is his personal view and will have no impact on the alliance.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), meanwhile, targeted the Congress over the differences with their alliance partners.

I am shocked Is this Congress official position. Alka Lamba has made an unbelievable attack on Sharad Pawar ji She has described him as greedy & a coward As a Maharashtrian I am pretty flabbergasted Is this the official position of @INCIndia @INCMaharashtra & what does pic.twitter.com/2EozOHkLvu  Shehzad Jai Hind (@Shehzad_Ind) April 8, 2023

Recently, Shiv Sena UBT had slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for insulting Veer Savarkar.

Fadnavis targeted Rahul Gandhi over Lambas latest tweet. Politics will come and go but this Tweet by a Congress leader on their longstanding ally of 35 years and one of the Indias senior most political leaders and a 4 time CM of Maharashtra is appalling, tweeted Fadnavis.

Politics will come and go but this Tweet by a Congress leader on their long standing ally of 35 years and one of the Indias senior most political leaders and a 4 time CM of Maharashtra is appalling.@RahulGandhi is perverting Indias political culture  pic.twitter.com/84olg5FYOc Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) April 8, 2023

Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde has said, The opposition must heed Sharad Pawars words.

Pawars statement has created a buzz not only in Maharashtras political corridors, but also in national politics. The Congress is certainly not happy being targeted by their own alliance partners over two issues.

Although the opposition leaders are saying there are no cracks within the united opposition, will these small differences make the path smooth for the ruling party ahead of the 2024 national elections?

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Launching a scathing attack on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena said some people are illiterate despite obtaining a degree from IIT".

Yes, I have heard what the honourable CM (Arvind Kejriwal) said a few days ago at the Vidhan Sabha. I would like to say that no one should boast about their degree. A degree is just a certificate that youre literate. But real education is your knowledge and behaviour. Ive seen how some people have been behaving over the past few days. It is now proved that some people remain illiterate even after obtaining an IIT degree, Saxena told ANI on Sunday.

#WATCH | One should not boast about their degree It is now proved that some people remain illiterate even after studying at IIT: LG Vinai Kumar Saxena on CM Arvind Kejriwals statement on PM Modis degree pic.twitter.com/xTFF8PAmtn ANI (@ANI) April 9, 2023

The Delhi L-Gs statement came in the backdrop of questions raised by Kejriwal about Prime Minister Narendra Modis educational qualifications.

Last week, Kejriwal raised an objection to Gujarat High Courts order ruling that the details of PM Modis degree were not needed. He said the order raised questions over the prime ministers education. An uneducated or less educated PM is dangerous for India, " he had said.

The AAP chief, a mechanical engineer from IIT, Kharagpur, then went on to allege that there can be two reasons why PM Modi is reluctant to show 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," Kejriwal said in a video message on his official Twitter handle.

AAP MP Sanjay Singh also addressed the issue during a press conference.

             PM  140     ,        ?       ?    ,  Science   ,  -   MP @SanjayAzadSln pic.twitter.com/ajsCi3Z2hO  AAP (@AamAadmiParty) March 31, 2023

Today it is proved that the prime minister of India is an illiterate prime minister. What is the degree of the PM who was elected by 140 crore people, should not be known? Are you fined for asking about a degree? They make ridiculous statements, neither do they know science, nor do they know history or geography," Singh said.

Earlier this month, the Gujarat High Court imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on Kejriwal, citing how the AAP convener had persisted with the matter about PM Modis degree certificates from Gujarat University despite them being public since 2016.

The Gujarat University put the prime ministers degree certificate on its website immediately in 2016, while challenging the order of the CIC in principle as it has lakhs of degrees with it in a fiduciary capacity and is not governed by the RTI Act. The university went to the HC to quash the CICs order and said such a demand was made by Kejriwal to politically sensationalise the issue.

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Capturing it on his phone camera, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis showcased an aerial view of Ram Mandir, currently under-construction in Uttar Pradeshs Ayodhya.

Fadnavis is currently on a visit to the temple town, along with Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and nearly 3,000 Shiv Sainiks, including party MPs and MLAs and several other Ministers .

Fadnavis shared a video he captured from a helicopter on his Twitter, and wrote, this is how Prabhu Shri Ram Mandir construction work is going on in Ayodhya. Ariel view from chopper on way to Ayodhya from Lucknow. Jai Shri Ram."

This is how Prabhu Shri Ram Mandir construction work is going on in Ayodhya.Ariel view from chopper on way to Ayodhya from Lucknow. Jai Shri Ram #jaishriram #rammandir #ayodhya #ayodhyarammandir #uttarpradesh #ramlala #trending pic.twitter.com/LOZV9YkjVp Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) April 9, 2023

In other tweets, the deputy CM shared several pictures of his visit, along with the Maha Aarti done by them at the temple.

Fadnavis and Shinde also visited the site, and held discussions with the construction crew. Amazing experience, absolute bliss. The construction work of the grand Rammandir in Ayodhya is going on in full swing," he said in one of the tweets.

Helicopter service launched for an aerial darshan few days back

This comes as the Tourism department of Uttar Pradesh government launched a helicopter service for aerial darshan of Ayodhya City and Saryu river on April 6.

The helicopter service was launched on Ram Navami by UP Tourism and it was initially planned for 15 days. The state government plans to extend the service as the demand for the helicopter rides is increasing.

Shinde-Fadnavis in Ayodhya

Shinde on Sunday said the ideology of his party and that of the BJP is the same and they will unfurl the saffron flag all over the state next year.

Our partys role is clear. The Shiv Sena has an alliance with the BJP. Our ideology, which is Hindutva, is the same. We will go to our state with new energy from Ayodhya and serve the people. In 2024, the Shiv Sena and the BJPs bhagva (saffron flag) will be unfurled in the entire state," he said while addressing a press conference here.

On his first visit to Ayodhya as Chief Minister, Shinde held a massive show of strength along with his MLAs in Ayodhya. Addressing a massive gathering, Shinde said it was Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackerays dream to build a grand divine Ram Mandir in Ayodhya", that Prime Minister Modi fulfilled by starting the temple construction on the holy land.

It was Balasaheb Thackerays and millions of Ram devotees dream to build a grand divine Ram temple in Ayodhya PM Modi has made this dream come true by beginning the construction of the Ram temple," he said.

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Foxconn is planning to invest T$25 billion ($820 million) in the next three years in new manufacturing facilities in southern Taiwan to support its electric vehicle (EV) ambitions, the company said on Sunday.

The company, formally called Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd, said the investments in Kaohsiung will include plants for making electric buses and batteries for EVs.

Foxconn, a major Apple Inc supplier and iPhone assembler, has big ambitions in the EV market as it seeks to diversify its revenue base.

In related news, Terry Gou, the billionaire founder of major Apple Inc (AAPL.O) supplier Foxconn (2317.TW), said on Wednesday he would seek the presidential nomination for Taiwans main opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT), for a second time.

Gou stepped down as Foxconn chief in 2019 and made a presidential bid that year, but dropped out after he failed to win the nomination for the KMT, which traditionally favours close ties with China.

Speaking to reporters at a hotel next to Taiwans main international airport at Taoyuan on his return from a weeklong trip to the United States, Gou said the only way to avoid war with China was to reduce Sino-U.S. tensions and get Taiwans ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) out of office.

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The silhouette of an Israeli soldier is outlined in the sky by a flare fired to search for a rocket that landed near Kibbutz Meitsar in the Israeli annexed Golan Heights, April 9, 2023.

The Israeli military said its forces attacked targets in Syria early Sunday after six rockets were launched from Syrian territory in two batches toward Israel in a rare attack from Israels northeastern neighbor.

After the second barrage of three rockets, Israel initially said it responded with artillery fire into the area in Syria from where the rockets were fired. Later, the military said Israeli fighter jets attacked Syrian army sites, including a compound of Syrias 4th Division and radar and artillery posts.

The rocket firings came after days of escalating violence on multiple fronts over tension in Jerusalem and an Israeli police raid on the citys most sensitive holy site.

In the second barrage, which was launched early Sunday, two of the rockets crossed the border into Israel, with one being intercepted and the second landing in an open area, the Israeli military said. In the first attack, on Saturday, one rocket landed in a field in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights. Fragments of another destroyed missile fell into Jordanian territory near the Syrian border, Jordans military reported.

There were no reports of casualties.

A Damascus-based Palestinian group loyal to the Syrian regime claimed responsibility for launching the three missiles Saturday, reported Beirut-based Al-Mayadeen TV.

The report quoted Al-Quds Brigade, a militia different than the larger Palestinian Islamic Jihads armed wing with a similar name, as saying it fired the rockets to retaliate for the police raid on Al-Aqsa Mosque.

In Syria, an adviser to President Bashar Assad described the rocket strikes as part of the previous, present and continuing response to the brutal enemy.

Israel, which has vowed to stop Iranian entrenchment in Syria, has carried out hundreds of strikes in government-controlled parts of that country in recent years, though it rarely acknowleges them. Before the latest strikes, Syrian officials had attributed 10 attacks to Israel this year, some of which put the Damascus and Aleppo airports temporarly out of service and killed civilians as well as Syrian soldiers and Iranian military advisers.

In the occupied West Bank, Israeli security forces fatally shot a 20-year-old Palestinian in the town of Azzun, Palestinian health officials said, stirring protests in the area. The Israeli military said troops fired at Palestinians hurling stones and explosive devices. The Palestinian Health Ministry identified the Palestinian killed as Ayed Salim.

His death came at a time of unusually heightened violence in the West Bank. Over 90 Palestinians and have been killed by Israeli fire so far this year, at least half of them affiliated with militant groups, according to a tally by The Associated Press.

Palestinian attacks on Israelis have killed 19 people in that time  including on Friday two British-Israelis shot to death near a settlement in the Jordan Valley and an Italian tourist killed by a suspected car-ramming in Tel Aviv. All but one were civilians.

The rocket fire from Syria comes against the backdrop of soaring Israeli-Palestinian tensions touched off by an Israeli police raid on Jerusalems most sensitive site, the sacred compound home to the Al-Aqsa mosque. That outraged Palestinians marking the holy fasting month of Ramadan and prompted militants in Lebanon  as well as Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip  to fire a heavy barrage of rockets into Israel.

In retaliation, Israeli warplanes struck sites allegedly linked to the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza and southern Lebanon.

Late Saturday, tensions ran high in Jerusalem as a few hundred Palestinian worshippers barricaded themselves in the mosque, which sits on a hilltop in the heart of Jerusalems Old City sacred to both Muslims and Jews. Israeli police efforts to evict the worshippers locked in the mosque overnight with stockpiled firecrackers and stones spiraled into unrest in the holy site earlier this week.

The latest escalations prompted Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant to extend a closure barring entrance to Israel for Palestinians from the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip for the duration of the Jewish holiday of Passover, while police beefed up forces in Jerusalem on the eve of sensitive religious celebrations.

In a separate incident in the northern West Bank city of Nablus late Saturday, a leader of a local independent armed group known as the Lions Den claimed the group executed an alleged Israeli collaborator who had tipped off the Israeli military to the locations and movements of the groups members. Israeli security forces have targeted and killed several of the groups key members in recent months.

The accused mans killing could not be immediately confirmed, but videos in Palestinian media showed medics and residents gathered around his bloodied body in the Old City, where the Lions Den holds sway. Traitors have neither a country nor a people, Lions Den commander Oday Azizi said in a statement.

The moves come at a time of heightened religious fervor  with Ramadan coinciding with Passover and Easter celebrations. Jerusalems Old City, home to key Jewish, Muslim and Christian holy sites, has been teeming with visitors and religious pilgrims from around the world.

Gallant said that a closure imposed last Wednesday, on the eve of Passover, would remain in effect until the holiday ends on Wednesday night. The order prevents Palestinians from entering Israel for work or to pray in Jerusalem this week, though mass prayers were permitted at the Al-Aqsa Mosque on Friday. Gallant also ordered the Israeli military to be prepared to assist Israeli police. The army later announced that it was deploying additional troops around Jerusalem and in the West Bank.

Over 2,000 police were expected to be deployed in Jerusalem on Sunday  when tens of thousands of Jews are expected to gather at the Western Wall for the special Passover priestly blessing. The Western Wall is the holiest site where Jews can pray and sits next to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, where large crowds gather each day for prayers during Ramadan.

Jerusalem police chief Doron Turgeman met with his commanders on Saturday for a security assessment. He accused the Hamas militant group, which rules the Gaza Strip, of trying to incite violence ahead of Sundays priestly blessing with false claims that Jews planned to storm the mosque.

We will allow the freedom of worship and we will allow the arrival of Muslims to pray, he said, adding that police will act with determination and sensitivity to ensure that all faiths can celebrate safely.

The current round of violence erupted earlier in the week after Israeli police raided the mosque, firing tear gas and stun grenades to disperse hundreds of Palestinians who had barricaded themselves inside. Violent scenes from the raid sparked unrest in the contested capital and outrage across the Arab world.

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Taiwans defence ministry on Sunday said that it had detected nine Chinese warships and 58 aircraft around the island, as China continued military drills for the second day.

Taiwan said it was monitoring Chinese military movements through joint intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance system", adding the warplanes detected until 12 pm local time included a mix of fighter jets and bombers.

This comes amid China launching three days of military drills intended to intimidate self-ruled Taiwan after a US visit by Taipeis President Tsai Ing-wen angered Beijing.

Here are the latest updates about Taiwan-China tensions:

It was the biggest military action by Beijing around Taiwan, since launching huge drills last August following a visit by former House speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Chinas military drills have simulated joint precision strikes against key targets on Taiwan island and surrounding waters", state media reported.

Beijing state broadcaster CCTV said the air force deployed dozens of aircraft to fly into the target airspace", and ground forces carried out drills for multi-target precision strikes".

The Chinese military has deployed ships, fighter jets and missiles in the sea around Taiwan to send a serious warning against Taiwan independence separatist forces.

According to Chinese state agency, dozens of J-18 and J-10C fighter jets have been deployed in the operation, alongside anti-submarine aircraft.

Exercises on Monday will include live-fire drills off the rocky coast of Chinas Fujian province, about 80 kilometres (50 miles) south of Taiwans Matsu Islands and 186 kilometres from Taipei.

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen denounced the drills, which come after she met with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California.

In the US, a State Department spokesperson said that Washington had consistently urged restraint and no change to the status quo", but noted it had ample resources to fulfil its security commitments in Asia.

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Police in Iran said on Saturday they plan to use smart" technology in public places to identify and then penalise women who violate the countrys strict Islamic dress code.

A statement said the force would take action to identify norm-breaking people by using tools and smart cameras in public places and thoroughfares".

Police will then send the proof and warning messages to the violators of the hijab law" to inform them about the legal consequences of repeating this crime".

The number of women in Iran defying the compulsory dress code has increased since a wave of protests following the death in custody of Kurdish-Iranian Mahsa Amini, 22, for allegedly flouting it.

From next Saturday, people who remove their veil will be identified by using smart equipment," Irans police chief Ahmad-Reza Radan said in an interview with state television.

People who remove their hijab in public places will be warned first and presented to the courts as a next step," Radan said.

He said car owners will also receive a warning text if any of their passengers violate the dress code, and their vehicles will be seized if the offence is repeated.

Amini died on September 16, three days after her arrest by the morality police.

A wave of civil protests swept across the Islamic republic following her death.

In a separate statement on Saturday, police said they would not tolerate any individual or collective behaviour and actions that are contrary to the law".

Last week, a viral video on the social media showed a man throwing yoghurt at two women for not wearing hijab.

In late March, the head of the judiciary, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, said removing hijab amounts to enmity towards values and people who commit such abnormality will be punished".

The requirement for women to wear the headscarf in public was enshrined in law shortly after the Islamic revolution of 1979.

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Kuwait announced a new government on Sunday, its seventh in three years of deep political crisis between parliament and the executive.

Despite being the only Gulf Arab state to have an elected government, Kuwait remains mired in political turmoil that has stalled reforms in one of the worlds largest producers of crude oil.

The previous government resigned in January, just three months after first taking office.

Kuwait adopted a parliamentary system in 1962, but repeated political crises have caused state paralysis.

A decree from the Emir has been issued (to validate) the formation of the new government led by Sheikh Ahmad Nawaf al-Ahmad Al-Sabah," the government said on its Twitter account on Sunday.

The son of the countrys 85-year-old ruler, this will be his fourth government since August.

The key portfolios of foreign affairs, held by Salem al-Sabah, and oil, run by Bader al-Mulla, remain unchanged in the 14-member cabinet. Women hold the posts of public works and social affairs.

Despite having large oil reserves, Kuwaits hospitals and educational services are in decay because of the ceaseless political squabbling.

The country suffers from constant stand-offs between elected lawmakers and cabinets installed by the ruling Al-Sabah family, which maintains a strong grip over political life.

Prime Minister Ahmad Nawaf al-Ahmad Al-Sabah tendered the previous governments resignation in January as lawmakers planned to question ministers over management of state finances and a debt relief bill that would grant a debt amnesty for Kuwaiti citizens.

In March, however, the constitutional court nullified the results of legislative elections held last year  in which the opposition won the most seats  and ruled to reinstate the previous parliament instead.

Kuwaits current emir, 85-year-old Nawaf al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, has stepped back from political life in favour of Crown Prince Meshal al-Ahmad al-Jaber Al-Sabah, 82.

The lack of stability in the emirate has scared off investors and dashed hopes of reform in a wealthy country struggling to diversify in similar ways to Gulf powerhouse Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.

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More than 30 children were reunited with their families in Ukraine this week after a long operation to bring them back from Russia, where they had been taken from occupied areas during the war, a humanitarian group said on Saturday.

Kyiv estimates nearly 19,500 children have been taken to Russia since Moscow invaded in February last year, in what it condemns as illegal deportations.

Moscow, which controls chunks of Ukraines east and south, denies abducting children and says they have been transported away for their own safety.

Now the fifth rescue mission is nearing its completion. It was special regarding the number of children we managed to return and also because of its complexity, said Mykola Kuleba, the founder of the Save Ukraine humanitarian organisation.

The group helped the Ukrainian relatives of children who had been taken to Russia with the logistics, transport and planning needed to embark on the long journey to fetch their children and bring them back.

A grandmother who had been due to reunite with two of her grandchildren died suddenly on the trip and the children had to remain in Russia, Kuleba, Ukraines former commissioner for childrens rights, told a media briefing in Kyiv.

Kuleba said that all the children who have been brought back to Ukraine by Save Ukraine had said that no one in Russia was trying to find their parents in Ukraine.

There were kids who changed their locations five times in five months, some children say that they were living with rats and cockroaches, he said. The children were taken to what Russians called stays in summer camps from occupied parts of Ukraines Kharkiv and Kherson regions, Kuleba said.

The Russian Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Three children  two boys and a girl  were present at the media briefing in Kyiv. Save Ukraine said they were returned to Ukraine on a previous rescue mission last month that returned 18 children in total.

The three children said they had been separated from their parents who were pressured by Russian authorities to send their children to Russian summer camps for what was billed as two weeks, from occupied parts of Kherson and Kharkiv regions.

The children at the briefing said they were forced to remain at the summer camps for four to six months and were moved from one place to another during their stay.

We were treated like animals. We were closed in a separate building, said Vitaly, a child from Kherson region whose age was not clear. He added that they were told their parents no longer wanted them.

The International Criminal Court last month issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russias childrens rights commissioner, Maria Lvova-Belova, accusing them of abducting children from Ukraine.

Moscow has not concealed a programme under which it has brought thousands of Ukrainian children to Russia from occupied areas, but presents this it as a humanitarian campaign to protect orphans and children abandoned in the conflict zone.

Russia has rejected the allegations of the ICC, saying it does not recognise the jurisdiction of the ICC and calling the warrant against Putin and Lvova-Belova null and void.

Lvova-Belova told a news conference earlier this week that her commission acted on humanitarian grounds to protect the interests of children in an area where military action was taking place and had not moved anyone against their will or that of their parents or legal guardians, whose consent was always sought unless they were missing.

Kateryna Rashevska, a lawyer from a Ukrainian NGO called Regional Centre for Human Rights, told the briefing they were collecting evidence to build a case that Russian officials deliberately prevented return of the Ukrainian children back to their country.

In every story there is a whole range of international violations and it cannot go unpunished, she said.

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Nearly 2,500 Sikh pilgrims arrived here from India on Sunday via Wagah border to attend the Vaisakhi Mela festivities in Pakistan.

In the celebrations of the Sikh festival - Vaisakhi commonly known Baisakhi - 2,470 pilgrims arrived here from India under the leadership of Parbandhak Committee Shiromani Gurdwaras Sardar Amarjit Singh," Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) spokesperson Amir Hashmi told PTI.

The ETPB looks after holy places of minorities in Pakistan.

ETPB chairman Habibur Rehman Gilani and Pakistan Sikh Gurudwara Bandhak Committee Pradhan Sardar Ameer Singh received the pilgrims at the Wagah border.

Hashmi said the Sikh pilgrims were sent to Nankana Sahib under strict security where they would perform religious rituals at the birthplace of Baba Guru Nanak.

The main event will be held on April 14 on Gurdwara Panja Sahib Hasan Abdal in which various political, religious and Sikh leaders will participate," he said.

He said the pilgrims will also visit Farooqabad, Kartarpur, Rohri Sahib, Aminabad before their departure for India on April 18.

Gilani said that all the arrangements for the Sikh yatrees have been made in the best possible way and they will be provided with all other administrative arrangements along with security, medical and travel arrangements.

SGPC leader Amarjit Singh Bhalipur said that Sikh pilgrims expressed his happiness.

He also stressed for ease in visa for pilgrims of both sides.

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An emergency meeting of the federal Cabinet on Sunday decided to take up in Parliament the matter of providing funds to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for holding the polls in politically crucial Punjab province on May 14 as directed by the Supreme Court, according to a media report.

The decision was taken after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired the cabinet meeting on the weekly holiday (Sunday) to deal with the current political and constitutional crises in the country, the Express Tribune newspaper reported.

A three-member bench of the apex court led by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial on Tuesday fixed May 14 as the new date for elections to the Punjab Assembly, as it quashed the Election Commission of Pakistans (ECP) decision to extend the polls date from April 10 to October 8.

Despite the apex courts order, the federal cabinet opted for debating the matter in Parliament before approving and issuing funds for the provincial elections, the paper said, citing its sources.

The meeting also held legal consultations and discussed the coalition governments strategy in view of the apex courts verdict ordering elections in Punjab on May 14.

The cabinet also deliberated on tabling the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Bill, 2023  which aims to curtail the powers of the Chief Justice of Pakistan to take suo motu notice and constitute benches on his own  in the joint session of Parliament for approval as President Dr Arif Alvi has returned it for reconsideration without signing it, the paper said.

The prime minister has summoned another federal cabinet meeting on Monday at the Parliament House in Islamabad to discuss the issue, it added.

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has separated itself from the Sharifs demand that Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial should step down. But, according to sources, the party may review its stance at the last minute on whether to support its senior coalition partners decision to reject the apex courts order on Punjab polls.

Earlier, a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) insider told Dawn newspaper that the release of funds for Punjab elections, President Dr Arif Alvis decision to return the Supreme Court Bill, and Justice Athar Minallahs judicial note in the case of the election  which PML-N sees grossly in favour of its stance  would come under discussion during the meeting.

He said the Sharifs were in a complete mood to defy the CJP-led three-member benchs decision to hold elections in the province on May 14 and there was no secret in it.

Be it Nawaz Sharif, Shehbaz Sharif and Maryam Nawazall in one voice have rejected the three-bench verdict and the parliament is also standing behind the PML-Ns stance, he said and added that the party was also unanimous on this point.

Federal Finance Minister Ishaq Dar earlier also did not give any hint that the government would be releasing funds to the ECP for the Punjab polls.

The Supreme Courts order for the federal government is to give Rs 21 billion for elections in Punjab by April 10. Of course, the finance ministry and the cabinet have an important responsibility in this, and I am a part of it, he said but did not indicate the amount his ministry would release by April 10.

The Dawn report showed that Maryam Nawaz declared that the party was ready for disqualification.

The SC had disqualified Nawaz Sharif and if it decides to issue a contempt notice to Prime Minister Shehbaz we dont care as we have rejected the three-member bench decision on Punjab polls which in fact was 4/3, she had said.

The rift between the government and the top judiciary is proof that Pakistans political and economic woes are not going to end any sooner and instability will continue to haunt the country.

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Pakistan Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Saturday said he had cancelled his trip to Washington for the spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank on the orders of the prime minister due to the political situation in the country.

However, Dar said he would attend important attend bilateral and multilateral meetings virtually and a Pakistani delegation would be present in Washington.

Pakistan is in danger of defaulting on its debt, with an International Monetary Fund bailout programme stalled since November, while a bruising political battle is raging between the government and former prime minister Imran Khan.

Dar said that the crisis had been compounded by a recent Supreme Court order striking down plans to delay elections to two provincial assemblies scheduled for next month. The order has created a standoff between the government and the court.

We are stuck in a strange mess as a country so under these circumstances, on the orders of the prime minister, I have dropped plans to be there [in Washington] physically, Dar said in a televised address.

The minister rejected reports of the cancelled trip being linked to a holdup in Pakistans IMF bailout programme.

He added that a constitutional crisis was created by the Supreme Court, which has demanded that the government provide 21 billion Pakistani rupees ($74 million) to the election authorities by Monday to conduct the polls.

IMF BAILOUT

Dar said that Pakistan, on its part, had completed all requirements of the IMFs programme review for the release of over $1.1 billion in critical funding for the cash-strapped country.

He said all that remained was a confirmation by one country that it would provide Pakistan $1 billion to shore up its external account requirements. Another country had already confirmed it would provide $2 billion, he added.

While Dar did not name the two countries, Pakistans junior finance minister on Thursday said Saudi Arabia had conveyed to the IMF its commitment to provide financing to Pakistan.

Local media has widely reported that $2 billion have been committed by Saudi Arabia, while a confirmation of $1 billion was awaited by the United Arab Emirates.

The minister said once the $1 billion was confirmed, a staff level agreement would be reached. He denied that there were any other pending issues.

Pakistan is in dire need of funds with its foreign exchange reserves hovering around $4.2 billion which provides barely one month of import cover.

($1 = 283.5000 Pakistani rupees)

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An emergency meeting of the federal cabinet has been called on Sunday on whether funds should be released to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for holding the provincial elections in Punjab on May 14 or should the orders of the Supreme Court be challenged.

The emergency meeting would be held in Lahore instead of Islamabad with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in the chair. Most cabinet members would participate in the deliberations through a video link.

This is an important meeting on the current issues. However, its agenda has not been circulated as yet, but sources say significant decisions might be taken in the huddle.

According to a source, the release of funds for the Punjab elections, President Arif Alvis decision to return the Supreme Court Bill, and Justice Athar Minallahs judicial note in the elections case, which the cabinet sees grossly in favour of its stance, would come under the discussion during the meeting.

Last week, a meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad with the leaders of all coalition parties where it was decided ratify federal cabinets rejection of the Supreme Courts verdict by Parliament.

News18 reported that during the meeting, the PDM leaders also exchanged views on different proposals to avert the Punjab polls on May 14. Proposals include economic emergency, extension in national assembly tenure, judicial references, that is, fight between Parliament and judiciary, and if all stakeholders agree to hold all elections on one time in the country.

PDM leaders and PM Sharif also gave important task to the legal team regarding the emergency and extension in the national assembly tenure by six months on the grounds of economic crisis.

The meeting also expressed concern over the delay in signing the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Bill 2023, which aims to curtail the suo motu powers of office of the chief justice of Pakistan (CJP).

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A Saudi delegation arrived in Tehran Saturday to discuss reopening the kingdoms diplomatic missions in the Islamic republic, two days after a historic meeting in Beijing between their foreign ministers.

The visit follows the unprecedented meeting between their heads of diplomacy in China on Thursday after they agreed last month to restore diplomatic ties.

The Saudi diplomatic delegation arrived in Iran to discuss the reopening of its missions after a seven-year absence, Riyadhs foreign ministry said.

Cited by the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the ministry called the visit part of implementing the tripartite agreement" reached on March 10 between the two regional powers, brokered by China, to restore ties ruptured in 2016.

The two longtime Middle East rivals have now pledged to work together.

When Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian met in Beijing on Thursday they vowed to bring security and stability to the turbulent Gulf region.

The two sides emphasised the importance of following up on the implementation of the Beijing Agreement and its activation in a way that expands mutual trust and the fields of cooperation and helps create security, stability and prosperity in the region," a joint statement said.

On Saturday, a Saudi technical delegation" met Irans chief of protocol, Mehdi Honardoust, at the foreign ministry in Tehran, SPA said.

Turbulent region

The two countries severed ties after protesters in the Islamic republic attacked Saudi diplomatic missions following Riyadhs execution of a prominent Shiite cleric.

The shock rapprochement between mainly Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia, the worlds biggest oil exporter, and Shiite-majority Iran, strongly at odds with Western governments over its nuclear activities, has the potential to reshape relations across a region characterised by turbulence for decades.

Under last months agreement, the two countries are to reopen their embassies and missions within two months and implement security and economic cooperation deals signed more than 20 years ago.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has also been invited by Saudi King Salman to Riyadh, a trip planned to take place after the holy fasting month of Ramadan which ends later in April.

Rabha Saif Allam, specialist in Middle Eastern affairs at the Cairo Center for Strategic Studies, noted an acceleration" in the normalisation of ties.

She said this means an intensification of meetings at the economic and security levels", and believes normalisation will be sealed by Raisis planned visit to Riyadh at the end of April.

The United States has for decades been the key diplomatic power in the Middle East and has an alliance, albeit a frequently strained one, with Saudi Arabia.

Washington has cautiously welcomed the rapprochement between the Saudis and US adversary Iran despite the role of China, which it sees as its biggest global challenger.

Iran and Saudi Arabia vie for influence in Syria, Lebanon and Iraq.

They also support rival sides in several conflict zones across the region, including in Yemen, where Huthi rebels are backed by Tehran and Riyadh leads a military coalition supporting the government.

In a separate development on Saturday, Omani mediators arrived in the Yemeni capital Sanaa to discuss a new truce between the Iran-backed Huthi rebels and Saudi Arabia, an airport source said.

Diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict have multiplied since the Chinese-brokered Saudi-Iran deal to restore relations.

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Thousands of opposition supporters rallied Sunday in the Georgian capital Tbilisi as the Black Sea nations government faces mounting accusations of backsliding on democracy.

Demonstrators gathered outside the Georgian parliament for a rally organised by the countrys main opposition force, the United National Movement (UNM), founded by jailed ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili.

Protesters waved Georgian, Ukrainian and European Union flags and held a huge banner that read For European future."

The crowd chanted Long live Misha!", referring by his diminutive to Saakashvili, who is serving a six-year jail term for abuse of power  a conviction that international rights groups have condemned as politically motivated.

Doctors have said the pro-Western reformer is at risk of death from a litany of serious conditions which he developed in custody.

The ruling Georgian Dream partys government faces accusations of jailing opponents, silencing independent media, covertly collaborating with the Kremlin and leading the country astray from its EU membership path.

Addressing the rally, UNM chairman Levan Khabeishvili listed protesters demands that included the liberation of political prisoners and implementing reforms" demanded by the EU as a condition for granting Tbilisi a formal candidate status.

- Peaceful but uncompromised -

(The) Georgian government is being controlled from Moscow and our obligation is to save our homeland from Russian stooges," former Georgian president Giorgi Margvelashvili told the crowd.

We are freedom-loving people, part of the European family, we reject Russian slavery."

One of the demonstrators, 27-year-old painter Luka Kavsadze, told AFP: Our struggle will be peaceful but uncompromised and will lead us to where we belong  the European Union."

Last month, tens of thousands took to the streets in Tbilisi after parliament gave initial backing to a draft law on foreign agents", similar to the legislation used in Russia to suppress dissent.

The bill, which has sparked strong criticism from the European Union and the United States, was dropped under pressure from street protests that saw police use tear gas and water cannon to disperse crowds.

The ruling party has insisted it remains committed to Georgias EU and NATO membership bids, enshrined in the constitution, and supported  according to opinion polls  by 80 percent of the population.

But party leaders have stepped up anti-Western rhetoric after Washington last week banned visas for four powerful judges in Georgia over alleged corruption.

The move marked the latest toughening of Washingtons approach towards an ally after concerns of a shift in Tbilisi toward Russia.

Georgia applied for EU membership together with Ukraine and Moldova days after Russia invaded its pro-Western neighbour in February 2022.

Last June, EU leaders granted formal candidate status to Kyiv and Chisinau but said Tbilisi must implement reforms first.

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Pope Francis delivers the Easter Urbi et Orbi blessing from the loggia of St. Peter's basilica overlooking St. Peter's square on April 9, 2023 in The Vatican.

In an Easter message highlighting hope, Pope Francis on Sunday invoked prayers for both the Ukrainian and Russian people, praised nations which welcome refugees, and called on Israelis and Palestinians wracked by the latest surge in deadly violence to forge a climate of trust.

Francis, along with dozens of prelates and tens of thousands of faithful, marked Christianitys most joyful day with Mass in a flower-adorned St. Peters Square. Easter proclaims the Christian belief that Jesus rose from the dead after crucifixion.

The 86-year-old pontiff topped the celebration with a traditional speech about troubled places in the world. Encouraging trust among individuals, peoples and nations, Francis said the joyful expression of Easter illumines the darkness and gloom in which, all too often, our world finds itself enveloped.

The popes Easter message is known by its Latin name, Urbi et Orbi, which means to the city and the world.

Since Russia invaded neighboring Ukraine in February 2022, Francis has repeatedly called for the fighting to end and sought prayers for the martyred Ukrainian people.

Ukrainian diplomats have complained that he hasnt come down hard enough in his statements on Russia and particularly Russian President Vladimir Putin as the Vatican tries to avoid alienating Russia.

Help the beloved Ukrainian people on their journey towards peace, and shed the light of Easter upon the people of Russia, Francis implored God in his Easter speech, which he delivered while sitting in a chair on the central balcony of St. Peters Basilica facing the square. Comfort the wounded and all those who have lost loved ones because of the war, and grant that prisoners may return safe and sound to their families.

He urged the international community to work to end the war in Ukraine and all conflict and bloodshed in the world, beginning with Syria, which still awaits peace. Francis also prayed for those who lost loved ones in an earthquake that struck Syria and Turkey two months ago, claiming tens of thousands of lives.

With a renewal in deadly violence affecting both Israelis and Palestinians in recent days, Francis called for a resumption of dialogue, in a climate of trust and reciprocal respect, between Israelis and Palestinians, so that peace may reign in the Holy City and in the entire region, a reference to Jerusalem.

But Francis also noted progress on some fronts.

Let us rejoice at the concrete signs of hope that reach us from so many countries, beginning with those that offers assistance and welcome to all fleeing war and poverty, he said, without naming any particular nations.

How to care for asylum-seekers, migrants and refugees, and whether to allow them entrance, is a raging political and social debate in much of Europe, as well in the United States and elsewhere.

The bloody conflicts cited by Francis contrasted with a riot of bright colors lent by orange-red tulips, yellow sprays of forsythia and daffodils, hyacinths and other colorful seasonal flowers that decorated St. Peters Square. The blooms were trucked in trucks from the Netherlands and set up in planters to decorate the Vatican square.

Some 45,000 people had gathered by the start of the mid-morning Mass, according to Vatican security services, but the crowd swelled to some 100,00 ahead of the noon appointment for the pontiffs speech from the central balcony of St. Peters Basilica overlooking the square.

A canopy on the edge of steps on the square sheltered the pontiff, who was back in the public eye 12 hours after a 2.25-hour long Easter vigil ceremony in St. Peters Basilica the night before.

Still recovering from bronchitis, Francis, 86, skipped the traditional Good Friday procession at Romes Colosseum due to unseasonably cold nighttime temperatures.

Francis has generally rebounded following a three-day stay last week at a Rome hospital where he was administered antibiotics intravenously for bronchitis. He was discharged on April 1.

But near the end of the more than two-hour-long Easter Sunday appearance, Francis seemed to start running out of steam. His voice grew hoarse and he interrupted his speech at one point to cough.

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Thousands of worshippers held celebrations in a tense Jerusalem Sunday, as Christian Easter coincided with Jewish Passover and the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, against a backdrop of surging Israeli-Palestinian violence.

Leading Easter Mass at the Vatican, Pope Francis expressed deep concern" Sunday over the flare-up in tensions sparked by an Israeli police raid last week on Al-Aqsa mosque, Islams third holiest site.

Israel has since struck targets in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria in response to rocket fire mostly blamed on Palestinian militants. Separate attacks in the occupied West Bank and Israeli city of Tel Aviv have killed three people, including an Italian tourist.

On Sunday pilgrims crowded into the narrow alleyways of Jerusalems Old City, flanked by armed Israeli security forces deployed following the deadly attacks.

Celebrants packed the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, built on the site where Christians believe Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected.

(I had) some doubt, taking into consideration recent events, but still I decided to go," said 50-year-old Paulius Majauskas, visiting from Lithuania.

Nearby, thousands of Jewish pilgrims gathered for the traditional priestly blessing of Passover.

Judy Green, 60, said the blessing was beautiful, very uplifting" at the Western Wall, the holiest place where Jews can pray.

I feel that God will protect us, were all praying together as one people," she said.

The Western Wall lies in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem and sits below the Temple Mount, the most sacred site to Jews, known to Muslims as Al-Haram al-Sharif.

The compound is home to Al-Aqsa mosque, the focal point for Ramadan celebrations.

An AFP journalist saw more than 500 religious Jews enter the site Sunday morning under police escort while Muslims prayed nearby, without any clashes.

This is our place

Israeli-Palestinian violence had already intensified since Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus new government took power in December, and the latest surge came after he late last month announced a pause" for dialogue on judicial reform legislation which split the nation and caused divisions in his government.

Muslims fear his hard-right government may change longstanding rules that allow Jews to visit but not pray at the Al-Aqsa compound, despite his repeated denials.

In recent years, the number of Jews visiting the esplanade has increased and ultranationalists sometimes pray there surreptitiously.

Israeli police stormed the mosques prayer hall in a violent pre-dawn raid Wednesday they said was aimed at dislodging law-breaking youths and masked agitators".

Mahmud Mansour, a Palestinian Muslim, criticised the police actions.

This is our place. We have to stay in the evening, in the night, and this is Ramadan  we have to pray," the 65-year-old told AFP near the mosque compound.

The raid followed reports that Jewish activists were intending to hold a traditional Passover sacrifice at the compound  a banned practice which a top Israeli rabbi has moved to prevent.

The day after the raid, more than 30 rockets were fired from Lebanon towards Israel, which the Israeli army blamed on Palestinian groups.

Israel then bombarded Gaza and southern Lebanon.

The Israeli army also said it launched strikes on targets in Syria Sunday morning, after rockets fired from there landed in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

Lebanese militant group Hezbollah on Sunday said its leader Hassan Nasrallah had met in Beirut with the chief of Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip.

The two discussed the intensification of resistance in the West Bank and Gaza" and events at Al-Aqsa mosque", according to the statement, which did not specify when they met.

- Funerals for victims -

Grief-stricken Israelis gathered Sunday for the funeral of two sisters, aged 16 and 20, who were killed Friday when their car came under fire in the West Bank, where they lived in a Jewish settlement.

The mother of the British-Israeli sisters was seriously wounded in the attack.

The West Bank, occupied by Israel since the 1967 Six-Day War, is home to hundreds of thousands of Jewish settlers who live in state-approved settlements considered illegal under international law.

Hours after Fridays shooting, an Italian tourist was killed and seven others wounded in a suspected car-ramming attack in Tel Aviv.

On Saturday, Israeli troops shot dead a 20-year-old Palestinian man in the West Bank.

The army said soldiers shot at suspects who threw an explosive device" towards them, while the Palestinian health ministry said the man suffered bullet wounds to the chest and abdomen.

Hundreds turned out to attend his funeral Sunday, including masked militants holding guns.

This year the conflict has claimed the lives of at least 93 Palestinians, 18 Israelis, one Ukrainian and one Italian, according to an AFP count based on Israeli and Palestinian official sources.

These figures include, on the Palestinian side, combatants and civilians, including minors, and on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, including minors, and three members of the Arab minority.

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Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday criticised Russias treatment of the Muslim-minority Tatar community in Kremlin-controlled Crimea and vowed to recapture the peninsula from Russia during a first official state iftar.

Russia wrested control of the Black Sea territory from Ukraine in 2014 and pushed through a referendum on the annexation that was condemned as fraudulent and illegitimate by Ukraine and its Western allies.

Russias attempt to enslave Ukraine  began exactly with the occupation of Crimea, exactly with repressions against Crimean, Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar freedom and of Crimean Muslims," he told Ukrainian Muslim leaders and ambassadors from Muslim countries.

The Tatar community, which accounted for 12-15 percent of the two million Crimea residents, largely boycotted the 2014 vote.

Moscow then banned the Mejlis  the traditional assembly of the Tatar Muslim minority in Crimea  declaring it an extremist organisation and has jailed members of the community since, citing security concerns.

There is no alternative for Ukraine, or for the world, other than the de-occupation of Crimea. We will return to Crimea," Zelensky said, before handing out awards to several Muslim Ukrainian servicemen.

Zelensky, speaking at a mosque outside the centre of the capital, announced that Ukraine was beginning a new tradition of hosting an official iftar, the meal breaking the daily fast during the holy month of Ramadan.

Ukraine is grateful to the Muslims of our country and to everyone in the Muslim community of the world who, like us, longs for peace and protection from evil," he added.

Several Muslim-majority countries, including Turkey and Saudi Arabia, have positioned themselves as mediators in the conflict in Ukraine, brokering agreements between Kyiv and Moscow on grain exports or prisoner exchanges.

Russia has a large Muslim minority from southern regions, including Chechnya and Dagestan, many of whom are fighting for Moscow in Ukraine.

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It took longer than it usually does, but the millennial generation appears to have reached a milestone when it comes to their living arrangements. A new report from RentCafe finds that most millennials52%now own a home instead of renting, reports USA Today. The total number of millennial homeownersthink ages 27 to 42rose by 7.1 million to 18.2 million between 2017 and 2022, according to the new stats, per Axios. The average age at which a millennial bought a home was 34, up from 32 for Gen Xers and 33 for baby boomers. As for where they are settling, Richmond, Virginia, appears to be particularly hot destination, thanks to its "funky, hipster reputation" and relatively low cost of living, per RentCafe. Here are the 10 metro areas that saw the biggest growth in millennial homeowners from 2017 to 2022:

Richmond, Va., up 234.0% Las Vegas, 157.7% Milwaukee, 157.4% Portland, Ore., 146% Atlanta, 128.7% San Antonio, 127.9% Jacksonville, Fla., 115.9% Orlando, 113.4% Austin, 112.0% Memphis, 109.5%

(Read more millennials stories.)
The leak of US classified documents concerning Ukraine's defense against the Russian invasion has done more than reveal information that could help opposing nations on the battlefield. The files also provide a detailed look at US intelligence operations, including whom the US is spying on and how, the Washington Post reports. That has American officials, as well as allies, racing to measure and contain the damage. In the meantime, the Pentagon has restricted access to intelligence. And the Justice Department is investigating how the information became public, per the Post.

After a batch of files showed up Friday on social media, Russian and Ukrainian officials were among those expressing skepticism about whether they were legitimate. Some, including John Sullivan, a deputy secretary of state, suggested the leak was part of a Russian disinformation campaign, per NBC News. But officials said they're treating the documents as genuine, after realizing Thursday they were available to read on a public server. "They look real," a US official told CNN. Beyond data about such war-related matters as analysis of Ukraine's fighting capacity, the posts uncover details about US spying practices.

The revelations include where the CIA has recruited agents to report the private talks of world leaders and other eavesdropping, and the technology the US uses to track Russian troop movements. The 50 pages seen by the Post detail intelligence operations by the CIA, National Security Agency, Defense Intelligence Agency, National Reconnaissance Office, and law enforcement agencies. There's information about Canadian and UK operations, too. "We need to manage this well both internally and externally," a Defense Department official said. "There are (a) lot of institutions and agencies involved." (Read more classified information stories.)
Ben Ferencz, the last living prosecutor from the Nuremberg trials, who tried Nazis for genocidal war crimes and was among the first outside witnesses to document the atrocities of Nazi labor and concentration camps, has died. He had just turned 103 in March, per the AP. Ferencz died Friday evening in Boynton Beach, Florida, according to St. John's University law professor John Barrett, who runs a blog about the Nuremberg trials. The death also was confirmed by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington. Today the world lost a leader in the quest for justice for victims of genocide and related crimes, the museum tweeted.

Born in Transylvania in 1920, Ferencz immigrated as a young boy with his parents to New York to escape rampant antisemitism. After graduating from Harvard Law School, Ferencz joined the US Army in time to take part in the Normandy invasion during World War II. Using his legal background, he became an investigator of Nazi war crimes against US soldiers as part of a new War Crimes Section of the Judge Advocates Office. When US intelligence reports described soldiers encountering large groups of starving people in Nazi camps watched over by SS guards, Ferencz followed up with visits, first at the Ohrdruf labor camp in Germany and then at the notorious Buchenwald concentration camp.

Because of his experiences as a war crimes investigator, he was recruited after the war to help prosecute Nazi war criminals at the Nuremberg trials, which had begun under the leadership of US Supreme Court Justice Robert Jackson. At the age of 27, with no previous trial experience, Ferencz became chief prosecutor for a 1947 case in which 22 former commanders were charged with murdering over 1 million Jews, Romani, and other enemies of the Third Reich in Eastern Europe. Rather than depending on witnesses, Ferencz mostly relied on official German documents to make his case. All the defendants were convicted, and more than a dozen were sentenced to death by hanging even though Ferencz hadn't asked for the death penalty.

At the beginning of April 1948, when the long legal judgment was read, I felt vindicated, he would later write. Our pleas to protect humanity by the rule of law had been upheld. With the war crimes trials winding down, Ferencz went to work for a consortium of Jewish charitable groups to help Holocaust survivors regain properties, homes, businesses, art works, Torah scrolls, and other Jewish religious items that had been confiscated from them by the Nazis. In later decades, Ferencz championed the creation of an international court which could prosecute any governments leaders for war crimes. Those dreams were realized in 2002 with establishment of the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

(Read more obituary stories.)
UPDATE

Apr 10, 2023 4:56 PM CDT

On the first business day after a Texas judge blocked Federal Drug Administration approval of an abortion pill, the Justice Department lodged an appeal. The filing in the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals asks that Judge Matthew Kascmaryk's ruling not take effect while the appeal is being decided, the Washington Post reports, which would keep mifepristone available in the interim. The appeal argues that the ruling deprives patients "of access to this safe and effective treatment, based on the court's own misguided assessment of the drug's safety." If the 5th Circuit does not agree to the hold, the government could go to the US Supreme Court.

Apr 9, 2023 3:50 PM CDT

"Everything is on the table as the Biden administration considers its response to a judge's decision to block federal approval of the abortion medication mifepristone, Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said Sunday. He didn't commit on whether one of those options is the one suggested by Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on the same talk show: Ignore the ruling and keep the drug available. "I do not believe that the courts have the authority over the FDA that they just asserted," she said in her appearance on CNN's State of the Union. Calling the ruling "a mockery of our democracy," Ocasio-Cortez said, "The executive branch has an enforcement discretion," per USA Today.

We want the courts to overturn this reckless decision," Becerra said, per CNN. "This is not America," he said in criticizing the ruling. Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon also has suggested the administration has the power to ignore the decision of a federal judge in Texas. "The FDA, doctors, and pharmacies can and must go about their jobs like nothing has changed and keep mifepristone accessible to women across America," he said Friday. "If they don't, the consequences of banning the most common method of abortion in every single state will be devastating."

Legal experts have said the FDA can't be ordered to enforce the ruling, given that such a decision is part of the agency's job description, not the courts'. A Johns Hopkins legal lecturer countered that FDA officials shouldn't "disregard a court order even if they believe it's wrong," saying that could set a problematic precedent for future presidents. Those suggesting ignoring the ruling generally are putting it in the context of an interim measure, until all rulings are in, possibly even the Supreme Court's. Women have access to mifepristone now, Becerra said, "and we intend to do everything to make sure it's available for them not just in a week but moving forward, period." (Read more mifepristone stories.)
In this handout photo released on April 9, 2023 by the Houthi groups media arm Ansar Allah, head of the Houthis supreme political council Mahdi al-Mashat, left, shakes hands with Saudi Arabias Ambassador to Yemen Mohammed bin Saeed Al-Jaber, in Sanaa, Yemen

Saudi officials were in Yemens capital Sunday for talks with the Iran-backed Houthi rebels, as part of international efforts to find a settlement to Yemens nine-year conflict, officials said.

Saudi Arabias delegation, chaired by the kingdoms ambassador to Yemen, Mohammed bin Saeed Al-Jaber, met with Mahdi al-Mashat, head of the Houthis supreme political council, which runs rebel-held areas in Yemen, according to the Houthi-run SABA news agency.

An Omani delegation, which arrived in Sanaa on Saturday, joined the talks, the agency reported. It said al-Mashat hailed Omans efforts to bridge the gap between different sides in the war to achieve peace in Yemen. SABA did not give further details.

Mohammed al-Bukaiti, a Houthi leader, said earlier on Twitter that Saudi and Omani officials would discuss ways to achieve a comprehensive and lasting peace in the region.

He said achieving an honorable peace between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia would be a triumph for both parties, and urged all sides to take steps to preserve a peaceful atmosphere and prepare to turn the page of the past.

There was no immediate comment from Saudi Arabia on the trip, the second of its kind in 2023, according to a Saudi official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasnt authorized to brief reporters.

In comments to The Associated Press, Hans Grundberg, the U.N. envoy for Yemen, described the ongoing efforts, including the Saudi and Omani talks in Sanaa, as the closest Yemen has been to real progress towards lasting peace since the war began.

This is a moment to be seized and built on and a real opportunity to start an inclusive political process under U.N. auspices to sustainably end the conflict, he said.

The talks in Sanaa are part of international efforts led by Oman to settle Yemens conflict, which began in 2014. Thats when the Houthis seized Sanaa and much of the countrys north, ousting the internationally recognized government that fled to the south and then into exile in Saudi Arabia.

The Houthi move prompted a Saudi-led coalition to intervene months later in a bid to restore the internationally recognized government to power. The conflict has in recent years turned into a regional proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Saudi Arabia and the Houthis reached a draft deal last month to revive a cease-fire that expired in October. The deal is meant to usher in a return to Yemeni political talks, according to Saudi and Yemeni officials.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss closed-door negotiations.

They said the Saudi-Houthi understandings include a six-month truce with a cessation of all military activities across Yemen. The Houthis have committed to coming to the table with other Yemeni parties to negotiate a political settlement to the conflict, they said. The United Nations is meant to facilitate the political negotiations, they added.

Both parties also agreed to further ease restrictions by the Saudi-led coalition on Sanaas airport and the Houthi-controlled Red Sea ports in Hodeida, the officials said. The Houthis would lift their yearslong blockade on Taiz, Yemens third largest city which is held by government forces, they said.

The phased roadmap also includes payment for all state employees  including the military  from oil and gas revenues. In return, the rebels agreed to allow exporting oil from government-held areas after a monthslong hiatus because of Houthi attacks on oil facilities, the officials said.

Yemens internationally recognized presidential council was briefed on the Saudi-Houthi understandings at a Thursday meeting in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, with Prince Khalid bin Salman, the Kingdoms defense minister, a Yemeni official said.

The Saudi-backed council, which was appointed a year ago, has given its initial approval to the draft deal, the official said.

Commenting on the Saudi-Houthi talks, Yemeni Foreign Minister Ahmed Awad Bin Mubarak said there were positive signals that a cease-fire deal would be announced, along with addressing other humanitarian and economic issues.

The (regional) circumstances are different, he told an Egyptian satellite channel Al-Qahera in an interview aired on Friday. It pushed towards achieving a solution.

Bin Mubarak, however, said there are many fundamental issues that Yemens warring sides need to address before reaching a settlement to the conflict.

The Oman-brokered talks have aimed at preventing both sides from resuming full-fledged fighting. The efforts gained momentum in recent weeks after Saudi Arabia reached an agreement with Iran to restore diplomatic ties after a seven-year rift. Iran, the main foreign backer of the Houthis, has said its deal with Saudi Arabia would help end Yemens conflict.

Ahmed Nagi, a Yemen expert at the International Crisis Group, a Brussels-based think-tank, said the Iran-Saudi Arabia rapprochement has given a boost to Saudi-Houthi negotiations, and that both sides are close to announcing the cease-fires renewal.

However, the second track of the Houthi-Saudi negotiations  a potential roadmap to reach a permanent settlement to the conflict  would be a major challenge when discussed by Yemeni parties, he said.

Each party has different interpretations and expectations, he said. Given the complexities of the situation, it is hard to see progress on this track very soon.

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Fairbanks, AK (99707)

Today

Except for a few afternoon clouds, mainly sunny. High 39F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Mainly cloudy. Low 16F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph.
Serena Fitka grew up in Saint Marys and is the executive director of the Yukon River Drainage Fisheries Association.

Jennifer Hooper lives in Bethel and is the natural resources manager for the Association of Village Council Presidents.

Mellisa Maktuayaq Johnson is a Tribal citizen of Nome Eskimo Community and works with the AYK Tribal Consortium.

Kevin Whitworth is a Tribal citizen of McGrath Native Village and is the executive director of the Kuskokwim River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission.

Dr. Michael Williams Sr. is a Tribal citizen and the chief of the Akiak Native Community.
The Russian bombing campaign to destroy the Ukrainian energy grid has failed in its objective and the government of Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Friday signed an authorization to restart the export of electricity. Repair work on attacked power plants and substations, in addition to a shortfall in the supply of Moscows cruise missiles to continue pounding essential infrastructure, has restored normality to the streets of the country, where the noise of electric generators has largely fallen silent.

Power outages and the use of generators in commercial establishments have been progressively reducing since mid-February. Gone are the harsh winter months when daily blackouts and a lack of heating and hot water due to supply interruptions affected large areas of the country as Russia launched a sustained attempt to knock out power stations across Ukraine. The Ukrainian Ministry of Energy confirmed on Friday that service has now been completely restored. Kyivs aim now is to once again tap into the economic resources provided by electricity exports to the European Union and Moldova.

The Ukrainian energy system has been operational without restrictions for consumers for almost two months now, even with power reserves, Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko said in a statement. We have achieved this through the titanic efforts of our engineers and with the help of our international partners. EU member states provided equipment and funding to help with the reconstruction of destroyed power stations.

Russia initiated a periodic bombing campaign against the Ukrainian energy network on October 10, which lasted until January. The European Commission branded the offensive as a war crime because it targeted civilian infrastructure that left millions of households without resources to combat freezing temperatures during the winter. Russian missiles and drones struck the power grid across the country during the autumn and into winter, particularly in October and November, when bombing in cities far from the front lines tripled compared to the summer. As a result, the European Union saw a further increase in refugees fleeing Ukraine, especially among vulnerable groups such as children and the elderly.

Energy exports are essential to Kyivs public coffers, which urgently need to increase their revenues. The countrys GDP fell by about 30% in 2022, after the Kremlin launched its full-scale invasion. The Zelenskiy administration recently announced that it will also tighten tax collection control after a period of laxity due to the effects of the war. The Pravda newspaper reported Saturday that the government is also planning a push to collect those taxes required as donations for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Firefighters work to extinguish a blaze at a fuel storage site after Russian shelling in Makiivka, November 21, 2022. ALEXANDER ERMOCHENKO (REUTERS)

Russias lack of missiles

Another factor behind Ukraines successful restoration of its energy system is that Moscow has depleted most of its cruise missile arsenal and this has reduced the ability of Russian forces to attack infrastructure. Ukraines air defense capabilities have also been beefed up with the contribution of advanced anti-aircraft batteries and missile defense systems from its NATO allies.

European military experts consulted by EL PAIS earlier this year, including French general Jerome Pellistrandi, estimated the number of precision and long-range missiles remaining in Moscows arsenal at 30% of pre-war levels. Ukraines intelligence services claimed in March that the number of such missiles remaining at the Kremlins disposal was already close to zero. The truth is that the length of time between bombardments has increased and fewer missiles are being used in attacks because they have a shortage and are not able to produce the numbers required, says Hanna Shelest, director of the defense studies program at the Ukrainian Prism analysis center.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced in March that he had ordered the Russian arms conglomerate KTRV to double its production of long-range guided missiles, especially the Kh-101 cruise missile, which is launched from bombers. However, achieving this goal is a complex mission due to international sanctions preventing Russian imports of sensitive material, which has diminished Moscows capacity to produce weapons.

In the absence of sufficient cruise missiles to sustain attacks, Russian forces are increasingly reliant on Iranian-made Shahed drone bombs, which are far easier for air defense systems to shoot down. Yuri Ihnat, a spokesman for the Ukrainian Air Force, told EL PAIS in February that Russias strategy has now shifted to using Shahed drones not to hit targets, but to identify the position of anti-aircraft defenses.

Despite the recovery of its power grid Ukraine has lost important assets, especially the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station in southeastern Ukraine, the largest in Europe and which produced 50% of the countrys nuclear electricity before the war. The plant was occupied by Russian forces in the early stages of the invasion. The Times reported Saturday that an aborted attempt was launched by Ukrainian forces last October to liberate Enerhodar, the municipality where the power station is located. According to The Times, the operation involved 600 soldiers attempting to land on the Russian-held eastern bank of the Dnipro River in 30 speedboats.

Another power plant and a key dam for Ukrainian energy production are located in Nova Kakhovka, also on the eastern bank of the Dnipro. These infrastructures are also occupied by Russian forces and in recent months defensive positions around them have been reinforced to repel a potential Ukrainian counteroffensive.

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Menopausal hormone therapy has been used, abused and avoided for years. These treatments replace the hormones that the uterus stops making once a womans periods end. Last century, hormonal therapy was used as a sort of elixir for eternal youth and femininity; it was presented as the perfect cocktail for relieving postmenopausal hot flashes and preventing chronic diseases. But these treatments fell out of favor when a 2002 study associated their use with increased risks of developing cancer and other illnesses. Since then, the medical community has recalibrated the risks, benefits and recommendations. But even today, the concerns that emerged with the 2002 study persist among doctors and patients. However, scientific researchers have settled the debate: hormone therapy is not recommended for preventing chronic diseases, but its use is encouraged as an effective treatment for severe symptoms of menopause, such as hot flashes.

Each woman is different, and no two menopauses are the same. Menstruation usually ends between the ages of 45 and 55, and the climacteric transition between childbearing age and the end of menstrual cycles varies a great deal. The symptoms (if there are any) and their intensity depend on each case. 80% of women experience a symptom associated with menopause, albeit to varying degrees. In fact, we do not know the precise prevalence of moderate to severe vasomotor problems (e.g., hot flashes, vaginal dryness, night sweats, etc.); one study indicated that in Europe it was 40%; in the United States, 34%; and in Japan, 16%.

The experts consulted by EL PAIS agree that, when severe, these symptoms greatly reduce the quality of life. Hormone therapy with estrogens and progesterone continues to be the most effective treatment for alleviating them, said Maria Jesus Cancelo, the vice president of the Spanish Society of Gynecology (SEGO). There has been a lot of research and different ways of understanding hormone therapy. Today, it is a treatment for relieving symptoms. [In the past,] it was also used to prevent chronic diseases; before, [hormone therapy] was thought to be a treatment for eternal youth, she summarized.

In the 1960s, the notion of feminine forever saturated common discourse around menopause; it was the motto associated with the change and even a book title. At the time, this transition was seen as an ideological scourge and understood as a disease. The onset of menopause, during which menstruation ends and ovarian activity ceases, involves a drop in the production of female hormones, such as estrogens and progesterone, which influence the regulation of many organic processes. Thus, hormone replacement therapy emerged as a liberating treatment for preserving femininity, alleviating the symptoms of menopause and even preventing cardiovascular diseases and cancer.

The WHI studys impact

Hormonal therapy was widely used, especially in the United States, until 2002, when the publication of the Womens Health Initiative (WHI) study upended previous evidence. After studying over 16,600 healthy postmenopausal women between the ages of 50 and 79 who were given estrogen and progesterone hormone therapy or a placebo, the authors concluded that its risks outweighed its benefits as a means for preventing chronic disease. The researchers found that it increased the risk of heart disease, stroke and breast cancer. Although the study did not address the short-term risks of this treatment for alleviating the symptoms of menopause, the use of hormone therapy fell sharply, and both the public and doctors became suspicious of it.

Even today, that continues to be the case, said Silvia P. Gonzalez, the spokesperson for the Spanish Association for the Study of Menopause (AEEM): Since the WHI [study] came out, theres been a disruption. At the time, it was probably prescribed too much and badly, but now theres a lot of reluctance to use it because of a lack of knowledge. According to her, a lot has changed since the WHI study was published. The synthetic hormones that were used in the past were nothing like the ones we use [today], and it was not clear how much of a dose should be given. Now, we are looking for the minimum effective dose and the hormones we use most are estrogens and natural progesterone.

Cancelo agreed that the debate prompted by the WHI study provoked fears. The WHI studys findings about the negative effects were disseminated in an extremely partisan way, which, because of womens fears and physicians reluctance, almost caused [people] to stop using [hormonal therapy]. But the data has been reanalyzed, she argued. Indeed, subsequent studies have shown that the level of risk varies by age, risk factors and time since menopause. For example, the older the patient, the greater the risk. Although the WHI study included younger women, the average age of study participants was high (63 years old).

Gonzalez and Cancelo noted that even the 2002 articles authors themselves qualified their conclusions. In a 2016 article in the New England Journal of Medicine, two researchers involved in the WHI study warned that the 2002 findings are inappropriately used to make treatment decisions for women in their 40s and 50s who have distressing vasomotor symptoms.

Hormone therapy as a treatment but not as prevention

According to the experts consulted for this article, the confusion stems from misunderstanding important nuances. For starters, treatment is different from prevention. The WHI studied the use of hormone therapy as a primary means of preventing various diseases, not as a treatment for menopausal symptoms. As a preventive method, the research found that the overall risks of hormonal therapy outweighed the benefits (some protection against osteoporosis and colon cancer was observed).

However, experts note that there is still an international consensus that hormone therapy works and is recommended for a specific group of women as a treatment for hot flashes and vaginal dryness. Based on the available evidence, the scientific community has established that hormonal therapy is safest for use in healthy postmenopausal women who experience severe vasomotor symptoms and are 60 years old or younger or whose onset of menopause occurred within 10 years. The clearest contraindications for this group are a history of hormone-dependent cancer, thrombus [blood clots], stroke or heart attack.

The latest United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) review of hormone therapy echoes the WHIs conclusions, ruling out its use as prevention against chronic diseases. It also points out that hormone therapy increases the risk of stroke, blood clots, gallbladder disease, urinary incontinence, dementia, and breast cancer. However, the USPSTF qualifies the recommendation by noting that it does not apply to individuals considering hormone therapy for the management of postmenopausal syndromes.

An editorial in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) warns of the counterproductive message that the USPSTF recommendations could send if patients and physicians confuse disease prevention with the treatment of the symptoms of menopause. The authors warn that the USPSTF conclusions, if misunderstood, could serve as a justification for renouncing hormone therapy for symptomatic treatment. Moreover, they point out that while there are other effective alternatives for preventing chronic illness (such as bisphosphonates to protect against osteoporosis), for the vasomotor symptoms of menopause, no non-hormonal treatments have yet been identified that are as effective as hormone therapy.

In fact, the authors of the JAMA editorial advise that the proliferation of alternative drugs, such as serotonin reuptake inhibitors (antidepressants) or gabapentin (antiepileptic drugs), to treat hot flashes and avoid hormone therapy have their own side effects: For symptomatic patients in the early postmenopausal years, it is arguably problematic to avoid hormone therapy and favor potentially less effective treatments, when the long-term health implications of those treatments have not been evaluated. Finally, the editorial argues that patients should not be afraid to consider hormone therapy to treat distressing symptoms.

Medical reluctance

Nevertheless, even among the experts themselves, there are those who remain reluctant to use hormone therapy. Enriqueta Barranco, a gynecologist and researcher at the University of Granada, only prescribes hormone therapy if the woman asks for it, if she has symptoms (such as sweating, hot flashes and vaginal dryness) that could improve with the treatment and as long as there are no risk factors that contraindicate it. Barranco fears that these drugs are being abused: The number of women who have symptoms requiring treatment is not that high. And there are women who want to go on with their lives without [taking] drugs, and we insist on treating them. We cannot force [them], but there is a lot of coercion, she said.

For her part, Gonzalez advocates disclosing all [available] tools to the patient so that she can decide. The authors of the JAMA editorial remind us that, as with any drug, there are both benefits and risks: Physicians routinely prescribe many drugs for symptomatic relief that carry known risks (for example, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and muscle relaxants), and patients are willing to take these risks in exchange for effective relief of their symptoms.

Each therapy and each patient must be individualized, emphasized Gonzalez. She explained that there are various ways to administer hormone therapy (transdermal, oral, gel or spray) as well as different formulations and doses. For example, women with healthy uteruses cannot take estrogen therapy alone because it increases the risk of endometrial cancer; in that case, the treatment is combined with estrogen and progesterone to prevent the endometrium from uncontrollably proliferating until it develops a tumor. However, women who have had hysterectomies can take estrogen-only hormone therapy.

In the short term, particularly during the first year of use, hormone therapy increases the risk of thromboembolism; thats why it is one of the risks we look at most when prescribing [treatment] (in addition to cardiovascular and breast cancer risk). But the increase [in risk] is clearly less than that caused by contraceptives and pregnancy, said the AEEM spokeswoman. Cancelo added that the risk of cancer also exists, but it is very low. The gynecologist says that in the WHI [study], the relative risk value was 1.23, and the risk of cancer in women who get divorced is 2.26 [it is associated with increased stress, which alters the bodys immunity]. When we talk about risk, we have to put it in proper perspective.

Barranco, however, defended her conservative criteria: When a patient who has cardiovascular disease asks me for hormone therapy, I do not give it to her. I have had patients who, after prescribing it, have had a stroke and I dont want that to happen.

The researcher also warned of pressure from the pharmaceutical industry. But Miquel Angel Checa, a gynecologist at Spains Hospital del Mar, disputed that claim: The industry does not push us to prescribe estrogens because they are very cheap, and it doesnt pay off for them, so they dont promote them at all. In fact, [hormone therapy] use is very low, and it is usually at the patients request.

The Theramex company, which markets hormone therapy, sponsored the publication of an AEEM guide on the eligibility criteria for these treatments, although Gonzalez rejected the notion of the pharmaceutical companys influence: The project was done independently by the AEEM. Afterwards, once our systematic review was done in collaboration with the Cochrane network [an international nonprofit organization that produces credible health information without commercial sponsorship], Theramex bought the dissemination rights. But they did not sponsor the production of the criteria themselves, and, of course, [they] did not influence the conclusions.

The experts insisted that doctors should prescribe hormone therapy on a case-by-case basis and inform their patients about everything. Barranco also stressed the importance of continued research: We have to find out why we age and why some [people] suffer severe symptoms when their periods stop while others do not.

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Israel starts calling up reservists after deadly attacks in Jerusalem

Israel starts calling up reservists after deadly attacks in Jerusalem

TDT | Agencies

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Israel began calling up police and army reservists yesterday after separate attacks killed three people, including an Italian tourist, in Tel Aviv and the occupied West Bank.

Despite appeals for restraint, violence has surged since clashes inside Jerusalem's flashpoint Al-Aqsa mosque on Wednesday, with Israel bombarding both Gaza and Lebanon in response to rocket fire, reports AFP.

The Italian was killed and seven other tourists wounded when an Israeli Arab ploughed a car into pedestrians on the Tel Aviv seafront on Friday evening and flipped over before being shot dead, police and emergency services said.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni named the dead man as Alessandro Parini, 36. Police identified the driver as a 45-year-old from the Arab town of Kfar Kassem in central Israel.

Earlier Friday, two British-Israeli sisters aged 16 and 20 were killed, and their mother seriously wounded when their car was fired on in the Jordan Valley in the occupied West Bank.

Following the Tel Aviv attack, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed the police to "mobilise all reserve border police units" and directed the army to "mobilise additional forces", his office said.

Police said four reserve battalions of border police would be deployed in city centres from today, in addition to units already deployed in the Jerusalem region and in the central city of Lod, which has a mixed population of Jews and Arabs.

In the West Bank, Israeli troops came under fire in a drive-by shooting in the northern town of Yabad overnight, the army said on Saturday.

One hit was identified among the assailants, an army statement said.

The upsurge of violence drew condemnation from the European Union and the United States.

"The targeting of innocent civilians of any nationality is unconscionable," said State Department spokesman Vedant Patel.

"The European Union expresses its total condemnation of these acts of violence," said its foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.

A Qatari official said Doha was mediating between Israel and the Palestinians.
Sapporo is set to resume its bid for the 2030 Winter Olympic Games, while Osaka will stay the course in its pursuit of integrated resorts, after their incumbent leaders handily trounced opponents in local elections across Japan on Sunday.

At stake were the gubernatorial seats of nine prefectures, including Hokkaido and Osaka, and the mayoral seats of six government ordinance cities with more than 500,000 residents. Voters also chose assembly members in 41 prefectures and 17 big cities.

Sunday marked the first of two rounds of unified local elections  the next is on April 23  that have taken place every four years since 1947. Polls at various levels of municipal government such as prefecture governor, city mayor and local assemblies are held on the same day, and are seen as a midterm assessment of the incumbent government.

Also on April 23 are national by-elections to fill five vacant Parliament seats.

A resounding victory in both rounds, along with Mr Kishidas recent rebound in Cabinet approval ratings, is set to intensify talk of a snap election. ...continue reading
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DANBURY  By the age of 21, Danburys Ian Bick had defrauded investors of nearly $500,000, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Hed become accustomed to first-class travel, expensive nights out at the casinos and his personal watercraft.

In my mind  I was the next young millionaire entrepreneur, so I start[ed] spending it as if I already had it, Bick said in an interview.

Bick, who became the owner and operator of the Tuxedo Junction nightclub in Danbury at the age of 19, is sharing his story in a new HBO Max series entitled Generation Hustle, which begins airing April 22. The 10-episode series takes viewers behind a number of entrepreneurial ventures created by young minds that did not always end well.

Bicks story is examined in the series second episode, titled The Partys Over, chronicling how his ambition led him to build a concert promoting business on the backs of borrowed dollars, which were later used to splurge on a lavish lifestyle without much return.

The series director, George Plamondon, said they tried to bring a balanced approach with perspectives from investors who lost their money, the case prosecutor and Bicks thoughts because he did impact a lot of lives through his actions. Yet, the question of whether Bick was running a Ponzi scheme, intentionally misleading people and lying to people, is at the center of the episode.

And that is where I think the story gets fascinating, because in Ians mind, theres a gray area of Oh, I was just trying to buy myself enough time so that i could make back my investors money, but the means by which he did that are what got him in trouble because he wasnt honest with them, Plamondon said.

In the HBO trailer, audiences get a glimpse of Bicks perception. Propped center stage in an empty nightclub dimly lit by party lights, he said, I dont think I was a con artist, to the camera. After a quick shot of Bick pulling stacks of cash toward him, he gestured a slight nod and shoulder shrug stating, I guess its a Ponzi scheme depending on how you look at it.

Bick told Hearst Connecticut Media he didnt even know who Bernie Madoff was, much less what a doesnt consider himself a run of the mill con artist.

I wouldnt label myself as a con artist because I did not set out to defraud anyone, its unfortunate that it happened and we strayed away, but its a learning lesson, he said.

Instead, he chalked it up to being a cocky, overconfident young man who had a ton of unguided ambition, and counted his chickens before they hatched.

Angie Day, a showrunner for the series, said Ian was an attractive subject because of his natural hustler persona.

He had so much initiative and so much ability well beyond his years and all of those things should have led to a success story, but I think he took that a little too far, she said.

With Ian, you get the sense that if he had just made a few decisions differently, he could have been the kind of wunderkind success that people said he was, she added.

Now, seven years later, Bick has completed his prison sentence and is working to pay back the $480,635 he was ordered by the court to return and wrapping up a three-year stint of federal probation.

Back in 2019, when Bick was first released, he told Hearst Connecticut Media he was looking to get back into the nightclub business, however, he couldnt be further from there now.

My mentality [back in 2019] was still a lot different than what it is now. I hadnt fully matured or grown up or reached a level I needed to be at. I was still in that same mentality I was in before prison, granted I had learned some lessons, Bick said.

A federal judge was not entirely sold as Bick has filed for early termination of his probation. In a November order, Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer wrote the Court is not yet convinced that Mr. Bick has changed his inclinations to cheat other people and to skimp or cut corners on his obligations to pay restitution.

In the time hes been released from jail, Bick has moved out of a halfway house, secure his own apartment and car, and assembled a career at a local Whole Foods as an assistant manager of the prepared foods department.

He estimates hes working 80- to 90-hour weeks, slowly making restitution, and in his free time, helping his friends with marketing at the Brookfield Peachwave frozen yogurt shop.

In a court filing opposing his request for early termination of probation, federal prosecutors if he is working 80 hours in a week he should have had no difficulty making the original court-ordered $1,000 a month restitution, let alone the $200 per month that he failed to make. At the time, he was still living with his parents.

Bick said he always knew his story could be highlighted somewhere, such as a movie or television series. So, even after being prosecuted, Bick chased fame or a deal that he hoped would resolve his issues.

After hearing repeated nos, in 2019 he gave up his dream of being in the limelight. But, he received a Facebook message from an HBO intern in early 2020 asking him about his story.

Despite his skepticism, Bick spoke to the intern, which led to several other conversations and a text message months later where he was told HBO was moving forward with his story and hed be featured in an episode of Generation Hustle.

Plamondon said Bicks attitude made him easy to work with.

He was forthcoming, he wanted his story to be told. Part of that is he thinks its a good story that deserves to be told. Part of it is that, and this happened in the series too, is that subjects that do dramatic things like these, like attention and Ian, by his own admission, has always liked attention, he said.
BROOKFIELD  A group of residents want a book pulled from Brookfield High Schools library, claiming its contents are not age-inappropriate, but others in town are pushing back.

At the center of the controversy is This Book Is Gay by Juno Dawson, which made the American Library Associations list of top 10 most challenged books of 2021. According to the ALA, This Book Is Gay has been targeted for its sexual education and LGBTQIA+ content.

Though it wasnt on the agenda, the book became the dominating topic of Wednesdays Brookfield Board of Education meeting, during which more than a dozen residents voiced their thoughts on its availability at Brookfield High School. The book is available as an e-book through the high school library, according to the school's Follett School Solution's catalogue.

This is absolute garbage to have in the school, said Austin Monteiro, one of nine residents who spoke out against the book during the public comment portion of the April 5 meeting.

The Board of Education did not address the public comments made during the meeting, and Superintendent John Barile could not be reached for comment Friday afternoon.

While those calling for the removal of This Book Is Gay say their grievances have nothing to do with LGBTQ content, other residents disagree.

This is about targeting LGBTQ books whether or not parents realize it, and that is an issue, resident Laura Orban said.

When this board, administration and communitys time is spent on outrage that is manufactured and targeted, students pay the price  especially students whose needs dont fit neatly into a box, she said. Public schools need to service all students equally.

Monteiro and others say the book is inappropriate because it contains what they describe as pornographic material.

In what reality is it appropriate for a pornographic material to be OK and readily available for minors to access freely in our schools? Monteiro said. The push to hypersexualize children, as we are witnessing in real time throughout society, is a dangerous path to take and I see no moral standard or reason to move any further down this path than we already have.

'Not every book is for every reader'

Its not the first time residents have called for a book ban in Brookfields public schools.

In 2021, a parent raised concern about cartoonist Raina Telgemeiers Drama in the Huckleberry Hill Elementary School library. The graphic novel follows a middle schooler named Callie as she works on a school theater production and its the plot includes a same-sex on-stage kiss, and a character who is openly gay.

Ten years earlier, residents and a school board member asked for the removal of Toni Morrisons The Bluest Eye from a high school honors English class curriculum, claiming the Pulitzer Prize-winning book contained pornographic scenes and they were worried about the age-appropriateness of the content.

Describing its contents as vulgar, resident Elena Lopez said This Book Is Gay is perversion and needs to be banned in order to protect children.

Theres a line and it has been crossed, she said. This is grooming, and the parents and concerned citizens of this town have had enough.

Residents like Sara Coffey agreed, saying the book puts children in the way of potential harm by desensitizing them to graphic, sexual images and wording.

But resident Tara Peterson said its important for students to have access to books they can relate to.

Every student deserves access to books that reflect who they are, their experiences, their feelings, she said. Its empowering, inspiring and affirming to see characters going through what they themselves are going through.

Petersons message of not every book is for every reader was echoed by others like Aaron Zimmer, who said a book that doesnt have value to one person could have value to another and banning it could have damaging effects.

A bunch of parents stomping up and down online about LGBTQ pornography books sends a devastating message to the kid who might find that book helpful, he said.

Resident Sarah Amaral said she wants This Book Is Gay pulled from the high school library and a standard of content for books in the library to be defined and enforced.

What we are (talking) about is the content of these books and its appropriateness  it has nothing to do with LGBTQ, she said. To (claim that it is) is just a distraction and a way to politicize the issue and  demonize those who speak out against it.

CORRECTION: This story has been updated to reflect that the book is available as an e-book through the high school library.
DANBURY  The conversion of a downtown office building property into 200 apartments would not exacerbate the flooding along Main Street during rainstorms, the developers consultant assured a concerned city leader.

Just take the situation down in front of the old jail  we have had flooding there for decades with a clogged pipe. But once the pipe cleared out, it doesnt flood like it did every rain event, said Duane Perkins, a member of the City Council, during a public hearing about the apartment building project.

Once this building is constructed and built out, how can we assure long term that were going to get someone in there to clean this (water drainage system) on a regular basis? he asked.

Project engineer Ben Doto assured Perkins that keeping the underground drainage system in peak condition would be the developers responsibility, and said the city could require the developer to file a maintenance plan as a condition of approval.

All the drainage on this portion of Main Street drains south, Doto said during a public hearing before the citys wetlands commission last month. We are going maintain those drainage patterns.

Doto was referring to plans announced earlier this year by a downtown developer to convert the five-story office building at 30 Main St. into 48 apartments and to build a 160-unit apartment building in the parking lot, atop a three-level parking garage.

Known as The Legacy on Main, the project represents the latest large-scale downtown residential investment proposal in the central business district, which has lagged behind the citys booming west side and busy commercial strips on the east end.

Elsewhere on Main Street, a developer is putting the finishing touches on a 149-unit apartment complex at the site of the former News-Times headquarters, across from the 375-unit Kennedy Flats development.

Two other residential proposals call for 100 units of workforce housing as part of a larger redevelopment of the old Fairfield County Courthouse, and 79 affordable apartments atop a two-level garage behind the headquarters of the nonprofit Connecticut Institute for Communities.

At the same time, the city is cracking down on its perennial flooding problems. Earlier this week, the city hosted a workshop about finding solutions to Main Street flooding, for example. And last month, the city announced that the Army Corps of Engineers had agreed to a $1 million study of flooding in the upper reaches of the Still River corridor, from Rose Street to Lake Kenosia.

Developers of the apartment building project went before the citys Environmental Impact Commission on Feb. 22 because the property in question is just south of a wetlands. The federal Environmental Protection Agency likens wetlands to natural sponges that trap storm water and slow the speed of flood waters by distributing excess water evenly across the floodplain.

Our site sits below those wetlands, so  we are not going to impact those wetlands in any way, Doto told the commission. Its not possible. We are not going to impact them in a good way, or in a bad way  theres just really no change because they drain toward us.

Engineering plans call for a rebuilt underground drainage system, however.



There is an existing early 1980s retention system in the back  its a concrete tank basically like a swimming pool with a cover on it, Doto said. Were going to be putting in an underground piping system, and we are going to be increasing the size.

The drainage that runs through the site is going to continue to run through the site, Doto added. We are just going to be reducing our peak flows.

The wetlands commission closed the public hearing, setting up a vote as early as next week. A public hearing before the citys Planning Commission is scheduled for April 19, where questions about traffic and other neighborhood impacts by the proposed project will be discussed.
DARIEN  School administration is standing behind a new armed security officer despite a jury in a civil trial finding he used excessive force during an arrest more than two decades ago.

Last week, Darien Public Schools announced six new school security officers to be stationed in the districts elementary schools beginning April 17, including Danbury Detective Leonard LaBonia, who was hired to guard Tokeneke Elementary School.

Court records show LaBonia faced multiple accusations in a civil lawsuit and a jury ultimately ruled that he used of excessive force during an arrest in 1999  though a judge later rescinded the fine attached to that decision.

Darien Public Schools Superintendent Alan Addley called the recruitment and selection process comprehensive, involving Darien Chief of Police Donald Anderson, members of the school administration including the districts new Director of Security Leon Krolikowski and the schools principals.

Each finalist completed intensive testing, including a thorough public safety psychological evaluation, reference checks and a background investigation, Addley said in a statement. While Mr. Leonard LaBonia had a court complaint filed against him in 2005 for excessive force, the case was dismissed in June 2008. Hiring School Security Officers who will maintain both the safety of our youngest students and the nurturing climate of our elementary schools is our top priority.

LaBonia, on the advice of Krolikowski, declined to comment and referred questions to the superintendent.

In a 2000 civil lawsuit, LaBonia and another Danbury police officer were accused of false arrest, excessive force, assault and battery, intentional infliction of emotional damage, false imprisonment and abuse of process during an arrest in August 1999.

According to court documents, the plaintiff testified he was choked, kneed in the head and kicked repeatedly. LaBonia testified that the plaintiff was intoxicated and resisting arrest.

After a three-day trial in 2005, the other officer was cleared of all accusations. The jury, however, ruled that LaBonia used excessive force during the arrest. But, the jury also found that LaBonia had qualified immunity by proving he had a reasonable and objective belief that the force used was reasonable under the circumstances at the time of the arrest.

In 2008, the U.S. District Court of Connecticut granted LaBonia reconsideration of the ruling, striking the $12,078 in damages the original jury awarded the plaintiff  an award in conflict with LaBonias qualified immunity.

Despite Addley's statement that the case against LaBonia was dismissed in 2008, only the fine was dismissed; the judge upheld the verdict on the issues of excessive force and qualified immunity.

In granting the reconsideration, U.S. Circuit Judge Peter C. Dorsey said the jurys findings of excessive force and qualified immunity were not the issue.

The jurys finding that LaBonia used excessive force and was entitled to qualified immunity is not an internally inconsistent conclusion based on conflicting factual findings, and there is no reason to doubt the validity of the unanimous decision of those claims, Dorsey wrote in the ruling.

In early discussions about SSOs, several parents voiced concerns about officers training in regard to excessive force, particularly around students with disabilities.

During a Sept. 30 Board of Education meeting, Katrina OConnor, chair of the Special Education Committee for the Council of Darien School Parents questioned whether SSOs would be held to the same standard as other school district staff.

Excessive force standards might look different for an armed officer and might look different to a child with a disability, she said. Implementing this plan has very real implications for all children, especially children with disabilities.

LaBonia served with the Danbury Police Department for 27 years and was promoted to detective in 2011. He has received several awards including Police Officer of the Year from the Danbury Exchange Club in 2009 and the Meritorious Service Award from the Police Commissioners Association of Connecticut in 2019.

A spokesperson for the Danbury Police Department said there was never an internal investigation into the 1999 arrest.

On Wednesday afternoon, LaBonia met with the Tokeneke Parent Teacher Organization for a scheduled presentation. The use of force in his background did not come up.

Ahead of the meeting, Tokeneke parent Armel Jacobs said she was reserving judgement on LaBonia but was frustrated with what she described as the relatively fast process to approve "an enormous political question" like hiring SSOs compared with discussions over Open Choice or high school field lights which went on for more than a year.

"It was just decided, and that bothers me," she said. "In the conversation of whether they're needed or desired  that I would have liked to be involved in."

Editor's note: This story has been updated to clarify in the headline that LaBonia used excessive force.
Two dogs dressed up during the Easter parade in New York, on April 17, 2022.

Easter is just around the corner, and with it comes the food, Easter eggs, the family reunions and, of course, the Easter Parade. U.S. Many American families go to church on Easter Sunday, or they reunite to get brunch or have dinner while kids look for Easter Eggs around the house. Some go to the nearest Parade wearing their Sunday Best (or dress their pets with striking outfits). Others just like to seize the general spring vibe of the holiday traveling to another country, or they just meet with friends for an Easter brunch.

Even though it started as a Christian festivity, Easter is now celebrated in a non-religious way by many, not only in the U.S., but in the whole world.

What is Easter?

Easter, also called Pascha, is a Christian festival commemorating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. The New Testament describes its occurrence on the third day of his burial following his crucifixion. Its also the culmination of the Passion of Jesus Christ, which is preceded by Lent.

When is Easter?

Easter 2023 will fall on April 9 for Western Christians and on April 16 for Eastern Christians.

Easter and its related holidays are moveable feasts, which means they dont fall on a fixed date. The date of Easter is determined through a calculation known as computus in Latin. Determining this date requires a correlation between the lunar months and the solar year, while also accounting for the month, date, and weekday of the Julian or Gregorian calendar. It is a complex algorithm because there is a need to associate the date of Easter with the date of Passover, a Jewish feast which Christians believe is when Jesus was crucified.

Parade participants in costume are seen during the 2022 New York City Easter Bonnet Parade on April 17, 2022 in New York City. John Lamparski 2022 (Getty Images)

Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after March 21.

In 2024, Easter will fall on March 31 for Western Christians and May 5 for Eastern Christians. In 2025 the date will be April 20 for both Western and Eastern Christians.

Easter Eggs

Easter eggs, also known as Paschal eggs, are eggs that are decorated for the feast of Easter, being one of the main traditions of the celebration.

Its origins date back to the early Christians of Mesopotamia who adopted the custom of decorating eggs from Persian tradition. They stained them with red in memory of the blood of Jesus Christ, shed at his crucifixion. Some symbolically link the cracking open of Easter Eggs with the empty tomb of Jesus Christ.

Later, the Christian Church adopted the custom and the eggs were seen as a symbol of the resurrection of Jesus. The Roman Ritual, one of the liturgical books of the Catholic Church contained the Easter Blessings of Food, with one for eggs.

Easter Eggs also have their roots in the prohibition of that food during Lent. On Easter they are blessed and people can eat them again.

Easter eggs are currently used in different customs and traditions around the world.

Easter Parade

The Easter Parade, unlike other famous parades in the U.S., is an informal and unorganized event, with and without religious significance. People traditionally dress in new and fashionable clothing (with womens hats being one of the main focus), looking to impress others with their outfits. Now its even common to see pets in outlandish costumes.

The most popular Easter Parade is the one that takes place in New York Citys Fifth Avenue, but Easter parades are held in other cities as well.

A woman takes a selfie during the New York Easter Parade, on April 17, 2022 in New York City. John Lamparski 2022 (Getty Images)

The New York Parade started as a spontaneous event in the 1870s, growing more every year. In 1947, it attracted more than a million people. Since then its popularity has declined, but it still attracts hundreds of thousands of people.

Where is the NYC Easter Parade?

The NYC Easter Parade takes place on Fifth Avenue (around 49th to 57th streets) in Manhattan from 10 am to 4 pm on Easter Sunday. Anyone can participate.

TV & Live Streaming

The NYC Easter Parade doesnt have an official transmission on TV, but people can watch it through different news stations that cover it. Last year ABC7 NY News did a special online coverage on their website.

There are several YouTube Channels that stream the event live. One of them is The NYC Walking Show, where you can see more of the parade.

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The next time you browse for Levis jeans online, you may be greeted by a gallery of computer-generated bodies and faces, all superimposed with the latest fashion.

Levi Strauss has become one of the latest fashion companies to incorporate artificial intelligence, aiming to supplement their roster of human models with hyperrealistic, AI-generated images later this year.

Theyre not alone; with rapid advances in AI imaging technologies, entirely AI-based modelling agencies are popping up  and theyre only getting more realistic.

While AI is unlikely to replace well-known human models, experts say the tech is expected to hit many workers in the industry  especially entry- to mid-level models and support staff  extra hard. As some companies seek to use AI to emulate diversity, the question arises: Is any of this ethical?

Levis to feature AI in human clothing

Late last month, Levi Strauss announced theyd partnered with Amsterdam-based Lalaland.ai, a digital fashion studio that builds custom AI clothing models. Using generative AI, Lalaland specializes in creating hyperrealistic avatars of every body type, age, size and skin tone that can then be dressed in different outfits.

According to the studios website, it can take less than five minutes to generate an AI fashion model.

Lalaland was also a winner of the 2022 Tommy Hilfiger Fashion Frontier Challenge as an example of how technology can supplement  but never replace  needed efforts to foster more inclusive experiences for all, a spokesperson for Tommy Hilfigers parent company, PVH Corp., told the Star. Neither Tommy Hilfiger nor Calvin Klein are currently partnered with the company for their AI models.

In an email to the Star, a spokesperson for Levi Strauss said the company believes Lalalands technology could help them publish more images of our products on a range of body types more quickly.

In its original press release, Levi Strauss insinuated it would use the models customizability to inject more diversity into the fashion space. We are not scaling back our plans for live photo shoots, the use of live models, or our commitment to working with diverse models, the spokesperson added.

The announcement was immediately met with backlash online, with critics noting that AI images dont represent real people and that the diversity generator may take the jobs of actual marginalized models down the line.

In response, Levi Strauss updated their release to read: We do not see this pilot as a means to advance diversity or as a substitute for the real action that must be taken to deliver on our diversity, equity and inclusion goals and it should not have been portrayed as such.

Lalaland.ai has not responded to the Stars requests for comment before publication.

AI experts foresee significant job impacts

While certain models  especially ones with established brands  are likely safe from replacement, the same may not be true of many mid- to entry-level models, photographers, makeup artists and the myriad other support workers employed by the industry, said Richard Lachman, an associate professor at the RTA School of Media at Toronto Metropolitan University.

I think supermodels are going to be fine. The highest, most recognized characters that are appearing at the Met Gala  are not really under attack from this kind of thing, Lachman told the Star. Whats in danger is the entry-level job or the mid-level job that gives someone regular pay cheques. Those are (positions) that can be expensive for companies to have.

For reference, Lalaland charges 240 euros a month per user for up to 50 images, and 360 euros for unlimited renders. Other companies, like virtual photo studio Deep Agency, charge as little as $29 U.S. a month.

AI modelling also offers clients unparalleled customization, able to match any set of specs that somebody wants, Lachman said. The technologys speed, cost and ease of use can seem extremely attractive to executives compared to hiring an entire team, spending hours shooting, flying people out to the location and more.

Really, were starting to see this whole ecosystem endangered by these tools, Lachman said.   People are harder to work with than software.

Generally speaking, BIPOC and marginalized groups are more likely to be impacted by AI automation simply because more of them work entry-to-mid-level jobs, said Ishtiaque Ahmed, an assistant professor of computer science and a Schwartz Reisman Institute Fellow at the University of Toronto.

Historically, BIPOC people have been put in these kinds of jobs and thats why they are in a higher risk, Ahmed said.   If you compare an AI with a (disadvantaged person), youll see an AI is raised with a lot more privilege  its filled with a lot of education, it has a lot more power that a human being doesnt get.

So eventually, if you think about whether a company will get this robot or a human  theyll definitely get the robot.

Models and agencies speak out

Naomi Colford, a model signed with Toronto-based ICON Models Agency, told the Star shes not too worried about her job right now.

I can see why some people may think (AI) would be a beneficial and easy way to do (modelling), she said, but I think that it can never compare to having a true, authentic human as the model.

AI will likely be cheaper than hiring a real model, she continued. But when people, like myself, look at an advertisement, you feel more drawn to a real person  youre more likely to buy that item if a real person is modelling it, I believe, over an AI.

Colford conceded that AI images may eventually get good enough to become indistinguishable from photographs. At the moment, however, many AI models still look off, she said.

Even if the AI looked perfectly real, it can still never replicate a true human, Colford believes. Models, especially the high-profile ones, are more than their looks  people gravitate toward their personalities, their brands: I just think as a society, we love to have certain people to look up to. And a lot of professional models are seen as role models, which with an AI, you will never be able to have, she said.

At the same time, concern over AI is spreading throughout the industry, said Janelle Morgan, owner and director of Toronto-based Morgan Model Management.

We are concerned, Morgan told the Star. We are aware that this is happening, obviously, with brands now starting to reach out and booking AI models.

Right now, a lot of clients other than the really big ones are still used to just booking humans, she said, but the future is uncertain. It can be tempting, especially for designers with a shoestring budget, to go with a far cheaper AI image rather than book a shoot through an agency, she said.

Digital diversity: Who do AI models represent?

As a Black woman who witnessed first hand the upstream battle to bring more diversity into modelling, Morgan said the diverse AI sector is where I have a really big problem.

I think a lot of people dont really truly understand the history when it comes to Black models and how we were boxed out, she said. It hasnt even been ten years since Naomi Campbell, Bethann Hardison and others fought for minorities right to the runway, she continued.

According to the Fashion Spot, a magazine monitoring diversity in fashion, 48.6 per cent of models surveyed in the fall of 2022 were people of colour. Thats a stark increase from seven years ago, when BIPOC models made up just 17 per cent.

The doors have only been opened in the last like eight to nine years, Morgan said.   So, its very jarring to know that brands are now saying, Oh, were diverse, but theyre using AI and skipping over working with actual minorities.

Its unsettling, she said.

According to Lachman, AI being used to emulate diversity has troubling implications.

The motivation (for fashion brands) was to create a set of models that look like society  a range of skin tones, body types, a range of ethnic backgrounds, he said. But in a sense, its producing an idealized, essentialist illusion of reality.

AI models are not real people. They are not actually increasing representation, increasing the number of jobs, he said.

It doesnt really reflect society  it produces a sort of fantasyland version of reality. And the effects of that are (concerning) in a very image conscious world.

Update  April 10, 2023: This article was updated with comments from a spokesperson for PVH Corp., the parent company for Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger, to clarify its connection to Lalaland.ai.

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A giant sculpture of a bird that long ruled the roost in a small New Brunswick village has been restored to its rightful perch, but its not receiving a universally warm welcome home.

Residents of Dorchester, N.B., said theyre delighted to see the return of the statue locally dubbed Shep in honour of nearby Shepody Bay. But officials with the municipality to which the village now belongs said Dorchesters avian avatar was reinstalled without permission, throwing its ultimate fate into question.

For now, however, former deputy mayor Kara Becker said residents are glad to have a refurbished version of the semipalmated sandpiper statue watching over the local landscape once again after three years away.

She looks so beautiful, Becker said of Shep in a telephone interview. She does look different than the last version of it. Shes a bit more colourful, but she is just plump and ready for whats coming.

Standing 2.4 metres high and weighing 135 kilograms, the original incarnation of Shep kept a birds-eye view over Dorchester for nearly 20 years. But when the wooden statue began to rot three years ago, the village council commissioned New Brunswick artist Robin Hanson to craft a more durable version made of steel, epoxy and fibreglass.

Sheps journey home got bogged down in what Becker described as red tape when the village became part of a new municipality earlier this year. The region of Tantramar took shape on Jan. 1 when Dorchester merged with Sackville and Pointe de Bute, and efforts to pay Hanson fell down the new councils priority list.

Becker said media reports about efforts to reclaim Shep prompted several organizations to cover the costs with donations, noting one such group ultimately helped secure the sculptures return.

The community support was really incredible, she said.

Becker said Hanson offered to drive the statue up on Wednesday, but others were eager to have it back sooner. In the end, Shep rolled back into town in the back of a truck on Saturday.

But the new municipal authorities dont appear to share local enthusiasm for the new sculpture.

The municipality of Tantramar and its council did not commission this work to be done nor request or approve the installation of this statue on municipally owned land, reads an emailed statement from Mayor Andrew Black.

When asked if the statue will be removed, Black said the issue wont be discussed until municipal offices reopen on Tuesday.

Shep will have one ally on Tantramars Council  Debbie Wiggins-Colwell, who previously served as Dorchesters mayor.

She said the town worked hard to bring the statue back, adding its in keeping with the villages bird-friendly image and its location by the ocean.

About $10,000 was spent on it but the big statue of the little bird props up the local economy and brings in dollars that are many, many, many times over, she said.

Becker said she is afraid the statue might be relegated to a scrapyard or a storehouse.

Im so afraid theyre going to try to remove her, she said.

Environmental advocates share her chagrin at the prospect, saying the statue could help raise awareness about a native species in decline.

Andrew Holland, spokesman for the Nature Conservancy of Canada, called semipalmated sandpipers a symbol of the upper Bay of Fundy.

About one-third of the worlds semipalmated sandpiper population stops on the bays mudflats for about three weeks toward the end of July where they get a break, rest and double their body weight before migrating to South America for the winter, he said.

The small birds, weighing about 20 grams, are listed as near threatened on the International Union for Conservation of Natures red list.

(The statue) serves as a reminder of the importance of the area. That these shore bird populations have been in decline in Canada, and all around the world, Holland said. And this is a critical home for migratory shorebirds.

Nick Lund, a network manager for U.S.-based conservation group Maine Audubon, also feels the statue serves an important environmental purpose.

These are small birds that dont often hang out very close to people, and so are hard to see, he said.

Many people, if they see shorebirds at all, see them only as tiny specks off on the mud. I think for a lot of people this sandpiper statue might be the first time they can actually see one up close.

Becker said Sandpipers are not just the subject of a local annual festival, but stand as an important symbol of resilience due to their ability to fly thousands of miles despite their diminutive size.

We didnt intend to ruffle feathers, she said with a laugh.

We just think we need our bird back.

This report from The Canadian Press was first published April 9, 2023.

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CAIRO (AP)  Saudi officials were in Yemens capital Sunday for talks with the Iran-backed Houthi rebels, as part of international efforts to find a settlement to Yemens nine-year conflict, officials said.

Saudi Arabias delegation, chaired by the kingdoms ambassador to Yemen, Mohammed bin Saeed Al-Jaber, met with Mahdi al-Mashat, head of the Houthis supreme political council, which runs rebel-held areas in Yemen, according to the Houthi-run SABA news agency.

An Omani delegation, which arrived in Sanaa on Saturday, joined the talks, the agency reported. It said al-Mashat hailed Omans efforts to bridge the gap between different sides in the war to achieve peace in Yemen. SABA did not give further details.

Mohammed al-Bukaiti, a Houthi leader, said earlier on Twitter that Saudi and Omani officials would discuss ways to achieve a comprehensive and lasting peace in the region.

He said achieving an honorable peace between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia would be a triumph for both parties, and urged all sides to take steps to preserve a peaceful atmosphere and prepare to turn the page of the past.

There was no immediate comment from Saudi Arabia on the trip, the second of its kind in 2023, according to a Saudi official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasnt authorized to brief reporters.

In comments to The Associated Press, Hans Grundberg, the U.N. envoy for Yemen, described the ongoing efforts, including the Saudi and Omani talks in Sanaa, as the closest Yemen has been to real progress towards lasting peace since the war began.

This is a moment to be seized and built on and a real opportunity to start an inclusive political process under U.N. auspices to sustainably end the conflict, he said.

The talks in Sanaa are part of international efforts led by Oman to settle Yemens conflict, which began in 2014. Thats when the Houthis seized Sanaa and much of the countrys north, ousting the internationally recognized government that fled to the south and then into exile in Saudi Arabia.

The Houthi move prompted a Saudi-led coalition to intervene months later in a bid to restore the internationally recognized government to power. The conflict has in recent years turned into a regional proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Saudi Arabia and the Houthis reached a draft deal last month to revive a cease-fire that expired in October. The deal is meant to usher in a return to Yemeni political talks, according to Saudi and Yemeni officials.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss closed-door negotiations.

They said the Saudi-Houthi understandings include a six-month truce with a cessation of all military activities across Yemen. The Houthis have committed to coming to the table with other Yemeni parties to negotiate a political settlement to the conflict, they said. The United Nations is meant to facilitate the political negotiations, they added.

Both parties also agreed to further ease restrictions by the Saudi-led coalition on Sanaas airport and the Houthi-controlled Red Sea ports in Hodeida, the officials said. The Houthis would lift their yearslong blockade on Taiz, Yemens third largest city which is held by government forces, they said.

The phased roadmap also includes payment for all state employees  including the military  from oil and gas revenues. In return, the rebels agreed to allow exporting oil from government-held areas after a monthslong hiatus because of Houthi attacks on oil facilities, the officials said.

Yemens internationally recognized presidential council was briefed on the Saudi-Houthi understandings at a Thursday meeting in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, with Prince Khalid bin Salman, the Kingdoms defense minister, a Yemeni official said.

The Saudi-backed council, which was appointed a year ago, has given its initial approval to the draft deal, the official said.

Commenting on the Saudi-Houthi talks, Yemeni Foreign Minister Ahmed Awad Bin Mubarak said there were positive signals that a cease-fire deal would be announced, along with addressing other humanitarian and economic issues.

The (regional) circumstances are different, he told an Egyptian satellite channel Al-Qahera in an interview aired on Friday. It pushed towards achieving a solution.

Bin Mubarak, however, said there are many fundamental issues that Yemens warring sides need to address before reaching a settlement to the conflict.

The Oman-brokered talks have aimed at preventing both sides from resuming full-fledged fighting. The efforts gained momentum in recent weeks after Saudi Arabia reached an agreement with Iran to restore diplomatic ties after a seven-year rift. Iran, the main foreign backer of the Houthis, has said its deal with Saudi Arabia would help end Yemens conflict.

Ahmed Nagi, a Yemen expert at the International Crisis Group, a Brussels-based think-tank, said the Iran-Saudi Arabia rapprochement has given a boost to Saudi-Houthi negotiations, and that both sides are close to announcing the cease-fires renewal.

However, the second track of the Houthi-Saudi negotiations  a potential roadmap to reach a permanent settlement to the conflict  would be a major challenge when discussed by Yemeni parties, he said.

Each party has different interpretations and expectations, he said. Given the complexities of the situation, it is hard to see progress on this track very soon.

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President Muhammadu Buhari has reacted to the news of the death of a one-time Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Prince Bola Ajibola, SAN.





Buhari, in a message signed by Femi Adesina, his spokesperson, condoled with the family of the renowned jurist, who passed on at 89.





He also commiserated with the legal community in Nigeria and worldwide.





He noted that the lawyer used his God-given knowledge, intellect and talent to advocate for justice, fairness and equity in all his undertakings within and outside Nigeria.





Buhari averred that the late Ajibola, having risen to the pinnacle of his career, took his brilliance in law practice to the International Court of Justice at The Hague, where he served meritoriously between 1991 and 1994.





Ajibola was also the Nigerian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom from 1999 to 2002.





According to Buhari, Ajibola contributed immensely to the development of Nigerias legal system while he served as the Attorney General and Minister of Justice at a critical period in the nations history.





Buharis message was also extended to the government and people of Ogun State, Ajibolas home state.




A spokesman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, Daniel Bwala has reacted to the call by Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka, to debate with Labour Party, LP, presidential running mate, Datti Baba-Ahmed.





On March 22, in an interview, Datti said the country has no president-elect despite the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, announcing Bola Tinubu as the winner of the election.





Datti said Tinubu would be leading an unconstitutional government if sworn into office because the APC candidate has not met requirements of the law.





However, Bwala said Soyinka was not a politician, hence should challenge Chimamanda not Datti.





Tweeting, Bwala wrote: Am told Prof. Soyinka asked to debate Datti. No, he should ask to debate Chimamanda Adichie.





Datti is a politician, Soyinka is not, so it will be an unfair debate.





But both Soyinka and Chimamanda trade on literature and grammar. #Soyinkadebatechimamanda.





When he tries Chimamanda, he will understand the phrase nobody has the monopoly of knowledge. It will certainly be the case of David v Goliath.








Following the arrest of Eze Igbo of Ajao Estate, Fredrick Nwajagu, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo has said the Igbo would not leave Lagos State for anybody or reason.





In a statement to mark the 2023 Easter celebration, the Secretary-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Okechukwu Isiguzoro said Igbos should fear not despite the orchestrated Igbophobic attacks in Lagos State.





According to Isiguzoro: In the spirit of this Pascaltide, Ohanaeze Ndigbo felicitates with Ndigbo worldwide, wishing all the peace that comes with Christs glorious resurrection through the power of the risen Messiah.





We urge Ndigbo to fear not since He that is with us is greater than He that is against us. In this season of Igbophobic attacks in Lagos, long after the elections, Ndigbo shall not leave Lagos for anybody or any reason, regardless of the amount of threats of attacks and further arson, including the threat to seize/confiscate their houses from the Lagos traditional stool, especially by those who ought to protect them.





We must remain strong, vigilant and resolute in line with the Igbo adage, Oke anaghi eri ihe onye mu anya.





In line with Igbo ethos, especially Onye aghala nwanne ya, we urge Ndigbo in Lagos to be their brothers keeper by not abandoning the Eze Igbo of Ajao Estate, Lagos, whose only offence was to speak hoo!haa! by voicing out the frustrations his Igbo kith and kin were passing through in Lagos with their lives and businesses under continued and well-orchestrated attacks by terrorists.





How can our Igbo SANs, lawyers and activists, especially the Olisa Agbakobas be calm while the man who carried their cross illegally stays on in detention without being released or charged to court?




A former Judge of the International Court of Justice, Hague, Netherlands, Prince Bola Ajibola, is dead.





Ajibola, who was also a former Attorney-General of Nigeria, died at 89.





Ajibola, the founder of Crescent University, Abeokuta, died on Saturday midnight after a long-time illness as a result of old age.





The eldest child of the late jurist, Segun Ajibola, SAN, disclosed this in a statement, on Sunday in Abeokuta.





He wrote, With very deep heart and gratitude to Almighty Allah.





Our Dad, Prince Bola Ajibola, departed this world over midnight. May Almighty Allah bless him with Aljanah Firdaus.




Pope Francis celebrated the festive Easter Vigil commemorating the resurrection of Jesus Christ in St. Peters Basilica in Rome on Holy Saturday.





According to Italys ANSA news agency, around 8,000 spectators attended the celebration.





In his homily, the Pope condemned the icy winds of war and the rampant injustice that he said prevailed in the world.





However, the Pope said Easter inspires people and gives them hope.





It motivates us to move forward, to leave behind the sense of defeat, and to look to the future with confidence because Christ is risen and has changed the course of history, the pontiff said.





Pope, who was in the hospital because of bronchitis last week and suffered from a knee condition, approached the altar in a wheelchair and remained seated throughout the Mass.





He baptised eight adults during the Mass, three people from Albania, two from the United States and one from Italy, Nigeria and Venezuela.





Pope is expected to celebrate the Easter Sunday Mass in St. Peters Square on Sunday morning.




A 43-year-old man, Yusuf Hassan, has confessed to the police in Ogun State why he decided to set his ex-lovers apartment on fire to burn her to death.





Hassan said the ex-lover, Busayo Falola, had turned down all efforts to reconcile them, saying he felt the next thing to do was to set her room on fire.





According to the Ogun State police spokesman, Abimbola Oyeyemi, Hassan was arrested on April 4 after burning down the whole building.





The suspects arrest, Oyeyemi said, followed a report lodged at Ago Iwoye divisional police headquarters by the owner of the affected building, a 62-year-old woman named Adejoke Salau.





The woman had reported to the police that she heard a noise from one of her buildings within her compound situated at 127, old Schorlar Palace, Igan road Ago Iwoye, at about 1:15 am, and when she came out she discovered that the building was on fire while the tenants in the house were trapped therein.





Oyeyemi quoted the woman as stating further that the quick intervention of neighbours assisted in rescuing the three tenants in the building, which she said: got burnt completely.





Upon the report, the DPO of Ago Iwoye, CSP Noah Adekanye, was said to have led his men to the scene, where the occupants of the house were invited to the station for interrogation to know the possible cause of the inferno.





During interrogation, Busayo informed the police that she saw her ex-lover, Hassan, at the back of her window at about 12:30 am on the day of the incident.





She explained that she was scared to see Hassan at such an ungodly hour, saying she screamed and ran out of her room to another tenant.





It was said that other tenants also went out to see what the man was up to, but they only discovered flame coming out from Busayos room.





Acting on the information, Hassan was arrested, but he denied knowledge of the incident.





However, when the DPO ordered detectives to visit his house and find out whether or not he was at home at the time of the incident, he opened up and confessed being the person who set the house ablaze, said Oyeyemi.





The police spokesman said the man confessed further that he intended to burn his ex-lover in her own apartment because he had tried his possible best to reconcile with her but to no avail.





He had told the police that he bought N500 petrol, poured it into Busayos room through the window and set it afire.





Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police in Ogun has directed the suspects transfer to the State CIID for further investigation and possible prosecution.
Justice Clarence Thomas poses for the official Supreme Court portrait in October in Washington. OLIVIER DOULIERY (AFP)

Clarence Thomas  the most conservative justice on the Supreme Court of the United States  finds himself in the eye of the hurricane for failing to declare or account for the luxury gifts he has been receiving for years from a major Republican donor.

Thomas  the author of some of the most conservative rulings from the high court, who opposes abortion and gay rights  defended himself this past Friday. He downplayed extended stays at luxury hotels, cruises and private plane rides that he and his wife  Victoria Ginni Thomas  have enjoyed for more than 20 years, thanks to the generosity of their billionaire friend Harlan Crow.

Crow is a real estate magnate, who is also a well-known Republican donor. The scandal was revealed this past Thursday by the investigative outlet ProPublica.

Harlan and Kathy Crow are among our dearest friends, Thomas, 74, justified in a statement released by the Supreme Court. As friends often do, we (Thomas and his wife) have accompanied them on a number of family trips.

The oldest member of the most conservative Supreme Court in the history of the United States  thanks to the three lifetime appointments made by Donald Trump  has also assured the media that he was unaware of the rules regarding the public declaration of these types of gifts. This excuse comes despite the existence of an anti-corruption law  adopted in the 1970s after the Watergate scandal  which requires transparency from all government officials.

Early in my tenure at the Court, I sought guidance from my colleagues and others in the judiciary, and was advised that this sort of personal hospitality from close personal friends, who did not have business before the Court, was not reportable, Thomas explains in the statement, which was shared by ProPublica. He also stresses that he has strived to respect the rules since his appointment to the Supreme Court.

However, the judge implicitly acknowledges that it is his intention  after the internal regulations of the judiciary were modified last month  to follow [the new guidelines] in the future. The US Judicial Conference  the governing body for judges  adopted these tougher rules in March, requiring justices to disclose private plane travel and stays at places such as resorts.

According to ProPublica, Thomas enjoyed voyages around the world on Crows luxury yacht, trips on his private plane and stays at an exclusive men-only resort in California. He also travels regularly to the tycoons ranch in East Texas and spends a week every summer at a private compound that Crow owns in the Adirondack Mountains, in northeast New York State.

Other conflicts of interests

This is not the first time that Clarence Thomas has been involved in a controversy. His wife, Ginni  a lobbyist and ultra-conservative activist  was once involved in Donald Trumps campaign to denounce the alleged electoral fraud of 2020. After text messages and emails that Ginni Thomas sent out to support Trumps cause were revealed, Democrats denounced an alleged conflict of interest and asked the judge to recuse himself from any electoral litigation.

Thomas, 74, was appointed to the Supreme Court in 1991 by Republican President George H. W. Bush. His nomination was confirmed by the Senate, despite accusations of sexual harassment by Anita Hill, a former assistant. The judge denied the allegations, calling them a high-tech lynching. He is also a recovering alcoholic.

The revelation of in-kind payments that Thomas received from Crow has fueled calls for immediate resignation by some elected Democrats. Despite the slowdown in public life for spring break  which coincides with Easter weekend  and all of the public attention that the Trump case is receiving, the controversy surrounding Thomas is growing by the minute and threatens to snowball for Republicans. It could add fuel to the already-fierce political polarization in the United States.

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On August 1, 2021, Julius Filep was driving north on Route 18 in East Brunswick, headed home after a night out with an old friend, when his car struck debris from a crash.

A car ahead had slammed into and toppled a utility pole, sending rubble into the road and a shower of sparks onto the southbound lanes, near Lake Avenue.

Filep stopped his disabled car and dialed 911.

In the call, after reporting the location, he said: Theres a power line down, theres like three cars in an accident, including myself.

Alright, we got people coming, a dispatcher said. Alright, thank you, Filep replied and hung up.

Moments later, an East Brunswick police car responding to the scene struck Filep, who was on foot in the northbound lanes.

The 55-year-old Edison resident died a short time later at a local hospital. He was a researcher at a pharmaceutical accompany.

Details of the crash that eventually led to Fileps death are available in an East Brunswick police report, but Fileps family had not seen it until March of this year when contacted by NJ Advance Media, through their lawyers  who were also unaware of the report.

Edie Gregory and her son, Matthew Gregory-Filep, have learned little about the night Filep was killed.

Theyre frustrated with the state Attorney Generals Office, which is investigating Fileps death, and in learning details not from authorities, but a news reporter.

Edie said she and Matthew did sit down once with the agency, and learned some details, but follow-up calls are always met with a standard response, We cant tell you anything.

NJ Advance Media also found that the AGs office has not updated preliminary details of the crash, going on 20 months now, despite information that would have allowed it, like that Filep was an involved driver who pulled over that night.

The AG has characterized Filep in two public statements as a pedestrian who was walking in the road at the time. Technically accurate, when he was struck, but Fileps presence on Route 18 is more explainable than that, the report shows and his family said.

It has been a nightmare, not knowing, no answers, all of the silence, Edie said.

Edie Gregory, who was never married to Filep, and her son, both of Brick, eventually contacted Brian McAlinden, who has filed a wrongful death suit against East Brunswick police with Bathgate Wegener & Wolf associate Nicholas Leider.

The AGs office has been charged since 2019 with investigating the deaths of people where police officers are involved.

A February investigation by NJ Advance Media  which examined 75 AG probes - highlighted how the secretive process left relatives and loved ones of victims with complaints about communication and transparency from the office.

While we of course recognize that this was a tragic accident and end to the life of a 55-year-old father. We share the frustration of the Filep family that over a year and eight months later, the NJ Attorney Generals Office has been unable to complete its investigation allowing the family to have closure, McAlinden said.

We can do better, McAlinden said.

The state AGs office typically does not comment until the investigations are closed, a process that can include the facts being presented to a grand jury, who decides if criminal charges are warranted.

The office declined to comment on the Filep case, as it is an ongoing matter, a spokeswoman said.

The Crash

The attorney generals office issued a press release on Aug. 5, 2021, saying it was investigating Fileps death.

It identified him and the officer who struck him, Mitchell Ngai, and summarized: Officer Ngai, who was on-duty and in uniform, was operating a marked patrol vehicle on State Route 18, responding to a reported motor vehicle accident in the southbound lanes of the roadway. He was traveling northbound in the vicinity of the reported accident at approximately 3:35 a.m. when he struck Mr. Filep, who was walking in the roadway in front of 260 State Route 18. Medical aid was rendered to Mr. Filep, who was transported by ambulance to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, where he was pronounced deceased at 4:13 a.m.

On Sept. 16, 2021, the AGs office issued a second statement in which the office made public three 911 calls, a dispatch recording and footage from a nearby security camera. (The recordings can be accessed here.)

That statement repeated the first summary of the crash.

One of the 911 calls is from the driver who struck the pole, a then 23-year-old Morris Plains man. Another is from a person reporting the crash.

And one is from Filep. His son Matthew identified his voice.

The AGs second statement did not identify Filep as one of the callers.

The report, written by another East Brunswick officer, is straightforward and does not mention Fileps death. It describes the first driver falling asleep, crashing into the pole on the northbound side, Fileps vehicle then running over the damage while in the middle lane and both cars being disabled.

The security camera video the AG released is dark, unclear and taken from a good distance away. It does appear to show Filep being struck in the northbound lanes. It does show the police vehicle abruptly stopping.

The officer who wrote the report issued the 23-year-old driver a ticket for careless driving the next day. The driver pleaded guilty and paid $88.58 in fines in an online payment completed on Aug. 19, 2021, records show.

East Brunswick police, through an Open Public Records Act, said they do not have a report for the crash that killed Filep, as the AG is investigating.

The officer who struck Filep, Ngai, remains with the department as a patrol officer, the department confirmed. A department spokesman referred any other questions to the AGs office.

Julius Filep

Edie said Filep was the type of person who would stop at a crash, even if he was not involved.

Knowing him, he was probably looking for somebody to help, thats the kind of guy he was, she said of hearing details of the first crash.

He loved to help people, Matthew added.

Earlier that night, Filep was out with friend John Hanley. The two were roommates at Rutgers, roomed together as young men, and became lifelong friends. John is Matthews godfather.

When they got together, usually on Friday nights, the always had a steak dinner. (Julius loved a good steak, Hanley said.) And then theyd go for a long walk on Jersey Shore boardwalks.

That night, they walked for hours, from Asbury Park down to around Belmar and Spring Lake and back, and ended the night at an Irish bar, talking for hours into the warm summer night.

We were just having a beautiful evening, Hanley said. It was like any other night.

Hanley said they had some beers, but they left the bar sober, closing it down with staffers.

The next morning, he learned of Fileps death from other friends. We were crushed.

Hanley spoke to a state investigator after the crash, but did not know his friend was in a crash beforehand either.

He described Filep as a unique person. Fileps parents were among the thousands of Hungarian refugees who fled their country following an anti-Communist uprising and settled in the New Brunswick area.

The Filep family ran a bar in New Brunswick and Filep worked there often, during college and after, and when he was not working in research labs. He was a bit of a night owl, Hanley said.

He doted on his son, Matthew, talking of him often, Hanley said.

Hanley, a school teacher from Monmouth County, said they talked about various things over the years, and had a shared background; Hanleys mother was Irish and also immigrated to the United States. They each would travel back to Europe with their parents at times.

Most of all, Hanley, who called Filep Jules, said his friend was a talkative, humorous and gregarious person who had tons of stories from his years bartending, and was a great storyteller with which to spend a night talking. Plus, they each wrestled as kids too, he said with a chuckle.

He was just a fun guy, Hanley said.

I said goodbye to him like any other night, Hanley recalled of their last night. And then [he was gone].

Edie and Matthew say they want the matter settled and, through Matthews suit, justice through accountability.

Julius was a man with a good heart, Edie wrote in a follow-up email. It is very difficult for us to put any closure to what happened. Very upsetting.

I believe they are so wrong with all of this delay in giving us even any information at all, Edie wrote of the Attorney Generals office. It is not right, no matter what.

Matthew said his father took him fishing, to the movies, and enjoyed participating in Matthews love of video games.

He was my best friend as well as my father, a still-mournful Matthew said.

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Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com.
The bronze-cast statue sits just steps away from the front of the Historic Essex County Courthouse in downtown Newark  a gleaming, detailed portrayal of the nations 16th president, casually sitting down on a bench.

But the statue of Abraham Lincoln  titled Seated Lincoln, by Idaho-born artist Gutzon Borglum  was controversial when it was unveiled more than a century ago because of how the artist depicted the former president, preservationists said.
The pews at Liquid Church in West Windsor have been slowly filling up again as people continue to return to the non-denominational Christian church to worship and listen to weekly sermons.

But, the average attendance at the churchs seven locations across New Jersey remains down by roughly 20% compared to before the COVID-19 pandemic.
U.S. Marines are not the sort to surrender easily, so maybe I should have known that Darren Chambers, at age 32, would still be fighting against all odds to beat the cancer that has spread with such brutal force through his bones, his liver, and his lungs.

Im going to get through this, he told me. I want to be 100 percent cured, and its still possible. I have a shot.

If he does make it, if he lives long enough to marry the woman he loves, and to watch his infant daughter grow up, it will be without a scrap of help from the Marines or the Veterans Administration. And thats where this story becomes not just heartbreaking -- but infuriating.

Chambers, a Marine sharpshooter, was stationed in Japan in 2011 when an underwater earthquake, the largest in Japans history, triggered a tsunami that killed 20,000 people and destroyed the Fukushima nuclear plant, leading to a massive radiation leak. For a month, he was part of a crew of 90 Marines assigned to clean up the mess at an adjacent airport, with a radiation detector pinned to his chest. It went off several times every day, he says, sometimes at the fevered pace that indicates the danger was peaking.

Id just run away from where I was at until it stopped beeping, he says. Everybodys monitors were going off; I just think I was exposed to more of it. The radiation travels with the wind, so it was an act of God, really.

His officers warned the clean-up crew that the exposure can cause cancer years down the road and advised them to get checked regularly when they were back home. But Chambers was denied the free care at the VA that vets are normally entitled to, not because he betrayed his country, or hurt someone, or refused orders.

His sin was one of human frailty. He became an alcoholic during his years in the Marines, and smoked synthetic marijuana, setting off a downward spiral that reached its nadir when he was arrested for breaking into parked cars to feed his habit. He had also gone AWOL a few times, returning on his own. All that led to his discharge under a classification of other than honorable.

This was not the more severe dishonorable discharge or a court-martial. His problems stemmed not from being evil or dishonest, but from being a confused 20-year-old kid who lost his moorings and screwed up, just like millions of other Americans have. You can get a other than honorable discharge for smoking pot during a weekend leave. And the punishment is a lifetime denial of VA health benefits.

When the tumors started exploding from lymph nodes in his armpits and neck, he had no insurance, so he just hoped for the best. He had been sober for a few years by then, thanks to an ultimatum from the woman he loved, Emily Dempsey, now the mother of his baby girl, Ava Mary. She watched as he told his story, meeting his eyes when it was too much, dabbing a tissue to wipe away tears.

I dont know why she loves me, Chambers says. Shes an angel. I could be going back to the hospital tomorrow in critical condition.

Chambers, of Barnegat, has a soft style to him and is more reflective than angry. Look, I still regret the things I did, and I know that played a huge role, he says Ill take 50 percent of the blame. I just want the Marines to take the other 50 percent.

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I can respect that, but if you ask me, the malign actor in this sad story is the United States military. These rules are just too harsh. Chambers made mistakes, yes, but the punishment is way out of line. Even if he somehow survives, hes been in and out of hospitals, unable to work or pay his rent, and his family is living in a state of terror. His grandparents have taken him in because he has no money, and while Emily is working, its not enough.

Does that seem proportional? All this because his drinking was out of control, because he went AWOL a few times, because he broke into a few cars? A kid who volunteers for the Marines at age 19 deserves better, and to me, treating any vet like this is a stain on our national honor, a much deeper sin than any committed by Chambers.

Will Sheehan is a graduate of the Naval Academy who served as an intelligence officer attached to SEAL teams in Central America and in Iraq, where he worked under Gen. David Petraeus. A native of Hudson County, he says New Jersey is home to about 1,800 vets who were other than honorably discharged and are denied benefits.

You hear the term other than honorably discharged and you think it must be something really bad, he says. But in most cases, its just something stupid like smoking dope or drinking too much. I know one kid who went AWOL to get married and was other than honorably discharged. And another guy who served nine months in Iraq, comes home to a party and smokes weed, gets a positive test, and he gets other than honorable.

Gen. Petraeus always used to talk about the sacred obligation we have to service members. And thats what this is; its a sacred obligation.

Sadly, there is no political movement to fix this, thanks to the stigma. It would take an act of Congress to change the federal policy, and there is no movement on that front. A few states, including Connecticut, have moved to fill part of the gap with state benefits, but a bill to do so in New Jersey fell flat last year, in part, sources say, because of opposition from some veterans themselves, most of whom were discharged honorably, and from Brigadier Gen. Lisa Hou, New Jerseys Adjutant General.

Hou would not confirm or deny that. Who told you that? she said. Its not a yes or no. Its something wed have to consider.

While the military has abandoned Chambers, the state of New Jersey has been providing health coverage since his daughter was born 11 months ago under the states Family Care program.

Mostly, though, its his loved ones who have stepped into the breach. Chambers is as broke as can be, unable to work, and Emilys salary is not enough, so they will soon be squeezing into his grandparents home, with their open arms. They sat in on the interview as well, adding details where Chambers stumbled. His 11-year-old son by a first marriage, Michael Troy Chambers, will be with them as well. And Chambers has set up a Go Fund Me page that you can find under his name.

Im just grateful to all you guys for keeping me alive, Chambers told his crew near the end of the interview. And I cant wait to return the favor.

I know hes the one going through this, Emily said.

Youre going through it, too, Chambers said. Were a team.

Yes, hes heard the motto, No Marine left behind but it has a nasty aftertaste these days.

I was definitely left behind, he says. I guess thats just a saying.

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Tom Moran may be reached at tmoran@starledger.com or (973) 986-6951. Follow him on Twitter @tomamoran. Find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook.

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If Justice Clarence Thomas likes to globe-trot on another guys gravy train, thats his business.

But when the other guy is a Texas billionaire and conservative almsgiver who founded the anti-tax group Club For Growth -- which has a vast catalog of interests that play out before the Supreme Court -- it should invite scrutiny no matter how congenial their relationship might be.

So even if one chooses to give Thomas the benefit of the doubt about the decades of gifts showered on him by benefactor Harlan Crow  as scrupulously reported by Pro Publica  it is undeniable that his acceptance of this largesse is astoundingly unethical, and that his failure to report them could be illegal even under the lax conduct rules enjoyed by members of the high court.

It is also a striking reminder of Thomass defining characteristic, which is his belief that rules dont pertain to him or his family, so this is an ideal time for the Senate Judiciary committee to investigate three decades of conspicuous handouts and contributions given by Crow without anyone exploring why a court with a 25% approval rating would tolerate it.

There should be codes of decorum that sustain the legitimacy of our system, but in recent years those standards have been trampled, and Thomas is a key part of the demolition team  most recently with his refusal to recuse in cases related to the 2020 election, despite having a lobbyist wife who actively sought to overturn it, because she feared America is imperiled by the fascist left.

This issue is not dying down: When the judges spouse is a wingnut | Editorial https://t.co/pnftx5ZLCJ  Jane Mayer (@JaneMayerNYer) March 21, 2022

Pro Publica showed us the ways Thomas embraced Crows hospitality  flights on his private jet around the world, vacations on Crows superyacht, always one week each summer at Crows private resort in the Adirondacks, and trips to an all-male retreat known as Bohemian Grove in Sonoma, where CEOs across the spectrum of American capitalism convene to do manly things.

He has accepted other knick-knacks from Crow such as a $19,000 bible that belonged to Frederick Douglass and a $15,000 bust of Abraham Lincoln.

Yet after the Los Angeles Times reported about these trinkets in 2004, Thomas stopped disclosing gifts altogether on his annual disclosure reports. That is something he should explain. Federal judges must report gifts worth more than $415, and they cannot accept any gifts from anyone with business before the court.

The Judicial Conference, which makes this policy, does stipulate that the free stuff doesnt apply to personal hospitality. The exception to that rule, however, is for transportation that substitutes for commercial transportation.

On that, hes busted: Pro Publica details many trips Thomas took at Crows expense, including a nine-day cruise in Indonesia in 2019  with passage on the billionaires jet and yacht that would have cost an estimated $500,000, had Thomas chartered the plane and yacht himself.

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Indeed, the story is provocative because of the obscene level of opulence. If Thomas hitched a ride to a friends bungalow in Lavallette for a weekend, nobody would care. But anyone in public life knows that youve got to report private flights because it avoids the expense of a commercial ticket.

Its also about the company Thomas keeps. At Crows Adirondacks retreat, he has mingled with major donors and members of the GOP think tanks such as the American Enterprise Institute; there is even a painting of Thomas in conversation with Leonard Leo, the Federalist Society CEO who is the architect of the right-wing Court.

The vacation stuff is lurid, says former congressman Tom Malinowski, a senior fellow at the McCain Institute at Arizona State. But its not nearly as troubling as the things we dont see, including the huge sums of dark money that have been spent in recent years by right wing influence networks. Thomas vacations with people who determine nominees for judicial positions by Republican administrations; the same groups submit amicus briefs in cases before the Supreme Court, and the justices know that those briefs are coming from organizations that funded their career ascent.

That is troubling, more so than a serious ethics violation. From top to bottom, its influence racketeering.

An equally blunt tweet from Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) read, Crow has many interests before the Supreme Court. His groups file petitions before the court. Its the clearest, most brazen violation of judicial ethics you can imagine.

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) has spent years tracking the web of front groups funded by people like Crow, and he has found more than a half-billion dollars were spent in the construction of what he calls a captured court.

For now, Thomas is doing what youd expect: Hes blaming others for a lapse in judgment that has lasted 27 years. He copped a plea of ignorance about the rules, and said he always followed the advice he received from colleagues.

On this much, we should all agree: An ethics rulebook is no place for loopholes that incentivize a Supreme Court justice to share a billionaire lifestyle with political operatives. It invites the worst part of our system to metastasize and gives the powerful an invitation to exploit the court in exchange for perks.

Congress must act, and rules must be tightened. As Senate Judiciary chairman Dick Durbin put it, The highest court in the land shouldnt have the lowest ethical standards. Amen.

2/ Thomas has publicly presented himself as an everyman with modest tastes.



In this documentary about the justice, he waxes nostalgic about his fondness for Walmart parking lots: pic.twitter.com/39kGMRJLrO  ProPublica (@propublica) April 6, 2023

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Clarence Thomas should resign over his wifes efforts to overturn Trump loss, Rep. @BillPascrell says https://t.co/wppKPpMXEM  Jonathan D. Salant (@JDSalant) June 16, 2022

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President Biden has tasked Vice President Kamala Harris with tackling the root causes of undocumented immigration on our southern border.

But when he met last month with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Ottawa, Biden overlooked the root cause of the immigration problem on our northern border.

Crossing our southern border without papers is quite a challenge. First you have to get to the Rio Grande. Then youve got to get across it. Then you have to walk miles in the brush to get around the Border Patrol.

Many potential migrants have to pay a coyote up to $10,000 to guide them through the ordeal.

Meanwhile a ticket from Mexico City to Montreal costs about $450.

Why not fly?

It turns out a lot of Mexican citizens have been asking themselves the same question. And according to one expert in the field, we can expect a lot more to take advantage of a loophole in Canadian law that lets them fly there on their way to the U.S.

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I anticipate with the summer season were really gonna see a whole lot more Mexican nationals coming, said Andrew Arthur of the Center for Immigration Studies.

Once they reach the Great White North its easy to enter the U.S., said Arthur.

Weve more or less ignored the border, he said. There are posts that are not manned except during the day.

The loophole dates back to 2016, when Prime Minister Trudeau lifted the requirement that Mexican citizens acquire non-immigrant visas to enter Canada. That required a long application process designed to weed out anyone likely to overstay on a visa. Trudeau replaced it with a visitors pass that could be acquired online for a mere $7.

That opened the floodgates, not just to potential migrants but also to the cartels, said Todd Bensman, also of the CIS.

All the cartels moved up there, with money laundering and drug smuggling and human smuggling, said Bensman. They all came in on this.

Its not hard to see why. Our northern border is three times as long as our southern border. But its patrolled by just 2,000 Border Patrol agents compared to 17,000 on the Mexican border.

A growing number of potential migrants have been taking advantage of that gap in our border security. On March 28, a House subcommittee held a hearing titled Bidens Growing Border Crisis: Death Drugs and Disorder on our Northern Border.

Whats happening is that the chaos on the Mexican border has caused the Border Patrol to shift agents from the north to the south. That makes it possible for people to enter the U.S. without being detected, said Arthur.

Arthur, who is a former immigration judge, testified to the committee that this weakness is exploited by smugglers of humans, drugs and guns.

Even in the best of circumstances theres insufficient border staffing at the northern border, given the massive length of the border and that is largely undeveloped, Arthur said when I phoned him last week.

Arthur cited the example of the small town of Derby Line, Vt., which sits astride the border with avenues that run into the Quebec town of Stanstead. Its virtually impossible to seal such a border, so the U.S. is at the mercy of Canada to sort things out, Arthur said.

Arthur said Canada offers food and housing to anyone who comes in from the United States seeking asylum. That attracts Mexican citizens who cant find work in the U.S., he said.

Ironically, this is creating a border crisis on the southern border of Canada. Last month the New York Times carried an article headlined Canadians Fume as Migrants Surge at Their border.

It told how the Canadians are miffed because American cities are giving migrants bus tickets to cross into Canada.

One woman who lives near the point where many migrants enter Canada was quoted as saying, Canada is soft. And the United States doesnt care because this is nothing compared with whats happening on their southern border.

That summed up the atmosphere at that hearing as well.

Brandon Judd, who is president of the union that represents Border Patrol agents, said at that hearing that the U.S. has lost operational control of both borders and is stuck shuffling agents from one border to the other.

Ive never seen morale so low, Judd testified.

He added because we dont have the policy necessary to secure the Southwest Border, then the Northern Border gets robbed and opens up the gaps we are currently seeing.

Thats the problem. Maybe Harris can tell him how to get at the root.

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To provide for her family of five, Karina Trinidad Quintero, a single mother who lives in Asbury Park, works long hours  sometimes six days in a row  at a coffee shop where she earns minimum wage.

The 45-year-old who was born in Mexico is among the nearly 70 Latinas interviewed by Rutgers University researchers for All Work and Low Pay, a study on the lived experiences of Latina immigrants in New Jersey, which found  what most of us in the Latino community already know  that far too many are barely scraping by.
UPDATE: Authorities identify man charged with stabbing imam at N.J. mosque

An imam at Omar Mosque in Paterson was stabbed early Sunday during morning prayers, police said.

Paterson Public Safety Director Jerry Speziale told NorthJersey.com a suspect was restrained by other members of the congregation. Officials told the news outlet the attacker was not a member of the congregation, but had been there before.

It was not known what prompted the stabbing.

The imam, Sayed Elnakib, was stabbed while delivering morning prayers at 5:44 a.m. at the mosque on Getty Avenue in South Paterson, police said.

Elnakib was taken was to St. Josephs University Medical Center and was in stable condition Sunday, police said.

The stabbing came a day after another incident involving the Muslim community in Paterson.

On Saturday, the nations largest Muslim civil rights organization called for the state Attorney Generals office to conduct a hate crimes investigation after a Paterson school named after a local leader of the Arab-American community was marred by vandalism.

The New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations wants the attorney general to step in after the Allah portion of Hani Awadallahs name on the sign in front of the school was defaced with an unknown dark substance. The word Allah means God in Arabic.

While the circumstances surrounding the incident remain unknown, the smearing of the word Allah in Dr. Awadallahs name is apparently intentional, with the remainder of the sign left untouched, making an immediate hate crime investigation into this incident necessary, CAIR-NJ executive director Selaedin Maksut, said in a statement Saturday.

A vandal attacked the Dr. Hani Awadallah School in Paterson.

The state Attorney Generals Division of Criminal Justice Bias Crimes Unit said it was aware of the incident and was coordinating with the Passaic County Prosecutors Office on an ongoing investigation into the matter.

Dr. Awadallah was an ardent advocate for the Arab-Americans who worked tirelessly to improve the lives of children and immigrants, said the Attorney Generals office. He was passionate about ensuring equity among students. He left his city of Paterson, and all of New Jersey, a proud legacy that we will work to honor and protect.

Paterson police and school officials did not respond to requests for comment over the weekend.

It was not known when the vandalism at the school took place, but CAIR-NJ spokeswoman Dina Sayedamed said it was believed to have happened within the past few days. She said a member of Patersons Arab community saw it and took a picture, then called the mayor and council.

Paterson public schools were closed this past week for spring break.

Awadallah was a leader in Patersons Arab-American community who taught lessons in heritage and culture at School No. 9. Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh said Awadallah also taught chemistry at Montclair State University. Awadallah died in 2012, Sayegh said.

Deplorable, is how Sayegh described the act of vandalism at the school, located on Marshall Street. It is the first school (in Paterson) named for a Palestinian-American. It is an affront to his memory, his legacy, and the school.

The incident took place during the holy month of of Ramadan, a period of fasting and spiritual renewal that runs through April 20. During Ramadan, Muslims fast from dawn until sunset.

Sayedamed did not know whether a police report had been filed. The Attorney Generals office, which is in now in charge of the Paterson police following the state takeover last month, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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Richard Cowen may be reached at rcowen@njadvancemedia.com.
Police did not fire while responding to gunfire that left both an officer and a female victim of domestic violence wounded and the suspect dead Saturday in Warren County, local and state investigators say.

The Phillipsburg police officer shot and wounded while responding to a violent domestic incident has been treated and released from the hospital, the Warren County prosecutor said Saturday night.

The woman who was shot during the initial incident Saturday afternoon outside a home on Hanover Street off South Main Street underwent surgery for three gunshot wounds and was considered stable, Prosecutor James Pfeiffer said in an update on the investigation into what occurred.

The man suspected of shooting the woman and the officer was pronounced dead at the scene of what appears to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound, Pfeiffer said.

After initial information from the investigation indicated an exchange of gunfire took place between responding police and the suspect, Pfeiffer said Saturday night the only rounds fired came from the suspects firearm.

I can confirm there were absolutely no rounds fired by the police, he said. The only shots fired at the scene were fired by the suspect.

New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin reinforced the finding, stating: While the shooter is deceased, it is not believed at this time to be the result of police use of force.

The officer was shot as he was stepping out of his patrol vehicle, with the round passing through the vehicle door, Pfeiffer also clarified.

The round passed through the officers thigh, according to the prosecutor. New Jersey State Police flew both the female victim and the officer for treatment at St. Lukes University Hospital, Fountain Hill.

That officer was wounded and did not fire, Pfeiffer said, and a second officers handgun misfired.

Our thoughts are with both victims as they begin their physical and emotional recoveries, the attorney general stated.

Domestic violence incidents are more likely to escalate when firearms are present, Platkin continued, noting that guns are involved in two-thirds of homicides by intimate partners. I remain committed to getting guns out of homes and off our streets.

Residents in the area when the gunfire broke out shortly before 1:15 p.m. described multiple rounds of shooting as the incident shattered the Easter holiday weekend afternoon. Numerous families walked past the emergency vehicles blocking off the scene after parking nearby for a popular Easter bunny train ride in town. South Main Street was closed to traffic in the area for about two hours.

Responding to the gunfire, police officers from Phillipsburg, Easton and the New Jersey State Police converged on the scene near the Kenneth E. Red Vandegrift Bridge. The span over an active freight line was known as the black bridge and was renamed in 2003 to honor a Phillipsburg police officer shot and killed responding to a call Nov. 17, 1930.

It could have been a lot worse. Hes just lucky, Pfeiffer said of the officer wounded Saturday. Thank God that hes fine. And its just a terrible thing for the deceaseds family.

Both the female victim and suspect lived in Phillipsburg, Pfeiffer said, though he wasnt immediately saying whether either or both lived at the duplex home in the first block of Hanover Street, where Pfeiffer said the shooting occurred just outside.

Investigators were not immediately identifying the officer, the female victim or the suspect.

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Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com.
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KYODO NEWS - Apr 9, 2023 - 22:02 | Feature, All, Japan

An 18-year-old woman was found stabbed with a kitchen knife stuck in her chest in a platform waiting room at a station in the central Japan city of Nagoya on Saturday, police said.

Tsukine Kawamura was later confirmed dead, and the police suspect the involvement of a 29-year-old man, Takuya Minami, who died after jumping in front of a passing train from the same platform around the same time.

Kawamura was discovered lying on a bench in the platform waiting room at Motokasadera Station on Saturday night with three stab wounds to her chest, the police said, adding her body had been covered by clothing that did not appear to belong to her.

The police said they are investigating the death as a homicide.

Before she died, Kawamura was able to use her smartphone to place an emergency call to the police, they said. Kawamura and Minami both live in Nagoya's Nakagawa Ward.

At the time of the incident, a local train was stopping at the platform, and there were no passengers other than Kawamura and Minami near the waiting room, the police said.

A few days earlier, Kawamura wrote on social media that she had broken up with her boyfriend and complained that he would not allow her to see her friends.
Welcome to Cleveland: a new path for international entrepreneurs to build businesses here
Louisiana Economic Development announced the 2022 Lantern Award winners, which go to companies around the state that demonstrate excellence in manufacturing.

Area winners are D&T Crawfish in Abbeville, Swamp Dragon in Baton Rouge, Cospolich in Destrehan and MECO in Mandeville.
KYODO NEWS - Apr 9, 2023 - 16:19 | All, Japan, World

The United States sees a "mood of optimism" in relations between Japan and South Korea and expects trilateral cooperation with its key Asian allies to expand into new areas such as humanitarian assistance, natural disaster response and outer space, a senior diplomat said recently.

In a phone interview with Kyodo News on March 30, Mark Lambert, deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, said the three countries also increasingly share traditional security challenges that threaten the peace and stability of the Asia-Pacific region.

"My country is more secure when (South) Korea and Japan work closely together. I think there is a mood of general optimism that I detected in both Seoul and Tokyo about new things that we could do in a number of facets together," Lambert said.

He said shared concerns include North Korea, which has shown no signs of stopping its nuclear and missile development, a "more assertive China" and a "more aggressive Russia."

Speaking from Japan's northern main island of Hokkaido, he said the area is "extremely important" geopolitically given its proximity to China, North Korea and Russia and their increased military activities.

"The challenges are growing and I think Hokkaido is sort of in the midst of all of them," he said, noting that the U.S. military and Japan's Self-Defense Forces have been conducting more exercises together around the northern island, where he was visiting to speak to local authorities about the major issues they face.

Asked about the possibility of expanding the Quad partnership of Indo-Pacific democracies formed by Australia, India, Japan and the United States to include South Korea, Lambert said he is not aware of any plan to welcome a new member.

But he said members of the group, regarded as a counterbalance to the growing power of China in the region, have made clear they are positive about partnering with South Korea and other countries in certain activities.

The diplomat's remarks came after Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol agreed in mid-March to move past a dispute over wartime conscripted labor to normalize icy bilateral ties.

The agreement was reached at a summit in Tokyo, which marked the first time in 12 years that Japanese and South Korean leaders held formal talks in either of their countries.

"I think that the arrangement between Seoul and Tokyo is going to allow that cooperation to move into new and different areas," Lambert said.

"I have particular optimism that our militaries are going to be able to work on search and rescue, humanitarian assistance and other types of activity," not just in the sea between Japan and the Korean Peninsula, "but even further afield," he said.

Taking advantage of their experience and expertise, if combined, he believes trilateral cooperation could advance into expanding scientific exploration and understanding of outer space.

Moreover, he said countries in Southeast Asia and the Pacific are anticipating greater assistance in areas such as maritime security.

"I'm pretty excited, frankly, about the capabilities that our three countries have -- our coast guards, our emergency responders, our scientists, our firefighters, our seismologists and others, who work together to make this region safer and more resilient," he said.
KYODO NEWS - Apr 8, 2023 - 23:23 | All, Japan

The European Union's top justice official said he hopes to discuss with Group of Seven partners plans to set up a special tribunal to prosecute Russia for the crime of aggression over the war in Ukraine.

"We'll continue, maybe during the Japanese presidency (of the G-7) to see whether it's possible to have the same approach about a proposal," European Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders said in a recent interview with Kyodo News and ahead of a G-7 justice ministers' meeting in July in Tokyo.

"What is at stake now is the crime of aggression," he said.

The European Union seeks to prosecute Russian leaders for its military invasion and occupation in violation of the U.N. Charter.

But the International Criminal Court needs a referral by the U.N. Security Council to try parties that are not members, such as Russia, for the crime of aggression, and an agreement on such a referral is slim given Russia would likely exercise its veto power as one of the council's permanent members.

Amid mounting allegations of war crimes against Russia, the court issued an arrest warrant in March for President Vladimir Putin over his suspected involvement in the forcible deportation of Ukrainian children. Putin could be arrested if he visits any ICC member state.

According to the ICC treaty, the crime of aggression is different from war crimes or crimes against humanity.

The crime of aggression is generally only committed by those with the power to shape a state's policy of aggression. War crimes are defined as murder, mutilation, cruel treatment and torture in the conduct of armed conflict.

Reynders said the European Union, in cooperation with Ukrainian judicial authorities and the ICC, is considering the establishment of a special tribunal or a hybrid tribunal involving Ukrainian and international judges to prosecute Russia for the crime of aggression.

The ICC is also investigating Russia for alleged crimes against humanity or genocide, but the process is expected to take considerable time.

Responding to the ICC arrest warrant, European Union member states have demonstrated varying responses. Germany has said it would arrest Putin if he traveled to the country, but Hungary said it would not.

Reynders has taken note of such differences, but the former Belgian foreign minister said that the 27-member bloc has unanimously agreed on 10 packages of sanctions against Russia and has come together "with the same unanimity" concerning Moscow's alleged war crimes.

"I will say that from beginning of the war, we have (made) a huge effort to maintain the unity at the European level," he said.

The G-7 groups Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States, plus the European Union. Their justice ministers will meet on July 7 in Tokyo.

Related coverage:

Zelenskyy calls on Britain, allies to provide combat fighter jets

Estonian foreign minister calls for more U.S. troops in Europe

Zelenskyy calls Russia terror state, demands expulsion from U.N.
KYODO NEWS - Apr 9, 2023 - 23:37 | All, Japan

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's ruling bloc on Sunday won key gubernatorial elections, with its candidates defeating their rivals backed by the leading opposition party in the first round of nationwide local polls.

The victories, such as that of Naomichi Suzuki, the incumbent governor of Japan's northernmost main island of Hokkaido, may bode well for Kishida and his Liberal Democratic Party amid speculation that he could dissolve the lower house for a snap election at an early date.

In Oita Prefecture, Kiichiro Sato, supported by the LDP, and Kiyoshi Adachi were in a close battle. Adachi won his parliamentary seat in 2019 with the backing of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan. But Sato, a former mayor of its capital city, defeated the former upper house opposition lawmaker.

The results indicated Kishida's efforts to prop up his government's popularity by making diplomatic achievements helped to some degree before he hosts a Group of Seven summit in May in his constituency of Hiroshima, political pundits said.

Former lower house lawmaker Masazumi Gotoda, an LDP member who ran for governor of Tokukshima Prefecture as a non-affiliated candidate, defeated incumbent Gov. Kamon Iizumi, who was backed by the local chapter of the ruling party.

The LDP, however, had failed to put up its own candidates against a backdrop of a feud in the conservative party in the western prefectures of Tokushima and Nara, forcing the contenders to compete fiercely.

LDP election chief Hiroshi Moriyama told reporters following the local races, "We have to reflect on" how the ruling party coordinated its candidates, adding that the party will work closely with its regional organizations further.

Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura, meanwhile, secured his second term, beating rivals endorsed by the LDP and other parties. He has enjoyed wide popularity as the co-leader of the Japan Innovation Party, which has its roots in the western prefecture.

In Nara, former bureaucrat Sho Hiraki, backed by the prefectural chapter of the LDP, was beaten by former local city mayor Makoto Yamashita, fielded by the opposition Japan Innovation Party, which has a strong foothold in the Kansai region, including the prefecture.

In the other four prefectures of Kanagawa, Fukui, Tottori and Shimane, incumbent governors were jointly supported by the ruling and opposition camps. All the incumbents were re-elected.

Mayoral races in six major cities, alongside local assembly polls in 41 prefectures and 17 big cities, were also held as part of the first round of unified local elections, carried out every four years.

In the Osaka mayoral race, Hideyuki Yokoyama, backed by the Japan Innovation Party, was elected.

The other round of the quadrennial local polls, designed to cut administrative costs and raise voter turnout, will be conducted on April 23 to select mayors and assembly members in other municipalities nationwide and will coincide with by-elections for five vacant seats in parliament.

Moriyama said the LDP will "use the momentum" of Sunday's victories in the key gubernatorial elections to win the second round of the local polls and by-elections.

All eyes are on whether voters will support the government's measures to curtail the adverse effects of rising prices and its plan to boost spending for defense and child-rearing policies, which have fanned fears about possible tax increases.

The latest local elections came as approval ratings for Kishida's Cabinet have shown signs of improving, sparking rumors that the premier could dissolve the lower house in the not-so-distant future.

Under Japan's Constitution, a prime minister has the final say on the dissolution of the lower house. The current four-year terms for lower house members expire in October 2025 unless Kishida dissolves the chamber.

Kishida, who took office in October 2021, has been exploring the best timing to win a general election, as he is eager to be re-elected as leader of the ruling party. The next LDP presidential race is slated to be held in September 2024.

Media polls show that the support rate for Kishida's Cabinet has picked up recently, especially since he made an unannounced visit on March 21 to Ukraine, which was invaded by Russia more than a year ago, for talks with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Related coverage:

Campaigning begins for upper house by-election in Japan
Newsweek has named Community Care Network one of Americas "Greatest Workplaces for Women 2023."

Community Care Network takes pride in its workplace and is committed to providing a supportive environment for its employees, said Alan Kumar, chief operating officer for Community Healthcare System and Administrator for Community Care Network. We are thankful for this recognition from Newsweek and are dedicated to being a great place for women to work.

Newsweek partnered with Plant-A Insights Group to rank workplaces by analyzing more than 224,000 company reviews.

Women face unique challenges in the workplace. These challenges can range from unequal pay and a lack of representation in leadership positions, to discrimination and sexual harassment, said Nancy Cooper, global editor in Chief of Newsweek. Raising awareness of inequities in the workplace is the first step toward rectifying them. And it is equally important to highlight those companies that are leading the way."

Community Care Network is affiliated with Community Healthcare System. The network of healthcare providers offer varied physician services like family practice, internal medicine, OB/GYN and specialty care.
Of all the brains Id like to download into mine, the ones of talented top designers top my list.

I would like to internalize their ability to see potential in pieces I thought were defunct, to provide solutions to problems I didnt know existed, and to have the creative confidence to put a zebra print rug under a polka-dotted armchair.

So, when I got an advanced copy of Think Like a Decorator, (Rizzoli, March 28, 2023), I dove into its pages. Then I called the author, interior designer Leslie Banker. She opened our conversation by telling me shed started her career as a writer, then swerved into design. Now she really had my attention.

Back in the 1990s, when Banker, now age 53, was fresh out of college with an English degree, she worked as a newspaper reporter. In 1999, she got an assignment that would set her in a new direction.

While helping her mom, interior designer Pamela Banker, set up an office for her growing design business, the younger Banker got a request from an editor. Would she consider writing a design book with her mother as the expert?

The mom-daughter duo put an outline together, made notes, and took a run at writing it. However, the subject felt too big and broad to get off the ground. They wound up publishing a smaller book on design terminology instead. Meanwhile, Banker continued working alongside her mom, and, yes, downloading much of her design acumen. When her mom died in 2013, Banker continued in the profession.

Five years ago, I came across those old notes, Banker told me. Some were in my moms handwriting. I decided it was time.

Think Like a Decorator came out last week.

In her new book, Banker, who lives in New York City and Jamestown, Rhode Island, with her husband and daughter, channels what she learned working alongside her mother and also applies her journalism skills interviewing other notable designers and sharing their insights.

She opens the book with a discussion of how her mom likened design to writing. An interior designer must play the role of editor. Being an editor on a design project is about knowing how to develop the story of the space. I get that.

Woven among the books many of eye-popping photos that feature interiors Banker has created as well as ones from the designers she interviewed, is a narrative that reads as if youre eavesdropping on the designers themselves.

Here are some of my favorite takeaways

 Dont wing it. Good design is not instant or quick. Though it looks effortless, its highly edited. (Ditto with good writing, by the way.) Youve got to do the thinking before you start. Dont just buy a sofa and figure it out from there.

 Start with the essentials. Put function first. Every bed in the house needs a lamp next to it. The eating area should have a table big enough to seat everyone in the household. Everyone in the household needs a well-lit place to work. The door where household members come and go needs to have a place to hang coats and set down keys. Homes need adequate storage for clothing, books, and linens. If you dont have enough room in the linen closet to store bedding and towels, add an armoire or chest.

 Address the mess. Good design is not just about picking palettes, combining fabrics, and arranging furniture. Its about identifying and eliminating the pain points of a home: a room no one goes in because its drafty, a reading chair no one uses because the light is bad, a closet that stays a mess because its organized poorly, a home office you avoid because you can hear the television in the next room. Sometimes a $15 fix is all it takes. Be open to observing how things are and how they could be better. Whats important is not just how a home looks but how it lives.

 Use your words. Find three designers whose work you love. Study photos of their interiors and write down specifically what you like about what you see. Saying, I dont know why, I just like it isnt enough. Describe the vibe. Is it sophisticated and formal or casual and comfortable? Urban or rustic? Calm or playful? What materials and elements in the room contribute to the look: pine, bamboo, metal, glass, brass, leather, chrome, fur, stone, lacquer, silk. Deconstruct what you see to figure out why you like it, and how to get there.

 Drop anchor. After you have thought about the look you want drop a few anchors. An anchor might be a paint color you definitely want, a rug that has been in your family, or a wood finish that has the right character. An anchor might also be a feature of the room you cant or dont want to change, such as a stone floor or existing wallpaper. Use these anchors to guide the rest of the room. If your anchor is a rug, then the sofa fabric for that room should work with it. If it doesnt, find another sofa fabric.

 Get offline: Go see things in person. This was one of my mothers golden rules, Banker said. We have gotten used to buying furniture online, and theres nothing wrong with it, but it is better to go talk to the furniture makers, dealers, or salespeople. Get tangible samples. Put them in a box or tray dedicated for each project, and let the materials speak to each other.

 Think beyond paint. The walls of a room dont have to be painted. Bring texture to the room by covering walls with wood, plaster, mirrors, wallpaper, or even upholstery. You want to think like a decorator? Come up options that arent obvious.
On Easter, Scott Jones will attempt to give a sermon that prompts parishioners to think, to laugh and to cry.

To pause, to reconsider, to say Im sorry and to change, says Jones, pastor of Renovation Church in South Haven. Also to try again to walk in the light God has given them as they take one step closer to Jesus.

The most important part of any sermon, especially on Easter, is to let the story of Jesus speak for itself, he says.

The Easter sermon brings all of that together in the power of an empty tomb. The hardest part of any sermon is to find a way to shrink the magnificence of the story into a small-enough bite to be digestible and yet not lose the impact of life change.

This is the ancient challenge for pastors, clergy and preachers on the holiest day of the Christian faith: to somehow bridge the past with the present, the sacred with the mundane, the abstract with the explicit. Easter is the opportunity, again, to resurrect the true meaning of the Gospels.

I prepare for the resurrection morning by reading again the four accounts in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, said the Rev. Dwight Gardner, pastor of Trinity Baptist Church in Gary. It usually takes me a couple of weeks because I like to give focused attention and meditation time to the study. The Gospels are stereoscopic. In reading the four accounts, I get a 3-D description of that most inspiring morning.

It is an ancient story written more than 200 decades ago. It is also a timeless story, able to inspire and birth hope in any reader of every age. The story of Jesuss resurrection stands alone in wonder and excitement, but if we only blow the dust off of a sermon from last year, or the years before that, we will lack the passion that comes with fresh revelation.

Greg Lee, lead pastor at Suncrest Church in St. John, used to feel overwhelming pressure to prepare for his Easter sermon. Huge crowds. Heavenly expectations. The central event of the Christian faith. Possibly a one-time chance to welcome people to give his church  any church  a chance again.

And all of that is important. But since following Jesus is a journey more than an event, Ive stepped back from that, he told me. Im not trying to top last years experience. I have a peace that it isnt about me or my sermon.

Do we prepare well and do our part to connect this ancient faith to real life? Of course. But we think thats a big deal every weekend, not just Easter.

I just want the message to be helpful so people can see how supernatural power works in our lives. This year Ill do that, woven together with some great music, a persons story of God giving them new life and celebrating over a dozen baptisms. The perfect image of death, burial and resurrection.

These days, I just feel its a privilege to be part of it.

Doug Sheehy, Living Hope Churchs Portage campus pastor, said Easter is often considered a churchs Super Bowl.

Everybody goes to church on Easter, so you want to have a great message that day, he said. You also understand that a lot of the people dont attend church regularly, so there is wisdom in providing a digestible message. We strive to provide a message of Jesuss love, his resurrection and what that means for everyone.

Creativity is a must on Easter, he said.

The message concept is often developed months in advance but may not be written until a week or two before. It will have Scriptures to support the message, but also the proper challenges for those attending to seek a relationship with Jesus which leads to eternal salvation.

Its the most important event that has happened in history. You want to share it with excellence. It can truly change lives forever.

The Rev. Dr. Rhonda Schienle described composing a sermon for Easter as an evolving sacred process from one year to the next.

A successful sermon is not necessarily resurrecting the same message from previous years. Rather it is to relate our current world and life circumstances to the meaning of this Holy day, she said.

Some preachers strive to find the right balance between quoting ancient Scripture and weaving in contemporary anecdotes.

It is poignant to weave in Scripture, ancient wisdom and relevant current events to help us rise up and connect to the spiritual truths of hope, compassion and forgiveness, Schienle said.

The Rev. John Blakslee retired in 2015 after decades of sharing Easter sermons with his congregations. His hundreds of previous-Sunday sermons were not necessarily resurrected as much as they were consulted.

I usually produced an eight-page analysis of the four lessons each Sunday. Old Testament, Epistle, Psalm and Gospel. In them I quoted Old and New Testament scholars, almost all of whom had the respect of other scholars, said Blakslee, who served at St. Stephen Episcopal Church in Hobart.

For one Easter sermon, in the lesson for the Acts of the Apostles passage, Blakslee used this quote: Peter realized that through Jesus Christ peace is established (between God and man), that Jesus is Lord of all, and that any person who believes in him will have his sins forgiven.

For another Easter sermon he talked about the 1975 movie classic One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest.

His conclusion: One easily comes to the conclusion that Jack Nicholsons character is the most 'sane' of those in the ward, including Nurse Ratched.

He demonstrated a love of life that maybe needed a bit of tweaking, but his basic humanity and his love of his fellow mankind were clear. Jesuss death on the cross and his resurrection have to do with humanity, with what kind of a world we create. Ill take the world Jack Nicholson characterized anytime to the one Nurse Ratched stood for.

Remembering Jesuss humanity is one of the characteristics we often ignore, he told me. For example, spending far more time on personal holiness, rote prayers or things other than the practical matters of how we get along with one another.

Nurse Ratched lacked any degree of respect for her wards, Blakslee said. "Respect of others is a large part of how we show our humanity. That also is a large part of the Easter message for you and for me."

Jones lives amid the tension of realizing how woefully inadequate he is to share the story of Jesus and yet how determined he is to keep it understandable to everyone.

I will shamelessly use whatever resources I can from ancient literature, poems, stories and lore, all the way through modern movies, songs and people as examples of God-given, people-focused, life-changing, love anytime I can, he said. I deeply trust the Holy Spirit to speak though the church service as I do my best to not get in the way with my own agenda.
LAKE COUNTY  Individuals who turn compassion into action celebrated the 80th anniversary of Red Cross Month in March.

The American Red Cross tradition began in 1943 when President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued the first Red Cross Month proclamation, according to the organization's website.

Each day, Red Cross members provide assistance to help others in times of need.

"The Red Cross has impacted my life tremendously," said Milton Mathis, Northwest Indiana disaster action team member. "It's rewarding to offer a hand to someone in need when they've lost absolutely everything."

The Northwest Indiana Chapter of the Red Cross serves 18 counties in Indiana, including Lake, LaPorte and Porter. Volunteers continue to act as Second Responders to residents directly impacted by disasters including house fires, floods and tornadoes. Members also sponsor blood drives, teach "hands-only CPR" and install free smoke alarms for residents.

The disaster action response team assisted nearly 50 people when a tornado hit Merrillville last week. After receiving calls from families who had excessive damage to their homes, Mathis said, volunteers arrived to see what support could be provided.

At least two volunteers have to be present when a crisis occurs, Mathis said. Once volunteers arrive, they determine whether the Red Cross can aid the situation before moving forward. If homes are uninhabitable, volunteers help find families a place to stay temporarily while they get situated.

We try to provide as much assistance as we can to get individuals back to a normal state, said Mathis, whos been a volunteer for five years. If there's a problem, we take those people to see exactly how we can help them mentally, physically and spiritually."

To become a Red Cross volunteer, visit redcross.org and click the Volunteer tab.

Its enriching in my life to be a piece in the Red Crosss puzzle, Penelope Love said. I get to meet some of the most wonderful people and share spaces with them.

Love has been affiliated with the NWI Chapter of the Red Cross for the past five years and now serves as the organization's disaster program manager and community resilience builder. Love works with the city of Gary to ensure that residents have access to the services and resources the Red Cross provides.

For the past decade, volunteers have encouraged the installation of smoke alarms during Red Cross Month. This year, they went door to door to offer free alarms and installation. Volunteers are trained to properly install fire alarms and educate individuals on the steps to take in case of a fire.

The Red Cross partners with local fire departments to assist with the installation of smoke alarms. Here, that means Lake County Emergency Management and the Gary, Hobart, East Chicago, Lowell and Merrillville fire departments, Love said.

Area residents in need of a smoke alarm should call 219-472-6866. Callers are asked to leave their name, number and address.

The Red Cross will celebrate the annual "Sound the Alarm" on May 20 to install free smoke alarms to residents across Gary's six districts. The Red Cross is working alongside the Aetna Manor Revitalization Program and the Urban League of NWI Inc. Federation of Block Club.

"We want to saturate the community and city with awareness to know these smoke alarms are available," Love said.

She encourages schools interested in teaching students about fire safety to contact the Red Cross. Volunteers provide K-5 kids with adequate information on how to react during a fire.

We want children to take fire safety information and share it with their family members to make it a family affair, Love said. This can bring households together and be a level of peace and stability."
It struck me that this question could be just as effective for adults.

Throughout our marriage, if I told my husband Tom about a problem I was having, he would start troubleshooting before I was done talking. He meant well, but his suggestions made me crankier. Sometimes I just craved a silent bear hug.

Now, when one of us is upset about something (if Im honest, its usually me), the other will ask that question. It has been a game changer over the last few months. It clarifies needs. It de-escalates swirling emotions. It helps us take positive action.

Each option  an embrace, thoughtful but solicited advice or an empathetic ear  has the power to comfort and calm. Receiving a hug from your partner increases levels of oxytocin, the bonding hormone, and helps dial down stress. Theres evidence that being heard, known as high-quality listening, can reduce defensiveness during difficult and intimate conversations. And some research suggests that couples who give each other supportive advice have higher relationship satisfaction.

But different emotions require different responses, said Dr. Elizabeth Easton, the director of psychotherapy at Pathlight Mood and Anxiety Center in Denver. So one response, like reassurance, may work well for anxiety but may further infuriate someone who is frustrated, she said.

Your preferred style may be incompatible with your partners, said Jada Jackson, a licensed mental health counselor in Dallas. When Im working with my couples, I will say to them, Listen, dont assume that because you want a hug, or to fix things, that your partner is going to want the same.
Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas said on Saturday that he would pardon a man who was convicted on Friday of murdering a protester in Austin, as long as a state board brought such a request to his desk.

The announcement from the governor directly places the fate of Daniel S. Perry, who was found guilty of killing Garrett Foster, 28, at a Black Lives Matter demonstration in 2020, in the hands of the Board of Pardons and Paroles.

The boards members, who are appointed by the governor, determine who should be granted a pardon. Mr. Perry faces a sentence of life in prison.

Texas has one of the strongest Stand Your Ground laws of self-defense that cannot be nullified by a jury or a progressive District Attorney, Mr. Abbott wrote on Twitter.
The parents, already living through the trials of Russian occupation, displacement and bombardment, have had to endure months of anxiety, fearful that their children will be sent farther away or given up for adoption in Russia.

And then there is the guilt. Some sent their children to summer camps in the Crimean peninsula, having been assured they would return in two weeks. Others simply yielded to pressure from officials and soldiers to let their children be taken. They all blamed themselves when they were not returned.

I felt completely lost, I gnawed away at myself, said Yulia Radzevilova, who brought her son, Maksym Marchenko, 12, home in March after he spent five months in a camp in Crimea. No one supported me. Family, parents, friends started accusing me.

But other children were transferred without warning or, like Artem, just disappeared.

Artem had traveled to his school in Kupiansk on Sept. 7  just as Ukrainian troops were driving out Russias occupation  to retrieve documents he needed for college. No bus returned that day, so he remained overnight. The next day, Russian troops turned up and loaded him and other students into military trucks.

They were Russian, Artem said in an interview. In camouflage, with Kalashnikovs. He thought of fleeing over the back wall of the school, he said, but the teachers made sure all the children climbed on board.
NEW DELHI, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Indian President Droupadi Murmu took a sortie in a fighter jet on Saturday, becoming the third president and the second woman president to undertake such a flight.

The Su-30 MKI aircraft took off from the Tezpur Air Force Station in the northeastern state of Assam, said a statement issued by the President's Secretariat.

The president flew for approximately 30 minutes before returning to the ground. The fighter jet flew at a speed of about 800 km per hour at a height of about 2,000 m.

"I congratulate the Indian Air Force and the entire team of Air Force Station Tezpur for organising this sortie," she wrote in the visitor's book.

On the occasion, the president was briefed about the operational capabilities of the aircraft and the Indian Air Force, added the statement. 
The Israeli government issued a statement on Sunday firmly rejecting assertions contained in the leaked Pentagon documents that the leadership of the Mossad, Israels foreign intelligence service, had encouraged the agencys staff and Israeli citizens to participate in the anti-government protests that roiled the country in March.

Mossad and other senior Israeli defense officials denied the assessments findings, and The New York Times was unable to independently verify the U.S. intelligence assessment.

The statement issued on Sunday by the Israeli prime ministers office on behalf of the Mossad described the assertion as mendacious and without any foundation whatsoever.

Senior U.S. officials said the F.B.I. was working to determine the source of the leaked documents. The officials acknowledged that the documents appeared to be legitimate intelligence and operational briefs compiled by the Pentagons Joint Staff, using reports from the governments intelligence community, but that at least one had been modified from the original at some later point.
The United States Navy said on Saturday that it had deployed a guided missile submarine to the Middle East, a day after the U.S. 5th Fleet and its partners released a warning advising all ships to proceed with caution following escalating tensions between Iran and Israel, according to a U.S. Navy spokesman.

U.S. military and Israeli intelligence agencies said that Irans Revolutionary Guards Aerospace Force was preparing a drone attack against Israeli-owned civilian merchant vessels sailing in the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea, according to two Western senior intelligence officials with knowledge of the threats who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

An Iranian political strategist close to the Guards said Iran was considering attacks on Israeli-owned ships in the region as one means of retaliating against Israeli airstrikes in Syria that killed two members of the Guards in March.

U.S. officials said the deployment of the submarine, the U.S.S. Florida, was meant to deter Iran and maintain the stability of one of the worlds busiest shipping lanes, in which millions of dollars in commercial goods, oil and gas are transported every day.
Johnson continued, As we speak, I am being persecuted on a level the likes of which the world has never seen, even worse than the late, great Jesus. He pointed to other ways in which he felt he was comparable to Jesus, if not superior: He rose from the dead on the third day, Johnson said. I would have done it faster. Possibly two days. I think we could have done it a lot faster. He had a good mind for business. Water into wine  pure profit. And he had big, big rallies just like me.

Similarly, Johnson said a lot of his followers got into trouble too: All because I told them exactly what Jesus would have said, Get very violent and start a war.

The holiday, Johnson said, had him excited to hide Easter eggs. I have many beautiful eggs from my time at the White House, he said. And now the Department of Justice is saying: Where are the eggs? We need the eggs back. But I hid them. Theyre my eggs. Theyre my eggs to take, OK?

As he wrapped up, Johnson struck one more comparison: Just like Jesus, all I did was be friendly to a sex worker, and now they want to put me in jail, he said.
Maria Kodama, a writer and translator who was best known for guarding the legacy of her husband, the masterly Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges, died on March 26 in the Buenos Aires suburb Vicente Lopez. She was 86.

Fernando Soto, her lawyer, announced her death on Twitter. News accounts said the cause was breast cancer.

For years Ms. Kodama was Mr. Borgess secretary, aide and traveling companion. A few months before he died in 1986, they married. Mr. Borges bequeathed the rights to his works to Ms. Kodama, and soon after his death she established the Jorge Luis Borges International Foundation to further the appreciation of his writing and protect it from what she viewed as misappropriation and misinterpretation.

In the days since Ms. Kodamas death, news accounts have said that she apparently left no will and that the status of the Borges estate was in limbo.
What leaked U.S. documents reveal

A trove of secret Pentagon documents has appeared on social media in recent days and shows just how deeply the U.S. has penetrated Russias military and intelligence services. They also reveal that the U.S. appears to be spying on some of its closest allies, including Ukraine, Israel and South Korea.

The intelligence portrays a battered Russian military that is struggling in its war in Ukraine and a military apparatus that is deeply compromised. The leaked material, from late February and early March, also shows daily real-time warnings to U.S. intelligence agencies on the timing of Moscows strikes  and even specific targets. Heres what we know.

The documents show that the U.S. has been able to pass on crucial information to Ukraine, which the reports reveal is in dire straits. But the leak has the potential to do real damage to Ukraines war effort. Exposing which Russian agencies the U.S. knows the most about could give Moscow the opportunity to cut off the sources of information.

The leak has also complicated relations with allied countries and raised doubts about the U.S.s ability to keep secrets. Publicizing eavesdropping on allies always hampers relations with key partners  like South Korea, whose help is needed to supply Ukraine with weaponry  and could curb intelligence sharing.
As World Bank shareholders gather in Washington for their annual spring meeting on Monday, the global institution appears to be on the brink of significant change.

World leaders, led by President Emmanuel Macron of France and Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados, along with a constellation of academics and development experts want the bank to do more to help poor countries grappling with climate change. The bank has set out its own vision for transformation, in response to calls for action from the United States and others. Major shareholders have approved some initial reforms, including agreements to let the bank lend more money and attract more private investment.

At the center of the discussions will be Ajay Banga, who is widely expected to be confirmed as president of the bank in the coming weeks. When he takes over this summer, he will face high expectations and urgent questions about whether the bank will change its lending model, whether it will seek more money from shareholders and how he will direct the bank to address issues including poverty, global warming and the war in Ukraine.

Hell get a honeymoon, but he better use that honeymoon well, said Mark Malloch-Brown, the president of the Open Societie Foundations and a former vice president of the World Bank. These institutions do not change quickly.
The Friday-night ruling by Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk purporting to stay the Food and Drug Administrations approval of mifepristone for use in early abortions is a travesty  for womens health care, principles of democracy, notions of judicial impartiality and the rule of law.

Judge Kacsmaryk put his opinion on hold for seven days to allow the government to seek emergency relief, and the federal government has already filed its notice of appeal in the Fifth Circuit. But if the opinion ever goes into effect, the broadest reading of it could render mifepristone unavailable not just in states like Texas but across the country.

At last months hearing on this challenge, the plaintiffs could not identify a single case in which another federal judge had issued the sort of order that Judge Kacsmaryk, an appointee of Donald Trump, ultimately issued. Indeed, our legal system does not ordinarily allow a single Federal District Court judge to override an expert agencys decades-old decision, in this case that a drug is safe and effective  in particular when that drug is as widely used and essential as mifepristone, one of the medications in the two-drug protocol that is now used in over half of the abortions in this country.

The Biden administration should be swift and forceful in its response to Judge Kacsmaryks ruling, using every tool available to highlight the lawlessness of what the judge has done and to limit any damage that may occur.
Through this coalition, scientists provided free Covid-19 tests. When someone tested positive, a member of the group would offer to deliver food, cleaning supplies and masks to the persons home, as well as provide check-ins with a health worker over the phone. Residents in the coalition also relayed circulating rumors for the scientists to correct. And those who were influential in local WhatsApp groups or on Instagram or TikTok created messages to combat the misinformation. It was a continuous listening process with people from the community leading, Dr. Bozza says.

Such coalitions emerged around the world. In Californias hard-hit Central Valley, local researchers cooperated with grass roots organizations serving farmworkers to roll out testing and care. In Goa, India, a network of community correspondents that had long been working in rural districts of the country partnered with Lieve Fransen, a doctor and adviser in global public health based in Belgium. Dr. Fransen held daily video calls with the correspondents about how to treat the severely sick when clinics were overwhelmed or too far away. When Covid-19 vaccines rolled out, she says that uptake was high because of the trust that people had in these correspondents, which had been built over nearly 20 years.

Community-led initiatives should be evaluated with the same rigor as any intervention. In an unpublished report, Dr. Bozza and his colleagues found that weekly Covid-19 deaths dropped by 60 percent in Mare after eight months of their work with the coalition, compared to a 28 percent reduction over the same period among a similar number of people living in similar favelas in Rio.

Its more complicated to study the impact of community-led work on longer-term problems, like diabetes, poverty and low educational attainment. These issues render people vulnerable to pandemics, so theyre important to tackle. Jason Corburn, a public health researcher at the University of California, Berkeley, who has been trying to improve such metrics in nearby Richmond, warned that this work takes time. Some of these problems are 20 or 80 years in the making, so we need to track them over time, incrementally, he said.

Despite a recent push for more community-led efforts in public health, alliances built during the pandemic are dissolving as projects shut down with the decline of Covid cases. Such quick exits breed mistrust because people may feel used by researchers who seem only concerned with a fleeting cause, as opposed to their welfare.
The spirit of Barabbas  the desire to seize or retain power, through violence if necessary  has been at war with the spirit of Christ ever since. Two millenniums of church history demonstrate a terrible truth: There was nothing uniquely evil about that ancient crowd. Instead it held up a mirror to our own nature, one that is all too eager to wield the sword, to believe that our own power is a prerequisite to justice.

Easter weekend contains more than one example of the spirit of Barabbas. When Christ was arrested, the Apostle Peter  a man who had been by his side for much of his ministry  still could not see the truth. He drew his sword, struck the high priests servant, and cut off his ear.

Though he was in the midst of an unjust arrest that would prove prelude to an unjust execution, Christ rebuked Peter, saying, Put your sword back in its place, because all who take up the sword will perish by the sword. As he reminded Peter, Jesus had the power to call on legions of angels to stop the arrest, but he chose not to. His purpose was to go to the cross, and as Jesus told us, thats our purpose as well.

There is a difference between the quest for power and the quest for justice. Believers are required to act justly. We should not stand idly by in the face of exploitation or oppression. We do not retreat from the public square. But Christian engagement must be distinctive. It cannot emulate the worlds methods or morality.

In fact, we have a modern model. The single most consequential movement for American justice in the last century was influenced and empowered by the Black churches in the South. The civil rights movement wasnt exclusively Christian by any means  there are Jewish Americans who gave their lives in support of their Black brothers and sisters, for example  but it was animated by faith. As John Lewis said in 2004, Without prayer, without faith in the Almighty, the civil rights movement would have been like a bird without wings.
On the one hand, there are extraordinary reports about people going to the tomb of Jesus and finding that there was no body in it. In that world, grave robbery was a common occurrence, so an empty tomb by itself says, This is odd, but we can tell some stories about this that are much more credible than the idea that hes alive again.

However, if at the same time this person turns up and is seen and felt to be bodily alive and speaks to people and cooks breakfast by the shore, then that is totally unexpected as well. Those two things kind of interpret one another. We know many experiences that people have  and Ive known of experiences like this in our own family  that somebody who recently died will suddenly show up in a room or somewhere, for a moment or two, to people that they have known, then disappear again. They knew about that kind of thing in the first century as well. They had language for that. It was like an angel visiting. Theres a place in the New Testament where the disciples think that Peter has been killed in prison in Acts Chapter 12, and hes knocking on the door and they say, It cant be Peter. It must be his angel. They think this is a kind of angelic visitation before he goes off to wherever he will go.

You need those two bits of evidence put together and then the testimony makes sense. Otherwise, empty tomb? Somebody has taken the body. Thats what Mary Magdalene thought. Appearances? Oh, yeah, we know about those. Just go and check in the tomb. You will find theres still a body there. But if there isnt, then we are into something different. So thats why that evidence is so important.

It seems like these appearances meant something to the apostles themselves. Paul reminded people in his letters that at the time of his writing there were people still living who had seen Jesus after his Resurrection.

Exactly. At the beginning of the 15th chapter of Pauls First Letter to Corinth, he mentions the people to whom the risen Jesus appeared. To Peter and to the rest of the apostles, and various others. And then he says that Jesus appeared to 500 people all at once. And most of them are still alive. The implication strongly being: You go and ask them. You find out what they saw. In other words, they cant all be just making it up or all be deluded.
KUALA LUMPUR, April 8 (Xinhua) -- The Malaysia-China Kuantan Industrial Park (MCKIP) has remained a key economic driver along Malaysia's east coast a decade after its launch, boosting industrial output and job creation, said an official overseeing the region's development.

This has allowed Malaysia to streamline its trade with East Asia, chiefly China, which is Malaysia's largest trading partner for a range of commodities and manufactured goods, East Coast Economic Region Development Council (ECERDC) CEO Baidzawi Che Mat told Xinhua.

"MCKIP is a flagship project for bilateral investment cooperation between Malaysia and China and it is the first industrial park in Malaysia to be jointly developed by both Malaysia and China, and to be accorded the national industrial park status," he said.

"Through the development of MCKIP, Malaysia and China saw an increase of investment from both sides. Since MCKIP was launched in February 2013, it has become one of ECERDC's most successful industrial parks," he added.

The MCKIP is a key Belt and Road cooperation project and a demonstration base for cross-border industrial capacity cooperation. The MCKIP, together with the China-Malaysia Qinzhou Industrial Park situated in China's southern Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, has set an innovative example of bilateral economic cooperation under the model of "Two Countries, Twin Parks."

"The development of MCKIP has generated high-paying jobs in various positions from management to production for locals in the area," he said.

In tandem with the MCKIP, Baidzawi said, the development and expansion of Kuantan Port in Pahang state has allowed products from the industrial park as well as other key Malaysian industries, particularly palm oil, rubber and other commodities, to benefit, having a direct outlet to the South China Sea, facilitating ease of trade with East Asia.

"With the full completion of the expansion, the throughput of Kuantan Port is expected to double from 26 million freight weight tonnes to 52 million freight weight tonnes. The increased port activities and expansion of cargo services will generate jobs for the locals in the shipping industry and business opportunities for local freight forwarders and logistic players," he said.

Commenting on the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), of which Malaysia was an early partner and remains strongly committed to, Baidzawi said the MCKIP is one of Malaysia's key projects under the initiative, which includes the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL).

"Its success speaks loudly of the strong cooperation between Malaysia and China. With the completion of ECRL, which is also a key project under the BRI, ECERDC expects a significant increase in the movement of goods and personnel to and from MCKIP via Kuantan Port and ECRL," he said. 
The mood should be celebratory, and it is. But perhaps the arrival of these public figures is as much about reassurance as it is about toasting a job well done.

I am part of a generation that as children thought bomb scares and military patrols were normal. For 25 years there has largely been an absence of war, and weve never taken it for granted. But I think we have the mistaken impression here that that absence is peace. If only it were peace, wed all be fine. But its not.

Stormont has been inactive for almost a year because one of the main parties has refused to take its seats; the terrorism threat level was recently raised to severe after an off-duty police officer was shot. The shooting was claimed by a dissident republican group called the New I.R.A. and paramilitaries are estimated to still have thousands of members operating like organized crime gangs and doling out what are colloquially known as punishment beatings, like bullets through kneecaps.

Peace in Northern Ireland is a matchstick tower, and recently there has been a shifting of the ground below.

One of the central tenets of the agreement was that the border between Northern Ireland  or the North of Ireland, depending on your political persuasion  and the Republic of Ireland would no longer be a hard border. What we mean by a hard border here can be characterized by its opposite  today, I really notice Ive crossed it only because the road signs change from miles to kilometers and my phone beeps to tell me that Ive changed countries. But throughout my childhood I crossed a hard border at least eight times a year to visit family in the South, in Cork. Back then, there were watchtowers and helicopters, the northern side was patrolled by the British Army, and soldiers with machine guns checked our passports. People have told me that they always felt the air on the border was taut; everyone was very aware of what a wrong word and a hair trigger could do.
NATIONAL

An article on Monday about Ukrainians who have become homeless despite a government resettlement program in the U.S. incorrectly described the work that Welcome.Us does with refugees from Afghanistan and Ukraine. Welcome.Us helps to match Ukrainian refugees with American sponsors, not Afghan refugees.

An article on Tuesday about right-wing medias split from Gov. Ron DeSantis incorrectly described the circumstances in which a publisher may be held liable for defamation under the Supreme Court precedent known as New York Times v. Sullivan. Publishers may be liable if an error is the result of recklessness, not negligence.

BUSINESS

An article on Thursday about two French business titans on Forbess richest list misstated the share of wealth held by the richest 10 percent of Frances population. According to the French statistics agency Insee, the richest 10 percent hold 47 percent of the countrys wealth, not almost 80 percent.

ARTS & LEISURE

An article on Page 15 this weekend about six Picasso exhibitions misstates the name of a Brooklyn Museum exhibition. The exhibition is called Its Pablo-matic: Picasso According to Hannah Gadsby, not Its Pablo-matic According to Hannah Gadsby. The article also misstates the end date of the exhibition. It runs through Sept. 24, not Aug. 24.
It may be the best art deal in town. The New York Academy of Art held its annual Tribeca Ball on April 4, where established collectors got to roam the art studios upstairs and buy work from 100 current students. Afterward, guests sat down for a filet mignon dinner that honored Amy Sherald, the figurative painter best known for her official portrait of Michelle Obama.

Student works were also on display at the Fashion Scholarship Funds annual gala, held the night before at the Glasshouse. The fund, which awards more than $1 million to young fashion students from diverse backgrounds, honored Anna Wintour and Emma Grede, a founding partner at Skims. Ms. Wintour dedicated her award to Virgil Abloh.
At least three California condors in northern Arizona have died since last month from bird flu, which could spread and pose yet another threat to the endangered species, the National Park Service said.

Officials are trying to determine whether the virus was the cause of death for five other condors. Five additional birds that were captured exhibited signs of the illness, the Park Service said.

The condor  a scavenger bird with a 9-foot wingspan  is an endangered species that has been protected by federal law since 1967 and by California state law since 1971.

Wildlife officials with the Peregrine Fund, which manages the Arizona-Utah condor flock, collected a dead female condor on March 20 that they first believed was sickened by lead poisoning.
WHY WERE HERE

Were exploring how America defines itself one place at a time. In a small village in northern New Mexico, some residents still speak the oldest Spanish dialect in the country.

April 9, 2023

Leer en espanol

QUESTA, N.M.  When the old regulars gather at Cynthia Rael-Vigils coffee shop in Questa, N.M., a village nestled in the snow-capped Sangre de Cristo Mountains, they sip lattes and lavender lemonade and gossip in Spanish.

Someone from Mexico City or Madrid sitting at the next table could be hard-pressed to follow their rare dialect. But Spanish speakers from four centuries ago might have recognized the unusual verb conjugations  if not the unorthodox pronunciations and words drawn from English and languages indigenous to North America.

For more than 400 years, these mountains have cradled a form of Spanish that today exists nowhere else on earth. Even after the absorption of their lands into the United States in the 19th century, generations of speakers somehow kept the dialect alive, through poetry and song and the everyday exchanges on the streets of Hispanic enclaves scattered throughout the region.
WASHINGTON  For more than a year, Ukrainian air defenses, reinforced by Western weaponry, have kept Russian planes at bay.

But without a huge influx of munitions, Ukraines entire air defense network, weakened by repeated barrages from Russian drones and missiles, could fracture, according to U.S. officials and newly leaked Pentagon documents, potentially allowing President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia to unleash his lethal fighter jets in ways that could change the course of the war.

In the early days of the invasion, Russian aircraft flew hundreds of combat flights to bomb targets in Ukraine. But a combination of quick thinking by Ukrainian commanders and poor intelligence and bad aim by Russian pilots left many of Ukraines warplanes and air defenses intact, preventing Moscow from gaining control of the skies above the battlefield and forcing Russia to keep much of its air force out of the fight.

Now Pentagon officials are worried that Moscows barrage of attacks from afar is draining Ukraines stores of the missiles it uses to defend itself. And a Pentagon assessment from late February contained in the trove of leaked documents that were discovered circulating online last week paints an even grimmer picture.
I felt that I had a certain responsibility  that if the reasons that I had articulated for 10 years no longer exist, then I had a responsibility to be honest with myself and be honest with other people about that, Mr. Berger said in an interview. And so I talked to my members, and I told them where I was  and why.

Ten states remain where Republicans have refused to expand Medicaid, most of them in the South, leaving an estimated 1.9 million uninsured adults in the so-called coverage gap. Too poor to qualify for subsidized private insurance through the Affordable Care Act but ineligible for traditional Medicaid, they are forced to get by with patchwork charity care or skip care altogether. They are disproportionately people of color.

Nationally, the coverage gap is expected to grow in the coming months because of the end of a pandemic-era policy that provided states with additional funding in exchange for guaranteeing that recipients of Medicaid would not lose their coverage.

Since 2017, voters in seven states  most recently South Dakota  have approved ballot measures to expand Medicaid, despite longstanding Republican objections. Now the question is whether North Carolina will be a turning point.

State Representative Donny Lambeth, a North Carolina Republican who pushed for Medicaid expansion, said Republican lawmakers in Tennessee had reached out to him, curious as to how we did this. Backers of expansion are looking toward Alabama, whose governor, Kay Ivey, a Republican, can act without legislative approval.
Last year, law students at Yale and the University of California Hastings College of the Law disrupted conservative speakers. In 2021, M.I.T. invited the geophysicist Dorian Abbot to give a prestigious lecture and then disinvited him after some faculty members and students argued that he had created harm by speaking out against aspects of affirmative action.

That same year, members of Stanfords chapter of the Federalist Society, the conservative legal organization, filed a complaint against a law student who had mocked the group with a satirical flier. The university briefly put the students graduation on hold but eventually said the flier was protected speech.

The question for Stanford and other institutions is whether the memo can ease tensions in this fraught and seemingly intractable political climate. In an era of high-pitched politics, living up to lofty free-speech principles can get messy on the ground.

Some free-speech advocates describe a delicate balancing act for any university, which must allow polarizing speakers a place at the podium while also allowing protesters to raise their voices in disagreement.

If things get out of hand, it can be hard to figure out when to draw the line and whom to blame.

In the middle of a media firestorm, enforcement can become even trickier. As criticism mounts, the actual events can become distorted, leaving out important details about the people and the buildup to events.
In the early 1970s, things looked grim for Indias tigers. A wild population estimated in the tens of thousands at the time of independence in 1947 had shrunk to around 1,800. The tigers decline also held worrying implications for the nations environment because the apex predator is part of a complex but fragile ecosystem. Something had to be done.

On Sunday, as India celebrated the 50th anniversary of an intensive conservation effort known as Project Tiger, there was success to report: The tiger population had nearly doubled in the decades since, to 3,167.

The results of the 2022 tiger census, the release of which was delayed because of Covid, showed an increase of about 200 since the last census, in 2018. While the growth was much less than the previous four-year cycle, it was still steady.

India is the largest tiger range country in the world, Narendra Modi, Indias prime minister, said in releasing the census after a 12-mile safari ride in the forests of the southern state of Karnataka. These are the results of our conservation culture and peoples involvement.
South Korea was aware of the news reports about the leaked documents and planned to discuss issues raised by the leak with Washington, a senior government official in Seoul told reporters on Sunday. When asked whether South Korea planned to lodge a protest or demand an explanation from Washington, he said the government would study precedents from the past and similar cases involving other nations.

A group of opposition lawmakers held a news conference in South Korea on Monday denouncing the United States for spying. They said the revelations included in the leaked documents may be just the tip of the iceberg, and strongly urged Washington to launch an investigation and ensure that similar acts did not happen again.

This is a clear violation of our sovereignty by the United States and a super-scale security breach on the South Korean part, they said in a statement.

Although U.S. officials have confirmed that the trove of leaked documents appear to be legitimate intelligence and operational briefs compiled by the Pentagons Joint Staff, at least one had been modified from the original at some point. And the apparent authenticity of the documents is not an indication of their accuracy.

The documents pertaining to South Korea showed a key American ally torn between Washingtons pressure on Seoul to help supply ammunition to Ukraine and its official policy of not providing lethal weapons to countries at war. Seoul feared that President Biden would call Mr. Yoon directly to press the matter.
LONDON, April 8 (Xinhua) -- The United States, Britain and Australia have been pressing ahead with nuclear submarine cooperation despite being widely questioned, which creates nuclear proliferation risks and undermines the international non-proliferation system, the Chinese Embassy in Britain has said.

In response to a question concerning the trilateral Australia-UK-U.S. (AUKUS) cooperation on nuclear submarines, the embassy said on Friday that such cooperation will exacerbate the resurgence of the Cold War mentality, trigger a new round of arms race, and further provoke regional security and military confrontation, seriously jeopardizing regional peace, stability and prosperity.

The Asia-Pacific is now the most dynamic and fastest growing region in the world, which hasn't come easily, the embassy said in a press release. "The AUKUS cooperation is designed to serve the U.S. geopolitical agenda to introduce group politics and Cold War confrontation into the Asia-Pacific with military deterrence. It is aimed at creating a NATO-replica in the Asia-Pacific, which runs counter to peace and stability in the region."

The AUKUS nuclear submarine cooperation marks the first time for nuclear weapon states to transfer naval nuclear propulsion reactors and weapons-grade highly enriched uranium to a non-nuclear weapon state, it noted.

As the current International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards system is incapable of ensuring effective safeguards, such cooperation poses serious nuclear proliferation risks, seriously compromises the authority of the IAEA, and deals a blow to the agency's safeguards system, the embassy said.

"If the three countries are set on advancing the cooperation, other countries will likely follow suit, eventually leading to the collapse of the international nuclear non-proliferation regime," it said.

China urges the three countries to heed the call of the international community and regional countries, discard the outdated zero-sum Cold War mentality and narrow geopolitical mindset, earnestly fulfil their international obligations and do more things that are conducive to regional peace, stability, unity and development, the embassy said.

"This serves the fundamental and long-term interests of regional countries as well as the three countries themselves," it said. "The UK is not a country in the region and it is unwise to overstretch itself." 
The giant robot arms and high-tech heaters at one of Europes largest ammunition plants have been whirring around the clock since the start of the war in Ukraine to produce more desperately needed 155-millimeter artillery shells. If all goes as planned, the factorys parent company, Nammo, will be turning out as many as 200,000 of the shells a year by 2028  up to 20 times its prewar production.

But those wont be nearly enough  nor will they come soon enough  at a time when Ukraines forces say they need an average of 250,000 155-millimeter shells each month to repel Russias advance. In fact, the combined output of all 11 of the factories that make the shells in Europe will still fall far short of meeting Ukraines desperate needs.

Its a problem that has reverberated across NATO nations, more than three decades after the end of the Cold War led many to pare military spending to the bone in favor of generous social welfare spending. And now, as even the United States is struggling to meet the demand for weapons systems and other materiel, officials and analysts increasingly question whether Europe will be able to expand production from its shrunken military-industrial sector enough to provide Ukraine the assistance it needs.
The seesaw fight for a sunflower field raged for weeks with neither Ukrainian nor Russian forces gaining an upper hand, but for Ukraines army, that counts as a win in the crucial battle for access roads into the city of Bakhmut.

Inside the battered eastern Ukrainian city, the site of one of the longest-running battles of Russias war in Ukraine, urban combat is raging in pitched, block-by-block fights for control. Here, Russian forces have been slowly advancing.

But in farm fields and villages on Bakhmuts outskirts, Ukrainian military officials say Kyivs forces have fought the Russian Army essentially to a standstill in the battle for two key roads, the T504 highway and a route known as the 506.

Six weeks after the start of a Ukrainian operation to reinforce supply lines outside Bakhmut and protect the roads, Ukrainian military officials say they have thwarted, at least for now, a Russian effort to sever those roads and surround the city.
A WOMAN from the Midlands who struck a man with a gin glass during a night out has escaped a conviction after admitted her role in the incident.

At Killaloe District Court sitting in Ennis, Judge Alec Gabbett said it was an unusual case for a lady to hit someone with a glass and the sense of violence seems extreme before viewing CCTV of the incident

In the case, Amy Delaney, aged 26, of Johnsboro, Mountrath, County Laois pleaded guilty to the assault causing harm of Kenneth Nealon (33) at around midnight on June 13, 2021. The offence happened at Flanagans Restaurant, Ballina, County Tipperary.

Solicitor for Ms Delaney, John Casey told the court that the impact of those minutes of madness will impact on Ms Delaney forever.

Ms Delaney escaped a conviction after she paid 1,000 compensation to Mr Nealon who required three surgical clips to be put in place as he suffered a 2cm laceration above his left ear.

Judge Gabbett said: I accept the 1,000 compensation and I strike out the matter.... There is no party without fault here.

After viewing CCTV of the incident, Judge Gabbett commented: Another aspect notable from CCTV, irrespective of being struck with a glass, is that the injured party took off after Ms Delaney with fists flying - it says a lot.

Mr Casey said that there was a level of provocation before the assault took place.

Mr Casey said: I am not dumping down on the injured party. Ms Delaney shouldnt have done what she did and she regrets and she apologises for it, but the vitriol and abuse that she suffered from the injured party that night was horrific.

Mr Casey said that Ms Delaney and her sister were on a night out and were approached by the injured party and it started off jovial enough.

He added: For whatever reason, he got extremely aggressive - he just started screaming obscenities in relation to their weight, how they were dressed and that they were ugly.

Mr Casey said: They were trying to get away. The sister of Amy Delaney was pushed and she intervened and tried to get her sister up.

The solicitor asked the court to note that his client didnt pick up the glass but had it in her hand all the time before she struck Mr Nealon with it.

Mr Casey said that it was a big ask not to impose a conviction on Ms Delaney but a conviction could impact on Ms Delaneys job prospects here.

He said Ms Delaney - who currently lives in England - has no previous convictions and has never had any dealings with the gardai or the courts.

Sergeant Aiden Lonergan stated that Mr Nealon of Hampsted Park, Shannon Banks, Corbally, Limerick is facing an assault charge from the incident. He is contesting the charge and the case is due to be heard at a later date.

Sgt Lonergan said that in relation to Ms Delaneys case, Mr Nealon didnt wish to provide a victim impact statement and just wants the matter finalised.

Mr Nealon wasn't in court but employed a solicitor to be present to keep a watching brief in the case.

Sgt Lonergan stated that according to Ms Delaney, there had been interaction between Ms Delaney and Mr Nealon in an outdoor area of the pub on the night.

A drink had been spilt, there has been a conservation as to whether there would be an apology or not and an altercation took place between the man and female, he said.
Give full majority to PM Modi in 2024, rioters will be hung upside down: Shah in Bihar

5 more arrested by police in connection with Ram Navami violence at Bihar Sharif

India

oi-PTI

Bihar Police on Sunday arrested five more people in connection with its probe into the communal violence that erupted in Bihar Sharif town in Nalanda district during the Ram Navami festivities.

Fresh arrests have been made by the Economic Offences Unit (EOU) of the Bihar Police.

Two more accused, involved in some other cases and also wanted by the EOU in Nalanda communal clashes cases, surrendered before the police on Sunday. The EOU will now seek their custody. EOU sleuths are also probing association, if any, of the surrendered accused with some particular outfit.

"Investigations by the EOU have revealed that the accused had created a WhatsApp group and through that they were spreading hatred among people against different communities. Accused were also instigating people to indulge in spreading fake video messages against different communities. The EOU has also recovered five mobile phones from their possession that are being further scrutinized", JS Gangwar, Additional Director General (ADG) of Bihar Police (Headquarters), told reporters here on Sunday.

The EOU is also conducting it's separate investigation to nab those who were indulging in spreading fake videos and messages by using different social media platforms during communal tensions in Nalanda and Sasaram, he said, adding the EOU registered it's first FIR against 15 people on April 8. All five arrested persons are named accused.

"Investigators are examining credentials of all members of this group. More arrests are likely to be made by the police in the coming days", said the ADG.

Normalcy has already been restored in both towns Nalanda and Sasaram and the situation is completely under control, he said, adding that officials are also examining CCTV footage to identify the culprits. Besides, police are keeping a close watch on social media to stop rumour-mongering, he added.

"Bihar Police have so far registered a total of 20 FIRs, including the latest case registered by the EOU-to probe communal clashes in Nalanda and Sasaram...and more than 200 people have already been arrested", the ADG said.

Fearing attachment of their properties, several accused of communal violence have started surrendering before the police, said another senior officer of the Bihar Police on the condition of anonymity.

Communal tension had flared up at Sasaram and Nalanda during Ramnavami celebrations. In Biharsharif, over a dozen people were injured in stone-pelting and firing by miscreants and about 10 shops were gutted. One person died following the violence.

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Story first published: Sunday, April 9, 2023, 22:38 [IST]
'Are you now trying to steal Nandini from us?,' Siddaramaiah asks PM Modi

India

pti-PTI

Continuing his offensive against the ruling BJP, after Amul announced its plans to sell milk and curd in the Bengaluru market, Senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah on Sunday tweeted asking Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was visiting Karnataka on Sunday, whether the purpose of his visit was "to loot the state".

Alleging that the State's milk production had been affected since the day Union Cooperative Minister Amit Shah spoke about the possibility of merging the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) with Amul, the former Chief Minister in a series of tweets asked the Prime Minister what his role had been in this.

Amul's move is being seen by many, especially opposition parties, as a threat to KMF's famed dairy brand 'Nandini'. They also see it as an attempt to trample upon KMF, amid a narrative around its merger with Amul.

"Is your purpose of coming to Karnataka to give to Karnataka or to loot from Karnataka? You have already stolen banks, ports and airports from Kannadigas. Are you now trying to steal Nandini (KMF) from us?" Siddaramaiah asked.

"It was Gujarat's Baroda Bank that subsumed our Vijaya Bank. Ports and Airports were handed over to Gujarat's Adani. Now, Amul from Gujarat is planning to eat our KMF (Nandini). Mr Narendra Modi, Are we the enemies for Gujaratis?"

Instead of giving 2 crore jobs a year to youths, Narendra Modi took away the jobs of Kannadigas from our banks, ports and airports, he further said, adding that "Now Karnataka BJP wants to hurt the prospects of our farmers by giving KMF to Amul."

Modi was in Mysuru and Chamarajanagara districts to attend an event commemorating 50 years of 'Project Tiger'.

The attacks from Siddaramaiah came despite Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Saturday clarifying in this regard. Calling 'Nandini' the pride of Karnataka, and stating that his government had taken all kinds of measures to make it number one at the national level, Bommai said, "Nandini's market reach is wide, there is no need to fear Amul."

Congress politicising everything is not in the interest of the state, he had said. "We are also going to other states and marketing....we will do all that is required to put Amul behind in the competition."

State Cooperation Minister S T Somashekar on Sunday reiterated that there was no proposal to merge KMF with Amul. "If Amul sells milk online at Rs 57 per litre, we sell it at Rs 39. We are sending our products to Tamil Nadu and other states," he said, adding that it was impossible to erase the Nandini brand.

State BJP General Secretary C N Ashwathnarayan criticised former Chief Ministers Siddaramaiah of Congress and H D Kumaraswamy of JDS for making "irresponsible statements" on the issue.

Stating that it was clear that Amul was trying to indulge in unnecessary competition with KMF and was planning to trample Nandini day by day, Kumaraswamy had said "Unhealthy competition between well-known sister organisations in the cooperative sector is not in anyone's interest. KMF directly buys milk from farmers through cooperative societies in thousands of villages in the state."
50 years of Project Tiger: PM Modi to release new data on Tiger count in India

Now you can spot two white tigers in Delhi zoo: Watch

Bandipur National Park turns safe haven for tigers

India

oi-Deepika S

Bandipur National Park has evolved as world's top tiger habitat, thanks to Project Tiger, a national project dedicated entirely to the protection and conservation of the big cat.

Located amidst the picturesque surroundings of the towering Western Ghats on the Mysuru-Ooty highway in Karnataka, Bandipur is an important part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve that constitutes Karnataka's Rajiv Gandhi National Park (Nagarahole) to its Northwest, Tamil Nadu's Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary to its South, and Kerala's Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary to its Southwest.

Once the private hunting grounds of the erstwhile Maharajas, and nestled in the foothills of the Nilgiris, Bandipur has had a long tryst with tigers.

One of the thirty reserves identified across the country to save the Tiger and its habitat, it's also one of the last refuges of the endangered Asiatic wild elephant, according to the state Tourism department.

According to the state forest department, the National Park was formed by including most of the forest areas of the then Venugopala Wildlife Park established under the government notification dated February 19, 1941 and the area was enlarged in 1985 extending over an area of 874.20 Sq.Km and named as Bandipur National Park.

This reserve was brought under 'Project Tiger' in 1973. Subsequently, some adjacent reserve forest areas were added to the reserve extending to 880.02 Sq. Km. The present area under the control of Bandipur Tiger Reserve is 912.04 Sq. Km. An area of 39.80 sq km of KFDC (Karnataka Forest Development Corporation) plantation area was handed over to this division during 2007-08.

During 2010-11, the Nugu Wildlife Sanctuary was handed over to the Wildlife Division, Mysuru, the department said.

There were 12 tigers in Bandipur when Project Tiger was launched, but thanks to protection measures, the number of tigers utilising the park is 173.

Apart from the two famed residents (tigers and elephants), a number of other endangered species such as sloth bears, gaurs, Indian rock pythons, jackals, muggers, and four-horned antelopes can be spotted in this national park.

Over 200 species of birds and a diversity of flora add to its attraction. Bandipur also supports a wide range of timber trees including teak, rosewood, sandalwood, Indian-laurel, Indian Kino tree, giant clumping bamboo.
Over 100 cr people have listened to PM's 'Mann Ki Baat' at least once

BJP's CEC meeting ends; first list of candidates to be out in a day or two

India

oi-Prakash KL

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP National President JP Nadda and many other top leaders attended the party's Central Election Committee meeting on Sunday to finalise its candidates for the upcoming Karnataka assembly polls.

After the end of the meeting, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavraj Bommai said that the party will announce the list of candidates for the assembly polls in a day or two, ANI reported.

CM Bommai also announced that he is contesting from the Shiggaon constituency.

Talking to the media persons, Basavraj Bommai said, "We discussed the overall list for the Karnataka elections and probably we will sit again tomorrow. The list will be announced tomorrow or the day after that. I am contesting from the Shiggaon constituency".

The single-phase elections are scheduled for May 10.

Union minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and other members of the CEC were joined by senior party leaders, including Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, as they deliberated on the names of probable candidates.

The BJP, which aims to come back to power again in the southern state, has set a target of winning at least 150 of the 224 seats.

The party's main rival is the Congress which has also expressed confidence about coming back to power in the state.

The core group of the BJP in Karnataka have shortlisted three names for each Assembly seat, which are being placed before the Central Election Committee, sources informed news agency ANI.

On April 4, the BJP's core group in Karnataka drew up a shortlist of candidates in a meeting with the party's national general secretary Arun Singh, state election in-charge Dharmendra Pradhan, co-in-charge Mansukh Mandaviya, Central Election Committee member Annamalai, former chief minister Yediyurappa and his successor and incumbent Basavaraj Bommai.
AMMAN, April 8 (Xinhua) -- The Jordanian armed forces said in a statement on Saturday that a rocket exploded in the air over Jordanian territories near the border with Syria, and no injuries were reported.

The army said around 10:25 p.m. local time (GMT 1925) on Saturday, a rocket exploded in the air over Wadi Aqraba Valley in Irbid governorate, which led to its shrapnel falling on the ground in the same area.

The army said no loss of lives or properties was reported, adding that the Royal Engineering Corps' teams headed to the site to deal with the incident.

The army added that they are closely following up on the situation in the area. 
Active Covid cases up 433% in Delhi since March 30: Official data

Current COVID strain mild, SII has produced five to six million Covovax doses: Adar Poonawalla

Covid-19: Maharashtra reports 788 new cases, Delhi registers 4 deaths

India

oi-Prakash KL

New Delhi and Maharashtra on Sunday reported 699 and 788 new Covid-19 cases, respectively.

The health bulletien released by authorities in Delhi said that it logged 699 fresh COVID-19 cases with a positivity rate of 21.15 per cent. However, four people suffering from COVID-19 died in the city, but the health bulletin stated that coronavirus was the primary cause of death in just one case.

With the fresh cases, Delhi's COVID-19 tally has risen to 20,14,637. The death toll stands at 26,540, the bulletin stated.

On the other hand, the single-day count of COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra went up by 246 in the last 24 hours to reach 788 on Sunday with one fatality, as per state health department data.

The new additions raised the cumulative tally of the cases in the state to 81,49,929 and the death toll to 1,48,459.

Delhi saw 535 COVID-19 cases on Saturday with a positivity rate of 23.05 per cent.

The capital logged 733 cases - the highest in more than seven months - on Friday with a positivity rate of 19.93 per cent.

On Thursday, 606 cases were recorded with a positivity rate of 16.98 per cent, and one fatality.

On Wednesday, Delhi added 509 cases with a positivity rate of 26.54 per cent, the highest in nearly 15 months. In January last year, the positivity rate had touched the 30-per cent mark.

According to the bulletin, 3,305 COVID-19 tests were conducted in Delhi on Saturday.

Whereas Maharashtra reported 926 COVID-19 cases and three fatalities on Friday and 542 on Saturday.

Mumbai city recorded 211 fresh cases on Sunday, making it the sixth consecutive day that the city saw 200 plus infections.

The sole fatality due to COVID-19-related complications was reported from Ratnagiri district under the Kolhapur circle, a health department official said.

With 560 patients recovering from coronavirus infection in the last 24 hours, the overall count of recoveries rose to 79,96,883, leaving the state with 4,587 active cases, a health department bulletin said.

The COVID-19 fatality rate in Maharashtra stands at 1.82 per cent, while the recovery rate is at 98.12 per cent.

As many as 10,059 swab samples were tested in the state in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of tests conducted so far to 8,67,04,363, the bulletin stated.

With inputs from PTI
'His logic can be understood': Tharoor on Pawar's views on JPC over Adani row

India

oi-Prakash KL

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Sunday responded to NCP chief Sharad Pawar's views on a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the Hindenburg-Adani row, saying his "logic can be understood."

"His (Sharad Pawar) logic can be understood because the rule for constituting a JPC is that the ruling party will be part of it, and above 50 per cent of members in the JPC will be from the NDA, if one is formed. But we still want the Opposition to ask questions and seek answers and evidence through the JPC," ANI quoted Tharoor as saying in Bengaluru.

However, he pointed out that the NCP stood by the opposition parties which demanded a JPC probe into the Adani row. "But we still want the Opposition to ask questions and seek answers and evidence through the JPC. The NCP stood with us in the Parliament and during our protest march to Vijay Chowk," he added.

In an interview, Pawar came out in support of the Adani Group and criticised the narrative around Hindenburg Research's report on the conglomerate.

"Such statements were given by other individuals earlier too and there was a ruckus in Parliament for a few days but this time out-of-proportion importance was given to the issue," he said.

"The issues that were kept, who kept them, we had never heard of these people who gave the statement, what is the background. When they raise issues that cause a ruckus across the country, the cost is borne by the country's economy, we cannot disregard these things. It seems this was targeted," Pawar had said.

On Saturday, the NCP supremo said if a JPC has 21 members, 15 will be from the ruling party and six from the opposition due to numerical strength in Parliament, which will create doubts on the panel.

He said the apex court decided to appoint a panel of retired Supreme Court judges with a direction of submitting the report in a specific time period.

"I am not completely opposed to the JPC...there have been JPCs and I have been a chairman of some of the JPCs. The JPC will be constituted on the basis of majority (in Parliament). Instead of a JPC, I am of the opinion the Supreme Court committee is more useful and effective," Pawar said.

The NCP chief also said he was not aware of the antecedents of United States-based Hindenburg Research, which has alleged stock manipulation and accounting fraud in firms belonging to billionaire Gautam Adani.

"One foreign company takes a position about the situation in the country. We should decide how much focus should be on this. Instead of this (JPC), a Supreme Court panel is more effective," Pawar added.

With inputs from agencies
50 years of Project Tiger: PM Modi to release new data on Tiger count in India

Now you can spot two white tigers in Delhi zoo: Watch

How are tigers counted in India?

India

oi-Deepika S

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will release the much-awaited tiger census data at a mega event in Mysuru on Sunday to commemorate the 50th anniversary of "Project Tiger".

During 'Amrit Kaal,' he will also release the government's vision for tiger conservation and also launch the International Big Cats Alliance (IBCA). Furthermore, the Prime Minister will also launch a commemorative Rs 50 coin in honour of the project.

India launched Project Tiger on 1 April 1973 a concerted effort toward saving the big cat, which had been facing extinction at the time. Initially, it covered nine tiger reserves spread over 18,278 sq km. At present, there are 53 tiger reserves spanning more than 75,000 sq km (approximately 2.4 per cent of the country's geographical area).

Over the last 50 years, their numbers have gone up thanks to concentrated efforts under the 'Project Tiger'. India now has around 3,000 tigers, more than 70 per cent of the global wild tiger population, and the number is increasing at a rate of 6 per cent per year.

How are tigers counted in India?

From dense jungles to the Himalayas, tigers are an elusive species and is not an easy process to count the Tiger number.

In 1973, when the first Tiger census was conducted forest staff would use glass and butter paper to track tiger pugmarks. Every tiger has a unique and individual footprint like human fingerprints that helps in tracking. Over the years the practice evolved into a statistical method of counting.

For the tiger survey, India is divided into five zones, namely the Gangetic Plains, Central India and Eastern Ghats, Western Ghats, North Eastern Hills and Brahmaputra Flood Plains, and Sundarbans.

According to National Tiger Conservation Authority, the Tiger census is conducted using a double sampling approach to estimate the distribution and abundance of tigers in India. The first component of the double sampling consists of ground surveys of all potential tiger bearing forests in 18 States wherein the following information is collected by the State Forest Department personnel:

 Ground surveys for determining occupancy of habitat patches by tigers and other predators

 Line transects to estimate prey abundance

 Sampling plots on the line transects to assess

 Habitat characteristics

 Human impacts and

 Prey dung density.

Alongwith the information generated by the ground surveys, latest remotely sensed data on (a) landscape characteristics, (b) human "foot-print", and (c) habitat attributes are subsequently used to model tiger occupancy and abundance.

The second component of the double sampling consists of (a) scientifically rigorous abundance estimation in select sampling units using a remote camera trap based capture recapture technique for estimating tiger and other carnivore abundance and (b) line transect based Distance sampling for estimating prey abundance.

Remote camera trap photography is the most extensively used method to identify the tigers across the length and breadth of the parks. It involves photographing individual tigers who uniquely identifiable by their stripe patterns -- just like pugmarks, tigers have unique stripe marks on their body that help in identifying individuals.

In total, the camera traps captured 34,858,623 photographs of wildlife (76,651 of which were tigers and 51,777 were leopards; the remainder were other native fauna). From these photographs, 2,461 individual tigers (excluding cubs) were identified using stripe-pattern-recognition software.

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Story first published: Sunday, April 9, 2023, 8:16 [IST]
Now, India is home to 75% of world tigers

India

oi-Deepika S

As India celebrates the 50th anniversary of Project Tiger, PM Modi on Sunday released the findings of the All India Tiger Estimation, 2022. According to the latest figures, India has 3,167 tigers, more than 75 per cent of wild tigers that world inhabits.

The number reflects a 6.74 per cent increase over 2018 when there were 2,967 tigers in the country.

According to the data, the tiger population stood at 1,411 in 2006, 1,706 in 2010, 2,226 in 2014, 2,967 in 2018 and 3,167 in 2022.

Releasing the census report, PM Modi said "the success of 'Project Tiger' is a matter of pride not only for India, but for whole world."

The Prime Minister emphasised that India has not only saved the tiger population from declining but also provided an ecosystem where tigers can flourish. The Prime Minister expressed happiness that India is home to 75 per cent of the world's tiger population in the 75th year of Indian independence.

Reiterating the question in the minds of wildlife enthusiasts around the world about the increasing tiger population in India when compared to other countries where it is either stagnant or in decline, the Prime Minister said that the answer is hidden among the traditions and culture of India and its natural urge towards biodiversity and environment.

"India does not believe in the conflict between ecology and economy, and gives equal importance to the coexistence of both", the Prime Minister remarked.

Recalling the importance of tigers in the history of India, the Prime Minister mentioned that graphical representations of tigers were found on the ten-thousand-year-old rock art in Madhya Pradesh.

He also added that the Bharia community from Central India and Worli community from Maharashtra among others worship the tiger whereas many communities in India consider the tiger as a friend and brother. He further added that Maa Durga and Lord Aiyappa ride the tiger.

Noting India's unique achievements in wildlife conservation, the Prime Minister said, "India is a country where protecting nature is a part of the culture". He mentioned that India has only 2.4 percent of the world's land area but it contributes toward 8 percent to known global biodiversity.

He stated that India is the largest tiger range country in the world, the largest Asiatic elephant range country in the world with nearly thirty thousand elephants, and also the largest single-horn rhino country with a population of nearly three thousand.

He further added that India is the only country in the world to have Asiatic lions and its population has increased from around 525 in 2015 to around 675 in 2020. He also touched upon India's leopard population and stated that it increased by over 60 percent in 4 years.

Referring to the work being done to clean up rivers such as the Ganga, the Prime Minister highlighted that some aquatic species that were once considered to be in danger have shown improvement. He credited the people's participation and a culture of conservation for these achievements.

"It is important for ecosystems to thrive for the wildlife to thrive", the Prime Minister remarked as he noted the work done in India. He mentioned that the country added 11 wetlands to its list of Ramsar sites taking the total number of Ramsar Sites to 75.

He also noted that India added over 2200 square kilometers of forest and tree cover by 2021 when compared to 2019. In the last decade, the Prime Minister said, the number of Community Reserves increased from 43 to over 100 and the number of National Parks and sanctuaries around which Eco-sensitive Zones were notified increased from 9 to 468, that too in a decade.

Recalling his experience in wildlife conservation as the Chief Minister of Gujarat, the Prime Minister mentioned working for the lion population and emphasized that limiting to one geographical area cannot save a wild animal. He stressed the need to create a relationship of emotion as well as of economy between the local people and the animal.

The Prime Minister highlighted starting the Wildlife Mitra program in Gujarat where the incentive of cash reward was offered to monitor activities like hunting. He also mentioned opening a rehabilitation center for the Lions of Gir and recruiting women-beat guards and foresters in the Forest Department in Gir area. He also highlighted the huge ecosystem of tourism and ecotourism that has now been established in Gir.

The Prime Minister reiterated that the success of Project Tiger has many dimensions and it has led to an increase in tourist activity, awareness programs and a reduction in Man-Animal conflicts in Tiger Reserves.

"The presence of big cats has made a positive impact on the lives and ecology of the local people everywhere", PM Modi added.

Highlighting that the cheetah became extinct in India decades ago, the Prime Minister mentioned the first successful trans-continental translocation of a big cat referring to the cheetahs that have been brought to India from Namibia and South Africa.

He recalled that 4 beautiful cheetah cubs have been born in Kuno National Park a few days ago. And said that the cheetah has taken birth on the land of India after becoming extinct about 75 years ago. He stressed the importance of international cooperation for the protection and prosperity of biodiversity.

"Wildlife protection is not a one-country issue but a universal one", the Prime Minister said, stressing the need for an International Alliance. He informed that in the year 2019, the Prime Minister had called for an alliance against poaching and illegal wildlife trade in Asia on Global Tiger Day, and remarked that the International Big Cat Alliance is an extension of this spirit. Noting its benefits, the Prime Minister said that it will be easy to mobilize financial and technical resources for the entire ecosystem associated with the big cat while easily implementing the conservation and protection agenda that has emerged from the experiences of various countries including India.

"The focus of the International big cat alliance will be on the conservation of the world's 7 major big cats including tiger, lion, leopard, snow leopard, puma, jaguar and cheetah", the Prime Minister remarked and explained that countries that are home to these cats will be a part of this alliance. He further elaborated that the member countries will be able to share their experiences, help their fellow country more quickly, and lay emphasis on research, training and capacity building. "Together we will save these species from extinction, and create a safe and healthy ecosystem", PM Modi remarked.
Nitish Kumar attends Iftar party hosted by Tejashwi Yadav

India

pti-PTI

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar gave his VIP cavalcade a miss on Sunday evening when he sauntered a few hundred metres to attend the 'Iftar' party hosted by his deputy Tejashwi Yadav.

The march towards 10, Circular Road, reminded people of a similar sight a year ago when Kumar's visit to the house allotted to his predecessor in power Rabri Devi, who is Yadavs mother, had given an inkling of the political cataclysm the JD(U) supremo was set to trigger in a few months.

Now, firmly in the 'Mahagathbandhan', Kumar reached the venue smilingly, flanked on either side by confidants Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan, the JD(U)s national president, and Vijay Kumar Chaudhary, a minister known to be the 'trouble shooter' of his boss.

The young Deputy CM, who was donning a 'Pathan' suit, welcomed the visitors with bouquets of flowers and placed skullcaps on their heads, a practice followed by practitioners of 'secular' politics in Bihar, which the BJP, their natural opponent, has always been all too happy to denounce as an alleged gesture of 'appeasement'.

As Kumar and his loyalists took their seats, beside hosts Yadav and Rabri Devi, there was a sudden wave of excitement upon the arrival of Chirag Paswan, who has earned the reputation of being the chief minister's most venomous detractor. Those not familiar with Bihar politicos ability to keep personal relationships and political rivalries apart, watched agape as the LJP (Ram Vilas) chief touched the feet of the septuagenarian, an old associate of his late father Ram Vilas Paswan.

"I have family relations with Lalu Prasad (RJD supremo) and his family, so I come here every year. My differences with Nitish Kumar are policy-based and not personality-based", Paswan told reporters afterwards.

The Jamui MP, who has in the past accused Kumar of disrespecting his late father during his lifetime, remains a politically ambivalent figure despite his open admiration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and, in a few recent assembly by-polls, having canvassed for the BJP.

When Union Home Minister Amit Shah recently expressed hopes of BJP winning "all 40 Lok Sabha seats", it was portrayed in a section of the media as the indication that the national party may not give much weightage to allies in the state where it is pitted against the seven-party 'Mahagathbandhan'.

When Paswan was asked about Shah's contention, he replied with trademark nonchalance "my party, too, is preparing for all the 40 seats. How many we will actually fight will be decided later on".

The young leaders bravado seems to have riled his uncle Pashupati Kumar Paras, who remains miffed at having lost the limelight to the nephew, despite proclamations of being the real political heir of late Paswan.

"Do not call Chirag my 'bhateeja' (nephew). The blood flowing in our veins is not the same. My party remains a firm ally of the NDA", snapped Paras, who had revolted against his nephew in 2021, splitting the Lok Janshakti Party, and winning a berth in the Union cabinet later on.

Paras was asked about Chirag Paswan's political trajectory at a press conference where he had sought to showcase his own achievements, in the last couple of years, as the Minister for Food Processing Industries.

Meanwhile, for 33 years old Yadav, the optics at the 'Iftaar' served as an opportunity to assert that young age notwithstanding, he was bracing for the long haul and one whom political players of different hues took seriously.

Others who turned up at the feast hosted by the Deputy CM included state Congress president Akhilesh Prasad Singh, former Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi and Jan Adhikar Party founder Pappu Yadav.
People should be aware of academic qualification of PM Modi: Sanjay Raut

Few may quit NCP under ressure, but not Ajit: Raut after meeting Pawar

Opposition firm on demand for probe into Adani companies: Sanjay Raut

India

pti-PTI

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Sunday said the "united opposition" feels a probe into the Adani group companies is necessary and his party is in support of such a demand.

Talking to reporters, Raut said he does not wish to get involved in the differences between the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party over the nature of the investigation.

"The united opposition feels a probe is necessary into the Adani companies and the Shiv Sena (UBT) is part of it (opposition),'' he said .

A probe monitored by the Supreme Court and an inquiry by a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) can be done together, the Rajya Sabha member said.

Raut said industrialists should be supported, but not corruption.

Notably, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar had in an interview to NDTV on Friday said the inquiry committee appointed by the Supreme Court following allegations of stock manipulation levelled against the Adani group by US-based Hindenburg Research would be more useful.

In a JPC, the ruling party (BJP) will have a majority, said Pawar, whose party is an ally of the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress in Maharashtra.

Raut said, "Pawar hasn't opposed an inquiry against Adani. The issue is whether it should the JPC or a Supreme Court-monitored probe.''

Hitting out at Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Raut claimed the CM and the other Shiv Sena leaders who rebelled against Uddhav Thackeray were planning to do so even when Prithviraj Chavan (of Congress) was the chief minister.

"These people had met (Congress leader) Ahmed Patel in Delhi,'' he further claimed.

Chavan served the chief minister of Maharashtra between November 2010 and September 2014.

Raut said Sharad Pawar should take a stand on opposition leaders being targeted by the Modi government.

''(Gautam) Adani is targeted because he is very close to Modi and his wealth has increased because of his closeness to the prime minister,'' Raut claimed.

Asked about CM Shinde's current visit to Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh, Raut claimed the Maharashtra government has left the state farmers in the lurch and its leaders are on a "religious tourism".

In the last 72 hours, hailstorm and unseasonal rains in several parts of the state have damaged crops. The government had said it will provide relief to farmers after the budget session, the Sena (UBT) leader said.

''This government is indulging in politics over Ayodhya. Lord Ram, who is against falsehood, will never bless them. I only hope God gives them good sense,'' he said.
Over 100 cr people have listened to PM's 'Mann Ki Baat' at least once

In Pics: PM enjoys Safari ride at Bandipur Tiger Reserve in Karnataka

India

oi-Deepika S

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday enjoyed a safari at the Bandipur Tiger Reserve in Karnataka on Sunday, as part of programmes to mark 50 years of 'Project Tiger'. He is the first PM to visit Bandipur tiger reserve, which ranks among top tiger sanctuaries in India.

PM Modi stunned in a black hat, Khaki pants, a camouflage t-shirt, black shoes and an adventure gilet sleeveless jacket during his 20-km long safari at the Bandipur National Park.

"Spent the morning at the scenic Bandipur Tiger Reserve and got a glimpse of India's wildlife, natural beauty and diversity," tweeted PM Modi.

The Tiger Reserve is located partly in Gundlupet taluk of Chamarajanagar district and partly in H.D.Kote and Nanjangud taluks of Mysuru District.

According to the state forest department, the National Park was formed by including most of the forest areas of the then Venugopala Wildlife Park established under the government notification dated February 19, 1941 and the area was enlarged in 1985 extending over an area of 874.20 Sq.Km and named as Bandipur National Park.

This reserve was brought under 'Project Tiger' in 1973. Subsequently, some adjacent reserve forest areas were added to the reserve extending to 880.02 Sq. Km. The present area under the control of Bandipur Tiger Reserve is 912.04 Sq. Km. An area of 39.80 sq km of KFDC (Karnataka Forest Development Corporation) plantation area was handed over to this division during 2007-08. During 2010-11, the Nugu Wildlife Sanctuary was handed over to the Wildlife Division, Mysuru, the department said.

Located amidst the picturesque surroundings of the towering Western Ghats on the Mysuru-Ooty highway in Karnataka, it is an important part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve that constitutes Karnataka's Rajiv Gandhi National Park (Nagarahole) to its Northwest, Tamil Nadu's Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary to its South, and Kerala's Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary to its Southwest.

Once the private hunting grounds of the erstwhile Maharajas, and nestled in the foothills of the Nilgiris, Bandipur has had a long tryst with tigers.

This is Prime Minister's 8th visit to Karnataka this year and he is expected to visit often till the polling date which is on May 10.
Over 100 cr people have listened to PM's 'Mann Ki Baat' at least once

PM visits church on Easter; hope his followers get message of harmony, says NCP

India

oi-Prakash KL

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Sacred Heart Cathedral Church on Sunday on the occasion of Easter.

The Prime Minister was welcomed at the church with priests greeting him on the holy day. PM Modi later joined them as they offered prayers.

The Prime Minister planted a tree on the premises. After the visit, he tweeted, "Today, on the very special occasion of Easter, I had the opportunity to visit the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Delhi. I also met spiritual leaders from the Christian community."

He lit a candle before the statue of Jesus Christ in the cathedral.

"Happy Easter! May this special occasion deepen the spirit of harmony in our society. May it inspire people to serve society and help empower the downtrodden. We remember the pious thoughts of Lord Christ on this day," the Prime Minister tweeted earlier in the day.

His visit to the church holds political significance as the BJP is trying to woo Christians.

Of late, he has been underlining the minority community's growing connect with the BJP by citing the party's poll successes in Goa and recently, in the two northeastern states of Nagaland and Meghalaya.

These states have a large Christian population. He has underscored his government's commitment to the mottos of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas' and development for all without any discrimination.

The BJP is looking for support from the community in Kerala, the state with their largest population in the country, as it works to make a fresh headway there after tasting little success in previous elections. The party's leaders in the state also met with community leaders on Sunday.

It has to be noted that days ago Anil Antony, son of senior Kerala Congress leader AK Antony, a Christian, joined the BJP after quitting the Congress in January.

Meanwhile, the NCP said it was heartwarming to see Prime Minister Narendra Modi visiting a church and the party hopes it was a message to his followers to live in harmony with all minority communities.

"Hope it is a message to his followers to live in peace and harmony with the Catholic community and all minority communities in India," Crasto said.
Milk collection in Rajasthan reduced by 3 to 4 lakh litre per day due to lumpy skin disease

Parag Milk Foods is now available in five major cities

Milk gets costlier as Amul hikes prices by Rs 2 per litre; Check new rates here

Setback for Amul, Bengaluru hoteliers choose Nandini to 'support farmers'

India

oi-Deepika S

In a setback for Gujarat-based dairy giant Amul, the Bruhat Bengaluru Hotels Association has decided to use only Nandini milk to "support the state's (dairy) farmers".

The development comes amid a political slugfest over Amul's announcement of foraying into the Bengaluru dairy market.

Issuing a statement, the Bruhat Bengaluru Hotels Association, without naming Amul, said Kannadigas should only promote Nandini milk products.

"We are all proud of Karnataka's Nandini milk produced by our farmers and it should be encouraged. In our city, clean and delicious coffee stands as the backbone of snacks. And we encourage it with great pride. It is being heard that milk from other states is being shipped to Karnataka recently. We are all Nandini," read a statement from Bruhat Bengaluru Hotels Association.

"Hashtags like #SaveNandini and #GobackAmul are trending on Twitter ever since the controversy surfaced in Karnataka."

The debate triggered after Gujarat-based cooperative society Amul announced about its foray into Bengaluru.

"A new wave of freshness with milk and curd is coming to Bengaluru. More information coming soon. #LaunchAlert. From Kengeri to Whitefield, wishing everyone a Taaza day."

In another tweet, the dairy brand said, "The #Amul family is bringing in some Taaza into #Bengaluru city. More updates coming in soon. #LaunchAlert. Taaza arriving soon in Bengaluru." While the opposition parties have charged that the BJP government was out to finish Nandini, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said the government is clear on the issue of Amul.

Accusing Congress of politicising Amul's entry to Karnataka, Bommai said: "We have absolute clarity with regard to Amul. Nandini is a national brand. It's not restricted to Karnataka. We have popularised Nandini as a brand in other states as well." He added that not only has milk production increased in the state but incentives have also been given to the milk producers.

The Chief Minister stressed that several major dairies of KMF in the state have been established during BJP rule.

"Production and number of products have increased. There is a market too (for Nandini products). Hence, Nandini will become a number one brand in some days," Bommai said. The Chief Minister said the state is selling Nandini in other states as well.

"There is no need to be afraid of Amul. Our Nandini is an established brand. We will take all the steps to give Amul a tough competition," he pointed out.

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Story first published: Sunday, April 9, 2023, 10:14 [IST]
Some remain illiterate despite being educated in IIT: LG on Kejriwal targeting PM Modi over degree

India

pti-PTI

In a dig at Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena on Sunday said that one should not be boastful about one's degree and some people remain illiterate despite being educated in IIT.

Saxena was asked about Kejriwal's comments targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his educational qualifications and questioning the genuineness of his degrees. "I have heard the comments made by the honourable chief minister in the Assembly. One should never be boastful about their degree. A degree is only a receipt of education but real education lies in your knowledge and behaviour.

"I have seen the kind behaviour exhibited over the last few days. It has been proved how some people remain illiterate despite being educated in IIT," the LG said. The Delhi chief minister, who has studied at IIT, and his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have launched a fresh attack on the issue since the Gujarat High Court recently quashed a seven-year-old order of the Central Information Commission (CIC) that had asked the Gujarat University to provide information on Modi's degree to Kejriwal.

The HC also imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on the AAP chief, who was the RTI applicant in the matter. Reacting to Saxena's remarks, AAP leader and Delhi Education Minister Atishi accused him of raising questions on prestigious institutions like IITs and said the LG and BJP leaders should also show their degrees. "LG sahab is raising questions on those IITs, in whose name Indian students become CEOs of big companies and make the nation proud.

"Those who have to hide their degrees will raise questions over the degrees of others. I would request LG sir to show his degree too and also ask the other BJP leaders to show their degrees," she said at a press conference. Earlier in the day, Saxena visited the supplementary drain in Wazirabad and reviewed the Yamuna cleaning work. "We are cleaning Yamuna banks in a mission mode. We will clean the 22 km stretch by June 30," he said.

"We are not working for credit but to give clean Yamuna to the people," he said when asked about the criticism of the AAP government. However, Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj accused the lieutenant governor of claiming credit for the work done by the city government to clean the Yamuna. Addressing a press conference, the minister also spoke of various initiatives taken by his government to clean the Yamuna. "His job is not to visit drains but various police stations that come under him. There are 350 police stations in Delhi. He should visit them. But he visits drains where work is going on and claims credit for the work being done by the government," the minister said.

"Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has never raised the issue but this has been happening," Bharadwaj added.
CARACAS, April 9 (Xinhua) -- At the first "Summit for Democracy" held by the United States in December 2021, Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido was invited to speak online as a self-proclaimed "interim president."

Just over a year later, however, Guaido was no longer in the limelight because he had been ditched by Washington as a worthless pawn.

"A GUEST OF HONOR"

On the evening of Feb. 4, 2020, Guaido attended the State of the Union address by then U.S. President Donald Trump, who introduced Guaido as Venezuela's "true and legitimate" leader. The following day, Guaido met with Trump at the White House, and photos of them in the Oval Office made headlines.

Born in 1983 in La Guaira in Venezuela, Guaido obtained a degree in industrial engineering from the Andres Bello Catholic University in 2007. In 2009, Guaido helped found the Popular Will party. He was sworn in as president of the opposition-controlled National Assembly of Venezuela on Jan. 5, 2019.

In May 2018, Nicolas Maduro was re-elected in Venezuela's presidential election. However, under the pretext of "democracy" and "human rights," the United States, together with its allies and Venezuela's opposition, refused to recognize the legitimacy of Maduro's government. On Jan. 23, 2019, Guaido declared himself the "interim president" of Venezuela. On the same day, the United States announced its recognition of Guaido and expressed support for him. Maduro immediately announced that Venezuela severed its diplomatic relations with the United States.

While financing Guaido, the United States has attempted to pressure Maduro to step down through diplomatic isolation, economic sanctions and military threats. Under American pressure, more than 50 countries and the European Union recognized Guaido as the so-called "legitimate president."

In fact, Washington's search for "proxies" like Guaido began early. As disclosed by the Fact Sheet on the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) released by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs last year, after Hugo Chavez, the "anti-U.S. fighter," was elected president of Venezuela in 1999, NED accelerated its behind-the-scenes operations.

It provided continuous funding to the Venezuelan opposition and invited people to "training courses" in the United States. In 2005, Guaido and four other Venezuelan "student leaders" attended NED-funded training for insurrection. Later, Guaido enrolled at a U.S. university and, with the support of NED, has been active in relevant political groups in the United States.

On April 30, 2019, Guaido showed up along with some military personnel outside an aviation military base in the east of the capital city of Caracas, calling on civilians and soldiers to act against the government of Maduro.

"Today interim President Juan Guaido announced start of Operacion Libertad. The U.S. Government fully supports the Venezuelan people in their quest for freedom and democracy. Democracy cannot be defeated," then Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tweeted on the same day.

At a think tank event in May 2022, former U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton mentioned the U.S. attempt to subvert Maduro's government, saying that "my only regret is we didn't succeed, although we came close."

After the failed coup, the "interim government" led by Guaido, with the support of the United States, tried to launch a "color revolution" and incited young people to protest against Maduro's government violently. Official figures showed that months of violent protests caused hundreds of casualties and economic losses of tens of billions of dollars in the South American country in the first half of 2019.

WASHINGTON'S REVERSAL

The continued violence has not toppled Maduro's government. As Guaido's attempts to grab power failed and his support among Venezuela's opposition was on the decline, many in the United States began to question betting on him. In 2022, as tensions in Ukraine mounted, global energy supplies tightened and prices soared, Washington's attitude towards Guaido changed.

On Dec. 30, 2022, a vessel chartered by U.S. energy giant Chevron approached Venezuelan waters to pick up a cargo of Venezuelan crude destined for the United States for the first time in nearly four years.

Coincidentally, Venezuela's opposition passed a resolution to dissolve the "interim government" and remove Guaido as "interim president." A U.S. government spokesperson said it respects the decision and will continue to maintain communication and cooperation with Venezuela's opposition.

Asked whether Washington still recognized Guaido as "interim president," Coordinator for Strategic Communication at the U.S. National Security Council John Kirby said earlier this year that he did not want to "get into hypotheticals."

The end of Guaido's "interim government" could pave the way for the United States to ease oil sanctions on Maduro's government, opening up an alternative source of supply for Western nations boycotting Russian crude, said a report by the Financial Times.

The United States used to be a main destination for Venezuela's energy, but the South American country's ties with Washington have deteriorated since Chavez took office. Therefore, the United States imposed unilateral sanctions, including the oil embargo, to put pressure on Venezuela, while supporting "proxies" that could be used for its own sake. Guaido is among the "proxies."

However, once those "proxies" are not in the interests of the United States, it will throw them away without hesitation. That is the fate of Guaido. 
Can you run with high heels on? Well, these people can race wearing them

Telangana: Gay couple enter into wedlock, say it has sent out a message

Treat every citizen equally: Indian Psychiatric Society bats for same-sex marriage

India

oi-Prakash KL

The Indian Psychiatric Society has extended its support to same-sex marriage, saying that LGBTQA spectrum individuals be treated like all citizens of the country.

The Supreme Court had last month referred the pleas seeking legal validation of same-sex marriages to a five-judge constitution bench for adjudication, saying the issue is of "seminal importance".

The Indian Psychiatric Society, which had supported the decriminalization of homosexuality and LGBTQA spectrum from Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code in 2018, said that "these are variants of normal sexuality, not deviant, and certainly not an illness."

"As an extension to the same, the Indian Psychiatric Society would like to reiterate that these individuals be treated like all citizens of the country, and once a citizen can enjoy all civil rights like education, employment, housing, income, government or military service, access to health care, property rights, marriage, adoption, survivorship benefits to name a few.

There is no evidence to indicate that individuals on the LGBTQA spectrum cannot partake any of the above. On the contrary, discrimination which prevents the above, may lead to mental health issues," the IPS said in a statement.

The Centre has opposed in the top court, claiming that legal validation of same-sex marriage would cause a "complete havoc" with the delicate balance of personal laws and accepted societal values.

In an affidavit filed before the apex court, the government submitted that despite the decriminalisation of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, the petitioners cannot claim a fundamental right for same-sex marriage to be recognised under the laws of the country.

The IPS, an umbrella body of psychiatrists in the country with about to 8,000 members, further stated that a child adopted into a same-gendered family may face challenges, stigma and discrimination along the way.

"It is imperative that, once legalized, such parents of the LGBTQA spectrum bring up the children in a gender neutral, unbiased environment. It is also of utmost importance, that the family, community, school and society in general are sensitized to protect and promote the development of such a child, and prevent stigma and discrimination at any cost," the statement added.

It has to be noted that the IPS' stand on homosexuality that it was not an illness had played a significant role when the Supreme Court struck down Section 377 in 2018.

In March, a bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud said the submissions on the issue involve an interplay between constitutional rights on the one hand and special legislative enactments, including the Special Marriage Act, on the other.

"We are of the considered view that it would be appropriate if the issues raised are resolved by a bench of five judges with due regard to Article 145 (3) of the Constitution. Thus, we direct the matter be placed before a five-judge Constitution bench," PTI quoted the bench, also comprising Justices PS Narasimha and JB Pardiwala, as saying.

The proceedings will be live-streamed as is done in case of hearings before the constitution benches.
FREETOWN, April 9 (Xinhua) -- Matthew Banya, a regional commander of the operations support division, the paramilitary wing of the Sierra Leone Police Force, was killed by an unknown assailant in northern Sierra Leone's Makeni city late Saturday, leading to panic among local citizens, local police confirmed Sunday.

The confirmation was from Sahr Yonba Senesie, the northeast regional police commander and assistant inspector of the police, whose portfolio includes maintaining law and order in the city of Makeni.

He told Xinhua on the phone that huge police and military presence are around the crime scene and surrounding areas, and investigations are ongoing to determine the motivation behind the death, urging the public to go about their normal business.

Many merchandise shops and other businesses in the city remain closed Sunday following the tragic incident. 
Altagamma, an Italian foundation of luxury brands, hopes to enhance its presence by attending an upcoming consumer expo in China.





Produced by Xinhua Global Service
Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator

Today is "Sad Friday" in Jerusalem, known to Western Christians as "Good Friday" when they believe Jesus was hung on a cross in Jerusalem. To the Eastern Orthodox Christians of the Middle East, it is "Palm Sunday", and they celebrate the arrival of Jesus in Jerusalem.

To the Muslims of the world, this is the third Friday of Ramadan, and this morning worshippers attempting to pray at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem were prevented entry to the area and severely beaten by Israeli police batons. Street vendors and shopkeepers were also attacked by Israeli police. It is indeed a sad Friday.

Who gave the order to attack the worshippers inside the Al Aqsa Mosque?

Kobi Shabtai is the Commissioner of the Israel Police. In 2021, he ordered the police to prevent access to the Damascus Gate in East Jerusalem in a similar escalation of tensions then.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir leaked a recording of a conversation with Shabtai, in which he said, "There's nothing we can do. They murder. It's in their nature. That's the mentality of the Arabs." There were calls by Israeli Arab politicians for his dismissal because of his racist remarks.

Why did Israeli police storm Al-Aqsa Mosque?

On April 4, about 80,000 worshippers attended the evening prayers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem. Some of the Palestinians stayed overnight in the mosque to pray in a tradition observed during Ramadan. Some voiced concern to protect the third holiest site in Islam from extremist Jewish settlers who had threatened to come to the mosque to offer animal sacrifices in honor of Passover, which began on April 4.

The extremist Jewish settlers have a plan to destroy the Al-Aqsa Mosque and build a Jewish Temple on its site.

By the early hours of April 5, Palestinians had filled the streets near the mosque to pray the early morning prayer. The Israeli police were ordered to prevent Palestinians under the age of 40 to enter the area for prayers. By evening, the police entered the mosque by force and arrested dozens of worshippers after severely beating both men and women praying inside.

Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said in a statement "What happened in Jerusalem is a major crime against the worshipers. Prayer in Al-Aqsa Mosque is not with the permission of the [Israeli] occupation, but rather it is our right."

Israeli air strikes on Gaza

In response to the attacks on Al Aqsa Mosque, several rockets were fired from Gaza into Israel. The Israeli air force then targeted multiple locations across Gaza causing damage to homes and the Al-Durrah Children's Hospital in Gaza City. The Geneva Convention prohibits attacking civilian health facilities.

Israel has imposed a blockade upon Palestinians in the Gaza Strip since 2007, an illegal act of collective punishment. Israel's repeated attacks upon the Gaza Strip have primarily impacted civilians, resulting in potential war crimes and crimes against humanity according to international investigations. Israel uses US weapons to enforce its blockade and attack the Gaza Strip in violation of US laws.

Lebanon rockets

A Palestinian resistance group in southern Lebanon launched rockets yesterday at Israel from Marjayoun in southern Lebanon in response to the Israeli attacks on the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

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(Image by World Union of Deists) Details DMCA



According to the anonymous author of the Gospel of Mark, the last supper was a Passover seder. Mark 14:12 states:

"And the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the passover, his disciples said unto him, Where wilt thou that we go and prepare that thou mayest eat the passover?"

This makes clear that Jesus, IF he really did exist, was a religious/superstitious Jew who believed the Hebrew Bible is the Word of God and that he therefore believed the horrific and ungodly Passover story in the Hebrew Bible.

The ancient Jewish clergymen who wrote the Bible and its repulsive Passover story claim the Egyptians held the Jews as slaves (there is no archeological evidence that the Jewish people were ever slaves in ancient Egypt). As the story goes, God told Moses to tell Pharoah to free the Jewish slaves. God allegedly inflicted Egypt with plaques for not releasing the Jews. The plagues were: water turning to blood, frogs, lice, flies, livestock pestilence, boils, hail, locusts, darkness and the killing of firstborn children and animals. Many people who believe the Bible and the Passover story are not aware that God allegedly "hardened Pharoah's heart" so that he would not free the Jews. This is seen at Exodus 4:21 and in 10 other verses in Exodus.

Moving directly to the Passover, which the "King of Peace" Jesus was celebrating at the last supper, the Jewish clergymen who wrote it depict God as a limited and cruel entity. They did this by claiming God would not know which houses had Jews in them and which houses would have Gentiles in them. At Exodus 12:7 they have God instructing the Jews to put lambs' blood on "the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses" so God would not accidentally kill Jews while God is out slaughtering the firstborn of the Egyptians. Then, at Exodus 12:12, the Jewish clergymen claim God said,

"For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD."

Realizing that Jesus believed in God as depicted in the Hebrew Bible helps us to understand how Jesus could teach people to fear God, as is claimed at Luke 12:5 which has Jesus teaching:

"But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him."

Deists and all freethinkers should be profoundly happy that we are not infected with these ungodly beliefs and ideas about The Supreme Intelligence/God. By helping people to realize that the Bible, nor any "holy" book, is not the word of God, we are helping to make a much better world, for as Thomas Paine wrote in The Age of Reason, The Complete Edition, "Belief in a cruel god makes a cruel man." By spreading reason-based Deism, we are fighting cruelty.
This is something I heard a number of years ago but somehow was unable to verify it in any way. However, the other day I was provided a reference for results from a recent election in Latvia and that gives me an opportunity to say a few words about this.

First of all, the terminology deserves a few comments. It would appear that in Latvia, the ballot looks much like a typical Approval Voting (AV) ballot with just a single box next to each candidate's name. Voters are expected to cross off a name to express opposition to that candidate and to put a plus sign in the box to show support. And presumably when the voter does neither then that is treated as an abstention. I have reproduced the data from the reference in Table 1 below.



Table 2: Comparison with AV

(Image by Paul Cohen) Details DMCA



The first two columns show the names of the candidates and (I conjecture) their position on the ballots. The next two columns show the count of support and opposition votes, and the next column, labeled Votes, is described in a footnote as:

number of votes is equal to the number of valid ballots cast for the list minus the number of strike-outs of the name or surname of the candidate plus the number of "+" marks.

It should be noted that the number of valid ballots for this particular election is shown as 8450. In essence, the Vote column shows the net vote, but biased by the number of ballots submitted. This amounts to counting opposition as 0, abstention as 1 and support as 2. It is simply a matter of subtraction to compute the net vote from this column and I have taken the liberty of adding a final column to show the actual net vote.

This election seems to be for thirteen positions, perhaps in a legislature, and interestingly the winners turned out all to have positive net support; in fact only a single candidate with positive net support failed to win.

This data allows us to easily compare, for this election, AV with Balanced Approval Voting (BAV). In fact the Pluses column shows the vote-count for an AV election, so all we need to do is to sort the table so that the Pluses column is in decreasing order. This is shown in Table 2, which at first glance looks much the same as Table 1; both elect the same thirteen members. But notice that if the election had been for selecting eleven members instead of thirteen then there would be a serious difference in the outcome; at least in the view of Dace Nikolaisone and Janis Kaijaks.



Table 2: Comparison with AV

(Image by Paul Cohen) Details DMCA



But from the number of candidates in these elections it would appear that Latvia does not suffer under the two-party duopoly. And the most notable advantage of BAV is when there a two-party polarized electorate is either existing or developing. If Latvia were in that situation we should expect to see a great many more crossings-out by voters anxious to defeat members of the other party. In that case there would be a much more obvious difference in outcomes between AV and BAV elections.
Wages earned by Oregon women continue to lag far behind what men earn a disparity that has persisted for decades and across occupations.

Oregon women earned an average wage of about $53,000 annually in 2021, according to a new analysis of the latest federal data by Jake Procino, an economist with the Oregon Employment Department. Thats about 72% of mens average wages. He drew on census data for private and public-sector workers.

In every industry, average monthly earnings for women were lower than mens earnings, Procino wrote.

Economists and social scientists have closely studied the reasons for the enduring pay disparity, which is even more pronounced nationally than it is in Oregon. Procino notes some key reasons  women sometimes work fewer hours than men, women tend to work in fields with lower wages, and men hold a disproportionate share of managerial jobs that pay better.

None fully explain the wage disparity, nor do they completely explain why a pay gap persists even though women now earn more college degrees nationally than men do.

A study released last month by the Pew Research Center found that pay disparities are smaller early in womens careers, widening over their lifetimes. Motherhood appears to be one major factor  women are more likely than men to stay home when they have children, and men with kids are more likely to have jobs than men who dont have children.

Women are also less represented in highly compensated technology and science jobs. Various studies have found evidence of gender discrimination in pay and promotions, but Pew notes its proven difficult to quantify just how much discrimination contributes to the pay disparity.

The Census data Procino used in his analysis doesnt offer a comparable national figure for wage disparities. Looking just a private-sector jobs, though, Oregons 30% pay gap is 6 percentage points smaller than the nations.

Its not clear what accounts for the difference. Procino said Oregons industry mix might be more favorable to women, or perhaps Oregon women work more hours. Or, he said, it might be attributable to other disparities at work.

Women of color tend to make less than white women, and Oregon has fewer nonwhite people, Procino said. (Oregon is 72% white and non-Hispanic, according to census figures, compared to 58% for the nation as a whole.)

Oregon women have made some wage progress over the decades  in 1990, they earned just 60% of what men received.

The Oregon Legislature passed an Equal Pay Act six years ago, aiming to address gender pay disparity. The law makes it illegal for employers to pay people less based on their gender, race and other characteristics, restricts employers ability to ask applicants about their current wage and encourages employers to audit their pay practices.

Overall, Procino found that women constitute nearly half of Oregons labor force. But the share of women working varies considerably by occupation. Heres a list of the Oregon professions with the highest concentration of women:

Health care: 74% of the workforce

Educational services: 66%

Finance and insurance: 62%

And the Oregon industries with the smallest share of women:

Mining: 16%

Construction: 20%

Manufacturing: 28%

Utilities: 30%

Wholesale trade: 30%

This is Oregon Insight, The Oregonians weekly look at the numbers behind the states economy. View past installments here.

-- Mike Rogoway | mrogoway@oregonian.com |

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A thief who broke into a Portland Fire Bureau SUV parked on a residential street stole $10,000 worth of firefighting equipment, according to a news release from the bureau Saturday.

The break-in happened sometime Friday night or Saturday morning, near Southeast Division Street and 45th Avenue in Portland, where a person or people smashed the back window of a red GMC Yukon driven by a Fire Bureau battalion chief and stole a beige fire jacket with orange neon stripes and a backpack-like self contained breathing apparatus that firefighters wear on the job.

The bureau is asking the public to keep an eye out for the jacket and breathing tank, which are together worth $10,000.

Anyone who sees the equipment is asked to call the Portland Fire non-emergency dispatch line at (503) 823-3333.

A thief who broke into a Portland Fire Bureau SUV parked on a residential street stole $10,000 worth of firefighting equipment, according to a news release from the bureau Saturday.

This story was brought to you through a partnership between The Oregonian/OregonLive and Report for America. Learn how to support this crucial work.

Sami Edge covers higher education for The Oregonian. You can reach her at sedge@oregonian.com or (503) 260-3430.
The halls of Lake Oswego High School were swarming with people of all backgrounds Saturday for the second annual Asian Cultural Festival. The fair, attended by several hundred people, was put together almost exclusively by students.

Dozens of volunteers, booths and community partners spanned a large portion of the school Saturday, all brought together by students from the Asian American Student Union. The clubs six leaders, with help from their advisor, organized the entire show.

It means a lot that we have so many people willing to come and check us out, said Malika Saha, a sophomore and club leader. Its just a great experience to have this much support.

A large portion of the event was free, with over 50 vendors and booths set up for visitors to enjoy as well as free food from local Asian restaurants. The students made sure to secure representation from all across Asia.

Booths showed off calligraphy, unique snacks and candy, jewelry and other significant cultural items. Several community organizations set up booths as well, including the Japanese American Citizens League and the Portland Chinese Friendship Association.

Oya Kara owns Oya and Idil Jewelry, which hand crafts Turkish jewelry, with her daughter. They had a booth at last years festival and returned. She said the work ethic of the students was impressive, and this years festival was improved from last year.

I am very surprised this event is put together by students, Kara said. Its extremely well organized and well attended.

Throughout the day, performers took to the stage in the cafeteria with both music and dancing. Popular musician Prashant Kakad, better known as DJ Prashant, also made an appearance.

In the evening, there was a ticketed performance in the auditorium. The 630 tickets, which cost $5 each, sold out before the day of the festival, Saha said. The show featured a dozen dance and martial arts groups from different parts of Asia.

For Angie Wang, who attended the event after hearing about it from friends, the festival is an opportunity for people in Oregon to really learn about different Asian cultures in one place.

I truly cherish this kind of event, Wang said.

Gaby Zhu, another festival attendee, echoed those sentiments. She said there are not many places in Oregon for her children to learn about their culture.

Im really grateful to these high schoolers for giving my kids the opportunity, Zhu said.

Planning for the event started in August, and aside from the clubs advisor, it was all assembled by the students and run by over 50 student volunteers.

The schools Asian American Student Union was formed in 2020 with the goal of offering a safe space for Asian students amid rising anti-Asian sentiments in the U.S. at the beginning of the pandemic.

Last years festival was put together in a pinch, Alicia Li said. Li is a Lake Oswego senior who helped form the club. She said they learned a lot of lessons, allowing for a more organized and professional outcome this year.

Last year was hectic, but having experience from that was really helpful, Li said. Everyone understands the vision, and we really improved promotion as well.

The event was funded by sponsors and grants, all secured by club members. Li said the festivals success is a testament to the ingenuity of young people.

It really shows kids that you dont need to be an adult to get started on these kinds of things, Li said. If you want to see something, just go out and do it.

Li is planning to attend a four-year university after graduation, she said.

Beyond the event, the club has given Lake Oswegos Asian community a place to gather and share their cultures with one another.

Personally, its been amazing, Li said. Its just crazy it didnt exist beforehand. Weve really strengthened our Asian community in the school district.

 Austin De Dios; adedios@oregonian.com; @austindedios; 503-319-9744

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Canby High School student Jason Hupp just finished reading Ray Bradburys Fahrenheit 451, the classic 1953 dystopian novel about book burning, for his English class.

But now its happening at my school, he said.
For decades, Oregon hasnt had to sell itself as a destination. Who wouldnt want to live in this state of trees and mountains, drink its award-winning craft beers and enjoy its laid-back culture?

Turns out  thousands of now-former Oregonians. Census figures show that about 16,000 more people left Oregon than moved in from July 2021 to July 2022. Its the first decline for Oregon since the 1980s when the nation was engulfed in a recession, as The Oregonian/OregonLives Jamie Goldberg reported. And the news is even worse for Portland, once the darling of national media. The census shows that Multnomah County lost more residents in the past two years nationwide than most every other county of its general size. While Seattles King County saw more people moving there in 2022 after a dip in 2021, Portlanders are continuing to leave.

The gloomiest part of the news is that we all can come up with a list of reasons why. As much as Oregon has to offer, our housing unaffordability, homelessness, increasing taxation, drug addiction crisis, untreated mental illness, gun violence, traffic deaths and educational mediocrity are changing the calculus for many about where to live, raise a family or retire.

A years decline in the states population does not spell our doom  at least not yet. But the census provides bracing data that shows too many people have decided Oregon is no longer where their future lies. The state depends on population growth to fill jobs, provide tax dollars for public services and inject the energy and perspectives that build thriving neighborhoods and communities. A stagnant or declining population instead dictates a future of cuts and diminished opportunities that can lead to even more people moving out. As student enrollment drops, which schools should a district close? As tax dollars dry up, what services should a county health department cut? These are the kinds of questions that no community wants to have to answer.

Certainly, many people move for reasons that have little to do with government policy  to live closer to family or for a new job. But when the state swings from a perennial net gainer of population to a net loser, the worst mistake is to assume its not about you.

Oregonians need their elected leaders to notch concrete and significant wins this year that show the tide is turning in most, if not all, the crises unfolding in the state. This goes beyond establishing task forces, but delivering progress that leaders can point to as proof were headed in the right direction.

As Goldbergs story noted, Oregons massive housing shortage may be the biggest factor driving the population loss  a problem that will take years to rectify. Gov. Tina Kotek has made housing one of her biggest priorities, recently signing a $200 million package of housing-related investments. Additionally, her Housing Production Advisory Council is hitting the right notes on how to remove barriers to more construction, including recognizing some values, such as public process and sustainability, may need to take a backseat to the imperative to build, as OPBs Tiffany Camhi reported.

But the task forces recommendations arent due until December and the housing package focuses primarily on preventing homelessness rather than generating new units. The state should look to partner now with individual cities or communities that can pilot new permitting processes, suspend non-essential requirements, assess projects in the pipeline to accelerate production and try out ideas that task force members have already proposed. Oregon needs to focus on getting more units built as soon as possible.

On homelessness, the governor and Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson have in the past given their general support to a proposal by Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler to create a large, sanctioned encampment where homeless people can live and access services. But they have yet to provide the money and collaboration to help make it happen. Such little progress on both increasing housing and curbing unsanctioned camping is particularly frustrating, considering the state saw one of the biggest increases in its homeless population in the country from 2020 to 2022. Letting people live in the elements  many of whom suffer from untreated mental illness or substance addiction  without access to services and at greater risk of homicidal violence isnt compassionate. Nor does it consider the justified frustration among residents over a declining sense of safety and weariness over the campers, tents and trash that have taken over sidewalks, trails and parks.

The proliferation of drug use and increasing overdose deaths also demand a stronger response from law enforcement to shut down drug dealing, and from the Oregon Health Authority to develop a more strategic approach. We cannot Narcan our way out of the opioid crisis. While providing lifesaving interventions like naloxone is necessary, we need more addiction treatment and recovery programs in every community as well as a better way of getting people to seek help. House Bill 2513, sponsored by Rep. Rob Nosse, D-Portland, offers several promising fixes to flaws in the administration of Measure 110, which decriminalized possession of small amounts of drugs and redirected funds to addiction services. But the approach to getting people to seek treatment in the first place remains too hands-off. Oregon does not have to recriminalize drug possession, but the current program lacks the targeted pressure that has been effective with many court-run drug-diversion programs.

Its too late to ask those who have left why they decided to move. But its not too late for Oregon leaders to give the rest of us reasons to believe were headed in the right direction.

-The Oregonian/OregonLive Editorial Board

Sign up for our free Oregon Opinion newsletter. Email:


As a journalist, I watched with great interest how the national media covered the unprecedented arraignment of former President Donald Trump. As a citizen, some of the decisions left me unsatisfied.

After I wrote last week about removing the mugshot of Walter Cole, better known as Darcelle, from OregonLive, I received several queries about how we would handle the then-expected police booking photo of Trump.

Good precursor to the coming week. So, how will you decide on the expected mug shot of President Trump? I cant wait to hear the justification for this one. Ill be waiting, one reader wrote.

For background, remember that in Oregon the release of such mugshots is restricted. But even before that legal limitation imposed by the Legislature, The Oregonian/OregonLive had made it a practice to avoid mugshots except in rare instances.

One of those circumstances was when the mugshot was inherently newsworthy. My response: If New York releases the mugshot (which is far from certain), I suspect every paper in America will publish it. As I said when we announced our new practice with mugshots, we will still publish when the mugshot itself is the story. That is undeniably true when a former president is booked on criminal charges.

New York, it turns out, rarely releases booking photos and Trump was not subjected to one.

Another reader perceived an inconsistency with our quick publication of the news of Trumps indictment on OregonLive, seeing bias in favor of President Joe Biden. When readers ask why they cannot find X, Y or Z national news story on the site, I respond that we are primarily a local website. We post national and world news as we can and as the news requires.

Amazing quick OregonLive coverage of national news normally ignored. (Unless good for Biden, bad for GOP), the reader wrote.

I responded that the indictment of a former president was not business as usual. To my mind, its disingenuous to try to ascribe bias to rapid publication of such unprecedented news.

Similarly, its an obvious front-page story. I regularly tell readers that we favor local news on the front page. We want to showcase news and information readers cant get anywhere else. Thats our preferred strategy.

But we also know readers want The Oregonian to serve up the major news of the day. And when major news for the country or the world occurs, we give it prominent play.

The scene of former President Donald Trump at the defense table as five media outlets were allowed to shoot still photos. (Andrew Kelly/Pool Photo via AP)AP

Another interesting aspect of the Trump coverage was the stilted photo session inside the courtroom. The judge had allowed just five media organizations to come in and take still photos once Trump was inside. He then made the photojournalists leave the courtroom before the arraignment occurred and required the reporters who remained to leave cell phones and the like behind.

The net result was the public had no reliable way to know what was occurring until it was over.

That likely would not have happened in Oregon. We have long allowed still and video cameras to record court proceedings in almost every case. If a judge wants to bar such coverage, she has to make specific findings of fact on the record.

The same rule that allows cameras also lets journalists communicate by email from inside the courtroom or tweet updates, so long as they have the courts permission.

The last element of coverage that interested me was the television networks that chose not to broadcast Trumps first live remarks after his arraignment in full and in real time. NBC, ABC and CBS cut away to correct false statements.

We have to interrupt here, because the president made a number of false statements, including the notion that there has been fraudulent voting, said Lester Holt, the NBC Nightly News anchor, as reported by the New York Times. There has been no evidence of that.

Television journalists have long struggled with the question of how to cover Trumps statements when they are patently false. CNN, which stayed with his remarks longer, ran banners across the screen rebutting his baseless claims.

Although we can live-stream events on OregonLive, our primary journalism is through words. That gives us the relative luxury of taking time to think through what goes in the article and what does not. It also allows us to fact check in close proximity to any untruthful statements.

The wire service articles we rely upon for world and national news typically dont belabor specifics anymore, but simply characterize what was said. The Washington Post, in its wrapup of Monday nights speech, said Trump lashed out in his remarks. Then, it added, in a perfunctory way, Many of Trumps statements about the case were not factually supported.

Networks no doubt are watching the Dominion Voting Systems libel lawsuit against Fox News and calculating the consequences  both in terms of legal jeopardy and credibility  of spreading claims they know are false.

As a citizen, the entire issue is frustrating to me because I wish there was a better way to balance both objectives: give people full information about a historic moment but also work to avoid amplifying false information. CNNs approach came close, although it, too, eventually cut away from the speech.

There is obvious tension there. But, at the end of the day, our first and highest obligation is to the truth.
The world's largest container ship, MSC IRINA, called at the port of Xiamen in east China's Fujian Province on Saturday.

After loading over 3,100 TEUs at the Xiamen Port, the mega-carrier will carry goods including clothes, electronic products and sea foods to the main harbors in countries along the Belt and Road.

The 399.99-meter-long China's self-developed ship has a capacity of 24,346 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent unit), with a total carrying capacity of 224,900 tonnes.





Produced by Xinhua Global Service
As expected, the news that Oregon is considering legislation to become a self-serve state has brought out much fear and handwringing from the usual suspects. With Oregon being one of only two states to not allow self-serve gas, I can assure you its no privilege to be different in this way. It merely serves as one more reason for the rest of the country to laugh at us.

Should we really be proud of the fact that our state makes it illegal to perform a basic remedial task because were too good/lazy to get out of our cars and do what our neighbors to the north, east and south already do? If they can manage to briefly stand outside (under a roof, because gas pumps are covered) and stick a nozzle in a car, is it really a point of pride to say we cant handle the same?

For those who cant or wont, there will still be attendants at every gas station. To the rest: trust me, you can do this. Its not rocket science. To those claiming jobs will be lost, one of the main drivers of this legislation is the fact that there are shortages in gas station attendants, making wait times for gas that much longer.

Polls show that the majority of Oregonians want self-serve. Dont hold our freedom hostage to your trepidation. Please let us join the 20th century.

Bryce Fisher, Gresham

To read more letters to the editor, go to oregonlive.com/opinion.
LANSING  Step out onto your front porch and count how many state flags you see flying in the wind.

For many Michigan residents, the answer is likely zero, even at homes that proudly display the U.S. flag or a flag affiliated with their favorite college sports team.

Thats a problem, according to state Rep. Phil Skaggs, D-East Grand Rapids  and one that he hopes can be addressed with a new design.

Michigan is a unique and special state, and we need to have a flag that itself is unique and special so that we can rally behind it, Skaggs said. A good flag with strong symbolism thats meaningful to people creates a common sense of purpose. Thats something that we need in Michigan right now.

The heart of the issue is that nothing makes the current flag  which consists of the state coat of arms set against a plain blue background  stand out, Skaggs said.

The current flag harkens back to 150 years ago when most state flags were simply what are called SOB flags: seal-on-a-bedsheet, Skaggs said. The seal on our flag makes sense as a seal, when its on a piece of paper or a podium, but it doesnt make sense as a flag thats flying at a distance.

Michigans coat of arms dates back to 1835, according to the Michigan Department of State, and features a shield held by an elk and a moose. It includes the Latin phrases Tuebor, meaning I will defend, and Si Quaeris Peninsulam Amoenam Circumspice, meaning If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you. It also includes the national motto e pluribus unum which means out of many, one.

Skaggs intends to introduce a bill at the end of April to coincide with the current flags anniversary. The bill would designate a commission to create a new flag design for the Legislature to vote on after taking public input and working with design experts.

There are five characteristics of a good flag, according to a 16-page guide called 'Good' Flag, 'Bad' Flag." The guide pulls from the expertise of 20 vexillologists (people who study flags) and vexillographers (people who design flags).

Those five elements are: simplicity, with the flag being simple enough for an elementary school child to draw it from memory; using only a few colors, preferably two or three that contrast with each other; including meaningful symbolism through images, colors and patterns; not using lettering or seals; and being distinctive enough to stand out from other state flags.

The flags of the United States, Canada, Japan, the United Kingdom, Togo and South Africa follow these rules, Skagg said, for examples.

People often dont feel a sense of connection to the Michigan flag or view it as something they identify with, as evidenced by the lack of residents embracing the current design, Skaggs said.

One of the ways that you can tell the flag lacks meaningfulness for Michigan citizens is that you rarely see it flown at a house, or on someones backpack, or their water bottle, he said. If you go to Chicago, you see that Chicago city flag everywhere, and it creates an incredible sense of civic pride. We just dont see that in Michigan with our current flag.

Skaggs said other states with ineffective flags are also beginning to change. Illinois, Massachusetts and Minnesota all have active or planned legislation to change the design of their state flags.

And Utah recently approved a new flag design, which Skaggs said changes it from a very basic seal-on-a-bedsheet flag to one that really has meaningful symbolism for that state.

The new Utah flag features a jagged white ribbon in the middle, representing snowy mountains, cutting into red rocks at the bottom, and a blue sky at the top. In the center, there is a beehive (Utah is known as the beehive state) inside a hexagon, and it also includes a guiding star to represent Utahs tribal nations.
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BIG RAPIDS  The Big Rapids Community Library has several Phelps Little Free Libraries placed around the city for use by residents. Phelps Little Free Libraries are a community book exchange, where patrons can take a book and leave a book.

Library director Lauren Perkins said they have been working on refurbishing and replacing some of the existing Little Libraries, and recently, volunteers from Habitat for Humanity have taken on the task of building several new Little Libraries.

Volunteers Dave Hammelund, Terry Kimble, Jim Angell, Ken Smith and Habitat staff member Jim Baer provided the supplies and the manpower to construct the little houses that will become Little Library installations around the city.

Perkins has reached out to Artworks Big Rapids, 106 N. Michigan Ave., to help decorate the newly built little libraries, and is considering talking with the Big Rapids High School art classes, as well.

Perkins said they have not yet determined where the new Little Libraries will go, but she is working on those plans now.

One of them will go at the community pool, and I am sort of spreading them out, Perkins said. I will talk to the parks and see if we can put one at Northend (Riverside Park) and possibly at Swede Hill. When we find out where they will go, I will add them to the bookmark.

There are currently bookmarks available at the library that have a map of the Phelps Little Free Library locations throughout the city.

Locations include:

The Anna Howard Shaw Memorial Park, 426 S. Michigan Ave.

The Mecosta County Welcome Center, 127 State St.

The Pocket Park, 123 N. Michigan Ave.

Hemlock Park on Hemlock Street

Pediatrics Associates of Big Rapids, 650 Linden St.

St. Andrews Episcopal Church, 323 S. State St.

United Church of Big Rapids, 120 S. State St.

Big Rapids Housing Commission, 9 Park View Drive.

Phelps Little Free Libraries are named for Harriet C. Phelps, the widow of a Big Rapids businessman and state legislator, who wanted to contribute to the intellectual growth of her community and was instrumental in establishing the Big Rapids Community Library, according to information provided by Perkins.
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JERUSALEM (AP)  The Israeli military said its forces attacked targets in Syria early Sunday after six rockets were launched from Syrian territory in two batches toward Israel in a rare attack from Israels northeastern neighbor.

After the second barrage of three rockets, Israel initially said it responded with artillery fire into the area in Syria from where the rockets were fired. Later, the military said Israeli fighter jets attacked Syrian army sites, including a compound of Syria's 4th Division and radar and artillery posts.

The rocket firings came after days of escalating violence on multiple fronts over tension in Jerusalem and an Israeli police raid on the citys most sensitive holy site.

In the second barrage, which was launched early Sunday, two of the rockets crossed the border into Israel, with one being intercepted and the second landing in an open area, the Israeli military said. In the first attack, on Saturday, one rocket landed in a field in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights. Fragments of another destroyed missile fell into Jordanian territory near the Syrian border, Jordans military reported.

There were no reports of casualties.

A Damascus-based Palestinian group loyal to the Syrian regime claimed responsibility for launching the three missiles Saturday, reported Beirut-based Al-Mayadeen TV.

The report quoted Al-Quds Brigade, a militia different than the larger Palestinian Islamic Jihads armed wing with a similar name, as saying it fired the rockets to retaliate for the police raid on Al-Aqsa Mosque.

In Syria, an adviser to President Bashar Assad described the rocket strikes as part of the previous, present and continuing response to the brutal enemy.

Israel, which has vowed to stop Iranian entrenchment in Syria, has carried out hundreds of strikes in government-controlled parts of that country in recent years, though it rarely acknowleges them. Before the latest strikes, Syrian officials had attributed 10 attacks to Israel this year, some of which put the Damascus and Aleppo airports temporarly out of service and killed civilians as well as Syrian soldiers and Iranian military advisers.

In the occupied West Bank, Israeli security forces fatally shot a 20-year-old Palestinian in the town of Azzun, Palestinian health officials said, stirring protests in the area. The Israeli military said troops fired at Palestinians hurling stones and explosive devices. The Palestinian Health Ministry identified the Palestinian killed as Ayed Salim.

His death came at a time of unusually heightened violence in the West Bank. Over 90 Palestinians and have been killed by Israeli fire so far this year, at least half of them affiliated with militant groups, according to a tally by The Associated Press.

Palestinian attacks on Israelis have killed 19 people in that time  including on Friday two British-Israelis shot to death near a settlement in the Jordan Valley and an Italian tourist killed by a suspected car-ramming in Tel Aviv. All but one were civilians.

The rocket fire from Syria comes against the backdrop of soaring Israeli-Palestinian tensions touched off by an Israeli police raid on Jerusalem's most sensitive site, the sacred compound home to the Al-Aqsa mosque. That outraged Palestinians marking the holy fasting month of Ramadan and prompted militants in Lebanon  as well as Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip  to fire a heavy barrage of rockets into Israel.

In retaliation, Israeli warplanes struck sites allegedly linked to the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza and southern Lebanon.

Late Saturday, tensions ran high in Jerusalem as a few hundred Palestinian worshippers barricaded themselves in the mosque, which sits on a hilltop in the heart of Jerusalem's Old City sacred to both Muslims and Jews. Israeli police efforts to evict the worshippers locked in the mosque overnight with stockpiled firecrackers and stones spiraled into unrest in the holy site earlier this week.

The latest escalations prompted Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant to extend a closure barring entrance to Israel for Palestinians from the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip for the duration of the Jewish holiday of Passover, while police beefed up forces in Jerusalem on the eve of sensitive religious celebrations.

In a separate incident in the northern West Bank city of Nablus late Saturday, a leader of a local independent armed group known as the Lion's Den claimed the group executed an alleged Israeli collaborator who had tipped off the Israeli military to the locations and movements of the group's members. Israeli security forces have targeted and killed several of the group's key members in recent months.

The accused man's killing could not be immediately confirmed, but videos in Palestinian media showed medics and residents gathered around his bloodied body in the Old City, where the Lion's Den holds sway. Traitors have neither a country nor a people, Lion's Den commander Oday Azizi said in a statement.

The moves come at a time of heightened religious fervor  with Ramadan coinciding with Passover and Easter celebrations. Jerusalems Old City, home to key Jewish, Muslim and Christian holy sites, has been teeming with visitors and religious pilgrims from around the world.

Gallant said that a closure imposed last Wednesday, on the eve of Passover, would remain in effect until the holiday ends on Wednesday night. The order prevents Palestinians from entering Israel for work or to pray in Jerusalem this week, though mass prayers were permitted at the Al-Aqsa Mosque on Friday. Gallant also ordered the Israeli military to be prepared to assist Israeli police. The army later announced that it was deploying additional troops around Jerusalem and in the West Bank.

Over 2,000 police were expected to be deployed in Jerusalem on Sunday  when tens of thousands of Jews are expected to gather at the Western Wall for the special Passover priestly blessing. The Western Wall is the holiest site where Jews can pray and sits next to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, where large crowds gather each day for prayers during Ramadan.

Jerusalem police chief Doron Turgeman met with his commanders on Saturday for a security assessment. He accused the Hamas militant group, which rules the Gaza Strip, of trying to incite violence ahead of Sundays priestly blessing with false claims that Jews planned to storm the mosque.

We will allow the freedom of worship and we will allow the arrival of Muslims to pray, he said, adding that police will act with determination and sensitivity to ensure that all faiths can celebrate safely.

The current round of violence erupted earlier in the week after Israeli police raided the mosque, firing tear gas and stun grenades to disperse hundreds of Palestinians who had barricaded themselves inside. Violent scenes from the raid sparked unrest in the contested capital and outrage across the Arab world.
Photo: The Canadian Press

UPDATE: 12:50 p.m.

A mosque north of Toronto has increased security measures after a man was arrested for allegedly shouting Islamophobic slurs and threats outside the facility and driving his vehicle straight at a worshipper.

York Regional Police announced the arrest Sunday and said they're treating the Thursday-morning incident at the Islamic Society of Markham as a hate-motivated attack.

"We know that our congregation is a strong and loving community," a statement from the mosque said. "Our security and logistics team have taken additional steps to keep worshippers safe in the next days of Ramadan."

Police alleged the man showed up at the mosque shortly before 7 a.m., right after dawn prayers.

After the man allegedly drove at the worshipper, Sgt. Clint Whitney said, he left in his vehicle, driving dangerously.

"Members of the hate crime unit attended the mosque to offer support to its members," Whitney said in a press release.

The 28-year-old suspect was arrested in Toronto shortly after midnight on Friday and has been charged with uttering threats, assault with a weapon and dangerous driving.

The mosque itself alleged the man went into the building, ripped up a Qur'an and delivered an Islamophobic rant, though Whitney said that hasn't been reported to police.

"Thousands of congregants attend the ISM, and the centre is much busier because of the sacred month of Ramadan," the mosque said in a statement.

The local member of Parliament, Trade Minister Mary Ng, said she was "deeply disturbed" to learn of the alleged attack.

"During Ramadan, mosques are places of community and peace  and everyone should feel safe in their place of worship," she said in a tweet Sunday. "This violence and Islamophobia has no place in our communities or in Canada."

The Islamic Society of Markham planned to hold a news conference Monday to provide more details.

ORIGINAL: 9:20 a.m.

Police north of Toronto say a man is facing charges after allegedly yelling Islamophobic slurs and threats outside a mosque and driving his vehicle straight at a worshipper.

York Regional Police say they're treating the Thursday-morning incident at the Islamic Society of Markham as a hate-motivated attack.

Sgt. Clint Whitney says the man allegedly showed up at the mosque shortly before 7 a.m., right after dawn prayers.

He says after the man allegedly drove at the worshipper, he left in his vehicle, driving dangerously.

Whitney says the 28-year-old man was arrested in Toronto shortly after midnight on Friday and has been charged with uttering threats, assault with a weapon and dangerous driving.

The mosque itself alleges the man went into the building, ripped up a Qur'an and delivered an Islamophobic rant, though Whitney says that hasn't been reported to police.

The Islamic Society of Markham notes the alleged attack happened during the holy month of Ramadan, when the mosque was particularly busy.

The local member of Parliament, Trade Minister Mary Ng, says she was "deeply disturbed" to learn of the alleged attack.

She tweeted that everyone should feel safe in their place of worship.

The Islamic Society of Markham plans to hold a news conference Monday to provide more details.
JERUSALEM, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Israel announced Saturday that all crossing points of the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip would remain closed until Thursday for security reasons.

Entry permits to Israel for working purposes or for Ramadan prayers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem during the period will be canceled, Israel's Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said in a statement.

It was decided upon "an operational situation assessment" that the closure, originally planned to be lifted overnight on Saturday, will be in place until the end of the week-long Jewish holiday of Passover, according to the statement.

Gallant also instructed the defense establishment to allocate more resources and soldiers to enforce the activities of the Israeli police.

The decision came after two deadly attacks which Israel deemed as acts of terror by Palestinians. On Friday, two British-Israeli sisters were killed and their mother seriously injured in a drive-by shooting attack in the West Bank Jordan Valley. At night, an Arab citizen of Israel rammed his car at a group of tourists at Tel Aviv's coastal promenade, killing an Italian tourist and injuring seven others.

Tensions have been high in the region following Israeli police raids at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, triggering clashes with Palestinian worshippers, and sparking a fresh round of cross-border strikes between Israel and Gaza militants earlier this week.

Israel seized the West Bank and Gaza Strip in the 1967 Middle East war and has continued to control these territories, where Palestinians hope to establish their future state. 
Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The Prime Minister of the Government of National Unity, Abdelhamid Al-Dbaiba, said here Saturday the current stage Libya is going through requires adhering to the path of peace and peaceful transfer of power
Last night, Mike Parker (aka Peter Pan) and Robert Boylan (aka Roibeard O Baiolain, the proprietor of the impressive Scriptural Mormonism blog) recorded a genial ninety-minute conversation about the Heartland movement (regarding Book of Mormon geography), the origins and approach of Mr. Pans Neville-Neville Land blog, and laffaire Richard Nygren (aka le scandale du siecle). I commend the archived video to the attention of any folks out there who might be interested in those subjects or in the people involved in them:

Episode 35: Discussing Neville-Neville Land with Mike Parker

I also note two new entries that have appeared on Neville-Neville Land blog since last I mentioned it: An open reply to Jonathan Neville, part 2, and The story of Neville-Neville Land, as told to Robert Boylan.

***

Here are some notes from a project on which I work for a few minutes every year or so, regarding the resurrection of Christ:

Helmut Koester writes that the appearances of Jesus cannot very well be questioned.[1] We can say with complete certainty, writes the agnostic New Testament scholar Bart Ehrman, that some of his disciples at some later time insisted that he soon appeared to them. . . . Historians, of course, have no difficulty whatsoever speaking about the belief in Jesus resurrection, since it is a matter of public record.[2] [At some later time? Early.] Traugott Holtz declares that the disciples experience of resurrection . . . is in fact an undeniable historical event.[3]

Critics who, by and large, accept the notion that the disciples genuinely had experiences of a living Jesus after his crucifixion and death can move in basically two directions. They might point out that events such as the resurrection simply dont occur, or that life after death is an incoherent concept. Or they might say that we simply dont, or cant, know what happened.

What we know, says Fuller, requires that the historian postulate some other event besides the disciples faith in order to explain the sequel. We must identify the cause of the Easter faith . . . outside of their belief.[4]

There are a number of alternative, naturalistic explanations for the resurrection. Raymond E. Brown terms them gratuitous charges, which suggests the seriousness with which most serious scholars have taken them.[5] As James Dunn says, alternative interpretations of the data fail to provide a more satisfactory explanation than does the claim of resurrection.[6] The Claremont philosopher Stephen Davis writes All of the alternative hypotheses with which I am familiar are historically weak; some are so weak that they collapse of their own weight once spelled out. . . . The alternative theories that have been proposed are not only weaker but far weaker at explaining the available historical evidence.[7] J. A. T. Robinson declares that it is indeed very difficult to dismiss [Jesus postmortal appearances] and still find a credible explanation.[8]

[1] Helmut Koester, History and Literature, 84.

[2] Bart Ehrman, Jesus: Apocalyptic Prophet of the New Millennium (New York: Oxford University Press, 1999), 230-231.

[3] Traugott Holtz, Kenntnis von Jesus und Kenntnis Jesu, Theologische Literaturzeitung 104 (1979): 10.

[4] Fuller, The Formation of the Resurrection Narratives, 169, 181.

[5] Brown, An Introduction to New Testament Christology, 163. See 163-167.

[6] Dunn, The Evidence for Jesus, 76. Compare N. T. Wright, Christian Origins and the Resurrection of Jesus: The Resurrection of Jesus as a Historical Problem, Sewanee Theological Review 41 (1998): 118-122.

[7] Stephen T. Davis, Is Belief in the Resurrection Rational? Philo 2 (1999): 57-58.

[8] J. A. T. Robinson, Can We Trust the New Testament? (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1977), 124.

[These notes are drawn from a very good 2004 essay by Gary Habermas titled The Case for Christs Resurrection.]

I continue, too, with my reading of Andrew Loke, Investigating the Resurrection of Jesus Christ: A New Transdisciplinary Approach (Routledge, 2020). Dr. Loke, a native of Singapore who is currently an Associate Professor at Hong Kong Baptist University, was a practicing physician before he returned to school first in the United States and then in the United Kingdom, where he earned a doctorate in philosophy and theology at Kings College London.

Here is an interesting chain of logic from his sixth chapter (What happened to Jesus physical body?) that I find clarifying and, therefore, useful. Please note that the word or is taken in the exclusive sense of either one or the other, but not both:

(7) Either (7.1), (7.2), or (7.3) is true: (7.1) Jesus was not crucified (escape hypothesis) (7.2) Jesus was crucified and he was not buried (unburied hypothesis). (7.3) Jesus was crucified and he was buried, in which case either (8.1) or (8.2) is true (8.1) The body of Jesus remained buried (remain buried hypothesis) (8.2) The body of Jesus did not remain buried, in which case either (9.1) or (9.2) is true: (9.1). The body was removed by non-agent(s), e.g. earthquakes (Allison 2005a, p. 204), animals, etc. (removal by non-agent hypothesis) (9.2) The body was removed by agent(s), in which case either (9.2.1) or (9.2.2) is true: (9.2.1) Others removed the body, either (9.2.1.1) Friends of Jesus (removal by friends hypothesis), (9.2.1.2) Enemies of Jesus (removal by enemies hypothesis), or (9.2.1.3) Neither friends nor enemies, e.g. tomb robbers (removal by neutral party hypothesis). (9.2.2) Jesus himself removed his body, in which case either (9.2.2.1) or (9.2.2.2) is true: (9.2.2.1) Jesus did not die on the cross: he swooned on the cross and exited the tomb later (swoon hypothesis), or (9.2.2.2). Jesus died on the cross, rose from the dead, and exited the tomb (resurrection).

Apropos of (9.2.1.1) and in the spirit of it-isnt-actually-quite-Easter-yet, I share with you a link to which Bruce Webster called my attention a day or two ago. Its from the Babylon Bee (Fake News You Can Trust): If Jesus Resurrection Were A Hoax

Full disclosure: Dr. Loke argues, not only following the passage cited above but throughout his book, for (9.2.2.2): Jesus died on the cross, rose from the dead, and exited the tomb (resurrection).

***

Last night, we gathered with a substantial sample of the extended family for dinner at a Chinese restaurant. The princess, who was (of course) wearing the unicorn headband that had displaced her bunny ears headband earlier in the week, was impressed by all of the relatives, albeit that she was a little bit fuzzy as to who they all were and as to what, exactly, the word relatives means.

Alas, though, we bade farewell to both the princess and her father very early this morning at the Salt Lake City International Airport.

Farewells are hard; our house seems empty now. But  in a fitting message for Easter weekend  life goes on. It simply goes on elsewhere. The princess was really excited to try a Chicago pizza, and we now have photographic evidence that she has, in fact, done so. And that was followed by FaceTime confirmation of the fact.

.
The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr. George Dampare has visited 2M's Terminal in Accra to check their services.



The IGP was impressed to see the amazing transport services 2M Express provides and the safety measures by the company to safeguard their clients, particularly their drivers and passengers.



He encouraged them to keep up with their good works.



He also commended 2M Express for creating jobs for the youth, stating 2M has done well for creating over 100 jobs for the youth".



The IGP further inspected some new buses released by the company.



In line with the companys policy, 2M Express has released twenty-five (25) new Toyota Haice mini-buses.



Each of these buses costs about GHC 1000000.



Apart from creating 25 new jobs for some young people, these fleet of buses will help with the shortage of buses in both Kumasi and Accra during festive seasons like this Easter.

Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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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.
Head of Linguistics at the University of Ghana, Professor Kofi Agyekum has asked the new appointees to the Electoral Commission, Dr. Peter Appiahene and Hajia Salima Ahmed Tijani, to reconsider their appointment following objections by the Civil Society.



The Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO) has called for the immediate resignation of Dr Peter Appiahene and Hajia Salima Ahmed Tijani from the Electoral Commission.



They have accused Dr. Appiahene of being an NPP activist and Hajia Salima Ahmed also of having some strong ties with NPP as her relatives share affiliation with the party.



We are painfully aware that voluntary and constitutionally grounded revocation of these unfortunate and democratically problematic EC appointments by the President is extremely unlikely. However, nothing stops the affected appointees, namely Dr Peter Appiahene and Hajia Salima Tijani from voluntarily and honourably resigning from the EC.



This will be in the supreme interest of our countrys continued democratic progress, election peace and credibility and indeed overall national interest, CODEO said in a press conference.



Addressing the issue on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" show, Prof. Kofi Agyekum noted that the above-mentioned persons should take a deep thought about the objections and advise themselves to take the right decision in order to end the brouhaha.



To him, it should be okay for them to step down for peace to reign.



Speaking to host Kwami Sefa Kayi, Prof. Kofi Agyekum advised Dr. Appiahene and Hajia Salima saying "I would resign if it is because of me that these controversies will go on".





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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Henry Nana Boakye, the National Organizer of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), has rebuked the Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO) over their demand for the resignation of Dr Peter Appiahene and Hajia Salima Ahmed Tijani from the Electoral Commission.



Dr Appiahene and Ahmed Tijani were appointed by President Akufo-Addo to the Board of the Electoral Commission in March 2023.



But CODEO has accused both persons of having political inclination towards the NPP and therefore are calling for their resignation from the Board.



We are painfully aware that voluntary and constitutionally grounded revocation of these unfortunate and democratically problematic EC appointments by the President is extremely unlikely. However, nothing stops the affected appointees, namely Dr Peter Appiahene and Hajia Salima Tijani from voluntarily and honourably resigning from the EC.



This will be in the supreme interest of our countrys continued democratic progress, election peace and credibility and indeed overall national interest, the group said in a press conference.



But Henry Nana Boakye, populary known as Nana B, has slammed CODEO stating "their evidence is too pedestrain".



According to him, the group is just jumping on the bandwagon because there are speculations about the new EC appointees having an affiliation with the NPP.



Nana B refuted the claims stressing Dr. Appiahene and Hajia Salima Ahmed are not NPP activists.



Touching specifically on Dr. Appiahene, Nana B asserted that "the man has never been a TESCON patron . . . he is not an NPP member. He is not part of NPP communications team".



He rebuked CODEO saying their "mere speculation and just naked conjecturing should not be acceptable" and standing for Dr. Appiahene and Hajia Salima Ahmed, he emphasized that he "will never call for their resignation. We have not breached any law".







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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After participating in the previous editions of the China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE), more and more global brands have settled in China's Hainan to tap into the Chinese market.





Produced by Xinhua Global Service
The National Executive Committee of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) is investigating the nomination forms of all three parliamentary aspirants in the Ayawaso West Wuogon Constituency over alleged discrepancies.



The three are John Setor Dumelo, the defeated parliamentary candidate of the NDC in the 2020 election who is facing stiff competition from his friend, Fred Nuamah, and one other person, Moses Barfi Acheampong



Though the three aspirants of the NDC have filed their nomination forms but the party said it has detected some anomalies with the forms hence putting the vetting of the aspirants on hold until further notice.



NDCs Greater Accra Regional Secretary, Theophilus Tetteh Chaie, a member of the regional vetting committee, told the media that The issue is about the filing. There were some challenges filing on the last day and we are looking at the documentation because the filing was done online. The online filing has certain features on the documents and if you look at the three candidates theres some form of anomalies although they claim to have gone through the process.



So, our national leadership is investigating the matter so that they will, in turn, give us a true state of affairs.



It is however unclear when the three aspirants will be vetted as the exercise ended nationwide yesterday Wednesday, April 5.



The three were scheduled to be vetted last Monday but the discrepancies had delayed the vetting which might see them vetted at the national office to take part in the primaries on Saturday, May 13.

Source: dailyguidenetwork.com









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The Supreme Court has set May 17, 2023, to deliver a judgment in the case challenging the eligibility of restrained Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin North, James Gyakye Quayson, to have contested in the 2020 parliamentary election.



The writ, filed by the NPPs losing candidate, Michael Ankomah-Nimfah, is seeking the interpretation of Article 94 Clause 2a of the 1992 Constitution, which deals with eligibility of a person to contest as an MP in Ghana.



The writ avers that per Article 94 of the 1992 Constitution, the Representation of the People Law, Act 284 and the CI 127, Mr. Quayson was not qualified at the time of filing to contest the 2020 parliamentary elections, since he held a Canadian citizenship.



The writ attached an application for interlocutory injunction pending the determination of the case, and the court on April 13, 2022, in a 5:2 majority decision granted the application and restrained the MP from further carrying himself out as the peoples representative of Assin North.



The court also restrained the MP from further attending Parliament with the aim of attending to business of the House in the name of the people of Assin North.



A Cape Coast High Court in 2021 had prior to that ordered the MP to vacate his seat after it found that at the time of filing his nomination to contest in the parliamentary election, which he won on December 7, 2020, Mr. Quayon held dual citizenship.



The Supreme Court on March 1, 2023, ordered counsels for the parties to file their joint memorandum of issues to be determined by March 10.



Each counsel was further ordered to file their separate issues regardless of whether they were unable to agree on the issues to be determined.



The court, yesterday, indicated that both parties could not file a joint memorandum of issues but have both have filed their separate issues to be determined.



The seven-member panel of the court presided over by Justice Jones Dotse and assisted by Justices Nene Amegatcher, Mariama Owusu, Gertrude Torkonoo, Henrietta Mensah-Bonsu, Yonni Kulendi and Barbara Ackah-Yensu, adopted the separate issues filed by the parties.



The court said it reserves the right to set out the issues which are relevant to this case and will also identify those that are not relevant.



It adjourned the case to May 17, 2023, to give its judgment which will bring finality to the argument whether a person holding dual citizenship qualifies to contest as a Member of Parliament in Ghana.



Mr. Quayson was in court for only the second time since the case was filed against him.

Source: dailyguidenetwork.com









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Five aspirants of the National Democratic Congress Keta Constituency parliamentary seat have been cleared by the vetting committee to contest in the upcoming primary.



Kwame Dzudzorli Gakpe, the incumbent Member of Parliament (MP), Dr. Kojo Jones Mensah, and Madam Enyonam Apetorgbor have been placed in the first, second, and third positions on the ballot.



The rests are Dr. Senanu Kwasi Djokoto and Paul Mensah Voegbor also securing number four and five, respectively.



Kwame Gakpe, after a successful vetting process, expressed excitement over his clearance to fight for a second term.



He said his position signified a good leadership position where he would be the first.



Dr Djokoto, the former Keta Constituency Chairman of the NDC, expressed satisfaction about the process and urged all delegates to give him the nod to bring unprecedented development to the area.



Also the Acting Volta Regional Director of Health, told the Ghana News Agency that he would rebuild the Keta NDC and ensure unity and development when elected the MP.



Dr. Emmanuel Kwadzo Jones Mensah, Madam Enyonam Apetorgbor, and Paul Mensah Voegborlo also expressed the hope that they would win the hearts of delegates for a massive victory.



Several supporters who interacted with GNA remained happy that all aspirants had gone through the vetting process peacefully and urged the candidates to engage in clean campaigns, devoid of insults.



The NDC has set Saturday, May 13, for the parliamentary and presidential primaries.





Source: GNA









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There are approximately 12 cases left of the 2017 Chardonnay from Cadenza Vineyards in southern York County.

What makes it special isnt necessarily the vintage albeit it was a good one (We were blessed in 2017 with a balanced growing season and we closed out harvest with an amazing lack of rain events, according to the email that was sent out to its customers) but rather the age of the vines that continue to produce exceptional wines at one of the oldest winery locations in the mid-Atlantic.

These vines are among those that were planted a half-century ago by Bill Radomsky on land pretty much in the middle of nowhere, about 30 miles east southeast of York, Pennsylvania, and more than 50 miles due north of Baltimore. That area of the county and state remains rural although a lot more homes and neighborhoods dot that area now than 50 years ago.

Owner and winemaker Carl Helrich said the Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay blocks are the last two remaining from the original 1973 plantings by Bill Radomsky.

Carl Helrich and wife Kris Miller now own and operate Cadenza Vineyards and Allegro Winery, along with Pinnacle Ridge Winery. He sent over an email on Saturday that provided some background on those vines:

The Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay blocks are the last two blocks remaining from the original 1973 plantings by Bill Radomsky, he said. In each block theres probably fewer than 5% of the vines that will be 50 years old this spring. Probably another 5% from the early 1980s that John and Tim re-planted when they took over. Other plantings happened in the early 90s and late 90s, and then I showed up and took the 8-foot spacing between vines and cut it in half, essentially doubling the density per acre. The Chardonnay block is now around 2.25 acres and the Cabernet around 1.75 (with lots of new vines coming on line again.)

Helrich also sent over this background from a piece he had written earlier on the early days of the vineyard:

The year was 1973, and Bill Radomsky started to plant vines at Allegro. Of course, at that point, it wasnt called Allegro (that happened after John and Tim Crouch showed up.) But that spring, Bill planted about an acre and a half each of Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. He had spent a couple years looking around south-central PA to find the best place to grow grapes, consulting soil maps and talking to folks.

This is why were in Brogue. Its the worst place in the world to sell wine, but the best place to grow grapes. There are only a handful of other vineyards in Pennsylvania that were planted for grape-growing purposes only. ...

Most people would have thought him crazy at the time. Im sure the folks in California thought he was nuts. ... In 1973, though, even the locals must have questioned him. It was until a year later that the Hargraves planted the first vinifera vines on Long Island. Dr. Frank in the Finger Lakes had planted some European vines a decade earlier, but word had not reached very far yet. Everyone thought these tender varieties couldnt weather the weather here.

Cadenza Vineyards is located in Brogue, York County, about a half-hour drive from York.

The following year, Bill planted another couple acres of Chardonnay, and then  perhaps to hedge his bets  he put in about 8 acres of Seyval Blanc (which, at the time, made some of the nicest hybrid wines around.) Keep in mind, this was all happening in Brogue  yes, Brogue  in the early 1970s.

In 1978, the vineyard was sold to John and Tim Crouch, two musician brothers. Because Bill had been going through a divorce, the vineyard had fallen into some disrepair. It took the brothers all of the following year (1979) to get the vineyard back into shape. John said that they struggled to find the vines in the vineyard due to how overgrown it had become. Their first commercial vintage was 1980.

In the early 1980s, the brothers planted some Merlot and some Chambourcin, as well as a rootstock vineyard and an experimental plot. Unfortunately (except maybe in the case of Chambourcin), all of these froze out in the winter of 1994. At one time, this place had close to 15 acres planted to vines.

When Helrich and Miller purchased Allegro Winery in 2001, they would take out almost 10 acres of vines as they began to plan new ones. The major project that helped set the stage for the creation of Cadenza Vineyards took place in 2015-16 when several new vineyard blocks were planted.

Meanwhile, the current owners continue in their literature and on the property to recognize the Crouch brothers and their contribution to the East Coast wine industry.

Per the winemaker notes, the 17 vintage of the Chardonnay has a supple richness with a complementary raciness. Look for this wine to drink nicely through 2024 and then mature into a more honeyed lusciousness.

Its available for tasting at the Brogue tasting room or can be ordered online and shipped to any Pennsylvania or Maryland address.

More:

Maryland Wine Experience to debut with tours, tastings, classes

Views from a fourth-generation California winemaker: Angelina Mondavi
Three people were shot and injured at a food court inside a Delaware mall early Saturday evening, NBC10 is reporting.

Two others also were hurt during the incident at the Christiana Mall, the story said, but those were not caused by gunshots. The mall is located outside Newark, Delaware, about 40 miles southwest of Philadelphia and 25 miles south of West Chester, Pennsylvania.

Officers were dispatched to the mall around 6:45 p.m. for reports of a shooting, WDEL reported. All of the victims were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, according to the story. The three who were shot were in stable condition, according to the updated report on NBC10.

As of Sunday morning, no one was in custody. Police termed it an altercation that led to the shooting, the story said.

The mall already was scheduled for be closed on Easter Sunday.

More:

Central Pa. man kills wife, then fatally shoots himself: coroner

Man found dead in central Pa. tree: police
A Texas man tracked down his stolen truck and shot the other person inside of it, according to police.

The man, who has not yet been identified, reported his Chevy Silverado as stolen the afternoon of March 29 in San Antonio, Texas, according to KENS5.

However, he had left his Apple AirTag, a small tracking device made by Apple, inside the truck. So he and two relatives drove to find his truck at a shopping center on the 3200 block of SE Military Drive in San Antonio, according to valleycentral.com.

The man whose truck was stolen said he opened fire on the thief, identified as 44-year-old Andrew Herrera, when Herrera flashed a gun at him, KENS5 said.

Police have not yet determined if they will charge the man who shot at Herrera, who has not yet been identified, KENS5 said.

READ MORE:

Man found dead in central Pa. tree: police

Two central Pa. teens killed in Thursday crash

Two girls, the youngest only 12, were shot in separate incidents in Philly
NASHVILLE, Tenn.  Two former Black Democratic lawmakers who were expelled by Republican colleagues in Tennessee say they want to be reappointed, then elected back to their seats, following their ouster for a protest on the House floor urging passage of gun-control measures in the wake of a deadly school shooting.

Nashvilles metro council is likely to reappoint Justin Jones to the seat during a specially called Monday meeting. The Shelby County Commission plans to announce soon when it will meet to fill the vacancy left by Justin Pearsons expulsion. Likewise, commissioners can reinstall Pearson, who is from Memphis.

Both former lawmakers told NBCs Meet the Press on Sunday that they want to return to their positions as lawmakers. Special elections for the seats, which have yet to be set, will follow in the coming months.

The expulsions have made Tennessee a new front in the battle for the future of American democracy. The former lawmakers have quickly drawn prominent supporters. President Joe Biden spoke with them and Vice President Kamala Harris visited them in Nashville.

You know, we will continue to fight for our constituents, Jones said. And one thing I just want to say ... is that this attack against us is hurting all people in our state. You know, even though it is disproportionately impacting Black and Brown communities, this is hurting poor white people. Their attack on democracy hurts all of us.

In separate votes on Thursday, the GOP supermajority expelled Jones and Pearson, a move leaving about 140,000 voters in primarily Black districts in Nashville and Memphis with no representation in the House.

Pearson and Jones were expelled in retaliation for their role in the protest the week before, which unfolded in the aftermath of a school shooting in Nashville that killed six people, including three young students.

A third Democrat, Rep. Gloria Johnson of Knoxville, was spared expulsion by a one-vote margin. Johnson is white, spurring outcry at the differing outcomes for the two young, Black lawmakers. Republican lawmakers who split their votes have cited Johnsons points on the floor that her role in the protest was lesser  she didnt speak into the megaphone, for example.

Johnson has also suggested race was likely a factor on why Jones and Pearson were ousted but not her, telling reporters it might have to do with the color of our skin.

Republican House Speaker Cameron Sexton said thats a false narrative.

Its unfortunate, shes trying to put political racism in this, which there was nothing on this, Sexton told Fox News on Friday.

Gun reform and "Tennessee Three" supporters raise signs in the gallery of the House chamber Thursday, April 6, 2023, in Nashville, Tenn. Tennessee Republicans are seeking to oust three House Democrats for their role in a demonstration calling for gun control following the Nashville school shooting. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)AP

GOP leaders said the expulsion actions  used only a handful times since the Civil War  were necessary to avoid setting a precedent that lawmakers disruptions of House proceedings through protest would be tolerated.

Pearson said the statehouse has been a toxic work environment. He noted the scrutiny he received for wearing a black dashiki  a tunic-like garment that originated in west Africa  for session, rather than a suit and tie.

Its about us not belonging in the institution because they are afraid of the changes that are happening in our society, and the voices that are being elevated, Pearson said on Meet the Press.

Jonathan Matisse of The Associated Press wrote this story.

More:

Tennessee expels lawmakers for disorderly floor behavior. Could it happen in Pa.? It has
The Liberal governments decision to expand medical assistance in dying to people with mental illness as a sole underlying condition has sparked a wide range of reaction in Canada. Supporters argue the move will give autonomy and dignity to people who have exhausted all other treatment options. A patient has his hand held in a hospital, in Minneapolis, Monday, May 3, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS-David Joles-Star Tribune via AP
Mahdi al-Mashat (1st L), chairman of the Houthi's political council, meets with Muhammad Al Jaber (2nd L), Saudi ambassador to Yemen, in Sanaa, Yemen, on April 9, 2023. A Saudi delegation arrived in the Yemeni capital here on Saturday evening to hold ceasefire talks with the Iran-backed Houthi militia, the Houthi-run al-Masirah TV reported on Sunday. (Houthi-run Saba News Agency/Handout via Xinhua)

SANAA, April 9 (Xinhua) -- A Saudi delegation arrived in the Yemeni capital here on Saturday evening to hold ceasefire talks with the Iran-backed Houthi militia, the Houthi-run al-Masirah TV reported on Sunday.

The Saudi delegation arrived along with Omani officials to meet here with Mahdi al-Mashat, chairman of the Houthi's political council, for discussion of arrangements to renew the ceasefire deal that ended in October 2022, said the report.

"The move came as part of Oman's mediation efforts to bring peace to Yemen," it said.

Oman, which borders both Yemen and Saudi Arabia, has actively engaged in brokering a truce in Yemen in coordination with the United Nations peace efforts.

Muhammad al-Bukhaiti, a member of the Yemeni Shura Council and a prominent leader in the Houthi group, told Xinhua that Muhammad Al Jaber, Saudi ambassador to Yemen, arrived on Saturday as the head of the Saudi delegation to Yemen's capital.

Also on Saturday, the Houthi group said it had received 13 prisoners of war released by Saudi Arabia in exchange for a Saudi prisoner the group said it released earlier.

Peace efforts to end the war in Yemen have been increasing, particularly after recent Chinese efforts to ease tensions and restore diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

The conflict in Yemen erupted in late 2014 when the Iran-backed Houthi militia seized control of several northern cities and forced the Saudi-backed Yemeni government out of the capital Sanaa.

The Saudi-led coalition intervened in Yemen in 2015 to support the Yemeni government.

The war has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced 4 million, and pushed the country to the brink of starvation. 
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President Biden issued an Easter message of hope, joy, renewal, and rebirth as Trump melted down at Mar-a-Lago.

President Bidens message as provided to PoliticusUSA:



Jill and I join Christians around the world in celebrating Easter Sunday, a day of hope and joy, renewal and rebirth. It marks the end of Lent, a period of sacrifice and contemplation. And it commemorates Christs Resurrection, a powerful reminder of Gods love and the promise of redemption for us all.

During Lent and especially on Good Friday, we held in our hearts all those who are suffering from threats of violence and persecution, grief and isolation, and illness, poverty, and other hardships.

Today, we hold close the Easter message that nothing  not even death  can match the power of faith, hope, and love. And we remember Jesus sacrifice and recommit ourselves to love God with all our hearts and to love our neighbors as ourselves, embracing His call to treat one another with compassion.

To all those gathering in churches and homes around the world today, happy Easter and may God bless and keep you.

Meanwhile, something else was happening at the alleged Mar-a-Lago crime scene:

HAPPY EASTER TO ALL, INCLUDING THOSE THAT DREAM ENDLESSLY OF DESTROYING OUR COUNTRY BECAUSE THEY ARE INCAPABLE OF DREAMING ABOUT ANYTHING ELSE, THOSE THAT ARE SO INCOMPETENT THEY DONT REALIZE THAT HAVING A BORDER AND POWERFUL WALL IS A GOOD THING, & HAVING VOTER I.D., ALL PAPER BALLOTS, & SAME DAY VOTING WILL QUICKLY END MASSIVE VOTER FRAUD, & TO ALL OF THOSE WEAK & PATHETIC RINOS, RADICAL LEFT DEMOCRATS, SOCIALISTS, MARXISTS, & COMMUNISTS WHO ARE KILLING OUR NATION, REMEMBER, WE WILL BE BACK!

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Trump is spiraling and lumping all of his conspiracy theories together.

President Bidens message is one of hope and love, as Trump is a dark cloud who wants to burn it all down to avoid personal accountability for his actions.

The differences between Biden and Trump go much deeper than politics. Presidential character and attitudes help to shape the tone of the country. Biden projects hope and compassion. Trump is a bottomless well of fear, anger, and self-centeredness.

The contrast between the two could determine the future of America if voters are given the choice between Trump and Biden in 2024.
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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said on Sunday morning that the real crime wave in America is within the Republican Party.

Video:

.@AOC says there is a crime wave within the GOP, "The crime wave is within the Republican PartyWe are seeing breaking of the law by conservative members of the court. We are seeing a former president of the United States just indicted in recent days." pic.twitter.com/Zn9Kzax7TR  Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) April 9, 2023

Rep. Ocasio-Cortez said:

I admit it is very difficult to see a path in a Republican Party that refuses to hold itself accountable and, in fact, breaches the law itself. For all of their talk of a crime wave and Democrats, Republicans talking about crime waves across the country. The crime wave is within the Republican Party. It is within all of the what we are seeing. We have we have seen. We are seeing breaking of the law by conservative members of the court. We are seeing a former President Of The United States just indicted in the in recent days.

I mean, we need to hold our systems accountable and I do not believe that we should be refusing to do that. For political reasons. I believe that we should pursue the course. And if it is Republicans that decide to protect those who are breaking the law, then they are the ones who then are responsible for that decision, but we should not be complicit in that.

For all of the hearings and the Republican talk of investigating Biden and Hunter Biden, the actual committing of crimes and the party engaged in the cover-up is the Republican Party.

House Republicans even formed a select committee that appears to have no other purpose than to disrupt and interfere in Trumps criminal investigations and prosecutions.

Only one party is actively involved in trying to discredit a criminal case against a 2024 presidential candidate and that party is not the Democratic Party.

Democrats need to go down the same path that Rep. Ocasio-Cortez did on CNNs State of the Union. Democrats need to be blunt and call out these crimes. Dont assume that people are paying attention and know the story.

If the Republican Party wants to attach itself to Trump, it must pay the price with voters.
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
SC 250 is an initiative started by the South Carolina Legislature to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution in South Carolina. Each county in the state is being allowed to form committees so they can come up with some type of celebration. One such group has formed in Aiken.

The Aiken County SC 250 group had a meet-and-greet Feb. 23 with state SC 250 officials, local leaders and other interested people. Kevin Kerr is the local leader and can be reached by calling him at USC Aiken.
This summer, five local high school students will travel to Washington, D.C., and Columbia as winners of the Washington Youth Tour and Cooperative Youth Summit through opportunities provided by Aiken Electric Cooperative. Read moreAiken area students to attend youth summit, tour Washington, D.C.
JERUSALEM, April 9 (Xinhua) -- Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it launched airstrikes on Syria early on Sunday after a second rocket barrage was fired from Syria towards the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights.

The rare rocket attacks from Israel's northeastern neighbor overnight triggered sirens in the communities of Natur and Avnei Eitan in the Golan Heights. No injuries or damage were reported yet.

The IDF said in a statement that three rockets were launched from the Syrian territory towards Israel, one of which fell in an open area while another was intercepted by the Iron Dome aerial defense system. It didn't provide information about the third rocket.

After the second rocket salvo, IDF announced that it retaliated with artillery fire towards the area in Syria from which the rockets were launched. An unmanned aerial vehicle was striking "the launchers in Syria from which the rockets were launched," it said.

Later, Israeli fighter jets attacked additional targets in Syria, including a military compound of the Fourth Division of the Syrian Armed Forces, military radar systems and Syrian artillery posts "in response to the rockets fired towards Israeli territory," according to the IDF.

The Lebanese Al-Mayadeen TV news reported that the Al-Quds Brigade, a Palestinian group based in Damascus, claimed responsibility for the rockets. The group said that the rockets were retaliation for Israeli police raids on Al-Aqsa Mosque.

The unusual rocket attacks came amid days of escalating violence on multiple fronts. The Israeli army on Thursday and Friday struck southern Lebanon and Gaza Strip as Israel accused Hamas and other militant groups of being responsible for firing dozens of rockets at Israel.

The latest tension was triggered by Israeli raids of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, during a sensitive holiday time as Muslims were observing the holy month of Ramadan with prayers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and Jews were commemorating the Passover holiday.

Over the past years, Israel has conducted a shadow war in Syria, with numerous airstrikes aimed at Iranian targets or weapons convoys belonging to Hezbollah, an Iran-backed Lebanese group. However, the Israeli-Syrian border has remained largely calm.

The Golan Heights is a disputed territory that Israel seized from Syria in the 1967 Middle East war and annexed in 1981, in a move not recognized by most of the international community. 
Dominion Energy South Carolina customers could see their monthly electric bills increase for the third time in a year if state regulators approve the utilitys latest request to recover money it spent for the fuels that run its power plants.

The S.C. Public Service Commission is considering whether to allow the company to recoup about $428 million from the roughly 780,000 customers it serves across the Palmetto State.

If the revised proposal is approved as submitted, the average monthly bill for a residential customer would climb by about $5.49, or 3.9 percent, to about $146.06 for each 1,000 kilowatts of power.

A previous request filed in February sought a 5.7 percent increase.

Dominion, the Office of Regulatory Staff and the S.C. Energy Users Committee agreed to a newly adjusted forecast based on more current data from when the utility submitted its original request.

If approved, ratepayers will be paying about 17 percent above what they were shelling out last spring after previous increases last May and December.

Under the pricing structure, Dominions commercial customers will see bills go up about 5 percent, while large-scale industrial users will be charged 7.11 percent more.

The new rates would go into effect beginning with the May 1 billing cycle and remain in effect for a year.

A key reason many utilities didn't charge enough for fuel last year were natural gas, which drives some power plants. The economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia's invasion of Ukraine drove up global demand for the commodity, and prices followed. Similarly, coal costs also jumped.

Customers spoke out against the Dominion rate increase request during a hearing before regulators in Columbia last week. Many blamed management for poor financial decisions that are now saddling them with larger energy bills.

The commission had actually requested that Dominion use commodity market contracts to hedge against price increases about two years ago, said Hirak Pati, a Charleston resident and Dominion electric customer.

He said the company rejected the request and, as a result, was subject to price fluctuations, and now we, the ratepayers, are being asked to pay that increase in fuel cost which could have been avoided had they employed that.

Commissioner Thomas Ervin  who voted against Dominions 7 percent rate hike in December  requested Dominion executives to reinstate the companys hedging program two years ago.

That would have been an insurance policy in the event of a spike in natural gas pricing, and, in fact, they chose not to do that, and natural gas prices year over year were up 100 to 110 percent, Ervin said March 30.

Chad Burgess, a lawyer for the utility, said Dominion is ready to help customers in need of assistance. He also said the company is fully aware of the external pressures customers are facing.

We realize prices are going up on a lot of different goods, including on energy which is why we are here today.

He added: That is not lost on us.

Currently, utilities can recover 100 percent of energy expenses they incur to run their power plants from their customers.

At rates approved in December, Dominion said it expected to collect $404 million less than it would pay for fuel by this month. Dominion warned that another round of rate increases could be necessary to make up for the shortfall.

A decision on the utility's latest request is expected by April 12.
If your state or federal income tax return contains an error there's a good chance you'll eventually get a letter from the tax collectors pointing out the mistake.

Just last year I received letters from the IRS and the S.C. Department of Revenue telling me I had slightly overpaid, so those letters aren't always bad news.

Mistakes can happen on returns, but tax agencies can also make errors. People who receive a "notice of proposed adjustment" from the S.C. Department of Revenue should not just assume they are right.

The experience of one of my South Carolina relatives offers an example. It's just one person's experience, and is, hopefully, not typical, but it illustrates what can go wrong and how to respond.

In three of the past five tax years this relative has received adjustment letters from the agency, claiming his return was incorrect and saying he owed hundreds or thousands of dollars.

Each time, he filed an appeal and DOR eventually conceded that it was in the wrong  about everything  and that his returns were correct to begin with.

I'm not talking about a person who has a complex tax situation, unusual deductions or owns a business. This is someone who earns regular full-time wages, as does his spouse.

The items DOR challenged in their letters, which I have reviewed, were baffling. For example, they claimed in two different years that my relative's family had not had any money withheld from their pay for state income taxes, despite the amounts being correctly recorded and backed up with tax forms.

They also challenged the two-wage earner credit, claimed by his two-wage-earner family, and the number of dependents that were claimed (they have three children; DOR challenged that as well).

In the 2018 tax year this all added up to the department claiming my relative owed them more than $8,000, plus a penalty and interest. After he filed an appeal DOR agreed his return had been correct all along and he was due the refund he had claimed.

He thought that would be the end of it.

But then the same thing happened for the 2021 and 2022 tax years.

For 2021, SCDOR again ignored the state income tax collected through payroll withholding, challenging his number of dependents and also demanding proof of contributions to the state-affiliated college savings plan (which are tax deductible). An initial claim that he owed thousands of dollars was, again, reduced to zero on appeal.

This year, for the third time in five years, he got another letter  one of 4,190 that DOR sent for 2022. Again, the state objected to him claiming the two-wage earner tax credit for his family, which has two wage earners. Again, he appealed, and the department, again, conceded his return was correct.

I can only assume it's unusual for the state agency to repeatedly and incorrectly demand more money from a taxpayer whose returns are correct. Personally, I haven't received such a letter, and I was shocked by my relative's experience.

My takeaway here is that while lots of individuals don't fully understand tax rules and can make mistakes on their returns, tax professionals and the Department of Revenue also can, and do, get it wrong sometimes.

If you receive an unpleasant "notice of adjustment" from DOR, don't assume it's correct and write a check. The state might be right  hopefully it is, most of the time  but if is isn't, an appeal should be filed promptly.

Adjustments can be appealed within 90 days of the date shown on the letter, in writing, using form C-245.
COLUMBIA  Ken Loveless, former vice chair of the Lexington-Richland Five school board, is appealing last month's ruling that he violated state ethics law three times while serving on the school board.

Loveless was fined $6,150 on March 24 after a three-member panel of the State Ethics Commission found that he failed to recuse himself from board discussions which he had an economic interest in.

Those discussions centered around the the construction of Piney Woods Elementary School near Chapin, which Irmo-based Contract Construction built.

Loveless own construction firm was a subcontractor for Contract Construction at the time on a separate project. The panel ruled that was a relationship requiring Loveless to recuse himself from discussions about the Piney Woods project.

He has denied any breaking any laws, saying he was literally shocked when he was accused of wrongdoing.

In an April 3 appeal filing, Loveless asked for another hearing in front of the full eight-member commission, arguing that the panel's ruling was in error because the evidence presented in his Feb. 13 hearing established that he "did not 'make, participate in making, or in any way attempt to use his office  to influence a governmental decision ' of any kind."

That argument mirrors one that Loveless' attorney Desa Ballard made during the hearing, in which witnesses testified that Loveless never participated in any votes about the Piney Woods project while his company was a subcontractor.

However, the panel's decision found that state law's recusal requirements extend beyond just votes, quoting a 1995 commission advisory opinion which reads "it is clear that the restrictions on the activities of a public official are broader than merely prohibiting a vote on a matter which affects the official's economic interests."

The appeal filing argues that such precedent is beyond the commission's legal authority and that its interpretations of the law "expand on the clear language of unambiguous statutes and constitute the imposition of sanctions for conduct that is not prohibited by the State Ethics Act."

The filing also says the commission's recommendations violate Loveless' First Amendment rights to speak about district issues that concern the public.

"The logic that a professional with expertise in a field must leave his expertise behind when carrying out his duties as a public official is perverting the entire purposes of the State Ethics Act," it reads.

The appeal also contends that the commission doesn't have the authority to fine Loveless, since he's no longer a public official, after narrowly losing a reelection race in November.

In September, the commission denied Loveless' request to hold his hearing before the election.

The three violations that Loveless was fined for come from two June and September 2020 board meetings, during which he participated in discussions about the Piney Woods project, and a letter he sent to the districts then-superintendent outlining concerns about the school's construction in March 2020.

His appeal argues that the letter didn't violate ethics law because the superintendent's contract required board members to address questions about Lexington-Richland Five to the superintendent.

Despite the appeal's request to dismiss the charges against Loveless, Ballard doesn't expect that a hearing in front of the full commission will result in a different ruling.

"The rulings of the commission in this case make it clear that it follows its own precedent, even though we have twice pointed out, with abundant legal citations, why its prior precedent is wrong and beyond the scope of the commissions limited authority," she wrote in a March 7 email.

If that does prove to be the case, Ballard wrote that the full commission's rulings could be appealed to the South Carolina Court of Appeals.

Click here for more news from Columbia, S.C.
SWANSEA  Lawsuits and countersuits continue to pile up in a small Lexington County town where financial irregularities and inter-council squabbles plagued the town last summer, as councilmembers sought answers about a $3 million discrepancy in the town's budget.

On March 21, Mayor Viola McDaniel of Swansea, a 700-person town 20 miles south of Columbia, filed the latest countersuit against two councilmembers, who sued McDaniel and others last year.

After a 2021 audit showed an unexplained $3.3 million discrepancy in the town's budget, Councilmembers Mike Luongo and Doris Simmons demanded answers. Feeling unsatisfied with the explanation they received, Luongo and Simmons, along with town resident Barrett Black, filed a lawsuit in August 2022 against the town and its mayor to unearth answers about the financial issues.

"You say there's all this money missing," plaintiffs' attorney Jake Moore said April 5. "What do you mean by that? Where is it? Why is it that way? What do we need to do better? Who is responsible for what appears to be a major faux pas?"

Simmons, Luongo and Black are suing the town, McDaniel, Swansea Treasurer Margaret Harvey and John Brown, an independent auditor based in West Columbia who conducted the audit and reported that the town's 2021 budget was understated by more than $3 million.

After the original suit was filed almost eight months ago, Brown and Harvey filed countersuits in September 2022. On March 21, 2023, McDaniel joined the bunch and filed a countersuit of her own.

All three countersuits are based on the claim that the audit states that the money is understated, not missing. The suits accuse the plaintiffs of defamation and filing a frivolous suit.

"Things have calmed down a little bit," Brown's attorney Herbert Buhl said April 5. "But at the end of the day, (the plaintiffs) keep saying that John Brown said something about missing money and that's not what he's saying."

But, as the lawsuits stack up, the case is temporarily halted as the plaintiff's lawyer recovers from cancer.

An indictment and an audit

The conflict in Swansea dates back to July 2021, when former Mayor Jerald Sanders was indicted on charges of embezzlement and misconduct in office. The indictments allege that Sanders had around $10,000 worth of checks written to him personally without authorization and that he cashed those checks, while also accepting town money in a bank account under his own control. He was suspended from office and did not seek reelection.

After Sanders' indictment, council members squabbled over town budget issues, and in February 2022, the council received Brown's audit of Swansea's 2021 budget, which stated "balances in the underlying accounting records related to fixed assets, for all funds, are understated by at least $3,309,000."

In the report Brown gave summarizing his audit, he described a combination of known and unknown errors underlying the $3.3 million difference.

In the months that followed, tension on the town's five member council mounted, and Simmons and Luongo questioned what "understated by at least $3,309,000" meant. The pair concluded that the money was missing, and demanded answers.

When no satisfying answers appeared, Simmons, Luongo and Black, a life-long Swansea resident and former council member, filed the initial lawsuit on Aug. 17.

After several canceled town meetings, Brown appeared before council in an Aug. 22 meeting, and answered questions that were submitted to him in writing before the meeting.

Brown stressed that his audit said the $3.3 million was "understated," not necessarily missing, and said "there is a big difference."

But the plaintiffs did not accept Brown's explanation, and sent subpoenas to Brown and Harvey on Aug. 25.

A stack of suits

When Simmons, Luongo and Black filed their lawsuit, their request was simple, but insistent: they wanted a clearer answer on the $3.3 million discrepancy.

Simmons said in an August interview, "$3.3 million is just an awful lot to go missing in one year.

The plaintiffs' suit argues that $3.3 million is an exorbitant amount to be unaccounted for in a town like Swansea, which has an annual budget of around $1.7 million.

"The public has a right to know what happened to the missing Three million ($3,000,000.00) dollars," the lawsuit states. "The Plaintiffs believe a backwards look is necessary in order to find out what happened to the Three Million ($3,000,000.00) dollars."

The plaintiff's claim hinges on the assumption that the money is missing from the town.

But, Brown has said the money is understated, not missing. This means that the ending balance for the 2020 fiscal year was $3.3 million, but there was no fixed asset information provided for the start of the 2021 fiscal year, Brown said. This resulted in the discrepancy in town finances, he said.

"If I said that the $3 million is missing then, they would have something to hang their hat on," Brown said in a September interview. "But at no time did I ever say the $3 million is missing."

Brown called the suit against him frivolous and filed a countersuit on Sept. 15, 2022, accusing Simmons and Luongo of committing "malicious prosecution" and defamation.

On Sept. 19, 2022, Harvey filed a similar counter claim, and months later, McDaniel filed her own countersuit on March 21, 2023.

Each countersuit calls the plaintiffs' claims frivolous and accuses them of defamation.

The initial plaintiffs filed a formal reply to McDaniel's countersuit, claiming she filed it too late. They also noted that McDaniel's own reply to their original suit, which she filed with the countersuit in March 2023, was filed well outside the 30-day window that defendants were given make such a reply.

Town lawyer Joseph Dickey declined to comment on the open litigation, but said it was "unclear how we'll see this case moving forward."

Harvey's lawyer, Jonathan Milling, and McDaniel's lawyer, Knox McMahon, did not respond to requests for comment.

Harvey and Brown were scheduled to be deposed on Sept. 30, 2022, but after Moore was diagnosed with cancer, the depositions were canceled and the case has since been halted. No further depositions have been scheduled. The criminal case against former mayor Sanders also remains pending.
Editor's Note: Authorities on April 11 revised the number of people injured in the April 7 shooting from five to six. This story has been updated to reflect the latest information.

ISLE OF PALMS  Local police offered more information April 8 into their ongoing investigation of a mass shooting the previous day that injured five people on the sandy beaches of this small barrier island.

Two people detained near the beach the evening of the shooting were charged with weapons offenses, though it remains unclear if they were involved in the shooting, said Police Chief Kevin Cornett during a media briefing.

Four of the five victims had left Medical University Hospital by late morning April 8. One of the victims was a woman in her mid-30s, while the other four are 15- and 16-years-old.

Hundreds of teenagers from schools throughout the Lowcountry flocked to the beach the day before to partake in "senior skip day" on April 7, according to Cornett. Videos posted on social media show crowds standing below a pier on Front Beach behind the Sea Cabins condominiums when a barrage of gunshots rang out at approximately 5:30 p.m., scattering the group and injuring five people.

Chaos unfolded on the beach as more than a hundred law enforcement agents from local, state and federal agencies careened toward the barrier island, which has a population of about 4,500 full-time residents.

It is the latest mass shooting to grip South Carolina. Last year, 14 people were injured after a shooting erupted at a crowded shopping mall in Columbia on a rainy Sunday before Easter. On Memorial Day, ten people were injured by gunfire at a party on Charleston's East Side.

The beach shooting occurred two days after Republican senators advanced legislation allowing anyone 18 and older in South Carolina who can legally buy a gun to carry it around  whether openly or concealed  without needing a permit. The bill, which passed the House in February despite opposition from leaders in law enforcement, will now go before the full Senate Judiciary Committee.

Since the shooting, U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-Isle of Palms, advocated for "common sense measures" to curtail gun violence, such as legislation to implement an active shooter alert system and to integrate information on criminal backgrounds into one database. The scary episode has also led Isle of Palms officials to question under what conditions visitors should be allowed to enjoy the city's expansive beaches.

It is forcing South Carolina to, once again, reckon with the scourge of gun violence.

'The shooting started'

Local police coordinated with the Charleston County Sheriff's Office the morning of April 7 to increase law enforcement presence in anticipation of a large crowd, Cornett said. Ten officers were on the beach at the time of the shooting.

The gun violence was preceded by physical fighting that police tried to subdue, according to the police chief. Multiple officers handcuffed people involved in an assault on the beach when a second fight broke out.

"They (officers) were taking people into custody trying to defuse those situations," said Cornett. "That's when the shooting started."

Police have not released incident reports or body camera footage from the event, but videos posted to social media offer some details about how the incident unfolded.

In one video posted to Snapchat, emergency sirens scream in the background as a brawl breaks out among a dozen people on the beach. One person is tossed to the ground and kicked in the stomach. Another person punches the back of someones head. The mob disperses as two police officers run in, tackling at least one person to the sand.

Nine pops sound in another video that abruptly cuts out.

Cornett said officers forced people to the ground and climbed on top of them to shield their bodies from gunfire.

"Others immediately sprinted toward the fire  the gunfire  to try to stop it," he said. "And when they realized that those individuals were getting off the beach, they turned and started rendering aid."

Sgt. Matthew Storen said three people initially handcuffed by police before the shooting were not charged with crimes. He also said law enforcement did not fire their weapons.

Police detained an unknown number of people the evening of the shooting but ultimately charged only an 18-year-old and a 16-year-old with weapons offenses.

Summerville resident Shawn Alexander Martin-Goods, 18, was charged with unlawful carrying of a pistol.

Isle of Palms police officers and sheriff's deputies searching for shooting suspects at 6:35 p.m. near the Isle of Palms County Park located Martin-Goods, who matched photographs on social media and a description provided by a "concerned citizen," according to an affidavit supporting Martin-Good's arrest. The 18-year-old was found in possession of a Glock 29 in his waistband, the affidavit states, and admitted to possessing the weapon.

A magistrate at an April 8 hearing set bail at $25,000, Charleston County jail records show.

Unlawful carrying of a pistol, a misdemeanor offense, carries a maximum charge of one year in prison and a $1,000 fine upon conviction.

A 16-year-old detained the evening of the shooting on Ocean Boulevard was charged with possession of a stolen firearm and unlawful possession of a weapon, according to Isle of Palms police. Further information on the defendant and the charges against him is not publicly available because he is a juvenile.

Charleston County Sheriff Kristin Graziano, who joined the Isle of Palms police chief at the April 8 press conference, lamented that law enforcement officials were once again discussing a mass shooting in Charleston.

A mass shooting devastated Charleston in 2015 when Dylann Roof, a white supremacist, opened fire on a Bible study group at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church. He killed nine Black church goers and the senior pastor, state senator Clementa C. Pinckney.

In the Memorial Day shooting last summer, the victims, who survived, included a pregnant woman and a 17-year-old girl.

The sheriff said she believes there are people who know what transpired on the beach. She urged participants, families and school officials to come forward with information.

"There's absolutely no reason anybody should be carrying a gun to the beach," Graziano said.

'Unrecognizable'

Isle of Palms City Council held an emergency meeting April 8 to brief residents of a beach community unaccustomed to gun violence. Roughly thirty residents attended, including Mace, the police chief and eight city councilors.

The tone was overwhelming gratitude to the public safety officers who responded to the scene.

But the officials' comments also suggest the shooting could provoke discussions within the community about who has access to its pristine beaches. Isle of Palms boasts seven miles of public coastline, accessible by more than 50 paths.

Since the shooting, the city has closed two parking lots near the beach, which can accommodate 400 cars, for safety reasons.

City Administrator Desiree Fragoso said at the meeting she noticed crowds of people "undeterred" by police.

"We're gonna have to have serious conversations about access and gatherings on the beach," Fragoso said.

Councilor John Bogosian, who walked toward the beach the night of the shooting, said the area looked more like a scene out of spring break in Miami Beach.

"It was certainly an IOP that was unrecognizable to me," he said.

Mayor Phillip Pounds, wearing his official government Isle of Palms vest, said in an interview following the meeting that the city's business community depends on visitors.

"It's not our beach by any stretch  its everybody's," Pounds said. "They all ought to be able to enjoy it in a public, safe way."

Anyone with information regarding the shooting should call the Isle of Palms Police Department's tip line at 843-529-3750. Anonymous tips can be submitted by calling Crime Stoppers of the Lowcountry at 843-554-1111.
COLUMBIA  South Carolina auto dealerships and the states consumer watchdog are waging a bruising battle over obscure pricing regulations that's taken them into courtrooms and the halls of the Statehouse.

The outcome could have serious implications for regulators authority over a $17 billion industry.

Car dealers say that over the past year, the S.C. Department of Consumer Affairs has abused its authority under a 2016 statute regulating closing fees to harass them by randomly inspecting their businesses while demanding reams of documents and mounting a social media smear campaign against them.

Ive never seen the kind of bureaucratic overreach that we have with the Department of Consumer Affairs, Sims Floyd, the chief lobbyist for the South Carolina Automobile and Truck Dealers Association, said at House oversight committee hearing in late February.

We need reform in that agency," he urged. "Theres no way around it.

Department officials say theyre open to increasing their collaboration with dealers but warn the industrys deep-pocketed lobbyists are using exaggeration and outright falsehoods to push legislation that would muzzle robust enforcement of the closing fee statute that won back $728,000 for 3,775 consumers over five years.

The department noticed a spike in complaints about auto dealers employing deceptive advertising practices as supply chain woes squeezed dealers profit margins. So they stepped up enforcement in early 2022.

When we see an uptick in complaints, we will shift our focus, Roger Hall, the departments acting administrator, told the House oversight panel. Were doing what we think the statute told us to do.

For instance, Hall told legislators of a dealership that charged a woman $8,000 more than the advertised price, submitted what appears to be a fraudulent credit application and added warrantees the woman did not ask for earlier this year.

Yet the department has gotten little sympathy from either party in the Legislature, with lawmakers saying they considered cutting the agencys entire budget to send a message.

Yall are rogue, fulminated Rep. Bill Hixon, R-North Augusta, saying he had never received more constituent complaints about a state agency.

On March 29, the Senate unanimously passed legislation that would curtail the departments ability to police the closing fee statute. The next day, a House committee sent bipartisan legislation to the floor that would abolish the appointed commission that oversees the department and place it under the governors authority.

Apparently that board is not doing its job, and theyre running rampant over the dealers, Rep. Bill Sandifer, R-Seneca, said.

Consumer advocates fear the legislation goes too far.

These two (bills) together severely hamstring the Department of Consumer Affairs  gives dealers carte blanche, said North Charleston attorney Steven Moskos, who specializes in bringing fraud cases against dealerships.

Quietly, a handful of legislators agree but dont want to publicly oppose the legislation for fear of getting on the wrong side of one of the Statehouses most influential lobbies that cuts big checks to virtually every member of the Legislature every election cycle.

The origins of the dispute date to 2015 when the S.C. Supreme Court ruled a Pickens County dealership should not have charged customers a closing fee under state law and ordered the dealership to refund thousands of customers, The State newspaper reported.

A closing fee is a charge the dealer can apply to the base cost of a vehicle to cover the administrative costs associated with closing a deal. Some South Carolina dealers dont charge them while others go as high as $700, according to department data.

After the ruling, the Legislature passed an industry-backed bill that would allow closing fees if those fees were registered with the department and if any over $225 were approved as reasonable by the Department of Consumer Affairs.

The department has been enforcing those rules since 2016, but in August 2021, they began to receive complaints that dealerships were engaging in deceptive advertising practices. In response, the agency increased enforcement of the closing fee statute by dispatching investigators to random car dealerships to check if the problems were industry wide as complaints continued to rise, officials say.

Karyn Heimes, CFO of the Jim Hudson Automotive Group, told the House oversight panel that the Midlands-based company has been locked in a costly legal battle with the department since two investigators arrived on a random compliance audit in March 2022 demanding an extensive list of documents.

The departments fishing expeditions, investigations, audits, hostility are all unjustified and unsubstantiated, Floyd said.

Hall acknowledged there was a learning curve in early 2022 about what documents investigators needed because the 45-employee agency with one of the smallest departmental budgets has only five investigators for the entire state.

In April 2022, the department standardized requests and now seeks a few pages of information on 30 transactions for each review. They have conducted 20 such in-depth compliance reviews over the past year, according to documents submitted to legislators.

At the same time it increased inspections, the department posted dozens of times on social media, warning consumers about deceptive advertising at dealerships, sometimes including the hashtag #dontgetduped.

Dealers and legislators said it amounted to a targeted campaign against dealerships, while the department says the posts were educational efforts and just a fraction of their total social media activity.

In September 2022, the dealers association sued the department alleging they had acted in an arbitrary and capricious manner in closing fee approvals and had exceeded their statutory authority in conducting compliance reviews at dealerships.

In October, the department roundly denied the allegations and countersued, alleging that the dealers association committed civil conspiracy by working with their members to illegally thwart the departments access to records during inspections.

The legislation passed by the Senate late last month would strip the department of their ability to do random compliance reviews. They would only be able to investigate when a customer complains about closing fees and would have access to fewer records.

If some of this legislation were to pass, it would put a lot of the responsibility on the consumer to know the law versus having  us being able to go in and know whats going on, said Bailey Parker, the departments spokeswoman. Many violations they uncovered have come from proactive investigations, not complaints, she said.

Senate Minority Leader Brad Hutto, an Orangeburg Democrat who is co-sponsoring the legislation, said he and others on the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee amended it to preserve some of the departments investigatory powers and the penalties it can impose. The original bill wouldve essentially rendered the department toothless, he said.

The department also opposes the legislation to make it a cabinet agency, which is now working its way through the House.

The department is more independent with a commission, said David Campbell, the chair of the seven-member appointed commission.

"You dont have some of the outside pressures of certain industries and things like that laying directly on you, he said.

Indeed, the auto dealers are currently exerting significant pressure in Columbia.

The legislation "was a major priority for the auto dealers, and they talked to a lot of people, Hutto said.

In the House committee that approved the legislation making the department a cabinet agency, Rep. Russell Ott, D-St. Matthews, was the only lawmaker to dissent.

Mr. Ott, I hope you dont need to buy a car. And you understand, Sandifer said with a laugh before the vote.

I understand, Ott responded, sounding resigned.

Sandifer later told a reporter the remark implied that if the legislation did not pass, the department might drive dealers out of business, not that the dealers would retaliate against Ott.
FUEL PRICES: California Gov. Gavin Newsom listens to New College students at Betty J. Johnson North Sarasota Public Library in Sarasota, Florida, on April 5, 2023. Newsom signed legislation in mid-March to create new oversight of the oil and gas industry, which could lead to fines. Ivy Ceballo/Tampa Bay Times
PR-Inside.com: 2023-04-09 09:07:18

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+91 7580990088Parmeet Singh7580990088

Dhirtek Business Research and Consulting recently released their most comprehensive study on the global submucosal injection solution market. This research report provides a detailed overview of the market's drivers and restraints, as well as a thorough analysis of the current trends that are likely to shape its future. To create this in-depth report, the team of analysts used both primary and secondary research methods. The report offers an unbiased perspective on the submucosal injection solution industry, allowing clients to make well-informed business decisions. The report reveals key insights about the global submucosal injection solution industry, such as the market's size and potential for growth. It also examines the impact of technological advancements, regulatory changes, and consumer behaviors on the market's performance. Analysts also take a closer look at the market's competitive landscape, highlighting the strategies used by leading players to gain a competitive edge. Additionally, the report outlines potential threats and opportunities that may arise in the near future.Overall, this comprehensive report offers an invaluable resource for those looking to better understand the global submucosal injection solution market. With the help of the study's data-driven insights, clients can gain a better understanding of the current market dynamics, allowing them to make informed business decisions.Request a Sample of this Report at: https://www.dhirtekbusinessresearch.com/market-report/Submucosal-Injection-Solution-Market/request-for-sample-report The global submucosal injection solution market was in a state of flux, and the future direction was uncertain. To gain clarity, a comprehensive research study was conducted to analyze the market using Porter's five forces analysis and SWOT analysis. By combining these two methods of analysis, the research could gain a clear perspective of the global submucosal injection solution market's expected direction.The SWOT analysis focused on identifying the market's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. It was a useful tool in determining the potential of the market to succeed and develop, as well as its potential vulnerabilities. The Porter's five forces analysis, on the other hand, provided a detailed look into the competitive landscape, examining the level of competition, the bargaining power of customers, the bargaining power of suppliers, the threat of new entrants, and the threat of substitute products.The research report delved into the trends that were shaping the market, as well as consumer behavior patterns. It was found that the competition among the existing players in the market was intense, and new entrants posed a major threat. The bargaining power of customers was also strong, and suppliers had to come up with innovative products to keep their customers satisfied. Additionally, the threat of substitute products was also present, and companies had to be prepared to face this competition.Overall, the research study provided a comprehensive understanding of the global submucosal injection solution market's expected direction. By combining Porter's five forces analysis and SWOT analysis, the research was able to gain a clear picture of the market's future. The report gave readers a better understanding of the trends and consumer behavior patterns that would shape the market's evolution.Highlights of Global Submucosal Injection Solution Market ReportThe global submucosal injection solution market report is a comprehensive overview of the current state of the industry and provides an in-depth analysis of its future trends and developments.The report details the market size, growth rate, industry trends, and other noteworthy information. It also highlights key products and services that are driving the growth of the market, as well as their respective market shares.One of the most important aspects of the global submucosal injection solution market report is the analysis of the competitive landscape. The report details the competitive positioning of the leading players in the market and the various strategies they are using to stay ahead of their rivals.The report also examines the recent technological developments that are disrupting the industry and the effect they will have on the market in the long term. It also covers the impact of government regulations and policies on the industry and provides an insight into the future trends in the industry.The global submucosal injection solution market report provides an insightful look at the current state of the industry and a comprehensive overview of its future prospects. It is an invaluable resource for anyone looking to gain an understanding of the market and its potential.Scope of the ReportSubmucosal Injection Solution Market SegmentsThe market by product type is segmented into syringe type, ampoule type.The market by application is segmented into hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, specialty clinics.Regions Covered in the Global Submucosal Injection Solution Market:North America (the United States and Canada)Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Italy, Spain, Russia, and Rest of Europe)Asia-Pacific (China, India, Japan, Korea, Australia, and Rest of Asia Pacific)The Middle East and Africa (GCC Countries, South Africa and Rest of the Middle East & Africa)Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, and Rest of Latin America)The submucosal injection solution market has been under intense scrutiny over the past few years, and the latest report released by the market research division provides a comprehensive overview of the leading players in the industry. The report contains a detailed chapter on company profiles which provides an overview of the strategic objectives of the leading players, their primary products and services, and an in-depth analysis of their strategic initiatives.The report reveals that the leading players in the submucosal injection solution market are taking aggressive steps to strengthen their position in the industry. Many of the organizations have embarked on R&D activities to stay ahead of the competition and remain competitive. Their strategic initiatives have also been designed to capitalize on the technological advances in the industry.The report also provides an overview of the financial outlooks of the leading players in the industry. An overall analysis of the organizations' financial statuses reveals the current trends in the market. This allows readers to gain a better understanding of the potential of the submucosal injection solution market and its expected trajectory.It is clear that the submucosal injection solution market is a highly competitive industry and the leading players have to continuously innovate to keep up with the competition. The report provides an in-depth analysis of the industry and its key players and provides readers with an understanding of the industry's current and future prospects. This research aims to provide readers with an informed assessment of the anticipated trajectory of the submucosal injection solution market.The following Companies as the Key Players in the Global Submucosal Injection Solution Market Research Report:Boston Scientific, Cosmo Pharmaceuticals, EndoClot Plus, GI Supply, Micro-Tech Endoscopy, Ovesco Endoscopy, Seikagaku, The StandardContact UsDhirtek Business Research and Consulting Private LimitedContact No: +91 7580990088Email Id: sales@ dhirtekbusinessresearch.com
PR-Inside.com: 2023-04-09 08:49:56

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+91 7580990088Parmeet Singh7580990088

Dhirtek Business Research and Consulting recently released their most comprehensive study on the global nucleic acid purification kits market. This research report provides a detailed overview of the market's drivers and restraints, as well as a thorough analysis of the current trends that are likely to shape its future. To create this in-depth report, the team of analysts used both primary and secondary research methods. The report offers an unbiased perspective on the nucleic acid purification kits industry, allowing clients to make well-informed business decisions. The report reveals key insights about the global nucleic acid purification kits industry, such as the market's size and potential for growth. It also examines the impact of technological advancements, regulatory changes, and consumer behaviors on the market's performance. Analysts also take a closer look at the market's competitive landscape, highlighting the strategies used by leading players to gain a competitive edge. Additionally, the report outlines potential threats and opportunities that may arise in the near future.Overall, this comprehensive report offers an invaluable resource for those looking to better understand the global nucleic acid purification kits market. With the help of the study's data-driven insights, clients can gain a better understanding of the current market dynamics, allowing them to make informed business decisions.Request a Sample of this Report at: https://www.dhirtekbusinessresearch.com/market-report/Nucleic-Acid-Purification-Kits-Market/request-for-sample-report The global nucleic acid purification kits market was in a state of flux, and the future direction was uncertain. To gain clarity, a comprehensive research study was conducted to analyze the market using Porter's five forces analysis and SWOT analysis. By combining these two methods of analysis, the research could gain a clear perspective of the global nucleic acid purification kits market's expected direction.The SWOT analysis focused on identifying the market's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. It was a useful tool in determining the potential of the market to succeed and develop, as well as its potential vulnerabilities. The Porter's five forces analysis, on the other hand, provided a detailed look into the competitive landscape, examining the level of competition, the bargaining power of customers, the bargaining power of suppliers, the threat of new entrants, and the threat of substitute products.The research report delved into the trends that were shaping the market, as well as consumer behavior patterns. It was found that the competition among the existing players in the market was intense, and new entrants posed a major threat. The bargaining power of customers was also strong, and suppliers had to come up with innovative products to keep their customers satisfied. Additionally, the threat of substitute products was also present, and companies had to be prepared to face this competition.Overall, the research study provided a comprehensive understanding of the global nucleic acid purification kits market's expected direction. By combining Porter's five forces analysis and SWOT analysis, the research was able to gain a clear picture of the market's future. The report gave readers a better understanding of the trends and consumer behavior patterns that would shape the market's evolution.Highlights of Global Nucleic Acid Purification Kits Market ReportThe global nucleic acid purification kits market report is a comprehensive overview of the current state of the industry and provides an in-depth analysis of its future trends and developments.The report details the market size, growth rate, industry trends, and other noteworthy information. It also highlights key products and services that are driving the growth of the market, as well as their respective market shares.One of the most important aspects of the global nucleic acid purification kits market report is the analysis of the competitive landscape. The report details the competitive positioning of the leading players in the market and the various strategies they are using to stay ahead of their rivals.The report also examines the recent technological developments that are disrupting the industry and the effect they will have on the market in the long term. It also covers the impact of government regulations and policies on the industry and provides an insight into the future trends in the industry.The global nucleic acid purification kits market report provides an insightful look at the current state of the industry and a comprehensive overview of its future prospects. It is an invaluable resource for anyone looking to gain an understanding of the market and its potential.Scope of the ReportNucleic Acid Purification Kits Market SegmentsThe market by product type is segmented into magnetic bead method, centrifugal column method.The market by application is segmented into pharmaceutic, scientific research, clinical diagnostic.Regions Covered in the Global Nucleic Acid Purification Kits Market:North America (the United States and Canada)Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Italy, Spain, Russia, and Rest of Europe)Asia-Pacific (China, India, Japan, Korea, Australia, and Rest of Asia Pacific)The Middle East and Africa (GCC Countries, South Africa and Rest of the Middle East & Africa)Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, and Rest of Latin America)The nucleic acid purification kits market has been under intense scrutiny over the past few years, and the latest report released by the market research division provides a comprehensive overview of the leading players in the industry. The report contains a detailed chapter on company profiles which provides an overview of the strategic objectives of the leading players, their primary products and services, and an in-depth analysis of their strategic initiatives.The report reveals that the leading players in the nucleic acid purification kits market are taking aggressive steps to strengthen their position in the industry. Many of the organizations have embarked on R&D activities to stay ahead of the competition and remain competitive. Their strategic initiatives have also been designed to capitalize on the technological advances in the industry.The report also provides an overview of the financial outlooks of the leading players in the industry. An overall analysis of the organizations' financial statuses reveals the current trends in the market. This allows readers to gain a better understanding of the potential of the nucleic acid purification kits market and its expected trajectory.It is clear that the nucleic acid purification kits market is a highly competitive industry and the leading players have to continuously innovate to keep up with the competition. The report provides an in-depth analysis of the industry and its key players and provides readers with an understanding of the industry's current and future prospects. This research aims to provide readers with an informed assessment of the anticipated trajectory of the nucleic acid purification kits market.The following Companies as the Key Players in the Global Nucleic Acid Purification Kits Market Research Report:Apostle, Bio-Rad, Biocomma, Bioneer Corporation, EpiGentek, LGC Biosearch Technologies, Norgen Biotek, Promega, Qiagen, Suzhou Beaver Biomedical Engineering, Thermo ScientificContact UsDhirtek Business Research and Consulting Private LimitedContact No: +91 7580990088Email Id: sales@ dhirtekbusinessresearch.com
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 36 state chairpersons of the Labour Party (LP) and that of the FCT have called on a party member, Lamidi Apapa, and other aggrieved members to sheath their swords and resolve issues internally.

Mr Apapa had declared himself as the partys national chairman in the wake of a fresh legal crisis rocking the party and took over the national secretariat of the party.

In the wake of Mr Apapas takeover of the secretariat, the INEC-recognised leadership of the Labour Party, led by Julius Abure, had accused the police of working with thugs to invade the party headquarters.

The opposition party had also accused Nigerias ruling party, APC, of being behind the invasion and the crisis, an allegation the APC denied.

The Labour Party, which has been in existence for several years, became a major national opposition party last year when presidential aspirant Peter Obi joined its fold. Mr Obi, as Labour Party candidate, came third in the 25 February presidential election. He and the Labour Party are, however, challenging the result of the election in court.

The Communique

On Saturday, Rotimi Kehinde, chairperson of the Labour Partys Chairmen Forum read a communique after a meeting of the chairpersons in Abuja on Saturday in which they passed a vote of confidence in Mr Abure as national chairman.

Mr Kehinde said that the 36 state chairpersons as members of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party met to review recent developments in the party.

Few members of the National Working Committee (NWC), led by Comrade Lamidi and others declared themselves the new leaders of our party.

The 36 chairmen resolved that Mr Abure remains the national chairman of LP and Comrade Lamidis action is accordingly repudiated and cannot stand.

He and the others in his group grossly violated the provision of our partys Constitution and took internal matters of the party to court without exhausting all the appropriate instituted channels of resolving disputes.

They are by the dint of this communique directed to immediately effect withdrawal of the matter from court and return to the path of rectitude for due process, he said.

Mr Kehinde said that the 36 chairpersons condemned the act by the small fraction of the NWC led by Mr Lamidi and others.

ALSO READ: APC denies involvement in Labour Party crisis

He added that the chairpersons were of the view that Mr Lamidi and others involved in the action did not appear to be appropriate members of LP as no member would destroy his own home.

Those suspended by the party under the chairmanship of Abure remain suspended until the NEC decides otherwise.

The 36 chairmen recommend that a NEC meeting should be called without further delay, he said.

Mr Kehinde added that the 36 chairpersons upheld that the NWC meeting held by Mr Lamidi was nullity.

According to him, any decision reached at the NWC meeting is of no legal effect.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that an FCT Court on Wednesday restrained Mr Abure from parading himself as LPs chairman.

However, a state High Court that sat in Benin on the same day, restrained LP and all its members from any suspension of its national officers till the determination of a motion on notice.

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The third China International Consumer Products Expo will be held from April 10 to 15 in Haikou, the capital of the southern tropical province of Hainan. As Italy is the guest country of honor for CICPE 2023, Italian brands expect to showcase their products and connect with Chinese consumers.

Produced by Xinhua Global Service
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A political party, Action Peoples Party (APP), has accused Bola Tinubu of manipulating the 25 February presidential election to clinch Nigerias presidency.

The petition is among the five separate petitions that various political parties and their presidential candidates have filed at the Presidential Election Petition Court in Abuja to challenge the president-elects victory.

PREMIUM TIMES had reported the four other petitions that the other petitioners filed in the court here, here, here, and here.

Mr Tinubu won the 25 February presidential election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), according to the result declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on 1 March.

In the hotly contested election, Mr Tinubu polled 8.8 million votes to beat the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential flag bearer, Atiku Abubakar, and the Labour Partys Peter Obi, who came second and third, respectively.

Atiku garnered 6,984,520 votes while Mr Obi won 6,101,533 votes. But both men and their political parties are challenging the outcome of the polls in court.

The APP presidential candidate, Nnadi Osita, polled 12,839 votes in the election.

In a bid to overturn Mr Tinubus victory, the APP lodged its complaint at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal in Abuja on 19 March.

Grounds for petition

The petitioner anchored its complaint on the basis that Mr Tinubu corruptly induced electoral officers at local government and state collation centres in Kano, Kaduna, Imo, Rivers, Kebbi, Oyo, Ogun, Ekiti, Osun, Kogi and Kwara states with a view to alter the presidential election results in his favour.

The party alleged that fictitious figures were ascribed to Mr Tinubu thereby giving him substantial lead and advantage in the various states.

Another issue the petitioner raised is vote-buying.

In the grounds of the petition, the petitioner said Mr Tinubu engaged in monumental vote-buying and openly offered money and other gift items to voters in polling units spread across Kano, Kaduna, Imo, Rivers, Kebbi, Oyo, Ogun, Ekiti, Osun, Kogi and Kwara states.

The petitioner further alleged that voters who turned down the president-elects inducement were refused from voting, thereby reducing the votes ordinarily accruing to it.

The party accused INEC officials of looking away while over-voting was on at the polling units. It added that electoral officers in connivance with Mr Tinubu and APC agents, falsified, altered and mutilated (election) results from the various polling units in the eleven states mentioned above.

Citing instances of places where the presidential election could not hold due to violence, the petitioner alleged that votes were allocated to polling stations in Orlu, Orsu and Okigwe Local Government Areas of Imo State.

Scores were later ascribed and credited to to Mr Tinubu in respect of Orlu, Orsu and Okigwe Local Government Areas of Imo State, where no election held.

Owing to the alleged widespread irregularities, the petitioner contended that Mr Tinubu should not have been returned elected as the president-elect.

Violation of the Electoral Act

The petitioner also questioned the validity of the election on the basis of alleged non-compliance with the mandatory provisions of the 2022 Electoral Act.

It argued that INEC has a bounden statutory obligation to transmit all the results electronically and to upload same into the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV)

The APP further contended that the results of the 25 February presidential election were supposed to be transmitted directly from all polling units across Nigeria to the INEC IReV portal.

Instead of complying with the guidelines and regulations on electronic results transmission, the electoral umpire failed to comply with the law and instead adopted an illegal process of manual collation and transmission of the election results.

In court filings, the petitioner said the collation and declaration of presidential results were based on illegal allocation of votes and does not reflect the actual votes cast in Nigeria.

The party is equally challenging Mr Tinubus victory on the basis that he was not elected by a majority of lawful votes cast at the election.

It argued that Mr Tinubu failed to secure the statutory 25 per cent of votes cast in two-thirds (24 states) and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

If the invalid votes ascribed to the 1st respondent (Mr Tinubu) as a result of corrupt practices, vote-buying, overvotingand manipulation of election results, were taken away and deducted from the 8,794,726 votes, the 1st respondent would not have scored the majority of lawful votes at the election, the petitioner argued in its submissions.

Age, educational qualifications

Mr Tinubus age and educational qualifications are other grounds for the APPs petition.

The 1st respondent knowingly failed, omitted and concealed to state those schools in his educational qualifications, which he earlier under oath in 1999 claimed to have attended and obtained relevant certificates from.

The party said Mr Tinubus under oath in his INEC Form CF001 in 1999, that he attended these schools (Government College, Obadan; Richard Daley College, Chicago, University of Chicago and Chicago State University) were all false and perturbed.

Prayers

The petitioners lawyer, Emeka Ozoani, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), urged the court to overturn the president-elects victory.

That it may be determined that the declaration and return of the 1st respondent by INEC as the president-elect of Nigeria is invalid, null and void.

The petitioner asked the court to order a fresh presidential election.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that Mr Tinubus victory is similarly being challenged by four other petitions by the Peoples Democratic Party, the Labour Party, the All Peoples Movement (APM) and the Action Alliance (AA) along with their respective presidential candidates.

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The All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Plateau, Nentawe Yilwatda, said nobody could pressurise him against challenging the outcome of the 18 March governorship election at the tribunal.

Mr Yilwatda said this in a statement signed by Generation Next Campaign Council spokesperson, Shittu Bamayi, and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Jos.

The governorship candidate advised the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to stay away from him until the election petition tribunal completed its sittings in the state.

A newspaper report and rumours have it that talks are on to stop the party from going to the tribunal.

No amount of pressure would stop us from challenging the outcome of the March 18 governorship election.

The Electoral Act of 2022 gives an aggrieved party the right to go to the tribunal where there is a perceived injustice or illegality during the election.

It is therefore not out of place for us to proceed to the tribunal to challenge the outcome of the election in the face of glaring electoral malfeasance perpetrated on that fateful day, he said.

He emphasised that for the PDP to think that exerting unnecessary pressure and sending emissaries would make the APC withdraw the case from the tribunal, is just a fallacy.

According to him, no amount of sugar-coated promises and enticements would make the APC and its candidate betray the trust and confidence entrusted to them by the people of the state.

Mr Yilwatda advised the PDP to concentrate on putting up its defence if at all it has any, rather than embarking on a wild goose chase, which at end of the day, would not yield any result.

He emphatically stated that the APC had harvested enough evidence and witnesses to present at the tribunal to prove that the governorship election was massively rigged in favour of the PDP.

But PDP Publicity Secretary, John Akans, described the allegations as unfounded and laughable.

Mr Akans said that his party won the election and was not afraid of meeting anyone challenging the outcome.

READ ALSO: APC governorship candidate rejects election result in Plateau

The publicity secretary said that his party and its governor-elect, Caleb Mutfwang, believed in the unity, peace and progress of Plateau.

According to him, it was on such premise that Mr Mutfwang extended an olive branch to those that contested against him.

That magnanimity does not in any way amount to pressuring whoever wants to challenge the election to change his/her mind.

We are not the ones that advised them to go to tribunal, why should we be the ones to pressurise them against continuing with their case?

They claim that they have evidence to nullify the election, we have ours and we are ever ready to meet them at the tribunal, he stressed.

(NAN)

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The police command in Nasarawa State has arrested Salisu Buhari, one of the inmates of Kuje Correctional Centre who escaped from the facility during the July 2022 jailbreak.

This was contained in a statement signed by Ramhan Nansel, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) on Sunday in Lafia.

Mr Nansel, a deputy superintendent of police, said that Mr Buhari was arrested with his friend Zubairu Ali for allegedly snatching a motorcycle in Nasarawa Local Government Area (LGA) of the state.

On April 6, at about 10:00 p.m., police operatives attached to Nassarawa Division arrested the fugitive and one other for motorcycle theft.

Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspects are responsible for most motorcycle snatching and theft in Nasarawa LGA and its environs.

Upon interrogation, Salisu Buhari confessed to have escaped from Kuje Correctional Centre when the facility was attacked last year.

The escapee said he linked up with his crony after escaping from the facility and went into the criminal venture, the spokesperson for the police added.

He said that the state Commissioner of Police Maiyaki Muhammed-Baba had ordered the transfer of the case to the state Criminal Investigation Department, Lafia, for an exhaustive investigation.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the state command had on 9 July 2022 recaptured one of the escaped inmates, Hassan Hassan.

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President-elect, Bola Tinubu, has expressed his profound sadness over the demise of eminent elder statesman and international jurist, Prince Bola Ajibola, SAN

Mr Ajibola was Nigerias former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice in the military administration of Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida.

Before his ministerial duty, Mr Ajibola was President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).

While expressing his sympathy and condolences to the family of the legal luminary and founder of Crescent University Abeokuta, Mr Tinubu acknowledged Mr Ajibolas important contributions to Nigerias political evolution and nation-building, the legal profession and international jurisprudence.

In a condolence statement by his Media Office signed by Tunde Rahman on Sunday, the President-elect said: I received the news of the passing, on Sunday, of Prince Bola Ajibola, SAN at 89, with profound sadness.

The former Nigerias Minister of Justice and leader of the Bar was an eminent statesman and legal icon whose contributions to national progress and development will be written in gold.

During his earthly sojourn, Prince Ajibola didnt just serve his country with his gift of extraordinary brilliance as a lawyer, he served the world as a Judge of the International Court of Justice in Hague and Member of its Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA).

As ICJ Judge, Justice Ajibola made his mark as one of the brightest legal minds in the world in many decided cases involving state actors across the world. Through his excellent performance, he brought honour and dignity to Nigeria.

In his later years, he devoted himself to the promotion of Islam and expansion of the frontier of knowledge through training and development of cutting-edge manpower for national growth with the establishment of Crescent University in Abeokuta, his hometown.

Prince Ajibola will be remembered for his patriotism and love for Nigeria and his countrymen and women regardless of their ethnic origin or religious persuasions.

Although we had hoped and prayed that Prince Ajibola would still be around with us for a little more time to witness the dawn of a new era of renewed hope for our people in a better, stronger, more secure and more prosperous Nigeria, however, we thank Almighty Allah that he lived to an advanced age and left behind important legacies.

I join his immediate family, associates, professional colleagues and particularly Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun and the good people of the state for the loss of this great son of the Gateway State and Nigeria. I pray that Almighty Allah admit him to Aljanna Fridaus.

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The Provost of the National Defence College, Centre for Strategic Research and Studies, Adam Ahmed, has backed the call for drug tests for all public office holders in the country.

Mr Ahmed made his position known while answering questions from journalists at the 6th Annual Ramadan lecture series and prayer for the nation, organised by the Ashraaf Islamic Foundation, on Saturday in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme of the lecture was: Drug Abuse, Criminality and Insecurity in Nigeria: Toward a Collective Solution.

He said: Some political appointees and elected persons when they behave you will know clearly that they are high on drugs.

And the same thing some technocrats and some security personnel, so it is widespread.

Mr Ahmed, who was the chairman of the occasion, said in Malaysia, the Philippines and some South American countries, politicians were tested before they were given power.

He added: Not just that every person that is holding power including the military, security people are tested before they are given a very serious responsibility.

Because leaders have a way of influencing followers. If they are known to misuse drugs, the tendency is that those that are behind them will also be involved.

So, that is why I believe strongly that no one should be given any serious responsibility until the person is tested for drugs.

Mr Ahmed called on those that were responsible for drug legislation and administration of anti-drug use to be more proactive in tackling the incidences of drug abuse in the country.

He also emphasised the need for the government to identify various groups like the Ashraaf Islamic Foundation to spearhead the campaign against drug abuse in the country.

Mr Ahmed said: Drug abuse in Nigeria and misuse of drugs by the people are worst than any kind of crime that we think.

Because the bulk of the crime that is committed in this country can be traced to drug abuse or misuse of drugs, be it political, criminal, security even at home, social, economic, all can be linked to drug abuse.

I think in the beginning, we never took the fight against drug abuse serious in this country.

Yes, during the military, there were draconian laws which fortunately some people had even called such laws should be returned where drug pushers were killed.

But then after that, we went through a period where everything goes as far as drug is concerned in this country.

According to him, the menace has almost engulfed all sectors, adding, including all functionality of the society. So, it is a really sad situation.

He, however, commended the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and other relevant agencies for their efforts in curtailing the menace of drug abuse in the country.

Earlier, the founder of the foundation, Sharafudeen Aliagan, said the objective of the event was to find a lasting solution to the rampant effects of drug abuse in society.

He said:  We have a lot of professionals, we have lots of academicians and many people who really know what is going on in the society.

We put heads together having discovered what the menace of drug abuse is and its rampant in the society.

Drug abuse, criminality, insecurity we know that is exactly what is affecting us in the country, as we speak that is our major problem.

So, we feel that current affairs is very important that we discuss all our programmes.

 And when we discussed this and we are able to bring out the report to the government and the generality of Nigerians, there will be some high level of solutions to this menace.

According to Mr Aliagan, the foundation invited Muslims and non-Muslim professionals and academicians to brainstorm to find a lasting solution to the menace.

He said: Because, those who are into kidnapping, insurgency and rubbery must have taken one of these intoxicants which help them to perpetrated their evil acts.

Also, Amina Bukola, the women leader of the Nasrul-Lahi-il Fathi Society of Nigeria (NASFAT), described the theme of the lecture as very topical and timely.

(NAN)

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Two Nigerian journalists convicted of defaming an agro-allied company in Kwara State have vowed to challenge the judgement and have it overturned by a higher court.

A magistrates court in Ilorin, Kwara State, on 7 February, convicted Gidado Shuaib and Alfred Olufemi for publishing a defamatory article against Hillcrest Agro-Allied Industries Limited.

In the contested publication published by an online platform, News Digest, the article said Hillcrest Agro-Allied Industries Limited, a firm located at Kilometre 4, Ajase-Ipo along Offa Road, Amberi Village, Kwara State, allowed its staff members to smoke Indian hemp freely.

In the verdict, A.S Muhammad, a senior magistrate, said the defendants had common intention in publishing the damaging article and must have intended the natural consequences.

Mr Muhammad further ruled that the elements of defamation have been established by the prosecution.

The magistrate sentenced the journalists to two months imprisonment with an option of N40,000 fine on one of the two counts preferred against them  the offence of conspiracy.

He sentenced each of them to a fine of N60,000 on the count of defamation or three months imprisonment in default of payment.

The magistrate clarified that each of the convicts is to pay a fine of N100,000 only for the offences of conspiracy and defamation respectively, having been convicted.

Why the judgement wont stand

But the lawyer to the two journalists, Ibraheem Gambari, said his clients would exercise their right of appeal to get the judgement overturned.

Mr Gambari, in a statement shared with PREMIUM TIMES, expressed his clients confidence in the merit of the appeal.

The defence lawyer pointed out that the judgement was erroneously based on the police (report that) had already found them (the two journalists) culpable long before they were invited to state their own side of the story.

Contrary to the courts findings, Mr Gambari argued, a former employee of Hillcrest Agro-Allied Industries Limited, testified before the court that he was not only a witness to how smoking of Indian hemp pervaded the site but equally, it was the persistent smoking of the Indian hemp that informed his decision to sever his employment with the company.

We strongly believe that justice will be achieved at appeal so that patriotic youthful elements in the society like our clients will not be discouraged from embarking on their respective altruistic endeavours, Mr Gambari said.

A former worker at the company, Adepoju Adedotun, testified in defence of the defendants, confirming that many labourers usually took Indian hemp on site to be able to do the strenuous work they were engaged for.

Mr Adedotun, who said he was engaged as a casual worker, told the court that he had to quit the job because he could not smoke Indian hemp which he said the job required. He said he also left the company because he wanted to pursue his academic aspirations.

During cross-examination by the prosecution, he confirmed that he did not report the smoking of Indian hemp at the company to any law enforcement agency.

The magistrate rejected his testimony and chose to believe the police which claimed it investigated and found out that Indian hemp smoking never took place at the company.

Reacting to the judgement, Mr Olufemi similarly expressed bewilderment that the magistrate ignored vital issues that were raised before the court.

He lamented that the outcome of the trial was depressing, owing to the overwhelming evidence by a former employee of Hillcrest who boldly testified against the company before the court. It takes courage to come forward to do that.

Mr Olufemi, a multiple award-winning journalist, expressed concerns over the implication of the judgement on press freedom in Nigeria.

He said the decision would undermine accountability journalism in Nigeria, adding that it would embolden powerful people in public institutions as well as big corporations to break the law.

Background

In the publication complained about by the company, Mr Olufemi wrote that Hillcrest factory, a rice milling company, was permitting its workers to smoke Indian hemp and tobacco on duty.

The company said a key consequence of the defamatory article came when a United Arab Emirates (UAE)-based company, Aras Group LLC, withdrew a loan facility it was about to issue to Hillcrest Agro-Allied Industries Limited.

The prosecutions first witness had told the court that the Aras Group LLC drew Hillcrests attention to the damaging article, saying they would not deal with (a) company that is involved in illicit drugs activities.

It was the loss of the loan facility from the Aras Group that triggered the defamation suit against the journalists.

The Hillcrest management filed a petition at the Kwara State Police Command, demanding an investigation into the allegations.

On 12 November 2019, Messrs Shuaib and Olufemi were arraigned on charges of conspiracy and defamation. The offences, the prosecution said, breached sections 97 and 392 of the Penal Code Law.

In proving its case, the prosecution called three witnesses and tendered eight exhibits.

At the close of the prosecutions case, on 5 April 2022, the defendants filed a no-case submission, urging the court to dismiss the case against them on the grounds that the prosecution failed to lead any incriminating evidence against them.

In its ruling, however, the court dismissed the defendants no-case submission, affirming that the prosecution had established a prima facie case against them.

The court then ordered the defendants to enter their defence.

Defence

The defendants jointly called only one witness, Adepoju Adedotun, and tendered six exhibits in a bid to extricate themselves from the case.

The two journalists insisted in their separate written statements to the police that their report was balanced and fair. They pleaded justification by insisting that their article was substantially true, and qualified privilege in that their reportage was done in public interest. Mr Olufemi said he worked as an undercover labourer at the factory for four days when he confirmed that casual workers are not stopped from smoking Indian hemp. To achieve a balanced reportage, Mr Olufemi said, he called the companys hotline and a masculine voice confirmed the allegation when confronted with facts.

In arguing their case in their final written address, their laywer argued that the Nigerian Supreme Court had decriminalised defamation.

They had submitted two issues in their final written address before the court. The two issues were whether the prosecution had proven the offences as charged against the defendants and whether the defendants were not covered by the defence of justification and privilege.

Citing section 39 of the constitution, the defendants contended that the criminalisation of defamation was improper and antithetical to the constitutionally guaranteed rights of freedom of expression.

But the magistrate, in his verdict, held that the defendants arguments were clear attempts to distort or arm-twist the facts and decisions of the Supreme Court.

He also rejected the journalists defence of justification and qualified privilege.

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A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former commissioner for works in Kano State, Muazu Magaji, has warned that the APC may lose its strong support base of the North-west geological zone if the party did not zone the office of the senate president to the region.

Mr Magaji on Saturday called on the APC leadership to select the senate president from Kano to sustain its support base for the party in the region in the face of other opposition parties wanting to take control.

Mr Magaji dismissed a call by the spokesperson of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Abdulmumin Jibrin, who protested against the zoning of the seat of the senate president to the northwest region.

The NNPP spokesperson told Channels Television on Wednesday that using the 1999 template, the next senate president should be from the South-east region and that a Muslim from the North-west region should not be allowed to assume the office of the next senate president

But Mr Magaji said such a comment from the NNPP was a disservice to the nation and an attempt by the NNPP to dominate the region in the absence of strong APC personalities from the region.

The APC despite the votes it had contributed to the election of Bola Tinubu, has only one senator from Kano that is Barau Jibril, and any mistake of not making him the senate president would affect the strength and control of the region by the party.

The NNPPs call was deliberately geared towards seizing control of the region by disallowing the APC from having a strong political leadership like the senate president from the region under the APC.

We are calling on the APC leadership to ensure that Senator Barau Jibrin becomes the next senate president to form a rallying point for the party in the North-west in particular and the North at large, Mr Magaji said.

In the 25 February presidential election, the APC presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, got his highest number of votes from the North-west region.

In the North-west, Mr Tinubu polled 2,653,235

In the South-west the APC candidate also polled 2,279,407

In the South-east Mr Tinubu manage and got 127,605 votes

In the South-south he polled  799,957

In the North-east, Mr Tinubu polled 1,185,458 votes

In the North-central Mr Tinubu polled 1,670,091 votes

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All 15 occupants of a Toyota bus were killed and burnt beyond recognition on Saturday when the bus had a head-on collision with a Mercedes truck on the Port Harcourt-Enugu Highway.

Spokesperson of the FRSC, Bisi Kazeem, an assistant corps marshal, confirmed the accident in a statement he issued on Sunday in Abuja.

Mr Kazeem stated that the accident took place at the Enugu end of the highway at about 8.20 p.m.

The victims have been given mass burial. All obstructions have been cleared. Enugu State Fire Service already extinguished the fire on the bus.

The fatal crash is blameable on several factors including fatigue, which must have made one of the drivers sleep on the wheels, he stated.

Mr Kazeem quoted the FRSC Corps Marshal, Dauda Biu, as advising motorists to desist from night journeys to reduce fatalities from road crashes.

He added that Mr Biu noted that most fleet operators and other vehicle owners, including private vehicle owners addicted to night journeys, did so for selfish economic gains.

READ ALSO: FRSC speaks on fatal crashes that killed 20 in Lagos

The FRSC boss observed that most night travellers indulge in the overloading of vehicles with passengers and goods.

Travellers should plan their journeys for the daytime because when crashes occur away from FRSC rescue points, it is difficult to access help from other motorists at night, Mr Kazeem also quoted Biu as saying.

(NAN)

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President Muhammadu Buhari, former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State have paid tributes to a former Judge of the International Court of Justice, Hague, Netherlands, Bola Ajibola, who died on Saturday at the age of 89 years.

The President also commiserated with the legal community in Nigeria and worldwide, noting that the outstanding lawyer and eminent jurist used his knowledge, intellect and talent to advocate for justice, fairness and equity in all his undertakings within and outside Nigeria.

The legendary arbitrator was at different times, the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (1984-1985), President, The World Association of Judges, Chairman, Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria and President, World Bank Administrative Tribunal among other notable accomplishments.

President Buhari noted that Mr Ajibola, having risen to the pinnacle of his career, took his brilliance in law practice to the International Court of Justice at The Hague, where he served meritoriously between 1991 and 1994.

His contributions to the development of our legal system cannot be overstated, serving as the Attorney General and Minister for Justice at a critical period in the nations history. His patriotic inclinations, integrity and passion for service and advancement of humanity will continue to resonate after him.

Mr Buhari sympathised with the government and people of Ogun State as they mourn their son and illustrious citizen for the educational and social development he brought to his community and environs.

Mr Obasanjo, who was at the residence of the deceased judge to commiserate with his widow and children, refused to speak with journalists.

In a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Kunle Somorin, the Ogun State governor, on his part, described the death of Mr Ajibola as a big loss to the judiciary.

His legacies in the judiciary, philanthropy and the educational development of Nigeria would never be forgotten.

Mr Abiodun further commiserated with the Owu Royal Family of the late former Attorney-General of the Federation, his friend, Mr Obasanjo, as well as members of the Baptist Boys High School Old Students Association.

He said: The death of this illustrious son of Ogun State, a celebrated jurist and judicial activist, public intellectual and elder statesman, is a severe blow to all of us who knew him

Words cannot adequately convey my heartfelt sorrow over Papas death, for he was a kind and beautiful soul who spread love to all who encountered him.

He was a jewel of the Law Profession and an accomplished judicial officer of prodigious hue. Baba was a go-getter who delivered on any assignment committed to his hands because of his belief that service should always come first.

Besides, he was a great religious influencer and philanthropist who established the faith-based Crescent University in his hometown, Abeokuta.

He not only supported but funded some other altruistic projects and promoted research and scholarship through his establishment of an Islamic co-educational institution, Crescent University, in Nigeria in 2005, and he served as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Muslim Ummah of South West Nigeria (MUSWEN). He was also the High Commissioner of Nigeria to the United Kingdom from 1999 to 2002.

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The Supreme Court has directed Nigerias electoral umpire, INEC, to act and recognise Edozie Njoku as the national chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

A five-member panel of the Supreme Court, led by Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, on 24 March, said it made a mistake in a judgement it delivered in 2021, where it erroneously wrote the name of Victor Oye as APGA national chairman instead of Mr Njokus.

In its ruling delivered by Mohammed Lawal, the Supreme Court restated its power to review its judgement and correct such an accidental error, when its attention was drawn to it.

Consequently, Mr Lawal ordered the removal of Mr Oyes name as the national chairman of APGA.

The ruling was a result of a request by Mr Njoku to have the error corrected.

He (Mr Njoku) had written INEC last week requesting it to recognise him as the partys national chairman based on the Supreme Court judgement.

Giving effect to the ruling

A certified true copy (CTC) of the Supreme Court ruling on the APGA leadership crisis between Messrs Njoku and Oye, who is also laying claim to the office, directed INEC to accord Mr Njoku recognition as APGA national chairman.

The proof of service of the ruling dated 5 April was on a case between Jude Okeke and APGA & others, which was delivered by a five-member panel of the Supreme Court on 24 March.

A copy of the directive seen by PREMIUM TIMES showed the document was received by the Litigation and Prosecution department, INEC headquarters, Abuja, on 5 April by 3:54 p.m.

I forward herewith for your information and necessary action, the order under the hand of the Honourable, the Chief Justice of Nigeria/Presiding Judge and the seal of the Court in respect of the above appeal.

READ ALSO:

I also enclose herewith the certified copy of the order and the judgment of the Court Zainab Garba, Registrar, Litigation, Supreme Court of Nigeria, stated.

This newspaper reported that the Supreme Court had on 24 March based on a request by Mr Njoku, amended its judgment delivered by Mary Peter Odili, now a retired justice of the apex court, on 9 May 2022.

In the ruling, the Supreme Court said It is hereby ordered that the Appeal No. SC/CV/686/2021 set out on the face of the Judgment delivered by the (apex) Court on 14th October 2021 is to be corrected and replaced with Appeal No. SC/CV/687/2021.

That the name of Chief Victor Oye mentioned and set out on page 13 of the Judgement delivered by the Court on the 14th October 2021 in Appeal No. SC/CV/687/2021 be deleted and replaced with the name Edozie Njoku so that the sentence on page 13 would now correctly read:

It needs to be stated at this point that the dispute being who should be the Acting National Chairman of the 1st Respondent, APGA and whether the Chairman, Edozie Njoku was validly replaced are within the confines of the internal affairs of the 1st Respondent which is not Justiciable, the judgement said.

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JERUSALEM, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Militants in Syria fired three rockets toward northern Israel on Saturday night, Israel's military said, in a rare attack from Syria amid escalating tension in the region.

According to a statement released by the army, only one of the rockets crossed into the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights and landed in an open area.

It triggered sirens in the northern community of Moshav Meitsar, however, there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.

The Israeli army on Thursday and Friday struck southern Lebanon and Gaza Strip as Israel accused Hamas and other militant groups of being responsible for firing dozens of rockets at Israel.

The latest tension was triggered by Israeli raids of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, Muslims' third holiest site, during a sensitive holiday time as Muslims were observing the holy month of Ramadan with prayers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and Jews were commemorating the Passover holiday. 
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.

If the truth must be told, though Soyinka, like many other Nigerians, must be shocked at the bewildering irascibility of the Obidient gang on the social media, the Nobel Laureates oft decision to lap up every trickle of spittle from Bourdillon is worrisome. Just as Kayode Samuel said, Kongi is not being called out for taking an unpopular stand. He is being repelled because people know that each time the matter had Bourdillons imprimatur as this, his voice is always that of Jacob and the hand, Esaus.

Kongi, Nigerias Nobel Laureate, a deity before whom many Nigerians tether goats, sprinkle oil, pour libations and offer ekuru of appeasement, is going through ferment. It is a period comparable to that low moment which, the Yoruba say, when big misfortunes wrestle one down, smaller travails defecate in ones mouth  Ti iya nla ba gbeni sanle, kekeke a ma gori eni. In an elegy to Adegoke Adelabu who died in a 1958 road crash, his NCNC political party bard, the Ilorin, Kwara State-born Odolaye Aremu, narrated his sudden death and the emergence of diatribes against this Oluyole petrel and the sorry fate that bedeviled him posthumously more brilliantly. Awon osa kekeke wa nsope Sango o ponmore  Smaller gods with lesser vibes and grit, on account of his misfortune, now clamber on Sango, god of thunder, lord of the storms, commander of lightning. As they mocked him, they claimed that this god, feared at home and in villages, lacked the bravura of a god. This was the fate of Sango as he walked to Koso, where he was believed to have committed suicide.

Rather than enter into the anti-climax which Odolaye, the poet, went into by cursing these voices of dissent  Olohun o dajo, ile o yanka!  this piece will seek to study Kongis unraveling.

Only puerile revisionists will fail to give Soyinka his rightful worth in the politico-historical development of Nigeria. He earned his badge as a General among crusaders for a just society. Aside being a playwright, novelist, poet and essayist, Soyinka became the first sub-Saharan African to be conferred a Nobel for his wide cultural perspective and with poetic overtones fashioning the drama of existence. Like his cousins, the Ransome-Kutis of Abeokuta, Soyinka is iconoclastic and a certified non-conformist. In the 1960s, Soyinka transited from being a man of the theatre and literature into taking active role in Nigerias political history. Indeed, he played a significant part in Nigerias campaign for independence from colonial rule, mostly through the vehicle of literature and the activism of the theatre.

In 1965, however, Soyinka sidestepped theory into praxis by seizing the Western Nigeria Broadcasting Service studio, from where he broadcast a call for the cancellation of the Western Nigeria regional elections. He wasnt done. Upon being discharged of this allegation in court, he followed the path of direct activism. When it was becoming clear that the Nigerian civil war was looming, coming immediately after being conferred with the Chair of Drama at the University of Ibadan, where he taught, Soyinkas political activism became more noticeable. After the January 1966 coup, Soyinka surreptitiously and unofficially held a meeting with Odumegwu Ojukwu, who was the military governor of the Eastern State in Enugu in August, 1967, with a view to averting the war. The military government of Yakubu Gowon interpreted this to be an affront and set out dragnets to arrest the theatre teacher. At long last, the Gowon government got him arrested and locked him in solitary confinement for two years. The charge against him was that he volunteered as a non-government mediating actor between Odumegwus nascent Biafra and the Federal Government.

In all these and over the years, Soyinka had been something of a mascot among Nigerians, venerated with the sacredness of a deity. He was almost without blemish, even when those who knew him spoke of his sundry human frailties. For instance, Soyinka is reputed to have had multiple liaisons, marrying three times and getting divorced twice. From the three marriages, he begot eight children and had two other daughters. The first marriage was to late British writer, Barbara Dixon. The two of them had met and fallen in love in the 1950s while Soyinka was teaching at the University of Leeds, with Barbara giving him his first son, Olaokun and his daughter, Morenike. In 1963, Soyinka got married again to the librarian, Olaide Idowu and had three daughters  Moremi, Iyetade (deceased), Peyibomi  and a second son, Ilemakin, with her. If you want to know the seismic nature of that marriage, read Soyinkas memoir, about how Olaide dropped his child by the prison doorpost. In 1989, Soyinka married Folake Doherty, a far younger lady, and from that marriage, three sons  Tunlewa, Bojode and Eniara  have emerged. Soyinka is also an unapologetic connoisseur of wine.

His heroism notched up when in November, 1994 he fled Nigeria through its border with Benin, to the United States. The dictator, General Sani Abacha, had sought his flesh for barbecue. The playwright had fled for his life. Perhaps, if he hadnt, Abacha would have, like the Fourth Citizen retorted in Shakespeares Julius Caesar about Cinna the poet, had him torn into pieces for his bad verses. Soyinka then aligned with Nigerians of similar persuasion to form the anti-military National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) which, unarguably, was one of the major planks that birthed the democracy of the Fourth Republic that Nigeria currently enjoys. It was that association which got Soyinka yoked with some characters that many Nigerians see as having defanged the roar of Soyinka the lion. I will paint this canvas presently.

Unlike his wont, Soyinka has refused to scythe the growing dissension to the presidential election that held in Nigeria in February. In a recent interview he granted Channels Television, like many Nigerians, the Nobel Laureate shelled the vice presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Datti Baba-Ahmed. In a later clarification of the interview, he had said, I denounced the menacing utterances of a Vice-Presidential aspirant as unbecoming.

No one should be allowed to mis-plot the graph of Soyinkas trajectory as a major voice of the voiceless in Nigeria. On several occasions, whether convenient or otherwise, Soyinka had looked autocracy and barbarism in their faces and spat at them. In 1986, when a small embankment separated him from death, Soyinka, John Pepper Clark and Chinua Achebe had paid a visit to General Ibrahim Babangida at the Lagos Dodan Barracks to plead with him to spare the life of General Mamman Vatsa, the highly scarified Bida, Niger State-born soldier, who also doubled as a poet. Of that plea visit, Clark wrote: He (IBB) duly received us at Dodan Barracks the next day, and was his charming self and all attention. A difficult case, he told us. Some junior officers were the problem, but not to worry. He would take care of it. So we left, walked straight into the arms of the press, and on to a restaurant to toast and treat ourselves to a lunch we all thought we thoroughly deserved. We were still savouring our wine, when that same afternoon, General Domkat Bali, Chief of Defence Staff, came on air, announcing Vatsa and the other accused had already been executed. As a matter of fact, the execution did not take place until well into the night that day.

Since the beginning of the Fourth Republic, while Soyinka has retained his respectability as a numero uno essayist and laureate, once issues verge on or his reaction is sought on matters that had to do with some of the people with whom he had dalliances with in exile, Kongi had always slipped into a romance with Janus. Being an old boy of Government College, Ibadan, which he attended in 1954, mum was the word from him when a fellow NADECO fugitive, Bola Tinubus claimed attendance of his alma-mater became a contentious issue in 2000. The inaccessible bottomlessness of the relationship between Soyinka and Tinubu is a known issue in Nigeria. It is a no-go route for Soyinka. If at all he has to make a comment on it, the professor finds a way of obfuscating the issue with so inaccessible grammar that it becomes a metaphysical dungeon. This has further led people into making allusions to how Kongi engages in incestuous and adulterous relationships with the Ananias and Sapphiras of Nigerian politics.

For instance, Rotimi Amaechi, who confessed that Soyinkas literature texts were almost like revered ancient parchment rolls from the gods to him while he was a student of the University of Port Harcourt, invited Kongi to a dinner. That wining and dining session later became a huge scandal. Upon Amaechis exit from government, the Rivers State Information Commissioner, Dr Austin Tam-George, claimed that the state government spent a whopping sum of N82 million on the dinner, insinuating that the Nobel Laureate received part of the funds in cash. The Nyesom Wike government, through the commissioner, also alleged that, using the Ministry of Information and Communications, the Amaechi government amassed N1.1 billion debt on frivolous expenditure. Tam-George said: I will seek the permission of the Governor to formally write Professor Wole Soyinka, a known supporter of Amaechi, if he received part of the N82 million spent on a 3-hour dinner hosted for him by the Amaechi administration.

Unlike his wont, Soyinka has refused to scythe the growing dissension to the presidential election that held in Nigeria in February. In a recent interview he granted Channels Television, like many Nigerians, the Nobel Laureate shelled the vice presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Datti Baba-Ahmed. In a later clarification of the interview, he had said, I denounced the menacing utterances of a Vice-Presidential aspirant as unbecoming. It was a gladiatorial challenge directed at the judiciary and, by implication, the rest of the democratic polity. To Peter Obi, he said: It was depressing to watch his lieutenant, a crucially positioned voice of a movement that has broken the mould, threaten the totality of social existence. Whatever our ideological leaning, is Donald Trump the ideal template for a burgeoning democracy in the nation? Calling Obis supporters fascists, he wrote, in a release he entitled Media responsibility, last Tuesday, that he had earlier warned the LP flag-bearer on the excesses of his supporters, otherwise known as Obidients, stating that, My rejection of fascism is nothing new. On three occasions, I was able to send a message to Peter Obi that if he lost the election, it would be his followers who lost it for him.

Trust the group of Rottweilers nurtured into hyenas on the social media, who take it upon themselves to tear every seeming adversarial comment on Peter Obi to shreds, they did not disappoint. They also take on purveyors of such messages. This army fell on Kongis flesh and tore it mercilessly. Those are a bunch of children whose minds are impervious to Nigerias history and are dead to the gallantry of our heroes past. Kongi thereafter became the butt of jokes on the social media, defoliated of the heroics which he carefully cultivated over decades. This army was in its diapers when Soyinka was picking his roses.

The unruly crew on the social media was not alone. It was also an opportunity for those who had put up with the off-putting hypocrisy of Soyinkas turning of a blind eye to the Bourdillon Overlords excesses. It was time to strip the Nobel Laureate of all the noble epithets he had earlier been shawled with. Kongi then began to receive the back of the tongues of Nigerians. Many believe that, in this latest intervention of his, he was obviously on an amicus-curiae assignment for those who fear that if not tamed, the rumpus of growing global disaffection with what is termed the electoral heist of 25 February may rally a global disdain of the election. It is feared that this may remove the rug of legitimacy off the Bourdillon Overlords President-Elect status. Soyinka, they believe, is on assignment, like the DSS and some other funny characters who are seeking victimhood for the President-Elect. One Ekenedirichukwu said: Prof Soyinka has refused to answer every question AriseTV asked him. He is such a hypocrite. He is yet to say what Datti Ahmed said thats wrong or inciting. You are okay with Sowore #Revolutionnow but you have problem with Datti asking for constitution to be followed. Many of them asked him what the difference was between the gun he pointed at a news caster in 1965 and the verbal entreaty of Datti Ahmed.

But not one to shy away from calling a mongrel by its name, Kongi struck at all those who said his Sango lacks the bravura of a god. That reply was however a potpourri of ad-hominem arguments, disparaging the commentators and neglecting to reply to their seemingly water-tight arguments. Among others, he said what was being sired was a climate of fear and the refusal to entertain corrective criticism, even differing perspectives of the same position (which) has become a badge of honour and certificate of commitment

Nigerian literary giant, Chimamanda Adichie, also wrote an open letter to President Joe Biden, published by the US-based The Atlantic newspaper, entitled Nigerias Hollow Democracy. In the piece, Adichie interrogates how Americans have congratulated the winner of Nigerias February election. She quarrels with the American establishment for bending over backwards to fawn on Tinubu, in the face of the taint of electoral heist that catapulted him into reckoning. American intelligence surely cannot be so inept. A little homework and they would know what is manifestly obvious to me and so many others: The process was imperiled not by technical shortcomings but by deliberate manipulation, she said. Son of late Justice Chukwudi Oputa, Charly Boy, also wondered how Soyinka had become a boy-boy of tainted politicians.

One of the voices expressing worry at the perceived slump of the Soyinka mystique is that of the highly respected columnist and social media commentator, Kayode Samuel. He had written: The Nobel Prize does not confer deity on any of its recipients. If a Nobel Laureate is inconsistent or speaks out of turn, he deserves to be called out. It cannot be an accident that the prime beneficiary of the electoral heist that triggered Datti Ahmeds outburst happens to be Professor Wole Soyinkas friend and, some say, benefactor. Lets leave our worship of any being solely for the Supreme Being, please!

In another vein, he wrote: Professor Wole Soyinka, our revered Nobel Laureate attended Government College Ibadan. So did I. A generation separates our days in that great school. But the ideals imparted within its hallowed walls are eternal, crossing all generations. Two lines from our School Song are relevant for the debate now raging over Soyinkas new politics. The second line of the first stanza says, By order, justice and fair play ruled. And the third line of the second stanza goes, By our examples and not by precept. Professor Soyinka needs to ask himself some probing questions as to how true he has been to these words. Has he remained on the side of justice and fair play in his recent interventions? And has he shown good example, rather than seeking anchor in empty precepts? My hunch is that his troubles started and that he set himself up for the current uproar the day he chose to align with people who lied about having attended GCI. He needs to retrace his steps back to the more ennobling company of his youth, that exemplif(ies) the ideals imparted to all authentic GCI old boys

But not one to shy away from calling a mongrel by its name, Kongi struck at all those who said his Sango lacks the bravura of a god. That reply was however a potpourri of ad-hominem arguments, disparaging the commentators and neglecting to reply to their seemingly water-tight arguments. Among others, he said what was being sired was a climate of fear and the refusal to entertain corrective criticism, even differing perspectives of the same position (which) has become a badge of honour and certificate of commitment. What is at stake, ultimately is  Truth, and at a most elementary level of social regulation: when you are party to a conflict, you do not attempt to intimidate the arbiter, attempt to dictate the outcome, or impugn, without credible cause, his or her neutrality even before hearing has commenced. He called the Obidents so many unprintable names.

If the truth must be told, though Soyinka, like many other Nigerians, must be shocked at the bewildering irascibility of the Obidient gang on the social media, the Nobel Laureates oft decision to lap up every trickle of spittle from Bourdillon is worrisome. Just as Kayode Samuel said, Kongi is not being called out for taking an unpopular stand. He is being repelled because people know that each time the matter had Bourdillons imprimatur as this, his voice is always that of Jacob and the hand, Esaus. Age and experience should have taught the Kongi, as Yoruba elders counsel, that it is not every forested jungle that the itinerant herbal forager plucks; nor is it every palm tree that the palm-wine tapper taps  gbogbo ewe ko ni ojawe nja; gbogbo ope ko ni onigba ngun. There are some poisonous leaves that are forbidden from being plucked and some palm-trees are havens of lethal vipers. If anyone ignores this time-worn aphorism, they sink into oblivion.

Festus Adedayo is an Ibadan-based journalist.

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Dear Festus Adedayo,

If there is any columnist I never fail to read, it is your good self. No matter how busy I am, or how long your column is, I take my time to digest every word of it. It is always well crafted and deep in history and cultural anecdotes. My respects!

However, since columns may not always be facts and only represent the writers opinions, even when I disagree with the contents, I respect the right of the columnist to express himself and this, I believe you have done. Although I see an attempt to be balanced in this column, I think you expressed bias against Soyinka, which stems from your obvious anathema to anything Bola Tinubu. I think the sequence of events should have been placed properly to be able to actually understand how Wole Soyinka and Peter Obis supporters (called Obidients) got to this point.

His fascism statement was a reaction to the Obi can do no wrong diefication on the internet. Fascism it is, when any person who criticises Peter Obi is lashed at with all the violence mustered by that uncontrollable mob on social media. Interestingly, they, like yourself, lose sight of the various allegations against Peter Obi (his fiscal governance of Anambra State, the Panama papers and other warts) that make him not materially better than the devils garb, which Tinubu is robed in.

Wole Soyinka granted an interview to Channels TV. That interview was not all about Datti or a criticism of Peter Obi.

In the interview, he condemned Buhari for his failed leadership and inhuman policies. There, he had stated that he had at different times advised Atiku and Tinubu, being older men, to look for younger people to mentor for the Presidency rather than entering into the ring (I dont think his words were even charitable to either Atiku or Tinubu). He had equally condemned the various forms of ethnic profiling during the last elections and the violence issuing from these, while also critiquing the process of the elections.

However, in the same interview, he had opined as dangerous, the statement made by Datti and the fact that he had advised Obi to be wary of his supporters as they would cause his electoral undoing. Unfortunately, attention was not paid to those preceding aspects of his submission. The focus shifted selectively towards his criticism of Obis supporters and their truly worrisome violence on the internet.

How did it appear in that interview that he was supporting Tinubu? For the Obi crowd, any person who criticises their modus operandi, even in good faith, is a Tinubu supporter. In fact, going by his statement that the course Obi was on was a cause that he had been pursuing for some years gives me an impression that he is even more of an Obi sympathiser!

His fascism statement was a reaction to the Obi can do no wrong diefication on the internet. Fascism it is, when any person who criticises Peter Obi is lashed at with all the violence mustered by that uncontrollable mob on social media. Interestingly, they, like yourself, lose sight of the various allegations against Peter Obi (his fiscal governance of Anambra State, the Panama papers and other warts) that make him not materially better than the devils garb, which Tinubu is robed in. That there is this much frenzied reaction to Soyinkas interview with this amount of villification, vitriol, bile and hate spewed against him by Obis social media supporters, who obviously do not have a historical insight into the literary or political persona of Wole Soyinka, is only a confirmation of the internet fascism he wrote about! Their reactions have only confirmed his observation.

If Wole Soyinka could go to prison for almost two years for an against the grain action of holding a meeting with Ojukwu in (seeming unpopular) support for the Biafran cause, I do not see how this development will demystify him. He may end up being vindicated at the end of the day, like he has been, over other controversial issues he has enmeshed himself in!

It reminds me of a story narrated by the late popular comedian, Gbenga Adeboye, where a man, while seeking divorce, complained to his in-laws of his wifes bad habit of bullying, insulting and cursing at every turn. On invitation to state her own side of the story, upon being informed of her husbands allegation, she went into a round of insults and curses on the person who accused her falsely and those who believed her accuser. This is the scenario I see with the Obidients and anyone who makes any comment they perceive not to suit them. In their language, that person would see wotowoto (hell). If this is not fascism, tell me what is!

I do not see where in all of his statements that Soyinka expressed any sympathy for Tinubu and this, except if my reading of your column is wrong, is where I differ. I think you missed it when you attempted, like Obis people, to put Tinubu into the mix. Tinubu was never the issue in that discourse!

No doubt, Soyinka has had a history of a relationship with Tinubu, and this was a product of a shared cause to chase the military back to the barracks. No individual could have fought the Abacha government alone, and various forces coalesced for that purpose. With the advent of civilian rule and controversy surrounding Tinubus credentials, what would he have said when the issues had been resolved by the courts then? He could not have attended GCI at the same time as Tinubu had allegedly claimed and was not the Records Officer of the school to have made a statement on that. Should he have fixatedly flaggelated Tinubu simply to prove a point to the world? I dont think so.

While you acknowledged Kongi for his literary prowess and courage in taking up struggles, you seemed to taint him with a tag of corruptability by citing a dinner in his honour in Rivers State and by declaring Tinubu his benefactor. I think these are subtle attempts to infer that he was perhaps bought over or financially induced to grant the interview and make the subsequent reactionary statement. I think this is unfair!

Wole Soyinka is a maverick. You acknowledged that much. His ways are not our ways. His thoughts will always be unconventional. Thats what makes him Wole Soyinka. If Wole Soyinka could go to prison for almost two years for an against the grain action of holding a meeting with Ojukwu in (seeming unpopular) support for the Biafran cause, I do not see how this development will demystify him. He may end up being vindicated at the end of the day, like he has been, over other controversial issues he has enmeshed himself in!

Please keep up your writing. I admire you even if I dont always agree with you.

Abdussobur Olayiwola Salaam writes from the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta.

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Across the continent, elections are in disrepute and the interminable president is back in vogue. Senegals Macky Sall is its latest poster boy. What happens over the next year with his effort to dismantle the constitution will be pivotal for the fate of the continent.

Macky Sall, Senegals president since the beginning of April 2012, has had a somewhat charmed life. Born in December 1961, he has lived at the cutting edge of his countrys political leadership for over a quarter of a century as city mayor, cabinet minister, prime minister, president of the National Assembly, and president. Over this period, he has been a leader in the opposition Democratic Party of Senegal (PDS), a protege and later opponent to President Abdoulaye Wade, and since 2008, the founder of a party political start-up, Alliance for the Republic (APR).

To become president in 2012, he defeated the incumbent, Abdoulaye Wade, precluding him from re-election to what would have been a third term.

Now approaching the sun-set of his second term, which will end in 2024, Macky Sall wants to up-end his countrys constitution and do that for which he excoriated and ultimately defeated his predecessor and mentor  run for a third term in office. After months of ill-concealed dithering, he has all but confirmed his intention to run for what would be a constitutionally prohibited third term in a recent interview with French Magazine, LExpress.

Article 27 of Senegals 2016 Constitution could not be clearer: It prescribes the duration of a presidential term as five years and adds that [n]o one may exercise more than two consecutive mandates. If Macky were to finagle a tilt at the presidency for a third time, he would be in breach of this provision.

For the moment, it seems, his plan is more than merely to run again. To make that happen, he seems intent on dictating whom he will run against too. His strongest opponent is Mayor of Ziguinchor and founder of the Yewwi askan wi (Free the People) coalition, Ousmane Sonko, whom Macky has systematically sought to tarnish and exclude from the contest with a succession of desperately specious criminal charges, so he can designate a hapless paper-weight as his opponent.

Macky Sall is the latest of Africas president in search of an interminable presidency. If he succeeds, he will be at least the 15th African president to do so in eight years since 2015. It was not supposed to be this way.

Independence in many African countries arrived as somewhat of an anti-climax. In its wake, constitutional instability established itself as the preferred means of succession to power. In the 50 years from the beginning of 1955 to the end of 2004, West Africa alone reported 169 military interventions of some type, both successful and unsuccessful. From 1952 to 1998, the continent recorded 85 successful coups. The cost to the continent was incalculable. Ironically, Macky Salls Senegal was one of the few countries on the continent that has so far not reported any.

..far from eventuating, what has happened nearly across the continent is that incumbents and their parties, aided by the willing complicity or abdication of regional institutions, have retrenched the norms on term limits and credible elections, while simultaneously entrenching the prohibition against unconstitutional changes in government into a rule for interminable presidency.

The mutual assurance of non-interference on the back of which this toxic trend was established began to suffer re-examination, following the onset of the wars in Liberia and Sierra Leone in 1989. In 1990, Nigeria led the launch of a regional peace-enforcement intervention in Liberia, which altered the way in which the continent responded to internal instability. The following year, African leaders, in Kampala, Uganda, diagnosed the interminable presidency as central to the continents conflict and instability pathologies and agreed that [t]here should be periodic renewal of the mandate of political leaders. At the same time, the tenure of elected leaders in various branches of government should be constitutionally limited to a given number of years.

In the four years that followed, 37 African countries altered their constitutions, with 37 of them introducing presidential term limits. At the continental level, regional institutions, including the Economic Community of African States (ECOWAS) and the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), which became the African Union in 2000, began to evolve rules for oversight of elections and constitutional instability.

What emerged by the turn of the millennium was a continental package deal, by which the leaders of the continent agreed to three things. First, access to political power would be based on political legitimacy conferred through credible elections, and supervised by regional institutions. Second, to guarantee political competition, presidential term limits will be introduced. Third, in return for respect for these two stipulations, the continent outlawed unconstitutional changes in government or coups.

By 2014, the continent went further in making unconstitutional change in government an international crime in Africa. Those involved in it were to become liable trial before the African Court of Justice and Human and Peoples Rights. This was far-reaching.

In effect, the prohibition against unconstitutional changes of government in Africa was part of an implicit bargain to install guardrails against the abuse of presidential incumbency on the understanding that those who seek power had to undertake to abide by some determinate rules for access thereto. These rules were meant to ensure that they will not seek to convert incumbency into interminable rulership.

But, far from eventuating, what has happened nearly across the continent is that incumbents and their parties, aided by the willing complicity or abdication of regional institutions, have retrenched the norms on term limits and credible elections, while simultaneously entrenching the prohibition against unconstitutional changes in government into a rule for interminable presidency.

By the turn of the millennium, military rule in Africa had rightly passed its sell-by date. Yet since 2002, the African Union has recorded and acted against 14 successful coups, most of them the result of presidential abuse of power or against the designs of an interminable presidency.

In response, coups are making a return to the continent on an epidemic level. Take Guinea for instance. The country had never had a peaceful transition of power in over half a century of independence before 2010, when it installed Alpha Conde as its elected president. Under the Constitution, he was allowed two terms of five years each, which were to lapse in 2020. But, rather than quit power as stipulated, President Conde, who was born in 1938, chose at 82 to organise a rigged referendum to amend the constitution, enabling him to rule until he was at least 94 years old. To ensure this, President Conde deployed the military, killing many protesters against the referendum.

Seven months later, amidst even more violent protests and more killings, Conde got himself proclaimed winner in an election for his interminable presidency that was boycotted by the opposition. Neither ECOWAS nor the African Union remembered that there were continental norms against interminable presidency and rigged ballots. In September 2021, the military overthrew President Conde, whereupon ECOWAS and the African Union quickly re-discovered their voices.

As President Conde was busy securing his interminable presidency in Guinea, the ruling party in Mali organised elections under cover of COVID-19, at the end of which they used the judiciary to steal seats won by the opposition. What followed was a mass uprising, which ultimately led the military to sack an unpopular ruling party and take over power. Once again, the AU and ECOWAS, complicitly silent in the preceding manipulation and fabrications, suddenly perked up.

By the turn of the millennium, military rule in Africa had rightly passed its sell-by date. Yet since 2002, the African Union has recorded and acted against 14 successful coups, most of them the result of presidential abuse of power or against the designs of an interminable presidency.

Africa, the continent with the youngest demographic in the world now has the distinction of having the four longest serving elective presidencies in the world. In Gabon and Togo, the Bongo and Eyadema dynasties have been in power for 55 years each. Equatorial Guineas Teodoro Obiang approaches his 44th year as president, while Cameroons Paul Biya has clocked over 40.

Across the continent, elections are in disrepute and the interminable president is back in vogue. Senegals Macky Sall is its latest poster boy. What happens over the next year with his effort to dismantle the constitution will be pivotal for the fate of the continent.

Chidi Anselm Odinkalu, a lawyer, teaches at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy can be reached at chidi.odinkalu@tufts.edu.

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Many people who fancy themselves as more Obidient than Peter Obi have reduced the discourse to a feast of diatribes and an exhibition of ill breeding. I do not expect us all to have the same reactions to the same stimuli. However, I will never get tired of repeating that in Africa, we do not insult our elders the way some of these hyperactive activists are doing. One could disagree with Soyinka on matters of fact or principle, but that cannot be a licence to insult a man with Soyinkas pedigree.

Our values as a people have broken down. There is no better place to witness the madness than the social media where apparent cowards hide behind digital anonymity to cast aspersions on the integrity of their betters.

It was sad seeing the kind of insults some misguided elements were flinging at Professor Wole Soyinka over his recent television interview at which he addressed a number of national issues on his return from an overseas trip.

Wole Soyinka is probably the most violated public figure in our recent history. There is a whole industry devoted to misattributing various sentiments to the Nobel Laureate on virtually every subject under the sun.

In the run-up to the recent elections in Nigeria, some candidates resorted to name dropping and outright fake endorsements to hoodwink the public. Soyinkas name featured prominently in the many endorsement tracts circulated by candidates who couldnt even manage to compose such endorsements in Soyinkas inimitable style. Imagine a string of ill-composed sentences violently standing logic on its head with the name Wole Soyinka at the end as the author!

Professor Soyinka had issued rebuttals on many occasions. But these never-say-die nonentities are so committed to their evil pastime that they compound their insolence with even more odious impudence. Last year, when cyberwarriors assembled by one of the presidential candidates issued a barely literate statement in the name of Professor Soyinka endorsing their candidate, I warned that they were taking their desperation too far.

Soyinka had been out of the country. On his return he reiterated that he had not endorsed any candidate in the elections. He described the 2023 elections as not exactly the most edifying exercise that weve been through.

On arriving, he said, I was bombarded by the most horrendous narratives both pre and after the elections. Since then, Ive also read columns; Ive seen Nigerian papers for the first time in months and I didnt like what I read at all My trust has broken down completely  and even the minimum restraint that weve learnt to expect from seasoned politicians have been jettisoned completely.

He noted that the nation was moving towards a situation, which was not planned, but one that happened fortuitously, where the existing mould would be broken despite die-hard opposition to the breaking of that mould. He was not enamoured of the do-or-die style of politicking in Nigeria, advocating instead for a celebratory kind of ballot exercise in which elections are like festivals of democracy.

To be sure, Soyinka is not infallible. He can be wrong like any of us. But on the issue of totally ceding control in electoral contests to the judiciary, I do agree with him; no one should be seen to be threatening the arbiter. And I dont subscribe to the emerging culture of mob intimidation and lowlife lingo.

Professor Soyinka noted that the comments of the Labour Party vice presidential candidate, Datti Baba-Ahmed, on Channels Television were unacceptable and capable of alienating supporters. Senator Baba-Ahmed had said the decision of the Supreme Court must be favourable to the Labour Party and that swearing in the man declared by the electoral commission as the president-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, would truncate Nigerias democracy. Of all the things Soyinka said, the only part singled out for excoriation was his comment on the recent interview of Datti Baba-Ahmed.

Many people who fancy themselves as more Obidient than Peter Obi have reduced the discourse to a feast of diatribes and an exhibition of ill breeding. I do not expect us all to have the same reactions to the same stimuli. However, I will never get tired of repeating that in Africa, we do not insult our elders the way some of these hyperactive activists are doing. One could disagree with Soyinka on matters of fact or principle, but that cannot be a licence to insult a man with Soyinkas pedigree.

Soyinka has been a beacon, not only for his generation, but for several generations since he burst onto the national scene with his play, A Dance of the Forests, which was staged as part of the celebration of Nigerias Independence in 1960.

When the civil war broke out, at a time when it wasnt fashionable to associate with anything Biafran, Soyinka took the risk to try and broker some sort of truce between the federal and Eastern sides. He sneaked into Biafra to meet with Ojukwu, a visit which the erstwhile Biafran leader shared with me during a MONTHLY LIFE interview with him in the 80s. When I asked Ojukwu why he and Soyinka could not agree on a way out of the shooting war, Ojukwu smiled and said, Let me just say that he had his strong views and I had mine. There is no doubt that Soyinka is a man of strong convictions, but so am I.

Soyinka was thrown into jail when he returned from Biafra. He spent the rest of the war years in jail. He has since made up with the principal actors of the civil war on both sides of the divide, General Gowon and General Ojukwu. It is quite a feat to have been relevant to ones nation for more than six decades and that privilege is given only to a few. On the academic turf, he has numbered among the very best on the planet with a Nobel under his belt. He is a man of his convictions.

To be sure, Soyinka is not infallible. He can be wrong like any of us. But on the issue of totally ceding control in electoral contests to the judiciary, I do agree with him; no one should be seen to be threatening the arbiter. And I dont subscribe to the emerging culture of mob intimidation and lowlife lingo.

The dim side of this cyber-bullying is that it splits the ranks of progressive elements down the middle. The other day, I received a lesson in how cohesive groups could be torn asunder. It was an interview on a popular US television network. The interviewee, a noted Republican, was educating the reporter on how Donald Trumps shenanigans had divided the Republican Party. He noted that the party was now made up of the die-hards on one side and rationalists on the other.

Whatever happens, I repudiate the culture of insolence gaining a foothold on social media. I insist that everyone has a right to determine where he draws the line in human relations and shared passions. I have drawn mine.

In the same vein, Im afraid, the supporters of the Labour Party are entering a phase of unnecessary division. For a party which has set a historic template of leveraging on mass-oriented e-groups whose selflessness is unprecedented, the wise thing to do at this stage is to concentrate on the court cases. I have said it before, and it bears repeating: In matters such as the ones before their Lordships, Justices of the Supreme Court, water can still run uphill!

It doesnt take much time for matters such as the intemperate language being deployed by some of those who think they are doing the Obi-Datti ticket a favour, to take the centre-stage and turn brother against brother  even within the movement.

Former presidential aspirant, Kingsley Moghalu quickly intervened on Soyinkas side: Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka is a principled fighter for justice in our country and around the world. He is a phenomenon that unlettered and uncultured people may not fully understand in an age of lazy social media in which many dont read or think deep.

I have read some of the arguments justifying the use of intemperate language on some media platforms. One contributor even made allusion to a statement credited to General Buhari in the heat of his quest for the presidency. The kare jini biri jini Hausa parable was interpreted by some to denote fire for fire. But educators like Dr Aliyu U. Tilde have deconstructed the proverb to mean a tough contest in which both parties suffer injuries: The dog gives up hunting for that day, returns home and is granted a sick leave by its master. The baboon keeps his life and his baby and remains in his territory or migrates to a safer one.

So, weaponising the Hausa parable to justify incendiary language easily goes up in smoke.

However, one remembers that the ruling APC threatened in 2015 to form a parallel government if the elections were rigged. I do, by the way, consider that threat fascistic too. The security agencies looked the other way at that time, so why all the hoopla against the Labour Party this time around?

Whatever happens, I repudiate the culture of insolence gaining a foothold on social media. I insist that everyone has a right to determine where he draws the line in human relations and shared passions. I have drawn mine.

Adieu, Alhaji B.A. Idris-Animashaun

Alhaji Bashir Alade Idris-Animashaun, former Chairman of Academy Press Plc and other sister companies, was called to glory last week at 89. He was a mentor of mentors and one of the pioneers and pillars of the printing industry in Nigeria. He came, he saw, he conquered. He will be sorely missed by all who knew him. May Allah grant him Aljannah firdaus.

Wole Olaoye is a Public Relations consultant and veteran journalist. He can be reached on wole.olaoye@gmail.com, Twitter: @wole_olaoye; Instagram: woleola2021

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The Delta State Government has reacted to the report that it deported a beggar in the state to Anambra State.

An aide to the Anambra State Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare, Ify Obinabo, had said, in a statement on Friday, that the beggar was repatriated to the state from Delta State, south-south Nigeria.

The beggar, Ogochukwu Nwabude, a 32-year-old mother of one, was repatriated for allegedly constituting a nuisance in the state, the aide said in the statement.

Mrs Obinabo, the commissioner, was said to have assisted the woman with a little token to help start her start up a business, according to the statement.

Ms Nwabude hails from Nnewi, a community in Anambra State, south-east Nigeria.

Delta govt reacts

But the Delta State Government has refuted the report that it deported the woman from the state.

Olisa Ifeajika, the spokesperson to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State, in a statement on Sunday, said the woman, who had a child with her, was begging for alms at Inter Bau Roundabout in Asaba, the state capital for two weeks.

Mr Ifeajika explained that some officials of the States Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, after observing her for a period, conducted a check on her.

He said the check revealed that she was stable and of sound mind, but only needed financial help.

He added that the officials were moved by her condition which prompted the ministry to offer her some assistance, especially as she was with a baby, in line with standard procedure in handling such matters.

The ministry, consequently, returned her to its counterpart  Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development in Anambra State  for necessary support, according to the governors spokesperson.

The measure was a routine activity on such cases, and often transpired among states in the country and the Federal Capital Territory, he said.

Anambra State Government was grateful to its Delta counterpart for the effort and promptly began the process of assistance to the woman.

The insinuations in some quarters that the woman was deported by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State Government are, therefore, uncharitable, Mr Ifeajika said.

The Delta State Government acted in good faith and within the ambits of regulations, which Anambra State Government acknowledged with gratitude, he stated.

READ ALSO: Delta govt repatriates beggar to Anambra

The spokesperson said other states of the country had been returning some indigenes of Delta State who were in similar conditions for assistance, pointing out that such action centres on serious humanitarian service.

What Delta State Government did was the routine procedure in rehabilitating persons of that nature and it is the standard practice among states in the country.

We provided her with some assistance and returned her to her state of origin to ensure that she is properly re-integrated into the society, he said of the Anambra woman.

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Shina Peller, an Accord Party member of the House of Representatives from Iseyin/Itesiwaju/Kajola/Iwajowa federal constituency, Oyo State, says his partys support for Governor Seyi Makindes re-election during the last general election is in the interest of the people.

Mr Peller disclosed this on Saturday at the Accord stakeholders meeting held in Ibadan.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Peller, the Accord senatorial candidate for Oyo North Senatorial District, had supported Mr Makinde, the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

He said the party had to review its performance after the 2023 general election, which saw the need for a coalition with the PDP governorship candidate in the interest of the people.

We came out of an election without winning any of the three senatorial seats and 14 Rep seats. We are a third force party, a new party for that matter.

We compete with APC and PDP, so the only thing we had to do then was to look for the best candidate out of the APC and PDP, and find a way of forming a coalition.

All the technicalities that have been put in front of our governorship candidate are facts, even our candidate did not win in his polling unit, these are very important facts that we must pay attention to, he said.

The lawmaker expressed happiness that his party was not blinded by political party ideology or religious sentiment, but by putting into consideration the interest of the people.

We are happy that we are not blinded by our political party ideology, our religious interest, but putting into consideration the interest of the people.

I believe this is the most paramount interest that should be protected in politics, Mr Peller said.

Mr Peller said that Mr Makinde had done well for the people of Oke Ogun, by bringing developmental projects to the zone

Also, Adebukola Ajaja, the National Secretary of the party, said that they have seen the future of the party, hence Mr Makinde was supported for re-election.

We saw the future of Accord and felt we dont want our people to suffer. There was a kind of coalition between executives and candidates at the just-concluded general election, she said.

Ms Ajaja said that the meeting was attended by party leaders from each local government.

(NAN)

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Tehran, April 9 : A technical delegation from Saudi Arabia has arrived in Iran to assess the situation and discuss the procedures for the reopening of the Saudi embassy and consulate general in the country.

Citing the Saudi Press Agency, Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA) said that the trip comes following the agreements reached between the two countries in Beijing on the normalization of bilateral ties, Xinhua news agency reported.

It added during the trip, the Saudi delegation will visit Tehran to discuss the mechanism for reopening the country's embassy here, and evaluate the situation for the reopening of the Saudi consulate general in the northeastern Iranian city of Mashhad.

Following their arrival, it said, the team members met with Mehdi Honardoost, director general of ceremonies at the Iranian Foreign Ministry, in Tehran and thanked the ministry's officials for their warm welcome and for facilitating the delegation's visit.

China, Saudi Arabia, and Iran announced on March 10 that the latter two had reached a deal that includes the agreement to resume diplomatic relations and reopen embassies and missions within two months.

In a meeting in Beijing on Thursday, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud signed a joint statement, announcing the resumption of diplomatic relations with immediate effect.

Saudi Arabia cut diplomatic ties with Iran in 2016 in response to the attacks on Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran after the kingdom executed a Shiite cleric.
People mourn during the funeral of A'ahead Isleem in the village of Azzoun, east of the northern West Bank city of Qalqilya, on April 9, 2023. A Palestinian was killed on Saturday during clashes with Israeli soldiers in the village of Azzoun, east of the northern West Bank city of Qalqilya, Palestinian medics and eyewitnesses said. (Photo by Nidal Eshtayeh/Xinhua)

RAMALLAH, April 8 (Xinhua) -- A Palestinian was killed on Saturday during clashes with Israeli soldiers in the village of Azzoun, east of the northern West Bank city of Qalqilya, Palestinian medics and eyewitnesses said.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health said in a press release that A'ahead Isleem, 20, was shot in the chest and abdomen by Israeli soldiers and died later on the way to the hospital. No other injuries were reported, the statement added.

Palestinian eyewitnesses said the incident took place during clashes in the village between stones-hurling Palestinians and Israeli soldiers, who responded with teargas, stun grenades, and live ammunition.

The ministry said that since the beginning of this year, the Israeli army and the security forces have killed 95 Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, including 17 children and a woman.

Official Israeli figures said that 18 Israelis were killed in a series of attacks carried out by Palestinians.

Meanwhile, the official Palestinian news agency (WAFA) reported that four Palestinians were injured Saturday in an attack by Israeli settlers on Palestinian vehicles at the north entrance to the city of Al-Bireh in the West Bank.

The report said that several Israeli settlers hurled stones at Palestinian vehicles as they crossed the Israeli military checkpoint of Beit El at the north entrance to the city, injuring four Palestinian passengers and damaging their vehicles.

Israel, which occupied the West Bank and East Jerusalem in 1967, has constructed dozens of Israeli settlements since then. According to official Palestinian figures, more than 500,000 settlers live there. The international community considers Israeli settlement illegal. 

A relative mourns during the funeral of A'ahead Isleem in the village of Azzoun, east of the northern West Bank city of Qalqilya, on April 9, 2023. A Palestinian was killed on Saturday during clashes with Israeli soldiers in the village of Azzoun, east of the northern West Bank city of Qalqilya, Palestinian medics and eyewitnesses said. (Photo by Nidal Eshtayeh/Xinhua)

A relative mourns during the funeral of A'ahead Isleem in the village of Azzoun, east of the northern West Bank city of Qalqilya, on April 9, 2023. A Palestinian was killed on Saturday during clashes with Israeli soldiers in the village of Azzoun, east of the northern West Bank city of Qalqilya, Palestinian medics and eyewitnesses said. (Photo by Nidal Eshtayeh/Xinhua)
Amman, April 9 : The Jordanian armed forces said in a statement that a rocket exploded in the air over Jordanian territories near the border with Syria, and no injuries were reported.

The army said around 10:25 p.m. local time on Saturday, a rocket exploded in the air over Wadi Aqraba Valley in Irbid governorate, which led to its shrapnel falling on the ground in the same area, Xinhua news agency reported.

The army said no loss of lives or properties was reported, adding that the Royal Engineering Corps' teams headed to the site to deal with the incident.

The army added that they are closely following up on the situation in the area.
Kanpur : , April 9 (IANS) In separate incidents in Kanpur district, three young girls have ended their lives following harassment by boys during the past three days.

In Sachendi, a 20-year-old young woman hanged herself after a man of her village entered her house, threatening to murder her if she did not marry him.

She was engaged to another person on March 31, but the youth was building pressure on her and she took the drastic step within minutes after being threatened, said her brother.

"She hanged herself the day we were at the police station for the third time on April 7 evening. Police did not heed our complaint, nor did they act against the boy who threatened her twice, first on April 4 and then April 7," he said.

In the second case, a girl ended her life in Saadh after a boy stole pictures from her social media account and harassed her by morphing them.

Her father said he had personally spoken to the boy and his father several times. But he became more emboldened and started sending more obscene messages.

On April 5, when the girl was at a grocery store, he followed her and humiliated her for shutting her mobile down. The next day the family woke up to find her hanging from a hook in the ceiling, he said. "We have lodged an FIR and want the law to punish him severely," he said.

In the third case, a girl, aged 19, committed suicide in Colonelganj on Saturday. She was also being harassed by a boy.

Joint commissioner of police Anand Prakash Tiwari said the police would initiate stringent action in all three cases.
Lucknow, April 9 : It is said that, "It is a bird's imagination, not its wings, that determines how high it can fly." Gorakhpur's Sangeeta Pandey proved this by gaining huge success in her venture despite not being financially strong.

Her business started with a cycle and Rs 1500, but has now crossed the Rs 3 crore mark.

Alongside, Pandey also nurtured her nine-month-old baby.

Around 10 years ago, Pandey thought of generating some additional income when her family was not financially stable. She got work in an institution at a salary of Rs 4,000 per month.

When she turned up for work with her 9-month-old daughter, people raised objections and said that it would not be possible for her to take care of her child and also work.

The next day she left her daughter at home but realised that it was for her betterment that she wanted to work in the first place, and depriving the child of her mother's love would not be a good start. Following this she left the job.

Pandey shared that she wanted to do something in her life but could not decide what. She said that she had once seen a box of sweets being made and thought that this could be done.

She recalled that her search for raw materials started on a Ranger cycle that was lying in her house. The raw materials were bought for Rs 1500 and brought home on the same cycle.

She added that the joy of preparing 100 boxes in around 8 hours was unmatched.

Despite not having any prior knowledge of the market, she went and spoke to some businessmen and calculated the input cost and profit per box after coming home that day. She went to the market again to sell the boxes, but was told that boxes were available cheaper than her selling price.

Somehow, she sold the finished goods. Pandey said that she was later told by some people that raw materials were available at a cheaper price in Lucknow, which would reduce her costs. She then reached Lucknow with savings of Rs 35,000 and brought materials worth Rs 15,000 home by bus.

Along with preparing the boxes, the focus was also on collecting capital, said Pandey.

She tried to take a loan from the District Urban Development Agency (DUDA) which did not materialise as her husband is a traffic constable.

She then took a gold loan of Rs 3 lakh by mortgaging her jewellery and got one lorry full of raw materials from Lucknow.

Pandey returned to Delhi to reduce the input cost of the boxes and was supported by the traders. Soon, raw materials started being available on credit.

Earlier, she started the business from home and stored the stock there. As the business grew, her space fell short, so she took a loan of Rs 35 lakh to set up a factory, and another loan of Rs 50 lakh to increase her business.

While goods were supplied by cycle and two hand driven carts earlier, today the Pandey family owns a tempo and a battery operated rickshaw that are used for making deliveries.

Pandey said that they also own a car and scooty and all three of her children study in good schools.

Renowned shops of Purvanchal, pizza, cakes and sweets outlets are her customers. Artisans from Delhi have been hired to ensure that the products are of top quality, who work and train others as well.

Pandey provides direct and indirect employment to 100 women and a dozen men. She visits Punjab, West Bengal, Gujarat and Rajasthan in search of quality raw material.

She shared that she has not forgotten her days of struggle, which is why she sends raw materials to the homes of many working women who have small children, so that they are able to work, provide for their families and also take care of their kids.

Pandey concluded that apart from women, handicapped and deaf people also work for her.
Thiruvananthapuram, April 9 : The BJP leaders of Kerala, including Union Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan and party national executive member and former state president, P.K. Krishnadas paid visits to the Bishop houses in the state.

While Muraleedharan visited the Latin Catholic Arch diocese headquarters and exchanged wishes with the Archbishop Mar George Netto, Krishnadas visited the Thalassesry Archbishop, Mar Joseph Pamplani at the Thalassery Bishop House.

BJP state president K. Surendran on Saturday visited the Thamarassery Archbishop Mar Remijius Paul Inchananiyil.

It is to be noted that the BJP state vice president and senior leader, A.N. Radhakrishnan had participated in the Malayattoor Church festival on Good Friday day and had even climbed the Malayatoor hill to reach the shrine.

The Kerala BJP is in a serious bid to woo the Christian community in a desperate attempt to gain political mileage and to break the deadlock of not winning Assembly or Lok Sabha seats in the state.

A group of former Kerala Congress leaders, including ex-MLAs and a former MP is working behind the scene to float a new political party for Christian interests and this new party would align with the BJP in Kerala as part of the National Democratic Alliance.

Kerala has a strong presence of minority communities, including Christians and Muslims and of late following the 'Love Jihad' cases and other issues, there has been a marked shift in the attitude of Christians towards the Muslim community and the BJP is trying to capitalise on that rift.
Bengaluru, April 9 : Karnataka is witnessing a steady rise in the number of Covid and influenza cases. The surge has the health department worried, especially as the state is on the threshold of elections.

Mega rallies across the state by all political parties is making the task of the health department more difficult. Sources said that they are only able to issue advisories and it is for the people to follow them.

Until the elections are over (May 10) and the results announced (May 13) it is impossible to initiate any strict action to regulate public behaviour. "We are hoping for the best and keeping our fingers crossed," the sources said.

Talking to IANS, Dr Satyanarayana Mysore, HOD and Consultant-Pulmonology, Manipal Hospital, said "In the past 3 weeks, the number of Covid cases has gone up. This is just the tip of the iceberg." "Not many people undergo tests because the virus is mild and the symptoms are milder. That kind of a situation is at odds with the results of the sewage surveillance.

"You will find a higher positivity rate in sewage surveillance compared to the actual number of patients coming for tests or treatment. The only need of the hour is Covid-appropriate behaviour and wearing a mask. There is no need to panic." Dr Basavaraj Kuntoji, Consultant-Internal Medicine, Manipal Hospital Malleshwaram, told IANS, "Yes, we are seeing a very small increase in the number of Covid-19-positive patients and a few patients of H3N2 and regular flu patients in the last 2 to 3 weeks.

"The Covid patients we have seen are all doing well. They did not have any complications like hypoxia or acute respiratory distress syndrome, or ARDS, and got better with OPD consultation." But the patients who have influenza virus type A and type B, or what we call regular flu, are becoming sicker, requiring hospitalization. A very few of these influenza virus-infected patients may require oxygen support, he stated.

However, we are able to manage most of the flu virus non-sick patients on an outpatient basis. The H3N2 or influenza virus patients are getting better on their own at their home after 2 to 3 days. A few patients require OPD treatment and among them, one or 2 require admission and oxygen support. All of them have recovered, said Kuntoji.

Presently, the number of active Covid cases has touched 1,596. The weekly positivity rate has gone up to 3.53 per cent. The health department is conducting more than 12,000 tests across the state everyday.

The state has reported a total of 40,288 Covid deaths so far, according to statistics provided by the health department.

State capital Bengaluru has reported 979 positive cases presently. The Covid cases are increasing in Shivamogga district, Mysuru, Chamarajanagar and the coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada, Uttara Kannada and Udupi.
Colombo, April 9 : Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe has assured justice for the victims of the deadly 2019 Easter attacks.

In a message to mark Easter, Wickremesinghe on Saturday said that legal proceedings related to the Easter Sunday attacks are being processed independently and impartially, without any influence, Xinhua News Agency reported.

"The necessary groundwork towards this end has been laid, to ensure justice for all the victims," the President's Media Division quoted Wickremesinghe as saying.

The president also pledged his unwavering commitment to ensuring the security of the country by preventing any recurrence of such heinous acts.

Over 260 people were killed in the suicide blasts in several churches and hotels in Sri Lanka's capital Colombo on April 21, 2019.
Seoul, April 9 : North Korea did not answer a routine morning call from South Korea via a military hotline for the third day in a row on Sunday for unclear reasons, officials said.

The two Koreas are supposed to hold calls twice a day -- once in the morning and the other in the afternoon -- via military and liaison hotlines set up across the border, but the North stopped answering calls from the South on Friday afternoon, Yonhap News Agency reported.

On Sunday, the South made a military hotline call to the North at 9 a.m., but it went unanswered again, according to the defence ministry officials. Calls through the liaison hotline do not take place on weekends.

Ministry officials said they plan to try to call the North at 4 p.m.

It is unclear why the North is refusing to answer the calls.

But the suspension comes amid heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula in the wake of North Korea's recent weapons tests in protest of joint military drills between South Korea and the US.
Jammu, April 9 : One intruder was killed after a major infiltration bid was foiled by the Army at the Line of Control (LoC) in the Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said on Sunday.

"On the intervening night of 8/9 Apr 2023, alert troops of Indian Army on the LoC in the Poonch Sector(J&K), detected some suspicious movement of a group (of) individuals," the Defence spokesman said in a statement.

"The individuals were challenged by Indian Army troops on their own side of LoC, close to the fence.

"On being intercepted, in the ensuing operations, one dead body has been seen and the other intruders ran into the forest area." The Army said a cordon of the area had been established and search operation was in progress.
Los Angeles, April 9 : Actor Timothee Chalamet is ready to play Bob Dylan on the big screen and he will be doing his own singing.

Director James Mangold teased his upcoming movie in a new interview with Collider during the Star Wars Celebration in London, reports Variety.

He was asked if the 'Bones and All' actor would sing and he answered: "Of course!" The 'Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny' director talked about the moment in time the film will take place, which he expects to start filming in August.

"It's such an amazing time in American culture and the story of Bob - a young 19-year-old Bob Dylan coming to New York with like two dollars in his pocket and becoming a worldwide sensation within three years," he told the publication.

"First being embraced into the family of folk music in New York and kind of outrunning them at a certain point as his star rises so beyond belief." Mangold added: "It's such an interesting true story at about such an interesting moment in the American scene, different characters from Woody Guthrie to Bob Dylan, to Pete Seeger to Joan Baez, all have a role to play in this movie." It was back in January 2020 when Searchlight confirmed the Bob Dylan biopic with Mangold and Chalamet attached.

At the time of the announcement, it wasn't known if Chalamet would sing Dylan's songs but it was known that he had started taking guitar lessons in preparation for the role.
Thiruvananthapuram, April 9 : Even as the accused in the Kozhikode train fire case, Shahruk Saifi has deposed before the investigators that he had planned the attack on his own, police have not taken that version at all.

Sources in the Kerala Police, who are probing the case, told IANS that there are several missing dots in what Shahrukh Saifi was saying and what actually took place on the fateful day.

A bogey in the Executive Express train from Alappuzha to Kannur was set on fire by a youth on April 2 night after it left Kozhikode junction and was on way to Kannur at Elathur. In the tragic incident, three people, including a two-year-old infant were dead and their bodies were found on the railway track. Many were injured with four being admitted to the Kozhikode medical college and one of the injured in critical condition.

Police investigators found that the accused was from Delhi's Shaheen Bagh and later arrested him from Ratnagiri in Maharashtra. The Kerala Police special team led by ADGP, M.R. Ajith Kumar is interrogating him but sources in the police told IANS that he was trying to divert the investigation and was not giving proper responses to the questions.

Police investigators are of the opinion that Shahrukh Saifi had got some support from Kerala. They are investigating how he reached Shornur in Kerala's Palakkad district, and bought four litres of petrol from a fuel pump at Kuzhapulli in Shornur.

Senior PFI leaders, including the arrested C. Rouf are from Pattambi near to Shoranur and the banned Islamist organisation has a huge network in the area. The Popular Front of India (PFI) had a religious centre, Sathya Sarani in Manjeri, Malappuram district, which is widely accused of being the hub that was used to forcefully convert people. Manjeri in Malappuram district is near Shornur and here also the banned PFI has a big network.

While the ban on the PF) is in force since September 2022, the Islamist group has not found any difficulty in its operation as the political arm of the PFI, the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), which is active on the ground and almost all the state level leaders of the SDPI are drawn from the PFI.

SDPI national general secretary, Majid Faizi, it is to be noted, is one of the founding leaders of the National Democratic Front (NDF), the outfit that later emerged as the Popular Front of India( PFI).
A Chinese health official said at a press conference on Saturday that China has been transparent in sharing research results on the origins-tracing of SARS-CoV-2 with the international community.

Speaking of the recent denial of the research results by certain WHO officials and experts, he said such a move politicizes the issue and is unacceptable to the scientific communities in China and the world as a whole.





Produced by Xinhua Global Service
New Delhi, April 9 : As many as nine states, including Telangana and Meghalaya, have withdrawn the general consent given to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for probing certain offences.

The information was disclosed by Union Minister Jitendra Singh during the winter session of the Parliament in December 2022.

The minister informed the House that as per Section 6 of the Delhi Special Police Establishment (DSPE) Act, 1946, the CBI requires the consent of the respective state governments to conduct investigations in their jurisdiction.

The state governments had granted general consent to the CBI for the investigation of a specified class of offences against specified categories of persons, enabling the agency to register and investigate those specified matters, Singh elaborated. However, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Kerala, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Punjab, Rajasthan, Telangana, and West Bengal have withdrawn the general consent to the CBI to investigate cases. This move could potentially create roadblocks for the CBI to investigate cases in these states.

Non-BJP ruled states have accused the CBI of "selectively targeting" Opposition leaders.

The withdrawal of consent could also affect the CBI's ability to investigate cases that have national significance or interstate ramifications. It remains to be seen how the CBI will navigate these challenges and continue to discharge its duties effectively.

This development highlights the need for a comprehensive review of the DSPE Act, 1946, and its provisions related to the CBI's jurisdiction and powers.

In March this year, a Parliamentary Committee emphasised the withdrawal of general consent for the CBI probe by several states and stated that the existing law governing the federal probe agency has "several limitations".

The committee has suggested the need to enact new legislation that defines the CBI's status, functions, and powers.

"The Committee feels that the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act has many limitations and therefore, recommends that there is a need to enact a new law and define the status, functions and powers of the CBI and also lay down safeguards to ensure objectivity and impartiality in its functioning," it said.

Rudra Vikram Singh, Supreme Court lawyer said that withdrawal of general consent means CBI does not have the general consent of a state government, it is required to apply for consent on a case-by-case basis and cannot act before the consent is given.

"However CBI can continue to investigate cases in a state registered prior to the withdrawal of general consent. In July 2022, the Calcutta High Court, in a case of illegal coal mining and cattle smuggling being investigated by the CBI, ruled that the central agency cannot be stopped from investigating a Central government employee in another state," said Singh.

"In its order, the High Court observed that corruption cases across the country must be treated equally and that Central government employees could not be exempted from an investigation on the grounds that their offices were located in states that have withdrawn general consent. The judgment also said that withdrawal of general consent and its ramifications would be applicable in cases where exclusively state government employees were involved," he added.

This order, however, has been challenged in the Supreme Court, where the matter is still pending. Hence, as it stands, the CBI can use the Calcutta High Court order to its advantage to carry on certain investigations until the order is struck down by the Supreme Court.

Gurmeet Nehra, legal scholar and member, Supreme Court Bar Association said that CBI can approach the local court of that state for issuing a search warrant and it can register a case in Delhi and proceed with the investigation.
Bhopal, April 9 : The special CBI court in Bhopal, which is dealing with Vyapam cases, has disposed of over 50 per cent of the cases, and in the latest development, it has initiated the process of framing charges in two major cases.

Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Satish Dinkar, who is representing the CBI in the court, told IANS that the framing of charges in two big cases has begun, however, the hearing will speed up after two months. The process of charge framing has also begun in some other cases related to food inspector recruitment exams conducted by the Vyapam.

"These two cases have more than 1,300 accused and these cases were untouched so far, but now, the process of framing of charges has begun... We are hopeful that the process framing charges will be complete in the next two months and we can expect the daily hearings to speed up in these cases," Dinkar said.

Earlier, in December 2022, the Madhya Pradesh STF (Special Task Force) filed a fresh FIR, almost eight years after a complaint was filed by former Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh. Sources said the fresh FIR has triggered "unrest" within the ruling BJP and has also raised several eyebrows over its "sanction". However, the STF has said that it is just a routine action since they are investigating hundreds of complaints related to the Vyapam case that were not taken up by the CBI.

The case was registered on December 6, 2022, against Prashant Meshram, Ajay Tengar, Krishna Kumar Jaiswal, Anil Chouhan, Hari Kishan Jatav, Shiv Shankar Prasad, Amit Badole and Sulwant Singh Morya for allegedly clearing PMT 2008-2009 through impersonators.

It is worth mentioning that in July 2015, the Supreme Court transferred Vyapam investigations from the state STF to the CBI. The central agency registered 155 cases. Today, CBI has no Vyapam case pending for investigation, and hundreds of investigators, who were sent to Bhopal for the massive probe, have returned to their parent units.

Most of the cases are being heard in a special CBI court in Bhopal, and the single court is dealing with as many as 54 cases, including the 'engine-bogie' scam in the PMT exams in 2012 and 2013, which has a roster of more than 1,300 accused persons.

Though the irregularities in the Vyapam exams were noticed first in 2001, a strong nexus of corrupt bureaucrats, politicians of both the ruling and opposition parties, racketeers and middlemen kept executing their plans for over a decade, until the lid was blown off in 2013.

All the accused persons in the Vyapam cases, who were either arrested by Madhya Pradesh police or by the CBI and were charge-sheeted, are now out on bail. Most of them were granted interim bail by the Madhya Pradesh High Court, including nine who were granted conditional bail in March 2022.
New Delhi, April 9 : The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is being criticised for its reputation as a "drain inspector." The agency has increasingly focused on investigating small fish, while larger corruption cases are being handled by the Enforcement Directorate, which is equipped with the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

The CBI, which was once considered India's premier anti-corruption agency, is now being seen as a poor cousin to the Enforcement Directorate. As cases move up the chain of command, the CBI's investigations have been found to be lacking in quality, and the evidence presented in higher courts is often weak.

Critics argue that the CBI's reputation has suffered due to its inability to effectively tackle high-profile corruption cases. The agency has been accused of being too politicized, and its leadership has come under scrutiny for their alleged lack of independence.

In contrast, the Enforcement Directorate has been hailed for its success in pursuing high-profile cases, particularly those related to money laundering. The agency has been able to secure strong convictions and hefty fines against individuals and companies found guilty of financial wrongdoing.

The CBI's decline in reputation is a concern for India, as corruption remains a major issue in the country. Without a strong and independent anti-corruption agency, the fight against corruption may falter, leading to further harm to the country's economy and reputation.

The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) report released in August 2022 stated that as on December 31, 2021, a total of 6,700 corruption cases probed by the CBI were pending trial in different courts, 275 of them for more than 20 years.

A total of 1,939 cases were pending trial for more than 10 years and up to 20 years, 2,273 for more than five years and up to 10 years, 811 for more than three years and up to five years and 1,399 cases for less than three years, it said.

"The Commission, during monthly meetings with CBI, takes note of the large number of cases pending trial in different courts for long periods," said the CVC annual report.

As on December 31, 2021, 6,697 cases were pending trial, out of which 275 cases are more than 20 years old, it said.

Besides, a total of 10,974 appeals and revisions were pending in the high courts and the Supreme Court.

Of the total of 9,935 appeals, 9,698 were in the high courts and 237 in the Supreme Court. There are 1,039 revision pleas pending in the high courts, the report stated.

However, last week on Thursday, Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Jitendra Singh, said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha that the CBI's conviction rate has gone up to 74.59 per cent in 2022 from 68 per cent in 2018.

The CBI's conviction rate was at 68 per cent in 2018, 69.19 per cent in 2019, 69.83 per cent in 2020, 67.56 per cent in 2021 and 74.59 per cent in 2022.

The directorate of prosecution in the CBI, with the assistance of additional legal advisers, deputy legal advisers, senior public prosecutors, public prosecutors and assistant public prosecutors, is responsible for conducting and supervising cases pending trial, appeal and revision in the courts, he said.

According to the minister, there are sub directorates of prosecution in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai, which closely monitor trial, appeal or revision petitions in the trial courts or the high courts.

The CBI's strategy for improving the conviction rate involves conducting investigations with the help of legal support to collect and present the best possible evidence in court. The agency also emphasizes meticulous follow-up during trials to present evidence in the most effective manner, as well as enhancing their capabilities in terms of skills, resources and coordination, Singh stated.

On April 3 in reply to question in the Lok Sabha, Singh had said that the CBI has registered 110 cases against 166 civil service officers since 2018.

This information was shared in response to a query on the number of civil service officers accused of corruption in the last five years.
New Delhi, April 9 : The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), India's premier anti-corruption agency, is facing criticism for its inability to bring cases related to high-profile scams to their logical end because of delayed investigations.

Take for instance the two cases that the CBI has filed against former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in the Delhi excise policy scam and snooping case. The agency has made Sisodia the accused number one in both the cases, but it is yet to file a chargesheet in either.

The ICICI-Chanda Kochhar matter has also raised eyebrows, as the CBI filed the FIR in January 2019, two years after the preliminary inquiry into the case was initiated.

The CBI arrested former ICICI bank CEO Chanda Kochhar, her husband Deepak Kochhar, and Videocon group MD V N Dhoot in December 2022, five years after lodging the case. The delay in action has raised questions about the agency's effectiveness. Recently the CBI has filed a chargesheet in connection with the ICICI-Videocon loan case.

Sushant Singh Rajput case: The CBI has failed to complete its investigation into the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, who passed away in June 2020 under mysterious circumstances. His body was found hanging from the ceiling fan of his rented accommodation in Mumbai. The CBI had recreated the crime scene but the investigation is still pending.

Arushi Talwar case: Arushi Talwar and domestic help Hemraj Banjade were murdered during the intervening night of May 15 and 16 in 2008. The case was handed over to the CBI in 2009. The Allahabad High Court acquitted the accused saying the evidence was not beyond reasonable doubt.

2G case: The CBI had failed to prove its case in the alleged 2G spectrum scam that cost the exchequer Rs 176,000 crore. Special Judge O.P. Saini, who oversaw the trial of all 2G spectrum cases since early 2011, had said in 2017 that his seven-year anticipation for evidence ended "all in vain" because the case was mainly based on "rumour, gossip and speculation".
New Delhi, April 9 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently expressed his government's unwavering support for central probe agencies in the fight against corruption, emphasising his determination to combat corrupt practices.

He made this declaration of intent at a gathering to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), where he encouraged officers to not be deterred by the power of the corrupt and the environment they create to undermine the credibility of investigating agencies.

The Prime Minister's high standards, however, don't seem have been applied in the selection of the current CBI director, Subodh Kumar Jaiswal. He was appointed by a high-level committee that included the Prime Minister himself.

The committee seemed to have overlooked the strictures passed by the MCOCA (Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act) Court and the Supreme Court of India against Jaiswal when he was the DIG of the SIT (Special Investigation Team) probing one of the biggest cases of corruption in its time -- the Telgi fake stamp paper scam, which unspooled between 2001 and 2004.

The observations came during the Supreme Court in Criminal Appeal No 523 of 2005, arising out of SLP (Cri.) No 3879 of 2004 (Ranjit Singh Sharma vs State of Maharashtra and another respondent).

"So far as the inspection of Cuffe Parade flat is concerned, the High Court failed to notice that at the time of inspection of the flat Jaiswal could have taken certain action which he did not. At least he could have seized his (Telgi's) mobile (phone). The Appellant took all steps which he could take. He passed telephonically an order of suspension of the officers in presence of Jaiswal when the matter was brought to his notice," stated the Apex Court in 2005 judgement.

Special Judge of MCOCA Special Court , Pune, Chitra Kiran Bhedi in Special Case No.: 2/2003 ruled on June 26, 2007 as under in the discharge order of the application filed by former Mumbai Police Commissioner Ranjit Singh Sharma stated: "An officer like DIG Jaiswal in his one-and-a-half years of investigation had not done anything against Telgi." "No significant recovery of stamps, no recovery of printing machines was made. DIG Jaiswal has neglected to recover mobile of the police constable Pise, who contacted Sr PI Dal, spoke to PSI Nand Walkar and informed him. Something big was going on in the flat, and cut off the mobile," the court stated.

"As per this report he seized the identity cards of the said police staff. Why he has not seized the mobile phones of police constable Pise. He has also not made a mention of seizure of mobile but identity cards of police staff on duty in his report dated 10/01/2003 to the applicant. He had not arrested Janvekar brothers and took no action against police constables all by helping of Organised Crime Syndicate. So in effect those who apparently helped Telgi appear to have been made witnesses," the order stated.

"Jaiswal who did nothing for preventing Telgi from communicating with his associates by not seizing mobile allegedly of Police constable Pise, on the spot. Still Jaiswal was spared. Moreover, M.N. Singh was commissioner of Mumbai Police when Telgi was in custody of Mumbai Police from 28.10.2002 to 31.12.2002. No questions are asked about any commission or omission in this substantive period. During which also he enjoyed comforts," it further read.

"It is irony of fate that applicant/accused is facing trial in the offence unearthed by him and the prosecuting agency has to rely on the material seized during his regime. And for the reasons best known to them only had not shown any tangible result of their investigation," the court noted.

The CBI had taken over the Telgi case in December 2003.

"The selection of the top official in the premier anti-graft investigative agencies should be impeccable in character and should not give fodder to the Opposition to charge the CBI to be acting at beck and call of ruling dispensation to target leaders of rival political parties," said a former CBI director who did not wish to be quoted.

In July 2022, Jaiswal claimed that the public interest litigation (PIL) petition filed by former assistant commissioner of police (ACP) Rajendra Trivedi, challenging his appointment as the head of the central agency in 2021, is an act of vendetta.

Jaiswal in his affidavit filed before the Bombay High Court said the allegation that he was not eligible or competent to head the agency was a misuse of the PIL by the petitioner and hence, it should be dismissed.

Trivedi had contended that Jaiswal's appointment was in contravention of the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act and sought directions to call for the record and proceedings of the committee which approved his name as a candidate in May 2021.

His plea also referred to various posts held by Jaiswal before being appointed as CBI director and stated that he had never been part of any agency which investigated anti-corruption cases.

The Centre in response told the court that Jaiswal was selected as per due seniority and there was nothing to indicate any pending complaint or court case pending against him. Therefore, contentions in PIL were "devoid of merits" and were "entitled to be dismissed".
New Delhi, April 9 : Nearly 10 years ago, a packed courtroom sat in gripping silence as a Supreme Court judge criticised the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), terming it as a "caged parrot".

A year ago, Law Minister Kiren Rijiju had tweeted that CBI is no more a "caged parrot", but is truly performing its duty as India's top criminal investigating agency.

The elite investigating agency -- which has seen countless highs and lows since its inception -- completed 60 years earlier this month, and also registered a high conviction rate, which has gone up to 74.59 per cent in 2022 from 68 per cent in 2018.

However, senior advocate and former Additional Solicitor General, Sidharth Luthra, feels that much lies beyond these numbers, as how many convictions are being sustained by the appellate courts or the Supreme Court determine the CBI's actual conviction rate, and the probe agency should focus on capacity building at the lowest level to tackle white collar crimes.

Speaking to IANS, Luthra said that about 10 years ago, there were 80-plus special courts for corruption cases or CBI cases all over the country and the impact of that has been felt over the last decade, as a result of which conviction rates are bound to go up.

He said what needs to be seen is how many of these convictions are being sustained by the appellate courts or the Supreme Court, as that determines the CBI's actual conviction rate.

"While there is anecdotal evidence to see, there is also factual evidence. Also, the number of convictions by the trial courts are far higher. But whether they are going to be sustained at an appellate stage or in the Supreme Court at a special leave appeal and in the second appeal stage is the actual number which will determine the rate of conviction," Luthra said.

In view of the number of CBI courts in the country, he said there will be more trials and decisions, however, the question is finally how many are convicted.

On April 6, the Rajya Sabha was informed that the conviction rate of the CBI has gone up to 74.59 per cent in 2022 from 68 per cent in 2018.

Union Minister of State for Personnel, Jitendra Singh, said in a written reply that CBI's conviction rate was at 68 per cent in 2018, 69.19 per cent in 2019, 69.83 per cent in 2020, 67.56 per cent in 2021, and 74.59 per cent in 2022.

Luthra said the CBI is focused on corruption cases, but please appreciate that the agency can only investigate those cases which come within its purview, where states have given their consent -- general consent or specific consent -- and there are anti-corruption bureaus or branches in states, which also prosecute corruption cases.

"I think we look at the state police and the CBI for corruption cases. We would have to see overall -- how many FIRs have been registered and how many of them culminated in chargesheet, and how many land up finally in a case of prosecution, and then how many will land up in convictions or acquittals," Luthra said.

Nine states -- Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Kerala, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Punjab, Rajasthan, Telangana and West Bengal -- have withdrawn general consent to the CBI to investigate cases.

As per Section 6 of the Delhi Special Police Establishment (DSPE) Act, 1946, the CBI needs consent from the respective state governments to conduct investigations in their jurisdictions.

When asked whether CBI is fully equipped to handle white collar crimes, Luthra said that with the changes in technology and financial frauds, things have changed and the CBI has to equip itself accordingly.

"The CBI often reaches out and gets experts from other fields, who give them necessary capacities, but in my view, a lot more needs to be done on capacity building at the lowest level. We must have scientific investigation, whether in the field of finance or any other field. You will have a greater chance of truth emerging and fairer prosecution. And, if you have a fairer prosecution, you will have a more realistic conviction or acquittal rate," Luthra said.

He added that the point is if investigations are not attuned or are not sensitive to nuances of transaction, then issues will emerge. Also, the officers are not equipped to handle or appreciate the complex transactions.

Luthra concluded by noting: "The number of prosecutions that are initiated gets skewed because it proceeds either on lack of understanding, or the nature of the transaction, which will lead to passing the burden to the court. In some cases, people do not understand the nature of the crime which has been committed. As anecdotal evidence, I can only tell you that the tendency in most investigators is often to pass the buck to the court, as a result of which those investigations end up in prosecutions, which are going to fail." (Sumit Saxena can be contacted at sumit.s@ians.in )
Varanasi, April 9 : The Kashi Vishwanath Corridor has come as a blessing for the small traders of Banaras, as higher pilgrim footfalls have increased their business manifold.

People who know the city say that a change can be observed since the Dham's inauguration. They added that huge crowds gathered here during the monsoon, but now people from all over the world visit for pilgrimage.

Many new restaurants have opened between Maidagin and Bulanala. Flower shops are open round-the-clock near Bansphatak flower market.

Boatmen dependent on the Ganga are now earning more by taking extra rounds of the river.

Akash Chaurasia, who sells flowers and offerings near gate number 2 of the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, said that many more pilgrims are seen here after the corridor's completion, due to which he earns more.

He added that sometimes stocks worth around Rs 1500 get sold which was not the case earlier.

Dharmendra Yadav, a tea seller, said that the crowds have increased after the corridor's construction and the streets are always bustling with people.

Yadav added that he earns up to Rs 1500 per day by selling tea which is unlike the situation before.

He stated that there were many problems earlier, but with the establishment of Baba Vishwanath's new dham, it seems like "achhe din" have arrived.

Sunil Yadav, who sells kachoris in Godaulia, said that the practice of eating jalebi and kachori is old in Kashi. He shared that his shop was established in 1980 and said that his business has prospered since the corridor's construction.

Yadav stated that his sales have increased to Rs 32,000, which were earlier limited to a few thousand.

He added that Kashi has become a source of happiness for small traders like him.

Shiv Kumar Bhardwaj, who runs a 75-year-old paan shop, said that Banarasi paan has a distinct identity of its own.

Kumar added that several people visit his shop every day and his business has increased. He said that his shop would now get more fame as their paan has got the Geographical Indication tag.

Sudhir Keshari, who sells dosas near Kodai Chowki, said that his father established the shop 40 years ago and the corridor's construction had given a fillip to his business.

A boatman, Krishna Sahni shared that tourists take a lot of boat rides and his earnings have doubled since the Dham's completion.

He added that CNG boats have made it easier for the boatmen.

Ajit Singh Bagga, president of the Varanasi Vyapar Mandal, said that the corridor is a matter of pride for the entire nation, as it had led to an increase in employment, earnings and pilgrims.
Varanasi, April 9 : The temples in Varanasi have seen a big rise in earnings after the completion of the Kashi-Vishwanath Corridor. The temple administration stated that the devotees not only offered donations at the Kashi-Vishwanath temple, but also increased the earnings of other temples.

Srikant Mishra, a priest of the Kashi-Vishwanath temple, said the number of devotees coming here has increased tenfold ever since Baba's Dham has been built.

Mishra stated that the income of other temples has definitely increased with the rising number of devotees, as they also go to the other majestic temples after visiting the dham.

He shared that a total of 15 priests are present in the temple, which is about 350 years old.

Everyone's pay scale is fixed and the offerings go to the temple fund. There is no mahant here and the temple is being managed by the government of Uttar Pradesh since 1983. The commissioner is the chairman of its governing body, said Mishra.

He said that the temple was built by Maratha queen Ahilyabai Holkar and it has an eternal shivling.

He stated that the place has had a complete make-over after the corridor's construction, adding that the devotees no longer have to travel through dirty alleys.

He informed that the corridor's completion has boosted every sector and the major temples of Kashi, such as Kashi Kotwal, Sankat Mochan, Kedar Mandir have observed an increase in income and the number of devotees.

Mahant Naveen Giri of Kashi's Kaal Bhairav temple, also known as the Kotwal Kaal Bhairav temple said that 25 per cent of the devotees who visit the Vishwanath temple also come here. He added that the temple's income has doubled.

Giri said that the temple has a family of 200 priests while 200 people of the Pandey families fund the entire expenditure of the temple.

He stated that earlier a large number of devotees were seen on Sundays and Bhairav Ashtami, but around 10,000 devotees reach the temple everyday now, which amounts to around Rs 80,000 in funds.

Apart from this, the earnings increase a bit more on Sundays. Giri said that the corridor is a blessing for business and that he got the opportunity to assist Prime Minister Narendra Modi with his prayers thrice.

Chief Executive Officer of the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Sunil Kumar Verma said that more than Rs 50 crore has been donated by the devotees, from the inauguration of the Dham till December 2022.

Out of this, 40 per cent funds have been received through online facilities. At the same time, 60 kg gold, 10 kg silver and 1,500 kg copper worth more than Rs 50 crore have also been received as donations.

Verma apprised that the outer and inner walls of the Garbha Griha (sanctum sanctorum) have been gilded using gold and copper donated by the believers.

According to an official of the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, from December 13, 2021 to 2022, more than Rs 100 crore have been offered by the devotees, which is the highest amount in the temple's history.

Also, compared to last year, this amount is more than 500 per cent. Verma said that more than 7.35 crore devotees have visited the temple since the corridor's inauguration.

Mahant Vishambharanath Mishra of Sankat Mochan temple said that the number of visitors to the temples has increased in Varanasi due to the promotion of tourism here.

He said that the temple is crowded on Saturdays and Tuesdays. It is obvious that those who come to Varanasi will be attracted to the temple.

Mishra, however does not believe that the increase in the number of devotees is due to the corridor. He said that it has no such effect, and many temples such as Shani Dev's temple, Sumukh Vinayak etc. have disappeared due to the corridor's concept.

He said that many visitors were of the belief that the feeling of divinity can no more be experienced here.

Earlier, people would reach the city to visit Vishwanath, now they visit to see the corridor, added Mishra.
Kolkata, April 9 : The West Bengal education department will bring some changes in the structure of search committees for the appointment of vice-chancellors in state universities by making room for a representative of the University Grants Commission (UGC) there.

However, in the changed structure too, the state government will ensure that its own representatives will have the numerical supremacy over the UGC nominee.

Sources from the state education department said that as per the proposed changes the strength of the search committee will be increased to five from the existing strength of three.

"Currently, the three members of the search committee include one representative from the state government, one from the state university concerned and third is a Governor- appointed nominee. In the changed structure, there will be one representative from UGC, one from the state university concerned, one Governor-appointed nominee and two state government nominees," a state education department official said on strict condition of anonymity.

This ideally means that despite making room for the UGC nominee, the state government will have its numerical supremacy in the search committees for appointments of vice- chancellors in state universities.

Originally, such search committees did not have a single state government representative. The three members of committee used to be one from the state university concerned, one from UGC and the third used to be Governor- appointed nominee.

This system was followed during the entire 34- year long Left Front rule from 1977 to 2011. The same system was followed in the first three years of Trinamool Congress regime between 2011 and 2014, when the state education department was ministered by Bratya Basu, who is also the current state education minister.

However, in 2014, soon after Partha Chatterjee became the state education minister, he amended the constitution of the search committees by showing doors to the UGC nominee and making room for the state government nominee. However, the appointment and re-appointment of vice chancellors in a number of state universities by search committees without an UGC representative faced legal hurdles and in many cases such appointments and reappointment were nullified following court orders.

Partha Chatterjee is currently in judicial custody for his alleged involvement in the multi- crore scam in recruitment of teaching and non- teaching staff in state run- schools in West Bengal.

Finally, now the state government has decided to make room for an UGC nominee in the search committees again, but after ensuring the numerical supremacy of the state government nominees there.
New Delhi, April 9 : The Supreme Court recently declined to entertain a petition jointly filed by 14 political parties alleging misuse of investigative agencies like the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Directorate of Enforcement (ED) in arresting opposition leaders, and sought guidelines on the arrest.

The political parties in the plea, which now stands withdrawn, had sought guidelines to 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.

The political parties that petitioned the apex court were - Congress, DMK, RJD, BRS, Trinamool Congress, AAP, NCP, Shiv Sena (UBT), JMM, JD(U), CPI(M), CPI, Samajwadi Party, National Conference, together representing 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 holding power in 11 states/UTs.

Even though the plea now stands withdrawn after the apex court refused to deal with it, the most intriguing question that arises here is the constitutionality of the CBI.

IANS dug deeper to find out how the CBI was formed and why the retired Gauhati High Court chief justice I.A. Ansari had, in 2019, reiterated his 2013 judgement that the probe agency is an unconstitutional body, which threatens India's federal structure.

Drafting of Entry 2 (now 8) On August 29, 1949, when the then Chairman of the Drafting Committee of the Indian Constitution, B.R. Ambedkar had re-drafted entry 2 from "Central Intelligence Bureau" to "Central Bureau of Intelligence and Investigation", he had added two words - "and Investigation".

According to Ambedkar, the significance of this addition was that "at the Union office there should be a sort of Bureau which will collect all information with regard to any kind of crime that is being committed by people throughout the territory of India and also make an investigation as to whether the information that has been supplied to them is correct or not and thereby be able to inform the Provincial Governments as to what is going on in the different parts of India so that they might themselves be in a position to exercise their Police powers in a much better manner than they might be able to do otherwise and in the absence of such information".

However, the members of the Constituent Assembly had opposed the idea. Several contentions were made and many questions were raised. It was contended that the words "and Investigation" seem to appear to give an ambiguous effect.

"Do these words "and investigation" mean that the Bureau of Investigation was merely to carry out the investigation? I submit that the duty of the Union Government would be to maintain a Central Intelligence Bureau," Naziruddin Ahmad, a member of the Constituent Assembly had contended.

It was Ahmad's argument that if the Central Government is also allowed to investigate, the result would be that for a single crime, there must be two parallel investigations, one by the Union Government and the other by the State Government.

He had said: "The result of this would be that there will be a clash and nobody will know whose charge-sheet or final report will be acceptable." Ahmad had urged that if there are two Bureaus only then there could be no difficulty and there will be no clash. He said: "...let us have as many Bureaus as you like but if you want investigation, it will be inviting conflict." "If you keep the investigation within this entry, it should be the Central Bureau of Intelligence, as well as the Bureau of Investigation," he had added.

These amendments were not accepted by Ambedkar, who had said that these (amendments) seem to be the result of a muddled head.

Clarifying his point, Ambedkar said that the word "investigation" here does not permit and will not permit the making of an investigation into a crime because that matter under the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) is left exclusively to a police officer.

"Police is exclusively a State subject; it has no place in the Union List. The word "investigation" therefore is intended to cover general enquiry for the purpose of finding out what is going on. This investigation is not investigation preparatory to the filing of a charge against an offender which only a police officer under the Criminal Procedure Code can do," he had elucidated.

On the said assurance of Ambedkar, the Constituent Assembly had then, on that day, adopted the amendment "Central Bureau of Intelligence and Investigation" and entry 2 was then added to the Union list.

Question mark on CBI's constitutional validity Now called the "Central Bureau of Investigation", was never constituted under any statute until an executive order was issued by the secretary of home affairs V. Vishwanath on April 1, 1963, with no backing from the law.

Speaking with IANS, Supreme Court advocate Dr. L.S. Chaudhary said: "If somebody has committed an offence, it is not that anybody in any way can punish the person. There is a legal framework and procedure established by the law, which has to be followed and is also a constitutional guarantee under Article 21 of the Constitution." "We raised the constitutional validity of the CBI on two counts. One was that it has not been created under any law and the second was that Police is a State subject and the Central government cannot carry out Police functions," Chaudhary added.

Justice Ansari of the Gauhati High Court had, in 2019, reiterated his 2013 judgement saying that "the very constitutionality of the CBI is questionable, and this question has to be answered by the Supreme Court".

A division bench, presided over by Justice Ansari, had held CBI's actions as "unconstitutional".

It is to be noted that while the judgement had created quite a stir, it was immediately stayed by then Chief Justice of India P. Sathasivam at his residence, and has remained that way.

Ansari's 2013 judgement had set aside the impugned resolution, wherein the probe agency was claimed to have been established in 1963 under the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act (DSPE).

"We hereby set aside the impugned judgement and order, dated 30.11.2007, passed, in WP (C ) No. 6877/2005, and while we decline to hold and declare the DSPE Act, 1946, is not a valid piece of legislation, we do hold that the CBI is neither an organ nor a part of the DSPE and the CBI cannot be treated as a 'police force' constituted under the DSPE Act, 1946," the bench had said.

"Police is a State subject under the Constitution," Chaudhary told IANS, adding that the purpose of creating CBI by Ambedkar was to collect the statistical data only and not to investigate the crime.

Chaudhary said that CBI was created just to collect the statistical data as to whether information that has been supplied by the state governments to the Parliament is correct or not.

According to the Gauhati High Court, entry 8 does not empower the CBI to enter a state and investigate crimes alleged to have been committed there.

While the matter was stayed by the Supreme Court, Justice Ansari had said that it cannot be considered "settled in law" since the apex court has never really discussed or decided the matter.

Something striking is that only recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his unwavering support for central probe agencies in the fight against corruption, emphasising the government's determination to combat corrupt practices.

Modi urged officers to take action against corrupt individuals, no matter how influential, without hesitation. He made these comments during a gathering to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the CBI, where he encouraged officers to not be deterred by the corrupt power and the environment they create to undermine the credibility of investigating agencies.
JERUSALEM, April 9 (Xinhua) -- Analysts have called on Israel to refrain from taking any actions that will raise tensions with the Palestinians before the latest round of fighting last week escalates into a major conflict.

Analysts believe the fighting along Israel's borders with Lebanon, Syria and the Palestinian enclave of Gaza Strip last week posed a threat to the stability of Israel, which has been embroiled in an internal debate over a contentious plan to reform its judicial system, and will further undermine its security if it becomes a wider conflict.

Hani al-Masri, director of the Ramallah-based Palestinian Center for Policy Research and Strategic Studies, says he won't rule out the possibility of a new round of extensive military conflict in Gaza as both Israelis and Palestinians will soon have several anniversaries and important events, typically a time when tensions between the two sides are at their highest.

Last week's flare-up of tensions, which comes at a sensitive time when the Muslim holy month of Ramadan overlaps with the Jewish holiday of Passover, followed Israeli police raids on the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and clashed with dozens of Palestinian worshippers inside early on Wednesday. The Israeli police said "dozens of law-breaking youths" attempted to barricade themselves inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque to incite riots.

After the raids, rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip and Lebanon into southern and northern Israel on Wednesday and Thursday, injuring civilians and causing damage to several buildings and cars. Israel accused the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), the Gaza ruler, of being behind the rocket attacks. In response, Israel launched airstrikes on the Gaza Strip and southern Lebanon.

In the latest escalation, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it launched airstrikes on Syria early on Sunday in response to two rocket attacks from Syria towards the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights. The rare rocket attacks from Israel's northeastern neighbor overnight triggered sirens in the communities of Natur and Avnei Eitan in the Golan Heights. No injuries or damage were reported yet.

Amid tensions with Palestinians, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Saturday extended the closure of the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip.

"We are facing a challenging time," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday told mayors from cities that were targeted by rocket attacks, adding "our enemies are wrong when they thought we are not united behind our military."

For Israel, in addition to the frictions with its neighbors, the security situation is worrying. A tourist was killed and seven other tourists were injured on Friday night during a shooting and run-over attack in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv. On the same day, two British-Israeli sisters, respectively aged 16 and 20, were killed in a drive-by shooting in the northern West Bank, and their mother was critically injured.

While the tit-for-tat violence between Israelis and Palestinians seem to have no end in sight, Israel is also witnessing a massive internal rift regarding judicial reforms the incumbent government wishes to implement. For weeks, demonstrations against the government have been staged.

In response to the public outcry, Netanyahu announced in late March that he would suspend the legislation of his contentious plan to overhaul the country's judiciary by about a month to allow "dialogue" between coalition and opposition lawmakers.

Michael Milshtein, head of the Palestinian Studies Forum of the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies at Tel Aviv University, believes that there is a clear link between the country's internal unrest and the conflicts it has with militants from its neighbors.

"Israel's enemies see the crisis as a strategic opportunity to weaken Israeli resilience and deterrence," he said.

"Hamas, for example, understands that Israel cannot afford to launch a wider offensive," Milshtein told Xinhua, adding "they are not entirely wrong in this assessment."

For peace to return, Milshtein says it is necessary for Israel to refrain from actions that exacerbate tensions with Palestinians, particularly in Jerusalem.

He also called on the Israeli government to change its policy towards Hamas in the Gaza Strip and "halt the (judicial) reforms that are clearly doing Israel considerable strategic harm." 
Taipei, April 9 : China on Sunday sent dozens of warplanes towards Taiwan for a second day of military drills, launched in retaliation to the island's president, Tsai Ing-wen, meeting US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy during a brief visit to the US, according to a media report.

Taiwan's defence ministry said it was monitoring the movements of China's missile forces, as the US said it too was on alert, The Guardian reported.

China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) sent 58 war planes, including fighter jets, reconnaissance planes, and refuellers, into Taiwan's air defence identification zone on Sunday morning, according to Taiwan's defence ministry, The Guardian reported.

It did not provide a map or locations, but said 31 planes had crossed the median line - the de facto border in the Taiwan Strait between Taiwan and China.

The PLA had announced the immediate start to three days of drills on Saturday morning. By 7 p.m. that evening, it had sent 71 war planes and eight ships into Taiwan's ADIZ with almost 60 crossing the median line.

Taiwan's ministry said the activity had severely violated Indo-Pacific peace and stability, and had a negative effect on international security and economies. It urged other countries to speak out against China's actions, The Guardian reported.

Last August, after a visit to Taipei by then US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, China staged war games around Taiwan including firing missiles into waters close to the island, though it has yet to announce similar drills this time.
Thiruvananthapuram, April 9 : Senior leader of the Congress and state opposition leader V.D. Satheeshan on Sunday lashed out at the BJP after several leaders from the saffron party met Bishops and extended Easter greetings.

Satheeshan in a statement said the "BJP was practicing duplicity by attacking the Christians in North Indian states and crying in Kerala for appeasing the Christians".

He said that Karnataka BJP leader and state minister Munirathna had called "for assaulting Christians and to beat them up".

Satheeshan in his statement said that the minister had in a public programme even said that "Christians were visiting the homes of people in an attempt to convert them".

The senior leader said that across the country, BJP's attitude towards the Christians was the same as Munirathna had spoken in public.

"In the past four years around 600 churches were attacked and had even blocked the Christmas celebrations. Many people, including Christian priests are in various jails across the country and even women were not spared and were assaulted," Satheeshan said.

He said that the RSS leadership had called for withdrawing the Bharat Ratna to the late Mother Teresa, who is highly respected across the globe.

The Kerala Opposition leader said that the BJP leaders are visiting various Bishop houses on Easter day in order to cover up the atrocities that they were carrying out across the country.

Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee President and Member of Parliament from Kannur while speaking to media persons said that the "BJP was having a fight in Karnataka with the Christians and was trying to create a good image in Kerala by visiting the Bishop Houses."
Surat, April 9 : Around 15,000 women from 15 states across the country participated in the city's first-ever 'Saree Walkathon' on Sunday, aimed at promoting fitness.

The event, also aimed to promote Surat's textile industry, which is a major contributor to the city's economy, began from Athwa Party Plot and continued via Parle Point, covering a distance of three kilometers before concluding at the starting point. Only women and girls dressed in sarees were allowed to participate.

Surat Municipal Commissioner Shalini Agarwal expressed her gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, stating, "It is a matter of pride that under the leadership of PM Modi, India got the presidency of G20. Saree Walkathon has been organised here today. Around 15,000 women have registered for the event and women from 15 states have come here." The walkathon was organised by Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) and Surat Smart City Development Limited in collaboration with the 'Fit India Movement', a nationwide campaign to promote fitness and health among citizens.

After the 'Saree Walkathon', a four-day exhibition with saree artisans from across the country will reportedly be held in the city.

In addition to the fitness initiative, the Surat Municipal Corporation plans to develop baby feeding centers in public places. The move aims to provide a comfortable and safe space for mothers to breastfeed their children while out in public.
Kolkata, April 9 : Although the number of active Covid-19 fresh cases in West Bengal is negligible compared to that in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Delhi and Maharashtra, the state health department has started taking precautionary measures in case of the arrival of the fourth wave of the virus.

As per the latest figures, the total number of active Covid-19 cases in West Bengal stands at 233, which is just 0.74 per cent of the national figure. During the last 24 hours, active cases in the state increased by 30.

According to health secretary Narayan Swarup Nigam, although there has been only a marginal increase in the number of active cases, precautionary arrangements have been made in all the hospitals in the state to tackle any kind of emergency. "Inspections are being done to ensure that all necessary arrangements are made in all the hospitals," he said.

On March 26, West Bengal reported its first Covid-19 death in the last three months, when Gobindo Kundu (72), a resident of Nadia district, died in a Kolkata hospital. He had comorbidity.

According to Nigam, the affected persons who were hospitalized had all complained of comorbidity. "There is no room for complacency and amid the recent rising Covid-19 graph in the country, the state health department is keeping its infrastructure ready to handle any emergency," he added. The government is also stressing on genome sequencing of the affected persons especially those who have been hospitalised.

Sources in the state government said that a cause of concern is that very few doses of Covid-19 vaccines are in stock currently. Anticipating that there will be a rush among the people to go for booster doses, the health department has sought 5.75 lakh doses of Covid-19 vaccines from the Union government -- five lakh doses of Covishield and 75,000 doses of Covaxin.

A health department official said that a reluctance among the people to go for booster shots was evident because of the decline in the number of active cases in the recent past and hence the health department had to send back a huge stock of doses to the Union government before their expiry. "And now following the rise in the graph again there might be fresh demand for booster doses and hence the state has requested the Union government for a fresh supply of doses," he said.

City-based physician Dr Udipta Roy also stressed on people increasingly going for booster shots. "The dip in the graph in the recent past made people reluctant to take a booster shot. But this rising graph is the first warning sign. So, people on their own should take precautions like using masks in public places and going for booster shots," Roy added.

Meanwhile, another positive development was the declining trend in the last few weeks of children with adenovirus-related symptoms getting admitted to child-care units in the city-based hospitals. The months of January and February witnessed the maximum admission on this count with unofficial estimates quoting the figure to be over 10,000.

Although as per state government figures the total number of child deaths with adenovirus-related symptoms had been 19 in the last wave, unofficial estimates pegged the figure to be much higher.
Noida/Ghaziabad, April 9 : Amid the surge in Covid cases in Noida and Ghaziabad, likely due to the XBB.1.16 Omicron variant, the administrations of both the districts have taken a slew of measures to contain the virus.

The authorities have directed that anybody coming from abroad will be tested for the virus and for this, surveillance teams have been constituted. The administration has also ordered the activation of the rapid response team which comprises a medical officer.

People who are suffering from fever will be tested for Covid and the lab will send the report to the health department.

All government and private hospitals have been directed to send samples of the infected people to KGMU hospital in Lucknow for genome sequencing. Frontline workers, inspection committees, private and government hospitals have been asked to identify patients with respiratory ailments and ask them to get tested for Covid.

If a person tests positive for the virus, the rapid response team will immediately visit their house and do contact tracing. If the symptoms are found in another person, the command control room will be informed immediately.

Noida recorded 52 fresh Covid cases in the past 24 hours and 56 patients have recovered from the contagion. Noida has 271 active cases and seven persons infected with the virus have been hospitalised. In the past 24 hours, 671 samples have been taken.

Ghaziabad has recorded 72 Covid cases in the past 72 hours and has 120 active cases, of which 113 are in home isolation while seven are admitted in various hospitals.

According to a health bulletin issued on Saturday, 1100 persons were tested for Covid of which 29 tested positive. On April 7, 24 tested positive for Covid while 31 cases were reported on April 6.

In view of the rising cases, the Noida District Magistrate has released a toll free number 18004192211 of an integrated control room. One can call up this number for help and Covid related information.

Noida also has patients infected with XBB.1, XBB 1.5 and XBB 2.3. Of these, XBB.1 is the most infectious and if precautions are not taken, is likely to turn into a new Corona wave.

Noida Chief Medical Officer Sunil Kumar Sharma has appealed to the people to follow Covid appropriate behaviour, not to venture into crowded places and wear masks so that the virus can be contained.

In the sector 39 based Covid care hospital, the third floor of the medical facility has been turned into an isolation ward. Nodal officers have been named to handle various responsibilities like availability of oxygen, medicines, sampling, home isolation, integrated control room, sanitisation, corona vaccination and ambulance, among others.

Sharma said that for any problem, the Covid control room helpline number 18004192211 can be called.

Patients visiting the OPD of the district hospital in Sector 39 will not be allowed to park their vehicles near the residential area and will have to park them in the basement of the hospital.

According to medical experts, the symptoms of the new sub variant are more or less similar to the previous variants of Omicron.

People affected with the new variant are complaining of high fever, cough, sore throat, body ache, headache and cold.

Since April 1, Noida has reported 271 cases. Of the 271 infections, 52 cases were recorded on April 8, 62 on April 7, 56 on April 6, 47 on April 5, 66 on April 4, nine on April 3, 44 on April 2 and 28 on April 1.
New Delhi, April 9 : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has expanded rapidly in the last nine years. Recently, on the occasion of its foundation day on April 6, BJP workers and leaders gathered at more than 10,72,000 places across the country to listen to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's virtual live address.

Party leaders and workers also hoisted the flag at all 978 districts, 15,923 mandals and 10,56,002 booths across the country, as per the party.

BJP has been continuously winning elections in different states and has assumed the role of the main Opposition party in the states where it has had to face defeat, such as West Bengal. Many states have become the impregnable strongholds of the saffron party.

In South India, the BJP is strongest in Karnataka, where it has formed the government several times and has a BJP Chief Minister. In Puducherry, the BJP is in power with an alliance. But the other four states of South India -- Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh -- continue to be the biggest question marks for the party.

According to the rapidly changing political situation of the country, the importance of these four south Indian states has increased considerably in view of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections to be held in 2024.

This can be gauged from the fact that Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Puducherry together send 130 MPs to the Lok Sabha, out of which only 29 seats are with the BJP. From the 29 seats, it has got 25 seats from Karnataka alone and has four seats from Telangana. The BJP does not have a single seat in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Puducherry.

Assembly elections are going to be held in Karnataka on May 10 and the party has put all its might to form the government in the state with absolute majority on its own. The BJP is contesting the elections in Karnataka with a target of winning 150 seats.

The Assembly polls are due later this year in Telangana too. That is why this year is being seen as a semi-final to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The BJP has opened a front against the KCR government in the state.

Along with this, the saffron party is trying to strengthen itself in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh. For this, while the party is relying on the popularity of its most prominent face, Modi, on the other hand, under Mission South India, the party has started associating with big leaders of other parties as well.

Modi and BJP chief J.P. Nadda, including all the veteran leaders and Union Ministers of the party have been continuously visiting these states. Modi also visited Telangana and Tamil Nadu on Saturday and announced various important projects worth crores of rupees to the people of the state.

Since the last three days, the party has also been trying to send a political message by including big leaders of these states in the party in Delhi.

The BJP inducted Anil Antony, son of veteran Congress leader, former Chief Minister of Kerala and Defence Minister in the Manmohan Singh government, A.K. Antony on April 6. Similarly on April 7 and 8, the party inducted former Chief Minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh, Kiran Kumar Reddy and former Congress leader and great-grandson of C. Rajagopalachari, C.R. Kesavan.
New Delhi, April 9 : UP-based jailed gangster Atiq Ahmed's son, Asad, came to Delhi after the murder of Umesh Pal, the prime witness in 2005 BSP MLA Raju Pal murder case.

The Special Cell of the Delhi Police has detained three persons in this connection.

"Asad came to Delhi's Sangam Vihar where he stayed around 15 days at his aide's house. The police identified the house owner as Javed. The police identified his three aides who were helping him in hiding in Delhi," the police source said.

During his stay in Delhi, Asad sent one of his aides to Meerut. His aide collected money in Meerut and returned to Delhi to hand him over all the cash.

The source said that an old driver of Atiq Ahmed lives in Delhi and it was he who helped Asad in getting money from Merrut.

The UP STF is in touch with the Special Cell. They are conducting raids in NCR to find out who were helping Asad.

The three persons who have been detained in Delhi by the Special Cell are currently being grilled.

Asad is wanted in connection with the shootout incident in which Umesh Pal was killed on February 24 this year.
Shimla, April 9 : Himachal Pradesh's economy is largely banking on agriculture and animal husbandry. With a livestock population of about 4.41 million, their care is an essential part of every rural household.

For them, the state government has launched a project named Sanjeevani that helps in empowering the livelihood of small dairy farmers and livestock owners.

It will enhance the lives of farmers by providing them convenient and quality care for livestock at their doorsteps. Telemedicine and technology will help reducing the turnaround time of services and also arrest outbreaks to one extent.

For this a collaboration was signed by the Animal Husbandry Department with Bharat Financial Inclusion Ltd. (BFIL), a subsidiary of IndusInd Bank.

The collaboration under National Animal Disease Control Programme-Mobile Veterinary Van (NADCP-AHD-MVU) will enhance the delivery of livestock care at doorsteps at just a phone call. The toll-free telephone number will be operational soon, an official statement said.

The government is ensuring that livestock is provided quality treatment in a time-bound manner, and the farmer is saved of additional expenses like traveling to the point of care for availing quality medicines and veterinary services like artificial insemination, medicines, vaccination, surgery and infertility testing.

The doorstep veterinary services will serve farmers in 44 blocks of all 12 districts. The centralised call centre at Directorate of Animal Husbandry will be integrated with 44 mobile veterinary ambulances.

The uniqueness of the initiative lies in its ability to connect the doctor and the farmer through a mobile app, which also tracks the efficiency of service delivery, medicines prescribed, and livestock diseases related data in one platform.

The one-of-its-kind telemedicine platform that will ensure the farmer avails quality treatment in a time-bound manner. Apart from veterinary services, farmers will also be given guidance on nutrition care for the livestock.
Kolkata, April 9 : The members of a fact-finding team of an NGO from Delhi, who have come to review the situation at Shibpur and Kazipara areas in Kolkata-adjacent Howrah district where clashes broke out over a Ram Navami procession on March 30, were on Sunday stopped by the police from reaching the troubled pockets.

This was the second consecutive day that the members of the team, 'Fact Finding Committee on Human Rights Violation' was prevented from visiting the pockets where clashes broke out. On Saturday, the same team was prevented by police from reaching Rishra in Hooghly district where clashes broke out over April 2 evening and continued till the next night.

On Sunday afternoon, after the members of the fact-finding team reached the toll- plaza on the Second Hooghly Bridge, that connects Kolkata with Howrah, a huge police team stopped their vehicles from approaching Shibpur and Kazipara areas.

The police officers leading the force's contingent told the team members that they will not be allowed to reach those troubled pockets since Section 144 was imposed in the areas. The police officers also told them that the arrival of the fact-finding team members at Shibpur and Kazipara might result in an assembly of local people following which Section 144 will be breached.

The team members were seen entering into a heated exchange of words with the police officers. They alleged that the police deliberately stopped them from reaching Shibpur and Howrah probably because the state government did not want them to speak to local people and gather facts.

"What is the state government trying to hide?" questioned a member of the fact-finding team.

The six members of the fact-finding team reached Kolkata on Friday night and on Saturday afternoon they started for Rishra to visit the troubled spot. They are supposed to go back to New Delhi and give a report to the Union government on this count.

On March 30 afternoon clashes broke out at Shibpur area in Howrah district over a Ram Navami procession. On the next day the tension escalated and got extended to the adjacent Kazipara area in the same district.
Patna, April 9 : While the politics of Iftar continues in Bihar, Upendra Kushwaha-led Rashtriya Lok Janata Dal (RLJD) has decided not organise such an event this year.

Kushwaha, while interacting with media persons in Patna said: "Going for an Iftar party is similar to sprinkling salt on the wounds that happened due to the communal violence during the Ram Navami processions in Sasaram and Bihar Sharif." "The holy month of Ramzan is currently underway and people are organising Iftar parties. Some prominent people invited me for the Iftar parties. A number of members of my party also suggested that I organise an Iftar party. In view of the current situation in Sasaram and Bihar Sharif, I personally believe that instead of organising an event, we have to make it convenient for 'Rozedars (Muslim people who do the fast during the month of Ramzan)'. At present, ointments are needed to fill wounds. Organising events could be viewed as sprinkling salt on the wounds," Kushwaha said.

Earlier, the BJP distanced itself from Nitish Kumar's Iftar party after Ram Navami violence. CHief Minister Nitish Kumar had invited every political party, including BJP, LJPR, RLJD and others, but the leaders of these three political parties stayed away.

On Sunday, the RJD is organising an Iftar party at Rabri Devi's residence. RJD also invited BJP leaders, Upendra Kushwaha and Chirag Paswan. BJP and Upendra Kushwaha decided not to go in the iftar party of RJD. As Chirag Paswan has close family relations with Lalu's family, he will go for the Iftar party at Rabri Devi residence.
Tourists visit the ancient city of Side, a town of Antalya, Turkiye, on April 2, 2023. (Photo by Mustafa Kaya/Xinhua)

ANKARA, April 9 (Xinhua) -- Turkiye's Mediterranean coast is expected to see a large number of tourists flowing in this summer despite the devastating earthquakes in February, industry professionals said.

As temperatures rise, "Turkish Riviera," the southern part of the country famed for its Turquoise coast and ancient heritage sites, is entering the start of its peak tourism season.

Sector representatives reported a decline in reservations following the deadly Feb. 6 earthquakes in the southeastern parts of Turkiye, but things soon returned to normal, they said.

Tourists enjoy their leisure time in Antalya, Turkiye, April 2, 2023. (Photo by Mustafa Kaya/Xinhua)

"Last year's favorable data on foreign arrivals and revenues have given us hope this year at the start of the summer season," Burhan Sili, chair of the Alanya Touristic Hoteliers Association, told Xinhua in a recent interview.

Turkiye's tourism income in 2022 saw an all-time high, jumping to 46.3 billion U.S. dollars with 51 million foreign visitors, the country's statistical authority announced in January.

Sili said that demand dropped in the aftermath of the devastating tremors but then picked up in a couple of weeks, making a full recovery.

People enjoy their leisure time on a beach in Antalya, Turkiye, April 2, 2023. Turkiye's Mediterranean coast is expected to see a large number of tourists flowing in this summer despite the devastating earthquakes in February, industry professionals said. (Photo by Mustafa Kaya/Xinhua)

Alanya, a main tourist destination on the Mediterranean coast, saw a 55-percent increase in foreign tourist arrivals in the first three months of this year compared to the same period last year, according to figures released by the local governorate in early April.

Sili said the tourists from Russia and the European countries, especially Germany and Britain, will make up a large share of the arrivals.

"Overall, we estimate that we will close the 2023 season with a better performance than 2022 in terms of the number of arrivals and revenues," Sili added.

Tourists visit the ancient city of Side in Antalya, Turkiye, April 2, 2023. (Photo by Mustafa Kaya/Xinhua)

Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said in January that foreign arrivals are expected to reach 60 million in 2023, before hitting 90 million dollars in 2028, while the income will reach 56 billion dollars this year and 100 billion dollars in five years.

The sharp depreciation of the Turkish currency against hard currencies since the start of 2022 has also made Turkiye an affordable destination for European nationals that are witnessing a rising cost of living.

Kaan Sahinalp, the Turkiye representative of German travel giant TUI, was also upbeat about the 2023 outlook, indicating that the country is in for a better year than 2022.

Sahinalp pointed out that the weak lira generally favors foreign travelers on a budget and that Turkiye is likely to be once again one of the top choices for many foreigners.

The tourism sector plays an important part in the country's economy, which saw a widening current account deficit in recent years. The industry also provides the livelihood of over two million people in the country. 
Mumbai, April 9 : In a major development, the Mumbai Police SIT has arrested a student of IIT-B in connection with the alleged suicide of a Dalit student Darshan Solanki, here on Sunday, officials said.

The accused has been identified as one Arman Khatri, a batchmate of Solanki, and living on the same floor of the IIT-B Students hostel.

The fast-paced development came after the SIT sleuths recovered a purported suicide chit on March 3, that said "Arman jas killed me".

An expert last week confirmed the writing matched with Solanki's, making a breakthrough.

Belonging to a modest background, Solanki, 22, was a FY B.Tech (Chemical Engineering) course and hailed from Gujarat.

On February 12, he allegedly hurtled himself down from the 7th floor of his hostel building and ended his life, sparking a huge row on academic campuses all over India.

An IIT-B probe panel later ruled out any caste-based discrimination on the campus as the probable cause leading to Solanki's death and pointed fingers at his poor academic records.

His family rejected the IIT-B report and demanded that the Mumbai Police lodge an FIR based on their complaint, which was subsequently done.

The Solanki family also contended that he was subjected to casteist bias on the campus and suspected foul play making him resort to suicide.

The state government also set up SIT to probe the matter which finally culminated in the arrest.
Chennai, April 9 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday visited the Theppakadu Elephant camp in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve in Tamil Nadu and interacted with the mahout couple, Bomman and Bellie.

The couple had featured in the Oscar winning documentary 'The Elephant Whisperers'. He also appreciated the care shown by the couple towards the elephants Reghu and Bommi in the 'The Elephant Whisperers'.

Prime Minister Modi arrived at the Theppakadu Elephant Camp from Bandipur Tiger Reserve in Karnataka by road.

He spoke to the couple for quite some time and also interacted with other mahouts and 'kavadis' who take care of elephants at the camp.

The Prime Minister also fed sugarcane to the elephants in the camp.

After interacting with the mahouts, kavadis, and Bomman, Bellie and spending time with captive elephants, the Prime Minister left for Mysore.

Heavy security arrangements were in place during his visit to the camp. There are intelligence reports of the Maoists' presence in the Masanagudi area and Tamil Nadu police and Central forces were present in large numbers during the visit of the Prime Minister.
Kabul, April 9 : Two IS militants were killed while another was arrested in Afghanistan's Nimroz province on Sunday, an official said.

"Units of Special Forces stormed a hideout of Khawarej (a reference to IS group) in Sayedabad area of Police District 3 in Zaranj city today morning killing two insurgents and arresting another," provincial director for Information and Culture Mufti Habibullah Elham confirmed in talks with Xinhua.

No security personnel and civilians have been harmed during the operations, the official contended, Xinhua News Agency reported.

The security forces also discovered and seized a good quantity of arms and ammunition during the operations that lasted for a while, the official further said.

This is the fourth operation launched by Afghan forces against IS hideouts over the past week.

Earlier, security forces raided IS hideouts in the northern Mazar-i-Sharif, eastern Charikar and the western Herat cities, killing several IS-affiliated insurgents, according to officials.

The Afghan caretaker government, which has downplayed the rival IS outfit as a serious threat, has vowed to smash the armed opponents in the war-torn Asian country.
New Delhi, April 9 : India-France Business Summit, commemorating 25 years of India-France Friendship, will be held in Paris on April 11.

Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal along with Olivier Becht, Minister delegate of Foreign Trade, Government of France, will co-chair the summit.

Officials said that the summit will focus on themes including building a green future, emerging technologies, defence cooperation and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific regions.

Goyal is scheduled to meet with French business leaders across various sectors and will attend a CEOs roundtable. The Minister will be paying an official visit to France and Italy from April 11 to 13. The Minister would be accompanied with a delegation of top Indian CEOs.

Goyal along with French Minister Becht will participate in an event that will showcase India's cultural heritage and soft power and is expected to witness participation of 600+ dignitaries from the French government, the Indian Business Diaspora in France and members of the French business community.

The Union Minister will also be interacting with members of the Indian community in Paris.

The Minister will later travel to Rome, Italy where he would meet H.E. Antonio Tajani, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation followed by a networking dinner with dignitaries from the Government and industry.

He is scheduled to meet top Italian CEOs for bilateral meetings followed by CEOs Interactive Business Session, where 35 CEOs are likely to participate. This would be followed by a meeting with H.E. Adolfo Urso, Minister of Enterprises and Made in Italy, who would also interact with Indian CEOs.

The visit is expected to impart further momentum to bilateral relations with India's key business partners in the European region, said the officials.
New Delhi, April 9 : Two of the three persons, who were detained by Delhi Police's Special Cell officials for allegedly helping Asad, the son of UP-based jailed gangster Atiq Ahmed, were handed over to the UP Police, sources said.

Asad is on the run in connection with the Umesh Pal murder that took place in Lucknow. The sources said that Zeeshan and Khalid, who helped Asad in hiding in Delhi, were detained from Sangam Vihar.

"Both have been handed over to the UP Police's STF. The third suspect detained by us is Javed," the sources said.

Asad, the son of Atiq Ahmed came to Delhi after the murder of Umesh Pal, the prime witness in 2005 BSP MLA Raju Pal murder case. Zeeshan, Khalid and Javed helped him.

"Asad came to Delhi's Sangam Vihar where he stayed around 15 days at his aide's house. We identified the house owner as Javed," the police source said.

During his stay in Delhi, Asad sent one of his aides to Meerut. His aide collected money in Meerut and returned to Delhi to hand him over all the cash.

The source said that an old driver of Atiq Ahmed lives in Delhi and it was he who helped Asad in getting money from Meerut.

The UP STF is in touch with the Special Cell. They are conducting raids in NCR to find out who were helping Asad.

Javed is currently being grilled.
Hyderabad, April 9 : A production company in the United States went out of their way to wish actor Allu Arjun on his birthday on Saturday.

People Media Factory flew a 'Happy Birthday Allu Arjun!' banner with the help of an aeroplane to greet the 'Pushpa' actor.

"A special initiative planned by our PeopleMediaFactory production team to show our love towards our very own Icon Star @alluarjun on his birthday," reads a tweet by the company, which posted a video The star's fans were surprised with this act by the production house and appreciated the gesture in the comment section.

Meanwhile, Allu Arjun has thanked all those who wished him on his birthday.

"Thank You all. Thank you for all the love & wishes from all over. I am truly blessed. Humbled. Gratitude Forever...," tweeted the actor.

First look poster from 'Pushpa: The Rule' and a special video released by the makers on the eve of Allu Arjun's birthday received huge response on Friday.

The actor is seen dressed in a saree and wearing gold jewellery in the first look poster of the much-awaited sequel of Pushpa.

After the huge success of 'Pushpa - The Rise', there are high expectations from the second part.

'Pushpa The Rule' is likely to be released in summer of 2024.

The makers also released a special video on the eve of Allu Arjun's birthday. Director Sukumar raised the expectations of the audience with the three-minute special video introducing Pushpa and his world.
Thiruvananthapuram, April 9 : Anil K. Antony, son of veteran Congress leader and former Union Minister ,A.K. Antony, who quit the Congress and joined the BJP said that more and more youths will join the BJP as it was the only political parties pursuing a nationalistic cause.

Anil Antony, who is an MS degree holder from Stanford University and armed with a training from MIT in Artificial Intelligence, had been looking after the new media of the Congress party and was in charge of its IT cell.

In a brief interview to IANS, Anil Antony dwelled on the reasons why he shifted and his future course.

IANS: Anil Antony, the son of senior Congress leader has now quit the Congress formally and joined BJP, What made you take such a decision? Antony: My father is a senior leader of the Congress and has been in the party for the past 65 years, my mother and my brother are also with the Congress or rather owe allegiance to the Congress. I was also a Congressman for several years and had been in the IT cell of the party but of late there has been a sea of changes in the Congress and the present day Congress is not the party of the past.

BJP is the only political party in the country at present that has a nationalistic approach and works tirelessly for the future of the nation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his team is taking the country forward in a big way and the progress of the country in all areas can be seen clearly. I have joined the BJP to work in the nation building process and for nothing else.

IANS: There is vehement criticism in Kerala, your home state, against your joining the BJP, both Congress and CPI-M are in the forefront in raising criticism against you. Your comments? Antony: The criticism from Congress and CPI-M has always been expected. In a country where there is freedom of speech, any one can voice their criticism but it should be within the limits. However I have received brickbats from the Congress even as I was part of that party. Now I have quit Congress, it is their right to criticise me and in a healthy democracy, one has to accept that.

IANS: As a young leader and son of a highly respected leader like A.K. Antony, has BJP extended some promises to you, I mean any party positions or governmental positions for you joining the BJP? Antony: I have joined the BJP unilaterally and without any pre-conditions, I am a person who wants to actively involve myself in nation building and as I told you earlier, my idea to work with the BJP is only due to my personal convictions. I haven't asked for any positions and the party has also not offered any such things for me. The thrill to work in a conducive environment wherein one can put one's thoughts for the progress of the nation is what I am expecting in the BJP.

IANS: You are an alumnus of the famed Stanford and MIT. What was your impulse to join the BJP? Antony: As I said earlier, the BJP is a political party which is into nation building and for providing equal opportunities to young leaders and technocrats alike. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is involving much in developing the nation through technocracy and this has also attracted me being a technical person myself. You can yourself understand that the UPI payment gateway of India is now being emulated in other countries. During the harried Covid days, the Cowin portal of our country is again been used in other countries. Our Aadhar cards are useful for transferring the government welfare schemes to the accounts of the beneficiaries without any pilferage. The country is heading towards a zero tolerance to corruption and technology is a major harbinger of change for such an initiative. Naturally as a person with a technical background would love to work in such an ecosystem and I am no exception.

IANS: The BJP and its ideological mentor, RSS has often been criticized of being against the minorities. Don't you have any issue in joining such a movement? Antony: These are misconceptions and wrong messages being given. In the North Eastern states where the minority Christian community is a majority, the BJP or the NDA allies are in power and immense development is being witnessed in these states. People from the minority Christian community have voted the BJP and its allies in the NDA to power in these states.

If the BJP has been antagonistic to the minorities, will the people of these states vote the party to power? This means that a deliberate campaign is being unleashed that BJP is against the minorities which is totally wrong and I do feel that the minority communities are safe in the BJP-ruled states. In Goa also there is a Christian majority, and the BJP is in power for consecutive terms and the people won't vote, if there has been any such attacks against them as being spread. These are part of the malicious campaign being unleashed by certain forces to malign the BJP and its foreword growth.

IANS: Your younger brother Ajith Antony has expressed his solidarity with the Congress party and have even put the Congress electoral symbol 'Hand' in his social media accounts and he has also asked you to return back to the Congress fold. Your comments? Antory: Ajith and me are brothers and we have love towards each other. But my political forays are purely based upon my conviction and there is nothing others can do in this. I have taken the decision to join the BJP after much thoughts. As I told you earlier, the BJP is the only political party in the country at present that is working for the national building process and I am part of that movement.

IANS: A.K. Antony was highly emotional after you joined the BJP and curtly said that your decision is wrong. Your comments? Antony: My father, as I said earlier, has been with the Congress for the past 65 years. He is one of the senior most leaders of the Congress and his perception and mine are different as far as politics is concerned. I love and have huge respects for my father, but the Congress of the present is a party that does not stand for what it was a few years ago. I have my own vision of politics and for national reconstruction and I have to work according to my consciousness and hence I have joined the BJP.

IANS: You have said that the present Congress is not the Congress of old times, what exactly do you mean by that? Antony: The Congress of the past had several qualities may be a Congress of twenty five years ago or even a Congress a five years before. The present Congress is purely working for a few individuals and this is not what the country wants. According to me, I can't comment much about the Congress as I have already left that party, but it would be nice if the Congress leaders introspect as to what went wrong for them. They should introspect why senior leaders like Ghulam Nabi Azadji left the party, why leaders like Jyotiraditya Scindia, Jitin Prasada all left the party. Several leaders across the country have left the Congress party and this is for that party to introspect.

IANS: Minority leaders like K.J. Alphons and Tom Vadakkan who are both Christians from Kerala had joined the BJP, but they seems to be not having much role to play in the party. Do you have anything to speak on this? Antony: Alphons is a great leader and is given a major responsibility by the party at the national level. He was a minister in the Narendra Modiji cabinet and had performed extremely well. He is now a senior leader of the BJP and is respected highly. As far as Tom Vadakkanji is concerned, he is presently one of the spokesman of the BJP and is doing a fabulous job as a party leader. Both these leaders are personally close to me and I share a good and healthy relationship with them. The reports that they are sidelined is totally wrong as they are both actively involved in organisational matters which everyone who knows how the BJP functions, know.

IANS: Will you be participating in the 'YUVAM' leadership conclave in Kochi in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to address a huge gathering of youths? Antony: Yes I will be part of that. I am honoured as the state leadership of the BJP has invited me to participate in the programme along with the Prime Minister and some other celebrities. The Prime Minister will be speaking to educated youngsters during the conclave. As you know, India is a young country with the median age of the country being 27 and the Prime Minister is taking up all schemes and programmes for the youth of the country. I feel once more highly honoured to be part of such an elite gathering.

IANS: Will we be seeing Anil Antony as a candidate of the BJP for the 2024 loksabha elections from Alappuzha or from any constituency in Kerala? Antony: As I said earlier, I have joined the BJP only to work with a political party with nationalistic outlook and nothing beyond that. It is the party which decide what I should do and what I should not be doing. I am not concerned of that and my only aim is to work for the party in the national reconstruction process and I have expertise in certain areas like IT, and foreign relations and will work according to the party directive.
New Delhi, April 9 : Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday presided over a meeting of the party's Central Election Committee to decide the candidates for remaining seats in Karnataka ahead of the May 10 Assembly polls.

Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi was also attending the meet.

Sources said that minute discussions are taking place on each of the remaining seats.

The Congress had earlier released two lists for the polls - the first list of 124 candidates, and on Thursday, released the second list of 42 candidates, thus finalising 166 of the total 224 candidates.

Though there was a stiff fight for seats in the second list, the state leaders camped in Delhi to finalise it in coordination with the Central Election Committee.
Guwahati, April 9 : All is not well at the Congress camp in Assam with at least three MLAs expressing displeasure over the state leaders and resigning from their party posts.

Though the three legislators, and Assam Pradesh Congress President Bhupen Borah denied the resignations, the latest development fuelled a further rift within the opposition party.

The displeasure began with the recent appointments of a few district presidents of the party across the state. In Cachar, Tamal Banik, a close aide of Assam Congress working president Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha, was replaced by a 'less popular' leader, Abhijit Paul, which made Purkayastha furious.

The Congress leader claimed that despite being a working president of the party in the state, he was not even informed before making the change.

Cachar falls within southern Assam's Barak valley, where Purkayastha holds good influence among the party workers. He won as an MLA in the assembly elections from that region three times in a row.

Puraksyastha questioned: "If I was not informed about a change in the organisational structure in my area, why should I continue in the post of working president?" He informed the party in-charge in Assam, Jitendra Singh, about this and sent a letter expressing the desire to quit the party post.

Singh dialled Purkayastha and urged him not to step down. Singh told the three-time Congress MLA that he would visit Assam to end the logjam.

According to sources, Purkayastha has been waiting for Singh to arrive here. He even told his supporters that the whole episode was like a humiliation to him.

But not only Purkasyastha, a few other MLAs also expressed anger over how the state leaders were behaving towards the legislators.

Nandita Das, a two-time MLA from Boko constituency, was recently slapped with a show-cause notice when she was recording visuals of a party meeting attended by a central leader. A section of the state's Congress leaders accused Das of working at the behest of the BJP.

Though Assam Congress chief Bhupen Borah said he was satisfied with Das's reply, the whole incident has angered a few other MLAs.

They have opened a front against the Assam Pradesh Congress leaders, claiming that the legislators were not given the honour and respect they deserve in the organisational structures.

Along with Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha, two other MLAs -- Misbahul Islam Laskar and Khalil Uddin Majumdar -- reportedly tendered their resignation from party posts following the difference.

Sensing a possible storm, Bhupen Borah called an urgent meeting on Saturday.

Following that, Borah said: "A section of the media was falsely propagating the news of the resignation of MLAs. I have not received any resignation letters." Leader of the Opposition in Assam assembly Debarata Saikia said: "In a democratic party like Congress, someone may express his or her displeasure, but nobody was giving any resignations." The MLAs also tried to evade the questions over leaders quitting party posts on Sunday. However, a party source informed that the legislators have been preparing to take the whole issue to the party high command.
Kolkata, April 9 : The AWest Bengal government is considering taking tough disciplinary action against 500 state government employees who will be participating at the two-day sit-in demonstration at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on Monday and Tuesday as protest against the non-payment of dearness allowance arrears by the state government.

Besides staging the two-day sit-in demonstration under the banner of the joint forum of state government employees, a delegation of the agitators is also likely to meet the President Droupadi Murmu and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar or at least one of them and highlight their points of arguments in the matter. They also expected to send a memorandum to the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on this count.

State government sources said that the administration is viewing this agitation at New Delhi as a direct attempt by the joint forum to malign the state government and destabilise normal administrative functioning instigated by the opposition forces in the state.

Even the joint forum office bearers are aware of the possible punitive steps to be taken by the state administrative authorities.

"According to information available with us, the state government might order mass transfer of those participating at the agitation in the national capital. They did the same thing after we participated in the one-day strike last month. We are also ready to combat the state government onslaughts in the legal," a forum representative said.

Meanwhile, after the Calcutta High Court advised the West Bengal government to arrange a solution meeting with the agitators by April 17, the joint forum has agreed to send a three-member delegation for the meeting.

However, the forum has set three pre-conditions for the meeting.

The conditions include withdrawal of the state government petition at the apex court challenging the verdict of a division bench of the high court last year directing the government to clear Dearness Allowance arrears, withdrawal of show-cause notice issued to the some employees for participating in a strike last month, and finally withdrawal of the orders for punitive transfers to certain employees for participating in the strike.
Defendant Michael Laster walks with a group of detainees through tunnels from Cook County Jail to the Leighton Criminal Court Building for court appearances. Honestly, it gets tiresome to go out every month, or two months, and not have any results, or any new updates, Michael Laster told the Tribune in September. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)

The spark for this investigation came from a Cook County court hearing in December 2020 that lasted just a few minutes.

The case had once been what courthouse insiders call a heater  one that got massive attention when the crime occurred. It involved an infant gunned down in her fathers arms in 2013. A suspect was soon taken into custody, but at the hearing in 2020, prosecutors were dropping the charges.

Thats not unheard of, but something else piqued the interest of longtime courts reporter Megan Crepeau: The case had lingered on the dockets for seven years. And nobody  not the judge, nor the attorneys  seemed shocked.

Crepeau wrote a deadline story but wanted to look more into why the case took so long. In the summer of 2021, she joined up with investigative reporter Joe Mahr to dig into delays in the criminal courts. The pair decided to focus on murder cases, like the one involving the baby girl. These represent a sliver of all felonies, but they have the highest stakes and the worst delays.

Getting the data

The first challenge was figuring out how long the courts take to complete cases. Its a basic measurement, and many court systems use it to help assess their performance.

So the reporters turned to the office of Chief Judge Timothy Evans, elected by his peers as the top judge in Cook County. He gets to decide where judges are assigned, from handling traffic tickets to managing felony cases. Evans has a research staff to help him in his job; it works with the circuit clerks office to obtain and analyze data.

Unfortunately for Mahr and Crepeau, the chief judges office would not say whether it tracked how long cases take to complete, would not provide any reports it may have done over the years, and would not provide an interview with Evans or his researchers.

Evans did agree last year to order the circuit clerks office to provide the Tribune with raw court data, so the Tribune could look for answers on its own, but those hopes were also dashed. The data provided by the circuit clerk turned out to be incomplete, and the office said it was too busy to produce the full data set.

The reporters did have another source. As part of a transparency push, the office of Cook County States Attorney Kim Foxx has posted vast data sets online about cases it prosecuted, including when, for what, and what happened. It was a good proxy for court data, though not a perfect substitute.

Using the programming language R, Mahr wrote code that calculated the length of individual cases from arrest to the ultimate outcome, which can include conviction, acquittal, a plea agreement or a dropped case. He found delays were increasing for all types of felony cases, both before and during the COVID pandemic, and the problem was even worse for murders. Some murder cases were lasting more than a decade.

Figuring out the why

The reporting team knew court officials had in the past blamed case delays on the sheer size of the Cook County system. So they obtained data from the Cook County sheriffs office about how long detainees were spending in jail, and compared that to data from Los Angeles County and New York City. It turned out that people accused of murder in Chicago waited notably longer, on average, for their trials than those in Los Angeles or New York, two bigger cities.

Maybe something about Illinois was behind those differences. So the reporters then used data from the state prison system on people serving time for murder to see how long their court cases took. (The prisons have to know that to figure out release dates, which are affected by the time the inmates spent in a local jail before being sent to prison.) That analysis showed Cook County was taking longer to reach murder convictions than other parts of the state, and the gap had widened in the past decade.

In other words, the data suggested that the delays had more to do with how Cook County operates than with any statewide issue.

Why were the delays occurring? What were the reasons that cases were pushed off again and again as the months and years went by? None of the available data could answer that question. So reporters started to dig into individual cases. Records from the sheriffs office showed there were hundreds of murder cases where defendants had been detained for at least four years. Mahr used a computer program to randomly pick 30.

Because the electronic dockets in those cases provided only scant information, the reporters also asked to see the paper files for all 30 cases. Even then, the documents didnt offer many details about why cases were delayed. Judges had to fill out a sheet for each hearing, but typically the judge merely noted that the case was being continued to a new date by agreement.

To get more information, reporters obtained dozens of costly transcripts of the give-and-take between lawyers and judges at court hearings. They also observed more than 1,000 hearings for themselves, showing up at the courthouse or tuning in via Zoom, as well as interviewing players in the court system and reviewing five decades worth of research papers.

Determining the costs

The reporters also wanted to know who was paying the price for courtroom delays. Some costs are literal, as it is county taxpayers who foot the bill for detaining people in Cook County Jail before trial. The court systems goal is to complete murder cases within two years of an early court hearing called an arraignment; Mahr used data from the sheriffs office to calculate the excess costs when murder defendants are jailed for longer.

Paying a more personal price are the families of murder victims, who often wait years for justice. Reporters reached out to victims advocates as well as approaching some relatives directly. The reporters wanted to be as sensitive as possible, recognizing this was a painful topic that would be difficult to discuss. Some people declined to be interviewed; others agreed, typically citing the hope that sharing their story could lead to change.

Also affected, obviously, are the people who are in detention because they were charged with crimes. These defendants, who are presumed innocent, are often stuck for years in Cook County Jail  not exactly the most pleasant place  not knowing when their case would go to trial. The reporters sent letters to a number of longtime detainees, offering them an opportunity to talk about their experience. Some accepted, speaking about how they felt trapped by a system that moved at a glacial pace.

Reporters conversations with some detainees sparked friction with the Cook County public defenders office. Assistant public defenders complained to judges that the Tribune should have gotten that offices permission before interviewing their clients. The Tribunes position is that these detainees  all adults  could decide for themselves if they wanted to speak to reporters.

In one case, an assistant public defender falsely accused the reporters in court of tricking a defendant into being interviewed. The Tribune provided the court with video from the interview showing not only that reporters obtained informed consent but that the detainee stated he had already told his attorney he wanted to do the interview.

In another case, a judge ordered the Tribune not to publish information from an interview with a defendant. That order was rescinded after a Tribune attorney intervened. In the end, the Tribune opted not to use information from the interview, and that of another detainee, after receiving a letter from each  sent through the public defenders office  asking the Tribune not to publish their comments.
TEHRAN, April 9 (Xinhua) -- Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on Sunday called on Muslim states to form a "united and consistent" front in support of the Palestinians against Israel.

In a phone conversation with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, Raisi said Iran and Algeria share common stances on regional and international affairs, particularly the Palestine issue and the protection of the Palestinians' rights, according to a statement posted on the website of the Iranian president's office.

The Algerian president said he hoped that Palestine would be "liberated" from the Israelis through cooperation among Muslim states.

The phone conversation followed last week's escalation of tension along the Israeli borders with Lebanon and the Palestinian enclave of Gaza Strip. Militants from southern Lebanon and Gaza fired rockets at Israel, while Israel responded with airstrikes.

The latest round of escalation followed Israeli raids earlier last week at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem, a flashpoint holy site in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israeli police clashed with dozens of Palestinian worshippers. The Israeli police said "dozens of law-breaking youths" attempted to barricade themselves inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque "to incite riots." 
Sanaa, April 9 : A Saudi delegation arrived in the Yemeni capital here to hold ceasefire talks with the Houthi militia, the Houthi-run al-Masirah TV reported on Sunday.

The Saudi delegation arrived along with Omani officials to meet here with Mahdi al-Mashat, chairman of the Houthi's political council, for discussion of arrangements to renew the ceasefire deal that ended in October 2022, said the report, Xinhua News Agency reported.

"The move came as part of Oman's mediation efforts to bring peace to Yemen," it said.

Oman, which borders both Yemen and Saudi Arabia, has actively engaged in brokering a truce in Yemen in coordination with the UN peace efforts.

Muhammad al-Bukhaiti, a member of the Yemeni Shura Council and a prominent leader in the Houthi group, told Xinhua that Muhammad Al Jaber, Saudi ambassador to Yemen, arrived on Saturday as the head of the Saudi delegation to Yemen's capital.

Also on Saturday, the Houthi group said it had received 13 prisoners of war released by Saudi Arabia in exchange for a Saudi prisoner the group said it released earlier.

Peace efforts to end the war in Yemen have been increasing, particularly after recent Chinese efforts to ease tensions and restore diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

The conflict in Yemen erupted in late 2014 when the Iran-backed Houthi militia seized control of several northern cities and forced the Saudi-backed Yemeni government out of the capital Sanaa.

The Saudi-led coalition intervened in Yemen in 2015 to support the Yemeni government.

The war has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced 4 million, and pushed the country to the brink of starvation.
New Delhi, April 9 : Ayurveda is a science of life with a holistic approach to health and personalised medicine that is gaining popularity globally.

Taking forward the legacy of Ayurveda, All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), the apex institute of Ayurveda in India is an Autonomous Institute under the Ministry of Ayush hosted a walkthrough on April 8 for the Working Group of C20 on Integrated Holistic Health.

A large group of over 400 delegates participated in the event and the institute showcased how an integrated approach in health care can be effectively implemented.

The C-20 is one of the eight official engagement groups of the G-20 forum. The 19 countries are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, France, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the UK, and the US that forms the C20 group.

C20 India 2023 is one of the official Engagement Groups of the G20 that provides a platform for Civil Society Organizations (CSO) around the world to voice the people's aspirations to the world leaders in G20.

Anita Bhatia, Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations and Deputy Executive Director of UN Women (for Resource Management, Sustainability and Partnerships & United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women); Swami Amritaswaroopananda Puri, Vice-Chairman of the Mata Amritanandamayi Math and President of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham (Amrita University); Manoj Nesari, Adviser (Ay.), Ministry of Ayush, Govt of India; Adolpho Rubinstein, Former Health Minister of Argentina, Director of the Center for Implementation and Innovation in Health Policy. Founder and Director General of the Institute of Clinical Effectiveness and Health Policy (IECS) and others were the delegates who visited AIIA.

The institute organised a walkthrough, where the delegates were taken to the hospital and highlighted how an integrated approach in health care can be effectively implemented for the well being of the humanity.

AIIA has signed an MoU with the University of Amrita Vishwa Vidhyapeetham for cooperation and collaboration in the field of Research and Academics in Ayurveda.

Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham is a multi-campus, multi-disciplinary research academia university.

The MoU was signed by Prof. Tanuja Nesari, Director, AIIA, Ministry of Ayush and Prem Kumar Vasudevan Nair, the Provost, Medical Sciences at Kochi campus of Amrita Vishwa Vidhyapeetham. The MoU was signed in the presence of all the delegates and AIIA family members.

AIIA already has MoUs with the European Academy of Ayurveda, Bernstein, Germany; Western Sydney University, Australia; Graz Medical University, Austria; College of Medical, UK; London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, UK an Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

On this occasion Prof (Dr) Tanuja Neasri, said: "We are happy to co-host C20 delegates at AIIA, a tertiary care set-up under the Ministry of Ayush. We are honoured to showcase the institute as a model of integration and holistic healthcare in Ayurveda. To help us realise the vision of health for all and holistic wellbeing, the strength of the Ayush system should be integrated into the mainstream healthcare." "It is my pleasure to join you all at AIIA. The science of Ayurveda is India's gift to the world - it is India's knowledge, learning, tradition and culture. Through C20, the focus is again being driven towards holistic healing through an integration of Ayurveda with modern medicine. This is an innovative approach and will benefit everyone," said Dr Anita Bhatia, Assistant Secretary General UN & Deputy Executive Director, UN Women.

"Ayurveda is not just a physical science, it's a part of the Vedas. Compassion is the first and last step of life. I sincerely pray and wish that all doctors trained at AIIA have the inner capacity and potential to awaken the compassion, love and oneness within them to be able to treat their patients in a wholesome manner," said Swamiji Amritaswarupananda Puri, Vice-Chairman of the Mata Amritanandamayi Math and President of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham Amrita.

AIIA launched millet calendar by the hands of Anita Bhatia, Assistant Secretary General UN & Deputy Executive Director UN women. On the occasion AIIA received the blessings of Swamiji, Shri Amritaswaroopanand Puri. A cultural programme followed by Patya Aahar was served to the guest on the occasion.
Imphal, April 9 : Suspected militants belonging to Kuki Independent Army (KIA) on Sunday looted 25 sophisticated weapons from the armoury of three militant groups staying in the designated camp under the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement in Manipur, the police said.

A police officer said that the militants of the KIA (also known as Kuki Independent Organisation) looted at least 25 sophisticated arms in the early hours of Sunday from the designated camp of three militant groups at Churachandpur in Manipur.

The Manipur-based KIA is a non-signatory of the tripartite ceasefire pact with the government.

According to the official, the KIA guerrillas in large numbers attacked and overpowered those at Chungkhao designated camp in Churachandpur district bordering Myanmar.

The KIA rebels along with the looted weapons managed to flee from the mountainous area without any bloodshed.

Around 25 Kuki militants belonging to three different outfits are staying in the Chungkhao designated camp.

A high alert has been sounded and the police authority has asked all the concerned police stations to remain vigilant to recover the looted weapons and to nab the fleeing rebels.

The mountainous Churachandpur district in southern Manipur, which borders Myanmar and Mizoram, is home to various Kuki-Chin militant groups.

The looting of weapons from the government set up a designated militant camp took place three days after the Manipur police announced a cash reward of Rs 50,000 for any person, who provides information leading to the arrest of KIA chief Thangkhongam Haokip a.k.a. Davidson a.k.a. Pareng Kom (40).

The militants of three outfits -- the Kuki National Army (KNA), Zomi Revolutionary Army (ZRA) and Kuki Revolutionary Army (KRA) -- have been staying in the designated camp after the Centre and Manipur government had signed the tripartite agreement and SoO with these outfits on August 22, 2008.

The Manipur government last month withdrew from the tripartite talks and SoO signed with three Kuki militant outfits in the northeastern state even though the Union Home Ministry is yet to give its approval to the state government's decision.

It was also reported that the cadres of KNA, ZRA and KRA are instigating poppy cultivators in the state against the government, which has been taking action against illegal poppy cultivators, and destroying poppy fields in the forest lands, especially in the reserve and protected forests.

However, an umbrella organisation of the Kuki outfits has dismissed the accusations.
New Delhi, April 9 : With a month left for the Karnataka Assembly elections, the BJP's Central Election Commission met at the party headquarters here on Sunday to finalise name of the candidates.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Minister Amit Shah, party President J.P. Nadda, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavraj Bommai, senior party leader B.S. Yediyurappa and other state leaders arrived at BJP headquarters for the meeting.

As per top sources, the CEC meet is to finalise the names of the candidates, and there could be major changes in the last list as political requirements. A list with names of maximum candidates could be out on Monday.

Earlier on Saturday, Shah held a meeting at Nadda's residence to discuss and finalise the list of candidates for the May 10 polls.
Chennai, April 9 : Tamil Nadu's PMK on Sunday called for the bifurcation of the state's Tiruvannamalai district and held a protest march in front of the Anna Statute here to press for the demand.

Addressing the protest, PMK state President and former Union Minister, Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss said that Tiruvannamalai was the second-largest district of Tamil Nadu and has about 27 lakh population.

He said that the district has eight Assembly constituencies and should has to be divided into two so that each district has four constituencies.

Also demanding the bifurcation of Coimbatore, Madurai, Salem, and Tuticorin districts, he said that the DMK, even after two years of coming to power, had not done anything to bifurcate Tiruvannamalai.

He also said that Tiruvannamalai do not have any facilities that much of the other districts have and said that bifurcation of the district would help ease administration.
New Delhi, April 9 : The Delhi Police's Special Cell on Sunday said that they have arrested arms supplier Avtar Singh who supplied 10 weapons to Khalid and Zeeshan, the two aides of UP don Atiq Ahmed's son Asad, as well another aide named Jawed and all four have been sent to judicial custody here.

Earlier reports had said that Khalid and Zeeshan were handed over to the Uttar Pradesh Police's Special Task Force.

Asad is on the run in connection with the sensational murder of Umesh Pal - a witness in former BSP MLA Raju Pal murder - that took place in Prayagraj in February. Zeeshan and Khalid, who helped Asad to hide in Delhi, were detained from Sangam Vihar.

In coming days, the UP Police's STF can seek their production warrants and they are in touch with the Delhi Police, a Delhi Police official said.

"Avtar Singh was arrested and disclosed that he had also supplied ten weapons to two persons namely Khalid and Zeeshan. We launched a manhunt and manual sources were also tapped. Based on a secret input, on March 28, Khalid and Zeeshan were arrested from Sheikh Sarai, Delhi and two weapons along with live cartridges were also recovered from the possession of the duo," a police official said.

During the course of investigation, the duo disclosed that they had also provided shelter to Asad and Ghulam, who are wanted by UP Police in the infamous Umesh Pal murder case.A Subsequently, acting on more secret information, Jawed has also been arrested on March 31 and another case under Arms Act in police station Special Cell was registered.

During to course of investigation accused Jawed disclosed that Asad and Ghulam had also met him after the Umesh Pal murder.
Kolkata, April 9 : The members of a fact-finding team of Delhi-based NGO "Fact Finding Committee on Human Rights Violation" on Sunday evening said that the clashes over Ram Navami processions in West Bengal's Howrah and Hooghly districts call for an investigation by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

After being restricted by police on Sunday afternoon from going to Shibpur and Kazipara in Howrah, where clashes broke out over Ram Navami processions on March 30 and continued till the next day, the members of the fact-finding team came back to Kolkata and talked to the media persons.

"Despite being restricted in reaching the troubled spots in Howrah district on Sunday and to Rishra in Hooghly district on Saturday, we were able to somehow interact with some of the local people. What we heard from them is quite shameful. There were not adequate police forces when the trouble broke out in these pockets. The administration is playing the 'me & you' game. This is a perfect case for a NIA-level probes. At the same time, central armed forces personnel should also be deployed there," a team member said.

Meanwhile, political slugfest has started over the police denial to the members of the fact-finding team to reach the troubled spots at Hooghly on Saturday and after that at Howrah on Sunday.

According to the Trinamool Congress' state General Secretary and party spokesman Kunal Ghosh, the police had done the right thing by denying them permission. "Since Ram Navami, BJP has been trying to create problems in those areas by using the outsiders," he said.

BJP's state spokesman Samik Bhattacharya alleged that since the administration has a lot of things to hide, they prevented the members of the fact-finding team from reaching those pockets in Howrah and Hooghly districts.
Guwahati, April 9 : Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday said that he will lodge a defamation suit against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for "inappropriately" linking him with industrialist Gautam Adani in a Twitter post.

Sarma said the defamation case will be filed after the conclusion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the state on April 14.

"Whatever Rahul Gandhi has said on Twitter is a slanderous comment," he said, adding that due to the ongoing preparations for PM Modi's scheduled April 14 visit in Guwahati he has to wait to lodge the suit.

"I don't wish to respond to it at this time. I will file the defamation lawsuit once the Prime Minister's visit to Assam is over," Sarma added.

Earlier on Saturday, after the tweet of Rahul Gandhi linking Adani to some former Congress leaders including Sarma, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Jyotiraditya Scindia and others, the Assam Chief Minister reacted sharply.

"It was our decency to have never asked you, on where have you concealed the proceeds of crime from the Bofors and National Herald Scams. And how you allowed Ottavio Quattrocchi to escape the clutches of Indian justice multiple times," he said in a response to Gandhi.

"Any way we will meet in the Court of Law," Sarma wrote on Twitter.
Hyderabad, April 9 : Gearing up for Assembly elections scheduled later this year, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) on Sunday decided to organize its formation day celebrations across Telangana.

BRS Working President K. T. Rama Rao asked the party cadres to conduct the programmes on a grand scale.

He also announced that BRS formation day celebrations will be held at party headquarters Telangana Bhavan in Hyderabad on April 27.

BRS President and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao will hoist the party flag to launch the celebrations.

The same day, the BRS general body meeting will be held which will be presided over by Chandrasekhar Rao.

The meeting, involving 300 BRS representatives, will discuss some political resolutions and pass them.

As a precursor to the formation day celebrations, meetings of party delegates will be held at constituency level on April 25. These meetings will be presided over by Assembly incharges and local MLAs. Party's district unit presidents will coordinate the programmes.

KTR asked party cadres to hoist the party flag in all villages and wards in the morning and then reach the venues of delegates' meetings.

The delegates' meetings will continue throughout the day and will discuss the development achieved by the state under BRS rule, welfare schemes being implemented by the state government and the programmes undertaken by the party.

The meetings will be attended by all right from field level workers to former MLAs, sitting MLAs, MPs and all the leaders in different designations. Each meeting would witness participation of about 2,500 to 3,000 party members.

In the wake of the summer season, the BRS Working President directed party MLAs and incharge leaders to make elaborate arrangements, including food, accommodation and provision of butter milk.

KTR said that the party's Athmeeya Sammelans being held across the state evoked good response from BRS cadres.

He announced that these meetings will continue till the end of May.

He also said a massive public meeting BRS Maha Sabha will be held at Warangal on October 10.

The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), which became BRS late last year, was floated by KCR on April 27, 2001 after resigning from the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) to revive the movement for statehood to Telangana.
Hyderabad, April 9 : Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Sunday decided to open 7,000 paddy procurement centers across the state on a war footing to purchase paddy from farmers cultivated during Yasangi (Rabi) season.

KCR, as the leader is popularly known, issued orders to Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari and Civil Supply Commissioner Anil Kumar in this regard. As part of immediate measures, he directed the Chief Secretary to hold a video conference with the Collectors of all districts on Monday and take action to make necessary arrangements.

The CM asked the officials to open all 7,000 paddy procurement centers and commence the paddy purchasing process as it was done earlier.

Meanwhile, Union Tourism and Culture Minister G. Kishan Reddy has urged UnionFood and Public Distribution Minister Piyush Goyal to consider procuring 15 lakh metric tonnes of parboiled rice from Telangana during Rabi season.

In a letter to Goyal, he wrote that the Centre's continued support to the farmers of Telangana is clearly visible as a large number of farmers have benefited through the procurement operations of the department of food and public distribution.

Kishan Reddy noted that the number of Telangana farmers who benefited from procurement operations by the Centre increased from 5.35 lakh in 2015 during Kharif marketing season to more than 20 lakh in the previous Kharif season.
NEW DELHI, April 9 (Xinhua) -- The latest tiger census data released by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday revealed India is home to 3,167 tigers.

The figures were released by Modi in Mysuru of Karnataka on the occasion of 50 years of India's Project Tiger.

According to data presented on the occasion, there were 1,411 tigers in 2006. The number grew to 1,706 in 2010. In 2014, the population went to 2,226.

"With only 2.4 percent of the world's land area, India contributes to about 8 percent of the known global diversity," Modi said.

Project Tiger was launched in 1973 to protect the big cat and ensure its long-term survival. At present India has 51 tiger reserves spread across 18 states. 
Washington, April 9 : Nikki Haley, former Republican UN Ambassador of US who has announced her 2024 presidential run, has denounced President Joe Biden's hasty withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan and shifting the blame to his predecessor Donald Trump for the resultant chaos.

Biden never took his allies, who fought shoulder to shoulder in the hilly terrain for over three decades against terrorism, into confidence about the withdrawal and made America open to criticism for the Taliban overrunning the elected government, media reports said.

Nikki Halley, an Indian American whose parents migrated from Amritsar to the US, was born and brought up in South Carolina, the state of which she became the governor, and later, Trump appointed her as US ambassador to the UN.

She said they were making fun of us. "It's a terrible image throughout the world that we have had. We were completely defeated." The White House last week released a 12-page unclassified report of what it called the after action summary on the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan, first initiated by then President Donald Trump and followed upon by his successor Joe Biden.

Biden's administration blamed former President Trump's White House for much of what took place.

The overrunning of the democratically elected government by the Taliban and the fleeing of the President from the country since troop's withdrawal has drawn fire from all quarters in the world, reports said.

The National Security Council spokesman John Kirby claimed the exit from Afghanistan, during which 13 service members were killed in a bombing at the Kabul Airport, was not chaotic. "For all this talk of chaos, I didn't see it from my perch," he said. "I just don't buy the whole argument of chaos," The Washington Examiner quoted him as saying.

Critics have since slammed the Biden administration for projecting the wrong narrative blaming the Republicans and being disingenuous in claiming there was no chaos.

"I mean, the idea that we left Afghanistan in the middle of the night, without telling our allies, who stood shoulder to shoulder with us for decades, because we asked them to be there," Haley told Breitbart News Saturday on SiriusXM Patriot.

"I mean, think about what that told our allies. More importantly, think about what that told our enemies." The former US ambassador to the UN and former South Carolina governor claimed that "Afghanistan had made strides, especially with women, on the fact that women could be educated, women had jobs, and women were making so much progress." "And now you look back, and they have, you know, we've seen the fact that all of that has gone backwards," she said.

"And you know, there is no religious freedom there at all. There's only, you know, control and aggressiveness, and they've taken it back," the examiner quoted her as saying.

The US left military equipment in Afghanistan while withdrawing from the country only to be used by the Taliban in their overrun over the capital city of Kabul.

She charged saying: "We left all of our military equipment, and I remember my husband looking at a video, and he was looking at a video of the Taliban and he's saying, They're driving our Jeeps," she recalled.

"And then he goes, They're holding our guns. And then the worst part was, he was like, They're wearing our uniforms." Haley said her criticism was not directed towards "why our troops got out" but the "manner in which they got out" leaving everything behind for the Taliban to use.

She said Biden withdrew the troops in the most embarrassing of circumstances and lost 13 brothers and sisters in the process. That was not the way it was supposed to play out, she said.

Haley termed as a debacle the manner in which the Biden administration withdrew the troops. Much of the current issues, she said, have been influenced by what the world observed from the US in 2021, such as "the Russian invasion in Ukraine", "China sending over a spy balloon", and "Iran trying to build a bomb", among others.
The United States Navy Memorial will host its 32nd annual Blessing of the Ceremony in person and online on Saturday, April 15th. This year's blessing will be provided by the Chief of Chaplains of the Navy, Rear Admiral Gregory N. Todd. The keynote speaker will be the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy, James M. Honea.

Passed down through generations of sailors, fishermen, merchant mariners, and navies around the world, the centuries-old Blessing of the Fleet ceremony is intended to safeguard crews and their ships. It is said to protect them from the danger of the seas through a traditional blessing given by a clergyman at the waters edge.

As a tribute to our nations rich maritime heritage and the men and women who have contributed to its growth and success, the Navy Memorial hosts its annual Blessing of the Fleet ceremony each spring.

The ceremony will take place on the same day as the National Cherry Blossom Parade. Afterward, attendees are invited inside the Navy Memorial Visitor Center for a light reception featuring Navy Bean Soup from the White House Mess.

Registration is not required to attend in person. Those who wish to watch the ceremony online can register at http://www.navymemorial.org/2023bof.

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The Navy Memorial is located at 701 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20004. We are a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to Honor, Recognize and Celebrate the men and women of the Sea Services, past, present, and future; and to Inform the public about their service. To learn more, visit us online at http://www.navymemorial.org.
We are impressed with the record occupancy of these two NCL ships, we are pleased that more and more tourists are attracted to this beautiful destination that is Ocho Rios in Jamaica.- Gonzalo Pacheco, General Manager of Dolphin Cove

Last month, Dolphin Cove Ocho Rios, a member of The Dolphin Company family, a worldwide park operator, welcomed thousands of passengers from Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), which broke records with two ships carrying more than seven thousand passengers arriving at the port of Ocho Rios.

NCL Bliss anchored its cruise ship with 3,400 passengers, while the NCL Prima arrived with 3,900 visitors on board, which means they were traveling at more than 90% of their capacity. These numbers are interesting for the destination because they represent an economic recovery since the pandemic in 2020.

"Ocho Rios in Jamaica is a place where the wonderful scenery, delicious food, and cultural diversity take place and contribute positively to the perception of the port. We are grateful to be part of this success by offering activities that bring added value to the destination through our Dolphin Cove habitat that undoubtedly provides unforgettable experiences for our visitors," commented Gonzalo Pacheco, General Manager of Dolphin Cove.

Dolphin Cove offers educational interactions and swim with dolphins and other species in Jamaica's four locations: Ocho Rios, Puerto Seco, Montego Bay, and Moon Palace; and one in the Cayman Islands and has become one of the major tourist attractions in the destination, boosting the travel industry in this Caribbean paradise.

About Dolphin Cove:

Dolphin Cove promotes educational interaction with species such as dolphins, sharks, stingrays, rabbits, and birds, among others, with the objective of fostering love and respect for animals and the environment. It has a presence in 2 Caribbean islands: Grand Cayman and Jamaica, in 4 locations: Ocho Rios, Montego Bay, Moon Palace, and Puerto Seco. Dolphin Cove is a proud member of The Dolphin Company, the largest park operator in Latin America. For more information visit http://www.dolphincoveja.com and http://www.thedolphinco.com

About Yaaman:

Yaaman Adventure Park was a Jamaican agricultural property in the 18th century. It is a natural park full of historical landscapes, where you can observe a great diversity of flora and fauna. It is the most complete attraction in Jamaica, offering a great variety of activities, such as mud buggies, ATVs, Jitney Ride, a cooking tour, and a visit to the aviary, thus combining history, culture, and adventure. This park is a proud member of The Dolphin Company, the largest park operator in Latin America. For more information visit http://www.yaamanadventure.com and http://www.thedolphinco.com
Kiev: Miners in the depths of southeastern Ukraine continuously mine coal to fuel the nation's war effort and supply light and heat to civilians.

Following a 6-month Russian military campaign to destroy power plants and other infrastructure, the chief engineer of a mining company in the Dnipropetrovsk province stated that coal is essential to supplying Ukraine's energy needs.

The company's employees are transported underground by lift to the mine's depths. From there, they drive large equipment to extract the coal and transport the priceless resource above ground. The miners claimed that although it is challenging work, it is necessary to maintain the nation.

Also Read: Why the iconic British Easter treat the Creme Egg has a devoted following in the Middle East

Oleksandr, the chief engineer, who, like all the coal miners interviewed, spoke on condition of only using his first name for security reasons, said that the nation's energy independence is now more than just a priority.

As the war drags on for a second year, Russia's attacks on Ukraine's nuclear, thermal, and other power plants continue to disrupt electricity service.

The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which the Kremlin's forces seized last year at the start of the full-scale invasion, cannot be demilitarised due to a deadlock in negotiations. The plant is Europe's largest nuclear energy facility, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky opposes any plan that would give Russian control of it legal standing.

Also Read: Pakistan's finance minister postpones a trip to the US due to a political situation

The plant has a maximum output of 6,000 megawatts of electricity. The plant's Ukrainian owners shut down the final reactor in September, claiming it was unsafe to keep operating while Russia was bombing the neighbourhood.

The plant has been shelled numerous times, leading to worries about a potential nuclear meltdown. The power lines required to run essential cooling equipment at Zaporizhzhia and other nuclear plants in Ukraine have also come under threat from Russian missiles.

Prior to the conflict, the Ukrainian government intended to increase production of nuclear energy and natural gas while reducing the nation's reliance on coal-fired power plants, which contribute to global warming. But Oleksandr noted that coal played a role in keeping Ukrainian homes warm when Russian attacks in the dead of winter damaged thermal plants.

While coal miners' labour cannot entirely make up for the energy lost in nuclear power plants, every megawatt they contribute to generating helps close gaps.

A miner by the name of Serhii said, "We come and work with optimism, trying not to think about what is going on outside the mine." "We work while grinning and don't think about it. And once we depart, a new life of survival and everything else starts for us.

Also Read: US launches investigation into secret document leaks connected to the Ukraine War

Nearly 150 displaced workers from other coal-producing areas in the east joined the team in Dnipropetrovsk, despite the fact that many local miners joined the military when Russian troops invaded and are now engaged in combat at the front in eastern Ukraine.

Yurii, a 20-year coal miner, left the troubled town of Vuhledar in the Donetsk province. Naturally, the war drastically altered his life, he admitted. There, as well as the mine where I used to work, it is now impossible to live.
Property details:

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Price: $ 41 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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Large Land Lot in Ash Flat AR Nearly 80 properties averaging 1/3 acre, in connected blocks totaling 30 acres are being offered separately (see photos) in coming auctionsBe Assured in Accadian Properties There Will beNO unusable Land, NO recreational only, NO inferior quit claim deeds, NO flood zonesWinner will get Full Ownership with Warranty Deed Clover Circle 0.38 Acres (over1/3 acre) Parcel #: 888-00168-000 This Residential Lot is 0.38 Acres, & about 1 mile to Diamond & Crown Lake, In beautif...

Price: $ 103 Seller State of Residence: Arkansas Type: Homesite, Lot Property Address: Clover Circle Zip/Postal Code: 72513 Zoning: Residential City: Ash Flat State/Province: Arkansas Location: 725**, Ash Flat, Arkansas

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.BUY LAND NOW2.5 Miles to the GULF/BEACH! START INVESTING NOW!This land is perfect for Land Banking! Buy and hold for future investment. Many companies and investors purchase land at a substantial discount for their investment portfolios. Then later, use this as collateral for their business. Low Low Prices!Great Investment for new investor. Start your own land business now!Residential Land Lot in Bay St. Louis , Mississippi. So many possibilities to use it for residential , parking , storage , ...

Price: $ 99 Seller State of Residence: California Type: Homesite, Lot Property Address: Mediterranean St Zip/Postal Code: 39520 Zoning: Residential City: Bay St Louis State/Province: Mississippi Location: 395**, Bay Saint Louis, Mississippi

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Ocean Sands Resort is located on the boardwalk looking directly over the beach to the ocean. The resort is ranked 12 out of 115 in VAB and has been totally redone. Shopping and fine dining are only steps away; theres no better location if you want to enjoy the shows, festivals and free concerts along the oceanfront. Ocean Sands proudly offers a number of PURE Allergy Friendly rooms, all of which have gone through a comprehensive process to dramatically improve the air quality and nearly el...

Price: $ 5,000 Seller State of Residence: Virginia Property Address: 2207 Atlantic Ave; Virginia Beach, Virginia City: Virginia Beach State/Province: Virginia Type: Beach/Ocean Number of Bedrooms: 2 Number of Bathrooms: 2 Zip/Postal Code: 23451 Location: 116**, Breezy Point, New York

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Hawkeye, Rennervations and Mayor of Kingstown star jeremy Renner posted a photo of him with his family Friday at California's Six Flags Magic Mountain amusement park.

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"Good Friday, made magic on the mountain with some of my amazing family! @sixflagsmagicmountain #thankyou," the 52-year-old actor captioned the group photo in front of a roller coaster.

The picture also included the motorized scooter the actor used to get around the park, three months after he was critically injured in a snowplowing accident in Nevada.

Renner posted the snapshot a day after his interview with broadcast journalist Diane Sawyer aired on ABC.

The actor suffered a broken face and eye socket, broken ribs, a broken clavicle, right shoulder and both ankles, a punctured lung, and a severe head laceration in the Jan. 2 mishap in which he failed to set the plow's brake properly, then tried to stop it before it could run over his nephew.

"I refuse to have that be a trauma and be a negative experience," Renner told Sawyer.

"That is a moment I'm proud of because I wouldn't let that happen to my nephew. I shift the narrative of being victimized or making a mistake or anything else. I refused to be [expletive] haunted by that memory in that way."
In this piece, we will take a look at the 30 best places to live in the U.S. for the weather. For more places, head on over to 10 Best Places to Live in the U.S. for the Weather.

The U.S. is the fourth largest country in the world, coming in after Russia, Canada, and China. This lends it a diverse climate courtesy of vast differences between longitudes and latitudes. Considering all American territories, the northernmost American point is Point Barrow in Alaska, the southernmost point is Rose Atoll in American Samoa, the easternmost point is Point Udall in U.S. Virgin Islands, and the westernmost point is Udall Point in Guam. Within the Continental United States, which consists of the territory located primarily between Canada in the north and Mexico in the south, Minnesota, Florida, Maine, and Washington have the northernmost, southernmost, easternmost, and westernmost points, respectively. Additionally, altitude within the U.S. ranges between 14,494 feet of Mount Whitney in California and -282 feet in the Badwater Basin in Death Valley, California.

This vast geography also lends America a variety of different climates. Some of these include semi arid, desert, humid continental, temperate, and oceanic, with Alaska also having some of the most extreme climatic conditions. However, while the U.S. is unique in terms of climatic diversity, it still is not immune to global warming or climate change. Temperatures are generally the highest in Florida and the lowest in Alaska, while precipitation is highest in Hawaii and the lowest in Nevada, mirroring the regions' geographies.

The Economic Cost of Climate Change

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) there are several indicators of climate change that are already taking place. For instance, most of America's lakes are freezing later, winter temperatures have increased by three degrees Fahrenheit since 1896, and the use of natural gas to heat homes has also dropped since 1974. Climate change has already made its mark on the global economy as well, with a report from Morgan Stanley estimating that between 2016 and 2018 climate related disasters have cost the world a whopping $650 billion. However, if this was surprising, you'll be worried to learn about the estimates put forward by a United Nations panel that say that the cost of global warming can reach an absolutely stunning $54 trillion in just a couple of decades from now, or by 2040. Morgan Stanley adds that Asia will be one of the hardest hit regions by climate change, with the estimated cost of damages sitting at $180 billion.

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These damages have already started to manifest as well, with devastating floods in the Southeast Asian country of Pakistan late last year being the worst in the country's history. According to estimates from the World Bank, damages from the floods in Pakistan can touch as much as $15.2 billion, while economic reconstruction costs can go even higher to sit at $16.3 billion. Out of these, the worst damage is to houses, with housing damages estimated at $5.6 billion. Damages to agriculture and transportation are also quite significant, sitting at $3.7 billion and $3.3 billion, respectively.

Investment Opportunities

So, how much will it cost to mitigate climate change? Well, on this front, the Organization for Economic Corporation and Development (OECD) believes that at least $6.3 trillion per year until 2030 is needed in investments to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions, and this bill grows to $6.9 trillion in order to meet the sustainability goals under the Paris Accord. The body adds that in order to limit global warming to a temperature increase of 1.5 degrees Celsius, Carbon Dioxide levels will have to fall by about 45% of the levels seen in 2010 - a daunting task especially as a growing global middle class increases the need for transportation and housing, which are the biggest contributors to high emissions.

Another set of estimates to make the global infrastructure sustainable comes from the World Bank. The Bank notes that by 2030, investments in global architecture need to sit at $90 trillion to yield results, but it adds that these also provide a healthy source of return. The World Bank's estimates suggest that a dollar of investment in sustainability yields four dollars in total benefits, with a direct economic gain estimated to sit at $26 trillion. It also notes that shifting energy generation to sustainable sources also carries with it the potential for costs savings. For instance, data shows that if the costly (and dirty) power generation through coal was replaced with solar and wind power, annual power generation costs could be reduced by $26 billion and stimulate the global economy by $940 billion. Not to mention, this shift could also create 65 million net new jobs. These new jobs will only add to the millions that have already been created, with a report from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IREA) outlining that global employment in the sector stood at 12 million in 2020 - growing from the 11.5 million in the prior year.

Best Places to Live in the U.S. for the Weather

Photo by Ovidiu Gruescu on Unsplash

With these details in mind, let's stake a look at the best places to live in the U.S. for the weather.

Our Methodology

We consulted six reliable (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) sources to compile our list of the best U.S. cities to live in for the weather. Each time a city appeared on a list, it was awarded a single point, with the top thirty out of the 50+ locations compiled listed below. You can also check out 35 Safest Places to Live in the U.S. in 2023.

30 Best Places to Live in the U.S. for the Weather

30. San Jose, California

Insider Monkey's Score: 2

San Jose is one of the most prosperous cities in California and one of the most populous ones in America. It is also the home of several major technology firms such as Adobe and IBM.

29. Salinas, California

Insider Monkey's Score: 2

Salinas is one of the younger cities in America as it was incorporated in 1874. The region is a hub for agricultural technology in the U.S. and has several fresh produce firms and farms.

28. Modesto, California

Insider Monkey's Score: 2

Modesto is another young Californian city, as it was established in 1884. Like Salinas, it also has a diverse agricultural economy, and houses one of the largest wineries in the world.

27. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Insider Monkey's Score: 2

Oklahoma City is the capital of the state of Oklahoma. It ranks among the top 20 largest cities in America in terms of population. The city houses large energy companies among others.

26. Fairfield, California

Insider Monkey's Score: 2

Fairfield is one of the oldest cities in America that was inhabited by Native Americans for thousands of years before the first European settlements. It houses several manufacturing plants as well as the Travis Air Force Base.

25. Tulsa, Oklahoma

Insider Monkey's Score: 2

Tulsa is the largest city in Oklahoma after Oklahoma City. The city was once the hub of the energy industry, as even today it is an economic powerhouse in Oklahoma as it contributes significantly to the state's manufacturing output.

24. Santa Rosa, California

Insider Monkey's Score: 2

Santa Rosa is a California city that was incorporated in 1868. Its economy is dominated primarily by the retail sector, but housing costs have been a problem.

23. Atlanta, Georgia

Insider Monkey's Score: 2

Atlanta is the capital of Georgia and ranks among the top fifty most populous cities in America. It has one of the largest economies in the U.S. and houses large firms such as Coca-Cola.

22. Fayetteville, North Carolina

Insider Monkey's Score: 2

Fayetteville is one of the older cities in the U.S. since it was settled in 1783. One of its largest employers is a civilian arm of the Pentagon.

21. San Juan, Puerto Rico

Insider Monkey's Score: 2

San Juan is the capital city of the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico. The city has been inhabited for hundreds of years and has strong financial and tourism sectors.

20. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

Insider Monkey's Score: 2

Myrtle Beach is a tourist hub in South Carolina due to its pleasant weather. Due to this, it has a vibrant tourism industry and thousands of restaurants to boot.

19. Greenville, South Carolina

Insider Monkey's Score: 2

Greenville is one of the smallest yet highly rated cities in the U.S., particularly in terms of urbanization.

18. Spartanburg, South Carolina

Insider Monkey's Score: 2

Spartanburg is another small city with a population below fifty thousand people. It was founded in 1787 and is notable for its strong presence of the healthcare industry.

17. Stockton, California

Insider Monkey's Score: 2

Stockton was incorporated in 1850 and is known for its mild winters and hot summers. The city serves as the regional hub for several large firms.

16. Mesa, Arizona

Insider Monkey's Score: 2

Mesa is one of the largest cities in Arizona with mild winters and hot summers. Large firms such as Boeing and Wal-Mart are notable employers.

15. Albuquerque, New Mexico

Insider Monkey's Score: 2

Albuquerque is the largest city in New Mexico. It is an economic hub within the state.

14. Scottsdale, Arizona

Insider Monkey's Score: 2

Scottsdale is one of the youngest cities in the U.S. since it was incorporated in 1951. It has a strong healthcare and tourism industry.

13. Virginia Beach, Virginia

Insider Monkey's Score: 2

Virginia Beach is one of the largest cities in Virginia and was initially incorporated in 1906.

12. Jacksonville, Florida

Insider Monkey's Score: 2

Jacksonville is one of the largest cities in the U.S. in terms of area. It is an economic hub with a strong banking sector.

11. Austin, Texas

Insider Monkey's Score: 2

Austin is the capital city of Texas and was settled in 1835. It is a major technology sector in the lone star state.

Click to continue reading and see 10 Best Places to Live in the U.S. for the Weather.

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Disclosure: None. 30 Best Places to Live in the U.S. for the Weather is originally published on Insider Monkey.
The University of Georgia Lamar Dodd School of Art and the Environmental Ethics Certificate Program are co-hosting a screening of the award-winning documentary UNSPOKEN on Thursday, April 13 at the Jackson Street Building auditorium.

The event is free and open to the public and will include a discussion moderated by former Georgia Bulldog and NFL Hall of Famer Champ Bailey.
One person was killed and three policemen injured in a clash between members of two communities in Chhattisgarh's Bemetara district on Saturday, senior officials said.

IMAGE: A car was set ablaze during a clash between two groups in Birampur of Bemetara, Chhattisgarh, on Saturday. Photograph: ANI on Twitter

Police have so far arrested 11 people on charges of rioting and murder in connection with the clash.

The violence was allegedly triggered by a fight between children at Biranpur village under Saja police station area in the morning, officials said.

As per preliminary information, some children fought over a petty issue and members of the village's Hindu and Muslim communities gathered in the village square to settle the dispute, Bemetara Collector P S Elma told reporters.

The matter, however, escalated and there was a clash during which one Ishwar Sahu, 23, was critically injured and later died, he said.

Bemetara Superintendent of Police Indira Kalyan Elesela said the police team sent to the spot came under a mob attack and faced stone-pelting. Three police personnel were injured.

Sub-inspector B R Thakur sustained serious injuries, he said, adding that the injured cops were shifted to a hospital.

The mob also set fire to a heap of paddy straw and some vehicles, the official said.

Additional police force was later sent to the spot and the situation was brought under control, he said, adding that the administration has imposed section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (prohibiting assembly of four or more people) in the area.

"Though there is still some tension in the village, the situation is under control. The police deployment will remain in place till the situation normalises," he added.

A case was registered under Sections 147 (rioting), 307 (attempt to murder) and 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code and 11 people were arrested, officials said.

The collector, SP and Inspector General of Police (Durg Range) Anand Chhabra were in the village to monitor the situation, officials said.

Asked by reporters in state capital Raipur, BJP leader and former chief minister Raman Singh said, "It is a very sad incident and it is very unfortunate that it has happened in Chhattisgarh."

People from a particular community stabbed and killed a youth, he claimed.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday claimed that gangsters, who used to terrorise people with extortion threats and abduct them without caring for law and order, were now wetting their pants after their sentencing by courts.

IMAGE: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Photograph: ANI Photo

Addressing a gathering after the 'bhoomi pujan' of a bottling plant here, Adityanath said people are seeing that those who showed little respect for law and order earlier were now running for their lives.

"When the court sentences them, their wet pants are becoming visible. People are seeing it. The mafia used to terrorise people, send extortion threats to industrialists, abduct businessmen. But today they are scared out of their wits and running for their lives," the chief minister said.

His remarks have come days after an MP/MLA court held gangster-politician Atiq Ahmad and two others guilty in the 2006 Umesh Pal kidnapping case and sentenced them to life imprisonment.

That was Ahmad's first conviction even though more than 100 cases have been registered against him.

The 60-year-old former Samajwadi Party MP was brought from Sabarmati Jail in Gujarat by road for hearing in the case in Prayagraj.

Before leaving the jail in a police cavalcade, Ahmad said he feared he might be killed.

"Hatya, hatya (murder, murder)," Ahmad said outside the prison.

During the long journey, Ahmad's vehicle was stopped in Shivpuri district of Madhya Pradesh to allow him to attend nature's call.

There, he was asked by reporters whether he was afraid, to which he said, 'Kahe ka dar' (what fear).

The Uttar Pradesh administration began cracking down on his aides and gang members after the killing of Umesh Pal, a witness in the murder of BSP legislator Raju Pal in January 2005, in broad daylight in Prayagraj.

After the brazen criminal act, Adityanath had vowed in the state assembly that he will destroy the mafia.

In his address on Saturday, the chief minister said everyone's safety is the responsibility of the government and it is the government's resolve to bring prosperity in the lives of the citizens.

According to a press statement issued by the state government, the chief minister said that six years ago goons and mafia used to openly threaten businessmen and kidnap them and the state was known for riots and anarchy, but today, all such elements have been silenced.

"This year, when riots were taking place in some states of the country during Ram Navami celebrations, there was absolute peace in Uttar Pradesh. Thirty-three lakh people visited Ayodhya, the birthplace of Lord Shri Ram, and more than 1,000 processions were taken out on the occasion, but no untoward incident took place. Instead, Hindus and Muslims showered flowers on the processions," he said.

On the occasion of Hanuman Jayanti on April 6, more than 500 processions were taken out peacefully in the state.

The chief minister said that in Uttar Pradesh, bombs are no longer hurled at processions during religious festivals, and it has been replaced with showering of flowers.

Adityanath said that 25 crore people of Uttar Pradesh today believe in the double engine government which promotes development, investment and employment.

He added that it is because of this belief that Uttar Pradesh has received investment proposals worth Rs 35 lakh crore in the Global Investors Summit.

The Chief Minister's Office itself monitors all the online facilities and incentives for the investors, he said.

Adityanath said that Uttar Pradesh today boasts of excellent connectivity of all kinds.

"Purvanchal and Bundelkhand Expressways have opened while the work is underway on Ganga Expressway. By the time this (bottling) plant is ready, the Gorakhpur Link Expressway will also be completed," he said.

"Four-lane connectivity has been provided till Nepal, Bihar, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand. Till 2017 only two airports were fully functional and two partially functional in the state and today nine airports are functional whereas the work is underway on 12 airports.

"UP will soon become a state with five international airports. The work on metro and ropeway is underway on a war footing," he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Sacred Heart Cathedral Church in New Delhi on Sunday on the occasion of Easter.

IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi lights a candle on the occasion of Easter, at Sacred Heart Cathedral Catholic Church, in New Delhi, April 9, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo

An official video showed the prime minister being welcomed at the church and him greeting priests and worshippers on the holy day.

Modi later joined them as they offered prayers. He also planted a tree on the premises.

After the visit, Modi tweeted, "Today, on the very special occasion of Easter, I had the opportunity to visit the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Delhi. I also met spiritual leaders from the Christian community."

The prime minister's rare visit to the church is imbued with political significance as well, as the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has been actively wooing Christians.

Modi in his recent speeches has underlined the minority community's growing connect with the BJP by citing the party's poll successes in Goa and recently, in the two northeastern states of Nagaland and Meghalaya. These states have a large Christian population.

Modi has underscored his government's commitment to the mottos of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and development for all without any discrimination.

The BJP is looking for support from the community in Kerala, the state with their largest population in the country, as it works to make a fresh headway there after tasting little success in previous elections.

The party's leaders in the state also met with community leaders on Sunday.

Anil Antony, son of senior Kerala Congress leader AK Antony, a Christian, joined the BJP a few days back.

Earlier in the day, Modi tweeted, "Happy Easter! May this special occasion deepen the spirit of harmony in our society. May it inspire people to serve society and help empower the downtrodden. We remember the pious thoughts of Lord Christ on this day."
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday visited the Theppakkadu elephant camp at Mudumalai in the hilly Nilgiris district and interacted with Bellie and Bomman, the elephant caretakers who featured in an Oscar-winning documentary.

IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets Bomman, Bellie couple, the main stars of the Oscar-winning documentary The Elephant Whisperers, in Mudumalai, Tamil Nadu, April 9, 2023. Photograph: ANI photo

The PM, who reached Mysuru in Karnataka on Saturday evening from Chennai following official engagements there, visited the tiger sanctuary briefly on Sunday.

Upon his arrival, the PM was accorded a welcome by the pachyderms and he fed sugarcane to some of the elephants in the Theppakkadu camp at the tiger reserve in Mudumalai.

IMAGE: PM Modi during his visit to Theppakkadu elephant camp at Mudumalai, in Tamil Nadu, April 9, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo

He later interacted with Bellie and Bomman, who have won accolades after they featured in the Academy award-wining documentary, The Elephant Whisperers.
In this article, we will take a look at the 30 most dangerous cities in the world. If you want to see more cities in this selection, go to the 5 Most Dangerous Cities in the World.

According to the Global Peace Index report, the overall level of global peacefulness declined by 0.3% in 2022. This marks the eleventh time peacefulness has deteriorated in the past fourteen years. Out of 163 countries analyzed, 90 have shown improvement, while 71 have experienced a decline in the peace index. Only two have remained stable in their levels of peacefulness. For the fifth year in a row, Afghanistan remains the least peaceful country in the world, with Yemen, Syria, Russia, and South Sudan following closely. These five countries have consistently ranked among the least peaceful nations for the past three years. Notably, Russia and Ukraine were among the five countries with the largest deterioration in peacefulness, along with Guinea, Burkina Faso, and Haiti, which can be attributed to the ongoing conflicts in these areas.

Over the past 25 years, the rate of intentional homicide as a cause of violent death has been decreasing worldwide. In 1993, the homicide rate was 7.4 per 100,000 population, but it decreased to 6.1 in 2017. However, this decline in the homicide rate is not necessarily indicative of a reduction in the actual number of homicides that occur globally. Instead, the global population has increased at a faster rate than the increase in the number of homicide victims. Between 1990 and 2017, the overall number of people who were killed due to homicide increased from 362,000 to 464,000, even as the homicide rate decreased. According to data released by the FBI, the United States also experienced a significant rise in violent crime in 2020. In comparison to the previous year, murders increased by almost 30%, representing the most substantial one-year increase in killings ever recorded by the agency. If you want to read more about the crime levels in the US, you can check out the 25 Most Dangerous Cities In The US.

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The Economic Cost of Violence

There are numerous cities throughout the world that experience extreme levels of crime, violence, and insecurity. Characterized by high homicide rates, gang violence, and organized crime activities, some of the most perilous cities in the world are Caracas in Venezuela, Acapulco in Mexico, and Cape Town in South Africa. These cities are notorious for being some of the most challenging places to live or visit due to their reputation for violence and crime. Beyond the individuals who are directly impacted, the effects of violence and crime also have a strong negative influence on businesses and tourists. In 2021, the economic impact of violence worldwide was $16.5 trillion, which accounts for 10.9% of the global Gross Domestic Product (GDP), or $2,117 per individual.

Reports reveal there is a strong correlation between poverty and violent crime, both on an individual and national level. Individuals facing poverty may resort to crime as a means of survival, while a struggling economy may lead to lower investment in law enforcement systems, resulting in an environment of lawlessness where people are more susceptible to violent crime. This creates a vicious cycle where high levels of violence can hinder business growth, further exacerbating poverty and leading to more violence.

Most Dangerous Cities in the World

Photo by Baron Cole on Unsplash

Our Methodology

To determine the 30 most dangerous cities in the world, we utilized a multi-faceted approach. Our analysis considered a range of factors, including homicide rates, drug trafficking, gang activity, and political instability. We collected data from diverse sources, such as government agencies, international organizations, and news reports. The Organized Crime Index Report 2022 was also used to assess the level of organized crime in different countries. To gather information on the latest homicide rates per 100,000 inhabitants in various cities, we referred to the Citizens Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice. Our ranking is based on the ascending order of homicide rates, with the cities having the highest homicide rates ranked as the most dangerous.

30 Most Dangerous Cities in the World

30. Macapa, Brazil

Homicides per 100,000: 47.20

Macapa is a city located in the northern part of Brazil, in the state of Amapa. It is situated near the equator and is known for its unique geographical location and natural beauty. The city is located near the Brazilian Amazon, which is used as a route for drug trafficking and illegal gold and copper mining activities. Timber shipments are used to hide and transport contraband in the region.

29. Salvador, Brazil

Homicides per 100,000: 47.23

Salvador is a city located in the northeastern region of Brazil, on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the state of Bahia and is known for its vibrant culture, rich history, and beautiful beaches. Despite the high rate of homicides, the city attracts millions of visitors every year for its renowned Carnival celebrations.

28. Maturin, Venezuela

Homicides per 100,000: 47.24

Maturin is a city located in the northeastern part of Venezuela. It is situated in the Orinoco River basin and is the capital of the Monagas state. Maturin is a relatively large city with a population of around 500,000 people. The reign of a socialist government for the last two decades has adversely impacted the country economically and socially.

27. Palmira, Colombia

Homicides per 100,000: 47.97

Palmira is a city in southwestern Colombia, located in the Valle del Cauca department. It has a population of around 300,000 people and is the third largest city in the department after Cali and Buenaventura. The city has implemented a program aimed at providing resources to youth as a means of preventing their involvement in gang violence.

26. Coatzacoalcos, Mexico

Homicides per 100,000: 48.35

Coatzacoalcos is situated in a region infamous for drug trafficking, with drug-related violence being a significant issue in the city. Various gangs operate within Coatzacoalcos, engaging in diverse criminal activities like drug trafficking, extortion, and kidnapping. The local police force in the city has been subject to criticism, as it is understaffed, underfunded, and insufficiently trained, which can impede its ability to combat crime effectively.

25. Aracaju, Brazil

Homicides per 100,000: 48.77

Aracaju is a city located in the northeastern state of Sergipe, Brazil. The city faces issues associated with corruption and inadequate law enforcement, which makes it difficult to combat crime effectively.

24. San Salvador, El Salvador

Homicides per 100,000: 50.32

San Salvador, the capital city of El Salvador, has been known for its high rates of violent crime, including murder. Various factors contribute to the high levels of violence in El Salvador, including poverty, inequality, gang activity, drug trafficking, and a weak justice system. Gangs, such as MS-13 and Barrio 18, have a strong presence in the country and are responsible for much of the violence.

23. Baltimore, USA

Homicides per 100,000: 50.52

Baltimore is located in the state of Maryland in the US. There have been longstanding tensions between the police and the community in Baltimore, particularly in neighbourhoods with high rates of crime. This can make it difficult for the police to effectively investigate and prevent homicides, as witnesses may be hesitant to come forward or cooperate with law enforcement.

22. Vitoria da Conquista, Brazil

Homicides per 100,000: 50.75

Vitoria da Conquista is a city located in the southwestern region of the state of Bahia, Brazil. The city is known for its cultural diversity, as it is home to many different ethnic groups, including indigenous peoples and immigrants from Europe and Asia. Despite its multiculturalism, the city has been plagued by violent crime due to the conflict between criminal organizations and law enforcement agencies.

21. Maceio, Brazil

Homicides per 100,000: 51.46

Maceio is a city located in the northeastern region of Brazil, specifically in the state of Alagoas. It is the capital and largest city in the state, with a population of around 1 million people. The city's current rate of homicides per 100,000 reflects a significant decline from 110 murders per 100,000 people back in 2011.

20. Ciudad Obregon, Mexico

Homicides per 100,000: 52.09

Ciudad Obregon is a city located in the state of Sonora in northwest Mexico. It is the second-largest city in the state and is named after Alvaro Obregon, a general and president of Mexico. The town is six hours away from the US-Mexico neighbourhood. In March 2022, following an anonymous tip, a mass grave with 21 bodies was found in the city.

19. Kingston, Jamaica

Homicides per 100,000: 54.12

Kingston, Jamaica, has had a reputation for high crime rates and homicides. The city has struggled with issues related to gang violence, drug trafficking, and poverty for many years, which have contributed to the high levels of crime. In December 2022, the government announced a state of emergency to control the rising level of violence, as the island of Jamaica saw 1,421 murders during 2022.

18. Uruapan, Mexico

Homicides per 100,000: 54.52

Uruapan is a city located in the state of Michoacan in western Mexico. It is situated in a valley surrounded by mountains and is known for its natural beauty and cultural heritage. In April 2022, the city saw the murder of prominent lawyer and notary public Ricardo Alberto Esparza in front of his office by unknown gunmen.

17. Barquisimeto, Venezuela

Homicides per 100,000: 56.67

Barquisimeto is a city located in northwestern Venezuela. It is the capital of the Lara state and is one of the largest cities in Venezuela, with a population of around 1.23 million people. The city has a bustling commercial district with many shops, restaurants, and businesses. Despite being a hub for economic activity, Barquisimeto has experienced high crime levels in recent years.

16. Ciudad Bolivar, Venezuela

Homicides per 100,000: 60.09

Ciudad Bolivar is a city located in southeastern Venezuela, in the state of Bolivar. The city has faced challenges in the last several years due to Venezuela's economic crisis. Many of the city's residents have struggled to access necessities, such as food and medicine, and there have been reports of crime and violence in certain parts of the city.

15. Culiacan, Mexico

Homicides per 100,000: 60.52

Culiacan is a city located in the state of Sinaloa, Mexico. It is the largest city in the state and serves as its capital. Culiacan has been plagued by drug-related violence and organized crime in recent years, as the city is located in a region that is a major producer of illegal drugs such as marijuana and heroin.

14. St. Louis, USA

Homicides per 100,000: 60.59

St. Louis, Missouri, has historically had a higher homicide rate than many other cities in the US. The city recorded 196 murders in 2022. The root causes of violent crime in St. Louis and other cities are complex and multi-faceted. Factors such as poverty, inequality, drug addiction, and lack of access to education and job opportunities can all contribute to the high crime rate.

13. Feira De Santana, Brazil

Homicides per 100,000: 63.29

Feira de Santana is a city located in the state of Bahia in northeastern Brazil. It is the second-largest city in the state and is known for its historic architecture and cultural festivals. Like many urban areas in Brazil, Feira de Santana has a relatively high crime rate. The neighbourhoods of Queimadinha and Sobradinho are known for being dangerous in the city.

12. Cancun, Mexico

Homicides per 100,000: 64.47

Cancun is located in the state of Quintana Roo on the Caribbean coast of Mexico. It is known for its beautiful beaches and rich cultural history. Like many popular tourist spots, Cancun experiences a significant level of criminal activities, including homicides. To overcome the rampant homicide rate, the government deployed 3,000 soldiers in the city in September 2022.

11. Belem, Brazil

Homicides per 100,000: 65.31

Belem, Brazil, is a large city located in the northern state of Para. Guama and Terra Firme are some of the most dangerous neighbourhoods of the city. Some of the common crimes taking place in the city are pickpocketing, purse-snatching, and theft of valuables from cars. There are also frequent reports of more serious crimes, such as robberies, assaults, and kidnappings.

10. Cape Town, South Africa

Homicides per 100,000: 66.36

Cape Town, located in South Africa, is notorious for its high crime rate, which includes a significant number of homicides. Official statistics reveal that the city has one of the highest murder rates in the country, with certain areas, such as the Cape Flats and Khayelitsha, being notorious for their dangerous reputation.

9. Fortaleza, Brazil

Homicides per 100,000: 69.15

Fortaleza is a coastal city located in the northeastern region of Brazil, in the state of Ceara. It is the fifth-largest city in Brazil, with a population of around 2.7 million people, and covers an area of approximately 313 square kilometres. The city has a large number of slums, or "favelas," which are often controlled by drug gangs who engage in violent turf wars. These turf wars contribute to the high homicide rate in Fortaleza.

8. Natal, Brazil

Homicides per 100,000: 74.67

Natal is a city located in the northeastern region of Brazil, in the state of Rio Grande do Norte. It is known for its beautiful beaches, dunes, and warm climate. The city has a population of around 900,000 people. Earlier in March 2023, 14 cities in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, including Natal, experienced coordinated attacks on public property. This reflects the strength of the criminal element in the state and its capital.

7. Ciudad Guayana, Venezuela

Homicides per 100,000: 78.3

Ciudad Guayana is situated in the southeastern region of Venezuela, near the Orinoco River, with a population of over 964,000 people. It is renowned for its robust industrial sector, mainly iron and steel production. However, the city has been grappling with high levels of crime and violence for the last few years. Carjacking, robberies, and homicides are all prevalent issues in Ciudad Guayana.

6. Irapuato, Mexico

Homicides per 100,000: 81.44

Irapuato, Mexico, is a city situated in the state of Guanajuato. The city has a population of approximately 468,000 people and is known for being a hub for the automotive industry. In October 2022, the city experienced a violent incident where 12 people were killed by unidentified gunmen in a bar located in the southern part of the city. This event highlights the high levels of crime and violence that are prevalent in Irapuato and the state of Guanajuato as a whole.

In addition to Irapuato, Acapulco, Ciudad Victoria, and Tijuana are some other cities in Mexico that are considered the most dangerous cities in the world.

Click to continue reading and see the 5 Most Dangerous Cities in the World. Suggested articles:

Disclosure: None. 30 Most Dangerous Cities in the World is originally published at Insider Monkey.
Shiromani Akali Dal leader Inder Iqbal Singh Atwal joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in New Delhi on Sunday in the presence of Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and other senior leaders of the party.

IMAGE: Former Shiromani Akali Dal MLA Inder Iqbal Singh Atwal joins BJP in the presence of Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, party national general secretary Tarun Chugh, party leader Vijay Rupani and others, at the party headquarters, in New Delhi, April 9, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo

Atwal is the son of Charanjit Singh Atwal, who was the deputy speaker of the 14th Lok Sabha from 2004 to 2009 and also served as the speaker of the Punjab assembly in the past.

Besides Atwal, his younger brother Jasjeet Singh Atwal and other leaders from Punjab joined the BJP at the party headquarters in the national capital.

"If at all anyone is implementing the ideas of Babasaheb Ambedkar in the real sense, it is the government of India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I am joining the BJP after being impressed by the work done by its government at the Centre through various schemes," Atwal, a former SAD vice-president, told reporters.

He also hailed Modi for reopening of the Kartarpur corridor for Sikhs and said the prime minister set a "historic milestone" with this step.

Atwal said there is a need to herald "a new era" of development in Punjab, taking along all sections of the society, including Dalits.

"We will work day and night to strengthen the BJP in Punjab under the guidance of the party leadership. We will take along the entire Sikh society as well as people belonging to every religion and community to lead Punjab onto the path of progress," he added.

Welcoming Atwal and the others into the party fold, Union Minister Puri said people have been joining the BJP due to Modi's "new governance model".

"Good governance is also good politics," Puri said, asserting that the country has witnessed progress under Modi's leadership.

He recalled the contributions of Charanjit Singh Atwal to the country's polity and said the BJP will be strengthened with his sons joining it.

BJP's Punjab incharge Vijay Rupani, who was also present on the occasion, said Atwal and his family have significant influence in Punjab and his joining the party will strengthen the organisation in the state.

He said "many people" from Punjab are joining the BJP as the situation in the state is worsening with every passing day.

"Over the past several years, they reposed faith in various parties and finally the Aam Aadmi Party, but the situation in Punjab is worsening day by day. People in Punjab are fed up and frustrated," Rupani claimed.

Hence, the people of Punjab are looking up to the BJP as they believe that only Prime Minister Modi can take care of the state, he added.

"They are gradually realising that Punjab can also progress the way (the rest of) the country is doing with Prime Minister Modi's vision and development politics," Rupani said, asserting, "The BJP will take along everyone and will not let Punjab break or weaken."

BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh, chief spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Anil Baluni, Punjab state unit president Ashwani Sharma and Union Minister Som Prakash, among other party leaders, were also present on the occasion.
Security arrangements in Bathinda have been stepped up security ahead of Baisakhi celebrations in the state, following an unverified video of Khalistani preacher and 'Waris Punjab De' chief Amritpal Singh urging followers to spread the word for the big congregation on Baisakhi to discuss issues before the Sikh community.

IMAGE: SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami with its members take out the protest march from Golden Temple to deputy commissioner's office against the alleged illegal detention of youths under 'Operation Amritpal', in Amritsar, March 31, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo

Additional director general of police, Surinder Pal Singh Parmar, said the security arrangement is a positive message that the situation is normal in Punjab.

"We have made elaborate security arrangements. We are here for the convenience of people. We want more and more people to visit the state on Baisakhi. It will send out a positive message that the situation is normal in Punjab. No restrictions have been imposed," said the ADGP on security arrangements in Bathinda ahead of Baisakhi celebrations on April 14.

Earlier, on April 2, amid speculations that the fugitive Waris Punjab De chief was likely to surrender at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, deputy commissioner of police, law and order, Parminder Singh Bhandal said that if the Khalistan leader wants to surrender, they will help him do so in accordance with the law.

"We are working continuously for the safety and security of the people in Amritsar. Right now, we are more focused on the management of traffic as Baisakhi is around the corner. If Amritpal wants to surrender, we will do our bit according to the law," he said.

Earlier, the fugitive Khalistan leader purportedly appeared in a new video saying he was not "a fugitive" and will soon "appear in front of the world".

Amritpal said those who think that he ran away or left his friends should "get that thing" out of their minds.

The KhaIistan leader, who was declared a fugitive by the Punjab police, said no one should have any apprehension that he ran away from his people.

"Soon I will appear in front of the world. I'm not the kind of person who will go abroad and put out videos," he said.

"Many people had said that I got my hair cut. Before getting the hair cut, I will get my head cut," he said.

Amritpal 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.
A Pakistani intruder was killed and two more were arrested as Army troops foiled an attempt to smuggle in 17 kg of narcotics through the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district early on Sunday, a defence spokesperson said.

Image used for representational purpose only. Photograph: ANI Photo

Officials said the infiltrators, all residents of Maidan Mohalla in Chanjal village of Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, were intercepted by the troops in Shahpur sector.

Jammu-based Army PRO Lt Col Devender Anand said the troops noticed suspicious movement of a group of three individuals close to the LoC around 10.15 pm on Saturday.

"Around midnight, the group crossed the LoC and started infiltrating into this side. The alert troops kept the movement of the infiltrating group under continuous observation. At approximately 2 am, as the group approached the fence, the alert Army troops challenged them," he said.

The official said as the intruders started to run away, they were fired upon. One of them was shot dead while the other two managed to escape into a jungle taking advantage of the thick foliage, darkness and rocky outcrop, he added.

"The area was immediately cordoned off to prevent their escape across the LoC and a search operation was launched at first light wherein the body of the slain intruder was recovered at the encounter site," Lt Col Anand said.

As the search progressed into the jungle, he said, the other two intruders were apprehended, including one in an injured condition.

Three bags with 14 packets of narcotics weighing about 17 kg, Pakistani currency, some documents and eatables have been recovered in the operation, the spokesperson said.

Quoting preliminary questioning of the arrested intruders, Lt Col Anand said they have claimed that they are residents of Chanjal village of PoJK.

"By their quick action, alert Army troops have thus prevented a major infiltration bid, of a Narco terror group which had the potential of disturbing the peace in Poonch and Rajouri districts through its nefarious designs," the officer said.

The officials identified the slain intruder as Sharief Kohli (45) and his arrested associates as Shakeel Choudhary (32) and Tariq Kohli (40).
Beijing performed "simulated coordinated precision strikes on important targets in Taiwan" on the second day of the drills, adding to the ongoing tense situation between Taiwan and China, Al Jazeera reported on Sunday.

IMAGE: A Taiwan Air Force F-16 aircraft flies over Hualien, Taiwan, April 9, 2023. Photograph: Ann Wang/Reuters

The drills kickstarted on Saturday (April 8) right after Taiwan President Tsai Ing-Wen returned from the US where she met House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a meeting to which China strictly showed opposition to.

Al Jazeera reported that the declaration was made on Sunday as Taiwan's defence ministry said that it had discovered numerous Chinese air force sorties and was keeping an eye on Beijing's missile forces.

Taiwan on Saturday tracked 71 Chinese military aircraft and nine naval ships by 4 pm, reported Taiwan News.

The ministry of national defense said that it included 45 planes which either crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait or entered Taiwan's air defence identification zone from the southwest.

This comes after Beijing announced three days of military exercises around Taiwan on Friday, the day after President Tsai Ing-wen returned to Taipei from Los Angeles, where she met with US House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

Meanwhile, Taiwan also lodged a protest against Chinese military drills around Taiwan, saying that the country would not yield to threats.

Taking to Twitter, Taiwan's ministry of national defence said, "#Taiwan is our homeland, and no matter where we go or what we encounter, she is always charming and beautiful. Every story on this land is etched in our memories. We, #ROCArmedForces, are fighting with all our heart to defend our homeland and to protect our home together."

Taiwan has never been governed by the Chinese Communist Party, but Beijing claims it is part of its territory and seeks "peaceful reunification" with Taiwan.

Tensions between China and Taiwan escalated after the US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi travelled to the breakaway country in August last year.

China raised objections to Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, which China claims as part of its territory.

This time, Taiwan has retaliated by sending aircraft, naval boats, and land-based missiles to observe PLA planes and ships.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday said those raising suspicion about the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya were shown their way home as the process has started and the work is in full swing.

IMAGE: Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde with state deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis offering prayers at the under-construction Ram Temple, in Ayodhya, April 9, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo

After paying obeisance to Ramlalla and overseeing the construction work of the temple, Shinde said he is happy that the dream of "Hindu Hriday Samrat" Balasaheb Thackeray and crores of Ram bhakts is being fulfilled.

"Everyone used to wonder when the construction work would start. Some used to say mandir wahin banayenge, par tarikh nahi batayenge (the temple will be built there, but the dates will not be told). But Prime Minister Narendra Modi has got the work started and the dream of crores of Ram bhakts is being fulfilled.... Those asking for the dates have also been shown their way home," Shinde, who has been accompanied by thousands of Shiv Sainiks on his maiden visit to Ayodhya as the chief minister, said.

His supporters were seen carrying saffron flags with the Shiv Sena's election symbol.

Shinde said before the start of the temple's construction work, several opposition parties used to take a dig at the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party by raising the slogan -- mandir wahin banayenge, par tarikh nahi batayenge.

At Hanumangarhi, the Maharashtra chief minister was given a mace by temple mahant Raju Das. His deputy Devendra Fadnavis and Bharatiya Janata Party MP Brijbhushan Sharan Singh were also present on the occasion.

"I thank you all for being able to see our dream being fulfilled with our own eyes. I thank the prime minister and (Uttar Pradesh) Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The Sagwan wood used in the temple is from Maharashtra and this is our small contribution," Shinde said.

Hitting out at former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, he said he wants to tell those who used to say this is "ravan raaj" that this government has been made with the blessings of Lord Ram.

"They put (independent MP) Navneet Rana and her husband in jail for reciting the Hanuman Chalisa. When seers were killed, they kept silent. Now, there will be no atrocities on the poor and seers will be honoured and protected," Shinde said.

He said the entire atmosphere from Lucknow to Ayodhya has become "Ram-mai" (filled with slogans of Lord Ram) and he is happy that he has come to the holy town of Ayodhya with the "bow and arrow" (Shiv Sena's poll symbol).

Pointing out that this is his first visit to Ayodhya as the chief minister, Shinde said "we will take the soil from here to Amravati, where a 111-foot statue of Bajrangbali will be built".

"I am going for the darshan of Lord Ram. We have the blessings of Lord Ram and that is why the 'dhanush-baan' (bow and arrow) is with us," Shinde told reporters in Lucknow before leaving for Ayodhya.

He will attend the maha aarti in the evening on the Sarayu river bank.

Fadnavis and Uttar Pradesh minister Swatantra Dev Singh were seen accompanying Shinde.

Thousands of Shiv Sainiks have reached Ayodhya and almost all hotels, guesthouses and dharamshalas in the temple town have been booked to accommodate Shiv Sena ministers, MPs and MLAs.

The Sena is planning to highlight Shinde's visit to Ayodhya across the country.

Earlier, Shinde visited Ayodhya as a Sena leader on November 25, 2018, a year before the Supreme Court announced its verdict in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute.

He also visited Ayodhya in March 2020 and June last year.
Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray leader Sanjay Raut on Sunday said the "united opposition" feels a probe into the Adani group companies is necessary and his party is in support of such a demand.

IMAGE: Shiv Sena-UBT MP Sanjay Raut at Parliament House during the second phase of Budget Session, in New Delhi, April 3, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo

Talking to reporters, Raut said he does not wish to get involved in the differences between the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party over the nature of the investigation.

"The united opposition feels a probe is necessary into the Adani companies and the Shiv Sena-UBT is part of it (opposition),'' he said .

A probe monitored by the Supreme Court and an inquiry by a Joint Parliamentary Committee can be done together, the Rajya Sabha member said.

Raut said industrialists should be supported, but not corruption.

Notably, Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar had in an interview to NDTV on Friday said the inquiry committee appointed by the Supreme Court following allegations of stock manipulation levelled against the Adani group by US-based Hindenburg Research would be more useful.

In a JPC, the ruling party (Bharatiya Janata Party) will have a majority, said Pawar, whose party is an ally of the Shiv Sena-UBT and Congress in Maharashtra.

Raut said, "Pawar hasn't opposed an inquiry against Adani. The issue is whether it should the JPC or a Supreme Court-monitored probe.''

Hitting out at Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Raut claimed the CM and the other Shiv Sena leaders who rebelled against Uddhav Thackeray were planning to do so even when Prithviraj Chavan (of Congress) was the chief minister.

"These people had met (Congress leader) Ahmed Patel in Delhi,'' he further claimed.

Chavan served the chief minister of Maharashtra between November 2010 and September 2014.

Raut said Sharad Pawar should take a stand on opposition leaders being targeted by the Modi government.

''(Gautam) Adani is targeted because he is very close to Modi and his wealth has increased because of his closeness to the prime minister,'' Raut claimed.

Asked about CM Shinde's current visit to Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh, Raut claimed the Maharashtra government has left the state farmers in the lurch and its leaders are on a "religious tourism".

In the last 72 hours, hailstorm and unseasonal rains in several parts of the state have damaged crops. The government had said it will provide relief to farmers after the budget session, the Sena-UBT leader said.

''This government is indulging in politics over Ayodhya. Lord Ram, who is against falsehood, will never bless them. I only hope God gives them good sense,'' he said.
State police said Benjamin Appleby, 29, of 1210 Bantam Road, admitted he strangled the victim, Alexandra "Ali" Kemp, who was found dead by her father on June 18, 2002.

Appleby, who also used the name Teddy Hoover, was hiding in Bantam from authorities and had an outstanding arrest warrant under his alias for charges of risk of injury to a minor, disorderly conduct and public indecency from a Woodbury incident in 1997.

Appleby waived his right to contest extradition in Waterbury Superior Court on Tuesday and is being held on $1 million bond until sheriffs from Johnson County in Kansas return him to the Midwestern state to face prosecution later this week for first-degree murder. Appleby may face the death penalty in Kansas.

"It's a big load off of our shoulders," said Major Craig Hill of the Leawood (Kan.) Police Department. "We have three open homicides in our department and this is one everyone remembers because of the brutality of the crime, and the terror that everyone felt that there was a predator in their neighborhood."

Hill said Kemp's case drew a record number of telephone tips from the public, especially after the case was featured on Fox Television's "America's Most Wanted" and in advertisements in USA Today. In addition, the victim's father, Roger Kemp, set up a $50,000 reward announced on billboards in the Kansas City area.

"I never thought we wouldn't get this predator," Roger Kemp told The Associated Press. "And we got him. We wanted him and we wanted him bad. We say this is our guy."

On the day of her death, Kemp was working as an attendant at a neighborhood pool.

"She was hoping to get out of work early that day to get ready for a date, and her brother came early to relieve her," Major Hill said. "But when he showed up she wasn't there, but all of her stuff was there.

"It was absolutely awful. Her brother called and called for her, and her Dad came to help and he found her in the pump house under some coverings."

Her death was caused by strangulation, the major said. The victim was beaten and her attack was consistent with sexual assault, he said.

Senior State's Attorney John Davenport said he expects to consult with the victim in the Woodbury case, but the state charges may be dropped if Appleby is brought to Kansas. He said the judge approved his motion to seal the local case to protect the identity of the victim.

"The Kansas authorities did a great job following their leads. The police followed tips, including information from an old girlfriend that lived in Bantam, which led them here," he added.

Several weeks ago, Kansas police contacted local authorities about a possible suspect living in this area. As the investigation of Appleby took shape, two detectives from the Leawood Police Department came to Bantam to complete their two-year murder case alongside Western District detectives, said Sgt. Paul Vance, a spokesperson for the state Department of Public Safety. Authorities watched Appleby in the Bantam area, and reports also indicate DNA evidence was collected to compare against samples gathered from the murder scene.

"A lot of it was good ol' fashion police work with 21st century technology," Vance said. "Everyone did an outstanding job."

Police requested authority to seize some of Appleby's property.

"He had an alias that we arrested him under, but he confirmed his name is Appleby," said Davenport.

The Borough of Bantam was rocked with the news that Appleby chose this area to hide from authorities more than 1,300 miles away from the scene of the high-profile murder.

"We were completely surprised," said Clayton Blick, who lives a few houses away from Appleby's residence on Bantam Road. "We didn't know him and never saw him, but we are happy he is gone."

Another neighbor of the accused, Douglas Arenz, also of Bantam Road, said he hoped if Appleby committed the crime the family of the victim would get justice.

"Living in our town --- that's just crazy," Arenz said. "He deserves jail without the possibility of parole or to be executed. He is doing no good to society and no good to anybody's children here or there. I may be jaded, but I believe in an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth."

Tracy Kennedy can be reached by e-mail at courts@registercitizen.com.
ArcelorMittal South Africa (JSE:ACL) Full Year 2022 Results

Key Financial Results

Revenue: R40.8b (up 2.7% from FY 2021).

Net income: R2.63b (down 60% from FY 2021).

Profit margin: 6.5% (down from 17% in FY 2021). The decrease in margin was driven by higher expenses.

EPS: R2.36 (down from R5.94 in FY 2021).

All figures shown in the chart above are for the trailing 12 month (TTM) period

ArcelorMittal South Africa Revenues Beat Expectations, EPS Falls Short

Revenue exceeded analyst estimates by 1.7%. Earnings per share (EPS) missed analyst estimates by 132%.

Looking ahead, revenue is expected to decline by 1.1% p.a. on average during the next 3 years, while revenues in the Metals and Mining industry in South Africa are expected to grow by 1.8%.

Performance of the South African Metals and Mining industry.

The company's shares are down 4.0% from a week ago.

Risk Analysis

You should learn about the 3 warning signs we've spotted with ArcelorMittal South Africa (including 1 which is a bit unpleasant).

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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JERUSALEM (AP)  Israeli warplanes and artillery struck targets in Syria following rare rocket fire from the northeastern neighbor, as Jewish-Muslim tensions reached a peak Sunday at a volatile Jerusalem shrine with simultaneous religious rituals.

Thousands of Jewish worshippers gathered at the city's Western Wall, the holiest place where Jews can pray, for a mass priestly benediction prayer service for the Passover holiday. At the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, a walled esplanade above the Western Wall, hundreds of Palestinians performed prayers as part of observances during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Hundreds of Jews also visited the Al-Aqsa compound under heavy police guard Sunday, to whistles and religious chants from Palestinians protesting their presence. By sundown, the observances had passed without serious incident.

Such tours by religious and nationalist Jews have increased in size and frequency over the years, and are viewed with suspicion by many Palestinians who fear that Israel plans one day to take over the site or partition it. Israeli officials say they have no intention of changing long-standing arrangements that allow Jews to visit, but not pray in the Muslim-administered site.

However, the country is now governed by the most right-wing government in its history, with ultra-nationalists who seek changes in the arrangements in senior positions.

Tensions have soared in the past week at the flashpoint shrine after an Israeli police raid on the mosque. On several occasions, Palestinians have barricaded themselves inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque with stones and firecrackers, demanding the right to pray there overnight, something Israel has in the past only allowed during the last 10 days of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Police removed them by force, detaining hundreds and leaving dozens injured.

The violence at the shrine triggered rocket fire by Palestinian militants from the Gaza Strip and southern Lebanon, starting Wednesday, and Israeli airstrikes targeted both areas.

In Lebanon, Hezbollahs media office announced that the militant groups chief, Hassan Nasrallah, received a delegation headed by Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh on Sunday. The two discussed the most important developments in occupied Palestine, the course of events at al-Aqsa Mosque, and the escalating resistance in the West Bank and Gaza, in addition to general political developments in the region, the readiness of the resistance axis and the cooperation of its parties, the statement said.

Haniyeh, who arrived in Lebanon last week shortly before rockets were launched at Israel from south Lebanon, had been scheduled to make a public appearance in Beirut on Friday. But it was canceled for security reasons following the exchange of strikes between Lebanon and Israel. No group has officially claimed responsibility for the rocket attacks, but Israel has accused Hamas of being behind them.

Late on Saturday and early Sunday, militants in Syria fired rockets in two salvos toward Israel and the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights. A Damascus-based Palestinian group loyal to the Syrian government claimed responsibility for the first round of rockets, saying it was retaliating for the Al-Aqsa raids.

In the first salvo, one rocket landed in a field in the Golan Heights. Fragments of another destroyed missile fell into Jordanian territory near the Syrian border, Jordans military reported. In the second round, two of the rockets crossed the border into Israel, with one being intercepted and the second landing in an open area, the Israeli military said.

Israel responded with artillery fire into the area in Syria from where the rockets were fired. Later, the military said Israeli fighter jets attacked Syrian army sites, including a compound of Syrias 4th Division and radar and artillery posts.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed the violence in a telephone call with Israeli counterpart Isaac Herzog late Saturday, telling Herzog that Muslims could not remain silent about the provocations and threats against the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and said the hostilities that have spread to Gaza and Lebanon should not be allowed to escalate further.

In addition to the cross-border fighting, three people were killed over the weekend in Palestinian attacks in Israel and the occupied West Bank.

Hundreds of people, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, attended the funeral for two British-Israeli sisters, Maia and Rina Dee, who were killed in a shooting Friday in the West Bank.

They were buried following an emotional ceremony in the Jewish settlement of Kfar Etzion in the West Bank. As the two bodies were brought into the room, one of their sisters threw herself down and hugged the covered bodies.

May we and no one else in the whole world ever know so much sorrow. Amen, said their father, Lee Dee.

An Italian tourist, Alessandro Parini, 35, a lawyer from Rome, had just arrived in the city a few hours earlier with some friends for a brief Easter holiday. He was killed Friday in a suspected car-ramming on Tel Aviv's beachside promenade.

Over 90 Palestinians and have been killed by Israeli fire so far this year, at least half of them affiliated with militant groups, according to a tally by The Associated Press. Palestinian attacks on Israelis have killed 19 people in that time. All but one were civilians.



Associated Press writers Suzan Frazer in Ankara, Turkey; Abby Sewell in Beirut and Frances DEmilio in Rome contributed to this report.
The BJP on Sunday accused the Congress of unleashing a "misinformation campaign" over dairy cooperative Amul's presence in Karnataka and asserted that it has done far more than the opposition party to strengthen the Karnataka Milk Federation and its products are sold under the brand name Nandini.

"Amul is NOT entering Karnataka. Both Amul and KMF sell their products across quick-commerce platforms. KMF's turnover went up by (Rs) 10,000 crore after BJP came to power in 2019. In 2022, turnover stood at (Rs) 25,000 crore, of which (Rs) 20,000 crore went back to farmers of Karnataka," BJP IT department headed Amit Malviya tweeted.

- Amul is NOT entering Karnataka

- Both Amul and KMF sell their products across quick-commerce platforms

- KMFs turnover went up by 10,000 crore after BJP came to power in 2019. In 2022, turnover stood at 25,000 crore, of which 20,000 crore went back to farmers of Karnataka

3/n  Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) April 9, 2023

His tweets came after Congress leader Siddaramaiah took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi following Amul's announcement of its plans to sell milk and curd in the Bengaluru market.

With Modi visiting the state on Sunday, the former Karnataka chief minister asked if the purpose of his trip was "to loot the state".

Malviya said, "There is a reason why India doesn't TRUST Congress. They LIE! Latest being the misinformation campaign that Karnataka Milk Federation, which owns Nandini, is going to merge with Amul." The BJP has done far more to strengthen KMF and make Nandini a global brand.

KMF is the nation's second-largest milk cooperative and has depots in Maharashtra, Goa, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Tamil Nadu.

The BJP leader said, "15 per cent of KMF's total sales is outside Karnataka. Nandini is exported to Singapore, UAE and many other countries. Amul and KMF are NOT merging." He also claimed that Amul, owned by Gujarat Milk Marketing Federation, is not entering Karnataka and that both Amul and KMF sell their products across quick-commerce platforms.

He added, "Under the BJP, Karnataka is a milk surplus state. Dairy farmers are doing very well. Congress, which is shedding crocodile tears for brand Nandini, opposed the anti-cow slaughter bill, approved of our nandinis being slaughtered. BJP plans to make Nandini a bigger brand."
CRPF Valour Day is observed every year on the 9th of April. It is known as Shaurya Diwas, as it is to commemorate and honours the brave men and women who have selflessly served the nation. The Central Reserve Police Force, which is Indias largest central armed police force unit and comes under the Ministry Of Home Affairs (MHA), is celebrating its 58th Valour Day. It has around 246 battalions and over 30,000 personnel.

The major responsibility of the CRPF is to support the state and Union territory police forces. CRPF personnel are assigned by the government to different locations across India, and their main duty is to uphold the rule of law in the country and fight insurgency in the affected regions of the country. The CRPF is also assigned to assist in protecting government sites and locations against any form of threat and resistance.

CRPF Valour Day: History and Significance

On the intervening night of April 8 and April 9 1965, 3,500 members of Pakistans 51st Infantry brigade launched Operation Desert Hawk against border operations in the Rann of Kutch. For the first time, a full-fledged infantry brigade engaged the Pakistani army in a battle and came out victorious. A total of six members of the CRPF were martyred in the conflict.

It was the bravery of head constable Bhawana Ram, who was stationed at the edge of the Sardar post, that led to the elimination of an intruder at the post. Around 34 Pakistani soldiers died in the conflict. Every year this day is observed to recognise the bravery and heroics of those soldiers.

On Shaurya Diwas, we commemorate and honor the heroes of the @crpfindia who laid down their lives to thwart the enemy's attempt to breach India's border security at Rann of Kutch in Gujarat on this day in 1965.



Their sacrifice inspired the nation with the spirit of patriotism. pic.twitter.com/G9UtgYGWGy  Amit Shah (@AmitShah) April 9, 2023

CRPF's primary role is to assist state and union territories in the maintaining law and order situation and counter-insurgency ops. It came into existence as the Crowns representative police on 27th July 1939. After Independence, it was named CRPF on the enactment of the CRPF Act on December 28, 1949.

The CRPF also participated in Sri Lanka Peace-Keeping Operations; they were sent as part of the UN peacekeeping forces to Maldives, Somalia, Namibia and Haiti. They contributed to maintaining political stability in Haiti as part of the Haiti mission. Under the Liberia mission, a fully operational Female police unit was sent there in 2007. To combat the Naxalite movement in the region, CRPF established a branch known as Commando Battalion for Resolute Action in 2008.
Indian Air Forces newest and most advanced fighter jets the French-made Rafale are all set to participate in a French military exercise which includes many NATO troops as well. The fighter jets will most likely arrive in France in mid-April 2023 to take part in Ex Orion-23. It is a multi-dimensional exercise which includes ground troops, warships aircraft carriers and combat aircraft.

This will be for the first time that Indian Rafael jets will participate in a military exercise which is being held in a different country. This is Indias most advanced aircraft with the latest military technology and is equipped with meteor air-to-air missiles with a range of 200 km and Scalp air-to-ground missiles with a range of 300 km. India and France hold regular bilateral exercises including the Garuda series of aerial drills but have been increasingly taking part in multilateral exercises, the Indian navy recently took part in Ex La Perouse in the Indian Ocean which included participation from the UK, US, Japan and Australia and was conducted in the Indian Ocean.

Ex Orion-23

A significant military training exercise is called Orion-23 (Operation for Resilient, Interoperable, High-Intensity Combat Oriented, and Innovative armed forces). It is taking place at a time when the Russia-Ukraine conflict is at its peak. It is decided as preparation for NATO and allies for possible future conflicts with Russia. It is the largest military war drill being conducted by the European Nation in decades, it involves 19000 troops from France and spans across land, sea, air and cyberspace.

The Russia-Ukraine conflict has been modelled after the war game scenario. For the exercises, a fictitious nation named "Arland," which is aligned with France and under invasion from a much larger neighbour named "Mercure," has been established. Arland makes a plea to its allies for assistance in defending itself against the Invasion after being damaged by a destabilising campaign that involves the establishment of a separatist terrorist group by Mercure. To prevent a Mercure air-land strike, the war simulation, which is almost finished, will advocate an invasion of Arland and the cooperation of allies like France and other NATO members.

About Rafale fighter jets

Rafale is a twin-engine multi-role fighter aircraft designed by Dassault Aviation. It is a multi-role aircraft and the Indian Air Force has already received 36 of these fighter jets. This makes two squadrons for the IAF. It has also a naval version known as Rafale Marine.

It has a delta wing design and is capable of higher G-forces as much as 11 G and is available in single as well as dual-seater variants. It is 15.27m long and has a wing span of 10.80m. The Rafael has GIAT 30M/719B cannon mounted on it with controlled 0.5 or 1-second bursts at 2500 RPM. Rafale is equipped with a primary missile as the multi-target fire and forgets the air-to-air missile. It is also equipped with MBDA Meteor.
At least 44 people were killed by Islamic extremists in multiple attacks in northern Burkina Faso, the government said Saturday.

Jihadis attacked Kourakou and Tondobi villages in Seno province, said Lt. Col. P.F Rodolphe Sorgho, governor of the Sahel region in a statement. Sorgho called the attacks on Thursday and Friday despicable and barbaric and said the government was stabilizing the area. He called on people to remain calm.

The West African nation has been overrun by jihadi violence linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group that's killed thousands and displaced 2 million people over six years. Fighting has frustrated and divided a once peaceful population, leading to two military coups last year with each junta leader vowing to stem the attacks.

But the violence is intensifying and spreading as jihadis blockade villages, preventing hundreds of thousands of people from moving freely.

In February, the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for killing more than 70 soldiers, wounding dozens and taking five hostage, in an ambush on a military convoy in the north. A few weeks before that, jihadis killed at least 32 people , including soldiers and civilians, in multiple attacks across the country.

The violence has created the worst humanitarian crisis in the country's history, forcing one in five citizens some 4.7 million people  to be in need of humanitarian assistance, according to the United Nations.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese expressed confidence that the agreement with the United States to acquire a fleet of nuclear submarines will proceed regardless of the outcome of the 2024 presidential elections. During an interview with Sky News on Sunday, Albanese was asked about the escalating political division in the US following the indictment of former President Donald Trump, who is currently campaigning for another term in office.

According to a report from Business Times, Albanese emphasized that the relationship between Australia and the US was not solely dependent on their respective leaders, but between their nations. He further stated that he was not concerned about any potential impact on the AUKUS agreement if Trump were to win the presidency again.

Australia and US share common values, says Australian PM

Australia and the US share common values, the Australian PM said. President Joe Biden is anticipated to make his inaugural trip to Australia in May to participate in the QUAD strategic partnership summit, which will also be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida. The AUKUS security agreement inked in 2021 dictates that the UK and the US will provide support to Australia in acquiring a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines, with the initial batch of US Virginia-class vessels set to reach Australian shores by the start of the 2030s.

The AUKUS agreement has faced criticism in Australia for allegedly tying the country too closely to the US. In a speech last March, former Prime Minister Paul Keating referred to the deal as the "worst deal in history," claiming that Australia would be subject to the "whim and caprice" of Washington.

What exactly is AUKUS and why is matters?

AUKUS is a security agreement signed by the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia in September 2021. The deal aims to strengthen the security and defense cooperation among the three countries, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region, where China's military and economic influence is growing. The key focus of the agreement is to provide Australia with a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines, which is expected to enhance its maritime capabilities and enable it to better respond to security challenges in the region.

The AUKUS agreement has significant implications for the US' grand-strategic goals, as it reflects a shift in the country's foreign policy priorities toward the Indo-Pacific region. The Biden administration has identified the region as a key area of focus for its foreign policy, with a view to counterbalancing China's rise and asserting its own influence in the region. By forging closer ties with Australia and the UK through the AUKUS agreement, the US is seeking to project its power and influence in the region, while also providing a strong deterrent against any aggressive actions by China.

The AUKUS deal underscores the growing importance of technology in modern warfare and defense. The decision to provide Australia with nuclear-powered submarines represents a significant leap forward in the country's technological capabilities and will give it an edge in the region. The agreement also provides opportunities for greater technological cooperation among the three countries, particularly in areas such as cyber defense, artificial intelligence, and space exploration.

However, the AUKUS agreement has also been met with criticism and concerns, particularly in France, which was left out of the agreement despite having an existing contract to provide conventional submarines to Australia. The move has strained France's relationship with Australia and the US and raised questions about the US' reliability as an ally.
Saudi Arabia on Saturday released over a dozen war prisoners to their rivals, the Houthi rebels in Yemen, a Houthi official said. The release came as Omani officials arrived in the Yemeni capital as part of international efforts to end Yemen's years-long conflict.

Abdul-Qader el-Murtaza, a Houthi official in charge of prisoner exchange talks in Yemen's conflict, said 13 Houthi prisoners arrived Saturday in the capital, Sanaa.

He said the prisoners were released in exchange for a Saudi prisoner the Houthis freed.

He did not say when the rebels released the Saudi prisoner.

Saturday's release was part of a U.N.-brokered deal which Yemen's warring parties stuck last month and includes the release of nearly 900 prisoners from both sides, el-Murtaza said.

The U.N.-brokered deal is scheduled to be implemented this month.

Yemen's conflict began in 2014, when the Houthis seized Sanaa and much of the country's north, ousting the internationally recognised government that fled to the south then into exile in Saudi Arabia.

The Houthi move prompted a Saudi-led coalition to intervene months later in a bid to restore the internationally recognised government to power. The conflict has in recent years turned into a regional proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Omani officials, meanwhile, landed in Sanaa for talks with Houthi officials in the latest efforts to renew a ceasefire deal that expired in October, said Mohammed Abdul-Salam, the chief negotiator of the Houthi rebels.

Oman has for years hosted talks between the Iranian-backed Houthis and Saudi Arabia.

The talks have been intensified since the warring sides failed to renew a U.N.-brokered cease-fire in October.

The negotiations in Oman's capital, Muscat focused on preventing all-out fighting after the ceasefire collapsed, and laying out a path for a negotiated end to Yemen's civil war.

These talks have gained momentum in recent weeks after Saudi Arabia reached an agreement with Iran to restore their diplomatic ties after a seven-year rift.

The Iran-Saudi deal, announced in Beijing on March 10, has invigorated hopes of a settlement to Yemen's conflict.
Saudi officials were in Yemen's capital Sunday for talks with the Iran-backed Houthi rebels, as part of international efforts to find a settlement to Yemens nine-year conflict, officials said.

Saudi Arabias delegation, chaired by the kingdoms ambassador to Yemen, Mohammed bin Saeed Al-Jaber, will hold talks with with Mahdi al-Mashat, head of the Houthis supreme political council, which runs rebel-held areas in Yemen, according to the Houthi-run SABA news agency.

An Omani delegation, which arrived in Sanaa on Saturday, will also join the talks, the agency reported, citing an unidentified source.

Mohammed al-Bukaiti, a Houthi leader, said on Twitter that Saudi and Omani officials would discuss ways to achieve a comprehensive and lasting peace in the region.

He said achieving an honorable peace between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia would be "a triumph for both parties, and urged all sides to take steps to preserve a peaceful atmosphere and prepare to turn the page of the past.

There was no immediate comment from Saudi Arabia. The office of the U.N. envy for Yemen didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

The talks in Sanaa are part of international efforts led by Oman to settle Yemens conflict, which began in 2014. That's when the Houthis seized Sanaa and much of the countrys north, ousting the internationally recognized government that fled to the south and then into exile in Saudi Arabia.

The Houthi move prompted a Saudi-led coalition to intervene months later in a bid to restore the internationally recognized government to power. The conflict has in recent years turned into a regional proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Saudi Arabia and the Houthis reached a draft deal last month to revive a cease-fire that expired in October. The deal is meant to usher in a return to Yemeni political talks, according to Saudi and Yemeni officials.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss closed-door negotiations.

They said the Saudi-Houthi understandings include a six-month truce with a cessation of all military activities across Yemen. The Houthis have committed to coming to the table with other Yemeni parties to negotiate a political settlement to the conflict, they said. The United Nations is meant to facilitate the political negotiations, they added.

Both parties also agreed to further ease restrictions by the Saudi-led coalition on Sanaas airport and the Houthi-controlled Red Sea ports in Hodeida, the officials said. The Houthis would lift their yearslong blockade on Taiz, Yemens third largest city which is held by government forces, they said.

The phased roadmap also includes payment for all state employees  including the military  from oil and gas revenues. In return, the rebels agreed to allow exporting oil from government-held areas after a monthslong hiatus because of Houthi attacks on oil facilities, the officials said.

Yemens internationally recognized presidential council was briefed on the Saudi-Houthi understandings at a Thursday meeting in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, with Prince Khalid bin Salman, the Kingdoms defense minister, a Yemeni official said.

The Saudi-backed council, which was appointed a year ago, has given its initial approval to the draft deal, the official said.

The Oman-brokered talks have aimed at preventing both sides from resuming full-fledged fighting. The efforts gained momentum in recent weeks after Saudi Arabia reached an agreement with Iran to restore diplomatic ties after a seven-year rift. Iran, the main foreign backer of the Houthis, has said its deal with Saudi Arabia would help end Yemens conflict.

Ahmed Nagi, a Yemen expert at the International Crisis Group, a Brussels-based think-tank, said Iran-Saudi Arabia rapprochement has given a boost to Saudi-Houthi negotiations, and that both sides are close to announcing the cease-fire's renewal.

However, the second track of the Houthi-Saudi negotiations  a potential roadmap to to reach a permanent settlement to the conflict  would be a major challenge when discussed by Yemeni parties, he said.

Each party has different interpretations and expectations, he said. Given the complexities of the situation, it is hard to see progress on this track very soon.
An auditor and underwriters have reportedly been named for the first time in a lawsuit concerning the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank.

SVB's auditor KMPG along with underwriters including Goldman Sachs, Bank of America and Morgan Stanley, in an investor lawsuit based on alleged misstatements leading to the banks collapse, according to Bloomberg.

The complaint was filed Friday in the federal court in San Francisco.

The suit names Silicon Valley Bank Chief Executive Officer Greg Becker and other bank directors and officers as defendants.

FDIC SAYS FIRST CITIZENS BANK HAS REACHED DEAL TO PURCHASE SILICON VALLEY BANK

SVB (Silicon Valley Bank) logo is seen in this illustration taken March 19, 2023.

.Collectively, the defendants "misrepresented the strength of the companys balance sheet, liquidity, and position in the market," according to the lawsuit.

READ ON THE FOX BUSINESS APP

The executives, auditor and underwriters "understated and concealed the magnitude of the risks" facing the bank, which undermined the value of its own securities portfolio, it said.

FOX Business has reached out to KPMG, Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, Morgan Stanley and Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc., which is named as an underwriter defendant, for comment.

AMERICANS' FAITH IN BANKS DROPS AFTER FAILURES: POLL

Customers wait in line outside of a Silicon Valley Bank branch in Wellesley, Massachusetts.

After 40 years, Silicon Valley Bank, the nations 17th largest, was shut down last month by the FDIC as regulators moved to protect customers as it faced a liquidity crunch after losing $2 billion.

It became the largest bank failure since the financial crisis.

SVBs parent company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

KPMGs alleged liability, explained in greater detail, is based in part on the fact that it signed off on SVBs 2022 annual report two weeks before the March 8 market close, according to the suit.

COMPANY VETERAN PRESIDED OVER COLLAPSE OF SILICON VALLEY BANK

A customer stands outside a shuttered Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) headquarters on March 10, 2023, in Santa Clara, California.

That was when the bank said it was seeking to raise $2.25 billion to address its liquidity problems and announced an approximately $1.8 billion loss on the sale of its securities.

The Justice Department, Securities and Exchange Commission and Federal Reserve are examining issues around SVBs collapse.

No one at the bank has been accused of wrongdoing, and the investigations could end without bringing charges or lawsuits.
Afghanistan's Foreign Affairs department announced the release and repatriation of 208 detainees from Pakistani jails, reported Kabul-based Khaama Press. The Foreign Affairs Department of Afghanistan added that the Afghan Embassy in Islamabad and the Afghan Consulate General in Karachi collaborated to ensure the safe return of the 208 released detainees.

According to the statement, the Taliban government of Afghanistan provided financial assistance for the transfer of all the prisoners to Kabul. The Afghan Diaspora Network has reported that over one million Afghan refugees residing in Pakistan are caught between the Taliban and Islamabad, as the latter is allegedly pressuring them into returning to Afghanistan and facing a precarious existence.

Afghan civilians have been compelled to flee their homes repeatedly over the past few decades, whenever the nation has been plunged into conflicts, including during the Cold War era and after the resurgence of the Taliban. The report stated that Pakistan has played a "snakes and ladders" game with the Afghan people over the years.

According to the Afghan Diaspora Network, Afghan refugees were initially exploited by Pakistan as a means to gain influence in Afghanistan and pursue its strategic objective of retaining Kabul as its "strategic backyard".

In the wake of the Taliban's return to power in Afghanistan on August 15, 2021, over 600,000 Afghan nationals have sought refuge in Pakistan, joining the four million Afghan refugees already residing in the country. Among them, only 1.32 million individuals are registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

"After 2001, the situation changed. The Afghan refugees were no longer welcome. Pakistan imposed stricter monitoring on refugees and implemented sterner detention and deportation policies. Now they are being pushed back into the hell from where they had fled," stated the report.

Khaama Press reported that in March of this year, the Taliban-appointed Refugees and Repatriation Department declared that over 2,000 Afghan refugees had returned to their homeland from Iran and Pakistan.

The Refugees and Repatriation Department announced on Twitter that on Saturday, 1,851 Afghan refugees who had been residing in Iran and 331 others who were in Pakistan returned home through the Spin Boldak and Islamqala crossing points. The department also noted that out of the 331 refugees who returned from Pakistan, 70 individuals were released from Pakistani prisons.

Earlier, the Pakistan Human Rights Commission and the United Nations Refugee Agency had previously urged the Pakistani government to treat Afghan citizens humanely.
Recent findings in Sri Lanka suggest that the Sri Maha Bodhi tree, known for being the oldest living tree in the world with a recorded history, could be endangered by harmful acids that have been released into the air from the Norochcholai Coal Power Plant which notably funded by China, according to Colombo Gazette.

As per recent reports, China is regaining its influence in Sri Lanka. This can be seen as China initially agreed to certain conditions for the International Monetary Fund to provide financial aid to Sri Lanka. Additionally, it has been reported that Sinopec, a Chinese company, has pledged to invest in Hambantota, Sri Lanka.

The Colombo Gazette report expresses concern over the potential environmental harm to the revered Sri Mahabodhi Tree in Anuradhapura, given China's past activities in Sri Lanka which have been extensively documented.

The Sri Mahabodhi Tree, located in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka, is said to have been grown from a branch of the revered Bodhi tree located in Gaya, India.

According to a statement by the Sri Lankan President's Media Division (PMD), Sinopec, a Chinese company, has pledged to invest in Hambantota, Sri Lanka. This announcement was made during a meeting between the Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe and representatives from Sinopec. China's decision to invest in Sri Lanka's ports and energy sector is seen as an effort to strengthen its existing investments in the country.

According to the news report, the previous Sri Lankan government had leased the Hambantota port, which was built by China for USD 1.5 billion, to state-owned companies for a period of 99 years. China had also pledged to establish a 15,000-acre industrial zone around the port, but this has not yet been realized. The significant lending by Beijing to Sri Lanka, along with its multibillion-dollar investments, has raised concerns about the possibility of China using Hambantota as a potential military base.

A statement released by the Sri Lankan PMD, a meeting was held on March 13 between representatives of Sinopec Group and Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe. The PMD, in a statement, said, "President Ranil Wickremesinghe said that the government has taken a principled decision to expand the distribution of fuel & Hambantota has been identified as a primary energy hub."

In addition to investing in Hambantota, Sinopec has also pledged to invest in a refinery in the same area, as per the news report. The meeting between Ranil Wickremesinghe and Sinopec representatives occurred ten days after the country's President ordered the Petroleum Minister to quickly restore the Trincomalee oil tank farm and integrate it into the country's economy. The environmental impact of emissions from the Lakvijaya (Norochcholai) power plant has already had a detrimental effect on the local environment and community.

Toxic emissions & their negative impact on trees: Report

Ecologists have warned that clouds containing hazardous acid deposits could potentially move towards Anuradhapura, where the revered Sri Mahabodhi tree is located in Sri Lanka. This assessment is supported by evidence from nearby trees which have already begun to exhibit signs of damage caused by the emissions from the power plant.

The news report states that the emissions from the power plant have caused the leaves of taller trees in the surrounding area to turn yellowish in color. It is anticipated that the toxic emissions may also have a negative impact on the Sri Maha Bodhi tree. Additionally, the acidic conditions have been reported to be spreading towards the nearby sea areas.

Reconstructing power plants like the Norochcholai Coal Power Plant in the future would present a serious threat to the ecosystem. The power plant, located in Sri Lanka's Northwestern province, is approximately an hour away from the sacred Sri Mahabodhi tree at Anuradhapura. For Buddhists who come to pay their respects to the revered tree, it holds significant cultural and religious significance.

The Norochcholai Coal Power Plant

The China-funded Norochcholai Coal Power Plant is currently the largest thermal power plant in Sri Lanka. However, the emissions produced by the 900MW coal power plant are reported to be much higher than the permissible standards, possibly due to frequent breakdowns, intermittent operations, and the unexpected storage of fly ash in open pits. The power plant was established as a joint venture between the Ceylon Electricity Board and the EXIM Bank of China, and it is Sri Lanka's first coal-fired thermal power plant as well as its largest power station.

In addition to the emission of harmful gases, the Norochcholai Coal Power Plant is also known for generating a considerable amount of solid waste and heat waste. Furthermore, the release of heated water by the power plant has contributed to water pollution, and this is expected to have long-term environmental consequences.

The primary environmental concerns related to the Norochcholai Coal Power Plant are associated with the fly ash and bottom ash generated during the power generation process. Fly ash and bottom ash are byproducts of the coal combustion process. The open dumping of fly ash is particularly worrisome, as the yard is exposed to wind erosion and leaching, which can lead to contamination of soil and water sources.

According to reports, some children living in the vicinity of the Norochcholai power plant in Sri Lanka have developed skin diseases, which may be attributed to the emissions from the plant. Given the negative impact of China's past investments and conditional aid on Sri Lanka, it is worth noting that the country is once again attempting to strengthen its ties with Sri Lanka.

The detrimental impact of the China-funded Norochcholai power plant on the environment and the potential harm it may cause to the sacred Mahabodhi tree serves as a cautionary tale against Chinese-backed projects that ignore environmental standards and end up causing more problems than they solve.
On Sunday, Taiwan detected 11 Chinese warships and 70 aircraft around the Indo-Pacific Island. The Taiwanese Ministry of National Defence took to Twitter to inform about the recent intrusion attempt by the Chinese authorities. The tensions between Taiwan and China have escalated in recent times. The recent activities in the region came after Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-Wen visited the United States where he met US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. The recent activities by the Chinese authorities came after China sent warships and dozen of fighter jets towards Taiwan on Saturday.

70 PLA aircraft and 11 vessels were detected by 16:00(UTC+8) April 9th. 35 of the detected aircraft had crossed the northern, central, and southern median lines of the Taiwan Strait and entered our southwest ADIZ, The Taiwanese Ministry of National Defence wrote on Twitter on Sunday. The ministry also shared a video along with the tweet to showcase the prowess of the Taiwanese army. Chinas growing assertiveness in the island region has been a matter of concern for many. The Chinese administration has considered Taiwan as part of mainland China since 1949.

70 PLA aircraft and 11 vessels were detected by 16:00(UTC+8) April 9th. 35 of the detected aircraft had crossed northern, central, and southern median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered our southwest ADIZ. pic.twitter.com/PitgcyfjPI   Ministry of National Defense, R.O.C.  (@MoNDefense) April 9, 2023

Tensions escalate after Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-Wen's US visit

On Saturday, reports emerged that China has sent several warships and dozens of fighter jets towards Taiwan. The move was considered retaliation for the meeting between Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-Wen and US House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy. The attempted intrusion into the self-proclaimed democracy came after the Chinese military announced the start of a three-day combat readiness patrol. The patrol was initiated by The Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) to send out a warning to Taiwanese forces who want to make the islands de facto independence permanent.

Earlier today, the National Defence Ministry of Taiwan stated that they will defend and safeguard their homeland in a time of need. #Taiwan is our homeland, and no matter where we go or what we encounter, she is always charming and beautiful. Every story on this land is etched in our memories. We, #ROCArmedForces, are fighting with all our hearts to defend our homeland and to protect our home together, the Taiwanese Ministry of National Defence tweeted.

#Taiwan is our homeland, and no matter where we go or what we encounter, she is always charming and beautiful. Every story on this land is etched in our memories. We, #ROCArmedForces, are fighting with all our heart to defend our homeland and to protect our home together. pic.twitter.com/oI2eply6N6   Ministry of National Defense, R.O.C.  (@MoNDefense) April 9, 2023

Earlier this week, the Taiwanese President during her meeting with McCarthy warned that Taiwans Democracy is in jeopardy. "It is no secret that today the peace we have maintained and the democracy which we have worked hard to build are facing unprecedented challenges," Tsai asserted in a joint press conference with McCarthy as per the report by CNN. "We once again find ourselves in a world where democracy is under threat and the urgency of keeping the beacon of freedom shining cannot be understated," she added.
Vietnam's information ministry has threatened to ban TikTok unless the social media platform removes content that is deemed toxic, offensive, false, and superstitious. This information is based on a report from VN Express. On Thursday, Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Thanh Lam stated that Vietnamese law provides enough cybersecurity provisions and is not solely restricted to banning or removing offending apps. This move follows similar actions taken by other countries in the region, including India, which have also expressed concerns about the content on TikTok.

Le Quang Tu Do, the head of Vietnam's Authority of Broadcasting and Electronic Information, stated that the government has a range of economic, technical, and diplomatic tools at its disposal to take action against international platforms. These measures could include cutting off money flows by severing platforms' ties with advertisers, banks, and e-commerce companies. Le Quang Tu Do added that the government has various tools at its disposal, including the ability to block domains and servers. Additionally, he noted that Vietnam will launch an inspection of TikTok next month to address concerns related to harmful content and false information.

Vietnam has witnessed a surge in toxic context on TikTok

According to Le Quang Tu Do there has been a surge of harmful content, including toxic, offensive, false, and superstitious content on TikTok in Vietnam. "TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube are all cross-border social media with international standards. But when entering Vietnam, they need to comply with Vietnam's laws, which include regulations on content management and tax, payments, and commercial policy," he said. Many countries like the US and the UK have banned the app from the phones of government employees, due to fear of espionage. It is worth flagging that the TikTok most people are familiar with around the world, is not the TikTok people in China use. It is known as Douyin in China, and unlike the app's algorithm for the rest of the world, the app promotes science and education-related content in China, instead of toxic content which tech ethicist Tristan Harris has labelled "soft porn".
In Brief





A short Weibo video produced by China Business Network (CBN) on March 21 reported on the alarming spread of a fatal fungal disease in the United States. Citing the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the video said nearly half of those infected with Candida auris will die within 90 days and an estimated 30 percent to 70 percent of infected hospitalized patients will ultimately die.

Asia Fact Check Lab (AFCL) found the statements by CBN to be misleading.

While the CDC has sounded the alarm about C. auriss rapid rise and its resistance to antifungal medications, the CBN video cited CDC figures out of context and failed to mention that the fungus typically only infects specific populations, such as the very sick or those in healthcare facilities.

Experts said most patients who died had suffered from other ailments, making it difficult to ascertain if C. auris was the primary cause of death. In addition, studies to date have involved small numbers of cases and may not be representative.

In Depth



On March 21, CBN produced a short video that ran on the popular Chinese social media site Weibo about C. auris in the United States, proclaiming that #Candida auris has spread to more than half of the U.S. states. Related posts with similar hashtags soon gathered more than 130 million views on Weibo alone, and about 100 Chinese media outlets posted related content.

Screenshot from the CBN video on Candida auris.





Accompanied by a chilling soundtrack and microscopic images of the fungus, the video noted that the pathogen has spread at an alarming rate. It quoted a Chinese medical expert as saying that the disease is highly contagious and has a high death rate, and the CDC as saying that nearly half of those infected with Candida auris will die within 90 days.

Discussion of the issue continued on Twitter, with some users mocking the United States for once again spreading poisonpossibly referring to the spread of harmful ideas or to Beijings claim that the COVID-19 virus originated in the United States. Other Twitter users described C. auris as the new American hitman.

Data showing C. auris has spread to more than half of U.S. states. Screenshot from Weibo.

Did the CDC issue a warning about C. auris?

All the hoopla in China over the fungus appears to stem from a March 20 news release issued by the CDC flagging the threat posed by the emerging Candida auris pathogen. The CDC, referencing one of its papers published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, noted the alarming rate of the diseases spread in healthcare facilities between 2020 and 2021.



The paper reported that the total number of clinical cases (cases where infection was present) tripled to 1,471 in 2021 from 476 in 2019, while that of screening cases (where the fungus was present but not causing infection) tripled in just one year to 4,401 in 2021. The CDC news release also referenced the pathogens increasing resistance to traditional treatments.

Other data cited in the CBN video also appear to have some basis in reports by the CDC and mainstream U.S. media. According to an official CDC tracking chart, in the 12 months through December 2022, the United States had registered a cumulative 2,377 C. auris clinical cases across 27 states and the District of Columbia, with higher concentrations in California, Florida, Nevada, and New York. A recent New York Times article reported that the fungus is now in half the 50 states.

Both the CDC and the Times reports suggested that less attention to screening for C. auris during the Covid-19 pandemic may have contributed to the rising number of cases.







Screenshot of the tracking chart for C. auris cases from the CDC website.

How high is the mortality rate?



While the CBN video accurately echoed the CDCs warning about an alarming spread of the C. auris fungus, it erroneously painted a more dire situation by failing to cite the data in proper context.



For example, the videos claim that an estimated 30 percent to 70 percent of infected hospitalized patients will ultimately die may have been based on a CDC "General Information" sheet saying 3060% of people with C. auris infections have died. Significantly, the video neglected to mention, per the information sheet, that these data were based on a limited number of patients, many of whom had other serious illnesses and were at a heightened risk of death.

The video also appeared to infer that these percentages apparently based on past death trends would continue into the future when it suggested that an estimated 30 percent to 70 percent will ultimately die (AFCL italics). The CDC data clearly referred to previous cases (have died), and the agency did not make any predictions about future mortality rates.

Likewise, the CBN videos claim that nearly half of those infected with Candida auris will die within 90 days may sound similar to the Times article observation that nearly half of patients who contract C. auris die within 90 days. But by adding an extra charactermeaning will)the video again turned a statistical observation into a forecast of future cases.

Both the CBN video and the Times article referenced the CDC in mentioning 90 days but neither provided a specific citation. AFCL found a CDC paper published in 2018 that may have been the source of this number. That paper noted that 23 of 51 patients (45 percent) who were infected with C. auris in New York City between 2013 and 2017 died within 90 days. Notably, the study was focused on cases in an interconnected web of affected healthcare facilities, and all the infected patients had serious concurrent medical conditions.







Sample of the Candida fungus in a petri dish at a CDC lab in 2016. (Photo/AP)

Dr. Waleed Javaid, director of Infection Prevention and Control at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City, confirmed to AFCL that most patients with C. auris infections already have other medical conditions. As a result, in many cases, it is difficult to determine whether Candida auris is the direct cause of death, he said. He added that patients with implanted medical devices such as catheters are also at a much higher risk of fungal infection than the average healthy adult.



Conclusion



The rapid spread of Candida auris cases is unquestionably concerning. However, AFCL found CBNs claims about the diseases high overall death rates to be misleading, given that the video used CDC data on past cases as a risk predictor for future case trends. The video also ignored the fact that most patients who died from the fungal infection had multiple other health issues that may have contributed to or hastened their death.

Indeed, the pathogen appears to pose little threat to healthy adults. And intensive efforts by some states to stop the fungus appear to have successfully contained its spread within their healthcare systems.
Now in Germany, Huang Yicheng vows to keep on speaking out for his fellow 'white paper movement' protesters.

Huang Yicheng participated in a demonstration on Shanghai's Urumqi Road during the Nov. 2022 White Paper protests. He was detained on a bus but later escaped and now is a student in Germany.

A Nov. 24 fire in an apartment block in Xinjiang's regional capital, Urumqi, sparked protests across China, with many people expressing condolences for the victims of the fatal lockdown blaze and others hitting back at ruling Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping's zero-COVID policy.

Huang Yicheng was among them, turning up at a spontaneous protest at Shanghai's Urumqi Road, only to be detained and mistreated by cops, who hung him upside down at one point, as he described in an earlier interview with Radio Free Asia given under the pseudonym Mr.Chen.

Now in Germany, Huang spoke to RFA Mandarin about his plans for the future:

Huang Yicheng: I'm from Shanghai. I am 26 years old and a graduate of the Chinese department of Peking University. I am currently a postgraduate student at the University of Hamburg, Germany. On Nov. 27, 2022, I was arrested by the police on Urumqi Middle Road, Shanghai, put onto a bus, and then escaped from the bus. Then a white man helped me escape the scene.

RFA: You were interviewed by me on Nov. 27, the weekend when the "white paper" movement took place. You were interviewed anonymously then, so why did you choose to disclose your real name and appearance now?

Huang Yicheng: This is because I have now left China. I saw that there were so many people around the same age as me who took part in the white paper movement with me, who have been arrested and imprisoned. So I feel that I will always be in pain and have uncontrollable anxiety if I don't stand up and speak out on their behalf, even though there are great risks involved in doing so.

Protesters shout slogans in Shanghai, China, during a protest Nov. 27, 2022. Credit: AFP screenshot from AFPTV





I hope that everyone can call for the release of Cao Zhixin and the other peaceful demonstrators who are now behind bars.

The government should tell us how many people were arrested in each city after the white paper movement, and issue a complete list of names for each city, so the rest of the world knows exactly what is going on.

RFA: You just said that you are aware of the great risk of doing so. How would you deal with this risk?

Huang Yicheng: This is very hard to think about, because now I have revealed my true identity, educational background and my true appearance. But I want to use this to encourage others in the same boat. But I also think it's almost impossible to remain entirely anonymous in the current online environment. So instead of talking about how scared we are, we should face up to the risk and the fear.

In that way, I hope that the next generation, or our own generation, within the next 10, 20 years or even sooner than that, will get to live in a society without the need for such fear, where we are free to express our thoughts without fear.

RFA: Did you decide to study abroad due to safety concerns, or were you planning to do that anyway?

Huang Yicheng: I had originally planned to study abroad, but it was very, very difficult to get a visa during the zero-COVID restrictions. I started this application before the Shanghai lockdown [of spring 2022], and it took more than a year to come through.

This delay was one of the reasons that I took part in the white paper protests in the first place, as well as the three-month lockdown in Shanghai. It was an experience that changed my life.

RFA: Were you worried that you might be prevented from leaving the country because you had taken part in the protest?

Huang Yicheng: Yes, yes I was. I think everyone else had similar worries. They had already taken away two busloads of detained protesters from Urumqi Road in Shanghai between the evening of Nov. 26 and the early morning of Nov. 27. The video clips being shot at the time were very worrying. I never thought going into it that I would get detained. That's why I want to speak out in support of the people who were detained. Hopefully we can put some pressure on [the authorities] and get them released.

RFA: When I interviewed you on Nov. 27, when you had gotten back home, you said that you were very worried that the police would come looking for you, so you asked for anonymity. Did they come looking for you?

Huang Yicheng: No, they didn't. My identity was kept well hidden, and they didn't find me.

Cao Zhixin, an editor at the Peking University Publishing House, was arrested after attending a Nov. 2022 protest in Beijings Liangmahe district. Credit: Screenshot from video

RFA: How did you manage to protect yourself?

Huang Yicheng: I just hid at home and cut off all contact with friends at home and abroad. I don't know if they used facial recognition or anything like that. I also made a video statement to be posted in case I got arrested and gave it to a friend I trust. He would have posted it if I had been detained.

RFA: Given that you were actually caught by the police and put on the bus, it's pretty lucky that you managed to escape  a fluke, wasn't it?

Huang Yicheng: When I think about it now, I can hardly believe it. It was a bit dream-like. When I was detained and put on the bus, it was parked on the southwest side of the intersection between Urumqi Road and Wuyuan Road. I was probably in the second row, near the door.

Protesters are taken away by police in a bus on Urumqi Road in Shanghai on Nov. 26, 2022. Credit: Associated Press

The policeman got off the bus and went to detain other demonstrators, but he didn't handcuff us. We could see from the Twitter account Mr Li is not your teacher that there was a trans woman at the back of the bus. The police attacked her repeatedly then closed the bus curtains to stop people filming the attack from outside. Some people filmed the attack with their phones and posted the video of the violence against the transgender person. Some people might think it incredible that we could still shoot video like that after being detained on the bus. But they didn't handcuff us and they didn't watch us very closely, which meant I had an opportunity to escape.

RFA: You mentioned the Twitter account Mr Li is not your teacher, which is run by a Chinese student studying in Italy. Do you think the videos he posted were credible?

Huang Yicheng: All the photos he posted were real, and I think at least two were taken by me. One was a street sign of Urumqi Middle Road with someone holding flowers and a candle. The other was a white placard calling for artistic freedom. I sent both of those photos to him. I didn't dare to shoot the video of the police attacking protesters, as the atmosphere was very tense at the time. But I basically saw everything that he posted [on the ground].

RFA: Did anyone you know get arrested?

Huang Yicheng: No one I knew directly was arrested. However, Cao Zhixin works at Peking University Press, so I can confirm that Cao Zhixin is indeed still in custody through my connections with Peking University alumni, and that she hasn't been released yet.

RFA: We have confirmed this via other channels, too. Did you ever expect to be treated like this by the Chinese government?

Huang Yicheng: No, no, because I was thinking about the situation in Hong Kong [during the 2019 protest movement], where they had the brave defenders on the front line, with the peaceful demonstrators behind them. The only reason I went there was to call for the release of those detained. I didn't even hold up a blank sheet of paper, and I didn't shout any slogans other than calling for them to release people. I stood further back to protect myself.

I met a lot of inexperienced people there who went to stand in the front row, but I told them not to stand there, that they should try to protect themselves, because they always start detaining people who are in the front row.

What makes me want to cry the most is that all of the people standing in the front row were women. All the people holding up the sheets of blank paper were women, standing there in front, facing off with the police. There were almost no men there. They took away about one woman every 10 minutes on average. Some men were detained, but very few  it was almost all women. They went for the women every time, not always the ones in the front row.

People protest with blank sheets of paper on a street in Shanghai, Nov. 27, 2022. Credit: AFP





There was a tall plainclothes cop ... people were talking about him on Twitter because he was the one who said "I just can't understand you people." He was communicating with someone via a walkie-talkie, and he would suddenly point at a person, maybe in the second or third row, and then all the officers with earpieces would rush to grab them. That's how I got detained.

RFA: Why do you think it was mostly women in the front row and not men?

Huang Yicheng: It wasn't just young women, but also queer people and other sexual minorities. They had the strongest presence in the white paper movement, maybe because China's political system is highly patriarchal. So I think they weren't just challenging the government, but also the patriarchy.

One thing that made a huge impression on me was three women hugging each other and crying on the eastern sidewalk of Urumqi Road. I asked them, "Why are you crying? Did your friend get taken away yesterday?"

But they replied: "No, none of our friends were taken away, but we saw on Weibo that there was a little girl who burned to death in Urumqi, part of the Uyghur family."

RFA: This wasn't the first time your classmates were detained, was it?

Huang Yicheng: A whole bunch of people from the Peking University Marxist Society were detained in 2018, maybe a dozen or as many as 20. Out of them, I had the closest relationship with [labor activist] Yue Xin. I have so many memories of her. I want to write more about that, so we can remember what happened. So many young people in China have lost their personal freedom just because of their thinking ... including Cao Zhixin mostly recently.

I burst into tears when I saw Cao Zhixin's video, because I feel that, if she is in prison, then so am I. She's the same age as me. So now I've managed to get away, I should say a few words for her.

A man is arrested as people were gathering on a street in Shanghai, Nov. Nov. 27, 2022. Credit: AFP





RFA: Would you call yourself a young leftist?

Huang Yicheng: I did take part in the Peking University Marxist Society, and I made some posts to their official social media account. But gradually I moved further away from that stance. The white paper movement wasn't just about leftists. It was mostly young people who were dissatisfied with the zero-COVID policy.

RFA: Do you think that the white paper movement was a political movement?

Huang Yicheng: I think so. We can see from the slogans of various cities that Shanghai's slogans were relatively radical, but we still saw a number of ... political appeals in other cities. Human rights were a very important issue, because countless tragedies were caused by the lack of human rights during zero-COVID. The white paper movement that followed had solid public support. Even though not that many people took part in Shanghai, there was a huge base of support there.

RFA: Do you think that the white paper moment brought about the end of the zero-COVID policy?

Huang Yicheng: I think it must have. Because the zero-COVID policy in China had totally ended just two weeks after the white paper movement. It was a total U-turn.

But the heartbreaking thing is that while the Chinese government may actually meet our demands, they still insist on punishing everyone. I think this has been their logic for thousands of years, not just under the Communist Party. So it means that all of our bravest people, who are willing to stand up and plead on behalf of ordinary people, and push for freedom, get eliminated [from further social activism].

So who will speak up the next time we get such insane government policies in China? We have to keep the focus on those people, and call on the rest of the world to put pressure on China.

We have to stand up bravely, and express our true thoughts, and then people all over the world will respect us. If we all just go along with their lies, then as a nation we won't be worthy of respect.

Translated by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Malcolm Foster.
Hordes of tourists make it unsafe to visit the alley with a train running down the middle

A woman sits on the railway track as tourists gather along it in the Old Quarter of Hanoi, Vietnam, in 2019.

For years, Hanois Railway & Coffee Street has attracted tourists who come to see the trains run through the alley, barely clearing the shops that line either side.

But now authorities in Vietnams capital have banned tours to the site, saying they have become dangerous, state media reported.

The citys tourism department said that tourists tend to cluster at certain choke points, causing traffic to back up and increasing the potential for accidents.

The department ordered travel firms not to take tourists, especially foreigners, to the area.

It wasnt clear if there has been an increase in accidents along the route, but in September, local authorities closed one section of the rail line and put up barricades around it after a Korean tourist collided with a train while taking photos in the Railway & Coffee Street.

Tourists take photos as a train comes down the track in the Old Quarter of Hanoi, Vietnam, in 2019. Credit: Reuters





The tourist sustained only minor injuries because the train had been running at a low speed.

The report said this was the first time that authorities have enacted safety measures related to the street.

According to the tourism department, Hanoi has received nearly 1 million foreign visitors in the first three months of this year, six times higher than that of the same period last year.

Translated by Anna Vu. Edited by Eugene Whong and Malcolm Foster.
Welcome back to the China In Eurasia briefing, an RFE/RL newsletter tracking Chinas resurgent influence from Eastern Europe to Central Asia. To subscribe, click here.

Im RFE/RL correspondent Reid Standish and heres what Im following right now.

Beijing, Moscow, And Leaked Documents

Along with my colleagues at Systema, RFE/RL's Russian investigative unit, we obtained never before reported documents and recordings from closed-door meetings in 2017 and 2019 between Chinese and Russian officials where they share methods and tactics for monitoring dissent and controlling the Internet.

Finding Perspective: China and Russias growing ties are no secret, but the documents provide a unique window into the practical level of cooperation under way between China and Russia when it comes to monitoring and restricting their respective Internets.

Among some of the key findings, Russian officials are seen asking for advice and practical know-how from their Chinese counterparts on a range of topics, including disrupting circumvention tools like VPNs and Tor, cracking encrypted Internet traffic, and seeking tips from China's experience in regulating messaging platforms.

LISTEN: Beijing and Moscows deepening ties are no secret, but what do recently leaked Pentagon documents tell us about where their burgeoning military partnership is headed? Dennis Wilder, former Asia adviser to U.S. President George W. Bush, joins host Reid Standish.

In another instance, in July 2017, Aleksandr Zharov, who served as the head of Roskomnadzor until 2020, asks a Chinese delegation to help arrange a visit for Russian specialists to China, where they could study the operations of the Golden Shield Project -- the all-encompassing Internet censorship and surveillance system that helps make up what is colloquially known as Chinas Great Firewall.

In turn, Chinese officials sought Russian expertise on regulating media and dealing with popular dissent, including monitoring protests led by opposition figure Aleksei Navalny.

In another 2019 exchange, officials from the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) also made requests to Roskomnadzor to block a variety of China-related links to news articles and interviews that they had deemed to be of a dangerous nature and harmful to the public interest.

Why It Matters: Beijing and Moscow have been deepening their ties for the past decade and controlling the flow of information online has been a focal point of that cooperation since Chinese leader Xi Jinpings first trip to Russia as leader in 2013.

The documents shed new light on a pivotal time inside Russia and point to how Russia has sought to emulate China in exerting control over its people in the social media age.

For years, the Russian government has been putting in place new measures to smother freedom of speech online, but many have stumbled in practice. But in 2019, those efforts reached a zenith when a controversial sovereign Internet law went into force that allowed Moscow to tighten control over the countrys Internet by routing web traffic through state-controlled infrastructure and creating a national system of domain names.

While many of Russia's measures are still a far cry from those inside China, they have continued to be more technologically advanced and restrictive, a process that has accelerated since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

Expert Corner: Who Speaks For Europe?

Readers asked: French President Emmanuel Macron got into hot water over his comments about Taiwan. Weve also recently seen various other -- sometimes contradictory -- comments coming from European Union and European officials. Why does this seem to happen when it comes to China?

To find out more, I asked Rikard Jozwiak, RFE/RLs Europe editor:

It happens because there really isnt a coherent policy toward China. It is sometimes a rival, notably when it comes to geopolitics, and sometimes a partner in areas such as climate change mitigation. And then, of course, there is economic dependence on Beijing that leads to some EU member states not wanting to be too harsh on China. EU foreign policy is made up via the lowest common denominator as all the 27 EU capitals need to green-light any move. For China, this means that you have a mishmash of interests, ideas, and fears that makes outsiders unsure about what Europes China policy really is.

I also think that the EU has failed to formulate a coherent Taiwan policy and this adds to the mixed messages coming out from Europe. Macron said that Europe should not get caught up in a conflict over the island, but have he and fellow European leaders drawn up any plans on what Brussels will do if China were to attack? Its still unclear what Europes red lines would be and how it would react.

Do you have a question about Chinas growing footprint in Eurasia? Send it to me at StandishR@rferl.org or reply directly to this e-mail and Ill get it answered by leading experts and policymakers.

Three More Stories From Eurasia

1. The Pentagon Leaks

China approved the provision of lethal aid to Russia for its war in Ukraine but wanted any shipments to remain a secret, according to leaked U.S. government documents.

What You Need To Know: The recently leaked trove of classified Pentagon documents that contain assessments and reports from Americas intelligence agencies shows that Beijing had approved the incremental provision of weapons to Moscow, which it would disguise as civilian items.

That comes from a February 23 top-secret intelligence summary that The Washington Post reported was gathered by U.S. agents eavesdropping on discussions by Russias secret service. The Russians said Chinas central military commission wanted the shipments to remain secret.

Among other revelations, a separate file in the trove of leaked documents said Beijing would consider a significant Ukrainian strike with American or NATO weapons on Russian territory as an escalation of the conflict that would merit sending arms to Russia.

The timing is notable. A public U.S.-led campaign over a potential Chinese arms transfer accelerated in late February, and shortly after that document circulated within the U.S. government NBC News reported that the U.S. information about the plan to obtain lethal aid from China was gleaned from Russian officials.

Whats less clear is if the transfers are taking place or if the public pressure on China has worked.

Reports based on trade data show private sales of small-scale weapons from China to Russia, and senior Ukrainian officials have said their forces are finding a growing number of components from China in Russian weapons on the battlefield.

Whether Chinese covert efforts are under way or not, defense cooperation between China and Russia is set to grow. A large portion of the Chinese delegation for Xis Moscow summit in March were defense officials, and Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu was in Russia on April 16 to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.

2. Lula's 'Peace Club'

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva wrapped up a state visit to China, where he sought to position himself as a peace broker in the ongoing war in Ukraine while attempting to elevate Brazil's global status and boost economic ties with Beijing.

The Details: As I reported here, a key piece of Lula's outreach is courting political backing for his proposal that Brazil and other developing countries, including China, form a peace club to broker a deal to end the war in Ukraine.

Analysts, however, remain skeptical about the chances of Lula's peace proposal, which is unlikely to gain support from Kyiv and its backers given China's close ties with Russia and past comments from the Brazilian leader that Ukraine should cede Crimea -- which was forcibly annexed by Moscow in 2014 -- as a means to reach a deal.

Beyond the diplomacy push from Lula, the visit allowed him to shore up Brazils economic and political ties with China, as he left Beijing with a slew of new agreements.

But as Carlos Solar, a senior fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, told me, Lula is still hedging his bets, having already made a trip to Washington to meet with U.S. President Joe Biden and made moves to position Brazil to be a regional power in Latin America.

[Lula] needs this frenzy of deals in China and talks with Xi in part to show his public that he's still an influential guy around the world, Solar said. But when you look more closely, you can see that he is putting his eggs in different baskets.

3. Frustrated By The Taliban, Interested In Afghanistan

Frustrated by the Talibans reluctance to take action against an array of militants, including a strengthening Islamic State group, Afghanistan's neighbors have resolved to come up with a joint strategy to counter security threats emanating from the country.

What It Means: Top diplomats from Russia, China, Iran, and Pakistan attended an April 13 conference that focused on ensuring regional security in light of the situation in Afghanistan.

Russia and China are among the few countries that have kept their diplomatic missions in Kabul since the Taliban retook power, but lingering frustrations with the group as a partner have been boiling up.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry said it was ready to work more closely with Afghanistans neighbors and the international community, and Beijing also expressed hope that the Taliban would continue working actively to meet Afghans' interests and the international communitys expectations for an open and inclusive political structure.

China has a growing interest in the countrys resources -- having secured rights for mining and oil and gas exploration -- but security concerns have kept those projects mostly on paper for the time being.

Still, the cash-strapped Taliban is hoping that it can draw in more Chinese interest, recently floating progress on a potential $10 billion investment from the China Petroleum Economics and Information Research Center (CPEIC) in Afghanistans lithium deposits.

Few details beyond a Taliban press release were offered, but even if something is inked, realizing the project -- and others with China -- is still a distant prospect due to the countrys tough security situation.

Across The Supercontinent

A New Case In Pakistan: A Chinese man has been arrested in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province after an angry mob accused him of blasphemy and tried to enter a camp near the construction site of the Dasu Dam, the biggest hydropower project in Pakistan, which involves both Chinese and Pakistani workers.

Police filed a blasphemy charge against the Chinese man, RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal reported.

Internal Review: Hikvisions human rights investigator admits the company's Chinese police contracts in Xinjiang explicitly target Uyghurs as a group.

The Chinese surveillance giant has repeatedly denied reports that the company is complicit in human rights abuses targeting Uyghurs, but documents obtained by technology trade publication IPVM show otherwise.

Brussels To Beijing: The EU lodged a protest with China after police detained veteran rights lawyer Yu Wensheng and his activist wife, Xu Yan, ahead of an April 13 meeting with its diplomats in China, Radio Free Asia reports.

Macron In China: Looking to catch up on Macrons trip to China earlier this month? Listen to the last episode of Talking China In Eurasia, where guest Rikard Jozwiak explained why the French president thinks he can split China and Russia and where he fits among Europes large groups of actors looking to engage and pressure Beijing.

One Thing To Watch

Chinas economic growth is exceeding expectations. GDP grew 4.5 percent year on year in the first quarter. Strong growth in exports and infrastructure investment, as well as a rebound in retail consumption and property prices, are said to be driving the recovery.

That momentum looks set to continue, but economists have warned that consumption and the property sector might struggle to maintain strong growth, while exports could be threatened by weaker demand in developed economies.

Thats all from me for now. Dont forget to send me any questions, comments, or tips that you might have.

Until next time,

Reid Standish

If you enjoyed this briefing and don't want to miss the next edition, subscribe here. It will be sent to your inbox every other Wednesday.
Ukrainian defenders continue to hold their strategic positions in Bakhmut, a senior military commander has said after Russia claimed it had made advances in the city that has been the epicenter of a fierce monthslong battle for the control of the eastern Donetsk region.

"We hit the enemy, often unexpectedly for him, and continue to hold strategic lines," Oleksandr Syrskiy, the commander of Ukraine's ground forces, said on Telegram.

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.

"Everyone here is a hero. The Russians are suffering heavy losses -- we are destroying their personnel and their offensive potential," Syrskiy wrote.

His comments came after Russia's Defense Ministry said on April 23 that its forces had captured two districts in the western part of the city that Yevgeny Prigozhin, the chief of Russia's mercenary group Wagner, says his forces control almost completely.

The reports could not be independently verified.

Two more civilians were killed in Bakhmut by Russian shelling the previous 24 hours, the head of the Donetsk regional military administration, Pavlo Kyrylenko, said on April 24, adding that two others were wounded.

Separately, RFE/RL correspondents reported that two explosions could be heard early on April 24 in the Russian-occupied Crimean port of Sevastopol.

Moscow-installed Sevastopol Governor Mikhail Razvozhayev said the city had been attacked by two Ukrainian drones, one of which was shot down by Russian air defenses while the second one exploded by itself.

Russia's Defense Ministry later said that on the night of April 24, Ukraine "tried to attack" the base of the Black Sea Russian Fleet in Sevastopol with three drones, all of which were shot down.

In Kherson, Russian forces stepped up their shelling of Ukrainian-controlled part of the southern region, a spokeswoman for the Southern Defense Forces of Ukraine said in televised comments, after reports that the Ukrainian military had crossed the Dnieper and established positions on the eastern bank of the river.

Nataliya Humenyuk denied that the crossing had taken place already and said the shelling was "provoked by loud statements that preceded the actual reality and ran a little ahead."



"One must be wary of military analysts' assumptions and understand that these are speculations," Humenyuk said.

IN PHOTOS: Despite being outgunned, Kyiv continues to "hold the line" as it punishes Moscow's forces in their relentless and bloody assault on the destroyed eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut.

Her comments came after the influential U.S. Institute for the Study of War (ISW) argued in its regular update on April 22 that Russian military bloggers "have provided enough geolocated footage and textual reports to confirm that Ukrainian forces have established positions in east [left] bank Kherson Oblast as of April 22 though not at what scale or with what intentions."

The ISW added that geolocated footage from Russian military bloggers indicated that Ukrainian forces had established a bridgehead north of the town of Oleshkiy and that they have put in place "stable supply lines to these positions" in the Kherson region.

Many experts have said -- and Ukrainian leaders have hinted -- that a major spring counteroffensive by Kyiv's forces is in the works, and the reports heightened expectations that Kyiv was on the verge of launching its long-awaited counterattack.

One suggested goal would be to split the land corridor the Kremlin's forces have established between the illegally annexed Crimean Peninsula and Russia itself.

The Ukrainian military declined to confirm or deny the reports that its troops had taken up positions on the partly Russian-controlled bank of the strategically crucial Dnieper River.

Vladimir Saldo, the Moscow-installed head of the Kherson region, also denied that Ukrainian forces had established a foothold on the Dnieper east bank, saying on Telegram that Russian forces remain in "full control" of the area.

With reporting by AP and Reuters
BUDAPEST -- Hungarian TV viewers would have gotten more than they bargained for, when, in March 2018, during a political program focused on the upcoming parliamentary elections, a giant yellow chicken dressed in a business suit sat opposite the presenter and clucked for five minutes.

The party responsible for the stunt, which was meant to highlight the fact that opposition parties can go on government-affiliated public television channels for only five minutes every four years, was the Hungarian Two-Tailed Dog Party (MKKP), which has become notorious for its absurdist humor and ironic social media posts.

Despite the MKKP doing little of what one might expect from an opposition party in one of the EU's most democratically challenged countries -- in previous elections, it promised voters free beer and eternal life -- it is now the most popular opposition party among the under-40s, according to Hungarian pollsters Median, and only 3 percentage points behind the ruling Fidesz party of longtime Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

"When the opposition seems incapable, both the MKKP and the Our Homeland Movement get stronger," said political scientist Balint Ruff, also referring to a far-right political party. "But while the latter is strengthened by people's inert anger, support for MKKP is boosted by a feeling of hopelessness."

MKKP Co-President Gergely Kovacs, a 42-year-old artist and graphic designer, founded the Hungarian Two-Tailed Dog Party in 2006 from a group of activists in Szeged, a city in southeastern Hungary famous for its university and youth culture. In the party's first attempt at local politics, Kovacs and Co-President Suzi Dada, who is also known as Zsuzsanna Dome, promised voters they would build a mountain, a rarity in their locale on the flat, bare expanse of the Great Hungarian Plain.

The group became an official party in 2014, following elections where Orban, who has been accused of democratic backsliding, secured his third term as prime minister.

At first, the party stayed true to its origins of absurdist humor, pledging to mend the hole in the ozone layer. But in the more than a decade of rule by Orban and Fidesz, the Two-Tailed Dog Party has become more political, responding to the government's EU-skeptic "Stop Brussels" campaign with its own "Stop Stopping Brussels" billboards and mocking the anti-migration posters distributed around the country.

"We apologize for our prime minister," one MKKP poster addressed to migrants said in English. "The hate campaign loves you," another stated. "Even if you tear it down, it's the same underneath," said a third one, a reference to the government's anti-migration posters that were widely defaced and ripped down.

Joke parties have a rich history in Central Europe. In 1911, Czech writer Jaroslav Hasek's The Party of Moderate Progress Within the Bounds of the Law campaigned to make alcoholism mandatory and for slavery to be reintroduced.

With its tongue-in-cheek humor, the Polish Beer-Lovers Party got 16 seats in parliament in 1991 in the country's first free elections after the breakup of the Soviet Union, before its eventual (and perhaps inevitable) dissolution in 1993.

Likewise, the Austrian Beer Party, founded in 2014, won 1.8 percent of the vote in the Viennese state elections in 2020, with campaign promises to install a beer-dispensing fountain in the Austrian capital, along with more animal rights and a faster transition to renewable energy.

While the Two-Tailed Dog Party has made gains, it has still not garnered more than 5 percent of the vote in national elections, which is the threshold for entrance into parliament.

"I won't cry because we are not in parliament," Kovacs said in an interview with RFE/RL's Hungarian Service. "You can do more locally."

After the 2019 local elections, five members of the party (including both co-presidents) became local elected representatives, although two have since quit the party. Kovacs is now a local councilor in Budapest's 12th district and keeps reception hours at a cafe in the capital. Dada is a deputy mayor in Budapest's 9th District.

In 2020, the party's network of activists helped elderly people during the pandemic and, after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, they raised 3 million forints ($8,700) for refugees, bringing aid to the crowded and overwhelmed train stations of the capital.

Now that we are in the [local] assemblies, it's hard to say [what we are], as it looks like we are politicians. Now it feels like I'm an opposition politician."

The focus on local activism has seemingly paid off at the polls. In the 2018 parliamentary elections, the MKKP received 1.73 percent of the vote; in 2022's repeat encounter, they peaked with 3.27 percent.

"Now that we are in the [local] assemblies, it's hard to say [what we are], as it looks like we are politicians," Kovacs told RFE/RL prior to the 2022 parliamentary elections. "Now it feels like I'm an opposition politician."

Becoming politicians has also meant dealing with scandals. One of the five members to be elected to local assemblies in 2019, who has since left the party, was Attila Palmai, a representative in Budapest's 15th District. Now a member of the centrist Momentum opposition party, he has been critical of what he says was the Two-Tailed Dog Party's lack of financial transparency.

"There was no financial control over who spends what, and it was unacceptably messy. When we raised the issue, all we got were attacks," he told RFE/RL's Hungarian Service.

Zsuzsa Szirmai, the party's former financial officer, which is a voluntary position, confirmed this to RFE/RL.

"I encountered extreme negligencewithout records or invoices, [and] a shortage of cash," Szirmai said. "But the main problem was that the leaders were not inclined to follow the regulations as they were [just] aiming for success."

According to sources with knowledge of the party's workings who wished to remain anonymous, financial records are still kept in notebooks -- sufficient when they were handling thousands of forints, not millions. Currently, the party's yearly budget is 200 million forints (around $580,000), of which 150 million forints comes from the state to fund various projects.

And while the party has more than 7,000 activists (or, in the party lingo, "passivists"), the number of actual members remains under 100, as joining is based on a complicated system of recommendations. Critics say that has meant only a small number of people in the party make decisions, leading to a maintenance of the status quo.

The Two-Tailed Dog has also been accused of taking votes away from the opposition. It wasn't among the opposition parties that united behind conservative candidate Peter Marki-Zay in the 2022 elections yet failed to prevent Fidesz from securing another two-thirds majority in parliament. Gordon Bajnai, the former socialist prime minister and Orban's predecessor, said in 2018 that every vote for the MKKP was a vote for Fidesz.

"I knew that it would probably be a 'wasted' vote and that they wouldn't reach 5 percent," said Peter Takacs, 35, who has voted for the party before. "I don't think that other political actors see them as serious, but I -- perhaps naively -- believed that their strengthening will suggest to the currently dominant parties that people have had enough, and that what they do is also a joke.

"I wouldn't trust them with governing the country, but I agree with the issues they deal with. I can imagine that in three years, they will reach the 5 percent [parliamentary] threshold, as people who are disillusioned with the opposition will vote for them."

Written and reported by Gyorgy Kerenyi in Budapest with additional contributions by Lili Rutai in London.
In the last year, many Boston Scientific Corporation (NYSE:BSX) insiders sold a substantial stake in the company which may have sparked shareholders' attention. When evaluating insider transactions, knowing whether insiders are buying versus if they selling is usually more beneficial, as the latter can be open to many interpretations. However, shareholders should take a deeper look if several insiders are selling stock over a specific time period.

Although we don't think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions, we do think it is perfectly logical to keep tabs on what insiders are doing.

Check out our latest analysis for Boston Scientific

Boston Scientific Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

The insider, Eric Francis Thepaut, made the biggest insider sale in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for US$848k worth of shares at a price of US$40.99 each. So it's clear an insider wanted to take some cash off the table, even below the current price of US$50.08. When an insider sells below the current price, it suggests that they considered that lower price to be fair. That makes us wonder what they think of the (higher) recent valuation. While insider selling is not a positive sign, we can't be sure if it does mean insiders think the shares are fully valued, so it's only a weak sign. It is worth noting that this sale was only 22% of Eric Francis Thepaut's holding.

In the last year Boston Scientific insiders didn't buy any company stock. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last 12 months, below. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!

If you are like me, then you will not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying.

Boston Scientific Insiders Are Selling The Stock

Over the last three months, we've seen significant insider selling at Boston Scientific. In total, Executive VP and Group President of MedSurg & Asia Pacific Arthur C. Butcher sold US$583k worth of shares in that time, and we didn't record any purchases whatsoever. In light of this it's hard to argue that all the insiders think that the shares are a bargain.

Story continues

Insider Ownership

I like to look at how many shares insiders own in a company, to help inform my view of how aligned they are with insiders. We usually like to see fairly high levels of insider ownership. Boston Scientific insiders own about US$175m worth of shares (which is 0.2% of the company). I like to see this level of insider ownership, because it increases the chances that management are thinking about the best interests of shareholders.

So What Does This Data Suggest About Boston Scientific Insiders?

An insider sold stock recently, but they haven't been buying. And even if we look at the last year, we didn't see any purchases. While insiders do own a lot of shares in the company (which is good), our analysis of their transactions doesn't make us feel confident about the company. In addition to knowing about insider transactions going on, it's beneficial to identify the risks facing Boston Scientific. For instance, we've identified 4 warning signs for Boston Scientific (1 makes us a bit uncomfortable) you should be aware of.

If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt.

For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions, but not derivative transactions.

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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In an attempt to boost Iran's flagging population growth, the government approved a controversial law in 2021 that further tightened restrictions on medical abortions and banned the free distribution of contraceptives.

Now, officials have expressed alarm about the number of illegal abortions being carried out in the country, suggesting government restrictions have pushed more women to terminate unwanted pregnancies outside the public health-care system.

Women who seek an abortion in Iran often rely on the black market to obtain abortion pills that can be counterfeit or expired and ineffective. They also use underground abortion services by doctors and midwives that sometimes operate in unhygienic conditions.

Government officials have said that each year between 300,000 to 600,000 abortions, most of them illegal, are performed in the country.

A midwife in Tehran, who spoke to RFE/RL's Radio Farda on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution, said illegal abortions appear to have increased "significantly." The midwife says health workers now estimate that there could be as many as 1 million abortions each year.

"We used to provide people with free contraceptives that would help prevent unwanted pregnancies," the midwife said, adding that poorer Iranians were the most affected. "Now, women from poorer [backgrounds] are forced to seek unsafe abortions by using pills they buy on the black market that could lead to health complications and put their lives at risk."

The midwife warns that the authorities appear to be determined to boost the country's birthrate "at any cost," a move that "will only lead to an increase in unsafe abortions."

'Disastrous' Figures

Soleiman Heidari, a Health Ministry official, said on April 18 that up to 80 percent of abortions in Iran were performed illegally. He did not say if the number of illegal abortions was increasing but added that some estimates, if accurate, were "disastrous."

Earlier in the week, Iran's ultraconservative President Ebrahim Raisi said the number of abortions in the country was "worrying," without giving figures. He also called for "violators" to be punished.

Officials have said that medical staff found guilty of carrying out illegal abortions will face a ban on practicing medicine. Tehran Governor Mohsen Mansuri last year called for the authorities to crack down on centers that help women terminate their unwanted pregnancies.

Health Ministry spokesman Pedram Pakayin said on April 19 that the ministry was taking steps to deal with "intentional abortions," including collecting abortion pills from the market.

Dropping Birthrate

Mansoureh Shojaee, a prominent women's rights activist and researcher, told RFE/RL that the law restricting medical abortions was a violation of women's right to maintain autonomy over their bodies.

"The issue of bodily rights and autonomy has been highlighted by the protest movement," she said, referring to the nationwide antiestablishment demonstrations that erupted after the September death of a young woman soon after she was arrested for violating the hijab law. The main slogan of the protesters was "Women, life, and freedom."

"These rights include the hijab but also issues dealing with fertility, including the right to prevent pregnancy," Shojaee said. "Women should be able to decide if they want to become pregnant, if they want children, and the number of children they want."

Shojaee adds that the state's restrictions on medical abortions and contraceptives have put the life of Iranian women at risk.

Previously, abortions could be legally performed during the first four months of pregnancy if three doctors agreed that a pregnancy threatened a woman's life, or the fetus had severe physical or mental disabilities that could produce extreme hardship for the mother.

But under the "rejuvenation of the population and support of the family" law passed in November 2021, abortion cases are now be decided by a panel that includes a judge and two medical professionals.

Rights groups and health experts warn that the law restricts women's access to medical abortions, leads to unwanted pregnancies and the birth of children with congenital defects, and increases the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, including AIDS.

In recent years, a growing number of Iranian women have chosen to have fewer or no children -- mainly due to economic woes, changing gender norms, the growth of girls' education, and family planning programs.

That trend has seen Iran's population growth rate drop from more than 4 percent in the 1980s to 1.29 percent in 2020, according to the World Bank, a development that has alarmed Iran's clerical establishment.
A 50-year-old man and his 11-year-old daughter were among at least five killed in weekend shelling by Russian forces in northeastern and southern regions of Ukraine, according to Ukrainian officials.

The father and daughter were killed in a Russian military strike overnight in the city of Zaporizhzhya in southeastern Ukraine as Russias military offensive in the east showed no signs of a letup.

Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's full-scale invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensives, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war, click here.

The Ukrainian State Emergency Service also reported that a 46-year-old woman, who it described as the wife and mother of the victims, was pulled from the wreckage.

Anatoliy Kurtev, the city council secretary, said one home was destroyed and several nearby buildings were damaged when two Russian missiles struck in the attack.

"The cursed Russian terrorists attacked Zaporizhzhya again and lost human lives," he wrote on Telegram.

In the northeastern region of Kharkiv, Governor Oleh Synyehubov said two men died on April 9 in shelling in Kupyansk, which remained under attack as Russian forces targeted residential areas with multiple-rocket launchers, Synyehubov said.

The regional governor of Zaporizhzhya said 18 communities were shelled on April 8, killing three people and wounding five. It was unclear whether the governor's assessment included the father and daughter killed in the city of Zaporizhzhya.

Late on April 9, Russian troops attacked the Kherson region with guided air bombs, said regional Governor Oleksandr Prokudin.



The Ukrainian military said the scale of the destruction is being assessed.



"Preliminarily, there are no victims among the civilians of the region," Prokudin said.

The Russian Defense Ministry claimed on April 9 that it had destroyed a depot containing 70,000 tons of fuel near Zaporizhzhya, as well as Ukrainian military warehouses in the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhya regions.

The Ukrainian military's operational command in the north said its forces had destroyed a modern Russian radar station used to detect drones. There was no confirmation of the attack from the Russian side, and RFE/RL could not independently verify the claims.

The attacks came as Russian invading forces continued their offensive in eastern Ukraine, with Kyivs military reporting its forces had repelled more than 50 attacks over the past day.

WATCH: Rescuers pulled a 46-year-old woman from the rubble early on April 9 after Russian missiles struck the city of Zaporizhzhya. The woman's 11-year-old daughter and 50-year-old husband were killed in the attack.

In a statement issued early on April 9, the Ukrainian General Staff said Russias military continued to target the countrys industrial east, focusing on the cities and towns of Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiyivka, and Maryinka in the Donetsk region.

According to the General Staff, Russian forces launched 40 air strikes, four missile strikes, and 58 attacks from multiple-rocket launchers on various parts of Ukraine on April 8 and into the first part of April 9.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, facing an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court, has ordered his military to gain complete control of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhya, and Kherson, areas he claims Russia has illegally annexed. Ukraine has indicated it will soon launch a counteroffensive to take back more territory.

In his daily address late on April 8, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy noted positive movement towards NATO, pointing to new military aid for Ukraine as well as other signs of international support.

WATCH: A charity has brought back 31 Ukrainian children who had been forcibly taken to Russia. The natives of Ukraine's Kherson and Kharkiv regions got off a bus on April 8 in Kyiv and were reunited with their families. The repatriation was arranged by Save Ukraine, an organization helping internally displaced people in Ukraine.

Zelenskiy referred to Lithuania proposing to invite Ukraine to become a member of NATO at the military alliance's summit in the capital, Vilnius, in July.

The Baltic country's parliament decided this week to seek an invitation for Ukraine to join the alliance at the summit scheduled for July 11-12.

Zelenskiy spoke hours after the head of a Ukrainian rescue organization said it had brought back 31 children from Russia, where they had been taken during the war.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants on March 17 for Putin and Russian children's rights commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova, accusing them of abducting children from Ukraine.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said this week it had been in contact with Lvova-Belova.

Quoted by the AP news agency, ICRC spokesman Jason Straziuso said the organization was in contact with Lvova-Belova in line with its mandate to restore contact between separated families and facilitate reunification where feasible.

With reporting by Reuters, AP, and dpa
Type 31 frigate

Britain's next-generation warships are being partly made in Poland, despite a promise by ministers that the project would drive a renaissance in UK shipbuilding.

Polish shipyards are constructing blocks of hull for the Type 31 frigate, it can be disclosed, with final assembly then carried out at a yard operated by the defence contractor Babcock in Rosyth, north of Edinburgh.

Babcock sources insisted that Poland was only responsible for a very small percentage of the work by value, with the aim of helping Warsaw prepare to build similar vessels itself.

However, the arrangement is likely to raise questions about the Government's plans to put the Type 31 at the heart of a revitalised British shipbuilding industry.

When the competition to build the frigates was announced in 2017 as part of the country's National Shipbuilding Strategy, the then-defence secretary Sir Michael Fallon described it as a "huge opportunity" for yards that would help to deliver a "renaissance". He added: "We have to get back to making things."

Admiral Lord West, a former First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff, said: It just seems extraordinary, because we want to get as much done in this country as you possibly can and we need to build our industry out.

I think we need to build up our shipbuilding industry, and that was one of the things they declared in the shipbuilding strategy.

That needs lots of orders and lots of building work, and its no good getting the building work done elsewhere.

It is not clear how much welding and construction work has been farmed out to Poland, a Nato member. Much of the value of a warship is in its weapons systems, radar and other sensors, propulsion, and control equipment, meaning the volume of work could still be significant even if the value is not.

Babcock won the contract to build the five Type 31 frigates for the Royal Navy in 2019, with a basic production cost of 250m apiece. The ships were heralded as much cheaper and more multipurpose craft than Britain's other new frigates, the Type 26s, which will hunt submarines and each cost 840m.

Story continues

The disclosure about Poland's involvement follows a winning bid last year led by Spanish shipbuilder Navantia to build support ships for the Royal Navys aircraft carrier. Much of that work is going to Spain, prompting concerns over whether Britain's yards are losing out.

The Government insists that at least half the work for the 1.5bn support ship deal will be done in the UK.

Last year, Babcock beat Germany's Thyssenkrupp to win a 1.4bn contract to build three frigates for the Polish Navy named Miecznik, which means Swordfish.

The ships will be built in Polands yards with Babcocks design. They will feature combat equipment from Thales and anti-aircraft firepower from missile maker MBDA, which is part-owned by Britains BAE Systems.

PGZ, the Polish defence company overseeing the project, said at the time that the purchase would significantly increase the capabilities of the Polish Navy.

In evidence to Parliaments Defence Committee in January, Vice Admiral Paul Marshall, who is overseeing the Type 31 purchase for the Government, insisted construction was on track and there were no ongoing issues.

He added: As with any complex shipbuilding programme, we have yet to navigate some of the tricky elements.

Naval shipbuilding policy has been through a number of changes in recent years, with the National Shipbuilding Strategy authored by industrialist Sir John Parker suggesting work be given to a wider number of UK yards in order to break the dominance of BAE Systems.

He called for a regular drumbeat of work to keep yards operating.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: The assembly and integration of all Type 31 warships will take place at Rosyth and it is normal practice to source components of warships from the global supply chain.

We understand that Babcock has contracted PGZ Poland to construct blocks for HMS Active, the second Type 31.

This represents less than 1pc of the total value of programme build and is part of Babcocks aim to maximise knowledge exchange to benefit both the UKs Type 31 and Polands Miecznik frigate builds.
H.G. Antonio Cecere, CEO of Ciceres Consulting and Cecere Monaco, is President of Geneva Diamond Exchange, and Vice President of Monaco Diamond Exchange, non-profit associations watchdogs of the conflict diamonds trade to prevent their entry into the mainstream markets.

In 2016, Cecere received the Honorary Diploma from the International Police Association in the Principality of Monaco for his ethical contribution and in 2006 he was awarded in the United Kingdom by Her Royal Highness Princess Royal for services rendered to the industry.

Antonio Cecere's consulting activities include advising large corporations in multiple sectors, like Lamborghini and Bentley Motors, Microsoft and HSBC; his experience of over two decades includes repositioning jewellery brands of Swarovski Group and Richemont Group. He was a Professor at the International University of Monaco and a lecturer at Bicocca University in Milan.

Here, in an Exclusive Interview with Rough&Polished, Antonio Cecere explains how ethical sourcing changed in the last decade and how it expanded to the industrial sector that revolves around mining.

Some excerpts:

Today, how important is the ethical footprint of the suppliers of products and services involved in mineral extraction?

The world of mining is rather complex and there are many moving parts that need to be in place to activate a mine that can take as long as ten years to open. This is valid for diamonds as much as it is for most minerals across countries rich in natural resources. Most projects start with a geological report based on which the decision-making process starts and partners are selected.

Financing is the consequent step; Anti Money Laundering (AML) due diligence on the investors is essential to ensure that the funds originated from clean sources; central banks and governments are most likely involved at this stage. Subsequently, extraction specialists are selected and industrial components are sourced.

To what extent is ethical sourcing applied to mining? What goes into the process of selecting the right suppliers and industrial components?

I am involved in various mining projects in Africa where dredging is an essential part of the process and general practice in mining. Selecting the right partners even for components is essential not only from a technical perspective but as an ethical priority, too.

Let me give a real-life example, Deriplast Group headed by Mario Cirino Pomicino is the supplier of the dredging equipment and HDPE pipes necessary for the advancement of these projects. They were selected not only for the excellence of their products; today that is simply not enough. We know that they source their polyethene palettes responsibly from known traceable sources, that they are a sustainable company that uses green energy during production, they offset their CO2 emission and actively contribute to reforestation; they make a social contribution to rebuilding a local economy. This is a specialized company part of the European market leader in pipes production System Group, originally founded by visionary Alvaro Boscarini.

All this is to explain that selecting the right partners today it is not simply about the most competitive prices, it is surely about excellence in production, accountability, and after-sale service, but concurrently we look at the ethical footprint and their commitment to sustainability.

It is about knowing a company's history, their corporate philosophy and embracing its values through the supply chain. If we start selecting the right component, it sends a strong signal to the whole process and it cascades down to human resources and workers' conditions, to set the standards for contributing to local economies, education and welfare.

Would you say that ethical sourcing does not start with conflict-free diamond trading and KPCS, but well before that the minerals are extracted?

Yes, ethical sourcing starts from the first pipe, the first float, and the very first employee. Its a mindset. Social responsibility and environmental sustainability must be at the forefront of every choice we make. Even a pipe can make a difference, so the message is: lets all start choosing the right pipes.

Consumers today reward this mindset and choose their products accordingly, Responsible Jewellery Council and Diamonds Standards Organizations are testaments to this. This behaviour is not limited to individuals; governments today subscribe to this change in attitude. I am a board advisor to Paladeri, a highly innovative company at the forefront of climate change that offers solutions to the management of rainwater, from lamination and preservation to controlled dispersion. When I describe it as an innovative company, I do not limit this to its products, but its state of mind. A highly socially responsible company that supports local communities, offsets their CO2 emission, is powered by solar panels, it is an equal opportunity employer.

All these factors became catalysts alongside their excellence in production and innovation to attract the interest of the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Industry & Advanced Technology as well as their counterparts in Europe. This is a perfect example to explain that today excellence is not about a product alone, it is about understanding your environmental impact, and how you can contribute to society. This attitude is valid for the diamond mining industry, the polished diamond sector, and the jewellery manufacturing segment equally.

How difficult is it to convey ethical corporate behaviour in remote countries rich in natural resources, but often an object of corruption and wealth disparity?

It is a challenge worth the struggle; when I asked Dumani Mandela, grandson of the late Nelson Mandela, to join our board at Geneva Diamond Exchange it was to send a strong message to our interlocutors in the African continent that we stood for uncompromised social values, and that we are committed to building stable societies by ensuring that the corporate world, as much as the industrial and diamond sectors, all play their part responsibly.

Aruna Gaitonde, Editor in Chief of the Asian Bureau, Rough&Polished
John Scott talks about being homeless at a camp near the San Luis Rey River.

Homelessness is hardly new in Oceanside, but there seems to be a growing intolerance of it.

In recent weeks, longtime residents have repeatedly called for the city to roust the transients from their camps, stop feeding them free meals, and get them out of town.

No more Brother Bennos, resident Donna McGinty told the City Council at a recent meeting, referring to the soup kitchen near the city airport that has fed the homeless since 1983. That has got to go.

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She and other speakers said services like Brother Bennos and the Bread of Life Rescue Mission in Oceanside only perpetuate homelessness and allow people to continue lives of crime and drug addiction.

City officials have responded in recent months by increasing police patrols, adding social workers, pushing for more affordable housing and, in October, approving two emergency resolutions to facilitate temporary emergency shelters and obtain more grant funding.

Despite the residents concerns, the available statistics show Oceansides homeless situation has changed little in recent years.

Its like playing Whac-A-Mole, said Police Chief Frank McCoy, referring to the popular arcade game, during a community meeting Wednesday at the Oceanside Civic Center.

Enforcement efforts tend to shift transients from one part of town to another, he said. Still, the city has had increasing success with prevention and assistance programs.

Outrage over homelessness ebbs and flows in Oceanside.

In 1989, there were as many as 1,000 homeless in the city and many of them were camped along the San Luis Rey River, according to stories in the San Diego Union newspaper at the time.

Despite repeated protests from valley residents, the citys Planning Commission approved a plan that year to install 15 temporary trailers at the San Luis Rey Mission to house some of the homeless families there.

Police issued 300 citations to illegal campers along the river in mid-November 1993 to make way for a state Route 76 construction project. In a few days, nearly all the riverbed squatters had gone elsewhere.

This year, Oceanside had 483 homeless people citywide, according to the annual one-day Point-in-Time Count in January by the Regional Task Force on the Homeless. That number has been about the same for several years.

But some homeowners challenge the most recent numbers. Long-time residents in the San Luis Rey River valley, near the Oceanside airport and Benet Road, say theyve seen more homeless on the streets and in the riverbed in recent months.

Something has changed, said Dee Keck, adding that she sees transients ride bicycles past her front yard at all hours, and that more cars, garages and homes are being broken into.

On Tuesdays, they get the garbage out of our garbage cans, she said. They just pitch the stuff they dont want and move on.

Julie Reboulet, an airport area resident for 17 years, said shes seen a lot more transients in her neighborhood for the last year or so.

A lot of times they seem to be high on something, she said. Its not safe for them, its not safe for us, its not safe for anyone.

Both women attended the meeting Wednesday at the Civic Center, where the police chief talked for more than an hour about all the things his department is doing to address homelessness.

We are doing a lot, McCoy said. We are putting a lot of time, effort and money toward this issue.

Oceanside will spend more than $5 million this year on various services related to homelessness, he said.

Four years ago, the city created a homeless outreach team of two police officers and a sergeant that contacts transients daily to help them get off the streets, he said.

Often, people on the streets dont want any help, he said. But the HOT team keeps going back.

Maybe the fifth or sixth time, they say, Im ready, I want help, McCoy said. We want to get them headed in the right direction to break that cycle (of homelessness).

The Police Department sends out four separate details a week to issue tickets and clean up encampments. It dispatches crime suppression units as needed, and maintains a downtown resource team to keep transients from sleeping on the beach and sidewalks.

McCoy also tried to dispel some of the rumors heard at City Council meetings and on social media websites.

Ive heard that around the airport area the crime is just going crazy, he said. The numbers at this point dont support that.

Statistics show Oceanside crime overall has declined by 10 percent in the past year, McCoy said.

People have said other cities are busing their homeless to Oceanside. Again, not so, the chief said.

Many of the people who are homeless here are from this city, McCoy said. They are from Oceanside.

Some people want police to arrest the homeless, but no one can be arrested simply for being homeless, he said. Thats not a crime.

Transients tend to congregate in Oceanside for a number of obvious reasons  the weather, the beach, and the open canyons and riverbeds with brush where people can hide. The city has charitable nonprofit services and helpful government agencies, and it is a transportation hub for buses, trains and ride-hailing services.

Residents often say the city should clear out the trees and brush that hide the homeless camps. But those areas have native plants and animals that are protected by state and federal laws.

A walk along the riverbed Wednesday morning turned up few camps and fewer occupants.

It was easy to see spots where people have camped in the past, marked by flattened brush, piles of trash and old, discarded clothing. But most of those places were abandoned.

One spot along the river near Capistrano Park was clearly occupied. Pants and shirts were draped over branches, and rolls of toilet paper, buckets, plastic bags of trash, and a battered bicycle were scattered on the ground.

Im sleeping right now, a voice called out from behind the brush, when asked if anyone could talk with a reporter.

Up the river closer to the citys small municipal airport, three or four people were moving around in a cluster of tents north of Airport Road, an area called Tule Canyon.

Only one of them would talk to a reporter. He said his name was John Scott, but people called him Rasta.

Scott, a wiry man in clean clothes with a gray beard, said he was 73 years old. Hed lived in San Diego County for 35 years. For a while, he worked at a small store in Oceanside, but for years hes been homeless, by choice, camping for a while in the Lawrence Canyon area of Oceanside, also at times in Vista and Encinitas.

For the past eight months, hes slept in a culvert under Airport Road, near Benet Road, he said. He goes to Brother Bennos every morning for food. He can shower there, get some basic help, and he has his Social Security checks sent there.

Brother Bennos is a blessing, Scott said. I call it the breakfast club.

Scott clearly enjoyed talking. He was a U.S. Army veteran and worked in food service at Fort Leavenworth for years, he said. Hes also an artist who paints impressionistic landscapes. He was married four times, and he had a rough bout with cancer. These days, he prefers to live outdoors.

I just mind my own business and do my own thing, he said. Theres lots of reasons people do what I do.

One problem is the high cost of housing, he said, and, Not everybody can pay $1,500 in rent,

As he spoke, a woman with a frown on her face, probably in her 30s, rode into the camp on a bicycle. She declined to say anything about her circumstances, got off the bike and went into a tent.

philip.diehl@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @phildiehl
Teck Guan Perdana Berhad's (KLSE:TECGUAN) price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 2.3x might make it look like a strong buy right now compared to the market in Malaysia, where around half of the companies have P/E ratios above 14x and even P/E's above 26x are quite common. Although, it's not wise to just take the P/E at face value as there may be an explanation why it's so limited.

Recent times have been quite advantageous for Teck Guan Perdana Berhad as its earnings have been rising very briskly. One possibility is that the P/E is low because investors think this strong earnings growth might actually underperform the broader market in the near future. If you like the company, you'd be hoping this isn't the case so that you could potentially pick up some stock while it's out of favour.

See our latest analysis for Teck Guan Perdana Berhad

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Although there are no analyst estimates available for Teck Guan Perdana Berhad, take a look at this free data-rich visualisation to see how the company stacks up on earnings, revenue and cash flow.

Does Growth Match The Low P/E?

Teck Guan Perdana Berhad's P/E ratio would be typical for a company that's expected to deliver very poor growth or even falling earnings, and importantly, perform much worse than the market.

If we review the last year of earnings growth, the company posted a terrific increase of 51%. The strong recent performance means it was also able to grow EPS by 842% in total over the last three years. So we can start by confirming that the company has done a great job of growing earnings over that time.

This is in contrast to the rest of the market, which is expected to grow by 10% over the next year, materially lower than the company's recent medium-term annualised growth rates.

In light of this, it's peculiar that Teck Guan Perdana Berhad's P/E sits below the majority of other companies. It looks like most investors are not convinced the company can maintain its recent growth rates.

Story continues

The Key Takeaway

While the price-to-earnings ratio shouldn't be the defining factor in whether you buy a stock or not, it's quite a capable barometer of earnings expectations.

We've established that Teck Guan Perdana Berhad currently trades on a much lower than expected P/E since its recent three-year growth is higher than the wider market forecast. When we see strong earnings with faster-than-market growth, we assume potential risks are what might be placing significant pressure on the P/E ratio. It appears many are indeed anticipating earnings instability, because the persistence of these recent medium-term conditions would normally provide a boost to the share price.

Before you settle on your opinion, we've discovered 1 warning sign for Teck Guan Perdana Berhad that you should be aware of.

Of course, you might also be able to find a better stock than Teck Guan Perdana Berhad. So you may wish to see this free collection of other companies that sit on P/E's below 20x and have grown earnings strongly.

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



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

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A new Tribune investigation has revealed that Cook Countys massive criminal court system is now taking more than four years to complete most of the countys murder cases, with some lasting up to a decade or more. Separating the guilty from the innocent takes longer than courthouses in any city for which comparable data was available, including New York and Los Angeles.

In a four-part series titled Stalled Justice, reporters Joe Mahr and Megan Crepeau exposed:

Part 1: How bad the problem is, whos hurt by it and who pays.

Part 2: How the court machinery frequently breaks down.

Part 3: How judges often fail to control their courtrooms.

Part 4: Steps that officials could take to reform the system.

These findings shouldnt come as a surprise to Chief Judge Timothy Evans or other officials with oversight over the system. Researchers have been documenting problems in Cook Countys criminal courts for generations, including multiple studies highlighting lengthy and unnecessary delays. By now, according to one recent study, delays are so entrenched in the system that they are considered normal.

Read on for a timeline of how criticism of the courts has evolved over a century and how people in power have largely failed to follow through on recommendations for reform.

1929: New courthouse, bungled cases

The Cook County Criminal Court House, now known as the Leighton Criminal Court Building, was constructed in the late 1920s. This photo is from 1928. (Chicago Tribune historical photo)

The main courthouse opens at 26th Street and California Avenue. That same year, a coalition of legal, business and advocacy groups releases a 1,100-page report that documents incompetence, indifference and corruption in the criminal court system.

Researchers say that in one year the system bungled 10,000 cases, and many who went free are bombers, murderers, robbers, burglars, rapists, desperate men, whose presence is a constant threat to organized society and the security of property.

1963: Delays inspire new law

Chicago Tribune article from May 22, 1963. Full article here.

After years of complaints that lawyers were purposely dragging out cases, state leaders push through a major rewrite of Illinois criminal procedure laws that includes a statute meant to limit the practice of continuances, in which an attorney gets a judge to stop a hearing and continue it sometime in the future. The new law empowers judges to demand written requests when a delay is sought.

1968: That law isnt followed

University of Chicago study from 1968. Full study here.

A University of Chicago study on Cook County court delays finds that judges were routinely ignoring the law enacted five years earlier that was meant to curb the practice of continuances.

The law was later tightened in the 1980s to require attorneys to submit written requests for delays, whether or not a judge asked. But that law, too, would be routinely ignored.

1974: Crowded jail leads to action

In 1975, faced with crowding and a lack of beds, some defendants housed at Cook County Jail slept in makeshift hammocks. (Walter Kale / Chicago Tribune)

Cook County Jail pretrial inmates file a class-action lawsuit alleging overcrowding and poor conditions. Hundreds of inmates at times were forced to sleep on the floor, often without blankets or mattresses.

The case eventually leads to a consent decree, which in turn put pressure on courts to lessen case backlogs that contributed to crowding in the jail.

1979: New rules on discovery ignored

Chicago Tribune article from Dec. 3, 1979. Full article here.

After increasing complaints about case delays, criminal court leaders work up new rules that put strict limits on a key phase of cases: discovery, or the sharing of evidence. The rules state that discovery should be complete within 45 days of someone being arraigned.

Later rules reinforce the tight deadline. Both sets of rules are ignored with little consequence.

1980: Court watchers dislike what they see

Chicago Tribune article from Dec. 29, 1980. Full article here.

Volunteers watch more than 15,000 proceedings in 42 courts and, while offering some praise, generally criticize the courts for unnecessary continuances and short court days  including one that lasted just 13 minutes.

1983: Operation Greylord reveals bribery scandal

Judge Reginald Holzer leaves federal court with his daughter in 1986 after a jury found him guilty on 27 counts of corruption. The federal investigation known as Operation Greylord found he had been shaking down lawyers for loans. He was sentenced to 18 years in prison. (Frank Hanes / Chicago Tribune)

The Federal Bureau of Investigation reveals a three-year undercover bribery investigation known as Operation Greylord that leads to 15 judges being convicted over the next decade, spurring a bigger push for court reform.

1988: Post-Greylord panel finds other problems

Chicago Tribune article from Sept. 15, 1988. Full article here.

A special commission formed after Greylord finds widespread problems in the way Cook Countys courts are run, concluding: Inefficiency can create conditions conducive to corruption.

The commission makes several recommendations, including having judges review their peers and, more broadly, improving the quality of judges.

1989: Feds criticize Chicago legal culture

A federally commissioned study blames jail overcrowding on overly long case processing times and a local legal culture indifferent to delays.

Among other things, the study suggests faster automatic evidence sharing, setting trial dates early in a case, establishing a strict continuance policy which is carefully monitored and using a then-new concept called differentiated case management that sets time goals for different types of cases, such as drug crimes or murders.

All ideas are largely ignored. It took 16 years before the courts would finally experiment with differentiated case management.

1995: Felony filings hit a peak

With the war on drugs in high gear, Cook County sees 47,880 felony cases filed, the most ever.

New felony cases would eventually come down by more than half as drug prosecutions decreased. Even so, case delays generally worsened.

2002: Standards proposed, little enforcement

Amid continued complaints about jail overcrowding and the courts slow pace, the chief deputy states attorney proposes setting goals that include 1  years to wrap up most murders and 2  years for the most complicated murder cases (such as ones involving multiple defendants or those facing the death penalty).

Court leaders suggest that judges adopt those goals, but no judge is forced to do so.

2005: Feds find continuing problems

American University study from Sept. 26, 2005. Full study here.

Sixteen years after reporting myriad problems with case delays, federally commissioned researchers return and document continued problems, including delays in evidence sharing and returning lab results, police missing court dates and a sustained local legal culture that accepts delays as normal.

Researchers again recommend that judges better manage cases.

2006: Whittling at the backlog

Chicago Tribune article from March 27, 2006.Full article here.

In a push to lessen delays, courthouse players  prompted by then-presiding criminal court Judge Paul Biebel  focus on clearing backlogs of older cases.

In a little over a year, they cut the number of 2-year-old cases from above 1,000 to roughly 700. But the success doesnt last.

2007: More recommendations, few fixes

The Chicago Appleseed Fund for Justice, a nonprofit research and advocacy group, finds many of the same problems with the county court that other studies did, including police taking too long to produce reports and lab results, overwhelmed prosecutors and public defenders, and judges unable to control the pace of cases.

Like many researchers before, the group recommends differentiated case management  a concept pushed by top judges but still not embraced by many of the others.

2009: Courts own administrator weighs in

The man hired to administer Cook Countys criminal courts publishes a research paper that promotes differentiated case management for Cook County. The paper acknowledges that many cases last longer than the standards the court has loosely adopted, yet many judges see little need for those goals  complicating efforts to limit unnecessary delays.

The court system still does not force judges to use differentiated case management.

2011: Case management form is little used

Judge Thaddeus Wilson presides over closing arguments during a trial at the Leighton Criminal Court Building in 2019. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)

A top criminal judge, Thaddeus Wilson, develops a boilerplate case management order that judges can use to employ differentiated case management. It lists four tracks for cases, the longest being murder, with a goal of two years to complete.

This comes the same year that the National Center for State Courts, a group often cited by Cook County court officials, sets broader national standards for how long felony cases should take to complete: 98% within one year.

Cook County fails to adopt the national standards, and judges are not required to use Wilsons template.

2012: Another study, similar recommendations

Five years after its first report, Appleseed publishes another study that focuses on pretrial delays and longer jail stays, noting that even though there are fewer case filings and jail admissions, the jails population isnt shrinking at the same rate.

It blames lingering problems that include, among other things, delayed evidence sharing, police not showing up to court, and broad acceptance of continuances in a courthouse that still hasnt widely embraced standards for how long cases should last. The report makes recommendations similar to other studies.

2013: Preckwinkle complains to the state

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle asks the state Supreme Court to assign an outside judge to help process case backlogs, saying unacceptably long delays are the first and foremost problem with the way the county administers justice. She complains that the court wont release data on the problem and also asks the state to address concerns with pretrial services.

The state court ultimately does only the latter, while referring the issue of case delays back to the local courts.

2014: Jail population shrinks

The number of defendants jailed awaiting trial begins a slow, steady drop.

The decrease comes as the courts make it easier for defendants to post bond and judges broaden the use of electronic monitoring. The movement has been controversial: cheered by reform advocates as more fair, while bemoaned by others who complain that potentially dangerous people are being released.

With jails no longer at capacity, theres less public pressure on judges to limit case delays.

2015: New York sets an example

A woman walks by the entrance to the Rikers Island jail complex in New York City. (Spencer Platt / Getty Images)

More than a year after New Yorks chief state judge assigns more judges to the Bronx to work through case backlogs there, he and the mayor of New York City announce a plan to further clear the backlog across the city, which a mayoral aide blamed on a culture of delay.

At the time, The New York Times reports that over 400 people had been locked up for more than two years awaiting trial at Rikers Island. In comparison, around that same period, Cook Countys jail held fewer detainees but roughly twice as many people who had been awaiting trial for more than two years.

2016: Chicago Reader finds dysfunctional courts

A Chicago Reader investigation finds that Cook County has a court system plagued by unnecessary delays, noting problems that the earlier studies also exposed.

The chief judges office responds with a statement that acknowledges the problems, saying they were so entrenched that judges couldnt fix them alone, and theyd gotten grants to study court delays.

2018: Another call for case management

The county invites the National Center for State Courts in for another study on limiting delays.

While complimentary about some steps the courts had taken, researchers document the usual problems and again recommend that the court adopt differentiated case management systemwide. The study suggests all judges adhere to that system by December 2019, which doesnt happen.

2020: Pandemic adds to backlog

A warning sign outside the Leighton Criminal Court Building on July 2, 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)

In March 2020, the court postpones cases, delays trials and suspends most in-person hearings. The pandemic forces the wide adoption of some efficiencies, such as sharing evidence electronically and holding hearings by Zoom, but the slowdown creates an even bigger case backlog.

In September 2020, the Chicago Sun-Times reports that more than 130 people have been held in Cook County jail for at least five years awaiting trial.

2021: Bigger doesnt have to mean slower

The National Center for State Courts completes a national study revealing, among other things, that court delays arent tied to the size of the court and instead are more likely due to the quality of case management.

The same year, Loyola University researchers present county officials with research showing the gap between how long it takes the county to convict defendants and how long it takes courts elsewhere in Illinois.

2022: More reform promises, more critical findings

In January, without addressing past promises to implement differentiated case management, Cook Countys chief judge announces the court will adopt it. But no formal rule is put in place and many judges dont do it voluntarily.

Later that year, researchers from Loyola, Northwestern and Georgia State universities publish one study that finds the courts are hamstrung by perpetual delays, and another on failures fostered by an insider-vs.-outsider culture  one that may require state intervention to undo.
Whilst it may not be a huge deal, we thought it was good to see that the Condor Gold Plc (LON:CNR) CEO & Director, Mark Child, recently bought UK62k worth of stock, for UK0.24 per share. Although the purchase is not a big one, increasing their shareholding by only 6.1%, it can be interpreted as a good sign.

Check out our latest analysis for Condor Gold

Condor Gold Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

The Independent Non-Executive Chairman James Mellon made the biggest insider purchase in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for UK3.5m worth of shares at a price of UK0.40 each. So it's clear an insider wanted to buy, even at a higher price than the current share price (being UK0.28). Their view may have changed since then, but at least it shows they felt optimistic at the time. We always take careful note of the price insiders pay when purchasing shares. It is generally more encouraging if they paid above the current price, as it suggests they saw value, even at higher levels.

In the last twelve months Condor Gold insiders were buying shares, but not selling. They paid about UK0.23 on average. To my mind it is good that insiders have invested their own money in the company. However, you should keep in mind that they bought when the share price was meaningfully below today's levels. You can see the insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year depicted in the chart below. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!

Condor Gold is not the only stock that insiders are buying. For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.

Insider Ownership

Another way to test the alignment between the leaders of a company and other shareholders is to look at how many shares they own. We usually like to see fairly high levels of insider ownership. Condor Gold insiders own about UK12m worth of shares. That equates to 24% of the company. We've certainly seen higher levels of insider ownership elsewhere, but these holdings are enough to suggest alignment between insiders and the other shareholders.

Story continues

What Might The Insider Transactions At Condor Gold Tell Us?

It is good to see the recent insider purchase. And an analysis of the transactions over the last year also gives us confidence. But on the other hand, the company made a loss during the last year, which makes us a little cautious. When combined with notable insider ownership, these factors suggest Condor Gold insiders are well aligned, and that they may think the share price is too low. So while it's helpful to know what insiders are doing in terms of buying or selling, it's also helpful to know the risks that a particular company is facing. At Simply Wall St, we've found that Condor Gold has 6 warning signs (3 don't sit too well with us!) that deserve your attention before going any further with your analysis.

If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt.

For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions, but not derivative transactions.

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



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

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The mood was bright Sunday morning as about 100 people gathered at Mount Davidson in San Francisco for the 100th anniversary of the traditional Easter sunrise service.

The sun came through at around 7 a.m., illuminating peoples faces as they sang and prayed together. The service featured local ministers and musicians.

Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle

Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle

Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle

The Easter sunrise service, sponsored by local churches and broadcast nationally in years past, at one point drew thousands of worshipers, topping out at an estimated 50,000 during World War II. Though crowds are smaller now, the tradition continues.

Last weekend, more than 100 people gathered at the steps of the 103-foot concrete cross at San Franciscos highest peak as a 90-year-old time capsule was unearthed.

Among the items were a leather-bound Bible, a telephone book, pamphlets, a Boy Scout pin, a municipal record of 1933 and several newspapers, including the March 27, 1932, edition of The Chronicle, featuring a full front-page photo collage of an Easter celebration, and several other newspapers from the time, many with headlines referencing a murder case.

The items will be on display in an exhibit at the San Francisco Historical Societys museum at 608 Commercial St. in June.

The Mount Davidson cross, built in 1934, has faced challenges over the years as a religious symbol sitting on what was once public property. In the 1990s, several groups sued the city over the cross, arguing that, as a symbol of Christianity, it was illegal on public property and alienated people of other faiths. A federal appeals court ruled in 1996 that the cross would have to be torn down or sold to a private owner, and the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear the case a year later.

Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle

Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle Left: Father Aris P. Metrakos (center) at the Easter morning sunrise service at the cross of Mount Davidson. Right: Tamiko Gondai (right) and her children Tayo, 6 (left) and Tate, 7 (center) listen as they attend the Easter morning sunrise service at the cross of Mount Davidson. Photos by Gabrielle Lurie Top: Father Aris P. Metrakos (center) at the Easter morning sunrise service at the cross of Mount Davidson. Bottom: Tamiko Gondai (right) and her children Tayo, 6 (left) and Tate, 7 (center) listen as they attend the Easter morning sunrise service at the cross of Mount Davidson. Photos by Gabrielle Lurie

The cross and the sliver of land it occupies were purchased in 1997 by the Council of Armenian American Organizations of Northern California for $26,000, a sale approved by voters on a ballot measure that fall. It now stands as a memorial to the 1.5 million victims of the Armenian Genocide that started in 1915.

Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle
Felicia Tom is a tireless criminal justice reform activist in Oakland. Shes only 16 and shes not alone.

Felicia was one of dozens of teens at a lively town hall Wednesday demanding reimagined juvenile justice in Alameda County, where elected leaders have spent decades failing to disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline.

Politicians dont want to listen to or acknowledge our realities, Felicia told me.

If they did, theyd realize that those realities bolster the case for cutting back law enforcement funding in favor of programs that deal with poverty, housing inequality and education gaps  inequities that are the root cause of many crimes.

Meanwhile, Felicia and her cohorts are arguing for decreases in police budgets and investments in rehabilitation services and restorative justice programs.

Young speakers at the town hall referenced dismal statistics like those captured in the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights 2020 study, which found that people of color accounted for 99% of the youth under probation supervision in Alameda County. That report also found that Black youth in Oakland were 113 times more likely than white youth to be criminalized and arrested.

Juliana Yamada/The Chronicle

It isnt a coincidence that, according to county data from 2020, 50% of the locked-up youth came from only seven of Alameda Countys 49 ZIP codes. These seven ZIP codes largely included formerly redlined areas such as West Oakland, East Oakland and Hayward, places where racist government actions stifled investment in the largely Black and brown communities for decades.

Last year Alameda County Probation Department data showed that more than 80% of juveniles in its system were either Black or Latino, despite the groups making up 11% and 22% of the countys population, respectively.

These days, fearmongering about high-profile crime incidents has a bigger impact on public safety debates than the voices of young people who suffer most from the justice systems failings, and arguably know best how to fix it.

I noticed only three local officeholders  Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price, Alameda County Public Defender Brendon Woods and Oakland City Council Member Nikki Fortunato Bas  in the crowd at Wednesdays town hall.

The youth activists didnt ask any of them to speak. The point was for them to listen.

If more politicians had shown up to do the same, they would have heard the young activists ambitious 10-point plan (modeled after the Black Panther Partys 10-point platform) which makes a compelling case to outright stop locking up young people.

Alameda County, like the rest of the country, has seen a decline in incarcerated youth populations over the past 20 years. And a state law passed in 2020 has made it so youth charged in the juvenile system have to stay in county facilities, no matter their crimes.

The youth organizations at Wednesdays town hall were calling for juvenile incarceration in Alameda County to be replaced with care-based services. While this pushes even my most progressive boundaries, the young activists could be on to something. Only in the rarest of cases should a punishment be so severe that it strips a young person of the chance to learn from mistakes.

There are decades of research showing how incarcerating young people doesnt deter criminal behavior. It leads to youths being rearrested and jailed as adults, it doesnt improve public safety, and it damages young peoples mental health at a time when their brains are still developing. Also, data shows that incarcerating fewer juveniles does not result in increased juvenile crime.

Lets also not overlook other studies from across the country showing that community-based restorative justice programs cost far less than what counties pay to incarcerate young people and are more beneficial to their physical and mental health in the long run.

Youth activists pointed Wednesday to how Alameda County spends $500,000 to $800,000 per year to incarcerate a young person. And according to Free Our Kids, a coalition of 10 community organizations, that kind of money could, at the very least, connect hundreds of local youth to restorative justice programs. These programs allow youth offenders to confront the harms theyve caused, take responsibility for their actions and work to repair those harms, none of which they can do if incarcerated.

The justice system can break a lot of us, activist Felix Amaya, 20, told me at the event. It creates a kind of internalized oppression, where we know were quick to be painted in a bad light. We need a better system.

On Wednesday, Ericson E Amaya Bonilla, 25, told me Alameda County can be a pioneer in juvenile rehabilitation and public safety if it simply chooses to listen to young people.

We just want a seat at the table, he said.

Alameda County only stands to benefit if it takes their concerns, and solutions, seriously.
Getty Images

Oakland police are investigating an illegal sideshow involving more than 50 vehicles, the department said Saturday.

The sideshow occurred in the 1600 block of Adeline Street around 3:30 a.m. Officers arrived at the scene in an attempt to disperse the sideshow.
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Regarding Cities are struggling. San Francisco could be in for the biggest doom loop of all (San Francisco, SFChronicle.com, March 30): We propose a solution to save downtown San Francisco: Repurpose empty office buildings into satellite campuses for universities.

With a growing demand for higher education, we believe that universities can use their financial power and development skills to transform urban spaces for the better. While providing housing for students and professors may be a challenge, universities can build student housing themselves or work with private developers.

We believe that this plan can also spur development in the surrounding areas and create value for future generations. By taking advantage of this crisis, we think that San Francisco can become the worlds best college town and lay the foundation for its future success.

Elle and Ben Black, San Francisco

Put community first

What do homelessness and mass shootings have in common? One thing is that often when someone proposes a solution to a problem, lawyers and politicians start crying about violating personal liberty or constitutional rights.

Apparently, this country has not yet learned what most European and East Asian countries have learned and adopted into their cultures, a concept that is just as important as individual rights  the common good.

Homeless squatters and gun rights advocates who flaunt their individual rights impinge on the safety of the community at large. The concept of individual rights can only be exercised equitably within the concept of the common good

Joseph Chance, Emeryville

False comparison

Regarding These are the four main reactions to Trump's indictment (Politics, SFChronicle.com, April 5): Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said of former President Donald Trumps arraignment: Trump is joining some of the most incredible people in history being arrested today.  Jesus  Jesus was arrested.

Quite true. But Jesus was arrested and found guilty of blasphemy, not for paying to keep a porn star quiet about his adultery and falsely claiming the payment as a business expense.

And, by the way, Jesus never said anything like what Trump said at Waco: For those who have been wronged and betrayed  I am your retribution. Instead, Jesus said: Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.

It was Mussolini who said in his autobiography: What did Italy need? An avenger!

That type of person is the last thing our democracy needs.

Richard Such, Palo Alto

Keep saving water

Regarding Latest round of storms lifts entire Bay Area out of drought (Climate, SFChronicle.com, March 30): I was happy to read that large sections of California are officially out of drought.

Heres an idea I hope many people will agree with: Lets continue to conserve water anyway!

David Gans, Oakland
Indigenous peoples themselves have diverse and ancient histories of their own ancestors, some of which align with archaeological and genetic models of the past and some of which do not. A thousand questions drive legitimate and respectful conversations about the past.

In recent years, alternative historians have exploited this thirst to learn. Self-appointed experts or journalists such as Graham Hancock variously claim that the first people to enter the Americas were: from Europe, from sub-Saharan Africa, from Egypt, giants (descended from an extinct human relative known as the Denisovans), travelers from the Black Sea region, Atlantean refugees, aliens and alien mentees.

Proponents of these claims have landed book contracts and shows on the History Channel and Netflix (its latest series, Ancient Apocalypse, has huge viewership). Some organize conventions and offer informal research expeditions to investigate megalithic sites without bias.

While these purveyors make millions, their theories perpetuate harmful and incorrect views of the origins of Native Americans. They cook up pseudo-histories by cherry-picking evidence (often faked, misunderstood or paranormal) to support a pre-determined outcome. Scientists and scholars have debunked these claims, pointing out factual inaccuracies, identifying faked evidence, noting anti-Indigenous rhetoric and delving into history and context that explains why the bogus claims emerged in the first place.

But a lie can go halfway around the world before experts can debunk it.

Scientists, Indigenous knowledge holders and scholars have spent decades compiling evidence about the First Peoples of the Americas  using genetics, professional archaeology and knowledge passed down many generations. One of the most recent tools is the study of complete genomes from ancient peoples, which has allowed scholars to produce powerful models of biological histories and test relationships between past and present populations.

DNA recovered from ancient remains shows us that the First Peoples of the Americas have ancestral roots in Asia and that they descend from two populations who mixed during the Upper Paleolithic era: One group related to the ancestors of present-day East (with affinities to some Southeast) Asians. Another group descended from a population called Ancient North Eurasians. The East Asian and Ancient North Eurasian groups came together approximately 25,000 years ago; soon after, the DNA evidence suggests, the intermingled population became isolated for a few thousand years, coinciding with the peak of the global climactic event called the Last Glacial Maximum, also known as the ice age.

During this period, human populations across the globe retreated to locations where resources were more abundant. Based on paleoclimactic reconstructions, some archaeologists, geneticists and paleoclimatologists hypothesize that the population ancestral to the First Peoples may have moved to the southern coast of central Beringia (the land bridge which connected East Asia and Alaska until the Earth warmed and sea levels rose, creating the Bering Strait).

The DNA evidence suggests that the Beringian population split into several branches. One moved into the Americas as soon as routes past the glacial ice sheets became accessible, about 17,000 years ago, and gave rise to all peoples south of Alaska. Genetics and some traditional Indigenous histories indicate that people were present in the Pacific Northwest extremely early; the first movements into the Americas were likely by boat along the coast. There is no genetic evidence that the earliest Native Americans were Europeans, ancient Israelites or African mariners, as pseudo-historians sometimes assert.

At human occupation sites throughout North America and South America, a preponderance of archaeological evidence  securely dated physical traces of human activities in undisturbed geological contexts  demonstrates that these First Peoples were making homes in North and South America by 15,000 to 16,000 years ago and that they had no contact with any outside group (with limited exceptions) before 1492.

Genetic evidence hints that there may have been brief contact between Polynesian and South American populations approximately 800 years ago. The LAnse aux Meadows site in northern Newfoundland contains wood-framed buildings and artifacts that confirm Norse people lived there between 900 and 1,300 years ago (congruent with narratives from both Vinland Sagas and Indigenous traditional histories).

Human and animal footprints at the White Sands Locality 2 site may date back between 21,000 and 23,000 years, one group of scientists has (somewhat controversially) suggested. If their data holds up to scrutiny, it would indicate that an earlier population predated the post-ice age expansion out of Beringia. This is one of the most exciting developments in the field in recent years.

But such exceptions do not support alternative history claims, particularly that the First Peoples of the Americas were anything other than the ancestors of present-day Native Americans or that other Europeans besides the group at LAnse aux Meadows entered the Americas prior to 1492. No burial mounds, stone pyramids or ancient settlements were built by Egyptians, aliens or a lost race.

Scientists dont agree on a single, unified model for the peopling of the Americas. We debate which sites contain valid evidence of a human presence, how old they may be and their significance. Thats a good thing. Disagreeing about how to interpret the archaeological record is the strength of the scientific method, not a weakness.

Archaeologists, biological anthropologists and geneticists studying the earliest histories of the First Peoples are not immune to criticism. We are grappling with legacies of racism against Native Americans, some of which persist within our disciplines. All too often, non-Native scientists ignore or disrespect traditional histories and Indigenous perspectives on their own past. We must do better.
San Francisco progressives have a lot of problems with moderate Mayor London Breed, so why havent any of them stepped up to run for mayor?

It may seem weird that San Francisco  the progressive capital of America  doesnt yet have a progressive running for mayor. San Francisco isnt just progressive by reputation, its by results. According to a Chronicle analysis of Novembers state propositions, San Francisco posted the most progressive results among the states 58 counties.

But this is also the town that recalled Chesa Boudin, its progressive district attorney, and three members of its school board last year. Jane Kim, a progressive former supervisor and school board member who ran for mayor in 2018, said, Given what occurred in the last year, theres probably some hesitancy to what the viability looks like for a progressive candidate for mayor.

Its not impossible for a progressive to win in a big city. Look at Chicago, where last week union-backed progressive Brandon Johnson  who started the race polling at 3%  defeated tough-on-crime former school executive Paul Vallas.

There are plenty of differences between the two cities, but San Francisco progressives are looking for someone to step up. A letter has been circulating among progressive Democratic clubs in the city seeking to draft Assembly Member Phil Ting to run. It comes from progressive organizers, leaders, activists and advocates deeply concerned about the direction of our City and our movement.

The Mayors race in 2024 is the single most important contest for deciding the future of our City. We cannot afford four more years of our broken status quo, the letter reads. We need you.

The first big challenge with the fledgling Draft Ting movement letter: Ting hasnt seen it. At least, not until I told him about it.

Perhaps the bigger challenge: Ting, who is termed out of the Assembly in 2024, is not thinking about running for mayor. Hes actually opened up a fundraising account to run for state treasurer in 2026, though that could simply be a place to park money until he figures out his next move, as many pols do.

I dont rule anything in my life out, Ting told me. But at this point, its not something Im looking at.

Alas, the hunt goes on.

At its leadership retreat in February, the Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club listed four people theyd like to see challenge Breed: Ting, Boudin, San Francisco Supervisor Shamann Walton and Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin.

Well, scratch Peskin off that list.

The thought has occurred to me, but it seems like a pretty miserable job, Peskin told me. Its not on my list of things to do.

Plus, if it was on my things to do Id have to be busting moves right now. And I can tell you as we speak, Im on my way to a swearing-in ceremony and not busting any moves, he said.

Walton did not return a request for comment. Neither did Boudin. Then again, the first and only time Boudin was elected to office, voters insisted that he leave before his term was done, so hes probably not a good option.

What about Supervisor Dean Preston? The Democratic socialist and former tenant rights attorney is one of Breeds most vocal critics. He led the drive behind last years voter-approved Proposition H, which placed elections for major offices like mayor, district attorney, city attorney, treasurer and sheriff to even years.

Breed opposed Prop. H, even though it gave her another year in office. She thought it was a power play by Democratic socialists  even though six supervisors not named Dean Preston supported putting it on the ballot.

The real reason that Breed didnt like Prop. H: Next years presidential year electorate will probably bring out more renters, young voters and people of color  the kind of electorate that might be friendlier to a progressive candidate. Ross estimated that 45% of the electoral pie could be progressive.

So surely Preston would be game, given those numbers, right?

I am not planning to run for mayor, Preston said.

Is it the job? At $353,801 a year, being mayor of San Francisco pays almost as well as being president ($400,000).

Plus, it is more powerful than most mayoral gigs, because San Francisco is both a city and a county. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass may rule a big city, but she also has little sway over what goes on in the massive Los Angeles County surrounding her.

San Francisco City Hall can be a stepping stone to higher office. Former San Francisco mayors become governor (Gavin Newsom) or senator (Dianne Feinstein.)

So whats the hang-up?

For one, its money, said Jim Ross, who ran both Newsoms first campaign for mayor in 2003 and the anti-recall campaign for the progressive Boudin. Given the larger, presidential year electorate, he expects Breed to raise at least $10 million for her re-election campaign. A challenger could be outspent 10-1.

Progressives are cognizant of fundraising and cognizant of the money that will need to be spent to counter London Breed. And I think that explains a lot of the hesitancy, said Jeffrey Kwong, president of the Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club.

Organized labor is still on the fence, Ross said. That presents a chicken-and-egg problem: Some potential candidates are hesitant to run unless they can count on full-throated backing from labor.

Plus, Ross said, if youre looking to climb the ladder, there are other offices to run for. If Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi doesnt run again, that opens up a House seat. State Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, said he would run for Pelosis seat if she retired, opening up his job. Tings Assembly gig will be available.

If youre an ambitious politician, you dont have to take on a mayor who has a lot of moderate support, Ross said.

Historically, the odds are against progressives who want to be mayor. The last progressive to win a mayors race was Art Agnos in 1987. The last sitting supervisor other than Newsom to win was George Christopher. And that was so long ago  1955  that Christopher won while being a Republican in San Francisco. Mayors Willie Brown and George Moscone came to City Hall from the Legislature and Feinstein and Breed were appointed to the position after the death of the mayor before being elected on their own.

And being mayor of San Francisco isnt the crown jewel it once was. The city is headed toward, as my colleagues put it, an economic doom loop, facing a huge budget shortfall, a perpetual homeless challenge, a fentanyl crisis, a shortage of affordable housing and a deserted downtown. For starters.

Plus, the next mayor would have to be up for diving deeper into the shark pit of San Francisco politics.

Even Peskin, no stranger to that pool after a quarter-century in city politics, is leery.

I dont think anybody is interested in running for anything these days, Peskin said. Being an elected official isnt as fun as it used to be. These are tough times. Youve got to be a glutton for punishment.

Ting, who has served in elective office for two decades, said the politics in San Francisco are hyper personal, regardless of whether youre moderate or progressive. I think this is probably the hardest time Ive seen to be an elected official. People are very angry. You see that from our political divide. Politics are less about consensus and more about division, said Ting. He is trying to decide whether I want to continue to serve in elective office or whether I can make a better contribution elsewhere.

Keep your eye on Ting, though. He is an appealing candidate to some Breed opponents, because he has name recognition, could unite progressives and peel off some more conservative Asian American voters who would otherwise back Breed.

Theres still time for a progressive to jump into the race, but the clock is running. Moderate San Francisco Supervisor Ahsha Safai has said that he is considering a run. Daniel Lurie, founder of the anti-poverty organization Tipping Point Community and someone long thought to be a potential candidate, is making cryptic comments about a possible run.

Progressives arent waiting for a candidate to emerge, said Joy Zhan, co-president of San Francisco Young Democrats. Zhan told me that community organizations and Democratic clubs are starting to build a coalition to make sure that we can pump out all the money that is going to be needed to put into the race.

All they need now is someone to direct that money to.
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More than 1,000 people joined San Francisco community leaders, elected officials and drag performers Saturday to protest the growing wave of anti-drag and anti-LGBTQ legislation across the country.

The Drag Up! Fight Back! march and rally kicked off at 11 a.m. at City Hall, where protesters painted signs and greeted old friends, many dressed in drag.

Activist and drag king Alex U. Inn, one of the events organizers, energized the ever-growing group.

Is it OK to take our joy? Inn asked the crowd, which shouted back, No!

Then we have to fight to make it right, Inn said. Weve fought for our rights before, and well do it again.

Constanza Hevia H./Special to The Chronicle

The rally was organized in response to several bills nationwide that take aim at the LGBTQ community. Tennessee recently passed HB30, which categorizes drag as adult cabaret and bans performances in front of children or within 1,000 feet of schools, public parks or places of worship. Fourteen other states are considering bans on drag shows.

More than 450 anti-LGBTQ bills are under review in legislatures across the U.S., according to the ACLU.

The protesters, touting rainbow and pink-and-blue signs reading, Protect Trans Kids, Drag the lawmakers, let the queens read, and Drag is an art not a crime, marched from City Hall to Union Square, at one point stretching along Market Street from Seventh and Grove streets.

Isnt the joy here beautiful? said Merrick, who recently moved to San Francisco from the South. I went to conversion therapy. I know what they do down there (in the South). I am so happy to be here now.

The mood was simultaneously joyous and indignant, as marchers celebrated their right to express themselves in drag in San Francisco while fearing for the rights of their counterparts in other parts of the country.

Constanza Hevia H./Special to The Chronicle

Jen Gripman, who came into San Francisco for the march with her husband, held a sign painted in blue and pink in the pattern of the trans flag reading, Proud mom who knows that gender affirming care saves lives. It featured photos of her child as a toddler and young adult, with the captions I loved him then and I love her now

Im out here a lot on Market Street, and this time its personal, she said. I have to come out for my own kid.

The mood was also tinged in sadness, as many marchers held signs picturing S.F. drag great Heklina, who died last week while visiting London. The cause of Heklinas death has not been released.

Today is tough, because she would have been here, Inn said, choking up.

Constanza Hevia H./Special to The Chronicle

Marchers and other spectators filled Union Square to hear from speakers, many renowned drag performers and activists, interspersed with drag dance performances.

Many of the speakers took the moment to recognize how much the LGBTQ community has been through and that the fight is not over.

A war has been declared on us, the LGBTQ community, by the radical right wing of this nation, Nicole Murray-Ramirez, an activist and San Diego city commissioner, told the crowd. But they do not know our history or our resolve.

The fact is, weve already won. Our community has made such progress, said activist and performer Sister Roma, who helped organize the event as part of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. Weve come to understand that freedom of expression and individuality is beautiful, and we have the youth of our country on our side.

Constanza Hevia H./Special to The Chronicle

State Sen. Scott Wiener said politicians pushing anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and agendas are trying to avoid discussing other problems in the nation, including gun violence, income inequality and climate change.

Were not going to let them get away with it. And if theres one thing that I learned over the last 36 years  its dont mess with the drag queens, he said. This community has struggled, and we have always come out stronger because thats how we roll.

Many speakers emphasized that the movement is not about hating others, but rather using the love and the strength in the community to continue making progress.

Making art is a protest too. Making our art. So this is the time to sparkle brighter. Be louder. Be more fabulous, said drag performer DArcy Drollinger, owner of the Oasis nightclub If you live your life a little more fabulous, you inspire other people to be more fabulous just by your existence. And if everyones a little more fabulous, theres that much less room in their heart, in their minds, for hate and prejudice. So dont stop sparkling.
Insider compiled a list of the 10 jobs that could be disrupted by AI tools like ChatGPT, according to experts. Jens Schlueter/Getty Images

ChatGPT is only a few months old and already causing waves in the business world.

Experts say ChatGPT and related AI could threaten some jobs, particularly white-collar ones.

Insider compiled a list of 10 jobs this technology could replace, according to experts.

Since its release in November of last year, OpenAI's ChatGPT has been used to write cover letters, create a children's book, and even help students cheat on their essays.

The chatbot may be more powerful than we ever imagined. Google found that, in theory, the search engine would hire the bot as an entry-level coder if it interviewed at the company.

Amazon employees who tested ChatGPT said it does a "very good job" of answering customer support questions, is "great" at making training documents, and is "very strong" at answering queries around corporate strategy.

However, users of ChatGPT also found that the bot can generate misinformation, incorrectly answer coding problems, and produce errors in basic math.

While a 2013 University of Oxford study found that 47% of US jobs could be eliminated by AI over the next 20 years, that prediction appears to have been off-base. A recent Goldman Sachs study found that generative AI tools could, in fact, impact 300 million full-time jobs worldwide, which could lead to a "significant disruption" in the job market.

Still, Anu Madgavkar, a partner at the McKinsey Global Institute, said that human judgement needs to be applied to these technologies to avoid error and bias, she told Insider.

"We have to think about these things as productivity enhancing tools, as opposed to complete replacements," Madgavkar said.

Insider talked to experts and conducted research to compile a list of jobs that are at highest-risk for replacement by AI.

Tech jobs (Coders, computer programmers, software engineers, data analysts)

Coders, software developers, and data analysts could be displaced by AI, an expert says. Jens Schlueter/Getty Images

Coding and computer programming are in-demand skills, but it's possible that ChatGPT and similar AI tools may fill in some of the gaps in the near future.

Story continues

Tech jobs such as software developers, web developers, computer programmers, coders, and data scientists are "pretty amenable" to AI technologies "displacing more of their work," Madgavkar said.

That's because AI like ChatGPT is good at crunching numbers with relative accuracy.

In fact, advanced technologies like ChatGPT could produce code faster than humans, which means that work can be completed with fewer employees, Mark Muro, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institute who has researched AI's impact on the American workforce, told Insider.

"What took a team of software developers might only take some of them," he added.

Tech companies like ChatGPT maker's OpenAI are already considering replacing software engineers with AI.

Still, Oded Netzer, a Columbia Business School professor, thinks that AI will help coders rather than replace them.

"In terms of jobs, I think it's primarily an enhancer than full replacement of jobs," Netzer told CBS MoneyWatch. "Coding and programming is a good example of that. It actually can write code quite well."

Media jobs (advertising, content creation, technical writing, journalism)

Experts say AI like ChatGPT is good at producing written content and can do so "more efficiently than humans." Westend61/Getty Images

Media jobs across the board  including those in advertising, technical writing, journalism, and any role that involves content creation  may be affected by ChatGPT and similar forms of AI, Madgavkar said. That's because AI is able to read, write, and understand text-based data well, she added.

"Analyzing and interpreting vast amounts of language based data and information is a skill that you'd expect generative AI technologies to ramp up on," Madgavkar said.

Economist Paul Krugman said in a New York Times op-ed that ChatGPT may be able to do tasks like reporting and writing "more efficiently than humans."

The media industry is already beginning to experiment with AI-generated content. Tech news site CNET used an AI tool similar to ChatGPT to write dozens of articles  though the publisher has had to issue a number of corrections  and BuzzFeed has used tech from the ChatGPT maker to generate new forms of content like quizzes and travel guides.

But Madgavkar said that the majority of work done by content creators is not automatable.

"There's a ton of human judgment that goes into each of these occupations," she said.

Legal industry jobs (paralegals, legal assistants)

AI can replicate some of the work that paralegals and legal assistants do, though they aren't entirely replaceable, experts say. Worawee Meepian/Shutterstock

Generative AI may most likely affect legal workers in the US, a recent Goldman Sachs report found.

That's because the number of jobs in legal services is relatively small and have already been highly exposed to AI automation before the advent of new AI tools, Manav Raj, an author of the Goldman study, told Insider.

Like media roles, jobs in the legal industry such as paralegals and legal assistants are responsible for consuming large amounts of information, synthesizing what they learned, then making it digestible through a legal brief or opinion.

Language-oriented roles like these are susceptible to automation, Madgavkar said.

"The data is actually quite structured, very language-oriented, and therefore quite amenable to generative AI," she added.

But again, AI won't fully be able to automate these jobs since it requires a degree of human judgement to understand what a client or employer wants.

"It's almost like a bit of a productivity boost that some of these occupations might get, because you can use tools that actually do this better," Madgavkar said.

Market research analysts

Market research analysts are susceptible to AI-driven change, says an expert. Laurence Dutton/Getty Images

AI is good at analyzing data and predicting outcomes, Muro said. That is why market research analysts may be susceptible to AI-driven change.

Market research analysts are responsible for collecting data, identifying trends within that data, and then using what they found to design an effective marketing campaign or decide where to place advertising.

"Those are things that we're now seeing that AI could handle," Muro said.

Teachers

Even teachers are susceptible to job disruptions from AI. Getty Images

Teachers across the country are worried about students using ChatGPT to cheat on their homework, but according to Pengcheng Shi, an associate dean in the department of computing and information sciences at Rochester Institute of Technology, they should also be thinking about their job security.

ChatGPT "can easily teach classes already," Shi told the New York Post.

"Although it has bugs and inaccuracies in terms of knowledge, this can be easily improved," he said. "Basically, you just need to train the ChatGPT."

But Shannon Ahern, a high school math and science teacher who uses ChatGPT to do things like lesson planning, told Insider she's not worried she'll be replaced by the tech.

"There will always be a need for us and the human connection that comes with in-person instruction," she said.

Finance jobs (Financial analysts, personal financial advisors)

Workers in the finance industry could be at risk for AI replacement, expert says. Getty Images

Like market research analysts, financial analysts, personal financial advisors, and other jobs in personal finance that require manipulating significant amounts of numerical data can be affected by AI, Muro, the researcher at The Brookings Institute, said.

"AI can identify trends in the market, highlight what investments in a portfolio are doing better and worse, communicate all that, and then use various other forms of data by, say, a financial company to forecast a better investment mix," Muro said.

These analysts make a lot of money, he said, but parts of their jobs are automatable.

Traders

Traders work on the New York Stock Exchange floor in New York City. AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey

Experts say ChatGPT could upend jobs across a range of Wall Street industries, from trading to investment banking.

"It's going to automate select tasks that knowledge workers are engaged in today so that they can focus on higher-value tasks," Dylan Roberts, a partner at KPMG, told Insider.

Pengcheng Shi, a dean at the Rochester Institute of Technology's computer science department, agrees that certain Wall Street roles could be in jeopardy.

"At an investment bank, people are hired out of college, and spend two, three years to work like robots and do Excel modeling  you can get AI to do that," Shi told the New York Post.

Graphic designers

AI has many graphic design abilities. courtesy of Nguyen

In a December Harvard Business Review post, three professors pointed to DALL-E, an AI tool that can generate images in seconds, as a potential disruptor of the graphic design industry.

"Upskilling millions of people in their ability to create and manipulate images will have a profound impact on the economy," they wrote, adding that "these recent advances in AI will surely usher in a period of hardship and economic pain for some whose jobs are directly impacted and who find it hard to adapt."

But Dr. Carl Benedikt Frey, an economist at Oxford University, told Insider that AI-tools like ChatGPT may actually help workers in "creative" industries like art and graphic design produce higher quality work. Frey said he is more concerned about how the tech will impact wages.

"In my view, it's less about automation," he said. "It's more about democratization and competition, potentially leading to lower wages for people in some of these professions."

Accountants

Accountants may see their jobs at risk because of ChatGPT, experts say. seb_ra/Getty Images

Accounting is generally viewed as a stable profession, but even employees in this industry could be at risk.

"Technology hasn't put everybody out of a job yet, but it does put some people out of a job," Brett Caraway, associate professor with the Institute of Communication, Culture, Information and Technology at the University of Toronto, said on Global News Radio 640 Toronto in January.

Caraway added that "intellectual labor" in particular could be threatened.

"This could be lawyers, accountants," he said. "It is something new, and it will be interesting to see just how disruptive and painful it is to employment and politics."

Customer service agents

Customer support specialists may lose their jobs to AI, experts say. Tom Werner/Getty Images

You've probably already experienced calling or chatting with a company's customer service, and having a robot answer. ChatGPT and related technologies could continue this trend.

A 2022 study from the tech research company Gartner predicted that chatbots will be the main customer service channel for roughly 25% of companies by 2027.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Thousands of people marched more than a mile down the streets of San Francisco on Saturday afternoon, chanting drag up, fight back, in support of drag and transgender rights.

The march, rally and performances were organized by a group of 10 drag activists in response to anti-drag and anti-transgender legislation introduced in state legislatures across the country, according to the events news release.

The transgender laws and bills are just really hideous, said Juanita More, co-organizer of the event, at the march Saturday. So we all came together. I knew we had to do something.

The American Civil Liberties Union has classified at least 450 bills proposed in various states since the start of the year as anti-LGBTQ.

Tennessee was the first state to implement what some call an anti-drag law, which prohibits drag performances in places where minors are present. The legislation uses the terminology male or female impersonators and deemed those performances harmful to minors.

The bill was set to go into effect April 1 until a federal judge temporarily blocked the law on grounds of the First Amendments guarantee of free speech.

Shane Zaldivar, who is transgender, told SFGATE that she previously lived in Florida, which she believes is not welcoming to transgender individuals. She said she believes the states governor, Ron DeSantis, is a serious threat.

I think it is really putting peoples lives at risk, and that scares me, and it angers me, right, she said. So I call him out as somebody who really is abusing his power and also somebody who doesnt know what it means to be for the people in a political position because we are people, and we are not hurting anybody.

The ACLU currently identifies one bill in California as harmful to the LGBTQ community. Assembly Bill 1314, which was introduced Feb. 16, requires school districts to notify parents within three days of finding out a student is transgender. Critics say this involuntarily outs transgender youth and could subject them to trauma or violence.

Many activists at Saturdays rally held signs with phrases such as Drag is not a crime and dressed in colorful drag attire.

More said they hope the rally shows the world what this community looks like and portrays the communitys struggle.

The march also comes after the death of famous San Francisco drag performer Heklina was announced Monday.

Heklina leaves us when drag is both in peril and too successful, threatened by legislation, said DArcy Drollinger, rally organizer and speaker, during the event.

Speakers and attendees at the rally referred to San Francisco as the drag capital of the world.

In the 1900s, various LGBTQ bars emerged in the city, with some featuring early variations of drag. A nightclub called Finocchios became one of the most popular establishments in San Francisco for drag performances from the 1930s to the 1960s.

In San Francisco, we love and celebrate drag, District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman said. I think there is a lot of work in San Francisco and everywhere we have to do around trans inclusion and economic empowerment and anti-violence because even in places like San Francisco, trans folks are still experiencing disproportionate violence and economic hardship.

Echoing that sentiment, Tina Aguirre, cultural district director of the Castro LGBTQ Cultural District and rally attendee, said they believe drag performances and LGBTQ expression are also forms of protest.

Thats because we are still seen as second-class citizens, whereas were actually first-class citizens with great talent and a whole bunch of magic that we use to keep our communities together and to inspire, Aguirre said.

Activists said they hope LGBTQ community members and allies continue to spark discussions and that lawmakers listen to them.

This world is coming at us, and I think our priorities really need to be shifted, Zaldivar said. Its OK if people have opinions where they dont agree, but that doesnt need to be in our legislature.
CHRISTIANA, Del. (AP)  A Delaware mall shooting left three people injured and forced shoppers to evacuate as police investigate.

Delaware State Police said authorities do not have a suspect in custody in the shooting at the Christiana Mall, in a northern community near Pennsylvania.

We can confirm that there are 3 victims who were injured by gunfire and transported to an area hospital for medical treatment, police said in a tweet. There are currently no public safety concerns at Christiana Mall and the surrounding area.

The mall would remain closed Saturday evening, police said in a statement.

The three people were shot in the food court area, WPVI-TV reported.

Police asked people to keep away as authorities investigate, but set up a reunification site at the north entrance for those trying to locate someone.

Additional details were not immediately available.

We appreciate everyones patience as we continue to gather more details on this shooting, police said in a tweet.
MADISON, Wis. (AP)  Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers said Sunday our hearts are heavy a day after two police officers were shot to death during a traffic stop.

""Our hearts are heavy for the Chetek and Cameron police officers who lost their lives in the line of duty yesterday. Kathy and I are praying for the officers families, colleagues, and the Barron County community mourning this tragic loss," Evers posted on Twitter.

The Wisconsin Department of Justice said in a statement late Saturday that it was investigating the shooting in Cameron.

An officer from the Chetek Police Department conducted a traffic stop around 3:38 p.m. and at some point gunfire was exchanged with the motorist, the department said.

The Chetek officer and another officer from Cameron were pronounced dead at the scene. The suspect in the shooting was taken to a hospital and later died, the department said.

The names of the officers and the suspect were not immediately released.

The deaths of the officers left the village of Cameron in shock.

It tears it apart of course. Puts it on edge, Cameron resident Kate King told WCCO-TV in Minneapolis. Always wondering who to trust, what will happen around the corner. Its a frightening thing.

Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul also exprersdsed condolences.

I am deeply saddened by the tragic loss today of two officers. I am thinking of their families and the Chetek and Cameron Police Departments at this incredibly difficult time, Kaul said in a tweet late Saturday.

The Division of Criminal Investigation within the Wisconsin Department of Justice is leading the investigation and will submit a report to the Barron County district attorney when the investigation concludes, the statement said.

The Wisconsin Department of Justice did not immediately respond to an email from The Associated Press seeking additional information. Phone calls to the division rang unanswered Sunday, and a message seeking information could not be left because the voice mailbox was full.

The village of Cameron in Barron County is 227 miles (365 kilometers) west of Green Bay, Wisconsin, and 96 miles (154 kilometers) northeast of Minneapolis. Chetek, Wisconsin, is about 9 miles (14 kilometers) southeast of Cameron.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Cameron and Chetek Police Departments, the Barron County Sheriff's Department said on Facebook.

The Marinette County Deputy Sheriff's Association said in a Facebook post: Tonight our hearts are heavy as we send our thoughts and prayers to the Village of Cameron Police Department, the City of Chetek Police Department, the Barron County community, and the families (both blood and blue) of two officers lost in the line of duty today.
Drivers on I-95 might be puzzled as they pass a blue exit sign reading "attractions," as no such attractions are listed.

The northbound Exit 28 attraction sign in Bridgeport previously had a panel on it that read "Shoreline Star Greyhound," which was the site of a former off-track betting facility and dog race track. Dog racing ended in 2005, but the site remained open as Winners Shoreline Star until it closed Sept. 13, 2021.

The southbound Exit 29 attraction sign in Stratford also has had no attractions listed on it since at least November 2022; it previously listed Shoreline Star Greyhound on it until at least January 2022, according to Google Maps.

The signs are empty because the DOT has not selected which attractions to list on the signs next, according to a DOT spokesperson. Blue highway signs can be used to advertise locations like restaurants, amusement parks, arenas, schools, zoos, national parks, gas stations and historic districts. Those interested in being featured can apply through the DOT's website and while there is no fee to be listed on a sign, organizations can pay to have custom logos added to them.

"While Connecticut has many sign programs to guide both visitors and residents along its highways, they sometimes need additional assistance locating specific attractions. The Attraction Sign program is intended to provide a predictable and recognizable system to help direct motorists to nearby attractions," the DOT's website reads.

The attractions must meet several requirements, including being open to the public for five days a week (including a weekend day), being open at least 60 days a year and providing public restrooms. A single sign can advertise up to six attractions at a time. The DOT gives priority to those attractions within five miles of the exit; if space permits, attractions within 10 miles can be included.

The DOT did not specify if it has received applications for the currently blank signs.

The exit signs without attractions aren't the only odd signs Connecticut's highways have seen. In September 2022, Exit 45 to Flatbush Avenue was misspelled as "Flatbnsh Avenue" before being fixed. In 2021, a sign on Interstate 95 for Exit 2 to Byram in Greenwich was misspelled as "Bryam."
On Saturday, as U.S. officials and their foreign allies scrambled to understand how dozens of classified intelligence documents had ended up on the internet, they were stunned - and occasionally infuriated - at the extraordinary range of detail the files exposed about how the United States spies on friends and foes alike.

The documents, which appear to have come at least in part from the Pentagon and are marked as highly classified, offer tactical information about the war in Ukraine, including the country's combat capabilities. According to one defense official, many of the documents seem to have been prepared over the winter for Gen. Mark A. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and other senior military officials, but that they were available to other U.S. personnel and contract employees with the requisite security clearances.

Other documents include analysis from U.S. intelligence agencies about Russia and several other countries, all based on information gleaned from classified sources.

The series of detailed briefings and summaries open a rare window on the inner workings of American espionage. Among other secrets, they appear to reveal where the CIA has recruited human agents privy to the closed-door conversations of world leaders; eavesdropping that shows a Russian mercenary outfit tried to acquire weapons from a NATO ally to use against Ukraine; and what kinds of satellite imagery the United States uses to track Russian forces, including an advanced technology that appears barely, if ever, to have been publicly identified.

Officials in several countries said that they were trying to assess the damage from the disclosures, and many were left wondering how they had gone unnoticed for so long. Photographs of at least several dozen pages of highly classified documents, which looked to have been printed and then folded together into a packet, were shared on Feb. 28 and March 2 on Discord, a chat platform popular with gamers. The documents were shared by a user to a server called "Wow Mao."

Some of the documents appear to be detailed Ukraine battlefield assessments prepared over the winter for senior Pentagon leaders. But officials only became aware that the documents were sitting on a public server around the time that the New York Times first reported the leak, on Thursday, according to people familiar with the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe an unfolding investigation.

Senior Pentagon leadership restricted the flow of intelligence Friday in response to the revelations, two U.S. officials said. One described the clampdown as unusually strict and said it revealed a high level of panic among Pentagon leadership.

A European intelligence official worried that if Washington restricts allies' access to future intelligence reports, it could leave them in the dark. Many of the leaked documents are labeled "NOFORN," meaning they cannot be released to foreign nationals. But others were cleared to be shared with close U.S. allies, including the Five Eyes alliance of the United States, Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. U.S. intelligence about British and Canadian activities is contained in some of the documents, suggesting that the fallout from the leaks will not be limited to the United States.

"We need to manage this well both internally and externally," a second defense official said. "There are lot of institutions and agencies involved."

The Justice Department has opened an investigation into the leak. A spokeswoman for Discord, where the earliest known copies of the images were posted, declined to comment.

The full extent of the leak was unclear. The second defense official said that what had appeared online was likely the result of a single disclosure from one tranche of documents, but officials were not yet certain of that.

The 5o pages reviewed by The Washington Post involved nearly every corner of the U.S. intelligence apparatus. The documents describe intelligence activities at the National Security Agency, the CIA, the Defense Intelligence Agency, law enforcement agencies and the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) - arguably the most secretive intelligence agency in the government, responsible for a multibillion-dollar constellation of spy satellites.

The documents primarily concern the war in Ukraine and demonstrate how the United States is making assessments about the state of the conflict and where it's headed. That analysis informs major policy decisions by the Biden administration, including what weapons to provide Ukraine and how to respond to Russia's battlefield strategy.

For instance, a Feb. 23 overview of fighting in Ukraine's Donbas region forecasts a "grinding campaign of attrition" by Russia that "is likely heading toward a stalemate, thwarting Moscow's goal to capture the entire region in 2023."

That confident statement, which is printed in boldface type, is supported by information obtained from "NRO-collected and commercial imagery," a new generation of infrared satellites, signals intelligence and "liaison reporting," a reference to intelligence from a friendly government, about the high rate of Russian artillery fire, mounting troop losses and the military's inability to make significant territorial gains over the past seven months.

The fact that the United States bases its assessments on many sources is no secret. But U.S. officials said these more detailed disclosures could help Moscow thwart some avenues for collecting information. For example, the Feb. 23 battlefield document names one of its sources as "LAPIS time-series video." Officials familiar with the technology described it as an advanced satellite system that allows for better imaging of objects on the ground and that could now be more susceptible to Russian jamming or interference. They indicated that LAPIS was among the more closely guarded capabilities in the U.S. intelligence arsenal.

The documents also demonstrate what has long been understood but never publicly spelled out this precisely: The U.S. intelligence community has penetrated the Russian military and its commanders so deeply that it can warn Ukraine in advance of attacks and reliably assess the strengths and weaknesses of Russian forces.

A single page in the leaked trove reveals that the U.S. intelligence community knew the Russian Ministry of Defense had transmitted plans to strike Ukrainian troop positions in two locations on a certain date in February and that Russian military planners were preparing strikes on a dozen energy facilities and an equal number of bridges in Ukraine.

The documents reveal that U.S. intelligence agencies are also aware of internal planning by the GRU, Russia's military intelligence agency. One document describes the GRU planning a propaganda campaign in African countries with the goal of turning public support against leaders who support assistance to Ukraine and discrediting the United States and France, in particular. The Russian campaign, the report states, would try to plant stories in African media, including ones that tried to discredit Ukraine and its president, Volodymyr Zelensky.

The documents point to numerous intelligence successes by the United States. But they also show how depleted Ukrainian forces have become after more than a year at war.

A senior Ukrainian official on Saturday said the leaks had angered Kyiv's military and political leaders, who have sought to conceal from the Kremlin vulnerabilities related to ammunition shortages and other battlefield data. The official said he was also concerned that more revelations of classified military intelligence were forthcoming.

In the meantime, some of the now public intelligence could ignite diplomatic controversies.

The documents show that the United States has gained access to the internal plans of Russia's notorious Wagner Group, a private military contractor that has supplied forces to Russia's war effort, and that Wagner has sought to purchase arms from Turkey, a NATO ally.

In early February, Wagner personnel "met with Turkish contacts to purchase weapons and equipment from Turkey for Vagner's efforts in Mali and Ukraine," one report states, using a variation on the spelling of the group's name. The report further states that Mali's interim president, Assimi Goita, "had confirmed that Mali could acquire weapons from Turkey on Vagner's behalf."

It's unclear from the report what the Turkish government may have known about the efforts by Wagner or if they proved fruitful. But the revelation that a NATO ally may have been assisting Russia in its war on Ukraine could prove explosive, particularly as Turkey has sought to block the addition of Sweden into the ranks of the trans-Atlantic military alliance.

A spokesperson for the Turkish government declined to comment. Mali's Embassy in Washington didn't respond to a request for comment.

Two other pages from the leaked intelligence file speak to Wagner's plans for hiring Russian prisoners to fight in Ukraine and note that the Russian military has become dependent on the private soldiers. Like the report on meetings involving Turkey, these cite their sources as coming from "signals intelligence," a reference to electronic eavesdropping and communications intercepts. Officials generally view those as among the most productive forms of intelligence-gathering, but they are potentially perishable if they are exposed.

Other intelligence reports among the leaked trove reflect on the geopolitical ramifications of the war in Ukraine. A summary of analysis from the CIA's World Intelligence Review, a daily publication for senior policymakers, says that Beijing is likely to view attacks by Ukraine deep inside Russian territory as "an opportunity to cast NATO as the aggressor," and that China could increase its support to Russia if it felt the attacks were "significant."

U.S. and European officials have eyed warily the alliance between Moscow and Beijing. So far, officials have said there is no indication that China has granted Russia's request for lethal military aid. However, a Ukrainian attack on Moscow using weapons provided by the United States or NATO would probably indicate to Beijing that "Washington was directly responsible for escalating the conflict" and provide possible justification for China to arm Russia, the analysis concludes.

The documents also show that Washington is keeping a close eye on Iran's pursuit of a nuclear weapon. One briefing from February succinctly notes that in recent days Iran had conducted tests of short-range ballistic missiles. Another takes stock of a newly published report by the International Atomic Energy Agency on Iran's efforts to expand its facilities for enriching uranium.

Those reports appear offered as routine updates to policymakers. But another, which purports to derive from signals intelligence and "diplomatic reporting," offers a dim assessment on behalf of the U.S. intelligence community of the IAEA's ability to carry out its nuclear security mission.

Other reports provide updates on North Korea's nuclear weapons program, including missile tests. And in a reminder that the United States also spies on its allies, another document reports that South Korea's National Security Council in early March "grappled" with a U.S. request that the country provide artillery ammunition to Ukraine, without unduly provoking Moscow. South Korea's national security adviser suggested possibly selling the munitions to Poland, which controls the main weapons supply routes, since it was the U.S. goal to get the material to Ukraine quickly, the report said, citing signals intelligence.

The original source of the leak remains unclear. The Post identified the user that shared the images in February and March who, according to a review of previous social media posts, is based in Southern California. A Twitter account using the same handle and avatar image as the Discord account wrote on Friday they had "found some info from a now banned server and passed it on."

A man who answered the door at a house registered to the Discord user's father on Friday evening declined to comment. "I'm not talking to anyone," he said, closing the door of the family's home at the edge of a cul-de-sac.

About three miles away, at a townhouse registered to the user's mother, a knock at the door went unanswered. The parents did not respond to calls or messages.

On Wednesday, images showing some of the documents were also circulating on the anonymous online message board 4chan and made their way to at least two mainstream social media platforms, Telegram and Twitter. In at least one case, it appears a slide which initially circulated on Discord was doctored to make it look like fewer Russian soldiers have been killed in the war than the Pentagon assesses.

There was no indication that other documents, including those that dealt with countries besides Ukraine, had been altered.

- - -

The Washington Post's John Hudson, Alex Horton, Dalton Bennett, Samuel Oakford and Evan Hill in Washington and Reis Thebault in California contributed to this report.
As Donald Trump faced the looming threat of an indictment in New York last month, scores of Republicans offered a full-throated defense of the former president. But not Ron DeSantis, who resented that Trump expected fealty while attacking him relentlessly and wanted to show he wouldn't be cowed into falling in line, according to two people familiar with the Florida governor's thinking who spoke on the condition of anonymity to talk candidly.

Asked about the case at a news conference on March 20, two days after a Trump adviser criticized his "radio silence," DeSantis accused the prosecutor of "pursuing a political agenda" against Trump, echoing many others in the party. But he also noted the allegations of "porn star hush money" at the center of the case, seeking to put a spotlight on Trump's personal conduct and show he was "not going to be bullied" by the ex-president, one of the people said.

The backlash from Trump and his allies was swift, and when an indictment came in late March, DeSantis took a route suggested early on by Dustin Carmack, a former congressional aide expected to join his presidential campaign, according to another person with knowledge of the conversations, who like others spoke on the condition of anonymity to more openly describe private talks. DeSantis declared Florida would "not assist in an extradition request," even as Trump's team had already indicated that the former president would surrender.

Representatives for DeSantis did not respond to a request for comment. Carmack could not be reached for comment.

The episode underscored the stark challenges DeSantis faces in confronting Trump, as the governor gears up to enter the presidential race. The governor's recent struggles to find his footing on the national stage, where he is a relative novice, stands in contrast to the dominance he has established in Florida, confidently battling the political left and other foes and winning reelection by nearly 20 points in the fall.

His response to Trump's indictment reflects the trial and error in his approach as well as his reluctance to declare open warfare against the top-polling Republican candidate. Rather than open a new phase of combativeness with Trump, DeSantis is lying low again, at least for the moment.

The person who said DeSantis wasn't going to be "bullied" expects the governor to push back on Trump more sharply if he runs for president. But this person also expects he will take "the high road" and engage with Trump on policy rather than trade insults and employ name-calling - for instance, by rebutting the former president's criticisms of how DeSantis handled the pandemic and taking aim at Trump's own record on the issue, including his use of Anthony S. Fauci as a White House coronavirus adviser.

Past campaigns have shown the perils of hoping that Trump simply implodes, some Republicans said, but assailing Trump head-on also carries big risks, especially for a 2024 hopeful such as DeSantis, who has supporters who overlap with Trump's.

"This is when you'd expect candidates to try different things out," said Alex Conant, who worked on Sen. Marco Rubio's 2016 presidential campaign. He added that DeSantis recently "tried something out" on the issue of Ukraine as well - calling Russia's invasion a "territorial dispute" unimportant to U.S. interests. After drawing vocal GOP criticism, DeSantis took a harder line against Russia and said his words had been "mischaracterized."

GOP voters "really dislike it when other Republicans attack Trump," Conant said, suggesting that only President Biden - a Democrat - had found a good way to counter him.

Trump has continued to hammer DeSantis in recent weeks - using disparaging nicknames to describe his rival, pointing to polls showing the governor lagging behind him and suggesting that DeSantis would be working in a law office, a cigar store or a pizza parlor if Trump had not endorsed him and helped boost his candidacy for governor in 2018.

In private, DeSantis has pushed back to allies on Trump's assertion that he "made" DeSantis and has described some of Trump's behavior as erratic, according to a person who has spoken to him directly. The governor has been taken aback at how soon Trump attacked him, some people with knowledge of the situation said - while he and his team expected that such criticism would eventually come, it arrived earlier than they thought.

Aides and allies of the governor have also made their own frustration with Trump clear. "Mention Trump and people's eyes roll back into their heads," said a DeSantis donor.

For now, DeSantis is back to publicly ignoring Trump's attacks - his longtime strategy before his "hush money" comments at the news conference last month and his sharpened contrasts with Trump in an interview around the same time with conservative commentator Piers Morgan. On Tuesday, as the former president was arraigned in New York, the governor appeared at a closed-press pet adoption event with puppies.

But a super PAC created to back a DeSantis bid is already taking aim at Trump, suggesting he would be a weaker general-election nominee. The former president faces other criminal investigations probing his efforts to overturn his 2020 election defeat and his handling of classified documents after leaving office. Trump has also faced blame for some of the losses in key midterm races in which he elevated the GOP nominee.

"Ron DeSantis can win the general election - that's something that I don't believe Donald Trump can do," says a man featured in a video recently released by Never Back Down, the political committee backing DeSantis for 2024 that is expected to have his campaign's blessing.

In Pennsylvania last weekend, DeSantis emphasized that "there is no substitute for victory - the winners get to make policy. The losers go home."

In Arizona - a crucial swing state where Trump-endorsed candidates lost last fall - GOP political consultant Constantin Querard has been traveling the state gathering signatures for a letter urging DeSantis to seek the presidency. With more than half of the Republicans in the state legislature among his firm's clients, Querard believes DeSantis will help down-ballot candidates win in 2024.

"We want the conservative who can win at the top of the ticket," Querard said.

Steven Cheung, a spokesman for the Trump campaign, said in a statement that the former president "is dominating in poll after poll - both nationally and statewide - crushing the primary and general fields."

Cheung added: "We get stronger every day while others are limping around searching for relevance and attention."

DeSantis allies are acutely aware of Trump's still-strong influence and appeal in the Republican Party. A senior member of Never Back Down has said the group will be heavily involved in building crowds for DeSantis, in part because of Trump's fixation on crowd size and the expectation that a front-runner candidate draws big audiences, according to a person familiar with the comments.

"If you're DeSantis, you have to desperately avoid the small room with Jeb Bush asking attendees to please clap," the person said, referencing a viral moment from Bush's unsuccessful presidential campaign in 2016.

A spokeswoman for Never Back Down did not respond to requests for comment.

Speaking to reporters on the way home from a Texas rally last month, Trump belittled the size of DeSantis's book tour crowds - incorrectly. He claimed DeSantis' biggest crowd in Iowa was 179 people; in fact, it was more than a thousand.

DeSantis emerged triumphant from the 2022 midterms, winning reelection decisively while some other Republicans in marquee races, who were tied to Trump and his movement, fell short. But Trump's lead over DeSantis in national polling for 2024 has grown in recent months, and many Republicans believe GOP outrage over his indictment has boosted his position.

"The only crime that I have committed is to fearlessly defend our nation from those who seek to destroy it," Trump said in a speech last week after his arraignment. He faces 34 counts of falsifying business records, all related to allegations that he worked to suppress his affair with adult-film actress Stormy Daniels. Prosecutors say he hid payments to keep Daniels quiet during the 2016 presidential election.

Trump has pleaded not guilty and has used the case as a rallying cry in his campaign.

The former president has picked up notable Republican endorsements amid the indictment: Byron Donalds, a Florida congressman who has been a DeSantis ally, announced on Thursday that he is backing Trump for 2024.

"There is only one leader at this time in our nation's history who can seize the moment and deliver what we need - to get us back on track, provide strength and resolve, and Make America Great Again," Donalds said in a statement, which noted that Reps. Matt Gaetz and Anna Paulina Luna, also of Florida, have also pledged their support.

DeSantis is not expected to formally enter the race until after the Florida legislative session ends in May, and political veterans caution against drawing conclusions from early polling. Many declared and potential candidates are also hoping that strong performances in early nominating states such as Iowa and New Hampshire - where in-person campaigning is key - will set them on the path to victory.

The Florida governor has already made his way through Iowa and will head to New Hampshire soon.
Skillz Inc. (NYSE:SKLZ) shareholders (or potential shareholders) will be happy to see that the Co-Founder, Andrew Paradise, recently bought a whopping US$836k worth of stock, at a price of US$0.56. Not only is that a big swing, but it increased their holding size by 20%, which is definitely great to see.

View our latest analysis for Skillz

Skillz Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

In fact, the recent purchase by Andrew Paradise was the biggest purchase of Skillz shares made by an insider individual in the last twelve months, according to our records. We do like to see buying, but this purchase was made at well below the current price of US$0.68. Because the shares were purchased at a lower price, this particular buy doesn't tell us much about how insiders feel about the current share price.

You can see the insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year depicted in the chart below. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!

Skillz is not the only stock that insiders are buying. For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.

Insider Ownership

Another way to test the alignment between the leaders of a company and other shareholders is to look at how many shares they own. Usually, the higher the insider ownership, the more likely it is that insiders will be incentivised to build the company for the long term. Insiders own 24% of Skillz shares, worth about US$69m. This level of insider ownership is good but just short of being particularly stand-out. It certainly does suggest a reasonable degree of alignment.

So What Do The Skillz Insider Transactions Indicate?

It's certainly positive to see the recent insider purchase. We also take confidence from the longer term picture of insider transactions. But on the other hand, the company made a loss during the last year, which makes us a little cautious. When combined with notable insider ownership, these factors suggest Skillz insiders are well aligned, and that they may think the share price is too low. So while it's helpful to know what insiders are doing in terms of buying or selling, it's also helpful to know the risks that a particular company is facing. At Simply Wall St, we found 3 warning signs for Skillz that deserve your attention before buying any shares.

Story continues

If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt.

For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions, but not derivative transactions.

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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Four people including a child are dead after a suspect shot three victims inside a home and then was killed by police after opening fire on officers responding to a domestic violence report early Sunday, police in Florida said.

Officers heard gunshots inside the home before the suspect exited and shot at the officers around 2:25 a.m., the Orlando Police Department said in a statement.
LOS ANGELES (AP)  Los Angeles police arrested three people in connection with an attempted murder and carjacking after a puppy was thrown out of the suspect's moving vehicle, authorities said Saturday.

Police said the attempted murder and carjacking happened on March 26 near St. John Missionary Baptist Church in southern Los Angeles.
By Kristen Hwang

CalMatters

California's Democratic lawmakers have spent the past year enacting legislation to protect abortion rights in the wake of Roe v. Wade's reversal, but a ruling Friday by a Texas federal judge is one thing they can't touch.

U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk suspended the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's approval of mifepristone more than 20 years ago, arguing that it was flawed and invalid. Kacsmaryk issued a temporary stay on his ruling for seven days to allow the Biden Justice Department to appeal, which it quickly did. The ruling is likely to pull the drug from pharmacy shelves unless a higher court intervenes while the case moves through the appeal process.

But soon after the ruling in Texas, a district judge in Washington state issued a conflicting ruling in a separate case, prohibiting the FDA from taking the drug off the market in 17 Democratic-led states (not including California). Despite the confusion caused by these dueling decisions, legal experts say even the threat of a legal gray area is likely to cause providers to stop distributing the drug.

Mifepristone is the first of a two-drug regimen that makes up the majority of abortions in the U.S., according to the Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive health research and policy center. It blocks the pregnancy hormone progesterone and is also used to manage miscarriages.

While the U.S. Supreme Court's Dobbs decision last June rescinded federal abortion protections, it left intact states' ability to set their own abortion laws. California legislators and Gov. Gavin Newsom jumped at the chance to make the state a beacon for progressive politics, even approving financial assistance for people in other states seeking abortions in California.

But Kacsmaryk's ruling addresses the FDA's authority nationally, and leaves little room for states to mitigate the fallout.

"We're in uncharted territory," Lisa Matsubara, an attorney for Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California and vice president of policy, told CalMatters a day after Kacsmaryk heard arguments in the case in mid-March. "It will take some time to understand how this will play out in California."

But Newsom quickly fired back at the ruling. "Today's ruling, by an extremist judge pursuing a radical political agenda, ignores facts, science, and the law -- putting the health of millions of women and girls at risk," the governor said in a statement. "Abortion is still legal and accessible here in California and we won't stand by as fundamental freedoms are stripped away."

The ruling comes less than a month after the Legislative Women's Caucus and Future of Abortion Council announced a package of 17 bills building on last session's work and primarily focusing on privacy and legal protections for patients and providers. State Sen. Nancy Skinner, a Democrat from Oakland and chairperson of the caucus, said during a press conference unveiling the legislation that lawmakers were "not done, not by a long shot" in their efforts to preserve abortion rights.

The women's caucus issued a statement blasting the "abominable" and "deplorable" ruling: "When will the assault on women's health and dignity stop? That one anti-abortion judge has the power to block access to a safe and medically proven treatment is an outrage."

The caucus vowed again: "California will not back down."

Ahead of the district court's ruling, 20 Republican-led states threatened retail pharmacies with legal action should they distribute abortion pills. In an attention-grabbing tweet, Newsom made the sweeping announcement that California would no longer do business with Walgreens, which had announced it would not stock the medication in states where attorneys general were opposed. Newsom has since had to significantly walk back the statement, which ran afoul of federal regulations.

Despite political assurances, the state can't take any direct action to keep mifepristone available.

"There's nothing to be done at the state level to make it newly legal so to speak," said Cat Duffy, a policy analyst specializing in reproductive rights with the National Health Law Program. "It'll be in the hands of the (U.S. Department of Justice) to appeal the ruling."

Though Kacsmaryk's ruling does not entirely revoke the FDA's approval of mifepristone, leaving that decision up to a higher court, this type of challenge to the agency's authority to regulate pharmaceuticals is unprecedented, Duffy said.

Misoprostol, the second drug used typically in conjunction with mifepristone, remains legal.

Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California CEO Jodi Hicks said in March the organization's clinics will move to a misoprostol-only treatment should the district court's decision tie their hands. Misoprostol causes contractions and forces the body to empty the uterus. Studies show it is safe and effective when used alone, but there are fewer side effects like prolonged bleeding when used in conjunction with mifepristone, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians.

Although misoprostol remains available, the inability to use mifepristone stretches an "already strapped network," Duffy said.

"It (will) really gut a lot of advances made in improving access that disproportionately impact people in rural areas and the folks that face structural barriers to care like Black and indigenous communities," Duffy said.

More than half of abortions are completed by medication nationally, according to the Guttmacher Institute. Though California does not track detailed abortion data, advocates say COVID-19 pandemic rules allowing abortion medication to be prescribed through telehealth and delivered via mail improved access in rural areas of the state where there are no abortion clinics. Kacsmaryk's ruling states, in part, that the FDA inappropriately relaxed in-person prescribing and distribution rules.

Legislation introduced this year by the Women's Caucus and Future of Abortion Council primarily focuses on tightening privacy protections for patients and providers.

"We're going to do whatever we can to make sure that folks are protected and that we are really, truly a haven state," Planned Parenthood attorney Matsubara said. "As things come up this year we may have to change course. That's certainly what we did last year and we're prepared to do that again this year."

Copyright  2023 Bay City News, Inc. All rights reserved. Republication, rebroadcast or redistribution without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Bay City News is a 24/7 news service covering the greater Bay Area.

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By Katy St. Clair

Bay City News

The Rohnert Park City Council will review the status Tuesday of homelessness there and discuss the city's response.

As part of the city's response to the issue, the council is being asked to endorse the Sonoma County Continuum of Care (CoC) 5 Year Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness.

CoC is a regional body with the lead responsibility for addressing homelessness in the county, the city said. It prioritizes services and access to shelter and holds the purse strings for federal and state funding, advising the county on its allocation of funds. Two of the body's 17 seats belong to Rohnert Park.

The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors recently endorsed a strategic plan created by the CoC, and cities within the county can do so as well, the city said.

The CoC plan calls for investing more in housing and prevention, strengthening support services, and coordinating service partners across the county into one system.

High priorities for the plan include funding interventions that are most likely to reduce chronic homelessness, such as Housing First models and permanent supportive housing. A Housing First model posits that people have a greater chance of tackling larger issues in their lives such as mental health and addiction after first getting a solid roof over their heads.

In the long-term, the plan hopes to create new housing, 75 percent of which is permanent and 25 percent short-term. In the past, more funding has gone toward short-term housing, the city said.

Another approach recommended by the plan is to increase the use of evidence-based, proven programs for people who are unsheltered versus "promising practice" programs that have not yet been tested.

The CoC also wants to fairly compensate direct service providers with competitive wages, as well as give them proper training and support.

In 2023, CoC has made adding 200 permanent supportive housing units and 100 non-congregate shelter beds part of its action plan.

There are no overnight shelters in Rohnert Park, the city said on its website, and individuals are often referred to shelters in Santa Rosa and Petaluma, which are often full and have waitlists.

A 60-unit interim housing program, Labath Landing, opened last October and offers on-site supportive services for people experiencing homelessness who are categorized as the most vulnerable, such as people with physical or mental disabilities.

Since 2021, the city said it has placed 129 people into permanent housing, engaged 569 people through outreach efforts, and has moved 146 people into interim housing.

"Homelessness is one of the most challenging issues facing Rohnert Park, Sonoma County and the state of California," the city said in a statement released Friday. "It's a long-term challenge that requires considerable time and money to address."

Rohnert Park provides a snapshot of its unsheltered population and how it is being addressed on the city's website. According to the city, on any given night, there are an estimated 248 individuals experiencing homelessness there. That number was only 15 on any given night in 2015.

According to a 2020 survey of homelessness, Rohnert Park has around 9 percent of the county's overall homeless population, the city said.

The Rohnert Park City Council meets at 5 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall, 130 Avram Ave., Rohnert Park.

Copyright  2023 Bay City News, Inc. All rights reserved. Republication, rebroadcast or redistribution without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Bay City News is a 24/7 news service covering the greater Bay Area.

Copyright  2023 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.
WASHINGTON (AP)  The nation's top health official said Sunday that a court ruling threatening the availability of a main drug used in medication abortion was not America" and he did not rule out defying the judge's order if necessary.

We want the courts to overturn this reckless decision, Xavier Becerra, President Joe Biden's health secretary, told CNN's State of the Union. We want, yes, that women continue to have access to a drug thats proven itself safe. Millions of women have used this drug around the world.

He stressed that for now, women do have access to the abortion medication mifepristone after a federal judge in Texas, Donald Trump-appointee Matthew Kacsmaryk, put his ruling from Friday on hold for a week so federal officials could file a challenge. The drug was approved in 2000 by the Food and Drug Administration, which is overseen by the Health and Human Services Department headed by Becerra.

For America's sake and for women's sake, we have to prevail in this, he said.

Biden has said his administration would fight the Texas ruling. Kacsmaryk's 67-page order gave the government seven days to appeal.

We intend to do everything to make sure its available to them not just in a week, but moving forward, period, because mifepristone is one of the safest and most effective medicines that we have seen over the last 20 years to help women with their health care, especially abortion care, Becerra said.

Asked whether he might recommend that the FDA ignore a ban, Becerra said, Everything is on the table."

There is uncertainty about access to the most commonly used method of abortion in the United States following two separate and conflicting court rulings in Texas and Washington over the legality of mifepristone.

Kacsmaryk's decision ordering a hold on federal approval of mifepristone overruled decades of scientific approval. But a ruling at nearly the same time in Washington state from that U.S. District Judge Thomas O. Rice, a Barack Obama appointee, directed U.S. authorities not to make any changes that would restrict access to the drug in at least 17 states where Democrats sued in an effort to protect availability.

Becerra said Kacsmaryk's order could have dire ramifications for the legality of any FDA-approved drug, such as vaccines, insulin or new Alzheimer's drugs coming onto the market because it seeks to turn upside down the entire FDA approval process.

The former California attorney general acknowledged a good chance that the case will ultimately be decided by the Supreme Court, which last year overturned Roe v. Wade and curtailed access to abortion across the country.

If a judge decides to substitute his preference, his personal opinion for that of scientists and medical professionals, what drug isnt subject to some kind of legal challenge? So we have to go to court, he said.

Alluding to Kacsmaryk, the Cabinet secretary said: What you saw by that one judge in that one court, in that one state, thats not America. America goes by the evidence. America does whats fair. America does what is transparent and we can show that what we do is for the right reasons.

Appearing after Becerra on CNN, Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, said its important that we take care of women and have real discussions on womens health care but get off the abortion conversation. Women have a whole lot more other issues than just abortion. ... Let's talk about the other things that are happening in this world.
WASHINGTON (AP)  President Joe Biden was winding up for a speech at a Minnesota clean energy facility when he spotted a lawmaker in the crowd whom he wanted to recognize.

I want to thank you for being here, Biden said, gesturing toward Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar during his recent visit. You never stop working to level the playing field for everybody.

For Omar, the quick flash of praise from Biden  who was neither her first nor second choice to be the party's 2020 White House nominee  was more than just a courtesy shout-out during a presidential visit to her suburban Minneapolis district. It was a recognition of how far Omar has come after a rocky start to her political career that at times made her standing with Democrats appear tenuous.

As she settles into her third term, Omar is no longer defined by the firsts that accompanied her arrival in Congress: one of the first Muslim women in the House, the first refugee from Africa elected to the House, the first lawmaker to wear a hijab while on the House floor.

In interviews with nearly a dozen Democrats in the House and Senate, lawmakers portray Omar as a serious legislator who in the past four years has earned admiration for giving voice to marginalized groups often forgotten on Capitol Hill.

The best example of this came in early February when every single House Democrat voted against a GOP resolution to remove her from the House Foreign Affairs Committee over her past comments critical of Israel.

I think weve been successful in making the Democratic caucus, Democratic Party, Democratic establishment to get to a place where they are able to see me fully, for all of the multiple identities I am a first for and not just to see and celebrate it but to defend it, Omar told The Associated Press.

In the debate over her committee seat, many of Omars fellow Democrats, including those of Jewish descent, spoke out in the chamber about what they said was hypocrisy from the new Republican majority.

I dont need any of you to defend me against antisemitism, said Rep. Jan Shakowsky, D-Ill. My friend Ilhan Omar and I have worked together toward the values that I treasure as an American Jew and that she treasures as an American Islamic woman, the only one on the Foreign Affairs Committee.

Democrats called it payback because they had used their majority in the last Congress to oust far-right GOP lawmakers from committees for their incendiary, violent remark s. But the emotionally charged floor debate over Omar was a departure from the bipartisan outrage she faced in her first year in office. At that time, Democrats were confronted by the reality that comes with diverse viewpoints when Omar  showing less deference to the party line  dragged the divisions over Israel into the open.

It began with social media posts in which Omar criticized pro-Israel lobbyist groups and questioned the loyalty of Jewish lawmakers who pushed back against her criticisms of the Israeli government.

Omar apologized for her comments at the time, both privately to her Jewish colleagues and publicly. She said what she was questioning was the influence game in Washington and voicing her concern that anything she said about Israel and its treatment of Palestinians would be construed as antisemitic.

In response, top Democrats began to draft a resolution that would have condemned antisemitism, with an early version even mentioning Omar by name. At the time, only a handful of Democrats inside and outside of Congress came to her defense.

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, the highest-ranking progressive in Congress, said in April 2019 that Omar may need to do a better job speaking to the Jewish community, but that it is not antisemitic to be critical of a right-wing government in Israel.

Ben Rhodes, who was President Barack Obamas deputy national security adviser, said that after meeting Omar early in her career, it was clear that she wanted to use her background to push for structural change in foreign policy.

There are plenty of people in Congress that can represent the kind of established view of American foreign policy whether its on the Middle East or whether its on military policy, Rhodes said. Theres a desperate need for unconventional thinking and different perspectives, and thats what she brings.

The resolution that Democrats ended up introducing and passing in the spring of 2019 included condemnation of anti-Muslim bias but did not mention of Omars name. For the next several years, the former state legislator focused on bringing attention to issues that affected immigrants and families both back in her district and across Minnesota. And she gained support from various factions of the party as a result.

The more time Ive spent with her the more Ive come to appreciate her perspective, the more Ive come to realize how important her voice is to represent not just our community in Minnesota, not just in our country but many around the world, Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., another Jewish member of Congress. Its not about agreeing. This building was not built for agreement. It was built to manage disagreement. And Id like to think that she and I can be the perfect example of that.

Omar began to move up the ranks in the Congressional Progressive Caucus  one of the largest ideological caucuses in the House. She become the vote counter for the caucus chair, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., in the last Congress as progressives helped pave the way for Biden's agenda to pass the House and Senate.

In January, Omar was chosen by more than 100 members to serve as deputy caucus chair.

Shes not gonna stop using her voice, Jayapal said. Shell continue to use her voice on foreign affairs issues. Just kicking her off a committee is not going to silence her. Shes way too strong for that.

Omar, who was born in Somalia, is now embarking on a new chapter as a minority, in the minority," helping Biden and the Democratic Party provide a split screen to Republican control by highlighting the implementation of several legislative achievements made in the past two years, including the infrastructure law.

Being taken off the committee is not a pleasant experience. But I think shes gonna turn it into a real blessing, said Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., who was an early supporter of Omar and is a member of the House Democratic leadership team.

Omar is also chairing a newly formed Africa policy working group, where she and more than a dozen House Democrats will focus on issues concerning the continent.

We dont agree on everything, said Rep. Sara Jacobs, one of the group's members. "But we share a similar worldview, especially when it comes to the African continent, where were both really focused on U.S. engagement, not leading with our military, but actually leading with diplomacy and centering our values on human rights and promoting good governance."

While many voiced concerns that her removal from the House Foreign Affairs Committee would effectively silence her on foreign policy, Omar said Republicans badly miscalculated, given that she was assigned to the House Budget Committee as a replacement.

This is why I joke about the fact that Republicans taking me off the Foreign Affairs Committee essentially meant that they were promoting me, Omar said.

Because we will have the opportunity not only to address investments in regards to our foreign policy with development, defense, and diplomacy, but we will also be able to have more of a say as part as the discussions move forward in regards to our own defense budget.
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KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  Weekend shelling by Russian forces killed at least seven civilians, Ukrainian officials reported Sunday as Pope Francis and Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby used their traditional Easter messages to highlight the war in Ukraine and other conflicts around the world.

While Russia continued to concentrate on seizing all of Ukraines industrial east, two other provinces  Kharkiv in the northeast and Zaporizhzhia in the southeast - came under missile, rocket and artillery fire, the Ukrainian military reported. The governor of the Kherson region, Oleksandr Prokudin, said two communities there were hit by bombs from warplanes late Sunday, but he did not immediately report any casualties.

Kharkiv governor Oleh Syniehubov said two men died Sunday in shelling in Kupiansk, a city that Russia held before Ukrainian forces regained control of almost all of the province.

The city remained under attack later Sunday as Russian forces targeted residential areas with multiple rocket launchers, Syniehubov said. Elsewhere in the province, a 30-year-old man was hospitalized in serious condition after Russian shelling of the city of Chuhuiv, he said on Telegram.

Shelling also killed two people overnight, one of them a child born in 2012, in the city of Zaporizhzhia, the capital of that province, City Council Secretary Anatoliy Kurtev said.

The Zaporizhzhia region's governor, Yurii Malashko, said 18 communities in all were shelled. Three people were killed and five were wounded on Saturday, Malashko said.

Zaporizhzhia is home to Europe's largest nuclear power plant and one of four Ukrainian provinces that Russian President Vladimir Putin illegally annexed in September. Since then, Russia's military has sought to oust Ukraine's troops from those areas, especially Luhansk and Donetsk provinces, which make up the industrial region known as the Donbas.

Bakhmut, a city in Donestsk, has seen the 13-month war's longest battle. Western analysts have said Russian forces recently made it into the center of the city. Seizing Bakhmut after more than eight months would give the Kremlin a badly wanted victory and a path to push on toward bigger Ukrainian-held cities.

The Russian army is moving elite units to Bakhmut, Col. Serhiy Cherevaty, a spokesperson for Ukraines Eastern Group of Forces, said Sunday.

Cherevaty said the Wagner Group, a private Russian military company whose fighters have spearheaded the offensive on Bakhmut, was incurring heavy losses, making it necessary to move in regular army units from the regular army, including paratroopers and motorized riflemen.

The vast majority of Ukrainians with a religious affiliation identify as Orthodox Christian, a faith that observes Easter on April 16 this year. Some Catholics celebrated Easter on Sunday, while Orthodox churches marked Palm Sunday this weekend.

While delivering his Easter address from the central balcony of the Vatican's St. Peter's Basilica, Pope Francis implored God to help the beloved Ukrainian people on their journey towards peace, and shed the light of Easter upon the people of Russia.

Comfort the wounded and all those who have lost loved ones because of the war, and grant that prisoners may return safe and sound to their families, Francis said.

Easter affirms the Christian belief that Jesus rose from the dead days after his crucifixion. Welby, who as archbishop of Canterbury is the ceremonial head of worldwide Anglican Communion, said the occasion provided hope that true peace is no aimless daydream, but a reality offered because Christ was raised from the dead.

Injustice and brutality may seem to triumph in our short lives on earth, cruel and oppressive rulers might look as though they only get stronger, he said during a sermon delivered in Canterbury, England. Yet they will vanish. The power of the resurrection is infinitely greater than they are."

Between Saturday and Sunday mornings, Russian forces launched 40 air strikes, four missile strikes and 58 attacks from multiple-rocket launchers on various parts of Ukraine, the General Staff of the Ukrainian armed forces reported.

According to the General Staff, Russia focused attacks on the Donetsk province communities of Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Marinka. Donetsk regional Gov. Pavlo Kyrylenko said Sunday morning that two civilians were wounded Saturday.

Officials in Kherson province, where Ukrainian forces forced a partial Russian retreat in November, said the southern region also received numerous attacks. They did not report any casualties.

The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, said late Saturday that it thinks Russia's overall offensive is approaching culmination.

The institute cited Ivan Tymochko, the head of the Ukrainian Council of Reservists for the countrys ground forces, as reporting that recent Russian attacks appeared designed to distract and disperse Ukrainian troops preparing for a potential counteroffensive.

"Tymochko stated that Russian forces are not making serious advances anywhere on the front line," the think tank said. Noting that Russia has made heavy use of artillery offset key shortcomings in combat capability," the institute said reported ammunition shortages would undermine the Russian militarys ability to continue offsetting its other weaknesses and limitations.

___

Follow AP's coverage of the war in Ukraine: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine-war
PARIS (AP)  An avalanche in the French Alps killed four people Sunday, France's interior minister said, calling the death toll a provisional count.

The avalanche rolled down the Armancette glacier in Contamines-Montjoie, in the Haute-Savoie region, some 30 kilometers (almost 20 miles) southwest of Chamonix.
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MARSEILLE, France (AP)  Eight people remained missing after the building they lived in exploded and collapsed early Sunday near the port of Marseille, leaving mounds of burning debris hampering rescue operations, officials said.

More than 100 firefighters worked against a ticking clock to extinguish flames deep within the rubble of the five-story building, but more than 17 hours later the situation is not yet stabilized, Marseille Prosecutor Dominique Laurens said at an evening news conference.

Earlier in the day, officials had thought that between four and 10 people may have been trapped. Laurens said police have yet to confirm the apparent disappearance of a ninth person who lived in a next-door building. Five people suffered minor injuries from the collapse, which occurred shortly before 1 a.m.

Marseille Mayor Benoit Payan said two buildings that share walls with the one that collapsed were partially brought down before one later caved in, another complication in the search and rescue operation. The buildings were among evacuated structures.

Drones and probes have been used to examine the scene for signs of life. The burning debris was too hot for dogs in the firefighters' canine team to work until Sunday afternoon, though smoke still bothered them, the prosecutor said.

We cannot intervene in a very classic way, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said during a morning visit to the site. He said the fire was burning a few meters under the mounds of debris and that both water and foam represent a danger to victims survival.

An investigation has been opened for involuntary injury, at least initially sidestepping possible criminal intentions. A gas explosion was among the tracks to check, said Laurens, the prosecutor. But the start of the probe also was limited by the heat of the blaze.

The flames weren't pink. They were blue, Payan said.

Firefighters, with the help of urban rescue experts, worked through the night and all day Sunday in a slow race against time. The delicate operation aimed to keep firefighters safe, prevent further harm to people potentially trapped in the rubble and not compromise vulnerable buildings nearby, already partially collapsed. Some 30 buildings in the area were evacuated, Darmanin said.

Lauren, the prosecutor, said that firefighters are really in a complicated situation, dangerous for them. Work is progressing but with safety precautions, she said.

We heard an explosion ... a very strong explosion which made us jump, and that's it, said Marie Ciret, who was among those evacuated. We looked outside the window at what was happening. We saw smoke, stones, and people running.

The building that collapsed is located on a narrow street less than a kilometer (a half-mile) from Marseille's iconic old port, adding to an array of difficulties for firefighters and rescue workers. The prosecutor said the building and those next door are not at all substandard buildings.

Robots were reportedly being deployed. A crane was brought in to clear rubble and firefighters were at one point seen in TV video hosing parts of the debris from a window in a nearby apartment as plumes of smoke rose skyward.

Were trying to drown the fire while preserving the lives of eventual victims under the rubble, Lionel Mathieu, commander of the Marseille fire brigade, said during a televised briefing.

Firefighters are gauging minute by minute the best way to put out the fire, Payan, the mayor, said.

We must prepare ourselves to have victims, he said grimly.

The collapsed building is located in an old quarter in the center of Frances second-largest city. The noise from the explosion resounded in other neighborhoods. Nearby streets were blocked off.

French President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne both tweeted their thoughts for people affected and thanks to the firefighters.

In 2018, two buildings in the center of Marseille collapsed, killing eight people. Those buildings were poorly maintained  not the case with the building that collapsed Sunday after an explosion, the interior minister said.

___

Elaine Ganley reported from Paris.
JOHANNESBURG (AP)  A South African convicted murderer who faked his death to escape from prison has been arrested in Tanzania following a two-week manhunt, police have announced.

South African officials are going to Tanzania Sunday to begin to extradite Thabo Bester, 35, dubbed the Facebook Rapist as he used the social media platform to lure at least two women he was convicted of raping. He was also found guilty of killing one.

Bester was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2012 and it was reported in May last year that he died in a fire in his prison cell.

However, reports surfaced of him being seen in Johannesburg and an investigation including DNA samples showed that the body found burned beyond recognition in the cell was not his.

Two weeks ago police said they were chasing Bester and last week they raided a luxurious home he was believed to have been renting in a posh Johannesburg suburb.

Bester was apprehended with his girlfriend Nandipha Magudumana, a well-known celebrity doctor, and a Mozambican national believed to have assisted them to cross borders and evade law enforcement authorities, officials announced.

They were found with several fake passports which were unstamped at the time of their arrest, about 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the Kenyan border.

Authorities have now started the process to extradite the fugitives back to South Africa, where they are expected to face several charges. An official delegation from South Africa, comprising senior officials from the police and the department of justice and correctional services will depart for Tanzania on Sunday," Justice Minister Ronald Lamola said Saturday, announcing Bester's arrest.

The South African news outlet GroundUp reported that for nearly a year after his prison escape Bester had lived a lavish lifestyle with Magudumana in Johannesburg's upmarket Hyde Park suburb.

While in prison, Bester used a laptop he had for studies to run an event and production company, GroundUp reported. At one point he addressed a conference from his prison cell, telling attendees that he was speaking from the U.S., it reported.

Besters elaborate escape from prison has raised many questions about the possible involvement of prison officials.

At least three officials have been fired from the Mangaung Correctional Centre from where Bester escaped, according to local reports. The prison was managed privately by the British-based G4S security firm. The South African government has now taken over management of the maximum security prison and has announced that the G4S contract to manage the prison will not be renewed when it expires in 2026.
Former Boise City Council Member Lisa Sanchez plans to file legal action against the city, according to a letter her lawyer sent to an attorney representing the city on Wednesday.

The planned lawsuit comes after Mayor Lauren McLean decided not to appoint Sanchez to the council seat she won in 2021 and then vacated earlier this year, choosing instead Latonia Haney Keith to represent the district that covers the North End and Northwest Boise.

McLean announced two appointments to fill vacancies on Wednesday morning in a news release, and the City Council plans to hold a special meeting at noon on Thursday to take up the appointments. State legislator Colin Nash was the other selection, to fill an at-large position. Both appointed members would serve until the end of the year.

The letter, which was obtained by the Idaho Statesman through a source, was sent by Sanchezs lawyer, Wendy Olson, to attorney Dan Williams of the firm Jones Williams Fuhrman Gourley. Olson confirmed to the Statesman that she had sent a letter on Wednesday.

Olsons letter said Sanchez intends to file a legal action against Boise for its unlawful removal of her from her position on the Boise City Council.

Rest assured that any actions taken by the City Council to act on the mayors action will be unlawful and the subject of the litigation, the letter stated. I urge you to counsel your client to refrain from taking any further unlawful action.

The letter also said that Sanchez was promised she would be appointed if she did not pursue litigation and that she has had to pay out-of-pocket medical costs since losing her seat.

Her belief that the mayor would honor the will of the District 3 voters is the only reason Ms. Sanchez has not already filed a lawsuit, according to the letter.

In a previous email, Council Member Jimmy Hallyburton denied that such an arrangement had been suggested, telling the Statesman that I dont believe this is how the conversation went.

Story continues

In January, city attorneys concluded that Sanchez effectively lost her seat when she accidentally moved out of her district. She then attempted to correct the mistake by moving back within the District 3 boundaries, and she was one of three finalists after the city took applications to fill the post.

A spokesperson for McLean, Maria Weeg, did not immediately provide comment.

Earlier on Wednesday, Sanchez authored a tweet asking the council to decline to seat Haney Keith. In a text message, Sanchez told the Statesman that my goal has been to honor the expressed wishes of District 3 voters by completing the second half of my second term.

In interviews with the Statesman, a majority of City Council members indicated that they would have been reluctant, or would have declined, to consent to Sanchezs appointment had she been McLeans choice.

Sanchez has said she intends to run for the District 3 seat in November when city elections take place.
LATEST April 10, 1:47 p.m. A spokesperson for the Placer County Fire Department said the Placer County Sheriffs Office is investigating the death of Jason Cassem. The Placer County Sheriff's Office did not have any further information to add.

April 9, 1:25 p.m. A California man reportedly died of carbon monoxide poisoning last week after he became trapped under a snow bank that collapsed on him while he was trying to access a generator during a power outage, ABC10 first reported.

Jason Cassem, his wife, Melissa, and two children had moved from the Bay Area to their dream home in Placer County just over a year ago, according to a GoFundMe created for the family. This winter, though, the area was inundated by historic storms and near record-breaking snowfall that piled up as high as the second-story window of the Cassems' home in Drum Forebay. On Wednesday, another storm resulted in even more snowfall that surrounded the house and led to a power outage that lasted for hours.

Jason, an HVAC professional, had ensured the home was equipped with a generator, and later that evening, he went to check on it to make sure it wouldnt run out of gas while his kids were taking their nightly showers.

But when he didnt return, Melissa grew worried. She grabbed a flashlight and went outside, yelling his name. Once she reached the structure outside of the home where the generator was located, she realized her unconscious husband was trapped inside beneath a pile of snow. She immediately began trying to dig him out and perform CPR on him but also fell in. As she became aware of the fumes coming from the running generator, she started to call out for help.

Melissas children, who had just finished showering, overheard the commotion, and her 11-year-old daughter called 911. Because so much snow was covering the roads, emergency responders were reportedly unable to get to the remote home right away, but dispatchers instructed the children over the phone to shovel their way through the snow using pots and pans to reach their parents. Eventually, an off-duty firefighter living nearby heard about what was going on and came over to help, pulling Melissa out of the structure.

They said there was ten feet of snow on top of her, Melissas sister, Sara Marcantonio, told ABC10 in Sacramento. Had it been much longer, she wouldnt have made it.

Marcantonio said it took fire crews an hour and a half to reach the home, and when they did, they attempted to resuscitate Jason Cassem but were unsuccessful. SFGATE reached out to the Placer County Sheriffs Office, which did not have any additional information, and the Placer County Fire Department for more information but did not hear back by publication time.

Theyve all said they were shocked shes still alive, Marcantonio told ABC10. That its a miracle shes still alive.
WFO AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Sunday, April 9, 2023

_____

FLOOD WARNING

Flood Statement

National Weather Service Austin/San Antonio TX

327 PM CDT Sun Apr 9 2023

...The Flood Warning is cancelled for the following rivers in

Texas...

Sandies Creek Near Westhoff affecting DeWitt County.

...FLOOD WARNING IS CANCELLED...

The Flood Warning is cancelled for

the Sandies Creek Near Westhoff.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...

- At 3:00 PM CDT this afternoon the stage was 20.8 feet.

- Forecast...The river is expected to continue slowly dropping

within action stage for the next few days.

- http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood

Fld Observed Forecasts (4 pm CDT)

Location Stg Stg Day/Time Mon Tue Wed

Sandies Creek

Westhoff 21.0 20.8 Sun 3 pm CDT 15.2 11.4 8.6

...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of southeastern Hall

County through 400 PM CDT...

At 329 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 10

miles northwest of Northfield, or 11 miles east of Turkey, moving

east at 15 mph.

HAZARD...Wind gusts of 50 to 55 mph and penny size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around

unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is

possible.

Locations impacted include...

Estelline.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm and may lead to

localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded

roadways.

Light accumulations of small hail will be possible. Consider moving

to a sturdy shelter until this storm passes.

LAT...LON 3458 10042 3432 10042 3431 10056 3432 10079

3450 10079

TIME...MOT...LOC 2029Z 269DEG 12KT 3442 10070

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.75 IN

MAX WIND GUST...55 MPH

...Strong thunderstorms will impact portions of northwestern

Armstrong, northeastern Randall, Carson, west central Gray and

southern Potter Counties through 415 PM CDT...

At 330 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking strong thunderstorms along

a line extending from 9 miles south of Borger to 11 miles south of

Fritch to 14 miles north of Amarillo to 7 miles northeast of

Bushland. Movement was southeast at 15 mph.

HAZARD...Nickel size hail.

IMPACT...Minor damage to outdoor objects is possible.

Amarillo, Canyon, Panhandle, White Deer, Lake Tanglewood, Mescalero

Park, Bushland, Washburn, Timbercreek Canyon and Pantex.

Brief periods of heavy rainfall will also be possible with these

storms and may lead to localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle

through flooded roadways.

These storms may intensify, so be certain to monitor local radio

stations and available television stations for additional information

and possible warnings from the National Weather Service.

LAT...LON 3526 10213 3546 10184 3562 10130 3533 10097

3490 10192

TIME...MOT...LOC 2030Z 322DEG 14KT 3553 10139 3547 10162 3541 10179

3527 10198

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.88 IN

MAX WIND GUST...<30 MPH

_____

Copyright 2023 AccuWeather
WFO LUBBOCK Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Sunday, April 9, 2023

_____

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING

The National Weather Service in Lubbock Texas has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...

East central Parmer County in the Panhandle of Texas...

Southwestern Castro County in the Panhandle of Texas...

* Until 530 PM CDT.

* At 450 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 8 miles northeast

of Lazbuddie, or 11 miles southwest of Dimmitt, moving southeast at

5 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage

to roofs, siding, and trees.

* This severe thunderstorm will remain over mainly rural areas of

east central Parmer and southwestern Castro Counties.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a

building.

Torrential rainfall is occurring with this storm, and may lead to

flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways.

In addition to large hail, significant amounts of smaller hail are

likely. Accumulating hail can cause damage to crops, trees, and

vehicles.

_____

Copyright 2023 AccuWeather
WFO LUBBOCK Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Sunday, April 9, 2023

_____

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING

The National Weather Service in Lubbock Texas has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...

Southeastern Kent County in northwestern Texas...

* Until 530 PM CDT.

* At 455 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 6 miles southeast

of Clairemont, or 13 miles southwest of Jayton, moving southeast at

25 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage

to roofs, siding, and trees.

* This severe thunderstorm will remain over mainly rural areas of

southeastern Kent County.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a

building.

Torrential rainfall is occurring with this storm, and may lead to

flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways.

...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of northeastern

Hockley, southwestern Hale and southeastern Lamb Counties through 530

PM CDT...

At 454 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 5

miles west of Spade, or 5 miles east of Littlefield, moving east at

10 mph.

HAZARD...Wind gusts of 50 to 55 mph and penny size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around

unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is

possible.

Locations impacted include...

Littlefield, Anton and Spade.

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm and may lead to

localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded

roadways.

Light accumulations of small hail will be possible. Consider moving

to a sturdy shelter until this storm passes.

LAT...LON 3402 10229 3400 10201 3382 10207 3382 10209

3379 10208 3374 10210 3385 10235

TIME...MOT...LOC 2154Z 287DEG 7KT 3392 10224

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.75 IN

MAX WIND GUST...55 MPH

_____

Copyright 2023 AccuWeather
WFO NORMAN Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Sunday, April 9, 2023

_____

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT

Special Weather Statement

National Weather Service Norman OK

335 PM CDT Sun Apr 9 2023

...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of southwestern Jackson

and northwestern Hardeman Counties through 430 PM CDT...

At 335 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 8

miles north of Goodlett, moving southeast at 10 mph.

HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph and penny size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around

unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is

possible.

Locations impacted include...

Quanah, Eldorado, and Goodlett.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm.

Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe

shelter inside a building or vehicle.

LAT...LON 3446 10000 3452 9995 3447 9965 3425 9979

3438 10000

TIME...MOT...LOC 2035Z 295DEG 10KT 3446 9991

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.75 IN

MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH

The National Weather Service in Lubbock Texas has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...

Northeastern Kent County in northwestern Texas...

Southern Dickens County in northwestern Texas...

* Until 415 PM CDT.

* At 336 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Spur, moving

east at 15 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage

to roofs, siding, and trees.

* Locations impacted include...

Spur and Girard.

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a

building.

Torrential rainfall is occurring with this storm, and may lead to

flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways.

_____

Copyright 2023 AccuWeather
WFO NORMAN Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Sunday, April 9, 2023

_____

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING

The National Weather Service in Norman has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...

Southwestern Jackson County in southwestern Oklahoma...

West central Wilbarger County in northern Texas...

Southern Hardeman County in northern Texas...

* Until 445 PM CDT.

* At 358 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 6 miles north of

Quanah, moving southeast at 20 mph.

HAZARD...Half dollar size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Damage to vehicles is expected.

* Locations impacted include...

Quanah, Chillicothe, and Medicine Mound.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a

building.

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 415 PM CDT

FOR NORTHEASTERN KENT AND SOUTHEASTERN DICKENS COUNTIES...

At 401 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Girard, or 9

miles southeast of Spur, moving east at 15 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage to

roofs, siding, and trees.

Locations impacted include...

Girard.

Torrential rainfall is occurring with this storm, and may lead to

flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways.

_____

Copyright 2023 AccuWeather
WFO SAN ANGELO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Sunday, April 9, 2023

_____

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING

The National Weather Service in San Angelo has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...

Fisher County in west central Texas...

* Until 545 PM CDT.

* At 506 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Hudd, or 12

miles south of Clairemont, moving southeast at 25 mph.

HAZARD...Ping pong ball size hail and 60 mph wind gusts.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...People and animals outdoors will be injured. Expect hail

damage to roofs, siding, windows, and vehicles. Expect

wind damage to roofs, siding, and trees.

* This severe thunderstorm will be near...

Hobbs around 545 PM CDT.

Other locations impacted by this severe thunderstorm include Us-

180 Near The Fisher-Scurry County Line.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a

building.

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 530 PM CDT

FOR SOUTHEASTERN KENT COUNTY...

At 508 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 13 miles southeast

of Clairemont, or 17 miles south of Jayton, moving southeast at 25

mph.

HAZARD...Ping pong ball size hail and 60 mph wind gusts.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...People and animals outdoors will be injured. Expect hail

damage to roofs, siding, windows, and vehicles. Expect wind

damage to roofs, siding, and trees.

This severe thunderstorm will remain over mainly rural areas of

southeastern Kent County.

Torrential rainfall is occurring with this storm, and may lead to

flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways.

...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of northeastern Scurry

County through 600 PM CDT...

At 508 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 13

miles southeast of Clairemont, or 17 miles south of Jayton, moving

southeast at 25 mph.

HAZARD...Wind gusts of 50 to 55 mph and nickel size hail.

IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around

unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is

possible.

This storm will remain over mainly rural areas of northeastern Scurry

County.

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm and may lead to

localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded

roadways.

Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm.

Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe

shelter inside a building or vehicle.

LAT...LON 3296 10077 3296 10066 3265 10066

TIME...MOT...LOC 2208Z 315DEG 22KT 3301 10063

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.88 IN

MAX WIND GUST...55 MPH

_____

Copyright 2023 AccuWeather
What are the early trends we should look for to identify a stock that could multiply in value over the long term? One common approach is to try and find a company with returns on capital employed (ROCE) that are increasing, in conjunction with a growing amount of capital employed. If you see this, it typically means it's a company with a great business model and plenty of profitable reinvestment opportunities. Although, when we looked at Douglas Dynamics (NYSE:PLOW), it didn't seem to tick all of these boxes.

What Is Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)?

For those that aren't sure what ROCE is, it measures the amount of pre-tax profits a company can generate from the capital employed in its business. To calculate this metric for Douglas Dynamics, this is the formula:

Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT)  (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)

0.12 = US$59m  (US$597m - US$100m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2022).

Thus, Douglas Dynamics has an ROCE of 12%. By itself that's a normal return on capital and it's in line with the industry's average returns of 12%.

View our latest analysis for Douglas Dynamics

roce

Above you can see how the current ROCE for Douglas Dynamics compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you'd like, you can check out the forecasts from the analysts covering Douglas Dynamics here for free.

The Trend Of ROCE

Things have been pretty stable at Douglas Dynamics, with its capital employed and returns on that capital staying somewhat the same for the last five years. Businesses with these traits tend to be mature and steady operations because they're past the growth phase. So unless we see a substantial change at Douglas Dynamics in terms of ROCE and additional investments being made, we wouldn't hold our breath on it being a multi-bagger. This probably explains why Douglas Dynamics is paying out 47% of its income to shareholders in the form of dividends. Unless businesses have highly compelling growth opportunities, they'll typically return some money to shareholders.

Story continues

In Conclusion...

In a nutshell, Douglas Dynamics has been trudging along with the same returns from the same amount of capital over the last five years. And investors appear hesitant that the trends will pick up because the stock has fallen 20% in the last five years. All in all, the inherent trends aren't typical of multi-baggers, so if that's what you're after, we think you might have more luck elsewhere.

Douglas Dynamics does have some risks, we noticed 3 warning signs (and 1 which doesn't sit too well with us) we think you should know about.

While Douglas Dynamics isn't earning the highest return, check out this free list of companies that are earning high returns on equity with solid balance sheets.

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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An 8-year-old boy shot in the leg Saturday in Syracuse is expected to live, according to police.

At least 13 rounds were fired during the shooting, according to Syracuse police spokesman Lt. Matthew Malinowski.

The shooting took place near a deli and barber shop.

The child shot at about 5:30 p.m. and was taken to Upstate University Hospital, Malinowski said in a news release Sunday.

Another 8-year-old boy suffered a cut to his head, Malinowski said. He was cut by a piece of glass, he said. It was reported earlier by police that the child was grazed by a shot or by shrapnel.

Malinowski said a man on the scene was arrested for crossing a police tape.

Edward Cruz-Laureano, 24, was trying get to his car, Malinowski said. Police were towing Cruz-Laureanos vehicle after it was hit by gunfire, he said. Cruz-Laureano attempted to stop them and was arrested.

Cruz-Laureano was charged with two misdemeanors: second-degree obstructing governmental administration and resisting arrest.

The investigation is active and ongoing.

An 8-year-old was shot on South Geddes Street and taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries on Saturday, April 8, 2023.Fernando Alba | falba@syracuse.com

Staff writer Fernando Alba covers breaking news, crime and public safety. Have a tip, story idea, question or comment? Reach him: Email | Twitter or at 315-690-6950.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  Those hoping to tune into the historic trial of former President Donald Trump will be out of luck due to current New York law prohibiting news video cameras in courtrooms.

For better or worse, wall-to-wall television coverage of prominent trials has become commonplace in the United States since the 1990s, but not typically in the Empire State.

Courtroom artists remain the norm here, because different sections of state law prohibit audio-visual recordings of subpoenaed witness testimony in court, and recording of trials, more broadly, unless a presiding judge okays the cameras.

However, State Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal (D-Manhattan) and Assemblyman David Weprin (D-Queens) introduced legislation in their respective chambers earlier this year that would allow news video cameras into the courtroom, and ultimately provide for public livestreams in all of New Yorks supreme, civil, county and appellate courtrooms.

The pair of state officials are hoping this would allow Trumps trial to be televised.

We should pass my and [Weprins] bill allowing New York court proceedings to be livestreamed in the budget this week, Hoylman-Sigal said about their legislation and the ongoing budget negotiations. If we dont, New York may bar the media from televising one of the most historic prosecutions in American history.

Its unclear if their bill will pass as its not the first legislative effort. Since 2011, a similar version of the bill has been introduced in the Assembly and in the Senate since 2019. None have made it out of committee.

TRUMP TRIAL

Justice Juan Merchan, an acting New York Supreme Court justice and presiding judge at the Trump trial, ruled Monday night against video recordings in the courtroom, but did permit five still photographers along with video cameras in the courts hallways.

Former President Donald Trump sits at the defense table with his defense team in a Manhattan court, Tuesday, April 4, 2023, in New York. Trump is set to appear in a New York City courtroom on charges related to falsifying business records in a hush money investigation, the first president ever to be charged with a crime. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)AP

Trumps lawyers opposed groups of news organizations request to have video cameras in the courtroom because they would create a circus-like atmosphere and result in prejudice against the former president.

Merchan ruled in their favor because of the impact the cameras would have had on a fair trial and the activity of law enforcement.

While the matter seems settled for the Trump case, there have been legislative pushes to change New Yorks laws to provide more transparency in the states court system.

MORE LEGISLATIVE NEWS

New Yorks minimum wage would reach $21.25 if some lawmakers have their way

If passed, NY state law would make some MTA buses in NYC free to ride

Past due on your property taxes? A new NYC law may be able to help

NYC Mayor Adams signs 8 new bills targeting pay disparities, disabled access, family homelessness
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  Rep. Nicole Malliotakis is taking a stand against mail theft following an increase in checks stolen from New York City post offices and mailboxes

The Republican congresswoman from Staten Island and Queens Rep. Grace Meng, a Democrat, introduced the USPS Subpoena Authority Act, which seeks to give the U.S. Postal Service the ability to crack down on postal crime.

Mail theft and check fraud not only violate an individuals privacy and security but also threaten the integrity of our financial and postal systems as a whole, said Malliotakis. By giving USPS the tools and resources necessary to quickly gather information and prosecute the criminal organizations responsible, we help to protect the financial well-being of our constituents and send a clear message that this type of criminal behavior will no longer be tolerated.

If passed, the act would allow USPS to seek administrative subpoenas that would help it collect more data related to financial fraud that is commonly associated with mail theft.

The data could include bank records and surveillance videos that would be used to build mail-theft cases against people charged by a prosecutor.

From stolen checks to other financial fraud, I have heard from many constituents who have been victims of despicable mail crimes that have resulted in them losing their hard-earned money, and increasing their chances of identity theft, bad credit ratings, and other negative impacts, said Meng. Congress must ensure that the Postal Service has all the resources it needs to stop thieves from stealing mail, and this legislation to give USPS the power to more effectively go after organized mail theft syndicates would be another crucial tool for the agency to use in addressing the problem. I thank Congresswoman Malliotakis for partnering with me on this effort.

MAIL THEFTS

According to the U.S. Treasury, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network found a 161% increase in mail theft complaints from 2020 to 2021. In 2022, reports related to check fraud reached over 680,000.

Last September, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York apprehended nine individuals in connection to a $1.3 million scheme that stole credit cards from the mail in order to defraud banks, credit card companies, and retailers.

In March, two Staten Islanders were among four people arrested in Connecticut after allegedly being nabbed with a van full of stolen mail and checks, according to a report by Patch.com.

RELATED COVERAGE: Staten Island crime news

>> Man, 29, arrested in fatal shooting of father of reputed Staten Island gang leader

>> NYPD: 2 women charged as raid nets heroin, PCP in Staten Islands Great Kills section

>> Man, 22, accused of groping woman on MTA bus last week on Staten Island, NYPD says
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  The plan to lock the front entrances of schools across the five boroughs and furnish them with video-equipped doorbells will go into effect at elementary schools next month, with the full rollout expected to take several months.

Under the current Department of Education policy, all doors in school buildings are locked and alarmed except for the front door. The front door is monitored by one or more school safety agents.

City Schools Chancellor David Banks made the announcement on Friday during a school safety briefing.

Something that keeps me up at night is when I look around the country and I see the issues that are happening with these mass shootings, said Banks.

Were going to do everything we can to prevent something like that from happening.

According to Banks, a door-locking camera system will be in place in all New York City schools by next spring, and school school safety agents will be trained in the new system.

We intend to lock the front doors once our kids are in school and anybody coming to visit the schools will have to present themselves before entry is made, said Banks. The doors will not be wide open for anyone to simply walk into.

The plans to equip schools with secure, video-enabled front doors will be funded by a $43 million contract, the Advance previously reported.

Upon entrance to a New York City public school, visitors are required to stop at the front desk, show identification and share the reason for the visit. Some schools require visitors to wear a visitor pass sticker until they exit the building.

The move to lock and monitor front entrances of schools is in response to several nationwide school shootings, including the massacre in Sandy Hook, Connecticut, in 2012; Parkland, Florida in 2018; Uvalde, Texas, in 2022; and Nashville, Tennessee earlier this year.

Staten Island has seen a recent string of incidents near public schools.

In February, a Staten Island elementary school in Stapleton was struck by gunfire. Two windows of the school, PS 78 located at 35 Hill St., were hit by bullets at around 12:35 p.m., the NYPD said in a written statement. One of the classrooms was occupied by approximately 10 adults, police said. The other room was unoccupied.

In October 2022, a 14-year-old Tottenville High School freshman was shot in the ankle outside the school building, a law-enforcement source said. According to police, the teen was not the intended target for the violent attack that occurred while he was leaving school grounds. The incident is still under investigation and no arrests have been made, the NYPDs Deputy Commissioner of Public Information said in a statement to the Staten Island Advance/SILive.com regarding the incident.

And in December 2021, police responded to two incidents involving guns in Sea View in the last two days, one right outside Susan E. Wagner High School, which was caught on video, and about a mile away from the school, according to police.
It was the only sober living home for women on Staten Island, and should have been a refuge for those trying to pursue a new path and get serious about recovery from drug misuse.

Instead, the leadership of Amethyst House let down its residents by allowing the organization to devolve amidst a culture of mismanagement and mistrust that put the women who lived there at risk.

For more than a year, our newsroom has investigated and reported on allegations of what went on at the now-shuttered Port Richmond building.

Former staff said, and documents showed, that medicines went missingand that an attempted coverup followed. Opportunities for residents to pursue productive activities dried up. Procedures to handle medications were not properly followed. And, tragically, 27-year-old Melissa Veltidi died in her room at Amethyst House.

Melissa Veltidi, who died at age 27 while seeking recovery at Amethyst House. (Courtesy Anita Newell)

Despite the many hours of investigative reporting work, some questions remain unanswered because of a continued lack of transparency from the state offices responsible for oversight of organizations like Amethyst House  the state Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS), which funds recovery services, and the New York State Justice Center, which oversees investigations into complaints of wrongdoing.

Among the open questions is how a young woman could end up with a lethal combination of prescribed drugs and over-the-counter medicines in her system. Without the Justice Centers full findings, Veltidis family cannot understand the circumstances of their loved ones death, and whether it could have been prevented.

Not only is this information something her family needs and deserves  their grief has been compounded by not knowing  but without transparency there cannot be full accountability, and work cannot be done in New York state to ensure that vulnerable people in recovery arent similarly put at risk in the future.

What we do know is this: the investigation found that allegations of neglect at Amethyst House were substantiated, and the executive director abruptly resigned.

We also know, based on the organizations tax filings, that it was fully government funded during this time  taxpayer dollars. And OASAS lists a more than $7 million multi-year grant for major renovations at Amethyst House, starting in 2017, among its investments in the organization in the last decade.

So how could it be that staff, many who had worked for Amethyst House for years, had to fight to have their voices heard as they began to see erratic behavior there?

How can the state leave all of the policies related to medicine  dispensing, prescribing, storing  to a local organization, which they fund, with no oversight?

How can reporting and accountability measures that could potentially detect mismanagement fail to be in place?

These questions, too, remain unanswered. And the pursuit of rectifying what went wrong at Amethyst House is stymied by the parts of its story that continue to be shrouded in secrecy.

Even so, based on what we do know, we strongly call on those at the state level who can do so  OASAS, elected officials in the state legislature, Governor Hochul  to use the fate of Amethyst House as impetus to explore these questions and pursue safeguards that protect those in recovery at government-funded programs.

One thing the state seems to have now gotten right: Amethyst House is on track to reopen with new leadership, backed by the long-time head of Camelot on Staten Island.

Given this organizations impressive track record of dignified, safe and community-based recovery work, this fills us with optimism for the future of Amethyst House, as it works to get back to the reputation it once had as a safe haven for women.

MORE OF OUR OPINION
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  A topsy-turvy start to spring in New York City is heading for a prolonged stretch of warm weather in the coming weeks, the National Weather Service said.

This week will begin with sunny skies forecasted to persist through Friday alongside temperatures increasing by the day, raising from a daily high of 64 degrees on Monday to highs in the low 80s by Thursday and Friday.

The warmest days of the year, so far, are expected to remain dry, according to the National Weather Service, with no precipitation in the forecast until late next weekend.

The longer-term forecast shows more of the same for the five boroughs.

A six-to-10 day forecast, issued on April 9 by the National Weather Service, shows next weekend through the middle of next week is highly likely to feature above-average temperatures in a wide swath of the East Coast.

Temperatures in New York City between April 15 and April 19  the span of the agencys latest temperature outlook  typically average in the low-50s. The warmer-than-usual conditions may make for ideal weather in mid-April.

Precipitation is also expected to be near-normal for much of next week, according to the National Weather Service, making it unlikely rain will spoil the peak springtime weather.
Australias largest media companies are warning the federal government its proposed privacy law reforms would allow affluent people, politicians and celebrities to avoid scrutiny and could inundate the court system.

The Australias Right to Know coalition, a group of major Australian publishers, fiercely opposes proposed changes to the Privacy Act and claims it would have a devastating impact on journalists ability to do their jobs. In a submission to Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus review of the act, the group argues the governments approach to reform is not evidence-based and misunderstands the role of news reporting.

Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus (second from right) with media leaders (from left) James Chessell (Nine), Lenore Taylor (Guardian), Peter Greste (Alliance for Journalists Freedom) and Erik Jensen (Schwartz Media) in February. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

Increased regulation will lead to a suppressed media, which violates the implied freedom of political communication, says the submission from the group, which includes Nine, which is the owner of this masthead. The group also includes the ABC, Guardian Australia, The West Australian and News Corp Australia, owner of The Daily Telegraph, Herald Sun and The Australian.

The Attorney-Generals Department released in February its review of the Privacy Act, a report that proposes a way for people to sue for serious invasions of their privacy. The department has sought submissions in response to its set of proposals from the sector.
Several large, urban counties across the United States gained residents or stemmed population declines in the year ending last July after losing residents in the previous 12-month period amid the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's population estimates released Thursday.

Population change is driven by migration, both within the U.S. as people move around inside the country, and from international trends as people arrive from abroad. It also depends on whether births outpace deaths, or vice versa.

Here's a look at what drove population change in the 10 largest U.S. counties from July 1, 2021 to July 1, 2022.

Migration: Manhattan population grows as other major New York counties see a decline

Home prices: Which states did home prices go up (or down) in? Three Midwestern states make the top 5

Rent: Rents going down, new study shows. Where apartments are (and aren't) getting cheaper

A visitor takes in a view of the city's skyline under the snow-covered San Gabriel mountains after a series of storms Thursday, March 2, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Los Angeles County, California

The most populous county in the nation lost more than 90,000 residents last year and now has a population of 9.7 million people. Los Angeles County gained almost 34,000 residents from abroad and another 18,000 people from births outpacing deaths. But it wasn't enough to offset the almost 143,000 residents who left for another county. The loss from Angelenos moving elsewhere was 20% smaller than a year earlier.

Cook County, Illinois

Home to Chicago, the nation's second-largest county lost more than 68,000 residents last year. Residents of the Windy City and neighboring communities moved away to the tune of 94,000 residents. Unlike other major urban counties, Cook County's population loss from people moving away wasn't much smaller than the previous year. It was the fifth-most popular destination for people arriving from other countries. The county had 5.1 million residents last July.



Harris County, Texas

The county of 4.7 million residents which encompasses Houston had the nation's second-largest population gain at 45,000 new residents, although 20,000 residents left for elsewhere. The gain was powered by one of the nation's highest levels of migration from abroad and natural increases.

Story continues



Maricopa County, Arizona

The biggest domestic migration boom was in the county that's home to Phoenix. Coupled with strong international migration and natural increase, Maricopa County grew by almost 57,000 new residents and now has a population of 4.5 million people.



San Diego County, California

Even though San Diego County gained only 1,254 new residents, it was a reversal from the 11,000-person decline a year earlier. The drop in the number of residents leaving, combined with robust international migration as well as births outpacing deaths, brought the county to around 3.2 million residents.



Orange County, California

The coastal county south of Los Angeles that's home to Anaheim and Disneyland lost almost 10,000 residents, but it was a smaller decline than the previous 12-month period due to a jump in international migration. It had a population of 3.1 million residents.



Miami Dade County, Florida

The county gained only 3,416 new residents last year, but it was an about-face from the nearly 30,000-person drop a year earlier. Miami-Dade continued to hemorrhage residents but that loss was overcome by the nation's biggest influx of international migration. It had almost 2.7 million residents.



Dallas County, Texas

The county of 2.6 million people gained almost 13,000 new residents after losing almost twice that amount in the previous period. Robust international migration and births outpacing deaths helped it overcome the departure of 20,000 residents.



Kings County, New York

The county which encompasses Brooklyn lost almost 47,000 people but the decline was almost half the size of the previous period. The county of 2.5 million residents had robust natural increase and a respectable amount of international migration, but more than 77,000 residents left.



Riverside County, California

The Southern California county that's part of the Inland Empire gained more than 20,000 residents last year and now has 2.4 million people. Most of the growth came from domestic migration.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Los Angeles County lost the most people last year. How did others do?
Sydneysiders are expected to wake on Easter Monday to their coldest morning since November, as fresh winds and hazardous surf conditions persist along the coast, with two drownings reported on Sunday.

A man in his 70s died at Fingal Beach near Port Stephens on Sunday morning, while a young woman was rescued but uninjured. Ambulance officers performed CPR just after 10am when the man was pulled unresponsive from the water, but he could not be revived.

Another man believed to be aged in his 60s died in the Lake Illawarra region, south of Wollongong, on Sunday afternoon.

Emergency services were called to Killalea Beach at Shell Cove about 2.55pm. Paramedics administered CPR but he could not be revived.
A firefighter has been taken to hospital for smoke inhalation after helping two elderly residents neighbouring a major blaze on the top floor of an Oxford Street apartment block in Sydneys CBD, which has been extinguished.

A Fire and Rescue NSW spokesman (FRNSW) said they were called to Park Apartments in Darlinghurst at 5.07pm on Sunday in response to an automatic fire alarm, and a ladder truck was among those at the scene. Multiple witnesses also called triple zero to report the fire.

Smoke billows from Park Apartments on Oxford Street. Credit: Ben Grubb

FRNSW said 60 to 70 firefighters from 16 trucks had raced to the high-rise building and quickly gained access to the burning unit and contained the fire on level 15.

About 200 residents were evacuated.
Dont want you getting mad, an accused major drug supplier allegedly told one of Australias high-ranking bikies - codenamed Ice Cube - from his hospital bed in Greece.

This is my f---up.

Police allege Emmannuel Vamvoukakis is a high ranking Comanchero who tried to import a brick of cocaine from Greece. Credit: Facebook

But prosecutors allege Ice Cube - Emmanuel Vamvoukakis - assured his contact they would not give up on their flailing plan to import a brick of cocaine into Sydney - unaware police were watching the whole time.

Court documents, obtained by the Herald, provide an insight into one of NSWs most significant AN0M cases just days after a South Australian court green-lit prosecutions falling from the global sting.
Some were shocked in January when the president of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia, Trent Twomey, reportedly called GPs twits in a speech to students in Canberra and the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners responded with a statement calling his language astonishing and his lobby group out of control.

Trent Twomey, president of The National Council of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia. Credit: James Brickwood

In the historical context, though, this little bout of sparring  over giving pharmacists the power to prescribe some medications  was not that unusual.

Doctors and pharmacists have been at each others throats since they were separated into different professions in the Middle Ages: one typically prescribing, the other concocting and selling, a state of affairs that has led to friction and occasional outright conflict, such as we have recently witnessed, ever since.

In his 1992 scholarly article for the journal Pharmacy in History, David Cowen pegs the first recorded spat to 1271, when the medical faculty of Paris complained that apothecaries, as they were then called, were encroaching on its turf, and the apothecaries in turn accused the doctors of selling medicine. Relations were only to deteriorate from there.
They say those who ignore history are condemned to repeat it. When it comes to social and affordable housing, it seems the Albanese government  with its Housing Australia Future Fund  is content to disregard the lessons of the past.

Traditionally, public housing has been provided by the states and built with federal taxes. When poverty increases  after wars and crises  most countries increase public housing, but not in Australia, where those opportunities have been missed, or misused, time and again.

Housing Minister Julie Collins is responsible for the governments proposed $10 billion housing fund. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

These failures reveal three salient issues for the current debate about federal Labors housing policy: we premiate home ownership, we rarely build enough public housing, and when we do, we are all too prone to sell it off.

The first publicly owned rental housing was created by the Sydney Harbour Trust when it acquired houses in The Rocks and Millers Point for waterside workers after the 1900 bubonic plague.
From beneath the grand spires of St Patricks Cathedral to a humble church in Melton, thousands of Victorians braved the cold to gather across the state on Easter Sunday for religious services to mark the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne, Peter Comensoli, led churchgoers at St Patricks for the 11am Mass.

Archbishop Peter Comensoli blesses the congregation during the Mass at St Patricks Cathedral. Credit: Chris Hopkins

Comensoli acknowledged during his address that many people today dont believe in Jesus resurrection, but emphasised his belief in the truth and hope of Easter Sunday.

This is the gift of the resurrection of Jesus  that we have not been left alone to face the hostility of the world in which we live, he said.
For Warren Sharp, watching grass grow is anything but boring. Indeed, he says it is one of the most satisfying parts of his job.

Sharp is overseeing the rehabilitation of Alcoas old coal mine in Anglesea on the Great Ocean Road. The company hopes the revegetation process will result in the deep pit and scarred landscape eventually blending seamlessly with the rest of the Great Otway National Park, one of Victorias biggest tourist destinations.

The former mine pit in Anglesea. Credit: Eddie Jim

Sharp says he was excited to see the native wallaby grass planted on a vast section of mine wall in 2020 has now grown to about 20 centimetres high.

I used to be out taking pictures almost every day whenever we saw a change, he says. When youre invested like I am, its not boring.
A tropical cyclone is forming off the West Australian coast and could severely hit coastal areas of the east Pilbara or west Kimberley.

The tropical low is likely to develop into a tropical cyclone on Sunday afternoon as it tracks west-south-west.

The system is expected to intensify further over the next few days as it moves parallel to the Kimberley Coast.

The Bureau of Meteorology on Sunday said the weather event could reach landfall on Thursday or Friday.
The government must go beyond its investment in cheaper childcare or risk hundreds of thousands of women not fully participating in the workforce, experts warn.

Labor campaigned heavily before last years election on improving access to childcare and boosting womens workforce participation. Its $4.5 billion, four-year promise to increase subsidies for most families starts on July 1.

Experts say women are still held back from working more hours by financial disincentives. Credit: Shutterstock

But Australia still ranks behind countries such as the United States and the UK on the rates of women in full-time work  and experts say a financial motherhood penalty stops more from full participation.

Several submissions to the federal governments employment white paper called for more action on workplace gender equity, including by lifting welfare payments, improving pay in female-dominated industries, and going further on access to affordable early childhood education and care.
Working from home rights are shaping up as a battleground for the Albanese government as its 150,000-strong workforce pushes for a pay deal that could set the bar for Australian office culture.

The Community and Public Sector Union is demanding the Commonwealth public service  one of the largest workforces in the country  be given the unlimited flexibility to work from home, saying the pandemic has changed the landscape on workplace rights.

The union representing Commonwealth public servants is calling for unlimited working from home rights. Credit: iStock

The Australian Council of Trade Unions also wants bosses to pay both casual and permanent staff who are sick with COVID-19 to stay away, and give office workers the flexibility to continue working from home as employers try to lure people back into the office.

The CPSUs list of claims includes an ambitious bid for a 20 per cent pay rise over three years, including 9 per cent in the first year, as well as a months leave for public servants to undergo gender affirmation, in which they can take time to transition from one gender to the next.
Key Insights

Using the 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity, SYNLAB fair value estimate is 11.17

SYNLAB's 9.47 share price indicates it is trading at similar levels as its fair value estimate

Our fair value estimate is 4.1% lower than SYNLAB's analyst price target of 11.66

How far off is SYNLAB AG (FRA:SYAB) from its intrinsic value? Using the most recent financial data, we'll take a look at whether the stock is fairly priced by taking the forecast future cash flows of the company and discounting them back to today's value. We will take advantage of the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model for this purpose. Believe it or not, it's not too difficult to follow, as you'll see from our example!

We generally believe that a company's value is the present value of all of the cash it will generate in the future. However, a DCF is just one valuation metric among many, and it is not without flaws. If you still have some burning questions about this type of valuation, take a look at the Simply Wall St analysis model.

Check out our latest analysis for SYNLAB

What's The Estimated Valuation?

We use what is known as a 2-stage model, which simply means we have two different periods of growth rates for the company's cash flows. Generally the first stage is higher growth, and the second stage is a lower growth phase. To start off with, we need to estimate the next ten years of cash flows. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years.

A DCF is all about the idea that a dollar in the future is less valuable than a dollar today, and so the sum of these future cash flows is then discounted to today's value:

Story continues

10-year free cash flow (FCF) estimate

2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 Levered FCF (, Millions) 70.5m 244.5m 205.5m 182.6m 168.5m 159.4m 153.5m 149.6m 147.0m 145.3m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x1 Analyst x3 Analyst x2 Est @ -11.13% Est @ -7.74% Est @ -5.37% Est @ -3.71% Est @ -2.55% Est @ -1.74% Est @ -1.17% Present Value (, Millions) Discounted @ 6.3% 66.3 216 171 143 124 110 99.8 91.4 84.5 78.5

("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St)

Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = 1.2b

After calculating the present value of future cash flows in the initial 10-year period, we need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all future cash flows beyond the first stage. The Gordon Growth formula is used to calculate Terminal Value at a future annual growth rate equal to the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield of 0.2%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 6.3%.

Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2032  (1 + g)  (r  g) = 145m (1 + 0.2%)  (6.3% 0.2%) = 2.4b

Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= 2.4b ( 1 + 6.3%)10= 1.3b

The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is 2.5b. The last step is to then divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Compared to the current share price of 9.5, the company appears about fair value at a 15% discount to where the stock price trades currently. The assumptions in any calculation have a big impact on the valuation, so it is better to view this as a rough estimate, not precise down to the last cent.

dcf

The Assumptions

Now the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate, and of course, the actual cash flows. Part of investing is coming up with your own evaluation of a company's future performance, so try the calculation yourself and check your own assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at SYNLAB 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 6.3%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.042. 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 SYNLAB

Strength

Debt is not viewed as a risk.

Dividends are covered by earnings and cash flows.

Weakness

Earnings declined over the past year.

Dividend is low compared to the top 25% of dividend payers in the Healthcare market.

Opportunity

Annual earnings are forecast to grow for the next 3 years.

Good value based on P/E ratio and estimated fair value.

Threat

Annual earnings are forecast to grow slower than the German market.

Looking Ahead:

Whilst important, the DCF calculation ideally won't be the sole piece of analysis you scrutinize 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. If a company grows at a different rate, or if its cost of equity or risk free rate changes sharply, the output can look very different. For SYNLAB, we've put together three important factors you should assess:

Risks: For example, we've discovered 4 warning signs for SYNLAB (1 doesn't sit too well with us!) that you should be aware of before investing here. Future Earnings: How does SYAB'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 German 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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Taipei: Chinas military simulated precision strikes against Taiwan in a second day of drills around the island on Sunday, with the islands defence ministry reporting multiple air force sorties and that it was monitoring Chinas missile forces.

China, which claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, began three days of military exercises around the island on Saturday, the day after Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen returned from a brief visit to the United States.

In an image taken from footage run by Chinese television, a Chinese fighter jet performs a mid-air refuelling manoeuvre at an unspecified location. Credit: CCTV via AP

Chinese state television reported that the combat readiness patrols and drills around Taiwan were continuing.

Under the unified command of the theatre joint operations command centre, multiple types of units carried out simulated joint precision strikes on key targets on Taiwan island and the surrounding sea areas, and continue to maintain an offensive posture around the island, it said.
London: A fragile peace in Northern Ireland is expected to be pushed to near breaking point over the coming days before US President Joe Biden visits to mark the 25th anniversary of a deal that brought to an end three decades of conflict known as the Troubles.

In a public briefing, the Police Service of Northern Ireland said on Friday it had very strong intelligence that officers would be targeted in Londonderry  also known as Derry  on Easter Monday following recent signs of particularly heightened tensions.

A loyalist mural on a wall in west Belfast, Northern Ireland. Credit: AP

Easter is always a busy period for police in Northern Ireland, with parades held by republicans to mark the Easter Rising rebellion against British rule in 1916.

Biden, a proud Irish-American Catholic, will be met by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak when he arrives in Belfast on Tuesday to celebrate the Good Friday Agreement, which was signed on April 10, 1998 and established a power-sharing government involving the regions unionist and nationalist communities.
Harrisonville, Missouri: A 78-year-old woman with two past bank robbery convictions faces new charges after authorities allege she handed a teller a note that said I didnt mean to scare you during a recent Missouri heist.

Bonnie Gooch has been jailed after she was charged with one count of stealing or attempting to steal from a financial institution. Credit: Facebook

Bonnie Gooch is jailed on a $US25,000 bond after she was charged with one count of stealing or attempting to steal from a financial institution in the hold-up on Wednesday in Pleasant Hill, The Kansas City Star reports. No lawyer is listed for her in online court records.

She also was convicted of robbing a California bank in 1977 and one in the Kansas City suburb of Lees Summit in 2020.

Her probation in the second heist ended in November 2021.
Walter Wang, CEO of Los Angeles-based pipe manufacturer JM Eagle, has lived in the U.S. since he was 9 years old. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)

For the record:

9:08 a.m. April 17, 2023: An earlier version of this story stated that the Daily Caller email sent to Walter Wang arrived two hours before the articles publication on March 13. The email was sent on March 11. This story has also been updated to clarify that the Daily Caller articles were produced by the nonprofit Daily Caller News Foundation and published on the for-profit Daily Caller website.





Walter Wang was headed down Interstate 5 to a family get-together on March 13 when his phone dinged. A WhatsApp message flashed across the screen from an old friend in Taiwan posing a puzzling rhetorical question: Weren't he and his wife, Shirley, American citizens?

Can you read this?" he said, handing the phone to Shirley. She clicked the link included in the message. After a couple of minutes, she looked up at her husband. This is wrong.

The friend in Taiwan had spotted a story published that day by the nonprofit Daily Caller News Foundation and picked up by the far-right-wing site the Daily Caller, both co-founded by Fox News showman Tucker Carlson. It focused primarily on former Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti but featured Wang as a supporting character. In a hit piece devoid of damning facts, heavy on innuendo and liberally sprinkled with the words "alleged" and "allegedly," the article painted Garcetti and Wang as dangerous stooges of the Chinese Communist Party.

Wang, a Taiwanese immigrant, is chief executive of Los Angeles-based pipe manufacturer JM Eagle and a longtime American citizen. He moved to the U.S. with his mother when he was 9 years old. This is ridiculous, he thought  but also alarming.

His friends and close business associates know better than to believe the story, he said, but the people who are not close to me and dont know me well are going to think of me now in a negative light. It could really hurt my reputation.

The Garcetti piece also lit into Dominic Ng, chief executive of Pasadena-based East West Bank. And previous Caller stories have taken aim at the president of Queens College, City University of New York, and Asian Americans involved with the mainstream news outlet the China Project.

Story continues

As tensions rise between the governments of the United States and China, the Daily Caller has leaned into narratives with a similar theme: Chinese and Taiwanese Americans with any connections to China are probably up to some very un-American activities. Though the attacks so far have focused on politicians and high-profile business leaders, Wang and others fear the repercussions could trickle down to Asian Americans in general.

Hate crimes against Asians and Asian Americans in the U.S. rose dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic, but even as the pandemic abates, Asians continue to face race-based hate that takes the form of everything from verbal slurs and face-punching to mass murder.

"We are increasingly concerned that the anti-China fear mongering and rhetoric are inflaming tensions," said Cynthia Choi , co-founder of Stop AAPI Hate in Los Angeles. "It's leading to anti-Asian scapegoating. We see an increase in everyday Americans being perceived as a threat, purposely, for political gain."

The accusations

The Daily Caller story appeared March 13, two days before the U.S. Senate was to vote on President Bidens nomination of Garcetti as ambassador to India. The piece was headlined Huge Red Flag: Inside Biden Nominee Eric Garcettis Ties to Members of Alleged Chinese Intel Front Groups.

(The Senate voted to confirm Garcetti. In a follow-up story, the Daily Caller then attacked The Seven GOP Senators Who Voted to Confirm Biden Nominee With Ties to Alleged Chinese Communist Intel Groups.")

The story noted that Wang, a local entrepreneur and philanthropist, donated a lot of money to the Mayor's Fund of Los Angeles  $200,000 in 2014 and $1 million in 2020.

The Mayors Fund is a charitable organization that donates to community groups. The fund has been criticized for blurring the line between charity and politics, but no one has accused it of channeling money to political campaigns. Wang said the $1-million donation was spent helping poor families that lost jobs during the pandemic.

The fund was created by Garcetti in 2014 but continues under new Mayor Karen Bass, who replaced Garcetti on the funds board of directors.

The story also noted that Ng, of East West Bank, donated money to the Mayors Fund, and similarly insinuated a connection between Ng and the Chinese Communist Party.

Ng became an American citizen in 1988. His family had left Shanghai in 1949 to seek more freedom in Hong Kong, where he was born, Ng said. East West Bank was recently ranked in first place for U.S. bank performance by S&P Global Market Intelligence. Ng was appointed by Biden last year to represent the U.S. as chair of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Business Advisory Council. Ng was hosting an APEC meeting and reception in New Zealand on Feb. 13 with the country's newly elected prime minister when an aide told him about a Caller article attempting to tie him to Chinese communists, a piece that preceded the Garcetti story that went after him and Wang.

Both Wang and Ng acknowledge they have been photographed in group shots that may have included members of the Chinese Communist Party. Most business leaders in China are members of the party. Any American in a high-level position doing business or diplomacy connected with China  Asian, Black, white or any other race  inevitably will come into contact with Communist Party members.

If every Chinese American in a photo with any Chinese official is suspect, youre talking about every successful Chinese person, said Frank Wu. Born and raised in Detroit, Wu is president of Queens College, City University of New York. This isnt just about Walter and Shirley, this isnt just about me, this is about whether or not you have an Asian face, Wu said.

Wu himself became a target of accusations by the Daily Caller last December. That story went after an English-language news site called the China Project, claiming that the operation is sponsored by or has partnered with 20 organizations that may be headed by members of the Communist Party or may be members of alleged Chinese influence operations. No solid facts underpin the innuendo.

The article named Wu and other ethnic Asians who sit on the China Projects advisory board. They appear to belong, the Caller said, to a group called the Committee of 100.

Wu says he is in fact a proud member of the committee, which was founded in 1990 by noted architect I.M. Pei and famed cellist Yo-Yo Ma and comprises prominent Chinese Americans who work together to address political, cultural and economic issues between the U.S. and China.

Wu says he finds it ironic that he and Wang are being accused of bedding down with the Communist Party, given that both their families are from Taiwan. If you know anything about this stuff, you know China had a civil war and [my family] was on the anti-Communist side. Thats why we ended up in Taiwan, Wu said.

All three men said if the Caller articles were isolated attacks theyd be relatively easy to shrug off. But they see the articles as part of a poisonous campaign to smear political opponents, an approach that pairs McCarthy-era Red Scare tactics with anti-Asian racism.

Relations between the U.S. and China are growing increasingly tense, whether the subject is TikTok or Taiwan or any number of issues that have arisen under the authoritarian regime of Chinas leader, Xi Jinping. Wu, Ng and Wang say its dangerous to drag loyal American citizens into concerns about Chinas government, whether the fear is justified or not.

American history is stained by waves of anti-Asian racism. They include the incarceration of at least 125,000 American citizens of Japanese ethnicity during World War II and the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, when Chinese workers instrumental in the construction of the nations railroads were denied citizenship and legal rights after they began competing with white people for jobs.

At the same time, all three say they enjoy powerful positions that protect them to some extent from the worst forms of racism.

The good thing for me is that Im getting so much community support, Ng said. Ive lived in L.A. for 30 years. But what if I was a brand-new PhD professor working quietly at UCLA or USC and suddenly get accused of something like this? This kind of thing may cause people to say maybe every Chinese American should be suspect. It can create a shadow that can affect a persons ability to move up in their career. That, to me, is not American.

'We have to fight this'

The Times asked the Daily Caller for comment. Neil Patel, publisher of the Daily Caller News Foundation, responded by email. (Patel co-founded the organization with Carlson in 2010. Carlson sold his stake to Patel in 2020.)

Patel said, We asked Mr. Wang to comment or tell us if we were wrong before the piece ran and never heard back from him, even after publication. We have received no communications from anyone alleging any error in our reporting, and as such, we stand by our story.

Accuracy is always our goal," he added.

Patel said reporters tried to reach Wang by phone and showed The Times an email sent to him March 11 via a general contact address for JM Eagle. The spokesman said the employee who monitored that inbox, who is no longer with the company, did not alert Wang, who was unaware of it until Friday. Ng's office acknowledged it received calls and messages from the Caller but did not answer. "We do not respond to outlandish claims, rumors or speculations," a spokesperson for East West Bank told The Times.

In a separate email, Patel said, As the article lays out clearly, China has organized influence operations present in the US. Mr. Wang is listed as an 'executive director' on the websites of two alleged fronts for the United Front Work Department. Wang said thats false, that he's never been a member of the organizations in question.

Someone with Wang's name does appear on a 2019 roster purportedly created by the China Overseas Exchange Assn., identifying him with a company called Formosa Plastics. That company was started by Wang's father, and Wang said he has not been employed by the company since 1990. He said he has no idea why he was put on the list, if indeed it's meant to be him.

The deeper question, he asked, is what is anybody supposed to make of that? What does that have to do with a donation intended to help COVID victims that he made to a charitable organization started by Eric Garcetti?

Asian Americans in general have been known to keep a low profile in politics, the Wangs and Ng said, but they say it's time to speak up.

We cant just be talking among ourselves in the Asian community, the outreach has to be broader. Im worrying about being the silent majority, Ng said.

We have to fight this, said Wang, who is contemplating a lawsuit. If we dont fight it, who will?

We need to band together to do something, said Shirley Wang, who is afraid anti-Asian hate will continue to spread.

Events beyond the Daily Caller story justify those fears. Right-wing campaigns against Asian American politicians are becoming more common, including one targeting Southern California Congresswoman Judy Chu, the first Chinese American to serve in the House of Representatives. A Texas Republican questioned her loyalty to the U.S., with no facts that back up his claims.

Last September in Orange County, U.S. Rep. Michelle Steel, an incumbent Republican, sent out Photoshopped fliers depicting Democratic opponent Jay Chen in front of a classroom of children, holding a copy of The Communist Manifesto and surrounded by fabricated wall-hung images of Mao Zedong, Vladimir Lenin and Ho Chi Minh. Whether that cost Chen votes or not, Steel was reelected.

In February, U.S. Rep. Lance Gooden, a Texas Republican, went after Ng, asking the FBI to investigate him for ties to the Chinese Communist Party  citing stories in the Daily Caller.

The anti-Chinese rhetoric is not limited to right-wing Republicans. In Ohio last year, U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan campaigned for a Senate seat but drew harsh criticism from fellow Democrats for running TV commercials that blamed China for woes facing U.S. workers. He lost to Republican J.D. Vance.

And then theres Donald Trump, who attacked his former transportation secretary, Elaine Chao, who happens to be Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnells wife. On Jan. 23, he sent this out on his social media platform, Truth Social:

Does Coco Chow have anything to do with Joe Bidens Classified Documents being sent and stored in Chinatown? Her husband, the Old Broken Crow, is VERY close to Biden, the Democrats, and, of course, China. He gives them whatever they want.

I'm sure most Americans dont feel this way, Ng said. But today this is politics, and its causing us to move in the wrong direction. We cannot continue to live like this.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
OpenAIs popular chatbot ChatGPT is facing bans in several European countries (AP)

Germany is considering a ban of ChatGPT due to privacy concerns, according to local reports.

The countrys data protection chief Ulrich Kelber told the Handelsblatt newspaper that German regulators were communicating with their Italian counterparts after Italy banned the AI chatbot last week.

In principle, such action is also possible in Germany, Mr Kelber said.

Italy blocked ChatGPT after its data protection authorities concluded that the system does not have a proper legal basis to collect personal information about the people using it.

ChatGPT creator OpenAI collects some data in order to help train the artificial intelligence algorithm that generates answers.

Italian authorities also accused OpenAI of not performing age verification checks for its ChatGPT users, with young users potentially exposed to unsuitable answers.

The Italian Data Protection Authority GPDP said OpenAI had 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.

Other European data regulators are also reportedly in conversation with Italys data protection agency, including watchdogs in France and Ireland.

We are following up with the Italian regulator to understand the basis for their action, a spokesperson for Irelands Data Protection Commissioner (DPC) told Reuters.

We will coordinate with all EU data protection authorities in relation to this matter.

Italy was the first Western country to ban ChatGPT, however the app is also unavailable in countries where many US apps are blocked, such as China, Iran, North Korea and Russia.

European consumer organisation BEUC has called for an investigation from the European Union into the risks of ChatGPT and similar chatbots for European consumers.

OpenAI did not respond to The Independents request for comment on the ban.

The company blocked ChatGPT in Italy following the countrys ban and is no longer processing the data of Italian users.
Connecticut's appointed council regulating equitable growth in the state's new cannabis industry has dealt a setback to an up-and-coming cannabis company with an outlet in Stamford.

Fine Fettle, which operates four stores in Connecticut and two in Massachusetts, was stripped of five previous approvals for equity joint ventures by the state's Social Equity Council at the group's March 7 meeting. Equity joint ventures are cannabis businesses that are co-owned by established companies and individuals from areas disproportionately impacted by the criminalization of marijuana during the war on drugs.

The states equity programs are intended to benefit people who live in these communities, which are determined by unemployment and drug conviction rates, with half of all new licenses for new cannabis businesses reserved for them. Recipients pay reduced license fees for three cycles after being established.

State officials awarded Fine Fettle six of the 14-month provisional approvals last September. In February, the company opened the state's first equity joint venture  a recreational dispensary in Manchester. But it was the other five, which were not yet in use, where officials said they found fault. While there were preliminary plans to space the five new dispensaries across their existing locations, specific sites had not yet been finalized.

Besides Manchester, Fine Fettle also operates hybrid dispensaries in Stamford, Newington and Willimantic. The three businesses are not equity joint ventures and were not immediately affected by the council's decision.

Kristina Diamond, spokesperson for the Social Equity Council, said Fine Fettle failed to comply with an amendment to the state's cannabis law that prohibits equity partners from owning more than one equity joint venture. Legislators approved the change in May 2022.

Fine Fettle had submitted its six applications for equity joint ventures before the law was changed, company executive Benjamin Zachs told Hearst Connecticut Media. Before the amendment, the original law  which took effect in July 2021  did not place limits on individuals owning multiple equity joint ventures.

All of Fine Fettle's equity applications had the same three owners  people who Zachs said that company founders had known for "a minimum of 25 years." The goal was to divvy up ownership stakes across multiple businesses in order to ensure success would be equal for all three partners.

"What this is doing is ... we need to find three new social equity partners and our social equity partners can now only own a piece of one license versus owning a piece of six," Zachs said. "Our view has always been: 'Hey, owning less of more is better than owning more of less.' Because we've opened one. Who knows if and when and how successful the additional ones are going to be?"

Tyler Sizemore/Hearst Connecticut Media

Diamond declined to comment Wednesday on how Fine Fettle's applications were approved after the law was changed to disallow ownership by equity partners across multiple ventures. The Social Equity Council's September and March meeting materials are not available on the state's website.

The company has appealed the decision and is in the process of revising their applications.

"In regards to Fine Fettle, considering that the revised applications are still under review, our office will not make any further comments until the review is complete and the council issues a final decision," Diamond said in an email.

Zachs said that he is proud of the work Connecticut has done to support equitable growth in the new cannabis industry. But he said it's been a frustrating process, particularly for the company's three partners, who he said declined to talk Wednesday.

"It definitely impacts ownership for our partners, which is really a bummer because the law of these (equity joint ventures) is supposed to help," Zachs said.

Includes prior reporting by Julia Bergman.

Editor's note: This story has been updated to clarify the Social Equity Council rescinded five equity joint venture approvals for Fine Fettle.
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Federal prosecutors are recommending a Connecticut man receive the longest sentence so far associated with the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, according to a court memo filed Friday.

Assistant U.S. States Attorney Kimberly Paschall wrote in the memo that prosecutors are seeking a prison sentence of 188 months, or 15 years and 8 months, for Ridgefield resident Patrick McCaughey III. The sentence recommendation is the maximum possible under the applicable guidelines, Paschall wrote in the memo.

The sentence, if imposed, would be the longest associated with the Jan. 6 riots, surpassing the 10 years handed down to Thomas Webster, a former New York Police Department officer who brutally assaulted an officer on the front lines of the riot.

Paschall argued in the memo that a significant sentence like the one requested is necessary to deter others from acts of domestic terrorism, which she said the breach of the Capitol certainly was.

The violence at the Capitol on Jan. 6 was cultivated to interfere, and did interfere, with one of the most important democratic processes we have: the transfer of power. And it is important to convey to future rioters and would-be mob participants  especially those who intend to improperly influence the democratic process  that their actions will have consequences, Paschall wrote in the memo. There is possibly no greater factor that this court must consider.

Paschall also asked that the court impose $2,000 in restitution and three years of supervised release on McCaughey.

Attorney Dennis Boyle, who represents McCaughey, is seeking a one-year prison sentence for his client. He wrote in a 25-page memo that McCaughey knows he was wrong for participating in what Boyle called one of the saddest episodes in American history.

Mr. McCaughey is a good man who has learned from his mistake. He has no prior criminal history and is extremely unlikely to recidivate in this manner again, Boyle wrote in his memo.

McCaughey is scheduled to be sentenced Friday following his conviction on nine charges, including three counts of assaulting police and obstruction of an official proceeding, at a bench trial in September 2022.

Federal prosecutors alleged that during the riot, McCaughey joined a mob attempting to break into the Capitol building through an entrance on the lower west terrace. During the scuffle, Metropolitan Police Officer Daniel Hodges became pinned in a door frame by a clear police riot shield that McCaughey was wieding, according to the government's court filings.

A video from the riot posted to YouTube shows Hodges screaming in pain as his gas mask was ripped off, exposing his bloodied mouth.

Hodges testified before the U.S. House Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack that he feared being dragged out and "lynched" by the mob.

"My arms were pinned and effectively useless, trapped between either the shield on my left or the door frame on my right with my posture granting me no function strength or freedom of movement, I was effectively defenseless and gradually sustaining injury from the increasing pressure of the mob," Hodges told the Jan. 6 committee.

While pinned, another rioter grabbed his gas mask "and used it to beat my head against the door," Hodges said. He was crushed further as the crowd began a "heave-ho" motion against the line of law enforcement officers trying to hold the entrance to the Capitol, according to Hodges and government court filings. A rioter also stole his baton and used it to beat Hodges, the video shows.

Hodges testified during McCaugheys trial and the judge watched the YouTube video focusing on the officers injuries.

Attorney Lindy Urso, who also represented McCaughey, has previously called his clients actions on Jan. 6 an idiotic decision. He also previously indicated McCaughey would likely file an appeal to Fridays decision.
W izz Air was the worst major airline for flight delays from UK airports for the second year in a row, an investigation has found.

The Hungarian carriers UK departures were an average of 46 minutes and six seconds behind schedule in 2022, according to analysis of Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) data by the PA news agency.

That was more than three times longer than the previous year, when it was also ranked last for punctuality.

Consumer group Which? described the figures as worrying and claimed they demonstrate the need for the CAA to be given tougher powers.

Wizz Air operates short-haul flights from eight UK airports including Birmingham, Edinburgh, Gatwick and Luton.

Tui recorded the second worst punctuality last year, with an average delay of 40 minutes and 18 seconds.

This was followed by Qatar Airways (31 minutes and 48 seconds), Turkish Airlines (29 minutes and 30 seconds) and Pegasus Airlines (27 minutes and 18 seconds).

Norwegian Air Shuttle recorded the best performance with an average delay of just 13 minutes and 42 seconds.

The analysis took into account all scheduled and chartered departures from UK airports by airlines with more than 2,500 flights. Cancelled flights were not included.

The average delay for all these flights was 23 minutes.

May and June were the worst months for punctuality as the aviation sector failed to recruit and train enough staff to cope with a surge in demand for holidays following the ending of the UKs coronavirus travel rules.

Rory Boland, editor of magazine Which? Travel, said: These figures are worrying, but will be no surprise to passengers whove had to endure shoddy treatment from airlines for years.

With a regulator still lacking the appropriate powers to punish airlines who break the law, including withholding refunds, it is difficult to escape the conclusion that some carriers are simply getting away with leaving passengers high and dry.

To better protect passengers, the Government must give the CAA effective powers to clamp down on poor airline behaviour, which includes the ability to hand out hefty fines when they continually flout the law.

The CAA has civil powers to take enforcement action against airlines, but court cases typically take several years to be concluded.

Government proposals to give the regulator more powers were consulted on in early 2022, but no changes have been made.

CAA consumer director Paul Smith claimed too many passengers faced disappointing levels of delays last year.

He went on: The CAA has regularly asked for stronger consumer enforcement powers, including the ability to impose fines on airlines.

When things do go wrong, we expect airlines to proactively provide passengers with information about their rights when flights are disrupted, as well as offer timely support and assistance.

Weve already raised concerns about Wizz Air and are working closely with the airline to improve outcomes for consumers.

In December 2022, the CAA said it had significant concerns about the Hungarian carrier as it was delaying paying refunds and its passengers were far more likely to make escalated complaints than those of other airlines.

Paul Charles, chief executive of travel consultancy The PC Agency, said strong booking levels for flights suggest consumers are confident that issues have mostly been sorted.

But he warned that strikes are causing disruption and I expect those to worsen in the coming months.

He added: This may end up an equally difficult and unpredictable year for those expecting smooth journeys on every trip.

Strikes affecting the aviation sector in recent months include walkouts by security staff at Heathrow, border officials at several airports and Passport Office workers.

A spokesman for trade body Airlines UK said: The whole industry knows how important punctuality is for customers.

Last year was not representative due to the late unwinding of Covid restrictions which required a very steep ramp up.

Since then, the sector has invested huge resources into increased resilience for this summer and we cant wait to welcome people back for their well-earned breaks.

Wizz Air did not respond to a request for comment.
I nternational travel during the heady flush of youth can be a frenetic business. The obligatory daily hangovers. The months itinerary crammed into a contractually permitted two-week break. The bewildering decisions made by the callow lad with a prefrontal cortex not yet cauterised by experience. This is how it should be. But in my 30s, with a little more money and time on my hands (I am a freelance writer, not a digital nomad) and independence, I want different outcomes from my alphabet of vaccinations.

I am not ready to stew on a beach, but nor am I here to queue at the Taj Mahal for a pre-packaged cultural revelation.

At the age of 34 I may have lost the hedonism, but I have gained something potentially more problematic: the oxymoronic desire to discover something real. Which is why I am in Sierra Leone, three months into a four-month overland trip on the coast of West Africa. Using bush taxis, I have covered Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau and Guinea. I intend to reach Nigeria. Who knows if I can get a visa for a volatile country still simmering after a controversial election? I met a Nigerian man who swears he can get me one if I pretend to be his sisters husband. When does a funny anecdote become a solemn vow?

ES Magazine

Dont get me wrong. You will experience many cultural revelations mixing with the countless ethnic groups (source: Wikipedia) or tribes (source: people) on the coast of West Africa  even if it is just words in Fula or Krio from sniggering teens in fake Gucci sliders. Here come the travel anecdotes. At a joyful political demonstration in Makeni, a welcoming city in north Sierra Leone, I was confronted by a group of men led by a bloke with blood pouring from his mouth and chest and a waistband full of knives, who was banging a tortoiseshell (the Poro, my mate Abib whispered conspiratorially, an influential ancient secret society). Off the coast of Guinea-Bissau, among shivering forests and craggy beaches of the Bijagos Islands, animist and matriarchal communities prick any grasp of how life can be liveD.

But these are not the grandstand experiences prescribed to us by 10-Things Google tick-lists. The real stuff of travel is the discomfort, rubbing up against people and the unfamiliar smells, and experiences of substance always seem to happen in the cracks between the things you plan to be memorable. Take a simple stroll through a city or village on the West African coast, day or night. Something will happen. You will be invited into someones house, or to a ceremony by a village chief, or receive directions to a sound system, or meet some local celebrity who will offer to show you around. The trick is to say yes. Age gives us confidence.

ES Magazine

Booze can give you Dutch courage when you travel. It worked in my 20s, but I have sobered up in my 30s. I am in good company. Islam is the dominant religion in most countries on this strip of coast. Christians are happily knocking about, too (you know this because they talk so fondly of one another) so you will be invited for palm wine along the way. If youre a young traveller predisposed to partying, try avoiding a bender in Berlin or Medellin. Here? Backpacker drink deals are not a thing. But nor are hostels. Or backpackers. Music and dancing? Compulsory. Go to a club in Dakar and listen to some mbalax, or an outdoor pub in Accra and join the Nigerian sex workers, area boys and famous artists moving to Afrobeats.

ES Magazine

If I want a bit more excitement, I can find it on public transport. I recall Interrail holidays and trips where rental cars featured heavily, but it was always a means to an end. In West Africa, transport is its own exhilarating activity. Like the eight-hour motorbike border crossing from Guinea-Bissau to Guinea through stubborn jungle and over rivers in canoes powered by small boys, with breakdowns (vehicles, not me), marriage proposals and a sequence of bribes for bored men in official-looking uniforms manning poles of wood at random junctures. In Gambia, you might travel in a gelegele. In Ghana, a tro tro. Bush taxis always carry twice the people the vehicle was designed for, with another storey of cargo (nuts, ginger, humans) on the roof. You can sample a peculiar, nautical-flavoured sense of camaraderie in a rusty box crammed with people with a shared, faraway destination  even if you dont all speak the same language and sometimes need to bicker. What is going on outside the window should be more interesting to you, of course.

In West Africa, it doesnt take long to make friends  kindness and generosity are a constant theme

Africa is known for its safaris, but on the west coast, there is more subtle fulfilment to be found in poorly managed national parks, mountains and wild, sometimes unlovely stretches of sand. Theres the highland region of Fouta Djallon in northern Guinea, which looks like an unrealistic Jurassic Park set, or Mount Bintumani in northeast Sierra Leone (again, getting there is the real show). Or head over to Cape Three Points in Ghana for beaches as good as in a Thailand brochure, with none of the drug dealers.

Despite this, I can count on two hands the number of fellow travellers I have met on my trip. We appreciate our own company more as we age. You might stick out like a gangrenous thumb, but you can experience a strangely pleasant sense of anonymity. But one does not endure two long flights to be alone. In West Africa, it does not take long to make friends  kindness and generosity are a constant theme. Everyone shares their food. Some wont eat again for a day or two. While walking through a village in Casamance, Senegal, a group of men called me over to eat with them. After plunging my hand into the shared metal bowl (use your right, stick to your own section) of fish and rice, I divvied up the only thing I had: a bottle of water. Ha! A Gambian man said. Toubabs [white people] never share! Selflessness. A travel souvenir that really shows your age.
After a tedious and fruitless hunt for talent in Hong Kong, Tutor Circle founder and CEO Andy Ng decided to expand the company's search to Southeast Asia, as the city's largest tutor-matching platform had trouble finding suitable candidates locally.

Ng hired two remote software engineers from Malaysia to join his 20-strong team this year.

Tutor Circle is among a growing number of businesses in Hong Kong that are turning to Southeast Asia's tech talent pool for skilled staff to combat the city's brain drain in the sector.

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.

"A significant number of Hong Kong's young talent have jumped ship in recent years, resulting in a talent shortage," Ng said. "With the increasing demand for tech talent in Hong Kong, higher hiring costs are needed to retain them."

Tutor Circle CEO Andy Ng (centre) hired two remote software engineers from Malaysia as he could not find suitable candidates locally. Photo: Handout alt=Tutor Circle CEO Andy Ng (centre) hired two remote software engineers from Malaysia as he could not find suitable candidates locally. Photo: Handout>

Hong Kong has seen a severe talent crunch in recent years. More than 200,000 expats and Hongkongers left the city between mid-2020 and last summer, following the social unrest and harsh quarantine measures due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The government has promised HK$16 billion (US$2.03 billion) in funding to turn Hong Kong into a global innovation and technology hub. With investments in artificial intelligence, quantum computing technology, health and life sciences, the local tech sector is experiencing rapid growth amid the talent shortage.

The government is also actively luring global talents to combat the brain drain, rolling out a new scheme in January offering applicants from the world's top 100 universities a two-year visa to work in Hong Kong.

Story continues

A report published on Tuesday by recruitment platform Glints and Monk's Hill Ventures said that Hong Kong companies are showing growing interest in Southeast Asian talent to join the city's burgeoning tech sector.

Jerry Chang, managing director of executive search firm Barons & Company, said that his company has also geared itself towards offering clients recruits from outside Hong Kong to combat the talent crunch, especially when remote-working has become more viable.

"Everyone is fighting for the same pool of fish in the same pond," said Chang. "Going out of the country is definitely the way to go. Because of technology, programmers just need a laptop and VPN access to work."

Glints' report, which identified hiring trends, salary, and equity data for start-up talent from over 10,000 data points and interviews with founders across Southeast Asia, found that the median salaries for tech roles in Hong Kong are 2.5 times higher than Southeast Asia.

Senior software engineers in Hong Kong with five to 10 years' experience earn a median salary of US$67,560 a year, three times more than their Indonesian counterparts, according to the report.

Countries like Vietnam, which is seeing a trend of engineers trained in Silicon Valley returning to their homeland to build start-ups, are contributing to the rapidly growing pool of tech talent in Southeast Asia.

One of the employers' main concerns when hiring remote employees is communication, Barons' Chang said, adding that cost savings were the least of their worries. "I think people are really just trying to find the right talent irrespective of where they come from," he said.

Tutor Circle's Ng said the remote hires have worked out favourably for him. Ng said he saved 30 to 40 per cent in costs to grow his team without having to move to a bigger office, and he makes them feel valued by constantly engaging in frequent video conferencing to build bonds.

The high demand for tech talent was reflected in a salary report by KPMG last month, which found that over 83 per cent of information technology employees expect salary increases this year, compared with 62 per cent last year as companies struggle to retain staff.

"Every company needs talent in order to compete and survive, and the salary of local talent will swell," Ng said.

"Companies in Hong Kong will seek alternative labour solutions to maintain the growth of their business in the post-pandemic era."

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.
T he two British-Israeli sisters killed in a West Bank shooting earlier this week have been named as the daughters of a Londonrabbi.

Maia and Rina Dee were shot dead on Friday afternoon near the Hamra Junction in the north of the Jordan Valley, as they drove to Tiberias.

Rabbi Leo Dee, originally from London, has described the deaths of his daughters as a nightmare.

Their mother, Leah, remains in a critical condition in hospital.

Their car was driven off the road after being shot at by gunmen while their father had been driving ahead in a separate vehicle.

Rabbi Dee told the BBC that his daughters were beautiful and wonderful and that he hadnt slept since their deaths.

Every time, I had nightmares and woke up, he said, but the reality was worse than the nightmare, so I went back to sleep. Thats how it went.

The family live in the West Bank settlement Efrat. The sisters funeral will be held on Sunday.

Maia was 20 years old and volunteering for national service in a high school, while sister Rina was 15.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who described the incident as a terror attack, sent his condolences to the family in a tweet naming the sisters.

The UKs chief rabbi, Sir Ephraim Mirvis, said that no words can describe the depth of our shock and sadness at the heart-breaking news.

Writing on Twitter, he said the two sisters were the children of British Rabbi Dee and his wife Lucy, which is understood to be their mother Leahs English name.

They were much loved in the Hendon and Radlett communities in the UK as well as in Israel, and well beyond, he added.

The Board of Deputies of British Jews said they were deeply shocked and saddened at their deaths, adding that their father had previously been rabbi at Radlett United Synagogue in Hertfordshire.
I rish premier Leo Varadkar has said he plans to intensify engagement with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak over the Windsor Framework and powersharing in Northern Ireland.

The Taoiseach said history showed that political stability in the region depended on the Irish and British governments working in lock-step.

Mr Varadkar made the comments on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, a diplomatic feat that brought peace to Northern Ireland after 30 years of bloodshed.

The 1998 peace deal, brokered by the US, paved the way for powersharing between nationalists and unionists.

Certainly over the next few weeks, Ill be intensifying my contacts with Prime Minster Sunak and the British Government in particular, because what we know from history is that Northern Ireland only really works when the two governments work hand in hand

Despite the peace accord serving as a blueprint for other conflicts globally, there has been a powersharing stalemate at Stormont for almost as long as it as been functioning.

The latest hiatus is over the DUPs opposition to the implementation of the post-Brexit trading arrangement known as the Northern Ireland Protocol.

In a push to revive the executive and assembly, a new agreement was struck between the EU and UK that sought to amend the protocol and resolve the concerns raised by businesses and unionists.

Although the British parliament and EU have formally signed off on the Windsor Framework, the DUP and former prime ministers Boris Johnson and Liz Truss have voted against a key element and the Democratic Unionists are yet to commit to returning to Stormont.

Speaking on Sunday, Mr Varadkar said part of the reason the framework was struck was to encourage the DUP to return to the powersharing institutions.

Weve put a huge amount of effort in the last few months into getting an agreement on revisions and reforms to the protocol, he told RTEs This Week programme.

And that culminated in the Windsor Framework, which was agreed only in the past few weeks. That took a lot of engagement with the different political parties in Northern Ireland, with the British Government, with the European Commission.

And one of the reasons why we did that, aside from making sure we avoid a return to a hard border, was that the agreement could potentially reopen the possibility of the DUP coming back into the executive.

So weve done that piece now, and the next piece now is deep engagement with the British Government and also with the five parties in Northern Ireland to try and get the institutions up and running again.

Certainly over the next few weeks, Ill be intensifying my contacts with Prime Minster Sunak and the British Government in particular, because what we know from history is that Northern Ireland only really works when the two governments work hand in hand.

One thing Ive been struck by watching all the documentaries around the history of the Good Friday Agreement was the extent to which the Taoiseach and the Prime Minister had to be in lock-step, and now that we have the agreement on the protocol, I think its possible to do that.

He added: Certainly since Brexit, and even before Brexit, that sort of level of cooperation between the two governments, the two governments working hand-in-hand, hasnt been the same. And thats largely because we found ourselves in very different positions.

When asked whether the Irish government would take an inter-state case against the British government over its controversial legacy bill, as requested by Amnesty International, Mr Varadkar said it had not been ruled out.

He said: But taking a case against your nearest neighbour at a time when youre trying to work with them, and work in lock-step with them as I mentioned earlier, is not without its consequences and this is a bill that has not yet passed through the Commons and Lords.

So theres still time for the British government to reconsider, to pause it, to make amendments to it, to engage with the five parties in Northern Ireland and the victims groups.

On Tuesday, Mr Sunak will travel to Northern Ireland as part of US president Joe Bidens much-anticipated visit to the island of Ireland for the Good Friday Agreement milestone.
M ore than 10 people have contacted police investigating ex-Metropolitan Police officer David Carrick with further allegations or information since he was jailed, according to reports.

The disgraced former Pc, 48, who was described as a monster and evil by some of his dozen victims, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 32 years in February after carrying out a catalogue of violent and brutal sex attacks between 2003 and 2020.

On Sunday, The Guardian reported that it had been told by a Hertfordshire Police spokesperson that more than 10 people have come forward with either information or further allegations including sexual assault relating to Carrick.

Since David Carrick pleaded guilty and was sentenced at court in February, more than 10 people have contacted their local forces or the investigation team directly, to either report further offences, including sexual assault, or to share information relating to him, a spokesperson for the force told newspaper.

The team are now working with the CPS and investigating these new allegations.

Carrick, who joined the Met in 2001 before becoming an armed officer with the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command in 2009, used his position to gain his victims trust and scare them into silence.

He held a handgun to the head of one woman and sent another a photograph of himself with a work-issue firearm, saying: Remember I am the boss.

He pleaded guilty to 49 charges, including 24 counts of rape, but some were multiple-incident counts  meaning they relate to at least 85 separate offences, including at least 71 sexual offences and 48 rapes.

Carrick, an elite firearms officer in the Mets Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command, locked one of his victims naked in a tiny cupboard and would beat her with a metal whip for punishment.

The officer  nicknamed Bastard Dave by colleagues - used his police status initially to charm women, telling one: Trust me  I am the safest person you can be around.

But many of the women told Southwark crown court they felt unable to report being raped and abused by Carrick as they feared they would not be believed.

Carricks case has sparked a fresh crisis at Scotland Yard, after it emerged there were multiple missed chances across nearly 20 years to root out his true nature.

The Metropolitan Police, Britains biggest police force, may have more officers like killer Wayne Couzens and serial rapist David Carrick, a review by Baroness Louise Casey, commissioned in the wake of Sarah Everards murder, found in March.
I rish President Michael D Higgins and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar have led a ceremony to mark the anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising in Dublin.

The ceremony took place outside the GPO in OConnell Street at noon, and was attended by Tanaiste Micheal Martin, Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald and Sinn Fein vice president Michelle ONeill.

Relatives of the Irish rebels who were in the GPO during the 1916 Rising were also present.

The tricolour flag on top of the GPO was lowered and the 1916 proclamation was read out by an Irish soldier.

President Higgins then laid a wreath to commemorate those who died in the Irish rebellion, and a minutes silence was observed.

The flag was then raised again before the national anthem, Amhran na bhFiann, was played by the Defence Forces brass and pipe band.

The ceremony concluded with an Air Corps flyover as the national anthem was playing.

At the end of the ceremony, President Higgins and his wife, Sabina, shook hands with wheelchair uses who were at the event, as well as other members of the public.

Mr Martin, housing minister Darragh OBrien, Ms McDonald and Ms ONeill were also seen shaking hands with people as the event ended.

During the event, a man was removed from the area reserved for members of the public by several gardai.

Gardai said in a statement that a man was arrested for public order offences and has since been charged.
S enior royals have discussed stripping Prince Harry of his Duke of Sussex title, according to reports.

Officials also blame Meghan for the fallout between the Sussexes and the Royal Family and some even joked that she was holding Harry hostage.

Others make jibes about Harry being a victim of Stockholm syndrome and feel he has turned his back on everything he has known.

A new book, Our King, has fresh details on the broken relationships between the Sussexes and the Royal Family.

One senior aide told the author Robert Jobson: Some blame Meghan Markle for the fallout, ignoring the fact that Harry seems to be the driving force in everything that happened.

There was a point when officials joked Harry was the victim of Stockholm syndrome, and he was Meghans hostage, but now most just feel Harry has turned his back on everything he has known.

The Windsor walk / Getty Images

It claims the Princess of Wales described the Windsor walkabout with William, Harry and Meghan after the Queens death as one of the hardest things shed ever had to do. She told a senior royal it was difficult because of the ill-feeling between the couples.

The book by royal author Robert Jobson claims the late Queen was mystified by Harry and Meghans criticism of the Royal Family, describing their behaviour as quite mad.

It follows claims that Harry and Meghan are set to announce their plans for the coronation within days.

They are said to be on the brink of a decision on whether to attend the May 6 ceremony at Westminster Abbey, which is less than a month away.
A London rabbi began weeping as he held a funeral for his two British-Israeli daughters killed in a shooting in the West Bank.

Maia and Rina Dee, reportedly aged 20 and 15 respectively, were killed in their car on Friday following a shooting by Palestinian assailants close to an Israeli settlement.

Their 45-year-old mother, Lucy Dee, was seriously wounded and is in a coma.

Their father, Rabbi Leo Dee, witnessed the attack from a separate vehicle following behind.

He led a funeral on Sunday at a cemetery in the Jewish settlement of Kfar Etzion in the occupied West Bank.

The family had moved from London to Efrat nine years ago, the BBC reports.

Maia and Rina you are two flames who have not gone out. You will bring more light to the world. You have inspired and loved us, in return we will love you forever, their father told mourners.

PA

In a video published on Sky News, Rabbi Dee, who has three other children, asked: How will I explain to Lucy what has happened to our two precious gifts?

In tribute to beautiful and perfect Maia, the rabbi said: You will always be an angel and you will always be our guardian angel.

You wanted to sign up for another year of national service, where you could really make a difference. But you insisted that girls like you always do two years of volunteering so we waited to see what and where this would be.

Describing his beautiful and darling Rina, he said: You were such a great student. Such a great friend. You dreamt of travelling the world, now you are travelling to heaven.

Rabbi Dee was the senior rabbi at Radlett United Synagogue in Hertfordshire from 2011-2014 and assistant rabbi in Hendon, north London, from 2008-2011, according to Sky News.

Mourners attend the funeral / REUTERS

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who described the incident as a terror attack, sent his condolences to the family in a tweet naming the sisters.

The UKs chief rabbi, Sir Ephraim Mirvis, said that no words can describe the depth of our shock and sadness at the heart-breaking news.

Writing on Twitter, he said the two sisters were the children of British Rabbi Dee and his wife Lucy, which is understood to be their mother Leahs English name.

They were much loved in the Hendon and Radlett communities in the UK as well as in Israel, and well beyond, he added.

The Board of Deputies of British Jews said they were deeply shocked and saddened at their deaths, adding that their father had previously been rabbi at Radlett United Synagogue in Hertfordshire.
C hina has simulated precision strikes against Taiwan as it continues to encircle the island nation.

Beijing began three days of military exercises around the island on Saturday. Chinese leaders called the operation a stern warning to the Taiwanese government.

Chinese state television reported that the combat readiness patrols and drills around Taiwan were continuing on Sunday.

Under the unified command of the theatre joint operations command centre, multiple types of units carried out simulated joint precision strikes on key targets on Taiwan island and the surrounding sea areas, and continue to maintain an offensive posture around the island, it said.

A source told Reuters that China had been conducting simulated air and sea attacks on foreign military targets in the waters off Taiwans southwestern coast

Taiwan is not their only target, the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to speak to the media. Its very provocative.

Taiwans defence ministry said they had spotted 58 Chinese aircraft, including Su-30 fighters and H-6 bombers, as well as nine ships around Taiwan since the drills began.

The exercises started hours after Taiwans President Tsai Ing-wen returned from a trip to the US.

Chinas leader Xi Jinping considers Taiwan a breakaway province and has promised reunification.

President Tsai said she would keep working with the US amid continued authoritarian expansionism from China.
T wo bodies have been found after a building collapsed following an explosion in Marseille.

Local authorities said six people remain unaccounted for after the blast in the La Plaine neighbourhood just after midnight on Saturday.

Five people were taken to hospital and scores of residents were evacuated when the building collapsed.

The city prosecutors office said early reports indicated that an explosion preceded the collapse - but its cause has not been confirmed.

More than 100 firefighters worked to extinguish a fire deep within the rubble of the five-storey building, but more than 17 hours later the situation is not yet stabilised, Marseille prosecutor Dominique Laurens had told reporters.

Five people suffered minor injuries from the collapse.

Marseille mayor Benoit Payan said two buildings that share walls with the one that collapsed were partially brought down before one later caved in, another complication in the search and rescue operation.

The buildings were among evacuated structures. Drones and probes have been used to examine the scene for signs of life.

We cannot intervene in a very classic way, interior minister Gerald Darmanin said during a morning visit to the site.

He added that the fire was burning a few metres under the mounds of debris and that both water and foam represent a danger to victims survival.

AFP via Getty Images

A gas explosion is among one of the theories being explored, Ms Laurens, the prosecutor said. But the start of the probe also was limited by the heat of the blaze.

The flames werent pink. They were blue, Mr Payan said.

Firefighters, with the help of urban rescue experts, worked through the night and all day on Sunday.

The delicate operation aimed to keep firefighters safe, prevent further harm to people potentially trapped in the rubble and not compromise vulnerable buildings nearby, already partially collapsed.

Some 30 buildings in the area were evacuated, Mr Darmanin said.

The building that collapsed is located on a narrow street half a mile from Marseilles old port, adding to an array of difficulties for firefighters and rescue workers. The prosecutor said the building and those next door are not at all substandard buildings.

French President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne both said in tweets that their thoughts were with people affected, and gave their thanks to the firefighters.
A new style of agile hackers can today stash powerful tools of their trade within their own skin and deploy them at will around town. This sounds like science fiction but its a fact of modern life and will become the modus operandi of the spies or thieves who are already among us.

Even weirder is that thousands of everyday people already have simpler versions of these types of chips embedded into their arms to avoid carrying keys or vaccine passports.

Len Noe is a man on a mission to prove this is reality. Len, who works as an ethical hacker at US security firm CyberArk, has undergone multiple surgeries to have eight specialist security chips implanted into his body. This is partly due to a fascination with becoming part machine but mostly to demonstrate how these can be deployed in the wild. He was certainly able to demonstrate some startling offensive capabilities when I met up with him in London.

If you hand Len your phone  for instance, by asking to make a quick emergency call  he can use the Near-field communication (NFC) chip that is inside the back of his hand to instantly pull up a website injected with what is known as BeEF (The Browser Exploitation Framework). This will rapidly install some malicious code on your phone, giving him complete access to it.

Almost all modern smartphones have an NFC chip, which is the underlying tech that allows contactless apps such as Google Pay and Apple Pay to work. In my case, Len was able to take control of the phone in less than 30 seconds. Thankfully, iPhones are currently invulnerable to this, as they use a different type of chip, but Android owners are susceptible to cyborg attacks.

What I have is called a biosensing magnet... When I get close to a magnetic field, I actually feel tingly around my hand.

Though this sort of hack is not something that the average Londoner needs to worry about (yet), Len does think that they could be used for targeted attacks by government agencies like MI5 or by large hacking groups such as Cozy Bear. This is the clear direction of travel.

But phones are merely one weak point. How about waltzing through security barriers? Len can easily copy a corporate keycard into the NFC chip in his hand. Once copied, he claims he can walk into your office building with nothing but the back of his hand as authentication.

If caught, he cant even be held liable for forging a keycard. Though security could tell him to get off the premises immediately, its improbable theyd suspect anyone of using an implanted chip. Even if they did, Len highlighted US and UK data protection laws which give citizens the right to medical privacy, meaning you dont have to disclose devices inside your own body.

Len Noe can bypass security with the implant in his hand / Len Noe

The self-proclaimed biohacker has plenty of fun with his implants. He enjoys laughing at confused passersby after they see him paying at vending machines using nothing but his hand. By using the magnetic chip implanted near his thumb, he can float magnets around as if by magic. This is his go-to bar trick and apparently a great way to entertain children. But this too has some pretty scary capabilities in expert hands.

What I have is called a biosensing magnet. Its an iron core that is tightly wrapped in titanium, he explains. When I get close to a magnetic field, I actually feel tingly around my hand. This means he can trace electrical wiring with his hands by running it over walls.

If Im on the outside of your building, and I know youre using a magnetic lock, I can actually trace the electrical circuits and I can potentially make a small hole, pull the wires through, and then I can splice in, using alligator clips, a separate positive lead. I can then get the magnet to stop working and walk right through your door.

But these powers do come with some risks. If somebody knows you have a credit card inside your own body, then you become susceptible to whats known as skimmers, as well as contactless NFC-based transfers, which can drain your bank account.

Using these skimmers, inexpensive cloning devices with names such as The Flipper or a Proxmark, you could theoretically clone someones credit card off their hand as they sleep.

Not leaving anything to chance, Len often wears a specially made set of gloves, made from whats called faraday fabric, which protect him from electronic transmissions of any kind. But thats not all; if he encounters a large enough magnet, his magnetic implant will tear at his skin from the inside, which is apparently agonising.

Its not just hackers who are having these type of chips inserted under their skin. In Sweden, 6,000 people are said to have had their vaccine passports implanted into a hand, and many start-ups pay for employees to have chips implanted as a replacement for an office keyfob.

A British-Polish startup called Wallet Moor now enables people to implant an NFC chip into their hands, for the relatively affordable price of roughly 200 . This will allow consumers to swerve the traumatic but all-too-common experience of being without their phone or debit card in an emergency. Last summer, an American man named Brandon Dalaly had the keys to his Tesla implanted in his hand, using tech supplied by a start-up known as VivoKey.

Biohacker Len Noe / Len Noe

If youre feeling adventurous enough to consider this, Len did reassure me that the tech has come a long way since the first chip implant was performed in 1999. These surgeries typically take under 20 minutes, and though you can definitely tell there is something external in your body, it doesnt feel more serious than having your ears pierced. At least, thats what Len says.

Then again, hes currently looking to undergo an operation to get whats known as a peg leg. This procedure would give him a miniature computer, similar to a Raspberry Pi, in the upper part of his leg. The device would expand his current capabilities  giving him a portable wi-fi hotspot  and yet this procedure has landed many in the hospital, with the metal poisoning from the devices lithium-ion batteries forcing them to have emergency life-saving surgery.

Even though the idea of biometric identity verification or contactless payments could persuade some Londoners to go down this road, it will be a fair while before the idea of replacing your Oyster card with an implant starts to trend.

Aside from the risks and costs, theres plenty of stigma around getting implants for anything less than a complete medical necessity, such as a pacemaker. Len says people routinely tell him that he has the mark of the beast and even his friends hide their phones around him.
Firefighters work after building collapsed early Sunday, April 9, 2023 in Marseille, southern France. A residential building in France's port city of Marseille collapsed in a loud explosion early Sunday followed by a fire deep within the rubble that hindered rescue efforts. (Uncredited/AP)

Eight people remained missing after the building they lived in exploded and collapsed early Sunday near the port of Marseille, leaving mounds of burning debris hampering rescue operations, officials said.

More than 100 firefighters worked against a ticking clock to extinguish flames deep within the rubble of the five-story building, but more than 17 hours later the situation is not yet stabilized, Marseille Prosecutor Dominique Laurens said at an evening news conference.

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Earlier in the day, officials had thought that between four and 10 people may have been trapped. Laurens said police have yet to confirm the apparent disappearance of a ninth person who lived in a next-door building. Five people suffered minor injuries from the collapse, which occurred shortly before 1 a.m.

Marseille Mayor Benoit Payan said two buildings that share walls with the one that collapsed were partially brought down before one later caved in, another complication in the search and rescue operation. The buildings were among evacuated structures.

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Drones and probes have been used to examine the scene for signs of life. The burning debris was too hot for dogs in the firefighters canine team to work until Sunday afternoon, though smoke still bothered them, the prosecutor said.

We cannot intervene in a very classic way, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said during a morning visit to the site. He said the fire was burning a few meters under the mounds of debris and that both water and foam represent a danger to victims survival.

An investigation has been opened for involuntary injury, at least initially sidestepping possible criminal intentions. A gas explosion was among the tracks to check, said Laurens, the prosecutor. But the start of the probe also was limited by the heat of the blaze.

The flames werent pink. They were blue, Payan said.

Firefighters, with the help of urban rescue experts, worked through the night and all day Sunday in a slow race against time. The delicate operation aimed to keep firefighters safe, prevent further harm to people potentially trapped in the rubble and not compromise vulnerable buildings nearby, already partially collapsed. Some 30 buildings in the area were evacuated, Darmanin said.

Lauren, the prosecutor, said that firefighters are really in a complicated situation, dangerous for them. Work is progressing but with safety precautions, she said.

We heard an explosion ... a very strong explosion which made us jump, and thats it, said Marie Ciret, who was among those evacuated. We looked outside the window at what was happening. We saw smoke, stones, and people running.

The building that collapsed is located on a narrow street less than a kilometer (a half-mile) from Marseilles iconic old port, adding to an array of difficulties for firefighters and rescue workers. The prosecutor said the building and those next door are not at all substandard buildings.

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Robots were reportedly being deployed. A crane was brought in to clear rubble and firefighters were at one point seen in TV video hosing parts of the debris from a window in a nearby apartment as plumes of smoke rose skyward.

Were trying to drown the fire while preserving the lives of eventual victims under the rubble, Lionel Mathieu, commander of the Marseille fire brigade, said during a televised briefing.

Firefighters are gauging minute by minute the best way to put out the fire, Payan, the mayor, said.

We must prepare ourselves to have victims, he said grimly.

The collapsed building is located in an old quarter in the center of Frances second-largest city. The noise from the explosion resounded in other neighborhoods. Nearby streets were blocked off.

French President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne both tweeted their thoughts for people affected and thanks to the firefighters.

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In 2018, two buildings in the center of Marseille collapsed, killing eight people. Those buildings were poorly maintained  not the case with the building that collapsed Sunday after an explosion, the interior minister said.
In an uncertain time like this, investors need a clear signpost on their stock choices, something that will give a definite indication of quality. The sheer volume of market data, a veritable flood even in calm market conditions, rises to a deafening cacophony when volatility spikes. A reliable guide is necessary.

And that brings us to the corporate insiders. These are company officers, CEOs, executive VPs, CFOs the officers who hold high positions and have a responsibility to shareholders and Boards for bringing in profits and returns. Their positions give them an inside view of the companys workings  and that gives them a step up when they start trading their own stocks. To keep a level playing field, market regulators require that the insiders publish their trades, and investors can use that published trading data to inform their own decisions.

Investors can look to these moves, using TipRanks Insiders Hot Stocks tool. Weve used that tool to do just that, and found a couple of stocks that have shown multi-million-dollar insider trades recently  and those are purchases that the insiders dont make lightly. Moreover, these names show solid upside potential and Buy ratings from the Streets analysts.

Enovix Corporation (ENVX)

Well start with Enovix, an innovative company working on the design and manufacture of the next generation in energy storage  specifically, the advanced batteries using a combination of silicon anodes, 3D architecture, and anti-swelling constraints. The companys battery designs, in prototypes, have permitted higher energy densities, which are necessary for modern electronics, from mobile devices such as tablets and laptops to the larger scale of electric vehicles.

The silicon anodes are the heart of the companys tech. Silicon anodes offer the possibility of doubling the storage capacity of batteries when compared to the current graphite anode technology. Enovix has used this high energy density to develop a line of new, small batteries, intended for use everything from laptops to smartphone handsets to wearable electronics.

Story continues

Enovix has seen two important business developments during March. Both concern the manufacturing end, with the first development dealing with the companys next generation autoline. This is the design of the firms new assembly line, dubbed Gen2 Autoline. The Gen2 design was approved by the companys Board, and going forward will permit increased automation, higher rates of parallelism, and built in metrology. Overall, Gen2 is seen as a major step toward the scaling up of Enovixs activities.

The second big development will build up from Gen2; Enovix has announced approval of the location for its first high-volume production battery assembly facility. The new assembly line is being called Fab 2, and it will be set up in Penang, Malaysia. From Enovixs perspective, this location brings several advantages, including an educated and skilled workforce, in a business-friendly jurisdiction, not far from the production floors run by potential customer firms.

This puts some context behind the series of inside purchases made by Board member Thurman Rodgers over the past month. Rodgers has bought a total of 500,000 shares of ENVX, which he paid a total of $5,381,551.

In addition to the insider interest, this stock has picked up attention from Cantor analyst Derek Soderberg, who writes: We believe the design approval of Gen2 marks a major milestone for Enovix. The result of this, we believe, lowers execution risk and should contribute to investor confidence in the story. We continue to believe that Enovix is a highly disruptive company with a multi-year technology leadership position to take share of the sizable, growing market for lithium-ion batteries.

Believing that Enovix has a bright future, Soderberg gives the stock an Overweight (i.e. Buy) rating, with a $25 price target to indicate potential for a robust 103% upside this year. (To watch Soderbergs track record, click here)

Its clear that Wall Street has no doubts on this one, as the Strong Buy consensus rating is based on a unanimous 8 positive analyst reviews. Enovix shares are trading for $12.31 and the $23.57 average price target implies a one-year upside gain of 91%. (See Enovix stock forecast)

Stifel Financial Corporation (SF)

Now well turn to the world of finance, where Stifel Financial holds a high reputation as an independent investment bank, financial services firm, and wealth and asset manager. The firm boasts a $6 billion market cap, and as of the end of February, Stifel could boast of $1.3 billion in additional monthly bank deposits and held more than $401 million in total client assets.

Stifel has a strong commitment to returning capital to shareholders, and does so through a combination of share repurchases and dividend payments. In the final quarter of 2022, the company bought back some $75.2 million worth of common stock, contributing to a full-year total of $192.4 million in common stock repurchases. On the dividend front, Stifel has recently raised the payment. In the last declaration, the company set a payment of 36 cents per common share up 20% from the previous payment. This new payment was sent out on March 15, and the annualized rate of $1.44 per common share gives a yield of 2.4%.

In its recent 4Q22 financial results, Stifels report showed downward trends. Net revenues came in at $1.12 billion, down 14% year-over-year, and missing the consensus estimates of $1.14 billion. At the bottom line, the non-GAAP EPS came in at $1.58  against a forecast of $1.64, for a 3.6% miss. These results came at the same time that the companys overall Institutional Group segment saw a net revenue decline of 45%. On a positive note, the companys Global Wealth Management segments net revenues saw an increase of 10%, to $744.3 million, year-over-year. This positive result was driven by a 105% y/y gain in quarterly net interest income.

Turning to the insiders, we find that two company officers have made million-dollar-plus share buys in SF over the past month. Company co-President James Zemlyak spent $1.12 million to buy 20,000 shares, and CEO Ronald Kruszewski bought 20,174 shares for $1.16 million.

In his coverage for JMP Securities, Devin Ryan, a highly-rated 5-star analyst, underscores the managements robust belief in the companys long-term prospects.

Management remains quite adamant about the firms long-term growth potential, and with an estimated $1.2B of excess capital capacity over the next year, we see a number of opportunities to lean in further, including more aggressive share repurchases. Ultimately we continue to argue that Stifel represents one of the most compelling risk/reward opportunities in our coverage at current levels as it has received little credit for the growth it has delivered to date and remains well positioned to grow from here, Ryan opined.

Looking forward, Ryan sees plenty of potential, and rates Stifel shares as Outperform (i.e. Buy). His price target, set at $95, implies a gain of ~69% on the one-year time horizon. (To watch Ryans track record, click here)

Overall, SF shares have 5 recent analyst reviews, with a 2 to 3 breakdown favoring Holds over Buys, for a Moderate Buy consensus rating. The shares are trading for $56.28 and the $75 average price target suggests a 33% upside for the next 12 months. (See Stifel stock forecast)

To find good ideas for stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks Best Stocks to Buy, a tool that unites all of TipRanks equity insights.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the featured analysts. The content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment.
For those with a photogenic furry friend, Two Saints Photography is looking for dashing dogs to be featured in the international Tails of the World book project.

I feel like a kid on Christmas morning with dogs and photography. Its just super exciting to me, explained photographer Kim Learn.

Based out of St. Catharines, Learn will be taking photos of 10 dogs in the Niagara region, which will be included in a photo book of dogs from around the world taken by different photographers.

We have a series of books featuring different locations around the world  everywhere from Tails of the Netherlands to Tails of Portland, explained project founder Caitlin McColl from Melbourne, Australia. The Tails of the World Book is a group effort, with everyone contributing to publish one big book. We're so excited to be using our photography together to make a difference for animals in need.

While a worldwide collaborative project, each photographer is also working individually to support rescue organizations near them.

Basically the recipe for the book is to find a rescue organization, some kind of a charity, and pair with them. Then all of the session fees go to them, Learn said.

For her charity, she chose Tails of the North Dog Rescue, a new rescue based out of Fort Erie that opened in 2022.

Tails of the North Dog Rescue, theyre not very well known at this point, explained Learn. Basically Im hoping to make more people aware of the (Tails of the World) project and to get more people aware of a rescue organization thats here and local.

In addition, the Second Chance Animal Rescue based out of Australia will receive all of the proceeds from the sale of the book with Learns photos featured in it.

If interested in booking one of these limited photo spots for you dog, reach out to Learn through twosaintsphotography.ca.

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York Regional Police have made an arrest following the alleged mosque attack where a man is said to have driven his vehicle at worshippers during the Holy month of Ramadan.



York Region's Muslim community is reeling following an alleged attack on one of Markham's oldest and largest Muslim institutions.

It comes following a frightening incident at 6:55 a.m. on April 6 when York Regional Police say a Toronto man, 28, drove at one of the worshippers in the parking lot at the Islamic Society of Markham on Denison Street, near Steeles Avenue and McCowan Road. He also allegedly yelled threats and religious slurs.

The suspect then drove dangerously in the parking lot, while thousands of congregants gathered for Ramadan before leaving, police added.

Police did not confirm the allegations made in an Islamic Society of Markham press release that stated the man entered the mosque, tore a copy of the Qur'an and began a 'racist and Islamophobic rant' directed towards the worshippers.

"The individual, upon exiting the mosque, then attempted to run over or strike worshippers with his vehicle," the release goes on to say. "We are deeply troubled by this incident, especially as we near the anniversary of the London Terror Attack, where a family in London was run down in an act of hatred."

Investigators say they identified the man and put out a warrant for his arrest.

Then shortly after midnight police arrested Sharan Karunakaran and charged him with uttering threats, assault with a weapon and dangerous driving.

"We further urge YRP to continue investigating this issue as a potentially hate-motivated crime," the release reads. "We know that our congregation is a strong and loving community. Our security and logistics team have taken additional steps to keep worshippers safe in the next days of Ramadan."

Karunakaran will be held for a bail hearing at Newmarket court on April 11.

Police said the force is concerned there are other victims and urged people to come forward.

The Islamic society is set to hold a press conference at noon on Monday. Police added that members of the hate-crime unit attended the mosque.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the #5 District Criminal Investigations Bureau at 1-866-876-5423, ext. 7541 or call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.

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At the theatre where she used to watch movies as a kid, Niagara Falls director April Mullen brought her latest flick home Saturday night.

The red carpet was laid out at Niagara Square for Mullens sci-fi drama Simulant, which opened in about 40 theatres across Canada this week.

For an emotional Mullen, it was a family affair  amongst the crowd was her dad, sister and 95-year-old grandma.

I see so many community members, family and friends here to support me, she said. It takes my breath away.

Simulant, Mullens ninth film as director, is her biggest undertaking yet  a cautionary story about artificial intelligence with plenty of special effects and sturdy performances from Sam Worthington, Simu Liu, Jordana Brewster and Robbie Amell.

It was filmed in Hamilton during the height of the Omicron surge of the pandemic, making production especially difficult.

It was a massive undertaking, said producer Tim Doiron, Mullens filmmaking partner since their 2007 debut, Rock, Paper, Scissors: The Way of the Tosser.

But the weird thing is, I think all of our years going through the trenches, right from Rock, Paper, it really helped. It was a lot of big stars, a lot of big schedules  just a lot of big.

I would say every movie is equally as hard in a different way, added Mullen. Theyre all way too ambitious. Its like a blessing and a curse.

Mullens career started with comedies but has branched out into horror (Farhope Tower), gritty drama (88) and the timely sci-fi of Simulant, which looks at the moral issues of self-aware AI integrating into society.

Mullen said she first read the script eight years ago.

By the time youre finally finished, its like the best feeling in the world to actually have something tangible in your hands instead of in your head. Then you can share it with audience members and thats what you make things for.

And to be honest, youre always wondering  is it going to be seen? Are people going to be seeing it on a big screen?

Doiron is barely finished one film before hes on to the next.

To which Mullen responded: Im always thinking, are we going to make another one? You have to really celebrate what you did do.

The red carpet celebration lasted until 7 p.m. when the screening started. Afterwards, Mullen fielded questions from the audience.

Niagara Square Cinemas co-manager Craig Halket said its always a thrill to host an event for a local filmmaker. He described Mullen as a bright light.

Id love to see more stuff like this, he said. Not just Niagara Falls, but anywhere where we have local premieres for Canadian content.

Mullens dad Mike said its always a thrill to watch his daughter come home with a new movie.

As a kid, he said, she thought about movies in a different way.

She wasnt so nuts about watching the movies, but nuts about putting them together.

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JERUSALEM (AP)  Israeli warplanes and artillery struck targets in Syria following rare rocket fire from the northeastern neighbor, as Jewish-Muslim tensions reached a peak Sunday at a volatile Jerusalem shrine with simultaneous religious rituals.

Thousands of Jewish worshippers gathered at the citys Western Wall, the holiest place where Jews can pray, for a mass priestly benediction prayer service for the Passover holiday. At the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, a walled esplanade above the Western Wall, hundreds of Palestinians performed prayers as part of observances during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Hundreds of Jews also visited the Al-Aqsa compound under heavy police guard Sunday, to whistles and religious chants from Palestinians protesting their presence. By sundown, the observances had passed without serious incident.

Such tours by religious and nationalist Jews have increased in size and frequency over the years, and are viewed with suspicion by many Palestinians who fear that Israel plans one day to take over the site or partition it. Israeli officials say they have no intention of changing long-standing arrangements that allow Jews to visit, but not pray in the Muslim-administered site.

However, the country is now governed by the most right-wing government in its history, with ultra-nationalists who seek changes in the arrangements in senior positions.

Senior right-wing politicians, along with West Bank settler leaders, announced plans for a march through the northern West Bank on Monday, setting the stage for further tensions.

Tensions have soared in the past week at the flashpoint shrine after an Israeli police raid on the mosque. On several occasions, Palestinians have barricaded themselves inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque with stones and firecrackers, demanding the right to pray there overnight, something Israel has in the past only allowed during the last 10 days of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Police removed them by force, detaining hundreds and leaving dozens injured.

The violence at the shrine triggered rocket fire by Palestinian militants from the Gaza Strip and southern Lebanon, starting Wednesday, and Israeli airstrikes targeted both areas.

In Lebanon, Hezbollahs media office announced that the militant groups chief, Hassan Nasrallah, received a delegation headed by Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh on Sunday. The two discussed the most important developments in occupied Palestine, the course of events at al-Aqsa Mosque, and the escalating resistance in the West Bank and Gaza, in addition to general political developments in the region, the readiness of the resistance axis and the cooperation of its parties, the statement said.

Haniyeh, who arrived in Lebanon last week shortly before rockets were launched at Israel from south Lebanon, had been scheduled to make a public appearance in Beirut on Friday. But it was canceled for security reasons following the exchange of strikes between Lebanon and Israel. No group has officially claimed responsibility for the rocket attacks, but Israel has accused Hamas of being behind them.

Late on Saturday and early Sunday, militants in Syria fired rockets in two salvos toward Israel and the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights. A Damascus-based Palestinian group loyal to the Syrian government claimed responsibility for the first round of rockets, saying it was retaliating for the Al-Aqsa raids.

In the first salvo, one rocket landed in a field in the Golan Heights. Fragments of another destroyed missile fell into Jordanian territory near the Syrian border, Jordans military reported. In the second round, two of the rockets crossed the border into Israel, with one being intercepted and the second landing in an open area, the Israeli military said.

Israel responded with artillery fire into the area in Syria from where the rockets were fired. Later, the military said Israeli fighter jets attacked Syrian army sites, including a compound of Syrias 4th Division and radar and artillery posts.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed the violence in a telephone call with Israeli counterpart Isaac Herzog late Saturday, telling Herzog that Muslims could not remain silent about the provocations and threats against the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and said the hostilities that have spread to Gaza and Lebanon should not be allowed to escalate further.

In addition to the cross-border fighting, three people were killed over the weekend in Palestinian attacks in Israel and the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Hundreds of people, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, attended the funeral for two British-Israeli sisters, Maia Dee, 20, and Rina Dee, 15, who were killed in a shooting Friday in the West Bank.

They were buried following an emotional ceremony in the Jewish settlement of Kfar Etzion in the West Bank. As the two bodies were brought into the room, one of their sisters threw herself down and hugged the covered bodies. Their mother, who was also shot in the attack, remains hospitalized in critical condition.

May we and no one else in the whole world ever know so much sorrow. Amen, said their father, Lee Dee.

An Italian tourist, Alessandro Parini, 35, a lawyer from Rome, had just arrived in the city a few hours earlier with some friends for a brief Easter holiday. He was killed Friday in a suspected car-ramming on Tel Avivs beachside promenade.

Over 90 Palestinians and have been killed by Israeli fire so far this year, at least half of them affiliated with militant groups, according to a tally by The Associated Press. Palestinian attacks on Israelis have killed 19 people in that time. All but one were civilians.



Associated Press writers Suzan Frazer in Ankara, Turkey; Abby Sewell in Beirut and Frances DEmilio in Rome contributed to this report.

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Key Insights

The projected fair value for Ford Motor is US$17.58 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity

Current share price of US$12.33 suggests Ford Motor is potentially 30% undervalued

The US$13.75 analyst price target for F is 22% less than our estimate of fair value

Today we'll do a simple run through of a valuation method used to estimate the attractiveness of Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) as an investment opportunity by taking the expected future cash flows and discounting them to their present value. The Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model is the tool we will apply to do this. Models like these may appear beyond the comprehension of a lay person, but they're fairly easy to follow.

We generally believe that a company's value is the present value of all of the cash it will generate in the future. However, a DCF is just one valuation metric among many, and it is not without flaws. For those who are keen learners of equity analysis, the Simply Wall St analysis model here may be something of interest to you.

View our latest analysis for Ford Motor

The Calculation

We're using the 2-stage growth model, which simply means we take in account two stages of company's growth. In the initial period the company may have a higher growth rate and the second stage is usually assumed to have a stable growth rate. In the first stage we need to estimate the cash flows to the business over the next ten years. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years.

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$4.47b US$2.49b US$3.95b US$6.49b US$8.44b US$9.92b US$11.2b US$12.3b US$13.2b US$13.9b Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x5 Analyst x4 Analyst x3 Analyst x1 Analyst x1 Est @ 17.46% Est @ 12.84% Est @ 9.61% Est @ 7.35% Est @ 5.76% Present Value ($, Millions) Discounted @ 14% US$3.9k US$1.9k US$2.7k US$3.8k US$4.4k US$4.5k US$4.5k US$4.3k US$4.1k US$3.8k

("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St)

Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = US$38b

The second stage is also known as Terminal Value, this is the business's cash flow after the first stage. For a number of reasons a very conservative growth rate is used that cannot exceed that of a country's GDP growth. In this case we have used the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield (2.1%) to estimate future growth. In the same way as with the 10-year 'growth' period, we discount future cash flows to today's value, using a cost of equity of 14%.

Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2032  (1 + g)  (r  g) = US$14b (1 + 2.1%)  (14% 2.1%) = US$120b

Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= US$120b ( 1 + 14%)10= US$32b

The total value is the sum of cash flows for the next ten years plus the discounted terminal value, which results in the Total Equity Value, which in this case is US$70b. To get the intrinsic value per share, we divide this by the total number of shares outstanding. Compared to the current share price of US$12.3, the company appears a touch undervalued at a 30% discount to where the stock price trades currently. Valuations are imprecise instruments though, rather like a telescope - move a few degrees and end up in a different galaxy. Do keep this in mind.

dcf

The Assumptions

Now the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate, and of course, the actual cash flows. If you don't agree with these result, have a go at the calculation yourself and play with the assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Ford Motor 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 Ford Motor

Strength

Debt is well covered by earnings.

Dividend is in the top 25% of dividend payers in the market.

Weakness

No major weaknesses identified for F.

Opportunity

Expected to breakeven next year.

Has sufficient cash runway for more than 3 years based on current free cash flows.

Good value based on P/S ratio and estimated fair value.

Threat

Debt is not well covered by operating cash flow.

Paying a dividend but company is unprofitable.

Looking Ahead:

Whilst important, the DCF calculation is only one of many factors that you need to assess for a company. It's not possible to obtain a foolproof valuation with a DCF model. Rather it should be seen as a guide to "what assumptions need to be true for this stock to be under/overvalued?" For example, changes in the company's cost of equity or the risk free rate can significantly impact the valuation. Why is the intrinsic value higher than the current share price? For Ford Motor, there are three essential aspects you should explore:

Risks: Consider for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 2 warning signs with Ford Motor , and understanding them should be part of your investment process. Future Earnings: How does F's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other High Quality Alternatives: Do you like a good all-rounder? Explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there you may be missing!

PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every American 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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MAPLEWOOD  Boardwalk Waffles & Ice Cream is known for its ice cream served on Belgian waffles, its milkshakes and, increasingly, its owners debts.

Eric K. Moore has been at the heart of more than 40 lawsuits all saying the same thing: He did not pay his bills.

Case files and interviews with his creditors tell a similar story: Moore has promised to pay his debts but often hasnt, or he has paid very little. Sometimes the parties settled. But judges have ruled against Moore at least three dozen times.

Even then, he has failed repeatedly to make the payments required, according to creditors and court records.

Left in the wake are homeowners, mom-and-pop businesses and even relatives, who sometimes were forced to cut back on dreams  and retirement savings  to make up for the holes in their finances.

David McCreery owns a Grand Boulevard storefront in Tower Grove South. Moore signed a lease there last June, with plans to open another Boardwalk. But his rent checks have largely bounced, and he now owes McCreerys company thousands of dollars, according to a court filing.

We built this business and loved it, McCreery said. And he destroyed it.

In an interview, Moore acknowledged the debts. He said the bulk of the bills accumulated more than five years ago, when he was drinking heavily. Decisions were sometimes not the best, he said of that time.

I own my mistakes, Moore said.

He says hes sober now, is trying to turn Boardwalk into a success and wants to pay off his debts. His problem now, he said, is that he tried to expand too quickly.

In some ways, Moores story is not unusual. Experts say nearly 2 million American businesses fail every year, and the owners of about 600,000 of them walk away without paying their debts.

The cases against Moore range in geography and scope, from home renovation work in St. Louis to a shopping center he co-owned in Fayetteville, Georgia. They include work Moores general contracting company never finished, restaurant equipment he never paid for, plus hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid rent, bounced checks and personal loans.

And they date back at least 15 years.

Always one step ahead

The suits were stacking up against Moore long before he opened Boardwalk. For example:

 In 2007, Tower Grove homeowner Peter Newcomb said he paid Moore General Contracting for renovations that were poorly finished or never completed. Moore did not go to court and the judge awarded the Newcombs more than $70,000. But the Newcombs never saw any of it.

Eric Moores name is a cuss word in our family, Newcomb said. My daughter says we should go to his ice cream shop and, when they want us to pay, say, This is on Eric. He owes us.

 In 2010, the owners of the Tin Can Tavern and Grille in Columbia alleged that Moore, his then-wife, Laurie Bowman Moore, and their former company, Can O Beer, agreed to run the Tin Can and pay its owners $59,000  but never paid the bill. A judge awarded Tin Can more than $525,000, later reduced to $250,000.

I havent seen a dime, said former Tin Can co-owner Mike Headrick. Im never going to see that money, and Im done wasting my time and energy on that negative vibe.

Laurie Bowman Moore, now Laurie Bowman, declined to comment.

 In 2012, Nancy and Richard Summers, of Town and Country, won a judgement for $466,000 against the Moores. Bowman Moore was a friend of the Summerses daughter, and the Moores had borrowed $250,000 from the couple for a real estate deal.

The Moores agreed to pay back $300,000 in 120 days, or incur interest at 28% per year, according to a suit the Summerses filed in 2011. The deal went bad and the Moores never repaid the debt.

 In 2016, Bowman Moores aunt, Jo Anne Bowman, won a judgement for more than $188,000 against the Moores. The Moores had asked Bowman to withdraw $105,000 from her retirement account and lend it to them at 20% interest. They agreed to repay $80,000 of the money in 60 days, so she could return it to her retirement account without penalty.

Eighteen months later, the Moores had only repaid $5,900. Bowman sued, the Moores failed to appear in court, and a judge awarded the original loan plus interest compounding at 30% per year, according to the terms of the original contract.

Even one of Moores lawyers sued him. Mitchell D. Jacobs, who asked to withdraw from at least five cases in December 2017, sued Moore in 2018 for more than $7,200 in unpaid bills and interest  and again in 2022 for more than $1,800. Jacobs now represents Moore again. He declined to comment for this story, citing confidentiality rules.

Im almost giving him credit for his level of corruption, said homeowner Arthur Wilhelm, who sued Moores general contracting company in 2006 alleging its work led to nearly $23,000 in damage to his house in St. Louis.

Hes just living his life without a care, no fear of anything, Wilhelm said. Hes always one step ahead of everyone.

We finally got him to pay

Boardwalk sells milkshakes, ice cream sandwiches on Belgian waffles, and ice cream served in waffle bowls and waffle cones. There are now three locations in the area: on Manchester Road in Maplewood, on Telegraph Road in Mehlville and on Russell Boulevard in Soulard.

He has plans for stores on Grand Boulevard in the Grand Center Arts District, and on Grand in the South Grand Business District.

Landlords at all five locations, including the expansion sites, have sued him.

He was even sued, twice, at his first location, 7326B Manchester Road in Maplewood, just down the street from its current corner storefront. The shop was previously home to another ice cream store, and in 2016 Moore agreed to pay the owner of that shop, Michael S. McLaughlin, more than $22,000 for freezers, signs and other fixtures.

When Boardwalk failed to pay the money, McLaughlins lawyer demanded payment in full. Moore wrote a check for $2,500. It bounced.

Then, in 2019, 7326Bs landlord, Jerry Gibbs, sued too. He received a judgment for $4,800 and a promise by Moore to vacate the premises.

But Moore was in the process of moving his shop to its current location down the block, and he claimed delays in getting the new shop ready kept him from paying or moving out, said Gibbs lawyer, Todd Sivia.

We finally got him to pay it, Sivia said. He vacated and left.

Last June, Moore signed a lease to open a Boardwalk in Tower Grove South, in a location formerly occupied by Tower Grove Creamery.

His security deposit check for $7,000 bounced, according to a suit filed by McCreery and his wife, Beulah Ann. Moore then gave them a cashiers check for the same amount and a stack of 12 postdated checks to cover each month of the lease.

So far, all but one of them has also bounced, said the McCreerys lawyer, Matthew Ghio.

Passing bad checks for more than $750 is a Class E felony in Missouri, punishable by up to four years in prison or jail, or a fine of up to $10,000. However, a spokesman for St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell said such cases are rarely prosecuted because they require an intent to defraud, which can be difficult to prove.

The McCreerys suit asks to be paid double the amount that Moore owes in rent plus other expenses, or $37,000 as of December. The McCreerys have someone lined up to lease the space, but the tenant cant move in until Moore moves out, Ghio said.

He said that a lease transfers the right to possess a space from the landlord to the tenant. The only ways to terminate that right are either through the tenant voluntarily agreeing to leave, which Moore has not done, or through a court order.

Meanwhile, the shop there is still not open and Moore is using the space to store ice cream, McCreery said.

The McCreerys offered to drop the suit and pay him $5,000 to leave. Moore ignored the offer, McCreery said.

McCreery is 82, his wife is 79. They can get by without the money, though it would help, he said. Of greater concern to them is the damage the empty storefront is doing to the reputation and ambience of the South Grand business district, of which they are passionate supporters.

Moore said, I dont have any problems with the McCreerys. I think theyre really nice people. Hopefully we can come to some sort of agreement before the next court date. Its tarnished, but I have hopes.

Looking forward to summer

The other three landlords have also sued:

 In June, the landlord at Boardwalks Telegraph Road store, in Mehlville, alleged Moore owed more than $28,000 in rent, late fees, taxes and other charges. In November, Moore signed a consent agreement to pay more than $31,000 in installments until the balance was paid.

 In November, landlord Grand Center Inc. sued over Boardwalks still unopened shop in Grand Center, alleging for the second time that Moore had gone months without paying rent.

 In January, Maple King Properties, which owns the building at Boardwalks current location in Maplewood, sued for the second time, too. The company had already secured a consent judgment for more than $34,000 and an agreement that Boardwalk would leave the premises. This time they claimed Maple King was owed $14,500.

The judge issued a default judgment for more than $36,000 and possession of the property.

Moore said he is now paying the rent he owes at all three of those locations. A lawyer for Grand Center confirmed that Moore is now current on rent. Maple King has not moved to evict him; lawyers for the Telegraph Road landlords did not respond to repeated inquiries.

Still, last month the owners of 1001 Russell Boulevard in Soulard sued Moore for more than $75,000 in rent, utilities, late fees and other charges. He has not paid the rent and he has not left the premises, they claim.

The eviction process is ongoing, said Alexander Kuehling, the lawyer for 1001 Russell.

In an interview on Wednesday, Moore said his financial problems now largely stem from expanding too quickly while business was struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic: His current shop on Manchester Road opened in August 2020; the Telegraph Road location opened in September 2021; the Soulard location in March 2022.

He said he didnt have the financial backing to expand. But opportunities to open stores in Grand Center and Tower Grove seemed too good to pass up.

Now, however, he said hes making progress on paying his debts: Were in the process of trying to mend these relationships with a couple landlords, he said.

And he is looking forward to the summer, by far the busiest season for ice cream shops. The extra cash will help pay down his debts, he said.

Meanwhile, work is proceeding on the Grand Center location.

A sign on the window says a Boardwalk Waffles & Ice Cream shop will be opening there soon.

Editor's note: This story updates a judge's ruling for Tin Can of Columbia.
ST. LOUIS  The annual Easter parade in Forest Park was a thing of grinding gears and monoxide fumes, of gesticulating traffic policemen and Easter costumes only half seen in passing cars.

So lamented a Post-Dispatch reporter in describing the scene on Easter Sunday 1929. The unnamed scribbler confessed to having preferred the more leisurely promenades of earlier days.

No matter the era, some observers are certain that culture is going to pot.

Easter gatherings in Forest Park for reasons of vanity and Christian worship became popular after the 1904 Worlds Fair, and diminished only with the mass migrations to the suburbs after World War II. Thousands of people dressed up each year for the holiday stroll along the parks winding lanes. As cars became more common, the parade took to wheels, joyfully snarling the park roadways.

The first large sunrise service in the park took place on Easter, April 17, 1927, near Lindell Boulevard and Kingshighway. The Metropolitan Church Federation, then the areas main association of Protestant congregations, later moved the gathering to the Municipal Opera. Depending upon springs mercurial weather, attendance could top 13,000 faithful.

Other big sunrise services were in Tower Grove Park, sponsored by the Christian Endeavor Union, and the Carondelet Ministries Association assembly at Jefferson Barracks. For steadfastness of Christian witness, nothing beat the full-immersion baptisms in the Mississippi River, at the foot of Chestnut Street, conducted every Easter for nearly four decades by Pleasant Green Missionary Baptist Church.

Catholics jammed the St. Louis Cathedral, 4431 Lindell Boulevard, for Solemn High Mass, where Catholic Archbishop John J. Glennon in 1929 described the keystone of Christian theology in his crisply Irish way: A crucifixion without the resurrection would drive any human being stark, raving mad.

A popular Easter tradition for everyone was viewing the lilies, hyacinths and tulips on display inside the Jewel Box in Forest Park, where attendance of 25,000 was common. Fire departments and churches sponsored egg hunts for kids in neighborhood parks.

With Easters theme unchanging, newspapers usually dwelt upon the weather or spring fashions. On Easter 1928, when the temperature at dawn was only 34 degrees, members of Pleasant Greens congregation stood by on the riverfront with blankets for the shivering mortal bodies of the newly saved souls. On Easter 1946, with temperatures in the 80s and wartime rationing a memory, women strutted in summer dresses and drivers took extra loops through the park.

Remember your Easter outfit from back in the day? Get a look at what the fashionable folks wore on Easter Sunday in years gone by around St. Louis.

The big sunrise service in Forest Park remained popular after World War II and was broadcast live over local radio stations. On Easter 1958, the Rev. Franc McCluer, president of Lindenwood College, offered consolation for Cold War jitters: Righteousness and love are greater than the power of evil.

Declining attendance ended that tradition in 1969.

Bonnets, bunnies and baptisms: A look back at Easter in St. Louis Easter 1924 Easter 1928 Easter 1935 Easter 1936 Easter 1936 Easter 1939 Easter 1940 Easter 1941 Easter 1941 Easter 1941 baptism Easter 1946 Easter 1946 Easter 1947 Easter 1949 Easter 1949 Easter 1952 Easter 1952 Easter 1959 Easter 1960 Easter 1963 Easter 1968 Easter 1971
ST. LOUIS  An unidentified person died Sunday morning after crashing a car into a building in the Near North Riverfront neighborhood, police said.

A preliminary investigation indicated the driver was headed north on North Broadway early Sunday when the driver veered right, left the road, crossed over Branch Street and hit the building, in the 3100 block of North Broadway.

The vehicle, a Nissan sedan, caught fire and was completely incinerated, police said. When authorities showed up and extinguished the fire, they found the driver inside and pronounced them dead at the scene.

An investigation is ongoing.
Once again, Missouri legislators are demonstrating their odd and disturbing allegiance to puppy mills. The state already is notorious nationally as ground zero for this shady industry. Now, in keeping with the recent trend among Republicans of refusing to let local governments make their own decisions, pending legislation would prevent St. Louis and other cities from clamping down on pet stores that enable the industry. This bill deserves to the relegated to the lining of the cages where these puppies are kept.

Puppy mills  defined as large commercial operations in which dogs are bred for sale in overcrowded and often unhealthy conditions  have been a Missouri scourge for many years. The state has topped the Human Societys list of the Horrible Hundred worst puppy mills in the U.S. for each of 10 years since the organization began putting out the annual report.

Abuses in that industry were glaring enough that Missouri voters in 2010 passed a ballot initiative imposing restrictions and standards of care. The state Legislature, as it tends to do, promptly reversed the will of the voters at the behest of the dog-breeding industry. Then, in 2014, lawmakers won passage of a constitutional right-to-farm amendment that was actually a thinly disguised shill to puppy mills.

In addition to denying women the right to biological autonomy and making sure criminals and the mentally ill arent thwarted from getting their hands on guns, Missouris ruling Republicans are more than happy to roll over for the puppy-mill industry.

So it is that the House last week approved a bill that would prevent local municipalities throughout Missouri from banning or restricting pet shops. Theres no such local statute in St. Louis or anywhere else in the state right now, but blue states like Illinois and liberal communities elsewhere have done just that. The Missouri bill is a preemptive strike, clearly designed to ensure that industry giants like Petland, the Ohio-based pet store chain with lobbyists in Jefferson City, arent limited in their business practices by pesky local elected officials attempting to carry out the wishes of their local constituents.

Missouri Republicans have a long history of serving the interests of puppy mills and their adjacent industries. Eviscerating local control over local issues is a new thing with todays GOP, not just here but around the country. Like once-vaunted Republican principles of family values, law and order and fiscal responsibility, local control still gets some GOP lip service now and then, but its clearly no longer what the party stands for.

The bill now moves to the Senate, where Republican leaders have occasionally shown more restraint and adherence to their own principles than do their House GOP counterparts. This would be a good time to display those qualities and bury this cynical bill nice and deep.
Who and where  Jim and Suzanne Rosenauer of Chesterfield at the Schilthorn mountain in the Bernese Alps above the village of Murren, Switzerland. In the background are the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau summits.

The trip  They spent a few days in Switzerland in late August before traveling to Paris for two days and then taking a 15-day river cruise in France ending in Marseilles.

Travel tip  Remember to take along some warm clothes, for going up on the mountains. Dress in layers because sometimes with the sun out and the dry mountain air it can get quite warm.
BELLEVUE, Wash. (PRWEB) April 08, 2023

Last week Dr. David May was named the next president of Bellevue College (BC). The selection was made during a board of trustees meeting on March 28, 2023, where trustees voted unanimously on his appointment.

"Dr. May brings more than two decades of exceptional leadership in higher education, a deep commitment to the values we cherish, and a passion for creating pathways to success for students," said Merisa Heu-Weller, chair of the board. "After a thorough search with an exceptional pool of candidates, and in reviewing campus input, we're confident that he's the best choice to lead BC."

Bellevue College is the largest open-access college in the state with over 19,000 students enrolled annually. It offers a comprehensive array of programs including 14 bachelor's degrees, nine transfer associate degrees, two non-transfer associate degrees, and 64 certifications. New additions to the baccalaureate programs include a Bachelor of Applied Science in Business Management and Technology and a Bachelor of Applied Science in Cybersecurity. The college is also the source of more transfer students to Washington's public four-year colleges and universities than any other community or technical college in the state.

"I'm deeply honored to have been selected for the role of president at Bellevue College," said May. "In my conversations with faculty, staff, and students, it's clear that this is a community dedicated to student success, academic innovation, and the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion. I look forward to getting to know the campus better as we envision the institution's future together."

A nationwide six-month search supported by EQU Advisors culminated in this selection. May will succeed former Washington state governor Gary Locke who has served as BC's interim president since June 2020. The search yielded well-qualified candidates from across the country, and May was one of four finalists who were recommended to the board of trustees.

May is in his third decade as an educator and leader in higher education in the state of Washington. A Pacific Northwest native, he has focused his career on student success and regional partnerships. Holding a doctorate in political science from Washington State University, May is an expert in the area of Supreme Court politics who centers equity and incorporates critical race theory in his curriculum. He is passionate about the role of higher education in producing responsible and engaged citizens and as an engine of social mobility.

"I am excited about the selection of Dr. May as the next president of Bellevue College. With his demonstrated commitment to equity, we anticipate a continued level of strong support for BC's commitment to grow and sustain our equity-focused efforts," said Dr. Consuelo Grier, vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion.

Recognizing the critical role of public higher education as a point of access, opportunity, and excellence, May continues to focus on expanding educational opportunities for the entire range of diverse students that make up our region and our state. As the interim president of Eastern Washington University, May was committed to ensuring student success and safety as we lived through and emerged from the pandemic and preparing the institution and our students to be leaders in the social, economic, and political recovery of our communities.

May holds a Ph.D. in Political Science and MA in Political Science from Washington State University, and a BA in Political Science from Whitman College.

More information is available on the BC Presidential Search website.

Read the full story at https://www.prweb.com/releases/2023/4/prweb19271967.htm
TOKYO (Reuters) - A gubernatorial candidate backed by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's ruling party was projected to keep his seat in a high-profile election on Sunday, domestic media said, in what is likely to be seen as boost for the premier.

Naomichi Suzuki, the governor of the northern island of Hokkaido, had 77% of the votes as of Sunday night, with about 25% of the votes counted, according to public broadcaster NHK. It and other Japanese media outlets projected Suzuki to win the race.

Suzuki was backed by Kishida's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its junior coalition partner. The result in Hokkaido - Japan's largest prefecture by area and of strategic importance because of its proximity to Russia - is likely to be welcomed by Kishida.

There has been speculation that the premier could look to capitalise on some recent improvement in his support numbers by calling a snap election. Kishida, who recently visited Ukraine, is hosting a Group of Seven leaders summit in his hometown of Hiroshima next month.

The Hokkaido election was one of dozens of local polls held on Sunday. Many other municipalities are due to hold elections later this month.

In the western prefecture of Osaka, the local arm of the conservative Japan Innovation Party retained both the office of governor and Osaka city mayor. The party is in favour of greater defence spending.

(Reporting by David Dolan; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
By Josh Arslan and Thomas Peter

PINGTAN, China (Reuters) - As China sends warships and fighter jets to the Taiwan Strait after a U.S. visit by Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, deemed a separatist by Beijing, fishing crews plying the narrow waterway say they fret more about their livelihood than politics.

For years, Chinese fishermen trawling for fish, shrimp and crab have played cat and mouse with Taiwanese authorities as they closely track boats that near the median line of the Taiwan Strait.

Villagers on Pingtan island in China's southeastern Fujian province, just across from Taiwan, say fishing is their livelihood - and trips to sea are more fraught as China stages new military drills in the strait, just 160km (100 miles) at its narrowest.

"If no fish come to my net, my family will probably starve to death," said Wang, a fisherman in his 40s in Pingtan's Dafu village, where his ancestors have fished for generations. Like the other fishermen interviewed for this article, he gave only his family name because of the sensitivity of the situation.

When Wang's boat sailed on Friday morning to an area half an hour from Pingtan, his crew brought back about 7,000 yuan ($1,000) worth of mainly red shrimp and pomfret. About 20 people worked on that boat.

Each fisherman earns about 200 to 300 yuan for a day's work, far less than needed to raise a family, Wang said.

"Diesel is getting more and more expensive, and our living costs have risen significantly, with the meagre government subsidies just a drop in the bucket," he said.

China launched exercises around the main Taiwan island on Saturday as part of drills that will last until Monday. The Fujian Maritime Bureau also announced live firing drills off the coast of the Fujian capital, Fuzhou, as well as Pingtan.

Those activities won't stop fishermen from heading to sea, but the increased tensions will make them more wary about getting close to the median line.

"We used to travel to the open waters, but now we only fish near the shore, since we are not allowed to cross the red line. There's no point in risking heavy fines," said another fisherman, Yan, who has been working in the strait for a decade.

Wang said he was more concerned about the end of the fishing season on May 1. Islanders, including him, are scrambling to seize every sailing opportunity as they brace for three months of zero income.

"We have been fishing since we were very young, and will do so until we are old enough to die - we have no time to think about issues other than our personal struggles," Wang said with a small smile.

MEDIAN LINE

On Saturday, Taipei said more than 40 Chinese planes crossed the Taiwan Strait's "median line", which Beijing does not recognise.

Deteriorating relations have made Chinese fishermen more afraid of approaching the line.

"No one dares to cross that line or even go near it," said Yan, whose boat frequently sails around the resource-rich Niushan Island.

Several times last year, Taiwan's coast guard detained Chinese fishing crew members, citing illegal trawling, according to official statements.

China's Taiwan Affairs Office has in recent years called on Taiwanese authorities to stop treating mainland fishermen "in a violent and dangerous manner" and to stop seizing mainland fishing boats.

"We could be charged hundreds of thousands of yuan by the Taiwan government if found crossing the red line for trawling," Wang said.

Another fisherman, Lin, 53, said he hoped relations would improve.

"If there is a war, Pingtan will definitely be the front line, and I'll enlist if our country needs me," Lin said while fixing his net near their village. "But I feel and hope that the day would never come."

($1 = 6.8681 Chinese yuan renminbi)

(Reporting by Josh Arslan and Thomas Peter; Writing by Ella Cao and Ryan Woo. Editing by Gerry Doyle)
Key Insights

Synlait Milk's estimated fair value is NZ$4.08 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity

Current share price of NZ$2.14 suggests Synlait Milk is potentially 48% undervalued

Our fair value estimate is 35% higher than Synlait Milk's analyst price target of NZ$3.03

In this article we are going to estimate the intrinsic value of Synlait Milk Limited (NZSE:SML) 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.

Remember though, that there are many ways to estimate a company's value, and a DCF is just one method. Anyone interested in learning a bit more about intrinsic value should have a read of the Simply Wall St analysis model.

View our latest analysis for Synlait Milk

Step By Step Through The Calculation

We are going to use a two-stage DCF model, which, as the name states, takes into account two stages of growth. The first stage is generally a higher growth period which levels off heading towards the terminal value, captured in the second 'steady growth' period. To begin with, we have to get estimates of the next ten years of cash flows. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years.

A DCF is all about the idea that a dollar in the future is less valuable than a dollar today, so we discount the value of these future cash flows to their estimated value in today's dollars:

10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast

2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 Levered FCF (NZ$, Millions) -NZ$17.8m NZ$60.5m NZ$73.5m NZ$66.6m NZ$62.9m NZ$60.8m NZ$59.8m NZ$59.5m NZ$59.7m NZ$60.2m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x2 Analyst x2 Analyst x2 Analyst x1 Est @ -5.61% Est @ -3.28% Est @ -1.64% Est @ -0.50% Est @ 0.30% Est @ 0.86% Present Value (NZ$, Millions) Discounted @ 7.7% -NZ$16.6 NZ$52.2 NZ$58.9 NZ$49.6 NZ$43.5 NZ$39.1 NZ$35.7 NZ$33.0 NZ$30.7 NZ$28.8

("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St)

Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = NZ$355m

Story continues

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 2.2%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 7.7%.

Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2032  (1 + g)  (r  g) = NZ$60m (1 + 2.2%)  (7.7% 2.2%) = NZ$1.1b

Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= NZ$1.1b ( 1 + 7.7%)10= NZ$537m

The total value is the sum of cash flows for the next ten years plus the discounted terminal value, which results in the Total Equity Value, which in this case is NZ$892m. To get the intrinsic value per share, we divide this by the total number of shares outstanding. Relative to the current share price of NZ$2.1, the company appears quite undervalued at a 48% discount to where the stock price trades currently. Remember though, that this is just an approximate valuation, and like any complex formula - garbage in, garbage out.

dcf

Important 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. Part of investing is coming up with your own evaluation of a company's future performance, so try the calculation yourself and check your own assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Synlait Milk as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 7.7%, which is based on a levered beta of 0.923. 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 Synlait Milk

Strength

Debt is well covered by .

Weakness

Interest payments on debt are not well covered.

Opportunity

Annual earnings are forecast to grow faster than the New Zealander market.

Good value based on P/E ratio and estimated fair value.

Threat

Debt is not well covered by operating cash flow.

Revenue is forecast to grow slower than 20% per year.

Next Steps:

Although the valuation of a company is important, it is only one of many factors that you need to assess for a company. It's not possible to obtain a foolproof valuation with a DCF model. Rather it should be seen as a guide to "what assumptions need to be true for this stock to be under/overvalued?" If a company grows at a different rate, or if its cost of equity or risk free rate changes sharply, the output can look very different. Why is the intrinsic value higher than the current share price? For Synlait Milk, there are three further elements you should further research:

Risks: Case in point, we've spotted 2 warning signs for Synlait Milk you should be aware of, and 1 of them shouldn't be ignored. Future Earnings: How does SML's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other High Quality Alternatives: Do you like a good all-rounder? Explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there you may be missing!

PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every New Zealander 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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The father, brother and sisters of Maia and Rina Dee, Israeli-British sisters killed in a shooting attack, grieve during their funerals at a cemetery in Kfar Etzion in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, April 9, 2023. REUTERS/Nir Elias

KFAR ETZION, West Bank (Reuters) - The family of two Israeli sisters who were killed in a shooting attack in the occupied West Bank shared tearful eulogies on Sunday with a room full of weeping mourners, while their mother who was wounded remained in a coma.

Maia and Rina Dee, 20 and 15, who were also British citizens, died on Friday when their car was shot at by a suspected Palestinian gunman. Israeli forces are still trying to track the assailant down.

The sisters' father, Leo, broke down in tears as he spoke before the crowd that had gathered in the Jewish settlement of Kfar Etzion for the funeral.

He evoked the Passover holiday now being celebrated and the story of the biblical exodus of Jews from slavery in Egypt to freedom.

"The journey to redemption is a slow one - three steps forward and two steps back. And Maia and Rina, with your loss, our world has taken two steps back," he said, extending an arm in the direction of their bodies that lay covered in cloth. "You have inspired us, you've loved us, and in turn we will love you forever."

Their sibling Keren lamented not being able to protect her younger sister.

"I would do anything to have been in the car instead of you," she said.

After a year of escalating Israeli-Palestinian violence, tensions are running especially high as Ramadan and Passover coincide. Hours after the sisters were killed, an Italian tourist was killed in a ramming attack in Tel Aviv.

The attacks added to heightened Israeli-Palestinian tensions following Israeli police raids in Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque last week.

Since the beginning of the year, at least 18 Israelis and foreigners have been killed in attacks in Israel, around Jerusalem and in the West Bank. In the same period, Israeli forces have killed more than 80 Palestinians, most of them fighters in militant groups but some of them civilians.

(Reporting by Ilan Rosenberg, Dedi Hayoun and Ari Rabinovitch; editing by Philippa Fletcher)
(This April 9 story has been refiled to clarify meaning in paragraph 6)

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea is aware of news reports about a leak of several classified U.S. military documents and it plans to discuss "issues raised" as a result of the leak with the United States, a South Korean presidential official said on Sunday.

Several classified U.S. military documents have recently been posted on social media offering a partial, month-old snapshot of the war in Ukraine, three U.S. officials told Reuters on Friday, adding that Russia or pro-Russian elements were likely behind the leak.

Reuters has not been able to verify the authenticity of the documents. The U.S. Justice Department has said it is investigating the leak.

One of the documents, obtained by Reuters, showed details about internal discussions among top South Korean top officials about U.S. pressure on Seoul to help supply weapons to Ukraine, and its policy of not doing so.

The document, which does not appear to have a date on it, said that South Korea had agreed to sell artillery shells to help the United States replenish its stockpiles, insisting that the "end user" should be the U.S. military. But internally, top South Korean officials were worried that the United States would divert them to Ukraine.

The report was based in part on signals intelligence, which suggests the United States had been spying on South Korea, one of its most important allies.

The South Korean presidential official, speaking to reporters, declined to respond to questions about U.S. spying or to confirm any details from the leaked documents.

Asked if South Korea planned to lodge a protest or demand an explanation from the United States, the official, who declined to be identified, said the government would review precedents and cases involving other countries.

South Korea has signed major deals providing hundreds of tanks, aircraft and other weapons to NATO member Poland since Russia invaded Ukraine. But President Yoon Suk Yeol has said that a South Korean law that forbids supplying weapons to countries engaged in conflict makes it difficult to send arms to Ukraine.

The South Korean official said there was no change to South Korea's policy.

Yoon is scheduled to meet U.S. President Joe Biden on April 26 during a state visit to Washington.

(Reporting by Ju-min Park and Idrees Ali; Editing by Robert Birsel and Mark Porter)
(Tribune News Service)  A station commander at an Evans, Colo., Army recruiting office didnt think twice to jump into action when he saw an assault just outside the office.

Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Logan, a former military police officer, hopes to inspire others to step up in times of need after his heroic actions helped a teen girl to safety.

Logan works as an army recruiter at the U.S. Army Recruiting Office in Evans. Before the assault this past month, he never expected his military background in defense would come in handy in his current role.

At 11:30 a.m., March 16, Evans police responded to a domestic violence assault in the 3200 block of 23rd Avenue, according to officer Fernando Miramontes. There, officers contacted a restaurant employee who overheard a juvenile male and female arguing in the front lobby. The two engaged in a shoving match before the male dragged her out and across the parking lot toward the U.S. Army Recruiting Office.

Several employees at the office, including Logan, witnessed the male place the victim in a headlock and hit her in the face. When Logan saw the distress on the girls face, he and another employee immediately jumped into action to intervene.

Act quickly was the first part, Logan said. It just felt really good to help in that situation.

Logan placed himself between the two teenagers. The boy pushed and threatened Logan as he kept them separated. Eventually, Logan and another employee escorted the victim back to her job.

If Christopher did not intervene, it is unknown what would have happened to the victim that day, Miramontes said.

For 12 years, Logan served as military police and was deployed several times to Iraq and Afghanistan. There were times throughout his military career when he felt he didnt act quickly enough or didnt intervene when he should have. This time around  when he caught glimpse of the assault between the juveniles  he knew he needed to do something right away.

SFC Logan sprang into action to protect and defend just like he has always been trained, Army Recruiter Ryan Grant said.

The decision to assist didnt just stem from a military background, Logan said. Helping out is how he was raised. Logan grew up in a small town in Montana where everyone looked out for one another.

I think (Sgt. Logan) did a noble act of service for the victim and to society, Miramontes said. His selflessness to intervene and quick thinking potentially saved a life and stopped an act of violence toward another person.

Logan wishes more people would help out in those types of situations, with an understanding there are dangerous situations where bystanders should not intervene to avoid further injury or escalation.

But there are times when altercations can be avoided or deescalated if someone steps up, he said.

The smallest thing could change somebodys life forever, and I just wish more people would actually take advantage of that, Logan said.

The victims parents personally thanked Logan for getting their daughter to safety. Logan often didnt hear from people appreciating his work during his time as a military police officer. Now, he appreciates the opportunity to see peoples gratitude for his past and current actions.

Thank you for your service, Miramontes said about Logan. Thank you for stopping an act of violence toward women. Also, thank you for being a fearless leader by restoring faith in humanity by standing up against violence.

(c)2023 the Greeley Tribune (Greeley, Colo.)

Visit at www.greeleytribune.com
FAIRBANKS, Alaska (Tribune News Service)  For Capt. Caleb Friel, who spent his teenage years on the Big Island before joining the Army, the snow is a new challenge as he trains soldiers in Alaska for potential combat operations.

I think a few years that I spent growing up in Tennessee at Fort Campbell when I was younger is about as much exposure to snow as Ive had, he admits.

Friel is a member of the 196th Infantry Brigade, the unit the Army has tasked with running training across its new Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center, encompassing ranges in Hawaii and Alaska along with an exportable training program that takes place in a different country every year.

This year that country will be Australia.

The most recent Alaska training rotation of JPMRC with 8, 000 troops is aimed at members of the Armys newly reorganized 11th Airborne Division, certifying them for potential deployments amid increasing geopolitical tensions across the Pacific. The exercise began March 22 and is slated to wrap up Friday.

Headquartered at Fort Shafter, the 196th has troops spread across the Pacific with two battalions on Oahu, one in Alaska and another on Guam.

Brigade commander Col. Bryan Martin said Native Hawaiian and Chamorro soldiers commonly request assignments with the unit, which gives many a unique opportunity to return to the islands. Friel, a Kameha meha Schools graduate currently assigned to the units Kapolei-based 1st Battalion, said he hasnt been back to Hawaii in years and wanted his children to experience island living and connect with family.

But though some soldiers with the 196th may be stationed closer to their families, theyre still away from home often as the Army ramps up its Pacific operations.

Friel said the brigades mission has evolved significantly since he joined the unit. In the past it focused on training National Guard members and reservists in the Pacific for deployments. But as Pacific tensions heat up, the 196th has become the Armys go-to trainers in the region.

U.S. Army Pacific set up JPMRC in part to offset the cost of moving troops from Hawaii and Alaska to the Armys other large-scale training centers in California and Louisiana. But the Army also hopes that in addition to cutting costs, JPMRC will provide better trainingand its attracting attention from other militaries.

Last year in Hawaii, troops from the Philippines, Thailand and Indonesia trained with Oahu-based 25th Infantry Division troops for their JPMRC rotation. This year in Alaska, Canadian and Italian troops joined the 11th Airborne in the U.S. militarys Yukon Training Area, while military observers from Japan, Mongolia, Nepal, Chile, Germany, Finland and Norway watched.

Among the visitors was Mongolian Army chief Gen. Bujiinov Amgalanbaatar.

For the first time in nearly five decades, the Army has committed to and is developing (and ) continuing to advance its premier training center for this region, said U.S. Army Pacific commander Gen. Charles Flynn. This keeps our forces in the region, it allows us to train in the environment and the conditions that were most likely to operate in (and) it allows us the opportunity to train as a joint force because were surrounded by joint assets, both here and in Hawaii.

The Army is radically shifting how it trains soldiers in Alaska. In the past, commanders avoided training during the harshest winter conditions. Soldiers joked that the Army hibernated during those months. Now commanders are ramping up winter warfare training.

This is really the third year of us getting out and changing our training strategy to put in heavy training in the winter months ; the rest of the Army sort of does the opposite, said 11th Airborne commander Maj. Gen. Brian Eifler. He added that the harshest environmental climate is Arctic ... if something will work in that environment, you can make it work anywhere.

Martin said it takes about 270 days to plan a JPMRC rotation like the one in Alaska. After planning the war game, the 196th runs the Operations Group Instrumentation System, which Martin said keeps track of everything and provides the data for the exercise that allows us to see where players are at, what actions they took, records communications, so we can understand how they were passing information data to each other.

Most of the commanders and trainers running JPMRC that have combat experience got it in the post-9 /11 conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Friel deployed to Afghanistan twice. But the wars they foughtdrawn-out grinding counterinsurgency and counterterrorism operations against lightly equipped forces in those countriesare very different from the sorts of conflicts JPMRC aims to prepare soldiers for.

In recent memory, over the last 20 or so years, I think most soldiers experienced maybe horrific things, but a lotmost soldierscame home, said Friel.

As tensions have escalated between the U.S. and China, commanders are reckoning with the potential of conflicts that would be much larger and kill thousands more troops. The bloody war in Ukraine has offered a sobering glimpse of what it could look like as both sides relentlessly fight each other with tanks and artillery.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has brought destruction both to battlefields and Ukrainian cities and killed thousands of soldiers and civilians alike. Exercise planners have watched the unfolding conflict to inform training during JPMRC rotations, adding elements such as drones that have come to play a central role as both Ukrainian and Russian forces use them to deadly effect.

BUT IN Hawaii, the Army is preparing for a potential fight to hold onto training areas it considers vital. Several of the Hawaii ranges the military uses for JPMRC belong to the state, and the Armys leases expire in 2029.

Conversations about lease negotiations are taking place as many Hawaii residents and officials are rethinking their relationship with the military in the aftermath of the 2021 contamination of the Navys Oahu water system by fuel from its underground Red Hill fuel storage facility.

The military is currently working to remove 104 million gallons of fuel from Red Hill tanks, which sit just 100 feet above a critical aquifer that most of Oahu relies on for drinking water.

Last year, state agencies and lawmakers criticized a draft environmental impact statement the Army crafted on its proposal to renew the lease on all the state land at Hawaii islands Pohakuloa Training Area, parts of which the state has designated as a conservation district.

In its comments on the draft EIS, the state Office of Conservation and Coastal Lands wrote that it appears that military training is in direct conflict of the Conservation District designation.

Regional leaders across the Pacific have called on the U.S. and China to lower the temperature on tensions. But U.S. military officials in the Pacific say the Chinese military has not responded to attempts to reestablish lines of communication they once maintained to avoid conflict. Meanwhile, China has accused the U.S. of provocation as it steps up training with militaries around the region.

In a recent interview with national security news outlet Defense One, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley said, Theres a lot of rhetoric in China, and a lot of rhetoric elsewhere, to include the United States, that could create the perception that war is right around the corner or were on the brink of war with China ... and I think that the rhetoric itself can overheat the environment.

Friel said he believes most soldiers have little interest in putting their skills to work in a real conflict, but that troops need to be trained and ready if called.

I think everybody is focused on making things as realistic and challenging and complex and ambiguous as the world were in, he said. The goal is to make sure soldiers come home.

(c)2023 The Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Visit at www.staradvertiser.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
(Tribune News Service)  A new study by researchers at the University of Hawaii at Hilo indicates combat duty had little effect on military suicide rates, and in some cases even correlated with a slight decrease in soldiers taking their own life.

The new paper, published in March in the academic journal Psychiatry Research, examined military and civilian suicide rates over the last 120 years. It followed up on a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in December 2019 that challenged the popular perception that the stress and trauma of war prompted military suicides.

A lot of times, after that JAMA study came out, my colleagues and I were asked how this stacks up against the civilian population, said UH Hilo History Department Chair Jeffrey Allen Smith, one of the studys co-authors. And so thats what we did here was we started looking into the civilian population and comparing it to the military.

The data showed that military and civilian suicides mostly paralleled each other, both in war and in peacetime. Smith said the data suggests it may be counterproductive to focus narrowly on military-related suicides apart from the larger societal context, including considering comparative rates among civilians and long-term historical data on suicide in both civilian and military populations.

Smith and his co-authors, UH Hilo research assistant Ryan Hanoa, UH Hilo psychology professor Christopher Frueh and federal historian Michael Doidge, studied data from U.S. military health and personnel readiness reports and academic journal articles published from 1900 to 2022, while U.S. civilian population data came from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Preventions National Vital Statistics System.

An increase in U.S. military suicide rates in recent years has prompted calls for action from lawmakers and advocates. Smith said the lower rates of the 20th century created a perception that service members didnt die by suicide as often as civilians.

When you look at it, historically speaking, they might be referring to a time in which the rates were, historically speaking, abnormally low, Smith said. And so what we might be actually returning to is what historically would have been the norm, which is the military rates following along with the civilian ones.

During World War II and much of the Cold War, American service members had somewhat lower suicide rates than the civilian population. Those in the service generally felt at the time that what they were doing was important, though suicide increased in the later years of the Vietnam War as it dragged on and became increasingly unpopular.

But Smith said thats not to suggest concerns about post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injuries and other trauma experienced during military serv ice are misplaced, noting that war has definitely had a profound impact on the mental health of individual service members. And though wars have at times given soldiers a sense of duty and purpose, when the conflicts drag on, that motivation may wane.

In the aftermath of the 9 /11 terrorist attacks and the early days of the global war on terror, military deaths by suicide initially declined. But as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan dragged on, troops found themselves deployed to other far-flung combat zones such as Somalia and Syria. Some disillusioned veterans began calling them the Forever Wars. Suicide rates began rising again.

In August 2021, the war in Afghanistan came to a bloody and chaotic end as troops worked to evacuate Afghan civilians fleeing victorious Taliban forces. In the chaos, a terror bombing killed 13 American service members and at least 169 Afghan civilians. In retaliation, the U.S. military launched a drone strike the Pentagon claimed struck an ISIS bomb maker, only to admit weeks later that it had actually killed 10 Afghan civiliansseven of them childrenand no terrorists.

A month later President Joe Biden told the United Nations General Assembly, I stand here today, for the first time in 20 years, the United States is not at war. Weve turned the page. But troops remain in Iraq, Syria, Somalia and other countries conducting operations.

Less than 1 % of Americans currently serve in the all-volunteer U.S. military, with some veterans feeling the wars they fought have been largely ignored by Americans.

Theres something about the Forever Wars here that still isnt fully understood, and so that sense of belonging and purpose is probably one of the things that would fall into those cluster of causes, Smith said.

Last year the military reported a reduction in suicides over previous years, but officials said they are still looking to ensure a sustained reduction. Across the country, lawmakers and advocates have warned that America as a whole is in a mental health crisis. Many Americans report having fewer friends and feeling more isolated.

Smith said its not the first time in history thats happened, noting that during the Industrial Revolution suicide rates increased, and that it lines up with the U.S. population moving from a rural, agrarian-based economy and society to one thats decidedly more industrial and urban.

We seem to be going through perhaps what could be described as like a digital revolution, and how that is seemingly upending society, Smith added. That sort of technology and that digital revolution is impacting it again, for better or worse, and might be driving some of those rates again, too, as you go through another revolutionary phase.

(c)2023 The Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Visit at www.staradvertiser.com

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(Tribune News Service)  Two U.S. lawmakers said they discussed the possibility of bringing Elon Musks Starlink satellite system into Taiwan with President Tsai Ing-wen, to help Taipeis deterrence against China.

U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul and Arkansas Rep. French Hill, among a congressional delegation visiting Taipei, said it was one of the constructive takeaways in their talks with Tsai on Saturday.

Taiwans presidential office said it had no comment on Starlink. It issued a statement saying McCaul and his delegation met with Taiwanese leaders from various industries including semiconductors and aerospace technology.

The Republicans didnt say if they had discussed the idea with Musk or Starlink, the fleet operated and launched by the billionaires Space Exploration Technologies Corp., which has more than 3,000 satellites in orbit.

Last year, Musk angered Taipei by proposing his own solution for the tensions between China and Taiwan  handing some control to Beijing. Taiwan is governed independently, but China considers the island part of its territory. He also said then that Beijing has sought assurances that he wont offer Starlinks internet service in China.

Communist China is very good at what we call intelligence surveillance reconnaissance, McCaul told reporters Saturday. They have great eyes on  they can see everything in the Pacific. In some cases, better than we can in this area. Taiwan has none of that.

China announced it will conduct military drills around Taiwan for three days from Saturday, following Tsais return from visits to the U.S.

Taiwan would benefit from Starlinks satellites because of vulnerabilities in its undersea cables, Hill said, adding the island would have to make a national security exception for the company to operate.

With assistance from Cindy Wang.

2023 Bloomberg L.P.

Visit bloomberg.com.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
The board of Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings (NYSE:LH) has announced that it will pay a dividend of $0.72 per share on the 8th of June. Based on this payment, the dividend yield will be 1.2%, which is fairly typical for the industry.

See our latest analysis for Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings

Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings' Payment Has Solid Earnings Coverage

While it is always good to see a solid dividend yield, we should also consider whether the payment is feasible. However, Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings' earnings easily cover the dividend. This means that most of its earnings are being retained to grow the business.

Looking forward, earnings per share is forecast to rise by 26.4% over the next year. Assuming the dividend continues along recent trends, we think the payout ratio could be 16% by next year, which is in a pretty sustainable range.

Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings Doesn't Have A Long Payment History

It's not possible for us to make a backward looking judgement just based on a short payment history. This doesn't mean that the company can't pay a good dividend, but just that we want to wait until it can prove itself.

The Dividend's Growth Prospects Are Limited

Investors who have held shares in the company for the past few years will be happy with the dividend income they have received. However, Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings has only grown its earnings per share at 3.8% per annum over the past five years. If Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings is struggling to find viable investments, it always has the option to increase its payout ratio to pay more to shareholders.

Our Thoughts On Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings' Dividend

Overall, we think Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings is a solid choice as a dividend stock, even though the dividend wasn't raised this year. The dividend has been at reasonable levels historically, but that hasn't translated into a consistent payment. Taking all of this into consideration, the dividend looks viable moving forward, but investors should be mindful that the company has pushed the boundaries of sustainability in the past and may do so again.

Story continues

It's important to note that companies having a consistent dividend policy will generate greater investor confidence than those having an erratic one. Meanwhile, despite the importance of dividend payments, they are not the only factors our readers should know when assessing a company. As an example, we've identified 3 warning signs for Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings that you should be aware of before investing. Looking for more high-yielding dividend ideas? Try our collection of strong dividend payers.

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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On an overcast February day, futuristic autonomous shuttles roll silently through deserted streets past decaying, abandoned buildings on the northern fringes of San Francisco Bay. The only signs of life are a phalanx of police officers and, in the distance, cattle roaming among hundreds of sod-covered concrete bunkers that stretch to the horizon.

Nearly two decades after the U.S. Navy decommissioned the Concord Naval Weapons Station in California, the sprawling site more resembles the set of a post-apocalyptic movie than the residential community its slated to become. Before ground is broken on a single new home, bunkers, pipelines and other military infrastructure must be removed, and electricity, water and other utilities will have to be extended to an area a third the size of Manhattan. Efforts to secure a master developer for the project are dragging, though, and for now the former base is being used as a testing ground for self-driving electric vehicles and to train law enforcement personnel.

The convoluted quest to repurpose the Concord Naval Weapons Station underscores the challenges of redeveloping a vast but contaminated military facility, as well as the unique opportunity. The city of Concords plans for the 4,972-acre base call for more than 12,000 homes along with businesses, schools and sporting facilities to be built adjacent to existing mass transit. More than half the base will become a 2,543-acre park, which will preserve habitat for endangered animals and connect people and wildlife to a network of regional preserves. The base essentially offers a once-in-a generation chance to significantly expand housing stock in a region suffering a severe home shortage, while also minimizing climate impacts from suburban sprawl.

Theres an emphasis on lowering greenhouse gas emissions and making it a transit-oriented development that is pedestrian and bicycle-friendly with higher densities around the train station, said Guy Bjerke, Concords director of economic development and base reuse.

The naval weapons station has remained off limits to the public for nearly 80 years and the Navy retains ownership until the city executes a viable deal with a developer. In 2019, though, the Navy transferred 2,216 acres of the site to the East Bay Regional Park District, which is in the process of transforming the parcel into parklands.

Driving along Mount Diablo Creek, which divides the future Thurgood Marshall Regional Park from the planned housing development, a dirt track climbs through grasslands into the Los Medanos Hills. Coyotes roam the ridgeline, where there are sweeping views of Mount Diablo, the Bay Areas highest peak, and 118 grass-roofed ammunition bunkers linked by railroad tracks (dubbed Bunker City), plus a squat building where fuses were once attached to bombs. On a clear day, the Sierra Nevada Mountains can be seen more than 100 miles to the east.

The view a few miles to the north is of Port Chicago, where the Navy established an ammunition depot on Suisun Bay in 1942. After a munitions explosion killed 320 primarily Black sailors in 1944, some of the survivors were court-martialed when they refused to return to work. NAACP attorney Thurgood Marshall, the future Supreme Court justice and the parks namesake, was a leading advocate for the sailors.

After that disaster, the Navy purchased nearby farms and ranchland to establish the Concord Naval Weapons Station, over time adding rocket-testing ranges, missile-assembly buildings and burn areas where munitions were exploded and buried. That left grasslands and groundwater contaminated with pesticides, arsenic, carcinogens and other hazardous materials.

The weapons station was one of dozens of military facilities shuttered following the end of the Cold War. The Navy officially departed the base in 2008 and made it available to the city of Concord for redevelopment. Environmental remediation and the presence of endangered species required years of consultation and coordination with an array of government agencies; the city also spent years soliciting community input until formally adopting a reuse plan in 2012.

The biggest hurdle, though, has been finding a developer with deep pockets and enough patience to finance and build what amounts to a $6 billion new city. Concord chose Lennar as the master developer in 2016, but the company couldnt reach a labor deal with unions and dropped out of the project in 2020. The city then selected a consortium as the new master developer in 2021, only to sever ties in February when it couldnt agree to terms.

Its a 40-year project, Bjerke said. We are trying to come up with a master developer who can meet community expectations, which are pretty high, and make the project work financially.

The military seems willing to wait. The Navy supports the city and its ongoing reuse efforts, William Franklin, a spokesperson for the Navy Base Realignment and Closure Office in San Diego, said in an email, noting that the Navy retains the authority to make final property disposal decisions.

The Navy is responsible for environmental remediation and Franklin says 1,288 acres of the 2,350 acres set aside for the new community have been cleaned up and are ready for immediate transfer to the city. The remaining 1,062 acres still need to be fully restored, a process that will be completed in phases between 2024 and 2030.

Throughout the rolling hills of the park site, too, fenced-off areas demarcate land that is still contaminated. Our side of the property was, from a military perspective, relatively clean, said Brian Holt, chief of planning at the East Bay Regional Park District. He notes that the 327 acres still in need of cleanup are in relatively small, isolated patches.

Current plans call for most of the 50 ammunition bunkers on the park site to be repurposed as picnic areas, exhibit space and for other uses, their grass roofs seeded with native wildflowers. The barrel-vaulted bunkers already provide habitat for some critters  a ground squirrel pops its head out of a burrow dug into the roof of one  and the future park is home to the California tiger salamander, the California red-legged frog and other imperiled species.

A lot of what were doing in this first phase is undoing: removing roads and pavements and converting rail lines to hiking and biking trails to increase species habitat as well as adding minimal amenities for people, said Eva Rose Leavitt, a landscape architect for the park district. A dilapidated building with walls of windows, where the bases forklifts were serviced, is likely to be rehabilitated as the parks visitor center.

An 890-acre southern portion of the site with less infrastructure and contamination to remove could open as soon as 2025, and officials have begun giving walking tours of the future park. For a piece of property this big thats been closed off from the public since the 40s, people are just excited to get out and see it, Holt said.
Donald D. Fida, 99, a World War II veteran and Central New York businessman, died at home Tuesday.

After graduating from the Manlius Military Academy in 1942, he enlisted in the U.S. Army, serving as a scout in World War II. He was in the battles of Sitka, Attu, Kwajalein, Okinawa and Leyte.

In 2015, veterans were invited to return to Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands to mark the 71st anniversary of the key battle to take the island. He was the only one of 22,000 soldiers who served in the battle who was healthy enough to make the trip back.

He was just 20 years old when he fought in the battle in January 1944. The battle is remembered as the first time American soldiers took control of a Japanese-held territory in World War II.

He received the rank of sergeant and was awarded numerous citations and medals, including the Purple Heart and the POW Medal.

Don was inducted into the New York State Senate Veterans Hall of Fame and the Purple Heart Hall of Fame.

After the war, Fida served in the Naval Reserve until 1953.

For more than 60 years, he operated his business, Fidas Landscaping & Janitorial Service.

Calling hours will take place from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday with a funeral service to follow at the Thomas J. Pirro Jr. Funeral home in North Syracuse.

2023 Advance Local Media LLC.

Visit syracuse.com .
As the crisis in the Supreme Court deepens, Justice Qazi Faez Isa has said that the verdict of a six-member bench of the top court could not set aside an earlier order to halt suo motu proceedings.

A six-member bench last week  after a five-minute hearing  'closed' the case that led Justice Isa to issue an order to freeze the hearings of all the sub judice suo motu notices.

The apex court had constituted the six-member larger bench to review the decision of a special SC bench, led by Justice Isa, which ordered the shelving of all suo motu cases  invoked under Article 184(3) of the Constitution.

Justice Isa, while hearing a case examining the grant of additional 20 marks to Hafiz-e-Quran pre-medical candidates for admission into MBBS/BDS courses, had ordered the postponement of cases being heard under Article 184(3) of the Constitution till amendments were made to the Supreme Court Rules 1980 regarding the discretionary powers of the chief justice of Pakistan to form benches.

The new bench  which disregarded Justice Isa's order  was headed by Justice Ijazul Ahsan and comprised Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Justice Ayesha A Malik, and Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi.

But in his note today issued in the suo motu case, Justice Isa noted that the constitution of the bench was against the rules and it could not disregard his bench's majority order.

"Since the gathering in a court of six distinguished judges was not permissible under the Constitution or under any law, the Supreme Courts order dated 29 March 2023 passed in Case No. 4 could not have been set aside by the 4 April Note," the judge said.

"Decisions emanating from a courtroom overcast with the shadow of autocracy cannot displace the Constitution," the senior puisne judge added.

In its order, the senior puisne judge said: The Constitution does not confer jurisdiction on a bench or on judges of the SC (no matter how many in number) to sit in appeal over an order of the SC.

He maintained that the so-called larger bench was wrongly constituted purportedly to hear case no. 4 (the suo motu case).

The larger bench did not constitute a (constitutional) court; it did not possess any of the abovementioned jurisdictions, and could not pass an order.

"The purported order dated 4 April 2023 cannot be categorised as an order of the SC; it is of no constitutional or legal effect. It would be legally incorrect to refer to it as an order; therefore, it shall be referred to as the 4 April Note, the judge stated.

In his order, the senior puisne judge asserted that if the review jurisdiction was to be invoked then Case No. 4 would have to be listed for hearing before the same judges who had earlier heard it on 15 March 2023, but this was not done.

He also pointed out that the six judges were assembled in a hurry and that they concluded the matter within a few minutes.

If the matter had been listed for hearing in the ordinary course as per normal procedure, sufficient notice had been given, and it was properly deliberated upon, then the four Honble junior Judges may have realised that what their seniors were doing did not accord with the Constitution and the law, Justice Isa wrote.

The SC judge also noted that the CJP has been designated as the Master of Rolls, which he mentioned was a term not found in the Constitution, in any law or even in the Supreme Court Rules, 1980.

The stated rule of law was not enacted pursuant to a law nor can it by its own self-serve itself to be categorised as rule of law, particularly when it contravenes the Constitution, which does not grant to the Chief Justice such powers, the judge mentioned.

Justice Isa also stated that irreparable damage will be caused to the Judiciary and to the people of Pakistan if the legitimacy, integrity and credibility of the Judiciary is undermined because without it the people (who it serves) will lose their trust.
Adviser to Prime Minister on Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Qamar Zaman Kaira says Pakistan Peoples Party neither wants any delay in general elections nor does it want it to be held before the scheduled time.

Talking to a private news channel, he said the PTI Chief Imran Khan would indulge in hateful politics whether he wins or loses the elections.

Qamar Zaman Kaira said it is crucial for all political parties to engage in dialogue and reach a consensus for the country's best interest.
An Islamabad district and sessions court on Sunday granted one-day physical remand of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Ali Amin Gandapur in connection with a threatening audio case.

In the audio that surfaced on several platforms, Ali Amin Gandapur threatened that if Imran Khan is arrested, Islamabad will be occupied and taken over. He also threatened the Islamabad Police with dire consequences.

Police produced the PTI leader before the court, and the duty magistrate began hearings in which the prosecutor sought a five-day physical remand of Gandapur.

Upon which, the court, rejecting the five-day plea, handed Ali Amin over to the police on a one-day physical remand.

The magistrate also directed the police to produce Gandapur before the anti-terrorism court (ATC) tomorrow.

A day earlier, a court of judicial magistrates in Dera Ismail Khan ordered the handing over of Mr Gandapur to the Islamabad police.

A case has been registered against him with the Golra police of the capital city under charges of terrorism and treason.
District and sessions court Islamabad has summoned former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan in the Toshakhana case on April 11.

As per details, the summons were issued by the court on a plea seeking an immediate hearing of the Toshakhana case.

The former prime minister has been asked to appear before the court on April 11 at 8:30 in the morning, the summon read and added that in case of non-appearance, the law will take its course.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) disqualified former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan in the Toshakhana reference under Article 63(1)(p).

In the written judgment, the ECP said: As per the statement of Imran Khan he had purchased the gifts from Toshakhana paying 21.564 million rupees while the Cabinet Division said that the gifts had a value of 107.943 million.

The amount in his bank account was around half of the value of the state gifts. Imran Khan was bound to declare the cash and bank details in his returns but he didnt declare it, ECP decision read.

Imran Khan being declared disqualified and unseated from his National Assembly seat, the ECP said, adding: He has been disqualified under Article 63, 1(P), over submitting a false statement and declaration.
ByteDance, the Chinese company fighting a ban of its flagship app TikTok in the United States, has seen its new app Lemon8 surge in popularity, riding on the absence of Western competitors to establish another beachhead in the market.

Lemon8 lets users share photos, videos, and text, which are viewable to subscribers of the posting accounts, as well as millions of other users that the app's algorithms have determined would be interested in that content. Together, these posts form an endless feed that users can scroll through continuously, similar to short video app TikTok.

Available for download in the US since earlier this year, Lemon8 marched into the top 10 rankings across all categories in Apple's App Store on March 27, and has topped the lifestyle category for the past 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.

In Japan, where Lemon8 launched in 2020, it became the second-most downloaded lifestyle app on the iOS store last July, and remained at the fifth spot last week. It topped rankings in Thailand's iOS app store last year, according to data.ai.

Lemon8 is appealing to global users, partly because it has no directly comparable rival in Western markets, according to Jacob Cooke, co-founder and CEO of WPIC Marketing + Technologies, an e-commerce consultancy based in China.

While Lemon8 and ByteDance's competitor at home, Xiaohongshu, are commonly compared to Instagram and Pinterest, the Chinese and Western platforms are "fundamentally different", said Cooke.

The Chinese apps are "interest graphs" - a collection of content that a user might be interested in - rather than pure social networks, said Cooke. User-generated posts on these apps are also indexed, allowing users to search for content by keywords.

"You can't easily use Instagram or Pinterest to search restaurant recommendations in a new city, or for outfits to build with your new shirt," Cooke said. "However, Xiaohongshu has become the go-to site in China for young consumers, especially women, to both search and recommend brands, products, restaurants, tourist destinations, make-up routines, recipes, and more."

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An employee works in the building of TikTok's parent company ByteDance in Shanghai, China. Photo: EPA-EFE alt=An employee works in the building of TikTok's parent company ByteDance in Shanghai, China. Photo: EPA-EFE>

Xiaohongshu, which translates as "Little Red Book", launched in China in 2013. With 200 million monthly active users, it has become one of the most popular local platforms for internet users to discover lifestyle trends, and for brands to reach young consumers.

At home, ByteDance has made several attempts at creating its own version of Xiaohongshu, but none has been able to crack the market.

With Lemon8 facing far less direct competition in the US and other Western markets, Cooke said he would be optimistic about the app's potential "if it wasn't for ByteDance's regulatory risk".

The Beijing-based company is grappling with increasing political pressure from Washington, which has reportedly demanded that TikTok's Chinese owners sell the app or face a ban in America.

TikTok CEO Chew Shou Zi Chew testifies before the US House Energy and Commerce Committee in Washington. Photo: Getty Images via AFP alt=TikTok CEO Chew Shou Zi Chew testifies before the US House Energy and Commerce Committee in Washington. Photo: Getty Images via AFP>

Last month, TikTok's CEO Chew Shou Zi weathered hours of intense questioning at a US Congressional hearing, where lawmakers grilled him on the app's alleged ties to the Chinese Communist Party and the risks that it poses to American national security and data privacy.

Around the world, a growing number of governments are requiring civil servants to remove TikTok from office-issued smartphones, with Australia being the latest to follow suit last week. The US, Canada, New Zealand, UK, and several other European authorities have announced similar bans.

Also last week, Britain's privacy watchdog fined TikTok 12.7 million (US$15.8 million) for misusing children's data.

Pedestrians carry shopping bags in New York. Photo: Bloomberg alt=Pedestrians carry shopping bags in New York. Photo: Bloomberg>

Lemon8, which is operated by Singapore-based Heliophilia, a ByteDance subsidiary, may run into similar challenges, Cooke said.

"Lemon8 has great potential if ByteDance can avoid regulatory issues," Cooke said. "But that may be difficult given that Lemon8 depends on collecting user data."

ByteDance did not respond to a request for comment.

Despite regulatory headwinds, ByteDance's revenue rose more than 30 per cent to surpass US$80 billion in 2022, comparable to the sales of WeChat owner Tencent Holdings, according to The Information and Bloomberg.

The double-digit growth rate exceeded those of many global internet leaders, such as Facebook owner Meta Platforms and Amazon.com.

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.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired a meeting of the federal cabinet on Sunday to mull over several matters pertaining to the recent political and constitutional crises in the country.

The meeting was held in Lahore with the prime minister in the chair to devise a strategy to address the matters surrounding the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Bill 2023 and provision of funds for Punjab polls.

Most cabinet members participated in the cabinet meeting through a video link.

Sources said the federal cabinet meeting also approved the decisions taken during the National Security Council (NSC) meeting that took place on Friday.

It is pertinent to note that a day earlier President Arif Alvi returned the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure), Bill 2023 limiting the chief justices suo motu powers in an individual capacity.

The president returned the bill for reconsideration to the parliment as per the provisions of the Article 75 of the Constitution days after it was sent to him for approval after it sailed through the National Assembly and Senate amid noisy protests by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) legislators.

Arif Alvi stated that the Bill prima-facie travels beyond the competence of the Parliament and can be assailed as colourable legislation.

The President said that he thought it fit and proper to return the Bill, in accordance with the Constitution, with the request for reconsideration in order to meet the scrutiny about its validity (if assailed in the Court of Law).

In his letter to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the president said several aspects required due consideration.

Under the new legislation, the decision for suo motu notice will be taken by three senior judges of the Supreme Court (SC).

Moreover, the bill also includes a clause regarding the right to appeal against the decision, which could be filed within 30 days and fixed for a hearing in two weeks.

It added that the party will be allowed to change its lawyer in a suo motu case. Under Article 184, the matter will be presented before a judges committee. The committee will review the case and later form a five-member committee for any kind of constitutional interpretation.
Gangland criminal issues death threats and cash demands

One of Irelands most notorious gangland criminals has been issuing threats and cash demands to innocent associates of a prisoner he is blaming for losing his drugs, the Sunday World can reveal.

Convicted murderer Christopher Dunne (36) from Kilbarrack on the capitals northside was busted with drugs on two occasions in Mountjoy Prison in February when he returned to the jail after hospital appointments.

While the first seizure has been described by jail insiders as minor in nature, the second time that he was caught by prison officers, he had what is described as a large amount of pills and other illicit substances when his cell was searched two days after that hospital visit.

It is suspected that on both occasions, Dunne may have obtained drugs when he was out of the jail at his medical appointments.

Murder victim Alan Higgins

It has now emerged that a notorious northside Dublin criminal who is also a convicted murderer claims that he is out of pocket because of the drugs bust and is demanding a significant cash sum from associates of Dunne on the outside, according to jail insiders.

This gangster cannot be named because he is facing serious charges before the courts but before he was locked up he was a main player in a bitter Coolock feud that claimed five lives.

He would be considered a very dangerous and volatile criminal and demanding money from innocent people is certainly nothing new to him, a source said.

Christopher Dunne would be considered a vulnerable type of prisoner in many ways and definitely not in the same league as this individual, the source added.

Dunne has spent more of his life in jail than outside of it, after being convicted of stabbing schoolboy Alan Higgins to death in an unprovoked attack outside the UCI cinema complex in Coolock in October, 2002.

Dunne was aged only 15 when he committed the high-profile murder and was aged 17 when he was handed a life sentence at the Central Criminal Court.

There were some problems with him when he was younger within the jail system but everything was going well until he was caught with the drugs and he has been disciplined for this.

The gardai are also going to be investigating this  it was a significant amount of drugs, a jail insider said.

Strangely, despite the cash demands to his associates, it has emerged that there is no intelligence of any active threat on Dunne inside Mountjoy Prison and he is not on any restrictive protective regime.

Alan Higgins's funeral in 2002

A spokesman for the Irish Prison Service (IPS) said they do not comment on individual prisoners when contacted about the issue.

Dunnes murder case in 2004 heard that he was disadvantaged by a lack of academic ability but the presiding judge said that this did not stop him from leading events on the tragic night in question.

During the 10-day trial, the jury heard that Mr Higgins had just kissed his girlfriend goodnight when he was set upon by Dunne, Michael Maher and Anthony Whelan.

Dunne stabbed Mr Higgins three times for his mobile phone and wallet outside the UCI complex in Coolock on October 13, 2002.

The then State Pathologist, Dr Marie Cassidy, told the court that Mr Higgins died from haemorraging and shock due to a stab wound to the chest.

Dunne was also found guilty of stealing Mr Higginss phone and a sum of cash.

Maher and Whelan pleaded guilty to manslaughter, and to robbing the victims mobile phone and cash.

After the stabbing Alan Huiggins stumbled back to the cinema complex, where he was treated by two doctors at the scene.

He was taken to Beaumont Hospital where he died later that morning.

The victim, who had overcome a bout of leukaemia in his childhood, had just finished Transition Year.
Julie Ann McIlwaine reported to the Ambulance service that she had stabbed her boyfriend at least six times

A Belfast woman was ordered on Thursday to stand trial accused of murdering her abusive and controlling partner.

Standing in the dock of Lisburn Magistrates Court, 32-year-old Julie Ann McIlwaine confirmed she understood the single charge against her.

McIlwaine, from Hazel Close in the Lagmore area of west Belfast, is accused of murdering James Joseph Crossley on March 2, last year.

The 38-year-old victim, known as Jim, sustained fatal stab wounds at McIwaines former home in Filbert Drive.

When the auxiliary nurse and mother-of-four first appeared in court just over a year ago, Detective Inspector Griffin outlined how McIlwaine reported to the Ambulance service that she had stabbed her boyfriend at least six times.

The officer added that when police arrived, Mr Crossley was on his hands and knees at the side of the blood-stained bed, with both him and the bedroom covered in blood and all he could say was that he couldnt breathe.

Ambulance staff and police gave first aid and he was taken to the Royal Victoria Hospital but he suffered a cardiac arrest on the way and was pronounced dead at 12.48am.

Jim Crossley (38) died from injuries in March last year

McIlwaine was arrested and interviewed during which she gave what DI Griffin described as an open and honest account of what happened, adding that what she said is reflected and corroborated by the scene and police, namely that Mr Crossley had sustained five stab wounds to the right side of his chest and one to his upper inner thigh.

The senior officer told the court that previously, McIlwaine had been deemed high risk MARAC (Multi agency risk assessment conference) and McIwaines defence solicitor claimed that at various times, the defendant had been choked and beaten by Crossley who had convictions for domestic violence.

The court heard that during interviews, she told police that Mr Crossley had gone to bed telling her she had to choose between him and her family and that there was a history of domestic violence.

She said she had been keeping their relationship, one that was characterised by control and aggression, a secret from her own family and social services.

The court heard that among the recorded incidents of domestic violence were allegations that Mr Crossley had physically assaulted and choked her to such an extent that McIlwaine had sustained actual bodily harm.

There was also allegedly an incident where McIlwaine had locked him in a room and fled but he battered the door down, drove after her and rammed her car.

In court, a prosecuting lawyer submitted there was a case to answer against the alleged killer which was conceded by defence counsel Jon Paul Shields.

Freeing McIlwaine on continuing bail and extending legal aid to allow a senior barrister to be instructed, District Judge Rosie Watters returned the case to the Crown Court for trial but did not fix a date for the arraignment.
A witness on the easyJet flight claimed that the woman had assaulted another male passenger.

The incident took place on an easyJet flight from Belfast to Turkey

A drunk passenger was removed from a flight leaving Belfast on Saturday afternoon following an alleged assault onboard.

The female passenger caused disruption as the plane heading for Dalaman in Turkey was about to take off at 2.30pm yesterday from Belfast International Airport.

Belfast Live reports that a witness on the easyJet flight claimed that the woman had assaulted another male passenger.

Police then arrived to remove the woman from the aircraft before operations resumed and the flight continued to its destination.

A spokesperson for easyJet has said that it takes these incidents very seriously and its staff do not tolerate abusive or threatening behaviour on flights.

easyJet can confirm that flight EZY3055 from Belfast International Airport to Dalaman (Turkey) on 8 April returned to stand due to a passenger behaving disruptively, they said.

The aircraft was met by police and the passenger was offloaded before the flight continued to Dalaman.

Our cabin crew are trained to assess all situations and to act quickly and appropriately to ensure that the safety of the flight and other passengers is not compromised at any time.

Whilst such incidents are rare, we take them very seriously and do not tolerate abusive or threatening behaviour onboard. The safety and wellbeing of passengers and crew is always easyJet's priority.
When approached by the Sunday World last week, Ellis told our reporter: I dont want to talk to you

Orla Ellis talking to Patrick O'Connell at her home in Fenagh, Co Leitrim today. Pic Gary Ashe 31/3/2023

Suspended solicitor Orla Ellis was tight-lipped when our reporter called to her door for comment

Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind (IGDB) has confirmed it has begun an inquiry into allegations a solicitor, suspended for dishonesty, failed to pass on a 100,000 bequest.

Asked about the allegation against suspended Leitrim solicitor Orla Ellis, a spokesperson for IGDB told us: Its currently being looked into and they (IGDB) are making enquiries to confirm if it is true that IGDG were to receive the funds.

The allegation is one of a number against Ellis contained in an affidavit submitted to the High Court by Law Society accountant Michael Costello - following an investigation he carried out into practices at Ellis law offices in Ballinamore.

On foot of his inquiries, the Law Society official concluded that Ellis took exorbitant fees from elderly clients and estates where she was responsible for administering bequests made in wills.

Two charities, the IGDB and the Salvation Army, were found not to have received bequests of 100,000 and 10,000 respectively left to them by Elliss clients.

When approached by the Sunday World last week, Ellis  who is alleged to have run up a deficit of more than 560,000 in the accounts of clients told our reporter: I dont want to talk to you.

Ellis, the daughter of former Fianna Fail TD John Ellis, also cited personal health difficulties when we asked her to respond to allegations of dishonesty, over-charging and unpaid charity bequests.

We approached the now struck off solicitor at her home in Fenagh, Co. Leitrim on Friday of last week in an effort to have her address the allegations.

No, I dont want to talk to you, she told our reporter after we approached her.

Then, citing personal health difficulties, she continued: I just cant deal with any of this anymore.

My replying affidavit is only going in this week.

Ellis, who was last year suspended by the High Court, ran up a deficit in her client accounts of at least 566,000 and owed the Revenue Commissioners 250,000, Mr. Costellos investigation on behalf of the Law Society investigation found.

She was suspended by the High Court last August after an emergency Law Society regulation committee meeting found she acted dishonestly in her handling of client funds.

Details of the findings against Ellis, who also goes by her married name Orla Feehan, were reported by the Sunday Independent earlier this month after the newspaper obtained a copy of the affidavit in the suspension case from Michael Costello, a Law Society accountant.

Mr. Costelloe was appointed on June 16th to investigate if Ellis & Co, based in Ballinamore, was in compliance with anti-money laundering obligations.

At the practice he asked Ellis to provide a copy of a notice, which would set out her expected legal costs, in relation to Bernadette Comey, the executrix of the estate of Katherine McTague.

Ellis had received 595,207 into her client account from Ms McTagues bank on November 12, 2019.

In his interim investigation report, Costello found that, in the McTague case, Ellis appeared to have issued a fee estimate for estate of 100,000 plus Vat and funeral expenses of 6,000.

He said Ellis admitted to him on the first day that a reasonable fee for the case was 15,000.

The will of Ms McTague had directed that 100,000 be paid to Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind  but this bequest was not paid.

Dogs Trust was left 200,000 and this appeared to have been paid on June 16, 2022  the day the Law Society began to investigate Ellis.

Costello estimated the deficit in the McTague case to be 271,700  taking a reasonable legal fee of 15,000.

Costello also found significant deficits and maladministration in a number of other files, including a 10,000 bequest that had not been paid to the Salvation Army, the charity that provides services and shelter to homeless people.

The Law Society held an emergency regulation committee meeting on August 12th last based on the accountants report that estimated Elliss deficit to her clients at 566,000 but feared it could be far greater.

Before the hearing, a solicitor representing Ellis said she wanted to have her name removed from the roll of solicitors and she accepted Mr Costellos report in full.

Ellis was not in a position to deal with the deficit in client funds and was receiving medical help.

Mr Costello said the committee determined that Ellis had been dishonest in her practice as a solicitor and this dishonesty caused the deficit in client funds.

The suspension of Ellis was confirmed by the High Court on August 18th by Judge Garrett Simmons.
Gardai believe the man, who is in his early 20s, was involved in the incident in Dublin city centre.

An associate of crime boss Mr Flashy has been identified as a suspect in a vicious petrol bomb attack that left an innocent man injured.

Gardai believe the man, who is in his early 20s, was involved in the incident in Dublin city centre, the Irish Mirror reports.

Mr Flashys alleged ally and his pals are understood to have gotten into a verbal row with an affiliate of heroin boss Tony King Scum Felloni.

They left the scene before returning but Fellonis associate was nowhere to be seen.

The gang then targeted the other innocent man by launching a petrol bomb at him, setting him on fire.

A source told the publication: This was a vicious attack which left the victim with serious injuries.

Mr Flashys friend, who has serious form in the last couple of years, and others were involved.

The investigation is ongoing but at this stage it looks like it began a while before the actual petrol bomb with words exchanged.

The group go off and come back to only one of the two men and they target him.

The victim is currently in a serious condition in hospital while police are reportedly tracking the movements of Mr Flashys associate and his group.

Mr Flashys pal is currently facing a number of charges before the courts and has emerged as a serious and volatile gangster in recent years.

Mr Flashy leads a group of young criminals who are part of what has been called the Gucci gang, because of their love of high-end cars, clothes and jewellery.

The crime boss is believed to be in hiding after at least four attempts on his life from rival criminals.

It comes after a video being shared on social media showed a violent flare-up between an alleged member of the notorious Mr Flashy gang and a group of angry women earlier this year.

In the clip, the man can be seen throwing several missiles from the roof of a garage attached to a house at the women below, who appear to be armed with iron bars.

The incident took place in Finglas, north Dublin in February and the man at the centre of the furore is said to be a lieutenant to the crime boss Mr Flashy.

Local sources also maintain one of the angry women involved in the incident is an ex-girlfriend of Mr Flashy.

The women and the man can be heard shouting at each other before missiles are fired between both parties and the group of women eventually leave the scene.
Her plight was made all the more heartbreaking amid fears her condition went undiagnosed for three years

Laura had battled to the very end

Paul said his 'soul mate, best friend and pillar of strength' had passed away

Laura was given just weeks to live at the beginning of last month

A Longford woman who had been hoping to travel to Mexico for potentially life-saving cancer treatment has passed away just two days after her 36th birthday.

Laura Gilmore Anderson, who lived in Scotland with her husband, Paul, was diagnosed with a rare and incurable neuroendocrine tumour (NET) in her pancreas in July 2020.

Her plight was made all the more heartbreaking amid fears her condition went undiagnosed for three years despite countless visits to her GP and having spent months off work owing to crippling pain.

At the beginning of last month, the former Sligo IT graduate was told she had just weeks to live.

Laura, received the heartbreaking news just days after enjoying a once in a lifetime trip to Disneyland Paris.

Laura was given just weeks to live at the beginning of last month

Speaking at the time, Laura revealed how doctors effectively informed her to go home and spend her final days with her family after all preventative treatments used to stop the spread of neuroendocrine tumours which have ravaged her body over the last three years had failed.

Fighting back tears, Laura, said, If only love and kindness could cure me, I would be cured right now. I am too young to die, I am only 35 and I dont want to give up.

In July 2021, Laura, thanks to sustained fundraising on both sides of the Irish Sea, flew out to Mexicos Hope for Cancer clinic, a facility recognised as a world leader in holistic oncology.

When doctors delivered the devastating news at the beginning of March that her condition had deteriorated, a GoFundMe page aptly dubbed Help Laura Heal her NET cancer raised in excess of 400,000 as part of a concerted bid to allow the Longford woman return to Mexico.

Paul said his 'soul mate, best friend and pillar of strength' had passed away

That came just under two years after she first flew out to Mexicos Hope for Cancer clinic, a facility recognised as a world leader in holistic oncology.

However, in a heart-trending tribute posted online by her husband Paul, he told of how his soul mate, best friend and pillar of strength had passed away.

Im heartbroken to say that Laura passed peacefully in her home at 11:11 this morning, surrounded by her family, he wrote.

Laura had battled to the very end

We are all so proud of her strength and determination in her battle these last few years. Laura has shown us all what an amazing, strong, wonderful, beautiful and courageous woman she was, especially in the past week, not giving up the fight until her final breath.

Longford GAA, of whom Lauras father, Brendan was a former chairman of, likewise took to Twitter as news of Lauras passing filtered through.

Longford GAA are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Laura Gilmore Anderson today.

We extend our deepest sympathies to her husband Paul, her parents Brendan and Anne, and the extended Gilmore and Anderson families at this sad time.
Pa Daly said the far-right activist and conspiracy theorist deserved a chance but he would not have voted for her

Sinn Feins new justice spokesperson Pa Daly had previously proposed nominating Gemma ODoherty, the far-right activist and conspiracy theorist, to run for president.

The Kerry TD, who was appointed the partys justice spokesperson last week, led the partys efforts on Kerry County Council to nominate Ms ODoherty, a former Irish Independent journalist, as a candidate to contest the presidential election in 2018.

She failed to gain a nomination from the council and was not on the ballot paper. Ms ODoherty has in recent years become a prominent far-right activist and conspiracy theorist who was last November convicted and fined for breaching Covid-19 regulations by attending an anti-lockdown protest.

She has described the virus as a hoax and was banned from YouTube for breaching its hate speech policies. In more recent times Ms ODoherty has falsely claimed former Sunday Independent journalist Veronica Guerin was murdered by the State and that Aaron Brady, the man convicted of murdering Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe outside a credit union in Co Louth 10 years ago, is innocent.

Mr Daly told the Sunday Independent this weekend that in no way do I endorse any of her views.

Pa Daly was appointed Sinn Fein justice spokesman last week

Five years ago, while a Kerry county councillor for Tralee, Mr Daly told a council meeting that while he would be canvassing and voting for Sinn Feins candidate Liadh Ni Riada, he wanted to propose Ms ODoherty for nomination by the council.

Minutes of the meeting record Mr Daly describing Ms ODoherty as a woman who has exposed many things and upset many of the higher echelons within An Garda Siochana. He also reportedly told councillors that Ms ODoherty was fearless and brave in highlighting injustice in her 20 years as a journalist.

Kerry County Council ultimately voted to nominate businessman Peter Casey, who ended up on the ballot paper and finished a distant second to President Michael D Higgins.

Contacted yesterday, Mr Daly told the Sunday Independent he would not nominate Ms ODoherty again and did not endorse her views.At that time I emphasised that I would be campaigning, voting for Liadh Ni Riada the Sinn Fein candidate, he said.

But he said Ms ODoherty had campaigned over issues such as sex abuser John McClean and murder victim Fr Niall Molloy so we felt she should be given a chance to run and the electorate could make up their minds but I wouldnt be voting for her.

Given some of her subsequent articles, her endorsement of some conspiracy theories and some other strange articles she has written I wouldnt do so again. At the time I remember some Fine Gael and some Fianna Fail councillors endorsed Peter Casey who had some other views. It was in that context. I wouldnt do it again, he said.

Certainly she has very strange views in relation to Covid lockdowns and the case that was taken and in no way do I endorse any of her views.

Mr Daly was appointed to the frontbench in place of Sligo-Leitrim TD Martin Kenny who has been given the communications and transport portfolio.

Mr Daly was elected to the Dail in 2020, having been chosen by Sinn Fein to replace Martin Ferris, who retired.

A native of Tralee, Mr Daly qualified as a solicitor in 1996 and worked in the US before returning to Ireland. In 2002 and 2003 he travelled to Colombia to act as an independent legal observer for the trial of Colombia Three, the three Irishmen accused of training Farc rebels.

Mr Daly said yesterday he had been asked to attend the trial by some of the families of the three men, all of whom were or had been members of Sinn Fein. He said he was not a member of the party at that time.
Emergency services were called to the scene, but Ms Hewitt was pronounced dead a short time later.

Tributes have been paid to a woman who died in a tragic horse riding accident in Co Galway.

She has been named locally as Heather Hewitt, who was in her 40s.

It is understood the accident happened while a horse was being mounted at Glenamaddy Equestrian Centre on Thursday. She had been riding with a local equestrian club at the time.

Ms Hewitt, originally from East Sussex in England, had moved to Knockanarra in Galway where she lived with her family.

A death notice says she will be forever remembered by her loving husband Kieran, daughter Beth, parents Clive and Tracy, sister Andrea, stepchildren Conor, Jack and Millie, extended family and friends.

"Kieran and all Heathers family would sincerely like to convey their gratitude to those who helped following the accident and also to everyone for their kindness and support at this time.

Her funeral is to take place at a later date in the UK.

Emergency services were called to the scene, but Ms Hewitt was pronounced dead a short time later.

Her body was removed to Galway University Hospital for a post-mortem examination.

An investigation into the incident is ongoing and staff from the Health and Safety Authority attended the scene on Saturday afternoon.

Glenamaddy Equestrian Centre said on Saturday it did not want to comment on the incident but said their thoughts were with those affected by the tragedy.

Tributes have been pouring in from the horse riding community.

The Association of Irish Riding Clubs for the West of Ireland said "our hearts shocked and saddened on hearing of the untimely passing of Glenway Riding Club member, Heather Hewitt.

"On behalf of AIRC West Regional Committee, may we express our sincerest condolences to Heather's family, friends and fellow club members.

"Our thoughts are with you all and we would like you to know that we are here to support you in any way.

"May the love of those around you help through the days ahead, they added.

Burren Riding Club said: "The news of the passing of Heather Hewitt of the Glenway Riding Club has shocked and deeply saddened AIRC members and Clubs through out the west .

"Our thoughts and prayers are with her broken hearted Husband Kieran, family, many friends, her club and all their members . Our hearts break for you all .

"We send you all our deepest and sincerest condolences and to our own member Jess and her partner George who are related to this family.

"As a mark of respect we will not be running our show this Sunday 9th April ."
We feel now is a pretty good time to analyse Tan Chong Motor Holdings Berhad's (KLSE:TCHONG) business as it appears the company may be on the cusp of a considerable accomplishment. Tan Chong Motor Holdings Berhad, an investment holding company, engages in the assembly, manufacture, and distribution of motor and commercial vehicles in Malaysia, Vietnam, and internationally. On 31 December 2022, the RM717m market-cap company posted a loss of RM51m for its most recent financial year. As path to profitability is the topic on Tan Chong Motor Holdings Berhad's investors mind, we've decided to gauge market sentiment. We've put together a brief outline of industry analyst expectations for the company, its year of breakeven and its implied growth rate.

View our latest analysis for Tan Chong Motor Holdings Berhad

Tan Chong Motor Holdings Berhad is bordering on breakeven, according to the 7 Malaysian Auto analysts. They anticipate the company to incur a final loss in 2023, before generating positive profits of RM18m in 2024. So, the company is predicted to breakeven just over a year from today. What rate will the company have to grow year-on-year in order to breakeven on this date? Using a line of best fit, we calculated an average annual growth rate of 106%, which signals high confidence from analysts. Should the business grow at a slower rate, it will become profitable at a later date than expected.

Underlying developments driving Tan Chong Motor Holdings Berhad's growth isnt the focus of this broad overview, but, bear in mind that generally a high growth rate is not out of the ordinary, particularly when a company is in a period of investment.

Before we wrap up, theres one issue worth mentioning. Tan Chong Motor Holdings Berhad currently has a relatively high level of debt. Typically, debt shouldnt exceed 40% of your equity, which in Tan Chong Motor Holdings Berhad's case is 44%. A higher level of debt requires more stringent capital management which increases the risk in investing in the loss-making company.

Story continues

Next Steps:

There are key fundamentals of Tan Chong Motor Holdings Berhad 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 Tan Chong Motor Holdings Berhad, take a look at Tan Chong Motor Holdings Berhad's company page on Simply Wall St. We've also put together a list of essential factors you should further examine:

Valuation: What is Tan Chong Motor Holdings Berhad 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 Tan Chong Motor Holdings Berhad 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 Tan Chong Motor Holdings Berhads 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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The show is Irish TVs biggest crime series since the hugely successful Love/Hate

Hit Irish TV crime show Kin has been given the green light for a FOURTH series.

Last summer we reported how cast and crew filmed seasons two and three back-to-back, given the success of the first series.

And with an average of more than 600,000 viewers tuning in each Sunday night and the show proving popular abroad in several countries, RTE has commissioned a fourth season.

Clare Dunne of Kin   Colin Keegan

Insiders say the filming of the next episodes will begin in September.

The drama is Irish TVs biggest crime series since the hugely successful Love/Hate, which ran for five seasons from 2010 to 2014.

Kin was created by Peter McKenna and Ciaran Donnelly, who maintain the drama was not inspired by the infamous Kinahan/Hutch feud despite the apparent play on words.

The show charts the lives of the Kinsellas, a tight-knit crime family who were embroiled in a war against powerful drug kingpins.

The series has been sold to several foreign TV stations, with AMC+ screening it in north America, Australia, Latin America and the UK.

Bren Kinsella as played by Francis Magee   Steffan Hill

Brendan Bren Kinsella, played by Francis Magee, has become the breakout star of series two.

He was first spotted in a short but explosive prison scene towards the tail end of season one, and then at the beginning of season two was released from his sentence early, much to the surprise of most of his family, and has been wreaking havoc ever since.

Father to Michael and Jimmy and brother to Frank and Birdy, Brens return spells only fresh disaster and reawakened trauma for all in his wake.

Kin continues tonight on RTE One at 9.30pm
On the eve of Easter, The Weekend Suns Hunter Wells follows one mans personal journey down a path of faith into the Catholic priesthood. During the next two editions there is the calling, the agonising on the pillow at night, the shall I? the shant I?  and the ultimate joy and peace.

He is human. Because when I asked Father Adam Kirkeby what the bold IHS lettering on his vestment represented, the Catholic priest muttered and fumbled, he couldnt quite remember. Of course he knew, but he had to scramble for his mobile and Google it.

A man of God in Gods own house and he fluffed his lines. The calm, the quiet, the solemnity of the Parish of St Thomas Aquinas, was rocked by laughter. But it was okay.

IHS is a Christogram  the I is for Iesus, Latin for Jesus. So Iesus Hominum Salvator or Jesus, Saviour of Mankind.

Earlier when this crusty old southern Presbyterian reporter rapped on the rectory door at St Aquinass, good real estate sitting high on the intersection of Elizabeth St and Cameron Rd, he was a bit apprehensive. I come from a staunch Dunedin family which, in the day, did not talk to the neighbours simply because they were Catholic. And we relished beating up on the Catholic boys at rugby. But today, none of that Protestant prejudice of old, none of that bigotry and suspicion.

Father Adam Kirkeby beckons us in.

EVERYONE is welcome in this house, he declares.

Even crusty old southern Presbyterians.

Yes, Father Kirkeby would chat with The Weekend Sun, the church office had told me earlier, when I asked for an interview.

He would do it for Jesus.

But the canny good Father also sensed a good marketing opportunity.

Sometimes all people see is scandal, challenges and the church in negative light. Its understandable if people want to run a hundred miles.

Another side

But, he says, its not like that. Just not true! The church is the love of my life and I just want people to see there is another side to things.

And hes a fine advertisement for the other side of things, of the church and the priesthood. Hes a kind of celebrity endorsement in a dog collar. Personable, profound and young, just 38, and with blue eyes that would out-blue ol blue eyes, Frank Sinatra, himself.

Im not sure you should say this about a Roman Catholic priest, observed one woman in the office. But hes pretty easy on the eye.

Yes, he admits, he gets quite a bit of that. You can sense his mother beaming with pride but the priest just bats it away with humility.

Everything we have is from God in my view.

Even good looks.

And its Him I want to serve.

And that want started as a boy.

When I was very young, I would play priests, use soft toys as a congregation.

Then came his grandmothers missionary magazines  stories of priests in Africa, carrying water for miles, helping people, taking Christ to that land.

Inspiring!

And there were role models. Stories of saints and famous Christians of old.

Truly inspiring.

A seed was sown. By 12 he was thinking about the priesthood.

A deep sense of being called and a longing to serve God and people.

Theyre profound thoughts for a 12-year-old.

Yes, and unless you have experienced them they would be hard to understand.

Here was a young man fueled by faith and roddkal  Danish red pickle cabbage  and brigadeiro  Danish pork sausages. His Dads Danish, a plumber who became a lawyer, and not strictly a catholic. And his grandfather was an agricultural advisor for the pork industry.

He pinched Danish ideas and brought them to New Zealand.

And he was a trailblazer, a radical thinker, way ahead of his time.

Back in the 1960s my grandfather pushed for sow crates to be outlawed. He reckoned in NZ we would never have quality pork with animals living in such stressed out conditions.

But he was banging his Danish head. Sixty-odd years later sow crates are still a bone of contention, although due to be phased out by 2025.

Father Adam Kirkeby. Photo: John Borren.

And along the way the priests family name has been interestingly Anglicised. He goes by Kirkeby, pronounced Kirk-a-bee. Its a curiously appropriate name for the priest because kirke in Danish is a church, pronounced kee-agga and by, pronounced bee is a town. So church town pronounced kee-agga-be has evolved into Kirk-a-bee.

Meanwhile a young Kirkeby was torn  should he or shouldnt he.

I lay in bed at night and agonised  most definitely.

One reason why his thinking was sometimes definitely no, I dont want this was because he thought he might like to marry, have a family. I suspect he would have been good in that world too  trustworthy, dependable, loyal, caring, hands-on. But, as he says, the faith was a full commitment.

Celibacy was an issue for Adam Kirkeby, but not a huge one.

I know it sounds silly, but I do regard celibacy as a gift, to be devoted to God.

It begs the question  did he ever have a girlfriend? You sense this question might be a step too far. But yes, he did. And no, it was never anything serious, and no, it wasnt sexual.

I am very much of the belief that should be reserved for marriage.

End of matter.

But not end of story. Next week: You will be thinking I am some sort of weirdo.

We share some loves, likes and even some loathings of the Catholic priest.
Its glacially slow going, says a local film editor and animator who is keen to find patrons to support his online military political series taking place in a fictional version of history from the 1980s.

Its set in 1989 but its an alternative version where things have gone differently from the late-1970s onward, says Taurangas Lewis Roscoe, who is a full-time editor and animator developing his The War At Home series in his spare time.

Instead the Cold War erupts into an actual war. Theres so many stories and movies of the era, I thought it would be very interesting to see the South Pacific arena and how things would play out with New Zealand and Australia at that time.

David Lange is still the Prime Minister in June 1989 so its quite an interesting dilemma hes in with New Zealand as nuclear free, so do we let American ships in because its WW3 now?

A one-man-band  apart from some notable Kiwi actors whove given their time and skills for voiceovers, such as Shortland Streets Karl Burnett  producer/director Lewis started developing the story idea about 2014. In 2018 he began turning it into animated episodes.

Lewis and his wife Rachael shifted from Hamilton to Welcome Bay in 2019, after previously living in Auckland. From high school hes been immersed in filmmaking.

Self-taught

I started doing Indie filmmaking with other people and realised how complicated it is as you have to rely on people and locations. I taught myself to animate because I thought thats a way you can do it all yourself, whatever you can imagine, you can create if youre good enough.

Lewis Roscoe. Photo: John Borren.

He went to animation school, before starting animating freelance as a job and doing his The War At Home series as a side hobby. The amount of detail in each episode takes many hours.

I grew up watching a lot of war movies. As a child I was quite fixated on World War II, but after most likely an oversaturation of the genre through war movies and comics I looked toward other modern conflicts. Vietnam and Korea were very interesting to learn about but the wider ideological conflict of the Cold War began to captivate me.

The twist

The twist is that instead of the usual American or European frontier being the setting, he decided to make his own homeland of New Zealand the place for a modern conflict.

In future episodes government ministers of the time will have very lengthy debates about what to do. All the people that would be in their spots at that time are for the most part where they are, so you have these historical figures but theyre up against events that didnt actually happen.

So far he has 16 patrons on the Patreon website who have joined at one of four levels, starting with a monthly contribution of $2. Each tier also has a different reward system with the top tier supporters having a character modelled after them. They also get thanked at the end of each episode, which they can watch 48 hours before anyone else on line.

Eventually Id like to transform this into something that I can do full-time. I want to pay back everyone who has lent their voice and helped out. Its a bit of a long game, I just keep at it.

Lewis Roscoes series can be watched on: https://war89.tv
Downtown Tauranga is alive with jazz.

The two-day Downtown Jazz Carnival which started on Saturday is set to go to 6pm today with musicians and bands spread across Wharf Street, the Red Square and along The Strand.

Around 40 bands and musicians including Thats Life, The Afrolites, Charruas, Shaken Not Stirred, and Voxnova are playing on multiple stages over the two-day carnival. Entry is by gold coin donation and free to children aged under 14, making it one of the most affordable jazz experiences of the whole Port of Tauranga 60th National Jazz Festival which runs from April 1 - 10.

The bands and musicians are playing on the Eves Realty Stage, Hotel Armitage Stage and Downtown Tauranga Stage along The Strand, as well as stages on Wharf Street and in the Red Square.

The Little Big Markets Jazz Festival Market is running from 10am - 2pm along the waterfront today and a Jazz Cafe & VIP Bar is happening on Elizabeth Street at Picnicka.

Enjoying a relaxing day shopping, dining and dancing in the street, carnival goers are able to chill out as well as being able to attend some of the world-class performances and shows at Tauranga's Baycourt Theatre over the weekend.

Tonight the mighty Black Comet is playing at Baycourt following a packed day at the theatre with Tauranga Big Band, Blue Train and Sassy & the Blue Riders.

For those keen for more jazz, head to the Tauranga Citizens Club from 5.30pm - 8.30pm today for the Tea Dance. Ably led by band leader John Page you will hear some of Taurangas best jazz musicians performing favourite Big Band numbers from the great bands like Basie and Kenton. Enjoy an optional buffet meal in the interval.

On Easter Monday head over to Mount Maunganui to soak up the sounds on Mount Mainstreet. Jazz at the Mount runs from 9.30am - 5pm at Mount Mainstreet, with a vintage car parade at 11am and a vintage car display at 12pm.

Road closures in downtown Tauranga are in place until 9pm today.

Karina Williams and Kiwi music legend Corben Simpson enjoying an afternoon of jazz on The Strand. Photo: David Hall/SunLive.

Tauranga painter, sketcher, cartoonist and caricaturist Bernard Dobbie. Photo: David Hall.

More photos taken by David Hall of Easter Sunday Downtown Jazz Carnival:
When Thomas Ferry tried to renew his Manhattan studio apartment lease in February of 2022, he was not expecting to continue with the deep discount he got during the pandemic.

Still, he did not see a 43% hike in rent coming. His payment was about to jump from $1,750 to $2,500 starting May.

The jaw-dropping increase was a good indication that once the COVID-19 vaccines had become available and most coronavirus restrictions on businesses and social gatherings were slowly being lifted, people were moving back to the city.

Now, newly released data is backing that assumption up.

Manhattan added more than 17,000 residents in the year ending last July after losing almost 111,000 people in the previous 12-month period, according to population estimates released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau. The earlier decline was among the worst urban population losses from the COVID-19 outbreak.

FILE - Light from the setting sun falls on the Hudson Yards neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, as seen from the Weehawken Pier in Weehawken, N.J., Wednesday, March 22, 2023. The county that encompasses Manhattan added more than 17,000 residents in the year ending last July after losing almost 111,000 people in the previous 12-month period, according to population estimates released Thursday, March 30, 2023, by the U.S. Census Bureau. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey, File)

Population: What drove population change in the 10 largest U.S. counties?

Migration: New Yorkers are the No.1 movers to Florida. Find out why.

Gen Z: Big cities are a big draw for Gen Z: These are the areas that Gen Z is rapidly migrating to.

New York County, which encompasses Manhattan, was among several large, urban U.S. counties that either gained residents or stemmed the rate of declines between July 2021 and July 2022 compared with a year earlier, according to the data.

The reversal in population losses was particularly notable in King County, Washington, home to Seattle; as well as in large Sunbelt counties such as Dallas County, Texas; and two South Florida counties, Miami-Dade and Broward. The locations all had something in common: international immigration led the gains.

I wasnt expecting this quick of a bounce back for some cities and urban areas. Its not a full recovery from before the pandemic but moving in the right direction, demographer William Frey, of the Brookings Institutions metropolitan policy program, Brookings Metro, said Thursday.

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Population change is driven by migration, both within U.S. borders as people move around, and international trends as people arrive from abroad. It also depends on whether births outpace deaths, or vice versa.

It was exactly during that time period (July 2021-July 2022) that Aly Berger made her move to Manhattan.

Aly Berger and Ryan Jacobsen moved from San Francisco to New York aided by their ability to work remotely.

She first realized what she was missing as she viewed Instagram stories from her friends in New York City.

People were back at bars and restaurants without masks and having fun and kind of returning to normal life, said Berger, a product marketing manager for a tech startup who watched the action unfold on social media from her apartment in San Francisco.

In August, Berger and her boyfriend, Ryan Jacobsen, an investment banker, both of whom have been working remotely over the pandemic, had decided to test out the Big Apple by renting an apartment on Airbnb for four weeks.

By October, they had rented an apartment of their own.

The growth in Manhattan's New York County was propelled by international migration, and to a lesser extent by domestic migration and births outpacing deaths. It came despite rising Manhattan rents and coincided with many businesses' partial return to their offices, which ended some opportunities for remote work.

This was despite the fact that net effective median rent, calculated after accounting for landlord concessions, surged 33.4% year over year to $4,100 in July 2022, exceeding the $4,000 threshold for the first time and reaching a new high for the seventh consecutive month, according to Douglas Elliman.

"The pandemic rental market recovery has been a rocket ship, says real estate appraiser Jonathan Miller, who prepares the monthly Douglas Elliman Real Estate report for New York City.

All the population estimates rely on birth, death and migration data.

Despite the most recent gains, New York County was still running a population deficit of almost 98,000 residents as of last July when compared with April 2020, when COVID-19 spread quickly across the U.S. and the metropolitan area became an epicenter of the virus, spurring tens of thousands of residents to flee. Surrounding counties continued losing population last year.

While millennials abandoned NYC in droves, with 96,600 members fleeing the city, the Big Apple turned out into a big draw for Gen Z, according to an analysis of Census Bureau 2021 American Community Survey by Today's Homeowner, gaining over 3,043 members of this generation  the largest net gain for NYC across all age groups.

The three counties encompassing the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens recorded among the biggest population declines in the U.S., with losses ranging from 40,000 to 50,000 residents.

Contributing: Associated Press

Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy is a housing and economy correspondent for USA TODAY. You can follow her on Twitter @SwapnaVenugopal and sign up for our Daily Money newsletter here.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Manhattan among counties that reversed population loss
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The Girl Scouts of NYPENN Pathways Council (GSNYPENN) and Onondaga Community College (OCC) are together hosting Through the Glass Ceiling to the Stars: Col. Eileen M. Collins (USAF, Ret.), on Saturday, April 22 on the OCC campus located at 4585 West Seneca Turnpike, Syracuse. Presented by M&T Bank, the daylong event is an incredible experience highlighting one of our nations most prolific astronauts.

During her lecture, Col. Collins will speak on leadership skills needed to break barriers. Its no coincidence that this event with one of Americas most admired women occurs on Earth Day and Girl Scout Leaders Dayhonoring the volunteers who work as mentors in partnership with girls in the Girl Scout Leadership Experience.

This special occasion includes multiple ways in which to support the OCC Foundation and GSNYPENN council. The day begins with classroom-based hands-on STEAM activities for Girl Scouts presented by OCC and GSNYPENN. Activities are free for girls and troops to attend and have already sold out. Tickets for the lecture and dinner are still available to the general public.

The events include:

Lecture: 4 p.m., SRC Arena & Events Center: Col. Collins will share how her career as an astronaut took shape. Listen as she discusses her Air Force experience from flight instructor and test pilot to her incredible achievement of being the first woman to pilot the Space Shuttle and the first to command a Space Shuttle mission. Hear her story of leadership, challenges and success. Tickets are available for purchase at $20 each (plus a convenience fee).

Girl Scouts Q&A with Col. Collins: 5 p.m., SRC Arena & Events Center: Col. Collins will take questions written and asked by local Girl Scouts while all other guests with dinner tickets transition to the next part of the evening.

Cocktail hour and dinner: 5:15 p.m., Great Room, Gordon Hall: Geared towards adults, this is the perfect way to wrap up post-lecture. Discuss Col. Collins achievements and knowledge with a cocktail and delicious plated dinner. As the guest of honor, she will give brief remarks in addition to hearing from Dr. Warren Hilton, Ed.D., President of Onondaga Community College and Julie Dale, CEO of Girl Scouts of NYPENN Pathways. This add-on is separate from the lecture. Tickets are available for purchase at $150 each (plus a convenience fee).

For further event information and to purchase tickets, visit gsnypenn.org/ecollins. To become a sponsor, visit sunyocc.edu/eileencollins.
Donald D. Fida, 99, a World War II veteran and Central New York businessman, died at home on Tuesday.

After graduating from the Manlius Military Academy in 1942, he enlisted in the U.S. Army, serving as a scout in World War II. He was in the battles of Sitka, Attu, Kwajalein, Okinawa and Leyte.

In 2015, veterans were invited to return to Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands to mark the 71st anniversary of the key battle to take the island. He was the only one of 22,000 soldiers who served in the battle who was healthy enough to make the trip back.

He was just 20 years old when he fought in the battle in January 1944. The battle is remembered as the first time American soldiers took control of a Japanese-held territory in World War II.

He received the rank of sergeant and was awarded numerous citations and medals, including the Purple Heart and the POW Medal.

Don was inducted into the New York State Senate Veterans Hall of Fame and the Purple Heart Hall of Fame.

After the war, Don served in the Naval Reserve until 1953.

For more than 60 years, he operated his business, Fidas Landscaping & Janitorial Service.

Calling hours will take place from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday with a funeral service to follow at the Thomas J. Pirro Jr. Funeral home in North Syracuse.
Two years after New York legalized recreational marijuana for adult use, Central New York finally has its first licensed retailer. He is Joseph B. Simons, a lawyer from Boston, Massachusetts, who was busted for smoking weed while a high school student in Oneonta.

The Office of Cannabis Management passed over local applicants and reached across the state line to choose Simons. Why?

Its another head-scratcher from an agency that cant seem to get its arms around one of its core missions: social equity.

New Yorks cannabis program was intentionally designed to benefit people and communities harmed by the states war on drugs. State legislators explicitly identified people of color who were disproportionately targeted for arrest and incarceration. Half of conditional adult-use license are reserved for social equity applicants.

Simons technically qualifies. He credits his teenage marijuana arrest with inspiring him to become a lawyer. Simons, now 38, graduated from Oneonta High School, then college and law school, and operates successful criminal law practice with offices in Boston and Salem. But he hasnt lived here since college, hasnt settled on a location for his cannabis dispensary, and is undecided about whether he will manage it from afar or move back.

Several cannabis entrepreneurs already in Central New York seem to be ahead of Simons, at least on paper. For example, they have retail locations already lined up and are active in the states growing cannabis business community.

Mike Golden, who with his partner Byron Cage has been working on a retail license application for more than a year, summed it up: Everybody is asking, Who is this guy? No one seems to know him.

Were not holding our breath for an explanation from OCM. The agencys track record on transparency is weak. For example, our sister publication Cannabis Insider is still waiting to learn if the firm chosen to raise $150 million for the programs $200 million social equity fund has raised any money at all.

State legislators are consumed with the late budget for now. They should not end this legislative session without a thorough review of the Hochul administrations rocky rollout of legal weed  including whether it is meeting its social equity goals.

Another crisis at Bishop nursing home

The parade of horrors at Bishop Nursing Home continues. On Christmas Eve, residents endured temperatures in the 50s and snow coming in through drafty windows, staff writer James T. Mulder reported last week. The high temperature on Dec. 24 was 14 degrees Fahrenheit.

Mulder previously reported that call bells go unanswered, residents scream for help, lay in their own waste and are served food that is often inedible. Bishop has been on a federal watchlist of bad nursing homes for a year. Conditions arent improving.

The facilitys vulnerable residents have endured enough. Its well past time for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to cut off federal reimbursements to Bishop  either to force a sale or to shut it down.

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To respond to this editorial: Submit a letter or commentary to letters@syracuse.com. Read our submission guidelines.

If you have questions about the Opinions & Editorials section, contact Marie Morelli, editorial/opinion lead, at mmorelli@syracuse.com
Houston, Texas--(Newsfile Corp. - April 9, 2023) - Metaplexus, a leading business consultancy firm, has a history of supporting business owners in creating a financially independent legacy through education, accountability, and done-with-you sales systems. The company's newest service specializes in creating turn-key done-for-you eCommerce stores to help entrepreneurs achieve financial success. Their new business model is designed to provide comprehensive support and guidance to entrepreneurs looking to succeed in the highly competitive world of eCommerce.





Metaplexus CEO Adam Rodriguez inspires the crowd with his vision for financial independence and his dedication to helping others achieve their goals

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8902/161535_figure1.jpeg

Metaplexus's new turn-key eCommerce store creation service handles the research, creation, and management of the entire online store. This makes it easier for entrepreneurs to focus on building their businesses and achieving financial independence without worrying about the details of eCommerce. By providing comprehensive support and guidance, Metaplexus is empowering entrepreneurs to take control of their financial futures and achieve their dreams.

"We believe that everyone has the potential to achieve financial independence and success through eCommerce," said Adam Rodriguez, CEO of Metaplexus. "Our new business model is all about empowering entrepreneurs to achieve their financial goals and build successful online businesses with our turn-key eCommerce store creation services."





Building a community of successful entrepreneurs, one eCommerce store at a time. Meet the team behind Metaplexus!

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8902/161535_figure2.jpeg

Metaplexus's mission is to empower aspiring entrepreneurs to achieve financial independence and success through eCommerce. CEO Adam Rodriguez's personal journey, after sustaining a traumatic brain injury during his time as a veteran, served as the inspiration for the company's new business model. Adam turned to eCommerce and trial and error to create a business that could support his family with only a few meaningful hours each day to get his work done. He has since built a system that he's used to support hundreds of hopeful entrepreneurs maintain success in the eCommerce industry.

Story continues

Through Metaplexus's comprehensive suite of services, including turn-key eCommerce store creation, business planning, marketing, and more, they are dedicated to providing entrepreneurs with the tools they need to succeed in the highly competitive eCommerce environment. Their new business model is built on the principles of discipline, integrity, and dedication that Adam learned during his time in the Marines.

Metaplexus is revolutionizing the way new business owners start and grow their online businesses. Aspiring entrepreneurs looking to achieve financial independence and success through eCommerce, Metaplexus can help. Visit their website at Metaplexus.io to learn more about their unique opportunity and suite of eCommerce services.

Media Contact:

Contact Person: Adam Rodriguez

Email: contact@metaplexus.io

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/161535
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TechSpot is about to celebrate its 25th anniversary. TechSpot means tech analysis and advice you can trust

In brief: You can now buy an 80-core Arm dev kit that can run Windows normally for the cost of a conventional high-end system. You'd only want it if you were prototyping hardware or software for edge computing, but imagine what you could do with it in your downtime.

Ampere launched the Altra Dev Kit this week, a stripped-down system that comes in a cardboard box. It includes a featureful motherboard, an SoC glued to a daughterboard, a trio of heatsinks, and an all-important VGA to HDMI cable. It starts at $2,003 for the 32-core kit and reaches up to $2,621 for the 80-core kit. Ampere also makes a 128-core SoC but it's out of stock at the moment.

Ampere makes four different SoCs based on the Arm Neoverse N1 architecture for data centers. The 32-core model clocks in at 1.7 GHz and the 64-core model steps up to 2.2 GHz. Both the 80-core and 128-core models clock up to 2.6 GHz. All four models have 64 PCIe 4.0 lanes and support up to 768 GB of DDR4 ECC memory split across six channels.

Ampere and its parent company IPI (Industrial Prototyping for IoT) only sell systems to consumers for development and testing purposes. Ampere's other main product is the Altra Developer Platform (above), a prebuilt tower.

It looks like a stock standard gaming PC with a tempered glass panel on one side and five RGB fans and a 240 mm AIO inside. You'd be forgiven for mistaking it for a midrange machine if you saw the unbranded 128 GB M.2 stick and the two green DDR4 sticks in mismatched slots, but it's not cheap.

It starts at $3,250 for the version with 32 cores and 32 GB of RAM and can be configured up to 128 cores and 128 GB of RAM for $5,658.

Ampere Altra Dev Kit supports @nvidia RTX GPUs pic.twitter.com/O28FogV7hB --- Joe Speed (@JoeSpeeds) April 7, 2023

Ampere is one of the few brands that advertises its data center SoCs as having support for Windows and consumer Nvidia RTX GPUs out of the box.

The Developer Platform comes with an unspecified discrete GPU as standard but can be upgraded with an RTX GPU later down the line, as Ampere's edge computing head Joe Speed demonstrated on Twitter. I'd love nothing more than to see an RTX 4090 thrown in there to find out if the Arm chips can handle AAA games. Nvidia already uses them to stream mobile games in China in conjunction with its A16 GPUs.
UNESCO has called on countries to implement its Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence immediately, following calls from over 1,000 tech workers to pause the training of the most powerful AI systems, which was backed by big names in tech such as Elon Musk, Steve Wozniak, and more.

The organization's global normative framework was unanimously adopted by all 193 Member States, providing the necessary safeguards for the ethical use of AI amid the rise of popular AI tools such as OpenAI's ChatGPT.

Maximizing the Benefits of AI

The framework provides guidance to countries on how to maximize the benefits of AI while minimizing the risks it entails. It contains values and principles, as well as detailed policy recommendations in all relevant areas of the industry.

The framework gives member states pointers on how to enhance AI's positive effects while lowering its hazards. It includes values and principles as well as comprehensive policy suggestions in all pertinent areas.



In particular, UNESCO is worried about discrimination and stereotyping, gender inequality, disinformation, privacy rights, the security of personal data, and human and environmental rights that may arise from using AI.



According to the organization, industry self-regulation is insufficient to prevent these ethical problems, which is why the Recommendation offers tools to make sure AI technologies uphold the law and do no harm.



Additionally, it guarantees that people impacted have access to channels for responsibility and restitution.

Read Also: Short Video AI Generators May Come Anytime! NY-Based Startup Claims Its Systems Only Needs Few Words

Readiness Assessment Tool

The recommendations include a Readiness Assessment tool that enables nations to identify the workforce competencies and skills necessary to support effective regulation of the AI sector.



Governments are obligated to submit periodic reports every four years detailing their practices and accomplishments in the field of artificial intelligence.



More than 40 nations are currently collaborating with UNESCO to create national AI checks and balances.



The organization is urging all nations to join the movement and create an ethical AI. In December 2023, Slovenia will host the UNESCO International Conference on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence. A progress report will be presented during the event.

"The world needs stronger ethical rules for artificial intelligence: this is the challenge of our time. UNESCO's Recommendation on the ethics of AI sets the appropriate normative framework," Audrey Azoulay, the organization's Director-General, said in a press release statement.

"Our Member States all endorsed this Recommendation in November 2021. It is high time to implement the strategies and regulations at the national level. We have to walk the talk and ensure we deliver on the Recommendation's objectives."

Related Article: 2024 Paris Olympics: French Lawmakers to Vote on Controversial Bill Legalizing AI-Powered Surveillance

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Twitter has removed the "US state-affiliated" label from NPR, which was applied just a few days ago. The social media company now lists the public broadcaster as a "government-funded" organization, as per Engadget's report.

"Government-funded" Label

NPR tech reporter Bobby Allyn was the first to report on the change, stating that Elon Musk told him Twitter would apply the "government-funded" designation to other institutions soon.



However, Tesla, which has received government subsidies worth billions of dollars over the years, does not seem to have the label, according to Allyn.

Since Twitter first applied the state-affiliated classification on Wednesday, the main NPR account has not tweeted. The media organization altered its policies after NPR CEO John Lansing pointed out that the term "state-affiliate" did not apply to the public broadcaster under Twitter's own rules.



"State-financed media organizations with editorial independence, like the BBC in the UK or NPR in the US, for example, are not defined as state-affiliated media," the page stated before Tuesday.



The company had taken out the NPR-related section of text by Wednesday.

Read Also: Twitter Doge: Blue Bird Logo Changed to Shiba Inu Mascot Amidst Dogecoin Lawsuit Against Elon Musk

NPR's Main Revenue Streams

According to NPR, grants from the government account for less than 1% of its annual operating budget. Around 70% of the non-income profit's during the past five years have come from corporate sponsorships and programming fees.



NPR said it is an independent, nonprofit news organization. Additionally, it claimed to be a membership group for independently owned and run public radio stations around the country.

NPR's two main revenue streams are corporate sponsorships and membership dues paid by NPR Member organizations to support a range of programs, resources, and services, according to its website.



Grants from organizations, individual gifts, and fees from Public Radio Satellite System (PRSS) customers are among additional sources of income for the organization.

Twitter has not commented on the matter but the recent change of NPR's label indicates that Twitter is reassessing its policies.



The label was introduced in August 2020 to provide more transparency about the sources of information on the platform. The move was designed to help users make more informed decisions about the content they consume and to protect against the spread of misinformation.

In related news, Twitter has labeled Substack links as unsafe, following the introduction of Substack's Notes feature. Notes are similar to Twitter's tweets and allow users to publish small posts with a dedicated tab for each post.



This move has sparked speculation that Twitter may be unhappy with the similarity of Notes to its own platform.

Related Article: Elon Musk Claims 'For You' Page Will Only Display Twitter Verified Accounts Starting April 15-What For?

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Experts are warning against sharing too much information with AI chatbots as privacy concerns continue to mount, according to a report by The Guardian.



Experts warn that AI chatbots may be able to collect vast amounts of data, which can be used for targeted advertising and pose multiple security risks, including the ability to help criminals perform more convincing cyber-attacks.



While search engines like Google have long been criticized for their data-collection practices, experts suggest that chatbots could be even more data-hungry.

Disarming to Users

People may be taken aback by their conversational character and compelled to divulge more information than they would have in a search engine. According to Ali Vaziri, a legal director on the data and privacy team of the law firm Lewis Silkin, the human-like nature of chatbots can be disarming to users.

Chatbots have a reputation for gathering text, voice, and device data and information that can identify a user's location, like their IP address, as noted by The Guardian.



Chatbots collect information as search engines do, such as social media activity that can be connected to a user's email and phone number.



"As data processing gets better, so does the need for more information, and anything from the web becomes fair game," says Dr. Lucian Tipi, associate dean at Birmingham City University.



Individuals are profiled using the information gathered by chatbots to receive relevant advertisements. The AI chatbot's system is fed by micro-calculations whenever a user requests assistance.



According to Jake Moore, a worldwide cybersecurity expert at the software company ESET, these identifiers are examined and might be used to target users with advertisements.



Microsoft recently disclosed that it is considering adding advertisements to Bing Chat. Microsoft has modified its privacy policy to reflect that employees can read users' chatbot interactions.

Concerns about using chatbots have increased in light of Italy's recent prohibition on ChatGPT for privacy reasons. The owner of ChatGPT, OpenAI, has raised concerns about the model it uses. The Italian data regulator said it would investigate whether the company has violated stringent European data protection regulations.



According to Ron Moscona, a partner at the law firm Dorsey & Whitney, ChatGPT's privacy policy "does not appear to open the door for commercial exploitation of personal data." Still, Google's more comprehensive privacy policy permits it to use data for providing users with targeted advertising.

Read Also: UNESCO Pushes for Global AI Framework Following Calls to Pause Development

"Considerable Care"

Will Richmond-Coggan, a data, privacy, and AI specialist at the legal company Freeths, claims that the technology is still too young for us to know it is secure and private.



Before disclosing any data, he advises "considerable care," especially if it is private or business-related.

Chatbot creators such as OpenAI and Microsoft say their chatbot products can be used safely. The latter is "thoughtful about how it uses your data" while maintaining the rules and security measures from conventional search in Bing.

Related Article: ChatGPT NOT to Be Trusted by Marketers, Investors; DataTrek Explains Why

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On Sunday, April 9, China increased military pressure on Taiwan by sending 70 warplanes, including fighter jets, reconnaissance planes, and refuellers, into the country's air defense identification zone.

The Guardian reports that this is the second day of drills in response to Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen's meeting with the US House during a brief visit to the United States.

Heightened Chinese Military Exercises Near Taiwan

Taiwan's defense ministry said it was closely monitoring the movements of China's missile forces, and the United States said it was also on high alert. China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) has carried out these three-day exercises.

On Saturday morning, the PLA announced the start of the drills, and by that evening, 71 warplanes and eight ships had entered Taiwan's ADIZ, with nearly 60 crossing the median line.

According to Taiwan's ministry, the activity violated Indo-Pacific peace and stability and harmed international security and economies. It urged other nations to speak out against China's actions.

Read Also: Russian War Supporter Hacked by Cyber Resistance; Instead of Drones, Purchases Adult Toys

Meanwhile, Chinese state television reported that multiple units conducted simulated strikes on key targets in Taiwan and the surrounding sea.

Chinese War Games

According to a source from Taiwan's security team talking with Reuters, Chinese military exercises occurred in the Bashi Channel on Saturday. These exercises involved practicing attacks on aircraft carrier groups and anti-submarine maneuvers.

In contrast to similar exercises in August of last year, China has not announced any drills this time, and only one notice of a live-fire zone has been issued by Chinese maritime authorities. This notice warns ships and planes to avoid a small water area near Pingtan in the Taiwan Strait.

It is important to note that this area is much smaller than the designated live-fire zones from last year's drills.

Increased China-Taiwan Tension

Despite Beijing's warnings, The Guardian reports that Tsai met with Speaker of the US House of Representatives Kevin McCarthy last week in Los Angeles.

China, which has never renounced the use of force to take control of the island, claims Taiwan is the most critical and sensitive issue in its relations with the United States, and the subject is a frequent source of tension.

China has also increased military pressure on Taiwan in the last three years by flying regular missions around the island, but not in its territorial airspace or over the island itself.

According to Chinese state media, the aircraft that flew into the ADIZ this weekend were armed with live weapons. Taiwanese air force jets typically carry live weapons when scrambling to repel Chinese incursions.

Despite the military tensions, civilian flights around Taiwan have continued as usual, including to Kinmen and Matsu, two groups of Taiwan-controlled islands right next to the Chinese coast. However, civilian air traffic was disrupted in August when China declared effective no-fly zones in several blocks near Taiwan from which it was firing missiles.

Stay posted here at Tech Times.

Related Article: Chinese Spy Balloon Collected Information on US Military Sites and Sent Data to Beijing

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Universities in Japan are restricting the use of ChatGPT due to concerns about information leaks. With over 100 million users worldwide, the AI-powered application has become increasingly popular among students for use in essays and other assignments.

However, there are concerns that using ChatGPT may result in incorrect answers or copyright infringement. Furthermore, there is a risk that the AI will acquire sensitive information and disclose it to third parties.

Japanese Universities Ban ChatGPT Use

To address these concerns, The Straits Times reports that Japanese universities are now restricting the use of ChatGPT in essays and other papers.

Sophia University has recently published its grading policy, which states that without the permission of instructors, the use of text, program source code, and calculation results generated by ChatGPT and other AI chatbots is not permitted on any assignments. The statement also warns that if detection tools detect the use of ChatGPT, strict measures will be taken.

It is worth noting that there have been prior instances where educational institutions have taken steps to limit the usage of the latest technology.

For instance, in January of this year, to mitigate the risk of academic dishonesty, the public school systems in New York City and Seattle prohibited using the AI tool on their Wi-Fi networks and electronic devices.

More Japan Universities Rolling Out Measures to Address AI

The Straits Times reports that the University of Tokyo has also posted a document on its internal website stating that students must create reports that cannot be made solely with the assistance of AI.

Nagahiro Minato, president of Kyoto University, has also commented on AI-generated papers, stating that writing takes a lot of energy but strengthens students' mentality and ability to think.

Universities also encourage faculty to take action by rethinking how assignments are assigned and exams are administered.

Tohoku University has urged faculty to consider how AI will react before assigning exercises and reports, as well as to switch to an exam format that requires students to write in class.

Dr. Motohisa Kaneko, a professor at the University of Tsukuba specializing in higher education, has stated that simply prohibiting students from using generative AI in their essays is difficult. Instead, instructors must be more creative by requiring students to submit reports before administering oral exams.

Read Also: Experts Caution Against Sharing Too Much With Your AI Chatbot

Antony Aumann, a philosophy professor at Northern Michigan University, took a similar step when he modified the essay-writing requirements for his classes, requiring students to write first drafts in class and later drafts with explanations of each revision, as reported by New York Times.

The use of AI in education is a growing concern around the world, and Japan is not alone in its efforts to regulate its use. European countries like Italy recently proposed new regulations requiring AI to be transparent, explainable, and safe. The United States is also grappling with how to regulate the use of AI in education.

Stay posted here at Tech Times.

Related Article: Security Researcher Develops Powerful Data-Mining Malware Using ChatGPT

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NORTHERN MICHIGAN  Native American tribes from Michigan, Wisconsin and Ontario have come together to call for an end to the Line 5 pipeline.

The Enbridge Line 5 crude oil pipeline, first constructed in 1953, stretches from Wisconsin through 645 miles of Michigan and ends in Sarnia, Ontario. Part of the pipeline travels underwater through the Straits of Mackinac.

In recent years, the pipeline's continued operation has become a source of controversy. Many tribal nations and communities claim that the pipeline goes through their traditional territories. The Straits area in particular is considered a place of significant cultural and historical importance to many native groups, including the Anishinaabe. According to tribal leaders, the pipeline poses a major and direct threat to the ecosystems along its path.

More: Enbridge rejects Michigan's demand to shut down oil pipeline

More: Enbridge sues Michigan over oil pipeline shutdown order

The Straits of Mackinac are central to the Anishinaabe creation story, which makes this location sacred from both a cultural and historical perspective in the formation of the Anishinaabe people, said Austin Lowes, chairperson of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, in a statement. Protecting the Straits is also a matter of the utmost environmental and economic importance  both to our people and the state of Michigan.

Tribal leaders and other environmental groups have publicly opposed the pipeline for many years and have called for the pipeline to be shut down.

Supporters of the pipeline point out that it transports 540,000 barrels of light crude oil and natural gas liquids through Line 5 on a daily basis. Shutting it down could impact jobs, fuel transport and property taxes paid by Enbridge.

In an effort to address safety concerns, Enbridge has proposed an underwater tunnel to house the portion of Line 5 that runs under the Straits of Mackinac. However, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recently pushed the permitting timeline for the tunnel project back to spring 2025.

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Critics of the tunnel project say no oil should be transported through the Straits at all, as a spill could have a devastating impact on more than 700 miles of Great Lakes shoreline.

Enbridge personnel and other local agencies conduct an oil spill drill in the Straits of Mackinac in 2015.

More: New Canadian Consul General in Detroit talks EVs, Gordie Howe bridge and Line 5

More: As legal sparring continues, Army Corps pushes Line 5 permit timeline to 2025

The rights of Indigenous people, of my people, are rights that should be respected by all sovereigns, both domestic and abroad, said President Whitney Gravelle of the Bay Mills Indian Community in a statement. Canadas support of Line 5 is a disaster in the making for the entire Great Lakes region because an oil spill will poison our fish, harm our sacred sites, contaminate our drinking water  and ultimately destroy our Indigenous way of life.

Previous attempts to shut down the pipeline have been stopped through various means, mostly the 1977 Transit Pipeline Treaty between Canada and the United States.

The latest attempt saw 51 tribal organizations from Wisconsin, Michigan and Ontario submit a report to the United Nations Human Rights Council. This report, dated April 4, claims that the Government of Canada is violating the human rights of Indigenous peoples through its continuous support for Line 5.

The report was submitted to be considered during Canada's upcoming Universal Periodic Review, conducted by the United Nations. As a United Nations member state, Canada is required to be evaluated for its human rights record on a regular basis.

Canada's Universal Periodic Review will take place this year on Nov. 6-17.

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The 51 different tribal organizations that signed the report include: The Anishinabek Nation, which represents 39 First Nations throughout the province of Ontario, Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians, Bay Mills Indian Community, Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa & Chippewa Indians, Hannahville Indian Community, Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, Match-e-be-nash-she-wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians, Nottawaseppi Huron Band of Potawatomi, Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe and Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa.

The full report as it was submitted the the United Nations can be found at earthrights.org.

 Contact Brendan Wiesner: BWiesner@Sooeveningnews.com

This article originally appeared on The Sault News: Great Lakes tribes send report to United Nations to fight Line 5
Several domains related to the popular pirated online eBook repository, Z-Library, were seized by the U.S. Department of Justice last year in accordance with piracy laws.

For those unaware, Z-Library, also known as a shadow library, offered more than 12 million books and 84 million articles free of charge in a huge 220 TB database via its website.

As part of the investigation, two Russian nationals, Anton Napolsky, and Valeriia Ermakova, were arrested in Argentina in November 2022. Despite the arrest and seizure of over 200 domain names, the pirate eBook website continued to remain operational on the Dark Web offering millions of pirated books and articles as before.

Further, in February this year, Z-Library announced that the platform is once again publicly available on the Clearnet and offering a unique or personal domain name for each member but with some technical tweaks, making it more difficult for law enforcement to completely shut down the operations.

As the crackdown from the U.S. Government caused substantial financial damage to the platform, the pirate eBook repository started a donation drive from March 15, 2023 to April 1, 2023, and encouraged its users to contribute. The donation drive turned out to be successful with Z-Library collecting tens of thousands of dollars in donations.

RELATED: Best Z-Library Alternatives To Download eBooks

New Concept: Sharing Paper Books Through Z-Points

Z-Library recently thanked its users for their generous contributions, which has ensured the continued development of the platform. The donation has made it possible for the online repository to expand its offerings, which not only includes millions of eBooks but also physical paperback books.

Books you have read should not gather dust on your shelf  instead, they can get a second life in the hands of new readers! This helps to preserve the literary heritage and spread the knowledge and ideas contained in books to more people, they wrote in a new message, posted this week.

Elaborating further, Z-Library says that it is working on a new service called Z-Points that will help users to share physical copies with each other via dedicated pick-up points around the world.

The aim behind this service is to create a global market with dedicated pick-up points for books donated by the users.

[W]e want to organize Z-Points  collection and storage points for books that will be the link between those who share their books and those who need them, it added.

Book owners who are willing to share them with other users can send books to the nearest Z-Point in their region. And those who need books stored in these points will be able to receive them for their use.

Z-Library believes that existing libraries are best suited to become Z-Points; however, it adds that people can also offer to run a Z-Point from their own homes. Additionally, they have also invited fulfillment centers and third-party logistics to join their services to help with storage space and organizational efforts.

According to Z-Library, users will be able to send books by mail, which can then be loaned by others and/or sent by mail when requested.

As soon as the announcement of Z-Points was made public, it garnered hundreds of comments and suggestions from enthusiastic users with people suggesting countries such as Argentina, Brazil, China, Colombia, Egypt, Ethiopia, France, Ghana, India, Iran, Nigeria, Portugal, Spain, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam, as ideal Z-Point locations.

The idea is good but like how would you deal with the logistics and also with cost? Especially when the team is facing legal pursuit how can you hide your identities and do it?[sic], wrote one commenter while inquiring about legal implications and costs.

While other commenters pointed out that the Z-Point idea is already available in many countries where people organize free libraries to collect and donate books to local communities. Some of these free libraries are organized and promoted through the Little Free Library project.

The Z-Library team says that it welcomes comments and suggestions from its users. However, it is important to note that the concept of Z-Point is still in the planning phase, and whether or not this idea comes to fruition remains to be seen.
In order to justify the effort of selecting individual stocks, it's worth striving to beat the returns from a market index fund. But the main game is to find enough winners to more than offset the losers At this point some shareholders may be questioning their investment in Nufarm Limited (ASX:NUF), since the last five years saw the share price fall 33%.

It's worthwhile assessing if the company's economics have been moving in lockstep with these underwhelming shareholder returns, or if there is some disparity between the two. So let's do just that.

Check out our latest analysis for Nufarm

In his essay The Superinvestors of Graham-and-Doddsville Warren Buffett described how share prices do not always rationally reflect the value of a business. One imperfect but simple way to consider how the market perception of a company has shifted is to compare the change in the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price movement.

During five years of share price growth, Nufarm moved from a loss to profitability. That would generally be considered a positive, so we are surprised to see the share price is down. Other metrics might give us a better handle on how its value is changing over time.

In contrast to the share price, revenue has actually increased by 3.4% a year in the five year period. So it seems one might have to take closer look at the fundamentals to understand why the share price languishes. After all, there may be an opportunity.

The image below shows how earnings and revenue have tracked over time (if you click on the image you can see greater detail).

We like that insiders have been buying shares in the last twelve months. Even so, future earnings will be far more important to whether current shareholders make money. If you are thinking of buying or selling Nufarm stock, you should check out this free report showing analyst profit forecasts.

What About Dividends?

It is important to consider the total shareholder return, as well as the share price return, for any given stock. Whereas the share price return only reflects the change in the share price, the TSR includes the value of dividends (assuming they were reinvested) and the benefit of any discounted capital raising or spin-off. Arguably, the TSR gives a more comprehensive picture of the return generated by a stock. In the case of Nufarm, it has a TSR of -30% for the last 5 years. That exceeds its share price return that we previously mentioned. The dividends paid by the company have thusly boosted the total shareholder return.

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A Different Perspective

While the broader market lost about 1.4% in the twelve months, Nufarm shareholders did even worse, losing 9.5% (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 5% 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. If you want to research this stock further, the data on insider buying is an obvious place to start. You can click here to see who has been buying shares - and the price they paid.

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 Australian 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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Listen to the story of Dr. Jean-Martin Charcot, a great French neurologist of the nineteenth century, told by historian Virginie Girod. Thanks to his groundbreaking work on hysteria and hypnosis, Jean-Martin Charcot is considered the founder of modern neurology. What were the ambitions of this very secretive character? Why was his research criticized? In this episode of the podcast "Au cur de l'Histoire" produced by Europe 1 Studio, Virginie Girod paints a portrait of this mythical figure of psychiatry and medicine more generally.
The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2020 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement
A 15-year-old girl was pronounced dead Sunday morning after being shot in the Washington Heights neighborhood, according to Chicago police.

The shooting happened around 12:51 a.m. in the 10600 block of South Sangamon Street.

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Demea Morris, 15, was sitting in the back seat of a car with a gunshot wound in the back of her head when police responded to the shooting. The Chicago Fire Department brought her to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead around 1:22 a.m., according to the Cook County Medical Examiners Office.

No one is in custody. Area two detectives are investigating.

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Check back for updates.

oalexander@chicagotribune.com
(Bloomberg) -- Oil fell in a low-volume session, unable to withstand a rising US dollar while investors waited for upcoming supply constraints to hit the market.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Traders exited risk assets Monday, pausing a rally in which prices have risen roughly 20% in the last three weeks. OPEC+s surprise decision to slash output beginning in May reignited bullish bets on prices, yet some demand indicators are flashing signs of weakness.

Were waiting to see whats really happening with the economy, but it is a slower recovery, Ed Morse, global head of commodities research at Citigroup Inc., said in a Bloomberg Television interview. Its a services recovery. If anything, that will be an end-of-year phenomenon.

Traders are awaiting insights this week into monthly outlooks from OPEC and the International Energy Agency as well as US inflation data and Federal Reserve minutes.

Separately, Turkey wants to negotiate payments it owes Iraq before a pipeline that exports 400,000 barrels a day is reopened, according to Turkish officials familiar with the situation.

Russias Energy Ministry, meanwhile, said that the nation reduced its oil output by about 700,000 barrels a day last month, according to a person familiar with the data. Nevertheless, that figure is inconsistent with indicators on the nations March seaborne exports and supplies to domestic refineries.

Energy Daily, Bloombergs daily energy and commodities newsletter, is now available. Sign up here.

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2023 Bloomberg L.P.
Ideally, your overall portfolio should beat the market average. But even the best stock picker will only win with some selections. At this point some shareholders may be questioning their investment in Morguard Corporation (TSE:MRC), since the last five years saw the share price fall 40%. And we doubt long term believers are the only worried holders, since the stock price has declined 23% over the last twelve months. The falls have accelerated recently, with the share price down 12% in the last three months.

So let's have a look and see if the longer term performance of the company has been in line with the underlying business' progress.

See our latest analysis for Morguard

While markets are a powerful pricing mechanism, share prices reflect investor sentiment, not just underlying business performance. One flawed but reasonable way to assess how sentiment around a company has changed is to compare the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price.

During the five years over which the share price declined, Morguard's earnings per share (EPS) dropped by 16% each year. The share price decline of 10% per year isn't as bad as the EPS decline. The relatively muted share price reaction might be because the market expects the business to turn around.

The image below shows how EPS has tracked over time (if you click on the image you can see greater detail).

We consider it positive that insiders have made significant purchases in the last year. Even so, future earnings will be far more important to whether current shareholders make money. This free interactive report on Morguard's earnings, revenue and cash flow is a great place to start, if you want to investigate the stock further.

A Different Perspective

While the broader market lost about 5.6% in the twelve months, Morguard shareholders did even worse, losing 22% (even including dividends). However, it could simply be that the share price has been impacted by broader market jitters. It might be worth keeping an eye on the fundamentals, in case there's a good opportunity. Unfortunately, last year's performance may indicate unresolved challenges, given that it was worse than the annualised loss of 7% over the last half decade. We realise that Baron Rothschild has said investors should "buy when there is blood on the streets", but we caution that investors should first be sure they are buying a high quality business. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand Morguard better, we need to consider many other factors. Even so, be aware that Morguard is showing 4 warning signs in our investment analysis , and 2 of those are potentially serious...

Story continues

Morguard is not the only stock that insiders are buying. For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on 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
Louisianas coffers are once again flush with cash  more than a billion dollars in extra tax collections that Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards wants to spend on coastal restoration work and new roads and bridges, among other priorities.

But whether the glut of money will even be spent in the near-term is an open question. To do so, the Republican-controlled state legislature would need to muster two-thirds majority votes in both the House and Senate to clear a constitutionally mandated cap on how much the state can shell out each year.

Hesitance among Republicans to bust through that limit illustrates a broader set of tensions likely to animate the session that starts on Monday.

Conservatives desire to spend less, eagerness among legislators of both parties to fund pet projects in an election year and signature goals of a term-limited Edwards are poised to collide in bruising battles over the states finances  all against the backdrop of a projected $418 million annual drop-off in revenue when a temporary sales tax increase expires in 2025.

Meanwhile, a portion of vehicle sales taxes that state officials had been using to fund a wide range of priorities will be diverted solely to road and bridge spending over the next two fiscal years.

The temporary .45-cent sales tax increase, approved in 2018, was a key fix Edwards and the Legislature agreed upon to balance the state budget after former Gov. Bobby Jindals policies and an oil bust caused extraordinary budget shortfalls the first year of Edwards tenure.
Last Monday I found myself embedded deep in the heartland of the Murdoch media machine as old friends, colleagues and rivals gathered in a vast Sydney movie studio to celebrate the life of entertainment executive, showbiz impresario and esteemed raconteur Brian Walsh.

Walsh, who launched Foxtel, had worked for the Murdochs for decades. There was chatter Rupert Murdoch, 92, might bring his new fiancee, Ann Lesley Smith, 66. Anticipation was high.

Rupert Murdoch with fiancee Ann Lesley Smith in the Carribean in January. Credit: Backgrid

To my left was Murdochs heir apparent, eldest son Lachlan, with wife Sarah. They looked to be still very much in love after nearly a quarter of a century of marriage.

To my right were a couple of Rupert Murdochs most trusted lieutenants who for decades worked within his vast news machine and got to know their somewhat enigmatic proprietor better than most.
Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy has ended almost a decade of uncertainty in the Star Wars movie space with confirmation of three new films, including one which effectively restarts the franchises Skywalker saga.

The announcement, made at the Disney-powered Star Wars Celebration convention, is the most significant connected to the Star Wars films in some time, and attempts to stabilise what had become a persistent wrinkle in Disneys expansion plans for the brand.

Back in the frame: Rey Skywalker (Daisy Ridley). Credit: Lucasfilm

Lucasfilm has confirmed Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, Dave Filoni and James Mangold will direct three new Star Wars feature films. The first of those three is the most significant at this point, as it will focus on Daisy Ridleys character, Rey Skywalker.

Speaking at Celebration, Obaid-Chinoy confirmed the film would be set 15 years after audiences last saw Rey: on the planet Tatooine after the fall of the First Order, the evil Galactic Empires last gasp for power, and under the watchful eye of the Force ghosts of Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher).
Circus Oz has managed perhaps the most remarkable trick possible: it has come back from the dead.

When the pioneering circus announced it was closing its doors in December 2021, the news came as a shock. As revealed by this masthead, the companys members had rejected the terms of a review imposed by the federal government that would have changed the way the company was run.

The entire board resigned and issued a statement saying it was a devastating blow to the team and that it had no choice but to wind the company down because the members decision meant they would lose $2.6 million in federal and state subsidies, making the company unviable.

Circus Oz trapeze artists in rehearsals ahead of their show in the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Credit: Scott McNaughton

Then, in February last year, Circus Oz issued a statement declaring: Reports of our death have been greatly exaggerated. It announced a new board and declared it was all systems go for the company.
The dolphin devotees left America for Sydney because they believe Australians, being essentially an ocean people living around the coast, have a natural affinity with the dolphin. And there are more species of cetaceans (the dolphin and whale family) around this shoreline than anywhere else in the world.

Mr Michels also says he has found evidence of a long-ago association between dolphins and Aborigines ... the mammals were an integral part of their totems and dreamtime legends.

He says the Oceania will be the worlds first scientific study of free, wild dolphins. America, Russia and Holland all study captive dolphins in land-based laboratories.

The chief target, the bottle-nosed dolphin, has the brain size most comparable to mans and is the species commonly mentioned in stories  too numerous to be dismissed  about dolphins saving drowning men or dolphins driving sharks from beaches where humans are swimming.

Mr Michels says: To establish communication with a sophisticated species such as dolphins  which are of equivalent intelligence to man demands measures of supreme diplomacy ... it is a quantum jump in research.
Four teenagers have been arrested and charged after allegedly stealing a vehicle in Perths north-east and sparking a wild police pursuit.

On Friday evening, a group of teens allegedly stole a Ford Falcon sedan from a Jane Brook residence before driving it to a property in Lombardy Crescent, Caversham, about 9.35pm.

There they allegedly stole a garage door remote from an unlocked vehicle, before they were disturbed and fled the scene in the Ford Falcon.

About 11:40pm, police located the vehicle driving in Caversham, and Police Air Wing took over monitoring the groups movenments as they drove in the area of Patricia Street and Coonawarra Drive.
WA Police have charged a 16-year-old boy with sexually, violently assaulting and robbing a woman in Kalgoorlie, west of Perth, on Thursday night.

Between 10.30pm and 11.30pm, a woman was walking in the area of Kingsmill Street in Victory Heights, when she was allegedly sexually assaulted and assaulted by an unknown male and had personal items stolen.

The area near where the assault occurred in Kalgoorlie> Credit: WA Police

On Saturday night, detectives from Kalgoorlie and the Sex Assault Squad arrested and charged a 16-year-old male from Kalgoorlie.

He has been charged with one count of aggravated sexual penetration without consent, one count of impeding another persons normal breathing or blood circulation by applying pressure to the neck and one count of robbery.
Despite major educational gains for women, the wage gap between men and women hasn't changed since the start of the millennium, according to two recent studies.

One study found that women only make 82 cents to every mans dollar in 2022. Thats despite women earning 42% of college degrees compared to mens 32% as of 2020.

While it isnt clear why the gender gap persists, there could be one compelling reason: having a family.

Senior researcher and author of Pew Research Center's The Enduring Grip of the Gender Wage Gap, Rakesh Kochhar, has studied economics for thirty-six years. He told Yahoo Finance that the gender gap has persisted because of a motherhood penalty.

The gender wage gap coincides with parenthood. When women transition to motherhood, there is an increase in the gender wage gap, Kochhar said.

( Photo Credit: Getty Creative)

The dad premium

Kochhar said that because of a double standard, womens wages stagnated and didnt match their male counterparts. Fathers have made much more than mothers  what Kochhar called a  fatherhood premium.

Fathers tended to earn more because they worked more hours. They worked on average 40 hours a week, while mothers worked 37 hours a week. Employers rewarded fathers who had children at home and fathers earned more than women who did and didnt have children at home, Kochhar said.

Age was also a factor in women lagging behind men. The Pew study found that as women entered into their peak childbearing years of 25-34, they earned less than men about 92% of mens wages. However, as women in the 35-54 age range earned 83% as much as male workers.

Also, Kochhar said: As women leave and re-enter the workforce, they lose ground to men who never left the workforce. The study found that mothers ages 25-44 earned 85% as much as fathers. Women with children at home ages 45-54 earned 81% as much as men with children at home.

Racial gaps

In addition to age gaps, there are also racial differences in the gender wage gaps. The Pew study found that white women earned 83% of what white men earned. Kochhar said that minority female workers fared worse. Black women earned 70% and Hispanic women only earned 65% was much as white men.

Story continues

There is discrimination that causes the wage gap. There are also different education levels, with Black and Hispanic women having lower rates of four-year college than white men, Kochhar said.

Even though Asian women are closest to income parity with white men, they still lag behind, making 93 cents for every white mans dollar.

Kochhar also said that the type of jobs men and women have also contribute to the wage gap. Men who had union blue-collar jobs or high-income tech careers earned more than women in service jobs.

Men are more likely to have blue-collar and STEM jobs that tend to pay more. Women are more likely to have service, healthcare, and education jobs, quite low-paying jobs, Kochhar said.

Family leave impact?

Another study, Why Did Gender Wage Convergence in the United States Stall? from the National Bureau of Economic Research ( NBER), finds that the Family Medical Leave Act ( FMLA) may have ironically widened the gender wage gap.

The act signed in 1993 by President Bill Clinton gives 12 weeks of unpaid leave to new parents who are employees of companies with more than 50 workers. While the act gives family leave to all parents, mothers predominantly take family leave after they give birth.

The basis of the study: the Current Population Survey of nearly 2.5 million full-time male and female workers aged 18-65 from 1975-2015. NBER researchers discovered that family leave policies reduced gender wage parity by 76% to 96%.

( Photo Credit: Getty Creative)

Women often worked fewer hours because they took more maternity leave. The FMLA led to lower promotion rates for women and higher wage growth for men," Benjamin Posmanick, one of the study's authors, said.

The NBER study cited a Department of Labor survey, which noted that women took 37 more days of family leave than men do. Posmanick added: After the FMLA was implemented, higher wages were offered to men. Discrimination against women who took family leave led to the gender wage gap."

How employers could help

While the authors of both studies had no policy recommendations, they said that employers can take action. Kochhar, for example, said employers could give more women prominent, senior roles in the workplace  and thus higher wages.

Women working more full time and in managerial positions could change the gender wage gap, Kochhar said.

Ella Vincent is the personal finance reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter @bookgirlchicago.

Click here for the latest personal finance news to help you with investing, paying off debt, buying a home, retirement, and more

Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance
Fathers-to-be are being encouraged to join the slowly increasing trend of those going alcohol free in solidarity with their pregnant partners.

Men who have abstained say it made them feel closer to their partners on the journey to parenthood, and experts believe it helps support women staying off booze while being bombarded with mixed messages about drinking while pregnant.

Lisa and Adriel Long with daughter Alyssia. Credit: Penny Stephens

Adriel Long abstained completely from alcohol for the first four or five months while his wife, Lisa, was pregnant with their first child.

He said the sacrifice was well worth it, even though seeing friends kicking back while he was high and dry got a bit tougher towards the end.
A Ride on Roaring Camps Redwood Train in Felton, California

As the train ascended the tight curves of Bear Mountain in Santa Cruz, California, it began to sing. Harmonic tones rang out among redwood trees as the projecting edge (flange) of the trains wheels pressed up against the inside of the rails.

This railroad has tighter curves than almost any other railroad in the country, the conductor later explained, making the wheels want to sing a little bit when they go around the curves.

The projecting flange of steel wheels keeps trains on the tracks. The wheels sing as they go around curves. (Courtesy of Karen Gough)

The tones only added to the ambience of the steam train as it chugged along the tracks, its whistle blowing at every turn. Children called out happily or slept in their parents arms, while people of all ages enjoyed a gentle ride up one of the steepest railroad grades in the country.

A child sleeps while the Dixiana negotiates a tight curve. (Courtesy of Karen Gough)

This railroad has the tightest radius curve of any wooden trestle on the entire North American continent, the conductor informed us.

At that moment, we were traveling an 8.5 percent grade, meaning that for every 100 feet traveled, our train rose 8.5 feet. At one point, the conductor told us that the rear of the train, where he stood, was actually three stories below the front of the train! It didnt feel that way to us, as we all traveled on the same grade.

The Dixiana ascends a system of switchbacks to reach the top of Bear Mountain. (Courtesy of Karen Gough)

Our conductor narrated other wonderful facts as the steam train conveyed us from Roaring Camp in Felton, through a redwood forest, and up and down a mountain. We rode Engine #1, the Dixiana Shay: a geared locomotive originally built in 1912 to work on narrow-gauge logging and mining railroads.

Though it is a steam engine, the Dixiana no longer burns wood or coal; instead, it produces steam from recycled motor oil.

A fireman checks the workings of the Dixiana steam locomotive. (Courtesy of Karen Gough)

The Dixiana came from Dixiana, Virginia to California in 1963 through the efforts of Roaring Camps founder, F. Norman Clark.

Clark was only 23 when he arrived in Felton in 1958 with $25 in his pocket. Clark was a train buff, and his dream was to preserve steam locomotives by reviving the picnic train that formerly ran between Felton and Santa Cruz in the early 20th century.

Unfortunately, Southern Pacific wouldnt sell him the tracks, so Clark came up with another idea.

A historical photo in the museum at Roaring Camp. (Courtesy of Karen Gough)

Because regular logging used to take place in the Santa Cruz Mountains, Clark decided to build an authentic recreation of a logging railroad. This way he could save several steam locomotives that were headed for the scrap yard as well as teach visitors about California history and the ecology of the Santa Cruz Mountains.

To that end, Clark rounded up partners and investors; secured a 99-year lease from the family who owned the land; built Roaring Camp, a replica of an 1880s town; and ran the first train on April 6, 1963.

Visitors exit a train into the town of Roaring Camp in Felton, California. (Courtesy of Karen Gough)

The 170 acres of land Clark leased came from a private forest preserve called Welchs Big Trees Resort. On Dec. 26, 1867, Joseph Warren Welch, a San Francisco entrepreneur, purchased 350 acres of old-growth redwoods to save them from surrounding logging operations.

It is because of Welch and Clark that the Roaring Camp steam trains travel through a virgin forest of old-growth redwood trees, rather than a more realistic setting of logged tree stumps.

A model of a narrow-gauge logging train in the Roaring Camp museum. (Courtesy of Karen Gough)

During our ride through the forest, the conductor told us some interesting facts about the surrounding redwood trees. He pointed out a small group of trees known as the leaning trees because they lean over the tracks. When the trees get too close, rather than remove them, Roaring Camp moves the tracks further into the mountain, because these trees have right of way.

Our excellent conductor. (Courtesy of Karen Gough)

The conductor also told us that redwood trees have an average height of 250 feet and an average age of 750 years, but they can grow up to 380 feet and live as long as 2,200 years.

He explained why some trees have hollowed-out areas at the bottom of their trunks. These are called goose pens and happen when a fire burns right through the trees protective bark to the hardwood at the center of the tree.

Goose pens were used by Ohlone Native Americans to house their geese at night and protect them from wild animals.

At night, Ohlone Native Americans would cover the goose pen with a large rock to keep their geese safe inside. (Courtesy of Karen Gough)

Roaring Camp is a family-run business that operates narrow-gauge steam trains through the redwood forest and standard-gauge diesel trains down to the Santa Cruz Beach and Boardwalk.

Thats because, in 1984, Southern Pacific finally sold Clark the railroad line that ran between Felton and the beach.

Clark didnt live to see his beach trains run, but his dream survived when his wife, Georgiana, took over the company. After her death, their daughter Melani Clark took it over. Melani is currently the CEO and also a working steam-locomotive fireman.

Families seem to love riding the trains of Roaring Camp. (Courtesy of Karen Gough)

In 2023, Roaring Camp is celebrating 60 years of entertaining and educating visitors from all over the world. They have many events, and though the beach train is seasonal, the redwood train and town of Roaring Camp are open every day but Christmasweather permitting.

For more information, check out their website at RoaringCamp.com or call (831) 335-4484.

At the end of 75 wonderful minutes, the Dixiana steams back to Roaring Camp. (Courtesy of Karen Gough)

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
George Osborne

Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund has been disclosed as a backer of an investment company co-founded by George Osborne.

The Kingdoms Sanabil Investments vehicle owns a stake in 9Yards Capital, which was founded in 2018 by the former chancellor and his brother, Theo Osborne.

The arrangement was made public for the first time last week alongside information about Saudi support for a raft of other investments in private companies and venture funds.

Mr Osborne helped launch Los Angeles-based 9Yards five years ago, according to regulatory filings.

The role is one of a series of jobs Mr Osborne has had since leaving No11. He spent three years as editor of the Evening Standard and currently serves as chairman of the British Museum. He is also a partner at the investment bank Robey Warshaw.

The size of Sanabils investment in 9Yards could not be determined. The fund said this week it typically invests around $2bn (1.6bn) each year in start-ups, venture firms and private equity.

9Yards, which invests in tech companies, has around $711m in assets under management according to its latest US regulatory filings. Its holdings have included crypto exchange Coinbase, stock trading company Robinhood, meal kit company Gousto and defence company Anduril.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman - REUTERS/Louiza Vradi

Sanabil, part of the Saudi states $600bn Public Investment Fund, also revealed holdings in several leading buyout funds including KKR, Apollo and Blackstone.

In addition it declared an investment in several tech businesses, including scooter company Bird.

Sovereign wealth funds and state-backed investors often act as a key source of funds for venture capital. Among the firms backed by the Saudi state are early Facebook investor Andreessen Horowitz, New York-based Insight Partners and Peter Thiels Valar Ventures, according to Sanabil.

The Saudi state has been keen to talk up its high-tech investments as the country attempts to become less reliant on oil revenues under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The state has also been trying to attract companies to work on megaprojects, such as developing a new desert metropolis called Neom.

Story continues

Saudi Arabia is ploughing investment into its futuristic Neom desert city - NEOM/AFP via Getty Images

However, some of its deals, such as the takeover of Newcastle United FC, have come under scrutiny amid questions over Saudi Arabias human rights record.

In 2019, the former chancellor was forced to defend the Evening Standard after a Saudi businessman acquired a minority stake in its parent company.

At the time, Mr Osborne told CNN: I wouldnt edit this paper if I felt there were unacceptable restrictions on what I can report.

Mr Osborne also said the newspaper had been extremely critical of the Saudi regime over issues such as the murder of critic Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.

In a response to a readers letter in the wake of the killing, Mr Osborne, then editor, wrote: The international demand for answers over the fate of Jamal Khashoggi suggests many still understand the value of a free press.

"Democracies have always had to engage with authoritarian states - that will not change - but perhaps we can learn in our own societies to value the role of a questioning media a little more.

If we denigrate those we disagree with as enemies of the people or purveyors of fake news then we are doing the job of authoritarian regimes for them.

On its website, Sanabil said it invests in great ideas, great minds, great companies. Mr Osborne and 9Yards did not respond to a request for comment.
Ben Ferencz, Last Surviving Nuremberg Prosecutor, Dies at 103

Benjamin Ferencz, former chief prosecutor in the Nuremberg trials, speaks during a video interview from his home in Delray Beach, Fla., on Nov. 18, 2020, in a still image obtained from a video. (Reuters TV via Reuters)

Benjamin Ferencz, the last surviving prosecutor from the Nuremberg trials in Germany that brought Nazi war criminals to justice after World War II and a longtime apostle of international criminal law, died on Friday at age 103, NBC News reported, citing his son.

Ferencz, a Harvard-educated lawyer, secured convictions of numerous German officers who led roving death squads during the war. Circumstances of his death were not immediately disclosed. The New York Times reported that Ferencz died at an assisted living facility in Boynton Beach, Florida.

He was just 27 years old when he served as a prosecutor in 1947 at Nuremberg, where Nazi defendants including Hermann Goring faced a series of trials for crimes against humanity including the genocide known as the Holocaust in which six million Jewish people and millions of others were systematically killed.

Ferencz then advocated for decades for the creation of an international criminal court, a goal realized with the establishment of an international tribunal that sits in The Hague, Netherlands. Ferencz also was a significant donor to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum established in Washington.

Today the world lost a leader in the quest for justice for victims of genocide and related crimes. We mourn the death of Ben Ferenczthe last Nuremberg war crimes prosecutor. At age 27, with no prior trial experience, he secured guilty verdicts against 22 Nazis, the U.S. Holocaust Museum said in a post on Twitter.

Court room 600 of the historical Nuremberg trials is pictured in Nurembergs Palace of Justice on Nov. 20, 2010. (Michaela Rehle/Reuters)

At Nuremberg, Ferencz became chief prosecutor for the United States in the trial of 22 officers who led mobile paramilitary killing squads known as Einsatzgruppen that were part of the notorious Nazi SS. The squads carried out mass killings targeting Jews, gypsies, and othersprimarily civiliansduring the war in German-occupied Europe and were responsible for more than a million deaths.

It is with sorrow and with hope that we here disclose the deliberate slaughter of more than a million innocent and defenseless men, women, and children, Ferencz said in his opening statement at the trial.

This was the tragic fulfillment of a program of intolerance and arrogance. Vengeance is not our goal, nor do we seek merely a just retribution. We ask this court to affirm by international penal action mans right to live in peace and dignity regardless of his race or creed. The case we present is a plea of humanity to law, Ferencz added.

Ferencz told the court that the accused officers methodically carried out long-range plans to exterminate ethnic, national, political, and religious groups condemned in the Nazi mind.

Genocidethe extermination of whole categories of human beingswas a foremost instrument of the Nazi doctrine, Ferencz said.

The defendants all were convicted and 13 were given death sentences. It was Ferenczs first career case.

Born on March 11, 1920, in Transylvania, Romania, Ferencz was 10 months old when his family moved to the United States, where he grew up poor in New York Citys Hells Kitchen. After graduating from Harvard Law School in 1943, he joined the U.S. military and fought in Europe before joining the U.S. Armys newly formed war crimes section.

He seized documents and record evidence at Nazi death camps such as Buchenwald after their liberation by allied forces, surveying scenes of human misery including piles of emaciated corpses and the crematoria where untold numbers of bodies were incinerated.

After the war ended in 1945, Ferencz was recruited to join in the U.S. prosecution at the war crimes trials in Nuremberg, a city where the Nazi leadership had held elaborate propaganda rallies before the war, serving under U.S. General Telford Taylor. The trials were controversial at the time but ended up being hailed as a milestone on the path toward establishing international law and holding war criminals accountable in even-handed trials.

What was most significant about it was it gave us and it gave me an insight into the mentality of mass murderers, Ferencz said in a 2018 interview with the American Bar Association.

They had murdered over a million people, including hundreds of thousands of children in cold blood, and I wanted to understand how it is that educated peoplemany of them had PhDs or they were generals in the German Armycould not only tolerate but lead and commit such horrible crimes.

After the Nuremberg trials, Ferencz worked to secure compensation for Holocaust victims and survivors. Ferencz later advocated for the creation of an international criminal court. In 1998, 120 countries adopted a statute in Rome to establish the International Criminal Court, which came into force in 2002.

At age 91, he took part in the first case before the court by delivering a closing statement in the prosecution of accused Congolese warlord Thomas Lubanga Dyilo, who was convicted of war crimes.
British-Israeli Sisters Killed in West Bank Terrorist Shooting Named

Undated handout photo of Maia (left) and Rina Dee, the two British-Israeli sisters who were killed in a gun attack in the West Bank on April 7, issued by the Office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on April 8, 2023. (Office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu via PA Media)

Two British-Israeli sisters killed by Palestinian terrorists in a shooting in the West Bank have been identified as Maia and Rina Zakharan by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The sisters, aged 20 and 15 respectively, were shot dead in a Palestinian terrorist attack on their car near an Israeli settlement in the West Bank on April 7.

In a statement on Twitter, Netanyahu offered his condolences to the family on behalf of all the citizens of Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Berlin, Germany, on March 16, 2023. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

Naming the sisters for the first time, the Israeli prime minister said: On behalf of all the citizens of Israel, I send my condolences to the Di Mafart family for the murder of the two wonderful sisters.

In these moments, if the family is fighting for its life, and together with the entire nation of Israel, I pray for its safety, and we all send our condolences and strength to this dear family in this moment of great sorrow.

The attack came after Israel launched air strikes at targets linked to Palestinian terrorist group Hamas in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon in retaliation to rocket attacks from Lebanon towards northern Israeli areas on April 6.

Hours after the British-Israeli sisters were shot dead, an Italian tourist was killed and five other Italian and British citizens were wounded when a car rammed a group in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv.

Hamas praised both attacks as retaliation for Israeli police actions earlier in the week in the Al-Aqsa mosque.

Israeli medics and policemen check a damaged car at the scene of a shooting attack, in the Jordan Valley in the West Bank on April 7, 2023. (Gil Eliyahu/Reuters)

Justice Will Be Done

In a statement to the London-based Telegraph newspaper, the girls father, Rabbi Leo Dee, said his family have felt a warm hug of love from Jews in Israel and beyond and are confident that justice will be done.

According to The Telegraph, Rabbi Dee was formerly the senior rabbi at Radlett United Synagogue in Hertfordshire and assistant rabbi in Hendon, north London.

The sisters were born in London, and the family moved to Israel in 2014.

The family lived in the Efrat settlement, near the city of Bethlehem, according to the settlements mayor Oded Revivi.

The sisters 45-year-old mother was seriously wounded in the attack.

Their father witnessed the incident from a separate car following behind, local officials said.

Appalling

UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly held a call on April 8 with his Israeli counterpart, Eli Cohen, to discuss the appalling attacks.

Lord Ahmad, the UK Foreign Office minister for the Middle East, said on April 8: I condemn yesterdays attacks in the West Bank, killing two British-Israeli nationals and injuring one other, and in Tel Aviv where an Italian national was killed and British nationals were injured.

British Ambassador to Israel Neil Wigan added, My thoughts are with those affected by another horrific terror attack last night in Tel Aviv, including one Italian tourist killed.

British people are amongst the injured. We are in touch with the hospital and will offer our support.

The Foreign Office released a statement saying it was saddened to hear about the deaths of the two British-Israelis and the serious injuries sustained by a third individual.

The UK calls for all parties across the region to de-escalate tensions, it added.

Labours shadow foreign secretary David Lammy said, I am shocked by reports of the killing of two British sisters in an appalling and cowardly attack in the West Bank.

My thoughts are with their family and loved ones. More civilian victims of this cycle of violence show the urgent need for diplomatic efforts to de-escalate.

Israeli policemen stand next to smoke from a fire following incoming rockets from Lebanon to Israel in Bezet, northern Israel, on April 6, 2023. (Fadi Amun/Reuters)

Retaliatory Air Strikes

Israels strikes on Gaza and Southern Lebanon came after at least 34 rockets were fired into northern Israel from Lebanon on Thursday afternoon, according to the IDF.

The military said 25 of the rockets were intercepted by air defence systems. Axios reports that four of the rockets fell inside Lebanon and five fell into Israeli territory, including the northern town of Shlomi.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack from Lebanon but Hamas and Islamic Jihad are believed to be responsible this time, Lieutenant Colonel Richard Hecht, an Israeli military spokesman, told multiple media outlets.

Smoke and flames rise during Israeli airstrikes in Gaza, on April 6, 2023. (Bashar Talib/Reuters)

The latest strikes come during the Muslim month of Ramadan, which this year coincides with the Jewish Passover holiday. Tensions have been running high following Israeli police raids on the Al-Aqsa mosque, regarded as the third-holiest site in Islam, in Jerusalem this week.

Since Ramadan began on March 22, a group of Palestinians has repeatedly attempted to stay overnight in the mosque, which is usually permitted only during the last 10 days of the holiday. Israeli police have evicted the group on a nightly basis.

Police used stun grenades and rubber bullets against alleged protesters barricaded inside, who in turn threw stones and launched fireworks against the police. More than 350 people were arrested, according to police, and at least 12 sustained injuries.

Katabella Roberts and PA Media contributed to this report.
China Jails Man for 9 Years in Chained Woman Scandal

A Chinese man has been sentenced to nine years in prison for the abuse of a female victim of human trafficking. In early 2022, the mother of eight was found chained in a hut in eastern China. The chained woman scandal has shocked both China and the international community.

Dong Zhimin, a 56-year-old villager from Jiangsu Province, was found guilty on charges of abuse and unlawful detention by a city court in Xuzhou City of Jiangsu on April 7. Another five individuals involved in abducting, trafficking, and selling the chained woman were sentenced to between eight and thirteen years in prison.

The video of the chained woman went viral on Chinese social media on the eve of the Chinese New Year in January, 2022. It showed that a woman in Feng County of Xuzhou city was chained in a cold, doorless hut, with a locked chain around her neck, and mumbling, This world doesnt want me anymore. It was later revealed that the chained woman was a victim of human trafficking: She had been bought by the Dong family and detained for 20 years, and gave birth to 8 children in total. She was also suffering from mental problems due to the long years of abuse. Local officials had issued a marriage certificate between the chained woman and one of the men in the Dong familyDong Zhimin.

Video screenshot of the mother of eight shackled in a doorless hut in Xuzhou city, Jiangsu province, China, in January 2022. (Screenshots via Douyin)

The incident triggered public anger and attracted global attention. It also drew particular attention to the issue of the systemic trafficking of women and girls in communist China. Under the pressure of public opinion, Jiangsu officials announced that they would conduct an investigation.

Since the videos appearance, Jiangsu authorities have issued 5 contradictory statements on the case. The exact identity of the chained woman and details surrounding the case have remained unclear.

The court verdict identified the chained woman as Xiaohuamei, which is the same name as that recorded by the Jiangsu officials. According to the court verdict, Xiaohuamei was abducted in early 1998 in southwest Chinas Yunnan Province, and sold for 5000 yuan ($728) to a villager in eastern Chinas Jiangsu Province to be his wife. She was later resold by traffickers to villagers in different areas. In June 1999, she was sold for 5000 yuan to Dong Zhimin and his father, who later passed away.

Dongs family kept her in their house in Dongji Village so that they could live together. From 1999 to 2020, she gave birth to 8 children. The verdict described how, from July 2017 to the time when the crime was exposed, Dong Zhimin abused the woman and detained her in chains, tying her up with ropes and chaining her by the neck. The chained woman was said to be suffering from schizophrenia.

The verdict stated that Dong Zhimin, Xiaohuameis so-called husband, had committed two crimes: abusing a family member and illegal detention.

Sentence Too Light

After the verdict, many posts on Chinese social media pointed out that the sentence for such a heinous crime was too light. Some people posed questions in their posts, such as Can a woman who is bought and sold be considered a family member?, and Will the marriage between the two be dissolved?

One post read that, The most horrific thing about the mother of eight case verdict is that the description of the case has already detailed how the chained woman was abducted and sold, changed hands from one buyer to another, and was finally sold to Dong Zhimin and his father. However, at the final sentencing, Dong Zhimin was found guilty for the severe abuse of a family member. I think this is a disgrace to Chinas legal system, and a shame to all legal workers in this country.

Chi Susheng, a well-known Chinese lawyer and a representative of the 3rd National Peoples Congress, posed a question about the defendant: Why wasnt he convicted of rape? Li Zhuang, another renowned Chinese lawyer, also stated that the sentencing for abuse is much lighter than for rape. Its too light.

Lingering Doubts Over Case

To date, official reports have only disclosed the administrative disciplinary actions against the 17 village- and county-level officials who are involved in the case.

However, the details of the case are still unclear, including the exact identity of the chained woman. Members of the public have reported that the appearance of the chained woman was completely different from that of Xiaohuamei, the officially named victim. Meanwhile, families of other missing girls and human trafficking victims have claimed to have identified the chained woman as their kinwith some claiming the woman is actually Li Ying, a schoolgirl from Sichuan province who was abducted in 1996.

However, a number of people in mainland China have been arrested by police for revealing knowledge about the case that differs from the official version, as well as for making inquiries.

Playing cards showing details of missing children are displayed in Beijing, China on March 31, 2007. (Photo by China Photos/Getty Images)

Current affairs commentator Qin Peng pointed out on his talk show for NTD that the the key issue of the verdict is not the sentencing, but the fact that the verdict is fundamentally illegal. What people should ask most is who is the chained woman? Where is she now? What are the crimes of those CCP officials who persecuted her, including officials at all levelsfrom the local to the central governmentbehind the five official announcements?

Apparently, the authorities deliberately avoided these most important questions. Therefore, this is a political verdict with the sole goal of maintaining the Chinese regimes stability. It doesnt have any legitimacy, he said.

Qin pointed out the ulterior motive of the regime behind the verdict. Moreover, the authoritys verdict, I think, contains a seriously evil intention: to legalize a marriage without the womans consent from beginning to end that was formed entirely by kidnapping, buying and selling, rape, illegal detention, and torture. Its goal is to legalize other tens of millions of marriages in China that are based on illegal kidnapping and human trafficking.

Xiao Lusheng contributed to this report.
Easter a Celebration of Faith, Hope and Renewal: Australian Prime Minister

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has led Easter well-wishes as Australians come together to mark the celebration of hope.

In his official Easter message, the prime minister said Easter Sunday was a holy day marking the resurrection and a celebration of faith, hope and renewal for many.

Our nation is home to Christians drawn from all parts of the world and from all traditions, Mr Albanese said.

The variety of services, vigils and ceremonies across the Easter period speaks for our nations diversity.

He thanked those Australians working through the public holidays, saying it was only possible for others to enjoy the long weekend because of their efforts.

He also urged drivers to take caution through the holiday.

Have a safe, happy and holy Easter, Albanese said.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton also wished Australians a happy Easter, saying it was a time for Christians everywhere to reflect on Jesus Christs ultimate sacrifice and the profound impact of his teachings.

As we enjoy these great traditions together, let us remember the true meaning of Easter and the message of hope and renewal that it brings, he said.

The messages of Easteratonement, forgiveness, love, and hopehave meaning for all of us.

Melbourne Archbishop Peter Comensoli issued his Easter message ahead of hundreds gathering at masses at St Patricks Cathedral to mark Easter Sunday.

Jesus, in his resurrection, extends recognition, an invitation to peace, and sends us out, he said.

So, may our lives be filled with the energy, joy and youthfulness of the risen Jesus, knowing that, in him, I am recognised, I am healed, and I am sent, Archbishop Comensoli said.

Sydney Archbishop Anthony Fisher said the dying Christ was ready for resurrection because of the way he suffered with courage and lovenot bitterness or recrimination.

Death could not be a full-stop for Him but only a colon, a break before the Word was made Resurrected flesh and the love-song of God was sung again, the archbishop told his social media followers.

Christ is Risen! Truly, He is Risen! Alleluia! Happy Easter!

NSW Premier Chris Minns thanked essential workers manning essential services through the Easter holidays and said he hoped it would be a period of reflection and relaxation for families after a busy and difficult 12 months.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk wished her state a happy Easter on Twitter on Sunday, while ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr extended his well-wishes and thanked people working on Sunday.

Jeremy Rockliff marked one year as Tasmanias premier on Saturday and wished people a happy Easter.
Embattled Soros-Backed St. Louis Prosecutor Sanctioned by Judge Amid New Complaints

A St. Louis judge sanctioned St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardners office last week for allegedly withholding evidence in a double-murder case, while allowing the suspect out on bond, amid rising criticism about left-wing prosecutors allowing crime to flourish in major U.S. cities.

Alex Heflin, 23, was held without bond since January after he was initially charged with two counts of second-degree murder and armed criminal action, local media reported. But those charges were recently reduced to involuntary and voluntary manslaughter before he was released, while his April 17 trial has been postponed until June 12.

Judge Theresa Counts Burke ruled in favor of Heflins lawyers after they filed a motion accusing a prosecutor under Gardner of violating discovery rules. They alleged that her office did not turn over evidence, including a 911 call recording and DNA evidence.

The court finds that there have been repeated delays by the state in obtaining discovery and providing it to the defense, Burke wrote, according to local reports. There has been a lack of diligence on the part of the state in following up and providing discovery to the defendant in a timely fashion. As a result of the states actions and lack of diligence, the court grants defendants second motion for sanctions.

Under Burkes order, Heflin will have to remain on GPS monitoring. She also ordered the circuit attorneys office to hand over their list of witnesses within 24 hours, provide DNA test results within 24 hours, or ask a crime lab for the DNA results.

The Epoch Times has contacted Gardners office for comment.

In a statement, Gardner said that it is working with police to bring justice on behalf of the people of the City of St. Louis, victims, and their families. It added that her office is dedicated to doing everything in its power to hold the defendant accountable  and will continue to work to ensure justice is served.

While the St. Louis Police Department did not comment on the case and said it is working with Garnders office, the St. Louis Police Officers Association accused Gardner of misconduct.

The St. Louis Police Officers Association would like to address the unfounded claims made against our members in a recent news article concerning State vs. Heflin. Kim Gardners office has once again failed to accept responsibility for the mistakes made within her office and chose instead to blame the hard-working men and women of the St. Louis Police Department, the statement said. These repeated problems are due to the incompetence of the Circuit Attorneys office, not from the actions of police officers.

The union added that in this case, all the evidence had been turned over to the Circuit Attorneys office for nearly a year prior to trial. Police officers shouldnt be made scapegoats for an overworked, backlogged, and mismanaged Circuit Attorneys Office.

It comes days after Gardner, a Democrat, said she will run for reelection in 2024even as she tries to fend off an effort by Missouris attorney general to force her out of office. Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey in February filed a lawsuit asking a judge to remove Gardner from office, accusing her of incompetence.

Bailey cited a low rate of convictions in homicide cases, accused Gardner of failing to keep crime victims and their families updated, and said her office is too slow to take up cases brought by police.

Gardner, 47, was elected in 2016 and reelected in 2020. She is among several left-wing Democratic prosecutors across the country who have taken steps such as ending the prosecution of certain crimes and seeking mental health treatment over incarceration for non-violent criminals.

Republicans have accused her of receiving money from groups tied to left-wing billionaire financier George Soros, who was accused of providing funding to left-wing groups during the Black Lives Matter-related unrest in Ferguson, Missouri, nearly 10 years ago. In 2016, she received campaign funding from Soross Safety and Justice Committee, according to the Missouri Times, while in 2017, she worked with The Vera Institute of Justice, which itself received $11 million from Soross Open Society Foundations, it was reported.

Soros has been accused of providing funding to other left-wing district attorneys, which was highlighted by tech billionaire Elon Musk last month. Soros figured out a clever arbitrage opportunity: The many small political contests, such as DAs & judges, have much higher impact per dollar spent than the big races, so it is far easier to sway the outcome, he wrote in response to claims that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg received Soros cash.

In 2018, the Supreme Court of Missouri ordered Gardner to be disciplined for misconduct in the 2018 prosecution of then-Gov. Eric Greitens, a Republican.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Spaniard Justo Gallego Martinez (19252021) spent his entire life building a cathedral and he did it on his own. But this enigmatic manwho gained renown as Gods crazy bricklayerfrom Mejorada del Campo, a small town close to Madrid, was not a lofty architect.

Rather, Don Justo (his honorific name) was raised in a humble, devout farming family and ever since he was a very young boy, he had a deep faith in God. His cathedral is not made of gold and costly stone but scrap and recycled materials that he collected himself. When he started building his cathedral in 1961, the word on the street was that he was crazy; his typical day, throughout the next six decades began at 3.30 a.m.

I have never had any training in the building profession.  I was inspired by books about cathedrals, castles and other religious buildings and they gave birth to my own work. But my principle source of illumination and inspiration has always been the Word of Christ, he said in his short biographical account for the film, The Madman and the Cathedral.

Don Justos formal education was disrupted by the Spanish Civil War; he was a 10-year-old at the time and witnessed communist fighters shooting priests. After spending eight years living in a monastery, he fell ill with tuberculosis and was forced to leave to prevent infecting others.

I came back to Mejorada devastated by this setback to my first attempt at a spiritual life, he wrote. So I decided to build, on farmland belonging to my family, an offering to God. Little by little, the building was erected, spending my family inheritance to keep it going. There were never any construction plans or official permission.

Bit by bit Don Justo got to work on his vision in the nondescript Madrid suburb. Mostly, his materials consisted of concrete, broken brick, and colored glass, with old petrol drums used for the columns.

Throughout the project, which eventually spanned almost 60 years and resulted in a total built-up area of 86,000 square feet, a crane was never deployed. The cathedral includes a 120-foot dome (modeled on St. Peters Basilica in Vatican City), a huge crypt, chapels, cloisters, and a library.

Justo was 96 when he died alone, in his cathedral, following a year of ill health. The gigantic project was left unfinished, but Justo had left it to a charity run by a priest, Messengers of Peace, that vowed to complete his lifes work, according to Church Times.

Five years before his passing, talking to Great Big Story, Justo had stressed that his motivation for creating his vision every day was devotion and nothing else. He knew, he said, that he would never see it finished while he was alive.

I dont want anything material, any money. So Ive gotten rid of everything, even my house. Its impossible that I finish this cathedral in my lifetime because theres still so much to do, he told Great Big Story. I hope that after I die this cathedral  well, Im leaving it to the divine hand. I dont know how far it will go. Its better that God take charge.

Justo dedicated his cathedral to the Virgin Mary and named it Nuestra Senora del Pilar, though it was never officially authorized nor recognized as a sacral object by Spains predominant Roman Catholic Church, according to the Church Times.

But the city council of Mejorada del Campo, in a statement published at the start of three days of public mourning for the builder, said: The spirit of his work will remain eternally in the hearts of those who admired this cathedrala work of genius built on lifelong immovable qualities of faith, perseverance, and dedication.

According to Atlas Obscura, Don Justo once said that if he got a chance again to build the cathedral, hed build it twice as big.

Share your stories with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.com, and continue to get your daily dose of inspiration by signing up for the Inspired newsletter at TheEpochTimes.com/newsletter
The explosive proliferation of social media platforms, and their use by billions of people each day, shows us that this novel form of interaction between human beings and technology is having a profound impact.

This technology has allowed practically everyone, all over the world, to connect with neighbors near and far, and instantly share everything from cute pet photos to heated political opinions. Social scientists are scrambling to figure out what impact this sea change in human interaction is actually having on usand on our brainsat each stage of life. Recent research shows that when it comes to memory, heavy social media use seems to weaken us.

The Dominating Influence of Social Media

Whether its Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, WhatsApp, or TikTokeach of which holds the regular attention of well over a billion users (or in the case of Facebook, almost 3 billion)scrolling through social media feeds is a dominant pastime for many. Americans spend, on average, a little over two hours each day on social media, but this time varies widely between different age groups.

Generation Z, for examplethose born from the mid-90s to around 2010, and the first generation to be raised with an internet connection always within reachspends an average of 4 1/2 hours per day on social media. And these are averages. According to Pew Research, 46 percent of teens and 44 percent of 1849 year-olds report being online almost constantly, and its likely this same cohort spends an above-average amount of that time on social networking sites.

Social media is clearly a dominating influence, and questions are being raised about how this medium may be impacting our relationships, mental health, and cognitive function.

Social Medias Harmful Impact on Memory

Despite the positive potential of social media to provide meaningful human connection, research shows concerning, harmful effects of heavy social media use on mental and emotional health, especially for adolescents.

Three related studies, published in the May 2018 Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, examined how memory is affected when participants record their experiences using digital media, when they share them, and when they simply dont use media. In each case where participants recorded or shared their experiences, their ability to remember details from their experience was reduced.

Across all three studies, we found evidence that media use impairs memory, irrespective of whether memory was tested soon after the experience or over a week later, the study authors concluded.

Another study, published in February 2020 on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America, examined the correlation between memory and time spent on social media in adults and found that, on days when social media usage was high, participants consistently reported more memory failures.

Dopamine Hit Addiction

Social media could be undermining our ability to remember for a couple of reasons: Its distracting and addictive. Thats by design.

The thought process that went into building these applications, Facebook being the first of them  was all about: How do we consume as much of your time and conscious attention as possible? And that means that we need to sort of give you a little dopamine hit every once in a while because someone liked or commented on a photo or a post or whatever, Sean Parker, the first president of Facebook, said in a 2017 interview with Axios.

That mechanism will trigger users to contribute more content, likes, and comments, Parker said.

Its a social-validation feedback loop  exactly the kind of thing that a hacker like myself would come up with because youre exploiting a vulnerability in human psychology. The inventors  understood this consciously. And we did it anyway.

Matt Johnson, a neuroscientist with a doctorate in cognitive psychology from Princeton University, consumer psychology expert, and author of Branding That Means Business, told The Epoch Times that experiences like that can preempt memory formation.

Theres an important process that needs to happen for new memories to be formed. The better were focused on the experience, the better well recall it later, he said. When were having an experience and our phone is there, were always going to be checking it. There are a host of digital experiences that can lure us away from the experience we could be having.

Precisely because its hard to stop ourselves from reaching for a device every time it lights up with a notification, we are distracted and multitasking more than everbut were not very good at it. In one randomized controlled trial, college students who scrolled through Instagram while listening to a speaker recalled significantly less of the material presented than their peers who listened without digital distraction.

We just dont remember things as well when our attention is divided. And the impact on education is concerning.

As a professor, I see it myself, Johnson said, noting the effects of digital distraction on the classroom experience.

Also, the longer you spend on these platforms, you acquiesce to immediate gratification. You get a real uncomfortable impatience with experiences that are not immediately gratifying. Education is a long-term proposal. The students lose patience for longer-term enterprises, like learning a subject or getting through a course.

The Google Effect

Another way heavy social media use may impact memory is by way of a phenomenon researchers are calling the Google effect. Not so long ago, finding information about an unfamiliar subject meant substantial personal efforttrips to the library, paging through reference books, or phone calls to others who might be in the know.

Now that virtually any bit of information, from the most trivial to the arcane, can be found in seconds via Google or other search engines, not only does it take less effort to find information, but most of us also put less effort into remembering it. We in effect outsource our memory to the internet and use social media as one of our personal online memory banks.

In fact, one study published in the Aug. 5, 2011, issue of Science found that when people expect to have future access to information, they have lower rates of recall of the information itself and enhanced recall instead for where to access it. In other words, were more likely to remember which website to search than the actual information were looking for.

Johnson said when it comes to learning, effort matters.

Theres a really strong relationship between the effort you tend to put into a task and how likely you are to remember it. The more you strain your cognitive faculties, the better youll be able to remember it. If you really have to work for it, combining a lot of different cognitive processes, thats going to be a very strong memory. Online, youll get the answer, but youll basically have no memory of that experience and have to look it up again. We export our long-term memory to these devices.

Breaking the Habit

To what extent social media can create enjoyable experiences and meaningful connections between people may be up for debate, but one thing is notthe amount of time most of us spend on social media is changing what we remember, how we remember it, and possibly even our memory capacity. And a growing body of research suggests that, in large amounts, the effect on memory is mostly detrimental.

Its impossible to say precisely how much time spent on social media is too much, but there are some simple guidelines that can help manage use, especially for adolescents. Research suggests that negative mental health effects increase when more than two hours are spent on social networking sites daily, so that may be a good upper limit to be aware of.

Johnson suggests also regularly reflecting on your recent social media experiences and being aware of any regrets or negative experiences associated with that time.

Putting clear limits on time spent on social media is also prudent. Johnson suggests using a timer to have an audible reminder of when the time is up.

When the timer goes off, turn [the app] off even if its mid-video. Set up a strict structure for how long you allow yourself to stay on these apps. Essentially we need to export our approach to them to external rules. If we leave it to our own self-discipline, the apps will beat us every time because thats what theyre designed for.
A systematic review of 2,168 studies that looked into the adverse effects of wearing masks during the COVID-19 pandemic has found that the practice led to negative health consequences, including itching, headaches, and restriction of oxygen.

We found significant effects in both medical surgical and N95 masks, with a greater impact of the second, states the review, published in the Frontiers in Public Health on April 5. A meta-analysis of multiple studies found that headache was the most frequent symptom among mask wearers, with a prevalence of 62 percent for general mask use and up to 70 percent when using N95 masks. Shortness of breath was observed at 33 percent for general mask use and 37 percent among N95 users.

While 17 percent of surgical mask wearers experienced itching, this number was at 51 percent among users of N95. Acne prevalence among mask users was at 38 percent and skin irritation was at 36 percent. Dizziness was found to be prevalent among 5 percent of subjects.

Masks interfered with O2-uptake and CO2-release and compromised respiratory compensation, the review states. Though evaluated wearing durations are shorter than daily/prolonged use, outcomes independently validate mask-induced exhaustion-syndrome (MIES) and down-stream physio-metabolic disfunctions. MIES can have long-term clinical consequences, especially for vulnerable groups.

The restriction of oxygen uptake and hindrance in carbon-di-oxide release was identified as more significant among users of N95 masks. Continuous rebreathing of carbon dioxide results in the right-shift of hemoglobin-O2 saturation curve.

Since O2 and CO2 homeostasis influences diverse down-stream metabolic processes, corresponding changes toward clinically concerning directions may lead to unfavorable consequences such as transient hypoxemia and hypercarbia, increased breath humidity, and body temperature along with compromised physiological compensations, the review states.

The review also said that several mask-related symptoms may have been misinterpreted as symptoms of long COVID. In any case, the possible MIES contrasts with the WHO definition of health, it states, referring to the World Health Organization.

It suggested that the side effects of face masks be assessed based on risk-benefit analysis after taking into consideration their effectiveness against viral transmissions. If strong empirical evidence showing the effectiveness of masks is absent, the study recommended that wearing masks should not be mandated, let alone enforced by law.

Sudden Mask Policy Change, Suppressing Studies

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, existing data on respiratory viruses had shown that there was no basis for wearing masks to prevent their spread. All the studies done in the world until 2020 showed that there is no justification for this, Yoav Yehezkelli, a specialist in internal medicine and a lieutenant colonel in the Israel Defense Forces, said in an interview with The Epoch Times in January.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as the WHO issued guidelines that there was no need for wearing masks in the general public, he pointed out.

But in 2020 following the COVID-19 outbreak, recommendations on mask-wearing around the world suddenly changed without having any new professional support to confirm that it does indeed have effectiveness against respiratory infection.

A December letter that he co-wrote and sent to the Israel Medical Association Journal pointed to multiple studies suggesting that wearing masks can end up causing harm.

Potential negative effects include headaches, shortness of breath, a dip in blood oxygen levels, a rise in carbon dioxide levels, concentration difficulties, and bacterial contamination. The accumulation of CO2 can end up causing tiredness, blurriness, and sleepiness, he noted.

There have also been attempts to subdue studies that expose the ineffectiveness of masks. A 2023 study published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews stated that wearing masks made little or no difference when it came to the transmission of COVID-19.

A columnist at The New York Times published an opinion piece titled Heres Why the Science Is Clear That Masks Work and reached out to Cochrane for its view. The editor-in-chief at Cochrane then issued a statement saying that its an inaccurate and misleading interpretation to say the study shows that masks do not work, adding that the publication was engaging with the authors on updating the articles abstract.

However, the authors refused to do so, with the lead author insisting that there is just no evidence that [masks] make any difference  full stop.
Light comments about interesting art

Some famous writers have played a woodwind instrument known as the flageolet: Hector Berlioz, Frederic Chalon, Samuel Pepys, and Robert Louis Stevenson. Composers such as Henry Purcell and George Frideric Handel wrote pieces for it.

Musicians began to play this recorder-like instrument in the 1700s in France, and it began to be known as the French flageolet. The instrument is part of the fipple flute family, with four tone-holes on the front and two on the back.

Edward Coley Burne-Joness (18331898) An Angel Plays a Flageolet (1878) portrays a celestial being before an open window playing the instrument, as if she is playing for those outside her heavenly realm.

Heavenly Realm

The angel bends forward gracefully near a window. She seems to move with her playing, her iridescent gown of blue and red flowing in time with the melody. Shimmering blue and gold wings also dance and sway along. Her crown of flowers and halo focus the viewers attention on her features that are intent on her playing. Outside the golden window, a textured blue could be the sky below heavenly realms.

The artist used this angel motif in several media: a stained-glass window, a small set of three angels in oil, and a larger set in tempera, as well as drawings. The drawings were completed in watercolor and gouache, an opaque watercolor. This larger painting was completed in tempera and gold paint on paper which Burne-Jones mounted on a canvas.

Tempera was generally used in the Middle Ages until the use of oil paint became popular in the Renaissance. Tempera is a stable medium made by mixing pigments with egg yolk and water. With the use of gold and tempera in this and other pictures, we can witness the vibrant colours and tones that help to enhance the heavenly setting of this Angel, notes The History of Art website.

Burne-Jones was drawn to the purity and simplicity of Medieval art, especially the great stained glass windows of Gothic cathedrals. He produced a stained-glass window for a parish church in Lyndhurst, Hampshire in 18621863, which inspired him to make his watercolor drawings and tempera paintings.

There is a difference in the shape of the instrument in Burne-Joness painting from one played at the time. The artist shaped the flageolet to fit the tracery trefoil of a stained-glass window that he previously designed.

The instrument appears to be more like a medieval trumpet; perhaps the artist intended this to be what the flageolet looks like in heaven. With his ethereal flute, Burne-Jones might be telling us that a flageolet played in heavenly realms carries a more heavenly sound, is more easily played, and is more beautiful than anything in the mortal realm.

For his own reasons, Burne-Jones kept this painting in his studio for 10 years before he gave it to an art dealer, where it immediately sold to George Holt, a Victorian ship owner, merchant, and art collector from Liverpool.

Burne-Jones worked his paintings diligently, focusing on every detail of the artwork, and his work was praised for the technical skill he put into his art.

An Angel Playing the Flageolet, circa 1878, Edward Burne-Jones. Tempera and gold paint on paper; 29 1/4 inches by 24 inches. Gift of Emma Holt (1944), Sudley House. (Public Domain)
Hunt for Unpredictable Man After Alleged Crime Spree in Brisbane

An accused drug trafficker is being sought by police over his alleged involvement in three violent confrontations across Brisbane, including the burning down of a house.

Queensland Police allege Mitchell Wilson, 27, threatened a number of people with a semiautomatic weapon during three separate incidents on Thursday in Brisbanes north and south.

I consider this man armed, dangerous, irrational but particularly unpredictable, Queensland Polices Detective Superintendent Andrew Massingham said on Sunday.

At around 2.45pm on Thursday, Wilson is alleged to have gone to a business at Brendale, in north Brisbane, where he had a verbal altercation with a man known to him before the firearm was discharged into the ground.

Det Supt Massingham said CCTV of the incident was disturbing, adding the vision appeared to show two men in a life or death struggle for the weapon.

Soon after, police became aware Wilsons ankle monitoring bracelet had been left in Bracken Ridge, also in north Brisbane.

Det Supt said Wilson was wearing the device as part of his bail conditions related to alleged drug trafficking offences.

Wilson is then alleged to have driven to a business at Mount Gravatt, south of Brisbane, where at around 8.55pm he approached two women he knew as they left the building before ordering one of them into his car.

Fearing for their lives, both women fled on foot, hiding in nearby bushes, Det Supt Massingham said.

Its alleged Wilson fired his gun as the pair fled. Neither woman was injured.

Then at around 9.15pm, emergency services were called to a home at Sunnybank, also south of Brisbane, following reports it was on fire.

Its alleged Wilson arrived at the home with the gun and a jerry can of fuel and threatened the resident who was known to him before setting the house alight and fleeing.

Police further allege that while at the Sunnybank home, he was searching for one of the women from the Mount Gravatt incident.

The home was destroyed and a pet was killed in the blaze. No persons were injured.

Extensive searches have failed to locate Wilson and police are urging him to surrender.

I urge Wilson, if he hears my message today, to make contact with police and safely negotiate his surrender, Det Supt said.

He is described as Caucasian, about 185cm tall with a solid build, light brown hair and hazel eyes.

He is believed to be armed and should not be approached. Anyone who sees him should call triple zero.
CBI

On a chilly Wednesday morning in a central London conference centre last month, Tony Danker, head of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), told business leaders that they must embrace progressive values to remain competitive.

The former Guardian Media Group executive urged those assembled at 8 Northumberland Avenue  a stones throw from the halls of power in Westminster  to adopt active diversity and inclusion strategies if they want to attract young talent.

The CBIs Future of Work conference was loaded with high-profile speakers from business and politics, including education secretary Gillian Keegan, Labours deputy leader Angela Rayner and Ian Muldowney, operating chief at BAE Systems.

Danker said: More than ever, it is a competition about values: the values a company holds and the values of work it promotes. Much of this is driven by the different generations now in the workforce, and their expectations of how business should contribute to their own lives and wider society.

Five weeks later, Danker's paean to progressive values now threatens to expose a thread of hypocrisy running through the CBI, a group that styles itself as Britains premier lobby group for big business.

In that time, Danker has stepped aside amid an investigation into claims he harassed a female colleague; while ministers and the Governor of the Bank of England have paused engagement with the CBI following separate allegations against other colleagues of serious sexual misconduct and widespread inappropriate behaviour.

Tony Danker - Rory Arnold /No10 Downing Street

With some members reviewing their association with the CBI, the lobby group is facing an existential crisis as it awaits the verdict of an independent investigation being conducted by City law firm Fox Williams. It begs a simple question: can the CBI survive?

The most serious claim, which was first reported by the Guardian, was an allegation by a female employee that she was raped by a senior colleague at the CBIs 2019 summer boat party.

Story continues

She reported the incident to a manager but said she felt let down when bosses urged her to seek counselling rather than take further action. She subsequently did not report the incident to the police.

The CBI said it found no evidence or record of the alleged rape, allthough it has asked Fox Williams to include the claims in its investigation.

At the same boat party, a different manager was accused of attempted sexual assault, which the CBI did investigate. The alleged perpetrator in question left the organisation. The CBI last week declined to say whether it had referred the matter to the police.

One former female employee told The Telegraph that the boat party was notorious and she was aware of a colleague being sexually harassed on the dancefloor at the event. She adds that the organisation had a blokish, public schoolboy culture.

The investigation by Fox Williams has been expanded to examine the new allegations made last week, with complainants also describing a toxic culture of unchecked misogyny at the organisation.

The former female employee says she had direct experience of this culture and suffered at the hands of a rather toxic male colleague who was popular internally and who repeatedly made offensive comments towards her. She says: At lunchtime one day he said to me: Everyone should be bullied once in their lifetime.

The campaign of harassment took its toll. I felt unsafe, vigilant of the next ambush and helpless, she says.

There was nothing concrete to report to the HR and therefore not much protection from his aggression. I know this is nothing in comparison to being raped but it did have a negative impact on me, my ability to perform well at the CBI and my career over all.

This unwanted attention also played a deciding role in me ending my work contract early and being reluctant to go back to the corporate world.

CBI - Jacob King/PA

The CBI said last week that its board expects to have preliminary findings and recommended actionsn from the first phase of the Fox Williams investigation soon after Easter.

Before the investigation was extended to include the new allegations against other other colleagues, the law firm was initially brought in to examine alleged impropriety by Danker.

That complaint involves a female employee who claims Danker sent her unsolicited messages over a period of more than a year, as well as making unwanted verbal remarks. He is also alleged to have been viewing employees personal Instagram profiles.

The ex-employee who spoke to The Telegraph says she had little one-to-one interaction with Danker, who joined the CBI at the end of 2020, but that he always came across as friendly, energetic and jokey.

Another former female employee says she had first-hand experience of Danker messaging her out of the blue.

She says: After a meeting soon after he joined, he messaged me directly on Teams chat, being very friendly and doing director outreach, which I thought was nice and something you dont often see at big organisations like the CBI.

When the allegations first surfaced, Danker apologised for causing offence or anxiety to any colleague, saying it was completely unintentional.

Yet for an organisation that relies on companies paying it a fee to lobby politicians and regulators on their behalf, the scandal threatens to derail the CBIs business model and raises questions about the future of private sector engagement with ministers. The body took in 22.2m from membership fees in 2021, nearly 90pc of its total revenue.

The engineering company Rolls-Royce, EY and Marks & Spencer all made public statements raising concerns about the allegations last week, saying they have expressed their views directly with the CBI.

Many executives say privately that they will await for Fox Williams to deliver its findings before deciding on what action to take.

The chief executive of a London-based financial services company says: We are perplexed by the level of accusations and will await the outcome of the enquiry before considering further actions.

Meanwhile an insider at a FTSE 100 insurer that has worked closely with the CBI says: We are following the investigation closely and any decision we make will be based on the outcome. We have also raised our concerns with the CBI directly.

One of the former employees adds: There will be reputational damage. I have never seen the Government take such drastic action so quickly.

This is not the first time members have looked to quit the body. In the wake of the Brexit vote, the CBI was criticised by Brexiteers for becoming overly identified with the Remain cause, leading to high-profile departures including Lord Bamfords JCB, which paid 30,000 a year in fees.

With the Government currently refusing to engage with the organisation, its promise to members that it will proactively speak to government about issues and opportunities, ensuring firms of all kinds get to use their voice is clearly impossible to achieve.

In its latest annual report, the CBI cites a number of risks to the viability of the organisation. One of those risks is: [A] lack of diversity [that] damages the CBI brand and limits development.

The CBI will certainly have a fight on its hands to repair its brand once Fox Williams publishes its findings.

A CBI spokesman said: Its deeply regrettable and completely unacceptable that any staff member would feel poorly treated or unsafe. The CBI has treated and continues to treat all matters of workplace conduct with the utmost seriousness. We would encourage those who wish to raise matters of this nature to report them to the independent investigation.
ADELAIDE, AustraliaHaving seen Shen Yun Performing Arts advertisements for many years, Daniel Stanning, a senior interior designer at Architectus, an architectural firm based in Australia and New Zealand, had always wanted to see the world-class performance.

On April 9, Mr. Stannings wish came true when he got to watch Shen Yun perform at the Adelaide Festival Centre.

As an interior designer, Mr. Stanning was impressed by the way Shen Yun used colours and costumes to tell its stories.

The colours are beautiful. I didnt expect them to be so vibrant and so beautiful, and I think the integration of both the video behind and all of the costumes works so beautifully together to really create an atmosphere, he said.

The matinee was also the first time Mr. Stanning saw the specific way Shen Yun uses an animated backdrop, and he loved seeing the dancers interact with it.

I think what I loved was how integrated it was into the performance, like how the performers would actually jump into it and jump out of it, he said.

The animated backdrop, which is invented and patented by Shen Yun, employs state-of-the-art graphics technology to provide striking scenery and allow interaction with the dancers, providing a greater depth to the stories.

And the timing of it was so perfect, and how they used the backdrop to write the characters [for the audience to see]. It was woven together very, very well.

During the two-hour journey, Mr. Stanning was also mesmerised by the erhu, a traditional Chinese musical instrument with thousands of years of history.

I just drifted away for a minute while I was hearing it because it was so beautiful. It takes you to another place, he said, noting that the erhu has only two strings but a sound that can travel very far.

While appreciating the history-rich stories depicted by Shen Yuns dancers, Mr. Stanning believed said he felt Shen Yuns mission is important: to tell the stories of the past so that they did not disappear.

A lot of the stories I saw today I havent heard before, he said. So I think its wonderful that through performances like this, all the stories can live on. And we can continue to share and learn from them.

Shen Yuns mission is to revive the 5,000 years of Chinese culture, and the performing art company is trying to give the global audience a glimpse of what China was like before the communist regime almost destroyed its culture.

As a dancer who has done ballroom dancing and ballet for a long time, Mr. Stanning said he could tell that all of Shen Yuns dancers were dancing from the heart.

You could see there was a lot of passion in their storytelling and the way they move. You could see it in their bodies. So I love to see that, he said.

Mr. Stanning also found that in classical Chinese dance, there is a lot of expression carried by every part of the dancers bodies, from the head to toes and fingertips.

I love watching their hands, and their feet and their heads, and how they present themselves. I noticed every little bit of it, and it was beautiful, he said.

Reporting by Rachel Qu and Alfred Bui.

The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yuns inception in 2006.
Ousted Tennessee Lawmakers Criticize Republicans, Vow to Return to Office

State Rep. Justin Pearson (D-Memphis) raises his fists on the floor of the House chamber to recognize his supporters before the start of the legislative session in Nashville, Tenn., on April 6, 2023. (George Walker IV/AP Photo)

The former Tennessee legislators who were ousted last week by the states Republican-led House of Representatives said on April 9 they would accept reappointments by their respective districts and will run in the special elections to fill their seats.

Justin Pearson, a Democrat who had represented Memphis, and Justin Jones, a Democrat who represented Nashville, appeared on NBC News Meet the Press, vowing to return as lawmakers and delivering harsh criticism of the Tennessee state legislature.

Pearson called it a toxic work environment and Jones said the House is an institution filled with people who are more concerned about supporting the NRA and supporting the Second Amendment than it is protecting the First Amendment rights of children and teenagers to be able to come to the Capitol to advocate for gun violence prevention laws.

On March 30, hundreds of protestors assembled at the state Capitol in Nashville to demand stronger gun control laws after an assailant shot and killed three 9-year-olds and three adults at The Covenant School in the city.

State Rep. Justin Jones (D-Nashville) delivers remarks on the floor of the House chamber in Nashville, Tenn., on April 6, 2023. (George Walker IV/AP Photo)

Protestors entered the House and Senate chambers, while chanting and shouting. On the House floor, Jones and Pearson led chants through a bullhorn while lawmakers announced a recess.

A resolution introduced by Tennessee Republicans accused the lawmakers of participating in disorderly behavior that brought disorder and dishonor to the House of Representatives. Pearson and Jones were expelled by their House colleagues on April 6. Republicans also considered ousting a third lawmaker involved in the protest, Gloria Johnson, but failed to do so.

Vice President Kamala Harris traveled to Nashville to meet with the three Democrats on April 7, and President Joe Biden praised the legislators during a video conference call from Camp David.

Earlier, I spoke to Reps Jones, Pearson, and Johnson to thank them for their leadership and courage in the face of a blatant disregard of our nations democratic values, Biden wrote on Twitter. Our country needs to take action on gun violenceto do that we need more voices like theirs speaking out.

The three Democrats thanked Biden for his leadership in seeking to ban assault weapons and standing up for our democratic values and for his backing as they have experienced unprecedented attacks over their actions, according to a White House statement.

I think the most resounding message were hearing from the White House and across the world, and people across this nation is that this attack on democracy will not go on and challenge that the Tennessee House Republicans attempt to crucify democracy has instead resurrected a movement led by young people to restore our democracy to build a multiracial coalition, the 27-year-old Jones said on Meet the Press.

I think our presence as young black voices for our constituencies, people who will not bow down, those who will not be conformed, thats what put a target on us the day we walked in the Tennessee General Assembly.

I mean, this is the first time in Tennessee history we had a completely partisan expulsion by [a] predominantly white caucusall but one member of their caucus is white out of 75 membersand we are the two youngest black lawmakers in Tennessee.

And so what we saw was a system of political hubris. This was not just an attack on us, it was an attempt to silence our districts.

Pearson, 28, received backlash from state Republicans when he wore a dashiki on the House floor when he was sworn in earlier this year. Pearson violated decorum and dress attire, the GOP lawmakers said.

It has always been a toxic work environment to work in the Tennessee state Capitol, when you have people who made comments about hanging you on a tree and hanging Black people on a tree as a form of capital punishment, when you wear a dashiki on the House floor, and a member gets up and they talk about your dashiki saying its unprofessional, Pearson said.

Theyre really sending signals that you dont belong here.

Jones and Pearson can return to their seats if they are appointed by officials in their respective counties.

The Metro Council of Nashville scheduled a special meeting for April 10 to fill Joness seat.

Nashville Mayor John Cooper said that he thinks the council will send Jones right back to continue serving his constituents.

Shelby County Commission Chairman Mickell Lowery said on April 6 that the panel will hold a meeting this week to consider reappointing Pearson to his seat in the Democratic stronghold thats anchored by Memphis.

We will continue to fight for our constituents. This attack against us is hurting all people in our state, Jones said. Even though it is disproportionately affecting black and brown communities, this is hurting poor white people. Their attack on democracy hurts all of us.

Pearson said, I would be honored to accept the appointment of the Shelby County Commission and to run in a special election.

This is what folks really have to realize: the power structure in the state of Tennessee is always wielding against the minority party and people.

Meanwhile, the state GOP defended the decision to expel Jones and Pearson.

Unprecedented events yield unprecedented consequences, the group said in a statement. Unfortunately, we were obligated to levy unprecedented consequences on those members today. Our focus continues to be on the six innocent lives that were brutally taken last week at the Covenant School, not those who have chosen to make this tragedy about themselves.

If elected to come back and serve their constituents in the Tennessee House of Representatives, we hope they will act as the thousands who have come before them, with respect to our institution, their fellow colleagues, and the seat that they hold. We look forward to continuing to defend the voices of all Tennesseans.
A North African wildlife photographer who took the cutest and most unexpected assistant to a photo shoot in the wild has wowed netizens.

Wildlife photographer Djamel Hadj Aissa from Ghardaia in Algeria, is a member of the famous family that founded the first private zoo in Algeria. Today, the Hadj Aissa family owns six zoos, in Ghardaia, Tlemcen, Oran, Setif, Djelfa, and Oum Bouaghi.

Preparing to photograph lions in the wild one day, Djamel, who currently lives in the capital city of Algiers, was inspired to bring along a companion: a friendly lion cub that was born in his backyard.

As it was the first time for her, she sat on my chair and observed what I was doing, Djamel told The Epoch Times. My nephew Faycal took the opportunity to take pictures and videos of us at this incredible moment. Seeing our position and us gazing together in the same direction, the public loved the photo.

Sharing an exceptional photo and video of himself and the curious lion cub on Instagram, Djamel was pleased to reach a new audience and further share his reverence for wildlife.

(Courtesy of Djamel Hadj Aissa)

Djamels passion for photography began at the age of 15 when his fathers friend, a Belgian professional photographer, gifted him a camera after a trip to Ghardaia on the proviso that Djamel take care of it and take beautiful pictures.

It was at this precise moment that I had the click,' he said. I knew that photography was going to punctuate my life and that I would no doubt be a photographer.

After a long career that began in the 90s as a press photographer, he decided to work on his personal account. Djamel, who now covers events as a publicity photographer, first ventured into wildlife photography in 2015 after an inspiring meeting with an ornithologist.

Today, Djamel has upgraded his equipment to Canon 5D IV and 1DX II camera bodies and a 400mm F2.8 Canon lens with X1.4 and X2 extenders. He often uses Adobe Lightroom in post-processing to improve general image quality.

Most wildlife photographers in Algeria are hobby photographers, Djamel says, since there is no budget to support the profession. He hopes to become a correspondent for a foreign photo agency or magazine to cover his expenses.

In the meantime, he often talks with researchers and specialists in the field to expand his knowledge.

Animals like the lynx, the porcupine, the serval, the golden wolf, or even the desert cat are mythical, and make many nature enthusiasts fantasize, including me, Djamel told The Epoch Times. The majority of them go out to hunt at night. Taking a picture of them, therefore, requires a complete investment, which is not on the agenda for all of us.

Algeria boasts around 107 mammal species, 47 of which are protected while 30 are falling toward extinction. Just 100 bird species are protected from the more than 430 species present in the country.

I remain in awe of the landscapes and biodiversity enjoyed by our country, Djamel said. This heritage deserves to be protected.

Share your stories with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.com, and continue to get your daily dose of inspiration by signing up for the Inspired newsletter at TheEpochTimes.com/newsletter
Proud Boys Defendants Ask Court to Dismiss Jan. 6 Obstruction Charges

April 8 motions are response to a fractured Court of Appeals ruling on obstruction law

Henry "Enrique" Tarrio, leader of The Proud Boys, attends a protest showing support for Cubans demonstrating against their government, in Miami, Florida on July 16, 2021. (EVA MARIE UZCATEGUI/AFP via Getty Images)

Two defendants in the Proud Boys seditious-conspiracy trial filed a motion in federal court to dismiss obstruction-related charges in light of a fractured U.S. Court of Appeals ruling on the law used to charge hundreds of defendants in cases related to the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol breach.

On April 8, attorneys for defendants Zachary Rehl and Ethan Nordean filed motions with U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly, saying that the April 7 appeals court ruling requires a narrow definition of the term corruptly that must apply to the Proud Boys case for the obstruction charges to remain.

Confusion arose after issuance of the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbias ruling on Section 1512(c)(2), a criminal statute defining obstruction of an official proceedingthe most frequently charged felony in Jan. 6 cases.

In 2022, U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols dismissed the obstruction of an official proceeding charges lodged against Jan. 6 defendants Joseph W. Fischer, Garret A. Miller, and Edward Jake Lang.

Members of the Proud Boys join supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump as they demonstrate in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 12, 2020. (Jose Luis Magana/AFP via Getty Images)

Nichols ruled that the obstruction statute covers only evidence tampering, not interfering with Congresss ceremonial counting of Electoral College votes. The U.S. Department of Justice appealed.

Defendants in the Proud Boys trial are Rehl, Nordean, Dominic Pezzola, Enrique Tarrio, and Joe Biggs. The men are accused of seditious conspiracy, conspiracy to obstruct official proceedings, obstruction of official proceedings, and conspiracy to prevent certain federal officers from performing their duties at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Prosecutors say the Proud Boys conspired to attack the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. Tarrio, Rehl, Nordean, and Biggs face nine criminal counts related to the Capitol breach, and Pezzola is charged with 10.

Splintered Appeals Court

According to the April 8 defense motions, the Court of Appeals ruling contains three opinions: a lead opinion by Judge Florence Pan, a very narrow partial concurrence by Judge Justin Walker, and a dissenting opinion by Judge Gregory Katsas.

Walkers concurrence with Pan was based on a narrow reading of the term corruptly. Without the use of the narrow definition, Walker wrote that he would join in Katsass dissent.

A careful reading of Fischer requires dismissal of the obstruction charges brought under [Section] 1512(c)(2) and its conspiracy provision, [Section] 1512(k), Rehls attorney, Carmen Hernandez, wrote.

Attorney Steven Metcalf (2nd from left), representing defendant Dominic Pezzola for his alleged role in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol breach, arrives at the E. Barrett Prettyman United States Courthouse on Dec. 19, 2022. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Walker said a defendants mental state is an important element in the obstruction charge and that Pans opinion didnt define the term corruptly.

I would give corruptly its long-standing meaning, Walker wrote. It requires a defendant to act with an intent to procure an unlawful benefit either for himself or for some other person.

A defendant must further know that he is obtaining an unlawful benefit, and that must be his objective or purpose, Walker wrote.

Because I read corruptly as courts have read it for hundreds of yearsand only because I read it that wayI concur in the courts judgment, he wrote.

Breathtaking Scope

David B. Smith, one of Nordeans attorneys, wrote that Katsass dissenting opinionthat the law is meant only for evidence tamperingshould carry the day.

Again, Judge Walker stated that his vote depended on this corruptly definition, Smith wrote. To the extent Fischer is construed in a manner that does not adopt that definition, Judge Katsass opinion must be regarded as the opinion of the Court. In that case, Counts Two and Three would require dismissal for failure to state an offense.

The Judge could not have been more explicit that, absent that definition of corruptly, the governments construction of [Section] 1512(c)(2) in the January 6 cases suffered from vagueness and an impermissible breathtaking scope, he added.

Hernandez agreed.

Judge Walkers narrow reading of corruptly was a necessary condition to his vote to join the lead opinions proposed holding on obstructs, influences, or impedes an official proceeding,' Hernandez wrote.

As that condition was not met, Judge Walker was clear that he would join the dissenting opinion. In effect, the only opinion that garnered two votes is the dissent by Judge Katsas.

Smith asked Kelly to include in the jury instructions Fischers definition of corruptly: acting with the intent to obtain a benefit that the defendant knows is unlawful.

Failing that, Smith wrote, the judge should dismiss the obstruction charges against Nordean.
Puppy Thrown From Car During South LA Police Chase; 3 Arrested

LOS ANGELESA man and two women wanted in a carjacking and attempted murder were arrested at the end of a police chase in South Los Angeles after a puppy was thrown from the vehicle, authorities said April 8.

During the pursuit, which started at about 12:12 p.m. Friday, a puppy was placed in a designer bag and tossed from the suspects vehicle, the Los Angeles Police Department reported. The puppy emerged unharmed, was rescued by officers and placed in the care of Los Angeles Animal Servicess South LA shelter.

The pursuit traveled throughout multiple Los Angeles County cities, ending in Carson, at Vermont Avenue and Belson Street, police said.

LAPD News: (Pursuit Update): On April 7, 2023, around 12:12 p.m., Southeast officers initiated a pursuit of a wanted suspect in connection to an attempted murder/carjacking that occurred on March 26, 2023, in the area of 101st Street & San Pedro Street. pic.twitter.com/Bu719ZWpvg  LAPD PIO (@LAPDPIO) April 8, 2023

Los Angeles resident Gustavo Alvarez, 27, was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and carjacking, which authorities said occurred on March 26 in the area of 101st and San Pedro streets. He was being held without bail.

Lynette Moreno, 27, of Los Angeles, was arrested on suspicion of setting up the second getaway vehicle. Moreno was booked on suspicion of being an accessory and evading. Her bail was set at $67,000.

Michelle Zamudio, 25, of Santa Monica, the alleged driver of the second getaway vehicle, was arrested on suspicion of evading. Her bail was set at $75,000.

Police said the investigation remains ongoing.
ADELAIDE, AustraliaIt was the first time Tabatha Ramsay attended Shen Yun Performing Arts on the evening of April 8.

Its been absolutely breathtaking, said Ramsay of her experience during intermission.

She had recently returned from Thailand, where she is the Vice President Commercial of Central Hospitality International. The Central Group is the countrys largest retail conglomerate and largest employer.

Ramsay described the show as exceptional, calling Shen Yun artists extremely talented individuals.

Founded in 2006, New York-based Shen Yun now has eight companies touring simultaneously around the world with a mission to showcase the grandeur, the depth, and the diversity of five millennia of Chinese civilization, which was once almost lost due to destruction under communism.

Ramsay was impressed by Shen Yun, which she said as a combination gave a whole experience of taking a cultural journey to different areas of China.

According to Shen Yun, Art carries the very DNA of a civilization, and can bring the brilliance and wisdom of a lost culture back to life.

To make this possible, we have pushed the boundaries of performing arts. We combine ancient legends with technological innovations, and historically authentic costumes with breathtaking animated backdrops.

We let classical Chinese dance do the storytelling, and share with you beautifully diverse ethnic and folk traditions. Filled with an enchanting orchestral sound, this is a mesmerizing experience you wont find anywhere else.

Ramsay said the animated digital backdrops were entertaining and helps you feel like youre moving through the different performances.

Shen Yuns backdrop, grounded in state-of-the-art graphics technology, provides striking scenery, extending the stage, and at times interacting with the dancers on the stage while bringing the audience into the story.

Ramsay almost picked a Shen Yun performance set in the Himalayas as her favourite piece, but decided that it was Shen Yuns depiction of the Monkey King that stood out to her the most.

Growing up in Australia on the ABC, they always had the performance of the magic monkey. So I do feel like its probably a story thats slightly embedded in our culture and my upbringing  I found it quite entertaining, she said, describing how the backdrop enabled Monkey Kings magical acts and transformations.

I loved the way Monkey was able to leap into the cave and change into his different characters.

Ramsay said she would absolutely recommend Shen Yun to others.

I think that if anyone wants to come and have an amazing cultural experience and learn a little bit more about the diversity throughout China, which is vast, this is definitely a way to begin having an understanding of the culture and the history that China has.

Shen Yun Shows that Truth is Eternal

Kosta Avgoustinos (R) enjoyed Shen Yun at Festival Theatre in Adelaide, Australia, on the evening of April 8, 2023. (Steve Xu/The Epoch Times)

On the same night, Kosta Avgoustinos, a manager at a car dealership in Adelaide, described Shen Yun as world class after seeing the performance for the first time.

It was just amazing to watch the choreography. And the way it was all synchronised, it was really well put together, Avgoustinos said. He found himself clapping during the dances because some of the moves were just so amazing. They were just really impressive, so we wanted to applaud them.

The choreography was so good that the story flowed and was easy to understand, he added.

While he loved all of Shen Yuns kaleidoscope of vignettes, Avgoustinos noted that his favorite piece was the sopranos performance and the message conveyed through her song. Although he doesnt know Chinese, he was able to read the lyrics of the song translated into English on the backdrop.

Shen Yuns vocal soloists perform in the bel canto tradition with piano accompaniment. The songs and lyrics are original works, and are different each year. The song texts are imbued with philosophical reflections about human life and contain deep layers of meaning, according to Shen Yun.

Avgoustinos said that he resonated with the message of the song delivered on Saturday night.

My interpretation [of the lyrics] is pretty much how I feel about the world todaythat we are losing ourselves as human beings and were getting stuck in our material ways. So I think the message was powerful and I think it was relevant.

The same message, he noted, was depicted in the finale of the show, It was just really powerful and awakening.

What I learned [from tonights show] is that we need to remain humble as human beings and we need to be grateful and respectful, and I think that we are losing a lot of that in our modern society, Avgoustinos shared.

It was really great to see the heritage and the background of the stories, and that it shows that truth is eternal, and the message lasts through generations.

Reporting by NTD, Steve Xu, and Mimi Nguyen Ly.

The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yuns inception in 2006.
Jamaal Myers (R) enjoyed Shen Yun's evening performance at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts on April 8, 2023. (NTD)

TORONTO, CanadaJamaal Myers, the councillor of Scarborough North, attended Shen Yuns performance for the first time on April 8 at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts.

At the conclusion of the evening, Mr. Myers presented a proclamation commending the Falun Dafa Association for hosting Shen Yun in Toronto. He did lots of smiling and lots of clapping throughout the show.

It was amazing! The dancing, the colors, and the musicit was incredible. I really, really enjoyed it, he said.

Just seeing the [dances] come to life with the screen in the background and how it integrated with the performanceWow, it really made it pop. Definitely going to come back next year.

According to its website, Shen Yuns innovative digital technology creates seamless interaction between the backdrop projection and the performers on stage.

By extending the stage to infinite realms, this patented 3D invention brings to the audience storytelling without limits.

Moreover, Mr. Myers loved Shen Yuns ethnic and folk dances.

I really, really enjoyed the Mongolian dance. I just loved how they coordinated the dance with chopsticksI didnt know what to expect, he expressed. Then the Manchurian danceit was really, really good. It was fantastic.

In 2006, Shen Yun Performing Arts was established in New York by artists who dreamt of bringing back Chinas 5,000 years of divinely inspired culture.

Through a series of short dance pieces and solo performances, Shen Yun is rediscovering the lost beauty of pre-communist China.

Speaking of the artists mission to revive traditional culture, Mr. Myers said he found it very inspirational to learn more about Chinese history.

China is one of the oldest civilizations on earth. It has such a unique and rich history, he said.

I learned today that Chinese dancing is where backflips and cartwheels came from and not gymnasticsI learned something new. It shows just how old and how ancient and how respected this culture is.

He added that Shen Yun taught a good lesson. We have to look at the beauty around us and not get lost in our [electronic] devices, which we have a tendency to do because everyone is busy today, he expressed.

We have to remember to take care of each other, love each other, and enjoy whats around us. We have a beautiful city around us, a beautiful countrywe should make sure that we treasure that because when youre ready to die, no ones going to say, Oh, I wish I spent more time on social media. Theyre going to say, I wish I spent more time with my family and friends doing the things I love.

For Mr. Myers, his biggest takeaway from Shen Yun was the importance of treasuring our community.

It was a theme throughout the show helping others, loving others, caring for one another. It was just great.

We need to embrace touch, talk, laugh, and cry with one another. Thats part of the human experience. Thats what makes being humans so great.

Councillor Jamaal Myers proclamation commending the Falun Dafa Association for hosting Shen Yun in Toronto. (NTD)

Reporting by NTD and Jennifer Tseng.

The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yuns inception in 2006.
ORANGE PARK, Fla.Retired U.S. Navy Stephen Mansfield thought Shen Yun Performing Arts was fantastic after he attended its evening show at Thrasher-Horne Center on April 8.

It takes you back to where I think China was a long, long time ago. Hopefully, someday well return thereif we ever purge communism out of China. Its going to take a lot of work, he said.

China before communism was obviously a fine, wonderful place to be. Each person was allowed to go their own way to find where they should be in life.

Based in New York, Shen Yun is the worlds premier classical Chinese dance and music company.

Its artists are seeking to revive the glory of Chinas 5,000 years of history and share with the worldthrough a series of short dance piecesall that is good and beautiful.

Mr. Mansfield couldnt agree more with Shen Yuns mission to revive traditional culture. He thought it is of utmost importance because it is a battle for humanity.

[Our civilization] is at a crossroads right now. This could be a turning point that could end up being the end of humanity as we know it.

The show takes you back to a time when China hadnt forgotten their deity, they hadnt forgotten their tradition, their art, and the wonderful gifts that were bestowed, he said.

Though Shen Yun has received worldwide welcome and acclaim since its founding in 2006, the artists faced an endless stream of harassment and interference by the Chinese Communist Party.

Even now, they are banned from performing in China.

Mr. Mansfield thought this was such a shame. For him, it was also a peek into the dangers that the United States is facing.

When I sit back and watch the performance, I cant help but think that if things keep on regressing toward communism, we may never get to watch a performance like this anywhere.

The tentacles of China, to my knowledge, have found their way into New York and are attempting to sabotage this type of wonderful show in the United States.

The message Mr. Mansfield will be taking home with him is that we should all remember and cherish the beauty of China before communism.

I want life to be, for both the Chinese people and for us here, to be free.

If he gets the chance, Mr. Mansfield would like to tell the Shen Yun artists:

Dont let the Chinese Communist Party intimidate you. Stay strong, and keep bringing this wonderful message wherever you go. Blessings will come to you, and hopefully, to the people of China as well.

Reporting by Lily Yu and Jennifer Tseng.

The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yuns inception in 2006.
Special Rapporteur on Foreign Interference: Mandate, Remuneration Made Public

David Johnston will be paid $1,400 to $1,600 per day on part-time contract

Former governor general David Johnston appears before a Commons committee reviewing his nomination as elections debates commissioner, on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Nov. 6, 2018. (The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick)

The mandate and remuneration details of the independent special rapporteur, appointed by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to investigate foreign interference in Canadas elections, has been made public.

Two order-in-council releases, published on April 5, provide details on the governments contract with David Johnston, whose March 21 appointment the feds said was part of a suite of measures to help protect the integrity of Canadas democracy.

In this role, Johnston, former governor general of Canada from 2010 to 2017, will be authorized travel and living expenses if away from home, the cost of expert staff, and any other reasonable expenses.

One order-in-council states that Johnston has been contracted on a part-time basis, with his term ending Dec. 12. He will be paid between $1,400 and $1,600 per day effective March 15.

The other order-in-council states that Johnston has been appointed a special adviser to the Prime Minister and is to be known as the Independent Special Rapporteur on Foreign Interference. Johnston is to provide independent advice to Trudeau and make expert recommendations.

It adds that the rapporteur is to provide reports, on a rolling basis, or as he deems necessary, up until Oct. 31, which the government will share with the leader of every recognized party in the House of Commons and with Canadians. Further, he will be given access to national security intelligence resources, including classified or unclassified records, documents and personnel.

The order states that the federal government will respond publicly to any recommendations made in those reports within a reasonable time.

Johnstons mandate includes accessing the extent and impact of foreign interference in Canadas electoral processes and reviewing what information the federal government had and what actions were taken in response to threats, both historically and in relation to the last two elections, in 2019 and 2021.

He is to determine what findings and recommendations to address foreign interference in those two elections were made by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), the Privy Council Office, members of the Critical Election Incident Public Protocol panel, and any other agency or official.

The mandate also instructs Johnston to identify potential innovative approaches and improvements in the way public agencies work together to combat foreign interference in federal elections, including changes in the institutional design and coordination of government resources used to defend against or otherwise deal with that interference.

Johnston is to review any steps taken by Trudeau and the ministers, their offices, cabinet, and federal departments and agencies to address the foreign interference. He is also mandated to raise outstanding issues of public interest and report on the level of cooperation he receives in carrying out his mandate.

His first report is due on or before May 23, with interim recommendations on the advisability of additional mechanisms or transparent processes, including any recommendation to establish a public inquiry.

Johnston has authorization to talk to the Privy Council Office, Trudeaus office, CSIS, the RCMP, and any national security body, as well as members of election task forces. He is also permitted to engage with every recognized political party in the House of Commons and receive written submissions from interested persons on any question.
Texas Governor Seeks to Pardon Army Sergeant Convicted of Killing Gun-Wielding Protester

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said he is seeking to pardon the U.S. Army sergeant who was convicted of shooting dead a man wielding a gun at him during a Black Lives Matter protest in 2020.

Abbott announced on April 8 that he will pardon Sgt. Daniel Perry, 37, who was working for Uber in Austin at the time, as soon as a request from the states parole board hits my desk.

I am working as swiftly as Texas law allows regarding the pardon of Sgt. Perry, Abbott wrote on Twitter.

Abbott explained in his tweet that the state constitution limits the governors pardon authority only on a recommendation by the states Board of Pardons and Paroles.

I have made that request and instructed the Board to expedite its review, Abbott added. I look forward to approving the Boards pardon recommendation as soon as it hits my desk.

U.S. Army Sgt. Daniel Perry in file images. (Courtesy of Broden & Mickelsen; Austin Police Department)

The Case

Perry was driving in Austin the night of the shooting when he was surrounded by protesters, including 28-year-old Garrett Foster, who was carrying an AK-47. According to Perrys defense lawyers, their client acted in self-defense and fired at Foster after the latter began to raise the rifle toward Perry.

However, several witnesses testified that Foster never raised his weapon, and prosecutors argued that Perry had other options including driving away.

Perry, who was indicted in July 2021, was convicted of murder on April 7 by a Travis County jury for shooting and killing Foster. He will be sentenced on April 11, facing the possibility of life behind bars.

Doug OConnell, a lawyer representing Perry, said he visited Perry in jail on Saturday morning.

As you might expect, he is devastated. He spoke to me about his fears that he will never get to hug his Mother again, OConnell wrote on Twitter. Hes also crushed that this conviction will end his Army service; he loves being a Soldier.

OConnell added, Our entire team is physically & mentally exhausted after the last two weeks of trial. The battle is not overwe will continue to fight for Daniel. We are already working to prepare for the sentencing hearing.

Abbott also promised to rein in rogue District Attorneys.

Texas has one of the strongest Stand Your Ground laws of self-defense that cannot be nullified by a jury or a progressive District Attorney, Abbot said. Additionally, I have already prioritized reining in rogue District Attorneys, and the Texas Legislature is working on laws to achieve that goal.

Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza, a Democrat who brought the case against Perry, has received backing from billionaire George Soros through a political action committee.

In a Twitter reply on Saturday, Abbott said he strongly support[s] allegations that Garza intentionally mislead the Grand Jury.

Im grateful to our dedicated career prosecutors and victims counselors who tried this case. They worked hard to make a complete and accurate presentation of the facts to the jury, Garza said in a statement following Fridays verdict. Our hearts continue to break for the Foster family. We hope this verdict brings closure and peace to the victims family.

People hold up signs outside Austin Police Department after a vigil for Garrett Foster, a Black Lives Matter protester who was shot dead after allegedly brandishing his firearm at a driver, in Austin, Texas, on July 26, 2020. (Sergio Flores/Getty Images)

Reactions

Abbotts decision to seek a pardon has drawn a mixed response.

Fosters brother, Ryan Foster, told Austin American-Statesman on Saturday that Perry shouldnt be pardoned.

This was clearly premeditated, he said, adding that Perry thought a lot about it and planned on doing it.  He wanted to kill a protester and saw somebody exercising their Second Amendment right.

State Sen. Sarah Eckhardt, a Democrat, called Abbotts decision a stunning and dangerous abrogation of the rule of law that will embolden more armed confrontations and inevitable tragedies.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton took to Twitter to say he agrees with Abbott on this 100%.

Rep. Brian Babin (R-Texas) wrote that he is fed up w/ Lefts double standard of justice.

Gov. Abbotts right to request this case be reviewed by the Board of Pardons and Paroles, and I look forward to his approval of their recommendation, Babin added. There are often tragic consequences to dangerous behavior.

Tom Fitton, president of conservative transparency group Judicial Watch, applauded Abbott for taking aggressive steps to restore confidence in the fair administration of justice by moving to pardon Sgt. Perry.
In order to justify the effort of selecting individual stocks, it's worth striving to beat the returns from a market index fund. But its virtually certain that sometimes you will buy stocks that fall short of the market average returns. Unfortunately, that's been the case for longer term Smith & Nephew plc (LON:SN.) shareholders, since the share price is down 27% in the last three years, falling well short of the market return of around 36%.

With that in mind, it's worth seeing if the company's underlying fundamentals have been the driver of long term performance, or if there are some discrepancies.

View our latest analysis for Smith & Nephew

While the efficient markets hypothesis continues to be taught by some, it has been proven that markets are over-reactive dynamic systems, and investors are not always rational. By comparing earnings per share (EPS) and share price changes over time, we can get a feel for how investor attitudes to a company have morphed over time.

Smith & Nephew saw its EPS decline at a compound rate of 28% per year, over the last three years. In comparison the 10% compound annual share price decline isn't as bad as the EPS drop-off. So, despite the prior disappointment, shareholders must have some confidence the situation will improve, longer term. This positive sentiment is also reflected in the generous P/E ratio of 55.50.

You can see below how EPS has changed over time (discover the exact values by clicking on the image).

We consider it positive that insiders have made significant purchases in the last year. Having said that, most people consider earnings and revenue growth trends to be a more meaningful guide to the business. Before buying or selling a stock, we always recommend a close examination of historic growth trends, available here..

What About Dividends?

When looking at investment returns, it is important to consider the difference between total shareholder return (TSR) and share price return. The TSR is a return calculation that accounts for the value of cash dividends (assuming that any dividend received was reinvested) and the calculated value of any discounted capital raisings and spin-offs. Arguably, the TSR gives a more comprehensive picture of the return generated by a stock. As it happens, Smith & Nephew's TSR for the last 3 years was -22%, which exceeds the share price return mentioned earlier. And there's no prize for guessing that the dividend payments largely explain the divergence!

Story continues

A Different Perspective

We regret to report that Smith & Nephew shareholders are down 4.7% for the year (even including dividends). Unfortunately, that's worse than the broader market decline of 1.3%. However, it could simply be that the share price has been impacted by broader market jitters. It might be worth keeping an eye on the fundamentals, in case there's a good opportunity. Unfortunately, last year's performance may indicate unresolved challenges, given that it was worse than the annualised loss of 0.7% over the last half decade. We realise that Baron Rothschild has said investors should "buy when there is blood on the streets", but we caution that investors should first be sure they are buying a high quality business. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand Smith & Nephew better, we need to consider many other factors. To that end, you should learn about the 5 warning signs we've spotted with Smith & Nephew (including 2 which can't be ignored) .

Smith & Nephew is not the only stock insiders are buying. So take a peek at this free list of growing companies with insider buying.

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on British exchanges.

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



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

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Trump Attorney Reveals Former Presidents Immediate Legal Priority in Bragg Case

Former President Donald Trump appears in court at the Manhattan Criminal Court in New York on April 4, 2023. (Steven Hirsch/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

Former President Donald Trumps attorney Jim Trusty said that the former presidents legal team is focusing on dismissing the indictment after he was arrested and charged late last month by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

I think the motions to dismiss have to be a priority because they amputate this miscarriage of justice early on, Trusty told ABC This Week on Sunday morning. Trusty is representing Trump in connection to the Department of Justices probe into his handling of government records after leaving office.

When you get down to kind of the trial tactics lane, then maybe you start thinking about venue. And, look, the issue with venue is that Manhattan was like 87 percent pro-Joe Biden the last election. Its a real stronghold of liberalism, of activism, and that infects the whole process, he remarked, adding that the Trump legal team is a long way from considering moving venues to a more Republican-friendly district like Staten Island.

Trusty added that you dont typically win as a defense attorney by filing a pretrial motion that says, Hey, judge, theyve got the worst witness imaginable, theyve got a convicted perjurer with an ax to grind.'

Trump was charged in New York last Tuesday with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records over allegations he orchestrated hush-money payments to Stormy Daniels and former model Karen McDougal before the 2016 U.S. election. The former president has denied the allegations against him, pleading not guilty.

Trump, 76, also faces investigations in Washington, D.C., for his activity after the 2020 election and for how he handled government documents. The former commander-in-chief, who was seen ringside at UFC 287 in Miami on Saturday night, is also facing a criminal probe in Georgia in connection to that years election.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump arrives at Manhattan Criminal Courthouse, after his indictment by a Manhattan grand jury, in New York on April 4, 2023. (Brendan McDermid/Reuters)

Prosecutors in Manhattan accused Trump, the first sitting or former U.S. president to face criminal charges, of trying to conceal a violation of election laws during his successful 2016 campaign. The next hearing in the case is set for Dec. 4, while legal experts said a trial may not even get underway for a year, and that an indictment or even a conviction would not legally prevent Trump from running for president.

Bragg prosecutor Chris Conroy stated, 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.

Last week, another of Trumps lawyers, Joe Tacopina, predicted that the case wont make it to trial.

This case is going to fall on its merits, on legal challenges, well before we get to a jury, if we get to a jury, Tacopina told NBCs Today show on Wednesday morning. In another interview with CBS News, Tacopina described the unsealed indictment as very vanilla and that the indictment did not list the underlying crimes he allegedly intended to cover up with false business records. He then asked: Whats to hide?

Understand, these false business record entries, which are not even false, are misdemeanor counts for which the statute of limitations is long gone, Tacopina also stated on the show. The only way to make this a felony is to cobble together a couple of misdemeanorsthe false business records and the attempt to cover up another crime. But the indictment doesnt even list what the crime is.

However, longtime lawyer Alan Dershowitz warned that if it does make it to trial, Trump would likely be convicted by a Manhattan jury. He suggested that the social pressure in Democrat-dominated Manhattan would force members of the Trump jury to convict Trump regardless of whether Braggs case has any merit.

Theres no way he can get a fair trial, he told Fox News. I dont care if Jesus, Muhammad, Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, and Thurgood Marshall defended Trump in New York, he wouldnt win this case. Hung jury? Maybe. Acquittal? Never.

Reuters contributed to this report.
US Deploys Guided-Missile Submarine Amid Tensions With Iran

The Navy said nuclear-powered submarine, based out of Kings Bay, Georgia, passed through the Suez Canal, on April 7, 2023. (US Navy via AP)

DUBAI, United Arab EmiratesThe U.S. Navy has deployed a guided-missile submarine capable of carrying up to 154 Tomahawk missiles to the Middle East, a spokesman said Saturday, in what appeared to be a show of force toward Iran following recent tensions.

The Navy rarely acknowledges the location or deployment of submarines. Cmdr. Timothy Hawkins, a spokesman for the 5th Fleet based in the Gulf nation of Bahrain, declined to comment on the submarines mission or what had prompted the deployment.

He said the nuclear-powered submarine, based out of Kings Bay, Georgia, passed through the Suez Canal on Friday. It is capable of carrying up to 154 Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles and is deployed to U.S. 5th Fleet to help ensure regional maritime security and stability, Hawkins said.

The 5th Fleet patrols the crucial Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which 20 percent of all oil transits. Its region includes the Bab el-Mandeb Strait off Yemen and the Red Sea stretching up to the Suez Canal, the Egyptian waterway linking the Mideast to the Mediterranean Sea.

The United States, the UK, and Israel have accused Iran of targeting oil tankers and commercial ships in recent years, allegations denied by Tehran. The U.S. Navy has also reported a series of tense encounters at sea with Iranian forces that it said were being recklessly aggressive.

Last month, the United States launched airstrikes against Iran-backed forces in Syria after a rocket attack killed a U.S. contractor and wounded seven other Americans in that countrys northeast.

Tomahawk cruise missiles launched from ships or submarines can hit targets up to 2,500 kilometers (1,500 miles away). They were famously employed during the opening hours of the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq and in response to a Syrian chemical weapons attack in 2018.
US Deploys Guided-Missile Submarine to Gulf Amid Iran Tensions, Heightened Russia Presence

A guided-missile submarine capable of carrying up to 154 Tomahawk missiles in a file photo. (US Navy via AP)

The U.S. Navy has deployed a guided-missile submarine capable of carrying more than 100 missiles to the Middle East, a spokesman said on April 8.

The [USS Florida] entered the region April 6 and began transiting the Suez Canal the following day, Cmdr. Timothy Hawkinss statement to media outlets reads. Florida is a nuclear-powered guided-missile submarine homeported in Kings Bay, Ga. It is capable of carrying up to 154 Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles and is deployed to U.S. 5th Fleet to help ensure regional maritime security and stability.

A photo released by the Navy shows the USS Florida on the surface near the Suez Canal, an artificial waterway in Egypt that connects the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea. Tomahawk cruise missiles launched from ships or submarines can hit targets from up to 1,500 miles away and were famously employed during the opening hours of the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq and in response to a Syrian chemical weapons attack in 2018.

The 5th Fleet patrols the crucial Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which 20 percent of all oil passes. Its region includes the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait off Yemen and the Red Sea stretching up to the Suez Canal.

The arrival of the USS Florida offers additional flexibility, firepower, survivability, readiness and capability, U.S. Central Command spokesman Col. Joe Buccino told Al-Monitor. Officials didnt specifically link the deployment of the Florida to rising tensions with Iran.

In recent years, the United States, the UK, and Israel have accused Iran of targeting oil tankers and commercial ships, allegations denied by Tehran. The U.S. Navy has also reported a series of tense encounters at sea with Iranian forces that it said were being recklessly aggressive.

In March, the United States launched airstrikes against Iran-backed forces in Syria after a rocket attack killed a U.S. contractor and wounded seven other Americans in that countrys northeast.

The tensions have worsened as Iran has supplied attack drones to Russian forces in Ukraine and as Israel and Iran have escalated their years-long war in the Middle East. In addition to drawing closer to Moscow, Tehran has sought improved relations with China, which brokered an agreement last month to restore diplomatic ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

Israels minister of defense, Yoav Gallant, held a call with U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, a spokesperson for the Israeli Ministry of Defense told media outlets this weekend. In a statement, the ministry called Iran the greatest destabilizing force in the region.

As Israel faces a range of attacks on all fronts, a statement to The New York Times reads, our defense establishment is prepared and we will not tolerate any threat to our citizens and troops.

Israeli planes attacked Syrian targets on April 9 in response to rockets that were launched overnight at the Golan Heights, which are controlled by Jerusalem, according to the countrys military. Syrian state-run media reported blasts near Damascus, the capital of Syria. Israel took over the Golan Heights during the 1967 war before annexing the region in 1981.

Israels military sees the State of Syria responsible for all activities occurring within its territory and will not allow any attempts to violate Israeli sovereignty, the Israel Defense Forces stated on April 9. Israel stated that it targeted a compound belonging to Syrias 4th Division and Syrian Army radar and artillery sites, according to the Times of Israel.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Young Hongkonger Joins Canadian MP to Assist Hong Kong Issues on Human Rights

Donald Cheng (right), a young Hongkonger, who majored in social work, was offered an internship in the MP's office and later became an assistant to Canadian MP, Garnett Genuis (left). (Courtesy of Donald Cheng)

In Canada, a new face has recently emerged in its parliamentary circle. Donald Cheng is a young Hongkonger who has been chosen as an intern for the Canadian House of Commons. Donald assists a member of parliament (MP), Garnett Genuis, in presenting Hong Kong issues to parliaments concerning the human rights situation in Hong Kong.

Donald Cheng, whose professional background centered on social work, obtained an Open Work Permit (OWP) in Canada. After he got his visa, he joined the Youth Initiative Program of Hong Kong Watcha Human Rights group.

Donalds interview performance with the Office Members of the Canadian parliament earned him an opportunity of a lifetime: an internship at the parliament. It would later mark as his stepping stone to becoming an assistant to Garrett Genius, a Canadian conservative politician and member of the House of Commons.

On March 25, 2023, Donald Cheng shared his internship experience at Hongkongers Community Center in Toronto. He collected joint signatures for parliament on issues related to Hong Kong Together with Aileen Calverley, co-founder and trustee of Hong Kong Watch. (Courtesy of Donald Cheng)

On the afternoon of March 25, Toronto Hongkongers Community Center held a gathering event, with a recruitment fair and job search workshops. The event attracts many prospective job seekers.

Donald also shared his political journey at a special roundtable event of his parliamentary internship experience. He and Aileen Calverley, co-founder and trustee of Hong Kong Watch, collected signatures for the parliament on issues related to Hong Kong.

Donald Cheng, with with Aileen Calverley, co-founder and trustee of Hong Kong Watch, in Toronto on March 25, 2023, . (Courtesy of Donald Cheng)

Donald was never a politician; his internship for the MP has been eye-opening. His job requires him to follow up on Hong Kong issues and learn about human rights and immigration issues worldwide. For instance, places such as Ukraine, Turkey, Pakistan, and China are part of MP Garnetts concerns.

For Donald to be fluent in his tasks as an assistant to the MP, he has to study issues from all over the world. He also needs to prepare detailed proposals and bring Hong Kong topics to the parliament floor, helping the parliament to grasp problems quickly.

Unlike my job in the past as a social worker, the work is entirely different, Donald explains.

But the two jobs are more similar than he thinks: policies are paramount to civilians needs. Parliamentary initiatives are inseparable from the community.

As a former social worker, Donald empathizes with people within communities, as he regularly steps into the peoples shoes and makes recommendations to change for the better accordingly.

Donald Cheng (left) majored in social work and was a volunteer social worker in Hong Kong. (Courtesy of Donald Cheng)

A Social Worker in Hong Kong

Imagining a social worker becoming a politicians assistant may seem complicated. Still, you will be surprised by how much administrative work is required of a social worker in Hong Kong, aside from working with people in the community.

Because of that, the nature of social service can be deviated from its intent.

I worked as a social workers assistant at a youth center while in college, Donald recalled. His interest in social work became a reality thanks to a political activist.

Former Hong Kong Legislative Council member and remanded democracy activist Leung Kwok-hung, also known as Long Hair, gave a speech at Gratia Christian College in Donalds third year.

Leung detailed how Hong Kongs social and political environment affected the operation of the social work industry.

Leungs speech inspired Donald, From how Leungs analyzed the industry trend, I began to think about the issues emerging from the social welfare system: is the system people or government oriented?

Leungs speech confirmed Donalds fate as a social worker.

During college, Donald met friends in the social work circle, which made him realize that being a social worker had a quota to fulfill, much like a salesperson.

A quota is usually a baseline of how well someone needs to perform in the sales industry. In the past, meeting the quota was primarily for commercial and sales volume purposes, but nowadays, it also applies to social workers.

It did, however, come as a shock when Donald realized social workers were required to meet set quotas.

Donald explained that social cases were not his core work. He spent a lot of energy and effort processing project proposals, financial documents, and accounting receipts.

Donald recalled that finding ways to secure funding and meeting particular service volume overrode the need to serve society.

When he graduated in 2019, Hong Kong was overwhelmed with an active anti-extradition movement, and the protests were in full swing.

The Chinese Communist Party had intensified its devouring of democracy and erosion of freedom in Hong Kong throughout the protests. As soon as the National Security Law emerged, Donald realized Hong Kong was no longer a safe place for him.

So he made his way to the United States of America for education and the potential of migration.

Donald arrived at Andrews University in Michigan in September 2021, . (Courtesy of Donald Cheng)

Study in the U.S.

In September 2021, Donald attended Andrews University in Michigan for his Bachelors Degree in Social Work. While studying, he also interned at a non-profit organization, Neighbor to Neighbor.

In just a short year, Donald saw the cultural differences in social work approaches between Hong Kong and America.

Donald saw social work in America seem far more focused on the community and people-oriented.

In America, social work is based on three principles: dignity, freedom, and social justice of human beings. Donald said.

Unlike Hong Kong food banks, which feel more like almsgiving and more mandatory as a charity, food banks in America would offer a variety of food selections. It feels more dynamic and allows the beneficiaries a more dignified and respected experience.

Donald Cheng (right) studied at Andrews University in Michigan for a bachelor of Social work and graduated in June 2022. (Courtesy of Donald Cheng)

Work in Canada

Initially, Donald intended to relocate to the United States after finding a job there.

However, in 2021, Canada launched a lifeboat plan for Hongkongers amid the deteriorating situation in Hong Kong.

Canada opens its arms to students graduating from qualified colleges and universities within five years to apply for an open work visa (OWP). Eligible applicants can work for a year and obtain permanent residency using the stream B Hong Kong Pathway.

Compared with the immigration criteria of the United States, Canadas policies are more relaxed. So Donald headed to Canada in 2022 and joined Hong Kong Watch Canada as a volunteer and signed up for the Youth Initiative Program.

The Youth Initiative offers workshops, training, and assistance to apply for a parliamentary internship or become political party volunteers.

Hong Kong Watch conducted its first workshop online with 18 participants from all over Canada. After various guest speeches, Donald gained a deeper understanding of Canadas democracy, parliament body, and government.

After attending eight workshops, Donald was interviewed for an internship at the Canadian Parliament.

Donalds response awoke and impressed the interviewers when asked about his thoughts on the National Security Law. He told them, The China government has completely destroyed human freedom and democracy.

Later, Donald was offered the intern position.

Continued with Hong Kong Issues

Aside from comprehension skills, listening and writing fast in English were crucial for success as an assistant to a congressman. Other than being an effective listener, Donald must be more involved with news and social trends worldwide. His colleagues suggested watching more news programs to stay ahead of global affairs.

Comparing his experience as a social worker, members of parliament must cover other vital aspects such as economy, medical care, housing, and social welfare.

Since I am more familiar with Hong Kong affairs, my ability can fully play to Hong Kongs advantage, such as expanding and extending the Lifeboat Scheme Stream B permanent residence policy. Alternatively, I can aid campaigns for releasing political prisoners in Hong Kong, he said.

Having moved to Canada, Donald Cheng still cares about Hong Kong. The photo displays souvenirs he bought at the Hongkongers Market in Canada. They are reminders to Donald not to ever forget the Hong Kong fight for democracy. (Courtesy of Donald Cheng)

He explained, The China government has destroyed human freedom, and democratic activists, who the National Security Law has oppressed, should be written down and drafted for the Canadian legislators.

Previously only needing to care for a single community and its youth, Donald is responsible for something much bigger now: human rights from communities worldwide, instead of just one neighborhood full of Hongkongers.

Regardless of where Donald may be physically now or in the future, his heart remains on helping Hongkongers.

Donald wants to tell everyone that there is a greater purpose for their leaving Hong Kong, Being overseas is a chance to accomplish things that we cannot do in Hong Kong.

With Hong Kong on his mind, Donalds determination is unshakable.
No daughters marriage will be delayed for lack of funds





LUCKNOW :

UTTAR Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday assured the economically underprivileged people of the state that their medical treatment would not be affected and their daughters marriage would not get delayed due to lack of funds. During the Janata Darshan programme organised at the Gorakhnath temple, the CM said, Dont worry or panic; the Government is prepared to assist any victims or those in need. CM Yogi listened to the problems of about 300 people and assured all of them that his Governments top priority is to solve peoples issues. He also directed officers to treat the problems of people with utmost seriousness and sensitivity and to resolve them right away.
Ajeet Parse arrested; more skeletons likely to tumble





Staff Reporter :

MORE skeletons are likely to tumble out from the closet of master fraudster Ajeet Gunwant Parse with the Crime Branch finally putting him behind bars on Thursday. Investigators produced him before the court of Judicial Magistrate First Class and obtained remand for his custodial interrogation till Tuesday. Crime Branch officers arrested the 43-year-old self-styled social media strategist, a resident of Maharshi Mrinal Apartment, Bhende Layout, Khamla, for duping homeopath Dr Rajesh Murkute to the tune of Rs 4.50 crore on the pretext of helping him open a medical college. He had also allegedly honey-trapped Dr Murkute and had also taken money from him on the pretext of providing CSR funds, hushing up a CBI case and closing another criminal matter about adoption of a child by his relative. Following Dr Murkutes complaint, a case of extortion and cheating was registered against Parse at Kotwali Police Station in October 11 last year. Preliminary investigations revealed that Parse used social media for self promotion and claimed that he had access to the Prime Ministers Office (PMO), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and also to the offices of Union Ministers. After registering offence against Parse, cops seized fake rubber stamps of different police stations, cellphones, four laptops, letterheads bearing names of various ministers, some cheques, 350 gm gold ornaments, three luxury cars and six expensives bikes. Police then sealed his locker and froze his bank accounts.
Chargesheet against Kochhars, Dhoot





NEW DELHI :

THE CBI has filed a chargesheet against former MD and CEO of ICICI Bank Chanda Kochhar, her husband Deepak Kochhar and Videocon Group founder Venugopal Dhoot in a Rs 3,250 crore loan fraud case, officials said on Saturday. The agency has filed the charge sheet under sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and 409 (criminal breach of trust) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, among others, they said. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has named nine entities, including companies and individuals, according to the officials. The CBI has moved to file its final report before a special court in Mumbai without the mandatory requirement of sanction to prosecute Chanda Kochhar from ICICI Bank, the officials said.

A letter had been sent to the bank seeking the sanction but its response is awaited, they said. Generally, the special court waits for the sanction before proceeding with taking cognisance of the charge sheet and subsequently initiating the trial, if warranted. The special CBI court is yet to take cognisance of the charge sheet, the officials said. In the case of denial of sanction to prosecute, the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act will not apply, they said. The agency arrested the Kochhars and Dhoot in December last year. Opposing the CBIs plea for remand, senior advocate Amit Desai, appearing for the Kochhars, had brought to the courts notice a letter ICICI Bank wrote to the CBI in July 2021 stating that it incurred no wrongful loss in any of the transactions under question. The Bombay High Court had granted the couple bail on January 9, underlining that the CBIs move to arrest them was casual, mechanical and perfunctory and clearly without application of mind. The HC had noted that in the present case, the grounds of arrest are merely stated as non-cooperation and not giving full and correct disclosure.
Finland Polls





By Chris Dite :

Finland went to the polls last weekend in the context of a war to the east, a rising cost of living, and growing inequality. The mood was cynical, and Finns delivered a harsh rebuke to the ruling Social Democratled coalition. The results have opened the door to power for the far-right.

The exact composition of the next Finnish Government is not yet clear. But one thing is absolutely certain. Against the backdrop of the war next door, a smug Finnish elite will further enrich itself while ramping up anti-immigrant sentiment and lowering living standards for everyone else.

FINLAND went to the polls last weekend in the context of a war to the east, a rising cost of living, and growing inequality. The mood was cynical, and Finns delivered a harsh rebuke to the ruling Social Democratled coalition. The results have potentially opened the door to power for the far-right. Two parties managed to garner slightly more than 20 per cent of the overall vote. They were the National Coalition Party (NCP) with 20.8 per cent and the far-right Finns Party with 20.1 per cent. Prime Minister Sanna Marins Social Democratic Party (SDP) slightly increased its vote but only came in third with 19.9 per cent of the vote share. All bar one of the SDPs current coalition partners  the Centre Party, the Greens, the Left Alliance, and the Swedish Peoples Party  lost votes. Coalition Governments are the norm in Finland, and the NCPs leader Petteri Orpo now faces a momentous choice. He can invite the Finns Party into his new Government as the junior partner, which runs the not-so-serious risk of alienating the NCPs wealthy, pro-EU base. Or he can attempt to entice Sanna Marins SDP into an adults in the room blue-red coalition.

The Finns would jump at the opportunity to be part of the junior party in Government; it would allow them to reap the benefits without the responsibility. The SDP will be understandably cautious  its brand can only suffer from participation in a pro-austerity Government. But like all the moderate left in Finland, the party is sensitive to the blackmail that its non-participation will allow the far right into the halls of power. Whichever option Orpo chooses, he will still have to coax a smattering of the smaller parties to join the new coalition as a buffer. Depending on how the NCP plays it, these negotiations could be shockingly swift or painfully protracted. The Finns Party was the real winner of the election. In general terms, its campaign was anti-immigrant, anti-left, and Eurosceptic. But in a day-to-day sense it hedged on every conceivable issue. Candidates in particular regions would state a position, only for it to be half-denied by the leadership.

The leadership itself changed policies multiple times mid-election. Its approach was to try to be everything to everyone, within the confines of right-wing populism. The Finns lifted their playbook straight from the US Republicans. They dog-whistled to the most extreme racists, and weaponised nonsense culture-war topics like gender ideology in schools. They accused public school teachers  whom they associate with the Greens and the Left Alliance  of censorship, while simultaneously campaigning to end feminism in universities and vegetarian food in school canteens. While the Finns boasted elected representatives like TeuvoHakkarainen and fielded candidates like WilleRydman  both accused of sleaziness involving children  their supporters ran a terror campaign lodging false complaints of child abuse against progressive activists. Current leader Riikka Purra has played the victim throughout all this. She described the Finns Party as huddling like penguins in a storm while the other parties unfairly accuse it of flirting with Nazism. She had demanded that outgoing Prime Minister Marin apologise when she called a potential NCP-Finns Government a blue-black coalition, making implicit reference to the Finnish fascist movement that violently terrorised the Left in the 1930s. But the accusation is entirely fair. The youth wing of the Finns Party formed a stooge party during this election literally called the Blue-Black Movement (SinimustaLiike). The partys program was so extreme  including blatant anti-Semitism, banning the promotion of non-heterosexuality, and calling for a register of ethnic minorities  that it was forced to delete most of it to legally register as a political party. It then took advantage of a legal loophole to put all of the content back into its election propaganda. Its candidates included an attempted murderer who stabbed a nineteen-year-old almost to death and blamed his victims ethnicity. SinimustaLiike polled poorly on election day, but it served its intended purpose of making the Finns Party look far less extreme. The Finns Party has also campaigned against the banning of the swastika  just as the symbol has made a return to the streets of Finland during national day parades. The Finns Party openly courted the NCP, particularly toward the end of the election campaign.
President takes historic sortie in Sukhoi 30







TEZPUR :

President Murmu is the third President after A PJ Abdul Kalam and Pratibha Patil to fly a sortie in a fighter aircraft. Her predecessors, however, had taken their rides from Pune air base.

President Droupadi Murmu took a historic sortie in a Sukhoi 30 MKI fighter aircraft at the Tezpur Air Force Station in Assam on Saturday. Group Captain Naveen Kumar Tiwari, the Commanding Officer of the 106th Squadron, flew her in a Sukhoi-30 MKI that took off from the Indian Air Force base. Achcha laga (felt good), Murmu told reporters after completing her nearly 30-minute sortie. Murmu, who was on a three-day trip to Assam, reached Tezpur from Guwahati. She was received at the air base by Air Marshal S P Dharkar, Governor Gulab Chand Kataria and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. After landing at Tezpur, Murmu received a guard of honour from IAF personnel, followed by an official briefing on her flight aboard the Sukhoi aircraft. She then reached the hangar wearing the flying suit, and waved at the waiting journalists before climbing the ladder to board the aircraft. The President also posed with her pilot and other officials in front of the aircraft. After sitting in the cockpit, a woman officer helped her put on the helmet and complete other technicalities. She waved from the cockpit just seconds before the aircraft canopy was shut. Alighting from the aircraft after the sortie, she again posed with the group captain and waved to the waiting journalists.
Ukraines first Dy Foreign Minister to visit India today





NEW DELHI :

UKRAINES First Deputy Foreign Minister Emine Dzhaparova will pay a four-day visit to India from Sunday, the first official visit from the East European country since the Russian invasion began last year. Dzhaparova will hold talks with Sanjay Verma, Secretary (West) in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). It is expected that the Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister may extend an invitation for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Ukraine.
states that do not tax retirement income

States vary widely in the way they tax retirement income so location is an important consideration in financially planning for retirement. Some states dont levy income states on any sort of retirement income, while others tax IRA and 401(k) distributions, pension payouts and even social security payments like ordinary income. Income taxes are just part of the story, however, as some states with low or no income taxes have high property, sales and other taxes. Consider working with a financial advisor when you are planning for retirement to make sure you avoid any unnecessary taxes.

Retirement Income Tax Basics

Most retirement income can be subject to federal income taxes. That includes Social Security benefits, pension payments and distributions from IRA and 401(k) plans. Exceptions include distributions from Roth IRA and Roth 401(k) plans. Federal income taxes on Roth contributions are paid before the contributions are made. These contributions as well as any investment gains can be withdrawn free of federal income taxes after five years if you have reached age 59 1/2.

The situation is more complex when it comes to how states will tax your income. Many states have no income tax at all, so all retirement income, as well as other income, is state tax-free. Most states specifically exclude Social Security benefits from taxation. Some others also exempt retirement account distributions and pensions. Most have a mix of approaches to taxing retirement income.

Now that you have a good baseline knowledge of how retirement taxes work at the state level, lets dive into the states that wont tax you at all.

States That Dont Tax Retirement Income

states that do not tax retirement income

Eight states have no state income tax. Those eight  Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming  dont tax wages, salaries, dividends, interest or any sort of income.

No state income tax means these states also dont tax Social Security retirement benefits, pension payments and distributions from retirement accounts. Even income from securities held in non-retirement brokerage accounts is free from any state income tax in these states. That means retired residents in these states have no worries about paying state income taxes on their income from any source.

Story continues

Another state, New Hampshire, has no state income tax on wages, salaries, retirement account withdrawals or pension payments. But New Hampshire does currently tax dividends and interest, which are likely to be sources of income for some retirees with assets outside retirement accounts.

The rest of the states take a variety of approaches to taxing retirement income. Some tax all retirement income, including Social Security. Others exempt Social Security but tax sources such as pensions and retirement account income if retirees income exceeds a certain cap. But the following states levy no tax on retirement income of any sort.

11 States That Dont Tax Retirement Income 1. Alaska No state income tax 2. Florida No state income tax 3. Illinois Retirement income exempt, including Social Security, pension, IRA, 401(k) 4. Mississippi Retirement income exempt, including Social Security, pension, IRA, 401(k) 5. Nevada No state income tax 6. Pennsylvania Retirement income exempt, including Social Security, pension, IRA, 401(k) 7. South Dakota No state income tax 8. Tennessee No state income tax 9. Texas No state income tax 10. Washington No state income tax 11. Wyoming No state income tax

States With Small Retirement Tax Requirements

Some states that dont appear on this list of those that dont tax retirement income at all are still relatively generous when it comes to letting retirees off the tax hook. For instance, Georgia does not tax Social Security retirement benefits and also provides a deduction of up $65,000 per person on all other types of retirement income.

Also, in Pennsylvania all Social Security benefits and IRA and 401(k) income is exempt. And the Keystone State does not levy income tax on pension payments for those over 60. Clearly, state taxation of retirement income is somewhat complicated. One of the biggest differences between states is the variety of income caps to qualify for exemptions.

In addition, state taxation of retirement benefits is a moving target. State tax laws change over time. For instance, New Hampshires 5% tax on dividends and interest is due to be phased out by January 2027. Until then, the tax rate on dividend and interest income in New Hampshire declines every year until it reaches zero.

Bottom Line

states that do not tax retirement income

Eleven states levy no income taxes on retirement income from any source. Others offer resident retirees varying degrees of exemptions from taxation on Social Security, retirement account distributions, pension payments and other types of retirement income. Some of the exemptions are generous enough that many retirees in those states wont pay any income tax. Details such as the retirees income matter and vary by state, so its important to check with the state tax office for details before relocating to save on taxes.

Tips for Retirement

A financial advisor can help you balance the tax and other considerations involved in selecting a place to retire. Finding a qualified financial advisor doesnt have to be hard. SmartAssets free tool matches you with up to three financial advisors who serve your area, and you can interview your advisor matches at no cost to decide which one is right for you. If youre ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.

There is more to planning a secure and comfortable retirement than avoiding all state taxes on retirement income. States may not tax retirement income but have high taxes otherwise. Read more about retirement taxes.

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The post 11 States That Do Not Tax Retirement Income appeared first on SmartAsset Blog.
STAMFORD  A new partnership between Westhill High School and a Westchester County college aims to improve student achievement, and also comes with perks for staff, students and even parents.

Stamford's biggest high school started the partnership this school year with the The Changing Suburb Institute, a program through Manhattanville College in Harrison, N.Y. The institute was set up over 15 years ago to improve educational opportunities for diverse student populations, particularly those with a large percentage of Hispanic students.

For years, the college has only partnered with schools in Westchester County, including only one other high school, Alexander Hamilton in Elmsford, N.Y.

That changed last summer, after Westhill assistant principal PJ Wax  a Manhattanville alum himself, from the class of 1993  reached out to the college about expanding the institute's offerings to Connecticut.

While pursuing a masters degree at the University of Bridgeport, Wax wrote his dissertation on services for English language students with a limited understanding of English, so the Manhattanville program seemingly dovetailed perfectly with his own work and research.

These are the kids I work with," Wax said, explaining why he wanted to explore the partnership. "What can I do to help them?

Wax has been in the district for 11 years and he has seen the Hispanic population in Stamford explode.

Just five years ago, Hispanic students were about 40 percent of the district. Now, they represent just over half of all students. Further, there were 234 EL students at Westhill in 2011, Wax said. This year, that figure is 558, a more than 130 percent increase.

The Changing Suburbs program is in its infancy at Westhill, so it's difficult to point to any successes so far. Nonetheless, Wax sees a ton of potential in the endeavor, which he believes will benefit students, teachers and the entire school community.

At the heart of the partnership is professional development offerings for Westhill teachers that can provide them with a host of strategies and techniques to employ in their own classrooms, particularly for teaching to a group of diverse students.

Susan Bretti, director of the Changing Suburbs Institute, said the initiative is meant to cater to specific schools and the challenges they face.

"It just really takes on what the needs of the buildings are, she said, of the professional development.

Additionally, the college provides interns and student teachers to the school. The Changing Suburbs Institute partners with 19 schools in 10 different school districts, and in many cases, student teachers at those schools have turned the experience into full-time jobs.

A Manhattanville newsletter from last spring highlights a number of those hires, including two recent graduates of the college who were hired as tenure track teachers at a middle school in Bedford, N.Y.

Wax said that aspect of the partnership hasn't come to fruition at Westhill yet, but the college has already attempted to send teachers to the high school.

"They're already starting to funnel students to us, which in the long run will be great for the Manhattanville-to-Stamford pipeline and recruitment," he said.

Stamford officials have struggled to hire teachers in the last few years due to a teacher shortage experienced across the country.

The partnership with Manhattanville wouldn't necessarily solve that issue, but could be one creative way to recruit educators to the district.

"It's both my hope and Manhattanvilles hope that it's going to grow," Wax said.

Beyond the in-class benefits of the partnership, the institute also offers 50 percent off tuition to Manhattanville for any Stamford Public Schools graduate. Teachers and parents of students are eligible to get one third off of tuition for classes at the college as well.

Wax said the reduced tuition agreement was met with enthusiasm by high school counselors.

"The guidance department is very excited about this now," he said.

Westhill principal Michael Rinaldi  who Wax said encouraged him to pursue the partnership  said the new relationship will be a boon for Stamford schools, in a written message

"We're very excited for what this means for Westhill as well as the entire district," he wrote.
File pic

EDWARDSVILLE  A Collinsville man was indicted Thursday for possession of explosives and a stolen vehicle after originally being charged in early March with two counts relating to vehicles.

Jeremy Barr, 47, of the 800 block of Victory, Collinsville, was indicted April 6 for possession of explosives or incendiary devices, a Class 1 felony; and offenses relating to motor vehicles, a Class 2 felony.
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP)  Afghanistan's special forces killed two Islamic State fighters and arrested a third during an operation in the country's west on Sunday, a regional official said.

The raid on the hideout in the district of Sayed Abad in Nimroz province sparked a clash lasting 30 minutes, said Mufti Habibullah Ilham, the provinces information and culture director.

Ilham said there were no casualties among the troops or civilians and that some military equipment was seized.

The regional affiliate of the IS group  known as the Islamic State in Khorasan Province  has been the key rival of the ruling Taliban since the religious group's takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021.

IS has increased its attacks in Afghanistan, targeting both Taliban patrols and members of Afghanistans Shiite minority. On Friday, security forces killed an IS fighter during an operation in northern Parwan province. They also arrested three women and seven children, said Hikmatullah Shamim, a spokesman for the Parwan governor.

Deputy Afghan government spokesman Bilal Karimi said authorities were serious about Afghanistans boundaries and sovereignty.

The Islamic State has no place in the country or among the people, nor does the Islamic emirate allow it, he told The Associated Press. The number of (IS) fighters killed or arrested so far is in the hundreds, but there is no exact number.

The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for a number of high-profile attacks in Afghanistan. It said one of its members was behind a deadly bombing near a checkpoint in January at Kabuls military airport, the same man who took part in an assault on a hotel in the capital last December, and a gun attack on the Pakistani embassy.
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Linkedin News Desk (AFP) Paris, France  Sun, April 9, 2023 10:35 16 5fceed71997e5776a1634d25dc413320 2 Environment climate-change,temperature,antarctic,EU Free

Earth had its joint second-warmest March on record with Antarctic sea ice shrinking to its second-lowest extent for that month, the EU's climate monitoring agency said on Thursday.

"The month was jointly the second-warmest March globally," tied with 2017, 2019 and 2020, the Copernicus Climate Change Service said. The hottest March on record was in 2016.

Its report is based on computer-generated analyses using billions of measurements from satellites, ships, aircraft and weather stations around the world.

It said temperatures were above average over southern and central Europe and below average over most of northern Europe.

They were far warmer than average over much of North Africa, southwestern Russia, Asia, northeastern North America, South America including drought-stricken Argentina, Australia and coastal Antarctica.

Conversely, it was much colder than average over western and central North America, the agency said.

Global warming is causing sea ice to decline and sea levels to rise, raising warnings that dangerous tipping points could be reached.

Copernicus said Antarctic sea ice extent was the second lowest for March in the 45-year satellite data record, at 28 percent below average.

It reached 3.2 million square kilometres on average, 1.2 million sq km below the 1991-2020 average for the month.

It had reached the smallest area on record in February for the second year in a row, continuing a decade-long decline.

In the north meanwhile, Arctic sea ice extent was four percent below average and joint fourth lowest for March on record, though concentrations were above average in the Greenland Sea.

As temperatures rise globally because of human-caused climate change, Copernicus data show the past eight years were the eight warmest on record.

A UN report warned in March that those record-breaking temperatures would figure among the coolest within three or four decades, even if planet-warming emissions drop quickly.
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Linkedin Dio Suhenda (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, April 9, 2023

Through the omnibus health bill, the government and lawmakers are looking to allow certain hospitals to conduct their own postgraduate education as an answer to the countrys lack of specialist doctors.

The plan, however, has been met with skepticism from medical professional associations and universities, who instead argued for the optimization of existing policies to address the governments poor administration and distribution of specialists.

The omnibus health bill seeks to supplant 10 existing laws and is aimed at bringing in sweeping changes to the health sector. Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin handed to lawmakers on Wednesday a document of inventory of issues (DIM) the bill should cover and the government's latest opinions and proposed changes to the bill following weeks of public discussion, as deliberations are set to continue at the House of Representatives.

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Linkedin A. Muh. Ibnu Aqil (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, December 5, 2018 09:41 1602 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e089ee8 1 City jakarta,land-subsidence,geology,North-Jakarta,Institut-Teknologi-Bandung,NCICD,anies-baswedan Free

More than a quarter of Jakartas 661.52 square kilometers will be submerged by water in less than a decade, as the sprawling capital will continue to sink rapidly if no significant measures are taken to ensure the survival of the city, experts have warned.



Seawater could cover as much as 26.86 percent of Jakarta by 2025 and if this trend continues, 35.61 percent of the city will be completely submerged, according to a study by the geodesy research division of the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB).



North Jakarta alone could be 90 percent underwater by 2050, a member of the team Heri Andreas told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.



The citys looming submergence, according to the study, was not primarily caused by rising sea levels but by the sinking of city itself.



ITBs research into land subsidence from 1925 to 2015 showed that significant land subsidence began in 1975, with North Jakarta the worst affected area. Land in Marunda and Cilincing had sunk 1.5 meters by 2015. Kelapa Gading has reportedly sunk by up to 2.4 m, while the worst affected area, Pluit, has sunk up to 4 m.



Like many other global cities in the world, overuse of ground water has served as the leading cause of Jakartas problem.



The issue was also highlighted by a study conducted by the University of Indonesias (UI) math and sciences department.



UI geophysicist Syamsu Rosid said that recently published 4D microgravity research of Jakartas soil revealed an alarming rate of land subsidence, especially in North Jakarta. The method registers land subsidence by recording the gravitational strength of an area over the course of four years from 2014 to 2018.



The research shows the most affected area is on Jakartas coast, as North Jakarta is sinking approximately 11 centimeters per year because of human activities, especially over exploitation of groundwater, he told the Post, adding that it could affect the stability of buildings and infrastructure in addition to increasing the risk of tidal flooding as the land was now under sea level.



Jakartas piped-water service only covers 60 percent of the capital, according to data from Jakarta tap water company PAM Jaya. That means the remaining 40 percent of the city relies on groundwater.



Poorly enforced regulations have also led to excessive illegal groundwater use, and not only by residents. Data from the Jakarta Industrial and Energy Agency show that 4,231 commercial buildings, such as hotels and offices, in the city still use groundwater.



Besides the uncontrolled usage of groundwater, land subsidence has also been aggravated by a lack of green spaces, as concrete and asphalt prevents the absorption of water into the soil. As Jakarta is crossed by 13 rivers, the citys soil is also made up of alluvium, or sediment, deposited by rivers, which is loose and susceptible to erosion.



Looking at those factors, we really urge the city administration to reevaluate its spatial plan (RTRW), Syamsu said adding that all parties needed to follow the designated zones set in the RTRW.



North Jakarta is home to 1,696,015 residents, according to 2015 population data. In addition to being the area worst affected by land subsidence, it is also arguably the area where the socioeconomic gap between residents is the most apparent in the city, with slums only a stones throw away from elite gated communities like those in Pluit, Pantai Indah Kapuk and Kepala Gading. The countrys busiest port Tanjung Priok, as well as the citys industrial areas are also located in North Jakarta.



Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan had said that the city administration and central government had taken measures to prevent further land subsidence, including by continuing work on a sea wall as part of the National Capital Integrated Coastal Development (NCICD) in Jakarta Bay to protect the city from tidal flooding. He also claimed the city had focused on expanding infiltration wells to help the soil better absorb rainwater.



Jakarta Industrial and Energy Agency acting head, Ricki Marojahan Mulia, said the agency had built up to 1,333 infiltration wells throughout the city, although he did not elaborate on how exactly expansion would continue given the citys densely populated nature.

This article was originally published in The Jakarta Post's print edition on Dec. 5, 2018, with the title "Jakarta sinking fast: Experts".
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Linkedin Reuters Taipei, Taiwan  Sun, April 9, 2023

China began a second day of drills around Taiwan on Sunday as the island's defence ministry reported multiple air force sorties and said it was monitoring the movement of China's missile forces, as the United States said it was watching too.

China, which claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, began three days of military exercises around the island on Saturday, the day after Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen returned from a brief visit to the United States.

While a security source told Reuters most of Saturday's activities ended by sundown, Taiwan's defence ministry said they had resumed on Sunday and the island's military had spotted multiple aircraft including Su-30 and J-11 fighters, as well as ships.

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Linkedin A. Muh. Ibnu Aqil (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, April 9, 2023

While Chinas expressed intent to sign the protocol for ASEANs nuclear weapon free zone treaty should be supported, convincing other nuclear weapon states to follow suit may be a challenge, experts have said.

In 1995, 10 ASEAN member states signed the Southeast Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty (SEANWFZ) or the Bangkok Treaty, designating the region as one free of nuclear weapons.

The treaty also has a protocol open to signature by recognized nuclear weapon states China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States, but none have signed the protocol, objecting to the inclusion of continental shelves and exclusive economic zones in the nuclear weapon free zone.

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Linkedin Reuters Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia  Sun, April 9, 2023 11:05 16 5fceed71997e5776a1634d25dc41424f 2 Asia and Pacific China,Malaysia,Anwar-Ibrahim,nationalism,oil-and-gas,South-China-Sea,Xi-Jinping Free

Malaysia said on Saturday it was firmly committed to protecting its sovereign rights and interests in the South China Sea after China expressed concern about Malaysian energy projects in a part of the sea that China also claims.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Tuesday China was worried about activity by the state energy firm Petronas in a part of the South China Sea that Malaysia says is its territory.

Anwar said he was open to negotiations with China, drawing criticism from the opposition, which said Anwar was risking Malaysia's sovereignty.

The foreign ministry said in a Saturday statement Anwar's comment meant Malaysia would like all issues related to the South China Sea to be resolved in a peaceful manner and without compromising Malaysia's position.

"The government of Malaysia is unequivocally and firmly committed to protecting Malaysia's sovereignty, sovereign rights and interests in its maritime areas in the South China Sea," the ministry said.

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.

Petronas operates oil and gas fields within Malaysia's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and has in recent years had several encounters with Chinese vessels.

China stakes its claim with a reference to a "nine-dash line" on its maps, which loops as far as 1,500 km south of its mainland, cutting into the EEZs of Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia.

The Permanent Court of Arbitration, however, ruled in 2016 that the nine-dash line has no legal basis.

Anwar said this week Petronas would continue its activities in the South China Sea.
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Linkedin AFP Washington, United States  Sun, April 9, 2023 10:00 16 5fceed71997e5776a1634d25dc4131f1 2 Americas US,corruption,SupremeCourt,justice,Flores,New-Zealand Free

US Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas defended himself Friday over accusations that he accepted years of luxury travel trips from a Republican billionaire, saying that it was "personal hospitality" that did not need to be registered.

Staunch conservative Thomas was a guest of megadonor Harlan Crow for yachting in New Zealand, private jet flights across the globe and regular stays at Crow's properties in the United States, the ProPublica news outlet reported.

Thomas, 74, the longest-serving justice on the court, went on one trip to Indonesia that would alone have cost $500,000, it calculated.

In a statement, Thomas said that judicial colleagues had previously "advised that this sort of personal hospitality from close personal friends, who did not have business before the Court, was not reportable."

The guidelines were currently being changed "and, it is, of course, my intent to follow this guidance in the future," he added.

ProPublica, citing interviews and photographs and other documents, detailed how Thomas had joined Crow for trips to an exclusive all-male wilderness resort in California and at Crow's private houses in Texas and New York state over 20 years.

Crow told ProPublica on Thursday that he often hosted "dear friends," and that the two had never discussed pending cases.

Crow has made more than $10 million in donations to Republican political groups, ProPublica said, including half a million dollars to a conservative lobbying group founded by Thomas' wife Ginni Thomas.

Ginni Thomas' involvement in politics has drawn its own scrutiny for reports she took part in Donald Trump-led efforts to illegally overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.

The ProPublica revelations prompted outrage from some judges and Democrat politicians, while legal reform groups called for fundamental changes in how the Supreme Court is run.
Tesla is facing a prospective class-action lawsuit over accusations the companys employees violated the privacy of their customers by sharing videos and images from Tesla car cameras.

The lawsuit was filed last week, a day after Reuters reported that Tesla employees would privately share on the companys messaging systems what were sometimes highly invasive videos and images recorded by customers car cameras between 2019 and 2022.

Henry Yeh, a San Francisco resident who owns a Tesla Model Y, alleges in the suit that Tesla employees violated customers privacy by accessing and sharing the images and videos for their "tasteless and tortious entertainment," which resulted in "the humiliation of those surreptitiously recorded." The suit says Teslas conduct is "particularly egregious" and "highly offensive."

TESLA CUTS PRICES IN THE US AGAIN TO SPUR DEMAND

Tesla vehicles are displayed at a Tesla store in Palo Alto, California.

Yeh filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District Court of California, and the prospective class would include people who owned or leased a Tesla in the last four years.

His attorney, Scott Fitzgerald, told Reuters, "Like anyone would be, Mr. Yeh was outraged at the idea that Teslas cameras can be used to violate his familys privacy, which the California Constitution scrupulously protects. Tesla needs to be held accountable for these invasions and for misrepresenting its lax privacy practices to him and other Tesla owners."

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The Reuters original report was based on interviews with multiple anonymous former employees of the carmaker.

TESLA SHARES SLIDE AFTER DELIVERIES DISAPPOINT

Tesla is facing a prospective class-action lawsuit over accusations the companys employees violated the privacy of their customers by sharing videos and images from Tesla car cameras.

One ex-Tesla employee told the outlet that a video of a naked man approaching a vehicle was shared. Another said a video was shared of a Tesla driving at a high speed in a residential neighborhood before hitting a child riding a bike.

A former employee said Tesla employees were able to see customers "doing laundry and really intimate things. We could see their kids."

Story continues

Other images were pictures of dogs and funny road signs that were turned into memes. Some of the videos were only shared between two employees in direct messages, while others could be seen more widely.

TESLA SEMI-TRUCK RECALL PROMPTED BY ISSUE WITH ELECTRONIC PARKING BRAKE VALVE MODULE

A former employee said Tesla employees were able to see customers "doing laundry and really intimate things. We could see their kids."

Seven former employees told Reuters that the computer program they used at work could show location data from recordings and potentially reveal where a Tesla owner lived.

Teslas online "Customer Privacy Notice" states that its "camera recordings remain anonymous and are not linked to you or your vehicle."

Another former employee said some recordings seemed to have been made when cars were parked and turned off. Several years ago, Tesla could receive videos from cars even when the vehicles were turned off if owners consented, a practice the company has since halted.

As part of its development of self-driving car technologies, Tesla collects a massive amount of data from its worldwide fleet of several million vehicles and their cameras.

Tesla did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment.

Reuters contributed to this report.
loanDepot (NYSE:LDI  Get Rating) and AMTD Digital (NYSE:HKD  Get Rating) are both small-cap finance companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their dividends, profitability, valuation, analyst recommendations, earnings, risk and institutional ownership.

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares loanDepot and AMTD Digitals revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

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Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio loanDepot $1.26 billion 0.37 -$273.02 million ($1.74) -0.84 AMTD Digital $25.28 million 49.19 $27.51 million N/A N/A

AMTD Digital has lower revenue, but higher earnings than loanDepot.

Profitability

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets loanDepot -21.74% -40.39% -5.64% AMTD Digital N/A N/A N/A

Analyst Ratings

This table compares loanDepot and AMTD Digitals net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

This is a summary of recent ratings for loanDepot and AMTD Digital, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score loanDepot 1 8 0 0 1.89 AMTD Digital 0 0 0 0 N/A

loanDepot presently has a consensus price target of $1.83, suggesting a potential upside of 24.72%. Given loanDepots higher probable upside, equities research analysts clearly believe loanDepot is more favorable than AMTD Digital.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

3.5% of loanDepot shares are held by institutional investors. 88.7% of loanDepot shares are held 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.

Summary

AMTD Digital beats loanDepot on 5 of the 9 factors compared between the two stocks.

About loanDepot

(Get Rating)

loanDepot, Inc. engages in originating, financing, selling, and servicing residential mortgage loans in the United States. It offers conventional agency-conforming and prime jumbo, federal assistance residential mortgage, and home equity loans. The company also provides settlement services, which include captive title and escrow business; real estate services that cover captive real estate referral business; and insurance services, including services to homeowners, as well as other consumer insurance policies. The company was founded in 2010 and is headquartered in Foothill Ranch, California.

About AMTD Digital

(Get Rating)

AMTD Digital Inc., through its subsidiaries, designs and develops a digital platform to provide financial, media, content and marketing, and investment solutions in Asia. It operates through three segments: SpiderNet Ecosystem Solutions, Digital Financial Services, and Corporate. The company offers digital banking and insurance technology platforms for consumers and small and medium-sized enterprises; and SpiderNet ecosystem, a platform to enhance their investor communication, investor relations, and corporate communication to enhance their valuation. Its platform monitors portfolio companies, such as tracking of business and technology development, competitive landscape, latest technological trends, risk exposure, and financial analysis. The company was incorporated in 2019 and is based in Central, Hong Kong. AMTD Digital Inc. is a subsidiary of AMTD IDEA Group.

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Piper Sandler upgraded shares of Hercules Capital (NYSE:HTGC  Get Rating) from a neutral rating to an overweight rating in a research report released on Thursday morning, MarketBeat reports. They currently have $16.00 target price on the financial services providers stock.

Several other equities analysts have also weighed in on HTGC. StockNews.com started coverage on Hercules Capital in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price target on shares of Hercules Capital from $16.00 to $17.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Friday, February 17th. JMP Securities restated a market outperform rating and set a $18.00 price objective on shares of Hercules Capital in a report on Monday, March 13th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered shares of Hercules Capital from a market perform rating to an underperform rating and cut their target price for the stock from $14.50 to $10.50 in a report on Monday, March 13th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $15.14.

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Hercules Capital Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:HTGC opened at $12.49 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.12, a current ratio of 1.21 and a quick ratio of 1.21. The stock has a market cap of $1.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.43 and a beta of 1.41. The company has a 50 day moving average of $13.95 and a 200-day moving average of $13.67. Hercules Capital has a one year low of $10.94 and a one year high of $19.09.

Hercules Capital Increases Dividend

Hercules Capital ( NYSE:HTGC Get Rating ) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 16th. The financial services provider reported $0.47 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.42 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $100.19 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $91.34 million. Hercules Capital had a net margin of 31.73% and a return on equity of 13.87%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.35 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Hercules Capital will post 1.91 earnings per share for the current year.

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 9th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 2nd were issued a dividend of $0.39 per share. This is an increase from Hercules Capitals previous quarterly dividend of $0.36. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 12.49%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, March 1st. Hercules Capitals dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 205.27%.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Wade Loo acquired 4,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 17th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $11.95 per share, for a total transaction of $47,800.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now directly owns 8,059 shares in the company, valued at approximately $96,305.05. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 1.40% of the companys stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of HTGC. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. lifted its position in shares of Hercules Capital by 50.9% in the first quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 57,981 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $1,048,000 after purchasing an additional 19,566 shares in the last quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC lifted its position in Hercules Capital by 10.5% during the 1st quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 52,376 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $947,000 after buying an additional 4,961 shares in the last quarter. Cetera Advisor Networks LLC boosted its stake in shares of Hercules Capital by 11.8% during the 1st quarter. Cetera Advisor Networks LLC now owns 14,459 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $261,000 after buying an additional 1,526 shares during the last quarter. Mariner LLC bought a new position in shares of Hercules Capital in the 1st quarter valued at about $289,000. Finally, Verition Fund Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Hercules Capital in the first quarter valued at about $184,000. 23.77% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Hercules Capital

(Get Rating)

Hercules is the largest non-bank lender to venture capital-backed companies at all stages of development in a broadly diversified variety of technology, life sciences, and sustainable and renewable technology industries. With over a decade of experience in venture debt, Hercules is uniquely positioned to quickly create innovative financing solutions that perfectly fit within a companys existing capital structure and map to its business objectives.

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Rogers Communications (TSE:RCI.B  Get Rating) (NYSE:RCI) had its price target boosted by CIBC from C$72.00 to C$75.00 in a report published on Wednesday, BayStreet.CA reports.

A number of other equities analysts have also recently weighed in on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reissued a focus stock rating on shares of Rogers Communications in a report on Wednesday, February 1st. Canaccord Genuity Group cut their target price on Rogers Communications from C$69.00 to C$68.00 in a research report on Monday, April 3rd. UBS Group upgraded Rogers Communications from a neutral rating to a buy rating and upped their price objective for the stock from C$64.00 to C$75.00 in a research note on Monday, February 6th. Cormark lifted their target price on Rogers Communications from C$69.00 to C$74.00 in a report on Friday, February 3rd. Finally, National Bankshares reduced their price objective on Rogers Communications from C$78.00 to C$76.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 3rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Buy and a consensus target price of C$73.20.

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Rogers Communications Stock Performance

Shares of RCI.B opened at C$64.17 on Wednesday. Rogers Communications has a 1 year low of C$50.53 and a 1 year high of C$80.85. The companys fifty day moving average is C$63.91 and its two-hundred day moving average is C$60.74. The stock has a market capitalization of C$25.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.87, a P/E/G ratio of 1.32 and a beta of 0.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 364.11, a quick ratio of 0.58 and a current ratio of 2.02.

About Rogers Communications

Rogers Communications Inc operates as a communications and media company in Canada. It operates through three segments: Wireless, Cable, and Media. The Wireless segment offers wireless voice and data communication services to individual consumers, businesses, governments, and other telecommunications service providers; postpaid and prepaid wireless services under the Rogers, Fido, and chatr brands; and wireless devices, services, and applications to consumers and businesses.

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A public policy analyst, Chima Christian, has called for multi-stakeholder audits and integrity tests on the systems and processes of Nigeria's National Population Commission (NPC) ahead of the country's planned census exercise from 3 - 5, 2023.

In a social media post, Christian endorsed Nigeria's gradual migration to tech-based solutions but expressed concern about the NPC's "digitization" of the upcoming census exercise. He pointed out that the systems and processes NPC will be relying on to conduct the exercise have not been audited or subjected to integrity tests, especially by those who stand to be most affected by a flawed census exercise.

Christian urged Nigerians to prevail on the Federal Government to allow for scenario tests to determine the vulnerability of NPC's systems and processes to the autonomous decisions of the individuals operating them. He warned that if the systems can be corrupted or technically tampered with by the individuals operating them, then they cannot be relied upon to produce accurate and acceptable demographic data.

The public policy analyst also called on Nigerians to lend their voices to the call for the postponement of the census exercise until the NPC's systems and processes have been audited and any identified lapses closed.

Chima cited the recent experiences with Mahmood Yakubu's Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and warned that if the NPC is allowed to conduct a national census exercise with unaudited systems and processes, then the outcome is easy to forecast.

The NPC is yet to respond to Chima's call for multi-stakeholder audits and integrity tests on its systems and processes.
In this article, we discuss the top 20 natural gas-producing countries in the world. To skip the detailed analysis of the recent events in the natural gas industry, go to the Top 5 Natural Gas Producing Countries in the World.

Natural Gas Market in 2022

The global natural gas market went through staggering changes since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The bans on Russian imports by the US and EU led to an energy crisis in Europe because 39.2% of natural gas exports to Europe were through Russian pipelines. Russia has in turn blamed the West for the energy crisis and retaliated by shutting down supplies to three of its major pipelines that were supplying gas to Europe. The Russian piped gas supplies to Europe dropped by almost 50% YoY in 2022, recording the highest decline since the mid-1980s.

The plan to cut off Russian imports didnt have the expected effect on the Russian economy as the country has directed its oil supplies towards the Eastern countries and plans to supply natural gas to China. The plan is yet to be implemented as it will take significant time and investment to build pipelines toward China. Moreover, the International Monetary Fund had previously estimated that the Russian economy would contract by 2.3%, but earlier this year, the IMF changed its expectations and estimated that it will grow by 0.3% instead.

To make things worse for Europe, in September 2022, the US said that it wont be able to offset the drop in supply for winter due to its exports hitting a maximum. On top of that, Southern Europe experienced low rainfall which declined the energy produced by hydropower. However, Europe got a little lucky with the mild winter weather and healthy LNG inflows and the natural gas energy shortages werent as consequential as expected. Overall in 2022, Europe experienced a drop of 13% in natural gas demand. The highest decline in demand was experienced in the third quarter of 2022 and trade volumes decreased by 25% year-over-year. This decline in demand came after natural gas prices hit their highest in the EU at slightly over $70 per million British Thermal Units (MMBtu) in August.

Story continues

In 2022, the global LNG volumes increased by 5.5%, yet due to high prices compared to the previous year, the trade value increased by almost 100% to $450 billion as the spot prices increased substantially due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Gas Market Outlook

According to the IEA, natural gas consumption in the US is expected to decline by 2% in 2023 due to lower electricity demand and the countrys focus on increasing energy production through renewable sources. By the end of the first quarter of 2023, US natural gas consumption was expected to be around 99.1 billion cubic feet per day, representing a 5% decline YoY due to mild temperatures. Residential and commercial consumption is expected to decrease 11% YoY.

Additionally, the global LNG trade volume is expected to increase by 4.3%, owing to the increase in European exports by roughly 6360 billion cubic feet. According to The Business Research Company report, the global natural gas market is expected to reach $1.026 trillion in 2023 from $955.74 billion in 2022. By 2027, the global natural gas market is expected to reach $1.37 trillion, registering a CAGR of 7.5%.

With the global rise in demand for natural gas, the most notable stocks in the natural gas industry are Chesapeake Energy Corporation (NASDAQ:CHK), EQT Corporation (NYSE:EQT), and Pioneer Natural Resources Company (NYSE:PXD). These three stocks have a TTM PE ratio lower than their peer average of 10.1x and also have a decent hedge fund sentiment according to Insider Monkeys database of 943 elite hedge funds.

Top 20 Natural Gas Producing Countries in the World

Photo by Max Bender on Unsplash

Our Methodology

We compiled a list of top natural gas-producing countries according to 2021 data provided by the US Energy Information Administration on the total volume of dry natural gas produced by each country in the year. We used 2021 data as a lot of countries have not provided their 2022 data yet. The countries are listed in ascending order of their annual production.

Top 20 Natural Gas-Producing Countries in the World

20. Pakistan

Production in 2021: 1,179 billion cubic feet

According to the US International Trade Administration, around 38% of Pakistans primary energy supply mix is covered by natural gas. It produces 4 billion cubic feet per day on average, compared to its demand of 6 to 8 billion cubic feet per day. According to the EIA, Pakistan has huge shale gas reserves but their potential is hard to reach due to geography, water scarcity, security issues, and low natural gas prices in the country.

19. Thailand

Production in 2021: 1,284 billion cubic feet

Thailand is a hydrocarbon-producing country but due to its high energy demand, it is a net importer of oil and natural gas. In 2021, 75% of the countrys oil and gas needs were met through imports. Thailand has shown a downward trend in its natural gas production since 2019 and according to a 2021 Fitch Solutions report, the trend is going to continue through the decade.

18. Oman

Production in 2021: 1,384 billion cubic feet

Oman is a major producer of oil and gas. In 2015, natural gas accounted for 35% of the countrys oil-gas mix.

17. Argentina

Production in 2021: 1,428 billion cubic feet

According to the IEA, Argentinas primary energy mix consists of 55% gas and 33% oil. The country has the second-largest shale gas reserves in its Patagonian south after the USA. Nevertheless, according to a Reuters report, the lack of fracking equipment can pose major problems for the country which desperately needs to add new pipelines.

16. Nigeria

Production in 2021: 1,568 billion cubic feet

Nigeria has around 200 trillion cubic feet of gas reserves. However, annually, gas production is significantly less, at 1,568 billion cubic feet in 2022. According to PWC, the countrys gas reserves hold the potential to add $18.3 billion to its gross economic value with around $4.2 billion covered by dry natural gas. However, due to security and financial challenges, Nigeria hasnt reached its full potential yet.

15. Uzbekistan

Production in 2021: 1,755 billion cubic feet

Uzbekistan is a country rich in fossil fuels such as oil, gas, coal, and uranium. The country has been a big exporter of natural gas. However, in November 2022, its energy ministry announced that the country has reduced exports due to high demand for domestic use. In November 2022, the countrys daily exports decreased from over 353 million cubic feet per day to slightly over 35.3 million cubic feet per day.

14. Indonesia

Production in 2021: 2,082 billion cubic feet

Over 60% of Indonesias natural gas production comes from its offshore fields. The four largest natural gas production fields in the country are in East Kalimantan, South Sumatra, North Sumatra, and the South Natuna Sea. Indonesia was the worlds 6th largest natural gas producer in 2000. However, over the years, the country has fallen several spots in terms of ranking.

13. United Arab Emirates

Production in 2021: 2,252 billion cubic feet

According to the US International Trade Administration, 30% of UAEs GDP and 13% of its exports are hydrocarbon-based. According to Mordor Intelligence, the country expects to increase its oil and gas production capacity with a CAGR of 2% between 2022 and 2027.

Owing to the high demand for natural gas for domestic use, UAE is working on creating several artificial islands to produce natural gas. Together, these islands are expected to increase the countrys natural gas production capabilities by 3 billion cubic feet per day.

12. Egypt

Production in 2021: 2,452 billion cubic feet

Egypt is the largest natural gas producer in the Eastern Mediterranean region. According to the EIA, the countrys natural gas production picked up pace in 2017 with the opening of its Zohr field. In addition, in 2021, 87% of the natural gas produced by Egypt was used domestically.

11. Malaysia

Production in 2021: 2,507 billion cubic feet

Malaysia is quite dependent on its fossil fuel exports. Before the pandemic in 2019, the industry accounted for over $34.5 billion in revenue, representing 14.5% of the countrys goods exported.

In 2021, the countrys natural gas exports were worth $9.51 billion with Japan taking the largest share of those exports, followed by China and South Korea.

10. Turkmenistan

Production in 2021: 3,073 billion cubic feet

Turkmenistan has the worlds fourth-largest gas reserves but due to a lack of infrastructure and investments, the country hasnt been producing natural gas to its full capacity. Moreover, Russia and Iran have been opposing the Trans-Caspian pipeline, which was supposed to connect to Europe. Nevertheless, Turkmenistan is the largest exporter to China. There are already three pipelines connected between the countries and Turkmenistan currently plans to build a fourth one to increase its exports to the country.

9. Norway

Production in 2021: 4,066 billion cubic feet

Norway has also recently received its 2022 natural gas production data, according to which, the country produced nearly 4372 billion cubic feet of natural gas. Moreover, due to the reduction in Russian gas imports in Europe in 2022, Norways natural gas exports were also significantly higher in 2022. The country exported over 4237 billion cubic feet in the year.

8. Saudi Arabia

Production in 2021: 4082 billion cubic feet

According to our data taken from EIA, Saudi Arabia produced 4082 billion cubic feet of dry natural gas in 2021. Saudi Arabias new Jafurah project has the potential to be the crown jewel of the countrys natural gas production. The unconventional Jafurah gas field covers an area close to 6600 square miles and has estimated reserves of 200 trillion cubic feet.

Saudi Aramco has begun its talks with equity investors to back a $110 billion investment in the field.

7. Australia

Production in 2021: 5,196 billion cubic feet

Natural gas was first discovered in Australia in 1890. Nearly 25% of the countrys energy needs are met by natural gas. In 2022, Australias liquified natural gas exports generated a revenue of $63.2 billion, representing an 86% year-over-year increase due to increased prices. The country exported around 81.4 million metric tonnes of LNG, up 0.5% from the previous year.

6. Qatar

Production in 2021: 5,968 billion cubic feet

Qatar is one of the biggest exporters of natural gas. In 2019, Qatar announced its plan to increase its natural gas production by 67% by 2027 to 126 million tons per annum (1 metric ton LNG = 48,700 cubic feet of natural gas).

In 2021, Qatar started building 4 new production and export terminals and plans to build a couple more before 2030.

Click to continue and see the Top 5 Natural Gas-Producing Countries in the World.

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Disclosure: None. Top 20 Natural Gas-Producing Countries in the World is originally published on Insider Monkey.
Dateline was 29th October, 1969, His Excellency, Prince Bola Ajibola had booked a flight from the United Kingdom to Nigeria.A friend then appealed to him to assist him with an assignment in Scotland, promising to refund Ajibola all his expenses and the cost of inconveniences. Prince Ajibola was not pleased because he had to appear in a law court in Nigeria. Eventually, he jettisoned the journey to Nigeria for the friend's crucial assignment in Scotland while the scheduled plane had eventually crashed with no survivors.

His family members had gone to the airport in Nigeria to welcome him back home .They were so devastated at the news of the crash because Prince Ajibola's name was still on the manifest of the crashed plane that year. By providence and destiny of assignments in life, he escaped the death.

In another year, Prince Ajibola was travelling with two other judges, Judge Francois Rigaux and Judge Fikr El-Kani, of the world court, to Bosnia Herzegovina in a military plane. He himself was also a judge of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the only Nigeria after Judge Taslim Elias to achieve that feat. Hardly had the plane taken off than the pilot announced to all passenges on board that the plane which left earlier before them had been bombed because it was the time of war. Dateline was early 90's.

The three judges, Ajibola, El-Kani and Rigaux, panicked greatly in the aircraft. Rigaux and El-Kani wondered why the three of them should perish together in one swoop, under the same circumstance. So, two others decided that the three judges be photographed to chronicle their last moments in the plane for the next generations.

As an optimist, Prince Ajibola at this point assured two other judges that the Almighty God was with them.That the end had not come upon them. That they would live then and thereafter. He assured them that since they were in the plane together with him, all of them would not perish as his mission in life according to the Creator's design had not been accomplished yet.While the clock continued to tick, their heart-beats were pounding heavily. It was an encounter with death face to face.

After long moments of unfruitful torrential missile attacks on their aircraft on air, with fear and hope, they landed safely at Bosnia. But the military attacks continued till all passengers disembarked and crawling on their chests to safety. To Judge Ajibola and two other judges, it was a moment of providence indeed.

That the citadel of academic and moral excellence--Crescent University, Abeokuta--can now attain almost two decades is a long anticipated miracle to its founder, Judge Bola Ajibola, given the fact that his friends and foes alike had predicted an untimely death of the university even before birth.

Judge Ajibola got pieces of advice from those who had toyed with the idea earlier that it was practically impossible for someone like him who was neither a politician nor government contractor to successfully own a university and sustain it.

In fact, these personalities were not without their own sincere reasons as they understood the costs of running a successful university.

Another conventional wisdom applied by these pundits to discourage the founder is that Judge Ajibola had already clocked the age of 70 when the inspiration came.They were pessimistic that starting an academic institution at that age was like fathering a new child at three scores and ten. What were they insinuating?

Despite all odds, our retired judge of the ICJ soldiered on as he understood that tough roads lead to smooth destinations. He was convinced that the Almighty would sustain his life to witness the fruits of his vision. The Almighty Allah fulfilled His promise to Judge Ajibola as he abundantly reaped the fruits of his labour. His handwriting will endure on the wall of history.

Adieu, our Prince Noble !

*Culled from "A Day with Judge Bola Ajibola" by Idris Katib,A Senior Assistant Registrar (Public Relations) at Crescent University, Abeokuta
Les AMIS Concerts is gearing up for an April 16 performance at Trinity United Church in Cobourg, featuring a colourful and dynamic program, mixing old and new, says artistic director Michael Pepa.

The concert encompasses the genius of Bach, the romance of Piazzollas tangos and the energy of Claude Bollings jazz, all with the unconventional addition of the vibraphone, said Pepa, who serves at the helm of the Les AMIS Concerts series.

A Loft Productions event, the concert will be held at 3 p.m. at the Division Street church in Cobourg.

For the upcoming performance, Erika Crino (piano), Beverley Johnston (percussion) and Susan Hoeppner (flute) will team up to play a mix of music: baroque, contemporary and jazz.

Pepa said that adding the vibes to baroque compositions was a little unorthodox but brought a bright new perspective to familiar music.

The vibes have a similar range as the violin, so we looked for music that was originally written for the latter, said Crino. Of course, there was nothing original for vibraphone in the baroque era and so Beverley has rearranged violin and flute parts for her instrument.

A popular Cobourg performer, Crino has been a leading member of Les AMIS for the last 12 years, said organizers. She has toured Europe many times and is presently living in her native Italy and is professor of piano at the prestigious Perugia Conservatory of Music, added organizers.

Crino will be joined by University of Toronto music professors Johnston and Hoeppner  two seasoned, international performers with long associations with Pepa, explained organizers.

Pepa, who also founded Les AMIS Concerts, has had many of his compositions performed throughout Europe and in Canada. The April 16 concert will be the first performance of his piece written for the occasion.

I am delighted that they have asked me to write a Trio for them to premiere in Cobourg, the new home of Les AMIS, said Pepa. I call it INTRODUZIONE for B.E.S.T. _ Beverley, Erika Susan Trio.

The program also includes pieces by Bach, Telemann, Vivaldi, Pepa and Christos Hatzis. A fellow U of T faculty member and critically acclaimed composer, the Greek-Canadian Hatzis has to his credit one Grammy and two Juno awards for his compositions, said organizers.

Two pieces by French jazz prodigy Bolling will also be on the program.

Bolling is particularly fitting because it mixes baroque and jazz, and does so in an extremely smooth, intelligent and entertaining way, said Crino.

The afternoon will close with works by Argentinian tango composer Astor Piazzolla.

Piazzolla is just gorgeous music (and) very well known. It is fun to listen (to) and extremely fun to play, too, Crino added.

Concert tickets are available at Victoria Hall, in person, by phone at 905-372-2210 or via www.experiencecobourg.ca or kenprue@gmail.com.

As a welcome to spring, the unconventional approach and inspired music played by three virtuosi will surely be a breath of fresh air for Cobourg audiences, said Pepa.

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Brittany Taylor introduced herself to the Buckhorn Ratepayers Association at a meeting April 3 as an urban Indigenous child who grew up in Toronto but would come to this area in the summertime.

Taylor, of Curve Lake First Nation, sees us all as neighbours with the same issues having water in common. Thats our responsibility, our role and our duty, to pass on the knowledge and understanding of water, to all people, not just Anishinaabe people, but people of all colours.

Taylor added a quote from Josephine Mandamin, one of the founders of the Sacred Water Circle, a group of women who come together to celebrate the issues of water.

She emphasized the existence of spring water when Mother Earth (Nibi) opens up and things began to flow. Spring is divided up into two seasons  the first is referred to as Ziigwan when there is snow on the ground, frost at night and higher temperatures in the day which allow the syrup to run. The second half of spring is when the snow recedes, the bugs come out and new buds come to life. This is late spring or Mnookmi.

The first Womens Water Walk took place in April 2003. Several women from different clans came together to raise awareness that our clean and clear water is being polluted by chemicals, vehicle emissions, motor boats, sewage disposal, agricultural pollution, leaking landfill sites and residential usage.

A video moderated by Dorothy Taylor reminded us that water is the source of all life. Women are the creators. Women are encouraged to take up the responsibility of preserving water regardless of nation. She finished the video with a song sung in Ojibway. Water I love you. Water I respect you. Water I thank you.

Ed Leerdam of the Kawartha Lakes Steward Association then took up the mantel. The mission of KLSA is to monitor the water quality of the Kawartha Lakes, to educate the public and to conduct research in new areas of public concern. KLSA is in its 22nd year having been formed after the tragedy of Walkerton.

Annual samplings for E coli happens 4 to 6 times throughout the summer, by more than 60 volunteers and through local cottage/lake/ratepayers associations at approximately 80 sites on over 15 lakes. They perform annual samplings for total phosphorus, secchi depth and calcium 4 to 6 times throughout the summer at approximately 47 sites on 17 lakes.

Invasive species and aquatic plants are monitored. Water temperature and dissolved oxygen are monitored. Shoreline naturalization is promoted. The Clean, Drain, Dry program is being promoted by KLSA relating to the use of your boat. There will be an opportunity for public outdoor training in the Buckhorn area regarding aquatic invasive species the Clean, Drain, Dry and then signing up to be a Water Steward. Contact Jeff Berthelette, the ISAP Outreach Liaison for the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters.

The KLSA spring public meeting will be at the Buckhorn Community Centre on May 6 at 10 a.m. You will get a copy of the most recent annual Lake Water Quality Report.

Wesley United

The people of Wesley United will be hosting an art show and sale and pasta dinner on Saturday, April 22. The art of Isabelle Blewett will be on display from 3 to 5. The art of this talented artist has been donated to the church in which Isabelle was a dedicated participant of the Womens Institute and United Church Women.

The silent auction starts at 5 p.m. Dinner at 6 includes homemade pasta, Caesar salad, rolls and dessert. See you there.

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Phuket expects B4.5bn from tourism this Songkran

PHUKET: The Phuket office of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT Phuket) expects this Songkran holiday to generate a total of B4.53 billion in tourism-related revenue from April 13 through to April 16 giving a daily average of B1,13bn in earnings.

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By The Phuket News

Sunday 9 April 2023, 09:00AM

Patong Beach on Apr 8. Singapore and Malaysia are the two leaders in cruise tourism to Phuket. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

For the Songkran period, from April 13-16, there will be a total of 223,452 visitors, both staying overnight and not staying overnight, the TAT Phuket Director Lerdchai Wangtrakoondee told The Phuket News on Friday (Apr 7).

Mr Lerdchai was sure of Phukets readiness to welcome domestic and international travelers as both expected to arrive in large numbers for long or short stays.

There are 101,556 hotel rooms in Phuket. Having studied bookings at 30% of them (chosen at random) we received an average duration of stay of three nights per person, TAT Phuket Director said.

A separate analysis with cross-checking was made for arrivals via Phuket International Airport during Songkran period. According to Mr Lerdchai, the average cabin load on Phuket-bound flights stands at about 85%, according to the bookings.

According to the schedule, 249 domestic flights and 258 international flights are expected on Apr 13-16. Most international flights will be from China, but bringing free independent travelers (FIT) rather than visitors on package tours.

Each day on average there will be 65 international flights and 62 domestic flights landing in Phuket, Mr Lerdchai said.

According to the TAT Phuket Director, the number of visitors to the island this year is already 39.8% higher compared to the same period of 2019. The income generated in the first quarter stands at B150bn and is 27.58% over the last pre-COVID January-March period.

However, Mr Lerdchai expressed his concerns about the safety of tourists visiting Phuket and asked local people to help by being good hosts.

There are a lot of tourists coming to Phuket and some safety issues result from this, particularly road accidents involving tourists. I would like to ask Phuket people to help take care of tourist safety and be good hosts to welcome them. This is not only Phukets concern but a nationwide priority, he said.

Nationwide, the TAT estimates the Songkran holiday could generate B13.5bn baht for domestic tourism based on 3.81mn trips (116% of the 2019 level). Foreign tourism is estimated to generate B5.03bn with 305,000 tourists arriving during the Songkran holiday week (60% of the 2019 level).

The TAT projects a hotel occupancy rate nationwide of 74%, with the southern region ranking No.1 at 80% because of popular beach destinations and the "We Travel Together" scheme.

Chinese arrivals on the rise

Earlier this week Phuket Immigration released statistics of the number of international arrivals landing in Phuket in March, with Russian nationals still holding the top and Chinese securing the second line.

According to the report, released on Tuesday (Apr 4), a total of 363,752 travelers from abroad entered the country via Phuket International Airport from Mar 1-31.

Of those 94,308 were Russian nationals, with a further 45,147 arriving from China. Indian nationals placed third with 28,431 arrivals, followed by arrivals from Kazakhstan (18,201) and Germany (16,788).

As per new reporting standard of Phuket Immigration, the report marked 418,830 foreigners as registered as staying at an accommodation venue in Phuket.

Also included in the report was the number of foreigners arriving in Phuket by sea, with a total of 27,316 foreigners cleared to enter Thailand via Phuket from Mar 1-31.

There were 12 cruise liners and 79 private yachts arriving in Phuket during the month, along with 25 cargo ships but no new fishing boats registered as officially entering the area.

The top 5 nationalities of marine traffic entries were Singapore (7,986), Malaysia (5,663), United States (3,477), India (1,719) and Indonesia (1,492).

Foreign crime in the spotlight

Also included in the Apr 5 report was a notice informing how many foreigners had been given warnings or deported under the new system of red and yellow cards, launched earlier this month.

Four foreigners had been issued yellow card warnings: Two French citizens, one Ukrainian national and one Swedish national.

A second yellow card for any of the four may now see them deported from Thailand.

Two foreigners had been arrested and received red cards, meaning deportation: one a Swedish national, the other a French national.

The report marked four categories of offenses relating to foreigners: Group 1) Offenses relating to body and life; Group 2) Offenses relating to property; Group 3) Special cases; and Group 4) Cases in which the state is the victim.

Ten foreigners had been deemed to have committed Group 4 offenses, while Group 1 and Group 2 had one violator each.

A further four foreigners had been found to have breached immigration law by failing to register their place of residence, as required by Section 38 of the Immigration Act.
Phuket Opinion: The shame of knowing

PHUKET: The Phuket News received an interesting question from a reader this week regarding the recurring problem of officials denying that wastewater is contaminating beach water at key Phuket beaches, including Patong and Kamala.

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By The Phuket News

Sunday 9 April 2023, 10:00AM

The Pollution Control Departments most recent water quality monitoring report for the Pak Bang Canal in Patong, reported as tested on Feb 20, marked that the water was very deteriorated. Image: EPO15

They should have someone expert in their field to monitor the quality of water being released into sea, the reader wrote. That short answer is, there is. Actually, there are two government offices on Phuket responsible for monitoring beach water quality. Its just that dirty water plaguing our beaches is not something officials want to recognise until it is already an obvious problem being made public by photos spreading across social media.

As Sittipol Muangsong, Chief of the Phuket Fisheries Office, noted when inspecting the dark water at Patong Beach late last month, Marine biologists from the Marine Resources Research Center at Cape Panwa will take samples of the water to determine the exact cause of the phenomenon.

In this, Mr Sittipol was referring to the Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC) at Cape Panwa, operated by the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR).

What as not so funny was Mr Sittipols presumption and [for the PMBC marine biologists] to reduce concerns among the public so they understand that this is a natural phenomenon. It does not affect the tourism sector in any way. To note, Mr Sittipol is a fisheries chief, not an environmental expert, assigned to investigate the phenomenon  and here is where the fancy dancing begins.

The DMCR was never reported as inspecting the water quality at Patong Beach, though their officers was happy to investigate a similar dark water problem at Plub Pla Beach at Racha Yai Island.

The DMCR, or its agency the PMBC, was not even mentioned by Kathu District Chief Thitiwat Boonkij and Kamala Tambon Administration Organisation (OrBorTor) President Jutha Doomluck when addressing the press over the black wastewater streaming across Kamala Beach also late last month, a problem that continued to plague Kamala Beach this week.

The PMBC is tasked with monitoring water quality at 23 stations around the island, including all the major beaches such as Patong and Kamala, under a project started after a unified call for better beach water quality, among other things, from 17 ambassadors of European countries in 2013.

The project aimed for Phuket to follow the Blue Flag system initially used at major tourist beaches throughout Europe, and now used at major beach destinations around the world.

Under that project, the PMBC was to conduct the water testing, and issue its own reports, while the Pollution Control Department was to publish up to date results of the water quality tests conducted at the 23 monitoring stations. In Phuket, the local Pollution Control Department officers operate under the Environmental and Pollution Control Office Region 15 (EPO15).

The PMBC lists its beach water quality reports on its home page, but its most recent report posted is for October 2021. The report shows that the water quality at Patong and Kamala at that time as both very good, which is literally no surprise as the number of tourists in Phuket was greatly depleted as the islands tourism industry continued to recover from the COVID-19 fallout at that time.

There have been no beach water quality reports posted by the PMBC since then, especially not the results of the tests Mr Sittiphol claimed the PMBC would conduct on Mar 28.

The PCD, under the EPO15, however, has continued to publish more recent reports, but it takes a little digging, and the reports are never shared by the major Thai news outlets, government or otherwise. Of note, the PCD (or EPO15) was not even mentioned by officials who claimed to be taking action over the black wastewater recently plaguing our key beaches. An oddity, as they are literally the Pollution Control Department.

The EPO15 also features a link to its water quality reports on its home page, but you will have to scroll to the bottom to find it. Forget the Star studded beach reports, those have not been updated for five years. However, the Coastal water quality reports do feature more recent information with the location of the monitoring stations marked on an interactive map.

The most recent report for the Pak Bang Canal in Patong, which, believe it or not is monitored for water quality, is for Feb 20, 2023  honestly marking it as very deteriorated. The coincidentally named Pak Bang Canal in Kamala, which delivers the black wastewater across Kamala Beach, is not even monitored.

Both the DMCR and the PCD have been blatantly ignored in addressing the ongoing blight of wastewater contaminating our beach water  and this cannot be construed as a oversight. Taking action in preventing coastal waters from being polluted are the main reasons for these offices existence.

For the DMCR in particular, for an agency that once had a Russian grandmother held in a police cell for two nights for feeding fish at Racha Yai Island, and threatening tourists with up to a year in jail or a fine of up to B100,000 for smoking on beaches, their silence on this issue is damning. They know what is going on, and they are refusing to do anything about it.
In this article, we discuss the top 25 oil-producing countries of the world. To skip the detailed analysis and latest updates on the oil industry, go directly to the Top 5 Oil Producing Countries in the World.

Even though the world is moving toward renewable energy sources at a fast pace due to climate change issues, crude oil is still essential to the global economy and is here to stay for a long time. Currently, Brent Crude oil is the most traded commodity in the world followed by West Texas Intermediate Crude oil. In 2022, over 246.9 million Futures and Options Contracts of Brent Crude oil were traded on the Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (NYSE:ICE).

We previously mentioned that the global crude oil market was worth $1.4 trillion in 2021 and is expected to reach $1.6 trillion by 2029. The CAGR of 1.8% may seem slow but it is because the crude oil industry is quite mature and high volatility is expected in the coming years.

Latest Updates on the Crude Oil Market

One of the major events that is still affecting the global crude oil market is the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which we discussed in detail in one of our previous articles. Up until now, the EU has sanctioned around 91.2 billion worth of imports from Russia, and a large part of it consists of oil and gas.

As of February 5, the EU has banned all seaborne petroleum products from Russia which has led the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) to update its previous outlook to an average Brent Crude oil price forecast of $85 per barrel for the second quarter of 2022 from the prior $83 per barrel. The ban was announced in December 2022 and was implemented in February 2023. The EIA predicts that the average per-barrel price will show no major changes through the second quarter of 2023 and will start to decline through the end of 2024. For 2023, the EIA expects the annual average price of Brent Crude oil to be around $83 per barrel and decline to $78 per barrel in 2024.

Story continues

Crude Oil Stocks

In 2022, US crude oil exports hit a record high of 3.6 million barrels a day, mostly due to sanctions on Russian imports. Due to that, crude oil stocks enjoyed one of the best times in 2022. The top 5 US oil companies posted a profit of almost $200 billion in the year.

However, in the last three months, the stocks have taken a beating with ETFs such as Direxion Daily S&P Oil & Gas Exp. & Prod. Bull 2X Shares (NYSEARCA: GUSH) declining by almost 21%, and ProShares Ultra Bloomberg Crude Oil ETF (NYSEARCA: UCO) decreasing by 10.2% at the time of writing.

Top 25 Oil Producing Countries in the World

Photo by Viktor Kharlashkin on Unsplash

Our Methodology

For our list, we calculated the mean value of the monthly production volume of each country from January to December 2022, based on the data taken from the Trading Economics website. A few of these figures might have changed depending on any new data updates or modifications. The countries are listed in ascending order of their crude oil production in 2022. For Russia's production, due to varying figures from multiple sources, we took the country's production figures from S&P Global.

For crude oil, we used a more strict definition of crude oil and did not include NGPL and other liquids. Had we used a broader definition of crude oil, the oil production of some countries would have been be higher than whats on this list.

Top 25 Oil Producing Countries in the World

25. India

Crude Oil Production in 2022: 605,186 barrels per day

Indias global oil production has remained flat over the years but its population is growing quite fast. The country had a population of 1.34 billion in 2020 which reached nearly 1.4 billion in 2022. Due to that, the demand for imported oil has been growing in India and it is expected that in 2023, the countrys oil imports will reach 87% from 85.7% in 2022.

24. Indonesia

Crude Oil Production in 2022: 612,300 barrels per day

Indonesian oil production has been declining since 1990 while the demand has been rising significantly. The country became a net oil importer in 2004. Some of the problems that Indonesia is facing in oil production are the lack of investments in old fields and changing government policies. However, the country plans to increase its oil lifting to 1 million barrels per day by 2030.

23. Azerbaijan

Crude Oil Production in 2022: 657,122 barrels per day

Azerbaijan is an oil-rich country and a notable part of its economy depends on oil and gas production. Between 1898 and 1901, the country was responsible for 50% of global oil production. As of December 2021, Azerbaijan had crude oil reserves of around 7 billion barrels.

In 2022, Azerbaijan produced 657,122 barrels per day of crude oil, and the EIA believes that the country will produce 640,000 to 670,000 barrels of oil per day in 2023.

22. Venezuela

Crude Oil Production in 2022: 717,083

Venezuelas crude oil production has been declining over the years due to sanctions put forth by the US. The US brought the sanctions upon the country as Venezuela demanded larger shares of revenues from international companies that had investments in the country.

According to a Statistical Review of World Energy by BP p.l.c. (NYSE:BP), Venezuela is home to the largest oil reserves in the world. By 2020, the country had proven oil reserves of 303.8 billion barrels, compared to 297.5 billion in Saudi Arabia.

21. United Kingdom

Crude Oil Production in 2022: 754,166 barrels per day

The United Kingdoms crude oil production has consistently been dropping for the past few decades. In 2022, the countrys total oil production dropped by almost 65 million barrels per day and is expected to decrease even further till 2026. The entirety of the UKs oil reserves is found offshore.

At the end of 2021, the UK had oil reserves of around 4 billion barrels.

20. Columbia

Crude Oil Production in 2022: 754,200 barrels per day

In 2022, Columbias crude oil production increased by 2.4% from 796,164 barrels per day in 2021 to 754,200 barrels per day in 2022. Previously, the countrys fossil fuel production was declining due to National Liberation Armys attacks on oil pipelines. Columbias oil production declined notably in 2021 but showed signs of recovery in 2022. According to EIA, 14,000 barrels of oil production were disrupted per day in Columbia in 2021.

19. Libya

Crude Oil Production in 2022: 1.018 million barrels per day

Libyas economy is largely dependent on oil and natural gas and is one of the richest countries in Africa. It is an OPEC country and joined the organization in 1962. Libyas daily crude oil production was 1.018 million barrels per day which were largely affected by low production outputs between April to July 2022. The countrys lowest production month was June with only 632,000 barrels of oil per day.

18. Algeria

Crude Oil Production in 2022: 1.020 million barrels per day

Algeria is the largest country in Africa. Most of the country is dependent on oil, gas, and other natural resources like iron ore, phosphates, uranium, and lead. As of 2022, the country has proven oil reserves of 12.2 billion barrels. Algeria exports around 60% of its produced oil each year.

17. Oman

Crude Oil Production in 2022: 1.06 million barrels per day

The majority of Omans economy is dependent on mineral fuels, especially oil. Apart from that, the tourism industry is also catching pace in the country. In December 2022, the country experienced a remarkable surge in imports to Japan at 179.3%. In addition, Omans oil exports to South Korea increased by almost 93% YoY.

16. Angola

Crude Oil Production in 2022: 1.14 million barrels per day

Currently, Angola has proven oil reserves of around 9 billion barrels. However, it is estimated that the country might have 57 billion barrels of un-proven oil reserves. The same contrast is seen with its proven and unproven natural gas reserves.

Angola is the second largest oil producer in Africa with 1.14 million barrels per day of crude oil production in 2022.

15. Nigeria

Crude Oil Production in 2022: 1.144 million barrels per day

Nigeria holds the second-largest proven oil reserves in Africa with 36.89 billion barrels. However, its oil production often gets severely disrupted due to pipeline thefts. In 2022, the country expected a daily output of 1.88 million barrels but fell short by almost 736,000 barrels per day. According to our calculations, this amounts to a loss of $26.864 billion after multiplying the total with 2022s average Brent crude oil spot price of $100.

14. Qatar

Crude Oil Production in 2022: 1.321 million barrels per day

Qatar is the worlds richest country with a GDP per capita of $129,360. Oil and natural gas exports are one of the most significant sources of income for the country. Except for the first two months of 2022, Qatars daily crude oil production remained stable at 1.322 million barrels per day for every month. As of 2021, Qatar had proven oil reserves of 25.24 billion barrels.

13. Norway

Crude Oil Production in 2022: 1.55 million barrels per day

Norway is a part of the Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. Oil covers 0.2% of the GDP of OECD countries with the exception of Norway. Compared to its size and population, it is a relatively oil-rich country, and the commodity covers 4.3% of Norways GDP. In June 2022, the country experienced its lowest oil production for the year at 1.35 million barrels of oil per day. Later in August, Norways oil production reached its peak for the year at 1.808 million barrels of oil per day.

12. Kazakhstan

Crude Oil Production in 2022: 1.7 million barrels per day

Kazakhstan accounts for 3% of the global oil reserves with approximately 30 billion barrels of oil reserves. However, it is predicted that there are at least 60-100 billion barrels of oil that are yet to be proven in the Kazakh part of the Caspian Sea. In the Caspian Sea region, Kazakhstan holds the largest proven oil reserves.

11. Mexico

Crude Oil Production in 2022: 1.71 million barrels per day

Mexicos crude oil production capacity has been declining over the last decade. In December 2012, the countrys oil production was over 2.5 million barrels a day which reached around 1.71 million barrels per day in 2022. Despite that, it is one of the largest exporters of crude oil to the US.

10. Iran

Crude Oil Production in 2022: 2.54 million barrels per day

According to OPEC, Irans average production for 2022 increased by 140,000 barrels per day to 2.54 million barrels per day. The country reached its peak production for the year in December with 2.58 million barrels per day.

Iran is quite secretive when it comes to its oil export data. According to EIA, the country exports around 600,000 barrels per day. Nevertheless, the data for Irans oil export varies from source to source and it is somewhere between 600,000 to 1.2 million barrels per day.

9. Kuwait

Crude Oil Production in 2022: 2.7 million barrels per day

Kuwaits daily oil production averaged 2.7 million barrels per day, showing a significant increase from the prior year. By 2025, Kuwait Petroleum Corporation plans to increase its daily production to 3.5 million barrels. Most of the countrys oil production operations are in the South East of Kuwait at the Greater Burgan field which produces over 1.6 million barrels per day.

Over 90% of Kuwaits income is oil dependent. For the fiscal year 2022, which ends on March 31, 2023, Kuwaits oil revenues are expected to be approximately or over $82 billion due to the crude oil price hikes in 2022.

8. Brazil

Crude Oil Production in 2022: 3021.7 million barrels per day

Brazil is the biggest oil producer in South America. Close to 97% of Brazils oil reserves are offshore and the International Energy Agency believes that by 2040, Brazil will account for over half of the global offshore oil.

Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. - Petrobras (NYSE:PBR) is the biggest Brazilian oil and gas company and it accounts for over 70% of the countrys oil and gas production.

7. United Arab Emirates

Crude Oil Production in 2022: 3.064 million barrels per day

Among the OPEC countries, UAE is the third largest oil producer. Nevertheless, according to CNBC, UAE is looking to exit OPEC as Abu Dhabi, the city where 96% of the countrys oil reserves are, demands its own baseline. As of April 2022, Saudi Arabia raised UAEs baseline to 3.65 million barrels per day from the prior 3.2 million barrels per day.

UAE is making plans to increase its daily oil production aggressively. The country wants to spend around $150 billion by 2027 to push its oil production capacity to 5 million barrels per day. Previously, this target was set for 2030.

6. Canada

Crude Oil Production in 2022: 4.076 million barrels per day

Canada accounts for 10% of global crude oil reserves with 171.0 billion barrels of proven oil reserves. Almost all of the countrys crude oil reserves are found in Alberta's oil sands. Canadas production dropped from 4.439 million barrels per day in 2021 to 4.076 million barrels per day in 2022.

Click to continue reading and see the Top 5 Oil Producing Countries in the World.

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Disclosure: None. Top 25 Oil Producing Countries in the World is originally published on Insider Monkey.
Russian tourist killed, another injured in Phuket motorbike crash

PHUKET: A Russian tourist died and his younger brother sustained injuries after a scooter they were riding crashed on a rural road in central Phuket yesterday (Apr 8). The incident brought the Phuket road death toll for 2023 to 38 fatalities.

accidentstourismdeathRussian

By Eakkapop Thongtub

Sunday 9 April 2023, 09:58AM

Lt Col Yuthaphol Wattaset of Thalang Police was notified of the road accident in Pa Khlok at about 4.30 yesterday (Apr 8). According to the report, a motorcycle with two foreigners flew off a small local road and crashed killing the driver at the spot.

Having arrived at the scene, police officers and rescue workers found a blue Honda Click scooter in the roadside grass and the body of Maksim Fadeev, 36, nearby. The man was wearing an open-face crash helmet but it did not protect him from an injury to his forehead clearly visible in the pictures provided by police.

Also at the scene was Andrei Fadeev, 32, Maksims brother and passenger at the time of the accident. He was taken to hospital for treatment. Nothing was reported about his condition but at least he was conscious and able to communicate with police officers and rescue workers. The Embassy of Russia in Thailand was notified in due manner.

According to preliminary investigation, the Fadeevs came to Phuket on Apr 5 and were planning to leave on Apr 15. The Kazakhstan-born Russian brothers stayed at a hotel in Patong and had a Honda Click scooter for convenient sightseeing.

On the day of the incident the tourists went to visit Bang Pae Waterfall in Pa Khlok. Police believe Mr Maksim Fadeev, who was the driver, just failed to navigate the road which he was not familiar with.

The Thailand Road Safety Committee (ThaiRSC) has so far marked one road death and 80 hospitalisations after road accidents in Phuket on Apr 8. So far this year Phuket has suffered 38 deaths and 6,422 people injured in road accidents on the island.
Unpaid traffic fine means no road tax renewal, confirms PLTO

PHUKET: Effective from Apr 1, 2023, annual road tax renewal is no longer available for drivers with unpaid traffic fines. The new rule is based on an agreement between the Department of Land Transport (DLT) and Royal Thai Police (RTP) and is already being enforced in Phuket, as has been confirmed to The Phuket News by Adcha Buachan, Chief of the Phuket Land Transport Office (PLTO), the provincial branch of the DLT.

transportpoliceaccidents

By The Phuket News

Sunday 9 April 2023, 01:01PM

Driving without a road tax sticker was the most common reason for point deduction as of Jan-Feb. Image: DLT

The eight ways of paying a traffic fine in Thailand as of February 2023. Image: RTP

According to the new rules, people with outstanding traffic tickets are no longer able to pay their annual road tax and get a sticker confirming the payment (often referred to as PorRorBor). This, in turn, is punishable by a fine of up to B2,000 and deduction of one point according to the new point-based system of traffic fines.

The new rule was enabled by a Memorandum of Understanding on sharing electronic data between DNP and RTP to bolster law enforcement signed in early February. The agreement also empowered the transport agency to accept traffic fine payments on behalf of police.

The Memorandum was signed on Feb 8 by DLT Chief Chirute Visalachitra and RTP Commissioner Gen Damrongsak Kittiprapas. The move followed instructions by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to boost road safety and implement measures to install more road discipline.

Under the Memorandum, DLT (and PLTO in particular) now requires motorists to pay their outstanding fines before applying for annual tax payment. Two options are available for people with unpaid fines.

Traffic Police has coordinated with PLTO about this. If the vehicle owner has an outstanding traffic ticket, which he or she is willing to pay, then the person can pay right at the PLTO without having to go to a police station. If the motorist denies the charge and wants to dispute it according to the law, then we will issue a temporary sticker. After that the person has to go to the police, appeal in due manner and receive a permanent sticker from us when the case has been resolved, Mr Buachan explained to The Phuket News.

As Royal Thai Police and DLT explained before, the new rule applies to only fines received after Apr 1, 2023. The temporary stickers mentioned by Mr Adcha are valid for 30 days. After that the driver will be fined for driving a vehicle with unpaid tax despite having done the actual payment.

In connection with the new rule, the Royal Thai Police has issued a reminder on the eight ways of paying traffic fines in Thailand in 2023. Several online options not requiring visiting a police station are available. The full list is as follows:
As many companies adopt a rigid stance on office returns, it brings to light deeper issues of damaged culture, social contract, and trust within these organizations.

For example, recent accounts report that Apple is tracking employee attendance and threatening action against those who refuse to work from the office at least three days a week. Likewise, Twitter faced its own return to office hurdles, with Elon Musk last month sending an email to employees at 2:30 a.m. stating that office is not optional.

These complaints highlight significant resistance from employees and a trust breakdown. This erosion of trust is occurring in many other companies enforcing a rigid office return policy. Amazons HR chief disregarded an internal request, backed by nearly 30,000 employees, regarding the companys return-to-work plan. Staff members at Walt Disney Co. and Starbucks contested their companies compulsory office return policies.

Forceful tactics not only generate tension among employees but also jeopardize the companys culture. These incidents signal a shattered culture and social contract within these organizations, where employees no longer trust their employers to prioritize their well-being and work-life balance.

Trust forms the bedrock of a healthy employee-employer relationship. When companies adopt a forceful approach to office return, they risk damaging the trust their employees have placed in them. This loss of trust results in disengagement, reduced job satisfaction, and increased staff turnover.

A hard-line return-to-office policy demonstrates a disregard for employee well-being. By failing to consider each employees unique needs and not offering flexible work options, these organizations prioritize their interests above those of their employees. This mindset can give rise to a toxic work culture, negatively impacting employee engagement and productivity.

Companies implementing a rigid approach to office return may face multiple adverse consequences. Skilled employees have numerous options in todays job market, which remains historically very competitive despite recent layoffs. Companies that neglect employee well-being and work-life balance risk losing top talent to competitors offering flexible work arrangements.

When employees feel betrayed and distrustful of their employer, their engagement and productivity suffer. Unhappy or disengaged employees are less likely to go the extra mile, undermining the companys goals and objectives. This is why we witness so much quiet quitting in companies enforcing office return.

To sidestep the pitfalls encountered by Apple and Twitter, companies should adopt a more flexible approach to office return, prioritizing trust and employee well-being.

Building trust starts with open and honest communication between employers and employees. Companies need to be transparent about their intentions and be receptive to employees concerns. By engaging in genuine dialogue and considering employees perspectives, companies can cultivate trust and demonstrate their commitment to their workforce.

Embracing flexible work arrangements, such as hybrid and remote work, is crucial for modern organizations. Companies that offer flexibility show their employees that they prioritize their well-being and understand the importance of work-life balance. This approach not only enhances employee satisfaction but also boosts productivity and engagement.

Companies must prioritize employee well-being in all aspects of their operations. This includes offering mental health support, fostering a healthy work environment, and providing resources for personal and professional development. By investing in their employees well-being, companies can create a positive work culture that promotes trust, engagement, and productivity.

Problems faced by companies in getting employees to return to the office are indicative of broken culture, social contract, and trust within these companies. The hard-line, inflexible approach taken by these organizations is not only damaging to their employees well-being but also poses significant risks to their productivity, employee retention, and reputation.

By adopting a more flexible approach, prioritizing trust and employee well-being, companies can avoid these pitfalls and create a thriving, supportive work environment that benefits everyone involved.

Dr. Gleb Tsipursky is the CEO of the hybrid work consultancy Disaster Avoidance Experts, and author of Returning to the Office and Leading Hybrid and Remote Teams.

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In the basement of a Pentecostal Congolese Church, four teenage girls meet for Bible study, but the conversation soon turns to topics including the sexy pastor, drinking alcohol and whether the Bible is in fact boring.

Elsewhere, two theatre artists perform a song cycle that defies their fetishization as Asian women, including games with the audience they call rice-breakers.

Both these productions playing this month in Toronto  Vierge by Rachel Mutombo and Love You Wrong Time by Maddie Bautista and Deanna H. Choi  explore and challenge young womens experiences of sexuality and sexualization.

The conversations with me and my brothers were different

Mutombos family is from the Democratic Republic of Congo and she was the first of her siblings to be born in Canada. Vierge draws on her experience of gendered expectations around sexuality.

I have several older brothers and our family is Christian  the conversations my parents were having with me and my brothers were different, she said. I remember thinking to myself, OK, well, if the girls are all supposed to stay virgins  who are the guys doing it with?

Vierge means virgin in French (the official language of the DRC), but it has the additional implication of meaning blank or clean. I think its really important, the duality of those things, but also how theyre linked to each other, said Mutombo, because there is an idea of virginity being purity, being untouched and untainted.

First-time playwright Mutombo and Vierge director Natasha Mumba met as actors in the award-winning 2019 School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play, and Mutombos desire to write came directly out of that experience.

It completely changed my perspective about how African stories could be told onstage and what audiences would be interested in, said Mutombo of that Jocelyn Bioh play. It talked about dark subject matter but with a lot of levity and joy.

Vierge casts a light on older generations fear of talking about sex, said Mumba. This play explores the cost of their inactivity, and young people figuring it out by being educated by culture and everything outside the church, she said. The play is asking us to re-engage with those traditions and customs to create a way for bigger conversations because, without them, there is a cost.

We want to go beyond talking about how we are perceived

When talking about Vierge, Mutombo underlined that its a funny show about serious themes: a quality it shares with Bautista and Chois Love You Wrong Time. That show draws on the pairs close friendship, which grew as they explored their similar artistic practices as musicians and sound designers, and their experiences as Asian women.

Before Maddie and I even met, I was flipping through (the now defunct) NOW magazine, recalled Choi, and I saw all these personal ads  and I fell upon the specifically Asian category and the ways that people were being described. I just had the idea of, I wonder what it would be like to do a show about these back pages called Love You Wrong Time, she said, punning on the phrase thats come to be associated in limited and demeaning ways with Asian female sexuality.

With the show, they intend to confront this stereotype, said Bautista. We want to go beyond the talking about how we are perceived, she said. The show talks about how were sexualized and fetishized, but we really luxuriate in that  we want to reclaim that in ways that serve us, that feel good for us.

We have fun with it, we poke fun at it, and its in that humour that we discover more truths about ourselves and our relationships, and what is actually authentic about our desires versus what's imposed on us, said Choi.

In the production they call on an anthology of alter egos that include, in Bautistas words, K-pop superstar wannabes, superhero and magical girls. The songs are in a wide variety of styles and genres, from K-pop to musical theatre to country to Lada Gaga-style anthems.

As part of their research, the pair ran what Bautista called a yellow fever hotline by buying a burner phone and advertising online for people who wanted to have risque talk with an Asian woman.

We got a lot of calls, said Choi.

The one that most caught her off guard was a man who was just looking for someone to have a drink with and to be their friend, she said.

That was the moment when we realized how lonely people are. We initially thought it was all going to be this gross and creepy sexualization. But then a lot of people who called just wanted to talk.

There were, Bautista underlined, plenty of gross and creepy calls too.

Produced by Bad Muse Collective and presented by Nightwood Theatre, Love You Wrong Time is popping up at three very different venues across Toronto: the popular Asian nightlife spot Superfresh, the Emmet Ray whisky bar and the cabaret space at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre.

During our interview, Bautista and Choi tried out one of the shows rice-breaker exercises on me and Im proud to declare that I guessed each of their backgrounds correctly: Choi is Korean and Bautista is half-Filipina (though I had help, in that Bautista had hinted at Chois background already).

Theres no forced audience participation in the show, said director and co-creator Erin Brubacher, but theres ample opportunity for anybody who wants to be involved much like the way a comedian holds a crowd.

Such comically pointed exercises  theres also a game in which audience members take a drink if theyve been on the receiving end of various microaggressions  are a way of sizing up their audience and having representation reflected back to us, said Choi.

Its a way of releasing tension as a group and its wonderful to watch.

Vierge plays at Factory Theatre from April 8 to 30. See factorytheatre.ca or call 416-504-9971. The Love You Wrong Time shows at Superfresh and the Emmet Ray are sold out. Tickets remain for Buddies in Bad Times from April 20 to 23. See nightwoodtheatre.net for information.

Karen Fricker is a Toronto-based theatre critic and a freelance contributor for the Star. Follow her on Twitter: @KarenFricker2

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The Toronto District School Board issued an apology for a system error that prevented some applicants of under-represented communities from being fully considered in the admission process for placement in 17 of the Boards alternative elementary schools.

In a letter addressed to the parents of affected students on Friday, the TDSB expressed its deep concern over the situation. We extend a sincere apology to the students and families who were affected.

Becky Gerson, whose daughter Clarissa is Black and a member of the LGBTQ community and didnt get into Horizon Alternative Senior School, said its not enough. She is glad the TDSB took the time to explain what had happened in less complicated speech, but by the time she received the letter she figured it out.

I understand that they feel like they are in a tough situation, but they have to do better than what they proposed, Gerson said.

Canadas largest school board explained the admissions process for alternative elementary schools had previously been managed by individual schools using manual processes. But this year, a new centralized process was implemented with the intent to ensure representation amongst First Nations, Inuit, and Metis students, as well as those from other historically and currently under-represented communities.

TDSBs letter delves into what went wrong within the three stages of the new process. In its first stage, Indigenous applicants and the siblings of current students in specific schools were offered space, noting that all Indigenous applicants were accepted. Then in its second stage, 25 per cent of the remaining available spots were filled by randomly selecting self-identified under-represented students. These spaces were successfully filled by applicants who self-identify as from an under-represented group, the board wrote.

The error occurred in its third and final stage, said boards letter, where the remaining spots were to be determined through a random selection process of all remaining applicants.

Initially, the list of self-identified under-represented candidates, who were not chosen in the second stage, would be combined with all other applications to create a pool for the third stage and selected by lottery. The result is that this group of applicants were not included in the random selection process for the remaining available spaces. The board noted that 25 per cent of under-represented students and 100 per cent of Indigenous students were offered space.

TDSB is now reviewing all data associated with the application process across the entire system, and on a school-by-school basis, while acknowledging it may take more time, though it is necessary for the TDSB to do a full analysis of the data in order to determine appropriate restorative measures including, where possible, allocating the 89 currently available spaces to students who identified as under-represented.

Our Goal is to increase the representation of historically and currently under-represented students in elementary alternative schools in alignment with the intention of the new process. The board will update students, families and the community, including its plan for a resolution, as soon as possible.

But Gerson is concerned about how TDSB is planning to correct the error. The only way the TDSB can truly rectify this situation is by redoing the lottery of the 75 per cent.

I do appreciate all that TDSB does and is trying to do with very little help from the provincial government. I know and understand that they are underfunded and trying their best  I just want them to follow through on the promises they make.

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One person suffered non-life-threatening injuries after a stabbing at a west-end mall.

Toronto police were called to Dufferin Mall around 6:30 p.m. for a stabbing.

When officers arrived they found what appeared to be a robbery, police said in a tweet.

As it is an active/ongoing investigation, I am unable to answer those questions at this time, media relations officer Alex Li said in an email.

One person was taken to hospital, while the suspects fled the scene, according to police.

Anyone with information is being asked to contact police at 416-808-2222.

Edward Djan is a breaking news reporter, working out of the Stars radio room in Toronto. Follow him on Twitter: @EdwardDjan1

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A bystander helped stop an armed carjacking in Brampton Sunday morning, Peel Regional Police said.

The incident happened at about 8:45 a.m. at a gas station on Steeles Avenue West and Mississauga Drive.

Police said the suspect approached the victim with a sharp object, demanding the vehicle.

The attempted robbery was halted by a bystander, who intervened and then held the suspect until authorities arrived at the scene.

The suspect was arrested and later transported to a local hospital with minor injuries. No charges have been laid so far.

Police said the bystander was treated for minor injuries at the scene.

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A driver has been arrested and charged with impaired driving after an overnight collision in Toronto left one person seriously injured.

Toronto police said the two-vehicle crash happened Saturday night near Dupont Street and Gladstone Avenue.

A person was rushed to the hospital by paramedics with serious injuries. No further updates on the victims condition have been provided so far.

Police said a driver is under arrest and faces charges for impaired driving. TPS Traffic Service is investigating the incident.

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I cant deny the fact that you like me, right now, you like me.

Thats what Sally Field famously said in 1985 when she won her second Best Actress Oscar and it must be what Toronto feels like during an election, especially this one.

Everybody is interested in Toronto right now. Everybody is fawning over the city, looking at how it works, where its broken, and has ideas on how to fix it. Everyones either running for mayor, supporting somebody, or talking about it. At least it seems that way, with such widespread excitement on municipal matters.

Have you thrown in your hat to run for mayor? Its the fashionable thing to do this spring season. The race is crowded with recognizable names, a whos who melange of established civic personalities and fringy entertainers who see a platform they can perform on, as fleeting as it may be. Pundits who rarely opine on city business unless its to point out some excess or absurdity are hovering around City Hall and have lots of thoughts on it right now.

That usually isnt the case because Toronto, its politics and otherwise, is usually out of fashion. Torontonians know were often on the receiving end of both jokes and the ire of the rest of Canada, but thats to be expected as the biggest city where a lot of the countrys media, culture and economy are based, and a phenomenon experienced by other biggest cities like New York, London or Tokyo. It rolls off our backs, but theres a more harmful Toronto disdain that undermines democracy and good governance here.

Its the view that important stuff doesnt happen at the municipal tier of government, that its the lowest rather than an equal among provincial and federal operations, even though Torontos government is larger than some provinces.

It doesnt help that the last few Toronto elections had a very powerful incumbent who seemed destined to win. There are other factors blowing in the wind too, like the former leaders of all three big provincial political parties who have run for mayor of an Ontario city as a kind of consolation prize for not making it to the top at Queens Park.

Then theres the unhealed wound of 2018 when Doug Ford took a machete to Torontos ongoing municipal election, leaving voters to wonder if their local democracy even matters.

Yet municipal government touches our lives in a day-to-day, hour-to-hour, minute-to-minute way that the other levels dont, but it has the lowest voter turnout. Last Octobers Toronto election saw a heartbreaking 29 per cent turnout  heartbreaking if you care about this stuff, that is (and if you write a column that hopes to get people politically engaged).

On the face of it, municipal governments might seem less important. Fixing potholes versus foreign policy, or emptying rubbish bins versus health care or education policy. Yet in Toronto weve seen how not caring about those potholes and bins has evolved into a disintegrating city on a day-to-day level, with very important things falling apart like social cohesion and safety. We all see that this isnt the city it once was, even 10 years ago, and that is largely due to deliberate policy choices made by our mayor and council.

With so many in the race this byelection, theres hope that turnout will be much higher since theres no incumbent and theres an open field. Its actually rather exciting, watching everyone throw their names in, stake out platform territory and jostle against each other. In a usual election, efforts are made to get people to pay attention to the council races beyond the mayoral one which tends to suck up all available oxygen, but this time theres only one big show to worry about.

Unlike October, when John Tory refused to engage in all but one debate, we can expect plenty of debates, often on specific subjects like the arts or seniors. Very few serious candidates would refuse to attend a debate as its a free platform to express their views. Both the 2010 and 2014 elections were like this, with so many debates it made keeping track of them difficult, but it did mean there was always one happening and they were all over the city, in school gyms, community centres and so on.

If youve read this far you probably dont need any convincing, but you probably know somebody who might need a little coaxing, a little hand-holding, to get them into municipal politics. Seeing politics live is incredibly powerful, and why Ive taken my civics students to a city council meeting in the past. The debates are the same.

Make a date to bring somebody to a nearby debate this election. Spring it on your Tinder or Grindr match (OK, maybe wait for the second date). I bet there will be something, some issue or problem, that hooks them enough to go to the polls in June.

Shawn Micallef is a Toronto-based writer and a freelance contributing columnist for the Star. Follow him on Twitter: @shawnmicallef

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UNITED NATIONS (AP)  The U.N. Security Council on Wednesday demanded an immediate end to all fighting in South Sudan and pushed for swift progress by the government to ensure that delayed elections are held peacefully and freely in December 2024.

The council resolution, which was approved by a vote of 13-0 with Russia and China abstaining, also extended the more than 17,000-strong U.N. peacekeeping mission in South Sudan until March 15, 2024.

Last week, U.N. special envoy for South Sudan Nicholas Haysom, who heads the peacekeeping mission, called 2023 a make or break year for the worlds newest nation, which has been beset by civil war.

Haysom told the council its possible the country can keep its commitment to hold elections in 21 months but only if there is political will. Most people would argue that at this stage that the political environment doesnt exist in which the country can withstand a robust political competition, Haysom said.

There were high hopes when oil-rich South Sudan gained independence from Sudan in 2011 after a long conflict. But the country slid into civil war in December 2013 largely based on ethnic divisions, with forces loyal to President Salva Kiir battling those loyal to Vice President Riek Machar.

Tens of thousands of people were killed in the war, which ended with a 2018 peace agreement that brought Kiir and Machar together in a government of national unity.

The resolution expresses urgent concern that 2.2 million people are displaced within the country and for the ongoing humanitarian crisis, which has resulted in 9.4 million people currently in need of assistance.

South Sudan was supposed to hold elections before February 2023, but that timetable was pushed back last August to December 2024.

The Security Council resolution underscores that elections should be viewed as a phased approach.

It calls for South Sudanese authorities to make immediate progress on key milestones toward peaceful elections, including adopting a constitution and required legislation, approving transitional security arrangements, and establishing an independent electoral commission.

The council said the U.N. peacekeeping mission, known as UNMISS, should focus in the near-term on key conditions, among them preventing further escalation of political violence, creating conditions for an inclusive constitutional drafting process, and helping establish the inclusive civic space that is a prerequisite to the conduct of free and fair elections.

The resolution reaffirms UNMISS primary mandate of protecting civilians as well as creating conditions for the delivery of humanitarian aid, supporting implementation of the peace agreement, and monitoring, investigating and reporting on violations of international humanitarian law and human rights including rape and other forms of sexual violence.

New text authorizes peacekeepers to use all necessary means to ensure effective, timely, and dynamic protection of civilians under threat of physical violence and to prevent, deter, and stop violence against civilians, including politically driven violence, particularly in high-risk areas. It also authorizes them to promptly engage any actor preparing or engaging in attacks against civilians, camps for the displaced and sites where UNMISS is protecting civilians.

Ghanas U.N. Ambassador Harold Agyeman, speaking on behalf of fellow African council members Gabon and Mozambique after the vote, called UNMISS a stabilizing factor in South Sudan and critical to addressing South Sudans socioeconomic, political and security challenges.

Russias Deputy U.N. Ambassador Anna Evstigneeva said Moscow supports UNMISS contribution to stabilizing the situation in South Sudan but abstained because the resolution is intrusive and risks undermining the peace process at a very important stage for the country where its finalizing their transition and moving forward to the elections in December 2024.

Chinas Deputy U.N. Ambassador Dai Bing commended UNMISS efforts to maintain peace and help accelerate nation-building in South Sudan but said the harshly worded and unbalanced resolution contains elements designed to exert lopsided pressure on South Sudan and so abstained.

South Sudans U.N. Ambassador Akuei Malwal told the council that consent is essential in any U.N. peacekeeping resolution  and if the U.S. had considered proposals from his government and other council members the text just adopted would have been more balanced and reflective of facts and realities on the ground.

The government recognizes that protecting civilians is of utmost importance, he said, and South Sudan also needs humanitarian and economic support in its journey toward lasting peace

As for preparations for the elections, Malwal said South Sudan sought help from the United Nations and is grateful for the U.N.s acceptance. But he criticized the council for making electoral assistance conditional in the resolution, which does not conform to the spirit and letter received from the United Nations.

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Ed Moody speaks to 6th District committeemen about his qualifications for a vacant Cook County Board seat on Oct. 8, 2016. Moody was chosen to fill the seat vacated by Joan Patricia Murphy, who had died of cancer. (Zak Koeske / Daily Southtown)

In four weeks of testimony, jurors in the ComEd Four bribery trial have heard from a top staffer to ex-House Speaker Michael Madigan, current and former legislators from Madigans Democratic caucus, and a ComEd executive at the center of an alleged plot to bribe the once-mighty speaker and help advance the utilitys agenda in Springfield.

The jury has also listened to the words of Madigan and his associates from their own mouths, through dozens of wiretapped calls and secretly recorded meetings in which they spoke about an alleged scheme to funnel hundreds of thousands of dollars from ComEd to Madigans cronies for little or no work.

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But as the prosecutions case comes to a close this week, jurors are expected to hear the earthiest view yet of Madigans vaunted political organization  from a guy who never would have been pegged by anybody as a government witness.

Edward M. Moody.

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The emergence of Moody, one of Madigans longest-serving and most trusted precinct captains, as a government cooperator sent shockwaves throughout Democratic circles, from Madigans base of power on Chicagos Southwest Side to the insiders hanging out in the Illinois Capitols rotunda.

As someone deeply embedded in Madigans organization, Moody could potentially spill secrets long suspected but rarely revealed outside of the 13th Ward, where Madigan first served as committeeman in 1969 under the tutelage of Democratic Mayor Richard J. Daley.

To be sure, Moodys highly anticipated testimony promises an unprecedented street-level view of a political machine that dominated the state for decades and fueled Madigans 36-year nationwide record run as speaker of the Illinois House.

For years, Moody and his twin brother, Fred, promulgated an almost mythical reputation as a special-operations team that Madigan often referred to as his best, legendary for their door-knocking skills and a gift of persuasion that kept votes coming in for the speaker and his acolytes year after year.

[ [Dont miss]ComEd Four bribery trial: What you need to know ]

They were the go-to twins dispatched all over the state when Madigan needed to turn around the voters in a critical legislative district in the heat of the campaign. And they did it time after time since the mid-1990s.

Former Madigan staffer Will Cousineau, who testified for the prosecution last month, told the jury that when it came to the Moody brothers involvement in states tightest House campaigns, door-to-door work was basically all they did.

They were some of the best, Cousineau testified. We would typically assign them to some of our hardest races.

Ed Moody, 58, who has not been charged with wrongdoing, parlayed his role into increasingly high-profile positions, first as an appointed Cook County commissioner and later as the countys recorder of deeds, an assignment orchestrated by Madigan shortly before the wide-ranging investigation came to light in 2019.

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Unlike another star witness in the case, former ComEd executive Fidel Marquez, any deal Moody may have cut with the feds has not been publicly exposed.

Fred Moody, who retired after working for years at the Cook County Circuit Court clerks office, also is not accused of wrongdoing and is not expected to testify in the trial.

His brother, meanwhile, is expected to take the stand Monday or Tuesday as one of the governments final witnesses in a case thats seen some three dozen people testify as well as scores of emails and other internal documents and nearly a hundred wiretapped calls.

Charged in the ComEd Four case are Michael McClain, a retired lobbyist and Madigans closest confidant; former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore; ex-ComEd executive and lobbyist John Hooker; and former ComEd contract lobbyist Jay Doherty, the ex-president of the City Club civic group.

The indictment alleges the four defendants steered $1.3 million in payments from ComEd to Madigan-approved subcontractors  including Moody  who did little or no work in a bid to win the speakers influence over the utilitys legislative agenda in Springfield.

The indictment also alleged the defendants schemed to hire a clout-heavy law firm run by political operative Victor Reyes and stack the utilitys summer internship program with candidates sent from the 13th Ward.

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The four on trial have all pleaded not guilty. Their lawyers have contended the government is trying to turn legal lobbying and job recommendations into a crime.

Madigan and McClain face a separate racketeering indictment that is set for trial next year.

Prosecutors have said that Moody will testify he began receiving $45,000 per year from McClain beginning in May 2012, at first for doing nothing more than calling a list of legislators to determine if they had any issues relevant to ComEd.

Jurors got a look at Moodys alleged work product earlier in the trial, which he submitted to ComEd in the early stages of the payments.

His one-page report from August 2013 listed nine state legislators he reached out to over the course of the month. For each one, he wrote that hed simply given them McClains number and encouraged them to call if they had any questions.

Moody will testify that the work was a joke, because there was no substance to it, prosecutors said in a pretrial filing.

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Moodys payments were later bumped up to $4,500 a month and were distributed through Doherty, but when Moody was appointed Cook County commissioner in 2016, he had to be moved from Dohertys account because of the potentially bad optics, according to trial testimony.

One wiretapped call played for the jury captured McClain letting Doherty know in October 2016 that Madigan had OKd the move.

I talked to the speaker, McClain said on the voicemail he left for Doherty. Speaker talked to Ed Moody, and, um, so speaker suggested Ed and you get together and talk cause, ya know, hes got some disclosure things hes gonna have to do at the county board level.

As a workaround, Moodys payments started coming from two intermediaries allied with Madigan who did contract work for ComEd, according to prosecutors.

One of the intermediaries was Shaw Decremer, a Democratic House staffer for Madigan who became a lobbyist but was ousted from the speakers political operations after a lawmaker complained that he was abusive while working on campaigns.

The other was John Bradley, a former veteran House Democrat from Marion who served on Madigans leadership team but lost his 2016 bid for reelection and became a lobbyist.

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Prosecutors said Moody will testify that he went to Madigan at one point and told him he was worried that his contract claimed he was doing work for the utility, when in fact hed done nothing. Madigan allegedly told him he was a valuable political operative and to keep working on his campaigns.

Madigan responded that (Moody) did not have to worry, because what (Moody) was doing right then  meaning campaign work  was what was important to Madigan, prosecutors said in their pretrial filing.

Moody stopped being paid through the intermediaries when he was appointed to be Cook Countys recorder of deeds in late 2018, according to prosecutors. The investigation went overt five months later with a series of raids in the Chicago area and downstate.

Earlier in the trial, jurors heard a May 16, 2018, call between McClain and Marquez, then a senior governmental affairs executive at ComEd, talking about Moodys work for Madigan and his possible ascension to a new elective position.

Now, hes no longer a commissioner, but hes going to be recorder of deeds? Marquez asked on the call.

McClain burst out laughing, saying, I dont think -- its possible!

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OK, all right, someone thought that might be the case, Marquez said.

McClain, still laughing, responded, Oh, its funny business up here.

Listen to the audio:

While the jury has heard a lot about the payments to Moody, theyve seen only bits and pieces of Moody himself.

His drivers license photo has been shown many times in court as witnesses testified about the arrangement with Dohertys subcontractors. But, unlike the four defendants, who were caught on numerous wiretapped calls, Moodys voice has been heard only once during the trial, when prosecutors played a 2016 voice message retrieved from Dohertys cellphone after it was seized by the FBI.

Prosecutors said Moody was calling to talk about his contract moving to Decremers firm.

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Hey, Jay, this is, uh, Ed Moody calling. The speaker wanted me to reach out to you, if you wouldnt mind returning my call, Moody said.

Listen to the audio:

Jurors have also been shown several times the bare-bones resume Moody submitted to ComEd when he was first being brought on as a subcontractor.

In addition to misspelling the Palos Hills community college hed attended in the late 1980s, Moodys resume reads like something out of central casting for a politically connected precinct worker.

His work history includes technician engineer for the Cook County Highway Department, jury manager for the chief judge in the countys Bridgeview courthouse, and owner of Joy Janitorial Services Company in Chicago Ridge, where he was responsible for such things as hiring and firing of staff.

Among the interests cited by Moody at the bottom of the document were census outreach and Sunday school teacher.

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Nowhere on the resume, though, does Moody list his real value: politics.

Ed and Fred Moody became legendary because of their political results. They strove to make their precincts the best at getting people to the polls and at bringing in the most votes for Madigan-backed candidates.

In fact, people who participated in Madigan-run campaigns said the Moodys trained sitting incumbents and legislative candidates in the fine arts of politicking.

Not only were they instrumental in generating votes for House Democrats, but they are said to have played roles in races as important as the first state Senate race in which Lisa Madigan, the speakers daughter, beat an incumbent lawmaker before going on to win four terms as attorney general.

They even helped out in an aldermanic race for Daniel Solis, the 25th Ward leader who later wore a wire that helped authorities bring corruption charges against Madigan and veteran 14th Ward Ald. Edward Burke, according to one insider.

When Madigan briefly lost the House in 1994, the Moody brothers dug in with candidates in top swing districts to help the speaker win back the majority in 1996 and hold it for the next quarter century. Madigan was finally dethroned by his own House Democratic caucus in January 2021 as the ComEd investigation eroded his political standing.

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What made the Moodys extraordinary was their ability to read voters when they opened the doors to hear the campaign pitches for candidates, various Democrats recalled for this story.

They loved walking door to door more than any person Ive ever seen, said one Democratic insider who campaigned with the Moodys. Most candidates dont like to walk door to door. Most volunteers dont like to walk door to door. The Moodys loved it.

They could see a White Sox flag in a window, a statue of the Virgin Mary or a National Rifle Association bumper sticker on a car and know how to tailor their message in those precious few seconds when they introduced themselves from the front porch of a voter.

The twins were known to be quick to read the mood of a voter, picking up on facial expressions, anger or other cues that helped them mold voter viewpoints into a positive feeling about Madigans candidates.

Whether what they said at the door matched the message of the candidate didnt necessarily matter  as long as they left enough of a favorable impression to win a vote.

By the time they left a residence, they might find themselves shaking hands or hugging people before they started all over at the house next door.

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Perhaps most importantly, the Moodys could take what they learned about voters feelings to Madigan, so that he could know more about concerns of the average Illinoisan than any telephone survey could give  a critical point in tailoring messages for the candidates up and down the Democratic ticket.

In his testimony, Cousineau said the decision on where to dispatch the Moody twins was one of his more important strategic decisions.

We would have a judgment of which campaigns were the closest and where the Moodys might be able to help the campaign in the most effective way, and so I would be responsible for assigning them out to those campaigns, he said.

But, Cousineau was asked, did you ever see Ed Moody working as a lobbyist for ComEd in all those years?

Not that I can recall, he said.

jmeisner@chicagotribune.com

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rlong@chicagotribune.com
Just because a business does not make any money, does not mean that the stock will go down. For example, biotech and mining exploration companies often lose money for years before finding success with a new treatment or mineral discovery. Having said that, unprofitable companies are risky because they could potentially burn through all their cash and become distressed.

Given this risk, we thought we'd take a look at whether Triton Minerals (ASX:TON) shareholders should 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). We'll start by comparing its cash burn with its cash reserves in order to calculate its cash runway.

View our latest analysis for Triton Minerals

How Long Is Triton Minerals' Cash Runway?

You can calculate a company's cash runway by dividing the amount of cash it has by the rate at which it is spending that cash. In December 2022, Triton Minerals had AU$3.0m in cash, and was debt-free. Looking at the last year, the company burnt through AU$4.6m. So it had a cash runway of approximately 8 months from December 2022. That's quite a short cash runway, indicating the company must either reduce its annual cash burn or replenish its cash. You can see how its cash balance has changed over time in the image below.

How Is Triton Minerals' Cash Burn Changing Over Time?

Because Triton Minerals isn't currently generating revenue, we consider it an early-stage business. Nonetheless, we can still examine its cash burn trajectory as part of our assessment of its cash burn situation. During the last twelve months, its cash burn actually ramped up 84%. Oftentimes, increased cash burn simply means a company is accelerating its business development, but one should always be mindful that this causes the cash runway to shrink. Triton Minerals makes us a little nervous due to its lack of substantial operating revenue. We prefer most of the stocks on this list of stocks that analysts expect to grow.

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How Easily Can Triton Minerals Raise Cash?

Since its cash burn is moving in the wrong direction, Triton Minerals shareholders may wish to think ahead to when the company may need to raise more cash. Companies can raise capital through either debt or equity. Many companies end up issuing new shares to fund future growth. By looking at a company's cash burn relative to its market capitalisation, we gain insight on how much shareholders would be diluted if the company needed to raise enough cash to cover another year's cash burn.

Since it has a market capitalisation of AU$51m, Triton Minerals' AU$4.6m in cash burn equates to about 9.0% of its market value. 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.

So, Should We Worry About Triton Minerals' Cash Burn?

On this analysis of Triton Minerals' cash burn, we think its cash burn relative to its market cap was reassuring, while its cash runway has us a bit worried. Summing up, we think the Triton Minerals' cash burn is a risk, based on the factors we mentioned in this article. On another note, we conducted an in-depth investigation of the company, and identified 4 warning signs for Triton Minerals (2 make us uncomfortable!) that you should be aware of before investing here.

Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies, and this list of stocks growth stocks (according to analyst forecasts)

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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MADISON, Wis. (AP)  Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers said Sunday our hearts are heavy a day after two police officers were shot to death during a traffic stop.

Our hearts are heavy for the Chetek and Cameron police officers who lost their lives in the line of duty yesterday. Kathy and I are praying for the officers families, colleagues, and the Barron County community mourning this tragic loss, Evers posted on Twitter.

The Wisconsin Department of Justice said in a statement late Saturday that it was investigating the shooting in Cameron.

An officer from the Chetek Police Department conducted a traffic stop around 3:38 p.m. and at some point gunfire was exchanged with the motorist, the department said.

The Chetek officer and another officer from Cameron were pronounced dead at the scene. The suspect in the shooting was taken to a hospital and later died, the department said.

The names of the officers and the suspect were not immediately released.

The deaths of the officers left the village of Cameron in shock.

It tears it apart of course. Puts it on edge, Cameron resident Kate King told WCCO-TV in Minneapolis. Always wondering who to trust, what will happen around the corner. Its a frightening thing.

Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul also exprersdsed condolences.

I am deeply saddened by the tragic loss today of two officers. I am thinking of their families and the Chetek and Cameron Police Departments at this incredibly difficult time, Kaul said in a tweet late Saturday.

The Division of Criminal Investigation within the Wisconsin Department of Justice is leading the investigation and will submit a report to the Barron County district attorney when the investigation concludes, the statement said.

The Wisconsin Department of Justice did not immediately respond to an email from The Associated Press seeking additional information. Phone calls to the division rang unanswered Sunday, and a message seeking information could not be left because the voice mailbox was full.

The village of Cameron in Barron County is 227 miles (365 kilometers) west of Green Bay, Wisconsin, and 96 miles (154 kilometers) northeast of Minneapolis. Chetek, Wisconsin, is about 9 miles (14 kilometers) southeast of Cameron.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Cameron and Chetek Police Departments, the Barron County Sheriffs Department said on Facebook.

The Marinette County Deputy Sheriffs Association said in a Facebook post: Tonight our hearts are heavy as we send our thoughts and prayers to the Village of Cameron Police Department, the City of Chetek Police Department, the Barron County community, and the families (both blood and blue) of two officers lost in the line of duty today.

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VATICAN CITY (AP)  In an Easter message highlighting hope, Pope Francis on Sunday invoked prayers for both the Ukrainian and Russian people, praised nations which welcome refugees and called on Israelis and Palestinians wracked by the latest surge in deadly violence to forge a climate of trust.

Francis, along with dozens of prelates and tens of thousands of faithful, celebrated Easter Mass in a flower-adorned St. Peters Square, affirming the Christian belief that Jesus rose from the dead days after his crucifixion.

The 86-year-old pontiff topped the celebration with a traditional speech about troubled places in the world. Encouraging trust among individuals, peoples and nations, Francis said Easters joy illumines the darkness and gloom in which, all too often, our world finds itself enveloped.

The popes Easter message is known by its Latin name, Urbi et Orbi, which means to the city and the world.

Since Russia invaded neighboring Ukraine in February 2022, Francis has repeatedly called for the fighting to end and sought prayers for the martyred Ukrainian people.

Ukrainian diplomats have complained that he hasnt come down hard enough in his statements on Russia and particularly Russian President Vladimir Putin as the Vatican tries to avoid alienating Moscow.

Help the beloved Ukrainian people on their journey towards peace, and shed the light of Easter upon the people of Russia, Francis implored God in his Easter speech, which he delivered while sitting in a chair on the central balcony of St. Peters Basilica facing the square. Comfort the wounded and all those who have lost loved ones because of the war, and grant that prisoners may return safe and sound to their families.

He urged the international community to work to end the war in Ukraine and all conflict and bloodshed in the world, beginning with Syria, which still awaits peace.

Francis also prayed for those who lost loved ones in an earthquake that struck Syria and Turkey two months ago, claiming tens of thousands of lives.

With a renewal in deadly violence affecting both Israelis and Palestinians in recent days, Francis called for a resumption of dialogue, in a climate of trust and reciprocal respect, between Israelis and Palestinians, so that peace may reign in the Holy City and in the entire region, a reference to Jerusalem.

But Francis also noted progress on some fronts.

Let us rejoice at the concrete signs of hope that reach us from so many countries, beginning with those that offers assistance and welcome to all fleeing war and poverty, he said, without naming any particular nations.

How to care for asylum-seekers, migrants and refugees, and whether to allow them entrance, is a raging political and social debate in much of Europe, as well in the United States and elsewhere.

Francis also prayed that national leaders ensure that no man or woman may encounter discrimination and that there would be full respect for human rights and democracy.

With migrants risking their lives in smugglers unseaworthy boats in hopes of reaching Europe, the pope lamented that Tunisias people, particularly the young, struggle with social and economic hardship.

In the last two weeks, dozens have died or were left missing after attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea from Tunisia.

The pope included Lebanon and two African countries he visited this year - South Sudan and Congo - among the nations in need of ending divisions and building reconciliation.

Speaking about Haiti, he appealed to political actors and the international community to seek a definitive solution to the many problems that afflict that sorely tried people.

The bloody conflicts cited by Francis contrasted with a riot of bright colors lent by orange-red tulips, yellow sprays of forsythia and daffodils, hyacinths and other colorful seasonal flowers that decorated St. Peters Square. The blooms were trucked in trucks from the Netherlands.

By the end of the popes appearance, some 100,00 people had flocked to the square in time for the pontiffs speech, according to the Vaticans crowd count.

A canopy on the edge of steps on the square sheltered the pontiff, who was back in the public eye for the Mass 12 hours after a 2.25-hour long Easter vigil ceremony in St. Peters Basilica the night before.

Francis was hospitalized March 29-April 1 for treatment of bronchitis. Still recovering, he skipped the traditional Good Friday procession at Romes Colosseum due to unseasonably cold nighttime temperatures.

Near the end of the more than two-hour-long Easter Sunday appearance, Francis seemed to run out of steam. His voice grew hoarse and he interrupted his speech at one point to cough.

He nonetheless made several laps through the square in the popemobile after the Mass, waving and smiling at cheering well-wishers.

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KABUL, Afghanistan (AP)  Afghanistans special forces killed two Islamic State fighters and arrested a third during an operation in the countrys west on Sunday, a regional official said.

The raid on the hideout in the district of Sayed Abad in Nimroz province sparked a clash lasting 30 minutes, said Mufti Habibullah Ilham, the provinces information and culture director.

Ilham said there were no casualties among the troops or civilians and that some military equipment was seized.

The regional affiliate of the IS group  known as the Islamic State in Khorasan Province  has been the key rival of the ruling Taliban since the religious groups takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021.

IS has increased its attacks in Afghanistan, targeting both Taliban patrols and members of Afghanistans Shiite minority. On Friday, security forces killed an IS fighter during an operation in northern Parwan province. They also arrested three women and seven children, said Hikmatullah Shamim, a spokesman for the Parwan governor.

Deputy Afghan government spokesman Bilal Karimi said authorities were serious about Afghanistans boundaries and sovereignty.

The Islamic State has no place in the country or among the people, nor does the Islamic emirate allow it, he told The Associated Press. The number of (IS) fighters killed or arrested so far is in the hundreds, but there is no exact number.

The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for a number of high-profile attacks in Afghanistan. It said one of its members was behind a deadly bombing near a checkpoint in January at Kabuls military airport, the same man who took part in an assault on a hotel in the capital last December, and a gun attack on the Pakistani embassy.

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Canadas border closure at Roxham Road is one piece of a larger North American border-tightening project that compounds the vulnerability of people who need protection.

Every day, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) and Medecins du Monde (MdM) assist migrants around the world who have taken enormous risk to get to safer places because they face life-threatening circumstances in their home countries. On their journeys, they are often exposed to further hardship, and many are ultimately denied the protection they seek. These consequences are no accident; they result directly from policies designed to keep out, push back and criminalize people, even those in desperate circumstances, deemed unauthorized.

The closure of Roxham Road rests on the dubious assumption that asylum claimants denied access to Canada will be protected in the US. This is the basis of the Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA), which now includes irregular border crossings such as Roxham Road.

Rather than reinforcing international refugee and asylum-seeking legal norms and Canadas own human rights laws, the STCA curbs migrants rights by forcing them to apply for asylum in the first safe country they reach. However, U.S. policy toward migrants is hardening and it is by no means clear that people denied entry to Canada will have their asylum applications processed in the U.S.

Indeed, the Biden administration has moved to curtail access to asylum at its southern border, including through the continued misuse of Title 42 to block and expel migrants and asylum seekers. This instrument was invoked in 2020 to limit the spread of COVID-19, but MSF has challenged its legitimacy as a public health tool and provided humanitarian relief to people abused and brutally rejected from the U.S. in the name of Title 42.

More recently, the U.S. put forth a new rule on the Circumvention of Lawful Pathways, which essentially presumes ineligibility for asylum for anyone who crosses into the U.S. without authorization.

MSF and MdM know firsthand that restrictive migration policies exacerbate health needs for people on the move. In 2022, MSF teams in Mexico treated over 44,000 migrants and refugees suffering illness, mental distress or physical trauma, including sexual assault experienced in transit or while stranded, often near the U.S./Mexico border.

In El Paso, Texas, MdM offers health services to migrants who manage to cross the border, often in risky and irregular ways. Survivors who make it to the clinic frequently suffer severe heat-related illnesses having traversed inhospitable desert terrain. Medical needs also increased resulting from an alarming rise in the number of fall accidents as people risk scaling the 30-foot U.S.-Mexico border wall that was extended in 2020.

MdM and MSF know all too well, people fleeing violence in their home countries will take enormous, even potentially deadly, risks to reach safer countries. We witness this pattern on a global scale, including on the Mediterranean Sea as people risk life-threatening boat crossings in hopes of gaining asylum in Europe and on the Central American northbound migration routes along which people are frequently robbed and assaulted by predatory gangs.

If these lessons are any indication, closing Roxham Road will not stop people from seeking safety, it will only force them to take more dangerous routes. From the humanitarian perspective, expanding the scope of the STCA is folly.

Canadas closure of Roxham and other irregular entry points is part of a larger U.S.-Canada border-tightening project that has already increased migrants risk of drowning or falling from a high wall while attempting border crossings and condemned countless people to the vulnerability of being unauthorized or considered criminal.

The sheer number of people forcibly displaced from their homes  the highest number ever at over 100 million in 2022  is staggering. Canada has demonstrated compassionate leadership in the past, welcoming Ukrainians, Syrians, Afghans and many others in response to the violence that forced them from their homes. Surely, Canada can do better than rejecting the few tens of thousands of people who risk everything to reach its southern border.

Joseph Belliveau is executive director of Medecins Sans Frontieres and Nadja Pollaert is executive director of Medecins du Monde.

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Taking action on 24 Sussex, April 5

What to do with 24 Sussex Drive? Easy. Bulldoze it. Then create a park for the public that footed the bill for the place for more than 70 years. Busts of the Prime Ministers who lived there could dot the landscape, a didactic plaque could describe the history and significance of the place for future generations.

And, where does the Prime Minister live? Rideau Hall, of course. Our connection to the monarchy could still be represented in many ways, but the time is long past when our titular Head of State is a representative of a foreign power.

Perhaps future Governors General could be our nations representative at Canada House in London, instead of the Monarchs representative in our capital.

Ralph Lucas, Toronto

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(Bloomberg) -- Ukraine has laid thousands of anti-tank mines near its border with Belarus and Russia to fortify defensive positions, Ukraines defense ministry said. On Sunday, Russia bombed what Ukrainian officials called an infrastructure facility in the Chernihiv region. Social media images suggest a direct hit on a bridge near the Russian border.

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Leaked Pentagon documents reveal the extent to which Moscows intelligence services have been penetrated by the US, the New York Times reported, saying the material provides key insights into a deeply compromised Russian military. The source of the leaks remains unknown.

Ukraines top central bankers are headed to this weeks International Monetary Fund/World Bank meetings in Washington, which President Volodymyr Zelenskiy will also address via video link in a ministerial roundtable with US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and others.

(See RSAN on the Bloomberg Terminal for the Russian Sanctions Dashboard.)

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Seoul Dismisses Report of US Spying on Allies, Says Ties Strong

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(All times CET)

Russia to Give Bonuses to Troops Who Damage NATO Tanks: NYT (5:30 p.m.)

Russias military is planning to pay bonuses to troops able to damage or destroy tanks that NATO countries are donating to Ukraine, according to the New York Times, citing recently leaked US intelligence documents.

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The incentive is part of a large range of measures engineered to boost flagging troop morale. Financial incentives would be offered for the capture and destruction of foreign tanks, and videos of tanks being destroyed would be widely distributed, according to the document, which was labeled top secret.

Challenger 2 tanks from the UK and German Leopard 2 tanks were among the first to arrive in Ukraine. The US plans to deliver M1 Abrams main battle tanks by the end of the year.

Russian Missile Hit Infrastructure in Chernihiv Region (3:06 p.m.)

A missile launched from an aircraft on Russian territory hit an unspecified infrastructure facility in the northern Chernihiv region, Ukraines northern operation command said on Telegram. Images on social media suggests a direct hit to a bridge identified as spanning the Sudost River near the Russian border.

Separately, a Russian drone was downed in the neighboring Sumy region. Authorities determined the UAV was a Russian-made ZALA 421-16 attack drone, authorities said.

Andriy Yermak, President Volodymyr Zelenskiys top aide, said on Telegram that Druzhkivka in the Donetsk region had been shelled, with two civilians injured and residential homes damaged.

Ukraine Central Bank Chiefs Heads to World Bank/IMF Meeting (11:21 a.m.)

Ukraines central bank governor Andriy Pyshnyi and deputy Serhiy Mykolaychuk have left for Washington to join the annual spring meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, according to a Facebook post.

The pair will meet with leaders of the IMF and World back as well as the US Treasury Department and European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, among others. Pyshnyi is set to discuss the fulfillment of Ukraines memorandum with IMF, ways to strengthen sanctions against Russia and Ukraines post-war recovery.

Separately, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal are scheduled to address the meeting on Wednesday in a live-streamed discussion with US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and others.

Poland Will Deliver 200 Rosomak APCs to Ukraine (9 a.m.)

Poland will ship 100 KTO Rosomak armed personnel carriers to Ukraine now and another 100 later, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Saturday in his nightly video address. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawieckis office last week announced plans to sign a letter of intend between Zelenskiy and Morawiecki on APC deliveries.

Ukraine Fortifies Border With Belarus and Russia With Anti-Tank Mines (8 a.m.)

Ukraine has laid more than 6,000 anti-tank mines along its northern border with Belarus and Russia to fortify its defenses there, Lieutenant General Serhiy Nayev said in a statement posted on social media by Ukraines defense ministry.

Anti-tank minefields are being created in tank accessible areas and probable paths of pushing the enemy deep into our territory which are roads, forest lanes, bridges, power lines, etc., Nayev said in a Facebook post.

Two Civilians Killed in Russian Strike on Zaporizhzhia (7 a.m.)

Two civilians  an 11-year-old girl and her father  were killed when a Russian missile hit a residential building in Zaporizhzhia overnight, state emergency services said. The wife and mother of the victims was pulled from the wreckage.

Two missiles destroyed one building and damaged dozens of others during the overnight strike, said city council secretary Anatoliy Kurtev.

Leaked Documents Show Russias Military Struggles: NYT (6 a.m.)

Leaked Pentagon documents reveal the extent to which Moscows security and intelligence services have been penetrated by the US, the New York Times reported, saying the material has provided key insight into a deeply compromised Russian military.

The documents portray a battered Russian military  as well as US assessments the struggles of Ukraines armed forces, the newspaper reported.

The source of the leaks remains unknown. The material, mostly dated from late February and early March, has appeared on social media sites in recent days. The trove of documents offers perhaps the most complete picture yet of the inner workings of the largest land war in Europe in decades, the New York Times said.

Ukraine Deputy FM Minister Visits India (5 a.m.)

Ukraines first deputy foreign minister is in India for talks with the minster of external affairs and other top officials. In the first visit by a Ukrainian official since Russias invasion over a year ago, Emine Dzhaparova is expected to send a strong message for peace, according to local media.

During the four-day stay, Dzhaparova will ask India for more humanitarian aid and for equipment to help repair energy facilities damaged during a winter of Russian missile attacks, The Hindu newspaper reported. Ukraine hopes to get an invitation from India to participate in the G-20 summit in New Delhi in September.

Ukraine Brings Back 31 Children from Russia (4:30 p.m.)

Ukraine is repatriating 31 children who were illegally deported to Russia, Mykola Kuleba, head of the NGO Save Ukraine, said during an online briefing. It was the fifth such mission and one of the largest since Russias invasion over a year ago. The kids are expected to arrive in Kyiv on Saturday.

Relatives of the children need to endure lengthy interrogations by the Russian security agency FSB before being allowed to pick up their children. Two other kids were unable to return after their grandmother, who traveled to bring them home, died during the trip.

Kuleba estimated 19,500 Ukrainian children are being held in Russia. The total number of Ukrainian children in Russia and in Russia-occupied territories may be as high as 1.5 million, he said.

Ukraine Says Russia Preparing to Evacuate Civilians to Crimea (4 p.m.)

Russia has intensified preparations to evacuate civilians to Crimea from the occupied parts of Ukraines southern Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, Ukraines general staff said on Facebook.

Residents of the occupied cities of Melitopol and Skadovsk are being surveyed on personal details, from whether they hold a Russian passport to their level of education. Buses with those willing to evacuate are reported to periodically depart, the general staff said, and occupying officials are spreading information that the forced evacuation of civilians will begin in late April.

The efforts come ahead of a potential counteroffensive by Kyiv to recapture territory held by Kremlin forces since shortly after the February 2022 invasion. Russian President Vladimir Putin formally annexed the regions in October in defiance of international law.

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With an eye on the upcoming panchayat polls, all India Trinamul Congress general secretary Abhishek Banerjee today came down heavily on the BJP-led central government on the issue of fund disbursal, especially the money due for 100 days work in West Bengal, which has not yet been released.

Addressing a political rally at Alipurduar today, the partys general secretary asked his party workers to initiate an outreach drive across the state for sending at least one crore letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on this issue.

BJP-led central government is torturing people of Bengal by withholding their rightful dues, Abhishek Banerjee said, adding, BJP leaders here are desperately trying hard to stop disbursement of funds from the central government. The reason is the BJP lost in the Assembly election in 2021. But the TMC will continue fighting for peoples rights.

Mr Banerjee also pointed out chief minister Mamata Banerjee sat on dharna on Red Road in Kolkata to protest the delay in releasing funds meant for 100 days job. I, accompanied by 25 MPs, tried to meet union minister for rural development Giriraj Singh on this issue three days back but he didnt allow us. In fact he doesnt have guts to meet us, Mr Banerjee said.

I ask Prime Minister Narendra Modi, home minister Amit Shah and BJP president JP Nadda, instead of showing power with ED and CBI, release funds for West Bengal, a legitimate claim from the people, he mentioned.

I am speaking here politically and not for begging votes. My objective is to highlight the plight of commoners in Bengal, he said, adding, West Bengal is the only state where the BJP-led central government withholds funds of the people. A political observer said: Common people cannot be deprived of their rights, especially 100 days job, because its a national rural employment guarantee act. Mr Banerjee said, People will choose their candidates for the upcoming panchayat polls. Instead of voting for Balakot and Hindu-Muslim, I will request you to vote for rights and development.
The official Twitteraccount of the Trinamul Congress thanked the KMC for rolling back the hike in parking fees even though an official notification was yet to be issued by the civic body

In what comes as a major relief to the vehicle owners, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation has rolled back its decision of implementing the latest graded parking fees.

Earlier last week, the civic body had announced a hike in parking fees, which came into effect from 1 April.

Yesterday, the ruling party spokesperson Kunal Ghosh informed the media that the hike was implemented without the chief ministers consent. He also told the media that the hike implementation had to be rolled back by yesterday.

A few hours later, the official Twitter account of the Trinamul Congress thanked the KMC for rolling back the hike in parking fees even though an official notification was yet to be done by the civic body.

Being a holiday for Good Friday, the chain of events was followed by a notification by the municipal corporation issuing a notification informing that the increased amount of the parking is not to be collected until further notice.

Notably, the KMC is planning to do away with the cash system in the near future in terms of parking fees collection. Considering the plan, the civic body has introduced POS machine for collection parking fees.

The KMC had introduced a new parking fee rate chart from 1 April.

As per the rate chart, the fees of parking vehicles under KMC limits had seen a manifold rise with a graded system. The old fee for parking a four wheeler was Rs 10 per hour, between 7 a.m. to 10p.m.

This was revised to Rs 20 an hour for the first two hours. For two wheelers, the old parking rates were Rs five per hour. This was doubled and revised to Rs 10 for the first two hours. From the third to fifth hour, two wheeler owners were to pay Rs 20. For parking vehicles beyond five hours, two wheeler owners would had to pay Rs 50 per hour.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will embark on an official visit to the US from April 10, where she will be attending the 2023 Spring Meetings of the World Bank Group (WBG) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

She will also be attending the G20 meetings and other associated meetings, which are scheduled to take place from April 10 to April 16.

The meetings will take place in the WBG and IMF headquarters in Washington DC.

The Spring Meetings will be attended by finance ministers and central bankers from across the world.

The Indian Finance Ministry delegation will be led by Sitharaman and officials from the ministry and RBI.

Some of the important engagements of the Finance Minister include Spring Meetings of IMF-WB, Hosting the Second G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (FMCBG) meeting under Indias G20 Presidency and G20-related side events, World Bank Development Committee and IMF Committee plenaries interaction with global economists and think-tanks, bilateral engagements with countries and international organisations as well as interaction with global business leaders and investors in roundtables.

Sitharaman and RBI governor Shaktikanta Das will jointly chair the 2nd G20 FMCBG meeting on April 12-13, 2023.

Around 350 delegates from G20 members, 13 invitee countries, and various international and regional organisations will participate and engage in multilateral discussions centred around a broad spectrum of pressing global issues.
Actress Raveena Tandon was recently feted with Indias fourth highest civilian honour, Padmi Shri, at Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi for her contribution to Indian cinema.

However, a section of Internet users trolled the actress questioning the win. Now the actress has responded to the trolls saying that she will choose silence as she doesnt want to give any importance to them.

Hitting back at the trolls the actress said that she is not bothered about people with a following of not more than 20 as they come with their own agenda. She said: I dont want to give any importance to them as they have their own agenda. The comments of a few, who have 20 followers and havent seen the work that I have done, will not diminish my body of work.

The actress further said: They only see the glamour; they dont see the hard work and long hours we put in. We know how polarised things are on social media today, but others have sent such beautiful (wishes).

Talking about the Padma awards ceremony, the actress and her family attended the gilded ceremony which was graced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Thailand has called for efforts to create constructive and concrete approaches to tackle the regions trans-boundary haze problem.

This came as Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha hosted an online trilateral meeting on Friday with his counterpart from Laos Sonexay Siphandone and Myanmar Commander-in-Chief of Defense Services Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, reports Xinhua news agency.

At the meeting, Prayut proposed a strategy to effectively address the trans-boundary haze pollution issue by leveraging relevant mechanisms at all levels.

Thailand supports efforts of exchanging information and experience, as well as legal actions from each country to control and contain the sources of the pollution, he said.

The worsening air quality this year is a result of an increasing number of hotspots from open-air burning and dry weather conditions, according to Pinsak Suraswadi, director general of Thailands Pollution Control Department.

The overall number of hotspots detected in Thailand, Myanmar and Laos during the first three months of of this year increased 93 per cent from a year earlier, Pinsak said.

The Thai government has prioritised air pollution mitigation as a national agenda.

It has attributed smoke from traffic, industrial plants, forest fires and agricultural burning as the main sources of pollution.
With Karnataka Assembly elections scheduled to be held next month, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will hold its Central Election Committee meeting on Sunday, said sources.

According to sources, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP chief JP Nadda, party general secretary B L Santhosh and members of the partys Central Election Committee will be present at the meeting. Earlier on Saturday, Shah held a meeting at BJP president Naddas residence in the national capital to discuss and finalise the list of candidates for the May 10 polls.

Karnataka BJP president Nalinkumar Kateel, former Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa, Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and other leaders were also present at Naddas residence.

Party sources said the core group of the BJP in Karnataka have shortlisted three names for each Assembly seat, which will be placed before the Central Election Committee. The partys central leadership will brainstorm these names before locking the candidates.

On April 4, the BJPs core group in Karnataka drew up a shortlist of candidates in a meeting with the partys national general secretary Arun Singh, state election in-charge Dharmendra Pradhan, co-in-charge Mansukh Mandaviya, Central Election Committee member Annamalai, former chief minister Yediyurappa and his successor and incumbent Basavaraj Bommai.

The BJP emerged as the largest single party in the last Assembly elections, winning 104 seats, with the Congress winning 80 and the JD(S) 37 seats.

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar had on March 29 this year announced the poll schedule for the election of the 224-member Karnataka Legislative Assembly. The counting of votes for the Assembly will be held on May 13.

The term of the current Karnataka Legislative Assembly is set to end on May 24, this year.

Earlier, speaking to reporters, Bommai said a discussion over the selection of candidates for 224 Assembly constituencies will take place at the core committee meeting of the BJP.

Today, an important meeting is to be held under the guidance of BJP national president JP Nadda. During this meeting, a discussion over candidate selection for 224 assembly seats will be done. And tomorrow Parliamentary board of the party is also meeting, the Karnataka chief minister said.

BJP is yet to declare its candidates for the polls.

Congress MP Surjewala on Friday, at a press briefing in Delhi, said his party had announced most of the seats, but the BJP could not declare a single seat. I want to ask JP Nadda, why are you scared? Do JP Nadda, PM Modi, Amit Shah and CM Bommai think that announcement of seats will lead to issues in the party?

Chief Minister Bommai hit back saying that the principal Opposition party in Karnataka could not find candidates for many seats and eventually got them from other parties.

Former Karnataka chief minister and BJP leader BS Yediyurappa on Friday said the party would soon finalise the list of candidates for the Assembly elections.

The only southern state where the BJP is in power, Karnataka is currently witnessing a high-pitched poll campaign as the saffron party bids to retain their hold of the state.

A top BJP source said the ruling party has planned to carpet-bomb the state with campaigns featuring heavyweights.

The names of 40-star campaigners have also been decided for Karnataka. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, former Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Goa CM Pramod Sawant, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, and several Union ministers like Rajnath Singh, Smriti Irani, Nirmala Sitharaman have been included in the list. All have been asked to give two weeks time in the poll-bound state, he added.

Congress and Janata Dal-Secular have announced 166 and 93 candidates respectively, so far, for the Karnataka polls.
The United States on Saturday called on China to show restraint as Beijing launched military drills around Taiwan, stressing that Washington was ready to meet its security commitments in Asia.

"Our channels of communication with the PRC remain open and we have consistently urged restraint and no change to the status quo," a State Department spokesperson said, referring to the People's Republic of China.

"We are comfortable and confident that we have in place sufficient resources and capabilities in the region to ensure peace and stability and to meet our national security commitments," the spokesperson said, adding that the United States was "monitoring Beijing's actions closely."

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.

US Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy greets Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen in Simi Valley, California on Wednesday. Photo: Getty Images / TNS alt=US Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy greets Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen in Simi Valley, California on Wednesday. Photo: Getty Images / TNS>

The US has been ambiguous on whether it would militarily defend Taiwan, a self-ruling democracy claimed by Beijing, although for decades it has sold weapons to Taipei to help ensure its self-defence.

The United States has treaty-bound commitments to defend nearby allies in the region, notably Japan, whose waters were affected when China last carried out military exercises around Taiwan in August.

China announced the military drills as a "stern warning" to Taiwan whose president, Tsai Ing-wen, met US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Wednesday in California.

US officials had repeatedly called on China to stay calm and described Tsai's visit as a routine "transit" on her way to and from Latin America.

"As we have said, there is no reason for Beijing to turn this transit - which was consistent with longstanding US practice and policy - into something it is not or use it as pretext to overreact," the State Department spokesperson said on Saturday.

Story continues

I am the Speaker of the House. There is no place that China is going to tell me where I can go or who I can speak to. pic.twitter.com/9N37s6jr8D

- Kevin McCarthy (@SpeakerMcCarthy) April 8, 2023

China had initially appeared to have a more muted response than in August when McCarthy's predecessor Nancy Pelosi flew to Taiwan.

McCarthy - whose meeting with Tsai in his home state had been seen as an attempt by Taiwan to avoid the more serious repercussions from China if he had visited - voiced defiance after the launch of the military drills.

"I am the Speaker of the House. There is no place that China is going to tell me where I can go or who I can speak to," McCarthy wrote on Twitter.

Mike Gallagher, chairman of the US House Select Committee on China. Photo: Getty Images / TNS alt=Mike Gallagher, chairman of the US House Select Committee on China. Photo: Getty Images / TNS>

Mike Gallagher, chairman of the House Select Committee on China, said on Saturday the US must take seriously the threat posed to Taiwan.

Gallagher, who attended the meeting with Tsai in California last week, said he plans to lead his committee in working to shore up the island government's defences, encouraging congress to expedite military aid to Taiwan.

"I think it all just points to what is obvious," Gallagher told Associated Press, arguing that Chinese President Xi Jinping is intent on reunifying Taiwan with the mainland.

"We need to be moving heaven and earth to enhance our deterrence and denial posture, so that Xi Jinping concludes that he just can't do it," Gallagher 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.
Government-Opposition fights have been common during Parliamentary sessions, but they ended in victories for both sides. The Budget Session that concluded last week had no resolution of differences, and neither side won.

Parliamentary chambers heard both sides shouting slogans while clearing budgetary proposals without debate or discussion. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar had a tough time as Treasury Benches had also taken resorted to creating a ruckus over their demands and replied to the Oppositions slogans with their slogans.

Backstage talks for peace in the chambers of the presiding officers were either shunned or non-productive, as the two sides were unwilling to yield any ground. What should take precedence over all other matters, perhaps never occurred to floor leaders of the two sides which comprise the two parts of Parliament?

This left the most significant event of Parliaments yearly calendar, the Union Budget un-discussed and un-examined, leaving the government and the nation without the benefit of the Oppositions scrutiny which alone can raise questions and make the government accountable.

Participation of members from different corners of the chambers brings feedback without which the government can go blank about what the common man thought, and how correctives could be planned. The two-way exchanges have always brought much education to all, whether they are heard on television or in the Chambers.

The first part of the session was certainly better in its productivity. The Motion of Thanks to President Droupadi Murmu for her address to a joint sitting of Parliament was adopted after Prime Minister Narendra Modis reply.

There was a general discussion on the Union Budget also, with reply by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. Signs of disruption in the coming days were, however, visible when the government did not accept the Oppositions adjournment motions to discuss the implications of the Hindenburg Research reports on the Adani Groups alleged financial irregularities. The Government claimed it had clarified the position on the Hindenburg report when the finance minister said market regulatory authorities were seized of the matter.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi questioned if the Adani Group was favoured by the government. Trinamul Congress members said the ED was used against the Opposition only. The DMK joined the Congress in demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to probe the Adani Group issues. The prime minister replied in the Lok Sabha saying the criticism is part of democracy but what the country witnessed during the last nine years was compulsive criticism by people who were not able to accept the world appreciates Indias potential and looked towards it with hope and expectation.

In the Rajya Sabha, the prime ministers 90-minute reply was heard amidst non-stop slogan shouting by several Opposition members in the well of the House. When Parliament met for the second part of the Budget Session, Treasury Benches shouted for Mr Gandhis apology for his comments on Indian democracy and Parliament in his UK speeches. The Congress and other Opposition parties objected to this and kept up their slogans for a JPC inquiry into the Adani matters.

Slogan shouting has become a major mode of expression when it comes to making a point. The Budgetary documents were placed and cleared without any debate amidst the disorder seen in the next working days. The Treasury Benches became peaceful after Gandhi was disqualified from the Lok Sabha on 24th March, following his conviction by a Surat court in a criminal defamation case over his Modi surname remark. This made the Opposition even more aggressive in its sloganeering.

The Opposition forgot what is expected from it is not shouting slogans, but effective criticism. The government too waits for rational arguments to remove infirmities in governance. Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge had objected to Leader of the House Piyush Goyals reference to Gandhis speeches and referred to a convention that members of one House do not discuss the conduct of members of the other House in Parliament.

The Chairman ruled: Any curtailment or qualification of the constitutional privilege of freedom of expression, of a Member of the Parliament in the Rajya Sabha will seriously compromise and impede the blossoming of democratic values.

As the Chairman said later, the ruling had fortified the right of expression of the Rajya Sabha members for all times. The problem of decorum witnessed during the Budget Session is not new and in November 2001 a national conference of presiding officers and Chief Ministers was held in Parliament House to discuss Discipline and Decorum in Parliament and Legislatures of States and Union Territories.

Worried over the state of affairs, a presiding officer said The presiding officers, of course, have been vested with supreme powers within the Chambers. But they cannot obviously breathe discipline in the members through punitive measures.

Recalling the spirit of give and take that once prevailed in Parliament, then Rajya Sabha Chairman Bhairon Singh Shekhawat told the meeting to celebrate the 200th session of the Upper House on 11 December 2003, While rejecting an amendment moved by C Rajagopalachairi, Pt Jawaharlal Nehru had said You see Rajaji, the majority is with me. Rajaji retorted Yes, Jawaharlal, the majority is with you but the logic is with me. Pt Nehru laughed with the House and accepted Rajajis amendment.
At a time when the BJP is making serious bid to woo the Christian community in Kerala to gain political mileage in the state, Cardinal Mar George Alenchery, head of the Syro-Malabar Church and a prominent face of the Christian community in India, has come forward in praise of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said that Christians are not insecure in the country under the BJP rule.

In an interview given to an English daily, Mar George Alenchery said that Prime Minister Modi is a good leader and he does not go into confrontation with anyone.

He is a good leader. He makes an effort to be one and is successful at it. He did not go for confrontation with anyone. He has been effective in raising Indias image internationally. When theres a sense of security among the people, other faults tend to be ignored. He is very receptive and open. Thats leadership. Also, there are many things common between Hinduism and Christianity. The concept of harmony in Hinduism is very inspiring to me, the Cardinal said.

Calling Modi as a successful politician, Alenchery said the Prime Minister has tried and succeeded in developing leadership at the international level.

The cardinal said that Christians are not insecure in India under the BJP rule and even if the BJP gets complete dominance, he does not think that it will be a concern for the minorities.

Christians do not have any such insecurity now. But some say if BJP gets absolute power, minorities may become insecure. But I dont know. We cant predict all that, Cardinal Alenchery said.

When asked whether the BJP has a chance in Kerala, Mar George Alencheri said that there is a possibility for all three fronts in Kerala . He added that the church does not have politics, but the believers do.

To a query whether the perception that the Christian community is getting closer to the BJP, the Cardinal said: Yes  Sometimes people come and share with me their disappointment that Congress has no leadership and theres infighting. Similarly, they are unhappy with some policies of the Left government too. BJP won in north India and the LDF won in Kerala because they did good to the people. People will get closer to any party which does good things for them.

When asked about the BJPs claim that terrorist attacks or communal riots have come down during its tenure, he said: Yes, that is correct and that is a good thing. We dont get to hear any such thing these days. There may be some human rights issues. But then handling terrorists is not an easy task.

It is to be noted that the Cardinals remarks came when Prime Minister Modi was about to participate in the Easter celebrations in Delhi at the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Delhi on Sunday evening

In the interview, the Cardinal gave enough indication that the Christian community in the country no longer considers the BJP as untouchable. The remarks of the Cardinal, will give energy to the Kerala BJP to gain political mileage in Kerala by wooing the Christian community

Meanwhile, as a part of the BJPs push for Christian outreach in Kerala, party leaders visited various Christian religious leaders on Easter day. BJP national vice president AP Abdullahkutty and former state president PK Krishnadas visited Thalassery Bishop Joseph Pamplani in the morning. Bishop Joseph Pamplanis statement that the BJP will get an MP from Kerala by ensuring the price of rubber at Rs 300 has got a lot of public attention recently

Union Minister of State V Muralidharan visited the Latin Catholic Archdiocese headquarters here and exchanged Easter wishes to the Archbishop Mar George Netto. BJP state president K Surendran on Saturday visited the Thamarassery Archbishop Mar Remijius Paul Inchananiyil. BJP state general secretary AN Radhakrishnan had participated in the Malayattoor Church festival on Good Friday day and had even climbed the Malayatoor hill to reach the shrine.
Union Law Minister Kiren Rijjiju escaped unhurt in an accident when his car met with a minor accident near Ramban on the Jammu-Srinagar Highway on Saturday.

According to reports, a loaded truck hit the Law ministers vehicle on the highway. However, Rijjiju is said to be safe. He proceeded to Srinagar in another vehicle.

No injuries happened to anyone and the minister was driven safely to his destination, said the Ramban Police.

Rijjiju, who is on a two-days visit to J&K, was on his way to Srinagar from Udhampur where he conducted an extensive tour and convened a public outreach cum mega legal awareness camp.

Earlier in the morning, the law minister released the Dogri version of the Indian Constitution at a function in Jammu.
Union Minister for Commerce & Industry Piyush Goyal will pay an official visit to France and Italy from 11-13 April. He will be accompanied by a delegation of top Indian CEOs.

Piyush Goyal will co-chair the India-France Business Summit on Tuesday with French Minister Olivier Becht. The summit, commemorating 25 years of India-France friendship, will focus on themes including building a green future, emerging technologies, defence cooperation and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific regions.

Goyal is also scheduled to meet with French business leaders across various sectors and will attend a CEOs roundtable. He will also participate in an event that will showcase Indias cultural heritage and soft power and is expected to witness participation of over 600 dignitaries from the French government, the Indian Business Diaspora in France, and members of the French business community. The minister will also be interacting with members of the Indian community in Paris.

The minister will then travel to Rome where he will meet Antonio Tajani, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation followed by a networking dinner with dignitaries from the government and industry.

He is scheduled to meet top Italian CEOs for bilateral meetings followed by a CEOs Interactive Business Session, where 35 CEOs are likely to participate. This would be followed by a meeting with Adolfo Urso, Minister of Enterprises and Made in Italy, who would also interact with Indian CEOs.

The visit is expected to impart further momentum to bilateral relations with Indias key business partners in the European region.
Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot on Sunday laid the foundation stone for the Kirari Bus depot, which is being constructed to house 140 buses.

The depot will be spread over 5.4-acre land and will be equipped with all modern facilities, including EV charging facilities. The project is part of the Delhi governments plan to construct nine new bus depots across the city to house the continuously increased number of buses.

The Delhi government will spend Rs 160 crore to build the new bus depot at Kirari.

This amount includes nearly Rs 40 crore paid to the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) for the acquisition of the land, Rs 40 crore to be paid to the Public Works Department (PWD) for the construction of the depot and nearly Rs 80 crore for the electrification of the depot.

Speaking at an event, Gahlot said, In 2015, Delhi had 5,842 buses which has now increased to 7,379 buses in 2023. Under the visionary leadership of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi was ranked among the top 35 cities with the best public transport in the world. With most of the land in Delhi being under DDA, it is the commitment of the Kejriwal government to find land parcels for depots to house more than 10,000 buses in the city in the coming times.

He said Kirari depot is just one among the total of nine depots to be constructed in Delhi for creating a modern, efficient and sustainable public transportation system.

The Delhi government will not hesitate to fund such a high cost of Rs 160 crore if it means bringing convenience for the people of Delhi, Gahlot said.

Delhis new Kirari Bus depot is set to be completed by December 2023, as part of the construction plan for nine new depots including East Vinod Nagar 2, Narela, Daurala, Burari, Savda Ghevra, Kapashera, Gadaipur, and Chattarpur.

Further, in a significant move towards improving last-mile connectivity in the city, the Delhi government is set to introduce 100 new Mohalla buses on the citys roads this month, an official statement said.

This marks the first time in Delhis history that small-size electric Mohalla buses will ply on the citys roads. The government plans to introduce a total of 2,180 such buses by 2025, the statement said.

These buses are specifically designed to cater to areas where the width of the road is less or areas that are too crowded for 12-metre buses to ply.

This move is expected to provide better connectivity and improve transportation access for people in these areas, the statement said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday called the success of Project Tiger not a moment of pride for only India but also the entire world. He said the country has not only saved the tiger population from declining but also provided an ecosystem where tigers can flourish.

Modi was inaugurating a programme, Commemoration of 50 years of Project Tigerat Mysuru University in Mysuru, Karnataka.

On the occasion, the prime minister launched the International Big Cats Alliance (IBCA). He released the publications  Amrit Kaal Ka Vision For Tiger Conservation  a summary report of the 5th cycle of Management Effectiveness Evaluation of Tiger Reserves, declared tiger numbers and released the summary report of All India Tiger Estimation (5th cycle). He also released a commemorative coin on the completion of 50 years of Project Tiger.

Addressing the gathering, the prime minister stressed the significance of the prestigious moment of the growing tiger population in India and paid respects to the tigers by giving a standing ovation.

He said everyone is witness to the landmark event of Project Tiger completing 50 years today and remarked that its success is not only a moment of pride for India but the entire world.

The prime minister expressed happiness that India is home to 75 per cent of the worlds tiger population in the 75th year of Indian independence. It is also a coincidence, the Prime Minister continued, that the tiger reserves in India cover 75,000 square kilometers of land and in the past ten to twelve years, the tiger population in the country has increased by 75 percent.

Reiterating the question in the minds of wildlife enthusiasts around the world about the increasing tiger population in India when compared to other countries where it is either stagnant or in decline, the Prime Minister said the answer is hidden among the traditions and culture of India and its natural urge towards biodiversity and environment.

India does not believe in the conflict between ecology and economy, and gives equal importance to the coexistence of both, the Prime Minister remarked.

Recalling the importance of tigers in the history of India, the Prime Minister mentioned that graphical representations of tigers were found on the ten-thousand-year-old rock art in Madhya Pradesh. He also added that the Bharia community from Central India and Worli community from Maharashtra among others worship the tiger whereas many communities in India consider the tiger as a friend and brother. He further added that Maa Durga and Lord Aiyappa ride the tiger.

Noting Indias unique achievements in wildlife conservation, the Prime Minister said, India is a country where protecting nature is a part of the culture. He mentioned that India has only 2.4 per cent of the worlds land area but it contributes toward 8 per cent to known global biodiversity. He stated that India is the largest tiger range country in the world, the largest Asiatic elephant range country in the world with nearly thirty thousand elephants, and also the largest single-horn rhino country with a population of nearly three thousand. He further added that India is the only country in the world to have Asiatic lions and its population has increased from around 525 in 2015 to around 675 in 2020. He also touched upon Indias leopard population and stated that it increased by over 60 percent in 4 years. Referring to the work being done to clean up rivers such as the Ganga, the Prime Minister highlighted that some aquatic species that were once considered to be in danger have shown improvement. He credited the peoples participation and a culture of conservation for these achievements.

It is important for ecosystems to thrive for the wildlife to thrive, the Prime Minister remarked as he noted the work done in India. He mentioned that the country added 11 wetlands to its list of Ramsar sites taking the total number of Ramsar Sites to 75. He also noted that India added over 2200 square kilometers of forest and tree cover by 2021 when compared to 2019. In the last decade, the Prime Minister said, the number of Community Reserves increased from 43 to over 100 and the number of National Parks and sanctuaries around which Eco-sensitive Zones were notified increased from 9 to 468, that too in a decade.

Highlighting that the cheetah became extinct in India decades ago, the Prime Minister mentioned the first successful trans-continental translocation of a big cat referring to the cheetahs that have been brought to India from Namibia and South Africa. He recalled that 4 beautiful cheetah cubs have been born in Kuno National Park a few days ago. And said that the cheetah has taken birth on the land of India after becoming extinct about 75 years ago. He stressed the importance of international cooperation for the protection and prosperity of biodiversity.

Wildlife protection is not a one-country issue but a universal one, the Prime Minister said, stressing the need for an International Alliance. He informed that in the year 2019, the Prime Minister had called for an alliance against poaching and illegal wildlife trade in Asia on Global Tiger Day, and remarked that the International Big Cat Alliance is an extension of this spirit. Noting its benefits, the Prime Minister said it will be easy to mobilise financial and technical resources for the entire ecosystem associated with the big cat while easily implementing the conservation and protection agenda that has emerged from the experiences of various countries including India.

The focus of the International big cat alliance will be on the conservation of the worlds 7 major big cats including tiger, lion, leopard, snow leopard, puma, jaguar and cheetah, the Prime Minister remarked and explained that countries that are home to these cats will be a part of this alliance. He further elaborated that the member countries will be able to share their experiences, help their fellow country more quickly, and lay emphasis on research, training, and capacity building. Together we will save these species from extinction, and create a safe and healthy ecosystem, Modi remarked.

Concluding the address, the Prime Minister mentioned the Oscar-winning documentary The Elephant Whispers and said, It reflects our legacy of the wonderful relationship between Nature and Creature.

The lifestyle of the tribal society also helps a lot in understanding the vision of Mission LiFE i.e. Lifestyle for Environment, the Prime Minister concluded.
The Odisha Government has decided to establish a Directorate of Odisha Paribar to create a one-stop point of contact and support system for Pravasi Odias, who live in other parts of the country and across the world.

The proposal in this regard was approved on Sunday at the first ever digital Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik from Kyoto in Japan.

There is the need for a single point of connection for the people of Odisha staying both within and outside the country with the state government. This will strengthen the relation between NROs and the State government and its people through an organized liaisoning framework, an official statement issued on Sunday said.

The Directorate of Odisha Paribar will work under the Department of Odia Language, Literature and Culture to have a better connection with the Pravasi Odias within the country and across the world. The Directorate will engage with the diaspora in the growth journey of Odisha by leveraging their knowledge, skills and global reach while also making efforts to resolve any issues they may be facing, an official statement said.

It will act as a single point of interface with the government departments for the resolution of specific issues relating to labour, students, cultural promotion, and clearances.

Besides, it will develop a closer relationship with the people of Odisha living in different states and abroad including Gen Next through partnerships at individual, institutional and civil society levels on matters relating to the promotion of Odia language, culture and heritage, tourism and sports; handlooms and handicrafts.

The directorate will develop a dedicated portal titled Paribar  the portal for Pravasi Odias and there will be an advisory council to be headed by the Chief Minister.

The members of the Council shall be nominated by the state government. The number of members, tenure of their membership etc. will be as decided by the state government from time to time. The Minister for Odia Language, Literature and Culture shall be the permanent member of the council. The Secretary of the OLLC department shall be the Member Convener.

People of Odisha living in different parts of the country and across the world are a sizeable proportion of overseas Indians consisting of Non-resident Indian (NRIs), Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) and people from Odisha who go for work or as tourists, students etc.

Aspirational migration from Odisha has a long history. Merchants from Odisha had maritime trade links with the South East Asia and East Asian nations. In the era of globalization and with enhanced skilling, people from Odisha are moving to different parts of the world and within the country for higher education, research, entrepreneurship, employment.

They have made a name for themselves in diverse fields and regularly evince a keen interest in the development of their motherland and showcase the cultural heritage of Odisha in the national and international arena. Similarly, a large number of people from Odisha are working in other states within the country. Our people from Odisha engaged in different sectors eagerly aspire to be a part of Odishas transformative growth story, the statement said.
Castigating state Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot for not initiating a single probe against the previous Vasundhara Raje-led BJP government on a series of corruption, Sachin Pilot, former deputy CM, on Sunday announced a one-day fast against his own government.

The sit-in cum fast is also aimed to mark the Mahatma Jyotirao Phule Jayanti (birth anniversary of a social reformist) on April 11 here at Shaheed Smarak.

Addressing a press conference here, the Congress leader lamented that despite his letters to CM Gehlot in this regard, the state government did not take action in the former CM Vasundhara Rajes corruption cases in the last four and half years. This, he apprehended might lead people to assume that there is a collusion between the two parties.

I will sit alone on Anshan (fast), Pilot declared when he was asked whether party MLAs and ministers supporting him would join the one-day protest.

Recalling the promise made by Congress during the 2018 assembly polls before coming to power that an inquiry would be conducted on the corruption cases reported under the previous Raje rule, Pilot said, Six-seven months are left for the next assembly elections due in December. If we dont clear the air on this, our opponents might spread the word that there is some milibhagat (collusion) between the previous CM and the incumbent Congress CM.

On the occasion, the former deputy chief minister showed some old video clips of Gehlot in which he had assured that he would take up the BJPs corruption cases if voted to power. He also circulated a number of news pre-2018 clips in which Gehlot is seen slamming the Raje government over a mining scam accused of getting bail.

Equipped with an official dossier including a CAG report, Pilot said, While in the Opposition during the Vasundhara Raje government, we had raised our voice about scams worth Rs 45,000 crore and promised an investigation into these scams in a fair manner and punish the guilty if we come to power.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Bandipur and Mudumalai Tiger Reserves in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu on Sunday.

The Prime Minister also visited the Theppakadu Elephant camp in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve where he interacted with mahouts and kavadis and also fed the elephants.

Modi also interacted with elephant keepers featured in the Oscar-winning documentary, The Elephant Whisperers.

In a series of tweets, the Prime Minister said: Spent the morning at the scenic Bandipur Tiger Reserve and got a glimpse of Indias wildlife, natural beauty and diversity.

Some more glimpses from the Bandipur Tiger Reserve.

With the majestic elephants at the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve.

What a delight to meet the wonderful Bomman and Belli, along with Bommi and Raghu.
A controversy has sparked in Kerala over the participation of Lokayukta and Upalokayukta in the Iftar party hosted by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. It has been pointed out that the action of Lokayukta Cyriac Joseph and Upalokayukta Harun-ul-Rashid is a violation of the Supreme Court-adopted charter.

The Supreme Court adopted a charter called the Restatement of Values of Judicial Life on 7 May 1997. It serves as a guide for an independent and fair judiciary. It is a code of judicial ethics and serves as a guide for an independent and fair judiciary, paving the way for the impartial administration of justice.

The code comprises 16 points, and point 10 of the code says a judge shall not accept gifts or hospitality except his family, close relations and friends.

RS Sasikumar, the petitioner in the Chief Ministers Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF) case, expressed disappointment against the Lokayukta and Upalokayukta attended the party.

RS Sasikumar said he believes that the Lokayukta judges in having attended the party hosted by the chief minister, while a case against the Chief Minister is before them, is an insult to the Judiciary and that he lost faith in the judiciary after this.

Sasikumar alleged that the Lokayukta and Upalokayukta were invited to the banquet as a sign of gratitude for the verdict granting temporary relief to the Chief Minister. He added that even if they are being invited, both of them should have stayed away from the function.

It is alleged that Lokayukta Justice Cyriak Joseph and Upalokayukta Justice Haroon Rasheed were invited to the iftar banquet and both of them attended.

The petitioner questioned the presence of the Lokayukta and Upalokayukta at the banquet when the Lokayukta full bench is going to consider the CMDRF misuse case on April 12.

NK Premachandran, MP, also came out against the presence of the Lokayukta and Upalokayukta at the Iftar party hosted by the chief minister. He said this is against the self-restraints and practices followed by the rulers and judges in independent India

The presence of the Lokayukta and Upalokayukta at the party hosted by the chief minister, when the Lokayukta full bench is going to consider the CMDRF misuse case against him on April 12, has raised questions about the impartiality of the judiciary.

Government sources explained the participation of the Lokayukta and the Upalokayukta in receptions as a regular practice and there wont be any controversy over it. But the government tried to hide the Lokayuktas presence at the chief ministers party as much as possible. The media were not allowed to cover the Iftar party.

The Lokayuktas name was not listed in the Public Relations Department (PRD) press release about the event. The Lokayukta was also omitted in the footage provided by the Public Relations Department (PRD) to the channels. In a temporary relief to the Chief Minister, the Kerala Lokayukta recently referred the case pertaining to the alleged misuse of the Chief Ministers Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF) to a three-member full bench.

A decision to constitute a three-member bench was taken after Lokayukta Cyriac Joseph and Upalokayukta Harun-ul-Rashid had a difference of opinion.
Illustration by Mitchell Preffer for Decrypt

Crypto prices remained pretty frozen over the last seven days, except for Dogecoin. DOGE was undoubtedly the star of both Crypto and Twitter (and by extension, Crypto Twitter) this week, after the microblogging platforms illustrious CEO, Elon Musk, changed the iconic blue bird logo to a picture of Doge, the Shiba Inu behind the iconic meme that inspired the coin.

Musk memed the makeover on Monday. He also reminded everyone that he first warmed to the idea last month.

In response to logo change, DOGE ballooned 20% in less than an hour, although the rally ran out of steam by Thursday, when the coin posted an intraday loss of over 8%. Twitter has since reverted to the old logo.

Also on Monday, Will Clemente, who co-founded digital asset research firm Reflexivity Research, shared some stats from blockchain analytics firm Kaiko highlighting the fact that throughout March, Bitcoin had reached its strongest correlation with gold in more than a year.

Bitcoin's correlation to Gold is the highest that its been in years, surpassing its correlation to the S&P (h/t @KaikoData) pic.twitter.com/5TDOtlm5zq  Will Clemente (@WClementeIII) April 3, 2023

This was largely down to a lack of confidence in TradFi institutions after serious liquidity crises swept through banks on both sides of the Atlantic, affecting Credit Suisse, and crypto/tech-friendly banks like Silvergate, Silicon Valley Bank and Signature. In most cases, governments intervened.

On Tuesday, Uniswaps inventor Hayden Adams shared some stats that showed his exchange outpacing Coinbase throughout most of 2023 so far. Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong jumped on the tweet to inform readers that his exchange had a lot to do with Uniswaps hefty numbers.

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Congrats and well deserved! We should clarify this refers to Coinbase's centralized exchange tho. Coinbase also uses Uniswap in our DEX trading products, so we are in fact the front end for some of that volume labeled Uniswap. It's all collaborative  Uniswap is awesome!  Brian Armstrong (@brian_armstrong) April 4, 2023

That day, Mark Lamb, the co-founder of crypto exchange CoinFLEX issued an open letter to Bitcoin evangelist and Bitcoin Cash promoter Roger Ver offering him an olive branch of two years of free trading on OPNX, a newly-launched claims exchange co-founded by Lamb. Alongside Ver, he included in his tweet Peter Smith, CEO and founder of crypto exchange Blockchain.com, which allegedly also owes CoinFLEX millions.

The olive branch refers to ending a longstanding feud between the two. Lamb alleges that Ver owes CoinFLEX for an outstanding loan, the debt for which Lamb currently claims is $84 million. In June last year, Lamb previously claimed the debt was $47 million.

On Wednesday, MicroStrategy chairman Michael Saylor went andyep, you guessed itbought more Bitcoin.

MicroStrategy has acquired an additional 1,045 #bitcoin for ~ $29.3M at an average price of $28,016 per bitcoin. As of 4/4/2023 @MicroStrategy holds 140,000 bitcoin acquired for ~$4.17 billion at an average price of $29,803 per bitcoin. $MSTR https://t.co/IBufTxalnv  Michael Saylor (@saylor) April 5, 2023

That day, Coinbases Chief Legal Officer Paul Grewal wrote a multi-tweet thread summarizing the arguments of a prominent legal challenge to the sanctions imposed on crypto transaction privacy mixer Tornado Cash back in August last year.

Argument #2: the law only permits the govt to sanction a persons property. Property is something capable of being owned or controlled. But no one can alter, delete or otherwise control the 20 smart contracts at the core of the TC software. They function w/o human control. 5/10  paulgrewal.eth (@iampaulgrewal) April 5, 2023

Robert F. Kennedy Junior, who will be challenging Biden for the presidency in 2024, posted a long rant against the idea of a dollar-pegged cryptocurrency being released by the Federal Reserve. The problem is, Kennedy either accidentally or purposefully misread the very news article he linked. The Feds new digital payments system FedNow is not a CBDC! Fake news! as 45 would say.

The Fed just announced it will introduce its FedNow Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) in July. CBDCs grease the slippery slope to financial slavery and political tyranny. While cash transactions are anonymous, a #CBDC will allow the government to surveil all our private  Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) April 5, 2023

In real CBDC news, the European Central Bank appeared to be getting closer to releasing a digital euro this week.

JUST IN:  European Central Bank President reveals plans to launch a digital euro (CBDC), says there will be control over payments. pic.twitter.com/szCFxBkZDR  Watcher.Guru (@WatcherGuru) April 6, 2023

On Thursday, Binance CEO Changpeng CZ Zhao made his views on the AI arms race known.

Blockchain/crypto is a neutral technology to improve efficiency and reduce costs of transactions. And people worry about (regulating) that. AI is a technology that may take over our world and make us irrelevant. And no one is worried.  I am pro AI, as I am pro innovation. But https://t.co/ANuvtdvYzZ  CZ  Binance (@cz_binance) April 6, 2023

Finally, on Saturday, Chinese blockchain journalist Colin Wu tweeted a reminder that Metas experiment with NFTs is about to come to an end.
BJP state president Bandi Sanjay Kumar has registered a complaint with the police stating that his cell phone has gone missing while he was in police custody. The Warangal Police have been looking for the cell phone claiming that it contained crucial evidence about SSC paper leak case

According to the police, WhatsApp chats between Bandi Sanjay Kumar and accused number two B Prasanth led to a conspiracy to defame the state government over a question paper leak for SSC exams.

A minors question paper was photographed before being circulated to prove that the question paper for the Hindi exam was also leaked and Bandi Sanjay was arrested by police as the prime accused in connection with this case.

Today Bandi Sanjay Kumar registered a complaint to the Station House Officer of Karimnagar II town police station. He wrote, I remember the mobile was with me when I was taken into custody. He pointed out that he was taken in a police van to BommalaRamaram police station of Rachakonda Police Commissionerate along with the SHO of Karimagar II town police station and ACP Karimnagar.

It is submitted that during the course of travel, I realised that I lost my mobile phone bearing no 7680006600. I immediately brought this to the notice of the police officials who were traveling with me in the van, wrote Bandi Sanjay Kumar. He urged the police to locate as it all his contact numbers and other important information.

However, the BRS is not convinced about Bandi Sanjays claim about the loss of his mobile phone. The partys Twitter handle posted a video clip from the BJP MPs press conference outside the jail after being released on conditional bail on day before yesterday. In that clip Bandi Sanjay was heard responding to a question about his missing phone saying why should he hand over his phone to the police.

The BRS party Twitter handle posted Bandi Sanjays complaint letter and wrote he was up to some new drama and that something was definitely fishy.

There has been quite a bit of one-upmanship over mobile phones between the BRS and BJP after the Enforcement Directorate accused Kalvakuntla Kavitha of destroying ten mobile phones with crucial evidence in connection with the Delhi Liquor scam but she later submitted all her mobile phones to the probe agency. BRS ministers had even addressed an entire press conference slamming BJP leaders for trying to tarnish her reputation over such allegations.
A suspicious Afghan man, who sneaked inside Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharifs house, was arrested and handed over to the Counter Terrorism Department for interrogation on Saturday, according to Geo News.

The Islamabad police has shifted the suspicious man to an unknown place, it said. Security personnel deputed at the PM House reportedly said that the suspect claims to made his way to the PM House by passing through three different paths, reported Geo News, citing sources.

Following the arrest, the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), police and other security agencies were interrogating the suspect, the report said.

The security agencies have acquired the CCTV footage and are trying to find out how the suspect had entered the highly-secured PM House, the Geo News added.
Saint-Laurent, CA (H4T1V6)

Today

Cloudy with occasional showers this afternoon. High 52F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Cloudy early with some clearing expected late. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 36F. Winds light and variable.
Competing rulings by two federal judges over the availability of the abortion pill mifepristone are sowing alarm and confusion  and opening a new front in the battle over abortion in the United States
The Israeli military says three more rockets have been launched from Syria toward Israel, raising to six the number of missiles fired within hours in a rare attack from Israels northeastern neighbor
ST. LOUIS  A new marketing effort to promote rail-accessible development sites throughout the St. Louis region is targeting a number of Metro-East locations from Jerseyville to Red Bud.

St. Louis Regional Freightway, an arm of the Bi-State Development Agency, is collaborating with the regions Class I railroads, economic development organizations, brokers and business leaders to identify and promote top rail-accessible industrial real estate sites, as well as examining previously overlooked sites for potential development through its Development Ready Rail Land Sites program.

A total of 11 sites, seven in Illinois, have been identified. The sites feature heavy industrial user zoning and are ready for developers who want to take advantage of the strong rail infrastructure and multimodal advantages in the bi-state area, according to Freightway officials.

Were creating a pipeline of rail-served sites for the future and spotlighting rail sites that are currently ready to go, said Mary Lamie, executive vice president of Multimodal Enterprises at Bi-State Development and head of St. Louis Regional Freightway.

The St. Louis Regional Freightway reviewed multiple sites throughout a 15-county area in southwestern Illinois and eastern Missouri, interviewed respective Class I railroads, and ultimately answered the question of whether the sites being explored were rail accessible or have potential rail access.

In typical St. Louis regional fashion, the sites that made it onto our list include service by at least one of the regions six Class I railroads that connect to the East, West and Gulf coasts, Lamie said. Sites that include BNSF, Union Pacific, CSX and Norfolk Southern provide routes with high volume and scheduled service to East and West Coast ports. With help from the regions four interstates and strategic location on the Mississippi River, 90 percent of freight from the St. Louis region moves throughout North America in two days and 100 percent in three days. This list is a new tool that will enhance our regions economic development marketing efforts by spotlighting these rail-served sites.

Sites include:

 1,600 acres in Jerseyville that are part of the Mid-American International Gateway project, with potential service by Kansas City Southern;

 195 acres in Venice and East St. Louis owned by the Terminal Railroad Association, and is serviced by TRRA or Norfolk Southern;

 24 acres at Americas Central Port in Granite City serviced by Kansas City Southern;

 123 acres in Lakeview Commerce Center in Edwardsville, serviced by Union Pacific and Kansas City Southern;

 240 acres owned by Gateway Panattoni in Edwardsville, with potential service by Norfolk Southern;

 43.7 acres with Kaskaskia Regional Port District in Red Bud, served by Canadian National via Illinois Central; and

 439 acres in Greenvilles Kelsey Business and Technology Park, with potential rail service by BNSF and CSX.

Mark Branstetter, a partner with Panattoni Development Company, said there is tremendous value in the new list.

Coordinating a regional list of rail-served sites with the Class I railroads is saving time by eliminating uncertainty, and it helps draw attention to rail sites with significant useable acreage, he said. With cooperative and local carrier ownership of key rail routes, businesses choosing these sites will enjoy unparalleled rail service that supports industrial growth strengthened by intermodal capacity and proximity to suppliers.

The St. Louis region is recognized as one of the largest rail hubs in the county and is taking steps now to take advantage of this projected growth by focusing on new industrial development within rail-accessible land sites.

According to figures provided by Freightway, Americas rail network spans nearly 140,000 miles and supports more than 167,000 jobs across the country within an almost $80 billion industry.

Rail distribution continues to grow in importance with the Federal Highway Administration estimating that the industry will increase 30 percent over the next two decades.

Joe Torp, Industrial Development Manager for Norfolk Southern, believes the St. Louis region has several crucial advantages that allow it to compete with other rail-friendly regions, including geographic location, modal connectivity, and a motivated economic development community.

Companies are starting to take notice of the Midwests geographic location, particularly those with customers or supply chain links in both the eastern and western regions of the United States, Torp said. The Midwest provides an enticing benefit for those industries. For example, instead of developing an eastern and western plant, they can locate one larger facility in the St. Louis area that can serve both markets.

He also said the region also has excellent access to both Class I and shortline railroads, intermodal facilities, port locations, and highway corridors.

This modal connectivity gives industries the optionality to shift their shipping mode as needed, for example, from barge to rail when the river freezes up north near Chicago, or from truck to rail as driver availability tightens, he added.

The Development Ready Rail Land Sites list compiled by the Freightway starts with sites that have at least available 20 acres and are either shovel-ready or have development plans, active owners, or marketing in place to be considered near-shovel ready. Shovel-ready indicates potential pre-development work has been completed and construction can quickly begin.

Freightway officials noted that the Mid-American International Gateway outside of Jerseyville has been certified by the Illinois Super Site program indicating its development-ready rail potential. These state certifications come with rigorous pre-qualification processes to ensure the sites can support high volume rail users and multiple shippers or carriers.

Another local site, the TRRA property in Venice and East St. Louis, is rail accessible but not quite shovel-ready.

The TRRA site need site grading and/or infrastructure improvements. For these sites requiring pre-development work or sites needing more of a long-term vision to address challenging site issues, the region is working with local municipalities, tracking utility infrastructure, preparing market feasibility studies and facilitating meetings with property owners and state agencies.

The Freightway is not only identifying and helping to market shovel-ready sites that have rail-service potential, but they also are shining a spotlight on other currently underutilized sites that could play a key role in meeting future industrial development needs, such as the 195 acres we own off of Illinois Route 3 in Venice and East St. Louis, said Brent Wood, TRRA president. Their forward thinking and willingness to collaborate to take on such challenges will help to advance these projects, so they can be added to the pipeline.

Freightway officials hope that by helping identify potential locations that can handle industrial development but need some support, it will attract additional industrial development to serve end-users needing to be near rail for purposes of shipping and receiving from rail/ocean containers.

Containerized cargo shipments continue to grow, underscoring the importance of taking advantage of expanding rail demand by increasing the number of shovel-ready, rail-accessible land sites in the region.

This type of proactive research and outreach around site readiness is absolutely crucial to the region's long-term success, said Torp. Many high-profile site selection wins are the direct result of years of research, planning, development, and advertising that occur before an industry even comes to town looking for an available site. The Development Ready Rail Land Sites list is a key first step in elevating specific sites to that next level.

"Additionally, this research can help guide capital investments, ensuring that any investment of public or private dollars is done so in a thoughtful and targeted manner, increasing the probability of success," said Torp. "This work will ensure that sites in the region can attract and retain the attention of site selectors, potential industries, and the larger economic development community as a whole.

The full report is available at https://www.thefreightway.com/real-estate/rail-access/, or contact Mary Lamie for more information at mclamie@TheFreightway.com.
EDWARDSVILLE  A Highland man was indicted Thursday for the March 14 murder of a 3-month-old infant.

Dustin B. Shires, 38, was indicted April 6 on two counts of first-degree murder, both Class M felonies. The original charges were filed March 17, and the case was presented by the Highland Police Department.

According to court documents, on March 14 Shires allegedly caused injuries to the chest and head of his son, Jamison Shires, who was born Nov. 25, 2022.

Emergency crews responded to the Shires residence at 1:22 p.m. for a report of an unresponsive infant, according to information provided by the Madison Couty State's Attorney's Office and the Highland Police Department.

The child was transported by helicopter to SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Hospital in St. Louis where he was pronounced dead five hours later. An autopsy was performed by the St. Louis Medical Examiners Office the next day.

The death of any child is heartbreaking, Madison County States Attorney Tom Haine said in a written statement when charges were originally filed. Child deaths that are caused by the actions of a parent are unfathomable.

The investigation was conducted by Highland Police, the Madison County Child Advocacy Center, the Southern Illinois Child Death Investigation Task Force, Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, and Assistant Madison County States Attorneys Ali Foley and Luke Yager.

In an unrelated case, a Cottage Hills man indicted for allegedly sexually assaulting a young boy over two years could face life in prison.

Kirk M. Cox, 30, was indicted April 6 on four counts of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child, all Class X felonies carrying a mandatory natural life sentence. He was originally charged March 15 and the case was presented by the Alton Police Department. The charges were initially suppressed and later unsealed.

According to court documents, between Jan. 1, 2021 and Feb. 23, 2023, Cox allegedly committed sexual acts with a boy now 11 years old.

Also on Thursday, an East Alton man was indicted on multiple charges related to methamphetamine trafficking and distribution.

Larry B. Tinnon, 64, was indicted for methamphetamine trafficking and aggravated unlawful possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine, both enhanced Class X felonies; unlawful possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver, a Class X felony; and two counts of unlawful use of property, both Class 2 felonies.

He was originally charged March 17. The case was presented by the Madison County Sheriffs Department.

According to court documents, on March 16 Tinnon allegedly brought 15-100 grams of methamphetamine into Illinois for distribution and was in possession of the methamphetamine. He's accused of using structures in Cottage Hills and East Alton as part of his plan to traffic and deliver methamphetamine.
(Bloomberg) -- The World Bank will push to resolve the mounting debt problems of poor countries and, along with the International Monetary Fund, will present concrete proposals to address some of the biggest restructuring roadblocks at this weeks Spring Meetings.

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It will introduce the ideas at the Global Sovereign Debt Roundtable, a meeting led by the Bretton Woods institutions and Group of 20 chair India in Washington, President David Malpass said in a blog post on Sunday.

There are two areas where Malpass sees possibility for a breakthrough, he said on a call with reporters on Monday. One is suspending debt-service payments at the start of the process, which would give incentives for reaching a deal and protect debt repayment ability.

The other is on more frequently invoking a rarely used policy called lending into arrears. That allows the IMF to lend into arrears if it deems prompt help is essential. The fund also needs to see the country pursuing appropriate policies and making good-faith efforts to reach an agreement with creditors, so that a single creditor cant block IMF lending.

Debt Overhang

Right now, the debt overhang is just paralyzing some of the countries, Malpass said.

Other proposals including sharing the joint World Bank-IMF debt sustainability analysis for nations with all creditors involved in discussions at the same time, with increased transparency and information sharing helping to calculate the size of debt relief needs, Malpass said. China, the biggest sovereign creditor to developing nations, has raised questions about the institutions assumptions, slowing the process.

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Restructuring also would be accelerated and strengthened by creating clear timelines for steps including the formation of creditor committees, the provision of financing assurances and the signing of the actual restructuring agreements, Malpass said.

On individual country cases, Malpass said the Zambia official creditor committee, led by China and France, plans to meet the week of April 16, and that hes looking for a good outcome. On Ghana, he said the advance of technical meetings is a positive sign, and highlighted the need for faster progress on Ethiopia.

With the debt crisis growing larger, we must approach the meetings in the week ahead with resolve and urgency, Malpass said. Now is the time for all parties to turn words into action.

Right now the debt overhang is just paralyzing some of the countries, Malpass said on the Monday call.

More than half of the worlds low-income countries are at high risk of debt distress or already in it, and several have defaulted. But despite the G-20 largest economies having agreed in 2020 to a plan called the Common Framework to smooth the process of restructuring loans that governments could no longer afford to service or repay, not a single nation has actually gotten relief under it so far.

Delays have partly stemmed from disagreements between the rich countries that have traditionally guided sovereign debt restructurings and China, which is now a major international creditor. Beijing has indicated that it would be more equitable if loans made by the World Bank, where the US is the largest shareholder, are included in any restructuring. The institutions have resisted the demand, along with many developed nations, most vocally the US. The institutions have resisted the demand, along with many developed nations, most vocally the US.

Malpass said that the World Bank expects global economic growth to slow to 2% this year, though thats an upgrade from the banks January forecast of 1.7% based on Chinas reopening and better performance in advanced economies.

(Updates with comment from Malpass in third paragraph.)

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GRAFTON  State Rep. C.D. Davidsmeyer, R-Jacksonville, recently visited Grafton to acknowledge an Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) grant for which he went to bat.

The Grafton City Council honored Davidsmeyer during a morning public ceremony held at Grafton City Hall to thank him for his help in setting aside the $120,000 DCEO grant for the city. The grant for infrastructure repairs was initiated last year by Davidsmeyer.
Ever since Rahul Gandhis disqualification from the Lok Sabha the media narrative has focused on his potential status as a political martyr. The debate on prime time shows has been framed as one around why the BJP would hand him an ace to play with in the form of a sympathy card.

I disagree.

Of course, for Rahul to lose his parliamentary seat in this fashion is wrong and the criminal defamation law that enabled it is problematic. But looked at through the prism of politics, for Rahul, the legal route may not be the smart one.

In fact, he runs the risk of being trapped in the quicksand of court dates in a year when he should not be distracted by anything but the 2024 elections and the big state elections just ahead of them.

Though a sessions court in Surat has suspended his sentence, a suspension on a conviction could still be a lengthy process. Rahul, who lost his Lok Sabha seat, after being found guilty in a criminal defamation case, could be facing multiple legal summons from across India. At last count he already had eight pending defamation cases to fight.

The charge against Rahul is that by linking corruption to the Modi surname he defamed the entire OBC community. The Congress has argued that the petitioner who dragged Rahul to court had no locus standi to do so because he was not an OBC. Of course the party has also argued that the comment was rhetorical and about what Shashi Tharoor called rich, fat catsin a reference to Nirav and Lalit Modi.

Rahul Gandhi | Arvind Jain

But the most recent petition dragging Rahul to court is by the BJP Bihar leader Sushil Modi, who is from the OBC community. And Rahul will most likely have to now turn his attention from Surat to Patna. Expect the cases and petitions to keep stacking up.

The BJP has always calculated that by keeping the public focus on Rahul, the contest for 2024 will be framed as a Narendra Modi vs Rahul battlea battle that Modi always wins. But by keeping Rahul embattled they may succeed in enfeebling him.

Would it not be smarter for Rahul to simply apologise?

Sure there might be a loss of face for a day or two. But who would remember anything more in the heat and dust of elections?

We have a living example that illustrates this in Arvind Kejriwal. The Delhi chief minister had charged an entire slew of leaders with corruption and, eventually went on an apology spree, including to Nitin Gadkari, Arun Jaitley, Bikram Majithia and Kapil Sibal. His supporters never cared or held it against him.

If Rahul refuses to cut his losses and say sorry, he may want to look at a disruptive option. He could consider not pursuing the route of legal appeals and welcome his arrest.

Even a short stint in jail would be a more effective political statement than offering up a battery of lawyers. Then he may even have a real chance of being a political martyr.

editor@theweek.in
Charan is currently in the US to promote 'RRR' ahead of Academy Awards
When introduced to Samuel Johnson who had prejudices against Scotsmen, James Boswell said meekly, Sir, I do indeed come from Scotland, but I cannot help it. Replied Johnson, That, sir, I find, is what many of your countrymen cannot help. Scotland is a land with prospects, protested Boswell. The noblest prospect for a Scotsman is the high road to England, retorted Johnson. In his dictionary, Johnson defined oats as a grain, which in England is generally given to horses, but in Scotland supports the people.

The spats between the legendary lexicographer and his bosom friend and biographer speak of the ties between England and Scotland. The two peoples revel in their prejudices, yet cant live without each other. Sherlock Holmes, Englands greatest fictional detective, was created by Scotsman A.C. Doyle. Englands greatest fictional spy was brought into reel life by the most dashing Scotsman, Sean Connery. Neither would admit it, but their mutual love swells like the Solway, but ebbs like its tide. Damn or drown, Lochinvar!

The old Anglo-Scottish rivalry has now taken an Indo-Pakistan twist. Many in India toasted with scotch, thinking an India story was being made in London when Rishi Sunak, who swears by the Gita and worships the cow, kissed the kings hand. Now Humza Yousaf of Pak descent, who wore a sherwani and swore in Urdu when he became a member of the Scottish Parliament in 2016, has been made the first minister of Scotland. By Robert Bruce and his spider, that calls for a toast with English gin!

WhatsApp smart Alecsshall we say McAlecs?are forwarding the 2016 video of Yousaf taking the oath in Urdu, claiming it to be of his swearing in as first minister. You dont need a Sherlock Holmes to call the bluff. One, neither the prime minister of Britain nor the first minister of Scotland swear themselves in; the former kisses the monarchs hand, the latter nods when the oath is read out to him. Two, in the video, he was swearing allegiance to the Queen. Crivvens! The Queen is dead; long live the king.

Illustration: Job P.K.

Therein lies another irony. Yousaf has sworn loyalty to the crown of England, but he is leading a party that has sworn to separate Scotland five centuries after the English and Scottish crowns were conjoined under James I, and four centuries after the countries merged under the Act of Union. Does that make James the last king of Scotland? Great Scot, no! That was Idi Amin, the Ugandan tyrant who gave himself the title.

Yousaf and his Scots, who think they are a different people, are cut up with the English for everything from the latters conceit to cutting welfare funds. Many have been seeking separation, especially after the Brits exited the EU lock, ale stock, beer barrel, England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. But the separatists never got majority in a referendum. Having burnt their fingers and fish-and-chips in Brexit, the English now say, even if the majority of Scots say secede, they would block the way with law.

Brexit, if you ask me, was one moment when Westminster mistook public sentiment for public opinion, as Benjamin Disraeli had warned. Just because a few yokels in Cornwall or Cumbria didnt like guys in Brussels telling them how to roast their beef, they voted to exit EU.

Now a few dumbos in Dundee and Dunfermline are seeking secession for Scotland. What if the Welsh say, they too want to lleave? Trifurcation of territory would end in tragedy. Read King Lear.

Bless my soul! Didnt the Bard write Lear just around the time the two crowns were conjoined under the Stuarts?

prasannan@theweek.in
Ram Navami is the Hindu festival that celebrates the birth of Lord Ram. As a child, growing up in north India, I dont remember major public celebrations of Ram Navami, the sort that we witness on Holi, Dussehra or Diwali in Delhi. My maternal grandmother would keep a fast on the day and go to the Ram temple. We, children, would devour the prasad she brought home. But, much like the figure of Ram himself, Ram Navami as a festival has transformed in the years since the BJP has risen to and finally assumed total political power in India.

As a child, every story I heard about Lord Ram, every comic I read, every bhajan we heard, every translated adaptation of the epic one read painted the picture of a man whose godliness was his righteousness. Ram was so righteous, so abhorring of personal greed or gains, and so committed to the idea of justice, that he willingly lost his kingdom and lived for over a decade in exile in a forest and finally renounced the wife that he had fought a war to rescue! One never imagined Ram to be angry or aggressivethose qualities belonged to his brother Lakshman.

One always imagined Ram as gentle, wise, kind, smiling and forgiving. Weeping when he lost Sita, weeping when Lakshman was mortally wounded. Even as an ace warrior, in popular imagination, it never seemed like Ram was enjoying the violence and fightinghe was doing his dharma dispassionately. And he was certainly never flexing at, nor provoking his enemies. Even the posters and pictures one saw of Ram were always smiling and pleasant, his bow always strung on his shoulder and a hand raised in blessing.

It was only once the RSS-BJP began to mobilise support in the early 1990s that an aggressive and militarised imagery for Lord Ram entered the Indian public imagination. As the traditional and more gentle north Indian greeting Jai Siya Ram (Hail Sitas Ram) got transformed into the war cry Jai Shri Ram (Victory to Lord Ram), the figure of Ram was depicted mid shotbow strung with arrow ready to strike. As graphic design technology developed so did the muscles in Rams body. The same happened with the figure of Lord Hanuman. My favourite God in my childhood, Hanuman, was always jovial and playful and fun and nice in my imagination, his godliness and powers coming from his humility and devotion. I remember wondering back in 2013 as I stared at the now omnipresent black and orange Hanuman sticker behind a taxi, Why is Hanuman ji so angry?

Like Ram and Hanuman, the festival of Ram Navami, too, has transformed. It may have started some years prior but especially since the BJP came to power in 2014, Ram Navami has become a day for hindutva organisations to take out processions that have often been called Shobha Yatras (Glory Processions). In many towns and cities in India, saffron-clad men take out marches wielding weapons like sticks and swords. A study by the Citizens & Lawyers Initiative titled Routes of Wrath: Weaponising Religious Processions examined the communal violence during Ram Navami and Hanuman Jayanti festivals in April 2022, and found that most processions chose routes that passed through Muslim majority areas.

This year Ram Navami has coincided with the holy month of fasting and prayer for MuslimsRamadan. The utter vileness and moral depravity of harassing those in prayer during their festival is blatant. The psychological and emotional assault on the Muslim psyche in India is evident. It is alleged that in Howrah in West Bengal, and in some cities in Bihar, Muslims responded with stone pelting, and communal clashes ensued.

Some made use of this and highlighted only these clashes, stressing that Muslims were rioters, ignoring the cause, context and even the numerous other incidents that had taken place across states; with no retaliation from Muslims.

The irony that Maryada Purshottam Rams so-called devotees are completely devoid of any decency or basic humanity is only a sign of our timeRavans donning the colours and crown of our righteous Ram.

The writer is an award-winning Bollywood actor and sometime writer and social commentator.
Rajasthan Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Sunday raised a fresh banner of revolt after he announced a day-long fast against the Ashok Gehlot government for failing to investigate the alleged corruption during the BJP rule in the state. Hours after his announcement, the party leadership issued a statement in Delhi, saying under Chief Minister Gehlot, Rajasthan had achieved a leadership position in governance.

"The Congress Government in Rajasthan with Ashok Gehlot as CM has implemented a large number of schemes and taken many new initiatives that have impacted the people profoundly. This has given the state a leadership position in governance in our country, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said in the statement.

Ramesh said the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Rajasthan was an outstanding success made possible by the dedication and determination of the party organisation in the state.

"Later in the year, the Congress will seek a renewed mandate from the people on the strength of these landmark achievements and the collective efforts of our organisation," he further said.

The statement, though without naming Pilot, is seen as an attempt to dispel whispers of a fresh crisis in state leadership ahead of assembly elections.

Meanwhile, AICC Rajasthan in-charge Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa told the Indian Express that the timing of Pilots press conference was not appropriate. Randhawa said he would travel to Jaipur on Monday or Tuesday and will discuss with Gehlot the issues raised by Pilot.

See the party is preoccupied with (agitating over) Rahul jis disqualification. We are holding press conferences every day, mobilising workers  In my view, it was not the right time  Firstly, he has not spoken to me about this issue. But there are big leaders. He could have spoken to them, he told Express.

Earlier in the day, Pilot, the former deputy chief minister, announced a day-long fast on Tuesday against the state government for allegedly ignoring the demands he had raised, including an investigation into the corruption allegations during the previous BJP government.

"No action was taken (by the Gehlot government) on the corruption by the previous Vasundhara Raje government. While in the Opposition, we promised an inquiry into the mines scam of Rs 45,000 crore," Pilot said.

Pilot's demand was supported by state cabinet minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas. Khachariyawas was the Jaipur Congress president when Pilot was the PCC chief and used to be at the forefront with him in raising the corruption issue. He was in the Pilot camp but during Pilot's revolt against Gehlot in 2020, Khachariyawas switched to the Gehlot camp.

However, another Congress leader told PTI that Pilot's announcement was also a kind of revolt against Gehlot and this would certainly harm the party.

"At a time when the Congress government is leaving no stone unturned to retain power in the upcoming elections, Pilot's announcement to sit on 'Anshan' will definitely send a wrong message among the masses. This should be avoided," the Congress leader said.

Gehlot and Pilot have been at loggerheads over the post of the chief minister ever since the Congress formed the government in Rajasthan in December 2018.

With PTI inputs
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who arrived in Uttar Pradesh for the first time since he was sworn in as the chief minister, will visit Ayodhya on Sunday. As a show of support, thousands of Shiv Sainiks too will converge at the holy town.

Besides Shinde and Shiv Sena MPs and MLAs, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will also arrive in Ayodhya on Sunday.

"This is not a political visit. I keep visiting Ayodhya but this is the first time I have come here as the chief minister. All our party leaders wanted to take the blessings of Lord Ram. I want to thank Yogi-ji and his ministers who were here to welcome us," Shinde told ANI.

Shinde and other Shiv Sena leaders arrived in Lucknow on Saturday and were welcomed by his Uttar Pradesh counterpart Yogi Adityanath at the Lucknow airport.

He will reach Ayodhya by helicopter and land at the banks of the Saryu river on Sunday morning. "The Maharashtra chief minister will be arriving in Lucknow on Saturday and will visit Ayodhya on Sunday, where he will offer prayers at the Hanumangarhi temple and the Ram temple. He will also see the ongoing construction of the Ram Janmabhoomi temple and perform the evening 'aarti' on the banks of the Saryu river," Maharashtra Chief Minister's spokesperson Viraj Mulaye told PTI.

Shinde will also meet the seers of Ayodhya and address a press conference. He will return to Mumbai the same day after spending about nine hours in the temple town.

Besides Shinde and Shiv Sena leaders, thousands of Shiv Sainiks will also converge in Ayodhya today. A train carrying over 1,200 supporters and Ram devotees departed from Thane on Friday.

The special train was beautifully decorated with a 'Chalo Ayodhya' board mounted in the front. Another train carrying Shiv Sainiks left for Ayodhya from Nashik, Shinde told reporters.

The party spokesperson added that over 3,000 devotees have left for the temple town in these two trains.

On arrival at Ayodhya, the workers put up big banners welcoming Shinde to Ayodhya.

Before his departure to Lucknow, Shinde had said that he wanted to go to Ayodhya after getting the Bow and Arrow symbol. "We will be going to Ayodhya to seek Lord Ram's blessings on April 9. The call of faith and belief prompted us to undertake this visit. We will perform the Aarti. I still remember that Dharmveer Anand Dhigana (Anand Dighe, who the Maharashtra CM considers his mentor) had sent a Karsevak to Ayodhya with a silver brick. So, we have old bonding with Ram Lalla and will be visiting the temple also."

As thousands of Shiv Sainiks will throng the holy town today, almost all hotels, guest houses and dharamshalas in the temple town have been fully booked to accommodate them.

Earlier, Shinde had visited Ayodhya as a Shiv Sena leader on November 25, 2018, a year before the Supreme Court announced the verdict in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute.

He also visited Ayodhya in March 2020 and June last year.
Former Union defence minister and Congress leader A.K. Antony lamented over his sons decision to join the BJP, but Anil A. Antony says he made his move after putting a lot of thought into the future. The 37-year-old tech entrepreneur blames the uncultured environment in the Congress as the main reason for him to slowly disassociate from the functioning of the party. A post-graduate in management science and engineering from Stanford University, Anil held the post of national coordinator of the social media and digital communications department of the Indian National Congress, before his exit from the grand old party. Since January 2019, he had been the convenor of the digital media cell of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee as well. He was assigned to this post after delivering analytical and survey work for the Congress before the 2017 Gujarat elections. Anil, however, says he had to face concerted cyber attacks from a section of the party multiple times, since then. In an exclusive interaction with THE WEEK, Anil Antony talks about his past, the cyber attacks he had faced and his father is now facing and also how his decision would affect his inter-familial relationships.

Excerpts:

It has been a few days since how joined the BJP. How is your experience in the new party?

I just joined. It is a decision I had taken after a lot of time. It is not a decision which is, [an] instantaneous one after I resigned from the Congress party in my roles in January after the BBC controversy. I put a lot of thought into my future, and I believe that the Bharatiya Janata Party is the only party that is nationalistic with a vision to take this country forward in a very planned manner. The prime minister has the vision to take India from where it is right now to a developed nation by 2047. So it is a party with a vision and a plan. I believe that a person with my experience and expertise and interest, I believe this is a party where I can contribute towards national interest and national transformation. And, I believe in the prime minister's vision. So, I decided that I will join the party. And I thank the leadership, the central and the state leadership, for allowing me to join the party on the party's foundation day itself. I am meeting some of the senior leaders. I am meeting the workers. I am getting their blessings and guidance. And overall, I'm very happy in this environment because everybody is dedicated. They all have a deep love for India. They all have perfect faith in the prime minister's vision. And they are all working every day to forward that vision and take India forward. So overall, it is a very safe environment.

You are someone with a lot of technology experience and expertise, especially in AI-based applications. So, has there been any talk about the kind of roles you will be handling in the party?

All that is decided by the party, the central leadership and the state leadership. I had conversations with them. But they will discuss it with each other, and decide that. It is not up to me to decide. But I do believe that the current government led by Prime Minister Modi is one of the governments that has used technology in a very efficient manner to transform the country. You look at schemes like Aadhaar. Using Aadhaar as a platform, great applications have been created that are delivering a number of services. You have applications like the UPI, which has become the world's largest payment platform right now. You have applications like CoWin, which has been a super success story in India; a very efficient platform that has now become a global standard in many countries. Just like UPI, many countries are accepting it, and are adopting it. You have a tremendous amount of indigenization projects that are going on there, from sectors like semiconductors to space to defence to communication. Suddenly, the industrial and manufacturing capacity of the country is tremendously increasing. And now we are becoming leaders in exports and also in high technology. So, there is a tremendous amount of work that is happening in this country, [about] which, as an ordinary Indian citizen, I am very happy and proud. And now with technology as a background, I believe that I will be able to contribute towards the prime minister's vision.

Now about your days in Congress. You were brought into an organisational post in 2019 after you helped the party with the 2017 Gujarat elections. But now the party says you didn't do anything for Congress.

I don't feel any negativity towards them. I quit the party. The Congress party is a part of my past, not my present or my future. I have joined another party, which I believe is the only national party in this India, which is nationalistic, with a clear vision to take this country forward. And I believe that I have taken the right step. I have contributed very effectively to the Congress party whenever I could. However, I am not at all surprised by the negative thought processes of the Congress. You can forget about me. I only started working for the party in the last three, or four years. But there are people like Ghulam Nabi Azad Sahib, Jyotiraditya [Scindia] ji, Himanta Biswas ji, and Kiran Kumar Reddy. Yesterday, Mr Rahul Gandhi had put a particular tweet about all of us. All these are people who have contributed 20, 30, 40 and 50 years for the party and the country. And since they have left the party, Mr Rahul Gandhi and his team thinks that even they haven't contributed. This is the attitude of these people. So, I am not at all surprised by any of these allegations. I am sure it will keep on coming. But even when I was in Congress, there used to be a particular section within that party that used to attack me, plant stories against me in various news outlets, used to conduct concerted cyber attacks against me. At that point in time, it used to hurt me a bit because these were all supposed to be my colleagues, my co-workers. And I felt that that was a kind of betrayal. But now they are my political opponents. And this is expected of them; nothing is surprising about it.

Do you think that this sort of concerted attack was conducted against you because many in Congress were feeling threatened by you coming into the party and getting elevated to a crucial post?

The Congress party is my past. It is not my present or my future. I have completely quit this party. I am working for a new party, the only national party that I believe can take this country forward in an inclusive manner with a clear vision. And I am very happy where I am. So now I don't want to keep commenting on the Congress party and their internal function. There are many problems in that party, starting right from the top of the leadership. And it percolates to every level. That party is in a downward spiral. I sincerely don't think that the party, in its current format, will even exist after the 2024 elections because the people of this country have been again and again rejecting that party. [In] 2014 and 2019 elections, the BJP, led by Prime Minister Modi, won a mandate which is two of the largest mandates in modern India's history. The Congress had its worst two showings. And in between, there were many state elections. The results were very similar. In the [recently held] North-eastern elections, the Congress was reduced to an electoral nonentity there. So, this trajectory is nothing unsurprising. The young people of India do not see Congress as a viable alternative in any manner. They don't resonate with this Congress party. They don't identify with this Congress party. And they have full faith in Prime Minister Modi's leadership. They have full faith in his vision and the BJP. I don't think, since I have left it, my role to give Congress any advice or course-correct them any longer.

Your father, A.K. Antony is still with the Congress. He is one of the senior-most leaders of the grand old party. But now he is also facing social media attacks from the party cadres. And the partys Kerala leadership had to say the cadres must stop this because he is one of our most respectable leaders and he shouldn't be attacked like this.

Nothing surprising about any of these things. Even when I was in Congress, there was a particular section that was running concerted cyber attacks against me. Right now, it is against my father. Even senior leaders who are accomplished, who are mass leaders with public appeal, like Shashi Tharoor, and K. Muraleedharan, they are all facing cyber attacks from their cyber warriors. Their cyber warriors have no discipline. They don't even have a sense of what the party is. It is just a bunch of people with very little political understanding who believe that throwing muck at people is the way to work for the party. This uncultured environment is very negative. And these are all reasons which made me slowly disassociate from the functioning of the party.

Do you think the kind of respect that was not offered to you in Congress is now being offered by the BJP for the expertise you have and the kind of technological experience you bring?

I believe in the prime minister's vision for the country. I believe in the trajectory he is taking this country in. I believe that there is a clear 25-year roadmap for the prime minister; over the next 25 years, he wants to develop India into a developed country where every single citizen of this country will have avenues of social and economic mobility and newer opportunities, employment opportunities; the life will better for all the 140 crore people in this country without bias. So, I joined the party hoping that I can also be a part of this nation building process and the national transformation process. And I'm very sure that I will be able to do something meaningful for the country from this party.

When you joined the BJP, it was projected as how the BJP is welcoming minority sections, especially Christians. How do you see that? Is it a message that the party is now more open-minded to minorities?

Prime Minister Modi doesn't differentiate between minority and majority. He sees everybody as Indians. He sees 140 crore Indians. And he is working on policies and schemes that can take all the 140-crore people forward. I joined this party as a young Indian, which I believe represents the vast majority of this country. And as a young Indian, I joined the party so that I can contribute towards the prime minister's vision of nation building.

You joined the BJP on Maundy Thursday, an important day for Christians. And, one of the earliest reactions from the Congress leadership was that you have become a Judas. What do you have to say about that? Also, that day was your brother's birthday and it was projected in the media that it was a sad day for the family. So how would this decision of you affect your inter-familial relationships?

It will not affect us in any manner, because we are independent people with very independent thoughts, beliefs, and political beliefs. But above all, we are all family. We have deep love and affection for each other. We have the highest regard and respect for our parents. So personal life is very different. Political thought processes are very different. As far as personal equations are concerned, we have deep love and affection for each other. Nothing changes. But politically, I believe that I am taking a step which is the right step for me to contribute to this country's interest.

Were you able to have a talk with your father and brother after this episode?

As a family, we are always in touch. We are in conversation. But my father never used to discuss politics in our house. And even now, we don't discuss politics. We discuss everything other than politics.
Around 8:30 on the morning of July 7, 2022, a 28-year-old employee climbed inside a trash compactor to clear out a piece of rebar at the Chancellor Convenience Centers station No. 5.

A short time later, a coworker was yelling for someone to call 911.

The machine activated while Spotsylvania County resident Brandon Nutter was still inside. It appears the compactor was likely activated when he cut free the piece of rebar, and he was killed by the machine.

The workplace incident seems to be the result of a number of factors that played crucial roles leading to Nutters death.

The county faces nearly $300,000 in Occupational Safety and Health Administration fines for violations related to the fatal incident. The labor and industry department is handling the state-based investigation for OSHA, and the case remains open.

The Spotsylvania Sheriffs Office, along with fire and rescue crews, responded to the Chancellor Convenience Center that summer day. The Sheriffs Office supplemental report on the fatal incident, obtained by a Freedom of Information Act request, portrays a troubling scene and work environment.

Detective Anthony Harris, who wrote the report, arrived on the scene shortly after Nutters death. He discovered a series of missteps made by new employees in an environment with no clear safety supervision or training.

The detective interviewed two workers who were on the scene.

One workers job was to check the bins and areas around them to make sure it was clean. That employee and Nutter were inspecting the lower bin areas that morning when they stopped at the bin for station No. 5, where a piece of rebar was wedged.

The other worker manned the control booth for station No. 5.

The morning of the fatal incident was the booth operators third day on the job. He had no previous experience working at a similar facility or with such a machine. He told the detective there was no one who was formally training him on the machine or his duties and responsibilities.

The booth operator said he got to work around 7:30 that morning and tried to turn on the machine, but couldnt. He got another worker, from a nearby control booth, to come help. But they couldnt get the machine started, and the other worker had to return to his station because a line was forming at the trash bin.

Below the station No. 5 control booth, Nutter had removed the compactor cover and got inside with a reciprocating saw to cut out the rebar. A key safety measure wasnt followed, though, as the power had not been turned off/de-energized and  no lock-out procedures had been followed, Harris wrote in the police report.

At the same time, the other booth operator returned to station No. 5, according to the report. When he entered the control booth the machine kicked on, without either man doing anything.

They then heard yelling from below that someone was inside the compactor and to call 911.

Harris said in the report that it appeared the two control booth workers had activated the machine earlier while the rebar was jamming the machine.

The worker who was below with Nutter had rushed to shut down the circuit breaker to the machine. But it didnt happen in time to save Nutter, who was crushed at the waist as he tried to climb out through the top of the compactor.

In his report, Harris said he determined that there were no safety protocols followed and it was unlikely the new employees were properly trained on those protocols. There were no safety lock-outs at either power location and no cones or safety flags placed on the lower level on the outside of bin #5, which would have visually indicated to personnel both up top and down below that there was (maintenance) being performed on the machine.

Another facility employee told the Harris there was absolutely no formal training program in place at the facility. The employee said he started work at the convenience center in early 2022 and had not been trained at all.

The worker told Harris that it was a more of a learn-as-you-go type of program.

Equipment issues also could have been a factor in Nutters death. The detective noted that he was told the machines manufacturer had done maintenance on station No. 5s bin because it was having issues where it would not turn on.

There was also a problem with documents for the facilitys safety procedures, maintenance procedures and training records for the workers involved.

On the day of the fatality, the countys safety officer, Loren Kato, told Harris there were no such documents handy. Kato told the detective he could could possibly get it the following week, according to the report.

Harris also reported what he found to be odd behavior by the countys safety officer.

Shortly after Harris started investigating the scene, the countys safety officer appeared, saying she needed to be with Harris throughout the investigation.

This was unusual to me, being that this was an active crime scene, Harris wrote.

The detective said Kato took photographs with a cell phone. When he contacted OSHA and the medical examiners office, Harris said the safety officer wanted to be right next to me as he spoke with officials.

When OSHA officials were on the scene investigating, the safety officer followed and was adding commentary, Harris reported. The OSHA officials eventually told the safety officer to stay back.

Harris ended his report saying he didnt find any criminal violations, but there were serious safety violations committed.

He added that he would follow up with OSHA and confer with the Commonwealths Attorney to determine if any other avenues should be explored in the case.

The criminal case remains open.

In a statement, county officials said they are working to address a variety of issues this tragic event brings to our attention.

The County would be premature in addressing it or taking personnel action at this time, the statement read. It is important to the County meaningfully to learn from this terrible accident and engage in actions to prevent something similar from happening to someone else.
A Pakistani intruder was killed as Army troops foiled a major infiltration attempt along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district early Sunday, a defence spokesman said.

Officials said the infiltration attempt by three suspected terrorists was foiled in Shahpur sector around 2.15 am when troops guarding the LoC picked up their movement and engaged them in a gunfight.

Jammu-based Army PRO Lt Col Devender Anand said troops detected suspicious movement of a group of individuals close to the border fence along the LoC in Poonch during the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday.

On being intercepted, in the ensuing operations, one body was seen (lying near the scene of the firing) and the other intruders ran into the forest area. Cordon of the area has been established and search operation is in progress (to arrest them), the spokesperson said.

Officials said the Army suspects the presence of two more Pakistani intruders in the cordoned off area.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived at the Bandipur Tiger Reserve in Chamrajnagar, Mysuru, on Sunday to mark the completion of 50 years of Project Tiger. He will also release the latest tiger census data.

The Prime Minister landed in Mysuru on Saturday, his eighth visit to poll-bound Karnataka this year. He set out to Bandipur Tiger Reserve around 7 am. The chopper carrying the Prime Minister landed at Melukamanahalli near the Bandipur Tiger Reserve some time later.

Modi also went on a "safari" at the Bandipur Tiger Reserve in Karnataka on Sunday, as part of programmes to mark 50 years of "Project Tiger''.

According to his iterinary, the Prime Minister will release the tiger census data at 11 am. He will also release the government's vision for tiger conservation during 'Amrit Kaal', and launch the International Big Cats Alliance (IBCA). The IBCA will focus on protection and conservation of seven major big cats of the world -- Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Puma, Jaguar and Cheetah, with membership of the range countries harbouring these species.

During his Bandipur visit, Modi will interact with frontline field staff and self-help groups involved in conservation activities. The Prime Minister will also release a commemorative coin of Rs 50 and a document on effective management of tiger reserves and conservation.

After Bandipur, Modi will head towards the Theppakadu Elephant camp in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve. The reserve borders Chamarajanagar district but is in the Tamil Nadu state. He will interact with mahouts and 'kavadis' of the elephant camp and meet Bomman and Bellie, the couple in the Oscar Award winning documentary "The Elephant Whisperers".

The Prime Minister will also interact with Field Directors of tiger reserves that have scored highest in the recently concluded 5th cycle of Management Effectiveness Evaluation exercise.

Security tightened, safaris cancelled

Security has been tightened in Mysuru in view of the Prime Minister's visit. While the vehicular movement on the National Highway 181 has been restricted. The curbs will be in force till Sunday afternoon.

The district administration has banned tourists visiting the tiger reserve from April 6 to April 9. All hotels, lodges and homestays around the premises of the tiger reserve have also been barred from taking visitors and tourists in and have been ordered to remain closed till the Prime Minister leaves.
Amid the controversy over dairy giant Amul's entry into Karnataka market, the Bruhat Bengaluru Hotels Association (BBHA) has announced that it will only use homegrown 'Nandini' milk.

"All the hotels in the city have unanimously decided to use only Nandini products to encourage the local farmers," BBHA president PC Rao told Bengaluru Mirror.

Just days after Amul announced on Twitter that it was launching in Karnataka, the Opposition Congress and JD(S) protested against the decision, terming it a conspiracy by the BJP government to destroy the local brand KMF, which sells milk and curd in the state under the brand name of Nandini.

Amul's Twitter feed also saw a huge backlash as hashtags like #Savenandini #GobackAmul started trending on Twitter. One tweet read: "After destroying Maharashtra, Modi Shah now planning to destroy Karnataka. Amit Shah has planned to destroy Karnataka's popular milk brand Nandini by bringing Gujarat's Amul into the state. Boycott Amul and SAVE NANDINI."

Another user said Karnataka farmers will answer through vote.

While the whole issue has snowballed into political slug fest between the ruling BJP, and opposition Congress and JD(S), Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said the government was clear on the issue of Amul.

He also accused the Congress of politicising Amul's entry to Karnataka. "We have absolute clarity with regard to Amul. Nandini is a national brand. It's not restricted to Karnataka. We have popularised Nandini as a brand in other states as well," Bommai said.

He added that not only has milk production increased in the state but incentives have also been given to the milk producers.

Adding that several major dairies of KMF in the state have been established during BJP rule, production and number of products have increased. "There is a market too (for Nandini products). Hence, Nandini will become a number one brand in some days," Bommai said. The Chief Minister said the state is selling Nandini in other states as well.

"There is no need to be afraid of Amul. Our Nandini is an established brand. We will take all the steps to give Amul a tough competition," he pointed out.

Earlier in the day, AICC general secretary and Karnataka party in-charge Randeep Surjewala raised the issue alleging that the BJP was trying to "sell off" Nandini. Surjewala tweeted, "BJP conspiracy to sell off Karnataka Milk Federation to Gujarat's Amul is now clear. 1st, Mr. Amit Shah said it openly. Now, Ms. Shobha Karandlje supports it. NANDINI LOSES, AMUL GAINS, BOMMAI GOVT REMAINS MUTE' ! Save NANDINI, Vote BJP out!"

Former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy too flayed the state government on this issue in a series of tweets. "Now there is a 3rd plot to finish the lifeline of Kannadigas Nandini. Plot-1: Merger of Nandini with Amul; Union Home Minister Amit Shah's statement. Plot-2: Print the Hindi word 'Dahi' on curd."

"Both plots failed due to strong opposition from Kannadigas. The central government through Amul is going to make the 3rd plot successful," he said.

Kumaraswamy, the JD(S) second-in-command, alleged that Amul has this 'bad thinking' to finish off its lone competitor Nandini in Karnataka itself. "One nation, one Amul, one milk and one Gujarat' has become the official policy of the Central government. Hence, Amul is strangulating KMF by standing in its support," Kumaraswamy charged.

This comes days after the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) instructed KMF to print 'Dahi' on curd packets. However, the FSSAI had to reverse its notification after a backlash from the political parties in the South.

Meanwhile, Jayen Mehta, managing director of Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation which owns Amul, said he was aware of the Twitter storm over the brand's announcement on entry in Karnataka. Mehta told Financial Express that the brand is currently looking at e-commerce/quick commerce channels and not looking at general trade. "For general trade, we will need to bring down price points. There is no such plan currently. And a modern trade entry of Amul in Bengaluru will happen only six months later," he said as quoted by Financial Express.
Days after Aam Aadmi Party supremo and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was fined by Gujarat High Court for seeking details of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's degree certificates, the party on Sunday launched a 'Show your degree' campaign.

Delhi minister Atishi, addressing a press conference, said the AAP leaders will show their education certificates to the public as part of the campaign and asked the BJP leaders, too, to do the same.

"We are starting a campaign today. Your leaders will show their degree everyday to you. I have a BA degree from Delhi University and two Master's degree from Oxford. All of them are original," she said.

"I want to ask all leaders to show their degrees, especially BJP leaders," Atishi further said, apparently targeting the prime minister.

The Gujarat High Court on March 31 quashed a seven-year-old order of the Central Information Commission (CIC) which had asked the Gujarat University to provide information on Modi's degree to Kejriwal.

Allowing the university's appeal against the CIC order, Justice Biren Vaishnav also imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on Kejriwal and asked him to deposit the amount within four weeks to the Gujarat State Legal Services Authority (GSLSA).

The entire country is stunned by the High Court's order because there should be a freedom of seeking information and asking questions in a democracy, the AAP chief said a day after the court order.

He further said that the high court's order had increased the suspicion over the prime minister's education.
A residential building in France's port city of Marseille collapsed in a loud explosion early Sunday followed by a fire deep within the rubble that hindered rescue efforts.

More than six hours after the collapse of the five-storey building, it was not known if anyone was killed. The Guardian reported at least five people have suffered injuries in the collapse and the city Mayor said they should be prepared to have fatalities in this terrible tragedy.

More than 100 firefighters were trying to put out blazes under huge piles of rubble in a slow and delicate operation aimed at trying not to harm people potentially trapped. According to reports, authorities are still unclear about total number of people inside the block.

Marseille Mayor Benoit Payan said two neighbouring buildings were partially brought down and one was in danger of collapsing, creating a double challenge. Firefighters are gauging minute by minute the best way to put out the fire, the mayor said at a televised briefing. The lives of firefighters are also at play, he said.

The noise from the explosion shortly before 1am, resounded in other neighbourhoods. Nearby streets were blocked off.

Residents of neighbouring buildings were evacuated and six were hospitalized, Payan said.

The collapsed building is located in an old quarter in the centre of France's second-largest city.

We are trying to drown the fire while preserving the lives of eventual victims under the rubble, said Lionel Mathieu, commander of the Marseille fire brigade. The intense heat made it impossible to send in dog teams to search, he added.

The mayor said that an explosion was the probable cause of the building collapse, but stressed that an investigation would ultimately determine the cause. We must prepare to have victims, Payan said grimly.

Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin was expected at the scene later Sunday.

The Guardian reported that in 2018, eight got killed in Marseille when two dilapidated buildings in the working-class district of Noailles caved in.

(With PTI inputs.)
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will welcome US President Joe Biden to Belfast in Northern Ireland next week as the UK commemorates the 25th anniversary of the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement, the peace treaty struck for the region in April 1998, Downing Street said on Sunday.



Biden will arrive in the UK on Tuesday evening, when Sunak will meet him off Air Force One and the US President will then undertake a programme of engagements including a bilateral with Sunak.

It comes as Monday marks a quarter of a century since the Good Friday Agreement was signed, transforming the political and economic landscape of the devolved region of Northern Ireland.

The Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement was an incredible moment in our nation's history. It was a powerfully rare example of people doing the previously unthinkable to create a better future for Northern Ireland, said Sunak.

It is that promise of a better future that we offered to everyone in Northern Ireland that I will be thinking of first and foremost over the coming days. It is my responsibility as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom to ensure we are making good on that promise, he said.

The British Indian leader said that Northern Ireland is "teeming" with opportunities, talent and ingenuity.

"The biggest thing we can do to improve people's standard of living and secure a prosperous and thriving Northern Ireland is economic growth. That's something I'm relentlessly focused on delivering, he added.

The US strongly supported the Agreement process and played a pivotal role in boosting peace away from secessionist violence in Northern Ireland.

The UK government says it will use the Biden visit and his engagements with business leaders and others in the Northern Ireland capital of Belfast to celebrate the region's successes and encourage further long-term investment.

The US is one of the largest sources of foreign investment into Northern Ireland, putting GBP 1.5 billion into its economy over the last decade and creating 13,000 jobs. This includes tech giants such as Microsoft establishing themselves there.

Sunak is to announce that the UK will host a Northern Ireland Investment Summit in September this year to connect international investors with Northern Ireland businesses, showcasing the best of what Northern Ireland has to offer.

The Good Friday Agreement, signed by then British Prime Minister Tony Blair and his Irish counterpart, Bertie Ahern, backed by then US President Bill Clinton, brought an end to 30 years of conflict in Northern Ireland, known as the Troubles.

It was signed on April 10, 1998, and approved by public votes in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

Historically, Northern Ireland was created in 1921 and remained part of the UK when the rest of Ireland became an independent state, causing a split in the population between unionists, who wish to see Northern Ireland stay within the UK, and nationalists, who want it to become part of the Republic of Ireland.

From the late 1960s, armed groups from both sides carried out bombings and shootings.

It was the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement that brought peace to the region, with Brexit most recently testing its role in lasting peace to maintain a physical borderless island of Ireland.
A poster of Leader Ramaiah, a biopic on former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah, was released on Ram Navami. It described him as a king raised by the people, and highlighted the message that the film was about a person named after Ram.

Siddaramaiah, the Congresss mass leader and the only Karnataka chief minister to have completed a full term in the past 45 years, is facing several challenges before the elections, one of them being the perception that he is anti-Hindu. The BJP has accused Siddaramaiah of minority appeasement, and even his own party men are shying away from endorsing his views fearing backlash from the majority community. The poster, perhaps, was to address all this.

In what could be a blow to Siddaramaiah, the BJP has been trying to lure smaller SC, ST and OBC communities away from his Ahinda block.

It started in 2015, when the Siddaramaiah government decided to celebrate Tipu Jayanti. The BJP was up in arms, saying that the Congress was portraying a religious bigot as a nationalist.

The BJP also alleged that Siddaramaiah had withdrawn cases against Popular Front of India and Social Democratic Party of India activists, whom it called communal and anti-national. Siddaramaiah has vehemently denied these charges, but he finds himself isolated in a party that, under state president D.K. Shivakumar, has been accused of practising soft hindutva.

There is also the memory of the 2018 Lingayat movement, demanding a separate religion tag, which the Siddaramaiah government allegedly fuelled to divide the BJPs Lingayat vote bank. It backfired as the Congress lost the elections; it was seen as a verdict against the divisive politics of Siddaramaiah.

Heading into these elections, the Kuruba strongman once again finds himself at a crossroads. His long hunt for a safe seat is reminiscent of the 2018 elections, when he, as chief minister, searched for a safe seat fearing sabotage by detractors from within and outside his party.

This time, he has zeroed in on two seatsVaruna, the constituency in Mysuru currently held by his doctor son Yathindra, and Kolar, for which he is yet to get the high commands nod. He has, notably, abandoned his plan to seek re-election from his current seat, Badami.

In 2018, he had lost from Chamundeshwari, a constituency in Mysuru he had won five times. The Vokkaligas mobilised against him and gave the win to his friend-turned-bitter rival G.T. Deve Gowda, a Janata Dal (Secular) leader from their community.

Badami had saved him the blushes. But there, too, he had won only by a margin of around 1,700 votes against the BJPs B. Sriramulu, a popular ST leader. This was despite the seat being in the Lingayat heartland and having a sizeable Kuruba population.

Insiders said that Siddaramaiahs constant attacks on former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowdas familyincluding calling on his party workers to put an end to the reign of the Gowda sonsturned the community against him.

There seems to have been more scouting in 2023. Siddaramaiah picked Varuna and Kolar after a whirlwind tour of potential constituencies and a series of secret meetings with local leaders. And though this would mean that his son would be left without a constituency, the plan is for the father to win both seats and vacate Varuna for Yathindra in the byelection that would follow.

Butting heads: The power tussle between D.K. Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah has become a headache for the Congress | Bhanu Prakash Chandra

A defeat in either, however, would threaten his chances of becoming chief minister, even if the Congress gets a clear majority. As it is, the Congress has been called the party of chief minister aspirants, and pre-election surveys indicating a comfortable win for the party has only made it more anxious.

Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar aside, the other hopefuls include Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and former deputy chief minister Dr G. Parameshwara, both dalit leaders. They have long resented the outsider Siddaramaiahwho came from the JD(S)becoming chief minister out of turn.

Parameshwara, who lost from Koratagere in 2013, suspects Siddaramaiahs hand in his defeat. Former Union minister K.H. Muniyappa holds Siddaramaiahs close aide and former assembly speaker Ramesh Kumar responsible for his defeat in Kolar in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Shivakumar supporters recall how Siddaramaiah kept him out of the cabinet.

There was also speculation that Siddaramaiah had a secret pact with the BJP to fell the Congress-JD(S) government in 2019. He apparently did not want to share power with the JD(S), which had come third in the elections but got itself the chief ministers chair. The BJP, led by B.S. Yediyurappa, had engineered a mass defection of Congress and JD(S) legislators; most of the Congress defectors were from the Siddaramaiah camp. A few months before the coup, a video of Siddaramaiah predicting the coalitions premature collapse had widened the rift between the partners.

The animosity between Siddaramaiah and the Gowda family has only grown. Recently, he mocked the JD(S), saying it would not win more than 20 seats this time. Irked, senior JD(S) leader H.D. Kumaraswamy dared Siddaramaiah to float a new party and win at least a couple of seats to prove his mettle.

When a JD(S) MLA recently joined the Congress, Siddaramaiah said he, too, was forced out and that the Deve Gowda clan had harassed him. Kumaraswamy shot back saying it was Siddaramaiah who was using the JD(S) as his fiefdom and was arm-twisting party president Deve Gowda to have his way.

Speaking of the party presidents, the Siddaramaiah-Shivakumar tussle has become a major headache for the Congress. Last August, Siddaramaiah turned his 75th birthday celebrations in Davanagere into a show of strength. It was a counter to Shivakumars Mekedatu Padayatra (campaign for water) in the Vokkaliga heartland, through which he projected himself as the undisputed Vokkaliga leader in the state and also the next chief minister. Such is the rivalry that former Congress president Rahul Gandhi has on multiple occasions called for a truce between the two leaders.

Interestingly, even as original Congressmen are opposed to Siddaramaiah as chief minister, there has also been a whisper campaign against him by leaders lobbying for a dalit chief minister.

In what could be another blow to Siddaramaiah, the BJP has been trying to lure smaller SC, ST and OBC communities away from the former chief ministers Ahinda block.

The Basavaraj Bommai government recently enhanced the SC and ST quota, and also rejigged the OBC list to fulfil long-pending demands for a hike in quota by the politically strong Vokkaligas and Lingayats. Moreover, the implementation of the internal quota in the SC reservation to provide a level playing field for non-influential SC communities has further divided the Congresss dalit vote bank.

Moreover, an internal Congress report said that Siddaramaiahs Ahinda politics is apparently alienating dominant castes like the Vokkaligas and the Lingayats.

Siddaramaiah, who got power through Ahinda politics, ended up fragmenting the communities once he came to power through his divisive policies, favouring only a few communities, said BJP national general secretary C.T. Ravi. He defeated dalit leaders of his own party and kept them out of the cabinet. His only achievement was building a corrupt team in the party and the government.

Challenges are not new to Siddaramaiah. From cowherd to chief minister, the 75-year-old has fought several battles on his way to the top. This time, though, the battles seem to be piling up.
The two national partiesthe BJP and the Congressare asking voters for a clear mandate to avoid a hung assembly. In theory, the Janata Dal (Secular) is also doing the sameformer chief minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, 63, who is leading the JD(S)s campaign, has set an ambitious target of 123 seats. But, in reality, the party is focused on bagging 30 to 40 seats. That could make it kingmaker or even king.

This is no wishful thinking as the JD(S) has proven. It shared power in 2004 and 2018 after winning 58 and 37 seats, respectively. But, 58 is still its best tally almost 20 years later as it has been unable to expand effectively beyond Old Mysuru; in 2018, 29 of its 37 seats were in the Vokkaliga heartland (the region has 59 seats). JD(S) patriarch H.D. Deve Gowda continues to be the tallest Vokkaliga leader in the state and commands enormous respect from the community, but that alone is now not enough to hold the Vokkaliga votes intact.

The emergence of Vokkaliga leaders in the Congress and the BJP, the exodus of JD(S) leaders and growing resentment among party workers over family-centric politics and nepotism have left the party in an existential crisis. The bigger challenge currently is the feud between Kumaraswamy and his elder brother and Holenarasipur MLA H.D. Revanna. The latter wants his wife, Bhavani, to contest from Hassan; Kumaraswamy is adamant the ticket should go to H.P. Swaroop, son of former MLA H.S. Prakash.

To make matters worse, Bhavani declared her candidature and claimed senior leaders would soon make the announcement. Kumaraswamy refused to budge. If given the ticket, Bhavani would be the eighth family member to enter electoral politicsAnitha, Kumaraswamys wife, is an MLA and their son, Nikhil, is set to contest from her seat (Ramanagara), Prajwal, Revannas younger son, is Hassan MP and his brother Suraj is an MLC. Interestingly, Anitha announced her decision to vacate her seat for her son at a rally, much like Bhavanis unilateral announcement.

I agree that the family has stepped in and fielded a member when the party faced a crisis, said Kumaraswamy. But, this is not one such situation. We should avoid giving anyone a chance to call us a family-centric party. His fear is not baseless. Deve Gowda lost in Tumakuru in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and Nikhil was beaten by Sumalatha Ambareeshclear signs of the winds of change sweeping through the Vokkaliga belt.

Meanwhile, Prajwal threatened to resign as MP if his mother was not given the ticket, only to be rebuked by his uncle for blackmailing. Revanna expressed his annoyance over Kumaraswamys stand and said he was boss in Hassan. Political analyst Ravindra Reshme said Kumaraswamy is trying to clean the taint of nepotism, but has been cornered by his elder brothers family. The family has managed to keep the party afloat and continues to be relevant in state politics, but family-centric politics will be the partys undoing, he said.

An ailing Deve Gowda has largely stayed away from the campaign. Kumaraswamy, who himself has undergone two heart surgeries, has kept the show going. The JD(S)s Pancha Ratna Yatre, promising reforms in education, health, agriculture, employment and housing, has completed 90 days and covered 70 constituencies. The yatra broke records for most garlands received (close to 800) in 90 days of a political rally. The JD(S) will now be hoping for just enough seats to have a say.
Q Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently walked hand in hand with you after inaugurating the Shivamogga airport on your 80th birthday. What is your equation with him?

A Modi ji has a lot of faith in me. The whole world lauds his leadership and we see people giving him and [Union Home Minister] Amit Shah a rousing welcome everywhere [they go]. At the Shivamogga (airport) function, around one lakh people had to go back as there was not enough space to hold them. That is the extent of peoples support to the party and its leadership.

Q You have retired from electoral politics, yet the BJP projects you as its main leader in Karnataka. Does it imply that the party has no one to match your popularity?

A Modi ji might be talking about me because of his affection for me. But you cannot overlook the fact that Basavaraj Bommai has done commendable work as chief minister. In fact, his decision to enhance the quota for the SC and ST communities is historic.

Q What are the BJPs prospects in the upcoming assembly elections?

A I am confident we will win 130 to 140 seats. I say this because I have toured more than 60 constituencies and everywhere there was a crowd of 15,000 to 20,000.

Q The BJPs best performance was 110 seats in 2008. Where and how will you get the rest for a majority (113)?

A I am confident that all our sitting MLAs, barring a couple, will win. We are focusing on another 35 to 40 seats across the state where we stand a good chance. That makes it 130.

Q The BJP is hoping to win seats in the Old Mysuru region, which usually sees a fight between the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular). Will the Vokkaliga belt see a triangular fight this time?

A We did not get huge support [from the region] last time. But this time, we are concentrating on the region, especially in the Mysuru and Chamarajanagar districts. Also, many Vokkaliga leaders have joined our party and we are hopeful of winning many more seats.

Q There is speculation that the Lingayats are moving towards the Congress as they feel sidelined, especially after you stepped down as chief minister.

A I have already clarified to the various Veerashaiva-Lingayat mutt heads that I voluntarily resigned as chief minister and it was my personal decision to not contest the assembly elections. I do not plan to retire soon. I will tour the state to help the party secure a majority and, God willing, will do so next time, too.

Q The Congress says the BJP is neglecting Lingayats. The JD(S) claims the BJP plans to install a Brahmin chief minister and sideline the Lingayat leadership. Will such campaigns disturb the Lingayat vote?

A There is no truth in what the Congress is saying. The Lingayat community has backed the BJP from the beginning and nothing will change this. When they see me touring the state, the community will be convinced that it was all false propaganda by the Congress.

Q How will you pacify the Lingayats?

A It is only a matter of time before I reach out to these mutts, which are mostly in north Karnataka. The situation is already encouraging and I will focus more on the region during the election tour. I am confident it will end all apprehensions. We will focus on Mysuru and Chamarajanagar (with sizeable Lingayat population), too.

Q Have the Lingayats accepted Bommais leadership? There is speculation that they are looking for their next leader and would support the party that gives them prominence.

A Bommai and Yediyurappa are not separate. We are two faces of the same coin. We have no difference of opinion on any issue. Wherever I find a gap (between the community and the BJP), I will rectify it. I will always be there for the community.

Q Will Modis rally help the BJP campaign, even in a state election?

A Modis image is unbeatable. Who are the big leaders in the Congress? Can you compare Rahul Gandhi with Modi ji? Siddaramaiah and D.K. Shivakumar might be touring here and there, but none of that will impact the elections.

Q Will the oppositions 40 per cent sarkar jibe be an effective issue?

A These are all false allegations (the Congress alleged that BJP leaders took 40 per cent of the tender amount as bribe from contractors for government-funded projects). People know it is only an election stunt by the Congress. These charges will have no impact on the polls.

Q Will Siddaramaiahs Ahinda politics affect the BJPs outreach to the SC, ST and OBC communities?

A The Congress has done nothing to stake claim to the Ahinda vote bank. Siddaramaiah has only gone around posing as an OBC leader. What benefits did he give to the community?

Q Will the power tussle between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar benefit the BJP?

A Both leaders are dreaming of becoming chief minister. The differences [between them] will surely help the BJP.

Q What will be your role in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections?

A The BJP holds 25 of the 28 seats and retaining all of these will be a gift we will give Modi ji. The support of the sangh parivar and the hard work of our party workers will make it happen. No other party has such a dedicated cadre.

Q What does it take to become a mass leader?

A For nearly five decades, I have been travelling the length and breadth of the state, visiting every village. I have noticed people, including women, refer to me as Namma Yediyurappa (our Yediyurappa). This is the bond I share with the common man and the popularity is a result of hard work.

Vijayendra (in pic) is not just my son, but also vice president of the state BJP.... He has started focusing on Shikaripura and will not change his constituency | Bhanu Prakash Chandra

Q In your farewell speech in the assembly, you thanked the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. How has the sangh influenced your life and career?

A I am what I am today only because of the RSS. They nurtured me and are the force behind my elevation, power and position in the party. I drew my inspiration for hard work from the sangh. Success does not come easy. My discipline and commitment to work have stayed intact all these years.

Q You had to step down as chief minister and spent time in jail in an illegal mining case. You also floated your own party, the Karnataka Janata Paksha. Do you have any regrets?

A I believe quitting the BJP to build a new party was an unpardonable crime. I still regret it. Some people might have lodged false cases against me for various reasons and I have endured hardships. But it is all behind me now.

Q You are accused of doing dynastic politics. Your elder son, B.Y. Raghavendra, is an MP and you have said you will vacate the Shikaripura seat for your younger son, B.Y. Vijayendra.

A I am not contesting elections this time. So, Vijayendra will replace me. Moreover, Vijayendra is not just my son, but also vice president of the state BJP. He is very popular among the youth. I feel the respect and confidence he has earned will benefit the party. He has started focusing on Shikaripura and will not change his constituency.

Q You are seen as a leader of all communities and a moderate in a party labelled communal. What is your definition of hindutva?

A Hindutva is misunderstood. It only means being all-inclusive. I believe all Hindus, Muslims and Christians are children of the same mother and should live in harmony. I have never discriminated against people based on their religion or caste. For instance, the Bhagyalakshmi bond scheme (01 lakh for the girl child) is for all communities and nearly 40 per cent of the beneficiaries are Muslim women.

Q How do you react to issues like the hijab and halal ban?

A The society is more aware today. People will not fall for fake propaganda and it will have no impact on society. Nobody can break the unity among the people. During the last assembly elections, the Congress tried to create differences among the Veerashaiva-Lingayat community for political gains. Ultimately, it did not succeed.

Q You brought several social welfare schemes as chief minister. Which of those make you most proud?

A I feel the Bhagyalakshmi scheme was effective. I came up with the scheme at a time when parents used to cry at the birth of a girl child. In the next few years, lakhs of families will be availing the bond on maturity.

Extending support price to milk producers or the free power to irrigation pump sets has benefited lakhs of farmers, and are still talked-about schemes.

Q There is growing apprehension that the BJP under Modi is against freebies as it believes in making people self-reliant. Karnataka has many freebie schemes. Are you in favour of these?

A The existing freebie schemes will continue as they are necessary. The Congress feels we are against freebies or pro-people schemes. I would like to ask both Siddaramaiah and D.K. Shivakumar as to what programmes they came up with when the Congress was in power. We can name at least 10 pro-people programmes of the BJP government. Even Siddaramaiahs Anna Bhagya (free rice to poor families) was given by the Modi government (during the pandemic, the Centre gave free rice to the poor all over India). The Congress promising 10kg of free rice per person is an effort to mislead people.

Q Who is your role model?

A I consider only Narendra Modi my role model. Ever since he became prime minister, we have not seen him take rest even for a single day.
Wearing a spotless white safari suit and a dot of vermillion on his forehead, B.S. Yediyurappa walked out of the puja room and through the corridor of his Bengaluru home. He glanced at the verandah and the meeting rooms full of people, but headed straight to the cowshed in the backyard to pet the new calf before heading back in.

Come election season, and Cauverythe official residence of the former chief minister in the capitalis once again at the centre of all the action. The BJP has pulled Yediyurappa out of a near two-year hiatus to lead its campaign alongside Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Just last month, Modi had walked hand in hand with Yediyurappa after inaugurating the new airport in Shivamogga, the veterans home turf, on his 80th birthday. It was a rare spectacle that pointed to Yediyurappas relevance in state politics; he is still synonymous with the BJP in Karnataka. The airport, under the Centres UDAN scheme, is expected to boost tourism in the Malnad region. Yediyurappas return is expected to boost the BJPs chances in the elections.

On the dais, Modi asked the audience to switch on their phone lights to show their appreciation for Yediyurappas contributions to the state. The camaraderie between the two leaders was, as BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya tweeted, An acknowledgement of BSYs seminal role in opening the gates of south India for the BJP.

The gesture reasserted the Lingayat strongmans uncontested stature as a mass leader who, like Modi, is a vote catcher. The old war horse continues to have a stranglehold on the partys core vote bank, the Veerashaiva-Lingayat community, which makes up 17 per cent of the states population and holds sway in at least 100 of the 224 assembly seats. It has given Karnataka nine of its 23 chief ministers.

It was in 2008 that Yediyurappa installed the first BJP government in south India. Now, a decade and a half later, he is trying to do it again, though this time not as a candidate (he has retired from electoral politics). Karnataka will go to the polls on May 10.

The BJPs desperation to hold on to the Lingayat support is obvious; the community is still miffed with the party for removing its tallest leader from the chief ministers post.

The situation is reminiscent of 1990, when the Congress, led by Rajiv Gandhi, removed an ailing Veerendra Patil as chief minister. Gandhi had announced the decision to replace Patil with S. Bangarappa, a backward class leader, at the Bengaluru airport. The Lingayat community immediately switched to the BJP.

And after it found a strong leader who could protect their interestsYediyurappathe community never left his side.

After the 2008 victory, Yediyurappa became so popular that he overshadowed the BJP in Karnataka. He was a moderate in a party that preached hindutva, and had the courage to take decisions independent of the national leadership.

But his tenure was marked by charges of corruption and he had to, reluctantly, step down as chief minister after the Lokayukta indicted him in an illegal mining case. After spending time in jail, a bitter Yediyurappa left the BJP to form the Karnataka Janata Paksha; he took with him several BJP leaders. The party contested the 2013 assembly elections and cornered 10 per cent of the votes. The BJP, reduced to 40 from 110, realised it needed him back.

Yediyurappa merged the KJP with the BJP in 2014; the BJP made him state president in 2016. Under his leadership, the party won 104 seats in the 2018 assembly elections, but could not form the governmentthe Congress and the JD(S) formed a coalition government, but it fell in 2019, thanks to the BJPs machinations. Earlier in the year, Yediyurappa had led the BJP to wins in 25 of 28 Lok Sabha seats.

Two years down the line, though, there was speculation that there would be a change in leadership. Yediyurappa has crossed 75 (the BJPs cut-off age for those in office) and he still carried the scars of the corruption scandal. Basavaraj Bommai was named his successor.

Modi walked hand in hand with Yediyurappa after inaugurating the new airport in Shivamogga. It was a rare spectacle that pointed to Yediyurappas relevance in state politics | PTI

A few days before Yediyurappa stepped down as chief minister (July 2021), pontiffs of the various Veerashaiva-Lingayat mutts landed at Cauvery to express their solidarity. They warned the BJP leadership against the decision and demanded a full term for their man.

A few days later, Yediyurappa broke down during his farewell speech in the assembly and said that his tenure had been a trial by fire. The ensuing resentment forced the BJP top brass to go into a huddle.

Though Bommai was also a Lingayat, he has not been able to fill the vacuum Yediyurappa left behind. He has only been an administrator and his government, too, has been fighting corruption charges and possible anti-incumbency.

Despite broad-basing the party and grooming new leadershipboth Lingayat and non-Lingayatthe BJP has still not weaned itself off its dependence on one community (Lingayats) and one leader (Yediyurappa).

And so, despite the baggage he carries, the BJP feels that it needs the veteran. For he, the party expects, will also carry it to victory. It was my personal decision to step down as chief minister and to also announce retirement from electoral politics, he told THE WEEK.

Once back in action, his first task was to assure the Lingayat community that it would not be neglected. The Congress has alleged that the BJP has ignored the Lingayats and the JD(S) claims that Bommai will be replaced by a Brahmin chief minister soon. Yediyurappa is fighting these claims as he travels across the state, and has told the community to not fall prey to the oppositions traps. BJP insiders said the Lingayat votebank is volatile; Yediyurappa is on the job.

His role, however, is apparently not restricted to Karnataka. At least that is what the BJP wants to convey. Last August, gauging Yediyurappas importance, the BJP inducted him into its top decision-making bodiesthe parliamentary board and the central election committee. Giving Yediyurappa a more proactive role, said party insiders, would help the BJP counter the oppositions claims that he had been sidelined and that he was only being resurrected to avoid an electoral disaster.

The popularity of BSY has not just remained intact, but has increased after he stepped down, said his son, B.Y. Vijayendra. Usually, when a person resigns as chief minister, people tend to forget him within no time. But the people of Karnataka have loved him irrespective of what position he holds. He has a great connect with people of all communities, and not just the Veerashaiva-Lingayats. He charted his own path in politics by fighting for the rights of every community. If his popularity can benefit the party in elections, why not [have him campaign]?

Not everyone is as chuffed as Vijayendra. Along with the allegations of corruption, nepotism is also a charge levelled against Yediyurappa. In fact, when he announced his retirement from electoral politics, Yediyurappa had declared Vijayendra the party candidate from his pocket borough Shikaripura.

This desire to see Vijayendra as his political successor has miffed many senior state leaders in the party. No decision in our party is taken in the kitchen, said BJP national general secretary C.T. Ravi. The decision to give a ticket to Vijayendra will be taken by the parliamentary board based on the survey and winnability [factor].

Centre of action: Yediyurappa interacts with visitors at his official residence in Bengaluru | Bhanu Prakash Chandra

The BJP had denied Vijayendra a ticket from the Varuna constituency in the 2018 assembly elections. But things have changed. The partys central leadership elevated him to the post of state vice-president and also gave him the key responsibility of ensuring the partys win in the byelections to KR Pet (Mandya) and Sira (Tumkur) in 2019 and 2020. The central BJP also made Vijayendra the head of morcha conventions, signalling his growing importance within the party. I was appointed the convener of morchasyuva, mahila, SC, ST, OBC and minoritiesand I am holding morcha samavesh (conventions) in each district to reach out to all the communities and inform them about the various benefits (schemes) the Centre and state governments have given them, said Vijayendra. We will be covering more than 200 assembly constituencies.

Union Home Minister Amit Shahs surprise breakfast meeting with Yediyurappa at his official residence in late March was a reminder to the latters detractors that he was still crucial to the BJPs plans. Shah also acknowledged Vijayendras role when he asked Yediyurappa to hand over the bouquetwhich Yediyurappa was to present Shahto his son. Shah posed for a picture with them as father handed over the bouquet to the son, much to the fathers amusement. Yediyurappa then handed over another bouquet to Shah.

THE WEEK met Yediyurappa at his home on March 20 for an exclusive interview ahead of the elections (page 26). The walls of his study had photographs of him with Modi, Shah, Arun Jaitley and other senior BJP leaders, and also with former prime minister Manmohan Singh. At the dining hall, his staff was waiting to serve him hot paddus (a steamed rice and lentil snack) with coconut chutney and potato gravy, upma, and a bowl of dry fruits and nuts. He ate with an eye on the television, monitoring the news developments of the day. The meal done, he popped half a dozen pillsfor various age-related illnessesand signalled that he was ready to hit the road. My favourite hobby is reading newspapers for an hour every morning, said the early riser. He rarely misses his morning walks and enjoys watching Kannada movies as much as reading books.

During the conversation, the veteran recalled his long career while frequently reiterating his commitment to ensure Modis victory in 2024.

After wrapping up the interview, Yediyurappa got into a chopper to Chitradurga to lead two road shows and a public meeting. Once there, he seemed suddenly energised at the sight of the cheering crowd. Bhagyamma, a housewife, rushed to the street in her nightie to catch a glimpse of the leader. I had no time to change into a sari, she said. The BJP exists in Karnataka because of Yediyurappa ji. The local MLA (Poornima Srinivas) has done good work. For the first time in many years, the Vani Vilas Sagar dam is full and every house is getting drinking water. There were rumours of her joining the Congress, but after seeing Yediyurappa ji campaigning for her, I am relieved.

The BJP hopes to feel the same sense of relief come May 13.
KEARNEY  It's late March and a million or so gray, red-capped sandhill cranes with gotta-dance attitudes have returned to their favorite spring break destination: Nebraska's Central Platte Valley.

Daylight hours are spent eating in grasslands, wetlands and harvested cornfields. Cranes roost at night on river sandbars.

In recent days the area began greeting endangered whooping cranes making shorter mid-migration stops.

"This is the only place in the world where this happens," said Brice Krohn, president and CEO of the Crane Trust, which works to protect and maintain Platte River habitat for migrating cranes and other wildlife in central Nebraska. "This is North America's Serengeti experience."

But wildlife habitat conservation is only one activity in the vast Platte River Basin, which originates with Rocky Mountain snow-fed rivers in Colorado and Wyoming that eventually meet in Nebraska to form the Platte River. The water also allows for irrigation, hydropower production, municipal water supplies, economic development and recreation.

Disputes  common whenever there is high demand for a limited natural resource  historically were settled with lawsuits, regulations and piecemeal projects. A court-approved settlement in one such suit led to the formation of the Crane Trust in 1978.

Two decades later, a unique alternative was proposed: Develop a partnership-driven, basinwide program involving the U.S. Department of Interior, the three basin states and stakeholders, with a focus on protecting the critical wildlife habitat in central Nebraska.

Now 26 years later, that novel approach has, by many accounts, proven to be a success, with an additional 10,000 acres of habitat restored and shortages in target water flows on the decline. It also helped stakeholders avoid burdensome regulations.

Human-driven changes to the river began when settlers built roads, towns and reservoirs. Farmers diverted river water to irrigate crops and later pumped hydrologically connected groundwater.

Over time, 70% of the basin's original water has been removed or retimed by storing it in reservoirs, making the river an even smaller pinch point on the already narrow section of the Central Flyway, an hourglass-shaped migratory corridor stretching from south Texas to northern Canada and Alaska

Developing what would become the Platte River Recovery Implementation Program was difficult, but necessary. The Endangered Species Act requires federal agencies to ensure that water projects don't harm threatened or endangered species, or adversely modify their critical habitat.

By the time the idea for a basinwide recovery program gained momentum in the late 1990s, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service had determined that threatened piping plovers and endangered whooping cranes, least terns (since delisted) and pallid sturgeon could be affected by water diversions and land use changes throughout the Platte Basin.

Pursuing the recovery program allowed stakeholders that rely on the river to jointly address federal regulations concerning development and other activities that could negatively impact critical habitat.

Brian Barels, Nebraska Public Power District's former relicensing director and water resources manager, said federal compliance costs likely would have triggered increases to electricity rates for all NPPD customers and irrigation system fees paid by farmers.

Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District faced similar steep compliance costs tied to conservation efforts. Former General Manager Don Kraus said, "We were willing to do some things, but some things affecting the Central Platte habitat are in Colorado and Wyoming."

Both districts offered to contribute to a basinwide plan. Central earmarked up to 100,000 acre-feet of water in Lake McConaughy as an environmental account U.S. Fish and Wildlife could tap when water was needed for Central Platte target flows. NPPD pledged its 2,650-acre Cottonwood Ranch habitat land along the river between Elm Creek and Overton.

First though, federal and state officials had to agree on whether to even proceed with developing a Platte Basin plan. After months of meetings, its future remained uncertain even hours before the vote to approve at a 1997 meeting in Lincoln.

"There were probably several ways for this to go south and we're better off that it didn't," said Mike Jess, then director of the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources. "There wasn't familiarity in the early days or an agreement on objectives. Unfamiliarity leads to distrust."

Ultimately the U.S. interior secretary and governors of Nebraska, Colorado and Wyoming signed a cooperative agreement on July 1, 1997. Committees worked through 2006 on the program's main elements: water, land habitat, and the science needed to identify and evaluate projects.

"Once you got everybody there, the states, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, water users, conservation groups, there was some momentum going that this was going to work," Kraus said.

The plan had two main objectives: protect and/or restore 10,000 acres of Central Platte habitat and reduce shortages to U.S. Fish and Wildlife target flows at Grand Island by 130,000 to 150,000 acre-feet annually.

By 2019, the land total was 13,810 acres. Another 184 will be added during the extension through 2032.

Target flow depletions have been reduced by around 110,000 acre-feet, said Platte Program Executive Director Jason Farnsworth of Kearney, and the extension calls for getting to 120,000 acre-feet as quickly as possible. Scientific studies then will determine if there is a need to meet the original 130,000 acre-feet goal.

"The program is vital today and to where we want to go in the future," said the Crane Trust's Krohn. "So far, everybody is coming to the table."

Over the years, the program has directed hundreds of millions of dollars to conservation efforts, with most of the cash contributions coming from the federal government, Colorado and Wyoming. Most of Nebraska's contributions are in-kind habitat and water.

Jess described the Platte River program as an enormous undertaking that couldn't have been done piecemeal. "Plus, partnership no longer is a dirty word," he said.

Without the partnership, states and stakeholders with interests in agriculture, energy, conservation, recreation, and economic development spurred by growing cities along the Platte River in Nebraska and Colorado's Front Range would be competing for limited land and water resources.

"I see the program and what's being accomplished with conservation and water use as the opposite of the descent into tribalism I see everywhere else," Farnsworth said. "We are able to work collaboratively even when it's difficult."

The Flatwater Free Press is Nebraskas first independent, nonprofit newsroom focused on investigations and feature stories that matter.

Photos: Majestic sandhill cranes in Nebraska Flying in a clear blue sky Pair of sandhill cranes at sunset near Gibbon, Nebraska Sandhill cranes on and above a field near Gibbon Sandhill cranes Cranes Cranes Sandhill cranes Cranes Cranes Cranes Sandhill cranes Sandhill cranes flying high Sandhill cranes Sandhill cranes Sandhill cranes Sandhill cranes Sandhill cranes The Nebraska Project cranes The Nebraska Project The Nebraska Project Sandhill Cranes Sandhill crane Sandhill cranes Sandhill cranes Rowe Bird Sancutary Cranes in January Cranes in January Cranes in January Sandhill cranes Sandhill cranes Sandhill cranes Sandhill cranes Sandhill cranes Sandhill cranes Cranes Sandhill cranes Cranes at sunset Cranes in the water Sandhill cranes at sunset Cranes fly in waves over trees at sunset Sandhill cranes begin to roost at sunset Sandhill cranes glide in for a landing to roost for the night Viewing sandhill cranes from Richard Plautz viewing site A sandhill crane flies above a field south of Gibbon Sandhill cranes silhouetted against the evening sky Sandhill cranes fly over a field Sandhill cranes flock near an irrigation pivot Sandhill cranes forage for food in a field A pair of sandhill cranes glide in a clear blue sky Sandhill cranes gather near farm machinery Sandhill cranes on the Platte River in Nebraska
Eight years ago, Gorataan inconspicuous village in Karnatakas Bidar districtwoke up to a unique event. Hundreds of youth chanting Vande Mataram gathered at the village to mark BJP president Amit Shah laying the foundation stone for a martyrs memorial. It honoured villagers killed by the nizams men in 1948 for hoisting the Indian flag.

On March 26, Shah returned to Gorata, now as Union home minister. He hoisted the tricolour to a height of 103 feet to inaugurate the memorial and a 20ft statue of Vallabhbhai Patel alongside it. Shah promised to develop the place into a national memorial if the BJP retained power in Karnataka. Shah sounding the poll bugle from Bidar, close to Hyderabad, is indicative of the BJPs future aspirations. He even said: The Telangana government did not celebrate Hyderabad Liberation Day. If the BJP comes to power there, we will.

Retaining power in Karnataka is central to the BJPs plans to make electoral inroads in south India. But, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has been accused of corruption and targeted for poor administration. The party is attempting to overcome the negativity by showcasing the achievements of its double-engine government and is using hindutva to consolidate votes in Malnad (region along the slopes of the Western Ghats) and Coastal Karnataka. Its social engineering has helped it garner support of smaller caste groups. The latest such initiative is the tweaking of the reservation matrix to benefit its core vote bankLingayats, scheduled castes and scheduled tribes.

The BJP is hoping to make inroads into the Old Mysuru region, where the Janata Dal (Secular) and the Congress are both strong, and is wooing the dominant Vokkaliga community. The installation of the statue of Kempe Gowda Ia vassal of the erstwhile Vijayanagara empire and Bengalurus architectat the Bengaluru international airport complex and the enhanced quota for Vokkaligas under the other backward classes list are aimed at yielding a better poll outcome in the region.

Bommai scrapped the 4 per cent reservation for Muslims under the OBC quota, citing the lack of a constitutional provision for reservation for religious minorities, instead moving them to the 10 per cent pool for economically weaker sections. The abolished quota was split equally among Lingayats and Vokkaligas7 per cent, up from 5 per cent, for Lingayats (who were demanding 15 per cent) and 6 per cent from 4 per cent for the Vokkaligas (against a demand of 12 per cent). The BJP, which had announced 75 units of free power to below poverty line SC/ST families, also hiked reservation for SCs from 15 per cent to 17 per cent and for STs from 3 per cent to 7 per cent. In short, it may well have breached the Congresss Ahinda vote bankminorities, dalits and backward classes. Moreover, implementing an internal sub quota for SCs helped the BJP to reward the marginalised, left-leaning SCs for their support. The internal quota issue was put on the back-burner by previous governments fearing a backlash from the dominant SC communities, which had cornered benefits.

There is a 50 per cent cap on SC, ST and OBC reservation imposed by the Supreme Court in a 1992 judgement. But, the revised policy has taken the reservation tally in Karnataka to 56 per cent. So, the government will attempt to use the ninth schedule of the Constitution (which lists laws that cannot be legally challenged) to protect against judicial scrutiny. The BJP asserts the change is a move towards social justice and inclusiveness. Politically, it is a masterstroke.

Congress legislative party leader Siddaramaiah slammed the BJP for scrapping the 4 per cent quota for Muslims, alleging hate politics. Karnataka Congress chief D.K. Shivakumar pointed out that the enhanced quotas for Lingayats and Vokkaligas were well short of the demands of the two communities. Reservation is not alms or the BJPs family asset that can be redistributed at ones whim, he said. Lingayats and Vokkaligas are the land-owning communities and farmers who provide food for the country. We are not beggars. Also, why did the government scrap the 4 per cent quota given to Muslims to hike the quota for Vokkaligas and Lingayats? It could have hiked the ceiling beyond 56 per cent and avoided depriving Muslims. This is a ploy to seed hatred between communities and deepen the communal divide.

The BJP, which has reached a saturation point in Coastal Karnataka, Malnad and Kittur Karnataka (formerly Mumbai-Karnataka) is looking at newer territoriesthe Vokkaliga heartland of Old Mysuru and Kalyana Karnataka (Hyderabad-Karnataka)to get to the clear majority of 113. It is also hoping to add seats in Bengaluru, Bidar and Belagavi districts.

In Bengaluru, the plan is to focus on winning Congress-held constituencies. The BJP now holds 15 of the 28 seats. Meanwhile the Congress and the JD(S) have been reduced to 12 and one, respectively.

In Bidar, the BJP holds four out of the eight seats and Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilisers Bhagwanth Khuba represents the parliamentary constituency. During UPA II, the Kalyana Karnataka region, of which Bidar is a part, was accorded special status to allow reservation in education and jobs and an enhanced development fund of 04,500 crore was set aside. However, the region, which has been represented by political stalwarts like Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and former chief minister N. Dharam Singh, is developing rather slowly. In fact, a transfer there is considered a punishment by public servants.

In Belagavi, the BJP holds 13 out of the 18 seats and is facing a leadership vacuum after the demise of sitting MLAs Umesh Katti and Anand Mamani recently, and MP Suresh Angadi during the pandemic. Also, MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi had to step down as minister following a sex scandal. There is also infighting between Lingayat leaders and Jarkiholi, who is from the ST (Valmiki) community.

In the Congress, the infighting is at the top of the state leadership. The tussle between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar is evident and concerning for the party as both leaders are important. Shivakumars elevation to state chief is expected to garner Vokkaliga votes, but the party will also need Ahinda votes, for which Siddaramaiah is key.

Moreover, despite facing opposition from within the Congress, Siddaramaiah is still popular among the masses. And this rankles the BJP, especially because he is a vocal critic of the BJP. Unlike Shivakumar, who is battling a slew of cases filed by the ED and the CBI, Siddaramaiah has a clean image. So, the saffron party is trying to label him anti-Hindu. It also blamed him for the growth of the now-banned Popular Front of India in the state.

Despite soaring summer temperatures, political parties are crisscrossing the state on yatras. The BJP has brought in Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan as poll in-charge for Karnataka, a state where he has handled multiple crises in the past. The party has also roped in its Tamil Nadu president S. Annamalai owing to his prior bureaucratic experience in the state and his appeal among the youth. In Bengaluru, which has a sizeable Tamil-speaking population, Annamalai is expected to make an impact.

The Congress has also rolled out its campaigns, led by Siddaramaiah in the north and Shivakumar in the south. It is promising five flagship schemes and poll guarantees of 200 units of power to all households, Rs2,000 monthly assistance to women head of every family, 10kg of rice to every member of a below-poverty-line household and unemployment benefits of Rs3,000 to graduates and Rs1,500 for diploma holders for two years.

The BJP mocked the guarantees saying the Congress leaders could not be trusted because there was no guarantee of where they would be contesting from. On a visit to the state in March, Modi pointed out that the Congress had made similar promises in Himachal Pradesh, but have not kept them.

The JD(S)s H.D. Kumaraswamy, too, taunted the Congress saying that the state was already in a debt of Rs5.65 lakh crore and that the schemes for housewives and the unemployed alone would cost the exchequer Rs70,000 crore. He said that these were false promises. The JD(S) has promised reforms in crucial sectorseducation, health, agriculture, employment, women empowerment and housing. This includes free education for all children until class 12, in both Kannada and English, housing for the poor, free health care facilities at the gram panchayat level, a job for every household and making every farmer debt-free and self-reliant.

Deve Gowda, 89, made an appearance at a JD(S) rally in Mysuru despite his health problems. It was an emotional moment for his huge fan base. He appealed to the people to trust his party and later greeted the crowd from a wheelchair, accompanied by his family members. The JD(S) faces the twin challenges of retaining prominent leaders and keeping the feud between Kumaraswamy and his brother H.D. Revanna under wraps. The party is hoping to get back the full support of its core vote bank, the Vokkaligas. It has also appointed former minister C.M. Ibrahim (who quit Congress) as the party chief to woo Muslims.

The Congress and the JD(S) are both hoping that anti-incumbency thwarts the BJP. And with good reasonthe state has a tradition of not returning the ruling party to power. Can Bommai break the jinx and become the first incumbent chief minister to return to power since 1985? The answer is getting closer.
, Apr 9 (PTI) The work on the strategic Zojila tunnel  an all-weather connection between the Kashmir valley and the Ladakh region -- is going on at a rapid pace and over 40 per cent of the drilling has been completed, the construction company said on Sunday.

The company said it is hopeful of completing the project by December 2026.

The tunnel project  through the mighty Zojila Pass at an altitude of 11,578 feet on the Srinagar-Kargil-Leh National highway  is of strategic importance as the highway remains closed during winters due to heavy snowfall, cutting off Ladakh region from Kashmir.

The single-tube Zojila tunnel  from Baltal, in the Ganderbal district of central Kashmir, to Minimarg, in Drass town of Kargil district of Ladakh, is 13 km long with an approach road of 18 km.

"This project is a huge game changer by the government of India. The total length of the project from Sonamarg to Minimarg is 31 km. From Sonamarg to Baltal, it is 18 km, and then the main tunnel from Baltal to Minimarg which is 13 km long. The work is going on at a rapid pace on both the projects, Project Head, Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Limited Harpal Singh told PTI here.

MEIL is constructing the tunnel.

Singh said the work had to be stopped for two months in the winter because of back-to-back avalanches in January in which two persons were killed.

About 38 pieces of equipment of the construction company were buried under the snow which have not yet been retrieved.

"It was a temporary setback," Singh said, adding, I am hopeful that the whole project will be completed by December 2026.

Singh said out of the 13 km long tunnel, a total of 6 km cutting has been done  three km from this side and the rest from the other end. "The remaining work will be completed in time, he said.

The project head said the company is using a modern method of tunnelling which is known as new Austrian tunnelling method.

By this method, we have achieved three important things -- the safety of the tunnel, the safety of the work-force, and the speed, he added.

By using this method, he said, the chances of accidents are very low and the quality and the speed of tunnelling are very good. This is a special technology applied in Europe and North America, he said.

Out of the total 31 km project from Z-Morh tunnel in Sonamarg, to Baltal, the approach road is 18 km and the work is also going on their simultaneously.

About 60 per cent of work has been completed on this. There are four bridges on which about 80 per cent of the work has been completed. There is five-km Nilgarh tunnels which have been completed. The work is going on at an advance pace and the approach road would be operational within two years, Singh said.

He said people will not face any difficulty in coming to Baltal even in winter when there is heavy snowfall because of the approach road to the tunnel.

Asked about the importance of the tunnel with respect to the Defence forces, Singh said after the completion of the tunnel, the forces will be able to move across round the clock.

The road remains closed for four months due to snowfall. It is a very long time. There are so many defence forces personnel, we have a border with China which has a strong military. It is risky for our forces to face such a huge army when there is no land connection with the rest of India.

After this tunnel is constructed, the Indian defence forces will move uninterrupted throughout the year. People of J-K and Ladakh can move throughout the year. It will be a huge advantage. What we had not been able to do in the last 75 years, you will have it in the next three to four years, he said.

He said not only will it shorten the distance, the time taken will also be very less. This distance will be covered in less than 40 minutes instead of four hours, he said.

Site-incharge of MEIL, Sanjay Sharma, said the tunnel would be the longest in Asia at the highest altitude. He said there were many challenges working in the young Himalayan range.

"But, the main challenge is outside the tunnel. It is the weather. First two years, we worked in winter months also. But, last year, we had to stop for two months due to avalanches, he said.

Parliamentary consultative committee on Road Transport & Highways, led by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, is visiting the project site on Monday.
Agartala, Apr 9 (PTI) Thirty-two-year-old Moon Saha, a guitarist, was being pressurised by her family members to get married.

However, Saha, who was then 26, wanted to pursue her interest in music and scoured social media for other women who went to music schools.

Finally, in 2017, she could gather five women and started rehearsals for music events, naming the band 'Meghbalika' (cloud girl).

"Renowned vocalist Amar Ghosh helped us compose a title song and we began performing shows on the outskirts of Agartala. Gradually, we started gaining popularity," she told PTI.

The group came into prominence after the band was invited by 'Chhandanir', a cultural organisation in the state capital, to perform in shows.

Subsequently, they received an invitation to perform for Doordarshan, Akashvani and other programmes.

"We did not have any place for rehearsal. We used to practice in the houses of our members. After coming to know about our problems, Samiran Roy, the editor of a local newspaper, gave us a room in his office for the purpose. That helped us a lot," she said.

The band then had only a guitar and a harmonium. While performing at a programme organised by ONGC, the oil company donated a set of drums.

By 2023, the band has become well-known across the tiny northeastern state and performed in many shows, especially in college programmes and during Durga Puja organised by local clubs.

The band, which has now grown to 10 members between the age group of 16-32 years, has also performed in Santiniketan in West Bengal.

"Renowned Rabindra Sangeet artiste Mohan Singh Khandora, who was present there, appreciated us," lyricist Ankita Roy said.

Some of the band members are students while Roy has a government job and Saha gives guitar tuitions.

"We now have a dream of establishing a music institution where elderly people, besides youngsters, get to learn music at a minimal expense. We have come across many elderly people who could not chase their dreams due to monetary constraints or other barriers," she said.

Amar Ghosh, when contacted, said the band performs well on Bollywood songs, Rabindra Sangeet, Bengali folk songs and Baul songs of Lalon Shah.

"They have composed their own songs, which we hope they would do more," he said.

Other members of the band include Ananya Sarkar (lead vocalist), Debjani Nandi (vocalist), Mamon Debnath (flautist), Jyotishree Chakraborty (keyboard), Portia Chowdhury (keyboard), Dishari Saha and Soniya De (drums and tabla) and Sharmistha Sarkar (keyboard). Some of the members are trained while others are self-taught.
Lahore, Apr 9 (PTI) Nearly 2,500 Sikh pilgrims arrived here from India on Sunday via Wagah border to attend the 'Vaisakhi Mela' festivities in Pakistan.

"In the celebrations of the Sikh festival - Vaisakhi commonly known Baisakhi - 2,470 pilgrims arrived here from India under the leadership of Parbandhak Committee Shiromani Gurdwara's Sardar Amarjit Singh," Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) spokesperson Amir Hashmi told PTI.

The ETPB looks after holy places of minorities in Pakistan.

ETPB chairman Habibur Rehman Gilani and Pakistan Sikh Gurudwara Bandhak Committee Pradhan Sardar Ameer Singh received the pilgrims at the Wagah border.

Hashmi said the Sikh pilgrims were sent to Nankana Sahib under strict security where they would perform religious rituals at the birthplace of Baba Guru Nanak.

"The main event will be held on April 14 on Gurdwara Panja Sahib Hasan Abdal in which various political, religious and Sikh leaders will participate," he said.

He said the pilgrims will also visit Farooqabad, Kartarpur, Rohri Sahib, Aminabad before their departure for India on April 18.

Gilani said that all the arrangements for the Sikh yatrees have been made in the best possible way and they will be provided with all other administrative arrangements along with security, medical and travel arrangements.

SGPC leader Amarjit Singh Bhalipur said that Sikh pilgrims expressed his happiness.

He also stressed for ease in visa for pilgrims of both sides.
Colombo, Apr 9 (PTI) Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Sunday assured justice for all the victims of the 2019 Easter bombings in which 270 people, including 11 Indians, were killed, saying legal proceedings are being processed independently and impartially, without any influence.

President Wickremesinghe also pledged his unwavering commitment to ensuring the security of the country, by preventing any recurrence of heinous acts.

On April 21, 2019, nine suicide bombers belonging to the local Islamist extremist group National Thawheed Jamaat (NTJ) linked to ISIS carried out a series of blasts that tore through three churches and as many luxury hotels in Sri Lanka, killing 270 people and injuring over 500.

"The legal proceedings related to this tragic incident are being processed independently and impartially, without any influence. The necessary groundwork towards this end has been laid, to ensure justice for all the victims," Wickremesinghe said in his Easter Sunday message.

"I pledge my unwavering commitment to ensuring the security of our country, by preventing any recurrence of such heinous acts, the President said.

He also said that the Government is dedicated to realising the aspirations of all Sri Lankans regardless of race, religion, party or colour. I strongly believe that we can overcome these challenges in the near future, he said.

The Easter Sunday bombings triggered a political storm as then-President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Wickremesinghe were blamed for their inability to prevent the attacks despite prior intelligence being made available.

Sri Lanka's Supreme Court on January 12 ordered Sirisena to pay SLR 100 million as compensation to the victims. The former president stressed the attack took place without his knowledge.

As many as 12 petitioners, including the kin of the victims, the Catholic clergy, and the lawyers body Bar Association of Sri Lanka, filed the fundamental rights petition against the then-president for his negligence in preventing the attacks.

A presidential panel of inquiry appointed by Sirisena after the attacks ironically found the then-president guilty of his failure to prevent the attacks.

Sirisena, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge in the case filed after the panels findings.

Head of the local Catholic Church, Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, continued to express his dissatisfaction over the probe, claiming that the investigation was a cover-up.

Sirisena denies the charge and blames the then defence establishment for the lapse which led to the coordinated attacks.
London, Apr 9 (PTI) British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will welcome US President Joe Biden to Belfast in Northern Ireland next week as the UK commemorates the 25th anniversary of the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement, the peace treaty struck for the region in April 1998, Downing Street said on Sunday.

Biden will arrive in the UK on Tuesday evening, when Sunak will meet him off Air Force One and the US President will then undertake a programme of engagements including a bilateral with Sunak.

It comes as Monday marks a quarter of a century since the Good Friday Agreement was signed, transforming the political and economic landscape of the devolved region of Northern Ireland.

The Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement was an incredible moment in our nations history. It was a powerfully rare example of people doing the previously unthinkable to create a better future for Northern Ireland, said Sunak.

It is that promise of a better future that we offered to everyone in Northern Ireland that I will be thinking of first and foremost over the coming days. It is my responsibility as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom to ensure we are making good on that promise, he said.

The British Indian leader said that Northern Ireland is "teeming" with opportunities, talent and ingenuity.

"The biggest thing we can do to improve peoples standard of living and secure a prosperous and thriving Northern Ireland is economic growth. Thats something Im relentlessly focused on delivering, he added.

The US strongly supported the Agreement process and played a pivotal role in boosting peace away from secessionist violence in Northern Ireland.

The UK government says it will use the Biden visit and his engagements with business leaders and others in the Northern Ireland capital of Belfast to celebrate the regions successes and encourage further long-term investment.

The US is one of the largest sources of foreign investment into Northern Ireland, putting GBP 1.5 billion into its economy over the last decade and creating 13,000 jobs. This includes tech giants such as Microsoft establishing themselves there.

Sunak is to announce that the UK will host a Northern Ireland Investment Summit in September this year to connect international investors with Northern Ireland businesses, showcasing the best of what Northern Ireland has to offer.

The Good Friday Agreement, signed by then British Prime Minister Tony Blair and his Irish counterpart, Bertie Ahern, backed by then US President Bill Clinton, brought an end to 30 years of conflict in Northern Ireland, known as the Troubles.

It was signed on April 10, 1998, and approved by public votes in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

Historically, Northern Ireland was created in 1921 and remained part of the UK when the rest of Ireland became an independent state, causing a split in the population between unionists, who wish to see Northern Ireland stay within the UK, and nationalists, who want it to become part of the Republic of Ireland.

From the late 1960s, armed groups from both sides carried out bombings and shootings.

It was the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement that brought peace to the region, with Brexit most recently testing its role in lasting peace to maintain a physical borderless island of Ireland.
Cairo, Apr 9 (AP) Saudi officials were in Yemen's capital on Sunday for talks with the Iran-backed Houthi rebels, as part of international efforts to find a settlement to Yemen's nine-year conflict, officials said.

Saudi Arabia's delegation, chaired by the kingdom's ambassador to Yemen, Mohammed bin Saeed Al-Jaber, will hold talks with with Mahdi al-Mashat, head of the Houthi's supreme political council, which runs rebel-held areas in Yemen, according to the Houthi-run SABA news agency.

An Omani delegation, which arrived in Sanaa on Saturday, will also join the talks, the agency reported, citing an unidentified source.

Mohammed al-Bukaiti, a Houthi leader, said on Twitter that Saudi and Omani officials would discuss ways to achieve a comprehensive and lasting peace in the region.

He said achieving an honorable peace between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia would be "a triumph for both parties, and urged all sides to take steps to preserve a peaceful atmosphere and prepare to turn the page of the past.

There was no immediate comment from Saudi Arabia. The office of the UN envoy for Yemen didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

The talks in Sanaa are part of international efforts led by Oman to settle Yemen's conflict, which began in 2014. That's when the Houthis seized Sanaa and much of the country's north, ousting the internationally recognized government that fled to the south and then into exile in Saudi Arabia.

The Houthi move prompted a Saudi-led coalition to intervene months later in a bid to restore the internationally recognised government to power. The conflict has in recent years turned into a regional proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Saudi Arabia and the Houthis reached a draft deal last month to revive a cease-fire that expired in October. The deal is meant to usher in a return to Yemeni political talks, according to Saudi and Yemeni officials.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss closed-door negotiations.

They said the Saudi-Houthi understandings include a six-month truce with a cessation of all military activities across Yemen. The Houthis have committed to coming to the table with other Yemeni parties to negotiate a political settlement to the conflict, they said. The United Nations is meant to facilitate the political negotiations, they added.

Both parties also agreed to further ease restrictions by the Saudi-led coalition on Sanaa's airport and the Houthi-controlled Red Sea ports in Hodeida, the officials said.

The Houthis would lift their yearslong blockade on Taiz, Yemen's third largest city which is held by government forces, they said.

The phased roadmap also includes payment for all state employees - including the military - from oil and gas revenues. In return, the rebels agreed to allow exporting oil from government-held areas after a monthslong hiatus because of Houthi attacks on oil facilities, the officials said.

Yemen's internationally recognized presidential council was briefed on the Saudi-Houthi understandings at a Thursday meeting in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, with Prince Khalid bin Salman, the Kingdom's defense minister, a Yemeni official said.

The Saudi-backed council, which was appointed a year ago, has given its initial approval to the draft deal, the official said.

The Oman-brokered talks have aimed at preventing both sides from resuming full-fledged fighting. The efforts gained momentum in recent weeks after Saudi Arabia reached an agreement with Iran to restore diplomatic ties after a seven-year rift. Iran, the main foreign backer of the Houthis, has said its deal with Saudi Arabia would help end Yemen's conflict.

Ahmed Nagi, a Yemen expert at the International Crisis Group, a Brussels-based think-tank, said the Iran-Saudi Arabia rapprochement has given a boost to Saudi-Houthi negotiations, and that both sides are close to announcing the cease-fire's renewal.

However, the second track of the Houthi-Saudi negotiations - a potential roadmap to to reach a permanent settlement to the conflict - would be a major challenge when discussed by Yemeni parties, he said.

Each party has different interpretations and expectations, he said. Given the complexities of the situation, it is hard to see progress on this track very soon. (AP) RUP
Mumbai, Apr 9 (PTI) Five persons, including a Youtuber from Jharkhand, have been arrested for alleged involvement in two cyber fraud cases in Mumbai, a police official said on Sunday.

In the first case, a person from Gamdevi in south Mumbai was duped of Rs 89,000 after he ordered a tiffin online, the official said.

In the second case, a man, also from Gamdevi, lost Rs 1.5 lakh after her was asked to pay his electricity online on February 4-5, he said.

"The modus operandi was the same and the cyber cell of Gamdevi police managed to track the IP address to Jharkhand. A team was sent there on March 22. We arrested 29-year-old Youtuber Santoshkumar Mandal and a mason Nageshwar Thakur from Dumka," he said.

"Their interrogation led to the arrest of one more person from Deoghar in the eastern state. These three had duped the man who had ordered a tiffin online. Two more persons were held from Koradi in Deoghar on April 5, who were involved in the Rs 1.5 lakh case," he said.

All the accused have been charged with cheating and other offences under Indian Penal Code and Information Technology Act provisions, he said.
Imphal, Apr 9 (PTI) Suspected Kuki Independent Army (KIA) militants looted arms and ammunition from a Suspension of Operation (SoO) designated camp in Manipur's Churachandpur district bordering Myanmar, police said on Sunday.

The SoO camp is a place where cadres of militant outfits with which the government has signed a suspension of operation stay.

The KIA militants "overpowered" those present in the Horep designated SoO camp under Henglep sub-division of the district at around 1 am and looted large number of sophisticated arms and weapons including explosives, a police officer told PTI.

"Wide scale combing operations launched in routes along which the militants might have fled but no arrest has been made," the officer said.

The development comes a few days after the state government declared the self-styled 'Commander-in-chief' of KIA Thangkhongam Haokip as 'Wanted' for his involvement in "frequent kidnapping for ransom/extortion/bombing cases."

A reward of Rs 50,000 was also announced by the state for any information of his whereabouts.

At least 14 designated camps for SoO militants are set up by the government in various hill districts of the state to house cadres of the tribal outfits under specific ground rules.

The state government is observing tripartite talks with at at least 25 Kuki underground outfits along with the Central government.

The SoO pact which was first signed in 2008 for initiating political talks is broadly divided into umbrella groups of Kuki National Organisation (KNO) and United People's Front (UPF).

The state government in March had pulled out of Suspension of Operations agreement with Kuki National Army and Zomi Revolutionary Army, alleging of their involvement in agitation against the state government measures to check encroachment of forest areas.
Gangtok, Apr 9 (PTI) SDF supremo Pawan Kumar Chamling claimed that the Sikkimese people feel betrayed as Article 371F, which guarantees special provisions for Sikkim, was violated.

The former chief minister, in a telephonic interview with PTI, also alleged Sikkim had become a hotbed for political violence and sought President's rule to ensure a free and fair election in 2024.

According to Article 371F, only the descendants of Sikkim subjects (those who lived in the state before its merger with India) whose names were mentioned in the 1961 register are Sikkimese with rights to own land, get state government jobs. They were also exempted from paying income tax.

But now, the Financial Bill, 2023 redefines Sikkimese as any Indian citizen domiciled in Sikkim, extending to them the same benefits as that of the original inhabitants whose forefathers names were in the 1961 register, Chamling said.

This violates Article 371F, which was the basis for the merger of Sikkim with India in 1975. People of Sikkim feel betrayed as the special provisions extended to them have been taken away, he said. Analysts feel the main concern of Sikkim's politicians is that land rights which are now enjoyed by only those Sikkimese whose parents were subjects of the earlier princely kingdom will be extended to any Indian domiciled in the Himalayan state.

Asked whether this will be a major poll issue, he said, People are very angry over the issue. We have a very small population of only 6-7 lakh and we fear we will be swamped by settlers within 2-3 years, he said.

Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang, better known as P S Golay, however, said in a Facebook post that Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, during a recent meeting, assured him that the amendment was only related to income tax exemption and the original definition of Sikkimese will always be respected.

Chamling also claimed that politics in Sikkim has become violent after the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) government came to power in.

Chamling alleged that Golay, in his SKM Foundation Day speech on February 4, had called upon party workers to attack members of opposition parties, and since then 68 SDF workers and leaders have been injured in violence perpetrated by the ruling party and opposition party offices have been vandalised.

Earlier, Sikkim was peaceful and adjoining Darjeeling Hills was restive. Now, there has been a role reversal. Stone-pelting happens in our state like Kashmir Valley. So much unrest in a sensitive border state like Sikkim is not good for national security, he said.

If the Centre and the ECI want next years elections to be free and fair in Sikkim  they must impose Presidents Rule in the state before the polls, he said.

If voted to power in 2024, Chamling said he would restore peace in Sikkim, bring down unemployment, which he claimed has risen to 24 per cent from 3 per cent during his rule, and complete pending projects.

There has been an economic disaster in Sikkim. The present government has gone on a borrowing spree. There has been no proper maintenance of the infrastructure built during my rule The condition of roads is bad. People are not getting basic minimum facilities like electricity and water. The tourist inflow has reduced to 4-5 lakh annually from 17 lakh in 2016-17, he said.

The SDF supremo said peoples response to his Sikkim Bachao Yatra has been positive and they appreciated finding their old CM with them in the current times.

Asked whether he fears poaching of MLAs may take place after 2024 polls, in a repeat of 2019, he said, Anything can happen in Sikkim now. The present CM was debarred from contesting polls for six years but ECI allowed that.

However, this time, I will go to the people and seek their opinion before giving tickets to candidates. Most of our nominees will be young people, he said.

The SDF, which ruled Sikkim for 25 years at a stretch, managed to win 15 seats in the 32-member assembly in 2019 polls, just two less than SKMs 17.

However, all the winning SDF candidates, barring Chamling, deserted the camp and joined the BJP and SKM, leaving the former CM as the only opposition member in the House.

Golay was convicted in a corruption case when he was a minister in Chamlings cabinet in the nineties. He was sentenced to one year in prison in 2016, which he served and was released in August, 2018.

Golay was debarred from contesting polls for six years from the date of his conviction but he approached the ECI, seeking exemption under Section 8 of the Representation of People Act, which reduced the debarment period to a year. Following which he contested and won a by-election.
Grand juries have received a great deal of attention lately, causing me to ask: What, exactly, are grand juries? And what do they do? And how do they do it?

Since Ive never practiced criminal law, this is new territory for me. But here is some of what Ive learned.

To begin, grand juries consist of a panel of citizens chosen in an impartial process and given certain powers. Grand jurors come from the same pool of individuals as trial jurors. In the federal system, grand juries have between 16 and 23 members. In Colorado, grand juries usually have 12 members, but a court can expand this to 23.

In Colorado, grand jurors normally serve a term lasting up to 12 months. However, this can be extended, not to exceed 18 months. In the federal system, grand jurors serve until they are discharged. But, they cannot serve longer than 18 months unless the court appointing the jury extends the term. Extensions normally do not exceed six months. Grand juries dont meet every day.

What grand juries do is to investigate suspected criminal activity. Prosecutors present to the jurors testimony and documents they believe show probable cause that a crime has been committed. Suspects dont participate in grand jury proceedings, making the proceedings something of a one-sided trial.

The proceedings are conducted under strict rules of secrecy. After the grand jurors complete their investigative activities, they decide whether or not the information they have received justifies proceeding with a prosecution. They dont, however, finally decide a case  trial jurors do that  and the probable cause standard for sufficient-to-proceed is much lower than the beyond a reasonable doubt standard necessary for a conviction.

At the end of their investigation, the grand jurors decide whether or not to bring charges against a suspect in the form of an indictment. If a decision is made to indict, its called a true bill. If the grand jurors conclude an indictment will not be issued, their decision is called a no true bill. (Who says the law isnt logical?)

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If the decision is no true bill, the record of the proceedings will remain sealed. If a grand jury does issue an indictment, it will remain sealed until there is an arraignment. This is when a suspect is brought before a judge and is told what charges the prosecutor will pursue and what rights the suspect (now a defendant) has.

In the federal criminal justice system, suspects accused of a federal offense that rises to the level of a felony have a right to a grand jury, under Article V of the U.S. Constitution. So, a grand jury indictment is necessary for a case to proceed to trial.

State criminal justice systems have various ways criminal cases are commenced and suspects are given protection against questionable prosecutions. In New York, for example, someone being accused of a felony under that states laws has the right to a grand jury proceeding. Not so in Colorado, where a suspects protection against a prosecution lacking probable cause usually comes in the form of a preliminary hearing conducted by a judge.

Nonetheless, prosecutors sometimes request grand juries as a way to expand a criminal investigation. Thats in part because grand juries can subpoena witnesses and demand documents, and hearsay testimony is allowed. In Colorado, grand juries can be convened and given jurisdiction over crimes occurring in a single county, a judicial district consisting of several counties, or statewide.

Other grand jury trivia I came across includes that the basic idea of a grand jury dates back to England in the Middle Ages and, in 1215, found its way into the Magna Carta. And, the grand in the name comes from the French word grand, meaning big. (Trial juries, which tend to have fewer jurors, are called petit juries.) And, in Colorado, people convicted of a felony are not allowed to serve on a grand jury. They can, however, serve on a trial jury.

Jim Flynn is a business columnist. He is of counsel with the Colorado Springs firm Flynn & Wright LLC. He can be contacted at moneylaw@jtflynn.com.
Balasore (Odisha) Apr 9 (PTI) Senior BJP leader and central minister Bisheswar Tudu has courted a controversy by claiming that many of the officers appointed through the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) are dacoits.

A chicken thief can be punished but the mineral mafia cannot as the system protects them, the union minister of state for tribal affairs and jalshakti alleged while addressing as the chief guest in the golden jubilee function of a government school at Baliapal in Balasore district on Saturday.

He was heard making that controversial statement in a video which was shared on social networking sites. The authenticity of the video was not checked by PTI.

I had an idea that those who are appointed through UPSC are the most knowledgeable persons and are always in high positions. But now I feel that most of those who have qualified from there perhaps are dacoits. I do not say 100 per cent, but many of them are dacoits, Tudu said.

The UPSC is the countrys premier central recruitment agency that appoints top government officers.

The minister, who is an MP of Odisha, said that the UPSC office is just behind his residence in Delhi and initially he had high regard for it but that has changed now.

During his speech, the union minister also asked: Why our society is engulfed in corruption and injustice if such educated people are there?.

Giving the reply to his own question, Tudu said, It is because of lack of morality in our education system. Lack of spiritual education and thoughts among us.

The minister had in 2021 accused state government officials of misbehaving with him in his constituency in Mayurbhanj.
Balasore (Odisha) Apr 9 (PTI) Senior BJP leader and central minister Bisheswar Tudu courted a controversy by claiming that many of the officers appointed through the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) are "dacoits".

He alleged that while a "chicken thief" can be punished, an official who runs a mineral mafia. cannot be touched as the system protects him.

The union minister of state for tribal affairs and jalshakti made these controversial remarks while addressing a gathering as chief guest at the golden jubilee function of a government school at Baliapal in Balasore district on Saturday.

He was heard making the controversial statement in a video which was shared on social networking sites. The authenticity of the video could not be checked by PTI.

I had an idea that those who are appointed through UPSC ... they are the most knowledgeable persons and are always in high positions. But now I feel that most of those who have qualified from there perhaps are dacoits. I do not say 100 per cent, but many of them are dacoits, Tudu asserted.

The UPSC is the countrys premier central recruitment commission which functions as an independent body and appoints top government officers.

The minister, who is an MP of Odisha, said that the UPSC office is just behind his residence in Delhi and initially he had high regard for it but that has changed now.

During his speech, the union minister also asked: Why our society is engulfed in corruption and injustice if such educated people are there?.

Giving the reply to his own rhetprical question, Tudu said, It is because of lack of morality in our education system. Lack of spiritual education and thoughts among us.

The minister had in 2021 also courted controversy by accusing state government officials of misbehaving with him in his constituency in Mayurbhanj.
Golaghat (Assam), Apr 9 (PTI) At least three persons, including a two-year old child, have died after consuming "poisonous" mushroom in Golaghat district of Assam, officials said on Sunday.

The incident took place in Merapani locality of the district, where members of five families consumed the mushroom on April 2, a senior police officer said.

"Three of the same family died after eating mushrooms. Hemanta Barman (2) died last night after his mother Tarali Barman (23) and father Prafulla Barman (24) predeceased him on Thursday and Friday, respectively," he said.

All of them died at Jorhat Medical College and Hospital (JMCH), the officer said.

Merapani Community Health Centre Deputy Superintendent Dr Chandra Shyam said, "A total of 13 people of five families complained of health complications after consuming the poisonous mushroom."

The condition of those who fell ill is stable, Shyam said.
Jaipur, Apr 9 (PTI) Mukesh Bhakar, the Congress MLA from Rajasthan's Ladnun constituency, has alleged that he received death threats from a man who claimed to be affiliated with gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, police said on Sunday.

Bhakar lodged a police complaint regarding the threats on Friday, they said.

In his complaint, Bhakar alleged that he received threat calls on his mobile phone on Monday, Deputy Superintendent of Police (Ladnun) Rajesh Dhaka said.

According to the complaint, the man who threatened Bhakar had identified himself as Rohit Godara.

Godara is a member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, Dhaka said.

The police have begun an investigation after registering a case under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, he said.

Dhaka added that the the police's special and cyber cells are investigating the matter.
Hazaribag (Jharkhand), Apr 9 (PTI) At least two persons were killed and 13 others injured in two road accidents in Jharkhand's Hazaribag district, police said.

In the first accident, a newly married couple and their family members were proceeding to Barkagaon in a bus from Katkamdag when the driver lost control over the vehicle due to some malfunction and it fell into a roadside ditch, killing a 52-year-old man on the spot and injuring 11 others, a police officer said.

The injured were admitted to Hazaribag Medical College and Hospital (HMCH), from where the couple, who were critically injured, were shifted to the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi.

In another accident, a 42-year-old man was killed in a head-on collision between two trucks in Barkatha. He was moving towards Kolkata and was coming from Firozabad in Uttar Pradesh.

Two others were seriously injured in the incident and were admitted to HMCH.

Both accidents took place on Friday night.
Bengaluru, Apr 9 (PTI) As Vokkaligas (15 per cent of the population) are considered to be the second major community of Karnataka after Lingayats (17 per cent), the focus is on how whether there would be a shift in their voting stance in the May ten assembly election as the ruling BJP has aggressively tried to woo them..

One can gauge the role Vokkaligas play in Karnataka politics from the fact that it has given seven Chief Ministers to Karnataka since independence and a PM.

As a retired IAS officer puts it, this is a community which has rich political awareness.

Of the 17 Chief Ministers Karnataka had, seven were from the Vokkaliga community. K Chengalaraya Reddy, Kengal Hanumanthaiah and Kadidal Manjappa, the first three chief ministers of the state, were from the Vokkaliga Community, the officer said.

He added that H D Deve Gowda, a Vokkaliga, became the first person from Karnataka to occupy the post of Prime Minister.

The Old Mysuru region, the community's stronghold, comprises Ramanagara, Mandya, Mysuru, Chamarajanagar, Kodagu, Kolar, Tumakuru and Hassan districts.

The region has 58 assembly constituencies, which is more than one-fourth of the total number of seats in the 224-member House.

JD(S) represented 24 seats, Congress 18 and BJP 15 in this region in the current assembly.

This apart, the community is present in sizeable numbers in Bengaluru Urban district comprising 28 constituencies, Bengaluru Rural district (four constituencies), and Chikkaballapura (eight constituencies).



A political activist Raje Gowda claimed that Vokkaligas dominate in all the 27 out of 28 assembly constituencies of Bengaluru urban district barring Anekal. In the Bengaluru rural district and Chikkaballapura, they hold sway, he added.

We are scattered ideologically and do not vote en masse like certain other communities. This shows we are liberal in choosing our leaders, which can be seen either as our weakness or our strength, Raje Gowda quipped.

H D Deve Gowda-headed JD (S) counts the Vokkaligas as its main vote base in the Old Mysuru region, where it's main fight is with the Congress though of late the BJP has been able to make some inroads.

Apparently, seeking to expand its base among this community, the BJP government came up with its 'reservation engineering' making the 2B category of four per cent reservation, exclusively for 'other backward Muslims' redundant and distributed the two per cent equally among Lingayats and Vokkaligas.

With this, reservation for Vokkaligas has gone up from four per cent to six per cent. The move pleased the revered seer of Vokkaliga community, AdiChunchanagiri Math pontiff Swami Nirmalanandanatha, who praised the BJP government.

As part of its Vokkaliga "appeasement" exercise, the BJP built a 108-ft tall Nada Prabhu Kempe Gowda's statue, the founder of Bengaluru and 16th century chieftain of Vijayanagara dynasty, near the Bengaluru International Airport.

Recently, Karnataka Minister Munirathna, who is also a filmmaker, came up with a plan to make a movie 'Uri Gowda-Nanje Gowda' based on a folklore.

The folklore is based on a belief among a section of people that there were two Vokkaliga chieftains in erstwhile Mysuru kingdom by name Uri Gowda and Nanje Gowda.

It was not the colonial British army but these two chieftains who killed the 18th century Mysuru ruler Tipu Sultan, a claim supported by even some BJP Ministers.

However, Munirathna dropped the plan after Swami Nirmalanandanatha asked him not to proceed with the project saying that there was no historical basis behind the story and it would only create confusion among people.

A Vokkaliga Sangha office-bearer told PTI requesting anonymity that had the movie been made, it would have helped the BJP to garner more votes".



The 'Uri Gowda Nanje Gowda' project might have been dumped, but it is still discussed among Vokkaligas. Further, the increase in reservation will also have a bearing on the election, it seems, 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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President Joe Bidens administration on Thursday laid the blame on his predecessor, President Donald Trump, for the deadly and chaotic 2021 withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan that brought about some of the darkest moments of Bidens presidency.

The White House publicly released a 12-page summary of the results of the so-called  hotwash  of U.S. policies around the ending of the nations longest war, taking little responsibility for its own actions and asserting that Biden was severely constrained by Trumps decisions.

It does acknowledge that the evacuation of Americans and allies from Afghanistan should have started sooner, but blames the delays on the Afghan government and military, and on U.S. military and intelligence community assessments.

The brief document was drafted by the National Security Council, rather than by an independent entity, with input from Biden himself. The administration said detailed reviews conducted by the State Department and the Pentagon, which the White House said would be transmitted privately to Congress on Thursday, were highly classified and would not be released publicly.

President Bidens choices for how to execute a withdrawal from Afghanistan were severely constrained by conditions created by his predecessor, the White House summary states, noting that when Biden entered office, the Taliban were in the strongest military position that they had been in since 2001, controlling or contesting nearly half of the country.

Trump responded by accusing the Biden administration of playing a new disinformation game to distract from their grossly incompetent SURRENDER in Afghanistan. On his social media site, he said, Biden is responsible, no one else!

The report does fault overly optimistic intelligence community assessments about the Afghan armys willingness to fight, and says Biden followed military commanders recommendations for the pacing of the drawdown of U.S. forces.

Clearly we didnt get it right, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Thursday, but sidestepped questions about whether Biden has any regrets for his decisions and actions leading up to the withdrawal.

Kirby said of the report that the purpose of it is not accountability, but rather understanding what happened to inform future decisions.

The White House asserts the mistakes of Afghanistan informed its handling of Ukraine, where the Biden administration has been credited for supporting Kyivs defense against Russias invasion. The White House says it simulated worst-case scenarios prior to the February 2022 invasion and moved to release intelligence about Moscows intentions months beforehand.

We now prioritize earlier evacuations when faced with a degrading security situation, the White House said.

In an apparent attempt to defend its national security decision-making, the Biden administration also notes that it released pre-war warnings over strong objections from senior officials in the Ukrainian government.

Republicans in Congress have sharply criticized the Afghanistan withdrawal, focusing on the deaths of 13 service members in a suicide bombing at Kabuls airport, which also killed more than 100 Afghans.

Shawn Vandiver, a Navy veteran and founder of #AfghanEvac, an effort to resettle Afghans fleeing the country, called the NSC report an important next step.

We are glad to see acknowledgement of lessons learned and are laser focused on continuing relocation and resettlement operations, Vandiver said in a statement.

But Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., tweeted Thursday that the withdrawal was an unmitigated fiasco, adding, Passing the buck in a blame-shifting report wont change that.

The administrations report appears to shift any blame in the Aug. 26, 2021, suicide bombing at Hamid Karzai International Airport, saying it was the U.S. military that made one possibly key decision.

To manage the potential threat of a terrorist attack, the President repeatedly asked whether the military required additional support to carry out their mission at HKIA, the report said, adding, Senior military officials confirmed that they had sufficient resources and authorities to mitigate threats.

Kirby credited U.S. forces for their actions in running the largest airborne evacuation of noncombatants in history during the chaos of Kabuls fall.

They ended our nations longest war, he told reporters. That was never going to be an easy thing to do. And as the president himself has said, it was never going to be low grade or low risk or low cost.

Since the U.S. withdrawal, Biden has blamed the February 2020 agreement Trump reached with the Taliban in Doha, Qatar, saying it boxed the U.S. into leaving the country. The agreement has been blamed by analysts for undercutting the U.S.-backed government, which collapsed the following year.

Under the U.S.-Taliban Doha agreement, roughly 5,000 Taliban prisoners were released as a condition for what were supposed to be separate future peace talks between the Kabul government and the Taliban. Kirby noted that release and other examples of what he said was a general sense of degradation and neglect inherited by Biden.

But the agreement also left an opening for the U.S. to call off its withdrawal deal with the Taliban if the promised Taliban-Afghan peace talks failed  which they did under Biden, as the U.S. military was pulling out and Taliban fighters advancing.

The U.S. was to remove all forces by May 1, 2021. Biden pushed a full withdrawal to September but declined to delay further, saying it would prolong a war that had long needed to end.

Since the withdrawal, the U.S. carried out a successful operation to kill al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri  the groups No. 2 leader during the Sept. 11 attacks  which the White House has argued is proof it can still deter terrorist groups in Afghanistan.

But the images of disorder and violence during the fall of Kabul still reverberate, including scenes of Afghans falling from the undercarriages of American planes, Afghan families handing infants over airport gates to save them from the crush and violence of the crowd, and the devastation after the suicide bombing at the Abbey Gate.

A February report by the U.S. governments special inspector general for Afghanistan placed the most immediate blame for the Afghan militarys collapse on both the Trump and Biden administrations: Due to the (Afghan security forces) dependency on U.S. military forces, the decision to withdraw all U.S. military personnel and dramatically reduce U.S. support to the (Afghan security forces) destroyed the morale of Afghan soldiers and police.

Pressed by reporters Thursday afternoon, Kirby repeatedly defended the U.S. response and effort to evacuate American citizens and argued with reporters who referred to the withdrawal as chaotic. At one point, he paused in what appeared to be an effort to gather his emotions.

For all this talk of chaos, I just didnt see it, not from my perch, said Kirby, who was the Pentagon spokesman during the withdrawal. At one point during the evacuation, there was an aircraft taking off full of people, Americans and Afghans alike, every 48 minutes, and not one single mission was missed. So Im sorry, I just wont buy the whole argument of chaos.

The release of the NSC review comes as the State Department and House Republicans battle over documents for classified cables related to the Afghanistan withdrawal. Rep. Michael McCaul, the Texas Republican who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee, called Kirbys comments disgraceful and insulting.

(AP)
A black flag whips in the wind like the Jolly Roger near U.S. 24. But the fabric shows no skull and crossbones, and there is no pirate ship below. Instead, it marks a restaurant and the flag reads BBQ.

Roys Crew BBQ, a fast-casual food joint, opened last month in Woodland Park offering a loaded menu of meats including pork ribs, pulled pork and brisket, along with a variety of hearty side dishes such as mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, and beans.

Operated as the Circle H Smokehouse for close to 40 years and shut down during the pandemic, 720 Browning Ave. has again come to life with the savory smell of smoked meat wafting out its doors.

But for the owners, Roy Cassada, 46, and his wife, Stephanie, 43, to open a restaurant there, the stars had to align more than once.

Roy, originally from Texas, didnt spend more than a year in college at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces before he began working for a friends fathers barbecue restaurant and catering company.

He taught me everything, Roy said. And he actually gave me my sauce recipe.

It was during a visit to Hobart, Okla., that Roy found a vacant building with boarded-up windows that he bought and turned into his first barbecue restaurant.

While operating the restaurant, Roy met Stephanie, a waitress he hired.

It was a little bit of a small-town scandal, Stephanie said.

We went from being co-workers to dating, to being engaged. We got married, we bought a house a couple of months later. ... After we moved into the house, we found out we were pregnant with a child.

The Cassadas have eight children ranging in age from 3 to 23.

In 2005, the couple shut down their restaurant, and Roy began his own insurance agency in Oklahoma City.

Everybody thought we were crazy when we left the restaurant, Roy said.

He ran his insurance business for 17 years. Every so often, he and his family would visit Colorado.

Weve visited almost every place I can imagine up here, Stephanie said. Roy and our oldest son Adam came up here (to Woodland Park) I think maybe in 2017 to go on a fishing trip, and they just fell in love with the town.

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It was not long after that Roy decided it was time for a change.

Im not built to sit around, Roy said. Thats kind of what the insurance deal is like  in the office sitting around.

Roy and Stephanie sold the insurance business and their home in Oklahoma to move to the City Above the Clouds. All the while, they eyed real estate, including 720 Browning Ave., in hopes to jump back into the restaurant business.

Just weeks before Roy was about to begin a new job with a food distribution company in December, he got a call from the smokehouse propertys real-estate agent; they were ready to sell.

It just really worked out like perfectly, Roy said. There were so many hurdles like selling the insurance agency, selling our house ... so everything worked out and then this worked out, too. So, were like, This is kind of meant to be.

In preparation for opening, Roy tested his food with the employees at Foxworth-Galbraith Home Improvement Center catty-corner to his restaurant.

Before he opened, he brought trays of samples, Beth Lennard, a cashier at the center, said. Ive been up here nine years. I miss the original barbecue place. Its really good to have them open again.

Roy travels less than two blocks down the street to the restaurant where he starts smoking dozens of pounds of meat at 3:30 a.m. Monday through Saturday.

Lunch has been absolutely insane, Roy said of the traffic so far.

The restaurant offers breakfast and lunch from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. six days a week including menu items such as the Tractor Man, which involves a pile of several types of meat and is a reference to a friend of Roys from Oklahoma who performed tractor work.

A bright green-and-yellow John Deere tractor sits behind the building in sync with the theme.

Roys oldest daughter Madilynn, 19, handwrote the brightly colored menus that line the restaurants walls. His daughters Penelope, 16, and Isabella, 12, and his son William, 14, work at the eatery during the hours they arent home-schooled by Stephanie, who helps run the administrative side of the business.

Roy and I work very well with each other, Stephanie said. We have a fun, very bantering relationship. So, we just bring that into the workplace, and I think it keeps it light and fun.

The Cassadas also have nearly 20 other employees, many of whom are high school and college age, and work a few hours every week.

Tanner Coy, owner of Tweeds Fine Furnishings in Woodland Park, supplied the restaurant with some of its decor, as did Woodland Square Vintage Market and other local businesses and artists.

Having a business like theirs is valuable; it provides jobs. It generates revenue, Coy said. Were thrilled to have them here  even if that means increasing my exercise regimen.




A fire set by an inmate at New York Citys troubled Rikers Island injured 20 people on a day that lawmakers visited the jail complex, authorities said.

Fifteen staff members and five inmates were injured in the fire that started about 1:30 p.m. Thursday, the city Correction Department said. The New York City Fire Department extinguished the blaze within an hour, a department spokesperson said.

Fifteen of the injured were taken to hospitals for treatment, while the other five declined medical attention, the Fire Department said. Information on the victims conditions was not available Friday.

The health and safety of those who work and live in our facilities is our main priority, James Boyd, the Correction Departments deputy commissioner for public information, said in a statement. We take arson very seriously, and will pursue re-arrest of the individual involved pending the outcome of the investigation.

The fire broke out on a day when a group of Democratic state lawmakers visited Rikers Island to underscore their opposition to Gov. Kathy Hochuls proposed changes to New Yorks bail laws. The plan to give judges greater leeway in setting bail is among the key issues stalling negotiations over the state budget.

The lawmakers noted the rise in deaths at Rikers Island and warned of dire results if bail reforms passed in 2019 are rolled back and more inmates are sent to Rikers and other jails.

We will have blood on our hands if we allow there to be these changes implemented in our New York state budget, Assembly member Zohran Mamdani said.

The state legislators did not visit the unit where the fire took place and appear to have left before it was reported.

(AP)




Tennessee has become a new front in the battle for the future of American democracy after Republicans expelled two Black lawmakers from the state Legislature for their part in a protest urging passage of gun-control measures.

In separate votes on Thursday, the GOP supermajority expelled Justin Jones and Justin Pearson, a move leaving about 140,000 voters in primarily Black districts in Nashville and Memphis with no representation in the Tennessee House.

Kevin Webb, a 53-year-old teacher from Pearsons district, said removing him for such a small infraction is classic America.

Theres been bias against Black individuals in this country for 500 years, Webb said. What makes us think that its going to stop all of a sudden?

Pearson and Jones were expelled in retaliation for their role in the protest, which unfolded in the aftermath of a school shooting in Nashville that killed six people, including three young students. A third Democrat was spared expulsion by a one-vote margin.

The removal of the lawmakers, who were only recently elected, reflects a trend in dozens of states where Republicans are trying to make it harder to cast ballots and challenging the integrity of the election process.

At least 177 bills restricting voting or creating systems that can intimidate voters or permit partisan interference were filed or introduced in dozens of states so far this year, according to the Brennan Center.

It represents a really slow erosion of our democracy, said Neha Patel, co-executive director of the State Innovation Exchange, a strategy center for state legislators working toward progressive policies.

Patel called the expulsions the third prong of a long-range strategy. She said it was once unprecedented for states to make it harder for people to vote, but the practice has become commonplace.

Its also become common for the GOP to challenge the electoral process and raise questions about election integrity. The next question is whether states with Republican supermajorities will follow Tennessees lead in expelling opponents with different points of view, she said.

Fred Wertheimer, founder and president of Democracy 21, a nonpartisan organization advocating for better government, said expulsions have generally been reserved for lawmakers involved in criminal activity.

Voters losing their chosen representatives for doing their jobs is unheard of, Wertheimer said. He has not learned of any similar action in other states, but this stuff travels.

The action in Tennessee drew outcries from a range of groups.

National Urban League President Marc Morial said the issue was about race, but its not only about race. Its about basic American values.

Referring to the right to vote, freedom of speech and freedom of assembly, he said, It appears as though the Tennessee Legislature needs a refresher on the American Constitution.

The president of the Congressional Black Caucus, Nevada Rep. Steven Horsford, called for the Tennessee lawmakers to be returned to their seats and for Attorney General Merrick Garland to look into potential violations of the Voting Rights Act.

NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson said the civil rights organization was prepared to take legal action to ensure that this heinous attempt to silence the voice of the people is addressed in a court of law.

House Speaker Cameron Sexton pushed back against criticism that he was leaving thousands of Tennesseans without representation and taking away their voice.

There are consequences for actions, he said. Those members took away the voice of this chamber for 45 minutes when they were on the House floor leading the protest and disrupting the business that were doing.

The trios participation in the demonstration lasted only a few minutes. It was Sexton who called for a recess to meet with lawmakers.

Webb questioned why Jones and Pearson would be expelled while Rep. Gloria Johnson, who is white, was not.

Clayton Cardwell, who lives in Jones district in Nashville, said in a telephone interview that the protest in favor of stricter gun laws last week was the right thing to do.

I was hoping that the entire House would join in, he said. When the retired teacher was getting his masters degree in special education, Cardwell remembers being told that teaching was the safest occupation you could have. Now I think it is one of the most dangerous.

Cardwell, who is white, also questioned the motives behind the expulsions: Weve just got a lot of old white men there who are prejudiced.

Nashville attorney Chris Wood was so concerned about the possible expulsion of his representative that he went to the Capitol on Thursday to watch the proceedings.

It was appalling, he said. It was an abuse of power.

Wood has three children in public schools and called it unbelievable and immoral that the Republican majority would refuse to even consider gun restrictions.

No issue could be more important to the community than ending gun violence and letting our kids come home at the end of the day, he said. This is the only country in the world where this happens.

Wood expects Jones and Pearson to be back soon. They could be reappointed to the House by county commissions in their districts and run again in a special election.

Andrea Wiley, a lifelong Tennessee resident who lives and works in Pearsons district, said she was embarrassed for the state.

Its really hard to be from here and see us in the national news at this level, she said. It is really scary to me that I dont have a voice in Nashville thats representing me, my community, my neighborhood.

Tamala Johnson said she and her family voted for Pearson and she agreed with him about changing gun laws.

I dont think he should have been expelled for voicing his opinion, Johnson said.

The vote to expel makes me feel like we dont have a word, she said. You threw him out just because hes fighting to improve gun laws.  Theres no trust.

(AP)




The U.S. Navy has deployed a guided-missile submarine capable of carrying up to 154 Tomahawk missiles to the Middle East, a spokesman said Saturday, in what appeared to be a show of force toward Iran following recent tensions.

The Navy rarely acknowledges the location or deployment of submarines. Cmdr. Timothy Hawkins, a spokesman for the 5th Fleet based in the Gulf nation of Bahrain, declined to comment on the submarines mission or what had prompted the deployment.

He said the nuclear-powered submarine, based out of Kings Bay, Georgia, passed through the Suez Canal on Friday. It is capable of carrying up to 154 Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles and is deployed to U.S. 5th Fleet to help ensure regional maritime security and stability, Hawkins said.

The 5th Fleet patrols the crucial Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which 20% of all oil transits. Its region includes the Bab el-Mandeb Strait off Yemen and the Red Sea stretching up to the Suez Canal, the Egyptian waterway linking the Mideast to the Mediterranean Sea.

The U.S., the U.K. and Israel have accused Iran of targeting oil tankers and commercial ships in recent years, allegations denied by Tehran. The U.S. Navy has also reported a series of tense encounters at sea with Iranian forces that it said were being recklessly aggressive.

Last month, the U.S. launched airstrikes against Iran-backed forces in Syria after a rocket attack killed a U.S. contractor and wounded seven other Americans in that countrys northeast.

Tomahawk cruise missiles launched from ships or submarines can hit targets up to 2,500 kilometers (1,500 miles away). They were famously employed during the opening hours of the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq and in response to a Syrian chemical weapons attack in 2018.

U.S.-Iranian tensions have soared since then-President Donald Trump withdrew from a 2015 agreement with world powers that provided sanctions relief in return for Iran curbing its nuclear activities and placing them under enhanced surveillance.

The Biden administrations efforts to restore the agreement hit a wall last year. The tensions have worsened as Iran has supplied attack drones to Russian forces in Ukraine and as Israel and Iran have escalated their yearslong shadow war in the Middle East.

In addition to drawing closer to Moscow, Tehran has sought improved relations with China, which brokered an agreement last month to restore diplomatic ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

(AP)




The commander of the main U.S.-backed force in Syria and Iraqs presidency Saturday condemned what they say was a Turkish attack on an airport in northern Iraq.

The condemnation came as the U.S.-backed and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces confirmed Saturday that its chief commander, Mazloum Abdi, was at the airport in northern Iraq at the time of the attack but withheld information until he returned home safely. Abdi later spoke to Kurdish media saying that at the time of the attack he was with troops from the U.S.-led coalition that is fighting the Islamic State group.

Iraqs presidency called the late Friday explosion in northern Iraqs semi-autonomous Kurdish region a flagrant aggression against Iraq and its sovereignty in the area. It called on Turkey to issue a formal apology, saying it should not continue terrorizing Iraqis in the north.

A representative of the Turkish defense ministry said he had no information about the incident.

Turkey has spent years fighting Kurdish militants in its east and large Kurdish communities live in neighboring Iraq and Syria, where they have a degree of self-rule. Turkey considers the main Kurdish militia in northeast Syria an ally of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK. The PKK has for decades waged an insurgency within Turkey.

On Saturday, Iraqs National Security Adviser Qasim al-Araji, heading a high-level security delegation, arrived in Suleimanyah to discuss the issue with local officials, the state news agency reported.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a U.K.-based opposition war monitor, and some local media reported Friday that the explosion next to the Suleimaniyah International Airport was a Turkish drone attack targeting Abdi, the leader of the SDF.

The blast came days after Turkey closed its airspace to flights to and from the airport, citing an alleged increase in Kurdish militant activity threatening flight safety. The airports security directorate said an explosion took place near the fence surrounding the airport causing a fire but no injuries.

Officials with the SDF and the Kurdish regional government in northeast Syria said on Friday Abdi was not in Suleimaniyah at the time and was not the target of an attack.

On Saturday, SDF spokesman Farhad Sham said in a statement that as part of their emergency security response related to the safety of our forces command, we deliberately restricted the release of information about the Turkish attack on Sulaymaniyah airport, where our commander-in-chief, Mazloum Abdi, was present.

Shami added that the restrictions were done to ensure his safety until he arrived unharmed in the secure areas of north and eastern Syria. Shami added that further details about the attack will released later.

Abdi later spoke with the Kurdish North press agency saying he was in a convoy that included troops from the U.S.-led coalition and members of the Iraqi Kurdish anti-terrorism force. He added that the SDF and anti-terrorism forces in northern Iraq have joint operations rooms and the U.S.-led coalition is aware of that.

Asked about the reason behind the attack, Abdi said it is a clear message from the Turks that they are bothered and oppose our international relations and they want to damage them. Abdi added that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is looking for a free victory ahead of the countrys parliamentary and presidential elections next month.

Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Syrian Observatory, said Saturday that Abdi was not directly targeted but was near the airport holding a meeting with Kurdish officials when the Turkish military carried out the attack.

Retired U.S. Col. Myles B. Caggins III, a senior non-resident fellow at the U.S.-based New Lines Institute for Strategy, said the missile targeted a convoy carrying leaders of the Syrian Democratic Forces as well as U.S. advisers to the Kurdish-led force.

Turkey sent a warning shot. A deadly and dangerous and provocative warning shot when it fired a missile at the convoy, he said.

Caggins added that it appears Turkey was sending a warning to both the United States and Iraqi Kurds to stop supporting the SDF. He added that Turkey is likely to continue such attacks with impunity because it says the SDF is aligned with the PKK and therefore Turkey feels justified in targeting the SDF.

A statement from the Iraqi Kurdish regional government in Iraq on Friday appeared to blame local authorities in Suleimaniyah. It accused them of provoking an attack on the airport and using government institutions for illegal activities.

The regional government, with its seat in Irbil, is primarily controlled by the Kurdistan Democratic Party, while Suleimaniyah is a stronghold of the rival Patriotic Union of Kurdistan.

Qubad Talabani, deputy prime minister of the regional government and a member of the PUK, rejected the regional government statement that appeared to cast blame on his party. He said the statement represents only one party  and cannot speak for the entire government.

We strongly condemn the targeting of Suleimaniyah airport by Turkey, Abdi tweeted Saturday, adding that the Patriotic Union of Kurdistans support for their brothers in Syria is bothering Turkey.

Abdi vowed that Syrias Kurds will continue with their principle relations with our brothers and allies in Suleimaniyah and we stand united against these violations.

Caggins said he expects that the leaders of Turkey are emboldened by their ability to conduct cross-border strikes into Syria and into Iraq because the only response has been a little bit of finger wagging and minor protest from Baghdad and Damascus and Washington.

(AP)




In a story that will go down in the annals of Chaverim history, a collaborative effort between Chaverim of Rockland and Chaverim of Montreal brought power on Pesach to thousands of elderly, infirm, and newborn residents of Montreal after a devastating storm.

The unbelievable adventure unfolded on the second night of Pesach, when Chaverim of Rockland received an urgent call from Chaverim of Montreal. A severe storm had torn through their city on Erev Pesach, knocking out power to tens of thousands.

Nearly everyone assumed that power would be restored after several hours at most, but as a full day passed with thousands of homes still without electricity, the situation started to quickly become untenable as temperatures dipped to approximately 25 degrees.

Barely a handful of homes occupied by frum residents had been spared the outage and, compounding the issue, multiple shuls were in the dark too and conditions outdoors were treacherous, with dozens of trees falling and massive, deadly icicles dropping from those that remained upright.

The Montreal members explained that there were now many residents for whom having no heat posed an immediate threat to their lives. However, there were simply no generators available anywhere and there was only so much that Hatzolah of Montreal could do to move people to warming shelters and the few homes that had heat.

After consulting with rabbanim including Skver Dayan Harav Yochanan Wosner shlita, Montreal Chaverim was now reaching out to Rockland Chaverim for help.

After urgent consultations with its own rabbanim, Chaverim of Rockland sprang into action.

In middle of their sedarim, Rockland Chaverim members got up and began loading a truck with dozens of generators, heaters, electrical cords and gas tanks to send to their desperate brethren up in Canada.

Two non-Jewish members of its Shabbos patrol then trekked up to a halfway point past Albany. There, the truck was handed over to Chaverim of Montreal members, who brought the much needed supplies to their hometown.

Thanks to the magnificent act of chesed on the part of both Rockland and Montreal Chaverim, every person in need of warmth was provided it.

Mi kamcha yisroel, indeed.

[ALL PHOTOS & VIDEOS WERE TAKEN BY NON-JEWS]

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)




The mass Birchas Kohanim ceremony took place at the Kosel on Sunday morning on Chol Hamoed Pesach in the shadow of the two murderous terror attacks on Friday and the launching of rockets from Syria, Lebanon and the Gaza Strip into Israel.

Thousands of Israel Police and Border Police officers were deployed to the area early Sunday morning to ensure visitors safety.

Although thousands of Jews participated in the tefillah, photos of the Kosel from afar show a noticeably smaller crowd than past years.

(YWN Israel Desk  Jerusalem)
Financial support for mothers taking time off to care for their newborn baby will rise by 600 on Monday, representing the largest ever increase to Maternity Allowance.

Anyone eligible for the standard rate of the benefit will enjoy a 10.1 per cent rise, worth 15.82 a week, or 617 in total, the Department for Work and Pensions said.

The cash boost starts tomorrow and is expected to benefit around 40,000 mothers during their maternity leave this year.

The benefit provides financial support for those who don't qualify for Statutory Maternity Pay.

Boost: Maternity Allowance is increasing across the UK this month

DWP minister Viscount Younger of Leckie said: 'We want every child to have a good start in life, which is why we are increasing our support for mums.

'This builds on our extension of free childcare for working parents from this summer, alongside an increase to the Universal Credit childcare cost cap and further help with upfront payments.

'These changes will help parents progress in work and earn a better living to support their family.'

Who can claim Maternity Allowance?

According to the DWP, Maternity Allowance payments provide a safety net for women before and after childbirth for up to 39 weeks and are designed to cover those who do not qualify for Statutory Maternity Pay, usually because they are on low wages or self-employed.

Maternity Allowance can be claimed from 26 weeks into pregnancy. Claims within three months after giving birth will still be entitled to the full 39 weeks' worth of payments. Claims after that will receive some payments but not the maximum amount.

Where can I find more information? Have a look on the Government's website to see if you could be eligible to receive Maternity Allowance. In order to claim, you'll need a Maternity Allowance (MA1) claim form. Before filling it the form, make sure you collate proof of earnings and due date information. You should get a decision on your Maternity Allowance claim within 20 working days and can appeal if you are rejected.

You can get Maternity Allowance for 39 weeks if, in the 66 weeks before your baby is due, you have been employed or registered as self-employed for at least 26 weeks, or earning 30 a week or more in at least 13 of those weeks.

You may still qualify if you have recently stopped working, too. It does not matter if you had different jobs or periods of unemployment, according to the DWP.

Additionally, you may still qualify for the benefit if the baby is either stillborn from the start of the twenty-fourth week of pregnancy or born alive at any point during the pregnancy.

Crucially, you will need to report changes in your circumstances that happen while you are receiving Maternity Allowance, for example, if you go back to work.

The UK Government manages Maternity Allowance for England, Wales and Scotland. It is devolved in Northern Ireland, but mothers there have the same benefit. Northern Ireland will be increasing the benefit, and Statutory Maternity Pay, by the same amount, from 156.66 to 172.48 per week from 10 April.

The DWP said: 'Together, these new maternity rates set out in law will protect hundreds of thousands of mothers as they take time off to have a baby.

'During 2021-2022, the Department for Work and Pensions paid out 360million in Maternity Allowance, supporting 46,000 mums during and after pregnancy.'

Working mothers receiving the standard rate of Statutory Maternity Pay from their employer have also seen, since 2 April, a 10.1 per cent, or 15.82 a week, increase.
Thunder Mountain Gold (OTCMKTS:THMG  Get Rating) is one of 104 public companies in the Metal mining industry, but how does it compare to its competitors? We will compare Thunder Mountain Gold to related businesses based on the strength of its analyst recommendations, earnings, valuation, profitability, institutional ownership, risk and dividends.

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares Thunder Mountain Gold and its competitors revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

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Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio Thunder Mountain Gold $300,000.00 -$1.25 million -4.50 Thunder Mountain Gold Competitors $8.06 billion $2.12 billion -6.25

Thunder Mountain Golds competitors have higher revenue and earnings than Thunder Mountain Gold. Thunder Mountain Gold 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.

Analyst Ratings

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Thunder Mountain Gold 0 0 0 0 N/A Thunder Mountain Gold Competitors 908 2141 2755 92 2.34

This is a summary of recent recommendations for Thunder Mountain Gold and its competitors, as reported by MarketBeat.

As a group, Metal mining companies have a potential upside of 30.04%. Given Thunder Mountain Golds competitors higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Thunder Mountain Gold has less favorable growth aspects than its competitors.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

0.0% of Thunder Mountain Gold shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 21.9% of shares of all Metal mining companies are held by institutional investors. 29.5% of Thunder Mountain Gold shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 11.1% of shares of all Metal mining companies are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Profitability

This table compares Thunder Mountain Gold and its competitors net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Thunder Mountain Gold -415.33% -185.48% -59.67% Thunder Mountain Gold Competitors -400.16% -2.62% -3.14%

Volatility and Risk

Thunder Mountain Gold has a beta of 0.89, suggesting that its stock price is 11% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Thunder Mountain Golds competitors have a beta of 1.34, suggesting that their average stock price is 34% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Summary

Thunder Mountain Gold competitors beat Thunder Mountain Gold on 8 of the 10 factors compared.

About Thunder Mountain Gold

(Get Rating)

Thunder Mountain Gold, Inc. operates as a mineral exploration company, which engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of premier precious and base metal properties. Its projects include South Mountain located southwest of Boise, Idaho and Trout Creek located in Nevada. The company was founded on November 9, 1935 and is headquartered in Boise, ID.

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Austin Gold (NYSE:AUST  Get Rating) is one of 106 publicly-traded companies in the Gold & silver ores industry, but how does it weigh in compared to its rivals? We will compare Austin Gold to similar businesses based on the strength of its valuation, profitability, institutional ownership, risk, earnings, analyst recommendations and dividends.

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares Austin Gold and its rivals gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

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Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio Austin Gold N/A -$1.07 million -18.43 Austin Gold Competitors $1.81 billion -$14.26 million -0.10

Austin Golds rivals have higher revenue, but lower earnings than Austin Gold. Austin Gold 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.

Analyst Recommendations

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Austin Gold 0 0 1 0 3.00 Austin Gold Competitors 652 3085 3821 78 2.44

This is a breakdown of current ratings for Austin Gold and its rivals, as reported by MarketBeat.

Austin Gold presently has a consensus price target of $5.25, indicating a potential upside of 306.98%. As a group, Gold & silver ores companies have a potential upside of 33.34%. Given Austin Golds stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, equities research analysts clearly believe Austin Gold is more favorable than its rivals.

Profitability

This table compares Austin Gold and its rivals net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Austin Gold N/A -7.06% -6.94% Austin Gold Competitors -25.09% -0.24% -0.04%

Insider & Institutional Ownership

1.3% of Austin Gold shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 31.5% of shares of all Gold & silver ores companies are owned by institutional investors. 70.7% of Austin Gold shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 6.6% of shares of all Gold & silver ores companies are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Austin Gold Company Profile

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Austin Gold Corp., a gold exploration company, focuses on the exploration and evaluation of mineral property interests in Nevada. The company's principal property the Kelly Creek Project with a mix of 6 patented mining claims and 1,600 unpatented mining claims covering an area of 136.8 square kilometers located in the Kelly Creek Basin, in southeastern Humboldt County, Nevada. Its other projects include the Fourmile Basin Project that comprises 312 unpatented lode mining claims covering approximately 6410 acres located in Nye County; the Lone Mountain Project consisting of 454 unpatented lode mining claims and 6 patented mining claims covering approximately 34.2 square kilometers located near Lone Mountain in Elko County; and the Miller Project with a total of 281 unpatented lode mining claims covering approximately 23.5 square kilometers in Elko County in Nevada. The company was incorporated in 2020 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

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A deceased person was found Sunday near railroad tracks southeast of Colorado Springs, according to a news release from the Fountain Police Department.

A Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway employee found an unresponsive person in the area of Alegre Circle and Highway 85/87 and called authorities at about 8:30 a.m., police said. The railway worker said the person was lying close to railroad tracks and appeared to be unconscious.

First responders with the Fountain Fire Department responded to the call, pronounced the person dead at the scene, and called the Fountain police. Officials did not release the persons gender or speculate on a cause of death.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact Detective Brian Cristani at bcristiani@fountainpd.com. Tipsters who wish to remain anonymous may contact the Crime Stoppers Tip Line at (719) 634-STOP [7867] or www.crimestop.net.
McDermott International (OTCMKTS:MDRIQ  Get Rating) and Ares Acquisition (NYSE:AAC  Get Rating) are both small-cap oils/energy companies, but which is the superior business? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their valuation, earnings, dividends, risk, profitability, analyst recommendations and institutional ownership.

Volatility & Risk

McDermott International has a beta of 1.64, meaning that its stock price is 64% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Ares Acquisition has a beta of 0.01, meaning that its stock price is 99% less volatile than the S&P 500.

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Profitability

This table compares McDermott International and Ares Acquisitions net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets McDermott International -52.07% N/A -13.26% Ares Acquisition N/A -41.82% 2.09%

Analyst Ratings

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score McDermott International 0 0 0 0 N/A Ares Acquisition 0 0 0 0 N/A

This is a breakdown of current ratings and price targets for McDermott International and Ares Acquisition, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares McDermott International and Ares Acquisitions top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio McDermott International $8.43 billion 0.00 -$2.91 billion ($5.95) -0.01 Ares Acquisition N/A N/A $20.98 million N/A N/A

Ares Acquisition has lower revenue, but higher earnings than McDermott International.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

1.0% of McDermott International shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 73.4% of Ares Acquisition shares are held by institutional investors. 1.0% of McDermott International shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 20.0% of Ares Acquisition shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Summary

Ares Acquisition beats McDermott International on 5 of the 8 factors compared between the two stocks.

About McDermott International

(Get Rating)

McDermott International, Inc. provides engineering, procurement, construction and installation, and technology solutions to the energy industry worldwide. It operates through five segments: North, Central and South America; Europe, Africa, Russia and Caspian; the Middle East and North Africa; Asia Pacific; and Technology. It designs, engineers, and constructs upstream offshore oil and gas facilities, downstream oil and gas facilities and pipelines, gas-fired power plants, liquefied natural gas import and export terminals, atmospheric and refrigerated storage vessels and terminals, water storage and treatment facilities, hydrocarbon processing facilities, and refining and petrochemical facilities, as well as performs pipe and module fabrication. The company also provides gas processing, refining, petrochemical and coal gasification technologies, as well as supplies proprietary catalysts, equipment, and related engineering services. It serves national, integrated, and other oil and gas companies, as well as producers of petrochemicals and electric power. The company was founded in 1923 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas. On January 21, 2020, McDermott International, Inc., along with its affiliates, filed a voluntary petition for reorganization under Chapter 11 in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas.

About Ares Acquisition

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Ares Acquisition Corporation does not have significant operations. It intends to effect a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization, or similar business combination with one or more businesses. The company was incorporated in 2020 and is based in New York, New York.

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CMC Markets plc (LON:CMCX  Get Rating) passed below its fifty day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a fifty day moving average of GBX 228.26 ($2.83) and traded as low as GBX 165.40 ($2.05). CMC Markets shares last traded at GBX 169.60 ($2.11), with a volume of 252,786 shares.

CMC Markets Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.86, a current ratio of 2.57 and a quick ratio of 2.47. The firm has a market capitalization of 474.57 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 678.40 and a beta of 0.57. The businesss fifty day simple moving average is GBX 228.26 and its 200 day simple moving average is GBX 231.34.

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Insider Activity

In other news, insider David Fineberg bought 124 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 6th. The shares were bought at an average cost of GBX 243 ($3.02) per share, with a total value of 301.32 ($374.22). 64.83% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

About CMC Markets

CMC Markets plc, together with its subsidiaries, provides online retail financial services to retail, professional, stockbroking, and institutional clients in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Canada, and internationally. The company offers its clients with the ability to trade contracts for difference and financial spread betting on a range of underlying shares, including indices, foreign currencies, commodities, cryptocurrencies, shares and ETFs, and treasuries through its trading platform.

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Everyman Media Group plc (LON:EMAN  Get Rating)s stock price passed below its fifty day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a fifty day moving average of GBX 77.85 ($0.97) and traded as low as GBX 64.24 ($0.80). Everyman Media Group shares last traded at GBX 65.50 ($0.81), with a volume of 191,054 shares trading hands.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, Canaccord Genuity Group cut their price target on Everyman Media Group from GBX 245 ($3.04) to GBX 200 ($2.48) and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Monday, January 23rd.

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Everyman Media Group Price Performance

The company has a market cap of 59.72 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 2,183.33 and a beta of 1.23. The companys 50 day moving average price is GBX 77.85 and its 200 day moving average price is GBX 85.93. The company has a current ratio of 0.51, a quick ratio of 0.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 202.91.

Insider Buying and Selling

Everyman Media Group Company Profile

In other Everyman Media Group news, insider Michael Rosehill acquired 50,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 24th. The shares were bought at an average price of GBX 92 ($1.14) per share, with a total value of 46,000 ($57,128.66). 49.94% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

(Get Rating)

Everyman Media Group plc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the ownership and management of cinemas in the United Kingdom. It operates a network of 36 venues with 119 screens under the Everyman brand. The company was formerly known as Finlaw Two Plc and changed its name to Everyman Media Group plc in October 2013.

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Atalaya Mining Plc (LON:ATYM  Get Rating) passed below its 50-day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a 50-day moving average of GBX 352.55 ($4.38) and traded as low as GBX 326.50 ($4.05). Atalaya Mining shares last traded at GBX 335 ($4.16), with a volume of 263,194 shares changing hands.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

ATYM has been the subject of several research reports. Bank of America upped their target price on Atalaya Mining from GBX 370 ($4.60) to GBX 420 ($5.22) and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Monday, January 23rd. Canaccord Genuity Group cut their price objective on shares of Atalaya Mining from GBX 600 ($7.45) to GBX 595 ($7.39) and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, March 22nd. Finally, Berenberg Bank lifted their target price on shares of Atalaya Mining from GBX 310 ($3.85) to GBX 470 ($5.84) and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 17th.

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Atalaya Mining Trading Up 0.9 %

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 16.79, a quick ratio of 1.64 and a current ratio of 1.58. The firm has a 50-day moving average of GBX 352.55 and a 200-day moving average of GBX 309.90. The firm has a market capitalization of 468.60 million, a P/E ratio of 1,675.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of -2.02 and a beta of 1.73.

About Atalaya Mining

Atalaya Mining Plc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the mineral exploration and development in Spain. The company's flagship property is its 100% owned Proyecto Riotinto mine, an open-pit copper mine located in the Andalusia region of Spain. It produces copper concentrates, including silver by-products.

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M&G Investment Management Ltd. lessened its position in Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. (NYSE:MLM  Get Rating) by 5.6% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 96,458 shares of the construction companys stock after selling 5,718 shares during the quarter. M&G Investment Management Ltd. owned approximately 0.16% of Martin Marietta Materials worth $32,603,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Quantitative Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in Martin Marietta Materials in the 3rd quarter worth about $451,000. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board raised its holdings in shares of Martin Marietta Materials by 30.1% during the 3rd quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 109,988 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $35,426,000 after purchasing an additional 25,460 shares in the last quarter. Belpointe Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Martin Marietta Materials by 38.1% in the 3rd quarter. Belpointe Asset Management LLC now owns 533 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $172,000 after purchasing an additional 147 shares during the last quarter. Blair William & Co. IL increased its position in Martin Marietta Materials by 10.3% during the third quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 9,986 shares of the construction companys stock worth $3,216,000 after buying an additional 933 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA raised its holdings in Martin Marietta Materials by 1.5% during the third quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 36,119 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $11,634,000 after buying an additional 545 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.07% of the companys stock.

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Martin Marietta Materials Stock Up 0.5 %

Shares of NYSE MLM opened at $338.59 on Friday. Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. has a 12-month low of $284.99 and a 12-month high of $386.73. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $351.56 and its 200 day simple moving average is $344.74. The company has a quick ratio of 1.39, a current ratio of 1.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61. The company has a market cap of $21.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.75 and a beta of 0.87.

Martin Marietta Materials Announces Dividend

Martin Marietta Materials ( NYSE:MLM Get Rating ) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 15th. The construction company reported $3.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $3.03 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $1.48 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.53 billion. Martin Marietta Materials had a net margin of 14.07% and a return on equity of 11.03%. Martin Marietta Materialss quarterly revenue was down 1.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $3.15 earnings per share. On average, research analysts expect that Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. will post 14.84 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 6th were paid a $0.66 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 3rd. This represents a $2.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.78%. Martin Marietta Materialss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 19.02%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have recently issued reports on MLM. Loop Capital upped their price target on Martin Marietta Materials from $410.00 to $450.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, February 16th. Atlantic Securities lowered shares of Martin Marietta Materials from an overweight rating to a neutral rating and dropped their price target for the company from $375.00 to $350.00 in a research report on Tuesday, January 24th. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Martin Marietta Materials in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating for the company. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded shares of Martin Marietta Materials from a neutral rating to a buy rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $420.00 to $428.00 in a report on Monday, April 3rd. Finally, Raymond James upped their price target on shares of Martin Marietta Materials from $389.00 to $405.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Thursday, February 16th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have given 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 $405.17.

Martin Marietta Materials Profile

(Get Rating)

Martin Marietta Materials, Inc engages in the provision of aggregates including crushed stone, sand, and gravel through its network of quarries and distribution yards. It operates through the following geographical segments: East Group and West Group. The East Group segments provide aggregated products only.

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Boston Financial Mangement LLC decreased its position in shares of iShares Russell Mid-Cap ETF (NYSEARCA:IWR  Get Rating) by 78.3% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 21,065 shares of the companys stock after selling 75,844 shares during the period. Boston Financial Mangement LLCs holdings in iShares Russell Mid-Cap ETF were worth $1,421,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. MAS Advisors LLC lifted its position in iShares Russell Mid-Cap ETF by 23.5% during the first quarter. MAS Advisors LLC now owns 15,744 shares of the companys stock worth $1,245,000 after buying an additional 3,000 shares during the period. Rhumbline Advisers boosted its position in shares of iShares Russell Mid-Cap ETF by 177.0% in the first quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 73,571 shares of the companys stock worth $5,741,000 after acquiring an additional 47,009 shares during the last quarter. Blair William & Co. IL grew its holdings in iShares Russell Mid-Cap ETF by 4.3% in the first quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 81,545 shares of the companys stock valued at $6,364,000 after purchasing an additional 3,341 shares during the period. Sei Investments Co. increased its position in iShares Russell Mid-Cap ETF by 5.7% during the first quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 15,288 shares of the companys stock worth $1,193,000 after purchasing an additional 829 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Equitable Holdings Inc. raised its stake in iShares Russell Mid-Cap ETF by 0.3% during the first quarter. Equitable Holdings Inc. now owns 90,610 shares of the companys stock worth $7,072,000 after purchasing an additional 232 shares during the period.

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iShares Russell Mid-Cap ETF Stock Up 0.1 %

Shares of NYSEARCA IWR opened at $68.60 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $27.43 billion, a PE ratio of 15.16 and a beta of 1.08. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $70.62 and a 200-day moving average of $68.73. iShares Russell Mid-Cap ETF has a 52-week low of $60.73 and a 52-week high of $79.01.

iShares Russell Mid-Cap ETF Profile

iShares Russell Mid-Cap ETF (the Fund), formerly iShares Russell Midcap 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 Midcap Index (the Index). The Index measures the performance of the mid-capitalization sector of the United States equity market.

Further Reading

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New York State Teachers Retirement System trimmed its stake in shares of Bank of America Co. (NYSE:BAC) by 1.8% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 8,128,537 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 145,869 shares during the period. Bank of America comprises 0.7% of New York State Teachers Retirement Systems holdings, making the stock its 25th largest position. New York State Teachers Retirement System owned approximately 0.10% of Bank of America worth $269,217,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of BAC. Congress Park Capital LLC raised its holdings in Bank of America by 32.0% in the 3rd quarter. Congress Park Capital LLC now owns 43,420 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $1,311,000 after purchasing an additional 10,525 shares during the period. AlphaCrest Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Bank of America by 70.5% during the 3rd quarter. AlphaCrest Capital Management LLC now owns 91,399 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $2,760,000 after buying an additional 37,794 shares in the last quarter. Chilton Investment Co. Inc. grew its stake in Bank of America by 64.4% in the 2nd quarter. Chilton Investment Co. Inc. now owns 18,525 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $577,000 after acquiring an additional 7,254 shares during the period. SRS Capital Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in Bank of America by 80.6% in the 2nd quarter. SRS Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 8,137 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $253,000 after acquiring an additional 3,632 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vista Wealth Management Group LLC raised its position in Bank of America by 1.7% during the third quarter. Vista Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 22,879 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $802,000 after acquiring an additional 393 shares during the period. 68.34% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

BAC has been the subject of a number of research reports. Odeon Capital Group cut shares of Bank of America from a buy rating to a hold rating and set a $35.20 target price for the company. in a research note on Wednesday, March 8th. StockNews.com assumed coverage on Bank of America in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating for the company. Royal Bank of Canada lowered their price target on Bank of America from $40.00 to $34.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, March 24th. Oppenheimer reduced their price objective on Bank of America from $53.00 to $44.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, March 23rd. Finally, Citigroup lifted their target price on shares of Bank of America from $36.00 to $38.00 in a research note on Tuesday, January 17th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $38.04.

Bank of America Price Performance

NYSE:BAC opened at $27.84 on Friday. Bank of America Co. has a 52 week low of $26.32 and a 52 week high of $40.40. The stocks fifty day moving average is $32.08 and its two-hundred day moving average is $33.43. The company has a market capitalization of $222.83 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.73, a P/E/G ratio of 1.20 and a beta of 1.36. The company has a quick ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.13.

Bank of America (NYSE:BAC  Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 13th. The financial services provider reported $0.85 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.76 by $0.09. The firm had revenue of $24.50 billion for 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%. Bank of Americas revenue was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.82 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Bank of America Co. will post 3.3 EPS for the current year.

Bank of America Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 31st. Investors of record on Friday, March 3rd were issued a $0.22 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 2nd. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.16%. Bank of Americas dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 27.59%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Bank of America

In other news, insider Matthew M. Koder sold 214,745 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $35.91, for a total transaction of $7,711,492.95. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 214,747 shares in the company, valued at $7,711,564.77. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. In other Bank of America news, insider Matthew M. Koder sold 214,745 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated 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 directly owns 214,747 shares in the company, valued at $7,711,564.77. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Matthew M. Koder sold 105,054 shares of the firms 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 directly owns 319,803 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $10,959,648.81. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.27% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Bank of America 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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Traynor Capital Management Inc. increased its stake in The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO  Get Rating) by 6.4% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 3,819 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 231 shares during the period. Traynor Capital Management Inc.s holdings in Coca-Cola were worth $243,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in KO. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in Coca-Cola by 1.1% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 363,258,425 shares of the companys stock valued at $20,349,737,000 after purchasing an additional 3,864,004 shares during the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. grew its position in shares of Coca-Cola by 1.7% during the third quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 301,952,085 shares of the companys stock worth $16,915,357,000 after acquiring an additional 4,994,047 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp lifted its position in Coca-Cola by 0.5% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 171,570,198 shares of the companys stock worth $9,685,693,000 after acquiring an additional 885,816 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Coca-Cola by 2.6% in the first quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 51,570,921 shares of the companys stock valued at $3,197,397,000 after acquiring an additional 1,301,902 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its holdings in Coca-Cola by 1.1% during the third quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 41,213,079 shares of the companys stock worth $2,308,758,000 after acquiring an additional 462,803 shares during the period. 68.74% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on KO. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on shares of Coca-Cola from $70.00 to $68.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, February 15th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft dropped their price target on shares of Coca-Cola from $63.00 to $60.00 in a research report on Monday, March 20th. Citigroup initiated coverage on Coca-Cola in a research note on Thursday, February 16th. They set a buy rating and a $68.00 price objective for the company. UBS Group upped their price target on Coca-Cola from $68.00 to $70.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Monday, February 13th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. set a $67.00 target price on shares of Coca-Cola in a research report on Tuesday, February 14th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $67.55.

Coca-Cola Price Performance

KO opened at $62.84 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.41, a current ratio of 1.15 and a quick ratio of 0.93. The company has a market capitalization of $271.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.56, a P/E/G ratio of 3.63 and a beta of 0.54. The Coca-Cola Company has a 1 year low of $54.01 and a 1 year high of $67.20. The firms fifty day moving average price is $60.44 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $60.44.

Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO  Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 14th. The company reported $0.45 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.45. Coca-Cola had a net margin of 22.19% and a return on equity of 42.35%. The company had revenue of $10.10 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.92 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.45 earnings per share. The companys quarterly revenue was up 6.3% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts anticipate that The Coca-Cola Company will post 2.6 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Coca-Cola Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 3rd. Investors of record on Friday, March 17th were paid a dividend of $0.46 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 16th. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.93%. This is a boost from Coca-Colas previous quarterly dividend of $0.44. Coca-Colas payout ratio is currently 83.64%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CEO James Quincey sold 46,421 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.50, for a total transaction of $2,808,470.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 592,546 shares in the company, valued at approximately $35,849,033. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In related news, SVP Nancy Quan sold 74,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $58.71, for a total transaction of $4,344,540.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 219,790 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $12,903,870.90. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO James Quincey sold 46,421 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.50, for a total transaction of $2,808,470.50. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 592,546 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $35,849,033. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 282,268 shares of company stock valued at $17,137,823. Company insiders own 1.00% of the companys stock.

Coca-Cola Company Profile

(Get Rating)

The Coca-Cola Co engages in the manufacturing and marketing of non-alcoholic beverages. It operates through the following segments: Europe, Middle East and Africa, Latin America, North America, Asia Pacific, Global Ventures, and Bottling Investments. The company was founded by Asa Griggs Candler on May 8, 1886 and is headquartered in Atlanta, GA.

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Beacon Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Devon Energy Co. (NYSE:DVN  Get Rating) by 543.8% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 515 shares of the energy companys stock after buying an additional 435 shares during the period. Beacon Capital Management LLCs holdings in Devon Energy were worth $32,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. State Street Corp grew its position in Devon Energy by 7.3% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 42,814,521 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $2,574,437,000 after acquiring an additional 2,902,180 shares during the period. Yacktman Asset Management LP purchased a new stake in shares of Devon Energy during the 3rd quarter worth about $160,242,000. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in Devon Energy by 2.2% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 77,173,489 shares of the energy companys stock worth $4,640,442,000 after purchasing an additional 1,637,042 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp raised its holdings in Devon Energy by 16.9% in the third quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 10,141,280 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $609,794,000 after buying an additional 1,469,557 shares during the period. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership acquired a new position in Devon Energy during the first quarter valued at approximately $85,234,000. 78.08% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on shares of Devon Energy from $61.00 to $52.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, March 27th. Truist Financial dropped their target price on Devon Energy from $80.00 to $70.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, February 16th. Citigroup decreased their price target on Devon Energy from $77.00 to $66.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Thursday, February 23rd. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Devon Energy in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on shares of Devon Energy from $70.00 to $59.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 17th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $71.95.

Devon Energy Stock Performance

Shares of DVN opened at $52.91 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $34.60 billion, a PE ratio of 5.80, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.15 and a beta of 2.33. The businesss fifty day moving average price is $54.27 and its 200 day moving average price is $62.07. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55, a current ratio of 1.25 and a quick ratio of 1.19. Devon Energy Co. has a 12-month low of $44.03 and a 12-month high of $79.40.

Devon Energy (NYSE:DVN  Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 15th. The energy company reported $1.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.75 by ($0.09). Devon Energy had a return on equity of 52.20% and a net margin of 31.38%. The business had revenue of $4.30 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.29 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.39 earnings per share. The companys quarterly revenue was up .6% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts forecast that Devon Energy Co. will post 6.66 EPS for the current year.

Devon Energy Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a None dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 15th were paid a $0.89 dividend. This is an increase from Devon Energys previous None dividend of $0.49. This represents a yield of 9.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 14th. Devon Energys payout ratio is presently 8.77%.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Dennis C. Cameron sold 7,179 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $54.77, for a total value of $393,193.83. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 262,498 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $14,377,015.46. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In related news, EVP Dennis C. Cameron sold 7,179 shares of the 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 sale, 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 can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director John E. Bethancourt acquired 3,765 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 17th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $53.06 per share, for a total transaction of $199,770.90. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 94,669 shares in the company, valued at $5,023,137.14. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.80% of the companys stock.

About Devon Energy

(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.

Further Reading

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Boston Financial Mangement LLC lifted its position in Medtronic plc (NYSE:MDT  Get Rating) by 3.8% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 11,710 shares of the medical technology companys stock after acquiring an additional 431 shares during the period. Boston Financial Mangement LLCs holdings in Medtronic were worth $910,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. IAG Wealth Partners LLC lifted its position in Medtronic by 58.1% during the third quarter. IAG Wealth Partners LLC now owns 351 shares of the medical technology companys stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 129 shares during the period. Fairfield Bush & CO. bought a new position in shares of Medtronic in the 1st quarter worth about $47,000. Annapolis Financial Services LLC lifted its position in Medtronic by 368.0% during the 3rd quarter. Annapolis Financial Services LLC now owns 482 shares of the medical technology companys stock valued at $39,000 after acquiring an additional 379 shares during the period. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. bought a new stake in Medtronic during the third quarter worth about $44,000. Finally, Clear Investment Research LLC purchased a new stake in Medtronic in the third quarter worth about $48,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.37% of the companys stock.

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Medtronic Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE MDT opened at $80.30 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.76, a quick ratio of 1.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43. Medtronic plc has a 12-month low of $75.76 and a 12-month high of $114.31. The firm has a market capitalization of $106.83 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.43 and a beta of 0.71. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $81.85 and a 200 day moving average of $81.25.

Medtronic Dividend Announcement

Medtronic ( NYSE:MDT Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 21st. The medical technology company reported $1.30 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.27 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $7.70 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $7.53 billion. Medtronic had a return on equity of 13.37% and a net margin of 13.20%. The businesss quarterly revenue was down .8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.37 earnings per share. On average, research analysts anticipate that Medtronic plc will post 5.28 earnings per share for the current year.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 14th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 24th will be paid a $0.68 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 23rd. This represents a $2.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.39%. Medtronics dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 89.47%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have recently commented on MDT. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price target on Medtronic from $80.00 to $87.00 in a research report on Wednesday, February 22nd. Mizuho reduced their price target on Medtronic from $100.00 to $95.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, January 24th. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Medtronic in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a buy rating on the stock. UBS Group lowered shares of Medtronic from a buy rating to a sell rating and reduced their price objective for the company from $127.00 to $79.00 in a research note on Wednesday, March 29th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada downgraded shares of Medtronic from an outperform rating to a sector perform rating and dropped their target price for the stock from $102.00 to $89.00 in a research note on Monday, January 9th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, fourteen have issued a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Medtronic presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $90.11.

Medtronic Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Medtronic Plc is a medical technology company, which engages in the development, manufacture, distribution, and sale of device-based medical therapies and services. It operates through the following segments: Cardiovascular Porrtfolio, Neuroscience Portfolio, Medical Surgical Portfolio, and Diabetes Operating Unit.

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Now come the usual analyses explaining how and why one candidate won the mayors office while the other lost. So far, no one has pinpointed two important reasons the more experienced and better prepared Paul Vallas lost to newcomer Brandon Johnson, who had fewer pertinent credentials but had important union backing. Sometimes, emotion trumps logic. Sometimes, factors in plain sight are ignored.

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The voters who follow political currents were familiar with Vallas impressive track record and managerial abilities as a top-notch problem-solver for numerous municipalities. But how many voters internalized those accomplishments enough to elect him on Election Day? While Vallas is rightly a darling of the establishment, he was mostly a stranger to the vast majority of voters in Black and Hispanic wards. And although Vallas had three years while Lori Lightfoot was mayor to make his name and achievements known to minorities at the grassroots level, he did not. That cost him. Keep in mind how siloed and Balkanized Chicago is.

Positioning himself as the law-and-order candidate in a time when crime leads voter concerns, Vallas also positioned himself as the darling of the Fraternal Order of Police. This may not have mattered to many, and it jump-started his campaign. But few Latinos or African Americans see the FOP as other than a racist police organization that is resistant to court-ordered reforms. While the FOP endorsement boosted Vallas among many white voters, among minorities in general, it was a pill too poisonous to swallow, even while they want criminals to be arrested.

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Minority voters know the police are necessary to keep the peace and arrest wrongdoers, but they still have misgivings about how some cops go about it. When did we last see a newspaper report about a white inmate released because his conviction was found to be false? But we regularly read of innocent Black inmates released because they were wrongly convicted due to police wrongdoing or false testimony. This psychological backdrop influences Chicago voting and is risky for candidates to ignore.

Will Johnson be savvy enough in victory to benefit from Vallas abilities as part of his inner circle? And would Vallas be gracious enough to accept such an offer?

Such a development would do much to de-Balkanize and advance our city.

 Ted Z. Manuel, Chicago

Elections in 1983, 2023

As the daughter of 1983 Republican mayoral candidate Bernie Epton, I watched with interest and trepidation the unfolding of the 2023 mayoral contest. When all the votes were tallied and the ward outcomes were compared to the 1983 vote, I came to a different conclusion. Not based on racism but on the hope that votes were cast because of belief in a candidates internal compass and abilities and a belief that the candidates in 2023, as well as in 1983, wanted to provide a better environment for all Chicagoans.

My hope is that we never judge a candidate again on race or religion but on character and ability to lead this city to a better place.

 Dale Epton, Chicago

Obamas commitment

I didnt vote for Brandon Johnson. However, why would he need to mention Barack Obama in his acceptance speech? After all, Obama left Chicago and now splits his time between Hawaii and Marthas Vineyard.

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Sure, Obama will return for the ribbon-cutting opening his presidential library, but for the most part, hes put Chicago in his rearview mirror.

 Bruce R. Hovanec, Chicago

Is Johnson for whole city?

Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson during the campaign often said that he intends to be mayor for the whole city. I havent seen him in our neighborhood.

You can hardly blame him, though. The streets are so bad theyre practically impassable. One pothole around the corner on Rosemont Avenue is particularly nice. Theres a lovely salad bar at the bottom and a gift shop.

 Ken Bostrom, Sauganash neighborhood, Chicago

Making a difference here

Thank you to letter writer Dan Hoekstra (We can try being better, April 5) for his compassionate plea to humanity to try to be a little bit better in our treatment of one another. It seems so simple. One good word, one good action, one good thought would go a long way.

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We have a new mayor now. The only way this city will pull itself up is if Chicagoans support efforts to improve the city. Fighting separate battles has led nowhere.

Please, Chicagoans, try to be a little bit better.

 Monica Wiedlin-Torres, Chicago

Political text messaging

I have been a registered voter in the state of Illinois for more than a decade. At the time, I foolishly registered using my mobile phone number instead of leaving it blank or leaving an alternate (such as Google Voice). Per the Federal Communications Commission website, robocalls and robotexts to mobile phones require prior consent with a few exceptions. Political text messaging is allowed if the messages sender does not use autodialing technology to send such texts and instead manually dials them.

I received at least a half-dozen text messages on a recent day from unknown numbers reminding me to vote for either candidate for mayor. How would I ever be able to determine the technology used to send it?

For my fellow Illinois voters, I wanted to pass on the FCCs reporting method of forwarding the texts to 7726. My experience has been that the agency will follow up to ask for you to text it the offending mobile number. I recommend you block the number on your mobile device as well.

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Hopefully, future candidates and their election committee members receive the message loud and clear that nonconsensual contact via mobile phones will not increase the chances of receiving a vote for a candidate.

 William Schutte, Chicago

Join the conversation in our Letters to the Editor Facebook group.

Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com.
Laughter and joyous camaraderie filled the space surrounding the eighth pavilion at Bear Creek Park Saturday during Foster Source and Cobbled Streets Ambassadors Projects first annual Easter egg hunt for foster and Kinship families across El Paso County.

Were hoping to connect foster families and kin families together through encouraging them, building resources for them finding out what their needs are in specific areas, said Foster Sources El Paso County ambassador, Tatiana Scroggins. Were creating these events so we can start hearing from foster families and kinship families and what they really need.

Foster Source and Cobbled Streets are two Colorado nonprofits with a mission of providing education, resources, and enriching experiences to foster and kinship children and families, according to their websites.

Through the two nonprofits' Ambassador Project, they hope to provide foster and kinship families across the state with easy access to support networks, trauma-informed education, and meaningful relationships through community workshops and events.

Sometimes, its hard to get everything through one caseworker. If you can bring more foster parents together it can open doors and avenues to bring additional resources into their lives, and thats our goal, Scroggins said.

A total of 20 families consisting of 130 kids showed up Saturday to embark on an Easter egg hunt throughout the park.

With the group was Rachel Hayes, who fosters 10 kids with her husband in Colorado Springs. She said she heard about Saturdays event through her foster agency and has been using Foster Source services for the past five years.

This is a really great event, and it really does help when theres an understanding of trauma. Just knowing the kids will have a fun Easter egg hunt  in other community events where our kids may behave differently than others, theres not this mutual understanding, Hayes said, Whenever youre welcome to bring 10 kids anywhere, its amazing.

Hayes said she began fostering after her husband heard a sermon at their church regarding the disconnect between Christians and orphan care within the United States.

He just said, 'Honey, we need to get involved.'"

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Standing with Hayes was Jayme Lollich who, along with her family, said she had a "unique" introduction to the foster system in 2020.

We didnt wake up and say, 'were going to foster and plan this out.' We woke up and said, 'holy crap, we need to do this to help this family,' and thats what we did.

Lollich accidentally found herself involved in the foster system after hearing of two little girls who were abandoned by their parents during the pandemic. A coworker at the time told her of the situation.

I grabbed my husband and my two girls who were home, and we just went shopping for everything they needed on that list. And we went up to meet them, and they said OK, here you go  and they literally gave us the two kids, Lollich said.

After getting in touch with a family friend who worked as a police officer, they were able to find the girls biological parents and get them in touch with services and resources to help them get their kids back.

We got them both in a mens home and womans home, and we continued working with them for a year until we were able to reunite them, Lollich said.

Lolichs family continues to stay in touch with the girls and parents through family barbecues and coming together for the kids birthdays. Through that case, she got involved in fostering two other kids, adopting them 16 months later.

We look forward to these events, because this is where it starts," Lollich said. "Fostering is not easy; its a struggle. These events help us internally because it gives me hope that yes, were doing this right.

Tammy Melchisedek is proof that its never too late to get involved with the foster program. Working with international adoption services for years, adopting two kids internationally in the process, Melchisedek is now a foster grandmother. She got involved through her daughter, and event coordinator, Tatiana Scroggins.

Its really important to understand the role that many of these children dont have any extended family at all. They dont even know who their grandparents are, or they might have 15 of them, Melchisedek said. You just need to be an older, grandmotherly presence in their lives. Its an opportunity to love kids that need that role.

 Helping to increase the tools and community, and the sense that you arent alone in this. Its a really beautiful thing.
Eads & Heald Wealth Management grew its stake in NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE:NEE  Get Rating) by 1.0% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 24,732 shares of the utilities providers stock after purchasing an additional 239 shares during the period. Eads & Heald Wealth Managements holdings in NextEra Energy were worth $2,068,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in NEE. United Bank grew its holdings in shares of NextEra Energy by 9.8% during the 1st quarter. United Bank now owns 9,966 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $844,000 after purchasing an additional 891 shares in the last quarter. LSV Asset Management increased its holdings in NextEra Energy by 9.2% in the 1st quarter. LSV Asset Management now owns 32,180 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $2,726,000 after buying an additional 2,700 shares during the period. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. raised its stake in shares of NextEra Energy by 11.2% in the 1st quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 15,731 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $1,333,000 after buying an additional 1,587 shares in the last quarter. Covestor Ltd raised its stake in shares of NextEra Energy by 59.1% in the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 878 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $74,000 after buying an additional 326 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ergoteles LLC bought a new position in shares of NextEra Energy during the 1st quarter worth about $793,000. Institutional investors own 76.17% of the companys stock.

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NextEra Energy Stock Up 0.8 %

Shares of NEE opened at $78.97 on Friday. The businesss fifty day moving average price is $74.94 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $79.12. The firm has a market capitalization of $159.79 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.78, a PEG ratio of 2.80 and a beta of 0.47. NextEra Energy, Inc. has a 52 week low of $67.22 and a 52 week high of $91.35. 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 Increases Dividend

NextEra Energy ( NYSE:NEE Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 25th. The utilities provider reported $0.51 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.50 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $6.16 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $6.58 billion. NextEra Energy had a net margin of 19.79% and a return on equity of 12.51%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 22.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.41 earnings per share. On average, analysts predict that NextEra Energy, Inc. will post 3.12 earnings per share for the current year.

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 28th were issued a $0.4675 dividend. This is a positive change from NextEra Energys previous quarterly dividend of $0.43. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 27th. This represents a $1.87 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.37%. NextEra Energys payout ratio is 89.47%.

Insider Activity at NextEra Energy

In other NextEra Energy news, CEO Armando Pimentel, Jr. purchased 13,200 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 21st. The stock was bought at an average cost of $75.44 per share, for a total transaction of $995,808.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer now directly owns 129,230 shares of the companys stock, valued at $9,749,111.20. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other news, Director James Lawrence Camaren acquired 2,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 9th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $73.50 per share, for a total transaction of $147,000.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 147,930 shares in the company, valued at $10,872,855. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Armando Pimentel, Jr. bought 13,200 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 21st. The stock was purchased at an average price of $75.44 per share, for a total transaction of $995,808.00. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer now directly owns 129,230 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,749,111.20. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders bought a total of 18,872 shares of company stock worth $1,417,721 in the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 0.38% of the companys stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on NEE shares. Guggenheim dropped their target price on NextEra Energy from $102.00 to $96.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 26th. Bank of America lowered NextEra Energy from a buy rating to a neutral rating and dropped their price objective for the stock from $94.00 to $80.00 in a research note on Thursday, January 26th. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on shares of NextEra Energy from $97.00 to $94.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, March 21st. Erste Group Bank upgraded shares of NextEra Energy from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 28th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada cut their price target on shares of NextEra Energy from $101.00 to $98.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a report on Monday, January 30th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $91.58.

NextEra Energy Company Profile

(Get Rating)

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.

Further Reading

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New York State Teachers Retirement System trimmed its holdings in shares of The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO  Get Rating) by 0.8% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 4,388,234 shares of the companys stock after selling 37,509 shares during the quarter. Coca-Cola makes up approximately 0.7% of New York State Teachers Retirement Systems investment portfolio, making the stock its 24th biggest holding. New York State Teachers Retirement System owned about 0.10% of Coca-Cola worth $279,136,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of KO. Fairfield Bush & CO. bought a new position in Coca-Cola in the first quarter worth about $77,000. Merit Financial Group LLC raised its stake in shares of Coca-Cola by 16.7% during the 1st quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC now owns 12,227 shares of the companys stock worth $758,000 after acquiring an additional 1,754 shares in the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC lifted its position in Coca-Cola by 41.4% during the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 149,275 shares of the companys stock valued at $9,255,000 after acquiring an additional 43,680 shares during the last quarter. Ergoteles LLC boosted its stake in Coca-Cola by 385.3% in the first quarter. Ergoteles LLC now owns 19,032 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,180,000 after acquiring an additional 15,110 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Mackenzie Financial Corp grew its holdings in Coca-Cola by 11.9% in the first quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 2,840,557 shares of the companys stock worth $176,115,000 after purchasing an additional 301,804 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 68.74% of the companys stock.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Credit Suisse Group set a $70.00 price objective on Coca-Cola in a research report on Wednesday, February 15th. UBS Group boosted their price target on Coca-Cola from $68.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Monday, February 13th. Citigroup initiated coverage on shares of Coca-Cola in a research report on Thursday, February 16th. They issued a buy rating and a $68.00 price objective for the company. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on shares of Coca-Cola from $70.00 to $68.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, February 15th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price target on shares of Coca-Cola from $61.00 to $62.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Monday, February 13th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $67.55.

Coca-Cola Stock Performance

NYSE KO opened at $62.84 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $271.87 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.56, a PEG ratio of 3.63 and a beta of 0.54. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $60.44 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $60.44. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.41, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a current ratio of 1.15. The Coca-Cola Company has a fifty-two week low of $54.01 and a fifty-two week high of $67.20.

Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO  Get Rating) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, February 14th. The company reported $0.45 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.45. Coca-Cola had a net margin of 22.19% and a return on equity of 42.35%. The firm had revenue of $10.10 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.92 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.45 EPS. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 6.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts forecast that The Coca-Cola Company will post 2.6 earnings per share for the current year.

Coca-Cola Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 3rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 17th were given a $0.46 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 16th. This represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.93%. This is an increase from Coca-Colas previous quarterly dividend of $0.44. Coca-Colas dividend payout ratio is 83.64%.

Insider Transactions at Coca-Cola

In related news, CEO James Quincey sold 46,421 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.50, for a total value of $2,808,470.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 592,546 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $35,849,033. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In related news, insider Brian John Smith sold 126,972 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $62.07, for a total value of $7,881,152.04. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 116,168 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $7,210,547.76. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO James Quincey sold 46,421 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.50, for a total transaction of $2,808,470.50. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 592,546 shares in the company, valued at $35,849,033. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 282,268 shares of company stock valued at $17,137,823 in the last ninety days. 1.00% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

About Coca-Cola

(Get Rating)

The Coca-Cola Co engages in the manufacturing and marketing of non-alcoholic beverages. It operates through the following segments: Europe, Middle East and Africa, Latin America, North America, Asia Pacific, Global Ventures, and Bottling Investments. The company was founded by Asa Griggs Candler on May 8, 1886 and is headquartered in Atlanta, GA.

See Also

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Chinas military simulated precision strikes against Taiwan in a second day of drills around the island on Sunday, with the islands defence ministry reporting multiple air force sorties and that it was monitoring Chinas missile forces.

China, which claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, began three days of military exercises around the island on Saturday, the day after Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen returned from a brief visit to the United States.

Chinese state television reported that the combat readiness patrols and drills around Taiwan were continuing.

Under the unified command of the theatre joint operations command centre, multiple types of units carried out simulated joint precision strikes on key targets on Taiwan island and the surrounding sea areas, and continue to maintain an offensive posture around the island, it said.

A source familiar with the security situation in the region told Reuters that China had been conducting simulated air and sea attacks on foreign military targets in the waters off Taiwans southwestern coast.

Taiwan is not their only target, the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to speak to the media. Its very provocative.

Taiwans defence ministry said that as of Sunday midday (0400 GMT) they had spotted 58 Chinese aircraft, including Su-30 fighters and H-6 bombers, as well as nine ships, around Taiwan.

The ministry said they were paying particular attention to the Peoples Liberation Armys Rocket Force which is in charge of Chinas land-based missile system.

Regarding the movements of the Chinese communists Rocket Force, the nations military also has a close grasp through the joint intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance system, and air defence forces remain on high alert, the ministry said.

It reiterated that Taiwans forces will not escalate conflicts nor cause disputes and would respond appropriately to Chinas drills.

The security source said about 20 military ships, half from Taiwan and half from China, were engaged in a stand-off near the Taiwan Straits median line, which has for years served as an unofficial barrier between the two sides, but did not behave provocatively.

Chinas aircraft carrier Shandong, which Taiwan has been monitoring since last week, is now more than 400 nautical miles off Taiwans southeast coast and is carrying out drills, the source said.

Zhao Xiaozhuo of Chinas Academy of Military Sciences told the Chinese state-backed Global Times newspaper this was the first time China had openly talked of simulated attacks on targets in Taiwan.

Key targets would include infrastructure such as runways, military logistics facilities and mobile targets to annihilate them in one fell swoop if necessary, the report cited Zhao as saying.

COMFORTABLE, CONFIDENT U.S. MONITORS DRILLS

Life in Taiwan has continued as normal, with no sign of panic or disruption from the Chinese drills.

Last August, following a visit to Taipei by Nancy Pelosi, then the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, China staged war games around Taiwan, including firing missiles into waters close to the island. It has not announced similar drills this time.

While in Los Angeles last week, on what was officially billed a transit on her way back from Central America, Tsai met the current speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy, despite Beijings warnings against it.

The de facto U.S. embassy in Taiwan said on Sunday the United States was monitoring Chinas drills around Taiwan closely and is comfortable and confident it has sufficient resources and capabilities regionally to ensure peace and stability.

U.S. channels of communication with China remain open and the United States had consistently urged restraint and no change to the status quo, said a spokesperson for the American Institute in Taiwan, which serves as an embassy in the absence of formal diplomatic ties.

Washington severed diplomatic relations with Taipei in favour of Beijing in 1979 but is bound by law to provide the island with the means to defend itself.

China, which has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under its control, says Taiwan is the most important and sensitive issue in its relations with the United States, and the topic is a frequent source of tensions.

Beijing considers Tsai a separatist and has rebuffed her repeated calls for talks. Tsai says only Taiwans people can decide their future.

CHINESE FIGHTERS, WARSHIPS

China has over the past three years or so stepped up its military pressure against Taiwan, flying regular missions around Taiwan, though not in its territorial air space or over the island itself.

Taiwans defence ministry said earlier on Sunday that in the previous 24 hours it had spotted 71 Chinese air force aircraft and nine navy vessels around Taiwan.

The ministry published a map showing around half of those aircraft, including Su-30s and J-11s, crossed the straits median line.

Chinese state media said the aircraft were armed with live weapons. Taiwanese air force jets also typically carry live weapons when they scramble to see off Chinese incursions.

SOURCE: REUTERS
ALBANY  A decision out of city traffic court could invalidate some outstanding parking tickets in the city.

City Court Judge Ricja Rice ruled in a March 20 decision that one individual's city-issued parking tickets failed to follow state law requiring tickets to describe the violation they are issued for, including any applicable traffic rule the driver violated. If that information is omitted, illegible or misdescribed, the ticket can be dismissed under state law.

The ruling stems from a case in which Krzysztof Wendland, an attorney, challenged seven parking tickets he received from Dec. 2020 through Dec. 2021. Wendland was cited multiple times for parking along city streets that require a residential parking permit and along streets during times where no parking is allowed.

Rice noted that from the tickets themselves she could not determine what rule Wendland was accused of violating.

neither the exact citation, nor the factual allegations contained in the Peoples affirmation referring to the failure to display a valid parking permit, are present on the notice of violation presented to the defendant, Rice wrote.

Rice's decision opens the door to other drivers challenging the validity of their parking tickets.

The city's residential permit parking system was created in 2013 to deal with commuters flooding residential street parking, especially around large employers such as state government and Albany Medical Center Hospital. The system requires a permit to park for more than two hours in a spot in specific zones around the city's downtown.

Wendlands attorney, Sean Moran, said the decision showed that the city had long failed to follow state Vehicle and Traffic laws when it came to issuing parking tickets.

Its concerning that the city of Albany has been able to get away with these illegal practices for so long, he said in a statement.

Mayor Kathy Sheehans spokesman David Galin said the city was disappointed in the ruling and was evaluating its options, including a potential appeal.

Every parking ticket appeal is evaluated independently, however we are confident outstanding parking tickets will ultimately be enforceable, he said in a statement.

Rice dismissed the charges without prejudice, meaning the city could potentially re-issue the violations with the correct citation under state law.

It's my hope that this case will shed light on the city of Albany's practices and lead to positive change, he said.
Paul Buckowski

CLARKSBURG, Mass.  The Massachusetts State Police charged a father with manslaughter Saturday after his two-year-old son was found in creek north of North Adams early Sunday morning - police alleging the father lost the child in the water as he was fleeing the scene of a drunken motor vehicle crash.

Authorities responded to the crash on Middle Road in Clarksburg at 1:58 a.m. Saturday and immediately learned a young child who had been in the vehicle was unaccounted for, according to the State Polices Facebook page. First responders began searching the Hudson Brook for the child and located him in an area of the brook close to 150 Middle Road shortly before 2:20 a.m. He was then transported to Berkshire Medical Center in North Adams, where he was pronounced dead.
There isn't anything groundbreaking in this collection of local political links HOWEVER we wanted to share a few stories that provide an overview of springtime debate across the region.



Check TKC news gathering . . .

Mayor Q Gladly Accepts Weed Cash

Lucas' summary for all Missouri politicians: 'Thank y'all for the weed tax money' (The Center Square) - Democratic Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas provided a succinct summary for most of Missouri's elected leaders after Tuesday's elections. "Thank y'all for the weed tax money," Lucas posted on social media. Voters approved a 3% recreational marijuana sales tax in dozens of counties and municipalities throughout Missouri on Tuesday.

Rock Chalk Cutoff

Kansas Legislature votes to revoke licenses of physicians who perform gender-affirming care - Kansas Reflector TOPEKA - The Legislature voted to effectively ban gender-affirming care for Kansans under the age of 18 and revoke the license of physicians who offered such care, comparing gender identity issues to smoking. The bill was heard and passed 70-52 in the House and 23-12 in the Senate during early Friday morning hours, following the Legislature's decision to suspend protocol and work through the night.

Show-Me Rejection

A Missouri county won't work with the ATF, claiming the federal agency is 'unconstitutional' Six top elected officials in Camden County, Missouri, are refusing to cooperate with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, claiming the agency itself is unconstitutional. ATF agents say they need zoning information so the agency can complete the applications for four people who want to open gun stores in Camden County, about 250 miles southeast of Kansas City.

Sunflower State Fight For Life

Kansas lawmakers advance unproven abortion pill 'reversal' legislation to Kelly's desk Kansas lawmakers approved a policy early Friday morning requiring abortion providers and pharmacists to inform patients of an unproven treatment to "reverse" mifepristone, the first drug used in a medication abortion. It was one of several measures on abortion the Republican-controlled Legislature sent to Democratic Gov.

Show-Me Weed Future

After recreational marijuana tax increases approved, Missouri governments discuss what's next On Wednesday, hours after voters in many Missouri municipalities agreed to tax recreational marijuana, those local governments were already talking about what the money will go towards. Already, the state of Missouri has a 6% sales tax on recreational marijuana.

Censorship Stays Winning

Kansas House passes bill allowing parents to remove children from 'objectionable' lessons - Kansas Reflector TOPEKA - Parents who don't believe their children should be taught about slavery could potentially ignore history, one lawmaker argued in opposition to a wide-ranging parental rights bill. The legislation , which passed the House 76-46, would allow parents to withdraw their children from courses they find objectionable under the assumption that teachers are crossing the line into advocating for radical ideas.

Head Check Harder To Find

Kansans struggle with access to mental health care. But the state is retooling its coverage TOPEKA, Kansas - Sherie Keegan would have adopted a child from the Kansas foster care system, but the girl's mental health needs were too much. Keegan worried whether the help she needed to care for such a troubled child could be found near Paola, Kansas.

STL Rejects Family Rule

Please God, No, Jay Ashcroft Is Running for Governor | Riverfront Times Today, Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft announced he is running for governor, and all we can say is please, make it stop. Our majority-Republican legislature and two extremist GOP senators have already packed the circus tent that is now the state of Missouri. We don't need another one.

Guide To Performing Your Own Surgery

Kansas could remove thousands of people from Medicaid rolls. Here's what to do if you're on KanCare More than 500,000 Kansans face a review over the next year to see if they still qualify for Medicaid - the first check on eligibility since the pandemic prompted a temporary change in rules three years ago.

Feeding The Future

Meal debt is soaring after universal free lunch ended. How are Midwest states responding? Pat Broz has been serving meals to students in the Mehlville School District outside of St. Louis for almost 30 years. On a recent day at Oakville Elementary School, the bouncing kindergarteners sliding trays toward the register were all dressed up for school pictures. She complimented their outfits as she rang up their lunches.

Developing . . .
On this beautiful Easter morning we are blessed with insight, data, research and remarkably nuanced perspective from one of the foremost criminologists working in the Kansas City.

Dr. Ernest Evans has been a longtime friend of the blog and today he shares remarkable insight on historic crime trends and how they apply to elections on our hometown and across the nation.

Here's the word . . .



The Potency of the Crime Issue: Lessons from Recent Elections in KCMO and Chicago

The US has been in the midst of a major crime surge since the last few months of 2019. According to FBI statistics, homicides in the US declined 6% in the first six months of 2019, but they rose 6% in the last six months of 2019. In 2020 the US witnessed a record-breaking 30% increase in the number of homicidesthe previous one year record was a 13% increase in 1968. In 2021 homicides increased another 5%; we do not have final figures for 2022 but it appears that homicide totals declined slightly in that yearbut the number of homicides in 2022 was still well above the totals in 2019.



With such a large increase in violence in recent years it is not surprising that polls and focus groups show that crime is one of the most important issues to American voters. The recent mayor's election in Kansas City, Missouri showed the potency of the crime issue. In that race the incumbent mayor, Quinton Lucas, defeated Clay Chastain by a margin of 81.5% to 18.5%. On the surface, that looks like a landslide, but it must be remembered that in the 2019 primary election for mayor Clay Chastain got a little less than one percent of the vote.



Clearly, a lot of voters used Chastain's candidacy as an opportunity for a "protest vote" against Mayor Lucas. And, surveys have indicated that one of the things voters are most unhappy with Mayor Lucas about is the city's crime situation. Lucas was elected in 2019 on a pledge to get homicides below 100 a year. He has not fulfilled this pledge: In 2019 there were 151 homicides, in 2020 there were 179, in 2021 there were 157 and in 2022 there were 169. So far in 2023 there have been 45 homicides compared to 36 at this time in 2022.



In fairness to Mayor Lucas the national crime surge that I mentioned at the beginning of this article was just beginning when he took office. The ongoing national crime surge in a national phenomenon, there is only a limited amount states and localities can do to lower their crime rates. Still, there are clearly a lot of people in KCMO who are unhappy with the way the mayor is handling the crime issue.



Now, before all of my Republican friends start gleefully contemplating the big gains that they hope the crime surge will yield for them in elections in the near future; the recent mayor's race in Chicago imposes a note of caution about the electoral impact of the crime issue. Polls showed that in the Chicago election crime was the big issue. And, early polls indicated that Paul Vallas, who was running on a law and order platform, was the likely winner. But in the end, progressive Democrat Brandon Johnson won the election.



If crime was the big issue, how did Johnson win? The answer, I think, is that Vallas ran the sort of campaign that would have been effective in the 1970's and 1980's but which is not effective today. Specifically, Vallas put a lot of emphasis on sending people to jail. The "lock 'em up and throw away the key" slogan was effective in the 1970's and 1980's but it is a lot less effective today. We have had a huge growth in our prison population since 1980: In 1980 we had half a million people in prisonnow we have over two million. Right now, the US has a higher percentage of its population in prison than the Soviet Union did under Communism and South Africa did under apartheid. Yet this "lock "em up" strategy did not prevent the massive homicide increase in the US in 2020.



The declining electoral appeal of the "lock 'em up" strategy made many voters in Chicago sympathetic to Johnson's approach to crimewhich emphasized community policing, more resources for mental health, and more programs for at risk youth. Plus, in the course of the campaign Johnson disavowed his earlier support for the "Defund the Police" movement.



In sum, what the elections in these two cities show is that crime is an issue very much on the minds of the voters, but growing sophistication on the part of the electorate on what does and does not work in fighting crime means that this issue is electorally effective only if the proper sort of solutions are offered.

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Developing . . .


"It is obvious that this upgrade will contribute to the overall growth of economic activity and environmental management throughout Greece"

As of June, Greeks will be able to apply for a subsidy to turn their apartment building into a 'smart' one, Digital Governance Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis said in an interview on Sunday, ANA reports.

Speaking to 'Eleftheros Typos' newspaper, Pierrakakis noted that the program Smart Readiness will upgrade telecommunications and the environment in Greece, and can benefit millions of citizens. "It relates to a subsidy to upgrade apartment buildings which do not have facilities for fiber optic lines," he said. The subsidy would prepare a building for future installation of 'smart' public utility counters, such as for electricity or natural gas, and would collect data for the environmental impact of basic functions such as the elevator, along with providing high-speed internet.

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: Victorgrigas
After many years of training people in the cocoa industry, the University of the West Indies
These Are The NamesThabo Bester and Nandipha Magudumana Travelled Under



These Are The Names Thabo Bester and Nandipha Magudumana Travelled Under

Thabo Bester and Dr Nandipha Magudumana had multiple unstamped documents and headed for Kenya when they were finally arrested in Tanzania

Convicted rapist and murderer Thabo Bester and his girlfriend, Dr Nandipha Magudumana, were arrested in Tanzania with several passports  with multiple identities  in their possession.

This was confirmed by Police Minister Bheki Cele during a press briefing in Pretoria on Saturday where he shed more light on the couples dramatic arrest.

Arrest

Bester, dubbed the Facebook rapist, was arrested on Friday night in the East African country alongside Magudumana and Mozambican national Zakaria Alberto who was assisting them.

Cele said the suspects were captured in the Tanzanian city of Arusha with multiple passports in their possession.

None of the passports were stamped, he said.

Pseudonyms

According to a highly-placed source, The Citizen can reveal that Bester was found with documents that identified him as Tommy William Kelly, an American citizen, while Magudumana assumed the name Martha Patience Mmerika Nitshini.





The source shared some of the other pseudonyms that Bester was reportedly travelling under:

Thabo Bester

Mzali Jabuiabu

Thomas Magagula

Katlego Nkwana

Tom Rufus Reddy

Piet Timothy

Kelly Johnstone

Thomas Bester

Tk

Rufus Mahopo

Tom Bester

Thomas Kell Young

Thabo Magagula

William Kelly

Tom Motsepe

Thabo Tom Bester

Kelly Young

Tom Kelly

Thomas Kelly Bester

Travel timeline

The source also shared the countries that Bester and Magudumana travelled through before being arrested.

They travelled from Johannesburg to Bulawayo, to Zambia and then to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, and Arusha.

Cele said the three were arrested in Arusha, near the Kenyan border, as they attempted to leave the country.

He said authorities stopped the black SUV the fugitives were travelling in after it left a hotel.

They have not [just] one passport per person. They have several, and all of them are not stamped, but in particular their entrance to Tanzania is not stamped. So, we cannot know which border [from South Africa they escaped through] Those details are not in the passport, Cele said.

We are told they were 10km from Kenya, [planning] to move from Tanzania to Kenya. So, it does look like they were headed to the next country.

Bringing Bester and Magudumana home

Justice and Correctional Service Minister, Ronald Lamola, said a South African delegation consisting of the Department of Justice and police officials will depart for the East African country on Sunday.

They will be received and assisted by the office of the high commissioner in Tanzania who is representing South Africa. We are confident that we will receive maximum cooperation from our sister nation to assist us to bring these fugitives to justice and also serve their sentence, particularly the gentleman, Mr Thabo Bester.

The level of cooperation we have received thus far from the Tanzanian authorities has been exemplary before and after the arrest, the minister said.

Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) spokesperson Clayson Monyela on Saturday said there was no need for an extradition process to get the fugitives back, as they had entered the country illegally, in which case immigration laws applies.

Prison escape

Bester escaped from the Mangaung Correctional Centre in Bloemfontein in May 2022 after it was initially believed he had committed suicide by setting himself alight in his cell.

However, the Department of Correctional Services (DCS), which originally declared him dead, confirmed that the charred body found in his cell was not that of Bester who was convicted in 2012.

Bester had in fact been alive and at large for the last nine months.

Murder case

Police have since registered a case of murder, which is currently under investigation.

According to the autopsy report, the deceased had died as a result of blunt force trauma to the head, therefore, was already dead prior to the arson incident.

A case of escape from lawful custody was also registered with the police

WIKI HII UTASHINDA TSH MILIONI MOJA KWA TSH 1000 TU,nunua jarida la JINSI ya kugundua wazo sahihi la Biashara.





HAPA Kama tayari unayo, furahia ndani ya Tovuti. Weka 1000 Tu, tembelea www.bizbongo.com au bofyaKama tayari unayo, furahia ndani ya Tovuti.

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Australias Bushmaster armored personnel carriers have proven effective for Ukraines assault units in the Bakhmut direction.

Thats according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces, Ukrinform reports.

"These vehicles have proven themselves well as a vehicle for transporting infantry and evacuation. They are quite maneuverable and passable, which is important for performing combat tasks assigned. And they do help save our guys lives," noted the serviceman with the Armed Forces, Andriy.

Read also: Ukraine to get remote weapon systems from Australia

As Ukrinform reported earlier, in October 2022, the Australian government approved the transfer of another 30 Bushmaster armored vehicles to Ukraine.

Photo: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
The French defense ministry has denied the allegations of French soldiers having been deployed in Ukraine, as claimed in the leaked documents attributed to the Pentagon and posted by Russian media earlier this week.

Thats according to The Guardian, Ukrinform reports.

A spokesperson for the minister of the armed forces, Sebastien Lecornu, said: There are no French forces engaged in operation in Ukraine. The documents cited do not come from the French armies. We do not comment on documents whose source is uncertain.

Top secret Pentagon documents, reportedly containing charts and details about anticipated weapons deliveries, battalion strengths, and other sensitive data, circulated on Twitter and Telegram.

One of the slides suggested that a small group of under a hundred special operations forces from NATO allies France, the U.S., UK, and Latvia were operating in Ukraine.

Military analysts believe the papers have been altered in certain parts to overstate American estimates of the Ukrainian death toll and understate one of the Russian troops.

As reported earlier, the New York Times published an article claiming that the Pentagon is investigating the leak of allegedly top-secret documents related to U.S. and NATO plans for a counteroffensive by Ukraines Armed Forces.

The documents contain no specific battle plans, for example, on how, when, and where Ukraine will launch an offensive, only reflecting the alleged needs of the Armed Forces as of March 1.

The Ukrainian Presidents Office called out the leak of counteroffensive plans as Russias bluff.

Photo: EPA
The exhibition of Ukrainian avant-garde artists "Futuromarenia: Ukraine and Avant-Garde" opened at the main art museum of Estonia, KUMU, in cooperation with Mystetskyi Arsenal.

This is the exhibition about Ukrainian artists  writers, artists, directors, who created a hundred years ago and could have become world heritage if they had not been destroyed. And some of them became, but only when their identity was hidden, calling them Russians," Ukraines First Lady Olena Zelenska posted on Telegram.

Zelenska added that she addressed the guests of the opening in a video greeting. "I told how history is repeating itself today: the aggressor is deliberately destroying Ukrainian culture. We have already lost several museums, many valuable art exhibits. The works that the exhibition visitors will see  by Vasyl Yermylov, Oleksandra Ekster, Davyd Burliuk, Viktor Palmov  were taken from the collections of museums that continue their work in the conditions of war. And protecting them now is an extremely difficult task," Zelenska said.

The First Lady noted that although the works of art are hidden during military operations, the world museums help reveal the truth about the Ukrainian origin of many famous artists.

Therefore, the Futuromarenia exhibition, as Olena Zelenska emphasized, is a key that helps to understand not only Ukrainian culture but also the sources of Ukrainian resilience.
The decision of the Lithuanian parliament regarding an official invitation to Ukraine to join NATO will have continuation in the coming weeks.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said this in his video address to the nation, Ukrinform reports.

"A very important decision was made this week in Lithuania - regarding the main expectations from the NATO summit planned in Vilnius. The Lithuanian Seimas recognized the need to invite Ukraine to become a member of NATO - to invite this year, at the summit in Vilnius," said Zelensky.

He emphasized that only together with Ukraine, the Alliance will guarantee real protection for Europe against any encroachment - on the lives of peoples, existing borders and the rules-based international order.

"This decision of the Lithuanian Seimas will have continuation in the coming weeks and months. We are already working on it," Zelensky said.

As reported, the Parliament of Lithuania adopted a resolution for the NATO Summit in Vilnius that includes an official invitation to Ukraine to join the Alliance. According to the resolution, submitted by representatives of various political groups in the parliamentary Committees on Foreign Affairs and National Security and Defense, this would be a strategic decision by NATO in pursuit of peace in Ukraine and Europe.

Photo: Presidents Office
Steve Ussery spent the last 30 years as a successful Silicon Valley engineer but has recentl Read more69-year-old goes for his third degree
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

(UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 09th Apr, 2023) DUBAI, 9th April, 2023 (WAM)  The Most Noble Number charity auction, held lastnight in Dubai, has raised AED 97.920 million that will go in full towards supporting the 1 billion Meals Endowment campaign, launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to establish the largest Ramadan sustainable food aid endowment fund.

Organised by Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives in collaboration with Emirates Auction and with support of Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), etisalat by e& and du from Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company, the charity auction invited bids for 35 special numbers, including 14 special RTA vehicle plate numbers, 10 special du mobile numbers and 11 etisalat by e& Diamond+ mobile numbers.

The worlds most expensive vehicle plate number (P7) was sold during the auction for AED 55 million, breaking the previous record of AED 52.2 million. etisalat by e& Diamond+ number (971548888888) sold for AED 2.3 million, while Platinum mobile number (971583333333) from du sold for AED 2 million.

Proceeds of the auction will go towards 1 Billion Meals Endowment campaign and its aim of creating sustainable solutions to fight hunger and malnutrition in underprivileged communities.

Bids for special plate numbers fetched a total of AED 91.59 million, while etisalat by e& Diamond+ numbers raised a total AED 3,322,500 and du special numbers raised a total of AED 3,007,500.



Held at the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach, a group of businessmen and leading philanthropists participated in Dubais Most Noble Number charity auction, further supporting a community-wide response to the 1 Billion Meals Endowment campaign, which welcomed contributions to its noble cause of fighting hunger; a challenge threatening the lives of 828 million people around the world.

The auction featured a special set of vehicle number plates including single-digit plate number P7, ten special two-digit plate numbers AA19, AA22, AA80, O71, X36, W78, H31, Z37, J57 and N4, as well as other special plate numbers Y900, Q22222 and Y6666.

Diamond+ special mobile numbers provided by etisalat by e& at the auction are 971548888888, 971565555500, 971568888887, 971565588888, 971565599999, 971547888888, 971542022222, 971564666664, 971545544444, 971566000006 and 971562822222.

These numbers are among the worlds most expensive and noble numbers.

The auction also featured a set of du special mobile numbers: 971583333330, 971583333331, 971583333332, 971583333333, 971583333334, 971583333335, 971583333336, 971583333337, 971583333338 and 971583333339.

Special single-digit plate number P7 fetched AED 55 million, while two-digit plate numbers AA19 fetched AED 4.9 million, AA22 sold for AED 8.4 million, AA80 for AED 3.025 million, O71 for AED 2.15 million, X36 for AED 2.95 million, W78 for AED 2.09 million, H31 for AED 2.55 million, Z37 for AED 2.85 million, J57 for AED 1.95 million and N41 for AED 2.35 million. Other special plate numbers Y900 sold for AED 1.25 million, Q22222 for AED 975,000 and Y6666 for AED 1.15 million.



The Most Noble Number charity auction, held in support of 1 Billion Meals Endowment campaign, offers an innovative option for philanthropists and humanitarians keen to act during the holy month of Ramadan, to help provide a food safety net from the UAE to the worlds most underprivileged populations.

The campaign, organised by Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, aims to revive the culture of endowment as a tool for development and sustainable charity, and to support the global endeavor to eradicate hunger in line with the UNs Sustainable Development Goals.

The Most Noble Number charity auction adds to five main channels welcoming donations and contributions to the 1 Billion Meals Endowment campaign, including the campaigns website (www.1billionmeals.ae), as well as a dedicated call center 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.
DUBAI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 09th Apr, 2023) His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, honoured the winners of the fourth edition of the Mohammed bin Rashid Medal for Scientific Distinction, which recognises accomplished scientists and researchers. The award ceremony, held at the Zaabeel Palace, was attended by His Highness Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of the UAE; and His Highness Sheikh Ammar bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, Crown Prince of Ajman.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid said the UAE places the highest priority on the development of science. Scientists represent one of our nations greatest assets and we are committed to recognising and fostering excellence in the scientific community. Science and knowledge enable us to open new horizons of progress and shape a glorious future for the coming generations. Investing in human resources in the scientific field supports our strategic objective to transform the UAE into a global leader in vital sectors," His Highness said.

Our unwavering commitment to developing the countrys scientific talent has led to the UAE becoming a destination of choice for the worlds brightest minds. We continue to provide the environment needed to enhance innovation and research and create a new generation of Emirati scientists who can contribute to advancing excellence in the field both locally and globally, His Highness said.

The award ceremony was also attended by His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Media Council; Mohammad Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs; Sarah bint Yousef Al Amiri, Minister of State for Public education and Advanced Technology and Chairwoman of the Emirates Scientists Council; and Omran Sharaf, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation for Advanced Science and Technology.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid awarded the Medal for Scientific Distinction to Prof. Ehab El-Saadany, Professor of the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and Director of the Advanced Power and Energy Center at Khalifa University, UAE, and Prof.

Ling Shao, Chief Scientist of Terminus Group, President of Terminus International, and one of the founders of the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence.

Other winners included Prof. Qutayba Hamid, Vice Chancellor and Dean of Medicine at the University of Sharjah, who was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Medal; and Dr. Mohammed Al-Marri, Major, Dubai Police and Assistant Professor of Genetics at the Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, who was honoured with the Rising Scientist Medal.

The Advanced Technology Research Council, which is headed by His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, was awarded the Mohammed bin Rashid Medal for Supporting Scientific Research. Faisal Abdulaziz Al Bannai, Secretary General of the Advanced Technology Research Council and Chairman of the Executive board of Directors of the Edge Group received the Medal on behalf of the Council.

Sarah bint Yousef Al Amiri, Minister of State for Public Education and Advanced Technology and Chairwoman of Emirates Scientists Council, highlighted the role of the Mohammed bin Rashid Medal for Scientific Distinction in recognising exceptional achievements in the UAEs scientific community, which supports national strategies to open new avenues of economic growth, improve the quality of life of the UAEs people and raise economic sustainability.

Members of the Emirates Scientists Council, heads of universities and members of the scientific and technological academic community also attended the award ceremony.

The Mohammed bin Rashid Medal for Scientific Distinction is an initiative launched by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid to recognise scientists, researchers and establishments that have made exceptional contributions to scientific research in the country. The Award seeks to highlight their role in society and create an enabling environment for innovation and scientific research, especially for young scientists.
Rome, April 9 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 10th Apr, 2023 ) :At least two migrants have died and around 20 others are missing after their vessel sank in the Mediterranean between Tunisia and Italy, German aid group ResQship told AFP Sunday.

The group's ship, the Nadir, rescued another 22 people and took them to the Italian island of Lampedusa, said Stefen Seyfert of ResQship.

Describing the operation earlier Sunday on Twitter, the group said that when they arrived at the scene of the wreck, the migrants had already been in the water for about two hours.

As well as rescuing 22 people, they had recovered two bodies, they said.

"This is an unspeakable tragedy that could -- and should -- have been prevented by a humanitarian approach to migration instead of barb-wiring the European borders," the group added.

This is just the latest in a series of disasters in the Mediterranean Sea, where dozens of migrants attempting the crossing have drowned and dozens more have had to be rescued from flimsy vessels.

Tunisia's shores lie only about 150 kilometres (90 miles) from Lampedusa.

They are increasingly being used as a springboard for the perilous attempts by West Africans, Sudanese and others to reach safety and better lives in Europe.
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MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 09th April, 2023) Several blasts have occurred in the vicinity of the Syrian capital of Damascus, Syrian state broadcaster Al-Ikhbariyah (Alikhbaria TV) reports.

Multiple explosions were heard in the Damascus area overnight, Alikhbaria tv said in the early hours of Sunday.

The cause of the blasts was not specified.

Late on Saturday night, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that they were striking the Syrian territory with artillery in response to rockets fired from Syria at Israel.

Earlier on Saturday, the IDF said that three rockets were launched from Syrian territory into Israel; one of the rockets crossed into Israeli territory and landed in the southern Golan Heights.
More than half a century before the Pilgrims set up a colony at Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts, and 42 years before the first permanent English settlement in North America was founded at Jamestown in Virginia, the Spanish established the city of St. Augustine in the far northeastern corner of Florida.

And yet, despite its status as the oldest continuously occupied settlement founded by non-Indigenous residents in the United States, St. Augustine is rarely mentioned in American history classes.

I think it's because it's Spanish colonial history that we're talking about, says Nancy Sikes-Klein, mayor of St. Augustine. Some people might say it's Anglo biased.

Retired American history professor Thomas Graham, who says he can trace his lineage back to the Spanish period, agrees.

People are oriented towards the northeast, towards the original English-speaking colonies, and for the longest time, St. Augustine and Florida were part of the Spanish Empire, says Graham, who taught at Flagler College in St. Augustine before retiring in 2008. St. Augustine and Florida have been neglected for a long time. Although that's changing a bit as our horizons have broadened.

The Spanish controlled St. Augustine from 1565 until 1821, except for a brief period of English rule between 1763 and 1783. St. Augustine became part of the United States in 1821 when Spain peacefully turned its Florida territories, which had become a financial burden, over to the Americans.

Today, St. Augustine is a relatively small town. It covers 10.7 square miles (27.7 square kilometers) and has a population of about 15,000.

And, despite centuries of Spanish rule, little visual evidence of Spains influence remains in St. Augustine because most of the buildings from that era are long gone.

We have a plaza, and we have streets laid out in a grid in a traditional Spanish, and before that, Roman style, Graham says. The streets are still here, the narrow streets, the small city blocks, and they survive as a part of the oldest part of St. Augustine.

The oldest structure in St. Augustine is Castillo de San Marcos, a fort built by the Spanish in 1695 to protect against English attacks. The fort is now a national monument.

It was designed to protect an entire town. Whoever controls the city of St. Augustine and that fortress, at the time, controlled the territory of Florida, says Chris Leverett of the National Park Service. The records we have of St. Augustine being under attack describe the town being surrounded by ships, and soldiers occupying the city, the town's inhabitants taking shelter within the fort.

The central plaza, as well as the buildings surrounding it, were a key part of St. Augustines heyday as a playground for wealthy Americans escaping harsh winters in northern U.S. states. In the 1870s, American industrialist Henry Flagler, a founder of Standard Oil, decided to build three world-class hotels  Hotel Ponce de Leon, Hotel Alcazar and Hotel Cordova  for rich visitors.

He saw that wealthy northerners have discovered that St. Augustine had warm weather and sunshine in January, which New York did not have, Graham says. Prior to this, resort hotels tended to be what we would think of as frontier hotels. You went to one of these hotels and you expected to rough it. You expected that the accommodations and food would not be as good. And, Flagler said, We're going to change that.

But the wealthy didnt stay long. Within 20 years, the rich discovered that Palm Beach, Florida, had even better weather. Today, Hotel Ponce de Leon is Flagler College and Hotel Alcazar, once famous for its casino and enormous swimming pool, houses city hall and a museum. Only Hotel Cordova, the smallest of the three, still hosts overnight guests, but is now called Hotel Casa Monica.

Still, tourism remains a main source of income for the city. More than 3 million people visited the St. Augustine area between July 2021 and June 2022. Many are day-trippers, and the city is looking for ways to entice them to stay longer.

We would like to see the cultural visitor, the civic tourist so to speak, because we feel like they will stay longer and they will dig deeper, Sikes-Klein says. We have so many layers of history here that we want them to stay longer so that they can explore.

The city hopes to attract even more visitors as St. Augustines status as the nations oldest continuously occupied U.S. city becomes more widely known. Centuries after its founding, the historic city still waits to be fully appreciated by a modern audience.
The Israeli military said its forces attacked targets in Syria early Sunday after six rockets were launched from Syrian territory in two batches toward Israel in a rare attack from Israel's northeastern neighbor.

After the second barrage of three rockets, Israel initially said it responded with artillery fire into the area in Syria from where the rockets were fired. Later, the military said Israeli fighter jets attacked Syrian army sites, including a compound of Syria's 4th Division and radar and artillery posts.

The rocket firings came after days of escalating violence on multiple fronts over tension in Jerusalem and an Israeli police raid on the city's most sensitive holy site.

In the second barrage, which was launched early Sunday, two of the rockets crossed the border into Israel, with one being intercepted and the second landing in an open area, the Israeli military said. In the first attack, on Saturday, one rocket landed in a field in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights. Fragments of another destroyed missile fell into Jordanian territory near the Syrian border, Jordan's military reported.

There were no reports of casualties.

A Damascus-based Palestinian group loyal to the Syrian regime claimed responsibility for launching the three missiles Saturday, reported Beirut-based Al-Mayadeen TV.

The report quoted Al-Quds Brigade, a militia different than the larger Palestinian Islamic Jihad's armed wing with a similar name, as saying it fired the rockets to retaliate for the police raid on Al-Aqsa Mosque.

In Syria, an adviser to President Bashar Assad described the rocket strikes as "part of the previous, present and continuing response to the brutal enemy."

Israel, which has vowed to stop Iranian entrenchment in Syria, has carried out hundreds of strikes in government-controlled parts of that country in recent years, though it rarely acknowledges them. Before the latest strikes, Syrian officials had attributed 10 attacks to Israel this year, some of which put the Damascus and Aleppo airports temporarily out of service and killed civilians as well as Syrian soldiers and Iranian military advisers.

In the occupied West Bank, Israeli security forces fatally shot a 20-year-old Palestinian in the town of Azzun, Palestinian health officials said, stirring protests in the area. The Israeli military said troops fired at Palestinians hurling stones and explosive devices. The Palestinian Health Ministry identified the Palestinian killed as Ayed Salim.

His death came at a time of unusually heightened violence in the West Bank. Over 90 Palestinians and have been killed by Israeli fire so far this year, at least half of them affiliated with militant groups, according to a tally by The Associated Press.

Palestinian attacks on Israelis have killed 19 people in that time  including on Friday two British-Israelis shot to death near a settlement in the Jordan Valley and an Italian tourist killed by a suspected car-ramming in Tel Aviv. All but one were civilians.

The rocket fire from Syria comes against the backdrop of soaring Israeli-Palestinian tensions touched off by an Israeli police raid on Jerusalem's most sensitive site, the sacred compound home to the Al-Aqsa mosque. That outraged Palestinians marking the holy fasting month of Ramadan and prompted militants in Lebanon  as well as Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip  to fire a heavy barrage of rockets into Israel.

In retaliation, Israeli warplanes struck sites allegedly linked to the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza and southern Lebanon.

Late Saturday, tensions ran high in Jerusalem as a few hundred Palestinian worshippers barricaded themselves in the mosque, which sits on a hilltop in the heart of Jerusalem's Old City sacred to both Muslims and Jews. Israeli police efforts to evict the worshippers locked in the mosque overnight with stockpiled firecrackers and stones spiraled into unrest in the holy site earlier this week.

The latest escalations prompted Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant to extend a closure barring entrance to Israel for Palestinians from the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip for the duration of the Jewish holiday of Passover, while police beefed up forces in Jerusalem on the eve of sensitive religious celebrations.

In a separate incident in the northern West Bank city of Nablus late Saturday, a leader of a local independent armed group known as the Lion's Den claimed the group executed an alleged Israeli collaborator who had tipped off the Israeli military to the locations and movements of the group's members. Israeli security forces have targeted and killed several of the group's key members in recent months.

The accused man's killing could not be immediately confirmed, but videos in Palestinian media showed medics and residents gathered around his bloodied body in the Old City, where the Lion's Den holds sway. "Traitors have neither a country nor a people," Lion's Den commander Oday Azizi said in a statement.

The moves come at a time of heightened religious fervor  with Ramadan coinciding with Passover and Easter celebrations. Jerusalem's Old City, home to key Jewish, Muslim and Christian holy sites, has been teeming with visitors and religious pilgrims from around the world.

Gallant said that a closure imposed last Wednesday, on the eve of Passover, would remain in effect until the holiday ends on Wednesday night. The order prevents Palestinians from entering Israel for work or to pray in Jerusalem this week, though mass prayers were permitted at the Al-Aqsa Mosque on Friday. Gallant also ordered the Israeli military to be prepared to assist Israeli police. The army later announced that it was deploying additional troops around Jerusalem and in the West Bank.

Over 2,000 police were expected to be deployed in Jerusalem on Sunday  when tens of thousands of Jews are expected to gather at the Western Wall for the special Passover priestly blessing. The Western Wall is the holiest site where Jews can pray and sits next to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, where large crowds gather each day for prayers during Ramadan.

Jerusalem police chief Doron Turgeman met with his commanders on Saturday for a security assessment. He accused the Hamas militant group, which rules the Gaza Strip, of trying to incite violence ahead of Sunday's priestly blessing with false claims that Jews planned to storm the mosque.

"We will allow the freedom of worship and we will allow the arrival of Muslims to pray," he said, adding that police "will act with determination and sensitivity" to ensure that all faiths can celebrate safely.

The current round of violence erupted earlier in the week after Israeli police raided the mosque, firing tear gas and stun grenades to disperse hundreds of Palestinians who had barricaded themselves inside. Violent scenes from the raid sparked unrest in the contested capital and outrage across the Arab world.
Qamar Ali Haji has been using skin-lightening products for four years. Initially she liked the change in her appearance but now the exposure to the chemicals in the products is taking a toll. She says she regrets it.

"I can't sit too long in the school, I cannot bear the heat, my cheeks turn red, and I cannot go into the kitchen," Haji said. "I cannot bear the slightest heat, I become boiled, there are ulcers on my legs, redness all over."

The 19-year-old student is one of a growing number of women in Somalia who use the skin-lightening products.

Locally known as "qasqas" or "mixture," the term reflects the combination of various skin-whitening products. Health advocates say using these products can cause dangerous side effects and lead to physical and mental health problems.

Somali officials and activists said the country's political upheavals and the war on the al-Shabab militant group are overshadowing socially driven health dangers like skin-whitening. Due to a lack of awareness, some people don't realize how dangerous these products can be.

The issue has attracted the attention of Amira Adawe, a leading activist with a master's degree in public health from Minnesota. Adawe has traveled to the Horn of Africa region multiple times in recent years as part of her research into the practice of skin-whitening.

She is the founder of Beautywell, an organization that has been addressing this issue in the United States.

Adawe said the skin-lightening products from Kenya and Somalia that she tested contained high levels of toxic chemicals like mercury, hydroquinone and lead.

Mercury, hydroquinone, steroids and lead are the four main chemicals found in skin-whitening products, according to Adawe. Mercury is a toxic heavy metal. Women who use skin-lightning products that contain mercury, can suffer neurological side effects, and develop depression and anxiety, Adawe added.

"We had a Somali woman in the state of Minnesota who actually lost her vision because of (the) neurological impact that came from the use of skin-lighting products containing mercury," she told Women's Square, a new VOA Somali program.

"Some people also develop diabetics because medically, skin-lightning products impact hormones  which impacts the insulin in our body," she said.

Other health risks include hypertension, kidney problems, skin sensitivity and skin cancer as product users cannot tolerate any sunlight, Adawe said.

"Steroids can give them a lot of skin tenderness," she added.

There's also the possibility of a mother passing the toxicity to her baby if she is breastfeeding.

Skin-whitening is multibillion-dollar industry that targets women around the globe. Adawe says the practice is especially high in countries where regulations on toxic products are weak or nonexistent, like Somalia.

According to Adawe many people in Somalia are using skin-whitening products.

"I have done several focus group sessions, key informant interviews and surveyed two universities," she said. "In all these more than 140 women, girls and some men participated, and all of the women and girls were using. Some of the men were using."

The focus groups and interviews took place in Mogadishu and Hargeisa.

"Women that I interviewed  in Somalia had kidney problems and other health issues like very (a) bad smell of fish odor, skin redness, skin ulcers, blue skin pigmentation, headache, severe wound healing problems and endocrinological problems," she said.

"All of these (health issues) are associated with the use of mercury, hydroquinone and steroids in skin-lightening products."

Adawe shared her work with Somali officials and explained the health issues associated with exposure to the toxic ingredients in skin-lightening products.

In Mogadishu she met female parliamentarians who promised to support legislation to regulate skin-lightening products with toxic chemicals. She also has been communicating with the Somali ministry of health to increase awareness of the problem and find strategies for regulating the toxic products.

Interim manager of the National Medicine Regulatory Authority at the Ministry of Health, Dr. Farah Mohamed Sharawe was one of the officials who met Adawe last month. He admits the government has not researched skin-whitening products.

"The first action of my office is to register the importation of these medications, find out who is bringing [them] in, and give them license. The other action is widespread awareness about the harmful impacts of these medications. [To] prevent expanding of skin-whitening problems," he said.

Sharawe said the ministry agreed with Adawe on the need for research about the cosmetics coming into Somali and the amount of toxicity, if any, the products may contain.

"Conduct research into the compounds, check the level of mercury and other harmful elements, and then share  [the] data with the public," he said. "This needs legislation, the Medicine and Food Safety Bill, which the Cabinet has passed. That legislation is important."

While the Medicine and Food Safety Bill has Cabinet approval, it won't become law until Parliament approves it.

Dr. Mamunur Rahman Malik, the World Health Organization representative for Somalia, also met Adawe.

"These are poisons which should never be allowed to come in. She is using science to understand the scope of this problem and address these problems which are harmful to public health. She is doing it without any fear," he said.

Malik said WHO is planning to set up a laboratory for the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment to test and identify contaminated products.

"Within (the) next few months we will help them to have the ability to test these cosmetic products, food and any other imported products which pose (a) risk to (the) health of the population," he said.

Personal mission

The practice of whitening skin is personal to Adawe. She has faced discrimination because of her own dark skin color.

"At a very young age I had a little experience of colorism; as you know colorism, it's a cultural thing that happens all over the world because of skin color discrimination especially in countries that went through colonization and slavery," Adawe said.

"So at very young age I remember people always commenting on my skin color and so that stayed with me but also I have seen when I was growing up in Somalia and also growing up in the United States especially in Minnesota, many individuals that are using these products, whether it's relatives or friends or people that I came to know using these products and externally I could see how it was impacting their skin color."

She said she hopes to see the Somali government ban the toxic ingredients like mercury, lead and other chemicals found in some skin-lightening products and establish a regulatory system for the drugs and cosmetics.

Harun Maruf contributed to this report.
It was a celebratory atmosphere for officials gathered just hours away from several of India's major tiger reserves in the southern city of Mysuru, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced Sunday to much applause that the country's tiger population has steadily grown to over 3,000 since its flagship conservation program began 50 years ago after concerns that numbers of the big cats were dwindling.

India is a country where protecting nature is part of our culture, Modi proclaimed. This is why we have many unique achievements in wildlife conservation.

Modi also launched the International Big Cats Alliance that he said will focus on the protection and conservation of seven big cat species, namely, the tiger, lion, leopard, snow leopard, puma, jaguar and cheetah.

Protesters, meanwhile, are telling their own stories Sunday of how they have been displaced by wildlife conservation projects over the last half-century, with dozens demonstrating about an hour away from the announcement.

Project Tiger began in 1973 after a census of the big cats found Indias tigers were fast going extinct through habitat loss, unregulated sport hunting, increased poaching and retaliatory killing by people. It's believed the tiger population was around 1,800 at the time, but experts widely consider that an overestimate due to imprecise counting methods in India until 2006. Laws attempted to address the decline, but the conservation model centered around creating protected reserves where ecosystems can function undisturbed by people.

Several Indigenous groups say the conservation strategies, deeply influenced by American environmentalism, meant uprooting numerous communities that had lived in the forests for millennia.

Members of several Indigenous or Adivasi groups  as Indigenous people are known in the country  set up the Nagarahole Adivasi Forest Rights Establishment Committee to protest evictions from their ancestral lands and seek a voice in how the forests are managed.

Nagarahole was one of the first forests to be brought under Project Tiger and our parents and grandparents were probably among the first to be forced out of the forests in the name of conservation, said J. A. Shivu, 27, who belongs to the Jenu Kuruba tribe. We have lost all rights to visit our lands, temples or even collect honey from the forests. How can we continue living like this?

Jenu, which means honey in the southern Indian Kannada language, is the tribes primary source of livelihood as they collect it from beehives in the forests to sell.

The fewer than 40,000 Jenu Kuruba people are one of the 75 tribal groups that the Indian government classifies as particularly vulnerable. Adivasi communities like the Jenu Kurubas are among the poorest in India.

Some experts say conservation policies that attempted to protect a pristine wilderness were influenced by prejudices against local communities.

The Indian government's tribal affairs ministry has repeatedly said it is working on Adivasi rights. Only about 1% of the more than 100 million Adivasis in India have been granted any rights over forest lands despite a government forest rights law, passed in 2006, that aimed to undo the historical injustice" for forest communities.

India's tiger numbers, meanwhile, are thriving: the country's 3,167 tigers account for more than 75% of the worlds wild tiger population.

Tigers have disappeared in Bali and Java and Chinas tigers are likely extinct in the wild. The Sunda Island tiger, the other sub-species, is only found in Sumatra. India's project to safeguard them has been praised as a success by many.

Project Tiger hardly has a parallel in the world since a scheme of this scale and magnitude has not been so successful elsewhere, said SP Yadav, a senior Indian government official in charge of Project Tiger.

But critics say the social costs of fortress conservation  where forest departments protect wildlife and prevent local communities from entering forest regions  is high.

Sharachchandra Lele, of the Bengaluru-based Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment, said the conservation model is outdated.

There are already several examples of forests used actively by local communities and tiger numbers have actually increased even while people have benefited in these regions, he said.

Vidya Athreya, the director of Wildlife Conservation Society in India who has been studying the interactions between large cats and humans for the last two decades, agreed.

Traditionally we always put wildlife over people, Athreya said, adding that engaging with communities is the way forward for protecting wildlife in India.

Shivu, from the Jenu Kuruba tribe, also wants to go back to a life where Indigenous communities and tigers lived together.

We consider them gods and us the custodians of these forests, he said.
California officials want federal disaster aid for the state's salmon fishing industry, they said Friday following the closure of recreational and commercial king salmon fishing seasons along much of the West Coast due to near-record low numbers of the iconic fish returning to their spawning grounds.

Dealing a blow to the salmon fishing industry, the Pacific Fishery Management Council unanimously approved the closure Thursday for fall-run chinook fishing from Cape Falcon in northern Oregon to the California-Mexico border. Limited recreational salmon fishing will be allowed off southern Oregon in fall.

Much of the salmon caught off Oregon originate in California's Klamath and Sacramento rivers. After hatching in freshwater, they spend an average of three years maturing in the Pacific, where many are snagged by commercial fishermen, before migrating back to their spawning grounds, where conditions are more ideal to give birth. After laying eggs, they die.

"The forecasts for chinook returning to California rivers this year are near record lows," Council Chair Marc Gorelnik said after the vote in a news release. "The poor conditions in the freshwater environment that contributed to these low forecasted returns are unfortunately not something that the council can or has authority to control."

Decline follows droughts

Biologists say the chinook population has declined dramatically after years of drought. Many in the fishing industry say a rollback of federal protections for endangered salmon under the Trump administration allowed more water to be diverted from the Sacramento River Basin to agriculture, causing even more harm.

"The fact is that just too many salmon eggs and juvenile salmon died in the rivers in 2020 as a direct result of politically driven, short-sighted water management policies, under the prior federal administration, to 'maximize' irrigation river water deliveries during a major drought," said Glen Spain, acting executive director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations. "Unfortunately, this purely politically driven mistake will cost our fishing-dependent coastal communities dearly."

California fishing industry representatives and elected leaders said federal aid must be released quickly and efforts need to be ramped up to restore salmon habitat in California rivers with better water management and the removal of dams and other barriers.

"We have to make sure that the policies and practices and the rest are not such that they are defying the evolutionary progress of salmon," U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi said Friday, speaking in San Francisco, California, in the rain, surrounded by fishers who spoke of their concerns about making ends meet during the closure.

The Democratic congresswoman, whose district includes the San Francisco Bay area, pledged to push for the Biden administration to act quickly on the state's request to declare the situation a fishery resource disaster, the first step toward a disaster assistance bill that must be approved by Congress.

In a letter to U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo seeking the declaration, the California governor's office stated that the projected loss of the 2023 season is more than $45 million  and that does not include the full impact to coastal communities and inland salmon fisheries.

'A lot of fear and panic'

California's salmon industry is valued at $1.4 billion in economic activity and 23,000 jobs annually in a normal season and contributes about $700 million to the economy and supports more than 10,000 jobs in Oregon, according to the Golden State Salmon Association.

"There's a lot of fear and panic all up and down the coast with families trying to figure out how they're going to pay the bills this year," said John McManus, the group's senior policy director.

Experts fear native California salmon are in a spiral toward extinction. Already, California's spring-run chinook are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, while winter-run chinook are endangered along with the Central California Coast coho salmon, which has been off-limits to California commercial fishers since the 1990s.

Recreational fishing is expected to be allowed in Oregon only for coho salmon during the summer and for chinook after Sept. 1. Salmon season is expected to open as usual north of Cape Falcon, including in the Columbia River and off Washington's coast.

There's some hope that the unusually wet winter in California, which has mostly freed the state of drought, will bring relief. An unprecedented series of powerful storms has replenished most of California's reservoirs, dumping record amounts of rain and snow and busting a severe three-year drought. But too much water running through the rivers could also kill eggs and young hatchlings.
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Despite their country's economic challenges, Muslims in Sudan are observing the holy month of Ramadan with customs that include sharing iftar with travelers. Sidahmed Ibraheem spoke to residents in Khartoum and has this story.
Shaima, a local employee of the United Nations in Afghanistan, was shocked when she heard that she could not go to work because the Taliban had banned Afghan women from working with the U.N. agencies in the country.

"We were not expecting that such a thing would happen," said Shaima, who did not want her real name to be used for safety reasons.

"We thought that if women are barred from working in all other places, they will continue to work in the U.N. as it is leading the humanitarian efforts in the country  where most of the people depend on international assistance," she said.

U.N. officials said Tuesday that the Taliban informed the organization that its female Afghan employees would not be allowed to work in the country.

Shaima said the U.N. should press the Taliban to adhere to its promises of upholding women's basic rights.

She added that the international community "should not recognize" the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan until women are given their rights.

"Words are not enough. Practical measures are needed to force the Taliban to let women work," she said.

Taliban crackdown

Among the 4,000 employees of the U.N. in Afghanistan, 3,300 are Afghan nationals. Among them are about 400 Afghan women and 200 international female staffers.

In December 2022, the Taliban banned Afghan women from working with local and international nongovernmental organizations, but the U.N. was exempted from the ban.

At that time, the Taliban said the ban was imposed because female NGO employees were not wearing "proper hijab."

But Shaima said that she and all her female colleagues were following the dress code. "I was wearing [the] hijab," she said. "All my colleagues were wearing [the] hijab. We were wearing [the] hijab before the Taliban's takeover and after that."

She added that the "hijab is an excuse to stop women from working outside their houses."

After seizing power in August 2021, the Taliban imposed repressive restrictions on women, including banning them from working, attending secondary school or university, traveling unaccompanied for long distances, and going to public parks and gyms.

In a report released February 9, Richard Bennett, the U.N. special rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, considered the Taliban's restrictions an attempt to "erase women from all public spaces."

In an interview with the VOA Afghan Service in March, Bennett said the Taliban's "gender persecution is a crime against humanity."

Financial implications

A U.N. report released in January said that the Taliban's ban on Afghan women working with the local and international NGOs would worsen "the multiple overlapping humanitarian and economic crises" in Afghanistan.

The report also stated that the ban would complicate the outreach to 11.6 million women and girls who will need humanitarian assistance in 2023, and that 97% of the population is at risk of falling below the poverty line.

For Shaima, the only breadwinner in her family of seven, the ban was "disappointing" because she will no longer be able to support her family financially.

She worries all her efforts were in vain because she will not be able to work under the Taliban.

"We went through a lot to get an education in Afghanistan," Shaima said.

She added that Taliban measures barring Afghan women from work "would have [a] negative impact on me, all the women and the people of Afghanistan."

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a tweet, "If this measure is not reversed, it will inevitably undermine our ability to deliver lifesaving aid to the people who need it."

Call for reversal

The U.N. said Wednesday that it would not comply with the Taliban's decision and called on the Taliban to reverse their decree.

U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said Thursday that the organization would continue engaging with the Taliban.

"Afghan women and men are essential to all aspects of the U.N.'s work in Afghanistan. Afghan women's meaningful participation is essential to reach safely and effectively populations in need with principled and quality assistance. Afghan women will not be replaced by men," Dujarric said.
The residents of the German city of Hamburg have been warned that toxins from a warehouse fire in the city of Rothenburgsort, a few kilometers southeast of Hamburg are headed their way.

Reuters reports that despite not knowing just how toxic the fumes may be, authorities have decided to evacuate 140 Hamburg residents, while other Hamburg residents have been instructed to stay home with their doors and window closed.

The fire erupted early Sunday and continued to burn Sunday afternoon, despite scores of firefighters battling the blaze.

The warehouse contents were not immediately clear.

Some information in this report came from Reuters.
An Iranian technical delegation will visit Saudi Arabia this week to prepare for the reopening of Iran's embassy in Riyadh, the semi-official ISNA news agency reported Sunday.

The announcement comes days after the foreign ministers of Iran and Saudi Arabia met in Beijing Thursday for the first formal gathering of their top diplomats in more than seven years, after China brokered a deal to restore relations between the top regional powers.

"The Iranian technical delegation will visit Tehran's embassy in Riyadh and make arrangements for the reopening of Iran's embassy in Saudi Arabia," ISNA reported.

The Saudi foreign ministry had said Saturday that officials had visited Iran to discuss procedures for reopening Riyadh's diplomatic missions in the Islamic Republic.

"The Saudi delegation visited the Saudi embassy in Tehran this morning," ISNA added.
The Islamic State group on Saturday claimed responsibility for an attack on a village in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo that authorities said killed about 20 people.

The group claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement on its Telegram channel.

The attack, which took place on Friday in Musandaba, a village on the outskirts of Beni, is part of a wave of violence against civilians that the army and local authorities blame on the Allied Democratic Forces, a Ugandan group based in eastern Congo that has pledged allegiance to Islamic State.

"We counted about 20 dead on Friday in the village of Musandaba," said the military administrator of Beni territory, Colonel Charles Omeonga. He accused the ADF.

Local activist Janvier Kasereka Kasayirio said 22 bodies had arrived at a nearby hospital.

An army spokesman in the North Kivu region where the attack took place, Anthony Mwalushay, said the assailants used machetes "to avoid confrontation with the army."

The attack took place in one of two conflict-hit provinces where Congo replaced civilian authorities with military administrations more than a year ago in an attempt to halt the violence.

This week, the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Congo condemned another massacre committed by the ADF in neighboring Ituri province, which it says killed 30 people.
The British Defense Ministry said Sunday that having Russian Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev deliver the main report at the recent full session of Russias Security Council was an attempt to normalize the situation in the illegally annexed areas of Ukraine.

In reality, the ministry said in the intelligence update posted on Twitter, much of the area remains an active combat zone, subject to partisan attacks, and with extremely limited access to basic services for many citizens.

Russias Security Council met last week for the first time since October 2022.

Following the return of 31 children to Ukraine, the head of the Presidential Office of Ukraine, Andriy Yermak, emphasized in a phone call Saturday with Amal Clooney, a prominent human rights lawyer, the importance of returning all the deported children to Ukraine.

Yermak and Clooney, co-founder of the Clooney Foundation for Justice, discussed protecting the rights of Ukrainian children and holding Russia accountable for crimes committed against them, according to the official website of the president of Ukraine.

Clooney, who specializes in international criminal law and human rights issues, has addressed the U.N. Security Council calling for justice as evidence of the crimes and atrocities allegedly committed by the Russian military began emerging weeks after the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

On behalf of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Yermak thanked Clooney.

"People in Ukraine know about your support and appreciate it a lot. Many people heard your speech and everything you said about the war and Ukrainians. This is extremely important indeed," Yermak said, according to the presidents website.

Clooney reiterated her support for Ukraine and Ukrainians, adding that she and her foundation colleagues remain committed to their work to promote accountability and deliver justice for victims of international crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine.

Kyiv says thousands taken

Kyiv estimates nearly 19,500 children have been taken to Russia in what Ukraine condemns as illegal deportations since Moscow invaded in February of last year. Moscow claims the children were transported away for their own safety.

Earlier Saturday, the head of a humanitarian group said 31 children were reunited with their families in Ukraine after what he described as was one of the group's most difficult operations to return children from Russia, where they had been taken during the war.

So far, the Save Ukraine humanitarian organization says it has undertaken five missions to return Ukrainian children to their families. The group has helped with the transportation and planning needed to help parents bring their children back.

Mykola Kuleba, the head of Save Ukraine and Ukraine's former commissioner for children's rights, told reporters no one in Russia was trying to find the children's parents.

Missile downed over Crimea

A missile fired from Ukrainian-held territory was shot down over the Black Sea town of Feodosia in Russian-controlled Crimea, the Moscow-installed head of Crimea's administration said Saturday.

"A missile launched from Ukraine was shot down over Feodosia," Sergei Aksyonov said on Telegram, without providing any detail on the kind of projectile in question.

Feodosia, located in the southeastern part of Crimea, is almost 300 kilometers from the nearest Ukrainian-held area. Kyiv did not comment Saturday, and it is not publicly known to possess missiles with that range. U.S.-supplied HIMARS rockets used by Ukraine have a range of 80 kilometers.

Reuters said it could not immediately verify the reports and that it was unclear how Ukraine could have attempted such a strike.

Kramatorsk memorial

Ukrainians placed flowers at a small memorial Saturday to the 61 people killed a year ago when a Russian missile struck the transportation hub as about 4,000 people gathered there to board evacuation trains. Experts said the Tochka-U missile was armed with cluster munitions. More than 160 people were injured.

"What is there to say? My close friend and her daughter and their dog died. What more can be said?" 67-year-old Tetiana Syshchenko told Agence France-Presse, tearing up.

She said she narrowly avoided being killed in the blast.

Residents arrived a few at a time to approach the small plaque topped with flowers and children's toys at the station.

Russia denied responsibility for the attack.

Tatiana Vorozhko of VOA's Ukraine Service contributed to this report. Some material in this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
A mayor in Australias Victoria state said Friday he may sue the artificial intelligence writing tool ChatGPT after it falsely claimed hed served time in prison for bribery. Hepburn Shire Council Mayor Brian Hood was incorrectly identified as the guilty party in a corruption case in the early 2000s.

Brian Hood was the whistleblower in a corruption scandal involving a company partly owned by the Reserve Bank of Australia. Several people were charged, but Hood was not one of them. That did not stop an article generated by ChatGPT, an automated writing service powered by artificial intelligence. The article cast him as the culprit who was jailed for his part in a conspiracy to bribe foreign officials to win currency printing contracts.

Hood only found out after friends told him. He told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. He then used the chatbot software to see the story for himself.

After making the inquiry, it generated five or six paragraphs of information. The really disturbing thing was that some of the paragraphs were accurate, and then were other paragraphs that described things that were completely incorrect. It told me that Id be charged with very serious criminal offenses, that Id be convicted of them and that I had spent 30 months in jail, he said.

Hood said that if OpenAI, a U.S.-based company that owns the chatbot, does not correct the false claims, he will sue.

It would be the first defamation lawsuit against the automated service.

However, a new version of ChatGPT reportedly avoids the mistakes of its predecessor. It reportedly correctly explains that Hood was a whistleblower who was praised for his actions. Hoods lawyers say that the defamatory material, which damages the mayors reputation, still exists and their efforts to have the mistakes rectified would continue.

A disclaimer on the ChatGPT program warns users that it "may produce inaccurate information about people, places, or facts. The technology has exploded in popularity around the world.

OpenAI has yet to comment publicly on the allegations.

Google has announced the launch of its rival to ChatGPT, Bard. Meta, which owns WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram, launched its own AI chatbot Blenderbot in the United States last year, while Baidu, the Chinese tech company, has said it was working on an advanced version of its chatbot, Ernie.
Laughter and joyous camaraderie filled the space surrounding the eighth pavilion at Bear Creek Park Saturday during Foster Source and Cobbled Streets Ambassadors Projects first annual Easter egg hunt for foster and Kinship families across El Paso County.

Were hoping to connect foster families and kin families together through encouraging them, building resources for them finding out what their needs are in specific areas, said Foster Sources El Paso County ambassador, Tatiana Scroggins. Were creating these events so we can start hearing from foster families and kinship families and what they really need.

Foster Source and Cobbled Streets are two Colorado nonprofits with a mission of providing education, resources, and enriching experiences to foster and kinship children and families, according to their websites.

Through the two nonprofits' Ambassador Project, they hope to provide foster and kinship families across the state with easy access to support networks, trauma-informed education, and meaningful relationships through community workshops and events.

Sometimes, its hard to get everything through one caseworker. If you can bring more foster parents together it can open doors and avenues to bring additional resources into their lives, and thats our goal, Scroggins said.

A total of 20 families consisting of 130 kids showed up Saturday to embark on an Easter egg hunt throughout the park.

With the group was Rachel Hayes, who fosters 10 kids with her husband in Colorado Springs. She said she heard about Saturdays event through her foster agency and has been using Foster Source services for the past five years.

This is a really great event, and it really does help when theres an understanding of trauma. Just knowing the kids will have a fun Easter egg hunt  in other community events where our kids may behave differently than others, theres not this mutual understanding, Hayes said, Whenever youre welcome to bring 10 kids anywhere, its amazing.

Hayes said she began fostering after her husband heard a sermon at their church regarding the disconnect between Christians and orphan care within the United States.

He just said, 'Honey, we need to get involved.'"



Standing with Hayes was Jayme Lollich who, along with her family, said she had a "unique" introduction to the foster system in 2020.

We didnt wake up and say, 'were going to foster and plan this out.' We woke up and said, 'holy crap, we need to do this to help this family,' and thats what we did.

Lollich accidentally found herself involved in the foster system after hearing of two little girls who were abandoned by their parents during the pandemic. A coworker at the time told her of the situation.

I grabbed my husband and my two girls who were home, and we just went shopping for everything they needed on that list. And we went up to meet them, and they said OK, here you go  and they literally gave us the two kids, Lollich said.

After getting in touch with a family friend who worked as a police officer, they were able to find the girls biological parents and get them in touch with services and resources to help them get their kids back.

We got them both in a mens home and womans home, and we continued working with them for a year until we were able to reunite them, Lollich said.

Lolichs family continues to stay in touch with the girls and parents through family barbecues and coming together for the kids birthdays. Through that case, she got involved in fostering two other kids, adopting them 16 months later.

We look forward to these events, because this is where it starts," Lollich said. "Fostering is not easy; its a struggle. These events help us internally because it gives me hope that yes, were doing this right.

Tammy Melchisedek is proof that its never too late to get involved with the foster program. Working with international adoption services for years, adopting two kids internationally in the process, Melchisedek is now a foster grandmother. She got involved through her daughter, and event coordinator, Tatiana Scroggins.

Its really important to understand the role that many of these children dont have any extended family at all. They dont even know who their grandparents are, or they might have 15 of them, Melchisedek said. You just need to be an older, grandmotherly presence in their lives. Its an opportunity to love kids that need that role.

 Helping to increase the tools and community, and the sense that you arent alone in this. Its a really beautiful thing.
Omani mediators arrived in Yemen on Saturday to discuss a new truce between the Iran-backed Houthi rebels and Saudi Arabia, a source said, amid renewed moves to end the conflict.

Diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict have multiplied since the Yemeni government's main foreign backer, Saudi Arabia, signed a Chinese-brokered deal to restore relations with Iran last month.

The top Saudi and Iranian diplomats met in Beijing Thursday, resuming diplomatic relations and pledging to work together to bring "security and stability" to their turbulent region.

Years of war, death

Nearly a decade of war in Yemen has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, both directly and indirectly, and triggered what the United Nations has called the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

The Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, in 2014, triggering the conflict with the government that has been backed for eight years by a military coalition led by regional heavyweight Riyadh.

The rapprochement between the two regional rivals, Shiite-majority Iran and mainly Sunni Saudi Arabia, has fueled hope of reduced tensions in the Middle East, particularly in Yemen.

"A delegation from Oman has arrived in Sanaa to hold talks with Houthi leaders about the truce and the peace process," a source at the capital's airport told AFP, requesting anonymity as he is not authorized to speak to journalists.

The source said the delegation was accompanied by Mohammed Abdelsalam, the rebels' chief negotiator, who lives in Muscat.

Multiple demands

Oman has forged a reputation as a discreet mediator in Gulf disputes often involving Iran.

Abdelsalam himself tweeted that he had arrived in Sanaa with the Omani delegation, but without providing further details.

The rebels' news agency, Saba, quoted Abdelsalam as saying the Houthis' demands included "an end to the (Saudi) aggression, the total lifting of the blockade, and payment of the salaries of all civil servants using revenues from oil and gas."

Abdelsalam added that, "Our just demands are the departure of the occupying forces from Yemen, compensation and reconstruction."

The United Nations special envoy on Yemen, Hans Grundberg, was in the Omani capital this week for talks on "the political process."

A Yemeni government source, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, said the Saudis and Houthis have agreed in principle on a six-month truce to pave the way for three months of talks on establishing a two-year transition for the war-torn country.

The country enjoyed a six-month lull in fighting during a cease-fire last year, but that truce was not renewed after it expired on October 2.

Iran views the United States as an archenemy, but on Wednesday welcomed a call by the American special envoy for Yemen to back "the political process that we hope is coming."
Muslims across South Africa are observing Ramadan with prayer and fasting. But some also see the holy month as an opportunity to reach out to those in need within their communities. Zaheer Cassim spoke to residents in Johannesburg and has the story.
Saudi officials were in Yemen's capital Sunday for talks with the Iran-backed Houthi rebels, as part of international efforts to find a settlement to Yemen's nine-year conflict, officials said.

Saudi Arabia's delegation, chaired by the kingdom's ambassador to Yemen, Mohammed bin Saeed Al-Jaber, will hold talks with Mahdi al-Mashat, head of the Houthi's supreme political council, which runs rebel-held areas in Yemen, according to the Houthi-run SABA news agency.

An Omani delegation, which arrived in Sanaa on Saturday, will also join the talks, the agency reported, citing an unidentified source.

Mohammed al-Bukaiti, a Houthi leader, said on Twitter that Saudi and Omani officials would discuss "ways to achieve a comprehensive and lasting peace in the region."

He said achieving an honorable peace between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia would be "a triumph for both parties," and urged all sides to take steps to "preserve a peaceful atmosphere and prepare to turn the page of the past."

There was no immediate comment from Saudi Arabia. The office of the U.N. envoy for Yemen didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

The talks in Sanaa are part of international efforts led by Oman to settle Yemen's conflict, which began in 2014. That's when the Houthis seized Sanaa and much of the country's north, ousting the internationally recognized government that fled to the south and then into exile in Saudi Arabia.

The Houthi move prompted a Saudi-led coalition to intervene months later in a bid to restore the internationally recognized government to power. The conflict has in recent years turned into a regional proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Saudi Arabia and the Houthis reached a draft deal last month to revive a cease-fire that expired in October. The deal is meant to usher in a return to Yemeni political talks, according to Saudi and Yemeni officials.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss closed-door negotiations.

They said the Saudi-Houthi understandings include a six-month truce with a cessation of all military activities across Yemen. The Houthis have committed to coming to the table with other Yemeni parties to negotiate a political settlement to the conflict, they said. The United Nations is meant to facilitate the political negotiations, they added.

Both parties also agreed to further ease restrictions by the Saudi-led coalition on Sanaa's airport and the Houthi-controlled Red Sea ports in Hodeida, the officials said. The Houthis would lift their yearslong blockade on Taiz, Yemen's third largest city which is held by government forces, they said.

The phased roadmap also includes payment for all state employees  including the military  from oil and gas revenues. In return, the rebels agreed to allow exporting oil from government-held areas after a monthslong hiatus because of Houthi attacks on oil facilities, the officials said.

Yemen's internationally recognized presidential council was briefed on the Saudi-Houthi understandings at a Thursday meeting in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, with Prince Khalid bin Salman, the Kingdom's defense minister, a Yemeni official said.

The Saudi-backed council, which was appointed a year ago, has given its initial approval to the draft deal, the official said.

Commenting on the Saudi-Houthi talks, Yemeni Foreign Minister Ahmed Awad Bin Mubarak said there were "positive signals" that a cease-fire deal would be announced, along with addressing other humanitarian and economic issues.

"The [regional] circumstances are different," he told an Egyptian satellite channel Al-Qahera in an interview aired on Friday. "It pushed towards achieving a solution."

Bin Mubarak, however, said there are "many fundamental issues" that Yemen's warring sides need to address before reaching a settlement to the conflict.

The Oman-brokered talks have aimed at preventing both sides from resuming full-fledged fighting. The efforts gained momentum in recent weeks after Saudi Arabia reached an agreement with Iran to restore diplomatic ties after a seven-year rift. Iran, the main foreign backer of the Houthis, has said its deal with Saudi Arabia would help end Yemen's conflict.

Ahmed Nagi, a Yemen expert at the International Crisis Group, a Brussels-based think-tank, said the Iran-Saudi Arabia rapprochement has given a boost to Saudi-Houthi negotiations, and that both sides are close to announcing the cease-fire's renewal.

However, the second track of the Houthi-Saudi negotiations  a potential roadmap to reach a permanent settlement to the conflict  would be a major challenge when discussed by Yemeni parties, he said.

"Each party has different interpretations and expectations," he said. "Given the complexities of the situation, it is hard to see progress on this track very soon."
A South African convicted murderer who faked his death to escape from prison has been arrested in Tanzania following a two-week manhunt, police have announced.

South African officials are going to Tanzania Sunday to begin to extradite Thabo Bester, 35, dubbed the "Facebook Rapist" as he used the social media platform to lure at least two women he was convicted of raping. He was also found guilty of killing one.

Bester was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2012 and it was reported in May last year that he died in a fire in his prison cell.

However, reports surfaced of him being seen in Johannesburg and an investigation including DNA samples showed that the body found burned beyond recognition in the cell was not his.

Two weeks ago police said they were chasing Bester and last week they raided a luxurious home he was believed to have been renting in a posh Johannesburg suburb.

Bester was apprehended with his girlfriend Nandipha Magudumana, a well-known celebrity doctor, and a Mozambican national believed to have assisted them to cross borders and evade law enforcement authorities, officials announced.

They were found with several fake passports which were unstamped at the time of their arrest, about 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the Kenyan border.

Authorities have now started the process to extradite the fugitives back to South Africa, where they are expected to face several charges. "An official delegation from South Africa, comprising senior officials from the police and the department of justice and correctional services will depart for Tanzania on Sunday," Justice Minister Ronald Lamola said Saturday, announcing Bester's arrest.

The South African news outlet GroundUp reported that for nearly a year after his prison escape Bester had lived a lavish lifestyle with Magudumana in Johannesburg's upmarket Hyde Park suburb.

While in prison, Bester used a laptop he had for studies to run an event and production company, GroundUp reported. At one point he addressed a conference from his prison cell, telling attendees that he was speaking from the U.S., it reported.

Bester's elaborate escape from prison has raised many questions about the possible involvement of prison officials.

At least three officials have been fired from the Mangaung Correctional Centre from where Bester escaped, according to local reports. The prison was managed privately by the British-based G4S security firm. The South African government has now taken over management of the maximum security prison and has announced that the G4S contract to manage the prison will not be renewed when it expires in 2026.
The chairman of the House Select Committee on China said Saturday the U.S. must take seriously the threat posed to Taiwan, as Beijing launched military drills around the island in the aftermath of the Taiwanese president's meetings with American lawmakers.

Republican Congressman Mike Gallagher who attended the meeting with President Tsai Ing-wen in California last week, told The Associated Press that he plans to lead his committee in working to shore up the island government's defenses, encouraging Congress to expedite military aid to Taiwan.

"I think it all just points to what is obvious," Gallagher told the AP, arguing that Chinese President Xi Jinping is intent on reunifying Taiwan with the mainland.

"We need to be moving heaven and earth to enhance our deterrence and denial posture, so that Xi Jinping concludes that he just can't do it," Gallagher said.

China conducted drills with warships and dozens of fighter jets around Taiwan Saturday, the Taiwanese government said, in what was viewed as retaliation for the meeting between the U.S. lawmakers and the president of the self-ruled island democracy claimed by Beijing as part of its territory.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy hosted Tsai in a bipartisan session at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, with more than a dozen members of the U.S. House for what was the most sensitive stop during her transit through the U.S.

China's response to Tsai's transit through the U.S. has not, so far, been as intense as its reaction last year after then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan.

While both McCarthy and Tsai spoke in measured remarks after the meeting about maintaining the status quo between their countries, which have no formal diplomatic ties, the daylong meeting enraged China.

The Chinese military announced the start of three-day "combat readiness patrols" as a warning to Taiwanese who want to make the island's de facto independence permanent.

Taiwan split with China in 1949 after a civil war, and the United States broke off official ties with Taiwan in 1979 while formally establishing diplomatic relations with the Beijing government.

The U.S. acknowledges a "one China" policy in which Beijing lays claim to Taiwan, but it does not endorse China's claim to the island and remains Taiwan's key provider of military and defense assistance.

The ruling Communist Party says the island is obliged to rejoin the mainland, by force if necessary. Beijing says contact with foreign officials encourages Taiwanese who want formal independence, a step the ruling party says would lead to war.

Chinese officials condemned Tsai's meetings with lawmakers and announced sanctions on two organizations that hosted her in the U.S., but its immediate response so far has been less forceful than its reaction to Pelosi's August trip to Taiwan.

China had warned U.S. lawmakers not to join the meeting with Tsai, Gallagher said. And after the meeting, China urged the U.S. off what it called a "wrong and dangerous road."

Gallagher, who served as a U.S. Marine with tours in Iraq, said U.S. lawmakers will not be intimidated by the Chinese.

"It's an attempt to shift the ideological battle space and, again, an attempt to intimidate us, and make us feel like we're changing the status quo and provoking them, when the opposite is true," he said.

Gallagher said he wants Congress to work on stepping up its military commitments to Taiwan. He said the U.S. should be more quickly sending weapon systems to Taiwan for its defense.

One idea that arose from the meeting, he said, was for the U.S. to help Taiwan with technology to manufacture its own defense systems.

In 2022, China responded in the aftermath of Pelosi's visit with its largest live-fire drills in decades, including firing a missile over the island.

Chinese officials gave no indication whether the drills underway now might include a repeat of previous exercises with missiles fired into the sea, which disrupted shipping and airline flights.
Forty-four civilians have been killed by "armed terrorist groups" in two villages in northeastern Burkina Faso near the Niger border, a regional governor said Saturday.

The provisional toll of "this despicable and barbaric attack" which targeted the villages of Kourakou and Tondibi in northeast Burkina Faso overnight Thursday "is 44 civilians killed and others wounded," said Rodolphe Sorgho, lieutenant-governor of the Sahel region.

Sorgho said that 31 people had died in Kourakou and 13 in Tondibi.

The regional official said that an army offensive put "out of action the armed terrorist groups" that carried out the killings.

The governor also assured that "actions to stabilize the area are under way."

The impoverished Sahel country is grappling with a 7-year-old campaign by jihadis linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group.

A resident of Kourakou told Agence France-Presse that "a large number of terrorists burst into the village" late Thursday.

"All night long, we heard gunfire. It was on Friday morning that we saw that there were several dozen dead," he said.

Attack was act of retaliation, say locals

Locals said the village had been targeted in retaliation for the lynching of two jihadis a few days earlier who had tried to steal cattle.

It was one of the deadliest attacks since Captain Ibrahim Traore came to power in a coup last September,

In February, 51 soldiers were killed in an attack on Deou, in the far north of the country.

The latest twin attacks happened close to the village of Seytenga, where 86 civilians were killed last June in one of the bloodiest attacks of a long-running insurgency.

Burkina Faso's new military chief this week vowed to step up a "dynamic offensive" against jihadis following a string of insurgent attacks since the start of the year.

"The dynamic offensive underway in the past few weeks will be stepped up to force armed groups to lay down their weapons," said Colonel Celestin Simpore after a handover ceremony following his appointment last week.

Thousands killed, millions displaced

Since the jihadis launched their campaign from neighboring Mali in 2015, more than 10,000 civilians, troops and police have been killed, according to one NGO estimate, and at least 2 million people have been displaced.

Official figures say jihadis effectively control about 40% of the country.

Frustration within the military led to two military coups last year. Traore, who came to power in September, has vowed to fight back and recover conquered territory.

But the jihadis have carried out a succession of raids and ambushes since the start of the year, inflicting heavy tolls on civilians and military-escorted convoys.

Burkina's beleaguered army has recently acquired foreign-made drones, and regularly issues video footage of strikes against purported terrorists and troops described as reconquering and securing lost territory.

Since Traore seized power last year, the activities of all political parties and civil society organizations in the country have been suspended.
The long-awaited relaunch of Thailands Songkran festival could be overshadowed by the countrys air pollution.

In the northern city of Chiang Mai, a thick haze of air pollution has been present in recent weeks, and experts are warning that conditions are likely to hamper tourism surrounding the upcoming national holiday.

Thailand is set to mark its famed New Year festivities for the first time in three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. From April 13 to April 15, Thais visit temples, clean Buddha statues, and engage in public water fights, which are seen as a cleansing ritual in the Southeast Asian country.

But Thailands annual smoky season, when farmers burn fields to prepare for the next crop, typically runs from January to March, making for the worst air quality of the year. Although the practice is illegal, farmers continue to do it as the few alternatives are more costly, and Thailands seasonal PM2.5 dust  the most dangerous form of haze pollution  has soared in recent years.

Gary Bowerman, a Kuala Lumpur-based travel analyst, says this years particularly dense haze is almost certain to affect plans for those wanting to celebrate Songkran.

The toxic air quality in Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia and parts of Vietnam caused by agricultural burning is a real concern for the tourism industry, he told VOA. The haze season has started quite early and will certainly lead to booking cancellations. This will likely impact the Songkran festivities and hurt the tourism industry just as it is starting to recover.

Health concerns

The smoggy air often leads to health issues among locals, especially in rural parts that constitute most of the countrys northern region.

Thailand sets the safe limit of PM2.5, which are dust particles with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers or less at 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air, but if air is polluted at PM2.5 above 100 micrograms, authorities take measures, such as a recent warning against outdoor activities in Chiang Mai and misting along roadways to keep them safely passable.

As home to Thailands largest and often longest Songkran celebrations, Chiang Mais tourism sector is especially vulnerable.

Pallop Saejew, who heads the Chiang Mai Chamber of Commerce, recently told the Khaosod English newspaper that a survey of local businesses indicates domestic travel to the city is already down for this time of year.

Mantana Boonset, reservations supervisor at Chiang Mais Anantara Resort, told VOA that bookings have been canceled in recent days, including by guests from the United States, China and Britain, who have been worried about how the pollution could affect their health.

We have only received [cancellations] for March and April, she told VOA. We will offer them to keep the room credit and guests could postpone their period of stay for when they come back when the weather is better."

According to IQAir, an air quality company headquartered in Switzerland, Chiang Mai recently topped the charts of its worldwide air quality and pollution rankings by city.

As of Wednesday, Chiang Mai was ranked second with a score of 254, which is deemed as very unhealthy, while Thailands capital, Bangkok, came in fifth with a score of 154.

Locals have resorted to wearing face masks amid the unclean air, with N95 masks considered the best protection.

Boonset says her resort is offering masks as a precaution.

Our front desk team [has]  masks available that guests could have for free, she said. For Songkran, we dont expect to get more cancellations because the weather will be getting better in that period, mostly it could be raining.

Thousands hospitalized

For some, the pollution has already taken a toll. More than 12,000 patients sought treatment for respiratory issues at Chiang Mai's Maharaj Nakorn Hospital from January to March, according to the citys University Faculty of Medicine. Thailands Disease Control Department on March 9 announced more than 1.32 million people had reported pollution-linked illnesses in 2023. And on Tuesday, Chiang Mai Governor Nirat Pongsitthaworn declared four more wildlife crisis zones.

Travel analyst Bowerman says the continued haze could further undermine celebrations in Thailand, along with tourism in neighboring countries.

It will also impact the Chinese Golden Week at the start of May, which most countries in Southeast Asia are hoping will kick-start the return of Chinese travelers in larger numbers, he said. Further south, in Malaysia and Indonesia, the rainy season has not yet finished, but there are widespread concerns that once the rains stop, this year's haze season could be long and impactful for both countries and Singapore.

Thailands crucial tourism sector saw arrivals sharply decline in 2020 and 2021 as a result of the pandemic. But forecasts now indicate up to 30 million tourists will enter the country in 2023, leading to economic growth of between 2.7-3.7%.
Nawal Sweidan quietly folded her sons clothes and straightened the bedsheets in his room as she always used to do when he was out at work or at university. She still does it regularly, even though he hasnt been home for almost 10 years since he was taken away by militiamen.

Her son Safaa vanished in late July 2014. At around 1:30 a.m., just days before the holy month of Ramadan was to end and holiday celebrations were to begin, a group of men showed up at the familys doorstep and asked for Safaa, a law student and postal carrier in his early 20s.

They told us they just wanted to question him and will return him soon, Sweidan said.

Twenty years after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, much of the conflict and sectarian bloodletting it unleashed has subsided. But those years left a legacy of thousands of people  or perhaps tens of thousands, like Safaa  who went missing, and their families feel forgotten as they seek answers about their loved ones fates. As it tries to turn the page on Iraqs troubled past, the government has not established a commission to look into the missing  in part, rights workers say, because politicians are intertwined with armed groups involved in kidnappings and killings.

Sweidans hometown, Mahmoudiya, was repeatedly an epicenter of sectarian violence over the past two decades. Situated along the main road that Shiite pilgrims take to reach the holy city of Karbala, it is a mixed town of Sunnis and Shiites. Residents say they generally coexisted before the 2003 invasion that toppled dictator Saddam Hussein.

Post-2003, it became part of the notorious Triangle of Death as Sunni and Shiite extremist groups targeted each others communities with vicious killings and Sunni al-Qaida insurgents attacked American forces. Sweidans daughter was killed in 2004 by a roadside bomb that tore through the towns marketplace.

Safaa disappeared amid another wave of sectarian reprisals and tit-for-tat kidnappings in 2014. At the time, the Islamic State group surged nearby and seized areas as close as 20 kilometers (12 miles) from Mahmoudiya, bringing a backlash from Shiite militias. Sweidans family are Sunnis, and while Sweidan would not comment on who took her son, one relative said she believes it was Shiite militiamen.

For years, Sweidan looked through prisons across several cities and spoke to officials and whoever might give her clues. Whenever news came of prisoners being released after doing time, Sweidan would rush to the prison to see if her son was among them.

Everywhere I looked, he just wasnt there, she said, struggling to hold back her tears. So Ive sat quietly ever since and decided to leave it in Gods hands.

Sweidans next-door neighbor, Nidal Ali, is Shiite and faces the same pain. Her son Ammar was kidnapped around the same time.

They took him and said he will be back in five minutes, Ali said, holding a portrait of her son close to her chest. She believes his abductors were Sunni extremists. They took six people from our area. They were all young and poor.

She, too, searched prisons and towns across the country and paid scammers who claimed they could get inside information about his whereabouts. Ammar was almost 40 when he was kidnapped, leaving behind his wife and five children. His youngest son, Mohammad, was a toddler at the time; now 11, he sat quietly next to his grandmother.

The International Committee of the Red Cross said it has received 43,293 cases of people who disappeared since 2003. Of those, more than 26,700 cases remain unresolved. That is far higher than the Iraqi government estimate of 16,000 Iraqis who have gone missing over the same period.

The ICRC numbers include more categories of missing and are likely more accurate than the governments, said Raz Salayi, Iraq researcher at international human rights organization Amnesty International. Neither estimate includes the missing from conflicts prior to 2003, or those who disappeared into Saddam's prisons.

The Geneva-based ICRC every year continues to receive requests from families asking for help in finding missing relatives. In 2022, it received almost 1,500 new requests.

It probably is just the tip of the iceberg and doesnt represent the real numbers of the missing, said Sara al-Zawqari, a spokesperson at the ICRCs Baghdad.

Iraqi families are not the only ones left without answers in a region where several countries have been torn apart by war and sectarian strife. The fate of over 17,000 missing during Lebanons 1975-1990 civil war remains unknown. The Lebanese government formed a national commission in 2020, under pressure as a growing number of relatives died without learning their loved ones fates. In Syrias conflict, now in its 13th year, families of the disappeared are urging the United Nations to open an independent inquiry into as many as 100,000 missing people.

Salayi, the Amnesty researcher, said the Iraqi governments lack of initiative towards the missing is unsurprising, given political parties links with militias accused of kidnappings and tit-for-tat violence over the years.

How can a government that allows perpetrators of gross human rights violations to run for office hold itself accountable? Salayi said. There is no logic to it.

An Iraqi Justice Ministry official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to reporters, would say only that political tensions and sectarian sensitivities are obstacles for any state inquiry into the missing.

Sweidan, Ali and other relatives of those missing said their loved ones could be among the large numbers of people swept up in mass arrests carried out over the years in response to militant and sectarian violence. They hold out hope for answers if the government grants amnesty to those long held without charge or evidence, but the authorities have not been cooperative.

Mass graves are regularly found, but it can take years to identify remains, said al-Zawqari of the Red Cross. In a further complication, there are multiple eras of mass graves. Remains of people missing since the war with Iran in the 1980s continue to be discovered. The more time passes, the more challenging the search becomes, she said.

There haven't been any leads about Safaas whereabouts, but Sweidan believes that he is alive and that it's only a matter of time until they are reunited.

Sometimes, when I am asleep, I hear his voice saying Mama, and I wake up.
Thousands of worshippers held tense celebrations in Jerusalem Sunday, as Christian Easter coincided with Jewish Passover and the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, amid a surge in violence in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Leading Easter Mass at the Vatican, Pope Francis expressed "deep concern" Sunday over the flare-up in tensions sparked by an Israeli police raid on Al-Aqsa mosque days ago.

Israel has since struck targets in Gaza, Lebanon and most recently Syria in response to rocket fire mostly blamed on Palestinian militants, while separate attacks in the West Bank and Tel Aviv killed three people including an Italian tourist.

On Sunday pilgrims crowded into the narrow alleyways of Jerusalem's Old City, flanked by heavily-armed Israeli security forces deployed following the recent deadly attacks.

Churchgoers were ushered through the courtyard of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, built on the site where Christians believe Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected.

"[I had] some doubt, taking into consideration recent events, but still I decided to go," said 50-year-old Paulius Majauskas, visiting from Lithuania.

Near the church, thousands of Jewish pilgrims gathered at the Western Wall for the traditional priestly blessing of Passover.

Judy Green, 60, said the blessing was "beautiful, very uplifting" at the Western Wall, the holiest place where Jews can pray.

"I feel that God will protect us, we're all praying together as one people," she said.

The Western Wall lies in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem and sits below the Temple Mount, the most sacred site to Jews, known to Muslims as Al-Haram al-Sharif.

The raised compound is home to Al-Aqsa mosque, the third-holiest site in Islam and the focal point for Ramadan celebrations.

An AFP journalist saw more than 500 religious Jews enter the site Sunday morning under police escort while Muslims prayed nearby, without any clashes.

Al-Aqsa raid

Muslims fear Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's hard-right government may change longstanding rules that allow Jews to visit but not pray at the Al-Aqsa compound, despite his repeated denials.

In recent years, the number of Jews visiting the esplanade has increased and ultranationalists sometimes pray there surreptitiously in breach of the rules.

Israeli police stormed the prayer hall of the mosque in a violent pre-dawn raid Wednesday they said was aimed at dislodging "law-breaking youths and masked agitators."

Mahmud Mansour, a Palestinian Muslim, criticized the police actions.

"This is our place, we have to stay in the evening, in the night, and this is Ramadan  we have to pray," the 65-year-old told AFP near the mosque compound.

The raid followed reports that Jewish activists were intending to hold a traditional Passover sacrifice at the compound  a process which is banned and which a top Israeli rabbi has moved to prevent.

The day after the raid, rockets were fired from Lebanon into Israel, which the Israeli army blamed on Palestinian groups.

Israel then bombarded Gaza and southern Lebanon.

The Israeli army also said it launched strikes on Syria Sunday morning, after rockets fired from there landed in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

Israel has launched hundreds of air strikes during more than a decade of civil war in Syria, primarily targeting Iran-backed forces and Lebanese Hezbollah fighters, as well as Syrian army positions.

Funeral for Israelis killed

Israelis were also set to gather Sunday for the funeral of two sisters killed when their car came under fire in the occupied West Bank on Friday.

The mother of the two British-Israeli sisters, aged 16 and 20, was seriously wounded in the attack.

Their family urged "religious, secular, ultra-Orthodox, people of right and left" to pray tribute to the victims during the funeral, which will be held in the West Bank settlement where they lived.

Settlements in the occupied territories are considered illegal under international law, a charge Israel disputes.

Hours after the fatal shooting on Friday, an Italian tourist was killed and seven other people wounded in a suspected car-ramming attack in Tel Aviv.

On Saturday, Israeli troops shot dead a Palestinian man in the West Bank. The army said soldiers shot at suspects who threw an "explosive device" towards them, while the Palestinian health ministry said the 20-year-old suffered bullets wounds to the chest and abdomen.

This year the conflict has claimed the lives of at least 92 Palestinians, 18 Israelis, one Ukrainian and one Italian, according to an AFP count based on Israeli and Palestinian official sources.

These figures include, on the Palestinian side, combatants and civilians, including minors, and on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, including minors, and three members of the Arab minority.
Before the war, their jobs had nothing to do with the military, but today they are volunteers fighting to expel Russian forces from Ukraines Donbas region. Anna Kosstutschenko talked with some of the soldiers. Camera: Pavel Suhodolskiy.
Within seconds of stepping onstage to declare his triumph in the Chicago mayoral race, Brandon Johnson extended an olive branch.

After briefly marveling at his improbable political rise, the newly minted mayor-elect said his first order of business was delivering a message to those whod voted for his opponent, Paul Vallas.

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I want to work with you, and Ill be the mayor for you too, Johnson said, after the audiences light grumbling over the mention of his rival.

But bringing the city together after the bitter race may be even more improbable, given the cavernous differences between Johnson, who will enter City Hall as one of Americas most progressive big-city mayors in generations, and his more conservative rival who ran a law-and-order campaign.

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The crowd reacts as Chicago mayoral candidate Brandon Johnson speaks during a campaign rally with Vermont U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders at UIC Credit Union 1 Arena in Chicago on March 30, 2023. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)

Unofficial results showed voters were deeply divided, with Johnson winning 51.7% and Vallas 48.3%. Though tens of thousands of mail-in ballots remain to be tallied, geographical and racial fissures are already evident.

In an interview with the Tribune, Johnson said he will try to focus on issues where theres room for consensus.

His 100-day agenda: doubling the amount of youth workers, finalizing a Treatment Not Trauma plan to send a non-police response to certain mental health crises and passing Bring Chicago Home, a plan to hike the real estate transfer tax on properties above $1 million to fund anti-homelessness initiatives.

In a later appearance with Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Johnson was less bullish on whether he could pass the last initiative in that time frame, given that it requires a change in state law.

He also plans to focus on environmental issues.

I talk about Austin a lot. Austin is beautiful. It is also a hot spot when it comes to environmental injustice, right? said Johnson, the citys first West Side mayor in almost a century.

To start, Johnson wants to commission a cumulative impact study, which will segue into rebuilding a fully staffed Department of Environment, which was dismantled by former Mayor Rahm Emanuel and never brought back under his successor, Mayor Lori Lightfoot, despite her campaign promises to do so.

This would all serve to unite the city around the theme of environmental justice, Johnson said.

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Obviously, I have some spaces  the Southeast, Southwest Side of Chicago  that are top of mind, but of course, West Side. You look at Roseland and Englewood, theres some real environmental dynamics there that are quite harmful, Johnson said.

He acknowledged big questions around how he will turn campaign pledges into realities.

After speaking broadly about what he sees as his mandate to tackle public safety via investments in mental health care and jobs for young people, he quipped: Now, I know youre going to ask me how we pay for it. But well get to that. Im sure well get to that. So those are the things that we agree on.

On the campaign trail, Johnson did tout a bundle of tax hikes that were a frequent source of criticism from Vallas, however. Beyond the Bring Chicago Home proposal, Johnsons ideas to raise about $800 million in revenue include a head tax on Chicago employers and a jet fuel tax, as well a hotel tax increase. But Pritzker also cast doubt on another Johnson initiative that would require state legislative action: a levy on financial transactions.

In one postelection cable TV appearance, Johnson also repeated a promise to not raise property taxes.

Perhaps the most crucial decision Johnson faces early in his term is who he selects as police superintendent. Lightfoots choice, David Brown, was blamed for much of the low morale and churn among the rank-and-file, and both mayoral runoff candidates had pledged to fire him  before he departed on his own last month.

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The nascent Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability is in the process of culling feedback and names. Potential candidates include former chief and West Sider Ernest Cato III, who was a 2020 finalist for the top job that went to Brown; South Sider and Deputy Chief Larry Snelling; and Angel Novalez, the Police Departments current head of reform.

On the search, Johnson said, I want to make sure that law enforcement, of course, is at the table, (plus) the faith community, the business community and people impacted by violence. He also noted that he has the support of more than half of the newly elected police district council members.

Im confident well come up with a process that will be transparent, that brings real co-governance to the city of Chicago, because I believe that actually helps unite the city as well, Johnson said.

He acknowledged the historic tension and some rub in the polices relationships with many constituents. But he also stressed that those same communities, though wary, do not want to see our systems break down.

We have to be honest about it, Johnson said. Even Paul Vallas recognizes that there are tensions there, that Im going to be a mayor thats intentional about making sure that the conversation is not just had but we come to an agreement of how we address those tensions.

Though Johnsons victory is being hailed as a watershed endorsement of the progressive movement and his campaign message of ending the tale of two cities, the vote breakdown showed a deeply split electorate.

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Perhaps its no surprise that a match-off would be close between two candidates who hailed from opposite extremes in the original nine-candidate field, a feature that contributed to them advancing to the runoff over more moderate choices.

The race was also between two Chicagoans who, despite both labeling themselves Democrats, came from starkly different political spheres and frequently engaged in dust-ups that got personal.

To hear Vallas tell it on the debate stage and in attack ads, Johnson was from the radical wing of the party, and his past rhetoric in support of the defund the police movement would further degrade law enforcement. Meanwhile, Vallas would have been a privatizer-in-chief eager to cripple public schools, in Johnsons previous words.

Vallas seemed to grasp the enmity between their camps too, and he took pains in his concession speech to quiet boos from the crowd of his supporters  some of whom seemed to hope he would fight the results  before saying Johnson has his full support as the next mayor.

Johnson largely won the Black vote that had gone to Lightfoot in Februarys first-round election, suggesting Vallas firewall of endorsements from African American establishment politicians, as well as their arguments that those in the citys most violent tracts want more traditional policing, had faltered.

Among the 14 majority-Latino wards, Johnson won those encompassing Chicagos most storied Mexican American and Puerto Rican enclaves: Little Village, Pilsen and Humboldt Park. But Vallas still held on to eight, though some by slim margins, unofficial results as of Friday afternoon showed.

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While campaigning in stores along the 18th Street corridor in Chicagos Pilsen neighborhood, Chicago mayoral candidate Brandon Johnson, right, is serenaded by the band Mariachi Estrellas de Chicago at the restaurant Pochos oncMarch 27, 2023, which is Johnsons birthday. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)

While Vallas won the sole, new majority-Asian ward, white-majority or -plurality wards were split. Both candidates held onto their bases: Johnsons Milwaukee Avenue progressives and Vallas bungalow belt conservatives.

Meanwhile, Vallas strongest support along the north lakefront began downtown, but his share of the vote slipped the farther north the wards were, with Johnson winning north of the border between Lincoln Park and Lakeview.

Ron Rymarczyk, 61, a South Loop and retired IT professional, voted for Vallas and was disappointed by the outcome, especially because the race was pretty tight, and not a lot of people voted, which makes it worse.

Johnson said hes going to unite everybody, and I really hope he does, Rymarczyk said. He made some comments in the past that were the reason I didnt vote for him as far as defunding the police and taxing big business. Im just afraid hes going to milk everybody dry. Thats not what we need.

McKinley Park resident and stay-at-home mom Lydia Arroyo, 45, said she supports Johnson and that the only way hes going to convince (doubters) is by proving the changes that he can bring about and showing that he can get the city under control.

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I liked the message he was giving, basically trying to unite the city, Arroyo continued. There is a lot of division. People are worried about violence. I am myself. I understand where people are coming from, but I think its a multifaceted problem and its going to need more than just adding more officers to the street.

Beyond unifying the city, theres a question of whether Johnson can even unite a fractious City Council. That will depend on his approach, say aldermen who endorsed Vallas and whose wards voted for Vallas.

I dont think he has a choice other than to unite, said Ald. Anthony Napolitano, 41st, a former police officer and firefighter whose ward covers the citys Far Northwest Side and OHare Airport. Its a tough assignment, since more than Ive ever seen going on in my 24 years working with the city, Ive never seen a City Council so divided and separated and angry at each other.

Even so, Johnson has a model of how not to engage the council, courtesy of his predecessor, Napolitano said.

Johnson can look at (Lightfoots) blueprint and say, Wow, this didnt work at all. One of the biggest problems in council was the mayor didnt communicate with council members. She picked fights, she held grudges, Napolitano said. When (Emanuel) had an issue or situation and he wanted your support for it, if you didnt support him, he was so mad at you at that point, but when that point was over, he was back to business and started fresh on every single topic. I thought the world of that.

Ald. Raymond Lopez, 15th, a frequent Lightfoot foe who backed Vallas, has expressed worry about the councils leftward shift, including the five socialists recently awarded key committee chairmanships.

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I would not be surprised if the new mayor, working with his fellow socialists and uber-left aldermanic allies, (does) not try to reorganize the chairmanship and structure and council in a way that is more conducive to their political needs, he said.

Johnson will have the same choice Lori Lightfoot had, Lopez added. You either use this moment and move forward, or you return to the politics of being petty and vindictive and continue the turmoil thats existed from one administration into the next. This is his moment. How he chooses to use it will be up to him.
When the Denver Public School Board voted to remove police from their campuses, many in the Black Lives Matter movement applauded saying it would help end the school-to-prison pipeline for young black men. The argument being that cops unfairly arrest black students.

To fight the racial abuse in the justice system, the Colorado Legislature went on a sentencing-reform screed. Steal a car, dont go to jail, get a ticket. Fentanyl was nearly decriminalized.

After the high-profile police shootings of African Americans, and the death of George Floyd, the Black Lives Matter crusade engulfed the nation. The message was very clear  the police treat minorities very differently from whites, particularly black men.

The police are so systematically racist they have been basically free to hunt the black man with immunity.

The Black Lives Matter and Defund the Police movements goals were clear  to get cops to stop discriminating, intimidating and killing black citizens.

I would think the last thing people who support Black Lives Matter would do is to make it easier for police to shoot more black men, at the same time disempowering black men. Yet we are witnessing just that at the state Capitol and cities all around Colorado.

Lawmakers are allowing racist police, former, retired, and off-duty cops to have military-grade weapons of war and high-capacity magazines, all while disarming black citizens.

Its worth remembering Americas first gun control laws were passed in the post-Civil War south to disarm newly freed black citizens. Many didnt like the idea of black men protecting themselves from the Klan, which included more than a few lawmen.

In 2013, the Colorado Legislature mandated we civilians only have 15-round ammunition magazines. An exception was made for those in uniform, like law enforcement, including for their personal use. Cops, those racist cops, can have magazines that hold any amount.

When the Legislature and Gov. Jared Polis struck down the states preemption law it freed municipalities to pass their own inconsistent and bigoted anti-gun ordinances, unleashing a patchwork of hateful, discriminatory anti-minority laws, mostly written by the anti-gun zealots funded by Michael Bloomberg.

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What passed in Boulder for their tolerant lily-white city was pretty standard for most cities that followed: They capped magazines to 10 rounds, outlawed what they called assault weapons, required a three-day waiting period to buy a gun and severely restricted where a trained and licensed citizen with a concealed weapons permit may carry his or her gun.

However, it was written so NONE of these restrictions apply to police officers, on or off duty: Any regular or ex officio police officer is exempt.

We dont yet know what the final wording of anti-gun bills being slung around the Legislature will be before they reach the governors desk. But you can guess they wont apply to cops, both on and off duty. Odd coming from people who dont trust cops.

I want to be clear, I am not calling firearms like AR-15s assault weapons or military grade weapons, because they are not. They are single-fire, semi-automatic rifles, no different than most hunting riffles in function. But those who are banning them are labeling them military weapons. OK. Lets see it through those fearful eyes.

Also, to be clear, I do not at all believe the police to be systematically racist. But again, lets see it through those eyes.

As the years go by, as the generations pass, we will have a bifurcated society. A police society made of racist cops, former racist cops, armed to the teeth with military-grade weaponry, which gets better and more technologically advanced with time and high-capacity magazines.

And we will have civilian society, including black society, largely disarmed or, at best, armed with old-style, limited-capacity weapons by which they might have to defend themselves from outgunned criminals with weapons like the cops have  and maybe the racist cops themselves?

Quick side story: A black friend of mine is rather anti-gun but very anti-police. One day I conceded and said, Fine, you win. Lets take all the guns away from the white people, all the guns away from the black people. But you know what? The MAN is still going to have all the guns.

Two weeks later, I went with him to help him buy his first Glock pistol.

Jon Caldara is president of the Independence Institute in Denver and hosts The Devils Advocate with Jon Caldara on Colorado Public Television Channel 12. His column appears Sundays in Colorado Politics.
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Dairy holsteins located at RS Farms, an operation owned by Richard and Kim Ryan in rural Wabasha County near Zumbro Falls. RS Farms underwent an energy audit in 2012 to measure the decrease in energy use since the start of the decade.
President Biden made the announcement in a video, saying that he wanted to finish the job he started when the country was racked by a deadly pandemic, a reeling economy and a teetering democracy.
A question for Easter Monday: would Australia be better governed if our political leaders were practising Christians? Would the economy work any better?

One thing thats changed since last Easter is that were no longer led by a prime minister happy to let his Christian faith be known. By contrast, I wouldnt know what Anthony Albaneses religious views are, if any.

An Easter Vigil held at St James Church in Sydney on Easter Sunday. Credit: Steven Siewert

Another thing thats changing is the decline of adherence to Christianity in its many denominations. This is partly the immigration of many people of other religions, but mainly the growing indifference of many from formerly churchgoing families. And, perhaps, the growing number of university graduates.

According to the 2021 census, the proportion of people identifying as Christian has fallen from 61 per cent to 44 per cent in a decade, with those reporting no religion rising from 22 per cent to 39 per cent.
Demands for school safety

I applaud the thousands of high school students across our country who walked out of schools to protest gun violence. The student demands that school safety be prioritized over providing the firearm industry with the ability to sell weapons that have no place in our communities has reached the boiling point. It would be wise to listen and support our youths rather than allow the gun industry and politicians who peddle lies about the Second Amendment rights of citizens.

With more than 130 mass shootings in 2023 alone, when are we going to stop the political games and provide our youths the opportunity to become adults? The myth that additional mental health services will reduce gun violence is only sold by politicians who receive money from lobbyists from the gun industry. The claim by gun advocates that automatic weapons such as the AR-15 are needed to protect their homes is false. The ridiculous idea of encouraging teachers to be armed with weapons is disrespectful to educators and students.

Students, teachers and citizens should be able to attend school, work and community events without the threat of an automatic weapon spraying hundreds of rounds into them. Lets stop protecting an industry that has demonstrated for years that they put profits over human lives. Demand real change in gun laws so that we dont continue this insanity. Eliminate access to weapons that are developed for mass killing rather than hunting or home protection.

Steve Rauch

Colorado Springs

You cant drink paper water

The county commissioners recently have approved three developments in Black Forest that violate the El Paso County Water Master Plan. The developers that present the plans use an outdated well water study that was done in the 1980s. This was based on little actual assessment of real water yield. A recent study by the USGS in which actual water levels was assessed shows that from 2011 to 2019 the water levels in the aquifers under Black Forest have been falling. The USGS found, The upper Dawson, lower Dawson, Denver, and Arapahoe aquifers had median significant trends of -0.23, -0.31, -0.92, and -2.26 feet per year, respectively. Another recent study by the UCCS of actual water yield indicates that there is only water in the aquifers to last until 2050.

The county commissioners only require that developers show on paper that there is sufficient water for the number of houses that they are proposing. They say that the 1980s study is all the proof that they require for approval. Shouldnt we know based on real evidence how long our water will last?

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The commissioners should require the developers to show water yield studies. The commissioners, who dont have water operations managers or technical staff are using data from 1986 and fingers crossed math performed to make water sufficiency determinations. Actual water managers involved in determining real water are using imaging, science, and aquifer mapping tools and limit developments to preserve the non renewable water aquifers. Carrie Geitner, my commissioner, allegedly has said that the land owners (developers) should be able to do whatever they want with their land. Many of her constituents depend on well water.

We cant drink paper water.

Bruce Brian

Black Forest

Get involved and vote

Voter apathy was quite evident in this recent local election. I hope it wasnt because voters feel like the political system does not work for them. With our Colorado Springs officials governing land-use policies and regulations, annexations, utility rates, public works, public safety and a host of other local issues, we as residents and voters need to be actively involved in the people we elect to represent us and our interests. The mayoral race runoff gives us another chance to get involved and vote.

I just hope more voters turnout for this final runoff election and vote for the person that will provide a balanced approach to economic viability and not continue to promote development for the sake of the developers personal and financial interests. One particular developer, whose name I wont mention, is having too much influence in our local government. This influence needs to end.

Alan Goins

Colorado Springs
This story is part of the April 9 Edition of Sunday Life. See all 13 stories .

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It is rare to find an original 1950s Aussie shack for sale these days, especially on the beachfront. So when sisters Emma Read and Sarah Hall found one just over two hours drive from their home city of Adelaide, they were tickled pink.

The sisters inspected the west-facing house late in the afternoon, when the lemon sun was just setting into pastel pink-and-mauve hues on the seas far horizon, which only served to strengthen a romantic connection. Once we knew the shack had only had one owner for most of its life and was painted pink in the 1950s, we were emotionally invested, says Read.

Sitting high on the shore, with 360-degree views, the shack is deceptively small, with only two bedrooms and one central living space, a front yard on the sand and a backyard that abuts native scrub. Its located in Chinaman Wells, a tiny coastal and fishing community on the Yorke Peninsula dotted with original Australian beach shacks.

The shack is located on the western coastline of the Yorke Peninsula in South Australia. Sparsely populated, the area is well established as a fishing mecca. Credit:Jason Watson

Fishermen say the striking pink house, now repainted in its original hue, serves as a landmark for local seafarers. The shores of the Spencer Gulf out front are flat and tidal and ultimately connect to the Southern Ocean. From the house you see and hear pelicans and black swans, says Hall. Crabbing and fishing are traditional pastimes here. When were here, we feel like were in another world; we can disconnect.

The sisters call the shack Love & Mutiny, with good reason: We both left our regular jobs within six months of the purchase, only continuing with our vintage bespoke styling business, Read & Hall, says Hall. We felt it was time to go out on a limb, so we staged a mutiny on our work priorities with the intention to love what we do for a living. Its created a very appropriate name!
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Anthony Albaneses thumping win in the 2022 election did not just boot Scott Morrison and the Liberal Party from office. It also prompted the beginnings of a seismic realignment of the federal Liberal Partys loose system of factional and philosophical alliances. Two years ago, this newspaper published a guide of who was who in the Labor and Liberal parties factions. A month after the ALPs election win, the Labor factions piece was updated. The Liberal Partys factions are not like Labors. While the ALPs factions enforce an iron discipline on their members and play a crucial role in the formation of policy, the parceling out of ministries and parliamentary committee chairmanships, and even who gets to join overseas delegations, the Liberals groups are looser. The 2022 election smashed the Centre Right faction that coalesced around Scott Morrison and Alex Hawke. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Personal loyalty to a leader or senior minister or shadow minister as well as policy and philosophical leanings are more to the fore. Over time, it is more common for Liberal MPs to move from one faction or group to another, as their views on policy change or if doing so will ensure they are preselected once again for their seat. In the 1980s and 1990s the party could be broadly divided into wets, who favoured more progressive social policy and a bigger role for the government, and economic dries who focused on championing free market economics.

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That has changed significantly, with todays Moderates socially progressive and advocates of free market economics, the National Right conservatives more focused on social issues and national security while the Centrists and Centre Right groups fall somewhere in the middle. There are further sub-groups, too, that reflect MPs interests: a rural and regional Liberals group, a veterans group, a prayer group that meets in parliament on Tuesday evenings, a new metropolitan Liberals group and, of course, the Monkey Pod lunch group, named after a table in a Parliament House meeting room made of monkey pod hard wood and led by Dutton. The end of Morrisons prime ministership and the bitter factional infighting in the NSW division, the home of the Centre Right, has smashed the faction. Unpacking what has happened to the Liberal Partys factions in the wake of a defeat that meant the party lost 18 seats  nine Moderates, five members of the Centre Right group, three members of the National Right conservatives and one unaligned MP  has been more complex. To report this story, this masthead spoke to 53 of the 66 Liberal MPs  many more than once  in the federal parliament. The other 13 were contacted for comment. The end of Morrisons prime ministership and the bitter factional infighting in the NSW division, the home of the Centre Right, has smashed the faction. In the last term, it was the largest group, with 32 of 91 Liberal MPs in it. Now the Centre Right is a rump of just six people.

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Another 10 MPs said they now identified themselves as centrists and five of those people had been in the formerly powerful Centre Right group, which had coalesced around Morrison as leader and factional organiser Alex Hawke. This underscores how Liberal factional politics is more fluid than in Labor, and the role that personal loyalty to the leader plays in the Liberal Party. Another four members of the Centre Right group have moved themselves to the unaligned column, two have moved to the Moderates and six into the National Right, which is headed up by Peter Dutton. Its important to note, too, that placing an MP in a particular column does not mean they are either for or against Dutton as leader. These factional groups should not be used to hazard a guess about whether Dutton would have the numbers in the event of a party room ballot: the party is not about to replace Dutton as leader and the veteran Queenslander draws support from across the party room. The Liberals are not about to replace Dutton as leader  the veteran Queenslander draws support from across the party room. Credit:Illustration: Richard Giliberto. For example, James McGrath and Ted OBrien appear in the unaligned column, but are both strong supporters of Dutton while Karen Andrews, who is in the same column, is not close to the Liberal leader. Jason Wood, a Centrist from Victoria, is another example of a Dutton loyalist in a different group.

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Similarly, Simon Birmingham, Marise Payne, Sussan Ley and Paul Fletcher are all leading moderates but are all, also, close to Dutton. Duttons group of National Right conservatives is now the biggest faction in the party with 27 members in the 66 member party room, but it ranges from MPs such as Scott Buchholz and Wendy Askew, who have little interest in factional politics, the protectionist Gerard Rennick, to James Paterson, a libertarian and security hawk, through to MPs such as Tony Pasin and Phillip Thompson, who are spear carriers and factional enforcers for the leader. The depleted list of Moderates in the party room will make depressing reading for some  the group has dropped from 22 members in the last parliament to just 14, even after gaining a few new members. Like the National Right, there are layers to the moderates, too. Birmingham, Payne and Fletcher are leaders of the old guard, while James Stevens, Angie Bell, Jane Hume and Andrew Bragg are the members of the much-depleted Moderates new guard which had included Jason Falinski, Tim Wilson, Fiona Martin, Dave Sharma, Trevor Evans, Trent Zimmerman and Katie Allen  all lost their seats in May 2022. There are further complications, too  senators Linda Reynolds, Paul Scarr and Andrew McLachlan all see themselves as Centrists and are listed as such, but all of them are claimed by other members of the Moderates, who point out that the trio have attended the groups Black Hand dinner, which has been running since the 1980s.

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The emergence of the Centrists is the most striking development. This is not a formally organised faction and Dan Tehan is not the leader  he and Anne Ruston are the two most senior members of the group, but in reality it is simply a grouping that did not feel comfortable being placed in any other faction. Philosophically, their world view is much like the Centre Right  more economically dry than the National Right and more socially conservative than the Moderates  but deliberately distinct from the NSW-led Centre Right. None of Centrists belong to the prayer group, either, whereas four of the six members of the Centre Right do. There is a second important detail to note about the Centrists, which is that five of its 12 members are Victorians including new MPs Zoe McKenzie, Keith Wolahan and Aaron Violi. (Roshena Campbell, if she had won Aston, would likely have been in this group, too.) The 2022 election resulted in the defeat of the Liberals leading Victorian, Josh Frydenberg, as well as the loss of Tim Wilson and Gladys Liu, the retirement of Greg Hunt, Kevin Andrews and Tony Smith, and the later loss of Alan Tudge. The Victorian division has been in a state of flux  arguably too focused on personalities, whereas in NSW and South Australia ideology dominates. In the Centrists, there are the beginnings of a realignment in a division that has gone from being a powerhouse to an election-losing machine.

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Asked if he planned to leave by the end of the year, Morrison did not rule it out. He told The Sunday Age and The Sun-Herald he understood the speculation about his future, but that he had not decided what to do next. I am focused on doing my job in my local electorate, helping the parliamentary party and supporting the leader, he said. The resignation of Scott Morrison would cause headaches for Opposition Leader Peter Dutton. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen One MP, who asked not to be named so they could speak freely, said he [Morrison] has told people in the [Sutherland] Shire he is going after the budget. Another MP, who is close to Morrison, said they expected the former prime minister to be in parliament for the budget but gone by the end of the year, once he had figured out what he was called to do next.

A third MP acknowledged the loss of Aston had been a damaging blow to the opposition but added that if Tudge had just waited six more months on the backbench it would have been different. After this budget the political landscape will be different, the Cook byelection will show us to what extent. Tudge did not campaign with defeated Liberal candidate Roshena Campbell in Aston and posted just one message of support on Facebook promoting his would-be successor. On Friday, he appeared in a photograph alongside controversial former state Liberal MP Tim Smith, outside a pub in Henley-on-Thames in the UK, in which Smith lauded him as the undefeated former MP. Discussion about Morrisons future has been growing following the NSW state election on March 25. The fall of Dominic Perrottets Liberal government to Labor has resulted in wall-to-wall Labor governments at state and federal levels on the Australian mainland. The two leading candidates to replace Morrison in Cook are former NSW attorney-general Mark Speakman, who is currently a contender for leadership of the state opposition, and Carmelo Pesce, who is mayor of the Sutherland shire, which takes in parts of the federal seats of Cook and Hughes.

Speakman will first have to decide, by late April, whether he will continue to seek the leader of the oppositions position. Loading If he does put his hand up for Cook instead of remaining in state politics, Pesce will likely seek preselection for Speakmans seat of Cronulla, which is within the federal seat. Comment was sought from Speakman and Pesce. The NSW division of the Liberal Party is expected to replace the deceased senator Jim Molan next month, with former state minister Andrew Constance and former federal MP Fiona Scott considered front-runners. There is an expectation that senator Marise Payne will retire at some point in this term, but a friend of the former foreign minister said she would be around for some time to come and that her role as shadow cabinet secretary was valued by Dutton. Payne was contacted for comment.

Maverick Queensland LNP senator Gerard Rennick is also facing an uphill battle to hang on to a winnable senate seat, with moderate and conservative forces marshalling to punt him to the unwinnable fifth spot on the ticket. Loading Preselection has opened for the Queensland senate ticket and will be finalised by the end of June. Senator Paul Scarr is expected to hold the top position on the ticket and rivals of Rennick will attempt to move the outspoken senator from the winnable third spot on the ticket to the unwinnable fifth spot on the ticket. Rennick declined to comment. Former senator Amanda Stoker, who was narrowly missed out on re-election in 2022 and who would have been shadow attorney-general if she had remained in parliament, has ruled herself out of another tilt at the senate but has left her options open for a run at a lower house seat. Four Queensland LNP MPs told this masthead they expected Morrison ally and former cabinet minister Stuart Robert could quit politics at the end of this term, but Robert has told colleagues he is not planning on going anywhere.

Victorian Liberal senator David Van is also likely to face a challenge for the third spot on the Victorian Liberals senate ticket ahead of the next election. Senators Jane Hume and James Paterson will retain the top two spots on the ticket and several of his Victorian colleagues said it was almost certain Van would be challenged with preselection expected to take place at the end of 2023 or early 2024. Van said the Liberal Party was a democratic party and if people think they have something to offer they should put their hands up. Its up to the members who they want to go into the next election. In South Australia, the Liberals shadow health spokeswoman Anne Ruston is facing a fight to retain top spot on the senate ticket, with conservative senator Alex Antic now commanding significant numbers in the state division. Antic wants top spot on the ticket and will not be deterred by the fact Ruston is in the shadow ministry, given Stoker was pushed down the Queensland senate ticket at the 2022 election behind James McGrath, even though she was in the ministry and he was not.
Here is one for the Gen Xers and Baby Boomers among us: the Mosman home long owned by the creator of Mr Squiggle is for sale for the first time since 1960.

For those not familiar with the animated marionette with a pencil for a nose, Mr Squiggle made his debut on Australian television screens in 1959 in what was mooted to be a brief six-week timeslot, but instead went on to become must-watch television for afternoon viewers for the next 40 years.

The three-bedroom home of Norman and Peggy Hetherington is on offer for $4.5 million.

Mr Squiggles creator was the late artist and puppeteer Norman Hetherington OAM and the scripts written by his wife Peggy, no doubt giving the couple the necessary leg-up to buy their family home on Mosmans Sirius Cove Road a year after the show was launched.
Wayback is coming to Woodland Park.

East Coast-based Wayback Burgers, a fast-casual hamburger chain that operated a location in Colorado Springs several years ago, will re-enter the local market with at least four new restaurants.

A franchisee will open Waybacks first new location this summer, possibly in July, in Woodland Park, said Patrick Conlin, Waybacks president. The restaurant will occupy a 2,032-square-foot space in the City Market-anchored Gold Hill shopping center at U.S. 24 and Colorado 67.

A second franchisee plans to open three more Wayback restaurants in the Colorado Springs area, Conlin said; the first might debut this fall and the others would follow within six months to a year. Those locations still are being determined, he said.

Founded in Delaware in 1991 as Jakes Hamburgers and now based in Connecticut, the chain grew to 10 restaurants over 17 years and began to add franchised locations, according to its website.

In 2009, it rebranded itself as Jakes Wayback Burgers and now is known as just Wayback Burgers. It operates in 35 states, with more than 170 locations nationally and internationally, according to a news release. An Englewood location, in suburban Denver, has been open for seven to eight years, Conlin said.

Wayback Burgers first Colorado Springs location opened in a north-side shopping center in 2014 but closed soon after. A franchisee at that time suffered health issues after the restaurant opened, which led to its premature closing, Conlin said.

But Colorado Springs and the Pikes Peak region remained attractive because of their demographics, including strong household incomes and a growing population, Conlin said.

Meanwhile, franchisee Claudia Polczer-Lauzon and her husband, Rob, were moving to Woodland Park, fell in love with the area and contacted Wayback about becoming restaurant operators and opening a location in the mountain town, he said.

Wayback, Conlin said, is a better burger concept that focuses on quality food and a nostalgic way of doing business.

All of its burgers are made from fresh, never frozen, ground beef, and food is prepared when its ordered, he said.

Its not pre-made, its not sitting under a heat lamp, Conlin said.

Restaurants have 30 to 50 indoor seats, and pick-up and third-party delivery options. Unlike many chains, most Wayback locations dont offer drive-thru service, Conlin said.

The optimum time for customers to receive their food after ordering is eight minutes, he said. As a result, a drive-thru would mean motorists would have to order, pull over and park for several minutes until their food is carried out to them, which isnt desirable, Conlin said.

Waybacks menu, he said, is more diverse than some of its competitors. It features several varieties of hamburgers, including plant-based Impossible burgers; chicken sandwiches and tenders; hot dogs; cheesesteaks; fries, onion rings, tater tots and fried pickles; fountain drinks; and hand-dipped milk shakes that use real ice cream.

Waybacks theme, embodied in franchisee training and customer support employees, is a nostalgic feeling and a level of service that you used to get years ago that really sets you apart, Conlin said. We know our food is great, but that friendliness and that caring and making that a connection with the guest when they come into the restaurant is what really sets us apart.

When the guest comes in and orders at the (point of service), we ask them their name, he said. Thats how we deliver the food to their table; we dont give you a number, which is very impersonal. We walk the food out to your table and say ... heres your double bacon cheeseburger and your Oreo milkshake.

Conlin said Wayback is confident about its food and customer service and has done battle with competitors in other markets.

Weve had Five Guys and burger restaurants open up across the street from us, he said. People want to try the new guy in town, but then theyve always come back to us, and it hasnt hurt us anywhere where thats happened. Were typically lower-priced than the other guys in the better burger segment. Thats kind of our pricing strategy. It works well for us.
NAPANEE, Ont. - A conservation authority in eastern Ontario has issued a flood warning for several rivers and watershed lakes expected to peak on Sunday, saying flooding is imminent or already occurring in some locations.

Quinte Conservation says water levels on the Moira River from Stoco Lake to Corbyville are continuing to rise and will be comparable to levels seen in 2017.

Persistent, steady rains soaked swaths of central and eastern Canada in the spring of 2017, causing record precipitation and widespread flooding.

Quinte Conservation says the upper Moira, Black, Skootamatta, Salmon, and Napanee rivers as well as watershed lakes have peaked or are peaking after last weeks rainfall, noting no specific flood conditions are expected in Prince Edward County.

It says Stoco Lake and the Moira River in Tweed have both approached one-in-10-year flood levels, and says next weeks warmer forecast will melt any remaining snowpack and may cause watercourses to rise.

The authority is advising that all remaining ice surfaces should be considered unstable, adding the public should remain cautious near bodies of water and stay away from open and fast flowing water.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 8, 2023.

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SURREY, B.C. - Police in Surrey, B.C. say theyre on the lookout for a man who allegedly dismantled a statue outside the citys museum in late March.

RCMP say theyre hoping the public can help locate the person in a case of alleged mischief to a cenotaph at the Museum of Surrey on 56A Avenue.

Police say it happened early on March 29.

They say a man was seen dismantling a statue of a kneeling soldier and damaging other items outside the museum site.

Mounties say theyre looking for a Caucasian man in his 30s with a medium build and shoulder-length brown hair, a goatee and prescription eyeglasses.

Police say the man was wearing a black jacket, black pants and white running shoes with blue laces, and anyone with information about him should contact Surrey RCMP or Crime Stoppers.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 9, 2023.

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Allentown, PA (18103)

Today

Sunshine mixing with clouds and rather cool again. High 58F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

A few clouds. Low 35F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph.
SALISBURY TWP., Pa. - A fire broke out in the 1000 block Illingsworth Ave. Saturday.

The call came in at 11:42 a.m. for a three-story building fire involving entrapment.

The road is currently blocked, but the fire has been put out.

There is extensive damage to the building.

WFMZ will update this story as more information becomes available.
UPDATE 9:35 P.M. SATURDAY, APRIL 8:

Warren County Prosecutor Jim Pfeiffer told 69 News the police officer was treated for a minor leg injury and released from the hospital. The female victim underwent surgery for three gunshot wounds and is in stable condition.

ORIGINAL STORY APPEARS BELOW:

PHILLIPSBURG, N.J. -- Investigators said an officer was shot while responding to a domestic call in Phillipsburg Saturday afternoon. According to authorities, a woman was also injured and the gunman is dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Around 1:30 p.m., there was an emergency call for an incident on Hanover Street, just off of South Main Street. Warren County Prosecutor Jim Pfeiffer said the call involved a man who had shot a woman in the torso.

The prosecutor said the man opened fire on responding officers. An officer was shot in the leg.

Authorities initially said it appeared gunfire was exchanged between between the suspect and police. After further review, the prosecutor said only the suspect opened fire. He said police did not fire any shots. During the police response, an officer's gun misfired.

Pfeiffer said it appears the suspect eventually took his own life by turning the gun on himself.

A neighbor tells us they hid inside their bathroom after hearing gunshots on Hanover Street in Phillipsburg around 1:30 p.m.

"When I heard something is when I heard the bang, bang, bang," said a neighbor. "I was like very concerned. I had to hide in my house and who has to do that?"

Both the the police officer and woman who were shot were taken to the hospital.

There's no word on their conditions, although Mayor Todd Tersigni told 69 News a short time ago that he visited the officer at the hospital, and that the officer is in "good spirits."

Shortly after the incident began to unfold, the area was closed off with crime tape, and multiple state troopers were seen walking along South Main Street carrying rifles.

"The Phillipsburg Police Department will not be involved in the investigation based upon the fact that one of its own officers was shot in this situation," said Pfeiffer.

On Saturday evening. New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin issued the following statement: "Our thoughts are with both victims as they begin their physical and emotional recoveries. Domestic violence incidents are more likely to escalate when firearms are present. Approximately 1,000 women are killed each year by intimate partners, and two-thirds of them involve guns. I remain committed to getting guns out of homes and off our streets."

Governor Phil Murphy tweeted: "Our thoughts are with a Phillipsburg police officer who was shot in the line of duty today. We are praying for a full and speedy recovery."
Air Products and Chemicals Inc. plans to build, own and operate two nitrogen plants in northern Malaysia, expanding its presence in the southeast Asian country.

"This strategic investment in additional capacity and infrastructure will strengthen Air Products' leading position in northern Malaysia and its capability to meet market needs," according to a company statement. Air Products will also expand its pipeline network near the plants, both planned for the Malaysian state of Penang.

The nitrogen plants will supply manufacturing companies, Air Products said in the statement.

Upper Macungie Township-based Air Products has been operating in Malaysia since 1974, according to the company statement. It has nine production facilities, along with depots throughout the country to supply gases to the electronics, steel, chemicals, metals, food, glass and other industries.

"Air Products has a long-standing presence in Malaysia with a leading position in the northern region," Ramani Velu, the company's Southeast Asia President, said.

Malaysia has about 34 million people, making it the 45th-most populous country. The South Chinea Sea splits the country into two territories: Peninsular Malaysia and East Malaysia.

Air Products' sales in fiscal 2022 were $12.7 billion. It operates in more than 50 countries and employs more than 21,000 people.

Shares in Air Products are traded under the ticker symbol APD on the New York Stock Exchange. The closing price Thursday was $282.00. U.S. stock markets were closed Friday for the Good Friday holiday.

In the past 52 weeks, the shares have traded as high as $328.56 and as low as $218.88. The shares have fallen 8.5% in 2023. At the current share price, the company's market capitalization is $62.6 billion.
Bethlehem's Planning Commission will review Thursday a proposal to knock down a four-unit brick home on Linden Street to make way for 10 apartments in a new two-story building.

Developer Alain Aoun presented a plan for 16 units at the site in 2021, but zoning allowed only 10 on the 1-acre lot. The city's Zoning Hearing Board advised him then to take the proposal for 3410-3412 Linden St. back to the planning commission. At the 2021 meeting, residents complained that the initial proposal would not match the character of the neighborhood.

Linden Street has drawn the attention of apartment developers, starting with the Taylor Court Apartments on the east side of the road at 3032 Linden St. That complex was built in 2019. One-bedroom units start at $1,695, according to the Taylor Court website, and two-bedroom apartments start at $1,895.

Another 61 apartments are planned for the former Stefano's restaurant. Ground at that site is being cleared, and what was the front room of Stefano's is now a big hole in the ground. A new smaller restaurant is planned, with an apartment building toward the rear. At the intersection of Linden Street and Butztown Road, 36 apartments are planned for the southeast corner, across from Bank of America.

The 3410-12 Linden St. property under review Thursday would have have 20 parking spaces for the 10 units, according to plans submitted to Bethlehem.

The Bethlehem Planning Commission will review the proposal Thursday, April 13, at 5 p.m. in Town Hall. Meeting agendas are subject to change.
CAMERON  An outpouring of sympathy and support from residents and law enforcement has flowed toward Cameron and Chetek as news spread that two local police officers and a suspect were killed in a shootout that began with a traffic stop Saturday afternoon.

We just found out this morning. Just totally shocked, Chetek resident Mary Berg said Sunday. (We) just feel heartbroken for the families. Totally heartbroken. Hopefully we can heal as a community. Its terrible.

The Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation is investigating the incident.

According to a DOJ press release, at 3:38 p.m. Saturday an officer from the Chetek Police Department stopped a vehicle in the village of Cameron and gunfire was exchanged. One Chetek police officer and one Cameron police officer were pronounced dead at the scene. The suspect from the incident was taken to a hospital, where they later died.

None of the names of those involved have been released. The Wisconsin DOJ did not immediately respond to an email from The Chippewa Herald seeking additional information.

The location of the shooting on County Highway SS is familiar to most local residents as the main road between Cameron and Chetek. Firefighters from the Cameron Area Fire District were at the scene Sunday spraying down the highway with water.

Chetek City County President Scott Bachowski said he knew the police officer who was killed, but could not release her name.

She was truly truly a wonderful woman, and someone the community and the kids in the community are really going to miss, Bachowski said.

A makeshift memorial with flowers and a candle had been set up Sunday in a snowbank at the Chetek Police Department.

Residents said the officers were well-loved and will be missed.

They were just too young. Great people, said Ashley Elledge from Cameron. A lot of people in this area are very heartbroken.

The Barron County Sheriffs Department shared its condolences as well.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Cameron and Chetek Police Departments, the Barron County Sheriffs Department said on Facebook.

Friends and family from out of town visiting for the Easter holiday expressed dismay about the situation.

Im not from around here, but its horrible. I really appreciate all police officers, anyone who is protecting the public. And its terrible. And Im sorry, but this is a political thing  we need to have greater enforcement of our gun laws, Rosann Froehle of Center City Minnesota. My condolences to the families. It is terrible.

Gov. Tony Evers offered support and sympathy in a Twitter post on Sunday.

Our hearts are heavy for the Chetek and Cameron police officers who lost their lives in the line of duty yesterday. Kathy and I are praying for the officers families, colleagues, and the Barron County community mourning this tragic loss, Evers wrote.

I am deeply saddened by the tragic loss today of two officers, Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul said in a tweet late Saturday. I am thinking of their families and the Chetek and Cameron Police Departments at this incredibly difficult time.

DCI is leading the investigation and is assisted by the Barron County Sheriffs Office, Rusk County Sheriffs Office, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Wisconsin State Patrol and Wisconsin State Crime Lab.

DCI will provide reports to the Barron County district attorney for review at the conclusion of its investigation.

Chippewa County Sheriff Travis Hakes said in a Facebook post: My heart goes out to the City of Chetek and Village of Cameron. Two police officers were killed in the line of duty. If you thought you seen me in Chetek on patrol today, you did. Good neighbors help out in your time of need.

Rest easy officers, we have your watch from here.

IN PHOTOS: Cameron and Chetek mourn the loss of two police officers Cameron scene 2 Cameron scene 1 Cameron scene 3 Cameron scene 4 Chetek Police Department 1 Chetek Police Department 2 Chetek Police Department 3 Memorial Chetek Police Department Barron County Sheriff vehicle Memorial Chetek Police Department 2 Cameron water tower
Two police officers were shot to death during a routine traffic stop in Cameron on Saturday, authorities say. Gunfire erupted after an officer from the Chetek Police Department attempted to conduct a traffic stop in the village of Cameron around 3.38pm local time, according to a statement from the Wisconsin Department of Justice.
Edward Jones upgraded shares of Accenture (NYSE:ACN  Get Rating) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report issued on Wednesday morning, Marketbeat Ratings reports.

A number of other equities analysts have also weighed in on the stock. William Blair restated an outperform rating on shares of Accenture in a report on Monday, March 20th. BMO Capital Markets raised their price objective on shares of Accenture from $310.00 to $327.00 in a report on Friday, March 24th. Jefferies Financial Group cut their price target on Accenture from $290.00 to $279.00 in a report on Monday, December 19th. Wedbush reissued an outperform rating and set a $300.00 price target on shares of Accenture in a report on Monday, March 13th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on Accenture from $311.00 to $314.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Friday, March 24th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and twelve have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $314.00.

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Accenture Stock Up 0.1 %

Shares of NYSE:ACN opened at $281.70 on Wednesday. The businesss 50 day moving average is $272.66 and its 200 day moving average is $274.20. Accenture has a 12-month low of $242.80 and a 12-month high of $344.81. The stock has a market cap of $178.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.94, a PEG ratio of 2.56 and a beta of 1.25.

Accenture Dividend Announcement

Accenture ( NYSE:ACN Get Rating ) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, March 23rd. The information technology services provider reported $2.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.49 by $0.20. Accenture had a net margin of 11.00% and a return on equity of 30.73%. The business had revenue of $15.81 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $15.59 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.54 EPS. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Accenture will post 11.57 earnings per share for the current year.

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 13th will be given a $1.12 dividend. This represents a $4.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.59%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 12th. Accentures dividend payout ratio is 41.25%.

Insider Transactions at Accenture

In other news, insider Jean-Marc Ollagnier sold 6,250 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $281.10, for a total transaction of $1,756,875.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 180,314 shares in the company, valued at approximately $50,686,265.40. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other news, General Counsel Joel Unruch sold 556 shares of Accenture stock in a transaction dated Monday, January 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $280.53, for a total transaction of $155,974.68. Following the sale, the general counsel now directly owns 42,991 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,060,265.23. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Jean-Marc Ollagnier sold 6,250 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $281.10, for a total transaction of $1,756,875.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 180,314 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $50,686,265.40. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 36,475 shares of company stock worth $10,225,149. Company insiders own 0.08% of the companys stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Accenture

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. United Bank lifted its holdings in Accenture by 6.3% in the first quarter. United Bank now owns 2,969 shares of the information technology services providers stock valued at $1,001,000 after buying an additional 176 shares during the period. Weitz Investment Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Accenture by 1.3% in the 1st quarter. Weitz Investment Management Inc. now owns 89,400 shares of the information technology services providers stock valued at $30,148,000 after purchasing an additional 1,168 shares during the period. Fund Management at Engine No. 1 LLC bought a new position in Accenture in the first quarter valued at about $1,805,000. Guardian Wealth Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Accenture by 0.6% during the 1st quarter. Guardian Wealth Management Inc. now owns 7,292 shares of the information technology services providers stock valued at $2,459,000 after acquiring an additional 41 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Clearbridge Investments LLC boosted its position in Accenture by 104.8% during the 1st quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC now owns 441,451 shares of the information technology services providers stock worth $148,871,000 after buying an additional 225,943 shares during the period. 73.97% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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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B2Gold (TSE:BTO  Get Rating) (NYSE:BTG) had its price objective upped by Bank of America from C$5.80 to C$6.50 in a research note released on Wednesday, BayStreet.CA reports.

A number of other brokerages have also recently issued reports on BTO. Cormark dropped their target price on shares of B2Gold from C$7.00 to C$6.75 in a research report on Friday, January 20th. BMO Capital Markets lowered their target price on shares of B2Gold from C$7.50 to C$7.00 in a report on Thursday, January 19th. TD Securities reissued a buy rating and set a C$8.50 price target on shares of B2Gold in a research report on Tuesday, February 14th. National Bankshares cut their price objective on B2Gold from C$6.75 to C$6.50 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, February 28th. Finally, National Bank Financial restated an outperform overweight rating on shares of B2Gold in a report on Tuesday, February 14th.

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B2Gold Price Performance

Shares of B2Gold stock opened at C$5.64 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 4.43, a quick ratio of 3.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.84. B2Gold has a 1-year low of C$3.84 and a 1-year high of C$6.39. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of C$4.94 and a 200-day simple moving average of C$4.76. The stock has a market capitalization of C$6.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.63, a PEG ratio of -0.27 and a beta of 0.99.

B2Gold Cuts Dividend

Insider Transactions at B2Gold

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 17th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 8th were issued a dividend of $0.053 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 7th. This represents a $0.21 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.76%. B2Golds payout ratio is 68.75%.

In other news, Senior Officer Randall Chatwin sold 14,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of C$4.91, for a total value of C$68,740.00. Company insiders own 1.09% of the companys stock.

B2Gold Company Profile

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B2Gold Corp. operates as a gold producer with three operating mines in Mali, the Philippines, and Namibia. It operates the Fekola Mine in Mali, the Masbate Mine in the Philippines, and the Otjikoto Mine in Namibia. The company also has an 25% interest in the Calibre Mining Corp.; and approximately 19% interest in BeMetals Corp.

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Bank of Montreal Can cut its position in shares of Taylor Morrison Home Co. (NYSE:TMHC  Get Rating) by 1.4% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 394,458 shares of the construction companys stock after selling 5,797 shares during the quarter. Bank of Montreal Can owned approximately 0.36% of Taylor Morrison Home worth $12,027,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. bought a new position in Taylor Morrison Home during the first quarter valued at approximately $466,000. HighTower Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Taylor Morrison Home by 7.9% during the 1st quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 9,902 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $269,000 after purchasing an additional 729 shares during the last quarter. Natixis Advisors L.P. purchased a new position in Taylor Morrison Home in the 1st quarter worth $309,000. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS lifted its stake in Taylor Morrison Home by 10.5% in the first quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS now owns 45,038 shares of the construction companys stock worth $1,226,000 after purchasing an additional 4,294 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Great West Life Assurance Co. Can lifted its stake in Taylor Morrison Home by 9.4% in the first quarter. Great West Life Assurance Co. Can now owns 68,917 shares of the construction companys stock worth $1,930,000 after purchasing an additional 5,933 shares during the last quarter. 96.33% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Insider Transactions at Taylor Morrison Home

In other news, CFO Louis Steffens sold 2,719 shares of Taylor Morrison Home stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $38.48, for a total transaction of $104,627.12. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 65,772 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,530,906.56. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In other Taylor Morrison Home news, CEO Sheryl Palmer sold 99,700 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $34.14, for a total value of $3,403,758.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 296,052 shares in the company, valued at $10,107,215.28. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CFO Louis Steffens sold 2,719 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Monday, April 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $38.48, for a total transaction of $104,627.12. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 65,772 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,530,906.56. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 325,224 shares of company stock valued at $11,752,812. Company insiders own 5.20% of the companys stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Taylor Morrison Home Trading Down 2.3 %

TMHC has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. StockNews.com started coverage on Taylor Morrison Home in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They set a buy rating on the stock. Barclays lifted their price target on Taylor Morrison Home from $35.00 to $40.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research note on Thursday, February 16th. Finally, Credit Suisse Group boosted their price objective on Taylor Morrison Home from $33.00 to $41.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Thursday, February 16th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $34.21.

TMHC traded down $0.84 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $36.31. 680,131 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 982,300. Taylor Morrison Home Co. has a 52 week low of $20.05 and a 52 week high of $38.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 5.59 and a quick ratio of 1.01. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $36.16 and a two-hundred day moving average of $31.24. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.93 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 3.98 and a beta of 1.71.

Taylor Morrison Home (NYSE:TMHC  Get Rating) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 15th. The construction company reported $2.93 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.91 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $2.49 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.32 billion. Taylor Morrison Home had a return on equity of 24.86% and a net margin of 12.80%. The firms revenue for the quarter was down .5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.19 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Taylor Morrison Home Co. will post 6.46 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

About Taylor Morrison Home

(Get Rating)

Taylor Morrison Home Corp. engages in the business of residential homebuilding and the development of lifestyle communities. It operates through the following segments: East, Central, West, and Financial Services. The East segment includes operations in Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Orlando, Raleigh, Southwest Florida, and Tampa regions.

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Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO  Get Rating) had its price objective increased by Barclays from $159.00 to $166.00 in a research note published on Thursday morning, The Fly reports. Barclays currently has an overweight rating on the oil and gas companys stock.

A number of other research analysts also recently commented on VLO. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price objective on Valero Energy from $111.00 to $126.00 and gave the company a sell rating in a report on Thursday, January 19th. UBS Group initiated coverage on shares of Valero Energy in a research note on Wednesday, March 8th. They issued a buy rating and a $176.00 price target on the stock. Raymond James upped their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $169.00 to $174.00 and gave the company a strong-buy rating in a report on Monday, January 30th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Valero Energy from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 4th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $140.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Friday, January 20th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating, eleven have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $153.69.

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Valero Energy Stock Down 1.9 %

Shares of NYSE:VLO opened at $132.59 on Thursday. Valero Energy has a fifty-two week low of $96.71 and a fifty-two week high of $150.39. The firms 50 day moving average price is $133.73 and its 200 day moving average price is $128.64. The company has a quick ratio of 1.00, a current ratio of 1.38 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. The stock has a market cap of $49.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 4.55, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.93 and a beta of 1.66.

Valero Energy Increases Dividend

Valero Energy ( NYSE:VLO Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 26th. The oil and gas company reported $8.45 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $7.45 by $1.00. The business had revenue of $41.75 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $43.31 billion. Valero Energy had a net margin of 6.54% and a return on equity of 50.15%. The companys revenue was up 16.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $2.47 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Valero Energy will post 24.4 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 16th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 14th were issued a $1.02 dividend. This is an increase from Valero Energys previous quarterly dividend of $0.98. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 13th. This represents a $4.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.08%. Valero Energys payout ratio is presently 14.01%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Valero Energy

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Blair William & Co. IL lifted its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 1.9% in the 1st quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 33,427 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $3,394,000 after buying an additional 632 shares during the period. Sei Investments Co. lifted its holdings in Valero Energy by 21.7% in the first quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 100,006 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $10,163,000 after acquiring an additional 17,844 shares during the period. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board boosted its position in shares of Valero Energy by 12.5% during the 1st quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 60,730 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $6,167,000 after purchasing an additional 6,735 shares in the last quarter. Prudential PLC acquired a new position in shares of Valero Energy during the 1st quarter worth $1,253,000. Finally, Moors & Cabot Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 21.0% in the 1st quarter. Moors & Cabot Inc. now owns 6,780 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $688,000 after purchasing an additional 1,179 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.28% of the companys stock.

Valero Energy Company Profile

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Valero Energy Corp. engages in the manufacture and marketing of transportation fuels and other petrochemical products. It operates through the following business segments: Refining, Ethanol and Renewable Diesel. The Refining segment consists of refining operations, associated marketing activities, and logistics assets that support its refining operations.

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Carrier Global (NYSE:CARR  Get Rating) had its price objective boosted by Morgan Stanley from $49.00 to $50.00 in a research report report published on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. They currently have an overweight rating on the stock.

Several other equities analysts also recently weighed in on CARR. Stephens reiterated an overweight rating and set a $55.00 target price on shares of Carrier Global in a research report on Wednesday, February 8th. Oppenheimer assumed coverage on shares of Carrier Global in a report on Monday, March 27th. They issued an outperform rating and a $51.00 target price for the company. Citigroup lifted their price target on shares of Carrier Global from $45.00 to $48.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Thursday, February 9th. Barclays reduced their price objective on shares of Carrier Global from $51.00 to $50.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, March 22nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on shares of Carrier Global from $43.00 to $47.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research note on Thursday, January 19th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $49.13.

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Carrier Global Stock Performance

CARR stock opened at $41.80 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.08, a current ratio of 1.64 and a quick ratio of 1.20. Carrier Global has a 1 year low of $33.10 and a 1 year high of $49.17. The company has a market cap of $34.90 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.20, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.65 and a beta of 1.32. The stocks fifty day moving average price is $45.02 and its 200-day moving average price is $42.33.

Insiders Place Their Bets

Carrier Global ( NYSE:CARR Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 7th. The company reported $0.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts consensus estimates of $0.40. The business had revenue of $5.11 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.07 billion. Carrier Global had a return on equity of 26.86% and a net margin of 17.31%. The businesss quarterly revenue was down .5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.44 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that Carrier Global will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current year.

In related news, VP Nadia Villeneuve sold 20,538 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $45.45, for a total value of $933,452.10. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 48,900 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,222,505. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In other Carrier Global news, VP Kyle Crockett sold 10,433 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $45.85, for a total transaction of $478,353.05. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, VP Nadia Villeneuve sold 20,538 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $45.45, for a total value of $933,452.10. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 48,900 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,222,505. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.38% of the companys stock.

Institutional Trading of Carrier Global

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. American Century Companies Inc. raised its position in Carrier Global by 29.2% in the 1st quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 16,359 shares of the companys stock worth $750,000 after purchasing an additional 3,700 shares during the period. Panagora Asset Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Carrier Global by 40.1% in the first quarter. Panagora Asset Management Inc. now owns 36,481 shares of the companys stock worth $1,673,000 after buying an additional 10,445 shares during the period. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Carrier Global by 23.2% during the 1st quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 7,493 shares of the companys stock worth $343,000 after acquiring an additional 1,412 shares during the last quarter. Candriam Luxembourg S.C.A. grew its position in Carrier Global by 22.7% in the 1st quarter. Candriam Luxembourg S.C.A. now owns 65,241 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,992,000 after acquiring an additional 12,089 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Baird Financial Group Inc. increased its stake in Carrier Global by 10.6% in the first quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 786,543 shares of the companys stock worth $36,078,000 after purchasing an additional 75,622 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 85.21% of the companys stock.

Carrier Global Company Profile

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Carrier Global Corporation provides heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC), refrigeration, fire, security, and building automation technologies worldwide. It operates through three segments: HVAC, Refrigeration, and Fire & Security. The HVAC segment provides products, controls, services, and solutions to meet the heating, cooling, and ventilation needs of residential and commercial customers.

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StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of China Green Agriculture (NYSE:CGA  Get Rating) in a research note issued to investors on Thursday morning. The brokerage issued a sell rating on the basic materials companys stock.

China Green Agriculture Price Performance

CGA opened at $4.06 on Thursday. The business has a 50 day moving average of $4.14 and a 200-day moving average of $4.81. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01, a current ratio of 2.73 and a quick ratio of 1.98. China Green Agriculture has a 1-year low of $3.90 and a 1-year high of $10.60.

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Institutional Trading of China Green Agriculture

An institutional investor recently bought a new position in China Green Agriculture stock. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP purchased a new stake in shares of China Green Agriculture, Inc. (NYSE:CGA  Get Rating) during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund purchased 11,368 shares of the basic materials companys stock, valued at approximately $115,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP owned 0.13% of China Green Agriculture as of its most recent SEC filing. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 0.14% of the companys stock.

About China Green Agriculture

China Green Agriculture, Inc engages in the research, development, production, and sale of various types of fertilizers and agricultural products. It operates through the following segments: Jinong, Gufeng, and Yuxing. The Jinong segment includes fertilizer products, with focus on humic acid-based compound fertilizer.

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Dan River Region leaders recently celebrated the the start of a project  originally announced in 2021  to bring the option for high-speed internet to businesses and homes in the rural space of Pittsylvania County.

At a groundbreaking ceremony March 29, government and school officials joined representatives from RiverStreet Networks to mark the partnership to bring whats known as fiber-to-the-home internet access to areas of Pittsylvania County still living with slow  or no  online access in todays digital world.

Vaden Hunt, interim Pittsylvania County administrator, told those gathered at the Riceville-Java Volunteer Fire Department that it was a historic time for the area.

Its a great day to be in Pittsylvania County, he said of the plans to provide access to about 14,000 unserved locations in the coming years.

The $85.7 million project will deliver the fiber network to county homes. Pittsylvania County and RiverStreet Networks were awarded $39.5 million from the Virginia Telecommunications Initiative for the network, county officials announced in 2021.

The projects price  as with most construction endeavors in a post-pandemic world  grew from the original $75 million cost announced in 2021.

RiverStreet currently serves about 30,000 customers throughout rural areas in North Carolina and Virginia, according to its website.

Pittsylvania County, Pittsylvania County Schools and RiverStreet Networks signed a memorandum of understanding in September 2021, jointly committing to leverage all possible funding opportunities to continue expanding fiber across the county. For the first phase of the project, the county and the school system committed a combined $16.5 million to the effort which RiverStreet Networks matched with $23.4 million.

The FCC has awarded $6.3 million as part of this project, RiverStreet reported.

The remainder of the funding, $39.5 million, will come from the state grant.

This is massive, were serving the entire county, Eric Cramer President and CEO, RiverStreet networks, said at the event.

This is what we do, he explained, noting another project his company spearheaded in a North Carolina commumity. This is the start of the construction phase, its actually begun, we have contractors working here.

Installation will begin first in the Renan and Sandy Level communities before moving south to the Java area, RiverStreet Networks announced.

Were going to put some communication technology in here thats going to rock this community, Greg Coltrain, vice president of business development for RiverStreet Networks. They are going to have high-speed internet. Schools are going to be cranking it.

Coltrain the service will help draw more businesses to Pittsylvania County.

State Sen. Frank Ruff, R-Clarsville, said many residents are forced to go to the library, schools or restaurants just to be able to access high-speed internet.

We believe when people can have the same access that they have in the suburban area, they will find its a much better quality of life, he said.
North West (OTCMKTS:NNWWF  Get Rating) had its price target upped by CIBC from C$37.00 to C$39.00 in a research note published on Thursday, The Fly reports.

Several other equities analysts have also weighed in on the stock. TD Securities boosted their target price on shares of North West from C$39.00 to C$41.00 in a report on Thursday. BMO Capital Markets increased their price objective on shares of North West to C$41.00 in a research report on Thursday.

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North West Price Performance

Shares of NNWWF stock opened at $28.97 on Thursday. North West has a twelve month low of $23.25 and a twelve month high of $31.54. The companys 50-day moving average price is $26.86 and its 200-day moving average price is $26.08.

North West Company Profile

The North West Company Inc, through its subsidiaries, engages in the retail of food and everyday products and services to rural communities and urban neighborhood markets in northern Canada, rural Alaska, the South Pacific, and the Caribbean. The company's Canadian operations comprise 118 Northern stores, which offers food, financial services, and general merchandise; 5 NorthMart stores that provides fresh foods, apparel, and health products and services; 26 Quickstop convenience stores that provides ready-to-eat foods, and fuel and related services; 5 Giant Tiger junior discount stores, which offers family fashion, household products, and food; 2 Valu Lots discount center and direct-to-customer food distribution outlet; 1 solo market, a store in remote market; 3 Pharmacy and Convenience stores; and 1 North West Company motorsports dealership offering sales, service, parts and accessories for Ski-doo, Honda, Can-am and other premier brands.

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Close Brothers Group plc (LON:CBG  Get Rating) insider Adrian Sainsbury bought 17 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 5th. The stock was bought at an average price of GBX 868 ($10.78) per share, for a total transaction of 147.56 ($183.26).

Adrian Sainsbury also recently made the following trade(s):

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On Monday, February 6th, Adrian Sainsbury purchased 15 shares of Close Brothers Group stock. The stock was purchased at an average price of GBX 1,013 ($12.58) per share, with a total value of 151.95 ($188.71).

Close Brothers Group Price Performance

CBG opened at GBX 876 ($10.88) on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of 1.32 billion, a PE ratio of 1,684.62, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.87 and a beta of 0.94. The businesss 50-day moving average is GBX 964.18 and its two-hundred day moving average is GBX 1,002.24. Close Brothers Group plc has a 1 year low of GBX 843 ($10.47) and a 1 year high of GBX 1,200.93 ($14.91).

Close Brothers Group Cuts Dividend

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

The company also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 26th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 23rd will be given a GBX 22.50 ($0.28) dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 2.21%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 23rd. Close Brothers Groups payout ratio is currently 12,884.62%.

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on CBG shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on Close Brothers Group from GBX 1,120 ($13.91) to GBX 950 ($11.80) and set an underweight rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 26th. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their target price on shares of Close Brothers Group from GBX 1,250 ($15.52) to GBX 1,200 ($14.90) and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, March 15th. Peel Hunt restated a hold rating and issued a GBX 1,031 ($12.80) price target on shares of Close Brothers Group in a report on Tuesday, March 14th. Finally, Shore Capital reiterated a buy rating on shares of Close Brothers Group in a research note on Tuesday, March 14th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Close Brothers Group has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of GBX 1,107.75 ($13.76).

Close Brothers Group Company Profile

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Close Brothers Group plc, a merchant banking company, engages in the provision of financial services to small businesses and individuals in the United Kingdom. It operates through five segments: Commercial, Retail, Property, Asset Management, and Securities. The company offers various savings products, including personal and business savings, and pension deposits.

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Congress Park Capital LLC grew its position in Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE:LUV  Get Rating) by 19.8% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 11,200 shares of the airlines stock after purchasing an additional 1,850 shares during the period. Congress Park Capital LLCs holdings in Southwest Airlines were worth $377,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in LUV. Roundview Capital LLC increased its stake in Southwest Airlines by 21.2% in the 1st quarter. Roundview Capital LLC now owns 13,336 shares of the airlines stock valued at $611,000 after buying an additional 2,335 shares during the last quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in Southwest Airlines during the first quarter worth $403,000. APG Asset Management N.V. boosted its position in Southwest Airlines by 16.6% in the first quarter. APG Asset Management N.V. now owns 6,335 shares of the airlines stock worth $261,000 after purchasing an additional 900 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. grew its stake in Southwest Airlines by 5.3% in the 1st quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. now owns 12,187 shares of the airlines stock valued at $559,000 after purchasing an additional 615 shares during the period. Finally, Cibc World Market Inc. increased its position in shares of Southwest Airlines by 3.2% during the 1st quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. now owns 40,189 shares of the airlines stock valued at $1,841,000 after purchasing an additional 1,246 shares during the last quarter. 74.71% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently issued reports on LUV shares. The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on shares of Southwest Airlines in a report on Friday, December 16th. They set a neutral rating and a $41.00 price objective for the company. Citigroup lowered their price target on shares of Southwest Airlines from $40.00 to $39.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Monday, January 9th. Melius downgraded Southwest Airlines from an overweight rating to a neutral rating and set a $39.00 target price for the company. in a research report on Wednesday, February 15th. Barclays cut Southwest Airlines from an overweight rating to an equal weight rating and dropped their price target for the company from $42.00 to $38.00 in a research report on Friday, March 10th. Finally, Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on Southwest Airlines from $68.00 to $63.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a report on Monday, January 30th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Southwest Airlines presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $47.07.

Southwest Airlines Price Performance

NYSE LUV traded up $0.01 on Friday, hitting $31.59. The stock had a trading volume of 2,979,659 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,107,765. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $33.13 and a 200-day moving average of $34.80. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75, a quick ratio of 1.35 and a current ratio of 1.43. Southwest Airlines Co. has a 52-week low of $28.95 and a 52-week high of $50.10. The company has a market capitalization of $18.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.49, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.45 and a beta of 1.15.

Southwest Airlines (NYSE:LUV  Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 26th. The airline reported ($0.38) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of ($0.03) by ($0.35). Southwest Airlines had a return on equity of 6.71% and a net margin of 2.26%. The business had revenue of $6.17 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $6.14 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.14 EPS. The companys quarterly revenue was up 22.2% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts expect that Southwest Airlines Co. will post 2.64 EPS for the current year.

Southwest Airlines Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 29th. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 8th were given a $0.18 dividend. This represents a $0.72 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.28%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 7th. Southwest Airliness dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 90.00%.

Southwest Airlines Profile

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Southwest Airlines Co engages in the operation and management of a passenger airline. The firm also offers ancillary services such as early bird check-in, upgraded boarding, and transportation of pets and unaccompanied minors. It operates in the United States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Mexico, Jamaica, the Bahamas, Aruba, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Belize, Cuba, the Cayman Islands, and Turks and Caicos.

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Daiwa Capital Markets cut shares of Chiba Bank (OTCMKTS:CHBAY  Get Rating) from an outperform rating to a neutral rating in a research report report published on Wednesday, The Fly reports.

Chiba Bank Price Performance

Chiba Bank stock opened at $37.38 on Wednesday. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $37.38 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $31.39. Chiba Bank has a twelve month low of $37.38 and a twelve month high of $37.38.

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About Chiba Bank

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The Chiba Bank, Ltd. engages in the business of banking services. The company offers general banking services including deposits, loans, domestic and foreign exchange transactions; and financial services such as leasing, securities brokerage, credit cards and others. It also develops software; and provides business management and staffing services.

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Annex Advisory Services LLC boosted its stake in shares of EOG Resources, Inc. (NYSE:EOG  Get Rating) by 168.0% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 13,785 shares of the energy exploration companys stock after buying an additional 8,641 shares during the period. Annex Advisory Services LLCs holdings in EOG Resources were worth $1,785,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Cetera Investment Advisers lifted its position in shares of EOG Resources by 16.0% in the 1st quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 16,031 shares of the energy exploration companys stock valued at $1,911,000 after acquiring an additional 2,213 shares in the last quarter. Moors & Cabot Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of EOG Resources in the first quarter worth $404,000. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of EOG Resources in the first quarter worth $278,000. Zions Bancorporation N.A. raised its position in EOG Resources by 237.7% during the first quarter. Zions Bancorporation N.A. now owns 1,155 shares of the energy exploration companys stock valued at $138,000 after buying an additional 813 shares during the period. Finally, Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. lifted its stake in EOG Resources by 23.7% in the 1st quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 662 shares of the energy exploration companys stock worth $79,000 after acquiring an additional 127 shares in the last quarter. 87.40% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently commented on the stock. TD Securities lowered their price objective on shares of EOG Resources from $150.00 to $145.00 and set a hold rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, March 8th. Credit Suisse Group reduced their price objective on EOG Resources from $160.00 to $155.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 24th. Roth Capital reaffirmed a buy rating on shares of EOG Resources in a research report on Friday, February 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on EOG Resources from $156.00 to $153.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 27th. Finally, StockNews.com began coverage on EOG Resources in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, sixteen have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $150.68.

EOG Resources Stock Performance

NYSE EOG traded down $1.00 during trading on Friday, hitting $119.37. The companys stock had a trading volume of 2,843,209 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,611,635. EOG Resources, Inc. has a 52 week low of $92.16 and a 52 week high of $150.88. The firm has a market cap of $70.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.04, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.35 and a beta of 1.53. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $117.99 and a 200 day moving average price of $126.15. The company has a quick ratio of 1.71, a current ratio of 1.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15.

EOG Resources (NYSE:EOG  Get Rating) last announced its earnings results on Friday, February 24th. The energy exploration company reported $3.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $3.31 by ($0.01). EOG Resources had a return on equity of 34.95% and a net margin of 30.19%. The company had revenue of $6.72 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.09 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $3.09 EPS. The companys revenue was up 11.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts forecast that EOG Resources, Inc. will post 12.07 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

EOG Resources Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 28th. Investors of record on Friday, April 14th will be paid a $0.825 dividend. This represents a $3.30 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.76%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 13th. EOG Resourcess payout ratio is presently 24.98%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Michael T. Kerr purchased 20,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 12th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $130.49 per share, with a total value of $2,609,800.00. Following the acquisition, the director now directly owns 170,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $22,183,300. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 0.40% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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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FLC Capital Advisors increased its stake in shares of Newmont Co. (NYSE:NEM  Get Rating) by 20.3% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 17,296 shares of the basic materials companys stock after acquiring an additional 2,919 shares during the quarter. FLC Capital Advisors holdings in Newmont were worth $816,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Blair William & Co. IL grew its position in shares of Newmont by 14.8% in the first quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 42,511 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $3,378,000 after purchasing an additional 5,484 shares during the last quarter. Sei Investments Co. grew its holdings in Newmont by 19.3% in the 1st quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 66,212 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $5,219,000 after buying an additional 10,692 shares in the last quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers grew its holdings in Newmont by 46.9% in the 1st quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 27,905 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $2,217,000 after buying an additional 8,915 shares in the last quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Newmont by 7.2% during the first quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 595,641 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $47,324,000 after buying an additional 39,765 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Parkside Financial Bank & Trust boosted its position in shares of Newmont by 25.8% in the first quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 1,354 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $108,000 after acquiring an additional 278 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 77.60% of the companys stock.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have recently commented on NEM. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Newmont in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating on the stock. National Bank Financial boosted their price target on Newmont from C$76.00 to C$86.00 in a report on Friday, January 13th. TD Securities raised Newmont from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $55.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 24th. UBS Group cut shares of Newmont from a buy rating to a neutral rating and dropped their target price for the stock from $59.00 to $53.00 in a report on Tuesday, February 14th. Finally, Citigroup lowered their price target on shares of Newmont from $70.00 to $60.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 4th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $62.06.

Newmont Trading Down 0.0 %

Shares of NEM stock opened at $52.05 on Friday. Newmont Co. has a one year low of $37.45 and a one year high of $86.37. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $47.16 and a 200-day moving average of $46.50. The company has a current ratio of 2.23, a quick ratio of 1.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31.

Newmont (NYSE:NEM  Get Rating) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 23rd. The basic materials company reported $0.44 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.47 by ($0.03). Newmont had a positive return on equity of 6.98% and a negative net margin of 3.60%. The firm had revenue of $3.20 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.10 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.78 EPS. Newmonts quarterly revenue was down 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Newmont Co. will post 2.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Newmont Cuts Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 23rd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 9th were given a dividend of $0.40 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, March 8th. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.07%. Newmonts dividend payout ratio is currently -296.29%.

Insider Activity

In other news, COO Robert D. Atkinson sold 3,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $44.25, for a total transaction of $132,750.00. Following the sale, the chief operating officer now directly owns 87,751 shares in the company, valued at $3,882,981.75. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. In related news, CEO Thomas Ronald Palmer sold 11,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, April 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.92, for a total value of $538,120.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 311,039 shares in the company, valued at $15,216,027.88. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, COO Robert D. Atkinson sold 3,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $44.25, for a total value of $132,750.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer now owns 87,751 shares in the company, valued at $3,882,981.75. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders sold 28,000 shares of company stock worth $1,304,380. 0.07% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Newmont Company Profile

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Newmont Corp. is a gold producer, engages in the exploration and acquisition of gold properties, contains copper, silver, lead, zinc or other metals. It operates through the following geographical segments: North America, South America, Nevada, Australia, and Africa. The North America segment consists primarily of carlin, phoenix, twin creeks and long canyon in the state of Nevada and Cripple Creek and Victor in the state of Colorado, in the United States.

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Flynn Zito Capital Management LLC lessened its stake in The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO  Get Rating) by 15.9% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 7,926 shares of the companys stock after selling 1,503 shares during the period. Flynn Zito Capital Management LLCs holdings in Coca-Cola were worth $504,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Salem Capital Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Coca-Cola by 3.8% during the 3rd quarter. Salem Capital Management Inc. now owns 4,359 shares of the companys stock worth $244,000 after purchasing an additional 159 shares during the last quarter. Bellwether Advisors LLC raised its position in Coca-Cola by 32.4% during the third quarter. Bellwether Advisors LLC now owns 698 shares of the companys stock worth $39,000 after acquiring an additional 171 shares in the last quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors Inc. grew its position in shares of Coca-Cola by 0.6% in the 3rd quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 28,494 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,597,000 after acquiring an additional 171 shares during the period. Somerville Kurt F increased its stake in shares of Coca-Cola by 0.8% during the 1st quarter. Somerville Kurt F now owns 21,377 shares of the companys stock worth $1,325,000 after purchasing an additional 172 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Arrow Financial Corp raised its holdings in shares of Coca-Cola by 0.6% in the 3rd quarter. Arrow Financial Corp now owns 27,685 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,551,000 after purchasing an additional 173 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 68.74% of the companys stock.

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Coca-Cola Stock Up 0.1 %

Shares of KO traded up $0.04 on Friday, reaching $62.84. The stock had a trading volume of 9,644,204 shares, compared to its average volume of 14,424,691. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.41, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a current ratio of 1.15. The Coca-Cola Company has a 12-month low of $54.01 and a 12-month high of $67.20. The firm has a market capitalization of $271.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.63 and a beta of 0.54. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $60.44 and a 200-day simple moving average of $60.44.

Coca-Cola Increases Dividend

Coca-Cola ( NYSE:KO Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 14th. The company reported $0.45 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting analysts consensus estimates of $0.45. Coca-Cola had a net margin of 22.19% and a return on equity of 42.35%. The business had revenue of $10.10 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $9.92 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.45 earnings per share. The businesss revenue was up 6.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts predict that The Coca-Cola Company will post 2.6 EPS for the current year.

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 3rd. Investors of record on Friday, March 17th were given a dividend of $0.46 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 16th. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.93%. This is an increase from Coca-Colas previous quarterly dividend of $0.44. Coca-Colas dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 83.64%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms recently weighed in on KO. Royal Bank of Canada set a $69.00 price target on Coca-Cola in a research note on Tuesday, February 14th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut their price objective on shares of Coca-Cola from $63.00 to $60.00 in a research report on Monday, March 20th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on Coca-Cola from $61.00 to $62.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Monday, February 13th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on Coca-Cola from $70.00 to $68.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, February 15th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their target price on Coca-Cola from $68.00 to $70.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 15th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $67.55.

Insider Transactions at Coca-Cola

In other news, CEO James Quincey sold 46,421 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.50, for a total transaction of $2,808,470.50. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 592,546 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $35,849,033. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other news, CEO James Quincey sold 46,421 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.50, for a total value of $2,808,470.50. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 592,546 shares in the company, valued at approximately $35,849,033. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, SVP Nancy Quan sold 74,000 shares of Coca-Cola stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $58.71, for a total value of $4,344,540.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 219,790 shares in the company, valued at $12,903,870.90. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 282,268 shares of company stock worth $17,137,823 over the last quarter. 1.00% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Coca-Cola Company Profile

(Get Rating)

The Coca-Cola Co engages in the manufacturing and marketing of non-alcoholic beverages. It operates through the following segments: Europe, Middle East and Africa, Latin America, North America, Asia Pacific, Global Ventures, and Bottling Investments. The company was founded by Asa Griggs Candler on May 8, 1886 and is headquartered in Atlanta, GA.

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Rio Tinto Group (LON:RIO  Get Rating) insider Ngaire Woods bought 410 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 5th. The stock was bought at an average price of GBX 5,338 ($66.29) per share, with a total value of 21,885.80 ($27,180.58).

Rio Tinto Group Trading Up 0.2 %

Shares of LON:RIO opened at GBX 5,295 ($65.76) on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.63, a quick ratio of 1.34 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 23.47. Rio Tinto Group has a 12-month low of GBX 4,424.50 ($54.95) and a 12-month high of GBX 6,406 ($79.56). The business has a 50 day moving average of GBX 5,744.52 and a two-hundred day moving average of GBX 5,530.78. The company has a market capitalization of 66.19 billion, a PE ratio of 833.86, a PEG ratio of -0.64 and a beta of 0.72.

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Rio Tinto Group Cuts Dividend

The company 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 ($2.30) per share. This represents a dividend yield of 2.99%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 9th. Rio Tinto Groups dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 6,409.45%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Rio Tinto Group Company Profile

RIO has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group set a GBX 7,500 ($93.14) price target on shares of Rio Tinto Group in a report on Wednesday, February 22nd. UBS Group set a GBX 5,000 ($62.10) price target on Rio Tinto Group in a research report on Wednesday, February 22nd. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on Rio Tinto Group from GBX 5,790 ($71.91) to GBX 5,840 ($72.53) in a research note on Thursday, March 30th. Berenberg Bank reduced their price objective on Rio Tinto Group from GBX 6,700 ($83.21) to GBX 6,600 ($81.97) in a research note on Thursday, March 30th. Finally, Barclays set a GBX 5,800 ($72.03) target price on Rio Tinto Group in a research report on Thursday, January 12th. Two research 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 data from MarketBeat, Rio Tinto Group has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of GBX 6,110.77 ($75.89).

(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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Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG  Get Rating) had its price objective lifted by KeyCorp from $1,780.00 to $1,870.00 in a research report released on Thursday morning, The Fly reports. They currently have an overweight rating on the restaurant operators stock. KeyCorp also issued estimates for Chipotle Mexican Grills Q2 2023 earnings at $11.62 EPS and Q4 2023 earnings at $10.68 EPS.

Other equities research analysts have also issued research reports about the company. Barclays raised their target price on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $1,450.00 to $1,550.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 8th. BMO Capital Markets upped their target price on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from $1,600.00 to $1,800.00 and gave the company a market perform rating in a report on Wednesday, February 8th. Morgan Stanley downgraded shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from an overweight rating to an equal weight rating and dropped their target price for the company from $1,847.00 to $1,664.00 in a research report on Tuesday, January 17th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from $1,800.00 to $1,900.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 8th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada dropped their price objective on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $1,900.00 to $1,850.00 in a report on Wednesday, February 8th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twenty-two have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $1,851.25.

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Chipotle Mexican Grill Stock Down 0.7 %

NYSE CMG opened at $1,685.21 on Thursday. Chipotle Mexican Grill has a 52 week low of $1,196.28 and a 52 week high of $1,754.56. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $1,610.38 and a two-hundred day moving average of $1,538.38. The stock has a market capitalization of $46.55 billion, a PE ratio of 52.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 1.32.

Insider Buying and Selling

Chipotle Mexican Grill ( NYSE:CMG Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 7th. The restaurant operator reported $8.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $8.88 by ($0.59). The firm had revenue of $2.18 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.23 billion. Chipotle Mexican Grill had a return on equity of 40.96% and a net margin of 10.41%. Chipotle Mexican Grills revenue for the quarter was up 11.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $5.58 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts expect that Chipotle Mexican Grill will post 41.39 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

In other Chipotle Mexican Grill news, CEO Brian R. Niccol sold 2,193 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,633.11, for a total value of $3,581,410.23. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 23,347 shares of the companys stock, valued at $38,128,219.17. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. In other news, CMO Christopher W. Brandt sold 584 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,595.00, for a total transaction of $931,480.00. Following the sale, the chief marketing officer now owns 7,782 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $12,412,290. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Brian R. Niccol sold 2,193 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,633.11, for a total value of $3,581,410.23. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 23,347 shares of the companys stock, valued at $38,128,219.17. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 10,427 shares of company stock valued at $17,051,886 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 1.00% of the companys stock.

Institutional Trading of Chipotle Mexican Grill

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 4.6% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 2,620,725 shares of the restaurant operators stock valued at $3,938,320,000 after acquiring an additional 114,699 shares during the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. grew its position in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill by 1.2% in the third quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 1,966,428 shares of the restaurant operators stock valued at $2,955,068,000 after purchasing an additional 23,107 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its stake in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill by 0.5% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 1,058,549 shares of the restaurant operators stock worth $1,590,745,000 after purchasing an additional 5,450 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill by 2.7% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 555,959 shares of the restaurant operators stock worth $769,954,000 after purchasing an additional 14,505 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Jennison Associates LLC lifted its stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 0.7% in the 3rd quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 542,847 shares of the restaurant operators stock valued at $815,769,000 after buying an additional 3,709 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.26% of the companys stock.

Chipotle Mexican Grill Company Profile

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Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc engages in the development and operation of classically-cooked, real food with wholesome ingredients without artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. It offers a focused menu of burritos, tacos, burrito bowls, and salads prepared using classic cooking methods. The company was founded by Steve Ells in 1993 and is headquartered in Newport Beach, CA.

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Cadence Bank (NYSE:CADE  Get Rating) had its target price trimmed by Morgan Stanley from $29.00 to $23.00 in a research report report published on Wednesday morning, The Fly reports. The firm currently has an equal weight rating on the stock.

CADE has been the subject of several other reports. UBS Group assumed coverage on Cadence Bank in a research report on Wednesday, March 15th. They set a sell rating and a $21.00 target price for the company. Stephens raised their target price on Cadence Bank from $30.00 to $32.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 1st. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reduced their target price on Cadence Bank from $35.00 to $32.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a report on Thursday, February 2nd. Raymond James lowered their price objective on Cadence Bank from $32.00 to $30.00 and set a strong-buy rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, February 1st. Finally, Truist Financial reduced their price objective on shares of Cadence Bank from $29.00 to $25.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, March 23rd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating, four have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $26.90.

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Cadence Bank Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE CADE opened at $20.49 on Wednesday. Cadence Bank has a 12-month low of $19.24 and a 12-month high of $29.41. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $24.39 and a 200 day moving average of $25.69. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.33 and a beta of 0.96. The company has a current ratio of 0.75, a quick ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11.

Cadence Bank Increases Dividend

Cadence Bank ( NYSE:CADE Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 31st. The company reported $0.78 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.75 by $0.03. Cadence Bank had a net margin of 22.56% and a return on equity of 13.05%. The business had revenue of $474.23 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $485.08 million. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.63 EPS. The companys revenue was up 26.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts anticipate that Cadence Bank will post 2.68 earnings per share for the current year.

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 3rd. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 15th were given a dividend of $0.235 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 14th. This is a positive change from Cadence Banks previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. This represents a $0.94 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.59%. Cadence Banks payout ratio is 38.21%.

Institutional Trading of Cadence Bank

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in CADE. Metropolitan Life Insurance Co NY grew its position in Cadence Bank by 3.5% in the 4th quarter. Metropolitan Life Insurance Co NY now owns 11,141 shares of the companys stock worth $275,000 after purchasing an additional 373 shares during the last quarter. Creative Planning grew its holdings in shares of Cadence Bank by 3.0% in the 4th quarter. Creative Planning now owns 13,051 shares of the companys stock worth $322,000 after acquiring an additional 386 shares during the last quarter. State of Michigan Retirement System raised its holdings in Cadence Bank by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. State of Michigan Retirement System now owns 46,410 shares of the companys stock worth $1,144,000 after buying an additional 400 shares during the period. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund lifted its position in shares of Cadence Bank by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund now owns 53,637 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,323,000 after acquiring an additional 425 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Exchange Traded Concepts LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Cadence Bank by 58.6% in the third quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 1,183 shares of the companys stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 437 shares in the last quarter.

Cadence Bank Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Cadence Bank provides banking and financial solutions to consumers, businesses and corporations. Its services and products include consumer banking, consumer loans, mortgages, home equity lines and loans, credit cards, commercial and business banking, treasury management, 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.

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Democratic State Rep. Tricia Cotham joined House and Senate GOP leaders at the North Carolina GOP headquarters Wednesday morning to announce that she is switching parties to become a member of the House Republican caucus.

News of Cothams decision provoked divergent reactions from each party, with Republicans celebrating the move and Democrats calling for her resignation and accusing her of betraying her constituents.

Cothams party switch will have major ramifications for state politics. Republicans now have a supermajority in both chambers, which will make it next to impossible for Democrats to uphold Democratic Gov. Roy Coopers vetoes going forward. House Republicans now control 72 of the chambers 120 seats  the exact number needed to override vetoes when all members are voting.

Republicans came out of Novembers election winning an outright supermajority in the Senate, but fell one seat short in the House, which is what makes Cothams decision so consequential.

Ahead of the presser, the party released statements from Chairman Michael Whatley and U.S Sens. Thom Tillis and Ted Budd celebrating Cothams change.

Whatley said the party was thrilled to have Cotham join Republicans to advance solutions for North Carolina families.

This announcement continues to reflect that the Democratic Party is too radical for North Carolina, Whatley said. The values of the Republican Party align with voters, and the people of Mecklenburg County should be proud to have her representation in Raleigh.

Tillis, who formerly served as the states House speaker, said he and Cotham joined the chamber together in 2007.

She is a no-nonsense legislator who works hard to make a positive difference for all North Carolinians, Tillis said, adding that shes a welcome addition to the caucus.

Budd said that Democrats extreme agenda is hurting North Carolina families causing its voters to leave.

Far left Democrats will only fight for a radical, woke agenda  not for good, hardworking people, Budd said. Rep. Cothams historic announcement highlights that Republicans are the only party focused on the bottom line for taxpayers here at home.

Cooper issued a statement last week on the Cotham news: This is a disappointing decision. Rep. Cothams votes on womens reproductive freedom, election laws, LGBTQ rights and strong public schools will determine the direction of the state we love. Its hard to believe she would abandon these long held principles and she should still vote the way she has always said she would vote when these issues arise, regardless of party affiliation.

House Minority Leader Robert Reives, acknowledging Cothams decision on Tuesday, called on her to resign.

Reives said Cotham had campaigned as a Democrat and someone who supported abortion rights, health care, public education, gun safety and civil rights, and that voters in her district elected her to serve as that person and overwhelmingly supported Democratic candidates up and down the ballot.

Now, just a few months later, Rep. Cotham is changing parties. That is not the person that was presented to the voters of House District 112. That is not the person those constituents campaigned for in a hard primary, and who they championed in a general election in a 60% Democratic district, Reives said in a statement. Those constituents deserved to know what values were most important to their elected representative.

Cotham was joined Wednesday by several from North Carolinas Republican leadership, including House Speaker Tim Moore, Senate leader Phil Berger and House majority leader John Bell. U.S. Rep. Dan Bishop, a Charlotte Republican, also attended.

GOP secures supermajority to advance agendaRepublicans set their sights on a supermajority during last years election and vowed to win total legislative control. They planned to resurrect bills Cooper had vetoed in the past and pursue an agenda that Democrats wouldnt be able to block.

Among other things, that has included bills to increase penalties for rioting, to require sheriffs to cooperate with ICE, and most recently, to repeal the states permit law for buying handguns.

That last bill, Senate Bill 41, was a package of gun rights measures. The inclusion of the repeal of the pistol purchase permit law, which had been a priority for Republicans and was strongly opposed by Democrats, made the bill a key issue for both parties to battle over early in the session.

The bill passed both chambers, but was vetoed by Cooper. The governors decision was met by a promise from Republicans to hold swift override votes, and within three days the legislature had successfully circumvented Cooper, completing its first veto override since 2018.

House Republicans success came down to absences from three Democrats: Cotham, who said she had a previously scheduled medical appointment related to her recovery from long COVID, as well as Reps. Michael Wray (whose office said he had a family emergency) and Cecil Brockman (whose office said he had been in urgent care during the vote).
Peak Financial Management Inc. raised its position in shares of iShares MSCI USA ESG Select ETF (NYSEARCA:SUSA  Get Rating) by 4.9% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 3,884 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 180 shares during the period. Peak Financial Management Inc.s holdings in iShares MSCI USA ESG Select ETF were worth $320,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of SUSA. Mizuho Securities Co. Ltd. increased its holdings in iShares MSCI USA ESG Select ETF by 759.6% during the 3rd quarter. Mizuho Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 490 shares of the companys stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 433 shares in the last quarter. Coston McIsaac & Partners acquired a new stake in shares of iShares MSCI USA ESG Select ETF in the second quarter valued at $45,000. Private Trust Co. NA bought a new position in shares of iShares MSCI USA ESG Select ETF in the second quarter valued at about $47,000. Worth Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in iShares MSCI USA ESG Select ETF during the 1st quarter worth about $75,000. Finally, Adirondack Trust Co. grew its holdings in iShares MSCI USA ESG Select ETF by 11.9% during the 3rd quarter. Adirondack Trust Co. now owns 1,970 shares of the companys stock worth $150,000 after acquiring an additional 210 shares during the last quarter.

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iShares MSCI USA ESG Select ETF Stock Performance

Shares of NYSEARCA SUSA traded up $0.27 during trading on Friday, reaching $86.84. The company had a trading volume of 83,068 shares, compared to its average volume of 127,722. iShares MSCI USA ESG Select ETF has a 52 week low of $73.86 and a 52 week high of $96.51. The businesss 50 day moving average price is $86.43 and its 200-day moving average price is $83.93. The stock has a market cap of $3.28 billion, a PE ratio of 19.19 and a beta of 1.01.

iShares MSCI USA ESG Select ETF Profile

The iShares MSCI USA ESG Select ETF (SUSA) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the MSCI USA Extended ESG Select index. The fund tracks an index of US companies with high environmental, social and governance (ESG) factor scores as calculated by MSCI. SUSA was launched on Jan 24, 2005 and is managed by BlackRock.

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Annex Advisory Services LLC lessened its stake in Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM  Get Rating) by 2.5% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 44,283 shares of the companys stock after selling 1,149 shares during the period. Annex Advisory Services LLCs holdings in Philip Morris International were worth $4,482,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in PM. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Philip Morris International by 1.1% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 132,480,611 shares of the companys stock valued at $10,997,216,000 after purchasing an additional 1,451,582 shares during the period. BlackRock Inc. grew its position in Philip Morris International by 1.0% in the 3rd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 100,951,462 shares of the companys stock valued at $8,379,979,000 after buying an additional 962,801 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its stake in Philip Morris International by 0.7% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 57,777,797 shares of the companys stock valued at $4,868,937,000 after buying an additional 389,746 shares during the period. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD raised its position in Philip Morris International by 22.7% during the 3rd quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 35,468,228 shares of the companys stock worth $2,944,500,000 after buying an additional 6,558,762 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its stake in shares of Philip Morris International by 1.7% in the 3rd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 16,050,540 shares of the companys stock worth $1,332,355,000 after acquiring an additional 260,832 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.85% of the companys stock.

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Insider Transactions at Philip Morris International

In related news, Chairman Andre Calantzopoulos sold 80,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Friday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $100.35, for a total value of $8,028,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman now directly owns 1,007,048 shares in the company, valued at $101,057,266.80. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In related news, Chairman Andre Calantzopoulos sold 80,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $100.35, for a total value of $8,028,000.00. Following the sale, the chairman now directly owns 1,007,048 shares of the companys stock, valued at $101,057,266.80. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Stacey Kennedy sold 20,308 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the insider now owns 22,418 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,248,525.40. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 117,064 shares of company stock worth $11,738,763 over the last quarter. 0.13% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Philip Morris International Stock Performance

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on PM shares. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of Philip Morris International from a hold rating to a buy rating and boosted their price target for the stock from $86.00 to $118.00 in a research note on Thursday, January 19th. UBS Group upgraded shares of Philip Morris International from a neutral rating to a buy rating and increased their price target for the company from $106.00 to $116.00 in a report on Wednesday, March 1st. Societe Generale assumed coverage on shares of Philip Morris International in a report on Monday, January 23rd. They issued a sell rating and a $90.00 target price for the company. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of Philip Morris International from $109.00 to $118.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Thursday, February 2nd. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded Philip Morris International from a neutral rating to a buy rating and boosted their target price for the stock from $95.00 to $120.00 in a research report on Wednesday, January 25th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $110.36.

Philip Morris International stock traded up $0.29 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $99.03. 3,469,537 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,766,197. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $98.78 and its 200-day simple moving average is $96.77. Philip Morris International Inc. has a 1 year low of $82.85 and a 1 year high of $109.81. The company has a market capitalization of $153.71 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.04, a P/E/G ratio of 3.14 and a beta of 0.68.

Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM  Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 9th. The company reported $1.39 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.29 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $8.15 billion during 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 companys quarterly revenue was up .6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.35 earnings per share. On average, analysts forecast that Philip Morris International Inc. will post 6.31 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Philip Morris International Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared 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. This represents a $5.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.13%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, March 22nd. Philip Morris Internationals dividend payout ratio is presently 87.44%.

Philip Morris International Profile

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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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Pinnacle Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Invesco S&P 500 Quality ETF (NYSEARCA:SPHQ  Get Rating) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 20,812 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $916,000.

Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. bought a new position in Invesco S&P 500 Quality ETF during the 1st quarter worth approximately $150,000. Raymond James & Associates boosted its holdings in Invesco S&P 500 Quality ETF by 5.3% in the first quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 44,610 shares of the companys stock worth $2,226,000 after purchasing an additional 2,226 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its stake in Invesco S&P 500 Quality ETF by 12.7% during the first quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 5,421 shares of the companys stock valued at $271,000 after purchasing an additional 610 shares during the last quarter. Citigroup Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Invesco S&P 500 Quality ETF by 23.7% during the first quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 3,463 shares of the companys stock worth $173,000 after purchasing an additional 663 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of Montreal Can lifted its position in shares of Invesco S&P 500 Quality ETF by 44.5% in the 1st quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 8,505 shares of the companys stock worth $432,000 after buying an additional 2,618 shares during the last quarter.

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Invesco S&P 500 Quality ETF Stock Down 0.1 %

Shares of NYSEARCA:SPHQ opened at $47.31 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $4.53 billion, a PE ratio of 16.07 and a beta of 0.94. Invesco S&P 500 Quality ETF has a fifty-two week low of $39.18 and a fifty-two week high of $50.09. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $46.09 and a 200 day simple moving average of $44.57.

About Invesco S&P 500 Quality ETF

The Invesco S&P 500 Quality ETF (SPHQ) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the S&P 500 Quality index. The fund tracks an index of US large-cap stocks selected by return on equity, changes in net operating assets and financial leverage. Stocks are weighted by these quality factors, scaled by market cap.

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Bank of Montreal Can decreased its position in Regal Rexnord Co. (NYSE:RRX  Get Rating) by 9.1% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 91,504 shares of the companys stock after selling 9,196 shares during the quarter. Bank of Montreal Can owned about 0.14% of Regal Rexnord worth $11,110,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also bought and sold shares of RRX. CWM LLC lifted its holdings in Regal Rexnord by 39.1% in the 3rd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 313 shares of the companys stock valued at $44,000 after acquiring an additional 88 shares during the last quarter. Toroso Investments LLC lifted its stake in Regal Rexnord by 5.5% during the third quarter. Toroso Investments LLC now owns 1,883 shares of the companys stock valued at $264,000 after purchasing an additional 98 shares during the last quarter. Utah Retirement Systems boosted its holdings in Regal Rexnord by 0.8% during the third quarter. Utah Retirement Systems now owns 12,060 shares of the companys stock worth $1,692,000 after buying an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Dean Investment Associates LLC grew its position in Regal Rexnord by 0.9% in the third quarter. Dean Investment Associates LLC now owns 12,370 shares of the companys stock worth $1,736,000 after buying an additional 114 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ronald Blue Trust Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Regal Rexnord by 3.7% in the third quarter. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. now owns 3,325 shares of the companys stock valued at $378,000 after buying an additional 119 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 99.98% of the companys stock.

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Regal Rexnord Stock Down 1.6 %

NYSE:RRX traded down $2.02 on Friday, hitting $127.14. 427,410 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 489,376. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $148.33 and a 200-day moving average price of $137.57. The company has a current ratio of 2.99, a quick ratio of 1.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31. The company has a market cap of $8.42 billion, a PE ratio of 17.42, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.21 and a beta of 1.06. Regal Rexnord Co. has a 1 year low of $108.28 and a 1 year high of $162.89.

Regal Rexnord Announces Dividend

Regal Rexnord ( NYSE:RRX Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 1st. The company reported $2.64 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.30 by $0.34. Regal Rexnord had a net margin of 9.37% and a return on equity of 11.36%. The firm had revenue of $1.24 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.26 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.14 earnings per share. The firms revenue was up 2.3% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts anticipate that Regal Rexnord Co. will post 10.52 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 14th. Investors of record on Friday, March 31st will be issued a dividend of $0.35 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 30th. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.10%. Regal Rexnords dividend payout ratio is 19.18%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Oppenheimer raised their price objective on Regal Rexnord from $180.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Friday, February 3rd. StockNews.com assumed coverage on Regal Rexnord in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a buy rating on the stock. Barclays upped their price objective on shares of Regal Rexnord from $148.00 to $185.00 in a research note on Sunday, February 5th. Robert W. Baird decreased their target price on shares of Regal Rexnord from $188.00 to $184.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 28th. Finally, KeyCorp boosted their price target on shares of Regal Rexnord from $172.00 to $184.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Thursday, February 2nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $186.00.

Regal Rexnord Profile

(Get Rating)

Regal Rexnord Corp. engages in the manufacture of electric motors, electrical motion controls, power generation, and power transmission products. It operates through the following segments: Commercial Systems, Industrial Systems, Climate Solutions, and Power Transmission Solutions. The Commercial Systems segment produces fractional to 5 horsepower AC and DC motors, electric variable speed controls, fans, and blowers for commercial applications.

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Loncor Gold (OTCMKTS:LONCF  Get Rating) and New Found Gold (NYSE:NFGC  Get Rating) are both small-cap basic materials companies, but which is the better stock? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their earnings, institutional ownership, valuation, risk, dividends, profitability and analyst recommendations.

Institutional & Insider Ownership

22.1% of New Found Gold shares are owned by institutional investors. 22.1% of Loncor Gold shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

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Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of recent ratings and recommmendations for Loncor Gold and New Found Gold, as reported by MarketBeat.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Loncor Gold 0 0 1 0 3.00 New Found Gold 0 0 1 0 3.00

Profitability

Loncor Gold currently has a consensus target price of $0.85, indicating a potential upside of 177.78%. New Found Gold has a consensus target price of $10.00, indicating a potential upside of 90.11%. Given Loncor Golds higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Loncor Gold is more favorable than New Found Gold.

This table compares Loncor Gold and New Found Golds net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Loncor Gold N/A -7.10% -6.89% New Found Gold N/A -107.72% -85.38%

Volatility and Risk

Loncor Gold has a beta of 1.26, suggesting that its share price is 26% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, New Found Gold has a beta of 1.44, suggesting that its share price is 44% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares Loncor Gold and New Found Golds revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Loncor Gold N/A N/A -$2.93 million ($0.02) -15.30 New Found Gold N/A N/A -$69.22 million ($0.41) -12.83

Loncor Gold is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than New Found Gold, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Summary

Loncor Gold beats New Found Gold on 6 of the 8 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Loncor Gold

(Get Rating)

Loncor Gold, Inc. engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of gold and mineral properties. Its portfolio includes Ngayu and North Kivu projects. The company was founded by Arnold T. Kondrat on August 24, 1993 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.

About New Found Gold

(Get Rating)

New Found Gold Corp., a mineral exploration company, engages in the identification, acquisition, and exploration of mineral properties in the Provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador, and Ontario. The company primarily explores for gold deposit. It holds 100% interests in the Queensway project that includes 86 mineral licenses and 6,041 claims covering an area of 151,030 hectares of land located near Gander, Newfoundland; and the Lucky Strike project comprising 11,684 hectares located in Kirkland Lake, Ontario. The company was formerly known as Palisade Resources Corp. and changed its name to New Found Gold Corp. in June 2017. New Found Gold Corp. was incorporated in 2016 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

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StockNews.com downgraded shares of St. Joe (NYSE:JOE  Get Rating) from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research report report published on Wednesday.

St. Joe Trading Up 0.7 %

Shares of St. Joe stock opened at $40.58 on Wednesday. St. Joe has a 1 year low of $31.11 and a 1 year high of $61.37. The company has a market cap of $2.37 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.54 and a beta of 1.28. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $42.84 and a 200 day moving average price of $38.98.

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St. Joe (NYSE:JOE  Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 22nd. The financial services provider reported $0.48 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. St. Joe had a net margin of 28.10% and a return on equity of 11.03%. The business had revenue of $61.60 million during the quarter.

St. Joe Dividend Announcement

Insider Buying and Selling

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 28th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 6th were paid a $0.10 dividend. This represents a $0.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.99%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 3rd. St. Joes dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 33.06%.

In other news, Director Bruce R. Berkowitz sold 1,200 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $43.11, for a total transaction of $51,732.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 21,137,591 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $911,241,548.01. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In related news, Director Bruce R. Berkowitz sold 131,000 shares of St. Joe stock in a transaction on Friday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $43.54, for a total value of $5,703,740.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 21,138,791 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $920,382,960.14. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Bruce R. Berkowitz sold 1,200 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $43.11, for a total transaction of $51,732.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 21,137,591 shares in the company, valued at $911,241,548.01. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 42.00% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of St. Joe

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in JOE. Arizona State Retirement System boosted its holdings in shares of St. Joe by 3.8% during the 4th quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 9,142 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $353,000 after buying an additional 337 shares during the period. Lumbard & Kellner LLC boosted its holdings in St. Joe by 3.7% during the third quarter. Lumbard & Kellner LLC now owns 10,591 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $339,000 after acquiring an additional 376 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. grew its position in shares of St. Joe by 7.3% in the first quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 5,548 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $329,000 after purchasing an additional 376 shares during the last quarter. Level Four Advisory Services LLC increased its stake in shares of St. Joe by 2.4% in the third quarter. Level Four Advisory Services LLC now owns 20,554 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $658,000 after purchasing an additional 474 shares during the period. Finally, Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. lifted its position in shares of St. Joe by 3.4% during the 4th quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 14,831 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $573,000 after purchasing an additional 482 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.49% of the companys stock.

About St. Joe

(Get Rating)

The St. Joe Co engages in real estate development and asset management. It operates through the following segments: Residential, Hospitality, and Commercial. The Residential segment is involved in planning and developing residential communities of various sizes across a wide range of price points and selling home sites to builders and retail consumers.

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StockNews.com began coverage on shares of International Tower Hill Mines (NYSE:THM  Get Rating) in a research note issued to investors on Thursday. The firm issued a sell rating on the stock.

International Tower Hill Mines Stock Up 4.8 %

Shares of THM opened at $0.65 on Thursday. International Tower Hill Mines has a 52 week low of $0.38 and a 52 week high of $1.09. The stock has a market cap of $126.67 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -64.99 and a beta of 0.82. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $0.57 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $0.51.

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International Tower Hill Mines Company Profile

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International Tower Hill Mines Ltd. is a mineral exploration company, which engages in the acquisition and exploration of mineral properties. It holds the right to acquire interest in an advanced stage exploration project in Alaska, known as the Livengood Gold Project. The company was founded by Jeffrey A.

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The Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE:HIG  Get Rating) had its target price increased by Wells Fargo & Company from $90.00 to $91.00 in a research note published on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an overweight rating on the insurance providers stock.

A number of other brokerages have also recently issued reports on HIG. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $86.00 to $87.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Friday, March 31st. StockNews.com assumed coverage on The Hartford Financial Services Group in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a buy rating for the company. Roth Capital reaffirmed a neutral rating on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in a research report on Friday, February 3rd. BMO Capital Markets started coverage on The Hartford Financial Services Group in a research note on Thursday, January 19th. They issued a market perform rating and a $77.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Piper Sandler upped their price target on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $96.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 4th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $86.62.

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The Hartford Financial Services Group Price Performance

Shares of NYSE HIG opened at $69.86 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 0.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33. The company has a market capitalization of $21.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.82, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.20 and a beta of 0.85. The Hartford Financial Services Group has a twelve month low of $60.17 and a twelve month high of $79.44. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $73.13 and a 200-day simple moving average of $72.51.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Announces Dividend

The Hartford Financial Services Group ( NYSE:HIG Get Rating ) last released its earnings results on Friday, February 3rd. The insurance provider reported $2.31 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.86 by $0.45. The Hartford Financial Services Group had a net margin of 8.12% and a return on equity of 18.15%. The firm had revenue of $6.02 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.74 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.02 earnings per share. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 3.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts expect that The Hartford Financial Services Group will post 8.24 earnings per share for the current year.

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 4th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 6th were paid a $0.425 dividend. This represents a $1.70 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.43%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 3rd. The Hartford Financial Services Groups dividend payout ratio is currently 31.19%.

Insider Activity at The Hartford Financial Services Group

In related news, EVP Adin M. Tooker sold 3,920 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $77.41, for a total transaction of $303,447.20. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 25,820 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,998,726.20. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In other The Hartford Financial Services Group news, EVP Amy Stepnowski sold 336 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $77.59, for a total value of $26,070.24. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 3,844 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $298,255.96. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Adin M. Tooker sold 3,920 shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $77.41, for a total transaction of $303,447.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 25,820 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,998,726.20. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 96,251 shares of company stock worth $7,500,806 over the last quarter. 1.80% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of The Hartford Financial Services Group

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in HIG. Gradient Investments LLC acquired a new stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group during the 3rd quarter valued at $27,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its holdings in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 2.7% during the third quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 5,649,095 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $349,947,000 after purchasing an additional 147,509 shares during the last quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 19.6% in the 3rd quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 662,230 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $41,019,000 after purchasing an additional 108,387 shares during the period. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC increased its stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 7.9% in the 3rd quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 119,117 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $7,378,000 after purchasing an additional 8,721 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Korea Investment CORP raised its holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 51.2% during the 3rd quarter. Korea Investment CORP now owns 462,223 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $28,630,000 after buying an additional 156,532 shares during the period. 89.93% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.

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TKG Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM  Get Rating) by 13.4% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 16,495 shares of the business services providers stock after acquiring an additional 1,949 shares during the period. Waste Management makes up 1.7% of TKG Advisors LLCs holdings, making the stock its 18th largest position. TKG Advisors LLCs holdings in Waste Management were worth $2,588,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Community Bank & Trust Waco Texas raised its holdings in Waste Management by 2.9% during the third quarter. Community Bank & Trust Waco Texas now owns 2,262 shares of the business services providers stock worth $362,000 after purchasing an additional 63 shares in the last quarter. Marcum Wealth LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Waste Management by 3.5% in the third quarter. Marcum Wealth LLC now owns 1,934 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $310,000 after buying an additional 66 shares during the period. Allworth Financial LP boosted its stake in Waste Management by 0.7% during the third quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 9,952 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $1,594,000 after buying an additional 66 shares in the last quarter. LWM Advisory Services LLC raised its position in Waste Management by 3.5% in the third quarter. LWM Advisory Services LLC now owns 1,966 shares of the business services providers stock worth $315,000 after acquiring an additional 66 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Revolve Wealth Partners LLC lifted its holdings in Waste Management by 5.0% in the 3rd quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,398 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $224,000 after acquiring an additional 67 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.48% of the companys stock.

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Waste Management Stock Up 0.5 %

NYSE:WM traded up $0.84 on Friday, hitting $163.66. 3,290,538 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,180,649. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $153.86 and a 200-day moving average price of $157.74. The company has a current ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.12. The company has a market cap of $66.57 billion, a PE ratio of 30.36, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.51 and a beta of 0.73. Waste Management, Inc. has a 1 year low of $138.89 and a 1 year high of $175.98.

Waste Management Increases Dividend

Waste Management ( NYSE:WM Get Rating ) last released 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 company 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 firms quarterly revenue was up 5.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.26 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Waste Management, Inc. will post 6 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 24th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 10th were given a $0.70 dividend. This is a positive change from Waste Managements previous quarterly dividend of $0.65. This represents a $2.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.71%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 9th. Waste Managements dividend payout ratio is presently 51.95%.

Insider Transactions at Waste Management

In other Waste Management news, SVP Tara J. Hemmer sold 7,515 shares of Waste Management stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $155.00, for a total value of $1,164,825.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 46,542 shares in the company, valued at $7,214,010. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. In related news, EVP John J. Morris sold 15,204 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $155.03, for a total value of $2,357,076.12. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 95,461 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $14,799,318.83. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Tara J. Hemmer sold 7,515 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 46,542 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $7,214,010. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 31,027 shares of company stock valued at $4,806,619 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.27% of the companys stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms recently commented on WM. UBS Group downgraded shares of Waste Management from a buy rating to a neutral rating and dropped their target price for the stock from $190.00 to $165.00 in a report on Tuesday, January 10th. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on Waste Management from $179.00 to $181.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research report on Thursday. Stifel Nicolaus cut Waste Management from a buy rating to a hold rating and decreased their target price for the stock from $185.00 to $171.00 in a report on Monday, December 19th. Raymond James reduced their target price on Waste Management from $167.00 to $166.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a report on Monday, February 6th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on Waste Management from $158.00 to $167.00 in a research note on Thursday. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $173.27.

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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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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RenaissanceRe (NYSE:RNR  Get Rating) had its price target upped by Wells Fargo & Company from $245.00 to $256.00 in a research report released on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. Wells Fargo & Company currently has an overweight rating on the insurance providers stock.

RNR has been the subject of a number of other reports. BMO Capital Markets initiated coverage on shares of RenaissanceRe in a report on Thursday, January 19th. They set a market perform rating and a $187.00 price objective for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on RenaissanceRe from $170.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a research report on Friday, March 31st. TheStreet raised shares of RenaissanceRe from a c+ rating to a b rating in a report on Tuesday, January 31st. Finally, StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of RenaissanceRe in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating for the company. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $195.00.

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RenaissanceRe Price Performance

Shares of NYSE RNR opened at $204.44 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.94 billion, a P/E ratio of -7.98 and a beta of 0.43. The company has a quick ratio of 1.29, a current ratio of 1.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26. The stocks 50-day simple moving average is $204.98 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $183.18. RenaissanceRe has a twelve month low of $124.18 and a twelve month high of $223.80.

RenaissanceRe Increases Dividend

RenaissanceRe ( NYSE:RNR Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 1st. The insurance provider reported $7.33 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.58 by $0.75. RenaissanceRe had a negative net margin of 20.97% and a positive return on equity of 7.36%. The company had revenue of $1.35 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.33 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $4.71 earnings per share. RenaissanceRes revenue for the quarter was up 20.5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that RenaissanceRe will post 23.26 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 15th were paid a dividend of $0.38 per share. This represents a $1.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.74%. This is an increase from RenaissanceRes previous quarterly dividend of $0.37. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 14th. RenaissanceRes dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently -5.93%.

Insider Activity

In other RenaissanceRe news, Director Carol P. Sanders sold 1,515 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $211.32, for a total transaction of $320,149.80. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 5,629 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,189,520.28. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 1.30% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in RNR. Heritage Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of RenaissanceRe in the second quarter valued at $28,000. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp bought a new position in shares of RenaissanceRe in the 3rd quarter valued at about $28,000. Neo Ivy Capital Management purchased a new position in RenaissanceRe in the third quarter worth about $29,000. Wipfli Financial Advisors LLC bought a new stake in RenaissanceRe during the third quarter worth approximately $34,000. Finally, Signaturefd LLC raised its position in RenaissanceRe by 64.4% during the third quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 240 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 94 shares during the period. 95.52% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

RenaissanceRe Company Profile

(Get Rating)

RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd. engages in the provision of reinsurance and insurance services. It operates through the following business segments: Property, Casualty and Specialty, and Other. The Property segment focuses on catastrophe, and other property reinsurance and insurance. The Casualty and Specialty segment deals with casualty and specialty reinsurance, and insurance.

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New Braunfels, TX (78130)

Today

Rain showers in the morning with thunderstorms developing for the afternoon. Potential for severe thunderstorms. High 73F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

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Scattered thunderstorms this evening followed by occasional showers overnight. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low 64F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.
Humana Inc. (NYSE:HUM  Get Rating)  Analysts at Zacks Research upped their Q1 2023 earnings estimates for Humana in a research report issued on Wednesday, April 5th. Zacks Research analyst D. Chatterjee now anticipates that the insurance provider will post earnings of $9.78 per share for the quarter, up from their prior estimate of $9.66. The consensus estimate for Humanas current full-year earnings is $28.07 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Humanas Q2 2023 earnings at $8.83 EPS, Q3 2023 earnings at $7.52 EPS, Q2 2024 earnings at $8.46 EPS, Q3 2024 earnings at $7.49 EPS and Q1 2025 earnings at $10.15 EPS.

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Other equities research analysts have also recently issued research reports about the company. UBS Group cut their price target on Humana from $645.00 to $620.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, February 2nd. TheStreet downgraded Humana from a b rating to a c+ rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 1st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft decreased their price target on Humana from $575.00 to $562.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, February 28th. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded shares of Humana from a neutral rating to a buy rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $575.00 to $652.00 in a research note on Tuesday, December 13th. Finally, Stephens reduced their price objective on shares of Humana from $625.00 to $590.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 3rd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fifteen have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $594.12.

Humana Price Performance

Shares of NYSE HUM opened at $519.97 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 1.52 and a quick ratio of 1.52. The firm has a market capitalization of $64.98 billion, a PE ratio of 23.59, a P/E/G ratio of 1.29 and a beta of 0.71. Humana has a 1-year low of $410.87 and a 1-year high of $571.30. The businesss fifty day moving average price is $497.41 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $509.14.

Humana (NYSE:HUM  Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 1st. The insurance provider reported $1.62 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.46 by $0.16. Humana had a net margin of 3.02% and a return on equity of 20.50%. The business had revenue of $22.44 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $22.45 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.24 earnings per share. The businesss revenue was up 6.6% compared to the same quarter last year.

Humana Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 28th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 31st will be given a dividend of $0.885 per share. This is a boost from Humanas previous quarterly dividend of $0.79. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 30th. This represents a $3.54 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.68%. Humanas payout ratio is presently 16.06%.

Insider Activity

In other Humana news, CEO Bruce D. Broussard sold 17,575 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $505.85, for a total value of $8,890,313.75. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 70,040 shares of the companys stock, valued at $35,429,734. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. In other Humana news, insider Joseph C. Ventura sold 2,048 shares of Humana stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $507.97, for a total transaction of $1,040,322.56. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 4,256 shares in the company, valued at $2,161,920.32. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Bruce D. Broussard sold 17,575 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $505.85, for a total value of $8,890,313.75. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 70,040 shares of the companys stock, valued at $35,429,734. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.32% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of HUM. Cibc World Market Inc. boosted its holdings in Humana by 4.0% during the first quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. now owns 5,709 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $2,484,000 after purchasing an additional 217 shares during the last quarter. Blair William & Co. IL boosted its stake in shares of Humana by 0.6% during the 1st quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 5,660 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $2,463,000 after buying an additional 32 shares during the last quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers grew its holdings in shares of Humana by 0.5% in the 1st quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 4,906 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $2,135,000 after acquiring an additional 26 shares in the last quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Humana by 19.0% in the first quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 615 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $268,000 after acquiring an additional 98 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Candriam Luxembourg S.C.A. raised its holdings in Humana by 25.0% during the first quarter. Candriam Luxembourg S.C.A. now owns 29,809 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $12,971,000 after acquiring an additional 5,964 shares in the last quarter. 93.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Humana

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Humana Inc engages in the provision of health insurance services. It operates through the Insurance and CenterWell segments. The Insurance segment consists of Medicare benefits, marketed to individuals or directly via group Medicare accounts, as well as contract with CMS to administer the Limited Income Newly Eligible Transition, or LI-NET, prescription drug plan program and contracts with various states to provide Medicaid, dual eligible demonstration, and Long-Term Support Services benefits, which refer to as state-based contracts.

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The UK Home Office has announced it intends to house up to 500 isolated and vulnerable male asylum seekers in a 47-year-old hotel barge, the Bibby Stockholm. The vessel has previously been used to house offshore oil field and windfarm workers, and refugees seeking asylum in Germany and the Netherlands. It will be moored in Portland Harbour in Dorset.

A Home Office press release said it would provide basic and functional accommodation with 24/7 security in place on board. Its 500 occupants will be held in just 222 rooms, in what a Dutch watchdog previously labeled an oppressive environment, notwithstanding the owners claims to have refurbished.

Bibby Stockholm moored in Hamburg [Photo by GNU Free Documentation License / CC BY-SA 3.0

Portland Harbour has previously hosted a prison vessel, HM Prison Weare, between 1997 and 2005, holding as many as 400 prisoners. In 2004, the introduction to a report from the Chief Inspector of Prisons, Anne Owers, condemned the facility for depriving prisoners of fresh air and natural light and offering no space for training, exercise or education.

Owers noted that as most of the inmates were from London and the South East, the location was particularly inaccessible with prisoners released at a considerable distance from home. Even if the necessary cash was spent to keep the vessel seaworthy, if would remain in the wrong place, with limited facilities and in a constricted environment.

Writing for his own selfish interests to push for the barge to be relocated away from his constituency, Tory MP for South Dorset Richard Drax admitted, There are a lot of dont knows. Who is looking after them, what are they going to do, what are their health provisions, what happens if theres trouble onboard?

He added that residents would only be allowed out on a bus every so often but in effect will be incarcerated for quite a lot of the time. The Home Office states in a Factsheet, If an asylum seeker were not back on site by 11pm the team would make a call to the individual, supposedly, to check on their welfare.

Human rights and refugee groups have roundly condemned the announcement. Amnesty International spokesman Steve Valdez-Symonds said, People who have escaped terror and torture, endured criminal exploitation and traumatic journeys should be treated with basic human dignity, not corralled on barges or other grossly inadequate and isolated accommodation.

Refugee Council CEO attacked the completely inadequate plans to house vulnerable people who have come to our country in search of safety, having fled beatings and death threats.

Christina Marriot of the Red Cross told the Guardian, Docked barges, which are isolated from the wider community, do not offer the supportive environment that people coping with the trauma of having to flee their homes need.

These criticisms are made to implore the government to fix the asylum processing system, with Valdez-Symonds calling for claims to be properly and consistently processed and Solomon arguing, There would be no need to use barges and former military bases if cases were dealt with in a timely and efficient manner.

But the government has no intention of establishing a functioning asylum system for the thousands of desperate people forced to risk their lives crossing the English Channel. Its policy is designed to demonise, terrorise, imprison and block refugees attempting to claim their democratic right to asylum. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak underscored the point when asked about the barge, stating Im determined to stop the boats and will do everything I can to deliver on that.

In doing so, the Tories are linking arms with the fascistic right, referring to waves and swarms of migrants invading the UK and focusing their fire on the use of hotel accommodation, at a cost of 6 million a day, to house asylum seekersthe main topic of far-right protests in the UK.

The Home Office statement announcing the use of the barge made sure to include the dog-whistle phrases that it would minimise the disruption to local communities, be more manageable and orderly and reduce costs, with current accommodation of asylum seekers in hotels now exceeding 6 million a day.

Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick picked up the thread, ranting, The Home Secretary and I have been clear that the use of expensive hotels to house those making unnecessary and dangerous journeys must stop. We will not elevate the interests of illegal migrants over the British people we are elected to serve.

If Jenrick were really so concerned about the interests of the British people, he might give up two of his own three homes.The reality is that the ruling class cares as little for the working class in Britain as it does for migrants. According to Dorset Councils own statistics, 10 of 11 areas of deprivation in the region are in the Portland and Weymouth area where the barge will be kept, which is also in the 10 percent of most deprived areas in the UK on the basis of income, employment, education, health, crime, housing services and environmental indicators.

Using the criminality of mainlands Europes governments to justify his own, Jenrick continued, We have to use alternative accommodation options, as our European neighbours are doingincluding the use of barges and ferries to save the British taxpayer money and to prevent the UK becoming a magnet for asylum shoppers in Europe [italics added].

The government has repeatedly claimed that the vast majority who arrive in Britain are economic migrants seeking better life chances and so under the current law do not have a legitimate asylum claim. But a Freedom of Information request responded to this March revealed it has absolutely no data to back this up. The Home Offices own statistics show at least 60 percent of those who arrived in 2022 have a legitimate claim.

Sophie McCann, migration advocacy officer at charity Doctors Without Borders UK, told the Guardian: The government has failed to provide any evidence to support claims that the majority of those trying to reach the UK are so-called economic migrants. These kinds of statements are deployed to demonise and dehumanise people seeking safety here, stirring up divisions, with real and dangerous consequences.

The announcement of the Bibby Stockholm confirms the World Socialist Web Sites warning that with its Illegal Migration Bill, currently making its way through Westminster, the UK government is creating a network of land based and floating internment camps.

Plans are already underway to establish camps at former military sites in Scampton, Lincolnshire and Wethersfield, Essexto hold 3,700 people. Another camp is being established in Bexhill, East Sussex to hold a further 1,200 people.

Formally designed to hold arriving asylum seekers prior to deportation to a notional safe third country, the lack of any such destination bar Rwandawith limited capacity and with deportations held up in the courtsmeans thousands will be held indefinitely in these hellholes.

The policy recalls some of the most brutal episodes in the history of British imperialism.

There are parallels between the Bibby Stockholm and the HMS Maidstone, a former submarine depot vessel refitted and used to house British troops deployed to Belfast, Northern Ireland in 1969 as part of the British operation to prop up the Unionist Northern Ireland government. In 1971, during Operation Demetrius, the British Armys mass internment operation which rounded up hundreds of young men without trial, the Maidstone served as a prison for 122 internees who were held in cruel and overcrowded conditions.

Labour continue to back the Tories anti-democratic, anti-migrant policies to the hilt, only criticising the effectiveness of their implementation. Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper complained, Until the Government takes serious action to clear the backlog [Labour has promised it will deport more quickly] this problem is going to keep getting worse with more people in costly accommodation, not less.

Shadow Minister For Domestic Violence Jess Phillips described the barge as another ridiculous gimmick excuse the puna tiny drop in the ocean, which isnt instead of the hotels; its as well as the hotels.
With major manufacturers eyes on the Southern Virginia Megasite at Berry Hill and the upcoming Caesars Virginia casino resort, there is the potential for thousands of additional new jobs in the Dan River Region.

That scenario brings up the question: where will the workers come from to fill those positions?

Local officials are banking largely on a labor shed of 500,000 potential workers from four surrounding metropolitan areas and a small pool of residents in Danville and Pittsylvania County who commute outside the region to their jobs.

Industries looking for a place to open up a facility consider not just the number of available workers in the immediate area where they want to operate, but the wider market covering a surrounding geographic region.

Companies offering higher-paying jobs look at the 60-mile radius around a potential site, since employees are willing to travel farther for those positions. Industries with lower-tech jobs will consider a 45-mile radius, said Linda Green, executive director of the Southern Virginia Regional Alliance.

For industries offering more lucrative positions, the Dan River Regions four surrounding metropolitan areas include Lynchburg and Roanoke in Virginia and Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill and Greensboro-Winston-Salem-High Point in North Carolina.

All those areas combined represent a labor pool of a half-million workers, Green said.

Thats as large as Richmonds labor shed, Green said.

The Southern Virginia Megasite at Berry Hill, a 3,500-acre site jointly owned by Danville and Pittsylvania County through the Danville-Pittsylvania Regional Industrial Facility Authority, has been in the spotlight of major industries over at least the past year.

Albemarle Corp. considered Berry Hill in southwestern Pittsylvania County for locating a lithium hydroxide processing facility, but chose last month to take its project to Chester County, South Carolina, instead.

The company plans to invest at least $1.3 billion and create more than 300 new jobs with average annual pay at about $93,000 at a nearly 800-acre parcel of land in South Carolina, according Albemarle Corp.

Late last year, a $3.5 billion Ford electric-battery manufacturing project  which would have brought about 2,500 jobs to the region  was shut out of contention in Virginia by Gov. Glenn Youngkin.

Ford ended up deciding to build its plant in Michigan after Youngkin removed Virginia from consideration for the project due to the projects partnership with a Chinese company.

Also, the Berry Hill megasite nearly landed a $5.5 billion Hyundai plant last spring that would have brought 8,500 jobs to the region. The plant opted to locate in Georgia, where it was called the largest economic development plan in Georgia history.

As for Caesars Virginia casino being built in Schoolfield, it is expected to bring 1,300 jobs when its permanent facility begins operations in late 2024. The company plans to open a temporary casino at the site this summer.

Casino hiring

Caesars is looking to hire about 450 workers for the temporary facility. The company has held recruiting events and employees have already been hired.

Caesars Virginia is proud to have hired a diverse group of individuals right here in Danville to as far as the West Coast, said Chris Albrecht, general manager for Caesars Virginia.

The company is marketing and hosting hiring events in areas close to Danville, he added.

Every industry coming to a community can face challenges in recruiting and hiring, Albrecht said.

With any industry new to an area, there is an education curve to understanding the opportunities available, he said. We have worked diligently to meet with the appropriate community groups to explain what is available at the casino.

Bristol, where a Hard Rock Bristol casino is being built and is expected to open in July 2024, has a tri-city area also including Kingsport and Johnson City in Tennessee, from which to draw workers.

Bristol, which is located in both southwest Virginia and Tennessee, has a population of almost 500,000 people to pull from within a 30-mile radius, according to figures provided by Mack Chapman, economic development specialist for Bristol, Virginia.

We have the workforce, Chapman said. Were trying to get our other industries filled as well.

Like Danville, Bristol faces a housing shortage.

Were very similar, Chapman said of the two localities.

A commute

As for how far people are willing to drive for a job, employers who come to the Dan River Region have access to a population of nearly 1.1 million, said Corrie T. Bobe, director of economic development and tourism for Danville. Bobe added that there are more than 541,000 potential workers in that labor shed.

She also mentioned commuting patterns in the region.

New and existing industry can benefit from the in-and-out commuting patterns within our region, Bobe said. Since we are a border community, nearly 30% of current employees come into our community from North Carolina. In addition, nearly 16,000 workers commute outside of Danville-Pittsylvania County for job opportunities.

Those figures offer local industries an opportunity to target residents who choose to live in the Dan River Region due to its quality of life, but are traveling 45 to 75 miles elsewhere for work, Bobe said.

As for the new jobs taking workers away from local existing businesses in the Dan River Region, Bobe said supporting current industry of all sizes remains a priority.

The health of our small- and medium-sized businesses ensures a diverse economy that will be better insulated should there be a shift or change in the market, she said. Larger employers coming into our region will also benefit from our existing industry as each job created has the ability to bring a new family into the community.

Relatives associated with one employee may also seek local job opportunities, she added. There have been industry multipliers, or additional jobs created for every job generated at a new facility, associated with prospects looking at the Berry Hill megasite that range form 1.5 to four, Bobe said.

This means for every one job created at that facility, between 1.5 and four new jobs will be created to support its operation, Bobe said. This multiplier effect can be realized through new opportunities with existing businesses within our community.

The spouse of an executive or other employee at an industry here may be an entrepreneur who decides to open a new business, Green said.

Attracting residents

To help attract new residents who may want to work in the Dan River Region, Greens group has a website, www.sovaishome.com, that promotes amenities within a 75-mile radius of the region as well as within a days drive. They include outdoor recreation opportunities such as hiking, biking and kayaking, and destinations including the Blue Ridge Parkway, Richmond, Charlotte and Mid-Atlantic beaches.

Weve got to make sure that they understand those assets and resources, Green said.

She pointed to the upcoming Accelerated Training in Defense Manufacturing, a regional training facility in the Cyber Park in Danville, as a source of potential new residents.

We expect some of those [trainees] to live and work here, Green said.

The facility will be located next to the Center for Manufacturing Advancement and will include more than 100,000 square feet. The program plans to provide 800 to 1,000 qualified candidates to fill vacancies in the defense industrial base by 2024.

Multiplier effect

As for the multiplier effect from new industries, Morgan Olson is doing a lot of with secondary suppliers, she added. The company, located in Cane Creek Centre Industrial Park, makes walk-in vans and work trucks.

Besides bringing in secondary suppliers, large industries hiring hundreds or thousands of workers also entice restaurants and retail stores to open where those employees can spend their money, Green said.

Those manufacturers and other large industries can tap into the market of graduates from schools such as Virginia Tech or North Carolina State University, some of whom may come from Danville or Pittsylvania County, Green said.

There is also the talent accelerator program under the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, Green said. That was used to train and recruit employees for Morgan Olson, she said.

Danville has used Greenville, South Carolina, as a model for downtown redevelopment efforts, but that city can serve as an example in other ways, as well Bobe said.

After Greenville brought in a BMW plant in 1991, it saw a gradual population growth from just under 59,000 to more than 72,000 due to attraction of additional employers and workers to their region, Bobe said.

This example is to briefly showcase how these large-scale employers could assist in further expediting the population growth that our community is currently seeing, she said.

To support growth in the Dan River Region, Bobe said, the community is investing in areas such as:

Housing: expanding single- and multi-family housing options across all price points;

Workforce development; more than $93 million has been invested over the past decade to develop programs to ensure industry has access to a pipeline of skilled labor;

Tourism: marketing amenities that the community offers to visitors and future residents;

Education: residents approved a 1% sales tax referendum to support nearly $205 million of facility improvements and the expansion of programs in both Danville and Pittsylvania County Public Schools.

Quality of life: Over $52 million of public funds has been invested in the River District that has resulted in over $310 million of new private sector investment. Bobe said they are expanding redevelopment efforts to now include the Schoolfield District and North Main Hill. In addition, there are new investments being made on the main streets of Chatham and Gretna.
The International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE) held five public meetings in the UK between March 18 and March 28 as part of its global anti-war campaign, The war in Ukraine and how to stop it: The historical and political origins of the US-NATO war against Russia.

Meeting were held in Leeds, Manchester, London and Sheffield, with an online event organised following a campaign in Scotland. They were addressed by Socialist Equality Party National Secretary Chris Marsden and Assistant National Secretary Tom Scripps.

Chris Marsden speaking at the meeting in Manchester [Photo: WSWS]

Marsden and Scripps explained that there was no issue more pressing and urgent than the mobilisation of every worker, every young person, in Britain, Europe and throughout the world against this war.

Yet at present there is no sizeable movement against a war fought on European soil, involving two nuclear powers, with at least 100,000 dead on both sides, likely many more. One that has made millions of Ukrainians into refugees, has devastated the country and is costing hundreds of billions during the worst economic crisis any one of us has ever seen.

To change this dangerous situation meant not only cutting through the widespread confusion by exposing the lies of the pro-war media, but also challenging the warmongering capitalist parties and their academic and pseudo-left political advisors and apologists, explaining why past anti-war movements have failed, and what type of anti-war movement must now be built. Because ultimately everything depends on political leadership.

The report to the meeting explained that All the justifications given by the imperialist governments prosecuting this war are lies. This is an imperialist war provoked by the United States, supported by its NATO allies, aimed at reversing American capitalisms long-term economic decline and suppressing mounting internal tensions, securing global hegemony in a new carve up of the worlds markets and strategic resources.

The US saw in the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 an opportunity to establish a unipolar worldits unchallenged global hegemony. Since 1991, the US has pushed the NATO military alliance to almost every East European state and every state bordering Russia. Bringing Ukraine into NATOs sphere of influence is the star prize and final piece on the chessboard, paving the way for dismantling Russia and securing direct control of its massive natural assets.

Securing de facto control of the entire Eurasian landmass then prepares for war with China and the elimination of Americas greatest economic challenger.

This in no way either excuses or legitimises the Russian invasion of Ukraine

Putin represents the regime of mafia-like oligarchs that emerged following the restoration of capitalism, who seized the USSRs assets and enriched themselves grotesquely at the expense of the immiseration of the working class.

These criminals and the representatives of the state apparatus that serves them stupidly believed that the US and other imperialist powers would hand them a seat at the table, a respected place in the worlds markets and even at one point NATO membership! They thought, from their newfound position of fabulous wealth, that they could buy their way in.

This has proved to be the pursuit of a chimera for which the Russian and Ukrainian working class are paying a bitter price.

Ukrainian servicemen of the 3rd Separate Tank Iron Brigade take part in an exercise in the Kharkiv area, Ukraine, Thursday, Feb. 23, 2023, the day before the one year mark since the war began. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Putins answer to the existential threat from the US and NATO is to mobilise a national war, invoking the history and traditions of Tsarism, and the nationalist anti-communism of the Stalinist bureaucracy, including Great Russian chauvinism towards Ukraine.

The IYSSE and the SEP, basing themselves on the traditions of revolutionary Marxism and socialist internationalism, reject all justifications for war based on the obsolete concept of national defense, whether invoked by Putin or Zelensky. We are for the unity of Russian and Ukrainian workers against the war policies of both.

This is actively being fought for in Russia and Ukraine, by the Young Guard of Bolshevik Leninists, acting in sympathy with the IYSSE and the International Committee of the Fourth International. This is the cutting edge of the fight for the unification of all workers against imperialist war.

The speakers explained that no fight against war can be waged based on what used to be called the left of the Labour Party, or on the trade unionsas has long been advocated by the Stop the War Coalition.

The ability of the Tory government to wage war and Starmers pro-war leadership of the Labour Party were both guaranteed by Jeremy Corbyn, who refused to drive out the Blairite right from the party when he led it and betrayed all those millions who looked to him to lead a fight and take on the Tories

Today he is expelled from the Parliamentary Labour Party begging to be let back in. And his key allies are either open supporters of NATOs war, or cowards not prepared to say anything.

More politically bankrupt still is the recently formed No2Nato campaign led by George Galloway, which advocates a global alliance with right-wing tendencies and individuals, especially from the Trump milieu, behind capitalisms rising powers, including Russia and India, but led by China, which will supposedly inaugurate a new multi-polar world and bring about world peace.

This articulates the position of a layer of the upper middle class, frightened by the threat of war but hostile to a struggle against that threat by the working class and possessed of a truly boundless belief in the long-term viability of the capitalist system.

The central element of the IYSSEs perspective for a new anti-war movement is an understanding that the same contradictions that drive the capitalist class to warthe need to overcome the crisis of the profit system by securing their own global hegemonyalso drives forward an explosion of working-class struggle that creates the basis for the fight for socialism.

The assault on the working class demanded by capitalisms crisis and then need to militarise the economy is already fuelling an eruption of mass strikes and demonstrations internationallyincluding the strike wave in the UK:

In the fightback against government attacks being waged by the French and Sri Lankan working class, we see the beginnings of an open revolutionary confrontation with the capitalist state that will expand and ultimately decide the fate of humanity, determine which is it to be: socialism or barbarism.

Protesters march during a demonstration against plans to push back France's retirement age on February 7, 2023 in Paris. [AP Photo/Michel Euler]

Building a genuine anti-war movement must be based on the international working class: A genuinely anti-war movement must intervene in all the struggles of the working class, to unify workers and young people in every country in a struggle for socialism against the capitalist class, all its governments, parties and the state apparatus.

Discussion at the meetings was wide-ranging.

In Leeds, a young Ukrainian academic asked whether ending the war must be conditional on a victory over Russia. Marsden replied by asking what a Ukrainian victory would look like, given that the NATO powers are intent on regime change in Moscow with both sides planning for a nuclear response.

The Ukrainian workers were being used as cannon fodder by the US and NATO and Ukraine was being destroyed, with mass deaths on both sides. The only answer was to fight for working class unity. The young academic explained in response that he had returned to Ukraine recently and knew that the casualty rate was much higher than was officially acknowledged.

In Manchester, an attendee from Colombia asked whether the Ukrainian people had not chosen the lesser evil of US and European domination over Russian and Chinese dictatorship?

Marsden answered that the historic and ongoing crimes of US and European imperialism refuted any claim that they were the lesser evil and that this stand only disarms the working class against the threat of a new world war. Victory for either side would be won to the terrible cost of the Ukrainian working class and would at best be a staging ground for a re-eruption of conflict at an even more ferocious intensity.

Asked what perspective the IYSSE offered the Ukrainian working class, Marsden replied that the main task was to rebuild a socialist movement in all the former territories of the Soviet Unionto re-establish the connection of the Russian and Ukrainian working class with the political traditions they once embodied and that were destroyed by Stalinism.

A member of the audience from Vietnam bitterly rejected the claim that the US was a lesser evil, citing the crimes committed in his own country.

In Glasgow, the discussion centred on how socialists could intervene in the working class to raise awareness of the war and its political and historical origins.

Scripps argued that a fight had to be taken up against any demoralised response to the limited opposition to the war at this stage. He explained that the prevailing level of political and historical consciousness was the product of conditionsthe prolonged suppression of the working class and genuine Marxismnow being rapidly overturned by an upsurge in the global class struggle only just beginning, creating the objective basis for a political struggle to educate millions of workers and young people.

Thomas Scripps speaking at the London meeting [Photo: WSWS]

The SEP and the IYSSE, he continued, intervened in these struggles to broaden workers political horizons and help them to understand the origins of the attacks they confront in the drive for ramped-up exploitation to underwrite corporate and financial bailouts and, increasingly, the war effort.

This work had to be done, Scripps concluded, in a political struggle against pseudo-left tendencies openly backing NATOs war and/or tying the working class to a trade union and Labour Party bureaucracy which supports it.

In London, questions were asked about threats to the US dollar, whether anti-NATO blocs and alliances were being formed among other countries like Russia China and Iran and what the consequences were.

Scripps answered that there would undoubtedly be all sorts of tactical manoeuvres by their governments but stressed the reactionary nature of any orientation to these states as a potential counterweight to US imperialism and its allies. Their governments, he said, do not represent their own people, much less all those oppressed by imperialism around the world.

The undeniable growth of other economies and declining relative position of Americas does not weaken but intensifies the aggression of US imperialism as it seeks to use its enormous military strength to dominate its rivals and secure it hegemonythreatening a Third World War

Putins actions, he continued, were proving that the ruling classes of those rival countries have no progressive answer to this threat, only military action based on the most divisive, backward, nationalist politics; the polar opposite of the necessary socialist internationalist struggle against imperialism and war.

In Sheffield, an A-level student noted that in five years time, they and their friends would have finished all their education and be ready to join the workforce. The student asked, in the context of the escalating war plans, what would the future look like for young people. Marsden replied that this was a very serious question. The future of this generation, whether it even had one, would be determined by their taking a decision to fight for one. Imperialism was dragging humanity toward a catastrophe. The younger generation must respond by taking up the fight for socialism. The key tasks was for young people to join this movement and build the anti-war opposition.
HICKORY  Frye Regional Medical Center, a Duke LifePoint hospital, has named Lindy White as chief operating officer of Frye Regional Medical Center, effective Jan. 23, 2023.

White has assumed operational oversight for the financial performance, strategic planning and day-to-day operations of several hospital departments. In addition to providing guidance to various department directors, White will advise the executive leadership team at Frye Regional on matters relating to health care policy, planning and personnel. She began at Frye Regional as interim COO in November 2022.

I am excited to officially name Lindy as our new chief operating officer, said Philip Greene, MD, chief executive officer of Frye Regional Medical Center. Lindy is a dynamic health care executive with a strong commitment to patient and family-centered care. She has demonstrated success in areas like team building, service line development, and operational improvement for hospitals in Tennessee, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia. We are fortunate to have Lindy on our team.

White has three decades of health care finance and executive leadership experience. She began her career as a staff accountant at Smyth County Community Hospital in Marion, Virginia, where she was promoted to chief financial officer and later to CEO. Over the course of her career, White has served as CFO and CEO of hospitals at multiple health systems, including Lifepoint Healths Providence Hospital in Columbia, South Carolina.

Before returning to Lifepoint Health last year, White served as president of Ballad Healths Northwestern Region and CEO of Holston Valley Medical Center in Kingsport, Tennessee. During her time there, she earned recognition as one of Beckers Rural Hospital CEOs to Know 2022.

I am extremely impressed by Frye Regionals kind, caring culture and the teams unwavering passion for providing our patients and community with access to safe, high-quality care, White said. Our physicians, nurses, pharmacists, techs, and other staff members have demonstrated remarkable resilience and acceptance of the challenges theyve faced in the post-pandemic health care environment.

I am proud to be part of a team that is now focused on growth and development of Frye into a regional referral center while continuing to deliver the best patient outcomes with compassion and integrity. Its an honor to work alongside Dr. Greene and this entire leadership team  and its a true honor to be back with Lifepoint Health, White said.

White earned her masters in business administration from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. She received her bachelors degree in accounting and economics from Emory & Henry College in Emory, Virginia. White is also a fellow of The Advisory Board Company.
CONOVER  Catawba Valley Community College and the city of Conover celebrated the public opening of the Manufacturing Solutions Center II and renovation of MSC I during a recent ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The MSC at Catawba Valley Community College supports U.S. manufacturing through product development, product testing, and other services designed to create and retain U.S. manufacturing jobs. The Center also has an on-site incubator for manufacturing start-ups.

Were building something special here, and weve got to make sure that were telling this story loudly, said CVCC President Garrett Hinshaw. Partnership is our secret sauce. When we partner, great things happen. Weve got to continue that momentum. Weve got to continue to work together to ensure that this is not just a place that is sustained, but its a place that grows and is vibrant. We recognize all the assets in this whole region, and we leverage those assets to make a difference for the future and the people who are to come behind us.

The new 75,000-square foot space for MSC II includes a $3 million 45,000-square foot private sector funded factory floorspace by Ingram Walters and his investment group Whiskbroom for MSCs graduated incubator clients.

Walters credited MSC Special Projects Director Tony Whitener and former director of the Manufacturing Solutions Center Dan St. Louis for their work, which has led to MSC I and II.

What jumped out immediately about these two was the confidence about them, Walters said of St. Louis and Whitener. They had a confidence and a certainty about them that was contagious. Thats whats led to their success and thats what led to us being here. This project ran into the ditch several times  more than once  and every time it did get off track, the way it got back on was by Tony Whitener and Dan (St. Louis). We really owe all of this to those guys. I can say without the fear of contradiction that this building would not be here without the efforts of Tony and Dan.

Jeff Neuville, current director of the Manufacturing Solutions Center, spoke before the ribbon cutting about the impact that the MSC has on Catawba County, the state of North Carolina and the United States, including a $30 million positive economic impact attributed to MSC assistance by its customers in the past four years.

A project like this does not happen unless there is really an unshakable confidence that an organization can pull it off, Neuville said. Our staff has proven it over 30 years that they are here for the right reasons and supporting US manufacturers, assisting customers and providing top-notch customer service.

According to Neuville, 234 jobs have been created or retained by the MSC since 2019 with 973 unique customers and clients from North Carolina and 3,231 unique clients across the country from all 50 states.

We are confident the positive economic impact that are going to come from this campus are going to have a lasting positive effect locally as well as across North Carolina and our country, said Conover Mayor Kyle Hayman. Were so proud and thankful to have reached this point in the evolution of what is now the campus of the Manufacturing Solutions Center at Conover Station.

A total of $9 million was appropriated from the North Carolina General Assembly to the city of Conover to provide this new two-story space and a renovation of the current Manufacturing Solutions Center.

When you ask for the kind of money we ask for to do this its an act of faith, said Rep. Jay Adams of Catawba County. You are putting yourself on that line when you ask for nine million dollars, but I was confident that the people that this money would go to would produce this kind of a result. Im so proud of what this facility is.

Included in MSC II are labs for PPE Resource Textile, Prototyping and Fabric Formation, a Structural Engineering Testing Area and a Best Practices Cut & Sew Line. There is also a state-of-the-art conference area and meeting room, which can be used for both trade and industry meetings.

Four companies that graduated from the MSC business incubator now reside in the portion of MSC II owned by Whiskbroom.

MSC I renovations included a larger lab space and a personal protective equipment (PPE) Testing and Product Development space, which is being utilized to test and produce effect masks, gowns and other PPE.

It is a great day in my hometown, it is a great day in Catawba County and a great day in the state of North Carolina, said Lindsay Keisler, president and CEO of the Chamber of Catawba County. Our region is flush with entrepreneurial assets, but this is the crown jewel  the Manufacturing Solutions Center is the crown jewel.

During the ribbon cutting ceremony, Whitener was honored and presented with a a sign that includes pictures of Whitener during various stages of the development of the MSC II.

For more information on the Manufacturing Solutions Center, visit www.manufacturingsolutionscenter.org or contact Neuville at 828-327-7000 ext. 4102 or email jneuville@cvcc.edu.
for Rolling Stone - Credit: Photographs by Cornell Watson for Rolling Stone

The afternoon of May 21, 2020, Yolanda Irving was relaxing in her bedroom in East Raleigh, North Carolina. The city was in the throes of the Covid-19 pandemic, so her three kids milled around the apartment. Irvings teenage daughter, Cydneea, was in her room across the hall, and her 20-year-old son, Juwan, was in his wheelchair playing video games. Outside, Irvings youngest, Jalen, then 12, sat on the stoop with three teenage neighbors.

Suddenly, more than a dozen officers from the Raleigh Police Departments Vice and Selective Enforcement Unit (SEU, the departments version of SWAT) ran at the boys with riot shields and assault rifles, according to interviews and multiple lawsuits against the city of Raleigh. Thinking they were about to be shot, the boys ran inside for safety. Jalen darted into his mothers apartment with his 16-year-old neighbor Ziyel. Jalen screamed, SWAT! SWAT! Please dont shoot! Please dont shoot!

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As a few officers burst through Irvings door, other agents pursued the two other boys, 15-year-old Ziquis and 18-year-old Dyamond, into the apartment of neighbor Kenya Walton. There, they held Ziquis, Waltons pregnant 20-year-old daughter, and her autistic 15-year-old son at rifle point. They did the same thing in Irvings apartment, even screaming at the wheelchair-bound Juwan to get on the floor.

I kept trying to tell them that my son is handicapped, please dont shoot, Irving says. The officers didnt relent until Juwan pulled up his pants to reveal the brace on his leg, showing them that it was impossible for him to comply. Down the hall, Irvings daughter pleaded with the officers not to shoot their dog.

Walton, who was out picking up groceries for dinner, got a call from a friend that her apartment was under siege. When she arrived back home, an officer approached her with his gun drawn. He escorted her through the back door of her home.

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Confused, Walton asked her kids, What did yall do? She turned to the officers and repeatedly asked, What did they do?

The officers searched the apartments for an hour and a half for heroin. They found nothing. Kenya Walton and Yolanda Irving are drivers for special-needs children. They arent heroin dealers. Theyve never even seen the drug.

Afterward, Omar Abdullah, the lead detective on the raid, briefly spoke with Irving and handed her the search warrant for her home. When Irving saw the photo for the residence attached to Abdullahs warrant, she knew immediately: He had the wrong address. And Abdullah didnt have a warrant at all for Waltons home.

As Irving screamed curses at Abdullah for tearing up the wrong home, he simply turned and walked away. The RPD didnt help her or Walton clean up, and the women say they have yet to receive an apology for the invasion.

The Vice and SEU raid was in fact meant for a man named Marcus Vanirvin, who lived a few hundred feet away in Irvings apartment complex. As their homes were searched, the women saw police arrest him for heroin trafficking when he took out the trash. Then the cops searched his home but found no drugs. The Vanirvin arrest was supposedly based on controlled buys  undercover operations in which a confidential informant is sent to purchase heroin to form the basis for drug arrests  over the two prior months, incident reports show. Vanirvin denied ever selling  or even using  heroin, and after spending more than two weeks in jail, the charges were dropped.

OMAR ABDULLAH WAS once considered RPDs finest. He joined the department in 2009 and was named RPD Employee of the Year for 2012. In 2017, Abdullah was in his early forties when he was promoted to detective in one of the departments Drug and Vice units. Once a detective, lawsuits allege, he terrorized the Black community in Raleigh through a series of narcotics arrests built on lies and fabricated evidence, with the help of an equally unreliable confidential informant. Nearly two dozen people are known to have been swept up in these arrests. All of his alleged victims were Black.

At least six men have had their convictions vacated after pleading guilty to drug charges in cases brought by Abdullah, and three federal civil rights lawsuits  including one stemming from the Irving and Walton raids  have been filed related to his police work.

Attorneys for one of Abdullahs alleged victims estimate in a lawsuit that from Aug. 16, 2018, through May 21, 2020  when Abdullah was suspended following the raid on the Irving and Walton homes  the officer and an informant conspired to make at least 29 separate controlled buys, most if not all of which involved fake drugs or real narcotics that were planted on the alleged sellers. The attorneys say that about half of these controlled buys resulted in cases that were dismissed because fake heroin was planted on people. In the case of the Irving raid, the heroin that was used to secure the warrant was likely brown sugar.

Its not just Abdullah whos doing this, but there is evidence that a number of other officers either did it or knew it was being done and did nothing about it, says prominent North Carolina civil rights attorney Bradley Bannon, who is not involved in the Raleigh lawsuits. When theres no consequence for something, the only thing youre left with is just individual personal moral codes or consciences, and thats never been relied upon by any society Im aware of to regulate conduct.

Specialized police units focused on narcotics and violent crime have been a fixture of modern policing since at least the 1980s, and have been notorious for violating peoples constitutional rights. In Atlanta, the Red Dog Unit (an acronym for Run Every Drug Dealer Out of Georgia), formed around 1988, was known for violence  including the killing of a 92-year-old woman during a botched drug raid in 2006  before it was retired in 2011 and later rebranded as Titan. In Baltimore, the notorious Gun Trace Task Force ran the streets until a series of indictments ranging from robbery to drug dealing brought down the unit in 2017, and pulled the Baltimore Police Department into a federally mandated overhaul due to its civil rights abuses. (This misconduct is the subject of two books as well as an HBO limited series from David Simon.) Last fall, an internal probe of a crime suppression team in the Washington, D.C., police force led to prosecutors dropping charges in 65 gun cases. And in January this year, five police officers in Memphis Scorpion Unit were charged with murder for beating Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man, to death after a traffic stop. The furor over Nichols death prompted the Justice Department to launch an investigation into specialized units nationwide in March.

In Raleigh, lawsuits claim that multiple residences have been breached on faulty or fabricated evidence with no-knock or quick-knock warrants obtained in search of narcotics and executed with the aid of the SEUs paramilitary officers  the same kinds of raids that led to the deaths of Amir Locke in Minneapolis last year and Breonna Taylor in Louisville in 2020. And since 2013, at least 12 people have been killed by RPD officers, all but one of them a person of color. In mid-January, a Black man was tased to death by Raleigh cops in a parking lot after police initiated a search because they thought he might have drugs. (The six officers were placed on administrative leave. Investigations by the police department and North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation are ongoing.)

ASIDE FROM ABDULLAH, the other constant in each of the dismissed cases is his confidential informant, Dennis Williams, who was unhoused in 2018 and desperate for cash.

That summer, Williams was arrested by Abdullah and another RPD officer for passing off aspirin as cocaine to a confidential informant. Despite having a lengthy and violent criminal history, Williams, then 24, was recruited to be an informant himself and paid for his services. The officers nicknamed Williams Aspirin and set him to work scouring the city for heroin peddlers virtually unchecked, according to lawsuits.

Gregory Washington stands in a parking lot in Raleigh, North Carolina where he was wrongly arrested by Raleigh Police Department.

On Feb. 28, 2020, Gregory Washington drove with his brother to pick up his friend Diontre Greene and take him to work. Greene asked to pick up Williams on the way. They met Williams outside a Food Lion supermarket in East Raleigh, and he got into the back seat. Within moments, Washington says, Williams opened his door and frantically dashed across an open field near the parking lot. Washington threw his car in reverse to get away from whatever bad thing he assumed was coming his way, then heard gunfire and felt bullets hitting his car. Im looking at the people in my car, and they looking at me, and we all feel like were about to die, Washington recalls.

When Washington looked up, he says, he saw three police officers pointing their guns at him. Another officer pulled Greene from the back seat by his dreadlocks and threw him to the ground. Washington got out and saw the parking lot filled with unmarked police cars. Its looking like a movie scene, he says. The officers cuffed Washington, sat him on the curb, and then tore the speakers out of his car. Im looking at my brother like, Whats going on?

Things clicked into place for Washington: The van driver who stared him down when he picked up Greene, the feeling that they were being followed, picking up Williams in a grocery parking lot  Williams had set them up.

Washington was taken to a satellite RPD facility in Northeast Raleigh where, he says, he was strip-searched and interrogated. There, he met Abdullah. The officers eyes were piercing and shaky. He kind of looked like a drug addict, Washington says. Im just looking like, Whats wrong with this dude? Washington was charged in Wake County court with trafficking heroin and conspiracy to traffic heroin, and he spent six days in jail before posting bond with the help of friends and family. But the charges remained.

As Washingtons case made its way through the court system, Greenes case was on a different and far more consequential track. He was a convicted felon, and the officers had found a gun on him, which exacerbated his trafficking charge. His case was given to then-Wake County assistant public defender Jackie -Willingham. She asked Greene if he was selling heroin  there were plea deals available for people who cooperate with law enforcement. He told her he was innocent.

Willingham was given two more Abdullah cases based on evidence provided by Williams. Both clients maintained their innocence and said they didnt know where the heroin found on them had come from. Willingham notified an assistant district attorney with the Wake County DAs office that something seemed off about her three cases  they were Black men arrested by Abdullah, and their stories were oddly similar.

Willingham also looked up other Abdullah cases and called the defense attorneys assigned to them. They said their clients had all told them the same story: They didnt touch heroin. Willingham emailed a Wake County ADA about the irregularities. The ADA emailed her back, insisting that her clients were all part of the same Blood set, meaning they were in the same gang. Not satisfied, Willingham asked a private investigator in the public defenders office, who is a former RPD Vice member, to look into her clients. The PI pulled reports, cross-referenced databases, and made some calls. He couldnt identify any current gang affiliation with the men.

On June 5, 2020, the lab results on the substance found in Greenes case, which Adbullah had claimed was heroin, came back negative for drugs. A couple of weeks later, Willingham got an email from an ADA who questioned the videos submitted as evidence for the drug purchases. By June 30, the DAs office was dismissing Willinghams Abdullah cases and a dozen others, often because the informant  Williams  was deemed unreliable.

Though her cases were over, Willingham wanted to warn other defense attorneys to be on the lookout for cases with Abdullahs name attached, and she wanted a notice appended to his file. So that July, she wrote a letter to the RPD and Wake County DAs office saying she was bothered by what she had uncovered, and that there are more cases that need to be investigated.

That September, Abdullah was placed on administrative leave. The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation also launched an independent review of his cases a month later.

As investigations brewed behind the scenes, the men whod allegedly been framed began to coalesce and look for accountability.

Shortly after the cases were dismissed in the summer of 2020, Washington reached out to a friend of his named Blake Banks, who had also been arrested by Abdullah, to see if he might be interested in filing a lawsuit.

Blake Banks stands in the parking lot of a former Xerox facility in Raleigh, North Carolina where he was wrongly arrested by Raleigh Police Department.

Banks, whod gone to high school with Williams, had been in and out of jail and prison, mostly for crimes related to selling weed. The men ran into each other once while incarcerated, but otherwise hadnt been in touch. After Banks was paroled on a gun charge in November 2018, he worked hard to rebuild his life. He got two jobs after he was released from prison, then moved on to construction, and finally transitioned to freight-truck hauling.

About a year after he was released from prison, Banks says, Williams hit him up on Facebook and asked where he could buy heroin. Banks told Williams he didnt get down with people like that, adding in a polite brushoff that he would see what he could do. But Williams kept texting about drugs, Banks says. One time, Williams said he was at the spot where they agreed to do a buy. I said, Bro, I never said that I had anything for you,  Banks remembers. Eventually, Banks stopped responding to Williams messages.

On a late-December morning in 2019, after driving with his godmother to drop off her daughter at work, their car was swarmed by the RPD. Officers pulled Banks from the car, and handcuffed him in front of his family.

It brought me to tears, man, because I thought my life was over, Banks says. I thought I was really about to be guilty for something that I dont even know what I did.

According to Abdullahs incident reports, Banks had set up a heroin buy with informant Williams on Nov. 26, 2019. Abdullah wrote that on Dec. 11, 2019, he also watched Banks and another man sell heroin to Williams.

When Abdullah moved in for the arrest that day with other officers, he claimed, Banks sped off in a red Dodge Charger, and the other man simply ran away.

But Banks didnt arrange a drug buy on Dec. 11; his receipts show he was out of the state on a truck delivery. And as for the supposed sale that occurred in November, lab tests came back negative for drugs.

Banks was able to post bond with the help of family, but his relationships with them were strained. His mom thought he was back to selling; his girlfriend broke up with him. And social media was hell  his mug shot was everywhere.

For Washingtons part, with the bond and legal fees resulting from his case, he owed more than $22,000 in court debt. Over the next year, he worked up to 12 hours a day between construction and driving for Lyft to dig himself out of debt.

He still suffers from intense anxiety from that day his car was shot in the supermarket parking lot with what he later learned were rubber bullets. And hes never sure what might set him off.

I could be parked somewhere and it could be dark outside and Ill think about it, he says. I remember the shots, how I felt at that moment.

Bro, I dont know if you ever felt like you was about to die. Thats a feeling youll never forget.

ONCE WILLINGHAMS ABDULLAH cases were dismissed, she referred those clients to Abraham Rubert-Schewel, a civil rights attorney in Durham who got his start clerking for Jack Weinstein, then the last living member of Thurgood Marshalls legal team that prepared Brown v. Board of Education.

After he gathered five plaintiffs who said they were framed by Abdullah, Rubert-Schewel reviewed the states investigation into the detective.

It was all these people who had had large parts of their lives taken away by blatant, clear misconduct, and it was kept away in this secret file where no one could really know about it, Rubert-Schewel says.

Through depositions and discovery, he says he confirmed that at least six other officers knew that Abdullahs arrests were bogus  but didnt stop him. Abdullahs supervising sergeant, William Rolfe, provided little oversight, according to the federal civil rights lawsuits. In his deposition, Rolfe said he routinely broke with written RPD oversight policies for supervisors because that was the norm. It was just status quo, he said in a deposition. [T]here was nobody around saying, This is OK, thats OK. You just do it. Youve learned to do from your predecessors.

Four other officers told Abdullah that the heroin Williams turned in looked like brown sugar. And the lawsuits and depositions indicate they allowed arrests to occur after field tests came back negative. In a text thread among the officers, they joked about taking  bets on whether Aspirin would again produce fake heroin,  according to a recent court filing. One of the officers did report Abdullahs pattern of false arrests to Rolfe and a supervising lieutenant. He stated in his deposition that he believed no action was taken because Abdullah is Muslim and Black, and the supervisors were afraid of being called out for discrimination. (The officers named in the lawsuits deny the allegations against them.)

Based on all the facts he had gathered, Rubert-Schewel filed a suit on April 26, 2021, on behalf of 12 people who were swept up in Abdullahs cases, including Washington and Banks. And five months later, the city reached a $2 million settlement with the plaintiffs. Williams was indicted by the Wake County DA on five counts of obstruction of justice.

That September, Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman told The Assembly, a local nonprofit news outlet: We do not have evidence of criminal wrongdoing by Officer Abdullah or others with the Raleigh Police Department. The RPD fired Abdullah in October 2021, more than a year after his scandal broke.

Omar Abdullah

At this point, word was out that Rubert-Schewel could get results. And people who had given up on accountability from the RPD were reaching out.

People like the sister of David Weaver, who told Rubert-Schewel that her brother was wrongfully convicted on cocaine-trafficking charges by Abdullah and was serving time in prison. On Aug. 23, 2018, Abdullah had pulled Weaver in for selling nearly three grams of crack cocaine  then tried to flip him to become an informant, according to Weavers lawsuit. Weaver didnt budge, and Abdullah strip-searched him and went through his clothes with another officer. Abdullah turned his back on Weaver and then produced a brown paper towel that contained 36 grams of crack cocaine, roughly the equivalent of 120 large crack rocks. Abdullah claimed in his incident report that hed found it tucked inside the subjects underwear. Weaver spent 16 months in pretrial jail and ran through multiple lawyers while maintaining his innocence. He eventually accepted a plea deal from prosecutors and was sentenced to 35-to-51 months in prison.

Rubert-Schewel was also connected with Yolanda Irving and Kenya Walton. He showed them the body-cam footage from the raid on their apartments as he built the case. Both women were overwhelmed when they saw the scene from the officers perspective. It was so disgusting to see five to six police officers chasing my 12-year-old down, like he was a dog, Irving says.

But Irving wasnt the only person whod said she had her home breached by the RPD based on faulty evidence. Kesha Knight, now 43, has been disabled since 2011 from multiple strokes and needs a cane or walker for mobility. Her federal civil rights complaint states that on Feb. 12, 2020, she had just gotten out of the shower in her apartment in Northeast Raleigh and was wearing only pajama bottoms and a bra when SEU officers broke into her home. She was later hospitalized with chest pains and anxiety from the incident, and currently suffers from PTSD.

On April 7, 2021, Amir Abboud was at home in the East Raleigh suburbs when video from a home-security camera shows the RPD breaking through his door on a joint narcotics raid with the State Bureau of Investigation. All they found in his home was Abbouds then-pregnant wife and 11-month-old son playing on the living room floor. The boy cried when he saw the RPD point their rifles at him and his mother. After the officers seemed to realize they had the wrong person, they packed up their gear and left, Abboud said.

RECOVERING FROM THE RAID

Amir Abboud was with his then-pregnant wife and young son in their suburban Raleigh home when their door was knocked down during the execution of a search warrant intended for another person.

You got pictures, you got videos, look at em and make sure youre doing the right thing, Abboud says. Theyre getting paid by our tax money. Im paying their salary.

The State Bureau of Investigation and RPD have denied wrongdoing in the incident. Abboud reached out to lawyers in hopes of being compensated, but no one wanted to take his case. He said he was told hed spend more money fighting it than he would get in a settlement. He had given up on getting accountability until he saw details of Irvings home invasion while scrolling through YouTube at work.

Public records obtained by Rubert-Schewel show that the RPD Drugs and Vice Unit executed 438 search warrants between 2018 and 2021. A review of North Carolina search-warrant practices done by law professor Jeffrey Welty out of the University of North Carolina found that quick-knock warrants  warrants where officers announce themselves then break down the door, similar to no-knock warrants  seem to be standard practice in narcotics cases in North Carolina.

In February 2022, Rubert-Schewel, with his firm the Tin Fulton Walker & Owen Law Offices, and attorneys from Emancipate NC, a local legal-support and civil rights nonprofit, filed a lawsuit on behalf of Irving and Walton against the city of Raleigh, Abdullah, and the implicated officers. Weaver was released from prison in March 2022; his civil rights complaint was filed that June. Knights complaint was filed against the city of Raleigh and the officer who obtained the warrant in her case, on Nov. 30, 2022. Abbouds claim against the State Bureau of Investigation was filed in February. Irving and Waltons lawsuit has yet to reach a settlement and is on track for a trial.

The city of Raleigh, the Raleigh Police Department, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigations, and the North Carolina Department of Justice declined to comment for this story, and District Attorney Lorrin Freeman did not respond to multiple calls, voicemails, and emails.

MORE THAN TWO YEARS after former public defender Jackie Willingham wrote her complaint about Omar Abdullah, the former officer was indicted in July 2022 by the Wake County district attorneys office on just one count of obstruction of justice. The indictment stems from the May 21, 2020, raids on Irving, Walton, and Vanirvins apartments.

Prosecutors allege that in the Vanirvin case, Abdullah provided false statements and falsely represented the substance in the controlled buy leading up to the arrest. This offense was infamous, was committed with secrecy and malice, and was done with deceit and intent to defraud, according to the indictment. Attorneys for Abdullah and Williams did not respond to requests for comment.

Abdullah turned himself in days after the indictment. Hes pleaded not guilty to the charge. He plans on vigorously defending himself in the criminal action, his defense lawyer Christian Dysart wrote in a recent court filing. In a March 16 filing in one of the civil rights lawsuits against Abdullah, his attorney wrote that Abdullah expressly denies any allegation that he fabricated evidence. Williams has also pleaded not guilty to his charges.

This alleged deception wasnt even the impetus for stopping the scheme, in Rubert-Schewels view. Rather, it was the apparent theft of some of the cash used in the controlled buy. Rubert-Schewel says $800 was given to Williams to buy heroin from Vanirvin, but only $60 was recovered by the RPD. They knew what was happening, and they knew that the informant was producing fake heroin, he says of Abdullahs RPD Vice team. He laments that nearly two dozen Black people were wrongfully imprisoned, people lost jobs, parents were separated from their children, relationships were destroyed, but no one stopped it until [Williams] stole buy money. He believes theres a good chance most of the false-arrest cases involving Abdullah and Williams have been found, but for cases where Abdullah performed his police work without Williams, there may be dozens more that could be dismissed.

Advocates say that Wake County DA Freeman should follow the lead of the Shelby County DA in Tennessee, who is set to review all the cases involving the officers who were involved in Tyre Nichols death. I think its clear to see that there is a distinctly different way that Freeman and the Wake Countys District Attorneys Office handles interactions with law enforcement, instead of following the gold standard laid out in Memphis, says Dawn Blagrove, executive director and attorney at Emancipate NC.

Christy Lopez, a former head of civil rights litigation in the U.S. Department of Justice, who has investigated numerous police departments, including the Ferguson Police Department after the killing of Michael Brown Jr., says every case connected to Abdullah should be investigated.

These are peoples lives. Theyre in jail, they have criminal records because of, potentially, this guy lying. It should go back as far as the guys been on the force, she says. If you want to do justice, you have to be aggressive about it. You have to send a strong message: This is intolerable.

Howard Jordan, a former Oakland police chief who was an expert consultant on Rubert-Schewels first lawsuit, believed Abdullah suffered from hero-cop syndrome and cut corners to make arrests. Theyre in a position where theyre rewarded for it, Rubert-Schewel says. You add all that up and it creates kind of this toxic environment where, who cares if you get the wrong persons house on a raid? Who cares if you arrest a weed dealer for heroin trafficking? Because at the end of the day you got somebody off the street who probably was bad anyways. He gives a melancholic laugh at the absurdity of it and says, It just so happened that they were wrong about it all.

This story was produced in partnership with The Garrison Project, an independent, nonpartisan organization addressing the crisis of mass incarceration and policing.

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Hundreds of refugees from Ukraine will gather for Easter Sunday at a Protestant church on the outskirts of Galloway, surrounded by farms and forests where spring wildflowers are beginning to peak out from beneath buckeye trees.

Around 600 Ukrainians have arrived in Greater Columbus since Russias invasion last February. Many lost their homes and remain separated from loved ones. They have coalesced around Grace Evangelical Church, which was founded by emigres from the Soviet Union in the 1990s and holds services in Ukrainian, Russian, and English.

The Dispatch spoke with leaders of three refugee-oriented congregations in Greater Columbus, including Grace Evangelicals Associate Pastor Viktor Moskalyuk, about the different and unique ways Easter is celebrated in different corners of the globe. They all spoke of the resurrection as a time of hope and new beginnings, with special resonance for those forced to flee their homes.

The choir sings during a recent Sunday service at Grace Evangelical Church, which has become a hub for refugees and holds services in Ukrainian, Russian, and English. For many refugees who fled their homes, Easter holds extra significance as a time of hope and new beginnings.

Easter gives us comfort, to those who are fleeing (Ukraine.) Just like Christ has risen from the dead, there will be an end to this war, and that will turn into life, said Moskalyuk, 37. That brings a lot of hope to a lot of families right now.

Related: A year after Russia invaded, Ukranians are still picking up the pieces in Columbus area

A Bhutanese Nepali church sees new beginnings

Dilu Raaya Rai worships at Christian Community Friends Church in Reynoldsburg on April 2. With Easter approaching, Pastor Norbu Tamang described his Bhutanese Nepali refugee communitys arrival in the U.S. as a kind of its own resurrection.

Across town in Reynoldsburg, Pastor Norbu Tamang of the Christian Community Friends Church described his own Bhutanese Nepali refugee communitys arrival in the U.S. as a kind of resurrection.

This is like the beginning of a new life for us, Tamang told The Dispatch in Nepali. Just like Jesus began a new life after resurrection, or like a new bud bursts from a tree during spring, we have come to a new country, with new ways, a new language and a new culture.

After being evicted by Bhutan in the early 1990s and spending decades in refugee camps in Nepal, Bhutanese Nepalis began resettlement in the U.S. in 2007. Greater Columbus is home to around 30,000 community members, the majority of whom are Hindu, but with significant Buddhist and Christian minorities, according to the nonprofit Bhutanese Community of Central Ohio.

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Tamang said his 220-member congregation will hold a potluck featuring Nepali dishes like dal bhat (rice and lentils) in a local park after Easter services Sunday.

Christian Community Friends Church parishioners during service in Reynoldsburg on April 2, 2023.

I tell my congregation, every day is a new beginning, but Easter is something special, that we are beginninga new blossoming, he said. Just like spring springs out, live with enthusiasm and zest.

Burmese Baptists celebrate with song and dance

Not far from the Ukrainian congregation in Galloway, members of the Emmanuel Chin Baptist Church were preparing this week for an Easter feast that will feature a whole hog and cow.

The churchs members are Chin, a minority ethnic group from northwestern Myanmar.

Related: 'They steal ... then they burn': Burmese church in Columbus calls out Myanmar injustices

Large numbers of Chin have fled Myanmars repressive military regime, which has controlled the country since 1962 and continues to target them and other ethnic minorities. Around 1,000 Chin former refugees live in Greater Columbus, mostly on the West Side, according to the Rev. John Van Nun Tluang.

Rev. John Van Nun Tluang (pictured in this 2022 file photo) of Emmanuel Chin Baptist Church said his Easter Eve sermon will be followed by a late-night lengkhawm, a traditional singing and dancing session influenced by Chin musical traditions as well as Baptist revivalism.

Tluang, 53, said he will give a sermon about resurrection on Easter Eve, followed by a late-night lengkhawm, a traditional singing and dancing session influenced by Chin musical traditions as well as Baptist revivalism. The majority of Chin people were converted to Christianity by American Baptist missionaries in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, he said.

We praise God with a traditional drum called khuang.  In our country, we were enjoying, we were so happy. And sometimes, all night we danced, Tluang said.

On Easter Sunday morning, Chin in Myanmar often gather on hilltops for outdoor sermons, but in Galloway, Tluang will give a sermon in the churchs sanctuary, followed by a meat-heavy feast.

A Ukrainian congregation focuses on hope

Although Grace Evangelical is a Protestant church, it also hosts Orthodox Christians and will hold Easter services both this Sunday and on Orthodox Easter, celebrated next week, as is common for Protestants in Eastern Europe.

The church has gained around 600 new Ukrainian members since Russias invasion and opened a second location in Grove City to accommodate the extra people, according to Moskalyuk, the associate pastor. It has helped Ukrainian families connect with housing, employment and English classes.

Viktor Moskalyuk is an associate pastor at Grace Evangelical Church in Galloway, which is a Slavic church that offers services in Ukrainian, Russian, and English. The church has gained 600 new Ukrainian members since Russias invasion of Ukraine and has opened a second location in Grove City to accommodate the extra people.

Sitting in the quiet 900-seat sanctuary in Galloway earlier this week, Moskalyuk, recalled fond childhood memories of Easter in Ukraine, from where he immigrated to the U.S. in 2001.

People  would repaint their houses and get everything in order after the winter. There would be a celebration spirit in the communities, he said, noting that even strangers would greet each other by saying Khrystos voskres (Christ has risen) and, in response, Voistyno voskres! (He's risen indeed!)

Related: Bhutan welcomes American tourists. Bhutanese-Nepali-Americans? Not so much

Moskalyuk said that Grace Evangelical has been sending humanitarian aid to Ukraine, and that his sermon this year will focus on hope.

(Easter was) when the darkness was defeated by light, and Jesus Christ overcame death, he said. It doesn't matter what kind of circumstances people go through, there is always hope. There's always hope.

Peter Gill covers immigration, New American communities and religion for the Dispatch in partnership with Report for America. You can support work like his with a tax-deductible donation to Report for America at: bit.ly/3fNsGaZ.

pgill@dispatch.com

@pitaarji

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ukrainian, Bhutanese and Burmese churches celebrate Easter in Columbus
A Home Depot employee stocks smoke and carbon monoxide alarms at an Illinois store. An amendment to the Illinois Smoke Detector Act phases out older-model smoke detectors with removable short-life batteries. (Getty Images / HANDOUT)

Q: I live in a high-rise condo and recently heard a rumor about an update to a statute regarding smoke detectors that apparently affects condos. What is the law regarding smoke detectors in condos?

A: In August 2017, the Illinois Smoke Detector Act was amended to include additional requirements for smoke detectors in residences, and these new requirements took effect on Jan. 1, 2023. In general, the Illinois Smoke Detector Act phases out older-model smoke detectors with removable short-term batteries that need more frequent battery replacement and requires that such older-model smoke detectors be replaced with smoke detectors that are hardwired or have a nonremovable 10-year battery.

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The Illinois Smoke Detector Act applies to all Illinois residences, including condominium buildings, except those located in municipalities of more than 1 million inhabitants, such as Chicago. However, a Chicago ordinance adopted in 2021 aligns with the new smoke detector battery mandate phasing out older model smoke detectors and requires that new or replacement smoke detectors in Chicago condos be hardwired or powered by sealed batteries. Under the Chicago ordinance, any new or replacement smoke detectors in Chicago condos must be hardwired or powered by sealed batteries.

Q: I am a board member in a self-managed Chicago condominium association. The board is aware that last year the city of Chicago proposed an electric vehicle charging ordinance that would affect our association because we have unit owners with electric vehicles. Was the proposed ordinance ever adopted or if not, is there an update to report?

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A: On July 20, 2022, the Chicago City Councils Committee on Housing and Real Estate proposed an ordinance called the Electric Vehicle Right to Charge Ordinance. The proposed ordinance would grant unit owners (and tenants) the right to tie into a community associations garage common electrical system to install an electric vehicle charging station to serve their exclusive parking space (i.e., parking unit or limited common element parking space) so long as certain conditions are met.

However, the proposed ordinance has not yet been approved by the City Council. In fact, the proposed ordinance has not yet moved through the legislative process most likely because as drafted there are many concerns with the legislation that need to be further addressed.

Q: I live in a midsize condominium association where unit owners have always been invited to attend and voice their concerns. Recently, unit owners were informed that they would no longer be allowed to speak at board meetings and unit owners have been directed to email their issues to the management company. Is it true that unit owners are not entitled to speak during board meetings?

A: From a legal standpoint, per Section 18(a)(9) of the Condominium Act, unit owners are entitled to observe the open portion of a board meeting but are not entitled to speak. However, from a practical standpoint, most condominium boards give unit owners the opportunity to ask questions and/or raise concerns during a homeowners open forum before the board meeting is called to order for purposes of engaging with the unit owners (who have an ownership interest in the association).

Got a question for the Condo Adviser? Email ctc-realestate@chicagotribune.com.

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HICKORY  Catawba Valley Community College student Arika Wuest has been named a recipient of the 2023 Academic Excellence Award by the North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS).

The award was created in 1998 to recognize and encourage scholarship among students at all 58 North Carolina community colleges. Every year, each college selects one student to receive the award.

To be eligible, a student must be currently enrolled, have completed at least 12 semester hours in a curriculum degree program and have a cumulative GPA of no less than 3.25.

Wuest received an email in January notifying her that shed received the award.

I was psyched, and I was confused, Wuest said. It was crazy. Coming back to school after so long and seeing that I can achieve something like that was pretty amazing.

CVCC professor Laurie Keatts, who nominated Wuest for the honor, said there are a number of different attributes that make Wuest the perfect recipient.

"Ms. Wuest is an asset to both our college and our community, Keatts said. Her hard work, dedication and commitment to furthering her education are inspiring. I can't wait to see all of the amazing ways she changes the world."

Wuest returned to CVCC two years ago after a hiatus from education. Since then, shes found a new passion and drive in her life.

I had gone through my 20s and 30s living with no problems and no questions, she said. Now my son will be 7 in June. Im a full-time single mother, a full-time employee and a full-time college student. Im looking for a more beneficial future for not only my family, but someone that my son can be proud of.

The path for Wuest has not been an easy one, and its required a lot of personal sacrifices  all that she says have been worth it.

Last summer, I took my son Bradan to Disney World. As Im standing in line to get on rides, Im taking tests to make sure that I can not only fulfill what my son wants, but also fulfill myself academically and professionally, she said. Its a lot to take in, but seeing that everything that Im working towards is paying off is crazy.

Wuest will obtain her Associate in Arts degree from CVCC in May, and she plans to transfer to Appalachian State this fall to major in social work with a minor psychology.

When I graduated high school, I didnt walk across the stage, she said. Ive never been in a cap and gown. This is big for me. Having my son sit there and watch it happen is heartwarming.

While she may have started her college journey late, Wuest has a simple message for those who were in a similar position as her.

Dont give up. Its never too late, she said. You see a lot of statistics. Thats why Im pushing so hard. I dont want to be one of those statistics. I want to show young people to fight for what you believe, fight for what you think is right.

Wuest, along with the 57 other recipients of this honor, will receive a plaque and medallion in honor of their academic accomplishments.

For a complete list of the NCCCS 2023 Academic Excellence Award winners, visit https://www.nccommunitycolleges.edu/news-center/news/2023-academic-excellence-award-winners-named-community-colleges-across-north.
WASHINGTON  The Justice Department is investigating the leak of secret documents from the Pentagon on the war effort in Ukraine that show sensitive data on military activities, including U.S. drone spy planes in the region and use of ammunition by Ukrainian forces.

A Ukrainian MSLR BM-21 "Grad" fires towards Russian positions, at the frontline in Donetsk region, Ukraine, on Saturday, April 8, 2023.

The Justice Department, at the Pentagon's request, has launched an investigation of the leak and who is responsible for the intelligence breach. It's unclear, officials said Saturday, if more documents could be released or the motivation for leaking them.

The Department of Defense is actively reviewing the matter, and has made a formal referral to the Department of Justice for investigation," Sabrina Singh, the Pentagon's deputy press secretary, said in a statement.

The leaks, first reported by The New York Times, include documents released on social media sites, including Twitter.

Detailed information on Ukrainian weaponry

One document appears to have come from the office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. It is dated March 1, and is labeled secret and not for distribution to foreign governments. It details U.S. forces in the region on the ground, air and at sea. The document also includes how many artillery shells Ukrainian forces have fired, including rocket-assisted missiles that have been used to devastating effect on Russian command posts and supply depots.

The Times also reported Saturday that more documents had been released that show the U.S. spying on allies.

Ukrainian soldiers install an anti-tank missile system 'Stugna' near Bakhmut, Donetsk region, Ukraine, Friday, March 17, 2023.

Senior administration officials contacted Saturday by USA TODAY called the leaks worrisome. One said it's unclear if more will be released. The sources were not authorized to speak publicly about the matter.

More context: Ukraine keeps fighting in Bakhmut; Pentagon investigating leak, report says: Live updates

Why did the documents about Ukraine leak online?

A second administration source called the leak an egregious betrayal of trust but speculated that the information released had limited value because it is several weeks old. The war changes rapidly, day by day, rendering the information a snapshot in time, the source said.

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The motivation for the leaks is unclear, according to that source. It's possible that hundreds of people had access to the documents. The administration official said it could be an extremist who sympathizes with Russia and Vladimir Putin, or an ideologue bent on changing the course of the war, or a disloyal U.S. spy.

Those who spill U.S. government secrets face stiff penalties. Chelsea Manning was sentenced to 35 years in prison in 2013 for her role in leaking classified government material to WikiLeaks. President Barack Obama commuted her sentence in 2017.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why did secret Pentagon documents about Ukraine leak online?
Motley Crue guitarist Mick Mars filed a lawsuit against his bandmates on Thursday, accusing them of forcing him out of the 41-year-old hair metal band and keeping him from all future profits. The alleged cut-off occurred after Mars announced hed be retiring from touring due to a chronic inflammatory disease.

The lawsuit, obtained by the New York Times, claims the rest of the band (Tommy Lee, Nikki Sixx and Vince Neil) called an emergency shareholders meeting in which they schemed to fire Mars from the bands corporations and entities.

It is beyond sad that, after 41 years together, a band would try to throw out a member who is unable to tour anymore because he has a debilitating disease, Edwin F. McPherson, Mars lawyer, told The Times. Mick has been pushed around for far too long in this band, and we are not going to let that continue.

McPherson did not immediately respond to TheWraps request for comment.

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The bands legal representation told The Times the group had agreed some 15 years ago that they would cut off any of the members from earnings from performances should they step down.

Motley Crue co-founder, bassist and primary songwriter, Nikki Sixx, tweeted the bands response to the lawsuit. Sad day for us and we dont deserve this considering how many years weve been propping him up, Sixx wrote. We still wish him the best and hope he finds lawyers and managers who arent damaging him. We love you Mick.

Mars announced last October he would be retiring due to the pain caused by his ankylosing spondylitis, a disease that can cause the spine to seize up and freeze. Mars, 71, was first diagnosed with the disease when he was 27, according to The Times.

In the lawsuit, Mars claims Sixx gaslighted him by telling him he was a bad guitar player who played the wrong chords while on stage. Mars did not deny he would occasionally play the wrong chords, but that was only because of a defective in-ear monitor.

Mars last performed with the band in September 2022, in Las Vegas. Mars said in the suit he would still perform with Motley Crue in residency situations, and would still record with the band, according to The Times.

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Timothee Chalamet Will Sing in Bob Dylan Biopic, According to Director James Mangold
Michael Lerner, best known for his roles in Barton Fink, Godzilla and Elf, has died. He was 81.

Lerners nephew, "The Goldbergs" actor Sam Lerner, confirmed his death in an Instagram post Sunday. A cause of death was not given.

"We lost a legend last night," Sam wrote alongside a series of throwback photos of Lerner. "Its hard to put into words how brilliant my uncle Michael was, and how influential he was to me. His stories always inspired me and made me fall in love with acting.

"He was the coolest, most confident, talented guy, and the fact that he was my blood will always make me feel special."

USA TODAY has reached out to Lerners representatives for further details.

Born in 1941 to Romanian-Jewish parents and raised in Brooklyn's Red Hook neighborhood, Lerner made his acting debut with a guest role on the medical drama Dr. Kildare in 1963. He went on to appear in numerous television series in the following decades, such as The Brady Bunch, The Odd Couple, The Rockford Files, The A-Team and Hill Street Blues.

Lerner began acting in his native Brooklyn as a teen and into his days at Brooklyn College, where he got the chance to play Willie Loman in Death of a Salesman. His ambitions to pursue acting professionally crystalized when he received a Fulbright Scholarship and chose to study theater at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts, where he lived in an apartment with Yoko Ono for a time, appearing in her short film Smile." His brother, Ken Lerner, also became an actor.

Lerners big break in show business came when he landed the role of monologuing movie mogul Jack Lipnick in the Coen brothers' 1991 comedy thriller Barton Fink, co-starring John Turturro, John Goodman and Judy Davis. The role earned Lerner an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor in 1992.

Michael Lerner, best known for his roles in Barton Fink, Godzilla and Elf, has died at the age of 81, his nephew Sam Lerner revealed Sunday.

Drawing inspiration from Preston Sturges movies, Lerner said the Coens didnt give him much acting direction and were a little nervous that I was talking so fast but that they let him do what he wanted.

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"I had auditioned for Joel and Ethan before, for 'Millers Crossing.' So I walked into the room, as the character, and I dont say hello to anybody. And I sit down behind my desk and do this big speech: Bart! Bart! So great to see you, Lerner told The Associated Press in 2016. I did the monologue the way I wanted to do it and I just walked out of the room and that was it. And Joel and Ethan were just sitting in a corner just laughing and laughing and that was it.

Following the success of Barton Fink, Lerner continued to appear in various films and TV series, including Clueless, Godzilla, Elf, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Glee. Lerners most recent role was in the Sergey Mokritskiy-directed war drama "Pervyy Oskar" in 2022.

Everyone that knows him knows how insane he was in the best way, Sam concluded his post. Im so lucky I got to spend so much time with him, and were all lucky we can continue to watch his work for the rest of time.

'A shining example': Edward 'Kidd' Jordan, jazz saxophonist and teacher, dies at 87

'You are in a better place now': Andres Garcia, Mexican telenovela actor, dies at 81 after liver illness

Contributing: Lindsey Bahr, The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Michael Lerner death: 'Elf' and 'Barton Fink' actor was 81
And on Martha Stewart's farm there was a "very cute couple"Pete Davidson and Chase Sui Wonders.

The pair recently visited the lifestyle guru at her sprawling estate, Cantitoe Corners, in Bedford, New York while touring the town with a real estate broker.

"@hellofrommuffin dropped by with two friends @pete_davidson_bupkis and @chasesuiwonders," Martha, 81, wrote on Instagram April 9Easter Sunday. "They were out looking at our beautiful town of Bedford. I showed them around the farm and inside the winter house where the Easter Bunnies were getting ready for Sunday."

The TV personality added, "Very cute couple !!!!"

Chase, 26, commented on the post with emojis of two bunnies and a white heart.

In her post, Martha shared a photo of herself standing with Pete, 29, and the actress on the front steps to a building on her property, which spans more than 150 acres. The SNL alum, a native of New York City (located about 66 miles south of the farm) appears in between the two women while holding a carton of eggs.

Pete Davidson and Chase Sui Wonders Vacation in Hawaii

Martha, whose farm is home to at least 200 chickens and other animals, shared her post more than two months after Pete and Chase, co-stars in the 2022 movie Bodies Bodies Bodies and his upcoming Peacock semi-autobiographical action-comedy series Bupkis, appeared to confirmed their romance during a PDA-filled visit to Universal Studios Hollywood, which was followed by two romantic trips to Hawaii.

instagram.com/marthastewart48

Despite showcasing their affections publicly, neither actor has spoken about their relationship.

Pete and Martha go way back. They first met in 2015 at the Comedy Central Roast of Justin Bieber. In April 2022, she hung out with the actor and then-girlfriend Kim Kardashian at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, where they made their red carpet debut as a couple.

Eric Charbonneau/Shutterstock; Getty Images

At the time, the Martha Stewart Living icon told E! News that Pete and Kim made an "an unlikely pairing and much, much more unlikely than my steak tartare and Ruffles potato chips." She also said, "They're cute together. They seem to have a nice affection for one another, which is so nice."

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The following August, Pete and Kim broke up, after which fans circulated a meme that suggested the actor, also known for other past high-profile romances with stars such as ex-fiance Ariana Grande, Bridgerton's Phoebe Dynevor and Kate Beckinsale, would date Martha next. She then told the Daily Mail, "Pete Davidson is like the son I never had. He is a charming boy who is finding his way."

In October 2022, Martha spoke about Pete's love life on The Drew Barrymore Show. "He's dated so many women," she said. "I'm not saying that's bad. I think that's good. He's sort of cute. I know everybody loves him."

Pete himself recently spoke about the growing mass interest in his dating life. "I'm in my 20s and I've dated people and for some reason, that's very crazy and interesting to people," he said on the March 30 episode of the Real Ones With Jon Berthnal podcast. "I don't think it's interesting."

He continued, "In 10 years, I've dated 12 people," he explained. "I don't think that's that crazy, but to some people, that's very interesting. That became all anyone would talk about."

(E! and Peacock are part of the NBCUniversal.)

For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App
Anika Molnar/Netflix



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The passion with which Lucas Englander speaks about Transatlantic, and playing Albert Hirschman, is evident.

"My life has changed because of this series," Englander, an Austrian actor, tells me over Zoom from a friend's apartment in Paris. He has previously appeared in small parts in Catherine the Great and The Witcher, but this is his first leading role on TV. Englander threw himself into playing Hirschman, a real life German Jewish refugee who worked with Varian Fry (played by Cory Michael Smith) and the Emergency Rescue Committee to help many escape occupied France. He considered enlisting in the army after wrapping, so inspired by the real life Albert Hirschman's hunger to help others. He's also reconnected with his family's heritage, particularly the story of his grandfather, Alois Englander.



Anika Molnar/Netflix

In Transatlantic, Englander's Albert falls for Mary Jayne Gold (Gillian Jacobs), and is torn between his sister's desire for him to save himself and his own need to help others. Englander describes Albert's mindset maybe in this time period as "I am burning and I don't know where to go." Over a long chat, we spoke about the presence of history, his grandfather's attempt to assassinate Hitler (yes, really), and what it means to bring this story to Netflix.



What drew you to Transatlantic in the first place?

I received a few sides [Ed. note: pages from a script] from my German agent about a casting where he was like, 'I think you want to look into that.' I was, at that moment, in a very, very stormy time in my life. I had no time and I looked at the sidesI couldn't, it was too harsh, too hard, too something that I didn't want to touch. After about ten days of having them, I looked at them and I learned them.

I do my lines very often with my mom and dadit's not necessarily just because I need line readers to help me, because I can't memorize things if I just read them by myself, but it's really because that makes me be able to spend time with them.

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I was doing the lines with my mom, and suddenly I started feeling very emotional. While doing the lines with my mom, I asked her about my grandfather's journey because I knew about it, but not really. I knew that we had a Jewish lineage, but it's been cut off, it's been transformed into no religion. Suddenly, while talking to her, I realized that what this Albert that we have created is living something that was very close to my grandfather's story. Like my grandfather, he became a refugee, and he left to the States.

Before he left to the States, he tried to assassinate Hitler. He left to the States in quite a funny journeybut I'll tell you another time.

Tell me everything!

brandstaetter images - Getty Images

My grandfather was something called Prager Osterreicher [Ed. note: Austrians with a strong connection to Prague], which were Austrians that lived between Prague and Vienna, very often tied to finance or other jobs of that sort. There were a lot of Jewish families that were Prager Osterreicher. His family converted to Christianity at the turn of the 19th century because of persecution, but he was still seen as a quarter Jew. He had connections to resistance cells in Austria and in the Czech Republic. He found himself with revolvers, waiting at the street corner, having had the plans of Hitler's convoywaiting for him to show up and knowing that he's gonna do this and he's willing to die for it. Hitler never came, he took another road!

He left, and before he left, he had a call with a friend from the States. His friend was like "Alois, we need rubbers! You need to get as many rubbers as possible. We need rubbers." And my granddad's like, ok, perfect. No problem. We got a lot of condoms. I'm gonna buy a lot of condoms. And so my granddad buys a lot of condoms, puts them all into a suitcase, leaves, makes this crazy journeyAustria, Czech Republic, Poland, Switzerland, somehow, over Russia, China to Japan. Arrives in L.A. meets his friend and is like, "There you go. We're gonna make a big business." His friend is like, "What the freaking hell is that?" And he's like the "condoms" and the guy is like, "rubberswe need rubbers, pencil rubbers!"

Irving Haberman/IH Images - Getty Images

So he arrived in the States, he worked as a firefighter for the New York Fire Department. He wanted to go back to war, but he couldn't because he had flat feet. He worked for a rescue organization that helped Austrian refugees cross the channel. All this suddenly exploded inside of me as I spoke to my mom.

I did the audition and while I did the audition, I just couldn't stop crying. Between the takes, I just really needed a lot of time to do them, because suddenly I felt my story, my family's storywell, one side of it. I am also Austrian. My father's side have also served in the war on the other side, while my mother's side escaped. To be allowed to understand this, and to be allowed to understand also this place of why it is no more, to understand what a certain sense of persecution can do, and can eliminate, extinguish, delete from history. Made me just... made me feel very warm about this project.

What was it like working on a period drama that felt so relevant to current events?

Anika Molnar/Netflix

It felt like the project influenced my behavior in the real world, to the degree where it became a little dangerousbecause the Albert we are telling is not the real Albert Hirschman, right? He's somebody who's put together from like Albert Hirschman, other influences like Justus Rosenberg, Charles Fawcett, influences of people who were all part of the ERC and, he's also representing, I find, this certain form of almost post-burnout need to do and trying to grab on to every new energy,

It opened up inside of me, this place of, I was sure that after the show, I'm going to go to the Austrian military. I'm gonna do my service. I'm going to join some kind of forces or I'm going to at least know that if an attack happens on European soil, that I can defend and I know what to do. This idea, it hasn't left me.

But obviously, I've also understood: I'm not Albert, I'm more one of the artists. And this is my power, and I should not forget the power of thatas much as I enjoy putting weight on to my shoulders and believing that I'm never doing enough in all this, I should also understand that it's OK to be a voice through my work, be it as an actor or be it as other forms of art that I'm finding.

What was it like filming in Marseille where these events actually took place? Did it connect you more to the history? What was it like for the cast to be on location like that?

My own process of going into characters that is coming to me recently is something that is very fluid. I do take on certain patterns of lifestyle that these characters have. Albert was somebody who was very much out and about in the city, and was connecting to various dodgy thingsbe it mafia, prostitution, or just street life and gangs. There was a part of me that opened up to this thing of Marseille as well, where I lived a certain kind of Albert lifestyle, to a certain degree, not in any way that was too edgy, but in a way where where I feel like I connected to the city through Albert.

Marseille's a port, you have a vibrance of cultures there that live with an authentic kind of conversation and therefore also a certain sense of brutality. It is incredible to experience, and something that I could relate to very much because it. I grew up in Vienna, and part of my teenage years I spent with a certain group of people where brutality was the case. Marseille felt normal.

Anika Molnar/Netflix

What was it like to work with such an international cast?

I was honestly a little intimidated by the fact that I'm in a leading role next to American actors who are not only known, but who are doing admirable work. Maybe that was also Albert as well, right? That was a mixture as well. This part of, I'm nobody but I'm being seen and I'm on the same level. Albert forced me to be on the same level.

There is this disparity still happening; you're more important when you're an American actorit's just a strange thing and I think we're getting past it. But because I'm young and because I obviously also have dreams of certain projects in the States, I definitely felt this place with a certain kind strange respect that wasn't necessarily truthful. I'm this Austrian kid for whom this is the biggest project so far. And I'm like, I need everything. I want to bite into everything.

Anika Molnar/Netflix

Apart from that, it was easy because we were a gang. We really became friends, and Ralph [Amoussou] is now one of my closest friends in France.

What does it mean to bring this story to a global platform like Netflix? What do you hope people learn? What did you learn?



I learned everything about it. Everything I learned, I learned through this process. I did not know anything about this story before and to be able to be given that gift, already, oh my God, incredible. My life has changed because of the seriesbecause of knowledge.

Shop Now Albert O. Hirschman: An Intellectual Biography $26.00 amazon.com

You're allowed to act, you're allowed to act on things. It doesn't matter if you fail, you try it, you go for it. If it's dangerous, don't fear away from it just because it's dangerous, you gotta go for it, you gotta do it.

Albert has this sentence that he wrote in one of his books. He wrote, "full and complete knowledge is not a necessary precondition for action." I think it's so beautiful and I think that the thing that they have created, the ERC, it's collective force. It's people from all different paths of life being together, accepting each other. In a world where we're becoming very individualist, I think the ERC is a shining star. They were people from everywhere, they were refugees, they were rich people, they were just Americans who were like, what the fuck is this? They were people in the consulateI mean, there was one person in the consulate.

All these little parts that work together, that's the magic. To dare to make that call, to dare to do these things and not to be afraid of action, but doing it together and not making it about yourself. None of those people made it about themselves.

Anika Molnar/Netflix

It sounds like Albert and this story has really lingered with you since filming.



I cannot think of a more important turning point of my life. I'm really not a perfect person in any way, but to know that that's okay, and to see people succeed in doing things together because they really sat down and they were like, we're gonna do this. That's my dream.

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How could a huge treasure-trove of manuscripts by a significant composer lie forgotten in a derelict building for more than half a century? It would be the stuff of dreams if it didnt spark a sense of fury as well. In 2009 the new owners of what had once been Florence Prices summer house in St Anne, Illinois, discovered her papers moldering away in the property they were about to renovate. Though celebrated in the 1930s as the first Black American woman to have a symphony performed by a major US orchestra, she was largely forgotten after her death in 1953, her legacy not just neglected, but literally abandoned. Among the manuscripts were her two violin concertos and her Symphony No. 4.

The poet Langston Hughes  a friend of composer Florence Price  wrote that a dream deferred might ultimately explode. Prices dream was deferred for many decades; now, at last, it seems to be exploding in the best possible way. Recordings cannot be much more high-profile than the Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Yannick Nezet-Seguin on Deutsche Grammophon whose critically acclaimed album, Florence Price: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 3, won Best Orchestral Performance at the 2022 Grammy Awards.

Listen to Yannick Nezet-Seguin and the Philadelphia Orchestras recording of Florence Price: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 3 on Apple Music and Spotify and scroll down to rediscover the music of Florence Price.

reDiscover Composer Florence Price

Where did Florence Prices history go so wrong? As The New Yorkers music critic Alex Ross wrote: That run-down house in St Anne is a potent symbol of how a country can forget its cultural history.

She was born Florence B. Smith, into a mixed-race family in Little Rock, Arkansas, on 9 April 1887. Her musical talent showed early on: she gave her first piano performance at the age of four and her first composition was published when she was 11. Her mother had been a schoolteacher; her father, James H. Smith, was the only Black dentist in the city, highly successful and politically active.

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Little Rock only had two Black-owned hotels and local families would therefore often accommodate Black visitors in their homes. The affluent Smiths visitors included the concert pianist John Blind Boone, who became a mentor to Florence; the social reformer and abolitionist Frederick Douglass; and the aforementioned Langston Hughes. Neighbours included the Still family, whose son, the composer William Grant Still, therefore coincidentally grew up with Price.

After leaving school at 14, Price entered the New England Conservatory to study organ and piano, having made out, on her mothers advice, that her background was Mexican. She was one of few Black students, one of the youngest and among only a handful of women. Her composition teacher, George Chadwick, was a major influence and while there she composed her first String Trio and took initial steps towards a symphony.

Price incorporated Spirituals and African American folk melodies

From the start, composer Florence Price incorporated Spirituals and African American folk melodies and rhythms into her work, something Dvorak had encouraged in budding American composers while he taught in New York in the 1890s. This music continued to permeate her works, for instance the Juba dances in the Piano Concerto in One Movement and the Symphonies Nos. 1, 3 and 4 (No. 2 sadly is still missing). The Juba dance was first brought to South Carolina by slaves from Congo; the rhythms hint at it being an ancestor of ragtime.

Prices early twenties were beset by family problems. After her fathers death, her mother disappeared to her former home of Indianapolis and never contacted her daughter again. The same had been true of Florences brother.

Aged 26, Florence married a lawyer, Thomas Price. Having held teaching posts in various colleges in the Atlanta and Arkansas areas, she had become head of the music department of what was later Clark Atlanta University; but her new husband had a legal practice in Little Rock and after moving there she was unable to find work, the town having become racially segregated. In 1927 a Black man was lynched there during an upsurge of racial tensions. Like many others the Price family, with their three children, left the Deep South for the relative safety of Chicago, becoming part of the Great Migration.

Here Florence Price found herself in the midst of the Chicago Black Renaissance, a creative movement spanning the arts in the citys Black southern areas during the Thirties and Forties. She threw herself with gusto into a fresh period of study, taking lessons in composition, enrolling in language and liberal arts classes and publishing four pieces for piano. Her Fantasie Negre was premiered in 1930 by the pianist and composer Margaret Bonds, one of Prices students, at the 12th annual convention of the National Association of Negro Musicians. In 1931, aged 44, Price and her husband were divorced; her second marriage also ended in separation in 1934. She earned a living meanwhile by writing jingles for the radio, plus popular songs under the pseudonym Vee Jay and accompanying silent films on the organ.

It was the solidarity of her friends and colleagues in the Chicago Black Renaissance that appears to have provided her with the secure basis that she needed. Having to move in with friends during the years of the Great Depression, she lived with Margaret Bonds, who already enjoyed strong connections with Langston Hughes and the contralto Marian Anderson. In 1932 both composers entered works for the Wanamaker Foundation Awards. Price won first prize for her Symphony No. 1 in E minor and third for her Piano Sonata, while Bonds won the song category.

First Black woman to have a symphony performed by major US orchestra

The famous performance of Florence Prices Symphony No. 1 by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under conductor Frederick Stock, the first symphony by a Black woman to be performed by a major American orchestra, took place in 1933, in a program called The Negro in Music, sponsored by the music critic Maude Roberts George. An entire program of Prices works was presented by the Illinois Host House at the Chicago Worlds Fair the same year. Price seemed thereafter to go from strength to strength, with performances of her music given, for example, by two womens orchestras in Chicago. She was the soloist in the premiere of her own sparkling Piano Concerto in One Movement in 1934.

In 1938 the Works Progress Administrations Federal Music Project commissioned her Symphony No. 3, which was premiered in 1940 by the Detroit Civic Orchestra, alongside the Piano Concerto. It brings to rich fruition the personal style embryonic in the Symphony No. 1: full of dramatic flair, with powerfully characteristic melodies, intense colors woven through the orchestration, and an irresistibly catchy and upbeat optimism in the Juba Dance third movement that quite belies the grim surroundings of the Depression.

The Detroit Free Press reviewed both works with enthusiasm: Mrs. Price, both in the [piano] concerto and in the symphony, spoke in the musical idiom of her own people, and spoke with authority. The review praised the musics emotional warmth, melodic satisfaction, a slow movement of majestic beauty and a finale which swept forward with great vigor.

Florence Price became a member of the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers soon afterward. Despite such marks of recognition, however, she was encountering a glass ceiling that was proving impossible to crack.

To begin with I have two handicaps - those of sex and race

My dear Dr. Koussevitzky, she wrote to the conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, To begin with I have two handicaps - those of sex and race. I am a woman; and I have some Negro blood in my veins. She then spoke of Koussevitzky knowing the worst. The approach proved fruitless.

Indeed, her musical fortunes seemed to be waning. Her Fourth Symphony was composed in 1945, but never performed in her lifetime. It had to wait until 2018 (nine years after its discovery in the St Anne stash) to be heard in public. Again it features a Juba as scherzo and references to Spirituals, notably Wade in the Water in the finale. Among her last works was her Violin Concerto No. 2, a lyrical work in a single movement dating from 1952, when Price was considering a trip to Europe to explore career potential there.

In 1949, composer Florence Price dedicated two of her Spiritual arrangements to Marian Anderson, who sang them frequently. These and her earlier arrangements associated with Anderson, especially My Souls Been Anchored in the Lord (recorded by her in 1937), helped to keep Prices name alive in the years of neglect after her death in 1953.

There was another problem. After World War II, late-romantic styles were being relegated to the past. Musical fashion was turning towards modernism and atonality, perhaps indicating a deep-seated cultural need to leave behind the spheres that had given way to such devastation. Composers such as Florence Price who had always written in traditional forms and idioms were now effectively experiencing a new form of discrimination, from which only certain figures at the very highest level seemed to be excepted (and even then, not always).

Thanks to a tremendous resurgence of interest in the work of neglected female composers and ethnically diverse composers, Prices music is now being heard at many of the worlds leading concert halls, and is often championed by the excellent Chineke! Orchestra. She is becoming a symbol for swathes of music left behind by a world that seemed to accept only a narrow range of music into the so-called canon. Several decades from now, the history of music in the 20th century may be written again. Chances are that it will at last present a very different picture from that generally accepted at the start of the 21st.

Buy or stream Yannick Nezet-Seguin and The Philadelphia Orchestras recording of Florence Price: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 3 here.

For the latest music news and exclusive features, check out uDiscover Music.

uDiscover Music is operated by Universal Music Group (UMG). Some recording artists included in uDiscover Music articles are affiliated with UMG.
Weekend Update wasted no time jumping right into Donald Trumps arraignment in Manhattan on this weeks episode of NBCs Saturday Night Live, with co-host Colin Jost joking that he agrees with cries of foul play within its proceedings.

Even the courtroom sketch artist seems to hate him, Jost said of Trump. When he showed up, I thought he looked perfectly nice. He had blended his foundation, he had stapled down his hair. But the guy still drew him like the Mud Monster from Scooby-Doo.'

The weekly segment began with Jost touching on Wall Street Journal journalist Evan Gershkovich, whose arrest in Russia under charges of espionage has been met with global outcry.

The Wall Street Journal is calling on Russia to release one of their journalists who was arrested on espionage charges  and I might have the perfect idea for a prisoner swap, Jost said, calling up a photo of Trump on the upper left of the screen.

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He then made the quick pivot to Tuesdays arrest and arraignment and the responses weve seen in the ensuing days.

Former President Trump was arraigned on Tuesday, and a photographer released this photo of Trump in the courtroom, Jost said, showcasing an image TheWrap itself has used in its trial coverage. He compared the image to the O.J. Simpson murder trial of the mid 90s. I dont like that hes flanked by an O.J.-amount of lawyers, because that tells me that hes definitely guilty and that hes definitely getting away with it.

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Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyns Rumored Breakup Sends Distraught Swifties Reeling: Tonight Were Spiraling

Weekend Update co-host Michael Che also took a few jabs at the former president.

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After his arraignment, Donald Trump spoke to supporters at Mar-a-Lago and said that theres a very dark cloud over our beloved country  which is also what he used to call Obama, Che joked, turning his attention to the Trump daughters respective responses to their fathers legal troubles.

Insiders are saying that since Donald Trumps indictment, his daughter Ivanka has been absent, and his other daughter, Tiffany, is trying to take her place by his side  just as soon as she gets through security.

Watch those jokes and more in the Weekend Update video above.

Also Read:

Jon Stewart Says the Disappointed Left Treated Trump Indictment Like the Final Confrontation With Thanos (Video)
LEXINGTON, Ky.  With four weeks left until the Kentucky Derby, no trainer holds a stronger hand than Todd Pletcher.

Tapit Trice stamped himself a major player for the May 6 Run for the Roses at Churchill Downs, winning an exciting stretch duel over Verifying to capture Saturdays $1 million, Grade 1 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland.

It was the third major prep victory for Pletcher in as many weeks. Kingsbarns won the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby two weeks ago, and Forte established himself as the likely Kentucky Derby favorite by winning the Grade 1 Florida Derby last week.

Pletcher won his second Kentucky Derby in 2017 with Always Dreaming and  with a record 62 all-time starters in the Run for the Roses  knows all too well about the burden of expectations.

Never take anything for granted, he said after Saturdays victory. We feel great about the hand we have right now, but its four long weeks to get there.

Kentucky Derby 2023: Which horses are in the field and on the bubble?

Keeneland Spring Meet 2023: What to know about this month's 19 stakes races in Lexington

With Luis Saez riding, Tapit Trice covered the 1 1/8 miles on a fast track in 1:50 and paid $5.28 to win as the 8-5 favorite.

Verifying took a brief lead turning for home but ultimately finished a neck behind the winner.

Jockey Luis Saez aboard Tapit Trice rides past Tyler Gaffalione on Verifying to claim the 2023 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes April 8 at Keeneland. April 8, 2023

He ran the race I expected him to run, only I expected him to win, trainer Brad Cox said. But he ran very, very hard. I was very proud of him. Obviously, Todds horse is very, very good.

Indeed, Tapit Trice has established himself as a major player on the Triple Crown trail.

A son of Tapit, Tapit Trice was purchased for $1.3 million at the 2021 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Pletcher said he knew early on that Tapit Trice lacked early speed and likely would excel at longer distances, starting him off with a one-mile race in November at Aqueduct. Tapit Trice finished third.

Better Derby Betting is back! Get tickets to see racing experts discuss betting at the Derby

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More Keeneland racing: Long shot Defining Purpose wins Ashland Stakes with eye on Kentucky Oaks 2023

Hes one that identified himself early on with real talent, Pletcher said. We knew he wasnt a quick horse, wasnt a sprinter. We started him off at a mile, and he closed well that day.

Hes 4 for 4 since then, breaking his maiden on a muddy track in December at Aqueduct, winning an optional-claimer at Gulfstream in February and then capturing the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby on March 11.

Co-owner Mandy Pope has been impressed by Tapit Trices progress.

It seems like everything you throw at him, he takes it all in stride, Pope said. He never gets overly mental about anything. He just goes and does it with a lot of energy and thoughtfulness. Hes not going to do anything stupid.

Jockey Luis Saez aboard Tapit Trice is led through the Winner's Circle after winning the $1 million 2023 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes Saturday at Keeneland. April 8, 2023

Tapit Trice, who had the No. 1 post position, raced mid-pack early before Saez decided to make a move on the backstretch.

Verifying was second early on as he stalked the front-running Clear the Air.

I made a little move early because the pace was pretty slow (and) so I could get behind the horse we were supposed to beat, Saez said. I know we have to beat everybody, but (Verifying) was the horse to follow.  When he made his move, we were right on top of him.

It became a match race down the stretch, as Verifying finished 5  lengths ahead of third-place Blazing Sevens. Sun Thunder was another half-length back in fourth.

Kentucky Derby 2023: Here's your complete guide to the 149th Run for the Roses

Tapit Trice is now 4-0-1 in five career starts and has earned $883,650 for Pope and fellow co-owner Antony Beck of Gainesway Stable.

Now, its a waiting game for Pletcher and his trio of Kentucky Derby contenders. If Forte is the favorite, Tapit Trice isnt far behind.

I think hes improving all the time, Pletcher said. Weve always felt more distance, he was going to be well-suited for that. Were happy get him out to a mile and an eighth today, and I think a mile and a quarter is going to be even better for him.

Jason Frakes: 502-582-4046; jfrakes@courier-journal.com; Twitter: @KentuckyDerbyCJ.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky Derby 2023: Tapit Trice wins Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland
The moon rises at sunset over the skyline of Scarborough on the outskirts of Christchurch, New Zealand, Wednesday, June 3, 2020. | Mark Baker, Associated Press

Theres a reason The Lord of the Rings movies were filmed in New Zealand. The island country has diverse landscapes and beautiful scenery. And now could be your chance to get there for free.

One American has the opportunity to get a free, four-day trip sponsored by Tourism New Zealand and the Professional Association of Diving Instructors. The trip comes as a way to have the ultimate New Zealand underwater experience, per the press release.

The winner of the sweepstakes wins free roundtrip flights to and from the country, hotel stays, covered transportation and a scuba diving excursion at Poor Knights Islands with Dive! Tutukaka, according to USA Today.

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Many divers argue that Poor Knights Islands is one of the best diving spots in the world, and it also features some of the worlds largest sea caves, sea arches and dramatic sea cliffs, per USA Today.

Thrillist says that outside of the scenery on land, the faraway country has so much more to show you  if you are willing to, quite literally look below the surface.

How to enter to win a free trip to New Zealand

Heres how Americans can enter to win.

U.S. residents can enter the contest at newzealand.com.

You have from now until April 26 to enter.

You must be 18-years-old or older to enter.

You just enter your email, name and zip code and select your travel interests, which range from: outdoors, cuisine, wining and dining, thrills, nightlight and culture.

Agree to the terms and conditions.

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Nearly two years ago, Aimy Steele started the New North Carolina Project, a group modeled on Georgia Democrat Stacey Abram's voter registration work and the New Georgia Project  efforts that helped transformed the state into a purple swing state.

The goal was simple: register thousands of potential voters of color before the 2022 midterm elections.

But earlier this year, the decision was made to lay off the entire 20-member staff of the New North Carolina Project, including herself. Now a team of five volunteers staff the organization.

The main reason for the layoffs? Finances.

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"When you're raising and also spending and trying to keep people employed as a small business owner, it is challenging," Steele said.

North Carolina is trending towards becoming a purple state, yet it has not reached the same status that Georgia has in swaying congressional and presidential elections. Efforts like the New North Carolina Project hope to change that. But without the money to pay staffers, the work becomes limited.

Fundraising hampers voter engagement work

Steele said the organization started in 2022 with less than $1 million n the bank.

By the end of the election cycle, the group had knocked on more than 60,000 doors, made 136,000 phone calls, and texted 2.2 million numbers.

But without continuous financing, the New North Carolina Project had to make a tough decision on layoffs.

"The way political infrastructures are funded these days, it really just only matters to certain funders that they fund right before an election and that's not sustainable," Steele said.

Unlike Georgia, North Carolina doesn't have its own Atlanta a metropolitan area that includes high-income Black and brown residents who can invest in get-out-the-vote work.

Charlotte is the largest urban area in North Carolina, with more than 1.35 million residents, according to the 2020 Census. White residents make up nearly 40% of the population, Black residents are 35% of the city, followed by Hispanics at 15% and Asian Americans at 6.5%.

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In comparison, the Atlanta metropolitan area has more than 6.1 million residents and is the ninth-largest metro area in the U.S. White residents make up more than 38% of the population, Black residents make up 36% followed by Hispanics at 13% and Asian Americans at 8%.

A sign directs voters at Bank of America Stadium on Nov. 5, 2022, in Charlotte, North Carolina. It marked the last day for early voting in the state before Election Day on Nov. 8.

Voters of color need more engagement

Democrat Cheri Beasley narrowly lost her North Carolina Senate bid to Republican Ted Budd last year by less than 4 percentage points.

A poll from HIT strategies and Black to the Future Action Fund last month found 22% of Black North Carolinians didn't vote last year. If they had, it could have swayed the election in Beasley's favor.

Voters said a main reason for not casting a ballot is because they didn't know enough about the candidates.

Poll: Gun control legislation, white supremacy and economy top priorities for Black voters

Beasley told USA TODAY that while on the campaign trail, people told her they didn't vote because candidates weren't coming to their communities or addressing their needs.

But Beasley also said the other reason why Black and brown voters didn't vote is because of legislation that limits access to the ballot, like voter identification laws and attempts to cut early voting days.

Voting access: America's fierce debate over voting access intensifies as midterm elections loom

"All of that is important to think about why voters need to have information but also that voting and voter legislation and voting rules have to be transparent," said Beasley. "We need transparency in voter access and information. And transparency doesn't lead to fraud. It leads to voter greater participation."

It's why Beasley is pushing back against gerrymandering and laws that limit voting.

RALEIGH, NC - MAY 17: North Carolina Democratic Senate candidate Cheri Beasley speaks to a crowd during an election night event on May 17, 2022 in Raleigh, North Carolina. Beasley, a former North Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice, won the Democratic midterm primary election and will face off against Republican primary winner Rep. Ted Budd. (Photo by Sean Rayford/Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 775813245 ORIG FILE ID: 1240734903

Political parties let down voters of color in North Carolina

Kay Brown, a former New North Carolina Project employee and current Greensboro NAACP president, said more lawmakers will need to prove their commitments to voters in order to help change the political landscape in North Carolina.

"People need to see that they're fighting for them. So it's not just that Black and brown people just don't show up because they don't care," Brown said. "For those folks, there has also been a history of both parties failing them."

North Carolina's Supreme Court has been embroiled in a legal battle over whether the state's voter ID law is racially discriminatory. The high court ruled in December that the 2018 law was racially discriminatory, but in February the Republican-majority court decided to rehear the case.

Democrats have a problem with Black male voters: VP Kamala Harris is quietly trying to fix it

Expanding Medicaid

A key victory advocates pointed to as something that helps people of color in North Carolina: the expansion of Medicaid.

After Republicans dropped their decade-long opposition, North Carolina last month became the 40th state to expand Medicaid. The expansion will help hundreds of thousands of low-income residents, but it took years of organizing for the expansion to happen.

People of color disproportionately face high rates of poverty in North Carolina. A study released in 2020, showed Native Americans had a 26% poverty rate, Black Americans and Hispanics/Latinos both had a 22% poverty rate. White residents had a 9% poverty rate and Asian Americans were at 8%.

"This Medicaid expansion win is an example of being invested in a long game and understanding that it's not going to happen in one cycle," said Dreama Caldwell, executive co-director of Down Home North Carolina, a civic engagement group that focuses on rural voters. Advocates worked for years to fight opposition to this issue in the state.

"Communities of color don't want you to parachute in for elections and parachute out, she said. ''And so relationship building is important to the work that we do."

Change doesn't happen overnight

Brown points out that the work Abrams did in Georgia took years of organizing before gaining national media attention.

"It wasn't just the organization came one day and then there was a Stacey Abrams and that was it," Brown said. "There were years of work and years of building. There were years of infrastructure that was there."

That same time to develop organizing is needed in North Carolina, advocates said.

"We're making good headway cycle after cycle," said Todd Zimmer, executive co-director of Down Home North Carolina. "We do need to continue to grow the work of organizations like ours, like Down Home, to close that gap. But there's really phenomenal and growing and increasingly sophisticated infrastructure in this state, a lot of it Black lead."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why North Carolina struggles with voter efforts when Georgia succeeded
" " Modal fabric is made from beech trees, which require much less water to grow than cotton. Markus Renner/Electric Arts/Copyright Lenzing AG

Even though modal fabric is sourced using plants, the production process still uses dyes and chemicals. For instance, exposure to carbon disulfide is known to be hazardous, especially in the workplace. Studies also have shown adverse health effects to animals that have long-term inhalation exposure.

In 1977, Lenzing began using an eco-friendly bleaching method for its cellulosic fibers. The process is less toxic, reuses the chemicals and sources beech trees from forests that are FSC or PEFC accredited. Lenzing trademarked its modal fabric as TENCEL Modal.

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Modal can also be given the green light as a more eco-friendly alternative to other fabrics, however, especially if it is made from sustainably sourced wood. This means the textile manufacturers must use trees planted explicitly for modal fabric, and it's even better if they're on land not suitable for any other agricultural growth. But because modal fabric has become so popular, not all companies use trees planted specifically for this purpose.

But when compared to cotton, the modal fabric manufacturing process uses between 10 and 20 times less water because beech trees need less water than cotton.
Mellor made her SI Swimsuit debut in 2014 and returned for a body painting feature that same year.

Lauren Mellor was photographed by Walter Iooss Jr. in St. Lucia. Walter Iooss Jr./Sports Illustrated

Lauren Mellor was photographed by Walter Iooss Jr. in St. Lucia in 2014, and was featured in a second photo shoot the same year for a mermaid scales inspired body painting feature.

Mellor, who was born in South Africa, began modeling almost two decades ago. The 37-year-old knew immediately after her first free test shoot that she was going to love being in front of the camera.

She studied human resource management, organizational psychology and labor law at Cape Town University and later earned a Masters in enterprise management with the hope of someday using her knowledge to kickstart her own company to give back  which was her ultimate goal.

Mellor said she lives by a philosophy that if your mind is in the right place and your heart is kind and caring, you can be unstoppable.

Here are some of our favorite photos from Mellors 2014 shoot in St. Lucia.

Walter Iooss Jr./Sports Illustrated

Walter Iooss Jr./Sports Illustrated

Walter Iooss Jr./Sports Illustrated

Walter Iooss Jr./Sports Illustrated

Walter Iooss Jr./Sports Illustrated

Walter Iooss Jr./Sports Illustrated

Walter Iooss Jr./Sports Illustrated

Walter Iooss Jr./Sports Illustrated

Make sure to follow SI Swimsuit on YouTube!
New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called on President Joe Bidens administration to ignore a ruling from a federal judge in Texas that suspended the approval of a common abortion pill, mifepristone.

The executive branch has an enforcement discretion, Ocasio-Cortez said on CNNs State of the Union Sunday, also calling the ruling a mockery of our democracy and a mockery of our law.

This ruling is an extreme abuse of power. It is an extraordinary example of judicial overreach, Ocasio-Cortez said.

Can Biden just ignore the Texas ruling?

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., speaks during a news conference with Democratic lawmakers about the Biden administrations border politics, outside the U.S. Capitol on January 26, 2023 in Washington, DC.

Ocasio-Cortez isnt the only Democrat who says the White House should ignore the ruling.

Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon said Friday he believes the Biden administration and the Food and Drug Administration have "the authority to ignore this ruling.

The FDA, doctors, and pharmacies can and must go about their jobs like nothing has changed and keep mifepristone accessible to women across America. If they don't, the consequences of banning the most common method of abortion in every single state will be devastating, Wyden said in a statement.

Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra did not dismiss the possibility of ignoring the courts ruling.

'Chaos and confusion': Abortion rights advocates across US speak out after latest setback

Everything is on the table. The president said that way back when the Dobbs decision came out. Every option is on the table, Becerra said on CNNs State of the Union, referring to the Supreme Court's abortion decision last year.

Its unclear whether the Biden administration would go to such lengths and ignore the ruling, given the Department of Justice already filed an appeal and a judge in Washington issued a contradictory ruling.

U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., participates in a Senate Finance Committee hearing with Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra on March 22, 2023 in Washington, DC.

But the possibility of ignoring the ruling does exist, according to Jessica Waters, professor of reproductive rights law at American University. Although the decision suspends FDA approval of mifepristone, it does not force the FDA to enforce the ruling.

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"The FDA in the executive branch, they have enforcement authority. So they get to decide whether they would, for example, go after someone who was dispensing or manufacturing mifepristone," Waters told USA TODAY.

At the same time, ignoring the decision is politically risky, Waters said, pointing out that it could set a precedent for future presidents to do the same and ignore unfavorable court decisions. With the Justice Department appeal, Waters said, it is unlikely the Biden administration will decide to flat out ignore the Texas ruling.

Ocasio-Cortez argued that the Trump administration ignored the judiciary in the past when it continued to reject new applications for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival program, which provides protections for undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children, even after the Supreme Court blocked the Trump administrations efforts to dismantle the program.

The courts rely on the legitimacy of their rulings, said Ocasio-Cortez. We know that the executive branch has an enforcement discretion, especially in light of a contradicting ruling coming out of Washington.

U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., participates in a meeting of the House Oversight and Reform Committee in the Rayburn House Office Building on January 31, 2023 in Washington, DC.

What happened with mifepristone?

A Trump-appointed judge in Texas, U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, issued a ruling that halted the Federal Drug Administration from approving mifepristone, potentially blocking access to medication abortion across the country, the most common method of abortion in the U.S.

At the same time, an Obama-appointed judge in Washington, U.S. District Judge Thomas Rice, issued a ruling that blocked the FDA from limiting the availability of mifepristone in several states involved a separate lawsuit.

The two contradictory rulings mean the issue will almost certainly be heard before the Supreme Court, making it the first major abortion case heard before the high court after it overturned the constitutional right to an abortion last summer.

In this image from video from the Senate Judiciary Committee, Matthew Kacsmaryk listens during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, on Dec. 13, 2017.

Is the abortion pill mifepristone still available?

As of now, mifepristone remains available at least for the seven days after the ruling. The Department of Justice said Friday that it will appeal Kacsmaryks ruling to the 5th Circuit and seek a temporary stay to put the ruling on hold.

This is not America, Becerra said on CNNs State of the Union. What you saw by that one judge, in that one court, in that one state, thats not America.

America goes by the evidence, America does whats fair, America does what is transparent and we can show that what we do is for the right reasons. Thats not America, Becerra continued.

Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra testifies during the Senate Finance Committee hearing on President Joe Biden's proposed budget request for fiscal year 2024 for the Department of Health and Human Services, Wednesday, March 22, 2023, on Capitol Hill in Washington.

AOC: Supreme Court could institute 'a national abortion ban' if Texas ruling upheld

If the Supreme Court upholds Kacsmaryks ruling and blocks access to medication abortion, Ocasio-Cortez left the door open as to whether the Biden administration should ignore the high court.

Should the Supreme Court do that, it would essentially institute a national abortion ban, said Ocasio Cortez, noting that multiple states have banned abortion following the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

My hope would be that we do not get to that point, Ocasio-Cortez continued. But once, if we do, I do believe that we must start to push back on our system of checks and balances, which is designed to push back should there be an example of judicial tyranny and judicial overreach.

Branches slightly obscure the facade of the U.S. Supreme Court building April 07, 2023 in Washington, DC.

Contributing: John Fritze

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: AOC calls on Biden to ignore Texas abortion pill ruling
Bergin College: The Only School Dedicated to Service Dogs

(Picture Credit: Heather Paul / Getty Images)

At the Bergin College of Canine Studies, theres only one subject: service dogs.

According to their website, Bergin Colleges goal is to advance the human-canine partnership through research and education by offering quality instruction in human and canine studies. The College is split into two schools: the Assistance Dog Institute and the School of Business and Companion Dogs. The school offers degrees spanning from certificates to a Master of Science in Canine Studies.

Built by a service dog pioneer

Currently located in Penngrove, California, the college is named after Dr. Bonnie Bergin. Importantly, Dr. Bergin is credited with creating the term service dog and is a pioneer in expanding the rights of disabled people who use assistance dogs.

Incredibly, Dr. Bergin had the idea in 1975 after observing the beneficial role that donkeys played with helping disabled individuals abroad. After returning home to California, Dr. Bergin got to work training service dogs. Shortly afterward, she also started a nonprofit to connect trained dogs with people in need.

When I created the service dog, I created Canine Companions to place the dogs, Bergin told the Press Democrat. However, the number of requests Dr. Bergin received quickly overwhelmed her. As a result, in 1991, Dr. Bergin opened the Assistance Dog Institute as a nonprofit. Over time, the Institute grew to become what is now Bergin College.

The school has a puppy room where students and volunteers potty train and socialize young dogs. However, the school also adopts dogs from shelters across Sonoma County to help teach future dog trainers and also helps place them in forever homes. For the puppies, training begins when they are as young as four weeks. By their second birthday, the dogs are on campus full-time learning basic commands and continuing to socialize. Amazingly, the dogs will learn 112 commands by the time theyre done.

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Significantly, the schools structure allows them to offer service dogs at relatively low prices. Compared to the tens of thousands of dollars people spend elsewhere, Bergins dogs cost $2,200 plus $558 for a two-week intensive course with the dog and their new owner.

Hard times are forcing the college to look ahead

Unfortunately, between the COVID pandemic, rising costs of living, and climate disasters in California, Bergins future is uncertain. Notably, the school maintains strict COVID policies, including a mask mandate, even as most of the country has ended theirs.

Regardless, even as college enrollments decline, Bergins unique focus has attracted enough support for the school to plan a permanent move to Oregon. Significantly, the move will allow the school to construct a larger campus that can also accommodate student housing. Hopefully, this will secure the schools future, as the value of service dogs is immeasurable for the people who need them.

The post Bergin College: The Only School Dedicated to Service Dogs appeared first on DogTime.
Here's what you need to know to plan a trip to Comporta, Portugal.

Santiago Urquijo/Getty Images

Portugal is really having its time in the limelight. The tiny Iberian nation is finally getting the global recognition it deserves for its gorgeous coastline, world-class dining, and delicious wines that will have you asking for mais um (one more) over and over again. And while its capital city of Lisbon tends to get the most attention, as someone who lives here, Ill let you in on a little secret: One of Portugals best assets is actually about an hour south, in the tiny coastal town of Comporta.

The village, located in the district of Setubal, is small by every measure. It has fewer than 1,500 full-time residents and is just about 50 square miles in size, most of which is made up of coastline. It may even remind you of the charming seaside destinations of the Northeastern United States, with many calling it the "Hamptons of Portugal." Heres what you need to know to plan an epic vacation to Comporta right now.

What to Know About Comporta

Like we said, its small, so dont expect a ton going on here during a visit. But really, isnt that the kind of quiet, relaxing getaway were all looking for these days anyway? Another thing to note is public transit here is essentially nonexistent, so if you fly into Lisbon, its best to rent a car at the airport and drive to Comporta so you have a way to easily get around while youre here. The drive should take about an hour and change.

When to Visit Comporta

Things tend to heat up in the region starting in early May, when the average highs reach about 74F, according to WeatherSpark. Things stay toasty through the end of October, but only really cool down to the low 60s during the winter. Yes, the summers are warm and delightful, but dont overlook the shoulder seasons in April and November, when temperatures can still be balmy, but there are far fewer fellow tourists.

Santiago Urquijo/Getty Images

Things to Do in Comporta

Visit Praia da Comporta.

If youre coming to Comporta, odds are your main objective is to hit the beach. So, its a good idea to head straight to Praia da Comporta. In the summer, its a rather lively space, with locals and tourists alike filling every inch of sand. Here visitors can find cafes and restaurants that are ready to serve you something tasty right on the beach, alongside surf schools that will have you going from novice to experienced paddler in one lesson flat. There is plenty of parking at the beach, but youll still want to try to get there early to snag a prime spot.

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Boat through Sado Estuary Natural Reserve.

Walk into an animal paradise with a visit to the Sado Estuary Natural Reserve. Here, visitors can gaze upon a massive flock of pink flamingos gently dipping their beaks into the water or spot a pod of dolphins meandering by. One of the best ways to experience this reserve is via boat, so you too can find yourself among the aquatic life and spot the more than 250 bird species (including herons, kingfishers, and those above-mentioned flamingos) that call this gorgeous place home.

Go horseback riding.

See Comporta from a slightly elevated perspective by booking a highly sought-after horseback ride with Cavalos na Areia (which translates to horse in the sand). During the ride, guests will traverse several landscapes, including desert lands and rice fields, to reach the soft, sandy beach, where they can gallop right along the waters edge, just like a scene straight out of a romance novel. Not feeling the gallop? Trips are tailored to every kind of rider, so a nice, leisurely walk is just as welcome.

Bike through the rice paddies.

Those wanting to adventure through Comporta without the help of an animal can do just that with a little pedal power. Snag an e-bike from places like Comporta Electric Bikes and cruise from one end to the next, including through some of its gorgeous rice paddies found just about everywhere in town. Need more direction? Book a tour with Cool Explorers, who will happily show you around the community.

Victor Sfitz (@victorsfitz)

Comporta Hotels

Quinta da Comporta

Have a bohemian stay by booking a few nights at Quinta da Comporta. The hotel, which overlooks the rice fields, comes with nature-inspired rooms filled with neutral tones and natural materials. Groups can book its one- or two-bedroom townhouses or its three-bedroom private pool villas, while couples can enjoy the simple suites. Just make sure to take a dip in its solar-heated pool, which stretches on for more than 130 feet.

Sublime Comporta

Find yourself in the midst of 42 private acres of pristine land at Sublime Comporta. The hotel is a design lovers paradise, with an ultra-clean aesthetic that will have you snapping pic after pic for Instagram. Choose between its rooms and suites, or go for a bio-suite, which overlooks one of the largest bio-pools in all of Europe. Dont leave before dining in one of its restaurants, including the organic, farm-fresh plates at The Food Circle and its hyper-local Tasca da Comporta, a seasonal outdoor restaurant serving Portuguese classics.

Spatia Comporta

Easy breezy is the best way to describe Spatia Comporta. The hotel is designed so guests feel an easy flow between the inside and out, with massive floor-to-ceiling windows and doors to heighten the experience. Its Mediterranean-style design and landscaping keep things simple, while its all-white rooms and villas keep things chic. Guests can take advantage of a multitude of services here too, from grocery delivery straight to their villa to readily available bikes, laundry service, in-villa dining, and even pickleball paddles when they want to work up a sweat.

How to Get to Comporta

The simplest way to get to Comporta is to hop on a flight to Lisbons Humberto Delgado Airport, which has regular direct flights from destinations around Europe, as well as direct flights from Boston, New York City, Miami, San Francisco, Chicago, and more. Then, rent a car and make the one-hour drive down the A2. Do opt for the pre-paid toll option, as toll roads are abundant across Portugal.



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UPDATE: The BBC has said it is speaking to Twitter in an effort to change the government funded media tag on its official account. A spokesman said: We are speaking to Twitter to resolve this issue as soon as possible. The BBC is, and always has been, independent. We are funded by the British public through the licence fee.

PREVIOUS: Elon Musks Twitter has labeled the BBC as being government funded media.

More from Deadline

The social media network made the change to the official @BBC account after stirring controversy by adding a similar tag to the NPR account in recent days.

The BBC account has 2.2M followers. At the time of publication (4PM PST, April 8), the BBCs news accounts on Twitter did not feature the government funded tag.

The BBC is not funded by the UK government. It is funded by the British public, through a system known as the license fee.

The government plays a role in setting the level of the license fee, but the fee is collected by the companies contracted by the BBC through the TV Licensing authority.

The BBCs operations and editorial decision-making are entirely independent of the government.

Musk would have a case for labeling the @BBCWorldService account as government-funded as the state does contribute some funding for audiences outside of the UK. The @BBC account does not tweet about World Service operations.

Deadline contacted Twitter for comment. The companys press account automatically responded with a poop emoji. The BBC has been contacted for comment.

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Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-SC). Drew Angerer/Getty Images

On "Fox News Sunday" Senator Lindsey Graham said he'd be open to sending US troops to defend Taiwan.

The GOP Senator warned that China appears to be preparing to create a blockade around the island nation.

Warning of Russian and Chinese expansionism, he said the US needs to "up our game."

Senator Lindsey Graham on Easter Sunday struck a somber tone in an appearance on "Fox News Sunday," warning of Russian and Chinese expansionism and saying the United States needs to "up our game" in preparation for global military moves coming this year.

Graham, a GOP Senator from South Carolina, said the problem is "Putin and it's Xi," referring to the leaders of Russia and China, who he says are emboldened by the United States' botched withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.

"I think they're setting the stage possibly for a blockade of Taiwan, that the Communist Chinese party is going to test us dramatically this year and next year before the election," Graham told the outlet. "In 1961, the Russians tried to isolate West Berlin. So I'm fearful that the Chinese may be setting conditions to blockade Taiwan in the coming months or weeks, and we need to respond forcefully if they do that."

That force, Graham said, should include aggressively training Taiwanese forces "so they can fight like Ukrainians," putting nuclear-tipped missiles back in our submarines, sending F-16 jets to the country, and, if need be, troops to defend the island nation.

"I'd be very much open to using US forces to defend Taiwan because it's in our national security interest to do so," Graham said, citing the large supply of high-end microchips created in Taiwan and the risk of allowing China to take control of the technology.

He added: "I would up our game  and if you don't up your game now you are gonna have a war."

While some Republican politicians have criticized the United States' ongoing support of the Ukrainian war effort, Graham has maintained his support of providing military and humanitarian aid, even proposing the White House ramp up hostilities against Russian forces. He has been described by many as a war hawk.

Representatives for Graham did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Read the original article on Business Insider
King Charles III's coronation is less than a month away, taking place on Prince Archie's birthday: Saturday, May 6.

And for weeks, the media and the general public have been trying to figure out whether Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will be in attendance.

Finally, in early April, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's spokesperson gave the BBC an update.

King Charles III's coronation is a month away, slotted to take place on Saturday, May 6. For weeks, media outlets and the internet alike have been speculating whether or not Charles' youngest son Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle will fly over from California to attend. Their rep gave the BBC a statement this week on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's decision: They have not yet made one. The spokesperson told the outlet, there was no update on whether they were attending, the BBC wrote.

Harry and Meghan's non-decision comes shortly after Harry was in London for a lawsuit against the Daily Mail's publishers, Associated Newspapers Ltd, in late March.

In his witness statement, he spoke out against the royal family's handling of the British press, revealing he felt the institution withheld information from him regarding his phone being hacked by The Sun's publishers.

The Institution was without a doubt withholding information from me for a long time about NGN's phone hacking [News Group Newspapers, the publisher of The Sun] and that has only become clear in recent years as I have pursued my own claim with different legal advice and representation, he said.



He added that what he learned when he stepped back from his senior royal family role and relocated to the U.S. was eye-opening. It is not an exaggeration to say that the bubble burst in terms of what I knew in 2020 when I moved out of the United Kingdom, he shared.

He also expressed that when dating Meghan, he became "increasingly troubled by the [royal family's] approach of not taking action against the press in the wake of vicious persistent attacks on, harassment of and intrusive, sometimes racist articles concerning Meghan. The family has an infamous never complain, never explain policy with the press.

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The royal family made no comment on Harry's witness remark or its claims. The relationship between Harry and Charles last got major media attention when Harry and Meghan's rep confirmed Charles ordered them to vacate their UK home, Frogmore Cottage last month.

Royal reporter Omid Scobie reported for Yahoo! UK then that the couple was left stunned by Charles decision, per sources.

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A Michigan family welcomed a baby girl this Marchthe first female child thats been born into the family in 138 years.

ABC7 reports that the last time the Clark family had a girl was in 1885. Before Andrew Clark married his now-wife Carolyn 10 years ago, he warned her that it was very likely they would only have male children.

Im like, Oh, its a 50-50 chance every time. What do you mean? He goes, No, legitimately, we have not had a girl in our direct line in over 100 years, Carolyn told Good Morning America.

That information wasnt enough to prevent Carolyn from marrying Andrew. They had their first child together, a boy, and then later, in 2021 Carolyn was pregnant again. Sadly, she miscarried, and then a year later, found out she was pregnant once again. The couple was grateful yet wary of the pregnancy due to the miscarriage.

When we found out we were pregnant, we honestly didnt care if we were having a boy or girl at that point. We just were thankful to be pregnant and just praying for a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby, Carolyn said.

The Clarks decided to wait to find out the babys gender and had a reveal party for their family and friends. Everyone was set to find out the sex of the baby at the same time by biting into cookies that would either be filled with blue or pink icing.

We kept it a secret to ourselves as well. So I just assumed it was going to be blue in the center of the cookies and itd be another boy in the lineage, Andrew said. I was shocked. I think I just stared at the center of that cookie like, its really pink. So it was a good surprise for us.

They welcome their daughter, Audrey Marie on St. Patricks Day. Carolyn said, Were so happy that shes finally here and once again, that shes healthy and that everything went well with the delivery.

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A sign stands outside the entrance to Spaceport America, prior to the launch of Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo Unity, July 10, 2021, in Truth Or Consequences, New Mexico.

This story was originally published by Source New Mexico.

Billionaire Richard Branson-backed space ventures aim to shoot for the stars, but one has landed in bankruptcy court this week  raising questions about the future of New Mexicos long-promised space tourism business.

Virgin Orbit, a satellite-launching business, filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy in a Delaware Court Tuesday following weeks of upheaval. After a rocket mishap in January, the company failed to raise enough money to operate, which culminated in laying off 85% of the companys 750 employees this week. The company will seek a buyer as bankruptcy proceedings continue, according to court documents.

Virgin Orbit  based in Long Beach, California  launched small satellites using a combination of rockets and a modified carrier airplane. Virgin Orbit was founded in 2017 as a spinoff company from spaceflight venture Virgin Galactic, which aims to make space tourism a reality  most recently at $450,000 a ticket. Virgin Orbit promotional materials call the two sister companies.

Virgin Galactic is the anchor tenant and largest employer at the Truth or Consequences-adjacent Spaceport America  a publicly owned site to launch and land spacecrafts that cost New Mexico nearly $220 million to build. Virgin Galactic has been promising spaceflight tours out of the spaceport since 2008. British billionaire Branson would later publicly say flights would start in 2011, 2014, 2015, and 2018. The first fully crewed spaceflight took off from the Spaceport in May 2021 featuring Branson and five employees. In a February earnings call, CEO Michael Colglazier told investors that commercial flights would begin at the Spaceport by June 2023 after a series of test flights. More than 600 people have paid for tickets, some of those are more than a decade old.

Virgin Orbit is one company. Virgin Galactic is another. But among the risks of doing business  from concerns of accidents to high costs of building space crafts  Virgin Galactic officials said that bad publicity at one brand can mean trouble for another.

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Any adverse publicity in relation to the Virgin brand name or its principals, or in relation to another Virgin-branded company over which we have no control or influence, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations, the company wrote in a 2020 federal filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, when officials were taking the company public.

Tom Fullerton, a professor in economics at University of Texas at El Paso, said hes unaware if other companies named bad publicity for a brand name as a risk factor, but said it makes sense in Virgin Galactics case.

When youre dealing with these new technologies, the new products and services that are directed towards a very, very narrow market niche, its not surprising that type of language is included in the prospectus, he said.

Virgin Orbits bankruptcy filing will probably have a temporary effect on Virgin Galactics ability to raise money, he said. Fullerton added that in prior years a loss could have posed a threat to Spaceport America operations, when Virgin Galactic was their sole tenant.

But fortunately, the spaceport has diversified well beyond just Virgin Galactic, he said.

In recent years the spaceport added five long-term tenants. These include Colorado-based launch provider UP Aerospace, centrifuge satellite launcher SpinLaunch, Virginia-based defense contractor AeroVironment, and their partnership with a Japanese conglomerate to create HAPSMobile, which develops and launches solar gliders.

Spaceport America spokesperson Alice Carruth declined to make any Spaceport officials available for comment.

We do not have connections to Virgin Orbit and although both companies have the same parent company, they are very separate operations, Carruth wrote in an email. We do not comment on companies that are outside of our business operations.

Carruth deferred all questions about the proposed 2023 commercial flights to Virgin Galactic.

They put out their operations publicly when they want to, Carruth said. "Outside of that, we are not able to discuss their operations.

Virgin Galactic provided no comment to emailed questions and declined an interview.

Danielle Prokop is a reporter for Source New Mexico.

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This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Officials mum on dates for spaceflights after Virgin Orbit bankruptcy
Penn State lured in one of its biggest commitments in the Class of 2024 a week before the 2023 Blue-White Game when it secured the verbal commitment of the top player in the state of Pennsylvania. Penn States latest effort to keep PAs best in PA led to the commitment of four-star athlete Quinton Martin, who is likely to be used as a running back but has experience at multiple defensive positions as well.

The addition of Martin gives Penn State yet another top player in Pennsylvania, following in the footsteps of past top players in the state like offensive lineman J'ven Williams and running back Nick Singleton. Martin is close friends with another key recruit in Penn States Class of 2024, linebacker Anthony Speca.

Here is a snapshot look at the recruiting profile of Martin, a truly prized recruit in Penn States Class of 2024.

Rating

Stars Overall State Position 247 4 48 1 4 Rivals 4 37 1 2 ESPN 4 27 1 3 On3 Recruiting 4 99 1 4 247 Composite 4 30 1 3

Vitals

Hometown Belle Vernon, PA Projected Position Running back Height 6-2 Weight 200 Class 2024

Recruitment

Offered on April 1, 2021.

Unofficial visit on July 31, 2021, for Lasch Bash

Unofficial visit on September 11, 2021

Unofficial visit on September 18, 2021

Attends Penn State junior day on January 15, 2022

Visited by James Franklin on January 19, 2022

Unofficial visit on October 29, 2022

Commits to Penn State on April 7, 2023

Offers

Film

Twitter

ICYMI: @RivalsFriedman and @aspeca6 discussed his commitment to #PennState & more including trying to bring more elite #WPIAL talent with him. Quinton Martin literally been my best friend since the 5th grade. I'm going to try hard to get him. : https://t.co/Yxs2WttJUc pic.twitter.com/XznPBwA0dg  DylanCallaghanCroley (@RivalsDylanCC) January 17, 2023

Story originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire
A deadly firefight broke out during a roadside inspection in Wisconsin, in which two police officers were killed.

Two police officers and another person were killed in a shootout during a traffic stop in northwest Wisconsin on Saturday. According to the authorities report, the shots were fired after an officer of the Chetek Police Department conducted a roadside check in Cameron at around 3:38 p.m., reports CNN.



Out of turn



Viktor Orban is already cooking ham with his grandchildren (photo)





The state office said that after the shooting, two police officers were declared dead on the spot, they could no longer be helped, so they could not even be taken to the hospital. The person involved in the case was taken to the hospital, but later also died from his injuries.

The police officers and the third person have not been publicly identified yet. The authorities did not provide information on what led to the shooting, nor did they know how the attacker killed the two policemen or what weapon he used.

In the background, they are already investigating with great force, probably body camera footage of the shooting could have been taken, which can serve as evidence. There are currently many questions surrounding the death of the two police officers and the third person.
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.
ARCADIA, Calif.  Practical Move held off Japans Mandarin Hero by a nose to win the $750,000 Santa Anita Derby, solidifying his status as a top contender in next months Kentucky Derby.

Ridden by Ramon Vazquez, Practical Move ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:48.69. Sent off as the 4-5 favorite, the 3-year-old colt paid $4, $3 and $2.20.

Mandarin Hero returned $6.60 and $4. Skinner was another half-length back in third.

National Treasure finished fourth in his first start in three months after being moved from trainer Bob Bafferts barn to Tim Yakteen, who also trains Practical Move. Baffert is in the second and final year of serving a ban by Churchill Downs Inc.

Practical Move earned 100 qualifying points for the May 6 Kentucky Derby.

At Keeneland, 8-5 favorite Tapit Trice edged past Verifying in the stretch and held on to win the $1 million Blue Grass by a neck. Trained by Todd Pletcher, Tapit Trice also earned 100 qualifying points on the last major weekend of Kentucky Derby preps.

Ridden by Luis Saez, Tapit Trice covered 1 1/8 miles in 1:50.00 and paid $5.28, $3.12 and $2.64. Verifying returned $3.70 and $2.92. Blazing Sevens paid $3.74 to show.

The lone remaining Derby qualifier is next weekends Lexington Stakes at Keeneland, which offers 20 points to the winner.

Practical Move wins Santa Anita Derby, Kentucky Derby next originally appeared on NBCSports.com
Nian Wang, a professor of microbiology and cell science at the UF/IFAS Citrus Research and Education Center examines a Hamlin orange with canker spots in one of their research groves in Lake Alfred.

As a retired Florida public school educator and an advocate for strong public schools, I am alarmed at the harm our governor is causing to our education systems. His strong impact is eroding trust and respect for our dedicated, professional educators. He rails against the teaching of diversity and social-emotional learning, even though it was a required component that he and the first lady touted when he first took office in the wake of the Parkland school shootings.

He also wants to shut down our teacher unions and ultimately dismantle public schools, under the guise of school choice."

Our teachers help students learn to be critical thinkers and consider multiple historical (factual) perspectives, essential skills for an informed citizenry. Flordas ban on progressive practices politicizes social justice and rejects historical accuracy. By promoting this ban, Ron DeSantis is misleading teachers, schools, parents and citizens.

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It isnt critical race theory as he proclaims. It doesnt pit different races against each other or make young people feel responsible for racial oppression. Contrary to the governors premise, educators arent teaching students to hate. However, it is important to teach all our children about our state and nations history  the good, the bad and the ugly.

In fact, before Florida was touted as the Sunshine State, it had a dark, painful past thats been whitewashed, marginalized and buried intentionally. Examples: Over 300 black people were lynched here between 1877 and 1950. The Groveland Four were on trial for rape in the 1940s and Thurgood Marshall (then attorney for the NAACP) played a significant role in that historic civil rights case.

DeSantis prestigious education included Yale and Harvard, so he has been given the opportunity to be a seeker and purveyor of truth. But instead, he seems to be willfully ignorant as he pursues more power and political clout. As governor of our diverse state, he would be wise to learn about the work of University of Florida professor Paul Ortiz  author of An African American and Latinx History of the United States.

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Did DeSantis and other Florida political leaders ever learn about World War II veterans not being eligible for the GI Bill, being banned from labor unions, redlined housing, land grabs and other injustices? They may have learned about slavery and civil rights, but what about the many hidden historical figures, not only African American, but Hispanic and others, whose contributions to math, science, literature and the arts have been immense?

Michelle Dumars holds a sign at a Feb. 21 rally at the University of North Florida to urge protection of UNF's diversity efforts. Talking points centered around Gov. Ron DeSantis' book bans.

With his present book bans, many of these figures may once again be hidden.

Unfortunately, historical textbook censoring leads to many uninformed, biased people in our state and nation. Weve buried some of our racist history and its haunting us.

If we are such a great state and nation, then we are strong enough to face our own history, flaws and all. I urge Gov. DeSantis to do everything he can to support our children becoming well-rounded, open-minded and well-educated about our countrys rich, complicated history.

As the governor respects our Founding Fathers, he would be wise to heed Thomas Jefferson: Honesty is the first chapter in the book of Wisdom." Otherwise, he is like our dreaded citrus canker or black spot disease  in desperate need of quarantine.

Erney

Phyllis Erney, EdS, retired Alachua County educator

This guest column is the opinion of the author and does not necessarily represent the views of the Times-Union. We welcome a diversity of opinions.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Florida governor's impact on education as dangerous as citrus canker
Photo Illustration by Elizabeth Brockway/The Daily Beast/AP

For most Republicans running for president in 2024, the goal is to bring the GOPand the countryinto the post-Trump era.

But one longshot hopeful is poised to try something else: contending for the White House almost as if Trump had never happened.

Mike Rogers, the former seven-term Michigan congressman who left office months before Trump launched his campaign in 2015, shares the relentless optimism and consummate politeness of a different Mr. Rogersnot the fire-and-brimstone rhetoric of contemporary GOP politicians.

As Rogers travels across the early primary states of Iowa and New Hampshire for friendly events, the scorched-Earth battleground of the 2024 GOP primary seems like just another beautiful day in the neighborhood.

Trump Wants to Turn His Most Toxic Baggage Into Primary Gold

Coming off his fifth visit to the Granite State, the steel-jawed 59-year-old former FBI agent and onetime House Intelligence Committee chairman thinks he has a real shot at the presidency, should he decide to take the plunge.

Thats despite few people outside of Michigan knowing who he isand the generally abysmal track record even for sitting House members in running for the presidency.

Whats more, if the prospective GOP field were represented by a buffet tablestarting first with the reddest of the red meat for the party baseRogers might occupy a lonely spot at the far end, by the salad bar, with his central issue of childhood literacy something akin to a vat of kale.

Were talking about a different kind of a campaign thats based on a solutions-oriented, optimistic future for the United States, Rogers told The Daily Beast during a phone interview following a house party in Keene, New Hampshire. And it seems that were getting really good interest in having maybe a new way forward here after a very rough and tumble few years in politics in America.

Instead of talking about drag shows, fearmongering over urban crime, or complaining about his criminal indictment, Rogers really just wants to talk about childhood literacy. A lot.

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To me, there is significant data about the literacy crisis in America, Rogers said in a pared-down version of whats starting to look like a stump speech, and all of the problems that brings with it.

This is his hook for small crowds who may have no idea who he is, similar to the way Andrew Yanganother little-known longshotrattled off startling statistics about automation and the labor market in the 2020 Democratic primary, earning himself a surprising foothold in the race.

While acknowledging his top issue isnt a silver bullet for the Republics woes, Rogers argues that catching students up to speed on reading will have myriad knock-on effects that will help both the nations economy and democracy.

It is a huge problem for America, he continued. This is adding to all of the fuel of all of these other problems.

Rogers is betting that primary voters might crave a sober, issues-based campaign plucked out of the 1990s as an antidote to the Trump years, rather than repackaged Trumpism, much less the original thing.

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Its audacious for a number of reasons. The Mike Rogers with far more name ID in politics right now, for one, is the Alabama congressmanthe House Armed Services Chairmanwho briefly gained notoriety for trying to punch out Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) on the House floor during Januarys protracted Speaker battle.

Beyond that, fellow longshots believe that the path to GOP relevance rests on serving up juicy tomahawk steaks to the party base. Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, for instance, has found a 2024 audience in waging a relentlessly anti-woke campaign to a culture war-obsessed party.

What may be strangest about Rogers, though, is how little he seems to be preoccupied with both Trump and Biden. That puts him in a lane somewhat separate from a potential anti-Trump candidate, like former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.

I supported many of former President Trumps policies, Rogers said. Like a growing number of Americans, though, the folks I talk with on a daily basis are looking for new leadershipa conservative leader who is focused on bold solutions to the problems they face every day, a leader who is focused on the real issues, not just sugar high politics and the tweet of the day.

The obvious problem, of course, is that the sugar high politics are more potent than ever. Although there are overwhelming headwinds facing his nascent bid, Rogers performanceshould he runcould offer some interesting signals about the mood of the electorate.

We have a Nevada trip planned, and the conversations have been going well, and we keep getting invited back, Rogers said.

Rogers said hes even gotten invitations to house parties from Republicans who voted for Trump in both 2016 and 2020, people who are tired of the sugar high, I slap you, you slap me, I get lots of Facebook likes, Twitter followers, and nothing changes brand of politics.

Ron DeSantis Book Tour Looks Like Amateur Hour

Notably, Rogers briefly served on Trumps transition team after the 2016 election. He described his role there to The Daily Beast as get[ting] the national security team ready for prime time. Thats exactly what I did.

Were it not for a confluence of factors involving long-standing beef between Jared Kushner and Christie over the arrest and incarceration of the Trump son-in-laws father, Charles Kushner, Rogers might have ended up as a Trump administration official. When Kushner ousted Christie from his role leading the Trump transition, Rogersa close ally of Christiesleft too.

Still, Rogers was even considered for the role of FBI director after Trump infamously fired James Comey.

Instead, Rogers spent recent years as a CNN talking head and working in the quantum computing and AI spaces, warning that the U.S. is behind the curve on protecting sensitive data.

In a recent guest op-ed for Cyberscoop, Rogers wrote about the imperative that U.S government agencies and private sector corporations immediately begin migrating vulnerable cybersecurity protocols to post-quantum cryptography (PQC).

Those sorts of issuescybersecurity, intelligence, defensewere what Rogers was known for when he was in Congress. And his hawkish, often neo-conservative views on those topics at the time frequently positioned him against his fellow Michigan Republican, former Rep. Justin Amash, who left the party over Trump and, ironically, would also like to scrub Trumps influence from national politics.

In an early primary contest marked by a cold-war-turned-hot between Trump and Ron DeSantis-aligned armies of influencers, there may be an appetite among the party base for an enlightened discussion on the future of AI and computers requiring refrigeration at negative 459 degrees Fahrenheitbut it has yet to reveal itself.

If that appetite emerges anywhere first, itd likely be New Hampshire, the first primary state.

Dante Scala, a professor of political science at the University of New Hampshire, told The Daily Beast that candidates with Rogers kind of profile would be more likely to appeal in New Hampshire than just about any of the other early primary states. In 2016, for instance, the moderate Ohio Gov. John Kasich placed second to Trump in the Granite State primary.

GOP Braces for Chaos in 2024s Primary Debates

Yet Scala quickly pointed out that despite the New Hampshire primary allowing the participation of independent voters, winning enough of them to outmaneuver whoever commands the Republican base would require a Herculean effort.

Its the presidential candidates equivalent of a lottery ticket, Scala said of the mythological independent voter in New Hampshire.

Its a dollar and a dream that you, this modern bipartisan candidate, will attract the lions share of these non-partisan independents and shock the world, he said. Thats the myth, right? But like any myth, theres an element of truth to it.

Rogers seems to think so, even if the effort required of the childhood literacy champion is more Sisyphean than Herculean.

There have been rumblings that Rogers, who represented central Michigan in the House, might run for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D) next year.

Asked if hes still considering a Senate bid, Rogers didnt rule it out, but sounded more interested in a presidential campaign.

You never say never in politics, Rogers said. But right now my goal is to help the country try to realign our efforts. And remember, anger should never be a destination. It should be a motivation to solve problems. Were trying to get people in that motivation to solve problems lane.

Rogers, of course, is not the only Republican to eye such a lane. Another who did, former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, had far more name recognition and fundraising prowessbut he decided against a run.

If Larry Hogan couldnt see a path for himself, asked Scala, why would Mike Rogers?

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Workers decorate Easter cakes at Good Bread from Good People, some of the 10,000 they plan to make this year, at the organization

ON THE BELARUS-UKRAINE BORDER  For weeks after Russian troops forcibly removed Natalya Zhornyks teenage son from his school last autumn, she had no idea where he was or what had happened to him.

Then came a phone call.

Mom, come and get me, said her son, Artem, 15. He had remembered his mothers phone number and borrowed the school directors cellphone.

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Zhornyk made him a promise: When the fighting calms down, I will come.

Artem and a dozen schoolmates had been loaded up by Russian troops and transferred to a school farther inside Russian-occupied Ukraine.

While Zhornyk, 31, was relieved to know where he was being held, reaching him would not be easy. They were on different sides of the front line of a full-blown war, and border crossings from Ukraine into Russian-occupied territory were closed.

But months later, when a neighbor brought back one of her sons schoolmates, she learned about a charity that was helping mothers bring their children home.

Since it is illegal for men of military age to leave Ukraine now, in March, Zhornyk and a group of women assisted by Save Ukraine completed a nerve-wracking, 3,000-mile journey through Poland, Belarus and Russia to gain entry to Russian-occupied territory in eastern Ukraine and Crimea to retrieve Artem and 15 other children.

Then they had to take another circuitous journey back. Come on, come on, urged Zhornyk as a cluster of children, laden with bags and suitcases, emerged hesitantly through the barriers at a border crossing from Belarus into Ukraine. She had crossed with her son just hours earlier and pushed forward impatiently to embrace the next group.

There are no words for all the emotions, Zhornyk said, describing her reunion with Artem. I was full of emotion, and nervous, nervous.

In the 13 months since the invasion, thousands of Ukrainian children have been displaced, moved or forcibly transferred to camps or institutions in Russia or Russian-controlled territory, in what Ukraine and rights advocates have condemned as war crimes.

Story continues

The fate of those children has become a desperate tug of war between Ukraine and Russia and formed the basis of an arrest warrant issued last month by the International Criminal Court accusing President Vladimir Putin of Russia and Maria Lvova-Belova, his commissioner for childrens rights, of illegally transferring them.

Once under Russian control, the children are subject to reeducation, fostering and adoption by Russian families  practices that have touched a particular nerve even amid the carnage that has killed and displaced so many Ukrainians.

Ukrainian officials and human rights organizations have described these forced removals as a plan to steal a generation of Ukraines youth, turning them into loyal Russian citizens and eradicating Ukrainian culture to the point of committing genocide.

Months of Fear and Anxiety

No one knows the full number of Ukrainian children who have been transferred to Russia or Russian-occupied Ukraine. The Ukrainian government has identified more than 19,000 children that it says have been forcibly transferred or deported, but those working on the issue say the real number is closer to 150,000.

Russia has defended its transfer of the children as a humanitarian effort to rescue them from the war zone, but it has refused to cooperate with Ukraine or international organizations in tracing many of them. After the ICC issued the arrest warrant for Lvova-Belova, she said that relatives were free to come and collect their children but that only 59 were waiting to go home  a claim that Ukrainian officials have dismissed as absurd.

For the thousands of children who have been transferred, some from broken homes and disadvantaged families, being away from home so long has been an ordeal. Some are in tears when they call home and cannot speak freely, their parents said.

The parents, already living through the trials of Russian occupation, displacement and bombardment, have had to endure months of anxiety, fearful that their children will be sent farther away or given up for adoption in Russia.

And then there is the guilt. Some sent their children to summer camps in the Crimean Peninsula, having been assured they would return in two weeks. Others simply yielded to pressure from officials and soldiers to let their children be taken. They all blamed themselves when they were not returned.

I felt completely lost. I gnawed away at myself, said Yulia Radzevilova, who brought her son, Maksym Marchenko, 12, home in March after he spent five months in a camp in Crimea. No one supported me. Family, parents, friends started accusing me.

But other children were transferred without warning or, like Artem, just disappeared.

Artem had traveled to his school in Kupiansk on Sept. 7  just as Ukrainian troops were driving out Russias occupation  to retrieve documents he needed for college. No bus returned that day, so he remained overnight. The next day, Russian troops turned up and loaded him and other students into military trucks.

They were Russian, Artem said in an interview. In camouflage, with Kalashnikovs. He thought of fleeing over the back wall of the school, he said, but the teachers made sure all the children climbed on board.

When he did not return home, his mother tried to go to Kupiansk to find him but turned back under heavy shelling. For three weeks, there was no electricity or phone service in her village because of the fighting. With no word of his whereabouts, she registered him as missing with the police.

Then came Artems phone call. He said that he and his schoolmates, ages 7 to 17, had been taken to the town of Perevalsk, in Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine, where they were left in a boarding school.

He was only a few hours away by car but in territory closed off by the war.

It was hard, she said, shaking her head, very hard.

Searching for a Child With Autism

Across the country in southern Ukraine, Olha Mazur faced an even more daunting search. Her son, Oleksandr Chugunov, 16  Sasha for short  lived in a residential school for disabled children in Oleshky, across the Dnieper River from the city of Kherson where she lived. Sasha is autistic and cannot talk, she said.

She last saw her son in the summer. Kherson was still occupied, and a Russian director had been placed in charge of his school. Then the bridge across the Dnieper was bombed, and she could no longer travel to see him. In November, she saw a list online naming him among children transferred to Crimea by the Russians.

She was relieved and worried at the same time. I am grateful that he is alive, she said, but the school never informed her what they were doing, and Sasha had no way to communicate with her.

Parents of children in a variety of summer camps and schools began learning through phone calls with their children that the schools would let them go home, but only if their parents came to collect them in person.

Few, if any, of the mothers had the wherewithal to manage such a trek. But there are several charity groups helping to do just that, and Zhornyk had heard about one, Save Ukraine.

Founded after Russian forces attacked in 2014, the group was created to move children and their families from occupied areas and places of intense fighting to shelters or new homes. After children became stranded in Russian-occupied territory last fall, the group began to organize rescue missions. The mothers set off on that 3,000-mile journey through Poland, Belarus and Russia and on to Russian-occupied Ukraine and Crimea.

They had to navigate hostile border and police checks along the route, which included a flight from Belarus to Moscow, including nine hours of questioning from immigration officers at the airport. From Moscow, they drove more than 1,000 miles to Crimea. Zhornyk split off to go to Perevalsk for Artem. Then the whole group traveled back the way they came and back into Ukraine through Belarus.

A Debilitating Experience

There were hugs and tears when the mothers and children arrived back in Ukraine last month  and some surprises.

The children were full of stories that went unsaid in phone calls home. Many of the teenagers were able to make daily calls home. Others, like Artem, had to beg to borrow someones phone. There were frequent punishments, as well as pressure to sing the Russian anthem, bullying and name-calling by other students, the children said.

There was also mounting stress: The children were told that if their parents did not collect them by this month, six months after their arrival, they would be sent to foster homes or put up for adoption.

He no longer had any hope that I would come, Radzevilova said of her son. Because I said I didnt know how; I didnt have the money.

Mazur was even more critical of Russian behavior. Her autistic son had deteriorated in the time they were separated, she said.

He was never like this, she said. When he leaves the car, he is afraid of everything.

She worried for the other disabled children from Sashas original care home in Oleshky, some of whom were wheelchair-bound or bedridden. There was no record of where they went, she said, and she was haunted by the comment of a Russian administrator who told her the Ukrainian children had been cast away like kittens.

Of the 13 evacuated from the Kupiansk boarding school last September, only two have returned to Ukraine, including Artem. Another went to Poland. Four children moved to somewhere in Russia, possibly with their parents. Five children remained at the school in Perevalsk, including two girls in first grade. They were in class when Zhornyk collected her son; he left without saying goodbye.

c.2023 The New York Times Company
WEST PALM BEACH  A ruling by a federal judge suspending access to the nation's most common abortion pill has plunged the future of mifepristone into uncertainty.

U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, a Trump appointee, issued a ruling Friday that could bar healthcare providers from prescribing the drug, even in states where abortion is legal. The Justice Department filed a notice of appeal within hours of the Texas judges ruling, triggering a legal battle expected to land in the hands of the U.S. Supreme Court.

Mifepristone has been used in more than half of all abortions in the U.S. since the Food and Drug Administration approved its use in 2000. Laura Goodhue, executive director of the Florida Alliance of Planned Parenthood Affiliates, said the potential ban is just more pressure on clinicians already working overtime as state lawmakers try to outlaw their patients needs.

"We've seen since Roe v. Wade fell that they will stop at nothing to make it impossible for people to access abortion care, Goodhue said Saturday. Make no mistake. This would have an absolutely dire impact on access to abortion.

Mifepristone is still available in Florida pending the outcome of the government's appeal.

Boxes of the drug mifepristone sit on a shelf at a Women's Center in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on March 16, 2022. (Photo: Allen G. Breed, AP)

Here are five things to know about the drug as its fate hangs in the balance:

What is mifepristone, and how does it work?

Mifepristone is the first of a two-pill regimen prescribed to end a pregnancy up to 10 weeks. It and misoprostol work together to interrupt the supply of hormones to the uterus, without which the uterus cannot support the pregnancy.

According to the Guttmacher Institute, mifepristone accounts for more than half of all abortions in the U.S.

"That's how safe it is, how popular it is," Goodhue said. "That's how needed it is in our health care system."

According to USA Today, some clinics and doctors that prescribe the two-drug combination have said that if mifepristone were pulled from the market, they would switch to using only the second drug, misoprostol.

Story continues

Commentary: Religious rights under threat by Florida abortion proposals

'We're not equal anymore': Abortion-rights advocates gather in West Palm Beach

Is mifepristone safe?

Yes, according to health officials. The FDA maintains that mifepristone and misoprostol safely terminated 99.6% of pregnancies with few complications.

How do I get mifepristone and misoprostol?

The medicine must be prescribed by a doctor. It is not available over-the-counter in pharmacies or other stores, though in some places only a telemedicine visit is required to get mifepristone and misoprostol.

Who wants mifepristone off the shelves?

An anti-abortion coalition. The conservative organization Alliance Defending Freedom filed a lawsuit Nov. 18 in Texas arguing that mifepristone should be pulled from the market because of medical risks, despite longstanding research concluding that it's safe.

According to USA Today, Julie Blake, senior counsel at Alliance Defending Freedom, said the group wants the FDA "to put politics aside ... and protect women and girls by removing these drugs from the market or, at a minimum, by restoring important safeguards on their use."

Goodhue called the effort a "sham lawsuit."

"It is a concerted effort by extremists who want to end access to abortion," she said.

Can people still get surgical abortions?

Yes. Kacsmaryk's ruling would not prevent pregnant people from undergoing surgical, or procedural abortions inside a clinic, though other pending legislation in Florida might. Conservative Republican lawmakers are seeking to ban abortion after six weeks, down from 15 weeks. The Florida House of Representatives is scheduled to debate HB 7, the six-week abortion ban, on Thursday.

Goodhue said the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade prompted a surge of out-of-state patients seeking abortions in Florida clinics. The number of abortion patients quadrupled in the last year, she said, and the demand will likely continue to grow with the fate of mifepristone on the line.

Can people still get medication abortions?

Yes. In countries where it's difficult to access mifepristone, many opt for misoprostol-only regimens, which is considered a safe alternative, according to the World Health Organization.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: What is mifepristone? 5 things to know about 'abortion pill'
Photo Illustration by Erin O'Flynn/The Daily Beast/Getty Images

Frida Kahlos story is well known. Theres the childhood polio. The elite female student at a predominantly male school. The bus crash at 18 that crushed her and her ambition to become a doctor. The monobrow. The early marriage to Diego Rivera, a fellow Mexican artist and revolutionary twenty years her senior. His affairs. Her affairs, including a brief fling with Leon Trotsky. Membership of the Mexican Communist Party. Her flirtation with Surrealism. Her death at 47. The 500 people who attended her funeral at the Palace of Fine Arts.

Frida Kahlos life was as colorful as her outfits. Its been the subject of movies, of books, and of many, many exhibitions. But her biography is not why she is famous. There are countless individuals with vivid life stories who are now long forgotten. She has risen to the status of international icon because of her art, which has connected with people across time and space. Fans from the Americas, Europe and Asia politely wait in line to see her politically charged, allegorical images. They resonate universally, even though her paintings are neither technically brilliant nor staggeringly beautiful. They are more like poems in picture form, an artist baring her soul with brushstrokes rather than a pen.

Frida Kahlo had incredible vision. She knew it. When she was 19 she wrote a letter to her boyfriend Alejandro Gomez Arias about her uncanny ability to perceive what others could not. I know everything now, without reading or writing I know there is nothing else beyond; if there was, I would see it. She wasnt boasting, more lamenting. The horrific accident that turned her from being a promising medic into a fledgling artist had happened only a few months earlier. She and Alejandro were traveling back to her hometown of Coyoacan on the outskirts of Mexico City when a tram crashed into the side of their bus, causing Frida to be impaled on a metal handrail. She survived, just, with a broken back, a smashed pelvis and several badly damaged organs. Her life thereafter was one of chronic discomfort and frequent operations. Now I live on a painful planet, she wrote in the same letter, transparent as ice; nothing is concealed.

If there was any upside to that life-changing collision, it was the insight and time for observation with which it left her. In photographs subsequently taken by lovers as well as the dozens of self-portraits she produced throughout her adult life, you can see Frida seeing. The expressionless face, the red lips, the dark hair, the faint mustache  and those critical eyes. With Kahlo the lights were always switched on; even when wrecked through drink and drugs, she was measuring up the world as a tiger stalks a deer. There was an inscrutability to her countenance, a stillness to her presence: we dont know what she is thinking but we definitively know that she is thinking.

It is too simplistic to say that the physical pain she endured was the subject of her highly personalized paintings. Such directness was never Frida Kahlos style. Symbolism, metaphor and story were the foundational elements of her art. The suffering she experienced because of her injuries was central to her art, but it wasnt the only subject  it was more a way into a much broader range of concerns. She didnt see pain, she used it to see.

To understand how she saw, it helps to consider how she might have thought. Frida Kahlo made the personal political long before the 1960s feminists claimed that notion as their own. She turned herself into the embodiment of her beloved Mexico, a nation in the process of creating a new identity following the end of colonial rule and the countrys subsequent decade-long revolution (191020). Her agenda was the peoples agenda, the agenda of the Mexican revolutionaries and their leaders, Emiliano Zapata and Pancho Villa. When she presented herself wounded but resolute in a painting, she was representing the spirit of a newly liberated Mexico as wounded but resolute. When her skin was pierced by a necklace of thorns, causing her to bleed, she was reflecting on the revolutionaries blood spilt during their struggles to save the countrys soul. When she split an image into two opposing halves, she was thinking of a divided Mexico. What she said, painted, wore and wrote was a statement about Mexicos independence and culture. That was her subject. Pain was the lens through which she saw it.

The constant discomfort she felt gave her access to the extra-sensory faculties needed to reveal the daily agonies and ecstasies taking place within her cherished country. You cant paint hurt without hurting. Frida Kahlo without pain is the Rolling Stones without Mick Jagger or a Margarita without tequila. The wounds and wonders she described in paint made plain her feelings, her heart pounding with joy one minute and broken in despair the next. She was a passionate woman who had many lovers, but none came close to Diego Rivera, who made her the happiest and saddest person to be alive. She once said, I suffered two grave accidents in my life. One in which a streetcar knocked me down . . . the other is Diego.

Rivera was already a world-famous, well-established, mid-career artist and revolutionary when he came to paint a mural in the amphitheater at the school the then fifteen-year-old Frida attended. He arrived with his paints and a gun in his pocket just in case any right-wing students attempted to kill him! As soon as she saw him enter her school, Frida knew they would become lovers and she would have his babies, a prediction made impossible to realize by the injuries she would suffer three years later. But he did become her one and only husband, by which time she was his third wife of what would be four. When they married, he was forty-three, she was twenty-two. He was big and stout, she was small and thin. They became a Mexican power couple, feted in New York and Paris and admired at home. They entertained leading artists, politicians and members of the worlds intelligentsia. Theirs was a romanticized view of Mexico and, to an extent, of themselves. They described their artistic-political movement as Mexicanidad, proclaiming Mexico as a modern Marxist state free of foreign rulers and reconnected to its ancient Meso-american cultures of the Olmecs, the Maya and the Aztecs.

Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo on December 8, 1939. Bettmann/Getty Images

They promoted their causes through art and action, including membership of the Mexican Communist Party and a public rejection of religion. Diego made Modernist frescos celebrating a new world order of workers empowerment under enlightened communist leadership. Frida painted Stalin as a hero. Rivera collected ancient Mexican objects with his friend Miguel Covarrubias, which he would reference in his murals. Kahlo turned personal style into political activism by wearing the traditional clothes of Tehuana women, the indigenous descendants of the pre-Colombian Zapotec culture based around the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in southern Mexico. It was a feminist as well as a nationalist statement, a light shone on to a community in which women expressed their economic and social status through beautifully crafted dresses, skirts and blouses.

To the ancient, Kahlo and Rivera fused the avant-garde. The Mexican modernist architect Juan OGorman designed them a Le Corbusier-inspired his-and-hers art studio, interconnected by a concrete bridge at roof level and surrounded by a cactus fence. Diego was particularly pleased when he returned from America to see what his old friend had built. Separate studios with separate entrances were a perfect working environment for a womanizing artist. Frida largely put up with her husbands bad temper and frequent infidelity, often giving as good as she got. But there was one affair she could not tolerate.

In 1934, five years after their marriage, Diego took Fridas younger sister Cristina as his lover. Frida was devastated. It is a twofold grief, she wrote to friends. I only had Diego and my family at home. She went to New York to meet friends, and talked to her father  Wilhelm Guillermo Kahlo  a German photographer who had moved to Mexico in the 1890s where he met and married her Mexican mother, Matilde. Frida adored her papa, who was instrumental in teaching her to see and be seen (he photographed her a lot), but he was no good when it came to the affair, as she noted: My father is a wonderful person, but he reads Schopenhauer day and night, and is no help to me at all. He could cope with complex philosophy but not his daughters complex relationship. He disappeared into a book and said nothing.

Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlotalk together in the garden, near the porch of Kahlo's home in Mexico City, Mexico in 1937. FPG/Getty Images

Fridas work became fiercer and franker. The humor she once sneaked into her pieces evaporated. Satire evolved into a Freudian examination of selfhood: Since my subjects have always been my sensations, my states of mind and the profound reactions that life has prompted in me, I have often objectified all this in figures of myself, which were the most real, most sincere thing I could do to express what I felt within and outside myself.

When Andre Breton, the self-styled founder and leader of Surrealism, visited Mexico and saw her work he immediately claimed it  and her  to be part of his movement. He adored its darkness and anger, describing her delicate paintings of nightmares and abortions as being a ribbon around a bomb. He invited her to show her work in Paris, an offer she accepted  apart from anything else, she needed to get away from home. While she worked on a series of new paintings for the show in France  and presented a successful exhibition in New York  her marriage was disintegrating. Her sister was still part of Diegos romantic life four years after the affair had started, and Frida was not putting up with it any longer. In 1939 she divorced Diego, which led to her producing one of her most famous pictures, Las Dos Fridas (The Two Fridas), which now hangs in the Museo de Arte Moderno in Mexico City.

It is much, much bigger than her usual paintings, which tended to be quite small as she was frequently bed-bound, or sitting with restricted mobility. Las Dos Fridas, though, is a large square composition measuring 173.5cm x 173cm  not far off life-size. There are two explanations for this sudden upscaling. One is commercial. Andre Breton advised her to make some larger works for her Paris show, as European collectors preferred more sizeable paintings. And second, she had a lot to say. Las Dos Fridas is the ultimate break-up picture.

The tone is set by the background, which is stormy and ominous. In the foreground, sitting on a green wicker bench, are the two Fridas. They are holding hands, united. Their shoulders are turned slightly towards one another, but their eyes stare directly out to the viewer: this is no interior conversation piece, they are talking to us. One Frida is wearing traditional Mexican clothes, the other a colonial-style wedding dress. These are the two sides to Frida: Mexican Frida with indigenous Indian roots on her mothers side, and European Frida with her fathers German heritage on the other. We suspect Diego prefers Mexican Frida because it is this Frida who is holding a miniature picture of him in her left hand. It is attached to a vein full of blood that winds itself up her arm and into her halved heart, which is exposed outside her body. The vein exits from an artery and makes its way over to European Frida, who has the other half of the heart beating over her breast. The vein passes through another artery and makes its way down to her right hand, which holds a pair of scissor forceps, clamped over the vein to stop it bleeding. Well, not entirely. A little blood has dripped on to European Fridas dress, blending in with the red flower decoration on its rim.

You can see why Breton, with his taste for the macabre and disturbed, would have delighted in Fridas ghoulish account of her marriage. Shes laid it all out there in the open: the organ failures, the hospitalizations, the anatomical knowledge from studying medicine, the dualistic nature of her background (a mestizo, meaning mixed race), her stoicism, the older and younger self, the interior and exterior, the mind and body, Madonna and child, life and death.

Circa 1945, married Mexican artists Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo read and work in a studio. Kahlo's self-portrait, 'The Two Fridas' (1939), hangs in the background with other works. Hulton Archive/Getty Images

European Frida has blood on her hands, Mexican Frida has love in hers. The menacing sky closes in, a sign of anxiety over a future direction  Western subjugation or Mexican values? Theres more. Although she was a publicly stated atheist, religion played a significant role in her painting style and outlook. It is there in the depiction of the sacred heart, bleeding and damaged, with the ventricles rising to form a cross in the hope, perhaps, of a miracle cure. The blood could be the blood of Christ, a symbol of martyrdom, unconditional love and redemption. The painting of Diego is a retablo, a small devotional picture that is part of the folk art of the Catholic Church, into which Kahlo was born. Has she refound her faith in God rather than in an unfaithful man? Her walls were covered in ex-votos, postcard-sized pictures that offer a prayer in the form of a pictorial story accompanied by text. They were a notable influence on Frida, whose paintings owe a lot to the ex-voto aesthetic, particularly the way they favored an easily legible image over painterly technique. Theres no attempt to convincingly represent perspective, or to achieve even basic levels of academic draftsmanship. Unnecessary flourishes are put aside to give prominence to the story encapsulated in the image. The result is a rigid, stiff composition that gives ex-voto images a distinctly spooky look: an effect Kahlo comprehensively mastered.

Las Dos Fridas didnt sell when exhibited, unlike many of her other pictures. Maybe Breton was wrong to encourage Frida to go large. He was certainly wrong about her being a Surrealist, as she made clear with this statement: I never painted my dreams, I painted my own reality. That is the way into her art. Her pictures were not the whimsical meanderings Breton believed them to be. They belonged to the time and place in which Kahlo lived. She made images that were overtly political, often with more than a hint of propaganda. She was deeply committed to helping shape the future of Mexico, and did so by becoming its cultural embodiment. The artist and her nation were inseparable, and still are today.

Frida Kahlo would probably have been a doctor if it wasnt for the bus accident. Instead of breaking her, it was the making of her. She learnt to live with the pain and to use it as a way of seeing the world and her place in it, the pain of the crash, of the miscarriages, of Diegos affairs, of her sisters betrayal, of a colonial past, of lost traditions, of an overbearing West, of her countrys turmoil. She was a force of nature whom few could resist. Not even Diego, who asked her to remarry him a year after their divorce. Which she did.

Publisher

Excerpted with permission from See What Youre Missing: New Ways of Looking at the World Through Art by Will Gompertz. Published by Pegasus Books.

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Features/The Vanished Editor

Tammy Ayer has worked at the Yakima Herald-Republic since 2015. This is her fourth newspaper gig. Alongside general assignment reporting and profiles, she writes about the centuries-long crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People, focusing on those who have gone missing, been murdered and have died mysteriously on and around the Yakama Reservation. Ayer grew up in Indiana, lived in Florida for 13 years and has a masters degree in history.
Business Reporter

Joel Donofrio is the business reporter for the Yakima Herald. He was born and raised in the Chicago area, but he and his wife, Cathy, fell in love with the beauty (and low humidity) of the West and moved here in 2009, eventually relocating to Yakima in September 2021. They have two young adult children, Anthony and Joanna, and a dog, Molly. When he is not taking photos of construction sites, tracking down new and relocating businesses or catching up on agricultural trends, Joel enjoys playing guitar, singing, listening to music and playing and watching sports.
Packed churches are a near certainty today as the Yakima Valley's Christian communities celebrate Easter, but the commemoration and reflection on Jesus Christs final days on Earth, his death and resurrection began several days and weeks earlier.

Christians first prepare for Easter by observing the 40-day period of Lent, beginning on Ash Wednesday, which was Feb. 22 this year. Palm Sunday, observed April 2, begins Holy Week by recalling Christs triumphant entrance into Jerusalem, a sharp contrast from the crucifixion by government and religious authorities soon afterward.

St. Timothys Episcopal Church hosted a Maundy Thursday service and Holy Eucharist, with the Yakima congregation recalling Jesus instituting the sacrament and washing the feet of his disciples during the Last Supper.

The observance of Holy Week provides for us an observance of the last days of Jesus life, said Rev. Joan Dahl during the service.

She noted that Christs washing of feet and institution of the Eucharist are both acts of communal intimacy, and are almost more than the Apostles  and modern-day Christians  can comprehend.

In John Chapter 13, the Gospel passage read before Dahls sermon, Peter resists Jesus offer to wash his feet, but Christ replied that I, your Lord and teacher, have just washed your feet. You, then, should wash one anothers feet.

Dahl explained that in Jesus time, hospitality from a host included removing guests sandals and washing the dust from their feet.

This act of service grows out of who (Christ) is and where he is going, Dahl said. Jesus message of humility has as much to do with receiving as giving.

Can we humbly accept the gift of a hand offered in help, or two hands washing our feet? she asked. If we lose our sense of groundedness in God, that humility, we have nothing to share with others.

After her sermon, Dahl and Rev. Colby Roberts, the rector of St. Timothy's, invited those attending the service to remove their socks and shoes and have their feet washed in front of the altar, and several participated in the ceremony.

On the night before his death, Jesus set an example for his disciples by washing their feet, an act of humble service, Roberts said. He taught that strength and growth in the life of the Kingdom of God come not by power, authority or even miracle, but by such lowly service.

Good Friday event

The following day, seven representatives of different Yakima Valley denominations reflected on the last words of Jesus at a Good Friday Community Worship event at St. Joseph Catholic Church in downtown Yakima. It was the second straight year the service was held after the COVID pandemic canceled the event in 2020 and 2021.

Sponsored by the Yakima Association of Faith Communities, the event included brief readings in Spanish from Gospel accounts of Christs crucifixion, organ music and hymns, and a collection for the Yakima Rotary Food Bank. Roughly 100 people attended the ecumenical service.

Two examples of Jesus forgiveness from the cross were read from Lukes Gospel: Christs stating Father, forgive them, they dont know what they are doing and his reassurance to one of the criminals being crucified with him (the so-called repentant thief), I promise that today you will be with me in paradise.

Forgiveness is a theme throughout Christs public ministry, noted LaDon Linde of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

To be forgiven by God for our sins and failings, we must be willing to forgive those who failed us, Linde said. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the gospel of second chances, third chances, fourth chances and so on  so long as we keep on trying.

Regarding the repentant thief, the Rev. David Hacker of St. Michael's Episcopal Mission noted he is mentioned only in Lukes version of the crucifixion, not the other three Gospel accounts. And he likely may have been a rebel attempting to overthrow the Roman government rather than a thief  just like Barabbas, the criminal the crowd chooses to set free rather than Jesus.

In his nonviolent way, Jesus, too, was a revolutionary, Hacker said, with his example and teachings about the Kingdom of God a rejection of the Roman Empire of Christs time and all the empires since then.

The Kingdom of God is a radical alternative to all the violent and unjust Earthly kingdoms, Hacker said. It was to reveal the love of God for us that Jesus took up his cross.

The Rev. Cheryl Mayes of the Unity Spiritual Life Center in Yakima reflected on Jesus statement, It is finished from John Chapter 23, verse 30.

Mayes stressed that although Christs time on earth was done as he died on the cross, his resurrection and instructions for his disciples to carry on his ministry means the work of the faithful is far from finished.

We are the ones who are to show Gods love to the world  to bring light to a world of so much darkness, she added.

And even as Christ breathed his last, bowed his head and died on the cross, the Rev. Robert Trimble, retired pastor of Mount Hope Baptist Church, said Jesus final words as recounted in Lukes Gospel (Father, in your hands I place my spirit) provide hope.

Trimble, who faced numerous health struggles himself over the past year, reinforced something Hacker said earlier in the service: that Jesus does not teach us how to kill, but how to die.

Believers in Christ can be reassured that he, too, suffered physical and spiritual pain at the end of his life, but faced death confident in his relationship with his father.

Whatever pain, whatever suffering well go through, (God) will be with us, just like he was for his son, Trimble said.
According to Gerald Darmanin, Minister of the Interior There may be 10 people under the ruins of the two collapsed residential buildings In Marseille, that they do not yet know what caused the explosion.

The newspaper understands that the collapse caused a fire that complicated rescue efforts and that Darmanin said could take hours to put out. He said authorities estimated between four and ten people were under the rubble.

So far, five people have been taken to the hospital with serious but not life-threatening injuries, and a sixth person is being treated for shock, he added.

A third building also partially collapsed due to the explosion, and people were evacuated from around 30 buildings in the area. According to Darmanin, there is no information about the buildings that collapsed on Rue de Tivoli, that they had structural problems.

French President Emmanuel Macron also spoke about the tragedy in Marseille on Twitter, where he wrote that they are praying for the safety and health of the people there.

Cover image: Getty Images (The image is an illustration)
A For Rent sign hangs near an apartment complex in Yakima, Wash., Wednesday, March 7, 2018. Washington legislators have passed a bill that prohibits landlords from turning away potential renters who rely on Section 8 vouchers, Social Security or veterans benefits. (SHAWN GUST/Yakima Herald-Republic)
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The Good Friday Agreement, officially known as the Belfast Agreement, which gradually put an end to almost three decades of bloody clashes between sectarian factions in Northern Ireland, which regularly spread to Great Britain, was signed twenty-five years ago.

At least 3,500 people lost their lives in the three decades of the terrorist campaign of the Irish Republican Army (IRA), which once fought with arms against British rule and for the unification of the island of Ireland, which began in 1969.

More than half of the dead were civilians, but more than a thousand British soldiers and three hundred policemen also died in the clashes or assassinations.

In one of the most serious incidents of the IRAs terror campaign, in 1979, Lord Mountbatten, the last British viceroy of India, was the victim of an inferno attack. Queen Elizabeths late father, VI. King George was a distant relative of the British monarchs husband, Prince Philip of Edinburgh, who died two years ago, and he introduced the future royal couple back in 1939.

He is the only member of the British royal family to die in an IRA attack.

The Good Friday Agreement did not immediately bring peace to Northern Ireland either. Months after the solemn ceremony in Belfast, the bloodiest attack of the three decades of the conflict was committed: in August 1998, the organization identifying itself as the real IRA, whose members were mostly recruited from the ranks of the IRA, carried out an infernal machine gun attack in the city of Omagh in Northern Ireland.

The explosive device hidden in the car killed 29 people, including nine children and a pregnant woman who was pregnant with twins.

According to the official investigation data of the time, 220 people were injured in the explosion, but according to later estimates, their number could reach five hundred.

The Good Friday Settlement Agreement  signed by then Prime Minister Tony Blair on the British side, and Prime Minister Bertie Ahern on the Irish Republics side  nevertheless opened the way to a number of previously unimaginable reconciliation developments.

These included that

the Irish government recognized for the first time since the existence of independent Ireland in a legally binding international treaty that Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom.

At the same time, the agreement also allows for a referendum on the unification of the island of Ireland, if it becomes clear from opinion polls that the majority of the population in Northern Ireland is in favor of this.

From this point of view, the fact that in last Mays parliamentary elections in Northern Ireland, the largest party of the anti-British Catholic movement, Sinn Fein, obtained the most seats in the Belfast legislature, Stormont, where previously it had always belonged to Protestants who supported British supremacy  the in recent decades, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) has been the largest faction.

It was also recently revealed that for the first time in Northern Irelands 101-year history, Catholics have become a relative majority among the local population: in the last census, 45.7 percent of respondents said they were Catholic, while the proportion of Protestants was 43.5 percent.

The majority of the Catholic population supports the anti-British movements fighting for the reunification of the Irish island, above all Sinn Fein.

Two early key figures in reconciliation were Martin McGuinness and Ian Paisley.

McGuinness, who died seven years ago, was one of the commanders of the military council of the IRA in the 1970s in the city of Derry, perhaps the hottest point of Catholic radicalism in Ulster.

The Reverend Ian Paisley, a Protestant unionist politician with an incendiary rhetoric, no one  including himself  would have ever imagined that he would ever form a government together with the Sinn Fein he passionately hated.

However, in the spring of 2007, the previously unthinkable happened: Paisley, then leader of the Protestant Democratic Unionist Party loyal to the crown, became the head of the Protestant-Catholic government in Northern Ireland, accepting Martin McGuinness, Sinn Feins second-in-command at the time, as his deputy based on an agreement on interfaith power-sharing.

Reverend Paisley has not wasted many good words for Catholics in the past. One of the most infamous manifestations of his political career was when in 1988, speaking in the European Parliament, II. He branded Pope John Paul the Antichrist by shouting into the speech before being thrown out of the meeting hall.

Still, in 2007, Paisley concluded one of the most improbable coalition agreements in modern European political history with the Sinn Fein leadership, whose members he had called bloodthirsty monsters not long before.

However, the system of government in Northern Ireland, based on Catholic-Protestant sectarian power-sharing, cannot be called smooth.

The local government has collapsed several times and is not functioning now either, this time  at least in name  because the radically EU-sceptic DUP does not accept the special agreement developed for the special status of Northern Ireland after the termination of the British EU membership, which has since been significantly modified, which aims is that uncontrolled products from Northern Ireland cannot be transferred to Ireland  that is, to the EU.

In addition, the other day, the authorities raised the level of terror threat preparedness in Northern Ireland to a serious level, as the radical anti-British paramilitary organizations are once again active. One such militia recently fatally wounded a policeman with firearms.

All of this indicates that a quarter of a century after the historic Good Friday Agreement, it cannot be said that the sectarian divide in Northern Ireland is a thing of the past.

Cover image: Illustration (Photo: Pexels)
Maruti Suzuki, the largest carmaker of India with over 40 percent market share has been the industry leader for 3 decades for a variety of reasons. However, the one thing that works in the favour of the Indo-Japanese brand is their understanding of the mass segment audience, the largest car buyers in India. As per the sales data, half of the cars sold in India belong to the sub Rs 10 lakh segment. Of these halve, Maruti Suzuki eats up a major chunk, with a bouquet of affordable offerings. Joining them is the new Maruti Suzuki Fronx, which is a beefed up version of the popular Baleno premium hatchback.

While the Maruti Suzuki Fronx was first unveiled at the Auto Expo in January 2023 in India, its now that the Indian automaker is planning for its launch. The Fronx is aimed to reach young buyers, looking to buy a car that's not a hatchback or and SUV, but offers pricing of the former and practicality of the latter. Ahead of the launch, we bring you our exclusive and honest review of the Maruti Suzuki Fronx. Read on

Maruti Suzuki Fronx: Video Review

Maruti Suzuki Fronx: What To Expect?

First things first, the Maruti Suzuki Fronx name is getting a lot of mixed reviews on the social media, with some praising it for being peppy, while some calling it too unique for a vehicle. But name aside, the Fronx promises to tap three segments at one go. While its a Baleno based crossover that targets the audience of a sub-compact SUV, it will also entice buyers from hatchback as well as compact SUV segments. Also, it's not a replacement for the S-Cross, but will be sold through NEXA Dealerships.

Maruti Suzuki Fronx: Design

The biggest change in the Maruti Suzuki Fronx as compared to Baleno has to be the design, as this car is a hatchback on stilt with a body kit, roof rails and skid plates. It also gets a new grille, stacked LED DRLs in the cube shape, precision cut alloy wheels and connected LED rear combination light that lends it a very sporty, yet SUV stance. For me, the back angle of the Fronx works the best and despite being the similar size of Baleno, the raised ground clearance and massive wheel arches give it a muscular touch.

Maruti Suzuki Fronx: Cabin & Features

Sitting inside the cabin of the Fronx, you realise how far Maruti Suzuki has come in terms of the cabin design. The Fronx has its heart at the right place and gets a dual tone dark treatment that lends a sporty vibe to the car, but snatches away the sense of roominess. But then, that also differentiates it with the Baleno. The use of wine coloured upholstery adds a rich look to the car, worthy of NEXA dealerships. There's a free standing 9-inch Smartplay Pro+ infotainment system with Arkamys sound system.

You also get Suzuki connect with 40+ connected car Features, wireless charger, HUD display, which is a segment first and a 360 degree. Practicality wise, the car has the similar space as the Baleno, which means it has enough legroom and headroom at the back seat, and can sit 3 adults. The boot space is rated at 308-litre which is deep enough. What I missed was a sunroof and digital instrument console, but that's just me getting greedy.

Maruti Suzuki Fronx: Engine & Performance

The Maruti Suzuki Fronx will get two engine options: a 1.2-litre NA petrol unit with options of Manual and AMT gearboxes and a 1.0-litre BoosterJet engine with Manual and Automatic gearbox options. We spent a decent amount of time in the Turbo Auto variant, and also drove the Turbo Manual for a while. The overall driving dynamics impressed me, as in the case of Baleno. Its a very urban car with a chunky D-cut steering to hold to.

We also did some controlled off-roading and tight manoeuvring in the Fronx to understand the structural stability and found is capable enough. The only problem I see with the car is its mileage. Despite being a Baleno-derived crossover, the Fronx offers a mileage of 22.89 kmpl (AMT). Maruti itself is offering cars with 25 kmpl + average and it might be a turn off for some buyers.





On the positive side though, the engine is super refined, and powerful enough, especially the turbo unit that gets 100 PS and 147 Nm output. The 1.2-litre unit gets 90 PS and 113 NM output, which is decent for a car of this size. The performance is not the best for a turbo motor, but does its job well for an urban dweller.

Maruti Suzuki Fronx: Safety

Safety wise, the Maruti Suzuki Fronx gets 6 Airbags and is based on the HearTECT platform. It also gets Hill Hold Assist, Electronic Stability Control among other things. If this doesn't make the Global NCAP happy, I am not sure what else will. Maruti maintains that they adhere to all the norms laid out by the Indian government and I see nothing wrong with it.

Maruti Suzuki Fronx: Should You Buy?

The FRONX is Maruti Suzuki's yet another attempt to establish itself as a premium automaker. In doing so, they have made a car that looks miles apart from other Maruti cars, has a premium cabin and also makes me wonder how well Maruti Suzuki understands the Indian buyer's driving sensibilities. Should you buy one? Well, it all depends on the pricing, but prima facie, this crossover is good enough to pull you to the showrooms at least.
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar's remark on Adani has not gone well with the Congress. Through his recent statements, Pawar has not only favoured a probe by a Supreme Court-appointed committee into the Adani-Hindenburg row, but he has also said that attacking businessmen is not good as their contribution to the country's economy cannot be ignored. This is in sharp contrast to the Congress party's stand on the issue. The Congress has been constantly demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the Adani row. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has been targeting Adani for a long.

After Pawar's remark, Congress leader Alka Lamba criticised Pawar in a tweet while calling the NCP chief greedy. "Scared-greedy people are today singing the praises of dictatorial power because of their personal interests - only one, Rahul Gandhi is fighting the battle of the people of the country - the capitalist as well as the thieves and the watchman who saves the thieves," said Lamba while sharing a photo of Sharad Pawar and Adani.

It may be noted that NCP and Congress are allies and are a part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi in Maharashtra. They are also united on many issues in Parliament. However, Lamba's remark did not bode well with the BJP. The saffron party termed her remark as 'shocking' and 'appaling'. Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis accused Rahul Gandhi of perverting Indian politics. "Politics will come and go but this Tweet by a Congress leader on their long-standing ally of 35 years and one of Indias senior-most political leaders and a 4 time CM of Maharashtra is appalling. Rahul Gandhi is perverting Indias political culture," said Fadnavis.

Politics will come and go but this Tweet by a Congress leader on their long standing ally of 35 years and one of the Indias senior most political leaders and a 4 time CM of Maharashtra is appalling. @RahulGandhi is perverting Indias political culture pic.twitter.com/84olg5FYOc  Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) April 8, 2023

BJP Spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala asked Congress whether Lamba's remark is the official position of the grand old party. "I am shocked. Is this Congress official position? Alka Lamba has made an unbelievable attack on Sharad Pawar ji. She has described him as greedy & a coward. As a Maharashtrian I am pretty flabbergasted. What does Maharashtra Congress & NCP have to say? Here is the tweet before she deletes it," said Poonawala.

I am shocked



Is this Congress official position.



Alka Lamba has made an unbelievable attack on Sharad Pawar ji



She has described him as greedy & a coward



As a Maharashtrian I am pretty flabbergasted



Is this the official position of @INCIndia @INCMaharashtra & what does pic.twitter.com/2EozOHkLvu April 8, 2023

Alka Lamba later tweeted clarifying that this is her personal opinion. "No, this is Not the Congress's OP on Mr Pawar , check the party handle for that. I am a Congress worker, My tweets are my independent views on my personal handle, responsibility and accountability for them is mine, There is democracy in the party, everyone has the right to express his views," she said.

The concerned report from US-based short-seller firm Hindenburg Research surfaced on January 24 claiming that the Adani Group had weak business fundamentals, and was involved in stock manipulation and accounting fraud, among others. Noteworthy to mention that the Supreme Court set up an expert committee on the issue arising from the Hindenburg Research report on Adani Group companies. The committee will consist of six members, headed by former apex court judge Justice AM Sapre.
New Delhi: A Congress leader in Tamil Nadu`s Dindigul district has been booked for allegedly threatening to chop off the tongue of the judge who delivered the verdict against Rahul Gandhi in a 2019 criminal defamation case. The Dindigul Police on Saturday registered a case against Congress Dindigul district president, Manikandan, over his controversial remark against the judge who delivered the verdict against Rahul Gandhi.

"A case has been registered against Congress leader Manikandan under three sections of IPC including 153B for his remarks. An investigation is underway," officials said.

Manikandan made the remark during a protest against Rahul Gandhi`s disqualification in Tamil Nadu`s Dindigul on April 6.

"When we will come to power, we will chop off the tongue of the judge who delivered the verdict to send our leader Rahul Gandhi to jail," Manikandan said.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi lost membership of the Lower House of Parliament after a Surat court convicted and sentenced him in a 2019 criminal defamation case.

The case was in connection to a remark he made using the surname `Modi` while addressing a campaign event ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

The matter pertains to Rahul`s remarks at a rally in Karnataka`s Kolar in April 2019, Rahul, in a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said, "How come all the thieves have Modi as the common surname?".

Following his conviction, Rahul was disqualified as an MP on March 24, as per a Supreme Court ruling in 2013. Under the ruling, any MP or MLA stands to be disqualified automatically if convicted and sentenced to 2 years or more.

The Lok Sabha Secretariat on March 27 issued a notice to Rahul Gandhi, asking him to vacate his government bungalow following his disqualification as an MP.

As per the notice, the allotment of his government bungalow will be cancelled with effect from April 24.

In a letter to Deputy Secretary, MS Branch, Lok Sabha Secretariat dated March 28, Rahul Gandhi said that he owes the happy memories of his time spent at the bungalow to the mandate of the people.

"As an elected Member of Lok Sabha over last four terms, it is the mandate of the people to which I owe the happy memories of my time spent here. Without prejudice to my rights, I will, of course, abide by the details contained in your letter," Rahul Gandhi wrote.
New Delhi: After the end of the BJP Chief Election Committee (CEC) meeting on Sunday, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavraj Bommai said that the party will announce the list of candidates for the assembly polls in a day or two.CM Bommai also announced that he is contesting from the Shiggaon constituency.

Talking to the media persons, Basavraj Bommai said, "We discussed the overall list for the Karnataka elections and probably we will sit again tomorrow. The list will be announced tomorrow or the day after that. I am contesting from the Shiggaon constituency".

Senior BJP leaders on Sunday attended the CEC meeting for the Karnataka Assembly elections scheduled to be held next month at the party headquarters in the national capital.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP Chief JP Nadda, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, and Union Minister Pralhad Joshi came to attend the meeting.

Earlier, on Saturday, Amit Shah held a meeting at BJP president Nadda`s residence in the national capital to discuss and finalise the list of candidates for the May 10 polls.Karnataka BJP president Nalinkumar Kateel, former Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa, Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and other leaders were also present at Nadda`s residence.

In the 2018 Assembly elections, the BJP emerged as the largest single party in the last Assembly elections, winning 104 seats, with the Congress winning 80 and the JD(S) 37 seats. The elections for the 224-member Karnataka Legislative Assembly will be held on May 10, and the counting of votes for the Assembly will be held on May 13.
New Delhi: Swara Bhaskar is one of the top actresses in the industry today. She may not have been able to win Kundan's heart in 'Raanjhanaa', but she knows how to rule the hearts of millions of her fans. On 16 February 2023, Bollywood actress Swara Bhasker married politician Fahad Ahmad and made headlines.

Actress made her debut with 'Madholal Keep Walking', but it was a major flop. After this, even 'Guzaarish' did not work on the big screen. Her luck shone with 'Tanu Weds Manu', in which she played Kangana Ranaut's best friend Payal and the hearts of the fans were in awe.

Also read | After Swara Bhasker Marries Political Activist Fahad Ahmad, her old Tweet Calling him 'Bhai' Goes Viral

Today, the actress turns a year older, she owns luxurious properties in Delhi, Mumbai, and also has amazing cars. Let us find out Swara's net worth, film fee and more.

Swara Bhasker's Net Worth

Born on 9 April 1988 in Delhi, Swara belongs to an Army family. The lifestyle of Swara, the daughter of an officer in the Indian Navy and mother of a professor at Delhi's JNU, was very simple. Swara started her career from the small screen but showed her acting prowess on the big screen as well. Talking about the net worth of the actress, according to MensXP, Swara's net worth is around $ 5 million, which is around Rs. 41. 42 crores INR.

Swara Bhasker Career

Swara's means of earning is basically acting, she earns around Rs 4-5 crores per film according to MensXP. Apart from this, her brand endorsements and paid social media post fees run in lakhs per month as well.

Swara Bhasker's House

She owns a 3BHK in Delhi and also owns an apartment in Mumbai which is worth crores. She got her Mumbai home renovated and moved back in 2021, quotes MensXP. Swara recently came into the limelight because of the interior of her luxurious 3-BHK flat in Mumbai as fans went 'wow' over it.

Swara Bhasker's Car Collection

Swara drives a BMW X1 which costs around Rs 47.90 lakhs in India.
Mumbai: Legendary actor Dharmendra, on Sunday, posted happy pictures with actors Shahid Kapoor and Kriti Sanon as the trio wrapped up the shooting of their upcoming untitled film. Taking to Instagram, Dharmendra shared a picture with Shahid which he captioned, "Friends, A good fun to work with Shahid and other co-stars."

In the picture, the `Sholay` actor could be seen smiling along with Shahid. Dharmendra donned a colourful sweater and a matching scarf and completed his look with a French cap and black shades. The `Kabir Singh` actor on the other hand donned a denim jacket over a white T-shirt. Soon after the `Apne` actor shared the picture, fans flooded the comment section with red hearts and fire emoticons. The `Jersey` actor commented, "Sir you are evergreen was such an honour to share the frame with you. Love you."

In another post, Dharmendra shared a picture with actor Kriti Sanon which he captioned, "Maddock Films Extremely happy to know the date of release Good Luck to the whole unit of MADDOCK FILMS ." In the picture, he could be seen holding Kriti`s hand. The `Lukka Chuppi` actor commented on the post and wrote, "You are the best sir."

The makers recently unveiled the first look of the actors and undoubtedly Kriti and Shahid looked super hot together. In the image, Shahid and Kriti can be seen sitting on a bike and facing each other. Amidst a sunset backdrop, the actors can be seen in an intimate pose, garnering fans` attention. Written and Directed by Amit Joshi and Aradhana Sah, the yet-to-be-titled film will hit cinemas this October. Dinesh Vijan, Jyoti Deshpande and Laxman Utekar have produced it.

Meanwhile, Shahid will also be seen in director Ali Abbas Zafar`s upcoming action film `Bloody Daddy`. The official release date of the film is still awaited. Kriti, on the other hand, also has `Ganapath` with actor Tiger Shroff in his kitty. Kriti has also teamed up with Tabu and Kareena Kapoor Khan for `The Crew`. Diljit Dosanjh is also a part of the film. Dharmendra, on the other hand, will be seen in Karan Johar`s next directorial `Rocky aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani` alongside Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt.
New Delhi: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Inder Iqbal Singh Atwal joined the BJP on Sunday in the presence of Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and other senior leaders of the party. Atwal, who quit the SAD to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), is the son of Charanjit Singh Atwal, who was the deputy speaker of the 14th Lok Sabha from 2004 to 2009 and who also served as the speaker of the Punjab Assembly in the past.

Along with Atwal, his younger brother Jasjeet Singh Atwal and other leaders from Punjab also joined the BJP at the party headquarters. "If at all anyone is implementing the ideas of Babasaheb Ambedkar in a real sense, it is the government of India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I am joining the BJP after being impressed by the work done by its government at the Centre through various schemes," Atwal, a former SAD vice-president, told reporters.

He also hailed Modi for reopening the Kartarpur corridor for Sikhs and said the prime minister set a "historic milestone" with this step. Atwal said there is a need to herald "a new era" of development in Punjab, taking along all sections of the society, including Dalits.

"We will work day and night to strengthen the BJP in Punjab under the guidance of the party leadership. We will take along the entire Sikh society as well as people belonging to every religion and community to lead Punjab onto the path of progress," he added. Welcoming Atwal and the others into the party-fold, Puri said people have been joining the BJP due to Modi's "new governance model".

"Good governance is also good politics," the Union minister said, asserting that the country has witnessed progress under Modi's leadership. He recalled the contributions of Charanjit Singh Atwal to the country's polity and said the BJP will be strengthened with his sons joining it.
New Delhi: CR Kesavan, the great grandson of noted freedom fighter and India's last governor general C Rajagopalachari, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday. Kesavan, who was in the Congress earlier, joined the party in the presence of Union Minister VK Singh and BJP chief spokesperson Anil Baluni in the national capital. After joining the saffron camp, he heaped praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for ushering in a 'tectonic' transformation in India with his people-centric policies, and corruption-free and inclusive governance.

CR Kesavan, who hails from Tamil Nadu, said that national security has been given primacy and India's history and traditions are being celebrated with various events, referring to the recent 'Kashi-Tamil Samagam'. He also praised the BJP for the 'deep respects' it has for the country's founding fathers and mothers. Kesavan lauded the Modi government's handling of the Covid-19 pandemic and credited it for India's rise in global stature.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi`s corruption free governance and reform led inclusive development agenda have transformed India from a fragile economy to the fifth largest in the world, he said.

Speaking on the occasion, VK Singh cited Rajagopalachari's contribution to the country and alleged that he was 'sidelined' after independence and 'invisiblised' from history as 'one family tried to say they did everything'.

Shri C.R. Kesavan, great-grandson of the last Governor-General of India, C. Rajagopalachari, joins BJP at the Party Headquarters in New Delhi.



Watch full video: https://t.co/yKrZo4dSX8 #JoinBJP pic.twitter.com/0kmuAO5EjG  BJP (@BJP4India) April 8, 2023

Kesavan will be a strong voice in the BJP and also in the politics of Tamil Nadu, he said.

Kesavan then also met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP national president JP Nadda in Delhi.

Hon. BJP National President Shri @JPNadda Ji welcomed Shri CR Kesavan Ji into the @BJP4India & extended his best wishes to him in the presence of Home Minister Shri @AmitShah Ji. pic.twitter.com/kQrPoRqpwJ  Office of JP Nadda (@OfficeofJPNadda) April 8, 2023

#WATCH | CR Kesavan, former Congress leader and great-grandson of India's first Indian Governor-General C Rajagopalachari meets Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP national president JP Nadda at the latter's residence in Delhi. pic.twitter.com/RJ07NIzA4F  ANI (@ANI) April 8, 2023

Kesavan had resigned from Congress in February this year, saying that he has not even seen vestiges of the values that made him work for the party with dedication for over two decades.

In his resignation letter addressed to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, he said he could no longer concur with 'what the party symbolises, stands for or seeks to propagate'.

"I can no longer in clear conscience say that I concur with what party currently symbolises, stands for nor seeks to propagate. This is exactly why I had declined an organisational responsibility at the national level and refrained from participating in the Bharat Jodo Yatra," he had written.

The former Congress leader also thanked Sonia Gandhi for the responsibilities assigned to him saying that he forged cherished friendships in the party that will remain.

CR Kesavan, Anil Antony, Kiran Kumar Reddy joined BJP this week

In the last few days, people from different southern states, where the BJP remains a marginal force, have been inducted into the party.

Anil Antony, the son of veteran Congress leader AK Antony of Kerala, and former Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, also in the Congress earlier, have joined the saffron party in the past two days.

Their induction comes as the party aims to boost its presence in southern India ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Editor's Note This is the third of a three-part series on what is happening in the United Methodist Church.

In two previous columns, I discussed the splintering of the United Methodist Church based on differing views about the relationship between human sexuality and the Christian faith. Today, lets talk about how some United Methodist congregations and members are splintering from one another.

No United Methodist nor any other congregation is ever filled with people who all agree about everything. We differ about the version of the Bible we read, ways of worship, music we sing, sermons we like, and missions we support.

Each congregation has conservatives, progressives, and lots of people in the middle. No one should be surprised that every congregation has people with different views about human sexuality.

I celebrate that diversity. I do not want to be a part of a congregation where everyone agrees with me on everything. As a pastor, I could guarantee that not everyone would like my sermons!

A complex view of sexuality

Currently, the United Methodist Church officially has a complex view about human sexuality. Our United Methodist official rulebook declares that all persons have sacred worth and we welcome all persons into membership and participation in a local congregation.

Yet, the United Methodist Church also now restricts the ordination of self-avowing and practicing homosexuals and does not allow its ministers to perform same-sex weddings. Honestly, our view is complicated and constantly evolving. Some United Methodists want to preserve the status quo. Others want changes so that our denomination may be more restrictive or more welcoming. And every four years, at a global gathering to review our rules, United Methodist positions might change. Being United Methodist means that we rarely see things in black and white.

Some United Methodist members and congregations find this tension unsustainable. The vast majority of United Methodists and their congregations are willing to negotiate the tension and remain in connection with other United Methodists. A small number of United Methodists believe that it is time to leave.

For the United Methodist congregations that are staying within the denomination, as will most in Cabarrus County, they will still be part of a great global connection, including over six million people in the United States and around seven million in over 44 other countries.

I suspect that 85% of all United Methodist congregations in the U.S. will remain. In Cabarrus County, about 70% will remain. The names of the churches will stay the same. The local organizational structure and links with other United Methodist congregations will continue. The cross and flame logo will remain, and bishops will appoint their pastors. We may grow more progressive or conservative; time will tell.

Changes for those who leave

A few local congregations, about 25% in our region, have chosen to disaffiliate from our United Methodist Church. This process includes a vote by a Church Council, information sessions, a vote of two-thirds of the members, and a payment to cover past clergy pension expenses and other monies due to the denomination. After a two-thirds vote, the local congregation will then control its own property and all members will no longer be United Methodist.

The disaffiliating members and congregations will experience many changes. They will have to change their name, logo, and legal and tax status. Every congregation will have a new system of governance. No longer will pastors be vetted for ordination or appointed by a bishop. Each congregation will search for, hire, and have the right to dismiss their pastor.

Locally, at least one former United Methodist congregation has become independent. A new congregation in Concord is being formed related to the Global Methodist Church, a still small, predominately white denomination led by male pastors overwhelmingly in Americas South and Southwest.

To date, no congregation outside the United States is part of this new denomination with the global name, although a few congregations are expected to join from Russia and the Baltic states. There are not yet officially determined rules of organization or elected leaders. Much will change. This new denomination may have lots of growing pains.

In the midst of this splintering, some long-time United Methodists, who are either more traditional or more progressive than others in their own congregation, are now looking for new church homes more aligned with their own beliefs. Congregations are reaching out to members who no longer feel at home in their current congregation and seek a more hospitable place.

The future for United Methodists

The reality is that most of our bishops and most current members  including me  are somewhere in the broad middle. The United Methodist Church includes traditionalists and progressives, young and old, women and men, and people across the whole spectrum of human sexual orientation and behavior. I love our United Methodist diversity.

Whats the future of The United Methodist Church? Our Council of Bishops wrote these words in 2021:

Christs prayer for our unity and command to gather all to the table, to make space for one another, appreciate one another, and look for Christ in each other, prohibit us from creating individual tables only for those who think, act, look, and perceive the world like we do. 

We cannot be a traditional church or a progressive church or a centrist church. We cannot be a gay or straight church. Our churches must be more than echo chambers made in our own image arguing with each other while neglecting our central purpose. 

Instead, we must be one people, rooted in scripture, centered in Christ, serving in love and united in the essentials. It is hard work. It is sacred work. It is the ministry of reconciliation that Christ gave to each of us. Our best witness is to love each other as Christ loves us, to show the world the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit to bind us together despite our differences. This is living out the gospel.

Amen.
PANAJI: The BJP government in Goa is under attack from the opposition and has also invited the public`s wrath for not fulfilling its poll promise of `3 free LPG cylinders`. However, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has now said that the scheme will be only for the `low income group`. Sawant admitted that the scheme has been delayed. He said that his government will take the decision to provide cooking gas free to families with low income.

"Three cylinders will be provided to those having `Antyodaya` ration cards. The file is in movement, only a decision has not been taken. I feel that those having low income should get this benefit. However, it is delayed to get financial approval," Sawant said. He said that the scheme is not for everyone and the government will try to take a decision on this issue soon.

Raking up the issue of free LPG cylinders promised by the BJP government and the price hike of domestic cooking gas, the Congress in Goa while distributing the letters of its leader Rahul Gandhi during the `Haath Se Haath Jodo` program, stated that the party will provide a LPG cylinder for only Rs 500 once it comes back to power in the 2024 polls.

Former All India Congress Committee secretary Girish Chodankar speaking to IANS said that it is in the `DNA` of the BJP to make false promises before elections and then cheat the people. "While promising free LPG, the BJP never said that it is only for low income groups. They have garnered votes by hoodwinking voters on this promise. Now the BJP has taken a `U-Turn` as usual and has said that the scheme is only for low income groups," Chodankar said.

"Even if it is for low income groups, why is the Chief Minister not announcing the exact date to implement the scheme. This means they want to delay it till the next election. Now the people have come to know about the BJP`s gimmicks," Chodankar added. The Goa Forward Party (GFP) has alleged that the BJP government garnered votes by promising to give three free cooking gas cylinders, however, now the people are feeling cheated.

GFP MLA Vijai Sardesai had said that due to the steep rise in the price of cooking gas and the BJP government`s failure to provide free LPG cylinders, people in the rural areas of the state are forced to rely on firewood for cooking. "People are burdened due to the steep hike in the price of cooking gas. Many people in rural areas are forced to rely on firewood to meet their cooking requirements," Sardesai said.

"Mothers and sisters of Goa voted for you (BJP) so that you could form the government. During the budget (in 2022), the Chief Minister (Pramod Sawant) had said that under the `Goa Gramin Urja Yojana`, the state government has decided to give three cylinders for free per year for which a provision of Rs 40 crore has been made. But now this scheme has been dropped," Sardesai said. He claimed that the situation is such today that people are storing firewood at their homes. "The fanfare with which this scheme was announced remains only on party leaflets now. The Chief Minister has cheated our mothers and sisters with his false promise," Sardesai said.

GFP vice-president Ashma said that Pramod Sawant should clarify whether the government will give three cylinders free, which were promised. "During the assembly election, BJP promised to give three cylinders free to garner votes and in return cheated the women of the state. Now the Chief Minister should clarify whether this scheme will be implemented or not," she said.

"The Lok Sabha elections are just a year away. The time has come for the people to realise the pro-capitalist and anti-poor agenda of the BJP government. It is not possible to defeat the BJP unless the people express their anger against the anti-people policies of the BJP government," Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao said.

The Congress in Goa had agitated against the price hike of LPG and the failure of the government to provide free cooking gas. The Aam Aadmi Party in Goa has also agitated against the BJP government. "Now after coming to power, the BJP has taken a U-turn over providing free LPG cylinders promised during the election. The Chief Minister now says they will be given only to below poverty line families. Now the people of Goa should understand what hypocrites these leaders are," Surel Tilve, AAP vice president, said.
Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Mandya to inaugurate the 10-lane Mysuru-Bengaluru Expressway, independent MP Sumalatha Ambareesh on Friday extended her complete support to the Bharatiya Janata Party at the Centre. The actor-turned-politician, who remained a neutral MP till now, also said the decision was taken in view of the stability given to India and the reputation India earned across the globe under the leadership of Modi.

Sumalatha, who represents Mandya constituency in the Lok Sabha, also promised that so long as she is in politics, her son Abhishek will never venture into politics, for she is against the dynastic politics. "After consulting my well-wishers and supporters, I have arrived at a decision. On this day, I am extending my full support to Narendra Modi government at the Centre," the wife of iconic Kannada actor late Ambareesh said in a press conference here. She said after four years as an independent MP and facing numerous challenges, especially obstacles in holding public meetings, she realized that she needed a support.

"People can draw their conclusions but I have faith in the leadership of Narendra Modi, who is admired across the globe," Sumalatha said.She also said it is an honour for Mandya that the Prime Minister of the country was visiting the district to inaugurate the expressway.

"The Prime Minister could have chosen to inaugurate it either in Mysuru or Bengaluru but he opted for Mandya, which shows the importance of the district," the MP said. The MP clarified that the move is aimed at the overall development of Mandya, which according to her, is suffering from a vitiated atmosphere. In an apparent attack on the JD(S), Sumalatha slammed those "who have turned Mandya into their political citadel and did nothing for the district."

"There is a need for change in Mandya. A vitiated atmosphere has been created here. Let's carry out a 'Swachch Bharat Mission' here in Mandya first," Sumalatha said.

The decision came just two days before Modi's visit to the district. The BJP had backed the MP during the Lok Sabha election in 2019, which resulted in her victory defeating the sitting Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy's son Nikhil. Sumalatha was in touch with the BJP leadership for almost a year and for the past few days, there were several rounds of talks with her.

On Thursday as well, she had a long discussion with the BJP national president J P Nadda when he was in Bengaluru as part of his 'Vijaya Sankalpa Yatra.' It had become clear that she would join the BJP but everyone was curious to know the terms and conditions in which she would join the saffron party. Speculations were rife that she would seek a ticket for her son Abhishek from a safe constituency in the upcoming Assembly elections. There were also rumours that she would contest from Bengaluru. However, the MP ruled out both the possibilities.

Sumalatha also promised that as long as she is in politics, her son Abhishek will never venture into politics. "I will not promote dynastic politics. So long as I am in politics, my son will not venture into this profession. This is the oath I swear by Goddess Chamundeshwari (the deity of Mysuru)," she added. Taking a dig at the JD(S) and other political parties where families are promoted, she said she was not the one who will draw every member of the family into the politics "as is practiced by some."

"I did not join politics when Ambareesh was alive. So long as I am in this field, my son will not venture into politics," the MP said. About the possibility of her fighting elections from Bengaluru, the MP said her family had always been committed to Mandya and there were no such possibilities of moving out.

"I will quit politics rather than compromising with my self-esteem. I will prefer leaving this world, instead of Mandya," Sumalatha said.

The MP clarified that she got into politics not for making money as is done by others but to bring a change in the district and improve lives here. However, caustic remarks passed against her and the impediments put in completing her works, made her think of seeking support, Sumalatha said. "This move is not about Sumalatha's future but Mandya's future. I have to take a step in this direction," the MP said.

She also said the decision was necessary keeping in view the future of her supporters. Sumalatha also told the gathering about the various works carried out by her in the last four years dismissing the allegations that she was not active and was not meeting people.

The multi-lingual film actress who was born in Guntur in Andhra Pradesh had worked in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam movies. Her husband Ambareesh, who died in November 2018, was also an actor-turned-politician. After his death, she contested the Lok Sabha electionfrom Mandya and defeated former prime minister H D Deve Gowda's grandson and former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy's son Nikhil Kumaraswamy.
A video showing Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama kissing a minor boy and purportedly asking him to "suck his tongue" has gone viral on social media. The video has drawn sharp criticism from internet users across the world, questioning the limitations of religious practices and the "privileges" of spiritual leaders.

In the video, Dalai Lama is seen kissing the child on his lips as he bows down to pay respects. The spiritual leader subsequently asks the boy if he could suck his tongue. While most Twitter users vented out their anger, terming the act as "disgusting", "outrageous" and "condemnable"; some pointed out that this might have a religious rationale, linked with Tibetan Buddhism.

One of the users even claimed that this is a popular practice in Tibetan Buddhism, followed since the 9th century. To this, people argued some of the traditional religious practices need debate and discussion in context with the modern world and laws on the ground.

BBC: In Tibet, sticking your tongue out is a way of saying hello. It has been a tradition since the 9th century, the time of an evil king called Lang Darma, who was known for his black tongue. People in Tibet poke their tongue out to prove they arent his reincarnation pic.twitter.com/aUMqHRRH96  Drew Pavlou (@DrewPavlou) April 9, 2023

"This is an alarming scene! The Dalai Lama, who has had ties to NXIVM in the past, has been caught on camera trying to make advances on an Indian boy. You can clearly see the boy's body language as he yanks back the first time, then throws his head upward, as the Dalai Lama says "suck my tongue," a Twitter user who goes by the name Natly Denise said.

This is not the first time that the Dalai Lama has been embroiled in controversy. In 2019, he sparked outrage with comments about the appearance of a potential female successor, stating that she should be "attractive." The comments were widely criticized as "sexist" and drew condemnation from around the world. The Dalai Lama later apologized for his remarks.

Dalai Lama is a revered figure among Buddhists and a symbol of resistance against Chinese rule in Tibet. Last month, he named an eight-year-old boy as the 10th Khalkha Jetsun Dhampa Rinpoche, the third-highest rank in Tibetan Buddhism. This move is likely to further irk China, which has accused the Dalai Lama of fomenting separatism in Tibet. Dalai Lama currently resides in Himachal Pradesh's Dharamshala.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday visited the Theppakadu elephant camp in Tamil Nadu's Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) and met the Bomman-Belli couple, the main stars of Oscar Award-winning documentary "The Elephant Whisperers". Taking to his official Twitter account, Modi also shared pictures with the "majestic elephants" at the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve.

"What a delight to meet the wonderful Bomman and Belli, along with Bommi and Raghu," PM Narendra Modi said in a tweet and shared some pictures.

What a delight to meet the wonderful Bomman and Belli, along with Bommi and Raghu. pic.twitter.com/Jt75AslRfF  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 9, 2023

With the majestic elephants at the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve. pic.twitter.com/ctIoyuQYvd  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 9, 2023

In a video shared by the news agency ANI, Prime Minister Modi can also be seen feeding elephants.

#WATCH | Prime Minister Narendra Modi feeds an elephant at Theppakadu elephant camp pic.twitter.com/5S8bhRU67T  ANI (@ANI) April 9, 2023

It is noteworthy that the 'The Elephant Whisperers' documentary won an Oscar at the 95th Academy Awards.

Helmed by debutant director Kartiki Gonsalves, the 41-minute documentary explores the precious bond between Raghu, an orphaned baby elephant, and his caretakers - a mahout couple named Bomman and Belli - who devote their lives to protect him from poachers and raise him.

The project, which is backed by producer Guneet Monga, beat four other contenders to clinch the statuette in the Best Documentary Short Category, making it the first Indian documentary and one of only two Indian productions to win an Oscar (the other one being `RRR`).

PM Modi's Safari At Bandipur Tiger Reserve On Sunday Morning

Earlier in the day, PM Narendra Modi went on a safari at the Bandipur Tiger Reserve in Karnataka, as part of programmes to mark 50 years of "Project Tiger '.

Modi was dressed in a speckled safari clothing and hat and reportedly covered about 20 km distance in the open jeep.

"Spent the morning at the scenic Bandipur Tiger Reserve and got a glimpse of India's wildlife, natural beauty and diversity", he said in a tweet and shared some pictures in which he can be seen standing in the open jeep, and with a camera and binoculars.

Spent the morning at the scenic Bandipur Tiger Reserve and got a glimpse of Indias wildlife, natural beauty and diversity. pic.twitter.com/X5B8KmiW9w  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 9, 2023

He also shared pictures of elephants, langurs, deer, and bison.

Some more glimpses from the Bandipur Tiger Reserve. pic.twitter.com/uL7Aujsx9t April 9, 2023

The Tiger Reserve is located partly in Gundlupet taluk of Chamarajanagar district, and partly in H.D.Kote and Nanjangud taluks of Mysuru district.

On his arrival at Melukamanahalli helipad, the Prime Minister travelled by road to Forest Department's reception centre at Bandipur, where he paid respects to the forest martyrs memorial nearby, before leaving for Safari in the forest department's jeep.
Chennai (Tamil Nadu): At the end of his visit to Chennai on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with a specially-abled Bharatiya Janata Party worker, Thiru S. Manikandan, and took a "special selfie" with him. PM Modi was on a visit to Chennai to inaugurate several development projects. Sharing his selfie on his Twitter handle, PM Modi said, "A special selfie... In Chennai I met Thiru S. Manikandan. He is a proud Karyakarta from Erode, serving as a booth president."

"A person with a disability, he runs his own shop, and the most motivating aspect is, he gives a substantial part of his daily profits to BJP," he added. Extending his gratitude to Manikandan, PM Modi said, "I feel very proud of being a Karyakarta in a Party where we have people like Thiru S. Manikandan."

"His life journey is inspiring and equally inspiring his commitment to our Party and our ideology. My best wishes to him for his future endeavours," he added. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurated developmental projects worth Rs 5,200 crores in Tamil Nadu's Chennai and said that the government's work culture and vision have made its achievements possible. The Prime Minister said that his government works with deadlines and achieves results even before the final date.

"Two things made the government's achievements possible: work culture and vision. Earlier, infrastructure projects meant delays, now they mean delivery. The journey from delay to delivery has happened due to our work culture. We feel accountable for every rupee that our taxpayers pay. We work with specific deadlines and achieve results even before them," PM Modi said in his address at a public meeting. He said that his government does not see infrastructure as concrete, bricks, and cement but with a human face which "connects aspirations with achievements".

"Infrastructure connects Aspirations with Achievements, People with Possibilities, and Dreams with Reality. It is the time for new hopes, new aspirations, and new beginnings. Some new generation infrastructure projects will begin to serve the people from today. In the past few years, India has been witnessing a revolution in terms of infrastructure. It is driven by Speed and Scale. When it comes to Scale, you can just look at the Union Budget!" the Prime Minister said. He laid down the statistics of the change in the pace of execution of developmental projects in the country after his government came to power at the Centre in 2014.

"As far as the speed is concerned, some facts can give us the right perspective. The length of the National Highways added per year has almost doubled when compared to the pre-2014 era. Before 2014, every year, 600 Route KMs of the Rail lines were electrified; today, this rate is reaching about 4,000 Route KMs! Until 2014, there were only 74 airports in the country, but post-2014, the number stands at around 150," PM Modi said. "The long coastline of Tamil Nadu is very significant for trade. Today, the capacity augmentation of our ports has almost doubled when compared to the pre-2014 era. The development of Tamil Nadu is of priority to us," he added.

The Prime Minister mentioned the Vande Bharat Express between Chennai and Coimbatore which he flagged off earlier today, and said that it connects small businesses with customers."The new terminal of Chennai airport brings the world to Tamil Nadu. It brings investment which creates income opportunities for the youth here," he said.
Bengaluru: Former union minister Shashi Tharoor on Sunday said people in Karnataka were tired of "40 per cent commission" and wanted "100 per cent commitment" that the Congress party would give if it were voted to power in the upcoming Assembly election.

He also said that the Congress was prepared to tackle the "serious deficiencies" in state-level and urban-level governance in Bengaluru and the entire state of Karnataka.

"I think the people in this state are tired of the 40 per cent commission. What they want is 100 per cent commitment and that's what we will give, 100 per cent commitment to the well-being of the people of Karnataka," the Thiruvananthapuram MP said at a press conference here.

In poll-bound Karnataka where the Assembly election is just a month away, the Congress has been accusing the BJP-led state government of collecting 40 per cent commission from contractors, unaided private schools and even some religious institutions on the grants that they receive from the government.

Tharoor said the state was being badly governed and that the infrastructure in Bengaluru was becoming an embarrassment.

"Our message is very simple. We have seen, unfortunately, over four years now, bad governance. When there is bad governance and there is nothing to see, people inevitably wonder what they need a government for," Tharoor said.

There were essential needs of the people that had not been met and the Congress party had already come out with a number of "very specific policies" to fulfill those needs, the Congress leader said.

He added that the Congress was coming up with policies such as ensuring that unemployed graduates and unemployed diploma-holders could get some support from the State so that they can live with self-respect while they search for jobs. He also said the Congress was planning to honour the ?Gruha Lakshmi' -- the homemakers -- so that they could get some compensation for their unpaid labour.

Tharoor said the Congress "is pledging to improve the infrastructure of Bengaluru which used to be the pride of Karnataka and India but which is now becoming an embarrassment."

?So whether it is state-level governance or urban level governance, we feel that there are serious deficiencies that the Congress government is ready and prepared to tackle," the Congress MP said.

To a question on some Congress leaders joining the BJP, he pointed out that several MLAs and MLCs too had joined the Congress from other parties in the past few months.

"Well if you look at the Karnataka situation, five MLAs, two MLCs, 11 former MLAs, four former MLCs and one former MP have all joined the Congress, literally in the last few months. It does suggest that the people from other parties are seeing the Congress as an inevitable victorious party in Karnataka," Tharoor said.

He, however, said he was disappointed with the Congress members who had joined the BJP, and said they could have joined a party that shared the values and principles of the Congress instead.

He wondered how they could go to a party that has the opposite set of values and principles. "That I find difficult to understand. That's where my disappointment (lies) with some of the people who have gone to the dark side, as one might say. I think they will sadly have to repent their choices as they see how they are treated in their new home," Tharoor said.


Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh State Election Commission on Sunday announced to hold urban local body polls in the state in two phases, on May 4 and 11. State Election Commissioner Manoj Kumar issued the notification for the elections. "The voting for the urban local body polls will be held on May 4 and 11," he told reporters here. Model code of conduct across the state has come into force after the issuance of the election notification.

The Supreme Court on March 27 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 elections will witness the political parties, including the ruling BJP and principal opposition Samajwadi Party, trying to strengthen themselves ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The politically crucial state sends 80 MPs to the Lok Sabha.
New Delhi: Akshay Kumar, Mouni Roy, Sonam Bajwa, Disha Patani and Nora Fatehi were a part of 'The Entertainers Tour 2023.' A video from the tour is now going viral and it has left Twitter divided as Akki can be seen dancing shirtless with Mouni Roy, Sonam Bajwa.

The actors were in the US recently performing for their fans. A video from one of the concerts showed the actor dancing to his song 'Balma' and it has taken over the internet.

It looks so cringe to see 59 yo shirtless uncle dancing with 23- 24yo girls and doing creepy steps just to stay relevant.



What a downfall for Akshay Kumar.pic.twitter.com/DXzdPs0ZQ2  Dr Nimo Yadav (@niiravmodi) April 8, 2023

On one hand, few social media users praised the actor for being so fit at 59. One wrote 'He still is an athlete,' 'Dudes fit at 59,' added another. However, a section of netizens was unimpressed with his performance. 'Shame on Akshay Kumar,' wrote one, 'Talentless, sab paiso ka lalach,' added another.

The video is shared on Twitter with the caption, "It looks so cringe to see 59 yo shirtless uncle dancing with 23- 24yo girls and doing creepy steps just to stay relevant. What a downfall for Akshay Kumar." Fans have supported Akki in the comment section praising his fitness at this age.

On the film front, Akshay will next be seen alongside Tiger Shroff in 'Bade Miyan Chote Miyan'. Helmed by Ali Abbas Zafar, the film will also star Alaya F, Sonakshi Sinha, and Manushi Chillar in pivotal roles. He also has 'OMG 2' with Pankaj Tripathi and Yami Gautam in his pipeline.
Monday, April 10

The Concord Duplicate Bridge face-to-face games through Concord Parks and Recreation at Hartsell Recreation Center, 60 Hartsell School Road, at noon. Cost is $5 per player. You must have a partner and provide proof of vaccination.

Tuesday, April 11

TOPS #437 (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) meets every Tuesday at 10 a.m. (weigh-in begins at 9:30 a.m.) at Lakeview Baptist Church, 2532 Lane St., Kannapolis. Visitors are welcome.

If you need help and encouragement after the death of a spouse, child, family member or friend, you are invited to join us for A GriefShare Support Group at Pitts Baptist Church, 140 Pitts School Road NW, Concord, weekly on Tuesdays through May 30 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. For more information, call Linda Bounds at 704-793-8155.

Wednesday, April 12

The Red Cross will have a blood drive from 2:30 to- 7 p.m., at All Saints Episcopal Church, 525 Lake Concord. Book a time to give by visiting RedCrossBlood.org, downloading the Red Cross Blood Donor App, or calling 1-800-RED CROSS.

Thursday, April 13

Epworth UMCs famous hot dogs and taco soup, 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 1030 Burrage Road NE, Concord. For free delivery, call 704-786-5500.

The Red Cross will have a blood drive at 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., Honda Cars of Concord, 7650 Bruton Smith Boulevard. Book a time to give by visiting RedCrossBlood.org, downloading the Red Cross Blood Donor App, or calling 1-800-RED CROSS.

Friday, April 14

The Concord Duplicate Bridge face-to-face games through Concord Parks and Recreation at Hartsell Recreation Center, 60 Hartsell School Road, at noon. Cost is $5 per player. You must have a partner and provide proof of vaccination.

Hot dogs at McGill Baptist Church, 5300 Poplar Tent Road, will be sold along with fried bologna and barbecue sandwiches and desserts from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Saturday, April 15

The Piedmont Farmers Market is open from 8 a.m. to noon at 518 Winecoff School Road. It features lots of local produce, meat, flowers and other products.

Hot Dogs at Center United Methodist Church at 1119 Union St. S., are offered on the second and fourth Saturday of each month from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. Dine in and take out. Call-in orders are welcomed at 704-782-1785.

Monday, April 17

The Concord Duplicate Bridge face-to-face games through Concord Parks and Recreation at Hartsell Recreation Center, 60 Hartsell School Road, at noon. Cost is $5 per player. You must have a partner and provide proof of vaccination.

The Red Cross will have a blood drive from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Charlotte Motor Speedway, 5555 Concord Parkway South. Book a time to give by visiting RedCrossBlood.org, downloading the Red Cross Blood Donor App, or calling 1-800-RED CROSS.

Tuesday, April 18

TOPS #437 (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) meets every Tuesday at 10 a.m. (weigh-in begins at 9:30 a.m.) at Lakeview Baptist Church, 2532 Lane St., Kannapolis. Visitors are welcome.

If you need help and encouragement after the death of a spouse, child, family member or friend, you are invited to join us for A GriefShare Support Group at Pitts Baptist Church, 140 Pitts School Road NW, Concord, weekly on Tuesdays through May 30 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. For more information, call Linda Bounds at 704-793-8155.

Wednesday, April 19

The Cabarrus Senior Center Photo Club is alive and clicking away. If you like taking photos, come join the members on the first and third Wednesdays of the month from 1:30-3 p.m. at the Cabarrus Senior Center, 331 Corban Ave. SE, Concord, and share your photographic creativity. Whether you are a seasoned photographer or strictly amateur, all are welcome.

Thursday, April 20

Epworth UMCs famous hot dogs and taco soup, 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 1030 Burrage Road NE, Concord. For free delivery, call 704-786-5500.

Friday, April 21

The Concord Duplicate Bridge face-to-face games through Concord Parks and Recreation at Hartsell Recreation Center, 60 Hartsell School Road, at noon. Cost is $5 per player. You must have a partner and provide proof of vaccination.

Hot dogs at McGill Baptist Church, 5300 Poplar Tent Road, will be sold along with fried bologna and barbecue sandwiches and desserts from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Saturday, April 22

The Piedmont Farmers Market is open from 8 a.m. to noon at 518 Winecoff School Road. It features lots of local produce, meat, flowers and other products.

Hot Dogs at Center United Methodist Church at 1119 Union St. S., are offered on the second and fourth Saturday of each month from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. Dine in and take out. Call-in orders are welcomed at 704-782-1785.

Monday, April 24

The Concord Duplicate Bridge face-to-face games through Concord Parks and Recreation at Hartsell Recreation Center, 60 Hartsell School Road, at noon. Cost is $5 per player. You must have a partner and provide proof of vaccination.

Tuesday, April 25

TOPS #437 (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) meets every Tuesday at 10 a.m. (weigh-in begins at 9:30 a.m.) at Lakeview Baptist Church, 2532 Lane St., Kannapolis. Visitors are welcome.

If you need help and encouragement after the death of a spouse, child, family member or friend, you are invited to join us for A GriefShare Support Group at Pitts Baptist Church, 140 Pitts School Road NW, Concord, weekly on Tuesdays through May 30 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. For more information, call Linda Bounds at 704-793-8155.

Thursday, April 27

Epworth UMCs famous hot dogs and taco soup, 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 1030 Burrage Road NE, Concord. For free delivery, call 704-786-5500.

Friday, April 28

The Concord Duplicate Bridge face-to-face games through Concord Parks and Recreation at Hartsell Recreation Center, 60 Hartsell School Road, at noon. Cost is $5 per player. You must have a partner and provide proof of vaccination.

Hot dogs at McGill Baptist Church, 5300 Poplar Tent Road, will be sold along with fried bologna and barbecue sandwiches and desserts from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Saturday, April 29

The Piedmont Farmers Market is open from 8 a.m. to noon at 518 Winecoff School Road. It features lots of local produce, meat, flowers and other products.

Hot Dogs at Center United Methodist Church at 1119 Union St. S., are offered on the second and fourth Saturday of each month from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. Dine in and take out. Call-in orders are welcomed at 704-782-1785.

Got news or events?

Does your community group or nonprofit agency have an upcoming event that would be of interest to the public? Email it to mplemmons@independenttribune.com.
100 years ago,

April 9, 1923

CHARLESTON  Dr. Granville Walker, for many years a practicing physician in this city, was killed in a fall from a window of a building in Chicago this morning, according to word which was received here about noon today. It was intimated that the death of the former Charleston man may have been due to suicide but this theory is scouted by relatives. He was 85 years old, and had been quite feeble of late years. Dr. Walker about eleven years ago, was the subject of considerable unsought publicity growing out of the death of a young woman of Ashmore. The physician was indicted on the charge of causing the young woman's death by means of an operation and was found guilty by a jury in the circuit court, the charge being murder. The jury returned its verdict when Dr. Walker was not in court...MATTOON  An unusually large number of Mattoon motorists took advantage of the clear, if somewhat cold, weather of Sunday for trips, extended and otherwise, and with but few exceptions, most of the roads traveled were found to be in good shape. Those travelling as far north as Champaign found the oiled road from Tuscola to Champaign in fine condition. What good roads were found in travelling over the dirt roads of the district, however, meant nothing to those who undertook trips south and southwest of Mattoon. Motorists who tackled the road to Effingham via the Egyptian Trail came in for some regular sea-going travel, the thirty-five miles between Mattoon and that city requiring a little better than three hours of driving.

50 years ago, 1973

CHARLESTON  A state agency is reportedly investigating the purchase of the $83,370 Eastern Illinois University president's home by the university. The probe was reported in a copyrighted story in the Sunday edition of the Chicago Tribune. The Tribune said Auditor General David B. Thomas and the Legislative Audit Commission are investigating the purchase or construction of presidents' homes at Eastern, Western Illinois in Macomb and Illinois State University in Normal. Thomas had charged that the use of foundations to finance the homes appears to be a vehicle used by universities to circumvent state laws. The three homes were obtained during the past year with university foundations acting as the middlemen. The foundations actually purchased the homes, financing them through local banks...MATTOON  The bid opening date for the new $11.2 million Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center, originally set for Thursday, has been extended because of the size and complexity of the project. According to William Hurlburt, who will be the director of the new hospital, the extension will "allow reviews by additional government agencies and provide sufficient time for contractors to prepare their bids."...MATTOON  A fire destroyed a vacant house, barn and garage belonging to the Tudor estate at approximately 11 p.m. Sunday four miles north of Mattoon on 6th Street Road. The Mattoon Fire Department dispatched a truck to the scene where it was stationed until 1 a.m. today. A spokesman for the department said it is not known what caused the fire. There was no estimate of damage.

25 years ago, 1998

ARTHUR  Four members of a Moultrie County family remained hospitalized Wednesday after a tornado destroyed their home. But as friends, family and volunteers picked through the remains of Leonard and Sharon Miller's trailer home four miles southwest of Arthur, it appeared as though all four were just lucky to be alive. The tornado first touched down at 7:10 p.m. Tuesday near the Millers' trailer west of the Arthur-Cadwell Road. It continued heading northeast for another six miles until it finally stopped south of Chesterville.

Interesting things people found in our archives Walther League of St. Paul's Lutheran Church Lerna woman, 89, fatally burned Wavettes honored Stanton Barrett White Owl restaurant remodeled St. Paul's Lutheran school reunites Directors named for Young Men's Christian Association at meeting here Ships of tomorrow Deputy of the Year Service is always in the picture at Central Tentative pact to clean A&F site reached Martha Moldroski's third grade class WCIA-TV famous Mr. Roberts Demonstrating a single-blade plow Johnson urges nation to be calm Mattoon beach Frustrate attempted jailbreak New barber system installed Runaway rain stopped after rolling nearly 70 miles with hazardous materials Way back when Mr. and Miss Central How to swim Nikitas facing 'restaurant' suit Edgar Brewer 630 receive degrees at EIU ceremonies Korean orphan arrive sin new home here The healthiest farm kids in America Texas watermelon Lincoln School names student of the month 100 Per Cent Three city commissioner candidates Scouts receive award Bee stings kill barber Kiwanis ladies night 'Tried and true' methods serve Trilla gardener for 71 years Safety Patrol at Columbian Class reunion held Kokomo Joe's goes casual MHS class of 1939 Awarded scholarship Win rally trophies Broom workers honored Mad dog killed in Loxa vicinity Greenup's Main Street Club tours Mattoon Designs centennial medallion Coles County in war times Beach facilities burn Cosmic rays photographed at 29,000 feet Interior of Marianna Restaurant Fingers amputated Lone bandit in Chicago makes haul of $2,500 Miller & Son Aluminum 427 Cube L 88 Corvette County public aid head under fire Mr. and Mrs. Warren Driskell Junior rodeo queen in Yuma Piggly Wiggly Purvises visit Hollywood stars Self is one who excels "You must do a man's work or fight" "K" Mattoon backfield, line ready for Danville Upset Urbana in Big Twelve conference game Plan expansion program at Burger King Kelley Named Most Valuable Wrestler Vertical gardening grows up Two seized in flag thefts Santa Claus Letters The ten best good humor people All in honor of the "Little Green Ripples" Litwiller's home-made bread Wedding held in Arthur Reagan decides to back curbs on liability awards American war mothers sew carpet rags Newly remodeled Darby Hawthorne Grade School Grid Team Here's end of the season Little League All-Stars South of the border Boat capsizes in lake; 28 are dead Are fiddler wins trophy on a very unexpected note Mattoon Implement & Buggy Co. Orland Park plant explosions investigated Turning the corner Koester's return sparks lady shoes Coming next Wendesday!! Dillinger in sensational escape from Indiana jail Charleston's Ron Popham Stix Billiards #3 Surprise encounter Vacation Bible School closes Complete new children's reading room at library Mike Beavers, Charleston police officer, dead at 29 Grand Opening Five generations times three Mattoon jurist is embarrassed Mattoon's new $325,000 high school building Couple plans bicycle trip 'What's your wife's favorite perfume?' 'Flat' Wave falls in 'inspired' Lincoln Ensemble to sing Chicago Motor Club safety patrol award camp Twelve free acts Amy Herring named Miss Neoga Garage Hail Halloween with spooky treats Surprise diner honors Richters Reed and Bell Dual grand openings Collection donated State swimmers Rivest 'bought' Edgar support, lawmaker charges at hearing Trail Blazer Youth loses life in creek near Oakland Otis forced at second Treason charges are to be pushed Drastic penalties by Douglas Co. judge You'll find them all at Hampton's
The President of the United States would be liable to be impeached, tried, and, upon conviction of treason, bribery, or other high crimes or misdemeanors, removed from office; and would afterwards be liable to prosecution and punishment in the ordinary course of law

 Federalist 69

It was inevitable. It always had the feel of Claude Raines, in the movie Casablanca, declaring his amazement that illegal gambling was going on as he simultaneously received his winnings. Did former president Donald Trumps chants of Lock Her Up! possess the heavy aftertaste of admission or was it a variation on Shakespeares Hamlet (Methinks the man doth protest too much)?

But Trump was indicted by the Manhattan District Attorneys Office on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. News of Trumps indictment is sandwiched between those perplexed as to why were not already at the sentencing phase and those seeing this as a political witch hunt. This is a moment, however, for cautious circumspection, not pomposity.

What impact might the indictment of a former president have on American democracy? Does it set a dangerous precedent, as some fear? Many questions are based on the unprecedented nature of it, along with the Pollyannaish vestiges some maintain for American democracy.

The present moments democratic challenge was not lost on the founding generation, as the aforementioned passage from Federalist 69 attests. As Madison opined in Federalist 51, If men were angels no government would be necessary.

Maybe we were too vested in childish notions such as American exceptionalism. Intoxicated by the vision of being that illusive shining city on a hill, convincing ourselves there was a line of malfeasance that would never be crossed by one entrusted as commander in chief; or do we simply accept Richard Nixons 1977 response to David Frost: When the president does it, that means that it is not illegal?

Though unprecedented in the U.S., the notion of a head of state being indicted in a democratic country is not new. Frances Nicholas Sarkozy, Park Geun-hye in South Korea and Italys Silvio Berlusconi have all been indicted. Are we beholden to a particular type of vainglory convincing us we were somehow immune, as the current moment speaks loudly to the contrary?

Might the short attention span that mars Americas current public discourse infect us with an acute sense of indictment fatigue? In addition to the Manhattan case, Trump is also facing possible indictments for election tampering in Georgia, federal RICO racketeering and possession of classified federal documents. Sympathy for Trump against future indictments might increase if the Manhattan case only achieves something tantamount to a slap on the wrist.

As many ponder the impact the Trump indictment could have on American democracy, some have asked: Does it send the United States down the rabbit hole toward a banana republic?

But arent such questions, regardless of the intent, potentially justifying the Nixonian edict that the president is above the law? If so, would that not ensure that we were a democracy standing on an unstable foundation?

The indictment of a former president and our collective response in the aftermath will once again challenge the elasticity of American democracy. Will it be a teachable moment regardless of the outcome or the basis for reflexive political responses?

I watched Nixons 1974 resignation with my father. The moment Nixon announced his intention to resign the presidency a smile went across my face. I grew up in a union household and my father was no fan of Nixon. But curiously he did not share my elation. He asked, Why are you smiling? in a tone that was far from complimentary.

Sheepishly I responded, This is good; right? My father responded, Its not good for the country.

Time will tell whether the Trump indictment was the right call. But thats separate from being good for the country. It could be the right call while still bad for the country. But those are the things with which a mature nation must sometimes grapple.

Though I found Trump uniquely unqualified to be president, it was surreal to witness him facing criminal charges. But no one is above the law.

As Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg noted at the news conference outlining the charges against Trump, Everyone stands equal before the law. No amount of money and no amount of power changes that enduring principle.
In tearful words on the state House floor in 2015, Rep. Tricia Cotham recounted her own experience with an abortion during a speech against a 72-hour waiting period for the procedure.

A medical complication during her first pregnancy was threatening her life.

It was awful, it was painful, and it was sad, she said.

It was, and is, personal. This decision was up to me, my husband, my doctor and my God. It was not up to any of you in this chamber, and I didnt take a survey.

Republicans were wanting to play doctor with the waiting period, Cotham said.

And that sends a message of shame to women who may have endured abortion for reasons you dont know.

Now Cotham is sending a message of her own.

In a move that may have lasting implications for access to abortion in North Carolina, among other issues, the Mecklenburg County Democrat from a district that is 60% Democratic announced Wednesday that she was becoming a Republican.

Cotham hugged GOP Senate leader Phil Berger, the de facto head of the party in North Carolina, at a news conference. Democrats fumed. And the Earth shifted in Raleigh.

Beyond the shock of it all  Cothams mother is a Mecklenburg County commissioner who has served on the Democratic National Committee  her sudden defection instantly changes the dynamic in the legislature. Republicans now hold supermajorities in both the Senate and the House. As long as they vote as a bloc, they have the power pretty much to do what they want.

And thats not a comforting thought.

It includes possible new restrictions to abortion access in the state and on LGBTQ rights, among other key issues.

Cotham, who had been considered until now, at least, a moderate, was one of three Democrats who were absent last week during a critical vote that overrode Democratic Gov. Roy Coopers veto of a bill that eliminated handgun permits in North Carolina.

Cotham, Rep. Michael Wray and Rep. Cecil Brockman of High Point also failed to show for the vote, gifting the GOP with an easy override. Cotham said she had a scheduled a treatment for long COVID. Brockmans office said he was being seen in an urgent care facility, though its starting to sound now as if the dog ate their homework.

To vote your conscience is one thing. To duck and cover is entirely another. Brockman still hasnt explained himself to constituents, but whatever malady hed suffered had apparently healed by Wednesday. He gladly stepped up to defend Cotham.

And, as early as Tuesday afternoon staff members had begun moving the contents of her desk to the Republican side of the House chamber. The last time such a high-profile and consequential defection occurred in the House, it involved a Forsyth County Republican, Mike Decker, a staunch conservative who moved to the Democratic side of the aisle. It did not end well.

Turns out Decker had been bribed to make the shift, with $38,000 in blank checks and $12,000 in cash passed to him in an envelope in a restaurant mens room in Salisbury) and he wound up in prison.

As for Cotham, her stances on most issues  from teacher pay to voting rights to a higher minimum wage to affordable housing  seemed to solidly align with Democrats. And seem to flatly contradict where most North Carolina Republicans stand.

So, either shes had an epiphany or she wasnt being honest to begin with. If thats the case, her constituents have a right to feel betrayed.What they saw in Cotham on the campaign trail is not what theyve gotten in Raleigh.

As for her grievances that Democrats have retaliated against her for her position (or lack thereof on gun permits), does she expect better in the GOP, whose national standard bearers stock in trade is revenge against anyone who crosses him?

To be sure, changes in party affiliation happen. Hard as it is to believe, former state Sen. Trudy Wade was once a Democrat. So was Jesse Helms. But theres an honest and up-front way to do that  before an election. This feels like a bait-and-switch. Voters have a right to feel betrayed.
 Flash

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan initiated a phone conversation with his Israeli counterpart Isaac Herzog on Saturday to extend his concern over Israeli police raids on the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem.

During the phone call, Erdogan told the Israeli leader that Turkiye in no way can remain silent in face of "provocations and threats to the status quo and spirituality of Al-Aqsa Mosque," the Turkish presidency said in a statement.

Earlier this week, Israeli police raided the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, triggering clashes with Palestinian worshippers and sparking a fresh round of cross-border strikes between Israel and militants.

Erdogan said that Israel must not allow tensions, which already spread to the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, further escalate in a sensitive time when the Muslim holy month of Ramadan coincides with Jew's Passover.

Stressing it is necessary to prevent the clashes from becoming a pattern repeated during every Ramadan, he said Turkiye is "ready to do its bit to get to the root of the problem and take steps towards establishing a just and lasting peace."

The Al-Aqsa Mosque compound is located in East Jerusalem's Old City, a territory Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war along the rest of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Israel has continued to control these territories, where Palestinians hope to establish their future state.
Bernard A. Lyons

May 26, 1958 - March 28, 2023

Bernard A. Lyons died of cancer on March 28, 2023 at his home in Lincoln, Nebraska.

We feel grateful for having had Bernie Lyons in our life. We're sure you would feel the same if you had known him. His consistent kindness, intelligence, and humor would have won you over. He cared about his workmates, friends, and large extended family; most of all, he cared about Ginger, his love.

Bernie was a lifelong learner. He was a reader, a cyclist, a traveler, a storyteller, and a great technician. For twenty-four years, he maintained a passion for his work at Huffman Engineering.

He was very grateful to everyone who encouraged him and extended their love while he fought cancer. He said several times that he didn't know how anyone could endure what he was experiencing without help from others. He was incredibly grateful for Ginger's devotion and can-do attitude as they made doctor visits after doctor visits for three years.

He is survived by Ginger, his wife and partner for 40 years; by his children and their spouses: Dan Hobbs (Stacey) and Dawn Petersen (Byron); by his grandchildren: Hannah Hobbs, Ben, and Jenna Petersen, and Hailey McNair; and by five sisters and three brothers.

A Celebration of Life service will be held later. Memorials may be made to Great Plains Trails Network (https://www.nebraskatrailsfoundation.org/donate.html.
A more than yearlong campaign by First-Plymouth Congregational Church to erase the medical debt of residents in the Near South neighborhood will come to a close this Easter Sunday.

The effort by the church, which according to the Rev. Jim Keck has become known for its out-of-the-box ideas, started as $8,000 and a desire to help a few neighbors in need. Fourteen months later, it has raised more than $520,000 in donations, freed 500 households from burdensome medical bills and gained national attention.

I had no idea it would go so viral, Keck said. You wouldnt think a pastor would do this; I underestimated peoples generosity.

Collection plates at Sunday services brimmed with cash, donation letters stuffed the mailbox and the online donation page for the effort abounded with transactions. All told, contributions flooded in from an estimated 10,000 people, some from outside Nebraska, although a majority were from right here in Lincoln.

Every penny of donations to the church over the past year have gone toward the initiative. What Keck first saw as an extension of the churchs practices has spread far beyond its religious community.

In my mind, it was a straight-on spiritual thing, you know, Jesus says, love your neighbor, he said. What erupted was just generosity.

The road to Sunday's finish line started in the spring of 2020 when Keck stumbled upon the sermons of the Rev. Juan Carlos Huertas, a Puerto Rico-born minister who had been preaching in Louisiana for 16 years.

Keck saw in Huertas a man who could do more than just preach. He saw an innovator.

It wasn't long before Huertas joined First-Plymouth and took charge of the churchs outreach efforts. In January 2021 Huertas launched justNeighbors, a ministry centered around community connection, helping neighbors with laundry, filling their gas tanks and providing health care to those without insurance.

In August 2021, Keck and Huertas had an idea for an even larger venture: Paying in full the medical bills of residents in the economically diverse central Lincoln community their church serves as a pillar for.

After months of research, the initiative officially launched in February 2022.

By acquiring debt profiles anonymously through collection agencies, Huertas had determined how to absolve Lincolnites medical debt without incurring a tax burden on those receiving the aid.

Beyond the pragmatic benefit of tax exemption for the absolved, Keck saw the program as a powerful embodiment of the churchs core values.

There was no screening of people, whether gay, straight, transgender, what race, what religion, Keck said. It was an act of pure inclusion, which is such a central ethic here.

Another point of emphasis for the church has been a greater focus on the act of giving rather than the amount. Although it did receive four donations of between $10,000 and $20,000 after reaching about $200,000 raised, Huertas said the average donation was between $25 and $500.

We actually made a purposeful decision not to get on the phones calling major donors, Huertas said. We wanted people to feel a sense of ownership and invitation. If your heart was served by that, then give to the initiative whatever amount you want to give.

Keck said the contagious generosity the initiative spread was as important as the aid it provided to those in need.

Yeah, we helped 500 homes with debt, (but) theres 10,000-plus people that we added a spirit of sharing in their lives, he said.

One resident who had their debt paid off by the church chose to donate their last monthly payment to the church.

Keck said that although the publicity generated for the church by the initiative was never intentional, the board of trustees deserves credit for going along with the idea.

The church had to pause and think, Well, wait a minute, this could put us in major financial peril, Keck said. I was really touched by their courage to go, Were gonna take a risk, (even if it) didnt end up causing any financial problems.

Huertas said the message the church hoped to convey has been just as important as the funds raised.

The hope was that the raising of funds would not just help neighbors, but would provide us an opportunity to talk about the issue of medical debt, Huertas said.

Explaining the economics of health care. Navigating the complexities of the insurance system. Identifying how laws can be changed on a state level to ease these burdens. Understanding legal rights when people cant afford to pay those bills.

A series of panel discussions on those topics were held last year at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Law. Huertas led the charge in ensuring that their efforts amounted to more than just a Band-Aid on a broader issue.

Already, Huertas and Keck are applying what theyve learned over the past year to their next venture: confronting an ongoing mental health crisis. In doing so, theyre reimagining the churchs role in the community as well.

There is so much despair, addictions and mental health problems; COVID supercharged all of these (issues) right here in the neighborhood, Keck said. Now were beginning to ask, How can a spiritual community really be there for this crisis?'

The pair said the church is already three months into its research efforts, with ideas brewing that might involve providing free psychotherapy within the church, while also embarking on another awareness campaign.

Most importantly, theyre consulting with the community to gain a better understanding of what is actually needed.

We want to be that person that shines a light on it, Huertas said. Then we also understand that we dont have all the wisdom we need; We need the community to come around us, to tell us.

Best and worst states for health care Best and worst states for health care The 10 states with the best health care The 10 states with the lowest rank for health care Additional findings: Outcome, cost and access data rankings Depending on state, Americans' cost for care can vary significantly Methodology
MADISON HEIGHTS, Mich. (AP)  You may have already seen them in restaurants: waist-high machines that can greet guests, lead them to their tables, deliver food and drinks and ferry dirty dishes to the kitchen. Some have cat-like faces and even purr when you scratch their heads.

But are robot waiters the future? It's a question the restaurant industry is increasingly trying to answer.

Many think robot waiters are the solution to the industry's labor shortages. Sales of them have been growing rapidly in recent years, with tens of thousands now gliding through dining rooms worldwide.

"There's no doubt in my mind that this is where the world is going," said Dennis Reynolds, dean of the Hilton College of Global Hospitality Leadership at the University of Houston. The school's restaurant began using a robot in December, and Reynolds says it has eased the workload for human staff and made service more efficient.

But others say robot waiters aren't much more than a gimmick that have a long way to go before they can replace humans. They can't take orders, and many restaurants have steps, outdoor patios and other physical challenges they can't adapt to.

"Restaurants are pretty chaotic places, so it's very hard to insert automation in a way that is really productive," said Craig Le Clair, a vice president with the consulting company Forrester who studies automation.

Still, the robots are proliferating. Redwood City, California-based Bear Robotics introduced its Servi robot in 2021 and expects to have 10,000 deployed by the end of this year in 44 U.S. states and overseas. Shenzen, China-based Pudu Robotics, which was founded in 2016, has deployed more than 56,000 robots worldwide.

"Every restaurant chain is looking toward as much automation as possible," said Phil Zheng of Richtech Robotics, an Austin-based maker of robot servers. "People are going to see these everywhere in the next year or two."

Li Zhai was having trouble finding staff for Noodle Topia, his Madison Heights, Michigan, restaurant, in the summer of 2021, so he bought a BellaBot from Pudu Robotics. The robot was so successful he added two more; now, one robot leads diners to their seats while another delivers bowls of steaming noodles to tables. Employees pile dirty dishes onto a third robot to shuttle back to the kitchen.

Now, Zhai only needs three people to do the same volume of business that five or six people used to handle. And they save him money. A robot costs around $15,000, he said, but a person costs $5,000 to $6,000 per month.

Zhai said the robots give human servers more time to mingle with customers, which increases tips. And customers often post videos of the robots on social media that entice others to visit.

"Besides saving labor, the robots generate business," he said.

Interactions with human servers can vary. Betzy Giron Reynosa, who works with a BellaBot at The Sushi Factory in West Melbourne, Florida, said the robot can be a pain.

"You can't really tell it to move or anything," she said. She has also had customers who don't want to interact with it.

But overall the robot is a plus, she said. It saves her trips back and forth to the kitchen and gives her more time with customers.

Labor shortages accelerated the adoption of robots globally, Le Clair said. In the U.S., the restaurant industry employed 15 million people at the end of last year, but that was still 400,000 fewer than before the pandemic, according to the National Restaurant Association. In a recent survey, 62% of restaurant operators told the association they don't have enough employees to meet customer demand.

Pandemic-era concerns about hygiene and adoption of new technology like QR code menus also laid the ground for robots, said Karthik Namasivayam, director of The School of Hospitality Business at Michigan State University's Broad College of Business.

"Once an operator begins to understand and work with one technology, other technologies become less daunting and will be much more readily accepted as we go forward," he said.

Namasivayam notes that public acceptance of robot servers is already high in Asia. Pizza Hut has robot servers in 1,000 restaurants in China, for example.

The U.S. was slower to adopt robots, but some chains are now testing them. Chick-fil-A is trying them at multiple U.S. locations, and says it's found that the robots give human employees more time to refresh drinks, clear tables and greet guests.

Marcus Merritt was surprised to see a robot server at a Chick-fil-A in Atlanta recently. The robot didn't seem to be replacing staff, he said; he counted 13 employees in the store, and workers told him the robot helps service move a little faster. He was delighted that the robot told him to have a great day, and expects he'll see more robots when he goes out to eat.

"I think technology is part of our normal everyday now. Everybody has a cell phone, everybody uses some form of computer," said Merritt, who owns a marketing business. "It's a natural progression."

But not all chains have had success with robots.

Chili's introduced a robot server named Rita in 2020 and expanded the test to 61 U.S. restaurants before abruptly halting it last August. The chain found that Rita moved too slowly and got in the way of human servers. And 58% of guests surveyed said Rita didn't improve their overall experience.

Haidilao, a hot pot chain in China, began using robots a year ago to deliver food to diners' tables. But managers at several outlets said the robots haven't proved as reliable or cost-effective as human servers.

Wang Long, the manager of a Beijing outlet, said his two robots have both have broken down.

"We only used them now and then," Wang said. "It is a sort of concept thing and the machine can never replace humans."

Eventually, Namasivayam expects that a certain percentage of restaurants  maybe 30%  will continue to have human servers and be considered more luxurious, while the rest will lean more heavily on robots in the kitchen and in dining rooms. Economics are on the side of robots, he said; the cost of human labor will continue to rise, but technology costs will fall.

But that's not a future everyone wants to see. Saru Jayaraman, who advocates for higher pay for restaurant workers as president of One Fair Wage, said restaurants could easily solve their labor shortages if they just paid workers more.

"Humans don't go to a full-service restaurant to be served by technology," she said. "They go for the experience of themselves and the people they care about being served by a human."

___

Every major fast-food chain, ranked by customer satisfaction Intro #23. McDonald's #22. Popeyes #20. Jack in the Box (tied) #20. Taco Bell (tied) #19. Wendy's #16. Sonic (tied) #16. Dairy Queen (tied) #16. Dunkin' (tied) #12. Subway (tied) #12. Burger King (tied) #12. Little Caesars (tied) #12. Panda Express (tied) #9. Arby's (tied) #9. Papa Johns (tied) #9. Five Guys (tied) #5. Chipotle (tied) #5. Panera Bread (tied) #5. Pizza Hut (tied) #5. Starbucks (tied) #3. KFC (tied) #3. Domino's (tied) #2. Jimmy John's #1. Chick-fil-A
This is a chaotic legislative session, perhaps unlike any other in recent memory.

Terry Carpenter used to shut down the Legislature with a series of motions and maneuvers that would lead to parliamentary chaos, then sit back in his chair roaring with laughter while the legislative staff and legislative leaders attempted to untangle the mess.

Ernie Chambers was so pleased when he shut the place down that sometimes he would erupt in song or recite epic poetry by heart.

Or taunt his colleagues: "I own this Legislature."

There's less poetry to this legislative session's filibuster shutdown, but it has been effective in sharply limiting production beyond top-priority items which are slowly making their torturous journey over barriers and through sand traps toward final enactment.

It's a long and arduous trip.

In the process, the new governor's agenda essentially has become this session's legislative priority. It helps to have "at the request of the governor" behind the name of the senator who introduces a bill, perhaps especially this year.

There appears to be plenty of evidence of advance planning in terms of legislative leadership choices, committee chairmanships and committee membership.

The table was set in January for conservative (or Republican) success.

At least as much as filibusters and the relentless ticking clock would permit.

Huge, built-in and increasing property tax relief may be one of the defining pillars of this session and that's a big victory for Sen. Tom Briese, who has made that his priority during his seven years in the Legislature.

* * *

The end of congressional earmarks a dozen years ago has cost Lincoln, the University of Nebraska, the state's agricultural sector and cities and villages across Nebraska.

There were a few  actually, a very few  transgressions of unmerited earmarks nationally, but none in Nebraska when earmarks were in play. Nevertheless, earmarks were seized as a political issue and brought to an end.

Sen. Ben Nelson was particularly successful in distributing earmarked federal dollars to help communities all across the state when he was in office and he never backed away from the process, even after it emerged as a political weapon.

Perhaps the biggest single casualty in Nebraska when earmarks were ended was the long-sought U.S. Department of Agriculture research center at UNL's Innovation Campus. It could have been in operation today instead of being slow-walked by political calculations in Washington.

That has been a blow to the university and Lincoln, but also to farmers and rural communities all across the state. It's a blow to Nebraska agriculture.

Rep. Mike Flood currently is seeking $25 million in additional congressional funding for the agricultural research center named the National Center for Resilient and Regenerative Precision Agriculture  wow, think of the signage costs!  which is designed to "help farmers and ranchers be more efficient."

* * *

Finishing up:

* Charles Herbster didn't make it to Mar-a-Lago for Donald Trump's evening event following his arraignment in New York City because he was in Beatrice for a Herbster Angus Farms bull sale, but in response to an e-mail inquiry Herbster condemned "the continued takedown of a man who truly loves America."

* Nebraska's new prisons director, Rob Jeffreys, says the sharp reduction in prison population achieved in Illinois under his direction was due in part to a decision during the COVID-19 outbreak to "get people out early" if they were non-violent and ready to be returned to society.

* It is startling to see the number of large housing units currently under construction all across Lincoln now.

* Gov. Ron DeSantis appears en route to a 2024 showdown with Donald Trump, but first DeSantis has decided to go to war with Mickey Mouse in a battle of the titans in Florida.

* Employees and students in universities across Florida have been prohibited by the state's board of governors from using the university's network to access TikTok due to potential security concerns and students are being encouraged to delete the app from personal devices. New University of Florida President Ben Sasse, a former member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, has long warned about the national security threat posed by the Chinese on-line app.

* And now two of Lincoln's state senators have been chosen by Gov. Pillen.
WAVERLY  Travelers along Interstate 80 may have seen something new and eye-grabbing that pulled them toward the exit.

A new digital billboard recently rose on land south of Lincoln Auto Auction, right next to I-80, that has the capability of displaying promotions for Waverly events among commercial advertisements.

Lincoln Auto Auction owner Phil Durst is behind the board, a project he put in motion last summer. A representative of Street Media, a Colorado-based outdoor advertising company, reached out to Durst about the potential to locate a digital billboard on his property, within feet of the interstate.

The Nebraska Department of Transportation does not allow billboards to be built within 660 feet of interstate highways, but a decades-old state law affecting part of Lincoln Auto Auctions property creates a small tract of land that is exempt from interstate right-of-way regulations.

We just kind of lucked out without knowing that this was available, Durst said last August.

To make the billboard happen, the Waverly City Council first had to approve a zoning ordinance that allowed for billboards up to 672 square feet to be installed within city limits, as long as they are within 300 feet of Interstate 80. City Administrator Stephanie Fisher said the city would only approve such billboards near the Interstate  not along U.S. 6.

Durst expressed thanks to Fisher, Building and Zoning Administrator Mike Palm, Mayor Bill Gerdes and the Waverly City Council.

They are the people that got this done, Durst said. With the help of Waverly OKing it and being proactive towards business, it just came together.

The billboard presents a new revenue source for Durst, but he said hes particularly excited about its potential to lure interstate drivers into Waverly and east Lincoln.

(Street Media Group) gave me some allotted advertising time, which were going to give to the city of Waverly, Durst said. It wont cost the city a quarter.

Waverly community organizers will have the chance to advertise their events via the billboard after sending promotions to the city offices for approval. Local businesses interested in advertising on the new board will also be able to inquire at streetmediagroup.com.

The billboard will operate on a timer that rotates between up to eight different advertisements per day. Each ad will be displayed about 1,800 times in 24 hours, according to Gary Young of Street Media Group.

Durst said the billboard could provide a new signifier to travelers that theyre coming up on Waverly  a beacon thats more beneficial to the community than an infamous signal of the past.

When people were in Omaha and you were trying to tell them where Waverly was at, you used to have to say, You know where Shakers is at? Durst said. It isnt going to be known that way anymore.

PhotoFiles: Interstate 80 dedication in 1961 Interstate 80 opening Interstate 80, Gretna Interstate 80, Lincoln Interstate 80 dedication Interstate 80 dedication How well do you know Lincoln streets?
WASHINGTON  On the third day of the Conservative Political Action Conference in March, two men delivered on experts' biggest concerns about attempts to access election machines after the 2020 election.

Using copies of election software  improperly removed from multiple counties  that has been circulating among election deniers, they presented an unfounded narrative that they had discovered evidence of fraud and foreign interference. They also discussed their goal to secure jobs as election officers and build a team of computer experts to access election systems in more than 60 counties to prove their theories.

"This is exactly the situation that I have warned about," said election technology expert Kevin Skoglund, a senior technical adviser at the National Election Defense Coalition. "Having the software out there allows people to make wild claims about it. It creates disinformation that we have to watch out for and tamp down."

Skoglund is among the election security experts concerned that bad actors are using the time between the 2020 and 2024 elections to study election systems and software in order to produce disinformation during the next presidential election, such as fake evidence of fraud or questionable results.

Described as an election integrity presentation, the event wasn't on the official CPAC agenda or sanctioned by the organization, but took place in a guest's room at a nearby hotel. Some CPAC sponsors hold their own sessions, which are planned and produced by them and not CPAC.

Only a small number people attended the event in person. At least 2,800 people watched live online through a far-right broadcast, according to that show's host. That broadcast included commentary from election deniers before and after the presentation.

In the weeks after the 2020 election, and for at least the first six months of 2021, former President Donald Trump's supporters arranged to access federally protected election machines and copied sensitive information and software. What they intend to do with the information is not entirely clear.

In two instances, courts or state lawmakers granted access to the election systems. Trump supporters also convinced election officials or law enforcement to give them access to election machines in Mesa County, Colorado; Coffee County, Georgia; Fulton County, Pennsylvania; and several Michigan counties. It is unknown how many other election systems across the country were accessed, copied and shared.

Cybersecurity and election experts like Skoglund say a full investigation into who accessed election machines in 2020 and 2021, who paid for the efforts and how those involved intend to use the information is necessary to prevent misuse.

While the FBI has assisted in some local inquiries, it does not appear to be conducting a national investigation, feeding election experts' concerns that federal law enforcement isn't connecting the dots between issues in other states.

The quality of the so-called evidence put forward during the CPAC presentation was comparable to what was submitted with dozens of lawsuits that attorney Sidney Powell filed on behalf of Trump after the 2020 election, Skoglund said. Of the 62 suits from Powell and her allies, all but one failed. Many judges pointed to the lackluster evidence provided to justify the suits as reason to dismiss the cases.

"They find something that looks strange and assume the worst," Skoglund said of election deniers. "That's not how you do credible research. If you find something that looks strange, you have to follow it all the way through to make sure there's not some other explanation for it."

The event conducted during CPAC was immediately dismissed by the far right commentators broadcasting it. Nonetheless, Skoglund was alarmed that it took place.

"The next one may be more potent than this was," he said.

The presentation was emblematic of the broader effort to perpetuate a narrative about the potential for election fraud across the country, said Harri Hursti, a cybersecurity expert who works with state-level election officials to test vulnerabilities in voting machines.

Several people who aided the efforts to access election machines after the 2020 election are still meeting with state lawmakers, local officials and the public, trying to persuade them to abandon electronic voting. In February, the Shasta County Board of Supervisors canceled its contract with Dominion Voting Systems and is weighing counting votes by hand in the future.

Hursti said the presenters from the event during CPAC contacted him ahead of time and asked him to look at what they thought they had found. He told them there was a simple explanation for the so-called vulnerabilities they had uncovered: It was code from an anti-virus program used to identify common malicious bugs that attack computers, he said.

"I was saying to them, 'You know, you should have taken a look to your own computer and see if you find the same malicious code in your own computer, because guess what, it's there,'" Hursti said.

One of the presenters, Joshua Merritt, acknowledged the criticism that followed the presentation. He told The Times he intended to pose questions through the presentation in hopes someone would watch the event and help answer them.

"We're just trying to do the right thing to make sure people have secure elections," said Merritt, whose affidavit alleging possible foreign interference in the 2020 election was cited in lawsuits Powell filed in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan and Wisconsin. "And that's been my only motivation behind it."

The other presenter, former Florida congressional candidate Jeff Buongiorno, did not respond to requests for comment from The Times.

Explainer: Threats to US election security grow more complex Increasingly challenging Threats from within Threats from abroad Attacks from foreign adversaries Threats, disinformation, conspiracies hit US midterms
Ben Ferencz, the last living prosecutor from the Nuremberg trials, who tried Nazis for genocidal war crimes and was among the first outside witnesses to document the atrocities of Nazi labor and concentration camps, died. He had just turned 103 in March.

Ferencz died Friday evening in Boynton Beach, Florida, according to St. John's University law professor John Barrett, who runs a blog about the Nuremberg trials. The death also was confirmed by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington.

"Today the world lost a leader in the quest for justice for victims of genocide and related crimes," the museum tweeted.

Born in Transylvania in 1920, Ferencz immigrated as a very young boy with his parents to New York to escape rampant antisemitism. After graduating from Harvard Law School, he joined the U.S. Army in time to take part in the Normandy invasion during World War II. Using his legal background, he became an investigator of Nazi war crimes against U.S. soldiers as part of a new War Crimes Section of the Judge Advocate's Office.

When U.S. intelligence reports described soldiers encountering large groups of starving people in Nazi camps watched over by SS guards, Ferencz followed up with visits, first at the Ohrdruf labor camp in Germany and then at the notorious Buchenwald concentration camp. At those camps and later others, he found bodies "piled up like cordwood" and "helpless skeletons with diarrhea, dysentery, typhus, TB, pneumonia, and other ailments, retching in their louse ridden bunks or on the ground with only their pathetic eyes pleading for help," Ferencz wrote in an account of his life.

"The Buchenwald concentration camp was a charnel house of indescribable horrors," Ferencz wrote. "There is no doubt that I was indelibly traumatized by my experiences as a war crimes investigator of Nazi extermination centers. I still try not to talk or think about the details."

At one point toward the end of the war, Ferencz was sent to Adolf Hitler's mountain retreat in the Bavarian Alps to search for incriminating documents but came back empty-handed.

After the war, Ferencz was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army and returned to New York to begin practicing law. But that was short-lived. Because of his experiences as a war crimes investigator, he was recruited to help prosecute Nazi war criminals at the Nuremberg trials, which had begun under the leadership of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Robert Jackson.

Before leaving for Germany, Ferencz married his childhood sweetheart, Gertrude.

At the age of 27, with no previous trial experience, Ferencz became chief prosecutor for a 1947 case in which 22 former commanders were charged with murdering over 1 million Jews, Romani and other enemies of the Third Reich in Eastern Europe. Rather than depending on witnesses, Ferencz mostly relied on official German documents to make his case. All the defendants were convicted, and more than a dozen were sentenced to death by hanging even though Ferencz hadn't asked for the death penalty.

"At the beginning of April 1948, when the long legal judgment was read, I felt vindicated," he wrote. "Our pleas to protect humanity by the rule of law had been upheld."

With the war crimes trials winding down, Ferencz went to work for a consortium of Jewish charitable groups to help Holocaust survivors regain properties, homes, businesses, artwork, Torah scrolls and other Jewish religious items that Nazis had confiscated. He also later assisted in negotiations that would lead to compensation to the Nazi victims.

In later decades, Ferencz championed the creation of an international court that could prosecute any government's leaders for war crimes. Those dreams were realized in 2002 with establishment of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, though its effectiveness has been limited by the failure of countries like the United States to participate.

Ferencz is survived by a son and three daughters. His wife died in 2019.

Germany marks 75th anniversary of landmark Nuremberg trials
The state of Nebraska is suing a Lincoln company it contracted with for architectural and engineering services on a 25,000-square-foot addition to the Eastern Nebraska Veterans' Home.

In a lawsuit filed this week in Lincoln, Assistant Nebraska Attorney General Erik Fern said The Schemmer Associates Inc. provided architectural and engineering services on a $9.4 million expansion of the Eastern Nebraska Veterans' Home in Bellevue.

State officials kicked off the project with a groundbreaking ceremony a year ago.

Seven months later, Fern said, they discovered the addition encroached onto a transmission line easement held by the Omaha Public Power District.

He said the addition, built to drawings prepared by architects and engineers employed by Lincoln-based Schemmer, cannot be removed from OPPD's transmission easement "without complete demolition of the structure at a significant cost and waste."

Instead, OPPD now must move its transmission lines away from the addition.

Fern said the state currently is negotiating with OPPD. He said the preliminary expected cost of moving the transmission lines is $929,000 and the overall cost of completion could exceed $1.5 million, which the state is seeking.

The lawsuit names Shane Larsen, the principal architect on the project, and Matthew Sutton, the principal engineer, as defendants, in addition to the firm.

Fern said that in late October, Perry Reid Construction, which was doing the work, discovered an electrical charge bleeding from OPPD transmission lines adjacent to the addition into areas where electricity was supposed to be inactive and notified the states project manager.

He said the state contacted Schemmer about the issue, then Schemmer contacted OPPD.

Fern alleged that an investigation determined the architectural drawings had incorrectly plotted the location of OPPDs transmission line easement.

The company now is accused of breaching its duty of care to the state.

Officials from Schemmer didn't return an email request for comment Friday afternoon.

The 25,000-square-foot addition is expected to add a net 24 beds at the facility, which currently has 101 residents and a capacity of 120, according to the Nebraska Department of Veterans Affairs.

Best cities for military retirees Best cities for military retirees Highlights from the top 10 cities for military retirees Data and methodology
Suzanne Geist resigned from the Nebraska Legislature Thursday to go all in in her campaign to unseat Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird in next months city general election.

Geists resignation was, unquestionably, the most dramatic development to come out of Tuesdays primary, which saw Gaylor Baird take 49.6% of the vote in a three-way mayoral contest with Geist, who got 32.9% and Stan Parker, who got 17.1% of the 58,162 ballots cast.

That turnout, just under 33% of the citys 176,000 registered voters, is more than in previous city primaries and a heartening sign that increasing numbers of Lincolnites are engaged with local politics by exercising their right to vote. History indicates that turnout will increase in the May 2 general election.

That turnout was likely pushed by a heavily funded mayoral race for the technically non-partisan position between Democrat Gaylor Baird and Republican Geist.

Tuesdays results also pitted Democrats against Republicans in three of the four Lincoln City Council district general elections races with Democrat Justin Carlson facing non-partisan Elina Newman in the fourth contest. A win by just one of the four Democrats in May would give the party continued control of the seven-member council, which has three at-large Democratic members.

All of those on the ballot for three Lincoln Board of Education districts advanced to the general election, as did four of the five candidates for Airport Authority, two Democrats and two Republicans.

In the next month, television and radio airwaves, social media feeds and voters' mailboxes will be filled with political advertising, primarily in the mayoral race.

As evidenced by the primary race, much of that advertising will likely be negative, distorted or unfounded attacks, many of them on Gaylor Baird, paid for by PACs from outside Lincoln aiming to influence the citys election and, without explicitly saying so, support Geist.

The Geist campaign is correct in saying that it has no control over the advertising. But it was disheartening that neither Geist nor her campaign would refute the false allegation contained in TV commercials and mailers that Gaylor Baird lives in Ashland.

While negative PAC advertising will, unfortunately, continue over the next four weeks, the Journal Star editorial board calls on candidates for all offices to run clean campaigns, contrasting their views on issues and the future of the city rather than smearing opponents with personal attacks and falsehoods.

Lincoln elections must be decided by Lincoln voters, who should see the big outside money pouring into a race for what it is -- an attempt to take key decisions away from the stakeholders.
RACINE  Kelly Kruse and the rest of Downtown Racine Corporation believe that everybody wants a downtown they can be proud of.

Kruse, executive director of DRC, announced during a state of Downtown Racine presentation in January that a record 35 businesses opened in downtown in 2022, while only nine businesses closed.

Two of those new businesses include Junoesque by Bree, 330 Main St., and Creative Flex Studio, 305 Main St.

Id like to think that weve laid the groundwork to give entrepreneurs the confidence to choose downtown, Kruse said.

Kruse attributes the boom in business to many things, including the Bounceback Grants given in 2022 by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, the positive feedback merchants have given about their experiences downtown and DRC programming that has given the area a good, positive vibe, making it the place to be.

The events not only give downtown a positive energy, they help the businesses generate revenue during winter months when people arent usually walking the downtown streets.

They definitely have to make up for that revenue loss during events and the summer months, boating season and all those things, Kruse said.

In 2022, the DRC hosted 70 events, a record number for the corporation.

Among the offerings were bar crawls, live concerts and child-focused events such as trick-or-treating and scavenger hunts.

From visits by Santa Clause to parties on the pavement, Downtown Racine has something planned almost every week.

According to DRCs State of the Downtown and Achievement Award Presentation, total attendance for events throughout the year topped 32,500.

Trene McCaskill, owner of Picture Me Venue and Creative Space, 546 State St., said a lot of her business early success can be attributed to DRCs various activities and events.

Participating in those have really helped out small businesses down here, she said. When we first opened, nobody knew we were here. So, once we did sign up to participate, it was flooded in here.

Charrie Ferguson, who owns PlaySpace, 505 Sixth St., a play area aimed at children ages 0-6, was blown away by her experiences with DRC.

They bring people out, Ferguson said. They are always doing giveaways and they are always getting the community together with the small businesses. Im very honored to establish a steady flow of business here.

Kruse said that another factor in downtowns success was the White Box Grant Program that helped restore about 20 historic and older buildings around the city.

That really laid the foundation for when somebody wants to come in and start renting and start their business, Kruse said. Its a nice clean slate.

Kruse is optimistic that once the weather warms up, it will be another banner year for Downtown Racine, although there might not be as many new businesses as last year because the Main Street Bounceback Grant program has ended and many vacant spaces are no longer available.

We obviously cant foresee the future, Kruse said.

However, Kruse hopes The Hotel Verdents planned opening later this year will be an anchor to draw more people to come downtown, and she said that Reefpoint Marina has more boats docked than ever before.

Kruse said the downtown retailers and restaurants had to adapt their strategies during the pandemic, and those lessons will hopefully mean fewer closings in the years to come.

They are savvy, they are intelligent, Kruse said. They learned how to shift. They learned how to actually work on their business during COVID, not just in the business, because they had to, to survive.

The new businesses These are the 35 new businesses that opened in Downtown Racine between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2022: Alexander Transportation Services LLC

Badger Building LLC

Barker Firearms & Training LLC

Beauty on the Square

Beauty Therapy LLC

BePlush

Black Wick and Candle

Camellia Homes, LLC

Com4rt Care Personal Care Agency

Covered Care

Creative Flex, LLC

Divine Melanin Beauty Supplies

Goddess Nail

Healthwize Consultants, LL.C

Junoesque By Bree

K'Brim LLC

Ketterhagen Architecturs

Kouzena220

Lamour Galleria Events ELC

Legenz Cuts and Styles

M Force

Monument Property Management LIC

Only Real Estate

Payne & Frazier Consultants, LLC

Picture Me Selfie Studios

Playspace Racine

Recon Relocation

Red Zone, LLC

Rosanthorn Herbs & Acupuncture

So Glam Studios

Supportive Hands

Unique Uniforms

Vintage Xspensive

Wilson Mentoring

10 photos from Downtown Racine's St. Patrick's Day parade Fiddling Miss Racine Sidity Movement All swagged out Wild moves Waiting for the parade Ron Christensen Racine Raiders CNH Beads
 Flash

Militants in Syria fired three rockets toward northern Israel on Saturday night, Israel's military said, in a rare attack from Syria amid escalating tension in the region.

According to a statement released by the army, only one of the rockets crossed into the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights and landed in an open area.

It triggered sirens in the northern community of Moshav Meitsar, however, there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.

The Israeli army on Thursday and Friday struck southern Lebanon and Gaza Strip as Israel accused Hamas and other militant groups of being responsible for firing dozens of rockets at Israel.

The latest tension was triggered by Israeli raids of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, Muslims' third holiest site, during a sensitive holiday time as Muslims were observing the holy month of Ramadan with prayers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and Jews were commemorating the Passover holiday.
The idyllic American family conjures up images of a home in 1950s suburbia, a white picket fence, a golden retriever, and 2.5 kids.

The United States total fertility rate indicates that, for the U.S. to sustain its current population, women need to have an average of 2.1 children.

If that birthrate isnt sustained, the country risks a shrinking workforce, economic decline and a dwindling tax base.

Those risks have turned into reality.

The United States total fertility rate is now 1.7 kids and falling. Almost half of non-parent adults tell the Pew Research Center they will likely not have any children.

Northeastern Wisconsin families understand why. They know the persistent struggle to afford everything from diapers to housing. It now costs $310,600 to raise a child from birth to age 18, a 9.1% increase from five years ago, according to The Brookings Institution, a Washington, D.C. nonprofit public policy organization.

One challenge has become particularly severe: child care.

The Economic Policy Institute found that a year of infant care can cost Wisconsinites more than tuition at a public college. Families have started to plan pregnancies around the availability of care, as they encounter years-long wait lists at child care centers.

Missy Schmeling, executive director at Encompass Early Education and Care Inc., hears about families struggles when they visit one of Encompass seven Brown County locations in search of a slot.

We have families asking where the food pantries are, about transportation, Schmeling said. Its an impossible burden on families. And another child will require more care.

The NEW (Northeast Wisconsin) News Lab is launching its fourth series, Families Matter, covering issues important to families in the region. This year, reporters from six news outlets  Green Bay Press-Gazette, Appleton Post-Crescent, Wisconsin Public Radio (WPR), Wisconsin Watch, The Press Times and FoxValley365  will spotlight the daily struggles families face, dig up solutions and options, and explain why these topics impact not only families, but the whole state.

A really tricky spot: Child care imperative for many Wisconsinites

In more than 70% of Wisconsin households with children under 6, all available parents are in the workforce, according to Annie E. Casey Foundation data.

Without access to affordable child care, parents are forced to work less, ultimately earn less and risk deeper financial struggle.

Theres this really tricky spot that I feel like a lot of millennials have found themselves in where you are making too much money for it to make sense for one of you to stay home, but not enough money to feel comfortable with how much money you have to put toward daycare, said Christine Gunderson, a Green Bay mom whose infant is in full-time child care.

Child care issues may result in a parent moving from full-time work to part-time. A parent may have to sacrifice their career and earnings altogether. Others may find no feasible solution.

Plus, not just any care is acceptable.

Experts say 85% to 90% of a childs core brain development occurs before the age of 5, and quality child care teaches social emotional skills that are key for school readiness. High-quality early education is even linked to higher career earnings later in life, according to Alejandra Ros Pilarz, an early care and education researcher.

Its kind of wild its come to that: Parents time pregnancies around child care

Tammy Dannhoff opened Kids Are Us Family Child Care in her Oshkosh home 34 years ago. Seeing families were timing pregnancies around child care providers openings, she added a Baby Watch section to her newsletter, to keep parents in the loop regarding openings.

As of early 2023, her centers next opening was in fall 2026.

Given the state of child care availability in Wisconsin, planning far in advance doesnt seem so far-fetched. The Center for American Progress in 2018 estimated more than one in two Wisconsinites lived in a child care desert  an area where care is not available or the number of children exceeds the number of slots. Rural areas are worse: 70% of rural Wisconsin is a child care desert. Staffing shortages regularly exacerbate availability issues. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Brown County lost an estimated 600 child care slots to closures and providers opting to retire, according to Family and Childcare Resources of Wisconsin officials.

Lack of available care leads to massive waitlists. For example, Encompass had about 350 children on its waitlist in January. Some centers do not know when the next opening might be.

Even if families get on waitlists as soon as they learn theyre pregnant, Wisconsin parents still might not be able to secure a slot at their first-choice facility. Some might still be without care by the time their child is born.

A friend told Green Bays Destiny Desotell to get on child care waitlists after she learned she was pregnant in May 2021. By that summer, she was on several wait lists and shocked when some centers told her itd be years before they had an opening for an infant.

Essentially, you have to be like, I think I am going to have a kid in two years, put me down on the waitlist now, because its a realistic expectation that its going to be a two-year wait, Desotell said.

Eventually, Desotell secured care for her infant, now 13 months old, at Encompass Bellin Health Center location in Allouez. Her child received priority placement because she works for Bellin as a cardiac sonographer. Even then, the spot was not open until a month after Desotell returned from maternity leave, forcing her to bridge the gap with a licensed, in-home provider and help from her family.

Abby Funseth of New Glarus timed the conception of her second child, who is now 7 months old, around a child care opening. To even consider having another child, she said she needed to know she had care lined up first.

The Funseths were given a two-month window if they wanted their second child to make it into an opening at Corrines Little Explorers. They met that timetable, but that might not be possible for every family.

The entire  trajectory of our family planning came down to child care and its lack of availability, Funseth said. You put pressure on this timeframe to conceive a child, and it just takes all of the joy out of it. Its like a business (transaction).

Alex Steen, a Beaver Dam mom, is thinking about child care as she plans to have a second child. She recently paid Community Care Preschool & Child Care Inc., which her 2-year-old daughter attends, $200 to secure an infant spot.

Its kind of wild that its come to that: that you can place your unconceived children on a waitlist just to ensure they have care when they come about, she said.

Unaffordable care also contributes to larger age gaps between children

Affordable child care is defined as costing no more than 7% of a familys household income, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Thats not a realistic number to attain, Schmeling said.

In reality, a typical Wisconsin family with an infant and a 4-year-old spends 33.6% of its income on child care, according to the Economic Policy Institute. Infants typically require more costly care.

Brown, Outagamie, Winnebago and Fond du Lac county families are familiar with these costs. Home-based child care for one infant will cost a median-income family 10.5% to 12.2% of their income, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Center-based care costs 14.7% to 17.4% of the median household income.

Meanwhile, a minimum wage worker in Wisconsin would spend on average 83% of their income on child care, according to the Economic Policy Institute.

Tyler Sjostrom of Appleton said child care for he and his wifes two children costs more than their mortgage, car payments, insurance and utilities combined.

I dont know anybody who has kids in daycare who isnt always a little bit seething about (the cost), Sjostrom said. If you get a group of parents together and somebody mentions daycare, it descends into chaos really quick.

Costs may be high  Northeast Wisconsin families pay an average of $11,000 to $13,000 per year for in-center toddler care  but what families pay often does not cover all of a centers operating costs, such as rent, maintenance and food, or allow it to provide its employees with a living wage and competitive benefits.

Green Bays Savannah Zoch and her husband feel high-quality early education and care is vital to early childhood development. Because Zoch is a community engagement specialist for Encompass, she receives a 60% employee discount on child care for her two children  a lifesaver for her family.

Without the Encompass employee discount, I would basically be working to pay for child care, Zoch said.

Because of the high cost of child care, many families now wait to have a second child until their first begins school, at least part time. Thats the case for Steen, who said shell probably wait until her daughter enrolls in 4K.

Currently, her daughter only attends child care three days a week, but if it were five days a week, the cost would make having a second child impossible, she said.

In our situation, we are settling for a larger age gap than we might truly want, Steen said.

Anna Schneider, a mom of two from Denmark and sister to Abby Funseth, wants a third child, but financial concerns are also prompting her to wait.

You want to be able to have kids when you want to have kids, but financially speaking, it doesnt make any sense for us to have three kids in daycare right now because it would make more sense for one of us to stay home (and not work), she said.

To delay or not to delay? That is the dilemma.

Waiting to have a second or third child, however, may come with its own costs.

Gunderson pointed out that car seats expire and may need to be replaced, and other equipment, like cribs, may be deemed unusable due to recent safety upgrades.

While children are in care, parents often have to make sacrifices. Sjostrom said child care costs determine his familys discretionary income. For other families, the tradeoffs may be more grave. Roughly one in three households in Brown, Outagamie, Winnebago and Fond du Lac counties are already below the federal poverty level or struggle to afford the basic cost of living, according to the 2020 Wisconsin ALICE Report.

Age is also a consideration for many parents  both the age gap between their children and their own.

Desotell is in her late 20s, and her husband is in his early 30s.

(My 13-month-old) still sometimes doesnt sleep through the night consistently, and I dont know if I want to do that at 35, Desotell said.

Its a reality more families will have to confront, as many parents are starting families later in life.

U.S. Census American Community Survey data shows that between 2011 and 2021, fewer people between the ages of 20 and 34 bore children, while the birth rate among ages 35 to 50 steadily increased.

Medical professionals generally categorize giving birth at 35 or older as advanced maternal age. While it is increasingly common for people to have children after 35  even a first child  the medical community recognizes there are medical risks to both the pregnant person and baby.

Thats something that has been on Funseths mind recently.

When we think about the potential of adding another child to our family, Im thinking about: When does my oldest go into the school system so we wont be paying for her daycare anymore? she said. And  When will (our child care provider) have another opening for a baby? That might be for a couple of years yet, and Im almost 35; will we be able to have another?

Beyond families: The broader impact of the child care crisis

Northeast Wisconsins child care crisis is taking an increasing economic toll, too. As such, employers and economic development organizations are already realizing its impact their workforce.

Its no secret that Wisconsins workforce situation is less than ideal: Help wanted signs adorn most workplaces, and in September Forward Analytics projected the state could lose 130,000 working-age people by 2030.

The report said women drove a decline in workforce participation among all Wisconsinites ages 35 to 44 and cited family reasons, including a lack or high cost of child care, as potential contributors to the trend.

Child care challenges have a ripple effect, costing Wisconsins economy $1.1 billion annually, Raising Wisconsin, the advocacy arm of Wisconsin Early Childhood Association, found. The same study found 75% of business owners believe child care affects the economy, and 86% of caregivers said child care issues hurt their work time.

Christina Thor, Wisconsin director for the advocacy group 9 to 5  National Association of Working Women, said available, affordable child care  like affordable housing and adequate health care  can either attract people to Wisconsin or hasten young peoples departures.

We are estimated to lose 130,000 residents by 2030, Thor said. Thats young people moving from the state for different opportunities. Thats huge. And thats scary.

Ana Hernandez Kent, a senior researcher at the Federal Reserves Institute for Economic Equity, said employers miss out on potential employees when they do not consider the needs of working moms. While 84% of women without children are employed, that figure falls to 74% for working mothers.

If you talk about women in the economy, you cant do that without talking about child care issues. (Women and mothers) bear the brunt of taking care of the kids whether or not they work, Kent said. But it also has broader implications. If a mom has to take time off she didnt want to, it impacts their (familys) financial stability, their economic mobility.

Because women bear a disproportionate brunt of child care responsibilities, flexible workplace policies like the ability to work from home, child care assistance and paid family leave have already become vital benefits to working parents.

Those kinds of things are really positive for women and mothers, Kent said.

Northeast Wisconsin workforce would boom if child care issues were resolved

Thor prefers to think about what Northeastern Wisconsin would look like if the region found ways to address families child care needs, especially the big, big gap in culturally-competent child care she said the regions increasingly diverse communities need.

Wed bloom, Thor said. I feel like our workforce would boom.

Raising Wisconsin estimates addressing child care needs would enable 250,000 people to enter the states workforce.

Ann Franz, executive director of the Northeast Wisconsin Manufacturing Alliance, said manufacturers recognize the need to do something different. Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry now offers employees a $400 monthly reimbursement to help with child care costs while Schreiber Foods is testing a $5,000 annual child care stipend for workers at two of its facilities. A variety of employers secured Partner Up Grants from the state to provide child care for their employees.

Theres no one-size-fits-all solution, but there are a lot of resources that can help our companies and our region know the options, Franz said.

Shawn Phetteplace, Midwest regional manager for Main Street Alliance, a group that empowers small businesses to create policy changes, warns that leaving the issue to businesses alone could lead to further inequity for small businesses.

If child care becomes a benefit that an employer provides rather than a broad-based community asset, it puts small businesses at a competitive disadvantage, Phetteplace said. If we make public investments in health care, child care, paid leave, (small businesses) can increase pay. It creates a level playing field for them to grow.

Wisconsin stands to reap huge economic benefits if family-friendly incentives allowed more women and minority residents to enter the workforce, studies such as Council for a Strong Americas Want to Strengthen Wisconsins Economy? Fix the Childcare Crisis have shown.

Just like many other issues families face, the child care crisis cannot be solved with a single program, grant, innovation, incentive or change.

But such solutions are what Sjostrom, the Appleton father of two, longs for.

I hope that were still not talking about this when my kids have kids, but I also think that if we are, (my wife and I) will understand and try to help, Sjostrom said. There has to be a solution where families arent mortgaging everything for the right to have kids and help them thrive.

This story was produced as part of the NEW (Northeast Wisconsin) News Lab, a consortium of six news outlets covering northeastern Wisconsin. Wisconsin Watch is a member of the network.
CAMERON  A traffic stop on a northern Wisconsin highway descended into a bloody shootout Saturday afternoon that left two police officers and a suspect dead, authorities said.

An officer with the Chetek Police Department had pulled over a vehicle on Highway SS in nearby Cameron just before 3:40 p.m. when police and the motorist exchanged gunfire, the Wisconsin Department of Justice said. The Chetek officer and an officer with the Cameron Police Department died at the scene. Authorities took the gunman to a hospital, where they later died.

The DOJ's Division of Criminal Investigation, which is investigating the incident, did not return a request for comment.

Chetek City Council President Scott Bachowski said the city's officer was a four-year veteran of the force. He declined to confirm her name.

A member of the city's small four-person police department, the officer was "truly truly a wonderful woman, and someone the community and the kids in the community are really going to miss, Bachowski said.

The location of the shooting on County Highway SS is familiar to most local residents as the main road between Cameron and Chetek. Firefighters from the Cameron Area Fire District were at the scene Sunday spraying down the highway with water.

A makeshift memorial with flowers and a candle had been set up Sunday in a snow bank at the Chetek Police Department.

Residents said the officers were well-loved and will be missed.

They were just too young. Great people, said Ashley Elledge from Cameron. A lot of people in this area are very heartbroken.

The Barron County Sheriffs Department shared its condolences as well.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with Cameron and Chetek Police Departments," the Barron County Sheriff's Department said on Facebook.

Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald did not return a request for comment.

Other state leaders shared support and sympathy for the slain officers and the community.

"Our hearts are heavy for the Chetek and Cameron police officers who lost their lives in the line of duty yesterday. Kathy and I are praying for the officers families, colleagues, and the Barron County community mourning this tragic loss," Gov. Tony Evers wrote on Twitter Sunday.

Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul said in a tweet late Saturday: "I am thinking of their families and the Chetek and Cameron Police Departments at this incredibly difficult time."

Upon finishing its investigation, the DOJ will turn over its findings to the Barron County District Attorney's Office.
In an historic and high-spending race for control of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Janet Protasiewicz crushed former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Dan Kelly.

Protasiewicz garnered more than a million votes compared to Kellys 818,000  a margin of 55.5% to 44.5%.

The vote gave liberal justices a slim 4-3 majority on the states high court as it faces a lineup of cases that include abortion rights, redistricting and state election rules in the months ahead.

It marks the first time the court will have a liberal bent in 15 years and Democrats were celebrating the opportunity Tuesday night. Protasiewicz made abortion rights the centerpiece of her campaign, implying to voters that she will overturn Wisconsins near-total ban on abortion after the states 1849 ban kicked in when the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade.

Kelly was backed by pro-life groups.

If ideologies of the two candidates were striking, so was the spending in this race. News reports said spending on the race topped $45 million, three times the previous record for spending on a state judicial race.

But if Democrats were giddy over the Supreme Court swing, they might want to temper that with a look at the 8th Senate District where Rep. Dan Knodl, R-Germantown, narrowly defeated Democrat Jodi Habush Sinykin. Knodls win gives Republicans a supermajority in the state Senate  22 seats in the 33-member body.

And that gives Republican senators the ability to impeach and remove civil officers without input from Democrats, if the state Assembly also votes to do so.

Knodl, who supported false claims that Trump won the 2020 election and signed a letter asking Vice President Mike Pence to not certify Wisconsins vote, said during his campaign he would certainly consider impeaching Judge Janet Protasiewicz and other judges for being weak on crime. Presumably that would apply only to her job as a Milwaukee County judge  and not to her new post on the Supreme Court which she will assume this summer.

Thats the real political landscape that Wisconsin faces in the months ahead  bitter, rancorous, brass-knuckle battles between the states two parties  no matter the results of Tuesdays Democrat win.

For evidence, we have only to point to Kellys concession speech Tuesday night in which he said, I wish that in circumstances like this I would be able to concede to a worthy opponent, but I do not have a worthy opponent to which I can concede.

My opponent is a serial liar. Shes disregarded judicial ethics; shes demeaned the judiciary with her behavior. This is the future that we have to look forward to in Wisconsin. I wish Wisconsin the best of luck, because I think its going to need it.

Tuesdays election may have reshaped the makeup of the state Supreme Court, but it also kicked up some dust and triggered a whole new round of political battles.

Buckle up, Wisconsin.
Killeen, TX (76540)

Today

Rain showers early with scattered thunderstorms arriving for the afternoon. Potential for severe thunderstorms. High 69F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy with showers and a few thunderstorms. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low 62F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%.
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

View Results
Self-righteous senators

I'm disgusted and appalled at the behavior and priorities of many of those in the Unicameral who purport to be "leaders" in this state.

These self-righteous state senators love to grandstand, name-call and wave the flag for the concepts of choice and freedom. But when it comes to legislative priorities, many of them cherry-pick just where, when and to whom those concepts apply.

If you're uncomfortable having a person in drag read to your child or attending a drag performance with your family, then simply don't go. It's your choice.

If you decide to pay to send your child to a private school, then send them. It's your choice. But don't expect me to be forced to pay for that in addition to the taxes we're all paying to support free public education.

If I decide  in collaboration with my child, our physician and mental health professionals  that gender therapy is the best choice for my child, we will accept the consequences and outcomes of that choice. But it's our choice.

These ill-informed, sanctimonious and arrogant elected officials need to put their time and energy into issues that matter to all Nebraskans  property taxes, workforce development, water quality, environmental and climate concerns  instead of meddling in the lives of their constituents and "fixing" problems that they themselves have invented.

Gayle Mohlman, Hastings

Anatomically complete

There is a local institution of higher education that showed, in the 1980s, hypersensitivity to the concerns of a few uptight people. The base of the central bell carillon has a replica of an ancient Greek frieze. The original (or a copy of it) was displayed in the art department. In the art department, the Greek warriors and their horses were anatomically correct.

But some viewers of the frieze on the bell tower were offended. The problem was inappropriately solved by removing the offensive body parts on both the horses and the warriors.

I wonder if conservative parents want to sand down the sex education curriculum by removing the parts they consider offensive. I hope that Michelangelos statue of David is safe. Thank goodness that Italians appreciate great art.

The new antelope statue on that campus is anatomically correct. Since it is a bronze statue, it would take a blow torch to remove offensive parts. Such changes to the statue would be an act of vandalism. Lets not vandalize statues nor truthful educational programs.

Bill Wozniak, Kearney

No big words, please

Upon reading George Bascom's letter to the Hub, I am left with a few questions and observations. Wow! Bascom uses a lot of words to express his opinion. Perhaps a dictionary was used.

The phrase "word salad" came to mind as though I was reading a political speech. Perhaps Bascom would submit another letter with everyday language that most other readers could make heads or tails out of. Not that I wish to make, so to speak, a mountain out of a molehill, but after reading this twice, I still remain bemused.

Robert Vrbsky, Kearney

Donors give $304K

Kearney Radio Station Y102 (KRNY-FM) along with their sister stations Hits 106, KGFW, 107.7 The Island and Classic Rock 101.5, with a whole lot of help from our media partner NTV, were able to raise $303,622 for the kids at St. Jude during their radiothon on March 30 and 31.

This years total donations is the second largest amount raised and the fourth time in the last six (non-COVID) years that the events total has topped $300,000.

This years St. Jude Radiothon was KRNYs 22nd. KRNY has raised over $3.75 million during the stations radiothons for the kids at St. Jude.

Special thanks go to Scott ORourke, Lisa Williams and Melissa Free along with the entire NRG Media team for making this event happen. It truly is a team effort. Scotty O and Lisa Williams, KRNY-FM Morning show hosts, said, The folks in central Nebraska come through for St. Jude during our annual fundraiser every year.

Thank you central Nebraska for helping St. Jude find cures and save children.

Dallas Nau, NRG media market manager
 Flash

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) carried out another test of its newly-unveiled underwater strategic weapon system from Tuesday to Friday, the country's state news agency reported Saturday.

The underwater nuclear attack drone "Haeil-2" was deployed for test in Kajin Port of South Hamgyong Province Tuesday afternoon, and cruised 1,000 km of simulated underwater distance in the eastern waters for 71 hours and 6 minutes, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.

The unmanned underwater attack vehicle arrived Friday afternoon in the target waters off Ryongdae Port of South Hamgyong Province where a test warhead was accurately detonated underwater, said the report.

The latest test came days after the DPRK conducted in late March a trial operation of "Haeil-1," an earlier version of the underwater nuclear attack drone.

The "Haeil-1" cruised 600 km of simulated underwater distance in the eastern waters for some 41 hours before detonating a test warhead underwater, according to a previous KCNA report.

The KCNA said in another previous report that the mission of the attack drone is to "stealthily infiltrate into operational waters and make a super-scale radioactive tsunami through underwater explosion to destroy naval striker groups and major operational ports of the enemy," and that it can be "deployed at any coast and port or towed by a surface ship for operation."


By Simon Hutagalung



Considering the rising geopolitical tensions in the Indo-Pacific region, South Korea and Indonesia are looking forward to closer economic and political cooperation as they commemorate their 50th diplomatic anniversary. The 50th anniversary of their union was celebrated virtually on Jan. 26. Retno Marsudi, the foreign minister of Indonesia, described the two countries as "unique strategic partners" whose trade has grown rapidly in recent years. The two countries broke their previous trade record in 2022 with $20.57 billion.



In 2017, the presidents of South Korea and Indonesia, Moon Jae-in and Joko Widodo, decided to transform their existing strategic partnership into a "special strategic partnership" with a focus on four key areas: people-to-people exchanges; defense; international relations, regional and global cooperation; and the growth of infrastructure and trade. Both nations have launched a number of plans and agreements over the past five years in an effort to enhance integration and promote closer cooperation.



A free trade pact known as the Indonesia-Korea Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IK CEPA) was negotiated in 2019 to strengthen their economic partnership. South Korea and Indonesia commemorated the 50th year of diplomatic relations on Jan. 1, 2023. The agreement will remove import tariffs on 95.5 percent of Indonesian exports to South Korea and 93 percent of South Korean exports to Indonesia, exceeding the tariff reductions outlined in the ASEAN-Korea Free Trade Agreement.



The bilateral agreement will significantly increase market access because it will partially remove tariffs on goods like steel, cars, and auto parts as well as agricultural and fishery goods. The negotiation process has resulted in closer ties between the two nations, with Indonesia now being South Korea's second-favorite ASEAN nation for foreign direct investment (FDI). Because of South Korea's investments in Indonesia, Nusantara in New Kalimantan has grown by about $6.37 billion and about 58,000 new jobs have been created as a result.



Indonesia and South Korea share the same values as the G20 and MIKTA members in terms of democracy, human rights, a free market, and the freedom to travel without interference. They have similar views on regional and global dynamics as well. The ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific and South Korea's Strategy for a Free, Peaceful, and Prosperous Indo-Pacific Region are the two countries' respective Indo-Pacific strategies that they are using to carefully navigate the escalating rivalry between China and the United States in the Indo-Pacific.



The crisis in Myanmar, China's assertiveness in the South China Sea and North Korea's nuclear threats are the three key dynamics that both countries must focus on in order to create peace and stability in the region. With South Korea's strong support for Indonesia's ASEAN presidency in 2023, if both parties ask for a mediator, the North Korean nuclear threat could be diminished significantly. As a signatory to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), Indonesia would also try to dissuade South Korea from acquiring nuclear weapons, which could endanger the Korean Peninsula and the entire region.



South Korea, on the other hand, should use its diplomatic abilities to resolve the conflict between its two major trading partners due to the growing rift between Indonesia and China in the North Natuna Sea and the growing assertiveness of China. South Korea has stayed out of the South China Sea conflict in order to safeguard its supply lines and gain economic advantages. However, it must not ignore the widening gap in the area.



In Myanmar, the military has extended the state of emergency for an additional six months, and both Indonesia and South Korea must cooperate to help the region resolve the chaos there.



In conclusion, the 50-year diplomatic relationship between Indonesia and South Korea is flourishing, despite the rising geopolitical tensions in the Indo-Pacific region. Finally, in the Korean Peninsula crisis, Indonesia has the potential to significantly lessen the North Korean nuclear threat as a mediator because it has good diplomatic relations with South Korea and North Korea.





Simon Hutagalung is a graduate of the City University of New York and received his master's degree in political science and comparative politics.




Onalaska has a new boba and deli shop, and its Five Guys restaurant is scheduled to open April 17.

Zong Lor and his wife, Yang Mee Thao, opened Mini Boba & Deli on March 30 at 988 12th Ave. S., where a Marcos Pizza take-out and delivery store closed a year ago.

They also own Yummis Cuisine restaurant at 1908 Campbell Road in La Crosse, which theyve temporarily closed so they can focus on their new boba and deli shop. They will reopen Yummis maybe in a month or so, Lor said.

Yummis opened in January 2021 with a mix of Hmong and Thai cuisine.

Mini Boba & Deli offers a wide variety of bobas (also known as bubble tea) and other beverages, as well as lots of already-prepared Hmong and Thai deli items such as pad kra pow, fish with tomato sauce, Hmong sausage with sticky rice and spring rolls.

Were a grab-and-go place, Lor said. This is very convenient for people.

Weve been very busy since opening, Lor said of the new shop, whose extensive drink menu includes many kinds of bubble tea, milk tea, fruit tea, refreshers, basil seed drinks, lemonade, frappes, iced lattes and mangonada. Mini is part of the business name because its in a small space, he said.

Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and closed Sunday and Monday. For more information, call 608-615-1121 or visit Mini Boba & Delis Facebook page.

The new Five Guys restaurant is scheduled to open April 17 in Suite 102 at 3025 S. Kinney Coulee Road, its general manager, Nick Hotchkiss, told me last week. Its owned by Credo, LLC, a franchisee based in the Twin Cities area that operates several other Five Guys restaurants in Wisconsin and Minnesota.

The chain is best known for its burgers (which are never frozen) and fresh-cut french fries, Hotchkiss said. But it also offers grilled cheese sandwiches, veggie sandwiches, hot dogs, milk shakes and soda pop. Customers can eat peanuts in the shell while their food is being prepared. Food can be ordered at the counter as well as online.

Hours will be 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week at the restaurant, which is the last tenant to open in a new three-unit building, just north of the new Chick-fil-A restaurant.

The new Five Guys can seat about 40 people inside and an outdoor patio will open by summer, Hotchkiss said. It will have nearly 50 employees, he said.

Five Guys has more than 1,700 locations worldwide.

For more information, call the Onalaska restaurant at 608-519-0748 or visit https://restaurants.fiveguys.com/

3025-s-kinney-coulee-rd.

The new Starbucks coffee store at 2552 Rose St. in La Crosse opened Thursday.

The new store has indoor seating, a drive-thru and an outdoor patio area. Hours are 5:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Michelle Malone has opened I&E Dance Studio in Suite 125 in the King on 5th building at 505 King St. in downtown La Crosse.

The new studio opened on Jan. 23, said Malone, who is its founder and artistic director. She said its the only dance studio in La Crosse dedicated exclusively to adults 18 years of age and older. We offer classes for beginners who have never taken a dance class, all the way up to advanced dancers, she said.

This dance studio is a place where adults can come to have fun, be inspired and feel empowered through dance while also meeting new people who love to dance, Malone said. We offer classes in the styles of contemporary jazz, jazz heels and hip hop. We will be adding modern, ballet, salsa and more in the near future.

Malone said adults pay per class they want to take. And every class learns a new routine so they never feel behind in a dance class, she said.

For more information, call 608-406-7933 or visit

Stephanie Perry will hold a grand opening celebration on Saturday and Sunday, April 15 and 16, at her new Happy Plants Boutique in the Crosseroads Center shopping center at 9348 State Hwy. 16 in Onalaska. There will be refreshments and drawings for prizes.

Happy Plants Boutique opened Feb. 22 in the former location of a Wild Birds Unlimited store that Perry had run for her parents. It sells a variety of house plants and accessories, as well as local art. Hours are noon to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday.

For more information, call 608-881-6046 or visit the stores Facebook page.

Places of the past: 30 La Crosse area restaurants you'll never eat at again (part two) Edwardo's Embers Restaurant Cheddar 'n Ale Mai-Tai Supper Club Winchell's Donut House Taco Bell 1976: New Villa Mr. D's Donuts 1975: Bodega Lunch Club McDonald's Taco John's Taco Village Ponderosa Steak House Shakey's Pizza Fireside Restaurant 1972: Hoffman House Restaurant 1972: Louie Bantle's Restaurant Royale Pie Shop Chicago Beef & Etc. 1971: Kewpee Lunch Bridgeman's Ice Cream 1965: Dog House Restaurant Swiss Chateau Henry's Drive-In 1954: Triangle Cafe 1952: Harmony Cafe South Avenue Cafeteria The Penguin Drive-In TGI Fridays Fat Porcupine Burger Fusion
The Herb Kohl Educational Foundation on March 30 announced 306 Wisconsin students, teachers, and administrators are the recipients of the organizations 2023 Student Excellence and Initiative, Teacher Fellowship and Principal Leadership awards.

Student Excellence and Initiative Scholarships of $10,000 will be awarded to 190 graduating high school students who have demonstrated academic excellence and have displayed a broad range of activity and leadership in their community. Teacher Fellowship awards of $6,000 will be presented to 100 teachers who were nominated for their leadership and service in and outside the classroom, their ability to inspire a love of learning and to motivate their students. Principal Leadership awards of $6,000 will be given to 16 principals for setting high standards for instruction, achievement and character, and creating a climate to best serve students, families, staff and community.

Education is the key to the future of Wisconsin and our nation, former U.S. Sen. Herb Kohl said. These student, teacher, and principal award recipients have demonstrated incredible hard work, achievements, and service. I congratulate them all and hope this award not only helps them in their individual pursuits but also reminds them to pay it forward in the future.

Award recipients are selected by a statewide committee composed of civic leaders and representatives of education-related associations and the programs co-sponsors: The Wisconsin Newspaper Association Foundation, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, regional Cooperative Educational Service Agencies (CESA), the Association of Wisconsin School Administrators, and the Wisconsin Homeschooling Parents Association.

The Kohl Foundation award program was established by Herb Kohl, former U.S. Senator, philanthropist, and businessman. Since 1990, the foundation has awarded nearly $34 million to Wisconsin educators, principals, students, and schools.

Area 2023 scholarship, award winners The following area individuals are among the 2023 Herb Kohl Educational Foundation scholarsh
911, where is your emergency? With that, a calm, measured and trained telecommunications person takes your call. You are quite possibly very scared, angry, calling for yourself or for someone else; you quite possibly are making this call on one of the worst days of your life! Knowing the location, the dispatcher instantly sees, on one of their geographically mapped-sensitive screens that also shows automatically where current officers, ambulances, vehicular help is located the time the call, what needs doing next.

The current eight-member 911 Dispatcher Team at the Vernon County Dispatch Center, who serve 8-12-hour shifts at a time, has its physical headquarters as part of the Vernon County Sheriffs Office building complex, 1320 Bad Axe Court, Viroqua. There are always two, sometimes three, fully trained, professional people, each one at their task-designated, multi-screen stations.

They are, and have been, supervised by Deputy Sheriff Sgt. Bruce Olson, a lifelong Vernon County resident who has been with the Sheriffs Office since 1991. Olson has managed the center since being promoted to Sergeant in 2001. Besides the daily operations, Olson often takes overflow calls, is responsible for the rigorous training program for new dispatchers and is responsible for compliance with the Vernon County Rural Addressing Ordinance, requiring constant communication with all municipalities and other county departments.

When the volunteer History Alive Interview and Photo Crew, Dave and Ruth Amundson, became aware that April 9-15, 2023 is National Public Safety Telecommunicator Week, the two initially met with Sheriff Torgerson, asked if they could meet and talk with Sergeant Olson and some of his dispatchers, have the OK to photograph the 911 Center operations area and bring this whole story to life, Torgerson readily agreed to help. The team here is really not generally recognized anywhere to the degree that Id love to see them be and they deserve all the awareness and gratitude that they can get, commented Torgerson.

Dispatcher Ryan Easterday said that Nationwide, about 81% of all the incoming calls to 911 are made from mobile phones and from Vernon County probably more. We get everything! Weve talked down a potential suicide situation, listened to a frantic lady reporting her dog was on the roof, talked through with a person who is that first-on-the-scene at or in a vehicle-crash, coordinated that often multiple help needed for our areas all too frequent severe flooding or severe weather and roads situations, drowning and boat accidents, dealt with missing person concerns, reacted to hunting accidents, child abuse, family unit fights, prank and accidental calls and dont forget in-home falls and accidents and whats commonly referred to as butt calls!

Dispatcher Corinna Halvorson said, Trained dispatchers are skilled to be quick-thinking and fast acting, show extreme calm, be incredible listeners not only to the callers information but to additionally be able to pick up on that persons voice, its level and tone and what he or she is NOT telling them. There might be other sounds that are noted, such as music, animal voices that might come across. They must be able to multi-task, while still talking to the caller, working to establish that initial trust with the callers, perhaps already dispatching the fire department while themselves being the ultimate Captains of Calm. Concurrently, they are also typing all the heard information, at about 45 words per minute, as they are talking with the caller. They must act fast, discern threat levels and also have to have the constant safety in mind for all the officers and trained help that they co-ordinate and then send to the scene. A call concerning a brawl at a local bar with two fighting individuals brandishing guns, more often than not, gives the dispatcher an extra alert real heads up as to their necessary decisions to be quickly made and what and who to the send to this situation. This dispatchers action and decisions have all the potential for a serious life or death consequences on both ends of that call!

During those initial years of first COVID onset and even now, the dispatchers work with deciding who goes where, and what possible exposure to all the parties at the whole scene will be affected. We need to quickly think through, for example, when dealing with a possible medical stroke or a breathing crisis, what COVID pick up and transfer protocols had or have now to be followed both with the victim and the help they are going to receive who arriving. We had and still do have more people at home, more people and children not going to many places, including school, all giving the potential for increased stressors, remarked Dispatcher Yanicka Lunde.

Historically, before 911 use, citizens had to call a local 7-digit number for fire, police and emergency services. In the United State this 911 system is now over 50 years old with its first call being made in Alabama in 1968. Just 6 days later a 2nd 911 call was successfully made in Nome, Alaska. The numerals 91 and 1 and 1 were initially chosen by A T and T dispatch developers as no area codes or office codes used those digits then and it was felt that the three 911 numbers would be easily remembered.

Of course, added Sheriff Torgerson, we are thrilled that Vernon County has received a $237,772.59 grant funding (starting under the leadership of then Sheriff Spears) through the State of Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs Office, Office of Emergency Communications, Public Answering Grant Program. This next huge new implementation called NG 911 aka Next Generation 911, is now going to be possible with us. Fully installed and trained for, we can improve call routing, and broad-based interoperability. Among many other enhancements to public safety, 911 callers will eventually have the ability to communicate with our public safety communication professionals via text and video.

Vernon County citizens can put their heads on their pillows each and every night, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, relying on the dogged tenacity and trained skill levels brought by the Vernon County Telecommunications Team to be there on the other end, totally dedicated to your concerns. The History Alive Project volunteers sincerely thank all the people interviewed to make this saga come alive!
Black adults are 10 times more likely than their white counterparts to be arrested in La Crosse County, and they are also less likely to be referred to jail-diversion programs, according to a racial equity report from the Center for Effective Public Policy.

After a review of arrests, jail stays, diversion program documents, reports and data in the county, it was found that Black people suffer significant disparities and disproportionalities in the local criminal justice system.

Between 2018 and 2021, Black people made up 1.3% to 1.7% of the population in La Crosse County but accounted for almost 20% of the people arrested and about 17% of the jail population.

There is an over-representation in particular of Black people in the county at different parts of the criminal legal system, said Orleny Rojas, a senior manager at the Center for Effective Public Policy. Having an understanding and being aware of that fact is the first step in terms of then looking deeper into what the root causes are.

In July 2022, the Center and La Crosse County began working together to identify racial and ethnic disparities in the countys pretrial system. La Crosse County received a grant from the Wisconsin Department of Justice to produce the report.

The report by the policy group was completed in December 2022 and presented to the countys Criminal Justice Management Council in March.

The county and the Center for Effective Policy are continuing to work together throughout this year to identify what barriers exist in the justice system and community as a whole to cause the disparities.

People should have the same experience regardless of race, Rojas said. They should have the same opportunities in terms of access to programs and remaining in their community.

Judicial disparities

In 2021, Black adults were 10 times more likely than white adults to be arrested. The top reasons for jail stays were warrants, justice sanction holds, new charges, court orders and parole revocations.

Additionally, Black people were disproportionately charged with possession of marijuana, obstructing or resisting an officer and felony bail jumping.

Justice Support Services data revealed that four program areas were disproportionately experienced by Black people: drug court, OWI court, post-charge diversion and pretrial supervision.

While Black adults experienced disproportionate drug charges, they also are less likely to be referred to drug court, the data revealed.

In 2021, for every 1,000 Black people in the county, 97 were arrested on drug charges compared with 8 of their white counterparts. In a total of 40 drug court episodes for 2021, only 2, or 5%, were attributed to Black people; 35, or 88%, were attributed to white people.

When it comes to deferred prosecution, Black adults were once again underrepresented.

In 2018, only 6.45% of Black people were offered deferred prosecution, compared with 88.7% of white people in 2018. A deferred prosecution is a program in which eligible people can divert out of the formal criminal justice process through an agreement with the judge to complete a set of requirements within a certain time frame in return for reduced charges or dismissal.

This constitutes a significant underrepresentation in proportion to the 2018 arrest rate (20%) of Black people in La Crosse County, the report states.

One area of improvement is the rate of participation in pretrial supervision programs among Black people. In 2021, instances of pretrial supervision doubled for Black arrestees from 2018.

While the reason behind the increase in pretrial supervision is difficult to pinpoint without further analysis of policies and procedures, but Rojas hypothesized that the pandemic led to more people released on supervision to reduce jail populations.

Responding to inequity

The Center for Effective Public Policy provided the county with three recommendations to mitigate the racial disparities it found in the local justice system.

The center recommends the county identify barriers to Justice Support Services pretrial programs, develop strategies to increase referral of Black people to treatment court programs and identify opportunities for partnership with the district attorney and public defender to increase the number of Black people in diversion programs.

Tonya Van Tol, Justice Support Services manager, said the organization is working with community stakeholders  such as the district attorney, police department, sheriffs office, service providers and more  to develop strategies to address racial disparities found in the report.

Along with the center, the county will complete a review of policies, procedures, data and trial outcomes to identify the root causes of the inequity.

I know I dont have enough information or details to give you the underlying causes, Van Tol said. That is why were working with the Center for Effective Public Policy to start unraveling the different aspects of everything thats involved.

I have hope that we can take action, figure out the whys and then start making progress towards positive change, Van Tol said.

What steps some states have taken to provide reparations for Black Americans What steps some states have taken to provide reparations for Black Americans Oklahoma California Michigan North Carolina Illinois Maryland Iowa Alabama Connecticut Delaware Florida New Jersey Tennessee Virginia

Breaking down racial disparities in heart health Breaking down racial disparities in heart health Black Americans are among the most affected by heart disease Within some gender and racial groups, heart disease is the second-leading cause of death Hypertension is more common in Black Americans than in white Americans Despite dying from heart disease more often, non-Hispanic Black Americans are diagnosed less often
Hate is a strong word and a cutting sentiment, and when it relates to groups of people, the impact can be devastating.

The world is grappling with vitriol and violence, much of it targeted at those of specific races, sexualities, genders and religions, and the effects can reverberate for decades or even centuries. These actions have unfathomable consequences, and while they are painful to look back on, confronting and comprehending the atrocities is crucial.

In 2007, Bob and Maureen Freedland established the Freedland Shoah Study Grants through the La Crosse Public Education Foundation in memory of their families and all others who perished in the Holocaust. The endowment serves to advance among La Crosse Public School District students an understanding of the systematic genocide perpetrated by the Nazi regime in World War II, and impart on them concepts of tolerance, forgiveness and compassion.

The Holocaust was a very dark period of humanity, and important lessons are understood about how hatred can irrationally build to mass movements allowed by mass groups of people, and how hate speech and scapegoating and confirmation bias can be used to turn a group of people against another group of people, Maureen said. Holocaust education is not just about Jewish history and Jewish people  it is (beneficial for) stemming hatred against many groups.

In 2019, a group of district educators expanded on the programming to create a comprehensive Holocaust curriculum for students, an effort that will be highlighted during the Holocaust Remembrance and Education Program planned from 7 to 8:15 p.m. April 18 at Congregation Sons of Abraham. The District for its contributions to Holocaust education will be honored with the Wegner Leaf on the Congregations Tree of Life. Named for Dr. Gregory Wegner, the Wegner Leaf recognizes the efforts of inspirational teachers in the La Crosse area.

Rather than just having a couple of teachers with the particular flame and desire to do this, who could see the benefit of Holocaust education, its become districtwide, Maureen said. There is a lot of extra work that goes into creating your own program and your own unit, and the school district has taken this up with love and dedication and seen really good results with it.

If you go What: Holocaust Remembrance and Education Program When: 7 to 8:15 p.m. Tuesday, April 18 Where: Congregation Sons of Abraham, 1820 Main St., La Crosse

The program will also include a candlelight service, a screening of the short film Toyland, the subject of an essay contest for middle school students, a La Crosse Community Theater performance of a scene from the Diary of Anne Frank and music by Elizabeth Fox and Busya Lugovier. Interfaith and open to the community, the Holocaust remembrance event is an opportunity for residents to think about the future and unify so that we are solid against hatred and can act together in the future as might be needed, Maureen said. Thats why we do this.

Holocaust education

The School District of La Crosse has been a leader in Holocaust curriculum, with many outstanding teachers making it an integral part of lesson planning over the past two decades and putting it far ahead of fulfilling the 2021 Wisconsin Legislature in 2021 Act 30, which requires districts statewide incorporate lessons on the Holocaust and other genocides in middle and high school social studies.

The Districts Holocaust coursework already in place was enhanced following the Wisconsin Department of Educations 2018 new standards for social studies, when Sandy Brauer, Geri Patschull, Bobbi Gillitzer, Eric Martin, Jeanne Halderson, Scott Bagniefski and Jill Gorell designed a coordinated social studies curriculum for the three La Crosse public middle schools. The courses respect the United States Holocaust Museums guidelines for teaching about the Holocaust.

We came to a consensus that we would teach Holocaust/Shoah in ... seventh- and 10th-grade social studies, said Longfellow Middle School teacher Halderson, who will discuss the curriculum during the Holocaust Remembrance and Education Program. The Holocaust had always been taught at the high school level, but prior to this at the middle level it was only embedded into some (English/language arts) and social studies classrooms and not explicitly taught at one grade level.

The Freedland Shoah Study Grants have allowed teachers to attend the annual Teaching the Holocaust Workshop at the D.B. Reinhart Institute For Ethics in Leadership, provided books to students and supported a presentation by Tim Scott, attorney and speaker on understanding the Holocaust and how it relates to current events. Seventh and 10th graders were also able to attend a talk by Holocaust survivor Peter Feigl.

Im just really pleased that the school district has used our funds and found them valuable for creating life-changing education for our students, Maureen Freedland said. They are learning compassion and civic responsibility while refining their writing abilities, their reading abilities and becoming engaged as citizens.

The education is timely.

When social media, the nightly news and even popular culture regularly portray evidence of hostility and prejudice towards people of the Jewish faith, it is essential for our students to understand how intolerance, acts of prejudice and discrimination can lead to violence and even genocide, Halderson said.

By teaching the Holocaust, Halderson said, students can begin to understand and articulate how hate and bias, when left unchecked, can become normalized and escalate if no one intervenes. We want students in the La Crosse School District to be upstanders that speak up and take action rather than bystanders who stand by and watch when human dignity in any form is threatened.

There are many lessons to be gleaned from the horrors of genocide, but also reflections of humanity.

Tolerance, forgiveness, goodness and compassion are amply revealed as well, through inspirational stories of helping individuals and helping communities, Maureen Freedland said. Teachers report that students become deeply engaged and deeply inspired by the ample stories of goodness, at whatever learning level they are at, and their Holocaust studies are remembered and valued for years, when other subject topics are forgotten.

For more information on the Freedland Shoah (Holocaust) Study Grants, visit https://rb.gy/y14e1.
The sheer size of the massive industrial manure plant proposed for Wilson Township, four miles south of Winona, points to the need for far more public scrutiny than there has been to date.

Lets review a few of the basic facts reported in local papers.

Year round, 500 semi-tanker-trucks per week going in and out of the site.

Hauling primarily liquid dairy and hog manure on local roads into Wilson Township from many of the largest livestock farms within 20 miles of the proposed site (including Fillmore County).

Just how much of our taxpayer dollars will go to maintain and fix state, county and township roads that are damaged by this unprecedented amount of heavy-duty wear and tear?

In Roberts, Wisconsin, an almost identical proposal from the same company was met with public outcry, more than 70 public comments and concerns. Yet when Wilson Township held their public hearing last summer, there were none at all?

While this project would supposedly service many of the largest factory farms in the area, it also would provide both Shell Petroleum and these farms with major federal government subsidies for their participation. Just how much of our tax dollars will go to this project? Now is a very good time to open up the financial projections and provide transparency for all the public to see.

And now is not the time to kowtow to this merger of Big Oil and Big Ag.

Doug Nopar

Winona
Dianne Costanzo has enjoyed teaching the art of Aikido in the Lake Geneva area during the past year.

Costanzo opened One Point Center Aikido, N3510 County Highway H in the Town of Geneva, on April 2, 2022.

She said she is honored to celebrate the studio's one-year anniversary.

Costanzo has practiced aikido for about 30 years. Before coming to the Lake Geneva area, she operated a One Point Center Aikido studio in Oak Park, Illinois from 2004 to 2020.

The Oak Park studio closed because of the coronavirus.

"I'm very happy to have it here. We had a dojo for a long time in Oak Park for many years. After COVID, that kind of killed the dojo in Oak Park," Costanzo said. "When I moved up here permanently, I thought I was finished with aikido, but I realized aikido was not finished with me. So I felt like I had something to give, so we were very fortunate to find this building."

Costanzo said, during the past year, the aikido studio has attracted students from the local area as well as people from Illinois, Indiana and Iowa. She said the studio has attracted people who have been studying aikido for several years and people who are just getting started in the martial art.

"It's a nice combination of people who have been studying for a long time and newer people," Costanzo said. "I think it's something the community needs, so we're building it slowly but I can tell you the people who come and study, they're the right kind of people."

Costanzo said the classes are non competitive, and the students are willing to help each other learn.

"In our dojo, we are not concerned with hurting each other. We're concerned about helping each other become better," Costanzo said. "So when one person becomes better, everybody becomes better."

Student experience

Several of the students said they have enjoyed their experience at the One Point Center Aikido studio.

Ronald Lang, student, said he inspected the County Highway H building before the studio opened for business, and Costanzo encouraged him to join.

"I didn't know what it was but she was a very diligent lady during the inspection process," Lang said. "So I thought she would be a good instructor, and I was right."

Seth Klosinski, student, said he stopped studying aikido for awhile, but then a friend encouraged him to return. He said he has enjoyed attending the studio and interacting with the other students.

"There is some time I missed, but now I'm back for good," Klosinki said. "These guys are great. The sensei is a great teacher. If it wasn't for her, I probably wouldn't be coming back. She had all the patience with me and gave me the credit and the time. That was amazing."

Getting started

Several students of the students have been studying aikido for many years.

Bruce Kyes, student, said he started studying aikido about 20 years ago after a friend convinced him to attend a class.

"I got dragged to it against my will, but then I really liked it from that first moment," Kyes said. "So I found it to be very rewarding and invigorating."

Donald Robison, student, said he previously studied other styles of martial arts but then started attending aikido classes in 1991.

"I was doing taekwondo from the time I was 13 years old, and I had a friend who took me down to a dojo in Lake County and I started there," Robison said.

What is aikido?

Aikido is a Japanese-style of martial arts that uses a system of throws, strikes and pinning techniques for self defense.

Costanzo said aikido is not as well known as other styles of martial arts.

"Most people don't know aikido. They know karate. They know taekwondo. Those are much more popular," Costanzo said. "So aikido is not as popular. There's always a hesitation, but then you try it and you realize, if for no other reason, you're going to become more flexible then you find other reasons for studying it."

Costanzo said the goal of aikido is not to hurt an opponent but to use their momentum against them.

"We're not here to put people into pieces," Costanzo said. "This is the art of peace, not the art of putting people in pieces."

Benefits of studying aikido

Costanzo said even though students are often sore after a class there are several benefits to studying aikido. She said aikido can help people become more flexible and overcome past injuries.

"You're going to be sore," Costanzo said. "One of the things I say is, 'Sore is good, but injury is never good.' So it's ok to get sore because you're using muscles."

Kyes said even though you may become sore, you know you are going to gain other health benefits.

"It's a trade off, but it's a good trade for whatever you gain," Kyes said. "You get a protective benefit from it. The flexibility alone protects your joints from stress."

Robison said he previously had mobility issues with his right shoulder, but practicing aikido has helped relieve some of those issues.

"It was pretty much stuck and it ached every single day from the time I got up to the time I went to bed," Robison said. "It was so bad I had to miss a friend's 40th birthday party because it was just too sore. After about two months here, the shoulder was completely loosened up. I still have aches from time to time, but I got a full range of mobility."

An ongoing process

Costanzo said studying aikido requires a lot of patience, because it is an ongoing learning process.

"In our culture everybody wants to be an expert in 10 minutes, but learning aikido is like going on an archeology dig," Costanzo said. "You can't come at it with a bulldozer. You have to come at it with a toothbrush and just very gently brush away one layer of your ignorance and then you brush away another layer of your ignorance, and pretty soon you're starting to see the treasure that is underneath."

Kyes said he has been studying aikido for many years, and he is still constantly learning something new about the art.

"The whole art is present at every moment," Kyes said. "You can get a lot of it in your first experience, and the rest of your training you can be rediscovering and learning more and exploring more."

For more information about One Point Center Aikido, call 262-698-0864 or visit www.onepointcenteraikido.com.
BURLINGTON, Vt.  "Welcome to the USA," says a note attached to a hand-crocheted blanket of purple, white and gray stripes.

Hollie Shaner-McRae, of Burlington, who made the blanket as a gift for a refugee, wrote of her great-grandparents coming to the United States from Ukraine, Russia and Poland.

One great-grandfather was a tailor and the other was a barrel maker, she wrote. "Both were so brave and came to America as teenagers," Shaner-McRae wrote to whomever would receive the blanket. "I hope you make friends and feel safe here. Vermont is blessed to have new families arrive and enrich our world."

The quilt was one of at least 86 artistic blankets that crafters sewed, crocheted and knitted as gifts for refugees and immigrants to make them feel welcomed in their new community in Vermont. The handmade creations were on display at the Heritage Mill Museum in Winooski, Vermont, before they were given away to refugees.

The effort is part of the national Welcome Blanket project, which describes itself as a crowdsourced artistic action supporting refugees settling in the U.S. Los Angeles activist Jayna Zweiman started Welcome Blanket in 2017 in opposition to Donald Trump's campaign speeches about building a wall between the United States and Mexico.

"I hope you make friends and feel safe here. Vermont is blessed to have new families arrive and enrich our world."

Hollie Shaner-McRae,of Burlington, in a note with a gifted blanket As a grandchild of refugees, she grew up with family stories of her grandfather seeing the Statue of Liberty. That monument decades later still made him feel welcomed, she said.

Just as the Statue of Liberty was seen as an inviting symbol for immigrants in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Zweiman thought at the time: "What can we do in the 21st century as people are coming through these different ports to welcome them?" To date, thousands of blankets and notes have been created around the country for exhibits, including in Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles and Winooski. The blankets, accompanied with the personal notes from their creators, were then gifted to refugees at events, in welcome boxes, at their new housing or through charity groups.

The project is geared toward refugees  people forced to leave their home or country to escape war, persecution or natural disaster  including Ukrainians who escaped the Russian invasion of their home country. But the blankets have also gone to immigrants.

t In Vermont, Aisha Bitini, who a

is originally from Congo, said m that she loves the blanket she H chose  a soft, crocheted piece h made up of large squares of gold, i maroon, off-white and gray. m

"I'm so blessed to have one of t them," she said, draping it over her shoulder. She picked it out at e a blanket giveaway held recently w at the Association of Africans n Living in Vermont. e

The note that came with the p blanket "feels so special," Bitini h said, adding that she thanks the a person who made "this beautiful h blanket" and that she will "cherb ish it forever."

Kalyan Adhikari, who's origib nally from Nepal, said the Verb mont project was "such a kind and warm initiative." He said it y makes refugees feel welcome I and little a bit more like they're . home. p

"This makes my heart warm. h I can't thank them enough," he s said of the blanket-makers. c

The immigrant-refugee story resonated with Sonia Savoulian, of Los Angeles, when in 2017 then-President Trump imposed a ban on travelers from certain majority-Muslim countries. Her ancestry is Armenian, and her family includes refugees and immigrants. She herself is an immigrant  and she also happens to make things with yarn.

The Welcome Blanket project combines a creative outlet with a product that would help newcomers to the U.S. "feel an embrace, a welcome and an aspiration," she said. Since making her first Welcome Blankets for an exhibit in Atlanta in 2018, she has made a total of about 50 such blankets.

Zweiman said she hopes the blanket-making for refugees will become an American tradition.

"I want this happening 50 years from now," she said. "And I want a kid who took part in this ... when the next wave of xenophobia comes, to remember that he had actually physically made something for someone who was coming."
An extended stay in Bali was not in the travel plans for Tanya and Bruce Hansen as of July, and yet more than $2,700 was not in the refund plans for Vantage Travel until just last month.

The Hansens, of New Glarus, booked a 10-day cruise to Indonesia, plus an additional four days in Bali, with Vantage Travel in early 2021, Tanya informed SOS on March 8.

Tanya said Vantage told her at the time that if the couple changed their minds about the extended Bali stay either three or four months  she couldnt remember which  before their cruise departure date of Jan. 20, they could get a full refund for that portion of the trips cost, or $2,798.

As it turned out, the Hansens did change their minds, opting out of the extra time in Bali because the sites they were to visit in the province during those four days didnt appeal to them.

In early July of last year I did cancel the extension and was told that a full refund of $2,798 would be credited to our checking account, she wrote. Our trip was completed last month but after multiple phone calls and emails to Vantage we have still not received our refund. All they will tell me is that the refund is pending.

Tanya provided a copy of an Aug. 26 email to prove her point. In it, Vantages Mira Delgado notes the extension has been canceled and a refund is now pending, but to please be advised refunds are currently delayed but will be forthcoming.

Vantages response to SOS March 9 inquiry on behalf of the Hansens played the customer confidentiality card.

Per Vantage security policy we are unable to share anything regarding this passengers reservation without written permission from the passenger, emailed Vantage Email Correspondent Courtney on March 10.

Tanya was happy to provide such permission on March 13 and on March 14 she received an email from Sonia Mendes in Vantages Post Trip Quality Division that Tanya said was in response to a March 8 email shed sent to the company.

Mendes email contained an apology, confirmed the refund request and said Vantage has had an enormous number of customer inquiries to respond to, as well as trips to reschedule and adjust, and has endeavored to do so in a timely and efficient manner.

It asked for Tanyas patience and understanding while we are working through this issue actively.

On March 15, SOS reminded Vantage, via five of its email addresses, of Tanyas email granting it permission to speak with SOS about her case, and on March 21, the companys Customer Care Team emailed SOS to say that we looked into Ms. Hansens account and see that she did cancel the post-trip extension on 7/12/22 and is due a cash refund of $2,998.

We are admittedly delayed in processing passenger claims, the email said, but Ms. Hansen should expect her funds to be paid by electronic check within the next 7-10 business days.

Tanya said it was the first time shed been given a specific time frame, and reported the refund was posted to her checking account that same day.

She wasnt sure why the amount was more than she paid, but speculated the price of the Bali stay might have increased in the two years since booking, or maybe it represents interest accumulated while she waited for the refund.

Send us an SOS Since September 2007, SOS has helped save Wisconsin State Journal readers more than $219,888.75 and solved hundreds of problems. You can send an SOS using any of these methods: Email: sos@madison.com Online form: http://go.madison.com/sendSOS Phone: 608-252-6198 Mail: SOS, Wisconsin State Journal, P.O. Box 8058, Madison, WI 53708
The current show in the gallery at Madison Area Technical College features the work of a longtime Madison graphic artist and illustrator. But its also a love story.

Designs Are Things That Dreams Are Made Of is an exhibit of meticulously designed works by Ellen Marie Dudley, who spent a career crafting scientifically accurate drawings for physics, biology and botany textbooks as well as classy fashion illustrations commissioned by Madison department stores.

She taught me so much about art, about creativity, said Terry Straavaldsen, her partner of 31 years, who helped to sort through thousands of drawings at their Waterloo home to feature in the exhibit.

Since it opened in March, Straavaldsen has stopped in with an armful of fresh flowers every few days to put at the gallery entrance. He often lingers to take in the show with its 50 framed prints.

We lived our dream! he wrote in the gallery guestbook during a reception for the show that drew some 100 visitors. Designed for each other! Love, Terry.

Dudley died Feb. 22, 2022, at age 74, 20 days after she was diagnosed with cancer. Her death left her friends  and especially Straavaldsen  in shock.

I have never met anyone more talented and with more love and empathy for others than Ellen, and she had the perfect partner in Terry, a friend posted online after Dudleys death. He made her star shine even brighter.

Through her life, Dudley shared many milestones with Madison. She was a member of the first graduating class of La Follette High School, in 1965. She went to Woodstock. As a technical scientific illustrator at UW-Madison in the early 1970s, she pulled her art supplies from the rubble after the bombing of Sterling Hall.

Dudley earned an associates degree in commercial art at MATC, also known as Madison College, in 1967 and would later establish a scholarship there. She worked at UW-Madison for 33 years, and her freelance work appeared throughout the city. The logo she designed for Group Health Cooperative is still in use. She even helped design the cabin that she and Straavaldsen built on Black Oak Lake in 2009.

Designs Are Things That Dreams Are Made Of includes dozens of fashion illustrations in charcoal that Dudley drew for ads that ran in the Wisconsin State Journal and The Capital Times for decades. With clothing retailers such as The Hub, Woldenberg's and Yost-Kessenichs as clients, Dudley would pick up outfits at the stores and take them back home, where shed sketch them with a live model.

Back then, the main qualifications for a commercial fashion artist were skills in freehand drawing and the ability to create an image so evocative that readers would aspire to own them, exhibit co-curator Barbara Westfall wrote in an article about Dudley, her good friend and mentor.

Eventually, the popularity of photography in advertising replaced hand-drawn illustration. By the late 1980s, fashion illustration came to an end. This unique era of cultural production that lasted over a century justifiably earns its place in art history worldwide.

Westfall selected items for the show along with Straavaldsen, including distinctive outfits worn by Dudley herself. In one, a sparkly black skirt is paired with a bright lime green leather jacket and boots, with pop-art-inspired sunglasses in neon green and pink.

Ellen was known for her style. She was always dressed to the nines, Westfall said. She loved fashion and was such a renaissance woman, yet was so humble and kind, with so much dignity and grace.

After the exhibit closes Thursday, many of Dudleys fashion drawings will head to the second floor of the MATC art department to hang on the walls of the newly created Ellen Dudley Art Lounge. Digital prints of her work will go to the Wisconsin Historical Society.

Straavaldsen, who spent his career in construction but learned to paint at Dudleys urging, has founded a second scholarship in Dudleys name in the Department of Design Studies at the UW-Madison School of Human Ecology. For the week of her birthday last October, he collaborated with the MATC culinary arts program and ordered 1,044 cupcakes from student bakers.

Day after day, the cupcakes were set out and offered free to anyone who wanted one. Straavaldsen made a display of balloons and posters with photos of Dudley, who always ate cake for breakfast on her birthday, saying Lifes too short. Lets eat cake first, he recalled.

With her modesty, I dont know what shed think about all this, he said. But it was really special to let all these people know about and celebrate Ellen.

Photos: 'Democracy' exhibit at Playhouse Gallery
There were no injuries reported in a structure fire that damaged a town of Dunkirk home Saturday morning.

Officers with the Dane County Sheriff's Office and Stoughton Police Department, along with firefighters from departments in Stoughton and Oregon, as well as Stoughton EMS, responded at 10:45 a.m. to a fire on the 1900 block of Pleasant View Drive, according to a press release from the Dane County Sheriff's Office.

A residence, garage and vehicle were damaged in the fire, which officials say is believed to have started in the driveway before spreading to the garage and home.

A damage estimate is unknown at this time and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.
PRINCETON  The premise of operating a four-lane, historic bowling alley in a small town may seem quaint.

And the payoff was on full display Wednesday when 16 women, making up four teams, laced up their shoes, ordered up drinks and began slinging balls down the wooden lanes at Stars & Strikes, located along the Fox River in this citys downtown.

On this evening, as daylight waned and the sun began to set over West Water Street, tunes from Lynyrd Skynyrd, Stevie Wonder and the Cars blared from the speakers of the digital jukebox, the Milwaukee Bucks and Chicago Bulls game was silently shown on five televisions, and rounds of bar dice were played between frames of bowling.

There are no overhead monitors and automatic scoring machines here. Bowling scores are logged in with a pencil on a tear sheet surrounded with advertisements from the local Piggly Wiggly, Thomas J. Ward Insurance, Beer Bellys Bar, the Pizza Factory and Ds Dishes, the neighboring dog and cat grooming business.

This is old school, but its so much fun, said Jessy Stelter, a Montello native who has lived the past 17 years in Princeton. Brian is so wonderful to us girls. If it werent for him we wouldnt have a bowling alley.

Shes referring to Brian Spaulding, the epitome of entrepreneurial spirit whose unlikely journey has brought him here from Milwaukee to resurrect bowling and pursue a dream that a few years ago seemed unimaginable. He had little money, was living with his parents and dealing with a benign brain tumor that was eventually removed, only to grow back and be eradicated with radiation. He spent years prior to that working in the bowling industry in the Milwaukee area and had toyed with the idea of someday owning his own bowling center.

So in 2020, when his mother died unexpectedly, Spaulding began searching for an opportunity. He had won $23,000 playing bingo at Potawatomi Casino in Milwaukee, which allowed him in April 2020 to buy a 1968 Corvette. Just over a year later, he sold his car for $14,000 and put $7,000 down to finance a deal to run and rehab Stars & Strikes with an option to purchase the business after three years for $150,000.

The community has really embraced me here, said Spaulding, 53. This is my passion, the bowling. I love trying to develop leagues. I love trying to reel people in to bowl that maybe never bowled before or dont want to bowl because theyre not very good. Im always trying to help people.

Theres occasionally live music, with the bands setting up on the approaches to the lanes, while five gambling machines also add to the revenue stream. For the first five months, Spaulding slept on a cot in the bowling alley. He now rents a room for $50 a week but is the only employee of the business and works 15 to 16 hours a day, seven days a week. A leaky roof destroyed part of the ceiling and flooded the business in late February and kept it closed for nearly three weeks, but league play has resumed.

But prior to the water damage, Spaulding spruced the place up, added TVs, purchased new equipment to oil the lanes, replaced the old pin sets that were mismatched and created five leagues. In November 2022, just more than 14 months after taking over the business, local bowler Justin Morales bowled the first sanctioned 300 game at the facility in more than 80 years.

Ive bowled in a lot of places in my life and this is, by far, the toughest bowling alley Ive ever bowled in in my life because things havent been taken care of, said Spaulding. But with a new oiler and new pins, bowlers averages are up 10 pins prior to me being here.

Spauldings work will get more notice in two weeks. Thats when, on April 23, a group of 28 bowling buffs will visit the facility as part of the Wisconsin Vintage Alleys Tour sponsored by the Bowling Centers Association of Wisconsin, which since 2017 has organized six other tours around the state. Wisconsin is home to 276 bowling centers, but 68% of those are 12 lanes or less.

Other stops on this springs tour will be at Butch & Annes Pine Grove, a four-lane center in Elkhart Lake; Generations Lanes in Eldorado, founded in 1952 with six lanes; and the four-lane Lambeaul Lanes established in 1946 in Redgranite.

The tour is designed to highlight Wisconsins historic bowling centers at a time when the industry is challenged and oftentimes centers are bulldozed to make way for more profitable developments. In the last year, more than 20 bowling centers in the state have changed hands due to retirements, deaths or those looking to move on to other businesses. Its an unprecedented number, according to Yvonne Tison Bennett, who is organizing the tour and is the past executive director of the BCAW.

Its everything from four- and six-laners to, quite frankly, some of the biggest centers in our state, Tison Bennett said of those that have sold but continue to offer bowling. Theres been a lot of change. And Ive always said that change is good because its new people, its new energy, its new money, its new ideas. As long as they stay bowling, thats always great. Unfortunately, theres been some that weve lost and are just gone.

For Spaulding, bowling has been an integral part of his life. He grew up in a house located behind the 22-lane Riegers Sport Bowl at 58th Street and North Avenue in Milwaukee. He started bowling at the age of 4 and sweeping floors at the bowling alley when he was 12. A year later, he was averaging 180 per game and when he was 15 years old got a job as a pin chaser. He later managed the facility and after it closed in 1996 worked at bowling centers in Sussex, Brown Deer and Waukesha. But in 2005, his life was thrown for a loop when he was diagnosed with a brain tumor.

But after 15 years of dealing with and defeating his illness, Spaulding began searching for a bowling center, which led him to Princeton, a city of 1,200 people where Stars & Strikes has been operating since 1943 in a building constructed in the 1880s for a service garage. For the first 14 years, pins were set by hand by local youths, but in 1957 the owner spent more than $20,000 to install Brunswick pinsetters and automatic ball returns with hand dryers. The equipment is still being used today.

Spaulding is hoping he can eventually buy the bowling alley, but if not he plans to look elsewhere, knowing there are plenty of opportunities.

I dont want to leave here, Spaulding said. I want it to work.

Photos: Stars & Strikes, a 4-lane bowling center in Princeton Vintage Bowling Vintage Bowling Vintage Bowling Vintage Bowling Vintage Bowling Vintage Bowling Vintage Bowling Vintage Bowling Vintage Bowling Vintage Bowling Vintage Bowling Vintage Bowling
HOUMA, La.  In Louisiana bayou country, where oil rig supply ships are as much a part of the waterside scenery as shrimp boats, a new kind of seagoing behemoth is taking shape that marks offshore wind power's growing presence in the energy seascape.

Louisiana shipbuilding giant Edison Chouest Offshore is assembling the 260-foot-long Eco Edison in coastal Terrebonne Parish, along the Houma Navigation Canal. It's being built for rsted, a Danish firm that builds and operates wind farms worldwide, and Eversource, a New England energy provider. When delivered next year, the ship will serve as floating housing for U.S. offshore wind technicians and a warehouse for their tools as they run and maintain wind farms in the Northeast.

Officials with the three companies gathered recently under the bow of the unfinished vessel to mark construction progress and hail the role offshore oil industries are playing in the development of offshore wind generation. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, of Louisiana, attended.

It's long been understood that offshore oil companies possess know-how valuable for offshore wind, for example, how to maintain machinery in a salty marine environment.

Differences between the Eco Edison and vessels built for offshore and deep water oil rigs aren't yet apparent as the skin and bones of the towering ship take shape in a 120-foot-tall waterside assembly building. But the differences are there, said Daryl Owen, a consultant on the project. Workers in protective clothing tended computer-driven machines bending and welding sections of piping and huge plates of steel. Standing near the stern of the developing ship on Monday, Owen pointed to the deck of a nearby oil industry supply vessel.

That's all open deck space for cargo," he said. "This vessel won't have that. It's got a lot more housing space for the workers.

The cargo will be different, too, Owen added. That vessel's got specialty tanks, all over, below decks, for specialty chemicals, fluids .... The wind guys don't need any of that.

While offshore oil platforms often double as living quarters for the workers who tend to them, the Eco Edison will be the temporary home for roughly 60 workers as it moves from turbine to turbine to provide maintenance.

The unveiling of the work in progress comes after the Biden administration announced a wind power strategy aimed at providing 30 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2030.

Globally, countries are building out wind power and solar in a shift away from the coal, oil and methane gas burning that cause climate change.

But it also came days after House Republicans passed legislation to sharply increase domestic production of fossil fuels, and ease permitting restrictions that delay pipelines, refineries and other projects.

Louisiana politicians, Democrats and Republicans alike, have been critical of administration attempts to curb drilling. And oil and gas remains a major employer and driver of the Louisiana economy. But they are also embracing the state's role in helping the offshore wind industry take off.

Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards recently announced that Shell will invest $10 million with New Orleans-based Gulf Wind Technology for a project to develop turbine components designed to operate in the Gulf.

Wind turbines won't be sprouting in Gulf waters right away. Although the Biden administration is considering the first-ever lease sale for offshore wind energy in the Gulf of Mexico, there are challenges to address, including slower wind speeds.

But Gulf cities and companies are a big part of what will make the offshore wind industry successful, said David Hardy, CEO of the rsted Americas region. In turn, offshore wind developers are creating high-paying jobs in the Gulf and giving companies a way to diversify to take advantage of opportunities in the energy transition, he added.

rsted and Eversource say they're investing hundreds of millions of dollars in shipbuilding across the Gulf Coast. More than 400 shipbuilding workers with Edison Chouest Offshore have worked on the Eco Edison so far. Parts of the ship have been manufactured at ECO facilities in Florida and Mississippi and shipped to Houma.

People think about offshore wind and they think about jobs where the wind farms are. But the reality is, there are jobs being created across the country, Hardy said.

Because of century-old laws, only a qualified U.S.-flagged vessel can transport people and goods between U.S. ports. The Eco Edison is the first Jones Act-qualified wind farm service operations vessel in the United States. In Texas, Dominion Energy is building the first U.S.-based offshore wind installation vessel, the Charybdis. rsted and Eversource signed up to charter it first.

Jason Grumet, CEO of the American Clean Power Association, said the Gulf region is poised to become the economic engine of the offshore wind industry because of its highly skilled energy workforce. Leading offshore developers are racing to invest billions of dollars to construct a fleet of specialized vessels, he added.

When the Eco Edison is finished next year, it will go to Port Jefferson, New York, to serve three planned Northeast wind farms, South Fork Wind, Revolution Wind and Sunrise Wind. Combined, those projects are expected to generate about 1.7 gigawatts of offshore wind energy to power over a million homes.

The side benefits of clean energy Clean energy provides almost 443,000 jobs in the US More than 25% of Americans live in states with carbon-pricing programs The US already produces enough clean energy to provide power for 58 million American homes The cost of wind and solar power fell 47% and 71% in the past decade, respectively Increased clean-energy use decreases the instance of heart attacks, asthma attacks, and other cardiovascular issues Clean energy is more resilient and reliable than fossil fuels
SIMI VALLEY, Calif.  Risking China's anger, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy hosted Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen on Wednesday as a "great friend of America" in a fraught show of U.S. support at a rare high-level, bipartisan meeting on U.S. soil.

Tsai and McCarthy steered clear of calls from hard-liners in the U.S. for a more confrontational stance toward China in defense of self-ruled Taiwan.

Instead, the two leaders stood side by side in a show of unity at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California, acknowledging China's threats against the island government but speaking only of maintaining longstanding U.S. policy.

"America's support for the people of Taiwan will remain resolute, unwavering and bipartisan," McCarthy said.

More than a dozen lawmakers, including the House's third-ranking Democrat, joined Republican McCarthy for the daylong talks.

China has reacted to past trips by Taiwanese presidents through the U.S., and to past trips to Taiwan by senior U.S. officials, with shows of military force.

Chinese officials have pledged a sharp but unspecified response to the meeting with McCarthy, but there was no immediate reaction from China on Wednesday, a holiday there.
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said over the weekend the adoption of new technologies is necessary to ensure energy security amid increasing demand and to transition the country towards a cleaner energy future.

We have to look at emerging technologies such as batteries and other energy storage systems. Were also in the midst of filing a bill to promote energy storage which includes batteries. No matter how controversial, we should also look at new technologies for nuclear power such as smaller modular reactors and generation IV nuclear reactors, Gatchalian said.

Although this needs a little more time, we have to look at these emerging technologies since we also have no law or any single regulation on these. We can come up with a corresponding legislation, he said.

Aside from nuclear and batteries and other energy storage systems, the Department of Energy is studying hydrogen and ammonia for power generation.

Gatchalian said the country is only 50-percent energy supply self-sufficient as it imports bulk of its coal requirement and fuel requirements.

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Gatchalian, who co-chairs the Senate Energy Committee, said electricity demand increased by an average of 6.53 percent annually in tandem with economic growth.

This means the country needs to produce an additional 66,937 megawatts of additional power supply to sufficiently address electricity demand moving forward, he said.

Because we import a huge chunk of fuel for our electricity supply, any disruption overseas such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict, usually impacts the electricity, fuel cost and livelihood of our poorest folks. This is why we need to continually look for all possible ways to improve energy security and supply of electricity in our country, said Gatchalian.

Gatchalian filed several measures to ensure energy security in the long term including Senate Bill 152 or the Midstream Natural Gas Development Act, which will provide for third-party access to liquefied natural gas terminals and transmission pipelines

He also filed Senate Bill 151 or the Waste-to-Energy Acta sustainable way of waste disposal and energy generation.

Gatchalians Senate Bill 485 removes a 100-kilowatt cap for the distribution of energy generated from solar panels. This would enable more businesses such as factories to put solar panels on their rooftops.

Gatchalian also filed Senate Bill 157 or the Energy Transition Act which provides for the creation of an energy transition plan to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 and remove dependence on imported fuel. Such a plan includes a moratorium on the establishment of new fuel plants and the entry of new internal combustion.

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Taipei rips Joint Sword simulation, US monitoring Beijing actions closely

CHOPPER FLYBY. A Chinese military helicopter flies past tourists at a viewing point over the Taiwan Strait on Pingtan island, the closest point to Taiwan, in Chinas southeast Fujian province on April 7, as Chinas military exercises around the island nation stretched for a second day. AFP

BeijingChinese fighter jets and warships simulated strikes on Taiwan Sunday as they encircled the island during a second straight day of military drills that were launched in response to its president meeting the US House speaker.

The exercises sparked condemnation from Taipei and calls for restraint from Washington, which said it was monitoring Beijings actions closely.

Meanwhile, Philippine authorities continued to remain mum about the drills even as the Department of Defense underscored the benefits of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) it has with the US, which China has said would draw the country into its conflict with Taiwan.

Dubbed Joint Sword, the three-day Chinese operationwhich includes rehearsing an encirclement of Taiwanwill run until Monday, the Peoples Liberation Armys (PLA) Eastern Theatre Command said.

I am a little worried; I would be lying to you if I say that I am not, said 73-year-old Donald Ho, who was exercising in a park on Sunday morning in Taipei, in the far north of the self-ruled island.

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I am still worried because if a war broke out both sides will suffer quite a lot, he told AFP.

Chinas war games saw planes, ships and personnel sent into the maritime areas and air space of the Taiwan Strait, off the northern and southern coasts of the island, and to the islands east, the army said as it launched the exercises, engineered to flex Beijings military muscles in front of Taiwan and the world.

A report from state broadcaster CCTV on Sunday said drills had simulated joint precision strikes against key targets on Taiwan island and surrounding waters, adding that forces continued to maintain the situation of closely encircling the island.

The write-up went on to say the air force had deployed dozens of aircraft to fly into the target airspace, and ground forces had carried out drills for multi-target precision strikes.

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen immediately denounced the drills, which come after she met US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California.

She pledged to work with the US and other like-minded countries in the face of continued authoritarian expansionism.

In Washington, a State Department spokesperson said the United States had consistently urged restraint and no change to the status quo, but noted it had ample resources to fulfil its security commitments in Asia.

The United States has been deliberately ambiguous on whether it would defend Taiwan militarily, although for decades it has sold weapons to Taipei to help ensure its self-defence.

Live-fire exercises

Exercises on Monday will include live-fire drills off the rocky coast of Chinas Fujian province, about 80 kilometres (50 miles) south of Taiwans Matsu Islands and 186 kilometres from Taipei.

These operations serve as a stern warning against the collusion between separatist forces seeking Taiwan independence and external forces and against their provocative activities, said Shi Yin, a PLA spokesman.

AFP saw no immediate signs of enhanced military maneuvers on the northern coast of Pingtan, a Chinese island across the strait from Taiwan where the live-ammunition exercises will kick off on Monday.

On a roadside verge high above the ocean, Lin Ren blasted the Chinese national anthem on a loop as he sold cups of coffee from the back of his car.

I think the current exercises serve as a way of putting pressure onTaiwan, the 29-year-old told AFP.

I think they make it clear to them that we have the capabilities to unify, he said.

Still, the drills were largely symbolic, he said, adding: I dontworry that there will be an armed conflict this time around.

China views democratic, self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory and has vowed to take it one day, by force if necessary.

Taiwans defense ministry said there had been 18 detections of Chinese warships and 129 of aircraft around the island since the drills began on Saturday morning, adding Beijing has deployed a mix of fighter jets, drones, bombers, and transport aircraft.

On Saturday the ministry released a map showing 45 aircraft hadcrossed the median line separating Taiwan from mainland China - the most incursions this year according to figures maintained by AFP.

Taiwan has been on high alert and said its forces will be well-prepared and maintain solid combat readiness while making sure not to escalate conflict.

A video showing a Taiwanese coast guard patrol trailing Chinese warships was released by the Ocean Affairs Council on Saturday.

You have seriously undermined regional peace, stability and security, please turn around and leave immediately, a coast guard officer warns by radio.

An AFP journalist saw Mirage 2000 fighter jets scrambling at the Hsinchu air force base in northern Taiwan on Sunday.

Three boats from Taiwans elite Amphibious Reconnaissance and Patrol Unit were also seen patrolling the Matsu Islands on Sunday, according to an AFP journalist.

The CCP (Chinese Communist Party) has continued to conduct military exercises around the Taiwan Strait and since this morning it has successively dispatched multiple batches of aircraft as well as a number of ships in the area, Taiwans defense ministry said on Sunday.

The drills came hours after the departure from Beijing of French President Emmanuel Macron, who was in China to urge his counterpart Xi Jinping to help bring an end to the war in Ukraine.

In August last year, China deployed warships, missiles and fighter jets around Taiwan in its largest show of force in years following a trip to the island by McCarthys predecessor, Nancy Pelosi.

Tsai returned to Taiwan on Friday after visiting her islands dwindling band of official diplomatic allies in Latin America, with two US stopovers that included meetings with McCarthy and other lawmakers.

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It will be best for peace-loving nations especially in Asia to use their diplomatic skills and moral suasion to prevent hostilities, and seek a peaceful resolution of the issues that hound the Taiwan Strait

As discussed in my previous article last Monday, April 3, the forthcoming presidential elections in January, 2024could prove to be crossroads that could determine Xi Jin-pings next move on what he considers a renegade province.

The present leadership is held by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) under President Tsai Ing-wen. Its main rival is the National Peoples Party, also referred to as the Nationalist Party, or Kuo-min-tang (KMT).

The KMT was brought into the island by Chiang Kai-shek after he lost to the CPP under Mao Tse-tung after the Second World War and was forced to flee the mainland.

Since 1949, Chiang held Taiwan under an iron grip with the support of the US of A, and, upon his death in 1975, he was succeeded by a transition leader until his son Chiang Ching-kuo, was elected in 1978 and whose regime slowly liberalized the authoritarian rule of his father.

When Chiang Ching-kuo died of a heart attack arising from diabetes complications in 1988, he was succeeded by his vice-president, Lee Teng-hui, a former mayor of Taipei, who, as president, proceeded to fully dismantle authoritarian rule into a democratic system, where the president was chosen by the population in direct vote, as well as lower positions.

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It was during Chiang Ching-kuo and Lee Teng-huis terms that Taiwan progressed rapidly at a time when the mainland was likewise opening up its economy under the legendary Deng Xiaoping after the death of Mao.

Lee, an agriculturist, likewise spearheaded Taiwans farm modernization, establishing world-class agricultural research institutes side by side with the manufacturing growth began by Ching-kuo.

In the general elections of 2000, another Taipei mayor, this time from the opposition DPP, was elected president, Chen Sui-bian.

Hounded by corruption scandals, he was later imprisoned, during which the KMT in 2008 regained power with Ma Ying-jeou, another former Taipei City mayor as president.

There is a straight line between the Taipei City Hall and the presidential palace, through the wide, tree-lined Ren-ai Boulevard. Thus it was said that whoever becomes Taipei mayor ends up in the presidency.

This was broken in 2016, when the DPP fielded an economist who never held elective positions, and a lady at that, Tsai-Ing-wen, for president. This was her second try, after losing to re-electionist Ma in 2012.

Tsai won on a strong wave of anti-mainland sentiment, where Ma was perceived to be too submissive to the PRC.

Thus, KMTs popular candidate, the charismatic Mayor Eric Chu of New Taipei City, and before that of Taoyuan, was defeated by an introvert single lady, Tsai.

Tsai however is on her last year in office, completing two four-year terms.

But on her last year in office, after the Honduras defection to Beijing, Tsai upped the ante by meeting with Speaker Kevin McCarthy and a bi-partisan group of legislators last Wednesday in the Ronald Reagan Library in California, where assurance that the US stands by Taiwans democracy was reiterated.

Thus, the January 13, 2024 elections is keenly watched not only by China but the major powers with geo-political and economic interests in Taiwan, most keenly by the US of A and Japan.

A KMT win would likely cool down the cross-strait tensions that began when Tsai became president, while another DPP president might continue Tsais arms-length relationship with the mainland, the repudiation of the 1992 Consensus, and draw Taiwan firmly into the side of the US and Japan against Chinas determination to re-unify.

And in the face of the currently strong anti-mainland and pro-Western sentiment of voters, especially after the forceful quelling of Hong Kong activists and the establishment of a puppet government in the former British crown colony, KMTs chosen candidate in 2024 will likely tiptoe carefully on the subject of independence versus the One China-Two Systems solution that Beijing proffers.

Since 1992, the Taiwan electorate had never given the two major parties, the blue KMTs or the green DPP, a continuing mandate beyond two straight terms. If the trend continues, feng shui should give KMT an edge.

Then KMTs Lee had two terms on top of his succession of Ching-kuo; DPPs Chen had another two; KMTs Ma had two; followed by DPPs Tsai who will bow down in May 2024, after transitioning to her duly elected successor in January 2024, a scant nine months away.

So who are the likely presidential candidates?

In the DPP, current vice-president Lai Chien-jen, better known by his English name William, 64 years old by the time of elections, is a current favorite.

The former premier and two-term mayor of Tainan, Lai, the son of a coal miner, is quite charismatic, and fiercely pro-independence. He is a medical doctor specializing in physical rehabilitation.

Then there is the current premier, 72-year old Chen Chien-jen, the vice-president of Tsai on her first term (2016-2020), another doctor and renowned epidemiologist who specialized at the Johns Hopkins University Hospital in Baltimore and was former minister of health.

A devout Roman Catholic, the deeply religious and humble Chen walks from his house daily to attend mass in the Daan district parish.

Though DPP, he is not too vocal against the mainland and could be a default candidate acceptable to the mainland over the other doctor, William Lai.

There are dark horses in the DPP stable, such as Kaohsiung Mayor Chen-Chi-mai, young at 59, another physician, or even the former premier, Su Tseng-chang, 76 come July, this time a lawyer who graduated from the National Taiwan University, and a well-rounded politician.

On the Kuomintang side, its current chairman, Eric Chu, 61, who lost to Tsai in 2016 as the KMTs reluctant candidate, is supporting his successor as New Taipei City mayor, Hou You-yi. Hou, who will turn 66 on June 7, was director-general of the National Police Agency before becoming deputy mayor of New Taipei under Mayor Chu.

The KMT under Eric Chus chairmanship has taken a prudent stance vis-a-vis the mainland, not espousing independence, but proposing the strengthening of mutually beneficial economic partnership.

His becoming chairman of KMT largely dismantled the old guard and invited younger blood into what has been derisively termed as a jurassic party controlled by political dinosaurs.

There is a former KMT stalwart who resigned in 2020 after an unsuccessful try for the partys presidential nomination, billionaire Terry Gou, Hon Hai Precision (better known as Foxconn International) chairman, whose company is the worlds largest electronics manufacturer, counting Apple as its major customer.

A marine technologist turned successful businessman, Gou, 73 by January, has once again publicly announced his intention to run for the presidency, and would re-apply as KMT.

Still quite young at 45 come voting time is KMTs newly elected Taipei City Mayor Chang Wan-an, popularly nicknamed Wayne, who is the great grandson of the dictator Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, a two-term legislator and a lawyer who finished at the University of Pennsylvania and thereafter became a corporate lawyer in California before returning to Taipei to establish his legal practice and enter politics.

Preceding Wayne Chiang as mayor of Taipei, Ko Wen-je, another medical doctor, who after serving two terms from 2014 till 2022, is touted to be interested in running for president come January under his Taiwan Peoples Party, a third force.

Taipei City election results last November 26 were an embarrassment to outgoing mayor Ko, and could dampen support for his presidential plans. He is now in the US to test the waters.

Unless Foxconn billionaire Terry Go gets the nod of KMT as its official candidate, he would not proceed, and has vowed to support Mayor Hou or whoever the party chooses as standard bearer.

Polls show a close three-way race with Vice-president William Lai of the DPP getting about 32 percent of the vote; while KMTs Hou and TPPs Ko are even-steven with 21 percent each.

But its a long way to go, and the smoke has not cleared on who eventually will be in the running.

The main issue would be the future of the troubled island-nation of 23.4 million at a time of disquiet possibly leading to military conflict.

Nobody wants war, a prominent businessman told me, adding that only the politicians use war as a means to spend more money, and for the West, to sell us more arms.

A retired diplomat who I asked about the willingness of Taiwanese to fight their Chinese cousins vigorously said I would fight!

His wife who was with us over lunch calmly riposted, But your sons will not.

We should have a clearer picture of the mainland vis-a-vis Taiwan affairs after the 2024 elections. For now, the scenarios would be a series of what Filipinos call girian.

Meanwhile, our president has agreed to have the Americans put up transport, training, support facilities, and the pre-positioning of war materiel and supplies, as well as deploying these and personnel, in nine strategically locations in the country.

Incidentally, the modern Lal-lo Airport in Cagayan, some half an hour away by plane from Kaohsiung, was built during the time of Pres. Benigno S. Aquino III, completed just before Pres. Duterte won, yet was surprisingly never opened for commercial use, is now one of those sites the joint US-RP military troops will use as a new EDCA platform.

Full text at www.manilastandard.net

Thus did Pres. Duterte call the EDCA sites platforms for war.

It will be best for peace-loving nations especially in Asia to use their diplomatic skills and moral suasion to prevent hostilities, and seek a peaceful resolution of the issues that hound the Taiwan Strait and it is folly to allow itself to be used by the war-hungry elephants who in the end will come crushing over ants, be it in the name of liberation or deterrence.

Let us look at our experience in World War II: Our soldiers and civilians died; our women were raped; our people suffered hunger in a quarrel between the mighty.

We had scores of military installations all over our islands. They became immediate targets of the Japanese.

And when liberation by our colonial masters came, a bit too late at that, Manila became the most devastated city in Asia, and in the whole world, second only to Warsaw in Poland.

Liberation bombs from American planes did it.

When will we ever learn?

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Mariveles, Bataan  Riders and cyclists from Bataan, Pampanga, Tarlac, Manila and other parts of the Philippines gathered today to join Ride for Valor, a bike-for a-cause event that aims to raise funds for the upkeep of Bataan Death March markers and other World War 2 historic sites.

The fundraising ride coincides with the observance of Araw ng Kagitingan (Day of Valor), which is also known as the 81st anniversary of the Fall of Bataan and the start of the Death March.

Mike Villa-Real, first vice president for marketing and communications of the Philippine Veterans Bank (PVB), said the event, organized by PVB in partnership with the Department of National Defense (DND), Philippine Veterans Affairs Office, Provincial Government of Bataan and Wartime Heritage Guild-Philippines, aims to preserve the legacy of Filipino and American soldiers who fought for freedom and democracy during World War 2.

The Bataan Death March is a somber reminder of the bravery and selflessness of Filipino veterans during the Second World War. It is an essential part of Philippine history and culture, and the Ride for Valor is an important way of honoring the veterans and preserving their legacy. Plus rider get to learn more about this historic event as they will be be traversing the actual route of the Death March, he said.

The ride was made available to fully vaccinated cyclists and all types of bikes with brakes. The event started at 2:30 a.m. from the Kilometer Zero in Mariveles, Bataan, to Capas National Shrine in Tarlac.

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The non-competitive bike ride had four pitstops: Mt. Samat, Balanga Provincial Capitols The Bunker, San Fernando Train Station, and Angeles Museum. Giveaways will be given in selected pitstops.

Villa-real said the event implements a No Helmet, No Ride policy to ensure the safety of the participants. In addition to this, a mechanic was made available to help with mechanical difficulties, working in tandem with roving marshals who kept track of the riders progress.

Support vehicles were also okayed during the event, however, riders are only allowed to use them if they choose to drop out.

The Bataan Death March is one of the darkest chapters in Philippine history, where around 80,000 Filipino and American soldiers were forced to march more than 100 kilometers in grueling conditions by Japanese forces in 1942. Thousands of soldiers survived but many also died due to starvation, dehydration, diseases, and the brutality of Japanese captors. The markers serve as reminders of the tragedy and heroism that occurred during that period.

PVB is a private, commercial bank owned by World War 2 veterans and their families. With Its new Charter signed into law, the Banks ownership now includes Post War Veterans and AFP Retirees.

Ride for Valor 2023 is supported by Without Limits PH, Traqs Philippines, OneLGC, AIR21, Salgado PR, Panahon.TV, and the Integrated Waste Management Inc, Neo Zigma PH, Hotel Sogo, The Oriental Hotel-Bataan, AFAB, Booster C Energy Shot, and Fitbar.

For more information about the event, follow Ride for Valor on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RideForValorPH.

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Heres what happened locally on April 9 over the past century, as reported in this newspaper, which went from being called the Henry Bulletin to the Daily Bulletin to the Martinsville Bulletin:

1923: Miss Eldona Oliver, State Sewing Specialist of Blacksburg, was in the county last week with Mrs. Campbell, Home Demonstrator, visiting and instructing a number of the county clubs. At Ridgeway and Lanier Farm, Miss Oliver instructed the girls in the uses of a pattern to cut several garments. She had the girls to do the cutting.

1948: With the scene peaceful, pickets continued to walk their posts at most of the gates of the American Furniture Companys plants this morning as the strike there entered its fourth day. A.C. Emerson, business agent of Local 284, said ... he believed that there may be fewer workers in the plant today than there were yesterday.

1973: Martinsville City Mayor Earl B. Reynolds is asking the city to rename part of Moss Street to Municipal Drive. Tuesday, the Martinsville Planning Commission set a public hearing for 2 p.m. April 23 in city hall to consider Reynolds request  Reynolds is asking that Moss Street from Market Street to Liberty Drive be remained Municipal Street.  The city of Martinsville is now primary property owner in this area, Reynolds wrote ...

Also 1973: Area manufacturers are exhibiting fewer new items and lines of furniture than in previous years at the spring Southern Furniture Market which opened Friday in High Point, N.C. And the price tags on the furniture reflect an average of 4-5 per cent increases over last year.

1998: Several hundred area school students eagerly sat in Martinsville Speedways stands Wednesday morning waiting for excitement. Suddenly, NASCAR Winston Cup driver Ernie Irvan zoomed around the .526-mile oval in his No 36 Skittles Pontiac. The crowd got excited. Extremely excited. All eyes were glued to the colorful MB2 Motorsports race car.
Luncheon

Patrick & Henry Community College will host Administrative Professionals Day Luncheon from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, April 26, in Frith Hall at P&HCC.

Karen Garrett, PA-C, is the keynote speaker. Garrett has a bachelor's degree from Guilford College with a double major in biology and chemistry. She graduated from the physician assistant program at Wake Forest School of Medicine with honors in 1999.

She has over 22 years of experience in adult medicine with special interest in womens health including contraceptive management and menopause management. Over the last several years she has expanded into numerous cosmetic procedures including botox, dermal fillers, chemical peels and medical grade anti-aging skin care products. More recently she has added laser hair removal, Morpheus8 fractional skin treatment for anti-aging, acne scaring and stretch marks, and IPL (intense pulsed light) to treat pigmented and vascular lesions.

The luncheon also will feature two concurrent sessions and a raffle of donated door prizes.

The deadline to register is April 24. The cost is $99, or $75 if registering before April 20. Register at ph.augusoft.net or 276-656-0260.

Spring cleaning

April 22 is a spring cleaning day of sorts for things we dont normally deal with (or at least should not be throwing away with the regular trash): private papers, prescription drugs and hazardous waste.

In Patrick County, a Shred and Meds event is planned for Saturday, April 22, from 9 a.m. to noon, at Rotary Field, 420 Woodland Drive, Stuart. Drop off old documents for paper-shredding, sponsored by EMI Security and Carter Bank & Trust. The limit is 10 boxes of shredding per vehicle. Also, the Patrick County Sheriffs Office will collect unused prescription medications for proper disposal.

Shred and Meds is part of the Patrick County Chamber of Commerces Pick Up Patrick Campaign for April.

In Henry County, Household Hazardous Waste Day for disposal of certain hazardous items will be from 9 a.m. to noon at the Bassett Service Station, 2285 Fairystone Park Hwy., Bassett.
Carver native Curtis Hairston Jr. practiced law for 35 years before being selected as a judge for Chesterfield General District Court.

Hairston grew up in the Carver area in Henry County and graduated from Fieldale-Collinsville High School (now a middle school). His parents are Katherine Hairston and Curtis Hairston Sr.

His mother was a teacher in grades first through third, and his father taught history and drivers education. Both of them still live in the area.

Hairston Jr. said he cant remember any particular moment or influence that made him want to go into law as a career, but he does remember that it was something he wanted from a young age.

I can remember all the way back to first and second grade wanting to be a lawyer, but I cant tell you why that was, Hairston said. I really didnt know any lawyers, hadnt really been exposed to anything except lawyers on TV.

After graduating high school, he said, he wanted to experience other opportunities and see what else was out there. However, he said, he stayed in Virginia once he realized he didnt want to be so far away from Martinsville.

He attended Harvard University where he got a bachelors degree in both history and sociology, graduating in 1984, before attending University of Virginia School of Law and graduating in 1987.

Starting law school, I didnt realize how many different types of practice there were and the number of different things that you could do with a law degree, Hairston said. Going to law school opened my eyes to how many paths were available.

He began his law career as a litigation trial attorney for Williams Mullen, one of the largest law firms in Virginia. There he represented large corporations in litigation matters for 15 years before moving on.

His main motivation for leaving, he said, was that he wanted to represent individuals in their fights against large corporations. To do this he joined a smaller firm, The Gee Law Firm in Richmond, where he mainly dealt with personal injury cases.

He worked there for 20 years before beginning his career as a judge.

Hairston had been considered for judgeships a couple of other times previously but was first considered for this judgeship at the Chesterfield General District Court in 2021 and was appointed in October of the same year.

He was sworn in the same day as Chesterfield Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court Judge Travis Williams, and together they became the first ever Black men to serve as full time judges in Chesterfield.

Being on the one holding the gavel is very different, he said. As an attorney you are taking a side and youre doing everything that you can within the limits of the law to try to win for your client.

As a judge youre sitting back and youre trying to make sure that both parties are treated fairly. That they both have their day in court, Hairston said.

To become a judge, Hairston said, you submit your information to the General Assembly and are either elected or not elected as a result.

I had decided that I wanted to be a judge quite some time ago  I guess I decided within the first five to 10 years of my practice that that was something that I eventually wanted to do, he said.

In the General District Court, Hairston said, he sees a little bit of everything concerning types of cases he presides over. This includes civil cases, landlord and tenant cases, personal injury cases, traffic cases and criminal cases.

The first few years of practice I realized that people were not always treated fairly by the judicial system and that judges had the ultimate control over whether or not a person was treated fairly, he said.

To ensure he doesnt show bias, he said, he makes sure to think through the decisions he makes and that he is making them for the right reasons based on the evidence presented to him.

I wanted to see that people were treated fairly. So, for me, the natural process was to try to become a judge so I could make sure that people were treated fairly, he said.

Growing up in Martinsville, the experiences that I had in Martinsvillewhether it be school, church, community  it prepared me for the different things that Ive had to deal with over the years, Hairston said.
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Shen Hongbing, the director of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, speaks at a press conference on the origins of COVID-19 at the State Council Information Office in Beijing, Saturday, April 8, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein

Chinese health officials defended their search for the source of the COVID-19 virus and lashed out Saturday at the World Health Organization after its leader said Beijing should have shared genetic information earlier.

The WHO comments were "offensive and disrespectful," said the director of the China Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shen Hongbing. He accused the WHO of "attempting to smear China" and said it should avoid helping others "politicize COVID-19."

The global health body's director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said March 17 that newly disclosed genetic material gathered in Wuhan in central China, where the first cases were detected in late 2019, "should have been shared three years ago."

"As a responsible country and as scientists, we have always actively shared research results with scientists from around the world," Shen said at a news conference.

The origins of COVID-19 are still debated and the focus of bitter political dispute.

Many scientists believe it jumped from animals to humans at a market in Wuhan, but the city also is home to laboratories including China's top facility for collecting viruses. That prompted suggestions COVID-19 might have leaked from one.

The ruling Communist Party has tried to deflect criticism of its handling of the outbreak by spreading uncertainty about its origins.

Officials have repeated anti-U.S. conspiracy theories that the virus was created by Washington and smuggled into China. The government also says the virus might have entered China on mail or food shipments, though scientists abroad see no evidence to support that.

Shen Hongbing, the director of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, left, listens as Tong Yigang, dean of the College of Life Science and Technology at Beijing University of Chemical Technology, speaks at a press conference on the origins of COVID-19 at the State Council Information Office in Beijing, Saturday, April 8, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein

Chinese officials suppressed information about the Wuhan outbreak in 2019 and punished a doctor who warned others about the new disease. The ruling party reversed course in early 2020 and shut down access to major cities and most international travel to contain the disease.

The genetic material cited by the WHO's Tedros was uploaded recently to a global database but collected in 2020 at a Wuhan market where wildlife was sold.

The samples show DNA from raccoon dogs mingled with the virus, scientists say. They say that adds evidence to the hypothesis COVID-19 came from animals, not a lab, but doesn't resolve the question of where it started. They say the virus also might have spread to raccoon dogs from humans.

The information was removed by Chinese officials from the database after foreign scientists asked the CDC about it, but it had been copied by a French expert and shared with researchers outside China.

A CDC researcher, Zhou Lei, who worked in Wuhan, said Chinese scientists "shared all the data we had" and "adhered to principles of openness, objectivity and transparency."

Shen said scientists investigated the possibility of a laboratory leak and "fully shared our research and data without any concealment or reservation."

Shen said the source of COVID-19 had yet to be found, but he noted it took years to identify the AIDS virus and its origin still is unclear.

"Some forces and figures who instigate and participate in politicizing the traceability issue and attempting to smear China should not assume that the vision of the scientific community around the world will be blinded by their clumsy manipulation," Shen said.

 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Targeted testing for HIV in emergency departments has great potential for increasing diagnoses, this year's European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) in Copenhagen, Denmark, (15-18 April), will hear.

An analysis of data from 34 emergency departments (ED) in Spain found that the number of HIV diagnoses more than trebled after targeted testing was implemented.

Researcher Dr. Juan Gonzalez del Castillo, head of the Infectious Disease Group of Spanish Emergency Medicine Society (SEMES), says, "Early diagnosis is key to avoiding the spread of HIV infection and improving patients' prognosis but rates of undiagnosed and late-diagnosed infections are still high."

"An estimated 20% of infected people globally do not know they are living with HIV and late diagnosis rates are close to 50% in the developed world. In Spain, the figure is 48%."

"Screening for HIV in hospital emergency departments could increase the number of diagnoses, as well as allow more cases to be detected earlier."

Guidance released by SEMES in 2021 recommends the promotion of HIV testing and referral to appropriate specialists for follow-up in individuals attending emergency departments (ED) for treatment related to one of six conditions or behaviors: sexually transmitted infections (STI), mononucleosic syndrome (MN), herpes zoster virus (HZ), community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), practice of chemsex (CS) and HIV post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). These are common in people with HIV and are also frequently seen in ED.

In this longitudinal study, Dr. Gonzalez del Castillo, head of the emergency department at Hospital Clinico San Carlos, Madrid, Spain, and colleagues used administrative data and medical charts from 34 Spanish EDs (13% of the national network) participating in the Dejatuhuella (Leave your mark) program to evaluate levels of HIV testing before (July-Dec 2019) and after (Jan to June 2022) the SEMES guidance was implemented.

The number of HIV tests ordered in ED increased from 7,080 to 13,436. This represents an increase of 75%, when differences in the number of people attending ED are taken into account.

The number of HIV diagnoses increased more than three-fold, from 65 to 224. This represents an increase of 220%, when ED attendance figures are factored in.

The positive test rate increased from 0.92% to 1.67%. This was expected, as previous studies had shown a high positive rate in the six conditions and behaviors covered by the SEMES recommendations.

There was a significant increase in HIV testing in all of the recommended areas, apart from practice of chemsex. STI (36% of patients tested for HIV before implementation vs. 67% after implementation), MS (27% vs. 51%), CAP (7% vs. 21%), HZ (6% vs. 29%), PEP (68% vs. 83%). The rate of HIV in CS remained unchanged at 78%.

The demographic and health characteristics of the individuals diagnosed in both periods were similar.

There was a significant reduction in the time between ED attendance and the first appointment with an HIV specialist (median of 30 days vs. 7 days), as well as the initiation of antiviral treatment (median of 24 days vs.14 days).

The study's authors conclude that the implementation of targeted testing for HIV in emergency departments led to a significant increase in HIV diagnoses.

To date, a total of 103 EDs have implemented the recommendations. Data from SEMES shows that in 2021 and 2022, 113,030 tests were performed, with 287 HIV diagnoses in 2021 and 601 in 2022 888 new diagnoses in these two years. (It isn't possible to make comparison with earlier years.)

If it is assumed that one diagnosis prevents another two to four cases, the new diagnoses in these two years will have led to 1,756 to 3,512 new cases being avoided.

Dr. Gonzalez del Castillo says, "We really hope that the Dejatuhuella program will reverse the downward trend in HIV diagnoses in Spain and reduce the spread of HIV and the high rates of late diagnosis."

"EDs could play a crucial role in HIV diagnosis. We know from previous research that one in three missed opportunities to diagnose HIV occurs in ED and we also know that for many people, their ED is their only point of contact with the healthcare system."

"Increasing the rates of diagnosis and early diagnosis doesn't just have huge implications for individuals' health and public health, it would also be cost-effective."

"A recent economic assessment of the SEMES strategy calculated that it would prevent 13,615 new infections and have potential savings for the healthcare system of 4,411 million in two decades, with an economic return of 224 per euro invested."

Targeted screening is one of the two main methods of HIV screening in ED; the other is opt-out screening.

A project in the England is using opt-out HIV testing in A&Es in areas with the highest prevalence of HIV. All adults who are having blood tests while in A&E are tested for HIV unless they opt out. In many areas, hepatitis B and hepatitis C are also tested for.

Data from the 28 A&Es participating in the first 100 days of the project (April to July 2022) shows that more than 250,000 HIV tests were carried out. There were 128 HIV diagnoses, 325 hepatitis B diagnoses and 153 hepatitis C diagnoses.

"It would be difficult to implement a universal testing strategy like this in Spain, where explicit consent for HIV testing is required," says Dr. Gonzalez del Castillo. "In addition, some ED physicians may be reluctant to order tests that will not help them diagnose and treat the condition that patient has presented with."

"Targeted HIV screening in the ED, as we are doing in Spain, can be impactful, more cost-effective, and better accepted by both patients and physicians than universal testing."

"On the other hand, we are working on recommendations for hepatitis B and C testing and many EDs have already started doing it at the same time as HIV, with 63 new hepatitis C diagnosis in 2021 and 2022."

He concludes, "The role that ED can play in HIV detection is pivotal and must be recognized and promoted, whatever the strategy and wherever people are in the world."

Provided by European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
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Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Costa Rica, a popular Central American tourist draw, is fighting an outbreak of malaria on its east coast, authorities said.

Health officials carried out house-to-house checks Saturday in Costa Rican Caribbean towns in search of malaria cases, after detecting an outbreak that has infected 60 people, authorities said.

Many of the infections were detected in Limon (26 cases), the largest Caribbean city in the country, and in the neighboring canton of Pococi (32), located further north and bordering Nicaragua.

No deaths have been reported, although the disease is potentially fatal.

The director of Health Monitoring, Rodrigo Marin, said that "75 percent of these cases were reported during the last two weeks." He said it was impossible to know whether they had been brought in from abroad.

Malaria, which is transmitted by mosquitoes in low-lying areas, is endemic in Costa Rica and other Latin American nations.

Symptoms include fever, chills, headache and muscle pain.

In 2021, "17 countries and one territory in the region of the Americas with endemic malaria accounted for 0.2% of malaria cases in the world," according to a report released in December by the World Health Organization (WHO).

That year there were some 600,000 cases and 334 deaths from malaria in the region.

Venezuela, Colombia and Brazil together accounted for almost 79 percent of the total in the Americas, according to the report.

 2023 AFP
Missoula Public Library Holiday Closures

Missoula Public Library will be closed Sunday, April 9 for the Easter holiday.

Missoula Job Service: Job Search and Resume Workshop

Join the Missoula Job Service at Missoula Public Library for a Job Search and Resume Workshop on April 10 from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. in Cooper Room B on Level Four. This workshop includes how to use Applicant Tracking Systems to your advantage, search for and analyze job postings, utilize accepted resume formats, and write a resume that stands out. This is where to start if you are looking to take your job search to the next level, and secure an interview with the job you want.

Old Growth Forests: The Libraries of Tree and Ecosystem Knowledge

Join Dr. Diana Six at Missoula Public Library for a talk about Old Growth Forests on April 10 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in Cooper Room A/B on Level Four. Old growth forests are more than places with big trees. Each is a unique and irreplaceable ecosystem based on continuity over long periods of time. They are also reservoirs of the genetic knowledge and diversity crucial for resilience and persistence of forest ecosystems over time. In this talk, Dr. Six will give an introduction to what makes old growth forests so special using local examples including whitebark pine.

Missoula Public Library Memory Cafe: Line Dancing with Montana Gypsy

Missoula Public Librarys Memory Cafe is a safe, welcoming, and supportive space for individuals experiencing memory loss and their caregivers and family members. On April 11 from 2 to 3 p.m. in Cooper Room A/B on Level Four of the library, enjoy line dancing with Montana Gypsy dance studio!

Read Dogs

Certified therapy dogs are just waiting for your child to read them a book at Missoula Public Library. Your child can read a favorite book from home or pick one of the many picture books we have to offer. This program is held on April 11 from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the Imaginarium on Level Two of the library and is great for hesitant readers or kids who just love dogs.

Lolo Community Library: Stop Animation with MCAT

Missoulas Community Media Resource, MCAT, will bring a stop animation activity to Lolo Community Library. This free activity is suitable for kids 8 to 13 and is held on April 11 from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at the Lolo Community Library at 11395 Highway 93 S. Kids will use Legos and dry erase boards to make short animated videos. For details contact Erin at 406-273-0451 ext. 211.

Community Cooking @ the Library: Seeds to Salads with Sandy Perrin

Join Kelly Moore and Sandy Perrin of Missoula Co./MSU Extension and learn how to grow your own salad bowl! This cooking class is held on April 11 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the Missoula Public Librarys Demonstration Kitchen on Level Three.

Symphony Kids: Missoula Public Library Concert Series #4

Trumpet, trombone and tuba  oh, my! Join the Missoula Symphony to hear a brass ensemble perform. This program is held on April 12 from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. in the Imaginarium on Level Two of the library. The musicians will talk about the music they play and take questions from the audience.

MakerSpace: Cricut Basics

Join the Missoula Public Library MakerSpace and learn the basics of operating a Cricut vinyl cutter by making your own bumper sticker in this free workshop. This program is held on April 12 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Level One of the library.

Tech Connect: Android Basics

Work with a Missoula Public Library staff member in this Android Basics class, April 13 from 10:30 to 11:45 a.m. in Cooper Room A on Level Four of the library. This class is for those who have a new Android mobile device, or are considering getting one, and want to learn more about the basic functions.

Missoula Job Service: Resume Office Hours

Work directly with Workforce Consultants from the Missoula Job Service to get constructive feedback to help you sharpen your resume, edit your cover letter, and focus your job search. This class is held on April 13 from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. in Cooper Room B on Level Four of the library. Call 721-2665 or email crystalk@missoulapubliclibrary.org to register. Participants will need to bring their resume or cover letter on a flash drive or access it online for this workshop.

World Wide Cinema

World Wide Cinema is Missoula Public Librarys free monthly film series of first-run independent and foreign films. On April 14 from 6:30 to 9 p.m. enjoy the family drama 200 Meters that tells the story of a couple living in two Palestinian villages, only 200 meters apart but separated by the Israeli dividing wall. Doors are open from 6:15 to 6:45 and late entry is not allowed. Attendees must enter from the librarys parking garage, all other doors are locked.

Montana Repertory Theatre First Reads: Annie Jump and the Library of Heaven

Missoula Public Library is proud to host the Montana Repertory Theatre for First Reads, a four-part staged reading series. If youre a theatre lover, want to be the first to hear the plays the Rep is considering, or if you enjoy audiobooks or radio plays, you dont want to miss this program. On April 15 from 2 to 4 p.m. in Cooper Room A/B on Level Four of the library enjoy, Annie Jump and the Library of Heaven by Reina Hardy.
Montana legislators amended and advanced this week the primary bill aimed at facilitating management of grizzly bears should they be delisted federally.

The House Fish, Wildlife & Parks Committee voted along party lines to advance House Bill 295 from Sen. Bruce Butch Gillespie, R-Ethridge. The bill is backed by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks as a means to put sidebars on grizzly management including for livestock producers in an effort to ensure stable grizzly populations.

Before passing the bill it saw an amendment from Rep. Denley Loge, R-St. Regis. The amendment states that FWP will transplant bears to the greatest extent possible to promote genetic exchange.

The subject of genetic exchange has been a significant issue in grizzly delisting debates as populations remain largely isolated from one another.

This is really important that we get this on this bill, said Rep. Jonathan Karlen, D-Missoula.

Rep. Paul Fielder, R-Thompson Falls, who is a retired wildlife biologist, said transplants may increase both genetic diversity and vitality in the population.

The amendment passed unanimously, but lawmakers were divided along party lines. Democrats raised issues over killing conflict grizzlies on public lands and the lack of definition of a bear deemed threatening.

But with Republican support, SB 295 advances to the full House. It previously passed the Senate mostly along party lines.

The bill comes as the Biden administration recently announced a 12-month review of the bears status in the Northern Continental Divide and Greater Yellowstone Ecosystems, a potential step toward delisting in a swath of Montana, Wyoming and Idaho. The bruins were placed on the Endangered Species List more than 40 years ago, and twice efforts to delist the Yellowstone population have failed under court challenges.

Gov. Greg Gianforte has pushed for delisting as populations have increased in Montana and neighboring states, citing a rise in conflicts and potential for better management by the state. The move is backed by livestock and some hunting groups.

At the same time the bill has seen opposition from environmental groups, who say delisting is premature as not all populations are recovered.

The bill states that upon delisting, state wildlife officials must adopt mortality thresholds including for bears killed due to livestock conflicts. That includes establishing an annual quota for the number of bears that may be killed and adjustments if a quota is reached.
Montana Legislators advanced several wildlife bills ahead of the Easter break but also killed pieces of wildlife and access legislation, some of which had drawn bipartisan support.

Senate Bill 281 from Senate Minority Leader Pat Flowers of Bozeman is nearing passage in the Legislature after the House voted 90-8 in favor of the measure Friday.

The bill will limit the sale of nonresident deer doe tags with nonresidents drawing a big game combination license or nonresident deer combination license able to purchase two doe tags. Other nonresident hunters would be limited to one doe tag.

The goal of the bill is to strategically limit nonresident hunting to reduce crowding and competition with residents and to limit harvest on does in areas where mule deer may be struggling.

When a nonresident comes in and isnt successful with their A tag, we dont want them to come into the state, shoot multiple does and then leave, Rep. Jedediah Hinkle, R-Belgrade, said in support of the bill on the House floor.

Another bill that continues to advance is House Bill 419, carried by Hinkle. The bill would require groups seeking a temporary court injunction that affect hunting, fishing or trapping to post a bond.

Hinkle has said the bill will dissuade litigation meant to inflict financial harm as the legal process plays out. Groups or individuals are still free to bring lawsuits without posting a bond so long as they do not request a temporary injunction.

Supporters of the bill point to a lawsuit filed last year over Montanas wolf season. It led to a temporary injunction where a judge limited wolf hunting, and to a lesser extent trapping, for about two weeks. The judge later lifted the injunction following a hearing.

Opponents of the bill argue that it adds additional burden on people or groups attempting to access the legal system.

The Senate Fish and Game Committee advanced HB 419 along party lines to the full Senate. It previously passed the House along party lines.

The Senate committee also advanced a bill creating a new hunting super tag program. Under House Bill 522 from Rep. Brandon Ler, R-Savage, all resident hunters that purchase general deer and elk licenses would be automatically entered into a free drawing for a single permit for moose, mountain goat or bighorn sheep, with the particular species selected annually by the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission.

Ler has said the bill is a good way to give back to resident hunters, but it has been opposed by some hunting groups over concerns it could harm the existing super tag program.

HB 556 passed the House on a vote of 82-17 and the Senate committee advanced it 9-1 to the full body.

The Senate Fish and Game Committee killed several wildlife-related bills this week.

The committee was united in tabling House Bill 600 from Rep. Marty Malone, R-Pray, a bill that would reduce the acreage required for landowner preference for cow elk licenses from 640 to 160 acres.

The committee also tabled House Bill 522 from Malone, which would create a new landowner preference system for bison hunting licenses. Qualifying owners would need to have a minimum of 20 acres.

The bill would provide a new opportunity for area landowners, but saw opposition over the small size of the qualifying acreage.

HB 522 passed by a wide margin in the House but the Senate committee tabled the bill 11-1.

The Senate committee also tabled two bills from East Helena Democrat Rep. Jill Cohenour.

House Bill 547 sought to curtail the technological creep into hunting by drawing an ethical red line over the sale of images, video and data on public lands by prohibiting their sale from trail cameras on public lands. The bill saw strong support from hunting groups that cited ethical concerns.

The committee grappled with technicalities of the bill, such as how to curtail all images or videos but not also capture commercial filming for hunting shows. Sen. Greg Hertz, R-Polson, believed HB 547 would be difficult to enforce with potential conflicts in the language, and it was tabled along party lines.

Republicans also tabled Cohenours House Bill 548, which sought to increase penalties for trespassing to collect elk and deer antlers. The bill saw support from hunting and agriculture groups but only passed the House on a vote of 57-41. Sen. Steve Heinbauch, R-Wibaux, said the activities are already illegal and the bill was more likely to capture the average hunter than those collecting antlers for a living.

Also in the Senate, the Senate Highways and Transportation Committee tabled House Bill 486 from Rep. Paul Green, R-Hardin. The bill had sought to increase the fine for blocking a county road from $10 per day to $500 per day. The committee clashed over an amendment this week before tabling the bill largely along party lines.
Officials with the Montana Jewish Project and the Anti-Defamation Leagues Pacific Northwest Office said they have invited Montanas state legislators to attend the first-of-its-kind reception on April 13 at historic Temple Emanu-El, Montanas oldest synagogue in Helena.

They said the event comes during a time of rising antisemitism in Montana. The reception is open to all Montana legislators, who are now in session, and invitations were given out at the Capitol.

Organizers of the event said they want to provide an opportunity for Montanas states lawmakers to learn about the vital role Jewish Montanans have played (and continue to play) in building the Treasure State and to have the opportunity for questions and conversation in historic Temple Emanu-El, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The reception, 6-7 p.m. at 515 N. Ewing St., will include a tour of the 1891 synagogue to tell the story of Jewish history in Montana  from the 1860s to present day.

Bert Chesin, a Montana native, will play live Klezmer music (traditional Jewish folk music). Appetizers, wine and non-alcoholic drinks will be served. Members from Montanas Jewish communities will be present.

Were excited to open our doors to our states lawmakers Rebecca Stanfel, Montana Jewish Project director, said in a news release. In this time of increased antisemitic incidents and polarized politics, its especially important for our states legislators to get to know one another outside the walls of the Capitol.

She said Montana Jewish Project believes in reaching out across different communities to allow for all to learn."

"Theres no better way than coming together for good stories, good food and good music, she said.

MJP purchased the building from the Catholic Diocese in 2022, which returned Montanas oldest synagogue to Jewish hands for the first time since 1934. This will be the first time the building, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is open for the Montana Legislature.

Miri Cypers, regional director of ADL Pacific Northwest, said they were happy to co-sponsor the event.

As an organization that has worked to address antisemitism and all forms of hate for over a century, we believe it is critical to engage and educate legislators at this time to ensure our public policies protect our communities from growing intolerance, Cypers said.
The Montana Public Service Commission recently congratulated Tina Shorten for what officials described as 40 years of exceptional service to the people and state of Montana.

Shorten began her career with the Department of Revenue in 1983 for two years, followed by three years at the Montana Highway Department (now the Montana Department of Transportation), before landing permanently at the PSC in 1988.

Shorten is the supervisor of the Regulatory Compliance Division at the PSC.

Her tenacious work ethic and years of experience make her an irreplaceable asset to our team, Commission President James Brown said in a news release.

She keeps a warm and bubbly attitude and is the first to offer help in all areas of the department, he said. Her commitment to ensuring all Montanans have access to affordable, reliable, and sustainable utility services is undeniable. She handles every consumer assistance case with compassion and strives to find a resolution that will satisfy both the consumer and the utility. Tina personifies the term public servant.

Her duties include participating with, and directing, a staff of four other members who: respond to consumer inquiries and disputes between regulated utilities and the customers they serve; help with public comment and access to PSC proceedings; recommend corrective actions for violations of rules and laws; assess and prepare reports of consumer aid requests; research, interpret and audit utility compliance with state law and administrative rules; and process and evaluate applications and other filings from motor carriers, telecommunications companies, and water/sewer companies.

Tina is a bright spot for all of usafter 35 years at the PSC, her enthusiasm for working here, her innovation, forward looking mindset, encompassing outlook is about as awesome a reflection of the work and attitude of this agency as you will find, Commissioner Dr. Annie Bukacek said.

Anyone who has contacted the PSC to provide their comments or request information has likely encountered Shorten, who is truly an ambassador for the PSC, the commissioners said.

Her efforts at the PSC have allowed those who work and interact with her to witness what public service truly means, they said.
Against Montanas Constitution, the supermajority Republican Legislature and business lobbying groups are putting themselves above the voice of the Montana people when it comes to initiatives, which are the sole province of the people.

Our 1889 and 1972 Constitutions clearly place the people above the Legislature, both with opening words We the people They dont start with We, the Legislature or We, the business lobby. Here the people are supposed to be supreme.

Our Constitutions rights and protections often protect the people from governmental overreach. But, feeling their oats, the GOP legislative supermajority has advanced dozens of bills that empower the Legislature at the expense of our system of checks and balances and at the direct expense of the people. SB 93 is one of those bills.

In 1906, supported by 84.6% of the voters, the people reserve[d] to themselves power to propose laws  The 1972 Constitution states that, separate from the Senate and House of Representatives, the people reserve to themselves the powers of initiative and referendum.

This supreme power of the people in the Constitution cannot be usurped by the Legislature no matter how large a majority a single political party might accumulate.

And, beyond the Legislature interfering with the peoples initiative right, it is patently obvious that no special legislative privilege is constitutionally given to business organizations who happen to have the financial resources to become a lobbying force in the state capitol advancing their financial interests. Among the reasons our Constitution was rewritten in 1972 was to remove the 83-year Copper Collar of business domination from our governmental processes. But in 2021 the Montana Chamber of Commerce, two local chambers and eleven business lobbying groups, calling these efforts modernizing the ballot measure process, took Montana backwards towards the business dominance of the Copper Collar of Montanas past, granting the business lobby a special privilege that no other Montana group has. As brazenly prepared by special interest lobbyists and in contravention of the power of the people to propose specific legislative language by initiative, the state government was directed by 2021s HB 651 to add a business impact warning onto the ballot language considered by voters. That kind of warning right has not been given to workers, to children, to families  to anyone but business.

Now, in 2023, SB 93 expands that assault on the voice of the people by requiring citizens to pay a non-refundable $3700 to the state just for proposing an initiative, definitely an effort to constrain the citizen-based advocacy outlined so clearly in our Constitution.

Those HB 651/SB 93 changes also target the process by which Montana citizens write the language of the law they are proposing to be a ballot issue and the petition on which they will seek signatures. The GOP and business interests, having failed to defeat many citizen initiatives with electors, are now seeking ways to prevent initiatives from ever reaching the ballot and to impose their interpretation of initiatives over the way the initiatives are prepared by the people.

Attempting sweeping intrusions of cost and control over the process by which ballot issues make the ballot to be presented for a vote by electors, the GOP and business interests are empowering themselves. In addition to the business warning and the $3700 filing fee, they allow an initiative to be outright vetoed by the Attorney General. Further, the AG or even interim legislative committees can add their language to the peoples initiative.

Tell your legislators to vote against SB 93 stifling the voice of the people, or, in Montana, we the people will no longer be supreme.
The legislatures in Idaho and Montana have recently considered bills that restrict the use of vaccines developed using messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) technology. The Idaho bill (HB154) makes it a misdemeanor to administer a vaccine developed with mRNA technology to any person or animal. The Montana bill (HB645) is less straightforward, but it makes it a misdemeanor to receive or administer a blood transfusion, or other tissue transplant, from persons who have molecules in their body introduced by mRNA vaccines.

What is an mRNA vaccine, and why do lawmakers want to ban its use? This is complicated stuff. All vertebrates (mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fishes) have a complex immune system which recognizes and protects against germs (viruses, bacteria, etc.) which cause disease. When the immune system first detects a protein on the surface of a germ, it stores that information. Then, if it comes into contact with that germ again, it recognizes the protein and can start fighting it faster.

Vaccines stimulate the body's immune response against a germ without exposing the individual to the disease-causing germ itself. Proteins from the surface of a germ are included in vaccines to stimulate an immune response. The function of mRNA is to read the cells DNA gene sequence in order to produce a specific protein. The coronavirus (COVID-19) mRNA vaccine contains mRNA molecules that code for the coronavirus spike protein. This protein is located on the outside of a coronavirus, and it enables the entry of the virus into human cells. Its location on the outside of the virus allows the immune system to recognize it.

Once inside the body, the vaccines mRNA sequence is used to produce the coronavirus spike protein. This protein then initiates a response by the immune system to provide immunity to the coronavirus. There is no concern that the mRNA in the vaccine will affect the cells DNA because it cannot enter the nucleus where the DNA is located.

mRNA vaccines have been in development for over a decade, which expedited their production to create a coronavirus vaccine. They were approved for human use after extensive testing. During a hearing on the Idaho bill, the only argument presented by the bills co-sponsor was that the mRNA coronavirus vaccine was used under an emergency use authorization. However, the coronavirus mRNA vaccine has been approved by the standard CDC process and has been tested extensively.

Vaccine hesitancy is influenced by lack of scientific knowledge, misinformation, and distrust of public and scientific authorities. There is no scientific evidence whatsoever to support the Idaho and Montana bills. They both would have serious public health repercussions if they became law. The Montana bill would have caused an estimated 80% reduction in blood available for transfusions and would have led to serious harm and possible death to many patients. Fortunately, the Montana bill was killed in committee. The Idaho bill is still under consideration.

The use of mRNA vaccines has tremendous potential to protect against a variety of diseases in humans, as well as in livestock, pets, and wildlife. New mRNA vaccines can be produced quickly by inserting the genetic code of any protein into the vaccine. This means that vaccines can be produced rapidly for use against the latest strain of flu. Even more exciting, personalized mRNA vaccines are currently in development to fight cancer.

Vaccine hesitancy is one of the top 10 threats to global health according to the World Health Organization. We cannot accept legislation that rejects scientific evidence and will harm public health. These policies will have harmful effects on us and future generations.
The 2023 Montana Legislature began its legislative session with an unprecedented surplus, mainly due to the over-collection of state taxes from Montana taxpayers. Since this is ultimately taxpayers money, I, along with other conservatives in the Legislature, were determined to return money to Montana taxpayers and to reduce your taxes in the future.

Tax relief has long been an objective of mine, like in the 2021 session when I passed a bill that effectively moved Montana's standard deduction from $5,000 for a single person and $10,000 for a married couple to beginning in 2024 to $14,000 for a single person and $28,000 for a married couple. This change eliminated taxes for almost 100,000 low-income taxpayers in Montana and benefits all taxpayers with taxable income above the standard deduction. This change could result in savings of $600 for married taxpayers making $50,000 per year or more compared to what they may pay on their 2023 income.

This year, we passed a bill to move the top marginal rate from 6.5% to 5.9% - this bracket starts at $20,500 of taxable income for single individuals and $41,000 for married couples, so anyone making $20,500/$41,000 or higher will benefit. Since taxes are paid as a percentage of your income, the more you make, the more you will save due to this tax rate reduction. This bill also raised the earned income tax credit from 3% of the federal amount to 10%. This may result in a refundable credit of $275 or more for low-income taxpayers with children.

I also passed Senate Bill 124, which will increase taxes on large, out-of-state corporations doing business in Montana who have very few employees or property in Montana. Large corporations like Amazon will now be required to pay their fair share of taxes in Montana. This will result in a state revenue increase of up to $17 million per year and save taxes for Montana-based corporations that also do business in other states.

I, along with our GOP super-majorities, passed legislation this year so that Montana resident taxpayers will receive a tax rebate of up to $1,250 for a single taxpayer and $2,500 per couple for married taxpayers. The rebate is equal to what you paid but cannot exceed the $1250/$2,500 amounts.

Also, a property tax rebate of up to $500 will be coming to Montana resident taxpayers for taxes paid on their principal residence. No second homes or investment properties are eligible for these rebates. Resident taxpayers may claim these rebates for both 2023 and 2024, resulting in property tax savings of up to $1,000.

Even with all these rebates and tax reductions, our Legislature still has up to $1.5 billion to address many other issues in Montana. We have accomplished a great deal this session to lessen Montanans tax burden and plan to build on those successes in the final month of the 2023 legislative session.
" " "Finally close the wage gap!" is written on a banner at an Equal Pay Day event at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany. Equal Pay Day is worldwide and is intended to draw attention to the wage gap between women and men. Paul Zinken/picture alliance via Getty Images

Would you work three months every year for free? If you're an American woman, you just might. Every March or April, one Tuesday is dubbed Equal Pay Day by the National Committee on Pay Equity (a coalition of groups working toward equal pay for all sexes and races). This 24-hour period symbolizes the gender pay gap, showing how far into the next calendar year women must work to earn the same amount of money as men. Similar days are also commemorated across the world.

The National Committee on Pay Equity has been holding an Equal Pay Day in the U.S. since 1996, but the issue of gender-based pay differences has been around long before that [source: National Committee on Pay Equity].

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While comprehensive data on gender inequities in pay wasn't collected until 1950, research shows women were earning a mere 30 cents per dollar compared to men during America's early years, when its economy was largely driven by agriculture. During the Industrial Revolution (1820 to 1850) women fared better, netting 50 percent of the wages men took home; by the early 20th century, that rate inched up to 56 percent (i.e., women earned 56 cents for every dollar men earned).

Despite the fact that Congress mandated equal pay for equal work in 1963, the wage gap remained at 60 percent for years. In the 1980s it began to climb again, rising to around 70 percent by 1990. But some 30 years later (the latest available statistics are for 2020), the gap had only nudged up to 83 cents per dollar, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. This is only slightly better than 2015, when the gap was around 80 cents per dollar.

Economists say one-third to one-half of the gender pay gap may be explained by differences in education, experience and the number of hours worked. But the reason for the remainder is a bit of a mystery, although many say it's due to gender discrimination. To put the pay gap in perspective, consider this: In 2019, a typical 25-year-old woman employed full-time earned $5,000 less per year than her male counterpart. If that gap persists until those employees hit age 65, she would have lost out on more than $406,000 compared to the man, an astonishing figure.

The gender gap is even steeper for women of color. In 2020, according to census data, white non-Hispanic women working full-time, year-round earned median annual incomes that were 79 percent of what their white, non-Hispanic, male counterparts scored. For African American women, the figure dipped to 64 percent; for Hispanic females, it was a dismal 57 percent. (While these discrepancies are big, the gaps are less than they were five years ago.) As far as Asian women were concerned, the American Association of University Women, which compiles these stats using census data, wrote, "It is not possible to compare this year's pay gap between Asian women and white, non-Hispanic men with last year's due to limitations in this year's data collection" because of COVID-19. However, in 2017, Asian women earned about 85 percent of what white males did, higher than even white women.

Women of color are so far down in the wage gap, the American Association of University Women pegged "Equal Pay Day" for African American women as happening in September and in December for Latinas in 2022.
The original MapQuest, believe it or not, was born in the swinging '60s. In 1967, the commercial printing company R.R. Donnelley & Sons launched a paper map division called MapQuest that created driving maps for gas stations.

As the decades passed and computing technology improved, MapQuest went digital and was spun off as its own company in the 1990s under the less-than-catchy name GeoSystems Global Corp. Then in 1996, when the internet was still in its infancy and Netscape was the most popular web browser, the MapQuest name was resurrected as the world's first online mapping website, MapQuest.com [source: Harlan].

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Coincidentally, 1996 was also the year that two Stanford University graduate students, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, developed the "PageRank" algorithm that would become Google. But from the late 1990s through the mid-2000s, MapQuest was virtually the only name in the online mapping game, commanding nearly 100 percent of the market share for online direction searches. America Online (now AOL), another giant of the early internet, bought MapQuest for $1.1 billion in 1999 [source: Harlan]. When Verizon bought AOL in 2015, MapQuest was part of the package. In 2019, Verizon sold MapQuest to ad tech company System1. (Full disclosure: System1 is also the parent company of HowStuffWorks).

The first threat to MapQuest's dominance arrived in 2005 with the launch of Google Maps. Google was already the king of search engines in 2005, and the first version of Google Maps had some features that MapQuest didn't, like the ability to search maps for businesses, parks and other points of interest.

But industry experts believe that the real tipping point for MapQuest came in 2007 when Google removed all links from its search results to competing mapping websites like MapQuest and Yahoo Maps. Without any visibility on Google, by far the most-used search engine, MapQuest quickly began to lose market share and was officially overtaken by Google Maps in January 2009 [source: Sterling].

The next hit to MapQuest came with the release of the iPhone in 2007, which not only revolutionized mobile technology, but shipped with the very first mapping app, none other than Google Maps (just called "Maps" on the original iPhone) [source: Welch]. MapQuest was slow to release its own mobile app, which it did in 2012, the same year that Apple dropped Google and launched Apple Maps. One of the coolest features of the first MapQuest app was free turn-by-turn voice commands, the first ever in a mobile navigation app [source: Cunningham].

Fast-forward to today. While MapQuest might not be a household name for younger generations who don't remember a time before Google or iPhones, the company is still one of the biggest players in online mapping. The website averages 20 to 30 million unique users every month, which makes it the third most-trafficked mapping website after Google Maps and Waze (also owned by Google), according to John Chipouras, general manager of MapQuest.

Next, let's look at the basic underlying technology that makes a mapping tool like MapQuest work.
Finally, there is the anti-tax argument for onerous tax preparation: Keep tax preparation unpleasant to fuel anti-tax sentiment.

In the past, Republicans argued against high taxes. But after decades of tax cuts, Americans are no longer swayed by that argument. Exasperating tax preparation, according to this argument, helps keep the anti-tax fever high. And that fuels public hate for government and the tax system.

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Unfortunately, the anti-tax contingent's desire to force Americans to spend time and money on tax preparation dovetails with the tax preparation industry's desire to collect billions of dollars in fees.

Tax preparation companies lobby Congress to keep tax preparation costly and complicated. Indeed, Intuit, maker of the tax preparation software TurboTax, has listed government tax preparation as a threat to its business model. ProPublica reported in 2019 on the company's 20-year fight to prevent the government from making tax filing simple and free for most citizens.

One example of that complexity is the earned income tax credit, a government program for low-income people. The credit is so complicated that 20 percent of the people who are eligible never file, thus missing out on thousands of dollars in savings.

If the government prepared everyone's tax returns, I believe more of that 20 percent would receive government support. Nonetheless, H&R Block reportedly lobbied lawmakers to make the credit more complicated, thereby driving more taxpayers to paid preparation services.

I believe only public outcry can change the system.

Beverly Moran is Professor Emerita of law at Vanderbilt University where she teaches about federal income taxation.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. You can find the original article here. It is an updated version of an article originally published on March 22, 2021.

This article was corrected to clarify how tax preparation companies have lobbied Congress.

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Originally Published: Apr 18, 2022
The family of a Native American woman who has been missing since 2021 is hoping for answers and closure, their attorney said, as a suspect faces assault and carjacking charges in connection with her disappearance.

Ella Mae Begay was reported missing from her home near Sweetwater, Arizona, by family members on June 15, 2021, and has not been seen or heard from since, according to the FBI. Her Ford F-150 pick-up truck was seen leaving her residence that morning possibly heading toward New Mexico, authorities said.

This week, a New Mexico man was arrested in connection with Begay's disappearance, the Department of Justice announced. Preston Henry Tolth, 23, appeared in federal court Friday in Flagstaff, Arizona, for an arraignment and detention hearing, following an indictment by a federal grand jury last month for assault resulting in serious bodily injury and carjacking resulting in serious bodily injury.

MORE: FBI releases list of missing Native Americans in New Mexico and Navajo Nation

According to the indictment, Tolth is alleged to have assaulted Begay, then-62 years old, within the confines of the Navajo Indian Reservation on or about June 15, 2021, and then taken her Ford pick-up truck across state lines "by force, violence, and intimidation, resulting in serious bodily injury" to the victim, who is identified in the indictment by her initials.

PHOTO: In this Feb. 4, 2022, file photo, Muzzy Denetso, from the Navajo Nation, Seraphine Warren, from Salt Lake City, and Sen. Shannon Pinto take part in a rally for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives, in Santa Fe, N.M. (Eddie Moore/Albuquerque Journal via ZUMA Press via Newscom, FILE)

A Department of Justice spokesperson did not comment further on the case in response to an ABC News inquiry. Though during Friday's hearing, prosecutors told the court that the suspect allegedly admitted to repeatedly striking Begay -- and that he wasn't sure if she was still alive when he drove away with her truck, The Associated Press reported.

"I think the hardest part for the family is knowing that their family member is out there and she's still out there, and they just want to bring her home," Darlene Gomez, an attorney for Begay's family who attended Friday's hearing, told ABC Albuquerque affiliate KOAT. "It's incredibly, incredibly hard for them to listen to the details of how she became battered and left out in the middle of the reservation somewhere and that they cannot find her."

Story continues

MORE: As Deb Haaland creates unit to investigate missing and murdered Native Americans, a look at why it's necessary

Family members spoke during Friday's hearing, pleading with the suspect to tell them where Begay is, the AP reported.

"Her body needs to be found. This family needs closure," Gomez told KOAT. "She needs to be put to rest in the proper way."

ABC News did not receive a response from Tolth's attorney to an email seeking comment.

A judge ordered that Tolth remain in custody pending trial, according to the AP.

A conviction for the assault charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a conviction for the carjacking charges carries a maximum of 25 years.

PHOTO: In this Oct. 12, 2022, file photo, the prayer staff of Seraphine Warren is adorned with a picture of her missing aunt, Ella May Begay, eagle feathers, and ribbons representing missing or murdered indigenous people. (The Washington Post via Getty Images, FILE)

The investigation, which is part of the Department of Justice's efforts to address cases involving missing and murdered indigenous persons, is ongoing, prosecutors said.

"This indictment is an important first step in determining the truth about what happened to an elderly victim on the Navajo Nation," U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino said in a statement.

As of Oct. 11, 2022, more than 192 Native Americans have been verified as missing through New Mexico and the Navajo Nation, according to the FBI.

Family of Native American woman missing since 2021 seeks closure, attorney says originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Most wanted list

Donations of new or gently used copies of any of the Top 10 Titles are most appreciated. To date, the library has received 984 of the most wanted books.

Current BCPL top 10 holds

1. Spare by Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex  17 holds

2. Countdown by James Patterson  13 holds

3. I Will Find You by Harlan Coben  11 holds

4. Storm Watch by C.J. Box  11 holds

5. On the Line by Fern Michaels  7 holds

6. Where Are the Children Now by Mary Higgins Clark  7 holds

7. Good Dog, Bad Cop by David Rosenfelt  6 holds

8. Collateral Damage by Judith Jance  5 holds

9. Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano  4 holds

10. Simply Lies by David Baldacci  4 holds

Current New York Times bestsellers and NC Cardinal Consortium holds

1. It Starts With Us by Colleen Hoover  153 holds

2. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus  603 holds

3. Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid  50

4. It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover  147 holds

5. Countdown by James Patterson  212 holds

6. I Will Find You by Harlan Coben  420 holds

7. Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano  218 holds

8. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid  54 holds

9. Verity by Colleen Hoover  112 holds

10. Never, Never by Colleen Hoover  47 holds

Friends book sale

After three years, the Friends of the Library book sale is back! The Friends of the Burke County Public Library will hold its spring book sale at the Collett Street Recreation Center in Morganton. The sale will be open to the public on Saturday, April 22, from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. with a $7 bag sale from 1-2 p.m. Admission is free and thousands of books will be available. There is something for everyone! Cash or check only.

There will also be a members only sale on Friday, April 21, from 5-7:30 p.m. Those interested may join the Friends at the door. Individual memberships are $10 and family memberships are $15.

The purpose of the Friends is to heighten public awareness of library services, support library staff, augment services and programs and offer volunteers for programs if needed. The Friends funding is separate from the librarys operating budget. We raise money through our book sales to support library programs for all ages.

Adult programming

Participate in our Big Little Art Show! Register via the link on the library Facebook page, then stop by to pick up a kit with mini canvas, paint and paintbrush. Supplies are limited. Create your masterpiece and return it to the library. Art will be displayed at libraries in May. All ages are welcome to participate! Adults registered for the Bibliomaniacs subscription box are encouraged to pick up boxes on Monday, April 10, at their preferred library location. This will be the end of the program for this fiscal year. Registration for 2023-24 fiscal year will open in August. NC Cooperative Extension will host a Kitchen Gadgets or Air Fryer/Instant Pot for Beginners program on Wednesday, April 12, from noon to 2 p.m. at the Valdese Public Library. To register, call 828-764-9269. You must pre-register. Needlework in the Morning will meet Friday, April 14, at 10 a.m., at Little Guatemala. All programs are adults only unless otherwise specified. For information on any adult program or to register, call Danielle at 828-764-9269 or email danielle.townsend@burkenc.org.

Young adult programming

Happy spring break week for BCPS students. There will be no YAS programming this week, #YASBox subscription boxes are available at any BCPLS location while supplies last. The Discord server is still available for teens to hang out and chat virtually, for more information on how to join head to bcpls.org/yas and click on the YAS Online tab and follow the instructions from there. Its a good time to pick up this months title for the Oxymorons Book Discussion Group available at the Morganton Public Library! This month the group is reading A Good Girls Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson. The YAS Discord server is limited to middle and high school students only, the Oxymorons Book Discussion Group is open to adults and teens. For more information, you can contact Lizzie at 828-764-9273 or by email at lizzie.whisnant@burkenc.org.

Childrens programming

There will be no regular storytime meetings the week of April 10-14. This includes Baby Bookworms, Terrific Tots, Preschool Pals, Library Explorers and Cool Kids.

April is here! Here are some fun activities for your family and children at our three locations coming up this month.

Playgroup: Bring your children up to age 3 for a morning open play time at the Morganton Public Library every Monday at 11 a.m. No pre-registration is required.

Read to a dog: Join the Morganton Public Library at Burke County Animal Services on Thursday, April 13, for this popular program for children! Slots are available at 4 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. Pre-registration is available but not required.

Llama llama pajama party: Wear your favorite pajamas and bring a stuffed animal to the Valdese Public Library on Saturday, April 15, at 2:30 p.m. for an afternoon of Llama Llama stories, activities, popcorn and a craft. Stuffed animals can stay overnight for a sleepover if you wish! Pre-registration is not required.

Watercolor Wonders: Also on Saturday, April 15, Watercolor Wonders will be offered at the Morganton Public Library at 3 p.m. Children in kindergarten through fifth grade can make three beautiful and unique watercolor masterpieces at this program: Singing in the Rain (a gravity painting project), Calming Watercolors and a Watercolor Butterfly. Pre-registration is required for this program.

Zoom patrol: On Monday, April 17, Zoom patrol will be back at the C.B. Hildebrand Public Library. Join Ms. Sandy and Sgt. Eddie Marlowe for this hour of stories, play, laughs and more. Pre-registration is required for Zoom patrol.

eBooks @ your library

There are 4,303 Burke County Public Library users registered to use the librarys digital collection available through the e-iNC consortium and NC Kids Digital Library. This digital collection includes eBooks, audiobooks, and streaming video available to Burke County Public Library cardholders. Apps are available for download for a variety of devices including Kindle, iPhone and Android phones. Go to http://omc.overdrive.com to see the apps. To access the collection and download items go to http://e-inc.lib.overdrive.com and follow the instructions to set up an account. You will need to know your library card number and your PIN. Please contact the library if you need any assistance.

Find us on the web

Go to www.bcpls.org for a list of programs and events. Unless noted otherwise, all library programs are free. Some programs have pre-registration and age requirements.
Today is Easter Sunday, and here in America, families are attending church, donning colorful bonnets, unwrapping cellophane-covered baskets filled with candy and treats and turning the house upside down to find the decorated dozen eggs that mothers and fathers cleverly hid the night before. Families will then sit down for a delicious meal, usually enjoying a tasty spiral ham or tempting golden brown turkey, and finishing the day off parked in front of the TV for a sporting event or family movie.

People from all over the world enjoy Easter traditions and, thanks to an article I read on www.cntraveler.com, according to legend, French children receive chocolates on Easter morning not from the fabled bunny, but from flying church bells. Its said that when the bells do not ring from Good Friday to Easter Sunday (to mourn Christs death), they are flying to Rome to fetch the goodies. In Alsace, charming markets are whimsically decorated and teeming with fluffy rabbits, goats and ducks you can pet. In the village of Bessieres, about a half hour from Toulouse, a dozen cooks make a giant omelet each year from 15,000 eggs. Once complete, its sliced into thousands of portions and served with bread to villagers.

Turning toward Italy, Florence holds a ritual called Scoppio del Carro, in which white oxen carry a centuries-old wagon to Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore. After mass, the archbishop sends a mechanical dove into the wagon, which explodes in a spectacular fireworks display. A parade through the city follows, and most Easter celebrations dont stop when the night ends. Easter Monday, called Pasquetta (or little Easter), is for packing picnics of leftovers and enjoying some peaceful time outside. Not so in the village of Panicale, where festivities include rolling four-kilogram wheels of cheeses through an obstacle course. Cheese and crackers anyone?

Traveling to Poland, Easter celebrations begin with Palm Sunday, the Sunday before Easter, when churchgoers receive dried flower bouquets or pussywillow branches in lieu of palms. Their version of Easter eggs is much more elaborate and intricate than our simple dyed ones. Called pisanki, they are painted with delicate, ornamental floral patterns. On Easter Monday, Poles celebrate Wet Monday, in which boys and men pour water on women and girls, although in recent years the tradition has evolved into more-or-less water fights where no one is safe. Warsaw also is home to the Beethoven Easter festival, which hosts a classical music program through Holy Week.

For Eastern Orthodox communities in Greece following the Julian calendars holiday schedule instead of the Gregorians, the Holy Fire, which is said to emit from the tomb of Jesus Christ every Holy Saturday, is flown from Jerusalem to Athens and then delivered throughout Greece. During midnight church service, the flame is passed from the priest to worshippers candles, illuminating the dark spaces with light. The ceremony concludes with cheerful choruses of Christos Anesti! (Christ has risen) and Alithos Anesti! (Truly, he has risen) that echo through Sunday. Easter marks the end of 40 days of fasting, and the dishes served that day are appropriately indulgent (and symbolic). Roasted lamb stands for Christ, sweet and fluffy braided bread called tsoureki represents the Holy Trinity and red hard-boiled eggs symbolize Christs blood.

South Americans also celebrate Easter in diverse ways. For example, in the city of Antigua, Guatemala, one of the worlds largest Easter extravaganzas involves huge religious parade floats that require 50 to 100 citizens carrying them and somber black crepe paper strewn through the streets on Good Friday. The most striking Easter tradition is the intricate sand designs called alfombras (which is the Arabic word for carpet) that line the streets. The multi-chromatic creations come in patterns of all kinds, such as geometric, floral and illustrative, and local artisans spend days creating the masterpieces using a mix of dyed sawdust and sand. After they have the chance to be admired, the colorful alfombras are erased on Good Friday as the procession walks over them, kicking up the sand and erasing the designs in the process.

In Mexico and throughout Latin America, the Easter holiday is an opportunity to cleanse oneself of evil. On Holy Saturday, its typical to re-enact the burning of Judas by hanging an effigy and burning it at the stake. Theatrical renditions of the rest of Easters tales, called passion plays, are performed, too. One of the largest and most elaborate of them all is in Iztapalapa, a borough of Mexico City, which has 5,000 participants and 150 speaking roles. The tradition began in 1843 to rejoice the end of a cholera epidemic. Now, the performances begin on Palm Sunday and last through Holy Week.

And, finally, if youre lucky enough to travel to Bermuda during Easter week, its pastel pink sands and baby blue waves of the Sargasso Sea make the natural setting as beautiful as a Monet painting. Add to the beauty of the island, on Good Friday, tradition features a kite flying festival on Horseshoe Bay Beach. Hundreds of Bermudians turn out to fly their kites, which are kaleidoscopic, hexagonal wonders with long tails that hum once aloft. The wooden sticks that provide the structural integrity form a cross or star shape, and their annual flight symbolizes the resurrection. As for mealtime, traditional Easter dishes in Bermuda include hot cross buns and codfish cakes.

Wishing everyone an enjoyable Easter Sunday with family and friends  enjoy those chocolate bunnies and bright yellow Peeps!
Buttes Methodists are gearing up for an important event and theyre having a hard time containing their excitement.

Why? Because there is something to celebrate. This year marks 150 years of Methodism in the Mining City, and what better way to share that history with their fellow residents but through a series of scheduled tours of Buttes past and present Methodist churches?

The free tours, titled Field Trips of Methodism around Butte will be held on Sundays, April 16 through May 7. Anyone interested in going to any or all tours is asked to meet at 1:30 p.m. each Sunday at Aldersgate United Methodist Church, 1621 Thornton Ave., for carpooling.

Ten months ago, Aldersgates new pastor, Seth L. Leypoldt, arrived in Butte and quickly decided to do some research on his new church and his new home. A history major in college, it wasnt long before the pastor learned that 2023 was a significant year for Butte Methodism.

Theres so much history here, said Pastor Leypoldt.

Indeed, there is. At present, there may be just one Methodist church in Butte, Aldersgate, but 20 years after the first Methodist service was held in 1873, the 1893 Butte city directory listed seven Methodist churches.

The first recorded minister, Hugh Duncan, came from Deer Lodge, said Pastor Leypoldt.

The churches from 130 years ago included the Centerville Methodist Episcopal Church (later called Trinity), Walkerville M.E. Church (later known as Mount Bethel), African M.E. Church (later known as Shafer Chapel), M.E. Church South (later renamed St. Pauls), Meaderville M.E. Church (later renamed Unity), Mountain View M.E. Church and the Scandinavian M.E. Church. Collectively, these churches showcased Buttes unique immigrant population.

The number of Methodist churches from 1893 was significant. To put it in perspective, that same year there was only one Baptist church, First Baptist; one Catholic church, St. Patricks; and one Lutheran church, German Evangelical. Buttes Jewish citizens were still without their own house of worship. Instead, services were held at Mountain View.

As Buttes population grew, so did the need for more Methodist churches. By 1910, three more Methodist churches had been added to the list. Grace M.E. Church once shared space with Unity in Meaderville, but by 1902, with a growing membership, had a home of its own.

Leypoldts initial research reaped a mountain of information, prompting the pastor to talk to church officials about somehow commemorating the significant anniversary. With their approval, he sat down with members of his congregation and with the help of Butte historian, Richard Gibson, the group collectively came up with the idea of hosting a series of tours.

The tours would be a fun way to present our history, said Leypoldt.

Church members JoAnn Piazzola, Brad Belke, Peggy Ryan and Cherilyn Lambert were all on board with this plan.

We have a rich heritage here, said Belke.

For Piazzola, this project stirred her interest because, not only is she a loyal church member of nearly 30 years, she has always loved history, in all its forms.

According to Ryan, most members have attended at least one of the churches featured in the tours, and if they havent, another family member or ancestor did. As a child and young adult, she attended Mount Bethel and is anxious to once again be inside her childhood church.

I am anxious to see what it looks like now, said Ryan.

Belke believes the tours will be fun and educational.

Any time we can learn about our history and see the contributions of those that came before us is a good thing, said Belke.

As a child, Lambert attended the Silver Bow Chapel with her family and when it closed, began attending Aldersgate. To her, church is a home away from home.

Its like another family to me, said Lambert.

As Buttes population waned, so did its churches, no matter the denomination. Aldersgate is now the lone Methodist church in Butte, with a congregation of about 150 people.

Most, not all, of the churches featured in the tour are still standing. Some, however, did not withstand the test of time.

The historical excursions begin April 16 with tours of the old Trinity United Methodist Church at 969 N. Main St., and Mount Bethel, which was located at 1609 N. Main St., Walkerville.

The former Mountain View Methodist Church will be featured on April 23, along with the old Scandinavian church, which was housed at 101 W. Copper Street, and St. George/Silver Bow, which was housed on Grand Avenue.

On April 30, the tour heads to the one-time homes of the Lowell Avenue Church at 1701 Lowell Ave., and St. Pauls, 101 S. Idaho St. Finally, on May 7, learn all about Grace, Unity, Wesleyan and the African Methodist Episcopal churches.

The anniversary celebration will conclude Saturday-Sunday, May 20-21, at Aldersgate. An open house is scheduled from 1 to 4 p.m. May 20, and the following day will be a special worship service at 10:30 a.m.
The nations top health official says a court ruling threatening the availability of a main drug used in medication abortion was not America. And Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra isn't ruling out defying the judges order if necessary. Becerra tells CNN's State of the Union that we want the courts to overturn this reckless decision so women can continue to have access to a drug thats proven itself safe. He says that for now, women do have access to the abortion medication mifepristone because a federal judge in Texas has put his ruling from Friday on hold for a week so federal officials could file a challenge.
Iowa is in a shrinking minority of states that does not offer coverage under Medicaid to new mothers for 12 months after giving birth, and lawmakers are not likely to extend the coverage this year.

New mothers in Iowa have 60 days of postpartum care if the birth is covered by Medicaid, the current federal minimum. A provision in the 2021 American Rescue Plan allowed states to extend their Medicaid postpartum care to 12 months.

Nearly 40 states have implemented the extension or are in the process. But, though bills have been filed to implement the extension in Iowa, those arent likely to advance this year, lawmakers said.

Pregnant women have a higher income eligibility to be covered under Medicaid, which covers 4 in 10 births in the state. If they no longer qualify for Medicaid 60 days after giving birth, they lose that coverage.

Even as fellow Republican-led states such as Mississippi and Montana moved to extend their coverage this year, there are no plans to enact that same extension in Iowa, said House Health and Human Services Committee chair Rep. Ann Meyer, R-Fort Dodge.

Its something that we may look at in years forward, she said.

Meyer said she supported extending the coverage but wanted to make sure there was enough support to make it law, including from Gov. Kim Reynolds. Some Republicans, too, are hesitant to spend the money  about $14.5 million over two years  to expand the program.

I think its a good thing, Meyer said. Theres always the question of extending or expanding an entitlement program that were concerned about.

A spokesperson for Reynolds did not respond to a request for comment on her support for the measure.

Meyer said one reason the extension had not happened yet was that Medicaid coverage had been continuous since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic under the federal health emergency, so no one had been disenrolled. That coverage ended this month, and tens of thousands of Iowans who are no longer eligible will lose coverage over the next year.

Addressing health needs

OB-GYN organizations and womens health advocates have lobbied for the measure as a way to save lives and help Iowans in one of the most vulnerable times in their lives. Postpartum deaths from overdose and suicide often happen after the 60-day coverage ends, and heart complications can appear as much as six months after giving birth.

Iowas maternal mortality rate in 2020 was 8.3 per 100,000 live births  thats lower than some of the preceding years but higher than 1990 and 2010. Racial disparities exist in maternal health as well, with Black Iowans about six times more likely to die of maternal causes compared to white Iowans in 2019.

Mazie Stilwell, a lobbyist for Planned Parenthood Advocates of Iowa, said extending coverage to 12 months would expand health equity in the state and ensure more people had life-saving care.

Access to care is dwindling all the time, she said. We just saw (MercyOne Des Moines) close down more services with midwives earlier this week. Services are disappearing left and right, and ultimately this comes down to a matter of access and equity.

Many of the health impacts related to giving birth persist beyond 60 days, Stilwell said, making coverage in the first year important for a new mother's long-term health.

When were looking at ways to support mothers and young families, and especially their ability to care for their babies, cutting off that source of support at two months is just simply inadequate, she said.

In a Senate budget committee hearing on April 4, Sen. Mark Costello, R-Imogene, said he was not sure whether the Senate was going to include a post-partum care extension in their budget.

We definitely are looking at that, and were trying to maybe think about different ways we can make that happen, but I cant say for sure whether were going to get there or not, he said.

The Senate passed a bill to fund the extension in 2022, but it stalled in the House. Instead, House lawmakers directed $500,000 to fund crisis pregnancy centers, non-medical facilities that offer pregnancy support and counseling and discourage abortions.

Bills filed

Multiple bills from both parties have been filed this year to enact the extension, but they have not advanced.

House Democrats announced a bill that would fund the extension in March, part of a package of abortion-rights legislation they submitted, and Senate File 57, proposed by Senate Democrats, would do the same. Those bills have not received any support from Republican leadership.

House Ways and Means Committee Chair Bobby Kaufmann, R-Wilton, also filed a bill to extend the coverage, but it has not received an initial subcommittee hearing.

Rep. Beth Wessel-Kroeschell, D-Ames, said extending the coverage would help address maternal death rates without a high cost to the state.

Extending the coverage would also bolster health care options in rural Iowa, Wessel-Kroeschell said, because women covered by Medicaid would be able to see their doctor more easily.

Were throwing a lot of money into these other programs.  What would really help is to have women covered in rural Iowa so they could go to the doctor, then the provider gets paid for providing the service, instead of just trying to beg people to come to rural Iowa," she said.

Wessel-Kroeschell blamed the priorities of Republican leadership as the reason lawmakers have not passed the extension yet.

Were in the darkest hole of just not really helping people who need our help, she said.
I love working at Ridgecrest Village.

It is a special place. Daily, in countless ways, our residents spontaneously share why they chose Ridgecrest as their home. It feels like home comes directly from them. For many years, Ive been helping older adults navigate the complexities of health care and senior living, finding the right help at the right time; something that fits their needs, pocketbook and comfort level.

The retirement industry is hot right now as big investors see opportunity ... thats why we are seeing explosive growth with huge retirement communities all over town.

One of the great things about Ridgecrest is the fact that we are a locally owned and operated not for profit, the only one of its kind on the Iowa side of the QCA. This is a key consideration when making decisions about senior living and/or long-term care.

So why is this such a big deal? First, being local and governed by a volunteer board of trustees means that all the revenue produced remains here and is continually reinvested back into the community, opposed to paying a percentage of revenue to some corporate office somewhere in another city or state.

To put this in perspective, I spoke to Ridgecrest Village CEO, Patrick McDonald, who has worked for corporate communities prior coming to Ridgecrest Village. He said, The corporation was always paid first, off the top. If revenue was short, the difference was made up somewhere else, reflected in a subtle changes in delivery of service, such as less floor staff to help.

He went on to say, At corporate facilities, I was limited to a dollar amount to spend for each residents food. It tied my hands of doing anything special or impromptu. It delights me at Ridgecrest because we are not corporate. We have the freedom to make these decisions internally. It makes it possible for 'us' to choose what our residents eat and they love the roast beef, steak and shrimp meals that are part of our meal plans ... experiencing the Ridgecrest difference.

Being local, the CEO (ultimate decision maker) is right on campus. If there is a problem, it can be addressed in real time and in person. That speeds up the process of problem resolution, which is always important, especially when dealing with care decisions that can be costly and emotionally draining. Additionally, with a local board of trustees, they are vested in good things for the community at large; their neighbors, friends and in many cases family.

In the fast-paced world we live in today, being up close and personal is a rarity. Living in a community which is locally owned and operated is something residents just take in stride. They know their voice is heard directly by the one(s) who can make things happen, whether it be the CEO or a board member they happen to see at church or a community event. Accountability is there and it makes all the difference in the world.

Julie Arndt, is a licensed social worker and Director of Marketing at Ridgecrest Village with over 30 years experience working in the field of geriatrics and senior advocacy. She can be reached at jarndt@ridgecrestvillage.org.
Amid the many celebrations of Easter Sunday in Napa County and around the world, a few take place at first light, symbolizing rebirth.

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One such service unfolds each year in Napa, where the Napa Methodist Church for more than two decades has marked Easter with an outdoor service at Tulocay Cemetery. On Sunday, worshipers braved an early-spring chill to celebrate the resurrection story of Jesus  at the same sunrise hour associated with the Biblical account of a missing body and an empty tomb.

Headstones, plaques and rolling fields took the place of stained glass and chapel walls as black skies slowly gave way first to the promise of light, and then the reality or worshipers bundled in well-padded coats.

Founded in 1859  less than a decade after California gained statehood  Tulocay Cemetery is the final resting place for generations of Napans spanning nearly its entire history as a city. Napa Methodist began open-air Easter services there in 2001 and has continued the tradition annually, except for years when rain has washed out the ceremony.

Napa Methodists service  and another daybreak gathering organized by St. Helena United Methodist Church at the White Barn on the city outskirts  led off a morning of church gatherings that capped Holy Week observations at Catholic, Protestant, independent and other congregations from American Canyon to Calistoga.
CoE Commissioner for Human Rights says she tried to visit Karabakh but could not

Schiff: International observers should have been sent to Karabakh, Lachin corridor years ago

US Congress members re-introduce Armenian Genocide Education Act to House of Representatives

Adam Schiff: There should be sanctions on Azerbaijan

Chaarat Gold company discontinues talks for Lydian Armenia purchase

American Armenians march, with huge Karabakh flag, to Turkey embassy in Washington

Adam Schiff: I've never been more concerned, frankly, that there may be another major outbreak of war

Germany Bundestag human rights committee head: New Azerbaijani checkpoint contradicts international law

Loucas Fourlas visits border regions of Armenias Syunik province

Adam Schiff submits to US Congress draft resolution recognizing Karabakh independence

France FM to visit Armenia and Azerbaijan, to discuss situation in Lachin corridor

Newspaper: Pashinyan-Putin telephone conversation result being awaited

Karabakh ombudsman: Azerbaijan takes blatantly brazen step that directly contradicts tripartite statement

Kamala Harris on Armenian Genocide: Let us never forget, let us rededicate ourselves to speaking out against hate

Bruno Retailleau: Azerbaijani checkpoint installation on Hakari bridge could be beginning of new large-scale operation

Canada FM issues message on Armenian Genocide 108th anniversary

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

The Second President of Armenia visited Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex with his wife and son

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

Earthquake hits Greece

Trump: I have 'very good relationship' with Putin

NATO delegation arrives in Azerbaijan
The Armenian Apostolic Church today, on the 9th of April, celebrates the Holy Resurrection of Christ.

The feast of the Holy Resurrection is also called Easter, which means liberation, deliverance from sins and return to God. Easter is considered one of the greatest feasts of the Old and New Testaments.

After the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ, the pious followers removed His body from the cross and placed it in a coffin carved into the rock. The entrance to the tomb was closed with a large stone. Three days later, the Myrrh-bearing Women - Mary Magdalene, Salome and Mary, mother of James, came to the tomb to anoint the body of Christ with fragrant oils. However, coming closer, they saw that the entrance to the rock was open, and the tomb was empty. While they were perplexed, two men in shining robes appeared before them and said to them: Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! ... (Luke 24:5-6). The Myrrh-bearing Women brought the news of the Resurrection to the apostles, after which Jesus appeared to them.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ became the foundation of Christian doctrine. If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. (1 Corinthians 15:13-14).

On Easter, believers paint eggs. The egg is a symbol of resurrection and the birth of new life. And the red color symbolizes the life-giving blood of crucified Christ, shed in the name of our salvation. Gregory of Tatev writes on egg-dyeing: Only on Easter we dye eggs, because the egg symbolizes the Universe: the shell is like the sky, the film is like air, the protein is like water, and the yolk is the earth itself. The red color means that the world was saved at the cost of the blood of Jesus Christ. When we hold a red egg in our hands, we proclaim our salvation.

The night before, the Holy Liturgy of Christmas Eve is served in the churches, and the Easter celebrations begin. On Sunday morning, the service of Easter Vigil is performed, the rite of consecration of the four cardinal directions (Andastan), then the Holy Liturgy is served.

The fifty-day period from Holy Easter (Holy Resurrection of Christ) to Pentecost (Whitsun) in the Armenian Apostolic Church is called Hinunk, comes from the word "fifty". It is dedicated to the sacrament of the Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus Christ, so this entire period is the Lord's. Hinunk ends with the feast of Pentecost. According to church canons, there are no fast days in this period, and all kinds of food can be consumed.
Today, on the 9th of April, on the occasion of the Feast of the Miraculous Resurrection of Jesus Christ, His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians sent his message to the Armenian people.

"Dear pious people of Armenia, Artsakh and Diaspora,

Today, united under the roofs of our churches, we glorify the resurrected Lord and Savior Jesus, announcing: "Christ is Risen!"

We praise the miraculous Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who suffered, was crucified and resurrected in order to free us from the power of sin and death, Who, with His infinite divine love, opened for humanity the path to eternity and the Kingdom of Heaven. Christ dispelled the darkness of hopelessness, gave people the grace of resurrection, and rid them from the sufferings of this earthly reality, from the disasters and destruction raging in the world due to the influence of evil.

The 21st century, dear pious people, should be an enlightened new era with scientific and technological achievements, international norms and laws for the protection of human life, rights and dignity. But how many innocent people, how many peoples are subjected to tribulations and sorrows of wars, nailed to the cross of suffering because of injustice, dominance obsession, and discrimination. We also went through the disastrous realities of the 44-day Artsakh war, attacks on the borders of Armenia. Our motherland is facing the daily trials of ensuring a safe and peaceful life in the conditions of internal and external worrisome challenges. Neighboring Artsakh has been under siege for a long time and is facing untold hardships and deprivations.

Reprimanding these disturbing and dangerous phenomena, we carry in our hearts the inexorable sorrow of our martyred, captured, missing, and wounded children.

Reprimanding these disturbing and dangerous phenomena, bearing in our hearts the unrelenting sorrow of our martyred, captured, missing, and wounded children, we are also witnessing another painful situation, how the manifestations of hostility and hatred are setting dividing barriers in the lives of our people all over the world, undermining the national unity.

When justice and truth cease to be the core of undertakings and achievements in state and public life, we will continue to face manifestations of pilatism.

My beloved nation, the faith of resurrection is a victory over trials that are not characterized by the spirit of fear, despair, decline and disastrous condescending complacency. The more difficult and hopeless the current situation seems, the stronger and firmer our faith should be. Faith should be expressed in every step and action, in personal, collective and national faith.

Now, let us all renew our faith with the celebration of our Savior's miraculous Resurrection and with our lives, let us testify our loyalty to Jesus Christ with our every word and deed, testify our zeal for our true faith and build a new reality with Christ.

On this bright day of the Holy Resurrection, we send our prayer to God Most High and ask that the world be transformed and beautified by the life-changing graces of the Holy Resurrection of Christ, and that humanity be freed from sufferings and tribulations with heavenly support and establishment of virtue and peace.

May the inspired Savior spread His graces and mercy on our native lands, Armenia and Artsakh, and under the auspices of His Holy Hands, keep all our people of diaspora in safety and well-being today and always and forever. Amen!

Christ is Risen!

Indeed He is Risen!"
08:38

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, along with fellow Shiv Sena MPs and MLAs, will visit Ayodhya on Sunday.





This is Shinde's first visit to the temple town since being sworn in as Maharashtra chief minister in June last year.





Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also left for Ayodhya from Mumbai on Sunday.





Shinde and other Shiv Sena leaders flew down to Lucknow on Saturday.







Shinde was welcomed by his Uttar Pradesh counterpart Yogi Adityanath at the Lucknow airport, amid fanfare.





The Maharashtra CM will perform 'aarti' on the banks of the Saryu River.





He will also visit the ongoing construction site of Ram Mandir.





"This is not a political visit. I keep visiting Ayodhya but this is the first time I have come here as the chief minister. All our party leaders wanted to take the blessings of Lord Ram. I want to thank Yogi-ji and his ministers who were here to welcome us," Shinde told ANI.





To welcome Shinde, the Shiv Sena put up big banners with his image, in Ayodhya.





Before leaving for Lucknow, CM Shinde said in a press conference, "We will be going to Ayodhya to seek Lord Ram's blessings on April 9. The call of faith and belief prompted us to undertake this visit. We will perform the aarti. I still remember that Dharmveer Anand Dhigana (Anand Dighe, who the Maharashtra CM considers his mentor) had sent a Karsevak to Ayodhya with a silver brick. So, we have old bonding with Ram Lalla and will be visiting the temple also."





He said the Shiv Sena leaders wanted to go to Ayodhya after getting the Bow and Arrow symbol.





"We will take part in programmes that the seers have organised in Ayodhya."





In a dig at his predecessor Uddhav Thackeray, Shinde said, "Earlier, seers were killed in Palghar, but now we will protect them."





The Palghar incident happened during the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government headed by Uddhav. -- ANI







IMAGE: Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde arrives at Lucknow Airport, on Saturday, April 08, 2023. Photograph: PTI Photo


Israel returns fire on Syria amid homeland tensions

Israeli security forces patrol outside the Dome of the Rock shrine at Jerusalem's al-Aqsa Mosque compound on Saturday. Photo: AFP

Israel fired rockets at Syria early on Sunday in retaliation for launches against Israeli-controlled territory, the military said, as tension along Israel's northern border remained high following a cross-border exchange of fire.



No damage was reported from any of the six rockets launched towards Israel, which Lebanon-Based Al Mayadeen TV said were claimed by Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of the Iranian-backed Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement.



Israel said it had launched artillery strikes and a drone against the rocket launchers in Syria. Only three of the rockets crossed into Israeli-controlled territory, with two falling into open ground and a third intercepted by air defence systems, the military said.



The strikes came amid sharply increased tensions between Israel and Palestinian groups following Israeli raids this week on Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan when police were filmed beating worshippers.



The police raid, which Israel said was intended to dislodge groups that had barricaded themselves into the mosque armed with firecrackers and stones, caused outrage among Arab countries and concern even among Israel's US allies.



Despite fears of further violence around the mosque on Saturday, there were no reports of serious disturbances.



The site in Jerusalem's Old City, holy to both Muslims and Jews, who know it as Temple Mount, has been a longstanding flashpoint, notably over the issue of Jewish visitors defying a ban on non-Muslim prayer in the mosque compound.



Clashes there in 2021 helped set off a 10-day war between Israel and Hamas and the exchange of crossborder fire this week Friday awakened memories of that conflict.



On Thursday, more than 30 rockets were fired towards Israel from southern Lebanon, drawing cross-border counterstrikes from Israel on sites linked to the Islamist movement Hamas in Lebanon and Gaza.



Israel seized the Golan Heights in the 1967 Middle East war and annexed the 1,200-square-km in 1981, a move not recognised by most of the international community.



In a separate incident, a Palestinian man was shot dead by Israeli forces during a confrontation in the occupied West Bank, Israel's military and the Palestinian health ministry said. (Reuters)
Thai festival creates a splash in Kowloon City

Thai festival creates a splash in Kowloon City

More than 10,000 people attended a Songkran Festival celebration in Kowloon City on Sunday, doubling the turnout from the last time the event was held, in 2019.



The famous water-splashing festival was staged in a neighbourhood known to Hongkongers as Little Thailand, ahead of the Thai New Year later this week.



Calvin Tse, the event organiser, said the increased attendance means that Songkran is becoming an international celebration.



You can see from the faces of the people, they are all smiling, and they all feel happy about that because we have been waiting for such a great event for over three years," he said. "You can see, they can enjoy massages, they can order food, and enjoy drinks, dancing and different kinds of performances today.



He added: They want to enjoy the atmosphere. They want to learn more about the Thai culture.



Many regular festival-goers were happy for Songkran's return. Derek Wong told RTHK he was attending for the second time.



Ive been watching for a few years because of the Covid," he said. "They stopped hosting this but it is so fun because I have some Thai friends here and I just love the Thai culture. I love Thai food. I love water!



He added: I cant really fly out to Bangkok for the Songkran so every year I am looking forward to enjoying the festival.



Some people even attended the event from overseas, taking the chance to experience a Hong Kong event without pandemic restrictions.



Hilary Ip said she was visiting her family from London when she heard about the event.



We saw on the news and my family actually lives in Hong Kong so they had tickets and here we are, she said. We love the water fights, and also wanted to see the Muay Thai.



Tse said that participating Thai organisations and vendors hoped the event would help lift Hong Kongs economy and encourage more tourists to return. He added that he didn't think redevelopment plans in Kowloon City would have any impact on the event being held in the neighbourhood in years to come.



He said: I think we will still host it here in Kowloon City because the renovation so far as I understand is part by part, and bit by bit."
Alert army troops foiled an infiltration bid on the line of control (LoC) in J&K's Poonch district on early Sunday, killing one intruder and apprehending two others, defence officials said. "On April 8, at approximately 10.15 p.m., own alert troops deployed on the LoC in the Poonch Sector observed a suspicious movement of a group (three individuals) close to the LoC. "At around midnight the group, crossed the LoC and started infiltrating on to own side, Defence Ministry spokesman, Lt Colonel Devender Anand said. "Own alert troops kept the movement of the infiltrating group under continuous observation. At approximately 2 a.m. today (Sunday) as the group approached the fence, the alert Indian Army troops deployed on the fence challenged the infiltrators. "The intruders started to run away, were engaged by fire, in which one intruder was shot dead, while the other two managed to run into the jungle taking advantage of the thick foliage and rocky outcrop," he added. The area was immediately cordoned to prevent their escape across the LoC, the spokesman said. "Search operation was launched at first light wherein the dead body of one intruder was recovered at the encounter site. As the search progressed in the jungle, one intruder was apprehended alive in wounded condition. "In the subsequent search the third intruder was also apprehended alive. In the search operation so far, three bags with fourteen packets of narcotics weighing approximately 17 kg, Pakistani currency, some documents, and eatables have been recovered," he said. As per Lt Col Anand, during preliminary questioning, the two intruders apprehended alivee claimed that they (all three) are residents of Pakistan Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (PoJK) and belong to Maidan Mohalla, village Chanjal. "By their quick action, alert Indian Army troops have thus prevented a major infiltration bid of a Narco terror group which had the potential of disturbing the peace in Poonch & Rajouri districts through its nefarious designs. "The Indian Army continues to remain alert on the Line of Control and is fully prepared to thwart any such attempts in the future too," he said. --IANS sq/vd ( 361 Words) 2023-04-09-19:08:02 (IANS)
Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal will lead the Indian delegation at India-France Business Summit, commemorating 25 years of India-France friendship, on Tuesday in Paris. Goyal and Olivier Becht, France's Minister delegate of Foreign Trade, Attractiveness and French Nationals Abroad will co-chair the India-France Business Summit. The summit will focus on themes including building a green future, emerging technologies, defence cooperation and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, an official release said on Sunday. The business summit and CEO roundtable are being organised by the Embassy of India in Paris in partnership with Medef, CII, Business France and IFFCI. 400-plus participants have registered for the business summit and have shown tremendous enthusiasm. Minister Goyal is also scheduled to meet with French business leaders across various sectors and will attend a CEOs roundtable. Goyal will be on an official visit to France and Italy from Tuesday-Thursday during which he would be accompanied by a delegation of top Indian CEOs. "Goyal along with French Minister Olivier Becht will participate in a gala dinner event hosted by the Ambassador of India to France and Monaco Jawed Ashraf that will showcase India's cultural heritage and soft power and expected to witness the participation of 650+ dignitaries from the French government, the Indian Business Diaspora in France and members of French business community. The Minister will also be interacting with members of the Indian community in Paris," stated the release by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The minister will later travel to Rome in Italy where he would meet Antonio Tajani, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation followed by a networking dinner with dignitaries from the government and industry. He is also scheduled to meet top Italian CEOs for bilateral meetings followed by a CEOs Interactive Business Session, where 35 CEOs are likely to participate. This would be followed by a meeting with Adolfo Urso, Minister of Enterprises and Made in Italy, who would also interact with Indian CEOs. This upcoming visit is expected to provide further momentum to bilateral relations with India's key business partners in the European region. (ANI)
Over 2,000 rules and laws were scrapped by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government in the last nine years for ease of governance and ease of business, said Union Minister Jitendra Singh. Speaking at an event organised by the Yashraj Research Foundation (YRF), Jitendra Singh said that, unlike the earlier governments which found comfort in the status quoist approach, PM Modi had demonstrated the courage to do away with such rules which were causing inconvenience for the citizens and many of which he said had persisted since the time of British Raj. The ultimate aim of good governance is to bring ease of living to the citizens, he added at the event. The Minister recalled that soon after the Government came to power in May 2014, the practice of getting certificates attested by gazetted officers was done away with within two to three months. After that within a year, Singh said Prime Minister spoke from the ramparts of Red Fort about the abolition of interviews in job recruitment so that a level playing field could be provided. Most of the functioning was converted online and in order to bring in transparency, accountability and citizen participation, the human interface was reduced to the bare minimum. Further, talking about grievance redressal, Singh said that the grievance redressal mechanism was shifted to Centralized Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) as a result of which about 20 lakh grievances are received every year in comparison to just 2 lakhs every year before this government came in. (ANI)
Union minister Jitendra Singh, who holds Atomic Energy and Space portfolio among others, on Sunday said that nearly one-tenth (9 per cent) share of electricity is likely to be from nuclear sources by the year 2047 -- when India celebrates 100 years of its Independence. This, he said, would help in getting closer to the commitment of achieving the net zero target by 2070. Minister Singh made these remarks after holding a review meeting with a group of senior scientists from the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Department of Atomic Energy, in Mumbai. At the COP26 summit in Glasgow in late 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi committed to an ambitious five-part "Panchamrit" pledge, including India's commitment to net-zero emissions by 2070. India also committed to reaching 500 GW of non-fossil electricity capacity, generating half of all energy requirements from renewables, and reducing emissions by 1 billion tons by 2030. Further, the Minister said that the other target laid down by the Department of Atomic Energy is achieving a 20-gigawatt capacity of nuclear power generation by the year 2030, which according to him will be a major milestone placing India as the third-largest producer of atomic energy after the US and France. Citing applications of atomic energy, Minister Singh said one hallmark of the PM Modi-led government is that for the first time, it is being used for applications in sectors like, for example, for increasing the shelf life of fruits like apples and agriculture products, for using latest technologies in the treatment of cancer and other diseases. By doing so, he said India had shown the world how to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. (ANI)
Karan Johar penned a cryptic post on Saturday after receiving backlash over claims that he sabotaged the careers of actors Priyanka Chopra and Anushka Sharma. Taking to Instagram story, the filmmaker wrote, "Laga lo ilzaam, hum jhukne waalon mein se nahi, jhoot ka ban jao ghulam, hum bolne waalon mein se nahi, jitna neecha dikhaoge, jitne aarop lagaoge, hum girne waalon mein se nahi, humara karam humari Vijay hai, aap utha lo talvaar, Hum marne waalon mein se nahi." Recently, an old video of Karan went viral where he was heard saying jokingly, that he wanted to 'murder' Anushka Sharma's career. Karan Johar initially did not like Anushka's pictures when she was about to make her debut in Aditya Chopra's 'Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi.' During the promotion of 'Ae Dil Hai Mushkil', Anushka and Karan both talked about it candidly during a media interaction. Anushka jokingly said then, Karan tried to 'finish' her career before it even started. The video resurfaced after Karan received immense backlash for apparently also coming in the way of actor Priyanka Chopra's career. This video resurfaced after Priyanka Chopra recently opened up about the reason why she left Bollywood and started looking for a career in the US. During a conversation with Dax Shepherd on his podcast 'Armchair Expert', Priyanka Chopra revealed why she started looking for work in the US, saying, "I was being pushed into a corner in the industry. 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. This music thing gave me an opportunity to go into another part of the world, not crave for the movies I didn't want to get but I would require to schmooze certain clubs and cliques of people. It would require grovelling and I had worked a long time by then that I didn't feel like I wanted to do it." Supporting Priyanka and taking an indirect jibe at filmmaker Karan Johar, Kangana shared a picture with Priyanka on her Instagram story. In the picture, the 'Fashion' actors are seen holding hands together. Kangana wrote, "Truth remains Cruella has done big favour on us by bullying and isolating us... PC became a Hollywood star and I produced and directed my own film which is releasing this year..." In a tweet thread, Kangana attacked Karan, saying, "This obnoxious, jealous, mean and toxic person should be held accountable for ruining the culture and environment of the film industry which was never hostile to outsiders in the days of AB or SRK.His gang and mafia PR should be raided and held accountable for harassing outsiders..." In another post, she mentioned, "Media wrote extensively about her fall out with Karan Johar because of her friendship with SRK and movie mafia Cruella who is always looking for vulnerable outsiders saw a perfect punching bag in PC and went all out in harassing her to a point where she had to leave India." Kangana keeps on attacking him for his undisputed influence on the Hindi film industrycalled Karan Johar the 'flagbearer of nepotism' on his show 'Koffee With Karan' and keeps on attacking him for his undisputed influence on the Hindi film industry. (ANI)
Legendary actor Dharmendra, on Sunday, posted happy pictures with actors Shahid Kapoor and Kriti Sanon as the trio wrapped up the shooting of their upcoming untitled film. Taking to Instagram, Dharmendra shared a picture with Shahid which he captioned, "Friends, A good fun to work with Shahid and other co-stars." https://www.instagram.com/p/Cqzyy1ZI402/ In the picture, the 'Sholay' actor could be seen smiling along with Shahid. Dharmendra donned a colourful sweater and a matching scarf and completed his look with a French cap and black shades. The 'Kabir Singh' actor on the other hand donned a denim jacket over a white T-shirt. Soon after the 'Apne' actor shared the picture, fans flooded the comment section with red hearts and fire emoticons. The 'Jersey' actor commented, "Sir you are evergreen was such an honour to share the frame with you. Love you." In another post, Dharmendra shared a picture with actor Kriti Sanon which he captioned, "Maddock Films Extremely happy to know the date of release Good Luck to the whole unit of MADDOCK FILMS ." https://www.instagram.com/p/CqzQBtAINFX/ In the picture, he could be seen holding Kriti's hand. The 'Lukka Chuppi' actor commented on the post and wrote, "You are the best sir." The makers recently unveiled the first look of the actors and undoubtedly Kriti and Shahid looked super hot together. In the image, Shahid and Kriti can be seen sitting on a bike and facing each other. Amidst a sunset backdrop, the actors can be seen in an intimate pose, garnering fans' attention. Written and Directed by Amit Joshi and Aradhana Sah, the yet-to-be-titled film will hit cinemas this October. Dinesh Vijan, Jyoti Deshpande and Laxman Utekar have produced it. Meanwhile, Shahid will also be seen in director Ali Abbas Zafar's upcoming action film 'Bloody Daddy'. The official release date of the film is still awaited. Kriti, on the other hand, also has 'Ganapath' with actor Tiger Shroff in his kitty. Kriti has also teamed up with Tabu and Kareena Kapoor Khan for 'The Crew'. Diljit Dosanjh is also a part of the film. Dharmendra, on the other hand, will be seen in Karan Johar's next directorial 'Rocky aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani' alongside Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt. (ANI)
Kerala Health Minister Veena George on Saturday, after chairing a high-level Covid analysis meeting in the wake of increasing cases, stressed on taking caution, saying hospitals in the state will conduct a mock drill as per the directive of the Centre. George said that on Saturday, 1,801 fresh cases were recorded in the state. "Districts like Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam and Kottayam are reporting more cases. Likewise, admission to hospitals of Covid patients are slowly increasing but the saving grace is of those, only 0.8 per cent of them require oxygen beds, while 1.2 per cent are admitted to intensive care unit," said George. "Directions have gone to all districts that in the wake of an increase in positive cases to beef up their Covid facilities according to 'Surge Plan'. A separate meeting of private health care providers will soon be called. All those who work in old age homes, care homes should wear N-95 masks," added George. She said extreme caution has to be taken by all those who have senior citizens in their homes. "Senior citizens suffering from lifestyle diseases should ensure that they at all times, especially when they go out, wear masks. Pregnant women should also wear masks. Also, those who have to go out should ensure that they wear masks, and once they are back home, ensure that all Covid protocols are followed by using soap and sanitisers appropriately," said George. --IANS sg/pgh ( 250 Words) 2023-04-08-21:34:03 (IANS)
According to the officials, the youth had gone to a nearby village where people caught him and started assaulting him on the basis of suspicion of theft.

The police said, "The youth was assaulted due to some suspicion when he went to a nearby village. He was already unwell".

"He succumbed to his injuries during treatment on Friday and a case has been registered against the accused on the basis of the complaint filed by the deceased's brother," SP Rural Alam added.

Informing about the investigation, Alam said, "Three persons have been arrested and FIR has been registered for alleged theft on the complaint given by the other party."

Further investigation into the matter is underway. (ANI)
Karnataka Congress chief D.K. Shivakumar stated on Saturday that he likes to work under AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge, hinting that he would not eye the post of chief minister, if Kharge is given the same. The statement assumes significance ahead of the assembly polls in Karnataka. Shivakumar and Leader of the Opposition in Karnataka Assembly Siddaramaiah are vying for the post of the chief minister. Speaking to reporters, Shivakumar stated that it will be his duty to fulfil whatever Kharge asks for. Sources in Congress revealed that Shivakumar is hinting that he is ready to sacrifice the post of chief minister if Kharge is to be selected for the top post in the state. It is analysed as a checkmate move by Shivakumar against Siddaramaiah. "Kharge is the asset of Congress party. The state requires his services. I like to work under Kharge," Shivakumar reiterated. Kharge is my senior in the politics, he added. As Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar are vying for the post and involved in heavy lobbying to get tickets for their followers, both the leaders are maintaining that they are together and their focus is to win elections. --mka IANS/uk/ ( 208 Words) 2023-04-08-20:42:04 (IANS)
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, who is claiming to have made a mark on the national map with his policies such as Old Pension Scheme, Chiranjeevi Health Insurance Scheme, Rajasthan Government Health Scheme (RGHS), and Right to Health Bill, among others, has hired a PR firm to promote and fight the politics over the policies. While the state government has been patting its back for its policies, stating that it has won hearts of the people of Rajasthan with its people-friendly schemes, the opposition has been questioning the successful implementation of the same. Recently, doctors in the state had called a strike against the Right to Health Bill which continued for 14 days, crippling the healthcare system in the desert state. While the Gehlot government continues to pat its back for being the first state in the country to introduce the Right to Health Bill, the scenes on the ground are quite different. The prolonged protest by the doctors with patients running from pillar to post seeking medical help did not paint a rosy picture for the state government. Similarly, after introducing the Old Pension Scheme, the state government drew flak from Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who openly said that the pension fund cannot be transferred to the state government because it is meant for the employees and will be transferred to them at the right time. Fulfilling a long-standing demand from Congress legislators, Gehlot last month announced 19 new districts in Rajasthan. However, the opposition has been questioning this move, alleging that the Chief Minister did not do his homework and hence there are protests going on in Sambhar and Sujangarh where people have been raising demand for formation of districts. Looking at the politics over his policies, Gehlot recently hired a Delhi-based PR firm with a view to take the messages of his 'innovative' schemes to the last person in the state. Many government officials told IANS that Gehlot is not happy with the local media. He is of the opinion that the media (both national and local) covers his arch-rival Sachin Pilot smartly, but his schemes are not highlighted by the media. However, the reason why this move by Gehlot is being discussed is because of the fact that the PR agency failed to do its homework when it invited only a handful of media outlets for a dinner at the Chief Minister's residence to discuss his schemes last week. Taking a dig at Gehlot's move to hire a PR firm, the BJP claimed that "those who have a bad image need image makeover using PR firms". "Surprisingly, the Chief Minister has hired a PR firm for an image makeover, when the state's image has been ruined due to rising crime cases, corruption and unemployment. But he is least worried about it. Had the money he spent to hire the PR firm been used for the upliftment of the state, the image of the Chief Minister could have changed," said Laxmikant Bharadwaj, Rajasthan BJP Secretary. --IANS arc/arm ( 519 Words) 2023-04-08-22:36:02 (IANS)
Targetting the West Bengal government over violence during Ram Navami, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha said that it is painful, everybody wants peace but this culture of violence in West Bengal exists for a long time. CM Manik Saha was in Kolkata on Saturday to attend a programme "Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat", a flagship programme of the central government to promote mutual understanding between different states. Speaking to ANI, about the violence during Ram Navami in West Bengal, Saha said, "It is painful, everybody wants peace. This culture has been in West Bengal for a long time." On the occasion of Ram Navami, several vehicles were set on fire after two groups clashed in Howrah. During the procession, the rioters vandalized public and private properties and set vehicles on fire. Speaking on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's allegations that BJP hired 'goondas' to incite violence in the state, Saha said, "Post-election violence was only applicable in Tripura, where Communist Party of India (Marxist) was ruling, and in West Bengal." "BJP has government in other states also, but such incidents do not occur there. Trinamool does not have government other than in West Bengal," he added. Earlier on Tuesday, coming down heavily on the BJP over the violent incidents in West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee alleged that the party hired "goons from Bihar" to incite violence. The Chief Minister had said that the rioters do not belong to any religion and they are the "BJP goons". Reacting to the comments of Mamta Banerjee saying that every Opposition party will have to come together and fight against the BJP to remove it from power, Saha said, "This is not the first time they're trying to make an alliance, let them do. I'm sure it will not benefit them" "They're not confident in themselves and thus are asking others to combine," he added. Answering the question of the way political change took place in Tripura, will it happen in Bengal too, Saha said that in Bengal the aim of the government is to remove BJP, and not for the development. Saha said, "In West Bengal, TMC always try to remove the BJP and does not work for the country's development,". "We're trying our best and will definitely come to power in West Bengal. We believe in a free and fair election, whereas they believe in 'fear' election," he added. (ANI)
Speaking on the occasion, CM Sarma said, "Assam is going all out its effort to set a Guinness World Record for the world's largest performance of Bihu dance on April 14 in Guwahati in presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi."

"On April 14 during the Rongali Bihu celebration, over 11,000 folk dancers and musicians will gather at Guwahati's Sarusajai Stadium and will perform the Bihu dance," he added.

Preparations for the largest performance of Bihu are underway across the state.

Earlier, the Assam government launched a publicity campaign in the national capital to celebrate the upcoming Rongali Bihu on April 14, where the largest demonstration in a single venue with about 11,000 Bihu dancers will perform, in presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Observed in the first week of the month Bohag (mid-April) every year, Rongali or Bohag Bihu heralds the Assamese New Year and is widely celebrated among the community. The Assamese celebrate Bihu thrice a year, which signifies the distinct cycles of farming - Bhogali or Magh Bihu in January, Bohag or Rongali Bihu in April, and Kongali Bihu in October.

On the day of Bihu, various traditional delicacies prepared coconut, rice flour, sesame, and jaggery, among others. Singing, feasting, exchanging gifts, seeking blessings from elders, donning new attire, and performing the traditional Bihu dance in open fields and on stage are part and parcel of the Bihu celebrations.

The Himanta Biswa Sarma-led Assam government is leaving no stone unturned to make the upcoming Bihu festival in Guwahati the greatest spectacle in terms of the congregation, and to make an entry into the Guinness Book of World Records.

Chief Minister Sarma is closely monitoring the preparations for the upcoming event and making it a roaring success. (ANI)
Youth Congress workers took out 'Mashal Julus' in Jaipur on Saturday protesting against the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi as Lok Sabha MP. Rahul Gandhi was disqualified as a member of the Lok Sabha, a day after a Surat court sentenced him to two years imprisonment in a defamation case filed against him over his 'Modi surname' remark. Congress leader and former Rajasthan deputy chief minister, Sachin Pilot also participated in the 'Mashal Julus' (march). Talking to the media, Sachin Pilot said, "We are protesting against the undemocratic behaviour of the Central Government." "The opposition is not allowed to speak in the Parliament. The maximum number of ED and CBI raids have been conducted against the leaders of the opposition," he added. He further said, "They (BJP) are trying to suppress our voice, but we'll definitely keep our points and raise our voice against their ego and pride." Earlier on Friday, the Youth Congress in Shimla held a torch protest march against the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi as a Lok Sabha MP. The protest was led by the National President of Youth Congress Srinivas Bhadravathi Venkata and Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu also participated in the protest. While participating in the protest, CM Sukhu said, "This is important that all need to come together to save the democracy which is being throttled by the central government in India". "The membership as parliamentarian of the biggest leader of the principal opposition party has been disqualified, the youth Congress has organised this torch March to save the democracy," he added. Rahul Gandhi's disqualification from Lok Sabha triggered a massive political row with the BJP stating that the Congress leader was "a habitual loose cannon" and the Congress alleging that he was got "deliberately disqualified". Meanwhile, on Monday a Surat Sessions Court granted bail to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who had filed an appeal following his conviction in a criminal defamation case over his "Modi surname" remark during a political campaign in April 2019. The court in Gujarat's Surat granted bail till the disposal of the appeal to Rahul Gandhi in the defamation case. The court will hear Rahul's application seeking suspension of conviction on April 13. (ANI)
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, along with fellow Shiv Sena MPs and MLAs, will visit Ayodhya on Sunday. This is Shinde's first visit to the temple town since being sworn in as Maharashtra chief minister in June last year. Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also left for Ayodhya from Mumbai on Sunday. Shinde and other Shiv Sena leaders flew down to Lucknow on Saturday. Shinde was welcomed by his Uttar Pradesh counterpart Yogi Adityanath at the Lucknow airport, amid fanfare. The Maharashtra CM will perform 'aarti' on the banks of the Saryu River. He will also visit the ongoing construction site of Ram Mandir. "This is not a political visit. I keep visiting Ayodhya but this is the first time I have come here as the chief minister. All our party leaders wanted to take the blessings of Lord Ram. I want to thank Yogi-ji and his ministers who were here to welcome us," Shinde told ANI. To welcome Shinde, the Shiv Sena put up big banners with his image, in Ayodhya. Before leaving for Lucknow, CM Shinde said in a press conference, "We will be going to Ayodhya to seek Lord Ram's blessings on April 9. The call of faith and belief prompted us to undertake this visit. We will perform the Aarti. I still remember that Dharmveer Anand Dhigana (Anand Dighe, who the Maharashtra CM considers his mentor) had sent a Karsevak to Ayodhya with a silver brick. So, we have old bonding with Ram Lalla and will be visiting the temple also." He said the Shiv Sena leaders wanted to go to Ayodhya after getting the Bow and Arrow symbol. "We will take part in programmes that the seers have organised in Ayodhya. In a dig at his predecessor Uddhav Thackeray, Shinde said, "Earlier, seers were killed in Palghar, but now we will protect them." The Palghar incident happened during the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government headed by Uddhav. (ANI)
The MLA, from the Kamalasagar constituency under Sepahijala district, says that she is committed to resolving the long-pending issues of her constituency and would stick to this simple lifestyle.

"I believe in working for the people. This time I would like to bring everyone onto the platform of development, especially for women's empowerment. I am very keen and focusing upon the mantra of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas'," MLA said while speaking to ANI.

MLA, Antara Sarkar Deb struggled a lot from the beginning of her political career.

Despite the allotment of an official vehicle, she is often seen boarding an autorickshaw of a woman, Lakhyee Debnath Naha, who, according to her, has been struggling to make a living since her husband fell ill and became bedridden.

Lakhyee Naha said that MLA Deb is very caring. "Whenever she comes to this side, she commutes in my auto only," Naha said.

The BJP leader, Antara Sarkar Deb, became a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from the Kamalasagar constituency in Tripura Elections 2023. (ANI)
With the Karnataka Assembly polls drawing near, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday appointed a fifth working president of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee in the form of former Lok Sabha BN Chandrappa. "Hon'ble Congress President has appointed Shri B.N. Chandrappa as Working President of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee, with immediate effect," read an official release from the party on Sunday. While Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar is the KPCC president, the party already has 4 other working presidents in the form of Ramalinga Reddy, Eshwar Khandre, Saleem Ahmed and Satish Jarkiholi. Chandrappa was elected a Lok Sabha member from Chitradurga in 2014-19. Chandrappa's appointment follows the demise of KPCC working president and former MP R Dhruvanarayana. Dhruvanarayana was a Parliamentarian from the Chamarajanagar Lok Sabha constituency. He served as a member of the Lower House from 2009 to 2019. Earlier, on April 4, Kharge said the Congress will hold an extensive discussion on the selection of candidates for the remaining 100 Assembly seats in the state. The Congress, on March 25, announced its first list of 124 candidates for the Assembly polls. The list included former chief minister Siddaramaiah and the party's state president DK Shivakumar. "There is a meeting of our selection committee in which we will hold discussions on the selection of candidates for the remaining 100 seats. People on the committee will give present their opinions after which a decision will be taken," Kharge said. Elections in Karnataka are slated to be held in a single phase on May 10 and the counting of votes will be held on May 13. Siddaramaiah will be contesting from the Varuna constituency DK Shivakumar has been fielded in Kanakapura. Siddaramaiah had expressed his interest to contest from the Kolar constituency but the Congress High Command instructed him to drop the plan following disagreements between the party's local leaders in the constituency. The party has fielded M Roopakala from the Kolar Gold Field constituency. The ruling BJP currently holds a majority in the Assembly with 119 seats while the Congress and the JD(S) have 75 and 28 seats respectively. All three key political players in the state -- BJP, Congress and the JD(S) -- have been exchanging barbs as their poll campaign moves through the gears. The latter are attempting to corner the ruling BJP on the issue of corruption. The model code of conduct is currently in force in the state. (ANI)
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who arrived in Ayodhya on Sunday, said his faction of Shiv Sena got the symbol of 'bow and arrow' as the blessings of Lord Ram are with them. "Lord Ram's blessings are with us and that is why we have got the symbol of bow and arrow," Shinde told reporters in Lucknow while leaving for the temple town. Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, along with fellow Shiv Sena MPs, arrived in Ayodhya on Sunday. This is Shinde's first visit to the temple town since being sworn in as Maharashtra chief minister in June last year. Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also arrived in Ayodhya on Sunday. Both CM Shinde and his deputy Fadnavis were accorded a warm welcome on their arrival to the temple town. "I am very happy that I am going to Ayodhya to take blessings from Lord Ram," Fadnavis said after reaching Lucknow on Sunday. Shinde and other Shiv Sena leaders flew down to Lucknow on Saturday. Shinde was welcomed by his Uttar Pradesh counterpart Yogi Adityanath at the Lucknow airport, amid fanfare. The Maharashtra CM will perform 'aarti' on the banks of the Saryu River. He will also visit the ongoing construction site of Ram Mandir."This is not a political visit. I keep visiting Ayodhya but this is the first time I have come here as the chief minister. All our party leaders wanted to take the blessings of Lord Ram. I want to thank Yogi-ji and his ministers who were here to welcome us," Shinde told ANI. To welcome Shinde, the Shiv Sena put up big banners with his image, in Ayodhya. Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut attacked Shinde alleging that Maharashtra CM went to Ayodhya when farmers were facing problems due to rain and hailstorm. Addressing mediapersons, Raut said, "We also believe in Lord Ram. We have also been to Ayodhya several times. But the BJP never followed us there. When the Babri incident happened, they ran away. Farmers in Maharashtra are saddled with problems due to rain and hailstorm but the government, ignoring all these issues, is visiting Ayodhya. Will Lord Ram bless them? They are copying us. Public knows who is original and who is duplicate." Before leaving for Lucknow, CM Shinde said in a press conference, "We will be going to Ayodhya to seek Lord Ram's blessings on April 9. The call of faith and belief prompted us to undertake this visit. We will perform the Aarti. I still remember that Dharmveer Anand Dhigana (Anand Dighe, who the Maharashtra CM considers his mentor) had sent a Karsevak to Ayodhya with a silver brick. So, we have old bonding with Ram Lalla and will be visiting the temple also." He said the Shiv Sena leaders wanted to go to Ayodhya after getting the Bow and Arrow symbol. "We will take part in programmes that the seers have organised in Ayodhya. In a dig at his predecessor Uddhav Thackeray, Shinde said, adding, "Earlier, seers were killed in Palghar, but now we will protect them." The Palghar incident happened during the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government headed by Uddhav. On February 17, the Election Commission ordered that the Eknath Shinde camp of the Shiv Sena will retain the official name and the bow and arrow symbol of the party. (ANI)
A total of 5,357 fresh Covid-19 infections were recorded in the country in the last 24 hours marking a slight decrease from Saturday's count of 6,155 cases, the Union Health Ministry stated in a bulletin on Sunday. Covid infections in the country have seen an upward trend in the past few days, with the daily fresh infections at 2,994 on April 1, 3,824 on April 2, 3,641 on April 3, 3,038 on April 4, 4,435 on April 5, 5,335 on April 6 and 6,050 on April 7 and 6155 on April 8. The overall active cases currently stand at 32,814, as of Sunday, with the daily positivity rate at 3.39 per cent, the Health Ministry stated further in its release. With 3,726 recoveries in the last 24 hours, the overall count stood at 4,41,92,837, the bulletin stated, adding that the overall recovery rate is currently at 98.74 per cent. Under the nationwide vaccination drive, a total of 220.66 crore vaccine doses have been administered, as of Sunday, of which 659 doses were administered in the last 24 hours. In the wake of the rising number of Covid-19 cases, the Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud earlier in the week said lawyers are free to appear virtually in court. CJI Chandrachud said newspaper reports show that Covid cases are on the rise and if a lawyer wants to appear virtually before the court they can and the hybrid mode is also on. "We saw newspaper reports on rising Covid cases. Lawyers can use hybrid mode. If you choose to appear online, we will hear you," said the CJI. The Supreme Court had reverted to the physical hearing mode of adjudication of cases from April 4, 2022, after taking into account the low infection rate and the number of Covid cases in Delhi and across the country. The apex court has been successfully experimenting with the hybrid method -- a combination of physical and virtual -- of hearing for quite some time. The Supreme Court has also started live-streaming the Constitution bench proceedings through the Supreme Court app and YouTube even after the resumption of physical hearings. The ministry further stated that the weekly positivity rate currently stands at 3.54 per cent. Amid a nationwide upward trend in the Covid cases, Union Health Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya on Friday chaired a review meeting with health ministers of all states and Union Territories through video conferencing. Mandaviya urged state Health ministers to conduct mock drills at hospitals on April 10 and 11 to assess their preparedness in handling a surge in cases. He also urged states to identify emerging hotspots by monitoring trends of influenza-like illness (ILI) and severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) cases and sending sufficient samples for testing of COVID-19 and Influenza; and ramping up whole genome sequencing of positive samples. (ANI)
A six-member fact-finding team led by former Patna High Court Chief Justice Narasimha Reddy was stopped by West Bengal police from visiting the violence-hit Hooghly district. According to information, the team members were stopped near Nabanna toll plaza from entering the district on Sunday. Former Chief Justice of Patna High Court Narasimha Reddy said that according to the police CrPC, section 144 has been imposed in the area. "They (police) are saying that CrPC section 144 has been imposed but nothing is here. They are scared because they will be exposed," said Narasimha Reddy while speaking to ANI. Leaders of the Indian Secular Front (ISF), a Muslim outfit, were also stopped from entering the violence-hit Rishra town of West Bengal's Hooghly district on Friday. Speaking to ANI, an ISF leader, who was part of the delegation, said, "The situation here is not that bad. Some political forces are trying to stoke tension and violence. Locals of Rishra are peace-loving and united but some people did try to incite trouble here. Our objective was to go to Rishra and talk to the local administration on the prevailing situation." "We believe in our Constitution and take a lot of pride in it. so, if the administration asks us not to visit a particular place, we won't dispute that and take the law into our hands," he added. On the violent clashes and rioting that broke out recently in Howrah and Hooghly districts during the Ram Navami celebrations and after, the ISF leader said, "The incidents have scarred both the communities and have put fear in their minds. We just wanted to ask the local administration why they haven't been able to restore normalcy and calm to the town yet." Following the clashes and stone-pelting at police personnel around Ram Navami, a sizeable contingent of security personnel has been deployed in the area. A clash erupted during a Shobha Yatra (march) taken out by BJP supporters in Hooghly on April 2. A day after, on April 3, another incident of stone-pelting in Rishra town forced the Eastern Railway to suspend all suburban and long-distance express train services to and from Rishra railway station. (ANI)
The Congress leader offered his best wishes to the members of NSUI on its 53rd foundation day.

"Best wishes to all the members of @NSUI family on its 53rd foundation day," Rahul Gandhi said in a tweet.

He further wrote: "NSUI has played a pivotal role in being the voice of the students and giving them a platform to fight for their rights. Keep up the good work, and continue inspiring young minds".

Party chief Mallikarjun Kharge urged the body to keep fighting for justice, freedom and truth and keep inspiring young minds.

"Best wishes on NSUI Foundation Day. @nsuiis a vital voice of the students, shaping student politics and thereby charting a better future for the country. No matter how hard the obstacles are, keep fighting for justice, freedom and truth and keep inspiring young minds," Kharge tweeted.

The National Students Union of India is the student wing of the Indian National Congress, which was established on 9 April 1971. (ANI)
"Dr.@sthaosen, DG CRPF, reiterated the commitment and unwavering dedication of CRPF towards protecting our Nation and its citizens while addressing the officers and men during #ValourDay celebrations today at Shaurya officers institute, Vasantkunj," CRPF said in a tweet.

According to the official Twitter handle of the CRPF, DG presented 27 Gallantry medals to CRPF men who exhibited courage and valour while fighting against the enemies of the Nation.

"CRPF reiterates its firm commitment to serve the Nation espousing the ethos of Service and Loyalty," said another CRPF tweet.

On occasion, DG CRPF felicitated Kishan Singh, the surviving veteran of the Sardar Post Battle, by presenting him with a memo.

"Dr. @sthaosen, DG #CRPF felicitated Shri Kishan Singh, the surviving veteran of the Sardar Post Battle, by presenting him a memento. His anecdotes of the Sardar Post Battle inspires the rank and file of the force to fight against all odds with courage, determination and fortitude," CRPF tweeted.

Valour Day is celebrated each year on April 9 to commemorate the valour displayed in 1965 by the CRPF against the Pakistan Army. (ANI)
Hitting out at Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai-led BJP government in Karnataka, senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Sunday said people of the poll-bound southern state have endured misgovernance in the last four years. Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru on Sunday, Tharoor said when there is misgovernance and "there is nothing to see", people inevitably wonder what they need the government for. "When there is misgovernance and there is nothing to see, people inevitably wonder what they need the government for. People are interested very much in seeing the Congress as a respectable alternative to the misgovernance they've endured in the last 4 years," said Tharoor. He said there are essential needs of the people that have not been met by the BJP government and the Congress has already come up with specific promises to fulfil people's needs. The Congress MP said IT investment in the state has been plummeting for the last 3-4 years. "Bengaluru has such great potential. It is so sad that the city, which was evidently the most favoured destination for IT investment till a few years ago, has seen investments plummeting over the last 3-4 years," he said. On Sharad Pawar's statement that there was no need for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the Hindenburg-Adani row, he said that NCP chief's logic can be understood as the ruling party will have a 50 per cent majority in the panel, if one is formed to probe the claims against the Adani Group. "His (Sharad Pawar) logic can be understood because the rule for constituting a JPC is that the ruling party will be part of it, and above 50 per cent of members in the JPC will be from the NDA, if one is formed. But we still want the Opposition to ask questions and seek answers and evidence through the JPC. The NCP stood with us in the Parliament and during our protest march to Vijay Chowk," said Thaoor. With the Karnataka Assembly polls drawing near, a meeting of senior Congress leaders regarding the selection of candidates for the Karnataka elections will be held at party president Mallikarjun Kharge's residence this evening. Rahul Gandhi is likely to attend this meeting. The Congress is yet to announce the names of candidates for 58 seats. The Congress, on March 25, announced its first list of 124 candidates for the Assembly polls. The list included former chief minister Siddaramaiah and the party's state president DK Shivakumar. Elections in Karnataka are slated to be held in a single phase on May 10 and the counting of votes will be held on May 13. Former chief minister Siddaramaiah will be contesting from the Varuna constituency while DK Shivakumar has been fielded in Kanakapura. Siddaramaiah had expressed his interest to contest from the Kolar constituency but the Congress High Command instructed him to drop the plan following disagreements between the party's local leaders in the constituency. The party has fielded M Roopakala from the Kolar Gold Field constituency. The ruling BJP currently holds a majority in the Assembly with 119 seats while the Congress and the JD(S) have 75 and 28 seats respectively. All three key political players in the state -- BJP, Congress and the JD(S) -- have been exchanging barbs as their poll campaign moves through the gears. The latter are attempting to corner the ruling BJP on the issue of corruption. The model code of conduct is currently in force in the state. (ANI)
Party sources said that Rahul Gandhi is also likely to attend this meeting. Congress is yet to announce the names of candidates for 58 seats in Karnataka.

With the Karnataka Assembly polls drawing near, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday appointed a fifth working president of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee in the form of former Lok Sabha BN Chandrappa.

While Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar is the KPCC president, the party already has 4 other working presidents in the form of Ramalinga Reddy, Eshwar Khandre, Saleem Ahmed and Satish Jarkiholi.

Chandrappa was elected a Lok Sabha member from Chitradurga in 2014-19.

Elections in Karnataka are slated to be held in a single phase on May 10 and the counting of votes will be held on May 13.

The ruling BJP currently holds a majority in the Assembly with 119 seats while the Congress and the JD(S) have 75 and 28 seats respectively.

All three key political players in the state -- BJP, Congress and the JD(S) -- have been exchanging barbs as their poll campaign moves through the gears. (ANI)
Delhi's Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena, on Sunday set June 30 as the deadline to clean the river Yamuna in National Capital, and said he will have no objection if any minister wants to take credit for their work. "River Yamuna will be cleaned in Delhi by June 30. I have no objection if any minister wants to take credit for our work," LG VK Saxena said without naming anyone. "The cleaning of Yamuna is going on at a fast pace. Najafgarh drains are being cleaned. 15-16 drains have also been fixed. We will clear the 22 km stretch of Yamuna in Delhi by that time. The work of cleaning the filth on the banks of the Yamuna is also going on in mission mode. We cleaned the Qudsiya Ghat in 15 days," he said. Previously in March, VK Saxena chaired a meeting to devise ways for the revival of the Najafgarh Lake on the Delhi-Haryana Border, which is pivotal to the overall cleaning of River Yamuna in the national capital, an official release said. "The major sources of pollution in the Najafgarh Lake, including the huge quantity of domestic and industrial effluent coming from Gurugram and the possible ways to overcome the pollution in the lake and preserve the aquatic life, were discussed threadbare in the meeting that coincided with the World Water Day," the statement had added. "We are not working for taking credit but trying to provide a good environment to the people of Delhi. Even the Supreme Court has monitored Yamuna cleaning operations for 28 years. I want everyone to work together and clean the Yamuna," LG told ANI. The Delhi government have decided to set up an ammonia removal plant to treat polluted Yamuna water coming from Haryana. The decision was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by CM Arvind Kejriwal in March, who gave instructions to set up the plant within six months. Delhi Jal Board is trying to set up an in-situ treatment plant near the pond itself. DJB has started work on this. It is our endeavour to reduce the pollution level of ammonia present in the water by installing an in-situ treatment plant near the pond. Through the in-situ treatment plant, the amount of ammonia will be reduced in the water to such an extent that when the treated water is sent from there to the water treatment plant, that water can be completely treated there and become potable. Delhi Jal Board aims to get rid of this problem within 6 months, a press note from the Delhi government stated earlier. As a matter of fact, the water that Delhi gets from Haryana through the Yamuna is treated in the Wazirabad and Chandrawal water treatment plants of the city. Officials said that since December 11, Delhi is getting almost zero river water from Haryana. The water that is visible in the Yamuna near the Wazirabad Water Treatment Plant is not actually of the Yamuna, but the industrial waste from Panipat and Sonipat, which is coming into the Yamuna through their drains. The amount of pollutant elements in this water is so high that it is very difficult to cure it with a water treatment plant. Officials said that several letters have also been written by the Delhi Jal Board to the Haryana government on the issue of polluted water coming into the Yamuna. But the Haryana government has not taken any cognizance of those letters. (ANI)
A differently-abled BJP worker on Sunday expressed gratitude after Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a selfie with him in Chennai, and regarded it as the 'happiest moment' of his life. "Like a father, brother Prime Minister Modi took a selfie with me on my phone when I asked him 'Can we take a selfie'," said Manikandan, a BJP worker from Tamil Nadu's Erode, who met Prime Minister Modi in Chennai on Saturday. Prime Minister Modi ended his Chennai visit by meeting Manikandan. Later, PM Modi posted a picture with Manikandan in which he could be seen taking a selfie. "A special selfie. In Chennai I met Thiru S. Manikandan. He is a proud BJP Tamil Nadu Karyakarta from Erode, serving as a booth president. A person with disability, he runs his own shop and the most motivating aspect is - he gives a substantial part of his daily profits to BJP," said PM Modi in his tweet. "I feel very proud of being a Karyakarta in a Party where we have people like Thiru S. Manikandan. His life journey is inspiring and equally inspiring his commitment to our Party and our ideology. My best wishes to him for his future endeavours," PM Modi added in his tweet. Meanwhile, Manikandan said his meeting with PM was the happiest moment in his life. "I got the opportunity to meet PM Modi. BJP State President Annamalai is the reason for this. Yesterday I met PM Modi then I was so happy. PM asked me my name and then I said my name and saluted PM Modi," Manikandan said while speaking to ANI. "BJP General Secretary Keshava Vinayagam explained my work for the party to PM Modi. PM Modi was also so happy and encouraged me by touching my shoulders" he added. "I asked PM Modi, 'Take a selfie'. Immediately he just took my phone and took selfies with me like father and brother would do to us. The PM also asked me to work and the future is waiting for me. I think this is credit for my work for the party. I will work on my side to make Modi as PM and in 2026 Annamalai as Tamil Nadu CM. I convey my wishes to all BJP leaders who support me" Manikandan added. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurated developmental projects worth Rs 5,200 crores in Tamil Nadu's Chennai and said that the government's work culture and vision have made its achievements possible. (ANI)
Police arrested 2 people and detained a juvenile for involvement in a robbery incident, police said. The accused were identified as Tilak (19), a resident of Khora colony in Ghaziabad and Vikas Dubey (19), an e-rickshaw driver, police said, adding that both are drug addicts. Sharing details of the arrest, a police officer said, "A complaint was filed by Amit Kumar, resident of East Vinod Nagar, against unidentified robbers who attacked him on a bridge, at Khichripur on National Highway 24, while he was on his way to his residence. The accused choked him from behind and banged his head on a cemented pillar near the foot overbridge. He lost consciousness after which the accused took both his mobile handsets." A case was registered under sections 394 and 34 of the IPC against unidentified robbers at Kalyanpuri police station. A Crime Branch team was assigned to investigate the incident. During the investigation, the team got vital clues about the accused from technical and manual inputs. Further, on the basis of information gathered by the sleuths, raids were conducted in Ghazipur and Khora, in Ghaziabad. Two of the accused were arrested and the juvenile was apprehended. Police also recovered phones from the arrested accused, said police. During the interrogation, accused Tilak said he was going to Mandawali, East Delhi, along with his friend Vikas to buy drugs. He said they saw the victim when they reached a gurdwara and planned to rob him. They choked him from behind and banged his head on a concrete pillar. As he fell unconscious, they took his mobile phones and ran away, police said. Further investigation is underway. (ANI)
The hole was reported in the Tansa Water channel on Saturday around 3:30 pm which affected the water supply of the areas of the 'K East' division and Dharavi of 'G North' division, as per the release.

21-inch-long section of the main Tansa water channel was damaged and repair work started when a 2-inch-diameter hole was found, said BMC.

BMC workers and engineers immediately started repair work on the damaged pipeline, which was repaired around 4:00 am on Sunday.

BMC Commissioner Iqbal Chahal congratulated the department workers and engineers for completing the repair work in record time.

Tansa Water channel services resume at 6:30 am on Sunday. (ANI)
Police said that there was no suicide note recovered from the youth, and the exact reason behind the student taking the extreme step is not clear yet.

Police got information about the incident on the intervening night of Saturday-Sunday, after which a police team reached the spot and recovered the body and sent it for post-mortem.

The deceased was identified as Abduddin (25) and said to be a second-year MBA student who used a plastic rope for taking the extreme step.

Police are probing the exact reason behind the incident.

In a similar kind of incident in the national capital during the wee hours on Saturday, a Delhi Police head constable allegedly shot himself inside a PCR van in the Civil Lines area.

The deceased head constable has been identified as Imran Mohammed, said police.

The incident took place at around 6 am on Bela Road, near Chandgi Ram Akhara.

"The deceased shot himself when the PCR driver (his colleague) CT Atul Bhati went for nature's call," the police said. (ANI)
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who arrived in Ayodhya on Sunday, hit out at Uddhav Thackeray and said that he went against his father's dreams for power but we rectified the mistake. He also said that the issue of 'Ram Temple' in Ayodhya is not just a matter of politics but also of faith for the Shiv Sena party. Talking to mediapersons in Ayodhya, CM Shinde said, "Some people are not happy with our Ayodhya Yatra. Some people are allergic to Hinudtva and have been spreading misunderstandings against Hindutva. In 2014, a government with Hindutva ideology came into the country under the leadership of PM Modi." "Balasaheb had given the slogan of 'Garve se kaho Hindu ho' (proudly say you are a Hindu). So, the ideology of Shiv Sena and BJP have the same," he added. Taking an apparent attack on former Maharashtra CM, Shinde said that Uddhav Thackeray went against Balasaheb's dreams just for the greed of power. "On one hand, Lord Ram took vanvaas (isolation) just to fulfil his father's promise. While we all saw what happened on the other side. He (Uddhav Thackeray) went against his father's dreams for the greed of power. People had voted for a BJP-Shiv Sena government, but some people took wrong steps, which we rectified 8-9 months back," Shinde added. The Chief Minister said that thousands of party workers and devotees of Lord Ram were present when he arrived in Lucknow on Saturday. "Today also, the devotees are present in large numbers. The whole atmosphere was very blissful. I would like to thank them. Whenever I think of coming to Ayodhya, I feel a wave of happiness in my heart. When we came here, people showed us many new constructions," he said. He added, "We were able to get the 'Bow and Arrow' symbol and 'Shiv Sena' name, only with the blessings of Lord Ram. I had said after becoming the CM that I will come here. I won't be able to forget this day in my life. Our whole government, Deputy CM Fadnavis have come here. Now, we will be going to perform aarti on Saryu river". Recalling his earlier visit to Ayodhya, he said that only the platform was laid, but now pillars have also come up. "It seems like a dream coming true. The idol will also be installed in January next year. The construction of a grand divine Ram temple in Ayodhya was the dream of millions of Ram devotees. But, nobody, except PM Modi did anything for the Ram Mandir. He has fulfilled Balasaheb Thackeray's dream". Shinde added, "Some people used to say 'Mandir wahi banayenge, tareek nahi bataenge' (We will build the temple, but won't tell the date). PM Modi not just build the temple, and also told the date," he said. (ANI)
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Sunday wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah seeking his intervention on Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) recruitment examination. The DMK leader has complained against the 25 per cent marks allocated for the 'Basic Hindi Understanding' section in the exam and urged that Tamil and other regional languages should also be included in it. Addressing the letter to the Home Minister, Stalin stated, "CRPF has announced that out of 9,212 vacancies, 579 vacancies would be filled in Tamil Nadu. This exam is going to be conducted in 12 exam centres in the state. But whoever applied for this exam from Tamil Nadu can't even write this exam in their own mother tongue." He also added in the letter that this system would "steal" the opportunities of Tamil Nadu youths willing to work in CRPF. "Out of 100 total marks, 25 marks were allocated for basic Hindi understanding which would benefit only Hindi speakers. This CRPF announcement is totally against the goodwill of Tamil Nadu applicants. This is not only arbitrary and also discrimination," he added in the letter. He further urged the Home Minister to allow candidates to write the exams in Tamil and other languages as well. "Announcement like only in English and Hindi languages computer exams would be conducted against basic constitutional rights of Tamil Nadu applicants. So I request Union Minister Amit Shah's intervention allowing candidates to write exams in Tamil and other regional languages," Stalin added in the letter. It is pertinent to note that MK Stalin has been quite active and vocal in accusing the centre of "Hindi imposition" and has said that DMK will continue to resist any such attempts. (ANI)
After PM Narendra Modi visited the Sacred Heart Cathedral church on the occasion of Easter Archbishop of Delhi Archdiocese, Rev Anil J Couto on Sunday said that this was the first time a Prime Minister has ever visited this church and so it was a happy moment. Talking to ANI, Archbishop, Rev Anil J Couto said, "This was the first time a Prime Minister has ever visited this Church so it was a happy moment. He lit a candle and offered prayers. We also gave him a gift. He planted a sapling also." PM Modi offered prayers at the church and also joined the church's Prayer Mass held as part of the festival. Earlier, Fr. Francis Swaminathan of the church added that the Prime Minister visiting the church in itself is a big message. "We understand that the Prime Minister cares about this community, which is a big deal for us. The Prime Minister not just says "Sabka Sath Sabka Vikas", he is also moving forward with his principle. We think that we will always get his support and he will move ahead by taking all the castes together", added Swaminathan. He further added "Easter festival has special importance in Christianity, this festival is celebrated on the third day of Good Friday, which we celebrate as the resurrection of Lord Jesus when Jesus Christ sacrificed his life on Good Friday. He rose again on the third day, on Easter Sunday. On this day Prayer Mass is organized in the church, and a large number of followers associated with Christianity reach the church to pray and remember Lord Jesus. This is a very special day in the Sai religion which we celebrate." Swaminathan also said that Lord Jesus had sacrificed himself only to get rid of our sins so that people could come on the right path and then on the third day he was resurrected which proved that God had sent him only for us. After which the festival of Easter is celebrated and with this festival, Christianity originated, if this festival was not there, then Christianity would not have been there either. He further said that they are happy that PM Modi was visiting the church on this special occasion. (ANI)
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has emphasised on the importance of the use of technology in education and said it should be used as a medium for public welfare and the country's growth. Uttar Pradesh CM made these remarks after the inauguration of Delhi Public School (DPS) at Gorakhpur. He said that when the whole world was battered by the Covid pandemic, India came up with the new National Education Policy, which opens doors of possibilities for educational institutions. He said it is the responsibility of educational institutions to also inform students about government schemes that can help them achieve their goals. The Chief Minister also said that DPS Pro Vice Chairman Vishal Singh has expressed his desire to open its branches in Kushinagar, Maharajganj and Siddharthnagar. "These three are border districts and the government will extend all possible cooperation if good institutions come forward to set up their branches here," he remarked. (ANI)
Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole on Sunday said that irrespective of NCP chief Sharad Pawar's opinion on the constitution of a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the Adani issue, there should be a JPC to find the truth and why they (BJP) are not allowing. "Sharad Pawar and his party have kept their view, there's nothing wrong with this. JPC has been demanded in the past as well and it was in effect then why today are they not allowing JPC? There should be JPC to find the truth," Patole said. "Why is Modi not saying anything about Adani, the money has been taken out from LIC and SBI, and everyone knows this," he further said. This comes after Sharad Pawar on Saturday said there is "no need" for a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into the Adani issue as the Supreme Court-appointed committee will be more reliable and unbiased in its probe into the claims made in the report against the Indian conglomerate. "The Court Committee was formed following allegations of coal scams during the UPA government but a Joint Parliamentary Committee was also formed on the demand of the opposition. MP Sharad Pawar may have a different opinion on the Adani scam, but the Congress is firm about the JPC probe," he added. Maharashtra Congress president further said, "Rahul Gandhi is, again and again, asking about the Rs 20,000 crores." Soon after his disqualification from the Lok Sabha on March 24, Rahul Gandhi said, "Moot question remains who invested Rs 20,000 crore in Adani shell firms. I will keep asking the question." The Supreme Court had last month set up a six-member expert committee "to investigate if there was a regulatory failure in dealing with the alleged contravention of laws pertaining to the securities market in relation to the Adani Group or other companies." The committee was asked to give the report in two months. (ANI)
The Indian Army on Saturday night, foiled a major infiltration attempt by three persons in the Poonch region in Jammu-Kashmir along the Line of Control (LoC). Lt Col Devender Anand, PRO Defence Jammu informed in a press release on Sunday, that while one infiltrator was shot down during cross-firing, two others have been apprehended alive. As per the release, the troops observed some suspicious movement close to the LOC, where three people were allegedly trying to infiltrate the border. The army troops kept the movement of infiltrators under observation, and as soon as they approached the fence, they challenged the infiltrators, the release stated. Following this, the intruders tried to run away and got engaged in firing with the troops. In the cross-firing, one intruder was shot dead, while two others managed to run into the jungle taking advantage of the thick foliage and rocky outcrop. The release stated that the area was immediately cordoned off to prevent their escape across the Line of Control. The Army launched a search operation into the jungle, and subsequently, both the absconding intruders were apprehended alive in injured condition. In addition, three bags containing fourteen packets of Narcotics (weighing approx 17 kgs), Pakistan currency, some documents, and eatables were also recovered. As per the release, during preliminary questioning, the two intruders claimed that all three of them were residents of Pakistan-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (POJK)and belong to Maidan Mohalla, village Chanjal. Further investigation is underway in the case. (ANI)
As part of the massive crackdown on narcotics and drug abuse in the State, the Agartala battalion of Assam Rifles seized 800 Kg of marijuana here on Saturday, an official statement said. The statement said that two individuals identified as Akash Rabi and Chitranjan Munda were also detained in connection with this case. According to the statement, the marijuana was hidden in the backyard of Biplab Santal of Munda Para, Police Station Sidhai. "Based on the input received from a reliable source of a large quantity of illegal processed marijuana hidden at Hezamara village; a team of Agartala Battalion of Assam Rifles launched a swift operation in which 800 kgs of Marijuana (Ganja) could be seized after a thorough search of the area," the statement said. "The cost of the seized Ganja is estimated to be Rs 2.4 crores by the State Police. The seized marijuana (Ganja) has been handed over to Sidhai Police Station, Tripura. An FIR has been registered against the individual from whom the items have been recovered," the statement added. In a similar incident, the Agartala battalion of Assam Rifles seized 250 kg of marijuana worth Rs 70 lakh in Manikaynagar village of Sepahijala district on Tuesday. The marijuana was hidden underneath at the backyard of Motilal Das in Manikaynagar village of Sepahijala district. According to an official statement, "Based on the input received from a reliable source of a large quantity of illegal processed Marijuana hidden at Manikaynagar village, a joint Operation was launched by Agartala Battalion of Assam Rifles with a representative of Kalam Chowra Police Station, Sepahijala District, Tripura." "The operation party after a thorough search of the area seized 250 kgs of the Marijuana. The cost of the seized Marijuana is estimated to be of Rs 70 Lakh by the State Police. The seized Marijuana has been handed over to Kalam Chowra Police Station, Sepahijala District, Tripura and an FIR has been registered against the house owner from where the items have been recovered," the statement added. (ANI)
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Sunday said that the state government is working to make the state progressive and prosperous. He said this while attending the 'Swarna Jayanti and Himachali Milan Karyakram' organized by the Himachal Social Bodies Federation. "The state government would work upon the goal to make Himachal Pradesh one of the most progressive and prosperous states of the country in the next 10 years," said Sukhu while addressing the Himachalis on the occasion. Chief Minister also congratulated Himachalis for preserving the identity and culture of the state in the national capital. He said that "the state government was sincerely chalking out strategies for the speedy development and state government was making endeavours to bring the economy of the state back on track within four years." He also invited Himachalis residing outside the state to visit the state in the coming years to see positive and constructive changes coming up in the state due to the visionary policies and programmes of the government. Sukhu claimed that his government presented a budget that focuses on the growth of all sectors, especially uplifting the rural economy and taking various other initiatives like connecting all districts with heliports, expansion of Kangra airport, and speeding up work on roads. "Himachal was heading towards becoming a 'Green State' by 2026," said further detailed the vision of the government for switching towards green energy. Besides the unique step taken by the state government to provide a respectable life to orphan children in the state through Mukhya Mantri Sukh-Aashray Scheme. The state government was also empowering women by providing rights to girls in land holdings. Vice-Chairman, of Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Board, R.S. Bali, who presided over the function, remembered his deep attachment to the organization since childhood. He thanked the Chief Minister for his dedication to the growth of the state and for introducing novel schemes which will go a long way to develop Himachal Pradesh as one of the most progressive states of the country. (ANI)
Talking to ANI, Minister Anil said, "At present, the state is getting 14.25 lakh flour and rice every year, whereas the state needs about 16.5 metric tonnes. This has resulted in its shortage for some time now."

Minister further said that he will be meeting Union Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution Minister Piyush Goyal in this regard and will demand to increase the quantity of food grains provided to the State.

"Apart from this, the state is also facing a huge shortage of kerosene, for which we had sought an appointment with Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri", the Minister told ANI.

He further added, "In 2022 and 23, the Central Government had allotted 15,512 kilo litres of kerosene subsidy to Kerala and 7160 kilo litres of non-subsidy. But this year the government has reduced the subsidy in the state due to which the state is facing a shortage of kerosene."

"Our demand is that 25,000 kilo litres of kerosene non-subsidy be given per year to the State and 6480 kilo litres of kerosene as a quarterly subsidy", Minister Anil added. (ANI)
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday extended support to the statewide bandh called by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) over the incident in Chhattisgarh's Bemetara district. State BJP Spokesperson Kedar Gupta said, "Bharatiya Janata Party will join the Chhattisgarh bandh called by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad over the incident in Bemetara that resulted in the death of a youth and the bandh will be held on Monday." "A youth named Bhuneshwar Sahu was murdered by some fanatic Muslims yesterday in an incident that happened in Saja Vidhansabha. There were continuously eight cases of Love Jihad in that area and Sahu Samaj was creating public awareness that Love Jihad is a crime", Gupta said. He also alleged conspiracy behind the youth's murder and the government is supporting the accused. "Sahu was murdered in a conspired manner. Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel's government is doing appeasement and this is why the accused are still roaming free. They are getting the instigation of the government, which is why such incidents are happening continuously in Chhattisgarh. In the name of Naxalism, 5 BJP workers were killed in Bastar, now this is happening in other places", Gupta added. VHP Executive President Chandrashekhar Verma said, "A young man was killed with sharp weapons and those who went to his help were pelted with stones and injured. Not only this but in Sukma, Balrampur, Ambikapur, Kawardha, and Raipur, Muslim hooligans have carried out such incidents. The number of such incidents is increasing and the government has no control over it. "Seeing the plight of the state and the government, it seems that there is no peace between Muslims and Christians also. This is not a government of Hindus, therefore Hindu society will have to unite and introduce its power. We've to let them know that if Hindus wake up, they will not get a place on Earth. We want to unite the Hindu society, so tomorrow we are closing Chhattisgarh and also doing chakkajam", Verma added. Vishwa Hindu Parishad and BJP workers on Sunday gathered at Jai Stambh Chowk in Chhattisgarh's Raipur and took out a rally and appealed to all business organizations to stop their business on Monday. Tension gripped Chhattisgarh's Bemetara on Saturday after a child was thrashed by a few people prompting a clash between two groups reportedly belonging from separate faiths, leading to the death of a person and a few others injured. Three police personnel were also injured in the incident, informed the police. "Police have arrested 11 persons. Further probe in the case is underway", the police said. (ANI)
China's first medical team was dispatched from Beijing to Algeria on April 6, 1963, and arrived in Saida city later. Over the past 60 years, Chinese doctors have made indelible contributions to the development of health care in Algeria and other 75 countries and regions across five continents.





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Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Sunday said that Union Home Minister Amit Shah will visit Arunachal Pradesh on April 10. "Union Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to visit Kibithu in Anjaw district on Monday and Tuesday where he will be launching the 'Vibrant Villages Programme' (VVP). Kibithu in Anjaw district on Monday," the press release said. "The VVP is a centrally sponsored scheme wherein 2,967 villages in 46 blocks of 19 districts abutting the northern border in the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh have been identified for comprehensive development. With Arunachal Pradesh having the longest international northern border state will benefit the most," it added. CM Pema Khandu reached Mechukha on Saturday and also addressed the 1st Prime Minister Youth Camp and Cycle rally. "CM Khandu congratulated the Department of Secondary Education, the district administration and the NCC for organizing the first-ever five-day Prime Minister Youth Camp and Cycle Rally at picturesque Mechukha Valley, he expressed optimism that it would offer a wonderful platform to promote cultural and inter-tribe bonding," it mentioned. "This gives opportunities to our youth to get acquainted with various tribes of the state and their rich culture and traditions," CM Khandu said on the occasion. "Chief Minister Pema Khandu has expressed concern over the slow pace of work on the Tato to Mechukha 2-lane highway in the Shi-Yomi district and said that the state government has taken up the matter seriously," it mentioned. Chief Minister held several meetings with the district administration, senior leaders, panchayat leaders as well as party workers of the district, who have all expressed concern over the abysmal progress of the road in the region. On this occasion, he also informed that he has taken up the matter with the Commander BRTF, which is executing the project and assured the people that the Commander himself is serious about it. "CM Khandu said that very soon the BRTF Commander will initiate formalities in accordance with the agreement signed with the contractors keeping in top priority the timely completion of the project," the press release mentioned. "The Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister mentioned that the contractor who got this package sub-let the same to some other contractor, who in turn further sub-let it down the line. This is not the way to execute a project of such importance," it said. CM Khandu also inaugurated several projects including the Civil Terminal Building at the Mechukha airstrip. The foundation stones were also laid for 4 projects including the District Secretariat at Tato. State Assembly Speaker PD Sona, Education Minister Taba Tedir and legislators Laisam Simai, Zignu Namchoom, Kento Jini and Jekke Tako were present at the occasion. (ANI)
The deceased's body was brought from Jodhpur to her native village Balotra Bagundi under the supervision of the police.

The last rites of the deceased were also performed under the supervision of the police and administration. During this, many police officers and jawans were deployed in terms of security.

According to Balotra Additional District Magistrate, Ashwini K Pawar said that financial help possible will be given to the family of decrease at the government level including the scheme.

On Saturday, the woman succumbed to burn injuries at Jaipur's Mahatma Gandhi Hospital.

The incident occurred on Thursday in an area under Pachpadra police station limits, Barmer district. The main accused has been identified as Shakoor and has been arrested.

Notably, a case has been registered against the accused under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, the police said earlier. (ANI)
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday said that he will be file a defamation suit against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his tweet linking him to the Adani Group. The Assam Chief Minister said in a press conference held in Guwahati that, he will file a deflation case against Rahul Gandhi after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Assam on April 14. "Whatever Rahul Gandhi has tweeted, it is a defamatory tweet. So once Prime Minister goes back from Assam we will respond to the tweet and definitely, there will be a defamation case in Guwahati," he said. He further added, "But not now, I don't want to talk about politics now, because we want to celebrate Bihu". Rahul Gandhi in a stinging tweet on Saturday posted a picture sporting the names of former Congress leaders, who either joined the BJP or ended decades-old ties with the grand old party, along with that of businessman Gautam Adani. The names shown in the picture included Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, former MP Ghulam nabi Azad, Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, leader Anil Antony and former CM Kiran Reddy. Sarma's remark came in the wake of Rahul Gandhi's stinging tweet, wherein he posted a picture, sporting the names of former Congress leaders, who have jumped ship to the Bharatiya Janata Party or have snapped decades-old ties with the grand old party including Sarma, Ghulam Nabi Azad and former Defence Minister AK Antony's son Anil Antony. Further taking a jibe at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Sarma added that he is still waiting for a meeting with him to know about Kejriwal's claims on giving employment. "Because I want to demystify that how 12 lakh employment is possible where sanctioned staff in Delhi government is only 1.5 lakh. So, I want to ask him that question. If the Assam government has a sanctioned staff of 4 lakhs, how can I give appointments to 12 lakh people? So I have to unravel that mystery. He shouldn't say at the end of the day that, these are private company jobs," Himanta Biswa Sarma said. (ANI)
Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) President Ajendra Ajay visited Badrinath temple on Sunday along with officials of various departments today and inspected the ongoing reconstruction works and reviewed the travel arrangements The President and the officials inspected the ongoing reconstruction works and reviewed the travel arrangements. He also instructed the officers to speed up the work. BKTC President Ajendra Ajay said, "The date of opening of the doors is near. On April 27, the doors of Lord Badri Vishal will be opened for devotees. Therefore, various works should be expedited. The devotees should not face any kind of inconvenience due to the construction works." He further added that due to the reconstruction work, the devotees will have to reach the temple through a new footpath this time. "The new pedestrian route should be organized in a time-bound manner so that the passengers do not face any kind of inconvenience", he said. He also inspected the demolished buildings and shops near the temple premises. "The personnel associated with the worship system of the temple should not face any residential problem, for these pre-fabricated rooms should be constructed near the temple as an immediate arrangement", he added. He also directed the officials to dispose of the debris of the demolished VIP guest house of BKTC near the temple at the earliest and to construct a railing on the temple path near it. Ajay said that after the demolition of the VIP guest house, the construction of the pre-fabricated room being constructed for a quick rest of the distinguished dignitaries coming during the yatra this year should be completed at the earliest. He also asked to remove the debris and stones located in the Brahma Kapal complex as soon as possible and make the complex neat and clean, so that there would be no difficulty for the devotees arriving for Pind Daan etc. The construction work of the shoe stand being done should be started immediately, he added. Ajay directed the officers to fix contracts and rent as per rules with BKTC's Dharamshalas and lands acquired and rehabilitation of pilgrimage priests and affected people. The doors of Kedarnath Dham will open on April 25 and Badrinath Dham on April 27. The Chardham Yatra in Uttarakhand is one of the most popular Hindu pilgrimages in India. This pilgrimage is a tour of four holy sites - Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri - nestled high up in the Himalayas. (ANI)
Andhra Pradesh Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state president Somu Veerraju on Sunday said that the state government was taking the credit of Central government housing schemes. Talking to ANI, Somu Veerraju said, "About 2,00,000 houses were provided in Andhra Pradesh under the government housing scheme, regarding which the BJP Andhra Pradesh delegation met Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and discussed various issues. But the state government is taking the credit for the scheme itself and on the other side, construction of houses under the state government housing scheme is still pending." Veerraju further said that the state government is trying to take the work under the housing schemes to the ruling party's credit. "By painting green and blue colours on the walls of the houses, under which the Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy is promoting his party. So today we met Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri about the slow progress of the government housing scheme and the conspiracy being done by the state government. We also demanded that he monitor the state's government housing scheme." "A meeting is also to be held with the department minister Jitendra Singh tomorrow regarding the regional language issues. We support regional languages in the state but our party supports Hindi, English and regional language. We do not deny any language whereas Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Stalin and his party are anti-nationals that they are ignoring hindi language", he said. (ANI)
Andhra Pradesh Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Chief Thota Chandrasekhar on Sunday said that BRS will contest all the 175 seats in the next assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh. While addressing a media conference, Thota Chandrasekhar said, "Our party will contest from all 175 seats in the next assembly elections. We will also contest from all the 25 parliamentary constituencies in the state". He further stated that Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Reddy and TDP Chief Chandrababu Naidu have done nothing to bring Andhra Pradesh under the special status category. "Neither CM Jagan nor former CM Chandrababu did anything on special status. Jagan could not get special status for Andhra Pradesh while being friendly with Prime Minsiter Modi," he said. "TDP and YSR congress did nothing for Andhra Pradesh. The Polavaram project is a serious issue and both parties have not paid attention to it. Our party considers it a serious issue," he said. He also said that BRS will become an alternative to Telugu Desam Party and YSR Congress in Andhra Pradesh. "BRS party will show influence not only in Godavari districts but in the whole of Andhra Pradesh. Workers from Godavari districts are joining in large numbers to BRS party. Yesterday, we organized a meeting with activists regarding the Visakhapatnam steel plant, and BRS workers attended in large numbers. Our party will become an alternative party to TDP and YSRCP," he said. Earlier Andhra Pradesh former chief minister and TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu said that the results in the state Legislative Council elections clearly indicate that YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) will not return to power again. (ANI)
Congress leader Randeep Surjewala on Sunday said that BJP would not return to power in Karnataka and Congress party is the only alternative for the state in upcoming Karnataka elections. Congress leaders met at the residence of party president Mallikarjun Kharge to discuss the strategy for the upcoming polls in Karnataka. After the conclusion of the meeting, Randeep Surjewala addressed the media and said, "In our meeting, there were discussions regarding the electoral strategy for the Karnataka elections. Bommai government has failed miserably in Karnataka and they would not be able to come to power again. Congress is the only alternative now". He further stated the future of youth in Karnataka is in danger under the current BJP Government and Congress is their ray of hope. "The future of youth in Karnataka is in danger under the present government because of the recent scams in the state like PSI recruitment scams, assistant professor scams, bank recruitment scams, junior engineer scams and others. Congress party is their ray of hope," he said. Earlier Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraja Bommai had said that there is no question of Congress coming back to power and BJP will get an absolute majority in the state. "Congress says they will take back the reservation which we have announced. There is no question of them (congress) coming to power," he said. "The double-engine government has done a good job in terms of infrastructure and others. People cutting across all sections have shown a great deal of support. I am sure that on May 13, BJP will get an absolute majority," he added. The Karnataka assembly elections will be held in a single phase on May 10, with the counting of votes scheduled on May 13. (ANI)
Tamil Nadu's PMK on Sunday called for the bifurcation of the state's Tiruvannamalai district and held a protest march in front of the Anna Statute here to press for the demand. Addressing the protest, PMK state President and former Union Minister, Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss said that Tiruvannamalai was the second-largest district of Tamil Nadu and has about 27 lakh population. He said that the district has eight Assembly constituencies and should has to be divided into two so that each district has four constituencies. Also demanding the bifurcation of Coimbatore, Madurai, Salem, and Tuticorin districts, he said that the DMK, even after two years of coming to power, had not done anything to bifurcate Tiruvannamalai. He also said that Tiruvannamalai do not have any facilities that much of the other districts have and said that bifurcation of the district would help ease administration. --IANS aal/vd ( 155 Words) 2023-04-09-20:34:02 (IANS)
Nikki Haley, former Republican UN Ambassador of US who has announced her 2024 presidential run, has denounced President Joe Biden's hasty withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan and shifting the blame to his predecessor Donald Trump for the resultant chaos. Biden never took his allies, who fought shoulder to shoulder in the hilly terrain for over three decades against terrorism, into confidence about the withdrawal and made America open to criticism for the Taliban overrunning the elected government, media reports said. Nikki Halley, an Indian American whose parents migrated from Amritsar to the US, was born and brought up in South Carolina, the state of which she became the governor, and later, Trump appointed her as US ambassador to the UN. She said they were making fun of us. "It's a terrible image throughout the world that we have had. We were completely defeated." The White House last week released a 12-page unclassified report of what it called the after action summary on the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan, first initiated by then President Donald Trump and followed upon by his successor Joe Biden. Biden's administration blamed former President Trump's White House for much of what took place. The overrunning of the democratically elected government by the Taliban and the fleeing of the President from the country since troop's withdrawal has drawn fire from all quarters in the world, reports said. The National Security Council spokesman John Kirby claimed the exit from Afghanistan, during which 13 service members were killed in a bombing at the Kabul Airport, was not chaotic. "For all this talk of chaos, I didn't see it from my perch," he said. "I just don't buy the whole argument of chaos," The Washington Examiner quoted him as saying. Critics have since slammed the Biden administration for projecting the wrong narrative blaming the Republicans and being disingenuous in claiming there was no chaos. "I mean, the idea that we left Afghanistan in the middle of the night, without telling our allies, who stood shoulder to shoulder with us for decades, because we asked them to be there," Haley told Breitbart News Saturday on SiriusXM Patriot. "I mean, think about what that told our allies. More importantly, think about what that told our enemies." The former US ambassador to the UN and former South Carolina governor claimed that "Afghanistan had made strides, especially with women, on the fact that women could be educated, women had jobs, and women were making so much progress." "And now you look back, and they have, you know, we've seen the fact that all of that has gone backwards," she said. "And you know, there is no religious freedom there at all. There's only, you know, control and aggressiveness, and they've taken it back," the examiner quoted her as saying. The US left military equipment in Afghanistan while withdrawing from the country only to be used by the Taliban in their overrun over the capital city of Kabul. She charged saying: "We left all of our military equipment, and I remember my husband looking at a video, and he was looking at a video of the Taliban and he's saying, They're driving our Jeeps," she recalled. "And then he goes, They're holding our guns. And then the worst part was, he was like, They're wearing our uniforms." Haley said her criticism was not directed towards "why our troops got out" but the "manner in which they got out" leaving everything behind for the Taliban to use. She said Biden withdrew the troops in the most embarrassing of circumstances and lost 13 brothers and sisters in the process. That was not the way it was supposed to play out, she said. Haley termed as a debacle the manner in which the Biden administration withdrew the troops. Much of the current issues, she said, have been influenced by what the world observed from the US in 2021, such as "the Russian invasion in Ukraine", "China sending over a spy balloon", and "Iran trying to build a bomb", among others. --IANS ash/pgh ( 694 Words) 2023-04-09-22:28:02 (IANS)
Teens' trust in the news they read on social media - or lack thereof - may be critical in determining whether it contributes to or detracts from their well-being, according to a Cornell-led psychology study. Researchers found that those who trusted the COVID-19 information they saw on Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok were more likely to feel empowered, while those who were less trusting were more likely to find it stressful. The findings highlight the need for news literacy programs to help young people discern fact-based, trustworthy sources from misinformation and conspiracy theories, and support a more nuanced understanding of how social media use impacts well-being and mental health. "It's not just the sheer volume of social media use that's going to have this positive or negative effect," said Adam Hoffman, assistant professor in the Department of Psychology and College of Human Ecology, adding, "It's how you engage with social media news that will be more influential in determining how it impacts you." Hoffman is the lead author of "The Importance of Trust in the Relation Between Covid-19 Information from Social Media and Well-being Among Adolescents and Young Adults," published March 23 in PLOS ONE. Nine co-authors are based at North Carolina State University, the University of Virginia, South Carolina-based nonprofit EdVenture, and in the U.K., the University of Exeter and the University of Cambridge. Prior research on social media's impact on well-being and mental health is somewhat muddled, the scholars said, finding both good and bad influences. For example, some studies have shown it can foster social connection and self-expression, others that it facilitates bullying and feelings of inferiority. As the pandemic took hold in early 2020, daily exposure to negative headlines on social media helped popularize the terms "doomscrolling" and, among those trying to escape stressful media, "news avoidance." The virus that causes COVID-19 also became the subject of rampant misinformation, labeled an "infodemic" by the World Health Organisation. In that environment, the research team asked 168 students enrolled in a science, technology, engineering and math after-school program about their engagement with COVID-19 news on Facebook, Twitter and TikTok - the most popular platforms for sharing news, each also criticized for spreading misinformation. The ethnically and racially diverse participants, who ranged from 14 to 23 years old and averaged age 17, were asked how often they were exposed to COVID-19 information, how much they trusted it and about their well-being, measured in three ways: emotional, psychological and social. Unexpectedly, encountering Covid-19 news an average of a few times a week either had no effect on well-being or was seen as slightly positive. The researchers speculated that exposure to pandemic news might have made teens feel more informed about the virus and world events, even if it was difficult or depressing. Trust in the news, however, emerged as a "driving factor" in the relationship: Higher levels of trust were linked to a more positive sense of social well-being - feeling informed and connected, part of a community - and lower levels in some cases the opposite. Though trust may be good for well-being, "blind" trust in social media news also has a potential downside, with one study finding it increased acceptance of Covid-19 myths and conspiracies. That's why the researchers encourage schools and universities to actively train students in the critical thinking and analytical skills needed to identify accurate information, especially on social media. "It's not just that we need to trust, but that we need to trust credible sources of news that are factually based and have been vetted," Hoffman said. "That's how youth can be informed and have a positive sense of well-being and sense of self, and that's the best of both worlds." (ANI)
LAGOS, April 9 (Xinhua) -- At least fifteen people were killed Saturday when a bus and a truck collided head-on along a busy highway in the southern part of Nigeria, local traffic police said Sunday.

Bisi Kazeem, the national spokesperson for the Federal Road Safety Corps, disclosed this in a statement and said the accident took place at the Enugu-Port Harcourt expressway at about 8:20 p.m., local time.

"The victims have been given mass burials. All obstructions have been cleared. The Enugu State Fire Service already extinguished the fire in the bus," he said. "The fatal crash is blameable on several factors, including fatigue, which must have made one of the drivers sleep on the wheels."

While confirming no survivors from both vehicles, Kazeem warned motorists to desist from nighttime journeys to reduce fatalities from road crashes.

Nigeria often sees deadly road accidents mainly caused by bad road conditions and reckless driving. 
Pakistan Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Saturday said that everything required from Pakistan to conclude the much-delayed ninth review of a USD 7 billion loan programme with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) was "now complete", and the one final thing needed was a confirmation of a USD 1bn commitment from a friendly country, Dawn reported. The finance minister addressed the nation a day after he cancelled his visit to Washington for spring meetings of the IMF and World Bank citing domestic political turmoil as the reason. His speech centred around him trying to calm the fears that the cancellation of his trip was any indication of the future of the IMF deal, a USD 6.5bn rescue programme agreed upon in 2019, of which the government has been trying to secure the final tranche of USD 1.1bn since February. Dar said that the government had already done all that was required from it to conclude the ninth review. He said that at the time of the seventh and the eighth reviews, two friendly countries had informed the IMF in writing about its offer to help Pakistan with its external account. "The two-month delay from mid-February was due to this reason," he said. "In the past two weeks, one of our friendly countries has again given them (the IMF) the confirmation [of its commitment to help Pakistan] with USD 2bn," he added. "We are now only awaiting the confirmation of a USD 1bn commitment from one friendly country. After that, all their requirements to conclude the staff-level agreement will be complete. Following that, it takes two more weeks to take the matter into the board meeting," he assured his people. Dar acknowledged that there was a new development with the IMF deal over the past few weeks due to the "cross-subsidy" in the works regarding fuel prices. He said that the subsidy involved charging more to the affluent and providing relief to the underprivileged, adding that it had nothing to do with the budget. "We also had several rounds of communication with the IMF. As soon as that news broke they asked us what we are trying to do. We gave them a satisfying answer because that subsidy is not a part of the budget," he added. Dar hinted that the hold-up to the ninth review had more to do with the IMF's part than the government's. "When I went to the IMF with my delegation in October 2022, I invited them to Pakistan for the ninth review, which is technically the September 2022 review," he said. "For unknown reasons, they finally came to Pakistan on January 2023." Dar said the nine-day review was "the most difficult negotiations" and it was concluded, which led to the government taking prior actions demanded by the IMF, including the imposition of new taxes worth PKR 170bn. The finance minister blamed the previous PTI government for the delay and the country for being in this position with the IMF. "Immediately after the Shehbaz Sharif government took over, the seventh and eighth reviews were combined, which the previous government couldn't do because it had not only not implemented its sovereign commitments but also reversed whatever it had done [when their government was winding down]," he said. Regarding his cancelled US trip, the finance minister said that he was scheduled to participate in the spring meetings of the IMF and World Bank. "These are routine rituals, however, a constitutional crisis has been created in Pakistan." "Due to these circumstances and on the prime minister's directives, I have dropped my plan to visit Washington [physically]. This is not an unusual thing. Virtual meetings took place during Covid. I will be attending the World Bank, and IMF meetings that I'm required in from Islamabad." The minister said that even though he won't be attending the meetings in person, a delegation representing Pakistan will be there. "It's astonishing that some are saying that I have been told not to go by the IMF. The IMF cannot tell me not to attend. Pakistan is a member of the World Bank and the IMF. It is not a beggar," he said. He accused some analysts of twisting the facts. "Someone is writing that I did not get the meetings I wanted. Someone else is suggesting that I should have ignored the [domestic] crisis and gone anyway," he said. "These are national issues and such loose talk over them is not appropriate." Dar said that despite the worst of the liquidity crisis, the country did not delay its global sovereign payments of USD 11bn by "even a minute". (ANI)
More than 30 Ukrainian children who were allegedly deported to Russia during the war were reunited with their families on Saturday, reported Radio Free Europe/RadioLiberty. The Save Ukraine charity said that 31 children illegally taken to Russia following the Russia-Ukraine war have been returned to their homeland. "Children kidnapped by the Russians from the Kherson and Kharkiv regions have finally crossed the border with their relatives and now are safe. After a long separation of several months, they will meet their families," the organization said. The group, which according to its website provides "evacuation, humanitarian aid, and housing to families and children in war zones," posted a video of what it said showed the children returning to Ukraine. Kuleba told a Kyiv briefing on Saturday that all 31 children brought home said no one in Russia was trying to find their parents. "There were kids who changed their locations five times in five months, some children say that they were living with rats and cockroaches," he said. Over 19,000 children were abducted to Russia, according to a Ukrainian national database, while thousands remain not accounted for, reported Kyiv Independent. The International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague last month issued arrest warrants against Russian President Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, Moscow's commissioner for children's rights, on war crimes charges related to the illegal deportation of Ukrainian children, along with the unlawful transfer of people to Russia from Ukraine since it invaded in February last year. The Kremlin's alleged deportation of thousands of children from Ukraine to Russia or areas occupied by Russian forces was a major topic at the recent UN Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva, reported RFE. Moscow has said the transfer of Ukrainian children to Russia was a humanitarian campaign to protect orphans and children abandoned in the war zone. But the Council was sceptical on April 4 when it demanded that Russia provide access to and information about Ukrainian children and other civilians forcibly transferred to territory under its control. Save Ukraine has helped people fleeing war zones since 2014. Over the past year, it launched a program to return taken children back to Ukraine. Over the past year, the NGO said it rescued 95 children, reported Kyiv Independent. (ANI)
The European Union (EU) on Saturday bounded aid to the Taliban with the removal of the ban on Afghan working women, reported Tolo News. EU said that the ban on women working for UN organizations violates international law and that aid to Afghanistan cannot be delivered regardless of gender, aid activities will be reconsidered. "We urge the Taliban to allow women to equally and meaningfully participate in aid and services delivery, so that women can engage fully and actively in the society, as well as remain beneficiaries of aid. Female staff must not be replaced. As the EU stated in the Council Conclusions of 20 March 2023, where activities cannot be continued in line with the EU's principled approach, i.e. providing aid in a non-discriminatory way, regardless of gender, support to those activities will be reconsidered," read EU press release. EU reaffirmed its commitment to staying engaged and delivering assistance for the benefit of the Afghan population, with a principled approach, reported Tolo News. "Not just UN offices, but to the other offices of the government, rights must be ensured for Afghan women employees, to allow Afghan women to return to their jobs," said Maryam Marouf Arwin, an activist for women's rights. In the meantime, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) said in a press release that the decision of the current Afghan government will only reduce services and support for all Afghans, reported Tolo News. "I am deeply alarmed and strongly condemn this continued assault on women's human rights, which will only have the effect of reducing services and support for all Afghans. Alongside the international community, the United States calls on the Taliban to reverse this reprehensible decision immediately," read a USAID press release. However, the Taliban's Ministry of Economy said that continued assistance should not be linked to political or cultural issues, reported Tolo News. "The people of Afghanistan need the assistance of the international community, and helping the people of Afghanistan is a responsibility and international community. So, aid should not be linked to political and cultural issues," said Abdul Latif Nazari, deputy of the Ministry of Economy. The United Nations said that 3,300 male and female employees of the organization have stayed at home since women were banned from working at UN agencies. Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021, the situation of women in the country has only got worse. Women in the country are prohibited from leadership posts, and not allowed to work as well as travel unless accompanied by a male companion. The Taliban promised to reopen all schools on March 23, this year, but, instead, on that day, they closed secondary institutions for girls. There is still no word on when or if these schools will reopen or if the ban is indefinite. (ANI)
China's State Council is headed for a rapid decline in its powers while Chinese political machinery seems to be ever more guided by Xi Jinping, China's President and General Secretary of the Communist Party loyalists and sycophants after he sidelined number two leader Li Keqiang, reported Singapore Post. Li Keqiang, the former premier of the People's Republic of China for ten years would be remembered for promoting private economy and foreign investment, while Xi Jinping's main focus has been state ownership. Once seen as a potential top leader, Li was deliberately kept out of the limelight for years so as not to outshine Jinping. At the same time, Xi accumulated increasingly more powers. Many say Li Keqiang entered the Communist Party with a noble ambition to contribute towards his country but was stifled by its rigid red-tapism. His exit has put a question mark on the future of the country's private sector as well as the wider economic reforms that he was championing, reported Singapore Post. Experts believe that Li Keqiang might be the last premier of his type, whose economics-focused approach towards governance contrasted with Xi Jinping's ideological tone and authoritarian tendencies. Li had already exited the ruling Communist Party's all-powerful Politburo Standing Committee last October, even though he was yet to reach retirement age, reported Singapore Post. "Heaven is looking at what humans are doing. The firmament his eyes." This is what Li had to say while bidding farewell to 800 or so senior government officials. Many interpreted his remarks as digs at Xi. The controversial clip went viral on the internet but was not aired by the State-run China Central Television. Li's words signalled a deep sense of frustration. Analysts rued that the quick-witted, outspoken, and rousing intellectual delivered a flat, tepid farewell speech, reported Singapore Post. Although Li and Xi never disagreed publicly, it was evident that the two were not in a close partnership. In fact, as per analysts, a decade-long "north-south war" played out in Beijing's Zhongnanhai quarters, which house offices of China's top officials. The south courtyard is the stronghold of the Jinping-led Communist Party, while the north courtyard is home to the State Council, China's government formerly led by Li. From 2012 onwards, the south courtyard started to gain the upper hand. In 2016, People's Daily, the Communist Party's mouthpiece, published an article criticising "Likonomics", the economic stimulus measures led by Li Keqiang, reported Singapore Post. Then in 2018, many of the State Council powers were shifted to Communist Party institutions. During this time, Xi Jinping appeared to have favoured economic adviser Liu He and head of the legislature Li Zhanshu over Li Keqiang, leaving the economist with hardly any influence. Li Keqiang's inability to stop Xi Jinping in this regard is considered by many as one of his main faults. Experts believe it was possible for Li Keqiang to stop Xi Jinping from "subverting" the spirit of the "reform and opening" policy launched in 1978, but he showed little courage, reported Singapore Post. Li's replacement, Li Qiang, is considered a Xi crony, best known for his ruthless imposition of months-long Covid lockdown in Shanghai. This marks China's shift from putting skilled technocrats at the helm to favour those who are closer and more loyal to Xi, reported Singapore Post. (ANI)
Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial will, on April 10, take up the federal government's request to withdraw the "curative review petition" moved by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government against Justice Qazi Faez Isa, Dawn reported. The development comes after Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered the authorities concerned not to pursue the review petition against Justice Qazi Faez Isa. He directed the authorities to withdraw the petition from the Supreme Court. Taking to his official Twitter handle on March 30, Shehbaz Sharif stressed that the curative review petition against Justice Qazi Faez Isa was based on "ill will" and meant to harass the judge. He tweeted, "On my direction, the government has decided to withdraw the Curative Review Petition against senior most Judge of the Supreme Court, Justice Qazi Faez Isa. The Curative Review was based on ill-will & meant to harass & intimidate the honourable Judge at the behest of Imran Niazi." In a statement issued by Pakistan's Prime Minister's Office (PMO), Shehbaz Sharif said that Justice Isa and his family were "harassed and defamed" in the name of the reference, according to the Dawn report. He said that the reference was a nefarious conspiracy to divide the independence of the judiciary. He recalled that his party Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and alliance parties had condemned the move even when they were in the opposition. The former PTI government had pleaded before the apex court that its April 26, 2021 majority judgement in the Justice Qazi Faez Isa review case should not be left in the field for being "manifestly and patently unjust, against the public interest and public good which defeats the judicial accountability", the Dawn reported. On April 26, 2021, the Supreme Court, by a majority of six to four overturned its majority ruling of June 19, 2022. The court had ordered a probe by tax authorities into three foreign properties in the name of the wife and children of Justice Isa, as per the Dawn report. The curative review said the judgement on April 26 had closed the doors of judicial accountability and the accountability of Justice Isa with regard to allegations and information which had come on record, as per the news report. According to the appeal, the majority judgement had diluted the standards of judicial accountability and a shield was provided to the judges of superior courts to hide behind the doctrine of judicial independence only to evade judicial accountability. (ANI)
A Sikh Jatha comprising 1052 pilgrims under the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) will leave from Amritsar for Gurdwara Panja Sahib in Pakistan on Sunday to celebrate Baisakhi. "We received visas for 1052 people. They will also visit Nankana Sahib, Kartarpur Sahib and other Gurdwaras in Pakistan," Partap Singh, Secretary of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee said. He further stated, "It is a matter of great regret that every year the central government does not give visas to many of the pilgrims from Batch who want to go to Pakistan for Guru's place. When they find out got refused their visa. They felt so sad and upset. Government should not be done this." The Secretary of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee also stated that they have appealed to the devotees that the batch will remain under the protocol. "If we talk about Pakistan's economic condition is going on nowadays, we want to help them in some way, but No help was sought from their government," he added. One of the devotees, leaving for Pakistan, Avtar Singh said, "This was our long-time wish. We should go to Pakistan and go to our Gurudawara and place of our Guru and take obeisance and have a glimpse (Darshan) We are going for the first time. We are very excited and very happy." Meanwhile, another devotee said that Last year, they also applied for a visa on Guru Nanak Dev's birthday but at that time the central governmnet didn't issue visas. Due to this, they were very sad and disappointed. One of the devotees requested the government that no one's visa should be refused because every human being has a feeling that they should go to the Guru's place and bow their heads and have a glimpse (darshan). "Appeal to the government that the process of granting visa should be easy and visa on arrival facility should also be there," devotees said. Every year, a large number of Sikh pilgrims from India visit Pakistan to observe various religious festivals and occasions. The visas issued from New Delhi are in addition to the visas granted to Sikh pilgrims participating in these events from other countries. (ANI)
A number of people in Pakistan's Khar area protested on Saturday, alleging that deserving families were denied free wheat flour under the government's scheme, Dawn reported. The demonstration was staged at the Civil Colony of Khar amid sloganeering against the food department, flour mills and dealers. The protesters also demanded a crackdown on flour dealers over the irregularity. The protesters claimed that the Pakistan government's free flour scheme was meant for deserving families, those who really need that commodity, but didn't reach all such people. They added that more than 2,000 bags had gone "missing" from distribution centres in the district during the last two days, according to Dawn. The protesters blamed the irregularity on the district food controller and his subordinates, dealers of free wheat, and flour mills and alleged that political and trader leaders were also involved in the anomaly. They said the dealers with the support of the management of local flour mills and officials of the district food department have deprived several hundred families of needy and poor people of exercising their rights to free wheat flour. The protesters urged the district administration, especially the deputy commissioner, to ensure the provision of free flour to all deserving families in the district. Meanwhile, on Saturday, the residents of Dandai and adjoining village councils in the Shangla district blocked the Karakoram Highway and staged a protest against the "unjust" distribution of free flour under a government scheme, reported Dawn. The call for protest was given by village council members. After blocking the Karakoram Highway, the protesters shouted slogans against the local administration and police. Led by village council members Maulana Yousaf, Ziaullah Swati, Bashirzada, Shakilur Rehman and Mohammad Yehya, the protesters said the administration had designated five flour distribution points for a single union council, Maira, but there was not a single such point for the Dandai union council. Maulana Yousaf complained that scuffles at flour distribution centres had become a routine as the people, including elderly people and women, were made to queue up for long hours in the current month of fasting, Dawn reported. (ANI)
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is likely to receive the funds for the Punjab provincial election by Monday, The News International reported citing sources. The ECP spokesperson also confirmed that they still have not received the funds. The Election Commission has demanded 21 billion rupees from the government for the elections in Punjab and the Supreme Court has ordered the Finance Ministry to give the funds to the Election Commission by April 10. Earlier, on November 30 2022, the Economic Coordination Committee approved the Election Commission's demand of 15 billion out of 47 billion which was not for the general election. Previously, the Supreme Court announced the verdict on the delay in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa elections case. The apex court ordered elections in Punjab on May 14 and declared the Election Commission of Pakistan's March 22 decision to delay polls till Oct 28 as void, according to The News International. On April 5, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) announced May 14 as the revised date for the Punjab Assembly polls, the Dawn reported. The decision came after the Pakistan Supreme Court's (directives that the elections be held on May 14 instead of the previously notified date of October 8. The revised schedule was issued in a notification which cited the Supreme Court's order in response to a petition filed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) against the ECP's decision to postpone the elections in Punjab from the originally decided date of April 30 to October 8. According to the Dawn, elections to the Punjab Assembly have been due since January this year when the house was dissolved. In early March, the ECP had proposed that the elections be held between April 30 and May 7 and subsequently, President Arif Alvi accepted the commission's recommendations by setting April 30 as the date for the polls. The date was officially notified by the electoral watchdog on March 8, but it was later deferred to October 8 in another notification issued by the ECP on March 22, as per the Dawn. The commission in the latest notification issued today said it was recalling its March 22 notification and partially modifying the March 8 notification. Under the revised schedule, the last date for the filing of appeals against the decisions of the returning officer rejecting or accepting the candidates' nomination papers has been set as April 10. The appellate tribunal can decide these appeals by April 17 and a revised list of candidates has to be issued by April 18. The last date for the withdrawal of candidature and the publication of another revised list of candidates has been set as April 19, following which symbols have to be assigned to candidates by April 20, according to the Dawn. The elections, in line with the SC's directives, are to be held on May 14. (ANI)
In the judgement, Civil judge Syed Mohammad Zahid Termizi passed a preliminary decree of USD 2.48 million in favour of the local company.

In 2001, CNPC came to Pakistan as a service provider to exploration and production companies in the fields of rigs and drilling. In the first decade of 21st century, Pakistan was deemed a great potential for exploration and production companies and saw a great influx of foreign companies.

But with great influx associates, comes greater competition and CNPC found it difficult to establish and generate business with such foreign competitive companies, reported the Dawn.

Considering the need of time and to get a necessary headstart, CNPC entered into an agreement with the local company to help procure drilling works for CNPC against a commission for each work procured in favour of CNPC.

From its inception to date, CNPC with the help of the local company, procured drilling contracts and was able to maintain its operation in Pakistan, now comprising over two decades.

The local company petitioned before the court against the alleged violation contractual obligations by CNPC, reported Dawn. (ANI)
Some farmers in different provinces of Afghanistan have raised concerns over drought and are not getting the desired yield from their crops, TOLO News reported. Farmers said they fear a fall in their crops like in previous years in regions that are vulnerable to drought. Officials from the Taliban-led Agriculture and Irrigation Ministry have expressed hope that farmers will get rid of drought after the recent rains in Afghanistan, as per the news report. Misbahuhddin Mustaeen, a spokesman for the Taliban-led ministry said that they have prepared for an emergency situation due to drought in Afghanistan. "Droughts are increasing worldwide, but after recent rains in the country, it gave us hope that we would be less vulnerable to this compared to the past," TOLO News quoted Musbahuhddin Mustaeen as saying. Meanwhile, Astashan, a farmer, said wells have been drying up for the past two years and they have not received any help. Ghulam Ali, a farmer called last year's drought "too much" and added that they were unable to irrigate their land even after 25 days. "Neither from the dam nor from the sea, there is no water for us. Wells have been drying for the past two years, and we are vulnerable. Nobody is helping us," TOLO News quoted Astashan as saying. The Taliban-led Chamber of Agriculture and Irrigation has termed the lack of water management in recent years as one of the reasons for the increase in drought in Afghanistan. Merwis Haji Zada, deputy of the Chamber of Agriculture and Irrigation, said Afghanistan will not face drought if Qosh Tepa Canal, Kamal Khan Dam, and Kunar Water Canal are built according to standards. According to the chamber's information, Afghanistan receives up to 80 billion cubic meters of water annually from rain and snowfall and its annual usage of water reaches 25 billion cubic meters, according to TOLO News report. Earlier in March, Afghanistan sought help from the United Nations (UN) amid rising concerns about drought in the war-stricken country, asking the UN to provide storage facilities for wheat, TOLOnews reported. As per the news report, the Taliban-led Chamber of Agriculture and Livestock has urged the UN to help Afghanistan regarding the same and said that it will in turn help the war-torn nation boost its economy. (ANI)
KHARTOUM, April 9 (Xinhua) -- Sudan on Sunday called on South Sudan to activate the joint mechanisms between the two countries to achieve peace and stability in the disputed Abyei border region.

Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, deputy chairman of Sudan's Transitional Sovereign Council, made the appeal when addressing the meeting of the Abyei Joint Oversight Committee (AJOC) between Sudan and South Sudan here today.

Dagalo stressed the need for continued coordination and cooperation between Sudan and South Sudan for trust-building and exchanging of views on how to provide a solid basis for a final solution to the Abyei issue.

"Despite the critical conditions Sudan is passing through, convening this meeting was a priority given the sensitivity of the region's issue and the suffering of the region's population," he said.

"The joint mechanisms must be activated together with creating a conducive environment to contribute to enhancing security, development and stability for the benefit of the communities in the region," Dagalo said.

He urged the international community to provide more cooperation and to play a role that goes beyond humanitarian aid to the implementation of development projects in the region.

Sudan and South Sudan are disputing the oil-rich Abyei region on the border, which represents one of the biggest obstacles hindering the settlement of differences between the two countries.

In 2011, the UN Security Council established the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei to monitor the Abyei border. 
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is unlikely to receive the funds for holding polls in Punjab till tomorrow (April 10), as per the order of the Supreme Court in last week's verdict in the provincial elections delay case, Geo News wrote quoting sources. The ECP spokesperson also confirmed that the electoral body had not yet received the funds. Meanwhile, the sources within the government said that the possibility of the electoral body getting funds by April 10 was low as no meeting of the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) has been scheduled so far, Geo News reported. However, the prime minister can approve funds after the cabinet greenlights the budget in a summary moved through circulation. It may be noted that the finance minister and finance secretary will have to be answerable before the SC in case of non-provision of funds under a contempt of court case, Geo News reported. On April 4, the top court directed the Finance Ministry to release Pakistani Rupees 21 billion to the ECP by April 10 for polls in Punjab, as per the election commission's demand. The apex court had ordered elections in Punjab on May 14 and declared the ECP's March 22 decision to delay polls till October 28 as null and void. The decision had been announced by a three-member bench led by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Geo News reported. The verdict was supposed to be a way out of the ongoing political and constitutional crisis but further deepened it as the government rejected the Supreme Court decision. The ruling coalition is on the warpath with the SC after a three-judge bench unanimously declared as unconstitutional the ECP's order to delay the elections in Punjab. Besides rejecting the verdict, the government has also demanded the CJP's resignation and the formation of a full court, a demand that the top court had ignored earlier as well, to hear the case of polls date for Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Geo News reported. Moreover, the National Assembly passed a resolution rejecting the three-member Supreme Court bench's "minority" verdict on the Punjab elections. It made it binding on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his cabinet not to implement the decision. (ANI)
The son, according to details, opened fire at his 60-year-old father near the Mahmoodabad Railway track in the limits of Mahmoodabad police station, Karachi. The victim has been identified as Salah Anwar.

The victim's body has been transferred to Jinnah Hospital for further action.

According to police, the accused managed to escape from the scene after the incident, but raids are being carried out at various places for his arrest, ARY News reported.

Police officials quoted a preliminary investigation as saying that Anwar's relations with his sons were not 'good' from the past year and a half after he divorced his wife.

The victim and the accused, according to the police, were living in separate houses in the same neighbourhood, and several petitions were received at police station regarding their dispute before the gruesome murder.

On November 3, a man in Karachi murdered father and son over the alleged theft of his wifi password.

Qasim threatened the victims, Farooq and his younger son, Haris over alleged theft of his WiFi password and internet service. Haris was a graduate student at Karachi University while his father, Farooq worked at a Steel Mill, ARY News reported.

Business Brecorder recently reported that amid the depreciation of the value of Pakistani rupee, street crime increased in Pakistan, especially in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad.

The rise in street crime is a symptom of a deeper malaise in Pakistan's society, stemming from growing inequality, poverty and unemployment.

In Pakistan, there are some gangs that are becoming unchallenged. For instance, Karachi, the country's largest urban centre, where some statistics claim the rate of street crime has come down from its peak some years back. But it is there nonetheless. (ANI)
Beijing performed "simulated coordinated precision strikes on important targets in Taiwan" on the second day of the drills, adding to the ongoing tense situation between Taiwan and China, Al Jazeera reported on Sunday. The drills kickstarted on Saturday (April 8) right after Taiwan President Tsai Ing-Wen returned from the US where she met House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a meeting to which China strictly showed opposition to. Al Jazeera reported that the declaration was made on Sunday as Taiwan's defence ministry said that it had discovered numerous Chinese air force sorties and was keeping an eye on Beijing's missile forces. Taiwan on Saturday tracked 71 Chinese military aircraft and nine naval ships by 4 pm, reported Taiwan News. The Ministry of National Defense (MND) said that it included 45 planes which either crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait or entered Taiwan's air defence identification zone (ADIZ) from the southwest. This comes after Beijing announced three days of military exercises around Taiwan on Friday, the day after President Tsai Ing-wen returned to Taipei from Los Angeles, where she met with US House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Meanwhile, Taiwan also lodged a protest against Chinese military drills around Taiwan, saying that the country would not yield to threats. Taking to Twitter, Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence said, "#Taiwan is our homeland, and no matter where we go or what we encounter, she is always charming and beautiful. Every story on this land is etched in our memories. We, #ROCArmedForces, are fighting with all our heart to defend our homeland and to protect our home together." Taiwan has never been governed by the Chinese Communist Party, but Beijing claims it is part of its territory and seeks "peaceful reunification" with Taiwan. Tensions between China and Taiwan escalated after the US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi travelled to the breakaway country in August last year. China raised objections to Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, which China claims as part of its territory.
Following the end of World War II, a series of trials known as the Nuremberg trials were held in Nuremberg, Germany, between 1945 and 1946. The International Military Tribunal indicted and tried former Nazi leaders for their actions as war criminals.

Before going to the courts, Ferencz participated in combat in Europe during the Second World War and assisted in the liberation of various concentration camps.

According to CNN, Benjamin Ferencz at 27 years of age, was named Chief Prosecutor for Nuremberg's Einsatzgruppen trial, trying 22 Nazis for crimes against humanity.

Nuremberg is the second-largest city of the German state of Bavaria after its capital Munich.

After Germany was conquered in 1945, the allies held the Nuremberg trials in an effort to prosecute Nazis for crimes committed during World War II.

While the Einsatzgruppen trial was his first legal proceeding, Benjamin Ferencz was able to conclude the case in just two days thanks to evidence he found perfectly preserved and documented in the Nazi headquarters, CNN reported.

The death of Ferencz, who had lived in the United States, at age of 27 secured guilty verdicts against 22 Nazis for war crimes.

His death was also confirmed by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington.

"Today the world lost a leader in the quest for justice for victims of genocide and related crimes. We mourn the death of Ben Ferencz--the last Nuremberg war crimes prosecutor. At age 27, with no prior trial experience, he secured guilty verdicts against 22 Nazis," the museum tweeted. (ANI)
The recent incident of an educationist losing his life in a tribal feud in Pakistan serves as a reminder of the growing tribal violence, according to a report in Pakistan based The Express Tribune newspaper. As per The Express Tribune, this unfortunate event, which was sparked between two tribes of Sindh's Kandhkot, underscores the urgent need to address the issue of tribal feuds. Tribal feuds have long been a persistent problem in the rural areas of Pakistan, where conflicts are often resolved through violence, resulting in loss of life, property and social stability. These feuds are typically fueled by historical, cultural and personal grievances that are deeply ingrained in the social fabric of the regions. Consequences can escalate rapidly, perpetuating a cycle of violence that spans generations, leaving indelible scars on upcoming generations. Education, often hailed as a catalyst for progress and development, should never be caught in the crossfire of such feuds. A pivotal role is played by educationists and scholars in shaping the minds of future generations, imparting knowledge, promoting critical thinking and fostering tolerance and understanding. Educational curricula should incorporate lessons on conflict resolution, mediation and peaceful coexistence to equip students with the skills needed to navigate complex social dynamics. The loss of such professionals is a tragic setback, not only for their families and community but also for society at large, The Express Tribune reported. A multifaceted approach is required to effectively address tribal feuds which includes addressing the underlying causes of conflicts through dialogue, trust building and fostering reconciliation among warring parties. According to The Express Tribune, the approach should also involve providing access to education, economic empowerment and social integration to prevent the perpetuation of intergenerational feuds. The deep rural-urban divide also remains a significant factor that needs to be addressed. Simultaneously, it is equally essential to strengthen law enforcement and hold those responsible for inciting violence accountable. (ANI)
Israel launched strikes against Syrian military targets after several rockets were fired from Syria, CNN wrote citing the Israeli military after a militant group fired six rockets into the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. A total of six rockets were launched from Syria towards Israel, and three crossed into Israeli territory, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said. One of the rockets landed in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, CNN reported. So far the IDF has not reported any damage in Israeli territory, CNN reported. It is the latest flare-up after Israel struck Palestinian militant targets in southern Lebanon and Gaza early Friday in response to dozens of rockets fired from Lebanon into Israeli territory. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that it had begun striking targets in Syrian territory after the rockets were launched. "A short while ago, IDF fighter jets struck additional targets in Syrian territory, including a military compound of the Fourth Division of the Syrian Armed Forces, military radars systems and artillery posts used by the Syrian Armed Forces," the IDF said in a statement early on Sunday local time. The strikes by the fighter jets followed earlier IDF strikes on Syrian territory using a UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle or drone), which targeted the launchers thought to have fired the rockets, CNN reported. The IDF said it "sees the state of Syria responsible for all activities occurring within its territory and will not allow any attempts to violate Israeli sovereignty." Syria said it had responded to "Israeli air attacks in the southern part of the country," and claimed to have intercepted "some Israeli missiles." "Around 5 AM today, the Israeli enemy carried out an air attack with a number of missiles from the direction of the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, targeting some points in the southern region," Syrian state media agency SANA quoted a Syrian military source as saying. According to SANA, the military source added that Syrian air defences had "intercepted the aggressors' missiles and shot down some of them." Israel seized the Golan Heights from Syria during the 1967 Six-Day War and annexed the narrow strip of land in 1981. The Golan Heights is considered occupied territory under international law and UN Security Council resolutions, CNN reported. The rocket launches come amid heightened tensions in the region following Israeli police raids on the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem. Israeli police raids of the mosque are considered by Muslims as a major provocation. Israeli police raided the mosque twice on Wednesday last week, claiming that "hundreds of rioters and mosque desecrators (had) barricaded themselves" inside. On Saturday night, the Israeli police again alleged, "Many youngsters entered the mosque and closed the doors, for no reason." Israel's neighbour Jordan warned of "catastrophic consequences" if Israeli forces were to storm the mosque again, CNN reported. Should the Israeli police, "assault worshipers again, in an attempt to empty [the mosque] of worshipers, in preparation for major incursions into the mosque," it would, "push the situation towards more tension and violence, for which everyone will pay the price," the Jordanian Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Ambassador Sinan al-Majali, said in a statement late on Saturday local time. "The Israeli government bears responsibility for the escalation in Jerusalem and in all the occupied Palestinian territories and for the deterioration that will worsen if it does not stop its incursions into the holy al-Aqsa mosque... and its terrorization of worshipers in these blessed days," al-Majali said. The warning from Jordan was followed by a statement from the Israeli Foreign Ministry early on Sunday, saying that people who "barricade themselves inside [the al-Aqsa mosque] are a dangerous mob, radicalized and incited by Hamas and other terror organizations." The Israeli Foreign Ministry called on Jordan's Waqf guards, "to immediately remove from the al-Aqsa Mosque these extremists who are planning to riot (on Sunday) during Muslim prayers on the Temple Mount and the Priestly Blessing at the Western Wall." The Waqf is the Jordan-appointed body that manages the al-Aqsa mosque compound, known as the Temple Mount by Jews. (ANI)
Police in US' Delaware are searching for the gunman after three people were shot, five others were injured in a shooting at the Christiana mall on Saturday, Fox News reported. Delaware State Police doesn't believe the shooting was a random act. Investigators say an argument began at the mall's food court between multiple suspects and at least one of the victims. As a result of the incident, three people were shot and five others were injured. The police are yet to confirm how many suspects they are searching for, though they say there is no threat to the public at this time. Jim Harmon one of the gunshot victims said he was waiting for his food to be ready when the gunfire began. "We heard like seven or eight shots, 'Bam! Bam! Bam! Everybody started running," Harmon told Action News, Fox News reported. According to Harmon, his injury is not life-threatening. "I felt something graze off my shoulder. It's not bad, but it's ok," he said. After the shooting occurred, many shoppers were told to hide in stores. Officers who first responded to the incident told residents to run and hide while they sought out the shooter and swept the building. The Christiana Mall, located in Newark, Delaware, is the largest shopping mall in the state, attracting many due to the state's lack of sales tax. Police evacuated the mall on Saturday evening, and it remains closed for Easter Sunday. Authorities have said residents can stop by to pick up any personal belongings they may have left in the complex, however. Police have encouraged any residents who may have information about the shooting to come forward, according to Fox News. (ANI)
Hundreds of christians held mass prayers to mark the Easter Sunday celebrations in Nepal. They also marched on the street rallying through various locations of Kathmandu in order to mark the occasion. Regarded as the resurrection day, the mass celebration was attended by Christians from Bhaktapur, Lalitpur and Kathmandu district at Bhrikutimandap in Kathmandu. "We organized a peace march and before the sunrise prayers were held at respective Churches this morning. Also, the followers of this religion gather at the Church on early morning, exchange greetings and set off on peace march. Along with there's the tradition of giving donation to the needy," Mohan Sharma, a pastor at a local church of Kathmandu told ANI. The rally organized on Sunday morning carried placards chanting slogans, singing and dancing on the street. Easter Sunday is celebrated with the belief that Jesus was resurrected on the 3rd day after he was crucified. According to the Bible, two thousand years ago, on Friday, Jesus was crucified on the hill of Jerusalem, and on the third day after that, he was resurrected and that day was Sunday. Easter Sunday is also considered the day of Jesus' resurrection, which is also why it is mentioned that Jesus was resurrected on Easter Sunday and lived for another 40 days. During this time, it is said that he taught his followers, and then went to heaven. In an event that has become one of its kind that the Christians of Nepal have come out onto the street and gathered to celebrate the festival. "For about three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic we held prayers in our Church adhering the restrictions. Before the pandemic also we marked the festival at various districts but this year- after a gap of about 5 years we are here to celebrate the festival together," another pastor David Dahal told ANI. According to the National Christian Federation, there are more than 14 thousand churches and more than 3 million Christians in Nepal. (ANI)
The federal cabinet of Pakistan has decided to take up the matter of providing funds to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in Parliament for holding Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa elections, The Tribune reported. The decision was taken after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired a cabinet meeting on Sunday to deal with the current political and constitutional crises in the country. The Supreme Court last week directed the federal government to provide PKR 21 billion in funds by April 10 to the ECP, directing the electoral body to present a report on the issue by April 11, The Tribune reported. The verdict also said that the Supreme Court will issue instructions to the authorities concerned in case the funds are not provided. Despite the court's order, the federal cabinet instead opted for debating the matter in Parliament before approving and issuing funds for the provincial elections, Tribune wrote quoting sources. The huddle also held legal consultations and discussed the coalition government's strategy in view of the Supreme Court's April 4 verdict ordering elections in Punjab on May 14. The cabinet also deliberated on tabling the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Bill, 2023, which aims to curtail the powers of the Chief Justice of Pakistan to take suo motu notice and constitute benches on his own, in the joint session of Parliament for approval as President Arif Alvi has returned it for reconsideration without signing it, The Tribune reported. In this regard, the prime minister has summoned another federal cabinet meeting Monday at 10 am at the Parliament House in Islamabad. Moreover, the federal cabinet also approved the decisions taken by the National Security Committee (NSC) in its meeting on Friday. The high-level huddle had decided to launch a comprehensive operation against terrorists, as the country's civil and military leadership virtually issued a charge sheet against the previous government and the establishment for allowing the banned TTP to regroup, The Tribune reported. The federal cabinet meeting took place as the coalition government faces off with the judiciary following the Supreme Court's ruling that directed the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to hold elections in Punjab on May 14. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has claimed that the PDM coalition government called the NSC meeting in an attempt to use national security as a pretext for the postponement of elections. He said that the government brought in an "unconstitutional bill" on the apex court, and a National Assembly resolution against the judiciary. Earlier, the National Assembly had passed a resolution declaring that parliament rejected the SC verdict regarding the election in Punjab, The Tribune reported. The lawmakers, in the resolution, had also barred the prime minister and the federal cabinet from implementing the decision while urging the top court to form a full court to review the "rewriting" of the Constitution under Article 63-A. (ANI)
As Afghan females continue to suffer under Taliban's hardline regime, religious clerics of the country have called upon the Taliban to ensure access of educational opportunities, TOLOnews reported. The hijab shouldn't be used as a justification to prohibit women from receiving an education, according to Abdul Sami Ghaznavi, a lecturer at the Central Jihadi Madrasa, and teaching women is one of the responsibilities of the Islamic government, the Afghan news agency reported. "Education is not a problem in the eyes of Sharia. Mohammadullah Mohsen, another religious cleric, stated that Islam necessitates that we comprehend and receive education." Meanwhile, once more, female students requested from the current administration that schools be opened for them. "There has been no word about the opening of our schools this year, just like last year. We are surrounded by uncertainty," explained student Maryam, according to TOLOnews. "Under any conditions offered by the current government, all Afghan girls are prepared to continue their studies. It is enough that they open the doors of the schools to us as soon as possible," another student Fawzia said. Since 15 August 2021, the de facto authorities have barred girls from attending secondary school, restricted women and girls' freedom of movement, excluded women from most areas of the workforce and banned women from using parks, gyms, and public bath houses. Moreover, time and again the UN Security Council has expressed concern over the Taliban's decision to ban girls from attending school above the sixth grade in Afghanistan. These restrictions culminate with the confinement of Afghan women and girls to the four walls of their homes. (ANI)
Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen addresses the groundbreaking ceremony of North Point Medical College and Hospital (NPMCH), a China-Bangladesh joint venture medical college and hospital, in Panchagarh, Bangladesh, April 8, 2023. The construction of a China-Bangladesh joint venture medical college and hospital started formally in northern Bangladesh on Saturday. (Xinhua)

PANCHAGARH, Bangladesh, April 9 (Xinhua) -- The construction of a China-Bangladesh joint venture medical college and hospital started formally in northern Bangladesh on Saturday.

Laying the foundation stone for North Point Medical College and Hospital (NPMCH), Bangladeshi Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi expressed hope that the hospital would be an exemplary health sector project, benefiting people from the country and in the region.

With an investment of 25 billion Bangladeshi takas (around 250 million U.S. dollars), this medical college and hospital "is one of the largest health sector foreign investment projects in Bangladesh," Munshi told Xinhua on the project site in Bangladesh's northern Panchagarh district, 468 km away from the capital Dhaka.

"I believe that the joint venture hospital will develop into a model project, encouraging other industries," said Munshi, thanking China's support for Bangladesh's mega infrastructure development.

Speaking at the ceremony, Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen said he felt proud that Chinese nationals and companies paid high attention to the health care of Bangladesh people, as nothing is closer to people's hearts than healing the dying and wounded.

The Chinese Embassy in Bangladesh will extend full cooperation in establishing the medical college and hospital, which would pave the way for creating employment and development of infrastructure and other facilities in the region.

He said Chinese investments in Bangladesh have so far created 1 million job opportunities in the country.

Mazharul Haque Prodhan, member of parliament from Panchagarh, said they believe that the construction of the NPMCH would benefit the locals in terms of employment, infrastructure and other facilities.

Md Taufiq Hasan, project director of the NPMCH, told Xinhua that the project would employ 3,000 people directly and thousands of others indirectly by bringing in health sector veterans worldwide.

The NPMCH project's Bangladeshi partner, managing director HM Jahangir Alam Rana, told Xinhua that the NPMCH is aimed to deliver advanced tertiary-level medical care of international standards to the people of Bangladesh.

The hospital will start operation in the first phase and the medical college in the second phase of the project, he said.

He said the joint venture sends a very strong signal to Chinese investors that they are welcome to invest in Bangladesh where the potential is tremendous and projects are profitable. 

Bangladeshi Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi addresses the groundbreaking ceremony of North Point Medical College and Hospital (NPMCH), a China-Bangladesh joint venture medical college and hospital, in Panchagarh, Bangladesh, April 8, 2023. The construction of a China-Bangladesh joint venture medical college and hospital started formally in northern Bangladesh on Saturday. (Xinhua)

This photo taken on April 8, 2023 shows a scene of the groundbreaking ceremony of North Point Medical College and Hospital (NPMCH), a China-Bangladesh joint venture medical college and hospital, in Panchagarh, Bangladesh. The construction of a China-Bangladesh joint venture medical college and hospital started formally in northern Bangladesh on Saturday. (Xinhua)
As per the details, the Sikh pilgrims will participate in the main event at Gurdwara Panja Sahib Hasan Abdal on April 14. During the visit, the pilgrims will visit Dera Sahib, Panja Sahib, Nankana Sahib and Kartarpur Sahib.

Evacuee Trust Property Board Additional Secretary Rana Shahid welcomed the Sikh brothers and said, "All arrangements related to clean drinking water, clean washrooms, trains, sitting arrangements and security have been made available for the Sikh yatrees," Geo News wrote quoting a private news channel.

"After attending the main ceremony at the Gurdwara Panja Sahib (Hasanabdal), the pilgrims would also visit Nankana Sahib and other places", he added.

A Sikh delegate commented that they were very happy to come to Pakistan as its people give a message of brotherhood by promoting peace in the subcontinent.

"The arrangements made by the Pakistan government for us are impressive," another delegate said.

Sikh pilgrims will leave for India on April 18 after performing religious rituals.

It should be remembered that every year, a large number of Sikh pilgrims from India visit Pakistan to participate in various religious festivals and events.

On the occasion of Baisakhi celebrations, the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi issued 2,856 visas to Sikh pilgrims from India to participate in the annual festival scheduled to be held in Pakistan from April 9 to 18.

The issuance of visas is covered under the framework of the 'Pakistan-India Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines of 1974'. (ANI)
According to reports cited by ARY News on Sunday, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has chosen to reject the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Bill 2023, which seeks to limit the chief justice of Pakistan's (CJP) suo motu powers of office. In the meantime, the PTI's parliamentary party has been asked to convene tomorrow at 3 pm (Monday). Senator Shehzad Wasim will serve as the meeting's moderator. PTI Chairman Imran Khan has reportedly directed senators from his party to attend the joint session of Parliament, ARY News reported citing sources. Members of both houses of Parliament will attend the meeting, which will draught a plan for the joint session. According to the new law, three senior Supreme Court judges would decide whether to issue a suo motu notice (SC). The measure also has a provision allowing for the right of appeal against the ruling, which could be made within 30 days and scheduled for a hearing within two weeks. The Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Bill 2023, which restricted the chief justice's individual suo motu authority, had been returned on Saturday by Pakistan President Arif Alvi. Days after receiving the bill for approval and amid raucous opposition from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers, the president referred the bill back to the parliament for reconsideration in accordance with the requirements of Article 75 of the Constitution, reported ARY News. The measure also has a provision allowing for the right of appeal against the ruling, which could be made within 30 days and scheduled for a hearing within two weeks. It further said that in a suo motu proceeding, the party shall be permitted to switch attorneys. The issue will be brought up before a judges' committee in accordance with Article 184. A five-member committee will be formed after the case has been reviewed by the committee in order to interpret the constitution in any way, ARY News reported. The law will be applied to all decisions made by the Supreme Court and high courts. (ANI)
Israel is in the midst of a challenging security situation that is complicated on several fronts, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the heads of Gaza border communities in a Sunday afternoon call, the Jerusalem Post reported. In the call, Netanyahu stressed the final word has not yet been said, promising the local council heads, whose residents last week suffered barrages of rockets from the Gaza Strip, that issues with protective infrastructure in the area will be addressed. The past weekend has seen a worrying rise in the amount of terror-based crime across Israel, with 23 terror incidents recorded throughout the weekend, Maariv reported. This is in contrast to four incidents recorded last weekend, the Jerusalem Post reported. In addition, the IDF conducted airstrikes in the Damascus area early Sunday morning after six rockets were fired in two waves toward the Golan Heights overnight, following earlier waves of rockets from Lebanon and the Strip. Israel can't compromise on settlers' security, West Bank council heads tell Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. Israel's government must not compromise on the security of Israelis in settlements across the West Bank, 14 heads of local councils in the Judea and Samaria region told Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich in a Saturday evening discussion, the Jerusalem Post reported. "We will not allow compromising on the security of 500,000 residents," the Yesha council members said. "Now is the time to increase settlement across Judea and Samaria, including taking actual, immediate steps" to achieve that, they told Smotrich. Smotrich agreed to several demands made by the local council heads, including the establishment of checkpoints near settlements, the launch of an operation to collect stolen weaponry used by terrorist organizations and actions to improve the infrastructure and construction of settlements. (ANI)
The exchange of fire between security forces and terrorists took place on Saturday in the Razmak area of the North Waziristan district. Arms and ammunition were also recovered from the killed terrorist.

In the general area of Karama in the South Waziristan District of Pakistan, the second encounter took place.

One terrorist was killed during the exchange of gunfire, and Naik Fazal Janan, a 32-year-old soldier from district Hangu in the Kohat Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, was also killed, ARY News reported.

"Security forces remain determined to eliminate the menace of terrorism, and such sacrifices of brave soldiers only further strengthen their resolve," the ISPR added, according to ARY News.

Such incidents of terrorism are on surge in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region of Pakistan due to deteriorated law and order. Last month as well, a Pakistan Army soldier was reportedly killed during a firefight with terrorists in the vicinity of the Mir Ali North Waziristan district, according to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). (ANI)
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior leader and Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal on Sunday said that general elections should be held across Pakistan at the same time in October 2023, Pakistan-based Geo News reported. The Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM)-led government will complete its five-year constitutional term in August this year. The PML-N leader while addressing a ceremony in Narowal, said that the federal and provincial elections should be held at the same time in the country. He added that there will be issues in early elections in Punjab and it will be equivalent to weakening the federation as the country is witnessing a constitutional and political crisis, according to Geo News. The federal minister said PTI Chairman Imran Khan has become a symbol of anarchy and has pushed the country towards destruction. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Wednesday announced that the elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will be held on October 8, the same date as Punjab's polls, Geo News reported. Pakistan's electoral body said that the election schedule will be issued in due course of time, as per the news report. In a notification, the ECP said, "...the Election Commission of Pakistan notifies October 8, 2023, as the poll date for the General Elections to the Provincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The Election Programme for election under Section 57(2) of the Elections Act, 2017 will be issued in due course of time." Earlier, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor had proposed May 28 as the date for the elections. Citing security concerns, he later called on the election commission to hold elections on October 8. (ANI)
Dubai [UAE], April 10 (ANI/WAM): Gulf Islamic Investments (GII) announced its contribution of AED 10 million towards the "1 Billion Meals Endowment" campaign, launched by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to establish the largest Ramadan sustainable food aid endowment fund. GII pledged to donate AED 10 million over a period of 5 years to help implement sustainable measures to fight and eradicate hunger within an institutional framework, as well as provide a food safety net for underprivileged populations. Mohammed Al Hassan and Pankaj Gupta, GII's co-Founders and co-CEOs, said, "The "1 Billion Meals Endowment" campaign represents a major shift in charity and humanitarian efforts in the UAE, fighting hunger through a sustainable food aid endowment fund operating within an institutional model. This approach adopts informed plans to provide aid to tens of millions of people struggling with food insecurity. "Joining the list of contributors to the campaign during the holy month of Ramadan reflects GII's commitment to supporting UAE's charity initiatives that leave a positive impression in the present and for the future, further highlighting the UAE's leading humanitarian role," they added. Organized by Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives to coincide with the holy month of Ramadan, the "1 Billion Meals Endowment" campaign establishes the UAE's unwavering commitment towards helping communities and individuals in need and hardship around the world. 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 campaign's website (www.1billionmeals.ae), as well as a dedicated call center 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. (ANI/WAM)
Laura Prepon. KMazur/WireImage and Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images

Celebrities change up their looks all the time, including dyeing their hair.

These celebrities might not be known as redheads but, naturally, they all are.

Nicole Kidman has been a sleek blonde for years, but she naturally has curly red hair.

Benedict Cumberbatch dyed his hair darker for his roles in "Sherlock" and "Dr. Strange," but his hair is naturally red.

Cumberbatch in 2005 and 2013. Dave Benett/Getty Images and Jason Merritt/Getty Images

Cumberbatch first dyed his hair darker for his role in the BBC adaptation of "Sherlock."

"It's been dyed quite a bit darker. I'm auburn and that's just not right for Sherlock. He's a creature of the night. He's got a dark, sociopathic side to him," he told Esquire in 2010.

Nicole Kidman has been a blonde for the past few years, but she got her start with her natural auburn hair.

Nicole Kidman in 1989 and 2019. Eric Robert/Sygma/Sygma via Getty Images and Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images

Her hair is also naturally much curlier than it typically is now.

Laura Prepon has had dark hair for years because of "Orange Is the New Black," but she rocked her red hair in "That '70s Show."

Prepon in 2001 and 2015. KMazur/WireImage and Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images

Prepon has also tried out being a blonde a few times, notably in "October Road," "Are You There, Chelsea?" and the last season of "That '70s Show."

Michael Fassbender frequently dyes his hair for roles.

Michael Fassbender in 2019 and 2012. Getty Images

In a 2011 interview with Pop Sugar, Fassbender explained that he doesn't particularly enjoy dyeing his hair other colors because, in his own words, gingers have more fun.

Seth Green has had almost every hair color under the sun, but he's a natural ginger.

Green in 2006 and 2003. Richard Lewis/FilmMagic and J. Vespa/WireImage/Getty Images

In "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" alone, Green rocked red, brown, and black hair across his various appearances on the show.

"At first I started dyeing my hair because I could never do it in high school," he told SF Gate in 2001. "I thought, 'What the hell?'"

Catherine O'Hara has been blonde during her run on "Schitt's Creek," but before that she kept her natural hue.

O'Hara in 1994 and 2019. Ron Galella, Ltd/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images and Amy Sussman/Getty Images

Before she was playing the Rose family matriarch Moira, O'Hara was well known for her roles in '80s and '90s films "Home Alone" and "Beetlejuice," in which she has her natural auburn hair.

Ewan McGregor has dyed his hair darker for roles before, and he has even shaved his head for parts.

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McGregor in 2012 and 2015. Jason Merritt/Getty Images and Kevin Winter/Getty Images

McGregor has dabbled with many different styles and colors throughout his decades-long career.

Bridget Regan has switched back and forth between her natural red and dyed black hair.

Regan in 2014 and 2015. Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images and Angela Weiss/Getty Images

Regan first dyed her hair for her role in the 2008 fantasy series "Legend of the Seeker."

"They dyed it once I moved to New Zealand and they chemically straightened it, and I was like, 'Who am I?' It was like a good week of catching myself in the mirror going 'Ha.' But it was definitely right for the role, and I knew that going into it," she told TV Equals in 2009.

Lucas Hedges had naturally reddish hair growing up, but he dyed it for different roles.

Hedges in 2016 and 2018. GP Images/WireImages and Charles Sykes/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

Hedges revealed that he dyed his hair for the movie "Honey Boy," written by Shia LeBeouf.

"I had different colored contact lenses and they dyed my hair. I felt like I lost my mind a bit, but I felt a new kind of freedom," he told the Evening Standard in 2019.

Charles Dance rocks his gray hair these days, but he used to have red hair.

Dance in 2001 and 2017. Yui Mok - PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images and David M Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images

The screen legend has been acting since the '70s on TV and in movies, so it's no wonder we've seen the natural progression of his hair.

Noel Fisher switches back and forth between his "Shameless" black hue and his natural red.

Fisher in 2016 and 2014. Jason LaVeris/Getty Images and Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Fisher is most famous for his role as Mickey Milkovich on "Shameless," but he doesn't get to wear his natural shade.

"Actually, I am also a ginger. It's not quite the level of ['Shameless' costar Cam Monaghan's] but it's definitely got a whole lot of fire in it," Fisher told Logo in 2015.

Bryce Dallas Howard has switched up her hair, but just like dad Ron Howard, she's a natural redhead.

Bryce Dallas Howard. Donato Sardella/WireImage/Getty Images; Rodin Eckenroth/FilmMagic/Getty Images

You might've first gotten familiar with Howard when she was platinum blonde in "Spider-Man 3"  she played Gwen Stacy in the 2007 film.

However, she's a natural redhead, just like her father, director Ron Howard.

"I'm used to growing up in a family where we were all redheads," she said during a March appearance on "Conan." "We're not really built for planet Earth. We go outside once, and then we spend the next five years in the dermatologist's office getting things lasered off."

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A man was arrested for allegedly stabbing another person in Richmond, Indiana, Saturday night.

>> TRENDING: 2 Wisconsin police officers, shooting suspect killed in gunfire following traffic stop

Richmond police were dispatched to the 500 block of NW L Street at around 10:50 p.m. on reports of an assault, a spokesperson for the department stated.

When officers arrived, they discovered a man suffering from a stab wound, the spokesperson continued. The man was subsequently transported to Reid Health, then to Miami Valley Hospital via a medical helicopter for further treatment. The severity of his condition was not made available during the time of reporting.

The victim was a 38-year-old man. More information about him, including his name, was not released in order to maintain his privacy during this difficult time.

William Barker, 38, however, was named as the suspect. He was arrested and transported to Wayne County Jail for Aggravated Battery, a Level 3 Felony, the spokesperson informed.

His cash bond was set to $375,000, according to the Wayne County Jail inmate roster website.

Richmond police reassured that this stabbing was not connected to another Aggravated Battery incident that occurred about 50 minutes before in the 400 block of North 16th Street.

During North 16th Street incident, officers found a 29-year-old man suffering from multiple wounds, the spokespersons said. He was transported to Reid Health, then to Miami Valley Hospital via a medical helicopter for further treatment. The severity of his condition was not made available during the time of reporting.

More information about the victim, including his name, was not released in order to maintain his privacy during this difficult time.

Officials did not release any information regarding what type of wounds the victim suffered from.

Dalton Wildridge, 30, was identified as the suspect and arrested. He was sent to Wayne County Jail for Aggravated Battery, a Level 3 Felony, the spokesperson stated.

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His cash bond was set to $375,000, according to the Wayne County Jail inmate roster website.

Both of the investigations are ongoing and anybody with information is asked to contact the Richmond Police Department at 765-983-7247.




UPDATE: The IDs of the Wisconsin police officers killed during a traffic stop in Barron County released.

Two Wisconsin police officers were shot and killed Saturday afternoon during a traffic stop northwest of the village of Cameron.

According to a news release from the Wisconsin Department of Justice, the shooting occurred when an officer from the Chetek Police Department pulled over a vehicle around 3:38 p.m.

According to the press release, gunfire was exchanged between the officers and the motorist at some point. The Chetek police officer and an officer from Cameron were pronounced dead at the scene. The motorist was taken to a hospital and later died as well.

The names of the officers and the shooting suspect have not yet been released, and details about the incident are still being investigated. The DOJ has not replied to requests pertaining to the incident.

An examination into the incident is being led by the Division of Criminal Investigation, which will submit a report to the Barron County district attorney when the investigation concludes, the release stated.

According to the Officer Down Memorial Page, a website that tracks deaths in the line of duty across the country, this incident would represent Wisconsin's second and third officer deaths in the line of duty this year. In 2022 Wisconsin saw zero officers die in the line of duty.

The other officer death in Wisconsin this year took place just two months ago when Milwaukee Police Officer Peter Jerving was shot and killed while seeking to arrest a suspect in Milwaukee.

In that instance gunfire was exchanged between Jerving and the fleeing suspect leaving both Jerving and the suspect, Terrell Thompson, deceased.

Community leaders across the state express sadness

In a tweet Sunday morning, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers expressed his sadness saying, "Our hearts are heavy for the Chetek and Cameron police officers who lost their lives in the line of duty yesterday. Kathy and I are praying for the officers' families, colleagues, and the Barron County community mourning this tragic loss."

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Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul also addressed the incident on Twitter saying, I am deeply saddened by the tragic loss today of two officers. I am thinking of their families and the Chetek and Cameron Police Departments at this incredibly difficult time."

Our thoughts and prayers are with Cameron and Chetek Police Departments, the Barron County Sheriffs Department posted on Facebook.

The Marinette County Deputy Sheriffs Association also wrote in a Facebook post: Tonight our hearts are heavy as we send our thoughts and prayers to the Village of Cameron Police Department, the City of Chetek Police Department, the Barron County community, and the families (both blood and blue) of two officers lost in the line of duty today.

Our subscribers make this reporting possible. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Journal Sentinel at jsonline.com/deal.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: 2 Wisconsin police officers killed during traffic stop shooting
Will Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina become the next high-profile Republican to launch a 2024 presidential campaign?

Scotts upcoming travel itinerary is surely sparking more speculation that the rising GOP star and the only Black Republican in the Senate is moving closer to declaring his candidacy.

In the week ahead, the senator will head to Iowa and New Hampshire, the two states that kick off the Republican presidential nominating calendar, and will hold a two-day donor summit in his home state.

Scott will travel to Iowa April 12 for his second trip to the state this year. The itinerary includes teaming up with GOP Rep. Ashley Hinson for a roundtable discussion with homeschool families, followed by an address in Cedar Rapids at the Five Seasons Republican Womens Group dinner.

TIM SCOTT SENDS NEW 2024 SIGNALS

Scott last month made a jam-packed stop in the Hawkeye State, teaming up with popular Iowa GOP Gov. Kim Reynolds, speaking to students at Drake University and headlining a Polk County GOP fundraising dinner.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

On April 13, the senator will make his first visit this year to New Hampshire for a round of retail politicking as he greets voters at the Red Arrow Diner in Manchester, which for decades has been a must stop in the Granite State for White House hopefuls. Later in the day, hes scheduled to meet with local pastors and Republican leaders.

The Iowa and New Hampshire stops will be immediately followed by a two-day donor summit in his home state of South Carolina, which votes third in the GOP presidential primary schedule. Invitations for the April 14-15 event, which will include a reception and dinner on Friday evening and a breakfast, policy discussion and "political update" Saturday, were sent to donors across the country.

2024 WATCH: TIM SCOTT SAY HE'S GETTING TREMENDOUS FEEDBACK SO FAR

"This next week will provide clarity to how hes thinking about 2024," a Republican operative in Scotts political orbit, who asked to remain anonymous to speak more freely, told Fox News.

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Scott is on what he calls his "Faith in America" listening tour, which he says will help him decide whether to launch a presidential campaign. Word of the tour was first reported by Fox News earlier this year.

"As I continue my Faith in America tour, I'm hearing from families across the country about the need for new leaders who have faith in the American people," the senator said a few days ago in a release advertising the upcoming stops.

Republican Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina speaks at a donor conference hosted by the conservative Club for Growth March 4, 2023, in Palm Beach, Fla.

Last month, while headlining the closing dinner in a three-day Club for Growth donor retreat in upscale Palm Beach, Florida, Scott said "so far, so good," when asked about his listening tour.

"Were getting tremendous feedback," he added.

Scott received a warm response from the crowd at the exclusive dinner, which included some of the top donors in the GOP. The upcoming meeting with more top contributors  as well as the early state travel  are more clear signals the senators revving up for a likely White House run.

"All this is further indication that Tim Scotts Faith in America message is resonating as he travels the country. Republicans are being introduced to Scott, and so far they like his optimistic message," a source with knowledge of the senators thinking recently told Fox News.

WHO'S IN AND WHO'S ON THE SIDELINES  YOUR GUIDE TO THE 2024 GOP PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION RACE

Scott, who cruised to re-election in November to what he has said will be his final six-year term in the Senate, frequently spotlights being raised by a single mother and highlights his faith. If he moves ahead with a White House run, he plans to court evangelical Christian voters, who play an outsized role in GOP politics in Iowa and his home state. Former Vice President Mike Pence, who also appears to be moving toward a 2024 campaign, has long been a champion to social conservatives and is also expected to heavily court evangelicals in Iowa and South Carolina.

Nikki Haley, the former ambassador to the United Nations and former two-term South Carolina governor who's running for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, holds a town hall in Salem, N.H., March 28, 2023.

Scott would also face serious competition from Nikki Haley, the former ambassador to the United Nations and former two-term South Carolina governor who launched a 2024 presidential campaign two months ago. Scott and Haley, whos spending plenty of time on the campaign trail in Iowa and New Hampshire, share many of the same allies and donors.

Former President Trump, who announced his third White House run in November, remains the clear front-runner in the GOP nomination race.

Polls indicate that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who remains on the 2024 sidelines but is expected to launch a campaign later this spring or summer, would be Trumps top rival.

While Scott doesnt have the same national standing with conservatives that Trump and DeSantis enjoy, hes known as a ferocious fundraiser who boasted more than $20 million in his campaign coffers at the beginning of the year, which could be transferred to a presidential campaign. The fundraising war chest could give Scott a head start over some of his potential rivals and affords him some extra breathing room to make his decision.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 9)  The six Filipinos who escaped their employers in Laos after being trafficked to engage in illegal work were repatriated, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said Saturday.

BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco said the victims were recruited to work as chat support agents in Thailand, but they were brought to Laos and were forced to work for syndicates under a company. They served as "love scammers" targeting Asians.

"The scheme was to look for possible clients who they can dupe into falling in love with them and then encouraging them to invest in their pseudo company," Tansingco added.

The victims said they were sold three times from one company to another before they reached out to the Philippine Embassy virtually. They arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2 on Maundy Thursday, April 6, the BI said.

Imagine being sold like inanimate objects, Tansingco said. These transnational crimes are becoming more and more alarming, and I call on everyone to remain vigilant.

The BI also reported on Saturday that a Filipina who was forced to work illegally in Myanmar was repatriated after she paid ransom for release.

She was promised to work as a customer service representative in Thailand, but upon her arrival, she was fetched by a private car and traveled several hours to Myanmar where she was forced to scam Indians to invest in a platform known as "Pacific Mall," Tansingco said.

In order to be released, the Filipina paid up and looked for three others to replace her, BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval said in a text message to CNN Philippines.

"Her employer threatened that she will be the last one to be released, and no others will be released without working for at least a year," Sandoval added. "Employer also destroyed her SIM card and reset her mobile phone to delete evidence.

READ: BI: OFW trafficked in Myanmar paid ransom for release

The BI said these incidents are part of a string of human trafficking cases that were reported over the past months in Southeast Asia.

Sandoval earlier said the BI has recorded some 6,000 suspected victims of human trafficking, illegal recruitment, and misrepresentation for the first two months of 2023.

READ: BI records 6,000 victims of human trafficking, illegal recruitment for Jan to Feb
A man was arrested after he assaulted and robbed men he met on a dating app, Maryland police say.

Montgomery County police said they arrested Brandon Darryl Kane on Thursday, April 6. He is charged with two counts of robbery and first-degree assault.

On Oct. 10, Kane, 27, met a man on a dating app, according to a Facebook post from police. After speaking on the phone, the man agreed to pay Kane  who he knew as Tommy  for sex.

The man paid for an Uber for Kane to come to his residence, police said. When Kane got to the mans house, the two got into a disagreement and Kane assaulted the man and took money from him.

A few weeks later, on Oct. 22, police received another report of a robbery and assault. Investigators said they determined that Kane had met another man on a dating app. When the two met, Kane assaulted the man, took his wallet and forced him from his apartment.

Police are asking for other victims to contact officials at 240-773-6870.

Montgomery County is about 20 miles northwest of Washington, D.C.

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A 3-year-old boy shot himself on Saturday afternoon, according to the Sacramento Police Department, with his father accused of failing to properly secure the gun.

The boy was hurt in what was considered an accidental shooting just before 3 p.m. on the 2000 block of South Avenue, near Sacramentos East Del Paso Heights neighborhood.

Police officers say they arrived after the boy was taken to the hospital for treatment of a non-life-threatening gunshot wound.

He was in stable condition as of Sunday morning, police told The Bee.

The toddlers father was arrested on suspicion of illegal storage of a firearm and child endangerment.
A shooting at a celebration of life gathering in Houston injured at least four people, all in their teens, Saturday evening.

>> TRENDING: Driver crashes into house, several other vehicles in Clark Co., reports say

Harris County Sheriffs deputies were dispatched to the 200 block of Uvalde Road at around 7 p.m. local time on reports of a shooting, the countys sheriff, Ed Gonzalez, stated in a Twitter post.

When deputies arrived, they found at least four shooting victims, Gonzalez wrote. Two of the four were in their late teens.

After Gonzalezs initial release, Assistant Chief Thomas Diaz for the sheriffs office later identified all of the victims as in their teens, CBS News reported.

The victims were transported to local hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries, Diaz informed.

As responding deputies investigated the incident, they determined that the shooting occurred during a celebration of life gathering, Diaz said. About 50 people were in the area memorializing a person who was buried a few hours before the shooting.

During the preliminary investigation, deputies found different types of shell casings on the ground, indicating that multiple weapons and possibly shooters were present.

The investigators are canvassing the scene and hopefully we can get some good information, Diaz said.

Investigators spoke with witnesses, however were unable to determine the events surrounding the shooting including the motive, Diaz stated. No arrests were made at the time of reporting.

The Harris County Sheriffs Office led the investigation into the shooting and requested anyone with information to contact the department.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) said on Saturday that he is seeking a pardon for an Army sergeant who was convicted of murder for fatally shooting an armed Black Lives Matter protester.

Sgt. Daniel Perry was convicted on Friday for the July 2020 killing of 28-year-old Garrett Foster at a Black Lives Matter protest in Austin, Texas.

I am working as swiftly as Texas law allows regarding the pardon of Sgt. Perry, Abbott tweeted on Saturday.

Texas has one of the strongest Stand Your Ground laws of self-defense that cannot be nullified by a jury or a progressive District Attorney, he added in a statement.

The Texas governor said he has requested that the states Board of Pardons and Paroles review Perrys case on an expedited timeline, noting that his pardon authority is limited by the boards recommendations.

I look forward to approving the Boards pardon recommendation as soon as it hits my desk, Abbott added.

Perry, who was working for a ride-sharing company at the time, encountered protesters after turning down a street in downtown Austin. The Black Lives Matter protest, one of many occurring across the country at the time, came in the wake of the May 2020 killing of George Floyd, a Black man, by a white Minneapolis police officer.

The Army sergeant reportedly stopped and honked at the protesters before driving into the crowd. Foster, who was armed with an AK-47 rifle, approached Perrys car.

Perry shot and killed Foster, claiming he fired in self-defense after the other man raised his gun. However, witnesses testified that Foster never raised his rifle, and prosecutors argued that Perry could have driven away rather than shooting.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Ashley Magnus became the new executive director of The Acorn in Three Oaks in March 2023.

THREE OAKS  Ashley Magnus has started work as the new executive director of The Acorn, 107 Generations Drive.

Magnus began her career at Utah Symphony | Utah Opera as production coordinator for the opera department and went on to hold several leadership positions in events and development, including the role director of corporate partnerships.

In 2013, she was selected to participate in Opera Americas Leadership Intensive, a highly competitive and unique industry program.

In 2015, she joined Chicago Opera Theater, where she was most recently the Edlis Neeson General Director. Under her leadership, COT received a $500,000 three-year grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to support the Vanguard Emerging Composer program, developed seven world premiere operas and received the largest gift in COTs history, $2.25 million over five years.

Ashley was named one of 2019s Musical Americas Top 30 Professionals in the Performing Arts.

She holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Utah, and specializes in business strategy, project management, and the building of constructive community, individual, and institutional partnerships.

Magnus joins the current Acorn leadership team of Tom Raab (director of operations) and Nikki Gauthier (artistic director).

For more information, visit acornlive.org.

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Acorn names Ashley Magnus as new executive director
Lord Frederick Windsor and Sophie Winkleman - GORC/GC

Actress Sophie Winkleman has revealed she was so alarmed when her children's teachers brought in iPads that she twice took them out of school.

Ms Winkleman, best known for her role in comedy series Peep Show, said she objected to children being given iPads from the age of six and believes that the use of tech and addictive social media apps is affecting learning and making teenagers depressed.

The TV star has two daughters Maud, 9, and Isabella, 7, with her husband Lord Frederick Windsor, the son of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent.

Ms Winkleman, 42, believes the use of screens and online learning is becoming "normalised" and spoke as parent group Us for Them launched a campaign for greater regulation of smartphones.

The Safe Screens campaign, backed by head teachers including Katharine Birbalsingh, the former social mobility tsar, MPs and behaviour experts, is calling for the Government to ban smartphones completely for under-16s and bring in "tobacco-style health warnings" on all smartphone packaging.

Katharine Birbalsingh, the former social mobility tsar, is among those backing the Safe Screens campaign - Geoff Pugh/Geoff Pugh

Winkleman said that she was "thrilled" at the launch of the campaign and told of her own children's experiences.

She told The Sunday Times that pupils at schools attended by her children "were going to be given tablets, all of them from Year One [aged 5/6] to Year 6 [aged 10/11]... And this was announced in a proud - is this not exciting? - way and I immediately started looking for different schools. I have moved them twice now to get them out of tech-heavy schools."

Her daughters both attended Thomas's Battersea, a prep school in south London that was also attended by cousins Prince George and Princess Charlotte.

Ms Winkleman said Thomas's, which introduced iPads for pupils, was happy and energetic but that it did not suit her daughters. She added that the internet was a "toxic wilderness" and some parents wrongly believed digital learning would turn their children into Silicon Valley billionaires.

"I do not know how many more facts and statistics we need for everyone to say, 'This can't happen any more.' The internet is a toxic wilderness we're letting children stumble through without protection," she told The Sunday Times. "I think many UK schools have swallowed the push for more digital learning partly because of pressure from parents, who think if their child is learning online at seven they will be the next Bill Gates. I lived in California and spent time with bigwigs in Silicon Valley and tellingly they did not let their children near screens."

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Focus on reading books

Among the tech entrepreneurs who would not let their children stare at screens was Steve Jobs, the creator of the iPhone and the iPad, who banned his children from using either device. Bill Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft, would not let his children get a mobile phone until they turned 14.

Ms Winkleman, who is filming Julian Fellowess TV drama Belgravia, added that she wanted her daughters to read books and "to focus and to learn to think deeply". The family set aside time to read books by authors including Enid Blyton, Adele Geras and Roald Dahl in the evening which she said were "the great joy of my childhood".

The actress added that when she went to City of London girls' school she had "a very bad time with a group of girls" and if social media and smartphones had existed her experience would have been even worse.

She said that in an ideal world she would set up a school for those aged five to 18 in London where screens would be banned other than for IT lessons.
Jafar

Jafar, the queer-coded villain of Disney's 1994's animated smash Aladdin, made an appearance on this weekend's Saturday Night Live to highlight another "evil" baddie: Florida governor Ron DeSantis.

Played by SNL's out star player Bowen Yang, Jafar told "Weekend Update" co-host Michael Che that DeSantis's efforts to attack Disney World after its parent company came out against his "don't say gay" bill are fruitless (so to speak). Jafar said Disney is already as queer as can be, with 40-year-old gay men in braces clogging up Grindr while strolling the amusement park's Main Street. "That carpet has flown," Jafar said.

Che then surmised that Jafar himself was gay. "Did my John Waters 'stache not tip you off?" Jafar retorted. The villain also stated that there are no shortage of LGBTQ+ characters in the Disney canon: "Ursula is a lesbian, Scar is bi, and Mulan just got top surgery," he said.

Jafar closed by calling DeSantis a "swamp rat," needling him for being outsmarted by the House of Mouse. If "there is no gay, there is no Disney." Then, Jafar, pulled his final punch, reminding the viewers that DeSantis, of all people, got married at Disney World. Watch the hilarious skit below.
Apple is rolling out Apple Pay Later in the US this year. Getty Images

Apple has announced a "buy now, pay later" service offering short loans of between $50 and $1,000.

Apple Pay Later could help increase demand for iPhones, one analyst said.

Starting in the US will allow Apple to make adjustments if needed for other markets, another said.

Apple is jumping on the "buy now, pay later" bandwagon, following in the footsteps of companies including Klarna and PayPal.

The iPhone maker announced late last month that Apple Pay users based in the US would now be able to split purchases of between $50 and $1,000 into four payments with no interest and no fees.

Jennifer Bailey, Apple's vice-president of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet, said the move was a response to consumer demand for flexible payment options.

It's being offered by Apple Financing, making it the first time Apple will handle tasks such as loans and credit assessments itself in a move Bloomberg last year called a significant shift. Other financial products, such as Apple's credit card, have been handled by third parties such as Goldman Sachs.

Enhancing the Apple ecosystem

Select users are being invited to use a prerelease version of Apple Pay Later, with plans to widen access later this year.

Apple will not charge a fee for late payments, though they could still affect users' credit scores.

Analysts say Apple Pay Later is more about increasing the convenience of Apple Pay and enhancing its ecosystem than an attempt to dominate the BNPL arena.

Claire Holubowskyj of Enders Analysis told Insider: "Removing the friction from using BNPL in-store will be an important differentiator for consumers, particularly as in-store retail continues to return post-pandemic, and will give Apple a leg up on competitors."

Apple likely to 'tread cautiously'

She said Apple won't be expecting a mass uptake of the offering given how fragmented the market is and how late they are to the party. Rolling out Apple Pay Later in one market will limit the risk by allowing the company to "assess performance and reevaluate if necessary," Holubowskyj added.

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She pointed that Apple has a very healthy balance sheet will tens of billions of cash on hand. Neither is it suffering from the same over-hiring problem as other prominent tech companies.

Chris Brendler, a senior equity analyst for DA Davidson, said that while the move does makes sense for Apple, it's still "a huge first step into leveraging its balance sheet, so we expect Apple to tread cautiously."

It will also help Apple sell more devices, said Tom Forte, another DA Davidson analyst: "I see this effort as having the potential to increase demand for iPhones, including from consumers currently using Android devices."

Apple dominates the US smartphone market with a 57% share, according to Counterpoint Research, but only accounts for 18% globally. It shipped almost 225 million devices last year, down from 237 million in 2021.

'Frictionless access'

Apple predicted in February that revenue would fall for a second consecutive quarter, but iPhone sales were likely to increase amid production returning to normal in China.

CEO Tim Cook blamed the strong dollar, production problems in China, and the overall macroeconomic environment, per CNBC.

Holubowskyj believes Apple has an opportunity to benefit from Apple Pay Later by increasing uptake of Apple Pay down the line as it expands into other markets.

"Demand for credit will remain strong while prices are elevated, so immediate frictionless access to iPhone users will allow Apple to corner that particular market," she said.

Apple didn't respond to a request for comment from Insider.

Correction: April 10, 2023  An earlier version of this article incorrectly identified where Tom Forte works. He is an analyst for DA Davidson.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Apple appears to have taken its most aggressive step yet to warn its retail employees against unionizing. According to Bloomberg, the company recently held meetings at all of its roughly 270 stores across the United States meant to discuss the risks of unionization. The tone of the gatherings was consistent across Apples retail footprint. Managers reportedly opened with a prepared statement from corporate leadership before turning to the state of union negotiations in Towson, Maryland, the location of the companys first unionized store in the US.

According to Bloomberg, Apple management cast the election at Towson, and the slow progress workers at the store have made toward securing a collective bargaining agreement as a bit of a cautionary tale. Managers leaned on talking points that criticized union dues and the unionization process, including the collection of authorization cards. While Apple didnt say it, the underlying message to the companys tens of thousands of retail employees: if your store unionizes, you may be at a disadvantage, according to Bloomberg.

Apple did not immediately respond to Engadgets request for comment. The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, the union that represents workers at the companys Townson Town Center location in Maryland, said it would share a statement on Monday.

Bloomberg suggests some employees saw the meetings as a scare tactic and an attempt to pour cold water on the idea of unionization. Last May, Apple Store employees in Atlanta accused the company of subjecting them to anti-union captive audience meetings. For decades, companies were allowed to hold such gatherings until 24 hours before a union election begins. In 2022, however, National Labor Relations Board general counsel Jennifer Abruzzo claimed captive audience meetings were a violation of the National Labor Relations Act.

"Forcing employees to listen to such employer speech under threat of discipline  directly leveraging the employees dependence on their jobs  plainly chills employees protected right to refrain from listening to this speech," Abruzzo wrote last April. At the end of the year, the agency found had Apple violated federal law with its efforts to discourage workers at its Cumberland Mall store in Atlanta from unionizing.
Twitter has backtracked after an uproar for labeling the US radio network NPR as "state- affiliated media" and now calls it "government-funded."

Elon Musk's social media network has also applied that new label to the BBC, which is funded predominantly by British households paying a license fee.

Britain's beloved national broadcaster has reached out to Twitter for clarification, news reports said.

The change in how Twitter refers to Washington-based National Public Radio happened quietly overnight Saturday and comes after the network complained that the term "state-affiliated" was disparaging and inaccurate.

Twitter last week branded NPR in the same way as government-owned Chinese and Russian platforms.

In protest, NPR stopped tweeting. In its updated Twitter bio, NPR's main account -- which has more than 8.8 million followers -- invited users to "find us every other place where you read the news."

NPR CEO John Lansing said the decision by Twitter was "unacceptable" and the radio's account has remained silent ever since.

Other accounts run by NPR, such as its music and politics handles, did not have the "state-affiliated" specification and have continued to post tweets.

Musk's move against NPR came just days after Twitter stripped The New York Times of its verified status on the platform, which like NPR, is often accused of left-leaning bias, particularly by US conservatives.

According to Twitter policy, the decisions will deamplify tweets from both companies, limiting their reach on a platform that remains a major communication tool for media outlets, celebrities and officials.

Musk has for years expressed a deep disdain for the news media and in recent weeks installed an automatic response of a poop emoji to emails sent to the site's main press address.

But on Thursday, NPR said Musk had signaled in a series of emails that the relabeling may not have been "accurate" and that Twitter would look further into the matter.

"The operating principle at Twitter is simply fair and equal treatment, so if we label non-US accounts as government, then we should do the same for the US, but it sounds like that might not be accurate here," Musk wrote to NPR.

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According to NPR's website, the bulk of its budget comes from fees paid by member stations throughout the United States, who are themselves supported by individual donors and government funds.

NPR, one of America's most respected news outlets, told AFP less than one percent of its operational budget comes from federal sources.

arp/dw/caw
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 9)  The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Sunday recovered another body from the ill-fated passenger ferry in Basilan, bringing the total number of deaths to 32.

According to the PCG, the body of Alses Hassan was sighted in the waters off Langgas Island, Maluso, Basilan. He was one of the two missing passengers of MV Lady Mary Joy 3.

In a statement, the PCG said the search operation to look for the last missing passenger of the ill-fated vessel would continue.

The agency said coast guard personnel turned over the body to the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office of Maluso for proper disposition.

The ferry was carrying over 200 passengers when it caught fire last March 29. According to the Bureau of Fire Protection Manila Arson Team, an electric short circuit may have caused the blaze.

READ: BFP: Electrical short circuit most probable cause of Basilan ferry fire

On March 31, The Maritime Industry Authority said it has begun its marine safety investigation of MV Lady Mary Joy 3.

The ferry's operator, Aleson Shipping Lines, Inc., said it has already extended financial assistance to the victims' families.

READ: MARINA starts probe into Basilan ferry fire
Former Attorney General William Barr said Sunday that investigators probing the potential mishandling of classified documents by former President Trump likely have very good evidence that Trump attempted to keep authorities from obtaining the materials after he left the White House.

The case against Trump, Barr said, comes down to the matter of how long it took the government to get the materials back, which will play a significant role.

He had no claim to those documents, especially the classified documents. They belonged to the government. And so, I think he was jerking the government around. And they subpoenaed it. And they tried to jawbone him into delivering documents, Barr said.

But the government is investigating the extent to which games were played and there was obstruction in keeping documents from them. And I think thats a serious potential case. I think they probably have some very good evidence there.

Barr reiterated Sunday that of all the legal woes facing Trump, the classified documents probe was the one to be most concerned about.

Barr said he believed that before classified documents were discovered at the homes of President Biden and former Vice President Mike Pence that Trump was likely to be indicted in that matter.

And I still think theres a very good chance of that because  and I think it depends on how sensitive the documents were, but also what evidence they have of obstruction and games-playing by the president and the  and whether he directed people to lie or gave them information that was deceitful to pass onto the government, Barr said.

Trumps handling of classified documents is under investigation by special counsel Jack Smith. The probe opened up following the August 2022 search of Trumps Florida Mar-a-Lago resort.

In the aftermath of the search, many Republicans quickly blasted federal law enforcement officials, arguing the search was an unprecedented attack on a former president and saying it signaled the politicization of the justice system. Barr pushed back against such claims.

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The investigation into the classified documents is one of two federal probes into the former president by Smith, who is also handling the investigation into Trumps seeking to overturn the 2020 election.

Barr, who served as Trumps attorney general from 2019 to 2020, has fallen out with the former president since leaving his administration. He argued that the Manhattan case against Trump, in which he has become the first sitting or former president to face criminal charges, is not as serious as the federal investigation into his handling of classified information.

I think its an unjust case, Barr said. Thats not to say that every legal challenge that the president faces is unjustified.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A 26-year-old man was found mauled to death in the woods in northern Italy after he didnt return home from a run, officials told news outlets.

The runner, identified as 26-year-old Andrea Papi, left his home in Caldes to go for a run along a wooded mountain trail in Val di Sole on Wednesday, April 5, officials told ANSA.

The community of Caldes is roughly 140 miles northwest of Venice.

When Papi didnt come back from his outing when expected, his girlfriend contacted authorities for help, Australian outlet 9News reported.

Search crews found Papi dead on Monte Peller, and investigators said his wounds are consistent with a bear attack, according to the outlet.

Bears were reintroduced in the region in the late 1990s, but as the original population of 50 has grown over the years, so have bear sightings and attacks, Deutsche Presse-Agentur reported.

Regional President Mario Fugatti is calling for the bear behind the attack to be tracked down and killed, to guarantee public safety, the outlet reported. Fugatti added that the surplus bear population must be dealt with to prevent attacks in the future.

Environmental organization Legambiente has spoken out since the attack, encouraging restraint instead of retaliation, 9News reported. According to Legambiente, Papis death marks the first fatal bear attack in Italy in 150 years.

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Metropolitan Onufriy

Onufriy's Russian passport is an undeniable fact and his excuses only make things worse, Zorya said in an April 8 Facebook post.

Read also: Ukraine exchanged Russian ROC agents in POW swaps, official says

"Because thus he acknowledges his deep mental and spiritual dependence on Russia. He dreams about Lavra in Russia as a kind of paradise," he said.

Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia considers the "Russian world" a tool for expanding and maintaining his power and doesn't believe in all this gibberish, he said.

Read also: Border guards find compromising content in Moscow Patriarchate priest's phone

"Metropolitan Onufriy believes. Sincerely. From the bottom of his heart. And with his claim (the style and expressions indicate his personal authorship, but his own speech and thought, not a text prepared by lawyers or assistants) Metropolitan Onufriy only confirms all this," said the UOC Archbishop.

Zorya also compared the reaction of representatives of the ROC to Onufriy's Russian passport to the glorification of the so-called "Russian world" during its service in the Kyiv Cave Monastery, when parishioners sang "The bell is ringing, it is ringing over Russia, Mother Russia is waking up."

At first, the ROC called those claims a fake. Then, when proven to be a regular occurrence, they made the ridiculous excuse that "it was a bit like this, but really it was the opposite and they supported Ukraine and everyone else are slanderers," Zorya wrote.

Read also: Zelenskyy suspends citizenship of 13 priests of Moscow-controlled Ukrainian Orthodox Church

Onufriy claimed himself to be a Ukrainian who is not interested in papers. He just wants to end his life in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra in Moscow Oblast, he said.

Zorya proposed that Onufriy go to his desired paradise destination near Moscow to become a prayerful Russian monk there, instead of stubbornly destroying Orthodoxy's authority in Ukraine.

ROC Metropolitan Onufriy and over 20 other ROC priests have Russian passports, Ukrainska Pravda reported on April 7.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Ferencz at a ceremony in New York in 2015 honouring veterans of the Second World War - Kena Betancour/AFP/Getty

Benjamin Ferencz, who has died aged 103, was the last surviving prosecutor at the Nuremberg war-crimes trials, and spent much of the rest of his life campaigning for the establishment of an International Criminal Court, a campaign crowned with success in 2002.

In 1945 Ferencz was removed from the US anti-aircraft artillery battalion in which he had been serving as a corporal and transferred to the headquarters of General Pattons Third Army, where he was assigned to a team tasked with setting up a war-crimes branch and collecting evidence for prosecutions. I was plucked out because I had done research for a Harvard law professor for a book on war crimes, he recalled. I had read every book on war crimes in the Harvard law library.

As the war in Europe ended, Ferencz  a Jew who had lost a grandmother, aunts and uncles to the Germans  travelled throughout Germany to gather evidence of atrocities. With his bare hands, he dug up bodies of young American pilots beaten to death by German mobs, and examined piles of burnt and decaying flesh in Nazi concentration camps. He was sent to scour Nazi archives in Berlin and concentration camps and became one of the first to examine German government documents related to the Holocaust. I had peered into Hell, he recalled.

When his job was done, he returned to New York to practise law. But in 1947 he was recruited by the Nuremberg principal prosecutor Telford Taylor, and in September was the chief prosecutor for the US in the Einsatzgruppen (action groups) Case. Described as the biggest murder trial in history by the press, this was the prosecution of 22 members of the infamous SS death squads whose job had been to follow the German army as it invaded the Soviet Union in 1941 and kill Communists, Gypsies and especially Jews. Ferencz had unearthed first-hand evidence that they had murdered more than a million people.

It was Ferenczs first case; he was 27 years old and, at just over five feet tall he had to stand on a pile of books to see over the lectern and face the Nazi defendants. But the case was a straightforward one: thanks to his researches in Third Reich archives he had to hand a cache of top-secret documents. Unearthed in the ruins of the German foreign ministry, they consisted of daily reports, many signed by the defendants themselves, charting the activities of the Einsatzgruppen.

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These included, for example, Exhibit 111: In the last ten weeks, we have liquidated around 55,000 Jews. Exhibit 179, from Kiev in 1941, reported that the citys Jews were ordered to present themselves. About 34,000 reported, including women and children. After they had been made to give up their clothing and valuables, all of them were killed, which took several days.

Exhibit 84, from Einsatzgruppen D in March 1942, noted: Total number executed so far: 91,678. Einsatzgruppen D was the unit of Ferenczs lead defendant Otto Ohlendorf, who did not deny the killings, claiming they had been done in self-defence.

I was able to rest my case after two days without calling a single witness, Ferencz recalled. The top-secret documents were indisputable.

All 22 defendants were found guilty of crimes against humanity and war crimes; 13 were sentenced to death, of whom only four, including Ohlendorf, were hanged. Yet thousands of Germans had served with the Einsatzgruppen, most of whom were never charged and returned unremarked to civilian life.

But as Ferencz stated in his opening remarks: Vengeance is not our goal, nor do we seek merely a just retribution. We ask this court to affirm by international penal action mans right to live in peace and dignity regardless of his race or creed. The case we present is a plea of humanity to law.

He was discriminating in his choice of those to stand trial, selecting them on the basis of education and rank. I had many PhDs and many generals. In ordinary times, they would have been respected citizens. Instead, without any remorse whatsoever, they murdered thousands of Jewish children one shot at a time. They were not, as he put it, villains with big horns and big teeth, but men who could quote Goethe, who loved Wagner, who were polite  they were intelligent human beings acting in what they believed to be the best interests of their country.

Benjamin Ferencz addresses a ceremony marking the launch of an exhibition in 2010 commemorating the Nuremberg trials - Armin Weigel/AP

We never intended to try all those criminals that were responsible for the crimes. It was a sampling of the top people to show how such a society could exist in a civilized continent, he explained later.

Ferencz became convinced that war makes murderers out of otherwise decent people  all wars, and all decent people. After the war, he campaigned to establish an International Criminal Court which, unlike ad hoc war crimes tribunals, would function like a permanent Nuremberg, prosecuting war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity in cases where national governments are unable or unwilling to do so themselves.

The court was established in The Hague in 2002, and in 2018, along with his son Donald, Ferencz was successful in getting the crime of aggression added to the ICC Statute. But he expressed disappointment at the pace of progress; since its foundation the court has indicted only 44 people and opened investigations in 11 countries, all bar one in Africa, and several countries, notably the United States, refuse to recognise its authority.

Law not War remained Ferenczs motto. He saw aggressive war as the supreme international crime, and in 2009 argued that George W Bush and Tony Blair should be tried, along with Saddam Hussein, for their invasion of Iraq. But it was not to be.

Benjamin Berell Ferencz was born on March 11 1920 into poverty in the Carpathian mountains of Transylvania, Romania. His father was a shoemaker; both parents were illiterate. When he was 10 months old, his father uprooted the family and moved them to New York, where they lived in a basement in the crime-ridden Hells Kitchen district of Manhattan.

A gifted student, Ferencz won a scholarship to Harvard University, where he read Law. But during his first term, in December 1941, the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and like many of his classmates he tried to enlist. He wanted to be a pilot, but the Army Air Corps would not take him because his feet could not reach the pedals. The Marines, he recalled, just looked at me and said, forget it, kid.

So he completed his degree then enlisted as a private in the Army in 1943. Part of an artillery battalion, he landed on the beaches at Normandy, broke though the Maginot and Siegfried lines and fought in the Battle of the Bulge, before being transferred to the unit set up to investigate war crimes.

Without Ferenczs intervention the Einsatzgruppen trial might never have happened. The case had not been planned, he recalled. When we discovered this evidence, I brought it to General [Telford] Taylor, and I said we have to put on a new trial, and he said we cant. The Pentagon had already planned its schedule of trials and the war-crimes division faced staffing shortages and budget limitations. I said, We cant let these mass murderers go free  I have the evidence here in my hands. And he said, Can you do it in addition to your other work? OK, you be the prosecutor. 

Ferencz remained in Germany for eight years, working to establish restitution for those whose assets had been stolen by the Nazis. He played a part in the negotiations that led to the Reparations Agreement between Israel and West Germany in 1952 and the first German Restitution Law in 1953. He was one of the first to defend the rights of Jewish forced-labourers who had worked for German companies during the war in their battle for compensation  a battle which only began to bear fruit in the 1990s, after the death of many of the former slaves.

Ferencz wrote about his experience in his book, published in 1979, Less Than Slaves: Jewish Forced Labor and the Quest for Compensation. In 1996 Ferenczs book would be quoted during the row that erupted in Britain over the endowment of a professorship in European Thought at Balliol College, Oxford, by Dr Gert-Rudolf Flick, the grandson of Friedrich Flick, who was convicted as a war criminal at Nuremberg for having used some 48,000 mainly Jewish slave labourers in his factories and mines during the Nazi period, of whom about 40,000 died in appalling conditions.

After the war Flick became the main shareholder in Daimler-Benz. Ferencz had revealed that Friedrich Flick had never paid a penny to the survivors, despite years of pleading, recognising no moral claim on a fortune derived from his crimes.

Back in New York, Ferencz specialised in international law in a private legal practice, but after 13 years, disgusted by Americas involvement in the Vietnam War, which he felt was crazy and should be illegal, he left his law practice to dedicate himself to establishing a legal framework for world peace. He wrote several books on the subject, most notably Defining International Aggression: The Search for World Peace (1975), in which he argued for the creation of an international criminal court. From 1985 to 1996, Ferencz also worked as an Adjunct Professor of International Law at Pace University, White Plains, New York.

In 2000 he co-wrote an op-ed piece in the New York Times, urging the then-president Bill Clinton to become an ICC signatory, which he did, though the US has yet to ratify the document. His co-author, astonishingly, was Robert McNamara, a man whom many regard as a war criminal for his role as the architect of US involvement in Vietnam (he died in 2009). McNamara, Ferencz recalled, told him that had an ICC existed during his term as Secretary of Defense, he might never have acted as he did.

Ben Ferencz lived long enough to participate in the first case before the ICC. Aged 92, he gave a closing statement in the prosecution of the Congolese warlord Thomas Lubanga Dyilo.

Ferencz lived simply, saving what he earnt from his salary and cases unrelated to war victims, and in 2016 he announced that he would be donating $1 million to the Simon-Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide in the US Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington on an annually renewable basis. I wanted to show appreciation to the United States for the opportunity they gave me as a poor immigrant boy from Transylvania by giving back everything that I have before I leave, he explained.

Ferencz was awarded numerous medals and honours including the French Legion dhonneur, Germanys military medal of honour, the Dutch Erasmus Prize, the Martin Luther King Jr Nonviolent Peace Prize and in 2022 the US Congressional Medal of Honour.

In 2017 The Hague named a path after him and the following year hosted a ceremony at which Ferencz presented a wooden bench, emblazoned with the metal letters LAW NOT WAR, which now stands outside the Peace Palace building.

Ferencz and his wife Gertrude, whom he married in 1946, had four children; she died in 2019.

Benjamin Ferencz, born March 11 1920, died April 7 2023
About two weeks ago, I wrote a news story explaining why customers who are buying electricity directly from FirstEnergy Corp. will see their rates nearly double starting in June, unless they choose a separate provider or are in a government bulk-buying group.

The good news is that current market prices are not nearly as high as the utility default rate will be in June and most communities in our area have good rates through aggregations or government bulk-buying and residents can get into those plans.

More: FirstEnergy default electricity prices will double in June. Here's why

Whats going on with electricity prices?

To quickly recap, electricity prices for customers who arent in an aggregation group or chosen a provider on their own and are paying the default price offered by Ohio Edison will nearly double in June. The reason: the price set by three competitive auctions throughout the year and monitored by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio came in high.

While electricity and natural gas prices have begun falling, prices were at a high point in the market last fall when FirstEnergy had its October auction. So that, combined with an auction in January and late March, are blended together into a higher price than last years auction results.

The average weighted base price in June will rise to at least 10.1 cents per kilowatt hour (kwh) from a current price of 5.3 cents/kwh  a 91% increase.

Betty Lin-Fisher

As the regulated utility, FirstEnergy and its operating companies such as Ohio Edison provide a default price to customers who do not choose their own provider. That is called the Standard Service Offer (SSO) or price to compare. They do not make money off that price.

About 40% of a customers bill is for generation or usage. The other part is for distribution or delivery to your home by Ohio Edison.

The PUCO has certified the results of the auction and FirstEnergy still needs to file its final prices, which include some PUCO-approved fees. But the June default price will at least be the average weighted price of 10.1 cents.

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The prices are adjusted in September to reflect the winter season, and there are also quarterly reconciliations that impact the price to compare that occur in January, April, July and October, a FirstEnergy spokesman said.

Who does this affect?

This only affects customers who are on the utilitys default price or who havent enrolled in a government aggregation or chosen a provider on your own.

This definitely isnt a once-size-fits-all situation here. So its going to take a little bit of research and Ill help.

Many communities in our area are under an aggregation with Energy Harbor, or NOPEC, a large aggregation that is currently re-enrolling customers. Both will have cheaper rates than the default price in June.

Community officials created aggregation groups in the early 2000s, after voters passed ballot measures allowing the groups to be formed to shop for gas and electricity. Aggregations automatically include community members who haven't actively chosen their own rate rate. Eligible customers get an opt-out notice every three years and are automatically enrolled unless they opt out.

Depending on when the price is set compared to market prices, sometimes those aggregation rates are more expensive or cheaper than the default or public rates on the PUCOs Apples to Apples chart.

Another potentially confusing thing with aggregations is the contract term length.

For instance, several communities in our area have contracts with Energy Harbor through May 2024 or May 2025.

I reported that Akrons aggregation price is 4.97 cents through May 2025. That is accurate, though readers told me when they called Energy Harbor, they were told it was only through May 2024. Energy Harbor's website also says May 2024.

Both the city of Akron and Energy Harbor have confirmed that the price is fixed through May 2025. Agents for Energy Harbor have told some readers the contract is through May 2024 because rules governing aggregations only allow contracts for 36 months. Every three years, all eligible customers are sent another opt-out notice and automatically included unless they opt out. Customers already enrolled in the aggregation dont have to do anything to stay in and get that rate. Akron officials said they are working on negotiating the rate for after May 2025. Several other communities also have a price locked in through May 2025.

What should I do?

Check to see if you are in an aggregation. Ive listed some below and some websites to check. You can also search on the Internet by putting in your community and aggregation. If your community has one, call the provider to see if you can get in and if there are any cancellation fees. There are often no cancellation fees or they are minimal, around $25. Each contract has different rules.

Your mailing address does not necessarily mean you can join that aggregation. For instance, a lot of communities have Akron mailing addresses, but that doesnt mean you can be in the Akron aggregation. A good rule of thumb is where you vote.

Energy Harbor prices in Akron, Barberton, Green, Stow and Summit County townships

Many communities in the Akron region have contracts with Energy Harbor. Use this web page to search: https://energyharbor.com/en/community-programs/find-your-program or call 866-636-3749 or 888-254-6359.

Here are the Summit County communities. All are fixed contracts:

Akron: 4.97 cents through May 2024 (price fixed through May 2025)

Barberton: 4.97 cents through May 2024 (price fixed through May 2025)

Green: 4.91 cents through May 2024 (price fixed through May 2025)

Stow: 4.92 cents through April 2024 (price fixed through April 2025)

Summit County townships (with the exception of Sagamore Hills, which is in the NOPEC aggregation): 4.67 cents through May 2024. (the price is NOT fixed beyond 2024. This is also only townships in the county.)

Tallmadge: 4.96 through May 2024. (price fixed through May 2025)

What is the price for NOPEC communities?

Another big aggregator in our area is NOPEC, which has natural gas and electricity communities in Summit, Portage and Medina counties. Last August, NOPEC made an unprecedented move and returned its 550,000 electricity customers to FirstEnergy utilities, saying they would save money because the default price was cheaper (before the latest auction). NOPEC said it intended to re-enroll the customers this spring when they could offer competitive prices.

This week NOPEC began sending re-enrollment letters to 650,000 customers in 205 communities offering a 6.42 cents/kwh rate for six months beginning in June. The price will change after that. Customers will automatically be included unless they opt-out by May 2.

To see if you are in a NOPEC electricity community, go to at www.nopec.org/communities/community-map, contact your local community or call 855-667-3201. NOPEC also has natural gas communities, but not all NOPEC communities are both natural gas and electricity.

Other communities/public offers

There are a few communities in our area served by municipal power providers, including Cuyahoga Falls, Wadsworth and parts of Hudson (parts of Hudson have Ohio Edison and Hudson does not have an aggregation). Residents in communities with their own municipal power are not eligible to shop around for their own electric power, so this does not apply to you.

The city of Fairlawn is with Dynegy at 4.97 cents through May 2025.

If your community doesnt have an aggregation, you can shop for the cheapest rate on the Apples to Apples chart at www.energychoice.ohio.gov. There are several providers who have cheap rates, but then charge you a per month fee and have a high cancellation fee. I dont think those are worth it, so I would look for a good fixed rate with a cancellation rate you can live with or no cancellation fee.

AEP has a 7-month fixed rate for 5.89 cents with no cancellation fee. Direct Energy has an online-only 19-month fixed rate of 6.29 cents with no cancellation fee. The average residential household uses 750 kilowatt hours per month, so the difference in price is $3 a month.

Prices and offers change often, so find something you are comfortable with. If I had to choose a public rate, Id probably take the 19 month one since it has no cancellation fee and watch to see if other public rates come down.

How do I know what Im paying now?

Pull out your bill. Is there a supplier listed? You can see your usage (in kilowatt hours, kWh) and then your rate (listed in cents).

For instance, if you are a city of Akron resident and are in the Energy Harbor aggregation, you will have a 4.97 cent rate listed.

What about natural gas prices?

I wrote a column in mid-February saying it was time to go back to Dominions Standard Choice Offer (SCO) or check your local gas aggregations because prices and forecasted prices have dropped significantly. You can catch up on that information by going to my online Utility Guide at www.tinyurl.com/UtilityGuide

The SCO, effective April 13, will be $2.38 per thousand cubic feet (mcf), down from $2.63/mcf in March.

Betty Lin-Fisher can be reached at 330-996-3724 orblinfisher@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow her @blinfisherABJ on Twitter orwww.facebook.com/BettyLinFisherABJ. To see her most recent stories and columns, go towww.tinyurl.com/bettylinfisher

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Default electricity prices are doubling in June: Here's what to do
Johnson was deceptive in his dealings with unionists (Getty/The Independent)

Interesting fact as we reach the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement: there is no actual reference to a hard border or soft border, or anything like that, to be found in the famous text.

It is certainly a matter of hard political reality, though, that the GFA relies on there being no hard land-border between Ireland (ie the EU) and Northern Ireland (ie the UK). That is why we have a partial trade border down the Irish Sea between Great Britain and Northern Ireland instead.

The border had to go somewhere. If it was to be on the island of Ireland it would be unacceptable to nationalists and republicans, and most unionists.

But if it was plonked down the Irish Sea, then, as we see now, unionists will find it irksome, alienating and equally unacceptable. The origins of the present troubles, and the (thankfully still slight) risk of a return to the Troubles, lies in Brexit and its impact.

Reconciling Brexit with the Irish peace process is a frankly insoluble problem, like a Rubiks Cube that someone has secretly sabotaged. The best you can do is to get it mostly right, which is where Rishi Sunaks Windsor Framework is superior to Boris Johnsons original Northern Ireland protocol.

But the protocol, with all its flaws, was what Johnson signed without understanding it, so the legend goes. Hence his culpability. Sunaks Framework is flawed, but hes got a lot further than Johnson ever did. Thats because he was bothered about Northern Ireland in a way Johnson never seemed to be.

So, if you want to rely on the GFA as a sort of latter-day holy writ to sustain some argument or other, then you will not find it in the original document. What you have instead is the adamant and (mostly) sincere commitment from virtually everyone involved that a hard border is simply unacceptable.

It is, by dint of constant repetition by successive taoiseachs, British prime ministers, leaders of all the Northern Ireland mainstream parties and even Eurosceptics, a political imperative, an obligation.

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An anti-Brexit billboard seen from the Dublin road in Newry, Northern Ireland (AFP/Getty)

Some of the more insouciant Brexiteers sometimes suggest that the British could just refuse to put a border up anywhere. The attitude is that if the EU insists on one, they can have one in Ireland, but thats their business.

However, as well as being puerile and insensitive, thats against World Trade Organisation rules; and policing a curly 515km- (320 miles) land border is impractical. Brexit is in any case a problem of British creation.

The problem that has always been nascent, and became distressingly real, is that the GFA, and with it the imperceptible border, power sharing and peace, is simply incompatible with Brexit.

It is the UK leaving the EU that has brought this tension, and there is one man who bears a heavy degree of responsibility for the fact of Brexit and its implementation  and thus the undermining of the GFA to the point of near-destruction  Boris Johnson. It was his reckless and dangerous act of deception that the border wasnt a problem, when it plainly was and is. It stands today as another regrettable, to say the least, legacy of his dismal premiership.

The reason why the border was never mentioned in the GFA, of course, is that back in 1998 everyone made the perfectly reasonable assumption that the UK and Ireland would continue to be member states of the European Union. It didnt occur to anyone that a few in the Tory party, then almost moribund, could somehow get the UK out of its central international partnership, one which had delivered much prosperity. By coincidence, the year 1998 marked the 25th year of both countries EU membership.

Boris Johnson delivers an address at Stormont in January 2020 (Getty)

One of the more overlooked but useful benefits of being in the same customs union and, latterly, single market, was that many of the usual border controls had become redundant and long disappeared across the EU, and in Ireland. In their place, however, came an ugly infrastructure of police and military forts and watchtowers.

The GFA swept all those hulking reminders of British rule away, and the new, practically invisible border on the island of Ireland was a huge factor in enticing Republicans to adopt peace and join, with fits and starts, the power-sharing assembly, then the executive and, now, to have their leader Michelle ONeill chosen by the people as the first minister-elect of the province.

Despite the current Democratic Unionist Party boycott and the drumbeat of a return to violence, that is a remarkable journey. Hence the cautious celebrations attended by the King, President Biden and others.

Still, 800 years of history tell us that theres no room for complacency for anyone contemplating peace in Ireland, and its worth contemplating exactly why Northern Ireland finds itself being menaced by the forces of nihilistic violence again.

Mr Johnson meets with then-DUP leader Arlene Foster at Stormont in July 2019 (Getty)

Brexit is indeed the underlying cause. One original sin, still too often forgotten, is that Ulster says Remain to borrow a phrase, but was ignored. In the 2016 referendum Northern Ireland voted by 56 per cent to 44 per cent to stay in the EU. Four of the five main parties in Northern Ireland  the Ulster Unionists, Alliance, the SDLP and Sinn Fein campaigned for Remain. Only the Democratic Unionist Party, wary of any dilution of their British identity via the EU, wanted out.

Yet the erroneous impression persists that the DUP speaks for the whole of the people of the province and the unionist community. This is partly down to Sinn Feins absence at Westminster, and the absence of Alliance and SDLP MPs at Westminster during the crucial debates and votes between 2017 and 2019.

It was also because Sinn Fein had collapsed the institutions over the role then-first minister Arlene Foster had played in a disastrous green energy scheme, so there was no devolved administration to speak up for the province. For much of the time, the extreme positions the DUP adopted gained and outsized influence, which Boris Johnson encouraged, but then betrayed. It was even by his standards, dishonourable conduct.

Johnson once posed as the staunchest ally of the unionist community. This has only served to add to the general suspicion of Westminster among Northern Ireland politicians. Johnson resigned as foreign secretary in Theresa Mays government in 2018. She had worked hard to craft the Chequers Agreement, which minimised the extent of border frictions by keeping the UK in the EU customs union and parts of the single market, with a special status for Northern Ireland  but no hated border in the Irish Sea.

Johnson rejected it, and offered instead a typical piece of cakeist fantasy in his resignation statement: With goodwill and common sense, we can address concerns about the Northern Irish border and all other borders. That was the sum total of his policy; goodwill, and the typical Johnsonian idea that if we just ignore it, the issue will evaporate of its own accord.

Once liberated from collective responsibility he continued to ingratiate himself with the DUP and their allies in the Tory party  promising the impossible just as he did in the EU referendum, and with the same insincerity and purely selfish motivations.

Left to right: Northern Irelands then-deputy first minister Michelle ONeill, Boris Johnson, the UKs then-Northern Ireland secrmetary, Brandon Lewis, and then-first minister Arlene Foster at Hillsborough Castle in Belfast in August 2020 (AFP/Getty)

In 2018, when May was still trying to get her deal through the Commons, he even travelled to the DUP conference in Belfast to tell jokes about the Titanic and to warn them about the perils of Mays doomed deal: If we wanted to do free-trade deals, if we wanted to cut tariffs or vary our regulation then we would have to leave Northern Ireland behind as an economic semi-colony of the EU and we would be damaging the fabric of the union with regulatory checks and even customs controls between GB and NI  on top of those extra regulatory checks down the Irish Sea that are already envisaged in the Withdrawal Agreement.

No British Conservative government could or should sign up to anything of the kind and so our answer at the moment is rather desperately to make sure the whole UK stays in the backstop with the EU having the power to decide whether or not we can ever leave and why should they?

Yet a little more a year later, Johnson was ready to do precisely what he had accused May of doing, and sell out the Unionists by agreeing to the Northern Ireland protocol as part of his UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement.

It was a dramatic U-turn, and it would in time come to jeopardise peace in Ireland; but the charm of it for Johnson was that it wouldnt come into actual effect for many months, way after the 2019 election, at which point hed have his own large Commons majority and the DUP and their more loyal Eurosceptic friends could do nothing about the fait accompli. It was the biggest case of political misselling in modern history  but the cakeist delusion could not last forever.

Thus, in November 2019, the election out of the way and his 80-seat majority secured, Johnson was still telling worried Northern Ireland businesses they could put customs declarations forms in the bin because there will be no barriers of any kind to trade crossing the Irish Sea. As late as August 2020, Johnson was still telling anyone whod listen that: There will be no border down the Irish Sea  over my dead body.

Johnson addresses supporters during a rally for the Vote Leave campaign in 2016 (Getty)

Even though that was precisely and obviously what was being implemented, with new customs facilities being built and EU officials stationed at the port of Larne. It was one of his more extravagant exercises in political dishonesty.

When, late in his premiership, he found that he could no longer pretend there was no problem, and the DUP had collapsed the Stormont administration, Johnson published a bill that would, in the words of the then-Northern Ireland secretary, Brandon Lewis, break international law in a very specific and limited way. It infuriated the EU, and the mild-mannered Irish foreign minister, Simon Coveney, told the Dail, the lower house of parliament: It is surely not too much to ask for the UK to implement the withdrawal agreement which it agreed to.

Johnsons gamble poisoned relations with Ireland and the EU still further; the evidence suggests that there was never any serious intent to use it, because it would have invited retaliatory tariffs to be slapped on UK exports to the bloc.

Paused in parliament, it survived Liz Trusss brief premiership before being quietly jettisoned by Rishi Sunak. To be replaced by the Windsor Framework. In a quixotic and highly hypocritical gesture, Johnson (and Truss) joined a revolt of Eurosceptics against the Framework; it flopped and the rebels numbered all of 22.

The most galling aspect of Johnsons attitude to Northern Ireland is the private contempt in which he seems to have held the interests of the province, in sharp contrast to his Churchillian public pronouncements.

In June 2018, for instance, at a private function organised by the Thatcherite think-tank, Conservative Way Forward, Johnsons frustrations spilled over in remarks that were later leaked: Its so small and there are so few firms that actually use that border regularly, its just beyond belief that were allowing the tail to wag the dog in this way. Were allowing the whole of our agenda to be dictated by this folly.

According to a memoir written by Gavin Barwell, Mays chief of staff, in his internal cabinet discussions, Johnson regarded the Northern Ireland issue as a gnat, and Mays elaborate safeguards for the GFA as mumbo jumbo. So much for the passionately unionist Johnson.

Northern Ireland didnt figure much in the debate on Brexit in the rest of the UK in 2016, but it should have done. Like other Brexiteers, Theresa Villiers, the Northern Ireland secretary at the time, expressed a breezy confidence that thered be no real problems  and its all too plausible to suppose that Johnson devoted even less effort than did Villiers to seriously thinking through the consequences of Brexit on this corner of the union (or, indeed, its equally malign impact on Scotland and its place in the UK).

It cannot, however, be said that there were no warnings. Back in 2016 John Major and Tony Blair, who helped keep the peace process alive in the 1990s, spoke out in a joint intervention. Major warned the union would be weakened, and Blairs words were even more portentous.

He declared, seven years ago, that it would be profoundly foolish to risk those foundations of stability created by the GFA. He added: I say, dont take a punt on these people. Dont let them take risks with Northern Irelands future. Dont let them undermine our United Kingdom.

He knew, and we know, exactly who he was referring to. He was right.
MELBOURNE  Two health care workers have been arrested and charged with abusing an elderly dementia patient at a Melbourne care home and livestreaming the incident on Snapchat, police said Saturday.

Jada Harris, 18, and ShyTiona Jazziemysha Bishop, 20, both of Cocoa, were both charged with video voyeurism, abuse of an elderly person and interception/disclosure of wire or oral communications, after Brevard County sheriffs investigators received an anonymous tip about the incidents recorded April 3, court records show.

Video still released by the Brevard County Sheriff's Office shows two Cocoa healthcare workers who livestreamed incident at memory care facility.

Harris and Bishop were arrested Friday and booked into the Brevard County Jail Complex in Sharpes and each held on $4,000 bail.

Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey took to social media to describe the two women as "vile."

"The local facility had no idea this was taking place," Ivey said in a Facebook post Saturday. "Abusing anyone is disgusting enough, but to make matters even worse, they livestreamed the abuse, they actually put it up ... so that their friends could watch and laugh about it."

At least four videos, some lasting as long as 37 seconds, were transmitted over the short-video social media platform, including some showing graphic images of the pair attempting to change the womans soiled clothing and sounds of the two laughing, records show. The unidentified woman could be heard screaming "No," repeatedly, off-camera.

Investigators said the two were working with a patient at the Market Street Memory Care facility, 6845 Murrell Rd., Melbourne. The assisted-living facility specializes in care of patients with Alzheimer's and dementia.

In one clip shared with Harris followers, the patient is heard saying, "Help me," as Bishop says, "Aint no help," court records show. Harris can be seen walking toward the single bed, yanking back the sheet from the disabled woman and saying, You making me mad now, lets go, and Dont touch my phone, records show.

Investigators said Harris  listed as a nursing assistant in arrest reports  used her cellphone to record the live feeds.

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The woman has been a patient at the facility since August 2022. She had been diagnosed with dementia but noted not to have any significant behavioral issues, the arrest warrant says.

The facility reported the next day that the patient was seen pacing back and forth and yelling, a sign she had been in distress, workers told investigators. Harris and Bishop were fired, the facility said.

J.D. Gallop is a criminal justice/breaking news reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Gallop at 321-917-4641 or jgallop@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @JDGallop

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Cocoa women arrested after mocking patient in Snapchat livestream
Some fans love it. Some dont care for it.

But none can deny its power to produce heart-thumping finishes.

The NASCAR Cup Series returns to Bristol Motor Speedways dirt track on Sunday at 7 p.m. You can watch the race on Fox or listen to it on PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

This will mark the third time Cup drivers of this generation have driven on Bristol Dirt  the half-mile course at one of the sports most vaunted venues that is packed in with dirt on top of the tracks concrete. The previous two races have come down to the end: The 2021 race featured Joey Logano edging Ricky Stenhouse Jr. by less than a second, and the 2022 race saw a Chase Briscoe slide cause chaos and clear the way for Kyle Buschs only win of last year.

Speedway Motorsports CEO Marcus Smith told media on Thursday that a decision hasnt yet been made on whether Bristols spring race next year will be run on dirt. But the excitement he has for this weekends race is palpable  even if that excitement is a bit at odds with how drivers feel.

All of it is a big risk, a big challenge, Smith said. I think that, No. 1, our team at Bristol has done a phenomenal job of executing that challenge: to bring dirt in and make a legitimate dirt race happen at Bristol Motor Speedway.

He added: Looking into next year, I can tell you that were starting to look at the calendar. We have not made any decisions on that yet. But were certainly looking at that. I think its been a success when you consider the challenges that we had. We sold more tickets this year going into this weekend than we had last year. Were pleased with that. ... Sunday night should be a great race, and Im looking forward to it.

Here are three story lines to catch you up on all things NASCAR ahead of Sundays Cup race.

 NASCAR changes rule book. After an eventful week-and-a-half of penalties and appeals and general controversy, NASCAR has made a subtle but important modification to its rule book. The sanctioning body said that the National Motorsports Appeals Panel (as well as the Final Appeal Officer) may not completely remove any element of the originally assessed penalty provided in the Penalty Notice as defined in Rule Book Section 10.5.2 Determination of Penalties. This rule would prevent the issue that happened last week  when Hendrick Motorsports got all of its points restored after suffering hefty points penalties the week before.

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Another rule book change: NASCAR now has the right to publish the Appeals Panel/FAO justification for modifying or rescinding a penalty. This was instituted in response to fan and driver and race-team frustration for the general lack of transparency around the appeals process.

 Hendrick Motorsports slapped with penalties again. NASCAR elected to take the No. 24 and No. 48 cars  both Hendrick Motorsports cars  back to the R&D facility in Concord for inspection after the race at Richmond Raceway. Some saw it as a way to check the power of Hendrick Motorsports, after the race organization for all intents and purposes got off clean after incurring an L2 penalty for modifying single-source supplied parts last month.

The race team suffered further penalties earlier this week. NASCAR found that both teams made illegal modifications to the greenhouse (windows/roof). The crew chiefs of the 24 team (William Byrons team) and the 48 team (Alex Bowmans team) were fined $75,000 and suspended from two NASCAR Cup races. In addition, the teams were assessed with the loss of 60 points and five NASCAR playoff points. (The crew chief suspension is in effect after this weekends race at Bristol.)

 Can Kyle Larson turn two in a row? Larson won last weekends race at Richmond, finally getting the trip to Victory Lane he deserved after several race wins just slipped through his grasp earlier this season. The driver of the No. 5 Cup car is renowned as one of the best dirt racers in the country and is an understandable favorite for Sunday. But he shrugged off those odds when asked about it last weekend.

I could have ran last in every single race leading into Bristol, and the media is probably going to point to me as being the favorite anyway at Bristol just because its a dirt track, Larson said with a patented nonchalance. So I dont know. It does not matter to me. I know that were going to be good at every racetrack, so thats promising.

Per CBS Sports via SportsLine, Larson is the favorite to win the race with +450 odds. Then its Christopher Bell and Tyler Reddick at +600 odds, then Chase Briscoe (dirt racer by trade) at +900 odds, then Kyle Busch (last years winner) at +1000.

Food City Dirt Race: How to watch

Place: Bristol Motor Speedway Dirt

Date: Sunday, April 9

Time: 7 p.m. ET

Purse: $7,808,640

TV: FOX, 6 p.m. ET

Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Distance: 125 miles (250 laps)

Stages: Stage 1 (Lap 75), Stage 2 (Lap 150), Stage 3 (Ends on Lap 250)

Starting lineup for Bristol race
President Joe Biden speaks during the annual St. Patrick's Day luncheon on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.

After the vote to leave the EU, and following the election of Donald Trump, a former White House adviser told me: If any other Republican president were in office, they would say, We dont agree with Brexit, but youre our strongest ally. You can have a trade deal with us, and on terms youll find helpful. But Trumps was no normal presidency. Nobody but Trump would have been pro-Brexit, my friend said. But if you want a trade deal he will try to screw you with your pants still on.

This was just one reason why a trade agreement with America was neither likely nor desirable. Unusually, official figures show Britain enjoys a trade surplus with America, and Trump would have seen a trade deal as a moment to squeeze us hard. There was also the role of Congress in negotiations  never likely to be helpful  and controversies in Britain about American farming methods.

Then there was the election of Joe Biden, who visits Northern Ireland and the Republic this week. President Biden has a history of taking strident, hostile and ignorant positions against British interests. As a senator in the 1980s, he campaigned to stop a change in American extradition law favoured by President Reagan, which would have removed political exemption clauses and allowed IRA terror suspects in the States to be sent to Britain for trial.

In a letter regarding the case of an IRA gunman, who had been involved in a shoot-out that left a British soldier dead, and who had later kidnapped a prison officer and shot his way out of jail, Biden wrote, it is far preferable to allow occasional judicial mistakes than to codify an approach that would have, for example, required the US to send Indian dissidents in the 1940s to England to stand trial.

This was absurd for many obvious reasons, not least that Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom by the democratic consent of its people. Yet Bidens statement was neither a one-off slip nor a product of its time. In Israel last year, he said: The background of my family is Irish-American, and we have a long history not unlike the Palestinian people, with Great Britain and their attitude toward Irish Catholics over the years.

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It was no surprise, then, that Biden took an antagonistic attitude towards Britain throughout the Brexit negotiations. He repeatedly elided the Good Friday Agreement, which says nothing about borders, with an insistence that there could be no border between Northern Ireland and the Republic. He even instructed his most senior diplomat in London to lodge a demarche  a formal diplomatic protest  over British resistance to EU checks on goods travelling between Northern Ireland and mainland Britain.

Predictably, Biden showed little concern for the Good Friday Agreement once it became clear that the Northern Ireland Protocol endangered the peace process because of the problems it presented to unionists. For some Democrats such partisanship was about the relationship  as they perceived it at least  between Brexit and the populist wave that elected Donald Trump. But for others  including Biden himself  it is also because they are partisan on the future of Northern Ireland itself. In November, Chuck Schumer, the Senate majority leader, offered Sinn Fein his support for full Irish unity.

If this sounds not very much like the conduct of an important ally, that is because too many in Britain have a naive view of our alliance with America. We are two different countries with distinct cultures and interests. As two liberal democracies with common enemies, those interests often coincide  but not always. This should be obvious, yet many are taken in by a common language, familiarity with American culture, and the cost-free rhetoric of the so-called special relationship. With Brexit, when Britain expected support from its cherished ally, none arrived.

This is  of course  not to say that there is no value in the alliance, which rests on deep security co-operation. Our two countries share intelligence material in a way that is incomparable anywhere else in the world. Britain, along with Canada and Australia, is part of Americas statutory National Technology and Industrial Base. And as the Aukus treaty shows, there is still scope for military and industrial co-operation to deepen further.

All this demonstrates that the alliance has foundations that survive the madness of a Trump or the frostiness of a Biden administration. And it tends to have a momentum of its own regardless of the chemistry shared by presidents and prime ministers. Just as threats from the past  from the Axis powers to the Soviet Union and Islamist terrorists  have brought the countries together, so, in all probability, will China and global threats that grow as Western power declines.

Yet we must accept that there is nuance and complexity in a relationship in which we start off with different cultural perspectives; view the world with our different interests in mind; judge what might be possible as countries of around 340 million people and 67 million people respectively; and elect governments and leaders with different personalities and outlooks.

Politicians like to talk about relations between countries as friendships and enduring partnerships, but then political language is by nature often hyperbolic, hypocritical and designed to cover up contradiction and controversy. President Biden will likely once again reveal his partisan support for Irish nationalism this week, and perhaps insult unionists and the British as he does so. But if so, we should not care.

A grown-up assessment of the alliance with America must be realistic. There are trade-offs in any international relationship, and there is plenty we gain from our alliance. But that does not mean we must always be craven or compliant.

Sooner or later Biden will leave office. He may be replaced by a friendlier president, but regardless, he will not be the last unfriendly face in the White House. Our job is to assess our interests  not to fawn embarrassingly about the special relationship, plead for a trade deal we do not need, or rush into every war America feels it needs to wage. In other words, we need to grow up, and do what is right for ourselves.
Brooks Koepka will take a two-shot lead into the final round of the Masters (David J. Phillip/AP) (AP)

Brooks Koepka remained the man to catch as the 87th Masters got back on schedule without the presence of Tiger Woods at Augusta National.

Koepka completed a third round of 73 to finish 11 under par, two shots clear of playing partner Jon Rahm, who also returned a 73 in testing conditions.

Norways Viktor Hovland was three shots off the lead following an eventful 70, with Patrick Cantlay another stroke back.

I am disappointed to have to WD this morning due to reaggravating my plantar fasciitis. Thank you to the fans and to @TheMasters who have shown me so much love and support. Good luck to the players today!  Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) April 9, 2023

Woods had withdrawn before play resumed on Sunday morning, the 15-time major winner having slumped to the bottom of the leaderboard after making a record-equalling 23rd consecutive halfway cut.

The 47-year-old wrote on Twitter: I am disappointed to have to WD this morning due to reaggravating my plantar fasciitis. Thank you to the fans and to @TheMasters who have shown me so much love and support. Good luck to the players today!

When play got under way at 0830 local time (1330 BST), Rahm immediately halved his four-shot deficit, holing from nine feet for birdie on the seventh after Koepka had missed his longer par attempt.

Both players birdied the par-five eighth and both also missed the green on the par-three 12th as a swirling wind made club selection difficult.

Rahm enjoyed a fortunate bounce back towards the green and two-putted for par despite a sizeable amount of mud on his ball, but Koepka three-putted from long range to see his lead cut to a single shot.

However, it was Rahms turn to three putt on the very next hole, the world number three coming up well short with his approach and then charging his lengthy birdie putt six feet past the hole.

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Koepka enjoyed a massive stroke of luck when his approach to the 15th looked set to spin back off the green and into the water, but the soft conditions meant his ball stopped on the bank.

Rahm had found the green in two on the par five, but three-putted from almost 100 feet and then bogeyed the 16th to fall three shots behind.

Trouble on the greens was seemingly catching though, Koepka needing three putts from just 24 feet on the 17th to see his lead cut to two shots ahead of the final round.

Hovland had looked completely out of the picture when he bogeyed the 10th to fall back to three under, but responded brilliantly with five straight birdies to move firmly into contention for a first major title.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 9)  The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has recorded more than 280,000 passengers in all ports nationwide over the Easter weekend.

On April 9, Easter Sunday, the PCG monitored 13,204 outbound travelers and 13,201 inbound travelers from 12 a.m. to 6 a.m., then 74,250 outbound travelers and 59,107 inbound travelers from 6 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Meanwhile, from 6 a.m. to 12 p.m. on April 8, Black Saturday, the coast guard logged 73,984 outbound passengers and 49,500 inbound passengers.

According to statements released by the PCG, at least 300,000 commuters have flocked to sea ports from Holy Wednesday to Good Friday, with numbers peaking on Maundy Thursday, an official holiday.

It said more than 2,000 frontline personnel deployed in 15 PCG districts have inspected at least 500 vessels and over 1,800 motorbancas by Sunday noon.

"The PCG has placed its districts, stations, and sub-stations on heightened alert to manage the influx of port passengers during the Holy Week from 02 to 10 April 2023," the PCG said.

"It will also cover the length of summer vacation in anticipation of local tourists traveling by sea for recreational purposes until 31 May 2023," it added.

It also encouraged passengers to coordinate with its official Facebook page or the Coast Guard Public Affairs hotline at 0927-560-7729 for inquiries and concerns.
PARIS (Reuters) -Eight people are not responding to calls and are thought to be under the rubble of two buildings that collapsed in an explosion early on Sunday in the southern French city of Marseille, local officials said.

The cause of the explosion was not yet known, Marseille prosecutor Dominique Laurens said.

The collapse caused a fire that has complicated rescue efforts and investigations, and it has not been brought under control, she told a news conference.

Television footage showed clouds of smoke rising from the rubble as firefighters tried to put out the fire, while trained dogs were used to try to locate victims.

"We have nothing, not even an ID card. We have lost everything," said a man who gave his name only as Roland, in an interview with local newspaper La Provence. He managed to get out of the building on 15 Rue de Tivoli with his wife and two children before it collapsed, together with a neighbouring building.

A third building partly collapsed.

Five people were taken to hospital with serious but not life threatening injuries.

Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, who visited the site, said 30 buildings in the area were evacuated.

In 2018, around 1 kilometer (0.62 mile) from the tragedy, three buildings considered not fit for habitation collapsed, killing eight people.

The mayor of Marseille said a parallel could not be drawn, while the prosecutor said the buildings that collapsed on Sunday were not known to have any structural problems.

"Thoughts are with Marseille," President Emmanuel Macron said in a Twitter message.

(Reporting by Layli ForoudiEditing by Alison Williams, Frances Kerry and Barbara Lewis)
When she was a college freshman, Joslyn Chaiprasert-Paguio was told by a doctor she had a common sexually transmitted infection called the human papillomavirus, but not to worry. Four years later, a few days before her wedding, she was diagnosed with cervical cancer, which caused complications when she became pregnant. She had a hysterectomy eight years later, after the disease returned in 2021.

The 38-year-old medical journal editor and Menifee resident hadnt been immunized as a teenager because there wasnt yet a vaccine for HPV, which causes nearly all cervical cancers and a handful of other potentially lethal forms of the disease in men and women. Now, her 10-year-old daughter, Samantha, is scheduled to get her first shot this month.

This is the only vaccine that prevents cancer, Chaiprasert-Paguio said.

A bill pending in the California legislature would require schools to notify parents that their kids are expected to be vaccinated for HPV before entering eighth grade, as part of a push to get more children inoculated against the cancer-causing strains of the virus, theoretically before they become sexually active. AB 659 stops short of mandating the vaccine for middle schoolers, as the bill originally proposed. Lawmakers stripped out that provision without any debate, reflecting the contentious nature of school vaccine mandates even in a state with some of the nations strictest immunization laws.

Now is a tough time to be taking up that fight, said Michelle Mello, a professor of law and health policy at Stanford University, noting that anti-vaccine sentiment has drawn more attention since the beginning of the covid-19 pandemic.

The proposed legislation by Assembly member Cecilia Aguiar-Curry would instead require public college students under 26 to provide proof of immunization against the virus, a more palatable idea for parents uncomfortable with a vaccine that links teens to sex.

Anti-vaccine activists pounced on the bill, denouncing it as an egregious example of government overreach. A group called the Freedom Angels claimed credit for pressuring lawmakers into dropping the vaccine mandate for young teens, calling it a huge victory.

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Since its debut in 2006, the HPV vaccine has elicited unfounded rumors that the shots could cause neurological damage or make teens sterile. Fewer than 55% of kids in the U.S. ages 13-15 were vaccinated against HPV in 2020, a rate far lower than those for other routine childhood shots. By comparison, more than 90% of adolescents are up to date on the Tdap vaccine, which protects against tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis. A single dose of the HPV vaccine has a list price of $268, according to drug manufacturer Merck.

Most states do not require HPV immunizations for school as for diseases like polio and chickenpox, which can spread easily in classrooms through the air or touch. Just three states, Rhode Island, Virginia, and Hawaii, as well as Washington, D.C., currently require student vaccination against HPV for sixth or seventh graders.

Mostly Republican pushback against covid vaccine mandates has spawned a spate of proposed legislation in conservative states, such as Montana and Idaho, which weaken or roll back government and private-sector requirements. In Iowa, which has the nations second-highest cancer rate, lawmakers are considering a bill that would strike a requirement that schools inform students about the HPV vaccine.

Even before covid, a rising wave of parents who refused to vaccinate their kids allowed diseases that had been all but eliminated decades ago  like measles and pertussis, or whooping cough  to return.

In this reality, passing good public health policy means long-term strategizing, said Crystal Strait, who leads the pro-vaccination group ProtectUS. Thats how she sees Aguiar-Currys amended HPV vaccination bill.

Its a step, she said. We have to do something. Too many people are being harmed by preventable cancer."

Nearly everyone contracts HPV at some point, though usually without symptoms. But a handful of strains of the virus can linger in the body and develop into cancer of the cervix, vagina, vulva, penis, anus, or throat. Studies have confirmed that the HPV vaccine reduced the risk of getting cancer by nearly 90% when given to girls and boys in their early teens, likely before theyre exposed to dangerous strains of the virus.

Academic research shows that teens in states with HPV vaccine mandates have been much more likely to receive the shot.

Weve had this war against cancer for decades, and now we have a cancer vaccine and people are debating whether we should work to assure that everyone gets it, said Dr. Jeffrey Klausner, a public health professor at the University of Southern California who previously served as San Franciscos director of STD Prevention and Control Services. Its hard to wrap your mind around.

Rates of cervical cancer, once a leading cause of cancer deaths for American women, have fallen with the vaccine and stepped-up Pap smears. Still, more than 37,000 cancers caused by HPV are diagnosed annually, and cervical cancer alone still killed more than 4,000 women last year.

By contrast, Australia is on track to become the first country to eliminate cervical cancer within the next two decades after launching a national school-based program in which school nurses administer HPV shots to 12- and 13-year-olds willing to get the vaccine.

Public health mandates work best when they require things that have already reached a certain level of social acceptance, like wearing a seat belt or not smoking indoors, said Saad Omer, who heads the Yale Institute for Global Health and has studied vaccine skepticism.

Mandates are strong medicine, but like every strong medicine, they come with side effects, said Omer.

Santa Clara graphic designer Gilma Pereda, who was always a little skeptical of vaccines, admits to not being crazy about mandates. On the other hand, since she was diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2016, shes undergone numerous surgeries and repeated rounds of chemotherapy. She has lost her uterus, her eyelashes, and her waist-length brown hair. She reached a low point in 2021 upon learning the cancer had spread to her bones.

In deciding whether to vaccinate her daughter for HPV, the choice was clear. I did not want my child to go through this, she said.

This story was produced by KHN (Kaiser Health News), a national newsroom that provides in-depth coverage of health issues and that is one of the three major operating programs at KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation). KHN is the publisher of California Healthline, an editorially independent service of the California Health Care Foundation.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: California bill would mandate HPV vaccine
Studies show that Black children comprise 38% of missing youths nationwide.

A California Senator has proposed a new bill aimed at alerting the public about missing Black women and children whose cases are disproportionately underreported.

The Ebony Alert system, introduced in Senate Bill 673, would circulate urgent information about Black women or young people between the ages of 12 and 25 who have gone missing.

Senator Steven Bradford (D-Gardena), who authored the bill, said in a press release that the alert system would ensure that resources and attention are given so we can bring home missing Black women and Black children in the same way we would search for any missing child and missing person.

In this Jan. 15, 2021, file photo, state Sen. Steven Bradford, D-Gardena, addresses a press conference at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times via AP, Pool, File)

Proposed by Bradford on March 23, the bills introduction comes at a time when Black children comprise 38% of missing youths nationwide. These children are disproportionately classified as runaways, making their cases less likely to be given public attention through Amber or Silver alerts, according to the Black and Missing Foundation.

When someone who is missing is incorrectly listed as a runaway, they basically vanish a second time. They vanish from the police detectives workload. They vanish from the headlines. In many ways, no one even knows they are missing. How can we find someone and bring them home safely when no one is really looking for them, Bradford said in the press release.

According to data cited by Brittany Lewis, co-founder of Research in Action, over 60,000 Black women are missing nationwide. Experts claim that cases involving missing Black women and girls remain open for four times as long as cases involving white individuals, as theGrio previously reported.

Cases of missing Black Americans also do not receive as much by attention from news outlets, according to the Columbia Journalism Review, which created a database based on roughly 3,600 U.S. media articles that predicts the press value of a missing person based upon their social demographics, NPR reported.

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The resource, called Are You Press Worthy?, projects that young, white women will often be given more media attention when missing compared to their Black, Latino and Indigenous counterparts, per the outlet.

Senate Bill 673 would work to address this aspect of the problem by working directly with news outlets across television, digital, radio and social platforms to publicize Ebony Alerts as urgently as possible, per the press release.

TheGrio is FREE on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku, and Android TV. Please download theGrio mobile apps today!

The post California lawmaker introduces Ebony Alert bill for missing Black children and young women appeared first on TheGrio.
Chinese health officials have called out the World Health Organizations (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus for his offensive comments in the ongoing search for the origins of COVID-19.

Speaking at a news conference, the director of Chinas Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shen Hongbing said that Ghebreyesus recent remarks were offensive and disrespectful, accusing the health agency of attempting to smear China and said it should avoid helping others politicize COVID-19.

In remarks made last month, Ghebreyesus said that the newly disclosed genetic material gathered in Wuhan, China shouldve been publicly shared three years ago.

The genetic material mentioned by Ghebreyesus was uploaded recently to a global database, being collected three years ago at a Wuhan-based wildlife market where wildlife was sold.

As a responsible country and as scientists, we have always actively shared research results with scientists from around the world, Shen said at a news conference.

Shen also said that officials havent yet found the source of COVID-19 yet, adding an example that it took researchers years to identify and find the origins of the AIDS virus.

Some forces and figures who instigate and participate in politicizing the traceability issue and attempting to smear China should not assume that the vision of the scientific community around the world will be blinded by their clumsy manipulation, Shen said.

The U.S. has pressed China to provide more information on COVID-19 origins and allow international investigations to take place as part of efforts to determine where the virus originated.

Multiple media outlets recently reported that the Energy Department had determined with low confidence that a lab leak was behind the eventual outbreak and pandemic, citing new intelligence in its report.

 The Associated Press contributed to this report

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Chinese health officials are defending their search to find the source of the coronavirus and criticized the leader of the World Health Organization after saying that China should have shared genetic information earlier.

Shen Hongbing, director of the China Center for Disease Control and Prevention called the comments "offensive and disrespectful," accusing the organization of "attempting to smear China." Hongbing said that the WHO should not be helping others "politicize COVID-19."

Hongbing was responding to comments made by the WHO Director, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, when he said that newly disclosed genetic material from Wuhan should have been made available when the virus began.

"These data could have  and should have  been shared three years ago," Ghebreyesus said on March 17.

WHO BLASTS CHINA FOR WITHHOLDING INFO ON COVID ORIGIN AFTER DATA PULLED OFFLINE

Peter Daszak (R), Thea Fischer (L) and other members of the World Health Organization (WHO) team investigating the origins of the COVID-19 coronavirus, arrive at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in Wuhan in China's central Hubei province on February 3, 2021.

"As a responsible country and as scientists, we have always actively shared research results with scientists from around the world," Hongbing said at a press conference on Saturday.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

The comments from Ghebreyesus in March came after Chinese data that was first made available in January was taken offline after researches offered to work with Chinese scientists in analyzing the data.

FBI DIRECTOR SAYS COVID PANDEMIC 'MOST LIKELY' ORIGINATED FROM CHINESE LAB

However, a team of international virus experts downloaded the data before it was taken offline and began to analyze it.

According to the researchers, the Chinese data points towards the idea that the COVID-19 pandemic could have began in a Wuhan seafood market where illegally traded raccoon dogs may have infected humans.

HOUSE GOP TO REQUIRE BIDEN TO DECLASSIFY INFO ON WUHAN LAB, COVID ORIGINS

The researchers say that raccoon dogs left DNA in the same area of the Wuhan market where coronavirus genetic signatures were found.

Chinese officials have previously pushed back on this type of theory, saying that the coronavirus was brought in by sick people rather by animals.

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FBI Director Christopher Wray said in March the COVID-19 pandemic was likely caused by a lab leak in Wuhan, China.

"The FBI has for quite some time now assessed that the origins of the pandemic are most likely a potential lab incident in Wuhan," Wray told Fox News in an interview that aired Tuesday. "Here you are talking about a potential leak from a Chinese government-controlled lab."

"I will just make the observation that the Chinese government, it seems to me, has been doing its best to try to thwart and obfuscate the work here, the work that we're doing, the work that our U.S. government and close foreign partners are doing. And that's unfortunate for everybody," Wray added.

In March, the Department of Energy assessed that the COVID-19 pandemic was likely caused by an accidental lab leak in China.

The National Intelligence Council as well as four other government agencies assess at "low confidence" that COVID-19 originated as a result of natural transmission from an infected animal, but the CIA and other government agencies remain undecided.

Fox News' Michael Lee and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
Chinese fighter jets and warships simulated strikes on Taiwan Sunday as they encircled the island during a second day of military drills launched in response to its president meeting with the US House speaker.

The exercises sparked condemnation from Taipei and calls for restraint from Washington, which said it was "monitoring Beijing's actions closely".

Dubbed "Joint Sword", the three-day operation -- which includes rehearsing an encirclement of Taiwan -- will run until Monday, the People's Liberation Army's (PLA) Eastern Theatre Command said.

"I am a little worried; I would be lying to you if I say that I am not," said 73-year-old Donald Ho, who was exercising Sunday morning in a Taipei park.

"I am still worried because if a war broke out both sides will suffer quite a lot," he told AFP.

China's war games involved sending planes, ships and personnel into "the maritime areas and air space" around all four sides of Taiwan, the army said as it launched the exercises, engineered to flex Beijing's military muscles.

A report from state broadcaster CCTV on Sunday said drills had "simulated joint precision strikes against key targets on Taiwan island and surrounding waters", adding that forces "continued to maintain the situation of closely encircling the island".

The air force also deployed dozens of aircraft to "fly into the target airspace", and ground forces had carried out drills for "multi-target precision strikes", the report added.

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen immediately denounced the drills, which come after she met last week with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy outside Los Angeles on her way home from a visit with two allied countries in Central America.

She pledged to work with "the US and other like-minded countries" in the face of "continued authoritarian expansionism".

In Washington, a State Department spokesperson said the United States had "consistently urged restraint and no change to the status quo", while the Pentagon said it too was "monitoring events closely".

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"There is no reason for Beijing to turn this transit -- which was consistent with longstanding US practice and policy -- into something it is not or use it as pretext to overreact," a Defense Department spokesperson said Sunday, referring to Tsai's stop in California.

The United States has been deliberately ambiguous on whether it would defend Taiwan militarily, although for decades it has sold weapons to Taipei to help ensure its self-defence.

- Live-fire exercises -

Exercises on Monday will include live-fire drills off the rocky coast of China's Fujian province, about 80 kilometres (50 miles) south of Taiwan's Matsu Islands and 190 kilometres from Taipei.

"These operations serve as a stern warning against the collusion between separatist forces seeking 'Taiwan independence' and external forces and against their provocative activities," said Shi Yin, a PLA spokesman.

AFP saw no immediate signs of enhanced military manoeuvres on the northern coast of Pingtan, a Chinese island across the strait from Taiwan where the live-ammunition exercises will kick off on Monday.

On a roadside verge high above the ocean, Lin Ren blasted the Chinese national anthem on a loop as he sold cups of coffee from the back of his car.

"I think the current exercises serve as a way of putting pressure on Taiwan," the 29-year-old told AFP.

"I think they make it clear to them that we have the capabilities... to unify."

China views democratic, self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory and has vowed to take it one day, by force if necessary.

Taipei's defence ministry said it had detected 11 Chinese warships and 70 aircraft around Taiwan on Sunday.

It said 45 aircraft had crossed the median line separating Taiwan from mainland China on Saturday - the most incursions this year, according to figures maintained by AFP.

Over the weekend there were around 150 detections of Chinese ships or aircraft, including fighter jets, drones, bombers, and transport aircraft, according to the ministry.

The island has been on high alert and said its forces "will be well prepared and maintain solid combat readiness", while making sure not to "escalate conflict".

An AFP journalist saw Mirage 2000 fighter jets scrambling at the Hsinchu air force base in northern Taiwan on Sunday.

Three boats from Taiwan's elite Amphibious Reconnaissance and Patrol Unit were also seen patrolling the Matsu Islands on Sunday, according to an AFP journalist.

"The CCP (Chinese Communist Party) has continued to conduct military exercises around the Taiwan Strait and since this morning it has successively dispatched multiple batches of aircraft... as well as a number of ships in the area," Taiwan's defence ministry said on Sunday.

The drills came hours after the departure from Beijing of French President Emmanuel Macron, who was in China to urge his counterpart Xi Jinping to help bring an end to the war in Ukraine.

In August last year, China deployed warships, missiles and fighter jets around Taiwan in its largest show of force in years following a trip to the island by McCarthy's predecessor, Nancy Pelosi.

Tsai returned to Taiwan on Friday after visiting her island's dwindling band of official diplomatic allies in Latin America, with two US stopovers that included meetings with McCarthy and other lawmakers.

burs-je/leg/des/dw
China reportedly simulated precision strikes on Taiwan during military drills around the self-governed island on Sunday, in the wake of Speaker Kevin McCarthys (R-Calif.) meetup with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen last week.

The simulated strikes came in a second day of drills after Tsai met with the speaker on U.S. soil in Los Angeles, Calif., Reuters reported, amid escalating tensions around the self-governed Indo-Pacific island China claims as its own territory.

Chinese state television reported that multiple types of units carried out simulated joint precision strikes on key targets on Taiwan island and the surrounding sea areas, and continue to maintain an offensive posture around the island, per Reuters.

The Chinese military also released a video, shared by the state-run Global Times, of the simulated attacks showing missiles exploding after hitting targets in Taiwan.

Chinese state media channel CGTN reported that combat readiness patrols and military drills have been scheduled around Taiwan until April 10.

Beijing has been angered by U.S. support for Taiwan, and warned after the McCarthy-Tsai meeting that the U.S. should not walk further down a wrong and dangerous road.

Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., the chairman of the House Select Committee on China, told the Associated Press Saturday that the U.S. should take Chinas threat to Taiwan seriously as Beijing ups its military drills.

We need to be moving heaven and earth to enhance our deterrence and denial posture, so that [Chinese President] Xi Jinping concludes that he just cant do it, Gallagher said.

China also retaliated after former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) visited Taiwan last year, upping military drills that Taiwan condemned as military intimidation.

The U.S., which has practiced strategic ambiguity when it comes to Taiwan, has been moving to shore up its presence in the Indo-Pacific region amid its own tensions with Beijing, holding large joint military drills with South Korea and the Philippines.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
China has launched three days of military drills intended to intimidate self-ruled Taiwan after a US visit by Taipei's President Tsai Ing-wen angered Beijing.

Here are some key questions and answers about China's "Joint Sword" operation:

- What are they doing? -

The Chinese military has deployed ships, fighter jets and missiles in the sea around Taiwan to send a "serious warning against Taiwan independence separatist forces", according to state media.

The drills, which began on Saturday, include patrols around the island and the rehearsal of "simulated joint precision strikes against key targets" as well as an "encirclement and deterrence posture" around Taiwan.

"Dozens" of J-18 and J-10C fighter jets have been deployed in the operation, alongside anti-submarine aircraft, according to the official CCTV.

China has also brought out its PHL-191 rocket launcher systems and YJ-12B land-based anti-ship missiles, the state-run Global Times reported.

Taiwan's defence ministry said as many as nine Chinese warships had been detected around the island on Saturday.

- What does China want? -

Despite Taiwan having been ruled separately for more than 70 years, China's communist government considers the island as part of its territory, and has vowed to retake it one day.

Beijing bristles at any official contact between Taipei and foreign governments, including a recent trip by Tsai to the US, where she met US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and a delegation of politicians from the Republican and Democratic parties.

China's foreign ministry said earlier this week it would take "resolute and effective measures" against the visit.

The ongoing exercises are "part of a broader pattern of pressure targeting Taiwan", said Ja Ian Chong, an associate professor of political science at the National University of Singapore.

But "major visits enable Beijing to pin the blame on Taipei, Washington, or others", Chong told AFP.

- Why now? -

Tsai arrived in California on Tuesday, but Beijing waited to launch drills after her return to Taiwan.

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The Chinese leadership has been in a delicate position this week with French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen visiting the country and President Xi Jinping angling to warm up relations with Europe.

James Char, China researcher at Singapore's Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies, told AFP Beijing had likely waited for the departure of European dignitaries before it launched its show of force as "Beijing has been trying to re-engage with the West".

Initiating military operations over Taiwan "will be detrimental to this ongoing diplomatic overture", he said.

- What other measures is Beijing taking? -

China this week also announced new sanctions on Taipei's representative to the United States, as well as two US organisations, in retaliation for Tsai's trip.

Beijing says it will ban Taiwan's de facto ambassador to Washington, Hsiao Bi-Khim, from entering China, and has accused her of "deliberately inciting cross-strait confrontation".

It has also blocked the Hudson Institute, a Washington-based conservative think tank, as well as the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, from engaging in transactions and cooperation with Chinese entities for hosting Tsai this week.

- How does this compare with previous drills? -

China's response this weekend echoes its fury over a visit to Taipei last August by then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

At the time, Beijing held live-fire military drills just a dozen miles off Taiwan's shore in what state media called an effort to "seal off Taiwan" that lasted for around a week, while Chinese customs authorities suspended imports of fruit and fish from the island.

This time, Beijing is conducting live-fire drills off the coast of China's Fujian province, about 50 miles south of Taiwan's Matsu Islands.

The latest drills seem "not of the same scale as we saw during Pelosi's visit", said Manoj Kewalramani, China expert at the Takshashila Institution in Bengaluru, India.

Kewalramani noted that Pelosi's visit came in the run-up to Xi's bid for a historic third term in power at last year's 20th Communist Party Congress, and a visit by the House Speaker to what Beijing considered its own territory was on another level from Tsai's recent US visit.

China's priorities may also have shifted slightly, according to Su Tzu-yun, a military expert at Taiwan's Institute for National Defence and Security Research.

After a severe economic blow from three years of strict Covid rules, "the restoration of air and sea routes around Taiwan this year is very important to neighbouring countries and China's own economic recovery, so the intensity of military drills should not increase again", Su told AFP.

Last year's drills had disrupted shipping and air traffic in major shipping lanes around Taiwan.

Su said he believed the ongoing drills were "internal propaganda" aimed at countering domestic criticism that earlier Chinese actions were too weak.

burs-tjx-je/mca
The man scared about 1,100 chickens to death using a flashlight, which he shined on the birds to make them panic. This caused the chickens to create a crush within their enclosure in their attempt to escape. Getty Images

A man in China has been jailed for scaring 1,100 chickens to death.

The man, identified as "Gu," scared the chickens with a flashlight, causing them to die in a crush.

Gu committed the crime amid a feud with his neighbor.

A man in China has been sentenced to prison after he was found guilty of scaring about 1,100 chickens to death amid a feud with his neighbor, a report said.

The man, who Chinese state media only identified by his surname, "Gu," snuck onto his neighbor, Zhong's, chicken farm and caused hundreds of his chickens to die by using a flashlight to make them panic, China Daily reported.

The pair's feud began in April 2022 when Gu cut down Zhong's trees without his permission and Zhong's wife then towed the trees away, angering Gu.

One night, Gu snuck onto Zhong's property and caused his chickens to panic by shining the flashlight on them, which resulted in 500 chickens fleeing into a corner and dying from the resulting crush.

Officers apprehended Gu and ordered him to compensate Zhong with 3,000 yuan, or about $436, but this did not deter him.

Gu returned to Zhong's property a second time and caused 640 more chickens to die in the same way.

Chinese authorities estimated that the roughly 1,100 dead chickens were worth about 13,840 yuan, or about $2,015, and a court in Hengyang County, in central China's Hunan province, ruled on Tuesday that Gu had intentionally caused property loss to Zhong, China Daily reported.

Gu has been sentenced to six months in prison and one year of probation. The sentence takes into account the remorse Gu has shown for his crimes.

Read the original article on Insider
Delaware State Police have confirmed that three people were shot at Christiana Mall on Saturday evening in what investigators do not believe was a random shooting, prompting a huge response from local first responders and law enforcement.

The three people injured in the gunfire were taken to the hospital, according to police. Two were reported in critical condition Saturday night, but state police said all were considered stable by Sunday afternoon.

Police said five other people were also injured, but the injuries were not gunshot-related. They did not provide any more details about the injuries.

What caused the shooting and where did it happen?

State police said they were called to the mall at about 6:45 p.m. for a report of a shooting in the food court. Investigators believe the shooting was a result of an altercation between an unknown number of suspects and at least one of the gunshot victims.

Apparent shooting incident brings flood of emergency responders to Christiana Mall. #netde pic.twitter.com/pyIxZGsSwp  William Bretzger (@billbretz) April 8, 2023

"It has not been confirmed how many suspects were involved," Delaware State Police Cpl. Jason Hatchell said.

Police said they have not arrested anyone yet, but said that there were no public safety concerns at the mall after sweeping and clearing the building Saturday night.

The mall remained closed after the shooting Saturday, and police advised people to avoid the area.

Police also set up a reunification area by the north entrance to the mall near the AT&T store.

Social media reports describe mall gunfire

Police, fire and medical personnel respond in force to the food court entrance at the Christiana Mall after a shooting Saturday evening, April 8, 2023.

Dozens of social media posts reported there was a shooting in the mall long before police released information publicly. This included people who said they were at the mall when the gunfire occurred. Some posted videos of them being directed to hide in store backrooms.

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One person was seen being taken away in an ambulance.

Witness recounts hearing gunshots inside mall

Police stood outside Christiana Mall for an apparent shooting on April 8, 2023.

David P. Neff of Elkton, Maryland, said he was at the mall food court Saturday night with his partner and a friend when he heard gunshots coming from near the Barnes & Noble and Chik-Fil-A.

Neff said that as soon as the gunshots went off, everyone in the mall  Neff included  started running. People were screaming, and Neff said he lost his partner at one point but later reunited with him.

I was definitely scared," Neff said.

He said he wondered if those were his final minutes.

I told my mom and my co-worker what was happening, and it was heartbreaking because I didnt know if this was the last time I would speak to them," Neff said.

Family hid inside Macy's storage area

Susan Menasion was at Macy's Saturday night waiting for her daughter who was in the bathroom when an employee told her she had to go into one of the store's storage areas. She told the worker she wasn't going anywhere without her daughter and granddaughters.

The employee got Menasion's family and all four were ushered into a storage area where there were about 25 people.

"We were scared," the Newark-area resident said. "It was scary. We didn't know what was going on."

A woman records the scene as she is allowed to leave the Cheesecake Factory restaurant as police, fire and medical personnel respond in force to the food court entrance at the Christiana Mall after a shooting Saturday evening, April 8, 2023.

Menasion, her grandkids and her daughter were in the storage room for about 40 minutes before they were allowed to leave through back doors.

"It's scary. It really is," she said. "You hear it on the news all the time, and then when you're in the middle of it, it's scary."

Where were police and first responders?

Most first responders were centered on the entrance to the food court, where police seemed to be investigating. Police had taped off a perimeter around the entrances to the Cheesecake Factory and Barnes & Noble.

Shoppers leave the mall as police, fire and medical personnel respond in force to the food court entrance at the Christiana Mall after a shooting Saturday evening, April 8, 2023.

Police manned the area with long rifles and asked the dozens of onlookers to back up, saying the area hadn't been declared safe. A police helicopter was also flying above the mall as first responder vehicles with lights flashing sat stationed between Target and Nordstrom.

Access to Christiana Mall closed

Traffic was gridlocked around the mall, eventually prompting Mall Road to close.

Officials then blocked the ramps to keep everyone who was not a first responder from entering the mall area.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Christiana Mall shooting: 3 shot, 5 injured Saturday in Delaware
(CNN)  Farmers in central and eastern Europe protested this week against the impact of cheap Ukrainian grain imports, which have undercut domestic prices and hit the sales of local producers.

Protesters blocked traffic and border checkpoints with tractors along the border between Romania and Bulgaria, in an effort to prevent Ukrainian trucks from entering their country, according to local news outlets.

Local producers say they cannot compete with the price of Ukrainian grain and have demanded compensation from the European Commission.

Ukraine, often called the "breadbasket of Europe" due to the vast quantities of grain it produces, had its Black Sea ports blockaded by Russia following the invasion in February 2022.

Fearing that the situation was "threatening global food security," the European Commission set up what it called "solidarity lanes" in May to facilitate exports.

The Commission also temporarily eliminated all duties and quotas on Ukraine's exports, allowing a glut of cheap Ukrainian grain to flow into Europe.

This has caused "huge market distortions" in neighboring countries, according to European farmers' association Copa-Cogeca.

Anger grew after the European Commission announced a draft decision to extend duty-free and quota-free imports of Ukrainian grain until June 2024, prompting Polish agriculture minister Henryk Kowalcyzk to resign from his post Wednesday.

In Kowalczyk's resignation statement, he said that the Polish government -- along with those of Slovakia, Romania, Hungary and Bulgaria -- had submitted a request to the European Commission to "activate the protection clause in the field of duty-free and quota-free imports of grain from Ukraine."

"Bulgaria is in solidarity with Ukraine, but a local glut is being created on the agricultural market, because instead of export corridors our countries are becoming warehouses," Bulgaria's agriculture minister Yavor Gechev said.

The National Association of Bulgarian Grain Producers said "Bulgarian farmers' warehouses are full of stagnant produce. There is no market for Bulgarian grain."

According to their data, 40% of last year's grain and sunflower harvest remains unsold.

Romanian farmers are also feeling the strain. At protests in Bucharest on Friday, Liliana Piron, executive director of the League of Romanian Agriculture Producers' Associations, said farmers have "reached a point where they feel they can no longer face the costs" of "unfair competition" from Ukraine.

"We are less than three months away from the new harvest and the danger is real, that the goods we will have ready this season will not be able to be sold at prices above production costs," Piron said, according to RadioFree Europe.

"We will witness a chain of bankruptcies of Romanian farmers," she added.

In response to the growing unrest, the European Commission last month proposed support measures worth 56.3 million euros (around $61.3 million) for Bulgarian, Polish and Romanian farmers "to compensate affected farmers for the economic loss due to increased imports."

"The trade disruptions incurred by the Russian aggression should not take place at the expense of farmers from neighboring countries," the Commission said in a statement.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Glut of cheap Ukrainian grain sparks farmers protests"
Chris Kaye/Insider

"How to Blow Up a Pipeline," a heist thriller, follows activists planning to sabotage an oil line.

Director Daniel Goldhaber told NPR the film grapples with questions of morality around property destruction.

For environmental activists, some acts of destruction can be seen as self defense, he argued.

In "How to Blow Up a Pipeline," Director Daniel Goldhaber explores the line between environmental activism and terrorism.

The heist-thriller film, inspired by the controversial 2021 book of the same name by activist and academic Andreas Malm, follows young climate activists as they plan a massive act of infrastructure sabotage, build bombs to execute their plan, and discuss how they will be judged for their actions in the future: Will they be seen as revolutionaries or terrorists?

Ultimately, as Goldhaber told The Los Angeles Times, "the spoiler's in the title," but the film aims to explore the age-old question of whether the ends justify the means.

"I think that one of the things the movie is grappling with is this question of whether or not the destruction of fossil fuel infrastructure is violence," Goldhaber, who also directed the 2018 psychological thriller "Cam," told NPR. "For the eight characters that the movie follows, this is an act of self-defense."

Representatives for Goldhaber did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

"How to Blow Up a Pipeline" had its debut at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2022. It was released to US audiences on Friday, in what critics have praised as a provocative film, "not afraid of seeming to endorse" the activists' ideas, according to Roger Ebert editor Matt Zoller Seitz.

Environmental issues and climate change are particularly mobilizing issues among youth activists, according to the Pew Research Center, with demonstrators taking up controversial tactics to draw awareness to climate issues.

Last year, provocateurs who threw soup on Van Gogh's "Sunflowers" made international headlines for their method of protesting oil use. In January, Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, a "mud wizard," and thousands of additional protesters occupied a small, abandoned village and faced off against German cops to stop a coal deal with the country's largest energy company.

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As climate change demonstrators have become more active, concerns around eco-terrorism have been raised by critics who argue their methods go too far, pointing to incidents involving more extreme acts, such as a climate activist setting himself on fire in front of the Supreme Court last year.

"Terrorist acts have included the spiking of trees to present hazards to loggers who would cut the trees, the dismantling of an electrical transmission tower, and the sinking of ships involved in whaling and drift net fishing," according to a 1996 DOJ report on eco-terrorism. "Eco-terrorists have also issued death threats against targeted individuals and even attempted to murder individuals deemed threats to their cause."

While the characters in the film don't plan to directly harm any individual, threats against infrastructure are often seen as acts of violence, Goldhaber acknowledged to NPR, though he hoped "How to Blow Up a Pipeline" would provoke a conversation around "what kind of tactics are necessary and defensible to prevent a climate apocalypse."

"We don't call the existence of a fossil fuel plant, of a fossil fuel refinery a violent piece of property, but that is nevertheless a piece of property that creates mass death and mass destruction," Goldhaber told the outlet. "And so I think that one of the fundamental things that we are interrogating in the film through the eyes and the experiences of our characters is this fundamental question of, what is that line?"

Read the original article on Insider
If you feel like drag queens are ubiquitous these days, you arent wrong.

Whether its public libraries, advertisements or award shows, it seems like the gender-bending performers, once relegated to mature adult spaces, are suddenly impossible to avoid.

Theyre practically everywhere  except perhaps the campus of West Texas A&M University in Canyon. Late last month, university President Walter Wendler, canceled a student-run drag show.

It was intended to be a charity event, raising funds for the Trevor Project, a nonprofit organization that focuses on suicide prevention in the LGBTQ community.

In a blog post published March 21, Wendler called the organizations goal a noble cause. He added: Any person considering self-harm for any reason is tragic.

His objection to the event was instead based on his assertion that drag shows stereotype women in cartoon-like extremes for the amusement of others and discriminate against womanhood.

I wouldnt say hes entirely wrong about that.

While apologists might say that drag is an expressive art form that celebrates individualism and challenges gender stereotypes, many people find the caricaturing and hyper-sexualization of women, so often a feature and not a bug in drag performances, to be degrading and offensive.

(And, yes, Im sure there are women who dont particularly care one way or another.)

But even if drag shows were deemed universally objectionable, its worth asking if Wendler had the authority  in the legal sense  to cancel a show on his public universitys campus based solely on his assessment that any and all drag performances cause harm?

The folks at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, or FIRE, dont think so.

Following Wendlers action, they filed a complaint on behalf of the student group Spectrum WT (which had sponsored the drag show fundraiser) and two of its student leaders. It alleges that in canceling the performance, Wendlers unlawful censorship violated the students First Amendment rights.

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They further assert that Wendler was afoul of a Texas law passed in 2019 that affirms student free speech on public university campuses.

That law declares that an institution of higher education may not take action against a student organization or deny the organization any benefit generally available to other student organizations  on the basis of a political, religious, philosophical, ideological, or academic viewpoint expressed by the organization or of any expressive activities of the organization.

For its part, FIRE  which made its name largely by defending conservatives on college campuses  was generally complimentary of the new law.

Republicans in the Legislature widely supported the law, arguing persuasively that conservative viewpoints and speakers were being targeted and censored on progressive university campuses.

Even four years ago, those incidences were not infrequent in institutions of higher learning, and theyve only grown in number and intensity since.

It was only last month that students at Stanford Law School shouted down Judge Kyle Duncan, of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. They claimed that his decisions on the bench made his presence on campus a threat to students and staff.

That argument was echoed by a school administrator who took over the podium and validated student sentiments by asking the judge if his presence on campus was worth the harm, pain and disruption it caused her community.

Almost ironically, thats effectively the same argument Wendler is making by deplatforming the student drag show.

His rationale for denying a student group the space to perform its drag show is to prevent the harm it would cause. To wit, his blog post announcing the shows cancellation was titled, A Harmless Drag Show? No Such Thing.

In fairness to Wendler, his reasoning at least was thought-provoking.

I would not support blackface performances on our campus, even if told the performance is a form of free speech or intended as humor, he explained for the very same reason. It is wrong, he added.

Whether the two are analogous I dont know, but its something worth consideration.

While I am sympathetic to Wendlers argument about the nature of drag shows and their degradation of women, his decision to cancel the show on those grounds makes me squeamish.

In this way, its almost fitting that a Texas free speech law championed by conservatives is integral to the case against Wendler.

And its a reminder to conservatives (not that they need one) that shouting down, or in this case, shutting down speech we dont like  even when offensive and degrading and morally wrong  ultimately threatens our rights as well.
Los Angeles City Councilmember Kevin de Leon, left, and former Councilmember Mark Ridley-Thomas, right, (Gary Coronado and Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)

On Tuesday, I did something I hadn't done in a while: I went party hopping.

The occasion: primary night in the San Fernando Valley, with seven first-time candidates facing off in a special election to replace Nury Martinez. She's the former L.A. City Council president who resigned in October after the release of a recording that caught her and other Latino politicos spewing racist things, trashing enemies and plotting to increase Latino power at the expense of Black power.

I heard all sorts of chisme about Martinez and other Valley Latino political players at La Corona Bar and Grill in Van Nuys, where supporters of Marco Santana had gathered to pound micheladas and snack on a good buffet while cheering on their man.

The gossip wasn't as scandalous at the more modest gathering for Imelda Padilla at the north end of Plaza del Valle, Panorama City's version of Olvera Street. Marisa Alcaraz's party at her campaign headquarters on the southern end of the plaza was ending by the time I got there  but that didn't stop supporters from joyfully dancing to punta music.

The latest returns have Padilla and Alcaraz in the top two spots, which means they'll likely move on to the June general election. But that wasn't the only City Hall story people wanted to talk about that night.

Whether in person, via text, phone or social media, I got more than a few gripes about the supposed raw deal City Councilmember Kevin de Leon is getting compared to Mark Ridley-Thomas.

A federal jury convicted Ridley-Thomas on bribery and mail fraud charges last month for votes he cast as an L.A. County supervisor in favor of USC to ensure that his son get a position at the school as a student and a professor.

De Leon, meanwhile, is still dealing with the fallout of that racist tape leak, although a recall effort against him recently failed. He, along with then-Councilmember Gil Cedillo and then-L.A. County Federation of Labor head Ron Herrera, offered no pushback to Martinez's ugly comments while laughing along and uttering some nasty thoughts of their own.

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Ridley-Thomas and De Leon are so well-known that staffers and constituents alike call them by their initials  MRT and KDL. Both are longtime politicians who got their starts at legendary nonprofits and fashioned themselves champions of working-class constituents of color. They each served as totems for Black and Latino political power in Los Angeles, and weren't afraid to say so. Both joined the City Council in 2020 and must now deal with legacies stained by scandals of their own doing.

But the public reaction to their misdeeds diverges wildly.

Latino leaders trampled over themselves in the wake of the racist tape to demand that De Leon resign, even though his blatherings broke no laws. While a small group of supporters has stood by his decision to remain in office, KDL has turned into the political version of a fart  most officials stay as far away as possible, while his fellow council members hold their nose every time they take a vote alongside him.

Ridley-Thomas, on the other hand, has drawn more plaudits than punches. After his conviction, Mayor Karen Bass told reporters that her longtime friend was a policymaker who made a real impact and that his downfall represented a sad day for Los Angeles." Former Councilmember Mike Bonin  whose young Black son absorbed the worst barbs flung by Martinez and De Leon  released a statement that concluded, The Mark Ridley-Thomas I know is the tireless champion, the relentless advocate, the unstoppable force," while mentioning nothing about MRT's crimes other than being heartbroken.

So the question that De Leon supporters and even some opponents posed to me on primary night: Isnt it a double standard that De Leon was so quickly vilified, while Ridley-Thomas takes what amounts to a hero's farewell?

It's telling, they feel, that the court of public and political opinion has judged the Latino politician who hasnt been charged with any crimes far harsher than the Black politician who was convicted of several.

They" always get away with it, while we Latinos just cant get a break  so goes the feeling.

That's a weak-salsa anti-Black conspiracy  and it ignores the state of Black and Latino political power in L.A., which explains why MRT and KDL's situations aren't apples to apples. Maybe Ridley-Thomas doesn't deserve a victory lap  but De Leon deserves one even less.

Then-Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas with his wife, Avis Ridley-Thomas, at a Leimert Park cafe before voting on Nov. 3, 2020. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)

The support for Ridley-Thomas does grate after a while. Instead of hailing him for his past achievements, folks should be slamming him for helping his neer-do-well son, who resigned from the state Assembly while under investigation on claims of sexual harassment, at the expense of his constituents. Thats a betrayal of Black L.A. that I never thought MRT would commit.

But the adulation doesnt originate from political tribalism, as critics may claim.

MRT isn't just another Black man cut down by the justice system  he repeatedly delivered over 30 years of representing South L.A. on the council, in the state Assembly and on the L.A. County Board of Supervisors.

That ability to deliver helped consolidate, and maintain, Black political power in a city where Black residents are about 9% of the population yet occupy three of the 15 seats  thats 20%  on the City Council.

Latino political leaders in L.A. and beyond have tried to forge a similar solidarity for decades and have yet to achieve it  something De Leon loudly whined about in the leaked recording.

As a state Assembly member and state senator from the Eastside, De Leon shepherded groundbreaking bills in Sacramento that made California a "sanctuary state" for immigrants without documentation and promoted green energy. But those accomplishments won him little love in L.A. itself, in part because his naked ambition has made many residents think he's on the council solely to catapult himself to higher office. That skepticism, in turn, adds another stratum to the self-defeating chip on KDL's shoulder, especially when it comes to Black power.

Los Angeles City Councilman Kevin de Leon, center, joins union organizer Oscar Ruiz, left, and others at the grand opening of De Leon's mayoral campaign headquarters last year in Los Angeles. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)

Early in the one-hour recording, De Leon and Martinez discussed fellow Councilmember Ridley-Thomas' political fate. The City Council, then led by Martinez, was mulling whether to suspend him without pay.

Martinez brought up Jose Huizar, the Eastside council member who preceded De Leon. The council unanimously suspended Huizar and revoked his salary after he was charged with bribery in 2020. (Huizar pleaded guilty earlier this year and awaits sentencing).

De Leon anticipated blowback from Black community leaders if the council chose the same punishment for Ridley-Thomas.

"Now theyre trying to look like theres a double standard," he said.

They didnt think twice before judging Jose, Martinez grumbled.

I know, De Leon replied. They went after him right away.

The council ended up going with an unpaid suspension on an 11-3 vote.

Later in the tape, De Leon compared Black political power in L.A. to a mirage, a la the man behind the curtain in The Wizard of Oz." Cedillo described it as the 25 Blacks are shouting."

De Leon replied that they shout like theyre 250, when theres 100 of us and it sounds like its 10 of us.

With a woe-is-us worldview like that, it's not surprising that the public and politicians don't forgive De Leon, Huizar and the many other Latinos who have befouled politics in Los Angeles and its suburbs over the last quarter-century.

Sadly, too many of those Latino pols talked a big game about people power. While they achieved some results, the only things they ultimately empowered were their cronies and their coffers.

That legacy, not any mythical double standard, makes Latinos eternal political underachievers in a city where they make up 50% of the population. De Leon, with his selfish insistence that he did nothing wrong, only perpetuates this.

So to all the people who whined to me that De Leon merits a hall pass the same way Ridley-Thomas does: Stop worrying about what "they" have and start worrying about what Latinos dont have, and why.

It's all on us.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
"These radical-left lunatics want to interfere with our elections by using law enforcement," former President Trump told supporters at Mar-a-Lago after his indictment last Tuesday. (Evan Vucci / Associated Press)

The calendar for the 2024 presidential campaign just became a lot more complicated.

Not the primary calendar. The trial calendar.

Last week, former President Trump was arraigned in Manhattan on felony charges stemming from a hush money payment to a porn star.

Given the Dickensian pace of court proceedings in New York, Trumps trial wont begin until next year, right in the middle of the election campaign.

His lawyers are expected to file motions challenging the case in August, just in time for the first GOP presidential debate. Those preliminary battles could go all the way to the Supreme Court.

That isnt the only potential train wreck on the horizon.

Trump faces three more possible indictments: a Georgia prosecution based on his attempts to reverse that states 2020 election result; federal charges over his hoard of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago; and charges stemming from his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, plot to stop Congress from certifying Joe Bidens victory.

The odds are very small that any of these cases would get to trial by the end of 2023, even if all the indictments landed tomorrow, Donald B. Ayer, a former top Justice Department official, told me last week.

That means the entire 2024 campaign, from the Iowa caucuses next January through election day in November, will be inextricably tangled with Trump's legal travails.

Now add his interest in keeping the drama going. Hes managed to profit from being a criminal defendant, at least in the short run.

The indictment produced a surge in his support among Republican voters. A Reuters/IPSOS poll released Friday showed Trump leading his nearest GOP rival, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, 58% to 21%. Two weeks earlier, the same poll showed a smaller margin: 44% to 30%.

This is what youd call a rally around Trump effect, Sarah Longwell, a GOP strategist who founded the anti-Trump Republican Accountability Project, said in a television interview.

The court battle is helping him raise money, too. Trumps campaign claims it has collected more than $13 million in new contributions since the news of his indictment.

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Hes weaponized the investigations as a campaign theme with unhinged attacks on New York Dist. Atty. Alvin Bragg (calling the Black prosecutor an animal), Justice Department prosecutor Jack Smith (a mad dog psycho) and the FBI (Marxist thugs).

The only crime that I have committed is to fearlessly defend our nation from those who seek to destroy it, Trump said at Mar-a-Lago last week. Now these radical-left lunatics want to interfere with our elections by using law enforcement. We cant let that happen.

He urged his supporters in Congress to defund the FBI and the Justice Department, and offered donors a T-shirt printed with a fake mug shot and the words Not guilty for $47.

Part of Trumps diabolical genius is how thoroughly he has embraced the self-invented role of martyr and induced most of his party to defend him. Even his leading rivals for the GOP nomination  DeSantis, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, former Vice President Mike Pence  have lined up to denounce Bragg.

They'd better get used to it: For months to come, they'll be pressed to pass judgment on every twist and turn of the current front-runner's legal odyssey.

Trump may have a long-term legal strategy in mind, too. A Justice Department opinion holds that a president may not be indicted while hes in office. The same reasoning suggests that a sitting president cant be convicted or imprisoned. If he makes it back to the White House in 2025, Trump will inevitably claim hes home free.

So what should Atty. Gen. Merrick Garland and the Justice Department do?

The Justice Department has a policy against indictments or other actions that might appear political, especially late in an election year. Its often called the 60-day rule, although it isnt a formal rule, and the 60-day benchmark isnt official.

Heres what Garland wrote last year: Prosecutors may never select the timing of  investigative steps, criminal charges, or any other action in any matter or case for the purpose of affecting any election.

In practice, the rule is often interpreted more broadly to prohibit any action that could appear to influence an election, purposefully or not.

But that hasnt prevented the Justice Department from indicting politicians as late as the summer of an election year. Rep. Chris Collins (R-N.Y.) was charged with securities fraud two months before his 2018 reelection. (He won, but later resigned.) Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) was charged with failing to report gifts from a donor three months before the 2008 election. (He lost, but was later exonerated.)

In any case, Trumps assumption of martyrdom to cement support among GOP voters puts Garland in a paradoxical position: He cant know whether indicting Trump will hurt him or help him.

And legal scholars argue that a decision to withhold an indictment merely to avoid an appearance of political interference is a political act, too.

Trumps campaigns in 2016 and 2020 created chaos in our political system. Now his 2024 campaign has pulled the judicial system into the toxic mix.

So Garland may have no choice other than to ignore the noise and follow his own oft-repeated mantra: We will follow the facts and the law, wherever they lead.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Former President Trump leaves Trump Tower in New York to face criminal charges stemming from alleged hush money payments in 2016. (Bryan Woolston / Associated Press)

No one is above the law. That should be an obvious, irrefutable principle in a democratic country.

And in many countries, it is. In recent days, as the historic criminal prosecution of former President Trump has moved forward in Manhattan, plenty of examples have been offered of nations that have put that principle to the test  trying, convicting and in some cases incarcerating their top leaders for corruption, theft, bribery and other crimes.

Surely a rules-based democracy like the United States can be as principled as those other countries and bring a successful criminal case against a former head of state who has broken the law. Yet before 10 days ago, no current or former U.S. president had ever been indicted or charged, much less convicted. Many Americans apparently believe that prosecuting a president is improper or beyond the pale. (When Richard Nixon came close to being charged, he was pardoned by his successor, Gerald Ford, to preserve national "tranquility.")

By contrast, consider France, where both Presidents Nicolas Sarkozy and Jacques Chirac were tried for corruption and convicted in recent years. It may be no great testament to French democracy that they needed to be prosecuted, but it is to their nations credit that they were.

In Italy, Silvio Berlusconi, who served three terms as prime minister, was convicted of tax fraud in 2012.

In South Africa, former President Jacob Zuma was charged in 2021 with taking bribes; he faces 15 years in prison.

In South Korea, three former presidents have been convicted of corruption.

In Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu is serving as prime minister and, at the same time, standing trial for bribery and fraud.

Good for those countries for holding  or at least attempting to hold  their top leaders accountable for criminal misbehavior. When done right, it can build faith in government and the law, and serve the cause of equality and justice.

But whats been less often discussed in recent days, and which complicates the picture, is that there are also countries where the law is wielded like a weapon by powerful politicians against their enemies. This is the example that Trump and his Republican allies are implicitly pointing to when they insist that his prosecution has been corrupted by politics.

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Consider Pakistan, where rival politicians, often from family dynasties, routinely seek to use the the countrys judicial system against one another. As the dynasties gain, lose and retake power, the courts are used to punish, weaken or sideline those who challenge them.

Again and again, Pakistani politicians have been hit with criminal charges after leaving office, including allegations of corruption, treason and money laundering. At the moment, former Prime Minister Imran Khan faces dozens of charges that he says were instigated by the government of his successor, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif.

Now, the United States is not Pakistan or anything like it. But Trump wants us to believe it is.

It is not helpful to Manhattan Dist. Atty. Alvin Bragg that the crimes charged in the Trump indictment  34 felony counts of falsifying business records  sound to the layperson like bookkeeping offenses and not terribly serious violations of the law. What's more, they're being prosecuted by a Democratic district attorney.

Thus they give oxygen to the argument that a politically motivated prosecutor was out fishing for charges, no matter how obscure, technical or tangential. That it was a witch hunt, as Trump likes to say. (He has pleaded not guilty to all 34 counts.)

But it turns out that's not true; in fact, there's nothing at all unusual about the case Bragg brought. His office charges people with falsifying records on a regular, "bread-and-butter" basis, he said. According to lawyers Karen Friedman Agnifilo and Norman Eisen, Trump is the 30th defendant to be indicted on false records charges since Bragg took over a year ago.

Politically speaking, it would undoubtedly have been better for the country if Trump had been indicted first for his bigger, broader, more obviously outrageous offense of seeking to subvert the 2020 election, rather than for falsifying hush money payments to a porn actress.

It would have gotten more clearly to the heart of what's worst and most dangerous about Trump. It might have been more persuasive to skeptics. But that case may yet be brought. The district attorney in Fulton County, Ga., is still investigating Trump's demand that local officials find him 11,780 votes. And the Justice Departments special counsel Jack Smith continues to probe Trumps post-election lies and machinations, including his role in the Jan. 6 Capitol attack.

Of course it's ironic that Trump insists he's being persecuted by politically motivated enemies. The fact is, there is no one more willing to politicize the legal system (and the countrys democratic institutions generally) than Trump himself. I firmly believe he would turn us into Pakistan overnight if it would gain him a hundred votes or a hundred dollars.

As president, he repeatedly called into question the legitimacy of judges who challenged him and court rulings he disagreed with.

He demanded the arrest of political adversaries, including President Obama and then-Vice President Joe Biden. He was especially vocal in 2016 about his opponent, Hillary Clinton, who he said has to go to jail for accessing her official email on a private server, which he insisted at campaign rallies was the biggest political scandal since Watergate."

All Americans should agree that it is wrong to use the justice system to punish ones enemies. But at the same time, it is absolutely essential that we hold powerful people to account for true crimes.

The ongoing investigations against Trump must, of course, be conducted fairly and without prejudice. He should be presumed innocent and treated no better or worse than any other defendant.

But he doesn't deserve special protection, either, just because he was once the president and hopes to be again.

@Nick_Goldberg

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Sedgwick County taught its juvenile corrections workers to use prone restraints on unruly teens but failed to teach them that doing so for too long has been known to kill, a recent court filing in the death of 17-year-old Cedric Lofton says.

After Lofton was arrested during a mental health crisis in September 2021, five Sedgwick County juvenile corrections employees pinned him facedown in a cell for about 40 minutes until his heart stopped beating. He never regained consciousness.

His death was ruled a homicide, but prosecutors declined to file criminal charges, citing a state law that grants immunity to people who say they acted in self-defense.

All five employees who took turns restraining the Black foster child recently testified under oath that the county trained them to use prone restraints without training that prolonged prone restraints could be dangerous, according to filings in a lawsuit brought by Loftons brother, Marquan Teetz.

Their depositions seem to contradict statements made by Sedgwick County in a 2022 response to an open records request and by Safe Clinch, the company that developed the countys use-of force training curriculum. Both previously said the training materials addressed the dangers of positional asphyxia, one of the risks associated with prone restraint.

Lawyers representing Loftons brother contend that no such training on prone restraint risk factors occurred.

Now, county officials have declined to say whether corrections staff were trained on the dangers before Loftons death, saying it dives into specifics that relate directly to active litigation. The county also denied The Eagles request for a copy of the training manual and for records showing what training the employees received before Loftons death.

The disconnect between what the county says is in the training manual and what employees say they were taught surfaced in February and March court filings by Teetz, who is suing Sedgwick County, the city of Wichita, and the police officers and juvenile detention officers who interacted with Lofton on Sept. 24, 2021.

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Lawyers are using the corrections workers testimony to argue the county is liable for violating Loftons civil rights under a federal law that allows the court to impose punitive damages. The deposition transcripts are referenced but not included in the court record.

Cedric CJ Lofton, 17, after died in September 2021 after being taken into custody by the Wichita Police Department following a mental health crisis. He was taken to the Sedgwick County Juvenile Intake and Assessment Center, where he had a physical struggle with detention staff for about 40 minutes and lost consciousness. He died two days later in the hospital.

The county employees have been identified in court records as Jason Stepien, Brenton Newby, Karen Conklin, William Buckner and Benito Mendoza.

U.S. Judge Eric Melgren has already ruled that the county cant be held liable for the actions of the employees, saying their alleged conduct was so outside the bounds of appropriate law enforcement behavior that it cannot be said to involve a gray area in the law requiring additional training.

Simply put, even an untrained officer should know that such conduct exceeds the permissible bounds of the use of force, Melgren wrote in December, when he dismissed failure to train counts against the county and the city of Wichita, in part because Teetzs lawyers were unable to establish a pattern of similar civil rights violations at the countys juvenile detention center.

Because even an untrained officer should know that the conduct alleged to have occurred in this case was improper, the Court cannot say that the consequences of any alleged lack of training here were highly predictable and patently obvious, Melgren wrote.

Teetzs lawyers contend the new depositions provide evidence that the countys policies and training  not simply a failure to train, as was previously argued  caused Loftons death. Theyre asking Melgren to reconsider his ruling.

[The employees] testified that they had no knowledge whatsoever of any dangers associated with prone restraint positioning and that Sedgwick County had never trained them on any such dangers, Ben Stelter-Embry, a lawyer from Kansas City, Missouri, wrote in a March 24 filing. Furthermore, Sedgwick County trained employees that they could take a juvenile to the ground and restrain him there in the prone position until he calmed down (i.e., for as long as the employee deemed necessary) and, therefore, the County had a policy encouraging prolonged prone restraints.

In Loftons case, the corrections employees held him down until he went into cardiac arrest and began making snoring sounds, commonly associated with agonal breathing, a sign that the brain is not getting the oxygen it needs to survive after the heart has stopped beating.

Former county Corrections Director Glenda Martens defended her employees conduct in the aftermath of Loftons death, saying they acted well within the policy and the requirements of that policy throughout the fatal incident at the Juvenile Intake and Assessment Center.

The risks of prone restraints have been known for decades in the corrections community. A 1995 Department of Justice bulletin describes a vicious cycle where applying weight to a persons back deprives them of oxygen, causing them to struggle more violently and resulting in the application of more weight to subdue them.

At least six states have banned the use of prone restraints in juvenile detention facilities and schools. Kansas banned the practice in schools in 2017, but it remains legal in the states juvenile detention facilities.

Putting training into action

Lofton was having an apparent mental health crisis when Wichita police decided to leave him at the juvenile intake center instead of taking him for a medical evaluation. An officer changed answers on a release form that would have required police to transport him to a hospital instead.

Footage from within JIAC shows Lofton did not appear to become physically aggressive until after Stepien and Newby initiated physical contact, grabbing him by the arm and attempting to escort him back into the cell he had just been let out of.

Lofton had already been placed in leg shackles when corrections workers moved him from a seated position onto his stomach and began attempting to apply handcuffs. They told investigators Lofton never expressed that he was struggling to breathe before he lost consciousness  the surveillance footage has no audio  and said they continued to restrain the teen because they could not get him into handcuffs.

Juvenile Intake and Assessment Center employee Jason Stepien watches as Juvenile Detention Facility workers hold down Cedric Lofton in a prone restraint. This screenshot is 22 minutes into a prolonged restraint that lasted about 40 minutes.

Each (employee) was interviewed and asked why. Why didnt you let him up? District Attorney Marc Bennett said in January 2022. The answer was, We couldnt per policy when he was shackled. At this point, we cannot leave him shackled alone. We have to be there. We have to restrain him.

At the direction of the task force charged with identifying systemic failures that contributed to Loftons death, the Sedgwick County Department of Corrections recently updated the juvenile facilitys use of force policy to only allow the prone position to be used to cuff and sit or cuff and stand youth.

This is consistent with the Safe Clinch training course which allows the prone position for immediate containment purposes to then transition, as outlined in the policy, county Corrections Director Steve Stonehouse said in December, citing the curriculum used to train county employees on verbal de-escalation techniques and what the company calls therapeutic holds for physically restraining juveniles.

Records obtained by The Eagle show Sedgwick County has paid Safe Clinch $5,000 since 2015 for four training sessions attended by the countys training instructors.

We recommend that all staff authorized to use immobilization techniques be trained on the risks of positional asphyxiation and the relationship with prone restraint methods, the Safe Clinch website states on a page promoting its verbal de-escalation instructor plan. Anytime you physically restrict a persons movement there is a risk of injury.

Safe Clinch declined an interview request, referring a reporter to their website, which had been updated to add that From the beginning SafeClinch has provided training and material on Positional Asphyxiation. This includes the following: 1.) Preventing Positional Asphyxiation 2.) Positional Asphyxiation Defined & 3.) Prone Containment Considerations.

Even when using prone containment methods in the SafeClinch Program you should have a staff member (preferably medical staff) present to watch for signs of distress, the website now states.

The juvenile facilitys use of force policy calls for officers to review restraint and use of force techniques quarterly in order to remain proficient and safe in use of the techniques. Per policy, these reviews are to be documented in employees quarterly reports.

The Eagle submitted an open records request seeking all quarterly reports for JIAC workers for the entirety of 2020 and 2021 but was told by the county that no such records existed.

Quarterly training reports for 2022, which the county provided voluntarily, list the staff members who participated in use of force/ restraints training and notes specific topics covered in the training sessions, including When use of force is needed or not needed, Using verbal commands first (redirecting) and Prone position as a transition only with no pressure being applied to upper body.

The county provided no explanation for why similar training records do not exist for the prior two years.
Donald Trump was greeted by huge cheers as he sat in the front row at UFC 287 on Saturday night, alongside Mike Tyson and Dana White in the Miami-Dade Arena.

Former US president Trump is known to have a friendship with UFC president White and has attended numerous events staged by the mixed martial arts promotion.

Trump was also visited by UFC fighter Jorge Masvidal earlier this week. Miami native Masvidal, who is on the UFC 287 card, visited Trump at the ex-presidents home in Mar-a-Lago after attending one of the 76-year-olds rallies.

On Tuesday (3 April), Trump pleaded not guilty to 34 felony charges related to falsifying business records around hush money payments during his 2016 presidential campaign.
On Regent's Seven Seas Explorer's inaugural Alaska season, guests on the new Epicurean Perfection voyages will visit a family-owned oyster farm and enjoy onboard cooking classes.

Graham Copeland/Courtesy of Regent Seven Seas Cruises

If you're a foodie who has Alaska on your travel list, this is your summer. Regent Seven Seas Cruises recently announced three new "Epicurean Perfection" voyages in Alaska, which will be packed with culinary programming for gourmands of all ages.

These specially curated itineraries with a flair for gastronomy will be on the 746-passenger ship Seven Seas Explorer, which makes its Alaskan debut this season. As such, the focus of the programming will be on Pacific Northwest cuisine.

Courtesy of Regent Seven Seas Cruises

STEPHEN BEAUDET/Courtesy of Regent Seven Seas Cruises

"Our new collection of culinary experiences for Seven Seas Explorer's inaugural Alaska season is rooted in topics that are important to our guests," said Kathryn Kelly, executive chef director of Culinary Enrichment at Regent Seven Seas Cruises, in a release sent to Travel + Leisure. "We invite our guests to explore The Last Frontier by way of learning sustainable fishing and aquaculture, mastering fish cooking in our hands-on cooking school, and understanding the authentic culinary traditions of the Indigenous peoples and immigrants living in the majestic region of Alaska."

The culinary enrichment will occur both on and off the ship. Each Epicurean Perfection voyage is hosted by gastronomic professionals, including chefs, sommeliers, and winemakers, who will lead both onboard classes as well as food-themed excursions.

STEPHEN BEAUDET/Courtesy of Regent Seven Seas Cruises

In the case of the Alaskan Epicurean Perfection voyages, guests can enjoy a Pacific Northwest cooking class, a Master Chefstyle cooking competition for children and teens (and their families), and an informative seminar about how to choose more sustainable fish, whether you're shopping at the grocery store or ordering a meal at a restaurant.

STEPHEN BEAUDET/Courtesy of Regent Seven Seas Cruises

Then for the excursions, or "Epicurean Explorer Tours," there's a visit to a family-owned oyster and kelp farm in Ketchikan and a salmon hatchery in Sitka, as well as a foodie tour of Juneau complete with local craft beers.

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Seven Seas Explorer will be making 15 seven-day trips through Alaska this season, but only two are Epicurean Perfection voyages: the June 21 and Aug. 30 departures. Rates start from $6,999 per person based on double occupancy. Make your booking at rssc.com.

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Read the original article on Travel & Leisure.
Emily Smith said she plans to shop elsewhere after she was treated like a "criminal" over a parking fine. (SWNS)

A Tesco customer has vowed 'never to go back' to the supermarket giant after she says she was 'treated like a criminal' over a parking fine.

Emily Smith, 47, visited her local branch of the chain for groceries in the morning, then returned later in the day for fuel.

But she later received a parking fine in the post accusing her of being in the car park of the Tesco Extra store in Dover for 10 hours - breaching the three-hour limit for parking.

The charity manager said she was threatened with further enforcement action if she did not pay up, and when she tried to explain the situation was told: 'our cameras do not lie.

It was only when she and her husband found some proof that the car hadn't been parked there the whole time that the charge was cancelled.

Smith says she was told the 'cameras don't lie', despite having left the car park and returned later on. (SWNS)

She said: "I am deeply disappointed in Tesco - I am not going to risk being their customer again.

"Im worried that this is going to happen to other people who may just pay the charge because it is really quite frightening.

Read more: Grandfather of murdered lawyer kept terminal cancer secret from family to 'avoid distraction from case'

"When my husband called Tesco, he was told our cameras do not lie - we were basically accused of lying.

"We had to give our time and energy to get this resolved when we did not do anything wrong."

Smith fears other shoppers could face similar fines and may be frightened into paying the 35 charge - which doubles after 28 days if not settled. (SWNS)

Smith, from Dover, thinks the car park's ANPR cameras failed to pick up their vehicle leaving the site.

She said the letter she received said the 35 charge would double if not settled within 28 days - something she fears frightens most people into paying up without challenging it.

She added: "We are being treated like criminals, there is no innocent until proven guilty.

"We have now found some proof because we use a tracking app with my eldest. Its bonkers, and trying to prove where we were is quite hard.

"Because you are told the fine is less if you pay within 28 days, most people will pay it because they dont want the hassle.

"People need to know they have the choice to shop somewhere that will not fine them if they visit more than once in a day."

A spokesperson for Tesco said: "We are sorry to hear about this and have ensured the charge is cancelled."
Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza pushed back at Gov. Greg Abbott's effort to pardon an Army sergeant convicted of murder in the shooting of a Black Lives Matter protester, saying in a statement, "A jury gets to decide whether a defendant is guilty or innocent  not the governor."

"In a state that believes in upholding the importance of the rule of law, the governor's statement that he will intervene in the legal proceedings surrounding the death of Garrett Foster is deeply troubling," Garza said in a two-page statement Sunday.

He also said prosecutors will work with state District Judge Clifford Brown to set a sentencing date for Daniel Perry, who was convicted of murder by a unanimous jury verdict in Foster's death. Garza said Brown "will be able to consider and evaluate additional evidence before sentencing Mr. Perry for the crime he committed."

More: Austin protest shooting victim remembered for devotion to fiancee, racial justice

Daniel Perry was convicted of murder Friday at the Blackwell-Thurman Criminal Justice Center. The verdict prompted the governor to say he was ready to pardon Perry.

Garza did not elaborate. However, Brown is likely to consider a trove of anti-protester social media posts made during nationwide social justice demonstrations in the aftermath of George Floyd's murder and private messages, only some of which Brown allowed jurors to hear. Messages that jurors considered include one in which Perry told a friend on social media that in May 2020 he might go to Dallas to "shoot looters." He then texted that friend that he was at a protest in Dallas in June 2020 and was "packing heat."

Families of victims are often allowed to make statements to the court before a judge imposes a sentence.

On Sunday, Foster's wife, Whitney Mitchell, released a statement that said: "For the first time since I lost Garrett, I felt some sense of justice and relief when the jury rendered its verdict. But the governor has immediately taken that away since he announced there are two legal systems in Texas: one for those with power, like Mr. Perry, and one for everyone else. ... I hope the governor never again claims that he stands for victims' rights."

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More: Jury finds Daniel Perry guilty of murder

Garza's statement came after Abbott announced Saturday on Twitter that he would act swiftly on a request from the Board of Pardons and Paroles, which he appoints, to undo Perry's conviction. Abbott's announcement came after calls from nationally known conservatives, including Fox host Tucker Carlson and Kyle Rittenhouse, who was acquitted of killing two protesters in Wisconsin in 2020.

Perry was working as an Uber driver in Austin on the night of July 25, 2020, when he ran a red light at Fourth Street and Congress Avenue and drove toward a Black Lives Matter march before stopping.

Foster, carrying an AK-47 rifle, was among a group of protesters who approached his car. Perry told police that Foster threatened him by raising the barrel of his rifle at him, so he shot him five times with a .357 revolver through the window of his car before driving away.

Daniel Perry, left, walks into the courtroom Thursday at his trial for the 2020 slaying of protester Garrett Foster. He still faces sentencing after being found guilty.

Perrys defense team argued that he acted in self-defense, but prosecutors contended that Perry instigated what happened. They highlighted a series of social media posts and Facebook messages in the weeks before the shooting in which Perry made statements that they said indicated his state of mind, such as that he might kill a few people on my way to work. They are rioting outside my apartment complex.

In his statement, Garza said Perry's conviction would automatically be reviewed by state and federal courts, "who will examine the record to ensure that no legal errors were made at this level and that the evidence supported the conviction."

Garza also promised the Foster family that he will continue to push for "a justice system that treats everyone equally, including Garrett Foster."

"I know how long they have waited for justice for Garrett and their family," Garza wrote. "I can imagine that justice must feel so elusive for them right now, and for that, I am more sorry than words can express."

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: DA Jose Garza rebukes Gov. Abbott's efforts to pardon Daniel Perry
CNN)  Israel launched strikes against Syrian military targets after several rockets were fired from Syria, the Israeli military said.

A total of six rockets were launched from Syria towards Israel, and three crossed into Israeli territory, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said. One of the rockets landed in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

So far the IDF has not reported any damage in Israeli territory.

It is the latest flare-up after Israel struck Palestinian militant targets in southern Lebanon and Gaza early Friday in response to dozens of rockets fired from Lebanon into Israeli territory.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that it had begun striking targets in Syrian territory after the rockets were launched.

"A short while ago, IDF fighter jets struck additional targets in Syrian territory, including a military compound of the Fourth Division of the Syrian Armed Forces, military radars systems and artillery posts used by the Syrian Armed Forces," the IDF said in a statement early on Sunday local time.

The strikes by the fighter jets followed earlier IDF strikes on Syrian territory using a UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle or drone), which targeted the launchers thought to have fired the rockets.

The IDF said it "sees the state of Syria responsible for all activities occurring within its territory and will not allow any attempts to violate Israeli sovereignty."

Syria said it had responded to "Israeli air attacks in the southern part of the country," and claimed to have intercepted "some Israeli missiles."

"Around 5 a.m. today, the Israeli enemy carried out an air attack with a number of missiles from the direction of the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, targeting some points in the southern region," Syrian state media agency SANA quoted a Syrian military source as saying.

According to SANA, the military source added that Syrian air defenses had "intercepted the aggressors' missiles and shot down some of them."

Israel seized the Golan Heights from Syria during the 1967 Six-Day War and annexed the narrow strip of land in 1981. The Golan Heights are considered occupied territory under international law and UN Security Council resolutions.

Tensions over al-Aqsa mosque

The rocket launches come amid heightened tensions in the region following Israeli police raids on the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem.

Israeli police raids of the mosque are considered by Muslims as a major provocation.

Israeli police raided the mosque twice on Wednesday last week, claiming that "hundreds of rioters and mosque desecrators (had) barricaded themselves" inside.

On Saturday night, the Israeli police again alleged that, "many youngsters [had] entered the mosque and closed the doors, for no reason."

Israel's neighbor Jordan warned of "catastrophic consequences" if Israeli forces were to storm the mosque again.

Should the Israeli police, "assault worshipers again, in an attempt to empty [the mosque] of worshipers, in preparation for major incursions into the mosque," it would, "push the situation towards more tension and violence, for which everyone will pay the price," the Jordanian Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Ambassador Sinan al-Majali, said in a statement late on Saturday local time.

"The Israeli government bears responsibility for the escalation in Jerusalem and in all the occupied Palestinian territories and for the deterioration that will worsen if it does not stop its incursions into the holy al-Aqsa mosque... and its terrorization of worshipers in these blessed days," al-Majali said.

The warning from Jordan was followed by a statement from the Israeli Foreign Ministry early on Sunday, saying that people who "barricade themselves inside [the al-Aqsa mosque] are a dangerous mob, radicalized and incited by Hamas and other terror organizations."

The Israeli Foreign Ministry called on Jordan's Waqf guards, "to immediately remove from the al-Aqsa Mosque these extremists who are planning to riot (on Sunday) during Muslim prayers on the Temple Mount and the Priestly Blessing at the Western Wall."

The Waqf is the Jordan-appointed body that manages the al-Aqsa mosque compound, known as the Temple Mount by Jews.

Shooting reported in West Bank

In a separate development on Saturday night, the IDF killed a 20-year-old Palestinian man in the occupied West Bank town of Azzoun, according to the Palestinian Authority Ministry of Health.

The man, Ayed Azam Salim, was shot and killed by live Israeli bullets in the abdomen and chest in the Qalqilya district, according to the ministry.

"Following routine activity, multiple suspects hurled an explosive device towards IDF soldiers at town of Azzun," the IDF said in a statement. Soldiers responded "with live ammunition towards them" and a person was hit, the statement added. No IDF soldiers were injured, according to the statement.

Salim was taken to a hospital in Qalqilya where he died, according to Palestinian News Agency WAFA.

On Friday, one person was killed and seven others injured in a car-ramming attack in Tel Aviv. Police said that the car was driven by a 45-year-old resident of Kfar Kasem, a predominantly Arab city east of Tel Aviv.

The victim, an Italian tourist, was named by Israeli and Italian authorities as Alessandro Parini. Italian media said he was a 35-year-old lawyer. Israeli authorities described the incident as a "terror attack."

his story was first published on CNN.com, "Israel says its fighter jets have hit a Syrian military compound"
Multiple people were shot at the Christiana Mall in Delaware Saturday, police confirmed to Fox News Digital.

Delaware State Police confirmed that three individuals were shot in the mall's food court on Saturday evening. Authorities shared that the three victims were transported to an area hospital.

At 9:20 p.m., police confirmed that they do not have the suspect in custody.

Police have not shared if they have suspect in custody, but said that there is currently no public safety concerns at the mall and the surrounding area.

Earlier that mall was closed and evacuated due to reports of shots being fired just a day before the Easter holiday. According to the Delaware State Police, authorities "are currently conducting a criminal investigation at the Christiana Mall."

LAS VEGAS MASS SHOOTER WHO FIRED ONTO COUNTRY MUSIC FESTIVAL ANGRY WITH CASINOS, NEW FBI DOCS REVEAL

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The mall, located in Newark, Delaware, is the largest shopping mall in the state, attracting many due to the state's lack of sales tax.

Delaware State Police are investigating a mall shooting in Delaware on Saturday evening.

Delaware State Police said the mall was evacuated and will remain closed for the rest of the night. Police told residents to expect an increase of police presence at the mall.

State police shared that a reunification site has been set up at the north entrance by the AT&T store.
By Kanishka Singh

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said on Sunday she wants Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas to be impeached and his advisers probed after a media report described luxury trips he has taken over decades, funded by a Republican donor.

"It is the House's responsibility to pursue that investigation in the form of impeachment," she told CNN in an interview. However, she acknowledged progress was unlikely since the House of Representatives has a Republican majority that would not want to take action against a conservative justice.

Ocasio-Cortez said the timeline of Thomas's relationship with Republican donor and real estate magnate Harlan Crow revealed a conflict of interest since it started after Thomas began serving on the Supreme Court in 1991.

ProPublica reported on Thursday that Thomas accepted expensive trips from Crow over decades despite federal law requiring the disclosure of most gifts.

Thomas defended the trips, saying in a statement on Friday that he had been advised he was not required to report that type of "personal hospitality," and has always sought to comply with disclosure guidelines.

He said he would now follow new rules brought in by the Judicial Conference responsible for financial disclosure requirements for the entire federal judiciary.

Crow told ProPublica he had "never sought to influence Justice Thomas on any legal or political issue."

(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Daniel Wallis)
Governor Ron DeSantis signed the Constitutional Carry law, becoming the 26th state to loosen gun restrictions and allow citizens to carry concealed weapons without a government-issued permit.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Republicans newly passed permitless concealed gun carry law is being slammed by Democrats and advocates who say it puts more lives in danger.

DeSantis signed the Constitutional Carry bill into law on April 3, becoming the 26th state to loosen gun restrictions and allow its citizens to carry concealed weapons without a government-issued permit.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during an election night watch party at the Convention Center in Tampa, Florida, on November 8, 2022. (Photo by GIORGIO VIERA/AFP via Getty Images)

The Republican Florida governor touted the new law as a win for Second Amendment rights.

But as gun violence continues to plague the United States  marked by countless mass shootings in cities large and small  gun reform advocates and lawmakers are decrying the new law.

Floridas permitless-carry bill is a dangerous and thoughtless policy that disproportionately endangers vulnerable Black and Brown communities, Greg Jackson, executive director of Community Justice Action Fund, said in a statement to theGrio.

The unsettling ease of acquiring firearms in our communities, coupled with the clear connection between weak gun laws, increased gun ownership, and higher rates of gun-related deaths, should prompt us to reassess the true impact of these policies on our communities and the safety of our citizens, he said.

Last Wednesday, when asked whether such gun laws undermine the Biden administrations work to curb nationwide gun violence, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called the new law in Florida shameful.

This is what was signed after we heard what occurred in Nashville, Tennessee  after we heard three kids and three administrators were murdered, said Jean-Pierre, referring to the mass shooting at The Covenant School that occurred on March 27.

Too many lives have been ripped apart. Too many lives have been taken, she said.

Americas gun violence epidemic reached a fever pitch last Thursday after two Black Democratic lawmakers were expelled from the Tennessee House of Representatives for protesting against Republican state legislators inaction on stricter gun laws following the Nashville school shooting.

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Former Rep. Justin Jones, D-Nashville, Rep. Gloria Johnson, D-Knoxville, and former Rep. Justin Pearson, D-Memphis, raises their hands outside the House chamber after Jones and Pearson were expelled from the legislature Thursday, April 6, 2023, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, who represents Floridas 20th Congressional District, noted that Gov. DeSantis quietly signed the permitless concealed carry law after the Nashville tragedy.

She said it was an undeniable win for gun lobbyists but a loss for millions of Floridians whose lives are now in greater danger.

Congresswoman Cherfilus-McCormick lamented that the new law comes at a major cost for Floridas Black and brown communities, who are already disproportionally touched by tragic gun violence.

She continued, From Parkland to Orlando, our families have suffered enough loss. Florida lawmakers need to support legislative solutions that stem the tide of gun violence before another mass shooting occurs in our state.



The Florida lawmaker said DeSantis completely abandoned his duties as governor to protect Floridians.

May God forgive him for this moment, she exclaimed.

Florida State Senator Shevrin Jones slammed DeSantis and his Republican colleagues for playing politics on the issue of gun violence.

Its just a continuation of our Republicans here just wanting to figure out what is the best method to attach themselves to their base, Jones told theGrio.

Demonstrators attend a March for Our Lives rally against gun violence on the National Mall June 11, 2022 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)

Senator Jones proposed an amendment to the Florida bill that wouldve created a community violence task force to study the issue of gun violence in urban communities and offer solutions. However, Republicans voted against it.

Jones said Floridas new permitless carry law is not going to make anyone more safe, particularly in this current climate of gun violence.

We shouldnt have to wait for the next school shooting. We should not have to wait for the next individual to be killed in the street and in our communities, said the Florida senator. This should be something proactively that Democrats and Republicans should come together onwhether its your child or my child, we all should be looking for the best ways to protect each other.

Some pundits have suggested that Gov. DeSantis controversial bill signings  from the permitless concealed carry law to his so-called WOKE Act  are an attempt to appeal to national Republican Party voters as he weighs a potential 2024 presidential campaign.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis reacts after publicly signing HB7, individual freedom, also dubbed the stop woke bill during a news conference at Mater Academy Charter Middle/High School in Hialeah Gardens, Fla., on Friday, April 22, 2022. (Daniel A. Varela/Miami Herald via AP)

Polling data, however, shows that most Floridians overwhelmingly reject the new law. A majority of American voters also reject anti-LGBTQ+ bills like DeSantis so-called Dont Say Gay law, which bans discussions of sexual orientation and gender identity in school classrooms.

Senator Jones said the new gun law, among others, could ultimately backfire on DeSantis and the Republican Party nationwide. He pointed to the recent elections of liberal and progressive candidates in Wisconsin and Chicago as examples of a political tide turning against GOP policy and messaging.

Extremism can only go so far before people get tired of it, said Jones.

The Florida lawmaker also downplayed DeSantis presumed political power in Florida. He said be believes the governor won reelection by bully intimidation and purging the [voting] rolls.

Jones continued: It is true that the arc of the moral universe is long but always swings back towards justice. I believe that when it swings back, its going to swing back hard.

TheGrio is FREE on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku and Android TV. Also, please download theGrio mobile apps today!

The post Democrats, advocates slam shameful Florida gun law they say puts Black lives in danger appeared first on TheGrio.
Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado. Alex Wong/Getty Images

After a close 2022 result, Democrats are hoping to knock off GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert next year.

Last year, Boebert won her Republican-leaning Colorado district over Adam Frisch by only 546 votes.

Frisch is running against Boebert again and raised $1.7 million in the first quarter of 2023.

Even before Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado was elected to Congress in 2020, she had become a rising star in the Republican Party, with leading conservatives thrilled by her unapologetically conservative views on abortion and guns.

She became nationally known for her gun-themed restaurant, Shooter's Grill, which operated from 2013 until 2022 in Rifle, Colo., and has been a prominent backer of former President Donald Trump.

And as the incumbent in the state's conservative-leaning 3rd Congressional District, it appeared to many as though Boebert would be relatively safe in her reelection bid in last year's midterms.

But she ended up defeating her Democratic opponent, former Aspen city councilman Adam Frisch, by only 546 votes out of about 327,000 ballots cast  after an automatic recount in what was the closest congressional race in the entire country in 2022.

Democrats aren't leaving anything to chance this time around.

Not only has the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee listed the district as one of their 31 target seats next year, but Frisch in February announced that he would seek a rematch against Boebert. In the first quarter of 2023, he raised $1.7 million.

"One of our most effective comments that we talked about in the district was she's not focused on the job, she's focused on herself," Frisch recently told The Hill. "I can't believe she had almost the most embarrassing loss in 20 years and she hasn't changed one iota. She's actually doubled down on crazy."

Boebert has been one of Trump's staunchest proponents of his debunked claims that he won the 2020 presidential election over now-President Joe Biden.

After Republicans regained a House majority in January, Boebert was placed on the Oversight Committee, where during a February hearing she yelled at a former Twitter executive and accused him of shadow-banning her account over a tweet about former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that she said was intended as a joke.

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And on the House floor last month, she baselessly charged that Democrats were "doing just fine with election interference" over what she said was their attempt to silence news about "the Hunter Biden laptop from hell" ahead of the 2020 election.

Former Colorado Republican Party Chairman Dick Wadhams said that when Boebert first came on the political scene, she became known for her in-your-face messaging and her focus on cultural issues.

"She took that very combative style to her everyday work in the US House of Representatives," Wadhams told The Hill. "I think it started the people in the third congressional district thinking that she wasn't paying enough attention to the district as she was paying more attention to national politics."

Former Aspen city councilman Adam Frisch, who lost a close race to Boebert last year, is running again in 2024. AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File

But Wadhams told the publication that despite such a sentiment, Boebert's visibility among Republicans nationwide allowed her to easily raise money for her campaign last year.

In the 2022 campaign cycle, the congresswoman took in $8 million. (She has not yet released her numbers for the first quarter of 2023.)

"She's always been a fundraising machine so she's certainly going to have enough money," he said.

Frisch has sought to project himself as a moderate in a district that Trump won in both 2016 and 2020, but Republicans think they have a winning message in tying him to congressional Democrats in Washington, DC.

"Extreme House Democrats lost the majority because they hammered families with crime, chaos and skyrocketing costs," National Republican Congressional Committee communications director Jack Pandol said in a statement. "Why would voters change their minds after Democrats spent their time in the minority coddling violent criminals and opposing relief?"

And Boebert has sought to project herself as a workhorse as she moves through her second term in office.

"I'm working every day to be a strong legislator and to deliver results," she said in a statement. "I think I've been surprising my detractors by introducing and passing a growing list of bipartisan legislation and amendments."

But Trump, who late last month was indicted by the Manhattan District Attorney's office over his involvement in a hush-money payment made to the adult film actress Stormy Daniels in advance of the 2016 presidential election, remains unpopular in Colorado and could be a drag for Boebert if he's the Republican presidential nominee next year.

"Donald Trump, he's just completely toxic in this state," pollster David Flaherty told The Hill. "When he's anywhere near the discussion, he's just a walking turnout machine for Democrat and younger voters."

Read the original article on Business Insider
The Department of Justice (DOJ) is seeking a nearly 16-year prison sentence for a Jan. 6 rioter who pinned an officer in a door frame amid the attack on the Capitol in 2021.

Patrick McCaughey III, 25, used a stolen riot shield to crush Officer Daniel Hodges in a metal door frame for more than two minutes.

In one of the most recognizable moments of the day, the trapped officer screamed out in pain, as he was disarmed and attacked by other rioters and the mob engaged in a heave-ho movement in an effort to force its way through the lower west terrace tunnel.

McCaughey was found guilty last September of seven felonies and two misdemeanors, including aiding or abetting or assaulting, resisting, or impeding a law enforcement officer with a dangerous weapon.

The government is seeking a 188-month sentence for McCaughey, one of the longest it has sought for a Jan. 6 rioter, according to Politico.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Paschall noted in a sentencing memorandum filed on Friday that McCaugheys actions were particularly egregious and protracted, compared to that of the other rioters he stood trial with.

The actions taken by this defendant were heinous, and his sentence should reflect that, Paschall wrote.

The defendants actions on January 6 show an absolute disregard for the rule of law coupled with a willingness to incite and engage in violence, she added in Fridays filing. The nature and circumstances of this defendants crimes weigh heavily towards a significant term of incarceration.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
One person was killed Friday in an overnight crash, according to the South Carolina Highway Patrol.

The single-vehicle collision happened at about midnight in Aiken County, Lance Cpl. Nick Pye said.

A 2003 Chevrolet van was driving west on Dixie Clay Road when it ran off the left side of the road near the intersection with near Trail of Sand Lane, according to Pye. It veered off the road at a curve, the Aiken County Coroners Office said.

The van then crashed into a tree and flipped over, according to Pye.

The driver suffered blunt force injuries and died at the scene, the coroners office said.

The coroners office will publicly identify the driver after notifying the next of kin.

The driver, who was wearing a seat belt, was the only person in the van, according to the coroners office. No other injuries were reported.

The collision continues to be investigated by the Highway Patrol and coroners office. Toxicology tests are pending, the coroners office said.

Through April 2, at least 221 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 nine people have died in Aiken County crashes in 2023, according to DPS data. Last year, 29 deaths were reported in the county, DPS reported.
Mifepristone and misoprostol, two medications that are used in a common drug regimen to terminate pregnancies, at a clinic in Fort Myers, Fla., May 9, 2022. (Gabriela Bhaskar/The New York Times)

WASHINGTON  The dramatic dueling rulings by two federal district judges Friday about access to a widely used abortion pill set up a lower court conflict that legal experts say will almost certainly send the dispute to the Supreme Court.

It really turbocharges the imperative for the Supreme Court to step in and to do so sooner rather than later, said Stephen Vladeck, a law professor at the University of Texas at Austin.

A federal judge in Texas issued a preliminary ruling Friday invalidating the Food and Drug Administrations 23-year-old approval of the abortion pill mifepristone, which could make it more difficult for patients across the country to access the medication. Less than an hour later, a federal judge in Washington state issued a ruling in another case that contradicted the Texas judge by ordering the FDA to make no changes to the availability of the drug in the District of Columbia and the 17 states involved in that suit.

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For now, mifepristone continues to be available. The Texas judge, Matthew Kacsmaryk, an appointee of President Donald Trump, stayed his order for seven days to allow the FDA time to seek intervention from an appeals court. But the two decisions are in conflict and the conflict between them is not sustainable, said Samuel L. Bray, a law professor at the University of Notre Dame.

The Justice Department has already filed a notice that it is appealing the Texas ruling to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit.

The department has not yet said whether it will file an appeal in the Washington state case. That lawsuit, filed against the FDA by 18 Democratic attorneys general, challenged restrictions that the agency imposes on the prescribing and dispensing of mifepristone. The judge in the case, Thomas Rice, an appointee of President Barack Obama, did not lift the existing restrictions in his ruling Friday but did order the FDA not to do anything to limit current access to mifepristone.

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Typically, parties to cases will wait for an appeals court ruling before seeking emergency review from the Supreme Court, Vladeck said. But the Justice Department could ask the highest court to examine the case even sooner.

Formally, the Supreme Court can step in literally the moment DOJ files an appeal in the 5th Circuit, he said.

As startling as the two rulings are, legal experts said dueling injunctions were not unheard of and that the courts were able to handle them. Our judicial system, the way its set up, it expects there will be conflicts with courts, said Amanda Frost, a law professor at the University of Virginia.

When a direct conflict arises, courts can look for ways to narrow injunctions or for other solutions so that a party is not put into an impossible situation, she said. She cited a conflict in Florida over buffer zones at abortion clinics  areas kept clear from anti-abortion protesters to allow for unimpeded access by patients and doctors.

In 1993, an injunction was issued in Florida to protect the Aware Woman Center for Choice  one of dozens of similar injunctions issued by state and local judges as abortion clinic operators sought help on how to deal with protests. In the fall of 1993, within weeks of each other, the Florida Supreme Court upheld the injunction and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, in Atlanta, struck it down.

The Supreme Court took the case and upheld the core of the Florida state court injunction.

In 2015, the issue of same-sex marriage led to another collision between courts. After a federal judge in Alabama declared the states prohibitions against same-sex marriage unconstitutional, the chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court ordered the states probate judges not to issue marriage licenses to gay couples.

Later that year, the Supreme Court ruled in Obergefell v. Hodges that the Constitution guaranteed a right to same-sex marriage.

In both cases, the Supreme Court steps into the issue, Frost said. There was a period of time during which there was a conflict, and the world didnt fall apart. There is built into our system the understanding that there will be conflicts.

If the Texas case reaches the Supreme Court, it could have implications far beyond access to abortion pills. The court could be asked to consider the effects of the Texas ruling not only for abortion but also for the FDAs authority to approve and regulate other drugs.

Legal experts said Kacsmaryks decision appeared to be the first time a court had ordered a drugs approval to be revoked over the objection of the FDA and that such a ruling could open the door to legal challenges against other drugs, such as vaccines, morning-after pills and other medications at the center of controversial issues. The ruling could also undermine the confidence that pharmaceutical companies place in the agency and influence the companies decisions about which drugs to develop and market, experts said.

Because of those broader implications for federal authority and commercial interests, some legal experts said that all six conservative justices on the Supreme Court might not automatically uphold an order that would undercut the FDAs authority.

Ameet Sarpatwari, a lawyer and assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, said that at least a couple of the conservative justices had judicial track records that suggested they might reject the Texas ruling because of the sort of incredible disturbance of a district judges national injunction coupled with the extreme volatility that thats going to lead to in the pharmaceutical market.

The Texas case has drawn additional scrutiny because it was filed in Amarillo, a single-judge division overseen by Kacsmaryk. The judge has written critically about Roe v. Wade and has long supported conservative causes, including working for a conservative legal organization and serving on the board of an organization that seeks to offer pregnant women alternatives to abortion.

The lead plaintiff, the Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, is a consortium of anti-abortion groups that are not based in Amarillo, but the alliance was incorporated there in August 2022, not long after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

Forum shopping, as it is called, is a common legal strategy used increasingly by both the right and the left to seek out a friendly judge or sympathetic court and press for a nationwide stay or injunction on a hot-button, partisan issue. Experts agree that these tactics have increased with political polarization.

Theres nothing inherently wrong about trying to find a court that you think is more inclined to your way of thinking about a case, Bray said. What makes these unusual is that, if in one case, you can win everything, then the stakes go up.

Concerns about Kacsmaryks personal views on abortion playing a role in the case were heightened by the language in his ruling Friday, legal experts said.

This does not read like a judicial opinion, it reads like an activist complaint, Sarpatwari said. There were several ways in which Judge Kacsmaryk could have come to the same outcome without this degree of vitriol and this reassessment of every action that the FDA took.

He continued: I think that actually weakens his case, because it shows a real lack of credibility in the sense that most of the FDA decisions are very carefully backed by evidence and hes opened himself up to tremendous criticism that hes ignoring about 95% of the science thats out there.

Greer Donley, an associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, concurred with that assessment. Its pretty clear from the tone that he wasnt attempting in any way to be evenhanded in his language, she said. He was showing his cards.

In his ruling, the judge often used the language of the anti-abortion movement.

Mifepristone ultimately starves the unborn human until death, Kacsmaryk wrote. He added that the FDA mandated a two-step drug regimen: mifepristone to kill the unborn human, followed by misoprostol to induce cramping and contractions to expel the unborn human from the mothers womb.

c.2023 The New York Times Company
A February train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, shone a spotlight on the impact of toxic chemicals. But communities who are exposed to such chemicals on a more routine basis say theyre still waiting for the same level of recognition.

Were glad that East Palestine is getting the attention that theyre getting, but we also need attention here in Louisiana, said Shamell Lavigne, an activist with local environmental justice organization Rise St. James, which operates in the states infamous Cancer Alley.

The derailment in East Palestine released a number of chemicals, including a carcinogen known as vinyl chloride, which is used to make polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic.

While officials have said it is safe to return to the area, locals have reported health issues and the incident has provoked widespread outcry from residents, environmentalists and leaders, including in Washington.

However, the East Palestine community is not the only one facing exposure to vinyl chloride and the risks that come with it.

According to the Environmental Protection Agencys (EPA) Toxic Release Inventory  a list of self-reported toxic chemical emissions  more than 428,000 pounds of vinyl chloride was released into the air by 38 industry facilities last year.

The facilities with the largest releases are located in Texas, Kentucky, Louisiana and New Jersey.

Companies behind the facilities that were the largest emitters say the chemical is important and stress that they have safeguards in place to protect their local environments.

Vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) is used to produce polyvinyl chloride (PVC), which is widely used in a variety of products that impact peoples lives every day, from medical tubing and IV medicine/blood bags, to electrical wiring coating, to PVC pipes that deliver clean water to homes and businesses, said an email from Westlake Corporation spokesperson Chip Swearngan.

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VC plays an important role in our day-to-day lives, said Fred Neske, spokesperson for Formosa Plastics Corporation, U.S.A.

Neske added that the companys emissions are  not comparable to the Ohio derailment.

The scope, scale, and processes involved are very different. Our operations involve manufacturing equipment in a tightly controlled environment that enables us to quickly respond to potential issues, he said.

But others say exposure to vinyl chloride is creating problems for locals.

We hear a lot from community members about respiratory problems, said Kimberly Terrell, a research scientist and director of community engagement at the Tulane Environmental Law Clinic, discussing her work with communities in Louisiana.

Vinyl chloride is known to damage the respiratory system, its also known to cause other health problems, Terrell added.

Vinyl chloride has been linked to liver, brain and lung cancer. It can also cause damage to the liver and nervous system, as well as joint and muscle pain and Raynauds phenomenon, which reduces blood flow to a persons extremities.

Louisiana in particular is home to an industrial corridor that has been nicknamed Cancer Alley, as residents are regularly exposed to a range of toxic substances. A 2012 study found that the areas residents had a risk of developing cancer that was about 51 percent higher than the national average.

Local activists say that in the wake of the Ohio train derailment, their situation also deserves attention.

Lavigne, of Rise St. James, said her area is home to so many different chemicals that her organization launched a chemical of the month education campaign to tell the community about the negative impacts of each one.

Right now the chemical of the month is chloroprene, next month itll be vinyl chloride, Lavigne said in March, adding that the campaign had been ongoing since September.

Some changes are coming  EPA Administrator Michael Regan this past week visited Louisianas St. John the Baptist Parish, which includes part of Cancer Alley, to announce a proposal that aims to cut down on how much of these chemicals plants are allowed to emit.

The chemicals targeted by the rule include carcinogens such as vinyl chloride, ethylene oxide and benzene.

The American Chemistry Council, which represents the chemicals industry, expressed concerns about the rule, saying the EPA may be rushing its work on significant rulemaking packages that reach across multiple source categories and could set important precedents.

Environmentalists, meanwhile, largely applauded the move as an important step forward. But some still say more action is needed to address the problems of industrial pollution.

With EPAs proposals today, we are finally seeing a step in the right direction, but there is still much work to be done, said a written statement from Sierra Club Healthy Communities Campaign Director Pedro Cruz.

Now, we must continue to demand that all illegal exemptions be removed from federal air quality rules to truly prioritize the health and safety of our communities over the corporate profits, Cruz said.

On the other hand, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) recently traveled to Asia to meet with executives of major chemical manufacturers  including a major manufacturer of PVC plastics  as part of an effort to encourage investment in the state.

We expressed our gratitude for their extensive investments in Louisiana, our support for their commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and our readiness for additional investments in our states diversifying, future-focused economy, Edwards said in a statement.

Anne Rolfes, director of local environmental group the Louisiana Bucket Brigade, balked at the trip.

They see this destruction and assault on our health as economic development, Rolfes said.

Edwardss office directed questions from The Hill to departments including Louisianas Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ).

Greg Langley, a spokesperson for LDEQ, said in an email that any new plants would require a permit and that their environmental impacts would be looked at closely.

The environmental impact of new facilities is carefully calculated. Just having a new plant does not automatically equate to more pollution, Langley said.

Meanwhile, the Ohio train derailment has also given ammunition to those who would like to see vinyl chloride and PVC plastics eliminated entirely.

The production of vinyl chloride in states like Louisiana and Texas is a major problem, said Judith Enck, president of the group Beyond Plastics and a former regional EPA administrator.

Vinyl chloride is toxic every step of the way, when you produce it, when you transport it, when you use it, and when you dispose of it, Enck said, adding that her group would like to see a ban of the chemical.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Easter brings together an unlikely cadre of traditions: church, bunnies and eggs.

What may seem like an odd trio, however, is actually tied together by the universal themes of spring and life renewed.

While Easter is a time when Christians celebrate the resurrection of Christ, a few aspects of the holiday were adopted from ancient pagan rituals that celebrated the annual resurrection of life during the spring.

A parishioner and church usher carry a cross from the beach after the 21st annual Easter sunrise celebration service on March 27, 2016 in Boulder, Colorado.

"For Christians, Easter has always been about celebrating the central miracle of Jesuss death and resurrection," said Andrew Hann, the head of the Historians Team at English Heritage, the heritage organization covering England within the United Kingdom.

Hann noted that while Easter has been an important date in the Christian calendar since the earliest days of Christianity, the origins of certain aspects of the holiday are quite complex.

"What we now know is that Easter has a lot of pagan origins," he said. "So, it comes from a lot of traditions that are much earlier than Christianity itself."

The through line among these traditions is resurrection. While Christianity focuses on the resurrection of Christ, believers of pagan religions focused on the natural world and celebrated when it "resurrected" in the spring.

The resurrection of life in the spring is a common theme among Christian and pagan beliefs. Here, parishioners at the 12th Baptist Church in Boston prepare flowers, a symbol of spring, for Easter Sunday service.

The pre-Christian, pagan period contains many stories about resurrection and springtime, according to Hann.

For example, 2,000 years before Christ, the Sumerians in Mesopotamia had a tradition around the goddess Inanna, who descended into the underworld during winter and was brought back to life once winter ended.

THE PAGAN AND CHRISTIAN ORIGINS OF HALLOWEEN

"Rebirth is very central to traditions going right back to the very early days of civilization," Hann said. "The story is going through all these different religions that have this idea of rebirth in the spring and which is very, very closely linked to the Christian tradition."

Here are a few examples of how Christian and pagan elements came together to form the Easter holiday we know today.

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One of the pagan influences of the holiday involves its name.

While some cultures refer to the holiday through variations of its Latin name "Pascha," many others refer to it by a name that originated in northern European traditions  Easter.

"Easter" is linked to the pagan springtime goddess Eostre, according to Hann. Celebrated during the spring equinox, Eostre was first documented in the eighth century and is associated with some Easter traditions that have lasted to this day.

The traditional Easter dish of hot cross buns, for example, may be linked to the goddess.

Traditional Easter hot cross buns may have ties to the goddess Eostre.

While there may be a Christian association with the buns, due to the cross symbolizing the crucifixion of Christ, Hann noted that the buns are linked to the goddess Eostre, who had bread marked with a cross to celebrate the four seasons.

Eostre's hot cross buns also celebrated the four primary phases of the moon, which plays a significant role in determining the date of the holiday.

HOW THE SUN AND MOON SHAPED OUR CALENDARS

In fact, Easter falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon of the vernal equinox, or the first day of spring. Because Easter is timed to the lunar calendar, which varies from year-to-year, the holiday does not fall on the same day every year.

In addition to the goddess Eostre, fertility and other elements of spring are often associated with two aspects of the Easter holiday  eggs and bunnies.

A little girl finds an orange egg during an Easter egg hunt at church.

Eggs have played a starring role in Easter due to their ancient association with fertility and new life.

According to Hann, eggs have been associated with Easter from the very early days of Christianity. Christians in the Middle East would dye the hard shell items around the period of Easter and then give them as gifts.

HOW THE YULE LOG EVOLVED FROM AN ANCIENT VIKING RITUAL

"This practice was then adopted by some of the Orthodox churches in Eastern Europe  in Russia, in the Middle East  and then that passed through to Western churches as well," he said.

Within a western church, the practice of hunting for eggs came to be when the first known egg hunt was hosted centuries ago by Protestant reformer Martin Luther.

According to Hann, Luther organized egg hunts for his congregation, in which men were sent to hide eggs and then women and children were sent to find them.

"This was supposed to be a nod to the story of the Resurrection because, obviously, the empty tomb was discovered by women," he said. "[Luther] was trying to draw attention to the role of women, in particular, and children in trying to find what has happened to Jesus after the birth after he risen from the dead."

Much like Easter eggs, the tradition of the Easter Bunny is centuries-old, and one that is tied to rabbits and hares being ancient symbols of fertility.

Rabbits and hares are associated with fertility particularly in the spring, a time of year when life returns  a return of life that is then linked to the Resurrection.

According to Hann, the earliest known reference to an Easter Bunny was actually an Easter hare. The reference is found in a 1682 book by German Georg Franck von Frankenau, who links hares and rabbits with Christianity.

"He talks about an earlier tradition in Central Europe that this is coming from [the hares] association with fertility and the Virgin Mary," Hann said. "Sometimes you see the paintings of the Virgin Mary, and you see a hare at one side of her."

The Virgin Mary is depicted with her left hand on a rabbit in the painting "The Madonna of the Rabbit" ca. 1530.

Eventually, the traditions involving Easter hares and eggs came together.

In 17th-century Germany, Hann said a strong tradition at the time involved an Easter hare known as the "Osterhase." The Osterhase delivered eggs to children who exhibited their best behavior.

HOW MARDI GRAS BLOOMED FROM ANCIENT TRADITIONS

This tradition of the Easter hare then began to spread outside of Germany. During the 18th and 19th centuries, German immigrants brought the idea of an Easter hare giving eggs to children to the United States.

In this Easter postcard, an Easter bunny paints an Easter egg as a baby chick watches below.

In America, however, the Easter hare experienced a bit of a makeover and was replaced by a cuddlier alternative, the bunny.

Compared to hares, bunnies  which are young rabbits  are generally smaller with shorter ears and shorter hind legs.

Then in the 20th century, Hann said the Easter Bunny was imported from America back to Europe.

"So, its come full circle," he noted.

A little boy sports a bunny hat while hunting for Easter eggs.

Today, many families celebrate Easter with church services, along with treats, eggs and the Easter bunny.

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"Easter has always been this period of this moment of celebration and renewal," Hann said. "And so, it's always been a very joyous time for Christians and a time of quite a lot of merriment."

"It's just a period when it's been really positive  the beginning of spring, the beginning of new life and everything," he added. "It's just a nice time to be alive."
(CNN)  The cross, and the empty tomb.

Both Christian symbols are bookends to the Easter story. One symbolizes the tragic execution of Jesus while the other represents the Christian belief in his resurrection, and the claim that death does not have the final word on him or his followers.

As millions of Americans celebrate the holiest day in the Christian calendar on Sunday, most will hear some variation of this Easter message  finding new life in unforeseen places.

But that message could also describe a surprising prediction about the future of Christianity in the US.

For years, church leaders and commentators have warned that Christianity is dying in America. They say the American church is poised to follow the path of churches in Western Europe: soaring Gothic cathedrals with empty pews, shuttered church buildings converted into skate parts and nightclubs, and a secularized society where one theologian said Christianity as a norm is "probably gone for good  or at least for the next 100 years."

Yet when CNN asked some of the nation's top religion scholars and historians recently about the future of Christianity in the US, they had a different message.

They said the American church is poised to find new life for one major reason: Waves of Christians are migrating to the US.

And they said the biggest challenge to Christianity's future in America is not declining numbers, but the church's ability to adapt to this migration.

Joseph P. Slaughter, a historian and assistant professor of religion at Wesleyan University in Connecticut, says people have been predicting the extinction of Christianity in the US for over two centuries, and it hasn't happened yet.

He pointed to Thomas Jefferson, one of the nation's founding fathers, who predicted in the 1820s that Christianity would be replaced in the US by a more enlightened form of religion that rejected Jesus' divinity and belief in miracles.

Instead, Jefferson's prophecy was followed by a series of revivals, including the Second Great Awakening, which swept across America and reasserted Christianity as a dominant force in American life.

"I'd never bet against American Christianity  particularly evangelicalism," Slaughter says, "and its ability to adapt and remain a significant shaper of the American society."

What's happening in Europe is the church's nightmare scenario

If one only looks at the numbers, Slaughter's optimism seems misguided. Virtually every recent poll about Christianity in America has been brutal for its followers.

About 64% of Americans call themselves Christian today. That might sound like a lot, but 50 years ago that number was 90%, according to a 2020 Pew Research Center study. That same survey said the Christian majority in the US may disappear by 2070.

The Covid-19 pandemic also hurt the church in America. Church attendance has rebounded recently but remains slightly below pre-pandemic levels. A 2021 Gallup poll revealed another grim number for Christians: church membership in the US has fallen below 50% for the first time.

In addition, a cascade of headlines in recent years have stained the church's reputation, including sex abuse scandals in the Roman Catholic Church and the Southern Baptist Convention; the spread of White Christian nationalism; and the perception that the church oppresses marginalized groups such as LGBTQ people.

Church leaders in the US also have fretted about the rise of "nones." These are people who describe themselves as atheists, agnostics or "nothing in particular" when asked their religious identity.

The ascent of nones will transform the country's religious and political landscape, says Tina Wray, a professor of religious and theological studies at Salve Regina University in Rhode Island. About 30% of Americans now call themselves nones.

"The interest of the nones will soon outweigh those of the religious right in just a matter of years," Wray says. "Nones are going to vote as a bloc and they're going to be pretty powerful. White evangelicals will eventually be eclipsed by the unaffiliated."

Wray says those who are optimistic about the future of the American church underestimate how quickly Christianity can lose its influence even in a place where it once thrived. She cites what's happened in the Republic of Ireland, an overwhelmingly Catholic country.

The Catholic Church prohibits divorce and was once so powerful in Ireland that the country wouldn't legally grant its citizens the legal right to a divorce until 1995, says Wray, author of "What the Bible Really Tells Us: The Essential Guide to Biblical Literacy." But Wray adds that she recently traveled to Ireland and discovered many of its citizens have left the religion. Churches are being closed and turned into apartment buildings, she says.

"People who went to mass everyday stopped going," she says. "There's this cultural Catholic identity, but as far as practicing their faith, it's just disappearing. So within a generation, that's all it took. It's just shocking."

Why the American church's future may be different than Europe's

Most of the religious scholars CNN spoke to said the American church may find salvation in another demographic trend: the booming of Christianity in what is called the "Global South," the regions encompassing Latin America, Africa and Asia.

The world's largest megachurch, for example, is not in the US. It's in South Korea. The Yoido Full Gospel Church has a weekly attendance of about 600,000 members.

Perry Hamalis spent time as a Fulbright Scholar in South Korea, where he personally witnessed the vitality of the Christian church in the Global South.

He says the church is not perceived in South Korea as an instrument of oppression, but one of liberation. When South Korea was colonized by the Japanese in the early 20th century, the church aligned with Koreans to protest.

"Christianity was looked at not as a religion of empire and of the colonizers, but as the religion of the anti-colonial movement and of pro-democracy," says Hamalis, a religion professor at North Central College in Illinois.

The US has more immigrants than any other country. People from Latin America and Asia now make up the overwhelming majority of immigrants to the US, and many are bringing their religious fervor with them.

This migration is known as the "Browning of America," a phrase describing a demographic shift that is expected to make White people the minority in the US by 2045.

Those who predict that the church in America will collapse often overlook how the migration of Global South Christians to America will revitalize the country's religious landscape, scholars say. Christianity could rebound in America if White Christians embrace this one change, they say.

Tish Harrison Warren, a New York Times columnist, pointed out recently that Latino evangelicals are now the fastest-growing group of evangelicals in the US.

"We cannot assume that America will become more secular so long as the future of America is less white," Warren wrote.

The influx of Black and brown Christians from places like Latin America and Asia collides with another trend: a burgeoning White Christian nationalist movement that insists, incorrectly, that the US was founded as a White, Christian nation. It is hostile to non-White immigrants.

Some churches may discover that Jesus' command to welcome the stranger collides with their definition of patriotism, Hamalis says.

"Many congregations don't realize how much of their Christian identity is wrapped up with a kind of (Christian) nationalist narrative," Hamalis says. "There's nothing wrong with loving one's country, but from a Christian perspective that ought to always be secondary to the mission of building the body of Christ and witnessing to the Gospel in the world."

How Christianity could re-establish its dominance

There are other factors hiding in plain sight that point to the continued vitality of Christianity, others say.

For one, declining church membership doesn't automatically translate into declining influence.

Consider some recent landmark events. White evangelicals played a critical role in getting former President Trump elected. Conservative Christian groups played a crucial role in the recent passage of state laws limiting LGBTQ rights. And the Supreme Court's decision last year to overturn Roe vs. Wade was a massive victory for many conservative Christians.

And atheism remains a taboo in American politics. American voters still prefer candidates  including presidents Barack Obama, Donald Trump and Joe Biden  who profess or evoke Christian beliefs.

"Christianity still holds a lot of capital in this country," says Lee M. Jefferson, an associate professor of religion at Centre College in Kentucky.

"There has always been a popular notion that a religious community's strength or influence is connected to numbers and attendance," Jefferson says. "Even if there is ample space in cathedrals, Christianity will still hold some strong relevance in different landscapes in the US."

Even the rise of the "nones," the growing number of Americans who say they don't care about religion, is not as much of a threat to the church as initial reports suggest, scholars say.

A growing number of Americans may no longer identify as Christian, but many still care about spirituality, says Hans Gustafson, author of "Everyday Wisdom: Interreligious Studies for a Pluralistic World."

"Just because more Americans are disaffiliating with institutionalized religion  most notably Christian traditions  this does not always mean that people are becoming less religious," says Gustafson, director of the Jay Phillips Center for Interreligious Studies at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota.

"Many still practice spirituality: prayer, meditation... and sometimes even regularly attend religious houses of worship," he says.

Among Americans with no religious affiliation, some still pray daily and say religion is very important in their lives, Gustafson says.

He cites a surprising finding from a 2018 Pew Research Center study of religion in Western Europe. The study found that nones in the US are "much more likely" to pray and believe in God than their European counterparts, said Neha Sahgal, a vice president of research at Pew.

"In fact, by some of these standard measures of religious commitment, American 'nones' are as religious as  or even more religious than  Christians in several European countries, including France, Germany and the UK," Sahgal wrote.

Why the Easter message offers a note of hope

Despite the optimism of many religious scholars, the future of Christianity in America still seems uncertain. Poll numbers about the decline of religiousness in the US cannot be ignored, along with something more intangible: the frailties of human nature.

What if the US enters another xenophobic period and limits migration from non-White Christians?

What if progressive Christians prove unwilling to align with non-White immigrants who tend to be more conservative on issues of sexuality and gender?

And what if some Christians still cling to the belief that America is supposed to be a White Christian nation, even if that assumption causes them to close their church doors to non-White immigrants who could be their salvation?

If that happens, an Easter morning symbol in American churches won't just be an empty tomb, but empty pews.

But Hamalis, the religion professor who saw Christianity boom in South Korea, says Christians who fear that kind of future can take solace in the Easter message.

"From a Christian perspective, there's nothing to fear because even death has been conquered," Hamalis says. "When we are liberated from that fear, we can embrace the person who's different from us, who speaks a different language or comes from a different culture. We can put ourselves out there in a way that we can't if we're just afraid."

He and other scholars envision a vibrant future for Christianity in the US that's shared by Warren, the New York Times columnist:

"The future of American Christianity is neither white evangelicalism nor white progressivism," Warren wrote. "The future of American Christianity now appears to be a multiethnic community that is largely led by immigrants of the children of immigrants."

If the American church can embrace this future and reverse its shrinking membership, it will have experienced its own resurrection.

John Blake is a Senior Writer at CNN and the author of "More Than I Imagined: What a Black Man Discovered About the White Mother He Never Knew."

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Predictions about the decline of Christianity in America may be premature."
Elon Musk announced plans Sunday for a new battery factory in Shanghai during a visit there.

The factory will make large-scale energy-storage units called Megapacks, Xinhua reported.

Rep. Mike Gallagher met with Apple CEO Tim Cook earlier this month to discuss ties with China.

Elon Musk revealed plans to build a new battery factory during a visit to Shanghai Sunday, China's official Xinhua news agency reported.

Tesla's new project, which was officially announced during a signing ceremony, involves building a new Megafactory to make its energy storage Megapack.

Tesla said the factory will aim to produce 10,000 Megapacks a year to be sold worldwide, per the report.

The Megapack is a huge battery to help stabilize energy grids and can store enough energy to power about 3,600 homes for an hour, according to Tesla. Tesla's existing Megafactory is in Lathrop, California and can also produce 10,000 units a year.

Musk's visit to China came amid heightened tensions with the US, including the shooting of an alleged Chinese spy balloon and concern about Beijing's support for Vladimir Putin and his war in Ukraine.

While the Tesla CEO is continuing to invest in China, other companies may be looking at ways to distance themselves.

Apple mulls 'economic decoupling'

Earlier this month Rep. Mike Gallagher, a Republican from Wisconsin, and Democrat Raja Krishnamoorthi met tech executives including Apple CEO Tim Cook and execs from Google and Microsoft to discuss their links with China, Bloomberg reported.

Gallagher also met with Disney CEO Bog Iger to discuss US media companies censoring their content for the Chinese market.

"Apple's at the heart of what is the most complex aspect of this competition, which is companies that have a massive presence in China are going have to deal with the fact that some form of selective economic decoupling is inevitable," Gallagher told Bloomberg. "It's going to continue."

He said that most executives he met wanted "bright, clear lines from the government" telling them which areas of the Chinese economy they should avoid.

Story continues

Last year Apple began making plans to start moving some production away from China after suffering supply-chain delays due to its zero-COVID policy and protests at the Foxconn factory that makes iPhones.

It is considering increasing production in countries such as India and Vietnam to reduce reliance on Foxconn, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Gallagher told Bloomberg that he didn't expect companies to sever all ties with China. However, if China took military action against Taiwan he said all bets would be off.

Apple is the biggest customer of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the world's largest chipmaker. It produces most of the world's 1.4 billion smartphone processors and more than half the microcontrollers used by car manufacturers.

In March, Robert O'Brien, who served as national security advisor in the Trump administration, told Semafor the US would rather destroy these factories rather than let them fall into Chinese control.

Tesla, Apple, and Gallagher didn't immediately respond to requests for comment from Insider, made outside normal working hours.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Twitter appears to be amplifying tweets of Russian state accounts after suppressing them last year.

The Telegraph created a new account and was recommended the Kremlin-linked accounts, it reported.

Elon Musk has been lifting most restrictions on accounts labelled harmful under previous management.

Elon Musk's Twitter is amplifying Kremlin-linked accounts including Vladimir Putin's presidential account after restricting them last year, testing revealed.

Analysis by The Telegraph showed accounts belonging to Putin, Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Russian embassy in Britain are appearing in Twitter's search results, timeline and recommendations.

The findings suggest that restrictions designed to reduce the Russian state's social media reach, brought in after the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, have been softened.

When Twitter was still a public company run by former CEO Parag Agrawal, it issued a statement laying out its plans to suppress Russian misinformation.

"We will not amplify or recommend government accounts belonging to states that limit access to free information and are engaged in armed interstate conflict  whether Twitter is blocked in that country or not," the site wrote. This meant they wouldn't appear on Twitter's main search functions.

However, tests by The Telegraph suggest this policy had now changed.

The newspaper created a fresh account and found Russian state pages appeared in the algorithmically driven For You feed despite not following them. They would also reportedly show up in certain search results and as recommended accounts to follow.

A former Twitter executive, who wasn't named, told The Telegraph it was likely a change in policy had occurred for those accounts to be amplified again.

"It would be exceedingly unlikely that this change would have happened accidentally, or without the knowledge and direction of the company's staff," the source said.

Russia's state-affiliated accounts have come under fire in the past for aggressive rhetoric focused around its campaign in Ukraine. Twitter hid a tweet from Russia's embassy in Britain calling for a "humiliating death" for Ukrainian prisoners of war.

Story continues

Twitter had more broadly limited the reach of state-affiliated media since 2020, by not recommending them to users and labelling them as state-affiliated.

Musk frequently referenced free speech during his $44 billion takeover of Twitter, denouncing the company's previous policy of suspending accounts regarded by some as harmful.

The world's second-richest man reinstated Donald Trump's Twitter account in November to this end, although the former president has still not posted any new tweets.

Musk came under fire for controversial tweets outlining a peace plan that would involve Ukraine surrendering much of the territory Russia occupied after its invasion. His Starlink satellite internet service, though, has proved helpful to Ukraine's defence.

Twitter didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Premiering the night before Easter, the latest episode of Saturday Night Live opened with a serene image of the sketch show cast members sitting at a long table, perfectly costumed and positioned to parallel Leonardo da Vincis The Last Supper. But the tranquility was short-lived with the arrival of cast member James Austin Johnson, who took over the cold open by telling the story of Easter as a monologue delivered by Donald Trump.

Last weeks episode also opened with a Trump spoof after the former president was indicted by a grand jury. On April 4, Trump pled not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records. His arrest and arraignment made him the first president in U.S. history to ever be charged with a crime after leaving office. And this milestone was also addressed with this weeks cold open.

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A famous, wonderful man arrested for no reason at all. If you havent put it together folks, Im comparing myself to Jesus again. And what better time than on his birthday, Easter, Johnson as Trump said. As we speak, I am being persecuted on a level, the likes of which the world has never seen. Even worse than the late, great Jesus.

Embodying Trump, Johnson went on to offer comparisons between himself and Jesus: were both very tall, very popular, and both, frankly, white Americans. He also jokes that, like Jesus, he held massive rallies and his followers got in severe trouble. Johnsons Trump also referred to Jesus Eastertime resurrection over a three-day period: I would have done it faster. Possibly two days. I could have done it a lot faster, Johnson sneered.

The biblical allusions continued with Johnson paralleling Florida governor Ron DeSantis to Judas, the infamous apostle who betrayed Jesus and suffered a macabre death.

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Ive even got my very own Judas: Ron DeSantis, Johnson said as Trump. Ron DeSantis came to me, tears in his eyes, and said, Help me, Mr. Trump, Im going to lose my election. So I very generously pretended to like him. And then he did a Judas, and now he cant even get the gays out of Disney World.

The jab comes the same week as DeSantis latest attempt to gain control over Disney World and other Orlando theme parks with threats of increasing taxes in the area.

Trumps narrative of Easter included other snide remarks, such as calling Jesus Christ a nepo baby because of his parentage.

Happy Easter from former President Trump pic.twitter.com/3GN5MfAohP  Saturday Night Live  SNL (@nbcsnl) April 9, 2023

The April 8 episode features former SNL cast member Molly Shannon as host.

Shannon made her first appearance with her monologue, which she turned into a rousing showtune number that include a cameo appearance from SNL exec producer Lorne Michaels and Martin Short.

Wearing a sequined mini dress, Shannon sang the crowd pleaser Everythings Coming Up Roses, from the musical Gypsy, with exaggerated over-the-top Broadway performance touches. As she belted Curtain up! Light the lights, Shannon was joined by new cast member Molly Kearney. Kearney told her namesake Im not really in the show much so Im interrupting your song to get more camera time.

Shannon kept stopping her show-stopper to check in with other cast members. Kenan Thompson told her he cant stop buying fake Rolexes; Bowen Yang told her Im attracted to my therapist. Michaels and Short were briefly pictured holding Champagne flutes. Short yelled I ran out of Ozempic and began ravenously eating a sandwich.

Short joined Shannon and other cast members on stage for the high-kicking finale.

Molly Shannons monologue! pic.twitter.com/itFHZlqU8U  Saturday Night Live  SNL (@nbcsnl) April 9, 2023

Jonas Brothers performed for the third time on the SNL stage as the episodes musical guest. The band of siblings are set to debut their sixth studio album, The Album, on May 12. This week, the brothers released another single, titled Waffle House, in anticipation of the album release.

Saturday Night Live stars Kenan Thompson, Mikey Day, Heidi Gardner, Ego Nwodim, Bowen Yang, Chloe Fineman, Punkie Johnson and Andrew Dismukes as well as Michael Che and Colin Jost, co-anchors of Weekend Update. James Austin Johnson, Sarah Sherman, Marcello Hernandez, Molly Kearney, Michael Longfellow and Devon Walker are featured players.

Produced by Broadway Video and SNL Studios, the series is currently on its 48th season. Lorne Michaels remains attached to the sketch show as series creator with Liz Patrick in the directors chair.

Watch Saturday Night Live at 8:30 p.m. PT/11:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.

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Belgorod

After receiving a message to evacuate, Russians are instructed to switch off appliances, turn off water and gas, and head to an assembly point to be taken to a safe place further away, the notices read.

A step-by-step procedure on how to get to an evacuation point is also provided. Citizens who decide to hide elsewhere should inform the settlement's head.

The memo provides a grab-and-go bag checklist, which includes things like papers and relatives' contacts to matches and underwear.

Drones attacked Belgorod Oblast near the border with Ukraine on April 4 and slightly injured three Russian soldiers.

A Russian officer will first face trial for failing to prevent an earlier missile attack on Belgorod Oblast, Russian daily newspaper Kommersant said on March 31.

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
Walmart Supercenter in New Jersey. Rachel Askinasi/Business Insider

Walmart is the world's largest retailer, with more than 10,000 storefronts around the globe.

But the Bentonville, Arkansas-based company is relying more on non-store business to drive profits.

The retail giant has recently invested a lot in bolstering its data and shipping arms, among others.

Even Walmart needs a side hustle.

The Bentonville, Arkansas-based retail giant is currently the largest retailer in the world, with more than 10,000 stores globally.

But to stay ahead of competitors like Amazon, Walmart has diversified its portfolio and bolstered non-storefront businesses.

From data analytics to small business delivery, here are four side hustles Walmart uses to drive profit.

Walmart Connect

Walmart Connect is one of Walmart's fastest growing businesses. Walmart Connect

Thanks to the help of Chief Revenue Officer Seth Dallaire, a former Instacart C-suite executive and Amazon advertising leader, Walmart Connect is one of the company's quickest-growing business segments. The retailer's advertising arm brought in $2.7 billion in revenue in 2022, a 30% increase from the year prior.

Walmart rebranded its ad platform at the start of 2021 and signaled its plans to expand its business. The platform's name has gone through a few iterations since it launched as Walmart Exchange in 2014  two years after Amazon launched its original advertising arm. As e-commerce sales spiked at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, retailers have been racing to leverage their digital advertising offerings by placing ads on apps and websites to generate more sales.

Under Dallaire, Walmart Connect recently moved to a second-price auction model. Suppliers and third-party marketplace sellers can pay as little as a penny more than the next highest bidder on the platform, which helps keep costs down. He also gave third-party marketplace and smaller sellers more access to data.

Walmart Luminate

Walmart Luminate is a data monetization platform in which suppliers can access information on shopper behavior, customer perception and more. Walmart

Like Walmart Connect, Walmart Luminate  a data monetization platform  has grown in spades since its launch in October 2021.

Walmart Luminate allows suppliers to access information on shopper behavior, customer perception, and more. Though Walmart doesn't often publicly disclose numbers on this product offering, it said that it grew by 75% quarter-over-quarter in the second quarter of last year.

Story continues

"What we're doing is groundbreaking  not just for Walmart but for the industry in itself," Mark Hardy, Walmart's head of data ventures, previously told Insider. "We're building the right ecosystem that drives the right insights in a very agile manner, but then allows us to quickly apply those insights to then become more relevant to the customers."

Walmart Fulfillment Services

Walmart Fulfillment Services launched in 2020. David J. Phillip/AP Images

A copycat of Amazon's Fulfilled by Amazon, Walmart Fulfillment Services (WFS) launched in 2020 for third-party marketplace sellers to ship and store products using the retailer's warehouses.

Walmart has been working hard to increase its number of sellers on Walmart Marketplace. As of fall 2022, close to 200,000 third-party sellers listed products on Walmart Marketplace  about twice as many compared to the summer of 2021, according to estimates from Marketplace Pulse, an e-commerce analytics firm. For comparison, Amazon said it has nearly 2 million third-party sellers on its marketplace.

Through its packaging and shipping arm, Walmart says it guarantees two-day shipping to anywhere in the contiguous United States, excluding peak season months, which are September through January.

Walmart GoLocal

Walmart GoLocal launched in 2021. Walmart GoLocal launched in 2021.

Walmart is even trying to make extra money by offering a delivery service business for other businesses.

Launched in the summer of 2021, Walmart GoLocal allows businesses to arrange local deliveries with the retail giant. By the end of 2022, Walmart GoLocal delivered from more than 5,000 business and retail locations.

Tom Ward, then the company's senior vice president of last mile, said in August 2021 that the business would be available in suburban and rural areas, typically an area where other delivery providers struggle.

"Through Walmart GoLocal, any merchant from national retailers to small town shops can use Walmart's growing delivery platform to power their local delivery efforts. The service is white-label, in that our clients brands are front and center."

Read the original article on Business Insider
(Bloomberg) -- Local leaders in Tennessee will decide this week whether to reinstate two young Democratic lawmakers expelled from the Republican-controlled state legislature  and each said on Sunday hed accept.

Most Read from Bloomberg

State Reps. Justin Jones and Justin J. Pearson said their expulsion by GOP lawmakers who control the Tennessee House of Representatives was an attack on democracy and the predominantly Black and Brown communities they represent.

The Tennessee House Republicans attempt to crucify democracy has instead resurrected a movement led by young people to restore our democracy. To build a multi-racial coalition, Jones said on NBCs Meet the Press. The message is that we will continue to resist. That this is not the end. That their decision to expel us is not the ultimate authority, but that the people will hold them accountable.

The expulsion of the lawmakers, both of whom are Black, was an extraordinary measure, and Republican lawmakers had other tools available, including censure for breaking House rules of decorum and speaking out of turn. A third lawmaker, Gloria Johnson, who is White, narrowly avoided being expelled by the Republican super-majority.

The three chanted power to the people on the House floor last week as protesters crowded at the state Capitol calling for stricter gun control measures following a shooting at a Nashville school that left six people dead.

A majority of members of the Nashville Metro Council said they would back reappointing Jones, who represents the district, The Tennessean reported last week. The Shelby County Commission will also weigh whether to reinstate Pearson to his Memphis district. The appointments would be on an interim basis to be followed by special elections  and Pearson and Jones both said they would run again.

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The expulsions focused national attention on Tennessee politics, with President Joe Biden condemning the move as shocking, undemocratic, and without precedent.

Pearson said on NBC the expulsions were part of a systemic effort by the majority power to silence opposing voices.

The Tennessee legislature is an institution filled with people who are more concerned about supporting the NRA and supporting the Second Amendment than it is protecting the First Amendment rights of children and teenagers to be able to come to the Capitol and advocate for gun violence prevention laws, he said.

Read More: Biden Condemns Shocking Tennessee Legislature Expulsions

This was not just an attack on us, it was an attempt to silence our districts, predominantly Black and Brown districts who no longer have representation, Jones said.

After the gun control protest, Republicans said the lawmakers had broken rules of decorum and that a vote for expulsion was necessary to protect the chambers integrity.

It was the first time House members had been removed from elected office for violating decorum rules, the Tennessean reported.

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An AI expert warned that the rise of deepfakes will "make it harder to navigate the truth." Alex Brandon/AP

Fake images of Donald Trump's arrest and Pope Francis in a coat recently fooled the internet.

Images generated by AI programs like Midjourney, DALL.E2, and Stable Diffusion are on the rise.

AI experts shared four tips to identify deepfakes including reverse image search and fact-checking.

Deepfake images of Donald Trump and Pope Francis generated by artificial intelligence have created a stir online recently.

One viral image showing the Pope in a stylish white puffer coat and a bejeweled crucifix was actually made with an AI program called Midjourney, which David Holz founded last year.

The program, which creates images based on textual descriptions provided by users, has been used to produce misleading images of well-known figures including some of former president Donald Trump being arrested.

Midjourney has since suspended free trials "due to a combination of extraordinary demand and trial abuse," Holz said.

Yet that does not mean an end to fake images, according to Henry Ajder, an AI expert and presenter who is on the European advisory council for Meta's Reality Labs. He said tools such as OpenAI's Dall. E 2 and Stable Diffusion had this capability.

"The only way that realistic fakery has been possible in the past to the level we're seeing now daily was in Hollywood studios," Ajder said. "This was kind of the cream of the crop of VFX and CGI work, whereas now many people have the power of a Hollywood studio in the palm of their hands."

He warned that the consequences of deepfake images will range from fake news about politicians to nonconsensual pornographic images.

Most recently a face swap app called Facemega was used to promote a sexually suggestive ad using Emma Watson's face.

However, it's not just the "bombastic fakes" people need to worry about, Adjer said. The more subtle ones like Pope Francis can "slowly just chip away at our trust in visual media and make it harder to navigate the truth."

He and another expert offered four tips to help distinguish AI-generated images from the real thing.

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Some AI-generated images have a "plasticky" appearance

One telltale sign that an image was on Midjourney is a "plasticky" appearance, but the platform may iron out this issue as it develops.

Ajder said Midjourney was a tool developed with artists in mind: "A lot of the images have a very stylized, almost smooth kind of shiny, plasticky appearance."

Although this isn't consistent with other AI platforms, it's something to keep an eye out for.

Look out for aesthetic inconsistencies

Ajder pointed out that AI programs generally struggle with "semantic consistencies," such as lighting, shapes, and subtlety.

Some examples include checking whether the lighting on a person in an image is in the right place; whether someone's head is slightly too big; or even over-exaggerated eyebrows and bone structure.

Other inconsistencies include smiling with lower sets of teeth in an image because usually "people smile with their top teeth, not their bottom."

Not every single image will have these signs, but they're useful pointers.

Alexey Khitrov, founder of biometric security company ID R&D, said the image of Pope Francis is the "artifact of something that's completely unnatural," and contained some "physically impossible" features.

The crucifix the Pope appeared to be wearing in the image had a chain is attached to only one side, for example.

Other errors included the strange shape of his ears as well as the distance between his glasses and their shadow on his face.

Context is key

Aesthetic factors are not always enough to identify deepfakes, especially as AI tools start to become more sophisticated.

Khitrov advised questioning suspicious images: "Try to do a search on the image like you're doing a search on the information that you're receiving."

Ajder agreed context was critical, making it worth trying to find an "authoritative source."

"We need to be aware that if something seems outrageous or sensational, there's a good chance that there might be something awry. In that context, it's about going to the organizations that have known capacity, for fact-checking and verification."

He advises asking questions like: "Who's shared it? Where has it been shared? Can you cross-reference it to a more established source with known fact-checking capabilities?"

Try a reverse image search

If all else fails, Ajder suggested using a reverse image search tool to find the context of an image.

"If I did a reverse image search on the Trump getting arrested images, it might take me to all of the news websites where it's been shared in articles. So it's essentially a way to sort of trace back [the image] or like a mind map coming off that image."

Ajder recommended Google Lens or Yandex's visual search function for reverse image search capabilities.

Read the original article on Business Insider
The Rockland Trust Bank in Falmouth at 20 Davis Straits reopened Monday, after a robbery at the branch on Saturday morning, according to Emily McDonald, vice president and marketing manager for Rockland Trust Bank.

After the robbery, the Falmouth branch remained closed for the remainder of Saturday. According to its website, the location is typically closed on Sundays.

Around 9:10 a.m. on Saturday, a man went into the bank, brandishing a gun and threatening that he carried a bomb, according to accounts from Falmouth police and the Massachusetts State Police. He fled after a teller handed him an undisclosed amount of money.

Falmouth Police released this surveillance photo of the bank robber holding a hand gun at the Rockland Trust Bank on Davis Straits in Falmouth. The bank was robbed at 9 a.m. Saturday morning, according to Falmouth police and state police.

Following the robbery, the suspect drove away in a stolen 2019 Ford Flex SUV, said state police spokesperson David Procopio in an email. According to Falmouth police, the car was stolen from a customer.

State police later found the vehicle abandoned on Teaticket Highway in Falmouth.

"After the suspect vehicle was located the State Police Bomb Squad responded to the location and swept the vehicle for potential explosives. No explosives were found," said Procopio in an email to the Times.

Massachusetts State Police officers, and a K-9 team searched the area surrounding the highway with help from a state police helicopter. Procopio also said an FBI-Mass. State Police task force would also join the investigation.

McDonald had previously told the Times there were no injuries during the robbery.

Gain access to premium Cape Cod Times content by subscribing.

This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Falmouth bank to reopen after robbery
Officers with the Fife Police Department were dispatched Sunday afternoon to reports of a bomb threat left in the engineers compartment of a solo locomotive stalled behind a strip mall. K-9 units searched the area and found no signs of explosives or devices, giving the all clear about an hour later.

The Fife Police Department first reported the incident just after 12 p.m. April 9. Assistant Chief David Claridge said the businesses that were open near the intersection of 20th Street East and Port of Tacoma Road were asked to evacuate the area. Police also made a nearby gas station off limits until the scene had been cleared.

Claridge said the single locomotive had been sitting at the Union Pacific main switchyard in Fife for some time. He said some engineers went to move the locomotive when they discovered a note in the engineers compartment.

Claridge said UPRR detectives have been called to the scene and will continue the investigation, and local federal authorities have been notified of the incident as well.
We all suffer

The article Juvenile charged with arson may shock some; however, as an educator, I cant claim shock.

While the reason behind the act wasnt reported, speculations will be made, including my own. The hard push on teachers to focus instruction on test scores leaves administrators stressed, teachers burned out, children bored out of their minds and parents feeling helpless.

If I had to guess, I might think that boredom and general negative feelings toward the school system are likely at the root of the why.

The reality is that students are much more than any test score or standards mastery. Any teacher will likely tell you that these things dont really capture a comprehensive look at a student.

The reduction of students and teachers to numbers on sheets of paper is stunting the growth that we are all capable of in our minds and hearts, especially so for disadvantaged children.

This system fails to recognize what children need as individuals to grow and removes the quality of being human from education.

When we miss the mark this badly, we all suffer.

Jessica Cantley, Coward

Arm teachers

Recent reporting about the tragic shooting in Nashville trumpets the quick reaction of the Nashville Police Department.

Left unsaid in articles Ive read is that the principal, who was killed, was allegedly unarmed. Other reporting also indicates the principal had some form of contact with the shooter prior to the principal being shot herself.

Yes, the Nashville police arrived on the scene quickly and have been repeatedly lauded for, unlike in Uvalde, conducting a textbook operation when they located the shooter and shot her. Sadly, however, it appears the killings by the shooter took place before or just as the police arrived.

I have to wonder if the schools principal had had a weapon and had been trained in how to use it, could she have stopped the killing before it started, thereby saving her life and the other five lives that were lost?

Story continues

Roger Elmore, Beaufort

Well run race





Note: Lourie was a member of the S.C. State Senate from 2004-2016, and the S.C. House of Representatives from 1998 to 2004.

I live in the district where the most recent City Council election was held between Beatrice King and Peter Brown.

It was refreshing to see two very qualified candidates, both of whom I know and respect, compete for this race without saying anything negative about each other. They ran on their record and vision for the future, and as I told many people during the weeks that led up to the election, you could not go wrong by voting for either of them.

I am not so naive as to think that all campaigns in the future will be run this way, but this race was a nice break from the negativity that exists in politics today.

I am sure the voters join me in thanking Ms. King and Mr. Brown for the way they conducted themselves.

Joel Lourie, Columbia

Grow up Lindsey

Lindsey Graham needs to stop crying on national television. Its so Lindsey, though.

He adores being in the spotlight.

He tweeted the following: On the way to the DAs office on Tuesday, Trump should smash windows, rob a few shops, and punch a cop. He would be released immediately!

Way to incite violence again, Lindsey.

The truth of the matter is hes afraid of whats going to happen to him in the Georgia case.

Ronald Anderson, Winnsboro

New conservatism?

The article about U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-SC, in Thursdays State was encouraging, but she was a bit too careful when objecting to the South Carolina politicians proposal to execute women for having abortions.

Whether its a brutal Taliban-type religion or a sick fascination with womens reproductive organs that inspires such a horror, a woman shouldnt be attacked because some man has a belief (unproven and unprovable) that a fertilized egg is a human being.

Anyone is allowed to believe what they like in the USA as long as they dont attack (and punish) other people who believe differently.

I happen to believe that if a spirit wants to be born, it will find its way to the right mother. I also believe putting a gun to a womans head just because there is an undesired part of her body that she wishes to remove is insane.

Is that what they call conservative now?

Carol Robinson, West Columbia
(CNN)  The Department of Justice has opened an investigation into the leaks of a trove of apparent US intelligence documents that were posted on social media in recent weeks.

The investigation comes as new documents surfaced Friday covering everything from US support for Ukraine to information about key US allies like Israel, widening the fallout from the already alarming leaks. The Pentagon on Thursday said it was looking into the matter after social media posts of apparently classified documents on the war in Ukraine had emerged.

"They look real," a US official told CNN about the leaked documents.

US officials say they are taking the leaks seriously as they investigate and work toward a more formal assessment of what is in the documents and how they were leaked. So far, they appear legitimate, and there isn't a major reason to doubt that the documents are in fact what they appear to be. US officials believe their public release would represent a significant breach.

The documents that were surfaced on Friday by open-source intelligence researchers appear to have been posted online in the past few weeks. They appear to contain classified information on topics ranging from the mercenary Wagner Group's operations in Africa and Israel's pathways to providing lethal aid to Ukraine, to intelligence about the United Arab Emirates' ties to Russia and South Korean concerns about providing ammunition to the US for use in Ukraine.

CNN could not independently verify that the documents have not been altered. But they are similar to a tranche of classified documents about Ukraine that have been circulating online in recent weeks, which US officials on Friday morning confirmed to CNN to be authentic.

Much like those documents, Friday's discoveries were also photos of printed-out, wrinkled documents. All bore classified markings, some top secret  the highest level of classification. They also all appear to have been produced between mid-February and early March.

It is unclear who is behind the leaks and where, exactly, they originated.

Officials rattled

The leaks have rattled Pentagon officials, particularly within the Defense Department's Joint Staff, which comprises the DoD's most senior uniformed leadership, whose role is to advise the president. Many of the documents had markings indicating that they were produced by the Joint Staff's intelligence arm, known as J2, and appear to be briefing documents.

Earlier Friday, US officials confirmed that similar documents about Ukraine were part of a larger daily intelligence briefing deck produced by the Pentagon about the war for senior leadership.

US officials suggested that a leak investigation would look inward, at potential culprits inside the Pentagon. But a person familiar with US intelligence said a probe would likely not be limited to the Pentagon, given the large number of people across the government who have access to these kinds of documents. Some of the documents also have markings indicating that they were shared with countries in the Five Eyes intelligence alliance  the US, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

Officials from the other Five Eyes countries are waiting for the US to share a damage assessment, as the countries simultaneously conduct their own assessments, one official said.

"We expect the US to share a damage assessment with us in the coming days, but we cannot wait for their assessment; right now we are doing our own," the official said. "We are poring over these documents to figure out if any of the intelligence originated from our collection."

Some of the intelligence could have originated from Five Eyes partners, the official said. But the documents appear to have been obtained and leaked by someone who gained access to the US intelligence system, because some of them have markings indicating that their contents were not even shared with the closest US intelligence partners.

The official said that it was hard to determine the motivation behind leaking these documents because they are about a wide range of topics.

Other markings indicate the inclusion of material from other agencies, such as the State Department's intelligence arm, the Defense Intelligence Agency, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, and the National Security Agency.

Many of the documents, however, also have markings indicating they are sourced from human intelligence and not meant to be shared with foreign nationals, even the closest US allies.

Some of documents reference classified information from the CIA. An agency spokesperson told CNN on Friday, "We are aware of the social media posts and are looking into the claims."

'No one noticed'

Images of some of the documents  which include estimates of Russian casualties and a list of Western weapons systems available to Ukraine  were posted to the social media platform Discord in early March, according to screenshots of the posts reviewed by CNN.

"This sh*t was sitting in a Minecraft Discord server for a month and no one noticed," Aric Toler, a researcher at investigative outlet Bellingcat who traced the timeline of the posted documents, told CNN. Minecraft is a popular video game.

It wasn't until this week that the leaked documents started to gain more attention after someone posted a portion of the documents to 4chan, a web forum popular with extremists, and then a Russian speaker posted an altered version of one of the documents on Telegram, Toler said.

US officials believe someone altered that document to make the estimated number of Ukrainians killed in the war far higher than it actually is.

The Pentagon said Thursday that it was aware of the social media posts and it was investigating the matter.

On Discord on Friday, speculation and paranoia were rife, with some users wondering if they could get in trouble for re-posting the documents now that the US government is investigating the matter. A user who posted photos of the documents on March 1 appeared to have deleted his accounts on Twitter and Discord.

Madeline Sarver, a spokesperson for Discord, said the company had no comment Saturday afternoon when CNN asked if the FBI or other US government agencies had contacted the company as part of their investigation.

Thomas Rid, an expert on state-backed information operations, told CNN: "The fact that unedited and edited -- doctored -- versions of some files are available online makes me skeptical that this is a professional Russian intelligence operation."

Historically, if an intelligence agency has access to classified material from an adversary and decides to falsify some of the material, they typically don't make both versions of those documents public, said Rid, who is a professor at Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies.

"That only makes it easier to detect the facts, and thus defeats the purpose," Rid said.

Jim Sullivan, who until December was the top cyber official at the Defense Intelligence Agency, said it was unlikely the Russian government was the original source of the leak, given the sensitive access to US secrets that Moscow would give up by publishing the documents.

"It's very unlikely that Russia would compromise a major source used to inform the Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff for a minor disinformation victory," Sullivan told CNN.

There is concern, however, that the leaked documents could have real-world impact.

"If real, the leaking of these documents can do significant damage to Ukrainian counteroffensive since this information effectively provides Russia with Ukrainian order of battle  extensive information on capabilities of brigades that would be involved in upcoming counteroffensive," said Dmitri Alperovitch, a Russia analyst who is executive chairman of Silverado Policy Accelerator.

'Very serious breach'

Former senior US intelligence and military officials expressed alarm in interviews with CNN about the potential scope and impact of the leak.

"This appears to be a very serious breach of security, which is potentially very damaging both to the US as well as many friends and allies," James Clapper, who was director of national intelligence under President Barack Obama, told CNN.

"I am sure all resources are being tapped to find who is leaking this sensitive information," said Clapper, who was America's top spy when former intelligence contractor Edward Snowden leaked a trove of classified documents on US spying programs.

US intelligence and military officials "always tighten restrictions [on access to classified documents] after a discovery like this," Clapper said, "but then, over time, loosen such restrictions, which become onerous and inefficient."

"The bigger issue is preventing the wrong people from access in the first place," Clapper told CNN. "Tightening up [administration] procedures doesn't really get at the fundamental problem."

It is too early to tell how serious the damage from the leaks might be given the ongoing Pentagon and Justice Department investigations, current and former US officials cautioned.

If it hasn't already, the US government is racing to determine which intelligence assessment or briefing book the documents came from, said Glenn Gerstell, former general counsel for the National Security Agency.

If the leaker printed out the classified documents, that could help investigators narrow their search, Gerstell said, but only so much: There are still a large number of printers in the defense and intelligence communities capable of printing classified documents.

The episode "certainly underscores the need to reform the outmoded, outdated classified document system," Gerstell told CNN.

This headline and story have been updated with additional developments.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "DOJ opens investigation into leaks of apparent classified US military documents."
A house is damaged and dog rescued following a dryer fire in Dayton Saturday night.

>>PHOTOS: House damaged following fire in Dayton

Dayton firefighters and medics were dispatched around 7:08 p.m. to the 1200 block of Wyoming Street, Montgomery County Regional dispatchers told News Center 7.

When we arrived, we had fire coming out of the back of the house, first and second floor, said Fred Haney, Dayton Fire District Chief. Early indications are that the fire started in the dryer area near the vents. The lint had gotten clogged up.

A dog was also inside the house when the fire started but Haney said it was rescued.

>>Child, 2 others flown to area hospitals after Springfield explosion

He said it was a good idea for people to check your dryer vents regularly.

Clean the lint out of your dryer vent, said Haney. It can catch on fire.

Images from the scene show damage to the back of the house on both the first and second floors.

No injuries were reported.

Photo from: Taylor Robertson/Staff




The man was spearfishing when he was attacked by the crocodile in Queensland. Getty Images

A man fought off a crocodile in Queensland, Australia, by poking his fingers in its eyes.

The nearly 15-foot-long crocodile attacked him while he was spearfishing.

The 44-year-old man suffered head, abdomen, and leg injuries and was airlifted to hospital.

A man who was attacked by a nearly 15-foot-long crocodile in Queensland, Australia, fought it off by sticking his fingers in his eyes.

The 44-year-old man was spearfishing at Archer Point near Cooktown when he was attacked by the reptile on Saturday, Australian outlet Nine News reported.

"It has bitten him three times and dragged him to the bottom," Valerie Noble of Queensland Ambulance Service told the outlet.

"He's managed to  according to him  stick his fingers in the crocodile's eyes multiple times and escape before swimming towards the shore."

The man suffered injuries to his head, abdomen, and legs and was airlifted to Cairns Hospital.

He is in a stable condition and is in good spirits, according to the Australian outlet.

"He's an extremely lucky man, not many people would live to tell a story like that," Noble said.

A Queensland Department of Environment and Science spokesman told news.com.au that the incident will be investigated by wildlife officers, who will seek to confirm if the reptile is still in the area.

"The information provided to DES suggests the man reportedly suffered serious injuries," he said.

"Archer Point is known as croc country. Remember, you are responsible for your own safety in croc country."

Read the original article on Insider
Five people are dead after a wreck in Georgia, deputies say.

Newton County deputies said a van and pickup truck collided head-on around 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 8, WSB reported. All five people in the van died at the scene and the pickup truck driver is hospitalized.

We havent had a deadly accident like this, with five occupants, Sgt. Jack Redlinger told 11Alive. Its been pretty devastating to everybody on the scene.

Redlinger told the outlet no children were involved in the crash that occurred on State Route 142 in Covington.

After the collision, the van went up in flames, a witness told WAGA.

There wasnt an inch of that van that wasnt on fire, Greg Barlow told the outlet. The thud I heard was like there was no brakes. It wasnt a screech, it was a direct hit.

Identities of the victims have not been released, officials told 11Alive.

It was raining at the time of the accident, but investigators have not determined if that played a role in the crash, WSB reported.

Newton County is about 40 miles southeast of Atlanta.

Beloved band director and grandfather dies in wreck, Georgia reports say. A great man

Teen among five killed when SUV runs stop sign and slams into 18-wheeler, NC cops say

Mom dies after shes thrown from truck, GA cops say. Loved her babies with everything
Flagler County, Palm Coast, and the Mid-Florida Housing Partnership will host a free housing fair and financial wellness clinic that will provide residents with information on programs available for down payment assistance, owner-occupied rehabilitation, mortgage products, strategies to avoid foreclosure, and the Fair Housing Act.

>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<

This is a great opportunity for everyone  homeowners, potential home buyers, and renters  to get some valuable information from housing industry professionals, said Flagler County Housing Program Manager Devrie Paradowski. There will be mini classes and workshops held throughout the day.

In addition to learning about the home buying process and evaluating mortgage readiness, potential homebuyers can learn about new mortgage loan products. Homeowners will receive information about refinance opportunities, owner-occupied rehab programs, and foreclosure avoidance strategies.

Read: Orlando police identify suspect in officer-involved shooting

The event will also feature credit counseling provided by HUD Housing Counselors, and attendees are invited to receive a free credit report.

Representatives from Palm Coast, Flagler County, the Flagler County Association of Realtors, area mortgage lenders, and other housing professionals will provide information and answer questions about down payment assistance programs and new affordable housing initiatives.

Read: 3rd suspect involved In murder of 3 teenagers in Marion County arrested, deputies say

The housing fair is held annually during Fair Housing Month, which commemorates the approval of the Fair Housing Act 55 years ago.

The fair will be held on April 22 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Flagler County Association of Realtors building in Bunnell.

Read: 1 body found in missing Port Orange teachers car, Volusia County deputies say

Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
As harmful algal blooms, seagrass die-offs and unhealthy water bodies sound alarm bells around Florida, several bills in the 2023 Florida legislative session are aimed at addressing the states water quality woes.

Meanwhile, other bills up for consideration have received criticism from environmental advocates, who argue that they could lead to less regulation and increased pollution.

Heres a look at 14 pieces of legislation that could have a significant impact on Floridas water quality.

With about a month to go until the end of session on May 5, all of these bills have been introduced and referred to committees for review in the House and/or Senate; they have yet to be passed or signed into law.

The Seagrass Restoration Technology Development Initiative would establish a program partnering Mote Marine Laboratory and the University of Florida to research methods for restoring Floridas imperiled seagrass meadows.

The measure also requires the creation of a a 10-year Florida Seagrass Restoration Plan and an advisory council of marine science and other experts to help oversee the efforts.

Sponsors: Sen. Jim Boyd, R-Bradenton; Rep. William Robinson Jr., R-Bradenton

This bill would strip counties and cities of the power to adopt local rules regarding water quality or quantity, pollution control, pollutant discharge prevention or removal and wetlands; the ability to regulate pollution would be exclusively left to state agencies such as the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, which critics argue has a poor track record of protecting water quality. The bill has garnered significant opposition from environmental groups and local government advocates.

The bill also does not grandfather in local pollution laws that are already on the books, such as a rainy season fertilizer bans, which could be eliminated as a result.

Sponsors: Sen. Danny Burgess, R-Zephyrhills; Rep. Randy Maggard, R-Dade City

Story continues

These similar bills in the House and Senate would implement a range of measures aimed at improving water quality, including:

 Basin Management Action Plans, used by governments as frameworks to improve poor water quality, would be required to include a prioritized list of projects with the best likelihood of reducing nutrient pollution;

 Local government comprehensive plans would have new requirements aimed at reducing pollutant loads;

 Simplifying the process for state acquisition of conservation lands under $5 million;

 Establishing the basis for Indian River Lagoon Protection Program to fund and oversee restoration efforts.

 Sponsors: Sen. Jason Brodeur, R-Lake Mary; Rep. Kevin Steele, R-Dade City and Rep. Toby Overdorf, R-Palm City

This bill would require the Florida Department of Health to improve its public notifications about waters that do not meet health standards for swimming due to contamination with fecal bacteria.

Signs would be required at public bathing places, such as beaches, where high bacteria levels are present, and water testing data would be made publicly available in a statewide database.

Sponsors: Sen. Lori Berman, D-Boynton Beach; Rep. Peggy Gossett-Seidman, R-Highland

This bill would make it easier to complete habitat creation, restoration and enhancement projects on government-owned and agricultural lands by exempting those projects from certain regulations. A project must result in an overall increase in wetland function to qualify for the exemption.

Sponsors: Sen. Colleen Burton, R-Lakeland; Rep. Sam Killebrew, R-Winter Haven

Two similar bills proposed in the House and Senate would adopt select measures recommended by the states Blue-Green Algae Task Force. The task force was created at the direction of Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2019 to provide guidance on combating toxic algal blooms. It produced 32 recommendations, but very few of them have been implemented.

The original versions of the 2023 House and Senate bills included a provision for establishing a statewide inspection program for septic tanks. That measure was deleted from the Senate version of the bill in an amendment approved on April 4.

That leaves only one task force recommendation alive in the Senate version of the bill: an increase in pollution monitoring efforts for development projects with a cost exceeding $1 million.

Sponsors: Sen. Linda Stewart, D-Orlando; Rep. Lindsay Cross, D-St. Petersburg

This bill would expand eligibility for Florida Department of Environmental Protections Wastewater Grant Program to include the more than 1,800 water bodies listed as impaired around the state.

Local governments are eligible to apply for the grants, which fund projects to reduce excess nutrient pollution.

Sponsors: Sen. Ana Maria Rodriguez, R-Doral; Rep. Fabian Basabe, R-Miami Beach

This measure would fund restoration efforts in northwest Floridas Apalachicola Bay estuary. The bay, formerly the home of 90% of Floridas oyster harvest, has been in decline for over a decade due to drought, water flow issues and pollution, and oyster harvest is closed through the end of 2025.

The bill would give the Florida Department of Environmental Protection power to grant up to $5 million annually over the next five years for restoration projects.

Sponsors: Sen. Corey Simon, R-Tallahassee; Jason Shoaf, R-Port St. Joe

This bill would grant Warm Mineral Springs in Sarasota County status as an Outstanding Florida Spring, granting it additional protections.

Sponsors: Sen. Joe Gruters, R-Sarasota; Rep. Michael Grant, R-Port Charlotte

This measure would allow the states Wastewater Grant Program to fund projects that convert sewage wastewater into biosolids. Also known as sewage sludge, the treated biosolids can be used as fertilizer and to improve soil conditions.

The bill would also limit the use of certain biosolids unless the applicant can prove the use will not add to nutrient pollution.

Sponsors: Sen. Jason Brodeur, R-Lake Mary; Rep. Kaylee Tuck, R-Lake Placid

This measure would create a tax on the commercial extraction of water from Floridas water bodies and aquifer of $0.001 per gallon. Water extractors would also be required to keep records than can be inspected by the state.

The tax money would fun the states Water Protection and Sustainability Program Trust Fund.

Sponsor: Sen. Linda Stewart, D-Orlando

This measure would give cities and counties the authority to access and repair problematic sanitary sewer connections that connect private property, such as homes, to the public sewer system.

Connections that are in disrepair can leak, allowing excess nutrients to escape the waste stream. Local governments would be required to notify the property owner before work begins and how long it will take.

Sponsors: Sen. Ana Maria Rodriguez, R-Doral; Keith Truenow, R-Tavares

This measure would task the Florida Department of Environmental Protection with creating a septic tank inspection program, with inspections required every five years. Septic systems within Basin Management Action Plan areas would be prioritized.

Sponsors: Michael Caruso, R-Delray Beach

This measure would require additional considerations of sea level rise for development in coastal areas, including assessments of potential environmental damage.

It also expands eligibility for state grants that fund sea level rise and flooding resiliency projects.

Sponsors: Sen. Alexis Calatayud, R-Miami; Rep. Christine Hunschofsky, D-Parkland
Former Attorney General William Barr said Sunday he thought the case for which President Donald Trump has been indicted is deeply flawed, but also said Trump has acted imprudently in attacking the judge and others in the case.

"I don't think it is appropriate or wise. The president notoriously lacks self-control and he frequently gets himself into trouble, Barr said on ABCs This Week about Trump's attacks on Judge Juan Merchan and members of his family, as well as the judicial process.

Barr did agree with Trump and his allies who say the criminal case brought in New York by District Attorney Alvin Bragg is very weak. Trump was arraigned Tuesday on 34 felony counts relating to a hush-money payment to a porn star during the 2016 election season.

I dont think it has any merit, Barr said of the case. I think it is transparently an abuse of prosecutorial power to accomplish a political end. I think it is an unjust case. Thats not say that every legal challenge that the president faces is unjustified. But this one especially is.

Barr said other possible cases against Trump could have legitimacy, especially one concerning classified documents found at Mar-a-Lago.



Hes dug himself a hole on the documents, Barr said in stating he thinks Trump could be indicted in that case, which is being investigated by Special Counsel Jack Smith.

I think he was jerking the government around, Barr told host Jonathan Karl about Trumps handling of classified documents after his presidency.

Either way, Barr said he expects Trumps legal woes will drag out throughout the 2024 election season, to Trumps advantage during the primaries as Republicans rally around him  but disadvantage in the general election.

Hes already a weak candidate, I think, that would lose, but I think this sort-of assures it, Barr said.

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a former federal prosecutor and potential 2024 GOP candidate, said he agreed that Trump will not be helped in the general election by his legal troubles.

Story continues

No matter what he says and his people say, being indicted is not good for a political candidate, Christie said later on "This Week."

Barr served as attorney general under Trump in 2019-2020 after having done so under President George H.W. Bush from 1991 to 1993. During his tenure in the Trump administration, he criticized Trump for his tendency to tweet about active criminal cases.

"I think it's time to stop the tweeting about Department of Justice criminal cases," he said in February 2020.
The writer met the murderer in school. Guillem Sartorio / Getty Images

In 2016, I enrolled in a class at a South African university and met my classmate Thembani Onceya.

Later that year, Onceya was arrested and later found guilty of torturing and killing a person.

Seven years later, I'm still traumatized, and I haven't felt safe since it happened.

In late 2016, a man's body wrapped in a carpet was dumped in a dam in my cozy university town. The body bore signs of extensive torture.

Before the murder, Grahamstown, South Africa, was my second home; it was where I felt safe. But the murder tainted the town, and I've never felt safe again.

Seven years later, I'm still processing that the murderer was my former classmate.

I met him in a university classroom

In mid-2016, I enrolled in a culture and languages course at Rhodes University in South Africa. The class was small  about a dozen students. It was the kind of class that attracted passionate professors and interested students.

This is where I met my classmate Thembani Onceya. He was a junior at the school, and he was known for his poetry, activism, and citizen journalism. In that class, though, I got to know him as an orator and a passionate language student. We participated enthusiastically in class discussions and bantered over small literary differences.

That course was a bright point in my undergrad career.

Later that same year, a man's body was found in a local dam

His name was Thembelani Qwakanisa, and it was clear he withstood torture before his death. Police described it as gruesome. South Africans are accustomed to violent crime, but torture murders are not the norm in smaller towns. In Grahamstown, students walked home from nightclubs, and pickpocketing and burglary were the dominant crimes.

Qwakanisa was 29 years old. Remarkably, news outlets wrote very little about his life.

When the news reported the names of the suspects, I recognized one of them from somewhere. I shook it off, thinking this was just someone else named Thembani. It couldn't be the one I had met in class, I tried to convince myself.

Story continues

But then I saw a photograph of him in court, and I was shocked. This was unmistakably the Thembani Onceya from my languages class. He and four others were arrested and charged with the brutal crime. Two of them were his cousins, and Onceya was the supposed leader.

Seeing my former classmate's face next to a murder headline was only the start of the shock

Local news latched on to the case quickly for its mixture of atrocity and human interest. With each successive fact released, my horror grew. I couldn't wrap my mind around the fact that this was a cruel torture murder led by a student at my university.

It was later reported that Onceya did all this because Qwakanisa stole his laptop. I saw that laptop in class. Onceya sometimes had it close by when we made small talk before the lecture started.

That laptop never materialized, and there's no evidence that Qwakanisa was a thief.

One of the men pleaded guilty ahead of the others as proceedings got underway. The others were found guilty in 2018. The judge said it was "one of the worst murders one can imagine."

Onceya was sentenced to life in prison.

I realized the convictions brought a legal conclusion but did nothing for the rest of us

Even though I wasn't in the circle of relatives affected by this crime, I was traumatized. I live knowing that I sat beside a murderer. I spoke with him. We exchanged study tips and wished each other luck on exams.

Townspeople, lecturers, and students had to confront that one of our own kidnapped and tortured someone to death.

I kept thinking of the families involved. They lost not only loved ones  to death or prison  but also income that's so desperately needed in South Africa. When Onceya went to prison, his family lost its best chance of escaping poverty. His grandmother and two sisters lost a breadwinner.

I also still wonder how close was I to becoming a victim if he thought I'd wronged him.

I've learned murder is an atrocity with a long tail

This murder ended the hopes of whole families and tainted my town. It left a trail of people in despair and impoverishment far beyond those directly involved.

I never knew the victim. Instead, I have to know the murderer who destroyed my sense of safety.

Read the original article on Insider
Editors note: This article was first published in the Florida Phoenix.

Jeremy Brown, a self-described Oath Keepers member and lauded 20-year Army Special Forces soldier, was sentenced on Friday in Tampa to more than seven years in federal prison on weapons charges related to a federal investigation into his alleged involvement in the Jan. 6 riot in the U.S. Capitol.

The 48-year old Brown was found guilty in December by a federal jury on six of 10 counts related to possessing illegally registered guns, explosives, and a classified Defense Department document.

Former Green Beret, Oath Keeper found guilty in federal weapons trial

Brown is one of more than 950 people who have been charged in connection with the attack at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6, 2021.

However, January 6 was never mentioned during his six-day trial last year, despite the fact that it was his arrest on accusations of trespassing near the U.S. Capitol and engaging in disorderly conduct, both federal misdemeanors, that led to the federal trial in Tampa.

Brown was arrested at his Tampa home on Sept. 30, 2021, on the charges of trespassing at the Capitol  but during a search of his RV parked on the premises of his home law that same day, enforcement officials said, they found two military grenades, two illegal guns, and the national security document.

In court, Brown admitted to owning the guns but claimed they were legal under the Second Amendment. He claimed federal agents planted the grenades and documents.

According to Brown, the document was his own work product related to the search for former U.S. Army infantryman Bowe Bergdahl, who deserted his post in Afghanistan and was held captive by the Taliban for more than four years before eventually being recovered and given his dishonorable discharge.

Federal Judge Susan C. Bucklew sentenced Brown to 87 months in prison Friday followed by three years of supervised release. In addition, he was ordered to forfeit the unregistered devices traceable to the offense, pay child support arrears of more than $21,000, and pay a special assessment of $525.

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Bucklew recommended that he serve his time at either the Pensacola Federal Correctional Institution or at the Coleman Federal Correctional Institution in Sumter County.

Decorated veteran

The 48-year-old Brown was a decorated Army veteran who earned two Bronze Stars during his 20-year military career (1992-2012). He became active with the Oath Keepers, a far-right paramilitary group, shortly after the 2020 presidential election, and thats what led him to be outside the Capitol on Jan. 6. He never entered the Capitol and was never accused of doing anything violent that day.

Brown has been detained in the Pinellas County Jail since his arrest because a federal judge said during his initial bond hearing that he poses a danger to law enforcement officials, and that no condition or combination of conditions of release will reasonably assure the safety of any other person and the community.

From jail last year, Brown ran as a Republican for the Florida House District 62 seat located in parts of Hillsborough and Pinellas County against Democrat Michele Rayner-Goolsby in what was an overwhelmingly Democratic-leaning district. He lost the race in November by nearly 40 percentage points.

As his day of sentencing grew closer in recent weeks, three Republican lawmakers from Pinnellas County  U.S Reps. Anna Paulina Luna and Gus Bilirakis and state House Rep. Berny Jacques  wrote letters to the court requesting leniency for Brown.

To my knowledge, Mr. Brown has never committed a violent crime and is known for his stellar community reputation, Jacques wrote to Judge Bucklew on March 30. He asked that she consider his lack of a criminal record, his military service, and his exemplary behavior while incarcerated during the past 18 months.

Mitch Perry has covered politics and government in Florida for more than two decades. Most recently he is the former politics reporter for Bay News 9. He has also worked at Florida Politics, Creative Loafing and WMNF Radio in Tampa. He was also part of the original staff when the Florida Phoenix was created in 2018.
A man was taken to a hospital for a non-life threatening gunshot wound after he and another man shot at each other, according to the Fort Worth Police Department.

At around 5:50 p.m. Saturday, police responded to the 7400 block of Tiffany Meadows Lane in response to a male that had been shot.

Police arrived at the scene and confirmed that two males shot at each other. One of the men was shot in the upper part of his leg.

The victim was transported to a local hospital with a non-life threatening gunshot wound.

The man who shot at the victim is in police custody.
When Richard Denis-Carr thinks about the direction Florida is headed, he considers packing up and moving his family out of the state.

Denis-Carr, who lives in Pembroke Pines, worries that Gov. Ron DeSantis presidential ambitions have stirred up hate against the LGBTQ+ community. He fears for the future of his 10-month-old son, Zachary, who hes raising with husband Joseph Denis-Carr.

People like Ron DeSantis and people like the legislators ... are doing it because it excites their base, and it gets their base to vote for them, he said.

Recent measures taken by the Florida Legislature, Denis-Carr said, are going to send a lot of kids back into the closet, leaving them to struggle with their sexual orientation like he once did. He said lawmakers are focused on drag queens and banning discussions about gender identity instead of real issues like gun violence.

Though Denis-Carr may leave Florida, he plans to stay vocal about the states future.

Were not going anywhere, he said. We fought AIDS. We fought for marriage. And were going to fight for this.

Erin and Rob Collins with their daughter Teya, enjoy the outdoors at the Easter Family Picnic celebration part of the Miami Beach Pride Festival at Pride Park, on Saturday April 8, 2023.

Rob Collins and Erin Lewis, both 39, aim to raise their daughter 8-year-old Teya to be an ally to the LGBTQ+ community. Thats why they take her to events like the Easter egg hunt at Pride Park in Miami Beach.

We wanted to make sure that our daughter knows that even though some people arent supportive of gay rights, that we are, Lewis said. We say gay.

Some parents, Collins said, dont talk to their children about sexuality. He said he and Lewis do because shes going to learn about it eventually and they want her to approach the topic with love and acceptance.

For Collins, the introduction of the Dont Say Gay bill last year was an insidious move by DeSantis. He pointed to the extension proposed this legislative session, barring classroom instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity from pre-K to eighth grade instead of kindergarten to third grade.

Erin and Rob Collins with their daughter Teya, enjoy the outdoors at the Easter Family Picnic celebration part of the Miami Beach Pride Festival at Pride Park, on Saturday April 8, 2023.

Now were seeing the truth, Collins said. That was almost certainly the plan the entire time ... to eliminate those conversations from public schools entirely.

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Collins and Lewis are concerned with Teyas future as she attends public school. They said these bills affect her and her friends  and their comfort level in the classroom.

The more DeSantis tries to push these bills, the more well be talking about it with our child, Lewis said.

Cecile Houry with her daughter Lila Houry, enjoy the outdoors at the Easter Family Picnic celebration part of the Miami Beach Pride Festival at Pride Park, on Saturday April 8, 2023.

Cecile Houry, 46, yearns for her 5-year-old daughter, Lilou, to grow up accepting that people love who they love. As a concerned gay parent, Houry, who lives in Miami, was one of the many parents and teachers who filed a lawsuit against the Dont Say Gay bill last March. The case was dismissed, but is heading to an appeals court.

I wanted her treated the same way, able to showcase her family the same way, Houry said. I wanted to be able to go volunteer and express who I am and what I do ... the same way as other parents.

Houry also criticized the Legislatures plans to restrict gender-affirming care for minors.

Let the parents decide whats best for their children, Houry said. Let the doctors decide whats best for the children. The government ... doesnt know the kids. [Theyre] most likely making it worse.

Two decades ago, Houry came to the U.S. from France seeking the American dream. But that concept, she said, is shrinking every day in Florida. Every time DeSantis speaks during a news conference, Houry fears for her family: Lilou, who is Black, and her partner, who is Jewish.

We cannot be free to be who we are, to read the books we want, to do what we want, Houry said. For me, thats the end of freedom of expression.
First Republic Bank said in a regulatory filing on Friday that it will suspend payments of quarterly cash dividends on its preferred stock "as a measure of prudent oversight".



Last month, the bank suspended its dividend on common stock after the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank.

Large U.S. banks injected $30 billion in deposits into First Republic Bank last month to rescue the lender caught up in a widening crisis triggered by the collapse of two other mid-sized U.S. lenders.




Do you recall when you would have last heard about the case in the media?

Seventh District Judge Steven Boyce asked the question to one of the potential jurors in the Lori Vallow Daybell trial, as the prosecution and defense searched for an unbiased and impartial jury. The jurors will decide whether to convict the 49-year-old Rexburg mother of murdering her two children: 16-year-old Tylee Ryan and 7-year-old Joshua Jaxon JJ Vallow.

Im sure it was probably last week, Juror No. 1658 responded.

The juror was one of dozens who were dismissed primarily because of familiarity with media coverage. Most of them had heard basic details, like Vallow Daybells name or that shed been found in Hawaii, but they werent overly familiar with the case.

After five days of jury deliberations, the prosecution and defense settled on an 18-person panel of 10 men and eight women  who all could devote their time to a projected eight-week trial and had little to no exposure to news of the high-profile case.

People are certainly free to follow the news as much as they want and read all about every story they want to read, Boyce said. The question is whether or not that would affect your ability to serve here.

Vallow Daybell was charged with two first-degree murder charges, three counts of conspiracy to commit murder and a felony count of grand theft for allegedly continuing to collect Social Security benefits on behalf of her children.

The jurors will determine whether Vallow Daybell murdered her children and conspired to kill her husband Chad Daybells then-wife Tammy Daybell. The 12 jurors and six alternates will return to the Ada County Courthouse at 8:30 a.m. Monday as opening statements begin.

How the jury was selected

Before the jury panel was selected, 1,800 people were called for jury duty. Those potential jurors were summoned to the Ada County Courthouse and asked to fill out a 20-page questionnaire.

Some of them were told to appear at the Ada County Courthouse starting Monday. Over the next four days, more than 150 potential jurors were questioned by Boyce, attorneys from Vallow Daybells defense team and the prosecution.

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After questioning, 42 jurors, plus a few backups, remained. By early Friday, 45 people were whittled down to the 18-person panel. The roughly 120 people who werent selected to be on the jury were mainly dismissed for two reasons: the length of the trials potential impact on their lives and bias from media coverage.

Northeastern criminal justice and law professor Daniel Medwed told the Statesman by phone that in these high-profile cases, in which steps have already been taken to limit publicity  such as moving the case to Ada County  the priority would be not to eliminate jurors who heard about the case but to find people who can put aside what theyve read and keep an open mind.

He said the jury selection process, especially in high-profile cases, is critical because appeals are more likely, and judges dont want the decision reversed later for having an imperfect jury.

Medwed said hed be surprised if the judge could find 18 people who had never heard of the case.

You dont want that person whos already decided on whether the defendants guilty, he said. But you dont necessarily want someone who has lived under a rock and isnt aware of whats happening in the community. So its kind of a delicate balance from the judges perspective.

Judge Hippler talks Ada County Courthouse logistics

The Ada County Courthouse isnt immune to disruptions. They dealt with a significant backlog in recent years after the COVID-19 pandemic paused some criminal jury trials and halted civil trials, which started up again in August.

Fourth District Administrative Judge Steven Hippler in an interview with Statesman said high-profile trials, like Vallow Daybells, highlight and enhance the issues they were already dealing with.

These are generational cases or once-in-a-decade kind of cases, where we have this length of trial with this much media interest  and they just take a lot of resources, Hippler said.

Hippler said he doesnt expect the Vallow Daybell trial to substantially affect the courts backlog, but he said it will affect the administrations resources.

When youre watching the picture of the courtroom, I kind of equate it to a duck on the water, right? Hippler said. Things look fairly calm, but theres a lot going on behind the scenes to make that happen.

While the Vallow Daybell trial is only occupying a single courtroom, Hippler said space is a concern.

Administrators have kept other courtrooms available in case Boyce needs to conduct any breakout sessions, he said, and the public hearing room is being occupied by reporters and members of the public who are watching the trial through a live stream.

A lot of the concerns that Judge Hippler brought up are things that we deal with on a daily basis  irrespective of this trial, Trial Court Administrator Sandra Barrios told the Statesman. Barrios office, which oversees jury services, transcripts, audio and public records, is handling any of the administrative tasks for the district, including increased responsibilities during the Vallow Daybell trial.

Barrios said shes extremely appreciative of the collaboration between different departments, which allowed administrators to accommodate people within the public hearing room.

Hippler said he asked three judges to reschedule their criminal trials, since there wasnt enough space to accommodate all of the trials, which isnt uncommon. There are 28 courtrooms at the Ada County Courthouse  but only 12 of those courtrooms are able to handle a jury trial.

Even fewer courtrooms can handle felony cases. Hippler said some of the 12 courtrooms that are set up with a jury box can only accommodate six jurors  the number of jurors needed for misdemeanors cases.

But Hippler said he doesnt expect Vallow Daybells trial to disrupt the courthouses functions.

This week has been remarkably well-conducted, he said Wednesday. The disruption to other core functions has been fairly minimal.

Jurors get very minimal compensation

Hippler said jurors get very minimal daily compensation. In Idaho, jurors get $10 for a full day of service and $5 for a half-day. In Idaho, employers are not required to pay their employees for jury duty, though employees are protected from losing their jobs.

A male juror during Mondays jury selection said his employer wouldnt pay him more than two weeks of paid vacation, even though the jury trial could last two months. He was dismissed.

One juror told the court that if she gave her employer the $5 to $10 she received for jury duty, shed continue receiving her salary. Hippler in an interview applauded the jurors employer.

Thats a really great civically minded employer whos willing to take the hit financially for their employee being gone to serve on jury duty, Hippler said. Its not many that do that, but its certainly appreciated.

Hippler added that in longer jury trials, like Vallow Daybell, jurors are typically retirees, stay-at-home parents, or people who work for those civically minded companies. But he said he believes they are still able to get a good cross-section of jurors.

Medwed said that people who are on the margins of society are likely left out of a lot of jury selection processes, because low-income people and employees with demanding jobs might be unable to miss work for differing reasons.

But Medwed added that even if jurors are often people with more time and resources, they can still make up a fair, impartial jury.

This is just a problem thats inherent in jury selection generally, because who has the financial means to take off work for two months? Medwed said.
Editors note: This blotter is compiled in part from Gig Harbor police reports.

Bank robber in pink scrubs

Officers responded to a robbery about 4:50 p.m. April 4 at the Umpqua Bank in the 5300 block of Point Fosdick Drive.

We have reason to believe that the suspect got away in a vehicle that may have been positioned on the eastbound off ramp or the eastbound lanes of SR-16 near Olympic Drive, a Gig Harbor Police Department Facebook post said. The suspect was wearing distinctly bright pink hospital scrubs (pants and shirt) under a black jacket and a pink stocking hat

Anyone with information can call Detective Jarab Daniel at 253-853-8259.

Driver not worried about DUI impound

An officer was at a gas station April 1 at 7101 Pioneer Way when he saw a Jeep go through a flashing red signal at Pioneer Way and Kimball Drive without stopping.

The officer followed and saw the 38-year-old driver go through a solid red light and cross into the oncoming lane at times. The suspects tires locked up and he skidded at Wagner Way Northwest and 72nd Street. It looked like he was having trouble shifting.

He almost side-swept a guardrail, the officer reported, and at one point shifted into reverse.

Then the driver didnt fully stop at Stinson Avenue and Grandview Street, and he continued on Stinson.

The roundabout was a struggle.

The officer pulled him over in front of a business at 4101 Harborview Drive.

He had trouble opening the door, didnt have insurance or registration, and refused sobriety tests and later a breath test.

The officer thought he smelled like alcohol and showed signs of impairment. He didnt answer when the officer asked how much hed had to drink. When the officer told the driver he suspected he was impaired, the driver told him that was his opinion.

He wasnt concerned about the impound of the Jeep, the report said, because it would be his ex wifes problem.

The driver didnt have any prior DUIs. He was cited and released, and got a courtesy ride home.

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Vehicle stolen from church parking lot

A 74-year-old visited the police station April 5 to say his vehicle was missing.

He left it about 8:30 a.m. in the church parking lot at 7400 Pioneer Way. It wasnt there when he returned at 11:30 that morning.

He didnt know if the church had surveillance footage. The police departments front desk staff logged the vehicle as stolen in their system.

Deli shoplifting ends in fight

Officers responded to the Safeway about 3:45 p.m. March 24 at 4831 Point Fosdick Drive, where a shoplifting suspect was fighting with a loss prevention officer.

The loss prevention officer had a cut to his lip and said the 18-year-old suspect punched him in the mouth.

The teenager had allegedly pocketed a $4.80 chicken item from the deli and left without paying.

The loss prevention officer confronted him outside, and he handed it over. As the loss prevention officer took him back inside, other security workers were busy detaining another shoplifting suspect (a 19-year-old accused of taking two deli items, totaling $8.20).

Thats when the 18-year-old tried to run. The loss prevention officer grabbed his shirt to try to stop him, and the 18-year-old allegedly punched him in the mouth. The loss prevention officer wrapped his arms around the teenager and brought him to the ground.

Thats when police arrived and arrested the 18-year-old. They booked him into Pierce County Jail on suspicion of second-degree robbery. The loss prevention officer told police he wanted him charged for the assault.

Police arrested the 19-year-old on suspicion of third-degree theft. They gave him a citation, his court date, and released him.

Illegally parked car gets keyed

A 73-year-old reported March 16 that someone keyed the passenger side of her vehicle.

She parked illegally outside 8812 N. Harborview Drive, she explained, to walk an elderly woman to a coffee shop across the street about 12:15 p.m., because there hadnt been any parking available.

A woman came into the coffee shop and complained about the illegally parked car. The 73-year-old said it was hers.

Then about 1:15 p.m. the 73-year-old returned to her car and saw someone had keyed it.

Surveillance video showed the woman who complained about the illegal parking was near the car and took photos of it, but it didnt show her keying it.

Vandalism at marina

Officers responded about 11 a.m. March 22 to a burglary at Arabellas Landing Marina at 8217 Dorotich St. An employee there told police someone broke into the bathrooms and shower at the marina. They found a cellphone, pliers and what looked like purple hair dye spread across the bathroom. It was a mess.

Only tenants and guests at the marina can use the restrooms.

The employee said a woman kept calling and leaving messages to ask if theyd found a phone in the bathroom. She called again while police were there, and the employee told her they did find the phone and that she could come get it.

The woman arrived and police saw she had purple hair. She wouldnt give her name, and said she was picking up the phone for a friend. Police detained her.

She allegedly said that she did use the bathroom and shower, and that they werent locked.

She had an outstanding warrant for malicious mischief out of Gig Harbor Municipal Court.

Police arrested her on suspicion of third-degree theft for the services she used (water, toilet paper, shower, the report said). They also suspected her of second-degree criminal trespass, and of malicious mischief, because of damage to the doors and to the tile from the hair dye, the report said.

They booked her into Kitsap County Jail, where staff found a small amount of methamphetamine in her pocket.
Joe Biden and Rishi Sunak

Rishi Sunak has praised the "bravery, perseverance and political imagination" shown by the leaders who shaped Northern Ireland's peace deal.

The 1998 Good Friday Agreement ended Northern Ireland's decades-long violent conflict known as the Troubles.

But on its 25th anniversary the PM has called on Stormont politicians to "get on with the business of governance".

To mark the milestone date, Mr Sunak will welcome US President Joe Biden to Belfast on Tuesday evening.

Praising the Good Friday Agreement, Mr Sunak said it was "born of partnership between the British and Irish governments".

"As we will see from President Biden's visit this week, it continues to enjoy huge international support from our closest allies," he said.

"But most importantly it is based on compromise in Northern Ireland itself.

"We will celebrate those who took difficult decisions, accepted compromise and showed leadership - showing bravery, perseverance, and political imagination.

The PM said it was important to remember "the many who lost their lives by trying to prevent violence and protect the innocent".

"We give thanks to them as we reflect on the new generations that have grown up... in a world in which peace and prosperity has prevailed," he said.

On Monday, security measures were put in place in Belfast city centre ahead of President Biden's visit. Police say there is no vehicular access to James Street, Franklin Street, Bedford Street and Clarence Street West until Wednesday afternoon.

In the Republic of Ireland, gardai (Irish police) have said President Biden will arrive at and depart Dublin Airport at various times over the course of his visit. They advised travellers to allow additional time for arrival at the airport "due to possible rolling road closures, particularly late Wednesday and early Friday".

Police in Northern Ireland have said their resources will be stretched this week as they cover the visit and parades by dissident republicans.

Last week, senior officers said they had "very strong intelligence" that dissident republicans were planning attacks to coincide with Good Friday Agreement events.

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Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris said he was "concerned... and very wary" about the dissident republican threat.

But while the peace in the region was "fragile and imperfect" he said it had been "pretty good".

"The peace is still fragile and we've seen various incidents over the last few weeks and months that have demonstrated that, but the vast majority of people across Northern Ireland have moved on," he told BBC Radio Ulster's Evening Extra programme.

"There are a small group of people who are causing all sorts of issues and we need to root them out and we need to make sure they are dealt with appropriately."

Mr Heaton-Harris said the agreement had "significantly changed the landscape" with regard to Northern Ireland.

'We must fulfil agreement's promise'

When Northern Ireland was created in 1921 it remained part of the UK while the rest of Ireland became an independent state.

That created a split in the population between unionists, who wish to see Northern Ireland stay within the UK; and nationalists, who want it to become part of the Republic of Ireland.

From the late 1960s until 1998 - a period known as the Troubles - thousands of people were killed and injured as violence flared between the two sides.

Mr Sunak said that while it was important to reflect on the progress made since the peace deal "we must also recommit to redoubling our efforts on the promise made" in 1998.

"One of economic opportunity, prosperity and stability - it is a promise we must continue to fulfil," he said.

Read more about the agreement

EXPLAINER: What is the agreement?

ANALYSIS: Is it still fit for purpose?

REFLECTION: The 'bitter' price of peace

Northern Ireland has been without a power-sharing government since February 2022, when the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) collapsed the Stormont executive.

The DUP is boycotting Stormont in protest against post-Brexit trade rules agreed between the UK and the EU.

The Windsor Framework, which was adopted last month, is designed to make trade between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK easier.

But the DUP believes it cuts Northern Ireland off from the rest of the UK, and it voted against a key aspect of the deal.

Mr Sunak said there was "work to be done" to get the political institutions "up and running again as soon as possible".

Northern Ireland's ruling executive at Stormont has not functioned for over a year

Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Leo Varadkar said he planned to "intensify" engagement with Mr Sunak on the Windsor Framework and power-sharing in Northern Ireland.

He said history shown that political stability in the region depended on the Irish and UK governments working "in lock-step".

But "no-one knows" when power-sharing will be restored at Stormont, according to the Northern Ireland secretary.

"Anybody who was predicting a date by which the executive would go back in Northern Ireland would be someone who could also sell you a four-leaf clover," said Mr Heaton-Harris.

"Deadlines are deadly in Northern Ireland terms."

On Monday, the Pope marked the anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement and offered a prayer for peace in Northern Ireland.

This was welcomed by the leader of the Catholic Church in Ireland, Archbishop Eamon Martin.

What will Joe Biden do in Belfast?

Rishi Sunak will welcome the US president to Northern Ireland on Tuesday evening.

President Biden is due to make a speech at Ulster University's newly-opened 350m Belfast campus on Wednesday.

He will also address business and civic leaders and may speak to political parties.

His visit to Northern Ireland will be shorter than many people had expected when it was first announced last month.

It is understood that he will leave Northern Ireland on Wednesday afternoon to travel to the Republic of Ireland.

Public transport operator Translink said its passengers in Belfast should expect disruption, diversions and delays to bus services during Mr Biden's time in the city.

Year '98 branding header

Declan Harvey and Tara Mills explore the text of the Good Friday Agreement - the deal which heralded the end of the Troubles in Northern Ireland.

They look at what the agreement actually said and hear from some of the people who helped get the deal across the line.

Listen to all episodes of Year '98: The Making of the Good Friday Agreement on BBC Sounds.
Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) dodged a question about whether a key abortion drug should remain available for miscarriages and instead encouraged real conversations about other topics.

Women have a whole lot more other issues than just abortion. Lets have those real conversations and lets talk about the other things that are happening in this world, Gonzales, who described himself as a prolific pro-lifer, said in an interview with CNNs State of the Union on Sunday.

Last week, a federal judge in Texas suspended the Food and Drug Administrations longtime approval of the abortion pill mifepristone, which is also used to help people experiencing early pregnancy loss pass their miscarriages.

Rep. Tony Gonzales: "Women have a whole lot more other issues than just abortion. Let's have those real conversations. And let's talk about the other things that are happening in this world." pic.twitter.com/gl6hlIjhGg  Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 9, 2023

Host Dana Bash pointed out the pills crucial role in treating women experiencing miscarriages and asked Gonzales what would happen to them without access to mifepristone.

Are they just on their own if this ruling is upheld? she asked.

No, I think that its important that we take care of women, its important that we have real discussions on womens health care, he answered before switching focus to his concerns about the U.S.-Mexico border. Get off the abortion, get off the, you know, the abortion conversation.

Ive got a district thats turned upside-down due to this border crisis, he added. Theres everyday people that are impacted.

Well, both things can be true; everyday people can be affected by all of these issues facing Americans, Bash replied.

Rep. Tony Gonzales on CNN: "I have 6 children. I'm a prolific pro-lifer." pic.twitter.com/KKhjEY93xd  Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 9, 2023

Gonzales also said that Congress could defund the FDA if the Biden administration ignores the Texas judges ruling that blocks the pills access.

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The House Republicans have the power of the purse. And if the administration wants to not live up to this ruling, then were going to have a problem, he said. It may come to a point where House Republicans on the appropriation side have to defund FDA programs that dont make sense.

The ruling out of Texas came the same day that a federal judge in Washington state ruled against mifepristone being blocked from the market in 17 states and the District of Columbia. That judge ruled that the drug is safe and effective.

Related...
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said Sunday that the newly released Afghanistan withdrawal report by the Biden administration is political whitewash that lays blame elsewhere when it comes to the chaotic and controversial exit from the country.

This report is a political whitewash by the Biden administration to shift blame, Graham said on Fox News Sunday with Shannon Bream.

Graham also questioned the reports claim that the U.S. mission in Afghanistan was accomplished, saying that the Biden administration is lying if they say there are no more terrorists in Afghanistan. He also warned that there is only a matter of time before there is another 9/11 if the U.S does not change its polices.

When the Biden administration tells you there are no terrorists in Afghanistan, they are lying. Theres a lethal cocktail forming, rise of terrorism, Afghanistan, a broken border here in the United States.

My view of what happened in Afghanistan by Biden was he paved the way for another 9/11, he continued.

The 12-page report released last week detailed the decision making process for the United States withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021 and largely blamed former President Trumps administration for limiting President Bidens options.

National Security spokesperson John Kirby defended the report, deflecting a barrage of questions from reporters last week over the White Houses assessment of what is largely seen as a major failure. He reiterated that Trump limited Bidens options for leaving Afghanistan, sparking criticism from GOP lawmakers.

He didnt negotiate with the Taliban, Kirby said of Biden last week in reference to a meeting held by Trump. He didnt invite the Taliban to Camp David. He didnt release 5,000 prisoners. He didnt reduce force levels in Afghanistan to 2,500, and he didnt have an arrangement with the Taliban that they wouldnt attack our troops. He came in with a certain set of circumstances he had no ability to change, he had to deal with it based on what he inherited.

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Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) meanwhile defended the Biden administration saying it was only left with very bad options when it came to the withdrawal from Afghanistan. He noted that the intelligence was not accurate and reiterated the conclusion that the Taliban took over sooner than anyone could have predicted.

But make no mistake about it. The Biden administration had very bad options. The decision to withdraw from Afghanistan was made by the Trump administration, Cardin told Bream on Fox News Sunday.

But President Biden had basically one of two choices, was he going to get out of Afghanistan or put more troops into Afghanistan with no end in sight? Cardin said. And they were not good options. And I think he based upon the intelligence, he had made what he thought was the best judgment.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said on Sunday that he is open to sending U.S. troops to Taiwan to defend the island, saying that strategic ambiguity is not working.

Fox News Sunday anchor Shannon Bream asked Graham if the senator would support authorizing U.S. force in Taiwan if tensions rise between the island and China. Graham responded that Congress needs to ask itself whether the U.S. should have a defense agreement with Taiwan.

So the question for the Congress, should we have a defense agreement with the island of Taiwan? We dont should we have one? he said. But yes, Id be very much open to using U.S. forces to defend Taiwan, because its in our national security interest to do so.

Grahams comments come on the heels of top GOP leaders meeting with Taiwans President Tsai Ing-wen last week. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) met with Tsai along with a bipartisan group of lawmakers and described the meeting as providing for greater peace and stability for the world.

Graham said that he would support sending aid to Taiwan because it is a democracy. He added that he would increase training and give the F-16s they need in Taiwan.

I believe in a One China policy, but I would be willing to fight for Taiwan because Taiwan is a democracy. We stood with them for decades, he told Bream.

So I would up our game and if you dont up your game now you are going to have a war, he added.

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul led a delegation of bipartisan lawmakers to Taiwan last week, and said that he and the delegation spoke with Tsai on Sunday. He also called to get more weapons sent to Taiwan, saying Taiwan is not where they need to be in a hypothetical China invasion.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
An armed robbery in Grand Prairie ended with a 33-year-old man dead Friday night, according to a news release from police.

Authorities in Grand Prairie said Daniel Garcia, 33, was shot and killed around 9:30 p.m. Friday night in the 2400 block of North Carrier Parkway. He was dead at the scene when officers arrived.

Police said that, based on witness statements, Garcia was robbed at gunpoint by three unknown men and ultimately was shot and killed.

Police are offering a $2,500 reward for any anonymous tips leading to the arrest of the suspects. Tips can be submitted to Grand Prairie Crime Stoppers by calling 972-988-4877 or online at www.GPCrimeStoppers.org.
Relatives said Abdul Latif kept quiet about his terminal diagnosis because he didn't want to 'divert attention' from Fawziyah Javed's murder case. (SWNS)

The grandfather of a pregnant lawyer who was pushed to her death from Arthurs Seat did not tell his family he had terminal cancer because he didn't want to "divert attention" from her murder case - and died before her killer was jailed.

Relatives called Abdul Latif, 70, their leading investigator as they fought to get justice for Fawziyah Javed, 31, who was murdered by Kashif Anwar, 29.

They said Latif kept quiet about his terminal diagnosis until 48 hours before he died on 1 November because he didnt want to divert attention from the case.

Fawziyahs uncle, Shahid Farouk, 53, said Latif was present when his granddaughters body was identified on her birthday: 4 September, 2021.

And he said it was devastating he was unable to get the closure he had sought when Anwar was jailed for 20 years for Javeds murder on Thursday.

He said: He was like our leading investigating officer. He was with us all the way. But he sadly died from cancer. And the worst thing about it was that he kept it inside him.

Fawziyah Javed at her graduation. (SWNS)

Doctors were telling him 'you must tell your family, youve not got long to live'. They gave him a year, but sadly he went within a couple of months.

When we went to identify Fawziyah... we should have been celebrating her birthday, not going to a mortuary to identify her body, and Fawziyahs grandad went with us.

The reason why he didnt want to tell anybody was that he knew the family was going through a lot of grief with Fawziyahs ongoing case, so he didnt want to trouble us and divert us to his attention.

It wasnt until 48 hours [before he died], when his condition deteriorated a lot, that he actually told us.

Its a huge blow for us, losing Fawziyahs grandfather, not having the closure of the case before he passed away."

Javed was 17 weeks pregnant when she was murdered by her abusive husband Anwar.

Read more: Boy saved by nearby on-call doctor after stabbing in the neck

He lured her on a trip to Scotland before shoving her from Arthur's Seat, the 50ft natural landmark in Edinburgh on 2 September, 2021.

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But she used her dying breaths to tell police her husband was responsible for her injuries, which helped lead to his successful conviction in Edinburghs High Court.

Farouk, paying tribute to the god-gifted lawyer, said Anwar would have pulled off the perfect murder if it was not for her intervention.

The businessman said: He was a jealous, controlling freak. He didnt show any remorse at all for what he did, taking not only her life but her childs life as well.

I would have said this guy is a psychopath. It beggars belief. Who would do that? A woman who was educated, she bought him things, and it just wasnt enough for him.

God gave her that strength that she was alive when the police got there.

Read more: Boyfriend who was jealous of partner's high-flying career facing jail for domestic abuse

But it was almost the perfect murder for him to get away with, had she not been alive [to tell the officers], I dont think there would be much evidence.

What person not only kills his wife but his own child as well? He showed no remorse whatsoever and he was a coward.

He depleted our trust. I remember him telling us Ill look after her. And they bought her home in a body bag. Hes completely ruined our lives."

He went on: Fawziyah was god-gifted. She was educated, and she was the best in my family. She was an only child. She went to Gateways private school in Leeds. She was just very humble.

Fawziyah was a lawyer by profession. She was a kind-hearted, honest girl. I never shouted at Fawziyah. I brought her up as my own niece. She was just impeccable.

"She was just a level-headed girl that didnt show off about anything, that wanted to be loved, but unfortunately she met the wrong guy."
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Brandon Bell / Getty Images

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced Saturday that he intends to pardon a US Army sergeant who was recently convicted of murdering a Black Lives Matter protester in 2020.

On Friday, Daniel S. Perry was found guilty of murdering Garrett Foster, 28 , at a 2020 Black Lives Matter demonstration in Austin. Less than 24 hours after Perry's conviction, Abbott released a statement on Twitter saying he is looking forward to approving Perrys pardon should members of the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles, who were appointed by Abbott, make their recommendation for Perrys pardon. Doing so would free Perry from the life sentence he faces.

I look forward to approving the Boards pardon recommendation as soon as it hits my desk, Abbott wrote, noting that he requested Perrys pardon recommendation from the board.

I am working as swiftly as Texas law allows regarding the pardon of Sgt. Perry. 07:06 PM - 08 Apr 2023

In his statement, Abbott also cited the state's controversial stand your ground law, which gives individuals the right to use reasonable force, including deadly force, to protect themselves.

Texas has one of the strongest Stand Your Ground laws of self-defense that cannot be nullified by a jury or a progressive District Attorney, Abbott wrote on Twitter.

US Army Sgt. Daniel Perry Austin Police Department via AP, File

Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza, whose office prosecuted the case, called Abott's intervention "deeply troubling", saying that it's the jury's role to decide whether or not a defendent is guilty, not the governor.

"Make no mistake, without intervention from the Governor, the defendants conviction would be reviewed by both state and federal courts who will examine the record to ensure that no legal errors were made at this level and that the evidence supported the conviction," Garza wrote. "Our constitution has built in protections to ensure that no defendant is convicted when the law or evidence does not support it, and this is a central tenet of our legal system."

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During his campaign for district attorney, Garza advocated for police accountability.

According to the Texas Tribune, Perrys conviction stemmed from an incident that occurred during a BLM march on July 25, 2020. Perry, who was an active duty US Army sergeant driving for Uber at the time, drove up to the protesters and stopped near Foster, a former aircraft mechanic for the US Air Force.

At the time, Foster wore a bandana around his face and carried an AK-47, which is permitted under Texass open carry law. He was with his wife, Whitney Mitchell, who is a quadruple paraplegic, and his friend Jeremy Lett, who was pushing Mitchells wheelchair during the protest, according to the Tribune.

Garrett Foster Garrett Foster / Facebook / Via Facebook: photo

The Tribune also reported that Perrys lawyers argued during the trial that he was acting in self-defense when he shot Foster five times through the window of his car before driving away. Perry claimed that Foster had threatened him by pointing his rifle at him. However, the Tribune noted that several witnesses testified that Foster never raised his rifle at Perry.

According to local news outlet Fox 7 Austin, prosecutors argued that Perry instigated the attack, citing several of his social media posts, messages, and online searches leading up to the shooting. Prosecutors presented search-history evidence on Perry's cellphone that revealed he had made searches for the terms "protest tonight," "protesters in Seattle gets shot," "riot shootouts," and "protests in Dallas live."

Prosecutors also presented evidence of Perrys Facebook messages, which included, "No protesters go near me or my car" and "I might go to Dallas to shoot looters."

Almost a month before the attack, on May 31, 2020, Perry sent a Facebook message that read, "I might have to kill a few people on my way to work they are rioting outside my apartment complex," according to Fox 7 Austin.

According to the Austin American-Statesman, a friend replied to that message asking, Can you legally do so? To which Perry said, If they attack me or try to pull me out of my car then yes.

Ryan Foster, Garrett Fosters brother, told the American-Statesman that he didn't believe Perry should be pardoned.

This was clearly premeditated, Ryan Foster told the outlet on Saturday. He (Perry) thought a lot about it and planned on doing it. ... He wanted to kill a protester and saw somebody exercising their Second Amendment right.

More on this
After weeks of increasing tension over family friendly drag shows in the Tri-Cities, the Emerald of Siam was vandalized on Easter morning, hours ahead of a planned all-ages event.

Signs were plastered across the windows of the business with messages against the transgender community.

Owner Dara Quinn told the Herald that they have felt threatened recently and believes this was an attempt to shut down their Easter Drag Brunch.

An image posted from a security camera shows several people in hoodies and masks outside the restaurant just after 3:45 a.m.

Quinn said they did not break in, but they plastered hateful signs all over their windows, and theyve had to spend the morning cleaning it up.

The restaurant has hosted all-age drag shows every month for the past six years, but told the Herald that only recently have people began protesting.

There were posters plastered over our windows mainly, we are expecting a lot of protesters, Quinn said. Im grateful that they only used glue and paper, but its taken six people three hours to hopefully get the rest of it off.

I am sorry to know that theres so much hate here, although the outpouring of love to us from the community has been enormous.

The signs referenced the names of the children killed in the Covenant school shooting in Tennessee, stated that Enough is Enough. The transgender experiment has failed, and Groomers are not welcome in Richland. A second sign had a picture of a pride flag crossed out and messages about grooming and child genital mutilation.

It appears the vandals plastered more than a dozen copies of the signs on the windows of the longtime family-owned business.

While protests against drag shows have been growing nationwide, drag queens are not transgender. Opponents have conflated the performances with those expressing their gender identity. Some on the far right have also used the Covenant school shooting as a rallying cry against all transgender people.

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I do think it was an attempt to intimidate us, I think that their disgruntlement is misdirected. I think that they are mislead and misinformed about what happens at these (shows), Quinn said. It is not a gay recruitment. It is not recruiting for anything, it is a family friendly event for those who care to participate. If they dont like it, just dont come to it.

Emerald of Siam Manager Tim Thornton spoke at a recent city council meeting about the threats and harassment theyve been receiving, asking the council to speak up in support of local businesses.

Mayor Pro Tem Theresa Richardson, who was opposed to the drag show, had encouraged residents to send a polite note expressing their dissatisfaction.

Quinn said the drag brunch will continue as planned. She is expecting protesters, but also supporters.

I wanted to thank the community support that weve gotten through this time, we have felt threatened and the amount of community love and support has meant a lot.

Richland police have confirmed that they are aware of the incident.
According to the Guardian, the French Defense Ministry denied the presence of its soldiers in Ukraine, responding to information from allegedly classified papers that were said to be leaked online earlier this week.

As reported by the Guardian, the so-called documents suggest that a small contingent of less than a hundred special operations personnel from NATO members France, the U.S., the U.K., and Latvia were in Ukraine.

"There are no French forces engaged in operation in Ukraine. The documents cited do not come from the French armies. We do not comment on documents whose source is uncertain," a French Defense Ministry spokesperson said, as quoted by the Guardian.

The Pentagon started an investigation after the New York Times reported that classified documents detailing U.S. and NATO plans for supplying arms to Ukraine for the upcoming counteroffensive were posted on Twitter and Telegram earlier this week.

New York Times: Pentagon investigating classified Ukraine war document leak Secret American and NATO plans for supplying aid to Ukraine ahead of its expected upcoming offensive were posted on social media earlier this week, prompting an investigation by the Pentagon, senior Biden administration officials told the New York Times. Kyiv IndependentThe Kyiv Independent news desk

Ukrainian military intelligence said that the documents leaked online were forged by Russia.

Earlier on April 8, the Washington Post reported, citing the leaked classified war papers, that the infamous Kremlin-backed Wagner Group mercenaries "has sought to purchase arms from Turkey, a NATO ally."

According to the report, some Wagner personnel "met with Turkish contacts to purchase weapons and equipment from Turkey for Wagner's efforts in Mali and Ukraine" in early February.

However, according to the Washington Post, the leaked papers do not clarify what the Turkish government may have known about the efforts by Wagner or if they "proved fruitful."

"But the revelation that a NATO ally may have been assisting Russia in its war on Ukraine could prove explosive, particularly as Turkey has sought to block the addition of Sweden into the ranks of the transatlantic military alliance," the media reported.
LETHEM, Guyana (AP)  Their horses hooves kick up dust amid blaring country music as participants enter the arena to begin the Rupununi Ranchers Rodeo, a celebration of the cowboy lifestyle on Guyanas rugged Rupununi savannah.

The two-day, annual rodeo draws thousands of visitors from Guyanas capital and other countries, especially neighboring Brazil. The event is held in Lethem town in the Rupununi Region also known as Region 9 - Upper-Takutu-Upper Essequibo in southwest Guyana.

Competitions include bareback bronco riding, saddle bronco, steer roping, ribbon roping and wild cow milking.

The event has become so popular it even has participants from Britain, the United States and Brazil. But most of the participants are local cowboys who get together to pit their skills.

Rancher Ian RodrIguez has lived his whole life in Rupununi and owns the lot of land where the rodeo is held. His father was chief judge of the rodeo before he died. RodrIguez is following in his fathers footsteps as a secondary judge.

Lethem, Rupununi was known as one of the biggest livestock rearing regions. We had a lot of good ranchers, cattle, he said. "And we do it for commercial interest ... so everybody growing up knows that Lethem is a ranching area, The Rupununi. Thats why the legacy lives on.

Besides being a local tradition the rodeo is a growing tourist attraction.

A worker opens the gate and the cows burst into the arena. One man ropes a cow, wrestling it to a near standstill while a second man frantically milks the struggling animal.

Business teacher Shinier Smartt, 22, traveled from Georgetown, Guyanas capital, with her friends to see the rodeo for the first time.

The scenery has just been very much beautiful, Smartt after one of the events. We are here for the famous rodeo and so far it has been very thrilling.

Among of attendees of the rodeo on Saturday was Guyanas President Mohamed Irfaan Ali who toured the rodeo wearing a cowboy hat.

The rodeo is organized by The Rodeo Committee which is a part of the Rupununi Livestock Producers Association.
Halle Berry is being cheered on by fans after posting a nude photograph of herself drinking a glass of wine on a balcony.

The 56-year-old shared the snap on Instagram and Twitter, which shows her leaning on the railing of the balcony with a glass of wine raised to her lips, on Saturday (8 April).

She wrote in the caption: I do what I wanna do. Happy Saturday.

Berry, who starred in Moonfall last year with Patrick Wilson and John Bradley, was hailed as an inspiration to fans after she shared the photograph.

Several fans joked they had saved the tweet for their vision board to inspire them in future.

One person wrote: Putting this on my vision board for my 50s, while another commented: When I tell you I just saved this for my summer vision board.

I know thats right Halle Berry, you worked hard to be able to do whatever you want to do! one fan wrote. Be you loud and proud.

i do what i wanna do.  pic.twitter.com/hDIkyfiy53  Halle Berry (@halleberry) April 8, 2023

Another social media user added: Exactly how Im about to be on my patio all summer and on my lounge chairs.

Last week, the Catwoman star reacted to images that fans had created of her using the Barbie movie Selfie Generator.

The Selfie Generator allows users to upload photographs of people or animals to create a stylised image of themselves with the word Barbie emblazoned across their front and a customisable caption that reads: This Barbie is 

One fan posted an image featuring Berry during her 2002 Oscar speech after she became the first Black woman to win Best Actress for her role in Monsters Ball.

She retweeted the image and joked: Im logging off [cry-laugh emoji].

In a later tweet, she clarified: Its ALL love. I love my Twitter family.

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Earlier this year, the mesh floral Elie Saab dress Berry wore when she accepted her Oscar went on display at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles.

The burgundy gown, which features a high-neck mesh bodice with hand-embroidered red and green flowers, holds meaning and [will] forever be a reminder that all things are possible, the actor said in an Instagram post.

Berry presented the award for Best Actress at the 2023 Oscars to Michelle Yeoh, who became the first Asian woman to win the award. Yeoh won for her role in Everything Everywhere All At Once.
TikTok is in a kind of limbo.

The Biden administration has threatened to ban the popular video app in the United States because of security concerns with its Chinese owners. But theres no deadline for the White House to make a decision, and Congress might want to have a say in the matter.

The uncertainty has left the apps millions of users and its critics with an open question: Whats going to happen to TikTok?

There are a handful of possibilities, and while the timeline is unclear, heres a guide to six plausible paths forward.

Scenario 1: Congress dooms TikTok

Then-President Donald Trump tried to ban TikTok in 2020 and failed in large part because courts ruled he didnt have the legal authority. Now, Congress is thinking of giving that power to President Joe Biden.

A bipartisan group of senators introduced a bill last month that would give the U.S. commerce secretary broad power to regulate or ban technology from six countries including China. Theyre calling it the Restricting the Emergence of Security Threats That Risk Information and Communications Technology Act, or RESTRICT Act.

There are lots of questions about how a TikTok ban might work, but the RESTRICT Act is sweeping in its language, saying the commerce secretary shall take action to mitigate certain risks. The bill also doesnt leave much wiggle room for deliberation, saying the secretary shouldnt take more than 180 days to determine if something is an unacceptable risk.

In defending this path forward, Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., one of the sponsors, said similar laws are proliferating globally.

Nations across the globe have made steps to mitigate foreign tech. The U.S. isnt the only country acting on this, he tweeted Thursday.

The bill is a long way from becoming law, but it already has the backing of a quarter of the Senate. In this scenario, if the House and Senate pass it, a ban could become a reality less than a year after Congress acts.

Scenario 2: Congress doesnt act, but Biden bans it anyway

Not every senator is rushing to endorse a TikTok ban. Last month, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., blocked an attempt to fast-track the RESTRICT Act, citing free expression.

Story continues

Have faith that our desire for freedom is strong enough to survive a few dance videos, Paul said.

If Congress doesnt pass the bill, the Biden administration could still try to restrict or ban TikTok using its current legal authority. A federal government board known as the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States has already privately demanded that TikToks Chinese owners sell their stakes in the app, The Wall Street Journal has reported, citing anonymous sources whom it described as people familiar with the matter. NBC News has not confirmed that reporting.

The next step, in this scenario, might be an executive order from Biden echoing what Trump issued in 2020. State governors have already been going down that path.

But this path involves a lot of legal and political risk for the White House. It would likely need to defend the ban in court  something Trump tried and failed to do in 2020  and it wouldnt have the political cover of acting in concert with Congress.

Scenario 3: Biden does something small, or nothing at all

The idea of a TikTok ban has been floating around since before Biden took office more than two years ago, and he hasnt done it. So, one scenario is that he never does.

The administration and TikTok have been locked in negotiations for years over a potential written agreement that would lay out certain steps for TikTok to follow to help secure the data of Americans and prevent the flow of Chinese propaganda. It could be that those talks result in something that satisfies Biden.

Or it could be that other parts of the U.S.-China relationship  the future of Taiwan or the competition for artificial intelligence  take precedence, and the threat of TikTok fades.

TikTok has been bolstering its defenses in hopes of reaching a deal. TikTok creators have visited Washington, D.C.; TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew has testified before Congress; and TikTok has pushed an endeavor that it calls Project Texas  working with Austin-based Oracle to store Americans data on U.S. soil.

Scenario 4: Judges protect TikTok

The courts came to TikToks rescue in 2020 when the Trump administration tried to restrict the app, as two federal judges in separate lawsuits said the administration had likely overstepped its legal authority and blocked the restrictions.

Judge Wendy Beetlestone, an Obama appointee in Philadelphia, sided with TikTok users who were concerned about free expression, while Judge Carl Nichols, a Trump appointee in Washington, D.C., based his ruling on federal regulatory law in a suit that TikTok itself filed.

Similar concerns would likely be at issue again if TikTok or its users were to sue, either after a White House move or ahead of time in order to pre-empt it.

Banning TikTok would violate the First Amendment, Jenna Leventoff, senior policy counsel at the American Civil Liberties Union, said in a statement last month. The government cant impose this type of total ban unless its necessary to prevent extremely serious, immediate harm to national security.

TikToks success in court isnt guaranteed, but if it could at least delay any restrictions, that would be some kind of win.

And if TikTok or its users wanted to take that path again, theyll have even more legal muscle the second time around: TikTok has been on a hiring spree for lawyers in the past three years and has plans to hire many more lawyers, Bloomberg Law reported last month, citing eight recent hires and more open positions listed on a TikTok jobs board.

Scenario 5: ByteDance sells it

A spinoff of TikToks U.S. business from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, would in some ways be the easiest path to take. It would avoid the messy political and legal fights over a ban, and users might not notice a difference.

And ByteDance is already owned mostly by outsiders. More than 60% of shares are in the hands of Western investment firms such as Sequoia Capital, Fidelity and BlackRock, according to congressional testimony last year from Vanessa Pappas, TikToks chief operating officer. Founders and employees own most of the rest, she said. G42, an investment firm from the United Arab Emirates, bought shares last month, Bloomberg News reported, citing people with knowledge of the deal.

China hopes to block this path. Beijing has said it would resolutely oppose a sale, arguing it would damage investors and hurt confidence for others investing in the United States. China also imposed export restrictions in 2020 that might complicate the transfer of TikToks algorithms, although how the rules might apply isnt clear, according to CNBC.

TikToks leadership considers a sale a last resort, Bloomberg News reported last month, citing people familiar with the matter. Its U.S. business could pursue either an initial public offering as a standalone company or a sale to a large tech firm such as Microsoft at a valuation of perhaps $40 billion to $50 billion, the news service said.

Scenario 6: Congress passes a privacy law for all apps

As privacy advocates are always quick to note, the U.S. doesnt have a national law for privacy on the internet as some other countries do. One scenario is that Congress passes one in the near future, possibly taking some of the heat off TikTok.

Its not entirely far-fetched. Negotiators in the Senate have bargained for years on a possible bipartisan data privacy law, and they seemed to get close to a breakthrough last summer before splintering over how such a law would be enforced.

India McKinney, director of federal affairs at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a privacy advocacy group based in San Francisco, said a privacy law wouldnt have the constitutional issues that a ban might.

If the government is actually concerned with the amount of data that foreign companies like TikTok are collecting on Americans and then using it for whatever, then what they actually really need to do is have a comprehensive data privacy rule because that is what will prevent the collection of the information in the first place, McKinney said in an interview.

Its not clear whether such a law would satisfy security concerns about TikTok, and it doesnt preclude simultaneous actions like a TikTok ban, but supporters of the idea say it would put TikTok on similar footing to competitors such as Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
San Francisco police officers and F.B.I. agents gather in front of the home of U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) on October 28, 2022 in San Francisco, California. Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

The stabbing death of Cash App creator Bob Lee spurred fresh criticism of San Francisco crime.

While critics call the progressive city "lawless" with "horrific" crime, violent offenses are down.

Compared with cities of similar size, San Francisco has far fewer homicides per year.

Following the tragic stabbing death of Cash App creator Bob Lee on Tuesday, critics of the city's progressive policies were quick to label San Francisco a "lawless" place to live, with "horrific" crime  but rates of violent offenses in the city tell a different story.

Lee was fatally stabbed in San Francisco early Tuesday, according to an NBC Bay Area report, with security footage revealing his frantic search for help after the attack, spurring condemnation toward city leadership from critics.

Matt Ocko, a venture capitalist from Palo Alto and friend of Lee's, criticized the city's former District Attorney on Twitter: "Chesa Boudin, & the criminal-loving city council that enabled him & a lawless SF for years," saying the city's leadership "have Bob's literal blood on their hands."

Boudin was recalled from office last year following similar critiques of his reform-minded approach to crime and agenda aimed at reducing incarceration rates.

In an email to Insider Ocko declined to comment on his remarks regarding crime in San Francisco but said Lee "was loved, respected, admired, and will be deeply missed."

But Ocko was far from the only one to weigh in  San Francisco-based writer Michelle Tandler posted in a Twitter thread that violence in the city is caused by a "complacent" society and mused that people 100 years ago were deterred from committing crimes by vigilante groups that committed public hangings.

"The hangings worked," she wrote, "Crime would plummet after a few of them. Often for many months at a time."

Tandler later clarified that she didn't think public hanging was an appropriate solution to San Francisco crime, but that jail and prison should be used as a deterrent.

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"Violent crime in SF is horrific," Elon Musk, chief executive of Twitter and Tesla, said on Twitter, adding that "even if attackers are caught, they are often released immediately."

Under Boudin, San Francisco ended its cash bail policy, allowing pre-trial detention only if a defendant poses an "unreasonable risk" to the victim or public safety  or if they have "repeated failures" to appear in court or adhere to alternative punishments.

A California Policy Lab report found the San Francisco jail population remained relatively stable through 2021 following an earlier 2018 change in bail policy that mandated that judges consider a person's ability to pay when setting bail amounts and that detention only be used when no other less restrictive option will ensure follow-up appearance at court and guarantee the public's safety.

Michael Arrington, the founder of the industry blog TechCrunch, agreed, posting "I hate what San Francisco has become."

While comprehensive statistics for 2023 are not yet available to see any recent surge in violent crime  defined as rape, murder, robbery, and aggravated assault  the city's crime rate has remained relatively steady or decreased over the last decade, except for a brief uptick in 2019, according to California Department of Justice data.

In both 2021 and 2022, San Francisco recorded 56 homicides, well below that of other cities of a similar size (under 1,000,000 people), data from the Major Cities Police Chiefs Association shows. In comparison, there were 271 homicides in Indianapolis, Indiana, in 2021 and 226 in 2022. In Columbus, Ohio, 204 homicides took place in 2021 and 140 in 2022.

However, property crimes, such as retail theft and car break-ins, are notably up in the city, CNN reported, as San Francisco saw a 23% increase in crimes like burglary and larceny between 2020 and 2022.

A Public Policy Institute of California study from 2018 found "some evidence" that California's Proposition 47, which reclassified felony theft offenses as misdemeanors if the value of stolen goods is less than $950, may have been linked to the increase in larceny theft across the state after it passed in 2014.

"I know that it's natural when there's an act of violence in the community to feel fear and anxiety," Kevin Benedicto, a San Francisco police commissioner and lawyer, told Insider. "But I just hope that that fear of anxiety can be tempered by the data and be used for something productive instead of being, I think, exploited by some for political gain."

He added: "San Francisco, like any big city in the US and around the world, has had issues including public safety, and any level of violence in our community is unacceptable, but I think it is important to look at the data that shows that violent crime in San Francisco is historic lows, especially when you look at the last 10 years or even longer than that  it's a very historic low."

Commissioner Benedicto did not comment on the investigation into Lee's death.

Representatives for Musk and Arrington did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment.

Read the original article on Business Insider
The ramp from Dryden Road to Northbound Interstate 75 in Moraine will be closed starting Monday.

>>PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Busy highway ramp in Moraine to close beginning Monday

The closure is necessary due to reconstruction on Interstate 75 in this area, according to the Ohio Department of Transportation.

It is taking place on I-75 between State Route 725 and U.S. 35 between now and July 2026. Ramp closures and nightly lane closures are also expected during this time.

The detour for drivers to take is Dryden Road to Northlawn Avenue to Springboro Pike (State Route 741) to get access to NB I-75, ODOT said.

The ramp closure is expected to last until July 2025.
A grave of a World War II POW is pictured March 10 at the Fort Reno Cemetery in El Reno. According to the Oklahoma Historical Society, an estimated 20,000 German POWs were brought to Oklahoma during World War II and held at eight base camps. Fort Reno was among the eight.

EL RENO  About 35 miles west of Oklahoma City, a line of gravestones dot a small walled annex of land inside the cemetery of a former U.S. cavalry post. The white markers signify the final resting place for numerous German prisoners of war during World War II who never made it back to their homeland.

Fort Reno, home of the cemetery, has a varied history. It was initially founded in 1874 as a military camp for the United States cavalry  including the 9th and 10th regiments for the famous all-Black "Buffalo soldiers"  during the government's war against the Great Plains Native American tribes. Fort Reno later became a pivotal spot for raising and training horses and mules during both world wars of the 20th century. Today a visitor can still see cattle grazing in the fields surrounding the post.

But nowadays Fort Reno serves as the site where the U.S. Cavalry Association hosts its annual competition and "honor ride" parade. The local chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution annually holds events at the Fort Reno Post Cemetery, laying handmade wreaths atop the military graves at the burial grounds.

More: Native American veterans memorial aims to bring centuries of untold service into the light

The Fort Reno Cemetery is pictured March 10 in El Reno. Residents and volunteers in the area hope the graves of the POWs serve as constant reminders of the losses of the 20th century.

And every third Sunday of November, members of the the German-American Heritage Society of Tulsa host a "Volkstrauertag" ceremony to remember the prisoners of war buried at the cemetery, as well.

"Certainly it is not a celebration, but it is usually very positive with some music," said Ray Markley, second vice president of the German-American Society Arts Association. "Many of us in the group are retired military, so it is a very important event for us."

Songs played during the yearly "Volkstrauertag" event at the cemetery include the German song "Ich hatt einen Kameraden," which laments the death of a fellow soldier. Guests over the years have included contingents from the Germany and the Italian armed forces, the state of Oklahoma's National Guard Honor Guard, and various officials of the German government, along with the mayor of El Reno.

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Graves of World War II POWs are pictured March 10 at the Fort Reno Cemetery in El Reno.

"Folks need to realize that history has happened," said Debbie Kauffman, president and spokeswoman for Historic Fort Reno Inc., the local nonprofit that raises funds for the restoration and operation of the Fort Reno Visitor Center and Museum. "Let's not let it happen again in an incorrect way."

More: In 1942, Camp Amache held 7,500 Japanese Americans prisoner. Survivors want the world to remember

According to the Oklahoma Historical Society, an estimated 20,000 German POWs were brought to Oklahoma during World War II and held at eight base camps chosen for their remoteness from urban areas due to security concerns. Fort Reno was among the eight.

German soldiers made up the bulk of the POWs, who per the Geneva Convention of 1929 were allowed to be put to use as laborers. The POWs harvested crops, groomed horses and even built the fort's still-standing chapel. Most of the POWs had been captured while fighting in North Africa, but many of them died in cases involving illness, accidents and  in an especially controversial incident involving Johannes Kunze  murder.

"Kunze was of the Tonkawa camp, and he was considered a traitor by his POW friends because they thought he'd given up information, and he was murdered," Kauffman said. "The guards sensed that something was wrong and called roll call, and the four or five folks that helped murder him were rounded up and sent to Fort Leavenworth, tried, and then taken to a building with an elevator shaft and hung. They're buried elsewhere, but Kunze is buried here."

White markers at Fort Reno Cemetery in El Reno signify the final resting place for numerous World War II German prisoners of war.

Between late 1945 and mid-1946, all surviving prisoners of war returned to Europe, and the fort was decommissioned in the late 1940s. It eventually returned to public use in the years that followed under the Department of Agriculture, who still owns the land where the remnants of the fort stand today.

"Every museum will touch you in a different way of its importance," Kauffman said.

In recent years some El Reno locals have worked with international officials to repatriate the remains of at least two of the Italian POWs. Italian-American Giuseppe Clemente, for example, spent more than two years coordinating a visit to the cemetery for the only remaining sister of one of the Italian POWs, before ultimately sending his remains back to Italy.

Graves of World War II prisoners of war are pictured March 10 at the Fort Reno Cemetery in El Reno.

But staff at Fort Reno said no such repatriation has happened for any of the German POWs. Bill Tempero, president of the U.S. Cavalry Association, said through the years families of former POWs have still visited and decorated their burial plots, and he said the USDA continues to adequately maintain the grounds.

"The German and Italian soldiers got to work on the post, along with a lot of the local ranchers," Tempero said. "They were treated so well that, after they had to be sent back to Italy and Germany because of international law, some of them wanted to come back and be United States citizens. So, some of the ranchers in the Fort Reno area sponsored for them to come back, and they did."

Related: Census reveals Oklahoma's deep German roots

Residents and volunteers in the area hope the graves of the POWs serve as constant reminders of the losses of the 20th century  losses they hope are never repeated as the 21st century unfolds.

"It's all history," Tempero said. "If we don't keep it going, we'll forget it, and we won't learn from our mistakes."

"Sometimes we get asked, 'Why are you commemorating people who were our enemies?'" Markley said. "And we always respond to that by saying, 'Well, yeah, that goes up to the end of life  and passed that, we just really don't have any enemies.'"

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Why Fort Reno Cemetery works to keep memory of WWII POWs alive
People lined the hallway at Tri-Rivers Career Center in Marion to pay tribute to the veterans who attended the Honor Flight at Home event on Saturday, June 11, 2022. A total of 17 veterans of World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and the Cold War were honored during the ceremony.

Area military veterans and their families are invited to attend the 2023 edition of Honor Flight at Home, which is scheduled for Saturday, June 10 at Tri-Rivers Career Center in Marion. Event Coordinator Margie Saull encourages veterans to register for the event by May 20.

Honor Flight at Home, Saull said, is designed to recognize and honor any veteran who served on active duty from 1941 to 1975, but who cannot travel to Washington on the traditional Honor Flight trips that take veterans of World War II and the Korean and Vietnam wars to the various memorials in the nation's capital.

The Marion event is a subsidiary of the Honor Flight Columbus organization. It's the only Honor Flight at Home program in the state of Ohio, Saull said.

Saull, whose father is a World War II veteran, spearheaded the effort to make Honor Flight at Home a reality in Marion and the first program was held in 2018.

Saull said through Honor Flight at Home she is committed to offering a positive experience for those veterans who are not able to make the trip to the nation's capital. She said the comradery veterans experience with each other during the Honor Flights to Washington as well as the Honor Flight at Home events provides a lasting memory.

"We took my dad to an Honor Flight at Home in Florida and the veterans were very responsive and it was a wonderful afternoon," she said. "So, I decided to come back to Marion and start one here. I worked with Honor Flight Columbus for about a year to convince them that there was a need here in Marion. It's not just open to Marion County folks. If you're able to travel about an hour or two to get to Marion, you're welcome to come."

Saull said 32 veterans attended the first event in Marion followed up by 27 attending in 2019 and 17 last year. The event was canceled for two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Saull said the Marion event is open to veterans from surrounding counties and around the region, not just Marion County veterans. She said the goal is to honor as many veterans as possible and not limit the event to just one community.

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This year's program will once again be held at Tri-Rivers Career Center, 2222 Marion-Mount Gilead Road. It's scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. on June 10. Check-in for veterans attending will begin at 1 p.m.

Veterans or their families interested in attending an Honor Flight at Home event in Marion should contact Margie Saull by email at saullgw4@yahoo.com or by telephone at 740-360-8902. Application forms must be filled out and returned to her by May 20.

Email: ecarter@gannett.com | Twitter: @AndrewACCarter

This article originally appeared on Marion Star: Honor Flight at Home to honor Marion area veterans on June 10
Retired Editorial Page Editor Michael Douglas.

John Kasich opened his 2010 campaign for governor with a pledge to destroy that income tax that has sucked vitality out of this state. He cautioned the end would come over time. Now, 13 years later, Republicans with their big majorities at the Statehouse want to step dramatically down the path.

House Bill 1 would leave Ohio with a single, or flat, income tax rate, at 2.75%. Income below $26,050 a year would remain untaxed. Gone would be the current graduated regime of four rates, including the top rate of 3.99% on income above $115,300 a year.

Advocates for the change are framing the move as advancing simplicity and fairness. They also tout the state attracting more investment and even goosing its lagging population numbers.

The trouble is that Republicans have a record. They long have howled about the income tax, adopted in 1971 under John Gilligan, a Democratic governor. On the campaign trail, they have battered Democrats as ever-eager tax hikers. Yet, in power, Republicans mostly nipped at the margins without much altering the revenue the income tax raised.

That is, until 2005, when they embarked on the project Kasich cheered.

They started whacking income tax rates, reducing their number and levels. The top rate, on Ohioans at the highest income rungs, once reached 8.55%, yet more often stood at 7.5%. Today, it is that 3.99%. When Republicans began, the state had nine rates, delivering the progressivity that achieves real fairness.

Added to all of this were changes in the way the state taxes businesses, moving from a levy on profits to one on gross receipts, the Commercial Activity Tax, which, notably, generates roughly $2 billion less in revenue each year.

The argument for these changes promised accelerated growth and job creation. Yet that hasnt been the case. The state budget process relies on economic projections. Those forecasts used by the Republican majorities consistently have seen the state remain behind the nation as a whole and trailing many states.

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In other words, Ohio hasnt been making up ground.

A year ago, Policy Matters Ohio, a Cleveland-based think tank, looked at what it called the great Ohio tax shift. The analysis found that as a result of the changes, including a state sales tax increase, the lowest 60% percent of households pay more in taxes than they did in 2005. Meanwhile, the wealthiest 20% of households (above $107,000 annually) pay an average of $5,500 less.

And those households in the top 1%, with average annual earnings approaching $1.5 million? They enjoy a tax savings of nearly $51,000 a year.

Many have benefited from an awful tax break, known as the LLC Loophole. It permits qualifying business owners to pay no income tax on the first $250,000 in earnings and then a reduced rate on additional income. Conceived as a measure to encourage small business and innovation, the provision is so poorly constructed it rates as a giveaway, costing Ohio around $1 billion a year.

Policy Matters Ohio calculates that all these tax changes have resulted in an $8-billion-a-year shortfall for the state, which the flat rate would make larger.

What might Ohio do with even a fraction of such a sum? Invest, as Gov. Mike DeWine has advised in urging state lawmakers to focus on unfinished business. The governor proceeds cautiously. Yet economic realities matter, too.

Talent drives economic performance, as much as anything.

Thus, Ohio has reason to pay for its new school-funding formula, covering the added cost of educating disadvantaged students. It makes sense to ensure access to high-quality child care and preschool. The same goes for the structure and staff supporting mental health and drug treatment, along with such things as adequate housing and public health.

There is a greater role for the state in promoting clean energy and research and development.

Why has the price of a college education soared? Consider that the state once subsidized the majority of the expense. Now it pays far less. Just as the federal government has the scale to make the Medicaid expansion happen, states have the fiscal muscle to help communities invest.

That dynamic explains, in part, why Ohio adopted the income tax. The property tax became too burdensome. The income tax added balance to the mix  and a key element of fairness, the overall tax system largely regressive. The progressive feature especially has value with deepening income inequality.

Yet here we are, the Republican majorities making claims about the harm of the income tax that are not backed by the economic evidence, some still wishing to wipe out the tax. Broadly speaking, a progressive income tax means those with lower incomes have more to spend. That is good for the states economic performance.

Michael Douglas was the Beacon Journal editorial page editor from 1999 to 2019. He can be reached at mddouglasmm@gmail.com.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: House Bill 1: Proposed flat tax will surely push Ohio further behind
Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) warned that Republicans should consider defunding the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) if the Biden administration does not adhere to a ruling from a federal judge last week that blocked the long-standing approval of an abortion medication.

A federal judge in Texas last week blocked the federal approval of mifepristone, an abortion drug that has been on the market for over 20 years. But Democrats, including Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), have floated the idea of the White House not adhering to the ruling, urging President Biden to ignore the decision.

Its very dangerous when you have the administration, the Biden administration, coming out and saying they may not uphold a ruling, Gonzales said on CNNs State of the Union on Sunday. The House Republicans have the power of the purse. And if the administration wants to not live up to this ruling, then were going to have a problem it may come to a point where House Republicans on the appropriation side have to defund FDA programs that dont make sense.

The federal judge that blocked the approval argued that the federal government rushed its approval process of the drug, resulting in an unsafe medication being put on the market. The FDA appealed the decision to the conservative 5th Circuit Court of Appeal.

The White House was quick to appeal the decision from the judge in Texas, but has not publicly weighed in on the idea of ignoring the ruling altogether. Instead, Biden has criticized the decision and promised to fight it in court.

If this ruling were to stand, then there will be virtually no prescription, approved by the FDA, that would be safe from these kinds of political, ideological attacks, Biden said in a statement after the ruling. My Administration will fight this ruling.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Hugh Grant at the LA premiere of Dungeons and Dragons: Honour Among Thieves. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

Hugh Grant has accused people of 'hating' actors, but he totally appreciates why.

Currently enjoying something of a career renaissance, he's a busy man indeed, showing up as medieval conman Forge Fitzwilliam in this month's Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves, and as Greg Simmonds in Guy Ritchie's spy comedy Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre.

Read more: 'Benny Hill' theme tune blares outside Parliament after Hugh Grant's request

While promoting the latter, the challenge of portraying actors on screen cropped up.

He told JOE: "I think people, audiences, like to see actors mocked, even gently as it is in this film. Because basically they hate us and I understand that."

Forge Fitzwilliam in Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves. (Paramount Pictures/eOne).

Grant's Operation Fortune co-star Josh Hartnett also shared his thoughts on the matter; "For me, it was just kind of a heightened version of perspectives of actors, perceptions of actors, I guess.

"I mean, I haven't come across anyone quite as crazy as [his character] Danny but there are people out there who are near, near enough. It's fun to be able to lampoon yourself."

Read more: Lorraine Kelly addresses Hugh Grant's awkward Oscars interview: 'Smile and get on with it'

Funnily enough, it's only a month since we learned of a major tantrum from the About a Boy actor.

"I lost my temper with a woman in my eyeline on day one [of filming Dungeons & Dragons]," he revealed to Total Film.

"I assumed she was some executive from the studio who should have known better. Then it turns out that she's an extremely nice local woman who was the chaperone of the young girl. Terrible. A lot of grovelling...

"I did a 'Christian Bale,'" he joked, referring to an infamous incident from the set of Terminator: Salvation.

Watch: Drew Barrymore says Hugh Grant at the Oscars was the 'real Hugh'
By Carien du Plessis and Siyabonga Sishi

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - More than 800 couples walked down the aisle on Easter Sunday in one of the biggest mass wedding ceremonies in South Africa since the COVID-19 pandemic.

The International Pentecost Holiness Church blesses polygamous unions, which are common in some African communities, and the church says are authorised by the Bible.

Its mass nuptials take place three times a year  at Easter, in December, and also during the celebrations in September of the church's founding in 1962.

Lebogile Mamatela, 38, a government employee who became the second wife to the father of her child on Sunday, told Reuters after the ceremony: "Its a special day, I am very happy. I really, really appreciate this moment of being part of the Mahluku family. Its a great feeling."

Her new husband, Roto Mahluku, 40, joined the church in 1993 and married his first wife, Ditopa Mahluku, 16 years ago. They have three children.

Ditopa, 37, said her husband's second marriage was "fulfilling what God has created for us, fulfilling the scripture that says women will be leaning towards one man".

Current wives wore colourful attire to the ceremony at the International Pentecost Holiness Church's Jerusalem congregation, 100 kilometers (62 miles) north of Johannesburg. First-time brides wore traditional white dresses.

The celebrations were a respite from a long-standing row over the leadership of the church, which has a membership of around three million, making it one of the biggest congregations in South Africa.

The succession battle between three brothers began after the death in 2016 of the churchs leader, Glayton Modise.

In 2020 five people were killed in a shooting at another congregation of the church, but a court last year dismissed the case against the 42 accused.

Security was tight at Sunday's ceremony, which was policed by armed guards and metal detectors were used to screen the congregation.

(Reporting by Siyabonga Sishi; writing by Carien du Plessis; editing by Barbara Lewis)
Hundreds protested in the Tunisian capital on Sunday for the release of about 20 opponents of President Kais Saied arrested since February.

Around 300 demonstrators from opposition parties waved Tunisian flags and carried signs with the images of detainees at the rally organised by the main opposition coalition, the National Salvation Front, according to AFP journalists.

Since early February, authorities in the North African country have arrested more than 20 political opponents and personalities including politicians, former ministers, businessmen, trade unionists and the owner of Tunisia's most popular radio station, Mosaique FM.

Local and international rights groups have criticised the arrests.

At Sunday's rally, Samir Ben Amor, an official with the Al-Joumhouri (Republican) party, called for a "national dialogue in order to draw up a roadmap to save Tunisia and return to the democratic path".

Saied, who has seized almost total power since he froze parliament and sacked Tunisia's government in July 2021, claims those arrested were "terrorists" involved in a "conspiracy against state security".

Opponents accuse him of reinstating autocratic rule in the North African country which was the only democracy to emerge from the Arab Spring uprisings in the Middle East region more than a decade ago.

British-based Amnesty International last month said authorities should release the detainees arrested on "unfounded accusations".

The political situation in Tunisia comes alongside mounting debt and rising prices worsened by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned last month that Tunisia urgently needs to reach a deal with the International Monetary Fund, adding to dire European Union warnings about the country's future.

bur-fka/ila/noc/it
Its not often I read a book about our challenging times and find Idaho prominently featured, but thats how things turned out when I read Preparing for War: The Extremist History of White Christian Nationalism and What Comes Next, by Bradley Onishi.

The author, a former white Christian nationalist with nine years in the evangelical movement, including six years in ministry, left the church, earned a doctorate in religious studies and assumed a teaching position at the University of San Francisco.

Bob Kustra

He wrote Preparing for War after Jan. 6, 2021, when he realized that the terrorist assault on the Capitol was the result of white Christian nationalist rhetoric over the years. The book explains how the rise of the new religious right gave birth to white Christian nationalism and how it might play out in the future in even more dangerous and destructive ways.

He now describes his former church affiliation as a movement thoroughly entrenched in American nationalism, white supremacy, patriarchy and xenophobia.

Onishi draws an important distinction between white evangelicalism and white Christian nationalism, which he claims far exceeds the boundaries of white evangelicalism.

White Christian nationalism marries cross and flag and creates the myth of America founded as a Christian nation. It also reflects on what it sees as Americas covenant with God in recognizing its past glory when straight white Christians had exclusive control of Americas politics and culture. Finally, such loyalty and obedience to a God whose nation has failed him creates an apocalyptic vision for white Christian nationalists to act out of a crisis narrative that demands the kind of immediate action we witnessed on Jan. 6.

Brad Onishi had a front-row seat in the growth of the evangelical movement in Orange County, California, where he was raised. He witnessed the Sun Belt migration as white Southerners headed West to recreate their own version of white Christianity, a potpourri of Christian nationalist mythology, libertarian economics and cowboy individualism. Voila! Orange County becomes the epicenter of white Christian nationalism. But its vision was overridden by a California that won the Oscar for the most liberal state in the Union, far outnumbering the white conservatives in Orange County.

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And heres the part of the narrative where Idaho appears stage right. An entire chapter is devoted to an influx of conservative Californians and white Christian nationalists to Idaho and neighboring states.

Onishi credits James Wesley Rawles, a former military intelligence officer, with applying the term American Redoubt to the intermountain states of Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and parts of Eastern Washington. The American Redoubt is the intermountain region where white Christian nationalists seek to take over local governments and cultivate Christian nationalist churches, all toward the goal of setting up a theocratic society. Rawles website expands on the preparedness required for a Second Civil War he predicts between the right and the left.

This is not a tale Idahoans have trouble understanding given Meridians recent experience of a California transplant who attempted to abolish the library district. California plates are as plentiful in Boise these days as Idaho potatoes. Although all Californians moving to Idaho certainly do not fit the mold of white Christian nationalist, sidle up to a bar in Boise next to a displaced Californian and you are likely to hear a lecture on how expensive it is to live in California and how much his homes equity was worth in the Idaho housing market. But its also possible that you will get a riff on the liberal state and the conservative ecstasy of living in a state where the right wing is in its ascendancy.

Onishi counts at least 50 people from his home community of Yorba Linda who he knows have moved to Idaho, which he claims has gone from flyover country to the hottest region west of the Mississippi. No argument there.

Some Idahoans when first hearing of Californias wagon train in reverse heading to the Gem State may rejoice to think of the newbies serving as a moderating influence on Idahos increasingly conservative politics. Onishi dashes those expectations by citing Boise State research showing the new Californians more conservative than native Idahoans.

Onishi portrays many of our new residents as seeking a self-segregated white Christian society without the bother of religious, racial or ethnic minorities. Im sure Boiseans could quibble with Onishi on some of his generalizations applying to their city, but its very difficult to question his premise when you leave Boise for the rest of Idaho. Onishi cites various iterations of the American Redoubt, naming and quoting political/religious leaders setting up their own Christian fortresses in Moscow and Coeur dAlene, Idaho and Spokane, Washington.

No matter where you travel in the United States today, there is a recognition of Boise as a city on the move and a state growing by leaps and bounds. What is less obvious is this parade of people who move to Idaho to separate themselves from the United States of America, not just California. They are hoping they can remove themselves from a nation growing increasingly diverse by finding refuge in Idaho and other intermountain states.

A manifestation of the Redoubts effort at the state level to assume control of Idahos local governments is the ongoing attack Republican legislators wage on what they call woke ideology but is really nothing but an assault on a compendium of current statutes that trust local governments to act on behalf of their citizens.

They also target the word diversity in their efforts to expunge any reference to schools preparing students for a workplace and society quite different from the all-white existence these extremists attempt to build in Idaho. And they continue to take aim at their favorite target  the teaching of racism and Americas history of slave holding, which they package in neatly bound critiques of gibberish that ignores our slave-holding past and the racism still deeply embedded in our society.

If you travel out Military Reserve Road, you can visit the Fort Boise Military cemetery of Civil War veterans graves and headstones. On its website, you can read about reports of the cemetery haunted by spirits that roam the area. Apparently, those spirits have found their way to the States Capitol where the American Redoubts Second Civil War pits those clear-eyed and proud about the diversity of America against Idaho Republicans who bow in reverence to those who seek a White Redoubt.

Which shall it be for Idahos future? The answer is ours to complete.

Bob Kustra served as president of Boise State University from 2003 to 2018. He is host of Readers Corner on Boise State Public Radio and is a regular columnist for the Idaho Statesman. He served two terms as Illinois lieutenant governor and 10 years as a state legislator.
Christiana Awosan is a licensed marriage and family therapist based in New York City. Simeon O. Awosan

Christiana Awosan is a licensed marriage and family therapist based in New York City who specializes in generational and racial trauma.

Black and brown patients are most at-risk for suffering from PTSD related to generational and racial trauma.

Awosan spoke to Insider reporter Brianna Holt about how generational trauma manifests itself and how she believes it has been underdiagnosed.

This is an as-told-to essay based on a conversation with Christiana Awosan, a licensed marriage and family therapist based in New York City who specializes in generational and racial trauma. It has been edited for length and clarity.

Generational trauma, which can also be intergenerational trauma or transgenerational trauma, is basically when experiences that are detrimental emotionally, mentally, physically, relationally, and even spiritually, are passed down from one generation to the next generation, whether knowingly or unknowingly.

It can be passed down either implicitly or explicitly, whether by the person actually experiencing the weakness in the generation above them, or it can be passed down through narratives that the family speaks to each other about.

Racial trauma and generational trauma are intertwined because racial trauma can be passed down generationally. For example, when Black families have "the talk" with their kids about racism and safety and how to handle situations with police, that is based on experiences of being discriminated against and traumatized because of skin color.

That itself is a form of generational-racial trauma because you have to explain this to your kid, and it's not because you want to, it's because society still disavows, dehumanizes, discriminates, and ostracizes Black people and people of color just because of their skin.

We don't want to talk about race, and particularly whiteness, in our society

We don't usually put racial trauma in the same categories as sexual abuse, or the trauma that veterans go through. I think that's because we don't want to talk about race, and particularly whiteness, in our society. These forms of trauma date back to the transatlantic slave trade and the impact of the enslavement and torture of African Americans.

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Following that, the Jim Crow era created this feeling of devaluation, from constantly seeing people who look like you being devalued, ostracized, and being deemed as not good enough.

People need to understand that after slavery was abolished, there was no mental or emotional care that allowed African Americans to talk about the emotional, psychological, and spiritual impacts. So that trauma continued to be passed down from generation to generation, and we still don't fully have that kind of care.

When you feel voiceless, your rage increases as well

When we enter new spaces, and in particular predominantly white spaces, the effects of generational trauma can show up. This could look like imposter syndrome, anxiety, increased heart rate, or a loss of focus.

Other physical manifestations of generational trauma are a lack of sleep, physical pain like back aches, or irregular eating habits. Then there's the emotional manifestations, like depression, anxiety, isolation.

There's also relational manifestation, which mostly presents itself as a feeling of not being able to use your voice when you are experiencing or witnessing racism. So if you feel like you don't have the words to fully explain what's happening to you, especially with people who cannot inherently relate to or understand what you're experiencing, you begin to internalize that and take it out on your loved ones and the people who are closest to you.

I see people either isolate themselves from their partner or get really angry and upset with them. When you feel voiceless, your rage increases as well. We call these invisible racial trauma wounds  we don't see them.

Racial and generational trauma goes underdiagnosed all the time

As a relational therapist, I believe that social cultural oppression, such as racism, sexism, heterosexism, etc., creates interpersonal and intergenerational trauma that assaults the dignity and humanity of individuals and those they are in relationship with. My aim is to assist and journey with my clients to identify and develop culturally affirming and healing ways and patterns of processing trauma that would be transmitted generationally.

Racial and generational trauma goes underdiagnosed all the time because race, racism, and whiteness are still not things we feel comfortable talking about in society. So when a client comes into therapy, they often aren't aware that they're going through this, or don't want to mention it because they don't know how their therapist might react to it.

Most clinicians are not trained to pay attention to racial trauma and are unable to actually assess it, or notice the symptoms and signs of it. But if you find a therapist that specializes in this form of trauma, going to therapy can be very helpful in noticing how this trauma manifests itself physically, mentally, emotionally, relationally, and spiritually in your body.

Read the original article on Insider
Doctor Jurgen Voller (Mads Mikkelsen) in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. (Lucasfilm)

A new Indiana Jones film  Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny  is almost upon us, with Harrison Ford donning the hat and strapping on the bullwhip one last time.

A peek at new footage at Star Wars Celebration 2023 during the Lucasfilm Showcase revealed an extended six-minute clip of an exhilarating street-chase sequence called 'back to old-school' Indiana Jones set-pieces.

But theres one element that differs from whats gone before, according to director James Mangold. The Logan and Walk the Line helmer told Yahoo UK during a chat after the panel that Mads Mikkelsens bad guy Jurgen Voller isnt like other Indy villains.

Read more: Everything we know about Indiana Jones 5

No, Id say hes more sophisticated, said Mangold. Hes already been working in the United States on our moon projects and helping put us on the moon, so hes been kind of part of life in the States. But he has another agenda  and that one would be familiar.

That seems likely to be the pursuit of an artefact for nefarious purposes: an artefact that our hero, Indiana Jones, also wants to get his hands on.

Watch the new Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny trailer

So what else sets Mangolds Indiana Jones film apart from whats gone before?

Well, says Mangold, its a new time and its a new place and also were giving you both a taste of the past and then a sudden shocking awakening into the present.

"But similarly what does make it new is that you have an old-school hero in a time that doesnt necessarily welcome old-school heroes any more.

James Mangold, Mads Mikkelsen and Phoebe Waller-Bridge onstage during the Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny presentation during the studio panel at Star Wars Celebration 2023. (Kate Green/Getty Images for Disney)

It was also announced at Star Wars Celebration that James Mangold is to helm a new Star Wars movie set in the time of the Old Republic.

The film will mark the furthest back in time the franchise will ever have gone on screen. It is said to be a Biblical epic of sorts, going right back to the dawning of the Force.

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is in cinemas on 30 June 2023.
Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/Library of Congress

My high-school history teacher was infamous for repeating information that she wanted her classes to remember. Anything worth knowing was generally said at least three times, which was her indication that we needed to take notes.

Reconstruction: 1865 to 1877, Ms. Thomas would chant.

It was the beginning of my tenth-grade year and the first time I had ever even heard about the political timeline just after the Civil War. During Reconstruction, the federal government put laws in place in attempts to help African Americans adjust after enslavement. Black people were running for political office, getting advanced degrees, and broadening their professional and social endeavors en masse.

The Klan Was the Original Election Police

However, that sense of Black liberation scared white supremacists, who formed vigilante groups to try and stifle Black people back into systemic boxes of subordination.

One of those organizations, the Ku Klux Klan was born in Tennessee. Though the homegrown terrorists did manage to slaughter thousands of Black Americans during their early existence, the Klan was unable to grow and prosper due to Reconstruction-era laws and the occasional righteous political leaders who enforced them. But the eventual relaxation of those laws allowed a resurrection of the Klan in the early 20th century, and the organizations spidery legs of hate were spread throughout multiple avenues of politics, religious communities, and social movements.

Timothy Egans A Fever in the Heartland: The Ku Klux Klans Plot to Take Over America, and the Woman Who Stopped Them (Viking) picks up on the secondand more notorious and harrowingcoming of the Ku Klux Klan when white sheets became the costume norm and burning crosses became regular scare tactics. Released April 4, the work of nonfiction reads like a thriller novel, as if its laying the groundwork for a movie script rather than providing the textbook template of historical accounts.

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The book follows the true story of Grand Dragon D.C. Steve Stephenson and his rise as a white supremacist leader. The heart of the Klan no longer resided below the Mason-Dixon Line. Instead, it swept in massive waves across the Midwest, with Indiana as the ultimate zone of racist-religious-anti-immigrant terror.

Stephensons responsibility, Egan quoted a 1924 article from the Indianapolis Star, was to go forth and spread the principles of pure Patriotism Honor, Klanishness and White Supremacy.

The Invisible Empire, as the Klan is commonly known, was revived after a Baptist minister in 1905 North Carolina had a tantrum over the portrayal of the South in a staged version of Uncle Toms Cabin. The minister wrote his own book, The Clansman: A Historical Romance of the Ku Klux Klan, to counter the anti-slavery sentiments of Uncle Toms Cabin. The book was adapted into the film The Birth of a Nation (1915) by director D.W. Griffith, who happened to be homies with the creators of the early Academy of Motion Pictures and Sciences. (The same organization that hosts the Oscars and has been rattled with racist allegations for its lack of diversity.)

The Birth of a Nation set the technical and artistic standards for the up-and-coming movie industry and became propaganda for Klan recruitment as it hailed Black people as sexual predators, political deviants, idiots, and wastes of space when not in positions of servitude. (Ms. Thomas used to say that it was one of the hardest films she ever watched, advised her students never to do so, and said she had to split the three-hour silent film into separate segments to be able to emotionally digest the hateful content.)

Stephenson worked as an idolized recruiter of the Klan, treating the organization like a pyramid scheme with the commission he would make off of each new memberman, woman, or child. (Yes, Ku Klux Kiddies were a thing.) The Klan prided itself on being a group of do-gooder all-Americans who wanted to keep the white race pure. Meanwhile, Stephenson, one of its leaders responsible for 40 percent of its membership and who had eyes on becoming president of the United States, was guilty of everything his prized Invisible Empire condemned: divorce, adultery, illegal drinking during Prohibition, physical abuse, and sexual assault.

Stephenson, simply put, was a menace. He abandoned his pregnant wife in Oklahoma to basically become a white supremacy con-artist of the Midwest. He moved throughout Ohio and Indiana, marrying, illegally marrying, and making broken promises to wed women he allegedly raped to keep them quiet about his crimes.

Nonetheless, with Stephensons level of power, he considered himself the law.

A Fever in the Heartland illustrates the fascist orchestration the Ku Klux Klan set in place to infiltrate the country.

If the Klan is dead, then America is dead, Imperial Wizard Hiram Evans said in 1925.

Membership in the Klan was a necessity for employment with certain companies. Pastors, judges, mayors, senators, governors were either members or turned blind eyes to its oppressiveand brutalforces. Laws were passed that were practically kissed by the Klan, including an immigration act that prevented Anne Franks family from relocating to the U.S. before the European Jewish Holocaust. Presidents disregarded the Klans reign of terror. Nazis were inspired.

The ultimate demise of the Klans leaders werent outside forces or opponents of their so-called racial purity. Typically, it was a Klansmans ego that prompted his downfall. In Stephensons case, it had been a replica of his predatory behavior finally catching up to him.

Madge Oberholtzer, a working woman who was educated at Butler College, managed to stop Stephenson in his tracks. Afraid that she was going to lose her state government job due to budget cuts, she socialized with the Grand Dragon in an effort to stop the inevitable from happening.

However, Stephenson misread their relationshipor frankly, he didn't care. The Klan leader kidnapped Oberholtzer, forced her to drink alcohol, raped the young woman, and mangled her body in a gruesome sexual act. Realizing the level of power Stephenson had and seeing no other means of escape, Oberholtzer opted to ingest a fatal amount of mercury chloride she managed to obtain. With that unintended matter of self-sacrifice, Oberholtzer got Stephenson on the bad side of the law, which eventually landed him in trial for her murder and his eventual imprisonment.

A Fever in the Heartland is white supremacys form of poetic justice. An organization birthed on patriotism and unity was spurred from hate, and it thrived on that bigotry to the point where its members were blind of their own shortcomings.

However, while reading, I couldnt help but point to the political parallels from a century ago that seem to echo today. Laws are being introduced in multiple states to diminish the rights of transgender people. Floridas lawmakers are fighting tooth and nail to prevent historical accuracy from being taught in schools. Books are barred that are deemed too controversial to an anticand falseAmerican dream.

Voter suppression is an ongoing issue during elections. Neo-Nazis marched with torches at the University of Virginia (my alma mater), trumpeting white power seemingly in homage to those turn-of-the-century lynch mobs and cross burnings. And were still enduring the aftermath of a former president who wanted to build a wall to keep out Latinos he deemed were killers and other immigrants from shithole countries.

Though the Ku Klux Klan may not officially be feared as a collective organization as it once was, remnants of its social, political, and psychological power still fester in the soil.

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Illustration of a digital book. Yagi Studio/Getty Images.

A judge recently ruled in favor of four major publishing companies suing the Internet Archive, a free online digital library, in a highly-watched and consequential copyright suit. The publishers  Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins, John Wiley & Sons, and Penguin Random House  filed the lawsuit against the non-profit in 2020, accusing it of copyright infringement "for loaning out digital copies of books without compensation or permission from the publishers," NPR summarizes.

The legal challenge arrived after Internet Archive offered a "National Emergency Library," a temporary collection meant to expand access to books, during the early days of the COVID-19 lockdown. Rather than loaning out one digital copy of a book in the collection for every physical copy in the archive's wider arsenal  an industry-wide practice known as controlled digital lending  IA relaxed those guardrails and allowed multiple patrons to rent out the same digitized copy at the same time. The four publishers then sued Internet Archive, alleging it had engaged in "willful mass copyright infringement" that violated publishers' intellectual property and cut into their profits. Though Internet Archive argued it was legally allowed to lend out the copies under the fair use doctrine, U.S. District Court Jude John G. Koeltl ultimately disagreed and sided with the publishers. "Although [Internet Archive] has the right to lend print books it lawfully acquired, it does not have the right to scan those books and lend the digital copies en masse," Koeltl said in his opinion.

Now that the dust has settled, how are those on both sides of the debate making sense of Koeltl's ruling and its reverberations for the publishing and literary world as a whole?

'It is theft, and it devalues authors' works'

The Authors Guild, a professional organization for published writers, said in a Twitter post that they were "thrilled" with Koeltl's decision, adding that "scanning and lending books without permission or compensation is NOT fair use  it is theft and it devalues authors' works." Authors Guild CEO Mary Rasenberger also told Wired that the ruling was a win for authors dependent on e-book licensing. "It's just extraordinary, with the rise of library e-book lending, how much income to the publishers and the authors has declined," she said.

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By rejecting Internet Archive's arguments about fair use, "the court has underscored the importance of authors, publishers, and creative markets in a global society," Maria A. Pallante, president and CEO of the Association of American Publishers, said in a statement. "We hope the opinion will prove educational to the defendant and anyone else who finds public laws inconvenient to their own interests."

The judge was right to rule against Internet Archive, considering the San-Francisco-based company has a "typical Silicon Valley attitude of laws-be-damned," author and independent journalist Edward Hasbrouck told Wired. "The Internet Archive tried to force their own de facto licensing terms  free  onto us."

'A blow for libraries, readers, and authors'

Koeltl's decision will only add to the frustration of librarians over the "uneasy transition of books from paper to digital formats," Dan Cohen, the dean of the library at Northeastern University, wrote for The Atlantic. "It will impoverish readers across the country seeking access to digital books, and over time diminish the library as a democratic institution that provides broad collections to everyone."

Indeed, the company's loss here could maybe mean the end of controlled digital lending as we know it, Peter Suber, director of the Harvard Open Access Project, told Slate's Nitish Pahwa and Emma Wallenbrock in an article published last fall, before the ruling was handed down. "We will not be legally allowed to take full advantage of the affordances of the Internet for sharing literature, and that would be a tragedy," Suber said. Ultimately, Pahwa and Wallenbrock mused, "that will hurt researchers and readers alike."

And, of course, for Internet Archive's part, the ruling is "a blow for libraries, readers, and authors," the organization said in an online statement. "Libraries are more than the customer service departments for corporate database products," founder Brewster Kahle said in the statement. "For democracy to thrive at global scale, libraries must be able to sustain their historic role in society  owning, preserving, and lending books."

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Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird (R), who replaced the states Democratic AG of 30 years in November, has paused Iowas sexual assault victim compensation funds long-time practice of covering emergency contraception and abortions for rape victims, the Des Moines Register reported on Friday. Per a statement from Birds spokesperson, the directive comes as part of Birds ongoing top-down, bottom-up audit of victim assistance.



Attorney General Bird is carefully evaluating whether this is an appropriate use of public funds, Alyssa Brouillet, Birds press secretary, said in a statement to the Des Moines Register. Until that review is complete, payment of these pending claims will be delayed.

Read more

Bird, who ironically ran on a platform of protecting victimswhich she even writes in her Twitter biohas been vocal about her anti-abortion views. Shes defending the states six-week ban in court, after longtime Democratic AG Tom Miller had refused to do so. Under Miller, the states victim compensation fund covered the full range of care survivors needed, including emergency contraception and abortion. Upon being elected, Bird asked Sandi Tibbetts Murphy, who directed the fund under Miller, to resign. My concern is for the victims of sexual assault, who, with no real notice, are now finding themselves either unable to access needed treatment and services, or are now being forced to pay out of their own pocket for those services, when this was done at no fault of their own, Tibbetts Murphy told the Des Moines Register.

Beth Barnhill, executive director of the Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault, also told the Register shes concerned that emergency contraception is being erroneously conflated with abortion. I hope they really consider [my comment to them] to not consider emergency contraception and abortion as the same I know it gets conflated in the public discourse pretty often, she said. But if a rape survivor had access to emergency contraception, then they would potentially not have to make that difficult decision about a pregnancy.

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In the wake of Roe v. Wade being overturned, abortion rights advocates have been sounding the alarm on Republicans coming after Plan B nextespecially as some openly admit they do not know the difference between emergency contraception (which prevents a pregnancy) and abortion. The Kansas City Health System briefly paused its service providing free emergency contraception to rape victims last year, citing concerns about the legality of doing so with abortion banned. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) expressed openness to banning emergency contraception in the fall. Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-Mont.) recently referred to Plan B as an abortifacient.

If Republicans were genuinely interested in preventing abortions, theyd be working to make Plan B more accessible to everyoneand certainly free for rape survivors. Emergency contraception and abortion, if the victim cant access Plan B in time, are essential health services after a sexual assault; survivors have likened forced pregnancy to a second rape. And the financial ramifications that can follow sexual assault are extensive. At Birds guidance, survivors in Iowa will now have to worry about paying out of pocket for emergency contraceptionwhich can cost as much as $50and abortion, too. The move is simply cruel, and bad public policy.

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Several hundred Iraqi Kurds protested on Sunday against repeated Turkish military bombardments of their region, two days after an attack near the Sulaimaniyah airport.

The bombardment on Friday caused an explosion near the airport wall while the commander of the Kurdish-led and US-allied Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) was present. US troops were also in the area but there were no casualties, the Pentagon said.

Around 400 protesters, many of them middle-aged, walked in the centre of Sulaimaniyah, the second city in Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region.

They waved the flag of Iraqi Kurdistan and held a banner denouncing the airport bombardment as a "terrorist act".

Organised by activists and former parliamentarians, the demonstrators also shouted against the "dictator" President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, according to an AFP correspondent.

"This is not the first Turkish aggression against civilian targets in the region," said Ali Amine, 66, a retired civil servant.

"It has become a permanent attack. Sometimes it's villages, sometimes civilian targets -- agricultural land, water or electricity installations."

Another protester, Fatma Hamid, 55, denounced "the lax positions" of authorities in the region which has been autonomous for three decades.

Turkey has long maintained military positions inside northern Iraq, where it regularly launches operations against Turkish Kurdish fighters from the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

The PKK, which Ankara and its Western allies classify as a "terrorist" organisation, operates rear bases in Iraq's north.

Since 1984 the PKK has waged an insurgency in Turkey that has claimed tens of thousands of lives.

Turkey regards the main component of the SDF, the People's Protection Units (YPG), as an offshoot of the PKK.

On April 3, Ankara halted flights to and from Sulaimaniyah until at least July 3, blaming increased PKK activity in and around the airport.

A source at the Turkish defence ministry denied any involvement by the country's military in the bombardment of Sulaimaniyah airport.

Iraqi President Abdel Latif Rashid on Saturday condemned Turkey's "military operations against the Kurdistan region, the last being the bombardment against Sulaimaniyah civilian airport".

str-tgg/gde/hj/noc/it
When a British journalist once asked Joe Biden for an interview, the US president responded with a joke.

"The BBC? I'm Irish," Biden said, smiling, as he walked past the reporter, in an undated video that went viral on social media.

Eighty-year-old Biden, the second Catholic president in American history, will lean into his Irish heritage when he travels to the United Kingdom and Ireland this week.

The US leader, who acts as if he had already begun his 2024 presidential campaign, albeit without officially declaring his candidacy, wants to appeal to voters vying for the American dream of immigrants' success.

A 2020 Biden campaign ad featured the future president reciting a poem by Irish Nobel Prize-winning poet Seamus Heaney.

And when the Irish rugby team beat New Zealand's mighty All Blacks in November 2021, Biden picked up the phone to congratulate them.

- Famine -

His BBC joke aside, Biden does have British heritage on his father's side. But he has chosen to emphasize his maternal lineage.

Biden's ancestors left Ireland in the mid-19th century when the country was ravaged by famine, before eventually settling in blue-collar Scranton, Pennsylvania.

So Biden now plans a reverse trip. His itinerary includes stops in Belfast to commemorate the signing 25 years ago of the Good Friday agreement that brought peace to Northern Ireland. He then moves on for a series of official events in Dublin.

But the White House has also organized several very personal stops in the land of Biden's ancestors, just as in 2016, when he traveled to Ireland as vice president.

Will he again stop in the village pub founded by his family? If so, he won't be ordering the traditional pint of beer. "Im the only Irishman youve ever met, though, thats never had a drink," he joked recently.

As his expected 2024 campaign approaches, Biden has promised to revive the "American dream," saying he will give his fellow countrymen and women cause for hope and confidence. How better to do that than through a lyrical recounting of his family's emigration from Ireland?

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In a 2013 speech delivered upon his admission to the Irish America Hall of Fame, he evoked the family history as he sang the praises of their newly adopted country, one replete, he said, with "possibilities for those who are willing to work hard, those who are willing to play by the rules."

"It's all about dignity," he said, sounding themes still regularly heard in his stump speeches.

- 'Land of possibilities' -

"This is a powerful origin story that taps into the continued American self-imagination as a land of possibilities," Coilin Parsons, director of global Irish studies at Georgetown University, told AFP.

The octogenarian whose life has been scarred by death -- Biden has lost two children and his first wife -- and who has faced no shortage of setbacks in his political career, often says he draws his strength from two sources: his Catholic faith and his family's values.

On March 17 or St. Patrick's Day -- a public holiday in Ireland -- Biden shared a bit of advice he had received from his maternal grandfather: "Joey," he said, "never bend, never bow, never kneel, never yield. Never. Never."

The visceral attachment to his Irish heritage by the sometimes sentimental, sometimes hotheaded US president naturally has a political dimension as well.

Since 1952, said Parsons, a top official of the Irish government, generally the Taoiseach, or prime minister, "has been able to command the time and attention of the US president ... (with) a visit of the White House every St. Patrick's Day. No other country has the luxury of being able to count on that level of political access."

More than 30 million Americans claim Irish roots and the Irish-American vote can still prove pivotal in strategic states like Pennsylvania and Ohio, Parsons said.

But he also pointed out that Biden's trip, while replete with nods to Irish folklore and history, is also designed to shine light, if indirectly, on some very current topics.

"Yes, there are shamrocks and Irish dancing," Parsons said, "but increasingly Ireland represents a different kind of story.... At a time when US politics seems to be turning rapidly toward entrenched conservatism, Ireland is a country that has shaken off the influence of the Catholic Church in recent years," allowing same-sex marriages, for example.

And Joe Biden, while a fervent Catholic, has also become a vocal defender of abortion rights -- something strongly Catholic Ireland opened the door to in recent years.

aue/bbk/mdl/tjj
Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar. Pier Marco Tacca/Getty Images

Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said Sunday that he would intensify efforts with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to restore a power-sharing agreement in Northern Ireland. It comes as debate over the proposed Windsor Framework between the European Union and the U.K. continues to grow.

"We put a huge amount of effort in the last few months into getting an agreement on revisions and reforms to the protocol," Varadkar told Irish broadcaster RTE.

Varadkar's comments came on the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, a 1998 pact between the U.K., Ireland, and Northern Irish parties that ended a 30-year violent sectarian conflict known as The Troubles. However, since then, "there has been a power-sharing stalemate ... for almost as long as it has been functioning," Bloomberg reported, largely due to disagreements over the movement of goods between Ireland and Northern Ireland.

The current trade agreement, known as the Northern Ireland Protocol, was enacted after the British departure from the EU left the Ireland-Northern Ireland border as the only remaining land crossing between the U.K. and EU. When the U.K. was part of the EU, trade could pass freely across the border.

To address the thorny trade and political issues arising from Brexit in Northern Ireland, the U.K. and EU crafted the Windsor Framework to amend the Northern Ireland Protocol to address concerns from businesses and pro-U.K. Northern Irish unionists. While the U.K. and EU have signed off on the agreement, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), a leading faction in Northern Ireland, has not. The DUP has said it would not agree to the framework without further changes, Reuters reported.

As debate over the framework continues, Varadkar told RTE he would have "deep engagement with the British government and also with the five parties in Northern Ireland to try and get the institutions up and running again."

Story continues

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Israel on Sunday denied allegations that leaders of its Mossad intelligence service had encouraged agency staff and Israeli citizens to participate in last months protests against the governments proposed judicial reforms, claims that came out of recently leaked Pentagon documents.

The report that was published overnight in the American press is mendacious and without any foundation whatsoever. The Mossad and its senior officials did not  and do not  encourage agency personnel to join the demonstrations against the government, political demonstrations or any political activity, the Israeli prime ministers office posted on behalf of the Mossad.

The Mossad and its serving senior personnel have not engaged in the issue of the demonstrations at all and are dedicated to the value of service to the state that has guided the Mossad since its founding, the statement continued.

A number of documents have surfaced on social media in an apparent U.S. intelligence leak, according to the New York Times, including a CIA assessment that Mossad leaders encouraged agency officials to protest the new Israeli governments judicial reforms.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delayed the controversial overhaul plans amid nationwide demonstrations. President Biden has urged Netanyahu to compromise with his political opponents and walk away from the proposal.

Netanyahu replied to Bidens comments late last month, saying Israel makes its decisions by the will of its people and not based on pressures from abroad, including from the best of friends.

The Israel-related assessment is part of a trove of apparent Pentagon documents leaked online in recent days, though the source of the leak remains unclear, and the accuracy of all the materials is still unknown.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel's government on Sunday rejected claims raised in documents allegedly leaked from the Pentagon that leaders of its foreign intelligence service Mossad had supported nationwide protests against a proposed overhaul of Israel's judiciary.

The New York Times on Saturday published an assessment it attributed to a Central Intelligence Update from March 1 that Mossad leadership had encouraged its staff and Israeli citizens to join the mass protests. The paper said that while the leaked documents seemed authentic, it did not mean they were accurate.

The office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement that the report was "mendacious and without any foundation whatsoever".

"The Mossad and its senior officials did not  and do not  encourage agency personnel to join the demonstrations against the government, political demonstrations or any political activity," it said.

Netanyahu's overhaul plan has sparked unprecedented public anger since his coalition of hard-right and religious parties came to power late last year, and has also caused alarm among Israel's Western allies.

The proposed legislation would enable parliament to override Supreme Court decisions and hold control over judicial appointments.

After weeks of intensifying demonstrations, Netanyahu in late March relented and said he would delay the contested reforms to allow for compromise talks with opposition parties.

The U.S. Justice Department said on Friday it was in touch with the Defense Department and had began a probe into the leak of the alleged documents, covering several subjects relating to national security. It declined further comment.

(Reporting by Ari Rabinovitch; Editing by Alison Williams)
Aladdin villain Jafar (played by Bowen Yang) mocked baby mayor Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) for his battle with Disney during a Weekend Update segment on Saturday.

Yangs take on the Aladdin villain comes after a DeSantis-appointed board claimed that a prior Disney-controlled board took away a chunk of its powers and granted Disney the ability to develop to the max on its massive Orlando property.

The prior board  known as Reedy Creek Improvement District  had control over the property before Disneys disapproval of the Florida Dont Say Gay bill, which passed in 2022 and looks to forbid talk of gender and sexuality in the classroom.

Yang took direct aim at DeSantis and called him an amateur villain on Saturday Night Live.

He has no rizz, no spark, no drip  the look is giving baby mayor, Yang said. He did wear those white cowboy boots but lets be honest, they wore him.

Yang, who joked that opening up Grindr would lead to a phone explosion on Main Street, USA, later weighed in on a comment where Weekend Update co-host Michael Che said DeSantis doesnt even want anything remotely gay happening at Disney World.

Theres already a Disney World where nothing gay happens, its called Six Flags, he replied.

Jafar later spoke over menacing music as he addressed the swamp rat.

Bravo for attempting to sieze our precious land only to be twarted once again by the House of Mouse, said Yang in a message to DeSantis.

Dont say gay? Well if there is no gay, there is no Disney. And everyone loves Disney including you cause your dumbass got married there.

You can watch more clips from Weekend Update in the clips below.

Related...
After more than a decade of efforts, Ventura County officials expect to open a $61-million health unit next month to treat and house jail inmates with serious mental illness and medical conditions.

Scores of elected officials, police and citizens turned out Wednesday for the grand opening and tour of the addition to the Todd Road Jail located west of Santa Paula. They got a close-up view of the 64-bed locked facility before the first inmates are placed in what's being called the Health & Programming Unit.

"It represents years of thought and planning and design and construction," Assistant Sheriff Shane Matthews told the crowd. "We're finally here."

Architect Bill Prindle says the result achieved a key purpose  providing a place where inmates with serious mental illness can stay without hurting themselves and get the treatment they need.

Cells inside the new center reflect the demands of holding inmates with serious psychological issues. They are spare by intention in an effort to keep inmates from using something like a cord to harm themselves. Safety cells with no furniture and padded walls were built for inmates in crisis.

But Prindle notes the unit also offers soft touches. Some of the interior walls are painted green and blue, colors that research shows are calming. The space is illuminated with natural light and common areas have high ceilings. The acoustics were designed to lower noise levels.

Outdoor gardens were planted so they could be viewed from inside the facility, an attempt to connect inmates with the healing aspect of nature.

"There is research that supports the notion of connection with nature," said Prindle, vice president at HDR Architecture Inc. in Dallas. "In this case we were able to introduce this viewing garden.....It came out very well."

Specialized uses

Ventura County's new $61 million health unit at the Todd Road Jail includes a number of padded safety cells shown during a facility tour on Wednesday.

The eight-sided, concrete-block facility contains 60 cells where inmates with medical and mental health needs will be housed. Another four are designated as medical cells for short-term needs such as recovery from surgery.

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The unit also offers medical treatment rooms, classrooms, a dental office for both routine and emergency care. Surgeries and other major procedures would still be performed off site, but inmates can get X-rays, dialysis treatment and minor medical procedures such as suturing of cuts.

Sheriff's Capt. Tim Ragan, who oversees the unit, likens the medical side of the facility to an urgent care. On the mental health side, care from "A to Z" will be provided with the exception of inmates needing hospitalization, he said.

Three mental-health programs at the main jail in Ventura are scheduled to move to the Todd Road Jail after the unit opens: a program to rehabilitate people found incompetent to stand trial so they can assist in their own defense, another designed to intervene at an early stage with that population and a therapeutic program for other inmates with serious mental disorders.

Around 1,300 people are held in the two jails, where the number of inmates with serious mental illness and chronic medical conditions has climbed significantly in recent years. The growth in demand for medical care has been tied to the state's 2011 shift of certain felony cases from prisons to local jails, while the presence of mentally ill people in jail is a longstanding issue. Roughly 40% of the total jail population takes medication for a psychiatric disorder, according to an estimate the sheriff's office made two years ago.

'Long time coming'

Guests tour Ventura County's new Health & Programming Unit at the Todd Road Jail on Wednesday. The long-sought addition will house inmates with serious mental illness and medical conditions.

Nancy Borchard, a longtime advocate for people with mental illness, welcomed the completion of the new health unit after touring the facility Wednesday.

"I'm happy it got done," said the member of the county Behavioral Health Advisory Board. "It was a long time coming."

Sheriffs officials began discussing the concept more than 10 years ago, but funding and political issues along with the pandemic and permit delays slowed the project down.

Money proved to be a major hurdle. Almost 10 years ago in 2014, a state corrections board denied the countys request for a $41 million grant to build the unit, mostly over concerns that a 10% local match needed to be firmed up.

The next year, the county got less than half the $55 million sought. But the facility received the full amount in 2016 when San Francisco officials relinquished their award because of concerns over using the cash for a detention facility.

Ultimately, the state agreed to pay 90% of the cost with the county putting up the other 10% from local property tax dollars.

Nor was the project uniformly popular.

The Santa Paula City Council initially opposed the expansion in 2013 for fear the addition would tarnish the communitys image and economy, but later dropped its opposition in view of the assistance inmates could receive.

Officials held a ceremonial ground-breaking in 2019 and forecast that the project would be completed in two more years. Then the pandemic followed in 2020, sidetracking it again. Matthews said the virus and the shutdown slowed the schedule, making it difficult to find workers and ensure they were safe. He said there also was a delay in getting permits OK'd by the state fire marshal.

Finishing touches

Guests tour Ventura County's new health unit at the Todd Road Jail outside Santa Paula on Wednesday.

There are still some major tasks and finishing touches ahead, like moving staff, installing phones and testing security, but sheriff's officials expect to open by the end of May.

Borchard said she expects that inmates will benefit from having mental health treatment close at hand after the facility opens.

"Just when people need that kind of care, they can get it right away," she said.

Public Defender Claudia Bautista heads the legal office that represents many of the clients who will be housed and treated at the unit. She called the opening "a positive step" toward meeting the needs of people charged with crimes and living with mental illness that's often untreated and undiagnosed.

Educational programs offered in the unit could help them acquire skills and prepare for re-entry into the community, she said.

"This can potentially reduce recidivism rates among this population and improve community safety," she said.

Kathleen Wilson covers courts, crime and local government issues for the Ventura County Star. Reach out to her at kathleen.wilson@vcstar.com and 805-437-0271.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Long-awaited mental health unit opening at Ventura County jail
Jennifer Garner is happy to avoid press coverage of herself and ex-husband Ben Affleck (pictured together in 2013). (Photo: John Shearer/Invision/AP)

Jennifer Garner suspects her ex-husband Ben Affleck is "quite meme-worthy"  but she's yet to actually come across any of the memes featuring the Air director (with a weary expression, with his beloved Dunkin', with new wife Jennifer Lopez at the Grammys ...).

In fact, Garner, 50, tries to steer clear of any and all coverage featuring herself or the man she shares three children with.

"I really work hard not to see either of us in the press," the actress, up next in The Last Thing He Told Me, tells Australian magazine Stellar. "It doesnt make me feel good, even if its something nice about one of us.

Affleck recently shrugged off his many meme-able moments in an interview with the Hollywood Reporter; "at a certain point, I am who I am," he told the outlet. Garner, meanwhile, would prefer to block them out altogether.

"I just try to forget that Im out there in any way, and the same with anyone I love," she told Stellar. "I dont need to see anyone in my family made into a meme."

Co-stars in Pearl Harbor and Daredevil, Garner and Affleck wed in 2005 and announced their plans to divorce in 2015; the split was finalized in 2018. And while the actors by all accounts have remained friendly throughout their breakup, Affleck's comments during a 2021 interview with Howard Stern  comments he has since said were misrepresented  got a lot of press pickup. Speaking to Stern about his battle with alcoholism, the Oscar winner said he'd "probably still be drinking" if the couple had stayed together.

The fallout from that interview has left him "very guarded," he told the Hollywood Reporter recently.

"I had a really painful experience where I did an interview where I was really vulnerable, and the entire pickup was something that was not only not right, it was actually the opposite of what I meant," he explained.

"To be clear, my behavior is my responsibility entirely," he added. "The point that I was trying to make was a sad one. Anyone who's been through divorce makes that calculus of, How much do we try? We loved each other. We care about each other. We have respect for each other. I was trying to say, 'Hey, look, I was drinking too much, and the less happy you become, whether it's your job, your marriage, it's just that as your life becomes more difficult, if youre doing things to fill a hole that aren't healthy, youre going to start doing more of those things.'

"I think I was pretty articulate about that," he added. "It was the New York Post who deliberately mischaracterized it in order to make it clickbait, and everyone else then picked it up, and it didn't matter how many times I said, 'I do not feel this way. I'm telling you, I don't blame my ex-wife for my alcoholism.' So, yeah. It's hard."
Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck attend the Academy Awards on February 24, 2013. Jason Merritt/Getty Images

Jennifer Garner told Stellar Magazine that she avoids seeing ex-husband Ben Affleck in the press.

"It doesn't make me feel good, even if it's something nice about one of us," the actor said on Saturday.

Garner, 50, and Affleck, 50, were married for 10 years and share three children together.

Jennifer Garner said she avoids press coverage of her and her ex-husband Ben Affleck in an interview published Saturday in the Australian magazine Stellar. The "13 Going on 30" actor said seeing mentions of Affleck "doesn't make me feel good."

"I really work hard not to see either of us in the press," Garner told the outlet. "It doesn't make me feel good, even if it's something nice about one of us."

Garner went on to say that she avoids all mentions of her loved ones in the press.

"I just try to forget that I'm out there in any way, and the same with anyone I love," she continued. "I don't need to see anyone in my family made into a meme. Although I'm sure he's quite meme-worthy, yes!"

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner got divorced after 10 years of marriage. Danny Moloshok/Reuters

In December 2021, Affleck commented on his 10-year marriage to Garner, saying that he would "probably still be drinking" if they had stayed together, in an appearance on "The Howard Stern Show."

Affleck clarified his comment in a March 2023 interview with The Hollywood Reporter. "I had a really painful experience where I did an interview where I was really vulnerable, and the entire pickup was something that was not only not right, it was actually the opposite of what I meant," he told the outlet.

"I think I was pretty articulate about that," the actor continued. "It was the New York Post who deliberately mischaracterized it in order to make it clickbait, and everyone else then picked it up, and it didn't matter how many times I said, 'I do not feel this way. I'm telling you, I don't blame my ex-wife for my alcoholism.' So, yeah. It's hard."

Garner and Affleck first met on the set of "Pearl Harbor" in 2000, and began publicly dating in 2004, according to People. In June 2005 the actors tied the knot and announced they were expecting their first child together.

Garner and Affleck announced their split in 2015 and finalized their divorce in 2018, per People. The duo shares three children, Violet, 17, Seraphina, 14, and Samuel, 11.

Read the original article on Insider
"Good Friday, made magic on the mountain," wrote Jeremy Renner with a family photo at Six Flags Magic Mountain, more than three months after surviving a snowplow accident

Jesse Grant/Getty Jeremy Renner

Jeremy Renner is enjoying family time.

The Academy Award nominee, 52, and his family took a trip to Six Flags Magic Mountain in Southern California on Friday, sharing a family photo more than three months after he survived a snowplow accident on New Year's Day.

"Good Friday, made magic on the mountain with some of my amazing family! " wrote Renner in the caption.

Related:Jeremy Renner's Home Is 'Overflowing' with Family and Love as He Recovers, Says Friend (Exclusive)

The group, which included his 10-year-old daughter Ava Berlin, posed in front of a rollercoaster, with a mobility scooter seen parked nearby.

Renner broke more than 30 bones and underwent multiple surgeries following the accident at his property outside Reno, Nevada, which initially left him in "critical condition." He was attempting to save his nephew when the accident happened.

Never miss a story  sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

The Hawkeye star revealed that he was back on his feet last month, sharing a video of himself walking on a treadmill. He's scheduled to make his first public appearance since his accident at Tuesday's premiere of his Disney+ series Rennervations.

Related:Jeremy Renner 'Refuses' to Be 'Haunted,' 'Victimized' by Snowplow Accident: 'I Shifted the Narrative'

The actor's friend and Rennervations executive producer Rory Millikin recently told PEOPLE that Renner's home has been "overflowing" with family as he recovers.

"His mom's here constantly. I mean, his mom moved in to take care, just like moms do. Mothers play such an incredible role of support," said Millikin last week. "You should see this house  it's just overflowing with nieces, nephews and cousins and siblings all the time. It's like a wonderful big family compound and everyone has played a huge role."

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RELATED VIDEO: Jeremy Renner Gives Update on Upcoming Rennervations Series amid Recovery from Snowplow Accident

Renner previously told Diane Sawyer he's trying to "shift the narrative of being victimized or making a mistake or anything else," adding during his ABC interview last week: "I refuse to be f------ haunted by that memory that way."

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.
Justin Theroux at the London premiere for Netflix miniseries Maniac. (REUTERS/Eddie Keogh)

Lightning has struck twice for Justin Theroux, who'll reprise Ethan Chase in next year's Joker sequel.

Subtitled Folie a Deux, which translates to a 'shared delusion between two people', the movie takes us back to the chaotic world of Joaquin Phoenix's clown Arthur Fleck - joined by Lady Gaga's psychiatrist Harley Quinn in Arkham Asylum.

Read more: Every upcoming DC Comics movie and TV series from The Batman Part II to Superman: Legacy

Despite only cameoing for a split second in the original Oscar-winning comic book thriller - Ethan was a guest on talkshow Live! with Murray Franklin - Theroux teased his character's return on Instagram this weekend with a picture next to director Todd Phillips.

"Midnight jokers #ethanchase #thatsawrap," read part of the actor's caption.

Lady Gaga and Joaquin Phoenix in Joker 2. (Warner Bros.)

As for whether he gets more screen time in Joker: Folie a Deux, it's anyone's guess right now.

In conversation with The Hollywood Reporter two years ago, The Leftovers star Theroux weighed in on the possibility of coming back as Ethan, commenting: "All I can say is I haven't spoken to Todd in forever, and I have not approached him about doing anything for Joker.

"I won't say any more than that. Unless he has some brilliant way to weave in that small character, that would really be shoehorning a character into the movie that probably doesn't need to be there."

Read more: 'Joker 2': Joaquin Phoenix seen reading script as sequel confirmed

On how he initially landed the blink-and-you'll-miss-it gig, Theroux revealed that Phillips rang him up one random day with a conveniently timed offer.

"If I wasn't free, I wouldn't have done it, but I was free, so I said, 'Yeah, Id love that. That would be super fun.' What's wrong with sitting around and giggling for a day with Robert De Niro and Todd Phillips?"

Watch: Joaquin Phoenix passed out on set of Beau is Afraid
Journalist and author Jeremy Gordin was killed at his home in Parkview, Johannesburg last week - Sunday Scans

Police are working "intensely" to find those responsible for the murder of a prominent South African journalist who was killed during a burglary at his home in Johannesburg.

Jeremy Gordin's death has highlighted the country's growing security problems and comes just months after the writer published an emotional letter warning his two grown children to emigrate because things were "falling apart".

Police said parts of the house were splattered with the journalists blood and that his body had been covered. They have yet to reveal the cause of death but hinted Gordin was stabbed.

Gordins Mercedes Benz and a television were also stolen from his property.

He was alone when he was killed last week while his wife, Deborah, also a journalist, and their two adult children were in Cape Town on holiday.

Unlike other houses in the leafy Johannesburg suburb of Parkview, many of which boast electric fences and tall walls, the Gordin family home had little security.

The writer's sister travelled from London to join a large gathering of mourners for his burial in a Jewish cemetery in western Johannesburg on Wednesday.

Last year after a burglary in his home, Mr Gordin wrote a column for Politicsweb, in which he urged his two children, both aged in their 20s, to leave South Africa.

He accused the ruling African National Congress of misrule and expressed concern about ongoing electricity cuts, which sometimes impact water supplies.

There comes a time when things are clearly falling apart and there comes a time when the general moronicism, greed and lack of care grow really annoying, Gordin wrote in a piece entitled A letter to my children.

And you, who have your whole lives before you (as they say), need to consider seriously going to live elsewhere. Weve been doing it for centuries, after all.

Murder suburb 'very safe'

It comes as estate agents report a boom in property sales in the more wealthy suburbs of South Africa, particularly among white residents.

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One reason they give for leaving is crime, said an agent operating in northern Johannesburg, who asked not to be identified. Prices are dropping which is tough for the seller and for us, she added.

However it is unusual for white people to be murdered in South Africa, according to Gareth Newham, Head of Justice and Violence Prevention at the Institute for Security Studies.

If you are a white male you are three times more likely to commit suicide than be killed by a stranger, he said.

Crime statistics show that Parkview, where Mr Gordin was murdered, is a very safe suburbwhen murders do take place it is more likely to be for domestic reasons, Mr Newham added.

Alcohol is a massive contributor to our violent crime rate, he said.

South Africans endured extreme lockdowns during the Covid-19 pandemic in which alcohol sales were banned for more than 18 months, leading to crime rates plummeting.

There had been a massive drop in crime for nearly two decades after the country's first democratic elections in 1994, but it began rising three years after disgraced former president Jacob Zuma was elected to power in 2009.

Mr Gordon wrote a book about Mr Zuma a year before he was sworn into office, but there have been no suggestions his murder was connected in any way to that work.

Latest statistics, released earlier this year from the South African Police Service, covering October to December 2022, show that 74 people were murdered every day, a 10 per cent year-on-year increase.

Nearly half of those murdered were killed with a firearm.
Mr Justice Eyre told jurors he was aware that some people might find the phrase 'ladies and gentlemen' offensive - Gary Lee / Avalon

A judge was so worried about breaching new woke language rules that he asked jurors if addressing them as ladies and gentlemen upset anyone by excluding non-binary people.

At the start of a murder trial at Mold Crown Court in North Wales, Mr Justice Eyre asked the jury whether they felt his use of the phrase was too traditional, offensive or exclusive.

His concerns follow new guidance that requires judges to consider the feelings of anyone, including criminals, when addressing them in court.

The advice from the Courts and Tribunals Judiciary urges members of the bench to treat all court users respectfully and think about how their words and behaviour can affect others.

The guidance also warns against shouting or snapping and insists judges must be open to feedback if we have done something that may have caused discomfort or offence.

Opening the trial, Mr Justice Eyre told jurors he planned to address them as ladies and gentlemen because it seemed more polite. But he admitted: I know not everyone takes that view. Some people think its old-fashioned or offensive or excludes people who dont identify as binary.

The judge suggested he could adopt a non-gendered alternative. He said: If any one of you would prefer me to address you as members of the jury, not ladies and gentlemen, please give a note saying that and I will switch.

Mr Justice Eyre added that he wanted none of the jurors to feel uncomfortable.

Judge warned over 'misconduct'

Another judge has already fallen foul of the rules after being sanctioned for unconscious bias when she unintentionally appeared to question whether a British-born ethnic minority litigant was originally from the UK.

Judge Tracey Cronin received a warning - known as formal advice for misconduct - from the Lord Chief Justice Lord Burnett, with the Lord Chancellor Dominic Raabs agreement, after she asked an ethnic minority litigant who was born in the UK whether she had researched the law in the country in which you are living.

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The Judicial Conduct Investigations Office said in a statement: A nominated judge concluded that by asking such a question HHJ Cronin had displayed an element of subconscious bias, appearing to imply that the complainant had not been born in the UK.

The nominated judge made a finding of misconduct and recommended that HHJ Cronin receive a sanction of formal advice. The lord chief justice and lord chancellor agreed.

During an investigation of a complaint by the litigant, Judge Cronin acknowledged her question had offended the complainant and apologised.

The Constitutional Reform Act 2005 sets out sanctions for misconduct by judicial office-holders. They are, in order of severity: formal advice, formal warning, reprimand and removal from office.

In a message to judges, Lord Burnett said the guidance provides a shared understanding of the behaviour we can expect from one another, and that others can expect of us.

He added: It is important that all read this and understand their vital role in fostering an inclusive working environment.
PEORIA - A juvenile male was shot in the 1500 block of West Martin Saturday afternoon.

According to police, Shot Spotter detected 11 rounds fired around 3:42 p.m. Officers were told that at least two people were shooting at each other. Later in the day, a juvenile male with multiple gunshot wounds arrived at a local hospital by private vehicle.

Anyone with information about the shooting is encouraged to contact the Peoria Police Department at (309) 673-4521, or Crime Stoppers at (309) 673-9000, or make an anonymous tip to tip411.

More: Mackinaw teen is charged as an adult in shooting death of her mother

In the news: Brimfield man, 22, dies in motorcycle crash in Peoria County

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Peoria police say juvenile suffered multiple gunshot wounds
Years ago, I was in Budapest and met a pair of fellow travelers from Romania. Having already surmised that I was American, one of them asked me, Where in the States are you from? When I answered, Kansas City, her boyfriend immediately replied, Man, I need to try some of that Kansas City barbecue. I had a similar experience in Dublin only a few weeks prior.

On that trip, I realized that our citys reputation for world-famous barbecue wasnt just hyperbole. Around the globe, our city is best known for its culinary calling card. People who know KC know our barbecue. Yet most  even locals  are unaware of the man responsible for our citys global reputation.

In 1908, Henry Perry launched Kansas Citys first-ever commercial barbecue venture from a pushcart in the Garment District. His smoked meats were so popular among the factory workers that, in 1910, he opened his own restaurant on the East Side. By all accounts, Perrys was the first barbecue restaurant in the city and one of the first in the nation.

Within those walls, the self-dubbed Barbecue King invented the barbecue style that put Kansas City on the map. Several local pitmasters still use his approach to smoking meats. Perry is also responsible for one other crucial element that makes Kansas City barbecue unique: the sauce. While his recipe was quite different from what we know today, it was still Kansas Citys first barbecue sauce, and likely the first commercially available one in the country.

A Black entrepreneur in the early 20th century, Perry transcended several racial and socioeconomic divides. Perrys restaurant may very well have been the first truly integrated business in the city.

Perry also believed in giving back. On July 3, 1920, he began an annual tradition of feeding more than 1,000 local elderly and children, free of charge.

When he died, Perry left the restaurant to his apprentice Charlie Bryant. Charlie sold it to his brother Arthur, who famously added molasses to Perrys signature sauce and established the Kansas City style. Another apprentice, Arthur Pinkard, was pivotal in opening Gates Bar-B-Q.

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In 1974, Calvin Trillin wrote: What I cant understand is why this town  doesnt even have a three-dollar plaque for Henry Perry. More than 50 years later, his words still ring true. No official monument in Kansas City bears the name of the man who gave our city its greatest reputation.

We have an opportunity to change that.

Recently, we opened a brand-new terminal at Kansas City International Airport. You might have heard about it. Our glimmering new gateway to the world has been widely celebrated.

Right now, The Kansas City Stars editorial board has an online poll asking locals to weigh in on who or what should be honored with the airports new name. Despite there being an online petition I created with hundreds of signatures calling for Henry Perrys name to adorn the airport, he is such an unknown commodity that board did not include him among its 16 choices.

Even still, The Star understands the importance of Perrys contributions enough that barbecue is an option in the poll.

Kansas City is at a crossroads. Millions will fly into our city in the coming years. They will pass through a terminal that celebrates the best of our city. And nearly every one of these travelers will share a common goal: getting their hands on some of our world-class smoked meat.

Romans named their airport after Leonardo da Vinci. Louis Armstrong New Orleans International welcomes travelers to the Big Easy. Henry Perry has earned his place in Kansas City history. If we dont similarly celebrate one of our greatest historic figures and tell his story, who else will?

Devan Dignan of Kansas City is a local history and barbeque enthusiast. He is the chief blogger for the website kcdiscovery.com
Kevin McCarthy Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images

When Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) finally secured his historically embattled bid to become Speaker of the House this winter, it was the belabored result of a Faustian bargain between himself and the furthest-right wing of his party, to whom McCarthy offered a suite of deep political concessions.

Now, three months into his speakership, McCarthy is reportedly in the midst of discovering what many observers predicted when he assumed the speaker's gavel: that by bargaining away major parts of his sought-after authority in order to lead a slim Republican majority, McCarthy has created a significant impediment to his party's ability to govern that could, ultimately, threaten the position he fought so hard to attain in the first place.

Could McCarthy soon be ousted?

Speaking with CNN this week, Rep. Eli Crane (R-Ariz.) confirmed that while the far-right Freedom Caucus hasn't pulled the trigger on the biggest gun in their intra-party negotiation arsenal, Republicans have raised the possibility of forcing a vote to oust McCarthy from the speaker's seat using what's called a "motion to vacate."

"It does come up from time to time, as we game plan and we look at all of the alternatives and contingency plans that could play out over the next two years, " Crane told the network, highlighting a dilemma of McCarthy's own making. As part of the concessions offered to garner support for his speaker's bid, McCarthy agreed to lower the threshold for introducing a motion to vacate  the mechanism by which any member of the caucus could start the process of removing the presiding speaker  from five people to just one single lawmaker.

"If one person can push a motion to vacate, we'll do this again. How would you like to do this every week?" Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) predicted to The Hill shortly after McCarthy finally secured enough votes to become speaker after more than a dozen failed ballots. "I think that's the future with a few of these individuals.  It weakens the speaker, and it strengthens the smallest caucus of all the caucuses."

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That chaos is reportedly a two-way street  particularly with the looming debt ceiling breach, and the accompanying budget negotiations. As The New York Times' Jonathan Swan and Annie Karnie explain, despite vows not to "bear grudges against the right-wing holdouts [to his speakership] who extracted major policy and personnel concessions in exchange for their votes. [The] suspicions and divisions exposed during that process remain and are spilling out into the open as Mr. McCarthy faces his most consequential test: reaching a deal with President Biden to avert a catastrophic default on the nation's debt as soon as this summer."

The blame game

Speaking with Politico about McCarthy's frustrations with members of his own party, including his top lieutenants, one senior Republican pointed to the seeming inevitability of the speaker's current circumstances. "He made a bunch of promises during the speaker race that were always untenable, but he made them anyway," the source said.

"At a certain point, a lot of that stuff is going to collide, and he's getting nervous and looking for others to blame," the figure added.

Those collisions, which will only intensify as budget negotiations continue, have already cast a pall on the current congressional session. As CNN noted after House Republicans barely passed a recent bill more valuable for its optics than legislative prospects, "the intense whipping effort and internal drama on a messaging bill that is dead-on-arrival in the Senate has become a recurring theme of the House GOP's first 100 days in office."

In particular, McCarthy has reportedly targeted Budget Chair Rep. Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) of late, allegedly referring to one of the most important figures in the ongoing budget negotiations between Congress and the White House "as incompetent, according to more than half a dozen people familiar with his thinking." And while some of the opprobrium toward Arrington is reportedly McCarthy's effort to deflect blame from himself, it is also a clash stemming from McCarthy's speakership fight. "The Texas Republican privately floated [GOP Rep. Steve] Scalise for speaker when McCarthy was unable to lock down the votes for himself in January," Politico's Ryan Lizza, Rachael Bade, and Eugene Daniels write. "We're told that McCarthy allies won't forget this anytime soon."

Another of McCarthy's speaker-battle concessions has further complicated his ability to get bills passed: A new rule that expands the ability for any member to add amendments to a bill.

"I've got mixed feelings," Rep. Bacon told CNN. "On the positive side, it gets more people involved. They feel like they have a voice. That's good. I think, too, though, on the downside, it's taking some of our bills that should be more bipartisan, but through the amendment process is made more partisan."

In short, while McCarthy is experiencing the natural challenges of leading a narrow majority during one of the most contentious, partisan eras in modern politics, there's considerable evidence that the same steps he took to assume his position of authority may end up hampering his ability to do the very job he gave up so much to have.

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A man in Kharkiv Oblast was injured by a Russian anti-personnel mine on 9 April; he is in hospital.

Source: State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Kharkiv Oblast

Details: The State Emergency Service noted that the event took place in the village of Snizhkivka, Izium district.

A 38-year-old man stepped on an anti-personnel butterfly mine.

As a result of the explosion, the man received shrapnel wounds. He is in the hospital.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
Ukraine officials shrugged off on Sunday leaked Pentagon documents from the war effort that revealed data on military activities, including U.S. drone spy planes in the region and use of ammunition by Ukrainian forces.

The leaks, first reported by The New York Times, include documents released on Twitter and other social media sites. They provide information about plans by the United States and NATO to strengthen the Ukrainian military ahead of an expected spring counteroffensive, including intelligence on weapons deliveries.

Andriy Yusov, a spokesman for Ukraine's military intelligence directorate, said on Ukrainian TV that a preliminary analysis of the materials revealed "false, distorted figures on losses on both sides." Much of the information was not current and appeared to have been obtained from public sources, Yusov said.

"Russian special services' most successful operations have been taking place in Photoshop," Yusov said.

The French Defense Ministry also challenged information from the classified papers, saying that claims it had troops on the ground in Ukraine were not true and that the information did not come from the French military.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's office released a statement saying his advisers were "focused on measures to prevent the leakage of information" regarding military plans. The Justice Department, at the Pentagon's request, has launched an investigation into the leak and who is responsible for the intelligence breach.

NUCLEAR WORRIES: White House: No reason to change strategic stance after Putin says he'll move nuclear weapons

A priest blesses people during an Orthodox Palm Sunday service at the Refectory Church of Saint Anthony and Theodosius in a medieval cave monastery in Kyiv, Ukraine on April 9, 2023.

Developing:

A Russian missile hit a residential area in Zaporizhzhia, killing an 11-year-old girl, Ukrainian presidential spokesman Andriy Yermak tweeted, adding: "Bloodthirsty savages."

Russia's attempt at severely undermining Ukraine's energy system during the winter mostly failed, and there have been few large-scale attacks since early March, the British Defense Ministry said in an update. Ukraine diminished the campaign's impact by finding replacement transformers and other key components, the ministry said.

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Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu threw his support behind Ukraine gaining membership into NATO, telling the Kyiv Independent the military alliance "is the only consistent security guarantee to Ukraine, and also for Europe to evade a new war of aggression against Ukraine by the Russian Federation."

Ukraine needs loads of new missiles to keep Russian planes at bay, report says

Ukrainian air defenses, which have kept Russia's fighter jets from claiming air superiority in the war through the use of Western weapons, have been weakened and need a massive supply of munitions, according to a new report.

If Ukraine doesn't get the additional missiles, Russian warplanes that so far have been neutralized could change the direction of the conflict, the New York Times reported, citing U.S. officials and newly leaked Pentagon documents.

The documents project some Ukrainian missile stocks could be depleted as early as mid-April and most of the ammunition employed in air defense would be spent by May, the newspaper said. It wasn't clear whether that projection, dated Feb. 28, has been updated.

Repeated Russian missile and drone attacks have forced Ukrainian forces to use up much of their stores of defense projectiles.

Ex-Russian leader Medvedev says 'torn, shaggy, greasy' Ukraine will disappear

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has in the past voiced his staunch support for the war with remarks including calling Ukrainian officials "cockroaches'' and suggesting the Japanese prime minister kill himself by hara-kiri for siding with the United States and Ukraine.

Over the weekend, Medvedev, now Russia's deputy chair of the Security Council, dedicated a 645-word screed on Twitter to arguing why Ukraine will disappear, answering his own question by saying, "Because nobody needs it.''

Medvedev describes Ukraine as "a threadbare quilt, torn, shaggy, and greasy.'' He also referred to American elected leaders as "political blabbermouths, who long ago attested to their impotence and imbecility.''

Ukraine takes issue with Easter message from Pope Francis

Pope Francis prayed for peace for the "beloved Ukrainian people" Sunday but drew criticism in Ukraine for his traditional Easter message. At issue was an event Saturday, when the Vatican provided testimonies from a Ukrainian and a Russian teenager together. A similar issue drew Ukrainian dissent last year.

"Unfortunately, we are forced to state that this year's procession was once again overshadowed by an attempt to equate the victim with the aggressor," Ukraine's Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko said, calling the gesture "offensive."

The pope, speaking Sunday from Saint Peter's Basilica overlooking St. Peter's Square, prayed for comfort for the wounded and those who lost loved ones to the war. Francis has consistently referred to Ukraine and its people as "martyred" since Russia invaded Ukraine.

"Help the beloved Ukrainian people on their journey toward peace and shed the light of Easter upon the people of Russia," the pope said Sunday.

Russia dismisses West's 'hysterical' reaction to Belarus nuclear plans

The West has no problem placing nuclear weapons within easy striking distance of Russia but has become "hysterical" over Russia's decision to build nuclear weaponry storage facilities in Belarus, a Kremlin spokesman said Sunday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said last month that Russia would station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus at the request of Belarusian officials. The construction of storage facilities will be completed on July 1 but no timeline was set for moving the weapons, Putin said. Belarus borders Russia and Ukraine, and Western officials have expressed concern that Moscow might use nuclear weapons in its war with Ukraine.

"The collective West is not inclined to recall the topic of U.S. nuclear weapons, which are based in Europe, around our country," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in an interview with Rossiya 24 TV. "But in this case, they are inclined to this hysterical reaction to our plans."

31 children returned to Ukraine from Russia

The head of a Ukrainian rescue organization said Saturday the group has brought back 31 children from Russia, where they had been taken during the war. Mykola Kuleba, head of the Save Ukraine organization and presidential commissioner for children's rights, said thousands of children had been seized from their families or orphanages and forcibly deported.

Kuleba's adviser, Daria Herasymchuk, said on Ukrainian TV that some of the children who came back mentioned being punished  sometimes with beatings  for saying they were Ukrainian and refusing to sing the Russian national anthem.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants on March 17 for Putin and Russian children's rights commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova, accusing them of abducting children from Ukraine. Lvova-Belova told a U.N. commission the children were taken for their own safety. An Associated Press investigation found an open effort to put Ukrainian children up for adoption in Russia.

Contributing: The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ukraine Russia war live updates: Pentagon documents leak challenged
Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. George Gascon speaks to the media.

Yatoya Toy stood outside the Los Angeles County district attorney's office in February, pointing at images from a cellphone video showing her brother Anthony Lowe being fatally shot by Huntington Park police as he fled on the stumps of his amputated legs.

Lowe was a suspect in a stabbing and armed with a knife, but Toy had two questions: How could a man who used a wheelchair be a threat to police? And what was Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. George Gascon going to do about his death?

He said, 'Im gonna prosecute killer cops.' He hasnt done that," Toy shouted during the February protest.

Weeks later, a different grieving relative stood beside Gascon as the district attorney announced manslaughter charges against seven California Highway Patrol officers, claiming that their negligence led to the death of Edward Bronstein after his 2020 arrest on suspicion of drunk driving.

Im glad that it came to this point where they get prosecuted so they cant hurt nobody else," said Bronstein's father, Edward Tapia.

Gascon surged into office in 2020 on a promise to hold police accountable following a summer of protests in the wake of George Floyd's murder in Minneapolis. Some activists and families such as the Lowes want him to move faster to charge cops in high-profile incidents. But the district attorney has sought prosecutions against officers in at least six on-duty killings since taking office, something that was borderline unheard of in L.A. County before his election. During the previous two decades, two officers were charged in on-duty shootings.

A review of filing data also suggests that he has filed charges for on-duty misconduct more often than his predecessor, Jackie Lacey. And some activists say he's opened lines of communication that didn't exist before with victims of police brutality.

But there's a gap between intentions and results, and halfway through Gascons term there are questions about his administration's ability to win convictions against the officers he charges. A review of internal office documents and court records  as well as interviews with current and former members of the Justice Systems Integrity Division, which handles prosecutions of police officers  have raised concerns about the way the unit is run.

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The only police shooting case brought to trial under Gascon  a manslaughter case originally filed by Lacey  resulted in an acquittal. The office also saw a perjury case against two L.A. County sheriff's deputies dismissed at a preliminary hearing last year, a failure at a point in the legal process in which prosecutors almost never lose. The hearing was overseen by a former public defender with no experience as a prosecutor, one of two whom Gascon inserted into the JSID unit over strenuous objections from his own line prosecutors and their union.

Documents reviewed by The Times also show the office has sometimes waited months to inform the public of decisions not to prosecute officers in high-profile cases, such as the killings of Dijon Kizzee and Andres Guardado by Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies.

In the Guardado case, the district attorney's office has promised to make its decision public this month. But records reviewed by The Times show that a prosecutor initially recommended in September against charging ex-sheriff's Deputy Michael Vega, who fatally shot the 18-year-old.

Documents also show that prosecutors recommended against charging Deputy Doug Johnson  who was accused of kneeling on the head of a handcuffed inmate  six months before the office formally announced the decision. Former Sheriff Alex Villanueva was accused of covering up the high-profile incident.

Gascon declined to be interviewed for this story. His chief of staff, Joseph Iniguez, also declined to discuss specific cases but said prosecutor recommendations are not the final word. JSID decisions go through a rigorous review process, he said, before being approved by himself, Gascon and Diana Teran, the director of the bureau of prosecution support operations who also oversees JSID.

"We're not rubber stamping ... it could go from Diana to me back down to Diana back to JSID because maybe there's something I'd like more information on, or Diana would like additional [information], or there's typos or spelling errors," Iniguez said. "There are a number of reasons why it will ping-pong, for sure."

Iniguez and Teran said prosecutors are sometimes asked to look at witness interviews and evidence gathered during parallel civil lawsuits that may not have been captured by the initial police investigation. Teran said that in one case a civil attorney found a witness to a police shooting who was never interviewed by the investigating law enforcement agency. She did not offer specifics.

Still, neither Iniguez nor Teran could point to a case in which a JSID prosecutor initially recommended against filing charges against an officer in a violent use-of-force case but their expanded review process led to a prosecution.

I felt like we were being asked to spend a lot more time exploring angles on pretty clear-cut cases that would be declined," said one JSID prosecutor, who asked not to be identified for fear of reprisals. "If I was going to manage it, I would dispose of the easy ones more quickly.

Legal experts said the review process described by Iniguez  whose appointment as Gascon's chief of staff has been criticized due to his lack of court experience  sounded troubling.

I think its particularly problematic," said Laurie Levenson, a former federal prosecutor and professor at the Loyola Law School. "Iniguez has so much less experience than a lot of the people who are doing these evaluations.

Quantifying Gascon's successes in prosecuting police is complicated by the fact that the office doesn't track the number of police officers it charges. But documents provided in response to a public records request from The Times suggest his administration has been far more aggressive in pursuing alleged on-duty misconduct than Lacey.

In Gascon's first two years in office, nearly two-thirds of the cases brought against police officers by JSID involved allegations of on-duty misconduct, including perjury and on-duty assault cases that were filed less frequently under Lacey. Records show that many of the police officers Lacey brought cases against were accused of off-duty domestic violence or driving drunk.

Gascon has also said he pushed for the investigation that revealed a racist text messaging scandal within the Torrance Police Department in 2021, a move that cost several officers their jobs. The district attorney's office is prosecuting three linked to the scandal, including one for an on-duty shooting.

Some activists have grown frustrated with the pace of shooting investigations under Gascon and the seeming lack of action by special prosecutor Lawrence Middleton, whom Gascon hired two years ago to reevaluate several shooting cases in which Lacey declined to prosecute officers.

Public records show that Middleton is being paid $375 per hour, and some in the office derisively refer to him as "Millionaire Middleton." A spokesperson for the district attorney's office could not provide information about how many hours Middleton has billed since 2021, and the office has yet to respond to a public records request for that information. Middleton declined to be interviewed.

But Middleton did begin presenting evidence to a grand jury last month against two Torrance police officers who killed Christopher Deandre Mitchell in 2018. Those officers had also been linked to the racist text scandal.

Melina Abdullah, a co-founder of Black Lives Matter Los Angeles who once led weekly protests against Lacey, said she's been impressed by Gascon's willingness to pursue police misconduct cases. But she also expressed concern that he hasn't moved more quickly on high-profile incidents of violence caught on video.

No charges have been filed in the Lowe shooting, she noted, which happened right after Memphis prosecutors rapidly filed murder cases against the officers who were seen on camera beating Tyre Nichols to death.

"I think that were all at this point where we know what other cities are doing and other locales are doing and whats not being done in Los Angeles," she said.

"What were hearing back from George's office is that theres basically a refusal on the part of a lot of the [deputy] district attorneys to cooperate with the agenda that he laid out," Abdullah said. "So this is part of the limitation of electoral politics."

The discord between Gascon and his line prosecutors has been well-documented, and those issues have spilled into JSID. Last year, the former second-in-command in the unit, Amy Pentz, testified in a lawsuit that Gascon had hired two public defenders who were unqualified to tackle such cases to serve as prosecutors in the unit.

One of those attorneys, John Perroni, was the prosecutor who lost a preliminary hearing involving perjury and assault charges against two sheriff's deputies last year. It is extremely rare for a case to be dismissed by a judge at a preliminary hearing. Prosecutors only have to prove there is probable cause that a defendant committed a crime at a preliminary hearing, a far lower burden than the reasonable doubt standard for a conviction at trial.

"I can't tell you the number of times he would walk in my office and say, 'Well, I'm going to need some help. This is the first time I've done this.' Things like that," Pentz said of Perroni during a civil service hearing questioning whether Gascon's hiring of public defenders for several roles is legal. "So they had never filed a case. They had never done  presented a preliminary hearing. They had never prosecuted a case."

Perroni declined to comment. The district attorney's office appealed the preliminary hearing decision, but that appeal was rejected. Pentz testified that Perroni and another former public defender, Gregory Apt, were inserted into JSID without being interviewed by any managers in the unit. Teran, another public defender, simply inserted them, according to Pentz.

Pentz also testified that Teran rejected the notion that Apt and Perroni should first gain experience prosecuting misdemeanors before being asked to prosecute police violence cases, which are considered complex. The two ex-public defenders are now set to try the case of the seven California Highway Patrol officers charged with manslaughter in Bronstein's death of at the Altadena station in 2020, according to a district attorney's spokesman.

Eric Siddall, vice president of the union that represents rank-and-file prosecutors and a possible challenger to Gascon in 2024, said he is concerned that JSID is filing unwinnable cases just to deliver on the district attorney's campaign promises.

Making sure cases are solid and provable beyond a reasonable doubt is more important than filing a case," Siddall said. "If you file a case thats not solid, thats going to get dismissed at a preliminary hearing  I dont know how much value that adds to holding police officers accountable."

Siddall also said at least one prosecutor has filed a formal grievance with the union, alleging that Gascon's executive team directed the person to stall the release of declination memos in two cases for political purposes. Declination memos are summaries that outline why prosecutors decline to file charges against officers; they eventually become public records.

They were specifically told to delay the declination to after the sheriffs election as to not impact or effect that election, he said.

The cases in question were the 2020 shooting death of Kizzee, who was gunned down after a brief foot pursuit in South L.A., and assault allegations against Johnson for kneeling on the head of an inmate in the San Fernando jail.

The Kizzee case had drawn large-scale media attention and several days of protests when deputies shot and killed him in the Westmont neighborhood. Authorities alleged Kizzee dropped a gun while fleeing from deputies and made a motion toward it, causing the deputies to open fire. Grainy video from the scene seems to show Kizzee running from the officers, but a fence obstructs a view of the firearm he allegedly dropped.

Johnson's case, meanwhile, became a regular talking point during Villanueva's failed reelection bid due to its similarities to Floyd's murder and allegations from other high-level sheriff's officials that Villanueva covered it up to avoid bad press.

Siddall said a prosecutor alleged to the union that Teran and Iniguez ordered the release of information about the cases to be stalled until after the election during a meeting in which Gascon was present. Tiffiny Blacknell, director of communications for the district attorney's office, said the union never raised its grievance with the office and declined to comment on what she called "unsubstantiated labor issues." She did not deny that Iniguez or Teran made the alleged remarks.

Villanueva made similar claims about Gascon delaying cases to hurt his campaign during a news conference last year, but he offered no evidence or specifics. It is unlikely that the ex-sheriff's political hopes would have been elevated by the lack of charges, however. Most pollsters expected him to be ousted from office after losing the support of nearly every elected Democrat in the county. His opponent, Robert Luna, won with 61% of the vote.

While The Times could not independently verify Siddall's allegation, records reviewed by the newspaper show months elapsed between a prosecutor's initial recommendation not to file charges in the Kizzee and Johnson cases and Gascon finally signing off on those decisions.

In Kizzee's death, a line prosecutor recommended against filing charges in February 2022, but the district attorney's office didn't release the documents confirming that decision until The Times filed a public records request in November.

A prosecutor initially rejected charges against Johnson, the deputy in the kneeling case, in June 2022, records show. But the district attorney's office again did not disclose the memo until it was requested by a Times reporter, also in November.

While Teran and Iniguez declined to discuss specifics about any of the delayed cases, they said sometimes the process of releasing declination documents to the public is slowed out of an abundance of care for victims' families.

Sometimes, memos need to be edited to remove references to a victim's gang affiliation or criminal history that had no relevance to the shooting, Iniguez said. The office has also been scheduling meetings with the loved ones of those killed by police to discuss cases in which officers won't be charged before confirming those decisions to the public.

During the news conference in which Lowe's family accused Gascon of not doing enough to prosecute police officers, Blacknell walked downstairs from her office to the protest to speak with the aggrieved parties.

Families of those killed by police held protests in the same spot for years during Lacey's tenure, but the office never sent a representative.

All I heard today was a lot of pain  and as a Black woman with a 15-year-old son who is going to start driving next year, I completely empathize. I will never know what its like, hopefully, to lose a loved one to police violence, but I fear it every single day," Blacknell told the crowd in February. I am here only to support. I am not here to defend [law enforcement].

While some of Lowe's relatives shouted at Blacknell that they wanted more than just "words," other protesters that day embraced her. At least one was a former client from Blacknell's time as a public defender, she said.

Legal experts said Gascon's caring approach to victims of police violence and public stances on prosecuting officers who cross legal lines are laudable. But they added that he has to walk a fine line between delivering on his campaign promises and avoiding courtroom losses that could further shake public confidence in the criminal justice system's ability to hold cops accountable.

"I think hes looking to show that theyre going to be more aggressive in bringing cases than the prior administration was. And then they come up against the reality: I dont think we can say that Laceys group was doing it wrong," Levenson said.

"Its really important to win these cases," she continued, "because we have seen historically how devastating it is to these communities to charge officers and have them walk.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
NEW YORK (AP)  Bryan De La Cruz homered and drove in four runs, and the Miami Marlins stole five bases in a 7-2 win Sunday over a struggling Carlos Carrasco and the New York Mets.

De La Cruz hit a three-run homer on an 0-2 pitch from Carrasco (0-2) in the first inning and added a sacrifice fly in the seventh. Garrett Cooper had a two-run shot for the Marlins, who avoided a three-game sweep.

Miami improved to 17-28 against the Mets since the start of the 2021 season, including 2-5 this year. The teams dont meet again until Sept. 18.

I dont think weve had the best track record lately against them the last few years, Cooper said. Just to get one was big for us today.

Miami, which led the National League with 122 steals last year, entered Sunday with only two this season but went 5 for 5 against Mets rookie catcher Francisco Alvarez in his second major league start behind the plate.

Alvarez also sailed a throw into center field for New York's first error in 10 games this season.

I have to look at it. Im not so sure that they werent on the pitchers, most of them, Mets manager Buck Showalter said. You give him a chance, hell throw out the people hes supposed to throw out.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. had two hits, two runs, two steals and an RBI before being ejected in the seventh for arguing with plate umpire Jeff Nelson.

We havent been getting on base when its around the time to steal  like early in the game or when the games still close, Chisholm said. So right now, were just trying to play the game the right way. And when we get on base and its time to steal, well be running.

Alvarez, the Mets top prospect, went 1 for 4 with an RBI single in his season debut. Pete Alonso also had an RBI single for New York, which stranded 10 runners.

Tanner Scott (1-1), the second of five Marlins pitchers, earned the win by working 1 1/3 hitless innings.

Miami starter Braxton Garrett allowed nine hits but just two runs in 4 2/3 innings in his first start of the season.

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He didnt have many pitches to work with entering the game, just coming out of the bullpen for the first week, Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said. He did what he could to help us win that game today.

Carrasco gave up six runs in 4 2/3 innings and has an 11.42 ERA through two starts. He ended last season by yielding nine runs over 11 innings in his final three starts.

I think command of counts and a feel for the split  he just hasnt got a real good grasp of where its going to be, Showalter said. Hell be better.

SEE YOU LATER

Schumaker said he had a clear message for Chisholm after the leadoff hitter was tossed for arguing a called third strike leading off the seventh.

Stay in the game, Schumaker said. Let me get kicked out.

Chisholm and Nelson also exchanged words when Chisholm flipped his bat thinking hed coaxed a walk on consecutive pitches during his at-bat in the third. Chisholm said he regretted the ejection, which happened three innings after right fielder Avisail Garcia left the game with a sore left hamstring.

I just cant get thrown out right there, Chisholm said. Im already having a great game. Avi got hurt. So I should be able to stay in the game, not get flustered, not let my emotions get the best of me.

TRAINERS ROOM

Marlins: Garcia exited after flying out in the fourth. He was replaced by Jesus Sanchez.  RHP JT Chargois (back) left after getting one out in the seventh.

Mets: RF Starling Marte exited with a strained neck in the second, one inning after he was injured stealing third base. Marte was shaken up after sliding headfirst into Jean Seguras knee.

UP NEXT

Marlins: RHP Sandy Alcantara (1-0, 1.84 ERA) opens a three-game series Monday night in Philadelphia. The reigning NL Cy Young Award winner authored the first complete game in the majors this season, a three-hitter last Tuesday in a 1-0 win over Minnesota.

Mets: RHP Max Scherzer (1-1, 6.35 ERA) starts the opener of a three-game series against visiting San Diego, the first meeting between the teams since the Padres eliminated the Mets from the playoffs in the wild-card round at Citi Field last year. Scherzer will pitch at home for the first time since losing Game 1 of that series, when he gave up seven runs in 4 2/3 innings.

Yu Darvish starts for the Padres. He allowed one run over seven innings in winning the 2022 playoff opener and is 5-0 with a 2.56 ERA in eight career regular-season starts against New York.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
According to the leaked Pentagon classified documents, US intelligence agencies were aware of the Wagner Private Military Company's (PMC) attempt to purchase weapons from NATO member Turkiye and were well aware of Russia's plans for war in Ukraine.

Source: The Washington Post

Details: The leaked documents show that in early February, Wagner Groups representatives "met with Turkish contacts to purchase weapons and equipment from [Turkiye]" to strengthen the PMC's position in the war in Ukraine and Mali.

The report does not clarify whether the Turkish government was aware of this and whether the negotiations were successful. "But the revelation that a NATO ally may have been assisting Russia in its war on Ukraine could prove explosive," the news agency stresses.

Two other pages from the leaked intelligence dossier describe Wagner Groups plans to recruit Russian convicts to fight against Ukraine and highlight that the Russian military has become dependent on PMCs.

Quote: "The documents also demonstrate what has long been understood but never publicly spelled out this precisely: The U.S. intelligence community has penetrated the Russian military and its commanders so deeply that it can warn Ukraine in advance of attacks and reliably assess the strengths and weaknesses of Russian forces."

More details: US intelligence knew that the Russian Ministry of Defence had transmitted a plan to strike Ukrainian troops in two locations on a specific day in February.

They also knew in advance that the Russian military was preparing to strike a dozen power facilities and an equal number of bridges in Ukraine.

The documents also mentioned a potential alliance between China and Russia.

Background:

The New York Times published a story, citing sources, about how the United States was allegedly looking into how the leak of secret documents of Ukraine's allies could have affected preparations for the upcoming Ukrainian counteroffensive, including the training of new brigades and the supply of Western weapons.

The following day, a new story appeared on the same topic  that a new batch of documents, allegedly containing intelligence from the United States and its close allies, had been posted on Twitter and other social media sites.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
The 2023 Idaho legislative session adjourned with barely any movement on advancing education choice options for families.

While states including Florida, Iowa, Arkansas, Utah and Arizona have expanded choice to improve outcomes, Idaho seems to be stuck in neutral.

Chris Cargill

Its certainly not for lack of trying. An early-session Senate bill that would have provided universal Education Savings Accounts for all Idaho families passed in committee but failed on the floor.

An ESA proposal complete with income limitations was introduced in the House. The House Education committee wouldnt even give it a hearing.

The sponsor came back with another version that was finally granted a hearing in that same committee  but was then shot down before it could get to the floor.

Members in both the House and Senate worked on a bill to expand the states popular Empowering Parents program to include a small pilot for just 2,000 students  less than 1% of the states total student population. It was a temporary trial with an expiration date. It passed the Senate but, despite having nearly every limitation that opponents had asked for, didnt have the votes in the House Education Committee.

To top it all off, the House Education committee actually passed a bill to place an incomplete advisory question about funding private schools on the ballot in 2024. When that proposal got to the House floor, it was defeated, providing the opportunity for the legislature to continue a more robust debate in the future.

If you asked all 105 legislators to explain education choice, you might get 105 different answers.

Throughout the session, a lot of bizarre and inaccurate things were said:

 CLAIM: These are ESA vouchers.

REALITY: There is no such thing. ESAs allows parents to use a portion of state funding on a variety of education services. Yes, it can include private school tuition, but it can also include tutoring, special needs services, curriculum, mental health treatment and much more  so long as it is for an educational purpose.

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 CLAIM: Private or specialty school would get taxpayer funding while rejecting students.

REALITY: If that private or specialty school were to receive any of the funding, the student would have to be accepted. The state is not going to just start issuing checks to private schools.

 CLAIM: Approving ESAs would reduce public school funding.

REALITY: In reality, per-student funding would likely increase. Several proposals required 20% of a students allocation to stay in the school district in which they lived. The Empowering Parents program was a separate budget item altogether.

 CLAIM: 95% of homeschooling students will sign up.

REALITY: Theres no evidence from other states of numbers ever reaching that high.

 CLAIM: You can only support public education or education choice.

REALITY: They work hand-in-hand, and education choice often supplements public schooling.

 CLAIM: The Heritage Foundation says Idaho already has enough education choice.

REALITY: Idaho ranked 20th on education choice options behind Utah and Montana and barely ahead of Illinois.

This legislative session proves the entire conversation in Idaho surrounding education choice needs a major reset  and, ironically, better education about proposals. The advancement of education choice in Idaho is only harmed by those who have relentlessly attacked and sought to close all public schools.

This issue is not going away. If Idaho legislators had known they were not going to be successful with any bill, they could have opted for an interim legislative study on existing ESA programs across the country. This could have been done by an unbiased source  perhaps the state Controller or Legislative Audit Division  and could have been made available by the time the next session begins. Unfortunately, that didnt happen.

The conversation will continue now, and Mountain States Policy Center will do our part by providing research and recommendations on what has worked in other states. Well even host a special event in Boise over the summer to brainstorm options and highlight areas of success and policies to avoid.

We have a unique opportunity to put political divisions aside and create a unique Idaho-centered plan. The goal needs to be the education of Idahos children so that they can be productive citizens and workers and lead enriched lives.

If more education choice can help improve the educational outcomes of just one child, its worth trying.

Chris Cargill is the president of Mountain States Policy Center. Online at mountainstatespolicy.org.
RFA flier does not measure up

I am deeply troubled by the flier recently sent by the city of Olympia (and the city of Tumwater) regarding the Regional Fire Authority ballot measure Proposition No 1. As an Olympia resident, I rely on my city to be a trustworthy source of information about issues affecting residents, including ballot measures. However, the recent flier has violated my sense of trust.

While the RFA flier claims to be for Information only: not intended to support or oppose the ballot proposition, it is clearly intended to promote the RFA proposal. A balanced informational flier about the proposed RFA would evenly address its pros and cons. This flier only presents the point of view of the propositions proponents. It fails, for example, to mention that the RFA will impose a new, historically large increase in fees associated with property tax bills for citizens in Tumwater and Olympia and will not fund a single new firefighter, fire engine, or fire station in its seven-year Strategic Plan.

I have no objection to proponents or opponents of the RFA ballot measure using private funding to influence voters to support their point of view. However, the four-fold full-color fliers in question cost $22,242 to print and mail, and we taxpayers in Olympia and Tumwater will shoulder this cost. As a citizen who believes in transparency and good governance, this really rubs me the wrong way.

Lisa Ornstein, Olympia

RFA design fatally flawed

Regionalization is a good concept, but the current design for the Regional Fire Authority for Olympia and Tumwater is fatally flawed.

Regionalization of governmental functions makes sense if carefully designed to achieve enhanced functionality and economies of scale, and when there is clear accountability to the public for both performance and cost. Unfortunately the current design for the RFA misses the mark for each of these criteria.

What is being presented to us for our approval is like a luxury automobile built without concern for cost, performance, safety standards, fuel economy standards or any accountability to the buyer.

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I believe this proposal should be defeated and that we should go back to the drawing board and design something that specifically focuses on performance standards, cost effectiveness and clear accountability to the public. I believe the city of Lacey should be brought into this redesign process as well.

Al Ewing, Olympia

Support funding to protect legacy forests

The Legislature is currently discussing a significant allocation of money from the states Natural Climate Solutions Account to protect older Washington forests. The Thurston County Board of County Commissioners has been actively working on this issue for over a year, and we urge the Legislature to approve this proposed program.

Thurston County has less than 3,000 acres of unprotected legacy forests left in Capitol State Forest, a portion of the 77,000 acres of unprotected legacy forest statewide. These older, carbon-dense forests, many close to 100 years old, are critical to our countys goals of climate mitigation, forest health and resilience, biodiversity, and recreation. Evolving climate research shows that forest conservation and ecological management are some of the worlds most effective natural climate solutions.

In Thurston County, the Department of Natural Resources has cut down three stands of older trees in the last six months, and 12 more cuts of legacy forest are slated to occur by 2026. The Boards efforts to oppose these cuts and slow down the harvest schedule while a solution is explored have been largely unsuccessful.

For this reason, we welcome the proposal to dedicate funding generated by the Climate Commitment Act towards purchase of younger, replacement forestland to exchange for our states older forests. We support the request for $80 million for this biennium, the amount that  if dedicated solely to protection of legacy forest  would allow for purchase of all the legacy forest acres scheduled for harvest in the next two years.

Carolina Mejia, Tye Menser and Gary Edwards, Thurston County Commissioners
A driver moves through a newly installed 15-mph speed limit school zone in Burbank in 2019. (Tim Berger / Burbank Leader)

To the editor: As a traffic safety researcher for more than 30 years, I published a study evaluating Riverside's largely ineffective photo-radar system in the 1990s. So I am well-aware of the potential benefits and pitfalls of the kind of system that Michael Schneider supports in his op-ed article, "Speed cameras save lives. California is long overdue to try them."

Overall, I'm pleased with the advances that current proposed legislation in California, AB 645, makes to improve operation of such programs  especially that revenue from fines be used specifically for traffic safety, and that programs be run as pilots.

Speed cameras may be potentially effective in reducing roadway casualties, but as demonstrated in my Riverside study, they can be less effective than the use of simple speed display boards that do not cite drivers.

The critical factors that determine effectiveness are a widespread media campaign and a drivers expectation of certain punishment. Unfortunately, I'm unconvinced that AB 645 meets these two requirements.

The bill contains no provision for an ongoing media campaign, just the posting of warning signs along the photo-radar route and an initial media campaign.

And while certainty of punishment is essential, such an effort requires that hundreds, even thousands of citations be given out. The high cost of a violation in this bill is likely to create a backlash, because minimum fines and assessments are $238, rising higher for faster offenders.

AB 645 is a big improvement over previous efforts; too bad that it's not enough.

Steven A. Bloch, Laguna Niguel

..

To the editor: I am so happy to see that Sacramento is working on the frightening state of our unsafe streets for pedestrians and bicyclists.

I am a pedestrian and motorist who feels at the mercy of entitled drivers who believe they don't have to obey traffic laws. As a victim of a serious crash by a right-turn-on-red driver six months ago, I ask that the bill include cameras that take photos of drivers who ignore this law.

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I suspect the some of the rise in traffic deaths and injuries is caused by these people.

Carole Lutness, Valencia

..

To the editor: Schneider makes his case for speed cameras but fails to point out ancillary benefits.

Speed cameras can consolidate the average traffic speeds. Hence, drivers will not lose time to their destination; they may even save time.

William K. Solberg, Los Angeles

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Lexington firefighters have extinguished a fire at restaurants in Hamburg which left damage to the outside area of a building Sunday afternoon.

Maj. Derek Roberts with the Lexington Fire Department said crews were dispatched around 4 p.m. for a structure fire at Joellas Hot Chicken on Sir Barton Way.

Roberts reported the fire was extinguished by emergency crews and contained to the rear outside walkout cooler at one of the restaurants. There were no injuries, Roberts said.

Fire investigators were at the scene to investigate what caused the fire, Roberts said.
David Willey, director of the Tri-Rivers Career Center Construction Trades Academy, was honored with a LifeChanger of the Year award for 2022-2023 by the National Life Group. The award is presented to educators and school district employees who "go above and beyond for their students." Willey has taught at Tri-Rivers since 2017 and has built the Construction Trades Academy into the school's largest program during that time.

A beloved instructor at Tri-Rivers Career Center in Marion is receiving national recognition after being named a recipient of the LifeChanger of the Year Award.

David Willey, director of the Construction Trades Academy (CTA) at Tri-Rivers, was honored during a ceremony on Thursday at the school. He was presented a plaque commemorating his selection as a grand prize finalist in the program and received a $5,000 prize that he will share with the school.

The LifeChanger of the Year award program operated by National Life Group honors educators and school district employees who "go above and beyond for their students." National Life Group is a financial services company that serves K-12 educators around the United States.

Willey, who grew up in Prospect and followed in his father's footsteps by pursuing a career in the construction industry, was overcome by emotion at being chosen as a recipient of the award and at the sight of all the students from the Construction Trades Academy filling up more than half of the seats arranged for the occasion in the Gacque Auditorium at Tri-Rivers.

He said the award is a reflection of the hard work that both the instructors and students have put into building what is now the fastest-growing and largest program at Tri-Rivers.

"This means everything. It means how important the kids are and how important giving back to the community is," Willey said. "Hard work and dedication to the students and the time that I've spent is recognized. I'm surprised by it. I didn't even think it was a possibility. I don't feel quite deserving of it, but I try my best every day to do a good job. I love my students and the school, the community, and I want to do what's best for them."

Tri-Rivers Career Center instructor David Willey hugs one of his students in the Construction Trades Academy following a ceremony during which Willey was presented with a LifeChanger of the Year award for 2022-2023. The ceremony was held Thursday, April 6, 2023, in the Gacque Auditorium at the school.

Willey, a 2000 graduate of Tri-Rivers, joined Tri-Rivers Career Center as an instructor during the 2017-18 academic year after working as a commercial carpenter and foreman. He had a successful career, but felt a calling to share his knowledge and inspire the next generation of carpenters.

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Under Willeys leadership, the CTA program has grown from around 20 students in the Level 1 and 2 programs to more than 100 students in the Construction Trades 10 (preconstruction), Level 1, and Level 2 programs. He hopes to continue the upward trend of the program.

"We just want to continue to draw in great students and parents and industry members to the team and build on the reputation that we've already created here," Willey said. "We have great staff members and great team members who have helped catapult this program to the best in the nation. We're recognized as a place where students can come and be part of something bigger than themselves and also create a future for themselves as well as future generations. It's about building a legacy."

Willey utilizes tradesmen he knows from the field to provide specialized training such as Computer Aided Drafting (CAD).

Willey said he believes every student deserves multiple chances to succeed. He guides and supports his students through difficult situations. He holds them accountable and teaches them to learn from good and bad experiences. He helps them to grow personally and in their chosen career paths.

Students from the Tri-Rivers Construction Trades Academy have been active in the community, completing numerous service projects in Marion County, including building the activities pavilion at the Marion Senior Center. CTA has been recognized for that project when it was chosen as the recipient of the 2021 Community Service Award presented by the Ohio District 5 Area Agency on Aging, Inc.

The family of Tri-Rivers Career Center instructor David Willey made a banner in honor of him being selected as a LifeChanger of the Year award recipient for 2022-2023. Lindsey Willey and her daughters, Laynie and Layla, display the banner during a ceremony honoring David Willey held Thursday, April 6, 2023, at Tri-Rivers Career Center in Marion.

David Willey has not only built the best construction program in Ohio, but he has built strong young men and women, Tri-Rivers Superintendent Charles Speelman. We  students, staff, administrators, community members  couldnt be more thankful that he chose to leave his very lucrative career to become a teacher. What he has done and continues to do is priceless.

It's already been a big year for Willey. In March, he was honored as member of the Tri-Rivers Career Center Outstanding Alumni class of 2023. Willey was one of six people inducted into that group who are enshrined on the Alumni Wall of Fame at the school.

Each year, the LifeChanger of the Year program receives hundreds of nominations from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. To be considered for an award, nominees must be K-12 school or district employees who make a positive difference in the lives of students. Award winners are selected based on the following criteria:

Make a positive impact in the lives of students

Enhance their school or districts atmosphere, culture and pride

Demonstrate exemplary leadership at the school and/or district level

Possess a proven record of professional excellence

Show commitment to building a nurturing environment that supports learning

Adhere to the highest moral and ethical standards

To learn more, visit the website www.lifechangeroftheyear.com.

For information about Tri-Rivers Career Center and the programs it offers, go to its website tririvers.com.

Email: ecarter@gannett.com | Twitter: @AndrewACCarter

This article originally appeared on Marion Star: Life changer: Tri-Rivers' David Willey honored for work with students
The latest test of Arsenals title credentials in the Premier League sees them head to Anfield to face Liverpool on Sunday.

Jurgen Klopps team have habitually been far and away the superior side in recent seasons, both in head-to-head encounters and in terms of chasing silverware, but its a total reversal this time around with the Gunners fighting for honours and the Reds miles off the pace.

A draw in midweek made it four without a win for Liverpool, including defeat to Real Madrid in the Champions League, and Klopp rang the changes in the Reds lineup for that game with the likes of Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold left out of the team. They sit eighth in the table, now 13 points off the top four after yesterdays results.

Arsenal, meanwhile, have won six in a row to stay sustain a cushion over Man City at the top - but theres still little room for error if they want to end a near-two-decade wait to be crowned champions, as Pep Guardiolas men moved back within five points by thumping Southampton earlier in the weekend.

Follow all the action from Anfield with our live blog, below:

Liverpool vs Arsenal - live updates

Arsenal visit Liverpool in a crunch Premier League clash

Arsenal are trying to re-establish an eight-point lead in the title race after Man Citys win yesterday

Liverpool have been in dismal form and their top-four hopes hang by a thread

41 - GOAL! Salah finishes from close range after Hendersons flick (LIV 1-2 ARS)

28 - GOAL! Jesus rises to head home a second goal (LIV 0-2 ARS)

8 - GOAL! Martinelli pokes past Alisson (LIV 0-1 ARS)

Liverpool FC 1 - 2 Arsenal FC

MISSED PENALTY! Salah fluffs his lines

17:45 , Luke Baker

Liverpool 1-2 Arsenal - 53 mins

Oh dear, oh dear, Mo Salah... For the second time in a month, Salah has missed a penalty.

This is really poor as he simply puts it wide of Ramsdales right-hand post. He basically places it wide.

PENALTY TO LIVERPOOL! Holding fouls Jota

17:44 , Luke Baker

Liverpool 1-2 Arsenal - 51 mins

More drama early in the second half here! From a Liverpool corner, a penalty is awarded as Holding clumsily brings down Jota. Arsenal are livid and frankly, it looks a bit soft...

Story continues

Lively early second-half exchanges

17:40 , Luke Baker

Liverpool 1-2 Arsenal - 48 mins

Arsenal starting the second half on top but Liverpool with a low block that looks hard to break down. Eventually, Zinchenkos ball in is a shade too high for Jesus and runs out for a goal kick.

Liverpool probe at the other end but the visitors hold firm and clear for now. Good start to the second 45.

Back underway at Anfield

17:39 , Luke Baker

Liverpool 1-2 Arsenal - 46 mins

Second half underway at Anfield. What does it have in store for us?

Did the assistant referee elbow Andy Robertson?

17:38 , Luke Baker

A bizarre incident at the half-time whistle. The Liverpool players went to surround the officiating team, Andy Robertson was remonstrating with one of the assistant referees who appeared to elbow Robertson in the throat while shooing him away.

Robertson was livid. Will be interesting to see if there are any repurcussions. Robertson also appeared to be booked in the aftermath.

Anyway, were about to get underway in the second half

Did Xhaka inspire Liverpool?

17:33 , Luke Baker

Our Chief Football Writer, Miguel Delaney, clearly being facetious here but the point is a good one - Xhaka getting involved in some squaring up with Alexander-Arnold seemed to galvanise Liverpool and now theyre right back in this game

Xhaka one of those players who makes those around him play better.



In this case, Salah and Alexander-Arnold.  Miguel Delaney (@MiguelDelaney) April 9, 2023

Liverpool 1-2 Arsenal

17:30 , Luke Baker

(REUTERS)

(REUTERS)

(REUTERS)

(AP)

HALF-TIME! Liverpool 1-2 Arsenal

17:22 , Luke Baker

Phew! A very entertaining half, all things told.

Arsenal dominated for the most part and were deservedly 2-0 up after Martinelli and Jesus goals. Liverpool finally woke up after Alexander-Arnold sparked an incident with Xhaka and Salah pulled a goal back. They suddenly believe again.

Were set up for a thrilling second 45 minutes

Chance for Liverpool

17:20 , Luke Baker

Liverpool 1-2 Arsenal - 45+3 mins

Liverpool looking to turn this into more of a scrap, a nastier affair and the crowd are behind them. Theyre hassling Arsenal and that could easily have been 2-2!

Salah floats a ball to the back post and Jota flicks it goalwards. Saved by Ramsdale, it falls to Henderson and he blazes over. Much, much better from the hosts though

Game becoming a spicier affair

17:18 , Luke Baker

Liverpool 1-2 Arsenal - 45 mins

Suddenly theres a bit of an edge to this contest and the Anfield crowd are now getting into it. This is set up for an intriguing second half. Four minutes of injury-time first though

GOAL! Liverpool 1-2 Arsenal (Salah 41)

17:13 , Luke Baker

Liverpool 1-2 Arsenal - 41 mins

Liverpool back in it? Mo Salah finishes well from close range.

It comes out of nothing. Good overlapping on the left by Jones and his ball across is met by a lunging Henderson. I think Henderson is going for goal but instead, the ball finds Salah following in at the back post and he pokes home

Xhaka and Alexander-Arnold go at each other

17:13 , Luke Baker

Liverpool 0-2 Arsenal - 40 mins

A bit of afters between Alexander-Arnold and Xhaka when the Arsenal man leaves an arm on the Liverpool defender late and the England international shoves him in the back in response. Yellow card for both.

Given the control Arsenal have, not sure Xhaka needed to engage there - he does have some previous with silly mistakes...

Arsenal free-kick comes to nothing

17:09 , Luke Baker

Liverpool 0-2 Arsenal - 37 mins

Attacking free-kick for Arsenal, near the right-hand corner flag. Saka whips it in but a couple of Liverpool headers help see off the danger.

Salah shoots wide with decent chance

17:06 , Luke Baker

Liverpool 0-2 Arsenal - 33 mins

Well, that was a chance for Liverpool. Holding has his pass cut out and Salah scampers clear to the right of the goal but Ramsdale narrows the angle and the Egyptian can only shoot wide

Virgil van Dijk given a yellow card

17:04 , Luke Baker

Liverpool 0-2 Arsenal - 31 mins

Oof! Virgil van Dijk wanted no part of chasing Gabriel Jesus back there, so simply clatters into him with a physical foul on the left touchline, having idled across to cover.

Van Dijk booked and that was a clear sign of frustration. Liverpool being outplayed here.

GOAL! Liverpool 0-2 Arsenal (Jesus 28)

17:00 , Luke Baker

Liverpool 0-2 Arsenal - 28 mins

Arsenal double their lead and its Gabriel Jesus!

Martinelli gets away on the left far too easily - he spins Alexander-Arnold and has acres of room. He whips in a pinpoint cross and, on Easter Sunday, Jesus rises highest and heads past Alisson. He got away from Van Dijk and frankly, it was all far too easy for Arsenal

Vital header by Holding

16:57 , Luke Baker

Liverpool 0-1 Arsenal - 25 mins

More promising from Liverpool. Good vision from Alexander-Arnold to loft a ball into the box towards Jota but the much-maligned Rob Holding gets up well to flick it behind for a corner, getting ahead of the Liverpool attacker. Good defending.

Arsenal then survive the corner

Ben White booked

16:55 , Luke Baker

Liverpool 0-1 Arsenal - 23 mins

Theres a feeling that Arsenal could kill this game off with some concerted effort over the next 10 or 15 minutes. Alisson hoofs an aimless long ball in the direction of Henderson but its easily intercepted.

Ben White then gets himself booked though. He gives the ball away in attack and is over-eager to regain possession, lunging in on Henderson with two feet and taking the man. Yellow card the right call

Robertson flashes a shot wide

16:52 , Luke Baker

Liverpool 0-1 Arsenal - 20 mins

Thats better pressing from Liverpool and Robertson nicks the ball away. Fabinho then finds Robertson with a ball over the top as he slips in behind White but flashes his shots wide of the far post, as Ramsdale sprawls to his left.

Better from Liverpool

Arsenal on top

16:50 , Luke Baker

Liverpool 0-1 Arsenal - 18 mins

Arsenal have been the better side so far and deserve their lead. Cross-field balls keep probing Liverpools defence and the Reds dont look comfortable playing out from the back - its very clumsy.

Arsenal celebrate scoring the opening goal

16:49 , Luke Baker

(REUTERS)

(REUTERS)

(REUTERS)

SAVE! Alisson tips away Zinchenkos shot

16:45 , Luke Baker

Liverpool 0-1 Arsenal - 11 mins

Arsenal create another chance as Zinchenko cuts in from the left and fires at goal. Alisson springs to his right to tip the ball wide. Comfortable enough but another warning sign.

From the corner, Jesus is pinged for a foul on Alisson

GOAL! Liverpool 0-1 Arsenal (Martinelli 8)

16:40 , Luke Baker

Liverpool 0-1 Arsenal - 8 mins

What a start for Arsenal!

Saka loses his man on halfway and receives the ball from White. He drives forward and flicks the ball inside to Odegaard, whose first-time pass deflects off Van Dijk and Martinelli collects, takes a touch and pokes past the out-rushing Alisson. Superb play by Arsenals midfield creators

Gakpo curls over the top

16:38 , Luke Baker

Liverpool 0-0 Arsenal - 6 mins

A sighter for Gakpo as he cuts back and charges in from the left away from Ben White. Tries to curl one into the top corner but its high and wide. Promising for Liverpool though

A frenetic, high-energy opening

16:37 , Luke Baker

Liverpool 0-0 Arsenal - 5 mins

Jota makes good ground down the left but stumbles as he enters the area and loses the ball. A slightly frenetic opening to proceedings

Martinelli skips past Alexander-Arnold

16:33 , Luke Baker

Liverpool 0-0 Arsenal - 2 mins

Early joy for Arsenal as Martinelli runs at Alexander-Arnold and skips by him to the by-line. Xhakas shot eventually blocked away for a corner and Liverpool counter.

KICK-OFF! Liverpool vs Arsenal

16:32 , Luke Baker

Underway at Anfield. Liverpool in red and Arsenal playing in black

A reminder of the Liverpool vs Arsenal team news

16:28 , Luke Baker

Liverpool XI: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Henderson, Jones, Fabinho; Salah, Gakpo, Jota

Arsenal XI: Ramsdale; White, Gabriel, Holding, Zinchenko; Partey, Odegaard, Xhaka; Saka, Jesus, Martinelli

Liverpool vs Arsenal

16:27 , Luke Baker

Kick-off is imminent at Anfield. Can Arsenal overturn an appalling recent record at the ground? They havent won there in the Premier League since 2012/13

Liverpool vs Arsenal: Pre-match stats

16:20 , Luke Baker

Liverpool have won their last six home Premier League matches against Arsenal, scoring at least three times in each game (22 goals in total).

Arsenal are looking to complete their first league double over Liverpool since the 2009-10 campaign, while the Gunners last won consecutive league games against the Reds back in September 2012.

Arsenal have kept a clean sheet in just 20% of their Premier League games against Liverpool (12/61), their lowest ratio in the competition. The Gunners have also failed to score in more different Premier League games against Liverpool than they have against any other opponent (20).

Signing players with Premier League experience right decision  Mikel Arteta

16:11 , Luke Baker

Mikel Arteta has praised Arsenals Premier League-ready signings for their immediate impact at the Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners head to Liverpool on Sunday knowing that, even if they slip to defeat, they will remain top of the Premier League as they go in search of a first title in 19 years.

Arteta has so far guided Arsenal to consecutive eighth-placed finishes before ending last season in fifth.

This campaign, however, has seen a stark turnaround in form and fortune after some savvy signings added to the quality already at the club.

Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko won four Premier League titles apiece at Manchester City before leaving for north London last summer, following on from the earlier additions of Aaron Ramsdale and Ben White.

Signing players with Premier League experience right decision  Mikel Arteta

Liverpool have to go through tough time for renewal, insists Jurgen Klopp

16:01 , Luke Baker

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp refused to contemplate the benefits of a season without European football as he remains determined to keep his side pushing until the end of the current campaign.

With hopes of a top-four finish fading by the week  they head into todays clash at home to Premier League leaders Arsenal 10 points adrift of Manchester United  the consolation would likely be the Europa League or even Europa Conference League.

Given the midweek rigours of any UEFA competition, a year without European football could prove beneficial to the Reds and their rebuilding process, but Klopp will not think about that until Liverpools fate is decided.

It is not about what I could consider, it is about what we get. I dont know where we will end up, he said.

What I know is that we have to go through this. Thats it, thats what I know, and then there will be a new start naturally because its a new season.

Liverpool have to go through tough time for renewal, insists Klopp

Will Jurgen Klopp move on from the untouchables in Liverpool line-up?

15:53 , Luke Baker

Jurgen Klopp surrounded himself with three of the faces of his Liverpool. They were success stories who defined the style of a team with flying full-backs and goalscoring wingers. They are Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson, statistically the two most creative defenders in Premier League history, and Mohamed Salah, the man who has rewritten many a Liverpool scoring record. Klopp kept them close to him, because they were all on the bench at Chelsea on Tuesday.

They have started cup finals against Chelsea. They have started Champions League finals. They have been automatic choices for the marquee matches and almost every match. Between them, they have made 816 appearances for Klopp: only 56 were as substitutes, including the left-back and the right wingers cameos at Stamford Bridge.

Alexander-Arnold, meanwhile, remained an unused replacement. Liverpool had only begun one league game  at Southampton last year, three days after a 120-minute FA Cup final and when Salah was injured  without all three since 2018. Until this week.

It is why there will be particular scrutiny on the teamsheet on Sunday. In the heyday of this Liverpool team, at least nine names could be stencilled onto it for the major occasions  the other decisions related to the third member of the midfield and Virgil van Dijks centre-back partner.

Had the Dutchman not been ill, it would have been intriguing if he, too, would have been culled from the side that capitulated in the second half against Manchester City.

Will Jurgen Klopp move on from the untouchables in Liverpool line-up?

Liverpool vs Arsenal team news

15:45 , Luke Baker

Jurgen Klopp clearly feels his point has been made after dropping a number of his untouchables in the midweek draw with Chelsea. The likes of Mo Salah, Andy Robertson, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk are all recalled to start today.

For Arsenal, Bukayo Saka is completely over the illness that saw him only used from the bench last weekend, so he comes into the starting XI for Leandro Trossard

Liverpool vs Arsenal team news

15:38 , Luke Baker

Liverpool XI: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Henderson, Jones, Fabinho; Salah, Gakpo, Jota

Arsenal XI: Ramsdale; White, Gabriel, Holding, Zinchenko; Partey, Odegaard, Xhaka; Saka, Jesus, Martinelli

Liverpool vs Arsenal team news

15:33 , Luke Baker

The Reds to take on Arsenal #LIVARS  Liverpool FC (@LFC) April 9, 2023

  



 White at the back

 Saka returns

 Jesus in attack



Lets do this - together! pic.twitter.com/n7mlX1qjQC  Arsenal (@Arsenal) April 9, 2023

Mikel Arteta preparing Arsenal for jungle of Anfield

15:29 , Luke Baker

Mikel Arteta is preparing his Arsenal title hunters for the jungle of Anfield as they look to end an 11-year wait for a Premier League win at Liverpool on Sunday.

The Gunners head into the game five points clear at the top, after second-placed Manchester Citys win over Southampton yesterday, but have a woeful recent history on the red half of Merseyside.

Arteta attempted to prepare his players for the atmosphere at Liverpool last season by putting a sound system around the training pitch to pump out Youll Never Walk Alone.

It was made famous in the All or Nothing documentary as one of several unique ways the Spaniard approached team-talks, some of which saw him ridiculed.

The quirky preparation for the trip to Anfield backfired as he saw his side thrashed 4-0 but he continues to defend his out-of-the-box thinking.

Mikel Arteta preparing Arsenal for jungle of Anfield

Liverpool vs Arsenal

15:26 , Luke Baker

It promises to be a monumental clash at Anfield this afternoon in a game that Arsenal and Liverpool both need to win.

The Gunners are looking to stay in control of the title race and re-establish an eight-point gap after Man Citys win yesterday. Meanwhile, Liverpools slim top-four hopes will be all but over if they dont win, as they currently trail Man Utd in fourth by 13 points...

It should be a fascinating encounter.

Liverpool vs Arsenal

15:05 , Lawrence Ostlere

Follow build-up to kick-off, team news and latest updates as Liverpool take on leaders Arsenal in the Premier League.
Los Angeles police officers patrol a Metro Red Line station in 2020. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

A Los Angeles man was arrested Saturday night in connection with a rush-hour stabbing on a Metro train last week, the Los Angeles Police Department said.

Police said Alex Garcia, 27, boarded a Red Line train at the Hollywood/Western station on Thursday about 5 p.m. and got into an argument with a man seated in the subway car. The argument turned violent, and Garcia slashed the passenger once in the abdomen, police said.

Garcia stayed on the train while the passenger fled the car and flagged down a bystander for help, police said. The passenger is hospitalized with a severe abdominal injury and is in stable condition.

Police said they found Garcia 48 hours later in Hollywood and arrested him.

Garcia is being held in lieu of $1 million bail and is subject to a felony probation hold, police said.

Los Angeles County jail records show that a man with the same name and date of birth as Garcia was arrested Monday afternoon and released Tuesday, two days before the stabbing.

A second stabbing on the Metro system on Thursday evening appears to be an unrelated incident, officials said.

In that case, a man standing on a Red Line platform at the Westlake/MacArthur Park station was stabbed shortly before 8 p.m., and was taken to a hospital with injuries to his neck and torso, the Los Angeles Fire Department said.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
During the century following Jesus birth, the Roman poet Juvenal spent his career shining a satirical light on the corruption of the Roman citizenry. He famously condemned the common people who had, abdicated their duties and anxiously hoped for just two things: bread and circuses.

Juvenal grew increasingly distraught as his fellow Romans became lazy and out of touch, content to be entertained and distracted by their political leaders, rather than demanding excellent public service. He feared that the Roman populace would eventually pay a stiff cost for their indifference, and tragically, he was right. Three centuries after Juvenals passing, a string of incompetent and autocratic leaders had destroyed the Roman empire.

Lynn Smith

Because Americans are now stumbling into their own era of bread and circuses, we should address a question thats as relevant now as it was when Juvenal asked it many centuries ago: Who will watch the watchers?

His query embodied a plea to hold those in power accountable for their actions and prescribed a system of laws to constrain tyrannical leaders from oppressing and controlling the populace. Thirteen centuries later, our Founding Fathers realized that watching the watchers would require American citizens to possess the knowledge to provide competent oversight of their governing class. Ultimately, the Founders desire for a well-informed citizenry was the reason for including the First Amendment in the Bill of Rights, which among other things, guaranteed a free press.

In speaking for the Founders, Thomas Jefferson wrote, Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost. Jefferson knew that if the government was allowed to censor the media, the resulting reporting would lack the accuracy necessary for citizens to hold their leaders accountable. Further, the Founders believed that individual citizens should be able to conduct investigations of governmental operations without fear of reprisals  a principle thats become a cornerstone of democracies throughout the world.

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But in recent years, the contention that the press is the enemy of the people, suggests that freedom of the press could be in jeopardy. For years, Trump has called the press unpatriotic, often labeling their work treasonous, and has long threatened to alter the countrys libel laws to allow him to sue media outlets for reporting any news he finds unflattering. Previous presidents have bitterly criticized the press, but Trump is alone in suggesting that journalists deserve violent repercussions for performing their constitutionally protected function. In doing so, hes joined arms with China, Iran and Russia  countries that routinely imprison journalists for bravely reporting the truth.

Without the relentless work of American journalists, we would have never known about the brutal conditions endured by immigrant laborers in the Chicago Meatpacking industry, a discovery that undercover reporter Upton Sinclair brought to light in The Jungle. And without Seymour Hersh of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, we never would have known about the civilians killed in the South Vietnam village of My Lai, a massacre intentionally shrouded in secrecy by the U.S. Army.

It wasnt until The Washington Posts publication of The Pentagon Papers that we learned how four successive political administrations anticipated failed outcomes in the Vietnam war, but perpetually withheld that critical information from U.S. citizens. And because Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein spent two tireless years investigating the Watergate debacle for The Washington Post, their Pulitzer Prize winning reporting led to the downfall of President Richard Nixon.

Investigative journalists at The Wall Street Journal exposed the Enron scandal, a story of corruption deeply rooted in corporate Americas quest to maintain the appearance of consistently rising profits. And it was Ronan Farrows investigative work for The New Yorker that brought down Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein and helped launch the campaign against workplace sexual harassment, otherwise known as the Me Too movement.

Subscribe: Get all your breaking news and unlimited access to our local coverage

Because thousands of local newspapers have shut down in recent years, 70 million Americans now live in counties with only one local newspaper, or none at all. These news deserts are defined by the absence of local news coverage focused on both exposing wrongdoing and encouraging civic engagement. Governmental power flows up from our local towns, cities and counties, so when Abraham Lincoln spoke of a government of the people, by the people, and for the people, he was envisioning a governing class housed in small towns all across our country, not isolated in Washington, D.C. Even a constitutionally-protected free press cant make a difference when a growing number of small towns have no one watching the watchers.

I hope youll honor your community, and the Constitution, by subscribing to a local newspaper today.

To learn how to subscribe to The Sentinel, visit bit.ly/3Gmmzdm.

 Community Columnist Lynn Smith is a retired wealth management executive who resides in Holland. Contact her at lynn.angleworks@gmail.com.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Lynn Smith: Watching the watchers
French President Emmanuel Macron said in an interview published Sunday that Europe must not be a "follower" of either the US or China on Taiwan, saying that the bloc risks entanglement in "crises that aren't ours".

His comments risk riling Washington and highlight divisions in the European Union over how to approach China, as the US steps up confrontation with its closest rival and Beijing draws closer to Russia in the wake of its invasion of Ukraine.

"The worst thing would be to think that we Europeans must be followers and adapt ourselves to the American rhythm and a Chinese overreaction," Macron told media including French business daily Les Echos and Politico as he returned Friday from a three-day state visit to Beijing.

Citing his prized ideal of EU "strategic autonomy", the French leader said that "we must be clear where our views overlap with the US, but whether it's about Ukraine, relations to China or sanctions, we have a European strategy."

"We don't want to get into a bloc versus bloc logic," he added, saying Europe "should not be caught up in a disordering of the world and crises that aren't ours".

China views democratic, self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory and has vowed to take it one day, by force if necessary.

Angered by Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wen's meeting last week with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Beijing launched massive military exercises around the island immediately after Macron departed for France, including simulated strikes on its territory.

- 'Ambiguity' -

Macron discussed Taiwan with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Friday, during a visit in which he was feted but more hawkish EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was kept mostly at arm's length.

His Elysee Palace office said the talks had been "dense and frank" and that the French president was concerned about "growing tensions in the region" that could lead to "a terrible accident".

Macron was "simply talking about the risk of Chinese 'overreaction', forgetting China wishes to change the status quo by taking over Taiwan one way or the other," Antoine Bondaz of the Paris-based Foundation for Strategic Research (FRS) commented on Twitter.

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"Why this desire never to recall we have an interest in maintaining stability?" he added, warning that "this ambiguity... instils doubt in our like-minded partners".

Taiwan island was just one area that risked "an acceleration of tensions breaking out between the duopoly" of China and the US, Macron said.

If the confrontation escalates too quickly, Europeans "won't have the time or the resources to finance our strategic autonomy and will become vassals, whereas we can build a third pole if we have a few years," he added.

Europe's emergence as an independent geostrategic player has been a goal of Macron's for years, in line with a tradition going back to Fifth Republic founding president Charles de Gaulle who saw France as a balancing power between the Cold War blocs.

jmt/tgb/giv
(Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron said in comments published on Sunday that Europe had no interest in an acceleration of the crisis over Taiwan and should pursue a strategy independent of both Washington and Beijing.

Macron has just returned from a three-day state visit to China, where he received a warm welcome from President Xi Jinping. China began drills around Taiwan on Saturday in anger at President Tsai Ing-wen's meeting with the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Kevin McCarthy on Wednesday.

China views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory and has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under its control. Taiwan's government strongly objects to China's claims.

Macron said Europe should not accelerate the conflict but take the time to build its position as a third pole between China and the United States in comments to French newspaper Les Echos and Politico made during his visit to China.

"The worst thing would be to think that we Europeans must become followers on this topic and adapt to the American rhythm or a Chinese overreaction," Politico quoted him as saying.

Europe must better fund its defence industry, develop nuclear and renewable energy and reduce dependence on the U.S. dollar to limit its reliance on the United States, both media outlets quoted him as saying.

The joint interview was given on a flight on Friday between Beijing and the city of Guangzhou.

On Friday, an adviser to Macron told reporters in Guangzhou that Xi and Macron had a "dense and frank" discussion on the issue of Taiwan during their meetings.

"The president's feeling is that we should be careful there's no accident or an escalation of tensions (that could lead) to the Chinese going on the offensive," the Elysee adviser said.

Macron travelled to China with a 50-strong business delegation including Airbus and nuclear energy producer EDF, which signed deals during the visit.

(Reporting by Layli Foroudi and Michel Rose; editing by Philippa Fletcher)
The search for Minnesota mother has been scaled back following massive efforts over the weekend.

Ms Kingsbury, 26, and the father of her children dropped their two kids off at daycare at around 8am on 31 March.

The father, who has not been named, said they returned home and he departed for work in her van at around 10am.

Alarm bells were raised when Ms Kingsbury failed to pick the children up from daycare.

The Filmore County Sheriffs Office and the Winona County Police Department announced on Saturday that more than 2,600 volunteers helped comb through vast areas during massive searches over the weekend.

As we develop new leads and new search areas, teams of law enforcement will do targeted searches, a statement by the departments read.

We are not giving up and we want to thank everyone for their continued support for Maddi and her family. 

Authorities say they will continue search efforts in target areas

21:59 , Andrea Blanco

The Filmore County Sheriffs Office and the Winona County Police Department announced on Saturday that more than 2,600 volunteers helped comb through vast areas during massive searches over the weekend.

As we develop new leads and new search areas, teams of law enforcement will do targeted searches, a statement by the departments read.

We are not giving up and we want to thank everyone for their continued support for Maddi and her family.

Authorities have asked residents in the City of Winona, Wilson Township, and Hillsdale Township to search their acreage, wooded property, outbuildings, vehicles and trails for anything suspicious.

Dive teams and police ATVs have also been used in the search. The Winona Police Department said on Saturday that search efforts will be scaled back but the investigation remains ongoing.

What do we know about Madelines last movements?

21:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Winona police have offered scant details about the day of Madeline Kingsburys disappearance.

What we do know is that Ms Kingsbury and the father of her children dropped their two children  aged two and five  off at daycare at around 8am on 31 March.

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At around 8.15am, the mother-of-two returned to her home.

Her whereabouts after this time remain a mystery.

She failed to show up for work  something that police said was very unlike her  and her cellphone, wallet, ID and the jacket she was wearing that morning were all found inside the home.

The father of her children told investigators that he left Ms Kingsburys home at around 10am that morning, driving off in her 2014 dark blue Chrysler Town and Country minivan.

He said that he returned later that day and found Ms Kingsbury wasnt home.

Friends and family members tried to contact the 26-year-old that day but couldnt get hold of her.

Again, police said this was unusual behaviour for her.

Based on all this we believe Madelines disappearance is involuntary, suspicious and were all concerned for her safety, said Winona Police Chief Tom Williams.

Megan Kingsbury asks public to spread the word about missing sister

17:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Megan Kingsbury posted a TikTok on Wednesday with updates about the search for her missing sister Madeline.

Megan said she, relatives and family friends have been driving through Winona County, where Madeline lived, and Fillmore County.

The Fillmore County Sheriffs Office previously requested assistance from residents in Winona and nearby townships to search their property.

Madeline Kingsburys sister speaks out a week after disappearance

14:24 , Andrea Blanco

The sister of Madeline Kingsbury has said that her family became worried when the missing mother-of-two stopped answering her phone.

This is very unlike her, Megan told Fox News. Shes not the type of person who would want to take a break and not tell anybody. If she had a problem and wanted to get away, she would come to my house.

Megan said that the last text she received from Madeline was at 8.15am on the day that she went missing.

We were chuckling about a funny photo exchange between us, and that was the last communication with me, or with any of my family or her other friends, Megan said.

Madeline was last seen in Winona on 31 March shortly after she dropped her children off at daycare with their father.

The father, who has not been described specifically by police as her husband, said they returned home and he departed for work in her van at around 10am.

Megan refused to answer questions about Madelines husband, asking instead that the focus remained on finding Madeline.

Theres a lot of speculation, of course, with people coming up with theories and asking us a lot of questions that we cant answer, she told Fox. We just want to keep the focus on finding her. Were asking people keep their eyes and ears open.

What we know about Madeline Kingsburys disappearance

13:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Last Friday morning, Madeline Kingsbury dropped her two young children off at their daycare in Minnesota.

She was never seen or heard from again.

Now, one week on, a desperate search is underway to find the missing 26-year-old Maddi whose disappearance has been described as involuntary and suspicious.

Rachel Sharp reports.

What we know about missing mother Madeline Kingsburys disappearance

Recap: What happened to Madeline Kingsbury?

09:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Madeline Kingsbury, a 26-year-old mother of two children, was last seen on 31 March.

According to the police, Ms Kingsbury and her husband returned to their home in Winona after dropping off their kids at daycare on Friday.

The husband said he left for work in Ms Kingsburys van, around 10am local time, and returned later in the day only to find his wife gone.

Ms Kingsbury did not show up for work that day or respond to numerous calls and messages from friends and family. She also failed to pick up her children from daycare that afternoon, which the police said was extremely out of character for her.

Huge turnout for mass search on Friday

05:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Tremendous turnout this morning for the mass search of missing Madeline Kingsbury in Rushford. Info on signing up for the search: https://t.co/6zdtMCH7wh pic.twitter.com/eZe0kEM8fX  R-P TROJANS Activities (@RPTrojansJLoney) April 7, 2023

Volunteer search leaders warn against family harassment

01:30 , Oliver O'Connell

The official Facebook page for Madeline Kingsburys disappearance has put out a stern statement indicating that members of the missing mothers family have been targets of harassment over the course of the search.

A post on the Finding Madeline Kingsbury page late Thursday night states: We want to address something that has been brought to our attention. We will not condone the harassing of Maddis family or friends for information.

When there is an active investigation, they do not need to disclose every detail for any number of reason. More often than not though, its to protect the victim or to not jeopardize their chances at catching the perpetrator and pressing charges. If there is information we can share, it will be shared via the page.

We post this information so that people can be aware but we will not post info like that anymore if people are going to harass family, friends and businesses that may be involved. And that would be a huge disservice to Maddi. It is completely inappropriate and we will not tolerate it.

What do we know about Madelines last movements?

Saturday 8 April 2023 21:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Winona police have offered scant details about the day of Madeline Kingsburys disappearance.

What we do know is that Ms Kingsbury and the father of her children dropped their two children  aged two and five  off at daycare at around 8am on 31 March.

At around 8.15am, the mother-of-two returned to her home.

Her whereabouts after this time remain a mystery.

She failed to show up for work  something that police said was very unlike her  and her cellphone, wallet, ID and the jacket she was wearing that morning were all found inside the home.

The father of her children told investigators that he left Ms Kingsburys home at around 10am that morning, driving off in her 2014 dark blue Chrysler Town and Country minivan.

He said that he returned later that day and found Ms Kingsbury wasnt home.

Friends and family members tried to contact the 26-year-old that day but couldnt get hold of her.

Again, police said this was unusual behaviour for her.

Based on all this we believe Madelines disappearance is involuntary, suspicious and were all concerned for her safety, said Winona Police Chief Tom Williams.

Maps show areas of priority in search for Madeline Kingsbury

Saturday 8 April 2023 17:30 , Oliver O'Connell

The Winona Police Department has requested assistance from neighbouring authorities in the search for missing mother-of-two Madeline Kinsley, 26.

The department has also asked residents in the City of Winona, Wilson Township, and Hillsdale Township to search their acreage, wooded property, outbuildings, vehicles and trails for anything suspicious that may help find Madeline.

A map of priority areas was shared by the law enforcement agency on Wednesday.

No suspects in week-long search for Madeline

Saturday 8 April 2023 14:17 , Andrea Blanco

Fillmore County Sheriff John DeGeorge said on Friday that there are no suspects in the investigation.

The department has asked residents in the City of Winona, Wilson Township, and Hillsdale Township to search their acreage, wooded property, outbuildings, vehicles and trails for anything suspicious that may help find Madeline.

A map of priority areas was shared by the law enforcement agency on Wednesday.

Walk your acreage, check your buildings, check your vehicles, walk trials, check your cameras, surveillance cameras, doorbell cameras, your trail cameras for any indications of anything suspicious or for any sign of a dark coloured Chrysler Town & Country minivan, he said, according to Postbulletin.com.

What we know about Madeline Kingsburys disappearance

Saturday 8 April 2023 13:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Mother-of-two Madeline Kingsbury has not been seen for a week.

Now, investigators are honing in on the last known travels of her minivan.

The Independents Rachel Sharp reports:

What we know about missing mother Madeline Kingsburys disappearance

Family release photos of Madeline Kingsburys tattoos

Saturday 8 April 2023 09:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Madeline Kingsburys family have released several photos of her distinct tattoos in hopes that they could help locate the mother who has now been missing for a week.

The photos were included in a post on the Find Madeline Kingsbury Facebook page which sought to debunk false speculation on the case.

Madeline Kingsburys sister pleads for her safe return

Saturday 8 April 2023 05:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Ms Kingsburys elder sister, Megan, addressing the media on Wednesday, offered a $50,000 reward for information on the missing womans whereabouts.

To be honest I dont know everything, she said about the current investigation into her sisters disappearance.

Madeline is many things. Shes a mother, sister, daughter, best friend, granddaughter, niece. Its a long list.

Madeline is a hard-working and dedicated mother. Family is everything to her and shes grown into an impressive and beautiful young woman.

Please help us find Madeline. The children need their mother. We need our daughter, our sister, our aunt, our best friend back. We just want to find her, so, thank you.

Daycare drop-off, a blue van and missing mother-of-two  what we know so far

Saturday 8 April 2023 01:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Last Friday morning, Madeline Kingsbury dropped her two young children off at their daycare in Minnesota.

She was never seen or heard from again.

Now, one week on, a desperate search is underway to find the missing 26-year-old Maddi whose disappearance has been described as involuntary and suspicious.

Rachel Sharp outlines what we know so far about Madelines disappearance.

What we know about missing mother Madeline Kingsburys disappearance

Watch: Aerial footage shows extent of todays search

Saturday 8 April 2023 00:30 , Oliver O'Connell

What do we know about Madelines last movements?

Friday 7 April 2023 23:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Winona police have offered scant details about the day of Madeline Kingsburys disappearance.

What we do know is that Ms Kingsbury and the father of her children dropped their two children  aged two and five  off at daycare at around 8am on 31 March.

At around 8.15am, the mother-of-two returned to her home.

Her whereabouts after this time remain a mystery.

She failed to show up for work  something that police said was very unlike her  and her cellphone, wallet, ID and the jacket she was wearing that morning were all found inside the home.

The father of her children told investigators that he left Ms Kingsburys home at around 10am that morning, driving off in her 2014 dark blue Chrysler Town and Country minivan.

He said that he returned later that day and found Ms Kingsbury wasnt home.

Friends and family members tried to contact the 26-year-old that day but couldnt get hold of her.

Again, police said this was unusual behaviour for her.

Based on all this we believe Madelines disappearance is involuntary, suspicious and were all concerned for her safety, said Winona Police Chief Tom Williams.

Maps show areas of priority in search for Madeline Kingsbury

Friday 7 April 2023 22:30 , Oliver O'Connell

The Winona Police Department has requested assistance from neighbouring authorities in the search for missing mother-of-two Madeline Kinsley, 26.

The department has also asked residents in the City of Winona, Wilson Township, and Hillsdale Township to search their acreage, wooded property, outbuildings, vehicles and trails for anything suspicious that may help find Madeline.

A map of priority areas was shared by the law enforcement agency on Wednesday.

Almost 2,000 turn out for search, second planned for Saturday

Friday 7 April 2023 21:54 , Oliver O'Connell

Nearly 2,000 people came out to assist in the search for Madeline Kingsbury on Friday and now authorities are organising another mass search for Maddi for Saturday, ABC 6 reports.

First and foremostThank you to all the volunteers, fire departments and first responders who aided in the search today. There was a large amount of area searched and we had over 1,860 volunteers in the two search areas.

Ben Klinger, Winona County Emergency Management Coordinator

If you are willing to volunteer, registration will be from 9am  11am at either:

Winona County -Goodview Fire Department, 4135 5th St, Winona MN

Fillmore County Rushford-Peterson School, 1000 Pine Meadows Lane, Rushford MN.

Volunteers will be assigned and bussed to the search areas.

What do we know about Madelines last movements?

Friday 7 April 2023 21:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Winona police have offered scant details about the day of Madeline Kingsburys disappearance.

What we do know is that Ms Kingsbury and the father of her children dropped their two children  aged two and five  off at daycare at around 8am on 31 March.

At around 8.15am, the mother-of-two returned to her home.

Her whereabouts after this time remain a mystery.

She failed to show up for work  something that police said was very unlike her  and her cellphone, wallet, ID and the jacket she was wearing that morning were all found inside the home.

The father of her children told investigators that he left Ms Kingsburys home at around 10am that morning, driving off in her 2014 dark blue Chrysler Town and Country minivan.

He said that he returned later that day and found Ms Kingsbury wasnt home.

Friends and family members tried to contact the 26-year-old that day but couldnt get hold of her.

Again, police said this was unusual behaviour for her.

Based on all this we believe Madelines disappearance is involuntary, suspicious and were all concerned for her safety, said Winona Police Chief Tom Williams.

Megan Kingsbury asks public to spread the word about missing sister

Friday 7 April 2023 21:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Megan Kingsbury posted a TikTok on Wednesday with updates about the search for her missing sister Madeline.

Megan said she, relatives and family friends have been driving through Winona County, where Madeline lived, and Fillmore County.

The Fillmore County Sheriffs Office previously requested assistance from residents in Winona and nearby townships to search their property.

No persons of interest in Madeline Kingsburys disappearance

Friday 7 April 2023 20:15 , Oliver OConnell

Winona police have said that there are currently no suspects and no persons of interest in the case.

However, they appear to be focusing on the movements of Ms Kingsburys minivan  and are asking for the publics help in tracing its journeys on the day of her disappearance.

Chief Tom Williams confirmed that the vehicle is not missing and that both the van and Ms Kingsburys home have been searched.

Surveillance footage has captured a vehicle matching the description of the van was captured driving from the home along highways and through Winona County and Fillmore County before heading back to the house.

After the vehicle returned home, it is not believed to have gone anywhere else.

During Thursdays press release, police refused to say who was driving the van.

That is not information we can share at this time, they said.

The police chief said that there is nothing to indicate that she left the residence on foot or in another vehicle.

The two children are safe and there does not appear to be any threat to the public, police said.

Law enforcement ask people to check properties and security footage

Friday 7 April 2023 20:00 , Oliver O'Connell

WATCH LIVE: Law enforcement officials are updating the search for 26-year-old Madeline Kingsbury, a mother of 2 from Winona who disappeared March 31. https://t.co/6epAQJ6UAA  KARE 11 (@kare11) April 7, 2023

Massive search continues

Friday 7 April 2023 19:47 , Oliver O'Connell

A massive search of the area is underway today. Volunteers continue to show up to help, many who dont know Kingsbury but felt compelled to assist.



The Winona Police Chief said today We remain very hopeful well bring [Madeline] back home to her family pic.twitter.com/3VvBvVhDA7  Callan Gray (@CallanGrayNews) April 7, 2023

Family offers $50K Reward for information regarding Madelines whereabouts

Friday 7 April 2023 19:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Madeline Kingsburys elder sister, Megan, addressed the media on Wednesday and announced a $50,000 reward for information on the missing mothers whereabouts.

To be honest I dont know everything, she said about the current investigation into her sisters disappearance.

Madeline is many things. Shes a mother, sister, daughter, best friend, granddaughter, niece. Its a long list.

Madeline is a hard-working and dedicated mother. Family is everything to her and shes grown into an impressive and beautiful young woman.

Please help us find Madeline. The children need their mother. We need our daughter, our sister, our aunt, our best friend back. We just want to find her, so, thank you.

ICYMI: What happened to Madeline Kingsbury?

Friday 7 April 2023 18:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Madeline Kingsbury, a 26-year-old mother of two children, was last seen on 31 March.

According to the police, Ms Kingsbury and her husband returned to their home in Winona after dropping off their kids at daycare on Friday.

The husband said he left for work in Ms Kingsburys van, around 10am local time, and returned later in the day only to find his wife gone.

Ms Kingsbury did not show up for work that day or respond to numerous calls and messages from friends and family. She also failed to pick up her children from daycare that afternoon, which the police said was extremely out of character for her.

Huge turnout for mass search

Friday 7 April 2023 18:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Tremendous turnout this morning for the mass search of missing Madeline Kingsbury in Rushford. Info on signing up for the search: https://t.co/6zdtMCH7wh pic.twitter.com/eZe0kEM8fX  R-P TROJANS Activities (@RPTrojansJLoney) April 7, 2023

Volunteer search leaders warn against family harassment

Friday 7 April 2023 17:15 , Oliver O'Connell

The official Facebook page for Madeline Kingsburys disappearance has put out a stern statement indicating that members of the missing mothers family have been targets of harassment over the course of the search.

A post on the Finding Madeline Kingsbury page late Thursday night states: We want to address something that has been brought to our attention. We will not condone the harassing of Maddis family or friends for information.

When there is an active investigation, they do not need to disclose every detail for any number of reason. More often than not though, its to protect the victim or to not jeopardize their chances at catching the perpetrator and pressing charges. If there is information we can share, it will be shared via the page.

We post this information so that people can be aware but we will not post info like that anymore if people are going to harass family, friends and businesses that may be involved. And that would be a huge disservice to Maddi. It is completely inappropriate and we will not tolerate it.

Madeline Kingsburys loved ones continue desperate search

Friday 7 April 2023 16:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Madeline Kingsburys loved ones are combing through the area where she was last seen hoping to find clues of her whereabouts.

We need hundreds of people to cover this ground. It takes like 100 people in one field just to do I think what they call American Arms and if you send two people out there its just not enough, a friend of Madeline who did not wish to be named told KIMT3 News.

The Winona Police Department has requested assistance from neighbouring authorities in Wilson Township and Hillsdale Township.

Its just draining for me and the family and some of the friends here. Theyre just over the questions, you know? What was happening, what was she doing? Its just not going to help find her.

What do we know about Madelines last movements?

Friday 7 April 2023 15:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Winona police have offered scant details about the day of Madeline Kingsburys disappearance.

What we do know is that Ms Kingsbury and the father of her children dropped their two children  aged two and five  off at daycare at around 8am on 31 March.

At around 8.15am, the mother-of-two returned to her home.

Her whereabouts after this time remain a mystery.

She failed to show up for work  something that police said was very unlike her  and her cellphone, wallet, ID and the jacket she was wearing that morning were all found inside the home.

The father of her children told investigators that he left Ms Kingsburys home at around 10am that morning, driving off in her 2014 dark blue Chrysler Town and Country minivan.

He said that he returned later that day and found Ms Kingsbury wasnt home.

Friends and family members tried to contact the 26-year-old that day but couldnt get hold of her.

Again, police said this was unusual behaviour for her.

Based on all this we believe Madelines disappearance is involuntary, suspicious and were all concerned for her safety, said Winona Police Chief Tom Williams.

Maps show areas of priority in search for Madeline Kingsbury

Friday 7 April 2023 15:00 , Oliver O'Connell

The Winona Police Department has requested assistance from neighbouring authorities in the search for missing mother-of-two Madeline Kinsley, 26.

The department has also asked residents in the City of Winona, Wilson Township, and Hillsdale Township to search their acreage, wooded property, outbuildings, vehicles and trails for anything suspicious that may help find Madeline.

A map of priority areas was shared by the law enforcement agency on Wednesday.

Family release photos of Madeline Kingsburys tattoos

Friday 7 April 2023 14:20 , Megan Sheets

Madeline Kingsburys family have released several photos of her distinct tattoos in hopes that they could help locate the mother who has now been missing for a week.

The photos were included in a post on the Find Madeline Kingsbury Facebook page which sought to debunk false speculation on the case.

Daycare drop-off, a blue van and missing mother-of-two: What we know about Madeline Kingsburys disappearance

Friday 7 April 2023 14:00 , Andrea Blanco

Mother-of-two Madeline Kingsbury has not been seen for a week.

Now, investigators are honing in on the last known travels of her minivan.

The Independents Rachel Sharp reports:

What we know about missing mother Madeline Kingsburys disappearance

Search for Madeline Kingsbury could draw nearly 1,000 volunteers

Friday 7 April 2023 13:30 , Megan Sheets

A mass search for missing Minnesota mother Madeline Kingsbury is expected to see a stunning volunteer turnout today, as nearly 1,000 sign-up slots have been filled.

Authorities from several law enforcement agencies near Winona organised the search beginning at XXam local time Friday. It is slated to last eight hours and cover specific areas identified by investigators as priorities.

A sign-up website has seen at least 990 people sign up across two four-hour slots as of Friday morning.

The website cautions: Volunteers need to dress appropriately, be able to walk long distances and in rough terrain.

The Winona Police Department previously released maps showing the priority areas of the search.

The department has also asked residents in the City of Winona, Wilson Township, and Hillsdale Township to search their acreage, wooded property, outbuildings, vehicles and trails for anything suspicious that may help find Madeline.

Madeline Kingsburys sister pleads for her safe return

Friday 7 April 2023 13:00 , Andrea Blanco

Ms Kingsburys elder sister, Megan, addressing the media on Wednesday, offered a $50,000 reward for information on the missing womans whereabouts.

To be honest I dont know everything, she said about the current investigation into her sisters disappearance.

Madeline is many things. Shes a mother, sister, daughter, best friend, granddaughter, niece. Its a long list.

Madeline is a hard-working and dedicated mother. Family is everything to her and shes grown into an impressive and beautiful young woman.

Please help us find Madeline. The children need their mother. We need our daughter, our sister, our aunt, our best friend back. We just want to find her, so, thank you.

Winona Police asks public to report sightings of Madelins blue minivan

Friday 7 April 2023 12:00 , Andrea Blanco

Winona Police said that there are currently no suspects and no persons of interest.

However, they appear to be focusing on the movements of Ms Kingsburys minivan  and are asking for the publics help in tracing its journeys on the day of her disappearance.

Chief Williams confirmed that the vehicle is not missing and that both the van and Ms Kingsburys home have been searched.

Winona Police and Madeline Kingsburys family held a press conference

Surveillance footage has captured a vehicle matching the description of the van was captured driving from the home along highways and through Winona County and Fillmore County before heading back to the house.

After the vehicle returned home, it is not believed to have gone anywhere else.

During Thursdays press release, police refused to say who was driving the van.

That is not information we can share at this time, they said.

The police chief said that there is nothing to indicate that she left the residence on foot or in another vehicle.

The two children are safe and there does not appear to be any threat to the public, police said.

Volunteer search leaders warn against family harassment

Friday 7 April 2023 11:46 , Megan Sheets

The official Facebook page for Madeline Kingsburys disappearance has put out a stern statement indicating that members of the missing mothers family have been targets of harassment over the course of the search.

A post on the Finding Madeline Kingsbury page late Thursday night states: We want to address something that has been brought to our attention. We will not condone the harassing of Maddis family or friends for information.

When there is an active investigation, they do not need to disclose every detail for any number of reason. More often than not though, its to protect the victim or to not jeopardize their chances at catching the perpetrator and pressing charges. If there is information we can share, it will be shared via the page.

We post this information so that people can be aware but we will not post info like that anymore if people are going to harass family, friends and businesses that may be involved. And that would be a huge disservice to Maddi. It is completely inappropriate and we will not tolerate it.

Madeline Kingsburys loved ones continue desperate search

Friday 7 April 2023 11:00 , Andrea Blanco

Madeline Kingsburys loved ones are combing through the area where she was last seen hoping to find clues of her whereabouts.

We need hundreds of people to cover this ground. It takes like 100 people in one field just to do I think what they call American Arms and if you send two people out there its just not enough, a friend of Madeline who did not wish to be named told KIMT3 News.

The Winona Police Department has requested assistance from neighbouring authorities in Wilson Township and Hillsdale Township.

Its just draining for me and the family and some of the friends here. Theyre just over the questions, you know? What was happening, what was she doing? Its just not going to help find her.

WATCH: Winona Police hold press conference in disappearance of mother-of-two Madelin Kingsbury

Friday 7 April 2023 10:00 , Andrea Blanco

What do we know about Madelines last movements?

Friday 7 April 2023 09:00 , Andrea Blanco

Winona police have offered scant details about the day of Madeline Kingsburys disappearance.

What we do know is that Ms Kingsbury and the father of her children dropped their two children  aged two and five  off at daycare at around 8am on 31 March.

At around 8.15am, the mother-of-two returned to her home.

Her whereabouts after this time remain a mystery.

She failed to show up for work  something that police said was very unlike her  and her cellphone, wallet, ID and the jacket she was wearing that morning were all found inside the home.

The father of her children told investigators that he left Ms Kingsburys home at around 10am that morning, driving off in her 2014 dark blue Chrysler Town and Country minivan.

He said that he returned later that day and found Ms Kingsbury wasnt home.

Friends and family members tried to contact the 26-year-old that day but couldnt get hold of her.

Again, police said this was unusual behaviour for her.

Based on all this we believe Madelines disappearance is involuntary, suspicious and were all concerned for her safety, said Winona Police Chief Tom Williams.

Maps show areas of priority in search for Madeline Kingsbury

Friday 7 April 2023 08:00 , Andrea Blanco

The Winona Police Department has requested assistance from neighbouring authorities in the search for missing mother-of-two Madeline Kinsley, 26.

The department has also asked residents in the City of Winona, Wilson Township, and Hillsdale Township to search their acreage, wooded property, outbuildings, vehicles and trails for anything suspicious that may help find Madeline.

A map of priority areas was shared by the law enforcement agency on Wednesday.

Winona Police Department

Mass search for Madeline scheduled for Friday

Friday 7 April 2023 07:00 , Andrea Blanco

The Winona Police Department has asked residents of the area to sign up for an organised mass search for Madeline on Friday.

Winona Police Department

Megan Kingsbury asks public to spread the word about missing sister

Friday 7 April 2023 06:00 , Andrea Blanco

Megan Kingsbury posted a TikTok on Wednesday with updates about the search for her missing sister Madeline.

Megan said she, relatives and family friends have been driving through Winona County, where Madeline lived, and Fillmore County.

The Fillmore County Sheriffs Office previously requested assistance from residents in Winona and nearby townships to search their property.

Megan on TikTok

No persons of interest in Madelin Kingsburys dissapearance

Friday 7 April 2023 05:00 , Andrea Blanco

Winona police have said that there are currently no suspects and no persons of interest in the case.

However, they appear to be focusing on the movements of Ms Kingsburys minivan  and are asking for the publics help in tracing its journeys on the day of her disappearance.

Chief Tom Williams confirmed that the vehicle is not missing and that both the van and Ms Kingsburys home have been searched.

Surveillance footage has captured a vehicle matching the description of the van was captured driving from the home along highways and through Winona County and Fillmore County before heading back to the house.

After the vehicle returned home, it is not believed to have gone anywhere else.

During Thursdays press release, police refused to say who was driving the van.

That is not information we can share at this time, they said.

The police chief said that there is nothing to indicate that she left the residence on foot or in another vehicle.

The two children are safe and there does not appear to be any threat to the public, police said.

This is everything we know about Madeline Kingsburys disappearance

Friday 7 April 2023 03:00 , Andrea Blanco

Mother-of-two Madeline Kingsbury has not been seen for a week.

Now, investigators are honing in on the last known travels of her minivan.

The Independents Rachel Sharp reports:

What we know about missing mother Madeline Kingsburys disappearance

Family offers $50K Reward for information regarding Madelines whereabouts

Friday 7 April 2023 01:30 , Andrea Blanco

Madeline Kingsburys elder sister, Megan, addressed the media on Wednesday and announced a $50,000 reward for information on the missing mothers whereabouts.

To be honest I dont know everything, she said about the current investigation into her sisters disappearance.

Madeline is many things. Shes a mother, sister, daughter, best friend, granddaughter, niece. Its a long list.

Madeline is a hard-working and dedicated mother. Family is everything to her and shes grown into an impressive and beautiful young woman.

Please help us find Madeline. The children need their mother. We need our daughter, our sister, our aunt, our best friend back. We just want to find her, so, thank you.

Watch the full press conference where Megan Kingsbury gave her plea below:

ICYMI: What happened to Madeline Kingsbury?

Friday 7 April 2023 00:00 , Andrea Blanco

Madeline Kingsbury, a 26-year-old mother of two children, was last seen on 31 March.

According to the police, Ms Kingsbury and her husband returned to their home in Winona after dropping off their kids at daycare on Friday.

The husband said he left for work in Ms Kingsburys van, around 10am local time, and returned later in the day only to find his wife gone.

Ms Kingsbury did not show up for work that day or respond to numerous calls and messages from friends and family. She also failed to pick up her children from daycare that afternoon, which the police said was extremely out of character for her.

Madeline Kingsbury vanishes before childrens school pickup

Thursday 6 April 2023 23:00 , Andrea Blanco

Madeline Kingsbury, a 26-year-old mother of two children, was last seen on 31 March.

According to the police, Ms Kingsbury and the father of her children returned to their home in Winona after dropping off the kids at daycare on Friday.

The father said he left for work in Ms Kingsburys van, around 10am local time, and returned later in the day only to find his wife gone.

Ms Kingsbury did not show up for work that day or respond to numerous calls and messages from friends and family. She also failed to pick up her children from daycare that afternoon, which the police said was extremely out of character for her.

The Independents Alisha Rahaman Sarkar has more:

Family of missing Madeline Kingsbury offer $50k reward in mysterious disappearance

Community rallies around loved ones of Madeline Kingsbury

Thursday 6 April 2023 22:32 , Andrea Blanco

Friends and family members of missing mother-of-two Madeline Kingsbury have opened up about the desperate search to find her.

Shes the person that everybody likes, a friend of Ms Kingsbury who asked not to be identified told KIMT3 News.

Theres nothing about her that you can hate or dislike. Im honestly shocked by the amount of people she has touched in her life.

The friend also told the network that it was extremely unusual for Ms Kingsbury not to answer her phone.

The first red flag was is that the van was backed in, because shes a terrible driver and anybody will tell you that.

Devoted mother Madeline Kingsbury vanishes

Thursday 6 April 2023 22:01 , Andrea Blanco

Madeline Kingsbury, 26, was last seen on the morning of 31 March in Winona, Minnesota.

Authorities say she and her husband dropped their two children off at daycare at around 8am.

Then, her husband says they returned home before he left for work in her dark blue Chrysler minivan at around 10am.

When he returned home that afternoon, the husband said Ms Kingsbury was nowhere to be found.

The mother had failed to turn up to her work that day and also didnt go to pick up her children at daycare.

Her disappearance has been labeled involuntary and suspicious and investigators say there is reason to fear for her safety as the search nears its second week.

No suspects have been identified and the case is being treated as a missing person with the possibility of foul play.

Ms Kingsbury is described as 54 with brown hair and hazel eyes.

Read more:

Family of missing Madeline Kingsbury offer $50k reward in mysterious disappearance

Massive search for Madeline Kingsbury underway

Thursday 6 April 2023 21:40 , Andrea Blanco

A huge multi-agency search is under way to find the missing mother and bring her home safe.

Search teams have been looking near her home and along the highways that the van was seen travelling along for clues as to her whereabouts.

Police said officials have searched on foot, in vehicles, by water and by air.

No stone is being left unturned and were using every tool at our disposal, the police chief said.

Investigators are asking residents in both Winona County and Fillmore County to check their home security cameras for any signs of Ms Kingsburys minivan driving by or stopping. Even if there is nothing in the footage, police are urging residents not to delete footage captured from 31 March to 1 April.

Residents and landowners in the City of Winona, Wilson Township, and Hillsdale Township are also asked to search their acreage, wooded property, outbuildings, vehicles and trails for anything suspicious such as signs of a disturbance.

As the police chief said: Your information might be the final piece that brings Maddie home.

Ms Kinsgburys sister Megan also made an emotional appeal to the public for help, offering a $50,000 reward for information as she said family is everything to her.

At the moment, police say they are looking into all possibilities as to what happened to the mother-of-two but have not ruled out foul play.

Chief Williams said the case is being investigated as a missing person but also as foul play based on the totality of evidence.

Winona Police asks public to report sightings of Madelins blue mini van

Thursday 6 April 2023 21:20 , Andrea Blanco

Winona Police said that there are currently no suspects and no persons of interest.

However they appear to be focusing on the movements of Ms Kingsburys minivan  and are asking for the publics help in tracing its journeys on the day of her disappearance.

Chief Williams confirmed that the vehicle is not missing and that both the van and Ms Kingsburys home have been searched.

Winona Police and Madeline Kingsburys family held a press conference

Surveillance footage has captured a vehicle matching the description of the van was captured driving from the home along highways and through Winona County and Fillmore County before heading back to the house.

After the vehicle returned home, it is not believed to have gone anywhere else.

During Thursdays press release, police refused to say who was driving the van.

That is not information we can share at this time, they said.

The police chief said that there is nothing to indicate that she left the residence on foot or in another vehicle.

The two children are safe and there does not appear to be any threat to the public, police said.

Read more.

Madelin Kingsburys last known movements

Thursday 6 April 2023 21:03 , Andrea Blanco

Ms Kingsbury and the father of her children dropped their two children  aged two and five  off at daycare at around 8am, Winona Police said.

At around 8.15am, the mother-of-two returned to her home.

Her whereabouts after this time remain a mystery.

She failed to show up for work  something that police said was very unlike her  and her cellphone, wallet, ID and the jacket she was wearing that morning were all found inside the home.

The father of her children told investigators that he left Ms Kingsburys home at around 10am that morning, driving off in her 2014 dark blue Chrysler Town and Country minivan.

Madeline Kingsburys family have offered a $50,000 reward for information on her whereabouts

He said that he returned later that day and found Ms Kingsbury wasnt home.

Friends and family members tried to contact the 26-year-old that day but couldnt get hold of her.

Again, police said this was unusual behaviour for her.

Based on all this we believe Madelines disappearance is involuntary, suspicious and were all concerned for her safety, said Winona Police Chief Tom Williams.

Mass search for Madeline search underway

Thursday 6 April 2023 20:40 , Andrea Blanco

The Winona Police Department has asked residents of the area to sign up for an organised mass search for Madeline on Friday.

Family of missing Madeline Kingsbury offer $50k reward after dedicated mother vanishes before school pickup

Thursday 6 April 2023 20:20 , Andrea Blanco

The sister of a Minnesota woman who went missing last week under suspicious circumstances has appealed for help from members of the public.

Madeline Kingsbury, a 26-year-old mother of two children, was last seen on 31 March.

According to the police, Ms Kingsbury and the father of her children returned to their home in Winona after dropping off the kids at daycare on Friday.

The Independents Alisha Rahaman Sarkar has more:

Family of missing Madeline Kingsbury offer $50k reward in mysterious disappearance

Desperate search for mother-of-two Madeline Kingsbury continues

Thursday 6 April 2023 20:00 , Andrea Blanco

Madeline Kingsburys loved ones are combing through the area where she was last seen hoping to find clues of her whereabouts.

We need hundreds of people to cover this ground. It takes like 100 people in one field just to do I think what they call American Arms and if you send two people out there its just not enough, a friend of Madeline who did not wish to be named told KIMT3 News.

The Winona Police Department has requested assistance from neighbouring authorities in Wilson Township and Hillsdale Township.

Its just draining for me and the family and some of the friends here. Theyre just over the questions, you know? What was happening, what was she doing? Its just not going to help find her.
A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after another person was found with a gunshot wound in Merced, according to authorities.

Steven Vasquez, 34, was arrested by Merced Police Department Gang Violence Suppression Unit officers on Friday as part of an investigation into the shooting, according to a Merced Police Department news release.

Authorities said officers responded to a report of a shooting about 1:11 a.m. on April 1 in the area of East Yosemite Parkway and Glen Avenue. They found a person in the 700 block of Motel Drive suffering from a gunshot wound.

Police said the persons vehicle also appeared to have been hit by gunfire multiple times.

The person was taken to a Modesto-area hospital and is in stable condition, according to the release. No other information on the person hurt was released.

During an investigation, authorities viewed surveillance video that led gang officers to determine there were several suspects involved. One was identified as Vasquez, who police said is a known gang member.

A warrant was issued for his arrest and he was taken into custody Friday in the 300 block of South Parsons Avenue, according to the release.

Vasquez was booked into Merced County Jail on suspicion of felony attempted murder, participation in criminal street gang activity, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and possession of ammunition by a prohibited person, according to jail records.

Police ask anyone with information regarding the alleged crime to contact Officer Justin Saldivar at 209-388-7735 or saldivarj@cityofmerced.org. Some crimes can be reported through the Merced Police Department website and anonymous tips can be submitted by calling 209-385-4725.

Anonymous tips can also be submitted to law enforcement at mercedareacrimestoppers.org.
A traveller claimed that Frontier Airlines lost his luggage on his flight before an airline employees grandfather brought it to him.

In a recent video posted to TikTok, Cole, @madeleineandcole, recounted the craziest experience he had with Frontier Airlines during a trip from Denver, Colorado, to Hartford, Connecticut. He explained that when got to the airport, he had a personal bag for the flight and paid to check a bag.

He said that when he checked his bag and went through security at the airport, everything was fine. However, once he got to the gate, the airline workers started looking at passengers personal bags.

They line us all up and theyre like, We are checking everyones bag size, he explained. And it wasnt just like a little normal checkSomeone tried to take a phone out of a bag and theyre like, Nothing in your pockets. What?

Cole claimed that when someone tried to put on a jacket, the airline worker said no and claimed that each person could only have one jacket. He explained that people continued to put bags into the baggage sizer, which is used to determine if personal items can fit on the plane or not. When people had bags with straps hanging out, he alleged that workers told them that the items couldnt fit on the plane.

According to Frontiers official site, each traveller is allowed one personal item on the plane, which has to be 14H X 18W X 8D including handles, wheels and straps. If the items are not this size, they will be charged an additional cost during boarding. Passengers can also check bags or have a carry-on bag when they board for an additional cost.

In his video, Cole claimed that workers proceeded examined passengers luggage before sending them to the counter to check their items.

They sent everyone to the counter, he claimed. People were, like, filming. Some people were crying because they were being so sticklers, and peoples bags were, like, actually fitting.

The TikTok user said that when he saw this, he put on his jacket and threw away some stuff before putting his bag in the bag sizer. He claimed that when an airline worker told him that his bag still didnt fit, he asked to put in the bag sizer again. In response, she allegedly she said no.

Story continues

From there, he claimed he snuck out of the line to empty more stuff out of his bag. When he got back on the line, he said that he got the bag to fit in the sizer because the airline worker was dealing with someone else. So, he was able to grab the bag and take it on the plane with him.

He continued on to say he asked an attendant for a bandage for a cut when he got on the plane, but claimed that the attendant told him no. He later got a bandage from a different attendant.

Once he landed, Cole claimed that he waited 20 or 30 minutes at a baggage carousel to get the luggage he checked. After noticing that the information desk was closed, he said that he finally got to talk to a TSA person, who told him: Oh yeah, Frontier doesnt have a carousel right now.

Cole said that the TSA worker told him that normally an attendant would come down and show passengers where their bags are. Instead of waiting, Cole decided to go home and return to the airport the next morning for his bag.

Upon returning the next day, Cole said his luggage was not in the airports baggage room so he had to file a claim about the missing bag. An airline worker also apparently told him that they couldnt track his bag.

Cole said that he filed another claim with a Frontier bot before he was then transferred to a human.

So I was like, Hey, Im sorry Im being short with you. Im not mad at you. I just cant believe how helpless I feel right now. Because theres literally not one outlet that has offered me any substance of information about where my bag is, he explained of the ordeal.

In a follow up video, Cole shared an update on the situation and revealed that he did get his bag back moer than 48 hours after he landed.

He said that after the employees called him to say that his bag would be delivered, he got another call from Frontier about the person dropping it off.

Hes like: Hey, so just wanted to give you an update on your bag. One of our Frontier drivers is in the hospital, so I got it so far, but my grandfather is actually going to drive it down to you, Cole recalled. And I was like, Okay thats fine...but it seems weird that his grandfather would give it to me, but at this point I didnt think I was going to get my bag.

Cole then recalled that the grandfather had driven to the wrong town in Connecticut, which was three hours north from where the traveller lived. Still, the workers grandfather drove to his house and dropped the luggage off.

He drove a bunch of extra time, this guys grandfather apparently, which is like so crazy, he added. I cannot believe that this Frontier employee was in a position where he was going to have his grandfather drive it.

As of 7 April, Coles two videos have more than 539,200 views. Many TikTok users in the comments have been criticising Frontier.

Honestly I feel like budget airlines in the end just cost more money and hassle, one wrote.

Frontier: you cant have your bag on board with you, but also you cant have it after you land. Good luck, another added.

A third wrote: These airlines act like passengers are inconveniencing them.

Other people shared their reactions to the airline employees grandfather dropping off the luggage and asked more questions about the experience.

The grandfather delivery, one wrote, along with three laughing face emojis.

I have sooo many questions but like what about everyone elses bags?? another added. Did grandpa drive and drop those off too??

The Independent has contacted Cole and Frontier Airlines for comment.

This isnt the first time that travellers have shared their difficult experiences with Frontier. Last month, the budget airline came under fire after a passenger claimed to have been charged $100 to check a bag which appeared to fit the size requirements.

Dyana Villa shared a video of her experience travelling with Frontier on TikTok, in which she and her friends can be seen fitting their bag into the baggage sizer. She later shared an update and claimed she was contacted by a Frontier Airlines attendant, who said staff are eligible for a $10 bonus for every passenger bag they check and collect a fee for.

A Frontier spokesperson told The Independent that the fee is simply an incentive for our airport customer service agents to help ensure compliance with our policies and that all customers are treated equally.

The spokesperson rejected Villas baggage complaint claiming that the traveller had brought a second carry-on bag.

Each customer is allowed one free personal item that must fit within the smaller sizer box, they said. This customer had more than one bag and they were not able to combine them into a single bag that fit in the personal item box.
A man shot a woman in the face, killing her, at a bar in Akron's Goodyear Heights neighborhood early Saturday morning, according to the Akron Police Department and Summit County Medical Examiner's Office.

Officers responded to Heights Bar and Grill in the 1300 block of Newton Street at around 1:10 a.m. and found Tiffany Ross, 44, of Akron inside with an apparent gunshot wound, according to police and the medical examiner's office.

Ross was taken to Summa Akron City Hospital, where she died from a single gunshot wound to the face, according to the medical examiner's office.

Police said they identified a suspect, searched several locations and found Aaron Ridenour, 28, of Akron hiding in the back of a pickup truck on Rhodes Avenue. He was taken into custody without incident, according to police.

Ridenour was charged with murder, an unspecified felony, and felonious assault, a second-degree felony, and taken to the Summit County Jail. He was arraigned Monday morning in Akron Municipal Court.

Akron serial rape suspect: Akron police arrest serial rape suspect who offered women rides

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Tiffany Ross killed at Akron bar was shot in face, man arrested
Police found a man dead in a tree in a Pennsylvania neighborhood over the weekend.

Officers with the Manheim Township Police Department responded to a 911 call at 12:48 p.m. on Saturday, April 8, from the neighboring community of Lancaster, the department said in a news release.

It was reported that a male was in a tree and went unconscious, the release said. But when first responders arrived and got the man down, he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators say the 39-year-old was trimming branches near power lines, and believe the man was electrocuted when one of the branches struck a line, the release said.

Police are investigating, but no foul play is suspected, the release said.

Lancaster is roughly 80 miles west of Philadelphia.

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The outgoing Biosphere Artist in Residence at Manx Wildlife Trust has said the most important part of the role was connecting with the community.

Clare Payne, who was appointed in March last year, held open painting and beach art sessions in Douglas and Port Erin.

She said there was "a real buzz" at the events, which encouraged people to ask questions about wildlife they saw.

"I think there's this myth that you have to go to Africa or South America to see incredible species," she added.

Although the animals on the island were "maybe less big and bold", she said, they were "not less fascinating, particularly when you get into the marine environment".

"There's so much to see here if you know where to look," she added.

Ms Payne also worked on a set of commemorative stamps to mark the 50th anniversary of the trust.

She previously studied zoology and also worked as a photographer, and said she returned to her love of art during the Covid lockdowns.

Reflecting on her time in the role, Ms Payne said it had been the "perfect marriage" of her two passions, and had given her the the chance to "figure out what sort of direction I want to go with my art".

She said the main purpose of the role was to "connect with the public and inspire them to act for Manx nature".

The dedicated artist position was funded by the Isle of Man Arts Council and created in conjunction with Biosphere Isle of Man.

Why not follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and Twitter? You can also send story ideas to IsleofMan@bbc.co.uk
A photo of the sweet trio was shared by Stewart on her Instagram page early Sunday morning

Martha Stewart/Instagram Martha Stewart, Pete Davidson and Chase Sui Wonders

The Easter bunny wasn't the only one who visited Martha Stewart over the weekend!

Early Sunday morning, the lifestyle mogul revealed she had spent time with comedian Pete Davidson and his girlfriend Chase Sui Wonders, when they stopped by her famed farm in upstate New York.

"They were out looking at our beautiful town of Bedford," Stewart said of Davidson and Wonders, who were traveling with real estate broker Muffin Dowdle. "I showed them around the farm and inside the winter house where the Easter Bunnies were getting ready for Sunday.

"Very cute couple!!!!" Stewart, 81, added of the pair.

Along with her message came a photo of the trio, standing on the steps outside one of the homes on Stewart's property. Davidson, dressed in sweats, stood in the middle had his arm around Stewart's shoulder. He also held with him a tray of fresh farm eggs.

Stewart wore a tan sweater and cream pants, while Wonders wore head-to-toe black. All three appeared to be in good spirits, smiling widely for the camera.

Related:Martha Stewart Says She'd Go on a Date with 'Sort of Cute' Pete Davidson

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images; Eric Charbonneau/Shutterstock Pete Davidson, Chase Sui Wonders

Davidson, 29, and Wonders, 26, met on the set of the film Bodies Bodies Bodies together, and first sparked romance rumors in December 2022 when they attended a New York Rangers game together alongside castmate Rachel Sennott.

The next month, on Jan. 9, the two were seen snuggled up in a Brooklyn restaurant as they waited on food together. Days later, photographers snapped them holding hands at Universal Studios Hollywood on Jan. 19.

While a source close to Davidson previously told PEOPLE their romance "doesn't seem like a long-term thing," he and Wonders have gone away on two separate Hawaii vacations: one in late January and another in March. They haven't been shy about PDAs, either.

Related:Pete Davidson and Chase Sui Wonders Show Some PDA During Another Hawaiian Getaway

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Before their last trip, on March 4, the pair were reportedly involved in a car accident in which the vehicle Davidson was driving ran into a fire hydrant in Beverly Hills, California. Wonders was a passenger in the car. According to reports, no one was injured in the collision.

In addition to Bodies Bodies Bodies, Davidson and Wonders will be appearing together in his upcoming Peacock series, Bupkis.

Martha Stewart/Instagram Pete Davidson and Martha Stewart with Antoni Porowski (left)

Related:Martha Stewart Gushes Over 'Charming Boy' Pete Davidson After Viral Meme: 'The Son I Never Had'

As for Stewart, she and Davidson have known one another since meeting on the set of the Comedy Central Roast of Justin Bieber in 2015. And though a picture of the two holding hands at the White House Correspondence Dinner went viral last August, Stewart has insisted she's keeping things strictly platonic (and maybe maternal) with the Saturday Night Live star.

"Pete Davidson is like the son I never had," Stewart told the Daily Mail at the time. "He is a charming boy who is finding his way. I've invited him to come on my podcast and I look forward to hearing what he has to say."

Never miss a story  sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

She elaborated on their friendship during a visit to The Drew Barrymore Show in October. "He's dated so many women," Stewart said. "I'm not saying that's bad. I think that's good and he's sort of cute."

"He is a good guy," Stewart conceded, agreeing that "everybody loves" Davidson. She then joked of Davidson's brief relationships in the past, teasing: "Very good guy and he knows how to get in and get out."

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Read the original article on People.
Christopher House resident Donald Brickman, 88, walks in the hallway with Debbie Sherman, left.

WORCESTER  If the feelings at Christopher House are any indication, there is deep division in the health care community about wearing face masks to protect against COVID-19.

Im happy to get rid of them, said Debbie Sherman, a physical therapist at the skilled nursing and rehabilitation facility on Belmont Hill.

Sherman explained masks limit her ability to interact with patients, a barrier to a personal connection that is vital to effective care. Also, some patients can't breathe sufficiently if they have to wear a mask, she said.

Down the hall, Linda Harris had a different opinion. A physical therapist assistant who has worked at Christopher House for 10 years, Harris believes masks must be worn to keep COVID-19 at bay and not risk the lives of patients.

Physical therapist Linda Harris at Christopher House in Worcester.

We need to keep wearing masks, said Harris. It benefits patients and keeps them healthy.

Divisions in health care

This small sample size could describe the divisions inside health care facilities across Massachusetts as the state announced it will end a universal mask mandate in health care settings on May 11. It's the same day the federal government officially declares an end to the COVID-19 public health emergency.

Gov. Maura Healey's administration will also declare an end to the state's emergency at that time.

The final call on lifting the mandate came from Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services.

The agency issued a prepared statement, citing information from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, plus falling COVID infection numbers, as the basis for its decision.

Christopher House administrator Sandra Mahoney

This decision is aligned with CDC guidance and federal requirements based on transmission rates, and was made following extensive conversations with health care experts. The Department of Public Health will continue to carefully track COVID-19 cases in Massachusetts and adjust as circumstances change.

Virus remains

Theres no doubt the number of COVID infections and deaths have fallen for months. However, the virus remains in Massachusetts.

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The latest numbers from the state Department of Public Health for the week that ended Wednesday show 23 confirmed deaths statewide and 1,845 new confirmed cases.

At UMass Memorial Health, the DPH report indicated a total of 19 confirmed COVID hospitalizations, plus five COVID-confirmed patients in the hospital system's intensive care unit.

Worcester ended its weekly COVID report, citing low transmission levels and next months end to the public health emergency. The citys top public health official supports masking.

From a professional point of view, masking helped stop the spread of COVID-19, especially when there was no vaccine, said Soloe Dennis, Worcesters director of public health. Masking is the only tool in the toolbox that kept folks alive.

Soloe Dennis

When May 11 arrives, Dennis supports masking, especially to protect those with preexisting health challenges.

From a science perspective, it makes sense, said Dennis. From a public health perspective, it makes sense because were in the business of saving lives.

Hospitals on hold with decisions

UMass Memorial Health, the largest employer in Central Massachusetts with more than 17,000 employees, hasnt decided if it will end masking on May 11.

Dr. Richard Ellison, an infection disease physician at UMass Memorial Health, said hospital leaders are intensely weighing options. Ellison said he will wear a mask on May 11 and beyond for two reasons: His age puts him in a higher-risk category for the virus, and he doesnt want to do anything to put his patients at risk.

Dr. Richard Ellison.

I personally will wear a mask, said Ellison.

In a prepared statement, St. Vincent Hospital said it will change its masking policy: Saint Vincent Hospital is in the process of revising our masking policy to align with the May 11th lifting of both the state and federal COVID-19 public health emergency orders.

The Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center, with more than 30,000 patients served at facilities in Worcester, Framingham and Milford, is also moving in the direction of ending masking on May 11.

We are waiting to see if the DPH has further guidance once the health emergency ends to make our decision, said a prepared statement from Kennedy Health. If there is no other guidance, we will follow their decision not to institute face mask requirements but reserve the right to reinstate the wearing of face masks as needed within our health care facilities.

Opposition

The Massachusetts Coalition for Health Equity, comprising public health experts, doctors, patients and community leaders, is pushing the state to keep the mask mandate in place.

This is about patient autonomy, people having control over their own bodies and being able to make their owns decisions about risk exposure to COVID-19, said Dr. Lara Jirmanus, the coalitions cofounder, a clinical instructor at Harvard Medical School and a primary care physician in Revere.

COVID-19 is in the air we breathe, said Jirmanus, and if some people are unmasked, others will be exposed to the virus against their will. That creates a potential life-or-death situation that the coalition strongly opposes.

"Every issue in medicine, you have look at the risk-benefit analysis. There's clearly risks of removing masks. Vulnerable patients could get infected and die," said Jirmanus.

More details on Mass. decision

The state Executive Office of Health and Human Services noted masking will continue after May 11 at some facilities, including those certified by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, depending on CDC transmission levels.

Also, counties with high transmission levels will require mask for all patients, visitors and staff.

The decision to end the mandate wasnt made in a vacuum, according to the state Executive office of Health and Human Services. It explained infection control leaders at several of the states largest hospital systems repeatedly asked the DPH to end the state mandate in advance of May 11.

The request was also made by infectious disease doctors, said state officials, and by a Healthcare Associated Infection Technical Advisory Group comprising infectious disease physicians and providers in Massachusetts, including hospitals.

If COVID infections rise in the future, the mask requirement could return, said state officials. Plus, health care facilities must have an infection control and prevention plan in place that can include masking.

Tough spot

The impending end of the mask mandate has put some health care leaders in a tough spot, including Sandra Mahoney, the top administrator at Christopher House.

Christopher House short-term resident Bruce Adams does not need his mask when alone in his room.

Im deeply ambivalent, said Mahoney, as she faces a camp of employees that see masks as a burden, while others believe theyre necessary to protect the lives of patients and staff.

Theres also the reality of keeping the place running. Mahoney needs staff, and said if Christopher House decides to retain a mask requirement on May 11, attracting employees, especially those averse to wearing a mask, could be a challenge.

A tough decision awaits Christopher House, especially given the trauma caused by COVID-19. Mahoney said a number of patients died in the first year of the pandemic, and hundreds of patients and staff caught the virus.

Ultimately, Mahoney will lift the mandate at Christopher House if state epidemiologists rule it's safe to take that step on May 11.

If they say its safe, then Ill go for it, she said.

Patients weigh in

No matter what side of the coin one falls on, most would likely agree that patient opinions matter when it comes to a decision about ending or retaining the mask mandate.

At Christopher House, some patients clearly favor masking.

You want to live. Keep them on, said 88-year-old Donald Brickman, a Christopher House resident for the past three years.

Bruce Adams, rehabilitating at the facility before heading back to his home in Oxford, also is in the masking camp.

Its a good idea for protection, basically. There are a lot of antigens out there, said Adams.

Contact Henry Schwan at henry.schwan@telegram.com. Follow him on Twitter @henrytelegram

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Opinions differ as Massachusetts is prepared to end COVID-19 masking
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) said Sunday that China could take over Taiwan in the next election without a shot fired in response to a question about if the people there wanted a military confrontation.

Now theres a political debate here, the two different parties. One party wants to talk to China. President Tsais party does not want to be a part of China, he told NBC News Chuck Todd on Meet the Press.

I think the next elections in next January are going to be extremely important because I do believe with the former President Ma in China right now, Chinas going to try to influence this next election and take over the island without a shot fired.

McCaul led a bipartisan House delegation to Japan, South Korea and Taiwan last week after House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif) met with Taiwans President Tsai Ing-wen with a group of lawmakers. McCarthy said the meeting provided for greater peace and stability for the world, as China raised objections and warned of escalating tensions in the Taiwan Strait.

Former Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou arrived in China at the end of March for a 12-day visit, possibly made to be timed with the Tsai-McCarthy meeting.

McCaul said the delegation he led with spoke with Tsai on Sunday, noting that her party does not want to be a part of China. He said that events in Hong Kong and Russias invasion of Ukraine was an eye-opener for the people of Taiwan, saying that they people there are very nervous.

The Texas Republican, who was speaking with Meet the Press from Taiwan, also added that the countrys defense capabilities are not where they need to be in a hypothetical invasion by China.

Theyre not where they need to be, he said. If were going to have deterrence for peace, we need to get these weapons into Taiwan.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) said Sunday that Chinese leader Xi Jinpings best deterrence on Taiwan will be if Russia fails in its invasion of Ukraine.

When asked if he is reassured that House Republicans will not stand in the way of additional aid to Ukraine, McCaul told NBCs Chuck Todd on Meet the Press that whats happening in Ukraine will determine what happens in Taiwan and the Pacific.

I believe the best deterrence to Chairman Xi is a failure for Putin in Ukraine, he added.

House Republicans remain split on whether the United States should send additional aid to Ukraine in its more than a year-long effort against Russia. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) warned in October that there would be no blank check sent to Ukraine if Republicans control the House.

McCaul led a bipartisan delegation to Taiwan last week after McCarthy met with Taiwans President Tsai Ing-wen with a group of lawmakers. McCarthy said the meeting provided for greater peace and stability for the world, as China raised objections and warned of escalating tensions in the Taiwan Strait.

McCaul also said Sunday that China will try to influence Taiwans next elections without a shot fired. He added that Taiwans defense systems are not where they need to be in a hypothetical invasion by China.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Sam Altman is well known in the startup scene in Silicon Valley, and his latest company's product, ChatGPT, is the talk of the AI industry. Courtesy of Sam Altman

Sam Altman is the CEO of OpenAI, the buzzy AI firm he cofounded with Elon Musk.

Before that, he was well known in Silicon Valley as president of startup accelerator Y-Combinator.

Here's how the serial entrepreneur got his start  and ended up helming one of today's most-watched companies.

Sam Altman, 37, grew up in St. Louis, Missouri. He learned how to program and take apart a Macintosh computer when he was 8 years old.

f11photo/Shutterstock

Source: The New Yorker

He told The New Yorker that having a Mac helped him with his sexuality. Altman came out to his parents when he was 16.

Matt Weinberger/Business Insider

"Growing up gay in the Midwest in the two-thousands was not the most awesome thing," he told The New Yorker. "And finding AOL chat rooms was transformative. Secrets are bad when you're eleven or twelve."

Source: The New Yorker

He attended John Burroughs School, a private, non-sectarian college-preparatory school in St. Louis.

Joseph Sohm / Shutterstock

Altman came out as gay to the whole community after a Christian group boycotted an assembly at his school that was about sexuality.

"What Sam did changed the school," his college counselor, Madelyn Gray, told The New Yorker. "It felt like someone had opened up a great big box full of all kinds of kids and let them out into the world."

Source: The New Yorker

Altman studied computer science at Stanford University for two years before he and two of his classmates dropped out to work full time on their mobile app, Loopt, that shared a user's location with their friends.

turtix/Shutterstock

Source: The New Yorker

Loopt was part of the first group of eight companies at startup accelerator Y Combinator. Each startup got $6,000 per founder, and Loopt was in the same batch as Reddit.

Getty Images

Source: The New Yorker, The Business of Business

Loopt eventually reached a $175 million valuation, but it didn't garner enough interest, so the founders sold it for $43 million in 2012.

Drew Angerer/Getty

The $43 million sale price was close to how much it had raised from investors. The company was acquired by Green Dot, a banking company known for prepaid cards.

Story continues

One of Loopt's cofounders, Nick Sivo, and Altman dated for nine years, but they broke up after they sold the company.

It's unclear what Altman's current net worth is.

Source: The Wall Street Journal, All Things Digital, Y Combinator, The New Yorker

After Loopt, Altman founded a venture fund called Hydrazine Capital, and raised $21 million. That included a large part of the $5 million he got from Loopt, and an investment from billionaire entrepreneur and venture capitalist Peter Thiel.

Peter Thiel holding hundred dollar bills while speaking at the Bitcoin 2022 Conference. Marco Bello/Getty Images

Altman invested 75% of that money into YC companies, and led Reddit's Series B fundraising round.

He told The New Yorker, "you want to invest in messy, somewhat broken companies. You can treat the warts on top, and because of the warts the company will be hugely underpriced."

In 2014, at the age of 28, Altman was chosen by Y Combinator founder Paul Graham to succeed him as president of the startup accelerator.

Sam Altman, chief executive officer of Y Combinator, speaks to reporters on the first day of the annual Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference, July 11, 2017 in Sun Valley, Idaho. Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Source: YC, CNN

While he was YC president, Altman taught a lecture series at Stanford called "How to Start a Startup," in the fall of 2014.

Lucy Nicholson/Reuters

Source: How to Start a Startup

In 2015, Altman was featured on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for venture capital at age 29.

Sam Altman. Courtesy of Sam Altman

Source: Forbes

After he became YC president, he wanted to let more science and engineering startups into each batch. He chose a fission and a fusion startup for YC because he wanted to start a nuclear-energy company of his own. He invested his own money in both companies and served on their boards.

Sam Altman, president of Y Combinator and co-chairman of OpenAI, attends the annual Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference, July 8, 2016 in Sun Valley, Idaho. Drew Angerer/Getty

Mark Andreessen, cofounder of venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, said, "Under Sam, the level of YC's ambition has gone up 10x."

Source: The New Yorker

Altman once told two YC founders that he likes racing cars and had five, including two McLarens and an old Tesla. He also said he likes renting planes and flying them all over California.

The McLaren 720S. McLaren

Source: The New Yorker

Altman told the founders of the startup Shypmate that, "I prep for survival," and warned of either a "lethal synthetic virus," AI attacking humans, or nuclear war.

Drew Angerer/Getty

"I try not to think about it too much," Altman told the founders in 2016. "But I have guns, gold, potassium iodide, antibiotics, batteries, water, gas masks from the Israeli Defense Force, and a big patch of land in Big Sur I can fly to."

Source: The New Yorker

Altman's mom is a dermatologist and told The New Yorker, "Sam does keep an awful lot tied up inside. He'll call and say he has a headacheand he'll have Googled it, so there's some cyber-chondria in there, too. I have to reassure him that he doesn't have meningitis or lymphoma, that it's just stress."

Getty Images

Source: The New Yorker

Altman has a brother, Jack, who is a cofounder and CEO at Lattice, an employee management platform. Along with their brother Max, the Altmans launched a fund in 2020 called Apollo that is focused on funding "moonshot" companies.

Julia and Jack Altman walk near their home in the Mission District of San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, July 7, 2019. San Francisco Chronicle/Hearst Newspapers via Getty Images/Contributor

"Moonshot" companies are startups that are financially risky but could potentially pay off with a breakthrough development.

Source: Insider

In 2015, Altman cofounded OpenAI with Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX at the time. Their goal for the non-profit artificial intelligence company was to make sure AI doesn't wipe out humans.

Elon Musk and Sam Altman speak onstage during the Vanity Fair New Establishment Summit on October 6, 2015 in San Francisco, California. Michael Kovac/Getty Images for Vanity Fair

"We discussed what is the best thing we can do to ensure the future is good?" Elon Musk told The New York Times in 2015. "We could sit on the sidelines or we can encourage regulatory oversight, or we could participate with the right structure with people who care deeply about developing A.I. in a way that is safe and is beneficial to humanity."

Source: Insider, The New York Times

Some of Silicon Valley's most prominent names pledged $1 billion to OpenAI along with Altman and Musk, including Reid Hoffman, the cofounder of LinkedIn, and Peter Thiel.

LinkedIn cofounder Reid Hoffman is a financial backer of OpenAI. Tony Avelar/AP

Source: Insider

After the 2016 election, Altman, who tweeted that he voted against Donald Trump, said he decided to talk to 100 Trump supporters around the US to understand what they did and didn't like about the president. He also wanted to know "what would convince them not to vote for him in the future."

Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton Drew Angerer/Getty Image

In a thread on Twitter, Altman said he was "voting against Trump because I believe the principles he stands for represent an unacceptable threat to America."

He also said Peter Thiel, who was still working with YC at the time, "is a high profile supporter of Trump," and that, "I disagree with this."

But, he said, "YC is not going to fire someone for supporting a major party nominee."

YC and Thiel stopped working together a year later in 2017 for unspecified reasons.

During his interviews, Altman said he "did not expect to talk to so many Muslims, Mexicans, Black people, and women in the course of this project."

He said almost everyone he approached was willing to talk to him, but they also didn't want to share their names in fear of being "targeted by those people in Silicon Valley if they knew I voted for him." Altman said one of the people he talked to in Silicon Valley made him sign a confidentiality agreement before talking because she was scared of losing her job for supporting Trump.

Source: Twitter, Sam Altman, Insider

Altman stepped down as YC president in March 2019 to focus on OpenAI. He stayed in a chairman role at the accelerator.

Sam Altman, CEO of Y Combinator @sama

Source: Insider

At a StrictlyVC event in 2019, Altman was asked how OpenAI planned to make a profit, and he said the "honest answer is we have no idea."

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Elon Musk Getty

Altman said OpenAI had "never made any revenue," and that it had "no current plans to make revenue."

"We have no idea how we may one day generate revenue," he said at the time.

Source: TechCrunch

Altman became CEO of OpenAI in May 2019 after it turned away from being a nonprofit company into a "capped profit" corporation.

Skye Gould/Business Insider

"We want to increase our ability to raise capital while still serving our mission, and no pre-existing legal structure we know of strikes the right balance," OpenAI said on its blog. "Our solution is to create OpenAI LP as a hybrid of a for-profit and nonprofit  which we are calling a 'capped-profit' company."

Source: Insider, Fortune

Altman flew to Seattle to meet with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, where he demonstrated OpenAI's AI models for him, WSJ reported. After that, OpenAI received a $1 billion investment from Microsoft in 2019.

President of Y Combinator, Sam Altman speaks at TechCrunch Disrupt NY 2014 - Day 1 on May 5, 2014 in New York City. Brian Ach/Getty Images for TechCrunch

Source: The Wall Street Journal, LinkedIn, Insider

Current and former insiders at OpenAI told Fortune that after Altman took over as CEO, and after the investment from Microsoft, the company started focusing more on developing natural language processing.

Brian Ach/Getty

Altman and OpenAI's chief scientist, Ilya Sutskever, said the move to focus on large language models is the best way for the company to reach artificial general intelligence, or AGI, a system that has broad human-level cognitive abilities.

Source: Fortune

On October 21, 2021, Altman and his cofounders, Alex Blania and Max Novendstern, launched a global cryptocurrency project called Worldcoin, which wanted to give everyone in the world access to crypto by scanning their iris with an orb.

Worldcoin founders Alex Blania and Sam Altman Marc Olivier Le Blanc/Worldcoin

The company was started in 2020, but stopped operating in a few countries in 2022 due to logistics issues. In January, the company recently tweeted that it has reached 1 million people and has onboarded over 150,000 first-time crypto users.

Source: Bloomberg, Insider, Twitter

Under Altman's tenure as CEO, OpenAI has released popular generative AI tools to the public, including DALL-E and ChatGPT.

Screenshot of Dall-E webpage OpenAI

Both DALL-E and ChatGPT are known as "generative" AI, meaning the bot creates its own artwork and text based off information it has been fed.

After ChatGPT was released on November 30, Altman tweeted that it had reached over 1 million users in five days.

Source: Insider, Insider, Twitter

ChatGPT was made public so OpenAI could use feedback from users to improve the bot. A few days after its launch, Altman tweeted that it "is incredibly limited, but good enough at some things to create a misleading impression of greatness."

Getty Images

Altman tweeted that ChatGPT was "great" for "fun creative inspiration," but "not such a good idea" to look up facts.

ChatGPT recently began testing a paid version of ChatGPT called "ChatGPT Professional" that is supposed to give better access to the bot. In December, Altman tweeted that OpenAI "will have to monetize it somehow at some point; the compute costs are eye-watering."

Source: Insider, Insider, Twitter, Twitter, Twitter

In January, Microsoft again announced it was making a "multibillion dollar" investment into OpenAI. Although specifics of the investment were not shared, it is believed Microsoft's investment is worth $10 billion.

Y Combinator President Sam Altman David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Before Microsoft's investment, other venture capitalists wanted to buy shares from OpenAI employees in a tender offer that valued the company at around $29 billion.

Source: Insider, Fortune

Altman is still interested in nuclear fusion and invested $375 million in Helion Energy last year.

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, walks from lunch during the Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference on July 06, 2022 in Sun Valley, Idaho. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

"Helion is more than an investment to me," Altman told TechCrunch. "It's the other thing beside OpenAI that I spend a lot of time on. I'm just super excited about what's going to happen there."

He told TechCrunch that he's "happy there's a fusion race," to build a low-cost fusion energy system that can eventually power the Earth.

Source: TechCrunch, CNBC

Last month, OpenAI launched its pilot subscription plan for ChatGPT Plus, which costs $20 a month.

Illustration: ChatGPT Future Publishing/

People who pay $20 a month for ChatGPT Plus get benefits such as access to the site even when traffic is high, faster responses from the bot, and first access to new features and ChatGPT improvements.

The subscription is only available for people in the US, and OpenAI said it will soon start inviting people on the waitlist to join.

Source: OpenAI

Altman recently wrote that OpenAI's mission is to make sure AGI "benefits all of humanity. He laid out the company's short term and long term expectations for AGI development in a blog post.

JASON REDMOND/AFP via Getty Images

"If AGI is successfully created, this technology could help us elevate humanity by increasing abundance, turbocharging the global economy, and aiding in the discovery of new scientific knowledge that changes the limits of possibility," Altman wrote on OpenAI's blog.

Despite its potential, Altman said AGI, or artificial general intelligence, comes with "serious risk of misuse, drastic accidents, and societal disruption." But instead of stopping its development, Altman said "society and the developers of AGI have to figure out how to get it right."

Altman went on to share the principles OpenAI "care about most," including that "the benefits of, access to, and governance of AGI to be widely and fairly shared."

Source: OpenAI

Altman said he and OpenAI are "a little bit scared" of AI's potential as it continues to develop.

GPT-4 (Generative Pre-trained Transformer 4) is the latest multimodal large language model from Open AI, a successor to Chat-GPT. It was released to a limited audience on March 14, 2023. Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images

In an interview with ABC News, Altman said he thinks "people should be happy that we're a little bit scared" of generative AI systems as they develop.

Altman said he doesn't think AI systems should only be developed in a lab.

"You've got to get these products out into the world and make contact with reality, make our mistakes while the stakes are low," he said.

Source: Insider, ABC News

Correction: February 2, 2023  An earlier version of this story defined AGI incorrectly and listed the incorrect age at which Altman was named president of Y Combinator. AGI in this context stands for artificial general intelligence. Altman became president of Y Combinator at 28, not 31.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Melania Trump wished her four million Instagram and Twitter followers a Happy Easter on Sunday  breaking a month-long absence from social media.

The former first lady posted a photo of a pink rose along with the words: Happy Easter!

Ms Trump, 52, joined her husband Donald Trump for Easter brunch at Mar-a-Lago.

The couple received a standing ovation as they entered the ballroom at the former presidents private club in Palm Beach, Florida, images posted to social media showed.

Ms Trump was absent when the former president flew to New York last week for his arraignment on charges of falsifying business records to conceal hush money payments to the porn star, Stormy Daniels.

Nor did she attend a Tuesday night press conference that Mr Trump held at Mar-a-Lago on returning to Florida, where he thanked his children without mentioning his wife.

However Ms Trumps father, Viktor Knavs, sat in the front row between Mr Trumps two sons, Eric and Don Jr.

The Slovenian-born former model has not been seen in public since 30 March.

Ms Trumps former aide, Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, told Page Six last week that the glaring absence did not signify that their marriage was breaking up.

Melania lives in an ivory tower of denial, Ms Winston Wolkoff said. Her silence is deliberate, it is her weapon of choice and her protective armour.

In his own Easter Sunday message on his social media site, Truth Social, Mr Trump wished the weak and pathetic RINOs and radical left Democrats a Happy Easter.

In a later post, without context, he wrote: World War III.

Mr Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records in connection to alleged hush money payments to Ms Daniels, and two other people.
Hundreds of people gathered on Monday to pay their respects and say a final goodbye to beloved Charlotte philanthropist Leon Levine.

Levine died last week at his Charlotte home while under Hospice care. The 85-year-old spent much of his life giving back in the community.

He was memorialized at Temple Israel at the Levine Jewish Community Center on Providence Road. The campus was part of Levines vision for Charlottes Jewish community.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Family Dollar founder and NC philanthropist Leon Levine dies

His footprint stretched well beyond his faith and the legacy of generosity will continue to be felt for decades.

Leon Levine will be missed, but his legacy will continue to support all of us and this community, said Tom Lawrence, president of the Leon Levine Foundation.

Levine shared his fortune with the Queen City, focusing on health care, education, and other causes within the community, but his beginnings were humble.

He was born in Wadesboro in 1937. At the age of 22 he used a $6,000 investment to open the first Family Dollar store along Central Avenue in Charlotte. It became an American success story, growing into a Fortune 500 company.

Family Dollar founder and North Carolina philanthropist Leon Levine died on April 5, 2023, his foundation confirmed to Channel 9. He was 85.

Family Dollar founder and North Carolina philanthropist Leon Levine died on April 5, 2023, his foundation confirmed to Channel 9. He was 85.

Family Dollar founder and North Carolina philanthropist Leon Levine died on April 5, 2023, his foundation confirmed to Channel 9. He was 85.

Family Dollar founder and North Carolina philanthropist Leon Levine died on April 5, 2023, his foundation confirmed to Channel 9. He was 85.

Family Dollar founder and North Carolina philanthropist Leon Levine died on April 5, 2023, his foundation confirmed to Channel 9. He was 85.

Family Dollar founder and North Carolina philanthropist Leon Levine died on April 5, 2023, his foundation confirmed to Channel 9. He was 85.

Family Dollar founder and North Carolina philanthropist Leon Levine died on April 5, 2023, his foundation confirmed to Channel 9. He was 85.

Family Dollar founder and North Carolina philanthropist Leon Levine died on April 5, 2023, his foundation confirmed to Channel 9. He was 85.

Family Dollar founder and North Carolina philanthropist Leon Levine died on April 5, 2023, his foundation confirmed to Channel 9. He was 85.

Family Dollar founder and North Carolina philanthropist Leon Levine died on April 5, 2023, his foundation confirmed to Channel 9. He was 85.

Family Dollar founder and North Carolina philanthropist Leon Levine died on April 5, 2023, his foundation confirmed to Channel 9. He was 85.

Charlotte philanthropist Leon Levine died Wednesday at age 85. DAVID T. FOSTER, III dtfoster@charlotteobserver.com

In the 1980s, Leon joined with his wife, Sandra, to start the Leon Levine Foundation, one of the largest charitable organizations in the southeast.

From the Levine Cancer Institute and Levine Childrens Hospital, he also supported institutions in education and the Jewish faith.

It was the second career of philanthropy which truly showed his character, Lawrence said. Here was a man who could have done anything in his retirement, but (he) never stopped spending his time and resources helping those who helped him. "

Levine was buried last Wednesday in the Charlotte Hebrew Cemetery before the Jewish festival of Passover.

For more information about Leon Levine or his foundation, please click here.

(WATCH BELOW: 2 firefighters killed in Salisbury Millwork fire 15 years ago honored with memorial)




Carrick - Hertfordshire Police via AP

David Carrick, the former Metropolitan police officer and serial rapist, is being investigated for a sexual assault dating from when he was 13, it has emerged.

Carrick, 48, was jailed for life with a minimum of 30 years behind bars after pleading guilty to a string of violent and brutal attacks on a dozen women over more than two decades as a serving officer.

Detectives are now investigating another alleged assault from when he was a young teenager, The Sunday Times Magazine reports, potentially extending the timeline of his offending back to his childhood.

Born in Salisbury and brought up in Wiltshire, Carrick was a normal and popular boy growing up according to his family and friends.

I just dont know why he has done it. He should have been caught a long time ago. I know he has let himself down, but the Met didnt support him very well, his mother, Jean, told The Sunday Times.

They gave him a gun and put him in that position. Why would they do that? Now he has lost everything, the 67-year-old, who has not seen her son in 10 years, added.

Everybody loved him

One of Carricks former classmates, who knew him for two decades, said he was definitely popular as a young boy.

He had plenty of girlfriends. He was a lovely lad at school. I cant say he wasnt, because he was. Everybody loved him, they told the publication.

He also developed a passion for martial arts and enjoyed skateboarding, and took part in his schools French exchange programme.

Carrick experienced domestic abuse as a child, with his stepfather, Alex Man-Clarke, regularly beating his mother.

During his trial earlier this year, the court heard how he told a probation officer about his childhood trauma, and how his parents used to drink to excess and neglected him.

But his mother claims that while she drank to cope with the abuse from Man-Clarke, she never saw that abuse extend to her son.

Carrick left home at the age of 16, moving to Amesbury in Wiltshire, before joining the army in 1996.

Story continues

He passed vetting and was accepted into the Met in 2001, despite having two crime reports on the system after being investigated for burglary and theft against an ex-girlfriend, and for malicious phone calls to her.

A third crime report was registered on the system under Carricks name during his probation, after he was accused of harassment and actual bodily harm following an attack on a girlfriend.

Carrick committed dozens of depraved attacks on at least 13 women in Hertfordshire and London between 2003 and 2020, despite being employed as an armed officer responsible for protecting Parliament and government offices.

He was nicknamed B------ Dave by his colleagues, reportedly for his cruel and mean behaviour.

Up to five more women have come forward since he was sentenced in February, with Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire Polices major crime units all continuing to receive calls from new victims.
Michael Cohen, former President Trumps onetime personal attorney and key witness in the Manhattan district attorneys case, said he did not feel vindicated by the charges brought against Trump on Tuesday.

Im glad that accountability is finally at Donalds doorstep, Cohen told MSNBCs Katie Phang on Saturday. But at the end of the day, its a very sad day for America in the fact that hes the first president in U.S. history to be indicted.

Its such a terrible look for the United States of America, especially in the eyes of foreigners, in the eyes of our allies, he added. And I think it also shows an inherent weakness to our adversaries.

So, its a terrible day for America, but it is a good day for justice and accountability, he added.

Trump was charged with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records on Tuesday for his role in a 2016 hush money payment.

Cohen, who served as the former presidents fixer at the time, paid adult film star Stormy Daniels $130,000 ahead of the 2016 election to buy her silence about an alleged affair with Trump. He pleaded guilty to campaign finance violations in 2018 in connection with the hush money payment.

The former presidents charges  which he pleaded not guilty to  arise from the series of reimbursement payments he made to Cohen throughout 2017.

Trump and his allies have repeatedly denounced Braggs case as a political prosecution and accused the Manhattan district attorney of weaponizing our justice system.

Ahead of Trumps arraignment last weekend, Cohen criticized Republicans who have continued to defend the former president, suggesting they are in the cult.

Theyre in the cult. And I know what its like to be in the cult, Cohen told CBS News Robert Costa. Its time to wash your eyes and to see exactly who Donald Trump is.



Its time to start to listen to the truth, he said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A Milton man died in a single-vehicle crash in the Harbeson area Saturday night in which police believe speeding was a factor.

Following an investigation that closed Lewes-Georgetown Highway between Harbeson Road and Hudson Road, Delaware State Police said that around 9:20 p.m., 47-year-old Robert Coulbourne Jr. was driving a 2007 GMC Yukon east on Lewes-Georgetown Highway (Route 9) at "a high rate of speed."

For a reason police said is still unknown, Coulbourne lost control of his vehicle as he approached a slight curve west of Harbeson Road (Route 5).

The truck crossed the center line of the road into the westbound lane, police said, where it then left the roadway, driving through the front yards of several residential properties.

It came to stop when it hit a utility pole and caught fire. Police said the vehicle was partially engulfed in flames.

Coulbourne was pronounced dead at the scene.

This incident, which closed the road for about 2.5 hours, is still being investigated by Delaware State Police Troop 7 Collision Reconstruction Unit. Troopers are asking witnesses to call Cpl. M. Kristunas at 302-703-3275.

Contact reporter Anitra Johnson at ajohnson@delawareonline.com with tips and story ideas. Become a subscriber to access more stories and the best in local reporting.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Milton man dies in crash late Saturday on Lewes-Georgetown Highway
The remains of an elderly American have been found in a shallow grave in a Mexico beach town.

Eighty-year-old Wilmer Trivett had been missing since 11 February, CBS News reported.

His body was found in a pit in the town of Todos Santos on the Baja California peninsula by cadaver dogs.

Mr Trivett was last seen camping in the region before his camper truck was found burned out on 23 February.

A brother and sister, who have not been named, have been arrested and charged with murder.

According to Baja California Sur prosecutor Daniel de la Rosa, the suspects were previously involved in a traffic accident with Mr Trivett.

Mr De la Rosa said that Mr Trivett paid them $2,500 before the suspects allegedly kidnapped him.

BNO News reported that the siblings decided the amount was not enough and allegedly killed Mr Trivett.

Months went by and this person was left with the feeling that it wasnt enough, Mr de la Rosa said, according to the station.

Then this person and his sister went to where the American was camping and kidnapped him, and then they took his life.

Wilmer Trivetts body was found in a shallow grave in Baja California Sur state (KCRA 3/ Screenshot)

In February, Mr Trivetts brother Rick Trivett told KCRA News that he had decided to visit Mexico for the first time since his wife passed away in 2019.

Mr Trivett and his wife had spent the last two decades travelling Mexico in their camper.

A very secluded area. There was nobody else around but him in his campsite, Rick Trivett told KCRA.

The United States advises American travellers to exercise extreme caution when visiting the state of Baja California Sur due to crime levels.

There are currently more than 500 Americans missing in Mexico, according to a report by The Washington Post.

Last month, four Americans were kidnapped when they crossed the Mexico border so one could have plastic surgery. Two were killed, while the survivors were rescued by Mexican authorities.
A convicted sex offender was arrested and accused of raping and murdering a great-grandmother during her walk along a trail near her Oil City, Pennsylvania home, prosecutors said.

Marcy Suzette Nellis, 76, was reported missing on March 27, which sparked a multi-jurisdiction, 12-hour search that included over 100 trained first responders until they found her body the next day along a bike trail near the Clarion University Venango Campus along the Alleghany River, the Oil City Firefighters union said on Facebook.

A week later, law enforcement arrested David Allen Bosely, who was charged with homicide, rape by forcible compulsion, aggravated indecent assault, kidnappings and abuse of a corpse, the Venango County District Attorney's Office announced on Thursday.

MISSING MOM MADELINE KINGSBURY'S FAMILY FEARED FOUL PLAY WHEN SHE DISAPPEARED AFTER DAYCARE DROP-OFF

Marcy Suzette Nellis, a 76-year-old great grandmother was found dead on a Pennsylvania bike trail

Nellis' cause of death was asphyxiation due to manual strangulation, and the victim was sexually assaulted, according an autopsy conducted in Erie County.

Bosely "became an immediate person of interest" from evidence collected, including a rape kit and shoe impressions found at the crime scene, prosecutors said.

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SCHOOL SUICIDE: MOTHER OF 11-YEAR-OLD DISCOVERS OMINOUS CELLPHONE RECORDING

"Additional photographs included areas of dense brush and debris along the hillside leading to the Allegheny River where Nellis was subsequently located," local news outlet Explore Venango reported based on the criminal complaint.

Surveillance was immediately set up around the suspect's home over the weekend, and Bosely was in custody by Thursday.

David Allen Bosley was charged with killing and raping 78-year-old Marcy Suzette Nellis

"The Erie crime lab worked through the weekend, prioritizing this investigation for the safety of our community," the Venango County DA's Office said in a press release.

He reportedly denied "touching that woman" and having "anything to do with" Nellis' death while talking to police, Explore Venango reported.

PENNSYLVANIA POLICE ON 1989 COLD CASE TEAR DOWN PRIME SUSPECT'S HOUSE

Story continues

Bosely was previously convicted of aggravated indecent assault attempted rape in 2000, according to state records, and required to register as a sex offender.

A judge reportedly denied bail for Bosley, who's being held in the Venango County Prison until his next scheduled appearance on April 19.

Marcy Suzette Nellis was found along the trail along the Allegany River in Pennsylvania near a local university, according to authorities

Nellis' obituary said she was a longtime member of Good Hope Lutheran Church, active in church activities and enjoyed playing bridge "with the ladies at the Belle Lettres Club, living a healthy lifestyle and walking outdoors."

"Above all, Suzette loved spending time with her grandchildren; family always came first throughout her life," her obituary says.

She was married to Jerry Nellis, Jr. for 57 years, and had four grandchildren and one great-granddaughter.

"At no point did responders give up hope and everyone came together and worked as a well-oiled machine throughout the entire search," the Oil City firefighters union said in a statement on Facebook.

"Please take this time look out for one another and seek support if needed in this tragedy. Finally, please keep the family of Marcy Nellis in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time."
Missing teacher's car found with body inside.

The car belonging to a Port Orange teacher missing since Oct. 25, 2020, was recovered with a body inside it from a canal Saturday afternoon near New Smyrna Beach, according to the Volusia Sheriff's Office.

Positive identification of the deceased occupant found in the car belonging to Robert Heikka hasn't yet been made, but Port Orange police are in contact with Heikka's family, according to a sheriff's office post made at about 8 p.m.

The 2012 Chevrolet Impala with the Florida tag KRZ-I78 was found in a canal off Pioneer Trail near the South Tomoka Wildlife Management Area, less than 6 miles from Heikka's neighborhood.

Missing Port Orange teacher's car found: What led search crews to New Smyrna Beach-area canal?

The nonprofit Sunshine State Sonar Search Team and Recon Dive Recovery members located the car and confirmed the tag.

The vehicle belonging to missing Port Orange teacher Robert Heikka has been found in a body of water in the area of 4290 Pioneer Trail, between SR 44 and 415. The VSO Dive Team is in the process of recovering the vehicle now. Please stand by for updates.  Volusia Sheriff (@VolusiaSheriff) April 8, 2023

Heikka, a teacher at Creekside Middle School, was reported missing when he failed to show up for work on Oct. 26, 2020, and coworkers were unable to find him at his Waters Edge home in Port Orange.

Robert Heikka

Neighbors told Port Orange police they saw Heikka, then 70 years old, leaving his house the morning of Oct. 24, and bank records showed he made a normal transaction at an ATM in Brevard County.

That December, Port Orange police said they were receiving assistance in the search from other agencies including the FBI, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Volusia County Sheriff's Office, Daytona Beach police, and the Brevard County Sheriff's Office.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Missing teacher's car found in canal with body inside; ID not yet made
Roosting black vultures. Getty Images

A 68-year-old woman was on a fishing trip with her husband in Brazil when he died of a heart attack.

She was trapped on the boat with his corpse and had to fend off vultures and eat raw fish to survive.

She was rescued after nearly a week but is still shaken and traumatized, according to her daughter.

A missing woman in Brazil was found adrift on a boat in the Amazon with her husband's corpse after experiencing tragedy on a fishing trip, a report says.

Maria das Gracas Mota Bernardo, 68, had to fend off vultures from her husband's corpse and consumed raw fish and flour to survive, their daughter Cristiane told reporters, per The Independent.

She was on the first day of her first fishing trip with her husband Jose Nilson de Souza Bernardo on 29 March when he passed away of a heart attack.

She went to seek help, but the boat's engine malfunctioned and left her adrift on the river Rio Negro, in the Amazon jungle.

"She went to the bow and started paddling. She spent all those days paddling," her daughter Cristiane said.

Growing desperate, the woman banged pots and pans and screamed for help. Her daughter said she "screamed and screamed, and no one answered."

At one point, a man passed by in a boat but ignored her calls for help, according to Cristiane.

Maria was forced to improvise to survive. On one day she only drank water, and on another eating flour that they had on the boat with water and pure lemon juice, according to her daughter.

She also feared predatory animals, including vultures and caiman, a type of mini alligator that would circle the boat.

"My mum said vultures started to perch on top of the vessel," Cristiane said. "She hit them and they screamed. She took the tarp off the top of the awning and put it over the body because bees and mosquitoes were already sitting on his corpse."

After days of being lost on the river, Maria's husband's body started to decompose, and she was forced to move to the other side of the vessel and covered her mouth and nose with a cloth to avoid the smell.

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"She couldn't sleep anymore. All her strength went into bringing his body home for the family to give him a dignified burial," Cristiane said.

The woman was eventually rescued by a Navy helicopter on April 4, given first aid, and then taken to a hospital for treatment.

Cristiane said that her mother was still struggling to deal with the trauma of the experience.

"She is shaken and weak. She can't sleep," she said.

Read the original article on Insider
Guns for sale at a store in Houston. Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Officials in Camden County, Missouri are refusing to cooperate with the ATF, local reports said.

The ATF asked for the zoning information of people applying to open new gun stores, per KCUR 89.3.

Officials cited a since-struck-down state law that kept police from enforcing federal gun laws.

Missouri officials in one county have refused to work with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, or ATF, claiming that the government agency is unconstitutional.

Six top elected officials in Camden County signed a letter to the ATF saying as much, according to the NPR affiliate KCUR 89.3.

"Under the Anti-Commandeering Doctrine, Camden County was the first county in Missouri, and possibly in the country, to pass an ordinance prohibiting any county employee from assisting your unconstitutional agency in violating the rights of our citizens," Ike Skelton, the county's presiding commissioner, said in the letter.

The population of the county is roughly 43,700, according to the latest Census figures.

The officials cited the state's Second Amendment Preservation Act as grounds to refuse to cooperate, KCUR reported. Last month, a federal judge struck down the 2021 law, which prohibited local police from enforcing federal gun laws, calling it "invalid, null, void, and of no effect."

Skelton and two of his colleagues signed the letter to the ATF, along with county attorney Jeff Green, county sheriff Tony Helms, and county treasurer Kendra Hicks, KCUR reported.

Skelton, Helms, and Hicks did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment on Sunday.

Skelton told KCUR he and his fellow officials were in "lockstep with this thought process."

"Any and all federal firearms laws, so-called laws, in my opinion, and many others' opinion, are unconstitutional," Skelton told KCUR.

The ATF was attempting to get zoning information to process applications for four individuals trying to open gun shops in the county, the outlet reported. John Ham, the public-information officer for the ATF's Kansas City Field Division, told KCUR that the bureau is trying to help civilians open gun stores, not prevent them from doing so.

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"We use that information to put people in business, not to take people out of business," Ham told KCUR, adding that he had never seen a county refuse to provide such information, which is required to open new gun businesses.

Ham did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

In a comment to Insider, Erik Longnecker, the public-affairs deputy chief of the ATF, said: "ATF will continue to follow federal law when issuing licenses, regulating the firearms industry, and protecting our communities from violent gun crime."

Read the original article on Business Insider
Republicans in Montana are trying to change the rules for next years Senate primary to make it easier to defeat Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and win back the Senate majority.

A bill moving through the statehouse in Helena would change the structure of the election from the party primary system currently in place to a jungle primary in which the top two vote-getters advance to the general election regardless of party. The move would essentially box out Libertarian candidates.

The thinking among Republicans is that this would, theoretically, push those would-be third-party voters toward the GOP candidate and give the party a leg up against Tester, the three-term Senate Democrat who they are pining to take down this year.

Perhaps most galling to Democrats is the provision that the law would sunset in 2025 and not be applicable to congressional races  meaning that it would only affect Testers race. The bill passed the state Senate on Tuesday and is expected to pass the state House, which is controlled by a GOP supermajority, in the coming weeks.

The mood among Montana Democrats has shifted over the past weeks from anger to resignation, as they deride the proposed law as a desperate attempt to defeat a Democrat who the GOP hasnt been able to take out at the polls.

I would say there was anxiety when it first happened, but its now dissipated, one Montana-based Democratic operative told The Hill. No ones running around with their hair on fire now.

Montana Republicans told The Daily Montanan last week that the measure was intended to make sure the states Senator had received the support of at least half its voters. And state Rep. Greg Hertz, the bills sponsor, said the sunset date is to allow the legislature to evaluate whether to extend the law and apply it to other contests.

We want to make sure that the winning U.S. senator has more than 50% of the supporting people in Montana, Hertz said.

Multiple Montana Democrats told The Hill that they believe the legislative effort is the brainchild of Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.), chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC).

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They say there was zero chatter surrounding this push throughout most of the legislative session, which lasts 90 working days and runs from January until May, until shortly before the bill hit the floor last week.

This has all the feels of the D.C. apparatus coming in and saying, Pass this legislation, said Jayson ONeill, a Montana-based Democratic operative who served as an aide to former Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer (D). Surely [the Montana legislature] didnt come up with this on their own.

It seems like a Hail Mary throw.  Throw it deep and see if they can get a catch, ONeill continued. Theyre so desperate to find that magic pathway to electoral success that theyre willing to throw anything against the wall and see if it sticks.

The first Montana-based Democratic operative added that the only whispers going around in recent memory related to changing the primary structure were by liberal groups.

Obviously Daines was calling people and trying to make this happen, the operative said. Ive never seen something move so quickly in the state legislature.  Everyone got on board very quickly. The only way that happens is D.C. coordination.

Tester is among the most vulnerable Senate Democrats up for reelection in 2024, running in a red state that former President Trump carried in 2016 and 2020.

And Daines has made it known that one of his top priorities as NRSC chairman is to unseat Tester as the two continue their simmering political rivalry. After Tester announced his plans to seek a fourth term, the Montana Republican issued a scathing statement, saying that Tester is making the same mistake as former Montana Gov. Steve Bullock (D), who ran against Daines in 2020 and lost by 10 percentage points.

Both should have ended their political careers on their terms. Instead, they each will have their careers ended by Montana voters, he said.

An NRSC spokesperson declined to comment on the Montana legislatures efforts.

Tester won his 2018 contest by clearing the 50 percent threshold. In 2006 and 2012, however, he failed to clear that threshold and won by margins of less than one percentage point and less than four points.

The libertarian candidate won 2.5 percent and 6.5 percent support, respectively, in those races.

Still, the impact of excluding Libertarian and other third-party candidates from the November ballot is unclear. A significant portion of those who vote for Libertarian candidates do it because they either believe in the libertarian cause or are doing so as a form of a protest vote and it remains to be seen whether they would vote for a Republican or simply stay home.

Generally, these people dont like either party, the Montana-based Democratic operative said.

It also remains to be seen who Tester squares off against next year. Reps. Matt Rosendale (R-Mont.) and Matt Zinke (R-Mont.) have garnered the lions share of attention as possible opponents, however both have political weaknesses.

Rosendale, a House Freedom Caucus member who is originally from Maryland, lost to Tester in 2018 and a number of Republicans are not anxious to see a repeat this go-around. And Zinke faces ethics issues stemming from his time as Interior secretary under former President Trump.

One possibility that could be on deck for Republicans is Tim Sheehy, a Montana-based businessman who Daines has reportedly recruited and has lauded publicly. Sheehy, a former Navy SEAL and Iraq War veteran, is also attractive to Republicans because he would be able to self-finance a potential statewide bid.

It seems like all directions are pointing at Sheehy, said one GOP operative, noting that Sheehy and Zinke are close friends.

Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen (R) is also expected to consider a Senate bid.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Multiple Norfolk Southern train cars derailed near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on Saturday, amid the recent turmoil surrounding the U.S.-based railway company, which was at the center of a toxic train derailment on the Ohio-Pennsylvania state line in February.

CBS News reported that five empty cars derailed, closing a stretch of West Carson Street, which runs alongside the Ohio River. Authorities said that no injuries or safety hazards have been reported in the incident.

In a statement to The Hill, a Norfolk Southern spokesperson said its crews and contractors have already begun the cleanup process.

This morning, approximately five empty steel cars derailed near Pittsburgh. There is no hazardous material involved, and the cars are upright. There were no injuries reported. Norfolk Southern crews and contractors are on-site and have begun clearing the cars, Norfolk Southern said in its statement.

To access the site, we may have to stage some equipment on nearby roads  we appreciate the communitys patience while this work happens.

This is at least the fourth derailment incident involving Norfolk Southerns trains since the start of 2023.

Last month, a company train derailed in northeast Alabama, sending 30 empty train cars off the tracks en route from Atlanta to Mississippi.

The Alabama derailment happened on the same day Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw testified before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee on the disastrous derailment of a company train in East Palestine, Ohio.

In that crash, a train carrying toxic chemicals derailed near the Pennsylvania state line, causing a massive fire and prompting authorities to evacuate about half of the 4,800 residents in the surrounding area.

Some of the rail cars were carrying hazardous materials including vinyl chloride, combustible liquids, butyl acrylate, benzene residue, and other nonhazardous materials, spurring fears among East Palestine residents of long-term contamination of air and water.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has opened a special investigation into the company, including at least five different significant accidents involving the company since 2021.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Netflixs latest series is already making waves with viewers, achieving a near-perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Arriving on the streaming website on Wednesday (6 April), Beef is a dark comedy produced by A24. It stars Minari actor Steven Yeun and comedian Ali Wong as two strangers who get into a road-rage accident.

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, Beef has a 99 per cent score at the time of writing on the critic-supported Tomatometer, as well as a 96 per cent score based on audience reviews.

Critics have praised both the shows writing and performances (by Yeun and Wong), suggesting Beef is a shoo-in for this years Emmy Awards.

Writing for Salon, Melanie McFarland said: One day in the future academics may view Beef as a convincing TV distillation of the early 21st-centurys collective mood, a lingering and worsening state of society-wide pandemic anger.

Hyperbolic? Maybe. But I challenge you to find another series that channels the spectrum of fury as wildly, beautifully and crazily while, for the most part, maintaining its focal clarity.

On RogerEbert.com, Brian Tallerico wrote: Steven Yeun is quite simply one of the best actors of his generation, and he makes so many fascinating decisions here.

Wong matches Yeun beat-for-beat from the first episode to last. Its easily the best acting work of her career, and I hope it opens dozens of doors for her in terms of future collaborations.

Ali Wong in Beef' (ANDREW COOPER/NETFLIX)

British GQs Jack King, meanwhile, said that Beef was Netflixs best new show since Squid Game.

Thank god, then, for Steven Yeun  an evergreen statement if Ive ever seen it  and Beef, a Russian Doll-esque return to form for the streamers original programming, and unequivocally the best new series theyve released since 2020s Squid Game, King wrote.

Riding the welcome wave of new Asian-American media emerging over the last couple of years Beef is an inventive drama-comedy from mega-hip studio A24, 10 30-minute episodes spun from an incident of quintessentially LA road rage.

Beef is on Netflix now.
NEWCOMERSTOWN  The Photography of Dan Froelich, a special exhibit featuring the work of the late Dan Froelich, is on display through the end of April at the Arts Center of Newcomerstown.

The late Dan Froelich was a native of Newcomerstown. A display of his work can be seen this month at the Arts Center of Newcomerstown.

Froelich was a native of Newcomerstown and 1984 graduate of Newcomerstown High School. He was an outdoor enthusiast and relocated to Arizona in 1991 after graduating from Kent State University. Froelich died from colorectal cancer in December 2021 at age 55.

Much of his landscape and nature photography was taken throughout the desert, canyons, mountain regions and cave formations of the southwest. This included Havasu Falls located within Havasupai tribal lands, the Grand Canyon, the Sonoran Desert, Lake Powell, Flagstaff and Antelope Canyon and Canyon de Chelly National Monument located on Navajo tribal lands.

Photographic images also include Woods Canyon Lake, Arches National Park, Valley of the Gods, Newspaper Rock State Historic Monument, City of Rocks State Park and Provo Canyons Bridal Veil Falls.

In addition to capturing arresting photos while hiking through Americas Southwest, Froelichs travels allowed him to record the natural beauty of the Hawaiian Islands, Belize, New Zealands Fox Glacier, Australias Northern Territory, the island of Tasmania and Scotland. Coming in May, the center will feature a trio of artists from the Coshocton Art Guild.The Arts Center of Newcomerstown is located at 304 South College St. It can be called at 740-575-5710 or found at artsnct.org.

Information and photo submitted by ARTSNCT.

This article originally appeared on Coshocton Tribune: Newcomerstown photographer remembered
TikTok screenshots of a tree in a pothole uploaded by user @nebraskarva. TikTok/@nebraskarva

A Virginia man planted a tree in a pothole after he said his city ignored requests to fix it.

A viral TikTok video of the tree now has nearly 15 million views.

After the video went viral, the city of Hopewell, Virginia, finally filled in the pothole.

A man in Hopewell, Virginia, may have finally figured out how to get a city to fill in a pothole.

After a year of complaints but no results, the man planted a small tree in the hole and hung Christmas lights on it. Then a video of the tree went viral on TikTok.

That seemed to get the city's attention, according to WTVR, a local CBS News affiliate.

Josh Anderson told the station he filed complaints to Hopewell's city hall, but the city never sent anyone to repair the road damage.

"I was leaving to go back to work, I hit the hole," Anderson told the outlet. "I backed up, filled the back of the truck with dirt, dumped it in there, and stuck the plant in there."

Anderson told WTVR that he stopped before driving away and took photos of the plant, which he posted to Facebook. A TikTok user then uploaded those photos to their account. That video now has almost 15 million views and 3 million likes.

Anderson told WTVR that the city had removed his tree from the road by the time he returned home from work. So he planted another tree in the pothole and this time attached Christmas lights to it. That and the viral attention may have finally convinced the city to take action.

"As many times as I went to ask to get it done, and nothing's been done about it. And as soon as I make a TikTok and put it on their web page with a tree in it, within 24 hours, they had a crew out here fixing it," Anderson told the outlet.

The city of Hopewell did not immediately return Insider's request for comment on Saturday.

Read the original article on Insider
California Highway Patrol officers on Sunday arrested a 35-year-old man accused of driving away after hitting and killing a cyclist in Sutter County.

Harpreet Singh Atwal, of Plumas Lake, was arrested after CHP Yuba-Sutter officers investigated a fatal hit-and-run that took place Saturday on Bear River Drive just west of the Placer County town of Sheridan.

Singh reportedly struck and killed a Loomis man while the man was riding his bicycle. The coroner has not released the victims name, but a soon-to-be family member identified him to The Bee.

Roger Carroll, 62, was the finance director and treasurer for the town of Loomis, and had worked for the city for 25 years, according to Gold Country Media.

Roger was just an amazing person, Loomis Town Manager Sean Rabe told Gold Country Media on Sunday. He certainly was a key part of our town staff. We will miss his quick wit and dry humor, and more than anything, his friendship.

Atwal was not injured in the incident, according to the CHP.

CHP Yuba-Sutter officers worked with the Placer County Sheriffs Office to track down the vehicle involved  a 2007 GMC Yukon  and its owner. Atwal was arrested and charged with hit-and-run resulting in death and vehicular manslaughter.

He was booked at Sutter County Jail and his bail is set at $500,000.
Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, admitted that "the weather is military for now", and the time for the negotiations has not come yet.

Source: Macron, in an interview for the French newspaper Les Echos during his visit to China cited by European Pravda

Quote: "I think that China comes to the same conclusion as us, which is that the weather today is military. Ukrainians are resisting, and we are helping them. Now is not the time for the negotiations, even if we are preparing for them and have to set milestones."

Macron added that the goal for his dialogue with China is the consolidation of several approaches to the war.

"Firstly: the support of the UN Statute principles. Secondly: a clear reminder about nuclear power, and it is China that must draw conclusions about the consequences of the fact that President Putin placed the nuclear weapons in Belarus a few days after he took the responsibility not to do it. Thirdly: a very clear reminder about humanitarian rights and the protection of children. And fourthly: striving for negotiable and lasting peace," the French President explained.

He remarked that Xi Jingping, his Chinese counterpart, was talking about the architecture of European security.

"But there can be no architecture of European security until the countries that were invaded [find peace], or frozen conflicts exist in Europe. So you see that a common matrix results from it all. Is Ukraine a priority for Chinese diplomacy? Maybe not. But this dialogue gives the opportunity to soften the commentaries about a certain self-soothing by China concerning Russia," Macron stated.

Background: Emmanuel Macron and Xi Jinping, leaders of France and China, following the results of the negotiations in the Chinese city of Guangzhou, published a joint statement, in which they condemned the nuclear escalation and called for restoring the peace in Ukraine.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
Police in New York City say that a man stabbed an elderly man and injured a woman on Saturday afternoon.

The New York City Police Department said that officers responded to a 911 call reporting an assault at 134 Nevins Street in Brooklyn when they found a 31-year-old woman with a slash wound to her right thigh.

Officers then responded to a separate 911 call at 2:21 p.m. at 185 Nevins Street in Brooklyn and found an 83-year-old male unconscious and not responsive. The elderly man had stab wounds to his neck and right arm.

The 83-year-old man was pronounced dead on the scene, police say.

NEW YORK WOMAN ALLEGES PREGNANCY MISCARRIAGE CAUSED BY ARREST BUT POLICE OFFER DIFFERENT STORY

NYPD presence after an 83-year-old man fatally stabbed at 185 Nevins street in Brooklyn.

NYPD presence after an 83-year-old man fatally stabbed at 185 Nevins street in Brooklyn.

NYPD presence after an 83-year-old man fatally stabbed at 185 Nevins street in Brooklyn.

Officials say that the woman was taken to a local hospital and is in stable condition.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

HARMONY MONTGOMERY CASE: MISSING NEW HAMPSHIRE GIRL'S FATHER ADAM INDICTED ON 2ND-DEGREE MURDER CHARGE

NYPD presence after an 83-year-old man fatally stabbed at 185 Nevins street in Brooklyn.

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Police believe that one suspect is responsible for both stabbings, and released pictures showing an unidentified male wearing a hoodie and white shoes.

Male suspected of murdering an 83 year old man in Brooklyn caught on surveillance camera.

Male suspected of murdering an 83 year old man in Brooklyn caught on surveillance camera.

Male suspected of murdering an 83 year old man in Brooklyn caught on surveillance camera.

People with information about the incident or suspect are encouraged to call 800-577-TIPS.
Got a You shaped hole in your viewing schedule? Prepare to fill it with Obsession, Netflixs new erotic thriller series.

Following the success of the Penn Badgley thriller, as well as water-cooler moment shows like Sex/Life, Netflixs latest series promises intrigue, drama and a whole lot of sex.

Written by playwright Morgan Lloyd-Malcolm, Obsession focuses on a forbidden affair between top surgeon William (Spooks Richard Armitage) and his adult sons fiancee Anna (Happy Valleys Charlie Murphy).

As their attraction grows, so does the shows erotic tension, as William becomes obsessed with Anna and desperate to keep their passionate affair secret.

The limited series sees Game of Thrones Indira Varma star as Ingrid, Williams wife, while Ms Marvels Rish Shah plays Williams son, Annas fiance Jay. Pippa Bennett-Warner, Sonera Angel, Anil Goutam and Marion Bailey round out the cast.

Obsession is based on Josephine Harts 1991 novel Damage, which was previously adapted into a 1992 film starring Jeremy Irons and Juliette Binoche. However, unlike Harts novel, the Netflix series focuses on Annas perspective.

In an interview with Stylist, writer Lloyd-Malcolm explained: I loved the book but it was written entirely from a mans point of view. Anna, his lover, is portrayed as a kind of vamp who comes into the family, blows everything up and then disappears. Her primary function is to serve the purpose of what the male lead needs.

Charlie Murphy and Richard Armitage in Obsession (Ana Blumenkron/Netflix)

I said, If Im going to do this, I want to make sure I dig into Anna and why she behaves in the way she does. I wanted to try and understand the characters in the story  and especially Anna  in a way that wasnt just two-dimensional.

Like many of Netflixs buzziest thrillers, Obsession features some pretty explicit sex scenes. Writing in The Daily Telegraph, Armitage said that the show was pitched to him with a sense of trepidation due to its explicit nature.

Its going to be a challenge, physically. Its nudity parity. (Thats industry speak for full kit off for male and female actors), he said.

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Obsession marked the first time Armitage had worked with an intimacy co-ordinator, here Adelaide Waldrop. Intimacy co-ordinators work with actors during sex scenes in film and TV, allowing them to choreograph movement to remove any feeling of spontaneity and check in with them during filming.

Richard Armitage in Obsession' (Netflix)

Her approach to the work completely changed my viewpoint, Armitage wrote. Id heard other actors talking about the restriction they felt working with intimacy co-ordinators, that they policed the work rather than released the work. I discovered this couldnt have been further from the truth.

With a healthy chunk of rehearsal time, we were able to construct a map of investigation for the physical journey on which Anna and William embark. We studied sculpture, dance, poetry, anything we felt might help provide shape and inspiration for the characters physical vocabulary, as they ascend towards their fatal attraction.

Obsession comes to Netflix on Friday 13 April.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) acknowledged Sunday that it was very difficult to see a path to impeaching Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas in a GOP-led House, insisting that the party refuses to hold itself accountable.

The previously unreported trips were revealed by a ProPublica investigation released last week, leading Democrats to decry the revelations, saying the dynamic outlined blatant corruption in the court. But while some, including Ocasio-Cortez, have floated the idea of impeaching Thomas, she admitted doing so in a Republican-led House may prove futile.

I admit it is very difficult to see a path in a Republican Party that refuses to hold itself accountable and, in fact, breaches the law itself, Ocasio-Cortez said on CNNs State of the Union on Sunday. For all of their talk of a crime wave and Democrats, Republicans talking about crime waves across the country, the crime wave is within the Republican Party.

But the New York congresswoman also maintained that the reported actions of Thomas were a breaking of the law, and continued to blast the legitimacy of the Supreme Court itself.

I believe what we are seeing right now is a breaking of the law, Ocasio-Cortez said. I know that there are calls for Chief Justice John Roberts to initiate an investigation. I do not think that this court any longer has the legitimacy.

Thomas has defended his actions, saying he was advised he did not have to report such hospitality from his friends.

Early in my tenure at the Court, I sought guidance from my colleagues and others in the judiciary, and was advised that this sort of personal hospitality from close personal friends, who did not have business before the Court, was not reportable. I have endeavored to follow that counsel throughout my tenure, and have always sought to comply with the disclosure guidelines, Thomas said in a statement, his first public comments since the report.

But Ocasio-Cortez said it was the Houses responsibility to investigate Thomass actions, arguing it should come in the form of impeachment proceedings.

It is the Houses responsibility to pursue that investigation in the form of impeachment, she said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The Russian invaders are intensifying raids in the occupied territories of Kherson Oblast.

Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

Quote: "The Russian occupiers continue to strengthen the counterintelligence and police regime in the temporarily occupied territory of Kherson Oblast.

In particular, raids continue in the Hornostaivka district of Kherson Oblast to check personal phones of the local population for photos and videos, as well as prohibited content.

During such checks, the occupiers record personal data of local residents and selectively search their homes."

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
Former President Donald Trump in court for his arraignment on April 4, 2023.

Ohio Republicans disagreed on what former President Donald Trump's indictment means for his presidential ambitions while the state's highest court heard a case on transgender birth certificate changes.

We break down what it all means In this week's episode of Ohio Politics Explained. A podcast created by the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau to catch you up on the state's political news in 15 minutes or less.

This week, host Anna Staver was joined by statehouse bureau chief Anthony Shoemaker.

1) The indictment watched around the world

The former president pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts in a Manhattan court on Tuesday, stemming from allegations he falsified business records to conceal payments to Stormy Daniels just before the 2016 election.

Trump called the case political persecution and election interference at the highest level in history."

But former Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who ran for the GOP nomination against Trump in 2016, said when this case is combined with two other pending investigations, theres no way Trump is returning to the White House.

Hes like the master of escape, and we just have to wait and see, Kasich said. But heres what I do know. Theres no way the guy is gonna be president.

U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Urbana, had a different take.

The long-time Trump supporter issued his first subpoena this week in a House investigation he's conducting into the Manhattan district attorneys indictment.

2) How to change a birth certificate

Ohio's highest court heard oral arguments this week over how transgender Ohioans should change the sex markers on their birth certificates.

In 2020, a federal court ruled that the Ohio Department of Health had to process requests from transgender residents to amend their birth certificates. Advocates for LGBTQ rights celebrated the victory, but that wasn't the end of the story.

Ohio law says any change to a birth certificate (adoption, mistakes, transgender requests) goes through county probate courts. Basically, you petition the probate court for a change, the court sends it to ODH, and ODH issues a new certificate.

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There is no other way to do it, at least not in Ohio. But the state's 88 probate courts have differing opinions about whether Ohio code gives them the authority to process "amendments" instead of "corrections."

Clark County denied the petition of a woman named Hailey Adelaide, and she sued.

3) New voter ID law in effect for May election

Voters planning to vote in person in the May election must show valid photo ID thanks to a law passed by Ohio's Republican legislature. Previously Ohioans could use utility bills and other documents to verify their identities.

The list of approved forms of photo identification includes an Ohio driver's license, state ID, U.S. passport, passport card, military ID or interim identification issued by the Bureau of Motor Vehicles.

And it's important to note that the ID doesn't need your current address.

The new law lets Ohioans 17 and older get a state-issued identification card for free, providing they don't have a driver's license.

4) Long waits for Medicaid

Ohio sets its own reimbursement rates for Medicaid providers, and the agencies who receive them say they're way too low.

For example, Nurses can earn an additional S10 per hour by working in a hospital or nursing home.

The discrepancies have led to statewide staffing shortages, long wait times and people ending up in more expensive kinds of care like nursing homes.

Listen to "Ohio Politics Explained" on Spotify, Apple, Google Podcasts and TuneIn Radio. The episode is also available by clicking the link in this article.

The USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau serves The Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio Politics Explained podcast: state court hears transgender case
 A man and a dog were killed and a woman was hurt in an early-morning house fire in Hopkinton.

Hopkinton Fire Chief Bill Miller said several neighbors called 911 just after 1 a.m. Sunday to report the fire.

Firefighters ran straight into the burning, single-story home. They found a senior man in the hallway and a senior woman in a bedroom.

Both victims were rushed to Milford Regional Medical Center. The man was pronounced dead at the hospital and the woman was airlifted to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, where she is in critical condition.

Its terrible, its terrible for the family, its terrible for the community, said Chief Miller. Hopkinton is a tight-knit community, its a wonderful community, so this is devastating throughout.

Neighbors told Boston 25 News the man who died was a veteran and a talented musician who was very humble and always happy.

He was such a nice guy, I just cant believe whats happened to him, especially on Easter, said Tom Smith, who had been having coffee with the victim for over five years. We called him Mr. Happy. He would help anybody, he was the nicest guy, he was involved with all the burials of veterans in state.

Friends told Boston 25 News the victim had a doctoral degree in sound technology, a masters in drums, and played the keyboard.

Hes a very, very nice person, so is she, said Arthur Brooks, who lives down the road from the couple. We are going to be going to services very shortly for Easter morning and will be thinking of them and all their families. The fire chief said several neighbors called 911, and investigators did not find any working smoke detectors in the home.

Smoke detectors are only good for 10 years, said Chief Miller. Please everybody take a few minutes to look at them, change the batteries, make sure theyre working, have an escape plan. I mean all the stuff is going to help down the road.

Hayward St. was closed in both directions for hours after the fire.

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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
President Biden and former President Trump

Its the year before a presidential election, which means its once again time for a group to call for a unity ticket of a Democratic and a Republican for president and vice president or for an independent candidate to avoid the dysfunction of the parties entirely.

This happens just about every four years. There are lessons to learn from past seasons, especially in these extremely polarized times.

The current effort by the No Labels group to get a presidential ballot line in all 50 states for 2024 is being treated as something of a novelty, but weve seen something like this in most modern presidential elections. Just four years ago Unite America was proposing a bipartisan unity ticket for 2020, pushing the major parties to commit to having a vice presidential candidate of a party different from their own. (They even floated the idea of a John Kasich/John Hickenlooper ticket.)

In 2012, there was Americans Elect, which wanted to use a nonpartisan, national online presidential primary to find common-sense solutions and candidates. Back in 2008, the Unity08 organization was trying to make a Sam Nunn/Michael Bloomberg ticket a thing. There was even a concerted effort to forge a Kerry/McCain ticket back in 2004.

Needless to say, these efforts didnt get very far. It wasnt for lack of resources or energy but, rather, because these efforts are founded on a substantial misreading of American politics.

Often, efforts like this begin with claims about Americans dissatisfaction with the two-party system and with the choices they get in elections. 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, said former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, a moderate Republican who is a strong No Labels backer. And in fairness, this view is supported by polling.

But its also a misleading view.

Americans are often dissatisfied with their choices in presidential elections. The percentage satisfied with the direction of the country in general has been under 50% for two decades. The major parties themselves have been viewed unfavorably by the public for many years. And yet party voting is as high as its ever been.

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Ninety-four percent of Democrats voted for Joe Biden in 2020. The same percentage of Republicans voted for Donald Trump that year. Some 99% of partisan offices in this country  from president on down to state legislature and some city councils  are held by Democrats or Republicans. Americans may say they want other options, but they dont vote that way.

Groups like No Labels point to the growing number of independent voters  today about 45% of voters consider themselves independent, far outpacing affiliation with either of the major parties. This is true but, again, misleading.

Even if many voters choose not to call themselves a Democrat or a Republican, we know that a great many of those lean toward one of those parties, and that they are as loyal to the party they lean toward as voters who embrace a party label.

The percent of Americans who are truly independent  those who actually jump back and forth between the parties  is still a little less than 10% and that hasnt changed over time. Whats more, that segment of the population is far less likely to turn out to vote than the partisans are.

We had a great test of this theory in 2016. That election was between the two least popular major party nominees in the history of polling, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. Plus, there was a credible alternative on the ballot  the ticket of former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson and former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld. If ever there were a reason to not vote for a major party and a way out of it, it was then. And it didnt happen  Johnson/Weld pulled 3% of the vote. Ninety percent of Democrats voted for Clinton, and 90% of Republicans voted for Trump.

There are so many people who dont like the major parties, so why do they tend to vote with them anyway?

A lot of this has to do with a pattern that political scientists call Duvergers Law. The quick version is that in election systems like ours  representation done by district, in which whoever wins even the narrowest plurality of votes wins the whole election  voters tend not to want to waste a vote, or to cast a vote that could make the party they like least more likely to win. You tend to see a strong two-party system in places with such election rules.

Conversely, there are other election systems, particularly common to democracies in Europe, built on proportional representation, where the percentage of the vote roughly corresponds to a percentage of political control.

Imagine, say, a Green Party winning 15% of the vote and getting 15% of the seats in Congress. In situations like that, it makes more sense to vote for a party thats not one of the top two. There are people and groups currently working to move the U.S. toward such a system, but voters rightly recognize that we are not there now.

Adding to the situation is our intense level of polarization. There are very sharp ideological differences between the major parties today that didnt exist a few decades ago. One consequence of that is that the costs of the other party winning are far higher than they used to be. Even Republicans who dislike Donald Trump tend to stick with him in general elections, because having Democrats control the government just seems too horrible to them.

Joe Biden has plenty of detractors within the Democratic Party, but they nearly all vote with him for the same reason. In 1992, Ross Perot got one vote in five in the popular vote, but that happened in part because many of those voters didnt see major differences between Bill Clinton or George H.W. Bush being in the White House  and therefore less risk in having either one in the presidency. This was a strikingly different world.

Theres another concern with a group like No Labels and other similar groups: Its not clear what they stand for besides creating another ballot line. Joe Lieberman, an advocate for No Labels, frequently touts the organizations common-sense, moderate, independent platform, but their website mainly talks about giving people more choices, not having a Biden-Trump rematch, people voting for rather than against a candidate. What is this platform they want candidates to adhere to? Is it just the midpoint between the Democrats and the Republicans? Where is that midpoint?

Now, maybe one would think this effort  even if it doesnt win the White House  is worth the time and investment, if only to take a stance against polarization. But theres some chance that this symbolic effort could change the outcome of 2024. A third-party ticket probably wouldnt pull from both major parties equally. And it wouldnt take very many votes in Michigan, Wisconsin, Arizona or elsewhere to change who gets that states electors and who wins the presidency. That outcome would not move the nation more toward moderation.

Third party efforts, whether in the form of an independent candidate or a unity ticket or something similar, may sound appealing, but they stand little chance of winning and could well scramble the results of the 2024 presidential election.

Seth Masket is a professor of political science and director of the Center on American Politics at the University of Denver. He is the co-author of Political Parties. Follow his Substack Tusk."







This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Buncombe County Commissioners Chairman Brownie Newman in his office in Asheville Feb. 8, 2019.

Prior to 2011, the Buncombe County Commission was comprised of five members each of whom were elected county-wide. In 2011, the N.C. Legislature passed a local bill that increased the number of commissioners from five to seven and required that six of the commissioners (all of them except the chair) be elected by districts rather than county-wide. The bill made the County Commission district boundaries the same as the three N.C. State House districts, with two commissioners elected from each district in staggered elections.

The move to districts and expanding the number of commissioners has been a generally positive change. It has helped assure geographic representation on the board.

A more problematic aspect of the 2011 bill is that the county commission districts were linked to the state-wide redistricting process. By law, State House districts must be redrawn by the Legislature every 10 years following the census to account for population changes. Redistricting is a very politicized process. The districts that were created since 2011 have been repeatedly found to violate the N.C. Constitution due to extreme gerrymandering. While redistricting would theoretically only take place once every 10 years, each time the majority in the Legislature draws new districts seeking to maximize their political advantages, years of litigation ensue with the courts often overturning the maps and ordering new maps to be drawn.

Each time the Legislature draws new state House maps, it changes the county commission districts. Often, little consideration has been given to how this impacts county governance. When the Legislature redrew the state House maps in 2021, it double-bunked four of the six commissioners meaning that one-third of the commissioners elected by the voters of our community would no longer be able to serve in the future. The Buncombe County Commissioners filed an amicus brief with the N.C. Supreme Court to argue against that version of the state redistricting maps.

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Repeatedly changing districts has also created uncertainty for commissioners. In 2021, the Legislature approved a new version of the state House districts, again changing the boundaries of the County Commission districts. The state legislation stated that the new districts were effective immediately upon adoption of the bill.

County Commissioner Parker Sloan was elected to District 3 in 2020. In 2021, his family moved from one home to another after the Legislature had changed the boundaries of District 3. The new residence is located within the District 3 boundaries as changed by the Legislature but not within the District 3 boundaries as they existed in 2020. Commissioner Sloan believed that his family could move from one home to another so long as it was located within District 3 as modified by the Legislature.

Commissioner Sloan has been open about the change of residence, including filing a notification to the county board of elections prior to voting in the 2022 elections. However, the question has arisen about whether the residence change is permissible.

The commissioners have sought input from several attorneys on this matter. Our research indicated the N.C. Attorney Generals office is the jurisdiction in North Carolina vested with the authority to review such governance questions. If the attorney general deems there is an issue, he can request that a court review the matter and render a decision. The County Commissioners requested that Commissioner Sloan notify the N.C. Attorney Generals Office about the change of residence issue, which he has done.

All of the attorneys consulted by the commission concurred that votes taken by Commissioner Sloan are valid even as the residence question is reviewed.

Although there will not be another census conducted until 2030, we have recently learned that the Legislature plans to redraw the state House districts again this year, which will upend the county commission districts once again. Fortunately, there is a process by which the county can separate our local elections from the redistricting in Raleigh. The commissioners can propose a new governance structure with any changes subject to the approval of the county voters in a referendum.

The earliest the referendum could be held would be in 2024. If approved, the county elections would be independent from the state redistricting process starting in 2026. The commissioners believe this could maintain the positive aspects of the local bill passed in 2011 (i.e., the creation of districts and a seven member board) while freeing us from the state-wide redistricting process.

Brownie Newman is Chair of the Buncombe County Commission.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Opinion: Buncombe governance best decided at the local level
OpenAI's ChatGPT and DALL-E, alongside other artificial intelligence programs, have stoked fears of machines taking people's jobs. (Michael Dwyer / Associated Press)

Could a bot write this intro? The hype around AI has pushed this question to the center of public discourse. Conversational bots such as ChatGPT and automated image generators such as DALL-E  both built by OpenAI  are popping up everywhere.

Despite a few optimistic case studies of their potential, the current models are limited and the results they produce deeply flawed. But it doesnt seem to matter that the tech behind AI is not ready for prime time. The models only have to tell a convincing story to the humans signing the checks  and they are.

Microsoft, which has developed its own Bing chatbot, invested $13 billion in OpenAI. Early-stage venture companies poured $2.2 billion into generative AI last year alone, and this year Salesforce announced a $250-million fund to invest in the space. Headlines and institutions alike are declaring AI the future of work, poised in particular to replace writers and artists. That these breathless predictions are outpacing the quality of the tech itself says a lot about our cultural moment  and our long-festering trend of devaluing creative work.

The supposed promise of the AI future is efficient and abundant content. Office workers can now generate entire presentations with a prompt or click. Creative agencies are using image generators to mock up client concepts. Even literary magazines have reported being bombarded with AI-generated submissions, and yes, editors are hitting publish on AI-generated articles and illustrations.

But the AI models have proved time and again that they perpetuate biases, misunderstand cultural context and prioritize being convincing over telling the truth. They draw on data sets of creative work by humans, an approach that might otherwise be labeled plagiarism or data-mining. And the models driving ChatGPT and DALL-E are black boxes, so the datas origins cant technically be traced.

Today, these and other models require humans (with their own biases) to train them toward good results and then check their work at the end. Because the tools are built for pattern-matching, their results are often repetitive and thin, an aesthetic of similitude rather than invention.

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The impetus to replace human workers, then, doesnt come from slam-dunk capacities of the tech. It stems from years of companies big and small  especially those in publishing, tech and media  turning the screws on creative work to spend ever less on workers.

In todays financial downturn, even tech companies are cutting costs through mass layoffs (including slashing AI ethics teams) while funding and selling AI tools. But the situation is more dire for the writers, artists and musicians who have been struggling to make a living for a long time.

Pay for writers, editors and illustrators in this country has stagnated over the past two decades. Some nations have started treating art as a public good: Ireland is experimenting with paying artists to make art, and other countries are subsidizing audiences for art. But in the U.S., public funding for the arts is embarrassingly low compared with other wealthy Western nations and dipped further still during the pandemic. Many artists need to migrate from one social media app to another to build an audience for their work and eke out an income.

Meanwhile, ubiquitous streaming subscriptions and algorithmic feeds, with their laser focus on getting the most engagement, have flattened creativity into an infinite scroll of mediocre, repetitive styles  an unsustainable model for original work.

Automation is the next chapter in this tale of ever cheaper content. How much lower can arts value go? Why pay creative workers living wages when you can program machines to churn out interchangeable content units?

Well, because these models are no substitute for human creative labor. If we want to break out of repetitive molds, strive to unravel biases and build new possibilities, the work must come from humans.

The danger in reducing creative work to widgets for outsourcing is that we lose the steps of reflection and iteration that produce new connections. The language learning models behind chatbots are designed to deliver a single, authoritative response, contracting the world to the span of the information theyve already been fed.

The human brain, on the other hand, has a unique capacity for recursive processing that allows us to interpret ideas beyond a set of rules. Each step of the creative process  no matter how slow, small or boring  is an expansive act, transporting a concept into a new place and imagining a wider world than what exists today.

An AI takeover is not inevitable, despite what some business and tech leaders say. This is not the first tech hype cycle, and some regulators, unions and artists are already pushing back. In the wake of the crypto collapse, the Federal Trade Commission established an Office of Technology to support enforcement in emerging tech areas, and the agency has released multiple public warnings that false claims about products AI capabilities will be challenged.

The Writers Guild of America, which is poised to go on strike, has proposed protections and regulatory standards around the use of AI in script-writing. SAG-AFTRA , the screen actors and TV and radio workers union, has stated that if studios want to use AI to simulate actor performances, theyll have to negotiate with the union. Some researchers are building tools to protect the work of visual artists from being absorbed into models for image generators, and others have launched open-source systems to highlight biases in AI models.

But the broader call to action is a cultural one: to recognize that creative work is not merely a commodity or content, but a necessary and highly skilled practice that deserves robust funding and support. Creativity is how meaning is constructed in culture. This is a task that cant be done by machines  and shouldnt be controlled by the companies that build them. A bot may be able to swiftly write an ending to this story, but we have to ask ourselves: Whose voices do we actually need?

Rebecca Ackermann has written about tech and culture for MIT Technology Review, Slate and elsewhere. Previously, she worked as a designer at tech companies such as Google and NerdWallet.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Metropolitan Epiphanius of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) will hold an Easter Service at the Assumption Cathedral in the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra (the Kyiv Monastery of the Caves).

Source: Metropolitan Epiphanius in a comment for Suspilne; Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP)

Details: The metropolitan said that the time of the service will be announced later, since a curfew will be in place in Kyiv on Easter.

Quote from Metropolitan Epiphanius: "This is causing some trouble, because at this time [i.e., during the curfew  ed.] people are not allowed to move about. A prayer will be held at the Assumption Cathedral in the Lavra, but most likely it will take place in the morning, after the curfew is over."

Details: Epiphanius also commented on the situation with the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP), which refuses to vacate the premises of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra despite the termination of the UOC-MP lease agreement with the Lavra as of 29 March 2023.

"We are not in support of evicting monks from the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. We are in support of preventing the spirit of the Russian world from prevailing here. ["Russkiy mir", literally "Russian world" or "Russian order," is the concept of the total domination of Russian culture over other cultures; it gives rise to and "legitimises" Russias current expansionist, colonial politics  ed.] [We are in support of] the Lavra being Ukrainian, of prayers for our Ukraine being sung there, in Ukrainian," he said.

Metropolitan Epiphanius said he believed that the "Ukrainisation" of Lavra was inevitable. While the Orthodox Church of Ukraine is already holding regular services in the Upper Lavra, it will soon be able to hold "peaceful and tranquil" services in the Lower Lavra, too.

The UOC-MP, meanwhile, reported on its website that Metropolitan Onufriy "led an all-night vigil" at the Holy Dormition Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, and held a festive service on the Lavra square on Sunday. He also held a liturgy in the Lavra last Sunday, despite a court ruling that said that the UOC-MP must vacate its premises.

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Previously: Kyiv city administration decided not to cancel the curfew on 16 April, Orthodox Easter Sunday. The curfew will be in place between 00:00 and 05:00.

Background:

The Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve terminated its agreement with the UOC-MP, which allowed the church to use the premises of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra free of charge, in March 2023. The UOC-MP clergy were ordered to vacate all premises of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra by the end of March.

The Ministry of Culture and Information Policy commission for accepting and transferring of state property of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra was not allowed to enter the monastery to conduct an inspection on two occasions.

Archimandrite Avraamii, formerly of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP), has joined the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) and asked Metropolitan Epiphany to appoint him Acting Abbot of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. Metropolitan Epiphany agreed. Metropolitan Onufriy of the UOC-MP has banned Archimandrite Abraham from ministry for joining the OCU.

The Shevchenkivskyi District Court in Kyiv has placed Metropolitan Pavlo (Petro Lebid) of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP), the former abbot of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, under round-the-clock house arrest until 30 May on suspicion of inciting sectarian hatred and condoning Russia's armed aggression against Ukraine.



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Ousted Tennessee state representatives criticized the state and the statehouse for being undemocratic and toxic on Sunday, and said they plan to run for their seats again in a special election.

Former Tennessee state Reps. Justin Pearson (D-Memphis) and Justin Jones (D-Nashville) told NBCs Chuck Todd on Meet the Press that their expulsion from the state legislature was undemocratic and dangerous for democracy. They vowed that they will accept a reappointment if their districts place them there and that they will run in the special elections to fill their seats.

The reality is Cameron Sexton, the Speaker of the House, called those children and teenagers insurrectionists and that type of language is that type of political ideology that is destructive to our democracy, Jones said. And what ends up happening is the perpetuation of systems of injustice, like patriarchy, like white supremacy, that lead to the expulsion of two of the youngest Black lawmakers in Tennessee.

Pearson and Jones were expelled from the Tennessee state legislature on Thursday after they participated in a protest on the House floor against gun violence. A third lawmaker, Rep. Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville), also participated in the protest, but survived the vote to remove her.

The expulsion has sparked outrage across the Democrat party, with many officials raising concerns of racism and threatening democracy regarding the move to expel the two lawmakers. Pearson and Jones, both Black men, were expelled, but Johnson, a white woman, survived her vote.

I think our presence as young black voices for our constituencies people, who will not bow down, those who will not be conformed, thats what made it put a target on us the day we walked in the Tennessee General Assembly, Jones said.

When asked if he felt unwelcome in the state legislature, Pearson said it was a toxic work environment.

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It has always been a toxic work environment to work in the Tennessee State Capitol, when you have people who made comments about hanging you on a tree and hanging Black people on a tree as a form of capital punishment, when you were a dashiki on the House floor and a member gets up and they talk about your dashiki saying its unprofessional, Pearson said.

Theyre really sending signals that you dont belong here, he added.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
NASAMS air defense system

In five months of combat operation, these air defense systems have destroyed more than 100 enemy missiles and drones.

The NASAMS system has been protecting Ukraine's sky since November 2022, according to the Air Force.

The video shows how Ukrainian anti-aircraft gunners intercept enemy targets. The clip concludes with footage of a Russian cruise missile being shot down.

Military personnel working on this air defense system note the high efficiency of these SAMs and emphasize that Ukraine requires even more of these weapons.

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 delegation from Saudi Arabia has arrived in Iran to discuss mechanisms for reopening the kingdoms embassy in the Islamic Republic, Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Saturday, Azernews reports citing IRNA.

According to the SPA, the delegation will also discuss the reopening of the Saudi consulate in the holy city of Mashhad, northeast Iran.

The visit marks the first by a Saudi delegation to Iran since the two sides agreed to resume diplomatic relations after more than seven years under a deal brokered by China on March 10, 2023.

The agreement was signed by the top security officials of Iran and Saudi Arabia.

Following that and on Thursday, April 6, the foreign ministers of the two countries met in the Chinese capital Beijing for the first formal gathering since the China-mediated deal.

The top diplomats agreed to follow up on arrangements to reopen their diplomatic missions in their respective countries, and to facilitate visas for Iranian and Saudi citizens, among other things.




As the parent of a child with Down Syndrome, I have become all too aware of the revolving door of teachers and paraprofessionals in our schools and, particularly, in our special-education classrooms.

Its not our teachers fault. Years of systemic underfunding of our special-education programs has led to a loss of educators who are  rightfully so  unwilling to take yet another pay cut or spread themselves thin to try to keep up with growing class sizes.

The sad reality is that most educators who leave do so to seek out better pay and benefits. And who could blame them?

One of the biggest issues this revolving door creates is a lack of consistency, which hurts special-education students ability to thrive in the classroom.

For students like my son, it takes time to build trusting relationships with their teachers, and time for their teachers to understand how to put them on track to reach their goals both inside and outside the classroom.

Our special-education students working with new professionals on a monthly  or even weekly  basis does not support those needs.

A great example of the damage this kind of inconsistency can cause is the year my son was placed on a Behavioral Intervention Plan.

He had never required such a plan in the past, but the revolving door of educators threw him off balance.

He would run from the classroom, even from the building, to escape the unstable environment.

It was terrifying for him, for myself as a parent, and for the educators responsible for his safety.

This sudden change in his behavior and needs was clearly due to the changes within the classroom.

Once he was with a stable teacher and support staff the following year, his behaviors diminished and the BIP was removed.

The inconsistency of the revolving door in the classroom impacts individual students in ways many politicians simply dont understand.

Not having enough teachers to go around means our schools  and particularly our special education classrooms  cant meet the needs of our special education students individualized education programs.

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Our students have these plans for a reason. Not following a students IEP is illegal  meaning that when schools dont have adequate funding to follow IEPs, theyre put at risk of costly lawsuits that can ultimately take even more money from our classrooms.

Our legislators need to fix this, and they need to do it now.

My family has been part of the Andover school district since my son was eight years old. He is now a sophomore.

Being in public schools is so much more than learning math or geography  it means being a part of a community.

Right now, my son is in an inclusive learning environment among other students, where he benefits from absorbing information around him at his own personalized pace, and where his peers benefit from learning how to be friends with and support a diversity of students.

But over the last few years, I have felt critical components of our special-education programs slip away while I have watched our elected officials, like Sen. Ty Masterson and Rep. Kristey Williams, vote against fully funding our special-education programs  and even put at-risk public school funding more broadly.

In essence, my own state legislators have voted against doing whats best for my son and all public school students.

Our students in special education programs have a right to be a part of the community and be productive members of society just as much as any other student. I encourage my representatives, and every representative in the Kansas Legislature, to put politics aside and fully fund special education to ensure every student has the right to be part of a community and thrive.

Beth Hollenbeck is the mother of a special-education student in Andover.
A Canadian pastor who has been arrested three times during the past five weeks for protesting drag queen story events for children spent Easter weekend behind bars for alleged hate speech.

The Rev. Derek Reimer, 36, was arrested on outstanding warrants last week while protesting near a drag story time event, according to the CBC. He now faces eight new charges, including criminal harassment, causing a disturbance and breaching his release conditions.

The Calgary police confirmed to the CBC that the charges are being investigated as hate-motivated.

Reimer, who is the pastor of the street church ministry Mission 7, was first arrested after a Feb. 25 incident during which several men physically tossed him out of Seton Library in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, for protesting a Reading with Royalty event that was put on by the Calgary Public Library and featured local drag performers reading to children.

He was arrested a second time on March 15 in a parking lot across the street from Signal Hill Library in Calgary, video of which shows police cuffing him and dragging him across the asphalt before hauling him away in a police vehicle. He was charged with breaching a release order that prohibited him from communicating with self-identified LGBTQ people or being within 200 meters of events involving the LGBTQ community.

RELIGIOUS LIBERTY NONPROFIT BLASTS BILL BANNING PROTESTS NEAR DRAG SHOWS: DERANGED PARODY OF PUBLIC LAW

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

Reimer's most recent arrest took place after he allegedly caused a disturbance and engaged in criminal harassment during a Reading with Royalty event at the Country Hills Library in Calgary.

Police said Reimer showed up with a microphone and shouted hate speech at event participants, according to the CBC. When the pastor reportedly entered the library and requested to speak with a manager, he allegedly made derogatory comments, engaged in hate speech and harassed the manager and staff, leaving them feeling concerned for their safety.

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CANADIAN PASTOR ARRESTED SECOND TIME FOR PROTESTING CHILDREN'S DRAG QUEEN EVENTS: SICK, TWISTED PERVERSION

A drag queen story hour is held at the West Valley Regional Branch Library on July 26, 2019, in Los Angeles.

Reimer was also charged with causing a disturbance last Sunday outside the Saddletown Library, where police reportedly recorded him shouting things with a microphone that offended participants at the drag queen story time.

Shortly after Reimer's first arrest, the Calgary City Council passed the Safe and Inclusive Access Bylaw, which prohibits protests within 100 meters of a recreation facility or library entrance. The council also modified its public behavior bylaw to include the term "intimidation," according to the CBC.

CANADIAN PASTOR REPEATEDLY JAILED OVER COVID PROTOCOLS TO FACE FINAL TRIAL: CRAZY STUFF

The Rev. Artur Pawlowski , who knows Reimer and made international headlines himself when he was repeatedly arrested and jailed for keeping his Calgary church open during the pandemic, told Fox News Digital that Reimer's arrests indicate the government's "open hatred toward Christianity."

Since drag queen events involving children have sprung up in Calgary, Pawlowski said Reimer "decided he felt that God is calling him to expose that, to stand against that."

"I've warned Canadians for a very long time  and I'm warning Americans as well  that you will be ruled by what you tolerate," Pawlowski said. "If you tolerate corruption, you will be ruled by corruption. If you tolerate perversion, you will eventually be ruled by perversion."
Phoenix police are searching for a man wanted on suspicion of stabbing a passenger on the light rail before running off the train, according to a Silent Witness flyer.

The stabbing happened on March 25 on the light rail near 24th Street and E. Jefferson Street. A surveillance video from Silent Witness shows an unidentified man pushing a rider from behind before pulling a knife out and stabbing them.

The man was described as a 5-foot-9 Black male who weighed about 160 pounds. He is said to be around 25 years old and was wearing a black hoodie with the "PUMA" logo in white on the front at the time of the attack.

Do you know this person? Police ask for help identifying woman found dead at Phoenix bus stop

The man had a black mustache and a goatee with hair in braided rows. He wore black pants and white shoes along with the hoodie and was carrying a grey and black Adidas duffel bag as he stabbed the light rail passenger, according to a description provided by Silent Witness.

The unidentified man was last seen exiting the train at the 24th and Jefferson Streets stop before running east off the platform and changing directions to head southbound.

Teen flees in Corvette: Teen arrested after fleeing from Mesa police, leading to freeway chase

Investigators are seeking any information on the case and Silent Witness is offering up to $1,000 in rewards for information that could lead to the arrest of the unidentified man.

Anyone with information regarding the case is encouraged to contact Silent Witness at 480-948-6377 or 480-TESTIGO for Spanish speakers.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: March phoenix light rail stabbing: Police searching for suspect
On an early spring afternoon, Tregantle Beach is bathed in a dazzling light reminiscent of a painting by British landscape artist JMW Turner as sea, sky and sun merge.

"It's beautiful, right? But look at your feet," says Rob Arnold, 65, an environmental activist and artist, crouching down to pick tiny plastic balls, or "nurdles", sometimes nicknamed "mermaids' tears", out of the Cornwall sand.

The size of a lentil, the tiny bits of plastic are used by industry to manufacture plastic products.

But when spilt at industrial facilities, they can be swept into drains and then out into the sea.

Some 11.5 trillion nurdles end up in the ocean each year, according to UK charity Fauna & Flora International.

Once released into the natural environment, the nurdles circulate on ocean currents and often wash up on beaches and other shores.

Due to their resemblance to fish eggs, birds and other sea life will eat the tiny pellets -- which also absorb toxic pollutants -- adversely affecting the entire food chain, Arnold says.

He is among about 10 people taking part in a clean-up on the beach in England's southwestern Cornwall region, using a device he invented made from a plastic basin, a large grid and a set of tubes.

"It separates plastic waste from natural waste and sand thanks to a filtering and water floating system," the former engineer says.

He then uses the collected nurdles and other microplastics -- tiny bits of plastic that have broken off larger pieces -- in artworks.

- Unearthing 'layers of plastic' -

Jed Louis, 58, wearing a khaki hoodie bearing the name of the local beach clean-up association, says several factors add to the beach's vulnerability.

"This beach is particularly polluted because of its geographical location, the sea currents that affect it and its very open shape," he says.

"In autumn and winter we find the most microplastics because of the weather: storms, thunderstorms and winds, it brings them to the surface.

"Unfortunately the plastic remains, it does not disappear," he says.

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Another volunteer Claire Wallerstein, 53, says "sometimes it's a bit like doing archaeology.

"If you dig in the sand, you'll find different layers of plastic."

Some of the nurdles go to Arnold for his artistic creations while others are used to raise awareness in schools.

The rest, which cannot be recycled, end up in the rubbish and are incinerated.

After three hours, the volunteers have cleaned just a few square metres of the beach.

Arnold looks at his loot -- a large tarp several metres (feet) high filled with nurdles and other microplastics.

Once dried and re-sorted, he can add them to the 20 million nurdles he has collected in six years and which he stores in a friend's garage.

- Like a meteorite -

Arnold's most notable work using the nurdles is a 1.7-metre (5.5-foot) high sculpture, similar to the Moai statues of Easter Island with a mysterious past.

The work is on display at the National Maritime Museum Cornwall in the coastal town of Falmouth under the title "A Lesson from History".

"It's a metaphor to what we are doing here to our planet earth. We are polluting our planet, using its resources. If we destroy it, we have nowhere to go, this is our only home," Arnold says.

For his next creation, he wants to mould the tiny plastic pellets into a meteorite headed towards Earth, in a nod to the one that caused the extinction of the dinosaurs and the fragility of our planet.

After cleaning up the beach and packing his nurdle-filled bags away, Arnold looks disillusioned.

"Sometimes I think about throwing all my bags of nurdles into the river from a bridge. It would be so shocking that maybe, finally, people would realise," he adds.

ef/bd/har/jj/kjm-jj
Police closed a portion of the Capital City Freeway and a city street Sunday afternoon as officers attempted to assist an individual experiencing a mental health crisis in midtown Sacramento.

Details about the incident were not immediately known, but police said in a social media post just after 1 p.m. that X Street was closed between Riverside Boulevard and 21st Street.

Caltrans then said it had shut down both directions of the W-X portion of the Capital City Freeway between 15th and 16th streets at the request of Sacramento officers.

By 7:30 p.m., both agencies said the incident had been resolved and roadways had reopened.

Traffic Advisory : Officers are on-scene attempting to assist an individual experiencing a mental health crisis. Eastbound X Street is closed from Riverside Blvd to 21st St. Please plan for alternate routes. pic.twitter.com/NP4u1IG9Je  Sacramento Police Department (@SacPolice) April 9, 2023




A Phoenix Police Department sketch of an unidentified woman found dead at a downtown Phoenix bus stop near Seventh Avenue and Van Buren Street.

The Phoenix Police Department called for the public's help in identifying a woman who was found dead at a bus stop in downtown Phoenix two months ago.

The woman was found near Seventh Avenue and Van Buren Street in downtown Phoenix on Feb. 8 and has yet to be identified, according to police.

Police described the woman as a white female between 44 and 60 years old. She had a heart tattoo on her upper left arm with unspecified names above the heart and inside it.

Authorities did not specify her cause of death in the Saturday tweet.

The Phoenix police urged anyone with information to call them at 602-262-6141.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Police ask for help identifying woman found dead at Phoenix bus stop
The Fife Police Department investigated a reported bomb threat on Sunday afternoon.

Police first reported the threat just after 12:15 p.m. Sunday.

According to the FPD, the threat included vague information and was left in the engineers compartment of a Union Pacific Railroad locomotive. The engine is located near the switch station near 20th Street East and Port of Tacoma Road.

An explosives K-9 team responded to the scene and searched the locomotive, as well as several nearby areas, and did not locate any explosives or devices.

All businesses within 100 yards of the site of the bomb threat were evacuated while authorities responded to the scene.

Union Pacific investigators will continue to investigate the threat. Local federal authorities were also notified of this incident, according to the FPD.
Officers with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department are investigating a shooting at an apartment complex on West Arrowwood Road in southwest Charlotte.

A Channel 9 news crew is at the scene, where CMPD officers and cars blocked off a section of the parking lot.

ALSO READ: Officers wont face charges in deadly shootout in south Charlotte, DA says

MEDIC said there was one male with a gunshot wound, but they did not release any details about his condition.

Channel 9 has reached out to MEDIC about any other possible injuries or transports.

This is a developing story. Check back at wsoctv.com for updates.

(WATCH BELOW: Person seriously hurt after shooting in north Charlotte)




London Harris, 23, was fatally shot outside a Westwood bar on April 9, 2022. Police are still searching for his killer.

Exactly one year ago, 23-year-old London Harris was shot and killed during an altercation outside a Westwood bar.

Investigators are still searching for his killer and no new leads that could result in an arrest have been uncovered, the Cheviot Police Department said.

"London's family says that London came from a good family, and they are still grieving the loss of this young man's life," police said in a news release, renewing a call for the public's help in bringing forth information that can solve the case.

Police have said the shooting happened around 1:15 a.m. on April 9, 2022, following a fight that broke out inside Babe's Cafe on Glenmore Avenue.

Babe's Cafe: Cincinnati votes against liquor license. Three days later, man killed outside

The fighting spilled outside the bar to Applegate Avenue, police said, adding Harris suffered fatal injuries in the shooting and a friend of Harris' sustained a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to the abdomen.

Police said the bar outside of which the shooting took place has permanently closed and the building is up for sale.

Anyone with information that could assist the homicide investigation or lead to an arrest should contact the Cheviot Police Department at 513-661-2917 or Crime Stoppers at 513-352-3040.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: London Harris shooting: Police still searching for killer
Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross, who also works as a linesman in Scottish professional football, suggested people should vote Labour to keep out the SNP. (Getty Images)

With the SNP in crisis, the Scottish Tory leader suggesting people should vote Labour was perhaps a surprising move.

In a dramatic week where former first minister Nicola Sturgeons husband Peter Murrell was arrested in a probe over the SNPs finances and their home was searched by police (Murrell has been released without charge as the investigation continues), Scottish Conservatives leader Douglas Ross suggested people should vote tactically to keep out the SNP.

He told the Sunday Telegraph: "I will always encourage Scottish Conservative voters to vote Scottish Conservatives, but I think generally the public can see, and they want the parties to accept, that where there is a strongest candidate to beat the SNP you get behind that candidate.

A recent poll on general election voting intentions had Labour second behind the SNP by only five points.

Ross earned a swift rebuke from the central Conservative Party. "This is emphatically not the view of the Conservative Party, a spokesperson said. We want people to vote for Conservative candidates wherever they are standing as that's the best way to keep Labour and the SNP out."

Watch: Sunday's politics briefing

After Ross broke the party line, Yahoo News UK looks back on three recent occasions other politicians have landed themselves in trouble for voting against their own party.

21 Tory MPs suspended over Brexit vote

Amid the bitter Brexit war that played out in Parliament throughout 2019, 21 Tory MPs were suspended in September of that year after siding with opposition parties in a vote to prevent a no-deal exit from the EU.

The rebels in Boris Johnsons crackdown included former chancellors Philip Hammond and Ken Clarke.

Ten of those 21 were readmitted to the party the following month as Johnson sought an election.

Alastair Campbell backing Lib Dems

Brexit divisions werent limited to the Conservatives in 2019. Alastair Campbell, Tony Blairs former spin doctor, was expelled from Labour after announcing on the BBCs European election night coverage that he voted for the pro-Remain Liberal Democrats.

Story continues

According to Campbell, the Jeremy Corbyn-led Labour Party had let its own supporters down, let its own members down and I think its let the country down.

Alastair Campbell speaks to the media outside his home in London after he was expelled from the Labour Party. (PA Images via Getty Images)

Read more: Police seize high-end campervan in SNP finances probe

He was then kicked out of the party, which said publicly declaring or encouraging support for another candidate or party is against the rules and is incompatible with party membership.

Corbyn was actually a prolific voter against the Blair and Gordon Brown governments as a backbench MP between 1997 and 2010. While always campaigning for Labour, he voted against the Labour whip on 428 separate occasions.

Tory MP punished over cost of living vote

Tory MP Anne Marie Morris had the whip removed from the party last year after siding with Labour on a cost of living vote.

The Newton Abbot MP voted in favour of a Labour motion to cut VAT on energy bills, and was the only Tory to rebel.

She said afterwards: "It is deeply disappointing to have had the whip removed by the government, especially on a matter of simply standing up for what I believed to be the best interests of my constituents."
Mock drafts, mock drafts, mock drafts. We love mock drafts. With less than three weeks remaining until the actually draft, we pay attention to what people ar saying are possibilities.

Chad Reuter recently published a four-round mock draft for NFL.com, and what he projects for the Arizona Cardinals is interesting.

Related

New mock draft has Cardinals moving back 1 spot in Round 1

The Cardinals trade back one spot with the Indianapolis Colts in the first round, picking up additional selections in the third and fourth rounds, giving them seven picks in four rounds.

Here are the players they get:

Round 1 (from Colts): Alabama EDGE Will Anderson

Round 2: Tennessee OT Darnell Wright

Round 3: South Carolina CB Darius Rush

Round 3 (from Colts): Illinois RB Chase Brown

Round 4: Wake Forest WR A.T. Perry

Round 4 (from Colts): Louisville CB KeiTrel Clark

Anderson is a stud. There is almost no way Wright lasts until the second round. After that, the picks are all right.

What grade do you give this mock draft? Vote in the poll and give your thoughts in the comments.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wires Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

More 2023 NFL Draft!

POLL: Grade Draft Wire's 7-round mock draft for the Cardinals Breaking down Draft Wire's 7-round mock draft for Cardinals LOOK: 7-round mock draft with 2 second-round trades

Story originally appeared on Cards Wire
By Philip Pullella

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) -Pope Francis appeared to ask Russians to seek the truth about their country's invasion of Ukraine in his Easter message to the world on Sunday and appealed for dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians following recent violence.

Francis, 86, presided at a solemn Easter day Mass in a sunny St. Peter's Square after unseasonal cold forced him to skip an outdoor service on Friday - a precaution following his hospitalisation for bronchitis at the end of March.

A carpet of 38,000 flowers donated by the Netherlands bedecked the square for the most important and joyous date in the Church's liturgical calendar - commemorating the day Christians believe Jesus rose from the dead. Honour units of Vatican Swiss Guards and Italian Carabinieri police - both in ceremonial dress - stood at attention.

But the traditional pomp and sacred singing then gave way to modern realities. Francis later went up to the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica to deliver his twice-yearly "Urbi et Orbi" (to the city and the world) message and blessing, addressing a crowd the Vatican estimated at about 100,000.

There, from the same spot where he first appeared to the world as pope on the night of his election in 2013, he spoke of "the darkness and the gloom in which, all too often, our world finds itself enveloped", and prayed to God for peace.

"Help the beloved Ukrainian people on their journey towards peace, and shed the light of Easter upon the people of Russia," he said.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February last year, Francis has at least twice a week referred to Ukraine and its people as being "martyred" and has used words such as aggression and atrocities to describe Russia's actions.

On Sunday he asked God to "comfort the wounded and all those who have lost loved ones because of the war, and grant that prisoners may return safe and sound to their families. Open the hearts of the entire international community to strive to end this war and all conflict and bloodshed in our world."

Story continues

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, in his nightly video address, denounced Russian attacks that coincided with the observance of Orthodox Palm Sunday, including an attack that killed a father and daughter in the city of Zaporizhzhia.

"This is how the terrorist state marks Palm Sunday," Zelenskiy said. "This is how Russia places itself in even greater isolation from the world."

The majority of Ukraine's 41 million people are Orthodox Christians who celebrate Easter a week from now.

As he has done every Easter, Francis called for peace in the Middle East, his appeal made more urgent by recent violence in Jerusalem and cross-border exchanges of fire involving Israel, Lebanon and Syria.

"On this day, Lord, we entrust to you the city of Jerusalem, the first witness of your resurrection. I express deep worry over the attacks of these last few days that threaten the hoped-for climate of trust and reciprocal respect, needed to resume the dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians, so that peace may reign in the Holy City and in the entire region," he said.

MIDDLE EAST TENSIONS

Israeli-Palestinian tensions have sharply increased since Israeli police raids last week on Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, which caused outrage across the Arab world.

Between the Mass and his reading of the message, Francis, appearing in fine form, was driven in a popemobile around the square and down the main boulevard leading to the River Tiber so more people could see him.

In his message Francis also mentioned instability in Lebanon, expressed the hope that the "martyred Rohingya people" of Myanmar "may encounter justice", and called for more aid for the victims of earthquakes in February that killed nearly 56,000 people in Turkey and Syria.

In a section of the address where he mentioned Nicaragua, the pope asked God to "remember all who are prevented from freely and publicly professing their faith".

Relations between the government and Catholic Church in Nicaragua are deeply strained. The government, which has suspended diplomatic relations with the Vatican, banned outdoor Holy Week processions this year.

(Reporting by Philip PullellaEditing by Frances Kerry and Diane Craft)
Practical Move and jockey Ramon Vazquez, inside, nose out Mandarin Hero and jockey Kazushi Kimura at the finish line Saturday in the $750,000 Santa Anita Derby. (Benoit Photo)

The dream continues.

Practical Move, purchased in part by a New Mexico couple for a mere $230,000, etched his name near the top of the Kentucky Derby favorite's leaderboard with a thrilling win in the $750,000 Santa Anita Derby on Saturday.

The 3-year-old colt dug down through a stirring stretch duel to hold off the Japanese-bred Mandarin Hero by a nose to get the 100 Kentucky Derby qualifying points, upping his total to 160. Only Forte, winner of the Florida Derby, has more with 190. They are likely to be the top two favorites in the May 6 race at Churchill Downs.

It was the second straight Santa Anita Derby win for trainer Tim Yakteen and the third consecutive first-place finish by Practical Move. Yakteen won last years race with Taiba, a horse that was transferred from the Bob Baffert barn just before the race. Practical Move has been his horse since he started seven races ago with a second-place finish at Del Mar.

Hes still an improving horse and he showed another dimension where he really dug deep and fought off the other horse, Yakteen said. I think its another forward step where hopefully its something we can put in our bag of experience thats going to help him in his next race.

Yakteens thoughtful response seemed in contrast to sheer exuberance of the colts owners, Pierre and Leslie Amestoy.

Weve never felt [such a high] before in this sport, Pierre Amestoy said. Weve had some quarter horses win a Grade 1, but its not like this. This is the ultimate for us.

A lot of owners passed on the horse last year because he was foaled on April 30, making him the youngest horse in the race. Owners prefer horses born in January and February because they are older and considered more mature.

The fact that the horse won the 1 1/8-mile race was not a surprise as the crowd of 31,289 sent him to post as the even-money favorite after his win a month ago in the San Felipe Stakes.

Practical Move broke alertly and settled into third behind One In Vermillion and Low Expectations. As the leaders started to fade, Practical Move went to the lead at the top of the stretch. Mandarin Hero was running mid-pack in the eight-horse field and also started to gather momentum. The two battled stride for stride with Practical Move never giving up the lead.

Story continues

Practical Move paid $4.00, $3.00 and $2.20. Mandarin Hero was followed by Skinner, National Treasure, One In Vermillion, I Dont Get It, Dazzlemesilver and Low Expectations. Geaux Rocket Ride was scratched because of a fever.

What a thriller, said Pierre. It was thriller and a half. Im just glad we stayed ahead in front. He fought him off the last 16th of a mile and showed how brave he is.

Ramon Vazquez rode the horse for the third straight time and will be making his second trip to the Kentucky Derby. He finished 13th aboard Mr. Z in 2015.

I moved my horse to the outside to take a new position, made him relax a little bit and when I asked him the last quarter he responded really well, Vazquez said. You feel amazing when you ride a good horse like that. Your dream is always to go to the Kentucky Derby.

It was the colts first Grade 1 win to go to with two Grade 2 victories.

Leslie explained the long-term benefit to this victory.

Stallion, she said, meaning that Grade 1 winners are usually prime candidates for stallion duties after their racing career is over.

The Amestoys, who also have Roger Beasley as a partner, havent grasped the magnitude of their improbable journey to the Kentucky Derby, admitting they dont know when it will hit them.

My phone has been buzzing for 15 minutes, Pierre said in the winners circle shortly after the race. I dont know who has been calling or texting but Im guessing all my friends are. Well come out and see the colt in the morning. See if hes OK and pet him and thank him.

California currently has only two entrants in the Kentucky Derby and both are trained by Yakteen. Reincarnate, who was moved from the Baffert barn, will join Practical Move in Louisville. Baffert is serving the second year of a two-year ban from Churchill Downs after Medina Spirit tested positive for a medication and was stripped of the win. The case is still in litigation.

Skinner, trained by John Shirreffs, is currently 21st on the list with 45 points and just needs one horse to drop out to make the field.

Saturday was essentially the end of Kentucky Derby qualifying with three 100-point races as most of the 20-horse field is set and will be adjusted as horses are pulled out, usually for injury or illness. Next Saturday is a 20-point race at Keeneland, which will be the final race. Its mostly used by horses that are on the cusp of making the field and need just a couple more points. Thats how Rich Strike, winner of last years Kentucky Derby, was eventually allowed to make the starting field.

In Keeneland on Saturday, Tapit Trice rallied late to beat Verifying to win the $1-million Blue Grass Stakes for trainer Todd Pletcher, who also trains qualifiers Forte and Kingsbarns, who won the Louisiana Derby.

The other qualifier Saturday was the $750,000 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct, where long shot Lord Miles won a three-horse blanket finish and paid $120.50 to win. Lord Miles beat Hit Show by a nose, who beat Dreamlike by a head.

Faiza and jockey Flavien Prat pull away from the field to win the $400,000 Santa Anita Oaks on Saturday. (Benoit Photo)

In the Santa Anita Oaks, the filly counterpart to the Santa Anita Derby, Baffert-trained Faiza romped to a win by 6 1/2 lengths. The horse did not collect any Kentucky Oaks qualifying points because the horse remained with Baffert instead of being moved to another trainer.

I talked with [owner] Michael [Lund Petersen] and he doesnt want his horse with anyone else, Baffert said. He said thats why he hired me. I told him we could nominate [Faiza] but he said he didnt want to do it.

Santa Anitas 12-race card was dramatically changed after the fifth race when Midnight Jostar slipped on the turf course and fell, sending jockey Kent Desormeaux to the ground.

The horse was OK and got up and continued running but Desormeaux, mostly scratched up, was taken off his mounts for the rest of the card. Santa Anita officials took the three remaining turf races, including the Grade 3 Monrovia Stakes, off the grass, causing a multitude of scratches.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Prince Charles was foraging for mushrooms just before his mother, Queen Elizabeth, passed away, a royal biographer says.

Biographer Jacob Jobson writes that Prince Charles knew his mother was near death and that he'd soon become king.

Charles still arrived at his mother's bedside before her death on Sept. 8, 2022, the book says.

Prince Charles went to the woods to forage for mushrooms as the life of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, "ebbed away" in September 2022, royal biographer Robert Jobson wrote in a new book.

In an excerpt, published Saturday in the Daily Mail, Jobson wrote that Prince Charles  who is now the king  had been notified that the Queen's health had "suddenly deteriorated" on Sept. 7, 2022.

So on Sept. 8, Charles flew by helicopter to Balmoral Castle to be at his mother's bedside along with Princess Anne. At first, according to the expert, there "seemed no immediate reason for alarm."

"Understandably lost in thought, the Prince knew that the defining moment of his life, at the advanced age of 73, was fast approaching: the death of his mother and his accession as King," Jobson writes.

Charles returned to Birkhall, Scotland after spending a few hours with the queen to walk around in the surrounding woods with a wooden cane and a basket, according to the excerpt.

"As the Queen's life ebbed away, her heir was foraging for mushrooms," Jobson wrote in the excerpt. "More importantly, he was drawing solace and strength from the trees, the smell of the earth and the murmur of the River Muick."

One of Prince Charles' personal protection officers approached him in the woods to tell him that his mother's health had dramatically worsened, Jobson wrote. He returned to his mother's bedside at Balmoral and was there at 3:31 pm on Sept. 8 when she died, according to the excerpt.

The only other people at the Queen's bedside at the time were Charles's wife, Camilla, the queen's doctor, and Princess Anne, who had never left her mother's bedside, the book says. Prince William, Prince Andrew, and Prince Edward arrived at Balmoral at about 5 pm and Prince Harry arrived at about 8 pm, according to the excerpt.

Read the original article on Insider
A group of University of Chicago students are continuing their campaign for their university to pay over $1 billion in reparations to Chicago's South Side.

University of Chicago Against Displacement (UCAD), an anti-gentrification student club, hosted an open house event on Thursday.

"Come to our open house for some food, music, and good conversation!" the group's Instagram post read. "This week well be making and coloring our own zines :)"

According to University of Chicago's library, a zine "is a self-published [fanzine]  produced in small print runs."

CHICAGO POLICE SAY 3-YEAR-OLD SHOT AND KILLED AFTER ROAD RAGE INCIDENT: 'BABY KILLERS ON THE STREETS'

In February, the club had asked for $1 billion in reparations in grant funding for "long-term true affordable housing" from the university's administration. The organization believes the money should be given to the city's South Side over 20 years to prevent displacement.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

"The University exists as a legacy of chattel slavery," UCAD's Chicago Maroon op-ed read. "Moreover, it has been an active participant in segregation, redlining, and supporting developments that work to isolate the University from its neighbors and put Southsiders at risk of displacement from their homes."

DEFUND THE POLICE PUSH, LIBERAL POLICIES DRIVING CHICAGO BUSINESS EXODUS, HURTING POOR THE MOST: EXPERTS

Cobb Gate at the University of Chicago in Chicago, United States, on October 18, 2022.

The group also advocated for a $20 million annual fund for rental assistance, as well as expanding low-income housing and supporting STEM programs at local schools.

"This is especially crucial at this moment as the Obama Center in Jackson Park increases land values and, in turn, rental prices," UCAD wrote in a press release.

"As residents deal with the economic hardships and an exacerbation of the homelessness crisis caused by COVID-19, these rent increases will only serve to further displace Southside residents," it added.

A building covered with autumn leaves at the University of Chicago in Chicago, United States, on October 18, 2022.

A University of Chicago spokesperson told Fox News Digital in February that the university aids Chicagos South Side by supporting businesses, offering free college readiness programs and employing over 13,000 Chicago residents.

UCAD and the University of Chicago did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital for this story.

Fox News' Adam Sabes contributed to this report.
Thousands of teddy bears with candles on display at a protest in Brussels in February 2023 represented abducted Ukrainian children. Nicolas Maeterlinck/Belga MAG/AFP via Getty Images

The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin on March 17, 2023, over war crimes in Ukraine, alleging he bears individual criminal responsibility for abducting thousands of children from occupied parts of the country.

Russias Commissioner for Childrens Rights, Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova, was also cited by the court on similar charges.

They mark the first arrest warrants the independent tribunal, based in The Hague, has issued since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

But the development will not guarantee the imminent arrest of Putin. The ICC, as it is often called, does not have its own police force and requires other supporting countries to enforce its warrants.

The ICC is doing its part of work as a court of law. The judges issued arrest warrants. The execution depends on international cooperation, the courts president, Piotr Hofmanski, said in a statement on March 17.

As Russian police arent likely to arrest their countrys leader, as long as Putin remains inside Russia, he is probably safe.

Since Russia launched an invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Ukrainian government, Western powers and the United Nations have collected evidence of Russian violations of international humanitarian law, such as war crimes. This includes widespread sexual violence and the forced abduction and transfer of thousands of Ukrainian children to Russia.

Since 1998, I have worked in securing forensic evidence of these types of crimes in Afghanistan, Guatemala and other places. To me, it is apparent that identifying and collecting evidence of international crimes like killing civilians during conflict is beyond the capabilities and resources of local police crime scene teams, criminal investigators and prosecutors.

Its also likely that the full extent of war crimes committed by both Ukraine and Russia wont be credibly investigated and possibly prosecuted until after the war finally ends.

Story continues

It surprises me that arrest warrants would be issued for the abduction of Ukrainian children. In order to successfully prosecute this crime, investigators will need to show that not only did the alleged abductors take the children against their will, but that they also did not intend to return the children to their legal guardians. This can be more challenging to prove than other kinds of war crimes.

To put these upcoming indictments into perspective, it is also useful to remember that the International Criminal Court, an independent tribunal based in The Hague often known as the ICC, tends to focus on high-level cases that go after political leaders and is not tasked to provide answers to families of all victims.

An exterior view of the International Criminal Court building in The Hague, Netherlands. Michel Porro/Getty Images

Proving war crimes

War crimes, under international law, happen when civilians, prisoners of war, hospitals or schools  essentially anyone and anything that isnt involved in military activities  are targeted during a conflict.

The Ukrainian government and Donetsk Peoples Republic, a Ukrainian breakaway region occupied by Russians, have prosecuted and convicted both Russian and Ukrainian soldiers for war crimes since February 2022.

Ukraine has so far convicted 25 Russian soldiers of war crimes in Ukraine. These prosecutions raise questions about how evidence is collected and handled to support these cases  and about credibility.

Ukraine has a history of government corruption, and Donetsk is both not recognized internationally and is backed by Russia, which has a judicial system known to tolerate torture.

I investigate cases in which law enforcement, military and police are alleged to have committed crimes against civilians without accountability. In many cases, these alleged crimes happen during a civil war, like the Guatemalan civil war in the late 1970s and early 1980s, or the Rwandan conflict and genocide in the mid-1990s.

This means that I often work with international organizations like the United Nations to travel to these places and document physical evidence of war crimes  take photographs, take notes, do measurements and draw sketches to illustrate a potential crime scene. The idea is that any other experts can pick up this evidence and reach their own conclusions about what happened there.

Crime scene investigators like me generally do not determine whether a war crime was committed. That is a decision reserved for the prosecutor or a judge who is given the evidence.

Ukrainian investigators exhume bodies from a mass grave in Bucha, Ukraine, in April 2022. Genya Savilov/AFP via Getty Images

Beyond political interests

Considering that this war is fought between Ukrainians and Russians  but involves other countries like the United States  any independent effort to investigate war crimes will raise questions of credibility.

In this context, one has to consider if an independent investigation and prosecution is even possible. The ICC is perhaps the best candidate, even though it is far from immune to political pressure, particularly from powerful countries.

The ICC has a specific mandate to go after people allegedly responsible for the gravest crimes of concern to the international community. This includes genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. The forced transfer and deportation of a group of people is a war crime.

But the ICC isnt tasked with investigating the fate of victims on all sides of the war. This will take a separate effort, decades of work and cost a large amount of money, requiring the support of rich countries.

Since its inception in 2002, the ICC has indicted more than 40 people, all from Africa, and convicted 10 of them. While 123 countries are party to the ICC, meaning they have signed on to support its work, neither Russia nor Ukraine has ratified the treaty that allows the ICC to investigate crimes on their territories or by their forces.

Russias foreign ministry responded to the March 17 announcement by the ICC by saying that the arrest warrant does not have meaning for Russia, since it is not a party to the ICC.

The U.S. also never ratified the ICCs founding treaty, with the justification that it would not accept prosecution of U.S. soldiers by a foreign court.

Ukraine, though, has given the ICC narrow jurisdiction to investigate crimes there since 2014.

In some cases, the ICC has not been able to successfully prosecute people even when it issues indictments. The court in 2009 and 2010, for example, issued indictments against Omar al-Bashir, former head of state in Sudan, for his role in carrying out genocide, and directing war crimes in Darfur. Yet, even though al-Bashir traveled internationally, no authority in any country he visited ever arrested him, despite the ICCs arrest warrant.

A makeshift memorial dedicated to children killed, wounded, deported or missing in Ukraine is seen outside the Russian Embassy in Berlin in February 2023. Odd Andersen/AFP via Getty Images

Proving abductions took place

Russian forces have moved at least 6,000 Ukrainian children to camps and facilities across Russia for forced adoptions and military training, according to a March 2023 report by the Conflict Observatory, a program supported by the U.S. State Department.

Showing sufficient evidence that Russia forcibly abducted the children and did not intend to return them to their legal guardians would likely involve the childrens family members giving witness statements. That is, unless the ICCs prosecutor has obtained Russian military documents or communications that clearly indicate that these are involuntary abductions.

Contrast this with trying to prosecute Russian military commanders and leaders for conducting multiple bombings of nonmilitary sites in Ukraine, such as hospitals or schools. It would be relatively simple to provide evidence that the attacks on these places constituted war crimes, as long as there is no evidence that these sites lost their protected status under international law, such as evidence that a bombed hospital or school had been used for military purposes.

The victims

War crimes involving massive numbers of casualties leave behind a multitude of surviving family members, all of whom have the right to know the fate of their loved ones.

But it is important to remember that the ICCs prosecution of any war crime will not extend beyond the individual arrest and prosecution of soldiers and political leaders. The court is not responsible for repatriating children to their respective families.

This is an updated version of an article originally published on Aug. 5, 2022.

This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. The Conversation is trustworthy news from experts. Try our free newsletters.

It was written by: Stefan Schmitt, Florida International University.

Read more:



Stefan Schmitt does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
A puppy thrown from a moving vehicle during a police chase through Los Angeles "emerged unharmed" and was rescued by responding officers, the Los Angeles Police Department said.

Authorities say the dog was thrown from the vehicle in a Michael Kors bag by a wanted suspect, who police were pursuing on Friday afternoon in connection with an attempted murder and carjacking that had taken place in the area on March 26. The pursuit spanned multiple cities and eventually ended in Carson, about 10 miles south of the spot where the original crime allegedly happened.

The puppy was turned over to South L.A. Animal Services after it was rescued, the Los Angeles Police Department's public information officer wrote on Twitter Saturday.

"Miraculously the dog emerged unharmed and was rescued by responding LAPD officers," the PIO wrote in one of several tweets about the pursuit. "The puppy is now in the care of South L.A. Animal Services, where it is presently being held pending an investigation into the abandonment concern that was noted during the pursuit."

A puppy was rescued after being thrown from a suspect's moving vehicle during a police chase in Los Angeles last week. / Credit: Los Angeles Police Department PIO / Twitter

Officers arrested three suspects in connection with the pursuit, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. They have been identified as Gustavo Alvarez, 27, and Lynette Moreno, 27, of Los Angeles, and Michelle Zamudio, 25, of Santa Monica, police said.

Alvarez is accused in the attempted murder and carjacking incident that happened on March 26, and is being held without bond on an attempted murder charge. Moreno and Zamudio are respectively accused of "setting up" a getaway vehicle and driving it, according to Los Angeles police. Both are charged with evading police, and Moreno faces accessory charge in addition. Bail for the latter two suspects has been set at $67,000 and $75,000.

The police investigation into the alleged crimes is ongoing.

Houses of worship are houses of refuge and hospitality

Reconstruction continues at the Cathedral of Notre Dame 4 years after fire | 60 Minutes

Saudi Arabia becomes unlikely sports hub amid sportswashing accusations | 60 Minutes
DONBAS REGION, UKRAINE, MARCH 15: A Ukrainian serviceman from the Special Operations Forces (OPFOR) 214 Brigade stands by his tank along the frontline north of Bakhmut, Ukraine on March 15, 2023. As the fight for Bakhmut continues, the Ukrainian government has send reinforcements in order to hold the city against the Russian forces. (Photo by Ignacio Marin/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) - Ignacio Marin/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Vladimir Putin has often complained of the West waging a proxy war in Ukraine by supplying Kyiv with training and technology to fight back against Russian troops.

Yet even as Russia's leader convinces himself that he is the injured party, the Kremlin has been waging its own shadow fight against Europe and its allies.

Cyber attacks on Nato nations and their allies that originating in Russia have been ramping up in recent months, forcing the public and private sectors alike to beef up their defences.

Europe was dragged into a high-intensity hybrid cyber-war at a turning point in the conflict, says Pierre-Yves Jolivet, a senior cyber security executive at French defence giant Thales, who noted a significant increase in attacks at the end of last year.

Last summer there were 85 cyber conflict-related incidents in EU countries, according to Thales. Over the same time period its experts saw 86 cyber incidents take place in Ukraine itself.

Nicolas Quintin, a cyber security researcher with Thales, says: Starting in May 2022, we've seen attacks in all of Europe.

As soon as a country is, for instance, providing Ukraine with weapons or as soon as the country is blaming Russias actions, they react immediately in a very organised manner.

The Russians goal was to send a message: You can support Ukraine, you can blame Russia for the invasion, but it won't be without consequences.

The Baltic states on Natos northern flank have become the front line of Russias new digital offensive.

Margus Noormaa, director general of Estonias national cyber security agency, has said his country has practically been in a cyber war with Russia since its invasion of Ukraine. Attacks against Estonias digital infrastructure are taking place almost every day or week.

Mart Hiietamm, head of the agencys analysis and prevention department, says attacks have become more sophisticated over time.

This is from the people with the more professional stuff, Hiietamm says, describing the split between Russias military hacking units and what he calls the students for hire. (These are young people, typically technically skilled civilians, who want to make easy money infiltrating Western companies for espionage purposes.)

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Denmarks Centre for Cyber Security (CFCS) raised the countrys cyber threat level from medium to high in mid-March, warning that pro-Russian groups have been stepping up cyber attacks in Denmark and the West.

In the context of continued increased tensions between Russia and the West, pro-Russian cyber activists carry out numerous attacks against varying targets that they select from a broad selection of NATO members, said CFCS in a statement.

Industry sources say there has been a marked increase in the number of stealthy Russian attempts to infiltrate computer networks for espionage purposes as well.

In Britain, major institutions have suffered several high-profile cyber attacks in recent months. Royal Mails international deliveries were notably brought to a halt by Lockbit, a Russia-linked ransomware gang.

Lockbit ransomware note - effecting Royal Mail

Tony Adams, a senior researcher with cyber security company Secureworks, says: We have seen indiscriminate pro-Russia hacktivism intended to cause a nuisance for organisations in Western countries that have openly supported Ukraine, but we don't consider those to be directed by the Russian state in any meaningful sense.

Russian state-directed cyber operations have remained focused on two areas  disrupting critical services in Ukraine and spying on entities of interest to the state.

However, dividing what is and isnt a state-sponsored attack is notoriously difficult in Russia.

It was revealed last month that a civilian Russian cyber security consultancy, NTC Vulkan, had been training Russias elite cyber troops.

A cache of leaked documents revealed how the company had set up training ranges where members of Unit 74455 of the GRU spy agency, codenamed Sandworm in some Western circles, could practice hacking simulated power grids and even railways, with the aim of causing trains to crash or derail.

The incident demonstrates how porous the line between public, private and criminal is in Putin's Russia.

Moscow is stepping up cyber attacks as Putin gambles that these sort of digital offensives will not provoke the same kind of reaction as military force might.

Earlier this month the head of Britains National Cyber Force, James Babbage, told the Economist: So far, our experience has tended to be that cyberspace is more escalation tolerant than people tend to assume.

Russia, it appears, has reached the same conclusion and is exploiting that increased tolerance for its own ends.

However, the spate of attacks has provoked senior Western military leaders to call for more digital arms to defend the West.

Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg said in March that while conventional military force is needed, they are not enough.

Strong societies and robust economies are our first line of defence. So we must secure our cyberspace, supply chains, and critical infrastructure, said Stoltenberg.

Russias relative success at launching cyber attacks has attracted imitators.

Estonias Hiietamm says: I would say it's mostly driven by the Russians but I think there is more awareness now  and some attacks have their origins from other states.

Nonetheless, the Russian threat remains at the forefront of Western minds. Russias cyber troops are becoming bolder and less inhibited about targeting Nato members. Reinforcing the digital ramparts is now a top priority.
Ralphie has been described as a "demon" and "whole jerk" by the Niagara County SPCA. Niagara SPCA via Facebook

Ralphie, who went viral earlier this year for a Facebook post that described him with brutal honesty, has been adopted.

Ralphie spent time with the Niagara SPCA this year after two owners decided he was too much to handle.

After a third attempt at adoption and an intensive training program, home No. 4 might be the one for Ralphie.

Ralphie  the French bulldog who went viral after a brutally honest post from the Niagara County SPCA called him a "fire-breathing demon"  seems to have finally found his permanent home after three failed adoption attempts and an intensive training program.

The 26-pound, one-year-old white French bulldog with black spots drew quite a bit of attention earlier this year after a January Facebook post described the temperamental pup as "a whole jerk."

"Ralphie is a terror in a somewhat small package," a January Facebook post from the Niagara County SPCA read. "What could go wrong with a 26lb dog, right? We're sure you're thinking: my ankles will be just fine. We'd caution- proceed at your own risk."

The Niagara County SPCA shared periodic updates on Ralphie after the internet fell in love with him, detailing an unsuccessful adoption attempt and how he was doing in a training program called "How to Train Your Dragon."

Now, the SPCA shared what it hopes will be the final update on Ralphie's adoption journey: After completing his training program, he found a new  hopefully permanent  family in Tennessee late last month.

The adoption process was extensive, as the shelter said it reviewed more than 700 applications and interviewed dozens of potential homes. Eventually, the shelter found Jason, a professional dog trainer who has three other dogs and works with the Tennessee Department of Energy.

The SPCA described Jason as a "unicorn" adopter, who was chosen as the most suitable caretaker to give Ralphie structure and help channel his energy in a positive way.

The shelter shared the Facebook and Instagram accounts that Jason already has created to keep Ralphie's many fans updated on his progress as a "reformed demon dog." They currently have about 40,000 combined followers.

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The Niagara County SPCA shared another update last week, providing an explanation for why it believes the latest adoption has worked, emphasizing some people who adopt aggressive dogs falter by trying to "fix" every problem they have immediately. However, as someone with experience training dogs, Jason knew helping Ralphie through his triggers and aggression would take time.

Hoping Ralphie has found his forever family, the SPCA asked that other adopters show the same patience with aggressive dogs.

"Thank you to Ralphie and Jason for demonstrating the importance of building trust with your adoptive pet," the post reads.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Here is a copy of U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryks ruling overturning the U.S. Food and Drug Administrations approval of the abortion drug mifepristone.

The judge put his order on hold for a week to allow time for an appeal. The U.S. Justice Department immediately filed notice that it would appeal the ruling.
Federico Valverde (left) and Alex Baena (right) reportedly got into it after a Real Madrid-Villareal match. (Photo by Jose Miguel Fernandez /NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Bad blood from a Real Madrid-Villareal match reportedly extended after the final whistle, and for a very serious reason.

Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde punched Villareal winger Alex Baena after waiting for him by the Villareal team bus in the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium parking lot on Saturday, according to ESPN.

The history behind the conflict reportedly goes back to January, when the 21-year-old Baena reportedly said something to Valverde that translates to "cry, because your child won't be born" during a Copa del Rey game between the two teams Jan. 19.

The context was revealed in February, when Valverde's partner Mina Bonino reportedly posted on social media that the couple believed they had lost an unborn child in pregnancy. Further testing apparently revealed the pregnancy to still be healthy, but Baena would not have known that in the Copa del Rey match.

For extremely understandable reasons, Valverde, 24, was reportedly angry about the comments and confronted Baena on Saturday after a 3-2 Villareal win to ask him to repeat what was allegedly said on the field, which ultimately resulted in the punch.

Villareal and Baena reportedly did not confirm the claim behind Valverde's punch, but said they believed his actions to be unacceptable. The club has reportedly spoken to Spanish police about possible courses of action, while Baena will decide if he wants to press charges.

Villareal team delegate Xisco Nadal reacted by tweeting "Fede valverde macarra y cobarde," which roughly translates to him saying Valverde is "thuggish and cowardly," but deleted the tweet after significant blowback.

Valverde, who is Uruguayan, joined Real Madrid in 2017 and has since become a rising star for Los Blancos. Baena, a Villareal youth product, is in his first season as a regular for the top-flight club.
DETROIT (AP)  Triston Casas homered and hit an RBI double as the Boston Red Sox beat the Detroit Tigers 4-1 on Sunday for a three-game sweep.

This is what we came here to do, Casas said. We knew we underperformed in (a three-game sweep at) Pittsburgh, and we couldn't let that happen again. The offense was great, the pitching was great and so was the bullpen. This is how we are capable of playing.

Boston starter Kutter Crawford (1-1) allowed one run and five hits in five innings. He struck out six without walking a batter.

Kutter did what we need, which is what we got from the starters in all three games, and the bullpen was terrific," Red Sox manager Alex Cora. Triston put two really good swings on the ball and helped us win the game.

Red Sox outfielder Adam Duvall, hitting .455 with four homers and 14 RBIs, left in the ninth after injuring his left wrist while diving for Spencer Torkelsons bloop single.

Duvall, who had surgery on the same wrist in 2022, was having X-rays after the game. Cora said the team was still waiting for results.

Rob Refsnyder reached base three times, scored once and drove in a run for the Red Sox, who outscored Detroit 24-9 in the series.

Kenley Jansen pitched the ninth for his second save. Detroit loaded the bases with one out, but Zach McKinstry flied out and Akil Baddoo struck out.

We kept fighting all the way, and we had some chances late in the game, Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. We're still chasing a little bit and that keeps coming back to haunt us. We have to get more balls into play.

Matthew Boyd (0-1) yielded two runs on five hits and four walks in 4 1/3 innings as Detroit fell to 2-7.

I could have been a lot better, said Boyd, who hasn't gotten out of the fifth inning in either start this season. I just had a couple spurts where I lost my rhythm and delivery.

The Tigers took a 1-0 lead in the first with some help from Boston's defense. With two outs, shortstop Kike Hernandez threw wide to first on Javy Baez's infield single, and Kerry Carpenter reached when the third strike got away from catcher Connor Wong. Torkelson followed with an RBI single.

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Casas tied it with an RBI double in the second, and the Red Sox took the lead in the fifth when Wong doubled and scored on Refsnyder's single.

The Red Sox took a 3-1 lead in the seventh. Refsnyder walked, went to third on a single by Rafael Devers and scored on Justin Turner's sacrifice fly.

The Tigers had runners on second and third against Chris Martin in the eighth, but Carpenter grounded out to first.

Casas led off the ninth with a long homer to right-center.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Red Sox: LHP James Paxton (hamstring) pitched three scoreless innings in a rehab start during the second game of Triple-A Worcester's doubleheader against Buffalo. He gave up two hits and two walks while striking out three.

Tigers: RHP Michael Lorenzen (groin) made a rehab start with Triple-A Toledo, allowing four runs on two hits and three walks. He will meet with the Tigers' medical staff on Monday, but is expected to make his next start in the majors.

BUT THE BAG IS BIGGER

Torkelson appeared to have an infield single in the fourth inning  he clearly beat Hernandez's throw to first  but he was called out when a replay review showed he missed first base.

UP NEXT

Red Sox: Start a four-game series at unbeaten Tampa Bay on Monday. Nick Pavetta (0-1, 1.80 ERA) is scheduled to face Josh Fleming (0-0, 15.00).

Tigers: Off on Monday before beginning a three-game series in Toronto. Matt Manning (1-0, 3.18 ERA) is set to face Alek Manoah (1-0, 4.35) on Tuesday.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
The founder and president of a nonprofit that advocates for religious liberty in Canada blasted a proposed law in Ontario that would criminalize protests and "offensive remarks" within a football field-sized area around drag shows and other LGBTQ events.

"Liberty Coalition Canada is gravely disturbed about the rapid changes in our legal climate in Canada," Michael Thiessen, founder and president of Liberty Coalition Canada, told Fox News Digital.

Kristyn Wong-Tam, a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, last week introduced the "Protecting 2SLGBTQI+ Communities Act," which would empower Ontario's attorney general to establish 100-meter "safety zones" around drag shows and other LGBTQ events. The provincial bill would make harassment, intimidation and "offensive remarks" punishable by fines up to $25,000.

Thiessen contrasted the proposed Ontario law with bills passed in U.S. states that have banned transgender procedures for minors, claiming Wong-Tam "is asking the province of Ontario to do precisely the opposite: to empower those who aim to normalize the sexualization of children and cross-dressing to appease their twisted fantasies."

ATTORNEY FOR TEEN SUSPENDED AFTER OPPOSING TRANS IDEOLOGY SAYS RELIGIOUS FREEDOM ESSENTIALLY DEAD IN CANADA

Thiessen, a Canadian who now pastors a church in Kentucky, went on to say the bill "vilifies concerned citizens and purports to criminalize peaceful protesting by using dangerously vague and cynically one-sided language describing any homophobic, transphobic, offensive remarks, protest disturbance, and distribution of hate propaganda."

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

"Any peaceful, public disagreement or moral criticism could easily be captured by such broad, subjective, politicized categories," Thiessen said.

"In reality, this bill is not about protecting anyone from hate, but about silencing all opposition. Whether through a chilling effect or overzealous prosecution, the result of this bill  and we suggest the intent, as well  will be the censorship of all public criticism of things like drag queens reading to children."

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Wong-Tam did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

The proposed legislation resembles the Safe and Inclusive Access Bylaw passed last month by the City Council of Calgary, Alberta. The bylaw prohibits protests within 100 meters of a recreation facility or library entrance. The city council also modified its current public behavior bylaw to include the term "intimidation," according to the CBC. Pastor Derek Reimer has been arrested three times for protesting drag queen story hour for children.

CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT ARRESTED AFTER SUSPENSION FOR OPPOSING TRANSGENDER IDEOLOGY

Drag Queen Story Hour is held at the West Valley Regional Branch Library on July 26, 2019, in Los Angeles.

Founded by clergy in January 2021, Liberty Coalition Canada's website said it is committed to "supporting Canadians who are facing unjust and illegal discrimination for exercising their lawful freedoms." The organization has been legally representing Josh Alexander, a 17-year-old who has been arrested multiple times after being suspended from his Catholic high school in Ontario last year for opposing transgender ideology.

Alexander allegedly had coffee thrown on him during a recent protest, Thiessen said, adding the bill "betrays grotesque hypocrisy, as it is most often the representation from these queer groups themselves who incite true hatred through profanity, vulgarity and physical aggression."

PROPOSED LAW WOULD SET FOOTBALL FIELD-SIZED ZONE AROUND DRAG SHOWS, FINE OFFENSIVE SPEECH UP TO $25,000

"This bill is a bare-knuckle attack on those who dare stand in the way of the rapid and unchecked allowance of child grooming and sexualization," Thiessen claimed. "Voters, parents and otherwise courageous citizens need to speak swiftly and clearly against this deranged parody of public law."

Liberty Coalition Canada was also behind an initiative last year protesting Canada's Bill C-4, which outlawed "conversion therapy." Under the terms of the bill, therapists who provide any form of counseling to repress or reduce "non-heterosexual attraction or sexual behavior" or "non-cisgender identity" can face up to five years in prison. The protest initiative garnered support from approximately 5,000 churches throughout North America.
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Cloaked by choking green vegetation, a small exposed patch of concrete caught the eye of college students and volunteers searching off an anthill-dotted dirt lane for signs of the Bumper 8 blockhouse at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

After chopping away thorny brush and thick roots with hacksaws and shears, the University of Central Florida archaeological team cleared the 20-by-20-foot foundation of the crudely built structure at historic Launch Complex 3.

This makeshift blockhouse marks where technicians launched Bumper 8 on July 24, 1950  America's first rocket from the Cape.

"This is just incredible. We've got the Marsten matting located at the rear of this. Right now, that's one of the most exciting parts to me," said Jamie Draper, director of the Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum, standing atop the concrete foundation.

An archaeological mystery: UCF students study blockhouse site from Cape's 1st rocket launch

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"This is where the first launch was coordinated by the launch crew in a very improvised-looking blockhouse  a tarpaper shack of a structure. And here it is. This is so cool. I've wanted to see this for quite some time," Draper said.

"The jungle consumed it. That's what happens in Florida. Just to uncover it like this, it's very Hollywood-esque," he said.

Since late January, the Bumper blockhouse site has been targeted by about 20 students with the University of Central Florida's Department of Anthropology. They systematically surveyed and GPS-mapped a 700- to 900-square-meter grid across abandoned Launch Complex 3, digging periodic "shovel test pits" to study what lies below the surface.

The concrete foundation was found, cleared of soil and vegetation, and briefly studied during the students' final week of field work, which wrapped up Wednesday. Discoveries include nails, thick window glass shards, wires, cables and pieces of the blockhouse viewing-periscope mirror, said Tom Penders, Space Launch Delta 45 cultural resources manager.

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Penders said he is "amazed" by the level of interest across the Space Coast in the ongoing Bumper 8 blockhouse aerospace archaeological project. Activities planned through the UCF students' 2024 spring field season:

 A crew will use ground-penetrating radar to survey a field carpeted in cacti, brush and saw palmetto that lies between the blockhouse site and the concrete launch pad.

Penders hopes this GPR sweep will relocate buried utility lines that linked the blockhouse with the pad. A shovel test pit revealed underground cables a few weeks ago.

 Students will reclaim the blockhouse site's immediate surroundings from thick vegetation so the area will be ready for visitors for the upcoming 75th anniversary of the Bumper 8 launch.

University of Central Florida student Ivanna Marrero Diaz brushes off Marston matting that formed a layer of flooring outside the entrance of the Bumper 8 blockhouse for the July 1950 launch. The matting had been buried buried beneath soil and vegetation.

In sum, the archaeological project's findings could become eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places, Penders said.

The original wood-frame Bumper "firing room" was built in May and June 1950 about 400 feet from the launch pad, according to the Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum website. Penders said the military's historical record contains scant details.

"Usually, there are a lot of master plans, general plans, aerial photographs. But this, it was so early in the program  and they were going so fast to get missiles launched to beat Russia  that a lot of times stuff wasn't documented," Penders said.

NASA history buffs have reported a blockhouse concrete pad was spotted in 1998 and 2015, but vegetation had overrun the property. Now, amid the formal archaeological study, pieces of yellow tape mark a series of bolts lining the perimeter of the square-shaped foundation. These bolts anchored the blockhouse to the slab, Penders said.

During a FLORIDA TODAY visit to the site, UCF graduate student Kaley Haff handed Penders a few pieces of dark-colored material that had just been excavated from a shovel test pit about 1 meter off the foundation's west side. The pieces were unearthed beneath 20 centimeters, or nearly 8 inches, of dirt.

This July 1950 U.S. Air Force photograph shows the Bumper blockhouse at Launch Complex 3.

"That's part of the tarpaper roof, or side, of the blockhouse," Penders said, examining the pieces.

"Yes. That's a keeper," he said.

Nearby, a trio of UCF students sliced snaking tree roots and shoveled soil to reveal Marston matting, or perforated-steel planking used by the U.S. military to create temporary landing strips and runways during World War II. They also dug up an old Coke bottle.

For next year's field season, Penders hopes to locate the crash site of a B-52 Stratofortress long-range bomber that went down during the 1960s at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the military installation's former name.

Rick Neale is the South Brevard Watchdog Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY (for more of his stories, click here.) Contact Neale at 321-242-3638 or rneale@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @RickNeale1

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This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Blockhouse from Cape Canaveral's first launch located by UCF students
A report released last week accusing Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas of improperly receiving lavish gifts from a wealthy friend is nothing more than a political hit job, one expert claimed.

"This is just grasping at straws by the left that is desperate to tear down Justice Thomas because he now has a working originalist majority on the court," said Roger Severino, vice president of domestic policy and The Joseph C. and Elizabeth A. Anderlik Fellow at The Heritage Foundation.

"This is politics. Plain and simple."

Severino's comments to Fox News Digital came in response to a ProPublica report on Thursday accusing Thomas of improperly receiving lavish vacations from Republican mega donor Harlan Crow.

The ProPublica report accuses Thomas of taking trips across the world on Crow's yacht and private jet without disclosing them and Crow acknowledged extending "hospitality" to Thomas but insisted he never asked for it and that the two families have been friends for decades.

DEMOCRATS PRESS SUPREME COURT CHIEF JUSTICE TO INVESTIGATE CLARENCE THOMAS' TRIPS WITH GOP MEGADONOR

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

The ProPublica report claimed that trips taken by Thomas "have no known precedent in the modern history of the U.S. Supreme Court," which Severino, a Harvard Law graduate, flatly rejected.

"There is no 'there' there because the justices have received gifts of hospitality from friends forever," Severino said. "And many of the justices have taken far more trips than Justice Thomas on somebody else's dime, including Justice Breyer, who we know has taken at least 233 trips when he was on the bench."

Severino explained that justices are permitted to accept invites to properties of friends for dinner or vacations without paying for it or disclosing it.

JUSTICE THOMAS DEFENDS TRIPS TAKEN WITH DEAREST FRIENDS AFTER REPORTS SAY HE ACCEPTED GIFTS

"There's nothing to see here because there's been no allegation whatsoever that accepting travel to a friend's property somehow influenced Justice Thomas's decision-making," Severino said. "That's absurd. If you know anything about Justice Thomas, it's that he's not influenced by outside pressures one whit. He's guided by the law and the Constitution. Period."

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Severino accused liberals of giving a "pass" to perceived bias on the left, pointing out that the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg officiated a same-sex wedding before the Obergefell decision that federally recognized gay marriage.

"Did that perhaps indicate bias where she should have recused herself?" Severino asked. "The media was fairly silent about that and that sort of thing is much closer to the heart of impropriety in judging."

Justices are not required to disclose invitations and travel that are considered "personal hospitality" and the Supreme Court is not subject to an ethics code.

The Washington Post reported that the Judicial Conference, the policymaking body of the court, decided last month that judges must report travel by private jet, which Severino says is further proof Thomas was abiding by the rules.

AOC SAYS SHE MAY DRAFT CLARENCE THOMAS IMPEACHMENT ARTICLE IF NO ONE ELSE DOES

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas speaks at the Heritage Foundation on Oct. 21, 2021, in Washington, D.C.

"It actually further reinforces the fact that he'd been acting within the rules and according to the practice that has been understood for decades," said Severino, who served from 2017-21 as director for the U.S. Department Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights where he oversaw compliance with ethical rules including those regarding gifts.

"Hospitality includes when somebody picks you up to take you to their house or to their property. That's what hospitality is. It just happened to be a friend that has made it in the world that's been quite successful, doesn't change the fact that he's a friend."

Constitutional law professor and Fox News contributor Jonathan Turley told Fox News Digital that until recently, "even lower court judges were not required to report such trips under a personal hospitality exception."

"Justice Thomas would not have been required to report the trips under the prior rule," Turley said. "Once again, the Democrats and the media appear to be engaging in the same hair-triggered responses to any story related to Thomas. This includes the clearly absurd call for an impeachment by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez."

SUPREME COURT ALLOWS 12-YEAR-OLD TRANSGENDER GIRL TO RUN GIRLS' TRACK IN WEST VIRGINIA

In terms of the ProPublica implication that Thomass relationship with Crow somehow affected his rulings from the bench, Severino said, "Nobody with a straight face can say Justice Thomas has been influenced by anybody except by the Constitution and his best reading of it."

Many liberals on social media referred to the ProPublica report as a "bombshell" and some called for a resignation.

At the same time, conservatives on Twitter echoed Severinos conclusion that there is no "there there" with the report.

"Laughably stupid," author Dinesh DSouza wrote. "He vacations with a rich friend, who also pays for dinner! Is this the best theyve got? Clarence Thomas real offense is being black and conservative."

"I read the latest high tech lynching of Clarence Thomas for going on vacation with his rich friend," conservative communications director Greg Price tweeted. "I also read the disclosure laws for judges linked in the story that says they don't have to report gifts from personal friends. ProPublica mysteriously left that out of their story."

SUPREME COURT REJECTS APPEAL FROM LOUISIANA DEATH ROW INMATE SEEKING NEW HEARING

The ProPublica article cited multiple experts who blasted Thomas actions, including a retired judge appointed by former President Bill Clinton who called the justices actions "incomprehensible."

Other experts, including legal ethics expert Stephen Gillers at NYU School of Law, adopted a tone more similar to Severinos.

"Justice Thomas could plausibly claim, and I think has claimed (as have others) that so long as an invitation itself came from a person, not a corporation or business entity, it was personal hospitality and he did not need to report it," Gillers told the Washington Post.

On Friday, Thomas released a lengthy statement saying just that.

PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRATS CALL FOR CLARENCE THOMAS IMPEACHMENT AFTER REPORTED UNDISCLOSED GIFTS FROM GOP MEGADONOR

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas sits with his wife and conservative activist Virginia Thomas.

"Harlan and Kathy Crow are among our dearest friends, and we have been friends for over twenty-five years," Thomas said in a statement. "As friends do, we have joined them on a number of family trips during the more than quarter century we have known them.

"Early in my tenure at the Court, I sought guidance from my colleagues and others in the judiciary, and was advised that this sort of personal hospitality from close personal friends, who did not have business before the Court, was not reportable. I have endeavored to follow that counsel throughout my tenure, and have always sought to comply with the disclosure guidelines."

Thomas acknowledged that the guidelines were changed last month and it is his "intent to follow this guidance in the future."

Turley told Fox News Digital that Thomas was "right to release a public statement."

"Justices have long been guests of private hosts," Turley said. "They are allowed to have friends and accept their hospitality. There is no evidence that Crow had business before the court. Nevertheless, expensive gifts or benefits should be disclosed, in my view, in the interests of court integrity."

"I have also long argued for a code of ethics that applies to the court. The question is where to draw the line so that judges are not constantly forced to treat every friend like a lobbyist or influence seeker."
Joe Biden (left) and Rishi Sunak, pictured last month, will meet in Belfast on Tuesday

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has described the Good Friday Agreement as an "incredible moment in our nation's history" as he prepares to commemorate its 25th anniversary with US President Joe Biden in Belfast this week.

The 1998 peace deal ended Northern Ireland's decades-long violent conflict known as the Troubles.

Mr Sunak will welcome the US president to Northern Ireland on Tuesday evening.

They will attend events in Belfast to mark 25 years since the agreement.

The prime minister said the agreement was a "powerfully rare example of people doing the previously unthinkable to create a better future" for Northern Ireland.

"It is that promise of a better future that we offered to everyone in Northern Ireland that I will be thinking of first and foremost over the coming days," he said.

"Making good" on that promise was his responsibility as prime minister, he added.

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On Sunday Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Leo Varadkar said he planned to "intensify" engagement with Mr Sunak about power-sharing and post-Brexit arrangements in Northern Ireland.

"One thing I've been struck by watching all the documentaries around the history of the Good Friday Agreement was the extent to which the taoiseach and the prime minister had to be in lock-step," he said.

"Now that we have the [Windsor Framework] agreement on the [Northern Ireland] Protocol I think it's possible to do that.

"Certainly since Brexit and even before Brexit that sort of level of cooperation between the two governments, the two governments working hand-in-hand, hasn't been the same.

"That's largely because we found ourselves in very different positions."

Leo Varadkar believes the UK and Ireland can work together more closely

Mr Sunak will address a Queen's University Belfast conference about the Good Friday Agreement and host a gala dinner on 19 April to commemorate the anniversary.

He has also announced that the UK will host a Northern Ireland investment summit in September.

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It will connect international investors with Northern Ireland businesses and showcase the "best of what Northern Ireland has to offer", said the government.

What will Biden do in Belfast?

President Biden is due to make a speech at Ulster University's newly-opened Belfast campus on Wednesday.

It is understood that he will leave Northern Ireland that afternoon to travel to the Republic of Ireland.

His visit to Northern Ireland will be shorter than many people had expected when it was first announced last month.

Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald expressed disappointment that Mr Biden would not be addressing assembly members at Stormont.

"The eyes of the world are on Ireland and the north of Ireland in particular and we have a limbo situation," she said on Sunday.

The president's visit to Northern Ireland was more "low key" than his trip to the Republic of Ireland, she added.

But the UK and Irish governments have said it should not be seen as a snub.

Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris said people should "make the most" of the visit and ensure it was a "positive event".

Tanaiste (Irish Deputy Prime Minister) Micheal Martin said it would be a "manifestation of [Mr Biden's] genuine commitment to the people of Northern Ireland".

"There are many countries across the EU that would love a visit from the American president," he added.

Police in Northern Ireland have said their resources will be stretched during the president's visit.

Last week it said it had "very strong intelligence" that dissident republicans were planning attacks in Londonderry to coincide with Easter and Good Friday Agreement events.

More officers are being put on frontline duty for the coming days.

Where will Biden visit in Ireland?

During his three days in the Republic of Ireland, Mr Biden will attend engagements in Dublin, County Louth, and County Mayo.

The White House has said he is expected to address the Oireachtas (Irish parliament) on Thursday.

The taoiseach said he was delighted that President Biden would be visiting Ireland.

"When we spoke recently in the White House President Biden was clear that in celebrating the Good Friday Agreement we should be looking ahead, not backwards," said Mr Varadkar.

Year '98 branding header

Declan Harvey and Tara Mills explore the text of the Good Friday Agreement - the deal which heralded the end of the Troubles in Northern Ireland.

They look at what the agreement actually said and hear from some of the people who helped get the deal across the line.

Listen to all episodes of Year '98: The Making of the Good Friday Agreement on BBC Sounds.
ISLAMABAD (AP)  A roadside bomb exploded in northwest Pakistan, killing two soldiers who were traveling in their vehicle, the military said. The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.

The banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan gave a higher death toll in Saturday's attack in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, saying eight soldiers died. There was no immediate explanation for the discrepancy.

The TTP also claimed responsibility for a hand grenade attack on a police van in the Swabi area of the province that killed a police officer and injured two others on Saturday.

Pakistan is witnessing increased attacks on security forces after the militant TTP ended a cease-fire with the government last November. To counter the wave of violence, the government said Friday it will carry out a massive anti-terrorist operation across the country within the coming weeks.

The National Security Committee, comprising the prime minister and the militarys top brass, agreed to re-launch the operation this month under a national action plan.

The plan involves military and intelligence operations, death sentences for militants, setting up special military courts for trials, and the deployment of anti-extremist forces in vulnerable areas.

A previous counter-extremist plan was launched in 2014 after a school massacre in Peshawar, where the TTP gunned down over 140 people, including 132 children.

The Pakistani Taliban are a separate group from the Afghan Taliban, although Pakistans militant groups are often interlinked with those across the border.
Rowan Hisayo Buchanan is the award-winning author of 2019s Harmless Like You (Sophie Davidson)

Rowan Hisayo Buchanan is preoccupied with questions. They swirl around the Betty Trask award-winning authors mind for months, until one lodges itself in her frontal lobe and takes root. From there, it becomes a book. What would it take for a mother to leave their child? asked Harmless Like You, her acclaimed debut novel, which sparked a fierce bidding war among publishers in 2016.

What would it take to stay with someone who wants to leave not only you, but life altogether? asked Starling Days, her second. Seven years later, now on her third, she attempts to answer another: What if the person you love is a danger to others? How do you wrap your head around that? broaches Buchanan, over a mug of matcha at a Japanese tearoom in London. Clearly, shes still chewing it over. How do you choose your loyalties?

In Buchanans third novel  a lyrical, bracing read, wearing the influences of Kazuo Ishiguro, Ruth Ozeki and Virginia Woolf light as a perfume  teenage Katherine cannot sleep. When she tries, she wakes up as a ghost. Without anyone able to see or hear her, Katherine can only watch and bear witness to her fathers too-tight grip on her mothers wrist; his steely whisper in her ear; both of his hands clasped around her neck in a dangerous (could it be passionate?) embrace. But her father is kind, Katherine reasons. He strums the guitar while she sits on his lap. She loves him  probably more, if shes being honest, than she loves her mother. So, what should Katherine do? What would Buchanan do?

Often, the questions I have are problems Im working through that have happened in my life or the life of someone close to me, says Buchanan, whose deeply sensory, often nostalgic writing has made it on to critics lists at The New York Times and NPR.

I know several people who have been on the receiving end of violence. In some cases, it was very dangerous and physical violence, but in other cases, it was violence that wasnt an immediate risk to life and so could be dismissed  even by the person receiving it. Its the latter kind that concerns The Sleep Watcher: a simmering violence that, if you squint hard enough, you could pretend isnt even there.

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Later, Buchanan tells me she has once or twice been the less physically strong person in adjacent situations. She stresses, though, that hers was a very, very different experience to the one in her novel. Buchanan has also never had an out-of-body experience. I used to have terrible dreams, though, she says. I was so afraid, I would avoid sleep for as long as possible.

Buchanan has parsed elements of her life in her fiction before. The effect is one of closeness; her writing style holds you near. Sometimes it feels like a cool hand against a fevered brow  other times, like a snake closing in around your neck. Her 2019 book Starling Day opens with a woman willing herself to jump off the George Washington Bridge moments before a police officer stops her. Its a more extreme version of something that Buchanan experienced as a teenager.

I wasnt going to jump off, she makes clear. But I had been very seriously depressed, and I was just walking. Then a police car stopped and demanded I get in. One of my best friends had to pick me up and sign documents swearing to take responsibility for me. I was interested in the idea of taking responsibility for a person, and being literally made to say it. It reminded me of the things we say in and around marriage. Its the darker echo of those vows, in a way.

Marriage, adolescence, the family unit; this is the world of Buchanans books. I think the pressure and drama of family are as dramatic as throwing a ring into a volcano, she says, adding that she is a big JRR Tolkien fan. But, often when women write about it, its spoken about as domestic fiction or family fiction, but then when men write it, its about the human condition. And I happen to think that domestic fiction is the human condition.

Buchanan is mixed-race; the daughter of a Japanese-Chinese American mother and white British father. Her accent, which swings like a pendulum across the Atlantic and back again, speaks to a peripatetic upbringing. She grew up in London but stayed in the US for a long while after studying at Columbia University, where she double-majored in economics and creative writing. Buchanans protagonists, while not always sharing an exact biological makeup, look like her. Some people take this to mean they are her. I think its something that mixed-race writers experience more, and something that women, in general, experience more.

Buchanan has mixed feelings about it. She recalls appearing on a panel with her friend and fellow author Sharlene Teo (Ponti, 2018), who said something along the lines of women get asked this because people think they have no imagination, and theres definitely an aspect of that, and I think shes right to be cross  but equally I get it. As a teenager, Buchanan says, she searched desperately for mixed-race writers that she could identify with. It made such a difference to how much I felt I belonged in this world, and so I dont want to say ignore me as an author and pretend Im under this veil because I can understand the desire to feel connected to the author behind the work.

For her part, Buchanan is more concerned with writers being identified with the moral choices of their characters. I like writing about difficult choices and wrong choices, choices that some would say make a protagonist an unlikeable protagonist. Thats quite a sad state of the world if you dont like people who make mistakes, she says. I worry this pressure could push a person to the place of having to write much more one-dimensional characters.

(Rowan Hisayo Buchanan)

Buchanans characters used to fit a very different mould: white and male. Partly because that was what she was reading a lot of as a teenager (There were many female writers around that time so that was probably just a quirk; she particularly loved  and still does  Ian McEwan) but mostly because she didnt want to have to explain her characters. White male seemed to require no further explanation. I desperately wanted the freedom of just being able to write a default person, and in my head that was white guys. She explains, If you were writing a woman, people would want to know her age, how attractive she was, all these details I resented having to give because I thought well, thats not what this is about. But now I see why they were asking, because those details would affect her experience of being in the world.

I found it frustrating that the default person was a white guy  but that doesnt mean I think all white guys have a simple life without anything worth thinking about

As her reading habits broadened, so too did the carriage of characters she thought to take on. I wanted to write about mixed-race people, and I wanted to write about them in the way that I experience life myself, which is that sometimes, yes, race is incredibly important and affects how I interact with people and, other times, its the last thing on my mind. Im thinking about love or toast, she says. To have those two things exist within fiction felt very important to me. And so race as a subject exists across Buchanans books in varying degrees, but never heavy-handedly. It is relatively absent as a theme in The Sleep Watchers fraught home setting, but more palpable in the Sixties New York landscape navigated by her Japanese protagonist in Harmless Like You.

The Sleep Watcher is Buchanans third novel (Hachette)

Admittedly, its easier for Buchanan to slip into the mind of someone like her. There are certain men and women I would struggle to write; to work my way into their head and empathise with them, but that isnt to say they arent worth empathy. One day, maybe she will return to her white male characters. At some point, quite possibly, she says. I found it frustrating that the only person who was a default person was a white guy and that those stories were unfairly prioritised  but that doesnt mean I think all white guys have a simple life without anything worth thinking about. She took care, for example, to flesh out the father of The Sleep Watcher with as much care as she affords Katherine. This isnt a book about how men are doomed to be bad, or that all men are dangerous.

Buchanan is a new mum. She gave birth to her first child 11 weeks ago. Motherhood has often found its way into her writing. In the past, this has been done with an emphasis on the child as opposed to the parent but a narrative shift is likely imminent. Ive always tried to see it from both sides, but I suppose now Im living it from both sides, she smiles. Im sure as I think about my responsibilities to this new life, Ill come up with lots of difficult questions. And with them, lots of books.

The Sleep Watcher is out via Hachette UK on 20 April
King Charles III, Queen Camilla and other senior royals are due to gather at Windsor Castle for the first Easter Sunday service of the new monarchs reign.

The royal family will be out in force at St Georges Chapel in the grounds of the Berkshire castle for the traditional Easter Day Mattins.

A staple in the royal calendar, last years event saw the now-Prince and Princess of Wales attend in the spring sunshine with their two eldest children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte.

It is also likely to be a moving moment for the royal family, with the 15th century chapel being the late Queens final resting place and the Easter Sunday service the first to take place since her death.

Queen Elizabeth II is buried in the churchs tiny King George VI Memorial Chapel, alongside Prince Philip, the late Duke of Edinburgh, and her late parents George VI and the Queen Mother, with their four names inscribed on a new black stone slab set in the floor.

The Windsors gathered at St Georges in September for the monarch and royal matriarchs televised committal service and then private burial following her state funeral in Westminster Abbey.

The late Queen missed last Aprils Easter Sunday service due to mobility problems.

Charles, as monarch, has succeeded his mother to become the Supreme Governor of the Church of England.

A ledger stone has been installed at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, following the interment of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth.



The King George VI Memorial Chapel sits within the walls of St Georges Chapel, Windsor. pic.twitter.com/5GdsGoTb27  The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) September 24, 2022

In less than a months time, he will be crowned alongside Camilla in a religious service in Westminster Abbey. It was confirmed last week that Camilla would be known as Queen instead of Queen Consort after invitations to the coronation on 6 May were released.

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As the Prince of Wales, Charles often released an Easter message and last year highlighted the millions of displaced people wounded by the past, fearful of the future, but this year has not, likely to be a reflection of his new role as head of state.

On Maundy Thursday (6 April), the King and Queen continued the late Elizabeth IIs tradition of handing out Maundy money. The monarch gifted 74 men and 74 women with Maundy money as thanks for their outstanding Christian service and for making a difference in their local communities.

Additional reporting by PA
Alexyz3d - Getty Images

Even as Russias military continues to struggle in Ukraine, the countrys plans to deploy a unique sea-based form of strategic nuclear deterrence are apparently proceeding. Russias TASS state new agency reported on Monday that its Pacific Fleet was moving forward with plans to activate a new division of submarines specially designed to launch an intercontinental-range nuclear drone-torpedo called Poseidon, which could be used to attack coastal cities.

This follows Russian media reports from January that delivery of the first production batch of Poseidon drone torpedoesformerly known as the Status-6 Oceanic Multipurpose System or Kanyonhad been successfully completed.

Not only does each Poseidon torpedo carry a big nukeapproximately a 2-megaton-yieldits propelled by a liquid metal nuclear reactor, giving it essentially inexhaustible range and endurance, and likely high sustainable speeds.

Russia has been happy to threaten the use of this weird weapon of mass destruction prior to its operational deployment. It has been showcased in prominent TV appearances by Putin, and a commentator on state TV eagerly suggested the torpedoes could be used to flood the entire United Kingdom in a radioactive tsunami.

Allegedly, the new submarine division will become active at a base on the Kamchatka Peninsula in either late 2024 or the first half of 2025, according to TASS. The division seems likely to eventually encompass four or five submarines in total, with 30 Poseidons between them. If production stops at 30, that would imply there would be no bothering with reloads after the doomsday torpedoes are launched.

The hulls of least two of the planned four drone torpedo-carrying nuclear-powered submarines were laid down in 2014 and 2017: the Khabarovsk and Ulyanovsk. These are supposedly set to be for commissioned in 2024/2025 and 2027. Also designated Project 09851 submarines, they appear to be significantly shortened (down to 120-meters length) derivatives from Russias latest Borei-class ballistic missile submarine, and include that submarines quiet pump jet propulsion system. (For more, check out submarine expert H.I. Suttons well-illustrated article on this new submarine class.)



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#SubFriday Khabarovsk Class submarine. Major New Article with cutaway on Covert Shores https://t.co/oHrBAQpvNk



If Twitter doesn't give you the full size image, go to the above link pic.twitter.com/xbjf1bpMQI  H I Sutton (@CovertShores) November 20, 2020

However, sanctions resulting in decreased access to microelectronics could impose delays on production and commissioning. Its also worth recalling that in November of 2022, there were reports that an apparent test of Poseidon in the Arctic Sea had to be aborted for technical reasons.

Basing the Poseidon and its Project 09851 carriers in the Pacific makes sensethe oceans deeper waters would give the torpedoes greater freedom of maneuverability to evade detection with fewer chokepoints. There, however, it seems likely to pose a particular threat for naval bases in the Pacific and to U.S. West Coast cities like Los Angeles, San Diego and San Franciscothough in theory, it has the endurance to go anywhere, undersea geography permitting.

At present, only two unique special projects submarines can employ Poseidon. The first was the B-90 Sarov, based on the ubiquitous Kilo-class diesel-electric submarine which, unusually, has a nuclear reactor used only for electrical generation instead of directly turning the propeller. Given its experimental role, it seems less likely Sarov will be permanently assigned to the new division.

Russia subsequently built the much larger K-329 Belgorod special mission sub, which also plays a research-and-undersea-hacking role, serving as the mothership for the Klavesin under-water drone and Losharik mini-submarine. Based on the Oscar II-class cruise missile submarine, the 10,000-ton Belgorod (AKA Project 09852) can carry up to six Poseidons in its oversized tubes, and was commissioned in June of 2022.

At 24 meters long and 1.6 meters in diameter, each Poseidon is roughly three times wider than a standard heavyweight torpedo, and has practically unlimited endurance with which to drive its quiet pump-jet propulsions system, thanks to its nuclear reactor. It can also allegedly dive deeper than the crush depth of U.S. Mark 48 torpedoes at 1,000 meters, and may be able to do it faster at 56-70 knotsdepending on which Russian claims you believe.

But because the torpedo will be detectable from far away when traveling anywhere near maximum speed, it is likely to cruise much slower until ready to make a final dash or evade enemies.

The possibility of static deployment of these strategic weapons to launch containers on the ocean floor has also been explored. In such a configuration, the container would be deposited and recovered by cranes on special icebreakers.

ICBMs, but underwater and on robots

Russia still retains older, anti-ship or anti-submarine tactical nukes, which arent subject to restriction under the New START arms control treaty. Because Poseidon didnt exist when New START was signed, it doesnt neatly fall into its specified categories of strategic weaponsthough, as they are clearly long-range strategic weapons, they should fall under that rubric.

Nobody else has seriously tried to build weapons like the Poseidon, and for years, many Western officials were incredulous Russia would build weapons with such an unusual capability. But by the mid-2010s, it became clear it was very real.

The reasoning behind Poseidon is largely tied to Russias anxiety over the U.S.s budding missile defense capabilities, developed after the U.S. withdrew from the ABM treaty in 2002. In reality, U.S. defenses can muster only a few dozen shots to repel Russias hundreds of strategic missiles. Nonetheless, Russia grew paranoid that the U.S.s defenses could eventually undermine their deterrence, and began developing a variety of exotic nuclear delivery systems to bypass thema category encompassing both Poseidon and Russias hypersonic missiles.



Nuclear torpedoes themselves are not unprecedented, and were fielded operationally by both the Soviet Union and the U.S. in 1958 and 1963, respectively. The operational types were intended to swat ships and submarines at sea without requiring a precision torpedo intercept. Russian submariners out of communication with their country very nearly employed them against U.S. ships blockading Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

However, the initial Soviet T-15 nuclear torpedo was intended for attacks on coastal targets, like naval bases. It was a strategic nuclear weaponbut one that had to be fired within 16-25 miles of the target.

Unlike the weapons that preceded its development, Poseidon is designed to travel thousands of miles across the oceanthink of it as a sort of slower, underwater intercontinental ballistic missile, or a robotic nuclear-armed (and nuclear-powered) kamikaze submarine. While traveling for days to target, the drone-like torpedo will necessarily operate autonomously, relying on AI to evade defenses and stay on course.

There is some disagreement over Poseidons exact concept of operations. One widely recounted possibility is that its designed to trigger a nuclear explosion short of a coastal target, thereby generating a tsunami wave of irradiated water.



However, according to some analysts, even a big nuclear bomb exerts less energy than a natural tsunami, and furthermore disperses its energy in a circular pattern rather than concentrated more destructively in one general direction, so this concept may be less effective than it sounds. Arms control expert Jeffrey Lewis has argued, however, that Poseidon could be salted with cobalt to make it an especially lethal dirty radiation bomb.



Perhaps instead, the nuclear warhead is supposed to trigger more or less directly on a targeted harbor or base. That may be more destructive than the tsunami approach, but still much less so than missile-delivered air-bursting warhead.



Russia has also occasionally portrayed Poseidon as useable against U.S. carrier taskforces, though getting the long-distance weapon to intercept ship erratically moving at 30 knots poses very complex challenges. As TASS describes the new Poseidon-armed division as aimed at strategic deterrence, we perhaps need not overthink the how of the technically problematic anti-carrier mode of employment.

Regardless, theres no question the Poseidon torpedoes will take longer to target than an ICBM traveling at Mach 27. In a 2017 email, Michael Kofmanan expert on the Russian militarydescribed them in an email to the author as third strike weapons promising punishment, even if the U.S. were to come out ahead in an initial exchange of more traditional nuclear missiles with Russia.

One notable question is to what extent Russia can communicate with, or otherwise control, this heavily automated nuclear weapon once launchedsay, to cancel or redirect an attack. If controllable, that could make these weapons exploitable for nuclear blackmail. Depending on the extent of autonomy (most likely limited at present, but bound to increase) it could also pose issues related to entrusting AIs to understand when to employ nuclear weapons.

The U.S. Navy is nonetheless looking at ways it could defend against Poseidon. It seemseven using the more moderate specifications that such torpedoes could be highly challenging to both detect and destroy due to their combination of stealth, speed and depth. Countermeasures could include faster anti-torpedo torpedoes, a more extensive static sea-bed sonar surveillance system, and development of ballistic/hypersonic missiles that can quickly release homing torpedoes close enough to intercept a Poseidon torpedo once it is detected.

Poseidon is an unnecessarily creative and Strangelovian new way to threaten nuclear devastation when the existing means are more than adequately nightmarish. Yet, it looks like the resources have been committed, and that intercontinental-range nuclear torpedoes are here to stay. Expect Poseidon to continue featuring in Russias nuclear threats, intended to help cover for the declining intrigue of its conventional military.

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Consequences of the

He claimed there were two hits, and that infrastructure was damaged.

"The village of Voznesenovka in Shebekinsky District came under fire. There are no victims in the attack. Two houses and utilities were damaged by shells. Also, a farm was damaged, namely a depot's walls and the roof. House-to-house rounds are ongoing," Gladkov said.

In the photos Gladkov posted on Telegram, it isn't clear if the damage was caused by shells.

Russian authorities, as usual, accused the Ukrainian army of "shelling."

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reports that Russian troops are using artillery to compensate for their reduced offensive capabilities.

Source: ISW report



Details: Analysts note that Ukrainian and Russian sources discussed the slowdown in Russian offensive operations along the entire front line on 8 April, confirming ISW's assessment that the overall Russian offensive is nearing its culmination.

The collected and analysed data indicate that the dynamics of the use of combat artillery in Ukraine reflect the fact that Russian forces are using artillery to compensate for their reduced offensive capabilities.

Analysts also add that Ukrainian forces are more precise in their targeting, but probably also benefit from being on the defensive in most areas, as offensive operations tend to require more artillery assets.

The ISW also reports that the Russian missile campaign aimed at destroying Ukraine's energy infrastructure has finally failed, and Russia appears to have abandoned the effort.

The institute's report also indicates that the Kremlin may be increasing legal penalties for terrorism-related crimes as part of a broader effort to encourage and create legal conditions for increased domestic repression.

Therefore, the Russian authorities are likely to continue to expand the list of organisations that they consider terrorist and extremist.

In addition, experts say, the Russian Defence Ministry may be preparing conditions for a false flag attack in Sumy Oblast.

"It is unclear what overarching effect the Kremlin intends to achieve with increasingly outlandish and ineffective Russian information operations alleging Ukrainian false flag attacks," the report reads.

ISW Key Takeaways for 8 April:



Ukrainian and Russian sources discussed the decreased rate of Russian offensive operations along the entire frontline on 8 April, supporting ISWs assessment that the overall Russian offensive is approaching its culmination.

The dynamics of battlefield artillery usage in Ukraine reflect the fact that Russian forces are using artillery to offset their degraded offensive capabilities.

Russias missile campaign to degrade Ukraines unified energy infrastructure has failed definitively, and Russia appears to have abandoned the effort.

The Kremlin is likely intensifying legal punishments for terrorism-related crimes as part of a larger effort for intensified domestic repressions.

The Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) may be setting conditions for a false flag attack in Sumy Oblast.

Russian forces conducted limited ground attacks along the Svatove-Kreminna line.

Russian forces have continued to make gains around Bakhmut, and tensions between the Wagner Group and conventional Russian forces over responsibility for tactical gains in Bakhmut appear to be intensifying.

Russian sources continued to speculate about the planned Ukrainian counteroffensive in southern Ukraine, including hypothesizing about the possibility of a Ukrainian amphibious landing across the Kakhovka Reservoir.

Ukrainian officials reported that 31 children returned to Ukraine after having been deported to Russia as Russian officials continue to discuss the adoption of Ukrainian children into Russian families.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
Russian ships

Underwater missile launches are harder to detect and intercept, she said.

"The enemy is still keeping a naval grouping in the Black Sea. They are deploying submarines, two of them from zero the past day, so the missile salvo can reach 8 missiles.

Humeniuk spoke about what this means for Ukrainians.

As a reminder, our air defense systems are less capable of detecting submarine launches, which means that when an air alert is declared, we must act as quickly as possible," she said.

She also talked about the danger of marine mines.

"After the stormy weather, now that it has warmed up, the sea can bring unpleasant surprises to the coast, so we need to be vigilant and remember to stay a safe distance of at least 200 meters away from the water," the spokesperson said.

Russia is still far from running out of missiles, so Russian attacks on Ukraine could drag on for a long time., said Ukraine's Defense Ministry's Main Intelligence Directorate.

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Two civilians were injured in a Russian shelling of Druzhkivka, a city in Donetsk Oblast, on Sunday, 9 April.

Source: Andrii Yermak, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, on Telegram; Anastasiia Miedviedvieva, spokeswoman for Donetsk Oblast Prosecutors Office, in a comment for Suspilne

Quote from Yermak: "Russian forces deployed MLRS [multiple-launch rocket systems] to shell the city of Druzhkivka. Two civilians are known to have been injured. Roofs of several buildings were damaged, and several windows shattered."

Details: Anastasiia Miedviedvieva, spokeswoman for Donetsk Oblast Prosecutors Office, told Suspilne that Russian forces deployed a Smerch multiple-launch rocket system, according to early reports.

"Two civilians sustained injuries in the enemy attack: a 56-year-old woman and a 60-year-old man. Around eight private homes were damaged," Miedviedvieva said.

The investigation into the Druzhkivka shelling was initiated under Art 438.1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

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Russian dictator Vladimir Putin

Commenting on the recent interview with former Federal Guard Service (FSO) officer Gleb Karakulov, who fled Russia, Preobrazhensky said that it was a symptom of the fact that "not all security officials adore Putin".

"This is absolutely obvious," the political analyst noted.

It's just that most security officials have neither the ability nor the willingness to leave the country. Especially since we know that, for example, one of the colleagues of this FSO officer tried to leave the country through Kazakhstan in the same way. And Kazakhstan eventually extradited him back to the Russian Federation, where, as far as I remember, he has already been imprisoned, or at least sentenced.

Read also: FSO officer defects, condemns Putins war, and spills some secrets about the dictator

He noted that it is problematic for security officials to flee Russia, as they cannot leave legally.

"Therefore, it is understandable, given where and how they work, that even in informal conversations with colleagues, most of them will not express their dissatisfaction in any way," Preobrazhensky explained.

He said that several security officials that he personally knows consider what is happening "madness, or savagery at the very least ".

"I think that now, when asked whether they support Vladimir Putin, whether they support what is called in Russia a 'special military operation', of course, they will answer any person, even their closest friends, that they do," he added.

Who among them wants to go to jail for treason if they have not left the country?

Gleb Karakulov fled Kazakhstan in October, while attending a summit in Astana with Putin. On Oct. 14, the last day of his official trip, Karakulov left his colleagues and flew to Istanbul with his wife and daughter.

The Dossier Centre spent more than 10 hours talking to the officer and found out why he decided to leave the FSO and Russia. Karakulov is the highest-ranking intelligence officer to flee the country and condemn the war since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

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In Russia, Karakulov is wanted, and a criminal case on desertion has been opened against him (Article 338(3) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). The Dossier Centre's interview with him was recorded in late 2022 and published on April 4, 2023.

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If youre among those of us who wonder how California could have spent so much to solve the problem of homelessness and yet have so little to show for it, the sight of the 100 tiny homes that have been sitting, unused  guarded around the clock and behind a security fence  sums it up as well as any one snapshot could.

This Safe Stay Community, which was approved in June of 2022, is on a vacant lot where there used to be a grocery store at the corner of Florin and Power Inn roads in Sacramento County. But so far, the county has done more to keep the huts on that lot safe from homeless people than it has done to keep the unhoused people living just beyond the perimeter of the security fence safe.

Bernabe Mier, an unhoused resident of south Sacramento, collects garbage on March 22 near the vacant tiny homes that were installed last summer. The project was initially delayed due to community pushback and miscommunication.

Initially, there was some neighborhood opposition to the project. But now, the neighbors dont understand whats taking so long, either. Theres some frustration from the community that it hasnt opened yet, said county spokeswoman Janna Haynes.

It only took a week last summer for the Sacramento Regional Conservation Corps to assemble the simple, mostly prefabricated huts. The sheds are built to last just five or 10 years, so by the time a single person spends a single night in one of them, 10% to 20% of their usefulness will have been wasted.

They have been there since July and were supposed to be ready to be occupied in November, and then in March.

Opinion

In mid-March, Haynes said the county hoped to welcome people by late spring. Now, thats been pushed back yet again. Were thinking June at this point, she said. I only know what they tell me, but Im pretty confident. Getting the actual work done will be a pretty quick process. The infrastructure is going in any time now, in the projects homestretch, she said.

Though I certainly believe that, as Haynes says, shes as anxious as anyone to see that happen, no one will be surprised if it doesnt, because Sacramento Countys deadlines just dont seem all that serious.

There is, however, a serious human cost to this lack of urgency. Almost 200 homeless people died in Sacramento County last year, so all that could go wrong in the meantime is more needless loss of life.

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The homeless people who sleep every night just beyond the new security fence definitely do not understand the delays.

And why should people who have to figure out how to do all sorts of things just to stay alive day after day be at all understanding about why our community leaders cant figure out how to get this job done as if lives depended on it?

Natasha Howard sweeps trash where she camps Wednesday just outside the walls of a tiny homes village that was installed last summer by Sacramento County called the Safe Stay Community. By June they said they would be open. We dont have until June, she said.

Homeless people outside looking in

Though Sacramento County does have reasons  supply chain issues and problems lining up contractors  these dont seem reason enough to keep the 125 people who could be living in these tiny homes outside instead, through storm after storm this winter.

Those who think the homeless deserve the bare minimum from the rest of us will not be able to claim that these units offer too many frills.

The place looks like a prison camp to me, but it looks like safety to those who can only peek inside from outside the fence.

So what were the holdups, exactly?

A couple of fence contractors fell through, Haynes said. Only, the fence has been up for two months. Erecting it was a big improvement, she says, because it has cut down on the number of people coming by to ask when oh when the place is going to open.

They will soon be running in electricity, putting in a sewage system for communal bathrooms and then bringing in the trailers that will be used as communal eating areas and for storage.

Theres not yet a list of those who will get to move in because we dont want to get people on a list too soon, Haynes said.

Im not trying to be glib or ghoulish when I say that given the dangers of living outside, some of those whod like to be on that list wont still be with us then.

Eventually, the homeless folks living in the immediate area will be prioritized for housing on the other side of the fence.

Arianne Hawkins of Sacramento hugs a stuffed animal Wednesday while resting against a fence in front of Safe Stay Community, a tiny homes village set up by the County near Florin and Power Inn roads. Hawkins is one of the homeless residents that have been staying near the shelter for the past year, waiting for it to open.

One of them, Andrew Shroeder, wraps himself in a blanket and then in plastic he pokes a hole in so he can sleep on the grass outside the Safe Stay Community and still stay dry.

Another, Debbie Kafka, who stays in a tent with her boyfriend just outside the lot, says, I would love to be in one of those tiny homes instead of being blown away by the windstorms, but they wont even let us look.

A third, Chantal Hader, just had the car shed been living in for three years towed away. Shes grieving the recent death of her dog and doesnt even have a tent or anything else to protect her from the elements, so has been counting on other homeless people to help her until she figures something else out.

The night before I spoke to her, shed stayed with Debbie. That next night, she said, she didnt know where shed be, and every evening, she is afraid for her safety in a way that she wasnt in her car.

While I was talking to Hader, a small, clearly unwell woman none of the others knew came up and started hitting my arms and back.

Hader and the others told her to leave and not come back, but if this is what happens in the middle of a sunny afternoon, how safe can people feel here at night?

And of course, the woman who had no idea why she was hitting me is at risk, too, and is in desperate need of the services that the Safe Stay Community is supposed to offer.

Elaine Cain, a Sacramento homeless resident, sits in her car looking at her phone as her husband sorts recyclables near the Safe Stay Community at Florin and Power Inn roads Wednesday. Driving by here, you have everyone in the fields behind it, in front of it, on the side of it, she said. Its very discouraging.

All I want is to be safe

Hader, like others, is both critical of the tiny homes and wishing she could move into one.

They said these would be little houses, and with no bathroom or place to either warm food or keep it cold, the tiny homes arent really that, she said. But they would offer more protection from violence as well as from the weather.

Ive almost been raped out here, and its scary, Hader said. All I want is to be safe. I cant even remember the last time I took a real shower and cant go looking for a job without a place to clean up.

Are they ever going to open this place to homeless people, she wonders.

Spanky Arteaga and his girlfriend Debbie Kafka take shelter from the rain in a tent last month just outside the vacant tiny home village that was constructed last summer by Sacramento County.

They said November, and then they said March and while the sheds still sit unused, look at how much theyve spent on security to keep anyone from going in.

Each unit has a narrow bed suspended from the wall, a low-wattage power source, a tiny air conditioner and heating unit.

The cabins are arranged in rows, all facing the front instead of in circles, which is what other tiny home communities have found facilitates real community. But while that design shows a lack of empathy, its not a today problem.

Recently, the place got the permits it needed, Haynes said, and now, we know which contractors to hire.

The county has learned a lot through this process, she said, so that subsequent tiny home communities will be put together far faster.

So whats been the biggest thing the county has learned that will help things go better next time?

The hardest thing is managing expectations and explaining the complexity of what looks so simple, Haynes said. Everyone in the community, just wants to see change, and we do, too. Because the fence was see-through until the more secure version went up, she said, people could see inside and thought they would surely be able to move in soon.

I hope the lesson wasnt to put the fence up first, so that no one would know what was happening on the other side of the barrier.

Recently, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said the state would make sure there were soon 350 more new tiny homes for unhoused residents in Sacramento.

We need to focus more energy and precision on addressing encampments, he said.

We do, of course, because its been hard to locate much energy or any precision at all. There are tiny home communities around the country that have worked well. Yet so far, this Sacramento County site is not a model, but a cautionary tale.
Sacramento State leaders have denounced an incident of apparent antisemitism earlier this year at the universitys radio station, while also apologizing for the failed process used by students to report the actions.

Three students allege that in February, KSSU radio station student services coordinator Aaron Wall performed a Nazi salute. At the time, the students were recording an episode for their ongoing art history podcast. That weeks episode centered on World War II and antisemitism.

Wall, who was assigned to the project as a sound engineer, reportedly made the gesture as Sacramento State senior Anya Thompson referenced Adolf Hitler.

The State Hornet, Sacramento States student newspaper, first reported the incident on Thursday.

In unaired audio from the podcast, Wall can be heard saying, Sorry, my bad. I shouldnt have done that, a few seconds after Thompsons reference.

Wall did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

We just sat there stunned, said Thompson, who is Jewish and a studio art and art painting major.

Thompson described what followed as a jumbled mess.

The students filed a complaint through the universitys reporting process, with the goal of being assigned a new sound engineer. Thompson and her co-host Madeline Madrid said there was no option to select for antisemitism or discrimination against an ethnic or religious group. They were assigned a bias report officer who conducted interviews on the incident.

When I submitted the bias report form, I didnt expect the system to work so hard against us., said Madrid. Filling out the form felt impossible because I couldnt fit our experience into its predetermined types of discrimination.

In the weeks that followed, Thompson said they could not come to a resolution. In response to their request for a new sound engineer, the students were told that option was unrealistic.

We dont want (Wall) fired, Thompson said. We dont want anything bad to happen. We just dont want to work with him.

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Nearly six weeks after the incident, and a day after the State Hornet story, school leadership responded to the gesture in a video statement by the universitys president, Robert Nelsen, and Associated Students, Inc. president Salma Pacheco.

That is not something that should happen in our campus, Nelsen said in the video, released Friday afternoon. It should not happen in this city. It should not happen anywhere. We will make sure it never happens again.

Nelsen also said the university will fix the reporting process and already knows what went wrong with the students attempt to report Walls gesture.

To our students, you did everything right, Pacheco said. You went through the process. You filed a bias report. You did everything right and I am so sorry the process failed you.

Since Fridays video statement, Thompson said conversations have improved. The students were recently told they can use a separate recording studio. Thompson hopes they will soon be assigned another sound engineer.

Brian Blomster, director of news and communications at Sacramento State, said Walls employment is being handled through the human resources department.
A Saudi delegation was in the rebel-held capital of Yemen on Sunday to negotiate a potential new truce with Iran-backed Huthi rebels, diplomats said, as Riyadh seeks a way out of the war.

The Saudi officials are "in Sanaa to discuss moving forward to create peace in Yemen," said a Yemeni diplomat based in the Gulf region, information that was confirmed by a second diplomat.

Saudi officials did not respond to requests for comment.

The delegation's arrival comes roughly a month after China helped broker a surprise rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iran, fuelling hopes for progress on ending a conflict that has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives.

The top Saudi and Iranian diplomats met in Beijing on Thursday, resuming diplomatic relations and pledging to work together to bring "security and stability" to their turbulent region.

Omani mediators arrived in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, on Saturday.

The Huthis seized the city in 2014, triggering the conflict with the internationally recognised government which has been backed for eight years by a military coalition led by Riyadh.

A truce announced roughly a year ago has significantly reduced active hostilities within Yemen, and is still largely respected even though it officially expired in October.

A Yemeni government source, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, said on Saturday that the Saudis and Huthis had agreed in principle on a six-month truce to pave the way for three months of talks on establishing a two-year "transition" for the war-torn country.

The deal is expected to fulfil key Huthi goals, including paying salaries of civil servants in Huthi-controlled areas and lifting operational restrictions on Huthi-controlled airports and ports.

Also on Saturday, the head of the Huthis' prisoners of war committee told rebel media that 13 prisoners freed by the Saudis had arrived in Sanaa, in exchange for one Saudi released earlier.

Saudi officials did not comment on the report.

In early March, the United Nations confirmed that the rebels and Yemen's internationally recognised government had agreed to exchange more than 880 prisoners.

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A Saudi delegation was in Yemen's capital on Sunday to negotiate a potential new truce with the Iran-backed Huthi rebels who control the city, diplomats said, as Riyadh seeks a way out of the war.

Huthi media showed the group's political leader, Mahdi al-Mashat, shaking hands and meeting with Saudi officials including the kingdom's ambassador to Yemen, Mohammed Al-Jaber.

The Saudi officials are "in Sanaa to discuss moving forward to create peace in Yemen," said a Yemeni diplomat based in the Gulf region, information that was confirmed by a second diplomat.

Saudi officials did not respond to requests for comment.

The delegation's arrival comes roughly a month after China helped broker a surprise rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iran. That deal has fuelled hopes for progress on ending the Yemen conflict that has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and triggered what the United Nations called the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

The top Saudi and Iranian diplomats met in Beijing on Thursday, pledging to work together to bring "security and stability" to their turbulent region.

Omani mediators arrived in Sanaa on Saturday.

The Huthis seized the city in 2014, triggering the conflict with the internationally recognised government which has been backed for eight years by a military coalition led by Riyadh.

A truce announced roughly a year ago has significantly reduced active hostilities within Yemen, and is still largely respected even though it officially expired in October.

- 'Fast' progress -

A Yemeni government source, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, said on Saturday that the Saudis and Huthis had agreed in principle on a six-month truce to pave the way for three months of talks on establishing a two-year "transition" for the war-torn country.

The deal is expected to fulfil key Huthi goals, including paying salaries of civil servants in Huthi-controlled areas and lifting operational restrictions on Huthi-controlled airports and ports.

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Saudi analyst Hesham Alghannam said the apparent diplomatic momentum was a sign that the Saudi-Iranian rapprochement was bearing fruit.

"Progress on Yemen was always a priority for the Saudis. But without Iranian (cooperation) things would not go as fast as what we are witnessing now," said Alghannam, head of national security programmes at the Naif Arab University for Security Sciences in Riyadh.

"In the past, talking to (the Huthis) was not very helpful, to say the least."

The head of the Huthis' prisoners of war committee told rebel media on Saturday that 13 prisoners freed by the Saudis had arrived in Sanaa, in exchange for one Saudi released earlier.

Saudi officials have not commented on the report.

In early March, the United Nations confirmed that the rebels and Yemen's internationally recognised government had agreed to exchange more than 880 prisoners.

- 'Exhausted from the war' -

Sanaa residents told AFP on Sunday that they hoped for a breakthrough that would go beyond a Saudi exit, stressing the need for a broader resolution among their deeply fractured country's many religious, regional and political groups.

"The visit of a Saudi delegation to Sanaa bodes well. We want the war to end. We are tired," said 23-year-old Ali Hussein.

Abd al-Salam Shamir, 29, said: "The country is exhausted from the war, and we want all politicians to be one hand now in building Yemen."

A 46-year-old teacher in the port city of Hodeida, who gave his name as Mansour, bemoaned the heavy economic toll of the fighting.

Like other civil servants in Huthi-controlled zones, Mansour, who declined to give his surname, has not received his salary in seven years.

"War is not just rockets and missiles, it also means the deterioration of our economic situation," he said.

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Gold, copper, lithium and myriad other minerals could lay deep underground in the deserts of southern New Mexico, but could be found by scientists taking to the sky.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) announced beginning in April it would search for evidence of 23 minerals via aircraft over the Deming and Lordsburg areas in New Mexicos southwest bootheel region.

The study was expected to last about eight months.

A plane used to study minerals underground in southern New Mexico is pictured.

More: Solar energy tax credits reach $12M cap in New Mexico as industry set for growth

Instruments aboard will measure the Earths magnetic fields and natural, low-level radiation from different rock types, allowing researchers to develop underground maps.

The USGS partnered with the New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources to use airborne geophysical technology within the USGSs Earth Mapping Resource Initiative (EARTH MRI) project.

Its a joint venture between the USGS and the Association of American State Geologists, along with state, federal and private organizations, read the announcement, intended to research geology and mineral resources in the region.

More: Renewable energy now required on New Mexico state land after Lujan Grisham signs bill

The survey, intended to cover 10,000 square miles in New Mexico, is part of a national-effort to generate three-dimensional maps of underground geology up to 1 kilometer beneath the surface.

That will help improve scientific understanding of groundwater distribution, mineral and energy resources and risks of natural disasters like earthquakes.

The plane will fly along a pre-determined path about 120 meters in the air, increasing to 150 meters in heavily populated areas and 200 meters in mountainous regions, and maintaining a 2.5-kilometer distance from the U.S.-Mexico border so as not to cross the boundary when turning.

More: Oilfield lawmakers claim success in killing bills aimed at energy pollution in New Mexico

New Mexico State Geologist Nelia Dunbar, also director of the New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources, said the data will prove useful to the bureau as it studies the geological makeup of New Mexico.

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The airborne geophysical imaging that is being collected by the USGS will be of tremendous value to scientists at the New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources, industry and the general public and we eagerly await the survey data, Dunbar said.

A map of southwest New Mexico around Deming and Lordsburg where the US Geological Survey intends to study for underground minerals via aircraft.

Virginia McLemore, principal senior economic geologist at the Bureau said the mapping will aid ongoing state-level research.

More: Solar energy proposals concentrated in southern New Mexico. Program starts this spring

Our surface mapping investigations will be strengthened by the insights into the subsurface geology provided by the airborne magnetic surveys and our geochemical analyses of rock samples will be complemented by the aero-radiometric surveys, which will provide a wealth of information about the surface geochemistry, McLemore said.

Funding for the program came via $3.4 million in federal funds allocated through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, a signature piece of legislation signed by President Joe Biden in 2021.

Investments from President Bidens Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will make a significance difference in New Mexico and across the nation as we map valuable geology and critical mineral resources, said Assistant Secretary for Water and Science Tanya Trujillo.

This critical partnership with the State of New Mexico shows how these resources can enable us to work together to strengthen key domestic supply chains by helping secure a reliable and sustainable supply of critical minerals.

More: New Mexico wind power line has $20.5B in benefits, study says, despite wildlife concerns

Nationwide, the infrastructure bill invested $510.7 million in the program.

The maps will help the U.S. locate minerals critical to a multitude of products targeted by the federal government to decrease pollution, like modernized household appliances, electric vehicles, batters, wind turbines and solar panels.

They will also help develop infrastructure projects, groundwater planning and energy production, read the announcement.

More: Republican-backed oil and gas bill opposed by New Mexico Democrats in Congress

USGS Scientist Mark Bultman said a region including New Mexico, Arizona, Texas and northwestern Mexico was one of the worlds greatest resources for copper, molybdenum and other minerals used in industrial metals.

The USGS Earth MRI airborne magnetic/radiometric survey will contribute to the geologic understanding of both the mountain ranges and basins and make a major contribution to the understanding of the mineral endowment of the region, Bultman said.

Similar flyover research via helicopter was also announced last month in northern Nevada and southeastern Oregon, running from March to April.

More: Lujan Grisham signs burn ban bill into law to prevent future wildfires in New Mexico

In total, the USGS reported it identified more than 800 focus areas throughout the country for the 23 mineral systems it targeted through the program, including Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico.

These areas can be used to guide future efforts to collect new geologic, geophysical, geochemical, and topographic data that focus on critical minerals through Earth MRI, read a February USGS report.

All of these focus areas are serving as an initial broad screening tool for targeting areas for new geologic, geochemical, topographic, and geophysical mapping and data acquisition through Earth MRI.

Adrian Hedden can be reached at 575-628-5516, achedden@currentargus.com or @AdrianHedden on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Carlsbad Current-Argus: Aircraft study searching for minerals in southern New Mexico deserts
A 77-year-old fishing ship with a reputation of pollution and safety violations has been docked on the Foss Waterway in Tacoma since August after smashing into a private pier and raising concerns about its integrity. Its owner said he doesnt know when it will leave.

The fishing vessel Pacific Producer arrived at its current location on Aug. 29, according to a nearby condo resident.

Its posing a significant threat to the health and safety of our community and the surrounding environment, said Melissa Malott, executive director of Communities for a Healthy Bay, a Tacoma-based environmental advocacy non-profit.

The 472 gross ton, 169-foot-long boat was built in 1946 and has been working in Alaskan waters until recently. Its registered to East West Seafoods of Seattle.

In July, an Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigation was opened but was delayed when the ship left Alaska for Seattle. On Jan. 12, OSHA cited East West for 20 violations including 17 listed as serious. It assessed $208,983 in fines with abatement required by Feb. 23.

Working in the Alaskan fishing industry  an occupation already regarded as one of the nations most dangerous  employees aboard the F/V Pacific Producer faced dangers purely of their employers making, OSHA said in a statement.

OSHA Acting Regional Administrator Jack Rector said fishing employees depend on their employer to have strong safety protocols in place.

For more than a decade, our inspectors have found disgusting and dangerous conditions aboard the F/V Pacific Producer, and the well-being of crews aboard the vessel are at great risk because of its owners failures, Rector said. This employers blatant and continued disregard for crews aboard the F/V Pacific Producer must end before tragedy strikes. The U.S. Department of Labor and its federal partners will use their full enforcement powers to hold East West Seafoods and Christos Tsabouris accountable for their callous neglect and contempt for federal workplace safety standards.

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The violations cover a wide range of standards, including respiratory protection, a lack of fire protection, exposed wiring. hazard communication and components of the ship. All of the violations were contested by East West on Feb. 9, according to OSHA.

Inspectors found murky, brown water in the ships drinking water system; crew members being served expired food; water used to process fish leaking into dry food storage and the galleys dining area; and other unsanitary conditions throughout the vessel, OSHA said.

The U.S. Coast Guard confirmed on Friday that it had invalidated the Pacific Producers certificate of compliance, halting East Wests operation of the ship until repairs are made.

Troubled history

The violations and fines are nothing new for the company and its owner since 2012, Christos Tsabouris.

The ship has had similar OSHA violations dating to 2012, including sanitation, electrical, fire hazards and an ammonia leak in 2018.

In 2017, East West Seafoods was fined $50,000 in federal court after it intentionally discharged oily bilge water and raw sewage from the Pacific Producer into the ocean off the Alaskan coast.

It then presented false records to the U.S. Coast Guard.

The discharge violated the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships, the Clean Water Act and the Refuse Act, according to the Justice Department.

East West Seafoods was placed on five years of probation and Tsabouris was fined $10,000 and given five years probation.

In a brief phone interview on Wednesday, Tsabouris said he cant move the boat because of legal papers but denied it had anything to do with the OSHA violations.

We are still working on it so we dont have anything definite yet, he told The News Tribune.

Tsabouris, who said he lives in Tacoma, moved the boat to the Foss Waterway because he couldnt find moorage in Seattle. He said he plans to return it to service as a seafood processor.

Moored in Tacoma

According to a tenant at the nearby Petrich Marine Dock, the ship arrived there on August 7 by smashing into a dock.

They had 10 people on deck screaming at each other and then they came in too fast, said Freddy Neumayer, who witnessed the arrival. It was pandemonium.

The Pacific Producer, a large fishing vessel shown on Tuesday, April 4, 2023, has been tied up at the old Martinac shipyards on the Thea Foss Waterway in Tacoma, Washington, since August. The ship is 77 years old, nearly 200 feet long, and has a history of environmental and safety concerns and fines.

The marinas owner and 20-year Port of Tacoma commissioner, Clare Petrich, said Tsabouris has yet to repair or pay for the damage. Pacific Producer moored at her dock for less than two weeks before moving back out in to Commencement Bay, Neumayer said.

On August 29, the ship returned to the Foss Waterway, this time at the old J.M. Martinac shipyard at 401 East 15th Street.

During the ships first August visit to the Foss, the Pacific Producers antenna reportedly clipped the 11th Street bridge. According to the city, inspector Chad Norman didnt note any damage to the bridge structure during a later inspection.

The citys role

The city of Tacoma does not regulate vessel traffic  thats the purview of the state and Coast Guard. The city does regulate the installation of moorage and docking infrastructure under its shoreline code. Thats what brought an inspector from the citys Planning and Development Services to the site on March 20.

The inspector found an illegal floating dock had been added to the site  a violation of city code.

Staff will coordinate with state agencies to work on correcting violation, the city said in a statement. Next steps would involve either procuring required permits for the floating docks/moorage or removal of those docks.

Ecology

The state Department of Ecology has no jurisdiction over ships  just the spills that may result from a sinking, leak or accident. Sometimes, those include deliberate unlawful purges of fuel, oil, sewage and other fluids.

The agency does not proactively engage with ships, said Ty Keltner, a spokesperson for DOEs spill prevention program. Instead, the agency responds to reports of pollution.

We cant proactively ban somebody or take some kind of action just because theyre there, Keltner said.

DOE is aware of the illegal dock installed for the Pacific Producer, DOE spokesperson Jeff Zenk said.

We will provide technical assistance and support to the city of Tacoma, Zenk said. It would be city of Tacoma that would actually enforce that.

According to records with the Secretary of States office, East West last filed as a corporation in November 2021. The office noted that an annual report was due on March 1, 2023. East West has a history of delinquent annual reports that date back to at least 2018.

East Wests business address is a private mailbox rental service in Seattle.

Pacific Producers has raised the concerns of Communities for a Healthy Bay since the ship arrived in August. The group said it reported their concerns to the U.S. Coast Guard and the city.

Its crucial that the authorities take action and remove the vessel from our waters before it causes any further harm, Malott said.
Scientists dug up the Burning Tree mastodon in 1989 in Licking County and possible cut marks on a few of the bones suggest it may have been butchered by people. Radiocarbon dates indicate the mastodon died around 13,300 years ago. This 2010 photo shows a tour group looking up at a replica.

The most important unanswered question in Ohio archaeology may be When did people first set foot in Ohios green and pleasant land? Its important because archaeologists appreciate that you need to understand the past in order to make sense of the present. So in order to understand how Ohios various Indigenous American Indian cultures arose and developed, you have to start at the beginning.

For many years, archaeologists thought the beginning was the Clovis culture, named for Clovis, New Mexico, where a particular type of spear point, now called a Clovis point, was found among the bones of a mammoth. The Clovis culture dates from 13,050 to 12,750 years ago. Many Clovis points have been found in Ohio, so we know these ancestors of Americas Indigenous people lived here too. But were they the first people to live here?

Nope.

Many sites in North and South America have proven to be older than Clovis. Next door in Pennsylvania, for example, archaeologists found evidence for people living in Meadowcroft Rockshelter at least as early as 16,000 years ago. Some of the artifacts from the early layers of the site are made from Ohios Flint Ridge flint, so we can be sure at least some of those pre-Clovis people passed through Ohio on their way there.

Brad Lepper, the senior archeologist for the Ohio History Connection's Wild Heritage Program

The Firelands ground sloth was found in a swamp in Huron County sometime before 1915. A recent examination of the bones by a team led by Brian Redmond at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History found numerous possible cut and chop marks on one of the leg bones, which suggests the sloth was butchered by people. A radiocarbon date on the bone showed the sloth died around 13,600 years old  more than five centuries before the Clovis culture.

The Burning Tree mastodon was uncovered in 1989 in Licking County. The bones were in three separate piles and there were possible cut marks on a few of them. The mastodon appears to have been butchered by people who then piled parts of the carcass in a nearby pond to preserve the meat for later use. Radiocarbon dates indicate the Burning Tree mastodon died around 13,300 years ago  more than two centuries before Clovis.

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Evidence from genetics shows that the ancestors of American Indians parted ways with their Asian relatives by around 16,000 years ago, which fits well with those early dates from Meadowcroft Rockshelter. But could people have been here even earlier?

Maybe, but then those people would not have been direct ancestors of American Indians  though they would have been closely related.

At White Sands National Park in New Mexico, archaeologists recently found human footprints alongside giant sloth and mammoth tracks. Radiocarbon dates on seeds in the same layers as the footprints suggest they date to as much as 23,000 years ago. Other archaeologists, however, have concerns about those extraordinarily early dates. For example, those seeds are likely to have been contaminated by much older carbon in the lakes where the plants were growing. This could make the radiocarbon dates thousands of years older than the actual age of the footprints.

For now, I think about all we can say for sure is that the search for the very first Americans isnt over.

Brad Lepper is the senior archaeologist for the Ohio History Connections World Heritage Programblepper@ohiohistory.org

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Who were the first peole to set foot in Ohio?
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn.  An eagle nest that drew a viral following from a 24-hour webcam has become the apparent victim of the brutal Minnesota winter, with the nest crashing to the ground, killing at least one baby chick.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources reports the 2,000-pound nest fell after the April 1 snowstorm dumped heavy, wet snow across the state.

The DNR said the massive nest, which had been a fixture for over 20 years, was situated on a dead branch and, like many other nearby trees, couldnt withstand the gusty winds and heavy snow.

A bald eagle laid two eggs in the nest in mid-February, but soon after, one broke, leaving only a single egg behind.

The DNR reports the remaining egg hatched on March 26, and the single chick was being cared for by its parents.

Within a week, a late-season snowstorm dumped several inches of precipitation and helped propel Minneapolis season accumulation total to within nine inches of setting a record.

APRIL BLIZZARD DUMPS FEET OF SNOW IN PLAINS, UPPER MIDWEST

Minneapolis snowy winter

It was on April 2 that the nest collapsed, and DNR staff said they found the deceased chick.

"This is an emotional time for all of us, but please refrain from visiting the nest. This was already a major disturbance for the eagles, and many visitors will only cause more stress," the Minnesota DNR said.

Since the collapse, the adult eagles have been spotted hovering around the area, and experts say they will likely rebuild a nest nearby.

"We appreciate the amazing community and support of all the EagleCam viewers out there. Rest assured, we are feeling this with you and are committed to the EagleCam. It will return, either with a new nest in a new location or the same area. For this year however, the chick season has sadly ended," DNR staff stated.

It is not believed that the eagle will try to nest again this year, but the agency promised a live camera will return if a new nest is built.

Eagle nest comparison before the winter season and a recent photo.

AMERICAN BALD EAGLES BUILD NEW HOME AT NASAS KENNEDY SPACE CENTER

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A group of eagles in the Sunshine State recently faced a similar fate with their nearly 50-year-old nest at the Kennedy Space Center.

Recent storms and an invasion of pine bark beetles severely damaged the nest, forcing the birds to make a new home.

Due to a dramatic increase in population, the bald eagle is not considered to be an endangered species but is protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.
A banner set up at a rally organized in remembrance of Katelyn Markham on April 8, 2023.

It's been well over a decade since the disappearance and death of Katelyn Markham. But dozens of supporters gathered at a grassy corner of Creekside Park in Fairfield on Saturday afternoon to show she hasn't been forgotten.

It was a less somber affair than previous gatherings honoring Katelyn's memory, Dave Markham, her father, said. Balloons and butterfly pins of purple and yellow, Katelyn's favorite colors, were handed out to attendees and some supporters wore shirts that read "Justice for Katelyn."

Though the reasons people came to Saturday's rally varied, one thing seemed to bring them all together: Markham's fiance, 34-year-old John Carter, of Hamilton, has been charged with murder in connection with the young woman's death.

Dave Markham says he believes authorities nabbed the right man, though he remains cautiously optimistic that justice for his daughter's killing will be served.

Dave Markham, Katelyn Markham's father, speaks to a crowd of supporters during a rally in remembrance of his daughter on April 8, 2023.

"It was a lot of relief mostly," he said of Carter's arrest. "And I know that there's still a long way to go but, yes, it was relief that we finally have a new path."

Since Carter's trial isn't set to begin until the middle of next year, Dave Markham will have to wait a little while longer. But to him another year is nothing compared to the decade he's already spent waiting for answers and closure.

"We see an end coming," he said, standing next to a butterfly magnolia tree planted at the park in remembrance of his daughter.

When did Markham disappear?

The case, which attracted national media attention, began when Markham disappeared on Aug. 13, 2011. She was last seen between 11:30 p.m. and midnight that night when Carter said he left her Dorshire Drive home.

Carter called 911 the next evening, saying he had not been able to reach Markham throughout the day. He told Fairfield police that he let himself into the townhouse Markham shared with her father and found no signs of her. Her purse and keys were inside the apartment, but her cell phone was missing. Markham's car was parked outside the townhouse and her dog was locked in a bedroom, Carter said.

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A butterfly magnolia tree planted in honor of Katelyn Markham who, prosecutors say, was killed in August 2011.

When Markham disappeared, she was a month away from finishing her graphic arts degree at the Art Institute of Ohio-Cincinnati. She also was nearing the first anniversary of her engagement to Carter.

Carter said he and Markham were planning to move to Colorado that November.

Friends, relatives, local authorities and even a national search group from Texas conducted searches for Markham. They combed local parks, waterways and areas in Butler and Hamilton counties but found no sign of her.

Where and when were her remains discovered?

Nearly two years after Markham's disappearance, the Fairfield woman's remains were discovered near Big Cedar Creek in Indiana, roughly 30 miles from her home, by a couple looking for aluminum cans. Investigators ruled her death a homicide.

Were there other suspects?

Dave Markham eventually grew tired of the Fairfield Police Department, which led the investigation, and even hired a private investigator from Florida before urging the Butler County Sheriff's Office to get involved.

In November 2016, the sheriff's office announced it had identified a "strong singular person of interest," but no arrests were ever made. Speculation emerged that Markham's case was connected to the murder of 23-year-old Ellen 'Ellie' Weik.

Michael Strouse was sentenced in April 2019 to 17  years in prison for Weik's murder. After his arrest, Fairfield police asked at least two people about possible links between Strouse and Markham, according to a 2019 Enquirer report.

Carter earlier told The Enquirer that Fairfield police asked him if Markham knew Strouse. Authorities also asked "throughout the investigation" if Markham had ever spoken of a stalker, according to Carter.

The homicide investigation again showed signs of movement, almost a decade after her remains were recovered, when Jonathan Palmerton, 35, was arrested and charged with perjury in connection with the case.

Just a few weeks later on March 22, Carter was arrested and charged with two counts of murder.

The indictment states in one charge that Carter "purposefully" caused the death of Markham. The other charge states he caused her death as the "proximate result" of committing a felony of violence.

Evidence of murder presented during Carter's arraignment

Butler County Prosecutor Mike Gmoser presented some pieces of evidence during Carter's arraignment on March 27.

The evidence included cryptic writings, that prosecutors say belong to Carter, recovered during the execution of a search warrant at Carter's former residence, as well as a forensic anthropology report noting signs of "sharp instrumental trauma" to Markham's wrist bone.

Gmoser said the report also indicates the location where Markham's remains were discovered is different from where they were first deposited.

Carter posted a $1 million bond earlier this month. As a condition of his bond, he must wear a GPS monitor that will track his location.

John Carter, 34, is charged with the death of his fiancee, Katelyn Markham in August 2011.

Palmerton posted a $50,000 bond in February and is likewise required to wear a GPS monitor, court records show.

In court filings, Carter's lawyer, Christopher Pagan, said his client has no criminal record or juvenile adjudications. Pagan noted that Carter has lived his entire life in Butler and Hamilton counties.

"The offense occurred in 2011," Pagan said. "The defendant has remained in the area since then and cooperated with law enforcement for over a decade without fail."

Neusole Glassworks in Forest Park, where Carter was hired in 2016, issued a statement last month saying Carter's employment there has been terminated due to the severity of the charges against him.

"As part of his vetting, law enforcement involved in the Markham case were contacted," Neusole Executive Director Debbie Bradley wrote. "At the time in 2016, we were informed that John was not a suspect."

What happens next?

Carter pleaded not guilty at his arrangement. A trial is scheduled for June 24, 2024, court records show. Palmerton is next scheduled to appear in court on April 20.

The Enquirer archive contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Katelyn Markham's dad: An end is near in decade-old murder case
Senate Chaplain Barry Black on Sunday defended a prayer he delivered on the chamber floor in which he addressed the school shooting in Nashville, a rare occasion in which the chaplain addressed his personal views on a political issue.

Black, who has been the Senate chaplain for 20 years, offered a plea for lawmakers to to take action against gun violence in an opening prayer last month just a day after a shooter opened fire on the Covenant School in Nashville, killing six people, including three nine-year olds. During his remarks, Black said it was time for us to move beyond thoughts and prayers alluding to common remarks made by lawmakers in the wake of such tragedies.

Black told on CBSs Scott MacFarlane on Face the Nation the fact that the shooting happened in a church school was the tipping point that prompted him to speak out about the shooting.

That does not mean that every child is not precious, that does not mean that every form of education is valid, Black told MacFarlane. It just was the tipping point for me to see nine year olds dying in a place that should have been a city of refuge, in a place that was preparing them not just for time, but for eternity.

I have been hearing, you have my thoughts and prayers, and that is valid for any person again who has been told, pray without ceasing, he added. But I also know that there comes a time when action is required.

Black declined to say if he fielded any criticisms from lawmakers over his prayer. He said insted that he receives feed back from the senators during his weekly Bible study that he has been hosting for 20 years. He said that one of the issues that the talk about and pray about in his bible study is mass shootings and how they can get greater wisdom from God on how to do better with this problem.

The relationship that I have with the senators is more like pastor to member, he said. For two decades I have been teaching a Bible study for the senators every week. So we talk. Its not a soliloquy. It is a dialogue and and so we share ideas and we talk about issues. So I get feedback in that way.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Senate lawmakers voted 27-21 Saturday afternoon for House Bill 1240, which bans the purchase and sale of assault weapons in the state of Washington.

The bill was sponsored by Rep. Strom Peterson, D-Edmonds, and co-sponsored by 25 other Democratic lawmakers in the House at the request of Gov. Jay Inslee and Attorney General Bob Ferguson.

Young people are taking to the streets and will hold us accountable if we dont do something, said Sen. Patty Kuderer, D-Bellevue. When were talking about mass shootings and the killing of people quickly and without warning, were talking about assault weapons. And thats why were here today, were here to say: enough is enough.

The bill will need to go back to the House chamber where it originated for concurrence on Senate amendments before it can be signed by Gov. Jay Inslee. The legislation contains an emergency clause that would render it effective immediately upon a signature from the governor.

HB 1240 would prohibit the manufacture, importation, distribution, sale, or offer for sale of any assault weapon. Some exceptions for licensed firearm manufacturers and dealers are baked into the legislation, allowing law enforcement agencies to continue to purchase from firearms dealers and manufacturers, for instance.

Exceptions are included for those who inherit an assault weapon, and the bill would not regulate possession for Washingtonians who currently own an assault weapon.

Violations of the proposed legislation would be a gross misdemeanor, which can include jail time for up to 364 days and a fine of no more than $5,000.

Debate on the bill took more than two hours Saturday, with several Republicans speaking in opposition to the proposed legislation.

Sen. Ron Muzzall, R-Oak Harbor, told the Senate that since 2015, 37 bills have been passed by state lawmakers to reduce gun violence, and that none of the legislation has prevented gun violence or crime.

He said those laws havent been working, and that crime in Washington isnt just about firearms, its also about drugs and unsafe drivers.

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The one thing that I see that lacks in this legislation today is bipartisanship to solve the problem, Muzzall said. Why? Because were focusing on some firearms that we consider to be scary.

A striking amendment from the Senate Law and Justice Committee was adopted on the Senate floor Saturday that clarified the definition of importation. That clarification said that individuals who live in Washington but travel back and forth from other states with the assault weapons they currently own would not be subject to the definition.

More than 20 amendments were proposed, mostly by Republicans, with the exception of one amendment introduced by Sen. Emily Randall, D-Bremerton.

Randalls amendment would provide an exception for firearms dealers, and would allow them to sell or transfer existing stock outside of the state for up to 90 days after the law goes into effect.

Republicans voted against the amendment because they argued it did not go far enough, but Senate Democrats voted in favor.

Also adopted by Senate lawmakers was an amendment introduced by Sen. Keith Wagoner, R-Sedro Wooley, that would provide exceptions for military retirees moving to the state and active duty military members on orders to Washington.

Sen. Jim McCune, R-Graham, introduced an amendment that would have removed the emergency clause in the bill, but that amendment was voted down by Democrats.

Gun violence is an emergency, said Sen. Patty Kuderer, D-Bellevue. Kids getting shot in schools is an emergency.

Here is the list of the specific firearms included in the bill that would be banned:

AK-47 in all forms

AK-74 in all forms

Algimec AGM-1 type semiautomatic

American Arms Spectre da semiautomatic carbine

AR15, M16, or M4 in all forms

AR 180 type semiautomatic

Argentine L.S.R. semiautomatic

Australian Automatic

Auto-Ordnance Thompson M1 and 1927 semiautomatics

Barrett .50 cal light semiautomatic

Barrett .50 cal M87

Barrett .50 cal M107A1

Barrett REC7

Beretta AR70/S70 type semiautomatic

Bushmaster Carbon 15

Bushmaster ACR

Bushmaster XM-15

Bushmaster MOE

Calico models M100 and M900

CETME Sporter 4CIS SR 88 type semiautomatic

Colt CAR 15

Daewoo K-1

Daewoo K-2

Dragunov semiautomatic

Fabrique Nationale FAL in all forms

Fabrique Nationale F2000

Fabrique Nationale L1A1 Sporter

Fabrique Nationale M249S

Fabrique Nationale PS90

Fabrique Nationale SCAR

FAMAS .223 semiautomatic

Galil

Heckler & Koch G3 in all forms

Heckler & Koch HK-41/91

Heckler & Koch HK-43/93

Heckler & Koch HK94A2/3

Heckler & Koch MP-5 in all forms

Heckler & Koch PSG-1

Heckler & Koch SL8

Heckler & Koch UMP

Manchester Arms Commando MK-45

Manchester Arms MK-9

SAR-4800

SIG AMT SG510 in all forms

SIG SG550 in all forms

SKS

Spectre M4

Springfield Armory BM-59

Springfield Armory G3

Springfield Armory SAR-8

Springfield Armory SAR-48

Springfield Armory SAR-3

Springfield Armory M-21 sniper

Springfield Armory M1A 7Smith & Wesson M&P 15

Sterling Mk 1

Sterling Mk 6/7

Steyr AUG

TNW M230

FAMAS F11

Uzi 9mm carbine/rifle

The legislation further defines assault weapons as semiautomatic rifles with an overall length of less than 30 inches; conversion kits and parts that can be used to assemble an assault weapon or convert a firearm into an assault weapon, if the parts are in the possession of or under the control of the same person; semiautomatic centerfire rifles that have the capacity to accept a detachable magazine and have one or more additional features listed in the bill; semiautomatic centerfire rifles with a fixed magazine with the capacity to accept more than ten rounds; semiautomatic pistols that have the capacity to accept a detachable magazine and have one or more additional features listed in the bill; semiautomatic shotguns that have one or more additional features listed in the bill.

Some of those additional features listed in the legislation include folding or telescoping stocks, flash suppressors, muzzle brakes and thumbhole stocks.

The passage of the bill comes one day after Senate lawmakers voted to approve a 10-day waiting period for all gun purchases in the state.

According to Giffords Law Center, nine other states including Hawaii, California and New York, as well as the District of Columbia, have passed general assault weapons bans.

The last day of the legislative session is April 23.
(Bloomberg) -- South Korea played down any possibility of a rift with the US over a report that American intelligence agencies had eavesdropped on allies discussions about Ukraine, reiterating that its alliance with Washington remains strong.

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We will review past precedents and cases from other countries to come up with countermeasures, and will hold consultations with the US on the issue, South Koreas presidential office said in a statement Sunday. It said the allegation made in the report about internal discussions on Ukraine is not a confirmed matter.

South Korea issued the statement in response to a New York Times report claiming the US had been eavesdropping on allies, including South Korea, with regard to their plans to support Ukraine with weaponry. The leaked Pentagon document on which the report was based was released on social media, and revealed that the US was also spying on Ukraines top military and political leaders.

In February, it was confirmed that a South Korean defense company was in talks with the US Department of Defense about ammunition exports. While the South Korean government has a policy of not providing lethal weapons to Ukraine, there are interpretations that suggest it is indirectly supporting Ukraine through the US.

Two Korean defense companies, Hyundai Rotem and Hanwha Defense, have signed contracts worth a total of $5.76 billion with Poland to export K-2 battle tanks and K-9 self-propelled howitzers, Seouls Defense Acquisition Program Administration said last August. The Asian country is also set to export fighter jets to Poland.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed he was aware of South Koreas decision to supply Ukraine with weapons and ammunition. During the Valdai Discussion Club held in Moscow last October, Putin issued a stark warning to Seoul concerning the potential deterioration of Russia-South Korea relations if the latter provides weapons to Ukraine.

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A settlement has been reached in a Venezuelan businessmans defamation lawsuit against Fox News and host Lou Dobbs over statements accusing him of helping tilt the 2020 presidential election.

In a letter to U.S. District Court Judge Louis Lee Stanton filed in the Southern District of New York over the weekend, lawyers for the two parties wrote they had reached an agreement to resolve the matter. Financial terms of the agreement were not specified.

Majed Khalil filed his lawsuit in 2021, alleging statements made on Dobbss social media and by pro-Trump attorney Sidney Powell on Dobbss Fox Business show defamed him by accusing the businessman of executing an electoral 9/11 and helping change ballot counts in voting machines.

The 2020 Election is a cyber Pearl Harbor: The leftwing establishment have aligned their forces to overthrow the United States government, Dobbs wrote in a Twitter post that remains online.

According to Khalils complaint, as Powell was appearing on one of his shows, the host asked, You say these four individuals led the effort to rig this election. How did they do it?

Dobbs and Foxs attorney had moved to have the case dismissed on First Amendment grounds, a motion the judge denied last fall.

This matter has been resolved amicably by both sides, a Fox News spokesperson said when contacted Sunday by The Hill. We have no further comment.

Fox canceled Dobbss show in February of 2021.

The network is separately fighting a $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit brought by Dominion Voting Systems over similar claims about the 2020 election made on its air. Fox has also argued the claims made about Dominion in that case are protected by the First Amendment.

This case is and always has been about the First Amendment protections of the medias absolute right to cover the news, the network said in a recent statement about the Dominion case. 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.

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A trial in the Dominion case is slated to begin later this month.

Updated: 7:12 p.m.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Cold-hearted

California girl saved pet goat, search warrant followed, (sacbee.com, April 1)

It is dumbfounding to learn of the lengths the Shasta District Fair and local police went to stop the rescue of Cedar the pet goat. What a bunch of bullies.

One must wonder how folks who wolfed down Cedar at the community BBQ will feel if they read about a little girl sobbing and a protective mother being threatened with a felony charge just so they could have grilled goat on their plates.

One hardly knows what to make of the fairs concerns that allowing the mother to save the goat for her child would have sent a bad message. How many of us are under the impression that what is wrong with the world today is that there are just too many shows of compassion?

Karen Dawn

Executive Director, DawnWatch, an animal advocacy nonprofit organization

Santa Barbara

Atrocity

California girl saved pet goat, search warrant followed, (sacbee.com, April 1)

When the purchaser agreed to accept reimbursement, that should have been the end of it. Why were Shasta County officials insistent that Cedar be slaughtered? Are they afraid that allowing one goat to live might spawn a wave of compassion for animals? Kindness should be nurtured, not punished! The outrageous overreach of law enforcement that ensued is beyond belief.

People are often moved by stories of individual animals, and I have no doubt this article left many readers infuriated. While we cant bring Cedar back, I hope it causes many to look at the bigger picture. All animals have distinct personalities, and experience pain and pleasure.

I thank reporter Sam Stanton for bringing this atrocity to light.

Stewart W David

Venice, Fla.

Opinion

Compassion

California girl saved pet goat, search warrant followed, (sacbee.com, April 1)

Thank you for covering Cedars story. Law enforcement showed an appalling disregard for civil procedure. Further, although not a legal issue, they demonstrated a commitment to the problematic social construction of animals as food and a lack of recognition of human knowledge and regard for non-human sentience. Hopefully, they did teach the nine year old girl about responsibility  responsibility to those who cant advocate for themselves.

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Liz Hirky

Chair, Animals & Society Institute

Lords Valley, Pennsylvania

Do the right thing

California girl saved pet goat, search warrant followed, (sacbee.com, April 1)

My family and I are pulling for the Long family to win their lawsuit. In the future, the Shasta Fair Association and the Shasta County Sheriffs deputies reportedly involved in this case need to show a much more compassionate response in similar situations. We totally denounce their cruel handling of this entire situation and of Cedar. They could have done a kind thing  the right thing  but, sadly, chose not to.

Mary Lynne Zahler

North Canton, Ohio

Tax credit

Sacramento CA homeless encampment signs innovative lease, (sacbee.com, April 2)

I was heartened to read this article. However, it would be even more encouraging to read about how Congress is working to end homelessness. Its important to note that many homeless people have jobs and contribute to society in various ways. There is a severe shortage of affordable rental homes for individuals with extremely low incomes in the U.S. To address this issue, a Renters Tax Credit could be introduced to assist low-income households that spend more than 30% of their income on housing expenses.

Sarah Miller

St. Louis, Mo.

Right to live

The six victims of a Nashville mass shooting cant speak about gun violence. Who will? | Opinion, (sacbee.com, March 30)

Jack Ohmans cartoon was right on point as we see America once again swaddle itself in apathy as more families grieve the murder of their children. Why is there not more outrage? Gun violence is now the leading cause of death for children.

We must tighten restrictions on access to guns. We have all heard the phrase that evil is allowed to succeed when good people do nothing. This passive response to the murder of children is nothing less than evil, and to act as powerless bystanders makes us complicit. This should not be the status quo.

Isnt the right to live more important than the right to own a gun?

Brendan Considne

Sacramento

Better planning

CA youth prison closings raise concerns, (sacbee.com, April 3)

While I support the closure of the states youth prisons and feel that county probation officials should be working transparently with the state regarding any organization they have formed, I can understand why they may have felt the need to raise concerns. As mentioned in the article, Gov. Gavin Newsoms legislation charged the head of these probation departments to move these youth but did not give them enough time to do so or the proper tools and placement options.

Closing youth prisons is great, but there must be a well laid out plan for how to properly serve these high-acuity youth.

Michaela Goldstein

San Jose
Im realizing the world would surely be a better place if more of us got to do what Im doing most mornings. Might be particularly helpful for our elected representatives and political leaders. I stand near the main gate of our campus here in Addis Ababa from about 7:45 to 8:15 and greet our elementary students arriving for school  typically with one of their parents, sometimes both, maybe an aunt or uncle, occasionally holding the hand of an older sibling headed to our high school. The kids are generally smiling. If not, the smiles come quickly with just a little eye contact. Some want a quick hug, some a high five. Parents often greet me with their right hand placed on their heart and a slight bow of the head. Im honored to return the gesture. Selam. Kids of all ages hug and kiss their parents; their parents hug and kiss them back.

John Shea

More than half our students are Ethiopian. One boy just joined us from the Tigray Region  where the schools have yet to reopen after two years of civil war. About a fifth of our students are American (mostly Ethiopian American). We have students from the United Kingdom, Kenya, Canada, India, Eritrea, Italy, Pakistan, South Africa, and Tanzania. From all over Africa and from parts of Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Close to forty countries in all. Different cultures, dozens of native languages, Christian and Muslim. Our school is also socioeconomically diverse. A number of our parents work with the UN and various other humanitarian programs and NGOs. As the African Union is based here, Addis Ababa is a hub for development initiatives and cooperation across the continent. More than fifty African countries are members of the Union.

Everyone shows up each morning (our faculty and staff included)  with love, a sense of community, and a remarkable indifference to nationality, religion, wealth, or race. Ethiopia, like most countries, still has a long way to go, but our school community might be one small reason to be hopeful.

Seventy-two years ago in Topeka, Kansas, a little girl named Linda Brown rode a bus each day to and from a segregated Black school  though she could have easily walked to the nearest elementary school, a segregated white school. At the time, seventeen states operated segregated schools by a matter of law. Kansas was among a handful of border states that permitted but did not require segregation. The NAACP organized the case against the Topeka Board of Education after thirteen Black parents tried to enroll their children in their neighborhoods white schools for the 1951-52 school year  and were all denied. After losing 3-0 in the District Court, the thirteen plaintiffs (with Lindas father first on the list) appealed to the US Supreme Court. In May of 1954, the Court ruled 9-0 that segregation in our nations public schools was unconstitutional.

What followed were three tumultuous decades  throughout all the United States. Struggles to desegregate, fierce resistance, civil unrest, deadly violence, and some glimmers of progress. Then came three or four decades of resignation  and the gradual resegregation of our schools. Today most of our kids attend schools with students who are a lot like themselves (racially, ethnically, socioeconomically, etc.) at a time when the diversity in our country is richer than ever. By most assessments, we are back to where we were more than a half century ago. And most of us seem fine with this. It is what it is. We live where we live, and we send our kids to our local public schools or another school of our choosing. Freedom, liberty, the American way  particularly for those of us with money and choices.

The consequences, unfortunately, are significant  both in terms of the fabric of our society and the learning within our schools. How can we expect to live together as adults  peacefully, productively, embracing the value in our differences  if we spend the majority of our formative years relatively isolated from those who are different than us? It might not be impossible, but it would certainly be more likely if more of our schools looked more like our nation. And do we somehow not fully recognize the immense potential for more powerful learning and growth in classrooms filled with diverse backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives?

I taught a couple of international relations classes at a high school in Delhi ten years ago on the question of the legality of President Obamas drone strikes in Pakistan that year (26 attacks killing more than 150 people). And we had Pakistani and American students in the classroom  along with seven other nationalities. Muslims, Christians, Hindus. Conservatives, liberals, independents. Granted, an extreme example, but certainly illustrative of the point. I have had similar experiences teaching in the U.S. And Im confident that the most powerful classroom learning my daughters have experienced has come in such settings  both at home and abroad. Different, challenging, inspiring. Not homogenous, comfortable, routine.

The only way we are going to learn to live together on this planet is by learning together. Is this not fundamentally obvious? At a bare minimum, I know it is good for the soul. Abundantly so. Maybe I can get Senator Ted Cruz, among others, to join me at our schools main gate a few mornings this spring.

John Shea, a Kittery, Maine resident and occasional contributor to these pages, is currently serving as the interim head of school of Cambridge Academy Ethiopia in Addis Ababa. This is the second of a series of several commentaries.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Shea: Learn together so that we can live together
PHOENIX  Lindsay Deyo has been trekking through north Phoenix on foot for months on a mission to locate her beloved service dog, Mya, a female American Bully she said was stolen by an unknown man during a park visit.

The 35-year-old Deyo quit a part-time waitressing job to dedicate herself to the search, posting missing dog signs across the area even as she wards off the seizures Mya would warn her of.

I just feel like, not myself without her, Deyo said of the broken bond between her and Mya, whom she adopted as a seven-week pup at the onset of the pandemic. Shes my best friend.

Mya is a female American Bully service dog who in early November was stolen out of a north Phoenix apartments' dog park.

What happened to Mya?

Woman and canine were abruptly separated in the morning of Nov. 9 at a Phoenix apartment complexs dog park. Deyo momentarily turned her sight away from Mya while at the enclosed green space. Once she looked back, her four-legged companion had vanished.

Calling out the dogs name, Deyo scoured the apartment looking for Mya. Tears streamed down Deyos face while heavy rainfall rolled through the area as she realized Mya was taken.

I was crying all day long, Deyo said. It was horrible.

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Helping get Mya back home

Deyo thinks she managed to yield a description on the dognapper after speaking with two people at the apartments.

Mya appears to have been stolen by someone witnesses described as a Black man of medium complexion in his 20s, around 6-foot-1 and 180 pounds, with tattooed arms and sporting a faded haircut, a red shirt and jeans.

One person even told Deyo this man had Mya on a leash and boasted about paying thousands of dollars to purchase her.

Deyo learned the park gate through which Mya would have been seized is not in the field of vision of apartment security cameras. She filed a police report but has no new leads.

The black-coated Mya has white fur over her chest and left leg, and has a c-shaped white mark on the back of her neck. She is less than 3 feet tall, weighs 80 pounds and was taken wearing a light purple collar tagged with identifying information.

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A $1,500 reward has been set up for Myas safe return.

Mya is microchipped, so Deyo is pleading with the abductor to return the dog to a veterinarian or animal shelter that can then reconnect them. The dog may also be surrendered anonymously by calling the nonprofit Humane Animal Rescue & Trapping Team at 602-601-2604.

Still thinking of Mya to control seizures

Trained specifically as a service dog, Mya would alert Deyo of an oncoming seizure, help her retrieve her medicine and bark people away during an episode.

Seizures have plagued Deyo since youth and come on when she has low blood sugar or when she is fatigued. Deyo has managed to control her seizures by thinking of Mya.

But she has been struck by two serious seizures since Myas been gone.

Luckily, I was around my mom and my family, actually both of the times, she said.

No matter how tired Deyo may have been at the end of a busy day, she would ensure Mya got in her nightly walk, her seven-year boyfriend, Daniel Hill, 37, said. Deyo shared that worrying over the whereabouts of Mya recently induced a three-week pregnancys miscarriage. In addition to the loss of a pregnancy from the stress of having Mya ripped from their lives, Hill sees how Deyo continues to agonize over losing her service dog.

It's heartbreaking, Hill said. She still cries. Lately, at least once a day, if not more than that.

Deyo is concerned Mya could be used for dogfighting due to her breed.

I don't really want to think the worst, but you never know, she said, her voice shaking. If they were to do that to her, like, she wont defend herself because she's not trying to be aggressive.

Follow Jose R. Gonzalez on Twitter: @jrgzztx.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: 'She's my best friend': Phoenix woman searches for stolen service dog
The sister of missing mother Madeline Kingsbury has revealed their last text messages.

Ms Kingsbury, 26, and the father of her children dropped their two children off at daycare at around 8am on 31 March, the Winona Police Department has said.

The father of her children, who has not been named, told police that he and Ms Kingsbury drove back to her home together. He said that he then borrowed Ms Kingsburys car and returned to the residence at around 10am to find her gone.

She also failed to show up for work which was very unlike her and her cellphone, wallet, ID and jacket were all found inside the home, police said.

Now, Megan Kingsbury, the missing womans sister, has revealed the last text message from her sister at 8.15am on the day she vanished.

We were chuckling about a funny photo exchange between us, and that was the last communication with me, or with any of my family or her other friends, Megan Kingsbury told Fox News.

The alarm was raised when Ms Kingsbury failed to pick her children up from daycare, which police described as extremely out of character for her.

Later that evening, Ms Kingburys mother fruitlessly tried to get in touch with her to confirm plans they had for the next day.

My mom messaged me asking if I had heard from my sister that day because my mom had sent some messages that had no response, Megan said.

The family immediately feared foul play, according to Fox, as it is out of character for Ms Kingsbury to go hours without answering her phone.

Authorities in Winona and neighbouring Filmore County have described Ms Kingsburys disappearance as involuntary and suspicious but no one has been named as a person of interest as of Sunday morning.

Madeline Kingsbury, a 26-year-old mother of two children, was last seen on 31 March (Winona Police)

Shes not the type of person who would want to take a break and not tell anybody. If she had a problem and wanted to get away, she would come to my house, Megan also told Fox.

Two searches were organised on Friday and Saturday with more than 2,600 volunteers helping comb through 120,000 acres.

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Authorities have asked residents in the City of Winona, Wilson Township, and Hillsdale Township to search their acreage, wooded property, outbuildings, vehicles and trails for anything suspicious.

Dive teams and police ATVs have also been used in the search. The Winona Police Department said on Saturday that search efforts will be scaled back but the investigation remains ongoing.

As we develop new leads and new search areas, teams of law enforcement will do targeted searches, a statement by the department read.

We are not giving up and we want to thank everyone for their continued support for Maddi and her family. 

Madeline Kingsburys family have offered a $50,000 reward for information on her whereabouts (Winona Police)

Ms Kingsburys sister declined to speculate on theories circulating online and asked that the focus remain on finding her sister.

Theres a lot of speculation, of course, with people coming up with theories and asking us a lot of questions that we cant answer, Megan told Fox. We just want to keep the focus on finding her. Were asking people [to] keep their eyes and ears open.

The father told investigators that he left Ms Kingsburys home at around 10am, driving off in her 2014 dark blue Chrysler Town minivan.

He said that he returned later that day and found Ms Kingsbury wasnt home.

Police appear to be focused on the movements of Ms Kingsburys minivan and have asked for the publics help in tracing its journeys on the day of her disappearance.

Winona Police Chief Tom Williams confirmed that the vehicle is not missing and that both the van and Ms Kingsburys home have been searched.

Surveillance footage captured a vehicle matching the description of the van driving from the home along highways and through Winona County and Fillmore County before heading back to the house. On Wednesday, police refused to say who was driving the van.

After the vehicle returned home, it is not believed to have gone anywhere else.

That is not information we can share at this time, Mr Williams said.

The police chief said that there is nothing to indicate that she left the residence on foot or in another vehicle.
The founders of a San Luis Obispo construction firm are the best small business leaders in California, according to the Small Business Administration.

The federal agency recognized Jared Malapit, Erik Wright and Karl Vaillancourt, principals at Precision Construction Services in San Luis Obispo, as part of its celebration of National Small Business Week, which begins April 30 and ends May 6.

Award categories focus on contributions to the community, exporting, investment companies and people within small businesses, according to a news release from Small Business Administration.

Our 2023 State Small Business Persons of the Year have given their all to achieve their American dream  to own and build a strong, resilient business; create jobs; increase competition and innovation and power Americas historic economic recovery, SBA Head Administrator Isabella Guzman announced in the release.

Its the first time a business from the Fresno District has won the best in state title in 40 years, according to Michalene Busico, marketing manager for Precision Construction.

Precision Construction, which was founded in 2013, has been involved in a number of projects spanning the country, from California to Pennsylvania.

Wright, Malapit and Vaillancourt will receive the state award May 1 in Washington, D.C. The Small Business Administrations national best small business award will also be announced at the ceremony.

SLO-based construction firm helped build SpaceX projects

Wright said he and his partners, who met while rock climbing, created Precision Construction in 2013 because they all felt the construction industry was not going in a direction they wanted.

We all had a similar gripe, if you will, with the industry that we were not seeing a progressive mentality that was working towards solving a lot of these issues that construction has. Wright said.

Precision Construction started as a consulting company, working with Space Exploration Technologies Corp. and real estate companies to start projects.

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Then, in 2016, Precision Construction helped build a rocket landing facility at Vandenberg Space Force Base for SpaceX.

The San Luis Obispo company then helped SpaceX build a hyperloop, an airless tube in which pods can travel at roughly the speed of sound, Wright said in a presentation five years ago.

We never found the silver bullets, a magic piece of technology from another industry, Wright said. We just found a clever way to say, Hey, we can we can make this happen through XYZ. 

Whats up next for Precision Construction?

The Small Business Administration award isnt the first time Precision Construction has been recognized for its contributions.

The business was ranked No. 266 in Inc. Magazines list of the 5,000 fastest-growing businesses in the United States, boasting a three-year growth of 2,027%.

Precision Construction was also given the Spirit of Small Business Award by the Small Business Administration and Pacific Coast Times in 2022.

According to Wright, the company has plans to expand revenue on the Central Coast and hire more diverse employees in the near future.

It currently has about 50 employees, and there are no plans to move out of San Luis Obispo, Wright said.

Later this year, Precision will be featured in an episode of the PBS show Viewpoint, to talk about modern construction, according to Busico.

Meanwhile, Wright said the company is keeping its eyes on the future and how best to keep moving forward.

Were gonna keep growing and improving and every day were getting better, Wright said. This (award) is just for what weve already accomplished, but that doesnt have anything to do with what we still need to, what we still want to do, in front of us.
Saturday Night Live took aim at former President Trump on Saturday, featuring an impersonation of Trump comparing himself to Jesus in the wake of the former presidents arraignment last week.

The impersonated Trump, played by James Austin Johnson, mocked Trump ahead of Easter Sunday for claiming that he is innocent amid his multiple investigations.

The parody opens with a set of SNL cast members dressed up as Jesus and his apostles during the Last Supper. Cast member Mikey Day, dressed up as Jesus says, It is foretold though I have committed no crime, I will be arrested, tried and found guilty.

The fake Trump then enters the scene, asking, Sound familiar?

A famous, wonderful man arrested for no reason at all. If you havent put it together, folks, Im comparing myself to Jesus again, and what better time than on his birthday, Easter, he continued. As we speak, I am being persecuted on a level the likes of which the world has never seen  even worse, even worse than the late, great Jesus.

He went on to say that many people are saying that Trump and Jesus are similar: Were both very tall, very popular. And both, frankly, white Americans.

He had a good mind for business. Water into wine  pure profit. And he had big, big rallies just like me and a lot of his followers got in big, big trouble, just like mine, he continued. All because I told them exactly what Jesus would have said, Get very violent and start a war.'

Happy Easter from former President Trump pic.twitter.com/3GN5MfAohP  Saturday Night Live  SNL (@nbcsnl) April 9, 2023

This SNL skit followed the former presidents arraignment last week, where he was charged with 34 felony counts in connection to hush-money payments made to adult-film star Stormy Daniels to cover up an alleged affair.

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Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) stopped by a protest ahead of his arraignment in Manhattan last week, comparing Trump to Jesus.

Trump is joining some of the most incredible people in history being arrested today. Nelson Mandela was arrested, served time in prison. Jesus  Jesus was arrested and murdered by the Roman government, Greene told Right Side Broadcasting host Brian Glenn.

The skit also poked fun at Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), who Trump has repeatedly attacked in recent months as the governor mulls a potential challenge to the former president. Austin Johnson as Trump mocked DeSantis asking him for an endorsement with tears in his eyes.

Ive even got my very own Judas, Ron DeSantis, he joked. Ron DeSantis came to me tears in his eyes. He said, Help me Mr. Trump. Im gonna lose my election. So I very generously pretended to like him. And then he did a Judas and now he cant even get the gays out of Disney World.

DeSantis has been fighting with Disney World after the company criticized the states so-called Dont Say Gay law to limit discussion of sexual orientation and gender in schools. He is aiming to strip Disney of power it had for more than 50 years to control its self-governing district, but the company used a legal loophole last month to undercut DeSantiss efforts.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Tom Mutch

KRAMATORSK, UkraineThe horrors of Ukraine are an eerily familiar sight for Maga, a 30-year-old Chechen fighter who spoke with The Daily Beast using his codename.

The same torture, the same mass graves the things the Russians are doing in Ukraine, they were doing back in Chechnya, Maga told The Daily Beast from his units hideout in eastern Ukraine last month. They just come and destroy everyone who could be against their power.

Having fought first to defend Kyivand then in the battles for the liberation of the Kharkiv regionMaga said the atrocities he has seen in Putins invasion match stories told by his relatives, who fought in the wars for Chechen independence from the Russian Federation in the 1990s.

While much of the world was shocked by the bloody atrocities committed by Putins forces in cities like Mariupol and Bucha, for many Chechens none of this came as a surprise.

Now, this shared trauma appears to have formed a bond between Chechens who have flocked to Ukraine to fight against Putins invasion and their new Ukrainian comrades, who have agreed that once the war is finished here, they will travel to fight for a free Chechnya.

Russia Accused of Kidnapping Own Citizens to Fight War in Ukraine

If I am alive, I will participate in the liberation of Chechnya, said Alexander, a 43-year-old Ukrainian fighting with the Dzhokhar Dudayev battalion, who told The Daily Beast he was named after the first President of the independent Chechen Republic that was bombed into submission by Putin. Why? Because for me they are brotherly people. I adopted a lot from them: the way they relate to life and death, the way they relate to the elders. His beard, hair and clothing are cut in the local stylewhile he retains his Christian faith, he looks Chechen in all but name. Alexander and Magas battalion contain some of the around 1,000 Chechens fighting for Ukraine, seeing a direct line between Ukraines fight to liberate its territory and Chechnyas struggle for independence. They invited The Daily Beast to visit their modest barracks in a small townhouse in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk to tell their stories.

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A weapons collection in a barracks in Kramatorsk. Tom Mutch

Members of the battalion spoke with The Daily Beast on condition that their last names be omitted and their faces not photographed. They have recently been fighting on the frontlines in Bakhmut, where they say that Russian tactics are just like those of the Soviets during World War II: They throw and cover everything in meat and capture [territory] because they have a lot of this meat, while caring nothing for the lives of their soldiers or Ukrainian civilians caught in the crossfire, one member said.

The group keeps a high-powered arsenal inside the townhouse, including 30- and 50-caliber machine guns, AK74 assault rifles, and rocket-propelled grenade launchers. Outside, some men were cooking meat on a barbecue, smoking cigarettes, checking weapons and reloading. A well-groomed puppy scurried around the yard snapping at bits of dropped food. One soldiers patch featured Ukrainian blue and yellow, followed by a verse from the Quran in Arabic (the vast majority of Chechens are Muslim).

A Ukrainian soldier roasts meat on a barbecue in a backyard in Kramatorsk. Tom Mutch

The Ukrainian parliament has already adopted a resolution declaring Chechnya as an independent state that is occupied by Russia, and denounced what they called a genocide of the Chechen people. Maga said that they have many Ukrainian volunteers enlisting who wish to join to fightnot just in Ukraine, but inside the Russian Federation itself.

Recruits come here all the time, he said. They go through training, and everyone is of course preparing to liberate Ichkeria [the local name for Chechnya] and other territories that are occupied, because there are also Tatarstan, Dagestan and Ingushetia. This, he believes, will be the only way to stop Russian imperial power for good. All gas and oil come not from Russian territory, it comes from all occupied countries and territories.

Troops from these ethnic minority regions have made up the bulk of Russian cannon fodder in this war, with one BBC analysis estimating that men from the Muslim-majority region of Dagestan had died at 10 times the rate of those from Moscow. Some critics claim this is a direct result of a cynical strategy from Putin: avoiding domestic backlash by having ethnic minorities bear the brunt of the meat grinder. The Russians wont actually go and fight themselves, Maga said.

Pro-Ukrainian Chechen fighters gather in a backyard in Kramatorsk Tom Mutch

Deja Vu

Putins rise and grip on power owe much to the wars in Chechnya. The Chechens won the first war, fighting between 1994 and 1996 against overwhelming firepower and eventually wrecking the fragile legitimacy of the new democratic Russian state. In 1999, when Putin took over as prime minister, he unleashed a second war which crushed the fledgling Chechen Republic.

His tactics there presaged those that have horrified the world in Ukraine. He used Russias overwhelming advantage in artillery and aircraft to raze the Chechen capital city of Grozny to the ground. He would repeat this tactic several times in Ukrainemost notoriously in Mariupol, but also in Severodonetsk, Volnovakha, and Bakhmut.

Alexander admitted that even he used to find Russian propaganda persuasive. We were constantly brainwashed that Chechens are our enemies. We were told that on TV all day long. Muslims, terrorists, etc. But lets just say, we didnt have the sources [that would allow us] to assess it critically. We had only one source: newspapers and TV, and you believed it! He is extremely disheartened by his countrymen, and even family members whodespite access to the internet and social mediastill believe Russian propaganda about the war in Ukraine.

Why do the people who live across the border have all the tools now Why cant they take another [source of] information, read it, compare, and think, Oh, but why are we doing it? What is the purpose of it all?, he said. They got brainwashed that they are fighting some kind of mythical fascism and they are protecting their motherland. How can you protect your motherland while being on someone elses territory?

A weapons collection in a barracks in Kramatorsk Tom Mutch

But the Chechens in Alexanders unit are not the only ones fighting this war. Some 9,000 more, loyal to the Kremlin-installed Governor Ramzan Kadyrov, are fighting for Russia in Ukraine. Theyve become notorious not just for their brutality, but also for their tendency to post videos of their fighting on TikTok.

The Chechens fighting for Ukraine also want to clear the name of their nation. These are not good people, Kadyrovites Theres a Ukrainian word, nepotrib [trash]. Its TikTok troops they [also] have these barrier unitsStalins methodand no retreat, only forward, Alexander said, referring to troops who are reportedly tasked with staying behind regular Russian soldiers to shoot any who try to retreat.

For Maga, the only thing that will bring freedom to Chechnya is not just defeat in the war in Ukraine, but the end of the wider Russian empire. This is necessary for peace both inside and outside Russias borders, he said. Dudayev [former Chechen leader] said that if today you keep Chechnya as an internal problem of Russiatomorrow Europe will be an internal problem of Russia.

Kremlin Threatens Whole New Level of War Over Western Weapons

Russia must be broken up, otherwise, there will be no peace for the future generation. Thats our goalliberation of Chechnya and the whole Caucasus from Russian occupation because, without those lands, Russians wont go fight themselves. Only when an empire is destroyed, will the people change.

For Alexander, the key to Ukrainian success is the reason Chechens won their first war against Russia, namely their morale and belief in what they are fighting for.

Alexander, a 43-year-old fighter in the brigade Tom Mutch

They [the Russians] dont understand where theyve come to. They dont understand that their supposedly worlds second army is worth nothing. Why? Because they dont have that inner strength, they dont have the motivation, they dont understand what they are doing. They are just a flock of sheep, he said. I will [fight] to the end, as long as I can. Until victory.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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The George Soros-bankrolled prosecutor in St. Louis who's facing an effort by Missouri's attorney general to compel her to resign for allegedly neglecting her duties is now being hit with new complaints of negligence and potential misconduct in doing her job.

St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kimberly Gardner has a history riddled with allegations of misconduct and mishandled cases in her current job, facing admonishment for bungled prosecutions and what critics have deemed soft-on-crime policies.

Such outcry continued into this past week, with Gardner's office being hit with a wave of bad headlines and criticism that won't help the embattled prosecutor, who's already in a legal fight to hold onto her position.

Earlier this week, a St. Louis judge sanctioned Gardner's office for withholding evidence in a double homicide case and allowing the suspect out on bond.

SOROS-BACKED PROSECUTOR PUSHED BY MISSOURI AG TO RESIGN HAS HISTORY OF SCANDALS, ALLEGED MISCONDUCT

Alex Heflin, 23, had been held without bond in jail since January, initially charged with two counts of second-degree murder and armed criminal action, according to local NBC affiliate KSDK. However, those charges have been reduced to involuntary and voluntary manslaughter. Heflin was supposed to go to trial on April 17, but the trial has now been postponed until June 12, with a pretrial conference scheduled for May 17.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

This week, Judge Theresa Counts Burke ruled in favor of Heflin's attorneys, who filed a motion accusing one of Gardner's assistant circuit attorneys of violating discovery rules that required prosecutors to turn over evidence, including DNA reports and a recording of a 911 call.

"The court finds that there have been repeated delays by the state in obtaining discovery and providing it to the defense," Burke wrote. "There has been a lack of diligence on the part of the state in following up and providing discovery to the defendant in a timely fashion. As a result of the state's actions and lack of diligence, the court grants defendant's second motion for sanctions."

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The Circuit Attorney's Office provided Fox News Digital with a statement, saying it's working diligently to pursue justice in the case.

"In this case as in every case, the Circuit Attorney's Office works together with the police to bring justice on behalf of the people of the City of St. Louis, victims and their families," a spokesperson said. "The CAO is dedicated to doing everything in its power to hold the defendant accountable. The CAO has spoken to the family and will continue to work to ensure justice is served.

Janae Edmondson was in a crosswalk with her parents on her way home from a volleyball tournament when police allege Daniel Riley sped through a yield sign, striking her and another car.

ST. LOUIS HOMICIDE DETECTIVE BLOWS WHISTLE ON SOROS-BACKED DA'S 'CONCERTED EFFORT TO BREAK DOWN THE SYSTEM'

"In every case, the Circuit Attorneys Office is dedicated to ensuring that the office carries out its duty to prosecute criminal cases in a manner that seeks justice on behalf of the residents of the City of St. Louis," the spokesperson added.

In a separate case, however, Gardner's office is facing scrutiny for doing exactly the opposite.

On Wednesday, St. Louis prosecutors dismissed and refiled charges against two men accused of killing a father and his 7-year-old daughter, likely pushing back the trial by months. According to an investigation by local CBS affiliate KMOV, the reason for the dismissal and refiling is that "the prosecutors weren't ready for trial," which was set to take place in a matter of days.

In July, prosecutors did the same thing in the case, days before the alleged killers were set to stand trial then, delaying the prosecution and angering both the victims' families who want justice and the defense attorneys who want their clients to have their day in court.

Dismissing and refiling cases has become increasingly common as Gardner's understaffed office, which has lost several lawyers in recent years, has struggled to prepare for trials. Last year alone, prosecutors dismissed and refiled at least a dozen murder cases, according to a St. Louis Post-Dispatch analysis.

Kimberly Gardner

ST. LOUIS DA SHOVED 'AGGRESSIVE' RACIAL EQUITY AGENDAS INTO DAILY PROSECUTION DECISIONS USING SOROS-LINKED ORG

The effect of the high turnover in Gardner's office has been "a state of dysfunction, low morale and dearth of legal wisdom necessary to safeguard the public from potentially dangerous criminals," the Post-Dispatch previously reported.

On Thursday, Gardner's office seemed to blame police for having to dismiss and refile the double murder case.

"In this case, the CAO was not provided evidence in a timely manner due to acknowledged staffing challenges at the police department," Gardner spokeswoman Allison Hawk said in a statement.

The St. Louis Police Officers' Association responded by lambasting Gardner's office for trying to shift the blame.

"Police officers shouldn't be made scapegoats for an overworked, backlogged and mismanaged Circuit Attorney's Office," the union said in a statement.

St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner, right, and Ronald Sullivan, a Harvard law professor, arrive at the Civil Courts building May 14, 2018.

DEM ATTORNEY KIM GARDNER HIT WITH SUBPOENA AMID LEGAL BATTLE TO REMOVE HER FROM OFFICE

Gardner's office provided to KMOV an identical statement on this case to the one that it provided Fox News Digital on the Heflin case.

On Friday, meanwhile, the attorney for a man accused of striking teenage volleyball player Janae Edmonson with his car and causing her to lose her legs entered a not guilty plea on behalf of his client, but a judge had to print a copy of the indictment for him in court. That's because Daniel Riley's attorney, Dan Diemer, told the presiding judge that he never got a copy of the indictment for his client from Gardner's Office, so the judge printed one for him while he was in the courtroom, according to local reports.

To make matters worse, the assistant circuit attorney of record on the case didn't appear at the hearing, but his wife  Jamie Myers, the chief misdemeanor officer for Gardner's office  did appear but never addressed the court.

"As the head of the misdemeanor division for the office, Assistant Circuit Attorney Jamie Myers leads up associate court for the CAO [Circuit Attorney's Office]," Gardner spokeswoman Allison Hawk said in a statement. "She handles these arraignment and was there this morning as she does routinely as part of her job responsibilities."

Edmonson lost her legs in the incident while visiting St. Louis with her volleyball team. Riley, the man charged with assault, armed criminal action and operating a motor vehicle without a valid license, was out on bail awaiting trial for an armed robbery from 2020 and had violated the terms of his bond at least 50 times, according to local reports.

George Soros delivering a speech during the 2023 Munich Security Conference.

SOROS-BACKED KIM GARDNER NEEDS TO BE IMPEACHED 'YESTERDAY': LEO TERRELL

There's no record of Gardner's office, which is responsible for monitoring compliance with bond conditions and revoking them when those terms are violated, asking for Riley's bond to be revoked.

Such incidents couldn't come at a worse time for Gardner, who's facing a legal effort by Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey to fire her. In February, following the tragedy with Edmonson, Bailey filed a petition quo warranto, the legal mechanism under state statute that allows the attorney general to remove a prosecutor who neglects her duties.

"This is about a quantum of evidence that demonstrates her failure to prosecute cases, failure to inform and confer with victims in cases and failure to file new cases that are referred by law enforcement agencies," Bailey told Fox News Digital at the time of the filing.

He separately said in a statement that Gardner is "creating" victims instead of "protecting" them.

On Thursday, Bailey subpoenaed the St. Louis city Comptroller's Office and Budget Division, indicating that, as part of his multi-pronged effort to remove Gardner, he's trying to investigate the finances of her office.

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey

MISSOURI AG SUBPOENAS ST. LOUIS MAYOR AMID QUEST TO REMOVE DEMOCRAT PROSECUTOR KIM GARDNER FROM OFFICE

Gardner is one of the first prosecutors whom Soros, a liberal billionaire and Democrat megadonor, bankrolled in 2016 and again for her re-election in 2020.

Her campaign website boasts that she's "made jail and prison a last resort, reserved for those who pose a true public safety risk," while limiting "the arrest and detention of people accused of misdemeanors and low-level felonies."

During Gardner's tenure, crime spiked in St. Louis, with the city experiencing near-record murder rates. The last two years were among the city's deadliest in decades, despite murders being down from 2020. Last year, WalletHub calculated that St. Louis had the highest homicide cases per 100,000 residents from July through September of any U.S. city, ranking it the most dangerous city in the country because of high rates of crime and other dangers like car accidents.

Amid high homicide figures, Gardner has declined more cases, issued fewer arrest warrants, charged fewer felonies and prosecuted thousands of fewer cases overall than her predecessor. She has also deferred prison sentences for misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies as part of her reform initiatives.

Gardner says all this is part of her "platform to reduce the number of cases unnecessarily charged in order to focus on the more difficult cases for trial."

In 2021, though, Gardner came under fire after three murder cases under her purview were dismissed in one week due to prosecutors in her office not showing up for hearings or being unprepared.

Gardner has refused to leave office amid Bailey's probe, calling it a political witch hunt and suggesting racism was behind some of the criticism against her.
Three members of The Squad have renewed calls for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas to be impeached following a bombshell report on his relationship with a major Republican donor, however their Democratic colleagues have so far called for lesser measures.

Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.)  all members of the progressive Squad  have called for Thomas to be impeached following revelations that he received lavish gifts and trips from a Republican billionaire donor over the course of his career on the court.

The ProPublica report that exposed the alleged gifts sparked outrage from Democrats, but the trio of progressive House Democrats have so far been alone in calls for his impeachment.

This is beyond party or partisanship, Ocasio-Cortez said on Twitter last week. This degree of corruption is shocking  almost cartoonish. Thomas must be impeached.

Ive said it before and Ill say it again: Clarence Thomas needs to be impeached, Omar said on Twitter on the same day.

Tlaib noted public confidence in the court was at an all time low and blasted Thomas for accepting luxury trips from a billionaire mega-donor while doing the bidding of right-wing extremists from the bench.

Thomas must be impeached and SCOTUS needs a binding code of ethics, Tlaib said on Twitter.

Thomas has defended his actions, saying he was advised early in his tenure on the court that he did not have to report trips from close personal friends.

I have endeavored to follow that counsel throughout my tenure, and have always sought to comply with the disclosure guidelines, Thomas added.

While those House progressives have called for Thomas to be impeached, other Democrats have backed a probe into Thomas and efforts to create an enforceable code of conduct.

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the top lawmaker on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said his panel would act on the allegations laid out in the report.

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The highest court in the land shouldnt have the lowest ethical standards, Durbin said in a statement last week. Todays report demonstrates, yet again, that Supreme Court Justices must be held to an enforceable code of conduct the Senate Judiciary Committee will act.

A group of 16 congressional Democrats, including Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), sent a letter to Chief Supreme Court Justice John Roberts urging him to launch an investigation into the claims against Thomas.

We believe that it is your duty as Chief Justice to safeguard public faith in the judiciary, and that fulfilling that duty requires swift, thorough, independent and transparent investigation into these allegations, the letter reads.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Thrawn, as seen from behind, in the new Ahsoka trailer. (Lucasfilm)

One of the biggest reveals of Star Wars Celebration 2023 was introduction of the live action Thrawn in Ahsoka.

First teased during a clip shown in Fridays Lucasfilm Showcase, the Star Wars villain's blue-skinned face was glimpsed for the first time by the assembled crowd during Saturdays Ahsoka panel. Until now, Thrawn has only been seen on the screen in the animated series Star Wars: Rebels. The imperial military leader was originally created by author Timothy Zahn, and appeared in a series of beloved novels.

During the panel, it was announced that Lars Mikkelsen (star of Sherlock, and older brother of Mads Mikkelsen) who voiced the character in the Disney+ show, would be reprising the role for his live-action debut in the upcoming Ahsoka.

Read more: Acolyte cast share details of new Star Wars show

So what can we expect from Grand Admiral Thrawn in Ahsoka? During interviews after the Ahsoka presentation, Yahoo UK asked creative Star Wars mastermind and showrunner Dave Filoni, Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy, Lars Mikkelsen, and the rest of the cast what makes Thrawn so scary, what inspires such loyalty from people, and what does Lars Mikkelsen bring to the character made flesh.

Kennedy thinks he's scary partly because he's a wildcard. Because Timothy Zahn did such a spectacular job in writing those novels, I think that [Thrawn] might not be an obvious villain  by having this calm demeanour; by not having necessarily the attributes were used to [in] Vader and Palpatine. Hes unpredictable.

Lars Mikkelsen onstage during the Ahsoka panel at the Star Wars Celebration 2023. (Kate Green/Getty Images for Disney)

Mary Elizabeth Winstead, who plays Hera Syndulla in the show, meanwhile, thinks its an inherent coldness that makes Thrawn so chilling.

Thrawn is terrifying because hes so calculating, and hes so cold... Hes brutal and manipulative and cunning; smart. I think Dave [Filoni] says it really well  he doesnt have the Force but he doesnt need it, and theres something really frightening about that.

"He doesnt really need that kind of ability and I think that Hera and everyone involved in Ahsoka the series finds that very frightening.

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Rosario Dawson is Ahsoka Tano in Ahsoka. (Lucasfilm)

"When he speaks it feels official, said Ahsoka actor Rosario Dawson. Those piercing red eyes, and hes the strategy there. Hed beat any chess master. This is someone who doesnt have the Force but Ill just say, this is one of the reasons I think you see so many other amazing characters in Ahsokas show with her because she knows this is not someone to take on on her own.

"Hes not doing it on his own. Youve got to strategise with that one.

Read more: Will Grogu appear in Dave Filoni's Star Wars movie?

Natasha Liu Bordizzo, who plays Sabine Wren in Ahsoka, says that the gravity in Lars Mikkelsens voice and subtle character choices he makes contribute to Thrawns frightening presence.

I think hes scary because you dont necessarily hate him, its more like a misunderstanding. Its complex. And hes not just full of hate, hes curious and there are layers to it which makes him more complicated.

Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo) in Ahsoka. (Lucasfilm)

Ivanna Sakhno, who plays a new character in the series named Shin  described as back-up for Diana Lee Inosantos magistrate Morgan Elsbeth  gave an insight into Mikkelsen on set.

Being with him in the scene and looking into his eyes is a chilling experience, she said. One of my favourite things about him is in between the takes he would just go around and hum a little and you could just totally imagine him as Thrawn in the morning cooking some eggs and pouring some orange juice, and being like [hums].

Shin Hati (Ivanna Sakhno) in Ahsoka. (Lucasfilm)

She added that he inspires loyalty in people because he is true to his essence. Be it light or dark, he has an agenda and hes unapologetic about it. And I think that makes for an interesting villain.

Inosanto says that the chills are all in whats underneath, expertly conveyed by Lars Mikkelsen. [Mikkelsen] will definitely bring levels of subtext and I think thats whats going to make him more scary because you know that mind is working all the time.

Mikkelsen himself also credits Thrawns mind as being at the root of what makes him scary.

Said Mikkelsen, Hes seven steps ahead of you the whole time so hes got you figured out in every which way and that is always scary with an opponent that you cant really beat.

As for why people are so loyal, he had this to say: I think hes a good employer. He thrives on the creativity of his surroundings. Hes not beating down on people but hes actually utilising what people have and isnt that the best employer you can get? And of course power.

Grand Admiral Thrawn as seen in Star Wars: Rebels. (Lucasfilm via Getty Images)

Dave Filoni, meanwhile, referenced the blue skin and the red eyes as critical to the fear he instils (The eyes are a big part.) before expanding on the casts thoughts: You know what it is? Its his cool calculation.

"Hes very calm. He doesnt get riled up, he doesnt get frustrated, he really thinks things through. And when youve got somebody there that no matter what chaos is going on, theyre calm  that means theyre powerful, that means theyre thinking, theyre not overreacting.

"Then you cant really manipulate them, so thats the danger  that hes really going to understand you and hes going to break down what youre all about. And thats going to be a particular challenge for our heroes.

Baylan Skoll (Ray Stevenson) in Ahsoka. (Lucasfilm)

And loyalty? Hes not like the other imperial officers, said Filoni, echoing Kennedys words. Because he knows his soldiers and that instils a sense of loyalty in them. I think they want to fight for him. That also makes him really dangerous. I think most stormtroopers feel disposable.

Read more: First look at Skeleton Crew revealed at Celebration

"I dont think they feel that as much when theyre working for Thrawn. I think they know that theyre working for a guy that can win and all these other imperials who send them to their death and just use them as numbers, hes not doing that. Hes calculating. Theres a reason why hes doing everything and I think thats why hes very effective as well.

Ahsoka premieres on Disney+ in August 2023. Watch a trailer below.
Mesa Police Department.

A 17-year-old was arrested early Saturday morning after he fled from Mesa police in a red Corvette and led them on a freeway pursuit that ended in Phoenix, authorities said.

The pursuit began when Mesa police officers responded to the area of Country Club Drive and Broadway Road on Friday night in response to several cars that were doing doughnuts in the street, police said.

The cars, including a red 2010 Corvette, fled in different directions upon the officers' arrival. One officer tried to stop the Corvette, but the teenage driver did not comply and sped off in a different direction, according to police.

Officers made several attempts to have the Corvette pull over. During that time, the Corvette sideswiped a Mesa police vehicle while evading the attempted stop, police said.

The Mesa police air unit then followed the Corvette with a helicopter as it drove onto the freeway and headed toward Phoenix, according to Richard Encinas, a spokesperson for the Mesa Police Department. Encinas said patrol units on the ground were able to safely back away and stay out of sight.

The Phoenix Police Department assisted in the pursuit by tracking the car with a helicopter when it entered the city, police said. The Arizona Department of Public Safety attempted to lay down spike strips to disable the vehicle in Phoenix, though it is unknown if the spikes were successful.

Soon after, the Corvette lost two of its tires and the teenage driver got out and ran into a house near 40th Avenue and Grant Street in Phoenix, according to Encinas.

Officers arrived at the house and successfully took the 17-year-old into custody.

It was later discovered the house belonged to a friend of the teenager and no one there was involved in the incident.

A handgun was found in the Corvette during a search of the vehicle, police said. The 17-year-old later admitted to driving the Corvette and knowing the weapon was in the car, according to police.

The teenager was arrested and booked into a detention facility on several charges, including endangerment, excessive speed, possession of a firearm by a minor and unlawful flight from law enforcement.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Teen flees in Corvette; Mesa police give chase
Al Gore played the sucker, Jimmy Carter the naive fool.

Thats the lesson of the day. Decency doesnt matter in the worlds supposedly oldest democracy. Ethics dont. The powerful dont care about avoiding the appearance of impropriety.

During the 2000 presidential campaign, the Gore campaign received a secret recording of George W. Bushs debate prep. They packaged them up, refused to examine the video and documents, and quickly gave the package to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Gore also stiff-armed Bill Clinton because of Clintons unpresidential behavior. Those principled acts probably cost him the presidency, which was decided by the Supreme Court and a razor-thin margin in Florida.

Gore believed democracy was bigger than his personal largesse. Carter, more beloved as an ex-president than when he was in office, held similar beliefs. He put his family-owned peanut farm in a blind trust in 1976 to avoid any conflicts of interest. Donald Trump did no such thing. Trumps campaign sought clandestine help from the Russian government and kept on making money while in office.

ProPublica just reported that Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas for the past 20 years has been receiving expensive gifts from a billionaire conservative donor, including lavish vacations that would have cost him $500,000. Thomas also was routinely meeting with people with interests before the court. Thats in addition to his wifes attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election and his refusal to recuse himself from a case associated with those efforts. He knows hes untouchable. The founders created the ultimate safe space for powerful men like Thomas. He can be impeached for ethical lapses and financial law disclosure violations. He knows, though, like we all know, that only death can do him part from his enormous power.

N.C. Rep. Tricia Cotham showed herself to be as unabashedly power hungry. She abruptly left the Democratic Party. She joined a party known for crafting a law designed to disenfranchise black voters with surgical precision, according to a federal judge. It would be a waste of time to quote her for it makes no sense to believe anything she says. She sold herself to Democratic voters to gain their votes then denigrated those very voters, claiming Democratic colleagues werent nice enough. She did so while invoking her faith and God, a particularly galling cherry on top of a pile of unapologetically-unethical behavior. She could have resigned and run as a Republican, or waited before switching parties. But that would be too much like right.

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Tennessee Republicans topped them all. They expelled two Democrats for joining in a protest by young people wanting their state to ensure fewer of them will be slaughtered in school, demands coming on the heels of yet another school shooting. Republicans ignored their pleas, preferring to continue their idol worship of guns. Democrats Justin Jones, Gloria Johnson and Justin Pearson used a bullhorn during the protest in the legislature. They were stripped of committee assignments, which is where this would have ended in a healthy democracy. What we have is neither.

Republicans ousted Jones and Pearson, overturning the will of hundreds of thousands of voters simply because they could. It wasnt coincidence that the two ousted lawmakers, Jones and Pearson, are black, and the lawmaker who survived the attempt is white. Jones and Pearson got a good talkin to by white Tennessee Republicans as well, in the way that white men in the South have long felt entitled to talk to black peers. At least they refrained from calling them boys.

We are not in a good place. Though neither party is perfect, the GOP has become the party of insurrection, censorship laws, book bans, the demonization of marginalized people, and unabashedly-unethical leaders who know they can get away with just about anything because their base will protect them even at the cost of our democracy. We are not in a good place and should stop the train and reassess before we lose what we thought we had.

Issac Bailey is a McClatchy Opinion writer based in Myrtle Beach.
By Gabriella Borter and Njuwa Maina

(Reuters) - Two Tennessee Democrats who were expelled from the Republican-dominated state House of Representatives last week over their participation in a gun control protest said on Sunday that they hoped to soon reclaim their seats.

Representatives Justin Jones and Justin Pearson, who joined hundreds of protesters at the state capitol in Nashville to demand stricter gun laws four days after a mass shooting at a local school, told NBC's Meet the Press that they hoped to be reappointed by their districts to serve in their seats until they could run again in special elections.

Their expulsion has drawn national outcry from Democrats. Vice President Kamala Harris paid a visit to Nashville last Friday in support of Jones, who represents a Nashville district, Pearson, who represents a Memphis district, and their colleague Representative Gloria Johnson, who also joined the gun control protest but was spared expulsion last week by one member vote.

Under Tennessee Law, the Metropolitan Council of Davidson County in Nashville and the Shelby County Board of Commissioners in Memphis can appoint interim representatives for their districts' now-vacant seats until a special election is held.

Metro Council Member Kevin Rhoten said on Twitter that he had been bombarded with emails since Thursday asking him to vote to appoint Justin Jones for the District 52 seat, and that he planned to do that. At least two members of the Shelby County Board of Commissioners have told local news they plan to reappoint Pearson to the District 86 seat.

"I would be honored to accept the appointment of the Shelby County Commission and to run in a special election," Pearson told NBC on Sunday.

Jones said he too would accept a reappointment and run again in a special election.

"Their attack on democracy hurts all of us," Jones said of the Republican-controlled House.

The Metropolitan Council in Nashville planned to meet on Monday to address the district vacancy. Nashville Vice Mayor Jim Shulman told Reuters that if the council rules are suspended, a vote could be held right after that meeting, and Jones could return to his role.

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Shelby County Board of Commissioners Chairman Mickell Lowery on Sunday announced the board would consider reappointing Pearson in a special meeting called for Wednesday.

On March 30, hundreds of demonstrators flooded into the Tennessee statehouse to demand that lawmakers pass stricter gun laws, after assailant Audrey Hale gunned down three 9-year-old students and three staff members at the Covenant School in Nashville on March 27. Videos posted to Twitter showed the two Black lawmakers, Representatives Jones and Pearson, shouting through a bullhorn on the House floor, saying "No action, no peace!"

Republicans accused them and Johnson of engaging in "disorderly behavior" and said in resolutions calling for their expulsion that they "did knowingly and intentionally bring disorder and dishonor to the House of Representatives through their individual and collective actions." The Democrats said their participation in the protest was within their constitutional right to freedom of speech.

On Thursday, the body voted along party lines to expel Jones and Pearson.

Race came up several times during the debate ahead of the vote. Jones, who is Black, said Republican Representative Gino Bulso, who is white, portrayed him as an "uppity Negro." Another Republican in the chamber, Sarbjeet Kumar, said Jones saw everything through the lens of race. As the vote was held, Black members and other Democrats joined Jones at the podium. Most Republican members are white.

Pearson and Jones have said their expulsion is the latest instance of the mostly white, mostly Republican state government trying to suppress the voices of communities of color.

Both former lawmakers addressed their communities at Easter worship services on Sunday. Pearson, delivering the sermon at the Church on the River in Memphis, emphasized his and Jones' innocence and vowed to continue speaking out against the Republican-led chamber.

"The Republican-led supermajority of the Tennessee General Assembly sought to have a political lynching of three of its members because we spoke out of turn against the status quo of the government after the tragic deaths of six people," Pearson told the congregation.

He spoke exuberantly, rousing the crowd to their feet and eliciting cries of agreement from the congregation.

Jones attended Easter service at Watson Grove Church in Nashville and briefly spoke to the congregation, delivering a message of resilience.

"It's not over," Jones said. "We are in the midst of a resurrection...that will redeem the soul of the state and hopefully this nation."

Only two other Tennessee state representatives have been expelled by their colleagues since the Civil War era: one in 1980 for soliciting a bribe in exchange for blocking legislation and another in 2016 after being accused of sexual misconduct by numerous women. Both expulsions were made with overwhelming, bipartisan votes.

(Reporting by Gabriella Borter; editing by Diane Craft and Edwina Gibbs)
Former Tennessee state Rep. Justin Jones of Nashville sits in the gallery of the House chamber in Nashville, Tenn., after being expelled from the legislature on April 6, 2023. AP Photo/George Walker IV

A Republican National Committee member told The Times that ousting 2 Democratic lawmakers "didn't help" the GOP.

Tennessee state Reps. Justin Jones and Justin Pearson were removed from their positions by the GOP-led House.

Brock argued that the party should have considered arguments from the lawmakers over gun reform.

A member of the Republican National Committee from Tennessee said that the vote by the GOP-led Tennessee House of Representatives to expel two Democratic lawmakers for their gun reform protests "didn't help" the party's brand and has now "energized young voters against us."

Oscar Brock, commenting on the Republican-led decision to expel state Reps. Justin Jones of Nashville and Justin Pearson of Memphis over their calls for action after the mass shooting at the Covenant School in Nashville, told The New York Times that the repercussions of the GOP effort went beyond the loss of political support.

"If my job, along with other members of the RNC, is to protect the brand of the Republican Party, this didn't help," he told the newspaper. "You've energized young voters against us. Worse than squandering support, you've made enemies where we didn't need them."

Even in a state House that's dominated by Republicans  with the party holding 75 out of the 99 seats  Brock said that there are politically-competitive areas throughout Tennessee where voters have been paying close attention to the situation in Nashville. He said that legislative Republicans could still remain true to the Second Amendment while also listening to colleagues and constituents who would like to see gun safety measures put into place.

"Even in Tennessee, we have swing districts in the State House and Senate," he told The Times, "and if you've angered tens of thousands of students and presumably their parents, you could theoretically expose yourself to a united front."

Jones, 27, and Pearson, 28, have leaped to national stardom as the optics of two young Black lawmakers ousted from their elected positions by an overwhelmingly white and conservative House has become a story about race, a seemingly intractable urban-rural divide, and the state of modern politics in the South.

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The situation was also inflamed by the fact that Democratic state Rep. Gloria Johnson of Knoxville, a white lawmaker, was also a part of the protest on the House floor, but was spared from expulsion.

Both Jones and Pearson can be reappointed to their seats, but special elections will also have to be set by the governor.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Former Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen; Former Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam

Former Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen; Former Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam Credit - Mark HumphreyAP; George Walker IVThe Tennessean/AP

When I was growing up in Tennessee, the states politics wereas was often said of Howard Baker, the centrist Senator who embodied themlike its namesake river: right down the middle. That era is long-vanished, as this weeks expulsion of two Democratic lawmakers from their seats made abundantly clear. But there was a glimmer of it a few days earlier when in the wake of the horrific school massacre in Nashville, two former governors of opposite parties joined forces to lay out a path for gun reform.

In an op-ed in The Tennessean, Democrat Phil Bredesen and Republican Bill Haslam, who served as governor successively from 2003 to 2019, offered some specifics around small step gun restrictions as starting points. But their central premise is that listening and compromise are key parts of leadership, and that its unacceptable to sit on our hands in the face of near-constant mass murder.

In somewhere other than 2023 America, this would not have been news. But the two, who also host a bipartisan podcast together, are saying some things that somehow seem to be points of dispute. Namely, that Americas gun-violence epidemic, unmatched in the rest of the world, is out of control and that, as Haslam put it to me when I reached out to the former governors earlier this week, the first step in anything is admitting you have a problem.

The op-ed circulated widely. Trying to do anything we can to prevent the deaths of children, teachers and other staff should be bipartisan, tweeted one reader. Appreciate Haslam and Bredesen coauthoring this.

But common sense, having peaked out of its burrow, saw its shadow and quickly crawled back in. With the ink on The Tennessean op-ed barely dry, the governors minimalist call to action got drowned out by an act of partisan vengeance that went national. The GOP supermajority in the Tennessee legislature set out to expel three House Democrats who had peacefully (if noisily) interrupted its proceedings as part of the Nashville protests demanding action on guns. Supporters of the targeted legislators reeled off examples of historic and appalling transgressions that had resulted in lesser or no action, but on Thursday, the House expelled two of the three representatives, Justin Jones and Justin Pearson. The vote on a third, Gloria Johnson, failed by only one vote. Many attributed the disparate outcomes to race. Johnson is white. Jones and Pearson are Black. (Jones has since been reappointed on an interim basis by the Metro Nashville Council, and the Shelby County Commission is likely to reappoint Pearson when it meets later this week.)

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The Bredesen/Haslam effort reminded me of one of the most important projects weve done in my tenure as editor of TIME. In 2018, working with the artist JR, we gathered together 245 individuals from across the gun divide in Americaincluding political figures from Gabby Giffords to Steve Scalise, hunters and NRA members, gun-control advocates and trauma doctors who treat gunshot victimsfor a cover portrait and a series of conversations. What drew me to that project was the hope that we could think differently, create a space that gathered people instead of expelling them, based on a hope that reason could triumph over rage.

I asked the former governors how small steps are possible if one side kicks the other side out of the building before the conversation starts. Haslam, a sometime Trump critic, stuck to the both-sides script, blaming the reflexive move to our partisan corners that never solves any problem and cited the expulsions as an example of why a different approach is needed.

Bredesen was more critical of the expulsions. One of the things you do as a grown up, he said, citing a time when he had protestors occupying his office while he was governor, is to figure out once in a while when you let some of that stuff pass. But he retains some optimism: I mean, its sort of outrageous, he said, but Im a believer that things change. Once in a while, the planets line up in some way that you can get something to happen.

There has been some preliminary discussion of the so-called red flag laws endorsed by Bredesen and Haslam that allow law enforcement to take firearms from people with known risks of harming themselves or others. But for now, the likelihood of planetary alignment on even small steps to tighten up Tennessees gun rules, some of the loosest in the country, seems low. What brought about last years federal compromise on guns after the horrors of Uvalde, the first real movement at the national level in nearly three decades, was leaders who sounded the call and a recognition that inaction is not only a moral but a political loser. Those ingredients are pretty clearly missing in Tennessee right now.

Haslam and Bredesen insist theyll keep at it. Neither of us has any power in the government today. Were just two citizens who have a little bit of a platform, says Bredesen. But Ive just got great faith in the common sense of the country to work our way through it.

Felsenthal is the Executive Chairman and former Editor in Chief of TIME
By Ilan Rozenberg and Sinan Abu Mayzer

JERUSALEM (Reuters) -Ramadan prayers and Jewish Passover visits at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound passed without incident on Sunday, after days of tension at the flashpoint Jerusalem site which led to cross-border exchanges of fire.

Small groups of Jewish visitors under heavy police guard walked through the mosque compound, known in Judaism as Temple Mount, as thousands of worshippers gathered for the Passover holiday's special "Priestly Blessing" at the Western Wall below.

The Al-Aqsa compound - sacred to Muslims and Jews - has been at the centre of a security crisis set off last week when Israeli police raided the mosque to dislodge what they said were youths barricaded inside armed with rocks and fireworks.

Footage of the raid, showing police beating worshippers, triggered a furious reaction across the Arab world, sparking rocket attacks on Israel by Palestinian factions that were met with Israeli strikes on sites in Gaza, south Lebanon and Syria.

There were no reports of casualties.

Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, leader of Lebanon's armed Shi'ite movement Hezbollah, met with Palestinian Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Lebanon, the group said on Sunday, and discussed the Al-Aqsa events.

Israeli security experts have said that Iran-backed Hezbollah likely gave its permission to Islamist Hamas to fire the rockets from Lebanon.

"Our enemies were wrong when they thought that Israel's citizens were not united in support for the IDF (Israel Defence Forces)," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu - who is facing unprecedented protests at home against judicial changes - said in a statement.

In Gaza, Hazem Qassem, a Hamas spokesperson urged "all fronts to unite and confront the escalation by the arrogant (Israeli) occupation."

HOLIDAY CLOSURE

The Israeli military said that in light of the security situation, it would extend a closure on the West Bank and Gaza until April 13, when Passover ends.

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On Friday, two Israeli sisters from a settlement in the occupied West Bank were killed when their car came under fire by suspected Palestinian gunmen. Hours later, an Italian tourist was killed when a car driven by a man from an Arab city in Israel ploughed into a group in a shoreline park in Tel Aviv.

The funeral of the two sisters, who had dual Israeli and British nationality, is due to be held later on Sunday.

After a year of escalating Israeli-Palestinian violence, tensions are running especially high as Ramadan and Passover coincide, with a focus on the Al-Aqsa compound in Jerusalem's walled Old City. Clashes there between police and worshippers helped spark a 10-day war Israel-Gaza war in 2021.

As in previous years, the government is expected to ban entry to the compound to non-Muslims for the last 10 days of Ramadan, which is expected to end on April 20 or 21, though far-right Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has called for the ban not to be imposed this year.

(Additional reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi and Maayan Lubell; Writing by James Mackenzie and Maayan Lubell; Editing by Kirsten Donovan and Toby Chopra)
Police carry out forensic investigations in Italy after a shooting in Rome. The city has experienced a worrying number of execution-style killings - AP/Gregorio Borgia

Luigi Finizio was at the petrol station close to his home in the rough Rome suburb of Torpignattara late one night last month.

As the 51-year-old filled up his car, two motorcyclists pulled up next to him and within seconds had fired eight bullets, killing him instantly.

Five days earlier, another man was gunned down in a hail of bullets by masked men on a scooter, in an eerily similar execution-style killing.

It was the third mob-style execution in this corner of the city in a week - a wave of targeted murders that has left residents fearing a return of mafia violence that rocked Rome in the 80s.

Though these three killings had seemingly little connection, police believe they were victims of a bloody struggle between organised crime families to control the Eternal Citys burgeoning cocaine market.

'Work of professional hitmen'

There is no doubt that it was the work of some professional hitmen, one police source confirmed to a local paper, pointing to links uncovered between Mr Finizio and the powerful Sienese gang.

The brazenness of the killings, coupled with the fact that Rome had not experienced such a reality for several decades, led Roberto Gualtieri, Rome's mayor, to sound the alarm.

There is a criminal escalation with the third murder in Rome in a few days", he wrote on Twitter. We must fight this organised crime and drug trafficking.

The newspaper Il Corriere della Sera made a calculation - in the last six months alone, there have been around 20 homicides in the Italian capital, on top of 15 suspected gang-related shootings.

One judge said he believed the police round-up in recent months of some of the biggest crime lords, including the Cosa Nostras Matteo Messina Denaro, has left an unprecedented power vacuum and sparked a street war to control the lucrative drug market.

Rome is increasingly resembling Naples, where clans that make up the Camorra mafia fight each other to control neighbourhoods, and where there is no overarching criminal power structure, said judge Alfonso Sabella.

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People havent really woken up to what is going on in Rome, and I fear attention will only be paid when a passer-by is hit by a stray bullet, he said.

Return of gangs feared

Writing in the daily La Repubblica newspaper, Massimo Lugli, an expert on criminal gangs, wondered if his city was seeing a return of the bad old times when the Magliana, the Pesciaroli or the Marsigliesi gangs effectively ran Rome.

Federica Angeli, an investigative journalist for La Repubblica who has been under police protection for the last decade for her reporting on the Spada clan, told The Telegraph: People in my community did not want to know me, she said, after she had published an explosive investigation into the Spada family. People here in [the Roman seaside town] Ostia were frightened. There were bars where they wouldnt even serve me coffee.

She has seen a real change in public attitude towards mafia gangs in recent years, however.

Today, residents who were once frightened to report anything have raised their heads in what she calls a sort of cultural revolution.

Falcone [the great Sicilian mafia investigator killed by Cosa Nostra in 1992] used to say that the mafia is not unbeatable, that it is a human enterprise and that, as such, it has a beginning and it will have an end, she said.
Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said the move by a federal judge in Texas to block the approval of a type of abortion medication could have far-reaching effects on the status of other federally-approved medications and vaccinations.

A federal judge in Texas last week issued a stay that blocked the Food and Drug Administrations (FDA) approval of mifepristone, one of two abortion drugs that has been available for over two decades. Becerra said the judges decision turned the FDAs approval process upside down.

When you turn upside down the entire FDA approval process, youre not talking about just mifepristone, Becerra said on CNNs State of the Union on Sunday. Youre talking about every kind of drug. Youre talking about our vaccines. Youre talking about insulin. Youre talking about the new Alzheimers drugs that may come on.

The FDA has appealed the ruling by the federal judge, who argued that the federal governments approval process was rushed, concluding in an unsafe drug being put on the market. The judge argued the agency acted in violation of its statutory duty.

But Becerra argued the judge was inserting his personal opinion in the place of scientific conclusions, saying the federal government had to challenge the ruling for Americas sake and for womens sake.

If a judge decides to substitute his preference, his personal opinion for that of scientists and medical professionals, what drug isnt subject to some kind of legal challenge? Becerra said. So we have to go to court. And, for Americas sake and for womens sake, we have to prevail in this.

The move to block mifepristone by the federal judge in Texas is just one more domino that has fallen after the Supreme Court struck down federal protections for abortions last year. There is a chance that the mifepristone case reached the highest court in the country, and Becerra said that although there is a conservative majority, they should be able to forgo enforcing their own personal judgment.

I dont care who the nine justices are on the Supreme Court or any court of appeal, Becerra said. They should be able to discern the difference between inserting their personal judgment and using the facts and evidence to make a legal ruling.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas Marco Bello/Reuters

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Saturday he would pardon a man who killed a Black Lived Matter protestor.

Daniel Perry's defense team argued that he shot Garrett Foster in self defense in July 2020.

A jury unanimously convicted Perry on murder charges on Friday.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Saturday said he will work "swiftly" to pardon an Army sergeant who was recently convicted of shooting and killing a Black Lives Matter protester.

Abbott said in a tweet that Texas has one of the strongest "Stand Your Ground" self-defense laws that "cannot be nullified by a jury or progressive district attorney."

A jury on Friday convicted Sgt. Daniel Perry for the shooting death of Garrett Foster, 28, at a 2020 Black Lives Matter protest in Austin, Texas. Fox News host Tucker Carlson and Kyle Rittenhouse, who was acquitted after shooting three men  two fatally  during a 2020 protest in Kenosha, Wisconsin, urged the governor to pardon Perry, according to the Austin-American Statesman.

Perry was working as an Uber driver on July 25, 2020, when he shot and killed Foster, according to the outlet. Foster approached Perry's vehicle with an AK-47 rifle after Perry ran a red light and drove into a group of protesters, according to the outlet. Perry then shot Foster five times with a revolver before driving away, the American-Statesman reported.

Prosecutors alleged that Perry instigated the attack, pointing out that he made a series of Facebook posts where he said he might "kill a few people on my way to work. They are rioting outside my apartment complex," the newspaper reported.

A commenter asked Perry at the time if he "could legally do so," to which he responded, "If they attack me or try to pull me out of my car then yes," the outlet reported.

Abbott said he requested that the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles hold a review to determine if Perry should receive a pardon and he ordered the board to expedite its review.

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"I look forward to approving the board's pardon recommendation as soon as it hits my desk," Abbott said in Saturday's tweet. "Additionally, I have prioritized reining in rogue District Attorneys, and the Texas Legislature is working on laws to achieve that goal."

Abbott's office did not immediately return Insider's request for comment Sunday.

Read the original article on Business Insider
By Rich McKay

(Reuters) -Texas Governor Greg Abbott said on Saturday he is seeking the pardon of an Uber driver convicted of murder a day earlier in the July 2020 shooting death of a man at a Black Lives Matter protest in downtown Austin, the state capital.

Abbott, in a post on Twitter, said he will pardon Daniel Perry, 37, a U.S. Army sergeant, as soon as a request from the parole board "hits my desk."

The Republican governor noted that he can grant pardons only on the recommendation of the state's Board of Pardons and Paroles, but that he is allowed to request pardons.

The case hinged on whether the shooting was in self-defense. A jury found on Friday that Perry, who is white, shot and killed Garrett Foster, a 28-year-old white man, who was carrying an AK-47, according to the Austin American-Statesman newspaper.

Perry was driving in the city the night of the shooting and turned his Uber vehicle onto a street where a Black Lives Matter crowd was marching, according to media. Perry stopped, and several protesters including Foster approached his vehicle. Protesters told police that they feared they were being assaulted with the vehicle, according to media accounts.

Perry's defense team claimed the weapon was leveled at him and he had no choice but to fire his pistol in self-defense, the newspaper reported. Neither of Perry's attorneys was immediately available for comment by phone or email.

Perry was convicted of murder after the jury deliberated for 17 hours in the eight-day trial, according to media accounts.

I will work as swiftly as Texas law allows regarding the pardon of Sgt. Perry, Abbott wrote on Twitter.

Texas has one of the strongest Stand your ground laws of self-defense that cannot be nullified by a jury or progressive district attorney," he said. "Additionally, I have already prioritized reining in rogue District Attorneys, and the Texas Legislature is working on laws to achieve that goal."

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Jose Garza, the district attorney for Travis County, where the case was tried and where Austin is located, is a Democrat, and has been in office since Jan. 1, 2021.

When the verdict was read, Perry buried his head into the chest of one of his lawyers and sobbed, the Austin-American Statesman reported.

Were happy with the verdict. Were very sorry for his family as well. Theres no winners in this, said Stephen Foster, the victims father, according to the newspaper.

Perry faces life in prison and is due to be sentenced by State District Court Judge Clifford Brown on Tuesday, according to online court records for the 147th District Court in Travis County, Texas.

(Reporting by Rich McKay in Atlanta; Editing by Leslie Adler and William Mallard)
A memorial for Garrett Foster in Austin in 2020. Sergio Flores/Getty Images

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) said Saturday that he would pardon Daniel Perry, who less than 24 hours prior had been convicted of murder in the death of a Black Lives Matter protester.

Abbott, who has made a name for himself as one of the most conservative governors in the country, tweeted that "Texas has one of the strongest 'stand your ground' laws of self-defense that cannot be nullified by a jury or progressive district attorney." Abbott added that while the Texas constitution does not allow the governor to issue pardons without a recommendation by the state's parole board, he had requested that they do so "and instructed the board to expedite its review."

Perry was convicted of murdering Garrett Foster, and faces a sentence of life in prison. On July 25, 2020, Perry had been working as an Uber driver in Austin when he drove toward a crowd of Black Lives Matter protesters. At this point, Foster approached Perry's vehicle carrying an AK-47 rifle, The New York Times reported. Perry admitted that he shot Foster with a .357 revolver through the window of his car after Foster allegedly raised his rifle at him.

While Perry's legal team insisted that he acted in self-defense, the Times noted, prosecutors alleged that Perry had instigated the encounter, and reportedly wrote on social media that he might "kill a few people on my way to work."

Foster's brother, Ryan Foster, told the Austin American-Statesman that Perry should not be pardoned, calling his brother's killing "clearly premeditated" and saying Perry "wanted to kill a protester and saw somebody exercising their Second Amendment right."

David Wahlberg, a former Travis County criminal court judge, told the Statesman it was "outrageously presumptuous" of Abbott "to make a judgment about the verdict of 12 unanimous jurors without actually hearing the evidence in person."

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By Anna J. Park



With the price of gold peaking at its highest level in Korea, sales of gold bars at major local banks exceeded 2.49 billion won ($1.89 million) during the four days from last Monday to last Thursday.



According to the local banking industry, the aggregate amount of gold bars sold at four major banks  KB Kookmin, Hana, Woori and NH NongHyup  from April 3 to 6 stood at 2.49 billion won. It is more than 63 percent of gold bar sales at the banks during the entire month of March when gold bars amounting to 3.95 billion won were sold.



The monthly sales of gold bars at the four major banks have been on a consistent rise this year, from 1.98 billion won in January, 3.29 billion won in February and 3.95 billion won in March. The surge in gold bar purchases at banks reflects local investors' increased preference for safe assets amid the jitters of global financial markets.



The price of the precious metal ended at a record high of 86,330 won per gram on Friday at the gold market of the state-run Korea Exchange (KRX). The gold price at the KRX's gold market rewrote its all-time highs, since the market's launch in 2014, for three consecutive sessions during the past week. The gold price rose by 16 percent this year alone, as the price of gold started at 74,360 won per gram at the start of this year.



Besides the purchase of actual gold bars, investor money is flocking into various gold investment products. Over 3.5 billion won has been invested in K bank's gold investment service, which partners with CENGold, Korea Gold Exchange's digital platform for fractional investment for gold and silver. The number of transactions for gold investment also rose to about 2,400 in March, which is more than double that of the previous month.



The amount of money deposited at local gold banking accounts at KB Kookmin, Shinhan and Woori Banks also rose to 529.8 billion won this month from 516.8 billion won at the end of February. Various gold ETF products have also been attracting influxes of money as investors look for safe investments.


One mom from Austin was celebrated on social media for the creative email she sent her daughters teacher to say she'd be missing school for one of Taylor Swifts upcoming concerts.

Rather than send a simple email to say her daughter would be absent April 24 after attending one of the Houston dates on Swift's Eras Tour, Karen Vladeck opted to lean into her inner Swiftie and pen a note laden with references to the singers discography.

Karen Vladeck visits the Taylor Swift Education Center at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee. (Courtesy Karen Vladeck)

Vladeck, 38, tells TODAY.com that since it was the first time that her daughter, who is in first grade, would be pulled out of school for something fun, instead of for a sick day, she wanted to find a clever way to share the news with her teacher.

At first, it was going to be one sentence long and then I got into it and I just kept pulling different titles out, she says.

The lawyer and legal recruiter shared the clever email she sent to her daughters teacher on Twitter, adding the message, Heres hoping my daughters 1st grade teacher is a Swiftie.

After the Anti-Hero themed-subject line Its Me, Hi, Im the Problem, Its Me, Vladeck started the email off strong with another Midnights reference, writing, Dear Reader [Ms. Parks], Im writing to let you know that Maddie wont be in school on 4/24 because she is going to the Taylor Swift concert in Houston.

I hope missing school doesnt ruin her otherwise stellar Reputation, but she begged me to go and maybe I Should Have Said No but I didnt want to be Mean, Vladeck continued, before fitting in another Swift reference. So It Goes

Vladeck added, Anyway, I hope this doesnt leave any Bad Blood between you and Maddie and that things for the rest of the year are not Treacherous.

I know I Did Something Bad and I promise this will be The Last Time she has an unexcused absence before the Cruel Summer starts, she said, before signing her email, Forever & Always, Karen Vladeck.

The email Karen Vladeck sent her daughter's teacher. (Courtesy Karen Vladeck)

"I sent it without asking my husband, even though I copied him on it," Vladeck explains to TODAY.com. "When he saw it, he was like, What are you thinking? But then the teacher wrote back immediately and she absolutely loved it.

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Vladeck says Ms. Parks, who has two teenage daughters of her own, thought the email was "hilarious."

On Twitter, she also shared Ms. Parks' formal reply to the Swift-themed email, which read in all capital letters, THIS MADE MY ENTIRE DAY.

"MS PARKS GETS IT," Vladeck wrote in the tweet.

MS PARKS GETS IT pic.twitter.com/RI6MD3Wavj  KSV Eras Era (@KSVesq) April 4, 2023

Vladeck says the response to the email has been overwhelmingly positive and a welcome break from the negativity on social media.

Theres so much bad news right now, we can spend a couple of minutes just enjoying that someone wrote a funny note to their teacher and it doesnt have to be that serious, she explains.

Vladeck, a longtime fan of Swift, is excited to be attending the concert with her daughter. She shares that it will be Maddie's first concert ever, calling the moment a "big deal."

Parents now always talk about those core memories, but I do really hope in 20 years, shes sitting around with her friends saying, Oh, what was your first concert? and she says, My mom took me to The Eras Tour when I was 7,'" Vladeck says.

In addition to getting to create memories with her daughter, Vladeck also celebrates the message Swift has conveyed through the tour.

I absolutely love the message of what The Eras Tour represents, which is that you as a woman can be constantly reinventing yourself if you want to, she says. Ive been listening to Taylor Swift since Tim McGraw came out and the fact that shes still here and is still so incredibly relevant  even more so than when she was 18  thats just an amazing message for little girls to see.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com
A 17-metre-long (56-foot-long) sperm whale died after washing up on a beach in Bali, a conservation official said Sunday, making it the third whale that beached itself on the Indonesian island in just a little over a week.

The male sperm whale was found stranded on Yeh Leh beach in west Bali's Jembrana district on Saturday afternoon.

"We are currently trying to pull the carcass to the shore to make it easier for the necropsy test and we will bury it after the test is concluded," Permana Yudiarso, a local marine and fisheries official, told AFP Sunday.

This is the third whale that has beached itself in Bali, a popular destination for holidaymakers, in April alone.

On Wednesday, an 18-metre-long male sperm whale was stranded in Klungkung district, on Bali's eastern coast.

Before that, a Bryde's whale weighing more than two tonnes and at least 11 metres long was founded stranded on a beach in Tabanan on April 1 -- its carcass already rotted when discovered by locals.

Yudiarso told AFP that their initial suspicion is that the sperm whale found Saturday also died of sickness, "just like the whale found stranded a few days ago".

"The body looked skinny and sickly," he said.

Yudiarso said it would take at least three weeks for the necropsy test to be concluded but forensic experts found some bleeding in the whale's lungs and its colon was filled with fluids.

Police have cordoned off the location to prevent people from stealing the mammal's meat or body parts.

In 2018, a sperm whale was found dead in Indonesia with more than 100 plastic cups and 25 plastic bags in its stomach, raising concerns about the Southeast Asian archipelago's massive marine rubbish problem.

Indonesia is the world's second-biggest contributor to marine debris after China.

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Arsenal's Premier League title charge suffered a setback as Liverpool rescued a dramatic 2-2 draw against the leaders.

Frank Lampard's Chelsea return was a damp squib, while Manchester United consolidated their top four place despite Marcus Rashford's injury.

AFP Sport looks at three things we learned from the weekend's action in the top-flight:

Arsenal finally crack under pressure

After a run of seven consecutive league wins, Arsenal finally buckled under the pressure applied by Manchester City's 4-1 win at Southampton on Saturday.

The Gunners appeared to be cruising towards a crucial win when Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus put them 2-0 up inside half an hour against a Liverpool side low on confidence.

Yet, despite a season of struggle, the Reds have still only lost one league game at home and came roaring back in a thrilling clash.

Arsenal were grateful in the end to Aaron Ramsdale for leaving Merseyside with even a point as he made stunning saves to deny Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez and Ibrahima Konate in the closing stages.

The two points dropped could yet prove the difference in the title race, with City hitting top form at the right time.

In contrast to Mikel Arteta's novices when it comes to the title run-in, Pep Guardiola's men are battle-tested after lifting the trophy four times in the last five years.

Despite a six-point deficit, City now know that if they win their remaining nine games they will almost certainly retain the title.

'Angry' Chelsea lose on Lampard return

Just as Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter found before him, Frank Lampard quickly learned that Chelsea's problems are deep rooted and impossible to erase overnight.

Lampard is back at Stamford Bridge as the club's third manager this season after the Chelsea legend agreed to replace the sacked Potter until the end of the campaign.

But Lampard's return, following his sacking by Chelsea in January 2021 and subsequent dismissal by Everton earlier this season, did little to inspire a revival as Matheus Nunes' first-half goal condemned the Blues to a 1-0 defeat at Molineux on Saturday.

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Despite spending over 500 million ($621 million) on new signings this season, Chelsea remain a dismal 11th in the Premier League ahead of Wednesday's Champions League quarter-final first leg at Real Madrid.

If Lampard can mastermind a shock victory against the European champions, it would be a major feather in his cap given Chelsea's usual lack of cutting edge against lowly Wolves.

Summing up the frustrated mood in the Chelsea camp, midfielder Conor Gallagher said: "We can't have too many complaints. We're disappointed and angry because we want it so bad.

"It's just not clicking at the minute. There are a lot of areas we can improve and do better. We have to look at ourselves, individually and collectively. We didn't do enough on the day."

Man Utd show strength in depth

Harry Maguire believes Manchester United can thrive without Marcus Rashford after the England forward's injury scare during the 2-0 win against Everton.

Rashford is being assessed after pulling up holding his groin towards the end of Saturday's match at Old Trafford, with United boss Erik ten Hag admitting the injury didn't "look well".

Fourth placed United sit three points ahead of fifth placed Tottenham in the race to qualify for next season's Champions League and a sustained absence for Rashford would be a blow.

But United defender Maguire is confident Ten Hag's reinforced squad can cope as they chase a top four finish as well as competing in the FA Cup and Europa League.

Casemiro will now return from suspension and Christian Eriksen and Anthony Martial are back to full fitness.

"We're never going to be successful as 11 players. We're playing in all competitions. To do that you need more than 11," Maguire said.

"To get Christian back, Anthony back, they're huge players for us. We've got a good squad to be able to cope with the demands that we've been put through."

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The owners that operate Fords Garage in the Tampa Bay area, including a Sarasota location at the University Town Center, are reviving a famed Tiki-themed California restaurant.

Marc Brown, the owner of 23 Restaurant Services that operates 17 Fords Garage locations, is opening two Don the Beachcomber restaurants  one in the Orlando area and another in Viera  with plans to open 10 to 15 additional ones in the Southeast over the next few years, according to the Sarasota Business Observer.

Heres what to know:

Background

Founder: Donn Beach, who was born Ernest Raymond Gantt, founded the Beachcomber brand in 1930s California, Los Angeles Magazine reported. Beach was a World War II veteran, who died in 1989, and his Tiki-themed restaurants continued until the last one closed in 2018.

Celebrity visits: The location in Huntington Beach, California, got visits from celebrities, including Frank Sinatra, Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh and Bing Crosby, 23 Restaurant Services said on its website.

Reaction: Authenticity is what Tiki culture is all about, Brown said, the Business Observer reported. We are excited to create and celebrate this Tiki brand.

Openings

Design and drinks: The companys rebranding of the Beachcomber restaurant will also incorporate Beachs Polynesian-inspired design and flamboyant, rum-based drinks that have become synonymous with Don the Beachcomber, according to a news release.

Timetable: Construction for the two Florida locations is set for later this year with openings in 2024, the outlet reported. The total cost for the investment is more than $6 million, the Business Observer reported. 23 Restaurant Services bought the Don the Beachcomber brand in 2022 and announced its revival plans in February to coincide with Beachs birthday, the company wrote on its website.
The TikTok has received 1.2 million views. @notluxe via TikTok

Raychel Reimer shared a tour of a converted ambulance which she lives in with her husband.

The ambulance has a mini-fridge, a portable toilet, and a closet built into a bench.

The clip has blown up on TikTok, where van-life posts are extremely popular.

Raychel Reimer lives in a converted van with her husband, Nick.

Van-lifer Raychel Reimer has gone viral on TikTok after posting a tour of the converted ambulance she's been living in for the past two and a half years.

In July 2022, Reimer wrote a first-person essay for Insider, sharing that she and her husband Nick had been living in South East Asia and Australia before buying the decommissioned 2011 Chevrolet ambulance, and converting it into their very own tiny home.

Reimer has 171,000 followers on TikTok, where she documents the reality of van life from her perspective. The hashtag #vanlife has 14 billion views on TikTok, as detailed tours of tiny homes tend to be immensely popular on the app.

Here's what Reimer said about the converted ambulance in her TikTok house tour, which has received 1.2 million views since she posted it on March 28.

The tiny home has an area of 80 square feet.

Reimer said the living space has an area of 80 feet. Notluxe via TikTok

According to Reimer, the converted living space has an area of 80 square feet, and the whole ambulance is 14 feet long and 7 feet wide.

In her essay for Insider, Reimer wrote that adjusting to the small space "took some getting used to," even though the couple had done a lot of traveling together in the past.

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"The first six months of tiny living felt claustrophobic even for us," she wrote.

The couple has now been living in the ambulance for two and a half years, having stayed in three countries, 15 states, and two provinces over that time, the van-lifer said in her Tiktok video, which was posted on March 28.

The couple's closet is built into a bench next to the bed.

Screenshot of the couple's closet. @notluxe via TikTok

"Underneath this seat here is the closet," Reimer said in the video as she lifted up a bench that was placed near the bed, revealing a shared closet space filled with clothes.

The ambulance has a small kitchen area and pantry.

The kitchen area comes complete with a mini-fridge. @notluxe on TikTok.

Opposite the closet bench was another seat, which lifted up to reveal a pantry space in the tiny home, according to Reimer's video.

The van-lifer also showed off her small kitchen space, complete with a manual water system and foot pump, induction stove, and mini fridge.

"I have everything that a normal house has except just smaller," Reimer said in the clip.

The couple owns a small portable toilet.

The toilet is in the ambulance itself. @notluxe via TikTok.

"We do have a toilet, because everybody asks that question," Reimer said, as the video cut to a clip of a small white portable toilet that is fitted in the ambulance.

Reimer said she lives "rent-free" in Vancouver in her van.

At the start of her video tour, Reimer explained that she does not pay any rent, since she and her husband own the van they live in.

However, she posted a follow-up video on April 5, breaking down the cost of a typical day in her life as a van lifer. In it, she explained that she and her husband were able to find free parking overnight, but had to move their van before 10 am so they did not get charged.

Across the day, Reimer said the couple spent $8.70 on coffee, $20.10 on groceries, and $2.30 on parking.

"Understanding parking restrictions is a massive part of van life," she said in the clip.

Read the original article on Insider
When it comes to this years Kentucky Derby, there is no question which trainer is currently holding the strongest hand.

Welcome back Todd Pletcher, the Hall of Fame Thoroughbred horse trainer who hasnt had his usual impact on the first Saturday in May since Always Dreaming gave him his second Derby victory, following up on Super Savers 2010 triumph.

This year, the 55-year-old Pletcher has all but dominated the Derby prep picture with a trio of top-shelf contenders in Florida Derby winner Forte, Louisiana Derby winner Kingsbarns and Blue Grass Stakes winner Tapit Trice.

Were blessed, Pletcher said Saturday after Tapit Trice beat Verifying by a neck on a cool, crisp day at Keeneland. Weve had a good spring. Now weve got to hope to have another good four weeks.

It was the fourth straight victory for Mandy Popes $1.3 million purchase at the 2021 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Owned by Popes Whisper Hill Farm in a partnership with Antony Becks Gainesway Stable, Tapit Trice was coming off a two-length win in the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby last month.

Tapit Trice, left, holds off Verifying to win the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Saturdays other two major Kentucky Derby prep races produced one unexpected result and two thrilling finishes on separate coasts.

In California, 4-5 favorite Practical Move held off Japans Mandarin Hero to win the Santa Anita Derby for trainer Tim Yakteen, who has conditioned the son of multiple Grade 1 winner Practical Joke throughout his racing career.

In New York, 59-1 shot Lord Miles pulled off an upset win in the Wood Memorial, edging 8-5 favorite Hit Show for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. and jockey Paco Lopez. The son of 2007 Breeders Cup Classic winner Curlin had finished sixth in the Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes and fifth in the Tampa Bay Derby before his Wood shocker.

Pletchers return to Derby prep prominence is certainly no shock. He has trained 62 horses that have run in the nations most famous race. In addition to his two winners, six more have hit the board, though none since Audible finished third in 2018.

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Ah, but last year Forte won both the Breeders Futurity and the Breeders Cup Juvenile at Keeneland to earn the Eclipse Award for champion 2-year-old. The son of 2013 Fountain of Youth runner-up Violence followed that up with wins in both the Fountain of Youth and Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park for owners Mike Repole and Vinnie Viola of St. Elias Racing.

Owned by Spendthrift Farm, Kingsbarns was unraced at 2 years old before going 3-for-3 this year. The son of Uncle Mo broke his maiden at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 14 before winning an allowance optional claiming race at Tampa Bay on Feb. 12. From there, Pletcher shipped the 3-year-old to New Orleans where he wired the field in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby at the Fair Grounds on March 25.

A son of Gainesway Farms leading sire Tapit, Tapit Trice had to earn his Blue Grass win. Jockey Luis Saez made a nice move around the turn to put his colt in position and Tapit Trice did the rest to edge the improving Verifying in the stretch.

He fought with a nice horse and kept going to the wire, Pletcher said. Thats what we were hoping to see.

There will be other worthy horses on the first Saturday in May. Brad Cox trains Arkansas Derby winner Angel of Empire, whose 154 qualifying points are second to Fortes 190 on the Derby leaderboard.

Based on his strong Saturday showing, Verifying looks to be a factor, as well.

He ran the race I expected him to run, only I expected him to win, a smiling Cox said.

Then there is the influx of Japanese horses. UAE Derby winner Derma Sotogake and Japanese champion Continuar are both expected to be in the starting gate on May 6. And by earning 40 Derby qualifying points Saturday, Santa Anita Derby runner-up Mandarin Hero could earn a spot, as well. He had won four of his five races in Japan before coming to the U.S.

In fact, this years Japanese entries appear more capable of making noise than in previous runs for the roses.

At this point, however, Pletcher appears the man to beat.

Kentucky Derby leaderboard

Listed with points earned and trainer:

1. Forte, 190 (Todd Pletcher).

2. Practical Move, 160 (Tim Yakteen).

3. Angel of Empire, 154 (Brad Cox).

4. Tapit Trice, 150 (Todd Pletcher).

5. Two Phils, 123 (Larry Rivelli).

6. Lord Miles 105, (Saffie Joseph Jr.).

7. Derma Sotogake, 100 (Hidetaka Otonashi).

8. Kingsbarns, 100 (Todd Pletcher).

9. Raise Cain, 64 (Ben Colebrook).

10. Rocket Can, 60 (Bill Mott).

11. Hit Show, 60 (Brad Cox).

12. Confidence Game, 57 (Keith Desormeaux).

13. Verifying, 54 (Brad Cox).

14. Sun Thunder, 54 (Kenny McPeek).

15. Wild On Ice, 50 (Joel Marr).

16. Mage, 50 (Gustavo Delgado).

17. Blazing Sevens, 46 (Chad Brown).

18. Reincarnate, 45 (Tim Yakteen).

19. Jaces Road, 45 (Brad Cox).

20. Continuar, Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby invite (Yoshito Yahagi).

21. Skinner, 45 (John Shirreffs).

22. Cyclone Mischief, 45 (Dale Romans).

23. Major Dude, 40 (Todd Pletcher).

24. Mandarin Hero, 40 (Terunobu Fujita).

25. King Russell, 40 (Ron Moquett).

Notes: UAE Derby third-place finisher Continuar has been extended an invitation to compete in the Kentucky Derby for accruing 40 points in the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby series. It appears unlikely that Brave Emperor will accept the European Road to the Kentucky Derby invitation.

Three takeaways from Saturdays Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland

Tapit Trice outduels Verifying to win the Blue Grass Stakes, clinch Kentucky Derby spot

Five questions to be answered in Saturdays Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland

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The author with ear seeds applied to her ear Kenneth Bachor / BuzzFeed News

Ears are impressive. They allow us to hear, keep our balance, and regulate air pressure changes on a plane; they contain the smallest bones in the body and are self-cleaning.

Ears are also home to more than 200 pressure points (each). In traditional Chinese medicine, pressure points are areas of the body connected to other body parts and organs via nerves and blood vessels in whats called a microsystem; the entire human body is thought to have more than 2,000 of them.

If stimulated properly  for example, with acupuncture needles or direct pressure  these acupoints may relieve pain or discomfort from just about any ailment you can think of, according to Chinese medicine practitioners and a growing number of doctors who practice Western medicine.

So when my TikTok For You page kept offering up videos about an acupressure technique called ear seeding, I was eager to see if it could help alleviate my lower back pain.

What are ear seeds?

Ear seeds Kenneth Bachor / BuzzFeed News

Ear seeding is the more than 2,000-year-old practice of sticking seeds from the Vaccaria plant onto specific points on the inside and outside of your ears. Today, most practitioners use tiny metal beads attached to adhesive stickers. The Chinese medicine treatment, formally known as auricular acupressure, is basically acupuncture without the needles: a plus, given that people can do the treatment at home. Its based on a meridian (or channel) system in the body thats like an energetic highway. Some cultures believe the vital life force flowing in these channels, known as qi (pronounced chee), is responsible for the functioning of your emotional and physical well-being.

While you might dismiss this as just another wellness trend, many studies suggest that ear seeding may decrease pain intensity, improve daily functioning, and reduce the use of pain medications like opioids among people with varying conditions like cancer-related fatigue, knee osteoarthritis, anxiety, insomnia, nausea, constipation, chronic headaches, brain injuries, and more.

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Acupuncture in the ear (which focuses on the same points as acupressure) has been found to trigger changes in brain activity, providing evidence for the bodyearbrain somatotopical connection, according to at least two small studies that used functional magnetic resonance imaging.

From the Western medicine perspective, these brain changes may alter how your central nervous system processes pain and spur the release of your natural pain-relieving endorphins. This thinking is based on the gate control theory, which states that acupressure on specific points sends pleasurable impulses to the brain at a rate four times faster than painful stimuli.

As a health reporter, I started my own ear seed journey with a hefty amount of skepticism. So when I dug into the research, I was surprised to find few red flags and some positive findings. While most studies on auricular acupressure are randomized controlled clinical trials  the gold standard of scientific research design  they involve small sample sizes. Still, they include control groups that underwent sham treatments and exclude people undergoing other therapies to determine ear seedings true impact on pain relief.

However, the evidence behind the treatments mechanisms and benefits is still limited, according to Gudrun Snyder, who has a doctorate in acupuncture and owns Moon Rabbit, a Chicago-based clinic that offers Eastern medicine treatments and sells ear seed kits. Fewer studies have been done on ear seeding due to Western medicines hesitancy to fully welcome it, and many studies that do exist have yet to be translated into English, Snyder told me.

Social media may be changing that. The hashtag #earseeds has 130 million views on TikTok, where people document their appointments getting seeds placed by professionals and record themselves sticking them on at home.

Acupuncture and acupressure are becoming more widely accepted, and so finally more studies are being done to show the credibility behind our medicine, Snyder said. Only now because of social media are people coming to my practice, asking for ear seeds, and wanting to know about the scientific benefits.

I asked Dr. Ellen Rosenquist, a physician specializing in pain management at the Cleveland Clinic, for her opinion on ear seeding. She said she would recommend it for most pain conditions.

Because the entire body is represented on the ear, almost any pain condition can likely be treated utilizing auricular acupuncture points, Rosenquist wrote in an email. Ear seeding is equally effective as traditional acupuncture and may be a better option in some situations.

Rosenquist added that this kind of treatment, depending on the condition involved, should absolutely be considered before more invasive treatments or those that have more side effects.

How my ear seeding treatment went for back pain.

Ive been dealing with a lower back injury since December that has prevented me from sitting for too long, exercising to my fullest capabilities, and even, at times, loading the dishwasher without an energy-sucking dull, achy pain.

I was given a set of ear seeds to try out, but they generally cost about $45 for a kit that includes about 40 seeds and a pair of tweezers. Before my first round of treatment, I studied an ear seed map to figure out where to put them, then cleaned my ears with alcohol. I used tweezers to place one seed on the pressure point that correlates to the lower back on both my ears, as well as points for stress and focus, for a total of six seeds. (Stimulating one point wont undo the effects of another, even if they are close together.) I then applied pressure on each seed with my fingers for about 30 seconds.

Within five minutes, my ear seeds meant to address lower back pain became extremely sensitive, similar to the feeling of a fresh piercing. Any time I accidentally touched one when adjusting my hair or changing clothes, the pain wasbad, which meant that sleeping and wearing headphones were really uncomfortable.

I pushed through the discomfort for two more days until I had to remove them. My ears were just too sensitive; even smiling would hurt. The other spots on my ears were tender but manageable. And to my surprise, the seeds never lost their stickiness, even after washing my hair, exercising, and sleeping on them.

Snyder said everything about my experience was normal and a true indication that my back is injured to some degree. The points we need the most are going to be the most uncomfortable, and sometimes we get worse before we get better in our healing journeys, she said.

In a 2013 study, a research team from the University of Pittsburgh tested a four-week ear seeding treatment on 19 people (10 in the experimental group and 9 in a sham group) with chronic lower back pain. It found that those who received the therapy had a 70% reduction in worst pain intensity and a 75% reduction in overall pain intensity. These benefits lasted when they returned for a one-month follow-up. In contrast, people in the sham group had an 18% reduction in worst pain and 29% improvement in overall pain severity. Participants in both groups reported ear sensitivity and soreness, as well as itching and problems sleeping; however, they said that the discomfort was tolerable compared to their back pain.

To be honest, it was hard to tell if the ear seeds really helped  Im also undergoing acupuncture treatments and physical therapy two times a week each, as well as daily full-body stretching. That said, I believe the seeds may have helped reduce the soreness and fatigue I typically feel after an acupuncture and physical therapy session, despite not noticing immediate pain relief when I attached them. As for my stress and focus, I didnt feel too much of a difference, although I dont normally have serious issues with it.

Ear seeds are technically an accessory treatment, meaning theyre best used in conjunction with other therapies. However, Snyder said they may still offer benefits when used alone: Ear seeds are a light touch, she said. If you have chronic pain or difficulty sleeping for years and years, maybe ear seeds will help, but I would recommend seeking out other therapies because they're not going to treat something that's really deep-seated.

After a two-day break, I applied new seeds on the same spots. Almost instantly, the painful sensitivity on both of my ears emerged, but I felt better able to handle it. Ive been wearing them for four days now, and the pain has tapered over time (although sleeping remains awkward). I still havent noticed any change in my lower back pain, but its possible I need more time with the seeds.

Some research shows that people can experience pain relief within one to two minutes of applying ear seeds, but Snyder said some people may need two weeks or more to feel a difference. Use them for as much or as little as youre comfortable with. You can take a break to avoid overstimulation, but everyone is different, she said.

Ear seeds, for the most part, are easy to use and adverse reactions are rare. Applying them incorrectly wont result in injury, and at worst, people may experience an allergic reaction to the adhesive or metal in the seed. Plus, practically everyone can use them.

But there are always exceptions.

For example, I applied extra seeds to random spots on my ear just to be cute (some seeds come with Swarovski crystals on top so they look like earrings). Shortly afterward, I started feeling periodlike cramps; I wasnt menstruating or ovulating, and cramps aren't a common period symptom for me anyway. I didnt immediately blame the seeds until later that night when the cramps intensified. Out of curiosity, I checked which point I placed those seeds on  it was for the uterus. So I removed the seeds, and within five minutes the cramping went away and didnt return.

Snyder said that placing ear seeds on random points may cause unintended side effects. That said, the likelihood of having such a strong reaction is extremely low. The low level of stimulus applied to the ear usually can only cause a low-level response.

Or could I have imagined it all? Many people assume that benefits associated with traditional Chinese medicine are based on the placebo effect. When I asked my doctor for his opinions on acupuncture, he said any pain relief I might experience will most likely be in [my] head. (In fact, acupuncture has so far been the only treatment to offer me enough relief to do daily tasks with no pain.) Not all doctors agree. Rosenquist told me she doesnt believe the placebo effect is the reason some people feel better after ear acupressure.

Even if it does, Snyder said, it doesnt hurt to try, especially given how expensive healthcare has become. If its low cost, something you enjoy, and has little to no side effects, why not do it if it makes your pain better? Whether it's placebo or an actual scientific mechanism, I still think it's worth it. (Although Snyder doesn't believe the placebo effect is at play either.)

The word placebo used to carry a much more negative connotation, but Western medicine is becoming more friendly to the concept, Snyder said. The placebo effect is now recognized as a powerful treatment on its own, which speaks to the importance of the mindbody connection.

As a science-driven person with moderate health anxiety , Im always willing to try less invasive therapies before more invasive medications and injections that might have unintended side effects. (My doctor wanted me to get a steroid shot in my spine, which has been proven to provide pain relief, but no thank you!) Its rare for any treatment to offer immediate pain relief, so my anticlimactic experience with ear seeds wont necessarily stop me from trying the treatment again and for longer periods of time.

In case you want to try these for pain relief or any other reason, heres some ear seeding advice:

It was difficult to see inside my ear when applying the seeds, so I recommend having another person stick them on for you for proper placement. You can also have a professional apply them.

Remember that you get what you pay for, Snyder said. Ear seeds that appear cheaper than the rest may have weaker adhesives or fake metal that may irritate your skin.

Try ear seeding for at least a month to determine if they help you. Take any necessary breaks in between each treatment session if the pressure points are too overstimulated.

More on this
Former U.S. President Donald Trump arrives at Manhattan Criminal Courthouse, after his indictment by a Manhattan grand jury following a probe into hush money paid to porn star Stormy Daniels, in New York City, U.S., April 4, 2023. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

Trump's attorney blasted the Manhattan DA's office during an ABC News interview on Sunday.

Jim Trusty called the former president's indictment a "rancid ham sandwich."

Trump is facing 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in connection to a hush money payment.

Jim Trusty, one of Trump's attorneys, blasted the Manhattan District Attorney's office and criticized the criminal indictment against the former president during a Sunday interview on ABC's "This Week."

"We should not have a criminal justice system that starts off with targeting people," Trusty told host Jon Karl. "If you do you end up coming up with threadbare charges like this."

He continued, "It is an absurd situation that multiple prosecutors passed by this rancid ham sandwich of an indictment."

Trump, who stands as the first ex-US president to be criminally charged, is facing 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in connection to a hush money payment that was sent to adult film actress Stormy Daniels in 2016 in exchange for her silence about their alleged affair.

Trump was arraigned in New York City last week, which prompted local law enforcement agencies to close down streets to brace for protests. Former prosecutors previously told Insider that the case against Trump, who pleaded not guilty, appears to be excessive as the indictment failed to mention his underlying crimes.

The former president and his defense team have argued that he is being targeted, in what Trump calls a "WITCH HUNT." Trump called out DA Alvin Bragg telling him to "indict himself" under the belief that details has been leaked to the press a day before his court appearance.

After Trump repeatedly lashed out at Bragg since he learned of the indictment, the DA's office was met with an array of death threats and "racially charged" rhetoric.

Former Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance  Bragg's immediate predecessor  noted in an NPR interview earlier this month that the hush money case originated in his office (around 2018), but was asked by federal prosecutors to "stand down" at the time as they had their own ongoing probe.

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"I think it's public record that we commenced the investigation at around the same time as the Southern District of New York did. I was asked  we were asked by the Southern District of New York to stand down," Vance, who served as Manhattan DA from 2010-2021, told the outlet.

"We did stand down for probably over a year. And then it got to the point where Michael Cohen was indicted and pleaded guilty, and then it stopped. So that was one reason why we didn't move forward at the beginning."

Vance, who did not seek reelection as DA in 2021, noted that "the only person who really knows why he made the decision is Alvin Bragg."

On "This Week," Trusty said that the team has "a lot of confidence" as the Trump case unfolds.

"But the long run, the historic run, this a bad moment and we got to do what we can to let the people know that this is a different criminal justice system if we go down this road," he continued.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Former President Donald Trump. Andrew Harnik/AP

Donald Trump's attorney argued the former president can't get a fair trial in Manhattan.

Donald Trump was born in New York City, where his family built their empire.

Trump was once happy to have Manhattan "all to myself" as a real estate developer.

An attorney for Donald Trump echoed the former president's claims on Sunday that Manhattan is not a fair location for a trial because it favors Democrats.

While the Trump family built their whole empire in New York, the city now overwhelmingly dislikes the former president.

"The issue with the venue is that Manhattan is like 87% pro-Joe Biden the last election," attorney Jim Trusty said on "This Week" on ABC News on Sunday. "It's a real stronghold of liberalism, of activism, and that infects the whole process."

Trusty was not wrong. Exactly 87% of Manhattan voters chose Biden during the 2022 presidential election. Trump did better in the more conservative borough of Staten Island, where he received 57% of the vote, leading Trump's legal team to consider asking for the trial to be moved there, Insider previously reported.

Overall, Biden received 76% of the vote across the city in 2020, according to the Gotham Gazette, which after the election described Trump as "deeply unpopular" in his home city.

Trump pleaded "not guilty" last week at his arraignment in Manhattan to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to hush-money payments made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels.

Even before he was officially charged, Trump complained that the investigation by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg was politically motivated. On Truth Social, he called Manhattan a "VERY UNFAIR VENUE." Trump has also questioned the impartiality of the judge who will be hearing the case.

Ahead of Tuesday's arraignment, Trump posted on Truth Social that "THIS CASE SHOULD BE MOVED TO NEARBY STATEN ISLAND," suggesting it would be a "VERY FAIR AND SECURE LOCATION FOR THE TRIAL."

Trusty, who represents Trump in the investigation of classified documents found in Mar-a-Lago, told ABC News the priority in the Manhattan case would be filing motions to dismiss in order to "amputate this miscarriage of justice early on."

Story continues

"The president is obviously a very resilient guy. He's upset by this situation in terms of being targeted, and that's really the key," Trusty said.

Trump, a native New Yorker, was born in Queens in 1946. As a teenager, he attended the New York Military Academy, which is about 60 miles from the city.

The son of German immigrants, Trump's father  Fred Trump  spent much of the mid-1900s building a real estate empire in Queens and Brooklyn. At his death in 1999, a New York Times obituary lauded Fred Trump as a "Master Builder of Housing for Middle Class," crediting him with building "27,000 apartments and row houses" across the city.

The obituary also credited Fred Trump with supporting his "flamboyant son Donald" in his career as a developer. Donald Trump was quoted in the obituary saying he was grateful that his father focused his construction business in Brooklyn and Queens.

''It was good for me,'' a chuckling Donald Trump said, according to the Times. ''You know, being the son of somebody, it could have been competition to me. This way, I got Manhattan all to myself!''

Read the original article on Business Insider
Former President Donald Trump attends UFC 287 at the Kaseya Center in Miami on April 8, 2023. CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images

Donald Trump made a surprise appearance at UFC 287 in Miami on Saturday night.

He sat in the front row with Kid Rock, Mike Tyson, and Dana White, the president of UFC.

Many in the crowd greeted the recently indicted former president with enthusiastic applause.

When former President Donald Trump when made a surprise appearance at the UFC 287 event on Saturday night, Miami's Kaseya Center filled with enthusiastic applause from fight fans.

Videos and photos posted on social media show the former president entering the arena with Kid Rock, Mike Tyson, and Dana White, the president of UFC, sitting in the front row with them.

His eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., was also in attendance.

In one video, Trump stands and waves to the crowd, many of whom were clapping, amid cheers and chants of "USA!"

His appearance at the event comes after he pleaded not guilty last week to 34 charges relating to a 2016 hush-money payment to the adult-film star Stormy Daniels.

Trump was in the audience at the Kaseya Center to watch the main event of Israel Adesanya versus Alex Pereira and the fight between the vocal Trump supporter Jorge Masvidal and Gilbert Burns.

Masvidal praised Trump from inside the ring, pointing at him and saying: "Greatest president in the history of the world, I love that guy."

Masvidal also praised Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Trump's greatest political rival, and started a "let's go Brandon" chant in a dig at President Joe Biden.

At one point, the UFC fighter Kevin Holland came over to speak with the former president from the cage after beating Santiago Ponzinibbio.

Read the original article on Business Insider
The headquarters of the Financial Services Commission (FSC) in central Seoul / Yonhap



Revised banking act imposes stronger obligations on lenders



By Anna J. Park



Banks will be required to attain financial regulators' approval from September, when they partially close their businesses, or sell or acquire other banks' businesses, as part of government efforts to better protect consumers, according to the Financial Services Commission (FSC) on Sunday.



The change comes with revisions to the country's Banking Act, which will take effect from Sept. 22 of this year, after a series of legislating procedures.



The country's top financial regulator made the preannouncement of the revisions to the banking law on Sunday. The revisions are aimed at preventing cases like Citibank Korea's sudden decision in late 2021 to wind down its retail business in Korea, which raised consumer protection concerns.



Under current banking law, lenders must attain approvals from financial authorities, only when they decide to close down their entire banking business in Korea. This framework did not allow financial regulators to step in on Citibank Korea's decision in 2021 to implement a partial closedown of its retail business in the country.



"During Citibank Korea's decision in 2021 to close down its retail business, the FSC could not conduct any accreditation process regarding the matter. That's because the incumbent Banking Act stipulates that lenders secure authorities' approval, only when they plan an entire closure of their banking businesses in the country," the FSC said, adding that the financial regulator could only order the U.S.-headquartered bank to detail consumer protection measures and minimize the inconveniences of the planned closure.



To prevent such a recurrence, the FSC last month revised the banking act, requiring lenders to gain approval from local financial authorities when partially closing down parts of their businesses that have been designated as "significant" in nature by executive orders.



"Acknowledging that even a partial shutdown of some significant banking businesses should earn the FSC's approval, in order to maintain orders and to prevent damages to financial integrity, the country's Banking Act was revised in March this year," the FSC explained.



These strengthened obligations for banks will be applied in cases of partial selling or buying of parts of banking businesses.



The revisions of the banking law stipulate in more detail the standards for imposition of penalties on banks when lenders violate their duties to properly report to shareholders at annual shareholders meetings.


An attorney for Donald Trump claimed on Sunday that the former president would not be treated fairly if his criminal trial proceeds in Manhattan, and would seek to have it moved.

The issue with venue is that Manhattan was like 87 per cent pro-Joe Biden in the last election. Its a real stronghold of liberalism, of activism, and that infects the whole process, Jim Trusty told ABCs morning show, This Week.

However, Mr Trusty said the legal teams top priority was filing a motion to dismiss the charges against Mr Trump.

Under New York law, a judge can decide to move proceedings if defense lawyers successfully argue that their client wouldnt receive a fair trial in the jurisdiction where the crime allegedly occurred.

Mr Trump demanded that criminal proceedings be moved out of Manhattan to Staten Island ahead of his court appearance on Tuesday.

The former president posted on his social media site, Truth Social, that the case was being brought in a VERY UNFAIR VENUE, WITH SOME AREAS THAT VOTED 1% REPUBLICAN.

The issue with venue is that Manhattan was like 87% pro-Joe Biden in the last election. Its a real stronghold of liberalism, of activism, and that infects the whole process," former Pres. Trump's attorney Jim Trusty tells @JonKarl. https://t.co/aJvE6l4LPx pic.twitter.com/WaFsbE0nxP  This Week (@ThisWeekABC) April 9, 2023

Staten Island is the only New York borough that voted in favour of Mr Trump in the 2016 and 2020 elections.

The former president was charged with 34 counts of falsifying business documents on Tuesday by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

The charges stem from a catch-and-kill scheme which Mr Trumps former attorney Michael Cohen alleges that he carried out on his behalf to suppress damaging allegations during the 2016 campaign.

Story continues

Porn star Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal, have both alleged extra-marital affairs with Mr Trump. Ms Daniels allegedly accepted $130,000 from Cohen to sign a non-disclosure agreement barring her from sharing her story. Ms McDougal sold the rights to her story to American Media Inc, whose Trump-allied CEO David Pecker allegedly buried it.

Mr Trump plead not guilty to the charges in the Manhattan courtroom on Tuesday.

He has characterised the prosecution as part of a supposed effort by his political enemies to block his campaign for the presidency in 2024.
NBC News

One of former President Donald Trumps many, many lawyers attempted to label President Joe Bidens classified documents fiasco as a case of obstructionin a defense of his client, who is actually under investigation for obstruction of justice.

Appearing on NBCs Meet The Press on Sunday, attorney James Trusty blasted host Chuck Todd for touting the Democratic narrative that Trump had not complied with a subpoena to overturn classified documents housed at Mar-a-Lago, prompting an FBI raid. Trusty claimed the true set of facts pointing towards obstruction was in Bidens case because Biden shouldnt have had the documents at all.

You've got a vice president that has documents for decades in this Chinese-funded Penn Biden Center, right? Trusty said. (The Penn Biden Center said it received no Chinese funds.) Youve got absolute obstruction there.

Trusty failed to grasp the different levels of transparency in Bidens and Trumps respective cases. When the documents at the Penn Biden Center were discovered in November, Bidens attorneys said they immediately notified the National Archives and Records Administration, which looped in the Department of Justice. Each subsequent batch of documents was turned over and also prompted a government notification, they said.

Trump, meanwhile, allegedly had multiple boxes of various classified documents at his Florida estate despite his lawyer telling NARA he had turned everything over.

Todd, using that information, tried to reel out a concession from Trusty. Did he proceed to turn them over when he found them? Todd asked a flustered Trusty, who seemingly came equipped solely with talking-point responses.

We don't have the leaks coming from [Biden special counsel] Rob Hur's investigation to know the details of exactly how stuff was turned over, he said.

So is your defense that, You know, hey, we think other people broke the law, so let us break the law? Todd asked. I mean, I just think that doesn't seem to be a good defense.

Story continues

Trusty shifted gears again, claiming Trump was receiving undue differential treatmentdespite his alleged conduct differing wildly from others facing their own document scandals.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Todd Blanche, a newly hired criminal defense lawyer for former President Donald Trump, leaves the courthouse after Trumps indictment, in New York, April 4, 2023. (Ahmed Gaber/The New York Times)

Seated far to the left of the defendant, former President Donald Trump, in a Manhattan, New York, criminal courtroom Tuesday was a lawyer who has never tried a case in court, whose phone was seized by federal agents executing a warrant last year, and who once hosted syndicated news segments bombastically defending the Trump White House.

Seated to Trumps far right was Todd Blanche, a newly hired criminal defense lawyer who also represents the lawyer at the far left end of the table, Boris Epshteyn. In between them was Joe Tacopina, a combative presence on cable television who recently represented Trumps future daughter-in-law, Kimberly Guilfoyle, before the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.

The tableau, rounded out by another lawyer, Susan Necheles, from Trumps arraignment on 34 felony charges of falsifying business records, revealed more about the client than about the case at hand. It was emblematic of his relentless search for the perfect lawyer  and of his frequent replacement of his lawyers when they fail to live up to his ideal for how the perfect lawyer should operate.

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Trump has long been obsessed with lawyers: obsessed with finding what he thinks are good lawyers and obsessed with ensuring that his lawyers defend him zealously in the court of public opinion.

His lawyers own foibles are seldom disqualifying, so long as they defend him in the manner he desires.

That often means measuring up to the example of Roy Cohn, Trumps first fixer-lawyer, who represented him in the 1970s and early 1980s. Cohn, whose background included being indicted himself and who was eventually disbarred, earned a reputation for practicing with threats, scorched-earth attacks and media manipulation.

Trumps continual efforts to identify and recruit the newest Roy Cohn have always been unusual and impulsive, according to interviews with a half-dozen people who have represented Trump or been involved in his legal travails over the past seven years.

Story continues

He has occasionally hired lawyers after only the briefest phone call, knowing little to nothing about their background but having been impressed by a quick introduction or by seeing them praise him on Fox News.

It took only an introduction over the phone by Epshteyn on a conference call for Trump to hire Evan Corcoran, a former federal prosecutor, to handle discussions with the government over its efforts to recover classified materials in Trumps possession. (Corcoran has since become the focus of government efforts to pierce attorney-client privilege and learn about his discussions with Trump in connection with a grand-jury subpoena for classified material at Mar-a-Lago as the government amasses evidence of obstruction of justice. Prosecutors believe Trump may have misled Corcoran during those discussions.)

Trump hired Jim Trusty, a former federal prosecutor, to work on the classified documents case after seeing him discuss one of Trumps legal entanglements as a commentator on television.

Thats one of the first questions: Can you go on TV? He picks his lawyers literally off of TV, said one lawyer who used to represent Trump, who insisted on anonymity to avoid publicly breaking confidence with a former client. Its more important that you go on TV for him and how you look on TV than what you actually say in the courtroom.

The same lawyer cited Trumps lawsuits against journalist Bob Woodward and the Pulitzer Prize Board as actions that any experienced lawyer would have known would get him or her laughed out of court.

He wants people who will go out and say things that lawyers cant say, things you just cant say in a courtroom, the former Trump lawyer said. Lawyers who push back dont make it.

The Woodward and Pulitzer lawsuits were advocated nonetheless by Epshteyn, according to two of the former presidents advisers, because Epshteyn is the good news guy who relays to Trump only what he thinks will please him. (Others say Epshteyn has delivered bad news as well, when its been necessary.)

Epshteyn declined to comment.

President Trump has assembled a legal team that is battle-tested and proven on all levels, said Steven Cheung, a spokesperson for Trump. With the law, facts and truth on President Trumps side across the board, the witch hunts and hoaxes being thrown against him and his supporters have no chance. President Trump will not be deterred and will always keep fighting for America and Americans.

Trump employs some veteran lawyers with extensive experience, who are candid with him even though they know he may disregard their advice or, worse, attack them for giving it, according to some who have worked in Trumps orbit. And he hasnt pushed them all to go on television. But longtime Trump observers see a correlation between others on his current team and the self-described elite strike force that championed Trumps false claims of a stolen election after his defeat by Joe Biden.

Epshteyn was part of the group that pushed to keep Trump in power and has since stayed involved as a communications and in-house counsel. Still, several of Trumps advisers were surprised to see Epshteyn seated at the defense table when photos were published from inside the Manhattan courtroom Tuesday: While Blanche, Tacopina and Necheles were all named in the court transcript as attorneys of record in the criminal case, Epshteyn was not.

Until he announced his presidential campaign in November, Trump had paid at least $10 million to his lawyers over the prior two years using money donated to his political action committee. The fact that he was not personally on the hook for the money seemed to make Trump even more impulsive in his hiring of lawyers, according to a person familiar with his legal decisions.

Trump is not an easy client: He often tells lawyers that he is smarter than them and more experienced in legal combat. He is given to instructing them not only what to say on television but also what to say in court.

In an interview in 2021, Trump named Cohn and Jay Goldberg, who represented him in his divorce from his first wife, Ivana, as the two best lawyers he had ever had.

Im not finding people like this; Jay Goldberg, you know, he was a great Harvard student, but he was great on his feet, Trump said, before making clear how much he saw the job of his lawyers as representing him in the public eye: I know theyve got to exist, theyre around, but you dont see it. A lot of people choke. They choke, you know, when the press, when you call, when the press calls. In all fairness, the press calls, and they cant handle it.

While Trump has privately praised Tacopina for his appearances on television, some of the former presidents advisers have been unhappy with them; Tacopina was recently joined in talking about the Manhattan criminal case by Trusty, though Trusty represents Trump in the classified documents case.

Another lawyer who has worked with Trump  his former attorney general, William Barr  shook his head at the sight of the defense table Tuesday.

Barr, who sat for an interview with the House select committee investigating Trumps efforts to stay in office, explained that lawyers working for Trump tend to come to one conclusion.

Lawyers inevitably are sorry for taking on assignments with him, Barr said on Fox News. They spend a lot of time before grand juries or depositions themselves.

c.2023 The New York Times Company
Imagine this scenario:

Its April 2024. The presidential primary season is in full swing. Donald Trump leads the Republican field by a substantial margin and is dominating the cable news cycle  just as he did in 2016 and 2020.

But suddenly Trumps campaign needs a day off from campaigning. He has a court date in New York. Days later, he has another court appearance in Georgia and perhaps more dates in federal courts in Washington, D.C.

And so on.

What was once unimaginable  perhaps surreal  has become a sobering possibility: Trumps real legal schedule is about to collide head-on with a very real election process and his all-too-real campaign for president again.

The arraignment by the former president earlier this week in New York City was certainly precedent-setting in its own right. No president  active or former  had ever been charged with a felony.

But Trumps presidential candidacy and his indictment by a Manhattan grand jury on 34 felony charges that each carry four-year prison terms also set in motion a whole other set of precedent-setting scenarios.

In 2016, Trump transformed U.S. politics. Now, experts say, he is about to do it again, running for president as a criminal defendant  perhaps even facing several criminal trials during the campaign season, with wide-ranging charges in several locations. This could be the political version of "everything, everywhere, all at once."

All at once.

To say that such a set of events would be out of the ordinary is an understatement. The most vexing mystery here is what will this do to the nation, its politics and the actual running of government.

The short answer: No one really knows.

A lot of crazy stuff that has gone on in presidential campaigns in the past, said Rutgers political science professor Ross K. Baker. But there has never been anything like this.

Baker predicted that America may come face-to-face with the possibility of a presidential candidate dealing with a cascade of legal problems. But Baker and many other political observers  Trump supporters and critics alike  say they dont believe the former president will drop out of the 2024 presidential race even if he is convicted of charges that he allegedly violated New York election and tax laws in paying hush money to a former porn actress with whom he allegedly engaged in a sexual affair.

Story continues

I think hell play the martyr card, Baker said. He plays that card very well. And it will solidify support among his supporters who will follow him into the jaws of hell.

More Mike Kelly: The case against Trump is hardly small or petty. Here's why

As for normal policy debates and basic government functions, Baker added: The real meat of politics will just get shoved aside in the mind of the public.

In the days before his indictment on those charges by a Manhattan grand jury, Trump not only dismissed the idea of dropping out of the presidential race, but bragged that his legal problems would boost his candidacy and poll numbers.

I wouldnt even think about leaving, Trump told reporters before speaking last month to a supportive crowd at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Maryland. Probably it will enhance my numbers.

Trumps legal problems extend far beyond New York.

He is the subject of at least two federal investigations  one for his alleged misuse of classified records and another for his alleged role in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capital.

In addition, local prosecutors in Georgia are investigating Trumps reported efforts to interfere with voting in the state during the 2020 presidential election.

Former president Donald Trump arrives at court on April 4, 2023, in New York City.

And, finally, later this month, Trump faces a civil defamation suit in federal court in Manhattan that stems from his alleged rape years ago of a woman at the Bergdorf Goodman department store in Manhattan. Also, New York state authorities are continuing to probe Trump's business affairs.

Such a series of potentially knotty legal quandaries raises yet another question: What if Trump wins the presidency again and is back in the White House, perhaps convicted of a crime, perhaps still facing unresolved criminal and civil charges in a variety of cases, perhaps juggling even more trial dates?

What then?

Would Trump, while president, be immune from those charges and trials that were filed before taking office? Would he have to balance his Oval Office schedule with the needs of a judge and jury  and perhaps a jail sentence and court appeals? And suppose Trump is convicted in the Manhattan trial next spring and sentenced to prison before the 2024 presidential election? And what about future charges? How are they resolved?

A Trump candidacy would suck all of the oxygen out of the room, said Micah Rasmussen, director of the Rider University Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics. There would be no room to talk about anything else, especially important policy issues.

As for Trump actually serving as president after a court conviction or amid continuing criminal investigations, Rasmussen suggested that government would likely come to a standstill.

We would not be talking about anything else, Rasmussen said. And we would not be dealing with any real issues.

Rasmussen compared the possibility of a White House engulfed in criminal probes to his tenure in Trenton when he served as press secretary to New Jersey Gov. James McGreevey, a Democrat who was the subject of several investigations including one involving the governors alleged sexual affair with an Israeli government official, Golan Cipel.

Former President Donald Trump sits at the defense table with his legal team in a Manhattan court on April 4, 2023, in New York.

Faced with mounting criticism about his ties to Cipel, McGreevey resigned in 2004, acknowledging that he was gay. But McGreeveys problems  legal and political  paled in comparison to those now facing Trump. Nonetheless, the impact of multiple investigations took a toll on the functions of the McGreevey administration, Rasmussen said.

It was very difficult to have conversations inside the administration back then, Rasmussen noted. I suspect the same would be true with a Trump administration that was being investigated.

The U.S. Constitution does not specifically prohibit criminals  even those behind bars  from running for president.

In 1920, Eugene V. Debs, who was serving a 10-year sentence in a federal prison for violating the espionage act, ran for president as the Socialist Party candidate. He lost but nevertheless garnered nearly 1 million of some 26 million votes that were cast.

The Constitution only stipulates that a president must be born in the United States, be at least 35 years old and be a resident here for at least 14 years.

In a recent essay about Trumps legal problems, published on the Public Broadcasting website, Stefanie Lindquist, a law professor at Arizona State University, wrote that because the Constitution does not require that the president be free from indictment, conviction or prison, it follows that a person under indictment or in prison may run for office and may even serve as president.

Such would be the prevailing legal standard that would apply to former President Trump, Lindquist wrote. The fact of his indictment and potential trial is irrelevant to his qualifications for office under the Constitution.

In 1973, amid the Watergate scandal that eventually led to President Richard Nixons resignation in the face of a likely impeachment and possible criminal charges, the Department of Justice looked at the question of whether a president could continue to serve if indicted or even imprisoned.

The spectacle of an indicted President still trying to serve as Chief Executive boggles the imagination, the Justice Departments attorneys concluded in a memo.

The Justice Department revisited the issue in 2000 in the wake of President Bill Clintons impeachment. As in 1973, the Justice Department again concluded that a president could not be indicted or convicted while serving in office.

But neither the 1973 nor the 2000 memos addressed the question now raised by Trumps candidacy: Can a president who was indicted or convicted before taking office continue to serve?

The Constitutions 25th Amendment, which addresses removal of an incapacitated president, does not mention legal problems or imprisonment. But the 1973 and 2000 Justice Department memos both note that the physical confinement of the chief executive following a valid conviction would indisputably preclude the executive branch from performing its constitutionally assigned functions.

Practically speaking, a president in prison cant take a ride on Air Force One to comfort victims of a natural disaster.

Which means, the U.S. Supreme Court would likely have to step in.

Such a possibility, while daunting and even surreal, would likely freeze most government functions.

Imagine Congress trying to set a debt ceiling, debate immigration reform or wrestle with questions of supporting the war in Ukraine as America convulses over whether a president facing prison should still be in office?

Rutgers historian David Greenberg said such possibilities underscore another very real concern  that American politics, with all its bitter partisanship, have reached a very fluid and volatile time.

But Greenberg, who is writing a book on civil rights activist John Lewis, predicted that Trump would try to ride through the political and legal storms, no matter how bad they became.

Trump doesnt seem like the guy who would fold his campaign just because hes on trial, Greenberg said. On the contrary, hell find a way to campaign in between court appearances. Hell rely on press conferences and social media if he has to.

In the end, Greenberg added, the media will lap it up. He wont lack for a pulpit or for attention.

Mike Kelly is an award-winning columnist for the USA TODAY Network as well as the author of three critically acclaimed non-fiction books and a podcast and documentary film producer. To get unlimited access to his insightful thoughts on how we live life in the northeast, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

Email: kellym@northjersey.com

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Trump's indictment presents unique electoral and governance problems
Employees of an Apple Store in Lynnwood arrived at work to find a hole in a wall and hundreds of iPhones worth $500,000 missing, Washington police reported.

Employees discovered the theft, which took place the night before, at Alderwood Mall on Monday, April 3, Lynnwood police said on Twitter.

Thieves emptied an entire wall of 436 iPhones along with other merchandise totaling more than $500,000, police said. No arrests have been made.

Eric Marks, retail manager for Seattle Coffee Gear, told KOMO that thieves gained access to the Apple Store by cutting a hole in the bathroom wall of his companys shop next door.

Lynnwood is a city of 41,000 people about 15 miles north of Seattle.

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Twitter has slapped a number of news organizations that receive public funding with a government funded media label, after drawing sharp backlash last week for labeling NPRs account with a state-affiliated media tag.

NPR responded to the label by saying it would no longer tweet from its account of 8.8 million followers until the label was removed. The NPR account has remained inactive despite Twitter changing the label from state-affiliated to government funded over the weekend.

NPR technology reporter Bobby Allyn tweeted on Saturday that Musk told him the platform would be applying the government funded label to a larger number of institutions.

The label now appears on outlets that receive some government funding, including BBC, PBS and Voice of America. However, it does not appear on other government-backed outlets, such as Canadas CBC or Qatars Al Jazeera.

The BBC was quick to push back against the categorization.

We are speaking to Twitter to resolve this issue as soon as possible, BBC said in a statement to The Hill. The BBC is, and always has been, independent.

PBSs editorial independence is central to our work, and will never change, a spokesperson said. Twitters simplistic label leaves the inaccurate impression that PBS is wholly funded by the federal government. PBS is primarily funded by the public and philanthropic organizations, with only a small portion of our funding coming from entities affiliated with government.

A VOA spokesperson criticized the label as being potentially misleading.

The label government funded is potentially misleading and could be construed as also government-controlled  which VOA is most certainly not, the spokesperson said. Our editorial firewall, enshrined in the law, prohibits any interference from government officials at any level in its news coverage and editorial decision making process.

Story continues

The Hill has reached out to NPR for comment on the new label.

The state-affiliated label had put NPR on par with other state-run media outlets like Russias RT and Chinas Xinhua, and NPR President and CEO John Lansing blasted the label in a statement last week.

NPR and our Member stations are supported by millions of listeners who depend on us for the independent, fact-based journalism we provide, he wrote.

NPR receives a small fraction of its funding from the federal government, while a vast majority of its resources come from private sponsorships and user contributions.

The label from Twitter even sparked backlash from the White House, with Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre saying theres no doubt of the independence of NPRs journalists.

The label for government funded media does not provide an explanation for how Twitter defines such an organization.

Critics of the move have pointed out that Twitter CEO Elon Musks other companies, Tesla and SpaceX, have received billions in government funding, grants and subsidies throughout the years, but neither of them have a government funded label on their Twitter accounts.

Updated at 4:59 p.m.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
EAST LANSING  A current UCLA civil rights official is one of two finalists for Michigan State University's civil rights office leader.

In an email to the university community, interim MSU President Teresa Woodruff said Chandra Bhatnagar is visiting the campus Monday and Tuesday. He will meet with people and host a presentation at 10 a.m. Tuesday 11 at the Hannah Administration Building, 426 Auditorium Drive.

The email did not identify the second finalist. Once named, the second finalist also is expected to visit MSU later in the week.

Bhatnagar is currently UCLA's assistant vice chancellor of civil rights. Bhatnagar has worked at UCLA since 2017, according to his resume, holding positions at the university's Affirmative Action and Equal Employment Opportunity Compliance office until 2021, and recently he was the head of the university's civil rights office.

More: MSU still struggles to finish Title IX cases quickly, faces staff burnout, turnover

In the latter position, he oversaw the entire UCLA campus and health system since January of 2021. Bhatnagar wrote he supervised the university's Title IX office and investigations within the civil rights office. He said that prior to that, he enforced university, California and federal civil rights policies and laws in the Affirmative Action and EEOC office.

The vice president hopeful held attorney positions at the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for two years and at the American Civil Liberties Union for 11 years, among other positions.

Bhatnagar has a master's degree in law from Columbia University, a juris doctor from the University of Pennsylvania and a bachelor of arts degree from Vassar College.

The person selected to run the MSU's Office of Civil Rights and Title IX program will report directly to the president, according to the university's search firm Isaacson Miller. Former President Samuel Stanley Jr. initiated the search in the fall 2022 semester and appointed eight university employees to work with the firm.

Story continues

"The search committee has been working diligently to review candidates and conduct virtual semi-finalist interviews," Woodruff said in an April 4 release. "After an extensive search, I am pleased to announce two finalist visits will take place the week of April 10 on campus."

Sarah Harebo is the MSU acting associate vice president of the department and Nicole Schmidtke is the Title IX coordinator. The vice president of the department will take the seniority of the two.

"The VP reports to the President of the University and leads the development and implementation of a comprehensive and robust approach to broad-ranging civil rights and Title IX issues with a trauma-informed approach," according to the position description.

More: Group of Nassar survivors support outside investigation into MSU Title IX concerns

The university's Title IX office has been embroiled in controversy for sometimes lengthy investigations beyond a mandated 120-day timeframe, not having an adequate number of case managers and investigators to handle complaints and for the office's high turnover rate.

In September, more than two dozen sexual assault survivors and their parents wrote an open letter to state legislators and Michigan State University's Board of Trustees pleading for an outside investigation into possible problems with how the university addresses sexual misconduct.

Some board members know all too well, and others should know, that this university needs careful scrutiny of any sexual violence, survivors wrote. The university needs leaders who will take Title IX and sexual assault as seriously as if they were survivors.

Support local journalism and get unlimited digital access! Subscribe for only $1 for three months!

Contact reporter Krystal Nurse at 517-267-1344 or knurse@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter @KrystalRNurse.

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: UCLA civil rights leader finalist for MSU's Civil Rights Office
UFC fighter Jorge Masvidal praised Donald Trump as the former US president watched on from ringside on Saturday.

Trump, 76, was sat in the front row at the Miami-Dade Arena, where Masvidal retired from mixed martial arts with a loss to Gilbert Burns.

Hometown fighter Masvidal, 38, lost a unanimous decision in the co-main event of UFC 287, before using his post-fight interview in the ring to announce his retirement. And the American, a vocal Trump supporter, also used his speech to praise the former president.

Greatest president in the history of the world, I love that guy, said Masvidal, pointing at Trump, who was sat in the front row with Mike Tyson and UFC president Dana White.

Earlier this week, Masvidal attended a Trump rally before visiting the businessman-turned-politician at his house in Mar-a-Lago.

The crowd in the Miami-Dade Arena erupted when Trump arrived in the building, and UFC fighter Kevin Holland appeared to speak to the 76-year-old through the cage, in between rounds of his fight with Santiago Ponzinibbio.

On Tuesday, Trump pleaded not guilty to 34 felony charges related to falsifying business records around hush money payments during his 2016 presidential campaign.
Ukraine on Sunday accused Russia of altering the Pentagon documents that have surfaced on social media in an apparent U.S. intelligence leak.

In recent decades, the most successful operations of the Russian special services took place in Photoshop, Ukrainian Defense Ministrys intelligence directorate representative Adriy Yusov said in televised remarks posted to the directorates website.

The leaked documents include details on U.S. aid to Ukraine and Kyivs military activities, but experts have noted discrepancies that call the documents accuracy into question.

From the preliminary analysis of these materials, we see false figures on losses from both sides, Yusov said.

In some of the documents, estimates of Russian troop deaths have been noted to be significantly lower than the figures given by U.S. officials, according to the Associated Press.

Yusov also sought to downplay concerns raised in the documents about Ukrainian ammunition supplies and air defense capabilities, saying it is not a secret for anyone that Ukraine asks questions about aviation, tanks, ammunition and other things.

U.S. officials confirmed to the New York Times, which first reported the leaked documents, that the materials appear to be legitimate intelligence briefs, though at least one was flagged as being modified.

The aim of secret data leaks is obvious: divert attention, cast doubts & mutual suspicions, sow discord, said Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak on Twitter.

Its an ordinary game of ru-secret services. To take open briefings, add fake info or certain parts of interceptions & publish them on social networks legalizing the leak, Podolyak said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
FILE PHOTO: A Ukrainian serviceman checks a machine gun of a tank after loading an ammunition during a military training near a frontline, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Zaporizhzhia Region, Ukraine March 29, 2023. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo

Russia has destroyed a depot containing 70,000 tonnes of fuel near the southeastern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, the Russian defence ministry said on Sunday.

It also said Russian forces had destroyed Ukraine army warehouses storing missiles, ammunition and other artillery weapons in the Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk regions.

Earlier on Sunday, Ukrainian authorities said a 50-year-old man and his 11-year-old daughter were killed after Russian forces struck a residential building in the city of Zaporizhzhia.

A 50-year-old man and his 11-year-old daughter were killed after Russian missiles struck a house in the southeastern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, officials said on Sunday. It was the latest Russian strike on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine.



"The enemy carried out a missile attack on Zaporizhzhia and killed another Ukrainian family," the head of the State Emergency Service, Sergiy Kruk, said on social media.

05:05 PM

Today's top stories

Weekend shelling by Russian forces killed at least seven civilians, Ukrainian officials reported

Russia has destroyed a depot containing 70,000 tonnes of fuel near the southeastern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, the Russian defence ministry said

A 50-year-old man and his 11-year-old daughter were killed after Russian missiles struck a house in the southeastern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, officials said

Pope Francis appeared to ask Russians to seek the truth about their country's invasion of Ukraine in his Easter message to the world

Mothers hugged sons and daughters as they crossed the border from Belarus into Ukraine on Friday after a complex rescue mission involving travel across four countries.

04:49 PM

Seven killed over Easter weekend

Weekend shelling by Russian forces killed at least seven civilians, Ukrainian officials reported on Sunday.

While Russia continued to concentrate on seizing all of Ukraines industrial east, two other provinces  Kharkiv in the northeast and Zaporizhzhia in the southeast - came under missile, rocket and artillery fire, the Ukrainian military reported.

Story continues

Kharkiv governor Oleh Syniehubov said two men died Sunday in shelling in Kupiansk, a city that Russia held before Ukrainian forces regained control of almost all of the province.

04:33 PM

Swiss pharma exports to Russia soar despite sanctions

Swiss exports to Russia have dropped only slightly despite the sanctions imposed by Bern, with pharmaceutical exports soaring to record levels, a report said on Sunday.

Switzerland has matched the 10 rounds of ever-tightening sanctions imposed by the European Union since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Though Swiss trade with Russia has come to a standstill in many key sectors, notably machines and watches, pharmaceutical exports are at a record high, the Neue Zurcher Zeitung am Sonntag newspaper said after analysing figures from the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security.

04:12 PM

In pictures: Britain's Challenger 2 tanks in action. The UK has promised to send 14 to Ukraine

 The UK's main battle tank, the mighty Challenger 2.



 Ukrainian tank crews have completed training on Challenger 2 tanks in the UK and have returned home to continue their fight for freedom.



 Find out more here: https://t.co/eVzqYwrx2J



 #StandWithUkraine  pic.twitter.com/C5ioqwTsHB  Ministry of Defence  (@DefenceHQ) April 9, 2023

03:39 PM

'Ukraine to buy more APCs from Poland'

BREAKING:



Zelensky confirms that Ukraine is buying even more KTO Rosomak APCs from Poland than initially thought.



The Ukrainian Army will get 200 Rosomaks, of which 100 will be sent immediately and 100 later.



Just in time for the Ukrainian counteroffensive!



 pic.twitter.com/XDkKvdqX2d  Visegrad 24 (@visegrad24) April 9, 2023

03:29 PM

South Korea to discuss 'issues raised' from leaked documents with US

South Korea is aware of news reports about a leak of several classified US military documents and it plans to discuss "issues raised" as a result of the leak with the United States, a South Korean presidential official said on Sunday.

Several classified US military documents have recently been posted on social media offering a partial, month-old snapshot of the war in Ukraine, three US officials told Reuters on Friday, adding that Russia or pro-Russian elements were likely behind the leak.

02:55 PM

Father and daughter killed by Russian strike on Zaporizhzhia

A 50-year-old man and his 11-year-old daughter were killed after Russian missiles struck a house in the southeastern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, officials said on Sunday.

It was the latest Russian strike on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine.

"The enemy carried out a missile attack on Zaporizhzhia and killed another Ukrainian family," the head of the State Emergency Service, Sergiy Kruk, said on social media.

The girl died in an ambulance, said the head of Zaporizhzhia City Council, Anatoliy Kurtiev.

Zaporizhzhia has come under renewed attack since Moscows war entered its second year. In February Russia launched its heaviest rocket attack on the city since the war began, firing 17 missiles in an hour.

It comes amid a Russian offensive aimed at seizing the eastern Donbas region.

stand near the clock that stopped in the rocket attack in a damaged house in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, Sunday, April 9, 2023. ) - AP Photo/Kateryna Klochko

A police officer inspects remains of a Russian missile which hit a residential area, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine April 9, 2023. - REUTERS/Stringer

02:34 PM

The signed Wagner hammer put near the coffin of the slain pro-Russian blogger Vladlen Tatarsky

During the funeral of war criminal Vladlen Tatarskiy, the best funeral gift was put near the coffin - a sledgehammer from Wagner PMC, a new symbol of Russian culture.



What could he need it for in the afterlife? pic.twitter.com/YwZQy5uEcm  Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) April 9, 2023

01:53 PM

Oscars's snubbing of Zelensky was 'example of the hypocrisy'

The Oscars's decision not to invite president Zelensky to deliver a speech at the awards ceremony in March was hyprocritical, said the foreign affairs minister.

I think if All Quiet on the Western Front receives an Oscar as the Best Foreign Language Film, while President Zelensky, who is in the war, leading the country, fighting in the biggest war in Europe since World War II, is not allowed to speak at the Oscars recemony, you will not find a better example of the hypocrisy of the film industrys top executives and producers, said Dmytro Kuleba.

01:11 PM

'Poland donates 100 BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles to Ukraine'

BREAKING:



Zelensky confirms that Poland has just donated more than 100 BMP-1 Infantry Fighting Vehicles to the Ukrainian Army.



 pic.twitter.com/xQMUbQSoY2  Visegrad 24 (@visegrad24) April 9, 2023

12:42 PM

Russian troops have dug a 70-km long trench in Zaporizhzhia, according to a government advisor

Russian troops dug a 70-km long trench in Zaporizhzhia region. It is almost a third of the whole width of the region (East to West).



The trench was noticed on Sentinel-2 satellite images.



Source: Investigator org ua pic.twitter.com/opteXj04lD  Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) April 8, 2023

12:19 PM

Russia says it has destroyed 70,000-tonne fuel depot near Zaporizhzhia

Russia has destroyed a depot containing 70,000 tonnes of fuel near the southeastern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, the Russian defence ministry said on Sunday.

It also said Russian forces had destroyed Ukraine army warehouses storing missiles, ammunition and other artillery weapons in the Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk regions.

Earlier on Sunday, Ukrainian authorities said a 50-year-old man and his 11-year-old daughter were killed after Russian forces struck a residential building in the city of Zaporizhzhia.

12:00 PM

Pope appeals to Russians on Ukraine in Easter message

Pope Francis appeared to ask Russians to seek the truth about their country's invasion of Ukraine in his Easter message to the world on Sunday and appealed for dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians following recent violence.

Francis, 86, presided at a solemn Easter day Mass in a sunny St. Peter's Square after unseasonal cold forced him to skip an outdoor service on Friday - a precaution following his hospitalisation for bronchitis at the end of March.

"Help the beloved Ukrainian people on their journey towards peace, and shed the light of Easter upon the people of Russia," he said.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February last year, Francis has at least twice a week referred to Ukraine and its people as being "martyred" and has used words such as aggression and atrocities to describe Russia's actions.

Pope Francis leads the Easter Mass in Saint Peter's Square - FABIO FRUSTACI/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

11:34 AM

Ukraine children back home after alleged deportation

Mothers hugged sons and daughters as they crossed the border from Belarus into Ukraine on Friday after a complex rescue mission involving travel across four countries.

The 31 children had been taken from areas occupied by Russian forces during the war.

Kyiv estimates nearly 19,500 children have been taken to Russia or Russian-occupied Crimea since Moscow invaded in February last year, in what it condemns as illegal deportations.

Valeriia, who went to a Russian-organised summer camp from non-government controlled territories and was then taken to Russia, embraces her mother Anastasiia after returning via the Ukraine-Belarus border, in Kyiv, Ukraine April 8, 2023. REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko - REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko

Anastasiia holds her daughter Valeriia and son Maksym, who went to a Russian-organised summer camp from non-government controlled territories and were then taken to Russia, after they returned via the Ukraine-Belarus border, in Kyiv, Ukraine April 8, 2023. - REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko

11:08 AM

Mapped: Russian gains in Bakhmut

#Bakhmut Update:#Russian forces continued to make gains in Bakhmut & continued offensive ops. around Bakhmut on Apr. 8 as tensions b/w #Wagner & conventional Russian forces over responsibility for tactical gains in Bakhmut appear to be intensifying.



https://t.co/3Rjgj7Plxb pic.twitter.com/JqUu6rkDkE  ISW (@TheStudyofWar) April 9, 2023

10:53 AM

Gazprom to ship 36.8 mcm of gas to Europe via Ukraine on Sunday

Russia's Gazprom said it would ship 36.8 million cubic metres of gas to Europe via Ukraine on Sunday, compared with 37.2 mcm the previous day.

10:31 AM

More photos from Zaporizhzhia which Russia struck earlier today

Russian missile strike in Zaporizhzhia last night. An 11-year-old girl and her 50-year-old father were killed.

A 46-year-old woman -mother of the dead child - was rescued from under the rubble.

Dozens of houses were damaged, gas, electricity were cut off. #RussiaIsAaterrorist pic.twitter.com/w7mgnW4L9S  Iuliia Mendel (@IuliiaMendel) April 9, 2023

09:59 AM

Latest update from the Ministry of Defence

Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine - 9 April 2023.



Find out more about Defence Intelligence's use of language: https://t.co/oKqFC0PPNm



 #StandWithUkraine  pic.twitter.com/zXsff4dL3k  Ministry of Defence  (@DefenceHQ) April 9, 2023

09:54 AM

US Justice Dept opens probe into secret US documents leak

The US Department of Justice on Saturday said it has begun an investigation into a trove of leaked US documents, many related to Ukraine, that have spread to the internet.

The breach appears to include assessments and secret intelligence reports that touch not only on Ukraine and Russia but also highly sensitive analyses of US allies.

"We have been in communication with the Department of Defense related to this matter and have begun an investigation," a Justice Department spokesperson told AFP.
A South Korean government worker makes a call to North Korea via a military hotline in this July 27, 2021 file photo. Courtesy of Ministry of National Defense



Communication line shutdown could be prelude to additional provocations



By Nam Hyun-woo



North Korea has not responded to scheduled inter-Korean calls via a military hotline for the third day in a row, Sunday, in what seems to be a form of protest against Seoul's recent military drills and criticism of human rights in the North.



Experts said the shutdown of communication lines could be a build-up to Pyongyang staging additional provocations, given the previous pattern the regime has shown. But it remains uncertain what means the North may resort to.



According to the Ministry of National Defense, the North did not answer two hotline calls scheduled for Sunday morning and the afternoon, extending its silence for the third day.



The two Koreas are supposed to hold calls twice a day  9 a.m. and 4 p.m.  via military hotlines set up across the border. The North has stopped answering calls from the military communication lines since Friday.



The North also did not respond to Seoul's calls via an inter-Korean liaison hotline on Friday. The liaison office hotline does not operate during weekends.



In the past, North Korea did not respond to routine calls several times due to technical issues. This time, however, it is speculated that the North is snubbing the calls on purpose because both military and liaison communication lines became unresponsive simultaneously.



Due to this, the North's apparent refusal to respond to the calls is seen as a form of protest against Seoul's joint military exercises with the U.S. and Japan and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's criticism of human rights conditions in the North.



On Sunday, Uriminzokkiri, a North Korean propaganda outlet, reported that recent South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises are "a risky militaristic gamble having no odds of winning," mentioning the Ssangyong (double dragon) landing exercise and a joint air drill involving a U.S. B-52H bomber. The report also criticized a trilateral anti-North Korea submarine drill between Seoul, Tokyo and Washington.



Seoul's recent criticism of human rights conditions in North Korea is also considered a reason for Pyongyang's silence.



On March 31, the South Korean government revealed the "2023 Report on North Korean Human Rights" and described that North Koreans are not guaranteed their civil, political, economic and cultural rights.



South Korea has been producing the report each year since 2017 under its North Korean Human Rights Act, but this was the first time that it was revealed to the public.



Upon publishing the report, Yoon said in multiple meetings with his aides, "It is very important to inform the public about the grim reality of human rights in North Korea" and added that Seoul should "make efforts for the practical implementation of the North Korean Human Rights Act."





This photo provided by the North Korean government shows the demolition of an inter-Korean liaison office building in Kaesong, North Korea, June 16, 2020. AP-Yonhap
Key developments on April 9:

Overnight Russian missile strike on Zaporizhzhia kills 2, including a child

A civilian in Kharkiv Oblast hospitalized in critical condition after Russian shelling

Macron says time is not for negotiations, calls on China to deal with Russias nuclear threats

Ukraines Air Force: Patriot and other Western air defense systems to arrive in the near future



Russian forces continued attacks on civilians across Ukraine on April 9 as Pope Francis used the traditional Easter mass to pray for both Ukrainians and Russians. The majority of believers in Ukraine will celebrate Easter one week later, on April 16, in accordance with the Eastern Orthodox calendar.



The day began with an overnight Russian missile strike targeting a residential area in the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia, killing a man and a child, acting Mayor Anatolii Kurtiev reported. One woman was rescued and taken to a local hospital.



Later in the day, the Russians also struck the town of Druzhkivka in Donetsk Oblast with multiple launch rocket systems, wounding two civilians, according to President's Office Head Andriy Yermak.



In the eastern Kharkiv Oblast, Russian mortar shelling injured a civilian. He had to be hospitalized in critical condition, regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said.



Russias continued attacks come as both sides signal readiness for a prolonged war.

Returning from his visit to China, French President Emmanuel Macron said in an interview with French publication Les Echos that Beijing has also made a similar observation and today, the time is military.



According to the French leader, right now, the time is not for negotiations, even if we prepare them.



He said that the aim of this discussion with China was to solidify a common approach, including on a negotiated and lasting peace in Ukraine.



Macron said in the interview published on April 9 that another aim of his in-person talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping was to make a clear reminder that it is up to China to draw the consequences of Russian President Vladimir Putins recent threat to deploy nuclear tactical weapons to Belarus.

Story continues

Estonian minister warns false peace is prelude to new wars, backs NATO membership for Ukraine Behind the curtains of Estonias substantial support for Ukraine lies the struggle of pushing allies to do more. In an exclusive interview with the Kyiv Independent, Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu admitted that he is not satisfied with either the quantity or pace of the allies Kyiv IndependentAsami Terajima

Ukraine awaiting more Western equipment



Ukraines Air Force said on April 9 that the long-awaited Patriot missiles and other Western air defense systems would arrive in the country in the nearest future.



We are talking about the systems that we have already been promised to provide, which should arrive in Ukraine in the near future, the Air Forces spokesman Yurii Ihnat said, as quoted by the Armed Forces Telegram channel.



In particular, work has been underway to speed up the delivery of the American Patriot air defense systems.



Back in March, CNN reported, citing American officials, that the U.S. would be able to speed up the delivery of the Patriots and send them to Ukraine "in the coming weeks."



One Patriot battery costs more than $1 billion, including $690 million for the missiles and $400 million for the system itself, Reuters reported, citing the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank.



Besides the Patriots, which are expected to substantially improve Ukraines air defense capabilities, Ukraine announced over the weekend that it would partner with Poland to improve logistics on tanks.



Ukraine's state-owned defense conglomerate Ukroboronprom announced on April 8 that it would launch joint maintenance of Soviet-era T-64 tanks with a unit of state arms producer Polish Armaments Group (PGZ).



The agreement, signed by Ukroboronprom and PGZ's arms manufacturer Bumar-Labedy, kicks off a Ukraine-Poland partnership to repair and maintain T-64 tanks in the city of Gliwice in southern Poland.



To provide additional ground support for Ukrainian forces, Warsaw will also provide Ukraine with 200 Rosomak infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs), and half of them will arrive in the nearest future, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on April 8.



The Polish news agency reported on April 1, quoting Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, that the infantry vehicles would be "paid for by European money" but "also by American money that has been given to Ukraine."
(Reuters) - President Volodymyr Zelenskiy denounced Russian air strikes coinciding with the observance of Orthodox Palm Sunday, including an attack that killed a father and daughter at home in the city of Zaporizhzhia.

Ukraine's military reported Russian attacks and shelling throughout the front, with the heaviest fighting still focused on two cities in eastern Donetsk region -- Bakhmut and Avdiivka. Russian forces have been besieging Bakhmut for months in the longest battle in more than a year of war.

Ukraine's State Emergencies Service said a 50-year-old man and his daughter, 11, were killed after Russian forces struck a residential building in Zaporizhzhia, in the southeast.

A woman identified as the wife and mother of the victims was pulled from under the rubble.

"This is how the terrorist state marks Palm Sunday," Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address. "This is how Russia places itself in even greater isolation from the world."

The president praised several units defending positions in the east and said he hoped Palm Sunday next year "will take place with peace and freedom for all our people".

The majority of Ukraine's 41 million people are Orthodox Christians who celebrate Easter a week from now.

Pope Francis, who has been critical of Russia's war, prayed for peace during Easter events in the Vatican: "Help the beloved Ukrainian people on their journey towards peace, and shed the light of Easter upon the people of Russia."

Russia's Defence Ministry said its forces had destroyed a depot containing 70,000 tonnes of fuel near Zaporizhzhia. It also said Russian forces had destroyed Ukrainian army warehouses storing missiles, ammunition and artillery in Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk regions.

RUSSIAN ATTACKS REPELLED

The General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces said more than 40 enemy attacks had been repelled over the past 24 hours.

It said Russian forces had launched unsuccessful advances on areas west of Bakhmut, now largely destroyed but with a pre-war population of 70,000. At least 10 towns and villages had come under Russian shelling.

Story continues

The report said Russian forces also made no headway in attacks on Avdiivka, a second focus of fighting in the east, and reported widespread Russian shelling in northern regions. Officials in the south said Russian aircraft had used guided bombs against towns in Kherson region.

The military have said Ukrainian forces will keep defending Bakhmut against repeated Russian attacks, though Zelenskiy last week acknowledged that if troops risked being encircled they could be pulled back.

Serhiy Cherevatyi, a spokesperson for Ukraine's eastern military command, said on national television: "The enemy is trying to take our city-fortress at any cost.

"Although it is extremely difficult, we are still in control of the situation. Our units are holding back the enemy and inflicting a maximum of damage."

Ukrainian military analyst Oleh Zhdanov said Russian forces controlled the centre of Bakhmut, with much of their actions now focusing on the city's railway station.

(Reporting by Ron Popeski and Nick Starko; Editing by Daniel Wallis)
Editors Note: This is issue 80 of Ukrainian State-Owned Enterprises Weekly, covering events from April 1-7, 2023. The Kyiv Independent is reposting it with permission.

Ukrainian SOE Weekly is an independent weekly digest based on a compilation of the most important news related to state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and state-owned banks in Ukraine. This publication was produced with the financial support of the European Union within the project Supporting Ukraine in rebuilding and recovery implemented by the KSE Institute. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of the editorial team of the Ukrainian SOE Weekly and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.

Corporate governance of SOEs

Ukraine must reform SOE corporate governance to meet the IMFs conditionalities; structural benchmark set for GTSOU. On March 31, the International Monetary Funds (IMF) Executive Board approved a four-year, $15.6 billion financing package to help Ukraine meet urgent financing needs amid the ongoing war.

The IMF has published Ukraines Request for an Extended Arrangement under the Extended Fund Facility. Corporate governance reform of SOEs is among the new program criteria.

Ukraine must reform the corporate governance of GTSOU. According to the IMFs program, the authorities have committed to implement all the following steps:

- Transfer all shares of the Gas Transmission System Operator of Ukraine (GTSOU) directly from the Main Gas Pipelines of Ukraine (MGU) to the Ministry of Energy and adopt the GTSOUs new charter which was developed and agreed with the Energy Community Secretariat (EnCS) by the end of June 2023 (structural benchmark);

- Select and appoint a supervisory board for GTSOU by the end of October 2023;

- Subsequently, appoint a new CEO and eventually liquidate MGU.

In an interview with ICIS, Dirk Buschle, deputy director of the EnCS, insisted on the importance of corporate governance reform of GTSOU. He noted that if no steps are taken to tighten up the corporate governance at GTSOU and to guarantee the independence of the supervisory board, the EnCS would be forced to reconsider the companys certification (as an independent transmission system operator).

Story continues

ICIS also spoke to Oleksandr Lysenko, a member of the SOE Weekly team. Lysenko raised concerns that  once the Ministry of Energy gets MGUs shares  MGUs current supervisory board might get moved over to GTSOU, instead of GTSOU getting a new board selected via a transparent and merit-based process.

In SOE Weekly (Issue 80), we reported that MGUs supervisory board appointed Dmytro Lyppa as the new CEO of GTSOU.

In Issue 79, we reported that in its Priority Action Plan for 2023, the Cabinet of Ministers declared plans to bring the corporate governance of GTSOU in line with the OECD Guidelines on Corporate Governance of SOEs. According to the Plan, GTSOU must be transferred to the Ministry of Energy, get a supervisory and executive board, and a new version of its charter must be approved. The deadline is December 2023.

In Issue 71, we also reported that the European Pravda media outlet revealed the conditions that Ukraine must meet to receive the EUs macro-financial assistance (MFA) package. One of these conditions is to launch the corporate restructuring of GTSOU by June 2023.

In Issue 67, we reported that on Oct. 4, the EnCS wrote a letter to Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and Minister of Energy Herman Halushchenko, urging the government to immediately implement GTSOUs corporate governance action plan:

- transfer the ownership of GTSOU from MGU to the Ministry of Energy;

- adopt a new charter for GTSOU, establishing an independent supervisory board;

- run a competitive selection for GTSOU supervisory board members;

- have an executive board elected and appointed by GTSOUs new supervisory board.

The authorities must restore regular reporting by SOEs. According to the IMF program, the Ministry of Finance plans to gradually restore all reporting requirements for SOEs that are not located in temporarily occupied territories or combat zones, which would be an important input into the fiscal risk assessment, particularly in preparation for the medium-term budget framework.

The IMF program does not specify reporting requirements and whether such reporting should be publicly available. Following the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, the government restricted access to ProZvit, a portal containing financial information on SOEs, as well as data on monitoring the effectiveness of SOE management and corporate governance, which were previously available on the Economy Ministrys website.

The state continues to maintain and provide public access to the Register of Economic Entities of the State Sector of the Economy, with the latest update dating back to Oct. 1, 2022. A lot of information on SOEs is also available through private data aggregators, such as YouControl or Opendatabot. Additionally, individual SOEs, such as Naftogaz or Energoatom, publish detailed information on various aspects on their websites.

The National Bank of Ukraine will undertake detailed bank diagnostics. The National Bank of Ukraines banking oversight teams would complete an asset valuation and solvency assessment of banks comprising 90% of banking system assets by the end of December 2023.

Note that the four state-owned banks  PrivatBank, Oschadbank, Ukreximbank, and Ukrgasbank  are responsible for some 51% of the banking system assets. In that respect, this measure mostly covers state-owned banks.

The authorities commit to strengthen the corporate governance of SOEs. A draft law bringing the SOE corporate governance framework in line with the OECD Guidelines on Corporate Governance of SOEs (Draft Law No. 5593-d), including by strengthening the accountability and broadening the powers of supervisory boards so they have the ultimate authority to appoint and dismiss CEOs, would be adopted by October 2023.

In SOE Weekly (Issue 36), we reported that, on July 15, 2021, the Verkhovna Rada approved draft law No. 5593-d on the corporate governance of SOEs in the first reading.

The current wording of draft law No. 5593-d is not yet in full compliance with the OECD Guidelines on Corporate Governance of SOEs and needs improvement. The final version of the draft law pending a second reading is not yet publicly available.

Also, there may be no room for significant improvement of draft law 5593-d. According to Ukraines law-making procedures, amendments to a draft law should be proposed by parliament members no later than 14 days after the draft was adopted in the first reading.

This means that the term for proposing amendments to draft law 5593-d ended on July 30, 2021. The final wording of the draft may only change within the amendments proposed by parliament members.

Ukraine war latest: Kyiv dismisses classified war papers leaked online as fake Key developments on April 7: * Ukraines intelligence dismisses classified war documents leaked online as fake * Foreign Ministry dismisses Brazils suggestion to cede Russian-occupied Crimea in exchange for peace with Moscow * Russian technicians may have sabotaged Slovak-provided MiG-29 figh Kyiv IndependentAlexander Khrebet

MGU discloses much of the key corporate information that it had not disclosed earlier. Last week, the SOE Weekly pointed out that Main Gas Pipelines of Ukraine (MGU) was failing to disclose essential corporate governance information (see Issue 81).

Over this week, MGU confirmed the resignation of its former board chair, Huberte Bettonville. According to both the Ukrainian and English versions of MGUs website, Bettonville is no longer listed as a member of the supervisory board, and Jan Chadam is listed as the board chair instead.

MGU has also publicly disclosed Bettonvilles resignation and Chadams election as board chair. According to its notice, the supervisory board terminated Bettonvilles powers in accordance with her resignation letter dated March 6, and Chadam became the new chair on March 21.

Finally, MGU disclosed information on its CEO. Denys Fudashkin is now listed as the acting CEO on both the Ukrainian and English versions of MGUs website, as well as in the notice of change of company officers. According to the notice, the supervisory board terminated Oleksandr Lisnichenkos powers as acting CEO on March 7. On the same day, the board appointed Fudashkin as the new acting CEO. He took up his new position on March 8.

In SOE Weekly (Issue 81), we also wrote that MGUs latest disclosures to the National Securities and Stock Market Commission (NSSMC) via the SMIDA database and the companys website dated back to November 2021.

As we also wrote, according to the companys website, MGU published only one remuneration disclosure in 2018 to comply with the joint-stock company legislation, but it has never published one since.

Another suspicion against Antonov CEO  SBU charges him with letting the worlds biggest plane get destroyed. On April 5, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) reported that it had served a notice of suspicion to former Antonov CEO Serhiy Bychkov. He is charged with negligence, allegedly due to which the world-famous cargo plane, the AN-225 Mriya was destroyed by Russian troops.

According to the investigation, Bychkov had to organize the timely evacuation of the aircraft from the Hostomel airport at the beginning of 2022. To ensure the protection of the aircraft, it was supposed to be transported to an airport in Leipzig, Germany.

On the eve of the full-scale invasion, Mriya was in good technical condition and could have flown out. However, Bychkov did not authorize the evacuation of the plane (despite proposals to do so). The SBU claims that these criminal actions led to the destruction of the aircraft, with resulting losses estimated at Hr 8.4 billion ($230 million).

Bychkov also allegedly failed to ensure the timely extension of the aircrafts insurance contract. As a result, Antonov lost over Hr 42 million ($1.1 million) in insurance reimbursement, the SBU added.

According to the National Police, investigators are also checking information on the possibility of having evacuated six other aircraft, including the AN-124 Ruslan, which were at the airport at the time.

According to the Prosecutor Generals Office, the suspect is currently in custody without the possibility of bail.

In SOE Weekly (Issue 78), we reported that the SBU served a notice of suspicion to Bychkov, accusing him of obstructing the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

According to the SBU, on the eve of Russias full-scale invasion, the Antonov management did not allow the Ukrainian army to enter the territory of the Hostomel airport to prepare for its defense.

The acting deputy CEO and the deputy CEO for aviation security were also notified of the suspicion. According to media reports, these are Mykhailo Kharchenko and Oleksandr Netiosov.

Ukraines state defense conglomerate UkrOboronProm transformed into stock company The long-running drama over the reform of UkrOboronProm, Ukraines problematic state-owned defense production giant, is seeing a new round amid Russias ongoing full-scale invasion of the country. On March 21, Ukraines Cabinet of Ministers issued a decree initiating the conglomerates transformati Kyiv IndependentIllia Ponomarenko

Energy

Ukrhydroenergos CEO interviewed. Ukrhydroenergos CEO Ihor Syrota was interviewed by Interfax-Ukraine this week. We selected the key points.

On the consequences of missile attacks:

Missile attacks on our facilities began on Oct. 31, 2022. Since then, more than 30 missiles have hit our facilities. And while in August we lost 120 MW of capacity, which is two units at Kakhovka HPP, as of today we have already lost 300 MW of Kakhovka HPP, which has been out of operation and has not been generating electricity for several months. In total, we have lost 2,000 MW.

We have already repaired 500 MW, and another 1,500 MW needs to be repaired.

On the financial situation:

Losses in Kakhovka amounted to Hr 16.7 billion ($457 million) as of August 2022, and to recover from the next strikes, we need at least Hr 22 billion ($602 million) more.

With the funds that the company now has after fulfilling the PSO (public service obligation) for 2022, we need at least five years to cover this amount of Hr 22 billion.

Energoatom and Ukrhydroenergo were granted the right to sell electricity on market terms from Oct. 1, 2021. Under the new PSOs financial model, the proceeds were used to compensate electricity providers for the difference between the regulated household tariffs (Hr 1.44/kWh and Hr 1.68/kWh depending on the volume of consumption) and market prices.

Since October 2021, the Cabinet of Ministers has repeatedly extended the PSO mechanism to keep electricity tariffs for households unchanged. The PSO mechanism would be in place until April 30, 2023  the price of electricity would remain unchanged until the end of the heating season.

If I am not mistaken, we have Hr 1.9 billion ($52 million) in PSO debts today. This is also a lot of money for us because only three months of the year have passed. If we are (allowed) not to pay the PSO, it will (only) take us a year and a half to recover  without loans (rather than the five years mentioned above.

We are looking for donors. Since January, we have been working with both the European Investment Bank and the World Bank to obtain low-interest loans.

Ukrenergo receives 700 million euros in loans to restore the power grid after Russian attacks. On April 3, Ukrenergos CEO Volodymyr Kudrytskyi reported that international partners and donors have provided more than 700 million euros in loans to restore the power grid.

In SOE Weekly (Issue 78), we reported on the previous wave of Russias missile and drone attacks on March 9. This was Russias 15th mass attack.

After every Russian mass missile attack on Ukraines vital infrastructure, emergency outages often last for days due to the ongoing repair works. During such outages, people in Ukraine are often left without electricity, heating, water supply, or access to mobile phone networks.

Ukrainian energy company on Russias attacks on infrastructure: No system in the world has faced the same Ukraine faces its most challenging winter as Russia relentlessly strikes its energy system to plunge the nation into cold and darkness. Since mid-October, Russias carried out five mass missile attacks that have damaged 40% of Ukraines energy system and made long power outages a new reality for ma Kyiv IndependentAlexander Query

Infrastructure

S&P upgrades Ukrzaliznytsias credit rating. On April 3, Ukrzaliznytsia reported that S&P Global Ratings raised its credit score to CCC+.

The recent completion of the $895 million debt restructuring contributed to the rating upgrade, Ukrzaliznytsia explained. According to the company, this agreement and other projects with international partners have helped to ease pressure on Ukrzaliznytsias liquidity, and its contractual debt repayments will be reduced by more than 90% in 2023-2024.

The company said that S&P also noted the successful re-purposing of a 150 million euro credit line with the EBRD for liquidity needs and the write-off of debts from Russian banks in accordance with the law that came into force in August 2022.

Ukrzaliznytsia added that S&P gave the company the same rating as the sovereign debt rating, which is the highest possible result in wartime.

In SOE Weekly (Issue 73), we reported that Ukrzaliznytsia completed the final formalities for the restructuring of payments for two Eurobond issues totalling $895 million. Interest and principal payments on Ukrzaliznytsia bonds were deferred for two years.

Repayments of Eurobonds issued in 2019 ($594.9 million) were deferred from 2024 to 2026; payments for the 2021 issue ($300 million) were deferred from 2026 to 2028. Coupon payments due in 2023-2024 were deferred until January 2025 with possible capitalization.

In Issue 66, we reported that Fitch Ratings downgraded Ukrzaliznytsias Long-Term Foreign-Currency Issuer Default Rating (LTFC IDR) to C from CC following its consent solicitation to defer the debt servicing of its U.S. dollar loan participation notes (LPN) maturing in 2024 and 2026.

At that time, S&P Global Rating downgraded Ukrzaliznytsias rating from CCC- to CC because of the companys solicitation to defer all payments on the above Eurobonds.

Agriculture Minister: Russias grain corridor sabotage could lead to higher food prices Editors Note: This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. Russias blockage of Ukrainian seaports triggered a global food crisis. The global food crisis was partially resolved in July when an UN-backed grain deal was reached, forcing Russia to unblock three ports in Odesa Oblast for Kyiv IndependentAnastasiya Gordiychuk

HACC sets Hr 4 million bail for former First Deputy Minister of Infrastructure Shulmeister. On April 4, the High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) imposed a measure of restraint on Volodymyr Shulmeister, former First Deputy Minister of Infrastructure.

He and former Minister Andriy Pyvovarsky are suspected of abuse of power, which caused the state over $30 million in losses, the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutors Office (SAPO) reported.

According to SAPO, the court partially granted the motion and imposed a bail of Hr 4 million ($109,000). Shulmeister must deposit the funds to the HACC account within five days from the date of the courts ruling.

Shulmeister also has the following obligations:

Appear at the first request of the detective, prosecutor, or court;

Notify the detective, prosecutor, and court of any changes in his place of residence and work or travel abroad;

Refrain from communicating with other suspects in the case and witnesses.

The ruling may be challenged at the HACCs Appeals Chamber within five days of its announcement.

Shulmeister commented on the courts ruling on his Facebook page. He said that the judge reduced the bail amount by 20% compared to the prosecutors request. Shulmeister also wrote that he was not running from anyone and was not hiding anywhere.

In SOE Weekly (Issue 80), we reported that former Infrastructure Minister Andriy Pyvovarsky posted bail of Hr 10 million ($273,000), which the HACCs investigating judge had set for him on March 16 (see Issue 79).

According to the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU), in 2015, Pyvovarsky issued an order allowing private companies to charge half the harbour dues at Pivdenny seaport. The water area of this port is state property in the use of the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority (USPA). Only a state enterprise has the right to charge harbour dues, NABU said.

Pyvovarsky responded that according to the law On Sea Ports of Ukraine, proceeds from tonnage tax are distributed between the user of the ports harbour (in this case, USPA) and the owner of the operational harbour (in this case, private company TIS). He argued that the ministrys order was therefore not a crime. See SOE Weeklys Issue 76 for more detail.

In Issue 76, we reported that on Feb. 22, NABU and SAPO served Pyvovarsky a notice of suspicion of abusing his powers, which allegedly caused more than $30 million in damage in 2015.

Pyvovarsky served as the minister of infrastructure in the Arseniy Yatsenyuk government from December 2014 to April 2016. Volodymyr Shulmeister, who had been the First Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and chaired the ministrys Tariff Council, was also charged in absentia.

In Issue 77, we reported that Pyvovarsky wrote on his Facebook page that NABU asked the court to set his bail at Hr 20 million ($547,000). Pyvovarsky emphasised that he fully disagreed with the charges and the motion to set bail.
Ukrainian troops took down a Russian Zala reconnaissance drone flying over Sumy Oblast on April 9, the Operational Command "North" reported.

The drone was shot down with anti-aircraft guns, according to the report. The downed drone appeared to be a Zala 421-16, a Russian-made reconnaissance UAV.

The remains of a Russian Zala drone, shot down by Ukrainian troops over Sumy Oblast in northern Ukraine on April 9. (Photo shared by Operational Command "North")

Sumy Oblast is located on Ukraine's northeastern border with Russia. It has been the target of daily Russian shelling and attacks across the border since parts of the oblast were liberated from Russian troops in early April 2022, after a month-long occupation.

Russian forces shelled four communities in Sumy Oblast on April 8, firing more than 79 rounds from various types of weapons.
York harbours a rich history left behind by its Anglo-Saxon, Viking and Norman inhabitants

Seven sites in the UK and its overseas territories are in the running to win Unesco World Heritage status.

York city centre, Birkenhead Park and an iron age settlement in Shetland are among the locations being put forward by the government to join the prestigious list.

The globally-recognised designation is given to places of cultural, historical or scientific significance.

There are already 33 World Heritage sites in the UK, including Stonehenge.

Globally, the sites on the list overseen by the agency of the United Nations, include Australia's Great Barrier Reef and historic areas of Cairo.

Five new sites from across the UK and overseas territories have been added to the government's "Tentative List", which is published about every 10 years and sets out the locations it is felt have the best chance of succeeding in being included.

Birkenhead Park inspired the development and creation of parks across the world including New York's Central Park

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) confirmed the new sites are:

York, which harbours a rich history left behind by its Anglo-Saxon, Viking and Norman inhabitants, with civic and religious buildings including its Minster

Birkenhead Park in Merseyside, which opened in 1847 and was a pioneering project to bring greenery to urban environments - it inspired the development and creation of parks across the world including New York's Central Park

The Zenith of Iron Age Shetland, a collection of three ancient settlements dating back thousands of years

The East Atlantic Flyway, a migratory bird route over western parts of Europe including Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex and Kent. It joins the list in recognition of its vital importance to bird populations and wildlife as an area that sees huge transient bird populations pass through every year

The Little Cayman Marine Parks and Protected Areas, in the UK overseas territory of the Cayman Islands, have also been put forward for their exceptional importance to marine biodiversity and their incredible natural beauty

Two other sites submitted their full nominations to Unesco earlier this year, and remain on the government's Tentative List.

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They are The Flow Country, a large area of peatland across Caithness and Sutherland in the north of Scotland which plays a crucial role in supporting biodiversity, and the Gracehill Moravian Church Settlement in Ballymena, Northern Ireland.

Heritage Minister Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay said: "All the locations being put forward would be worthy recipients of this accolade - and we will give them our full backing so they can benefit from the international recognition it can bring."

The Zenith of Iron Age Shetland is a collection of three ancient settlements dating back thousands of years

Laura Davies, HM ambassador to Unesco, said the five new sites added to the list "brilliantly reflect the diversity and beauty of the UK and its overseas territories' natural and cultural heritage".

The DCMS said it will work with local authorities and devolved administrations to develop their bids.
Metropolitan Epiphanius told where the service will be held on Easter

The time of the service will be announced later as Kyiv's wartime curfew will not be lifted for the Easter holidays.

"It causes a little bit of difficulty, because people are not allowed to be outside at this time. We will pray in the (Kyiv-Pechersk) Lavra in the Dormition Cathedral, but most likely in the morning after the curfew ends," the metropolitan said.

Epiphany also commented on the situation with the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) in Ukraine, which has refused to leave the Lavra despite the termination of its lease agreement on March 29.

"We are not for eviction of monks from the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. We are for the spirit of the "Russian world" not to prevail here. We are for the Ukrainian Lavra where people will always pray in Ukrainian for our Ukraine," he said.

Read also: Ukrainian Orthodox Church will get contracts to use two Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra churches long-term

Ukrainization of the Lavra is inevitable, he believes. The UOC constantly conducts services in the Upper Lavra for now. People will pray "in peace and calm" in the Lower Lavra over time.

Metropolitan Epiphany conducted Divine Liturgy for Palm Sunday in the Refectory Church of Antoniy and Theodosiy at the Holy Dormition Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra on March 9.

The ROC was supposed to evict the Kyiv Cave Monastery at the end of March as its lease agreement was terminated. However, the church representatives refused to leave the monastery and continue to conduct services there.

Read also: Orthodox Church of Ukraine Holds First Christmas in Historic Kyiv Pechersk Lavra

The ROC has also repeatedly denied the Culture Ministry's property commission access to the churches of the Lavra. A criminal case was opened over the issue.

ROC leadership headed by former Lavra abbot, Petro Lebid (Metropolitan Pavlo), accused Ukrainian authorities and the Ministry of Culture of issuing an "ultimatum" and stated that the eviction is illegal.

The ROC challenged its eviction from the Kyiv Cave Monastery, but were not granted permission to stay in the monastery for the duration of lawsuit.

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The full-fledged monastic life will go on and Ukraine has an "action plan," Minister of Culture and Information Policy Oleksandr Tkachenko said. He claimed that the state will consider different ways of the Lavra's usage in the future.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
A USAF T-38 Talon lands at Sheppard Air Force Base in Texas. Riccardo Niccoli/Getty Images

The US Air Force will raise its body fat limits for new applicants to drive recruitment.

The group will now admit male recruits with up to 28% body fat and females with up to 36%.

The Air Force last month revealed it would likely fall short of recruiting targets by 10%.

The US Air Force will allow its service members to have more body fat under new rules designed to boost recruitment.

Male troops will now be able to have 26% body fat rather than 20%, while female recruits can have 36% body fat, up from 28%, said Air Force Recruitment Service spokesperson Leslie Brown.

"We realize the youth of today lead a more sedentary lifestyle than past generations and the Air Force's more restrictive standards were driving away otherwise qualified applicants," Brown told Insider in an emailed statement.

"Once the recruits are accessed and in the Air Force, they will have access to nutritional and physical fitness support to assist with achieving and maintaining a healthier weight/BFM."

The looser restrictions could increase monthly intake by 50 to 100 recruits, Brown added.

The reported adjustment comes as the Air Force deals with a shortfall of new recruits. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall told Military.com last month that the unit was likely to miss its recruiting target this year by 10%.

"We are swimming upstream against reduced propensity to serve nationally across the board and a limited percentage of qualified candidates," he said.

A study published last year by the Pentagon and reported by Military.com found 71% of Americans aged 17 to 24 would be ineligible for military recruitment due to reasons including obesity and drug abuse.

The Centre for Disease Control said in July 2022 that a third of young Americans were too heavy to serve in the military. Only one in two were both eligible and adequately active to serve, it said.

Read the original article on Business Insider
The Ministry of Justice of the US investigates very few cases about violating the sanctions imposed against Russia since 2014 and took a tougher stance concerning this issue only after the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Source: American news outlet Politico

Details: Politico analysed the implementation of the sanctions, conducting export control and executing other restrictions against Russia during its almost ten years-long war with Ukraine, which were applied by the Ministry of Justice of the US. The research was based on hundreds of pages of court documents and other materials as well as on interviews with more than ten former American officials who are experienced in the sector of national security and law enforcement.

The reviews findings suggest that, although Washington has since 2014 imposed multiple rounds of sanctions on Russia due to its invasion of Ukraine, the Justice Department under the Obama and Trump administrations did not prioritise prosecutions related to that war, filing relatively few cases until after Putin escalated it in 2022.

Politico applied generous standards for what cases count, finding 14 criminal cases from January 2014 through February 2022. But some of the cases were only tangentially  if at all  related to Ukraine.

Such U.S. prosecutions have spiked in the months since Russias full-scale invasion in February 2022. Prosecutors have filed at least 18 cases involving indictments or charges targeting at least 39 people. But the records also show that the cases often are built on the alleged misdeeds of suspects dating back several years prior, meaning they potentially could have been prosecuted sooner.

Quote: "Politicos findings support critics who argue that Washington, and the West more broadly, was too lenient toward Russia for too long, especially when it came to Ukraine. Such critics, who include Russian dissidents and Ukrainian activists, say America in particular should have imposed  and enforced  tougher Ukraine-related sanctions and other penalties more often and faster in the wake of the initial 2014 invasion."

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More details: The outlet remarks that in March 2022, criminal indictment against Jack Hanick, ex-employee of the Fox News, was unveiled. He was openly helping Konstantin Malofeev, a Russian oligarch, create the pro-Kremlin television empire for years while the latter was under the US sanctions since 2014.

A few weeks before 24 February 2022 Americans secretly detained Hanick in the UK. On 2 March 2022, the Ministry of Justice presented its main tool for the implementation of the American sanctions against Russia  the KleptoCapture operative group. The next day, the institution publicly announced that Hanick was indicted.

The Ministry of Justice of the US touted it as "the first-ever criminal indictment charging a violation of U.S. sanctions arising from the 2014 Russian undermining of democratic processes and institutions in Ukraine."

"The timing was clearly intended to send a message  the United States was cracking down on those who aid Russias incursion into Ukraine. But it also amplified a question on the mouths of many critics: Why hadnt the United States prosecuted these people years earlier? After all, Russia was already facing U.S. sanctions put in place after it first attacked and occupied Ukraines Crimea and other regions in 2014  a set of penalties designed to deter further aggression. If more cases had been brought, critics maintain, Putin may have been discouraged from pursuing his large-scale invasion in 2022," writes the outlet.

Justice Department defenders dismiss the idea that U.S. prosecutions could have thwarted Putins long-term obsession to fold Ukraine into Russia. They point to several potential reasons the department didnt prosecute Hanick and others sooner, from the fact that such investigations take time and must meet a high bar to the argument that it wasnt until 2018, amid anger over Russian interference in U.S. elections, that the U.S. really began aiming sanctions at Russians with significant exposure to the U.S. financial  and legal  system.

Above all, former U.S. prosecutors said they were hampered by a lack of cooperation from other countries, even allies such as the UK, when they wanted to go after sanctions evaders. Nonetheless, it is unclear if before 2022, the Ministry of Justice of the White House put enough pressure on other countries to encourage them to cooperate.

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A Chinese aircraft takes part in a drill around Taiwan

China has simulated precision strikes against key targets on Taiwan and its surrounding waters during a second day of military drills.

The drills - which Beijing has called a "stern warning" to the self-governing island - are a response to Taiwan's president visiting the US last week.

As the Chinese military simulated an encirclement of the island, the US urged China to show restraint.

Taiwan said about 70 Chinese aircraft flew around the island on Sunday.

Eleven Chinese ships were also spotted.

On Saturday, Taiwan said that 45 warplanes either crossed the Taiwan Strait median line - the unofficial dividing line between Taiwanese and Chinese territory - or flew into the south-western part of Taiwan's air defence identification zone.

The operation, dubbed "Joint Sword" by Beijing, will continue until Monday. Taiwanese officials have been enraged by the operation.

On Saturday defence officials in Taipei accused Beijing of using President Tsai's US visit as an "excuse to conduct military exercises, which has seriously undermined peace, stability and security in the region".

On day one of the drills, one of China's ships fired a round as it sailed near Pingtan island, China's closest point to Taiwan.

Taiwan's Ocean Affairs Council, which runs the Coast Guard, issued video footage showing one of its ships shadowing a Chinese warship, though did not provide a location.

In the footage a sailor can be heard telling the Chinese ship through a radio: "You are seriously harming regional peace, stability and security. Please immediately turn around and leave. If you continue to proceed we will take expulsion measures."

Other footage showed a Taiwanese warship, the Di Hua, accompanying the Coast Guard ship in what the Coast Guard officer calls a "standoff" with the Chinese vessel.

While the Chinese exercises ended by sundown on Saturday evening, defence officials in Taipei said fighter jet sorties started again early on Sunday morning.

US state department officials have urged China not to exploit President Tsai's US visit, and have called for "restraint and no change to the status quo".

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A state department spokesperson said the US was "monitoring Beijing's actions closely" and insisted the US had "sufficient resources and capabilities in the region to ensure peace and stability and to meet our national security commitments".

The US severed diplomatic ties with Taipei in favour of Beijing in 1979, but it is bound by law to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself.

US President Joe Biden has said on several occasion that the US would intervene if China attacked the island, but US messaging has been murky.

At Wednesday's meeting in California, Ms Tsai thanked US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy for America's "unwavering support", saying it helped "reassure the people of Taiwan that we are not isolated and we are not alone".

Mr McCarthy had originally planned to go to Taiwan himself, but opted instead to hold the meeting in California to avoid inflaming tensions with China.

Chinese state media said the military drills, which are due to run until Monday, would "simultaneously organise patrols and advances around Taiwan island, shaping an all-round encirclement and deterrence posture".

It added that "long-range rocket artillery, naval destroyers, missile boats, air force fighters, bombers, jammers and refuellers" had all been deployed by China's military.

But in Taiwan's capital Taipei, residents seemed unperturbed by China's latest manoeuvres.

"I think many Taiwanese have gotten used to it by now, the feeling is like, here we go again!" Jim Tsai said on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Michael Chuang said: "They [China] seems to like doing it, circling Taiwan like it's theirs. I am used to it now.

"If they invade we can't escape anyway. We'll see what the future holds and go from there."

Taiwan's status has been ambiguous since 1949, when the Chinese Civil War turned in favour of the Chinese Communist Party and the country's old ruling government retreated to the island.

Taiwan has since considered itself a sovereign state, with its own constitution and leaders. China sees it as a breakaway province that will eventually be brought under Beijing's control - by force if necessary.

China's President Xi Jinping has said "reunification" with Taiwan "must be fulfilled".
NASHVILLE, Tenn.  Outside a Kroger grocery store in the suburban Antioch neighborhood, where ousted Justin Jones held rallies during his 2022 campaign, Black residents expressed outrage at the state Republicans who expelled their state representative for protesting gun violence last week.

Hes Black, he has our interests at heart, and he gets removed for protesting. That is racial, Angelo Tate, 31, who identifies as a Democrat, said Friday. It makes us feel like our choice and our voice is not valued and we seem to be moving backwards politically.

Rachel Tate, 30, who also identifies as a Democrat, said, Its messed up. All he wanted to do was represent us and he got penalized for it.

White men dont care what we think, Tate said. They took our representative away from us.

Its like our vote doesnt matter.

Former Rep. Justin Jones looks for a seat in the gallery of the House chamber after being expelled from the legislature in Nashville, Tenn. (George Walker IV / AP)

Natalie Hancock, 41, who did not disclose her political affiliation, echoed their sentiment. Were not happy, she said. Im sick of the guns, so many of us are, so why cant we say that? This was obviously racial. There is no hiding it.

Their voices paralleled those of the Black Tennessee legislators who have denounced their Republican counterparts over the expulsions. The world saw the optics, the Black caucus chairman, Rep. Sam McKenzie, a Democrat from Knoxville, told reporters Friday. I dont have to say a word about the fact that our two young African American brothers were unfairly prosecuted.

GOP legislators voted Thursday to expel Jones, along with Justin J. Pearson, who are Black, over their protests on the chamber floor, arguing that they broke the rules of the chamber. A vote to expel a third Democrat, Rep. Gloria Johnson, who is white, fell short.

In the March 30 demonstration, the three legislators  dubbed the "Tennessee Three"  had led supporters in calling for stricter gun safety measures after a mass shooting in the state killed three children and three adults.

People protest inside the Tennessee State Capitol to call for an end to gun violence and support stronger gun laws (Seth Herald / Getty Images)

The unprecedented votes spotlighted the partisan divisions that have plagued the Tennessee General Assembly and sparked widespread allegations of racism, which Republicans have denied.

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Johnson, asked on CNN why she wasnt expelled along with Jones and Pearson, said last week: Well, I think its pretty clear. Im a 60-year-old white woman, and they are two young Black men.

GOP Rep. Bryan Richey, who voted to expel Jones but not Pearson or Johnson, has said the expulsions had nothing to do with race and had nothing to do with the color of their skin.

The two freshman lawmakers, both community organizers and social justice advocates, had been in office less than five months. Democratic residents in their now-vacant districts have expressed frustration over the expulsions of the young activist representatives they had voted into office to enact change.

On Saturday, Black residents of the Westwood area of Memphis, less than 10 miles north of the Mississippi border, said that Pearson, their former representative, was unfairly punished and that his removal has disenfranchised them as voters.

Justin had the right to speak his mind. He should be allowed to do that, said Sheila Hudson, 62. To me, it was a prejudiced kind of thing. Why else did they kick out the two Black men and keep the white woman? They were all voicing their opinion. They all did the same thing.

Hudson said she would vote for Pearson again in a heartbeat."

Expelled Rep. Justin Pearson, Rep. Gloria Johnson, and expelled Rep. Justin Jones (George Walker IV / AP)

Local governments have the job of filling temporarily vacated state legislative seats.

The Shelby County Board of Commissioners will vote on a resolution to reinstate Pearson on Wednesday afternoon, Shelby County Commission Chair Mickell Lowery said in a statement Sunday.

"I believe the expulsion of State Representative Justin Pearson was conducted in a hasty manner without consideration of other corrective action methods," he said.

Meanwhile, a majority of the members of the Nashville Metropolitan Council have told NBC News they plan to vote to reinstate Jones to the Legislature. The council is expected to hold a special meeting Monday to discuss an interim replacement.

State House Democratic Caucus Chair John Ray Clemmons said he "fully expects" Jones and Pearson to be reappointed. Clemmons said he has spoken with GOP legislators, including the House speaker, who promised to cooperate with the reappointments.

"Just because we're the superminority party doesn't mean the one party that controls every part of government in Tennessee can act with reckless abandon and spit in the face of our democracy and the integrity of our state," Clemmons said, adding that the expulsions were a "waste of an entire week" that should have been focused on gun violence.

In a joint interview Sunday on NBCs Meet the Press, Jones and Pearson said they will do everything in their power to get back into office to represent their communities again.

In a red state made up of roughly of 78% white and 17% Black residents, the expelled legislators represented districts that were comparatively more diverse. District 86, which Pearson represented, is 61% Black, and District 52, which Jones represented, is 31% Black.

On a bustling road in the Westwood area, Eric Whitemore, 61, another resident who voted for Pearson, voiced concerns about the "racial" tones that underpinned his representative's expulsion.

The punishment did not fit the crime, said Whitemore, who is Black and identifies as a Democrat. I didnt feel that was right, but thats America.

Another Black resident of Woodland, Sandra Smith-Royster, 63, said she voted for Pearson because he represented her views.

If his voice doesnt matter, then mine doesnt, either," she said. It should be us choosing who we want, not the Republicans.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
The meeting of the foreign ministers of Russia, Iran, Turkiye, and Syria has been postponed to early May, Russian Ambassador to Damascus Alexander Efimov said in an interview with the Al Watan newspaper, Azernews reports citing TASS.

"The meeting, which was scheduled for Monday, has been rescheduled for early May. Contacts and consultations continue between the parties to achieve positive results on this issue," he said.
Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin, second from right, visits Hyundai Motor's factory in Chennai, India, in this photo provided by the Korean foreign ministry, April 8. Yonhap



Foreign Minister Park Jin visited Hyundai Motor's factory in the southern Indian city of Chennai, as part of his trip celebrating the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Seoul and New Delhi, Korea's foreign ministry said Sunday.



According to the ministry, Park met with Hyundai Motor workers and toured the plant Saturday. Park thanked them for helping improve bilateral ties between Korea and India by creating more than 9,000 jobs and developing auto and other related industries.



Also on Saturday, Park held a luncheon with Korean residents and businesspeople, where he stressed the importance of strengthening cooperation with India in science and technology, as well as supply chains, and of sharing universal values in the era of economic security.



To that end, Park said businesses that have invested in India will have a crucial role to play.



In response, Korean residents and business representatives asked for the Korean government's continued support.



The meeting featured representatives from Hyundai Motor, Samsung Electronics, Hyundai Glovis and Lotte India.



Korea and India established relations in 1973 and upgraded their ties to a "special strategic partnership" when India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Korea in 2015. (Yonhap)


On Saturday, the Washington State Senate approved legislation banning the sale of assault weapons.

House Bill 1240, requested by Attorney General Bob Ferguson and Governor Jay Inslee and sponsored by Rep. Strom Peterson, D-Edmonds, passed the House of Representatives on March 8, and the Senate today, in historic votes, said the WA State Office of Attorney General in a news release.

The bill passed by six votes, 27-21. The bill now goes back to the House for final approval since amendments to the legislation did pass during Saturdays vote. If it does pass the House again, the bill will head to Governor Jay Inslees desk for his signature.

Attorney Ferguson proposed the ban in 2017 after the 2016 mass shooting at a Mukilteo house party.

The Senate today put public safety above the interest of the gun lobby, Ferguson said. The devastation of mass shootings extends far beyond the casualties and injuries. Mass shootings traumatize entire communities. We must stop selling these weapons of war in Washington.

The bill prohibits the sale, manufacture, and import of assault weapons in Washington state while allowing exemptions for law enforcement and the military. The legislation does not prohibit possessing assault weapons.

Washington will become the tenth state to adopt legislation banning assault weapons, according to the news release.

Gov. Inslee stated his support for the weapons ban.

Passing an assault weapon ban will be a momentous step forward for Washington state, Inslee said. Time and again, weve seen the carnage these weapons allow people to unleash on communities. Time and again, weve watched the NRA and politicians defend, normalize, and even celebrate these weapons. But now the time is here when the majoritys will prevails, and we put the lives of our children first.

A Lynnwood City Councilmember also recently showed his support. A poll from June by Public Policy Polling for the Northwest Progressive Institute found that 56% of Washington voters support a ban on the sale of assault weapons.

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Groups like The Alliance for Gun Responsibility believe this legislation is a step in the right direction in curbing gun violence in the state and across the nation.

We know they are weapons of war. We know that they have no place in our neighborhoods. And to know that we have the backing politically to ensure that things that just happened in Nashville are going to be that much harder to happen hereit truly is such an honor, spokesperson Victoria Muzyk said.

But during the vote, Senate Republicans stayed firm in their opposition to the bill. Senator Jeff Wilson from District 19 was one of many Republicans who argued the bill doesnt truly address the issue of gun violence and that they should focus more on mental health rather than gun laws.

But I would rather have the talks on the root cause, and I think going forward, I am concerned, deeply concerned, Wilson said.

While both sides disagree on how to address the issue of gun violence, both would argue it continues to be a problem everywhere.

This is a chronic epidemic. It is a violent reoccurring epidemic that does not need to be happening and requires our immediate addressing, Muzyk said.
voting-age.jpg US-SHOOTING-SCHOOL - Credit: John Amis/AFP via Getty Images

On a recent Tuesday morning, 16-year-old Jennie Li skipped class at Nashvilles Hume-Fogg High School to attend a rally in the Capitol demanding action on gun violence. As she explained, the murder of three children and three adults at the neighboring Covenant School had left her scared and heartbroken, but also resolute that she wanted her voice to be heard.

Belying the caricature of disillusioned and disengaged loafers, over the last few years, teenagers have been at the center of activism on gun regulation, climate change, economic inequality, racial justice, and LGBTQIA+ rights. That progressive energy may feel fresh, but its part of a proud tradition of adolescents pushing for social change. As Mary Beth Tinker  whose arm-band protest of the Vietnam War, at age thirteen, prompted a landmark decision by the Supreme Court protecting student speech  reflected, The Parkland kids are standing on the shoulders of Black Lives Matter in the way we stood on the shoulders of the civil rights youth who came before us.

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The image has stuck with me because it perfectly captures the nature of youth activism: brave and amazing, but also fragile and precarious  not only in apartheid South Africa in 1976, Tiananmen Square in 1989, and Iran today, but here in contemporary America.

In many ways, Tinker v. Des Moines was the high point of teen constitutional rights, and in the decades that followed, the Supreme Court has repeatedly knocked the foundations. Today, with the Courts blessing, school administrators and parents enjoy incredible powers to silence young peoples voices whenever they dont like whats being said.

I recently talked with a seventeen-year-old from Arkansas who was hit with a paddle by a public high school administrator as punishment for walking out of class to participate in a moment of silence at the flagpole to protest gun violence. And, around the country, every day, student journalists, valedictorian speakers, student council representatives, and sons and daughters who dare to speak up learn exactly how little their opinion matters to those calling the shots.

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Even when young people have managed to compel adults to embrace reforms, they have always been contingentready to be wiped away, as soon as public attention shifted. Against the odds, the Parkland activists got the state of Florida to enact its first major gun safety measures in decades, but, five years later, Governor Ron DeSantis and Florida House Speaker Paul Renner are championing a bill to overturn permit and training requirements for carrying concealed weapons.

The same pattern has played out in Tennessee. Back in 2018, students at Hume-Fogg High School protested for gun control just like Jennie. We want change! they chanted. Their pictures appeared in the paper. But three years later, the state passed a law allowing most adults 21 and over to carry handguns without a background check, permit, or training. And as 152 shots rang out in the halls of the Covenant School last week, a bill sat in the Tennessee House to lower the age to 18 and apply permitless carry to rifles and shotguns. The minute you put down your sign and the news vans leave, the pressure is gone.

That points to the biggest source of weakness for young activists seeking to build change movements: you are nothing to those in power unless you have power yourself. There was a brutal honesty to octogenarian senator Dianne Feinsteins explanation for why she wouldnt be listening to the young teen climate activists whod come to meet with her in 2019: Well, you didnt vote for me.

So, what should Jennie and the other teenagers of America do?

Stop organizing and marching to persuade adults to save your world and start marching for the vote. Your best chance to accomplish your substantive goals on gun control and everything else is to refocus your efforts on gaining power in government, at school, and at home.

The arguments in favor of teen enfranchisement are strong. Recent research suggests that when it comes to voting-relevant cognition, there is no notable difference between an average sixteen-year-old and an average adult. And, of course, millions of voting adults are well below average. We have rightfully decided that there should be no capacity test or diploma to vote, and we need to hold ourselves to our principles. If we are comfortable with ninety-year-olds going behind the curtain, we should be comfortable with adolescents doing the same.

Moreover, kids are not naive when it comes to many of the most pressing issues in society. They know what a lockdown drill feels like. They have trans friends. They understand what social media can do. They have experienced racism and sexism. We can benefit from their perspectives and experience. As Mary Beth points out, When kids have a voice, its better for everyone. When they dont get to weigh in, adults are cheated.

The seeds of change are already planted. Sixteen-year-olds can now vote in a growing number of countries, including Argentina, Austria, and Ecuador, and in municipal elections in a handful of U.S. cities. Now is the time to grow a mass movement.

On February 13th, college freshman Emma Riddle tweeted out, (Fourteen) months ago I had to evacuate from Oxford High School when a fifteen year old opened fire and killed four of my classmates and injured seven more. Tonight, I am sitting under my desk at Michigan State University, once again texting everyone I love you. When will this end? she asked.

The answer is that it will not until the young people of America are empowered. Kids, demand what is rightfully yours: a say in your government, a seat at the decision-making table, a right to determine your present and your future.

Adam Benforado is a law professor and the author of the new book, A Minor Revolution: How Prioritizing Kids Benefits Us All.

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SEATTLE (AP)  Cannabis regulators have halted operations at several outdoor pot farms and processing facilities on a stretch of former fruit orchards in north-central Washington state after testing found high levels of chemicals related to a dangerous pesticide used decades ago.

The sweeping action announced Thursday night by the state Liquor and Cannabis Board renewed concerns about pesticides in marijuana and put dozens of people at least temporarily out of work just as they were preparing for spring planting.

We are very concerned about the jobs and businesses, but we felt we needed to get a message out to our licensees and to take action for public safety, said board spokesperson Brian Smith.

Over the last several months, officials collected samples from grow operations and processors along a nearly 5-mile (8-kilometer) stretch of the Okanogan River north of Brewster, a region of former orchards where fruit growers used the cancer-causing pesticide DDT before the U.S. banned it in 1972.

Marijuana growers in the area are now dealing with the legacy of soil contamination at the orchards. The results of tests at seven licensees showed high levels of DDE, a chemical that remains when DDT breaks down, the board said. Regulators decided to issue administrative holds on 16 producer licenses and two processing licenses in the area, forcing them to cease operations until further notice.

It wasn't clear how many businesses were affected, because each one can hold multiple licenses.

One of the businesses, large-scale grower Walden Cannabis, advertises its cannabis as sustainably sungrown and pesticide-free, but its plants apparently absorbed contaminants from the soil which then wound up in its products. CEO Anders Taylor said he was stunned by the board's action because it had not provided him test results or warned him that the administrative hold was coming.

He called it completely arbitrary and said he was trying to figure out if he would have to lay off his employees.

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Orchards used DDT for a generation, and that caused widespread contamination throughout the Pacific Northwest and the whole country, really, Taylor said. I'm still trying to process what this means."

Taylor said there are seven licensed grow operations on his property as well as processing operations, with roughly 50 workers in all.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, studies have shown that women with high amounts of DDE in their blood were more likely to give birth prematurely or to have a baby with a wheeze.

However, studies have focused on ingestion of the chemical, such as by eating fruit contaminated with pesticide residue; less is known about the effects of inhaling DDE.

Much of the marijuana grown in the area was sold wholesale to other processors. The Liquor Control Board said it is working with the growers and processors to identify which products the tainted cannabis wound up in so they can be tested off the shelf. Officials also asked affected companies to issue recalls.

Cannabis is known for its strong ability to remove contaminants from soil, and it has been studied for use in environmental cleanup. The levels of contaminants can be especially high in marijuana extracts and concentrates.

Due to marijuana's illegal status under federal law, states have largely come up with their own rules about pesticide testing for their cannabis markets, said Gillian Schauer, executive director of the Cannabis Regulators Association, which includes cannabis officials from 35 U.S. states and territories.

There is wide variety among the states about which pesticides are regulated and what their tolerance levels are; it was unknown how many require testing for legacy pesticides or their components, such as DDE.

Regulators in Vermont early this year pulled pesticide-contaminated pot from five retail stores after a customer reported feeling sick, and Nevada officials issued an advisory about widely available products possibly being tainted with an unapproved pesticide.

Over the years, Washington has halted the operations or destroyed product in dozens of cases where cannabis tested above accepted levels for pesticides, but those have involved the recent spraying of unapproved pesticides. This is believed to be the first time the Liquor and Cannabis Board has issued an administrative hold related to the legacy use of pesticides, and it is the first time it has issued a hold covering an entire geographic area rather than an isolated business, the board said in an email.

Washington was one of the first two states, along with Colorado, to legalize the use and sale of cannabis by adults in 2012.

Washington's Liquor and Cannabis Board has long conducted random tests for pesticides on products, including DDE, but they did not require producers to send in samples to state-certified labs for mandatory pesticide testing until last year. Washington was the only state with legal medical and recreational marijuana that had not already done so.

Under Washington's testing requirements, samples sent in by businesses are screened for 59 pesticides. For now, DDE is not one of them, but the board said it would begin making rules to require testing for DDE and a related compound, DDD, in cannabis products  though what form that testing might take and whether it would be required of all growers and processors was not clear.

Washington has also never required soil testing for outdoor marijuana farms. Jeremy Moberg, a licensed marijuana grower who owns CannaSol Farms in Okanogan County, north of the area targeted by regulators Thursday, said he nevertheless tested the soil at the former alfalfa farm he bought for his operation to make sure it was clean.

I did due diligence, because I knew there was lots of toxic ground in this county due to the historical application of pesticides, Moberg said. People who did their due diligence did not buy land on old orchards.
Some of the most powerful forces in Republican politics are on course for an explosive  and expensive  collision in West Virginias Senate primary.

On one side, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, the National Republican Senatorial Committee and the Senate Leadership Fund, the McConnell-aligned super PAC, are pushing for Gov. Jim Justice, a former Democrat who switched parties in 2017, to jump into the race.

On the other, the big-spending anti-tax group Club for Growth just announced its support for Rep. Alex Mooney, a member of the ultraconservative House Freedom Caucus, who has pledged to spend $10 million.

The jockeying by Washington power brokers signals the primary could be one of the most expensive in West Virginia history as Republicans target Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin in a key battleground for control of the Senate. The Club for Growth is known to spend freely in GOP nominating contests, while McConnell and allies, stung by a crop of weak candidates in critical races last fall, have been proactive in shaping the 2024 map.

I certainly wish I owned a TV station in the state of West Virginia for the 2024 cycle, Conrad Lucas, former chair of the West Virginia GOP, told NBC News, alluding to the advertising blitz likely to blanket the state. Its very interesting to see this much attention happening this early. Typically, when theres outside investment, its not this early.

In particular, McConnell has made early moves to boost Justice. In February, he highlighted a poll commissioned by the Senate Leadership Fund showing the governor with a commanding lead in a hypothetical primary, telling Fox News that Justices advantage was certainly good news for us while he was in a candidate recruitment period.

Senate Leadership Funds spokeswoman Torunn Sinclair cited the poll Thursday when asked about the race, saying: Justice would be the runaway favorite in both the primary and general election.

Unlike last cycle  when a bitter feud between McConn, R-Ky., and former National Republican Senatorial Committee Chair Rick Scott of Florida led to an incoherent party strategy  McConnells apparatus and the Senate GOP campaign chief appear to be rowing in the same direction this time. Committee Chair Steve Daines of Montana is actively recruiting Justice to run for Senate, a source familiar with the matter said.

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A more recent survey conducted by the conservative consultancy group National Public Affairs that was released Tuesday  the day the Club for Growth announced its support for Mooney  showed Justice with a 31-point edge over Mooney in a head-to-head race. Even more, the survey of Republican primary voters, conducted in mid-March with a margin of error of plus or minus 5.2 percentage points, found Justice with virtually 100% name recognition and a high favorability rating. Mooneys popularity was lower, and a third of GOP voters either had no opinion or had never heard of him.

Justin Clark, founder of NPA who served in prominent roles on former President Donald Trump's 2016 and 2020 campaigns, said the most surprising element of the survey was the extreme popularity of Gov. Justice right now.

I mean, this is a guy who switched parties, Clark said. This is a guy whos gotten into some tussles with the state legislature at times. Justice is a guy who you wouldnt necessarily think wed be as wildly popular as he appears to be.

Additionally, Clark said Mooney  who bested then-Rep. David McKinley in a contested member-versus-member primary last year with former President Donald Trumps backing  has not seen much residual impact in his survey numbers. Clark said his group tested potential attacks on the candidates and none of those really land on Justice.

They are going to have to take [Justice] down significantly, like losing his numbers in an incredible way, Clark said. Thats very difficult to do. Its going to take a ton of money to do it. To move his numbers like that, its going to be a monumental feat. And I just dont see it right now.

They are going to have to take [Justice] down significantly, Clark said, adding: Its going to take a ton of money to do it. To move his numbers like that, its going to be a monumental feat. And I just dont see it right now."

And yet, theres a creeping fear among some pro-Justice Republicans that they could fumble a layup  specifically that the Club for Growths endorsement could drive away Justice and risk their best shot at finally defeating Manchin after failing three times in the ruby-red state. Manchin has not yet confirmed whether he will seek reelection, but Republicans who spoke with NBC News expect he will run.

A national Republican strategist said the Club for Growths financial pledge for Mooney appears designed to scare Jim Justice out of running, as the group sought to do with former Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, who bowed out of a Senate bid. But the strategist said they dont expect it to work on Justice, given his strong early advantages in a primary.

Its a Trump-plus-40 state. If we dont win that one were not winning anywhere else, the strategist said. Without West Virginia, there is no Republican majority next cycle.

Meanwhile, Club for Growth PAC President David McIntosh called Mooney a conservative champion, vowing that the deep-pocketed organization will do whatever it takes to make sure hes elected. In February, McIntosh said Justice is in what we would call the moderate camp and made clear his conservative group wouldnt support him in the primary.

Asked to comment on the GOP primary, NRSC spokesman Mike Berg said, Were confident West Virginia voters will nominate a candidate who can win both a primary and a general election.

The Club for Growth does have recent experience lifting a lesser-known candidate over a well-known ex-governor. In last years midterm election, the Club for Growth helped boost then-Rep. Ted Budd, R-N.C., the eventual general election winner, over former North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory, even though McCrory enjoyed a substantial polling advantage early in the cycle. But Lucas said the dynamics at play in West Virginia, a much smaller state than North Carolina, make it difficult to compare the two. And, unlike McCrory, Justice still occupies the governors mansion.

Were very relationship-based, Lucas said. In West Virginia, your retail [politics] still matters. And Justice is so well-liked that changing opinions of West Virginians is difficult whenever they feel that they have such a personal relationship with their own governor.

Justice has previously expressed that he is seriously considering a run, and one West Virginia Republican predicted that with state Attorney General Patrick Morrisey announcing a gubernatorial bid, Justice could declare his Senate candidacy within eight weeks. (Morrisey, who was also seen as a potential Senate candidate, jumped into the governor's race with a Club for Growth endorsement.)

But this person added that Justice should prepare for a substantial primary fight versus Mooney no matter what the polling says now.

Justice loves a fight, man, this person said. He likes campaigns. He likes the challenge. He just does. But Justice has never really been substantially challenged in the primary.

This person noted that a significant portion of the state has yet to familiarize itself with Mooney, who relocated from Maryland in 2013 and has represented districts in Congress encompassing the eastern and northern portions of West Virginia.

Mooneys never even run in the southern part of the state, so they dont know him at all. Theres room to grow there, this person said, adding current polling comes before a single red cent has been spent, which I think is going to start kicking off here very soon.

The Trump factor remains an open question. The former president has previously endorsed Justice, who announced his party switch alongside him in 2017, and multiple Republicans who spoke with NBC News noted the two have a strong relationship. But Trump also backed Mooney last year in a primary contest the former president was keyed into. Plus, Trump has repeatedly denigrated both McConnell and the Club for Growth in recent months.

Look, Trump endorsed Mooney in his last race versus McKinley. Trump is buddies with Justice, this person said. But how can he go against a Freedom Caucus guy when the Freedom Caucus is one of his biggest defenders out there and hes trying to run a national campaign?

Spokespeople for Justice and Mooney did not respond to requests for comment.

Republicans are as focused on West Virginia as they are in part because of its importance in regaining the Senate majority. Manchins seat, along with Ohio and Montana seats currently held by Democrats that are up in 2024, are seen as the three most promising targets for the GOP to recapture.

Manchin, for his part, recognizes the hurdles he faces. He has said hes in no rush to make a decision and might even wait until December to finalize his plans. He has mused about facing Justice in a general election, saying hes friends with the governor and his family and that hed want a clean, issues-focused campaign without negative attacks if they square off.

More recently, Manchin has raised eyebrows by keeping the door open to a presidential run on an independent ticket, in tandem with the centrist group No Labels. It would be a quixotic move, all but guaranteed to fail, with the rise of negative partisanship further entrenching the two-party system. Manchin insists hes frustrated with the extremes of both parties, a message he may ultimately use to run for re-election to the Senate.

Even with national forces descending on the Mountain State for its Republican primary, Clark said he ultimately believes this is going to be a very local race.

And I think anyone on the ground who starts to turn this into a D.C. proxy war, he said, is going to regret that.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
By Nandita Bose

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The White House is planning to re-up discussions with abortion pill manufacturers and U.S. pharmacy chains on ways to push back against efforts to ban mifepristone, two sources with knowledge of the matter said, as it appeals a Texas court ruling suspending the approval of the drug.

U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in Amarillo, Texas, on Friday suspended approval of mifepristone, which will essentially make sales of the pill illegal in the U.S., while a legal challenge proceeds. A conflicting Washington state ruling on Friday blocks changes to pill sales in 17 states.

In January, the Food and Drug Administration made a regulatory change that made it possible for retail pharmacies to offer abortion pills in the country for the first time, but more than a dozen states have passed laws limiting such sales.

There are no retail pharmacies that are currently certified to dispense mifepristone and many are going through the certification process.

"We are discussing ways to offer them legal support," one of the sources said of manufacturers and retail pharmacies.

Options being discussed include having the U.S. Department of Justice back any legal challenges brought against manufacturers and pharmacies, and providing legal advice on how they can continue dispensing the pills, the sources said. The DOJ is separately seeking an emergency stay of the Texas order.

The White House does not direct the DOJ's litigation strategy, a senior administration official said. The official also said the Justice Department does not provide legal advice to private entities. There is a separate volunteer process that gets private attorneys and law firms to do legal work on different issues that the agency oversees.

It was not immediately clear which companies will be involved in these discussions. The White House declined comment.

Major U.S. manufacturers of abortion pills include GenBioPro Inc and Danco Laboratories. Pharmacy chains dispensing such pills include Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc , CVS Health Corp and Rite Aid Corp.

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Walgreens said in March it would not dispense abortion pills in the 20 states where it risked breaking the law.

On Sunday, Walgreens declined comment. The other companies did not respond to a request for comment on any discussions with the White House.

The administration official said the White House has "absolutely previously connected with both pharmacies and manufacturers but we have not had any discussions on this since Friday when the decision came out."

Any potential future conversations will not include decisions that impact "how the FDA will operate or is operating," the official said.

The White House's Gender Policy Council, Inter Governmental Affairs and the vice president's office have been holding strategy calls for nearly two months on how to make medical abortion available after the Texas judge ruled, anticipating Friday's outcome.

Discussions between the Biden administration and pill manufacturers and pharmacies over the issue have been ongoing for months, sources said, but Friday's decision brings fresh urgency.

RELIEF FROM WASHINGTON STATE

A flurry of White House strategy calls on Friday and Saturday also focused on "immediate, short-term" relief offered by the conflicting order from Washington state , three sources said.

Minutes after Texas judge Kacsmaryk's order, U.S. District Judge Thomas Rice in Spokane, Washington, an Obama appointee, ordered the FDA not to make any changes to mifepristone access in some Democrat-led states.

The administration believes that the Washington ruling gives it more time to respond legally to Texas's final decision. It could "expedite review of Texas, encourage an immediate stay on it and puts a huge question mark over it," one of the sources said.

Politically, the sources said, it makes it easier for the White House to make its case to the public that the FDA approval of the drug was accurate, mobilize activists and supporters to turn the issue into one that resonates with voters ahead of the 2024 presidential elections.

"There's a lot of legal analysis that needs to get done...about how these two orders interact," the senior administration official said.

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris said on Friday the administration will fight the Texas ruling.

"We're going to fight it. The Attorney General has announced @TheJusticeDept will file an appeal and seek an immediate stay of the decision," Biden tweeted.

The legal battle is likely to work through multiple levels of appeals courts over a period of months or years before it is resolved.

The administration is seeking an emergency stay of Kacsmaryk's order from the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

The path forward discussed during the White House strategy calls touched on how the DOJ will wait for a decision from the 5th Circuit, which has a conservative reputation, the sources said.

If it does not stay the ruling, the department will seek an expedited review by the Supreme Court, they said.

(Reporting by Nandita Bose in Washington; Editing by Heather Timmons, Marguerita Choy and Diane Craft)
The White House reignited criticism over its handling of the August 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan on Thursday when it released a 12-page review of the decision-making process that largely blamed the Trump administration for limiting President Bidens options upon taking office.

Republicans took issue with the White Houses characterization, and with comments from national security spokesperson John Kirby, previewing the aggressive oversight the Biden administration will face in the coming weeks over one of the low points of the presidents first two years in office.

While the Biden administration evacuated some 100,000 allies and American citizens from the country, the abrupt fall of Kabul accelerated the chaos of the U.S. withdrawal.

Thousands crowded around the Hamid Karzai International Airport, complicating the evacuation while a suicide bomber killed 13 U.S. service members along with 170 Afghans.

The so-called After Action Review acknowledges those difficulties, but the documents itself, as well as Kirbys comments, set a contentious tone as numerous committees plan to review the fallout under GOP leadership.

It also sparked criticism from advocates who pushed the administration to prepare for the withdrawal negotiated under the Trump administration in order to successfully evacuate those that aided the two-year U.S. campaign in the country.

It was very frustrating to see that this is coming now because, as you and I know, they have done this review because of the congressional oversight,said Mustafa Babak, executive director of the Afghan-American Foundation.

The way that we perceived the tone, was Yeah, look, we acknowledge this. This was a failure, but also this was the fault of the previous administration. Which is yes and no, because I think the Biden administration had all the tools to make sure that they actually were a little bit more prepared than they were back in August, he added.

The document released by the White House Thursday offered an unclassified outline of the White Houses findings on the withdrawal effort. The administration separately turned over classified reviews from the Pentagon and State Department to relevant congressional committees.

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In the review and subsequent comments by Kirby, the White Houses view was that the Trump administration had created unfavorable conditions and restricted Bidens options for getting U.S. forces out of Afghanistan.

He didnt negotiate with the Taliban, Kirby said of Biden. He didnt invite the Taliban to Camp David. He didnt release 5,000 prisoners. He didnt reduce force levels in Afghanistan to 2,500, and he didnt have an arrangement with the Taliban that they wouldnt attack our troops. He came in with a certain set of circumstances he had no ability to change, he had to deal with it based on what he inherited.

Kirby also repeatedly rebuffed reporters who described the withdrawal process as chaotic.

For all this talk of chaos, I just didnt see it. Not from my perch, said Kirby, who was Pentagon press secretary at the time of the withdrawal.

The August 2021 withdrawal drew intense criticism at the time. Images circulated of crowds swarming the airport to try and get out of the country. Video in one instance showed evacuation planes taking off as citizens clung to the wheels.

The White House document released Thursday did not explicitly state that the administration made mistakes in the withdrawal, but it did lay out that the evacuation of forces and allies should have started sooner once the security situation was deteriorating.

The document said that the White House took what it learned from Afghanistan and has since applied it to personnel evacuation efforts in Ethiopia and Ukraine.

The Afghanistan withdrawal is expected to become a focal point for Republicans hoping to highlight the Biden administrations handling of the situation as the GOP ramps up its oversight powers with its relatively new House majority.

I look forward to reviewing the report and call upon the administration to declassify as much as possible for the American public. Finally, Congress must be given access to the full and complete record of documents from the withdrawal in order to get the answers on why the withdrawal was such a disaster, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Michael McCaul (R-Texas) said in a statement. He called Kirbys comments disgraceful and insulting.

McCaul, who is leading the GOP probe of the withdrawal, has thus far held one hearing on the topic, bringing in a slate of veterans to testify about the efforts to aid their Afghan partners in escaping the country. But he hopes to have numerous additional hearings on the topic.

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) said he will host a hearing on April 19 with Pentagon and State Department officials to examine their work on the factors that led to the collapse of Afghanistan.

Brett Bruen, a former diplomat who worked in the Obama White House, said he is concerned that the Biden administrations approach to the review shows they are not seriously addressing mistakes that may crop up again in the future.

They stubbornly refuse to acknowledge what went wrong, to accept responsibility and most importantly to address the areas that still require fixing, Bruen said.

Its an area likely to be fixated on during the Republican hearings, and one Democrats have struggled to address.

Democrats need to stop pretending like this wasnt a disaster, and just start owning it, said Chris Purdy, director of Veterans for American Ideals, which has pushed to expedite pathways to the U.S. for those that worked alongside the military both before and after the evacuation.

But he said Republicans are minimizing the extent to which Trumps actions set the stage for the complications of the withdrawal.

You know, John Kirby was right in his briefing yesterday, Purdy said, pointing to a series of missteps in negotiations with the Taliban.

These are all Trump things. What Im saying here is both administrations, both parties own pretty much equal share of this. And they just need to stop pretending like they dont because its just not helpful. And its annoying, he said.

For all the criticism about the lack of accountability from the White House, Kirby suggested that was not the purpose of the after-action review and the information released Thursday by the White House.

This document and this effort isnt about accountability today, Kirby said. Its about understanding.

But the back-and-forth ahead of the probes highlights another sticking point for those who have been advocating for both a pathway to citizenship for Afghans brough to the U.S. in the evacuation and pathways to safety for those unable to free.

From my perspective, we still have a lot of work left to do to actually clean up the mess of the evac, Purdy said. And Im waiting for that.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A bipartisan bill that aims to give the administration the power to ban apps linked to foreign adversaries, including TikTok, is raising privacy concerns across the political spectrum.

The RESTRICT Act, led by Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), is touted by supporters as a way for the administration to review and potentially ban services without solely targeting the controversial video app, the way other GOP-backed bills do.

Although the broader scope may evade issues of targeting one company, digital rights groups, industry officials and privacy experts are sounding the alarm that the RESTRICT Act poses concerns that could limit Americans freedom online. Critics argue the proposal is overly broad about what companies it would target and who would be on the receiving end of enforcement.

Theres a risk of unintended targets. There could be consequences for businesses or individuals that inadvertently get swept up in this, said Darrell West, a senior fellow with the Center for Technology Innovation at the Brookings Institution.

How the RESTRICT Act works

A view of the TikTok app logo, in Tokyo, Sept. 28, 2020. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato, File)

The bill doesnt explicitly set out to ban TikTok or any app, but gives the Commerce Department power to identify and mitigate risks from technology linked to foreign adversaries including China, North Korea, Iran, Russia, Cuba and Venezuela  including by banning the technology.

TikTok is owned Chinese-based company ByteDance, which some lawmakers say poses national security risks involving the storage and sharing of U.S. user data. TikTok has pushed back on the allegations that the app poses any national security risks.

A chief concern raised by critics of the bill is that individuals who seek to use TikTok or any service banned under the rules it lays out would be punished.

The digital rights groups Electronic Frontier Foundation and Fight for the Future, along with the ACLU, have all come out against the proposal. The groups are among critics that argue the bill could potentially punish individuals that seek to gain access to banned apps, possibly through VPNs, or virtual private networks.

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Would the bill ban VPNs?

A VPN lets users search online without having an internet service provider or other third parties see what sites they visit or their data. By using a VPN, a user can also access sites that are banned, and is among the technical limitations of enforcing a TikTok ban. It is one way users in other countries that have banned access social media sites have been able to keep using those platforms.

The legislation does not explicitly ban the use of a VPN, but the broad scope of the bill could lead to it being interpreted that way, said Kayla Williams, chief information security officer at Devo, a cloud-native security analytics platform.

The debate centers on a portion of the bill states that no person may engage in any transaction or take any other action with intent to evade the provisions of this Act.

Theres not any clarification of what the implications could be to an individual versus a corporation, Williams said.

Its very concerning to me as a citizen, that I have VPN on my phone, to protect myself. Does that mean that I could potentially face jail for having that technology? Its too broad, in my opinion, she added.

Warner says the RESTRICT Act doesnt target individuals

Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) addresses reporters following the weekly policy luncheon on Wednesday, March 22, 2023. (The Hill).

Warner has pushed back strongly on the criticism that individuals could be targeted.

When asked for comment, Warner spokesperson Rachel Cohen directed The Hill to a Twitter thread the senator posted last week that he said aimed to dispel some myths about his bill.

The RESTRICT Act is focused on foreign corporations, not on users. The 1st Amendment protects Americans right to share and receive information  and this bill doesnt alter that, Warner tweeted.

Let me say it again: there are NO criminal penalties in this bill for your free speech  youre even free to drag the RESTRICT Act if you want! I stand firmly with freedom of speech, and my bill doesnt affect or influence what Americans can say in any way, shape or form, he added.

Despite Warners comments, though, the text of the bill leaves it open to be interpreted in a way that puts individuals at risk, said Lauren Hendry Parsons, privacy advocate and global head of communications of software company ExpressVPN.

While the intent as spoken by Sen. Warner is clear, and the senator has assured us in the short term that individuals will not be prosecuted, the primary concern that we have is that this is a slippery slope with serious long term implications on privacy rights, Parsons added.

Brandon Pugh, policy director and resident senior fellow for cybersecurity and emerging threats at R Street Institute, said in an email that the ambiguity of the text combined with the large discretion provided to the secretary of commerce, creates concerns that this law could be used for reasons that extend beyond simply curbing applications like TikTok.

Other experts say those concerns are overblown.

Roger Cressey, former National Security Council member in the administrations of former President Clinton and George W. Bush , said the criticism that the bill could lead to punishment for individuals who try to evade a ban is a little hysteria.

The criticism always is rooted in the worst case scenarios. And that is the greatest consequence and least probability of happening. Its about foreign ownership of apps, about ownership of apps from countries that were worried about, Cressey said.

But if people are worried that you know circumventing what might be the Commerce Departments policy approach in terms of implementation is going to lead to this type of overreach, I just think its excessive and not grounded in what I would call reality, he added.

What about a data privacy bill?

Critics of the legislation and progressive lawmakers pushing against a TikTok ban have argued that Congress should instead be focused on a comprehensive data privacy bill.

The U.S. lags behind other nations without putting a comprehensive data privacy law on the books, despite bipartisan momentum and support for one proposal last year.

The best solution would be a national privacy bill, because it would address the confidentiality of peoples records, and create consequences for companies that violate that, West said.

He said it is clear from hearings in Congress that the problem is not just TikTok, but the whole social media ecosystem, he said.

Cressey, though, said it isnt an either-or choice.

The idea that, well, we need a comprehensive data privacy law and therefore, the RESTRICT Act is bad, is ludicrous. We need a comprehensive data privacy law, and we need something in place that deals with this issue of foreign owned apps in countries of concern, he said.

Pugh, however, said that acting on a measure directed at TikTok or the broader RESTRICT Act without a comprehensive data privacy and security bill would not solve the underlying problem.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
William Barr, Donald Trumps former attorney general, said he believes Trumps legal troubles are likely to bolster him during the Republican primaries but greatly weaken him during the 2024 general election, which Barr said the former president cannot win.

Hes already, I think, a weak candidate that would lose, but I think this sort of assures it, Barr, who has previously said he wont support Trumps reelection, told ABC News This Week on Sunday.

Barr said its not because of Trumps arrest last week in New York on charges related to hush money payments during his 2016 campaign. The former attorney general called that case unjustified and an abuse of prosecutorial power, echoing complaints by Trump allies and even some critics.

As far as the general election is concerned, it will gravely weaken Trump. He's already, I think, a weak candidate that would lose but I think this sort of assures it, former AG Bill Barr says as former Pres. Trump faces several criminal investigations. https://t.co/QHbC7ShGXNpic.twitter.com/uwT1uxRIWj  This Week (@ThisWeekABC) April 9, 2023

Instead, Barr said its the federal investigation into classified documents  reportedly more than 300  found at Trumps Mar-a-Lago home in Florida and another investigation into Trumps conduct related to the Jan. 6, 2021, violence at the U.S. Capitol. Trump is also being investigated over his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss in Georgia.

Those first two investigations, Barr said, will ultimately make him an undesirable candidate for most voters.

He had no claim to those documents, Barr said of the series of recovered classified files. They belonged to the government. I think he was jerking the government around.

Trump has continued to insist that he has the power to automatically declassify documents, telling a crowd last week that the process is automatic if I take them with me.

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The seriousness of any charges related to those documents, Barr said, will be based on how sensitive the documents were and if theres evidence of obstruction, such as him directing people to lie or give deceitful information to the government.

I think thats a serious potential case. I think they probably have some very good evidence there, Barr said.

He had no claim to those documents ... I think he was jerking the government around.William Barr, referring to classified documents found at Trump's Florida home

Citing people familiar with the matter, The Washington Post reported last week that the Department of Justice and the FBI have gathered new evidence that points to possible obstruction by Trump.

Regardless, Barr said he believes any criminal charges against Trump will motivate his supporters to rally behind him ahead of the primaries early next year. But that support wont spread into the general election, he predicted.

I think, ultimately, the savvy Democratic strategists know that this is going to help Trump, and they want him to be the nominee because he is the weakest of the Republican candidates, the most likely to lose again to Biden, Barr said.

As for when Trump could face any kind of sentence if hes convicted of any crimes, Barr said he doesnt believe it will happen before the 2024 election.

This stuff is going to drag out through 24, and its going to stymie and disrupt the whole Republican primary process, he said.

Trumps next in-person hearing on the hush-money charges has been scheduled for Dec. 4. Thats roughly two months before the start of the 2024 Republican presidential primary calendar.

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Mesa Police Department.

Mesa police officers have located and arrested 27-year-old Kathryn Hansen two months after a warrant was issued for her arrest on first-degree murder charges related to a Phoenix killing, the department said Saturday.

On Feb. 7, officers responded to a house near South Palo Verde Street and East Southern Avenue for reports of a shooting. Upon arrival, officers found 32-year-old Keith Emmons dead inside a bedroom with gunshot wounds, according to police.

Witnesses identified Hansen as the shooter, prompting the department to issue a warrant for Hansen's arrest on first-degree murder charges in relation to Emmons' killing, Mesa police spokesperson Richard Encinas said in a news release.

Police searched for Hansen for two months, asking the public to send in any tips that could lead to her arrest, officials said.

The search ended on Saturday afternoon when the Phoenix Police Department notified Mesa police that they had a lead on Hansen and her possible location. Shortly after, Hansen was taken into custody, Encinas said.

"The Mesa Police Department would like to thank the community for their assistance in this case," said Encinas in the Saturday announcement. "Our communitys willingness to step up helped us take a violent offender off the street. We hope this arrest brings some peace and closure to the Emmons family."

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Woman arrested in Phoenix death after 2-month search by Mesa police
A 32-year-old woman died in a wild crash that sent two vehicles off a Pacific Palisades highway, crushing her as she sat on a rocky beach, California police told news outlets.

A 21-year-old faces drunken driving charges in the 12:45 a.m. crash Saturday, April 8, along the Pacific Coast Highway near Los Angeles, police told KTTV.

The driver hit three parked vehicles along the highway, knocking two over a cliff onto the beach, police told KTLA.

The vehicles hit the woman who died and two others, a 32-year-old woman and a 17-year-old boy, who were hospitalized in stable condition, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The three had visited the beach to admire the moonlight on the ocean, KTLA reported.

Four other people also were injured in the crash, KCBS reported.

The woman was pronounced dead at the scene, the Los Angeles Times reported. The name of the accused drunken driver was not released.

Pacific Palisades is a community of 24,000 people about 20 miles west of downtown Los Angeles.

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A Ukrainian Special Forces Serviceman fires a weapon during a training exercise in Donetsk region amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine, April 6. AFP-Yonhap



The presidential office said Sunday it will hold necessary discussions with the United States following a U.S. report accusing the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) of intercepting Korean government communications regarding aid to Ukraine in war with Russia.



In a report published Saturday in the U.S. (local time), the New York Times said some parts of the CIA documents, posted on a social media chat platform Discord, detailed Korea's "internal debates about whether to give the U.S. artillery shells for use in Ukraine, violating Seoul's policy on providing lethal aid."



The newspaper noted Korean officials were concerned that U.S. President Joe Biden would pressure President Yoon Suk Yeol to come through and that the U.S. learned about Korean deliberations through "a signals intelligence report." It's a term used by spy agencies to describe intercepted communications, from phone calls to electronic messages, according to the New York Times.



In a press briefing Sunday, a presidential official said, "We will review precedents and instances involving other countries, and come up with our response accordingly."




Police arrested a man in the murder of a 35-year-old woman found dead in east Charlotte on Easter Sunday.

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department quickly identified a suspect in the homicide that left Laura Miller dead at Stone Gate Apartments  a complex at the intersection of Reddman Road and Southwood Oaks Lane, authorities said Monday.

Officers arrested Miguel Gonzalez Rosales, 36, after a traffic stop. He is being charged with murder, desecrating a body and auto theft, according to a CMPD news release.
A 62-year-old died after her car rolled down her driveway and ran her over, Florida state troopers say.

Troopers said the woman was backing out of her driveway at about 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 8, in Sumter County when she hit a parked SUV on the other side of the road.

The woman pulled back into her driveway and got out of her car to assess the damage, but she failed to put her car in park, according to an incident report from Florida Highway Patrol. The womans car then rolled back and ran her over, causing fatal injuries.

Sumter County is about 50 miles northwest of Orlando.

Five killed after head-on collision between van and pickup truck, Georgia deputies say

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Six found dead near flipped car after crash on Tennessee interstate, officials say
A 30-year-old woman faces charges that she pushed a burning shopping cart into a Los Angeles police lobby, setting it on fire, California police told news outlets.

The front and lobby of a Los Angeles Police Department station in Exposition Park burned in the fire on Thursday, April 6, police said on Twitter. No injuries were reported.

The office, which serves the southwest division, will be closed to the public indefinitely, police said.

On Friday, April 7, police arrested a woman on a charge of arson in connection with the blaze, a later Twitter post reported.

Photos with the Twitter post show extensive damage to the front of the station and lobby area.

Police told KABC the woman pushed a fiery shopping cart into the lobby at about 11:25 p.m., igniting the blaze.

They ask anyone with information to call 877-527-3247.

Puppy rescued after being thrown from speeding truck in police chase, California cops say

Woman on beach killed as crash tumbles parked vehicles off cliff, California cops say

Tunneling heist nabs $500,000 in iPhones from Apple Store, Washington police say
A woman in Washington state who was diagnosed with tuberculosis was found in contempt of court Friday after she allegedly refused to pursue treatment and took a public bus to a casino rather than isolate while under surveillance.

Judge Philip Sorenson authorized law enforcement to detain the unidentified woman following a civil arrest warrant issued March 3, according to local King 5.

The warrant permits the woman's involuntary detention, testing and treatment at the Pierce County jail.

The woman has reportedly refused to take medication and follow protective guidelines despite the efforts of her own family members and the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department.

TUBERCULOSIS DEATHS ROSE DURING COVID PANDEMIC, REVERSING YEARS OF DECLINE

The unidentified woman has reportedly refused to take medication and protect herself and the community despite the efforts of her own family members and the health department.

An officer with the Pierce County Corrections Bureau surveilled the woman's home last month and saw a city bus drop her off at a casino, according to court documents.

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She reportedly has not been seen at her home since, and members of her family have not responded to inquiries from the police.

"We have worked with family and community members for more than a year to do everything we can to persuade this woman to take her medication to protect herself and our community," the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department said in a statement.

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The case marks the third instance in the past 20 years when the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department has sought a court order to detain an individual with tuberculosis.

Pierce County Corrections Bureau Chief Patricia Jackson stated in a court declaration that she believed the woman with tuberculosis was actively evading arrest.

The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department sees about 20 cases of active tuberculosis every year, which health care providers are required to report under state law.

"We are always hopeful a patient will choose to comply voluntarily," the department said in a statement. "Seeking to enforce a court order through a civil arrest warrant is always our last resort."

This case marks the third time in the past 20 years that the health department has sought a court order to detain an individual who is potentially contagious with tuberculosis and refusing treatment.

Common symptoms of tuberculosis include cough, fever, night sweats and weight loss, according to the World Health Organization.

Tuberculosis is an airborne disease caused by bacteria that primarily affect the lungs. Common symptoms include cough, fever, night sweats and weight loss, according to the World Health Organization.
Former San Luis Obispo County Sheriff Ed Williams told The Tribune in May 1997 that Kristin Smarts murder would never be solved unless Paul Flores, the sole suspect in the case, admitted to law enforcement that he was responsible.

Flores still maintains his innocence more than 26 years later, but he was convicted and sentenced to 25 years to life for Smarts murder.

Monterey County Superior Court Judge Jennifer OKeefe told Flores during his March sentencing that he is a cancer to society, and deserves to spend the rest of his life behind bars.

The investigation saw more than two decades of starts, stops and stalls, but did not have the break it needed to pursue any legal action against Flores.

Because of all the work that had been done, I felt that we just needed that break, San Luis Obispo County Sheriff Parkinson told The Tribune. All we need is (to) catch one break. Every time we thought we were getting somewhere, and it fell off.





But then in 2019, everything changed.

Cal Poly student Kristin Smart was 19 when she went missing after an off-campus party on Memorial Day weekend in 1996. On Oct. 18, 2022, Paul Flores was found guilty of murdering Smart after walking her back to the red bricks dorms after the party.

Podcast helped obtain search warrant at Ruben Flores Arroyo Grande home, detective says

Clint Cole was working as a correctional officer in the San Luis Obispo County Jail when Smart first disappeared in 1996.

By 2017, he was a cold case detective for the Sheriffs Office. Smarts case landed on his desk in 2019.

To be honest, I was like, Oh, man, what am I going to do? Cole said of his reaction when he received the case. This case is huge.

Clint Cole, a detective with the San Luis Obispo County Sheriffs Office, appears at Monterey County Superior Court on Thursday, Aug. 4, 2022, during the Kristin Smart murder trial.

Cole said it took him about a year to catch up to speed, but he wanted to approach the case in a way his predecessors hadnt.

He said he prioritized speaking with witnesses who had only spoken with law enforcement a few times closer to Smarts disappearance, or were mentioned in reports but not spoken to at all.

Interviewing someone that had already been interviewed 20 times wouldnt find anything new, Cole said, and the case needed new information to move forward.

Cole had already tracked down a truck linked to the Flores family in Mexico when a new podcast called Your Own Backyard brought Smarts story back into the national spotlight.

Story continues

Podcast creator Chris Lambert released his first episode in September of 2019. He told The Tribune his goal originally was to simply document Smarts story in a way that hadnt before. That goal has since evolved to achieving full justice for Smart, which would be locating her remains, Lambert said.

Chris Lambert, creator of the Your Own Backyard podcast on the Kristin Smart case, observed the trial of Paul and Ruben Flores at the Monterey County Superior Court in Salinas.

Lamberts podcast gained worldwide attention, and soon people were calling in tips about Flores. Lambert said he would always tell those who reached out to him to also reach out to law enforcement.

According to Cole, there were two key witnesses from Lamberts podcast that helped push the investigation forward: David Stone and Jamilyn Holman.

One of the leading theories law enforcement had was that Smarts body was buried beneath the deck at the home of Ruben Flores, Paul Flores father. But the Sheriffs Office didnt yet have probable cause to request a search warrant.

Stone was Ruben Flores ex-roommate of 10 years, and Holman was Ruben Flores neighbor. Stone told law enforcement Ruben Flores was protective of the area underneath his deck and would never let anyone  even a plumber  go there.

Holman told law enforcement that days after the FBI carried out a search warrant at Ruben Flores Arroyo Grande home on Feb. 5, 2020, she saw the Flores family backing a large trailer into the yard at the side of the deck. She also said she saw them yelling at each other outside the home.

Stones and Holmans statements were two huge components in getting the probable cause they needed to search underneath the deck, Cole said.

Finding blood under Flores deck was epiphany moment, sheriff says

It would be more than a year later before the Sheriffs Office returned to carry out its two-day search warrant at the Arroyo Grande home on March 15 and 16 of 2021.

Archaeologists and cadaver dogs accompanied sheriffs deputies on the first day, and after searching the entirety of Flores backyard with a ground-penetrating radar, one spot underneath the deck that piqued their interest.

The surface soil looked disturbed  Cole said he could see shovel marks  and cadaver dogs altered their behavior at the disturbance, although they did not fully alert to the scent of human remains.

A photo of the soil disturbance found underneath Ruben Flores deck is shown to jurors overseeing the Kristin Smart murder trial at Monterey County Superior Court on Sept. 1, 2022. The photo depicts the hole in the middle of the digging process.

Then, the ground-penetrating radar found an anomaly that measured 4 feet deep and 6 feet long  the size of a human grave.

Thats when sheriffs deputies began to dig.

When we first started seeing those stains, I thought we were going to find her. I was kneeling right there while they were clearing the soil. I really thought we were going to find her, Cole said. And then, obviously, we didnt. So that was a little heartbreaking.

One of the archaeologists, Cindy Arrington, said the staining was consistent with human decomposition. Sheriff Parkinson told Cole to send samples of the stained soil to the Serological Research Institute, a private forensic testing lab in Richmond, to test it for blood.

A photo of the stain found underneath Ruben Flores house was shown to jurors overseeing the Kristin Smart murder trial at Monterey County Superior Court on Sept. 1, 2022.

Ive never heard of blood in soil like this, so I thought I was just getting the day out of the office, driving to Richmond and back, Cole said.

Angela Butler, a senior forensic DNA analyst for the lab, first did a presumptive test on the blood, which came back positive.

But the test was just presumptive, so not convincing yet, Cole said.

Butler then tested the soil using the HemDirect test, which yields more conclusive results.

The soil tested positive for human blood.

Angela Butler, a senior forensic DNA analyst with the Serological Research Institute, testifies at the Kristin Smart murder trial for Paul Flores and his father Ruben Flores at Monterey Superior Court, Salinas, California.

I told her, You cant do this to me. You cant. Thats not blood. You cant do this to me, said Cole, who was so surprised he didnt believe her at first. The ups and downs in this case were just traumatic. One day were high, one day were low. And she says, Clint, thats blood. I have no other recourse but to call that blood in that soil.

I was shocked  happy  but shocked. I just couldnt believe it, Cole said.

Cole then called Sheriff Parkinson on his way home.

He said, Sheriff, are you sitting down? Parkinson recalled. And I said, yes or no, whatever I was doing. And he said, They just tested the soil samples and it came back positive for human blood.

That was kind of an epiphany moment, Parkinson said.

Flores men arrested before DA formally charged them with crimes, detective says

On April 14, 2021, the Sheriffs Office had the probable cause it needed to arrest the Flores men, and it did.

But it hadnt yet confirmed whether the District Attorneys Office felt the evidence was strong enough to file charges at the time of the arrests, Cole said.

Cole had helped take Paul Flores into custody, he said. The detective rode in the back seat with him, hoping Flores would talk.

He didnt.

After he dropped Flores off at booking, Cole stopped his car outside the Sheriffs Office and pulled over.

I just needed some time, Cole said. It was an emotional moment. Then the sheriff called me and said, The DAs Office is filing charges. Everythings good. And it was just such a relief.

San Luis Obispo County Sheriff Ian Parkinson announced the arrest of Paul and Ruben Flores in the investigation of the missing Cal Poly student Kristin Smart April 13, 2021. . Her photo is to the left. She went missing in May 1996.

Parkinson said he specifically asked for former San Luis Obispo County Deputy District Attorney Chris Peuvrelle to be assigned to the case because of his outstanding reputation.

I figured that if we can convince Chris that he could prove it beyond a reasonable doubt, we can convince the DA, Parkinson said.

Chris really went to bat and said, I think this is provable beyond a reasonable doubt, Parkinson said.

San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Dan Dow said the office had been preparing the case against the Flores men for about a year before the arrest actually took place. The case was gaining momentum, and the Sheriffs Office was regularly being briefing them about new developments in the case.

When it seemed there was enough evidence to file, Dow said Peuvrelle and the investigative team gave a presentation to Dow and other members of the District Attorneys Office.

We just painstakingly went through all of the evidence, all of the witnesses, all of the legal theories that we had to get certain evidence submitted, Dow said.

San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Dan Dow speaks at a news conference April 14, 2021, in San Luis Obispo about the Kristin Smart case, following the arrests of Paul Flores and Ruben Flores.

Dow said he wanted to be very certain there was strong legal footing to support the charges. He said he and other prosecutors asked several tough questions about the evidence to make sure we were really carefully thinking about how we would introduce it at trial.

Flores could only be brought to trial for Smarts murder once, Dow said, so he had to make sure the case had legal footing that would strongly and sufficiently support a guilty verdict.

If you go forward and then you cant get key pieces of evidence introduced, that could be what brings the case to where its not proven beyond a reasonable doubt, Dow said.

By the end of the meeting, Dow said he felt it was time to charge Paul Flores for Smarts murder. And he did.

Two months between arrest and preliminary hearing is unusually fast for murder trial, investigator says

Peuvrelle said he had been preparing his opening and closing statements for the case against the Flores men ever since he was first assigned the case in January 2021.

The first thought that went through my head is I have to get organized and organized fast, Peuvrelle said of his reaction to being assigned the Smart case.

San Luis Obispo County Deputy District Attorney Chris Peuvrelle argues the case against Paul and Ruben Flores, who are charged in connection with the 1996 murder of Kristin Smart, at Monterey County Superior Court in Salinas on Sept. 8, 2022.

He said the moment blood was found beneath Ruben Flores deck, he got the sense that charges would be filed soon. So he began to prepare his prosecution.

There was about a two-month window between Flores arrest and his preliminary hearing, which is extremely short for a murder trial, San Luis Obispo County District Attorneys Office investigator James J.T. Camp told The Tribune.

The district attorneys team had narrowed the witness list of around 100 people to 50. Camp was one of the people tasked with tracking them down, seeing if they would testify and getting them on the schedule for the preliminary hearing.

It was a heavy lift, Peuvrelle said.

Camp said the team had decided to only contact people in person, so they flew around the country.

We were absolutely committed to seeking justice and doing the work, Camp said. That was a way that we figured demonstrated were serious about this and we are 100% committed and we will go wherever the work takes us.

San Luis Obispo County District Attorneys Office investigator James J.T. Camp appears in Monterey County Superior Court in Salinas on Thursday, Aug. 24, 2022, during the Kristin Smart murder trial.

Once San Luis Obispo Superior Court Judge Craig van Rooyen ruled there was enough evidence to go to trial, Peuvrelle, Camp and other members of the investigative team had to prepare to put their lives on hold for five months, Peuvrelle said.

Camp said one of the priorities was making sure the members of the investigative team who had to live in Monterey for essentially five months were able to take care of their mental health while being away from family.

A part of it was putting ourselves in a position where we were forced to take care of ourselves a little bit, Camp said. During trial, for me  for us  it was purposeful exercise and the ability to get out and decompress a little bit so that your mind is right and you can go back to work. Otherwise, it can eat you up.

Prosecutor: No stone left unturned

Peuvrelle said he was confident he could prosecute the case successfully because of the amount of work and preparation he and his team had put into the case for years.

From the start we wanted a prosecution the community could be proud of. And really, we focused on process, not outcome, Peuvrelle said. We wanted to do everything as perfect as we possibly could. From discovery to preparation, no stone left unturned, because I felt the community was behind us.

Peuvrelle said Sangers multiple accusations of prosecutorial misconduct and his accusations of lying witnesses and fake or faulty evidence showed the defense didnt have a case.

If he had a case, he wouldnt have to attack me. He wouldnt have to attack Kristin, Peuvrelle said.

Moments in the trial that stuck out for him included the testimony of Denise Smart, Kristin Smarts mother, the testimonies of the Jane Doe witnesses and Cindy Arringtons testimony of the human decomposition stain found under Ruben Flores deck.

Christine Arrington, an archaeologist who specializes in human remains, testifies at the Kristin Smart murder trial at Monterey County Superior Court in Salinas on Sept. 1, 2022.

He said they were emotional moments, and he admired the Jane Does bravery to testify.

As the juries deliberated, Peuvrelle said he felt ecstatic despite not knowing what the outcomes of the verdicts would be.

I felt that I had done everything I possibly could with what I could control to see that justice was done, he said. Theres nothing else I could have done.

Peuvrelle said a lot of times when he finishes arguing a case, there may be one or two things in hindsight he thinks of that he should have argued for or argued harder for.

But Id been writing this closing argument for a year and a half. There was no argument that I wish I made, that I forgot, he said.





Deputy District Attorney Chris Peurvelle speaks during closing arguments in the Kristin Smart murder trial on Monday, Oct. 3, 2022. Robert Sanger, Paul Flores defense attorney, listens as the Flores sits nearby. Hes guilty as sin! Peuvrelle said of Flores.

Life flashes before you moments before verdict reading, investigator says

Peuvrelle said his heart was pounding out of his chest and his mind was racing a mile a minute as Paul Flores jury walked in to read the verdict.

But he didnt want to have a visible reaction no matter which way the verdict went.

I tried to make my mind go blank because I knew that so many eyes were on us. I wanted to have as much of a poker face as possible. So I just started taking notes on nothing on my notepad so that I wouldnt have any reaction whatsoever. Probably because I was so nervous, he said.

Camp said he doesnt have a good way to explain the feeling he had just before the verdict was read. The Smart family, investigators, witnesses and so many more have sacrificed a lot to get to this moment, he said.

Theres so much at stake, Camp said. Youre getting kind of to your life flashing before you very quickly, that so many people have sacrificed so much. So many people have done so much hard work. And its all going to come to a head with just a few words and a few seconds.





Relief was the immediate feeling Peuvrelle said he felt when the verdict of guilty was read.

Defense attorney Robert Sanger, left, and his client, Paul Flores, react after a jury found Flores guilty of murdering Cal Poly student Kristin Smart. The jurys verdict was read in Monterey County Superior Court on Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022, following a trial.

But when Ruben Flores was acquitted, I felt sick to my stomach, Peuvrelle said.

He said he wondered if there was something he could have done better but noted that Ruben Flores jury did not see the 1996 videotape of Paul Flores being interviewed with law enforcement.

Peuvrelle said it was the correct legal ruling for Ruben Flores jury to be prohibited from viewing the video, but he thinks that may have been the key in the different outcomes.

I still feel like I did everything I could. And maybe someday Ill think of something, he said.

Although Flores was sentenced and is primed to spend potentially the rest of his life in state prison, the case isnt over, Camp said.

I dont think well ever leave this case behind completely, Camp said. We still dont have Kristins body. So when does this case actually ever end? And I dont think it does until you know that that component to this case is satisfied and the Smarts have their daughter back.
New York State Police have released bodycam footage that they believe refutes a woman's allegation that her arrest in March caused her to miscarry.

State troopers attempted to pull over driver Quashaia Oranchak on March 20. Police say that when she did not comply, another state trooper pulled up in front of her  and his car was struck by Oranchak's vehicle.

Bodycam footage shows officers yelling at Oranchak to get out of the car before arresting her for fleeing an officer. Police also claim they found drugs in her vehicle, and that traces of fentanyl and methamphetamine were found in her body.

Police told Fox News Digital that Oranchak became unresponsive at Broome County Correctional Facility and was taken to a hospital, where she ultimately miscarried. She was over six months pregnant at the time.

HARMONY MONTGOMERY CASE: MISSING NEW HAMPSHIRE GIRL'S FATHER ADAM INDICTED ON 2ND-DEGREE MURDER CHARGE

Police say that when Oranchak did not yield the first time, another state trooper pulled up in front of her  and was struck by Oranchak's vehicle.

"A quantity of fentanyl and methamphetamine was located secreted in her body," the spokesperson said. She was charged with criminal possession of controlled substances, criminal use of drug paraphernalia and fleeing an officer in a motor vehicle.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

In the bodycam footage, the police officer arresting Oranchak was heard acknowledging her pregnancy and asking her if she felt unwell.

"Ultimately, at the end of the day, like I told you before, I'm a reasonable guy," the officer is heard saying. "I see that you're pregnant. If you're not good, you need to let me know because you're in my custody now. Your well-being is part of my responsibility."

"I'm okay for right now," Oranchak responded.

FORMER MEMPHIS COP CHARGED IN TYRE NICHOLS' DEATH ALLEGEDLY BEAT UP INMATE IN 2015

Body cam footage shows officers yelling at Oranchak to get out of the car, before arresting her for fleeing an officer.

Oranchak's lawyer Ronald Benjamin told Fox News Digital that he strongly believes that his client's rights were infringed upon.

"There's no doubt that the police's stop and the arrest were unlawful, and we will pursue the violation of her rights vigorously," Benjamin said.
New York police are hunting a suspect in a wave of violent attacks in Brooklyn on Saturday including the murder of an 83-year-old man.

Ramon Cintron was discovered at 2.30pm in an elevator at the Wyckoff Gardens apartment complex in Boerum Hill with multiple knife wounds to the neck and right arm, the NY Daily News reported.

The rampage began 90 minutes earlier when a 47-year-old woman was punched three blocks away on the corner of Pacific St and Third Ave.

A 31-year-old woman was then slashed in the leg with a sharp object on Nevins Street around 1.30pm. She was taken to hospital with non life-threatening injuries.

Police are seeking Joevani Vale, 26, in connection with the crimes. Mr Vale is the neighbour of Mr Cintron.

Mr Cintrons brother, Angel Cintron, confirmed that his sibling had been killed, and told the Daily News that he was awaiting more information from police.

Neighbours said that the slain pensioner was a kind and popular member of the community.

The NYPD is seeking Joevani Vale, 26 (NYPD)

This old man never bothered anyone, one woman told NBC New York. He brought prescriptions to everyone in this neighbourhood.

The crime scenes are all within a five-block area.

The NYPD is offering a $3,500 reward for information on Mr Vales whereabouts. Anyone with information is asked to call 800-577-TIPS.
The bodies of a young couple were found inside a car late Friday in South Carolina, the Aiken County Coroners Office said.

Daquan Cuthbertson, a 24-year-old Williston resident, and Windsor 20-year-old Destiny Dunbar were found dead in a car at about 11:20 p.m., Coroner Darryl Ables said in a Saturday news release.

On Friday night, law enforcement officers responded to a home in the 600 block of Tranquility Place in Windsor after Cuthbertson and Dunbar were found unresponsive in his vehicle, according to the release. Cuthbertson and Dunbar were dating, the coroner said.

EMS was dispatched and determined the two were dead, the coroners office said.

Autopsies will be conducted in Newberry to determine their causes and manners of death, according to the release.

No foul play is suspected in the deaths, Ables said.

No other injuries were reported.

The deaths continue to be investigated by the coroners office and the Aiken County Sheriffs Office.
On Friday, Amherst County High School students went to various places in the county for A Day of Giving. The event has been cancelled in 2021 and 2022 because of COVID but returns this year with students in grades 9th through 12th.

Students volunteered at Riveredge park, Monacan Park, Sweet Briar, Thrashers Creek, and several other places throughout the county. Special Education teacher with Amherst County Schools, Brittany Cook, says the event was for "serving the community and show Lancer pride." Students could also use this time for volunteer hours for college applications or clubs.
Bedford County School Board approved a calendar adjustment, a grant to help students in career and technical education classrooms and discussed elementary classroom sizes during a regular meeting Thursday evening.

In a 6-0 decision, the board decided to adjust the 2022-23 school calendar for students and teachers. District 1 board member Susan Mele did not attend the meeting due to a personal matter.

With the adjustment, students last day of school will be the same as seniors, May 26, and May 30 and 31 will be work days for teachers. Originally, all other students last day was scheduled for May 31, with June 1 and 2 being teacher work days.

Superintendent Marc Bergin said he has been contacted by teachers directly, asking if the board could modify the calendar, due to so many built in days the district hadnt used compared to previous years.

I think this is something teachers would certainly appreciate, said Georgia Hairston, District 5 school board member.

District 4 school board member Marcus Hill emphasized, however, that learning loss is still a major concern for the board.

I want to make it clear that the concern is still there, that we have learning loss and weve got major makeup to do, but in knowing and having kids  half the kids are not going to be here on those last two days, Hill said.

Woodford said these work days apply to staff who serve the students directly, such as teachers and care professionals.

The board also approved a request to submit the Carl Perkins grant, in the amount of $157,115.86, which will be used to support grades five through 12, enrolled in career and technical education courses.

The grant goes towards purchasing equipment and other supplies needed to sustain the CTE program.

A major topic of discussion for the board was elementary classroom sizes in the division.

Deputy Superintendent Karen Woodford gave a presentation outlining the current state of the elementary school classroom sizes in the division.

The current elementary staffing standards state one full-time equivalent (FTE) teacher position for every 21 students in grades K-3; one FTE teaching position for every 22 students in grades 4-5; and no multi-age classrooms in any elementary school will be added to those staffing standards, the board distinguished in last months budget work session.

Woodford explained the preliminary budget calculations presented at last months budget work session did not include enough teachers to prevent the need for multi-age classrooms.

In November 2022, the board discussed the ideal classroom size and it was decided an aide should be added to any K-5 classroom of more than 26 students.

At that time, the board was clear about their concern with larger class sizes, but also recognized in their discussion that we had COVID learning loss money for this year to assist with this staffing addition, and that the position would not continue into the 2023-24 school year, Woodford said.

Woodford presented the board with two options to help with oversized classrooms.

In order to meet the standards mentioned at the last work session and to keep all elementary classrooms lower than 27, she said the division has to fund 14 additional teachers at an estimated cost of $1,064,000  two at Stewartsville, two at Big Island, one at New London Academy, three at Otter River, three at Huddleston, two at Moneta and one at Boonsboro.

The other option is to add 14 aides at a cost of $378,000.

Youre telling me it would cost [$1.06 million] and Im telling you right now, Im not in favor of that, Hill said.

The second idea is taking a look at Policy JCD: school zone transfers.

We currently have a very flexible school zone transfer policy and allow transfers, unless the school reaches 90% or more of their capacity, Woodford said.

Currently, the board voted to close three schools to zone transfer requests for next year  New London Academy, Forest Elementary and Boonsboro Elementary.

Woodford said there are a total of 3,942 elementary school students and 387 of them have been approved for zoned transfers  51 to Bedford Elementary, 16 to Bedford Primary, 11 to Big Island, 11 to Boonsboro, 27 to Forest, 69 to Goodview, six to Huddleston, 49 to Moneta Elementary, 15 to Montvale Elementary, 18 to New London, 25 to Otter River, 18 to Stewartsville and 71 to Thomas Jefferson. Thirty-six of those transfers are students outside of Bedford, mostly children of employees.

Hill said he would hate to have a perk taken away from teachers, allowing them to bring their children into the school they want in the county.

Bergin said he is not advocating to eliminate zone transfers, its worked for this community for a long time.

Hes looking for guidance from the board on how big is too big in terms of class sizes and hed like to put that in the staffing standards.

Hairston maintained her opposition on multi-grade classrooms. Hairston said she hates that multi-age classrooms are being brought up again.

I can assure you that multi-grade classrooms are not in the best interest of our students and I would think that as a board, that should be our priority, is to ensure that we are providing our students with the best possible education that we can give them, Hairston said.

Woodford added, for clarity, we would only ask the board to allow us to enforce that policy JCD, only if we came into a situation where the FTEs allotted to them were causing an issue with an overcrowded class that would create a multi-age situation or where would have to add staff.

Hill said he doesnt see why they would want to interrupt children where theres no capacity issue.

Dont affect kids where we dont need to affect kids, Hill said.

Next month, Bergin wants the board to answer the questions of: how many students is too many and how do you want to address it?
Lee Kyeong-woo, center, a suspect in an abduction-murder of a Seoul woman, speaks to reporters outside the Suseo Police Station in Seoul on April 9. Yonhap



Police investigating a recent kidnapping and murder of a woman in Seoul have concluded that one of three arrested suspects had first proposed the killing to a couple involved in cryptocurrency disputes with the victim, police said.



The couple, identified as husband Yoo and his wife, Hwang, agreed to the proposal from the key suspect, Lee Kyeong-woo, and paid him a total of 70 million won ($53,070) for the crime, Seoul's Suseo Police Station said.



On Sunday, police also sought an arrest warrant for Hwang.



Lee has confessed to all charges against him, but Hwang and her husband, Yoo, are categorically denying the charges, officials said.



Lee has been arrested, together with two other accomplices  Hwang Dae-han and Yeon Ji-ho  on charges of killing the 48-year-old woman from Seoul's Gangnam district on March 29, and killing her the following day and burying her body on a hill in the central city of Daejeon.



The Suseo Police Station referred the three suspects to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office for further investigation and indictment.



As he left the police station around 2 p.m., Lee said: "I'd like to offer my sincere apology to the victim in this case, and I pray for the repose of her soul. I am also really sorry to her family for the irreparable scars this has caused."



Police said Lee first proposed killing the victim and her husband in a meeting with the Yoo-Hwang couple, and the couple paid him 70 million won in return.



The three also discussed stealing cryptocurrency from the victim, police added.



Lee and Hwang, Yoo's wife, have known each other since 2021 through their cryptocurrency investment, with the murdered victim also involved.



After the digital currency fell sharply in February 2021, Lee, the victim and other investors believed Hwang manipulated the token's price. They extorted 190 million won worth of cryptocurrency coins from her.



Lee and the victim were investigated by police for blackmailing Hwang, though only Lee was transferred to the prosecution for further investigation.



Police believe Lee and the Yoo couple reconciled, but the latter and the victim had since been involved in civil suits over the investment.




There is an old American myth thats near and dear to my heart.

As the story goes, six-year-old George Washington received a hatchet as a gift  with which he promptly chopped down his fathers cherry tree.

When his father discovered the deed, Georgie owned up to it: Father, I cannot tell a lie. I chopped down the cherry tree. Georgies father was so impressed by his sons honesty that he forgave him.

Standby to be disillusioned.

Washingtons first biographer, Mason Locke Weems, made up this fable out of whole cloth. The adult Washington had established such a reputation for honor and integrity that Weems imagined he must have been imbued with those qualities from an early age. Hence, Weems took a little literary license with Washingtons life.

Well, I happen to have something in common with the George Washington of Weemss imagination.

Dateline, Wilmington, Delaware, Easter Sunday, 1957.

A family dinner hosted at the home of young Eddies maternal grandparents. After dinner, Eddie gets restless and wanders off to explore Grandpops garage  a place of great fascination for him back then. There were all sorts of tools and some curious memorabilia, including a locked chest left by a former roomer who had been drafted during World War I, never to return.

And then, fatefully, Eddie spies a rusty old hatchet.

Eddies grandfather, Grandpop, had become quite the horticulturalist during his retirement. He had successfully grafted together two different types of cherry trees. The hybrid was six or seven feet tall and about an inch and half in diameter when Hatchet Man Eddie spies it.

He doesnt chop it down. He only gives it three or four whacks.

Grandpop  Joseph Stefan Masarik  had emigrated in 1910 from the part of the Austria-Hungarian Empire that is now Slovakia. It was there he had learned his craft as a master leather tanner.

He settled first in Newark, New Jersey  then the leather capital of the U.S. When a new tannery opened in Wilmington, Delaware, he was lured there to be their head tanner. He became a naturalized citizen. But his English was largely limited to some choice curse words and expressions.

The Aftermath: I, Young Eddie, knew something was wrong  the entire family knew something was wrong  when Grandpop stormed in from the yard shouting a common curse regarding the offspring of a female dog. Whats grandpop son-of-a-ing about? I asked. I soon found out. Surely, the little notches I made in the tree couldnt have ruined the project, I thought.

I was wrong.

But Grandpop was not one to hold a grudge. He called me a couple days later, and through his broken English, I was made to understand he was sorry for getting so mad and I was forgiven.

Today, looking back over 70-some years, I realize the life Ive lived pales in comparison to that of the Father of Our Country. But I have gone on to accomplish some things my grandfather would have been proud of.

As noted below, I managed to conjoin a military career with an academic one. I earned an Ivy League Ph.D. I became a professor and a college dean. Ive been married to the love of my life for 52 years now.

So, Grandpop, if youre up there somewhere, I hope youve been paying attention, and I apologize for whacking away at your hybrid cherry tree.
A new policy being considered by the members of the Page County Conservation Board would prohibit the use of drones and other unmanned aerial vehicles at two county parks.

Page County Conservation Director John Schwab presented the board with the proposed policy regarding the use of drones and unmanned aerial vehicles during its meeting March 14.

The whole purpose of this is to protect the people who arent out there for drones, Schwab said.

Schwab said the policy would make it unlawful to use a drone or UAV in the campgrounds, shelter houses, playgrounds and parking areas of any of the five county parks. Initially, the policy stated that it would also be unlawful to operate a drone or UAV in equestrian areas if horses are present.

The operator of a drone or UAV shall be a minimum of 100 feet from the prohibited areas and a minimum of 300 feet above the prohibited areas. So, it pretty much makes like a bubble over the campgrounds, Schwab said.

In other areas of the parks, a user is expected to operate a drone or UAV safely and responsibly. The operator most also follow all federal regulations related to drones, such as having a registration and insurance.

Schwab also noted that no drones or UAVs operating on gasoline or other flammable fuels are allowed in any areas under the responsibility of the Page County Conservation Department.

Operators are responsible for any and all damages associated with the usage of their drone and UAV, Schwab said.

Schwab said the policy reflects points the discussed at a February meeting.

I looked through all the federal guidelines. There are a ton of restrictions if youre near private property or anything like that, he said. Since were a public recreation area, the only restriction was they cant fly above 400 feet because then youre in airspace for ultralights and stuff. There are no other restrictions. So, without this policy, legally someone could fly a drone two feet in front of your face. As long as they werent recording, theyre not doing anything illegal.

Chairperson Mark Marriott said he learned since the last meeting that drones are used at rodeos, but he said there is already enough noise and activity at those events that a horse would not be startled. However, he said he learned the use of drones is outlawed at the Kentucky Derby to protect the horses involved.

Therefore, Marriott proposed eliminating the use of a drone or UAV all together at Pierce Creek Park to avoid any problems with horses using the equestrian trails at the park. He said Pierce Creek Park also has a large number of trees that would make flying the vehicles challenging.

Weve got five parks. Nodaway Valley gives you some for trail riding, but not as much as Pierce Creek. I would like, myself, to see Pierce Creek eliminated from the drones. Rapp Park is just down the road, Marriott said.

Schwab said he spoke with members of some local clubs that fly drones or UAV. He said they were fully in support of the regulations.

They said this will hopefully help to weed out, as they said, the knuckleheads that go out and cause problems, and then everyone looks at drones saying oh these are bad, Schwab said.

Deb Ratliff and Joyce Kruse were among the members of the audience for the meeting. Kruse said she checked with other county parks in the region and learned they also keep horses and drones separated. Kruse and Ratliff said they were pleased to learn the board intends to prohibit the use of drones and UAVs at Pierce Creek Park.

That makes me very happy, Thank you for doing that. That relieves some of my stress, Ratliff said. Yes, there will be a gazillion horses out there at different times and it may never effect one of them, but its that one time that they go berserk and Id hate to see someone get hurt.

Later in the discussion, Schwab said it may be best to also eliminate the use of a drone or UAV at Nodaway Valley Park since there are some equestrian trails that an operator may not be aware of.

The board plans to consider the approval of the policy at April 11 meeting.

Schwab said the policy does include an exemption that would allow the use of a drone or UAV in restricted areas for an emergency, maintenance or other official purpose.
Cash-strapped Tunisia continues to face headwinds in its quest to obtain a lifeline $1.9 billion credit from the IMF whose conditions are now openly rejected by authoritarian president Kais Saied.

Saied was outspoken in rejecting the IMF conditions for Tunisia to cut subsidies in order to improve public finances.

Saieds statement adds to the fierce opposition by labor unions of the conditionalities involving the structural adjustments relating to the reform of the subsidies system.

The President insinuated that cutting subsidies would lead to unrest, preferring short-term stability over the long-term stability that sound public finances may provide.

Without the IMF deal, no other international financial institution, multilateral banks or major donors would venture to offer Tunisia loans. The IMF acts as a sort of central bank for lenders worldwide.

Western leaders are already warning of Tunisias economic collapse. EU foreign policy chief Joseph Borrel said Tunisia risks collapse economically or socially that could trigger a new flow of migrants to Europe.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Tunisia to speed up efforts in order to reach a deal with the International Monetary Fund that would spare it economic havoc.

Tunisias dysfunctional finances are already manifested in daily life hurdles for citizens, including long queues due to shortages of basic goods, including foodstuff such as coffee, butter and sugar.

Earlier this month, Fitch Rating rated Tunisia CCC+, warning that default is a real possibility.

As the economic and financial outlook darkens, the Tunisian president seeks scapegoats sending scores of critics including Islamist and secular politicians to prison.

His diatribe against Sub-Saharans sent shockwaves across the continent as African countries ask their nationals to leave the country, while the World Bank said it will pause its partnership with Tunis.
The Lincoln County Commissioners on Monday will discuss and approve a memorandum of agreement between the county, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Nebraska State historic preservation officer for the Sutherland North Bridge Project.
DeSantis 24 is not looking like an unbeatable steamroller any more. Photo: Chris duMond/Getty Images

Anyone you talk to in the vicinity of Florida governor Ron DeSantis says hes running for president in 2024. Its his moment, many of his fans claim, and in fact the biggest concern most often heard in his substantial circle of Republican admirers is that he needs to stop putting off a formal candidacy and jump in before he loses any more ground to a revived Donald Trump.

DeSantis has reportedly delayed an announcement because he wants a legislative victory lap to crown his smashing 2022 reelection victory and keep it relevant to GOP presidential-primary voters with short memories, as my colleague Margaret Hartmann noted of DeSantiss appearance on Fox & Friends last month:

He noted that Republicans won supermajorities in both chambers of the legislature in the 2022 midterms and said hes eager to show what they can do.

You aint seen nothing yet, he said. This is going to be the most productive legislative session we have had across the board, and I think people are going to be really excited.

The legislative session is expected to end in late May. But even if you regard a formal DeSantis announcement as just an opportunity for a week of media hype in pursuit of a campaign he is already waging, its absence does offer him an escape hatch if he decides not to run at all. After all, hes definitely losing not only polling numbers but also conservative-media attention to Trump right now. His signature bullying of the woke Walt Disney Company is looking a lot less successful. And hes facing a tough slog through the primaries knowing that Trumps legal battles will continue to dominate news cycles and excite primary voters who are already favorably inclined toward the 45th president. On top of everything else, DeSantis is only 44 years old, which means, if he passes up potential cage matches with two presidents in 2024, he could pick another presidential cycle for about three decades.

The possibility that DeSantis will reach the fail-safe point this spring and turn back may be low, but its impact on 2024 would be so massive that its worth a look at what might ensue. There are basically two post-RDS scenarios:

A free-for-all to fill the DeSantis-size vacuum.

Seventeen Republican candidates ran for president in 2016, the last time there was no incumbent in the race. There are many, many GOP officeholders who have pretty clearly seen a future president of the United States in the mirror yet ruled out or expressed little interest in a 2024 run. They might reconsider if DeSantis and Trump are not together sucking all the oxygen (and campaign dollars) out of the room. Might Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Josh Hawley, Tom Cotton, Brian Kemp, or Greg Abbott take a flier in 2024 if a DeSantis-size vacuum in the field appears? And if not, would the longtime cofront runners self-defenestration push quasi candidates who havent announced  such as Tim Scott, Mike Pence, Mike Pompeo, Glenn Youngkin, Chris Christie, or Chris Sununu  over the brink into an active run?

A free-for-all is possible mostly because (a) Republican elected officials, donors, and lobbyists who have been urging DeSantis to run are deeply fearful that Trump cant win a 2024 general election and/or they cant stand the idea of another turbulent and even revolutionary Trump administration; and (b) the presidential-nominating process creates opportunities for dark horses who beat expectations in the early going, making long-shot candidacies worth a try. The past three winners of competitive GOP Iowa caucus contests are Mike Huckabee, Rick Santorum, and Ted Cruz, Evangelical-friendly ideologues willing to put in the sweat equity to build an organization there. New Hampshire is a bandbox of a state famed for presidential-primary upsets. And with Trump the only whale in a race featuring multiple minnows, media folk will be eager to inflate any upward movement of a rival candidate into a David-and-Goliath story.

Tim Scott, the apple of many a Senate Republicans eye, and Glenn Youngkin, who has nowhere to go after his one term as Virginia governor ends in 2025, are probably the proto-candidates to watch if DeSantis takes a powder. If either or both of these media and Republican Establishment favorites jump in, things could get interesting.

Trump wins a coronation.

The alternative scenario for a 2024 without Ron was nicely articulated in late March by the Bulwarks Jonathan V. Last:

The next thing that happens is Trump pops higher in both national and early-state polls. Thats because Trump is the second choice of about half of the voters who support DeSantis. Which means that youd expect Trump to almost immediately add >10 points to his poll numbers, putting him close to the 60 percent mark nationally 

The Republican establishment, which has been pushing DeSantis relentlessly for two years, would freak the eff out.

Last figures that, after casting about wildly for another champion, Establishment Republicans would soon resign themselves to another Trump nomination since conservative and Republican elites would believe that this really was the last time theyd have to bend over for Trump:

They would assume that he cant win and that the actuarial charts will prevent a 2028 Trump campaign. Theyd tell themselves that January 7, 2025 will be the first day of the rest of their lives and all they have to do is gut out the Trumpism for a few more months.

Elites aside, a Trump candidacy without a formidable opponent like DeSantis might fall somewhere between his 2016 campaign, when he steadily gained strength against divided opposition, and his unopposed 2020 candidacy as an incumbent. Yes, the expectations game might work against Trump in this scenario, but its not as if he couldnt make a comeback. His entire 2024 candidacy represents a comeback from two impeachments, a general-election defeat, a failed insurrection, and whatever prosecutors can pin on him between now and the end of the 2024 election cycle.

The same factors that might lead DeSantis to decide against a 2024 presidential run could lead to a Trump cakewalk to the nomination in Milwaukee 15 months from now.
After Rhonda Scotts two daughters moved away from home, she began searching for something to do with her time and praying that she would find a place in ministry.

While attending her Sunday school class one day, a friend suggested starting a pet ministry to combine her love for animals and the elderly. Scott loved the idea, and with the help of Ann Moss, the former congregational care secretary for Auburn United Methodist Church, they established the PAWS Pet Ministry in 2006.

Both Rhonda and I are pet lovers and wanted other people to enjoy our pets, Moss said.

Former AUMC pastor George Mathison came up with the name for the ministry and the acronym Pets Are Working Saints.

The late Larry McGhee who was a State Farm agent helped Scott and Moss with liability issues and insurance coverage, and Dr. Glen Puckett, a veterinarian at Moores Mill Animal Hospital, continues to help the volunteers get their pets certified.

Puckett makes sure the dog or cat has their vaccines and is temperamentally and physically capable of doing this type of work. Scott said the pets must be gentle and friendly.

We have things set up to simulate experiences that the animal would be involved in when they visit assisted living or nursing homes such as loud noises, petting, wheelchairs, walkers, canes (and) crowds of people, Scott said.

The pets also need to be comfortable with other animals. If the pet responds favorably to all these situations they can be certified to join the ministry.

The owner and pet are assigned to a local facility to visit a couple times a month.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the ministry team was able to cover all the local assisted living and nursing homes as well as the skilled nursing unit at East Alabama Medical Center. Now, they are working their way back to covering all the locations again.

The goal for the ministry is to brighten the lives of the elderly living in these local care facilities by bringing pets to visit as well as praying with them if they want.

We show that we care by coming there on a regular basis and that theyre not forgotten, Moss said. Then, if they express that something is happening in their life, we ask if theyd like us to pray with them.

Scott said one lady who is a resident of a local assisted living facility was facing a lot of health issues, and Scott asked to pray with her. The lady agreed and afterwards told Scott through tears that no one has ever prayed for her before in her life.

Moss said most of the people love the animals, but some just want a visit whether theres an animal or not.

Madera Spencer, 102, is a resident of Morningside assisted living in Auburn who said she always looks forward to visits from the pet ministry and enjoys being able to hold the dogs in her lap.

Im absolutely crazy about animals of any kind. Anything that God put life in, I love, especially pets, she said.

Spencer is a former columnist and society editor for The Montgomery Advertiser where she worked for 27 years. She moved into the assisted living facility in Auburn five years ago.

Spencer said the pet ministry volunteers are dedicated and devoted to the ministry and the pets. She couldnt pick a favorite pet, but said she loves Dalmatians because they remind her of a dog she had named Lady.

Another Morningside resident, Honey Solomon, 78, said the pet ministry visits give her something to look forward to and help her think of the positives.

Solomon was an infectious disease physician in Texas and moved to the Auburn facility to be closer to family. Her son and daughter-in-law are professors at Auburn University and she has two grandchildren here.

These people that are here as residents, for them, the interaction with a pet is even more important because a pet doesnt distinguish a disability, Solomon said.

No matter what a person is going through or what disability they may have, Solomon said the dogs love is unconditional and they enhance a persons wellbeing.

Its one of the things that can be truly treasured is the love of a pet, and their love is unconditional, she said. If youre crying and upset, they try to help. If youre happy and want to play, they want to be happy and play too.

Solomons favorite dog is Purple, named for the owners daughters favorite color, but she said all the pets are personable and affectionate. She also enjoys conversations with the volunteers.

Esthers Fund

In 2020, Scott established Esthers Fund in honor of her dog Esther, one of the pet ministry certified dogs. Scott even taught Esther to put her paws together in prayer. Esther recently passed away in March.

Esthers fund was created to help the underserved and under resourced owners by allowing them to pay a reduced cost of $10 for spaying and neutering. The pet owner just needs to show a tax return, Medicare card, or food stamp assistance letter.

Scott is also the vice president of the Alabama Animal Alliance, which is a low cost spay and neuter clinic in Montgomery. The clinic comes to Auburn once a month to spay, neuter and provide rabies vaccines to pets in the area.

Scott said millions of animals are euthanized every year because theres not enough room for them in shelters.

It is scientifically proven that the only way to stop this is to spay and neuter animals and a lot of people cannot afford that, Scott said. So, the Alabama Animal Alliance makes that affordable for most people.

Rachel Tears, director of the Alabama Animal Alliance, said Esthers Fund has made an incredible impact on animals and pet owners in Central Alabama.

In 2007, the Montgomery Humane Society was taking in close to 17,000 animals and about 87% were euthanized. Last year, they took in about 7,000 and about 40% were euthanized.

Since Esthers Fund was established in 2020, Tears said theyve done 2,300 surgeries for low income pet owners. She estimated thats prevented 17,475 cats and about 8,000 dogs.

Without (Scott) this would not have been possible, Tears said. Its been a life changing event for the pet owners.

To become a volunteer of the faith-based pet ministry, contact Scott at 334-749-4852. For more information about the Alabama Animal Alliance or Esthers Fund visit montgomeryhumane.com/esthers-fund.
The oil and gas industry is exploring the potential of geothermal energy to provide more clean electricity and heating. While geothermal has the advantage of not being dependent on weather like other green energy sources, this form of energy has higher development costs and longer lead times than solar and wind power. Geothermal could, in theory, be a perfect fit for the oil and gas industry and drilling service providersit involves subsurface resource mapping, exploration, and drilling. Several major firms and service providers have recently teamed up with start-ups and with technology and engineering firms to explore opportunities for geothermal development in the United States and elsewhere.

But major hurdles remain. Expensive drilling and development, subsurface drilling risks, the availability of drilling services which often depends on the oil industry cycle, and weaker returns than in oil and gas have all played a role in holding back geothermal energy development despite the fact that there are many areas in the world with high potential.

Low Geothermal Share In Renewable Power Generation Capacity

Geothermal energy is a renewable energy source because heat is continuously produced inside the earth. Unlike with solar and wind, geothermal does not depend on whether the sun shines or the wind blows.

Still, despite decades of development, geothermal isn't that popular.

As of the end of 2021, geothermal power generation stations accounted for 0.5% of the total installed renewable power generation capacity worldwide, with a total installed capacity of around 14.4 gigawatts (GW), according to data from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). The cumulative installed capacity at the end of 2021 was 44% higher than in 2010.

The share of geothermal in the United States is similarly low, although the U.S. boasts the world's largest geothermal installed capacity at 3.7 GWe.

Related: Gasoline Prices Could Surge On The East Coast



Geothermal power plants, using steam turbines to generate electricity, produced about 0.4% of total U.S. electricity generation and about 2.0% of electricity generation from renewable energy in 2021, EIA data shows.

California and Nevada contribute more than 90% of the current U.S. geothermal power generation, with additional contributions from plants in Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, New Mexico, Oregon, and Utah.

Oil Majors Exploring Geothermal Opportunities

Despite the potential of geothermal resources, their share in renewable power generation and installations continues to be very low. Some major names in the oil and gas industry have recently increased efforts to tap that potential and study advanced technologies for doing so.

For example, U.S. oil and gas supermajor Chevron announced in September a joint collaboration agreement with Japan's Mitsui Oil Exploration Co., Ltd (MOECO) to explore the technical and commercial feasibility of advanced geothermal power generation in Japan. The collaboration will study geothermal resource potential across Japan and will evaluate the effectiveness of Advanced Closed Loop (ACL) technology for a future joint pilot project in Japan.

"This collaboration provides an opportunity for Chevron to combine its subsurface capabilities and technologies with MOECO's intimate knowledge of Japan's geothermal potential resource geology and its long history of responsible resource development," said Barbara Harrison, vice president of Offsets & Emerging, Chevron New Energies.

At the end of last year, Chevron, through its Chevron New Energies business, announced a joint venture with Baseload Capital to develop geothermal projects in the United States. Weepah Hills, Nevada, has been identified as a possible site for a first project.

Around the same time, Baker Hughes launched the geothermal energy consortium Wells2Watts, which aims to transform dry non-productive geothermal wells and non-productive oil and gas wells into geothermal wells capable of generating renewable electrical power. The consortium is a private industrial partnership formed by Baker Hughes, Continental Resources, INPEX, and Chesapeake Energy.

Baker Hughes, as well as another major oilfield drilling services provider, SLB, have been drilling geothermal wells for decades. SLB, the new name of Schlumberger, says that it has been a part of 80% of the world's geothermal projects.

Oil and gas majors are also supporting with investments in geothermal start-ups and pilot projects and demonstrations in Texas, the top U.S. oil-producing state, a recent study of researchers at five Texas universities showed.

"The oil and gas industry could play a particularly important role in advancing new, more globally scalable applications that could expand the resource base of geothermal energy," the authors of the study wrote.

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IRENA warns that geothermal power generation projects have, on average, relatively high capital costs compared to hydropower, solar PV, and onshore wind, due to the high development costs and very different risk profiles compared to other renewable power generation technologies, in terms of both project development and operation.

"Compared with other energy technologies, geothermal projects have longer project development timelines, require higher upfront capital expenditures and face high risk during the early phases of exploration," IRENA said in a 2023 report assessing the global geothermal market and technology.

The geothermal technology industry is at the "cutting edge of some breakthroughs," Amanda Kolker, geoscientist and geothermal program manager at National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), told The Wall Street Journal.

The oil and gas industry could play a role in breakthroughs in advanced geothermal technology, but high costs and low returns may continue to be hurdles to mainstream geothermal energy generation.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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Family members of those who lost their lives in the Sewol ferry disaster throw chrysanthemum flowers into the waters off Jindo, an island of South Jeolla Province, where the ship sank on April 16, 2014, in memory of the victims, Sunday. Surviving students and their family members, as well as a private diver who took part in the rescue operation, also attended the memorial service on the ninth anniversary of the disaster. Yonhap
The future of global hydrogen is looking brighter as India, this week, presented a $2 billion subsidy scheme to push domestic hydrogen fuels, and Rystad Energy foresees a 700% growth of global hydrogen pipelines by 2035. Without an increase in hydrogen transport infrastructure, most projects will still face an uphill battle. The Indian government is implementing a $2 billion scheme to support green hydrogen fuel producers. As part of the plan, parties will receive a 10% incentive on their costs, awarded through a competitive bidding process. The incentives will taper down annually, and the bidding scheme will be open to companies already producing hydrogen and ammonia or having renewable energy plants. The government expects to award around 130 billion rupees for the production of green hydrogen and the rest of the financial incentive will be used to support the manufacturing of electrolyzers. India's overall cost of producing green hydrogen is expected to be around 300 rupees per kilo (U.S.$ 3.70), and they hope to produce 3.6 million tons of green hydrogen in the next three years.

The Indian government aims to have 50% of its installed power generation capacity by 2030 from non-hydrocarbon fuels and reach its net-zero goals by 2070. The bidding scheme is expected to attract interest from a long list of Indian companies. The government also plans to support the manufacturing of electrolyzers with an incentive fixed at 4,440 rupees (U.S. $54) per kilowatt, and they hope to support around 3000MW of annual electrolyzer capacity for five years.

Related: The One Catalyst That Could Keep Oil From Hitting $100



A report by CapGemini Research Institute shows that 62% of global heavy industry companies are looking at low-carbon hydrogen to replace carbon-intensive systems. Energy and Utilities (E&U) companies expect low-carbon hydrogen to meet 18% of total energy consumption by 2050. The report highlights the need to unlock investment across the hydrogen value chain, notably to develop hydrogen infrastructure, cost-effective electrolyzers, and fuel cells. The report indicates that low-carbon hydrogen could meet up to 55% of hydrogen mix totals by 2050. On average, 0.4% of total annual revenue is earmarked for low-carbon hydrogen by E&U organizations by 2030, in particular, for hydrogen energy transport and distribution, production, and R&D. Organizations must establish the right collaboration throughout the value chain, secure their offtake, develop hydrogen-competence centers, and harness technologies like simulations, digital twins, and traceability solutions to scale their low-carbon hydrogen initiatives successfully.

On the demand side of things, the lion's share of demand is expected from traditional hydrogen users such as the petroleum refining industry, chemicals, and fertilizers: 94% of petroleum refining organizations anticipate a significant impact on their industry by 2030; similarly, 83% of chemicals and fertilizer companies expect a comparable effect. The participants in the Capgemini survey indicated that they expect that new applications like heavy-duty transportation, aviation, and maritime will increase demand for hydrogen. All participants, however, still see major constraints for hydrogen applications in the abovementioned sectors, especially in production, engineering, and infrastructure. These indicators are also being addressed in a new report by Norwegian consultancy Rystad Energy, although the consultancy is more optimistic about these bottlenecks. Rystad stated that due to the fact that hydrogen pipelines will be far better than vessels at moving hydrogen over short- and medium-range distances in the years ahead, the emphasis should be put on expanding global green hydrogen pipeline infrastructure.

Operational and planned hydrogen pipeline projects

Image: Rystad Energy Hydrogen Solution

The future looks bright, as Rystad foresees that global hydrogen pipeline projects are expected to increase by 700% over the next 12 years. At present, 90% of the 4300 km of pipelines are in Europe and North America. Worldwide, there are about 91 planned pipeline projects on paper and in the early phases of development, with 30,300 km set to go online by around 2035.

By Cyril Widdershoven for Oilprice.com

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In a development with enormous consequences both for international trade and for Moscows control of its far-flung regions across the countrys northern thirdplaces not linked to the center by roads or railwaysthe Russian Federation is rapidly losing its historical dominance over the Northern Sea Route to China and Turkey. Indeed, these two countries are now building icebreakers at record rates, as the Kremlin has had to delay, or even cancel, its plans for new Russian icebreakers due to budgetary shortfalls arising from President Vladimir Putins war against Ukraine, corruption and other problems in the Russian shipbuilding industry. Additionally, the industry is hampered by the competing demands of Russian admirals who want a new aircraft carrier rather than icebreakers and security officials who are more concerned with ensuring Moscows links to locations across the Russian North than with keeping the Northern Sea Route (NSR) open (Topwar.ru, November 20, 2020; Window on Eurasia, May 30, 2021). This development has caught many observers off guard, as they assumed that changes in climate, something that has reduced ice coverage in the Arctic, has reduced the importance of icebreakers as the key element of control for the NSR. But that assumption rests on a misconception about the nature of climate change. It does not proceed everywhere at the same pace and in the same direction. Consequently, while much of the planet is warming, some places are growing colder, at least for the time being. And thus, while much of the NSR has become ice-free in recent years, parts of it now suffer from more rather than less ice. That is the case in the eastern half of this Arctic route, where many of the most important sites of natural resources are located, and Russia does not have the icebreakers or ice-capable ships necessary to cope (The Barents Observer, November 16, 2022).

Related: The One Catalyst That Could Keep Oil From Hitting $100



Three years ago, in the hopes of addressing this problem, the Kremlin announced a new icebreaker construction program that called for the building of three super-sized icebreakers capable of breaking through up to 4 meters of icesomething that no icebreaker currently in service can do. The prospects of such gigantic ships appealed to the Russian imagination, but it soon became obvious that Moscow could not afford to build such vessels anytime soon. In this regard, not only does Russia not have the money, but Moscow lacks the shipyards needed to construct them. As a result, plans to build two of the three vessels have been canceled, and the scheduled delivery date for the third has been pushed back from 2027 to sometime in the 2030s. One reason for the delay is an ironic self-inflicted wound: Russian forces destroyed the Ukrainian factory where parts for the vessel were being made. Now, some Russian observers doubt that the ship will ever be built (The Barents Observer, March 1, 30; Kommersant, March 28).

These Russian problems have opened the way for China and Turkey, two countries with large shipbuilding industries, to become involved in a new race to build icebreakers and thus dominate the NSRa race in which Russia finds itself at a particular disadvantage because it will not be able to catch up to China or Turkey anytime soon. As a result, Russia almost certainly will have to make concessions to Beijing and Ankara in hopes of convincing them to cooperate on the use of the NSR. These concessions will likely take the form of barter arrangements in which Beijing and Ankara will help the Kremlin maintain some control over the NSRs eastern half in exchange for long-term access to and control of raw materials in Russias north. And these two countries have particular leverage given that the effects of Western sanctions mean that neither China nor Turkey has sent ships across the NSR in recent months (The Barents Observer, August 22, 2022; Newsite.gecon.ru, accessed April 3).

As the recent Moscow summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Putin showed, Beijing is fully prepared to put pressure on the Kremlin, with the expectation that China, not Russia, will be the dominant player in the NSRs eastern half almost immediately and over the entire route eventually. This position has been underscored by Chinese announcements that its third icebreaker will soon be operational and that others of the same class will follow in short order (The Barents Observer, December 10, 2021; see EDM, March 28). Furthermore, China has been involved in the construction of Chinese docks in five of the most important ports along Russias Arctic shorelineMurmansk, Sabetta, Arkhangelsk, Tiksi and Uzdenalong with Chinese rail lines into the region (see EDM, March 9; Sovsekretno.ru, accessed April 3).

Not surprisingly, some in Russia are alarmed by the prospect that China is on its way to becoming not only the dominant power of the NSR but also across much of Russian territory. They hope that Moscow can rein in Beijing through a combination of carrotsaccess to resourcesand sticksopposition to any grander Chinese designs in the region. Yet, at present, Beijing has the upper hand, and the Kremlin appears to be going along because its officials do not see any effective alternative if Russia is to maintain close ties with Chinaa status required by Putins pivot from Europe to Asia (see EDM, March 28).

If Chinas moves have attracted attention, the actions of Turkey, and Russias support for them, have not, something all the more remarkable because Turkish shipyards may be in a position to produce more, yet smaller icebreakers than their Chinese counterparts. Maksim Kulinko, the deputy director of Russias NSR agency, says that Turkey, like China, will build smaller non-atomic icebreakers for the route. In reporting his words, Russian news agency Rex says Moscow has no choice but to work with the Turkish and Chinese firms because it cannot produce the needed ships on its own. At the same time, however, the outlet adds that the Kremlin must ensure that it can hold the political ambitions of these two countries in check. That will be no easy taskeither along the NSR or within Russias Northespecially as challenges are now coming from two directions, instead of only one (Iarex.ru, March 28).

By the Jamestown Foundation

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RICHARD GILLOON ADMITTED TO AMERICAN COLLEGE OF TRIAL LAWYERS

Richard Gilloon has become a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, one of the premier legal associations in North America.

The induction ceremony at which Gilloon became a Fellow took place recently before an audience of approximately 525 during the recent Spring Meeting of the College in Key Biscayne, Florida.

Founded in 1950, the College is composed of the best of the trial bar from the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Fellowship in the College is extended by invitation only and only after careful investigation, to those experienced trial lawyers of diverse backgrounds, who have mastered the art of advocacy and whose professional careers have been marked by the highest standards of ethical conduct, professionalism, civility and collegiality. Lawyers must have a minimum of fifteen years trial experience before they can be considered for Fellowship.

Membership in the College cannot exceed one percent of the total lawyer population of any state or province. There are currently approximately 5,800 members in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico, including active Fellows, Emeritus Fellows, Judicial Fellows (those who ascended to the bench after their induction) and Honorary Fellows. The College maintains and seeks to improve the standards of trial practice, professionalism, ethics, and the administration of justice through education and public statements on independence of the judiciary, trial by jury, respect for the rule of law, access to justice, and fair and just representation of all parties to legal proceedings. The College is thus able to speak with a balanced voice on important issues affecting the legal profession and the administration of justice.

Rich Gilloon is a partner in the firm of Erickson|Sederstrom and has been practicing in the state of Nebraska for 41 years. The newly inducted Fellow is an alumnus of Creighton University School of Law.
A 26-year-old man was charged last week in U.S. District Court for Nebraska with selling fentanyl-laced pills that allegedly killed an Omaha man.

Patrick J. Hoshor of Omaha appeared in federal court Friday and was charged with providing two pills laced with fentanyl to Brandon Revere, 36, of Omaha. According to an affidavit, Revere died April 1 at his home near 99th and Maple Streets after purchasing the pills from Hoshor on the previous day.

Reveres wife called the police just before 5 a.m. to say that she found her husband down in their bathroom with a needle on his thigh. The affidavit said that Revere had gotten out of bed to change the diapers of a baby while his wife went to the kitchen.

The wife noticed her husband had gone into the bathroom and locked the door. She was able to unlock the bathroom door, call 911 and begin performing CPR. Omaha Fire Department paramedics took over life-saving measures and transported Revere to Methodist Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Investigators at the scene noticed an small plastic bag that was empty on the bathroom counter. Nearby was an unopened beer can that had a light-blue crushed substance on its top. Fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills are most commonly light blue in color, the affidavit said.

Texts on Reveres phone were found asking about meeting up with a man called Patrick to buy drugs. The two men, according to the texts, were to meet at the Mega Saver near 108th and Maple Streets where Patrick agreed to sell Revere drugs. Security video at the store recorded the meeting.

Hoshor was arrested four days later after federal agents, using Reveres phone, arranged for another drug buy to be conducted at the Caseys at 5718 Northwest Radial Highway. Officers made contact with Hoshor, who was driving the same silver Chevrolet Suburban recorded in the MegaSaver meeting with Revere.

After being read his Miranda rights, Hoshor, who did not have any drugs on him, told officers that he had intended to take Revere to an Elkhorn neighborhood home to obtain pills.

Hoshor is being held in the Douglas County Jail.
On April 8, 1971, Elizabeth Davis Pittman became the first African American and the first woman to be a judge in Nebraska

Judge Betty was the second Black woman to be admitted to the Nebraska bar. The first was Zanzye H.A. Hill, a UNL law graduate who was admitted to the Nebraska bar in 1929, but went South to practice.

Pittman was the first Black and first female deputy county attorney in Douglas County (1964-71) and, in 1950, was the first African American elected to the Omaha Public Schools board.

In 1950, Pittman was one of only 39 African American women lawyers in the U.S.

A graduate of Omaha North High School, she was the first Black woman to graduate from the Creighton University School of Law, in 1948. She was inspired by the example of her father, Charles Davis, an Omaha attorney who opened one of the first Black-owned savings and loan associations in the country.

Creighton awarded her an honorary doctorate in 1973, and in 1998, the university dedicated the Elizabeth Davis Pittman Building on its campus to mark the 50th anniversary of her receiving her law degree there.

Creighton University salutes her legacy with its Elizabeth Pittman Award, which honors Black graduates of Creightons School of Law who possess the same qualities of excellence, perseverance, and dedication that made Judge Pittman such a truly outstanding role model for all law students and lawyers.

Lets reminisce on Judge Bettys dedicated service and integrity and how it helped lay a vital foundation for generations to follow.
A proposal to house parolees in an Omaha group home failed to gain Planning Board support last week.

The Mental Health Association of Nebraska is seeking to rezone an existing duplex at 4810 Polk St. to allow transitional living for parolees.

The zoning already allows for a small group home.

While several board members praised the association for helping people return to society, members voted 7-0 to recommend denial of the rezone request and an accompanying request for a special use permit.

The rezone would not comply with the citys master plan, which calls for low-density residential uses in the area, according to Eric Englund, the citys assistant director of urban planning.

Transitional living is only allowed in high-density residential or commercial zoning districts, the city said.

Small-group living is, however, already allowed on the property, the city said.

So regardless of whether the rezone is ultimately approved by the City Council, the association is making plans to open the home, without parolees.

As it sits now, we are permitted to operate as a small-group living, and we intend to do so, said Tessa Domingus, the associations program coordinator for Omaha.

Domingus said the current zoning will allow them to house people who have served their time and have no court supervision, and those on post-release supervision.

Nebraska has one of the highest incarceration rates per capita in the nation, and thats creating demand for transitional living, she said.

People are coming out of prison at a higher rate than previously, and where are they going to go? They need beds, she said.

Board member David Rosacker told representatives of the association they are doing vital work.

Our society recognizes the need for transition, Rosacker said. A lot of people who are coming out of the criminal system have never had a good chance at life.

Those people face a tremendous chore trying to find a job and do the right thing, he said.

I commend you for your successes, he said.

Neighbors who spoke acknowledged the need for such services but raised questions that the homes residents could relapse. They also expressed concerns that the change could impact parking and property values.

Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of April 2023
Popular Nollywood comic actor, John Okafor, popularly known as Mr. Ibu, is said to have been hit by a stroke. According to a close source, the 57-year-old, Enugu State-born actor has been down for a while with a mysterious stroke shortly after he returned from his recent trip to Owerri. He has asked Nigerians to [] More
Ikechukwu Sunday Onovo

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Makurdi Zonal Office has secured the conviction of one Ikechukwu Sunday Onovo, an ATM fraudster.

The Commission had arrested, investigated and taken Onovo before Justice Mobolaji Olajuwon sitting at Federal High Court Makurdi, Benue State.

Following a plea bargain arrangement between him and the Commission, he was re-arraigned on a one-count amended charge that replaced the initial charge against him.

The count reads: That you, Ikechukwu Sunday Onovo, on or about the 19th day of April, 2019 at Makurdi, in the Makurdi judicial Division of the Federal High Court did steal an electronic card to wit: A Union Bank Debit Card issued in the name of Mukhtar Ali and withdrew the sum of N390,000.00 from the said account and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 33(3) of the Cybercrime (prohibition prevention Etc.) Act, 2015.

He pleaded guilty to the charge.

In view of his plea, the prosecuting counsel, Mary Onoja, urged the Court to accept the plea bargain and convict him accordingly.

Justice Olajuwon pronounced him guilty on May 24, 2019 and subsequently convicted him, ordering him to pay a fine of N500,000 (Five Hundred Thousand Naira) to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

The convict also returned the cumulative sum of N390,000 (Three Hundred and Ninety Thousand Naira) as restitution to the victim.

The Court also ordered that he forfeits his Peugeot 406 with registration Number Kano AR163FGE, and Chassis Number 845780 to the Federal Government as proceeds of crime. He was also remanded in prison pending the payment of his fine.Operatives of the EFCC had arrested him on May 2, 2019 at First Bank Plc premises Otukpo, Benue State following investigations into his involvement in ATM fraud.
Engr, Abdu Mohammed, the Managing Director of the Jos Electricity Distribution Company, has reiterated his commitment in boosting electricity supply in its franchise States of Bauchi, Gombe, Benue and Plateau State.

He stated this recently during a courtesy visit to the Management of Mainstream Energy in Abuja with the cardinal aim of procuring more energy from them

Speaking during the Mohammed disclosed that JED under his leadership was determined to live up to its mandate of delivering qualitative and reliable electricity supply to its franchise States.

He said to achieve the feat effectively, there was the need to concretize arrangements on power procurement from a very credible and solid enterprise.

The JED boss who was optimistic that the company would soon become the best DISCO in energy distribution in the country owing to the quantum of investments by the new owner asserted that the visit was centered on effective collaboration between the two companies.

In his words, The visit to the headquarters of Mainstream Energy was to initiate discussions on bilateral power procurement and other investment-related issues.

Engr Mohammed explained that the visit was consequent upon the directive by the regulator that all the DISCOS in the country should commence engagement with the power generation companies for bilateral power procurement stressing, We are here in line with this directive.

On his part, the Managing Director of Mainstream Energy, Engr Lamu Audu who thanked the Jos Disco boss said he was eagerly looking forward to the actualization of the bilateral discussion.

While commending Engr Mohammed for the visit, the Managing Director of Mainstream Energy disclosed that his company was ready to assist JED Plc to achieve its set goals.

Our correspondent reports that this was contained in a statement signed by the Head Corporate Communications Jos Electricity Distribution Company, Dr. Friday Adakole Elijah.
A signboard showing the speed of traveling cars is set up at a school zone in Seoul, in this undated file photo. Korea Times file



By Nam Hyun-woo



Debates over the effectiveness of traffic regulations for school zones are heating up following the death of another child hit by a drunk driver in Daejeon, Sunday, the latest case of death in the areas designed to protect child pedestrians.



According to Daejeon's Dunsan Police Station, a 10-year-old elementary school student died early Sunday after being hit by a car driven by a 60-year-old drunk driver on the previous day.



The incident took place in a school zone in Dunsan-dong, where the victim was walking along with three others. A car driven by a drunk driver hit the victim having crossed over to the side of the road where they were walking after crashing into a median strip. The other three students sustained non-life-threatening injuries.



The driver was under the influence of alcohol, above the level of license cancellation. Police plan to file for an arrest warrant for the driver on charges of manslaughter and violating the Road Traffic Act.



Sunday's tragedy was the latest fatal car accident reported in a school zone, where motorists are required to drive slower than 30 kilometers per hour to ensure children's safety.



On Dec. 2, an elementary school student was killed after being hit by a car driven by a drunk driver in a school zone in front of an elementary school in southern Seoul. The driver did not take any emergency measures and fled the scene, resulting in the child's death.



On July 7, an elementary school student died in a school zone in front of a school in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, after being hit by an excavator.



Korea has been implementing stricter regulations since March 2020, after an elementary school student named Kim Min-sik, 9, was killed in September 2019 while crossing a street in a school zone in Asan, South Chungcheong Province.



His death triggered the introduction of new regulations known as the "Min-sik Law," aimed at imposing harsher punishment for drivers responsible for traffic accidents in school zones.



However, there have been doubts and complaints about the stringent implementation of these rules and police data has shown that the number of car accidents in school zones has not significantly changed after the law took effect.



On Sunday, the presidential office announced 15 policy tasks that it selected among public proposals, including "a review of Min-sik Law."



The office said the speed limit in school zones does not always reflect the actual pedestrian traffic, causing inconvenience, thus it will develop plans for flexible application of the speed limit.



In Daegu and Daejeon speeds of up to 50 kilometers per hour in school zones are allowed at night. But opposition is growing to this flexibility on the basis that it goes against the purpose of having school zones.



Against this backdrop, lawmakers are also divided over how to improve the school zones to better protect children.



The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) Rep. Kim Yong-min proposed a revision to the Road Traffic Act to strengthen the responsibilities of central and municipal governments on car accidents in school zones to improve protective measures.



On the other hand, DPK Rep. Yang Kyung-sook proposed a separate revision to the Road Traffic Act that would allow authorities to adjust the maximum speed limit in school zones depending on the pedestrian traffic at different times.


The General Officer Commanding 3 Division Nigerian Army (GOC), and the Commander Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), Maj. Gen. Abdulsalami Bagudu Ibrahim has informed that the use of technology will boost the Nigerian Army combat on the war on insurgency.

He said the use of technology will help the Army to be proactive in countering insurgents raging from banditry, kidnapping, terrorism and insurgency.

Gen. Ibrahim stated this recently during the combine graduation ceremony of young officers and soldiers of EXERCISE SHINING STAR III and those trained on use of technology to conduct military operations at Small Arms Range Miango, Plateau state.

Represented by the Chief of Staff Headquarters 3 Division, Brigadier General David Kurmi, the GOC further charged the troops to keep alive the knowledge acquired while utilizing it in the field.

The training is aimed at making you better trained soldiers to respond rapidly to security threats, he said in a statement sent to our correspondent by the Acting Deputy Director Army Public Relations 3 Division Jos, Lt. Col. Ishaku Takwa.

On his part, the Division Training Officer, Brigadier General Suleiman Adamu said , the training was designed to train personnel on the utilization of technology to counter emerging threats. He noted that significant number of the soldiers trained were young soldiers and officers drawn from all the units and formations under 3 Division.

Presenting the troops for graduation, the Senior Instructor Division Training School, Jos, Major FA Akinboju commended the high level of discipline and regimentation exhibited by the troops throughout the training period. He urged them to be good ambassadors of the school in their various units.

The GOC however thanked the Chief of Army Staff for providing the necessary platforms to develop the capacity of troops.
A N70 million ransom has been demanded for the release of former Deputy Governor of Nasarawa state, Professor Onje Gye-Wado.

Recall that National Daily report Gye-Wado was kidnapped by gunmen in the early hours of Friday, April 7, at his residence in Wamba LGA of the state.

A family source who spoke to Vanguard disclosed that the kidnappers placed a call less than 24 hours after he was abducted, demanding for a N70 million ransome for his release.

The kidnappers are in touch with the family of Prof and they have demanded the sum of N70 million naira, while the family has offered N2million.

The family is pleading with the abdctors to accept the N2 million because they can not raise anything more than that due to the public holidays declared by the federal government for the Easter celebration.

There is public holiday from now till Monday, there is no where we can get money and we want him (Prof), back alive, the source said.
A POS operator, simply identified as Olasunkanmi Joseph, has been shot dead by armed robbers who cart away the sum of N10million in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State.

It was gathered that the robbers, who concealed their faces with masks, trailed the deceased from a bank and attacked him when he got stuck in traffic around the Irona area of the city on Thursday, April 6, 2023.

According to reports, the victim was chased to the area and was trying to negotiate the roundabout when he was held down by the heavy traffic and was blocked by the assailants.

Confirming the unfortunate incident, spokesperson of the State police Command, Sunday Abutu, said: We got the information and investigation has commenced to ensure the arrest and prosecution of those that perpetrated the act.

The Commissioner of Police is enjoining anyone with useful information concerning the incident on how the perpetrators could be apprehended to approach the nearest police station.
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Civil rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, (HURIWA), on Saturday, slammed judges of high courts for issuing gratuitous ex parte orders of interim injunction sacking national chairmen of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Iyorchia Ayu and his Labour Party (LP) counterpart, Julius Abure.

HURIWA, in a statement by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, knocked the judiciary for its consistent attempts to torpedo democracy in many instances by issuing frivolous ex parte injunctions to remove chairmen or members of political parties for subterranean reasons after some aggrieved party men approach the courts.

The group said justices and judges of the Supreme Court, the Appeal Courts and the High Courts should desist from turning their courts into shopping centres for unscrupulous and aggrieved party men to window-shop ex parte injunctions.

Recall that the crisis in the PDP deepened as the Benue State High Court in Makurdi ordered Ayu to stop parading himself as the chairman of the party.

READ ALSO: Supreme Court judgement on Lawan, travesty of justice HURIWA

The judge, W. I Kpochi issued the interim injunction restraining Ayu from parading himself as the national chair of the PDP following an ex parte application by a member of the party in Benue State, Terhide Utaan.

After the injunction, the party subsequently appointed its Deputy National Chairman, Umar Damagum (North), as its acting national chairman.

On the other hand, a Federal Capital Territory High Court issued an order restraining Abure as LP chairman as well as three others from parading themselves as national officers of the party. Justice Hamza Muazu issued the restraining order while ruling in ex-parte application argued by a James Onoja.

On the same day, a State High Court sitting in Benin, restrained LP and all its members from any suspension of its national officers till the determination of motion on notice.

HURIWAs Onwubiko said, We condemn the rascality of judges in seeking to torpedo democracy in many instances by issuing frivolous ex parte injunctions to remove chairmen or members of political parties for subterranean reasons after allegedly picking up bribes.

READ ALSO: HURIWA demands arms licence to adults without crimes records

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Criminally-minded judges of high courts, Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court must desist from turning their courts into shopping centres for bribe-offering party men window-shopping for ex parte injunctions. This is important for the court to restore its credibility and sanctity as well as the confidence of the people that the court is hope of the common man.

The Supreme Courts lopsided judgement in the case of Senate President Ahmed Lawan and Bashir Machina in the legal tussle for the authentic Candidate of Yobe North Senatorial District is still fresh. The apex court delivered a similar contorted judgement in the case between ex-minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio; and a retired deputy inspector general of police, Udom Ekpoudom in the intra-party legal contest for the Akwa-Ibom North-West senatorial seat election in the just-concluded NASS polls.

How about the January 2020 judgement of the apex court that sacked Emeka Ihedioha of the PDP as governor of Imo state, and affirmed Hope Uzodimma as winner of the March 9 election despite that Uzodimma of the All Progressives Congress (APC) came fourth in the election and Ihedioha had over three times of the votes of Uzodimma.
THE Labour Party (LP) has said its vice presidential candidate Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed will not engage in a debate with Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka over the outcome of the February 25 Presidential Election.

Soyinka had challenged Datti to a debate after the LP vice presidential candidate declared that it would be undemocratic to swear in All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate Bola Tinubu as Nigerias President on May 29.

Reacting to the challenge in a statement released on Saturday, April 8, the LP said Datti would only engage Soyinkas preferred candidates in a debate.

In the statement issued by the Obi-Datti Media Office, the LP said Dattis refusal to take Soyinka up on his offer was not out of cowardice but for cultural and political reasons.

The LP noted that the Nobel Laureate was not on any of the opposing ballots in the election.

The party however said Datti would engage in the debate if Soyinka could use his influence to bring his preferred candidates for the exercise.

We state that the Labour Partys vice-presidential candidate, Dr Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, cannot take up Prof. Soyinkas offer of a public debate, not out of cowardice, but for cultural and political reasons.

Culturally its just not decent, their age and accomplishment gaps taken into account, for Datti to sit opposite the 88-year-old global icon and point out his folly to his face, even if the older man called for it. And politically, there is no basis for such a challenge because Prof. is not on the opposite ballots.

If, however, he can use his influence to drag his preferred candidates, who resisted debates throughout the campaign, to the studio this second, Datti says he is more than willing to take them on, the LP said in the statement.

Datti had on Wednesday, March 22, called on President Muhammadu Buhari and the Chief Justice of Nigeria not to swear in Tinubu, whom INEC declared as the President-Elect, insisting that declaring Tinubu the winner and issuing him a certificate of return was against the Constitution.

The 53-year-old, who was a guest on Channels TVs Politics Today, stressed that whoever swears in Mr Tinubu has ended democracy in Nigeria, a position that did not sit well with Soyinka and several other prominent Nigerians.

Reacting to Baba-Ahmeds comments, Soyinka described the remarks as a kind of do-or-die attitude and provocation that goes contrary to democratic disposition.

Soyinka said the LP vice-presidential candidate tried to dictate to the supreme arbiter of the nation, adding that it was unacceptable.




The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG), on Saturday, faulted Ndigbo over renewed calls for unconditional release of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Nnamdi Kanu from custody.

CNG said it is unreasonable, unwarranted, thoughtless and unrealistic.

The coalition also said Ohanaezes call for Kanus release without trial has deepened the conviction that the determination of the Ndgbo to keep on causing widespread disturbances and terror in Nigeria is now real and cannot be avoided or deferred any longer without terrible consequences.

A statement issued by the coalition spokesperson, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, said it is ridiculous that Ohanaeze should expect any responsible government to condone the mindless violence, insistent drive towards civil strife in the country and extremist terrorist actions perpetrated by IPOB on the clear instructions of Nnamdi Kanu.

Part of the statement reads: We condemn with all our might the renewed calls for the undue termination of the trial of Nnamdi Kanu by Ohanaeze and other Ndigbo leaders and groups as insane, unreasonable, unwarranted, thoughtless and unrealistic.

To reiterate our calls on the federal authorities to disregard such unpatriotic calls and remain resolute in seeing the prosecution of Kanu to its logical conclusion so as not to set the bad precedent of regional leaders interfering with the course of justice by helping criminals to evade the law.

To alert the incoming administration of Bola Tinubu on the dangers of falling for the antics of the Ndigbo that are aimed at causing mishaps and unnecessary devastation and driving Nigeria over the brink into a catastrophe.

To specifically invite the attention of the incoming President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to remain vigilant as to the direction the country is headed so as to avoid the type of mistake committed by the late President Shehu Shagari in granting unconditional state pardon to the initiator of the Biafra project, Odumegwu Ojukwu which has proved counterproductive.

He should bear in mind that the bulk majority of Kanus casualties are from the North, the region from where he extracted the bulk of his winning votes. We remind him of the moral consequences of falling to the trap of the Ndigbo of the South-East from where he secured very insignificant support at the expense of his true friends and allies in the North who bear the brunt of the atrocities perpetrated by Kanu.

Instead, the President should remain resolute in ensuring the diligent prosecution of Kanu, his sponsors, backers and collaborators in the heinous crimes against the Nigerian state and innocent Nigerian citizens.

In order to prevent a descent into anarchy at this day and age, and to forestall mass killings, untold sufferings and atrocities, the federal government must not accede to the current pressure by Ohanaeze and its ilk to secure the unconditional release of the leader of a group that has been duly proscribed as terrorist.

The group said it is curious at this critical turning point for Ohanaeze and other Ndigbo leaders and collaborators to resurrect the calls for the release of: a culprit who since 2016 has been responsible for the unrelenting disturbances created in the South-East and across the country in the form of a violent agitation for a separate State of Biafra.

The statement further stated that: It is important to point out here that the embers of the current violent Biafra agitation were ignited and incessantly fanned into a raging fire by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) under Nnamdi Kanu, supported by other authors of mindless violence who see it as their duty to actualise the task started by their fathers in 1966, of bringing about the realisation of a separate State of Biafra through the force of arms and terrorist tactics.

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Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor on Drainages, Joe Igbokwe has outlined strategies for Igbos to produce a president in Nigeria amid controversy that the region was being marginalized.

The just-concluded 2023 presidential election was characterised by a lot of twists and turns with Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, being massively supported by Igbos and other ethnicities.

In a Facebook post, Igbokwe claimed the support received by Peter Obi indicated that Igbos are only interested in Nigeria, not in Biafra.

The APC chieftain insisted Igbos are truly unhappy with how the country treats the zone in terms of representation in the national political landscape.

He therefore urged IPOB and the rest of the region to embrace the process of building bridges of friendship and building trust with other Nigerians, dialogue on national unity, issues of equity, justice and others.

READ ALSO: Joe Igbokwe reacts to claims that Lagos belongs to the Yorubas

Igbokwe said: Through actions and deeds, I have found out over the years that Igbo is not truly interested in Project Biafra. In their innermost chambers, I am convinced beyond reasonable doubt that they know that a lot is at stake given massive, aggressive, strategic and thriving investments across Nigeria.

Through many years of interventions in the public space via interactions, writings and publications, I have noticed that Igbo are not happy because no Igbo man has ruled this country since the end of Nigeria- Biafra war in 1970.

Another thing that makes Igbo angry is that the South East is the only zone that has just five States in Nigeria while four other zones have six states each, and one zone has seven States. As a consequence of this, anything that is being shared in Nigeria, SE has the least Governors, LGAs, Senators, HORs, State Capitals, federal allocations, least state capitals etc. This is a grave injustice.

READ ALSO: Joe Igbokwe reacts as Tompolo uncovered 42 illegal oil tapping points

In the 2023 presidential, governorship and the National Assembly elections, I saw my people coming out in their numbers to cast their votes for their son Peter Obi. I also noticed that the struggle for Biafra took the back seat.

I noticed at once that the issue is not the agitation for Biafra but to be supported and encouraged to produce the President of Nigeria in a nation that belongs to all of us. I have seen the support Nigerians East, West, North or South gave to Labour Party candidate, Mr. Peter Obi.

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I will advise IPOB to drop the guns and embrace and seek peace with other Nigerians. Then, dialogue and constructive engagements will follow.

We will then start the process of building bridges of friendship and building trust with other Nigerians. Dialogue on national unity, issues of equity, justice, fair play and the healing process will then commence. It is possible, and I also know that it is doable.
State Chairmen of the Labour Party (LP) from the 36 states of the federation, including members of the National Working Committee (NWC), on Saturday, passed a vote of confidence on the National Chairman, Julius Abure. They unanimously mandated the National Chairman, Abure, to convene the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting.

The 36 State Chairmen and the NWC members, at a press conference on Saturday, declared the leadership of Lamidi Apapa illegal, nullifying and voiding all decisions.

The State Chairman, affirming their vote of confidence on Abure as the LP national chairman, maintained that the party still suspends Yomi Arabambi and Anslem Eragbe.

The state chairmen and NWC members commended the LP Board of Trustees, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), for their firm stand on Abure as LP national chairman, and holding that the party leadership cannot be changed without due process.
A former Judge of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), in the Hague, Netherlands, Bola Ajibola is dead.

Bola Ajibola Cause Of Death

He died at the age of 89 on Saturday midnight after a long-time illness as a result of old age.

Ajibola was also a former Attorney-General of Nigeria.

His death was announced by his eldest child, Segun Ajibola (SAN) in a statement, on Sunday in Abeokuta.

With very deep heart and gratitude to Almighty Allah, the statement reads in part.

Our Dad, Prince Bola Ajibola, departed this world over midnight. May Almighty Allah bless him with Aljanah Firdaus.

The remains of the late prince Bola Ajibola is expected to be buried around 4 pm according to Islamic rites at his Islamic Mission for Africa Centre in Abeokuta South Local Government of Ogun State.

The respected legal icon founded Crescent University, Abeokuta.

In other news, Kanyi Daily reported that President Muhammadu Buhari has condemned what he described as the extreme violence and killings of scores of people in Benue State in the last week.

Buharis condemnation was contained in a statement issued on Saturday by his Spokesman, Garba Shehu.
President Yoon Suk Yeol delivers a speech during an Easter service at Youngnak Presbyterian Church in central Seoul, Sunday. Joint Press Corps



President Yoon Suk Yeol issued an Easter message Sunday, saying he will work hard to make Korea a warmhearted society.



"Jesus' resurrection is a message of salvation that mankind can be reborn by practicing love," Yoon said in a Facebook post. "I wish the love of Jesus will fill the entire world. Our government will work hard to build a warm society."



Yoon and first lady Kim Keon Hee later attended an Easter service at Youngnak Presbyterian Church in central Seoul.



"The love and spirit of solidarity practiced by Korean churches are something that protect the freedom of mine and my neighbors as well as that of the world's citizens, and constitute the realization of Jesus' words," Yoon said during a speech given at the service.



"Faithfully following the spirit of the Constitution, and preventing untruth and corruption from threatening our free democracy is the path to practicing God's lessons," he said. (Yonhap)


BY SULE TAHIR

President-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu has admonished Nigerians to shun ethnic and religious strife for the country to attain prosperity faster.

The president-elect, in his Easter message to Christians on Saturday, called on Nigerians to love our neighbour, regardless of tongue, faith and tribe.

In the wake of the 2023 elections, ethnic slurs and divisive comments have dominated debates among members of different political parties on social media.
A 34-year-old South American man from Suriname, Dadda Lorenzo Harvy Albert, has been arrested for drug trafficking by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). This was disclosed in a statement released by the Director, Media and Advocacy (NDLEA), Mr Femi Babafemi in Abuja on Sunday. According to Babafemi, the suspect was apprehended at the Port Harcourt International Airport (PHIA), Rivers state, while attempting to bring 117 parcels of cocaine into Nigeria.

The cocaine was concealed in extra-large latex condoms factory packed inside bottles of 100ml body spray. The suspect claimed to have left Suriname on April 2 for Sao Paulo, Brazil, and then traveled to Nigeria on April 7, in search of his long-lost Nigerian father whom he called Omini.

In another operation, NDLEA officers at Tincan seaport in Lagos seized 110 parcels of Colorado weighing 55kg, which were hidden in a container marked MSCU 4972769 from Toronto via Montreal, Canada. The illicit consignment was discovered in the container bearing five units of used vehicles during a joint examination of the cargo by NDLEA and other port stakeholders. Babafemi said that the seizure was part of a total of 1,559.3 kilograms (1.5 tons) of the psychoactive substance seized during interdiction operations in five states in the past week.

Two suspects, Nura Ibrahim, 40, and Habibu Sadiq, 38, were also arrested along Zaria-Kano road on Sunday, April 2, with 120 blocks of cannabis weighing 148.7kg. In addition, not less than 418.5kg of the same substance and a Sienna space bus used in conveying it were recovered on Thursday, April 6, at a notorious drug hub, Patey, Lagos Island. A suspect, Azi Solomon, was arrested the same day at Ojota garage while attempting to move 23kg of cannabis to another state, according to Babafemi.
Tony Elumelu, Nigerian Billionaire and founder of the Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) have shared an image of himself at the White House in Washington with Ivanka Trump, daughter of the president of United States, Donald Trump.

Tony met with Ivanka on Thursday to deepen the impact of his Entrepreneurship Programme, especially about supporting more women.

According to the CEO of the TEF Ifeyinwa Ugochukwu, the meeting with Ivanka was to discuss how TEF can work together with her to deepen its impact across Africa.

Female participation in the #TEF Entrepreneurship Programme has increased from 28% -41% since 2015.
Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Balarabe Musa, has condemned recent activities of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

He said the group has started to breed enemies for the South-East and making the support for the region to produce the president in 2023 difficult.

In a statement this weekend, he said, IPOB are now breeding enemies for the South East. We are campaigning for the presidency to go to the South East, even though zoning was introduced by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that we are opposed to.

It is good for us as a country because it gives every person and area a sense of belonging.

So we support the zoning and we are saying the presidency should go to the South East and we have our reason. Now, they are making our job even more difficult and they are not helping even the people in the South East .

On IPOBs recent attack on Ekweremadu, former deputy senate president, Musa said, IPOB is wrong to have attacked the former deputy president of the Senate. Even though we are opposed to them because they are a separatist organisation, because they are an organisation that wants to separate NIGERIA, but we also have sympathy for them because they have genuine grievances.

They are now spoiling the little sympathy they have by doing what they did. It is uncalled for, the person they attacked is an individual, not an organisation. I think its wrong for them to have done so.

They are also making it difficult for us. Even though we are opposed to them as a separatist group, we have sympathy for them because of their grievances.

But this mindless violence is making them to lose sympathy. I expect them to be concerned with organisations, not individuals; they should engage individuals with reasons. They should stop this violence.

The South-East has been clamouring for the zoning of the presidency to the region in 2023.

The regions argument is that as one of the major groups in Nigeria, it should also be allowed to produce the president of the country as other major groups.




President Muhammadu Buhari

The Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) has dismissed the argument by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) seeking to disqualify President Muhammadu Buhari, the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate for the 2019 General Election.

The court ruled that Buhari possess the West African School Certificate Examination, (WASCE), to contest the 2019 presidential election.

It said Buhari was not only qualified, but eminently qualified to contest the election, saying that the petitioners (Atiku Abubakar and PDP), could not run away from the fact that Buhari obtained WASCE which qualified him for the election.

The court said apart from being qualified, the president also obtained other certificates to validate claims that he is eminently qualified for the presidential poll.

The Chairman of the tribunal, Garba Mohammed, therefore struck out the claims by the PDP and Atiku that Buhari did not possess the needed qualification for the election and that he presented false information to INEC.

-NAN
Cross River Gov Ben Ayade has revealed his role and those of the journalist detained and charged with treason on his alleged order for criticising the state government.

Agba Jalingo, the publisher of CrossRiverWatch, was arrested on August 22 over a report that Ayade diverted N500 million belonging to the state.

But the governor denied this.

In court, it is Federal Government versus Agba Jalingo, not Cross River State. Hes in court for treason, a state does not have power to try anyone for treason,  Ayade told reporters on Monday at the presidential villa, Abuja.

He added the Jalingos arrest and trial is in connection with Omoyele Sowores #RevolutionNow protest.

On his Facebook page, he sent pictures where he was being teargassed at the revolution march in Lagos. His own pictures, posted by himself and when Sowore was being arrested, he went back to his Facebook to post that the revolution has just started, we will continue this battle until revolution works. He admitted this in Court, Ayade said.

You are seeing him as a journalist, but hes not. Hes the chairman of Sowores party in Cross River State so hes a politician. He has a primary calling, which is journalism.

Once he started the campaign to overthrow the government of President Buhari, he ceased to be seen from the point of journalist because he has become the state chairman of a party.

But e governor said he believes Jalingo should be released because I think he was just youthfully excited.

If you ask Agba Jalingo today, Im the one working with his lawyers for his freedom, Im the one sustaining him and sending upkeeps, he said.

According to hi, the detained is his brother, and the Jalingo betrayed him after he assisted him and his newspaper.

Please ask Agba Jalingo, that CrossRiverWatch, the first person to give him money to set up the office was myself. His official vehicle, it was me. He knows that I have funded and supported him, but journalism stops where blackmail becomes part of your strategy.

Today you need something, then Ayade is a good man and you start writing all the good things. If I take my phone and show you our WhatsApp communication, you will call me a godly man. Today I need money to set up a computer school; tomorrow I need money to feed my birds; the other day I need to be INNOSONs sole distributor in Cross River State. I do all that.

But when I dont get a thing right you go to the social media and write something as careless as Governor Ayade has taken N500 million to Russia. You impugned my fathers name, my character, my family name, for just a personal request that Ive not met, out of many that I have met.

Please for once, put yourselves in my shoes. All I simply did was to stay out of the issue, the governor said.

I have an intellectual background as a professor, I will stand with journalists at all times and I will never prosecute somebody.

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President Yoon Suk Yeol during the second meeting to check the progress of his administration's key policy tasks at the former presidential office, Cheong Wa Dae, in Seoul, April 5. Yonhap



President Yoon Suk Yeol issued an Easter message Sunday, saying he will work hard to make Korea a warmhearted society.



"Jesus' resurrection is a message of salvation that mankind can be reborn by practicing love," Yoon said in a Facebook post. "I wish the love of Jesus will fill the entire world. Our government will work hard to build a warm society." (Yonhap)






Yahoo boys arrested in Ibadan

Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC have arrested a 38-year-old suspected internet fraudster, Azeez Adebowale alongside five others in Ibadan on Monday.

A mini coffin suspected to contain fetish materials was found in Adebowales house.

Adebowale, who claimed to be using the coffin as soap rack, was among the six persons arrested following weeks of piecing together tips on intelligence received on their alleged involvement in internet fraud.

The suspects which included a lady, Toyinsola Bolumole, were picked up by men of the Commissions Ibadan zonal office at locations around Oluyole and Alao-Akala Estates of the ancient city.

Others are Ifelowo Ololade, Sonuyi Ayodeji, Folarin Oladele Olayinka and Aluko Olawale.

Items recovered from them include four cars, various brands of sophisticated phones and an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) cards.
President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered the Nigeria Customs Service to release bags of rice seized from smugglers for immediate distribution.

This directive is part of the palliative measures by the Federal government to cushion the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

The Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, made this announcement during a media briefing in Abuja on Monday morning.
BLOOMINGTON  Harold Gregor, Bloomington-Normal's most nationally recognized artist from the late 20th century, made an everlasting mark on the community, and the world, with his unique depictions of the often defamed and dreaded flat landscapes of the Illinois prairie and agriculture.

Originally hailing from Detroit, Michigan, Gregor (1929-2018) came to Bloomington-Normal in 1970, eager to take in the Illinois landscape. Prior to accepting his position in the art department at Illinois State University, Gregor taught and lived in California for 10 years after receiving his doctorate in art from Ohio State University.

Whilst on the West Coast, his art practice transformed with the trends of the times and he dabbled in abstract expressionism, pop art and grid art. By the time he landed in Bloomington-Normal, he was eager for a new muse  and he found it within the flat landscape of Illinois farmland and the photorealism movement.

In a 2017 interview with his former student and current executive director of the McLean County Arts Center, Doug Johnson, Gregor revealed feeling lost, being at a crossroads of his artistic practice upon his arrival in Illinois.

"I didn't really know what to do, so, I thought the corniest and the dumbest thing I could probably do would be corn cribs," he said. "I had not seen them, and I did not know what they were; I thought they were barns until someone finally told me, 'Those are not barns. Those are corn cribs!'"

The Robert Gray Gallery, which represented Gregor in Chicago, described his series of corn crib depictions as "tightly rendered and hauntingly silent photorealist work depicting white-wash corn cribs as the focal point of the landscape." These striking images are what first caught the eye of major collectors and galleries across the country.

In fact, Gregor's work was involved in a high-profile art theft from the Richard Gray Gallery in January 1994. Two paintings were stolen from the Michigan Avenue art space in the wee hours of the morning: a Pablo Picasso and a Harold Gregor.

The 1928 Picasso piece, "Tete," was an 8.5-by-21.5-inch oil and sand on canvas painting depicting a semi-abstract, monotone profile of a woman's face, valued at $500,000. The 1990 Gregor piece, "Early Fall, Heyworth," was an 8.5-by-27.75-inch oil and acrylic on canvas painting depicting the McLean County landscape, valued at $7,000.

The Picasso was stolen for ransom and returned mysteriously, but the Gregor was never recovered, and the thief was never found. The world will likely never know what the motive for the theft of Gregor's piece was, but in an interview with Pantagraph reporter Sharon Gilfand later that year, Gregor quipped, "They were really after my painting  they just picked up the Picasso."

His work also caught the eye of President Barack Obama, who requested a Gregor painting to take to Washington, D.C., as an homage to his home state and its beauty. First in Obama's Senate office and then in the Oval Office's private dining room at the White House, Gregor's painting was prominently and proudly displayed.

The former president even wrote to Gregor: "It is an absolute pleasure to have your work in my office  thanks so much!"

Although Gregor wasn't born in Illinois, he spent over half his life in Bloomington-Normal and made it his home. More specifically, downtown Bloomington, where Gregor invested in preserving its historic architecture and revitalizing and rejuvenating the once-vibrant area.

In 1967 Eastland Mall opened, anchored by Sears and JCPenney, which were both previously located in downtown Bloomington. This move began a domino effect of businesses and residents fleeing the area, leaving downtown with more pigeons and potholes than people.

Gregor and friend, colleague and painter Ken Holder moved into their first shared studio space at 108 E. Front St. (now the site of the McLean County Government Center) in 1971. . At the time, Gregor described the space candidly as "full of pigeon shit." The two paid $12 a month for rent and worked in cold storage in the former dance hall.

In this studio, the pair's friendship and art practice grew together. Alongside Harold Boyd, the three young artists transformed the art department at Illinois State University and became largely known as the "Heartland Painters." The story of these three men simply cannot fit into this article, but there is a wonderful three-part YouTube docuseries of oral histories entitled "A Ken and Two Harolds."

Gregor and Holder jointly bought Arthur Pillsbury's historic McGregor Building located at 311 N. Main St.  now the new Spice Works  to create a more permanent creative space, conveniently located next to Boyd's studio, which today is still an art gallery run by Boyd's longtime partner and artist, Rhea Edge.

Gregor eventually bought out his partner's half of the building in the early 2000s as Holder could no longer lug his large-scale paintings up to the third floor and continued to operate the space alongside his wife, Marlene Gregor, as the Gregor Gallery up until his death in 2018.

Marlene and Harold also stewarded the revitalization of 107 W. Market St., turning it into an avant-garde loft where they jointly lived for over 20 years. The couple designed the space meticulously down to the postal blue exterior and paprika orange trim.

All of the buildings Gregor owned and restored still stand today, as does his art. This art, made in the heart of historic downtown Bloomington, inspired by and often depicting the landscape of McLean County, has been sold at some of the most prestigious galleries in New York, Santa Fe, and Chicago and is in public and private collections around the world.

His influence, along with the impact of countless other artists of this time, can be found around every corner of historic downtown Bloomington.

Early Gregor abstractions and a large-scale Vibrascape can be seen at the Hangar Art Company at 105 W. Jefferson St. The Hangar is Bloomington-Normal's hub for The World's Largest Slow Art Day celebration on April 15, 2023, and will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The McLean County Museum of History will participate in the celebration, displaying a selection of Gregor's works from the permanent collection, including a piece from his corn crib series and a watercolor Flatscape. These works will be displayed in the museum's rotunda from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

For more information on this year's Slow Art Day festivities, visit bit.ly/BNslowartmap23.

Viewing art has 'powerful effect' on emotions

Photos: Harold Gregor's painted prairie Flatscape #4 Illinois Farmscape #23 Illinois Landscape #23 Illinois Flatscape $16 Illinois Flatscape #20 Illinois Flatscape #30 Illinois Flatscape #44 Illinois Spring Morning Garden Bright Light #140 Deep Blue Air #172 Illinois Landscape #180 (Traile Series) Flatscape #83 Illinois Lanscape #188 (Left-Right Vibrascape Series) My Pink Borders
NORMAL  Chicagos Joe Flynn returned to the Twin Cities Saturday afternoon to try his hand at another climbing competition.

He was among 115 contestants who registered for the fourth Burden of Proof bouldering competition hosted by The Proving Ground, 1503 E. College Ave., Normal.

Flynn placed first in preliminary rounds of the Mens Elite division. During final rounds, he said the contest was super cool and everybody was having a great time.

Were here to put on a show for them, said the 16-year-old competitive climber.

Chris Majerczyk co-owns TPG with Barry Weaver. Majerczyk said they topped a new record in registration numbers, drawing boulderers from Chicago, St. Louis, Indianapolis and Wisconsin.

We got some really talented route setters, he said. I think people have come to expect these to be good comps, and I dont think we let them down.

He described bouldering as a style of un-roped climbing on relatively short walls over thin padded flooring.

Since the walls are short, you dont need the harnesses and rope, Majerczyk said. The pads are what keep you safe.

That helps people focus more on their movements and techniques, he said, and less on gear.

Standard outfit for boulderers includes climbing shoes, a chalk bag and a chalk sock. The latter is applied to hands to maintain grip on a climbing hold, similar to uses in heavy weightlifting.

Boulderers, Majerczyk said, spent a lot of time on the ground talking about the routes, life and whatever.

He, and several others attending Saturday, spoke to The Pantagraph of the social features of climbing.

Becky Fredrickson, 49, entered preliminary rounds of the Intermediate division. The Peoria contestant said her favorite part about the sport is the challenge, followed by the people.

She said bouldering people are so nice, and everyone cheers on everyone else.

Fredrickson also said TPG did a nice job setting up for the competition.

Connor Bollman, 25, said community is a big part of climbing, which includes the bouldering scene.

People start introducing themselves to you if youre there for more than an hour, the Bloomington climber said. Every time youre doing a route bouldering, half the time youre sitting down socializing.

Final rounds were held on the Rockwerkz wall, which faces the front of the TPG facility and features a variety of wall grades, overhangs and hold shapes.

Anderson Fuhrer, of Naperville, said a green-colored route was his most challenging in the finals. He sent it (a term defined as finishing a route) in the second round.

The 15-year-old said he had to figure out the sequencing of movements and getting a right toe hook.

Fuhrer said the hardest part of the route was the final move, since he had to move off of a volume.

Volumes are fiberglass structures that are typically bigger than most climbing holds. Climbers must stick to their color-coded climbing holds, but they can use any volumes placed along a route.

Majerczyk said they try to offer route difficulties that are spread out, with harder climbs on vertical terrain and easier climbs on really overhung terrain.

We try to keep everybody mingled, he said.

Preliminary rounds were scored with a base point value for the whole route. Two people must witness the climbers attempt. Scores were tallied based on the five hardest route values in the preliminaries.

Final rounds were decided on scores partitioned by individual climbing holds on a route. Climbers were given two rounds at four minutes each to top a route.

Fairburys Marie Strong, 21, was another finalist, completing the contest at third place in the Womens Advanced division finals.

Strong said the competition was really fun, and she reached routes that went both high and low.

She said sending a route makes her feel really good about herself.

Its so motivating to get a challenge, and then you get farther and farther with every attempt, Strong said. Then, when you finally send it, its really good.

Anderson placed first in the Mens Elite finals, and said he was excited with the results. He trains four times a week with a team based out of Glendale Heights.

Go with the flow

Before making a try at competitive bouldering, Dwight Powell, 53, of Normal, said he has to scout out the routes first.

Once he finds one thats in his wheelhouse, he said hed trust all of his weight onto one leg and just go to the next hold.

El Paso's Shay Barker, 17, has worked as TPGs head route setter for over a month. When designing a route, she said she just goes with the flow.

I pick out some holds that inspire me, Barker said. She added the angle of the wall is an important factor, too.

Usually I try to set something thats engaging and fun, but also could be a puzzle and challenge people, she said.

She doesnt do it all by herself. She said it takes a team effort.

Barkers 45-year-old mother, Gloria Barker, also climbed in the Saturday competition. She said shes been climbing for three years, and she tries extra hard when competing.

Gloria Barker said shes super proud of her daughter, and has joined her for past competitions. She said Shay has told her that shes gonna crush her.

She also said she hates working out. However, when bouldering, Gloria Barker said: This doesnt feel like it.

RESULTS Men's Elite Anderson Fuhrer Joe Flynn Eon Ja Women's Elite Alison George Sonia Guttierez Men's Advanced Matthew Krauss Zane Colter Weston Altorfer Women's Advanced Brooke Fredrickson Natalie Broadhurst Marie Strong Men's Intermediate Finnley Ryan Xander Johnston Raphael Ottomani Women's Intermediate Purnima Taufer Kiana Lindblod Charlotte Sveen Men's Recreational Salvatore Cesario Seth Wenzelman Max Leesman Women's Recreational Juliana Nordentoft Molly Scogin Jay Johnston Youth Jonah Agassi Todd Fredrickson Jaxson Thornton

Photos: Scaling one of NYC's tallest skyscrapers
CHICAGO  Postal carriers in Chicago continue to be robbed at gunpoint and police say at least 12 have occurred in the last month, most recently on Wednesday in the citys North Lawndale neighborhood.

In each instance, one to three armed robbers approached mail carriers on the public way during the afternoon and demanded their postal keys by threatening force before fleeing the scene in a waiting vehicle, according to a Chicago Police community alert.

In one of the incidents, the robbers took a victims vehicle by force following one of the attacks, which began March 2 in the Little Italy neighborhood and happened most recently on Wednesday afternoon in North Lawndale.

1400 block of South Halsted Street on March 2

100 block of South Leavitt Street on March 7

7900 block of South LaSalle Street on March 7

200 block of North Wells Street on March 7

9200 block of South Throop Street on March 14

2200 block of West Warren Boulevard on March 15

100 block of South Seeley Avenue on March 16

2900 block of West Wilcox Street on March 18

6600 block of North Hoyne Avenue on March 20

1800 block of West Maypole Avenue on March 23

700 block of South Claremont Avenue on April 4

1500 block of South Drake Avenue on April 5

Police described the robbers as African American males, 15 to 25 years of age, wearing dark clothing and ski masks. The robbers are armed with semi-automatic handguns.

In February, the head of the Chicago branch of the National Association of Letter Carriers told the Tribune that mail carriers in the Chicago area are traumatized, fearing for their lives, following a string of armed robberies and thefts targeting postal workers since last summer.

Its a traumatizing experience to have a gun pulled at you in the performance of your duties while servicing the public, said Elise M. Foster, the president of the unions Branch 11, who says she represents the local carriers who recently have been victims of assaults. Theyre scared and some dont even want to return back to work.

In the most robberies, armed thieves target mail carriers master keys. The keys provide access to blue drop-off boxes and to cluster mailboxes. The ongoing robberies raise concerns not only for the safety of the mail carriers but also for the security of the public, whose personal information could be compromised in the hands of the criminals, Foster said.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Area Three detectives, 312-744-8263.
To transform its economy, the country needs innovative and skilled human resources, the Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation Dr. Kwaku Afriyie has said.



As the economy continues to rapidly evolve and advance, he said, it is more important than ever to harness the power of innovation to drive growth and progress  noting that government recognises this need and is actively seeking innovators to work collaboratively toward transforming the economy through public-private partnerships (PPP) and other initiatives to help spearhead new technologies and solutions that will propel the economy forward.



Innovation is key to making progress in all industries, from healthcare to agriculture, and government recognises the critical role that innovators play. These individuals possess the expertise and vision needed to develop new products and services, as well as strategies for increasing efficiency and reducing costs. This in turn drives job creation and economic growth, he said.



The minister made these remarks in his address at the Certified Innovation Professional (CIP) programme launch in Accra by the Nobel International Business School (NiBS).



Explaining further, Dr. Afriyie said in the current era when change is a constant, innovation assumes a paramount role in staying competitive. He reiterated that government has been at the vanguard of science and technology advancement, achieving remarkable progress in recent years.



He maintained that government will continue to create the right environment for innovation and encourage the youth to become innovators.



Innovation has become a key driver of economic growth and development in many countries. By encouraging individuals to embrace it, Ghana can build a skilled workforce to generate and implement new ideas, advance collaborations on critical projects, and capture the value of innovation.



This will help Ghana become more competitive, increase productivity and create jobs essential for sustainable economic growth. In addition, by having a pool of certified innovation professionals, Ghana can attract more foreign investment and technology transfer; further boosting the countrys economic growth, he emphasised.



The government of Ghana has demonstrated a significant commitment to fostering innovation in the country through various initiatives and policies. This is evident in the strategic interventions and investments in multiple sectors of the economy, including education with the introduction of technical vocational education and training (TVET), science technology engineering, mathematics (STEM) and Free Senior High School.



Dr. Afriyie made a clarion call for innovators in the country to come on board and help build a resilient and sustainable economy. The ability of innovators in the country to drive progress and create new opportunities is essential for the countrys continued prosperity. By working together with government, innovators can help transform existing industries and create new ones; thus making the economy more dynamic, resilient and inclusive.

Source: B&FT









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A rapist and murderer who escaped a South African prison by faking his own death has been arrested in Tanzania.



Thabo Bester was at large for a year after it was thought he died by setting himself on fire in his prison cell.



A manhunt was launched last month after a new post-mortem investigation revealed the body wasn't actually his.



Bester was caught on Friday with his girlfriend and a third suspect and will be extradited to South Africa.



Police said they believe the trio were intending to flee into neighbouring Kenya.



Bester is known as the "Facebook rapist" for using the social networking site to lure his victims.



He was convicted in 2012 for the rape and murder of his model girlfriend Nomfundo Tyhulu. A year earlier, he'd been found guilty of raping and robbing two other women.



In May, it was reported he had been found dead in his cell after apparently setting himself on fire at the Mangaung Correctional Centre in the city of Bloemfontein.



However, local media began to raise doubts about Bester's death late last year.



In March, police opened a new murder investigation after further tests revealed the deceased was not Bester - and that the unidentified person had died from blunt-force trauma to the head.



Employees of the British-owned security company G4S, which ran the prison where he was held, have been accused of helping him flee.



It has said three employees were dismissed in connection with the incident.



Earlier this week, representatives for the organisation failed to attend a meeting in parliament about Bester's escape. The BBC has approached G4S for comment.



There've been many reported sightings of Bester over the past year, including claims he was grocery shopping in an affluent suburb of Johannesburg, and was living in a rented mansion there.



Bester's escape sparked outrage in South Africa, which has one of the highest rates of sexual assault in the world.

Source: BBC









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Reports by eyewitnesses and local media say at least 51 corpses of l villagers have been recovered from a rural community in Benue state in central Nigeria.



The deaths were a result of an armed gang attacking the village of Umogidi.



A number of villagers are still reported to be missing.



Community youth leader Adakole Inalegu Daniel told the BBC that residents, including youth groups, were still combing the surrounding bushes for more bodies.



Reports say armed men invaded the community in large numbers on Wednesday.



They started from the village market, shooting at anyone on sight.



Residents say many of those who ran into the bush were cut down by bullets and their bodies decapitated.



Although the security forces have been deployed to the area, their presence has not stopped the deadly attacks.



Residents of several agrarian communities in Benue state have had violent clashes with herders.



Farmers accuse herders of using their animals to destroy their crops while the herders accuse farmers of attacking their animals.

Source: BBC









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Scores of people were injured in Sudan in mass protests organised on Thursday against military rule.



The demonstrators were angered by delays in signing a final agreement to re-establish civilian rule in the country.



The protests also marked the fourth anniversary of the popular uprising that led to the overthrow of former long-term ruler Omar al-Bashir.



Hundreds of demonstrators blocked main roads in the capital, Khartoum, and other cities.



Many carried placards and chanted slogans denouncing the armys involvement in politics.



The security forces used tear gas to disperse the huge crowds who had planned to go to the presidential palace in Khartoum.



It comes as Sudan's leaders again postponed the signing of a deal to form a civilian-led government.



Differences between military factions have led to delays in finalising the agreement.



Sudan has been in political turmoil since the military seized power in a coup in October 2021, scuttling the transition to democratic rule.



The country has witnessed near-weekly protests which have led to the deaths of hundreds of protesters.

Source: BBC









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Five suspects said to have assaulted a police officer who was performing his lawful duty in the Kumawu area of the Ashanti Region have been arrested.



The incident happened on Friday, April 7, 2023, Graphic Online understands.



At about 4:45 pm on Friday, a police patrol team led by General Corporal Sylvester Berhene and two other policemen intercepted a Kia taxi cab with registration number AS 9504 - 19.



There were seven persons on board the taxi cab, according to the police situational report.



According to the police account, while Corporal Sylvester Berhene was conducting the search in the boot of the vehicle, some of the occupants became angry and pounced on him.



They reportedly struggled and put him down on the ground.



Fight over rat



However, other reports suggest that the fight with the police man was as a result of an attempt by the police officer to take the carcass of a rat from the young men.



The young men were reportedly returning from a hunt and had the carcass in the boot of the taxi.



They reportedly resisted the attempt by the police officer to take away their meat, resulting in the confrontation.



The police man is alleged to have fired a warning shot, which resulted in the youth pouncing on him in an attempt to prevent him from being able to fire more shots.



Reinforcement



The police surveillance team was contacted for reinforcement and when they arrived, the police managed to arrest three of the assailants namely Edward Boateng aged 20 years, Evans Addo aged 20 years and Yaw Kusi aged 22 years.



The others managed to escape but two of them were later arrested.



The two have been named as Michael Owusu and Boateng Yaw, age 28 and 20 years respectively.



They were apprehended by the surveillance team.



According to the police the officer who was assaulted sustained physical bodily injuries at his forehead and a dislocation of left knee.



All five suspects arrested are in police custody.



The police situation report seen by Graphic Online is however silent on the rat carcass and whether or not there was an attempt by the police officer to take it away from the youth.

Source: graphic.com.gh









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Semiconductor's future depends on tech, diplomacy



"What's good for GM is good for America."



That famous saying illustrated the importance of the auto industry for the U.S. economy in the 1950s.



One might as well replace General Motors with Samsung Electronics and America with Korea to know how important the semiconductor industry is for this country's economy. Semiconductors once accounted for a quarter of Korea's exports and Samsung took up one-fifth of aggregate stock market value.



In the first quarter of this year, Samsung's operating profit plunged 95.8 percent year-on-year to 600 billion won ($455 million). The last time Samsung's quarterly profit fell below 1 trillion won was in 2009, when most countries were still smarting from the global financial crisis.



Samsung said it would reduce memory chip production temporarily to bolster prices. It was the first voluntary output cut since 1998, right after Korea received the IMF's bailout loan amid the Asian financial crisis. Korea Inc. seems to be in another financial crisis based only on the three-month performance of the world's largest memory chip and cellphone maker.



But is not. Even amid the earnings shock, Samsung's production cut is also partly due to a strategy to maximize its market share. If China's reopening and reduced output show their effects in earnest, Samsung's bottom lines will improve in the second half of this year, if not in the second quarter.



The real problem will come after that, however.



A global semiconductor war has begun. For a long time, major countries have been content with their fixed role. The U.S. was a chip designer, Japan was the equipment supplier and Korea and Taiwan were manufacturers. Now, America wants to become an all-round player, Japan seeks to restore its glory of the 1980s and China is working hard to become self-reliant in semiconductor production. Korea, still reliant on DRAMs and NAND chips, lags behind Taiwan in chips for complicated applications.



Two things will determine Korea's semiconductor industry in the future  technology, and diplomacy.



The first game will be decided by which country mass-produces 2-nanometer (1 nm equals one billionth of a meter) chips first. Samsung and Japan's alliance of major companies will vie head-to-head to become the first producer by 2025. At stake is how Samsung will maintain or widen its current lead in manufacturing technology. It was reassuring that major political parties agreed last month to expand tax benefits for chipmakers from 8 percent to 15 percent. The government should see that tax credits flow precisely into targeted investments.



Even more challenging is how to deal with U.S. pressure.



Washington currently demands too much  the return of excess profits, disclosure of technological and financial business secrets, and keeping manufacturing bases in the U.S.  using relatively small subsidies as bait. It would be better for Korean chipmakers not to receive subsidies and keep their trade secrets. However, given this country's reliance on the superpower for national security and other matters, they can't. The government's trade diplomats must do their best to persuade  and fight, if needed  with their U.S. counterparts, bilaterally or multilaterally.



If Washington seeks an alliance in security, but gets selfish in economic matters, Seoul should be able to do so. In this era of global economic war, no one backs you up, and each should go their own separate way. There are no lasting friends or foes. Uniting or dispersing with partners, be it America, China or Japan, depends only on maximizing national interests.



Regretfully, many Koreans worry about their government's attitude and ability. President Yoon Suk Yeol, who seldom concedes to political opponents at home, gives generous gifts to foreign friends. It must be the opposite way. Yoon, who paints himself as the "first sales representative of the Republic of Korea," should prove it when he visits Washington later this month.



Yoon must not give all and count on the other's goodwill  as he did and failed in Tokyo last month. Koreans deserve far better summit diplomacy.




The Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO) has insisted on their call for the immediate resignation of Dr Peter Appiahene and Hajia Salima Ahmed Tijani from the Electoral Commission.



Speaking in an interview with Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" programme, a member of the CODEO Advisory Board, said "only a mad man" will not reconsider his decision while expounding on their position on the two EC appointees.



Dr. Fred Degbey scolded President Nana Addo for appointing and swearing in Dr. Peter Appiahene and Hajia Salima Ahmed who the group strongly believes have affiliations with the NPP.



"Why not choose people whose competence is clean, clear; whose political colours are not known and who can go there and do their work without anybody raising too many flags and throwing mud at them?" he stated.



He noted that allowing Dr. Appiahene and Hajia Ahmed to be on the Electoral Commission raises serious red flags.



"Can you consider stepping as a moral human being, as an intelligent person? Think about it! So, it's an appeal to the person or to the persons", he directed the message to two EC members.



When asked what CODEO's next decision will be should these persons remain on the Commission, Dr. Degbey replied; "One of our Judges said a long time, it's only a mad man who cannot change his mind...You've been appointed to do something and this backlash has come, think about it...We think they should be honorable enough to resign."





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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A Kumasi-based pastor, known popularly for predicting electoral victories has expressed shock at the attitude of some of his colleagues who continue to engage in false prophecies about the December 2024 general elections.



According to the Founder and Leader of the Charismatic Temple International Ministry, Rev. Paul Kusi Appiah, he is wondering why some Pastors claim to have had a vision from God, about who will succeed President Akufo Addo and mention names other than the current Vice President, Dr Alhaji Mahaamdu Bawumia, adding that "He doesn't know the kind of God that speaks to them"



"I wonder why some Prophets can't see the power of victory showing towards Bawumia. I don't know if we have five Gods or so. The victory of Bawumia is sealed and there is nothing anyone can do about it" The Asenua-based Pastor boldly predicted.



To him, it is over for either Alan Kyerematen or John Mahama, as none of them can overtake the Vice President.



"Dr Bawumia has already won the elections in the realms of the spirit; he will be the most loved President ever because he will sweep 10 regions out of the 16 in 2024" He stated.



Pastor Paul Kusi Appiah also said for the first time in several elections, the NPP under the leadership of Dr Bawumia will secure 74% in the Ashanti Region to consolidate an emphatic victory with over 1.4 million votes margin against the NDC.





"Ghana will see massive economic transformation as God will bless this country with the discovery of more oil". He added.



Pastor Kusi Appiah is credited for making several true prophecies about Ghana's elections including the decisive 2016 and 2020 elections. He has also been very consistent about Dr Bawumia winning both the flagbearership race of the NPP and the general elections next year.

Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/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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Vice-President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia says it is possible for the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) to retain power in the 2024 general elections.



For him, the work that the NPP has done since 2017 was enough to enable it win power to continue with governance.



Speaking at Mpraeso in the Eastern Region on Saturday morning at the end of a health walk as part of activities marking this year's Kwahu Easter, the Vice President said the NPP's record far outweigh that of other political parties trying to wrestle power from them in the 2024 general elections.



He said in terms of educational and road infrastructure, the party's record stand tall, hence Ghanaians will not allow deceptions from other political parties, particularly the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to win their votes.



Dr Bawumia challenged the NDC to point out one transformational project that the party did during its tenure in office.



The General Secretary of the party, Justin Kodua Frimpong who also addressed the party members said any candidate that the party will present will be able to beat John Mahama if he is elected as the NDCs flagbearer.



He said the NPP government was committed to ensuring that the country's economic difficulties are resolved in order to put back smiles on the faces of Ghanaians.



"NPP is one family with a common destiny so respect each others views, he said, urging the party members to keep away from things that will cause the party not to break the 8.



For his part, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Mpraeso, Davis Ansah Opoku, asked the party members to work together to ensure that the NPP breaks the 8 at the 2024 general elections.



The NPP, from a Four More to do More! slogan during the 2020 campaign, has latched unto a Breaking the 8 slogan ahead in its quest to throw a spanner in the works of the two-term tradition and clinch a third term.



The NDC in 2000, the NPP in 2008 and the NDC in 2016 all mounted spirited campaigns to Break the 8 but failed to do so.



According to Mr. Opoku, it was through unity and togetherness that the party would be able to break the 8 in 2024 general elections.



The Eastern Regional Chairman of the party, Jeff Konadu said the governing NPP had done a lot to improve the living conditions of Ghanaians, hence it would be wrong if some people claim they have not seen anything.



The Majority Chief Whip in Parliament, Frank Annor-Dompreh who also joined the health walk said Vice President Bawumia was a blessing to the country.



For him, Dr Bawumia is the right candidate to lead the NPP after the expiration of President Akufo-Addos term.





Source: graphic.com.gh









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The Islamic State Khorasan Province, which is also known by the acronyms ISIS-K, ISKP and ISK, is the official affiliate of the Islamic State movement operating in Afghanistan, as recognized by Islamic State core leadership in Iraq and Syria.

ISIS-K was officially founded in January 2015. Within a short period of time, it managed to consolidate territorial control in several rural districts in north and northeast Afghanistan, and launched a lethal campaign across Afghanistan and Pakistan. Within its first three years, ISIS-K launched attacks against minority groups, public areas and institutions, and government targets in major cities across Afghanistan and Pakistan.

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By 2018, it had become one of the top four deadliest terrorist organizations in the world, according to the Institute for Economics and Peace's Global Terrorism Index.

" " An Afghan soldier surveys a former ISIS-K jail in Nangarhar province, eastern Afghanistan. Andrew Renneisen/Getty Images

But after suffering major territorial, leadership and rank-and-file losses to the U.S.-led coalition and its Afghan partners  which culminated in the surrender of over 1,400 of its fighters and their families to the Afghan government in late 2019 and early 2020  the organization was declared, by some, to be defeated.
Before there was a Department of Justice, "each district had a U.S. attorney, a local who would bring whatever litigation was necessary, whether it was criminal or civil," says Beermann. This worked fine, because "the scope of federal law was small at that time." When the U.S. attorneys needed help, they hired private attorneys to represent the government. But eventually, their fees got too expensive.

"After the Civil War, especially because of civil rights cases, there was a big increase in hiring outside lawyers to help with these cases," Beermann says. "That was a big concern, because the government was trying to cope with a huge debt from the Civil War. So [Congress] decided to start a Department of Justice."

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At first, DOJ consisted of just a single lawyer, the Solicitor General, who today represents the U.S. government at the Supreme Court, in addition to deciding when the federal government should appeal cases that it loses in the lower courts. But others gradually were added. Today the DOJ is headed by the Attorney General. Two key positions under the AG are Deputy Attorney General, whose duties range from managing the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force to making recommendations about pardons, and Associate Attorney General, who supervises divisions handling civil rights, tax, environmental, natural resources, antitrust and civil litigation. DOJ also added an array of different offices, boards, divisions and agencies within the Department, as the DOJ website notes.

" " The Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building in Washington, D.C., headquarters of the United States Department of Justice. Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

As the scope of federal law and the DOJ grew, some of its turf overlapped with state attorneys general and local district attorneys.

"A lot of federal law is superimposed on state law that regulates similar issues  drug crimes, regulation of drug abuse and distribution and possession, and a lot of the financial fraud areas," Beermann says. In some cases, that's because both criminal activity and regulated commerce are stretched across state lines. If multiple states are affected by the same issue, "the most efficient method or regulation is to do it federally," according to Beermann.

In addition to the expanding legal practice, in the 1900s the DOJ began including new federal law enforcement agencies, so that it began investigating crimes and building cases against offenders, as well as trying them in court. One of these agencies was the FBI, which grew out of the force of Special Agents created by Theodore Roosevelt's Attorney General, Charles Bonaparte, in 1908. (Before that time, the Department of Justice used the Secret Service's investigators, part of the Treasury Department.)
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:

Members of an Indonesian environmental task force team examine the mouth of a dead sperm whale that washed up on a beach in Bali's Jembrana district.

A 17-meter-long (56-foot-long) sperm whale died after washing up on a beach in Bali, a conservation official said Sunday, making it the third whale that beached itself on the Indonesian island in just a little over a week.

The male sperm whale was found stranded on Yeh Leh beach in west Bali's Jembrana district on Saturday afternoon.

"We are currently trying to pull the carcass to the shore to make it easier for the necropsy test and we will bury it after the test is concluded," Permana Yudiarso, a local marine and fisheries official, told AFP Sunday.

This is the third whale that has beached itself in Bali, a popular destination for holidaymakers, in April alone.

On Wednesday, an 18-meter-long male sperm whale was stranded in Klungkung district, on Bali's eastern coast.

Before that, a Bryde's whale weighing more than two tons and at least 11 meters long was founded stranded on a beach in Tabanan on April 1its carcass already rotted when discovered by locals.

Yudiarso told AFP that their initial suspicion is that the sperm whale found Saturday also died of sickness, "just like the whale found stranded a few days ago".

"The body looked skinny and sickly," he said.

Yudiarso said it would take at least three weeks for the necropsy test to be concluded but forensic experts found some bleeding in the whale's lungs and its colon was filled with fluids.

Police have cordoned off the location to prevent people from stealing the mammal's meat or body parts.

In 2018, a sperm whale was found dead in Indonesia with more than 100 plastic cups and 25 plastic bags in its stomach, raising concerns about the Southeast Asian archipelago's massive marine rubbish problem.

Indonesia is the world's second-biggest contributor to marine debris after China.

 2023 AFP
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:

Researchers found evidence that Earth was not completely frozen solid during the Marinoan ice age 635 million years ago. Shallow, mid-latitude seas remained ice free, perhaps helping life persist. Credit: Michael Miller

At least five ice ages have befallen Earth, including one 635 million years ago that created glaciers from pole to pole.

Called the Marinoan Ice Age, it's named for the part of Australia where geologic evidence was first collected in the 1970s.

Scientists say the Marinoan Ice Age was one of the most extreme in the planet's history, creating glacial ice that persisted for 15 million years.

But new evidence collected in the eastern Shennongjia Forestry District of China's Hubei Province suggests the Earth was not completely frozenat least not toward the end of the ice age. Instead, there were patches of open water in some of the shallow mid-latitude seas, based on geologic samples dating back to that period.

"We called this ice age 'Snowball Earth,'" said Thomas Algeo, a professor of geosciences at the University of Cincinnati's College of Arts and Sciences. "We believed that Earth had frozen over entirely during this long ice age. But maybe it was more of a 'Slushball Earth.'"

The study was published in the journal Nature Communications.

Scientists found benthic phototrophic macroalgae in black shale dating back more than 600 million years. This algae lives at the bottom of the sea and needs light from the sun to convert water and carbon dioxide into energy through photosynthesis.

University of Cincinnati Geology Professor Thomas Algeo and his co-authors discovered isotopic evidence that some mid-latitude seas remained ice free during the Marinoan Ice Age known as Snowball Earth. Credit: Andrew Higley

A team of geoscientists from China, the United Kingdom and the United States conducted an isotopic analysis and found that habitable open-ocean conditions were more extensive than previously thought, extending into oceans that fall between the tropics and the polar regions and providing refuge for single-celled and multi-celled organisms during the waning stages of the Marinoan ice age.

Lead author Huyue Song from the China University of Geosciences said while deep water likely did not contain oxygen to support life during this period, the shallow seas did.

"We present a new Snowball Earth model in which open waters existed in both low- and mid-latitude oceans," Song said.

Song said the ice age likely saw many intervals of freezing and melting over the span of 15 million years. And under these conditions, life could have persisted, Song said.

University of Cincinnati Geology Professor Thomas Algeo examines rock cores in his lab. He and his co-authors discovered isotopic evidence that some mid-latitude seas remained ice free during the Marinoan Ice Age known as Snowball Earth. Credit: Andrew Higley

"We found that the Marinoan glaciation was dynamic. There may have existed potential open-water conditions in the low and middle latitudes several times," Song said. "In addition, these conditions in surface waters may have been more widespread and more sustainable than previously thought and may have allowed a rapid rebound of the biosphere after the Marinoan Snowball Earth."

Paradoxically, UC's Algeo said, these refuges of life likely helped to warm the planet, ending the Marinoan ice age. The algae in the water released carbon dioxide into the atmosphere over time, gradually thawing the glaciers.

"One of the general take-home messages is how much the biosphere can influence the carbon cycle and climate," he said. "We know that carbon dioxide is one of the most important greenhouse gases. So we see how changes in the carbon cycle have an impact on the global climate."

Algeo said the study raises tantalizing questions about other ice ages, particularly the second one during the Cryogenian Period that scientists also believe created near-total glaciation of the planet.

University of Cincinnati Geology Professor Thomas Algeo and his co-authors discovered isotopic evidence that some mid-latitude seas remained ice free during the Marinoan Ice Age known as Snowball Earth. Credit: Andrew Higley

"We don't know for sure what triggered these ice ages, but my suspicion is it was related to multicellular organisms that removed carbon from the atmosphere, leading to carbon burial and the cooling of the Earth," Algeo said. "Today, we're releasing carbon quickly in huge amounts and it is having a big impact on global climate."

More information: Huyue Song et al, Mid-latitudinal habitable environment for marine eukaryotes during the waning stage of the Marinoan snowball glaciation, Nature Communications (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37172-x Journal information: Nature Communications
By Ruth Yeabu Sesay

The Acting Leader of Government Business, in Parliament Bashiru Silikie, has drawn the attention of the Speaker of Parliament, Dr. Abass Bundu, to the rampant misuse of drugs by the youth across Sierra Leone, suggesting that parliament invites the Police, the Ministry of Health and Sanitation, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Ministry of Internal Affairs, and National Revenue Authority (NRA) to discuss the problem.

Making his statement at the well on Friday October 28, Silikie said that all of these institutions have different approaches on how to get rid of the problem, highlighting that in any state, young people are a very useful tool that can be incorporated in transforming the countrys future.

He said the level at which young people consume hard drugs in the country is alarming and that if this problem is not dealt with immediately it would be very worrying for the country. He therefore moved a motion that they invite those institutions to explain to parliament about recent events that are drug abuse related.

Other Members of Parliament also suggested that they should not miss the opportunity of inviting all the necessary Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) connected to drug matter because they have received intelligence that these drugs are normally smuggled by sea into the country.

They also called on the speaker to also ask the Maritime agency to explain about the security status of the sea.

The Public Relations Officer of NDLEA, Ibrahim Kargbo, told Politico that drugs come into the country via land, air, and sea.

He said considering the information of rampant drug use, the agency had been doing a lot to tackle this issue, adding that the control and prevention of the narcotic drugs from entering the country and the responsibility to raise awareness and sensitize the wider public is a mandate they have been following.

We have been visiting schools, reaching out to communities and telling them about the harmful effects of drugs, and engaging civil society organizations and colleges have been a routine for our agency, he said, further mentioning that they have met with bike riders, tricycle kekeh riders, and the Motor Drivers Union.

These drug users always look for things that will get them high as a result they do everything possible to get used to these drugs every day and hence the rampant use, he said, noting that the statistics that they had received from the numerous places show that indeed drug abuse has been on the increase and young people are mostly involved.

He said the reason these young people are frequently using drugs is because they do not have anything useful to do and as a result they tend to distract themselves by the act. The effect of Kush on the youth is about thirty minutes (after consuming it) and that is why these people go for it day in and out, Kargbo stated.

He further explained that there are legal and illegal drugs in the country, those that are legal are the ones that are in pharmacies; the illegal ones are those that come in to the country through illegal means like cocaine, kush.

Normally these drugs are prohibited and are not allowed in to the country, but people do everything they can in order to bring these drugs into the country, Kargbo explained.

He said they had solicited help from people and arrests have been made at the Queen Elizabeth Quay in Freetown, Bandama Check-point in Kenema, and Lungi in Port Loko.

Copyright (c) 2022 Politico Online (02/11/22)


By Donald Kirk



Show trials of foreign leaders make the indictment of Donald Trump for paying off a porn actress to silence her look like an episode that should flicker, flare and fade.



In Asia, former leaders have gone to jail with a regularity that proves the enduring truth of the Shakespearean line, "Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown." They may not have been monarchs, but they all wore figurative crowns of thorns.



In South Korea, the long-ruling dictator, Park Chung-hee, was assassinated in 1979 by his intelligence chief. A general, Chun Doo-hwan, soon seized power, leading to protests across the country and revolt in May 1980 in Gwangju in which more than 200 demonstrators were killed.



One of Asia's great show trials was that of Chun and General Roh Tae-woo, elected president as Chun's successor in 1987 after Chun promised to step down amid some of the biggest protests in Korean history. Roh served a five-year term, but he and Chun were arrested and convicted in 1996 for corruption and the Gwangju Massacre.



Sentenced to death and life in prison, respectively, Chun and Roh were amnestied and freed in early 1998 in order to give an impression of national unity at the inauguration of Kim Dae-jung, elected president in 1997  many years after Chun had jailed him for allegedly instigating the 1980 revolt.



Kim, promising reconciliation with the North, flew to Pyongyang in June 2000 for the first North-South Korea summit, but the euphoria surrounding his talks with the North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il and his Nobel Peace Prize faded into how he made it happen. Later it was revealed he had authorized the illicit payment of at least $500 million to Kim's regime, which went on developing nuclear warheads before the North's first nuclear test in 2006.



Subsequent Korean presidents were also involved in scandals. Kim's successor, Roh Moo-hyun, having completed his five-year term in 2008, committed suicide in 2009 after his wife was caught up in a bribery investigation.



The next two presidents, Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye, daughter of Park Chung-hee, also were jailed in corruption cases. Lee, former chairman of Hyundai Construction, served as president from 2008 to 2013. Convicted of bribery and embezzlement nine years later and sentenced to more than 20 years in prison, he was released by President Yoon Suk Yeol.



Park endured worse. Accused of corruption and abuse of power, she was the target in 2016 and 2017 of daily mass demonstrations in Korea's Candlelight Revolution. Jailed, impeached and ousted in 2017, she too was sentenced to more than 20 years but freed in 2021 by her successor, Moon Jae-in, elected after helping to bring about her downfall.



Corruption has also marked the fairly recent history of Asia's great giants, China and India.



After China's Great Cultural Revolution of the late 1960s and early 1970s, the "gang of four," including Jiang Qing, the wife of Mao Zedong, controlled the levers of power. Overthrown and tried after Mao's death in 1976, they were imprisoned for life. The hanging of "Madame Mao" in prison in 1991 was said to have been by suicide.



In India, Rahul Gandhi, great-grandson of India's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, was just kicked out of the parliament after his conviction for libel. His offense: defaming the prime minister, Narendra Modi, whom he accused of dispensing favors.



Gandhi may still aspire to power while fighting a two-year jail sentence. He's the son and grandson of two former prime ministers. His father, Rajiv Gandhi, was assassinated in 1991, and his grandmother, Indira Gandhi, Nehru's daughter, was assassinated in 1984. Indira, convicted of election fraud in 1975, clung to power  and later declared an "emergency" leading to the arrest of opposition politicians.



Nor has Japan, a land of law and order, been immune from corruption scandals. Kakuei Tanaka, "the computerized bulldozer," prime minister in the early 1970s, was arrested in 1976 for having accepted nearly $2 million in bribes from Lockheed to get All Nippon Airways to purchase its planes. Sentenced to four years, he was still free on appeal when he died in 1993.



But not all Asian leaders are corrupt. Lee Kuan Yew, who died in 2015, rose to power as prime minister of Singapore in 1959, six years before it broke away from Malaysia as an independent country. Lee remained prime minister until 1990. Four years later his son, Lee Hsieng Loong, took over and holds the post to this day.



The Lee dynasty has effectively crushed political opposition. Singapore prides itself as "clean and green," free of pollution and corruption.





Donald Kirk (www.donaldkirk.com) writes from Washington as well as Seoul.


Matt Castelli, the Democratic challenger to U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Schuylerville, last year, will not run again in 2024.

I poured my heart and soul into the 2022 campaign, Castelli wrote in an email to county Democratic chairs in the 21st Congressional District on April 3. And while this mission endures, it requires passing the baton to a candidate with fresh legs.

Just who might be accepting the baton from Castelli is not known.

No one, so far, has expressed an interest in running, said Warren County Democratic Chairwoman Lynne Boecher.

No  not at all, she said in a telephone interview on Friday.

Some area Democrats have repeatedly said they hoped Castelli, a former CIA counterterrorism official, would run again in 2024, building on the momentum of his 2022 campaign, in which he lost to Stefanik, the Republican incumbent, by an 18-percentage-point margin.

I know that this news may be disappointing to some of your committees and communities. It is not a decision I came to lightly, Castelli wrote in the email to county chairmen.

Its disappointing, Boecher confirmed. He was a fine candidate that offered a definite alternative to the current (Stefanik) leadership.

Boecher said that Castelli, who moved to the town of Saratoga and later to Glens Falls during the campaign, is still registered to vote in Glens Falls, but, to the best of her knowledge, he has been spending most of his time in Washington D.C.

Urges moderation

In an April 4 post on the email newsletter platform Substack, Castelli urged the next 21st District Democratic candidate to continue his strategy of running as a moderate.

Castelli said the fact that he received a larger share of the vote in the district than Gov. Kathy Hochul shows that his strategy worked.

Castelli received 40.2% of the vote in the district, while, in the governors race, Hochul received 35.6 % of the vote in the 21st District, according to the state Board of Elections.

Castelli blamed the state Democratic party, in part, for his loss.

The 2022 election made it clear NY Democrats have a branding problem, he wrote.

Castelli also criticized the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the pollical arm of House Democrats.

The DCCC and Democratic party failed to show up in NY-21, he wrote. They didnt have any polling or unique insight, just a hunch that they didnt think we could win against a powerful and well-resourced incumbent.

Boecher said its true that it is difficult to get national support for local congressional races because of the heavy Republican enrollment advantage and because of Stefaniks prominence as an incumbent, but that is only one factor.

I think any demonstration of reflection includes self-reflection. And I have yet to see that from Matt, she said.

Stefanik, who is in her fifth term, has not yet said whether she will run for re-election in 2024.

Jill Lochner of Greenfield Center announced in March her candidacy for the Republican nomination in the 21st District, setting up a potential primary with Stefanik, should Stefanik run.
LAKE GEORGE  The new mayor of the village of Lake George has big shoes to fill, but Ray Perry was off to a busy start with big visions for the future, as his first week as the nations longest serving mayors successor drew to a close.

On Friday, Perry spoke to a Post-Star reporter over the phone.

Im happy to be here. Im rolling up my sleeves to get to work. Its been a good first week and Im hoping they all go that way, he laughed. I got a new chair for the office and I havent sat in it much.

He began his new position on April 1, after serving on the Lake George Village Board of Trustees since 2007 and shadowing his predecessor for the last year to learn the ropes first hand.

Im interested in continuing good governance and just carrying us the rest of the way over the goal line to a year-round community, he said. Weve got some really good ideas and some really brilliant minds working on several different projects to get us there.

The new mayor said he has been wanting to build off of the Ice Castles to help bolster the offerings in the village during the snowy season.

I know were going to rely on them (Ice Castles) and Im pretty sure theyll be coming back; but if they dont, we have a committee already working on other events. I want to create a park-to-park walkway from Wood Park to Shepard Park, a lighted walkway, Perry shared with The Post-Star.

He suggested calling it The Lake George Winter Stroll,, with vendors, hot chocolate, local restaurants.

We want it to be a destination that people come to and just experience all that we have to offer. We are a year-round destination, I just want to bolster that with some other events.

He would also like to create a video that tells the Lake George story and project it on possibly the courthouse or maybe the wall of The Fort William Henry.

Perry also shared that modernization would be a focus.

The former administration was more traditional, he said. Weve got two new young trustees with some great ideas of their own as well.

Blais still involved

At a special Village Board meeting on Thursday, the board members discussed and eventually voted on a resolution to appoint Blais as the events planner, a new position he proposed.

New board member Jose Filomeno, who is owner of the Lake George Beach Club, said during the meeting its not the mayors job to throw parties. He did agree that no person is better suited for the role than the former mayor, but also supported the implementation of an oversight committee that could eventually take the place of the events planner.

The proposed committee would include at least two board members.

I think oversight would be good and part of that oversight is one, pretty obviously, its not a mayor job for life and then you create a job, its a real job. In this job, Mr. Bob Blais found these things and there is an oversight of the conduct and the events planned, Filomeno said. Secondly, I like the line (of the resolution) that says a temporary position for 2023.

Filomenos main concerns centered around a contingency plan for Blais exit from the new position, which he has expressed he only intends to hold a year or two.

I know that 2024 begins today, as far as planning, and what the former mayor has in his brain, 52 years, his information, his rolodex of these events has value to us and I see that same value in this position, he continued on at the meeting. But as any good business should, I think we need to look down the pipeline.

He likened the summer season to a battle and said he feared going into it without General Blais.

if we dont start putting in a safeguard now, were going to have this same conversation next year. I think it would be good for us to start planting that seed now looking for a successor. God forbid he isnt able to do the job in 2024, Filomeno said.

Fellow new board member Alyson Miller said she agreed with Filomeno, but wondered how finding a successor would work. Her main concern however, was the pay listed for the new position.

I ran some numbers because in my mind, Bob previously made $40,000 as the mayor working 35 hours a week. That works out to be $21.97 an hour. A part-time special events director at $35,000 works out to be $33.65 an hour  almost a 52% raise, she shared with the board. I agree with Jose as far as someone for succession, but Im wondering if that being true, we could do that by bringing someone in to share the salary in some way.

The position would be funded by $15,000 from Warren County, $15,000 from us and $5,000 from the town.

Miller also mentioned she would like the events director to create a report of the money made or spent and number of people each event brings in.

I would like this special events director to be able to prepare a report that says this is how much the event cost, this is how much it made, park meter numbers and things of that nature, so that its laid out and transparent. Then residents can look and see this event really helps my taxes or this money is going towards improving this street, Miller said.

Perry said on Friday that he agrees with Joses point.

The events for this season are already planned. Theyre already booked. They just havent happened yet, so having that knowledge beforehand about an event say in September  a new person wont have that, Perry said.

He said he does think its very important to have someone shadow Blais and learn the ins and outs, but noted the position doesnt compensate very well, so the person would need to be dedicated to the village.

The board did receive two other applications in addition to Blais for the position of events director, but he was a shoe-in since he proposed the job.

I think he is more than deserving if he wants to stay on and make a positive impact on the village. The community owes that to him, I think, Perry said.

The board voted to approve the resolution hiring Blais, but to revisit the option of hiring an assistant.
The Warren County Office of Emergency Services is reminding Warren County residents that New York states annual spring burn ban is in effect through May 14.

As spring has arrived, snow has begun to recede and has revealed flammable brush and leaves that can fuel wildfires.

Since the annual springtime ban was implemented in 2009, New York state has experienced 46% fewer wildfires annually, according to a news release.

Still, New York State DEC Forest Rangers had to extinguish 192 wildfires that burned 1,122 acres in 2020, in addition to fires that local firefighters battled. Burning of dead grass, brush, and leaves in the early spring poses a rapid, unexpected fire spread threat due to the combination of lower humidity levels and the higher volume of winds. Rapidly spreading fires can have unwanted consequences by endangering property, structures, and people. Please abide by the New York State Burn Ban and keep our firefighters and our communities safe, said Warren County Fire Coordinator Ralph Bartlett in a news release.

Bartlett urged that those who spot unattended fires call 911 if there appears to be an emergency, or use non-emergency phone numbers to the Warren County Sheriffs Office, 518-743-2500, or NYS DEC, 518-897-1303, if the fire does not appear to be out of control.

New York State regulations ban both open burning and burning in barrels, and burning loose leaves or leaf piles is illegal as well.

When the burn ban is not in effect, residents in towns with population of under 20,000 may burn tree limbs with attached leaves. The limbs must be less than 6 inches in diameter and 8 feet in length (also referred to as brush). Open burning is prohibited year-round in towns with more than 20,000 residents, such as Queensbury, as well as all villages and cities such as Glens Falls.

New York state makes the following exceptions for open burning:

Camp fires or any other outdoor fires less than 3 feet in height and 4 feet in length, width or diameter are allowed.

Small cooking fires are allowed.

Ceremonial or celebratory bonfires are allowed. Disposal of flags or religious items in a small-sized fire is allowed, if it is not otherwise prohibited by law or regulation.

Only charcoal or dry, clean, untreated or unpainted wood can be burned.

Fires cannot be left unattended and must be fully extinguished.
Editor's Note: This story first appeared in the March edition of Insight magazine, which offers in-depth insights into the Quad-Cities business landscape.

At 19, Abigail Parsons already is working full time as a welder at John Deere, and she's one of few women to do so.

The summer before her senior year of high school, Parsons started a welding apprenticeship program, working 40 hours a week in addition to studying. In school, she took every "garage" class she could find. The apprenticeship offered her duel enrollment with Scott Community College, where she could earn credits toward a degree.

"That program allowed me to spend more of my time during the school day in the garage, welding," she said.

The program led her to John Deere Davenport Works, where she began as a welder.

"Once I was near the end of my apprenticeship, they offered me a job, and I signed on right after," she said. "I went from working down there in the factory to getting trained in Harvester."

Parsons said she never liked school and was not a good student. Graduating and landing the apprenticeship and the eventual job was more than she thought she could accomplish.

"Without the apprenticeship, I would have dropped out of high school," she said. "I am the first person in my immediate family to even graduate."

But that wasn't the only barrier she had to cross.

"In almost any garage classroom throughout my high school career, there was maybe one other girl, but most of the time I was the only one," she said.

Only one other girl was in her high school's vocational program. When she got to Deere, the only other woman dropped out of the program early.

"It's hard sometimes. You have to fit in with the guys ... but they kind of look at you like you're not supposed to be there," she said. "They look at you and go, 'Well, we're going to have to fix stuff there.' "

Parsons had been through this treatment before. In high school, the guys in her class would make comments. However, her work proved her worth.

"The instructor would say, 'Pick on her all you want. She has better welds than all of you,'" she said.

According to the Universal Technical Institute, only 3.8% of welders in 2020 were women. According to the Department of Commerce, women make up 30% of the manufacturing workforce. Of them, 1 in 4 managers is a woman.

Rochelle Deshazer, a fabrication manufacturing engineering supervisor, has a story similar to Parsons'. She also completed multiple internships after high school and now has progressed to being an engineering supervisor in the welding department.

"You can't go wrong working for Deere, but I didn't have my sights set on a specific career," she said.

The Rock Island native has an industrial engineering background but slowly gravitated toward the manufacturing field. In her role, she also has had to face misconceptions about women in her field, but most of them are short-lived, she said.

"When you demonstrate what you can do, it doesn't take long to get past those perceptions," she said.

Factory manager Mary Pat Tubb reflected that sentiment, saying the statistics and nature of the job play into why people are generally surprised to see women working in manufacturing.

"When you walk into a group, people have a certain perception of what you're going to be good at and what you're not," she said. "I think that's a thing to overcome, but I have been here 25 years, and I have a really solid reputation."

When she accepted the supervisory position, her trainer asked what she thought would be her greatest obstacle. Tubb assumed it would be her age, but the trainer told her it would be the fast-paced atmosphere and having to make decisions all day long.

"As far as working with a bunch of guys on the floor, it took two days and they didn't care," she said. "Some of those guys are my biggest advocates today."

Being respected by peers can pay off in a big way. Lynn Crosair knows this well.

Since starting at Deere in 2005 as an assembler, she has worked her way up the ranks and was elected as a UAW committee person in 2016. In her role as a liaison, she works with contracts, paperwork and advocates for teams within the factory.

"I like to help people, and when I notice people are out working and asking questions but don't get answers, I like to help," she said. "I want them to know there's someone they can talk to if they need to."

But it wasn't always that way. Crosair said when she first started, it was rough. She fielded many comments from male co-workers who didn't think she could keep up. However, the challenge of proving herself is what motivated her to succeed.

"All I kept thinking was, I had to show them," she said.

Flash forward to 2023 and that sentiment still is felt by Parsons. Watching other women go through the apprenticeship programs as she did with welding encourages her to remain in her role and continue paving the way for future generations.

"The more years we stay on, the more years we prove we can do this," she said. "And we can do it better most of the time."
Rock Island Police are investigating a shooting in which one man was wounded early Saturday, Deputy Police Chief Timothy McCloud said in a news release.

At 1:31 a.m., officers were sent to the 2200 block of 4th Avenue for a report of gunfire. A shooting scene was located in the 300 block of 22nd Avenue.

A short time later, Rock Island Police were notified that a 20-year-old man had arrived at Genesis Medical Center East, Davenport, with a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to his neck.

The incident remains under investigation by the Rock Island Police Departments Criminal Investigation Division.

Anyone with information about this shooting is asked to call the Rock Island Police Department at 309-732-2677 or Crime Stoppers of the Quad-Cities at 309-762-9500 or use the P3 Tips mobile app.
This is the day which the Lord hath made,

Shining like Eden absolved of sin,

Three parts glitter to one part shade:

Let us be glad and rejoice therein.

Thats not a poem specifically about Easter. Phyllis McGinley wrote it to celebrate attending church services on a fine spring day. The title is Sunday Psalm and it grows from a paraphrase of verse 24 in Psalm 118. Whatever she intended, it suggests Easter to me. The weather may not always be appropriate, but the sentiment is.

I suppose McGinleys poetry is no longer in fashion; her works rhyme and scan, techniques you dont often run across in Poetry Magazine. She would be classified as a versifier rather than a poet. Another of her faults is lack of obscurity: her poems are easily comprehensible; even worse, they betray the sensibility of a suburban housewife.

After a while, you know longer care what the experts say; you go with what speaks to you and Phyllis McGinley speaks to me. I treasure my aging copy of Times Three, a generous assemblage of her poems that won the Pulitzer Prize in 1961.

She spoke to me literally some years ago when I wanted to produce a 30-minute television program using the title and contents of one of her collections: The Love Letters of Phyllis McGinley. I had no budget and her agent refused to let me use her material without paying a sizable fee.

So, I looked up her husband, Charles Hayden, in Larchmont, New York, got her on the telephone, mentioned a mutual friend to whom she had recently given an interview, told her my predicament, and asked for her help. The agent called me back minutes later, scolded me for bypassing him, and grudgingly permitted the use of her work for a $25 fee.

I still have the kinescope of that telecast, along with dozens of other Spectrum programs. The video quality is poor (kinescopes were made by focusing a movie camera on a TV screen) and live production values were primitive, but I make allowances for the enthusiasms of my youth.

Thinking about Easter and poetry reminds me yet again how poorly the greatest of Christian feasts measures against Christmas, and not only in poetry. You hear of bunnies, peeps, spring sales, and new clothes; but otherwise the impact on public consciousness is but a fraction of what we experience at Christmas.

I suppose thats a good thing from a devotional point of view. Easter hasnt yielded its sacred character to the market place. The atheist cant avoid Christmas, but Easter can pass with little more secular awareness than news accounts of the popes health and sunrise services, alternating with ads for Easter sales.

Thats a bit odd, in that, unlike the clearly religious origin of the word Christmas, Easter seems to be derived from Oestre, Eostare, or Ostara, a Teutonic goddess of dawn; or eastre, an ancient word for spring; or even ostem, German for sunrise. Easter eggs and bunnies are about it in secular contributions to the feast.

If you dig a bit, you can find some seasonal poetry. Perhaps the best known is W.B. Yeats, Easter, 1916, which isnt about the feast at all, but a powerful elegy for Irish rebels killed in the Easter Uprising.

One of the Metaphysical Poets, George Herbert, a Welsh courtier turned priest, wrote three poems on the subject, one of which is Easter Song:

Can there be any day but this,

Though many suns to shine endeavor?

We count three hundred, but we miss:

There is but one and that one ever.

Another fragment is from his Easter Wings

O let me rise

As larks, harmoniously,

And sing this day thy victories

And from Gerard Manley Hopkins Easter Communion:

Pure, fasted faces draw unto this feast:

God comes in all sweetness to your Lenten lips.

Joyce Kilmer of Trees fame contributed this brief Easter verse:

The air is like a butterfly

With frail blue wings.

The happy earth looks at the sky

And sings.

But Ill give Phyllis McGinley the last word: the final stanza of Sunday Psalm

Tonight - tomorrow - the leaf will fade,

the waters tarnish, the dark begin.

But this is the day which the Lord hath made:

Let us be glad and rejoice therein.
After I voted Tuesday morning, I headed over to Hy-Vee in Rock Island to mail a package. As I proceeded West on Rock Islands 18th Avenue, it got very dark. Then suddenly I hit what felt like a wall of wind. I looked ahead and saw a large tree overhanging the Avenue and waving. Given the strength of the wind, I immediately pulled to the curb. I was afraid of getting under that tree and having the wind bring it down atop my car. When the west wind abated a bit, I scooted past the tree, and on to Hy-Vee. My efforts were in vain; Hy-Vee had lost power to run their mailing devices.

I headed home, wondering if the wind had done any damage. It had. A large maple tree on neighbor As property had fallen against the electrical pole on the same lot, with one big limb around the north side of the pole, and a second around the south side. In the process, the tree has taken down and snapped the electrical wire leading to neighbor Bs house. When I got home, I promptly learned that I was without power.

I immediately called Mid-American Energy to report the tree-attack on the pole and my outage. As I waited no more than 30 seconds on the phone to make my report, I thought to myself, We are on an unimportant street; we may not get power back until tomorrow. To my very pleasant surprise, a woman answered, who identified herself as Susan (if I remember).

I first reported the tree against the pole, and she asked a few intelligent questions, obviously to make sure she understood what I was telling her, and then before I could report my own outage, she inquired Do you also have power? She gathered the pertinent details.

Then, in mid-afternoon, as I took the dog out, I saw an emergency vehicle over by the tree and the pole. I walked over, and they advised me they had been sent out to determine exactly what equipment would be needed to restore power in the neighborhood. I was pleased that they were out scouting to ensure the necessary equipment would be dispatched. I was still guessing Mid-American Energy would deal with bigger problems first, and that we would probably be without power until the following day.

Since I was now living in 19th century America  an America before electrification,  I went to bed early. At some point, around 9 oclock, I notice flashing lights. Being curious, I got up, dressed, and went outside to see what was going on.

I again was pleasantly surprised to see a big bucket truck across the neighbors yard either working, or getting ready to work, to get the tree off the pole.

Because I had seen in the daylight how the tree was straddling the pole, I wondered how the tree removers would do the job. And I recalled that when I was about 3, a neighbor, who had been a lineman with the electric company, was electrocuted and killed, while working on a line.

Fascinated, I stood about 150 feet away, both out of personal danger, and out of the way of the workers, and watched. As I watched, it was clear that the man in the bucket [who a number of the times passed over the top of the pole], was proceeding deliberately and carefully to both get the tree off the pole and avoid doing any further damage to the pole or the wires. Rather than cutting off large sections of the limb, he proceeded almost surgically, using the appropriate saws  to deal with the smaller branches, as well as the larger ones. Then as the job neared completion, the power companys linemen appeared to do the electrical work.

One of the Mid-American Energy men had earlier told me that the power had earlier been shut off, down the street. (I guessed to avoid the threat of somebody being injured by the down wire(s).) With the tree removers done, the linemen went back to the other end of the block and in their own bucket changed the fuse, or turned on the circuit breaker, or whatever, and suddenly we had light. My porch lights went on!

As I went in, and headed back to bed, I saw them return to restore power to neighbors A and B. Both had power.

To put it simply, I was impressed with the entirety of the service. The tree men told me that they had come from Des Moines, with five other trucks/crews.

I am assuming, Mid-American Energy did every bit as well in other affected neighborhoods. But at least in mine, they have my applause and my thanks.
Jewellia Gray is a freshman at Bettendorf High School, and her favorite class is welding.

Before enrolling, she had never worked in a machine shop before, but family member's had, and she decided to give it a try. Before long, she knew it was exactly where she was meant to be.

"I like that it's hands on, and I'm more of a work-along person anyway," she said.

Gray said very few girls were in her class, and even fewer are involved in the industrial manufacturing class fellow freshman Kaitlynn Crump enrolled in. Crump went into high school knowing she wanted to work in the shop. So far this year, a few of her favorite projects have been learning to use the table saws and working with metals to make a hammer.

"My dad is very mechanically inclined with all of that, so I used to work with him a lot," she said.

Learning from family is a common theme in the industry. Ashley River with Pro Standard Construction is a third-generation builder, having learned from her grandfather and father.

"I have kind of grown up around this all my life," she said. "We all have our strengths and weaknesses, and that's what makes us better as team."

Being around construction so much as a kid, it felt natural to get involved. Having grown up on a farm, hard work was expected.

"It doesn't matter if you're a boy or a girl. If you have hands and you can work, you worked," she said.

While working, however, River noticed there were not many women involved in the trades. In her family, gender roles were never enforced  her sister is a doctor, she said. But that did not mean that bias did not exist in the world.

"I would definitely say there is still gender bias in the industry," she said. "I feel like if you are a pretty, young woman, it's more difficult for you to be taken seriously in an industry like this."

In 2021, the number of women in construction jobs reached an all-time high of 11%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. But the path to getting there was slow. In 2002, women accounted for 9.3% of the construction workforce.

In 2007, the start of a period known as the Great Recession, the number of women in the construction industry hit 1.119 million. By 2010, that number dropped to 807,000, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

During the last decade, the number has grown slowly to reflect a record of 1.24 million women working in construction in 2021, according to the National Association of Home Builders.

In the nation, Iowa ranks 39th for the highest percentage of female construction workers with women making up 2% of the workforce. Illinois ranks 28th, with 2.7% of the industry being represented by women, according to Today's Homeowner. The top five states with largest representation of women in construction are South Carolina, Georgia, Washington, Florida and Arkansas.

Back at Bettendorf High School, Gray said being one of the only women in the room inspires her work ethic by giving her a sense of self-confidence and strengthening her leadership skills.

"I feel like when I do work like this, I can find other ways to do it and can change the way I help other people," she said. "People sometimes observe you and what you're doing, and it helps them."

River said this attitude was what was helping to slowly improve the numbers for women in construction. Being taken seriously is a challenge. Personally, she had family support and a life-long background in construction. For those that don't, she said, lack of support can be a barrier.

For Justine Goulder, it was about not knowing what construction jobs were available.

"I had no idea about this opportunity until I met my husband who was in the trades," she said.

Goulder is the Eastern Region Training Coordinator for the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council (IUPATDC) 81. She started as an apprentice and was intrigued by the "earn while you learn" format. Especially for women with families, the trades are becoming more attractive because they provide a blueprint for setting themselves up for success, she said.

"A lot of the time, women don't feel like (construction) is something that they should pursue, or a field they should be in," she said. "I think now ... as women are getting into it, it's showing that it's a place where we belong and it's a place where we are thriving."

In her experience, women of all ages are joining. From right out of high school to those who are looking at a second career, there is a place for everyone.

"It's all ages, and that's the beauty of it," she said. "It doesn't matter what age you are. You can start."

Heather Stocking took that message to heart, in a different way. She is in her third year of working in human resources for Shaw Electric. The former teacher started in January 2020 after searching for a different opportunity.

Initially, she knew nothing about the construction industry but decided to take a leap of faith. In the end, it paid off.

"I have found that I love everything about the construction industry," she said.

For her, the job offers the chance to learn something new daily and explore different areas of expertise. At Shaw, 50% of the executives are women, she said, a good sign for the industry.

"I think the trend is growing in the right direction," she said. "We have a full gamut of where women are working, but I think the more women see women in the industry, the more other women will see it as a career path for them as well."

At Shaw, a big initiative is getting into schools and inspiring younger women to get involved. The more they can inspire younger students like Grey and Crump at Bettendorf High School, the better off the industry will be.

We're trying to break the stereotype and break the mold. We have always heard women can do anything, but we are getting to the point where we want to showcase our women are just as valuable in the field as our men are, she said. "They're going to be needed forever."
Former president Donald Trump was arraigned last week, facing 30 counts for a hush money payment scheme. This week, we'll take a look at the travails of past politicians.

William Belknap served as the Secretary of War under President Ulysses Grant. In 1876, he was impeached by the House of Representatives for accepting bribes and kickbacks, but resigned before he could be removed from office. He was later indicted and acquitted of corruption charges. He was once again arrested and tried for bribery. Although he was ultimately acquitted, Belknap is the only cabinet member in U.S. history to be impeached.

Spiro T. Agnew served as Vice President under President Richard Nixon from 1969 to 1973. In 1973, he resigned after being indicted on charges of extortion, bribery and tax evasion. He pleaded 'nolo contendere' (no contest) to a single charge of tax evasion and was sentenced to three years probation and fined $10,000.

William "Boss" Tweed was a New York City politician who was the head of Tammany Hall, the city's Democratic political machine, in the late 19th century. He was convicted of corruption charges in 1873 and sentenced to 12 years in prison. He escaped from jail in 1875 and fled to Spain, but was later captured and extradited back to the U.S. where he died in jail.

Michael Grimm was a U.S. Representative from New York who was convicted of tax evasion in 2014. He resigned from Congress and served eight months in prison.

Duke Cunningham was a U.S. Representative from California who pleaded guilty to charges of tax evasion and accepting bribes in 2005. He resigned from Congress and served eight years in prison.

James A. Traficant Jr. was a Representative from Ohio, who was expelled from Congress in 2002 and later sentenced to eight years in prison for bribery, racketeering, and tax evasion.

Ray Nagin, former Democratic Mayor of New Orleans was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2014 for bribery, money laundering, and fraud related to the city's recovery efforts after Hurricane Katrina.

Former Governor of Illinois Rod Blagojevich was sentenced to 14 years in prison in 2011 for attempting to sell President Obama's former Senate seat.

In Louisiana, flamboyant former Gov. Edwin Edwards, who spent eight years in prison on corruption charges, tried, and failed to mount a political comeback with a run for Congress in 2014.

One of the more recent presidential candidates to run while under indictment was Rick Perry, the former governor of Texas, who sought the Republican nomination in the 2016 election. A Travis County grand jury indicted Perry on two felonies in 2014.

Former Connecticut Governor Connecticut John Rowland was sentenced to 30 months in prison in 2005 for corruption and accepting bribes.

President Richard Nixon resigned from office in 1974 after the Watergate scandal, in which he was implicated in a cover-up of a break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters. While Nixon was not formally charged, several of his top aides were sentenced to prison. He was later pardoned by president Ford.

Former Illinois Gov. Dan Walker spent time in prison for offenses unrelated to his public office. Walker committed bank fraud while working at a savings and loan company outside Chicago after serving as governor. He pleaded guilty in 1987 to these criminal offenses but served just 18 months of his seven-year sentence.
As farmers are starting seeds, pruning trees and transplanting vegetables, farmers market vendors are training to take WIC coupons so more community members have access to fresh fruits and vegetables.

Farm Direct is a state-administered federal nutrition program that authorizes farmers to accept Montana Women, Infants, and Children Farmers Market Nutrition Program Benefits (FMNP) at farmers markets, roadside stands, or even their farms. Farm Direct defines farmers as those who grow their produce in their backyard and also professional farms. Once authorized, the farmer can begin selling their produce and accepting benefits right away.

Ahead of farmers market season, Montana farmers are encouraged to join the states Farm Direct Program.

Lacy Little, director of the Montana WIC program that oversees Farm Direct, said the training is beneficial.

This is an excellent opportunity for farmers to get additional sales on their locally grown fruits and vegetables, Little said. It also helps WIC participants access locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables during the summer months.

According to Little, about 125 farmers participate in the Farm Direct program each summer from June 15 to Sept. 30 across Montana. Farmers can redeem the WIC vouchers at their local bank for payment until Oct. 31. All WIC eligible families can participate and approximately 3,200 WIC families participate in Farm Direct. Most of the beneficiaries are children.

Participants receive $30 worth of vouchers to use at a farmers market or farm stand. Funds are allocated by participant, not by household, so a mother with two young children could receive $90 for the summer. Eligible foods include fresh local fruits and vegetables. Foods such as baked goods, cheese, eggs, honey and plants are not eligible.

Ravalli County WIC Director Ronda Blatter is also the countys Farm Direct manager. She said the program is strong.

It is a great program that our participants love, Blatter said. I get many remarks from our families that it is something they look forward to every year.

Hamilton Farmers Market Manager Matthew Sargent said the market accepts WIC coupons.

There is training for the market vendors and it depends on what they are selling, obviously vendors need to be raising food, he said. We open the market on May 6 and we have a big market that gets stronger every year.

HFM is open 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. each Saturday, May through October.

Sweet Root Farm owner Mary Bricker started selling fresh produce at Hamilton Farmers Market in 2014 and started accepting WIC coupons the following summer.

It is great as it makes local fresh produce more accessible, she said. There are different processes for accepting those, and SNAP and senior coupons, so it requires us to be on top of our book keeping. We really like that it encourages a broad range of people to get to farmers markets. Families love getting more produce that way.

She said participation is easy.

I encourage other farmers to get the training, Bricker said. The coupons dont usually come out until June and the training is just before the market opens. I think families dont realize how easy it is to get the coupons. I encourage people at both ends to participate, it is great.

Julie Schairer, owner of Moellers Nursery, said she accepts WIC coupons at Hamilton Farmers Market and at the Moellers Nursery farm stand.

A ton of people are actually very thankful for it because it is hard for some moms to get to farmers market on a Saturday and Im open out here seven days a week, Schairer said. They come and use their WIC coupons towards fresh produce anytime.

She said WIC consumers go through the usual WIC process and the annual training for farmers is fairly simple.

They keep us up to speed on what is accepted, what is not accepted and any changes to the procedures, Schairer said.

Homestead Organics owner Laura Garber said the WIC coupons are a great asset.

We have taken the WIC coupons for fresh fruits and vegetables with mixed success of WIC customers coming to farmers market to use them there, but have had more people come to our farm stand with WIC coupons, Garber said. They bring their kids and go look at all the animals. We have chicks, and ducks and piglets and being able to offer the inside look at agriculture and animals is wonderful.

She said the key thing is connecting food consumers to where food comes from.

I think WIC coupons and farmers markets are about more than just food. It is really important for children and adults to be connected to local food, Garber said.

In Ravalli County, farmers markets are also located in Darby, Florence and Stevensville.

Darby Farmers Market is 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesdays, May 30 to Aug. 29. The Florence Farmers Market, called Haas Country Market, is 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays, from the first Saturday in June through September.

Stacie Barker is the director of the Stevi Harvest Valley Farmers Market in Stevensville and said their market is open downtown on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. beginning May 6.

We take the WIC coupons and are attending the training soon, she said. Farmers market was tough last year due to the weather. We have new people wanting to become WIC coupon certified so they can take coupons. It is awesome that women, infants and children can get proper nutrition through the market.

Women, Infants and Children (WIC) was created in 1974 to help families and young children during a critical time of growth and development. WIC serves women who are pregnant, postpartum, breastfeeding, or have a child younger than five and meet income requirements (earning less than 185% of the Federal Poverty Level). WIC benefits include providing families access to healthy food, breastfeeding education, referral to other health and social services.

In Montana, WIC includes 35 local agencies and over 80 clinic sites serving all 56 counties and seven tribal reservations. Across the state almost 14,000 women, infants, and children are enrolled yet, only 55% of eligible families are signed up.

In Ravalli County, farmers interested in learning more can contact Ronda Blatter at the Hamilton WIC office at 406-802-7183.
The British legation in 1905 from A.G. Hyde Lay's book "Four Generations in China, Japan and Korea (1952). A very interesting read of diplomatic life in the 19th and early 20th centuries.



By Robert Neff



In the late 19th century, many Koreans sought employment with foreign business firms, missionaries or various legations. Not only were the salaries better than those offered by Korean employers, but there were also a number of fringe benefits such as medical care, the opportunity to learn foreign languages and cultures, and, at times, elevated social status  which could often be monopolized legally or illegally.



Lee Gyeong-pil was no different. He was a young Korean coolie (porter or day laborer) who applied for a job at the English Legation in Seoul in the spring of 1898. With the exception of a strong back, it isn't clear what qualifications he possessed  in fact, we know very little about his life, except that it was short.



It is, of course, an assumption that Lee was happy to be hired on May 2 and began work immediately as an outside man  a menial who ran errands and maintained the legation's grounds. For the first couple of days, things apparently went well until he encountered the legation's constable, James Stewart O'Neil.





A sketch of the British legation in the 1880s from L'Illustration Journal Universal. Robert Neff Collection.



John N. Jordan, the charge d'affaires, recalled that on the morning of May 6 (there are some discrepancies in the exact date depending on the sources), he was in his office talking with his assistant (Herbert A. Ottewill) and Dr. H. E. Baldock, an English missionary-doctor with Nak-tong Hospital in Seoul. Their conversation was abruptly interrupted when Jordan was called out to attend to Lee Gyeong-pil.



Lee, sitting on the office steps, complained that he had been savagely kicked and beaten by the legation's constable. According to Lee, the constable did not like the manner in which he had swept the courtyard and so he beat him. Although Lee claimed to have been viciously attacked, Jordan noted that "there was nothing noticeable about [Lee's] appearance except that he looked very thin and worn."



Nonetheless, Jordan summoned O'Neil and demanded an explanation. O'Neil denied ever striking Lee. But Jordan was unconvinced. He "spoke to O'Neil very severely in the presence of Dr. Baldock and Mr. Ottewill" and concluded by instructing the constable to have no further interaction with any of the legation's Korean employees.



Lee was then sent home  according to the local newspaper, The Independent (English version), his condition was so bad that he was carried back home. The incident might have quietly faded away except on May 10 Lee "was brought back to the legation in a chair apparently in a dying condition." Jordan had him immediately sent to Nak-tong hospital. But the poor man died minutes after his arrival.





A posed image of a Korean coolie or laborer from the late 19th or early 20th century. Robert Neff Collection.

A few days later, Lee's older brother lodged a complaint with the Korean authorities and demanded justice for the death of his brother. If justice was not received, he would mete out his own form of justice on the constable.



The Governor of Seoul, Lee Chae-yeon, requested a trial be held to ascertain the facts surrounding the alleged assault of Lee Gyeong-pil and his subsequent death.



In a letter to his superior, Jordan wrote:



"The [Korean] authorities have behaved with moderation and good sense and would not have pressed the charge had it and a series of similar incidents of the same kin which have recently occurred not attracted the attention of the vernacular press of which the [Korean] Government stands in much dread."



He further went on to explain that "the evidence was meager and was barely sufficient in my opinion to make out a prima facie case against the accused, but after careful consideration, I decided to commit O'Neil for [a preliminary] trial," which was held on May 26.









On June 4, The Independent (English version) reported:



"We understand the preliminary trial of the alleged case of assault on a Korean servant in the employment at the English Legation has been completed; the evidence, papers, and so forth sent to the Supreme Court in Shanghai for final action. Our contemporaries manifested considerable anxiety about this case and we are therefore happy to be in a position to assure them that the case is receiving that due attention we said we felt sure it would."



Of course, Jordan recused himself as judge because he felt he might be called upon "as a witness for the prosecution." So he elected to have Henry B. Joly, the vice-consul at Jemulpo (Incheon) preside over the trial. Joly was to be supported by H.B. Wilkinson, an assistant to the crown advocate in Shanghai, who was summoned to Seoul. O'Neil was not jailed but allowed to go free on bond until his trial.





The British legation grounds from the summer of 2014. Robert Neff Collection.
Southwest Montana saw a boost to its already above-average snowpack last month, pulling the area further out of drought but also increasing the risk for flooding and avalanches.

This winter marks the third snowiest season to date for Bozeman, based on measurements taken at Montana State University, said Arin Peters, a hydrologist for the National Weather Service.

Since the water year began in October 2022, the MSU station has recorded 125.3 inches of snowfall. The other two snowiest years were 1996-1997 with 136.9 inches and 2017-2018 with 126.2 inches, Peters said.

The continual snowstorms have left the Gallatin River basin with a snowpack thats 120% of normal. As temperatures could leap up to 60 degrees next week, meteorologists warn of potential flooding in the Gallatin Valley.

Snowpack in the Gallatin typically peaks around April 24, but the basin has already reached its median snowpack peak of 21.9 inches three weeks earlier than normal.

Both the Madison and Upper Yellowstone basins reached their median snowpack peak levels three weeks early, too. Both also have above normal snow levels right now, with snowpack measuring 129% and 116% of normal, respectively.

The snowpack sets farmers and other irrigators up well for summer, but will create problems if warm temperatures cause it to melt all at once, Peters said.

Some parts of Bozeman could flood if the snowpack melts abruptly next week, Peters said. People can prepare by testing their houses sump pump  which siphons flooding water out of basements  to make sure its working.

People can also check culverts and drainage ditches on their property to make sure flow pads are clear and not clogged, Peters said.

Last June, warm rain falling atop the late season snowpack caused catastrophic flooding in southwest Montana.

The perfect storm of conditions that caused the massive flood is unlikely to happen again this year, Peters said, but its not impossible. Instead, smaller localized flooding is more likely as snow starts to melt, but the severity will depend on temperature and precipitation.

We are set up for some potential problems, but things could also melt out really nicely and we could avoid those impacts, Peters said. Its kind of just a wait and see game, but its good to be prepared no matter what.

The winter storms this year have also elevated avalanche concerns, according to Doug Chabot, director of the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center.

More snow always means more avalanches, but its the specific kind of snow  and how and when it is falling  thats elevating the risk even more this year, Chabot said.

The Gallatin, Bridger, and Madison ranges all have a unique problem where there are layers of weak snow on both the upper and lower parts of the snowpack, Chabot said. When a sheet of heavy snow falls atop a melting, slushy layer, that makes the snowpack extra susceptible to breaking from stress or high temperatures.

There have been several natural and human-caused avalanches in the mountains surrounding Bozeman this year, Chabot said. One man died in an avalanche earlier this winter in Cooke City.

Next week as the weather warms up, the area will start seeing more wet avalanche danger compared to deep slab slides, Chabot said. That happens every year, but conditions are more dangerous this spring with the deeper snowpack.

Despite concerns, the moisture has pulled the area out of severe drought, said Eric Larson, water supply specialist for the Montana Natural Resource Conservation Service.

Gallatin, Madison and Park counties all improved four to five drought classes compared to March last year, Larson said.

Just 42% of Gallatin County is rated abnormally dry, and the rest is not classified under drought at all. Three months ago, 100% of the county was abnormally dry or in a more severe drought category.

Another promising measure is topsoil moisture, which impacts how well crops can grow. Last year, 96% of topsoil moisture in Montana was rated as below average. This year, its just 12%, marking the biggest improvement of any state in the country.

Stream flows on the Gallatin, Madison and Yellowstone are also forecasted to be above normal through spring, Larson said. Last year, those rivers had stream flows far below average.
BY SALEEM SAMAD





Initially Bangladesh, Myanmar and India failed to accept Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) a jihadist outfit. The militant group was described as 'Rohingya Muslim vigilantes' with a limited ordinance, disorganized, therefore nothing to be worried about.





The name ARSA first surfaced in August 2017, when the outfit claimed responsibility for attacks on several border police and army posts of Myanmar at the international borders with Bangladesh.





The attacks sparked Tatmadaw's (Myanmar military) brutal genocidal campaign against Rohingya Muslims. The troops torched hundreds of villages and went on a killing rampage.





The ethnic community was forced to flee from the volatile Rakhine State of Myanmar and later sheltered in Bangladesh. The country hosts nearly 1.2 million Rohingyas.





The panicked Rohingyas poured into Bangladesh, through porous international borders, fueling a historic migration crisis in Asia.





India is now worried that the jihadist outfit's presence at the border of Bangladesh-Myanmar-India. ARSA's recent skirmish with Myanmar troops has raised their eyebrows, while Bangladesh is alarmed by the visible presence of ARSA in the territory.





The ARSA militants are mostly recruited from the Rohingya refugees. It was not to anybody's surprise that the leadership are Pakistan-born Saudi emigres. They raise funds mostly from Rohingya living in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).





Meanwhile, news surfaced that an undisclosed partnership between Bangladesh and Myanmar military led to a joint operation to address the ARSA insurgency.





The documents from a December 23 meeting of the Central Committee for Counter-Terrorism of the Myanmar Home Affairs Ministry, published by a private 'Khit Thit Media' on last January 10 have been verified by security experts.





The document stated that "During 2022, there have been only 4 skirmishes between our [Myanmar] forces and ARSA. We were able to meet, discuss and coordinate with the Bangladesh Border Guard Force over ARSA.





"The result was that Bangladesh special forces launched a military operation in the refugee camp where ARSA took shelter, killing the ARSA's 2nd in Command and 2 terrorists. From one intelligence exchange with Bangladesh, we learned that the ARSA leader Ataullah and 60 of his followers are facing legal actions in Bangladesh."





The Naypyidaw (capital of Myanmar) labelled ARSA as an "extremist Bengali [Bangalee] terrorists, also Rohingya Muslim terrorists," warning that its goal is to establish an Islamic state in the region [South-East Asia].





In a rare interview with an international media, Ataullah Abu Ammar Jununi, commonly known simply as Ataullah, the supremo of ARSA said that their objective would be "open war" and "continued [armed] resistance" until "citizenship rights were reinstated" of Rohingyas in Myanmar.





Despite the denial of Ataullah, who was born in Karachi and moved to Saudi Arabia, of having links to the Islamic State or ISIS in a video and said he turned his back on support from Pakistani-based jihadists, security agencies of Bangladesh and India are sceptic of his claim.





A security expert in Bangladesh explains that ARSA has ideological differences from other terror outfits and has reason to distance itself from the transnational jihadist network.





The global terror network's footprint is absent in the region. The territory is too hot to handle, as some experts explained, especially when India remains a deterrent to the physical presence of jihadists and terror networks.





The exodus of more than one million Rohingyas from restive Rakhine State has also brought the ARSA operatives and sympathizers into Bangladesh.





The security agency in Bangladesh has trained their eyes and ears on their activities. The agency explains ARSA is also known as 'Al Yakin' in the refugee camps  the militant's prey on the refugees.





ARSA operatives are responsible for widespread kidnaps, extortions, tortures and executions of suspects. The crimes are committed to collect funds for local operations in the world's largest squalid Rohingya camps in Cox's Bazar, in southern Bangladesh.





Cash-starved Al Yakin, the volunteer group of ARSA is mostly responsible for gang war in the refugee camps to establish dominance over other non-militant groups in the camps.





The recruiters from sleepers-cell disseminate a message that joining ARSA or 'Al Yakin' was a Farj (a religious obligation).





However, ARSA remains focused on recruitment and indoctrination, followed by establishing small units and engaging in rudimentary military training.





Often breaking news from Rohingya refugee camps of robbers, dacoits, and armed gangs killed in encounters by anti-crime forces  the slain victims are radicalized Rohingya militants.





Despite ARSA's name still commands a mix of cautious respect and fear among some in the Rohingya camps. The members remain low profile to avoid confrontation with Bangladesh security forces.





For funding the militant's network, the foot soldiers are also engaged in providing armed escorts to cross-border smugglers and drug traders.





The intels still believe ARSA have a low ordinance and the militants were unable to launch any large-scale armed clash with Myanmar troops after August 2017.





However, Myanmar security forces do not agree and said that last year in mid-September, "the Arakan Army launched attacks in cooperating with ARSA from a certain distance on the Taungpyo Latwal police outpost near BP-31 between Myanmar and Bangladesh using small and heavy arms and three shells fell into the Bangladesh side and three exploded.





"On the other hand, their hit-and-run tactics were significantly neutralized after Myanmar troop's crackdown on Rohingya Muslims [ARSA]," said Myanmar's official website Info Sheet.





Myanmar blames Pakistan's dreaded spy agency ISI for its share in mentoring the jihadist outfit. Their theory that ARSA has been raised, funded, provides logistics and indoctrination was masterminded by ISI and is also believed by both Bangladesh and India.





Consequently, the encampment at No-Man's-Land or Zero-Point was attacked once again on January 18, 2023, resulting in the camp's destruction, and the forced displacement of all Rohingya refugees living there, writes Saifur Rahman, a Rohingya journalist who is living in exile in a third country.





ARSA's militancy capability remains poor due to strict surveillance by security agencies of India and Bangladesh and sharing mechanism of intels  reducing ARSA into a toothless tiger.





First published in the India Narrative on 7April 2023




Guwahati, 9 April 2023: Expressing concern over the alleged unusual increase of monthly electricity charges after shifting to prepaid bill paying system, a forum of graduate engineers urges Assam Power Distribution Company Limited, a division of the government run Assam State Electricity Board, to clarify its stand as the process of changing conventional electro-mechanical meters (with a rotating aluminum disc) to electronic (digital/smart) meters with an LCD or LED display must not record more energy consumption (to increase the monthly bills) at any cost.





All Assam Engineers Association (AAEA), while supporting the new technology as preferred by many countries across the globe with an aim to reduce energy losses, urges the APDCL to enlighten the consumers about the new prepaid system such as a cell phone or DTH recharge. The consumers here actually buy their required energy units in advance and once the balance amount turns zero, the power supply will be automatically cut off. In simple terms, the balance amount keeps reducing after consumption of every unit of energy.





"In India, one unit of electricity is defined as 1 kilowatt hour (means energy consumed by the appliances totalling 1000 watt for 1 hour. The consumers should get an alert when their account balances reach a low level. They can insist on putting LED bulbs and judiciously use heavy energy appliances like iron, dyers, heater, heavy old fan, air conditioner etc, saidAAEA president Er Kailas Sarma, working president Er Nava J Thakuria and secretary Er Inamul Hye.









Mentionable is that the electricity prices for household consumption remain moderate in India, whereas Iran, Sudan, Libya, Iraq, Syria, Zimbabwe, Bhutan, Egypt, Burma, Cuba, Ghana, Laos, Argentina, Afghanistan, Nepal, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Russia, etc charges lower energy prices. India is followed by UAE, Vietnam, China, Turkey, South Korea, Taiwan, Indonesia, Mexico, Canada, Thailand, Mauritius, Norway, Maldives, Cambodia, South Africa, Israel, Brazil, Romania, USA, Philippines, New Zealand, France, Switzerland, Australia, Singapore, Japan, Sweden, Spain, UK, Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Denmark, etc with higher electricity prices.




There are two herds of wild ponies that live on Assateague Island on the Eastern Shore at the Maryland-Virginia line. The herds have a long history dating back to the 1700s. Many believe the ponies that inhabit the island are descendants of horses who survived a shipwreck of a Spanish galleon in 1750. Today, each herd is managed by a different entitythe Maryland herd by the National Park Service and the Virginia herd by the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company. Each year, to help control the size of the herd, the Fire Company hosts a pony auction on the last Thursday of July. Thousands of spectators gather for the event where they watch the pony herd swim from Assateague to Chincoteague Island.
Bienvenido FBI to Springfield, Virginia! I hope to make this statement in the near future after the General Services Administration and FBI have finalized their selection for the location of the bureaus new suburban headquarters. As president of Marymount University, the first and only four-year Hispanic-serving institution in Virginia, I had the honor of joining the Virginia delegation in presenting the case for Springfield as the clear winner  as we firmly believe it is the leading site across all five criteria being considered for the new headquarters. Northern Virginias higher education institutions are already educating the next generation of highly skilled and capable professionals that the FBI needs, and its graduates help transform the workforce into one that really reflects America today. Here at Marymount, we are ready to welcome the bureau to the commonwealth and become close neighbors.

Moving to a new home is exciting and challenging at the same time. Virginia has submitted a comprehensive and compelling proposal for this transformational move, as the Springfield site presents the government with a solid location that performs strongly across all criteria. Of all the potential sites, its the closest to FBI Quantico and other critical intelligence sites. It has more public transportation options than any other site under consideration, as well as superior site development flexibility. Also, selecting Springfield would signal support for promoting equity within underserved communities. Our Virginia elected officials couldnt have said it any better: Springfield is a home run in every category.

Northern Virginia is home to the highest concentration of tech talent in the country, and its workers are more than qualified to fulfill the bureaus needs. Much of this is thanks to an education system that sets our students up for success in their careers. For example, Marymounts students can pursue bachelors degrees in high-demand areas such as cybersecurity, information technology, criminal justice, computer science, engineering and more. At the graduate level, they can choose from innovative fields that include forensic and legal psychology, business intelligence and emerging technology, just to name a few. Plus, countless Marymount faculty members and alumni are current or former FBI agents who serve as mentors to our students.

The FBI has identified the importance of growing a workforce that better reflects America. According to its chief diversity officer, our intentional efforts to diversify are crucial to creating an inclusive workforce and keeping the American public safe through effective and efficient investigation. When I walk across Marymounts campus, I see the richness of our diversity. We are nationally ranked at No. 23 for Campus Ethnic Diversity and No. 20 for Schools with the Most International Students by U.S. News & World Report. Twenty-five percent of our student body is Hispanic, and 17% is Black. Additionally, our students are linguistically diverse and speak languages that are critical to FBI work, such as Spanish, Arabic, Portuguese, Korean, Amharic and Mandarin. Our students have the cultural sensitivity and awareness needed for creating inclusive work environments.

At Marymount, we are committed to providing our students a pathway to real-world experience through connections to local companies and organizations that lead to dynamic opportunities before they even enter the workforce. For instance, our technology and innovation programs offer Marymount students experiential learning and internship opportunities with both domestic and international businesses and government entities. Whats more, our area has nearly 50,000 individuals who already have achieved some level of professional security clearance.

Finally, the FBIs new headquarters should be located in a region that values service. Serving others is a core value at Marymount, with our roughly 4,000 students giving back to the community through an estimated 16,000 combined hours of service each year. Serving our country represents the highest level of that value.

Moving to Virginia from Florida when I became the president of Marymount in 2018 was one of the best decisions I ever made. I truly hope the FBI follows my example.

PHOTOS: Richmond CenterStage over the years 20150318_MET_STAGE_01 Richmond Ballet's "The Nutcracker" Bride-groomsman-dance Richmond ballet bride video 20150722_MET_IDOL_KM1 20150722_MET_IDOL_KM2 20150326_MET_JAZZ_JM03 20150326_MET_JAZZ_JM01 0923_POD_Loews R0914_OBAM 2 R0914_OBAM 5 r0907_centerstage Richmond-Symphony-seasonopener-2010 (376 of 477) R0505_LAND01 VUUU11b S-STAG30P 20150411_MET_TEDX_BB01 CENTER5 S-STAG30K CARPENTER THEATRE CENTERSTAGE
In the early 1990s, I was in the throes of addiction and depression. The instinct of many who work in health care is to avoid dispatching those struggles on to other people. I felt isolated. I felt alone. I felt embarrassed, quite frankly. Thankfully, in time, I had others reach out to me with compassionate help, and by the grace of God, I have been in recovery for 27 years.

I received life-changing support from dentists in the Virginia Dental Associations Caring Dentist Council. For the past 15 years, I have led that council, providing support for dentists and dental team members who are struggling with mental health issues and addiction. It is often a family member, a staff member or other loved one who refers a health care provider to us for assistance.

Over time, attitudes toward those suffering from mental health challenges and the disease of alcoholism and addiction have rightly changed.

Despite the progress we have made as a profession and as a society in addressing the stigma of seeking help, there remains significant fear for loss of license and losing the ability to serve in the profession that gives a provider purpose. And until this year, the licensure process itself included outdated questions that could be a barrier to health professionals seeking care.

This year, the General Assembly passed and Gov. Glenn Youngkin has signed into law legislation to help Virginia move in a better direction, including an emergency clause that allows it to go into effect immediately with his signature.

House Bill 1573 directs the Department of Health Professions to amend its licensure, certification and registration applications to remove any existing questions pertaining to mental health conditions and impairment.

The Medical Society of Virginia recommended substitute language that reads:

Do you have any reason to believe that you would pose a risk to the safety or well-being of your patients or clients?

Are you able to perform the essential functions of a practitioner in your area of practice with or without reasonable accommodation?

This important change protects patients and allows health care workers to stop suffering in silence and receive needed help.

When we stigmatize mental health issues, we isolate people who are suffering and make it harder to heal. When health care providers can receive compassionate care for mental health issues, its better for them and better for their patients.

It takes a lot for anyone to take the steps of acknowledging they need help, and fear of loss of license, stigma and loss of purpose for a health care provider can add to that challenge.

If youre a dentist, dental team member or other health care provider who is currently going through a challenging time, you may not see it, but the provider community is behind you. We want you to heal and be able to be well, healthy and happy.

We have seen over the past few years in particular that our health care workers, with their skill and specialized training, are an essential national resource. This legislation will make it easier for those health care workers to seek and receive the care they need. I applaud the Virginia General Assembly for taking this important step and Gov. Youngkin for signing it into law.
Government releases comprehensive security plan for Maya Train

Riviera Maya, Q.R.  In July, the first operational section of Maya Train is expected to begin a trial run. The section that will run will be between Merida and Cancun. Once the train become operational, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, President of Mexico, says they have a security plan in place to protect the national mega project.

General Luis Cresencio Sandoval Gonzalez, Secretary of National Defense, released the Comprehensive Security Plan for the Maya Train. He said their operational deployment consists of 6,583 elements of the Mexican Army, Mexican Air Force and National Guard to cover the 1,554 kilometers of railway.

To reinforce the Comprehensive Security Plan, these troops will remain in close coordination and cooperation with the Territorial Commands through an operational deployment to increase inter-institutional support with the authorities.

He reported that the plan contemplates two aspects: Operational Security and Physical Security. The first will be supported by the use of cutting-edge technological means and instruments in terms of security such as closed circuit television, intercom, radio communication, detection beacons and technical detectors on roads. that will guarantee the operation of the train.

With regard to Physical Security, it will be established through the installation of 38 security detachments. He also said that all tracks will have sensors that will issue alerts about their correct operation to 174 technical monitoring booths.

Sandoval added that there will also be on-board surveillance provided by agents of the National Guard who will travel inside the wagons along with an Air Group made up of five helicopters that will carry out surveillance and reconnaissance missions at irregular hours.

Sandoval said the air support will operate from five airports located in Palenque, Tulum, Cancun and Chetumal and Merida. Aside from helicopters, drones will be used to complement the surveillance and security of roads and annexed facilities.

On the ground there will be a Cultural Heritage Protection Battalion, which will provide protection to the archaeological zones and a Tourist Protection Battalion that will provide security in the hotel zone and surroundings of Riviera Maya.

There will also be a separate Security Battalion for Business Units, which will provide security to hotels, parks and museums, along Maya Train route.

He says the Mexican Army, Air Force and the National Guard will be responsible for ensuring and safeguarding the well-being of travelers as well as guaranteeing peace and security.
Lopez Obrador proposes to reform Article that forbids foreigners to participate in Mexican politics

Mexico City, Mexico  President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has sent a proposal to Congress to eliminate the prohibition for foreigners to participate in Mexican politics.

The proposal was sent to congress in early March requesting a reform to Article 33 of the Constitution to prevent foreigners from being expelled for meddling in local politics. His reform also includes an exception to the explosion only if the meddling risks national security.

AMLO says he considers the current Article an act of censorship since it indicates that foreigners may not in any way interfere in the political affairs of the country.

According to the legislative proposal sent to the Chamber of Deputies, it is necessary to update congruently the procedure to expel a foreigner from the country.

Lopez Obrador stated that the defense and protection of the human rights of individuals by the Mexican authorities is required to be the rule, and in which the exceptions that justify its limitation must be perfectly defined, founded and motivated.

In this sense, the modification proposes to guarantee the right to free expression of ideas of all foreigners, while it states that a foreigner may be expelled, once the administrative procedure indicated by law has been carried out before the competent authority.

The Executive () may expel foreigners from the national territory as long as it is proven that their stay in the country constitutes a risk or affectation of national security , the initiative reads.

In recent years, there have been several requests made by politicians to use Article 33 against non-Mexicans for being outspoken against some government officials.
The Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center is preparing to open a scientific laboratory to relieve space constraints that force some entrepreneurs to build inventions in their homes and generally hinder growth.

The business park designed the facility to cater to people such as Mickey Cowden, a roboticist and software engineer with an electronics work bench in his basement. A vent originally for a laundry dryer takes out the fumes, though imperfectly.

I still get a headache from doing soldering if I do it too long, the owner of Cowden Technologies said.

A consulting firm sees the life sciences market and related industries as an underdeveloped business opportunity in the Roanoke-Blacksburg region, one that will require construction of plentiful, low-cost laboratory space. Brought in to assess the industries viability, the firm responded with a resounding yes when it issued its final report in 2021.

Once the Blacksburg lab and another planned in Roanoke open, they will deliver immense cost savings to tenant businesses, according to the consultant, Maryland-based Facility Logix.

A coalition of organizations seeking to foster economic growth set out to create two new laboratories after officials recognized that privately owned lab space is for the most part leased or otherwise spoken for all across the region, officials said.

Although lab space exists in academic settings where essential research takes place, You cant run your startup in a university lab, said Brett Malone, president and CEO of the university research center.

The states economic growth initiative GO Virginia paid slightly more than half of the $1.1 million cost of the Blacksburg venue, while the rest came from the research center, a for-profit, private subsidiary of the Virginia Tech Foundation. Not a state entity, the research park has catered to business creation in autonomous technology, biotech, software, cybertech, aerospace and defense during its nearly 40-year existence.

The lab is located at 2200 Kraft Drive and goes by the name COgro Labs.

We expect to fill this up pretty quickly, Malone said at an open house March 30. He said the facility is open to anyone.

The life sciences  the study of humans, plants, and animals  underpin such industries as pharmaceuticals and biomedicine and a host of related fields such as medical devices, agricultural bioscience, diagnostics, health-informatics and machine learning, according to the feasibility study prepared for the laboratory project. Known as the Multi-tenant Lab Facility Feasibility Study, the report was issued in September 2021.

The facility contains both wet lab benches for the development of technology that uses microorganisms and chemicals. There is also dry lab space for activities such as computing. Should he rent a bench, the dry-lab side of the house is where Cowden would solder, situated at a work bench beneath an exhaust snorkel connected to filtration in the air management system.

Just as an office coworking center provides tenants with business machines such as a copier, the new Blacksburg lab is equipped with ultra-low temperature storage compartments, a biological safety cabinet, fume hood, autoclave, centrifuge, shakers, mixers and pipettors. Each bench comes with a lockable storage cabinet at the bench and a locker.

Applications from interested parties are coming in, according to lab manager Tina Taylor, who said she believes the lab will open in May. The introductory rate is $700 monthly for a bench, a charge that will increase a little later on, she said. The rent includes utilities, use of specialized equipment, personal protective gear and access to the shared work space in an office suite across the hall thats part of the COgro program, she said.

Taylor, a health sciences researcher with prior laboratory management experience, will staff the facility, assist with the operation of equipment and ensure safety and compliance, Malone said.

The Blacksburg facility is seen in part as a prototype from which a larger laboratory planned in Roanoke will be designed. While the Blacksburg lab has 18 benches in 2,900 square feet of space, the future Roanoke laboratory is planned within a 40,000-square-foot building on South Jefferson Street.

Virginia officials green-lighted the Roanoke facility with a $15.7 million grant made public in mid-February. The city of Roanoke will contribute $1.9 million of its federal pandemic relief funds.

The overall project is expected to generate 125 jobs with an average salary of $80,000 per year. The state will get its money back in fewer than five years, officials said.

Renting a little space in a professional laboratory with air management would help Cowden as he develops a drone docking station with charging, data and payload-replenishment features for agricultural use. He said he hopes to apply for a lab bench in six months, depending on the availability of cash.

His Fairlawn home sits 13 miles from the Blacksburg research center, where he already rents an office in COgro.

Cowdens wife, Amy VanKirk, an associate professor of dance at Radford University, took the new lab tour.

It all seems a little safer. I dont have these soldering fumes with a 9-month-old in the house, she said.

The facility consultant remarked in its report that the public does not see an evolution toward technology industry as having value. The general population remains dedicated to traditional manufacturing and do not necessarily realize the importance of technical and life science careers, said the report.

But traditional manufacturing and demand for workers with traditional manufacturing skills are in decline nationwide, as manufacturing has become more capital intensive and less labor intensive, the report said. Communities making a shift to technology-based employment, as the laboratory is designed to support, will provide training in science, technology, engineering and math as early as elementary school and assist those who can start businesses with a diverse innovation ecosystem.

This regions life sciences and related companies  present and future  benefit from a regional ecosystem with several strengths that include 25 higher education institutions; multiple health systems; a variety of business-development competitions, incubators and accelerators; and a wide menu of nonprofit economic development organizations. Local and state government agencies are pro-business and provide funding.

The 2021 report called private venture capital programs in this area weak, but that issue has received attention. The consultant called the number of life sciences companies low. That has number has grown, by one estimate, to 40 to 50 entities in the 19 months that have passed since the report came out.

New this year, Johnson & Johnson inducted three local life sciences companies into its biotech accelerator and could select two more. The companys assistance complements the new laboratory space to further strengthen the ecosystem, officials said.

You should never not feel supported, said Lisa Garcia, who directs the Roanoke-based business accelerator RAMP.
Progress in a representative democracy often inches forward at a frustratingly slow pace. Recall, it took a century of political battles (and a constitutional amendment) for American women to achieve a federal right to vote.

Even here in Virginia, laws that today we take for granted  such as a ban on smoking in restaurants  often required years of work and effort to make it through the Virginia General Assembly. (Former Sen. Brandon Bell of Roanoke County was the state lawmaker who finally won enactment of that, after others spent years failing.)

This year, senators and delegates in Richmond took another small step toward long-overdue justice with enactment of House Bill 1895, also known as the Silence No More Act.

It was introduced by Del. Eileen Filler-Corn, D-Fairfax.

Shes an attorney who got her start in politics as a Northern Virginia PTA mom. During a dozen years in the House of Delegates, Filler-Corn rose to Democratic leader and House speaker, becoming the first Virginia woman  as well as the first Jewish lawmaker  to lead the lower chamber in its more than 400 years of existence.

She lost the speakership, and leadership of House Democrats, after Republicans regained control of the House of Delegates in the 2021 elections. This past March, Filler-Corn announced she would not seek reelection in November. But she may be a candidate for governor in 2025.

Passage of the Silence No More Act followed years of scandalous revelations about nondisclosure agreements, or NDAs, used by powerful men to bury revelations about illicit sexual contact they had with less-powerful women.

The men involved in those scandals included Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein, comedian Bill Cosby, ex-president Donald Trump and the late CEO of Fox News, Roger Ailes. Nondisclosure agreements were a way to prevent revelations of sexual harassment, sexual assault or sexual liaisons the men wanted buried.

Some of the affected victims were employees, others were self-employed actresses/independent contractors. As more and more women began sharing stories of sexual harassment and assault, and how theyd been contractually silenced, the movement became known as Me Too.

The state law offered by Filler-Corn followed enactment by Congress of similar federal legislation, the bipartisan Speak Out Act, which President Joe Biden signed in December.

That made it through the House of Representatives with 100 Republican ayes. (One of the Virginia congressmen who voted in favor was Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Salem. Reps. Ben Cline, R-Botetourt, and Bob Good, R-Campbell, voted nay.)

Some of the same women who pushed for the federal law, such as former Fox News employee Julie Roginsky and former Fox News host Gretchen Carlson, supported the Virginia version.

Because of the Passover holiday, Filler-Corn was unavailable last week to talk about the measure. Her chief of staff, David Cary, spoke to me about it instead. But she publicly testified about it before a House subcommittee in Richmond on Jan. 24. And as conceived, it was far broader than the federal statute.

Filler-Corns legislation would have applied to NDAs and nondisparagement clauses that prevented Virginia employees from disclosing illegal discrimination, sex harassment, workplace safety violations, fraud and more. The law also would have applied retroactively and covered non-employees such as independent contractors.

Unfortunately, there are bad actors throughout the commonwealth that are not only committing these violations, but theyre also legally allowed to silence employees who otherwise would bring these points, these issues, to the attention of shareholders or consumers, Filler-Corn said in testimony.

We need to make it easier for employees and others to step forward without repercussions, repercussions for them or their families or their livelihoods or their mental health or their physical health.

By contrast, the federal Speak Out Act is more limited. It prohibits courts from enforcing NDAs or non-disparagement clauses signed before a dispute involving sexual assault or sexual harassment arises.

Cary told me the U.S. Chamber of Commerce supported the version that passed Congress and was signed into law by Biden. And when Filler-Corns broader version came up in Virginia General Assembly, some powerful Richmond interests were ready to oppose it.

The Virginia Chamber of Commerce got involved, Cary told me. They said adding anything beyond what the federal legislation covered was a non-starter.

Republicans in the Virginia House and Democrats who control the Virginia Senate ultimately passed significantly different versions of the bill. The Senates version was closer to Filler-Corns original intent than what came out of the House.

The differences were hashed out by a House-Senate conference committee that included both Republicans and Democrats (Filler-Corn was one of the latter). And basically, in conference committee, the views of the Chamber of Commerce prevailed.

The legislation that emerged was no longer retroactive for most purposes, nor did it apply to independent contractors, or to NDAs involving discrimination, workplace safety violations or fraud.

Instead, it applied to Virginia employees and job applicants only, and heres what it says:

No employer shall require an employee or a prospective employee to execute or renew any provision in a nondisclosure or confidentiality agreement, including any provision relating to nondisparagement, that has the purpose or effect of concealing the details relating to a claim of sexual assault  or a claim of sexual harassment  as a condition of employment.

Any such provision is against public policy and is void and unenforceable.

The Senate voted 40-0 in favor of the conference committees version and the House approved it 94-1. Among those who voted aye were Filler-Corn. After passage, she said:

This bill expands on Virginias current law, which already prohibits nondisclosure agreements from concealing details of sexual assault, and conforms to federal law by prohibiting concealment of sexual harassment and affecting nondisparagement clauses.

Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed it into law March 29. It takes effect July 1.

Certainly, its a far cry from Filler-Corns original measure. But surely, its also a step forward. Virginia law no longer permits NDAs that cover up an employers sexual harassment. Its a change in the right direction.

Thats the way democracy usually works. Lawmakers often offer legislation that seeks a lot, then compromise for less than the full enchilada.

Most progress occurs in baby steps; the Silence No More Act is a fitting example.
By Azernews

Committing terrorist acts and attempting to kill people is extremely inhumane act, which is far from religion, humanity and Islamic values. Unfortunaltely, in the month of Ramadan, when the Holy Qur'an was revealed, and it is considered a month of fasting and spiritual purification for Muslims, the country called Iran has further activated its savage aggression; it seems that the mullah regime in Iran, which presents itself as the defender of Islamic values in the world, does not refrain from its evil deeds even in such a holy month.

Iran is applying the principle of diplomats ,  the enemy of my enemy is my friend ,  In this sense , al  Qaeda and many other Iran-finaced terrorist groups and proxies are working against the countries thatoppose the Tehran regime.





It is believed that Hezbollah is the first and greatest supporter of the terrorist organizations that are run by Iran, as it began its work in 1986 as it governs Lebanon, which is the main force inside Syrian territory executing the policy and targets of Tehran. Besides that, Iran finances many small terrorist groups that are linked to its large networks and some of which attempts to carry out its dirty mission in our country under the guise of religion.

Those who carry out the orders of this bloodthirsty regime are thugs and national traitors.

In a nutshell, the bullet fired at MP Fazil Mustafa in Ramadan is a bullet fired at the people of Azerbaijan and the hostility of the mullah regime against the people of Azerbaijan. Similarly, the attack on the embassy of Azerbaijan in Tehran and the martyrdom of our officer was a treacherous attack by the evil mullah regime on our country and our people.

Implementing countermeasures

After the Iranian revolution, Iran and its people have become interpolated with anti-American, anti-West sentiments and all its allies in the region.

The former US ambassador to Saudi Arabia James Smith stressed that Iran was able to get away from punishment since 1979, despite the proven involvement in the Beirut bombings in 1982 and the involvement of the Iranians in bombing of the US embassy in Africa, and their silence on the bombing of the US Cole warship.

Many official documents confirm that Iran was behind the killing of thousands of people, especially government officials, diplomats and even civilians that have been obstacles for its secret operations.

However, Iran has not received any punishment for its actions, which created a feeling that it can exercise its aggressive terrorist acts and impunity, and this policy towards Iran made it to continue to its terrorist policy, and continuing efforts to expand its interventions in the countries of the region.

As regards the regime's threat in our country, the society and the state of Azerbaijan should mobilize against these marginal and evil forces and raise our voice of protest. In this matter, well-known figures of Azerbaijan, representatives of the public, culture, art, and science should not be silent and should express their position openly. Just as during the 30-year Armenian occupation, during the days of the Patriotic War, we should not allow the Mullah regime's attempts to turn Azerbaijan into Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen by demonstrating national solidarity.

The Mullah regime cannot bear with the strengthening of Azerbaijan as a state, fearing the struggle of our brothers and sisters from South Azerbaijan. Independent Azerbaijan is an eyesore for the mullah regime, so they want to divide us from the inside and weaken us as a state.

It is with the blessing of the mullahs that drug addiction is instilled in our society and our youth in order to destroy the national gene pool of the Azerbaijani people. This enriches the generals of the mullah regime and finances the dirty deeds of the Iranian network and terrorist groups in our country. The facts also show that Iran's exposed agency network funded itself with the proceeds of the illegal drug trade.

Carrying out the orders of the evil mullah regime of Iran and cooperating with its special services means supporting the aggression and occupation of Armenia against our people. It is no longer a secret that the regime transferred the intelligence information it collected through national traitors to Armenia, and this work is still being continued. The mullahcracy and these creatures who call themselves socalled muslims have a hand in the blood of our martyrs. Cooperation with them is a disrespect to the spirit of our martyrs and their mothers.

Iran's threat in the field of information

Today, the regime carries out disinformation and moral terror against Azerbaijan not only in practice, but also in the information space. Therefore, it is extremely important be vigilant in social networks. Azerbaijan is a strong and powerful country with its robust intelligence and defence systems, which is determined to defeat the mischief of the regime in Tehran just as we shattered perillous dreams of world Armenians and Armenia as a whole.

The mullahcracy has rotted from within, and the country has been engulfed in protests. The people, who are fed up with the rule of the mullahs, no longer want to live under this pressure and speak out. The regime constantly creates the image of a foreign enemy in order to divert attention from its internal problems and tries to mobilize the people to fight against this enemy. But Iranian citizens have already understood that these seditions have no end and cannot continue like this. Surely, the end of the regime is nigh.




This photo, provided by Samsung Electronics, shows Dominican Republic Vice President Raquel Pena, right in front row, visiting the Samsung Innovation Museum in Suwon, 34 kilometers south of Seoul, as part of her trip to Korea, April 6. Yonhap



Samsung Electronics said Sunday it has asked for the Dominican Republic's support for Korea's bid to host the 2030 World Expo in its southeastern city of Busan.



Roh Tae-moon, president of the tech giant's Mobile eXperience business, made the request during his meeting with Dominican Republic Vice President Raquel Pena on Thursday, as the vice president visited the Samsung Innovation Museum in Suwon, 34 kilometers south of Seoul, as part of her official trip to Korea.



During the meeting, Roh said that Samsung has offered a wide range of products from home appliances to mobile phones in the Latin American nation since 2016, and will continue to give customers their best experiences.



He also stressed that the 2030 Expo in Busan would serve as a good chance for Samsung to introduce its advanced technologies to the world.



Samsung plans to launch a program this month meant to help young Dominicans get jobs through education and training on software, artificial intelligence and other technology themes. (Yonhap)


Wait for it. Its only a matter of weeks, days, hours, minutes or seconds until the next mass shooting in the United States.

It keeps happening. Again and again. Over and over. Its a cycle that goes round and round, just like the clothes in your washing machine.

It doesnt matter where. It keeps happening everywhere: an elementary school, a high school, a university, a synagogue, a church, a mall, a grocery store, a gay bar, a nightclub, a concert, a Walmart, a Fourth of July parade, a theater, a restaurant. The location changes but the cycle does not. The pain does not.

I was present at the Virginia Tech mass shooting on April 16, 2007. At the time, this mass shooting, which followed the Columbine shooting, was considered to be rare. How I wish that were true. People wondered: how could this possibly happen at such a wonderful university as Virginia Tech? But our shooting, like each one that has since followed, had as much to do with the myriad of complicated circumstances that are continually identified as precursors to such a horrible event than any one particular thing. These interwoven circumstances are a key part of the ongoing cycle.

Likewise, you do your laundry every week. It is a pattern. It is a cycle. You wear your clothes and get them dirty  this sets the stage for what happens next, just like the circumstances leading up to a mass shooting set the stage for tragedy. So you put your dirty clothes in the washing machine. You add soap. The clothes get washed. The clothes get rinsed. Now the clothes are clean so you put them in the drier to dry. Then you fold them, put them away, and wait until they get worn and dirty again before they get thrown back into the washing machine to start the cycle all over again. Similarly, we wait in between each mass shooting, sometimes not for very long at all, to see when the next one will be, where the next one will be, and whose lives will be lost  whose lives will be forever changed.

Our country struggles to tackle the issue of mass shootings because people see this issue in such different ways. Is this about gun control? Is the issue mental health? Is this about failed safety measures? What IS this about??? We still cant formulate a common view of the issue of mass shootings in America, despite the sheer eruption of mass shootings in 2023.

It is part of my lifes fabric that I have a lens of familiarity with mass shootings based on my experience with the Virginia Tech shooting, which is what inspires me to speak up and seek change. Through this lens, I see that not enough has changed yet to make a positive difference to prevent mass shootings, despite the worthy efforts of some. We have to stop reacting exactly the same way after each mass shooting: with shock, horror, sadness, flowers, teddy bears, public outcry, making the same pledges, pretending to hear the voices of victims, showcasing the shooter, and so on, to expect any positive change.

We need to finally learn from the many other countries around our world which have tackled this problem successfully or never had the problem in the first place!

If we dont collectively, strategically and significantly institute major high-impact changes, mass shootings will continue to be as commonplace in our country as washing our dirty laundry each week. You can count on it.
The manchineel's small apple-like fruit definitely won't keep the doctor away  it packs such a poisonous punch that the Spanish conquistadors called it the 'la manzanilla de la muerte' or 'little apple of death.' The ominous name may sound extreme, but history shows that indigenous peoples used the sap to poison their arrows and contaminate the water supply of the invading Spaniards.

While there are no reported instances in modern botanical literature of anyone dying from ingesting the innocent looking fruit, if you were to bite into it, the sweet taste would quickly turn quite painful. And we're not talking about the uncomfortable burn of eating a super-hot pepper; the manchineel fruit will cause intense burning and severe swelling of your throat. The area around your mouth may get inflamed and blister, and potentially severe digestive problems can ensue.

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Unfortunately, the danger doesn't stop there. Just touching the leaves, even briefly, or using the tree as nature's umbrella during a rainstorm will cause blistering lesions on your skin. And if you get any of the sap  or smoke from burning the wood  in your eyes, you will most likely experience temporary blindness.

Here's radiologist Nicola Strickland describing in the journal BMJ her experience ingesting the fruit of the manchineel tree on a visit to the Caribbean island of Tobago:

I rashly took a bite from this fruit and found it pleasantly sweet. My friend also partook (at my suggestion). Moments later we noticed a strange peppery feeling in our mouths, which gradually progressed to a burning, tearing sensation and tightness of the throat. The symptoms worsened over a couple of hours until we could barely swallow solid food because of the excruciating pain and the feeling of a huge obstructing pharyngeal lump. Sadly, the pain was exacerbated by most alcoholic beverages, although mildly appeased by pina coladas, but more so by milk alone.



Over the next eight hours our oral symptoms slowly began to subside, but our cervical lymph nodes became very tender and easily palpable. Recounting our experience to the locals elicited frank horror and incredulity, such was the fruits poisonous reputation.

But the tree isn't entirely evil. Their deep-growing roots help prevent soil erosion, and it provides a safe home and fully belly for one lucky reptile  the garrobo,or striped iguana of Central and South America. The only animal immune to its poison, the garrabo has the tree all to itself.

" " A manchineel tree on the beach at Manuel Antonio National Park, Costa Rica. Wikimedia Commons ( CC BY-SA 3.0
Un immeuble d'habitation s'effondre a Marseille, 5 blesses et la crainte d'autres victimes

Un immeuble d'habitation de quatre etages s'est effondre dans le centre de Marseille dans la nuit de samedi a dimanche, faisant au moins cinq blesses selon un bilan qui reste "tres" provisoire previennent les autorites.







Le drame, sans doute du a une explosion mais dont les causes exactes ne sont pas encore connues, s'est produit vers 00H40 dans un secteur residentiel en bordure du quartier de la Plaine, connu pour ses restaurants, bars et sa vie nocturne.





Le ministre de l'Interieur Gerald Darmanin est arrive sur place dans la matinee alors qu'Emmanuel Macrona exprime son "emotion". "Je pense aux personnes touchees et a leurs proches", a ajoute le chef de l'Etat sur Twitter.





L'effondrement "d'un immeuble au 17 rue de Tivoli a entraine dans sa chute une partie des (batiments du) 15 et du 19" voisins, a declare le maire Benoit Payan aux journalistes sur place.





Pres de 10 heures plus tard, les operation de secours se poursuivent et "il faut qu'on se prepare a avoir des victimes dans ce terrible drame", a-t-il ajoute.





Cinq personnes, residents d'immeubles voisins, ont ete blessees, et 33 au total prises en charge.





"C'est vraiment un bilan tres tres provisoire, il faut attendre den savoir plus, il y a des recoupements qui sont faits avec des familles qui cherchent leurs proches. Toutes les personnes qui sont censees etre dans cet immeuble n'ont pas encore ete vues, et des familles s'inquietent", a declare le ministre du Logement Olivier Klein sur Franceinfo.





Un numero vert de la mairie a ete mis en place (04 91 55 11 11) et un centre d'accueil destine aux personnes recherchant un membre de leur famille ou un proche dont ils nauraient pas de nouvelles apres l'effondrement d'un immeuble en plein coeur de Marseille a ete ouvert.





Il y avait a priori un appartement par palier.





Les pompiers luttent toujours contre un violent incendie qui s'est declare dans les decombres, entravant les recherches, a souligne le vice-amiral Lionel Mathieu, commandant des marins-pompiers de Marseille.





Plus d'une centaine d'hommes, appuyes par de nombreux equipements, sont engages, mais les equipes de recherches avec chiens n'ont pas pu entrer en action pour rechercher d'eventuels survivants, la chaleur etant trop intense.





"L'objectif c'est de maitriser l'incendie pour envoyer les chiens le plus vite possible", a souligne un peu plus tard le commandant Laurent, qui dirige les operations.





- "Tout a tremble" -





Dans la matinee, l'effondrement partiel (a 70%) du numero 15 "complique aussi la tache" des secouristes car "ca rajoute des gravats", a explique le commandant Laurent. Huit personnes qui s'etaient refugiees sur le toit-terrasse de cet immeuble ont pu etre sauvees dans la nuit par des pompiers montes sur une grande echelle.





Au moment de l'explosion "tout a tremble, on voyait les gens courir et il y avait de la fumee partout, l'immeuble est tombe sur la rue", a dit a l'AFP Aziz, un homme qui a prefere taire son nom de famille, mais a declare tenir un commerce d'alimentation nocturne dans la rue ou l'immeuble s'est effondre.





"Il y a de fortes suspicions qu'une explosion ait provoque l'effondrement, mais il faut rester tres prudent sur les causes a ce stade", a indique a l'AFP le prefet de la region des Bouches-du-Rhone, Christophe Mirmand, precisant que le gaz pourrait etre "une option possible".





La procureure de Marseille Dominique Laurens a annonce l'ouverture d'une enquete pour "blessures involontaires" et tiendra un point presse a 18H00 au tribunal.





D'autres immeubles de la rue ont ete evacues par mesure de securite en cette nuit du long week-end de Paques et leurs residents accueillis dans des ecoles en urgence.





En novembre 2018, l'effondrement rue d'Aubagne de deux immeubles dans un autre quartier du centre de Marseille, Noailles, avait fait huit morts et suscite une vague d'indignation contre le mal-logement dans cette ville ou 40.000 personnes vivent dans des taudis, selon des ONG.





Lhypothese d'une insalubrite de l'immeuble qui s'est effondre dimanche a toutefois semble ecartee par le maire et le prefet.





"Il n'y avait pas d'arrete de peril pour ce batiment et ce n'est pas un quartier recense comme ayant de l'habitat insalubre", a indique le prefet.





Marseille a connu plusieurs effondrements mortels d'immeubles au cours des 40 dernieres annees.





Le 11 janvier 1981, huit personnes sont mortes et 16 ont ete blessees dans le quartier pauvre du Canet lors de l'ecroulement de leur batiment.





Cinq personnes ont peri en 1985 dans l'explosion accidentelle d'un immeuble pres du boulevard du Prado et le 20 juillet 1996, une explosion due au gaz a souffle un immeuble de sept etages pres de la gare Saint-Charles, faisant 4 morts et 26 blesses.








Liverpool-Arsenal : Andy Robertson accuse l'arbitre de touche de lui avoir donne un coup de coude

Le defenseur de Liverpool Andy Robertson semble avoir ete victime d'un coup de coude d'un des juges de touche de Liverpool-Arsenal aupres de qui il venait se plaindre, a la mi-temps du match de la 30e journee de Premier League, dimanche.





Alors que l'arbitre central venait d'inviter les deux equipes a rejoindre les vestiaires sur le score de 2-1 pour les visiteurs, le lateral gauche international ecossais s'est approche du juge de touche Constantine Hatzidakis, manifestement pour protester selon les images diffusees par Sky Sports qui retransmettait la rencontre.





L'arbitre a semble alors lever le bras et toucher la gorge ou le bas du visage du joueur, provoquant une nouvelle vague de protestations de Reds autour du trio arbitral.





Selon un journaliste de Sky au bord du terrain, Robertson s'est exclame: "Il m'a mis un coup de coude a la gorge, le juge de touche m'a mis un coup de coude a la gorge !".





L'incident s'est produit apres une fin de premiere periode tres tendue entre les deux equipes.





Les Gunners avaient pourtant pris l'ascendant assez net en menant 2-0 apres moins d'une demi-heure de jeu, avant que Mohamed Salah ne reduise le score a 2-1.





Le match a cependant repris normalement apres la pause reglementaire et la rencontre s'est terminee sur un match nul 2-2.




 Texas Gov pledges to swiftly pardon man convicted of murder of BLM marcher day after jury conviction | Main | Highlighting US Sentencing Commission's significant amendments to federal guidelines' criminal history rules 

April 9, 2023

Some notable headlines about various developments in various prosecutions related to Jan 6

Though a split DC Circuit ruling about obstruction charges received the most press attention, two addition headlines about sentencing developments in prosecutions related to Jan 6 also caught my eye this morning. Here is a quick round-up of full headlines:

From NBC News, "Appeals court upholds 'obstruction' charge used against hundreds of Jan. 6 rioters, for now: A panel of appellate court judges upheld the use of the statute against Jan. 6 rioters, but the complex ruling means the issue likely isn't settled yet."

From Politico, "Prosecutors seek lengthiest Jan. 6 sentence yet for rioter who pinned officer in Capitol doorway: The sentence would be more than five years longer than the longest sentence handed down in any Jan. 6 case."

From Tampa Bay Times, "Ex-soldier with Jan. 6 ties gets 7 years prison in Tampa case: Jeremy Brown, a retired U.S. Army Special Forces master sergeant, was found guilty of having illegal weapons and a classified military document at his home."

April 9, 2023 at 09:52 AM | Permalink

Comments

Pin a cop to wall--throw book at him--shine green lasers into cop's eyes, dismiss charges. Yeah, great system

Posted by: federalist | Apr 11, 2023 9:51:29 AM

Post a comment
 "The Ex Post Facto Clause: Its History and Role in a Punitive Society" | Main | Some notable headlines about various developments in various prosecutions related to Jan 6 

April 9, 2023

Texas Gov pledges to swiftly pardon man convicted of murder of BLM marcher day after jury conviction

As reported in this local article from Texas, "[l]ess than 24 hours after a jury in Austin found Daniel Perry guilty of shooting to death a protester, Gov. Greg Abbott announced on social media Saturday that he would pardon the convicted killer as soon as a request 'hits my desk'." Here is more about a case and promise of clemency that seems likely to garner considerable attention:

The unprecedented effort, which Abbott announced to his 1 million followers on Twitter, came as Abbott faced growing calls from national conservative figures such as Fox News host Tucker Carlson and Kyle Rittenhouse, who was acquitted in the shooting deaths of two Wisconsin protesters in 2020, to act to urgently undo the conviction. Texas has one of the strongest Stand your ground laws of self-defense that cannot be nullified by a jury or progressive district attorney, Abbott said in a statement. I will work as swiftly as Texas law allows regarding the pardon of Sgt. Perry. Abbotts office did not return calls from the American-Statesman on Saturday seeking additional comment. The two-week trial, which included dozens of witnesses and much forensic evidence, was not broadcast. Abbott attended no portion of the trial. Perry, an Army sergeant, was working as an Uber driver in Austin on the night of July 25, 2020, when he ran a red light at the intersection of Fourth Street and Congress Avenue and drove into a Black Lives Matter march before stopping. Garrett Foster, carrying an AK-47 rifle, was among a group of protesters who approached his car. Perry told police that Foster threatened him by raising the barrel of his rifle at him, so he shot him five times with a .357 revolver through the window of his car before driving away. Perrys defense team argued that he acted in self-defense, but prosecutors contended that Perry instigated what happened. They highlighted a series of social media posts and Facebook messages in which Perry made statements that they said indicated his state of mind, such as he might kill a few people on my way to work. They are rioting outside my apartment complex. A friend responded, Can you legally do so? Perry replied, If they attack me or try to pull me out of my car then yes. A jury Friday unanimously convicted Perry. State District Judge Clifford Brown is set to sentence him to prison in the coming days. He faces up to life in prison. David Wahlberg, a former Travis County criminal court judge, said he cannot think of another example in the states history when a governor sought a pardon before a verdict was formally appealed. I think its outrageously presumptuous for someone to make a judgment about the verdict of 12 unanimous jurors without actually hearing the evidence in person, Wahlberg said. Doug OConnell, who represents Perry, told the Statesman in a statement Saturday: Right now we are completely focused on preparing for Daniels sentencing hearing. I visited Daniel in jail this morning. As you might expect he is devastated. He spoke to me about his fears that he will never get to hug his mother again. Hes also crushed that his conviction will end his Army service. He loves being a soldier.... The jury deliberated 17 hours over two days before reaching the verdict Friday afternoon after an eight-day trial with dozens of witnesses. Perry didn't testify during the trial.... After the judge read the verdict to the packed courtroom Friday, Perry, 35, buried his head into one of his lawyer's chests and erupted into loud sobs. The jury also found Perry not guilty of an aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in connection to driving in front of another protester.... Fox's Carlson decried the conviction in a two-minute segment on his show, referring to the Austin protesters as a mob of rioters who surrounded Perrys car and began pounding on it. He said Perry fired when Foster raised his rifle. This is a legal atrocity, Carlson said. There is no right of self-defense in Texas.... Jennifer Laurin, a University of Texas law professor, addressed the portion of Abbotts statement on Texas self-defense laws. She said that a jury is instructed to reject the defense when the person asserting it provoked the response, as prosecutors say Perry did when he drove his car into a crowd of protesters. Painting the conviction as rogue nullification is uniformed or deceptive, Laurin tweeted. Abbott lacks authority under state law to issue a pardon without first getting a recommendation from the Board of Pardons and Paroles, whose members he appoints. In his statement, Abbott said he already asked the board to review the verdict to determine if Perry should be granted a pardon. I have made that request and instructed the board to expedite its review, Abbott said. I look forward to approving the boards pardon recommendation as soon as it hits my desk.... Defense lawyer Rick Cofer, who was not involved in the trial, expressed astonishment over Abbotts announcement. Its what happens in Uganda or El Salvador, said Cofer, a former prosecutor. Total abrogation of the rule of law. And whats even worse is that Abbott knows better. He was a smart Texas Supreme Court Justice. He knows this is legally wrong. Profoundly wrong. Pure politics.

Without speaking to the specifics of this case in any way, it seems worth noting that many acts of clemency (and even decisions not to grant or consider clemency) can often generally be described as "pure politics." Put differently, what makes this case noteworthy is not that a governor's clemency decision-making may be influenced greatly by politics, rather it is here what the Texas Governor is saying and pledging to do in the name of politics.

April 9, 2023 at 09:14 AM | Permalink

Comments

"Drove his car into protesters"--oh yeah, because those a-holes had the right to take over a street.

Posted by: federalist | Apr 10, 2023 10:18:24 AM

"...Abbott faced growing calls from national conservative figures such as Fox News host Tucker Carlson and Kyle Rittenhouse"

Kyle Rittenhouse, an emotionally fragile 18 yr. old is now a 'national conservative figure' who only needs to raise his voice and the governor of Texas 'snaps to', pardoning a murderer. God help us.

Posted by: SG | Apr 10, 2023 9:42:08 PM

A thentofore (is that a word) law-abiding citizen is in a place he has every f'in right to be and is confronted by an armed mob that attacks his car, and he fires at a dude packing an AK (whom he says pointed it at him), and we are so that he is not telling the truth that we will send him to prison for the rest of his life. That's just appalling, and you choose to pick on another victim of violence and evil prosecutors?

Posted by: federalist | Apr 11, 2023 9:19:06 AM

federalist: Didn't the jury have to unanimously decided, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the defendant was not telling the truth about self defense in order to convict the defendant here? I did not follow this case or the trial at all, but is there any reason to believe the defendant did not have a full and fair opportunity to to raise his self defense claim at trial? (I saw a report the defendant decided not to testify at trial, which is interesting to see.) Also, though I do not know Texas sentencing law well, my understanding is that the charge of conviction could allow State District Judge Clifford Brown to impose a sentence as low as five years (though I'd like a texas expert to confirm that).

Posted by: Doug B | Apr 11, 2023 10:13:59 AM

First, it is indisputable that the defendant had every right to be where he was, and it is indisputable that a mob attacked his car. It is also indisputable that the so-called victim was part of said mob.

Second, juries get stuff wrong, and it's not like the eyewitnesses were neutral bystanders.

What I am pointing out is that if the "victim" pointed the AK at him, the shooting was justified, and it is far from clear that he didn't. And someone is subject to spending the rest of his life for defending his life. That's a problem. When you mix in the fact that the mob were wrongdoers, the mere fact that he was arrested feels like an injustice. Self-defense is an absolute right, and only in tyrannies does self-defense get punished.

Sending someone to prison based on the testimony of members of a lawless mob that was attacking his car is just too much too ask.

The prosecution of Rittenhouse is an appalling abuse, and it's a stain on the Wisconsin legal system.

Posted by: federalist | Apr 11, 2023 11:44:15 AM

In the Rittenhouse case, federalist, the jury did not concluded BRD that the killing was unjustified; here the jury apparently did conclude that the killing was unjustified. Is it your contention that juries are not the proper arbiters of self defense? It seems there was a dispute over whether the person killed did anything more than carry a gun while part of a protest. Is your view of self defense, federalist, that anyone armed at any protest can be lawfully killed by anyone else who claims they feel threatened by the protest?

Posted by: Doug B | Apr 11, 2023 11:59:26 AM

First of all, there's video evidence in the Rittenhouse case. There is no reasonable claim that he wasn't defending himself. In fact, with respect to the first guy, Rittenhouse attempted to retreat and was set upon by the criminal. So in that case, there is simply no probable cause for a murder charge. Without probable cause, there's nothing for a jury. Do you think that people in a free society should be subject to prison for defending their lives? See, I can ask a loaded question too.

The question in the Perry case is whether the jury's decision is justified as a matter of law. On the basis of self-interested testimony by members of a mob, we have self-defense disproven BRD? Yeah, I didn't think so either.

Posted by: federalist | Apr 11, 2023 12:23:04 PM

And the same goes for Zimmerman--where was the probable cause? The evidence indicated that he was retreating and that he was set upon by Trayvon Martin. Once, of course, Martin is on top of him, Martin could get access to the gun, which means Zimmerman had every reason to fear for his life. Think about this---would a cop ever be prosecuted in such a situation? Remember also, Martin was smashing the back of Zimmerman's head into pavement. And yet Zimmerman was prosecuted. Please provide articulable probable cause in that situation.

Posted by: federalist | Apr 11, 2023 12:26:05 PM

federalist, you are essentially saying that if we assume every possible fact in favor of the defendant in these cases, then their actions were lawful. For starters, entirely lawful action can provide a basis for "probable cause," especially when classic defenses are involved --- eg, a police officer (and later a prosecutor) may not be sure if a defendant's fear of death or SBI to justify SD was both objectively reasonable and subjectively honest at the time of the killing. And I do thnk people who kill and who are not obviously objectively reasonable and subjectively honest regarding the need for deadly force should have their claims of self defense scrutinized. Loaded questions are not deadly, but loaded guns are, and so I want people who use loaded guns to kill in questionable situations to have to account for why a killing was justified.

Moreover, in all of these cases there were various disputes over various facts. And, in the US legal system, factual disputes over criminal liability are generally to be resolved by juries. Juries returned acquittals in Zimmerman and Rittenhouse and a conviction in Perry. You clearly do not respect the verdict in the Perry case, though if the facts and law are so clear, the appeals process ought generally to be trusted to correct the outcome, no?

Posted by: Doug B | Apr 11, 2023 1:54:54 PM

You don't address what I am saying. With respect to Perry, it isn't clear what happened. And we're taking the word of people who were committing crimes against him. You can try to make this whole thing as anti-septic as you like, but the bottom line is that Perry was confronted with a criminal situation for which he was entirely blameless (unless you think that law-abiding people need to abandon the streets to lawless rioters). The dude had an AK. And you're gonna subject the guy to prison for that? Yeah, maybe he just wasted the guy---but do you believe that BRD? Yes, juries resolve questions of fact, but there has to be an absence of reasonable doubt to start with, and this case seems chock full of that.

As for Rittenhouse, where is the probable cause? He was armed and shot someone? Nope--that doesn't get it done. The undisputed video evidence shows that he didn't provoke anything, wasn't the aggressor and was chased. There's no evidence from which a reasonable factfinder can negate self-defense beyond reasonable doubt, which means that the case should not have been prosecuted. In Zimmerman, the available evidence shows the a-hole retreating back to his car whereupon he was violently attacked. There is nothing to suggest that he wasn't in reasonable fear of death/SBI. Hence the case shouldn't have been prosecuted.

"so I want people who use loaded guns to kill in questionable situations to have to account for why a killing was justified." In a free society, self-defense is an unquestioned right. Why do I have to answer to you? If you have probable cause, maybe we have a trial. But Rittenhouse was subjected to government punishment because he acted in self-defense. That's a problem. The Wisconsin prosecutors were trying to put a guy in jail for the rest of his life because he, after trying to get away, shot a guy who attacked him even though the attacker knew that Rittenhouse was armed. Rittenhouse had the right to shoot him to defend himself, and the government has no right to put him through the wringer.

With respect to Zimmerman--let's say that I am walking down the street and packing. Some dude attacks me, starts bashing my head into the pavement. Obviously, I have no idea what he's going to do if he gets a hold of my gun, and so I shoot him. Obviously, no one thinks I should be prosecuted, but Zimmerman isn't any different from a legal standpoint.

Posted by: federalist | Apr 11, 2023 2:17:37 PM

"It seems there was a dispute over whether the person killed did anything more than carry a gun while part of a protest." Nice way to euphemize what the "victim" was doing.

Posted by: federalist | Apr 11, 2023 2:50:38 PM

I am not taking anyone's word, federalist, I am noting the jurors did not believe this was a good case of self defense (and Sgt. Perry decided not to testify to make his case to them). I have not seen any of the evidence, the jurors did, and they had to reach a unanimous outcome. Plenty of people doubted the jury results in Rittenhouse and Zimmerman, but I am generally inclined to defer to jury judgments when there are facts in dispute (especially when I have not reviewed the disputed facts clsoely).

And even if one agrees that "self-defense is an unquestioned right," it is quite obviously not an unlimited right -- eg, one who kills in self defense must always be objectively reasonable/subjectively honest regarding the need for deadly force. In Ohio, a defendant also has to be "free of fault" and other jurisdictions still have certain retreat duties. Juries are often going to be the ones who will be charged with deciding if SD limits were transgressed when a defendant claims self defense.

Posted by: Doug B. | Apr 11, 2023 2:51:07 PM

Once again, you fail to address the point.

With respect to Rittenhouse, there was videotape evidence of what happened. It's basically like a law-school hypo. There's not a scintilla of evidence that Rittenhouse "provoked" anyone, from a legal standpoint anyway. He was attacked and chased. If the chaser had gotten a hold of him, the chaser would have had access to Rittenhouse's gun (and by the way, someone who chases someone with a gun almost certainly will want to take the gun from the person, as he doesn't want to be shot). There is simply no probable cause here. Rittenhouse retreated for goodness sake. You keep incanting about the jury, but a jury shouldn't get a case where there's no PC. And with Zimmerman--if there were a constitutionally sound law about being an asshat, then he's guilty, but in legal terms, he was violently assaulted as he was heading to his car. The fear for his life was obvious. Thus, there wasn't a basis to try him.

What you miss is that self-defense, once at issue, must be disproven BRD. So yes, "[j]uries are often going to be the ones who will be charged with deciding if SD limits were transgressed when a defendant claims self defense." But if the evidence cannot disprove SD BRD, then it doesn't go to a jury. And in both Rittenhouse and Zimmerman, where is the evidence that these guys didn't have a reasonable fear of death/SBI? There is none.

As for Perry, the issue is more structural. It's, of course, a truism that if the dude with the AK pointed it at Perry, then even arresting Perry is a problem. The problem is that we don't have any real way of knowing---we just have a group of people who decided that they had the right to surround Perry's car and pound on his car and damage it--in other words, these animals thought they had the right to control public streets. Add to the mix is that, as part of the mob, you had a guy carrying an AK. That's a scary situation--think if you were in that situation in a car with your daughters--would you be scared? There isn't a cop in sight, and those animals could do whatever the heck they wanted. And Perry acted, and now he faces life. He didn't create the situation. That's a problem, and your antiseptic description is just oh so unrealistic. This is why, by the way. cops should stop these riots.

Posted by: federalist | Apr 11, 2023 4:06:29 PM

federalist, you keep failing to understand that a killer's subjective belief is relevant to a claim of SD, as are any applicable rules about being initially at fault. As a result, there can be legal/factual uncertainty (and thus PC to charge) even if and when the killing facts "objectively" look to you like they present an obvious and reasonable basis for SD. I do not know all the facts/arguments presented in all these cases, but I do know that many facts you assert were subject to reasonable dispute (especially before a charge/trial took place), and judges obviously found key facts to be in dispute or the cases would have been bounced as a matter of law. So you are attacking the judges in those cases, as well as both the judge and jurors in the Perry case. Fine, but you are showing your disrepect for the process used in our legal system to resolve cases with disputed fact. (And when you say an issue is "more structural," that sounds a whole lot like what the BLM crowd and others decry when claiming structural problems impact how the law gets applied so as not to reflect the facts and values they are eager to stress.)

Do you have a theory for why Perry did not testify in his defense? Seems like a big deal in his case, especially since as I keep stressing, his subjective beliefs are an essential part of any valid SD claim.

Posted by: Doug B | Apr 11, 2023 4:26:24 PM

ANY pardon in effect "disrespects" the judicial outcome. That's their nature. When a jurisdiction's constitution provides unreviewable pardon power, it creates and accepts the risk of what some will (and some won't) see any given exercise of it as a very misguided. Clinton did it, Obama did it, and Trump did it.

The way to curb this is to change the plenary nature of the pardon power so that, say, the legislature could nullify a pardon by a two-thirds vote. But until that or something similar happens, it's just so much pounding sand to complain about something anyone familiar with the nature of pardons, and their sometimes dicey history, knew could happen. When you give the power to open the prison door to a politically chosen official (like a governor), it's too obvious to require discussion that you're inviting in political considerations.

Don't like it? Fine. Either adopt my proposed reform or elect someone different next time.

Posted by: Bill Otis | Apr 11, 2023 5:11:35 PM

I am not failing to understand that---if there's no evidence of the subjective belief, then that evidence is not allowed to be resolved against the defendant. In Zimmerman's case, there just was no evidence as to his subjective belief (other than the fact that pretty much anyone would be scared out of their mind if a stranger were banging their head against pavement.) So where was the PC? Same with Rittenhouse--any person would be in fear for his life in such a situation.

And as for "disrespecting"--what? First of all, did you watch any portion of the Rittenhouse trial? Like when the scum prosecutor said that the law requires people to take a beating? What? What reasonable dispute was there over Zimmerman or Rittenhouse? The evidence in the Zimmerman case (undisputed by the way) was that Zimmerman was following Martin. He then broke off the following and went to his car. Then Martin attacked him and overpowered him. He then shot Martin who said "You got me." and then he died. Where is the PC? If I am walking down the street with a concealed firearm, and someone attacks me, gets me on the ground and starts smashing my head into the pavement, and I shoot him once and kill him, how in the world should I be prosecuted for murder? Are you really suggesting that I should face the possibility of LWOP for that? Well, guess what, that hypo, and the Zimmmerman reality are one and the same from a legal sense. Once Zimmerman broke off the follow, he was in the position of anyone else. Pointing out this obvious stuff isn't disrespecting the judge.

As for Perry, you can deflect all you want, but there are serious problems with allowing members of a criminal mob to be the evidence that negates self-defense. And of course, you don't go there with the hypo of you and your children being in a car surrounded by an armed mob.

Posted by: federalist | Apr 11, 2023 5:24:25 PM

I believe in the Perry case, federalist, there were text/social media messages suggesting the defendant was eager to go "kill a few people on my way to work." That is certainly enough to get to a jury if other evidence suggested he was looking to pick a fight, and that likely made his failure to testify all that much more damning in the eyes of the jury. Perceptions of picking a fight was also part of the story in Zimmerman, a case which got widely noticed only because a 911 dispatcher told Zimmermen not to follow Martin as he was apparently running away. (As I recall, there was debate over whether there should be an initial aggrssor jury instruction in that case, and I am no expert on Florida SD law.)

When you call a prosecutor "scum," federalist, you are showing disreprect for the process and the people invovled. Like the BLM crowd and others, you might think our justice systems merit such disrespect. But that is what your attacks on the charges and the attack on the verdict signal. But, it seems neither Bill or Master Tarls is inclined to criticize your attacks on the system and its prosecutors, so perhaps the disrespect you demonstrate for our justice system is more widely shared than I might otherwise think. (And maybe some prosecutors just agree with your crazy EP theory to think they have to go after Sgt Perry and Rittenhouse so as not to risk the magical federalist EP argument that would mean there could be constitutional questions if they prosecute any other intentional killers.)

Posted by: Doug B. | Apr 11, 2023 6:15:38 PM

and so I want people who use loaded guns to kill in questionable situations to have to account for why a killing was justified.

I find this, coming from a law school professor, to be chilling.

Posted by: TarlsQtr | Apr 11, 2023 10:13:35 PM

Doug B.,

Federalists comments seem to be directed at individuals, not disrespect to the system. Calling the Rittenhouse DA scum, is about him, not all DAs or the entire system. He also happens to be correct.

Posted by: TarlsQtr | Apr 11, 2023 10:26:56 PM

One DA who was clearly scum was Mike Nifong, who prosecuted entirely innocent white Duke lacrosse players to gain advantage in the Democratic primary in a largely black jurisdiction (Durham, NC). They were falsely accused of rape by a black stripper. Not only were they innocent of the rape; there WAS no rape. The whole thing was made up. Nifong wound up serving a total of one day in jail. Had it been up to me, it would have been a few years.

Posted by: Bill Otis | Apr 12, 2023 8:53:30 AM

First of all, Doug, those text messages are hardly relevant to the question of whether he was where he was legally allowed to be (which he was). And there you go with your anti-septic BS. People have places to be and things to do--when mobs take over streets, it evokes emotional reactions, especially when the cops are ok with people's cars getting surrounded etc.

And good grief, with respect to Zimmerman, he was walking away. He therefore retained his privilege of self-defense. This is basic law.

"Had it been up to me, it would have been a few years." If it were up to me, it would have been LWOP.

As for my crazy EP theory, hmmmm, we've agreed that prosecutorial discretion is subject to EP . . . .

Posted by: federalist | Apr 12, 2023 9:06:31 AM

So, Master Tarls, you do not think the Menendez brothers should have been asked to account for shooting their parents in claimed self defense? Or that the Minnesota nightclub shooter had to account for a mass shooting that he claimed was in self defense? https://www.startribune.com/in-murder-trial-downtown-minneapolis-nightclub-shooter-testifies-he-acted-in-self-defense/600218935/

Classic self defense, as students learn in 1L Criminal Law, is traditionally viewed as a "justification" defense. The limits on self defense set forth in statutes and in the common law --- and there are many limits, especially when deadly force is used --- typically concern whether or not the defendant can reaonably claim that a killing is "justified." (In Texas law, for example, the subchapter on SD is in Chapter 9 Justification, see 9.31/9.32: https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/PE/htm/PE.9.htm. And, as I have been explaining, key to any SD claim is what is in the mind of the killer --- as Texas law puts it, "the actor's belief" has to be of a certain nature for that actor to be "justified in using deadly force.")

In other words, Master Tarls, this law school professor is just explaining the basics of the law of self defense. Sorry that you find basic legal doctrine "chilling." Can you explain why you find it "chilling" that the law expects a killer to provide some account of his belief when claiming to be "justified in using deadly force" in questionable situations?

As for whether and when prosecutors (or others) are "scum," Master Tarls, do you share the view that Zimmerman never should have been charged and/or that the judges in the Rittenhouse and Zimmerman case should have dismissed the charges as a matter of law? Do you share the view that the jury got it wrong in the Perry case? How do we figure which of these folks are "scum" for how they did their jobs in these cases (multiple prosecutors from the Kenosha County District Attorney's Office were involved in the prosecution, are they all "scum" or only certain prosecutors in that office)?

Perhaps your claimed principle for calling prosecutors "scum" is just "I dislike how they acted as a prosecutor."

Posted by: Doug B | Apr 12, 2023 9:08:48 AM

federalist, you give away the same when you now turn to "emotional reactions," as everyone has all sort of emotional reaction to all sorts of events. But the law places limits on when those "emotional reactions" can justify killing a person. Clearly you want to interpret disputed facts in favor of the killer in the Perry case, but you were not on the jury that is tinasked in our system with sorting through there facts. You disrespect the judgment they made in light of the disputed facts --- just own that reality --- and our systems put another check on state power through clemency. It will be interesting to watch that process play out in this case.

What makes you EP theory crazy, as I keep noting and you keep dodging, is that you claim a failure to prosecute in one case could somehow ground an EP claim to block or disrupt a prosecution in totally unrelated cases. Not only have you provided no basis in law for such a claim, you seemingly fail to appreciate that such a crazy theory would provide an extra justification for prosecuting the Rittenhouses and Zimmermans because prosecutors would always have to worry that any alleged "bias" toward not bringing charges could be used by all sorts of unreleated others to contest homicide or other charges. It's not just that your EP claim is crazy, federalist, but that you have not even thought it through even a little bit in light of your other claimed commitments (which just highlights how your partisanship distorts your ability to think clearly and carefully).

Posted by: Doug B | Apr 12, 2023 9:26:29 AM

Doug,

What Im saying is that any defendant can stay silent, not account for anything, and the jury is not to hold a negative view of that choice. The state has to prove intent.

The Rittenhouse case was brought forth as a political stunt, nothing more. It was on tape. Even this layman could see it was self-defense and I think the kid is an idiot.

Posted by: TarlsQtr | Apr 12, 2023 11:32:48 AM

"Clearly you want to interpret disputed facts in favor of the killer in the Perry case, but you were not on the jury that is tinasked in our system with sorting through there facts. You disrespect the judgment they made in light of the disputed facts --- just own that reality"

So disagreeing with a jury verdict is somehow "disrespecting the jury"---where were you when the "all-white jury" moniker was used to discredit those jury's verdicts? The problem with Perry's case is that he was in a place where he had the legal right to be, and he was set upon by a mob which contained armed people. The self-defense justification was negated by witnesses whose motivations were obvious. So we have a guy who had a criminal situation thrust on him--let me ask yet again--how would you feel with your daughters in the car with a mob (some of whom are armed) surrounding you? Pretty f'in scared, I'd assume. Saying well the DA gets to do what he did and the jury gets to find what it found doesn't really address the possibility that a very serious injustice happened here. You seem to be ok. That's jarring.

As for Rittenhouse and Zimmerman, you cannot articulate any factual/legal basis upon which a trier of fact could find that SD was negated BRD--saying that a jury gets to say so doesn't answer the issue because in neither of those cases was there any evidence--Zimmerman, in legal terms, was like the guy in my hypo. Rittenhouse retreated, for Pete's sake. So the upshot is that in the Rittenhouse case, the prosecutors tried to put a demonstrably innocent man in prison for the rest of his life, simply because they didn't like what he did. They are scum, and it is a stain on the justice system that these animals still have law licenses. If it were up to me, they'd spend the rest of their thug lives in prison. Much as I despise Zimmerman, there ain't no PC there either, which means that the prosecution should not have happened.

As for EP--I've been thinking about this--but it's hard to get the time to bang it out. But let's put aside Hunter Biden for one second--let's take Andrew McCabe. That SOB lied to the FBI about a leak that he did and tried to pin on others. Of course, the DOJ protected its own and didn't prosecute. And this is not an isolated incident (although this one is pretty bad, notwithstanding the cover outfits like NPR provided McCabe): https://www.nationalreview.com/2020/02/why-wasnt-andrew-mccabe-charged/ As shown by Senator Grassley, the DOJ often went easy on its own people for all sorts of criminal behavior--stuff that would get the rest of us in hot water. So we agree that EP principles apply--so is it remotely ok from a constitutional standpoint that the DOJ goes easy on its own?

Posted by: federalist | Apr 12, 2023 1:12:23 PM

fedralist: I think folks do show disrespect for a jury verdict if/when folks complain that an "all-white jury" reached the wrong result. When have I ever called that respectful? On Perry, I am sure I would be scared, and I am sure I would try to drive away. But it seems Perry did not have others in the car and he did not try to drive away, he killed someone. If you were on the jury, you may have voted to acquit for that killing. I was not on the jury and I did not hear all the evidence, so I do not know how I would have voted if I was on the jury. But I respect the work they did unless and until I have considered all the evidence with an open mind and decided they clearly got it wrong.

Do you think the prosecutors are "scum" in Zimmerman? How about the judges in these cases who let the cases go to the jury? Do you think the all prosecutions by the prosecutors in Kenosha County District Attorney's Office who you call "scum" should be undone? If you do not think they should be laywers, would you support efforts to have any and all post (and pre) Kenosha County convictions and sentences vacated?

On the EP front, you keep obtusely missing the point --- even if we agree that is problematic "from a constitutional standpoint that the DOJ goes easy on its own," does this create a constitutional remedy for otherwise lawful and entirely distinct prosecutions? (I surmise you think it is a constitutional problem that the Kenosha County DAs prosecuted Rittenhouse. Does this mean they cannot prosecute anyone else? Ever?) I know you are not dumb, federalist, but you sure say a bunch of dumb things about law because of your partisan passions.

Posted by: Doug B | Apr 12, 2023 1:37:26 PM

My point is not that you said "all-white jury" but that it has been tossed around by so many on the defense side that I am wondering why you are so vehement that I am disrespecting juries, when I don't recall you ever getting in high dudgeon over that one. I am not. And so what that he didn't try to drive away--how could he when the car was surrounded? And if he had hit one of the rioters, the DA would have charged him with assault. And in the Perry case, I am criticizing the jury verdict, yes, but my bigger point is the holistic picture. Are you comfortable negating self-defense based on the testimony of the very people attacking the guy's car. "He killed someone"--yep. A guy carrying an AK and being part of a mob attacking his car.

As for EP, you're absolutely right that the remedy is hard for lots of reasons, obvious and not. But the remedies are hard in the racial bias situation as well. That's what has me struggling a bit, but I think it very very clear that DOJ cannot base prosecution decisions on whether the Dem party's political prospects will be harmed or not, nor do I think that the criminal's ideology should really come into play--you can't give Antifa a pass but hammer some grandma who walked around the Capitol. Read Andy McCarthy's piece--it's compelling. And he's no Trump lover either.

Posted by: federalist | Apr 12, 2023 2:05:09 PM

https://sentencing.typepad.com/sentencing_law_and_policy/2007/12/why-is-huckabee.html

You sure didn't criticize Huckabee for his impugning of the "all-white" jury here . . . . and you sure didn't say he was "disrespecting" the jury. Ha ha ha ha. Gotcha.

Posted by: federalist | Apr 12, 2023 2:10:12 PM

I am not "vehement" about anything, federalist, but I find it comical that you are so eager to dismiss all the arguments against Perry without appreciating the possibility that jurors who heard all the evidence might reasonably take a different view (especially since he did not testify and you fave Justice Scalia liked to note "significance of silence"). Generally speaking, I am "comfortable" in our SD laws and our jury system being used to sort out claims of self defense, especially since the prosecution will have to prove BRD to a unanimous jury that the killing was unjustified. Juries surely get it wrong sometimes, but I assume they got it right until I see clear evidence that they got it wrong.

As for who provides testimony, the vast majority of drug dealing convictions are based on testimony from other drug dealer being given a sweet deal, and I still generally trust juries to sort out those realities, too. In Perry, I have not seen all the evidence (have you? has Gov Abbott?), but I generally trust juries unless/until I have a good reason not to based on seeing evidence that they got it wrong (or evidence of corruption or ineffective lawyering, etc).

Race is obviously very different from politics in all constitutional EP settings, federalist. Are you saying a local police force could not refuse to hire people who used to be in Antifa? Your concern about "bad politics" impacting prosecutorial decisions, which is reasonable in concept, runs into at least five big problems you have not yet engaged: (1) what is "bad politics" in this context (eg, is prosecuting (or not prosecuting) white-collar guys or tax cheats or weed businesses or suspect cops "bad politics"), (2) the "criminal's ideology" (including any politics) can often account for why some crimes seems especially serious or dangerous (or perhaps not worth prosecuting), (3) how can we effecitvely assess when the "absence" of govenrment action is for a good or bad reason, (4) won't everyone be eager to assert in every case that prosecutors has a bad reason to fail to act elsewhere, and (5) why should we ever let unrelated individuals litigate these matters in unrelated cases just because they can throw shade on the prosecutors for a lack of past action?

Posted by: Doug B | Apr 12, 2023 2:45:17 PM

Are you losing the ability to read, federalist? Why would I "criticize Huckabee for his impugning of the 'all-white' jury here," when Huckabee makes no mention of an "all-white" jury nor shows any disrespect to anyone? The post you link is focused on how "Huckabee's approach to clemency was heavily influenced by his religious beliefs," and one who pardons or grants clemency based on notions of redemption is not, simply through a grant of clemency years after a conviction, showing disrespect to a jury that may have convicted.

I do see in the article quited, federalist, that a former Huckabeee aide makes a curious reference to an "all-white jury" in a context that is itself leaves unclear whether and why Gov Huckabee may have granted a pardon or a commutation to a particular life sentence. I did not comment on that reference, I suspect, because it was entirely unclear what this aide was referencing, and the point of my post was to highlight the virtues of clemency as a way to show redemption.

It is telling you lack the time to explain your crazy EP claims, but have time to dive 15 years into te archives to fail to find a "gotcha." Really quite sad, but I suppose not that surprising. And if you are trying to get me to lose respect for your intellect with commments like these, federalist, you are doing a pretty good job.

Posted by: Doug B | Apr 12, 2023 3:01:27 PM

Ha ha:

(1) You accuse me of disrespecting the jury, but you were silent about actual disrespect of a jury. Gotcha there.

(2) With respect to drugs, understand re: cooperating witnesses, but, and here's the but, last I checked, there is a rule that a conviction cannot be based solely on accomplice testimony. Government has to have more. With respect to the negation of self-defense, really all we have in the Perry case is the witnesses saying that the dude wasn't pointing a gun. The other stuff (prior statements etc.) doesn't speak to that--that's a problem since all agree that if the dude had been pointing the AK, then Perry walks. And once again, this guy was on a public street minding his own business until set upon by a mob.

(3) The hiring decision is governed by different rules--government employees cannot undercut the mission so to speak with their associations. As for race versus all other classifications, political association is as protected as race. As for ideology of criminal, I wasn't entirely clear--if someone's ideology is a motivator, i.e., we're going to treat a Klansman differently, but the J6 people are being f'd in comparison to other violent actors. And there is always going to be a nod to the fact that no one is perfect--but it is beyond clear that the DOJ is being used for base partisan motives, and that's a no-no. And it cannot be that our constitution has nothing to say about that.

Posted by: federalist | Apr 12, 2023 3:21:40 PM

federalist:

(1) you remain a legend in your own mind for finding a 15-year-old stray reference by an aide discussing vaguely a case that I do not comment upon because it no part of the story of the post at all. This is so weak, I am worries you are getting a bit unhinged in your silly and strange effort that deny that you do not have respect for the jury verdict in the Perry case when you keep saying it was wrong.

(2) You are again making stuff up as you grasp at straws, since we are not talking about accomplice testimony. Also, the Perry trial had lots of evidence presented over two weeks, I believe. Yet again, unless I was on the jury hearing all the evidence, I cannot have a fully informed judgment. But certainly others are entitled to jump to conclusions as they see fit.

(3) Do your homework and think a bit more, federalist, since long ago I cited to you a congressional hearing about the BUSH DOJ based in claim that DOJ was then "being used for base partisan motives." That is an accusation easy to make for every administration, turning it into EP doctrine for courts to enforce is the challenge and you still fail to explain how regular complaints about prosecutorial partisanship should lead to a constitutional remedy IN COMPLETELY UNRELATED CASES.

This seems to be going nowhere, so I am inclined to stop because I am not going to shake you of your partisan passions and the distortions they produce in your silly contentions.

Posted by: Doug B | Apr 12, 2023 3:48:26 PM

Ha ha. You accuse me of disrespecting the jury's verdict in the Perry case, and when I ask you where you were when people were yapping about all-white juries and you say that it would be disrespectful, then I point out your silence on one, and you dismiss that--ha ha. Now you try to move to the word "respect" rather than disrespect (the two are not necessarily antonyms). Your use of the word respect now is akin to pickup b-ball games and the rule of "respect the call." Neat rhetorical trick.

You were the one who brought up accomplice testimony, not I. I am pointing out that, realistically, Perry's case turns on whether the dude pointed a gun at Perry or not. And realistically that boils down to whether you believe members of a f'in mob that was attacking him. If you're good with someone being subject to prison based on that thin reed, well, more power to you.

As for EP, you brought it up. Yeah, the McCabe non-prosecution stinks to heaven. And yes, accusations are easy to make, but the evidence of the vileness of the DOJ is piling up.



Posted by: federalist | Apr 12, 2023 4:01:18 PM

When "people are yapping" about "all-white juries" reaching the wrong verdict, I will say they are disrepecting the work of juries. That is not what some stray reference in a quoteed article was about, and so you "got got" with your silly "gotcha," federalist. Here you are saying, repeatedly, that the Perry jury got the verdict wrong. That, as I see it, is disrepecting the work of the jury, especially since you have not reviewed all the evidence. How would you describe your disaffinity for the verdict reached by the Perry verdict? If you think there is a more fitting description than disrepect, I am all ears.

I brought up accomplice testimony to highlight that our legal system convicts many people on the basis of testimony much more compromised than the two weeks of testimony (40 wintesses) in the Perry case. And, again, that's what juries are for, to sort through claims of bias and uncertainty and self-interest as they judge the credibility of witnesses. You may have a bias against certain witnesses, but the role of the jury is to try to evaluate testimony without bias.

As for EP, this goes back to one of your partisan rants against Hunter where you said drug defendants have an EP claim as a result. But I will stop teasing you about its failing to have any substance, since you keep failing to provide any. I was just hoping, for the sake of all defense attorneys, you might find a way to concoct something that would not get laughed out of court.

Posted by: Doug B | Apr 12, 2023 4:13:15 PM

Disagreement with/questioning the verdict. I am not being disrespectful of it.

"I brought up accomplice testimony to highlight that our legal system convicts many people on the basis of testimony much more compromised than the the two weeks of testimony in the Perry case. And, again, that's what juries are for, to sort through claims of bias and uncertainty and self-interest as they judge the credibility of witnesses. You may have a bias against these witnesses, but the role of the jury is to try to evaluate testimony without bias."

Doug, the witnesses were part of a mob attacking the dude's car. Where are the charges there, btw? And pointing out the fact that they were part of the mob is pointing out the facts. Same guys that attacked you are the same guys undercutting your SD claim . . . . yeah, fair. And with accomplice testimony, as you know it is not sufficient by itself to convict.

The EP argument is easy. The remedy is hard. Don't worry. I'll have something--just thinking. You really ought to look at the lenience shown to DOJ employees from Senator Grassley's report--disgusting.

Posted by: federalist | Apr 12, 2023 4:35:00 PM

Should I say, federalist, you are respectful of the jury's work, but disagree with the verdict? Would you call the verdict sound, even though you think the jurors should have weighed the testimony of 40 witnesses differently? You seem to be doing more than questioning the verdict, but if you say you respect the juror's work, I will readily credit your statement.

And I have long agreed that DOJ has long played all sorts of favorites, and so too do all state and local justice departments. Prosecutors have so much unchecked and unregulated discretion, it is almost impossible for them not to play favorites to some extent (and certainly impossible for them not to be accused of playing favorites).

Posted by: Doug B | Apr 12, 2023 4:50:38 PM

You've abandoned the field on Rittenhouse/Zimmerman by the way. Those prosecutions were awful, and yes, I think the judges there merit serious criticism.

Yeah, prosecutors have discretion, but remember too the EPC looks at classifications. The DOJ cannot have unwritten rules that treat DOJ employees for non-job offenses better than the average person, and when the examples pile up, as they did with Grassley's investigation, then a defendant could say that the DOJ is classifying people as DOJ vs non-DOJ and with respect to crime X, Y and Z, there is no rational basis for the differential treatment.

I question the jury's work--I generally don't cast aspersions on jurors, other than those who open their mouths like the twit that yapped about McVay's accomplice. And the tot mom jury, those people suck. Other than that, I don't really worry about jurors.

Posted by: federalist | Apr 12, 2023 5:05:49 PM

While I have your attention--did you ever see this?

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/13/us/politics/florida-prison-cancer-release.html

Posted by: federalist | Apr 12, 2023 5:42:30 PM

I know you know how to search the blog, federalist, since you were referencing a 2007 post today. A quick search turns up this post about BOP failings discussed in the NYT article you cite: https://sentencing.typepad.com/sentencing_law_and_policy/2022/10/lots-of-coverage-of-ugly-case-bop-mistreatment-after-scathing-court-opinion.html

And I've not "abandoned" anything on Rittenhouse/Zimmerman, it's just there you seem to agree with the jury outcomes and the Perry case is "live." If you want to keep talking about these other cases, what do you make of the fact that the chief prosecutor in Zimmerman, Angela Corey, was getting heat for how she prosecuted Marissa Alexander in a case with a reasonable SD claim: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/may/17/stand-your-ground-marissa-alexander. Do you think Corey should have moved for Alexander's release from the get-go? Do you think Corey (and the judge in the case) may have reasonably worried about the need to keep pursuing the charges against Zimmerman to avoid being accused of violating the EP claise by discriminating against women? Do you think the judges in the Alexander case also merit criticism?

Posted by: Doug B | Apr 12, 2023 8:39:14 PM

There was no PC in the Zimmerman case--and you, after all these posts, won't identify it.

Posted by: federalist | Apr 13, 2023 7:26:20 AM

You are such a tiresome ninny, federalist, as you keep asserting that your one-sided view of the facts are the only possible view. If Zimmerman killed in anger rather than fear or if he was the initial aggressor then his SD claim would fail. You may not want to consider either of these possibilies in the PC analysis, but they are part of the law and the factual narrative prosecutors asserted when they brought charges (and Zimmerman's 911 call alone could put these facts in reasonable dispute). The judge at initial appearance concluded he found probable cause, and a different judge rejected motions to dismiss.

So we have numerous legal actors involved in the case representing and concluding the facts provided PC for the charges, and federalist asserting otherwise. And federalist is some internet partisan who believes prisoners have a right to attack guards in self-defense if they think they are being wrongfully incarcerated.

Posted by: Doug B | Apr 13, 2023 8:39:43 AM

Under your skin. Professor, you're just wrong "if Zimmerman killed in anger"---anyone would be angry getting their head bashed into the pavement.

And no, the 911 call does not even remotely supply PC in the Zimmerman case--once again, the only evidence is this: Zimmerman broke off following Martin. So even if you think that following someone from a decent distance is "provoking them" such that you lose the right to use deadly force even when confronted with someone bashing your head into the pavement, a stretch, the only evidence is that Zimmerman had ceased following Martin and was headed back to his car. Martin then attacked him, overpowered him and then got shot. That's it. In other words, Zimmerman was no different from a hypothetical citizen walking down street with concealed firearm. And no one thinks that in that scenario there is PC to charge the hypothetical citizen.

There is no reasonable question that Martin put Zimmerman in reasonable of death or serious bodily injury, and there is no reasonable basis to conclude that at the time of the shooting, Zimmerman had not lost the "privilege" of self-defense. You can bleat on about "subjective fear"--but that's where burden of proof kicks in.

As for Rittenhouse, an armed man tried to retreat, the attack was pressed, and those animal prosecutors wanted to put him in a cage forever. No PC there, and yes, there ought to be professional consequences.

Posted by: federalist | Apr 13, 2023 12:52:26 PM

Marissa Alexander--yeah I recall that one, but vaguely.

Posted by: federalist | Apr 13, 2023 12:56:41 PM

And as for my "attack guards in self-defense"--please identify how a person who has served his sentence has lost the privilege of self-defense. Please identify how that prisoner has lost his first amendment rights?

Hint: the answer is some weird species of necessity. But that's not an easy answer--last I checked, rights aren't so easily waved away--that's why they are called rights.

Posted by: federalist | Apr 13, 2023 1:05:16 PM

You are not under my skin, federalist, but your foolish eagerness to keep presenting your biased view of the facts and the law in old cases is tiresome. Your biased view of the facts and the law are not the only view, and multiple Florida legal actors found PC based on the facts and the law. So, again, we have numerous legal actors involved in the case representing and concluding the facts provided PC for the charges, and federalist asserting otherwise. And federalist, of course, is notable for his history of biased partisan perspectives and suspect legal suppositions.

Posted by: Doug B | Apr 13, 2023 2:38:59 PM

Florida legal actors found PC--ah, the appeal to authority. Heck, reasonable suspicion (lower than PC) has to be articulable, and "they said so" just doesn't get it done.

And let's assume you're right for a second--do prosecutors get to force someone like the hypothetical citizen I described go through a trial for his life? Seems really problematic? And there's video of Rittenhouse--should a retreating armed man who is pursued have to roll the dice on LWOP? Sounds pretty tyrannical.

Posted by: federalist | Apr 13, 2023 3:56:24 PM

Not an appeal to authority, but statement of reality. Again, your biased view of the facts and the law are not the only view. And, jury trials are not a "roll of the dice," they are how the American criminal justice system resolves factual disputes over guilt. When it is 100% clear that person A killed person B, and viable allegations are made by the prosecutor that the killing was based in anger rather than fear, we have jury questions.

You tip your hand here, federalist, showing you are really advocating to change the law/policy of SD because you want the law to provide that a trial should not happen unless/until a prosecution can show beyond doubt that the killer was in the wrong. (Of course, if that was the law, then a jury should never get a SD instruction.) But that's not the law for whether the case goes to trial when SD is presented because we look to juries to resolve of disputed facts of SD such as whether the defendant killed in anger or fear.

Face it, federalist, your argument is fundamentally based on what you want the law and the facts to be, not what they are. But legal actors must apply the law as it is, not the law as federalist wishes it to be.

Posted by: Doug B | Apr 13, 2023 4:41:42 PM

Doug --

"Face it, federalist, your argument is fundamentally based on what you want the law and the facts to be, not what they are. But legal actors must apply the law as it is, not the law as federalist wishes it to be."

Advocates of jury nullification beg to differ. Also "progressive" prosecutors in states that authorize the death penalty who vow never to seek it no matter what the facts are.

Posted by: Bill Otis | Apr 13, 2023 5:06:15 PM

Doug, you are missing one crucial piece--the burden of proof. If there is no evidence from which a reasonable fact-finder can negate SD, then the case should not go to a jury (or if there is a lack of probable cause). The "let a jury sort it out" because we cannot know the true state of mind of the shooter may be how things are done, but it isn't lawful.

"The State must prove by evidence which satisfies you beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant did not act lawfully in self-defense." That's from Wisconsin Jury Instruction 805. Where is the evidence that Rittenhouse did not act in self-defense and from which a jury could conclude BRD that he did not. Rittenhouse retreated. Attacker continued to come at him.



Posted by: federalist | Apr 13, 2023 5:20:16 PM

Not sure I understand, Bill. Advocates of jury nullification seem to want the jury to be told they can acquit even in the fact of clear evidence of guilt. They are saying that juries should be adjudicators of facts and law, largely in service to democratic values. I do not think that is what federalist is talking about, as he want to keep these disputed SD cases from juries.

"Progressive" prosecutors want to exercise their lawful discretion to not bring/dismiss certain charges, and I do not think you disagree that prosecutors have lawful broad discretion to decide not to bring charges. I do not think either federalist or I doubt that Angela Corey or other prosecutors could decide, in their discretion, to never bring charges if there is a viable SD claim (eg, the prosecutor in the Menendez case could have lawfully accepted the brothers' SD claims if she wanted to and the case would have lawfully ended without the charges going to the jury).

But at issue here is whether, when facts about a killer's motives are factually disputable in an SD context, is it unlawful for prosecutors to bring charges in order to have the jury factually resolve these SD issues. I think such charges are lawful in light of viable disputed facts over the legitimacy of the SD claim, but I am not sure what that has to do with jury nullification or "progressive" prosecutors.

Posted by: Doug B | Apr 13, 2023 5:20:47 PM

federalist: do you realize you are quoting a JURY instruction, not a charing instruction? That is proof these matters typically get to a jury to resolve disputed facts. One of the disputed facts in the Rittenhouse case was whether the defendant provoked the attack (I think based on pointing his gun --- there is a famous DC Circuit case, Peterson, in which display of a pistol was deemed sufficient provocation to undercut claim of self defense).

Posted by: Doug B | Apr 13, 2023 5:26:43 PM

Doug --

What you said was, "legal actors must apply the law as it is, not the law as [a particular individual] wishes it to be."

Jury nullification advocates believe the opposite. They believe that legal actors (the jurors) need not apply the law as it is (for example, laws criminalizing drug possession) and should render a verdict as they wish the law to be (drugs are not criminalized and therefore the defendant should be let go notwithstanding proof of guilt BRD).

As to "progressive" prosecutors: It's fine for a prosecutor to decide, in good faith, in an individual case, that that particular case ought not to be brought because of lack of resources or other, more pressing cases. That is long-accepted prosecutorial discretion. It is not fine -- and instead is rank usurpation of the legislature's function -- for the prosecutor to decide, based on his ideology or political beliefs, that ALL CASES of a particular type ought NEVER to be prosecuted, despite existing state law, because he thinks the legislature was ill-advised ever to pass that law. That judgment belongs solely to the legislative branch.

Example: Prosecutor Jones is a segregationist. The state has anti-discrimination laws that provide equal access to places of public accommodation. Prosecutor Jones doesn't like those laws and for that reason will not act against a lunch counter owner who refuses to serve blacks. It's silly to say that is "prosecutorial discretion." It's simply one prosecutor deciding that the legislature got the law wrong. But that is not a prosecutor's decision to make.

Posted by: Bill Otis | Apr 13, 2023 6:25:42 PM

Bill: federalist and I were of late talking about the "legal actors" of the prosecutors and judges involved in presenting cases with factual disputes to juries.

But if your focus is on jurors, you have jury nullification a bit wrong. The jury nullification crowd does not think jurors can always "render a verdict as they wish the law to be," because they do not advocate for juries to be allowed to convict when facts/law do not support conviction. Rather, drawing on democratic theory, the checking of state power and historic practices, they believe jurors should be allowed to acquit even when the facts do support conviction. And, I surmise, many jury nullification fans think "the law" fully supports jurors having this power given that jury acquittals are not appealable and directed verdics of guilt are not permissible. In that sense, "the law" upholds the notion that jurors have a unique power to refuse to convict even when facts would plainly support a conviction.

As for prosecutors, if a prosecutor in good faith considers a crime unconstitutional (such as sodomy and adultry laws still in place in many states) or if he decides in good faith that prosecuting a certain crime decreased public safety or produced constitutionally problematic disparities (such as some drug possesison crimes or as some research suggests: https://www.apainc.org/choosing-not-to-prosecute-low-level-crimes-may-reduce-future-crime-research-finds/), then I think a prosecutor may sometimes soundly decide not to enforce a certain offense. But in the vast majority of cases, Bill, I agree that prosecutors ought to be making charging decisions on a case-by-case basis, not en masse. (Of course, federalist and I have been discussing a few particular charging decisions --- which leads him to call certain prosecutors "scum" (and Tarls to agree) --- not any decliniation policies. I hope you keep in mind that it is not just defense attorneys who like to call prosecutors names when they dislike their use of state power.)

Posted by: Doug B | Apr 13, 2023 9:49:29 PM

Doug --

I have to be brief because I'm off for a Rhine River cruise tomorrow. Eight hours across the ocean I'll be gone for two weeks.

"The jury nullification crowd does not think jurors can always "render a verdict as they wish the law to be," because they do not advocate for juries to be allowed to convict when facts/law do not support conviction."

They might not, but their thinking obligates them to. Again, their basic thinking is that they can ignore law to "do the right thing." They could easily think that "doing the right thing" means convicting the longtime, menacing, thuggish, violent town bully even though the evidence in this particular case comes up just a bit short. They could believe that demanding proof BRD -- the law's requirement -- is too exacting in these particular circumstances, and that "true justice" demands a conviction. One you arrogate law to your own tastes, this is inescapably where you're headed.

"Many jury nullification fans think "the law" fully supports jurors having this power given that jury acquittals are not appealable and directed verdics of guilt are not permissible. In that sense, "the law" upholds the notion that jurors have a unique power to refuse to convict even when facts would plainly support a conviction."

You very nicely describe the difference between law, an invaluable combination of discipline and restraint civilization took centuries to develop, and mere power, which is doing what you want because (1) you want it and (2) you can get away with it. I prefer what civilization has given us. I strongly suspect you do, too.

"As for prosecutors, if a prosecutor in good faith considers a crime unconstitutional (such as sodomy and adultry laws still in place in many states) or if he decides in good faith that prosecuting a certain crime decreased public safety or produced constitutionally problematic disparities (such as some drug possesison crimes or as some research suggests: https://www.apainc.org/choosing-not-to-prosecute-low-level-crimes-may-reduce-future-crime-research-finds/), then I think a prosecutor may sometimes soundly decide not to enforce a certain offense."

I disagree. Those questions are for the legislature to address and resolve in deciding what the law is (or in not) to be. Once that decision gets made, it's the prosecutor's job to, as is written down somewhere, "take care that the Laws be faithfully executed." Anything else is pure usurpation. If separation of powers means anything, it means that the prosecutor does not get to be a super-legislature with the power effectively to repeal what the real legislature has done simply because he thinks it's wrong.

Posted by: Bill Otis | Apr 13, 2023 10:55:37 PM

Have a great cruise, Bill. Some too quick replies:

1. I suspect you think prosecutorial discretion soundly allows a prosecutor to sometimes not charge a case he knows to be clearly a crime, but that you do not think a prosecutor may soundly charge a case he knows clearly NOT to be a crime. I think the jury nullification crew views to power of the jury to likewise run only in one (state-power-limiting) direction, functioning just as the "declination/nullification" power of prosecutors.

2. I suspect you would describe prosecutorial discretion to decline as a power, not as a right, and yet I do not think you want prosecutional discretion eliminated or even seriously regulated by courts or other "law." As is often the case, Bill, you seem eager to safeguard the powers of a prosecutor while failing to see the potential wisdom of other actors in the system having comparable power.

3. You were a prosecutor and I have not been, but I can imagine settings in which "faithful" execution of laws would not mean always seriously considering executing in every case. But I ultimately share your sense that if a prosecutor views a law as always problematic or wrong, he should be advocating to the legislature to reform/repeal that law.

Posted by: Doug B | Apr 13, 2023 11:33:39 PM

Professor, you are a patient man.

Posted by: Fat Bastard | Apr 16, 2023 11:01:06 PM

And, I am with you, Professor. Nullification is a one way street: it permits a jury to acquit despite evidence proving the crime beyond a reasonable doubt.

If the jury convicts on legally or factually insufficient evidence or an improper jury instruction, that's not nullification, that should be correctable on appeal, even by deferential standards of review of jury verdicts. That it may stem from the same rationale as nullification, viz. a belief that the jury knows better than what the law, facts and jury instructions dictate, is irrelevant.

This was a factually close case any way you slice it. There appears to be ample evidence that Perry deliberately drove into the crowd after running a red light, and also evidence from which a jury could conclude that he premeditated and provoked the confrontation. The victim also suffered from Rittenhouse syndrome.

And I don't actually disagree much, if at all, with the Rittenhouse acquittal. Unless a legislature speaks to the contrary, open carry of a firearm in the vicinity of a protest or other "charged" event is only an item of evidence for a jury to consider on issues of provocation. Although I believe it prudentially to be a galactically stupid and improvident thing, it's just data for the jury's self-defense calculus: it should not dictate the failure or success of a self-defense justification.

Posted by: Fat Bastard | Apr 16, 2023 11:17:33 PM

"And I don't actually disagree much, if at all, with the Rittenhouse acquittal. Unless a legislature speaks to the contrary, open carry of a firearm in the vicinity of a protest or other "charged" event is only an item of evidence for a jury to consider on issues of provocation. Although I believe it prudentially to be a galactically stupid and improvident thing, it's just data for the jury's self-defense calculus: it should not dictate the failure or success of a self-defense justification."

Mere open carry per se is not provocation. Doug is full of it if he thinks Rittenhouse should have been charged because he legally carried a gun which could provoke others.

"There appears to be ample evidence that Perry deliberately drove into the crowd after running a red light, and also evidence from which a jury could conclude that he premeditated and provoked the confrontation."

Thats BS. He drove slowly to get through--like not any speed. He had a legal right to be on the street, and those thugs surrounded him. get that right.

Posted by: federalist | Apr 17, 2023 10:04:22 AM

I never said anything about what I think "should" happen in the Rittenhouse case, federalist, I have merely noted that multiple legal actors took a different view of the disputed facts and their application to the law than you do.

And on the Perry case, press accounts indicate that there was an array of disputed evidence presented to the jury about whether and how Perry drove into the crowd:

https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/murder-trial-expert-says-daniel-perry-slowed-down-as-he-made-turn-into-crowd-of-protesters/

https://www.austinchronicle.com/daily/news/2023-04-06/closing-arguments-made-in-the-killing-of-austin-black-lives-matter-protester/

Your tendency in these matters, federalist, is to assert or argue that disputed facts can only properly be resolved one way. But our system generally leaves it to the jury to resolve these kinds of factual disputes.

Posted by: Doug B | Apr 17, 2023 12:34:52 PM

Doug--it does not always leave it to the jury. There's a video in the Rittenhouse case--there is no way that there is any evidence whatsoever (notwithstanding your bleating about the possibility of provocation, which, if you knew about the evidence presented at trial (that the first so-called victim had previously threatened to kill Rittenhouse) that would support a guilty finding BRD. And without that evidence, nothing goes to a jury (or it shouldn't). That's the law. Or do you think that all SD cases can go to jury? Like, for example, the bodega guy?

Posted by: federalist | Apr 17, 2023 1:00:04 PM

This person was put in a cage and had his freedom curtailed for exercising his right to SD:

https://nypost.com/2022/07/19/alvin-bragg-to-drop-charges-against-bodega-worker-jose-alba/

But you would be cool with taking him to trial.

Posted by: federalist | Apr 17, 2023 1:40:42 PM

federalist: here is a snippet from a press account of the closings in Rittenhouse: "the prosecutor, showed jurors a drone video on Monday that he said showed evidence that Mr. Rittenhouse had provoked the confrontation by pointing his gun at a bystander and prompting Mr. Rosenbaum to give chase. 'When the defendant provokes the incident, he loses the right to self-defense,' he said. 'You cannot claim self-defense against a danger you create'. I have not seen that drove video, but it sounds like "evidence"; prosecutors presented additional "evidence" at trial, and I believe there were denials of motions to dismiss by judges both before and after the jury presention.

Again, federalist, I have no interest in litigating the facts (which I have not reviewed in any detail). I am just pointing out, yet again, that you keep embracing and asserting a one-sided view of contested evidence and then claim there is no other way to look at contested evidence. I am not weighing in on the evidence, but I am noting that prosecutors and judges obviously took a different view of the contested evidence when they exercised discretion and/or reached rulings contrary to your view.

As for SD cases generally, various laws set forth various legal limits on self defense, and those limits provide prosecutors a number of ways that they can seek to undercut claims of reasonable use of deadly force, though they have discretion not to. (In one (in)famous Ohio case involving domestic abuse (Ohio v. Thomas), a prosecutor brought AGGAVATED MURDER charges when the defendant shot and killed her threatening boyfriend based on contested evidence that she shot him too many times. I believe there were four shots, as in the Rittenhouse case.)

If you take a job as a prosecutor or a judge, federalist, you can give legal effect to how you weigh disputed factual evidence. But your assertion of a one-sided view of contested evidence does not make that the only permissible way to resolve factual disputes. That said, I sincerely hope prosecutors generally do not waste time and money bringing charges when their investigation leads them to the conclusion that self defense was reasonably exercised (as in the bodega case).

Posted by: Doug B | Apr 17, 2023 1:59:56 PM

I've seen it--doesn't show squat, and it certainly wasn't legal provocation for that child molester Rosenbaum. Why didn't they prosecute him for pointing a weapon at someone. Plus, once the provocation is over, then self-defense rights re-engage, and even those who provoke, if they retreat, they get their SD rights back. See Zimmerman.

And you would have been cool with taking Mr. Alba to trial.

Here's a hypo--open carry guy walks thru neighborhood that is predominantly African-American--he's wearing a Klan get-up---does he lose his right to SD?

Posted by: federalist | Apr 18, 2023 10:52:16 AM

Yet again, federalist, that you have your one-sided view of the facts does not mean there is not another side. Every dispositive legal actor in these cases exercised discretion and/or reached rulings contrary to your one-sided view. 'nuff said.

As for your Klan hypo, when there are reasonable disputes of relevant facts, prosecutors are legally justified (but not required) to have those facts resolved by the jury. This is basic stuff that does not lend itself to simplistic hypos because SD limits related to provocation and reasonable/actual belief in the need for deadly force and the duty to retreat all often present reasonable disputes of relevant facts. In Ohio, caselaw provides that one element of self-defense is that "the defendant was not at fault in creating the violent situation." Exactly how your Klan guy acts with his gun when walking through the neighborhood before killing someone --- and especially if there was a factual dispute over, say, whether he was pointing his gun at someone --- likely would present a jury question as to whether "the defendant was not at fault in creating the violent situation."

SD cases often involve factual disputes, including witnesses who give divergent accounts of what transpired. If the matter does not involve factual disputes, as seemed to be the case with Mr. Alba, then there is no need for and ought not be a jury trial. If the natter does, prosecutors are legally justified (but not required) to have disputed facts resolved by a jury.

Posted by: Doug B | Apr 18, 2023 2:43:45 PM

You're right, Professor. The most frequent criticism of Rittenhouse is that he took a gun to a fight and that should, alone, have constituted provocation. I don't buy that. The rest of it, the jury put in the factual hopper and made its determination, as juries do, and I can live with that.

Similarly, whether Perry drove into the crowd at speed was testified to by multiple eyewitnesses and supported by videos. The defense had an expert recreate the scene and testify to the contrary. Grist for the factfinder mill, not BS as federalist declared. Regardless, a legitimate interpretation of someone who deliberately drives into a crowd of people at night instead of going around, is that driver is looking for trouble. It might technically be his right to drive through people, but it's not exactly smart, unless you have ulterior motives.

This trial was of interest, because UT is my alma mater and it was evidentiarily a pretty close case. So close that I can't fault a DA for not taking it before a grand jury and declaring it self-defense. The defense attorney is actually a friend.

Posted by: Fat Bastard | Apr 19, 2023 12:47:07 AM

"The most frequent criticism of Rittenhouse is that he took a gun to a fight and that should, alone, have constituted provocation." This is nonsense. He had a legal right to carry that rifle, and that, in and of itself, cannot constitute provocation. Doesn't matter anyway, since he was retreating.

Perry was doing what anyone else can do when confronted with a crowd---you try to inch your way through. Get that right.

Doug, you're changing the hypo. Ok, I'll change it--does someone lose right to self-defense thru provocation if he/she is wearing a Trump t-shirt in DC?

More to the point--self-defense is a right ("detached reflection cannot be required in the presence of an uplifted knife)---is it subject to post hoc invented disputes so as to subject an actor like Kyle Rittenhouse to LWOP if a jury doesn't like him? Mr. Alba is no different from Rittenhouse. Mr. Alba was treated horribly, and in my view, the prosecutor who charged him should be disbarred, and the police, who reviewed the tape and still arrested him should see long prison terms.

Posted by: federalist | Apr 19, 2023 9:39:06 AM

federalist: you assert "Perry was doing what anyone else can do when confronted with a crowd," but there was considerable trial testimony to the contrary. As is your MO, you just ignore all the contrary facts --- like a petulant child, you keep putting your fingers in your ears to refuse to countenance any facts other than the ones you have built in your mind as you jumped to your conclusions.

And, yet again, you besmirch our jury system by suggesting trials are about whether a jury "doesn't like" someone. Juries are tasked with resolving disputed issues of fact in our CJ system. They will sometimes get that wrong, but the Framers put the jury trial right in our Constitution twice because they expected juries were best positioned to protect other rights. That you have such little respect for juries and their role keeps coming through.

Posted by: Doug B | Apr 19, 2023 10:11:36 AM

I was a little careless with my words--Perry had a right to be where he was--a public street. The guy he shot--part of a mob taking over the streets--was carrying an AK-47, and said mob was attacking Perry's car. And because said mob said that the AK wasn't pointed at the car, Perry gets to be convicted. No juror or the prosecutors really know what happened regarding whether the AK was pointed at Perry--and by the way, even if he wanted to shoot someone, he still has SD right--since (assuming he's telling the truth) the AK was pointed at him. It's one thing to deem oneself satisfied BRD; quite another to say objectively, that all reasonable doubts have been resolved.

This was Austin. The jury may not have liked him. And your standard, if Jose Alba had been taken to trial and convicted, you'd be ok with that. And you seem to believe that peacefully exercising one's free speech right is legal provocation stripping said person of his SD rights. And you get it backwards on the jury trial right--the prosecutors have duties too, one of which is not to bring charges where they believe that there is reasonable doubt (whether or not they think they have the right guy). Juries are a failsafe.

And now you say I besmirch the jury--but when Huckabee's twit spokesman all but accused jurors of perpetrating an injustice based on race, you were silent.

Posted by: federalist | Apr 19, 2023 11:54:13 AM

federalist, when "Huckabee's twit spokesman" decides to comment on this blog with careless criticisms of juries, I will fault him for besmirching juries. Your bringing that up again is so laughable --- and it shows how hard you are trying to distract from (and not own) what you keep saying, namely that you do not respect our jury system to properly sort through factual disputes in some (all?) cases involving claims of self defense.

Meanwhile, I have never said or suggested "peacefully exercising one's free speech right is legal provocation stripping said person of his SD rights," and this is yet another example of your partisan passions clouding your ability to discuss carefully and clearly the issues raised in these cases. All I have said is that prosecutors and judges have identified facts in dispute in these SD cases, which is not surprising because our laws put limits on the use of deadly force in self defense that can readily be the basis for factual disputes. When there are these factual disputes, our system trusts juries to sort out completing claims.

You dislike how the US system of criminal justice functions in these SD cases, federalist. Fine, but it serves as yet another example of similarities bewteen your beliefs and the BLM crowd. You seem to worry that juries (and prosecutors) may "not have liked" the defendants that you like and so will not soundly resolve factual disputes to reach a just result --- which seems quite similar to some complaints of the BLM crowd contending that police and prosecutors and juries are not going to like the people the BLM crowd likes and so do not act justly. You folks have very similar feelings of disaffinity for the structures of our criminal justice systems in some cases.

Posted by: Doug B | Apr 19, 2023 12:21:33 PM

And federalist, if you think prosecutors have a (legal? moral? constitutional?) duty not to bring charges unless they are convinced of guilt BRD, do you also think they have a duty not to seek sentence enhancements unless they are convinced of guilt BRD? Bill is away for a while, but I know he views prosecutorial duty much differently. And if the system means BRD to be the legal duty/standard for charging, why isn't that the standard for getting an indictment dismissed?

Posted by: Doug B | Apr 19, 2023 12:27:00 PM

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[Source]

A province in the Philippines held bloody crucifixions to uphold a local Good Friday tradition despite the objection of the Catholic church.

The religious tradition saw eight people nailed to wooden crosses wearing thorny crowns of twigs as they reenacted the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on Good Friday, according to The Associated Press.

Good Friday is a Christian holiday that commemorates the crucifixion and death of Christ before his resurrection on Easter Sunday.

The crucifixions, which were held in San Pedro Cutud, Pampanga, are the provinces first display of religious devotion after a three-year pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Prior to the crucifixions, devotees carried heavy crosses on their backs for more than half a mile to the top of a hill. Hundreds of others also walked barefoot and whipped their bare backs with sharp bamboo sticks.

Villagers dressed as Roman centurions later hammered 4-inch stainless steel nails through the eight mens palms and feet. They were then left on the cross under the sun for about 10 minutes.

One of the men was 62-year-old sign painter Ruben Enaje, who has now reportedly participated in the crucifixions a total of 34 times.

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To be honest, I always feel nervous because I could end up dead on the cross, Enaje told The Associated Press before his crucifixion. When Im laid down on the cross, my body begins to feel cold. When my hands are tied, I just close my eyes and tell myself, I can do this. I can do this.

While on the cross, Enaje said he prayed to God for the end of the COVID-19 virus and Russias invasion of Ukraine.

The 62-year-old reportedly chose to devote his life to Christ after surviving what he described as a miracle. Enaje said he survived uninjured after falling from a three-story building in 1985. He then extended the ritual after his loved ones recovered from serious illnesses.

Story continues

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Enaje became a village celebrity known as the Christ in the Lenten reenactment of the Way of the Cross.

Wilfredo Salvador, a 66-year-old former fisherman who played the role of Jesus Christ, said he began participating in the crucifixion 15 years ago after suffering a mental breakdown.

[God] gives me physical strength unlike others who cannot bear it, said Salvador, according to Digital Journal. I do this by choice. I thank Him for giving me a second life.

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The bloody tradition draws thousands of devotees and tourists to the Philippines.

This year, organizers said more than 15,000 Filipino and foreign tourists gathered in Cutud and two other nearby villages.

Johnson Gareth, a British tour organizer, reportedly brought 15 tourists from eight countries to watch the crucifixions.

They like this because there is really nothing like this on earth. Its less gruesome than people think. They think its going to be very macabre or very disgusting but its not. Its done in a very respectful way, Gareth told The Associated Press, adding that the tourists were genuinely inspired.

For me, it is an exceptional experience and chance to see such a cultural thing, which is unique in the world, said Milan Dostal, a tourist from the Czech Republic. I respect it, Im very open-minded.

However, church leaders in the country have objected to the crucifixions in the past, noting that devotees can express their devotion by doing charity work instead.

Its very clear that the crucifixion of Christ is more than enough to save humanity from sin, said Father Jerome Secillano, executive secretary of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines public affairs committee. If you want your sins to be forgiven, go to confession.

The health department had also warned participants of getting infections from being whipped and nailed.

Catholic priest Robert Reyes, who is also a human rights activist in the country, said the bloody practice is a reflection of the churchs failure to educate Filipinos regarding Christian tenets, which then prompts many to explore alternative ways of seeking divine help.

The question is, where were we church people when they started doing this? Reyes asked. If we judge them, well just alienate them.

Reyes suggested that the clergy should immerse themselves in the communities and regularly engage in conversations with the villagers.
SIOUX CITY  Security National Bank recently honored 27 employees for excellence and service at its annual Service Awards Ceremony, held at the South Sioux City Marriott Riverfront.

Bank Operations Specialist Gail McWilliams and Akron Market President Connie Blake were honored for achieving 55 and 50 years of service, respectively.

The bank also recognized two employees  Michael Brauer and LeaAnn Young  as the 2023 recipients of the PRIDE Award, given annually to employees who take a Personal Responsibility in Delivering Excellence to customers and co-workers. Brauer is SNBs data analytics officer, and Young is a staff auditor.

In addition, two SNB employees were recognized for 40 years of service to the Bank: Ronald Jones, Vice President of Commercial Services; and Ellen Prescott, Senior Vice President and General Auditor.

Commercial Administrative Assistant Linda Courey and Customer Service Representative Leslie Riediger were honored for 25 years of service; and three employees received recognition for 20 years: Tom Limoges, Vice President of Investments; Joseph Stanek, Senior Credit Analyst; and Timothy Van Peursem, Consumer Investments Representative.

Four employees  Brad Brouillette, Joanie Dannar, Cari Gehling and John Koupal  received recognition for 15 years of service.

Additional honorees included: Krista Chavis, Krista Eberly, Brandon Etheridge, Christopher Jackson, Lori Johnson, Darren Tooley, and Carol Weber for 10 years of service; Dimitri Bostinelos, Michael Brauer, Jalyssa Frerichs, Alisha Rinker, Cecelia Ronnfeldt, Bill Swoboda and Emily Woster for five years at Security National Bank.
SIOUX CITY  The life of America's first president will be examined when historian and author Don Hickey presents "George Washington: The Indispensable Man" at 2 p.m. April 16 at the Betty Strong Encounter Center, 900 Larsen Park Road.

Hickey, a retired Wayne State College history professor, calls Washington "the indispensable man" due to the central role he played in securing America's independence from England, while launching a new nation that many Europeans thought would never survive.

Hickey's presentation is free and open to the public. A reception will follow the program.

For more information on upcoming programs, call 712-224-5242 or go to siouxcitylcic.com.
Meetings and events

Loess Hills Chapter 502 Order of the Eastern Star will hold its regular meeting at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 13. Chaplains will be honored. Refreshments to follow.

Ancestry and Family Search help is available from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Tuesdays and from 6 to 8:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, at the Church of Jesus Christ Latter-day Saints Family Search Center, 1201 W. Clifton, Sioux City. For more information, email ldstreesearch@gmail.com.

Lions Club meetings are first and third Mondays of each month, excluding holidays, at 12 p.m. at Active Generations located at 313 Cook St Sioux City. If interested in a strong service club helping sight and hearing impaired individuals we are the people to join with.

Dakota County Historical Society meets at 7:30 p.m. on third Thursday of the month, Dakota City Library. Contact Dennis Reinert at 712-253-1609 for more information.

Top O Morning Toastmasters Club, Mondays, noon to 1 p.m. Contact LeAnn Blankenburg, 712-870-1120, for meeting information.

The Siouxland Ostomy Support Group, find us on Facebook. For more information and meeting times contact Dick Lindblom at 712-251-2453.

Southside South Bottoms former residents, 6 p.m. potluck, second Wednesday of the month at Goodwill Industries cafeteria, 3100 Fourth St. Gert, 258-2227.

Siouxland Metal Detecting and Archeology Club, 6:30 p.m., first Tuesday of the month in the Gleeson Room at 4510 Buckwalter Drive. Visitors welcome. Ray Turner, 712-899-2114.

American Legion Post 64, 7 p.m. last Thursday of the month at 4021 Floyd Blvd. 712-258-3986.

Marine Corps League, 6 p.m. second Tuesday of the month at Elks Club on TriView Ave. All marines welcome. For more information, call Cathy Moreno, 712-899-8441.

Sioux City Chapter of National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), 7 p.m. fourth Tuesday of the month at Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church, 1421 Geneva St. 712-203-2052.

Sioux City Duplicate Bridge Club, 12:30 p.m. Mondays (open); at the Senior Center. Mary 605-670-9613.

Siouxland Fly-Fishing Club, 10 a.m. last Saturday of the month at the Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center on Hwy 12. All interested in fly fishing; beginners welcome. Monthly programs provided. For more information, call Bob Gillespie, 712-251-9463, or Diana, 402-987-3945.

Siouxland Coin Club, 7 p.m. first Tuesday of each month at First United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall, 1915 Nebraska St. Bob, 255-4829.

The Siouxland Pride Alliance, peer support group, 5:30 p.m. Fridays; Youth Pride group, 1:30 p.m. second Sunday of the month; potluck, 5:30 p.m. third Sunday of the month. First Unitarian Church, 2508 Jackson. Call 712-223-0931

Siouxland Samplers Quilt Guild, 7 p.m. second Monday of the month at the Redeemer Lutheran Church, 3204 S. Lakeport St, door #2. Visitors and new members welcome.

Siouxland Sewing Guild, 6:30-8 p.m. first Thursday of the month at South Sioux Public Library, 2121 Dakota Ave., South Sioux City. For anyone interested in sewing. Denise, 402-922-1822.

Sooland RC Modelers, 7 p.m. second Thursday of the month at Morningside Lutheran Church. Non-profit club that flies remote control aircraft. Anyone interested in RC is welcome.

Retired Educators, 10:30 a.m. third Tuesday of the month, at the Redeemer Lutheran Church, 3204 S. Lakeport St., door #6.

Mid-Step Services for Handicapped, meal at 5 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month, at the Redeemer Lutheran Church, 3204 S. Lakeport St., door #6.

Confirmation Instruction and Midweek Lessons, 5 p.m. on Wednesdays, at the Redeemer Lutheran Church, 3204 S. Lakeport St., door #6. Open to all kids 5 years old through 8th grade.

Primetime (Potluck), 12 p.m., second Thursday of each month, at Whitfield United Methodist Church, 1319 W 5th. For more information call 252-3261 Tuesday-Thursdays, 9 a.m.-12 p.m.

Abundant Life Fellowship, 809 S. Alice St., in Sioux City will distribute food boxes after their 11 a.m. Sunday services. For additional information contact Pastor Bob at 605-205-0718 or Donna at 605-205-0719.
The country exported $208 million worth of instant noodles, or "ramyeon" in Korean, in the January-March period, up from $181.93 million a year earlier, according to the Korea Agro-Fisheries and Food Trade Corp. Yonhap



Korea's exports of instant noodles jumped 14.3 percent on-year in the first three months of 2023 to reach the highest figure for any first quarter ever amid the growing popularity of the Korean culture, data showed Sunday.



The country exported $208 million worth of instant noodles, or "ramyeon" in Korean, in the January-March period, up from $181.93 million a year earlier, according to the Korea Agro-Fisheries and Food Trade Corp.



It is the first time that the first-quarter exports have surpassed the $200 million level.



Ramyeon exports have been on a constant rise in recent years in line with the popularity of Korean movies, dramas and music, as well as high demand for ready-to-eat food products over the COVID-19 pandemic, officials said.



Last year, the country's exports of noodles, including ramyeon, udon noodles and other instant noodle items, reached a record high of $862 million. Korea was the world's second-largest exporter of noodles last year following China, according to the data from the Korea Customs Service.



But the country's overall agricultural and food exports fell 2 percent on-year to $2.17 billion in the first quarter of this year on sagging demand from the European Union, the United States and Southeast Asian countries, the food trade agency said. (Yonhap)


125 Years Ago

The Northwestern Offices: H. C. Cheyney, general agent for the Chicago and Northwestern Railway company, received plans for the arrangement of the new Northwestern offices in the Security Bank building. By the drawings it will be the finest railroad office in Iowa, with the largest single plate glass in the city, and another large plate glass will separate the office from the hallway leading to the bank. The work of remodeling will begin in a few days, and the company hopes to be in its new quarters by May 1.

George Stout Was Killed: An Associated Press dispatch to the Journal from Columbus, Ohio, states George Stout, formerly of Sioux City  was knocked out in a hot fight Thursday night by Oscar Gardner, known as the "Omaha Kid" and never regained consciousness. Stout was well known to the sporting fraternity in Sioux City, a third grade fighter in the featherweight class. He was about 26 years old.

100 Years Ago

Shrine Head To Be Rotary Guest: James S. McCandless of Honolulu, Hawaii, illustrious potentate of the Shrine for the jurisdiction of North America, arrived in Sioux City on Sunday and will be the guest of the Rotary club at the luncheon today. The Shrine band will play for the McCandless before the luncheon, and McCandless will speak at the Abu-Bekr temple at 8 p.m. this evening. Plea for support of 10 hospitals for children within North America jurisdiction is being made by the Shrine head in all the temples he is visiting.

Boosts Packer Pennant Hopes: Purchase of Johnnie Rooney by Tom Fairweather, Packer manager, has considerably boosted Sioux Citys chances of having a pennant contender team. Rooney played with Fairbury, Neb., league champions and rated the best shortstop in the circuit. Both the St. Louis Cardinals and the St. Paul team bid for Rooney, though Fairweather managed to negotiate with the St. Paul club as the manager owed Fairweather a favor, consummating the deal.

50 Years Ago

Students Lend 136 Helping Hands: Sorority and fraternity members from Morningside College descended on the Sioux City Main Pubic Library on Sunday afternoon as a public service project for Greek week. The 68 young workers put 323 man-hours into painting, scrubbing walls, and other cleaning and straightening in the library. Library Director Ronald Dubberly estimated the work would have cost the library $750 to $1,000 it doesnt have to hire the work done. The library purchased the paint, which provided two coats to six rooms and a hallway.

Body Of Man Found Near Tracks Sunday: The body of Moses W. Payer was found along the railroad tracks near First and Douglas streets shortly after 8 a.m. on Sunday. The body was found by Edward Franks, an employee of the Milwaukee Road. The Woodbury County medical examiner, Dr. Thomas L. Coriden, attributed Payers death to natural causes, though investigation into the death will continue. Dr. Coriden said Payer had suffered bruises about his left eye and had a laceration of the eye that had been sutured. Payer had been employed as a painter.

25 Years Ago

Trooper Makes Doggone Nice Rescue: Iowa State Trooper Jason Bardsley had been driving south on I-29 near Sloan when a Woodbury County dispatcher asked him to check a dog tied to a post along the interstate. The dog was a German shorthair and was tied to a reflector pole. Feeling sorry for the dog, Bardsley put a trashbag over the front set and let the dog into the car to wait for the Emergency Operations Center to claim him. EOC Sgt. Bob Welte took the dog to the Climbing Hill Station and will use the dogs rabies vaccination to track the owner down, as the dog may be a runaway. But if the owner isnt found, Welte believes the dog will have no trouble finding a new home.

Disciples Re-Enactment Will Show Role of Women In Last Supper: Wesley United Methodist Church will tell the story of The Other 12 Disciples at 7 p.m. tonight at the church. The play is a re-enactment of the Last Supper but focuses on the women in the story who are often forgotten. Rev. Charles Klink, the pastor at the church, thought the play was a really creative idea and ordered the script. He recruited 12 women ranging from high school to retirement age and says the actors have been doing a phenomenal job.
SIOUX CITY  Three historic Sioux City churches this year are embarking on expensive restorations of their antique stained glass windows.

Faith United Presbyterian Church, 4327 Morningside Ave., St. Thomas' Episcopal Church, 1200 Douglas St., and Trinity Lutheran Church, 1122 Jackson St., all have restoration work scheduled this spring and summer for their stained glass windows, which are believed to be a century old or more.

For each of the churches, the work is a long-term investment in the structural stability of their treasured stained glass, which in turn was a significant investment by the congregations long ago, when the churches were built.

The buildings themselves, with ornate architecture that isn't subject to the vagaries of what's in style, contribute significantly to the "look" of the neighborhoods where they're situated. As such, the congregations felt compelled to take care of the buildings.

"(The stained-glass windows) are also part of the neighborhood and the skyline of the city," said The Rev. Scott Egbers, Trinity Lutheran's pastor. "So there's a historical significance to that. But I also believe that the church building is a sign of God's presence in and amongst the people, and the windows help to showcase that holiness, the sacredness, that God is present here."

Faith United Presbyterian

At Faith United Presbyterian, where the stained glass window panes are estimated to number more than 140, problems became apparent several years ago, said church treasurer Gary Hacker.

The church had its windows inspected on several occasions within the past nine years or so. Meanwhile, the church's other distinctive architectural feature  its red tile roof  was leaking and storm-damaged, and needed repair. Tile roofs, tending to be quite durable, are extraordinarily costly to repair or replace compared to cheaper asphalt shingle roofs. The roof cost about $400,000; in light of that, the stained-glass window project was "put on hold," Hacker said.

Stained glass restoration at Faith United Presbyterian Church The stained glass windows at Faith United Presbyterian, 4327 Morningside Ave., are in dire need of restoration.

Stained glass restoration at Faith United Presbyterian Church The large central section of the stained glass window is slated to cost $23,776 to restore, while the two side sections will cost $6,961 each 

When painters came to work on water-damaged areas of the interior around the time of the roof project, breeze coming in through the stained glass windows disturbed the plastic sheeting laid down to protect against paint spills. The windows in places are bowed "very significantly," said Renea Anderson, Faith United's president and the head of buildings and grounds.

Eventually, Faith United was told the windows had to be repaired "or else they were going to start falling out," Hacker said.

That couldn't be permitted.

"These aren't just regular stained glass windows. This type of craftsmanship and artisanry, you just don't find this everywhere," Anderson said. "If we didn't do it, the windows would literally fall into disrepair; and then, not only do you not have the window, you're also losing part of the aesthetic of the church building."

Stained glass restoration at Faith United Presbyterian Church Lore has it that the stained glass windows at Faith United Presbyterian Church, 4327 Morningside Ave., were imported from Scotland. Faith Unit

Stained glass restoration at Faith United Presbyterian Church The stained glass windows at Faith United Presbyterian, 4327 Morningside Ave., are in dire need of restoration.

The brick church was built in 1923 and the windows are believed to be original to the building; there are no records of the windows having ever undergone major repairs, save for one repair of unknown magnitude thought to have taken place decades ago, Hacker and Anderson said. Lore has it that the windows were imported from Scotland, where Presbyterianism has its roots.

"The lead is starting to bow on some of them, and we've got some with cracks in them, and some with BB holes in them," Hacker said. "A lot of them are just getting loose."

"They're 100 years old, so like anything else, once you get to be 100, there's things that've happened," Anderson added.

Stained glass restoration at Faith United Presbyterian Church The stained glass windows at Faith United Presbyterian, 4327 Morningside Ave., are in dire need of restoration.

Stained glass restoration at Faith United Presbyterian Church The sanctuary is shown at Faith United Presbyterian Church in Sioux City.

Anderson said the project is estimated to cost more than $337,000. Faith United, St. Thomas' Episcopal and Trinity Lutheran each received a $15,000 grant from Missouri River Historical Development in December to help defray the cost of the restoration.

The work is expected to begin in April or May. Some of the windows will have to be shipped to Minnesota for restoration. The church will remain in use during the project, with a sort of acrylic replica of the original windows standing in for the stained glass for the time being.

Send in the specialists

Stained glass windows consist of three key components: colorful glass, leaded channels (which hold the pieces of colored glass in place and form the prominent dark lines) and a kind of cement, which helps hold the window structure together.

While stained glass windows can, and in many cases have, stood for centuries, they require more attention and care than the plate-glass windows found in more ordinary settings.

"Glass tends to last a long time," said Chris Hazzard, a studio consultant with Willet Hauser, a Minnesota-based stained-glass window restorer. "The lead in the windows is what what we're really doing the work on."

Willet Hauser is doing the restoration work at Faith United Presbyterian, St. Thomas' Episcopal and Trinity Lutheran.

"Over time, just as the window ages, the lead starts to degrade. It starts to get brittle. It starts to move," Hazzard said. "Ideally, a stained-glass window is going to be flat. That's how most windows are made. Over time, with the lead degrading, you can have a window start to bow or bulge."

Stained glass restoration at St. Thomas Episcopal Church This window has slipped down in its frame laving a gap at the top at St. Thomas Episcopal Church.

Stained glass restoration at St. Thomas Episcopal Church This damaged stained glass window at St. Thomas' Episcopal Church is held together by packing tape.

The deterioration gets worse the longer it goes unaddressed.

In almost all cases, Hazzard said, churches are able to continue holding services in their buildings during the restoration work. Typically, the only instances where a church is out of service during stained-glass window restoration is when the project coincides with other renovations or repairs that render the church unusable.

It's not unheard-of for unassuming old churches and not-especially-wealthy congregations to have major stained-glass treasures. That includes works by the marquee name of stained glass art  Louis Comfort Tiffany.

"I have seen, in the last four or five years, around a dozen different churches with Tiffany windows here in the Midwest," Hazzard said. (He added that he did not personally know of any church in Sioux City with windows by Tiffany or any other well-known firm.)

St. Thomas' Episcopal

At St. Thomas' Episcopal, the millwork that supports its dozens of stained glass windows is failing, said Toby Varvais, office administrator and clerk of the vestry. The windows are believed to be original to the building, which was built in 1891-92.

The only known occasion in which the windows had any previous repair work done was after the church was damaged in a fire in 1922.

"The windows were repaired because they had to break into a window to get water where the fire was," Varvais said.

Stained glass restoration at St. Thomas Episcopal Church Several of the stained glass windows at the front of St. Thomas Episcopal Church are in need of repair.

Five years ago, church officials became aware their stained glass windows needed work, Varvais said. The degraded millwork allowed the windows to slip down, leaving a gap at the top of the windows.

"And we realized that the millwork was deteriorating, to the point where the window was actually slipping down," Varvais said.

Of St. Thomas' 77 stained glass windows, there's only one relatively small window that doesn't need repairs, according to a report from Willet Hauser. At least one window is currently held together with tape.

The windows that need the most attention are on the first level of the church. "Those ones on the first level get the brunt of it, I guess," Varvais said.

Stained glass restoration at St. Thomas Episcopal Church St. Thomas Episcopal Church has 77 stained glass windows, 76 of which are in need of repair.

In September 2022, vandals broke one of St. Thomas' stained glass windows. The exterior of the church's windows have a "protective" layer of chicken wire, Varvais said, which has been there for a number of years. The chicken wire offered little protection in that case.

"I don't know why they thought that was a good idea; it certainly didn't help when we had our vandalism," Varvais said. "The piece of concrete that they threw at the window just bent that chicken wire right in."

The restoration will include a new (non-chicken wire) layer of protection on the outside, which, among other things, "will enhance the look of the church," Varvais added.

The restoration is estimated to cost more than $75,000 and is expected to begin in June.

Trinity Lutheran

The windows at Trinity Lutheran began leaking several years ago. It turned out the brick building, built in 1918-'19, had two window-related issues, one more severe than the other.

Leaders at the church were told there was no sense in working on the stained glass until they took care of the ornate window frames, which were in poor condition. The aging window frames were the main culprit.

So, two years ago, the church began an extensive, multi-pronged improvement project  some of which had nothing to do with the windows  tuckpointing the masonry, installing a new air-conditioning system, repairing limestone elements that were falling apart and restoring the window frames.

Stained glass restoration at Trinity Lutheran Church Some of the windows are still able to be opened which can damage the stained glass over time. After being repaired, the windows will be sealed

Stained glass restoration at Trinity Lutheran Church Trinity Lutheran Church, 1122 Jackson St., is one of three Sioux City churches that is having its antique stained glass windows restored this year.

Stained glass restoration at Trinity Lutheran Church Some of the windows are still able to be opened which can damage the stained glass over time. After being repaired, the windows will be sealed

The church spent more than $300,000 on those projects, said Dan Holzrichter, vice president at Trinity Lutheran.

Now, with that all done, the church is preparing for its stained glass to be restored. The windows themselves aren't in quite the dire state of disrepair that the window frames were.

"We're trying to be good stewards of what somebody gave us 100 years ago, and take care of it before it gets to be an extensive problem," Holzrichter said.

Trinity Lutheran has 52 stained-glass windows, 27 of which are in need of repair. The windows underwent repair work at least once before, about 40 years ago. The restoration at Trinity is expected to begin in April or May and is estimated to cost around $60,000. In common with the other churches, Trinity is planning to continue holding services during the restoration.

Stained glass restoration at Trinity Lutheran Church The stained glass windows at Trinity Lutheran Church, 1122 Jackson St., are believed to be original to the church building, which was built in

Stained glass restoration at Trinity Lutheran Church The Rev. Scott Egbers of Trinity Lutheran Church says stained glass windows are "a part of the beauty of the sanctuary, to reflect the light o

The most magnificent windows at Trinity Lutheran, Egbers said, are the trio that depict major events from the life of Jesus: Behind the altar is a window depicting Jesus rising from the tomb. In the middle of the sanctuary, facing one another, are windows of Jesus on the cross and Jesus with Mary.

Those windows follow a very old tradition of depicting scenes from the Bible in stained glass; in centuries past, when illiteracy was the norm, such windows were considered a useful teaching tool. "That's not as much true today, because people are much more literate, but they still serve that function as being a part of the beauty of the sanctuary, to reflect the light of Christ and to reflect the beauty of God," Egbers said.

"Having those big windows that let that light shine in is a symbolic thing," he said.
Didnt think you lived in such a ritzy house, did you?

When property assessments came out last week, Sioux City residents were shocked at how their homes value had increased. Some were nearly 50 percent higher than the year before.

As much as experts tried to explain this was the result of a robust housing market, it really seems like a way to raise taxes without saying youre raising taxes.

Once more, its one of those games politicians like to play. They insist theyre not raising taxes  and technically, theyre not  but the end game is still the same. Theyre digging more money out of your pockets to fund projects, pay bonuses and hire workers you didnt think your community needed.

Meanwhile, the street in front of your home is in need of repair. Street lights seem dimmer. And the folks who just moved in the neighborhood havent gotten the hang of shoveling snow and mowing lawns. Still, youre supposedly living in a better place than you thought.

At a meeting Thursday, Sioux City Assessor Tyler Erickson told attendees the average increase was 23.5% -- within the range of other increases in Iowa. Previously, 5 to 10 percent increases were the norm. We are aware of the situation and its shocking, he said.

Ericksons not to blame. The message, however, is hard to swallow. The Iowa Department of Revenue has a hand in raising those rates just to make sure the homes are within market value.

If homes have been selling (and they have, largely due to lack of inventory), theyre attracting higher prices. That means the home in your neighborhood thats been sold several times may have upped the neighborhoods ability to attract higher prices.

But what about you  someone who has been in the same home for 20 years? You probably paid a fraction of the new assessed value. You may not have made any changes to the house. But just by living near others that have sold, yours has gone up in value, too.

If youre selling, it might be a positive. But if youre staying put, consider it a spring surprise.

While its possible to protest the assessment, dont count on it changing. The government needs money to run. Look, instead, to what prompted it to go up and put your ire there.

Lower taxes, higher valuations? It all means more is coming out of your pocket.
On Tuesday, April 4, about 20 minutes into an episode of Tucker Carlson Tonight that was entirely focused on former President Donald Trumps arraignment earlier that day, Fox News contributor Charles Hurt mused about law and order. Fair enough! The theme is a common one on the network. To hear Hurt tell it, though, the days real crime had been committed by those who had dared to hold Trump accountable for his alleged infractions (the very presidential offense of allegedly lying about paying hush money to a porn star). Speaking balefully of that spectacle, the circus, in Manhattan, and characterizing Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a Democrat, as a rogue, runaway prosecutor who is putting politics before the law, Hurt argued that the only person involved in all of this who has respected the law and respected the country is Donald Trump. He went on:

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He didnt have to go to New York today. In fact, he got a clear pass from the governor of Florida, that the governor of Florida wouldnt allow him to be arrested and hauled to New York. He went because he has respect for the system. And then, what is the thanks he gets for that. He goes in there, and the judge tells himdoesnt put a gag order on him in the middle of an election, but tells himYou watch what you say. Im watching you. This is the fire alarm that voters pulled in 2016. This is our country that is broken.

I think its such a smart point, said Carlson, at the end of Hurts segment. It definitely wasnt. Taken on its face, Hurts observation was one of the dumbest things I have ever heard on Fox News, and thats a high bar to cross. It takes some real motivated reasoning to characterize Justice Juan Merchans decision not to impose a gag order on the former president as a sign of a broken, partisan justice system. It takes even more imagination to depict the seething, vainglorious Trumpwho can hardly complete a sentence without loudly announcing his lack of respect for the systemas respectful because he didnt force the cops to come and try to drag him out of his big pink Florida mansion.

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And yet Hurts segmentnot to mention the many thematically similar segments that aired both before and afterwardwas valuable and relevant insofar as it showed how Fox News and many of its conservative-media counterparts will likely cover the ongoing story of Trumps legal travails in the weeks and months to come. I watch Fox News on a daily basishey, its a livingbut Ive paid especially close attention over the past few weeks. As I expected, the network has covered the former presidents indictment saga by using it as an excuse to play the victimization card that has served both Trump and Fox News so well for so long. But I didnt expect to see Fox News seemingly use the indictment to jump-start the former presidents rehabilitation tour.

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I didnt expect to see Fox News seemingly use the indictment to jump-start the former presidents rehabilitation tour.

Ever since the GOP got drubbed in the midterm elections, many smart pundits have convinced themselves that Fox News is officially done with Donald Trump. Ive never really bought into this idea, which seems to be rooted in a fundamental misunderstanding of how the network actually works. While Im willing to believe that the Murdochs see Trump as an electoral liability, and would prefer that Republicans coalesce around a performatively belligerent but ultimately regular politician such as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, they also know better than to chart their course without first checking the winds.

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Over the past five months, the winds have once again shifted back into Trumps direction. The former president holds a commanding lead in the early GOP presidential polls, while DeSantis, who has not yet formally declared his candidacy, has begun to DeStagnate. The Murdochs, who know well the way of the world they helped to create, must have seen this coming. Todays Republican Party is a creature of conservative media; its brightest stars attain their luminescence by lobbing rhetorical bombs on podcasts, social media, and television. Conservative media itself is defined by endless cycles of grievance and resentment, in which the right is forever being beseiged by malevolent leftists who spend their days pursuing political vendettas, trampling traditional values, and sneaking smut into libraries. In order to raise enough money to get through their primaries, Republican politicians generally have to play the tunes that their movements media outlets demand.

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Though DeSantis has the melody, as of now he lacks the requisite volume. Try as he might to ignite culture wars via executive order and statehouse capture (and he is very successful at this), the governor of Florida is still stuck in the realm of Actually Governing, which ultimately limits his ability to play the grievance game. As eager as he might be to focus exclusively on ruining liberal arts colleges and picking fights with Disney World, DeSantis still has the countrys third most populous state to run. If he runs it badly because he gets too distracted by red-meat culture-war bullshit, hell have to answer for his mismanagement in the general presidential election, if he makes it that far.

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To make it that far, though, hell have to out-seethe Donald Trump, the worlds pettiest and most resentful man, who has never been hobbled by the burden of governance, not even during his term as U.S. president. DeSantis and his fellow GOP presidential hopefuls don the victims mantle for strategic reasons. Trump has been mad at the world since he first entered into it. The former presidents innate talent for loudly nursing even the most minor wounds is why he enjoys such enduring appeal among a party base that has been trained over the decades to indulge in a conservative persecution complex, in which the partys biggest fish is also always its biggest victim.

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Most of Fox News programming hours are spent feeding this persecution complex. The network is forever spinning spurious tales of wokeism gone wild, conservatives getting canceled, crooks and illegal aliens roaming the streets with impunity, and mainstream journalists conspiring to suppress stories that are damaging to Democrats while publishing fake news about Republicans. Trump is both a product and the apotheosis of this grievance culture. Fox News paved the way for Trump, and now Trump arguably does a better job than Fox itself does of giving the base the victim narrative that it craves. (Impressively, the former president has only further honed this skill since begrudgingly leaving the White House. Perhaps it helps that he now has actual problems to whine about, such as the threat of being brought to justice for his roles in attempting to steal a presidential election and inciting the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.)

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And the Murdochs are pragmatic, not stupid. They will not let principle stand in the way of giving their Trump-loving viewers what they want. But they also know that those viewers want Trump less as a traditional presidential candidate than as the nations victim-in-chief. What better way to become a victim than to be literally booked and fingerprinted for a crime that viewers have been trained to understand only as a witch hunt?

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The networks initial coverage of Trumps arraignment previews how it will treat the former presidents ongoing legal troubles in the weeks and months to come. While Fox News wont necessarily lead with Trumps legal problems every daymany Fox shows have already begun to cover the story in secondary segmentsneither will it allow the former president to face his fate alone. No matter how serious the charges against Trump, Fox News will frame them as a partisan conspiracy brought by political actors in order to sabotage Trumps 2024 general election chances so that Sleepy Joe can win a second term. While it would be naive to think that the relevant prosecutors charging decisions could exist entirely outside of politics, you can bet that Fox News will portray these cases as exclusively political ones, while minimizing or omitting any discussion of the ex-presidents alleged misdeeds.

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This is the process by which the network begins to rehabilitate Trumpeven as the Murdochs would prefer to not have to do so. While it might seem like the relationship between Fox News and the former president is definitionally codependentan inescapable chokehold of paranoid delusion that brings out the worst in each partyI would submit that it is actually more of a menage a trois. The left writ large fills the third role in this misbegotten love triangle, in which love often masquerades as hate, but always indicates the deep, elemental need that one party has for the other. Trumps arraignment and Foxs ensuing coverage offer a great look at how this arrangement works.

I am convinced that Trump only ever first decided to run for president because he really enjoys being on television.

First, theres Donald Trump, who loves Fox News. Genuinely! The depth of this love was demonstrated by the depth of Trumps embitterment when the network turned on him, first by failing to retract its Arizona call in 2020, and then by not wholeheartedly endorsing his loony stolen-election theories. I am convinced that Trump only ever first decided to run for president because he really enjoys being on television, and he got to be on Fox News a whole lot as presidentto the barely suppressed chagrin of many of the networks most prominent hosts. It was only after a lost election, an insurrection, and a botched midterm that he became persona non grata on the network. But his indictment and arraignment in New York, coupled with his currently strong poll numbers, have now brought him back into the networks spotlight, as an object of sympathy if not active worship. Trump will milk the spotlight for maximum political advantage, as only someone who does not have to worry about Actually Governing can do.

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Next, theres Fox News, which loves the left, or needs the left in order to fill its daily programming quota, at least. As I already mentioned, the left and its perverse machinations are the subject of most of the segments the network airs, whereas conservatives are generally depicted as the object of the lefts villainy. This theme is much more convincingly sounded when Fox is able to find it in bona fide news events rather than having to manufacture outrage out of anecdote and supposition. The charges against Trump were brought by a Democratic district attorney in one of the countrys most liberal citiesand whatever other charges Trump might face will be brought by people who will fall broadly within the same rubric. This bounty is enough to provide Fox with months worth of apoplectic talking pointsand its hosts and guests will make those points consistently, whether at the top, middle, or bottom of any given broadcast hour.

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Finally, there is the left itself, which loves and needs Donald Trump: as a boogeyman, a topic for tweets and columns and late-night monologue dunks, a fundraising catalyst, a tribal unifier, and as an eminently beatable candidate in the 2024 presidential election. The charges against Trump have returned him to Foxs spotlight as Americas top victim. This is good for Trump, as already noted, but its also good for the left, because it is likely to consolidate his support among grievance-addled Republican primary voters, propelling him into a general election that will be decided by the basically normal people who do not consider it a selling point to be indicted for lying about paying hush money to a porn star.

It is nice sometimes, in this world of pain and sadness, to see people get what they want. Trumps arraignment and Foxs subsequent coverage offer a rare example of all three points of this triangle finding their ideal angles. The thing about love triangles, though, is that in the long term they rarely work out well for everyone; instead, as the 1958 folksong Tom Dooley has led me to believe, they often beget a mean and tawdry race to the bottom that generally ends in some very stupid catastrophe. In other words, Trumps destabilizing resentment, Fox News fatuous coverage, and the lefts perhaps-reckless gloating will all likely just get worse from here. Maybe thats why its so hard to look away.
Two warehouses are on fire in Hamburg, Germany, and a potentially dangerous cloud of smoke is spreading towards the city center. Firefighters issued a health warning, but did not specify what was stored in the facilities engulfed in the fire.

It is still not clear how the fire broke out in the Rothenburgsort area of the city during the night.

In the warning, the risk of fire and smoke is defined as excellent, citizens in the northeast of this port city were asked by the firemen not to open the windows and to protect themselves from the smoke.

The German railway operator Deutsche Bahn announced that it was forced to close the line between Hamburg and Buchen due to the fire. According to the last census, the city of Hamburg has a little over 1.9 million inhabitants.
It is not yet known what was in the warehouses. Photo: Reuters



Firefighters issued a health warning, but did not specify what was stored in the facilities engulfed in the fire, reports the German news agency DPA. However, they warned that there could be chemicals in the smoke.

In the warning, the risk of fire and smoke is defined as excellent, citizens in the northeast of this port city were asked by the firemen not to open the windows and to protect themselves from the smoke.

It is still not clear how the fire broke out in the Rothenburgsort area of the city during the night.

The German railway operator Deutsche Bahn announced that it was forced to close the line between Hamburg and Buchen due to the fire.

According to the latest census, Hamburg has a population of just over 1.9 million.
On the second day of military exercises, China simulated precision strikes on key Taiwan targets. The United States, meanwhile, urged Beijing to hold back a bit in revealing its intentions.

China simulated an attack on Taiwan during the second day of military drills called by Beijing in response to the recent visit of Taiwans president to the United States. Beijing called the military exercises a stark warning to the self-governing island.

At least 71 planes were sent to the vicinity of Taiwan on Sunday, the islands authorities announced. The flyovers started in the early hours. At least 45 planes crossed the center line of the Taiwan Strait, which is considered the unofficial dividing line between Taiwan and Chinese territory. Taiwan also spotted at least nine Chinese warships in its waters.

On the first day of military exercises, China launched a projectile from a ship in the direction of Taiwan. The islands Oceanic Affairs Council, which also runs the Coast Guard, released a video showing one of their ships following the Chinese vessel. In the video, a Taiwanese sailor can be heard warning the Chinese sailor that he is harming peace. You are seriously harming regional peace, stability and security. Please turn around and leave immediately.

READ MORE China started military exercises in the Taiwan Strait

Defense officials in Taipei later accused China of using its presidents recent visit to the United States as an excuse to conduct the drills. These will continue until Monday, he reports BBC.
U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) head Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman announced the 2023 Export Lender of the Year Award winners. The awards celebrate lenders who have demonstrated commitment to boosting access to capital for small businesses participating in international trade. This year, Regions Bank and Amerant Bank have been named 2023 Export Lenders of the Year, while Berkshire Bank was awarded the 2023 International Trade Lender of the Year.

Administrator Guzman stated, SBA has long provided capital and growth strategies to strengthen our nations small businesses. This includes creating pathways for entrepreneurs to successfully trade in global markets. She added that the 2023 Export Lender Award winners have set the standard for helping the SBA deliver financing, enabling small businesses to grow, diversify revenue, create jobs, and compete globally.

SBA Associate Administrator for the Office of International Trade, Gabriel Esparza, emphasized the importance of local and regional institutions as key partners for the financial sectors stability. Esparza praised the winners, Regions Bank, Amerant Bank, and Berkshire Bank, for their role in providing crucial export financing and supporting export activity.

The Export Lender of the Year Awards recognize excellence in export financing and spotlight lenders accomplishments in delivering SBAs international finance programs to small businesses. These programs aim to help businesses develop new markets, finance export transactions, and expand capacity to meet overseas demand.

Regions Bank  Export Lender of the Year

Based in Birmingham, Alabama

Top Export Working Capital Lender for the past four years

Provided over $36 million in financing support in 2022

Maintains the largest active EWCP portfolio nationally

Amerant Bank  Export Lender of the Year

Headquartered in Coral Gables, Florida

Export loans account for over half of their commitments

Provided over $20 million in financing support in 2022

Applied for delegated authority in 2023

Berkshire Bank  International Trade Loan (ITL) Lender of the Year

Based in Boston, Massachusetts

Provided $15 million in financing support for small business exporters

Approved 193 SBA loans totaling $200 million in 2022

U.S. exports play a significant role in the nations economy, with 97.4% of all exporters being small businesses. In fiscal year 2022, the SBA guaranteed $423 million in financing to small business exporters, supporting over $1.6 billion in export sales.

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The only hitch? It's not quite finished yet.

The lookout tower at Javorina, near Levoca, pictured while under construction. (Source: zdruzenieturizmu.sk)

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A new lookout tower at the top of the Javorina hilltop above Levoca, a town in eastern Slovakia which boasts spectacular mediaeval architecture, should open in the next few weeks  even if it's not yet completely finished.

There is a lack of funds for its completion, the SITA news agency writes.

Detailed travel guide to the Tatras introduces you to the whole region around the Tatra mountains, including attractions on the Polish side.

Sixth floor? Not for now

Five floors of the structure are finished, including its reinforced concrete skeleton, and the building has the necessary approvals, explained Ernest Rusnak, the Statutory Officer of the Levoca Tourism Association, which is behind the project.

However, a planned sixth floor and the roof remain to be installed.

"We'll probably clean it up after the weather warms up, as there's still snow there now. We will then open it up to the public. In the meantime, we will be looking for money to complete the tower. But there will be no problem with the opening: it's functional and all safety requirements have been fulfilled," said Rusnak.

The tower will offer panoramic views even from the fifth floor, which is at a height of 25 metres.

More money for completion

So far, about 170,000 has been spent on construction.

The association has financed individual stages from several sources.

Money was obtained from within the cross-border cooperation programme Interreg V-A Poland-Slovakia, from the Presov Self-Governing Region, and from the Investment Ministry.

The association also covered some of the costs from its own resources.

Approximately 70,000 will be needed to finish the sixth floor and the roof.

Nature enchants tourists day and night in this tower Read more

Completion delayed by rising prices

The Javorina (Marculina) hill on which the tower is built, at an altitude of 1,250 metres, offers views of Levoca, the Hornadska Basin, the High and Low Tatras, the Volovske Vrchy hills, the Branisko massif, Bachuren and Spisska Magura.

According to the original plans, the tower was due to be completed last year, but the rising prices of construction materials prolonged the work.

When completed, it will be 35.75 metres high.

The association is building it on municipal land, which it acquired for use from the municipality for 20 years for a symbolic fee.

After 20 years, the building will become the property of the town of Levoca.

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One thing men can leave at home is their perfumes.

Running water from a stream or river was exclusively used for splashing or sprinkling water over girls. (Source: M. Habanek)

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Unlike the celebrations of the resurrection of Christ, old Slovak Easter traditions such as whipping and splashing water on girls have lost their essence over the years.

These are ancient folk customs dating back to antiquity. Single men from the past would sport the mask of a wild dog or wolf. They had leather strips attached to their hands, and they would whip every single girl they met with the strips.

In our case, it was a spring twig, ethnologist Katarina Nadaska told The Slovak Spectators sister publication My Nitra.

A single young man touched the hands of a single girl to make their hands work well. He touched the hips so that the girl would give birth to many healthy children during her life, and he touched her legs so that they would be good for dancing and work, the expert added.

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Love letters on eggs
Soldiers stand on the deck of a Chinese warship as it sails during a military drill near Fuzhou, Fujian Province, near the Taiwan-controlled Matsu Islands that are close to the Chinese coast, China, April 8. Reuters-Yonhap



The United States is monitoring China's drills around Taiwan closely and is "comfortable and confident" it has in place sufficient resources and capabilities in the region to ensure peace and stability, the country's de facto embassy in Taiwan said on Sunday.



China, which claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, began three days of military exercises around the island on Saturday, the day after Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen returned from the United States.



Most of Saturday's activities ended by sundown, a Taiwan security source told Reuters



While in Los Angeles, on what was officially billed a "transit" on her way back from Central America, Tsai met with the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy, despite Beijing's warnings against it.



"We are monitoring Beijing's actions closely," said a spokesperson for the American Institute in Taiwan, which serves as the United States' de facto embassy in the absence of formal diplomatic ties.



"As we have said, there is no reason for Beijing to turn this transit - which was consistent with longstanding U.S. practice and policy  into something it is not or use it as pretext to overreact," the spokesperson added.



U.S. channels of communication with China remain open and the United States has consistently urged restraint and no change to the status quo, the spokesperson said.



"We are comfortable and confident that we have in place sufficient resources and capabilities in the region to ensure peace and stability and to meet our national security commitments."



The United States severed diplomatic relations with Taipei in favor of Beijing in 1979, but is bound by law to provide the island with the means to defend itself.



China, which has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under its control, says Taiwan is the most important and sensitive issue in its relations with the United States, and the topic is a frequent source of Sino-U.S. tensions.



Beijing considers Tsai a separatist and has rebuffed her repeated calls for talks. Tsai says only Taiwan's people can decide their future.





A pilot is photographed operating an aircraft of the Air Force under the Eastern Theatre Command of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) during a combat readiness patrol and "Joint Sword" exercises around Taiwan, at an undisclosed location in this handout image released on April 8. Reuters-Yonhap




https://sputnikglobe.com/20230408/palestinians-barricade-themselves-in-al-aqsa-mosque-in-jerusalem---reports-1109281409.html

Palestinians Reportedly Barricade Themselves in Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem

Palestinians Reportedly Barricade Themselves in Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem

Hundreds of Palestinians have barricaded themselves in the Al-Aqsa Mosque located on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem, The Jerusalem Post reports.

2023-04-08T22:26+0000

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2023-04-09T04:26+0000

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israel

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Concerns are mounting that clashes could break out if Israeli police attempt to remove the Palestinians from the holy site, the newspaper said late on Saturday night. According to The Jerusalem Post, police have already entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, while the Palestinians have locked themselves inside the mosque. On Wednesday, Israeli security forces stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, one of the holiest Muslim sites, arresting about 350 worshipers. The raid drew protests from the Arab world. The Jordanian Foreign Ministry said on Saturday that there would be catastrophic consequences if Israeli police enter the Al-Aqsa Mosque and attempt to remove the Palestinians hiding inside.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230405/israeli-police-arrest-over-350-people-at-al-aqsa-mosque-in-jerusalem-1109146673.html

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al-aqsa mosque, compound, palestinians barricade inside, israeli raid
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230409/between-russian-hammer-and-chinese-anvil-expert-on-us-perspectives-in-africa-1109294767.html

'Between Russian Hammer and Chinese Anvil': Expert on US Perspectives in Africa

'Between Russian Hammer and Chinese Anvil': Expert on US Perspectives in Africa

It is getting increasingly difficult for Washington to find its place in Africa, said Abdou Karim Diakhate, a political scientist and publication director of the magazine Le Panafricain, in an interview with Sputnik.

2023-04-09T11:57+0000

2023-04-09T11:57+0000

2023-04-09T11:57+0000

africa

us

russia

china

cooperation

multipolar world

multipolarity

trade

international cooperation

bilateral ties

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It is getting increasingly difficult for Washington to find its place in Africa while the countries of the continent are forging partnerships with Moscow and Beijing, said Abdou Karim Diakhate, a political scientist and director of the magazine Le Panafricain, in an interview with Sputnik.According to the expert, while the visits of American officials to Africa follow one another, the country is caught between two fires. Washington believed that it could take advantage of France losing its influence in certain regions of the continent, but in fact it faces other competitors, namely China and Russia, Diakhate explained.He noted that the major concern for the US in terms of maintaining and enhancing its relations with African countries is a growing Russia-Africa partnership. Indeed, many political analysts reiterate that cooperation between Russia and certain African countries is "as strong as ever." And the upcoming Russia-Africa summit is expected to bring it to new levels. US' Failed Attempts to Put Pressure on AfricaThe significant loss of American influence has even prompted Washington to lecture certain African countries on their collaboration with Moscow or Beijing, he recalled. In particular, in early January, South African Defense Minister Thandi Modise denounced Washington's "unjustified pressure" to force the country to cut ties with Russia.Furthermore, in May last year, the US House of Representatives approved a "Countering Malign Russian Activities in Africa Act," paving the way for Washington to punish African governments for maintaining cooperation with Russia as it may "undermine the country's objectives and interests." The act was largely criticized by many African officials, who stated that it disrespects the sovereignty of the continent's nations. Talking about this kind of pressure, Diakhate underlined that American attempts to pressurize the continent, forcing it to choose sides, will probably end in failure. Explaining his viewpoint, he praised the "awareness" of African nations on this issue and their independent stance in global politics. He noted that Africa's resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic has shown in particular that the continent can take care of itself.Russia's Isolation?The current level of cooperation between African countries and Moscow and their growing ties in various fields of mutual interests, Diakhate underscored, prove that Russia is not isolated on the international scene. Along with many African nations, Arab countries also refrain from supporting and imposing sanctions against Russia. Moreover, the country's position within the BRICS group guarantees that it doesn't stand alone. Diakhate's remarks on Russia's alleged isolation echo statements of Sputnik's recent interviewee Aymeric Chauprade, a French geopolitical scientist. According to him, despite their efforts, Western countries are unable to isolate Russia. On the international stage, Moscow, like Beijing or New Delhi, is an important partner of African countries, with which the continent is willing to enhance and diversify its relations. Therefore, the West must accept this turn towards multipolarity.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230405/pundit-african-nations-wont-follow-us-misguided-lead-1109168051.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230405/west-needs-to-drop-colonial-era-entitlement-complex-toward-africa-experts-say-1109160789.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230409/easter-in-africa-what-are-the-peculiarities-1109297124.html

Easter in Africa: What Are the Peculiarities?

Easter in Africa: What Are the Peculiarities?

Easter is a time of remembrance of the crucifixion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. As in other parts of the world, hundreds of millions of Christians in Africa celebrate Easter.

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africa

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easter

christianity

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festivities

church

orthodox church

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protestant church

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Easter is a time of remembrance of the reported crucifixion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. As in other parts of the world, hundreds of millions of Christians in Africa celebrate Easter. There are a great number of traditions connected to the religious holiday that are preserved and passed down from generation to generation. While some of the customs are similar to those in other Christian countries, a great number are specifically African.Common activities The Easter church service is the most significant event for African Christians, regardless of denomination. Special church services are held for four days, starting on Thursday, which comes before Good Friday, and ending on Easter Sunday. Dressing is a vital part of Easter traditions in Africa. Some Christians prefer to wear black clothes at services on Good Friday to mourn the death of Jesus. On Easter Sunday, they put on white clothes in order to represent Christ's alleged rebirth.At the same time, some prefer to wear their best clothes throughout the Easter season, while others wear African traditional dresses.People also collect and distribute Easter eggs to children from low-income schools, which helps to attract everyone's attention to the celebration and underline the true spirit of Easter.Some Easter celebration traditions tend to differ from one African country to another.EthiopiaAlthough many African Christians observe fasting before Easter, Ethiopians are leading in this tradition. Easter (in Ethiopia it is named as Fasika), heralds the end of 55 days of food abstinence. During fasting, Christians abstain from eating meat or dairy products. Alternatively, they take one vegetarian meal a day. Fasika is one of the oldest Easter traditions in Africa. Although it is similar to fasting in Western churches, it lasts a week longer. During Fasika, all Christian denominations of Ethiopia, including Orthodox, Catholics and Protestants, gather together for a number of traditional ceremonies and events that occur immediately after Easter in accordance with the Western Gregorian calendar.As the Ethiopian calendar is quite similar to the Julian calendar, the country celebrates Easter on a different day compared to many other countries. This year, Easter will be celebrated in Ethiopia on April 16.KenyaKenya also brings various forms of celebrations during Easter holidays. In most cuisines of Kenyan cities and towns, nyama choma  spicy meat cooked on the grill  is served, being accompanied by a porridge made of corn flour, known as ugali. In addition, for Easter, Kenyans prepare chapatis (wheat flour bread, like thin pita bread) and pilau (spiced rice with seasoned meat).Easter celebrations begin on Palm Sunday, with Kenyan children bringing palm leaves to the church and singing hymns, commemorating the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. The processions devoted to the recreation of the Stations of the Cross begin on Good Friday, ending at churches where a special ceremony is conducted.Churches are decorated with butterflies, banana trees and tree art and Kanga clothes (traditional for East Africa motley items of clothing).As for classical hand-carved Easter eggs, Kenyans present those in a banana fiber box, which give it a unique and authentic look.NigeriaDuring Easter, Nigerian churches, parks and city streets are filled with people. Starting from Palm Sunday and right up to Easter Sunday, many churches, as well as Christian homes, are decorated with palm branches. This is a reference to Palm Sunday when Jesus entered Jerusalem to bring peace. In addition, Nigeria is one of the African countries where a festive atmosphere reigns during Easter. For instance, in southern Nigeria, the Igbo people demonstrate their characteristic masquerade dance  muo. Young men perform this dance in colorful costumes in honor of the spirits of their ancestors.South AfricaDuring Easter services in African Zionist churches, people perform a traditional mkhukhu dance, which requires a lot of foot stamping.This practice is widespread, especially in the KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo regions. Some authorities have been reported to say that this dance is not suitable for Easter because it is too "Africanized".On the other hand, supporters of Mkhukhu state that the dance is part of South African traditions that existed long before the arrival of Christianity in Africa.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20221230/new-year--christmas-the-african-way-1105928474.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230409/eu-military-circles-doubting-feasibility-of-delivering-1mln-munitions-to-ukraine-media-reports-1109301655.html

EU Military Circles Question Million-Munition Delivery to Ukraine: Reports

EU Military Circles Question Million-Munition Delivery to Ukraine: Reports

Military circles in Brussels are casting doubt on the European Union's plan to deliver 1 million 155-mm munitions to Ukraine within the next 12 months because, among other things, it may take more than a year to put together a batch that big, German news outlet reported on Sunday, citing sources.

2023-04-09T15:38+0000

2023-04-09T15:38+0000

2023-04-12T17:05+0000

russia's special operation in ukraine

ukrainian crisis

ukraine

european union (eu)

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The delivery plan is for Norway and 17 EU countries to send Ukraine a total 1 million munitions from their stocks and receive a compensation from the bloc, the newspaper reported. The EU will allocate 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) for the compensation and another 1 billion euros for the procurement of new munitions, the report said. The plan is unlikely to go through, however, as 1 million munitions as an amount that is hard to be collected within one year, the newspaper said. It added that the negotiations on the issue were difficult because the sides were focused on their "powers, vanity and national interests," with some of them advocating placing an order for artillery shells from the European Defence Agency, while others opposed to it and suggesting instead purchasing the artillery shells outside Europe. Western countries have been supplying Kiev with various types of weapons systems, including air defense missiles, multiple launch rocket systems, tanks, self-propelled artillery and anti-aircraft guns, since Russia launched its military operation in Ukraine. Moscow repeatedly stressed that pumping Kiev's neo-Nazi regime with Western weapons has a detrimental effect on the crisis, extending the conflict and prolonging the suffering of Ukrainian people. Meanwhile, the Kremlin also made it crystal clear that any Western weapon on Ukrainian territory would be a legitimate target for the Russian forces.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230330/military-industrial-complex-and-neo-cons-getting-rich-off-aimless-proxy-war-in-ukraine--1108969536.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230409/ex-french-mep-lauds-beijings-zero-reception-toward-von-der-leyen-amid-her-china-visit-1109287328.html

Ex-French MEP Lauds Beijing's Cold Shoulder for von der Leyen Amid Her China Visit

Ex-French MEP Lauds Beijing's Cold Shoulder for von der Leyen Amid Her China Visit

A US media outlet earlier noted that unlike Macron, the European Commission President was mostly left alone during the twos visit to China, where she was demonized by local media as an American puppet.

2023-04-09T07:18+0000

2023-04-09T07:18+0000

2023-04-12T17:05+0000

world

china

france

emmanuel macron

ursula von der leyen

visit

vladimir putin

special operation

european union (eu)

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Former French MEP Florian Philippot has expressed his satisfaction with China seemingly preferring to ignore European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who accompanied French President Emmanuel Macron during his visit to Beijing earlier this week.Philippot, who is also head of France's Eurosceptic party The Patriots, tweeted that China put civil servant von der Leyen in her proper place during Macrons visit.The remarks come after a US media outlet reported that when in China, Macron got parades and banquets, while von der Leyen was mostly left alone.The media outlet then went further, noting that while the French presidents schedule was overflowing, von der Leyens was bare-bones.According to a UK broadcaster, quoting unnamed sources, some call von der Leyen the "bad cop from Brussels," in an apparent nod to her strong relationship with US President Joe Biden and vocal support for NATOs position.The broadcaster recalled in this regard that days before her arrival in Beijing, von der Leyen delivered a strongly-worded speech, in which she criticized the Chinese president for maintaining friendly relations with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, also bashing China's peace plan on the Ukraine conflict as "simply not viable."Russia, which continues its special military operation in Ukraine, underlines that it is open for negotiations with Kiev, even after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree prohibiting talks with Moscow. China proposed a 12-point roadmap last month in a bid to bring the sides to the negotiating table.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230408/is-eu-able-to-depoliticize-economical-cooperation-with-china-1109249739.html

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beijing's cold shoulder for von der leyen during her visit to china, french president emmanuel macron's visit to china, eu-china relations
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230409/george-soros-son-has-steady-white-house-access---reports--1109283470.html

George Soros' Son Allegedly Has Steady White House Access

George Soros' Son Allegedly Has Steady White House Access

In recent years, the Soros family has gained a lot of attention for their political activism and contributions to liberal causes, Nowadays George Soros' son, Alexander, stands in spotlight, drawing more and more attention to his own activity.

2023-04-09T04:02+0000

2023-04-09T04:02+0000

2023-04-09T04:25+0000

americas

us

white house

biden administration

soros

george soros

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His son Alexander Soros has also become a prominent figure in left-leaning circles. According to recent reports, Alexander Soros has become a de-facto White House "ambassador," making at least 14 visits to the White House on behalf of his father's Open Society Foundations since President Joe Biden's inauguration.At just 37 years old, Alexander Soros is already a prolific Democratic fundraiser and philanthropist in his own right, just like his well-known father. He is the chairman of the Open Society Foundations, which is one of the most powerful and influential liberal grant-making networks in the world. The organization was founded by George Soros in 1979, and it has since doled out more than $32 billion to support progressive causes across the globe.Matt Palumbo, author of "The Man Behind the Curtain: Inside the Secret Network of George Soros," argues that the younger Soros' access to top White House officials is indicative of the Soros family's growing influence over American politics.Despite the younger Soros' high-profile status in Democratic circles, his access to the White House has raised some eyebrows among conservative critics. According to records reviewed by US media, Alexander Soros scored at least a dozen meetings with White House officials:It's unclear what was discussed at these meetings, and the White House has not yet commented on Alexander Soros' visits. However, the mere fact that he has had so many meetings with top White House officials has led some conservative pundits to question whether the Soros family is exerting undue influence over the Biden administration.Mike Howell, director of the Oversight Project at the Conservative Heritage Foundation, has called Alexander Soros' easy access to the White House "troubling," particularly given the Soros family's already existing political influence.However, liberal commentators have pushed back against these criticisms, arguing that Alexander Soros' visits to the White House are simply part of his role as a major player in progressive politics.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230401/did-soros-pull-the-strings-to-get-trump-indicted-1109022350.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230228/how-many-controversies-can-the-biden-administration-handle-1107856291.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230409/israeli-forces-respond-to-rocket-fire-from-syria---idf-1109282577.html

Israeli Forces Respond to Rocket Fire From Syria - IDF

Israeli Forces Respond to Rocket Fire From Syria - IDF

Israel has opened artillery fire at Syrian territory in response to the rockets fired from Syria toward the Golan Heights, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said.

2023-04-09T02:04+0000

2023-04-09T02:04+0000

2023-04-09T02:04+0000

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On Saturday, the IDF said that three rockets were launched from Syrian territory into Israel; one of the rockets crossed into Israeli territory and landed in the southern Golan Heights. In an earlier statement on Telegram, the IDF said that sirens were sounding in northern Israel, in kibbutz Natur and moshav Avnei Eitan in the southern Golan Heights.In 1981, the Israeli government essentially annexed Golan Heights after occupying the territory following the Six-Day War in 1967. The move was condemned by the United Nations. The United States recognized the territory as Israel's when former President Trump issued a presidential proclamation in 2019. The United States remains the only country to recognize Israel's claim to the area.Current US President Joe Biden has said there are no current plans to rescind the proclamation.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20211228/damascus-condemns-israeli-plan-to-double-jewish-settler-population-in-occupied-golan-heights-1091848999.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230409/lebanons-acting-prime-minister-says-country-not-involved-in-airstrikes-against-israel-1109299055.html

Lebanon's Acting Prime Minister Says Country Not Involved in Airstrikes Against Israel

Lebanon's Acting Prime Minister Says Country Not Involved in Airstrikes Against Israel

A preliminary investigation into the airstrikes conducted toward Israel has showed that the units that had launched the missiles were of non-Lebanese origin, the press office of Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said on Sunday.

2023-04-09T13:49+0000

2023-04-09T13:49+0000

2023-04-09T13:49+0000

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On Thursday, Israeli media reported that dozens of missiles had been fired from Lebanon, targeting border towns and cities located in the northern and western Galilee region. The Israel Defense Forces said that 34 missiles had been fired from Lebanon, 23 of them intercepted by the air defense systems. The Israeli military accused Palestinian groups of being behind the attack, which comes a day after Israeli police stormed the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, one of Islams holiest sites, clashing with Palestinians and arresting hundreds. The prime minister said that Lebanon opposed any escalation and rejected the use of the country's territory for conducting operations aimed at destabilization of the situation in the region, as cited by the press service. The press office added that the airstrikes conducted toward Israel were "a response to Israeli aggression" in the West Bank and in the Gaza Strip.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230407/latest-developments-in-israel-palestine-sonflict-1109235922.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230409/macron-urges-europe-to-stay-out-of-feud-between-us-china-over-taiwan-1109300224.html

Macron Urges Europe to Stay Out of Feud Between US, China Over Taiwan

Macron Urges Europe to Stay Out of Feud Between US, China Over Taiwan

Europe should not let itself be drawn into the confrontation between the United States and China over Taiwan conforming to "the American rhythm," French President Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday.

2023-04-09T14:26+0000

2023-04-09T14:26+0000

2023-04-09T14:32+0000

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emmanuel macron

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taiwan

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Macron noted that Europeans need to "wake up" and think about their own interests. Macron's remarks come on the heels of his visit to China this past week, during which he praised Beijing's role in the international arena and underlined the importance of bilateral French-Chinese relations in various spheres. A series of commercial contracts has been signed between companies of the two countries during the visit. The situation around Taiwan escalated last August after then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi traveled to the island. Beijing condemned Pelosi's trip, which it regarded as a gesture of support for separatism, and launched large-scale military drills in the vicinity of the island. Despite China's acute reaction, Pelosi's visit unleashed a wave of trips by Western politicians to the island.Beijing views the island as its province, while Taiwan insists on autonomy. Beijing opposes any official contacts of foreign states with Taipei and considers Chinese sovereignty over the island indisputable - with accordance to one-China policy.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230406/macron-faces-the-dragon-1109206844.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230409/metal-in-most-benin-bronzes-originates-from-germany-study-reveals-1109300424.html

Metal in Most Benin Bronzes Originates From Germany, Study Reveals

Metal in Most Benin Bronzes Originates From Germany, Study Reveals

The initial source of the brass the Benin Bronzes were made of was produced in Germany and likely shipped to the western part of Africa in the form manillas, a recent study, published by the journal Plos One, has revealed.

2023-04-09T15:16+0000

2023-04-09T15:16+0000

2023-04-09T15:19+0000

africa

west africa

nigeria

germany

benin bronze

cultural heritage

bronze

artifacts

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The initial source of the brass the Benin Bronzes was produced in Germany and likely shipped to western Africa, a recent study published by the journal PlOS One, has revealed. Insight into Atlantic TradeAt the center of the story are so-called manillas, horseshoe-shaped rings made of brass, which were used as the currency of the Portuguese trade in the 16th and 17th centuries. Historians have repeatedly expressed an assumption that European manillas from Great Britain, Germany or Scandinavia were used for the production of the Benin artifacts. However, they had no empirical evidence.Now, Tobias Skowronek, a geochemist from the Technical University Georg Agricola, Bochum, Germany, along with his colleagues and co-writers, has provided the first evidence that the brass material came from Europe and could be even the only source of raw materials for the West African foundry industry. The researchers used documentary sources, as well as geochemical analysis to demonstrate that the source of the early Portuguese manillas and the Benin Bronzes was the same and originated from the German Rhineland. There were few historical documents and contracts between German brass producers and Portuguese or Spanish merchants. Documentary sources indicated that hundreds of thousands of horseshoe-shaped copper and brass rings were shipped from Europe to West Africa following the beginning of the Portuguese trade in the late 15th century, and scientists have suggested that they were the metallic sources of the Benin Bronzes.Therefore, Skowronek began to look for the early manillas himself in museums in Europe, Africa and the USA. Eventually, he found what he was looking for: numerous pieces had been discovered in the wrecks of sunken ships off the coasts of Ghana, Portugal and Spain. He was allowed to take samples, and then compared the derived data with those of relevant European ores and those of the Benin Bronzes. It was noted that they had access to a vast base of Benin material with over 700 available chemical analyses.The study revealed that Germany was the principal source of the manillas used in the West African trade between the 15th and 18th centuries, as the chemical composition of these manillas is similar to the ores of Rhineland. It also turned out that the lead isotope ratios of the brass rings were the most suitable for determining the origin of the Benin bronzes. Thus, the researchers came to the conclusion that the manillas were actually used to create the Benin artworks. At the same time, the study underlined that "the difference in trace elemental patterns between manillas and Benin Bronzes does not allow postulating that they have been the only source."Works of Art Looted by the BritishThe Benin Bronzes presented in the form of heads, plaques, figurines and other objects "are the most famous ancient works of art in all of West Africa," according to the researcher Skowronek.Thousands of art objects were seized by the British 125 years ago during a raid on the Kingdom of Benin, in what is now modern-day Nigeria. The artifacts eventually made their way into museums and private collections all over the world, including Germany. Recently, the West African nation has intensified its efforts to have these cultural items returned. The largest collection of the artifacts is in the British Museum in London. The Horniman Museum, another British museum, and the University of Cambridge, as well as several museums in Germany and the United States have returned their collections of bronzes to Nigeria.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20221219/wounds-of-the-past-berlin-to-return-looted-benin-bronzes-to-nigeria-1105577558.html

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A ship of Navy Force under the Eastern Theatre Command of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) takes part in a combat readiness patrol and "Joint Sword" exercises around Taiwan, at an undisclosed location in this handout image released on April 8. Reuters-Yonhap



China deployed dozens of fighter jets and warships around Taiwan on Sunday for a second day of large-scale military drills, in an angry show of force following a meeting between the island's president and the U.S. House speaker.



The move sparked condemnation from Taipei and calls for restraint from Washington, which said it was "monitoring Beijing's actions closely".



Dubbed "Joint Sword", the three-day operation  which includes rehearsing an encirclement of Taiwan  will run until Monday, the People's Liberation Army's (PLA) Eastern Theatre Command said.



"I am a little worried; I would be lying to you if I say that I am not," said 73-year-old Donald Ho, who was exercising in a park on Sunday morning in Taipei, in the far north of the self-ruled island.



"I am still worried because if a war broke out both sides will suffer quite a lot," he told AFP.



China's war games saw planes, ships and personnel sent into "the maritime areas and air space of the Taiwan Strait, off the northern and southern coasts of the island, and to the island's east", the army said as it launched the exercises, engineered to flex Beijing's military muscles in front of Taiwan and the world.



A report from state broadcaster CCTV said: "The task force will simultaneously organize patrols and advances around Taiwan island, shaping an all-round encirclement and deterrence posture."



The patriotic write-up went on to detail the type of weaponry China was putting through its paces, including "long-range rocket artillery, naval destroyers, missile boats, air force fighters, bombers, jammers and refuelers".



Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen immediately denounced the drills, which come after she met with U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California.



She pledged to work with "the U.S. and other like-minded countries" in the face of "continued authoritarian expansionism".



In Washington, a State Department spokesperson said the United States had "consistently urged restraint and no change to the status quo", but noted it had ample resources to fulfil its security commitments in Asia.



The United States has been deliberately ambiguous on whether it would defend Taiwan militarily, although for decades it has sold weapons to Taipei to help ensure its self-defense.





A handout photo provided by the Taiwan Ministry of National Defense shows Ma'anshan missile frigates, far left, of the Chinese Navy being monitored by Taiwanese navy personnel along the Taiwan Strait, Taiwan, April 8. EPA-Yonhap







Live-fire exercises



Exercises on Monday will include live-fire drills off the rocky coast of China's Fujian province, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) south of Taiwan's Matsu Islands and 186 kilometers (115 miles) from Taipei.



"These operations serve as a stern warning against the collusion between separatist forces seeking 'Taiwan independence' and external forces and against their provocative activities," said Shi Yin, a PLA spokesman.



"The operations are necessary for safeguarding China's national sovereignty and territorial integrity."



AFP saw no immediate signs of enhanced military manoeuvers on the northern coast of Pingtan, a Chinese island across the strait from Taiwan where the live-ammunition exercises will kick off on Monday.



A smattering of tourists wandered the golden sands on Sunday morning, as fishing boats bobbed in the wharf beyond.



China views democratic, self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory and has vowed to take it one day, by force if necessary.



Taiwan's defense ministry said on Sunday that as many as nine Chinese warships had been detected around the island the day before, along with over 70 aircraft.



The number of aircraft crossings into Taiwan's southwestern air defense identification zone (ADIZ) was the highest recorded in a single day this year, according to data collected by AFP.



"The CCP (Chinese Communist Party) has continued to conduct military exercises around the Taiwan Strait and since this morning it has successively dispatched multiple batches of aircraft... as well as a number of ships in the area," the defense ministry said on Sunday.



"The military has been closely monitoring the situation for relevant developments, and tasked aircraft, ships and ground missile systems to respond accordingly," it added.



The drills came hours after the departure from Beijing of French President Emmanuel Macron, who was in China to urge his counterpart Xi Jinping to help bring an end to the war in Ukraine.



In August last year, China deployed warships, missiles and fighter jets around Taiwan in its largest show of force in years following a trip to the island by McCarthy's predecessor, Nancy Pelosi.



Tsai returned to Taiwan on Friday after visiting her island's dwindling band of official diplomatic allies in Latin America, with two U.S. stopovers that included meetings with McCarthy and other lawmakers. (AFP)




https://sputnikglobe.com/20230409/musk-claps-back-at-journalist-matt-taibbi-over-twitter-substack-rivalry-1109287597.html

Musk Claps Back at Journalist Matt Taibbi Over Twitter-Substack Rivalry

Musk Claps Back at Journalist Matt Taibbi Over Twitter-Substack Rivalry

Journalist Matt Taibbi helped the billionaire to expose the truth about how censorship and US-backed propaganda work on social media by releasing several batches of the so-called Twitter Files.

2023-04-09T09:31+0000

2023-04-09T09:31+0000

2023-04-09T09:31+0000

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Elon Musk has denied allegations that Twitter blocked the links of the online platform, Substack, and claimed that reporter Matt Taibbi, whom he trusted with disclosing the Twitter Files, was working for the rival platform.Musk's reaction came on the heels of Taibbi's Friday announcement that he was quitting Twitter, which was purchased by the Tesla CEO last year, because the platform became, in the reporter's words, unusable. Taibbi revealed that he would opt for Substacks new Notes feature instead, after Twitter allegedly restricted tweets with Substack links on the platform, labelling them as unsafe.Taibbi was one of a few journalists granted access by Musk to the 'Twitter Files', a trove of documents unveiling the ugly truth about the social media platform's collaboration with the US government to quash free speech worldwide. The independent reporter testified before the House Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government, where he stressed that American government agencies involved in submitting moderation requests to Twitter included the FBI, the CIA, the Pentagon and the Department of Homeland Security. He also mentioned private entities that also influenced Twitter's moderation policy, namely, the National Endowment for Democracy, the Alliance for Securing Democracy and the Stanford Internet Observatory. He stated that there is a clandestine network of tech companies, US government agencies and private organizations that suppresses freedom of speech, promotes the liberal agenda and spreads misinformation in order to whitewash US government malfeasance. Consequently, he dubbed this network the Censorship-Industrial Complex. According to the demands of these "deep state" structures, Twitter and other social media companies would 'moderate' content, like limiting access to the Hunter Biden laptop story or ban accounts of conservative politicians.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230309/censorship-industrial-complex-twitter-files-authors-testify-before-us-house-panel-1108226726.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230409/no-auction-france-returns-rare-manuscript-to-algeria-1109290877.html

No Auction: France Returns Rare Manuscript to Algeria

No Auction: France Returns Rare Manuscript to Algeria

The Abdelkader manuscript  a rare book, dating from the seventeenth century, returned to Algeria from France, which had seized it during colonization.

2023-04-09T11:08+0000

2023-04-09T11:08+0000

2023-04-10T08:04+0000

africa

algeria

france

treasure

ancient treasure

art

colonialism

colonization

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Algeria has managed to recover the Abdelkader manuscript  a rare book dating from the seventeenth century that was seized by the French during colonization, Algeria's Foreign Ministry has declared.The Islamic manuscript written in Arabic was created in 1659. It was seized from one of the followers of independence leader Emir Abdelkader in 1842 during a raid, then brought to France by Lieutenant Blanry, an officer of the African Army.The book was to be auctioned in France before the auction was canceled thanks to the mobilization of the authorities and the Algerian diaspora in France, which wished to see the manuscript returned. This success was welcomed by Algiers, which recalled the importance of repatriating such national treasures, the Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated.Restitution of stolen objectsThe restitution of works looted during the colonial period has become a vital issue for several African countries of late.Egypt, in particular, has made its voice heard on several occasions on this issue. In January, the United States returned one of the largest wooden sarcophagi ever discovered to Cairo, dating from the Lower Pharaonic period. Ireland did the same in December, also returning a sarcophagus and the remains of mummies.At the same time, Cairo now seeks that the famous Rosetta stone, thanks to which the French Egyptologist Jean-Francois Champollion deciphered the hieroglyphs, be returned. This treasure, brought to France after Napoleon's expedition in Egypt, is today in the British Museum. A petition to return it home has collected more than 110,000 signatures.In December 2022, the University of Cambridge likewise announced plans to return 116 looted artifacts, known as the Benin bronzes, to Nigeria.Thousands of bronzes were stolen by the British military during the looting of Benin (in modern-day Nigeria) in 1897. Later, historical objects were scattered around the world and can be found in numerous collections in the West.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230401/pink-diamond-from-botswana-could-set-record-at-auction-media-say-1109032792.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230409/nyt-secret-doc-leaks-hurting-us-relations-with-allies-as-washington-eavesdropping-on-key-partners-1109285245.html

NYT: Secret Doc Leaks Hurting US Relations With Allies as Washington Eavesdropping on Key Partners

NYT: Secret Doc Leaks Hurting US Relations With Allies as Washington Eavesdropping on Key Partners

The leaks of classified US documents have complicated Washingtons relations with allies, The New York Times reported, citing US officials.

2023-04-09T05:14+0000

2023-04-09T05:14+0000

2023-04-13T12:45+0000

americas

us

leak

data leak

south korea

ukraine

pentagon leaks

pentagon

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There are now doubts among allied countries regarding Washingtons ability to keep its secrets, the newspaper said on Saturday, adding that the United States appears to be spying not only on Ukraine, but also such important American allies as Israel and South Korea. In the excerpts published on social media, there are at least two discussions about Seoul's deliberations about whether to provide the United States artillery shells for use in Ukraine, violating South Koreas policy on providing lethal aid. According to the newspaper, South Korean officials were said to be concerned that President Joe Biden would call his South Korean counterpart Yoon Suk-yeol in order to pressure Seoul to deliver the shells.A different document, allegedly from the CIA, revealed that the US learned about the internal debate in South Korea from a signals intelligence report, a term used for intercepted communications, be it phone calls or e-mails.According to US officials, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) started an inquiry into the source of the leaks on Friday, the newspaper said. One senior US official told The New York Times that the leak was a "massive intelligence breach." The leaked documents appear to be legitimate intelligence, but at least one of the documents had been modified from its original, officials said. Earlier this week, the New York Times reported, citing officials familiar with the matter, that a new batch of classified documents had leaked online that included US national security secrets relating to Ukraine, China, and the Middle East. A US defense official told Sputnik that the Pentagon was aware of the new batch of leaked classified documents related to Ukraine, the Middle East, and China, and was looking into the matter. The leaks come following the emergence of purportedly classified documents online related to the conflict in Ukraine, which included NATO and US plans for the conflict and an assessment of air defense capabilities.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230408/scott-ritter-us-document-leak-much-ado-about-nothing-1109280151.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230408/awfully-convenient-leaked-nato-plans-for-ukraine-should-be-taken-with-grain-of-salt-1109279802.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230409/orlando-shooting-results-in-three-dead-including-one-child---police-1109304359.html

Orlando Shooting Results in Three Dead, Including One Child - Police

Orlando Shooting Results in Three Dead, Including One Child - Police

Three people, including one child, were killed in a shooting in Orlando, Florida, the City of Orlando Police Department said.

2023-04-09T22:53+0000

2023-04-09T22:53+0000

2023-04-09T22:53+0000

americas

orlando

shooting

buddy dyer

gun violence

domestic violence

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The shooting occurred at 2:25 a.m. local time on Sunday (06:25 GMT) and was classified as a suspected domestic violence incident by police. According to Orlando police, the suspect, a 29-year-old African-American male, shot and killed a total of three people. The police officers who responded to the shooting were placed on paid administrative leave after the tragic incident. Mayor of Orlando Buddy Dyer has expressed condolences to the victims families.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230328/from-columbine-to-covenant-why-the-us-cant-seem-to-escape-the-scourge-of-gun-violence-1108875658.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230409/pope-francis-holds-easter-sunday-mass-at-st-peters-basilica-1109286223.html

Pope Francis Holds Easter Sunday Mass at St. Peter's Basilica

Pope Francis Holds Easter Sunday Mass at St. Peter's Basilica

Pope Francis is holding Easter Sunday Mass and is delivering his 'Urbi et Orbi' ('To the City and the World') blessing message at St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican on April 9.

2023-04-09T07:50+0000

2023-04-09T07:50+0000

2023-04-09T08:12+0000

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pope

pope francis

easter

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Sputnik goes lives as Pope Francis is holding Easter Sunday Mass and is delivering his 'Urbi et Orbi' ('To the City and the World') blessing message at St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican on April 9.The 86-year-old pontiff, who is recovering from bronchitis and spent three nights in hospital last week, did not attend the traditional "Way of the Cross" prayer service on Good Friday for the first time in the 10 years of his papacy. The Vatican explained that Pope Francis followed the Way of the Cross from Casa Santa Marta due to cold weather.However, ahead of the Way of the Cross, the pontiff presided over the celebration of the Passion of the Lord within St Peter's Basilica Friday afternoon, arriving in a wheelchair.Follow Sputnik's Live Feed to Find Out More.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230409/retired-us-marines-berate-kirby-for-refusing-to-admit-chaotic-afghanistan-exit-1109292065.html

Retired US Marines Berate Kirby for Refusing to Admit Chaotic Afghanistan Exit

Retired US Marines Berate Kirby for Refusing to Admit Chaotic Afghanistan Exit

Earlier this week, Washington released a new summary report, in which it upheld its decision to pull US troops out of Afghanistan in 2021.

2023-04-09T10:02+0000

2023-04-09T10:02+0000

2023-04-09T10:02+0000

world

us

afghanistan

withdrawal

troops

report

joe biden

donald trump

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Retired US marines have lashed out at National Security Council spokesman John Kirby over his upbeat characterization of the chaotic 2021 US withdrawal from Afghanistan, which he claimed was largely successful.Chad Robichaux, a veteran of the Afghanistan war and co-founder of the Save Our Allies non-profit group, told a US broadcaster that Americans can see through the Biden administrations lies and that Kirby's comments were not entirely accurate, given facts on the ground.Robichaux added that as a fellow veteran, it made him sad to see former military leaders turn on our [US] citizens for personal and political gain.I've been talking to veterans and veterans' groups all morning about this. One of the reasons that I think that veterans are so upset about this is like my friend an Afghanistan combat veteran, says: it's not about what happened," Mann said.Referring to the absence of accountability, he explained: What worries veterans so much is that we've got all of these problems now with violent extremist groups coming up in Afghanistan.The same tone was struck by retired Lieutenant Colonel Danny Davis, who said that he was perplexed by Kirby's unwillingness to dub the US troop exit from Afghanistan as chaos.He was referring to the August 26 suicide bomb attack at the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul which claimed the lives of 13 US service members and at least 170 Afghans in 2021.The veterans remarks followed Kirby telling the White House press briefing on Thursday that for all this talk of chaos, I just didn't see it. Not from my perch. According to him, "[N]ot one single mission was missed. So I'm sorry. I just don't buy the whole argument of chaos.Trump Scolds Biden Over Afghan Troop Pullout Former US President Donald Trump chimed in on his Truth Social media platform, saying that it was Joe Biden who was solely responsible for the debacle and that the new White House report blaming the Trump administration for the withdrawal holds no water.The comments came after the White House released a summary report of the operation to evacuate US forces, citizens and Afghan allies in August 2021. The report, in particular, claims that President Joe Biden's plan to withdraw US forces from Afghanistan was "severely constrained" by the strategy he inherited from his predecessor.The US troop withdrawal featured images of utter chaos at Kabul Airport and beyond, with experts comparing the photos to the 1975 fall of Saigon during the Vietnam War. The situation resulted in thousands of stranded Afghan allies and Americans being left behind, a deadly terror attack and a retaliatory US strike that mistakenly killed an innocent family.The Taliban* took power in Afghanistan in August 2021, triggering the collapse of the US-backed government and accelerating its troop pullout. On August 31, 2021, US forces completed their withdrawal from the country, ending their 20-year-long military presence.*The Taliban is an organization under UN sanctions for terrorism.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230407/blinken-admits-uss-lack-of-preparedness-for-hasty-afghanistan-withdrawal-1109232413.html

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2021 us troop exit from afghanistan, new white house report on 2021 us troop exit from afghanistan, trump's criticism of biden over 2021 us troop withdrawal from afghanistan
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230409/russian-catholics-and-protestants-celebrate-easter-1109287938.html

Russian Catholics and Protestants Celebrate Easter

Russian Catholics and Protestants Celebrate Easter

Easter Sunday, marking the purported resurrection of Jesus Christ, differs for the East and the West, with a week-long gap between the celebrations this year.

2023-04-09T17:00+0000

2023-04-09T17:00+0000

2023-04-09T17:00+0000

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photo

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Members of the Roman Catholic church and Protestant denominations celebrate Easter this Sunday  the most important date for believers. It commemorates the reported resurrection of Jesus Christ three days after he was crucified, and thousands of Catholics in Russia partake in festivities.Orthodox believers, however, will celebrate Easter a week later  on 16 April, but this week they mark Palm Sunday - the day when Jesus entered Jerusalem and people scattered palm branches before him as a sign of honor.Check out Sputnik's gallery to learn more!

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230409/russian-forces-destroy-two-ukrainian-sabotage-groups---defense-ministry-1109283350.html

MoD: Russian Forces Destroy Two Ukrainian Sabotage Groups

MoD: Russian Forces Destroy Two Ukrainian Sabotage Groups

Russian service members have destroyed two enemy sabotage and reconnaissance groups in the Kupyansk direction and thwarted three attempts of Ukrainian troop rotation, a Russian Defense Ministry spokesperson told Sputnik.

2023-04-09T03:54+0000

2023-04-09T03:54+0000

2023-04-09T04:28+0000

russia's special operation in ukraine

zaporozhye

ukraine

russia

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"During the day, in the Kupyansk direction, the military personnel  located and destroyed two enemy sabotage and reconnaissance groups  and also thwarted three attempts to rotate the units of Ukrainian armed forces," the spokesperson said. He added that Russian forces have also destroyed four Ukrainian drones near the villages of Vladimirovka, Stelmakhovka and Olshana. Russia launched its special military operation in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, after the Donetsk and Lugansk peoples republics appealed for help in defending themselves against Ukrainian provocations. In response to Russias 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.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230402/russian-forces-repel-combined-strike-of-ukrainian-troops-mod-1109040854.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230409/russian-military-creating-special-groups-to-destroy-western-tanks-in-ukraine-1109292909.html

Russian Military Creating Special Groups to Destroy Western Tanks in Ukraine

Russian Military Creating Special Groups to Destroy Western Tanks in Ukraine

The Russian armed forces have started creating special groups tasked by the defense ministry with destroying the tanks that Western countries supply to Kiev, the head of a combat training center, Yevgeny Arifulin, said on Sunday.

2023-04-09T09:38+0000

2023-04-09T09:38+0000

2023-04-09T09:38+0000

russia's special operation in ukraine

ukrainian crisis

m1 abrams tank

leopard 2

leclerc

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He called the creation of the special groups "a great state systematic work." Russian troops are studying, in particular, US tanks Abrams, German Leopard 2, French Leclerc and UK Challenger, according to Arifulin. Western countries have been supplying Kiev regime with various types of weapons systems, including air defense missiles, multiple launch rocket systems, tanks, self-propelled artillery and anti-aircraft guns, since Russia launched its military operation in Ukraine. The Kremlin has repeatedly warned against continued arms deliveries to Kiev.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230127/four-reasons-leopard-2s--m1-abrams-will-bite-the-dust-in-ukraine-1106772754.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230409/saudi-led-coalition-releases-13-houthi-prisoners---ansar-allah-movement-1109282835.html

Saudi-Led Coalition Releases 13 Houthi Prisoners, Movement Says

Saudi-Led Coalition Releases 13 Houthi Prisoners, Movement Says

The Houthi rebels (Ansar Allah movement) in Yemen have announced the release of over a dozen prisoners, in exchange for one Saudi prisoner, the head of the Houthis' prisoner affairs committee, Abdul Qader al-Murtada, said.

2023-04-09T02:58+0000

2023-04-09T02:58+0000

2023-04-09T04:25+0000

world

yemen

saudi-led coalition

saudi arabia

houthi rebels

houthi movement

houthi

prisoner swap

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"Today we met 13 prisoners at Sana'a International Airport who were released by the Saudi authorities in exchange for a Saudi prisoner we released earlier," Abdul Qader al-Murtada said on Twitter on Saturday. On Friday, the head of the Houthis' prisoner affairs committee said on Twitter that the International Committee of the Red Cross had informed Ansar Allah that the start of the planned prisoner exchange with the Yemeni authorities was being put off for three days. Earlier this month, a Yemeni diplomatic source told Sputnik that the Houthis and the Yemeni government had reached an agreement to extend the truce for six months. The previous truce expired in October 2022, but the parties were not able to reach an agreement on its extension immediately afterward because of the Houthis demand that the government allocate to them part of the revenues from oil and gas sales from government-controlled territories. Yemen has been engulfed in an armed conflict between the government forces and the Houthi rebels since 2014. The situation was exacerbated in March 2015, when the Saudi-led coalition, working in cooperation with the internationally-recognized Yemeni government, began conducting air, land and sea operations against the Houthis. The latter have retaliated by attacking Saudi forces and firing missiles into Saudi Arabia.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230326/houthi-official-hails-iran-saudi-rapprochement-hopes-it-will-mean-peace-for-yemen-1108806357.html

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Israeli soldiers search for a rocket that landed near Kibbutz Meitsar in the Israeli annexed Golan Heights, April 9. Three rockets were fired Saturday night, April 8, from Syria towards Israel, the Israeli army said, following earlier rocket fire from Lebanon which the army blamed on Palestinian militants. AFP-Yonhap



The Israeli military said three more rockets were launched from Syria toward Israel early Sunday, raising to six the number of missiles fired within hours in a rare attack from Israel's northeastern neighbor.



Israel's army said it was retaliating with artillery strikes on the area in Syria from where the rockets were fired at Israel.



The rocket firings come after days of escalating violence on multiple fronts over tension in Jerusalem and an Israeli police raid on the city's most sensitive holy site.



In the second barrage, two of the rockets crossed the border into Israel, with one being intercepted and the second landing in an open area, the military said. In the first attack, one rocket landed in a field in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights. Fragments of another destroyed missile fell into Jordanian territory near the Syrian border, Jordan's military reported.



There were no reports of casualties.



Meanwhile, a Damascus-based Palestinian group loyal to the Syrian regime claimed responsibility for launching the three missiles on Israel in Saturday, reported Beirut-based Al-Mayadeen TV.



The report quoted Al-Quds Brigade, a militia different than the larger Palestinian Islamic Jihad's armed wing with a similar name, as saying it fired the rockets to retaliate for the police raid on Al-Aqsa Mosque.



In Syria, an adviser to President Bashar Assad described the rocket strikes as "part of the previous, present and continuing response to the brutal enemy."



In the occupied West Bank, Israeli security forces fatally shot a 20-year-old Palestinian in the town of Azzun, Palestinian health officials said, stirring protests in the area. The Israeli military said troops fired at Palestinians hurling stones and explosive devices. The Palestinian Health Ministry identified the Palestinian killed as Ayed Salim.



His death came at a time of unusually heightened violence in the West Bank. Over 90 Palestinians and have been killed by Israeli fire so far this year, at least half of them affiliated with militant groups, according to a tally by The Associated Press.



Palestinian attacks on Israelis have killed 19 people in that time  including on Friday two British-Israelis shot to death near a settlement in the Jordan Valley and an Italian tourist killed by a suspected car-ramming in Tel Aviv. All but one were civilians.









The rocket fire from Syria comes against the backdrop of soaring Israeli-Palestinian tensions touched off by an Israeli police raid on Jerusalem's most sensitive site, the sacred compound home to the Al-Aqsa mosque. That outraged Palestinians marking the holy fasting month of Ramadan and prompted militants in Lebanon  as well as Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip  to fire a heavy barrage of rockets into Israel.



In retaliation, Israeli warplanes struck sites allegedly linked to the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza and southern Lebanon.



Late Saturday, tensions ran high in Jerusalem as a few hundred Palestinian worshippers barricaded themselves in the mosque, which sits on a hilltop in the heart of Jerusalem's Old City sacred to both Muslims and Jews. Israeli police efforts to evict the worshippers locked in the mosque overnight with stockpiled firecrackers and stones spiraled into unrest in the holy site earlier this week.



The latest escalations prompted Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant to extend a closure barring entrance to Israel for Palestinians from the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip for the duration of the Jewish holiday of Passover, while police beefed up forces in Jerusalem on the eve of sensitive religious celebrations.



In a separate incident in the northern West Bank city of Nablus late Saturday, a leader of a local independent armed group known as the Lion's Den claimed the group executed an alleged Israeli collaborator who had tipped off the Israeli military to the locations and movements of the group's members. Israeli security forces have targeted and killed several of the group's key members in recent months.



The accused man's killing could not be immediately confirmed, but videos in Palestinian media showed medics and residents gathered around his bloodied body in the Old City, where the Lion's Den holds sway. "Traitors have neither a country nor a people," Lion's Den commander Oday Azizi said in a statement.





Palestinian worshippers perform "tarawih," an extra lengthy prayer held during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, next to the Dome of Rock at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in the Old City of Jerusalem, Saturday, April 8. AP-Yonhap
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230409/twitter-dubs-bbc-as-government-funded-media-as-broadcaster--1109297537.html

Twitter Dubs BBC as Government-Funded Media

Twitter Dubs BBC as Government-Funded Media

Tech billionaire Elon Musk started his crusade for free speech. At first, he initiated the series of Twitter files publications, where the mechanism of disinformation and US-led psy ops were unmasked. Now he is branding media with government funded tag.

2023-04-09T14:43+0000

2023-04-09T14:43+0000

2023-04-09T14:43+0000

world

uk

bbc

bbc bias

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Twitter has added a "Government Funded" tag on the BBC official account, predictably sparking criticism from the network.Previously, the same measure was applied to NPR, which is closely affiliated with US authorities and most infamous for trying to silence the Hunter Biden laptop saga, which shed some light on unpleasant details of the life of the POTUS' family.Twitter identifies government-funded media as "outlets where the state exercises control over editorial content through financial resources, direct or indirect political pressures, and/or control over production and distribution." In other words, media that bandwagons a government agenda even without funding can be dubbed as state-controlled by the social media.For its part, the BBC denied allegations of government funding, insisting it is an independent media and claiming that it is entirely funded by UK citizens via license fees included in taxes. However, it is the British government that sets the level of the fees, meaning that politicians can simply cut off the oxygen for "independent" journalists at any given moment. Current BBC Chairman Richard Sharp is a former investment banker who built a successful career in JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs, but has nothing to do with journalism and media in general. Sharp previously acted as a private banker for former PM Boris Johnson, and even used to be the boss of incumbent Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at Goldman Sachs.The BBC was established by Royal Charter back in 1927 and it is run by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, while the BBC's key donor is the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office - the British foreign ministry. The list of important sponsors also includes the United States Agency for International Development, European Union, NORAD - North American Aerospace Defense Command and even the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The BBC has often been caught red-handed promoting Number 10's agenda, and enjoys vast support from the government in countering Russian soft power, including receiving a 34 million boost for the BBC World Service.

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bbc state-controlled, bbc biased. musk, twitter files
Jets Sureshot came up big with driver Kim Pluta to win the Saturday night $10,800 featured Open Handicap Pace at Northville Downs.

It was a mad scramble for early position as favourite Lying In Cash, Oh K Man and Ticks A Yankin exchanged the lead position three times before the half. Jets Sureshot looked on from fifth as the field went :28 to the quarter and :56.2 to the half. Pluta pulled his charge to a second-over position up the backstretch behind Pitt Panda, who battled Ticks A Yankin to three-quarters in 1:25.2.

As they turned for home, Jets Sureshot swung wide for the drive and got up to win by a nose over Oh K Man, who was resurgent in the passing lane down the stretch, but had to settle for second, while Lying In Cash, who got shuffled out the back early on, closed well for third. The final clocking was 1:55.1 for the talented group.

Bart Stimer conditions seven-year-old Jets Sureshot, who is owned and bred in Michigan by Richard Copp.

Meanwhile, in the Open 2 Pace, driver Kody Massey and eight-year-old Magic Shark dazzled to a wire-to-wire score in the weekends fastest mile time of 1:53.3 holding off a late charge by pocket-sitter Liberal by a head.

Magic Shark is trained by Elizabeth Tolley and owned by Gary Wilmoth.

Racing at The Ville resumes Friday, April 14 at 7 p.m. Friday night is dollar night with $1 live programs, $1 pop, $1 popcorn, $2 hot dogs, beer and hamburger specials. Northville races every Friday and Saturday night from now until Sept. 30.

(Northville Downs)
Back in January I introduced a bill to help drivers obtain a commercial drivers license (CDL). That bill is LB 688. The bill has advanced out of the Transportation and Telecommunications Committee and is now on General File. So, today I would like to tell you why this bill is important and why I introduced it.

Obtaining a commercial drivers license isnt as easy at it use to be. 25 years ago, all that a person had to do to get a CDL was to pay a visit to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), pass a few tests, and pay a fee. A lot has changed since those days. The process has become much more complicated and a lot more expensive.

Today there are several hoops that a driver must jump through in order to get a CDL. Today the process begins with getting a physical examination by a certified physician associated with the Department of Transportation. After the examination a person may apply for a Commercial Learners Permit (CLP). In order to get a CLP a driver must provide the DMV with proof of citizenship, complete a medical self-certification, and provide the DMV with a copy of his or her Medical Examination Certificate Card issued by the examining physician. However, the CLP only allows the individual to drive within the State of Nebraska and the CLP is only good 180 days. If the CLP expires before the driver obtains a CDL, the process starts all over again from the beginning.

In order to obtain an actual CDL a driver must be 21 years of age and hold a CLP for at least 14 days prior to taking any of the CDL tests. Besides passing a general written test and a physical driving test, a driver must also pass certain endorsement tests dependent upon what kind of driving he or she plans to do. If all of this seems complicated, thats because it is.

Because there is so much involved with getting a CDL today, many community colleges, businesses and even non-profit organizations now offer training courses designed to help drivers obtain a CDL. Last year Iowa passed legislation to fund these kinds of training programs in their state. Without similar action by the Nebraska State Legislature, we would stand to lose many of these training opportunities to Iowa and other neighboring states. Therefore, I introduced LB 688 which would appropriate five million dollars towards training CDL drivers in Nebraska. Because commercial transportation is so vital to the economy of our state, I believe this bill is necessary to keep our economy going.

Last Sunday was an amazing and glorious time to celebrate the most pivotal day in human history. Whether you celebrated at a small country church, outdoors at a sunrise service, or inside a grand cathedral, Easter Sunday is the day when Christians all around the world remember the historical fact of Jesus rising from the dead. Everyone lives forever. You make the decision about where you will spend the rest of eternity. Jesus Christ is the way to heaven. Jesus said in John 3:16, For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. He is risen!
LINCOLN  The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services Division of Medicaid and Long-Term Care will host its next Medicaid listening tour this spring in communities around the state.

Unpacking the Unwind: A Medicaid Listening Tour will be held in eight cities this April and May, with two options to attend in the Panhandle, along with two virtual options. This tour will include a presentation from Nebraska Medicaid that will focus on important updates for both members and providers regarding the end of the public health emergency and continuous coverage requirement. After the presentation, Nebraska Medicaid will field questions and feedback from those in attendance.

We had a lot of excellent conversations with stakeholders and members of the public during our last listening tour in October, Medicaid Director Kevin Bagley said. Theres a lot going on, and so we want to be sure the public understands what we are doing and why as well as provide feedback. Its important to us that were able to take those conversations and build from them.

The dates for Panhandle sessions are as follows:

 Tuesday, April 18

12-1 p.m., Chadron State College, Mari Sandoz High Plains Heritage Center  Atrium, 100 Main St., Chadron.

7-8 p.m., Scottsbluff High School  Board Meeting Room, 313 E 27th St.

A virtual presentations will also be held on two dates:

 Thursday, April 13, 12-1 p.m. (CST), hosted via WebEx.

Join online: /sonvideo.webex.com/sonvideo/j.phpMTID=mc8146a42e72279f703742af814ea3b9d

Join by phone: 408-418-9388 (Access code: 2493 891 5189)

 April 26, 7-8 PM (CST), hosted via WebEx.

Join by phone: 408-418-9388 (Access code: 2489 849 5185)
Gandhi said it best: Learn as if you will live forever. Have you ever wondered how some people seem to know so much about a topic? Personally, I think its because they have passion for that subject, which makes them crave knowledge about it. I look around at some of my co-workers, friends, and family and think to myself, they really know their stuff.

We all have a niche interest about which we are passionate. What if you were to take a subject in your field in which you already have an interest, and then learn as much about it as you could? It would turn you into an expert in that subject, setting you apart from your colleagues and enhancing your personal brand. Theres only one problem: who has the time to learn something new on top of all their other responsibilities?

What if I told you that it could be done in 20 minutes or less? Youd probably think Id fallen off my rocker, but hear me out. You can become an expert on a topic in just 20 minutes a day (or less) by adding a regular block of learning time into your daily routine. It will take some adjusting to your schedule, but it can be done.

Your daily learning time is a small, simple investment that pays off big, helping you to become a more educated and expert professional. The few minutes that you spend learning something new will also give you a much-needed brain break since its a shift from your regular duties.

Experts say that it takes at least 21 days to form a habit. So, add a little learning to each day for a few weeks and see how it goes! Here are a few simple suggestions to get you started.

1. Pick your topic. Think about what you do: your occupation, job duties, and what interests you most in your field. Consider not just something youd like to learn more about, but also subjects on which others may want to gain knowledge. The key to this is to focus on one topic at a time so you dont overwhelm yourself.

2. Work learning time into your schedule and stick with it. When I first set my goal to learn every day, this was very challenging for me. After struggling for the first week, I started blocking off 20 minutes at some point during my workday. It was never at the same time. I just looked at my daily schedule and blocked time when it worked for me that day. Scheduling this block of time helps because otherwise your learning time gets pushed to the back burner. Once you get in the habit, your learning time will be second nature and you may not need to set aside time on your calendar.

3. Dont make learning hard or formal. Learning something new doesnt have to be formalized. This should be something that you look forward to doing. So, dont stress yourself out. Use tools that you find engaging and interesting.Do an internet search about your topic to find articles, books, e-books, podcasts, Ted Talks, etc. Bookmark pages so you can pick back up where you left off. If it pertains to your topic and relates to your work, the method doesnt have to be set in stone.

4. Focus on continuation and progression. Choosing a goal can help you to stay motivated. For instance, you may set a goal to formally present your newfound knowledge to your co-workers. Since the time that youve invested will benefit your workplace, your goal could be to advance within your company. The good thing about tying your learning to goals is that its ongoing.

You can always set a new goal that will drive you to continue learning each day,

To become an expert in any field, you must devote time and energy to gaining knowledge and practicing your skill. Some say that it takes 10,000 hours of study and practice to achieve the level of expert. I agree with Gandhi. As long as youre living, you can be learning and working towards the level of expertise that you want to achieve.
Iredell Health System will soon begin the first phase of its expansion at Iredell Memorial Hospital, increasing the size of both the Emergency Department and the Critical Care Unit.

As construction begins, traffic flow around certain areas will be limited. Beginning Wednesday at 8 a.m., members of the public coming to the hospital for services in the Emergency Department, Imaging, or visiting an individual in the patient tower, should enter those designated parking areas (Lot E) by utilizing the entrance off Brookdale Drive. Entrance to those areas will not be accessible from Hartness Road. Parking areas at the hospitals main entrance (Entrance A) will remain open as usual.

Iredell Health System plans to expand the emergency department (ED) by 4,805 square feet and the critical care unit (CCU) by 11,195 square feet. The project will also include the renovation of the existing CCU. The ED will expand into the current emergency physician parking lot, and the expanded CCU will be built on top of that expansion.

The ED expansion will include the addition of 10 new treatment spaces, including several new exam rooms, three spacious critical care rooms for patients needing that level of care upon entering the emergency department, as well as four secure behavioral health holding rooms, with a special entrance and exit for patient privacy.

Iredell Memorial Hospitals CCU currently has 16 rooms. After the expansion, the CCU will have 27 total rooms, with four rooms containing special bariatric ceiling lifts. The lifts make it easier for caregivers to safely lift and transfer all patients. Additionally, all 11 of the new rooms are capable of transforming into negative pressure isolation rooms, in case of the surge of a highly contagious disease, like COVID-19. In the second phase of the project, the existing CCU will be renovated with all new state-of-the-art equipment, beds, and larger patient rooms.

The exterior portion of the expansion is expected to be completed in summer of 2024, with interior renovations completed by the end of 2024.
No one knew much about Benjamin J. Hendley when he passed away in Statesville. He died suddenly on a Saturday morning around 10:15 a.m. He had been working in Statesville as a laborer and it was understood that he was from Georgia, but thats about all people knew about him. Ben apparently didnt have any friends or family in the area. His death was recorded as being on June 15, but he wasnt buried until eight days later on June 23. Dr. James M. Alexander wrote on Bens death certificate that he died of a cerebral apoplexy, meaning he probably died of a stroke or brain hemorrhage.

Curiously, Dr. Alexander doesnt sign Bens death certificate until July 4, almost three weeks after his death. Apparently, they had been waiting in hopes that a family member or friend from Georgia would make contact looking for Ben. Then perhaps they could send his body back home to be buried near loved ones. Dr. Alexander finally signed off on Bens death certificate on July 4, 1929, leaving the fields listing address, spouse, father, and mother blank. He did note that Ben was an African American male who appeared to be around 59 or 60 years old.

The Landmark carried a small death notice for Ben on June 24, 1929, on the front page. The headline read, Colored Man Dies Suddenly And Is Buried In Potters Field. Benjamin J. Hendley was laid to rest on a Sunday on June 23 in the potters field of the local colored cemetery. The notice ended by noting that, All efforts to locate the relatives of the dead man proved unavailing. There was no marker put up to show where Bens life journey ended. The grass grew back over his grave, and in a while, he was forgotten almost as if he had never been here.

The Green Street Cemetery project began about a year ago when Lisa Mozer asked a small group people to attend a discussion she wanted to have on Statesvilles African American history. We met on the top floor at the library in Statesville and sat at the back pulling some chairs into a semicircle. I was there for the library along with Lisa, Steve Hill, with the Statesville Historical Collection, Phyllis Bailey, Vivian Williams, Todd Scott, with the NAACP, and Marci Sigmon with the city of Statesville.

After introductions, Mozer led the group in a discussion on what needed to be done to recognize and enhance Statesvilles African American history and culture. Lisa pointed out the need to bring some sort of recognition to the African American heritage sites in Statesville such as the locations of the African American schools, churches, businesses and the communities in the Garfield and Green street areas. When my turn came to speak, I pointed out one glaring need in the librarys Local History Department. For years I had been advocating for an inventory of Iredell Countys African American cemeteries. I explained that when African Americans came to the local history room to research their family history, I had very few sources to find where their ancestors might be buried.

We have books that inventory people buried in most of the white cemeteries in Iredell, but there has never been a book published or a study conducted on the Black cemeteries. I also described the ground penetrating radar (GPR) survey that had been conducted at the Snow Creek Methodist Church a few years ago and how great it would be to have such as survey done at Statesvilles old African American Cemetery on Green Street. There were a lot of great ideas discussed before the meeting broke up, but to be honest, I doubted if anything would get done.

Today, the Green Street Cemetery is nearing completion of a ground penetrating radar (GPR) study, Marci Sigmon and the city of Statesville are working on a grant to hire an architectural historian to prepare a report to have the Garfield and Green street areas placed on the National Historic Register, and Downtown Statesville is working on plans to develop a historic walk for Statesville including the Garfield and Green street areas. It all started with Lisa Mozer holding that first meeting and her continuing push to have those good ideas become reality in the form of working projects.

The Green Street Cemetery GPR study is going great. We really lucked out in hiring Len Strozier and Omega Mapping Services (https://omegamapping.com) to bring their equipment and do the study. Len has completed most of it, but the area behind the old Morningside School annex building (later Peterson & Mangum Funeral home) was too rough for him to go over and get reliable readings. The city of Statesville hired an arborists crew to clean that area off, but we didnt think there would be any graves along the top of that ridge behind the annex, so it wasnt cleared. Len thinks he should check it as well. There was another section he felt he should check that we hadnt thought of, and the grass was too high there.

The city of Statesville is making arrangements to have the rest of the brush and trees removed from behind the annex and the grassy areas mowed. A lot of people in the local community along Garfield, Green, and Elm streets came over to talk to Len and he was so good at stopping and explaining what he was doing and listening to them share their family history connecting to the cemetery. He made a great representative for us all in speaking to the media though it did take away from his work time. As soon as the area is cleared, he will come back to finish his work and hopefully we can get his final report in the next few weeks.

Len had told us he was expecting to find like 300 graves. He had no idea what he was getting into. As of now he has found 1,673 unmarked graves and 143 with markers for a total of 1,816. He recorded the GPS coordinates for each grave and put a flag up in the middle of what would have been the body in each grave. By recording the GPS data for each grave, we will always be able to identify the location of each grave.

The library has purchased stainless metal markers to be installed at each unmarked grave to replace the orange flags. Each metal marker is a 10-inch bolt with a three- and half-inch disk at the top. We have purchased special stainless steel pins to put into the ground to replace the flag markers. These metal pins each have a round flat head so that they can be put into the ground level so they will not trip anyone or be hit by a lawnmower. They may get covered up at some point, but we will still be able to find them with the GPR coordinates or a metal detector.

We are planning on installing the metal markers this Wednesday on April 12 from 12 noon until 5 p.m. The library has been partnering with the city of Statesville, Statesville Branch NAACP No. 5454, and Downtown Statesville on this project, but we invite everyone to take part. The library is asking for members of the community to help in the placement of these metal markers which can be pushed into the ground or tapped in using a rubber mallet. To register to take part go to the librarys website at www.iredell.lib.nc.us and click on Green Street Cemetery Update.

I believe that the area behind the school annex/funeral home building may have been a paupers area. Benjamin J. Hendleys death notice in 1929 said he was buried in the Potters Field in the colored cemetery which would have been Green Street. Years ago, Burgess Bailey took Wiley Patterson over to the Green Street area. Wiley was an elderly Black man who had lived in that area all his life. Wiley told of the graves behind the old school annex building and said that when people didnt have money to purchase a burial plot the funeral home would bury them behind the building.

I had been told the same thing by other members of the community in that area. This past summer Shellie Taylor and I from the library found grave markers behind the building though the area was overgrown with trees, brush, and weeds. This didnt make sense though. I mean if you can afford a monument, you could have afforded a burial plot in the regular cemetery. I now believe the six graves with monuments we found were buried after Green Street filled up and before Belmont opened. Green Street is full by 1939. Belmont opens in 1943 to replace Green as Statesvilles African American cemetery. The six behind the annex with markers all died between 1939 and 1943.

We are gathering a ton of data on the Green Street Cemetery, but 1,673 unmarked graves remain a problem. We know where they are buried, but who are they? This is where the research we have conducted becomes valuable. I located 1,172 death certificates that placed the burial of the deceased at the Green Street Cemetery. We might not know where their particular grave might be, but when the GPR study is completed, we will know the location of each grave and we know the names of a good number of them. You can go through the death certificates we have found on the librarys Flickr page at www.flickr.com/photos/icplphotos/collections.

One problem is that the death and birth certificates in N.C. were not required by law until 1913. Aware of the impending law, some doctors began recording death certificates prior to 1913 and there are a few in Iredell pre-dating 1913, but most are after October 1913. The Green Street Cemetery or Union Grove Cemetery as it was called in the beginning starts on Nov. 21, 1885, when William M. Pearson, S.M. Allison, and W.A. Russell, the trustees for the Colored Peoples Graveyard Association, purchases land off Green Street (in the late 1800s it was called High Street) from Mary C. Bell to create a cemetery for the African American community. The price paid is $155 and though the acreage is not shown we know it adjoins the lands of Mary C. Bell, the colored schoolhouse, and Ben Boide.

So, we have the Green Street Cemetery starting around 1885. So how do we know who was buried there between 1885 and 1913 when they began keeping death certificates? To find who these people might have been we have been combing through the newspaper death notices from the 1880s on forward. If you go to our Flickr page you will see along with the death certificate database a collection of newspaper notices under African American Death and Obituary Notices in The Landmark compiled by Russell C. Black, Jr These are death notices of African Americans who died in the Statesville area and the deaths were noted in The Landmark. So far, we have found 140 death notices that tell us the name of someone who was buried in the Green Street Cemetery and many of them were buried prior to the keeping of death certificates.

The credit for getting the Green Street Cemetery Project started belongs to Lisa Mozer, but it was Iredell County Library Director Juli Moore who made the decision to get the library involved. Library Assistant Director Amanda Cain and Local History Program Specialist Shellie Taylor were the ones who did the work necessary to get the $20,000 grant from North Carolina Humanities that is allowing us to pay for the survey and purchase the materials needed. The Iredell County Commissioners, County Manager Beth Mull and Assistant County Manager Susan Robertson have provided much needed support as have Mayor Costi Kutteh, City Manager Ron Smith, Marci Sigmon, the Statesville City Council, and Todd Scott representing the Statesville Chapter of the NAACP.

This program is supported in part by North Carolina Humanities, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, www.nchumanities.org. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of North Carolina Humanities or the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Len Strozier, with Omega, said that at each grave he finds there was a bucket of tears, but there were probably no tears when they buried Benjamin J. Hendley in 1929. It was while researching the death certificates and the newspaper death notices that I came across Bens death and learned for the first time that Statesville once had a Potters Field. It will be interesting to see just how many graves there are behind that annex building.
Israelis protest against plans by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government to overhaul the judicial system, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday, April 8. AP-Yonhap



Israeli demonstrators crowded Tel Aviv late Saturday for another protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plans to reform the judiciary, despite the process being put on hold.



Organizers said around 258,000 people attended, but police gave no figures of their own.



The demonstration came a day after a car-ramming attack on the city's seafront killed an Italian visitor and injured seven other tourists.



Violence has surged since Israeli police stormed Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem on Wednesday after they said Palestinians barricaded themselves inside.



Israel bombarded both Gaza and Lebanon in response to subsequent rocket fire by Palestinian militants.



Protesters on Saturday brandished signs reading "Save democracy!", "Freedom for all!" and "Netanyahu is leading us to war".









Other, smaller, demonstrations took place in the central city of Kfar Saba, at Haifa in the north and in Jerusalem.



Thousands of protesters, sometimes tens of thousands, have been taking to the streets each week since the reform plans were announced in January by Netanyahu's government, which was formed in December.



On March 27, he announced a "pause" to allow for dialogue on the reforms which were moving through parliament and split the nation.



Netanyahu last month had announced the firing of his defense minister, Yoav Gallant, who cited a threat to national security because "the growing social rift" had made its way into the army and security agencies.



The proposals would curtail the authority of the Supreme Court and give politicians greater powers over the selection of judges.



Opponents have raised fears for Israel's democracy but the government, a coalition between Netanyahu's Likud party and extreme-right and ultra-Orthodox Jewish allies, argues the changes are needed to rebalance powers between lawmakers and the judiciary.



Israel's attorney general had warned Netanyahu, just prior to the pause, against any intervention in changes to the judicial system because of conflicts of interest. The prime minister is on trial over charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust, which he denies. (AFP)





People hold a banner depicting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with the words "Let my people go" during a demonstration against Israeli nationalist coalition government's judicial overhaul, in Tel Aviv, Israel, April 8. Reuters-Yonhap
Most of us, in looking back over our lives, can identify an experience we can say with near certainty changed our lives forever. It mayve been extremely positive, painfully traumatic, or seemingly unremarkable at the time, but was later viewed with greater significance. Such an event comes readily to mind for me: my decision to teach overseas for Uncle Sam. Within a week or so, it was 55 years ago this spring, I made the decision that changed my life forever.

* * *

From several sources, Id learned about teaching overseas for DOD (the U.S. Department of Defense). Eventually, Id find a wife and settle down, as they say. But, at 25, I was anxious to see the world  without joining the Navy! Consequently, overseas employment temporarily precluded romantic involvement. I applied in early 1968.

A month or so later, I was called from my class to the principals office at D. Matt Thompson Junior High in Statesville. It was an official a call from Washington, DC  the DoD Schools Office (in summary):

My application had been approved. Currently, there were no music positions open in Europe; I could, however, be guaranteed a job in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Furthermore, this was a courtesy call  the formal (written) offer would arrive in a few days. Since Cuba was not on my dream sheet, there was no penalty for turning it down. Id still be considered for a job in Europe,  if one occurred.

US/Cuban relations definitely werent on my radar, but I vaguely recalled a few headlines: Batista Overthrown by Castro, 1959; Bay of Pigs, 1961; Missile Crisis, 1962; Castro Cuts Water to Base, 1964. It was rather easy to see why there were openings at the Guantanamo schools.

As fate would have it, a couple in my hometown had spent nearly a decade in GTMO, as its generally known. In a further small world instance, the lady had been my first-grade teacher! They still had friends at GTMO, so who better to give me GTMOs story, warts and all? A call to my parents, and they arranged a weekend meeting.

Mr. Ward was a nine-year veteran of the U.S. Navy. His last duty station was GTMO, where Mrs. Ward was hired as a first-grade teacher. The island life proved so enjoyable that when Mr. Ward was discharged, he obtained a civilian position on base. Unfortunately, some later health issues required their return to the states.

During our extended meeting, the Wards offered that, GTMO is a small town only 45 square miles  except its bordered by water, 17 miles of barbed-wire fences and mine fields (The U.S. later removed their mines in 1999, but Castro left his in place). Although theyd experienced GTMO in the good ol days (for Americans) of the dictator Batista as well as the bad ol days of Castro, they agreed theyd gladly return were it not for Mr. Wards health. The small-town atmosphere, warm climate, lower cost of living and close friendships, were just some of the positive features for them and their family.

Regarding warts, other than the mine fields  a few miles from the center of the base, and Off Limits; limited travel  no commercial traffic to/from the base; and the possibility of island fever, there were no overwhelming factors to discourage me.

They added these upbeat considerations: regarding the lack of commercial traffic, the U.S. Navy offered Space-Available air and sea transportation to the U.S. and several Caribbean ports on a limited basis, and at little or no cost. Also, due to the bases isolation, civilian workers (including teachers) earned a 10% differential. This, plus free housing and limited opportunities to spend would provide great prospects for saving. They also noted that, GTMO was a hardship area, meaning teachers had a higher priority in the annual transfer program.

My parents were eager to hear about the meeting. They asked a few questions, but could easily see my decision was made. So, when the official offer arrived, it was a simple matter: check Accept, sign, date, and return. As I stared at my signature and considered my future I drifted into a daydream. This surreal moment was soon accompanied by a melodious duet  Joan Baez and Pete Seeger were singing Guantanamera,  and with a smile, I made it a trio. Little did I know that both that signature and that song were initiating more than three decades of exploring the world!
Correction: This article has been updated with the correct time the crash occurred.

A Troutdale man was killed early Thursday morning in a single-vehicle crash on Highway 16.

A Virginia State Police spokesperson said the crash occurred less than a mile north of Megan Lane around 1:30 a.m. when the Chevrolet Silverado traveling south ran off the left side of the road and struck a tree.

The driver of the truck, 37-year-old Brian E. Robinson was partially ejected from the vehicle and died at the scene.

State police noted that Robinson was not wearing a seatbelt and that alcohol was not a factor in the crash.

The crash remains under investigation.
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.
OLYMPIA  The state Senate on Saturday approved a ban on the sale of assault weapons in Washington, setting up the measure to go to Gov. Jay Inslee for a signature in the final weeks of the legislative session.

After more than four hours of debate, the Senate approved the assault weapon ban, House Bill 1240, on a 27-21 vote. The proposal passed the state House last month on a 55-42 vote.

Because the bill was amended in the Senate, it must now go back to the House for a vote to concur on the final language. Inslee has expressed his support for the ban and is expected to sign it once the House gives final approval.

During the floor debate on the ban, which has been proposed but failed to pass for the past several years in the Legislature, majority Democrats pointed to the unending string of mass shootings carried out by people using AR-15s and other assault-style weapons.

We have to take stock in the common denominator in all of these tragedies. ... When were talking about mass shootings, and the killing of people quickly and without warning, were talking about assault weapons. And thats why were here today. Were here to say enough is enough, said state Sen. Patty Kuderer, D-Bellevue, who brought up the recent massacres at schools in Uvalde, Texas, and Nashville, Tenn.

Republicans blamed mental health problems and moral decay for mass shootings and said the ban would only punish law-abiding citizens who own semiautomatic guns for hunting, recreation and self-defense.

Sen. Keith Wagoner, R-Sedro-Woolley, objected to bill supporters tagging AR-15s and similar firearms as weapons of war, citing his time serving in the U.S. Marines and said the people behind the bill dont own firearms and dont know anything about firearms.

I know the difference between a weapon of war and a modern sporting rifle. The people who wrote this bill for the state of Washington dont, Wagoner said. He said the ban wont stop violence and that we have been killing people since Cain and Abel.

Sen. Lynda Wilson, R-Vancouver, said lawmakers would be better off cracking down on criminal gangs and buying bulletproof glass to protect schools. It targets the wrong people. It ignores the real problem, she said.

Sen. Marko Liias, D-Everett, responded to Republican objections, saying Will they stop every act of criminal conduct in our state? Of course not. But, he said, the assault weapon ban would halt sales of categories of weapons never intended for civilian ownership.

HB 1240 bans the sale, transfer, distribution, manufacture and importation of assault-style weapons, as distinguished by their military-style features.

It specifically lists more than 50 gun models that would be prohibited, including AR-15s, AK-47s and M-16s. It also bans guns with certain features, such as semiautomatic rifles shorter than 30 inches, those that have detachable magazines or fixed magazines with a capacity of 10 rounds or more, and those with detachable magazines that are also equipped with flash suppressors or shrouded barrels.

The bill would only apply to future sales, not firearms that people currently possess. It also exempts sales to law enforcement agencies and the military in Washington.

During the floor debate Saturday, Republicans proposed more than 20 amendments seeking to water down or delay the assault weapon ban from taking effect. Most were rejected on shouted voice votes.

However, the Senate did accept an amendment offered by Wagoner, which exempts people on active military duty who have been ordered to move to Washington, or military retirees moving here  making it clear they can bring their already purchased assault-style guns to the state.

If the ban is signed into law as expected, Washington will join nine other states and the District of Columbia in banning the sale of assault-style firearms.

The bill contains an emergency clause, meaning it will go into effect immediately upon being signed by Inslee. Opponents have made it clear theyll sue to block the ban, predicting it will be invalidated by courts in the wake of a precedent-setting U.S. Supreme Court ruling earlier this year that tossed out a New York law restricting people carrying guns outside their homes.

The assault weapon bill is part of a package of gun proposals advancing in the Capitol, which would build on restrictions passed by the Legislature and voters in recent years, including expanded background checks, banning open carrying of firearms at the state Capitol and at public demonstrations, and a ban on high-capacity magazines.

On Friday, the Senate approved another gun measure, House Bill 1143, which requires gun buyers to show proof theyve taken safety training and imposes a 10-day waiting period for purchases. That bill had earlier passed the House.

Another bill that has passed the Senate would allow the state attorney general or private citizens to sue gun manufacturers and dealers under public nuisance laws for negligently allowing their guns to be sold to minors or straw purchasers. Senate Bill 5078 awaits a vote in the House.

Jaime Smith, a spokesperson for Inslee, said the exact timeline for the assault weapon bill and other gun measures arriving at the governors desk for his signature is up to lawmakers.

Ideally legislators deliver all the gun violence bills close together, Smith said in an email.

The Legislature is scheduled to adjourn April 23.
A long-running local organization that helps refugees is expanding its three $1,000 college scholarships to six thanks to a donation from a local physician.

Pediatrician Dr. Phyllis Cavens, who founded Longviews Child and Adolescent Clinic, recently committed to sponsoring three scholarships for the Ethnic Support Council for four years, according to a press release from the nonprofit.

Cavens, who is retired from pediatrics and is now the clinics medical director, said she was moved to donate after her years of providing medical care to children in refuge camps in Cambodia, Ethiopia and Somalia.

The families who came to me for care inspired me with their strength, heart and grit to survive, she said in the press release. That is why I want to celebrate with these high school seniors as they embark on a new beginning.

In March, the Ethnic Support Council announced it would award three college scholarships for the third year.

The deadline to apply for the three previously announced scholarships and Cavenss awards is 5 p.m. Saturday.

Scholarships are available to Cowlitz County high school seniors who are immigrants or refugees, children of immigrants or refugees, or identify as Black, Indigenous or persons of color.

Cavenss scholarships will be awarded to Kelso, Mark Morris and R.A. Long high school seniors.

Other high school seniors and Cowlitz County residents who are are currently enrolled at Lower Columbia College, a vocational or technical college, or an accredited university, and meet the scholarship criteria, may also apply to the three previously announced awards.

The organization reports previous Ethnic Support Council scholarship recipients or their parents came to the U.S. from Micronesia, Latin America and Southeast Asia and settled in the local community. These students graduated from Kelso, Mark Morris, Woodland high schools. Several were already enrolled at LCC.

Ethnic Support Council Board President Cindy Lopez Werth said in the press release Cavenss donation made her teary-eyed to think of the effect the awards will have on graduates through 2026.

I know that her generous gift will change the lives of 12 students who graduate from Kelso, Mark Morris and R.A. Long high schools and I believe those graduates will be inspired to give back to the community in some way in the future, she said.

How to apply Email: talia@ethnicsupportcouncil.org. Phone: For more information, call or text 360-751-4427.
Tuesday night dropped to 40 degrees. Cold, but not cold enough for Longviews severe weather shelter to open its doors, so Russell Kirwan rolled back to Commerce Avenue around 9:30 p.m. to settle into one of the storefronts that wouldnt kick him out for sleeping.

I have to stay where the wheelchair can get to, so I try to find an overhang that protects me. There are places that I know the owners of, Kirwan said.

Kirwan, 59, grew up in Longview and returned a few years ago after serving time at Stafford Creek Corrections Center. Kirwan said hes been on the Department of Corrections housing waitlist for years and had previously lived at the Alabama Street camp and an emergency support shelter before returning to the streets.

A few doors down, Bryan Young had set up his own spot to sleep in another alcove. At least one person was moving into the median in front of City Hall to spend the night.

Replacing the Alabama Street tent camp with HOPE Village provided pallet homes for dozens of Longviews homeless residents, but it scattered the rest of the homeless population. Nearly four months later, city officials say things are improving for both the homeless and the businesses affected by their camps.

We are making progress. I think at times, it may not be as fast progress as the four of us in this room or anyone in our community would like to see, but we are making progress, Longview Police Chief Robert Huhta said.

Huhta and City Manager Kris Swanson said the progress was due to the three-pronged approach combining the Longview Police Department, the agencys Behavioral Health Unit and the new Longview Community Outreach Coordinator Kayce Settlemier. Each department plays a different role in what Huhta called the three Es of responses: educate, encourage and enforce.

Where are the citys homeless and who helps them?

Settlemier was hired by the city in November as Longviews Community Outreach Coordinator. She had been doing outreach to local unhoused residents for years previously through Love Overwhelming and had contracted with the city during the last few months of the Alabama Street camp.

The position involves direct outreach to both unhoused residents, businesses and service providers. Settlemiers day starts before 6 a.m. when she visits many of the regular hotspots for homeless people to pop up their tents.

City code allows temporary camping or sleeping in parks and public areas from 9:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. The rule change was made in 2019 to comply with the Martin v. Boise court ruling that prevents cities from criminalizing homeless people sleeping outdoors when there are not enough indoor beds available.

Settlemier will wake people up near the end of the permitted time and refers people to outreach or service providers that could help them. The Behavioral Health Unit, comprised of counselors who work at the Longview Police Department, follows up on those referrals, especially when issues of mental health or addiction come into play.

When somebody is ready to go, we need to make that happen because the next day there could be a factor that makes that change, a traumatic event that makes them use again, Settlemier said.

Settlemier keeps a map of the areas that have been hotspots for camping for years. One major point of focus is the stretch from R.A. Long Park, or the Civic Circle, to downtown Longview. Other common sites include the outskirts of the Mint Farm off Industrial Way and the most accessible portions of the Cowlitz River bank.

None of the current camping spots are anywhere near the size of the Alabama Street camp, which hovered around 90 people. The largest group reported by Settlemier was eight people in R.A. Long Park. The majority of sites visited had three people or fewer.

For locations where camping is fully not allowed, Settlemier will post 72-hour notices to vacate. Settlemier said she tries to only enact those early in the week to give people the most time to contact housing or a support organization.

Were consistent. Were not going out there to say you cannot be here, its also what can we do to help you so this does not continue a cycle? Settlemier said.

Downtown Longview has long been one of the hotspots for the homeless. Settlemier said that some homeless people felt safe being close to the Longview Police Department building on Hudson Street. The street offers multiple overhangs and outlets, one of which Kirwan used to charge his phone, and has fewer chances to be confronted by angry residents overnight than in residential areas.

The citys education also involves working with the general public. Huhta said the department gets calls about homeless people doing fully legal activities, such as hanging out in the pavilions around Lake Sacajawea. He said that when officers respond to those types of calls and leave without taking action, it leaves some residents angry.

Part of our mission statement is we enforce the laws impartially, and we protect the rights of all. Homeless people have rights too, and I think sometimes people dont want to acknowledge that or they overlook that fact, Huhta said.

This also involves working directly with businesses when they lodge complaints about people sleeping on their property. Longview has begun letting businesses place standing trespass requests on file, authorizing the police or other staff to remove unauthorized sleepers at all hours. Swanson said that 100 businesses have filed a trespass request with the city.

Between March 27 and April 3, Settlemier reported only two times when she had to enforce one of the trespass orders.

The businesses were suffering, even during the three years that we had individuals down on Alabama Street, Swanson said. Im willing to bet they would admit that theyve seen a big difference.
Brianna Craft left college with a mission to help rescue the earth. And shes never looked back.

Born and raised in Kelso, Crafts recently published memoir, Everything That Rises, swings between a reflection of her childhood and her travels working with diplomats across the globe on an issue she says no one can ignore: climate change.

Now a London-based senior researcher with the environmental think-tank International Institute for Environmental Development, Craft, 36, has hopped from one part of the globe to the other. She works with politicians and scientists, sits in on negotiations that can stretch long into the night, and supports poorer countries in accessing data and other resources.

And then Ive had this side hustle of writing and trying to tell the story of what I do, she said in an interview with The Daily News. Im really happy to have had the memoir published last week and get to be home in America to talk to the people I really wanted to talk to about it. And (I) just try to bring to life this work that Ive been living for the past decade.

In her book, she writes about a looming environmental catastrophe. But the author also explores facets of the human condition: labor rights, facing sexual harassment as a young female traveler, parental abuse, suicidal thoughts and finding joy in bleak situations.

She is scheduled to speak Tuesday at the monthly meeting of the Longview literary group, WordFest. She also has a new novel set to come out next year, marking a shift from nonfiction.

A new purpose

After graduating as valedictorian from Kelso High School in 2005, Craft enrolled at the University of Washington. Thats about when she first became aware of worsening environmental conditions.

A professors lecture in her environmental studies class induced both panic and confusion. As she writes in her memoir, she couldnt believe the lack of urgency and news coverage in the United States: My country talked about climate change like a minor risk it could afford to ignore.

In that lecture, she found a new purpose. She finished her undergraduate degree, got a masters in environmental studies from Brown University and soon won a travel scholarship. An internship sent her across the globe to Africa.

She spent time as a graduate student in Durban, South Africa for the 2011 Conference of Parties. Then she went to Gambia, a sovereign state on the West African Coast where the vast majority of people depend on agriculture to survive. Crafts takeaway was clear: countries that contribute the least to carbon emissions pay the biggest price.

The people she worked with, she writes, had an enthusiasm that was everything I wanted to hear, from the people empowered to actually enact the changes that they promised.

Crafts time in Gambia shaped how she thought of the ripple effects of greenhouse gas emissions. In America, she said, the discussion around addressing environmental issues often centers on cost. Officials focus on the expenses of adding more renewable energy sources, how to fund electric vehicles, where to put wind turbines.

I really didnt hear about the climate crisis until I was an undergrad, she said. Once I did start paying attention to it on American news, it was presented as a debate. We would have one pro and one against, and it was framed as something that was uncertain. ... Weve lost decades of time where we could have been acting to this fake debate.

But in the wet-and-dry tropical country of Gambia, Crafts memoir says, no one has the luxury of avoiding the topic.

The situation was becoming apocalyptic. Less developed countries back in 2013 were seeing the effects. Increasingly unpredictable floods, long dry spells and stronger storms had already killed hundreds of thousands of people globally by the time she landed in Gambia, she writes.

Craft was soon enveloped in the bureaucracy of climate negotiations. She entered an intricate web of acronyms, treaties, agreements, coalitions, councils, protocols and proceedings  words and processes that all revolved around solving the crisis. The experience showed Craft, she said, real change has to come from sweeping policy reform at the highest level.

We need holistic changes to our energy infrastructure, Craft said. We need leaders in positions of power who are going to have a plan to get our emissions to zero. We need to divest our money and our time completely out of fossil fuels.

She spent her time in meetings where country leaders pledged to reduce emissions but had a hard time agreeing on how to do that. Buckets meant for money to pay carbon reduction costs stayed empty. Countries like Gambia were already losing the battle against climate change  one they did not cause  while the largest culprits seemed to avoid the issue.

She was there when the Paris Climate Agreement was signed in 2016, and she watched as former President Donald Trump backed out of the agreement a year later. Craft seesawed between swelling hope that something would get done and the deflated disappointment when proceedings ended with no real action.

Through it all, Craft said she loves her work and holds onto optimism.

As a researcher, I am so inspired and motivated by the people I get to work with, the people who are government officials in the least developed countries who really fight for climate justice every day, she said. Its really, really rewarding to be in those spaces.

If you go What: WordFest, where authors read excerpts from recently published books, poetry collections and memoirs. An open mic presentation to follow. Who: Kelso High School alum Brianna Craft reading "Everything That Rises;" Douglas Maynard reading "Hero of the Yacolt Burn;" Grays Harbor poet Carrie Born reading from "Diesel Cats' Poetry." When: 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday. Where: St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, 1428 22nd Ave. Info: Free, www.alan-rose.com/wordfest.
Putting a temporary pause on artificial intelligence development would only hand an advantage to competitors in China, former Google CEO Eric Schmidt said, after more than 1,000 researchers signed a letter warning of the consequences of moving too quickly on AI research.

Speaking to the Australian Financial Review in an interview published Friday, Schmidt said there were legitimate concerns about the speed of research into AI but they should be mitigated by tech companies working together to set standards.

In the past week, more than 1,000 researchers and executives, including Tesla Inc. Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk, signed an open letter published by the Future of Life Institute, which called for an AI research pause of at least six months, warning of potentially catastrophic effects on society if appropriate governance wasn't put in place.

Recent months have seen AI labs locked in an out-of-control race to develop and deploy ever more powerful digital minds that no one  not even their creators  can understand, predict, or reliably control, the letter said.

But Schmidt said he wasn't in favor of the six-month pause as it would simply benefit China. 

What I am in favor of is getting everyone together ASAP to discuss what are the appropriate guardrails, he said.

During the past week, Australia has moved to ban TikTok from government phones, while several state leaders have said they will stop using the Chinese-owned social media app.

Schmidt said he wasn't in favor of the recent bans on TikTok imposed by the US, the UK and Australia, but added Western governments needed to move more quickly to keep up with Chinese research and development.

China is very smart, they know what they are doing. We need to get our act together, he said.
The Sun is increasingly spewing out dangerous solar flares, which are having a significant impact on Earth. Recently, a newly formed sunspot exploded spitting out out an M3-class solar flare on April 6, which was directed in the direction of Earth. Result? A minor shortwave radio blackout over the Indian Ocean area, affecting South Asian nations such as India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and even China, Japan, and South Korea. The situation was just coming to normal when yet another solar flare is expected to have its impact on Earth.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) forecasters predicted that there is a 30 percent chance of an M-class solar flares today, April 9, SpaceWeather.com reported. The report further noted on its website, "Almost certainly, the source would be sunspot AR3272, which has an unstable 'beta-gamma' magnetic field."

The worrying part is that "Any explosions will be geoeffective as the sunspot is turning to face Earth," SpaceWeather.com added in its report. That means Earth will soon face the consequences of this new M-class Solar flare. The solar flares are classified into four classes - A, B, C, M, and X based on their intensity. So, the most powerful solar flare would be an X-classified solar flare while M denotes the second most powerful solar flare.

Just like the M3-class solar flare which caused a blackout over the Indian Ocean, the upcoming solar flare poses danger to our planet. NOAA alert has warned that "Satellite systems may experience significant charging resulting in increased risk to satellite systems."

Use of tech in solar flare predictions

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) monitors Solar Flares and Sun's behaviour using its DSCOVR satellite which became operational in 2016. The recovered data is then run through the Space Weather Prediction Center and the final analysis is prepared. The satellite tracks different measurements of the Sun and its atmospheres such as temperature, speed, density, degree of orientation, and frequency of the solar particles.
Pope Francis gives the communion to a freshly baptised woman, during the Easter Vigil mass on April 8 at St. Peter's basilica in The Vatican, as part of celebrations of the Holy Week. AFP-Yonhap



Pope Francis returned to public view on Saturday, presiding over Easter vigil Mass in St. Peter's Basilica, a day after unseasonably chilly weather in Rome convinced the recently ailing pontiff to skip Good Friday's nighttime procession at the Colosseum.



The evening basilica service began in darkness. Then the basilica's cavernous interior was suddenly bathed in light, reflecting the Christian beliefs that Jesus rose from his death by crucifixion and that goodness can triumph over evil.



The 86-year-old pope is recuperating from bronchitis, which saw him hospitalized on March 29 for three days. On Sunday, tens of thousands of faithful are expected to join the pope in St. Peter's Square for Easter Mass at the end of Holy Week.



In his homily, Francis sought to spur Catholics to be renewed by Easter.



"At times, we may simply feel weary about our daily routine, tired of taking risks in a cold, hard world where only the clever and the strong seem to get ahead,'' Francis said. "At other times, we may feel helpless and discouraged before the power of evil."



He cited other sources of discouragement: "the attitudes of calculation and indifference that seem to prevail in society, the cancer of corruption, the spread of injustice, the icy winds of war."



But Easter "motivates us to move forward, to leave behind our sense of defeat, to roll away the stone of the tombs in which we often imprison our hope,'' Francis said.





Pope Francis holds a Paschal candle as he presides over a Easter vigil ceremony in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, Saturday, April 8. AP-Yonhap
You may have heard of Owen Burns, an entrepreneur, banker, builder, and land developer who at one time owned the majority of Sarasota, but did you know his grandfather was an official pirate? Here's the story of the North Carolina family, which many well-known local landmarks are named after.

If you've ever been to Burns Court Cinema in downtown Sarasota you probably noticed it's surrounded by a quaint historic district filled with eclectic shops and small Spanish-style residences (most of which have been converted into businesses). The square section runs from Ringling Boulevard to Mound Avenue and along south Pineapple and Orange Avenues. The distinct feature that sets the neighborhood apart from others is a triangular-shaped building in the middle of the converging streets. The Burns Building, as it's called today.

In 1925, Owen Burns, one of Sarasota's most distinguished citizens and well-connected developers, constructed this Burns Court subdivision. The district contained Sarasota's finest and most beautiful hotel of the 1920s, the El Vernona, and Burns' real estate office adjacent to it.

But who was Owen Burns and where did he come from? Over the next couple of weeks, we will explore the Burns family legacy, beginning with the grandfather Otway Burns.

Capt. Otway Burns, Patriot, Privateer and Legislato r by Walter Frances Burns. The Burns family hailed from the same county in North Carolina as the founders of the Cortez Fishing Village in southwest Bradenton. Owen's grandfather, Capt. Otway Burns, was a famous government-authorized pirate, according to the bookr by Walter Frances Burns.

Born in Swansboro N.C. in 1775, to Otway Sr. and Lisanah Burns, he took to the sea at a young age, becoming a skillful navigator much like his patriarchal ancestors. In 1810, he married Joanna Grant, daughter of Colonel Rueben Grant, and had his only child Owen (this would have been Owen Burns' father).

That same year, Otway purchased a small lot on the river shore in Swansboro, N.C. where he started a shipyard in 1818. There he built the Prometheus , the first steamboat constructed in North Carolina.

Burns became a master trader, sailing along the eastern coast to northern ports like Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York, Boston, and Portland. When the War of 1812 broke out, Burns came to the aid of his country by operating a privateer vessel to prey on British ships and commerce. It was this role that would memorialize him in maritime history.

At the time, the U.S. Navy was not equipped to compete with the long-established and well-funded British fleet. The American government relied on the help of privately-armed vessels to defeat and capture British vessels.

Otway and other businessmen offered up an 85-foot schooner called Snap Dragon. With six guns, a crew of 80, and Otway's legendary skills and trepidation, the sailboat was considered the most successful privateer vessel during the war. On three separate voyages, the schooner prevented the invading British troops from arriving on American shores. During these attacks, Otway captured 42 English vessels and their cargo, which was valued at more than $4 million, essentially enlarging and outfitting the quaint U.S. fleet for the remainder of the war. He also took more than 300 English officers and sailors prisoner. Otway's leadership was hailed as ingenious, brave, and skillful. He became the most famous naval hero during the war, according to a 2006 Encyclopedia article entitled Snap Dragon by Jaquelin Drane Nash.

Following the war, Otway returned to his old trade of shipbuilding along with many other trades including storekeeping, salt making, and brick making. Otway even served as a legislator, representing Carteret County, N.C. in the General Assembly from 1821 through 1835.

In 1836, President Andrew Jackson appointed Burns keeper of the Brant Shoals Light House at Portsmouth, N.C.. Burns died at Portsmouth on October 25, 1850. He is buried in the Old Burying Ground in Beaufort.

Tune in next week, as we explore how the Burns legacy made its way to Sarasota County.
Gov. Greg Abbott directed the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles to consider recommending a pardon for Daniel Perry on Saturday, one day after a Travis County jury convicted the U.S. Army sergeant in the 2020 murder of Austin protester Garrett Foster.

After 17 hours of deliberations and an eight-day trial, jurors Friday found Perry guilty of murder for shooting and killing Foster, who was armed with an AK-47 as part of a group protesting police brutality. Perry, a U.S. Army sergeant and an Uber driver, had encountered the protest a few blocks from the Capitol in downtown Austin.

Under pressure from conservatives, Abbott announced Saturday that he asked the parole board to review Perrys conviction on an expedited basis. The Texas Constitution, he said, requires the parole board to recommend a pardon before a governor could act.

I look forward to approving the Boards pardon recommendation as soon as it hits my desk, Abbott said in a statement posted to Twitter.

Texas has one of the strongest Stand Your Ground laws of self-defense that cannot be nullified by a jury or a progressive District Attorney, Abbott added, repeating conservative criticism leveled against Travis Countys Democratic district attorney, Jose Garza.

Prior to Abbotts announcement, the Republican Party of Texas called on the governor to get involved.

This case should have never been prosecuted. A pardon by [Abbott] is in order, wrote Texas GOP Chair Matt Rinaldi in a Friday evening post to Twitter.

Tucker Carlson, a conservative commentator on Fox News, covered Perrys conviction on his show Friday evening. Carlson said he had invited Abbott to discuss whether he was considering a pardon for Perry, but said the governor declined.

So that is Greg Abbotts position, there is no right of self-defense in Texas, Carlson told his viewers.

Perry, found guilty of murder but not guilty of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, killed Foster during a protest against police brutality on July 25, 2020  one of many that were happening across the country after George Floyds death at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer two months earlier.

According to Austin police, Perry was driving for Uber when he stopped his car and honked at protesters as they walked through the street. Seconds later, he drove his car into the crowd, police said.

Foster, who was a 28-year-old white man and an Air Force veteran, had been seen openly carrying an AK-47 rifle at the time, which was legal. There are conflicting accounts as to whether Foster raised the rifle to the driver before Perry, who was also legally armed, shot and killed Foster and fled the area, police said. He called police and reported what happened, claiming he shot in self-defense after Foster aimed his weapon at him. Perry is also a white man.

In his announcement, Abbott also touted legislation seeking to take control away from locally elected prosecutors who he described as rogue.

A bill intended to rein in district attorneys who decline to pursue certain cases passed the Senate on Wednesday. The bill, a priority for Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, is part of an effort to limit the power of elected prosecutors, especially in Texas largest, left-leaning counties.
Credit Suisse Group AG (NYSE:CS  Get Rating) declared a  dividend on Friday, March 24th, Wall Street Journal reports. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, April 11th will be paid a dividend of 0.0547 per share by the financial services provider on Monday, April 24th. This represents a yield of 4.5%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, April 10th. This is an increase from Credit Suisse Groups previous  dividend of $0.05.

Credit Suisse Group Price Performance

Shares of CS stock opened at $0.88 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.47, a current ratio of 1.53 and a quick ratio of 1.53. The businesss 50-day moving average price is $2.38 and its 200-day moving average price is $3.31. Credit Suisse Group has a 12 month low of $0.82 and a 12 month high of $7.85.

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Credit Suisse Group (NYSE:CS  Get Rating) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 9th. The financial services provider reported ($0.28) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.22) by ($0.06). Credit Suisse Group had a negative return on equity of 3.99% and a negative net margin of 33.10%. The business had revenue of $3.18 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.30 billion. As a group, equities analysts expect that Credit Suisse Group will post -0.67 earnings per share for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Credit Suisse Group

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. US Bancorp DE raised its stake in Credit Suisse Group by 8.9% during the 1st quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 50,292 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $395,000 after buying an additional 4,130 shares during the period. HighTower Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Credit Suisse Group during the first quarter worth approximately $135,000. Citigroup Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Credit Suisse Group by 162.0% in the 1st quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 539,102 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $4,232,000 after purchasing an additional 333,335 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its position in Credit Suisse Group by 3.9% in the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 5,131,757 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $40,284,000 after purchasing an additional 192,576 shares during the period. Finally, Sei Investments Co. raised its holdings in Credit Suisse Group by 1.8% during the first quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 274,767 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $2,179,000 after buying an additional 4,883 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 11.20% of the companys stock.

A number of research firms recently weighed in on CS. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft began coverage on Credit Suisse Group in a report on Friday, January 13th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Royal Bank of Canada began coverage on Credit Suisse Group in a report on Monday, December 19th. They issued a sector perform rating on the stock. Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on shares of Credit Suisse Group in a report on Friday, January 27th. They set an equal weight rating for the company. Barclays reduced their price objective on shares of Credit Suisse Group from CHF 4 to CHF 2.90 and set an underweight rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 13th. Finally, Citigroup downgraded shares of Credit Suisse Group from a buy rating to a neutral rating in a research note on Thursday, February 16th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Credit Suisse Group has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $5.14.

Credit Suisse Group Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Credit Suisse Group AG is a holding company, which engages in the provision of financial services. It operates through the following four divisions: Wealth Management, Investment Bank, Swiss Bank and Asset Management and four geographic regions: Switzerland, Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), Asia Pacific, and Americas.

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PFG Advisors reduced its position in iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF (NYSEARCA:DGRO  Get Rating) by 9.7% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 65,716 shares of the companys stock after selling 7,037 shares during the quarter. PFG Advisors holdings in iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF were worth $3,286,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Waterfront Wealth Inc. acquired a new position in shares of iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF during the third quarter worth about $234,000. Steel Peak Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $355,000. Knightsbridge Asset Management LLC increased its position in iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF by 4.9% during the 3rd quarter. Knightsbridge Asset Management LLC now owns 269,495 shares of the companys stock worth $11,984,000 after purchasing an additional 12,512 shares during the period. Calton & Associates Inc. purchased a new position in shares of iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF during the 4th quarter worth approximately $505,000. Finally, Bank of Montreal Can lifted its holdings in shares of iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF by 65.6% in the 3rd quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 49,719 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,397,000 after buying an additional 19,692 shares during the period.

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iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF Price Performance

iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF stock opened at $50.22 on Friday. The stocks 50 day moving average price is $50.05 and its 200 day moving average price is $49.49. The company has a market cap of $23.55 billion, a PE ratio of 15.16 and a beta of 0.91. iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF has a 1-year low of $43.67 and a 1-year high of $54.14.

About iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF

The iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF (DGRO) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the Morningstar US Dividend Growth index. The fund tracks an index of US stocks that are selected by dividends, dividend growth and payout ratio, then weighted by dividend dollars. DGRO was launched on Jun 10, 2014 and is managed by BlackRock.

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Want to see what other hedge funds are holding DGRO? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF (NYSEARCA:DGRO  Get Rating).

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John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (NYSE:WLY  Get Rating) declared a quarterly dividend on Wednesday, March 29th, Zacks reports. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, April 11th will be paid a dividend of 0.347 per share on Tuesday, April 25th. This represents a $1.39 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.66%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, April 10th.

John Wiley & Sons Stock Up 0.0 %

WLY stock opened at $37.94 on Friday. The companys 50 day moving average price is $41.90 and its 200 day moving average price is $41.97. John Wiley & Sons has a fifty-two week low of $34.49 and a fifty-two week high of $55.71. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92, a quick ratio of 0.65 and a current ratio of 0.70.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, TheStreet cut shares of John Wiley & Sons from a b rating to a c rating in a research report on Thursday, March 9th.

Insider Activity at John Wiley & Sons

Institutional Investors Weigh In On John Wiley & Sons

In other news, EVP Aref Matin sold 11,450 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $43.51, for a total transaction of $498,189.50. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 8,166 shares in the company, valued at approximately $355,302.66. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link . In other news, EVP Aref Matin sold 11,450 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $43.51, for a total value of $498,189.50. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 8,166 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $355,302.66. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website . Also, EVP Matthew Leavy sold 4,500 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $37.28, for a total value of $167,760.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 5,184 shares in the company, valued at approximately $193,259.52. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . 0.62% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in WLY. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. purchased a new position in John Wiley & Sons in the 3rd quarter valued at $660,000. Renaissance Technologies LLC acquired a new position in shares of John Wiley & Sons during the third quarter worth about $2,958,000. Royal Bank of Canada purchased a new position in John Wiley & Sons during the third quarter worth about $615,000. Citadel Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in John Wiley & Sons in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $2,989,000. Finally, BlackRock Inc. acquired a new position in John Wiley & Sons during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $187,724,000. 72.99% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

John Wiley & Sons Company Profile

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John Wiley & Sons, Inc engages in the provision of research and learning materials. It operates through the following segments: Research Publishing & Platforms, Academic & Professional Learning, and Education Services. The Research Publishing & Platforms segment provides scientific, technical, medical, and scholarly journals, as well as related content and services to academic, corporate, and government libraries, learned societies, and individual researchers and other professionals.

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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 contrast to its peers? We will compare Local Bounti to similar companies based on the strength of its risk, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, profitability, earnings, dividends and valuation.

Profitability

This table compares Local Bounti and its peers 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% -25.67% -16.18%

Institutional & Insider Ownership

65.3% of Local Bounti shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 25.5% of shares of all Agricultural production  crops companies are held by institutional investors. 41.5% of Local Bounti shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 17.7% of shares of all Agricultural production  crops companies are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Risk and Volatility

Valuation and Earnings

Local Bounti has a beta of 1.75, meaning that its share price is 75% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Local Bountis peers have a beta of -24.13, meaning that their average share price is 2,513% less volatile than the S&P 500.

This table compares Local Bounti and its peers revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio Local Bounti $19.47 million -$111.07 million -0.37 Local Bounti Competitors $1.63 billion $21.77 million 0.16

Local Bountis peers have higher revenue and earnings than Local Bounti. Local Bounti 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.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of recent ratings and target prices for Local Bounti and its peers, as reported by MarketBeat.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Local Bounti 0 1 4 0 2.80 Local Bounti Competitors 98 170 488 23 2.56

Local Bounti presently has a consensus target price of $2.85, indicating a potential upside of 506.51%. As a group, Agricultural production  crops companies have a potential upside of 58.08%. Given Local Bountis stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, equities research analysts clearly believe Local Bounti is more favorable than its peers.

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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The Pentagon is seen from a flight taking off from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Nov. 29, 2022 in Arlington, Virginia. AFP-Yonhap



The U.S. Department of Justice on Saturday said it has begun an investigation into a trove of leaked U.S. documents, many related to Ukraine that have spread to the internet.



The breach appears to include assessments and secret intelligence reports that touch not only on Ukraine and Russia but also highly sensitive analyses of U.S. allies.



"We have been in communication with the Department of Defense related to this matter and have begun an investigation," a Justice Department spokesperson told AFP.



A steady drip of dozens of leaked documents and slides have made their way onto Twitter, Telegram, Discord and other social media and chat sites in recent days, and new documents continue to surface.



The Pentagon said Friday it was "actively reviewing the matter" and that it had formally referred the apparent breach to the Justice Department.






StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Golden Star Resources (NYSE:GSS  Get Rating) in a research report released on Thursday. The firm issued a hold rating on the stock.

Golden Star Resources Price Performance

Golden Star Resources has a 12 month low of $2.04 and a 12 month high of $4.04.

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Golden Star Resources Company Profile

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Further Reading

Golden Star is an established gold mining company that owns and operates the Wassa underground mine in Ghana, West Africa. Listed on the NYSE American, the Toronto Stock Exchange and the Ghanaian Stock Exchange, Golden Star is focused on delivering strong margins and free cash flow. Since winning the PDAC 2018 Environmental and Social Responsibility Award, Golden Star has remained committed to leaving a positive and sustainable legacy in its areas of operation.

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Shares of Sunnova Energy International Inc. (NYSE:NOVA  Get Rating) have been assigned an average rating of Moderate Buy from the twenty-three research firms that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, eighteen have issued a buy recommendation and one has given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $35.19.

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Credit Suisse Group restated an outperform rating and set a $43.00 price objective on shares of Sunnova Energy International in a research report on Monday, February 27th. Morgan Stanley started coverage on shares of Sunnova Energy International in a report on Monday, April 3rd. They issued an overweight rating and a $35.00 price target on the stock. Guggenheim raised their price objective on shares of Sunnova Energy International from $51.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, February 28th. Barclays lowered their target price on shares of Sunnova Energy International from $35.00 to $31.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 25th. Finally, Capital One Financial restated an overweight rating on shares of Sunnova Energy International in a research note on Tuesday, March 21st.

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Insider Activity

In related news, insider Kelsey Hultberg sold 2,400 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $14.03, for a total transaction of $33,672.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 19,974 shares in the company, valued at approximately $280,235.22. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 4.20% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Sunnova Energy International Stock Performance

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Captrust Financial Advisors boosted its position in Sunnova Energy International by 236.4% in the 1st quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 1,487 shares of the companys stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 1,045 shares during the last quarter. US Bancorp DE boosted its holdings in Sunnova Energy International by 168.8% in the first quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 2,809 shares of the companys stock valued at $65,000 after acquiring an additional 1,764 shares during the last quarter. Strs Ohio bought a new position in Sunnova Energy International in the third quarter valued at about $66,000. Ellevest Inc. increased its position in Sunnova Energy International by 195.8% in the third quarter. Ellevest Inc. now owns 3,014 shares of the companys stock worth $67,000 after purchasing an additional 1,995 shares during the period. Finally, Kepos Capital LP raised its holdings in Sunnova Energy International by 18.1% during the 4th quarter. Kepos Capital LP now owns 4,012 shares of the companys stock worth $72,000 after purchasing an additional 615 shares during the last quarter.

NYSE:NOVA opened at $14.74 on Friday. The firms 50-day moving average is $16.60 and its 200-day moving average is $19.00. The company has a market cap of $1.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -11.00 and a beta of 2.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.02, a quick ratio of 1.75 and a current ratio of 1.75. Sunnova Energy International has a 52-week low of $12.46 and a 52-week high of $31.47.

Sunnova Energy International (NYSE:NOVA  Get Rating) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 22nd. The company reported ($0.40) earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of ($0.42) by $0.02. The business had revenue of $195.59 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $145.09 million. Sunnova Energy International had a negative return on equity of 11.07% and a negative net margin of 27.53%. Equities research analysts anticipate that Sunnova Energy International will post -0.91 earnings per share for the current year.

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.

Further Reading

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The popularity of electric bikes is growing in the United States.

More than a million e-bikes were sold in 2020 and sales are still growing. In Grand Island, Pedego Electric Bikes opened in March at 3020 West Stolley Park Road. The business is owned by Michelle McFarland of Grand Island.

Pedego e-bikes is a California-based business that was started in 2008. They have sold more than 100,000 e-bikes. They are popular with people of all ages.

McFarland is an independent owner and sells exclusively Pedego e-bikes. The store has a growing inventory with more than 80 e-bikes on hand from e-bikes for hike and bike trails and street use to e-bikes for dirt trails and off-road riding.

The store has a wide selection of accessories, including smart helmets that have bluetooth connections that allow e-bikers riding in a group to communicate with each other.

They also have a full-time e-bike technician to service the bikes they sell.

McFarland said that Pedego e-bikes are made with high-quality materials and components. They come with a unique five-year warranty that includes anti-theft protection and a lifetime frame warranty.

She said that what makes Pedego e-bikes great for people of all ages is their comfortable riding position that makes them easy to ride and great for people who are not used to riding bicycles.

In McFarlands Stolley Park Road store, the Pedego e-bikes standout as they are available in a variety of colors and styles.

She also said Pedego e-bikes are also affordable and are at a great value for the price.

McFarlands store is located near the John Brownell/Beltline trail at its Stolley Park Road intersection. Eventually, she will be renting Pedego e-bikes for day-use and more.

McFarland said Grand Island has a growing number of hike and bike trails that make e-bikes more accessible and enjoyable to use.

The Pedego e-bikes are governed at 20 mph in accordance with federal and state regulations. The e-bikes battery takes about 2-5 hours to charge from a standard wall outlet. Pedaling the e-bike conserves the battery, but doesnt charge it.

Depending on the type of battery and other considerations, such as the riders weight, training, weather, speed and level of pedaling, the e-bikes range is 15-60 miles.

And with health-conscious people and those who enjoy being outdoors, McFarland said e-bikes are a great choice because its an easy and comfortable ride that is both affordable and sustainable for all ages.

McFarland and her husband moved to Grand Island recently from North Platte. They were looking for ways to get more outdoor time for their health when they stumbled on to Pedego e-bikes.

Its a good quality brand, she said.

Seeing there was a need for a bike shop in Grand Island, they started their own e-bike shop and decided to sell Pedego Electric Bikes.

McFarlands Pedego e-bike store is the only one between Omaha and Denver of the more than 240 stores that sell the Pedego brand in the United States.

A lot of people that thought they were done riding bikes can now get on a bike again, because it makes them feel like a kid again, McFarland said.

She encourages people to come down and test drive a Pedego e-bike themselves and find the perfect fit for them.

Pedego Electric Bikes is closed Monday and open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The stores telephone number if 308-889-4181. Website access can be found at www.pedegograndisland.com.
Spring and summer blockbusters are coming early this year with the March 31 opening of Dungeons and Dragons, playing here, believe it or not. The long-awaited film treatment of the favorite role-playing game didnt stint on the cast which includes Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Rege-Jean Page and Hugh Grant  the latter riffing on late night talk shows this past week that cell phones have killed off cast hook-ups. He said now everyone goes home to read twitter.
The best bang for your buck! This option enables you to purchase online 24/7 access and receive the Sunday, Tuesday & Thursday print edition at no additional cost * Print edition only available in our carrier delivery area. Allow up to 72 hours for delivery of your print edition to begin. Print edition not available for Day Pass option.
It may be raining, but I said that this is like the blessings coming down from the Lord that have just been coming down on our family and Rock for a long time, Margo Riser said.

Margo and Brook Riser organized a parade for their brother, Rock, to welcome him back to their hometown of Bowman on Saturday. The celebration continued in spite of the rain and the chill in the air.

Rock, 17, had been hospitalized since November 2022 due to an inhalation injury. Although the cause of the injury isnt certain, family members have said that it could be due to vaping, being around chemicals at the family farm or some other cause.

He underwent a bi-lateral lung transplant on Jan. 9 at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. Rock remained hospitalized at MUSC in Charleston for a few weeks as he underwent pulmonary rehabilitation.

He was discharged from the hospital, but had to live nearby so he could go there daily for rehabilitation and medical tests.

Rock returned to his home for good on Saturday. Hell continue to make weekly visits to the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston for a little while longer.

The Lord has truly, truly blessed our family. We give the Lord all the glory for this, Margo Riser said.

Were so excited to welcome all of Rocks prayer warriors to his hometown and see him come home for good, she added.

Robin Shuler-Chinners, of the Providence Community, was there to cheer Rock on as he rode along S.C. Highway 210.

Shuler-Chinners grew up in Bowman with the Riser family.

She came to the parade, to support Rock and support the family because theyve been through a lot.

But putting their trust in God has really brought a lot of other people to Christ, she said.

Shuler-Chinners, who works at Marshall Elementary School in Orangeburg, helped raise $1,200 for Rock Risers medical expenses by selling $5 bracelets there. The bracelets have Rocks favorite Bible verse, Philippians 4:13, written on them.

Students at the school made him cards, too.

Beverly Stroman, Rocks great-aunt, said, Were just praying over him and praising God for all of the miracles hes done in Rocks life.

She held a hand-made sign that said, Oh Rock Star as her great-nephew rode past in a pickup truck.

To me, I think he looks better than before he got sick, she said.

He just knows God saved him for a purpose, she added.

Were not quite sure what that purpose is. We feel like a lot of that is to bring people closer to the Lord and know that the Lords still in charge, Stroman said.

And now, appropriately, hes coming home on Easter weekend, she added.

Jesus was raised (from the grave) in three days and Rocks coming home too, she said.

Were just thrilled. We cant thank God enough for all the miracles in Rocks life, she said.

To order bracelets to help offset the cost of Rock Risers medical expenses, visit this website: www.keaganriserphotography.com/shop
ISLE OF PALMS  Gunfire erupted on a South Carolina beach during a senior skip day event involving numerous teenagers Friday, wounding six people and prompting charges against two for unlawful possession of guns, police in South Carolina said.

The shots broke out around 5:20 p.m. on Isle of Palms, 94 miles south of Myrtle Beach. Police are still investigating the shooting, and are asking for the public to provide additional information or video footage.

Isle of Palms Police Chief Kevin Cornett said during a news conference Saturday that police arrested and charged a 16-year-old with possessing a stolen firearm and unlawfully carrying it. Cornett said police are still investigating whether the juvenile was involved in the shooting. Additionally, an 18-year-old was arrested on a charge of unlawful possession of a firearm in a municipal parking lot, the police chief said.

Hundreds of people including high schoolers taking an unofficial day off were on the beach at the time, and there were several altercations before shots were fired, Cornett has said. Officers went out on the beach when they saw the crowd gathering, then two fights broke out and the shooting unfolded, Cornett said.

Cornett said two guns  pistols from the two people who were arrested  have been confiscated so far. He said the number of shooters remains under investigation.

Six people suffered injuries that were not life-threatening. Some were taken to the hospital by ambulance and others transported themselves, and most of them have already been released. Five of the victims were teens, and another was in her mid-30s, Cornett said.

The person in her 30s was just in the area using the beach, an innocent victim in a bad spot, Cornett said. The others who were injured were part of the group on the beach, but Cornett said it remains unclear whether they were involved in any wrongdoing or just innocent victims.

Police could not immediately say if the shooter or shooters were in custody or if any of the firearms recovered at the scene were used in the shooting, Cornett has said.

Charleston County Sheriff Kristin Graziano said most of the people her office spoke with on Friday did not cooperate. She implored families, school officials and others to reach out if they know who participated.

There's absolutely no reason that anybody should be carrying a gun to the beach, Graziano said at the Saturday news conference. "Absolutely no reason. And you have innocent bystanders that were victims of that."
Note: This is the fourth and final article in a series about South Carolina State Universitys Professors of the Year. Dr. Venetia D. Lyles is the award recipient for the College of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Transportation, as well as the universitys overall honoree.

Succeeding in Dr. Venetia D. Lyles chemistry classes at South Carolina State University boils down to three things: Come to class, do the work and ask if you need help.

Her experience taught her the correlation is high between students who do the work and turn it in on time -- along with seeking help outside of class -- with those who pass the class.

I realized that understanding chemistry to teach it effectively was only part of being a good teacher, she said. I needed to find a way to get more students to buy into their own education.

An associate professor in S.C. States Department of Biological and Physical Sciences, Lyles is the Professor of the Year for the College of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Transportation. She was selected from the recipients in all S.C. State colleges to be the universitys overall honoree.

Lyles also serves as the director of S.C. States Savannah River Environmental Sciences Field Station, the only HBCU undergraduate environmental science field station in the nation.

Her teaching philosophy is about meeting students where they are academically while still expecting personal accountability.

I think that gets lost in the transition from high school to college education. You have to be responsible, Lyles said. We cant force you to go to class. We can ask for your assignments, but if you dont turn it in, we can give you an F. Its not like in high school where you can get some extra points. I dont offer extra credit.

Once they understand that, they wont just sit there, she said. Once students understand what you require in your courses, they adapt to it.

That tough love also comes with compassion. If Lyles sees students starting to slide with attendance or assignments, she tries to find out why and counsel them.

They dont have to be perfect. Im not looking for perfection, Im looking for work ethic, she said. Are you working toward understanding the subject? Are you working toward being a better learner? If you need help, ask.

She encourages her students to remember their goals of working in a STEM-related (science, technology, math and engineering) field.

You cant do that by being stagnant. That means a constant quest of trying to get better, Lyles said. A lot of students who have that work ethic are not necessarily straight-A students. They may be B students or even C students.

But they do very well, she said. I know with that work ethic, you will succeed. Let me cultivate that work ethic a little bit.

That often means knowing where a student stands with basic skills needed in chemistry, which has changed significantly since she started teaching at her alma mater in 2014, particularly in mathematics.

The students I have now are different than the students I had then, Lyles said. You can trace that back to different public education policies in K-12. The question is how we as college professors still get these students to where they need to be.

Lyles can identify with the challenges her students face. Because she teaches a demographic of students much like her own personal background, she is able to develop examples in class to illustrate concepts, which allows students to relate.

She arrived at S.C. State in 2005 as a legacy student from Columbia. Her parents - Willie and Sarah Lyles - both graduated from S.C. State in the early 1970s and entered education-related fields, too. Her father is a retired high school band director, while her mother is a retired school speech pathologist.

But Lyles almost wound up at another Historically Black College or University. A phone call to her dad from S.C. States band director led to an S.C. State scholarship, however, and she marched all four years with the legendary Marching 101 Band. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. and Tau Beta Sigma National Honorary Band Sorority Inc.

After graduating with her chemistry degree in 2009, Lyles headed west to Louisiana State University and earned her Ph.D. in analytical chemistry in 4 years. She kept in touch with her mentor at SC State, Dr. Rahina Mahtab, during her graduate studies, leading her back to Orangeburg to teach at SC State.

Along with teaching quantitative analysis and instrumental analysis courses, she conducts research in surface science, studying the interaction of molecules at the surface level. For example, she was part of a team of researchers that studied the influence of certain surface molecules in Alzheimer's disease.

Among the reasons Lyles was selected as SC States overall Professor of the Year was her willingness to embrace remote learning technology after the COVID-19 prompted the university to implement emergency remote instruction in 2020. She helped both the Chemistry Program and the Department of Biological and Physical Sciences operate more efficiently in the online world.
(TBTCO) - Hon 100 doanh nhan cac nuoc trong khu vuc, ac biet la cong ong nguoi Hoa ang hoat ong trong nhieu linh vuc khac nhau a quy tu trong su kien hop mat cac doanh nhan tai The Global City va truc tiep tham quan du an. Phan tich ky cac loi the kinh doanh va kha nang phat trien cua trung tam moi, rat nhieu nha au tu sanh soi a quyet inh nam bat co hoi au tu som vao trung tam moi cua TP. Ho Chi Minh e mo rong kinh doanh.
Israeli police escort Jewish visitors marking the holiday pf Passover to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, known to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as the Temple Mount, in the Old City of Jerusalem during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, Sunday. AP-Yonhap



Israeli warplanes and artillery struck targets in Syria following rare rocket fire from the northeastern neighbor, as Jewish-Muslim tensions reached a peak Sunday at a volatile Jerusalem shrine with simultaneous religious rituals.



Thousands of Jewish worshippers gathered at the city's Western Wall, the holiest place where Jews can pray, for a mass priestly benediction prayer service for the Passover holiday. At the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, a walled esplanade above the Western Wall, hundreds of Palestinians performed prayers as part of observances during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.



Hundreds of Jews also visited the Al-Aqsa compound under heavy police guard Sunday, to whistles and religious chants from Palestinians protesting their presence.



Such tours by religious and nationalist Jews have increased in size and frequency over the years, and are viewed with suspicion by many Palestinians who fear that Israel plans one day to take over the site or partition it. Israeli officials say they have no intention of changing long-standing arrangements that allow Jews to visit, but not pray in the Muslim-administered site. However, the country is now governed by the most right-wing government in its history, with ultra-nationalists in senior positions.



Tensions have soared in the past week at the flashpoint shrine after an Israeli police raid on the mosque. On several occasions, Palestinians have barricaded themselves inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque with stones and firecrackers, demanding the right to pray there overnight, something Israel has in the past only allowed during the last 10 days of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Police removed them by force, detaining hundreds and leaving dozens injured.



The violence at the shrine triggered rocket fire by Palestinian militants from the Gaza Strip and southern Lebanon, starting Wednesday, and Israeli airstrikes targeted both areas.



In Lebanon, Hezbollah's media office announced that the militant group's chief, Hassan Nasrallah, received a delegation headed by Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh on Sunday. The two discussed "the most important developments in occupied Palestine, the course of events at al-Aqsa Mosque, and the escalating resistance in the West Bank and Gaza, in addition to general political developments in the region, the readiness of the resistance axis and the cooperation of its parties," the statement said.



Haniyeh, who arrived in Lebanon last week shortly before rockets were launched at Israel from south Lebanon, had been scheduled to make a public appearance in Beirut on Friday. But it was canceled for security reasons following the exchange of strikes between Lebanon and Israel. No group has officially claimed responsibility for the rocket attacks, but Israel has accused Hamas of being behind them.





Covered in prayer shawls, Jewish men of the Cohanim Priestly caste participate in a blessing during the holiday of Passover, in front of the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray, in Jerusalem's Old City, Sunday. The Cohanim, believed to be descendants of priests who served God in the Jewish Temple before it was destroyed, perform a blessing ceremony of the Jewish people three times a year during the festivals of Passover, Shavuot and Sukkot. AP-Yonhap
LARAMIE  Dr. Samantha Herriotts patient was ready to go home with her new baby, but couldnt.

The Laramie mom didnt have a car seat.

Herriott, who had moved to Laramie from eastern Tennessee in 2019, was caring for a patient who was recovering from substance abuse.

She was pregnant and really trying to start over, was doing a good job, had a full-time job. Her partner had a full-time job. Despite that, they didnt have enough money to purchase a car seat, Herriott said. Interestingly, they didnt own a car, so they didnt think they needed one.

However, to be discharged from the hospital, the baby must be in a car seat.

So we scrambled to find her a car seat. Someone donated it, Herriott said.

From that experience, Stork Support, a resource for new parents, was born.

Herriott is an Obstetrician/ Gynecologist with the Ivinson Medical Group and president of Stork Support, a nonprofit agency in Laramie.

We provide all new items, such as car seats and covers, pack-and-plays, diaper bags, breast pumps to families in need, she said. Our main focus is safe sleep, safe travel and breastfeeding.

A pack-and-play is a portable combination of an infant or toddler bed, play area and changing table.

Although most of the items supplied by Stork Support are aimed at newborns, car seats are available for any age child.

Ive had the police station call me before, and they said, Weve pulled a woman over for a traffic citation; her kid was in a car seat that was too small; she cant afford one, can you help her? Herriott said.

You think about having a new baby, how expensive it is. A car seat is required by law in a car. Its essentially the seat belt, yet it is not provided, she continued. Its like you have to provide your own seat belt. Long-term, I would like to see it covered on a statewide, national level. Wouldnt it be nice if when you had a baby you could take it home safely, without, like a $200, $300 expense?

The items are purchased from Amazon, and funding comes from grants and local donors.

Stork Support started with a grant from the Wyoming Department of Health to help mothers who were dealing with substance abuse issues. Its not uncommon for women in this position to lack family support, Herriott said.

They werent getting a baby shower, like most people are used to,she said.Its almost like the community baby shower, every time we give this stuff away, which is pretty wonderful.

The car seats and other items are stored at the Ivinson Medical Group building and are made available to new mothers at Ivinson Memorial Hospital. Hospital nursing staff make sure that the baby is placed in the car seat correctly.

Stork Support is now funded through donations from individuals, businesses and community organizations, as well as grants from the state.

Recently, Stork Support received a large donation from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which, Herriott estimated, would fund the program for an entire year.

It was super generous,Herriott said.

So far, Stork Support has helped more than 300 families since 2019.With the LDS grant, the program will be able to expand to hospitals in Cheyenne and Sheridan.They will start with car seats at the new locations, she said.

Though the program has been costing up to $10,000 a year, Herriott thinks that will continue to climb, especially as it expands. Albany County, though, will remain its main focus.

Stork Support does not have any income requirements. If someone asks for an item, Stork Support provides it.

The new parents who take their baby home with help from Stork Support are a mix of local residents and international students. University students, she said, are facing not only the challenges of being a student, but being apart from family and family support.

Rael Otuya, a graduate student at the University of Wyoming said she appreciated the whole program. Among the items she received were a bassinet and car seat.

The soil science student said she doesnt know what she would have done without Stork Support.

As international students, we dont work,Otuya said.There wasnt very much money.

Otuyas baby boy was born in January and is doing well.

Hes perfect,she said.

Being a student is only one of the reasons that some parents cant buy everything they need for their newborn, Herriott said.

I dont know if the community understands how diverse we are, she said. But at the end of the day, everybody needs the same kind of support, thats where the program came from. We help people if they need help. No questions asked.
It didnt take long for the gravity of Megan Degenfelders new job to set in.

In fact, it struck the new Wyoming Superintendent of Public Instruction before she was even sworn in, while riding in a horse-drawn wagon to the state Capitol on inauguration day.

As the dome grew closer, I just really felt this great sense of gratitude for all the policymakers that had come before me, recognizing the work that has occurred within the walls of the building, [and] the fact that had it not been for prior work, I would not have the right to vote, let alone hold statewide office, Degenfelder said.

The pomp of inauguration day quickly faded, but Degenfelders task of guiding the Wyoming Department of Education and K-12 instruction for the more than 90,000 students in the state has not.

The first 90 days of Degenfelders tenure have been frenzied as she has sought to address teacher retention and recruitment and worked with lawmakers to open Wyoming to more charter schools.

There has been progress toward her campaign priorities of workforce preparation for students and parental empowerment, including expanding school choice. And there have also been compromises.

Through each step, Degenfelder has been reminded of the importance of her work, sparking an urgency that has driven much of her first three months in office.

We have one chance when it comes to our kids, she said.

Teachers and charter schools

On the campaign trail, Degenfelders tour of Wyoming school districts yielded one concern that rose above the rest  teacher shortages.

Her first week in office Degenfelder hosted a working group dedicated to the issue.

In her second week, the Department of Education and the Wyoming Professional Teaching Standards Board announced it would be starting a Teacher Retention and Recruitment Task Force to develop policy recommendations for lawmakers ahead of the next legislative session.

The two agencies have since selected 25 educators, school administrators and industry and higher education representatives to serve on the task force, which had its first meeting in February.

In early March, the task force and the Department of Education also sent out a statewide teacher survey to gather the experiences of educators.

Degenfelder was personally involved in crafting the surveys questions.

It was very important for me to make sure that we were asking very raw, honest questions that got to the bottom of this issue, Degenfelder said. Im just not interested in trying new programs that may or may not work. I want to know from the teachers what they need to stay in this profession.

Teacher shortages have been a focus of Degenfelders short time in office, as has streamlining the departments operations by reorganizing teams and cutting back on office space.

But much of Degenfelders first three months was spent working with lawmakers during the 2023 legislative session.

Degenfelder testified before legislative committees and helped lawmakers refine and craft legislation. She partnered with lawmakers on two pieces of legislation in particular that represent progress toward the campaign priorities that got her elected, she said.

The first was a bill that created a new Department of Education grant program that allows school districts to apply for money to support career and technical education programs and workforce preparation for students.

Degenfelder collaborated with Rep. Jared Olsen, R-Cheyenne, and Sen. Ogden Driskill, R-Devils Tower, on arguably the most significant education bill this cycle, which created the Wyoming Charter School Authorizing Board.

The eight-member independent board, with three appointees each chosen by Degenfelder and Gov. Mark Gordon, will take over for the State Lands and Investments Board and oversee the approval new charter schools.

It will also manage the renewal of existing charter agreements and supervise the charter schools in the state.

In an important step for school choice advocates like Degenfelder, the bill will boost funding for charter schools, matching the money that the states public schools receive. Degenfelder described it as a tremendous change.

Choice improves outcomes, she said.

Compromise and next steps

The charter school bill marked a step forward on another of Degenfelders campaign promises  empowering parents  but it also came with some compromise in her vision for Wyomings K-12 system.

Lawmakers included a moratorium on new charter schools over the next three years while allowing the Wyoming Charter School Authorizing Board to approve only one additional school through July 2028.

Degenfelder said she would have liked to seen the bill do away with the delays and allow for the new charter schools sooner.

Degenfelders push to expand charter schools in her first 90 days has also been met with opposition by some education groups, including the Wyoming Education Association.

While Degenfelder testified before the Senate Education Committee in favor of the charter school authorizing board, Tate Mullen, the Wyoming Education Associations government relations director, told the committee that expanding charter schools and increasing their funding would only worsen the states public education finances.

Until we take care of the students and our educators who are already here and in our classrooms and learning, we should not be expanding this program, Mullen said.

Degenfelder said it is the issue of school choice, not charter schools, that has driven her time in office.

Two bills sponsored by Rep. Ocean Andrew, R-Laramie, and Sen. Cheri Steinmetz, R-Lingle, would have radically reshaped Wyomings public education system by creating a voucher system that would have allowed parents to take public money and use it on education service providers, such as private schools.

Degenfelder said she was supportive of exploring educational voucher systems with the caveat that they meet the states constitutional obligations and not come at the cost of the states K-12 public schools.

We can have an incredible traditional public school system and also increase school choice like we never have before in the state, she said.

Degenfelders exact vision for the future of Wyomings education system will soon be unveiled to the public.

She and the Department of Education will release their strategic plan in the coming weeks, laying out not only Degenfelders goals, but also the concrete actions she and the department plan to take.

The release will cap a bustling start to Degenfelders term.

I really meant what I said on the campaign trail, she said. Im committed to action
Trinidad and Tobago should expect more visitors to the islands in the 2024 cruise season, according to Tourism Minister Randall Mitchell.

He explained that for the past six months, the Ministry of Tourism, along with Tourism Trinidad Ltd (TTL), has been increasing its marketing reach and putting action plans in place to increase arrivals.
Amid the escalating murderous scourge in our country some are finding it possible to use a f
A pilot is photographed operating an aircraft of the Air Force under the Eastern Theatre Command of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) during a combat readiness patrol and "Joint Sword" exercises around Taiwan, at an undisclosed location in this handout image released Saturday. Eastern Theatre Command via Reuters-Yonhap



China's military simulated precision strikes against Taiwan in a second day of drills around the island on Sunday, with the island's defense ministry reporting multiple air force sorties and that it was monitoring China's missile forces.



China, which claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, began three days of military exercises around the island on Saturday, the day after Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen returned from a brief visit to the United States.



Chinese state television reported that the combat readiness patrols and drills around Taiwan were continuing.



"Under the unified command of the theatre joint operations command center, multiple types of units carried out simulated joint precision strikes on key targets on Taiwan island and the surrounding sea areas, and continue to maintain an offensive posture around the island," it said.



A source familiar with the security situation in the region told Reuters that China had been conducting simulated air and sea attacks on "foreign military targets" in the waters off Taiwan's southwestern coast.



"Taiwan is not their only target," the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak to the media. "It's very provocative."



Taiwan's defense ministry said that as of 0800 GMT on Sunday they had spotted 70 Chinese aircraft, including Su-30 fighters and H-6 bombers, as well as 11 ships, around Taiwan.



The ministry said they were paying particular attention to the People's Liberation Army's Rocket Force which is in charge of China's land-based missile system.



"Regarding the movements of the Chinese communists' Rocket Force, the nation's military also has a close grasp through the joint intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance system, and air defense forces remain on high alert," the ministry said.



It reiterated that Taiwan's forces will "not escalate conflicts nor cause disputes" and would respond "appropriately" to China's drills.



The security source said about 20 military ships, half from Taiwan and half from China, were engaged in a stand-off near the Taiwan Strait's median line, which has for years served as an unofficial barrier between the two sides, but did not behave provocatively.



China's aircraft carrier Shandong, which Taiwan has been monitoring since last week, is now more than 400 nautical miles off Taiwan's southeast coast and is carrying out drills, the source said.



Zhao Xiaozhuo of China's Academy of Military Sciences told the Chinese state-backed Global Times newspaper this was the first time China had openly talked of simulated attacks on targets in Taiwan.



Key targets would include infrastructure such as runways, military logistics facilities and mobile targets "to annihilate them in one fell swoop if necessary", the report cited Zhao as saying.



'Comfortable, confident' U.S. monitors drills





Military vehicles of the Ground Force under the Eastern Theatre Command of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) take part a combat readiness patrol and "Joint Sword" exercises around Taiwan, at an undisclosed location in China in this handout image released Saturday. Eastern Theatre Command via Reuters-Yonhap
Tonya Strozier, principal of Holladay Magnet Elementary School, will be the new leader of African American Student Services in Tucson Unified School District.

She will succeed Jimmy Hart, the current director.

Stroziers new title was unanimously approved by the TUSD governing board on March 28.

Not only has Strozier served as a principal, as a leader, as an educator, but she is from the district. Shes a child of the district who came home to serve it  (and) to serve her elementary school that she proudly attended and where shes currently serving as the proud principal, TUSD Superintendent Gabriel Trujillo said.

According to information on the Holladay school website, Strozier is originally from Arkansas and moved to Tucson at a young age. She graduated from Cholla High School and received her bachelor of science in family studies at the University of Arizona.

She then earned a masters in education from Northern Arizona University and her doctor of philosophy in general psychology from Grand Canyon University.

I want to say thank you to the Holladay family for eight incredible years, Strozier said. I am humbled and so excited to work with the EDI (equity, diversity and inclusion) team and to lead the African American Student Services department. Great things are to come.

School online locator tool

Community Investment Corp., a local nonprofit organization, launched a school locator to help Tucson families explore and choose the right schools for their kids.

The free online school locator, which can be found by visiting MySchoolsTucson.org, offers the community a way to find unbiased information about all schools in Pima County, according to a news release from Community Investment Corp.

The online tool was created due to a 2022 survey the organization conducted of more than 1,100 Arizona parents, which showed that parents ability to access information about schools is directly correlated to their incomes.

This is another area of our economy where lower income households are at a disadvantage, often because these parents have less time to research and engage with schools than wealthier households, said CIC Executive Director Danny Knee.

The information gathered on the new website was developed through research and collaboration with parents in Pima County, who expressed that its confusing and time-consuming to gather information about the different educational options in the area, the site says.

For more information, visit MySchoolsTucson.org.

Local teacher wins $1,000

Maribel Lopez, a teacher at Rivera Elementary School, was one of 10 teachers throughout the United States who each won $1,000 Amazon gift cards through a sweepstakes by TCC, a Verizon retailer.

According to a TCC news release, the sweepstakes were a part of TCCs annual Teachers Rock initiative and aimed to help teachers enhance their classrooms for student learning experiences. More than 1,700 teachers registered for a chance to win and the winners were chosen randomly.

Now, Lopez said she will be able to buy books, telescopes and additional learning materials for her class.

So many teachers spend a fortune out of pocket to purchase items for our classrooms, so this recognition from TCC reminds me Im in the right career, Lopez said.

My Summer Library

The United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona will begin hosting its annual My Summer Library Book Fairs throughout Pima County over the next few weeks.

The organization raises funds to purchase books for children in some preschool-, first- and second-grade classes at participating schools in underserved communities to help foster a love of reading at a young age. During the My Summer Library events, the children can choose 12 free books to take home.

The goal is to encourage children to read over the summer and hopefully keep reading a consistent activity while school is out, said Monica Brinkerhoff, the local United Ways associate vice president for early childhood education.

These districts will some schools participating in the free bookfair: Ajo, Amphitheater, Baboquivari, Bureau of Indian Education Tohono Oodham Nation, Flowing Wells, Marana, Sahuarita, Sunnyside and Tucson.
As the federal funding Tucson has used to make local public transportation free for the last three years runs out, the city is assessing other ways to keep it that way ahead of a final decision on the matter scheduled to take place in less than three months.

For now, the city is gauging whether the regions largest educational institutions are willing to help fund a fare-free transit system after taking a closer look at how many of their students and employees rely on it.

Access to the citys public transportation network through Sun Tran, Sun Link and Sun Van has been free since City Council got rid of fares in March 2020 as a pandemic precaution. But the measure has also served as a test run for a permanently fare-free system, a concept many council members and public advocacy groups have expressed support for, while others contend it increases instances of crime and violence.

After delaying making a decision on keeping fares free four times, the council is set to come to a final decision on June 30.

According to the city, the total cost to operate Tucsons public transit system was about $107 million last fiscal year. About $47 million in American Rescue Plan funds and $20 million of the citys general fund covered the bulk of transportation costs, while the remainder came from federal grants, the Regional Transportation Authority and advertising revenue. Tucson estimates its lost $30 million in fare revenues in the past three years.

But as the COVID-19 relief funds dry up, paying for free public transportation would be a heavy lift for the city to take on its own. Instead, the city hopes other frequent users will provide funding for a fare-free system.

Potential partnerships

At its Tuesday meeting, City Council reviewed a report from Tucsons Department of Transportation and Mobility outlining ridership data for students and employees at the University of Arizona, Pima Community College and Tucson Unified School District in the 2022-23 school year.

To find each entitys ridership numbers, staff isolated bus stops in the immediate range of each location, looked at data from the Automated Passenger Counters that show the movement of riders through the transit system and considered bus stops in typical walking distances from campuses.

The results found the UAs estimated bus ridership for the 2022-23 school year was more than 350,000, while 83% of riders on the Sun Link Streetcar were attributed to UA staff and students, with 1.4 million total rides.

Staff estimated PCCs annual ridership was about 145,000 across its five campuses, including the West and Desert Vista locations that have on-campus bus stops. TUSDs estimated ridership was nearly 407,000.

Mayor Regina Romero told the council shes sent letters to heads of the UA, PCC and TUSD to talk about the possibility of partnership.

The university intends to continue partnering with the City of Tucson in support of city transit ridership for our faculty, staff, and students, said Pam Scott, a UA spokesperson. She pointed out that the school already contributes about $800,000 a year to the transit system by paying 50% of the cost of transit passes for staff and students.

We will continue conversations with leadership at the City of Tucson about our service fees, which we expect to be calculated based on the ridership of our faculty, staff and students, Scott said in an email.

PCC Spokesperson Libby Howell said the community college has only recently become aware of the Citys interest in receiving bus funding from PCC, and it would be premature to comment without further information.

TUSD Superintendent Gabriel Trujillo presented a more optimistic tone and said in an email: We know that transportation to and from school is a significant obstacle for thousands of young people across the district. We are excited at the prospect of working with our Governing Board, the Mayor and the city, to potentially remove this cost barrier for our students.

Several other jurisdictions throughout the country work with partners to fund free fare systems, given the benefit they provide to the employees and students who use public transportation to get to and from work or school. City Manager Michael Ortega pointed to Chapel Hill, North Carolina, as an example of a transit system that shares the cost of free fares with its local university.

Theres a true value to that organization, in terms of recruitment of students, recruitment of staff, so that they are then able to provide that fundamental service in a way that the transit conversation becomes an asset for them, Ortega said.

The city plans to ask entities with access agreements, which are funding partnerships that provide discounted or free transit rates for employees or students, to instead put that money toward a city-wide free transit system.

In addition to UAs annual $800,000 contribution for student and staff bus passes, PCC paid nearly $29,000 for bus passes the year before the city instated free fares, while TUSD paid about $889,000 for student bus passes, according to the transportation departments report.

The report also outlined estimated ridership among the regions largest employers using data from the Pima Association of Governments Travel Reduction Program report showing employee travel patterns. The top three transit users in 2022 were UA employees with an estimated 27,000 rides, Raytheon with about 22,000 rides, and Banner University Medical Center with about 18,000 rides.

If I can identify for (regional employers) the value that comes to them and the potential of student recruitment and faculty recruitment, theres value there that I can point to, Ortega said.

More options

The transportation departments report also lists other ways to fund free fares, including by raising parking prices, creating a tax for commercial parking transactions and increasing the citys surcharge for nightly hotel and motel stays.

During Tuesdays City Council discussion, Council Member Paul Cunningham pushed back against a hotel-motel surcharge as Tucson is trying to bring tourism back to pre-pandemic levels and expressed support for getting business buy-in to supplement lost fares.

Council Member Nikki Lee said shed like to see other options, and its very clear that $9 million for years to come is not there to continue keeping fares free on the citys dime alone. Council Member Dahl expressed support for free fares to enhance the citys climate resiliency efforts.

Vice Mayor Steve Kozachik opposed increasing parking fees due to the business deterrent it could pose to local merchants and the fact that the money Park Tucson collects is currently targeted to pay off debt service.

Mayor Regina Romero emphasized that local buy-in is important because public infrastructure leverages private investment, pointing to the success of the metro area after the deployment of the Sun Link Streetcar.

Weve got to think about our transit system as a resource versus something that takes away from our budget, she said.

Ortega said options to fund free fares will be part of ongoing budget discussions. Staff will likely refine potential funding options and provide more specifics at the councils May 9 meeting. City Council is set to adopt a final budget for the next fiscal year on June 6.
Photo editor

Rick Wiley is the photo editor of the Arizona Daily Star in Tucson. From 1995-2004, he was director of photography at the East Valley Tribune in Mesa. From 1988-94 he was a photographer at the Tucson Citizen. He is a graduate of ASU (yes, that ASU).
Liver disease disproportionately affects the Hispanic community, and a Tucson program is taking action to fight this trend. The program is working to identify liver disease cases and promote healthy habits that prevent other health issues.

The Nosotros Comprometidos a Su Salud public health program helps underserved Hispanic communities that dont have the resources to navigate health disparities, according to the University of Arizonas Mel & Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health.

The program, founded in 2014, encourages healthy habits, including weight loss, smoking cessation and substance abuse awareness. The program has had projects funded by UArizona grants, the National Institutes of Health, the American Cancer Society and the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona.

The program is beneficial to the Hispanic community, especially the free liver scans offered to anyone who may need one, said David Garcia, the programs director and an assistant professor at UA. The noninvasive fibroscan assesses an individuals levels of steatosis and fibrosis, which can be key indicators of liver disease.

So we take the machines basically to the community members to tell them about their amounts of liver disease, Garcia said.

A 2022 Nosotros report indicated about 25% of Americans are affected by non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which can lead to other diseases. Of the 693 fibroscans conducted in southern Arizona by the Nosotros program from October 2021 to the end of 2022, 423 of them, or 40.3%, showed signs of fatty liver disease. At least 80% of those scanned identified as Hispanic or Latino.

More than 79% of the people scanned were overweight or obese  a problem especially prevalent for Hispanic men, Garcia said  which puts them at higher risk of getting NAFLD.

If you look at the rates, its basically 33% compared to about 18% in non-Hispanic Blacks and 20% in non-Hispanic whites, Garcia said of those in the study who had NAFLD.

If there are no signs of fibrosis, then changes to health behaviors are key. If there is some evidence of more advanced disease, then we recommend following up with a hepatologist, Garcia said.

The Nosotros program is staffed by people in the community trying to make a difference.

The nice thing about being in the community is that you get to meet these people, and every person has a story to tell you, said Rosi Vogel, a senior program coordinator at Nosotros.

Adriana Maldonado, who also works with the Nosotros program and is a postdoctoral research associate at the UArizona Department of Health Promotion Sciences, echoed the sentiment: So thats one of the biggest things that a community-engaged researcher  were experiencing here in Nosotros: being there and building that trust.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP)  A driver has died after losing control and crashing into a Nebraska home, authorities say.

Omaha police said emergency crews arrived just after 5 a.m. Sunday and found the driver dead.

No one else was inside the car, and no other injuries were reported.

The identify of the driver was not immediately released, and the cause of the crash is under investigation.
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP)  The family of Arizonas only Hispanic governor is suing the University of Arizona over an alleged breach of contract for trying to sell his home in Nogales.

The family of Raul Hector Castro donated the home to the university several years ago for a specific use, the Arizona Daily Star reported. A complaint filed in Santa Cruz County Superior Court challenges the universitys decision to sell the house rather than use it as a headquarters for border studies initiatives as planned.

The lawsuit states that the home holds more than monetary value for the Castro family.

Specifically, the Castro family enjoyed the home for two decades and, upon Rauls death, wanted the Castro home to be dedicated to supporting Arizonans and the Santa Cruz County community, the lawsuit says.

Castro served more than two years as Arizonas first and only Mexican-American governor during the 1970s before resigning to serve as ambassador to Argentina. He also served as an ambassador to Bolivia and El Salvador.

In 2003, he and his wife, Patricia Castro, purchased and moved into the home in Nogales near the U.S.-Mexico border.

Castro died in 2015. After his death, the lawsuit says, the university approached the Castro family about headquartering its emerging border studies initiatives at the two-story house.

If the university sold the home, the lawsuit says the family "will suffer irreparable injury which are not remediable by compensatory damages.

The university and the board of regents have declined to comment specifically on the pending litigation.

The university announced in February that was unable to raise enough money to restore and convert the historic property into a publicly accessible university-run border center.

University spokeswoman Pam Scott said that when the school first took ownership of the property in 2016, it estimated the project to cost $600,000. When the COVID pandemic disrupted supply chains, that estimate ballooned to $1.2 million on the low end and up to $2.6 million if both floors of the house were converted.

As for the money already raised  about $275,000  the university had said each donor could choose either a refund or to add it to a scholarship fund named for Castro.

Net proceeds from the sale of the home would go to the scholarship fund, which benefits students in the Center for Latin American Studies who are studying international relations or local politics.

The Castro family is seeking an injunction to keep the university from selling the home and ultimately rescission of the 2016 agreement.
Chamber Music Tulsa will mark 70 years of presenting world-class chamber ensembles to Tulsa audiences with a season featuring the return of the internationally acclaimed Danish String Quartet and the world premiere of a work for the woodwind ensemble WindSync.

The organization began in 1954 as Concertime and operated under that name until the 2001-2002 season, when the name was officially changed to Chamber Music Tulsa.

In an interview at the time of the name change, Frankie James, then-president of the board of directors, said the reason for the change was to make explicit the organizations purpose.

Even after almost 50 years, there are still a lot of people who have no idea what Concertime is, James said. Some people think were a clearinghouse for information about all sorts of concerts. You wouldnt believe some of the calls weve received over the years.

Chamber Music Tulsa offers three distinct concert series, which gives the performers the opportunity to program a wider variety of music, as well as the chance to interact with audience members.

The Friday Gallery series takes place in venues around the downtown area, which will be determined at a later date. Doors open at 7 p.m. for wine and hors doeuvres with the concert beginning at 8 p.m.

The Saturday Salon series concerts will be held in the Westby Pavilion of the Tulsa PAC, 110 E. Second St. These intimate concerts also include wine and hors doeuvres, as well as conversation with the artists. Doors open at 7 p.m. with the program beginning at 7:30 p.m.

The Sunday Matinee concerts, held in the Williams Theatre of the Tulsa PAC, feature a pre-concert lecture on the music to be performed at 2:15 p.m., with the concert itself beginning at 3 p.m.

The 2023-2024 season opens Sept. 16-17 with the Junction Trio. This collection of acclaimed soloists  pianist Conrad Tao, violinist Stefan Jackiw and cellist Jay Campbell  will perform piano trios by Beethoven and Schumann, as well as works by the American avant-garde composer John Zorn, modernist Charles Ives, and the Renaissance composer Carol Gesualdo, a figure notorious for both madrigals and murder.

The woodwind quintet WindSync, which will perform Oct. 13-15, began its career by winning the 2012 Concert Artists Guild Victor Elmaleh Competition and the 2016 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition. The group is known as much for its championing of new works and adapting familiar pieces for wind quintet as it is for its performances of standard repertoire.

The quintet will give the world premiere of Flora, a work Chamber Music Tulsa commissioned from composer Viet Cuong, which will be part of its Sunday, Oct. 15, concert. In the course of its weekend in Tulsa, WindSync will also perform music by Jean-Philippe Rameau, Miguel del Aguila, Arvo Part, Ravel, and Mozart.

The Castalian String Quartet will make its Tulsa debut Nov. 17-19. The resident string quartet at Oxford University in England, the group has won a number of prestigious competitions and prizes, including being named the Young Artist of the Year at the 2019 Royal Philharmonic Society Awards.

The quartets programs will feature British composers from across the centuries, from John Dowland to Benjamin Britten to Mark-Anthony Turnage, as well as Beethovens Quartet in B-flat Major, Op. 130 with Op. 133, the Grosse Fuge.

The Danish String Quartet, which made a strong impression on a Tulsa audience when Chamber Music Tulsa first hosted the ensemble in 2015, returns to Tulsa from Feb. 17-18, 2024.

The quartet will perform works by Haydn, Shostakovich and Schubert, specifically his Quartet in D Minor, Death and the Maiden, but the group also will be performing arrangements of Danish folk songs, such as those featured on its critically acclaimed recording Last Leaf.

The Horszowski Trio will be featured March 15-17, 2024. This New York City-based ensemble takes its name from the renowned pianist and teacher Mieczysaw Horszowski; the ensembles pianist, Rieko Aizawa, was Horszowskis last pupil at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia.

The trio will perform works by Smetana, Schubert, Shostakovich and Clara Schumann, as well as music by contemporary composers Chen Yi, Derek Bermel, David Fulmer and Paul Chihara.

Chamber Music Tulsas 2023-2024 season concludes April 19-21, 2024, with the Dali Quartet. The ensemble, made up of people of Latino heritage, has earned national acclaim for its Classical Roots, Latin Soul programs, and its Tulsa concerts will showcase an array of compositions by composers from Spain, Central America and South America, including Villa-Lobos, Ginastera, Piazzolla, Morales and Arriaga, as well as examples of tangos, boleros and Puerto Rican dances.

Season tickets for all series are now on sale. Friday Gallery series is $132, Saturday Salon series is $390 and the Sunday Matinee series is $120. To purchase and for more information: chambermusictulsa.org.
Tulsa Ballet will close out the 2023 Jacobs Pillow Dance Festival in Massachusetts, considered the countrys most prestigious dance festival, with a six-performance residency, Aug. 23-27.

This is the first time Tulsa Ballet has been a part of the Jacobs Pillow festival, and it is the first dance company from Oklahoma to participate.

The nine-week festival, held at the Jacobs Pillow center in western Massachusetts, will also include performances by such dance ensembles as the Mark Morris Dance Group, the Martha Graham Dance Company, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Dorrance Dance and the Dutch National Ballet, along with dance classes, lectures, demonstrations and other dance-related events.

Marcello Angelini, Tulsa Ballet artistic director, said he has been trying to take the company to Jacobs Pillow for more than two decades.

Sometimes, it was simply a matter of logistics, he said. We really can only afford to do one tour a year, and if you do a tour in the spring, its difficult to get ready to do another in the summer. And then there were times when the people in charge of the festival just werent interested in the works we had ready to perform.

That was why Angelini was a bit surprised when the current executive and artistic director Pamela Tatge called him to ask why Tulsa Ballet has not performed at Jacobs Pillow.

I sent her some videos of the work that we do, and her response was immediate, Angelini said. She said, You need to perform here. She also said we could chose if we wanted to be the opening act, or the closing act for the festival. Those are the most important slots, because those times are when all the major critics are there. So we chose to close the festival.

Tulsa Ballet will give a total of six performances during its time at the festival, performing at the Henry J. Leir Stage, the festivals outdoor venue.

We wanted to do works that were relatively fresh for our dancers, as we are going to have only about two weeks to prepare before we leave, Angelini said. We also wanted to present works that were created for our company. We have built up a great portfolio of works by great choreographers, and we want to show the sort of work being created in Tulsa.

The three pieces the company will perform are Nicolo Fontes Divenire, which had its world premiere as part of Tulsa Ballets 2022 Creations in Studio K program; Andrew McNicols Celestial Bodies, which debuted in 2022 and will be performed as part of the companys 2023-2024 season; and the pas de deux from Katarzyna Kozielskas Ode, created for Tulsa Ballet in 2021.

Andrews piece was created in honor of Tulsa Ballets 65th anniversary season, and it is a piece that showcases the companys ability with classical and neo-classical ballet, Angelini said. Nicolo Fontes work is the opposite end of the spectrum  very contemporary, very inventive.

The inclusion of the pas de deux from Kozielskas Ode was as much a logistical decision as an artistic one.

Jacobs Pillow asked that our program run about one hour, with no intermissions, Angelini said. Our dancers are going to need time to change costumes, so we will use the pas de deux to allow for that. And, as the Ode pas de deux features (principal dancer) Arman Zazyan, we thought it would nice way to show the companys appreciation for all the years hes performed with us.

The companys managing director, Scott Black, will also be part of Tulsa Ballets performance, sharing with audiences a brief history of the company, tracing its roots back to co-founder Moscelyne Larkin, one of the five Indian Ballerinas who all rose to international prominence in the 1940s and 50s.

Jacobs Pillow was originally founded in 1931 by Ted Shawn, who with his wife Ruth St. Denis were pioneers of modern dance in America.

In 2003, the Jacobs Pillow property was declared a National Historic Landmark District by the federal government as an exceptional cultural venue that holds value for all Americans. It is the only dance entity in the U.S. to receive this honor.

Tickets for the 2023 Jacobs Pillow Dance Festival are on sale. For more information: jacobspillow.org.
What started just a few weeks ago as a snarky text exchange among three city councilors during a committee meeting has turned into a legal spectacle that has ensnared everyone from City Hall security guards to the mayor.

At the center of it all are Councilors Laura Bellis, Lori Decter Wright, Vanessa Hall-Harper and Grant Miller  and Millers boss, attorney Ronald Durbin.

Miller was the person who wanted to know what Bellis, Hall-Harper and Wright were texting about that March day, so he took pen to paper and wrote out an open records request for the text messages.

10M Gilcrease $ for housing. Miller is ridiculous, Wright had texted, a reference to Millers suggestion that funding targeted for the new Gilcrease Museum be used to address homelessness.

RIDICULOUS, responded Bellis. Hall-Harper did not respond.

A few days later, on March 27, came another open records request, this one from Durbin. In it, he seeks, among other things, all emails, text messages, instant messages or other electronic communications related to city business sent and/or received by Bellis, Hall-Harper and Wright dating back to Jan. 1, 2018.

Durbin asked that the city have the documents ready for duplication within five days and contact him if there was a delay in fulfilling the request. An initial analysis of the request by the citys Information Technology Department identified more than 95,000 items that could potentially be subject to the request.

The Oklahoma Open Records Act states that a public body must provide prompt, reasonable access to its records but also allows for the establishment of reasonable procedures to protect the integrity and organization of records and prevent excessive disruptions of its essential functions.

A week after Miller requested his colleagues text messages, Durbin stood in front of City Council chambers as councilors were filing into their regularly scheduled 5 p.m. meeting to announce that he had filed a lawsuit against Wright, Hall-Harper, Bellis and the city of Tulsa in Tulsa County District Court alleging violations of the state Open Meeting Act.

The plaintiff in the case is Freeman Culver, executive director of the Greenwood Chamber of Commerce.

The fact that I knew Grant (Miller) is probably why I knew that those messages and things were going on, but Grant didnt ask me to file anything, Durbin said in an interview with the Tulsa World. This was all my decision that I was going to do something, and Rev. Culver had been communicating and wanted to do something about it.

So he was willing to step up and do something about it, and I was willing to do the work until we got paid from the city. It really is that simple.  There is no more dark conspiracies or hidden agendas.

The lawsuit seeks a declaratory judgment from the court finding that the defendants violated the Open Meeting Act by texting during the council committee meeting and that all actions at any City Council meeting be declared invalid if electronic communications were used in violation of the act.

The lawsuit also seeks an emergency injunctive order compelling the defendants to refrain from any further public meetings or hearings until the alleged violations are addressed.

Bellis, Hall-Harper and Wright were sued in their official capacities as city councilors, and as such their representation is being provided by the city. The city declined to comment for this story, noting that it does not comment on pending litigation.

Miller has said he is not a party to the lawsuit, and he is not named in the document. But Culvers allegations are similar to the ones Miller has been making since he requested his colleagues text messages. And in his role as an employee for Durbins law firm, Veridian Legal Services, Miller has helped promote the lawsuit and press conference to the media.

My interest is, you know, if they want to text about their own private business, that is up to their constituents to decide whether or not they want to elect a councilor who is going to sit in a meeting (and) text the whole time about, you know, whatever it is they are texting about. , Miller said.

But when it comes to talking about city business, my interest is, as I said, government transparency and open meetings.

If successful, the lawsuit could throw a wrench into the work of the city as councilors and Mayor G.T. Bynum put together the citys fiscal year 2024 budget and a $772 million Improve Our Tulsa extension that is scheduled to go to voters in August.

Live-streaming visits to City Hall

For a City Council and mayor that have worked hard to present an image of collegiality and unity  if not always harmony  the episode has been trying. Miller and Durbin have not been shy about sharing their concerns publicly, posting frequent updates on their social media accounts.

And Durbin makes sure to livestream his visits to City Hall and other government offices in search of public records. The results have not always been to his liking, and he has made that clear, sometimes lobbing insults and profanities at those individuals he believes are standing in his way.

On the afternoon of March 31, Durbin went to City Hall to review grant records. When a security guard asked him to sign in and provide identification, Durbin declined.

I am going to a public building for a public purpose for a public request, and I prefer not to sign in or give you my identification, he can be heard telling the guard on a video of the visit posted on the Facebook page of Durbins law firm.

Durbin eventually provided his ID, but the back-and-forth between the attorney and city security inside City Hall ended with Durbins alleging that he had been assaulted by guards seeking to limit his access inside the building.

Dude, do not f touch me, man, Durbin says in the video. Back up, back up! Do not touch me, you f- piece of s-. You put your motherf hands on me.

He was back at City Hall last week, cameras rolling, this time asking to inspect all funding records related to the citys American Rescue Plan Act spending and the Gilcrease Museum reconstruction project.

Durbin refused to fill out an open records request form, saying he was not required to under the states Open Records Act. He went on to call City Attorney Jack Blair a coward for sending someone else to respond to his request, and when informed by a city employee that the records he was seeking would have to be gathered before he could review them, Durbin promised a lawsuit.

You have access to them electronically. I would like to look at them now before you have the opportunity to alter anything, he said, adding, Maam, I am sorry that I dont trust that you are going to amend the documents that I am here during public business hours to publicly inspect records that I dont want you to have the opportunity to falsify or alter.

He made good on that promise a few days later when he filed another lawsuit in Tulsa County District Court, this one alleging that Bynum, Blair, three security guards, Councilor Christian Bengel and other city employees had violated the Open Records Act.

A city spokesperson said that as of Wednesday, Durbin had not provided the city with a written list of the specific records he was looking to inspect. Durbin said Friday that he submitted a written records request to the city on Thursday. City Hall was closed Friday.

Durbin and Miller say they attempted to address the issue before it ended up in court.

I just said: Acknowledge that the communications during meetings amongst councilors via text message is, if not a direct violation of the Open Meeting Act, it is at least a violation in terms of the spirit of the Oklahoma Open Meeting Act and that we should at the city of Tulsa adopt a policy that says in the future were not going to do that anymore, Durbin said.

Bellis, Hall-Harper and Wright, meanwhile, have requested a meeting with the entire council to discuss how Oklahomas Open Records and Open Meeting acts pertain to various technology devices including smart phones, laptops, tablets, wearables, and other communication devices.

A trip to Oklahoma City

This is not the first time Durbin and Miller have teamed up to publicly pressure government agencies for records.

In March, they made a trip to the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control in Oklahoma City to review documents they had previously requested. Again, Durbin livestreamed the visit on his law firms Facebook page.

Both men have interests in the medical marijuana business  Durbin as an attorney and Miller as the owner of a cannabis cultivation facility  and Durbin has filed a lawsuit against the drug bureau accusing it of violating the states Open Meeting Act.

When bureau spokesman Mark Woodward informed them that the bureau was still working on the request and that the records were not available for review, Durbin called the Oklahoma City Police Department to report a violation of the Open Records Act and to ask that an officer be sent to take a report.

As they waited for the officer to arrive, Woodward, Durbin, Miller and others talked in the lobby. At one point, Woodward commented that he was sensitive to the smell of marijuana, to which Durbin responded:

Shut the f- up. I am tired of listening to you about that, Durbin said. You wont give me any f records, but you want to sit here and run your mouth about a smell you dont find pleasurable. I dont find the smell of your f agency pleasurable.

Eventually it was established that the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, not the Oklahoma City Police Department, was the appropriate agency to respond to Durbins call, and an OHP lieutenant was called to the scene.

That conversation did not end well, either, with Durbin using profane language and accusing OHP troopers of not wanting to wear body cams because then they would be accountable for what they do.

Miller said he has no opinion regarding how Durbin handled the situation and that he was present as an employee of Veridian Legal Services, not as a Tulsa city councilor.

We are trying to uncover when state agencies and now municipal agencies are not complying with the Open Records and Open Meeting acts, Miller said. Really, it boils down to that. Now, how Ron decides to handle that is up to Ron, and it is not my place to speak about how he goes about that as an attorney and as a person.

Durbin declined to answer questions about the visit to the narcotics bureau.
Westward Ho: With Congress not in session, U.S. Sen. Markwayne Mullin spent most of the week getting to better know his new constituents in western Oklahoma.

The former 2nd District congressman, who grew up and lives practically within sight of Arkansas in eastern Oklahoma, traveled as far as Boise City near the western end of the Panhandle, as well as to Goodwell, Guymon, Beaver, Laverne, Shattuck, Woodward, Lawton and Altus.

Representing the entire state is an honor and a privilege, and its a responsibility that I do not take lightly, Mullin said in a press release. Growing up in Westville, I know how important rural communities are to feed and fuel our state, and power our economy. Thats why I felt it was so important to begin my tour in the panhandle and hear directly from rural Oklahomans about their top concerns.

Upside down: The northern long-eared bat has gotten Mullins goat.

Mullin is opposed to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services decision to classify the creature as endangered. Mullin says that wont help the bat but will be a headache for some humans.

There is no reason to disproportionately increase regulatory burden and hinder economic development when this rule will not affect the primary cause of decline for the northern long-eared bat, Mullin said in a press release.

The northern long-eared bat has been a rather common species across the eastern half of the U.S., including in eastern Oklahoma, until the last decade. Thats when a fungal disease called white nose syndrome began killing them off by the millions, such that the bats have disappeared entirely from some areas.

The fungus seems to grow in caves and mines where the bats hang out.

We must stop this reclassification and ensure our state and other impacted states can continue efforts to protect this species without the heavy hand of the federal government getting in their way, said Mullin.

Yikes: Fourth District Congressman Tom Cole, one the Houses top-ranked Republicans, did not sound very optimistic about the thin Republican majority agreeing to raise the federal governments debt ceiling.

Most Republicans want to restrain spending at some level, and most of them realize that anything could happen, Cole told The Hill. But theres gotta be a deal. And some of them would never vote for a debt limit increase, even if we gave them everything they wanted.

If that last group numbers more than four, the debt ceiling cant be raised without Democrat votes. The almost unanimous consensus is that failure to raise the limit would create an unprecedented financial panic.

Hard pill: U.S. Sen. James Lankford and Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi said they oppose a proposed Biden administration rule that would eliminate moral exceptions to contraceptive coverage for individuals with health insurance through the Affordable Care Act.

The rule contains a religious exemption, but Lankford and Hyde-Smith said that would not apply to secular nonprofit agencies that are opposed to contraception.

Dots and dashes: Third District Congressman Frank Lucas, chairman of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, and two Republican subcommittee chairmen asked NASA boss Bill Nelson why only 31% of his employees have returned to work in person.  The National Federation of Independent Businesses began running ads thanking 1st District Congressman Kevin Hern for opposing taxes.  The Brennan Center reported that employment by most federal agencies declined from 2012 to 2020, with the Departments of the Interior and Agriculture each losing more than 20% of their workforce, while Defense and Veterans Affairs each grew by more than 40%.  Former U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe was back in Washington recently to receive the R.A. Bob Hoover trophy, one of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Associations highest awards.

 Randy Krehbiel, Tulsa World